Our first project of the semester required us to list characters from fiction, public and personal and selecting the top 2 from each list to include a detailed description of they attributes and our affinity towards them.

Characters

• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: Walter Mitty
• Suits: Mike Ross
• Suits: Donna Paulsen
• Confessions of a shopaholic: Rebecca Bloomwood
• Game of Thrones: Arya Stark

Public Figures

• Jenn Im – Youtuber
• Ellen Degeneres – talkshow host
• Bernie Sanders – Politican
• Amy Lee – Youtuber
• Emma Watson – Actress

Family/Friends

• Lim Chee Wee – dad
• Emily Lim – mom
• Zoe Kwek – the roomie
• Mandy Wong – the best friend
• Jinson Yap – the boyfriend

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Characters from literature or fiction

Walter Mitty  ( The secret life of walter mitty)

Walter Mitty is a introverted guy who works at LIFE magazine and is constantly thinking of adventures and what ifs. In real life, he is constantly getting bossed around, forgetful and getting laughed at for making blunders. To compensate for his failings in real life, Mitty creates an entire “secret life” for himself: a series of fantasies in which he is decisive, powerful and everything he is not in reality.

Character Profiling:

Exterior:

• Unfocused and constantly in a dream-like state, oftenly drifting off into his own world even in the middle of having a conversation with someone
• Introverted, rarely speaks up for himself and a push-over
• Shy and meek ( he seek professional advice on how to approach a colleague he fancied at work )
• Inefficient at his job ( he was thought to have misplaced the final cover picture for LIFE magazine which was what led Mitty to travel all over the world to look for the photography of the photo)

Interior:

• passionate, his passion for the company was unquestionable and he always strive to deliver the best
• his love for his mother and sister was seen throughout the movie, always standing up as a male figurehead of the family after his father passed
• despite being perceived as meek and introverted, Walter Mitty is secretly an adventurous extrovert that was seen breaking out from his “fantasies” and actually taking on challenges and adventures that he used to only dream of doing.

Affinity:

Much like Walter, I often dream of getting out of here. Away from the mundanity of life and to backpack across Asia to seek new adventures. However, I never had the courage or time or money to do so. (yet) I want to be a person who is fearlessly adventurous and meet new people, taste new cuisines and find new places.  I am also a person who wants to try everything and learn as many things as possible.

I think essentially what draws me to Mitty is the idea of courage. The courage to step out  to take up new challenges or to stand up for ones own ideas and beliefs.

Mike Ross ( Suits )

Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) was blessed with a brilliant mind and a good heart, but some bad luck and worse choices derailed his plan to go into law. However, a chance meeting with Harvey Specter brought Mike’s considerable gifts to one of the top law firms in New York, and gave him a second chance to get his life on track.

character profiling:

exterior:

• a younger protege with an incredible power to remember everything he has ever read and often the guy that saves the day with his intelligence and wit.
• fits the usual stereotype of “the guy that chases the girl” and “the joker”, never failing to lighten the mood and get the girl

interior:

• passionate about his work, often working long hours and going the extra mile to win a case
• compassionate, Mike often took on pro bono cases with no monetary benefits to help out those who were unjustly prosecuted
• loving towards his grandmother and would do anything for her. Mike’s soft spot would be his grandmother, often seeking words of advice from her in times of trouble

affinity:

Mike Ross’s intelligence and wit is often the highlight of the show and I love how driven and passionate he is about his work, something I aspire to be in the future. To work in a job I’m passionate about and also the ability to help those in need.

Donna Paulsen ( Suits )

One major character that is seen to break away from the social gender stereotypes is Donna Paulsen. Donna is an incredibly brilliant, intuitive, hilarious, and gorgeous secretary that is considered to be Harvey’s other half. Without Donna, most of the characters, especially Harvey, would not be able to function because she is the one that always manages to be at the right place at the right time. She is “Harvey’s lifeline, Mike’s adviser, Rachel’s confidante, Louis’ weak point [and the only person willing] to stand up to Jessica. Her witty comebacks, bravery and intelligence is something i really admire and look up to. She is the type of strong independent female character that i aspire to be.

Rebecca Bloomwood ( Confessions of a shopaholic )

Rebecca Bloomwood is a girl that loves to shop, so much so that she found herself drowning in debt and on the run to escape from it. She dreams of working at the city’s top fashion company but lands a job as an advice columnist for a financial magazine owned by the same company. She is witty, funny, smart, outgoing and not afraid to take up a challenge.

