Welcome to my site!

I created this blog to post all my reflectional and creative pieces and because it was a requirement for my English course.  At first I did not enjoy blogging, but as time passes, I find it pretty amusing!  Even when this year ends, I plan to update this blog with several creative pieces.

Hopeless Hope:  Attempts to Obtain the Unobtainable Bliss

Is ignorance truly bliss?  While reading the first few “books” of the Odyssey, I discerned an interesting point about the theme of protection.

As Telemachus, the maturing son of Odysseus, the long lost king of Ithaca, departs on his journey to rescue his honorable father, he instructs his nurse Eurycleia, ‘“But swear you won’t say anything to my mother/Not till ten or a dozen days have passed/or she misses me herself and learns I’m gone/She mustn’t mar her lovely face with tears”’ (Homer 2.413-416).  However, no matter how hard Telemachus tries to protect his mother, she will eventually find out about his endeavor.

Basically, concealing the truth does not benefit people, but instead causes them pain as they eventually discover it on their own.  Although the human mind exists as a beneficial tool, it also serves as a detrimental tool as it concocts its own thoughts and interpretations.  Our imaginations formulate false images about our missing loved ones or other people, thus increasing our anxiety rather than decreasing it.

When people discover the truth on their own, they end up more hurt because they realize that the person considered them too weak to handle the truth.  People should just reveal the truth to others immediately rather than hiding it for a long time.  As time passes by, the effect shall strengthen, and the point of discovery shall serve as an inner affliction to the person.

For instance, if a son repeatedly asks his father about his mother, and the father continually answers, “She is on vacation,” instead of “She passed away,” then the father is further impairing the boy by creating a false hope.  When the son unveils the truth, he will notice that his whole life existed as a lie.  This lie will most likely remain with the boy for the rest of his life, damaging him even farther.  All in all, this makes me wonder, “Wouldn’t it exist as a simpler task to divulge the truth immediately and let the person suffer for a slight moment compared to the years of mourning?”

An Unvarying Attitude:  Maintaining a Beneficial Bond

I find it extremely amusing that the Bible contains the common motif of a family feud.  While text-marking more chapters of Genesis, the betrayals and fights amongst the families surprised me.  Acting like the complete religion amateur I am, I naively believed that the Bible would emphasize unity and bonds within relationships, rather than the hatred hidden between the kin.

When Rachel bears no children to her beloved Jacob, and her sister Leah produces several, she resolutely forces her maid Bilhah to sleep with him out of pure hatred and envy for Leah.   According to the Bible, a wife could offer her maid to her husband and then declare the child as her own.  Eventually Bilhah conceives, bearing two sons, causing Rachel to triumphantly assert, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed” (Gen. 30.8).

I now evoke the wise and emotionally touching words of my usually strict father as I nervously anticipated the first day of high school: “You’ll make friends, but if you don’t, just remember that everyone in this family will support you.  I know this is a new and formidable stage in your life, but families stick together in difficult and unfamiliar situations.”

Although someone’s old friends disappear and new ones arrive, family will, for the most part, remain unchanged. A strong and beneficial relationship with one’s family often serves as the key to happiness.  I envision a family as a team – everyone plays a certain role that links or juxtaposes another.  The similarities and differences connect the members as the differences fill in the lacking qualities while the similarities provide an idea of comprehension.

Even when the members of a family encounter an obstacle, in order to retain this happiness and harmony, they must not amend their attitudes towards one another.  Once their attitude changes, they view the person in a completely different manner, causing their previous unwavering relationship to rupture.  Jacob acts as this “obstacle” as he causes a rift between the two sisters.  Both Leah and Rachel crave Jacob’s love, something they believe only one should have, thus resulting in their constant vying.

Image Credit: http://humble-novice.deviantart.com/art/Elemental-Hands-129511038

Death’s Deathtrap: The Luxury of Life

Dandelion - a great example of the effect of abandonment

“Is life really so precious that loved ones should have to suffer in order to keep you alive?” I often ponder as I glimpse through the Bible. After reading several chapters of the Genesis over the course of a few days, I instantly noticed Abraham constantly masking his wife’s true identity when entering a new and hazardous territory.

