Shuan's Site

Jiner's Site

Michelle's Site

James' Site

Kenny's Site

 
Well, nothing much happening today... jus helped out my aunt move some stuff and rearranged our den (which looks pretty snazzy btw, hehe). There are things i can write about... but they're jus a little too personal, rather not do commentary here. But, heres a few quotes that might lend some clarity into what ive been thinking about... maybe...

Homer: "Mmmm... hug"
*Homer is my idol, the one i have been watching for the past decade and some years. He defines a part of me, and whats a little scary is that i can recite most of his lines by heart. He is jus awesome... what can i say?"

Calvin: "I wonder why we dream when we sleep. Do our brains get bored? I wonder why we dont just plain sleep."
Hobbes: "I think we dream so we dont have to be apart so long. If we're in each others dreams, we can play all night together."
*I put this up online awhile ago, and it still holds a certain place in this heart of mine. Its a nice dream analysis.*

Well, ill put up a rant or something when i get the necessary inspiration (ie something pisses me off that much, makes my mouth drop in awe, sparks a faroff memory... or something REAL good happens... or when i feel like writing.) Well, take care yall. More to come later.

 
WUSHU!!!!:

Practice the art for 10 or so odd years, have abs of steel and tree-trunk legs which give u the ability to leap and bound like no other; coordination, speed, power, agility, FLEXIBILITY and flow all at the same time... if u are able to do all these and so much more, u too can be a Wushu Star!!! If not, u can always go to the place... hehe. How i have missed doing it... after a few months hiatus, i finally got a chance to do a psuedo-serious workout. I tagged along w/ my wushu friend Emily and her dad (he wanted to give it a try) to Wushu Star, located off the 10 in San Gabriel. By the time i c the place, i kno im in for a hard workout... i havent done any strenuous wushu since... testing in May... yikes. But, after awhile, i got into the practice routine, and the carpet helped out too. Man that carpet was plush... u cant feel anything on those things. Not like the competition carpets... its like concrete. But, i wouldnt mind a fall here and there on that thing. Anyway, it became familiar ground after the stretching... and still as tiring. Always, start out w/ the basics. The best wushu practicioners have their basics down, after all, the house is only as good as its foundation. Yea, so after a few kicks... im puffin like mad, and sweat is streaming down. Jus like good ol times. My jumps r improving a bit tho... i can actually pull of a little outside jump kick. Yay me. But the real treat of practicing there was meeting some familiar people there. Mark Moran was there, a fellow Nanquan (southern-style fist) enthusiast. Hes been doin the form for 6 yrs, and it really shows. Fast, strong, steady, focused, it was all there. If i could pull something as half as good as his stuff during the competitions... wooo. Then, i met Mark Goodman, UCLA wushu club member that rocked all of us during Collegiates in Oregon and in the 10th annual Berk tournament. And hes technically a beginner!! Hes been doing wushu as long as we have... jus some natural talent there, and an awesome mantis form to boot. But, hes a good guy to do some wushu w/, all around nice guy. And then, there was the man himself, former Beijing Wushu Team member He Jing De. After the time he guest led our CalWushu class, i knew y he was champion in his forms during his time. At first glance, he might not seem imposing at all; pretty small guy, but pretty well built as well. Then... u see him in action. As i was doin my forms and looking on at the others doing theirs, the way he demonstrated the little nuances of the styles and forms was remarkable. No english required, jus straight out Mandarin (i gotta learn, at least some to get me by... its one of the most beautiful languages i ever heard). I didnt understand one thing he was saying... but i got the message. Case in point:
He Jing De demonstrates the correct way of doing a section in Nangun (southern-style staff). My translation: "U dont do it like this" (Jing De shows the student how he did it, not too bad in my eye). "U have to aim for the guys head/neck area, and whack him hard, fast." (Jing De shows his stuff... a world of difference... that move coulda knocked the poor guy's head clean off).

Another case in point:
One characteristic that gives wushu its flavor, its essence, is the eyes. Eyes r crucial in every wushu form, especially in something like nanquan. U cant laugh, smile, or give grossly intensive stares. No extremes in the eyes, jus focused, clear eyes that pierce through your opponent... yes, the "evil" wushu stare. Thats one of the reasons y wushu is so dynamic... and He Jing De demonstrated again y the eyes are of utmost importance. My translation: "U cant let ur eyes be lazy, like this." (He give a look; it looks like how i look all the time in my forms...). "Its more like this" (BAM.... scary, oh yea.... when u look as focused as that, wow...).

