Animated short film "Oktapodi" (2007)

 

Animated short film "Oktapodi" (2007)

Won an Oscar award in 2009

Setting

The Oscar winning film Oktapodi, is set in a small village somewhere.

 

Conflict

Female octopus gets taken away by the truck driver to be eaten by people.

 

Climax

The male octopus saves the female octopus, but then gets abducted by a seagull.
 

Symbol

Octopus represents people in society getting unfair treatment and the truck represents fate.

 

Irony

The driver that sends the octopus’ to their doom gets sent to into doom.

 

Theme

Never give up and always aim for your goal.

 

I have questions about Cambridge Exams

 Good evening everyone. 

It is almost Friday! I hope you are doing well. 

I wanted to ask you about the Cambridge Exams. Did anyone take them? If so, did you take the CAE test or the CPE one? 

What were your difficulties? Which part did you like the most?

I still haven't got the Cambridge certificates. They do not have any expiration date, so they are valid for your whole lifetime. I wanted to take the C1 certificate to then aim for the highest level (C2). Learning a language to a proficient degree is so challenging but it is a great opportunity to learn our capacity to break the limits. 

Can you imagine what you could achieve with your assertiveness?

It's ineffable. If you can read, speak and write in the proper manner, you are unstoppable. (We should also learn to listen, empathy is so important to have good conversations and understand others meticulously). 

I firmly believe that we all have the potential to contribute to our society through our assertive skills. In doing so, we could solve intricate problems by applying critical thinking and generating new concepts allowing for new solutions. That is a great asset for humanity!

Remember that you have the immense potential to improve our world, even slightly, through your precious mind. 

Let us improve our literary skills day by day. 

I hope your academic career will unfold elegantly. 

Take care of yourself and remember to sleep at least 7 hours!

Good Night. 

Nap

I'll keep this one short to save the both of us from wasting time. I took a nap in the IT room yesterday. The nap lasted an hour, which is something I'm still unable to comprehend. I mean, how could one sleep for an hour in a room full of strangers? I always get anxiety that I might have been snoring, or even worse,  talking in my sleep. Unfortunately that is something I'll never know. But listen, it gets even better. Apparently, there was a fire alarm in the 2nd building. Because the IT room is located next to the 2nd building, we had to evacuate. Yet being the deep sleeper that I am, the blasting fire alarm did not wake me up. Not even a slightest bit. Luckily, a guy sitting next to me was kind enough to do so. He left the room immediately, thus I did not get the chance to see his face, or say a thank you. I cannot thank him enough. Thank god for that gentleman. I hope something really good happened to him afterwards. 

Retail Therapy

I used to be overly meticulous with the way I spend money. 90% of my New Year's allowance went straight into my savings, and the most I would spend in a month was approximately ¥2000. Yet ever since I started university, and I learnt to make my own money, my spending habits have been unbelievably reckless. I've gone online shopping TWICE this month. We're only 19 days in and I have done waaaay too much damage. I am seriously concerned. If I keep going at this rate... God, I don't even want to think about it. Somebody needs to ban my Zozotown account right now, at this second.

Now that I've mentioned my recent spending habits, I thought it would be inappropriate to not list everything that I've purchased so far in May. 

1. Hangers

High quality hangers are so underrated and I've never understood why. Little things like hangers can improve your daily life tremendously, and you won't understand until you try. My favorites so far are the Economic Hangers from MAWA. They are lightweight, and have such a slender, skinny look. Listen, I'm huge on body positivity so this is the last time you'll catch me commenting on somebody's appearance. Their layer of coating around the base allows for a non slip effect. Yet, unlike those velvet hangers, they don't stick to the clothes, which means no more struggling when taking them off its hangers. 

2. A water bottle

I drink water like no other. I inhale water like it is the last time I'll ever drink. Thus, a 600ml bottle did not satisfy my needs. Ever since I installed this 950ml bottle into my life, everything has changed. I have never been happier.

3. Clothes

I have purchased 8 clothing pieces. This is a new record for me. I have an explanation though. They were all.on.sale. Some were only 10% off, and others were 60%. I don't know about you but thats sounds like steal to me. Unfortunately, most pieces were for the fall/winter season, so I won't be getting a chance to wear them any time soon. Having only paid ¥17101 for 8 pieces, I would consider myself to be a pretty good shopper. I would also like to add that I would never shop at environmentally unfriendly brands, such as H&M and Zara. I will admit, I used to do so in the past but I have learnt my lesson. Any who, the moral of the story is that I am good at shopping. 

4. Hair

As some may have noticed, I dyed my hair in a reddish-orangish-pinkish-aubernish colour. It's pretty self explanatory, and I really don't have much to say so I'll leave this section as it is. Also, I am aware this is not to be considered as online shopping. Just wanted to put that out there.

That's the end of my list! My goal for the following 2 months is to keep it under ¥3000 a month. Will I be able to do it? Only time will tell... I'll keep you guys updated ;) ...although my birthday is coming up soon and I might treat myself with a little something... 

"First love"

Happy Wednesday!

Yesterday the bell rang as I was about to recount my first love story so I will post it here as promised. I want to play it fairly.

See how generous I am? I know. You`re welcome.

My first love story takes place as I was nine years old. It was the third day of school in Italy, I was lost in a fog for I did not know neither the Italian language nor the culture.

As I was sitting outside during break, a girl hid my eyes with her palms from behind and told me that she liked me. As I was a fast boy, thus being a pro in playing catch, I was convinced that she was going to catch me so I yelled "NO!" and ran away faster than a shinkansen. 

Afterwards, my classmates tried to explain me what happened and as I realized what I have done, I felt guilty. 

What is love?

It cannot be articulated flawlessly. 

But based on my childhood experience, it was an exposure to guilt and shame. 

Love is sweet and bitter.

Have a good time! 

Sixteen Personalities

Hello,

Let me make this quick for you. Have you ever taken the Myers-Briggs (MBTI) test? Well, it's a personality type quiz-thing that originates and takes influencefrom Jung's theory of 'Psychological Types', and according to the Myers-Briggs test there are 16 personalities that can be determined by cognitive functions (introversion/extraversion, sensing/inuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving). 

So, earlier this evening while I was talking with a friend that I have known to be an ISFJ, I found out that she retook the test and the results came back as ESFJ instead. Which was interesting to me because I've never thought of her as an Extrovert, but her new college classmates thought that she fits the bill. I don't put too much weight into psychological 'personality' tests like the Myers-Briggs and Enneagram test--I like to put a distance between myself and the personality test results the same way I do with my exam results, y'know? I don't like being perceived, I guess <3

But, it was interesting to hear from my friend that her MBTI type changed after so long of her having the same type.

Actually, for the longest time I have always been typed as an INTJ-A(ssertive). But during the height of the pandemic and after months of quarantining, I was typed as an INTP-T instead. Which was hilarious to me because fron my understanding, INTPs are what you would describe as 'chaotically organized'--or maybe, 'organized chaos'. Whichever works best. And then when I went back to real life, I went back to being an INTJ. But instead of Assertive, I was an INTJ-T(urbulent) instead. 

