What am I doing?!?

Unbelievable. To think that summer is ending, and I'm entering the new school year with even more regrets than last year. Let's back track.

At the beginning of summer, I made something of a silent vow to get off my lazy butt and accomplish a lot this summer. Summer assignments? I'll get them done early so I can enjoy the rest of my summer in peace! Video projects? I got a ton of ideas bursting out of my head! Fun activities? Can't wait!

Looking back, I don't think I've managed to change much.

A little over a week left until school starts, and I'm still at square one. My homework is left buried under a pile of junk, just waiting for me to work on them. My notepad for ideas sits empty, a reminder of my seemingly endless writer's block. I've gone out few times this summer, and found myself at home a lot, either thinking of ways to get out someplace or watching anime from sunrise to sunset.



I hear my friends talk about all the places they've gone, the things they've seen, the people they've met, the stuff they did. I can't help but feel envious. Why is it everyone seems to be in control of their lives when I can barely manage mine? I'm just here...going with the flow, but not knowing where that flow takes me. For the moment, Band Camp has thankfully kept me productive. But will it be enough? The days are slipping by faster than I imagined.

I've decided, it's time for initiative. It's my last year of high school. Possibly the last time in my life I'll be around such familiar faces, doing all the fun things we wanted. This shouldn't be a time of regrets, it should be a time of memories! With the few of you watching my blog, I promise you that I'm going to make the most of our last year together! *Epiphany from writing this blog*

That's it for today. Squad dismissed!

"That's what SHE said!"

"Happy 4th of Jullyyy!!!"

said the girl behind me. At this point I'd lost count of the times she had repeated the phrase. The fireworks had been going on for a good ten minutes when we had noticed the repetitiveness in her speech.

"Haaapppyyyy 4th offff Juuuuulllllyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!"

At this point, I contemplated the possibility of hurling the large stone at my feet at her screeching throat and getting away into the darkness before anyone could arrest me.

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Sounds like some serial killer suspense novel told in the first person, only it's true. But let's back up a few hours.

After oversleeping once again, I headed down to Will's apartment complex, where it was decided that the guys would get together for a day of swimming, food, and fireworks. Haven't seen the fireworks in 2 years, so I thought, why not? Of course, I am a very bad swimmer, having nearly drowned some years back. And so, I spent much of my time poolside, opting instead to be the self-elected DJ.

After some fun in the sun, we headed back to Will's apartment, for some Pizza Hut pizza and lasagna. Not too bad, actually.The guys had decided to spent the next couple hours playing Brawl. No surprise there. I spent more time playing Flash Flash Revolution and playing with the airsoft guns lying around the house.

As evening approached, the time had come to go watch fireworks. With the fireworks in Pinole cancelled, we decided to head to Hercules, in my old neighborhood in Victoria By The Bay. Entering through the gates of "Narnia", we were treated to an excellent view of the Bay. We then headed down to the park, taking up the entire patch of grass to play various games of Frisbee. One of the frisbees was so deadly, it could cut a person in half if it had blades on it rather than being made of plastic.

It was then I saw "The Mystery Girl", for lack of a better term. It happened suddenly. As the frisbees were being tossed around and everyone was scrambling to catch them, I saw her. A girl that made me stop in my tracks and halted my world. She wasn't hot, scrawny, skanky, pudgy, or ugly (although by personal opinion, I don't believe looks matter as much as personality), but she was undeniably cute, and seemed like a good natured girl. She was an Asian girl, with wavy haur down just past her shoulders. She had a calm look in her eyes, and she dressed nicely, in a jacket over her t-shirt, and wearing a skirt with black leggings that stopped at her ankles. For some reason I can't explain, I believed her to be the girl of my dreams.

The fireworks started, and people huddled together, to keep warm and enjoy the spectacle in the sky. Most of our group broke off to get a better view up at the stairs, while Schwanka and Bryan stayed with me. While we were generally interested to see the fireworks, I desperately tried to search for "The Mystery Girl." It had grown dark incredibly fast, and it would difficult to find just about anyone in this darkness, let alone someone I had just seen for several moments. As the fireworks raged, I continued my doomed search, hoping for a miracle. Finally, I admitted defeat to darkness and rejoined my friends to watch the rest of the fireworks.

And that takes us back to the beginning of this story.

