The dawn of melting snow is too dazzling.
Turning around, I see your smiling face.
The day we'll meet again
Is definitely not far off, right?
If sorrow could turn into stars someday,
Please grant me the wishes that have taken root in my heart,
So that their radiance might descend onto the Earth.
I hum a tune that protects dreams.
In the depths of this emotion of peace
Is a soft thread of love which leads to happiness.
The bedtime stories which tell of fondness
Are those I learned from you.
Let us softly return – to the memories from back then.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Mellow Melody
Yeah, that song really describes how I felt now. Well, talking with her does that, I guess.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Randomness from Higurashi
Please do not deplore yourself.
Even if the world does not forgive, I will forgive you.
Please do not deplore yourself.
Even if you do not forgive the world, I will forgive you.
So please tell me.
What will it take for you, to forgive me?
-Frederica Bernkastel
Even if the world does not forgive, I will forgive you.
Please do not deplore yourself.
Even if you do not forgive the world, I will forgive you.
So please tell me.
What will it take for you, to forgive me?
-Frederica Bernkastel
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Fear
"Death? I don't fear death. Try losing your purpose in life. Try losing your place to return to. Try loneliness. Try solitude. Those are what I fear."
The silver-haired elf looked away as he said those words. His dark-skinned face looking towards the sky. The sky under which he has no place to go. Where he has no home to return to. Where he came alone, and where he will die alone.
"Try losing what matters the most, and only realizing it after it's too late."
The silver-haired elf looked away as he said those words. His dark-skinned face looking towards the sky. The sky under which he has no place to go. Where he has no home to return to. Where he came alone, and where he will die alone.
"Try losing what matters the most, and only realizing it after it's too late."
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Ode
We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamer of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.
With wonderful deathless ditties,
We build up the world's great cities,
And out of a fabulous story
We fashion an empire's glory:
One man with a dream, at pleasure,
Shall go forth and conquer a crown;
And three with a new song's measure
Can trample an empire down.
We, in the ages lying
In the buried past of earth,
Built Nineveh with our sighing,
And Babel itself with our mirth;
And o'erthrew them with prophesying
To the old of the new world's worth;
For each age is a dream that is dying,
Or one that is coming to birth.
A breath of our inspiration,
Is the life of each generation.
A wondrous thing of our dreaming,
Unearthly, impossible seeming-
The soldier, the king, and the peasant
Are working together in one,
Till our dream shall become their present,
And their work in the world be done.
They had no vision amazing
Of the goodly house they are raising.
They had no divine foreshowing
Of the land to which they are going:
But on one man's soul it hath broke,
A light that doth not depart
And his look, or a word he hath spoken,
Wrought flame in another man's heart.
And therefore today is thrilling,
With a past day's late fulfilling.
And the multitudes are enlisted
In the faith that their fathers resisted,
And, scorning the dream of tomorrow,
Are bringing to pass, as they may,
In the world, for it's joy or it's sorrow,
The dream that was scorned yesterday.
But we, with our dreaming and singing,
Ceaseless and sorrowless we!
The glory about us clinging
Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing;
O men! It must ever be
That we dwell, in our dreaming and singing,
A little apart from ye.
For we are afar with the dawning
And the suns that are not yet high,
And out of the infinite morning
Intrepid you hear us cry-
How, spite of your human scorning,
Once more God's future draws nigh,
And already goes forth the warning
That ye of the past must die.
Great hail! we cry to the corners
From the dazzling unknown shore;
Bring us hither your sun and your summers,
And renew our world as of yore;
You shall teach us your song's new numbers,
And things that we dreamt not before;
Yea, in spite of a dreamer who slumbers,
And a singer who sings no more.
-Arthur O'Shaughnessy
And we are the dreamer of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.
With wonderful deathless ditties,
We build up the world's great cities,
And out of a fabulous story
We fashion an empire's glory:
One man with a dream, at pleasure,
Shall go forth and conquer a crown;
And three with a new song's measure
Can trample an empire down.
We, in the ages lying
In the buried past of earth,
Built Nineveh with our sighing,
And Babel itself with our mirth;
And o'erthrew them with prophesying
To the old of the new world's worth;
For each age is a dream that is dying,
Or one that is coming to birth.
A breath of our inspiration,
Is the life of each generation.
A wondrous thing of our dreaming,
Unearthly, impossible seeming-
The soldier, the king, and the peasant
Are working together in one,
Till our dream shall become their present,
And their work in the world be done.
They had no vision amazing
Of the goodly house they are raising.
They had no divine foreshowing
Of the land to which they are going:
But on one man's soul it hath broke,
A light that doth not depart
And his look, or a word he hath spoken,
Wrought flame in another man's heart.
And therefore today is thrilling,
With a past day's late fulfilling.
And the multitudes are enlisted
In the faith that their fathers resisted,
And, scorning the dream of tomorrow,
Are bringing to pass, as they may,
In the world, for it's joy or it's sorrow,
The dream that was scorned yesterday.
But we, with our dreaming and singing,
Ceaseless and sorrowless we!
The glory about us clinging
Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing;
O men! It must ever be
That we dwell, in our dreaming and singing,
A little apart from ye.
For we are afar with the dawning
And the suns that are not yet high,
And out of the infinite morning
Intrepid you hear us cry-
How, spite of your human scorning,
Once more God's future draws nigh,
And already goes forth the warning
That ye of the past must die.
Great hail! we cry to the corners
From the dazzling unknown shore;
Bring us hither your sun and your summers,
And renew our world as of yore;
You shall teach us your song's new numbers,
And things that we dreamt not before;
Yea, in spite of a dreamer who slumbers,
And a singer who sings no more.
-Arthur O'Shaughnessy
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Don't Say Lazy
Currently addicted to "Don't Say Lazy" from the anime K-On. Here's a bit loose translation of the lyrics which caught my eyes.
Alternate interpretation perhaps, but yeah, it's fine to take a break sometimes. Don't let the pressure from the surrounding get to you. You are who you are, Your way is your own. It's fine to love yourself for who you are.
Please don't say "You are lazy"
Coz the truth is, I'm crazy
Even the tranquil swans
Kicks its feet (underwater) where you can't see
I'm just following my instinct,
and I'm aware of criticism
And the future looks bright anyway...
So sometimes, I can just take a break
With my own eyes, plotting the course
And marking my destination on the map
If there's a shortcut, then it's alright
If I've got wings that can let me skip things, it would be better
Oh no, I broke a nail; so I repaired it with glue
With just that, I feel kind of accomplished
What's important is loving yourself
If you don't love yourself, then no one else can love you
Alternate interpretation perhaps, but yeah, it's fine to take a break sometimes. Don't let the pressure from the surrounding get to you. You are who you are, Your way is your own. It's fine to love yourself for who you are.