So, out of curiosity, I decided to take the test again and see if anything has changed. And, well... Nothing much has changed aside from my introvertedness going from 83% to 87%.

Anyways, I'm actually really interested in hearing about everyone's MBTI types (and Enneagrams, as well). It makes a fun conversation. 

Okay, now, I go back to my other assignments. Gooba <3

The Lost Thing

Taking the advanced technology shown in the short film into consideration, it is presumably set sometime in the future. Contradictory to what I mentioned earlier, the protagonist is seen wearing a backpack with a sticker that has the number 1974 on it. What's more, in one of the first few scenes, parasols are being folded by a group of men. On them, we can find several Chinese characters written all over. Most of which, indicating time. As a result, Tan might be hinting that timing is not so important in this short film. The location unknown, though it is most definitely a metaphor of today's society. One thing for sure is that it is not set on the planet earth.

The conflict in the clip is that the robot is seemingly lost in a "human" world. Nobody seems to realize what is going on, until the protagonist gives a helping hand.

Towards the end of the film, the narrator says to himself, "Maybe there aren't many lost things anymore. Or maybe, maybe I've just stopped noticing." This can be viewed as the climax. The film leaves the audience hanging, and takes them on a deep thought session. It poses the question, why the society has such a toxic view of being lost.

The arrows in the film can mean so many things. Personally. I have interpreted them as the constatant conflicts that occur inside of our heads on a daily basis. Among the cluster of arrows, there is a rectangular sign with the writing:  "SIGN NOT IN USE". I am convinced that this scene was Tan’s way of criticizing the society and its people. These days, everything feels more shallow than ever. 

In the short film, most signs and phrases are written in the English language. Yet, as mentioned above, there are Chinese writings all over the parasols. They symbolize confusion. Humans are all lost in one way or another. As unfortunate as it may sound, it is what is keeping us sane. 

In most films, the character who helped "the lost thing" find its home would step into the said world. In some cases, they find that their new environment feels more comfortable, and they are enjoying the eye opening experiences. Yet in The Lost Thing, the boy turns around and heads home without hesitation. It is an indication that the world the boy and "the lost thing" belonged to are two completely different worlds. The audience is left feeling empty, as they were expecting a bright future for the two. 

The theme of this short film is that we all have the desire to belong to a place, or an environment. Even though the narrator initially described that the robot had "a sad, lost sort of look" there were no physical signs of the alien creature feeling lost and unsatisfied. Yet, the film does not fail to make the audience feel empathy towards the robot. This is because we subconsciously believe everything has a home, and what does not belong in a certain setting does not deserve to be noticed. The film has a critical message towards modern society. Afterall, maybe we are the ones lost, not the characters in the film.

Lost Thing

  Setting: futuristic town

Conflict: a boy finds a thing that seems to be lost. It belonged to no one, so the boy tried to find where it belongs.

Climax: the boy was able to find where it belongs.

Symbols: something we see but cant figure out where it belongs. Perhaps, it's our inner child where we lost it somewhere, somehow along the way to adulthood.

Irony: the town and the towns people were gray, but the place where the lost thing belongs was colourful. 

Theme: the lost thing may be what we need to a more colourful society. 

As you wish

 Have you ever pray for something??

 For me, I went to shrines when I was taking entrance exams. After all my exams finished, I went to Sensoji in Asakusa to make a wish for my friends to pass the exams. I went there with my friend and we tried omikuji there. But we both got kyo(凶) and we screamed. Everything written was so bad…. As I already told, I went there to make a wish for my friends and she was also the one who was waiting for the result. We were so comfused but we tied omikuji to make it kichi(吉) 

A week later, I got texts from her and she passed the exam!!  In a result, I made wishes for three friends, and all three passed it!!  I was  also happy to pass the exam for AGU, but the news from friends was so so happy as well that I cannot express it in words. Although my best friend in HS is trying exams again this year, she is callled roninsei(浪人生)in particular maybe, I hope she does well this year.(She suddenly came up my mind, that’s why I am writing about this)

I hope your dreams and wishes come true.

I’m happy if  you all have a wonderful start of the week.

Have a good night.

Spider-man: "With great power comes great responsibility"

Is anyone else here a fan of Marvel movies?

I, for one, am an avid MCU(Marvel Cinematic Universe) fan, and have watched almost every single movie that's been released thus far. Minus The Eternals, Black Widow, and the newest Doctor Strange movie, which I was SUPPOSED to see last Saturday with my friend, only to find out upon arrival at the movie theatre that it was sold out. (crying emoji x100)

So instead, my friend and I went to a conveyer belt sushi restaurant in Shinjuku and had an hour long heated discussion on our thoughts on the most recent Spider-man movie released earlier this year, along with the Spider-man franchise as a whole. 

(SPIDER-MAN SPOILERS ONCOMING!!!!)

In summary, my friend didn't like the movie because of the ending, while I absolutely loved the ending. In fact, it was my favorite part (save for the part where Andrew Garfield spidey catches MJ, oh god my heart SHATTERED at that).

She says the ending was too sad, but I personally think it was ended in the best way possible. Especially considering how the older Spider-man movies ended as well. The whole "With great power comes great responsibility" thing really comes through with these endings, where he puts the lives of others before his own happiness, essentially sacrificing himself. Of course, it's heartbreaking, but it just makes sense. It's Spider-man. That's who he is. That's his fate.

Especially when you consider how he changed throughout the course of the film. In the beginning, it could be said that he acts slightly childish, selfishly trying to edit Dr. Strange's spell mid-casting, even while being told repeatedly that it was dangerous to do so. By the end of the film, he realizes that that spell is the only way his loved ones can be happy and safe, and request that it be cast, knowing full well that once it is, he will end up completely alone, erased entirely from the memories of his loved ones. You can see him develop a more mature and hero-like mindset and step into the role that he was given, taking responsibility and letting himself be forgotten in exchange for the happiness of those around him. 

Maybe I'm just a sucker for sad endings, but I think it was the perfect way for his story to end. And who knows, maybe he'll show up in future movies and be given a "happily ever after" ending after all(though I hope not).

PS. if anyone here does like marvel movies, PLEASE hmu I'm desperate to find more marvel buddies okay thank you goodnight 

Buying shoes

 My mom came to Tokyo to buy me some shoes. I really want some shoes that has heels and are pretty. We first went to Isetan and picked out some shoes and asked the clerk if they had my size. But they didn't so we went to the next store and asked if they had any shoes that are my size. They didn't ether and it truns out that none of the stores has shoes that I wanted in my size.  So instead I bought some clothes. 

The Lost Thing

 Setting: In an industrial town in the 20 century.

Conflict: a boy finds this weird thing which appears to be lost. Many other people seemed to not even notice it was there. Though the boy tried to find where it came from no one knew.

Climax: The lost thing found where all the other lost things were.

Symbols: the lost thing is a symbol of something that we see but at the same time we don’t.

