Aegis (sweet dreams)

Aegis is the song featured in my second novel, sweet dreams. It has yet to be published, but I'm hoping that time would come pretty soon. Anyway, in the novel, Kenneth wrote this song for Hailey, wherein he promises to protect her from everything - in sum, to serve as her aegis, her protection. :)

Aegis

A night that seemed ordinary

But really wasn’t after all…

Simply indescribable,

How I just had to fall…

 

Refrain:

What was it about you?

What is this I now feel?

I want to protect you.

Oh I can and I will…

And it’s all because…

 

Chorus:

Shining brighter than stars

you brighten up my day

With every touch that you give

 and every word that you say

               

I’ll do everything I can

You are my inspiration.

Come now and hold on to me

Your aegis, your protection.   

 

It was certainly quite the fight

Maybe I’m worthless after all,

But that nice warm embrace of yours,

makes me stand after every fall.

Refrain

Chorus

 

Bridge:

These wounds of mine mean nothing

as long as you’re alright.

I’ll protect you from everything.

I’ll gladly stand and fight.

Chorus

Your aegis, your protection.

Aegis (sweet dreams)

Aegis is the song featured in my second novel, sweet dreams. It has yet to be published, but I'm hoping that time would come pretty soon. Anyway, in the novel, Kenneth wrote this song for Hailey, wherein he promises to protect her from everything - in sum, to serve as her aegis, her protection. :)

Aegis

A night that seemed ordinary

But really wasn’t after all…

Simply indescribable,

How I just had to fall…

 

Refrain:

What was it about you?

What is this I now feel?

I want to protect you.

Oh I can and I will…

And it’s all because…

 

Chorus:

Shining brighter than stars

you brighten up my day

With every touch that you give

 and every word that you say

               

I’ll do everything I can

You are my inspiration.

Come now and hold on to me

Your aegis, your protection.   

 

It was certainly quite the fight

Maybe I’m worthless after all,

But that nice warm embrace of yours,

makes me stand after every fall.

Refrain

Chorus

 

Bridge:

These wounds of mine mean nothing

as long as you’re alright.

I’ll protect you from everything.

I’ll gladly stand and fight.

Chorus

Your aegis, your protection.

Battle Royale: Fight to the Death

Battle Royale UK version cover

So, I've recently finished reading the English adaptation of Koushun Takami's Battle Royale.

It's quite the read. Very violent. Very morbid. But ultimately, very thought-provoking.

The novel is set in a fictional totalitarian country called the Republic of Greater East Asia. The government is ruthless. Martial Law is nothing compared to what these people are doing. Everything - yes, everything - is controlled by the so-called Great Dictator. Censorship is brought to a whole new level - anything considered 'imperialistic' (in other words, everything not Japanese) is banned. While the government is asserting that this is only in support of nationalism, it's an extremely exaggerated case of being a closed country.

At the center of it all is the inhumane government military training experiment called The Program. How it falls under 'military training' is a mystery. Most of the others, however, simply term to it as a 'game'. A ****ed-up game, actually. Through the program, a third year (9th grade) junior high school class is chosen at random. All the members of the chosen class are thrown into an 'arena', supplied with limited rations and a certain weapon, and forced to face each other in a fight to the death. Only one can survive. 

It comes as a shock to the 42 students of Third Year, Class B, Shiroiwa Junior High School. Of course, anybody would be shocked by this kind of thing. They all had their minds set on a nice school trip but instead, they were forced into The Program.

Their arena is a fairly small island. Escape wasn't an option as military ships guarded each corner of the island. The students could choose to hide forever but that would lead to death as well. Forbidden zones were designated every three hours in order to force the students to move around. Any one caught in a forbidden zone instantly die, with the tracking collars they were wearing around their necks exploding.

The students all take in their situation in different lights. Several were driven crazy by the pressure, anxiety, and paranoia. Some simply chose to go with the flow and became true players of the game. There were those who chose suicide over getting killed by their classmates, while there were also those who chose to cling to whatever speck of hope there was left.

I can't imagine how it must feel like to be forced to face your classmates in a death match. Trust is the big issue of concern here. In a rational thought, one would believe that not a single one of one's classmates would truly want to kill. They belonged to the same class! It's practically the same as being in the same family. Then again, one would eventually go into thinking, "Just how well do I know these people anyway? Am I really sure they won't kill? Am I really sure they're not selfish enough to think only of their own safety at the expense of the lives of other people?"

I certainly admire the spirit the novel's protagonist, Shuya Nanahara (Male Student No. 15), showed. He was truly persistent in his resolve to escape, to not let the government's madness get to him. Even before getting caught in the game, he had always wanted to be 'free' of the restrictions imposed by the government. His love for rock music certainly made him quite the rebel (rock music was banned on a account of it being from the American imperialists). Furthermore, Shuya's innate kindness showed as he manifested, through both words and actions, the ever essential trust in his classmates. He figured there was a way to beat the game: all they had to do was work together towards a route of escape. Noriko Nakagawa (Female Student No.15) shares Shuya's resolve and vows to help him. The two, however, began to see more of the cruelties the situation has forced upon them when they team up with Shogo Kawada (Male Student No.5). He is spot on when he asks, "Are you prepared to be merciless?". Sometimes, when the circumstances asked for it, one must really be merciless.

