Memory Box

Ramblings on and visuals of almost anything shamelessly published on a sophisticated, artsy platform called Tumblr. Tin Paglinawan. Filipina.

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This is what the Solar System sounds like, thanks to NASA’s new SoundCloud channel – the best thing since Carl Sagan’s Murmurs of the Earth.

(via kottke)

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So I got a copy of Esquire Philippines' September issue (on October 1) after initially losing hope that I'll get my hands on Eraserheads' never-before-released singles "Sabado" and "1995"...

...and found myself lightly bobbing my head up and down to the rhythm while all the memories from my meaningful yet 50% blurry, slightly adulterated 90's life made a movie reel-fast come back (Hyperventilating from all the nostalgia)

They still got that catchy. familiar vibe, if not the exact copy of greatness that was years ago, in them. :-)

Note: Photo grabbed from Google.

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You party all night to the music and lights, but you don't know what happiness means.

Look at us them restless souls. Just got to sing along.

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A truly spectacular read on the art of solitude, increasingly misunderstood and rare in our age of compulsive connectivity.

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We are creatures of remarkable moodiness and mental turbulence, and what we think we believe at any given moment — those capital-T Truths we arrive at about ourselves and the world — can be profoundly different from our beliefs a decade, a year, and sometimes even a day later. This, perhaps, is the greatest gift of the diary — its capacity to stand as a living monument to our own fluidity, a reminder that our present selves are chronically unreliable predictors of our future values and that we change unrecognizably over the course of our lives.

Famous writers – including Virginia Woolf, Henry David Thoreau, Susan Sontag, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Sylvia Plath, and Oscar Wilde – on the creative benefits of keeping a diary.  (via explore-blog)

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I have advice for people who want to write. I don’t care whether they’re 5 or 500. There are three things that are important: First, if you want to write, you need to keep an honest, unpublishable journal that nobody reads, nobody but you. Where you just put down what you think about life, what you think about things, what you think is fair and what you think is unfair. And second, you need to read. You can’t be a writer if you’re not a reader. It’s the great writers who teach us how to write. The third thing is to write. Just write a little bit every day. Even if it’s for only half an hour — write, write, write.

Wisdom from Madeleine L’Engle, quoted in her biography. Couple with Hemingway’s advice to aspiring writers and Virginia Woolf on the creative benefits of keeping a diary, then revisit L’Engle on writing and creativity.  (via explore-blog)

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Talk About J-Pop #1: "truth" by Arashi

About Filipino skater Michael, about a Jap drama, and quotes here and there, and now I'm jumping to another talk about... Tada! J-Pop!

I was really skeptical to the notion that I can bring myself to like or listen to J-Pop songs - and from an idol group at that! You see, my Pre-"I like J-Pop" image loves classical music, rock n' roll and alternative rock, so I don't listen to idols at all. That, and the fact that I don't understand them. 

I loved anime themes, though, back then when I had no idea that some songs from my favorite anime were actually performed by J-Pop artists (oh, ignorance). 

But "truth" swept all my fears and doubts away because: 1.) I love the intro and 2.) The words will grow on you once you've understood what they're singing about. It's expressing "depression" and "the trap you get into when you can't let go of the past" in an artistic manner, and I also find it symbolical (yes, the purity of Lilies in Japan).

I once winced when I heard the English parts 'cause the insertion seemed sooo awkward, but you know, I kinda got used to it after hearing the same lines twice. xD 

This one's lengthy cause the Read more feature just won't work. Some explanations:

1. The song started with a BANG. Timpani roll, followed by strong violin spiccato (bouncy-sounding) bow strokes (or staccato, I'm really not sure) and later layered over by a slow, melancholic piano melody filled in the first few seconds of the song. The way the song began speaks of mystery, fear, angst, and sadness forming a picture of a confused person with mixed feelings, only that those emotions were aesthetically arranged to produce an overall strong beginning.

2. The lyrics are sad but deep. 

Yeah. Here's the English translation from LJ user yarukizero (http://yarukizero.livejournal.com/39403.html):

A single light flickers It disappears without healing the pain I take your life forever,  You take my life forever One single tear falls lightly It disappears without the emotions reaching your heart I take your life forever, You take my life Lying hidden in the unceasing time (The traces of fallen tears) (The color of a frozen tear) Love is certainly like the pouring rain Memories I can't go back to are spinning around (The traces of fallen tears) (The color of a frozen tear) Everything has been taken to the end of this world Sadness No matter what kind of ending I draw, your heart is still a mystery That is just like the darkness, the truth draws near No matter what kind of world I draw, I couldn't see tomorrow That is just like the lily that doesn't know impurity But it's wish is still transparent Alone with a flower dyed in white Vowing nothing will change I take your life forever  You take my life Left in the voices that didn't reach you  (The traces of fallen tears) (Two faces that weren't completely hidden) Love was like a wind that gently blew through Sleeping in an endless night (The traces of fallen tears) (Two faces that weren't completely hidden) The pain left behind by the scars of a dream Sadness Even if a small amount of light is born, I feel grief again and again That is just like the truth that disappears like a lie Even if I open my wings for the last time, fate can't be changed The lily is futile against making the pain go away If in my dreams, I could have continued to love Sadness No matter what kind of ending I draw, your heart is still a mystery That is just like the darkness, the truth draws near No matter what kind of world I draw, I couldn't see tomorrow That is just like the lily that doesn't know impurity But it's wish is still transparent

If you want to sing along, then click on the link above to see the Japanese and Romaji lyrics. 

