"The End of Everything"

When I bought Trivium's Ascendancy album in a local record store (the CD in the upper-right corner within the photo), I wasn't expecting to hear the first track (called The End of Everything) at all. While I do have the album in my iPod, I've been scouring the earth for this album as well as their debut album, From Ember to Inferno, to complete my Trivium collection. Now that I have Ascendancy, From Ember to Inferno is left, but it'll be that much more difficult to find. Anyhow, the reason I never heard the intro track until now was that I never had that song in my iPod in the first place! My younger brother, who had given me a digital copy of this LP years ago, never gave me that song. Maybe he forgot or thought he included it in the digital copy, who knows. So for the past 5 years or so since I've been listening to this LP, I always though Rain (the second track) was the first. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that that wasn't the case.  As I'm sure you've heard it already, the intro track is moody, foreboding, but immensly enticing. I'm really glad to have found out that this is the first song in the LP, since it leads into a perfect buildup into Rain. 

Another Hike with the Boys (#GoPro)

Here we are on our second hike! This time around my brother (who's in the first few seconds of the blog) wanted to bring along his husky, Nanook (or was it Nanuk? The spelling still confuses me.) The husky, as my brother told me when we picked him up, usually doesn't go to the outside world, since he's not really formally trained. Since we were going out for a hike, my brother realized that it may not be so bad for Nanook to get some fresh air and some exercise.

Phantogram

Alright, so I caved in and bought Phantogram's Voices a whiles back. Though, I'd like to say that I've outdone the Mainstream by going out of my way by also getting ahold of their debut album, Eyelid Movies, but something tells me that won't fly with the indie folk. 

Voices... where to begin? When I bought this album, the only song that I knew from them was Fall in Love (the third track in the LP), since that's the only song on the radio at the moment. I also stumbled a brief (yet thorough) review of this album in an Los Angeles Times article, stating how this LP builds upon their unique sound, structure, and strengths as a duo, while also addressing some of their weaknesses that were prevalent in Eyelid Movies, their first album. It was enough to put them on my radar, and when this LP was released, I went on a scavenger hunt to find it (I had to go through three music stores before I actually found this CD). Since I've never listened to them and the only song I was familiar with was Fall in Love, it took me some to be familiar with this album, since Fall in Love is perhaps the most radio-friendly song (although Bill Murray and Celebrating Nothing are can be radio-friendly also). The sound from this album (and perhaps Eyelid Movies also) are reminiscent of underground trip-hop movement of the 90's, while also blending in hints of electronica (think of The Sneaker Pimp's Becoming X, to some extent). When compared to Eyelid Movies, Sarah's voice is more prominent and powerful, making her vocal presence known (whereas she seemed to coyly whisper throughout Eyelid Movies). Of all the songs in Voices, perhaps the one that I'm inexorably attracted to the most would be I Don't Blame You (the ninth track in the LP). The beginning of the song caught me off guard, since it sounded like a man screaming, but once you get past that, the song is actually quite intriguing. There seem to be intervals of layers of sounds (sampled from God-knows-where) that compliment the looping drum tracking. While Josh is the weaker vocalist of the duo, his voice feels at home here and I don't think the song would be the same if Sarah was the one who sung in this track. Below is the song itself so you can hear the intricate layers of sound in the intervals I was talking about.

I accidentally stumbled across this album at a Best Buy, when I bought my MacBook Pro (more on that later). I impulsively bought this CD, since I figure it'll a very good while since I'll see this album on the shelves again. Compared to Voices, this album has a completely different feel to it, but I can't really describe the differences. As I mentioned earlier, Sarah's vocals are less powerful here, as though she is whispering loudly than singing her heart out. Mind you, this isn't bad at all and may have been her intention in the first place, since this LP is slightly more ambient than their sophomore album. Josh also has a more prominent singing role here, but since he's the weaker vocalist of the duo, he stepped back from the mic in Voices to let Sarah take control. I'm still in the middle of digesting this album, so I really don't have much to say at the moment other than it's quite an enjoyable listen. and its ambient soundscapes feel like you're dreaming...only you're not, of course. It draws you in and keeps you engaged until the very end of the LP, only to realize that the virtual dream was over way too soon. Like Voices, there is a song in the track list that I find infectious. It's called As Far As I Can See. When I first heard this song, its glitchy intro made me think that my disc was scratched. However, this glitchy intro (which loops indefinitely through the song) was what enticed me the most, since it's been quite some time since I've heard something so unique. Furthermore, Sarah's sultry vocals really add to the atmosphere of the song and the looping drumming track complements the glitchy loop perfectly. This may be my most favorite track in the entire album. Below is the mesmeric video for the song. Enjoy!