Noriko Nakagawa and Shuya Nanahara as they appear in the manga

Battle Royale has been termed to as an exploitative novel and true enough, it puts into light such an unbelievable premise. Eventually turned into a manga and a movie, both with corresponding sequels, it proves to be quite disturbing with all the gore and violence. But in the midst of it all is a relevant thought: In the face of the unspeakable, we must learn to trust each other. Only by working as a team can we defeat the oppressing forces. Only by persisting and never losing hope can we reach a true shining future. 

Battle Royale: Fight to the Death

Battle Royale UK version cover

So, I've recently finished reading the English adaptation of Koushun Takami's Battle Royale.

It's quite the read. Very violent. Very morbid. But ultimately, very thought-provoking.

The novel is set in a fictional totalitarian country called the Republic of Greater East Asia. The government is ruthless. Martial Law is nothing compared to what these people are doing. Everything - yes, everything - is controlled by the so-called Great Dictator. Censorship is brought to a whole new level - anything considered 'imperialistic' (in other words, everything not Japanese) is banned. While the government is asserting that this is only in support of nationalism, it's an extremely exaggerated case of being a closed country.

At the center of it all is the inhumane government military training experiment called The Program. How it falls under 'military training' is a mystery. Most of the others, however, simply term to it as a 'game'. A ****ed-up game, actually. Through the program, a third year (9th grade) junior high school class is chosen at random. All the members of the chosen class are thrown into an 'arena', supplied with limited rations and a certain weapon, and forced to face each other in a fight to the death. Only one can survive. 

It comes as a shock to the 42 students of Third Year, Class B, Shiroiwa Junior High School. Of course, anybody would be shocked by this kind of thing. They all had their minds set on a nice school trip but instead, they were forced into The Program.

Their arena is a fairly small island. Escape wasn't an option as military ships guarded each corner of the island. The students could choose to hide forever but that would lead to death as well. Forbidden zones were designated every three hours in order to force the students to move around. Any one caught in a forbidden zone instantly die, with the tracking collars they were wearing around their necks exploding.

The students all take in their situation in different lights. Several were driven crazy by the pressure, anxiety, and paranoia. Some simply chose to go with the flow and became true players of the game. There were those who chose suicide over getting killed by their classmates, while there were also those who chose to cling to whatever speck of hope there was left.

I can't imagine how it must feel like to be forced to face your classmates in a death match. Trust is the big issue of concern here. In a rational thought, one would believe that not a single one of one's classmates would truly want to kill. They belonged to the same class! It's practically the same as being in the same family. Then again, one would eventually go into thinking, "Just how well do I know these people anyway? Am I really sure they won't kill? Am I really sure they're not selfish enough to think only of their own safety at the expense of the lives of other people?"

I certainly admire the spirit the novel's protagonist, Shuya Nanahara (Male Student No. 15), showed. He was truly persistent in his resolve to escape, to not let the government's madness get to him. Even before getting caught in the game, he had always wanted to be 'free' of the restrictions imposed by the government. His love for rock music certainly made him quite the rebel (rock music was banned on a account of it being from the American imperialists). Furthermore, Shuya's innate kindness showed as he manifested, through both words and actions, the ever essential trust in his classmates. He figured there was a way to beat the game: all they had to do was work together towards a route of escape. Noriko Nakagawa (Female Student No.15) shares Shuya's resolve and vows to help him. The two, however, began to see more of the cruelties the situation has forced upon them when they team up with Shogo Kawada (Male Student No.5). He is spot on when he asks, "Are you prepared to be merciless?". Sometimes, when the circumstances asked for it, one must really be merciless.

Noriko Nakagawa and Shuya Nanahara as they appear in the manga

Battle Royale has been termed to as an exploitative novel and true enough, it puts into light such an unbelievable premise. Eventually turned into a manga and a movie, both with corresponding sequels, it proves to be quite disturbing with all the gore and violence. But in the midst of it all is a relevant thought: In the face of the unspeakable, we must learn to trust each other. Only by working as a team can we defeat the oppressing forces. Only by persisting and never losing hope can we reach a true shining future. 

Heaven-Inspired

Heaven-Inspired is a collection of poems about first love. Some of these have real-life stories behind them. Of course, I won't be mentioning which ones. :)

GLIMPSE
Our first was but a mere glimpse
I noticed your complexity
I was intrigued
You may not have noticed me
Yet it doesn't matter
For that was but the first,
the first moment granted by fate

CHERISH
I know not who you really are
I know only your name
Physical means doesn't matter though
For our paths have already crossed
And indeed...
You forever I will cherish

PENGUIN
We can't be more different
How I hate your eccentricity
Never before have I met such a guy like you
Yet different as we are
We can't be more similar
You and I ~ My Penguin-chan

EMO
Colors of red and black
Perhaps for some, these are but
Colors of pain, hurt and torture
But for us, for me, for you,
They are colors of passion.
Let us ignore the world
And remain entirely emo together. 

