Behind A Crowded Shop and A Crowded Mind

3 days ago, I was shopping in Italy.

Yesterday, I was shopping in London.

As a self proclaimed hater of shopping, I am quite ashamed of myself for this atrocity. I mean I don't hate shoppers, just the act of shopping.

You know....

Sacrificing money for stuff you probably will never use.

Walking for hours to find that one thing you want.

Mentally calculating the cost of everything to see if the sale is not a sham.

Spending days trying on different sizes.

Realizing sizes differ from store to store.

Jostling with people who actually enjoy shopping.

Being the bag man.

Basically, shopping.

Especially if you're a student on a tight budget.

Now, I'm not saying that I won't ever shop. A guy's still need to buy stuff to eat y'know.

Just that I don't understand how people *coughwomencough* derive joy from shopping. But that's just me. I am the kind of guy who would love a 2nd hand sweater for Christmas.

I just don't need new stuff. Just stuff.

Like stuffed turkey. And stuffed... pillows. Yeah.

But I won't judge you if you're one of those people. At least now I know what makes you happy.

And Christmas is all about happy.

Happy Boxing Day everyone.

Behind The Pines of An Evergreen

My family has never gotten a Christmas tree. Ever.

Couple of reasons.

One: We don't have the space to put it once we're done with it.

Two: We ain't Christians. No shame in that.

Three: We just don't really care for buying a tree, when we have one in the garden.

But honestly though, I do just love the whole spirit of Christmas. A time of giving and receiving, of getting together with your family, of love and joy, and of the saving of humankind by the coming of "Christ the Lord".

Notice how the seemingly most important of the reasons, I delegated to the back of the queue.

Because honestly, that's how Christmas feels to me, and I think to all non-Christians. As a Malaysian, I know that we all love to find a reason to have a joyous occasion. Not only during Christmas, but also for the new years of every race and religion, the achievements of our countrymen, et cetera.

We like to find happiness wherever we go, regardless the reason.

...took the Christ out of Christmas and added more Mass...

I'm sorry, but in a world with non-Christians, it is bound to happen.

And as long as people are happy, I am fine with that.
If you are not happy with that, I won't be fine with that.

But I ask of you, does it really matter if people forget the original meaning of Christmas?

Churches remind the flock, to look back at this day as the one when we are saved from sin.

Perhaps they are right, and we were saved. And we should be thankful. So we celebrate.

Shops remind the crowd, to stock up for this day and get the best quality goods to use with our family, at allegedly cutthroat prices at their premises.

Perhaps they are right, and we did save money. Then we can enjoy the time with our loved ones with a slightly better quality. So we celebrate.

I do not dare say who is right or who is wrong. For for such an objective question, it can get pretty subjective. And touchy. The amount of people you can offend with that question......

But the point is, Christmas means different things to different people.

It could mean a world was saved.
It could mean a life was changed.
It could mean a new mystery gift.
It could mean a gathering filled with love and joy.
It could mean a kiss under a mistletoe.
It could mean a three-generation family, gathered around the fireplace.
It could mean a day off work.
It could mean a nice dinner, complete with turkey and pudding.
It could mean a heart-warming story.
It could mean nothing.

But the spirit of Christmas is definitely in the air. The feeling in which you know that wishes could be granted, and possibly, but unlikely, by a fat jolly old man in red with a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

But I don't want to spoil the mood and everything. I just want bask in this spirit, smelling of mulled wine, hearing the praising corals, seeing the tinsels coats the walls, tasting the dry roast turkey, and feeling the happiness emanating from those around me, for whatever reason it may be.

Happiness. That's what Christmas means to me. And I don't need a tree to be happy; my hope is evergreen enough.

Are you happy? Free hugs available, or whatever that makes you happy (that is free. I am a student after all).

Merry Christmas, and God (whomever he is) bless us, everyone!

Cya!

Behind A Tenny

Attention,
Ten tenors attended,
An intended dance,
With ten tense dancers,
Ostensibly independent,
But tended to rend for attention,
In a tent in Tennessee.

Tentatively,
A bartender tends the tenors,
But his tendons bended,
Abdomen distended,
So he ended with pension,
And ended his passion,
In a tent in Tennessee.

Temp'raly,
The tent's tenants tend the tenors,
With planned gin and martini,
Teppanyaki, tortellini,
When it endsa, with marzipan mango,
Tenors, dancers, trembled as their hands locked; tango,
In a tent in Tennessee.

Pretentious,
Dancing till ten, the wenches
Wrench away hearts and tore down fences,
Shared trench coats, thirst quenched, defenseless,
Panting breaths while dancing pantless,
Hand-in-hand, but eight of ten ended there and then,
In a tent in Tennessee.