Nanquan was Jing De's specialty, and it shows, oh yea baby. For about a semester, ive been trying to learn the compulsory nanquan form. The beginning was still my weakest point... after eventually getting the whole form down. It jus didnt have any flavor at all, about as much flavor as Berk dc food... (believe me, no flavor). No power or speed, no flow either. Hey, im workin on doin that... but i need some guidance. So, today, i finally got how to do the intro portion to my nanquan form... after one showing from He Jing De: "U step here, wind up here, and stop here." BAM, BAM, BAM. I finally got that bad boy, now all i have to do is repeat it for about a good thousand times... then i might jus have it. Anyway, i learned quite a bit jus from that one session. It was real nice workin out again, brings back nice memories. And another plus, working out helped w/ my stances and endurance(to a certain extent). Weight training is crucial in anything physical, and wushu is no exception. Weight training for raw strength, wushu to focus that strength into power and focused energy. Well, yes, wushu is a part of my life now, and im all the better for it. Theres nothing quite like feeling tired after a good wushu session, its not the pathetic kinda tired u get lounging about at the house, hahaha. Wushu rocks, and if u still dont kno what it is after all this, u really dont kno what ive been up to for the past yr...
Wushu literally means "martial art" in Mandarin. It is a conglomerate of forms and styles passed on for generations, organized into contemporary styles for competition in China's recent history. Hopefully, it'll have some following here in the US. *crossin fingers* Stay posted, cause there's more to come soon.

 
ODE TO THE RPG:

Well, playin through one rpg with a very innovative battle system... i jus had to take a break and give a little talk about my favorite game genre of all time: the perenial RPG. The rpg is the most engrossing and interesting of all games known to man. Sure, talk about replay value... i dont mind, its not one of the rpg's strengths anyway. And even still, revistin an rpg of old is like meeting a good ol friend from the not too distant past. One mark of a truly well done rpg is the battle system. After all, its still a game, so if its not fun to play, why bother? Most of the rpgs i played thus far have a pretty well done battle system... apart from a small minority. But, what makes a good rpg is its storyline. Thats what gets u hooked. If an rpg is good enough, u can get a good connection w/ the characters, maybe even feel for them. Its the same thing u feel in a play, movie, novel and so forth. Even still, u can still point out a fault in its strength... that the storylines are all the same: unlikely guy who faces odds greater than he can imagine, swept up in an epic battle that traces its origins from ancient times, finally trumpin evil to save the world, and get the girl. Ehh, i think thats kinda misleading, in the seemingly similarities there are complex dimensions within the story that makes it worthwhile to devote 40+ hrs to. (If anything less, i would feel real cheated). So, here is the chronology to all the rpgs i can recollect at this moment. It all started w/ Brave Fencer Musashi, a psuedo-rpg in that it was all in real-time. It didnt really matter, cause i loved the game and Musashi's character, and the gameplay was real good. Very fun to play. Then came a slew of others, including Legend of Legaia, which had a pretty good story... but an even better battle system. Loooong battles, even for random monsters, and jus battling took 20+ hrs. One i didnt particularly like was Legend of Mana, sequel to the Secret of Mana. Yes, the backgrounds were beautiful, as if lookin into an oil painting. Man cant live on eye-candy alone... the battle system sucked... not fun at all... Then there was Star Ocean: 2nd Story, and it stands as one of my favorite rpgs of all time, a combination of story and the sheer number of things u can do. Make ur own revival items, weapons and armor, compete in various tournaments, be involved in "reverse side", go through a cave of trials that lasts for 13 floors... and it goes on. Psuedo-real time battle system here, but it was very entertaining. And beautiful backgrounds again... its a wonder how they crammed all that into the 1st gen playstation. Honorable mention to Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2. I kno, not an rpg... but its story is so unique that it is rpg quality. I personally liked the 1st one better... but the 2nd one was definitely more warped... Then, there is Chrono Cross, the sequel to the renowned Chrono Trigger( which i have yet to play). I dont kno what to say, cause i havent finished it... but the soundtrack deserves some mention as it ranks as one of the best ive listened to thus far. And now, here is my ultimate, all-time favorite rpg---->

