End of the Year 2008

As the end of the year of 2008 approaches, I can't help but reminisce everything that has happened in this past year: college applications, AP workload, Midnight Rave, and a lot of other things. It is hard to believe that I am finally arriving at the end of my journey of high school. Really, I know that is definitely a good thing. However, I can't help but feel a bit of sorrow. High school has definitely become my second home, no, maybe even THE home. It is hard to let it go, but I guess college will replace high school within a few months.

Definitely more to come, I figured what I want to talk about should each get an individual post..because I am wordy like that =D

Phew~

Despite all odds, Midnight Rave successfully passed the tryout stage and is officially part of the Variety Show 2K9. Honestly, I deeply regret the fact that we could not concentrate on this set of routine prior to the tryout date. We messed up SO MUCH that we actually doubted our chance of making it. Thankfully, the judges understand the limit of our capability and qualified us.

So with that said, time to do an extreme makeover for our routine. After all, this is our last year in Hinsdale Central and we want to make it as astonishing as possible.

Great Success!

Midnight Rave just had its second official performance as halftime show in the staff vs seniors basketball game yesterday. Not to brag, but we did next to nothing in order to prepare ourselves for this show. However, that was not to say we did no work at all. Numerous times, Alex Kim, Aaron Saballo, Luke Gill, and myself tried to meet up to put it together. However, numerous external factors constantly defeated our attempts; and therefore, we had to oral our way through the whole thing about the day before and some minor modification 30 minutes prior to the show.

Like everytime, I was extremely nervous prior to our performance. My heart was bouncing at an incredibly fast pace, my limbs were soft, and my hands were sweating. However, all fear was gone when the music started. We all tried to be our very best despite the fact that we made some mistakes regarding the choreography...but hey! The performance actually turned out quite well. In fact, I think this is probably the best dancing routine we put up by far!



So today, the variety show tryout for us was canceled due to bad weather. I honestly hope to God that this will work out tommorrow...

Hmmm...

So far, there are some good news and bad news. At this point, I have been accepted into both Purdue and IU. The bad news are, unfortunately, that I am currently being deferred by both U of I and Stanford. Hmm...I really hate the anxiety but I guess there's the hope of being accepted by both.

I feel retarded for applying to U of I's biotech major. Apparently it is currently the toughest major available in that school....if I had done biochemistry, I would've been in already....bleh....this just plain sucks.

So, Another One.

So I checked the IU site today and apparently I got accepted. There goes anotehr safety school!.

Now the big day will be Friday....Gahhh the anxiety is simply killing me.

Finally, a Decision Made.

So it has been awhile since senior year began. I have to say, the first three months really weren't the best time of my life due to all the college applications that needed to be done.

Well, I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore because I finally submitted my last application for Cornell University today!! YAHOO!!!!!

Sure has been a long ride...now I think about it..half of being a senior is college applications. With that done, I feel somewhat empty and filled with sadness within. But I would really rather not go through the whole process AGAIN...=P

The Good news is, I have already heard from one of my colleges that I am accepted. The bad news is, it's Purdue. It's not a bad college, but it only one of my safeties. This coming Friday, UIUC will release its decision. I am very anxious yet scared about it because UIUC is one of the schools which I really really REALLY want to go to.

May God be with me on this. Amen.

Game Review #4 - Dream of Mirror Online

Dream of Mirrir Online, or DOMO for short, is a mmorpg developed by Aeria. With mechanics which resembles that of Final Fantasy XI, it is a game which requires long-term dedication but may appeal to a lot of people who are looking for a game that will provide you with every features of the game regardless of your actions. As a dedicated mmorpg player, this game was a real treat for me. And here is why.

Almost every single mmorpg requires the player to choose a class/race that has certain strengths and weaknesses as well as sets of skils unique to only that class/race. With such principle, players are stuck with his or her choice through the remainder of the game unless he or she decides to create another character, with the necessity to begin from the very beginning again. With DOMO, however, such thing would never be a problem. Why? Because DOMO allows you to be everything! In the beginning of the game, you get to choose among one of the four races: Human, Sprite, Shura, and Slyph. However, this choice only affects the appearnace of your character. It does not affect the overall game play at all.

Now, there are 12 professions. And they are as follows: Commoner, martial artist, wizard, blademaster, hunter, thief, doctor, mercenary, shaman, fencer, musician, dancer, and merchant. As mentioned above, you can be all of them in the game! However, each profession have its own separate level and experience bar. Meaning, you cannot train the levels of these professions all at once. I know, this might be tedious at some point. But hey! At least you don't have to share the health you make as you train via several separate characters! Because there are 12 professions and I do not have the full experience with all 12, I cannot give you the full aspect of each profession. However, you can go to http://domo.aeriagames.com/info/occupation if you are interested. On a side note, some professions need to be unlocked by fulfilling level/queset/item requirement.

Here comes the unique part of the game. Dream of Mirror Online features a fun and beneficial "personal relationships" system. Everyone, in some way, depends on others, and when you nurture those relationships, you'll not only make great new friends, you'll enjoy the benefits of having someone to back you up in any battle, and perhaps even some exclusive special abilities as well.

In Dream of Mirror Online, your characters are able to develop three types of close human relationships: Teacher and Student, Friends, and Lovers. Anyone can develop these relationships, but other relationships are predestined - depending on your birth date and your Chinese zodiac sign, you'll be connected to certain players by the red string of fate. You may find yourselves to be relatives, rivals, or even a true love via these fated connections - and who knows what may happen after that? It's all up to your initiative!

In addition to the relationships that players forge for themselves, there are some predestined or "fated" relationships set by Dream of Mirror Online when you create a new character. The Fate System will decide the three most important destined relationships in life for players: destined relatives, destined rivals, and destined true loves! Here's how the creators describe these three relationships:

A Destined Relative is someone who is or was your relative, perhaps many generations ago, or in a previous life, or in another world.
A Destined Rival is someone who you can constantly measure yourself against. Like both an enemy and a friend, a Destined Rival can be a great competitor who keeps you moving and growing.
A Destined Love means both parties have great affinities. Any fortuneteller would predict that the two would make a perfect match. If two Destined Lovers help each other through life, they are sure to prosper.


The graphics of the game is like that of Flyff, using the 2.5D style. Some may find this somewhat annoying because it seems childish. But really, I find this style suit the game quite well because of the plot of the game. Yes, there is actually a LEGIT plot to the game! Like console rpg, you will go through tons of entertaining and intense cut scenes as you complete your quests. I think many of us gamers would really enjoy and appreciate the casual yet intense storyline.

Overall, this is really a great game. With great gaming community as wel as simple yet sophisticated game play with endless possibilities, Dream of Mirror Online will be one of those games people will remember in the long run

This is my evaluation of the game.Keep in mind this is out of 5 stars, with 5 being the best.

Rating: ****
With an entertaining plot as well as great game plays, few will not enjoy this game.

Grinding: ***
With 12 different professions, you can experience the strengths and weaknesses of each profession. However, it does get tedious as you will have to train each profession separately. But again, it really does help to play all 12 professions later on in game.

Fun: ****
I really had a blast playing this game. Lucky for me, I found a guild to join. Their continuing help with quests and leveling really made the game great. I never get bored fro playing this because there are simply too many things to do! This is definitely the game for those who are looking for a long-term dedication to a game.