Irony: even though everyone ignored the lost thing the world that they lived in was all in the shade of gray and the place that the lost thing belonged was more colorful. 

Theme: the thing that doesn’t quit fit into society maybe the key to a more colorful future.

The Lost Orgasm

 There is but one thing that came to my mind when I watched “The Lost Thing”.It is the tale as old as time; the absolute failure of the male species to give women orgasms. 

The film sets in an dystopian industrial city, presumably in the future due to all the advancements in technology, where a man finds a “lost thing”. The man is conflicted by the lost thing since he cannot find its rightful owner. However after a long journey, he is able to take it back to its euphoric land, thus intending a climax. 

First of all, I’m sure we can all agree that the robot symbolizes the female genitalia. I hope I wasn’t the only one who found the tentacles weirdly sexual. In my defense, we live in a world where tentacle porn exists. 

The town represents the negligent sexual intercourse that is being had that is male centric and not at all pleasurable for the female partner. When they say they are “busy with other stuff”, it is clear that they are solely focused on their own pleasure.

Now as this is an academic assignment, I will not go into detail about what the arrows mean, just that there are overwhelming amounts of instructions and it is a long and hard process to get to the end. 

As the story “climaxes” (sexual innuendo intended), the characters reach a land where “no one can find unless you were looking for it”. This has “the female orgasm” written in big fat red letters all over it. The land is paradise taken over by robots, contrasting to the rest of the world that the man lives in. Since the man is not allowed in, does this mean that lesbianism is the answer to female pleasure? That is an answer we will never know. 

Now the Irony of it all is that the man knows for a fact where the land of paradise is, but refuses to take the lost things to it. He is unwilling to make the effort to help these robots out of laziness, making the excuse that he doesn’t notice them anymore. Willing oblivion will be the death of women as this man as well, shuts the door of female pleasure to obtain his own pleasure. A truly eye-opening short movie about the misogyny in our sexual culture. 

No hate to all the boys out here, y’all stay safe 

the lost thing

 setting : 

A fantastical town, seemingly an industrial one, that's perhaps been largely abandoned, as seen from the lack of people and things like bottle caps being commonly discarded on the streets.

conflict : 

The man comes across a creature that he's never seen before, and after realizing that it is lost, sets out to help find where it belongs.

climax : 

After following the mysterious sign which they were given from the creature at the department of odds and ends, the man and the "lost thing" finally reach their destination. The door opens, and at one glance, they know that this is the place where the "lost thing" belongs, that they had found what they were looking for.

symbols : 

Although there are many ways in which it could be interpreted, I personally see the "lost thing" as symbolizing anyone in the world who struggles to find a place that they belong, a place in which they feel comfortable and can completely be themselves; those who, in a large way, are "different" from those around them and are often seen as such and treated differently for it. The way nobody in the beginning tries to help the "lost thing", shows how humans and society in general tend to turn a blind eye to people in need of help, especially if they seem unusual or alien. That is, until the man shows up and wholeheartedly tries to help the "lost thing", showing how one person having an empathetic heart can make all the difference for someone who is "lost".

The Department of Odds and Ends at first seems to the man like the solution, but turns out to be a place where these "lost things" are taken to be forgotten, rather than placed where they belong. The figure that tells them that seems to be a creature similar to the "lost thing", which makes me think that it itself was taken there, only to be forgotten and left behind. This represents how in the real world, there are people who find happiness and achieve their dreams, and there are those who are unfortunately left behind.

irony : 

I think that the biggest irony in this story comes at the end, when the man says, 

"I see that kinda thing less and less these days. Maybe there aren't that many lost things around anymore. Or maybe I've just stopped noticing them. Too busy doing other stuff I guess,"

when speaking of the "lost thing". I think this can be interpreted in a multitude of different ways, but in my mind, I saw it as a bitter irony that this man has essentially become just like the people at the beginning of the story who walked past the "lost thing" without a second glance.

Perhaps this is an overly pessimistic interpretation, one which wasn't intended by the author and creator, but in my view, this showed the inevitability of peoples' change in behavior and values as they grow up, live their life, and witness countless tragedies and misfortunes, eventually leading them to become numbed and hopeless in the face of a dilemma. 

Despite the narrator seeming different at first, like he was a "good" person in the sea of people who wouldn't even look towards the "lost thing", he would eventually end up the same way as the rest, busied by life and using that as an excuse to look the other way.

theme : 

I think that the general theme of this story is that in a world of people who turn a blind eye to those who are lonely and lost, one person with a good and pure intent to help can make all the difference. 

On the contrary, however, I think that if you look into the narrator's introduction and conclusion to the story, the theme changes into something much more dismal: That in the end, we all become the same insensitive character, heartless to some extent, regardless of how we acted when we were younger or how hard we try to preserve our innocent and empathetic hearts.

10.5 inches of love

I hope she knows that every time she’s with me i am amazed with her power

I hope she knows that I do not care that she was touched by another

I hope she knows that before her i could hardly manage 

I hope she knows how much she’s taken off my baggage 

I hope she knows that my fingers are the only prints she will know from here on 

I hope she knows that no other will compare despite their add on

I hope she knows that I’ll protect her from any cracks that she might battle

I hope she knows that she bit into my heart like an apple

To my lovely new iPad

The lost thing

 Setting: A strange industrial city with a lot of machines and smoke. 

Conflict: The man found a robot-like 'lost thing' on the beach. He is trying to help the lost thing to go back to the place it used to be, but nobody in the society seen to care about it.

Climax: The man and the lost thing find the place full of lost things.

Symbols: The lost thing symbolizes imagination, creativity, and childhood.

Irony: The man gradually stops to find similar thing to the lost thing, then he never sees it again. 

Theme: If you keep looking for something, it will appear in front of you. If not, you can never find it. 

The lost thing

 Setting- An industrializing city in the mid 20 century.

Conflict- The man and the 'lost thing' against the society. The man was able to see and care for the lost 'thing' but no body else in the society seemed to care about it.

Climax-The man and the 'lost thing' was able to find the place where the lost thing belongs.

Symbols- The lost thing symbolizes individuality and creativity.

Irony- Although the man was able to solve the problem and seemed like a happy ending, he began to stop looking at other similar thing to the 'lost thing' and started acting like the people that didn't care about it during the video.

Theme- If you believing something to be there, Its there but once you stop looking at it, its gone. 

A thing that doesn't fit into society doesn't have a place in society. 

the lost thing

 setting

A wierd town with creepy people and big robots.

conflict

The man and a mantis looking robot"the lost thing" will meet in a beach.

He will try to find where he must to be.

climax

I think the climax is when the "the lost thing " finds his place where he should be.

symbols

"the lost thing" imagination

Irony

theme

Everyone has to find where they belong.

Just like the kid and the lost thing

Driving licence

I started attending a driving practicing school since March.

And now I am able to drive the highways.

I have a test on Saturday, So i really need to study.

Driving is scary but it is very fun.