I resonate with her as I do find myself shopping excessively and end up broke even before the end of the month. But beyond just that, I love how she sees the best out of every situation and never fails to remain optimistic and bring joy to all those around her.

Arya Stark ( Game of Thrones )

Arya Stark is the 3rd oldest in the Stark family and is totally different from a typical female character from the show in that era. She is a complete tomboy, who would rather play with a sword than marry a knight. She’s also brave enough to go after what she wants (sword-fighting lessons) rather than what other people think she should do because she’s a girl (sewing lessons). She’s smart, independent and friendly with people of lower social status ( which was often frowned upon on ).

Public Figures 

Jenn Im ( Youtuber )

I’ve been watching her channel for about 4 years now and her videos always makes me feel like I’m talking to a friend. I really admire her work and passion for what she does like starting a youtube channel, her own jewelry and makeup line and the passion for making creative content. She always seems so happy and cheery in her videos and she is always so optimistic. Her knowledge of literature and take on life is always so interesting to hear and i really admire youtubers who speak their minds and create content that goes beyond just superficial fashion and beauty kind of videos.

exterior:

• perceived to have the “perfect” life, a stable and successful career, great friends and family, a loving boyfriend
• well loved by most of her viewers and often looked up to for her great sense of style and “realness”

Interior:

• despite working as a youtuber, her work is actually busier then it seems with tight schedules and deadlines.
• isn’t afraid to voice her opinions , e.g. in a vlog she posted, she confessed how she regretted not taking the recent elections seriously after Trump’s win
• down to earth. despite being famous, she’ll always make time to meet her viewers and doesnt let the money and fame get to her

Ellen Degeneres ( Talk show host )

Ellen Degeneres is always such an entertainment to watch and her witty remarks never fail to lighten up the mood. I have been watching her show since i was probably in secondary school and she never fails to bring a smile to my face from the wacky games she makes her guests play to pranks she pulls on unsuspecting strangers. I also love how she stands up for what she believes in like LGBT rights and isn’t afraid to let her opinions be made known, such as the recent episode where she mocked President Trump’s executive order of building the wall as she explained the plot of “Finding Dory”.

exterior:

• funny, witty, loveable, a comedian
• confident, unafraid to voice her opinions
• passionate about causes she believe in
• compassionate, often giving large sums of money to disadvantaged families

interior: ( tBH not much is known, she is a v private person )

• really loves her wife, a family person

Bernie Sanders ( Politician )

Bernie Sanders was one of the candidates for the recent elections. One of the reasons why i chose him was because of how compassionate and underrated he was out of all of the candidates. There was an incident in one of his rallies where a BLM (black lives matter) activist caused a commotion and instead of putting him down like most politicians would, Bernie actually took the time to listen to what he had to say and both of them managed to come to a mutual conclusion. The other would be when Mr. Sanders unexpectedly bumped into Ms. Geneva Reed-Veal (mother) and Shante (sister), the family of SANDRA BLAND (an African American wrongfully murdered at the hands of police) in a restaurant. When Ms Geneva asked to take a picture with him, instead of turning it into a publicity stunt to promote his campaign, he let the sacred moment pass without trying to gain anything from it. After which, Sanders went on to honor Sandra Bland’s memory, mentioning her by name before the 15 million viewers of Thursday’s debate, and calling for action to prevent it happening to others like Sandra, Eric, Freddie, Tamir…

I really respect politicians like these that are down to earth and willing to step out of their “facade” to be more “human”, a willingness to express their sincere empathy for another person without asking for anything in return.

Amy Lee ( Youtuber )

Amy aka “vagabond youth” on youtube is someone that I’ve been watching for about a year now. What sets her apart for me compared to other youtubers would be how real she is as a person and gave me a whole different perspective of the life of a youtube. In one of her videos, she confessed how she was losing inspiration for content making and she felt like she wasn’t satisfied with the content she had been putting up on youtube. This made me realise how being a youtuber isn’t always as glamorous as it sounds and artists do lose inspiration and motivation sometimes, something i can really relate to as a student taking up design.