As Abraham resides in Gerar, he tells the people, “[Sarah] is my sister” (Gen. 20.2).  Because of her beauty, the people seize Sarah, Abraham’s wife, not his full-blooded sister (later on, it reveals that she is Abraham’s half sister), with Abraham’s consent and offer her as a bride to their beloved king.

Because some people exist as weak and pusillanimous beings, they constantly search for protection.  Abraham discerns the fact that he contains no power in this unfamiliar territory and comprehends that he will mostly likely perish by the hands of the residents unless he discovers a scapegoat – in this case, Sarah.

Although people regard other people and possessions with much love and solicitousness, when positioned in a situation that involves the dire situation of life versus death, they alter their attitude as they search for a way to survive.  These people deceive their loved ones and even themselves as they cowardly run away from their fate and leave their treasured possessions for death.

Close bonds and ties are present in these relationships, and to abandon one’s best friend or lover is to basically abandon oneself. However, these people are so caught up by the beauty of life that they do not realize that the beauty consisted of the people and things that please them.  All in all, I believe that we live to protect our possessions, not vice versa.

Image Credit: http://dandelgrosso.deviantart.com/art/Abandon-90324172

Note:  I really wanted to write a creative story this weekend.  In one of the anime series I watch, a person will supposedly die when all the lotus petals fall off.   This is completely different from that, but it does mention a lotus…

A Divine Lotus

As the phone rang, I imagined Zane’s caressing voice concealing his pain with a curtain of sanguinity.  However, as I heard his words, I couldn’t catch even the slightest trace of suffering, causing my heart to lighten, thus making me feel an edge of hope that I never felt before.  One could probably compare it to nostalgia.  Crystal tears of happiness rolled down my eyes as I strolled around in circles in my white, powdery snow covered front yard.  Zane appeared in a few minutes since he only lived a block away.  As he approached me, he instantly noticed the tiny droplets frozen on my soft, pallid cheeks.

“What’s that on your face?” he mused, undeniably curious.

“Nothing,” I blushed, looking away.  He sighed and shook his head as he took me in a tight embrace and gently brushed the crystallized tears from my face.  I buried my head in his woolen, fuzzy sweater, taking in the unique aroma of his clothes while Zane rested his chin on my shoulder.  We remained unmoving for at least ten minutes, frozen like the rest of this wintry wonderland.  After a while, we reluctantly separated, still dazzled from the meaningful hug.  He scratched the back of his unkempt hair, and smiled his famous crooked smile as he reached inside his azure backpack for a small, delicately wrapped box with a flimsy ribbon on top.

He handed me the box in one hand, and seized my other ashen one as he dragged me to the vast treeless plain behind my parent’s beloved country house.

“Akira, please promise me you won’t open it until I finish my improvised act,” Zane pleaded as he backed up about a hundred feet.

“Fine.  I swear on our friendship that I will not open this box until you have finished your silly little dramatic performance,” I incorporated some sarcastic emphasis in the last few words.

“Cocky, aren’t we? “  Zane smirked.  “What happened to that sweet, loving girl I used to know back in pre-school?”

“She disappeared with the stupid, naive kid who didn’t know the difference between the sun and the moon,” I laughed, cherishing the fond memories.

“Okay, I’m ignoring that statement, and actually beginning my act.”  “I have run through the fields, only to be with you, only to be with you.  I have run, I have crawled, I have scaled these city walls, these city walls, only to be with you,” Zane beautifully mimicked these actions while beautifully singing the U2 song.

The tears just welled out of my eyes involuntarily.  Was this person really my best friend?  Was this person only a fifteen year old? Was this person really born with a weak heart?  Was this person really having a heart transplant surgery in week?  I could not believe the true reality of it all.  How could anyone seem that optimistic, even when he had a 50% chance of dying in one, short week – merely seven days?