Procrastination

It is Sunday as I write this. For the first time ever I'm not rushing my blog post at 3am on a Tuesday, hoping I'll get it up before class starts. Knowing me, this will probably never happen again. After all, I was born to be the queen of procrastination. 

Here's the thing. Even though I do everything last minute, I somehow get them all done. I honestly can't remember the last time I missed an assignment. *Knocks on wood* Knowing that I will somehow get it done in the back of my mind, I continue to keep putting everything off. It is a vicious cycle. 

Yes, leaving everything to be done last minute might mean I only get 3 hours of sleep every night. It also means that I am anxious throughout the day thinking about when I will start working on them. The disadvantages most definitely outweigh the advantages. Infact, there are no benefits. Yet, I will probably continue to be a slug just to end up balling my eyes out at 4:17 in the morning while listening to Harry Styles' Golden. 

Now, I'm going to be completely honest. The real reason why I'm able to get this blog up earlier than usual is because I'm trying to ignore the fact that I have other assignments to work on. For instance, the book report. The Lost Thing evaluation. The English Phonetics' homework. The Reading assignment. The Seminar for Freshmen report... The list is unbelievably long. I'll be lucky if I can get 4 hours of sleep tonight. Anywho, goodnight, and wish me luck!

The Lost Thing, Shaun Tan (2010)

　　　　The Lost Thing, a short animation by Shaun Tan, is set in a retro-future suburb where, aside from people, there were almost no living things left--it frames an industrial setting where everything seems to be streamlined and practically identical like the housing area, and the systematic marching of people on the streets. The setting itself somehow explores the ideas of industrialization without mentioning it. Its walls and poles are riddled by rusting pipes, posters, and street signs. While puffs of smoke and cloud sweep the sickly green, afternoon sky. Possibly set in the distant, dystopian future.

　　　　In this quaint, ordinary suburb by the ocean, the people are described to be too busy with 'stuff', as the Boy would like to say, to notice anything out of the ordinary. And so, in this society where its denizens are apathetic of things that are lost and estranged, the boy finds the Lost Thing and searches for a place where it can belong.

　　　　Borrowing symbolism from the Lost Thing itself, and evaluating the short animation as a commentary, or perhaps an allegory to belonging, to growth, and to indifference; there is subtle conflict between the Boy and himself. The story climaxes when he finds a place for the Lost Thing, departing from it with a mimic of goodbye. And as the story slowly comes to an end, the boy then narrates of how he has grown to see less and less of these Lost Things. 

　　　　Now, the Lost Thing(s) may represent numerous things. The way the story is written demands for open interpretation. Perhaps it can symbolize things such as the boy's peculiarities and differences, the creativity and inquisitiveness of childhood, or the part of our individualities that we choose to suppress or does not 'belong'. When the boy finds it, it was akin to discovering something about himself--it does not seem to have a place in his life, though. He brings it home, to his parents but he is asked to get rid of it--'its feet are filthy,' 'it could have diseases,' they said. The Lost Thing, though is described as distantly as possible by the Boy, relates to the himself very well. In the later part of the animation, he says, "I can't say that the thing actually belonged in the place it ended up." Did the boy really belong in the mechanical, industrialized society he was now a part of? What about those days of picking up bottle caps, and tending to his collection? So, this roots back to the question, what is it to belong? 

　　　　The signs that were continuously sneaked into frames and incorporated into the environment, and the arrow that was eventually made into an important driving point of the story can be described as ambivalent and ambiguous. Clusters of arrows would confusingly point to entirely different directions, but in this depiction, it described that--just like life--despite being given an abundance of signs, we can still find ourselves lost. The presence of signs interprets that society suggests there is a path one must take, except that the convoluted manner these signs are designed in many of the scenes allude that following one particular path may be difficult and that one shouldn’t have to adhere to just one path when there are so many to choose from. There may be plenty of signs left by the world for us to follow, but this depiction subtly symbolizes how there is just no certain way to go through life. 

　　　　Additionally, the Department of Odds and Ends may symbolize the suppression of everything that the Lost Thing stands for; this can be made certain through their motto--'Sweepus underum carpetae.' (Sweep under the carpet.)

　　　　The irony to this animation begins with the belief that to be 'lost' is to not have a place in the world, and so; to belong is to conform--ergo to lose yourself, as well--becomes the greatest irony of The Lost Thing. The concept of belonging in the society the Boy lived in, required the sacrifice of his autonomy. To the audience, while the Boy is portrayed to have a place in society, when he becomes indifferent to the Lost Things and becomes too absorbed with himself to see, care, and help--it becomes easy to pity him in the same manner one felt for the Lost Thing. Furthermore, is it worth to find a place to belong?

　　　　The encompassing theme of The Lost Thing may vary from one person to another, but it truly makes a very real commentary to the issues in present society, like indifference; the ability of people to see only that which they wish to see, and to be blind to that which they do not. Moreover, The Lost Thing engages with the existential sense of (be)longing that reflects in our society, 'Belonging is about finding a sense of place in the world.'

---

Good evening, I ended up rambling... I simply just... word-vomit... Head empty, no thoughts...

Gospel choir

     I participated in my very first Gospel choir concert since I joined the group just yesterday, on Saturday! To be honest, preparing was grueling. Every meeting ends at late times and on the long days I come home past ten pm. Plus, not all the first years had to attend it, so I had to deal with the fact that I chose to bring this upon myself. Albeit it also being the thought that my mom would absolutely kill me if I didn't become "part of the pack" or anything of the sort. I just joined around two weeks ago too! 

    To be honest.. Even if singing is one of my favorite things, being in university(a place I don't think is my comfort spot) for it to nine pm is really really hard. I have it tomorrow too! 

    Another thing-- My parents didn't even come to the event. They watched the concert on Youtube but when I saw my other friends going to see their friends and family that came I honestly felt really hurt. I just decided to listen to my seniors songs and for literally no reason(I don't even know my seniors that well yet!) my eyes started to water real bad. My mental health is going to the minus range for sure and I really want another golden week to just be alone and rethink life decisions.

PS: If you guys decide to watch the Gospel choir concert, I recommend all the songs. Especially Create me a pure heart.. That's where my eyes started watering. Miss Hitomi is crazy good at singing!!

The lost thing

    Setting: 

    A steampunk town, possibly around 1907 because that's when the old types of tvs were made. 

    Conflict: 

    The man finds a "Lost thing", which looks like a mix of a mantis and a Nepenthes plant but acts like a dog. He finds the sanctuary of Lost things to release the thing to where the other Lost things are. 

    Climax:

    I believe the climax was when the man found all the other Lost things. With so many in one huge area, it gives the watcher a sense of awe and surprise. The scene also shows lots of color compared to the dull, mostly yellow and beige color palette used in all the other scenes. Thus, it feels special and like the climax.

    Symbols:

    Lost thing: I believe the "lost thing" symbolizes imagination. The man said that he slowly started to see less of them, and also had a suit on. This means that as he got a job unlike the beginning of the story and worked more often like other adults in the train, he used his imagination less and less. 

    In the beginning, the lost thing apparently couldn't be seen by anyone else, and that also ties itself to this long theory: You cannot see anyone else's imagination.