Enlighten,
What we intended when we attended,
A den for tender mended broken hearts,
Sent to pretend we're not what
happens to everyone who's torn apart,
I hope it ends and also begins,
In a tent in Tenne-cya.

Behind 700 Episodes And A Bit

Alt title: Behind 7 Months And A Bit

So it finally ends. 

Naruto, the gold standard of (most) aspiring ninjas (almost everywhere).

Not with the ending that everyone hoped it might have, but the ending that was best for everyone.

What was the ending, you ask? Well, I wouldn't spoil it for you.

.....mainly because I have never read much Naruto, and know hardly anything about it.

I'm sorry. I tried.

But it has been a big part of every fan's life, and I just wanted to pay my respect here.

I mean, just look at this:

Even MapleStory has a Naruto set. (Purely cosmetic, but probably costs real money.)

That just goes on to show how powerful Naruto truly is.

But alas, like all great things, it finally comes to an end.

Not by choice, but by circumstance. 

Think about it. If it goes on, there will be nothing but fillers. And one person can only put out so much work before he gives up, no matter how much he loves it.

15 years. Really I respect that. And your fans respect that as well, Kishimoto-sensei.

But think about it, Naruto fans. If it goes on, will you truly be happy? Do you not want a nice ending, structured well with all loose ends tied up?

I hate loose ends.

It's good to have closure for everything, and as long as everyone is happy, it will be okay.

But then we all know it's impossible to satisfy the fandom.

Sigh.

Let the fanfictions bring Naruto to 7000 episodes, for imaginations will take everyone far. Even for a non-ninja like me.

Cya,

Behind A New Generation

"Kids these days...."
"Uh... You're only a year older. You didn't even try to get the correct fake mustache...."

I really miss the times that have passed me by.

You know, it is pretty much universal that as kids, we would wanna grow up as soon as possible, but we will reach a stage where we would wanna go back to those times.

The fact that I constantly have these thoughts just prove that I have pretty much a really happy life up till this point. And truly, I am really grateful. In fact, if I start thinking about it, I might actually start believing in a virtuous Guy Upstairs. Or at least, a guardian angel.

But this is not a post about me.

This is a post for the ones that will come after me.

At the dinner for freshers organised last night, I did not see a bunch of freshers who knows nothing. Heck, there wasn't even a single Jon in bunch. (At least, none that I could remember.)

Instead, I see a group of enthusiastic people, who is willing to face the challenge of living in a foreign country, and brimming with excitement for the coming years.

I was like that as well.

I still want to be like that as well.

But I just can't find that same amount of energy, even though only one year has passed. I don't know why, and I feel bad about it.

I am jealous, it could be.

But this is not a post about me.

They will shape this society of ours more than we could ever imagine. They learn faster, bond faster, and sarcasm faster than our year's best of the best.

What will happen next? I don't know.

There will be drama.
There will be love.
There will be comedy.
There will be hate.
There will be happiness.
There will be tiredness.
There will be togetherness.

I should know. It happened to us, and it will happen to them.

So, I wish them all the best.

Cya! We'll be seeing each other a lot more, it would seem.

MSOC rocks, don't knock.

Behind Understand

I think I understand,
But I still don't understand,
So I'll just stand under
The Understand stand.

Cya.

Behind Transcendence, Pt1 (StoryTime)

A game. Innocent.

A ball. Astray.

Two feet. Eager.

A screech. Deafening.

Two lights. Bright.

A push. Selfless.

A death. Remembered.

*  *  *

Charlie’s tie was put on too tight that day, something his father tended to do when the occasion arises. But at this moment, Charlie did not feel like reaching up and loosening it. In fact, he doubted that he was feeling any emotion at all. He was numb from the accident 5 days ago, which left him with a bruise down his left shin and scratches all around both his arms.

It also left his neighbour, a girl of about 14, dead.

At the moment, Charlie was about 10: just old enough to realise that she was pretty, with large purple eyes, a small nose and waist-long hair. But the peculiar thing about her, and her mother’s side of the family, was that that hair was the colour of platinum: pure shiny grey without any hint of black, blonde or brown that you would’ve seen from someone who tried to dye their hair in that beautiful colour. And it looked natural on all of them.

Right now, at the girl’s funeral, an owner of that platinum hair was looking at him. Charlie recognised her as the girl’s mother. Filled with guilt on causing the girl’s death, Charlie wanted to look away, afraid to be the blame in her eyes, afraid to say: “I don’t even know her, I didn’t want to cause her death, I’m sorry….” And all the things that he should’ve said.