Monday, June 08, 2009
4e Hybrid Classes
Well, astute readers might know that I am an active DnD player. I've played DnD ever since college, since 3.5, and now to 4th. 4th edition brings a more 'balanced' version of DnD where everyone will likely feel they contribute to the party better. There are failsafes built to the system that will make even it hard for someone to be useless.
With this 'balance', though the game loses one of its defining features to me. That is the ability to customize your character, to whatever you want. I remember playing a Fighter/Ranger/Bard/Barbarian once, with each part of the convoluted classes painting a different slice of his life. The fighter is his early days spent learning how to fight, Bard for his streetwise and innate magic talent, Ranger is learned from surviving in the wilds, after escaping from his hometown, and Barbarian.. It's jsut there for Rage when his loved one got hurt.
4e balance limits the ability to paint such a picture and character concept. Well, at least that's my thoughts.
Enter the Hybrid Classes.
The Hybrid Classes is the ability to mold two of the 4e classes into a 'hybridized' version. It's introduced in Dragon 374, and is expanded in Dragon 375 as a playtest article. The real thing will be in PHB3, but I don't expect it to be much different from the playtest one.
A Hybrid Class will have features from the two, but not as powerful as a 'full class' with it. For example, the Hybrid Fighter/Cleric has the 'Healer's Lore' class feature, but his 'Healing Word' power is only available 1/encounter instead of the 2/encounter of the full cleric. What he misses from that, though, he makes up with the addition of the Fighter's Combat Challenge. He does miss the fighter weapon talent and cleric channel divinity.
These hybrid versions adds new dimensions to the character building in 4e. I personally liked the hybrid system a lot. I've found myself tinkering with the system to create concept builds in my spare time. I'll share some of them here later on.
Sure, this is not the full multiclass that is available in 3.5, but it's a step away from 'generic' characters. And boy, it's a good step to be had.
Now, for my promise. Here's an overview of the hybrid combinations that I found interesting. The rest will have to wait for when I got the time.
1. Barbarian / Sorcerer.
In the veins of 'witch-king' archetype of MTG Barbarians, this is actually quite a potent combination. The Barbarian is an amazing striker, with loads of nova damage and powerful rages. It does have a weakness, which is low AC if you didn't spare some Dex/Int point.
With the Sorcerer Hybrid giving the option for using STR as AC modifier, this build can shore up the barbarian's low AC, while giving it more versatility for Ranged attacks and AoE Damage. Use Hybrid Talent to pick up Barbarian Agility to raise your AC, and receive Hide armor proficiency to boot. Some barbarian powers also use CHA for rider effects, but unfortunately, most of them are tied to the Thaneborn Feral Might, so you might have to choose between it and Barbarian Agility.
The Arcane Implement Proficiency feat from Arcane power allows you to use Heavy Blade as sorcerer implements, so that is quite essential for this build. And a Fullblade-swinging Barbarian that can spit fire from the blade reminds me of Kamahl from MtG :P
2. Barbarian / Warden
Yes, Kamahl, Fist of Krosa. I'll elaborate later when I have time.
3. Invoker/Wizard.
Amazing selection of controller power. The Invoker encounters shores up the Wizard's Amazing Dailies.
4. Fighter/Warden
For those who found warden's Nature's Wrath mark lacking. Warden's Free action mark can trigger fighter's Combat Challenge, so it's basically a fighter with more defender-y encounter powers. Fighter encounters rather pales in status effect department when compared with warden's. Being able to stack Guardian Form Powers on top of Fighter Stances is a big bonus.
5. Fighter/Cleric
For those who wants to play a front-line leader that still can dish out damage. Might need to spend a feat to gain back the lost armor proficiency, but 1/encounter healing and STR-cleric's choice of powers really made it worth it. It helps that the awesome powers came in where the fighter lacks. Enc 1, Healing Strike / Wrathful Thunder and Daily 9, Divine Power, for example.
6. Swordmage / Wizard
For those who wants a mage-knight type that can dish it out in melee and ranged, and is not pleased with a swordmage. Good selection of powers. Swordmage Dailies are rather lacking, IMO. And Wizards have arguably the best dailies in 4e. Feat-intensive since it will need hybrid talent for swordamge warding and leather proficiency to operate as a defender. The amazing power selection makes it worth it, though. Oh, and need I remind you taht you have the very useful Cantrips?
7. Paladin / Sorcerer
For those who miss the spellblade. You want a plate-armor wearing knight that slings spells of destruction to your opponent? This is your man. With hybrid talent, you can retain paladin's armor proficiency, which enables you to field a full-plate-armored, sword-wielding, shielded spellslinger.
8. Paladin / Ranger
For good old dual-wielding in full plates.
With this 'balance', though the game loses one of its defining features to me. That is the ability to customize your character, to whatever you want. I remember playing a Fighter/Ranger/Bard/Barbarian once, with each part of the convoluted classes painting a different slice of his life. The fighter is his early days spent learning how to fight, Bard for his streetwise and innate magic talent, Ranger is learned from surviving in the wilds, after escaping from his hometown, and Barbarian.. It's jsut there for Rage when his loved one got hurt.
4e balance limits the ability to paint such a picture and character concept. Well, at least that's my thoughts.
Enter the Hybrid Classes.
The Hybrid Classes is the ability to mold two of the 4e classes into a 'hybridized' version. It's introduced in Dragon 374, and is expanded in Dragon 375 as a playtest article. The real thing will be in PHB3, but I don't expect it to be much different from the playtest one.
A Hybrid Class will have features from the two, but not as powerful as a 'full class' with it. For example, the Hybrid Fighter/Cleric has the 'Healer's Lore' class feature, but his 'Healing Word' power is only available 1/encounter instead of the 2/encounter of the full cleric. What he misses from that, though, he makes up with the addition of the Fighter's Combat Challenge. He does miss the fighter weapon talent and cleric channel divinity.
These hybrid versions adds new dimensions to the character building in 4e. I personally liked the hybrid system a lot. I've found myself tinkering with the system to create concept builds in my spare time. I'll share some of them here later on.
Sure, this is not the full multiclass that is available in 3.5, but it's a step away from 'generic' characters. And boy, it's a good step to be had.
Now, for my promise. Here's an overview of the hybrid combinations that I found interesting. The rest will have to wait for when I got the time.
1. Barbarian / Sorcerer.
In the veins of 'witch-king' archetype of MTG Barbarians, this is actually quite a potent combination. The Barbarian is an amazing striker, with loads of nova damage and powerful rages. It does have a weakness, which is low AC if you didn't spare some Dex/Int point.
