15 - Antonio L: A Fresh Start

 A Fresh Start

My 4th grade year began with me being in Tennessee. George Whitten Elementary to be exact. It was a generally small school with portables for extracurricular activities like Music. (I can only remember music.) 

Since it was my first year there after leaving California, I tried my best to be recognized as a cool person by my other classmates. Example of this was when we went on bathroom breaks. My 4th grade teacher didn’t allow people to talk in the bathrooms at all, but there was this one classmate named Johnny (or not, I think that was his name) who allowed us to talk.

  My 9 year old mind then imagined that as a cool act, an act I imitated with great confidence. However, this act of gaining respect and acceptance didn’t work out well, as I got in trouble for letting my other classmates talk while in the bathrooms. I think one of them told our teacher, but looking back at it 8 years later, I think that it was probably a tad bit racist, since there was nothing to gain from it. (Partially joking)

Another thing about the school was the land around it. It didn’t have farmland acres of grass, but it did feel like it. No fake grass that was too dark of a green, nor was it too yellow that it looked dried up and had coarse dirt underneath that’ll be the equivalent to hitting the sidewalk when deciding to fall back onto it. There was even a little hill-like area near the front of the school, along a road where the bus carried me to and from the apartments I stayed at.

A part of Tennessee I miss a lot was the snow. Though it wouldn’t call it snow per se. It was more like taking a freeze ray over your entire neighborhood and drizzling down some snow. Snow also meant no school which was a cool and bad thing honestly because I would’ve loved to go out playing during snowy weather with my friends at school, like on TV. 

I wasn’t an instant hit in my class, but my intellect got me well known there. However, I also felt like 4th grade was the worst year of elementary school for me. It just felt so odd for me to gain the trust of people I’ve known for a few seconds while people had bonds that have lasted longer than the founding of the U.S.

My grades were also worse than I thought, though I was still smart. It was more of an adjusting year, full of me getting accustomed to Tennessee and how I’ll change how I act towards others. Looking back now, I realized how better of a person I am now because of the mistakes I made back then, though the enlightenment for different things came at different times for me. 

I know I wasn’t as descriptive as I wanted to be, but there’d be too many words, and more untold stories of my 4th grade year, a fresh start for me. 

Word Count: 511

15 - Lucas V: The Lawrence Hall of Science and Mini Train in Berkely, California

    On August 12th, 2017, my whole family went to The Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkely and it was pretty interesting. That visit was pretty memorable as time with family was precious and also because of tons of cool things in the facility. There was even a mini-train that I rode that was just down the mountain from The Lawrence Hall of Science. That experience will be near the end of this narrative. Back to the Hall of Science for now.

    The first things first, the drive and the parking. These two were pretty boring but the parking part was stressful as there were tons of people visiting and barely any parking space. After parking, the family brought out the traveling kit which is a stroller, camera, backpack(filled with clothes if it was cold and also water bottles), plus some backs for miscellaneous items like merch. After that, we went around the entrance of the building and there was a big statue of a whale right at the front. There was also a nice sightseeing spot to look at San Fransisco. The pictures that I will provide at the top are all pictures from my iPod Touch as I wasn’t responsible yet for an expensive phone. After snapping some quick photos, the family began to wander inside to get tickets to go inside.

    Inside the building, there were tons of stairs as this facility is literally built on the side of a huge mountain. Some of the stairs were swirly pretty nice. With using a stroller for my younger sister, my mom had to go through an elevator which was a hassle but was comfortable(I sat in it when I was tired of standing). The exhibits inside were pretty interesting. There were exhibits on insects, aquatic animals, and also space(there are probably more). What was cooler was the fact there were tons of interactive experiments that you can do in almost all of the exhibits.

    After looking at all the exhibits inside, my Dad wanted to bring the family to a spot that is relaxing and also fun at the same time. This place was in a woods kinda area that had a mini train. It was very tiny and looked pretty cute. It had all the same functions as a full-size train which was unique. There were tiny cabooses that could fit up to 2 people on them. The ride was very smooth but the smell of coal burning wasn’t the greatest. The whistle that was in the front of the engine sounded very cute.

Word Count: 429

15- Khiem D. : Loss An Artist's Interpretation

Loss: An Author’s Interpretation

TLDR: Manga Author is a great artist while posing a question about how we should remember our loved ones.

Death has always been an interesting topic, a concept, and a law that has grown quite drab in recent years, but once in a while, you see something truly introspective. I’m back at it again talking about another generally morbid topic, this week’s being about a manga I read recently, “Goodbye Eri”. Written by Tatsuki Fujimoto, of “Chainsaw Man” fame, it follows the story of Yuta, a highschool boy who on the night of his birthday was tasked with filming his mother up until her death. To not spoil too much about the story, it covers the perception of death in society, something generally taken very seriously especially in most Asian cultures, with days and even dedicated shrines to ancestors in some cases. It also touches on how we should see loved ones after they’re gone, as we tend only to remember the fonder moments, a perfectly preserved image of what was. What I want to touch on in this blog is its innovative visuals and its discussion about the previously mentioned perceptions of death.