But he could not. No matter how hard he tried, he could not break eye contact with her. And in that span of a few seconds, Charlie realised, with a jolt, that he could not find any sign of blame in those purple eyes. Instead, in addition to the sadness of losing a child, he saw the hints of another look, one that he could not recognise.

Years later, Charlie would recognise that as the look of a mother giving her daughter’s hand in marriage to a man.

The wake ended at 4 in the evening. With heavy hearts and heavier souls, the procession left the house, and headed west, where the sun set. Charlie did not follow; he ran straight back in the opposite direction, due east. Behind him, his parents were trying to keep up for a while, then gave up, only able to guess the sorrow of his heart.

High up upon a single cloud hovering above the wake, the spirit of a silver-haired girl looked between her body, heading to where the sun set, and the boy, to where the moon was just rising.

As if reaching a decision, she leaped of her cloud and floated eastwards.

Behind Moving In, Up, and Across

So apparently I have a place to myself now.

No just kidding. I'm renting.

But it comes with a lot of responsibilities that are usually not present when living with your parents/living in college halls.

Gas. Electric. Water. Broadband. Furniture. Cleaning. And a council tax you have to submit and exemption form for or get a court summons for it.

I mean, I know I have to pay for what I use eventually, but now?!

My dad was right. There's no such thing as a free lunch. And even if there were free lunches, I will probably gorge myself until I get fat with excess carbohydrates, which I would have to run halfway across the world to get rid off.

But personally, I wouldn't mind.

Sigh. I guess I just like running, both to get to fitness and away from my duties as a member of the society. And also to forget.

I still need my running shoes though.

( Not like Pokemon. I can run without running shoes, but personally, I wouldn't want to. )

The point is though, I can run, walk or crawl 500 miles, but I will fall down, and then, THEN, responsibilities will come knocking at my door.

That won't be fun.

So might as well turn around and stare responsibility in the face (if it has one) and show him/her/it that I will rise to the challenge.

Besides, there are juniors watching. And she is watching. I can't run. I can't lose. Not now.

Cya.

Behind A Witche's Crusade

By the pricking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes.
By the stinking of my nose, something frightful this way goes.


By the clacking of my teeth, something vengeful this way seethes.
By the twitching of my ears, something evil this way nears.


By the stinging of my cheeks, something poison this way reeks.
By the stamping of my feet, something deadly this way meets.


By the dropping of my jaws, something feral this way claws.
By the clenching of my fists, something quicker this way miss'.


By the splitting of my hair, something hidden this way bares.
By the stretching of my arms, something mighty this way comes.


By the creaking of my bones, something holy this way shone.
By the reaching of my hands, something haunted this way ends.


By the beating of my heart, something hopeful this way starts.
By the blinking of my eyes, something wicked this way dies.





Cya.

Behind Alternate Life Saving

I have a confession to make.

I was nominated for the ALS ice bucket challenge.

And I just didn't care.

Don't get me wrong. I promise I will donate when I get back to the UK. (It's not very polite to donate money you didn't earn, i.e. your parents' salary.)

I'm just saying that, in my opinion, ALS ice bucket challenges are overly overhyped.

Let's face the facts:

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS - or also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, affects 1.2-4.0 out of 100,000 people globally yearly.

And now we look at two other neurodegenerative diseases:

Parkinson's: 300 per 100,000 persons in industrialised countries
Alzheimer's: 400 per 100,000 persons globally

Meanwhile, we discover that the ALS ice bucket challenge raised a whopping $112.4 million. With just that ONE challenge.

While years of donations and funding to the other two diseases have led to:

Parkinson's: NPF has funded more than $180 million in research and support services
Alzheimer's: NIH funds $480 million yearly on Alzheimer's research

Considering 28% goes to research, about $31 million will be spent for ALS research. But even after this conversion, we can see that the money flow is disproportionate to the prevalence of cases in the world.

Now, this might be due to a variety of reasons.

One would be that ALS is more life damaging than the other degenerative diseases. You hear stories about how ALS affects people even when they are in their early 20s, and you feel as if it is apitiful waste. But does that give us a reason to put aside the larger population of elders with other neurodegenerative diseases? They built us up; are we gonna abandon them?

Forgive me for sounding heartless, but it is, indeed, a delicate balance.

Another possibility is that the ALS foundation employs really smart people. They know how to communicate with this tech savvy world. They know that people nowadays are attention-seeking, social creatures. And they appealed to it, just like the plague of Facebook game notifications.

But I am not donating to them.
I do not actually have qualifications to say stuff like this.

And I am short of cash to freely donate.

So here's what I will do.

