I'm back again and I know it's been a long time, but thought I would do an update. I'm in uni now, doing a Bachelor of International Business so I've been doing some economics and accounting notes. My first mid terms is next week T^T .
Anyways, hope you are all well and remembered to drink and eat something!
Study Playlist:
Give me your forever - Zac Tabudlo
Die for you (remix) - The Weekend, Ariana Grande
Karma - Summer Walker
Smoke Sprite - So!yoOn! Ft RM of BTS
One Life - Justin Bieber
Set Me Free Pt 2 - Jimin of BTS (GO STREAM IT NOW)
Hello everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve updated this blog and even longer for adding to the studyblr. So here we are with some Japanese notes for my upcoming writing test. Took the liberty to go to a cafe and study for a little and it was really nice change of pace. And I actually got a lot of work done so a very successful day I would say. Romanticising studying actually is really fun to do ^^
It’s a late start to the year but I am back and still kicking!! This time I have an art study I did recently. Some of you might be able to tell whose eyes they belong too (one of them is even mine 😉). Hopefully I can get better in my future works. I also added my art account for those who wanna check it out.
11.10.21 || English Literature notes for my presentation
So, I found a way to keep myself motivated while doing online study. Well, I'm experimenting with different methods. Lock-down has been pretty brutal this time around but at least I only have to wait for another week until I'm back on school campus. Until then, I just need to keep hustling and keep my head up.
If you're in the same boat, I wish you the best of luck and know you're not alone. Remember your goal and keep that in mind. You can do this!
So it's been a while and I promise I didn't drop off the face of the Earth. But I'm back with another Korean study after a few months of me abandoning it. Which is bad, yes I know. Nonetheless I've began to really contemplate my planning of my studies so I can get the most of my study sessions.
Here's my plan:
Create Mind Map for the concept of Passive verbs.
Work on TTMIK and How To Study Korean lessons (Level 2, lesson 10 and conclusion of Lesson 15, respectively).
Reading and Speaking practice with K-dramas and reality shows.
Vocab, vocab, vocab!
I know I'll get there and if you're learning as well, you can too! 화이팅!
Back it again with the Korean. This time I'm translating another song (can you guess?). I wanted to use my iPad to see the formatting of the notes and I kinda like it (a bit chaotic but it works). It'll be convenient if I want to squeeze a bit of Korean study at school or somewhere either than home.
Also drinking some tea which I usually don't drink. Recently I went to a friend's house for some tea and I have been pleasantly enlightened. English Breakfast with sugar and milk kinda tastes like bubble tea to me so... yeah.
Anyways hope you're inspired and motivated to continue with what ever langauge you're learning. Never give up!!
The darkness that seemed too dark and too black? I remember closing my eyes and letting myself drift into nothingness, feeling nothing and seeing nothing. It almost felt real; the mind-numbing expanse of the dark that stretched on endlessly. But then I opened my eyes and I saw you staring back at me in that aggravating way of yours. It’s aggravating because you smile so big that it hides your eyes; your beautiful eyes that hide the blue of oceans and the light of the stars.
I want to be able to see your eyes and forever get lost in them. I want to be able to map out each and every corner so that when I close my eyes, I’ll be able to see you in the darkness. See the ocean and the stars all the same. So when I get lost all I have to do is follow the sound of crashing waves and follow the lit-up sky.
As you can see I am officially joining studyblr and langblr! Don't know if it's suitable cause the lighting is crap but eh what can you do.
Currently on Korean Passive Verbs and boi is it confusing (been procrastinating it for a while lol). I've also been doing lyric translations, right now its Paradise (낙원) by the legends themselves BTS. It's been helpful in the way I'm learning new words and phrases.
Hopefully I can use Tumblr in the hopes of motivating myself and seeing how I progress. Let's get it!
I’m scared to hold your hand. I’m scared that the weight in my hand will mean something, to both of us. That we mean more to each other than we thought.
But when we do hold hands, interlock them and twine our fingers together, I’m scared of letting go. I’m scared what it means when your hand drops from mine and it becomes cold.