That rpg would be none other than Xenogears, a relatively unknown game released by Square roughly 5 yrs? ago. Written by the same writer who wrote for Neon Genesis Evangelion (i forgot his name...), Xenogears stands in my memories with the all time best rpg storyline. With some really warped christian influences, this storyline begins as any does... martial arts apprentice Fei Fong Wong (he looks suspiciously like Wong Fei Hung...) peacefully awaits the wedding of one of his girl friends. Not remembering anything past 3 yrs ago, he spent most of his coherent life in the quaint town of Lahan. As with any story of turmoil, the peace is not to last, for the town is terrorized and burnt to rubble in the heat of a Gear (really big mechs) battle. Guided by his very fate, Fei pilots one of the Gears and anihilates the attackers in a blinding flash of light... but unfortunately taking the town with him. The survivors shun him... and Fei retreats into the forests... with his good doctor friend Citan close by... Again, fate leads him to the young Solaris soldier Elly, whom he rescues from forest monsters, whom with he finds a romantic connection that transcends all hes ever known. Later on, knowledge of an ancient gear is uncovered, part of the reason for a bitter, eternal war between the countries of Aveh, the desert nation, and Kislev, the industrialized country w/ a zest for "battling" (with Gears). But, there is more to this story than i can ever wish to write here... involving the truth behind the Ether (akin to Chi) and the most dominant religion in the 10,000 yr recorded history of their world, Anima, and the priests who wish to cleanse the world of the reapers... The most striking truth is that of the "god" Deus, who also harbors a sort of mystery. It tells a tale of a love that repeats unto eternity as well, of friends "standing tall and shaking the heavens", all accompanied w/ a soundtrack that still moves me. Yes, its that good of a game. And if u think im a bit off my rocker for liking a game so much... maybe ur right. But, a little insanity makes us sane in the long run. I really miss that game... ever since my sis lost it. Im never lending out my games to my sis again.... hehe. Well, anyway, Xenogears is the perenial rpg, despite what many might say.

And now, onto Grandia 2, my latest diversion. The story is real textbook, involving a true battle between good and evil itself. Granas, the Lord of Light, and Valmar, the Lord of Darkness, battled restlessly in the past. Granas finally gained the upper hand with his Granasaber, rendering Valmar into pieces and scarring the very face of the world all the while. Tired from battle, Granas slumbered, sealing Valmar in different locations. Thus leads us to Ryudo, a wisecrackin Geohound that lost his trust for anyone (except for his very wise sidekick falcon Skye) due to unforseen circumstances in his past. His latest oddjob takes him to Elena, Songstress of Granas. She recieves her mission soon enough from the Papal State of St Heim. Pope Zera Innocentius( Interesting name, ehh??...) gives a mission to her: to prevent the awakening of Valmar and the start of the Day of Darkness. Along the way, they meet up w/ Mareg, a huge manimal w/ sage words; Roan, a young boy hiding his true identity as crown prince of Cyrus; and Tio, the automata (robot fighter) who still has yet to learn about human emotions. And all the while, Millenia (the wings of Valmar) stays within Elena, showing up from time to time. Well, the story takes some twists nearing the end... but i wont tell, hehe. The story isnt too original, but i still like it anyway. What i really like is the character development, showing a wide and complex web within each character. Especially Millenia, supposedly an agent to bring about the ruin of mankind... And the battle system is the most innovative ive ever seen... truly very, very fun to play. And again, i liked some of the quotes in this rpg, especially the ones by Mareg. Heres my favorite (out of which i can remember):
"Even the eagle faces darkness when first born, but still struggles and tries to break free from its egg, toward the light."
Its something like that, ehh. I still think its good. Well, anyway... even tho it might be relatively short (under 40 hrs??), Grandia 2 will stand as one of my favorites.

That is my ode to the rpg. If u read to here, u liked rpgs as much as i do. (Even tho i havent played a final fantasy in my life). Alrighty then, nitey nite all. More to come soon.

 
Thus, another recap of past events, w/ a few Calvin and Hobbes quotes laced in.

Calvin: "Summer is butter on ur chin and corn mush between every tooth."

And meetin up w/ good friends... ok, so the quote has nothin to do w/ what im about to talk about, but its good enough. Yea, so the past friday i meet up w/ Kenny, Eric, Kristine, Michelle, Eileen, and Esther for a little get-together. Secretly, it was for Michelle's b-day that following tues. We ate at Buca de Beppos and afterwards headed on over to Eric's place. Then, we had to stall Michelle a bit so that Kristine can get out the cake she made b4 (Eric helped a bit too... heh). Then, surprise!! and there was the cake and the presents: a condom (?? hahah) and a pretty snazzy mp3 player. Then, we played this one card game... forgot the name but its a frenzied party solitare kinda game... and it was pretty fun. Yeap, then it was time for cake, and for some discussion. Interestin stuff... After awhile, the girls left for home... leavin us guys. Whats a bunch of guys to do? Empire Earth of course, and the ai for that is mad crazy hard... Yea, so all in all, a very good day. Jus sitting around and talkin, or findin urself in a mass flurry of cards, i wouldnt have it any other way. Those girls are awesome, unique in their own way. Im glad to kno girls like that, they're one of a kind. It was a nice break from all the... hrmm, male bonding (james' term: sausage fest). Yeap, so that was good...

Calvin's Mom: "There would be more civility in this world if people didnt take it as an invitation to walk on you."

