The Hobbit 30 Day Challenge - Day 21

Which Character Would You Like To Be?

In Day 3 of the Challenge I tried to explain why the character I relate to the most is Balin.

Balin is who I am, but does this mean Balin is who I want to be given all the character choices available in both Hobbit films and in the novel?

I've been thinking about all the characters and trying to decide who I would pick.  

I immediately discarded Thorin.  I want to be WITH Thorin, but not be Thorin.  

Since I'm a woman, I then decided to just look at the two adult female choices available: Galadriel and Tauriel.

Galadriel

I'm a fan of Cate Blanchett as an actor, I've had the privilege of seeing her on stage and now admire her even more. But I have never related to Galadriel, and it's not Cate's fault.

First, she's an Elf, and I've never related to the Elves. They are too ethereal and distant. Also, I envy their amazing flat iron hair skills.

Second, she's too cold and contained.  I don't trust anyone that no matter how horrible the threat to their world always remains cool and detached. The one time she showed some real emotion was over the ring (THAT ring!) so that didn't really come from her heart. 

Galadriel is not who I want to be. 

Tauriel

I'm one of the few people on earth that didn't watch LOST, so I had never seen, and barely heard, of Evangeline Lilly before. I wasn't sure about her in this role, and all her Hobbit PR interviews prior to watching the film did not reassure me. 

Thanks to Evangeline Lilly's performance I liked the character of Tauriel more than I thought I would. I had doubts not because this was a character created for the film and not in the novel, but because of some of storyline that involved Tauriel. I'm not a woman that only relates to characters that are other women, I can identify with male characters as well. I also don't need a romance to have an interest in a story. 

Now after watching DOS I still have doubts about the Kili/Tauriel romance, but Lilly convinced me as this character, and I like this Elf. I don't relate to Elves, so she did a good job with Tauriel to make her a warmer character.

Still, I can't quite say I want to be Tauriel:

First, because she's "feisty" and a "badass".  I've never wanted to be a "badass" and some "feisty" people get on my nerves. 

Second, because she's in a love triangle, or love "rectangle", and not a very believable "triangle" at that! Too complicated a love life for me. (And who could look at anyone else when Thorin is around!) Plus, there's something going on between her and Thranduil. I mean, she's reporting to him in what seems like the middle of the night, when he's in his evening robes, in his bedroom? 

Tauriel is not who I want to be.

So again I go through all the characters in my mind, hobbit, dwarves, elves, men (and women), orcs, goblins, trolls, wizards...nothing.

Well, Balin, looks like it must be you-it is you:

 How did Thorin's picture get in there???

Or just maybe there will be a flashback character in TABA? A Dwarf Princess that was once engaged to Thorin?....

(it's only a dream, Tolkien fans, only a dream)

Pics thanks to fanpop.com, lotr.wikia.com, Google Images, and many more

The Hobbit 30 Day Challenge - Day 3

Which Character Do You Relate With The Most?

???????

I love to take all those quizzes that ask "What Hobbit or LOTR Character are you?" and most of the time the answer is that I'm either Bilbo or a Hobbit. (Yes, I've taken many of these quizzes!) Only twice I've gotten a different answer. Once I got Dwalin, and that surprised me because I'm not a Dwalin at all (though I love the character) and once I was happily surprised that I got Balin.

Because you see, Balin is the character I relate to the most.

Why do I relate to Balin?  No, I don't have white hair and a big white beard, but otherwise I do look a bit like him, if you get rid of his hair and beard, and add a black wig. 

I relate very much to Balin's personality. Like Balin I am cautious as a person. I would have doubts that this quest is inevitable and would appreciate what I, and my fellow dwarves had accomplished in the Blue Mountains and the good and respectable life we had now after much hard work.  I suppose I should explain that I identify very much with the dwarves because I too had to leave my homeland with my family at an early age for our "Ered Luin".  

I also identify with Balin's sense of loyalty to Thorin.  I'm someone that believes loyalty to friends, family, co-workers, favorite actors, is important. Like Balin, I don't give my loyalty easily ("there is one I could call King"), but once I do I stand by it.  Doesn't mean I follow blindly, because like Balin, if I strongly disagree I would tell the person, but in private, what I really thought and try to get them to see reason as I see it. But like Balin, I would find it very difficult to betray my loyalty to a person once given.

Also like Balin, I'm the "behind-the-scenes" person, the one the "leader" relies on to be there with the right contract in the right place, at the right time. Not quite the "consigliere" like Balin, but the "reliable" person on the job.  It's not something I ever intended to be, it just happened through the years.  

I also relate to Balin's relationship with Bilbo. He's watching out for Bilbo as the newcomer and always there to explain to Bilbo dwarven(?) history like the Arkenstone for example. But I also know that Balin, after some doubts, now sees Bilbo's strengths and admires him.  How does this relate to me? We've all encountered in work situations people that are less than helpful, especially to new employees at work. Remembering my own struggles when this has happened, I always try, like Balin, to be a source of help and information to those that find themselves in an unknown environment. 

Just like Balin, and Thorin too, I can be a bit stubborn and cantankerous at times, but my heart is usually in the right place. 

Thorin and Balin by Lin ART

http://www.deviantart.com/art/Thorin-and-Balin-2-358746571

So Thorin, if Balin ever wants a holiday from being by you all the time, I can be a very good substitute. 

Check out the creator:

http://peregrint.tumblr.com/post/14786959121/my-the-hobbit-30-day-challenge

LOTR 30 Day Challenge - Day 4: Scene that Makes you Cry

I'm going to cheat a bit on today's challenge and post two scenes instead of one. There's the scene that brings tears to my eyes every time I see it, even after seeing it dozens or more times...and you might guess which one it is....

Then there's this scene in the video just below that never made me cry before last year, but now makes me cry just like Gimli.

(SPOILERS for those that have only seen the first Hobbit film and have not seen the LOTR films, or read Tolkien's work)

Yes, that Balin, is our Balin:

and the skeleton next to him with the big book in his hands is:

The second scene that always makes me cry - Aragorn and Boromir