With the Sorcerer Hybrid giving the option for using STR as AC modifier, this build can shore up the barbarian's low AC, while giving it more versatility for Ranged attacks and AoE Damage. Use Hybrid Talent to pick up Barbarian Agility to raise your AC, and receive Hide armor proficiency to boot. Some barbarian powers also use CHA for rider effects, but unfortunately, most of them are tied to the Thaneborn Feral Might, so you might have to choose between it and Barbarian Agility.
The Arcane Implement Proficiency feat from Arcane power allows you to use Heavy Blade as sorcerer implements, so that is quite essential for this build. And a Fullblade-swinging Barbarian that can spit fire from the blade reminds me of Kamahl from MtG :P
2. Barbarian / Warden
Yes, Kamahl, Fist of Krosa. I'll elaborate later when I have time.
3. Invoker/Wizard.
Amazing selection of controller power. The Invoker encounters shores up the Wizard's Amazing Dailies.
4. Fighter/Warden
For those who found warden's Nature's Wrath mark lacking. Warden's Free action mark can trigger fighter's Combat Challenge, so it's basically a fighter with more defender-y encounter powers. Fighter encounters rather pales in status effect department when compared with warden's. Being able to stack Guardian Form Powers on top of Fighter Stances is a big bonus.
5. Fighter/Cleric
For those who wants to play a front-line leader that still can dish out damage. Might need to spend a feat to gain back the lost armor proficiency, but 1/encounter healing and STR-cleric's choice of powers really made it worth it. It helps that the awesome powers came in where the fighter lacks. Enc 1, Healing Strike / Wrathful Thunder and Daily 9, Divine Power, for example.
6. Swordmage / Wizard
For those who wants a mage-knight type that can dish it out in melee and ranged, and is not pleased with a swordmage. Good selection of powers. Swordmage Dailies are rather lacking, IMO. And Wizards have arguably the best dailies in 4e. Feat-intensive since it will need hybrid talent for swordamge warding and leather proficiency to operate as a defender. The amazing power selection makes it worth it, though. Oh, and need I remind you taht you have the very useful Cantrips?
7. Paladin / Sorcerer
For those who miss the spellblade. You want a plate-armor wearing knight that slings spells of destruction to your opponent? This is your man. With hybrid talent, you can retain paladin's armor proficiency, which enables you to field a full-plate-armored, sword-wielding, shielded spellslinger.
8. Paladin / Ranger
For good old dual-wielding in full plates.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Journey to the West (Part 2)
First of all, I did say I was going to put the day 2 review soon, right? Well, sorry for the lateness. I was absolutely busy this month. And spending 2 weeks in Sulawesi with poor internet connectivity (Mostly due to Indosat M2 having poor signal in where I work) doesn't help. But now, I got time, and here's what happened on day two.
Day two, our plan is to go to the Sempu Island. It's a wildlife preservation area in in the south of Java, around 2 hours ride from Malang.
The Island from Across the Strait.
The target of the journey is not the island itself, but the lagoon located in the middle of the island. It's said to be absolutely amazing. Well, we'll find out soon enough. But the walk wasn't easy.
The Road
Well, the road, as can be seen here (not too clearly though), is muddy due to the morning rain. It's so muddy that we took off our sandals so we can have better grip. I should've worn my shoes, but well... It's not too bad really. It took us more than 3 hours to traverse the forest. Shouldn't been that long, according to our guide, but the slippery road makes our journey longer than usual.
Between the Leaves
Blue Water Blue Sky
It took us 3 hours, but when the sunlight broke through the trees and we saw the lagoon... Boy, It's really beautiful. It's not too large, roughly circular, and surrounded by trees and cliffs, giving the place a peaceful aura.
The Lagoon.
Too bad we didn't take many pictures there. I have some better ones, maybe I'll put them up. But I'll just tell you that the pictures don't do this place justice. The smooth white sand, the clear water, and the trees surrounding it, gives it a feel that you should feel in person.
Some people thought so too, apparently, for there are like four other groups other than us there. Mostly they are camping, spending the night there to come back the next day, or even the day after. Some of them are foreigners, too. Quite a good info they got.
After the Walk
Well, that's us. Looks quite tired, eh? Well, it's because it IS tiring. The walk itself is not that bad. I've walked farther and longer than that (roughly 3 kilometers walk). It's the mud and slippery slopes that saps our strength. Well, actually, I'm quite fine after a little rest... If only we had brought flashlights.
You see.. We estimated that we could reach the place in one hour and a half, which would leave us around two hours to play around in the place, and then come back out before dark. The slippery trail ruined all that. When we got there, it's already late afternoon. We only got less than half an hour to rest, take pictures, and head back out before dark. And we got no flashlights.
Traversing the slippery slope once again is not that hard, but when the sun goes down, things aren't that easy. When the sun went down, we had to rely on moonlight and sometimes, a lighter to see the way. And well... I'm blind as a bat when the sun is down. Only, bats have ultrasonic waves.
Well, thanks to our guide and my friends, especially Flo (thanks a bunch, flowie :D) , I did manage to go the whole way. Around 2/3 way there, we managed to contact our pickup boat to send some people with flashlights to guide us back. After they arrived, it's much easier. Doesn't stop us from collapsing on the beach due to tiredness, though.
Suffice to say that we slept VERY soundly that night.
Lessons learned :
One, bring flashlights when you're traversing a forest.
Two, If you're going to Sempu, do leave early in the morning, like 4 AM, or bring atent to spend the night. The place is just too beautiful, and the walk too long for you to enjoy to your satisfaction otherwise.
Day two, our plan is to go to the Sempu Island. It's a wildlife preservation area in in the south of Java, around 2 hours ride from Malang.
The Island from Across the Strait.
The target of the journey is not the island itself, but the lagoon located in the middle of the island. It's said to be absolutely amazing. Well, we'll find out soon enough. But the walk wasn't easy.
The Road
Well, the road, as can be seen here (not too clearly though), is muddy due to the morning rain. It's so muddy that we took off our sandals so we can have better grip. I should've worn my shoes, but well... It's not too bad really. It took us more than 3 hours to traverse the forest. Shouldn't been that long, according to our guide, but the slippery road makes our journey longer than usual.
Between the Leaves
Blue Water Blue Sky
It took us 3 hours, but when the sunlight broke through the trees and we saw the lagoon... Boy, It's really beautiful. It's not too large, roughly circular, and surrounded by trees and cliffs, giving the place a peaceful aura.
The Lagoon.
Too bad we didn't take many pictures there. I have some better ones, maybe I'll put them up. But I'll just tell you that the pictures don't do this place justice. The smooth white sand, the clear water, and the trees surrounding it, gives it a feel that you should feel in person.