Sadly... i think i kinda agree w/ this. Case in point the next day after Michelle's b-day get together; Jiner and Eliot's bonfire. So, the ppl that came along in the beginning were James, Don, Jiner, Eliot, Josh, Shuan, Erik Trainer, Vic, Ami, Malcolm, Andrew... and i believe that was it. After a bit of confusion and lag time, we headed on over to Huntington for the bonfire action. To our dismay, all the bonfire pits were taken up... and the ppl were pretty much rooted where they were. So, what to do but to scout for one up and down the piers, ehh? Yea, so there was some scouting action goin on... and then Shuan gets a call about a gash made in his Jetta (... i mean Passat...). Eliot and Vic saw the kids who did it, so they ask where the guy's parents were. Shuan, James and Don goes w/ the kid to get his dad. The dad comes over and inspects the damage. Turning away, i hear f&$% from that same dad.... and i knew from that moment on, things were goin to get worse. Don, trying to do the right, legal thing, asks for the guy's insurance. He was a white guy in his forties, sporting a mustache and a cigar. That same bastard turns to Don and threatens him w/ his cigar. Then James, not wantin Don to face him alone, confronts the same bastard as he walks to his car, still proceeding to threaten them and verbally abuse them. Seriously, when Don had a cigar in his face... i didnt kno what to do... but Don is a man of strong character and will. After he stood up... all we had to do was follow. Then, that same bastard spews out some racist bull about us being asian gangbangers or something like that. For me personally, that jus hurt, shocked and infuriated me in so many ways u cant even imagine. Eliot and Ami calls the cops soon after all that happens, and they arrive in their usual fashion... 45 min later. They hear both sides of the story, the bastard's and ours. So, finally they decide that swappin info was the legal, right thing to do, and that we could press charges, but it would be pretty lengthy. If the cigar touched either Don or James... that would have been something much more severe... But, the matter was resolved, in a way, so we went away, tryin to put as much distance away from that jackass as we could. So, the rest of the day was ours, and we went ahead w/ the bonfire, finally catchin a pit. We fired up the mesquite (boxes, lighter fluid, plastic, cans, chips, aluminum bags... it goes on). I looked on at the water, as i usually do, and wrote a little msg to myself as the waves carried it to sea... something for myself. If u really want to kno.... ask me nicely and i might jus tell u. Leaving the beach, i hitch a ride w/ Pranav, takin the "scenic route" near UCI back to Andrew's. Stoppin off at In n Out, i catch a ride w/ Eliot... and it takes me here. A little bit of commentary: Don and James are my heroes. Not only didnt they give into reckless emotion or lose their wits, they also were civil enough to resolve the matter w/o any violence on their part, despite all the verbal bullshit that guy spat forth. Again, im glad to have such friends, they make life worth jus that much more. And for the jackass... i really dunno what to say. Its been one of the few times in which i found something ugly w/ this world. Lowerin urself to the lowest common denominator, to verbal and racial slander to resolve something that u r completely in fault in. Thats not self-defense, thats a low-down-dirty attack based upon ignorant assumptions and fear. After hearing all that abuse that Asian immigrants endured (and still endure) to try and finally do away w/ that notion of being foreign and finally being American, i couldnt stand hearing that bull. Asian Americans have gone too far to let their advances be taken away by racist, ignorant fools like him. And he calls himself a parent? No, thats not what any child deserves. For the sake of the future, the children that will one day take over this little rock of ours should be led by example, a beacon which calls for change, a chance at something greater than anything we could imagine. Responsibility lies w/ each of us. Anyway, im really consider myself lucky to have such friends and parents that guide me and truly show how great of a world this can potentially be. Ok... enough commentary...

Calvin: "Nothing lasts. Fall is just the last fling before things get worse."
Hobbes: "If good things lasted forever, would we appreciate how precious they are?"

This is what i thought about when i looked at the coming tide and the sand directly in front of it. In a way, our lives can be shown through that sand in front of the waves. We only have a few precious moments to make our mark b4 it gets washed away into the sea of eternity, forever trapped within countless tales of people in the past. But, it is in that brevity of time which makes that mark so much more valuable. That is basically life... i guess. Even w/ the inevitability of that rushin water, we still scramble to make our mark, something that we can pass onto future generations. But, y do we even bother? Y do we try, u ask. That, i truly dont kno, i dunno y i carry on myself... but i wouldnt have it any other way. In our trials, in our triumphs, we always seem to find a reason to pick ourselves up from the ground. That is what is admirable about humans in general.

*sigh*... enjoy the goodness of what is to come. I hope that made some sort of sense... G'nite to yall, and more is yet to come.

 
Ohhh man... too much to talk about and rant... not enough clarity of mind or coherence to do it in. I smell like mesquite (mesquite = burnt plastic, lighter fluid, logs, chips, aluminum foil, cardboard boxes... ) and i still have sand in certain places. Way longer post to come, maybe tommorow, but im jus plum too tired to do it now... g'nite yall and god bless.