March 7th, 2009

cool beans

This month is looking pretty good in the music realm. Utada and BoA are releasing albums this month. yay!

I'm a little bit hooked on BoA's single "eien." It's really catchy. Also, watching her performance on Music Station the other night...man, she can still dance insanely well. As if she somehow lost it, ya...

I've really pulled my focus and motivation off of updating this site. It's rather low on the priority list nowadays.

I passed my CCIE written exam the other week. I came out of the exam feeling a bit shaky in terms of knowledge. I really wanted to come out of that exam feeling like I didn't need to hit the "end exam" button and see the score to know that I passed. Oh well, I did pass by quite a large margin so maybe it's just that I don't have the confidence in my abilities...who knows?

Hopefully, I'll be ready to take the lab in third quarter of this year. I really need to pick up the pace.

December 20th, 2008

”大丈夫だね？”

"俺は　一人じゃない。”

There are things I won't forget in my life: certain people, special places, specific things. Though there are many of these such memories, I was reminded of one the past night: the moment a video game had become something more; more than just a something you play for a few hours, put down then move on; something with substance, a story, a compelling fusion of art, score and emotion. The day I had played Final Fantasy VII.

I had been browsing around YouTube late last night and happened to find myself watching an orchestrated performance of Nobou Uematsu's "Tour de Japon." I hadn't listened to any of his scores for a very long time and yet I found myself still moved by many of them. "One winged angel", "main theme" and, of course, "Aerith's theme." The tonal changes, crescendos, decrescendos tugged at a forgotten corner of my heart; that childlike part of me who wants to believe in that fantasy world: a soldier turned protaganist against an evil company trying to control the world; a villian of blackest evil twisted by power and cruel circumstance; a trickster thief out for personal gain who ends up discovering reliable friends and proves herself to her father; a childhood friend willing to go to the ends of the earth; and an ordinary flower girl who understands what she must do amidst the emerging war around her and who pays the ultimate sacrifice.

When I was younger, I remember the first time I played this game. It was introduced to me as something which illustrated the graphical power of the Playstation engine (which at the time was pretty awesome in its own right). And though I admit, the breathtaking graphics did initially grab me...in restrospect, it was the synthesis of music and interactive world which did me in. From the moment the title flashed across the screen and the music crescendoed into its unforgettable chorus and Cloud hopped off the train I was captivated. The diversity of the characters, the unique bonds of friendship and even death and its symbolism were all gripping. To this day, I have found no villian more memorable, despisable or lovable than Sephiroth; no character more impossibly fashionable than Cloud and no heroine more ordinary yet martyr-like than Aerith.

There is no doubt that the video game genre has evolved since that time. There are better graphics, more attention to musical score, complex storylines and the like. But for me, there has never since been something with that "something"; something which contains all three in a perfect blend, one which makes you feel like it's a story you never want to end where you can emphatise and literally feel the game.

Or maybe its just one of those "firsts" that I always remember; which always seem to be the most unforgettable moments.

And so I ask, was there ever a game like that for you?

November 19th, 2008

i'm gonna "no life" it for a while

I've decided to attempt the difficult road of becoming a CCIE. So the plan is to "no life" it for the next year and study non-stop. After all, it's been pretty much a "no life" type year so far getting together the certifications I did.

I had considered going through the Alcatel certification track as I work on their equipment everyday. Unfortunately, there is neither the time nor the budget to take up the 11 tests needed to become an SRA in any sane amount of time. Added to that, there is no study material for Alcatel even if your company is a customer. Ow.

Nevertheless, I took the Alcatel NRS, an entry level certification, just to see what it was all about. I didn't study for it at all and thus I passed it just barely.

Looking back on the year so far, I think I've accomplished a whole lot. I've learned a lot, done a lot and feel good about it all. Even so, there is a strange feeling I have each day. A nagging feeling, that my life is slowly bleeding away, second by second, and I need to get somewhere before it all ends. Thus, I think, results the drive to learn more, become more.

***

In other news, the new Otsuka Ai album seems to have hit the torrent trackers. It's surprisingly different. Almost like Otsuka Ai is testing out new genres of music. I'm not sure whether to like it or not but I will say that it's admirable when an artist goes outside their "norm". I do, however, like the look of her new site design. It's got that emotion filled hand drawn picture with the kurage nagareboshi lyrics; quite thought provoking.

I can't promise that I'll translate all of the upcoming album but I'll definitely put forth at least a few of the better ones; subjective i know...

November 7th, 2008

a new dawn of American leadership is at hand...

I'm soooo terribly happy that Obama won the election!!!

It was one of those days of my life where I'll never forget where I was that day. It was such a moving moment and speech that I nearly shed tears.

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