Some people thought so too, apparently, for there are like four other groups other than us there. Mostly they are camping, spending the night there to come back the next day, or even the day after. Some of them are foreigners, too. Quite a good info they got.
After the Walk
Well, that's us. Looks quite tired, eh? Well, it's because it IS tiring. The walk itself is not that bad. I've walked farther and longer than that (roughly 3 kilometers walk). It's the mud and slippery slopes that saps our strength. Well, actually, I'm quite fine after a little rest... If only we had brought flashlights.
You see.. We estimated that we could reach the place in one hour and a half, which would leave us around two hours to play around in the place, and then come back out before dark. The slippery trail ruined all that. When we got there, it's already late afternoon. We only got less than half an hour to rest, take pictures, and head back out before dark. And we got no flashlights.
Traversing the slippery slope once again is not that hard, but when the sun goes down, things aren't that easy. When the sun went down, we had to rely on moonlight and sometimes, a lighter to see the way. And well... I'm blind as a bat when the sun is down. Only, bats have ultrasonic waves.
Well, thanks to our guide and my friends, especially Flo (thanks a bunch, flowie :D) , I did manage to go the whole way. Around 2/3 way there, we managed to contact our pickup boat to send some people with flashlights to guide us back. After they arrived, it's much easier. Doesn't stop us from collapsing on the beach due to tiredness, though.
Suffice to say that we slept VERY soundly that night.
Lessons learned :
One, bring flashlights when you're traversing a forest.
Two, If you're going to Sempu, do leave early in the morning, like 4 AM, or bring atent to spend the night. The place is just too beautiful, and the walk too long for you to enjoy to your satisfaction otherwise.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Journey to the West (Part 1)
It's been a while since I wrote on this blog. I've been absolutely busy these last two months. Jobs coming and going, Projects after projects mixed with lots of issues in the regional support. And time flies when you're busy.
Anyway, Two weeks ago, I went with some friends in a trip to Mount Bromo, and then to Sempu Island. It's always nice to be away from the daily routine for a bit. And it's really fun. Here's some recap. Click on the pictures to see the bigger ones.
Day 1. I meet up with my friends in Juanda Airport, Surabaya. We left straight for Mt. Bromo, staying in Cemoro Lawang for around two hours, taking a catnap before leaving to catch the sunrise. It's really cold, at around 4 AM, but this sunrise is worth it.
Yep, that's the sunrise. A beauty, eh? That's why the place is so popular, I guess. After the sunrise, we went up to the Bromo Crater.
The Temple in the middle of the sand.
Before climbing the stairs to the crater. 250 steps. Quite a climb :P
The guys and girls in the photo, from left to right are :
Front : Flo, Me, Edo
Back : Silvi, Milli
The last one, Johnny is the one taking our picture.
Aqua. Purity for the Future.
Well, sponsor's message aside, that's Johnny with me. That makes all six of us.
The Bromo Crater.
After the crater of the volcano, we went through a desert and past savannah, following a white brick road, in a journey to find a mystical lake, where the mist dragon king lives... Or not.
Anyway, the desert is actually a sand-covered plateau, which is very cool and windy, the savannah is.. well.. a grassy field in a valley with amazing view of the hills and the blue sky that sends Flo to a photo-frenzy. Granted, that valley is awesome, though. And after that, the mystic lake is.. just a lake. But when we get there, the mist is so thick that it seems mystical.
The Desert.
Follow the white brick road.
Flying over the Savannah.
Jumping, actually :P Boy, it's fun.
Hide and Seek.
The Lake in the Fog.
See? I told you it's foggy. It felt even more mystical when you're at the place. The fog's so thick you can't even see what's in the middle of the lake. Not to mention the other side.
Anyway, That's it for today. I'll continue with the tales of our Journey later. Stay tuned :P
Anyway, Two weeks ago, I went with some friends in a trip to Mount Bromo, and then to Sempu Island. It's always nice to be away from the daily routine for a bit. And it's really fun. Here's some recap. Click on the pictures to see the bigger ones.
Day 1. I meet up with my friends in Juanda Airport, Surabaya. We left straight for Mt. Bromo, staying in Cemoro Lawang for around two hours, taking a catnap before leaving to catch the sunrise. It's really cold, at around 4 AM, but this sunrise is worth it.
Yep, that's the sunrise. A beauty, eh? That's why the place is so popular, I guess. After the sunrise, we went up to the Bromo Crater.
The Temple in the middle of the sand.
Before climbing the stairs to the crater. 250 steps. Quite a climb :P
The guys and girls in the photo, from left to right are :
Front : Flo, Me, Edo
Back : Silvi, Milli
The last one, Johnny is the one taking our picture.
Aqua. Purity for the Future.
Well, sponsor's message aside, that's Johnny with me. That makes all six of us.
The Bromo Crater.
After the crater of the volcano, we went through a desert and past savannah, following a white brick road, in a journey to find a mystical lake, where the mist dragon king lives... Or not.
Anyway, the desert is actually a sand-covered plateau, which is very cool and windy, the savannah is.. well.. a grassy field in a valley with amazing view of the hills and the blue sky that sends Flo to a photo-frenzy. Granted, that valley is awesome, though. And after that, the mystic lake is.. just a lake. But when we get there, the mist is so thick that it seems mystical.
The Desert.
Follow the white brick road.
Flying over the Savannah.
Jumping, actually :P Boy, it's fun.
Hide and Seek.
The Lake in the Fog.
See? I told you it's foggy. It felt even more mystical when you're at the place. The fog's so thick you can't even see what's in the middle of the lake. Not to mention the other side.
Anyway, That's it for today. I'll continue with the tales of our Journey later. Stay tuned :P
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Rambling
Woke up in the middle of silence
Grasping in the middle of darkness
Reaching out for a hand
Calling for a name
Any name, anyone, wherever
As long as there's another
In this world of emptiness
Someone to break the silence
Here I stood on the edge of the dreaming
Waiting for the one who isn't coming
One to fill the void gnawing within
One to call when the darkness is crawling
A hand to guide me through the dark
A voice to lead me through the silence
A face in the world full of strangers
A soul in the world full of loners
Grasping in the middle of darkness
Reaching out for a hand
Calling for a name
Any name, anyone, wherever
As long as there's another
In this world of emptiness
Someone to break the silence
Here I stood on the edge of the dreaming
Waiting for the one who isn't coming
One to fill the void gnawing within
One to call when the darkness is crawling
A hand to guide me through the dark
A voice to lead me through the silence
A face in the world full of strangers
A soul in the world full of loners
Monday, January 05, 2009
Right to Defend
I would like to start this post with a hypothetical question.
If you're living peacefully in a house with your family, and a rowdy neighbor starts throwing dangerous things like empty bottles and rusted nails to your lawn, what would you do? Provided that there's no police (or the one around is not reliable).
