Lunch is a time to finish homework or the chance to squeeze some studying in. Nonetheless, it is supposed to be 30 minutes of stress free and socializing time. Yet, it’s the contrary. Too many students are too busy stressing out to finish the last bit of reading or homework. The students stare at the clock frequently wishing time to stop. Today, I came across an article about a school creating a mandatory course called Lunch.

A high school in New York, a leading school, realized that too many students don’t go to lunch, but rather rush around the hall ways to grab something speedy and run to the library to finish studying. The principal realized that this is only going to make the students more stressed and do harm to their health. He came up with an efficient resolution, making lunch a class. Now, a little bit of class time is reduced and put into resting time for the students to relax and just hang around. It is a mandatory class. The students at Briarcliff High School now have an additional mandatory course. Now, the capacious cafeteria won’t be deserted. Just like Briarcliff High School, there are several high schools nationally. These schools are trying to create stress reduction programs for the students to catch a breath from their packed AP classes and such. In Korea, where grades seem to be the only concern of too many parents, these rectifications should be made or rather the schools should set up programs to limit the stress. I mean, what’s the point of succeeding academically if you’re not happy?

We all know the famous Nicole Richie. She is frequently on the front page of a gossip magazines with news ranging from anorexia to her life of party. As I was looking through People, I came across an article about Nicole as a Mom and not a trouble maker. Personally, not a big fan of Nicole Richie, but like her fashion style. It’s an inevitable fact that Nicole lives a life of luxury. However, the new article was contrasting to the stereotypes of Nicole.

“I use Seventh Generation diapers and we don’t use baby wipes – we use cloth with water,”

It made me wonder if it’s her 4-month old daughter that shifted her into a environmentalist. It seemed like Nicole was going over and beyond as a mom. Whether, Nicole’s daughter made changed her from a party girl to a good mom, it did give Nicole the title as a Mom. I wonder how much I changed my parents’ lives or how they were before they got the responsibility of parents. Moreover, how will my life change when I have children? Well, Nicole’s daughter evidently had the power to change her mom and making the gossipers create a rather positive article about Nicole than the previous criticisms.

Picture from People

This movie made me wonder if I was dreaming or watching a movie. Not because it was boring, but the color of the movie was as if watching a black and white film. Yet, the movie brought out a unique type of movie breaking out of the ordinary categories. I didn’t see much of a intriguing story line in this film. However, from the beginning until the end, it pacified my mind, which is probably why I felt like it was a dream. Even the trailer is calming. It shows no excitement or a secret to be discovered. Nonetheless, the background music and the few scenes shown just comforts me. Through the whole movie, I wasn’t interested, but I wasn’t bored either. The lightning of all the scenes were deem whether it was night or day, which made me feel like I was watching a old movie. It was as if watching a color movie, but in black and white. It’s hard to explain, but basically the lightning and the color made differences blend together and make it as if it was mono color. The color of was constant throughout the whole movie, so it was comforting to the eyes. The director captured many beautiful scenes that made me think that I was watching a photography slide shows. I don’t know how to describe this movie because it was nothing like the other movies I’ve watched in my life. It was like a frame that contained moving pictures- the pictures, which showed the strengthening up of the main character, Elizabeth. The story didn’t have a definite happy ending or a tragic ending, but it had an ambiguous conclusion like paintings. The movie was rather an art work than an entertainment.

“I’m not sure whether that night really happened or if it was just another dream.”

- Jude Law

It is the last phrase of the trailer and maybe the director’s purpose was to make the movie as a dream. Just like in dreams, things are in color, but dark whether it’s day and night. Just like Jude Law didn’t know if it was a dream, I don’t know if the movie was a dream or not. It feels like I slept through it because of the comfort if brought to my eyes and ears, yet I remember watching the movie. Just like dreams, it stopped at a random point without notice, with a kiss.

Watching the trailer again, I feel like I’m dreaming again….. it’s like a lullaby that puts me to sleep, but tells me a story.

Video from YouTube

How can you not adore Jack Johnson? His songs will cheer you up when you’re down and it’s always good to hear some Jack Johnson. I love acoustic music and Jack Johnson is one of my favorites. His sweet voice makes the sorrow disappear and his acoustic guitar makes my finger start tapping along. Songs such as “Better Together,” “Banana Pancakes,” “Breakdown,” and “Good People” are the daily tunes I listen to. I wish he’d come to Korea and have a concert; I’d do anything to hear him sing and play his guitar live. He is absolutely fantastic.