I want to hold your hand forever for it to mean I could spend forever with you. That if we were to let go, the warmth would still stay. For the both of us.
I posted this on the Euphoria MV as well but I just wanted to come and post it here too...
I was just listening to Clair de Lune and when I first heard it I had a sense of deja vu, like 'where did I hear this from??" Then I imagined people running and then I remembered it was from the Euphoria MV.
Why do I think this is interesting? Well, I did a bit of research and found that this piece got its title from a poem by French Poet Paul Verlaine. He depicts the soul as a place where it's full of music that's in "minor key" (which by the way is used often or heard in sad songs) and where the birds sing by the 'sad and beautiful light of the moon. In the poem it also says, "They do not seem to believe in their happiness/And their song mingles with the moonlight." Ring any bells? In Euphoria, Jungkook keeps saying stay with me, hold my hands, don't let go of my hands, you're my euphoria/utopia. Does Jungkook really believe in the happiness he shown to be experiencing in the MV?
Also the piano music and the poem are said to be linked - the change between melancholy and joy suggests birds beating wings and them taking flight. I get the impression that it's a piece of joy hidden amongst sadness and despair. In correlation to Euphoria, bright colours (I.e the colour yellow) are used to portray happiness and joy. But there still this haze, like a fog obscuring the screen which makes the colours look muted (to me anyway). There is also the addition of cool colours like the dark blues and whatnot muting the boys bright clothes.
I think we might've already established this but Euphoria is a dream- in Euproria's lyrics and in relation to Clair De lune. The second verse says that "숨이 막힐 둣이 행복해져
주변이 점점 더 투명해져 (I'm so happy, I can't breathe/Everything is getting blurry). It even says, "don't wake me up from this dream." He is trying to hold onto this happiness he knows he can't keep.
Jungkook is sad, he has had a tough life (being run over and beaten up )and his only happiness is his hyungs.
I just wrote an essay my goodness. But these are my thoughts. Don't know if people already know this. You all probably do. Oh well. (I don't think you would have read until this point anyways. If you have wow, you have commitment).
Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza--but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion?
Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys--an old flame from Asha's past--reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.
Quotes:
"Every story needs its hero. And its villain. And its monster."
"Live a life worth dying for."
"And may we meet again on distant shores. Some place fine and far from here."
"There's a billion different versions of you out there, in a trillion different universes. And I still can't get over how lucky I am that, out of all those versions, you're the one that's mine."
For the final blow and the finale, they knocked me out.
Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff... yah did it again.
DING DING DING! K.O!
So it's been a while since I've done a review and read this particular book and I'm sorry. I felt I got out of things especially with going into college and whatnot (but I don't think anyone of you cares).
Anyways, I want to keep this short and sweet because 1) I vaguely remember the finer details of what happened and 2) some of you don't like reading long reviews so I will grant you the pleasure of reading less.
First thing... new couple, baby! In my book of cliches, it's more of a pretty boy with blonde hair and blue eyes and a pretty girl soft type. Sorry if I got it wrong. Their names? Rhys and Asha. Cute names too.
Everything becomes connected so the previous characters such as Ezra, Kady, Nik, Hanna, Ella and my favourite, killer, murderous, crazy and overprotective computer AI is back - AIDAN (oh how I missed you). These characters were literally made for each other like it's so cool how they work together and their team dynamic, their banter, conversations and it's just so-
Ahem, right, short. Let's keep this short.
Well, long story short, they're back to kick some ▆▆. Out for some BeiTech blood, ohhh yeah. Are they successful? Gotta read the book to find out ;)
On an emotional level, the book destroyed me. Like seriously, I didn't know whether to throw the book across the room or console and nurture it because that's how affected I was. Kaufman and Kristoff just have a way with their words. And can I say, throughout this whole series, I have never felt more single in my life. The characters and couples called me single in like, so many different ways.
This book was good. This series was immaculate.