Talk to him, probably. But then, if he doesn't listen? He just told you aggressively to leave, or just suffer the consequences. Then what if you don't have anywhere else to go? And no one else is around, so you'd have to stand for yourself. How long will it be until you bring the fight to him?
On a wider perspective, let's hypothetically say, that a neighboring country starts bombing your country, shooting rockets at your lawn, forcing your children to stay at home for fear of being hit by shrapnel. When told to stop, they recite rhetorics saying that you and your fellow countrymen should just die, for a rather obscure reason. How long will it be till your country decides to strike back to protect its people?
Yes, news-aware readers will know which countries I'm talking about. It's all over the news. Most news stations and newspapers and other news sources are putting the Israeli offensive on Gaza Strip as their headliners. And most of those I found (locally, at least) condemns the attack, emphasized the heavy casualties, and some outright condemns Israel for the 'inhuman' and 'unreasonable' offensive.
While I agree that the force used is excessive, I can somewhat understand the reasoning behind the offensive. Just look at the first three paragraphs for an illustration of my point of view. It's not exactly unreasonable to me when seen from that light. It was, after all, the Hamas that broke the cease-fire and rained rockets down on Israeli cities beforethe offensive. Isn't it within one country's right to defend its people? Yet most of the reactions and pieces I've seen around seemingly ignores this.
It's likely a major factor that most of the local publications I found (I live in Indonesia) are somewhat one-sided. They cite the effects of the offensive on the Palestine citizens of Gaza strip, showing pictures of the dying, the wounded, and the destroyed buildings. Almost none were made about the Hamas rocket attacks on November that damaged buildings in Israeli cities. Is it because there are few casualties and only damaged buildings, or was it selective publication? It's like dozens of rockets a day raining down on Israeli territory according to The Herald Tribune and BBC. One even exploded in the middle of a kindergarten. Luckily, the school activity's been suspended because of rocket attacks. Imagine if it wasn't so. Would that made the news?
It's not like I'm pro-Israel or something. I'm just curious about why people tend to forget that it was Hamas that started the conflict. It was them that provoked the attack. Truth be told, it was them who used Palestine civilians as human shields by launching rockets from densely populated areas. How would the Israel be able to respond without civilian casualties? And yet, now they're crying about how the Israelis are the only ones to blame. All while being the ones who brought this upon themselves and the civilians. The cynic side of me even said that this was what they're after all along. Civilian casualties within the Palestine population meant that they can cry to the World, especially Muslim nations that the Israelis are conducting a massacre. Never mind the fact that the Hamas is also shooting rockets into civilian populated areas.
Some of the responses from around the world, and even some from my own country made me feel sick too. They call for the Israelis to stop fighting unconditionally, while never mentioning any conditions for the Hamas. So it's wrong to shed Palestinian blood, but it's okay to shed Jewish blood? What's the difference between both of them? Blood's still blood. People's still people no matter their beliefs.
Well, that's a long rant. And now, to try to find solutions.
To stop this bloodletting, both sides must stop violence. Easier said than done, but it's the ultimate condition. A strong deterrent, either military or economically, must be able to force the two to stop fighting. This can be done with US help, which might be a good place for Mr. Obama to make a good show in front of the Muslim world.
If Mr. Obama can force the Israel to stop the offensive, while the UN can deploy an international peacekeeping force empowered to intervene and stop any hostile activity from the Hamas, it might do. It's a gamble, but if Mr. Obama can pull that off, it'll boost his credibility in the eye of the Muslim World, and it'll aid any subsequent mediating effort from his side. Then they can talk.
Which, for that to happen, the Hamas should at least hold back on their goals on eradicating Israel. And Israel should stop seeing Hamas as a terrorist entity. Both sides should acknowledge each other (Which is the whole point. The Arab Nations must acknowledge Israel as a nation. It's the only way to have peace there). It would be much easier if the Hamas can reconcile with Palestine Authority, and talk as a united Palestine, as a country, to negotiate with Israel. Then divide the land between the two. Palestine and Israel. And place the Jerusalem area under an international jurisdiction.
About the peacekeeping force, an interesting idea is mentioned by Tom Clancy in his novel 'The Sum of All Fears' about putting the Jerusalem area under the authority of the Vatican and the Swiss Guard. Well, now that wouldn't really be feasible, but a Turkish contingent might do the trick, seeing that they're a reputed secular country with Islamic majority.
It's just my opinion, though. Politicians, historians, statesman, great people all, have tried to solve this conflict for years, and none succeeded. I just hope that the conflict will end as swiftly as possible. By any means necessary. For the good of people living there, Jewish or Muslims alike.
If you're living peacefully in a house with your family, and a rowdy neighbor starts throwing dangerous things like empty bottles and rusted nails to your lawn, what would you do? Provided that there's no police (or the one around is not reliable).
Talk to him, probably. But then, if he doesn't listen? He just told you aggressively to leave, or just suffer the consequences. Then what if you don't have anywhere else to go? And no one else is around, so you'd have to stand for yourself. How long will it be until you bring the fight to him?
On a wider perspective, let's hypothetically say, that a neighboring country starts bombing your country, shooting rockets at your lawn, forcing your children to stay at home for fear of being hit by shrapnel. When told to stop, they recite rhetorics saying that you and your fellow countrymen should just die, for a rather obscure reason. How long will it be till your country decides to strike back to protect its people?
Yes, news-aware readers will know which countries I'm talking about. It's all over the news. Most news stations and newspapers and other news sources are putting the Israeli offensive on Gaza Strip as their headliners. And most of those I found (locally, at least) condemns the attack, emphasized the heavy casualties, and some outright condemns Israel for the 'inhuman' and 'unreasonable' offensive.
While I agree that the force used is excessive, I can somewhat understand the reasoning behind the offensive. Just look at the first three paragraphs for an illustration of my point of view. It's not exactly unreasonable to me when seen from that light. It was, after all, the Hamas that broke the cease-fire and rained rockets down on Israeli cities beforethe offensive. Isn't it within one country's right to defend its people? Yet most of the reactions and pieces I've seen around seemingly ignores this.
It's likely a major factor that most of the local publications I found (I live in Indonesia) are somewhat one-sided. They cite the effects of the offensive on the Palestine citizens of Gaza strip, showing pictures of the dying, the wounded, and the destroyed buildings. Almost none were made about the Hamas rocket attacks on November that damaged buildings in Israeli cities. Is it because there are few casualties and only damaged buildings, or was it selective publication? It's like dozens of rockets a day raining down on Israeli territory according to The Herald Tribune and BBC. One even exploded in the middle of a kindergarten. Luckily, the school activity's been suspended because of rocket attacks. Imagine if it wasn't so. Would that made the news?
