Tag: opinion

Anticipating Survivor Season 40: Winners at War

manda_faromeiro

It’s time for my second Survivor-themed blog post, and I am quite excited to be writing this one. As I mentioned in my other blog, I have been a HUGE fan of Survivor, having never missed a single episode since it aired in 2000. For the last several years, there have been intensifying rumors that an all-winners season was coming and honestly, waiting until Season 40 was really the perfect time. In order to execute an all-winners season that everyone can be pleased about, you’d need to ensure that there is a large enough pool of winners to pick from that covers all the classes of Survivors: old school, middle school, and new school. The idea of an all-winners war is thrilling, and it is so because of the right casting and the anticipation of witnessing how these players will match up when faced against someone from a completely different time period of Survivor history. Therefore for this post, I am going to give you my list of the 5 players whom I am looking forward to seeing play this season. So, Survivor fans ready… GO!

Sandra Diaz-Twine
Yes, the Queen of Survivor is back, and while I didn’t really see a need for her to come back in Game Changers (even though she totally is/was a game changer), I’ll never bore of Sandra on my television. Having won Survivor Pearl Islands, and Survivor Heroes vs Villains, the target on Sandra’s back during Game Changers was the largest anyone could possibly be carrying around. I was a little disappointed when I heard she was coming back for Game Changers because I knew that we wouldn’t get to see the magic that is Sandra’s survivor game play for too long, and honestly, the cast was so stacked for Game Changers, that it made me nervous that if she came back for this, she wouldn’t be willing to come back for an all-winners season. Also, no one wanted to see her record change from 2-0 to 2-1. However, I’m so glad she is returning because now that the playing field is even, with everyone having won, I think it is her time to shine again. Sandra is a top pick for me not just because she is my favorite Survivor contestant ever, not just because she is iconic, but because I look forward to seeing how she plays with the newer cast of winners like Natalie Anderson, Sophie Clarke, Ben Driebergen and Wendell Holland. Since her stint on Game Changers and most recently with Island of the Idols, Sandra has truly witnessed how intensely the game has evolved, and while she remains true to her own conceptions of how to play the game, she still possess an excellent great read of her fellow castaways. While her “anyone but me” philosophy served her well previously, she recognizes that this too needs to evolve and adapt to the new environment of playing with and against 19 other winners. Sandra is adored by fans and fellow players alike, and while many would want to put voting her out on their resume, I feel like the respect and admiration they have for The Queen, and the fact that they could play WITH her rather than AGAINST her is very appealing (and would make for some awesome television). Of course, if Sandra is crowned a 3x Survivor champion, I would be so pleased, but it would be just as thrilling and satisfying to see her make it to the final 4. Basically, if there truly are Survivor Gods, do NOT let Sandra get voted out pre-merge; that hurts!

Wendell Holland
Definitely my favorite Survivor player of the new era, Wendell has so many things going for him as a returning player. In his first stint on Ghost Island, his relationships and people skills, coupled with his solid performances in challenges, ensured his place in the finals. Charming, likable, and a solid tribe-mate both at camp and in challenges, Wendell is a huge threat, but not an intimidating one, and definitely someone who I am looking forward to seeing play again; especially with “old school” survivors like Yul Kwon and Sandra, but also “new school” survivors like Ben, Jeremy Collins, and Tony Vlachos. I feel that Wendell has the ability to work well with all schools of Survivor players, and the fact that he has stated he is going to be playing differently might catch some former castaways off guard. He has proven that he can work with having a target on him for most of the game, while showing that he can work closely with those who also have a target, and not having to blindside them to get to the end. If its true, and Wendell changes up his game, doing things a little more out of character, we could see a brand new version of Wendell show up in Winners at War, and one that is equally deserving of another Survivor title. Wendell is a pretty recent winner, and this could be seen as an advantage since little time has passed since he had his head in the game. With mixed reviews on the Ghost Island twist, I was a fan, but also think that having played with this kind of twist will only aid Wendell in thinking about the evolution of the game; he has had the chance to play new survivor with the “ghosts” of past survivor seasons, and further thinking about decisions and moves with a bit more intent. When it comes down to it, Wendell falls into the class of winners that you genuinely wanted to win, not because he was taken to final 3, or because he was the best of the other 2 options. No. Wendell was someone who so many rooted for since the beginning, and when you have such a satisfying ending , you’re left feeling really at ease and glad. So, let’s do that again!