Here's the link for the PV:

http://www.jpopsuki.tv/video/Arashi---Truth-%2528eng-sub%2529/9b331fce875535bfc06fc36e23786190

3. To further understand why all the singing boys were so down, somewhat engulfed in grief and showing no signs of being able to move on from that, you can check out the drama where the song was used as an opening theme. It's titled "Maou" starring Ohno Satoshi and Ikuta Toma. It has a dark theme, and some episodes may be disturbing. You've been forewarned!

A final word: This is my favorite Arashi song ever. Oh, I almost forgot, but not only did "truth" changed my perception about J-Pop, but I also kind of morphed into a fan. Ah, just so you know, they're the only J-Pop group I really know and liked. I'm not and will not be ready to follow another J-Pop group! (Image on the line :-D)

That's it for the post today!

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Autostraddle tells it like it is. I guess that’s exactly what Alan Watts meant in 1951 when he admonished against the "orgasm without release" of media overload. 

Lest we forget, the psychology of fruitful writing does require a dedicated environment free of distraction. 

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THIS.

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Panic at 20?

Is it reason enough to panic if you're still undecided on what path to take at 20? I see no reason. You see, in this age, you'll be taken to places you don't want to go to, anyway. Forced to take on things you don't normally do. Pressured by parents, siblings, and the judging eyes of society. You have to work, earn money, play hide and seek, socialize. You'll drown in information, force yourself to take in all the knowledge available, and sweat to catch up in this fast, unforgiving world.

But there's no reason to panic. Because somewhere down the line you'll realize that all things work in favor of your inner pursuits towards peace and satisfaction. You'll soon find that this one thing is the thing you've always wanted to do. By that time, you'll be 25, or 30. Well, that's the prize of being undecided. But at least you'll end up somewhere fun, somewhere lovely. Contrary to other people who have been given decided lives since they came in this world, you're the adventurous type of person. But even a person who had been through a lot of adventures will have to settle somewhere.

You wait for that time. While doing so, you just live life to the fullest, and give each day all you've got. 

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You are enough!…You don’t need another person, place, or thing to make you whole. God already did that. Your job is to know it.

Maya Angelou (via quoteessential)

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The goal is to understand your true self before launching an action plan. Deep realizations about yourself don’t come all in one sitting. Be your own ethnographer for a month. One of the people that I admire most in the world is Jane Goodall. Imagine Jane sitting in the forest, looking at those chimpanzees with compassion and curiosity. Take on her kind tone and attitude while observing yourself. Be gentle and curious but never judgmental. This is very hard for us to do because we’re always talking shit to ourselves. Take a notebook and notice every time you get excited about something. It doesn’t have to be a big moment or work related… Just write it down each time—no judgments. What happens over the course of the month is you start seeing some patterns. It gives you a peek into your authenticity and things that energize you. When your whole body lights up with joy, it’s really trying hard to tell you something—it’s saying, “hey, this is important, please pay attention.” […] You need to spend time understanding who you truly are before you forge a path. If you’re making plans based on other people’s perception of you or the perception of yourself that you want to project based on some external force, you’ll always end up in the wrong place.

Advice to those just starting out on a creative path from Sharon Ann Lee, one of the most brilliant people I know – a fine addition to our ongoing archive of life-advice.

Complement with how to find your purpose and do what you love. 

(via explore-blog)

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Forgiveness. The ability to forgive oneself. Stop here for a few breaths and think about this, because it is the key to making art and very possibly the key to finding any semblance of happiness in life. Every time I have set out to translate the book (or story, or hopelessly long essay) that exists in such brilliant detail on the big screen of my limbic system onto a piece of paper (which, let’s face it, was once a towering tree crowned with leaves and a home to birds), I grieve for my own lack of talent and intelligence. Every. Single. Time. Were I smarter, more gifted, I could pin down a closer facsimile of the wonders I see. I believe that, more than anything else, this grief of constantly having to face down our own inadequacies is what keeps people from being writers. Forgiveness, therefore, is key. I can’t write the book I want to write, but I can and will write the book I am capable of writing. Again and again throughout the course of my life I will forgive myself.

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In her beautiful meditation on the writing life, Ann Patchett adds to our ongoing archive of wisdom on writing. Pair with Patchett’s advice to graduates on writing and life. (via explore-blog)

THIS.

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A perfect quote for my mood these days. :-)

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John Green's superb advice to aspiring writers and artists in the digital age – a fine addition to our ongoing archive of sage life-advice.

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It must have been hard to compare yourself with every person you happen to meet just so you can berate yourself. So quit it and give yourself some respect.

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I thought I was the only one thinking about how blissful it is to live alone… until I read this. Man, but more than 30 percent living alone? You must be kidding. Certainly, we need details for this. Hmmm.

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1. Abandon the idea that you are ever going to finish.

6 tips on writing from John Steinbeck, born on February 27, 1902 – a fine addition to our ongoing archive of writing advice. (via explore-blog)