It's not like I'm pro-Israel or something. I'm just curious about why people tend to forget that it was Hamas that started the conflict. It was them that provoked the attack. Truth be told, it was them who used Palestine civilians as human shields by launching rockets from densely populated areas. How would the Israel be able to respond without civilian casualties? And yet, now they're crying about how the Israelis are the only ones to blame. All while being the ones who brought this upon themselves and the civilians. The cynic side of me even said that this was what they're after all along. Civilian casualties within the Palestine population meant that they can cry to the World, especially Muslim nations that the Israelis are conducting a massacre. Never mind the fact that the Hamas is also shooting rockets into civilian populated areas.
Some of the responses from around the world, and even some from my own country made me feel sick too. They call for the Israelis to stop fighting unconditionally, while never mentioning any conditions for the Hamas. So it's wrong to shed Palestinian blood, but it's okay to shed Jewish blood? What's the difference between both of them? Blood's still blood. People's still people no matter their beliefs.
Well, that's a long rant. And now, to try to find solutions.
To stop this bloodletting, both sides must stop violence. Easier said than done, but it's the ultimate condition. A strong deterrent, either military or economically, must be able to force the two to stop fighting. This can be done with US help, which might be a good place for Mr. Obama to make a good show in front of the Muslim world.
If Mr. Obama can force the Israel to stop the offensive, while the UN can deploy an international peacekeeping force empowered to intervene and stop any hostile activity from the Hamas, it might do. It's a gamble, but if Mr. Obama can pull that off, it'll boost his credibility in the eye of the Muslim World, and it'll aid any subsequent mediating effort from his side. Then they can talk.
Which, for that to happen, the Hamas should at least hold back on their goals on eradicating Israel. And Israel should stop seeing Hamas as a terrorist entity. Both sides should acknowledge each other (Which is the whole point. The Arab Nations must acknowledge Israel as a nation. It's the only way to have peace there). It would be much easier if the Hamas can reconcile with Palestine Authority, and talk as a united Palestine, as a country, to negotiate with Israel. Then divide the land between the two. Palestine and Israel. And place the Jerusalem area under an international jurisdiction.
About the peacekeeping force, an interesting idea is mentioned by Tom Clancy in his novel 'The Sum of All Fears' about putting the Jerusalem area under the authority of the Vatican and the Swiss Guard. Well, now that wouldn't really be feasible, but a Turkish contingent might do the trick, seeing that they're a reputed secular country with Islamic majority.
It's just my opinion, though. Politicians, historians, statesman, great people all, have tried to solve this conflict for years, and none succeeded. I just hope that the conflict will end as swiftly as possible. By any means necessary. For the good of people living there, Jewish or Muslims alike.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Color Test
Well, this is another test from http://www.goldinuniverse.com. Why another test? Perhaps I'm just bored. Thankfully, next week is already vacation time. Need to relax and lay down a bit... Too much is going on lately.
By the way, this is the test result.
[blockquote]
Name: Fei
Date: 12/17/2008
Colorgenics Number: 12037645
You are the sort of person that needs a peaceful environment. You seek release from stress and freedom from conflicts and disagreements, of which you seem to have had more than your fair share. But you are taking pains to control the situation by proceeding cautiously and you are right in doing so as you are a very sensitive person.
You are experiencing considerable difficulty trying to achieve your goals. As a consequence of this you are becoming more and more irritable. Your friends and acquaintances are finding it increasingly more difficult to appease or to reason with you. You are the cause of your own problems. Don't be so impulsive. It is your vacillation that can lead to problems and uncertainties. Ease up a little.
There are times of everyone's life when 'compromise' is the name of the game and this is the time, so you have no alternative but to forgo some pleasures for the time being. You are capable of achieving satisfaction through physical activity.
Recent disappointment has led you to become truly introverted. You are becoming suspicious of everybody and consequently you now feel that you are unable to trust anybody. Unfortunately it would appear that you are curbing your natural enthusiasm and imaginative nature - perhaps this is because you are fearful that you may become over enthused and find that you could possibly be carried away by wishful thinking. You are keeping your distance to see whether attitudes towards you are sincere - but this watchfulness could easily develop into suspicion and distrust.
You are inclined to be too trusting and you feel that you need to be on your guard against the possibility that your endeavours and actions may be misunderstood. Too often you have been taken advantage of and you have been mentally abused. Now you are seeking a relationship which can provide peace of mind, where you can be yourself and not have the need to put on a false front.
[/blockquote]
well, some of it IS true... quite a lot, I might say :))
Oh, and anyway, Fra (Hika's Cat) jsut gave birth to a triplet! XD I really need to stop over when I got to bandung next time.
By the way, this is the test result.
[blockquote]
Name: Fei
Date: 12/17/2008
Colorgenics Number: 12037645
You are the sort of person that needs a peaceful environment. You seek release from stress and freedom from conflicts and disagreements, of which you seem to have had more than your fair share. But you are taking pains to control the situation by proceeding cautiously and you are right in doing so as you are a very sensitive person.
You are experiencing considerable difficulty trying to achieve your goals. As a consequence of this you are becoming more and more irritable. Your friends and acquaintances are finding it increasingly more difficult to appease or to reason with you. You are the cause of your own problems. Don't be so impulsive. It is your vacillation that can lead to problems and uncertainties. Ease up a little.
There are times of everyone's life when 'compromise' is the name of the game and this is the time, so you have no alternative but to forgo some pleasures for the time being. You are capable of achieving satisfaction through physical activity.
Recent disappointment has led you to become truly introverted. You are becoming suspicious of everybody and consequently you now feel that you are unable to trust anybody. Unfortunately it would appear that you are curbing your natural enthusiasm and imaginative nature - perhaps this is because you are fearful that you may become over enthused and find that you could possibly be carried away by wishful thinking. You are keeping your distance to see whether attitudes towards you are sincere - but this watchfulness could easily develop into suspicion and distrust.
You are inclined to be too trusting and you feel that you need to be on your guard against the possibility that your endeavours and actions may be misunderstood. Too often you have been taken advantage of and you have been mentally abused. Now you are seeking a relationship which can provide peace of mind, where you can be yourself and not have the need to put on a false front.
[/blockquote]
well, some of it IS true... quite a lot, I might say :))
Oh, and anyway, Fra (Hika's Cat) jsut gave birth to a triplet! XD I really need to stop over when I got to bandung next time.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Random Quiz
Taken from Ipeh's Blog.
So, I'm a Red Wolf, eh? Well, some of it fits, like all kinds of this fortune telling thingies if you think hard enough. But one thing that stands out is.. yes, I get bored easily. Really easy, in fact, such as now.