Fujimoto is a huge cinephile, this much is apparent seeing the various influences in his manga but a great example is its topic as well as the panels itself. The entire plot relates around Yuta’s relation to film, a clear representation of Fujimoto’s love for the medium, and to show this Fujimoto would frame his panels in a similar aspect ratio to films. Wide panels indicative of being in a cinema and most of the manga being seen from the camera’s perspective all to create a love letter to the feeling he wants to show to us. This manga as well as his breakout manga “Fire Punch”  has always had this feeling as they draw heavily from film, references to “Star Wars”, “Alien”, even “No Country For Old Men”, it was almost certain he would incorporate it here, especially so due to the plot being about an amateur filmmaker.

Even after reading the manga, its meaning is so nuanced and profound it’s hard to narrow down an interpretation. My best guess is it’s pretty lax representation of death both in the fake film and the various deaths of Yuta’s loved ones. I assume the point is people tend to take death too seriously, a mindset that can ultimately slow down their process of recovery. It’s not that people shouldn’t care about the deaths of their loved ones as much as not be bogged down in trying to hold onto some idealized memory of the person. This goes on to the story’s next point, the idealized memory of loved ones, as the story progresses past Yuta’s mother’s death, it is later revealed that she wasn’t as lovely of a mother depicted in Yuta’s film. To not spoil it I won’t elaborate too much, but the point is that people try to wallow in the despair of losing a seemingly perfect person, somebody who never argued with them, insulted them, stashing any negative memory to keep a flowery version of the person that was. In doing this it begs the question whether or not it really is right to remember the person that was or the person you wanted them to be.

This manga was released for free online so if your interested here’s the link

https://www.viz.com/shonenjump/goodbye-eri-chapter-1/chapter/24305?action=read

Wordcount: 534

14 - Grace B. My Inspiration

 

Throughout the entirety of my life, I’ve only grown up with ¾ of a set of grandparents. Two grandmas and one grandpa. The missing ¼ has always been a question to me. At some point he existed in our timeline, but who was he? What did he do? Do I look like him? Do we laugh the same? Every time I would ask vague questions about him to my family they would grow angry and tell me to leave. But I have only one grandfather and for the mystery I grew for the other, the more I wanted to learn about the one here with me.

My grandpa was troubled. He spent his life in and out of jail fighting against the world. He was a man that many feared. He would fight and wouldn’t have a care for the consequences. A drunk, a criminal, and a man with no sense of good in his life, I wouldn’t have been able to recognize him.

Reality struck when the amount of alcohol consumption left him hospitalized, ruining his stomach lining. He was told he was going to die, but my grandpa promised himself that if he was able to overcome this tragedy that he would be a good man and live a good life. This promise has forever been fulfilled.

I’ve always known my grandpa as the kindest man in the world. He would do anything for his family and friends. He always gives me words of wisdom when I feel pain and always makes sure to tell me that he loves me whenever he leaves. Every softball game you can see a man with a white hair and an A’s hat in the crowd cheering on his granddaughter, proud because of all the times he took me out to practice. He is truly the core of our family and radiates good energy. 

For the amount of love unaccounted for the missing piece of my grandparents, my grandpa triples it. He is the inspiration of my life. I am the luckiest person ever to have him to look up to. 

349

14 - Lilly T.: Bonds

 

Family. The first thought that came to my mind when I saw this word was the manga I had been rereading over the weekend, Spy x Family. This manga is about a spy, an assassin, and a telepath who hide their real identities from one another and try to act like a normal family. Over time, all three of them discover that they truly love each other as a family. This is called the found family trope, where people who are not blood related forge deep bonds with the people who will become their family. Spy x Family is a really cute and heartwarming manga, and I would totally recommend it if you are a sucker for the found family trope, like me. 

Reading about found family makes me wonder whether found family or blood related family has a stronger connection to one another. Both take time to bond with each other, but I feel that found family has a stronger bond. They want to keep the family they have developed a strong connection to. Blood related family starts off with a connection, but it takes time to develop a strong bond. Found family skips that first step and goes straight to building that connection. The way found family tropes build that connection is so intriguing and seeing how it turns out makes you feel the same emotions the characters are feeling. I am not entirely sure why, but I just love the idea of building connections with other people, even if I am just observing. 

Appreciate the family you have now. You never know what might happen in the future.

