Lives of the Long Gone
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"Some people here know some people who have left, and would like to know how their lives are doing.."
"Maybe it’s cuz I’m practically by myself for the past couple of weeks, giving me freedom to just be…me. Maybe it’s cuz I finally went on a trip for the first time since 9th Grade. Maybe it’s cuz I discovered 13 angels (BEG & SNSD) in the past six months. Maybe it’s cuz I seem to have, for the first time, figured out where I want to go after college. Or maybe it’s cuz, no matter what hard times come, I have a great set of close friends who always have my back. I don’t know what it is. But I’m happy. Happier than I’ve ever. And on this post, I’m gonna take some time to talk about the things that have made me happy. ^^
So, it is with great pleasure, that I welcome you to the 2nd edition of “Ramblings of a [Happy] Mad Man”. The past two days have been really enlightening, for lack of a better word. Why? Cuz I’ve been happy & I know exactly why. Despite my bullshit job at the grocery store and the fact that school is a load of crap, I’ve been smiling more than ever. Here’s why:
Egypt: I have to start off with this. Egypt was monumental for me because it was the first time I was going outside the country without my family. I had been to places in the U.S. by myself, but never outside of the U.S. It was also big because I had not been anywhere new in a very long time. Before my bro went to high school, my family used to travel a good bit here & there, even if it was only just in the country. That ended around 2002 or 2003, which was also the last time I went to India. Since then, I haven’t had the chance to travel as much. True, I could’ve, and should’ve, traveled by myself. But I didn’t and it is something I regret. But something I’ve changed this summer. Going to Egypt was an experience I will never forget. It taught me a lot, especially that there is still so much for me to seek in the world and that realization only excites me. I met sooo many interesting people, learned so much, and was able to, for the first time in a while, see exactly where I was going. And my train definitely doesn’t stop at Egypt. Right now, I’m planning on traveling back to India sometime within the next 12 months by myself. After that, I’m planning on South Korea and Japan, as well as Brazil. So many places, so little time. But you know what? I’m going to do it. I’ve learned that right now is the best time to go to different places, explore the world and try new things. Once you hit 30, things become different & you don’t have a lot of time to do what you want to do until you retire. So my 20′s is going to be full of traveling, you can believe that! Anyway possible, even if I have to stay at a Buddhist monastery while in Japan or something, haha. ^^
SNSD: About 5 or 6 months ago, I discovered a little known French artist who I got infatuated in, mainly cuz she had a quite addictive butt dance ( As my man, D. Bost always says, “We’re colored. The butt draws us in.”). I joined a forum that was dedicated to bringing fans of her together in one place. There, I met my bro, purwadinho, who you may recognize as the other author on this blog (and be on the lookout for more authors & contributors for this blog! i’ma make it happen!!). There, he made me familiar with a group of 9 angels known collectively as So Nyuh Shi Dae, or SNSD for short. Most people who know me fairly well know that I rarely care for pop music of any kind. Very rarely. The only pop artist I truly liked up to this point (and still do) was Utada Hikaru from Japan. But there was something different about these girls. Yeah, they were cute, ain’t gonna lie about that. The dances were addictive. The music was fun & happy. But there was something else about them. Having done my research on them, watching videos that purwadinho spammed to me relentlessly, the girls just grew on me, especially one particular member by the name of Stephanie Hwang, best known as Tiffany. Through all the crap that people tried to throw on them, all the rumors that were spread, and all the tough times they had to go through, they kept a smile on their faces and worked hard. For themselves and for their fans, who were spreading like wildfire across the globe. Their attitude was amazing. Perfect. Through everything they’ve been through since they first debuted. How they managed to keep happy, upbeat, and positive through it all attracted me. It raised me spirits as well and inspired me to work hard with a smile on my face, no matter what people would say or do. I may falter, of course, like any regular person, but I just get up & get back to work. Up until now, though, I’ve been a…closet Sone, in a sense. I was never really open about it except to purwadinho and a few others who liked them, as well as a friend or two I knew. But recently, I’ve realized that I really don’t care anymore. I’ll be as open about it as I want because why should somebody keep something that makes them happy a secret? If it makes you happy, let people know! So I’m going to let people know how much I love these 9 girls, especially Tiffany. I’m proud to be a S♥ne! Forever9SNSD. And even though I won’t be able to attend the concert in LA, I’ll be there in spirit. And hopefully a certain someone can get me Fany’s autograph. *cough* >_> …^^