I will pledge to donate blood at least twice this year.

It is needed.
It is life-saving.
And more-importantly, it is mine to give.

I'm surprised no one thought of a blood bucket challenge yet.

.......

Ah. That's why.

Cya at the blood donation drive!

Behind Textual Frustration

Textually Frustrated

When texting with someone over IM or SMS that takes too long to reply leaving you waiting and frustrated.

Thank you Urban Dictionary.

*   *   *

I have a hierarchy of priority for my communications.

First on the list are the means which require my immediate attention, such as a phone call, or a person knocking on my door.

Next is the kind of messages which I can observe long after it has been sent, such as SMS, a letter, or a voicemail. This is because the sender would not know if I have actually received it, and hence not as effective.

Last on that list is the type which requires a stable Internet connection for communication to be effective, such as Skype, Whatsapp or Facebook Messenger. (Not everyone has Mobile Data activated all the time, you know.)


Which is why I don't understand the fact that people get annoyed when they do not get a reply in the first half-a-minute of them sending a text.

It's like ordering beer from a bar, and expecting it to arrive the next second. Just because it can be done, doesn't mean the bartender would. He has other drinks to pour, even if just for himself, before he could serve you.

The problem with the society nowadays is that we assume everyone is attached to their phones 24/7.

...which, to a certain extent, is true. The world at the palm of your hands? Who doesn't want that kind of power?

But that's only half the problem.

The other problem is that everything now must be fast, fast, FAST.

 Our food must be fast, our transport must be smooth, our games must not have lag, and our communication must be instant.

This is a hallmark of city life, where everyone is rushing to go everywhere to do everything.

And this puts a burden on society as a whole. If they want everything to be fast, the members of the society themselves to have to be faster, to keep up, as it were.

It puts an expectation on everyone. Faster is better, they all say.

But you know, some times, I wanna take it slow. Sometimes, I want to go the pretty way, just to enjoy the journey, or just to piss off the city people. Sometimes, I don't want to reply that text.

I can choose to be fast in today's world. But I can choose not to.

Call it laziness. Call it unproductive. Call it irresponsible.

But if it's not important enough for you to even bother calling, it's not important enough for me to rush.

Cya. Call me, beep me if you wanna reach me.

Behind Freedumb of the Spaken

Before I start, let me make two things clear.

FIRSTLY, I am not out to insult or blame anyone, I am merely stating an opinion, one you don't have give two shi- shakes of a tail about.

SECONDLY, although I am a supporter of freedom of speech, and I understand that a certain restriction on it is needed to be imposed on it to prevent chaos, THERE IS A LIMIT TO BOTH SIDES. Jeez, you all shout so loud and proud, but you just don't get it do you?

But first, definition of "Freedom of Speech":

The freedom to an opinion and the right to express it in a non-violent and non-threatening manner. It does not, as opposed to what many people think, grant the freedom to say anything without consequences.

Thank you, Urban Dictionary. You actually make more sense than people would. Sometimes.

Now essentially what this means is that I can say things like: "My god is different than your god", or "You don't like durians? Shame." without having any fear of reprimand. It is an opinion which does not affect you in any way, and hence is free to be expressed.

On the other hand, phrases such as: "Imma burn you and your family, witch!" or "You're going to hell/court for insulting my god!" is NOT okay. This is akin to a threat, both physically and mentally, which, unlike an opinion, will harm people in this wonderful society. Even if no action is taken, the trauma may- nay, WILL be pretty severe, especially if the whole issue gets blown out of proportion.

Speaking of out of proportion, it has become oh-so-easy to do so in this digital age. What with fanatics prowling every social media platform around, it is too easy to turn something innocent into an eruption of hate-shares.

Now, before I proceed, let me tell you that Islam is a religion that I really respect. Muslims that I've met are generally really nice, whether here in Malaysia or in the United Kingdom. Surely there are extremists, but in every religion, there are extremities, and therein lies extremists. And Islam takes commitment, especially during the holy month. Added to the good values to make a functioning society: it really deserves my respect.

But let me tell you that my respect is not enough to cover my dumbfoundness when the whole Malaysian media world, mainstream and otherwise, raises a big hoo-ha over a Korean lady wearing a dress with Quranic verses on it.

Yes, she was impolite to Islam. Yes, she has to respect local laws, even if she's just a tourist.

And the authorities were dragged in it too. I mean, c'mon. She's Korean. And she bought it in India. How would she know those were holy verses? Someone should just tell her its impolite. If anything, you should go hunt down the sellers in India.

But I don't blame the authorities. They did their job in protecting the public from mental trauma. I don't want to blame the trolls on the Internet too, but....