FOOLISH
Honestly, you can be quite foolish
Frowning is fine and all,
But it can't be an everyday thing.
Still, foolish as you are,
An annoyance you may sometimes be,
I don't really care
For in my heart, there is but you. 

APATHY
Empty... Simply empty.
People tell me I'm complex
But in truth, I can't be more simple.
There is but one thing I want
Nothing more but that one thing
LOVE - Love to fill my empty heart.
So, why don't you just tell me your name?
Then, maybe I won't be empty anymore.

CATASTROPHE
I am but a walking catastrophe
Attempts always end in failure
Causing chaos, causing hurt, causing pain
Not only for myself but for all.
But then, you came into my life,
Granting a small spark of hope,
A spark that lit my world
And possibly ended all catastrophe.

PERSISTENCE
You say you're blind
Yet you see right through me
You say you're weird
Yet you seem the only sane person to me
No matter how much I try to say no,
Your persistence changes everything.
Must you persist on this and that?
Stop... I might forget to say no...

Heaven-Inspired

Heaven-Inspired is a collection of poems about first love. Some of these have real-life stories behind them. Of course, I won't be mentioning which ones. :)

GLIMPSE
Our first was but a mere glimpse
I noticed your complexity
I was intrigued
You may not have noticed me
Yet it doesn't matter
For that was but the first,
the first moment granted by fate

CHERISH
I know not who you really are
I know only your name
Physical means doesn't matter though
For our paths have already crossed
And indeed...
You forever I will cherish

PENGUIN
We can't be more different
How I hate your eccentricity
Never before have I met such a guy like you
Yet different as we are
We can't be more similar
You and I ~ My Penguin-chan

EMO
Colors of red and black
Perhaps for some, these are but
Colors of pain, hurt and torture
But for us, for me, for you,
They are colors of passion.
Let us ignore the world
And remain entirely emo together. 

FOOLISH
Honestly, you can be quite foolish
Frowning is fine and all,
But it can't be an everyday thing.
Still, foolish as you are,
An annoyance you may sometimes be,
I don't really care
For in my heart, there is but you. 

APATHY
Empty... Simply empty.
People tell me I'm complex
But in truth, I can't be more simple.
There is but one thing I want
Nothing more but that one thing
LOVE - Love to fill my empty heart.
So, why don't you just tell me your name?
Then, maybe I won't be empty anymore.

CATASTROPHE
I am but a walking catastrophe
Attempts always end in failure
Causing chaos, causing hurt, causing pain
Not only for myself but for all.
But then, you came into my life,
Granting a small spark of hope,
A spark that lit my world
And possibly ended all catastrophe.

PERSISTENCE
You say you're blind
Yet you see right through me
You say you're weird
Yet you seem the only sane person to me
No matter how much I try to say no,
Your persistence changes everything.
Must you persist on this and that?
Stop... I might forget to say no...

A New Beginning (Again)

I'm not entirely sure what it was that made me start a new blog.

Perhaps it was that book on writing I read - it said that it was essential for writers to have a site/blog, so as to easily connect with readers and vice versa. Or maybe it was the loss of a certain writing site that cost me quite a number of works. (I managed to save a few, thanks to back-up copies here in my computer. But ultimately, I still lost a couple of poems/stories.) Then again, it could have just been a mere whim.

Well, whatever it was, I certainly gave in to it, considering this site's now up and running.

Cheers to a new beginning (again)!

Hopefully, this site will last longer than its predecessors.

A New Beginning (Again)

I'm not entirely sure what it was that made me start a new blog.

Perhaps it was that book on writing I read - it said that it was essential for writers to have a site/blog, so as to easily connect with readers and vice versa. Or maybe it was the loss of a certain writing site that cost me quite a number of works. (I managed to save a few, thanks to back-up copies here in my computer. But ultimately, I still lost a couple of poems/stories.) Then again, it could have just been a mere whim.

Well, whatever it was, I certainly gave in to it, considering this site's now up and running.

Cheers to a new beginning (again)!

Hopefully, this site will last longer than its predecessors.

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. After you read this, you should delete and write your own post, with a new title above. Or hit Add New on the left (of the admin dashboard) to start a fresh post.

Here are some suggestions for your first post.

1. You can find new ideas for what to blog about by reading the Daily Post.


2. Add PressThis to your browser. It creates a new blog post for you about any interesting  page you read on the web.


3. Make some changes to this page, and then hit preview on the right. You can alway preview any post or edit you before you share it to the world.

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. After you read this, you should delete and write your own post, with a new title above. Or hit Add New on the left (of the admin dashboard) to start a fresh post.

Here are some suggestions for your first post.

1. You can find new ideas for what to blog about by reading the Daily Post.


2. Add PressThis to your browser. It creates a new blog post for you about any interesting  page you read on the web.


3. Make some changes to this page, and then hit preview on the right. You can alway preview any post or edit you before you share it to the world.