I'm supposed to be working. But hell, it's hard to concentrate when you're bored and really wants to do something different.
http://world.doubutsu-uranai.com
Red Wolf person is cheerful, pure and amiable.
However, you don't like interference, and because you yourself don't depend on others, you give the impression of being gruff and abrupt.
You are born with luck, and will be recognized socially and economically.
You don't like to suck up to your boss.
You have a strong sense of justice, and even if you would be disadvantaged, you will act according to your principles.
You guard your responsibility precisely, and your cautiousness at work will get you trust of the others.
The weakness is you tend to get bored easily.
And being clumsy makes it difficult to become successful in the society, but if you meet a boss who would understand you, luck will come by.
You are good at producing original ideas, and are never out of new ideas and unique plans.
You have the power to put that into action as well.
You can carry out a race to be number one in areas that you are good at.
So, you are suited to become a specialist.
Even if you change jobs, you are able to accumulate knowledge, and will develop your own career.
So, I'm a Red Wolf, eh? Well, some of it fits, like all kinds of this fortune telling thingies if you think hard enough. But one thing that stands out is.. yes, I get bored easily. Really easy, in fact, such as now.
I'm supposed to be working. But hell, it's hard to concentrate when you're bored and really wants to do something different.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Elpis and Pandora
When Pandora's Box was made, it was filled with all the evils in the world. Then, why is hope inside it too? Is Hope one of the ancient evils in the box, or was it misplaced? What would've happened if it was unleashed?
The story of Pandora is usually interpreted that even with all the evils set loose upon the world, there is still hope left inside the box. It was usually thought as an encouraging that one shouldn't lose hope. But is it truly meant that way?
By trapping hope inside the box, doesn't it mean that it's not set free upon the world? Does it mean that, by the author's view, that the humans are hopeless? And back to the original question. Why is hope in that box at the first place?
An unimportant question, perhaps, but interesting nonetheless. Hope can be dangerous. It can be one of the evils. Because Hope is so very close with Delusion. Nietzsche once said that hope is the evil that prolongs human's suffering, and while I don't agree with him, but I can see his point.
The story of Pandora is usually interpreted that even with all the evils set loose upon the world, there is still hope left inside the box. It was usually thought as an encouraging that one shouldn't lose hope. But is it truly meant that way?
By trapping hope inside the box, doesn't it mean that it's not set free upon the world? Does it mean that, by the author's view, that the humans are hopeless? And back to the original question. Why is hope in that box at the first place?
An unimportant question, perhaps, but interesting nonetheless. Hope can be dangerous. It can be one of the evils. Because Hope is so very close with Delusion. Nietzsche once said that hope is the evil that prolongs human's suffering, and while I don't agree with him, but I can see his point.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Prejudice and Negativity
Some people just can't get past prejudices and personal grudges. Even if you don't like a person, if what s/he said is a fact, it's still a fact. It didn't just magically became a lie or an insult just because you don't like her/him. Or because s/he is of a different ideology than you. Or because s/he's thinks differently than you.
Well, I can't get past these too sometimes. It's kind hard to do sometimes, isn't it? Sometimes when you already have a negative mindset about something, everything related to it just becomes negative. Though sometimes, at least what I believe, there are lessons to be learned from anything. There are always more than one way to look at everything. That everything have it's good and bad side. For these lessons and good things to be lost just because of prejudice (and pride sometimes), is a little sad, perhaps.
On a related note, there is perhaps a relation between this negativity and assumptions. Some people just sometimes makes assumptions based on prejudiced feelings rather than facts. Imagining slights and insults where there's none. One stupid example was parodied in 'Harold and Kumar' where Kumar (The Indian Guy) is suspected as a terrorist just because he looks like an 'Arab'.
While the example above might be a little over the top, it sometimes happen in our daily lives. Parents who accused their 'naughty' children of being disobedient when they don't do their chores. When they really never told the child to do so. 'But they should know what that they're supposed to do it' one might say. Well, think again. Not everyone thinks the same way.
Others might take offense based on what someone said, saying that a person insulted him when the other guy actually meant it another way. Then started a brawl because of something that's actually a misunderstanding.
Husbands and wives, or maybe good friends, sometimes get into arguments just because of something really trivial. Something like an imagined slight, that comes in the wrong moment of negativity. Yet something simple can become a very large matter if viewed in a negative standpoint. Even worse if even when it's cleared, one still tries to find holes, just to justify their (illogical, perhaps) outburst.
As a possibility, perhaps this blog post will offend someone, thought that it pokes fun at their self/ethnic/country whatever. Well, it's not. it's just a personal rant from someone unimportant in the blogosphere. Just wanted to rant a bit, so you (and me too) can perhaps set aside prejudices and negative feelings aside for a moment and look at problems without subjective opinions.
Usually then, the solution can be found easily.
Well, I can't get past these too sometimes. It's kind hard to do sometimes, isn't it? Sometimes when you already have a negative mindset about something, everything related to it just becomes negative. Though sometimes, at least what I believe, there are lessons to be learned from anything. There are always more than one way to look at everything. That everything have it's good and bad side. For these lessons and good things to be lost just because of prejudice (and pride sometimes), is a little sad, perhaps.
On a related note, there is perhaps a relation between this negativity and assumptions. Some people just sometimes makes assumptions based on prejudiced feelings rather than facts. Imagining slights and insults where there's none. One stupid example was parodied in 'Harold and Kumar' where Kumar (The Indian Guy) is suspected as a terrorist just because he looks like an 'Arab'.
While the example above might be a little over the top, it sometimes happen in our daily lives. Parents who accused their 'naughty' children of being disobedient when they don't do their chores. When they really never told the child to do so. 'But they should know what that they're supposed to do it' one might say. Well, think again. Not everyone thinks the same way.
Others might take offense based on what someone said, saying that a person insulted him when the other guy actually meant it another way. Then started a brawl because of something that's actually a misunderstanding.
Husbands and wives, or maybe good friends, sometimes get into arguments just because of something really trivial. Something like an imagined slight, that comes in the wrong moment of negativity. Yet something simple can become a very large matter if viewed in a negative standpoint. Even worse if even when it's cleared, one still tries to find holes, just to justify their (illogical, perhaps) outburst.
As a possibility, perhaps this blog post will offend someone, thought that it pokes fun at their self/ethnic/country whatever. Well, it's not. it's just a personal rant from someone unimportant in the blogosphere. Just wanted to rant a bit, so you (and me too) can perhaps set aside prejudices and negative feelings aside for a moment and look at problems without subjective opinions.
Usually then, the solution can be found easily.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
What Major Arcana Card Am I?
Done this in spare time. But.. Death? I don't really like change, though I know they're necessary. Why Death, I wonder?
Monday, October 06, 2008
50 random things about me
Tagged by Ipeh :P
Zakuruchi...