A girl behind us spent the entire time screaming "Happy 4th Of July!" each time a firework went off. Naturally, we got annoyed very fast. Honestly, it was like listening to a broken record, and the volume knob was stuck in its loudest position. Never before had I so strongly wanted to throw something large at someone's face. I even attempted to make a recording of her talking, only to get blasted in the ear by her blowhorn in the midst of the commotion. Was the recording of this annoying girl really worth having my ears blasted and ringing for hours to come? Some things, no matter how trivial, may come in handy someday.

Sleepless Summer

Yep, that pretty much sums up my days. It sounds a bit like a movie title... (note to self: possible title to future short film). But in all, I find it difficult to sleep. I think I'm getting restless. I'm cooped up at home most of the time. Either there's nothing to do, or everyone's too far from me. Man, I need to get my permit.

Lately, I've been sleeping extremely late. I've been going to bed at 5 a.m. lately. Crazy, yes? I keep tossing and turning. Take last night for example. I laid in my bed, shut my eyes, and tried to fall asleep. But, like a blind man with enhanced hearing, I felt like I could hear the world. The creaking of the futon. The sound of a car. The whooshing noise of the wind passing through the freeway in my backyard.

Then, I started feeling uncomfortable. No position felt comfortable, whether I was laying on my back or face down in the pillow. Then, I kept messing with my blankets. One minute, my feet are hot, so I take my blanket off. Next thing I know, my feet are cold, so I put the blanket back. And the process continues until I'm wide awake again.

I ended up listening to my iPod until nearly 5:30 a.m. The one good thing that came out of it was that I came up with a great idea for a music video. I'm getting giddy just thinking about it.

I'm very upset with the passing of so many people in the pass week. Last week, TV personality Ed McMahon, 1970s idol Farrah Fawcett, renowned sales pitchman Billy Mays, and the King of Pop himself Michael Jackson, all passed away. To see so many celebrities pass in one week is tragic. The two that really hit home however, were the deaths of MJ and Billy.

Growing up as a child, I remember listening to my dad's Michael Jackson cassettes. Everytime we were in the car, I would hear Billie Jean or Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, and it really stuck on me. I remember the first time seeing Michael perform, and see him do the moonwalk. It was such a mezmerizing thing to watch. I spent the next 10 years trying to imitate the moonwalk. Even when the accusations of child molestation were placed on him, I couldn't believe it. And I still don't. Michael had his eccentricities, yes, but I think he genuinely cared for children, sort of like a big brother. I just hate the media for twisting him around. His death was tragic, but I will greatly miss him. Not since Elvis or Princess Diana has the world been so deeply affected by a celebrity's death. A big part of our culture, and the music, passed on with him. But his memory will never pass on in our hearts. May he forever rest in peace.

Just last Saturday, I was further shocked to hear the Billy Mays had died in his home of a heart problem. Another childhood figure, I used to think he was a more aggressive version of Richard Karn's character of Al Borland, on Home Improvement. From Oxiclean to Orange Glo, from tv commercials to the series Pitchmen, he quickly became a household name. I was always entertained by the way he would use a loud voice and big hand gestures to try and sell me a product that I had absolutely no use for. And, to tell you the truth, 6 out of 10 times, it worked. We lost one of the greatest salesmen in the world. No one, especially not Vince Offer, can replace him. I will surely miss him a lot.

To those who have passed on, may you finally be at peace.

Ed McMahon: 1923-2009
Farrah Fawcett: 1947-2009
Michael Jackson: 1958-2009
Billy Mays: 1958-2009

A Look Back: Junior Year

Summer's finally here! Whoop-whoop-sha-doop. It seems I have a bazillion things to do in the coming weeks, but I'll save that for another blog post. But as I was in L.A. the past weekend, I'd like to reminisce about the past year. Late to the party as always, it's time for me to talk about my own thoughts of Junior year. Allow me to paint you a picture of words.

I guess I'll start off with how I managed to emerge from the dark and gloomy days of Sophomore year and started my Junior year anew. Spending nearly the entire summer in recluse, the new school year was a time for me to start with a new outlook on things. After all, new classes, new friends, and a new year ahead of me was a sign that change would be a-coming.

