Brave Heart

So I finally managed to find this song which I LOVED since childhood.
My first encounter with this song was because of an awesome anime series known as Digimon Adventures. Honestly, this song is way better than the one that is being used in America. Why can't those media people just learn from those clever Japanese..sigh

anyhow, below is the lyrics to the song. This song was also the very first song which I learned to sing along while playing guitar. I simply can't emphasize enough how I love this song!



BRAVE HEART
If given a second, anyone can give up and run So just keep on walking ,something only you can do
So that this blue planet doesn't lose it's light
show me your brave heart.
Seize the dreams you had!
Protect your beloved friends!
You can become stronger!
Unknown power dwells in your heart, when its fire is lit.
Any wish, it's true.
Will surely be granted...show me your brave heart
Not every day is sunny, so sometimes
Even though a cold rain is falling, just open your umbrella
There's no map of how to live, that's why we're free.
You can go anywhere, how me your brave heart Run faster than the wind!
Aim farther than the skies!
You can meet a new you!
Unknown courage sleeps in your heart, and when you realize.
The downpour in your heart
Will surely stop...show me your brave heart
Believe in your heart Seize the bright tomorrow! Protect the ones you love!
You can become stronger!
Break that weak self!
Destroy the walls blocking you!
The warm beat of your heart will be your weapon
Believe in your heart!

Recent Days

I finally turned 18 a few days ago. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this event. On one hand, I am really happy that I am now considered as legal adult and is now able to fully access individual rights as a U.S. citizens. On the other hand, I feel extremely sad that I am now an adult. It is really hard to identify the root of this negativity. Even now, after hours of dwelling on this matter, I am still unable to fully understand this.

To start the series of mischief, a humorous "incident" happened during 9th period. Although the announcement of postponing the test during that period was like a gift from heaven, I could not stop wondering why only the left side of my face was going through allergic reactions. My left eye continued to tear while only my left nostril was suffering with extreme itching. I had to stop breathing for numerous instants to prevent myself from sneezing my eyeballs out. It was not until near the end of the period did I find out why. A friend of mine sitting right next to me had cat fur all over his shirt and jacket....Good god....So the day went downhill from there.

After school on Friday, things just took a turn for the worse. Personally, I don't mind the spectators watching Midnight Rave practice. However, Friday just went overboard. There were simply too many people watching us practice while throwing down commentaries. I found that a little annoying..but hey at least they left about an hour later. Ah well...not like we were going to actually work on a routine anyway.

Well, a certain someone decided to just continue not to talk to me despite my effort. Honestly, I can still say I care, but as of now, hatred is winning this metaphoric tug of war. Quite honestly, I am actually welcoming this feeling. Anything to get my head out of this futile effort...anything...

Sadist

Ya, so lately I have been labelled as a sadist. Honestly, I don't give a shit about what you guys think. Want to label me as chink while ur at it? Bastard? Good-for-nothing useless human trash that only uses up human resources? GOT ANY OTHER GREAT IDEAs YOU DUMB LOW EXPECTATIONAL MOTHERFUCKERS?!?!?!?

Midnight Rave's 2nd Official Performance @ Pep Rally

As the title suggested, we had our official 2nd performance in our homecoming pep rally today. Although notified at last minute, we managed to put up a respectful routine. Because of the SAT testing schedule last Saturday, we did not practice or run the planned routine once whatsoever. In fact, the routine itself wasn't even finished until the very last minute right before the pep rally. Honestly, they could have notify our involvement sooner than they did this time....

What really sucked about our performance today was the fact that we could NOT hear the music AT ALL. We could hear the slight tremor of air waves in the atmosphere full of thundering cheers from the audience. However, due to some technical reasons, the music started to have static sound effect implemented and completely ruined the music. Us, as an experienced performers, had absolutely no way of following our original routine because our routine was heavily based on the beat of the music, which we could not detect with our greatest effort. Sooooooooooo......we resorted to what we do best: BSING.