BEG: A little bit after I was introduced to SNSD, I learned about another group known as Brown Eyed Girls. In a sense, they are pop. But, after listening to their music more & more, I realized they are much more than that. These girls are artists. Three of them can sing their asses off and the fourth member is a legitimately good rapper, having been a member in an actual Hip-Hop group when she was younger. Their songs were more in the vein of R&B, with the nice mix of Hip-Hop. It just appealed to me. It was slow, it was beautiful, and it was smooth. What made it better was that the members of BEG all played a role in creating the music, from production to writing. It just showed how talented they are. At one point, I stumbled upon a video of one of the members, JeA, performing a cover version of Brownstone’s “Half of You”. Despite her not being fluent in English, the song was almost as beautiful as the original and she even played the piano while singing. Outside of music, the girls are just like everyday people (This is the same for SNSD as well ^^). The down-to-earth attitude is different than what you normally see from artists & celebrities in the U.S. They actually connect with their fans (SNSD REALLY connects with their fans). It gives you a feeling that you really are apart of something amazing. Ultimately, it makes me happy. Since discovering SNSD and BEG, I’ve met new people, learned new things, opened my mind & heart a little more and just been…happy. ^^ Everlasting + Sone = ♥
Friends: Never have I been so glad to have the friends I have. Especially the very close friends. My brother from another, Ant, has always held me down since I first met him. I don’t think I could ever fully thank him for how big an influence he’s been on my life. He helped me open up, be more confident in myself, taught me basketball, and has always been a listening ear if I ever needed one. He’s doing big things now & you don’t understand how excited I am for him. He’s going to be something special in the future, definitely. There’s my other bro, D. Bost, who is like my partner in crime. He’s my writing partner, future artist for my comic book & my fellow philosopher. I can talk with him about the most stupid thing and we’ll make sense out of it, someway, haha. He’s also my fellow revolutionary. If I ever do lead a revolution, he’s the man I want by my side as we fight for our rights. There is also my Beneath The Beat fam, consisting of Dub, Statik, Ray, and Zay. These guys are hilarious. Be warned, the things they say may seem ignant, but it’s actually very true, for the most part. They make humor out of the stupid stuff that people do everyday. And they’re just really good people all together. They’ve held me down since I went to college and helped me find a place on campus. Then there is Jenn. I don’t know how I started talking to her or how we continued talking, but why bother with the specifics, right? Especially when talking to a person makes you happy. ^^ But she’s a really good person who has a lot of potential for the future. I think people tend to misunderstand her, which is sad cuz she’s really amazing & I enjoy talking to & being around her. Finally, there’s purwadinho. He’s the man who introduced me to the 9 angels, but most importantly, he opened my mind to music in general. Specifically to metal, which I didn’t care for before this year. He also inspired me to try my hand at writing stories instead of just poems. And he’s just overall an awesome guy. Despite him being young, he acts very mature & wise for his age. I really hope you guys get to know him as well as did. The list could go on, but that’s all I have for right now. But shouts out to my other friends, like Kimmy, Thomas, Nhi, and the others. ^^
Music: Music is amazing. I love it entirely. It can describe my mood, no matter what it is. It can calm me down, rile me up, pump me up, put me to sleep, etc. It inspires me, enlightens me, teaches me, and much much more. I especially love Hip-Hop because it gives a voice to the thoughts on my mind. But music just tends to take me to another place, away from worries. A place where I can wander off and let my imagination roam. It’s simply beautiful.
Funk: It may seem weird to see Funk separate from Music, but let me explain. Since discovering Funk, especially in greater detail this year, I’ve come to the realization that Funk is more than Music. Funk simply is. It is like a living energy that embodies us all, giving us our own unique beat to groove to as we move through life. I used to think this was Music, but I’ve learned that Funk is just something greater. Something beautiful. It represents the bare basics of life. The bass is like the heartbeat, and everything just falls into place right around it. When I think of the beginning of the universe, I imagine the ultimate bass player playing a funky groove as everything starts to appear, moving in the rhythm of the song he plays.