The beginning of the year was very hectic, to say the least. Having my schedule changed around at least 3 times, switching classes, getting new teachers, until I finally got the schedule I was expecting. Break-break, here's the lowdown:

A Period: Jazz Band (formerly Pre-Calculus w/ Mr. Holmes)
1st Period: English 3H w/ Ms. Mcgrady (formerly APUSH)
2nd Period: Pre-Calculus w/ Mr. Sanders (formerly Eng. 3H)
3rd Period: APUSH w/ Mr. Wilson (formerly English 3 w/ Mr. Wade)
4th Period: Symphonic Band
5th Period: A.P. Biology w/ Mrs. Macdonald
6th Period: Spanish 2 w/ Mr. Botello

Easily, Jazz Band and Symphonic Band were my favorite classes. Of course, the circumstances of how I got into Jazz Band were unorthodox, since I had failed auditions earlier in the year. Nez called me into the office, and asked if I wanted to be in Jazz Band. A little dumbstruck, I accepted, and with my final schedule change, I was in Jazz Band. I was really clueless (I still can't remember half the blues scales) and solos are scary to me, but I need to step up my game for next year, since I'm now 1st alto. Oh Lord.

APUSH quickly became one of my favorite classes, of ALL TIME. Mr. Wilson, you are amazing. You could make economic theory sound interesting anyday. He was one of the few teachers who gave a damn about his students, and made learning enjoyable, and bearable. I hope I meet more teachers like him someday.

A.P. Biology. Just thinking about that class...I can't really say much. Something good about it....well, it was a good time to take a nap. I'm sorry, it's easily one of the worst classes I've ever been in, if not for Ms. Stahl. I could hardly learn a thing, the lectures were mindboggling boring, and Mrs. Macdonald seemed to either be winging it, or just assumed we were all mid-level science students. Thank goodness that class is done and done with.

I really don't have much to say about the other classes. They were alright.
English -> Piece of cake, interesting books (The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye).
Pre-Cal -> Didn't learn that much, no offense Mr. Sanders. Interesting conversations in that class. (Mr. Sander's is a pimp)
Spanish -> I fail at Spanish.

For clubs, I became more active in JSA. I actually started to take a genuine interest, and went to both Fall State and Spring State. It's really fun, and I can't wait for it again next year. Meanwhile, I decided in the beginning of the year, after some convincing from my friends, to start a Film Club at our school. I was the President, Dyana So as Vice President, Bryan Wong as Secretary, and William Byrne as Treasurer. Originally a club for the analysis of films and a look into the production of movies, it quickly evolved into a workshop where you could learn how to make your own homemade movie and share it among your peers. I was practically mute and a horrible leader, with Dyana being forced to cover me many times (I sincerely apologize, I'll work harder next year! >.<), but I'll be stepping up my game next year. Summer projects abound!

Hanging out with the guys has become tradition. Ending up at Red Onion or at our "study sessions", we'd talk about life, like only guys can. Life has been pretty hectic, with A.P. tests, relationships, and all that jazz. I've had the worst luck when it comes to girls. Someone once said that the perfect girl who is "The One" for me is out there somewhere, and that we'll meet someday. Wherever you are, I hope you hurry up and find me already.

The past year, I've been questioning a lot of things. One of the biggest things I've been questioned is what exactly my future holds for me. I think I'm going through an identity crisis, because while everyone seems to know what they're doing or preparing for the coming future, I'm always staggering behind, wondering just where I'm headed. I have wanted to be a filmmaker for the longest time, and I plan on pursuing that dream in the future. But I always wonder, "What if I don't make it as a filmmaker? What then?" There are so many questions I wish I knew the answers to, but for the moment, I guess that's why the future is unpredictable. I have the present right now, and it's the best gift I can have right now.

Summer's here, and I have a lot of work to do in the coming months. For now, I think I'll just go out and enjoy the sun.


Oh wait, the weather's overcast.

Such an odd day.

Today has been quite an interesting one. Interesting enough to make me actually write a blog for once. Where should I begin...

Today was Senior Walk-Out Rally. I swear, I could've gone deaf from all the screaming. It's strange. The past two years, I would go to the Walk-Out, just to see what the buzz was about. Those two years, I hardly knew any actual seniors, except for those senior band kids. But this year, it's a different feeling. I'm really close to several seniors this time around. I'm going to feel really sad when they leave. Band definitely won't be the same next year. Same goes out to my other senior friends, namely Shawn. He's been my neighbor and one of my closest friends for years. I'll miss all these guys.