Video from YouTube

“Life is like a box of crayons. Most people are the 8-color boxes, but what you’re really looking for are the 64-color boxes with the sharpeners on the back. I fancy myself to be a 64-color box, though I’ve got a few missing. It’s ok though, because I’ve got some more vibrant colors like periwinkle at my disposal. I have a bit of a problem though in that I can only meet the 8-color boxes. Does anyone else have that problem? I mean there are so many different colors of life, of feeling, of articulation.. so when I meet someone who’s an 8-color type.. I’m like, “Hey girl, magenta!” and she’s like, “oh, you mean purple!” and she goes off on her purple thing, and I’m like, “no – I want magenta!” – John Mayer

Always adored John Mayer and his music, never knew he said such thing. If John Mayer saw me as the person I am right now, would I be magenta or purple?

A new goal set as in April 15th 2008, be the 64- color crayon box. For now, I’m still the 8-color box, yet I do have some vibrant colors like lime green. However, it’s hard to find 64-color crayon boxes. It’s my job to blend the humdrum solid colors into exotic colors. Contributing in the creation of new vibrant colors in the boring 8-color boxes will be the baby steps in becoming the diverse 64-color box. I don’t want to be just any 64-color box, but I want each color to be very individual. When all 64 colors are unique, I would have accomplished my goal in finding the unique facets of myself. Although I have a vibrant crayon in my box, that’s only the beginning. I have a lot of searching and mixing to do to complete my 64-color collection. So then, when I meet someone who’s an 64-color type.. he’ll be like, “Hey girl, magenta!” and I’ll like, “oh, that’s me!” and I’ll go off on my magenta thing.

I don’t want to be one of the 8-box color type, the trite type; I want to be the 64-color type, the unique type- the special one. My 64-color box will be filled with too many different colors created through my experiences in life. Nobody, but I will have this special edition crayon box. I will experience endlessly the infinite colors, and maybe I’ll go overachieve my goal and be the 120-color box.

Movies would lose the emotions of the scenes without the accompaniment of the soundtrack. Soundtracks are always the background music that seems to flow as the actors move. As a result, quite frequently it is rather easy to realize the background music that sets the mood or foreshadows the next scene. Without soundtracks, the movie would flow without a rhythm, the rhythm that secretly tells us the story.

Too many times, I wish for a background music to go with my life or a soundtrack to my life. Life is too busy, and too often I miss the unspoken and the unseen events that occur right by me. Other times, I just don’t want to speak my mood and if there was a soundtrack playing, the sad or the happy music would tell the people around me what I am feeling. Maybe, the music can help me get to know myself better. Sometimes, feelings and emotions get too complicated, I don’t even know myself what I am thinking or wanting. If there was a soundtrack to my life, it’d change constantly since I’m a fickle person. Yet, it might be the key to the emotions I can’t find the reasons for. At the end, the rhythm would secretly tell me my story.

It was March 7th 2008, my heart beats faster than ever, yet the day goes slower than ever. Finally, at 7:50 P.M. I am in the stadium is packed with people, a few that I recognize. Such a roomy place seems to have no room, but the little spaces in between each seat. Staring at my phone, a minute seems to take forever to change. Finally, the minute hand of the clock hits 8:30 P.M. The ticket clearly states that it will start at 8:30, but I see no sign of them. However, the second I was starting to complain, the lights turn off except the blue lights that fill the small stage. Now I realize, it is them, they are on the stage, and they are under the same rooftop as me.With an incredibly loud roar of an electric guitar, they show themselves. It is Maroon 5, can this be happening? With a sweet hello is Korean, “Ahn-young ha sae yo,” Adam Levine shows his face to Korea.

It was right then, I hear an acoustic guitar playing a very familiar melody. Yes, it was the song I was waiting to hear the whole night, “She Will Be Loved.” I was so ecstatic that I felt tears filling my eyes, and my fast beating heart seemed to slow down. The feeling was simply indescribable. I felt like an ice cream melting under a hot summer sun, except that I was melted by the combination of an amazing melody with the sweetest lyrics that were being sang by Adam Levine’s heavenly voice. The live version was better than the recordings because I could here the breath taken while he sang and it sounded much more deep and genuine. After an hour and thirty minutes of fabulous music, sadly, the concert came to an end. I wished for it to go on forever and didn’t want to leave the stadium hoping for another song to be sang. Nevertheless, it was the end. Despite its ending, I promised my self that the next time they visit, I will be there once again singing along and screaming ” I love you!”