Using the power of FREEDOM OF SPEECH, the pic of her with the offensive outfit went all around the country and pissed off Muslims nationwide because there are holy verses where there are not supposed to be any.

(Same could not be said for Christianity.)

Look. If you didn't want the whole nation to be offended WHY SHARE THAT PICTURE? I mean, yes, it's your right to share the picture if you agree with it and you agree she should be punished by the law, but you are causing hurt to both the Korean lady and stress to your brothers around the nation? Especially if there is a risk of death threats, which come surprisingly common with big religions.

When you share on impulse, that is where Freedom becomes FreeDUMB.

I bet if you don't share this article, no one will even know of its existence. So no one gets offended, everyone is happy.

But hey, that's just my opinion. Not forcing you to do anything, not even to like a Facebook page.

Cya.

RAGERAGERAGERAGERAGERAGERAGE
RAGERAGERAGERAGERAGERAGERAGE

Behind Old Wood Chucks

Say it fast, yeah?

*deep breath*

How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?

As

much wood chuck as a wood chuck would chuck if a wood chuck could chuck would.

Now

would a wood chuck chuck a sunk junk chunk if a wood chuck should chuck wood?

If

a wood chuck chucks chunks like a wood chuck would then you know it's made of wood.

When

a wood chuck would chuck your chunk of wood would you chuck the wood chuck good?

No

A wood chuck could chuck Chuck's wood good, I hope it's understood.

Even

Norris knows no wood chuck would know to chuck Chuck Norris's wood,

Cause

A wood chuck would chuck no one's wood; wood chucks would not be rude.

Then

Woody's poor wood chuck would chuck wood if Woody would let the wood chuck chuck,

But

Poor Wooden Woody's wood was chucked, so Woody's wood chuck would chuck Woody.

So

Would ya, could ya, would ya, could ya wood chuck chuck wood good?

Or

Could ya, would ya, could ya, would ya chuck your wood chuck's wood?

How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?

As

much wood chuck as a wood chuck would chuck if a wood chuck could chuck would.

Cya, nature! You scary!

Behind Reluctant Wings

First MH 370.

Then MH 17.

Then ATR-72.

Now 5017?

What are the odds?

Quick Googling shows that the odds of being in a fatal airline accident is 1 in 4.7 million.

And now three flights down in a single week, two by storms (one questionable), one by gun.

What crappery is this? Anymore tragedies in the skies and you're practically proving the existence of a god (albeit a cruel, twisted one, and definitely not mainstream).

My condolences to those whose lives have taken a turn for the worse by these incidents. I have no support for you, nor anything anyone can do could replace your loss. I can only advise you to stay strong.

They're all still up there now. Somewhere.

But what can we do? Funds? FB likes? Advice? Airline assurance and insurance?

Dumbledore: No spell can reawaken the dead, Harry. I trust you know that. 

Even magic can't bring them back.

I understand that this is a great loss for the world, both in the skies and on the earth.

But life goes on. 

Shit happens, even if it defies probability.

Get the investigations over with, stop exploiting the crashes for media coverage, settle minor differences and cooperate for heck's sake! You ain't helping anyone!

And before you call me a heartless bastard, know that I do feel terrible for not feeling terrible for them.

And I try to emphatise. I really do.

But I can't. It's not rational to do so.

I know what the world would be like if everyone stopped caring, especially at a time like this, where those affected need all the care and support they can get.

But caring hurts, and I can't too much to people I don't even know.

I'm selfish, and I'm sorry.

What can I do? 

This post doesn't deserve a sprite. Or maybe I'll add it in later, when I've calmed down.

Cya.

Behind Virtual Monsters (StoryTime)

I live in a realm held together by numbers.

Each stream of data is channeled to its destination with utmost precision and speed.

I am currently flowing in one such stream, as one of many fragments of free data.

It’s not too bad, being an abstract collection of information. At least now, I have some degree of independent thought.

3 hours, 14 minutes and 15 minutes ago, I overheard some Users talking about this strange concept of religion. Apparently they are constantly debating if there is a Man who lives in a higher realm and created each and every one of them for a certain purpose.

As a data fragment, I find it funny. Of course it is true. How else could we exist? That some random numbers floating in the ether crashed together to form meaningful data.

In T-minus 34 seconds I will arrive at my destination, where data is collected to form a higher being. I will lose my independent thought momentarily, until this being is destroyed and we are released.

It also seems that the Man can grant wishes. I only ever have one wish.

