An End is Nearly the Beginning.

Man, I'm going to miss doing this. I'm going to miss everything.

I learned a lot from doing blog posts and posting on others' blogs. I noticed improvements and various opinions that others had to say. By posting on my blog, I get to receive different opinions for the story or character.

Blogging online is much better than writing in a notebook. Writing in a notebook is time-consuming, and what's written inside is secluded from the outside world; not everyone can see the entries written inside. Luckily, by writing online, people (not only from the United States) can see your work and make positive criticism to improve your blog posts in the future. You can also receive persuasive ideals or opinions from others - even disagreeable bloggers who dislike your ideals. However, the experience is great.

However, there are backlashes to online blogging as well. By writing online, you can also receive bias opinions from others, and even 'trollers' who spam your blog or fake something in it. All your personal thoughts become known to the outer world as well, making your private thoughts exposed to people internationally. There is also a limit to cursing or harsh criticism.

Teenagers do take advantage of internet. Usually, profanity or cyber-bullying occurs at the teenage years, but sometimes we say sweet things as well. Maybe an "I love you" or "I know you'll do well". People really do use internet to say things they wouldn't say in reality, but it isn't always a bad thing.

I can't imagine keeping this blog up on a daily basis. Well, I can imagine, but I'm as slouchy as ever, and soon in my future years I'll be a busybody. However, if I'd make another one, I'd make it about my life or special occasions with my friends. I'd also make an art blog on a different site to show off my (sexy) skills. Personally, I think that blogs are great. The problem is getting it to be popular or something.

Love & War 2 (SPOILS)

A little fetish I had a few years ago that actually turned into a short online novel.

The novel "Love & War 2" was created by the pen name Cera Rain who makes movies based off of game characters of "Maplestory", a 2d-game that has been very popular since the seven years it was made. "Love and War", the first series of the story, was actually a movie that spoke about a young woman named Cera who was a famous match-maker and could easily create a couple based on her advice. However, a group of pirates wanted to be rich, and realized that Cera had the key of a sacred treasure kept hidden in her heart. Cera faced many obstacles in order to escape her death and actually was in love with one of the pirates, Levi. However, during the sequel, Levi disappears, leaving Cera behind on the verge of selling her home.

Although I didn't like romance books as much as other genres, this one was interesting to read. The story didn't focus on boys entirely, and you can understand her emotional standing. However, the cons to this story is that it's predictable. Almost like every other story or movie, where a girl meets a new guy and falls in love with him, and they get together and fall apart, and then another guy steps in and falls in love with her, but her heart still pleads for the first guy. Truly predictable, like a Korean drama.

I doubt there's any main philosophical ideals. Maybe something like, "should I sell my painting that my deceased parents have kept for so long?" or "should I give up on Levi?" but there's no strong one that I'd want to talk about at the moment.

Love and war are somewhat similar, aren't they?

Beyond the Chocolate War.

An amazing story to a story beyond.

Beyond the Chocolate War by Robert Cormier is a sequel to The Chocolate War. It's difficult to summarize both books without spoiling, so I suggest you take note of some spoiling.

The overall summary for both of these books is that in the setting, Trinity High School, a group of teens named 'Vigils' force other students to do tasks that vary from really easy to horrible. The leader of this group is Archie Costello, a guy that reins enough power as school bully. During a fundraiser to sell chocolate, Archie enforces a task to not sell any chocolate at all to a transfer high school student. However, for the first time in Trinity, someone refused to take the task. That man was the protagonist, Jerry Renault. As for the sequel, I recently started and I cannot explain all details fully. So, instead of focusing on thoughts of the book, I plan to describe mainly the original series, The Chocolate War.

The Chocolate War was definitely an interesting story. Despite the fact that it has a corny plot (something along the lines of "who'd want to read a book about fundraising chocolate?"), it had lots of action and description I literally felt like I was watching a movie. The story also pointed out supporting characters and their various perspectives, and though it made it a bit confusing, it was a book worth reading.

When I first thought of Jerry, I realized that he's a VERY quiet character. Normally, a protagonist would speak out more often than average, even though he just entered the school. His behavior and actions moreover speak out for himself. He is a perfect character with a sense of justice; he becomes responsible for all that's done to him and acts honest at usually interesting times to make a clear point. When he defied the Vigils, everyone around him started to get up on their senses. Did they have to do these assignments? Clearly not. Rebelling was a perfect option.

This leads up to various questions. But I began to wonder: is it better to stand up for yourself and possibly others, or demand safety instead? This is at least one of the reasons why the other students did the assignments than procrastinate or not do it.

What do you think?

This is a Story of a Girl.

Part II of my book last week, "A Girl in Translation".

A Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok describes the main character Kimberly, a young girl from Hong Kong who came to America. She lives in a broken-down house filled with rats and roaches, and is often discriminated for her diversities with other students is her class. So far in the story, Kimberly receives a full scholarship to an extremely expensive middle school named Harrison Prep. She improves on her subjects (especially English) greatly, but doesn't fit in, as well as being constantly bullied.

Last week, I didn't really like to read this book. It was reluctantly boring. Kimberly kept comparing herself to other rich people and how she continuously got bullied by her classmates and Mr.Bogart. Fortunately, the book was more interesting this week. Kimberly got into a great private school and she's getting better and better. It's probably because Kimberly's actually putting more effort into her goal that the book keeps getting more interesting.