Yul Kwon
Can we find ANY flaws with Yul and his time on Survivor? He was great; another of those really satisfying winners who played a solid game from day one. I am really enthused about seeing Yul return to Survivor because it’s been such a long time; his first and only stint on Survivor was Season 13: Cook Islands. What is really exciting about seeing Yul return with a cast of all winners is seeing how other winners perceive him. I’m curious to see who he is going to align himself with and just how he is going to conduct himself. What is really exciting about seeing Yul return in general is observing how different his game play will be. It’s been more than 20 seasons since he’s been in the Survivor mindset, and I am dying to know how he will adapt. Will some of his strategies from ages ago in the Survivor timeline workout? Maybe what’s old is new again? Or maybe he’s flipping his game around completely and this is Yul 2.0. What is really exciting is that Yul will truly be a breath of fresh air, having never returned before, and being from that class of really satisfying and deserving winners who could easily prove that distance and time away from the game is a blessing. Also, remember when he beat Ozzy? That was REALLY satisfying for me, and I’d love to see him beat out some big players. Whatever happens, I am rooting for Yul to go deep, and hope he at least has the chance to be in the finals again.

Denise Stapley
Survivor Philippines was good, and Denise was great! Attending every tribal council, aligning with one of the most likable players ever, and truly staying true to herself, I have high hopes for the longevity of Denise’s game play in this winners’ war. I think she will be able to “adapt, adapt, adapt” just as she planned and executed successfully in Philippines. What I believe is also going to prove to work well for Denise in this winners season is who she is at the core; I don’t believe she changed much if any of who she was on Survivor; adapting when necessary but never doing anything that went against her core/self. I also think that her career as a therapist helps her in the game tremendously; she works with people at their most vulnerable on the daily, and while it may seem she has the therapist hat on, she is genuine. I look forward to seeing Denise play the game with winners from both schools (old and new) as I feel she could really adapt well with almost anyone. In particular, I see Denise and Ben being an interesting pair, as well as Denise and Nick Wilson, or Denise and Kim Spradlin-Wolfe. I’d love to see Denise go far in the game, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she was booted well before the merge; I think everyone is aware that she’s well suited to play from the bottom and not only attend every tribal, but survive (and thrive) doing so. Then again, I could see her doing exceptionally well at adapting and having all the flashier players go out ahead of her. You know, she’s in my top 5 for a reason, so naturally I’d love to see her in the finals again. Like Yul, she is really exciting to me because she hasn’t been brought back yet, and falls into that category of truly likable winners. In addition, she has already played with returnees, and while they weren’t winners, I think this will give her an advantage over some other contestants because she played alongside castaways desperate for redemption. What is interesting to me about watching Denise play again is that her stint on Survivor was already 15 Seasons ago, yet I don’t think she’ll appear to have missed a step, at least I hope.

Ethan Zohn
I was so thrilled to see that Ethan was returning to Survivor again because I don’t feel that Survivor All Stars (Season 8) was a good snapshot of just what Ethan could do if invited back to play again. As the oldest winner on this cast, having won Survivor Africa (Season 3), he is the only person (aside from Amber) to have such a long stretch of time since playing. For some deeper perspective, the last time Ethan wore a buff, it was 2004; no advantages, no idols, no clues. The game of Survivor has evolved immensely and so has Ethan (personally, professionally etc), that it’s going to be fascinating watching him work. Compared to any other member of this winners cast, Ethan has the most work to do; the most adapting, the most to figure out. Ethan is a stand-up guy, who again, many people rooted for since day one, is his charm and personality going to be enough? My hope for Ethan is that he finds a solid block of fellow castaways who see value in his time away; I think the best thing he can do is act as though it is his first time out there because with the game being so different nowadays, it seems logical to treat it like a brand new adventure. I hope that Ethan is valued by other teammates for playing Survivor when it was still figuring itself out, arguably one of the toughest locations; when they were really roughing it, and I think Ethan has a lot to offer an alliance. If he is able to replicate an alliance similar to his with Big Tom and Lex, in castaways like Ben or Nick, or even Adam Klien, I could see it really working for him and going deep into the game. Additionally, I believe that his time away from the game will allow Ethan to slide under the radar; I don’t think these winners are expecting him to adapt effectively and truly be a threat. Sure, EVERY SINGLE ONE of these castaways is a threat in their own way, but some definitely less than others; Ethan falls into this category but it’s not a bad thing. Also, Ethan was the very first Survivor winner that I truly loved watching and was rooting for all the way; and he always stands out to me as being part of a really great cast and playing exceptionally well.