Thankfully enough, they asked us to RAVE in the pep rally, not breakdancing. If it was breakdancing that we were asked to do, then we would be completely screwed head over heels. However, no matter what we do with our glowsticks, it will always bring a sense of phantomness along with flashy photon patterns. Therefore, BSING seems like an obvious and immediate yet sufficient solution to our problem. The only problem left was the ending. In the end, without noticing the music finally was ending, we continued to rave until no sound can be heard at all. Then we simply thanked the audience by bowing or waving. Oddly enough, people enjoyed our mystic performance despite the crappiness of it ^_^

We gotta do better than we did this time, I know we got the potential to, it's just that we didn't ge the chance to show it. With only a minute and twenty seconds to perform, we couldn't really demonstrate what made us known as Midnight Rave. Ah well, I guess we will ge the chance to redeem ourselves in the Variety Show....O man...gotta start making routines for it. ^_^

稻香 - 周杰伦

So I finally get to listen to one of Jay Chou's newest piece of work. By far, this song is my personal favorite. Translated to "Fragrant Rice", this song not only has catchy tunes, but it also has inspirational and very touching lyrics. I guess I know what to do to kill time now for the next few months: learn this song on acoustic and sing along with it. ^_^

對這個世界如果你有太多的抱怨
If you have too many grievances towards this world,

跌倒了就不敢繼續往前走
Having fallen, you lose the courage to go on

為什麼人要這麼的脆弱 墮落
Why do people want to be so weak and fallen?

請你打開電視看看
Please turn on the television now and see for yourself

多少人為生命在努力勇敢的走下去
So many people bravely fighting for their lives

我們是不是該知足
Shouldn’t we be content,

珍惜一切　就算沒有擁有
Cherish all we have, even if we don’t possess them

＊還記得你說家是唯一的城堡
I still remember you said home is your only castle

隨著稻香河流繼續奔跑
Following the paddy fragrance, the flowing stream, I continued running

微微笑　小時候的夢我知道
Smile, I know the childhood dreams

不要哭讓螢火蟲帶著你逃跑
Don’t cry, let the fireflies take you away, escaping

鄉間的歌謠永遠的依靠
You will always find serenity in folk songs

回家吧　回到最初的美好＊
Go home, return to the sweet past

不要這麼容易就想放棄　就像我說的
Don’t give up so easily, just like what I said,

追不到的夢想　換個夢不就得了
If the dream can’t be reached, then just follow another dream

為自己的人生鮮艷上色
Add bright colours to your own life

先把愛塗上喜歡的顏色
Paint LOVE in your favourite colour

笑一個吧　功成名就不是目的
Smile, fame and success isn’t the aim

讓自己快樂快樂這才叫做意義
Be happy. That is the whole meaning

@ 童年的紙飛機　現在終於飛回我手裡
(Just like how) I finally found my lost childhood innocence

＃所謂的那快樂　赤腳在田裡追蜻蜓追到累了
What is happiness? It’s chasing dragonflies in the fields barefooted till we’re exhausted

偷摘水果被蜜蜂給叮到怕了　誰在偷笑呢
Tried to steal fruits but suffered so much bee stungs until i am scared. Who’s snickering (at me)?

我靠著稻草人吹著風唱著歌睡著了
Leaning against the scarecrow, enjoying the wind, singing songs till I fall asleep

哦　哦　午後吉他在蟲鳴中更清脆
Oh~ Oh~ In the afternoon, the guitar chords sound more crisp amidst the cries of the insects

哦　哦　陽光灑在路上就不怕心碎
Oh~ Oh~ The sunlight shines on the road so there’s no need to fear a heartbreak

珍惜一切　就算沒有擁有＃
Cherish everything, even if we don’t possess them

Game Review #2 - RF Online

Rising Force, RF for short, is perhaps one of the best mmorpgs I have ever played. Unfortunately, due to the failed attempt to renew the contract with the Korean main branch, RF Online will be shutting down for both North America and Europe on November 10th, 2008. It is very sad to hear the destruction of such great game. Nonetheless, I believe this game still deserves to have a review. Who knows, maybe another company will run RF Online in due time. If such thing happens, I will be sure to return to this game.

Now, what makes this game so unique and special? This mmorpg is the very first mmorpg which I played that has strong emphasis on the player vs player system. The game evolves the pvp concept to a much larger scene and ultimately motivates player to continue to play. Everyday, there will be 3 wars, known as Chip Wars, between 3 races: Accretian, Bellato, and Cora. The winner of CW will receive not only a race buff while causing the other two races to receive negative buff, or debuff, but they will also gain the advantage of mining in the core for materials that ultimately will be transformed into fortune until the next CW.

Due to the awesomeness of this game, I have created and played nearly every single class in all three races. So therefore, I am quite an experienced player ^_^

The Accretian race, acc for short, is a robot race which has stronger raw power in terms of damage and defense. Their race special is the launcher, available to all acc players. However, only the Striker class will be able to use launcher to its maximm potential.

The Cora race, the elf looking race, place much emphasis on its ability to use magic. Their race special is their animus, or summons. Only Grazier, a branch from the spiritualist tree, and specialists are able to summon these handy creatures to aid them in battle. However, specialists' animuses are smaller and have weaker functions as oppose to the real animus summoned by the Grazier.