Even though the books were long, here we are, wrapping it all up. Chums and fems get off your butts and get a hold of this series. Barge into your public libraries. Or school and demand for a copy of this series. Or save up and go to your nearest book store - it's a worthy investment. Better yet, beg your parents that what you actually wanted for your birthday was not that set of Victoria Secret pink lotion with a matching set of pyjamas but this book series. GET *claps* IT *claps* NOW! *claps in your face*
Thank you for coming to my TedEd talk.
That's the end for the Illuminae Files folks! Come back next time for another book or book series reviewed by me! Or request a book I should read next. It would be very much appreciated.
Let me know how this book (brutally) treated you. Or don't. Depends on what you decide.
If something makes you anxious, you're better off not thinking about it...
Not making sense? Okay let's try something else. Picture this: you're surrounded by a mountain of laundry so immense you can't see over the top of it. And what's worse, you have no washing machine. So you will have to it all by hand. Obviously, you're overwhelmed. You look around you and the doubts start flooding in. Will you be able to clean it all? How long will it take? Can you do it well enough? And the more you think, the more anxious you get. Time ticks by but you feel paralysed. So, what do you do now, Tohru? If you ask me, your best bet is to start by washing the laundry that's at your feet. It's important to think about what's ahead, but if you focus on that too much, you will trip over what's right in front of you.
Keep washing, one piece of laundry at a time and before you know it there you'll be, staring up at the sun and a bright blue sky. Sure, you will get anxious sometimes, but when that happens, just, take a little break, read a book, watch some TV and if all else fails eat some Somen with your friends
Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.
The saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the space station Heimdall. Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter, Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. Little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed to Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.
When an elite BeiTech team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. Soon, Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival. The fate of everyone on the Hypatia - and possibly in the known universe - is in their hands.
But relax. They’ve totally got this.
They hope.
Quotes:
“I cannot help but wonder if the thought of saving all those lives and hopes and dreams pales in comparison to the thought of seeing him again. I wonder.”
“▆▆ me that felt weird. Like someone threw a rainbow at my head.”
“Patience and Silence had one beautiful daughter and her name was Vengeance.”
“It may comfort you to know that your death while astonishingly violent, will most likely be mercifully swift.”
“And now, born from the ashes, she’s a warrior in bloodied black.”
Welcome back to the Illuminae Files where, after reading Gemina I am left to search for my pulse and heartbeat.
You read that right folks, I am deceased.
But before I tell you why, I would like to put a disclaimer that this review (or whatever this is) will have spoilers. So if you haven’t read the book or Illuminae, oh well, get ready for spoilers I guess. Do not fret however, I will warn you of upcoming spoilers. You’re welcome ;).
Also, if you haven’t read my previous Illuminae post, go check that out first or after, whatever you decide.
Alrighty, Gemina yes, one word.
Deceased.
Me. I’m deceased.
I finished this book last night and let me tell you I almost threw this book across the room. Three times. It was near midnight and I almost screamed. Bottom line, I have thoughts. Many of them.
So buckle up kiddos, this is gonna be a long one.
Fair warning. This book might have slightly mature themes, like drug production and use (which is very pertinent to the plot-line, iykyk), sexual innuendos, sexual tension, an annoying sexual song about lollipops... yeah you get the gist.
Let’s start by introducing Hanna and Nik. “Highness”, as Nik like to calls her, is a daddy’s girl. If she lived in our world she would probably be asking her daddykins for dresses and bags she doesn’t even need. However, she’s a black belt. So maybe don’t make fun of her...
Nik, on the other hand, is the typical bad boy, tall, lean, with abs, tattoos up his arms, torso and neck. Served time in juvie where he obtained such abs. But he has dimples. Dimples. He’s also, like, really funny. Like what he says...
I’ll give you an example (He’s typing this by the way):
“So you can me all to yourself. He says winking suggestively.”
I like him- ahem, that speaks for itself, moving on.