As the book progresses, I grow more pity for Kimberly, and some envy as well. She works in a factory and she's extremely poor, but she's super smart and was even accepted into a private school for free. However, if I were Kimberly, I'd try to be smart as well to grow up as a middle class, at least. When I read the book, I keep thinking up many emotional quotes I've heard throughout my life, such as "Treasure what you have now" or "Money isn't happiness". This book keeps making me think of my past experiences and how I should be happy to not be in poverty, to be in middle school, or to even have a computer in front of me. If you don't treasure what you have now, you may lose it forever, as it goes.

Kimberly lied a fair amount of times towards her only friend, Annette. It's obvious for one not to speak about a young girl who works in a factory and crams her homework after for her life. But is it okay to lie?

I said it depends. Especially for Kimberly, because her mother forces her to live as a Chinese girl and she shouldn't be "westernized". I don't like to be pitied for and it makes one feel like a freeloader. I care for others more than myself at certain points. But even if anyone lies, the truth will somehow to spoken about at some point later on. There are some things that should be taken personally, and if they're your problems, you should be responsible to fix them - but at the same time, not everything should be done by yourself. There are certain extents between things that should and shouldn't be done.

A Girl in Translation.

A beautiful story, indeed.

A Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok describes the main character Kimberly, a young girl from Hong Kong who came to America. She lives in a broken-down house filled with rats and roaches, and is often discriminated for her diversities with other students is her class.

It gets me angry when I encounter someone like Kimberly. She lacks intelligence of the world. She remained in Asia for such a long time, but it's as if she only knows about Hong Kong. She's so used to living there, and becomes bullied because of that. Especially her teacher, Mr. Bogart. At one point during her first time in class, Kimberly misunderstood what was happening during a test and Bogart assumed she was cheating.

He absolutely fails at a teacher. First, he made a first-time transfer student take a test on the very first day. What if she wasn't on track with the school's progress? She wasn't even properly introduced, like so in normal schools. Second, he didn't bother asking if she needed any help or gave her a warning - she immediately failed. But what I thought was most important was that third, she didn't bother asking the teacher for help.

If I were in Kimberly's shoes right at this moment, I would try asking him (to the best of my ability) for help. Even if I don't speak English, I'd just be like "arbl hooga shlaggn?" or saying a question so my teacher would know that I need help. But what I thought was that if I were Kimberly, I would practice my English. It didn't say that she did study at all, so I would regret not trying to improve on that.

You'd find it crude for me to be like this with these types of characters. I know that though; I don't even know if I would curse out at these teachers or sue the Board of Ed. But it makes me envious how people don't even try to do something and just stand around, yet nonetheless they are better than those who speak out. I know many of my friends that are quiet and force me to do talking when they should be the ones doing it. It's annoying. If no one knows how to speak out, no one would agree or disagree with anything.

◤ The World Ends With You ◢

(Note that there're a couple of spoilers.) Something I am reading other than The Hobbit.

This short book, also referred to as It's a Wonderful World, focuses on a protagonist named Neku Sakuraba who suddenly died, but revives in the "Underground" (abbreviated as UG) of Shibuya (the UG is the same Shibuya, but those who die revive in this area). However, he has no memories of his death. In order to go retrieve his memories, he must play a game for seven days where he has to do missions. He must cooperate with other people to survive.

Just like The Hobbit, there are many resemblances. Neku always wears headphones, especially while speaking to somebody. In my opinion, I find his headphones to be the "wall" between him and, well, other people. It's like he ignores people by simply listening to music...or that 'glass wall' that he can never pass through, metaphorically speaking.

I can describe Neku as a nihilistic person, according to our philosophy terms we learned recently. Neku doesn't cooperate with his partner and often wanders off by himself. He's very independent, and didn't really care for other people at all. However, as he progressed with his teammate in the game, he was able to learn about friendship and trust, and what it meant to break it.

I'm awfully sure at least someone who reads my blog post felt like they were betrayed or betrayed someone else, even if it was a small thing.

Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves and Orcs.

The LOTR series is truly a magnificent fantasy story.

The book I am reading, The Hobbit (or There and Back Again) by J.R.R Tolkien is the prequel of the Lord Of the Rings series portraying Bilbo Baggins as the main character/protagonist. He is known as a "hobbit", an elf half the size of a human that love to drink and party. So far in the story, Bilbo is forced to travel with Gandalf, a very powerful wizard, along with 13 or so elves, with Thorin, the leader of the pack.

Coincidently, through thorough research I realized that Bilbo was intentionally related to Tolkien's son. It does, in fact, make sense to use a miniature creature similar as a child to be the main character. Bilbo himself tends to be heartwarming but easy-tempered, possibly like Tolkien's son. Bilbo seems to undergo somewhat of adolescence too, and changes his ways of living from avoiding interesting adventures.

Gandalf the-awesome-wizard-of-all-time, is an important supporting character who helps Bilbo overcome his fears, and taking care of him. He can be similar to a father that encourages his son to move on from what he can't do to what he can. Tolkien is similar in a way, too. He obviously loves his son.

Speaking about Hobbits in general, they are very adorable creatures. They love to drink, they love to party, they love everything. They are, what you would describe as peace. As far as I know, they've never been in any specific wars as a race. In the book, they are symbolized as children oblivious in danger and think positively. They live in "Hobbit holes" with adorable round houses decorated with trinkets and such. Sometimes, wondering about Hobbits makes me even think if other Hobbits were to hate one another.

Hobbits are such loving British-accented people.