Over outside Peet's Coffee, we had the strangest experience. Ryan, Schwanka, and Bryan had takeout from Happy Sashimi, and we were waiting for my dad. During the wait, they decided to eat on the bench. Suddenly, one of the security guards came up to us. Starting off with something like "Hey, yo. Y'all can't eat in this era. Students gotta go over to Subway." He then proceeded to go kick out all the other students. When we got to Subway, it was nothing but a taped off construction site, where they had laid in some new tiling. We also saw him kicking everyone out outside Jamba Juice. Man, it seems us students can't fit in any era but Subway's. He's now officially a contender for Most Difficult To Understand, rivaling Schwanka.

Senior Recitals were very interesting. Too bad both Angeline (my camcorder) and my mom's camera died before I could finish recording. I went to extraordinary lengths to get as much of the performance as possible. It's too bad I missed Michael's recital in the mayhem. Sorry Michael. We also talked about how Schwanka would do next year. He's thinking of putting a tape recorder in his clarinet. I figure, if you can imitate the fingerings, you might as well be able to play the real thing.

On a final note (I smell a pun), finals are putting a great deal of stress on me. My group is struggling desperately to finish the service learning project by Monday. Finals are on Monday and Tuesday, with a chance of me failing at least 2 of them. So much work, so little time to do it in. Additionally, I've managed to make three of my friends upset and angered at me. It seems lately, I will say something that causes hurt in someone. I honestly don't mean to hurt anyone, but somehow I always end up doing so...Please forgive me. I don't want any of you to be like this.

SAT Subject Tests are in the morning. I'm taking it at Berkeley High. I need to get up early so I have time to get lost on the way to my room. I hope things go smoothly this weekend. I need a breather...

Thizzneyland?

Like everyone else has been blogging about, yes, I was in Disneyland over the weekend. But hey, I'm too tired to write right now.

Heh. "Write right now." Homonyms are fun!

So I need to be catching up on a boatload of work this week. Homework, tests, APUSH test on Friday, etc. Disneyland pictures, videos, and stories later this week!

I just realized, I haven't blogged in over a month! Wowzers.

The Family Gets Bigger

I keep forgetting to mention, but as of March 5, 2009, I have a new baby cousin!

Her name is Soowa Krishna Dasi (Kuya Bobby, I hope that's correct!). She's half Korean.

This is my cousin's husband. Yes, he's Korean. Nope, haven't met him yet.

Looking at her child for the first time. The many of first mother and daughter moments.

Shhhhh.....they're sleeping. We should let them rest...

Get it together!

I write more in more "little brown book" than I do on here. How odd.

This is gonna be a strange blog post, just fair warning.

I was sitting in a mall today. Sitting down on a bench in the middle of the walkway, I realized that malls are windows to the world. This is gonna sound weird, but it's like I could see everything the world had to offer, just from looking out on the crowd. All their experiences, all their hardships, their good and bad times, are what made them who they are. They all come from different backgrounds. Men, women, boys, girls. Black, white, brown, yellow. Tall, short, or maybe just average. I mean, everyone has their own life story to tell. It may not show, but at one point in their life or another, something happened that affected them, that shaped them into who they are today, be it good or bad. Anytime you wanna see the world, go to a mall and take a closer look!


Told you it would be strange.

Also:

I saw The Princess Bride yesterday. I've heard about it a few times growing up, but only now I finally mustered up the courage to go buy it. It's a pretty good movie overall. I thought the characters where genuinely entertaining, especially Cary Elwes, who also plays Robin Hood in Robin Hood: Men in Tights. I also liked the way the story is told through a Grandfather reading the story to his sick Grandson. A nice blend of comedy, romance, and adventure, The Princess Bride is one of those timeless love stories.


Rating: 85%

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Will be returning shortly.

Thank you.

At Midnight, All the Agents...

Been a while since I've blogged. Been busy with school, and decided to give up Facebook for lent. Hm, so what's in store for today?

*Warning: Extreme levels of fanboy geekiness approaching. *
What the hell is Watchmen?

Part I of my three-part coverage on all things Watchmen! If you're reading this, you probably want to know just what this Watchmen craze is all about. This also works as a great refresher for fans of the graphic novel.


With prose by Alan Moore, illustrations by Dave Gibbons, and coloring by John Higgins, Watchmen is widely considered as the graphic novel that has changed the comic book industry and defined a genre. Set in an alternate 1980s United States, ordinary people dress up masked vigilantes and have been running around since the '40s, battling crime on the streets of New York. The U.S. and the Soviet Union are on the brink of nuclear war, Nixon is serving a 5th term, and masked vigilantes are now outlawed. After one of these masked men is brutally murdered, one of their own starts looking for clues to the killer's identity, leading to the unraveling of a political mystery and a truly shocking ending.