Writing: Writing is my passion. It makes me happy simply cuz of that. It allows me to release my soul on the paper for others to see. Or in this case, release what’s in my soul on the computer for others to read. It’s why I started a blog. Simply because I love to write about what’s on my mind, no matter the form I put it in. And a blog allows me to get it out to more people than I could normally. And I love it when I get ideas for new stories & poems & just random essays (or ramblings, however you see it). Right now, I currently have 3-4 story ideas that I can’t wait to fully flesh out and post for the world to see. And even if nobody likes it, I won’t mind because just getting out is good enough for me. ^^
So those are the things that make me happy. The first half of this year has definitely shown me that. Music, Friends, Traveling/Learning New Things, Funk, Writing, SNSD, and BEG…it all makes me happy. Simply happy. And that’s the way life should be, right? Do what makes you happy?? I think I will. ^^
Thanks for reading my ramblings tonight (if you did, haha). I hope ya learned something about me. I know I sure as hell did."
~Wise
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From Kunal (formerly djwise)
Quote:
"Well it’s not a big deal for me.Having been alone most of my life I can say I appreciate company a lot more, seeing as how I often spill out in talkative verses with anyone whom I appear to befriend.
Anyways, you’re here to learn the first update about myself. My life has drastically improved from how I was say, 5 years ago. Now, I have no idea exactly how good I feel, having returned from an exciting unplanned road trip U-turn up to Seattle and then down to Vegas, all the way back to lovely Los Angeles, no sarcasm intended. What makes life good to me though? What inspires me to be an artist in not only one field? What inspires me to transcend beyond what I see in people as a veil of boredom and a cage to all? Well I can corner a few things, but I won’t guarantee they’ll provide the same effect to you.
Music: The representation of myself as an artform. I love almost all kinds and that’s what keeps me happy. I have the ability to be in the mood for anything judging on what kind of music I listen to. Mind you I don’t listen to music for lyrics 80% of the time, as I find that a form of stupidity. Music is the representation of melody, lyrics are a form of verse and poetry. Most songs combine poetry and melody together, not all do. Driving at night through lit Tokyo streets, during the times I visit there, I turn on some very trancey Tiesto or Armin, feeling inspired in a passionate anger I can turn on Exodus, Testament, Burzum, the likes and such. Feeling in a way, fantastical, I have Ensiferum and Sonata Arctica at the bank and for those feel-good moments you can’t go wrong with Sly Stone, Marcus Miller, Jamiroquai, or any of them.
SNSD: Alright, so this may have been the more eccentric choice to place second. As it can fall under music… but SNSD is more than that. What is SNSD you ask? They are 9 girls that represent everything, every niche, and every corner of human personality, through childhood and beyond. They are the voice and the faces of not one, but many generations. These Korean singers, dancers, actresses, and whatnot work hard night and day for music and television. They are not haunted by pressing media controversies, they never fall out of activity because they do something every day, they have no drug scandal, no sex scandal, they don’t even have boyfriends. Their lives are dedicated, as of now until their end, to the spirits of other people. They came at a very important period of my life for me, when I was still a bit daunted by another artist. I saw so much hope, so much spirit, in the eyes through the screen I watched them through, I saw myself rejuvenated from the vicegrip of the previous artist that bonded me tightly yet was never there to let go. I wrangled those chains off me and took SNSD into my life, and i’ve never been better. They are magical enough to not destroy my life in unhealthy ways, yet still be there to keep me, and a new tightly formed community of fellow fans at Soshified.com, under their large and ever expanding wing. They’ll be performing in Los Angeles in SM Town, it’ll mark maybe their 10th or 11th appearance in the United States, but that’s definitely a milestone for any artist that does not sing in English. I’ll be cheering for them, whether at the Staples Center or at home, because I know i’m a brick in the wall of the brightest and the best fans of all time. The SONE. One united, under So Nyeo Shi Dae.
Earth: I have learned over the years to appreciate what’s around me. I am constantly asking myself why people find so many reasons to be angry, to be pissed off, or to be annoyed. If nature took over there will be people complaining that there is a lack of technology, if urbanization took over there will be people complaining that there is no nature left. Sometimes i’m angered by this, i’m angered by the fact people have no peace of mind. Finding every single thing that just doesn’t flow with them as a portal of complaint. I view wildfires and hailstorms as a thing of beauty, when I have no internet I enjoy a day outside, when the rain comes I watch it peacefully, when there’s something on television I don’t particularly like, I either find a way to enjoy it positively or find another thing i’d prefer watching. Life is beautiful, and as people grow up and move on through their ages they dishearten themselves at the prospect of life. They view it as a cage, whereas I and many others prefer to view it as a sandbox. There is no school, no diploma, no system, that can ever break the Human Spirit. Kids who move from high school to a university rightaway experience massive stress, people who work 9 to 5 jobs thinking that is the only thing left for them, it all sickens me. Life allows you to do anything, don’t let society or conformity dictate what you have to be. When all hope seems to threaten you, know that a flower is always there. Be who you want to be, don’t be afraid to take the path that leads there, listen to those who bring you down but never follow them. Learn to be a person, individual yet integral, but never be the one who becomes a part of the ocean of lives who have lost their hope.