As I transported back to the current reality, Zane stood right beside me, helping me open the adorned box.  Underneath the lid, I caught a glimpse of numerous pink petals.   The petals combined to create a truly divine lotus flower – my absolute favorite flower.

“Why?”  I murmured.  “Why did you do all this for me when you should be spending your time looking after yourself?”

“Did you know that the lotus contains an ancient legend?” he asked, completely ignoring my seemingly trivial questions.  “They say that if someone gives their lover a lotus, it will only wither when the giver’s love dies.”

I stared into Zane’s bottomless malachite eyes, and he returned my gaze by peering into my amber flecked brown ones.  He leaned in, and brushed my lips before melting into a passionate kiss.  I brought my hands to his black, almost bluish hair, and he tangled his in my ebony waves.  We finally pulled back when we lost our breaths.  My head stirred, and the reaction flowed through my body like an electric current, causing me to faint.  Apparently Zane saved me the hindrance of falling in the snow.  When I woke up a few minutes later, my dark eyelashes slowly fluttered opened, desperately trying to remember the situation.  Then I heard Zane’s voice, and the memories rushed together.

“Akira, are you okay?  You nearly gave me a heart attack!”  Zane shouted, with a mixed expression of amusement and anxiety, forming a quite scary countenance.

“Yeah, I’m okay.  Just feeling a little dizzy.  Sorry about the scare,” I shuddered, feeling a little guilty.

“Hey, it’s fine.  I’m just glad you’re okay.  I want to ask you a favor before we head back.  Could we quietly walk around the plain?  I want to spend all my time with you before I-you know,” Zane replied.

“Zane, don’t give up!  There’s still a 50% chance you can survive!  You won’t know until you try!  Please, try to think positively!  When I felt down about something, you always cheered me up, so please fill your mind with happy memories,” I begged.  Zane did not reply, so I simply answered his request and walked the ice tundra with my arm in his.

On our way to the beautiful lake, I noticed the sky had exchanged the sun with the moon.  Tonight, a full moon illuminated the slightly frosted water of the deep lake.  I moved closer to Zane and pointed to the wonderful scene.  He smiled crookedly once again, and broke free of my grasp.  He started walking towards the lake, causing me to instinctively follow. He chuckled and turned around.

“I just want to see something.  I’ll be back in a little while, so just stay here,” Zane commanded, making me a little inquisitive.  Being the curious soul that I am, I languidly lurked behind him.  Just as he raised his foot before placing it on the thin ice layer of the lake, I stupidly realized his intentions.  I sprinted as fast as I could, but the cold thwarted my movements, causing me to trip a couple of feet from the lake.

“NO!  Don’t do this, Zane!  You can still survive!” I shrieked, tears pouring down my pasty face. As the ice began cracking, he stated, “The sun and the moon are not different; both of them shine – just like you, Akira.”   “Please know, that I love – ,” I heard a loud splash, and he disappeared below the water.

“ZANE! ZANE! NOOOOOO!”  I screamed at the top of my lungs.  Zane and I were best friends since the very beginning, and we even planned a future filled with our dreams and aspirations.  This was not supposed to happen!  Why fate?  How could you do this?

“Zane!  What do you love?” I pondered out loud, voicing my persistent thoughts.   I clutched the box, and gently removed the lotus.  It retained its beautiful form – the pinnacle of its growth.  I searched the petals meticulously, trying to remember all the memoirs of Zane.  Then, I saw swirled writing – Zane’s calligraphy – on one of the rubbery petals.  “You.”

“I love you, too, Zane.  Always and forever…”

Vanity’s Vicious Veil: The Truth Uncovered

Although we live in a universe teeming with various forms of life, I wonder if we ever stop and think about another species’ well-being.  As I skimmed through my Pacific Rim worksheet, one sentence opened my eyes to the “blind side” – “When you do encounter [animals] in the wild, most animals prefer escape over confrontation with mankind – a species with an equally lethal reputation” (Pacific Rim worksheet 5).

