Is-a-bell My-kuhl

   Before you read this post, keep in mind that it is NOT written in a serious tone at all and is meant to be humorous. I do not mean to offend anyone. This is a light hearted post about a not-so-serious issue that does tend to annoy.
   For those of who you who are not aware of the difficulty concerned with correctly pronouncing my last name, it is apparently very difficult. My last name, spelled Mikell, is actually pronounced "my-kuhl". This pronunciation is more commonly spelled Michael which is usually a first name. It is my biggest pet peeve when people incorrectly pronounce my name. Who would have ever known that there are so many ways to say "Mikell"? I have even met a man who asked "Can I say Mickle cuz it rhymes with pickle?" Me being the young and polite child I was probably said sure, although I do not remember. Then, there's the doctor's office that tries to get fancy by saying "Miguel", but with more of a k sound than a g sound. 
    This has taught me that if you are unsure of the pronunciation of a person's name...JUST ASK! I would much rather be asked than to be called by the wrong name. I am a real person with a name (I really am.). Although my first name is less commonly butchered, it is also an issue. If people would just take the time to sound it out, they would realize that it is made of three commonly used words: is, a, & bell. One would think Isabelle is not to complicated. "Ellisabelle" is just unacceptable. I can understand "Elizabeth" because it is similar sounding and also a commonly used name. I just don't understand the mix up between Julia(my mother's name) and Isabelle, though.     
     Thus ends my rant about my pet peeve of people discombobulating my name. I hope you have learned something from this. Luckily, I am not one to hold grudges. So if you have made this mistake before, I have either forgotten or forgiven you. Just try to avoid this mistake in the future. :)

Life is Beautiful

    I recently watched the film Life is Beautiful. It won "Best Foreign Language Film" in 1998. This is a story about a family during the Holocaust. Life is Beautiful is a great film.
    The film is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. There are many unexpected twists to the movie such as the little boy eating dinner with the Nazi children. It is also unique in that it can keep the attention of an English speaking audience that must read subtitles because the film is in Italian.
    I would never have been able to draw the conclusion of this film from the first 30 minutes or so of the movie. I thought the movie was going to be a love story rather than a tear jerking Holocaust story. The director definitely got the audiences' sympathy for the father. He worked so hard to keep his son happy and safe even while walking to his death. It is also a great feeling when the Americans arrive at the end saving the mother and son as well as the other remaining Jews.
    The film had lovely music. The track called "Life Is Beautiful" is splendid. I feel like that song in itself transports the audience. The music overall really helped bring out emotions such as fear and happiness. The acting was fantastic. The father's enthusiasm in order to keep his son safe and happy was impressive. I thought it was symbolic when the father was skipping past his son who was hiding in the box. A guard takes the father into a dark corridor and immediately shoots him. I thought the joyful skipping represented life and the dark corridor symbolized death. The director does a great job taking the audience throughout the Holocaust from beginning to end.
    The them of the film is live life to its fullest, hence the film title Life Is Beautiful. The father is never portrayed as unhappy. He is in a way forced to find the silver lining in every situation for his son's sake. His bravery, strength, and will saves the life of his son and wife.
     Life is Beautiful, being the first foreign film I have ever seen has encouraged me to dig deeper into my foreign film curiosity. I would highly recommend this film to anyone who is thinking about watching it. This movie truly brings out the beauty of life.