The Bridge to Nowhere

On the 19th of March (a Thursday), my brother, one of my best friends, and I ventured into the San Gabriel Mountains to find The Bridge to Nowhere. Like our second hike a whiles back, we also decided to bring Nanuk along for the journey. Rather than spending time describing it all, I'll let the photographs that we have taken show you our journey instead! Enjoy.

Come Learn French with Me? (Part Deux - Days, Months, and Numbers)

Moving on from where the previous post finished, today I'll be reviewing days of the week, the months, and more numbers.

Les Jours de Semain (The Days of the Week): 

Lundi = Monday

Mardi = Tuesday

Mercredi = Wednesday

Jeudi = Thursday

Vendredi = Friday

Samedi = Saturday

Dimanche = Sunday

Les Mois (The Months): 

Janvier = January

Février = February

Mars = March

Avril = April

Mai (pronounced "meh" = May 

Juin (pronounced "jweh") = June

 Juillet (pronounced "jwi-yeh") = July

Août (pronounced "oot") = August

Septembre = September

Octobre = October

 Novembre = November

Decémbre = December

Les Chiffres: 

11 = Onze ("ohnz")

 12 = Deuze ("dooze)

13 = Trieze (think of the Spanish "trés")

14 = Quatorze ("cah-torse")

15 = Quinze ("cans")

16 = Seize ("says")

17 = Dix-Sept

18 = Dix-Huit

19 = Dix-Neuf

20 = Vingt ("van")

Hiking with the Boys (#gopro)

It's been quite a while since I posted a more eventful vlog. Though I'm not too good at editing and such (and I'd love to know some more tips and tricks to editing), I still tinker with digital video for fun. This shows somewhat what we've done in the first hiking that I did a whiles back. I'm quite please with how this turned out, and I hope to keep up with just small, yet personal projects in my free time!

Come Learn French with Me? (Part Un - Letters and Numbers)

Ah, man, it's been too long! I actually wanted to work on this two weeks ago, but life got in the way, as always (the sickness, work, and a barrage of reading assignments - told ya the demands of life, work, and school would get to me!). Anyhow, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I hope to use this cyberspace to review and share the progress that I'm making as I'm learning French! As I said, I;m a bit late for this (Rachel once told me that I'm constantly late to everything...she might have a point there.), but that won't discourage me at all *insert a heroically egotistical laughter here* MOVING ON! Here is a brief summary of what I have learned thus far =)

L'alphabet - the French alphabet is the same as its English/American counterparts, but with some distinctions:

"A" is pronounced "ah", not "ay"

"B" is pronounced "bé', not "bee";

 

"E" is pronounced like "euh", not "ee";

"G" sounds like "jay" (without the "y");

"H" is pronounced like "ashe";

"I" is pronounced "ee", not "eye";

"J" sounds like "gee";

"P" is pronounced like "pé", not "pee";

"Q" sounds like "kew";

"R" is pronounced like "air";

"T" is pronounced "té";

"V" is pronounced "vé"

"W" is actually called "double 'v'"

"X" is actually called "ix"

"Y" is actually called "i grec";

"Z" is actually called "zed".

Les Chiffres (Numbers) 1-10:

0 = Zéro

1 = Un ("ooh")

2 = Deux ("doo")

3 = Trois ("twa")

4 = Quarte ["cat(r) - the r is somewhat silent]

5 = Cinq ("sank")

6 =Six ("cease")

7 = Sept ("set")

8 = Huit ("wheat")

9 = Neuf ("nuff")

10 = Dix ("deese")

Just Another All-Time Low

Over the weekend, my mind had relapsed. I became that vulnurable 19-year-old kid again. Throughout these few days, I had gotten upset and frustrated at myself: Why? Why do I feel this way? In all honesty, I don't know why. My Depression, in general, comes and goes along, in the same way the ocean ebbs and flows against the shore. These episodes are often temporary: usually a healthy, emotional cry or a decent night's rest will abate the troubling storm in my mind. However, this episode felt different. It seemed stronger. Potent. Enough to retrograde my state of mind to that of my younger and more volatile 19-year-old self. 

When I was 19, my Depression had it's most damaging hold on me. I remember spending my 19th year alive feeling really alone, lacking all self-worth, and I found myself wanting to give up on life (not in a self-afflicting harm kind of way - more along the lines of surviving, rather than thriving). I also remember having the most aggressive outburst of raw emotion. I had internalized so much negativity that it had all burst upon those who cared about me. I ended up pushing then away. I also remember feeling hopeless, that I'd never find a way to overcome this Depression, that I couldn't even find a way to coexist with It. Even now, some years later, I sometimes question the possibility of such coexistence.