Most people do not know that men in Australia hunted down about 20 mammal species to extinction in the last thirty years just for “fun” (Pacific Rim worksheet 4).  Humans often believe that just because they exist as the most dominant species on Earth, they can do whatever they like.

This arrogance will most likely point to our downfall because the whole world forms itself on the cornerstone of symbiosis.  When one thing is affected, another thing changes as well, whether for better or worse.  Arrogance causes people to become so caught up in their own life that they involuntarily blind themselves from the factors surrounding their existence.

People must release this sense of arrogance in order to prevent further destruction of nature’s “helpful gifts” such as the ocean, rainforests, and ozone layer.  I believe we must consider our actions with an impartial mind, rather than vanity, because only then can we envision the problems affecting our survival, and work towards a resolution; arrogance drives people to shield themselves from the truth, but in turn, the end result returns and catches the person off guard.

The Mood Ring’s Green Reflection: A Different Perspective

As I, an amateur when it comes to religion, began reading the Genesis Chapters one through five, I immediately noticed that the Bible incorporated some moral values behind its highly ambiguous text.  When I continued onto chapter four of the Genesis, I wondered if Cain even felt the slightest pang of guilt as he “rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him.” Obviously Cain felt jealous that God rejected his offering and accepted his brother’s, but he did not need to commit murder.

This situation helped me comprehend the lengths people stoop to gain some personal pride.  Even in real life, we hear stories about people sullying another person’s project or assignment because of envy.   Envy exists as one of those extreme emotions that blocks out a person’s conscious, causing them to act solely on whim or desire.  Jealousy often links itself with some form of competition; people attempt to murder others who exist as impediments in their path to secure their sense of power.

I believe that these “killers” are too thick headed to think of a solution to solve their problems.  Jealousy should function as an incentive to work harder and with more thought in order to defeat others in a fair manner.  People do not realize that competition can actually serve as a guide in maturing and obtaining that ultimate inner satisfaction.

Unlimited Amount of Power: No Crazy Whims

In The Golden Compass, Iorek Byrnison, a ferocious, yet loyal armored bear, regains his beloved, nearly unbreakable armor, and fiercely lashes at his pursuers.  Before Iorek can apply the killing blow to the sentry, Lyra, a young, unique girl, harshly whispers, “‘Listen!  You owe me a debt, right.  Well, now you can repay it.  Do as I ask.  Don’t fight these men.  Just turn around and walk away with me.  We want you, Iorek, you can’t stay here’” (Pullman 200).

When Lyra first meets Iorek, he explains that the men of the city unjustly tantalized him with wine and drinks in order to pilfer his invincible armor.  Iorek also reveals that a panserbjørne’s, or an armored bear’s, armor can be considered the bear’s soul.  Once Iorek redeems his armor, he recovers the confidence, strength, and power he lacked when Lyra first spoke to him.  However, he uses this power recklessly and does not contemplate the results of his actions.  This situation reminds me of the memorable quote introduced in the movie Spider-Man: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Spider-Man learns that he must decide between using his new-found, mighty powers for good or for evil. Iorek, surprisingly, faces the same situation.

For the most part, the idea of responsibility only applies to people who decide to exercise their powers in a beneficiary way, but it can apply to evil-doers.  If powerful criminals hire others, they hold responsibility for these henchmen. When someone obtains an unusual power, he or she must constantly think about themselves and other people. He or she should plan ahead and think about the outcome; the person needs to develop a sense of awareness.  The heroes and villains should understand that they cannot whimsically use their powers because several conflicts can evolve from those reckless actions.

Proposition: In order to maintain some kind of peace, people should deliberate before using their powers.

