New fuckin' York

Catching my flight to JFK airport tonight! Honestly, I'm a bit scared... Flying alone, and knowing no one in one of the largest (in every aspect) cities in the world. Meh, perfect opportunity to become more independent! I probably won't post even though I'll have WiFi, don't want to miss too much of the city and people. Though I'll keep my brand-new Instagram updated, my username is kuman_rus, follow me!
...ohmyGOD I am excited. This is still not fully registered. Okay, bye.

Friendship

Last night, I went to a party with some of my not exactly closest friends, but I realized how much I love these kids. None of us are perfect, and each of us have their own problems and opinions, and somehow, we make it work. Even though I don't know much about most of them, I see them every day at school and can turn to them in times of trouble, and that made me really happy and sad at the same time. Happy because I know we would all stand up for each other (even though it doesn't really seem like it when the guys are calling each other gay and the girls are arguing about which hairstyle looks better), and sad because it won't bee too long until we have to go our separate ways, onto jobs, or higher education.
I love you guys. Seriously.

Get off my planet

This child is smiling because her daddy just bought her a new doll. This child lives in a loving home with her parents and siblings, goes to school with her neighborhood friends, and loves to laugh. She dreams of getting a puppy for Christmas. This little girl is Miley Cyrus.
This picture made me so sad. Celebrities build up their fan base slowly, while their haters seem to multiply twice as fast. And who are celebrities, really? They're people, just like us. They have the entire array of human emotions and are just as sensitive as the next person, but somehow, we feel it is okay to hate on them for no particular reason. Why do we assume that they are immune to nasty comments, public displays of anger, and especially cyber bullying (because that's what it is), just due to the fact that they have more money than us? Money can't buy happiness.
Every time I hear that Justin Beiber got booed on while receiving an award or that Demi Lovato got called fat, I think of how they must feel. Because to them, one hater at the concert represents hundreds at home. If one negative comment sticks with us for years, why do we think it's acceptable to say things such as, "Oh God, change the channel, quick!! I hate Justin Beiber, he makes me sick." or ask our friends, "If you had one bullet, would you shoot Justin Beiber or Nicki Minaj?".
You hate their music, fine, fair enough. But you better have a damn good reason for hating them.

New York City

I still can't get over the fact that I'll be flying to New York City on my own a few days from now. Let the globe trekking adventures continue! Exploring the Manhattan area for the entire month of July, eating at cool hole-in-the-wall places (New York pizza!), taking pictures of everything, marveling at the art of the city, the people, and the music; soaking up the sun in Central Park, and roaming the city streets every day, learning them by heart. I am seriously excited, even for the flight there. This is crazy, I've been dreaming of traveling for as long as I can remember, and now this is all happening all at once: first to Italy, now to NYC, then back to Hawaii. A little crazy, huh? I love it. Feeling so fortunate right now.

What I am listening to: Cool and Calm (Dumbfoundead)
What I am thinking of: the NYC scene, of course
What I should be doing: playing guitar
What I want to do: go to New York already, nothing to do here

Truth

World Turned Upside-down

More Often Than Sometimes

We'll always have the obvious. It reminds us who and where we are, it lives like a heart shaped like a jar, that we hand to others and ask, "Can you open this for me?"

We always get the same answer.

"Not without breaking it."

Shane Koyczan

on the same page

"Life's long, and there are going to be times like this, highs and lows."

Natsuo Kirino, Out

Golden Ticket

Summer is so close, I can almost see it! Two more exams and then months full of sunshine, bubble tea, adventure, and new friends! I am so stoked, seriously. I've worked hard for this.

What I am listening to: Fullmetal Alchemist OST
What I am thinking of: this is really good music to hum along to while working
What I should be doing: getting back to my English assignment
What I want to do: work out...

Breed Insanity

Plastic Soup

We fucked up. So what. Don't tell me that 7 billion people can't put their hearts and minds together to fix a problem they themselves caused. Don't tell me that you can't stop your mindless consumption of plastic bottles because the pristine drinking water from the tap, the best in the world, is not good enough for you. Don't dare tell me that this is the way of life now, that you can't change anything because you are "only one person". Aren't we all just one person? A unit of life, a single cell in the living, breathing organism that is the Earth. If one cell heals itself, it will cause a chain reaction, and soon, the entire system will be cleansed. But if no one starts, how can anyone follow?

Opinion: Salt Fish Girl

I picked up this novel by complete accident, and decided to go ahead and read it as I wasn't getting anywhere with my then-current book, The Dream of Water by Kyoko Mori. I was really excited to read Mori's memoir, and kept waiting for the pace to pick up. Half way through, I abandoned it for the promise of a much more shocking story. I figured life's too short to read bad books.
A valiant attempt at a great sci-fi story, the only thing Salt Fish Girl lacks is some explanation of certain aspects that would have otherwise made for a masterpiece. The ideas are not so far-fetched, and easily imaginable in the course of our society. Larissa Lai's writing is beautiful and intriguing, and the future she portrays, one in which humanity comes face to face with the repercussions of its greedy, destructive, nature-meddling ways, is both fascinating and scary.
Following two characters in alternative settings, the reader plunges head first into the pungent smells of 19th century China and the futuristic Pacific Northwest. With an ageless female character who shifts form through time and place, the stink of salt fish and durians, backfiring biotechnology, and love that is not quite human, Salt Fish Girl is an intensely gripping read.
The character development is plausible and the way the story unravels is distinctly different than what I am used to. The aura of mystery doesn't dissolve completely at the end, and leaves the reader fitting together the puzzle pieces. The various components play exceptionally with each other, and come to perfect harmony at the end.
The story itself is captivating and highly readable, balancing the elements of surprise and calmness quite well, allowing the reader some breathing breaks between plot line shocks. Playing more on the emotions of the reader rather than making fool-proof logical sense, the book made me glad that my fate was not that of the characters, that I was safe and sound at home.
It would be rewarding to read the novel more than once, as there are some parts that do not click together immediately. More than a few times, I had to flip back a few chapters to connect the dots, and moments of epiphany like these made the novel shine.

It's that time of year again...

My brain during exam season.

Surprise me