1.) is a guy
2.) is 24 years old, and wishing to stay that way
3.) sometimes wished for time to just stand still
4.) missed this number the first time around
5.) is a good troubleshooter
6.) likes status quo, sometimes
7.) procrastinates all the time
8.) often tries to do too much at the same time
9.) writes stories, mostly fantasy
10.) is trying to bring back his writing mood from the closet
11.) cherishes those few close friends he have
12.) yet tends to hurt those closest to him
13.) loves his time in college. A lot
14.) is a die-hard Super Robot Wars fans
15.) often wastes his time on something unproductive
16.) is not too good around people
17.) missed Bandung a lot
18.) loves to play Magic the Gathering, especially Limited formats
19.) is very impulsive
20.) is sometimes confused about people
21.) tries to be a passive observer in most things
22.) hates being alone
23.) hates people that think they're always right
24.) hates self-centered people
25.) rarely got angry except to those closest to him.
26.) thinks that Socialism is sometimes better than Capitalism
27.) tries to keep in control
28.) may hurt people with verbal barbs unwittingly
29.) is single
30.) and have someone on sight
31.) likes his current job
32.) but wants to work in jakarta/bandung
33.) misses his friends a lot
34.) misses my half-sister
35.) really care about his half-sister, regardless of what she thinks
36.) misses his real sister too
37.) is an avid Dungeons and Dragons player
38.) sometimes get carried away when playing DnD
39.) is a Chaotic Neutral Elf Ranger/Bard
40.) cares about what other people think, despite outward appearances
41.) loves his family
42.) is annoyed about taxes and fees just to keep something you already own
43.) is worried about the future
44.) likes to eat good food
45.) is an erratic spender
46.) likes to listen to people
47.) is lazy
48.) wants to have more money
49.) is an underachiever
50.) is annoyed that nowadays appearance matters more than substance
fifty seems not enough.
EDITED : I found out I missed two numbers. Careless, am I?
Zakuruchi...
1.) is a guy
2.) is 24 years old, and wishing to stay that way
3.) sometimes wished for time to just stand still
4.) missed this number the first time around
5.) is a good troubleshooter
6.) likes status quo, sometimes
7.) procrastinates all the time
8.) often tries to do too much at the same time
9.) writes stories, mostly fantasy
10.) is trying to bring back his writing mood from the closet
11.) cherishes those few close friends he have
12.) yet tends to hurt those closest to him
13.) loves his time in college. A lot
14.) is a die-hard Super Robot Wars fans
15.) often wastes his time on something unproductive
16.) is not too good around people
17.) missed Bandung a lot
18.) loves to play Magic the Gathering, especially Limited formats
19.) is very impulsive
20.) is sometimes confused about people
21.) tries to be a passive observer in most things
22.) hates being alone
23.) hates people that think they're always right
24.) hates self-centered people
25.) rarely got angry except to those closest to him.
26.) thinks that Socialism is sometimes better than Capitalism
27.) tries to keep in control
28.) may hurt people with verbal barbs unwittingly
29.) is single
30.) and have someone on sight
31.) likes his current job
32.) but wants to work in jakarta/bandung
33.) misses his friends a lot
34.) misses my half-sister
35.) really care about his half-sister, regardless of what she thinks
36.) misses his real sister too
37.) is an avid Dungeons and Dragons player
38.) sometimes get carried away when playing DnD
39.) is a Chaotic Neutral Elf Ranger/Bard
40.) cares about what other people think, despite outward appearances
41.) loves his family
42.) is annoyed about taxes and fees just to keep something you already own
43.) is worried about the future
44.) likes to eat good food
45.) is an erratic spender
46.) likes to listen to people
47.) is lazy
48.) wants to have more money
49.) is an underachiever
50.) is annoyed that nowadays appearance matters more than substance
fifty seems not enough.
EDITED : I found out I missed two numbers. Careless, am I?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Strange Things About Life
We make them cry, those who care for us
We cry for those who never care for us
And we care for those who will never cry for us
Strange words, but even more strange that it was true sometimes. At least for me sometimes they are.
We cry for those who never care for us
And we care for those who will never cry for us
Strange words, but even more strange that it was true sometimes. At least for me sometimes they are.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Till Next Time
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
The sun shine warm upon your face
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.
---
I think it's an old Celtics, or Irish blessing. Dunno where it came from, just suddenly popped up in my head.
May the wind be always at your back
The sun shine warm upon your face
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.
---
I think it's an old Celtics, or Irish blessing. Dunno where it came from, just suddenly popped up in my head.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Slow Down
Slow down, step back, breathe.
Well, that's what I told myself. These last few days, I've been rather too caught up in things, that I sometimes forgot to just step back and breathe. And when I do step back, well, what a mess I've made.
So, one. For my dear friend. I apologize. For everything. Especially if I'm forcing you to be something you aren't. Just be who you are, the one that I knew that just talked about whatever in her mind, even if it took quite some coaxing to do so. It's fine if your words hurt or whatever. At worst I'll just be upset for a while and then come back. I know I will.
And, two. I've just realized that my cousin is right. The tax rates here are just too much. Especially that inheritance tax. Like hell.. spending like 20 million just to hand over the ownership of a building from a dead man to his son? Geez... No wonder why people just love to avoid taxes.
Even those income taxes are exorbitant. With how much they're charging for people with huge incomes, no wonder the rich guys are moving their assets overseas. Well, considering that Singapore is charging like only 20% compared to our 35%, with better results (better public service and all), no wonder they're having lots of investment there.
Well, that's what I told myself. These last few days, I've been rather too caught up in things, that I sometimes forgot to just step back and breathe. And when I do step back, well, what a mess I've made.
So, one. For my dear friend. I apologize. For everything. Especially if I'm forcing you to be something you aren't. Just be who you are, the one that I knew that just talked about whatever in her mind, even if it took quite some coaxing to do so. It's fine if your words hurt or whatever. At worst I'll just be upset for a while and then come back. I know I will.
And, two. I've just realized that my cousin is right. The tax rates here are just too much. Especially that inheritance tax. Like hell.. spending like 20 million just to hand over the ownership of a building from a dead man to his son? Geez... No wonder why people just love to avoid taxes.
Even those income taxes are exorbitant. With how much they're charging for people with huge incomes, no wonder the rich guys are moving their assets overseas. Well, considering that Singapore is charging like only 20% compared to our 35%, with better results (better public service and all), no wonder they're having lots of investment there.
Patience
Patience, patience, my friend. If everyone just butts their way, thinking they're the only ones who's in right (as people so often does, including you yourself), it'll never be over. Let it go. How hard can it be, anyway? You and your damn ego, Discordia... you and your damn ego.
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