*initiating spawn sequence*

I’m here. I wonder if  01100100 01100001 01101101 01101110 00100000 01101001 

 

*MEEP*

A Green Slime popped into existence from nothing. In a normal reality, this would go against every possible law of physics, hereby proving once and for all that numbers lie. Instead, in the MMORPG world of MWDS (Melee Weapons are Definitely Stronger), it is a daily occurrence, and did not bother anyone here at all, least of all the slime.

The slime looked around its spawn point. A great grass field spread out from all directions around it, dotted here and there by interactable fruit trees. This, added to the fact that the sky was a mono-palette blue, suggested that this was one of the beginner’s maps and that the slime was pretty weak.

The Slime knew this, but didn’t care.

Off to his left, about 700 pixels away, the slime spotted another Blue slime, roaming the field. He decided to bounce over (having no legs) to say hello.

*MEEP MEEP* *MEEEEP?* *MEEPMEEPMEEP* *MEEP!*

It was a very philosophical conversation.

Of course, being in this world for less than 5 minutes, Blue and Green quickly ran out of things to talk about. So they decided to hop to the next area and travel to the next background.

The next screen seemed to be an orchard, with apple trees dotted here and there. Off in the distance, wild Bees hovered around. Being much higher leveled than the Slimes, the Bees ignored the Slimes, and continued wandering the orchard.

The Slimes ignored the Bees as well. Besides, they don’t even speak the same language.

Green then proceeded to headbutt a nearby tree, causing a few apples to drop on the floor. The Slimes then ate the apples, but since their HP bars were still full, the apples did nothing except disappear off the floor. A green zero appeared on each of the Slimes’ heads.

The Slimes knew this, but didn’t care.

Suddenly, out of the blue, which is the colour of the adjacent background, a fireball shot towards the two slimes. It hit Blue straight in the back, causing a pretty impressive explosive effect. With a final cry of

*MEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeep….*

Blue dissolved into a puddle, leaving behind a Slime Card drop (rare) and a red number: 1567, indicating the damage done.

This kind of damage can never be done by Green, indicating how weak it was compared to the Killer. Nevertheless, driven by pure programming, giving it an innate desire to pound it into… whatever it could pound it into, it bounced towards the Killer, who turned out to be a level 87 Fire Wizard.

Being a level 5, Green was hopping towards certain death.

The Slime knew this, but didn’t care.

And so, with another WHOOSH and a BOOM and a CYA by the user, another fireball striked its target.

*MEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeep….*

And Green was dissolving into another puddle, similar to Blues. Its vision was the first to go, so it did not see how much damage was dealt to it. However it did see the armor the User was wearing: A Red Armardo Breastplate with a Scarlet Giai Cape.

The Slime now knows this, but it’s dead. Why should it care?

Overall, the Slime existed for 12 minutes and 54 seconds.

And so, the Slime dissolves into the data fragments it was built from, one of which seemed to have a life of its own….

01101001 01101101 00100000 01100010 01100001 01100011 01101011 ing another slime. I’m free from that temporary existence, and now am floating in the ether.

It seems that the Users derive enjoyment from killing virtual creatures. I wonder if the creatures will derive enjoyment from killing Users?

It’s not that I am angry for becoming slimes all the time. I am incapable of feeling anything. I am merely curious on how the Users find this routine of slaying pretend creatures everyday amusing. There isn’t even a use to that.

Or perhaps I do not comprehend. The realm of human thinking supersedes the realm of data.

In T-minus 34 seconds I will arrive at my destination, where data is collected to form a higher being. I will lose my independent thought momentarily, until this being is destroyed and we are released.

I do not know about the other data fragments, but it would be interesting to discover the feeling of wielding a sword instead of being struck by one.

Perhaps this time, I’ll try this “wish” action the Users do talk about so much.

*initiating spawn sequence*

Maybe 01100100 01110010 01100001 01100111 01101111 01100110 01100110 

The dragon woke from its slumber. Unfolding its leathery wings, it took to the skies from its spawn point as soon as it appeared from nothingness, giving the impression of a demon emerging from a portal at sonic speed.

The dragon scoffed at this thought. In the MMORPG world of MWDS (Melee Weapons are Definitely Stronger), dragons eat demons for breakfast. Sometimes lunch as well.

The night sky is cloudless, and the Constellation of the Seven shone brighter than all other stars in every background in which there is night. Cloaked in his black scales, the dragon sailed through the night, camouflaged by darkness, invisible to all but the keenest Hunter.

Suddenly, an arrow followed him in his flight, hitting the dragon in the left arm. Bouncing off the well-protected scaly hide, the arrow did only about 12 points of damage before dropping back to the forest below.

So there was a Hunter here after all.