    Irony:

    The Lost thing is described to not be able to be seen by the people at the beach, and the man's parents found it annoying despite their son showing so much interest towards it. And at the end, the man himself says that he doesn't see so much of the lost things, showing he is slowly becoming an adult like the people around him even though he showed more passion towards the Lost thing in the beginning of the video.

    Theme:

    Everybody has a memory, habit or imagination they don't remember, no matter how recent or amazing it had been to them at the time it happened.

Gorgeous, Gorgeous Gilmore Gh0rls

Greetings (or whatever),

For the past few days, I have continued to cheat and sleep on my (supposedly) amazing work ethic. (Disclaimer: It's debatable as to whether I had one to begin with.) So, just like you--I think, I hope, I pray--I'm procrastinating!

So, the other day, when I got home from university. Just after I had sworn to myself that I'm going to finish what had to be finished... Well, a black and red application on my phone taunted me. There, it sat under my thumb with an obnoxious badge on the corner. 'Open, if you have the balls...' It almost whispered, an influence more egregious and darker than Lord Henry Wotton's. 

Well, now, that you have read the hook of the beginning of the end, you probably have wagered in good faith. Something sweet, quaint, and believing of my good character. Something like, 'They wouldn't do it, right? They have so many assignments to do, after all!' 

Unfortunately, it is with grief that I must have to confess to you. I'm afraid that I am not God's strongest soldier. I am weak to the temptations of my hyper-fixations, and I am just a lamb for slaughter. I am like a child, easily distracted by the color Red--now, what else is red? A McDonalds Happy Meal, your ex's red flags, an apple, the nose of a clown, check marks on an exam paper, or better yet, Netflix.

So, yes. TL;DR: I opened Netflix and I am now, consequently, feeling the consequences of my actions. (Gilmore Girls is pretty good, though. I'm at the last episode of Season 1. :' D Heehee... Regretfully, I cannot hear anything else but my own sobbing.)

Before I depart for the after life, as I lay on my bed like a sickly Victorian child, let me leave you with this video...

P.S. I swear, I am doing my tasks. I may be a procrastinator but I am also, a multi-tasker. Am I good at it, you ask... Well, again, that is for debate. Enjoy your last 24 hours, friend.

The Lost Thing

 

Setting

An industrialized city. The story was based on boys’ memory, so I think that it happened a long time ago.

 

Conflict

The lost thing is lost and the boy has no idea where he should take him.

 

Climax

The lost thing found a place it belongs to.

 

Symbols

The lost thing is a symbol of something that does not draw public attention

The Department of Odds and Ends is a symbol of society.

The train and the houses are the symbol of ordinary in this story.

 

Irony

An expert couldn’t figure out where the lost thing belongs to.

Despite caring about the lost thing a lot, the boy forgot about it.

 

Theme

Memory fading away.

Adiós

I went on a dinner date with high school friends a couple days ago, and ugh I missed them so much I haven't laughed that hard in what feels like ages. Don't get me wrong my new Uni friends are hilarious as well but it's that something when you miss someone and you get so happy and excited that everything is just 2x funnier...?...no? just me? 

Well, we went to a Mexican restaurant with a really fancy atmosphere, and to be completely honest I felt out of place with my uni bag because it's so big but my outfit was cute and made up for it, which is what'd like to think. We all talked about confidential girly talk which I will not disclose here, then one of my friends hits me with big news that she's been somewhat talking about.

Turns out she going to study abroad and she's going to leave tomorrow. TOMORROW. I have plans tomorrow, I can't even say goodbye in person!? I'm happy for her though, I'm glad she found what she wanted to do and is going to go work hard for it. I feel like I took advantage of the fact that we'll always see each other and that she'll always be around but that isn't the case and I already miss her.

After this, it really hit me how we're all going our separate ways and becoming more independent. I feel the adulting... 

We promised to go see her so I have that to look forward to!!!

The lost thing

 setting: located in a dull city. The time period being maybe in the past for us because of how the t.v.  looked, the box type with the antennas. Also in the past for the boy as well because he's reflecting back.

conflict: The boy finds a lost thing and he wants to help its way find a way to get back to where it came from or find somewhere the lost thing can stay.

climax: When the boy found and saw where the lost thing belonged, and when the lost thing went back home/where it seemed to belong.

symbol: The lost thing itself was the symbol, I thought maybe it represented adolescence/childhood, or uniqueness. 

Adolescence/childhood because the lost thing was like a kid. Some examples are how it was lost and in the beginning wanted to play with the ball, and how it didn't communicate very well. 

It could also be a symbol of uniqueness. The lost thing was very colorful and had praying mantis claws with bells, no one else in the film did. All the surrounding people looked the same and were bland while the lost thing and where it belonged near the end looked different from one another and every other Thing was unique in size and color. 

irony: the lost thing was so big and red, in other words very obvious to spot, yet no one seemed to notice it.

theme: It kind of reminded me of the mermaid video not to the same extent but how the adults are depicted in a way where they don't understand the child. The theme I think is how when we get older we are told to throw away our creativity and uniqueness to fit in. Like the boy in the end where he says he sees it sometimes but it doesn't show him trying to help it. The boy, now grown up says he has maybe stopped noticing them while looking away from another lost thing and process to ride the busses that all look the same and bland  indicating he's on board with all the other adults or he's become an adult who is starting to lose his creativity and eye for uniqueness. 

The literary terms of “The Lost Thing” by Shaun Tan (2010)

 

 The story was incredibly ambiguous, so I apologize in advance in case my analysis is not pertinent to the topic. 

Setting

 On a hot summer down the beach, a boy working as a bottle collector finds a “lost thing”, having a peculiar mechanical look. Because of the empathic proclivity of the boy, he decides to help the hopeless “lost thing” to find his pertinent place.

 

Conflict

 Despite the fact that the boy tries to consult an “expert opinion” on the nature of the “lost thing”, he does not find the proper answer. The society in the mechanical futuristic society is indifferent in general to “lost things”. There is an authority, the Department of Odds and Ends, which helps people get rid of “lost things” for they disrupt the lives of individuals.

 

Climax

As the boy brings “the lost thing” to the Department of Odds and Ends and works on bureaucracy, a janitor of the same kind as the "lost thing” gives a bit of advice by telling the boy that if he does not desire to forget that “lost thing”, he ought not to bring it there. Then, the boy is given a sign, pointing to the “proper place”, which is still unknown.  

When the boy finds a narrow straight, a gate is opened. There he finds a harmonious world in which the lost odds and ends have an actual place to live, allowing them to express their individuality. As the janitor told the boy, he eventually forgets that he had a playful relationship with the “lost thing”.

 

Symbols

 -“The lost thing” as anomaly, outcast, and waste of society.

-The Department of Odds and Ends symbolizes authority, the patriarchal element of society.

-The uniformity of trains and houses indicates a Soviet-style of industrial mass-production, without any stretch of originality.