Word Count: 271

14: Tyler B - Living in a Shadow

Few people don’t know the Pokemon games made by Nintendo, though many remember the older games more than the newer. Me personally, remember the 4th gen pokemon games because Pokemon Platinum was the 1st Pokemon game I ever played. Throughout the games you always have someone to challenge you, your rival, who grows stronger like you and has the same goal as you, become the champion. Though their dynamics have changed throughout the games, going from being mean and rude, to having different rivals, one that proves to be a real challenge, and one that is weaker and more friendly. In Pokemon Sword and Shield, it’s a bit more confusing on who is your rival, all but one character. Your best friend since childhood, Hop, whose brother is the Pokemon champion of the Galar region, literally claims you as his rival as soon as your get your first Pokemon. That’s who this blog is about, Hop, the little brother, the weak one, always hidden in the shadow his brother has cast over him.

Hop starts out the way most rivals do in these games, he comes rushing into your house, uninvited telling you that you have to rush someone with him, in this case it’s to help his brother Leon, the Pokemon league champion, make his way from the train station to their house. Upon arriving at their house, Leon presents Hop and the main character the 3 starter Pokemon of this game, after choosing one and battling each other, Leon then tasks Hop and the main character with joining the Pokemon league, and battling their way up to fight him for the rank of Champion. Hop, of course, jumps at the idea, all he has ever wanted to do it be like his brother, so of course when given the chance to reach the literally rank of his brother, why wouldn’t he take that chance. Though Hop will be faced with many challenges, one of the biggest ones being you, the main character, who beats him at every rival battle you partake in. And at first he doesn’t mind, he uses it as motivation to get stronger and keep going, much like his brother, but after the introduction of Bede, a much more talented trainer than him, who is very rude, it all starts to fall down.

Bede thinks very highly of himself and very less of others, which doesn’t work in Hops favor. Where when you fight and beat him, you are kind and help him grow stronger over battles that happen throughout the game, Bede beats him over and over again, in one sitting, taunting Hop the whole. Bede calls him a horrible trainer and asks him why he’s in the league anyways, and finally telling him he will never compare to his brother. Though Bede gets what he deserves later on (getting kicked out of the league for destroying some old ruins) Hop is still greatly affected by Bedes words. Anytime anyone sees Hop they say “oh look, it’s the champions little brother” and that gets into the thick of it, Hop is always compared to his brother and never thought of as his own person, just the champions little brother, and Hop has given into this too. He obsesses over his brother and wants to be exactly like him because that’s all people see in him, he is surrounded and enveloped in the shadow his brother has created as champion, and the things Bede said to him made him doubt a dream he’s had since he was a little kid, that he will never be strong enough to be champion, that he will never have the strength to be his own person, forced to live his life in the cold dark shadow of his brother. His brother isn’t a bad person, he has just set the bar so high for Hop that he can’t reach it and doesn’t want to ruin his brothers reputation. But through the game you help him realize that he is more than the champions brother, eventually finding his own way through life as the Pokemon professors research assistant. Though it is not the champion rank he once wished to achieve, he is happy with his new positions, which gives him the power to be his own person, finally. 

Word Count: 718

14 - Blu M: Over Time

 

The society that we live in is forever changing. It feels like just yesterday we were still watching movies on VHS tapes, or maybe that’s just me. But besides the point, our world is constantly shifting and twisting into something completely new. Tomorrow we could see flying cars on “airways” or take a domestic flight on a rocket to tour Mars. Everything changes. 

As for me? I’d like to say that I’ve changed I’m crazy ways like the world I live in, but I really haven’t. I wouldn’t say that I’m the same person that 7 year old me was, but I wouldn’t say I’m not that much different either. Years move by and I still have my same, consistent routine; wake up, go to school, come home, do work, eat, sleep, repeat. It’s as if I am an NPC in a game.  I have my favorite activities, foods, shows, artists, you name it. Even more, I have had the same dream career since I was in third grade… Talk about changing a lot throughout my years. As the world around me changes and progresses, I really just move forward as much as I need or desire.

To people outside of my personal life, it seems like I’ve changed a lot. Of course, I’ve grown up, my looks have changed, and my personality has grown, but this so-called “change” is just me opening up. I was shy growing up and now that I’ve finally broken out of my shell and hopped out of the nest, I seem like a new person. This apparent change is only significant to others, and not me. People have begun to perceive me in different ways, so of course everyone will think I have changed. Think of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly; the creature is still of the same species, has the DNA, and essentially does the same thing after their metamorphosis. A butterfly becomes something beautiful, and yet they still thrive in a similar way to their root species.

Though I myself haven’t changed, I do indulge in the changes around me. I love new technology, the most recent trending videos in social media, interesting media found in the news, new clothing designs, the list can go on for ages. The way I enjoy and splurge on these enjoyments do contribute to my own “change” that people see. And yet once again, I myself never change in the process. 

Recently, I have made it a goal to change more. It was actually ironic to see this prompt as a choice for blogs this week. Changing over time comes naturally, but pushing myself to become a newer, better version of myself is not so natural. Sticking to what I’ve known for quite literally 10 years is absurd and a more clear change should’ve been made ages ago. Though I am nearly the exact same as I was years ago, I am still the best version of myself that I can be at the time. Regardless of anything as such, change or no change is all ok! 

Word Count: 512