John Green first released award winning novels Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines and now Paper Towns. Paper Towns is a story every young adult can relate to. The meaning of paper towns is so true. Almost all of us live in a paper town and from a distance on top of a hill or a skyscraper, you see how perfect your city looks. The Postal Service even puts these words into their lyrics, "everything looks perfect from far away, come down now they'll say." And then you observe your city in detail, magnified close up and things have changed. There's the cracks and flaws, the paper people living in paper towns. You see it everyday and it's there. Then you realized that somewhere someplace, there are pretty people out there living pretty lives in a fairytale. But then sometimes we are the paper people living in paper towns. Paper towns has a literal meaning as well. John Green informs us that paper towns exist, fictitious towns on maps, a dead end trap mapmakers use for copyright. Quentin Jacoben, the hero is a bit like each of us, imagining our loves how we think they are. I absolutely adore Quentin and his unstoppable quest of finding Margo Roth Spiegelman. Who is Margo Roth Spiegelman? She's a twisting mystery, curious cunning character and the heart of the story. As the story unravels, we begin seeing her two sides, our own two sides and personalities. Hence, the two different covers for Paper Towns. Paper Towns will make you laugh all the way through, think philosophically, intellectually and most of all emotionally tearful. This story reminds every young adult about why we seek liberating ourselves, holding onto our friends and finding the ones we love. Paper Towns is unforgettable, a brilliant piece of literature not to be missed out on.
The other day my friend and I were discussing about architecture, our favourite buildings and architects. Since I've been learning about Greek and Roman architecture, I picked up my pen and started drawing my own version of a Greek and Roman styled house. Out of inspiration, I drew this from memory. Usually I can never draw anything without looking at the subject. You just have to be a little creative and have faith in yourself that you can make anything become art. 
A while back on a family vacation trip at Universal Studios, I watched Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963) in 3D. I still remember being terrified of all the realistic animations of many birds flying towards me. This memory still haunts me when I think of Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock scared me as a kid and still has the capability of scaring me now as I'm years older. Vertigo (1958), a psychedelic film by Alfred Hitchcock shocks his audience with horrific suspenseful thrills. Some of the scenes in Vertigo strikes a resemblance to Salvador Dalí's approach with avant-garde films. Hitchcock gives his audience a sense of vertigo by distorting acrophobia with how M.C. Escher perceives endless staircases. While watching the mystery of Vertigo decipher, suspenseful music and lighting gives a psychological discomfort at what might appear next. Repetitive imagery and color successfully play into motifs and the theme of Vertigo. Carlotta Valdes' portrait shown in Vertigo now marks as an iconic symbol from the film. One couldn't help, but have immense interest in all the symbols throughout Vertigo. The audience can relate to each of the unique and somewhat strange characters. Midge, an artistic and close friend of Scottie had strong feelings for Scottie. Cleverly and humorously, she painted a portrait to convey her feelings, but no spark lit between Midge and Scottie. Who hasn't fallen for a best friend who didn't return the same feelings? Galvin Elster, another close friend of Scottie convinced Scottie to act as a detective on a case concerning his wife. Who hasn't been a victim of falling because others have spotted our weaknesses and fears? And confused yet beautiful Madeleine Elster/Judy Barton helped murder the real Madeleine Elster. Caught between fear and a dagger, she lamented at her own remorse and fell madly in love with Scottie. Our own mistakes, errors, judgement and consequences show we're all human. Her two identities, our own two personas we sometimes put on as a mask. Each of us can relate to the characters in Vertigo. Hitchcock leaves his audience for a handful of satire and dark humor irony in the end. My first reaction was utter confusion and then I didn't know whether I should laugh or not. Vertigo imprinted a lasting impression on me of Alfred Hitchcock. Simply, I'm obsessed with Vertigo and wish to watch another classic Alfred Hitchcock film.