The Bellato race, the futuristic dwarves, is my personal favorite race to play. Their ability to pilot Massive Armor Unit, MAU for short, is the race special for the Bellato Race. However, only the Armor Riders, a branch from the specialist tree, is able to pilot them. Nonetheless, Bellato possess much potential and is a race greatly underestimated due to their size.

The main money eater in this game is potions. Potions can cost anywhere from 500k up to a skyrocketed 3 mil for enough potions for a grind run. This may cause some difficulty when trying to save up money, however, this really depends on the player. I did went through some difficulties in saving up money as the game progresses due to the fact that monster damage constantly increases as if your new high level armor has no meaning, forcing players to purchase expensive potions. It is not hard to guess that eventually all players will have to grind to make money.

Each week, there will be a public election for each race to nominate their race leader and archon councils. These special players will obtain special race buffs as well as several other benefits. However, this system, although interesting, often causes turmoil and political scandals within the game. Thus, disrupting the general peace within the race. However, I do love this unique election system.

As the game progresses, player will have be exposed more and more to players of different races. Thus, increase the chances of being killed on site. This predatoring behavior often causes frustrations and complaints within the race. Eventually, such resentment transform into motivation for players to become stronger and taste the sweetness of revenge. Ultimately, RF became more of a political game than a regular mmorpg.

If not for the fact that RF is going to be discontinued, I would have still stick with it. It is really a shame that such great game is destroyed due to some failure in negotiation. Nonetheless, I do hope that this game will return in the near future with lots of promises that this game is currently providing to the Asia continent. Rest in peace, RF Online, for you serve me greatly as a valuable source of entertainment.

Rating: 8.5/10 - a very delicate and awesome game with contents.

Grind: 5/10 - some people may find it grindy. Personally, I don't find grinding all that bad in this game because you have to constantly scan around your map for potential raiders and dangers.

Fun: 9/10 - With the conflicts between the 3 rising powers of the universe, you will never be bored.

At Long Last, I See the Finishing Line

I am officially done with all the standardized tests in my high school career. As I think back on this long journey, it is quite hard to believe that I am already a senior. It seems like yesterday when I was in Mrs. Gabric's Biology-H class during freshman year first period. IT has been quite an exhilarating journey, full of sweet and sorrow experiences.

With only the college applications left, I suddenly feel very old. I am about to 18 years old, legally an adult in the United States. I can't really explain this feeling I have, it seems to consist of both sorrow and happiness. Well, with only a little more than a semester left of high school...life seems both hopeful and depressing...sigh. I wish I can be more optimistic than I already am.

The Beginning of the Final Year of Midnight Rave

Fortunately enough, Midnight Rave was included in this month's Devil's Advocate issue. What's more? I somehow made it to the front cover! Ya...not exactly the best picture of me, but I feel that the picture itself is making a statement. For years, Midnight Rave has to walk under the shadow and be pushed around by school-sponsored programs. Now, with us becoming noticeable enough to make it into the school magazine, I believe we will finally deserve some respect for what we do and enjoy.

I am really happy about the following features of the article:

1) It includes the fact that revealed the limitation of our practice ground.
2) It features the truth from last year's ethnic fair in the time line.
3) It attempts to draw new recruit(s).

Honestly, I am a tired of being constantly removed from the cafeteria, where we always practice. Well, I can't really argue that we should stay when the football team needs to use the cafeteria for the team meeting. However, when we resort to the 40 x 40 in the field house, it extremely irritates us that we are not allowed to utilize it, even though it is not occupied at this time of the year. The teacher uses the excuse that he doesn't want us to "get hurt". Honestly, I do not see how practicing on the 40 x 40 is ANY SAFER than practicing on cement floor. Since we can't really argue for the access of 40 x 40 due to the lack of a sponsor, we constantly have to risk our necks and bones to learn moves. Ah well, no pain no gain, as people always say.

Now to address number 2....ya...I did not intend for it to be published because it seems like a direct attack on Sra. Pohlman, who I deeply respect and like. However, it is still true that we only had one afternoon to make up a routine for the event in the following day. We would like to make sure that stuff like that will NEVER happen again....

As the article mentiond, Midnight Rave is really lacking new members. It would be such a shame to terminate Midnight Rave after us...afterall, we did promise the precedents that we would continue the tradition....*sigh*

Well, at least we are about to have our debut of the year on Monday! 2nd official appearance in the pep rally! Can't really say the timing is good because SAT II is also happening on Saturday, leaving us almost no time to prepare even though they did give us a few days ahead of notice....

Ah well, we will do what we can. Midnight Rave ftw!