Emma Watson ( Actress )

Emma Watson is someone that I admire for the fact that despite her fame, she is still down to earth and cares for social causes. In September 2009, Watson announced that she was working with People Tree, a fashion label that promotes fair trade. She is also committed to her education where she enrolled in Brown university, a place she felt that she could get the anonymity she wanted. Despite juggling her busy work schedule and studies, she was dedicated on completing her English degree. She was also appointed a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador where she continues to speak out for women’s rights and equality. Her passion, dedication and courage to stand up for what she believe in is something that I really look up to.

People I know/ have known:

Emily Lim

exterior:

My mom is one of the strongest person I know, never taking shit from anyone and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She is also really meticulous and often the planner of the family, from planning our family trips to managing finances at my dad’s company. She is also the typical “auntie” that can be straightforward, stands up for what she believes in ( or to say it simply complain ) and sometimes a little “kiasu” but all these traits is what makes her my mom. She is also often people’s confidante, always willing to lend a listening ear to any problem.

interior:

Away from the public’s eye, my mom can be pretty childish at times often complaining about doing the chores and making fun of my dad and I. My mom is an avid news reader and would often keep me up to date on current affairs and sometimes celebrity gossips. Her love for me and my dad can seen through the small acts such as buying me supplies that I’ve run out of, helping me out with school assignments whenever i need assistance, staying home to look after me when I’m sick and so on. Her compassion is also something I really admire, often helping those in need without asking for anything in return.

Lim Chee Wee

exterior:

My dad started his own company after barely having completed his education and built his company from the bottom up. I really admire his trade of work and his skills with basically anything mechanical or electrical from fixing my iPhone screen to repairing cars. He is also really passionate and knowledgable in his field of work in automobile. I like to think that I get my creativity from him ( and my mom) as he can come up with innovative solutions to any problem. In his past time, he used to golf and its often a great sport for old men to chitchat while exercising ( kind of). He is often the “joker” in any social event, cracking jokes and telling stories, making him a well liked person amongst friends and family.

interior:

His dedication to this family is unquestionable, sometimes even working on weekends when its required. Whenever i need to run an errand for a school project, going back to hall or even going to the airport at 6am, my dad is always willing to drive me wherever regardless of the time. Like my mom, he too can be pretty childish at times but it never fails to bring laughter to the family.

Zoe Kwek

Zoe ( who is also my current roommate) and I have been friends for about 7 years now and we have been through so much together. From failing our A levels to where we are now. Zoe is a fun, free-spirited and care-free person and is known amongst peers for her crazy personality. With her around, there is never a dull moment in hall. Unlike most people, she takes things as they come and is often perceived to be always happy. However, this makes her a huge procrastinator often leaving work till the very last minute but somehow still coming up fine in the end. Despite her crazy personality, she is dedicated when it comes to pursuing her interest in music and often performs at public or school events.

Mandy Wong

One of my closest friend, Mandy has been with me through all the phases in my life, the good and bad times. She is very driven and never fails to give it her best in whatever task she sets out to do like how she managed to pull up for GPA from a 2.0 to 3.7 in just one semester. She is extroverted and extremely sociable which may have impacted me in some ways to open up more, to be less introverted compared to the person I was in the past. She is the type of person that would never judge me for what I do but rather offer words of encouragement and advice, steering me in the right direction when I felt lost and unsure of myself. Though we can sometimes be each other’s enablers and make bad decisions together, the lesson after is what made us grow together to be closer and stronger together.

Jinson Yap

Though I’ve only met him this year when I entered university, I feel like I’ve already known him for much longer. He is unlike any person I’ve met. He is the most multi-talented person I know from being a national swimmer, naval diver, lifesaving and swimming coach, attaining not only a driver’s license but a pilot license as well. His strong leadership skills and extroverted personality was what made him the swimming captain for Temasek Poly and current captain for Hall 10 swimming team. However, his strong personality can often be a double edge sword. He stands up for his principles and beliefs when wrongly accused of or when he sees someone in need. He also stands up to take charge when the occasion calls for it and doesn’t hesitant or give in to self doubt. His strong personality is something I admire as not everyone will be willing to step up to the challenge when needed without asking for anything in return. He is also highly driven to excel in anything from studies to sports and aspires to be a teacher someday. However, a strong personality like his is often misjudged for being arrogant and a “suck up” to gain recognition from his superiors. His confidence and lack of self-doubt really motivates me to be less doubtful of myself and to have confidence in my own abilities, that i do not need other people’s approval to pursue what I’m passionate in.