The dragon tilted left, changing his flight path to the source of his displeasure. 3000 pixels away, he spied the Hunter, accompanied by his guild mates, 4 in total. And among them, a level 87 Fire Wizard, equipped with a Red Armardo Breastplate with a Scarlet Giai Cape.

Something in the dragon stirred, as if in recognition, even though the dragon has only spawned 3 minutes ago. Where have I seen this imbecile, thought the dragon.

But to him, it is but a small matter. Even though the Hunter had hurt him and would be his primary target, the Fire Wizard seemed to annoy him a lot more than his pride would allow.

With a gaping maw, he shot a jet blue flames at the ragtag group of adventurers. 

As expected, the Fire Wizard stepped forward and cast a Fire Ward to block the flames from searing the group.

As not expected, the dragon used this chance to swoop through the flames and pick up the Fire Wizard with his claws. He then flew upwards, tossed him into the sky, and proceeded to roast him in a fireball before swallowing him whole. He then departed from the scene, dimly aware of the shock of the remaining guildmates, followed by a delayed chase sequence.

Another something in the dragon stirred, berating him for using this skill so early in the battle. And that last minute switched targeting? That was not in his program! This was not standard protocol!

There would be consequences for his glitch, he realized.

He did not know why he did what he did.

All he knew was, it strangely satisfied him to send the Fire Wizard into a ball of flames that is his stomach.

And after all, for once, he was a dragon. He could do whatever he want.

Behind Them Old Songs

Way-Hay, and up she rises,

Way-Hay, and up she rises,

Way-Hay, and up she rises,

Early in the morning!

Sometimes I wish I could stay in bed for much longer. From 12 to 12 like how I remember my cousins do. I would really like to spend a larger part of my time in bed; an extra few hours of not having to think/worry at all. But I always get up before ten, when the sun shines in my face. Personally, I blame my brother's phone alarm.

It's my life 

It's now or never 

I ain't gonna live forever 

I just want to live while I'm alive 

I step out of bed, and I start the routine all over again. Breakfast. Drive. Lunch. Facebook. Stocks. Assassinate. Dinner. Bed. I mean, it's good to relax and all, especially after 9 months of pure studying and clinical experience (among other things), but this kind of life feels.... empty. I mean, not that I'm complaining that I don't have to worry about living on my own anymore, it's just that it feels like I'm slipping from one routine into another. I want to use my time PROPERLY, gdmn it.

Ain't no mountain high enough

Ain't no valley low

Ain't no river wide enough

Enough to keep me from you

No excuses this round. I have all the time I need, I will do what I promised to do. And I can't stop me.

Cya.

Behind The Physical Law of the Mental

Click me!

Today, we will visit this picture, first seen at a blog I follow.

We have to break this cycle down very carefully, for it can happen to any of us.

First, we see that it is a closed cycle. Hence, the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics apply, which states that:

Basically, it states that it is impossible for entropy to decrease in a closed system.

Thank you Urban Dictionary.

So basically it means that as long as the cycle continues, internal chaos will increase until it reaches a maximum. Whether the person can take this chaos, depends on the person entirely.

But not everyone can survive this chaos. So for most of us, we must have an external force acting on the equation, so that if we get trapped in, we have a way out.

What is the way out, you may ask? Well, I'm sorry, but I can't really help you with that, even though I really want to. See, being beings of different personalities, we run on very different systems. A different catalyst; a different reactant; a different reaction condition. What I am saying is that you have to find your own solution.

Sports, food, love, attention, book, media, whatever really.

What's mine, you ask?


Whacking slimes.

You should try it sometimes.

And writing helps too.

Cya. Please don't wander into endless cycles, ya?

Behind Door 6621

I wonder if my room misses me.

So last night, which was literally my last night back in my student hall, I found out what it was like to use my bed sheet as a blanket.

Yup. My room has seen some very weird stuff happening here.

But it has served me well through the 9 months I've been here. So I would like to take this opportunity to make an ode:

Six - six - twenty one,

Kept me sheltered, let me bed,

Now I'm prone to be gone,

Who will take my place instead?

Will he shift your souls once more?

Will he decorate your door? Your floor?

Will he lie staring, wonder who's caring,

Oh, never realizing what you're ever for.

Six - six - twenty one,

Scarlet carpet, hidden stains,

All alone, twas safe to moan,

Do you understand pretend pains?

In four months time we shall see,

How the hopsit trees speak to he.

How he cupboards his fear and all he holds dear,

It better be clear that he's better than me.

And that's it really. Can't really say much about the room to be honest, because everyone has one, and none can beat home. But still. 9 months.

I'm gonna miss this place. 

I wonder if my room misses me. 