Sunrise and Sunset: The beauty of a sunrise parallels that of a Christian heaven, which I really don’t believe in anyway. Yet the beauty of a sunset is equally amazing. What does this represent exactly? To me, it dictates that the rise and the fall are both a part of beauty, that life and death are integral, that no matter how many times you fall, you shall rise again. It dictates that no matter how many times you rise, you must learn and expect to fall, the sun cannot shine forever in one sky for one man in one plot of land, but despite the changes, you must learn to respect the beauty and the nostalgia of the rise and the fall. The rise invigorates, as the fall humbles you. The rise puts you as a beacon of light, yet the fall allows another to become that light. In search of sunrise and sunset you find yourself, and not only in that, do you find that life is represented among all things.
This’ll conclude my first post for this section of the blog. I’m glad if you all can take the time to read this. A great shoutout to my friend Damir aka. Srbski, and Jimmy Dean who have received their tickets to SM Town Live 2010. All I can say to you guys, is that it’s great that you’ve progressed far as SONE. I remember my first days when I showed you SNSD, with nothing but smiles and a click of a button. Now look at you both, congratulations Damir for Floor Seats. FLOOR SEATS in the STAPLES CENTER, lovelier than anything that can be.
As for me, let’s see where the ocean takes me, for the wind has long stopped blowing my way. Now I am left to the tides."
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From Andrew (formally Barrett)
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"Well, preparations for SM TOWN 2010 are still imminent.
Wish I had a few more friends that are coming for this event. It’s not one to miss, i’ll tell you that much. Soshified’s holding a meetup prior to the concert, organizing information on the various hotels fans are staying in, so far we’ve almost over 100+ from Soshified confirming of their travel plans to lovely Los Angeles, and some of them are bringing friends as well! Just another feature of the strength the SNSD fanbase has. I’ll be there myself, with friends Jimmy Dean and Damir, going to pack film, a mic, and fresh funky clothes to interview the various people coming in from places like Northern California, Montreal, the East Coast, and even across the sea.
What’s the purpose you ask? Well, i’m going to make a documentary of course. An event like this is worth it, this is prime foreign artists hitting up one of the more well known places in the United States, the STAPLES CENTER, to sing entirely in Korean. I’ll be glad to be one of the many advocates for them takin’ over. It’s a bright and sunny world being a SONE, my friend Wise can attest, recently he’s had a very uplifting mood (not that he was any depressed before of course :P ), due to them and the Brown Eyed Girls. Can’t blame him can I?
Anyways, my friend Tyler Jung may be heading down as well on a slim chance, as well as Frank Mauradian from Florida, who I turned very easily into a SONE himself. If they do come, it’ll be one of the greatest fan meetings in the world, and of all time! There’s no artist i’d rather conserve my efforts (and my self-esteem) on than SNSD. Besides my regular out of state friends, i’m hoping to meet up with some other SONEs, interview them, befriend them, and strengthen the bonds between the world wide web that is Soshified and SONE. Talking with Powerhouse, the promoter of the event, I may want to try to score Floor 1 and Floor 2 seats, if they have any available, since the business usually buys them out first and foremost to save for big wigs and big names. Also, I may want to try to classify me, Damir, and Jimmy as amateur filmmakers filming this event as a documentary to showcase to the world that SNSD ain’t playin’ around, their fanbase is the best and always strong, that transcends simple words and images, it requires footage.
Hopefully I can put in some audio messages or written messages from the other fans who cannot sadly attend this event. But amigos, you will have your chance.
SNSD is love, SNSD is eternal, keep your hearts and minds free, for you are all the best and the brightest. ^^,"
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From Andrew (formally barrett)
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"happy as I can be, working all day jamming to SNSD all day and night. Going to the SM Town World Tour in LA in September, learning Korean as we speak planing to go to Koran within the next year."
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from Damir (formally Srbski-kralj)
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time to regulate
time to regulate
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Last edited by Srbski-kralj; 08-08-2010 at 01:12 AM..
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08-08-2010, 12:57 AM
![[SIZE=""][/SIZE]](image.php?s=cd22f9298739da14d1383add4b7f6644&u=2494&type=sigpic&dateline=1282347681)
Life goes on. Thanks Damir!
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