- The extradimensional world of “lost things” as a utopia, an ideal society. Perhaps there are no ideals even for humans, because of the indifference dominating the climate among the people.  There is no enthusiasm and vividness, as the last scene portrays. The uniformity of trains, buildings, and the lack of individuality might allude to the pathological state of society.

 

Irony

As the “lost thing” enters the domain of an extradimensional-like place, it finds its proper place, contrary to the common belief in the society, in which the mundane “lost things” are discarded.

 

Theme

 -Indifference. Society as a whole rejects to solve palpable problems.

 -Disorientation. Not knowing what to do with unconventional things or circumstances.

 -Identity. The lost thing fortunately finds its proper place, thanks to the protagonist who was compassionate enough about the hopeless state of the lost thing.

 -Ambiguity. There is no clear answer to the development of the story, nor a clear reason for the denial of lost things. This fact can be regarded as a parallel to our reality; there are innumerable problems that are hard to deal with. Humanity should at least strive to solve issues that are identifiable and not ignore them.

 -Responsibility. A universal lack of responsibility is recurrent. The story gives us a great lesson: humanity should strive to be responsible to foster a better world. One must identify the problems so that they can be solved. Assertiveness and critical thinking are prerequisites to effective problem-solving.

 

The lost thing

Setting: It was happened in a long time ago that the narrator doesn't remember about that much. In an old but industrialized city. 

Conflict: The thing was lost. And no one knows about him. Protagonist's parent asked their son to take the thing where he was but he doesn't know where to take "the lost thing."

Climax: Together with the boy, "the lost thing" found the place where he belongs to. 

Symbols: Protagonist, the boy, was looking for the place where "the lost thing" came from. But I think that is a symbol for him looking for his identity not only "the lost thing". Though he has parents and friends, I think he is looking for the place where he really fits in.

Irony: What is ironic about this story is that he doesn't remember the incident that much. As the experience was very vivid, he doesn't remember it. 

Theme: Theme for this animation is "memory could be faded away." As I said in "irony" part, he doesn't remember much about the incident. That is not only the matter of time. His attitude towards memory made him to do so. We have to do something in order to keep our memories in our heart like writing a diary and taking pictures.

Help me, I am a desperate procrastinator

Good evening. 

It's time to write a blog because I want to. 

I just went jogging and drank some coffee so I hope to write a blog that makes sense. 

I made a promise to myself that I will not procrastinate again. My friends refer to me as the God of procrastination, so I hope that one day I can announce that God is dead, as Nietzsche did. 

Anyways, I wanted to share with you some astounding research. I will allude to the Bible again because it is the text upon which the Western culture is based and also because our University is grounded in the Christian belief. 

The attached image shows how every verse is interdependent on one another.

So fascinating.

The Bible is a living text.

Check this out in case you are interested.

Prioritize your assignments in case you are a hopeless procrastinator. Poor you :`)

https://philosophadam.wordpress.com/2018/05/16/the-first-hyperlinked-text-the-bible-and-its-63779-cross-references/

The wisdom of the past is a great reservoir.

One day I will find the answer to counteract procrastination effectively. 

Please help me in case you know the divine answer. 

I really need it. 

I beg your help.

I am a desperate student. 

Happy weekend! Enjoy yourself.

Fondly,

Ken 

Midnight high

 I'm writing my Lost things entry, I promise, it's just that I'm so, so soooo tired after Gospel choir practice that went to nine pm after I got home, then sleeping but waking up at three am to do my report and finish the speaking parts of English central. 

Today I have to go to a rehearsal before the concert tomorrow and oh my goodness-- I'll stay at university until 8 pm..

I don't think I want to be awake much longer, especially since I know I'll probably get home at around eleven. Please bless me with sleep. 

Also it's my little brother's birthday- He was born on Friday the 13th like today and my mom says that since he was born in Texas there were barely any nurses around the hospital. 

Reality

 During the golden week my mind suddenly came up with a question that goes like this. "What is mass? You probably thought that the answer was easy, mass is the amount of matter in a physical object. This part is obvious if you went to school. What I was really questioning was why do things have mass? Although I had a lot of time to think about it I couldn't figure out the answer so I asked Mr. Google. It came up with all sorts of convoluted things but the best thing I found was this. Objects are made up of atoms that have mass and atoms are made up of quarks and they have mass and quarks have mass because of the Higgs boson. The Higgs boson which is sometimes called the gods particle was discovered in 2012. They create this thing called the Higgs field and the interaction between particles and the Higgs field is what makes things have mass. After reading all sorts of scientific papers on this I was kind of glad that I quit physics in my second year of high school (I had to take it in my third year but I didn't really study for it) and switched to chemistry because physics sometimes fry my brain cells. Although I don't like physics, I like reading things about quantum physics. Its like understanding the universe because it is the study of matter and energy of really small particles. It makes me wonder about how the things we see, hear and feel may not be reality but a virtual simulation made by organisms that have a higher civilization and technology than us. Maybe we will find out the answer to everything when the time comes for us to die. Last thing, I don't know why but in physics, I've always hated this formula (1/4𝛑k)X(s/d)V. The 1/4𝛑k can also be written as ε. If any one of you took physics in high school please write down the formulas you don't like in the comments.

Oktapodi evaluation

 Setting- In a seaside town. Starts with a water tank in a room.

Conflict- One octopus was taken away by a track driver to probably to be used for sushi topping, so other one chased the track driver.

Climax- The fought with the octopus that chased him and track fell into the sea.

Symbol- The relationship of the 2 octopuses shows true love. One is willing to give their everything to rescue the other.

The water tank and the sea symbolizes freedom. It's their natural habitat and the octopuses feel comfortable when they are in water.

Irony- Life is filled with difficulties. Once you overcame a difficulty, there would be an another obstacle that you need to deal with.

Theme- Life is a series of difficulties but the true love never loses.

Egg

Speaking of foods from 7/11, I have been obsessed with their hard boiled eggs. It has the right amount of flavor, and the yolk is at the most perfect level of runniness. Have I mentioned, the peeling process is never a pain, unlike all the hard boiled eggs I've made in the past. It's also a great way to add to your protein count. 7/11 really nailed everything. While it's slightly pricey for an egg, compared to all the other side dishes out there, it doesn't break the bank either. 

I've been attempting to recreate the flavor for a while, but my god is it impossible! I'm not so bad at getting the perfect yolk, though. For me, 7.5 minutes in the boiling water and 15 mins in the water bath is the golden ratio. I've considered getting an egg maker before, but now I'm glad I didn't.

I could honestly go on, but I haven't been able to get enough sleep so I'll keep this one short. I'll see y'all in 4 hrs!

Lunch

On the rare occasions that I don't bring my own lunch to school, I stroll around the overcrowded 7/11 at 12:45 to fill my growling stomach. Having always been the indecisive type, I spend ages going back and forth from one isle to the other. On average I probably spend around 10 minutes staring at all the food packages, just to come back to the first item that caught my eye. 

