Y’all know when Mulan is sitting in the rain and watches her parents silhouette disappear as the candle is blown out and then her eyes squint in determination and the music that starts to play and you see her go into the family temple and light a match and bow in respect and then sneak into her parents room and switch the scroll for her hair brooch and then the way her reflection is shown as she pulls the sword and cuts her hair?? It’s literally more iconic than any marvel movie
Y’all know that there is heavy symbolism in that scene to show that Mulan is the spirit of the Great Stone Dragon and that’s why Mushu wasn’t able to awaken it?
im sorry What!! i never knew this! my life feels fuller!!! ahhhh
Mulan sits in the rain underneath the statue of the Great Stone Dragon (who is looking down on her), and suddenly decides on a course of action. She looks up, resolved to go to war in place of her father and runs into the temple where she lights the match and beseeches protection for her family. The stone she bows to and that we see lit up by lightening strike is that of the dragon, whose eyes are looking out after her, lit from underneath by the candles. The scene transitions to the divider in the house that also has an icon of the dragon. where she replaces her hair comb with the summons. Then we see the sword hilt, also the dragon, and as she draws the blade we see her face replace it. She ties up her hair, then as she opens the wardrobe, the handles are also the dragon. After donning the armor, the view shows her facing us, with the hilt of the sword (the face of the dragon) in front of her face, where she then turns the sword to reveal her face, and sheaths it. As she leaves, we flash back to the temple, and the eyes of the dragon flash as her grandmother wakes up.
The Great Stone Dragon resides within her. She is the protector of the family.
After this explanation, the scene where Mushu cannot wake up the stone dragon makes so much more sense. I appreciate the symbolism so much more. I noticed the dragon but didn’t notice she was constantly juxtaposed with the dragon!
This is my small group. This has been a week of DISorientation. This week I have been disoriented. Disoriented from my privilege, disoriented from white privilege so that I might be oriented in Peru. I have been at a conference center in Stony Point, New York learning, thinking, and observing a lot. Stony Point is a community. It’s a community that lives simply. In this community everyone coexists. We always see the bumper stickers of “coexist”. I even have one myself but this is the first time I have ever seen it lived out in front of me. There are Muslims, Christians, Catholics, Atheists, Blacks, Whites, Latinas, Latinos, people from every shade you can imagine, and it is beautiful. The campus here is beautiful, and the food is too. (Which comes from the many gardens here). This week of disorientation has been eye opening. We have spent a lot of time on focusing on the effects of white privilege and looking at what it has done to our country, and looking at how to change it. We examined simple living, and how we can live simply and be happy. My small group is amazing (and the best one out there) and I’m so glad I get to reflect and decompress with them. I leave Stony Point and head out to Peru on Monday, August 28th to my YAV site.
This week marks one month of living in Lima, Peru. At times it feels like this month sped by, and at other times I thought that this month would never end. I arrived here on August 28th, 2017 not knowing what to expect, afraid of the unknown, and very stressed about the language barrier. It is now October 1st, 2017 and the language barrier is still present but my Spanish is a lot better than it was 2 weeks ago, and even a day ago, poco a poco (little by little). I am still afraid of the unknown, but without fear there is no room for faith. I am not the same person that I was when I got the plane, and I know that I won’t be the same person when I board the plane to go home. For the past month I lived in a hostale (similar to a hotel) with the other YAVs in Peru. This month was filled with intensive language classes every M-F., history and culture lessons, and field trips. I feel like I’ve learned a lot about colonialism, race, gender, and the economy here in Peru over the past few weeks, but I know we only scratched the surface. I have learned about the indigenous people of Peru, Pre-Incan society, the Inca Empire, and the arrival of the Spanish. It is a very sad story, but all stories of colonization are tear jerking, and enraging in my opinion. Learning of the Indigenous people of Peru has really peaked my interest in finding more about the ingenious civilization in the United States. (Pre-Columbus).
Peru has one of the world’s fastest growing economy, but the distribution of wealth here is the problem. Peru is rich with silver and gold, but “the people” never see any of the wealth. It’s mind boggling and saddening. Here in Lima there are a lot of metropolitan areas, and big city scenes that put you to the mind of New York. But how is that there is a booming city thriving with malls, tour buses, parks, and restaurants but 30 minuets north you have thousands of people living in unbelievably poor conditions without the things that we would deem as a necessity. i.e: running water/indoor pluming and electricity. There are a lot of causes at the root of this problem, but one of the causes is colonization. With that being said one can not ignore the poverty here in Peru, not even the Peruvians. One of the customs that I have really taken notice to is the willingness to help others in need. Everyday I would take a bus (or two) to where I need to go whether it be class, or just to grab lunch. On every bus ride there is at least one individual with a story of need and they are looking for someone help. They use a few seconds to grab your attention, pour out their hearts in hopes that their honesty will reward them with a few soles (Peruvian currency). I have never been on a bus ride where at least one person didn’t give. They treat the poor a lot differently then we do in the United States.
This weekend I moved into my new home with my Host family. I am still living in Lima, but just a different part. Tomorrow is my first day at work. I will be working in an office called CEDEMUNEP (El Centro de Desarrollo de la Mujer Negra Peruana). When translated it is, The Center for the Development of Peruvian Black Women. CEDEMUNEP is a non-profit Civil Association, whose main objective is to improve living conditions, fight against discrimination, exclusion, compliance and respect for the human rights of Afro-Peruvian Women, as well as sisters from other ethnic groups. I am very excited to look at racism, discrimination, and exclusion through a different lens and learn of the history of Afro-Peruvians.