This story takes place on the Heimdall space station where the Hypatia need to pass through to the Core to inform them about the Kerenza attack. Everyone is getting ready for Terra Day, getting ready to party, to get drunk, high probably as well. Hanna waits for Nik to give her her dose of drugs for ‘party favours’. Her boyfriend, Jackson, waits for her at the Atrium which is where Terra day is being held. Nik is running late because of a ‘package’ arriving at the station. Hanna gets impatient, Jackson gets nervous, Nik just gets tired because that kid sure can smoke.
Then it all goes to crap when the station gets invaded by BeiTech Industries. Remember them? The jerks who invaded Kerenza to destroy the illegal mining operation and mass murdered hundreds of people? Yeah, it’s them again with Leanne Frobisher (SPOILER), Ezra’s mum by the way, their director. 24 of their ‘goons’ are there to clean up their mess and exterminate the Hypatia and the Heimdall with a drone fleet which will hopefully, for them, eradicate witnesses of the Kerenza attack.
People die, cry, scream. The Atrium and Entertainment Center are the areas where they are trapped in which are guarded. Hanna and Nik, on the other hand, are trapped outside with the BeiTech baddies. It is up to them to save everyone.
Like the previous book, the story is told through a dossier of files and whatnot. Their main source of communication at the start is a programme called WhisperNET then they switch to palmpads (from my knowledge is quite similar to phones) because y’know the bad guys can track em’. I have one problem, one issue that I would like to address and discuss with the publishers or whoever is responsible for the layout of this book.
Which fool decided it was a good idea to place black text onto a near black background? I couldn’t read crap. But I don’t know if that was on purpose...
Anyways, the invasion happens and Nik and Hanna are split up from each other. Nik has a cousin, Ella, who (like Kady) is a tech wizz and tries to help the pair with opening doors and being their eye in the sky. I mean, you need a character like that in a story such as this one.
But BeiTech are not the only monsters. There’s another problem. One that is rather... disturbing.
SPOILERS (it’s more gross really).
Alright, remember how I said that drugs were very pertinent to the story. Well turns out you can have drugs made from organisms ‘colloquially’ known as ‘lickers’ and it rubs me the wrong way. I was uncomfortable to say the least. And seriously, while reading the Unipedia file and descriptions of the lanima, I swear I cannot see why that had to use the word “secrete’ or ‘secretion’ so many times.
To make matters worse, they make their entrance by slithering out of dead cows’ bodies. Just imagine the Stranger Things demogorgons in Season One in their baby forms but longer and with four heads and sharp needle like teeth crawling out of a dead cow. Again, was I uncomfortable? Yes, yes I was.
You see, Nik’s crime family loves making drugs from within cows’ bodies. I mean, this is some Stranger Things crap right here.
You know what makes them even more terrifying? Before killing their prey, they secrete (ugh) this fog like substance out of their skin that makes them high. Yeah, you’re high before these slime-balls kill you. So really you wouldn’t know what hit you, until the kittens and rainbows turn into black and you’re just a brainless, soulless person. They suck your face off, basically. And not in that way, you nasties.
It was thanks to these lanima that a page scared me. Yes, a page (pg 368). What the crap did they put in this book?
What I really enjoyed was how Hanna and Nik’s relationship progressed throughout the story. Like Kady and Ezra, they were able to joke around while under immense pressure. And to be completely honest, Hanna and Nik had higher stakes this time around.
When they were still bantering and tip toeing around each other, I was like, “ugh, just kiss already, goodness.” I was more relieved they kissed then surprised. Honestly, it was about time they did, I almost choked on the sexual tension.
OH and AIDAN makes a comeback and let me tell you I was so happy. AIDAN follows the movement of the lanima and it describes it in such a creepy way that shivers went down my spine.
I do not like those lanima slime balls. Periodt.
During the last pages of the book though, I almost had a heart attack. Can this book just let me breath? Please. For just a second. Oh my word. Just one thing after the other slapped me in the face until I questioned my sanity. Like the ending? WHAT THE FLYING CRAP WAS THAT ABOUT?