On this particular day, a certain noodle packaging stood out to me. Its name was 糖質0g麺ジャージャー麺風. I mean, I had other contestants too. I could always go the classic rice ball route. A 540 yen bibimbap also sounded really nice. Yet soon, it became clear that the noodles were the winner for the day. It met all my criterias; it was only 198 yen, which meant I had room for additional side dishes. I was also obviously drawn into the fact that it had no carbs. The picture on the front looked pretty promising as well, might I add. 

At this moment, I was unaware of how betrayed I would feel at the end of the meal. As it turned out, the noodles were the most watery, soggy mess I've ever seen. Not to mention, it had absolutely zero taste. The portion was unbelievably tiny. (which is partially my fault, since I could see how tiny the packaging was. The entire thing fit inside the palm of my hands.) It was not filling whatsoever. (This is also my fault. I should have known that 0g carbs meant you are eating virtually nothing.) Needless to say, I was left unsatisfied, and I've never regretted my purchase more.

Here's the moral of the story. For the love of god, do not EVER purchase one of these. I am warning you. I do not care how curious this review makes you feel, please don't get your hands on them. You will thank me later. 

Now for those of you who have tried it before and have happened to like them, I cannot help but heavily judge your poor taste. I refuse to believe that there are people out there who will voluntarily purchase it and ENJOY this bland meal. Not that it could ever be considered a meal. While it was impressive to find out that its main ingredient was konjac, you can not pay me to eat it again. 

I'm usually never this dramatic, but pretending to be Gordon Ramsay for a minute was pretty fun. I hope everybody had a better lunch than I did. :)

Back to reality

 So as I posted last Saturday, I went to the concert and it was just amazing. I really spent the best time of my life. Since I got the seat in the arena I could literally see their faces.(gosh Korean have shining beautiful skin! Like where are their pores.) And their performances were breathtaking for real! However happy time flies and as soon as the concert ended I realized I had tons of homework and had to hit the books:(((  Like tomorrow (as I’m writing this in the middle of the night it’s today though), I have a vocabulary test for my Spanish class, and I’m really suffering…(but i wanted to “GENJITSU TOUHI” so I’m here reading people’s blog and writing one.) For those who have no test in their second language good for you.

Though I seriously have to be studying so I’ll just leave a message for everyone as we could all survive this week. 

- Don’t forget your coffee.

Good night:))

The Tower of Babel

The Tower of Babel. 

It is one of my favorite myths.

It appears in Genesis, and it is a masterpiece of Biblical Literature.

I have a copy hung in my room.

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” (retrieved from Wikiquotes)

This origin myth makes me contemplate the nature of language, which is exclusive by nature. It is impossible to include everything linguistically, obviously. But presumably, our ancestors strove to build this tower, so that humanity can be united with the language of God. 

I forgot what I wanted to write, it's too difficult a topic so I will allude to memes. 

Yes, I am capricious.

The British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins is known for conceiving memes as living beings being able to propagate themselves as biological organisms do. 

So interesting.

Language lives. 

It is our precious heritage.

Perhaps it is because of its limitations that we have an infinite way to distill its patterns. 

I am deeply concerned about its instrumentalization in pathological ideologies and autocratic societies. 

Assertiveness is a weapon with which we must contribute to the prosperity of the world we live in. Why use verbal fluency for the sake of external impetus, such as fame or power. We need to orient ourselves properly.

I hope we make the most of our efforts to strive for our prosperity. 

That being said, I will delve deeper into this topic in my dreams. 

💤

Good night. 

 

 

Oktapodi

 

setting: somewhere near the ocean. The time could be anytime.

conflict: two octopuses vs a driver

climax: when the orange octopus success to rescue the pink one and the driver falls in to the ocean.

symbol: ocean could be a symbol of freedom. When the two octopuses first escaped from the driver, they seemed to be relieved.

Irony: After the driver fell in ocean, the two octopuses thought they were saved but they were chased again by a bird.

theme: love becomes a strength for people to make an action.

busy schedule

Starting uni mid covid, but still manages to have on campus classes compared to earlier students. Being to meet friends, go hangout at Shibuya or Omotesando. Living the dream. However, I ended up with a packed schedule where I have to wake up really early in the morning, and get home late at night seven days a week. I repeat SEVEN DAYS. I should be using my free time to enjoy life whilst also creating the life I want to have, instead I'm stuck with assignments and part time job. Whoever said that uni is "jinsei no natsuyasumi" you better run, we're coming after you.(jk)

Octo video

 Setting: underwater, Greece

Conflict: When the other octopus was abducted

Climax: the octopus saves their partner

Symbol: the octopus 

Irony: the octopus was taken by seagull

theme: life is full of surprises

Some suggestion？？

I'm writing the blog because I am a bit hungry now even though I ate dinner. Usually I watch K-drama when I'm free, there are so many foods appear in the drama. Ex. ramen, tteokbokki (I don't know hot to spell it, but it's kind of mochi in Japan), fried chicken, beer, soju (in Japan it is said shochu, 焼酎）and so on... I don't like spicy foods usually but when I'm stressed, I feel like I need to eat something spicy. But that 's interesting that when you are angry or mad too much, you don't feel spiciness that much. You should try it once. 

Any way, I feel like I want to eat some Korean foods! I think you guys know many tasty restraints and cafes around the university or Shibuya. If you have any recommendation, please tell me!!  And if you want to join me eating Korean cuisine, please let me know! Let's go to Shin-okubo or somewhere to eat and go to cafe where Kpop plays all day long!

Good night!!

Present Memories

 

Present Memories, A Visual Novel

You must be so sick of seeing me right now, but it's me again! (Sobs) Let me just keep this short, for both of our sakes.

I think I mentioned this a few weeks ago or so, but this entry is about the visual novel project I was a part of. :] Last night, the streamer this VN was dedicated to finally played the game from start to finish. He's someone I respect and hold to a high regard, and so I just wanted to share this with you.

I don't think I can bust out really sweet or poetic prose right now, but I just want to start by saying that I love writing so, so much. I can't say that I'm especially good at it but I love it; and compared to anything else in the world right now, it makes me the happiest. So, I was watching the stream last night, from 10PM to nearly 4AM, and I still have no idea where to begin (because I'm sleep deprived and I just genuinely have no words tee-hee). But watching Vox, the streamer, read my writing with such tentativeness and appreciation in front of an audience of five thousand people... It was so surreal, and still so unbelievable to me. Re-watching the bits where he complimented my writing, acknowledging me, and simply just reading every syllable--Literally, insane.

And I thought about this awhile ago but, to anyone who is reading this... I hope you can find something you can be passionate about and love with all of your heart. At this very moment, nothing can even compare to how I feel for writing. So whatever you try to pursue, I will be cheering you on—and from the bottom of my heart, may your passions take you higher than any wings ever could.

The Will of D...

As I slowly lose my grasp on the folds of reality, I am reminded of my saving grace: 'One Piece'.

I don't think I've talked about One Piece here before, but since it was May 5 I will specifically dedicate a post for the special occasion.