In retrospect, I hate the reality that I regressed so much over the weekend. The resolutions that I challenge myself with yearly or hell, this entire blog I have created, ensure that I'm moving forward, that I'm striving to present the best self that I can. The fact the I reverted so subtly, so suddenly, exasperates me. I know that my Depression's cycle of ebb and flow forces me to stay strong and push on, but when I don't have much of a chance when I do go through an episode...well, now you know why I was upset at myself this weekend. 

"Could You Say That Again?"

Since I posted the last post, I've got to admit that I'm a sucker for accents, especially those that are German, English, Russian and French. In the few years that I've worked at my little gas station, I've had the incredible pleasure of meeting men and women from England, Scotland, France, Norway, Germany, Italy, Australia and a few places here or there that I can't remember. And I'm entranced by their accents, especially from the women. It always catches me off-guard whenever I encounter someone from outside the US, since it's an experience that I don't have on a daily basis. It wasn't until recently that I noticed that whenever a foreign woman (especially if she's English or French) talks to me, I just space out. I get lost in the fragile words that gently fall from her lips, and after she's done addressing me, I embarrassingly have to say, "Could you say that again?" because I wasn't paying attention to them in the first place.

I always tell my co-workers that these women could just down-right be insulting, calling me the Scum of the Earth and such, and my reaction would only be, "Could you say that again?" since all I heard were the words that came from her mouth and not the message formed from those words. In other words, I'd care more about how she said those words rather than what she said with those words. I've always found a woman's German or Russian accent to be sexy, alluring; on the other side of the coin, I find English and French accents to be romantic, inviting. I always joke with friends and family that I would someday move to a European country with the hope of marrying someone from there. Right now, it's a 3-way tie between Europe's England and France, along with Eurasia's Russia.

All joking aside, I would still like to visit a country or two across the pond. I don't really travel much, since I don't really have the money to do so. I'm somewhat envious of others who have indeed traveled. Although, if I do choose to travel, what can I do for fun? What kind of food to eat? Would I meet new people and find new friends? So many questions. The only way to know for sure is to just go for it and visit those lands so strange from my own, with different cultures, social constructs, and perspectives of life, food, music, and so much more.

My Chain of Memories

Thanks to being sick these two weeks, I've been using my free time being bed-ridden to catch up on my gaming, especially considering I'm at the mercy of of my demands and expectations to both work and school. As the title of this blog post suggests, I've been frantically playing Kingdom Hearts: Re:Chain of Memories, trying to complete the game before all my free time is all used up. That and trying to squeeze in all  the Kingdom Hearts games (yes, even Re:Coded) before the highly-anticipated Kingdom Hearts III is finally released (and I mean finally!). 

While Chain of Memories is an interquel, bridging Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II together, CoM also explores key motifs and themes revolving around memories and how those memories "chain" people together, establishing relationships not so easily broken, or separate two people indefinitely. By the end of the game, Sora had, essentially, lost all of his memories of the people he met, the places he visited, and adventures he shared with Donald, Goofy, and the myriad companions met along the way. The only memories retained at the top of Castle Oblivion were the critical memories that had motivated Sora to protect The One Most Dearest To Him, as well as not to forget the bond of friendship that tie Sora, Donald, and Goofy together.

In this context of the game, I often found myself reflecting about the people I know, the people I'm connected to, and the people most important to me. I know that I have people that are just like Goofy and Donald: they won't forget me, no matter how much time and distance separate us. I think of these people constantly, and I'm confident that they think of me, too. These people, I'm not too worried about, because we've been through too much to forget it all, even if now, the tiny details of our time together are either warped or marred indefinitely.

It's the people that I've met over the course of my life that this really strikes hard in my heart. I've made friends, shared moments, and had an adventure or two with the people I've met throughout my life. However, I constantly wonder: Do they remember me? Us? I still do, but...do they? I guess this all can be reduced down to the surprising revelation of the number of people that are deeply connected to Sora, and this revelation made me question the number of people that are connected to me, also. I know there are people, as mentioned earlier, that, without a shadow of a doubt, I am connected to; but on the other side of the coin, I also know that there are others where the connection may or may not exist at all. This makes me feel uneasy about myself sometimes.

Perhaps, this is just the rambling of  a self-conscious of Little Big Man who worries he may not have too many friends in his life. Who knows really? This could be a personal reminder to seek out those who matter to him most to reconnect, share, and live life together.