Mystical Mirrors: False Appearances

“Brrring!” the shiny red bell sounded and shattered my sensitive eardrums.  As I languidly stood up from my wooden seat, I peered up at the large clock on the plaster wall.  “Good.  It’s only 2:30!  I have two and a half hours before Melinda’s cheerleading practice ends,” I happily thought to myself.  On my way to my absolute favorite place, the school’s humungous library, I sadly noticed the insecure bullies taunting scrawny kids.  I lowered my head, causing my lengthy, orange bangs to conceal my tawny eyes and rapidly strode to the library.  If I, the everyday, typical shy loner, somehow switched places with my powerful twin sister, the most popular girl in school, I would set this school straight.  However, I should not think about such meaningless things; instead, I focused on pondering about the upcoming volume of Bleach, my current pick of manga.

When I strolled into the library, Ms. Taki kindly greeted me, but like always, she inquired about Melinda.  I let out a deep sigh and replied, “She’s great.”  I could imagine at least 1,000 words to describe my sister, – popular, beautiful, intelligent, determined, focused, positive, persuasive, annoying, strong, etc. – and I could not help but to hate every single one of these traits. Although we are twins, we look completely different, which makes me extremely elated; I would not want anyone to confuse me with her.  Ever since an early age, people compared me with my “perfect” twin sister Melinda.  Whenever I made a mistake, teachers would always comment, “Melinda would never do that.”  After these comments, a huge feeling of frustration would quickly build up inside of me.  “Mistakes are intended to happen in order for us to learn,” I would stutter, but the teachers never listened.

After chatting with Ms. Taki, I ferociously read the new Bleach volume.  In less than an hour, I finished the 250 page comic; I like to think of myself as an avid reader.  With an hour and half to spare, I stared at the gigantic mirror in front of me.  Despite the numerous manga books and countless novels, the greatest aspect of this library was the mirror.  When I first entered the library two years ago, the mirror entranced me.  I never truly comprehended the need for the mirror, and when I asked Ms. Taki, she shrugged, obviously not knowing the answer either.  As I transitioned back to reality, I heard the mirror calling me, so I sauntered to the mirror and placed my hands on my reflection.

“Wait a second.  Shouldn’t I feel glass if this is a mirror?  Why do I feel flesh?”  I panicked.  An electric shock suddenly sparked through my veins and I dropped to the floor, unable to move.  My “reflection” leaned down and whispered in a cold voice, “I guess you’ve heard of twins, but you sure haven’t heard of look-alikes,” before she vanished.

Dangerous Depths:  How Far Will One Go?

In Blood Promise, when Rose, an adolescent dhampir (a half-human vampire), receives a letter from her supposedly dead beloved, she curiously questions her best friend, ‘“Do you believe in fairy tales”’ (Mead 501).  When Rose’s friend asks about the type of fairy tales, Rose solemnly replies, ‘“The kind you aren’t supposed to waste your life on”’ (Mead 501).  Rose realizes that the last month she spent tracking down her evil-turned love was completely worthless.

Blog: Review of Blood Promise

Summary: Information on all four books

Rose is driven by pure love to save (in this case, “kill”) her soul mate from the hands of darkness.  After her love, Dimitri, is turned into a Strigoi, a treacherous type of vampire, Rose suffers from an internal conflict: whether to leave her best friend Lissa or murder her lost love. In the end, love sadly conquers friendship.  For a month, Rose sacrifices her life at the academy to visit Russia and track Dimitri. However, when Dimitri does not die from Rose’s almost fatal strike to the heart, we unfortunately see that love does not supplant evil.  This scenario introduces the idea of “the lengths we go for love.”  Love takes the form of a necessity; almost everyone needs it, and many people desire to experience it.  When we think about it, we erase all the things surrounding the concept, and just focus on that one aspiration.

From an early age, children become familiarized with love due to the several fairy tales based on the concept.  However, I wonder if they truly know the definition of love.  As time goes on, people determine their own meaning of the idea and place it inside that one special person.  All those memories shared with that person, whether good or bad, shape love.  Once love is experienced or witnessed, one may believe that he or she needs another person to complete his or her life.  A person may search the entire world, physically or electronically, for that other person.

Proposition: Based on the world we live in, people are willing to search and face many obstacles to discover their one true love.