Screen Free Week – Day 6

Saturday’s Screen Free day started and ended smoothly.

Because I was attending a birthday party in the evening, I baked cookies and vegan brownies all morning. I didn’t even eat lunch until three in the afternoon. The baking was easy, fun, and dangerous; I kept eating cookies with each batch I made.

I was scheduled to sleep over a friend’s house so I packed an overnight bag. I left home early to meet up with friends to watch Scream 4 (film review will posted in a day on my horror blog). After the movie, we arrived at the birthday party in which there were many different personalities, sangria, my desserts, and good energy.

We played a few rounds of a party game called “Mafia.” This game also has many other names like “Assassin” or “Killer” in which people die based on assumptions. Look it up. I’m sure some of ya’ll out there have played the game. It can last for hours or one hour depending on the amount of participants. This is always a fun game to play with people who know each other and strangers.

After “Mafia,” the party broke into small groups (as is the norm for most parties with different social circles) and when most of my crew left, I went over to the next door neighbor’s apartment (also friends with the birthday boy) and watched the first twenty minutes of Tron Legacy on the neighbor’s 3D TV. Oh the movie was gorgeous! The story, however, was significantly lacking as I was more invested in flirting with the neighbor’s roommate than paying attention to what was happening on the screen.

The night ended fairly after 2 am when everyone else left and the birthday boy was happily drunk. I ended up sleeping over because I didn’t want to go higher than fourteenth street at that time in the night.

I’d have to say the day was awesome. And also, the more I spend time without visual media, the more I crave it. After watching Scream 4, I was reminded why I enjoy the medium so much.

Losing oneself in another world for ninety minutes is glorious especially when the story is engaging. When the story is not (like Tron Legacy), you’d rather play with your belly button than watch a moving picture.

I absolutely love the cinema. When I haven’t watched a movie in a week, I binge and then I taper off, watching a movie every other day instead of three movies back to back (I’ve had my share of those days). I need to be careful when I wean myself back on visual media. My list for shows and movies to watch is growing every day.

Last day account coming up. I miss you visual media so so so much!!

Screen Free Week – Day 5

My fifth day without visual media was just right.

I hung out with one of my BFF’s at a Starbucks for a very long time and then we had some Chinese food at a nearby spot – Congee Village Restaurant – which is very well-known for their different kinds of congee (a type of porridge with either meat or vegetables). We didn’t try the congee – we weren’t feeling very adventurous but their sweet potato pancakes were amazing!

After we chatted about everything, she had to jet for a singing class on the Upper East Side. Since we met up right over the Williamsburg bridge, I walked home. The walk was lovely – a little windy – but pleasant nonetheless.

Walking briskly takes more out of me than I thought because as soon as I read a chapter of Alias Grace, I took a two and half hour nap! Completely unexpected but I guess my body wanted a rest; the body takes what it needs.

With two days left on this visual media diet, I’m itching for my next fix. I have a list of movies to rent, things to watch (I miss Glee and How I Met Your Mother episodes) and everything in between. However, the lack of visual media is a nice change up. But I still miss it.

Two more days left!

Screen Free Week – Day 3

My third day without visual media went by as planned. Fortunately for me, I had a half day work assignment (12-5:30) in which at work, I read and wrote all day. I even worked on a cover letter for a job!

When I was done for the day, I walked to a friend’s home in the Chinatown area (closer to Manhattan Bridge) from Chelsea Market. The walk was marvelous and was only fifty minutes. The sun was out and the weather was slightly sticky but I was fine.

I met my friend when I worked in film production (she was a PA, I was a grip) but we remained in close contact afterwards. She’s trying to make her own moves in the industry. She had a small screening of a short horror film she filmed with other people in the industry. Being a lover of horror films, the ending and execution was effective. And I’m not just saying that because she’s my friend.

I chatted with her and her friends for a good four hours and got home around midnight. All I had time to do was get ready for the next day. Of course, I read a chapter of the Beatles biography I’m so into right now.

Day 3 was great because I was socializing. The next two days will be fine as well. But what’s going to happen when I lift my screen free ban? I imposed this ban on myself because I indulge way too much in movies (I’ve seen close to sixty movies this year excluding movies I own and have seen before) and never get anything productive done. The goal is to create and complete a work (I did write notes down for a story I’m working on so that’s good) this month. Intention and visualization are my friends; the hard work comes next.

Until tomorrow!

Screen Free Week – Day 1

On Monday, April 18th, I received a one day assignment which was nice (money in my pocket!) Working definitely filled my time and was a less likely way for me to partake in visual media consumption.

At work, I read the news online, read the Metro New York paper, read a screenplay while providing coverage (I’m a script reader now, no pay, but more on that later), and read a chapter from the book club selection of the month – Alias Grace. A very productive day at work for me, apart from the fact that all I did was answer phones (oh how easy reception work is).

When I arrived home, I quickly made dinner and read one of the many magazine subscriptions I have (Spin, which I realize that 1-I don’t know what the hell is going on in music and 2-I’m more of a movie person anyway) while eating.

I looked over and edited my screenplay coverage and sent it off. Which brings me to – being a script reader!

Last month, I applied to anything writing related because I wanted to be involved in something creative that I enjoyed liiike…reading and writing about movies! I applied to be an script reading intern but the position was filled. Instead, I was contacted by the president of the company to become a script reader for them which means reading scripts sent via email sending them script coverage. It’s easier for me because I can the reading from home or wherever I have an internet connection. It’s not that much of a hassle and scripts are so easy to read.

After that, I did a little dance to some body shakin’ tunes and settled for the rest of the night with Alias Grace and a Beatles biography book I received for my birthday. I totally have Beatle fever with every chapter I read.

Quite the evening – very quiet but fun nonetheless.

I did find it difficult looking at my TV – lonely, abandoned, cold waiting for me to watch movies to review for my blog or for general entertainment. After I work as a receptionist for the day, I spend all day in front of a computer reading so when I come home, I want to veg and watch something! It was hard to do but all week I’ll be busy being social, so it shouldn’t be so hard.

‘Til tomorrow!

Screen Free Week

Upon participation in the National Unplugging Day last month, I researched another type of “unplugging” ritual.

Every year, the Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood (CCfC) sponsor a Screen Free Week (formerly TV-Turnoff) where communities, families, schools, and children use their free time to do other things rather than stay inside and watch TV, usually in the Spring time. This year, Screen Free week has been delegated to April 18th-24th.

I’ve declared my own Screen Free Week, which for me means no TV or movie watching on my computer or on my PS3. However, the rules of the National Unplugging Day do not apply here. I am able to text, email, and read the news online. I however, cannot participate in any video online streaming media at all – not even music videos.

As a writer, it’s easy to distract oneself with noise. This week, I have no excuse because I won’t have anything to watch. Instead, I’ll focus on reading, writing, catching up with friends, and anything that doesn’t include media watching.

As for social gatherings, movies and other media events occur so those can happen because I’m with friends. By myself, is something completely different.

I’ll be providing updates each day with my activities.

Won’t you join me in a week of abandoning visual media and participating in something else for a change?