So there it is, my top 5 winners for this Winners at War season of Survivor. I would have loved to share with you a full cast assessment, but time was not on my side! Nevertheless, a few honorable mentions who I’m excited to see return for a number of reasons: Tyson Apostol (not for the sole fact that he is incredibly entertaining!), Ben Driebergen, Nick Wilson, and Sophie Clarke. Who are you rooting for?

I’m Really Not A Morning Person and That’s Okay.

manda_faromeiro

You’ve heard it before, and so have I. Yep. I’ve read many articles and have received much advice from adults and teachers and responsible people alike about the benefits of getting up early and why people who wake up earlier tend to be more productive. I also know there are counter-arguments on this topic, and while I am not here to debate the pros and cons of waking up early, I am here to share my own insights on why I myself will never be a morning person, and why I am totally okay with this.

I am sure you’ve all met those people who might be coined as “Nighthawks,” those individuals who rather than getting up early in the morning, sleep in and stay up very late into the later hours (after 11pm). My brother and I had an interesting conversation about this recently, and how we both are firm believers that sometimes you’re just wired a certain way and how some of us will never be those early birds. I know habits and routines can change, and I even had a period a few years ago where I was getting up at 6:30 am every day for work, and honestly, I really hated it. Even getting up for school in the morning was dreadful, if it happened before 7:45 am.

Ever since I can remember, I have always been the most productive in the evenings. When I was in high school, in addition to after-school sports and clubs, I also had a job. This meant that at least 3 school nights a week, I wasn’t getting home until 9:30 pm. Of course, I had to then start my homework, have a shower, and possibly have some leisure/downtime if time allowed. Basically, I wasn’t going to bed before midnight unless my school workload was lightened. Completing my homework so late wasn’t ever a drag for me, and I always found I had this burst of energy after coming home from work. It seemed that my most creative thoughts and ideas would come about after dark, and my concentration was at an all-time high. I attribute this to many things.

After being at school for 6 or so hours and focusing all day long, it is important to give your brain a break. For me, these breaks included going to work, but also participating in activities like sports or drama club, or even hanging out with my friends. My parents were pretty lenient in that they always understood that we always got our homework done, so finishing our homework before going out with friends wasn’t a necessary rule in our house. My parents knew that if I didn’t get home until the evening, or if I had friends come over, my homework would get done regardless. I have always had strong organizational/time management skills so trying to find a work/school/social life balance never was hard for me. Having a few hours break between after school and homework time allowed my brain to focus better on completing those tasks and thinking about what material I learned throughout the day. For those days where I had nothing going on after school, I still found myself not working on any homework until well after supper; the only exception to this was group projects or studying for tests or exams.

Some of you are probably reading this thinking, no teenager likes getting up early in the morning, so what? Well, for me, this wasn’t just a phase of puberty. I really liked to work in the evening and into the night. When I went off to university, 8:30 am classes were hell for me. I tried so hard to get into routines of waking up at the same time every day, going to bed at the same time every night, planning activities for the morning, leaving sections of time in the morning to ease myself into waking up earlier, but nothing was sticking. I went through a phase where I would work on any readings, essays or projects in the morning and earlier part of the day so that my evenings could be free. This was met with limited success. I found myself taking almost twice as long to get anything done, compared to when I would start after 6pm. Finally, I stopped fighting it and started listening to what my internal clock was telling me; my brain worked best late in the day.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much more work I got done in university once I completely accepted that my brain’s primetime was after supper hours and that this didn’t need to change. Yes, I’m not going to lie, there were quite a few 8:30 am classes that I outright missed or slept through, and while I struggled not to feel guilty about missing school (nerd alert), I found that getting up later, catching up on content via the textbook with the aid of my friends’ notes, was more productive for me than sitting in the classroom listening to my professor talk for 1.5 hours straight first thing in the morning. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that I hate mornings, but I am not the best version of myself in the morning. It’s not that I can’t function as a person before 10 am, because I can, but I am at my most productive, enthusiastic and happy later in the day.