What is May 5 to me, you ask? Children's Day, a national holiday in Japan? No. The birthday of the protagonist of an animated series? Absolutely, exactly, yes. It was the birthday of the protagonist of One Piece, Luffy. (Is he my favorite character in the whole series? No, but I still love him all the same.)

The thing is, I've been told that I don't look like I enjoy anime, but I do. I first watched anime at the age of three, when my older brother decided to play 'Gundam Seed Destiny' on my DVD player, to distract me from bothering him--who knew space wars were graphic, huh? :]

Suffice to say, I grew up on anime and thought I was really cool for it. (Debatable.) 

Later on, I was introduced to more Japanese media like JRPGs, visual novels, manga--y'know, the usual. And thanks to my older brother, I grew to love Final Fantasy and just a bunch of media that shaped who I am today. But somehow, that was just the beginning... One summer, when I was only a wee. My brother turned to me, eyes strained with a familiar look of judgement and obnoxious smugness, 'Have you watched One Piece yet?' He asked, as if he was waiting for an actual answer--I mean, he was already typing "one piece ep 1 hd" on the search bar so, clearly, it was a rhetorical question. 

A minor tangent but one thing you have to know about my brother: he likes to believe that he's cooler than the rest of the general population. And since he's not here to defend himself, let me tell you that he is only a bit--very slightly, just a crumb, a fraction, a drop--cooler compared to yours truly.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

Okay, but anyways, the point is--well, I'm not actually sure what my point was... But One Piece is based as hell, my guy. I may have not touched grass in years, but I have watched One Piece at least four times now. It is straight up bussin'. 

If you were waiting for a proper, full fledged analysis... Well, I apologize because there is no analysis--yet. So, right now, when I say One Piece is based... Trust me, I am just saying this with the vibes in mind. To keep this short and sweet, One Piece is immaculate. When I hear a One Piece Opening theme play and I hear the narrator say "Wealth, fame, power... (富み、名声、力)" , believe me when I say that I am being astral projected out of orbit. I feel my mind stretching further into the horizon; beyond the seas, the skies, the omelet folds of time and space. In short, I go silly bonkers. 

TL;DR, I am seven seconds and ten steps away from being called a zealot. But I love One Piece so good night. Tee-hee.

Disclaimer: I haven't slept in nearly two days, so if I typed anything out of pocket I just want you to know that I cannot physically apologize or compensate you for causing emotional damage. Simply, cry about it.

Important keywords: Based, touch grass, bussin', vibes, silly bonkers, the will of D...

Task-oktapodi

Setting-  The present day in Santorini Greece. 

Climax- The driver goes into the ocean and the orange and pink octopus are back together again.

Conflict-The person against the octopus. The person purchased or collected one of the octopus in the tank but the two octopus wanted to stay together so they tried to take back the other.

symbol-  The water symbolizes life. 

             The colour blue symbolizes freedom

Irony- Although at the end the two octopus seemed to be together again, the seagull takes the octopus away. 

Theme- Even If you try very hard, life doesn't go the way you want it to go out.

Public holidays

 Hello, I hope you all enjoyed your little break during golden week.

Since we just had public holidays during golden week, I want to talk about public holidays. Don't you guys think Japan has a lot of public holidays? New year's Day, Labor day, Emperor's Birthday you name it. There are even days that celebrate(?) the ocean and mountain. I searched up on the internet about how many public holidays there are in Japan and it came up with 16 days. I stayed in a country called New Zealand and we only had about 5. Is 16 days a lot? How many public holidays or national holidays does your country have? I only know that America has thanks giving day.

The inexplicable beauty

Question time. 

I was wondering whether time exists. I love to capture cities with my full-frame camera so I sometimes shoot light trails of the traffic at night. If you let your shutter open for some seconds, you can capture beautiful light trails. But that won't be perceived by your naked eye. What is the difference? Is it our brain that adjusts "time"? Or does the camera portray "reality"? Perhaps this question won't be solved within this century. I don't think artificial intelligence is capable of answering such fundamental questions about life. It is within the integration of cognitive and affective factors that render us, humans. I don't even know what that means. 

Tell me about love. Well, it is the very inexplicability that explains it. The beauty of language itself lies in its historical development. It's exclusive by nature, so we cannot explain everything linguistically. However, art gives room for the explanation of the inexplicable; it can be subtle, yet it could convey enough. 

Next time I am going to make some remarks on the Tower of Babel. 

Let us be artists in our own definitions. No need to haste. 

Omnis festinatio ex parte diaboli est - all haste is of the devil, as the old masters used to say.

 Quote extracted from Memories, Dreams, Reflections (Erinnerungen, Traeume, Gedanken) by C.G. Jung, 1962.

Cordially, 

Ken 

 

Reflection of myself

     Sometimes, possibly every day of the week-- I wonder why I'm so introverted. I hate to admit it, but I'm shyer than I really think I am sometimes. One day I can try to speak to someone, but the next I can't even have the confidence to be with the friends I'm with. I used to have really bad inferiority complex that I just couldn't do anything on my own without having a whole time drowning in my thoughts about how I messed up on making friends. Thankfully that's cured now, it's just that it lingers from time to time that I don't know whether or not I should talk to the people around me??

    My friends and my family would always urge me to talk with people around me and to "make friends", but there's prioritizes even between friends. To be honest, I grow a bit paranoid wondering if I'm just being delusional and thinking I have friends when I actually don't and people are sick of listening to me speak. Or that I'm being watched because I don't look as perfect as the people around me. My best friend says it's since I don't have the best family to support me through these emotional problems, but I also believe that it's because I'm just mentally weak and I worry too much about everything. 

    I don't know about everyone else, but does anyone ever have that questioning feeling of if you're really welcome?? Like you're with your friends but you don't know if you're allowed to be with them?? I think I'm getting scared too easily 💀 At the same time, I break myself off really quickly when I'm scared and end up being alone.. I don't know what to do with this personality. Or fear. 

GW

 Suddenly I got a message from my friend from HS. And she said that her university's are all online except HR once a week. What she said was that even though many people are sad about the ending of the GW, she doesn't feel like she is in a GW. I mean... It takes about 15min to her university from her house. But I'm like it takes about an hour and 20 min to go to university. What's the difference?? 

Nah, I don't want to say those things but I am a bit jealous. There was a time when my HS was all online. I remembered the days back then.... I wish summer vacation comes as soon as possible! I want days that I watch dramas and videos all day long and playing with my friends outside.

By the way, my favorite K-pop group, WJSN will have a concert next month!! I wish I were there... I want to go to Korea to see my girls.... Well, never mind, I cannot wait to see them online!! We need a hobby like this until the vacation comes. I will work hard for the vacation!!

written by the girl who is waiting for the next vacation.

No thought

I have so many assignments due this week. I've had a week to do them all and I chose not to. Something is wrong with me. Why am I not feeling anything yet, no dread, no fear, and no thoughts.  

Maybe it's a problem for tomorrow me :) good night

Golden Week

I read a manga called Goodnight Punpun by Inio Asai. It has dark themes and it made me feel depressed, but I enjoyed the story.