To describe this book's plot is a task in itself. The story is packed rich with back story and character development. Supplementary material at the end of each chapter provides the reader with better insight into this strange world with people running around in masks trying to be heroes. The plot is intelligent, increasingly complex, and full of intrigue and mystery. It portrays the heroes in a realistic and more human way. None of these costumed heroes, save for one, has any real superpowers.


The characters are portrayed as actual people, flaws and all. The second Nite Owl, Dan Dreidberg, lives an unsatisfying and sex-starved life. Edward Blake, aka the Comedian, is a cynical, ruthless, and brutal character, yet understands the world more than anyone else. Rorschach is a mentally unbalanced man who believes that all evil must be punished. Moore has succeeded in bringing to life such believable and deep characters. It's what sets this series apart from other superhero comics. This is no kids comic book. This is Watchmen, dark and gritty.

*Part II continues tomorrow, with my review of the Watchmen film, directed by Zack Synder*

Down the rabbit hole...

Today, I was about and about with my good ol' pals. The Plan: Meet at Colins Elementary to play b-ball and hang out. But, as you should know with my friends, no plan ever works out... *dun dun dun..*

Getting up at 11:30, I take a quick shower and embark on my journey to Colins. No ride, no bus money, just using my legs, like my ancestors before me. Along the way, I call Schwanka, who tells me that he's at Eric's house, and no one is probably at Colins yet. So, I walk all the way to Eric's house. Not surprisingly, no one's there! Apparently, they went to Colins, right after I leave. -__-; I get to Colins, but I see no one. Schwanka tells me on the phone he's at Colins...I do a quick search, and find him. Not on the school grounds, but over the fence, across the creek, and in the woods....


So after this wild fiasco, we all finally meet at Colins to play some b-ball. Skin and bones, a fast guy does not make. Bryan was afraid of everyone, especially Trixy. xD I couldn't dribble for my life... ;[ In the end, we (Schwanka, Bryan, and I) lose to Will, Trixy, and Brian. We so weak.


Afterwards, we went down to Happy Sashimi for some food. Broke as ever, I only had $2 to chip in. =/ Schwanka wanted to order the Shotgun Level 5, which in my opinion, sounds more like some videogame power-up. (Accuracy +1!) One of the sushi chefs there was hilarious. He kept taunting everyone that ate it. While taunting Bryan, he even said "Aw, he's so cute!" xDD

In the end, Bryan ran outside and threw up in front of Mechanics Bank (Guard: "Next time, YOU can clean it up."). Brian dissected his, but took it like a man. Will was sweating, and Schwanka was crying. Dyana probably drank her weight in water.


Badminton practice at night, over at PMS. Man, so tired. Our first rank match was an epic showdown between the Freshmen Saxophones vs. Junior Saxophones. Daniel vs. Marc (Tenors) and Bryan vs Frank (Alto). Me and Bryan won of course. :D

There's not much else to talk about. I need to get back to writing a script for my next film project..Until next time!

"Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose."

Always late to the party, this blog was made. Maybe I was swayed after seeing so many of my friends getting blogs of their own. Or maybe I just needed a place to pour out my endless thoughts for all my friends and internet stalkers to see. Hello to you all! Hope you're enjoying my rambling?

I wanted to start my blog out with a quote from my favorite author, Douglas Adams. Just what can you believe on the internet? There are so many frauds out there, and I don't just mean middle-aged men pretending to be hot 22-year old girls on WoW. To all you posers and copycats, you're not helping society. What happened to that creative passion? There was a time when people were thinking up ways to do things no one else had done before. Whether it be crafting a deep and rich story filled with memorable characters and a plot you just can't get out of, or simply making the potato chip even tastier, there are always people who break barriers and go beyond the norm.

Lately, I've been seeing too much of the same. Seems people have become comfortable seeing the same well-worn romance movies, and the mediocre singers flooding the market. Since when did Disney and Nickelodeon start giving out music contracts to just about anyone who asked? Now, I think I'm getting ahead of myself. Maybe we've progressed so far along that there's no such thing as "original" anymore? I just wanted to make a point that hardly anyone is even trying anymore. In a way, the overall theme of finding originality in a world deprived by it is reflected in my blog title, but I'll save that for another post.

That's my thoughts for the hour.

What a way to kick off a new blog, eh old sport?