As I mentioned briefly above, at my old job, I had to wake up for work at 6:30am every day. I only worked 20 minutes away, so commuting wasn’t ever a real concern. A full school year went by under this schedule and it never got any easier. Sometimes I enjoyed finishing work at 4:30 instead of 6pm or later, but any chance I had to switch to a later shift, I would jump on it in an instant. I recognize that while I am a very talkative and happy person in general, I am not this person in the morning. Waking up in the morning is a process for me. I need time to process the alarm going off (sometimes 3 or 4 or 5 times) and getting the day started. I recognize that if I need to be “out of bed” by 7am that I really should start my alarm at 6:30 so that I have intervals to seize the day and get out of bed. I bet some people are reading this thinking how terrible this is for me and how much worse it is to set so many alarms, and while science probably agrees with you, this method is honestly what works for me. I don’t drink coffee, and while many have suggested this would help me to wake up, I don’t want to rely on caffeine to keep me alert. Instead, I take my time waking up. At my old job, I was required to be “on” early in the morning. Working with children, you don’t really get the chance to sit and be calm in the morning, you have to be all in; this means you’ve got to be talking, interacting, sharing ideas, playing, asking questions, and helping them learn new concepts and ideas. While some of the kids definitely made getting up earlier a little easier, I always found my afternoon classes ran much better because I was more alert and seemed to have the most creative ideas for projects and activities.

Taking the time to “wake up” was and still is an interesting concept to me because while I do need time to ease into the morning, I also cannot have a morning that drags on. Basically, I need to wake up with just the right amount of time to get dressed, get makeup on, maybe eat breakfast at home (or stop on the way to work) and that’s pretty much it. Any other lull in time tends to make the process of being alert and ready for the day that much longer. In general, I enjoy being busy so I think this is a good reason for it, but also focusing on all the things I have to do for the day kicks my brain into gear. The drive to work is a good time for me to become more awake and ready to conquer the day too, even if its only 15 or 20 minutes, it allows me to not have to engage in conversation, but ease into listening to some music or a podcast and get ready for whatever interactions I might be met with for the day. Of course, this doesn’t mean that I’m not productive at work in the morning, I can definitely be when I need to be, but if you want me at my best, most creative, insightful and delightful, perhaps come engage with me around lunchtime?

Now that I am 30 and can’t hide from being an adult and all the responsibilities that come with it, sometimes I can’t help but feel the societal pressure to become a morning person and seize the day as early as possible, because how can you really be an “adult” if you struggle to get up before 8 am? Well, it used to bother me. When I graduated and started my career I used to think there was something wrong with me because I still hated to (and struggled to) get up early. I thought that eventually, I would get used to waking up early and going to bed at a “decent” hour, which I think is before 10 pm? People still remind me that sleeping until 7:30 or 8 or 8:30 is too late for an adult, especially because I don’t work a job that requires me to work until 1 am or whatever late night shift, but I don’t know what else to say other than it’s just the way I am. I no longer worry about being a late riser, it doesn’t bother me, despite those who want to make me feel bad about it. I accept that I am not a morning person, nor do I want to be. Sure, I’ll wake up early when I need to (work, making an appointment, catching a flight, or when it’s better to do so (like when on vacation or a trip) but my preference is still late evenings over mornings.

Understanding my own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to getting up early was and still is a work in progress. As I said, there are times that call for early mornings, and it’s not as though I am totally unbearable when I do have to get up early, but I thrive in the later parts of the day. I can get up early if I need to, and all “fine, but I’m going to complain the whole time” jokes aside, the mindset is a key factor here. Being an early riser is doable, and for me, it just needs to have a purpose and needs to feel fulfilling. If I can say with confidence that waking up earlier than my normal is necessary because ______________, then I won’t dread it as much. Mindset is also relative to mood. Maybe a contributing factor to dreading those 6:30 am work mornings was attributed to something about my job? Maybe not?

It is quite an interesting rabbit hole to crawl into, but for now, how about a nap?

Just kidding! Thanks for reading.