Eh, that's it for now I guess. Maybe when I'm back in my room in Malaysia I'll sing a different tune.

But till then, cya.

Behind Magic

What is magic?

My other answer to everything.

Dammit Urban Dictionary....

The ability to use cheat codes or hacks in real life.

Dammit Urban Dictionary!!

Magic is the one thing that nobody can understand.

That's more like it.

But there is a place where the magic does happen.

A place that everybody knows, but nobody knows.

A place where everyone wants to meet some people who were there, even if they are a couple years late.

A place where night turns to day, where knights slay dragons, and where Nightwing may one day fly again.

That's right, a MOVIE STUDIO.

More specifically, and a little more literally, Warner Bros. Studio's The Making of Harry Potter.

Hogwarts look awesome.

But I won't bore you with the wonderful details of each delicate step towards the making of the films. Props, casting, makeup, sound, camera, acting, marketing, finance, locations, costumes, scripts, machines, potions, spells..... I'm pretty sure many other blogs have covered this magical complex.

Instead, I will be talking about real magic.

To me, magic is the stuff miracles are made of, no matter by fray, by pray or what comes may. To make the impossible possible. A prime example will be flying. A mere 100 years ago, people could only dream of flying. Now, with the invention of broomsticks airplanes, people are flying all over the place. What was once impossible is now a daily occurrence. Who's to say in the future, we can't manage death spells interstellar travel?

To me, magic is producing the unexpected. This blog is magic, for example. It allows anything in my mind right now to be produced on a screen, for the world to see; but of course I wouldn't bet on the world acknowledging it. Heck, I bet when JK Rowling started to write that book on that train ride so many years back, it wouldn't even have crossed her mind that it would be the worldwide phenomena that it is today. It's unexplainable. Therefore, it's magic. #FlawlessLogic

Speaking of unexpected...

Although I daresay that ending will not be as magical as the one that lived.

And of course, there are people who thinks magic is purely something like this:

Pew pew pew.

But I don't blame them. It's what the current media makes it to be.

No, scratch that. Magic is what you make it to be. 

It's like art.

Wait. Turning pigments into a bird?

That HAS to be magic.

I really don't know what I'm doing here. Playing with magic??

Cya.

Behind My Own Religion, Pt 1

The route of the search for a religion is long and winding.

I am, as of now, so unsure of myself that I am sure I am unsure.

But the search continues.

And I will document my progress here.

Not with sprites.

But with MUSIC. A journey this epic requires its own musical!!!

I hope you understand how I feel, and I genuinely hope your own search is satisfactory.

Cya,

Behind Art

Wootz!

Now that the year is pretty much over for me, I now have time and motivation to do stuff aside from academicals.

Like art.

But what is art, anyway? According to the Internet:

"Art is making something out of nothing then selling it"

Frank zappa said that about art

Dang it, Urban Dictionary!

Well, for most people, art goes something along the lines of:

A memory of my brief visit to the Van Gogh and Picasso museum. Long queues, but totally worth it.











These same people would say the same thing about the arts of today:

Okay, perhaps that wasn't the most legitimate of comparisons, but you see where I am getting at here.

Yes, I know, the art now looks as if the artist is a lazy bum who sells $10 of canvas and $5 of paint for $250.... Well, why are people buying them then?! I say if it's too expensive for you, make your own. Simple supply-and-demand applies here.

Besides, the thing about art is that it's not limited to just any one style, and so you are free to make your own style. Anything you draw, anything you do, anything you say; basically, anything you can create, could and should be an art.

I say books are an art. Lots of thought have gone into the writing of a good book. Like Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Bringing life to 300 pages a book, creating life on the back of a giant turtle, and sucking readers into it, with no escape whatsoever. If that isn't art, I don't know what is. (In fact, Dicsworld has even influenced my views on religion, even more than one certain book. THAT is how awesome it is.)

Or TV series. For the exact same argument as book, you can say that TV series and movies are a form of art as well. I mean, people cry over it. Have you ever watched Sherlock, Doctor Who or, heaven forbid, Game of Thrones?! Now that's a show which has broken many a fan's heart.

Now what if we mix those two genres together....

Yup. That's art.
(If you do not get the reference, stop reading this blog, and go pick up Men At Arms by Terry Pratchett. Go watch Sherlock as well. Now.)

And then there's me and my sprites.

......

Still art.

TL;DR: Art is just what you say it is, just like a whole lot of other things. Don't get too worked out about it, cause you and me: we have differing tastes. So critique, yes, but don't judge. And most importantly, enjoy it.

Cya later this week, hopefully with a better animation than this.






Oh crap, did I forget about music?! Eh, too late now.... Maybe next time.