“Memories playing like a film without sound”- Vitamin C.

Moving to Korea was a big movement. Physically, but more mentally. In a way it seemed like leaving my life behind in Atlanta- friends, school, culture, and everything else that seemed to complete me. Nevertheless, moving was a definite choice and too late to refund this choice. Now, February 17th, I breathe under the same roof as many people in the same apartment. No regrets to the move now, it seems to be a wise choice I made. However, it is inevitable for my life 7months ago to play in my quite often, or maybe everyday.

It seems like my brain is an autopilot that compares everything about other countries to anything in Atlanta. The life I lived in Georgia seems so long ago, yet it has only been 7months. It is odd because I have only lived there for three years, but it seems like Atlanta is my hometown and the loved ones their are MY people. Although living a terrific life here, it can’t compared to Atlanta. The quiet film plays in my head without a sound, but the images commemorate all the words. This is my favorite film, I would name it The Best Three Years of My Life. The memories seemed to be kept secure in a treasure chest deep inside my heart, and it seems addicting for me that I open it frequently with the desire to go back. Memories seem to be the most beautiful thing in the world. No sound, and it is untouchable. Yet, it is forever without a fade and changed; although, the world changes everyday.

Without these memories, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

Music isn’t all about the melodies. Actually, what makes a song peculiar is the lyric that goes with the song that flows in harmony with the melody. Yet, the lyrics that people love are the ones that can be related. Sometimes, listening to music is the same as listening to what my heart is screaming is out or a scene of a life story.

“Everything looks perfect from far away.”
by The Postal Service – Such Great Heights.

The one sentence from the song lyrics gets caught in my ears every single time I listen to the song Such Great Heights. The main reason seems to be because it is so true that everything looks flawless from far away, just like celebrities smiling for the camera. Yet, behind the scenes, they face divorces and many conflicts in their life. Yes, they might look perfect through the lenses of the camera, but normally people aren’t close enough to the Hollywood stars to know about the flaws of their lives. Faraway from our place, everything seems perfect in their life with the money, perfect body and face, as well as the perfect boyfriends or girlfriends. Nevertheless, we need to remind ourselves that this is the view from faraway.

“There’s a time for every star.”

By Nikka Costa- Everybody got their something

This simple part of the lyrics is sometimes what gets me going when I want to drop the complexity that I hold in life. The entire song brightens up the gloomy atmosphere in general. Yet, this repetitive sentence in the lyrics reminds me that through this work there will be a time for me to shine just like every star has their time to shine. These music lyrics sometimes blanks me out of reality and places me on top of the world wishing and living the life in the song.

This is high school, there’s too many things to worry about and to get done. Quite often, I seem to get internally trapped by the devilish grades. Sometimes, I don’t even know where to start or when to start. Homework and the pressure in studies crashes me into numerous obstacles. The aftermath of these crashes sometimes last long and leave me in a total trauma. Yet, it seems endless; therefore, if I don’t find a way to repair myself, I can’t success.

As the second year of high school goes on even more stressful than the first, I’m becoming adroit at providing myself with some advil. Advil not the medicine, but as in a way to relief my tireless stress that builds up quite often. I started to realize that high school is just going to get harder and harder and I’ll have to climb more of the higher mountains in order to reach my goal. To get through this enigmatic road, sometimes I need to click “pause” on the world and run to my ipod and click “play.” Ipod, for me is the best cure for stress and breakdowns. The moment my beige, cushioned- headphones cover my ears, my aggravating thoughts fly out of the heavenly headphones. The songs that seem to understand me last about three minutes seem, but like three years of pure blitheness. It’s as if the music manipulates my emotions- moreover, they do. As if the music is a human being, it mentors me and calms me down also motivating me to keep on going. It is inevitable that to reach the summit of the tedious mountain, I’ll have many hardships, but it is also a fact that there isn’t an escalator up the mountain. However, it is also definite that managing myself to go up the mountains will someday put me at the summit.

Quite frequently, I comfort myself with the cushion that covers my ears and mentors me with mellifluous melodies.

Picture from Flickr.com