I don’t want to spoil too much for those who haven’t read the book or haven’t got the guts to do so anyway but overall, this book was just a roller coaster of a ride. No complaints. Only that the publishers and authors do something about the black on black formatting. Please, we don’t want to be squinting at pages like we need glasses (my apologies to those reading with glasses, you know the problem first hand).
Anyway, it will be a while until I can finish this series as I don’t have the third book, Obsidio. I know, sad face. But alas, I will wait after Christmas (because sales, duh) to obtain the last piece of the puzzle and hopefully I can get a break from feeling like I’m dying. But I am really enjoying this series; one of the best ones I’ve read in a while!
So, until next time. I might do small book reviews here and there so that’s good at least. So stay tuned kiddos and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Let me know how this book treated you. Or don’t. Depends on what you decide.
People who haven't seen Parasite by Bong Joon Ho a South Korean director having won three academy awards. His film won four academy awards, one being Best Picture making it the first non-English film to win the Oscar's most prestigious award. The film itself being an absolute brilliant thriller that was so artiscally crafted that it should be considered illegal. To people who haven't seen Parasite, to that I say, you insolent, uneducated, swines, what are you doing with your life? Pay your respects and watch this movie.
I'm just kidding this movie is just really good. Go watch it if you like comedy and thrillers :)
The year is 2575, and two rival mega-corporations- ▅▅▅ and ▅▅▅ - are at war over a planet that’s a little more than an ice covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With the enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra are forced to escape on the evacuating fleet.
But their troubles are just beginning. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to the light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak again.
Quotes:
“Part of being alive is having life change us. The people around us, the events we live through, all of them shape us. And that’s what I think you’re [AIDAN] afraid of. Maybe not of dying. But of this you, the you you’ve become, ceasing to exist.”
“I’M ON A ▆▆ING DERELICT WARSHIP ON THE RUN FROM THE PSYCHOTIC CREW AND AN INSANE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TRYING TO SAVE MY ▆▆ING BOYFRIEND. ▆▆damn right it’s nuts.”
“You have me until every last star in the galaxy dies you have me.”
“Perhaps bravery is simply the face humanity wraps around it’s collective madness.”
“Am I not merciful?”
Hi. Here I am. Having finished this book.
Am I okay? Yes and no.
Here’s the thing, I get intimidated by big books and this was 599 pages long. It was a big boi. But was this book worth it? You bet your bottom dollar it was!
I completely fell for the story hook, line and sinker. I mean a space pathogen that completely renders their victims into psychotic lunatics? A mistaken, murderous AI who fully believes that it’s saving the fleet? Romance? Witty banter? Are you kidding me? This is everything I ever wanted and didn’t know I needed!
Kady and Ezra’s relationship, in particular, was really refreshing in the way that they still were able to backchat each other while death loomed over their heads.
Example:
Ah, finding humour in dire situations. We love to see it.
Now honestly, at first I thought it would drag on, just be a repetitive cycle. But I was completely caught off guard. There were nail-biting sections and ones that left me breathless. I was surprised because the story is told through hacked dossier and file documents. There are emails, maps, diagrams of the battleships, medical reports and more. Some of the parts entailed secretive intentions. Like formatting like this: Illuminae is absolutely brilliant, beside the fact some of the lingo made it hard to follow. It was the small details I loved the most. The overall format of the story was so unique and visually entertaining that I think it’s the best way to tell a story such as this one.
Greatest thing is, I think this book can just be read as a stand-alone. Even though it’s a part of a trilogy, it’s too good that it can be read by itself. Oh, there are no chapters by the way. So for those who love systematic reading, well you better get used to it, just know this book won’t be your usual.
I also have to mention it felt like I was watching a movie. Seriously, this book was so intense that at times I didn’t realise I stayed up passed midnight. It left me reeling, shocked, confused. I highly, highly recommend it. 5 stars. 10/10.
Okay I’m off to read the second book. I’m excited, so adios friends.
Let me know how the first book goes. Or don’t. Depends what you decide.
