Why I have been so away from writing this blog post? Surely I've been busy, tied up to business as well as my family's and my own health problem. But this is not the sole reason why I tend not to try to post. I have many reasons. I'm getting to like to write with pen and notebook more often. I've been involved in much more physical practice and activities than before. I'm not fully satisfied with this blogger style to express my ideas, thoughts and opinions. I'm getting to express my view more in conversation, dialogue and chat with my friends, family and colleagues. In short, somehow my world is getting expanding and opening. Somehow I will reach out to the best way to combine my new lifestyle with the act of writing. I like to write but blogging is not the only way. Still, it's something.
I don't make it a rule to always search for new music, nor only to support the music of the time when I used to live like "No Music No Life" in my school days. Simply put, nostalgia is not something I like. But this time suddenly I felt like I should turn to 90's alternative rock music to which I listened again and again, for hours, throughout my junior high, high school and college days. Maybe I don't need to explain what it was like to be in the movement and to name the favorites of the special ages. After 20 years+ time, I can honestly say that they remain just great and the heritage of 90's alternatives keeps me excited and delighted. It is not merely a nostalgia that I still like these great songs. It had a reason to lead us, move us, identify us when we were teenagers listening to them on radio and MTV, and it still has reason to survive the time and change of life. I don't care how it is now theoretically located and described in pop music history, but I just feel it was revolutionarily cool and somewhat bitter but creative (I wish it could have been a bit happier, but that was the air of the time). It still has a reason to be the music with which we live.
I have a friend who knows I'm a huge fan of Star Wars (not for recent works, though) and would like to watch the whole series again, as she actually had seen them but the memory was quite vague. So my friend knows the utmost surprising fact in Episode V, and also knows how young Skywalker cannot help but turning to become Darth Vader in Episode III (vaguely). We fall into the conversation over Star Wars saga and I suggested I could explain all the stories and plots (furthermore, maybe most of the memorable sentences). She welcomed my idea and it ended up I took 2 hours to text all the stories from Episode I to Episode VI. She was surprised that I had done this without looking any of materials but only by my memory, which is not surprising to SW fans I guess. The thing is, I was surprised to learn simply how great a movie script is, especially in the case of such long and mythic epic. It's carefully structured with indispensable storyline and events and characters all over. It's amazing a script can expand the universe of the galaxy, surprise us, enjoy us, move us, and finally close the story. SW is not actually a huge nor complicated, it's all about a family, faith, and fight against evil, but the work of script is marvelous. I was impressed by the tale of a tragic but mighty father and a genuinely good-faith son and his friends, following the 6 episodes. By texting the whole storyline and plots, for the first time I learned it. Transcribing one of our favorite movies is maybe an awesome training to learn the power of a writing.
Almost a month I have been away from posting my blog. Occupied, as always for business, and I had to focus on taking more care of my injured foot and moreover on improving my living environment. I have been spending more time than ever to my health and daily conditioning. Inevitably, and naturally I don't particularly feel like opening my PC and spending late evening time to describe what I feel and think and enjoy, which I tend to write down with pen and notebook rather than via digital tool recently. Also as I started my initial learning step of mindfulness. I am not good at meditation at all, but Taichi practice and breathing practice might be of some help to me. This is the area where verbalization does not work but feeling and sense can rule. That might be another reason why I have been away from my blogging. I am not good at meditation probably because it seems sometimes strongly connected to experience of sensing something intangible and spiritual (or maybe I'm wrong but anyway). To me it feels like surrealism, so to speak. But I am getting to learn it as true realism in fact, of sensing the state of actual physical body and works of mind. As long as I find my discoveries or new influencers in my life interesting, it's worth verbalizing to me. I'm trying to continue this little practice a bit longer.
Imagination never ends. I always like to see Marvel Studio films because there is definitely something that we have never seen. Aside from its cinematic perfection or reputation, I think it's safe to say Marvel Studio is one of the most and state-of-the-art of today's entertainment. The great thing is the unforgettable challenges make us imagine more, and they go beyond our imagination. Avengers : Infinity War has lots to talk about and discuss as to its super fantastic visual effects and storytelling, sparkling chemistry of characters, and needless to say its unexpected, shocking ending. It's so unlike ordinary hero movies. Then Marvel is probably trying to redefine "hero movies" or creating a brand-new brand of new heroes. It's a great fun to discuss what's going to happen next, what's the meaning behind some words and sequences because we trust Marvel will not just unfold a hidden map of this epic but also go beyond it. Brilliant work. SPOILER ALERT!!! I'm not going to tell what happened in the ending but tell one thing that I think would be one of the key foreshadowing for the next Avengers... and this is not yet discussed among movie fans as far as I know. The planet Titan is playing a very mysterious role. Peter Quill, the Star-Lord mentioned in the sequence where he had just landed on the planet, that the star is quite strange, in its state of gravity, etc. I wish that means something. And what is Ravagers doing?
I haven't seen music videos for a long time since I finished my school days and got into a professional life. I thought I didn't have time to search for videos that I liked and would like to watch again and again. But even though I didn't notice clearly, here we got the change of the way we enjoy worlds' entertainment. Music videos are not only on TV but on Apple Music and YouTube, with more flexible and intelligent attraction. I can enjoy them as easily as I read books, and more comfortably than watching them on television as I used to. I started to think, that music videos are for people who really don't have time. They can attract you, make you happy, make you imagine and send messages. I never imagined that these 5-minutes short films can be powerful enough to change the state of mind at once. I found Taylor Swift's new video "Delicate", which is fantastic, hilarious, happy and really charming. Today's music video seems somehow different from those I watched every day in late 90's, and it feels like more personal. The musicians, performers are incredible stars for sure, but they seems to be a bit closer and real person who is not only talented and celebrated but also struggles and get confused. This might be a perspective of grown-ups. Taylor's "Delicate" has a wonderful dance sequence almost like "Singing in the Rain".
A mentor is supposed to be someone who guides young generation. But I think life is a learning at every step and every age, and we need our mentor maybe for all our life. That is not because we don't get mature as we get older, but we learn a lot, more and more, than the times we are younger. Learning and growing up never ends in our life. A mentor doesn't always have to be an elderly people but maybe a friend, or a person who you have never met but keeps inspiring you. Life never has a final answer or a defined goal but always has change and growth. Maybe keeping mentoring other people leads you to meet your wonderful mentor.
