Music Ramblings

So, David Choi's new album just came out! It's titled: By My Side...and...I absolutely adore it. When he came to UVa to perform...it was absolutely amazing. I actually was able to meet him, talk to him, and get his autograph! But yea, so information about the album:

By My Side (Track Listing)

1. Better You

2. By My Side

3. That Girl

4. You Can Win

5. Uneasy

6. A Dream

7. This is a Way

8. Amy Ave

9. Heaven’s Ease

10. Deserve to Be

11. So Weightless

12. What Do You Know

Here is a music video for one of the new songs off his album titled, "That Girl."

"The ones we love tend to stay in our hearts and minds long after the relationship ends. While some move on quickly, others dwell and heal at a slower pace. Whatever the case, the thoughts, emotions and memories we experience during this time are heartwrenchingly powerful and real."

Another recent song obsession of mine is AJ Rafael's song, "When We Say (Juicebox)." The MV for it is pretty cute as well.

Here's the MV on Youtube!

"Love and relationships are never like the movies no matter how much we want them to be. But when something beautiful ends, for whatever reason, it's most important not to be disappointed that it's over, but glad that it happened at all."

I love how WongFu Productions always adds those little captions at the bottom of the music videos. They are quite the words of wisdom.

Rain's Symphony

It's raining again. I can hear the droplets as they sound off like a orchestra before their performance. Each of the droplets play make a different sound as they fall on the various pieces that bring this scenery I see outside my window together. Maybe this is what its like to be blind. Maybe vision is overrated. Sometimes one can paint pictures with sound alone.

First year of college is officially over. All that has happened has slowly passed by and become memories. Some memories were delightful, yet there were other painful ones as well. Some memories, I want to cherish for a lifetime, yet there are also those I want to fade into the distance. But with every new memory, there holds another life lesson; I've learned quite a few of those this past year. With each new life lesson, I feel as though I'm an slowly being molded into what I believe to be God's own symphony. Each lesson God is trying to show me is like the cascading raindrops falling on leaves, roofs, and roads. Just like how these little raindrops can come together to create a chorus that is both loud yet beautiful, God places us in little scenarios that when linked together can truly change a person. It's truly inspiring to think about things that way. It's really makes a person appreciate all of God's creation a bit more. Sometimes, I really just have to sit back and marvel at all the beauty I see around me, and feel humbled at God's awesomeness.

Here's a quote I found about rain:

"Ever wonder why we find rain relaxing or beautiful? Perhaps it is because rain brings life. To the fields, crops and land. It brings back the green, keeps it going so to speak. Maybe it is entwined within our genetics to know this, to bring a sense of peace, that everything will be ok. That the food will grow and that will help us survive. This is surely what our ancestors thought and knew, so it surely is within us."

Spring Rain!

"It's been so long since the last entry. There are many things I forgot to mention in my last entry as well.

To be honest, the scenery from my window is not as gorgeous as I would have imagined or wanted it to be. Currently, as I glimpse outside, I see a dark sky covered with clouds, hiding the moon and all its beauty. I can see nothing in the darkness but the dim porch lights of the houses in my neighborhood and their reflection in the puddles scattered among the seemingly invisible road. This was the aftermath of a storm, signaling the beginning of a new season.

While driving back from a dinner party earlier tonight, I found myself amidst this storm. Rain came pouring down like a waterfall, bombarding my car with so much water that even my windshield wipers were rendered "not very effective." Even with my headlights on, the road before me was barely visible; I could only see a few meters in front of my car. However, one thing I do remember seeing was this bright flash that streaked across the sky, seemingly ripping the sky into two pieces. Even though I could see almost nothing due to the downpour, this flash was as visible as headlights of the car tailgating me. I was so focused on the road ahead that this flash took my by surprise. But at the same time, that brief glance left a very big impression in my memory. I can barely remember anything else that took place in the fifteen minute drive back home.

For me, this storm was almost as if the sky was breaking down. The rain falling from the sky were the sky's tears, and the rumbling thunder that shook earth was the sky's cry. Together, it symbolized a change. For the first time, I felt as though spring was coming soon. Even though I dread spring due to allergies, spring truly is the season of change, and I truly need a lot of change in my life.

Currently, my life reflects much of what I see out my window. It is dark and gloomy. Family, friends, and school are all becoming part of this weight that is holding me down. It is becoming harder and harder to handle everything, and oftentimes, I find myself handling the situation inappropriately.

Recently, my family has been going through a lot of problems. The problems isn't from money issues, but rather from interfamily conflicts that are weakening the fragile bonds holding us together. Even though I've only been going for a short amount of time, much as changed in my family chemistry. The communication that was once there has been replaced with criticism and self-reliance. Although I hate to blame the problems on one single person, I feel that much of negativity was largely due to my father. Although I truly love and admire my father, especially since he was the one who raised me as a child, I don't know what to say or how to defend his recent actions. While on one hand, I want whats best for the family, on the other hand, I still really respect my father."

Wow everything above was a draft I had never published. I wrote it sometime in March? I'm going to post this and add another.

Avatar (2009) & The Island (2005)

Recently I watched two sci-fi movies, Avatar and The Island. I enjoyed both movies, but Avatar was definitely the better of the two. However, for both movies, the plot really hit on some very important scenes. They both questioned me and made me think about the world in general. One made me reexamine the importance of our world and its cultures, and both made me reexamine our humanity.

The Island, a 2005 film directed by Michael Bay starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson, is set in the year 2019. Ewan McGregor plays a character named Lincoln Six Echo and Scarlett Johansson plays Jordan Two Delta. Both characters are part of this mini-world created by Dr. Merrick (played by Sean Bean). In this world, hidden from the “real” world, clones of people are manufactured to be the “insurance policy” of the real people in the real world. The client pays to have his clone made so that in case of any medical issue or problem the clone can replace the real person, giving him a fresh new set of organs.

However, in the mini-world, the clones have no idea of what’s happening. They were created to believe that there was some sort of contamination outside of the facility, and that they have to stay inside the facility to remain safe. However, to instill in each of the members a sense of hope, Mr. Merrick imprints in each of the clone’s brains an imaginary utopia known as the “Island.” This island is supposed be the only remaining place on the world untouched by the contamination. Each day people are picked via a supposedly random lottery to go to this imaginary island. However in reality, it just means that they are being sent to the E.R. to be hacked up to deliver the necessary organs to their client as the insurance policy of their client.

Therefore Dr. Merrick is creating this illusionary world in which he becomes the god. He instills, imprints, in the people he creates a false world. As the creator, he gets to do as he pleases with everything in his control. He deceives not only those he creates, but also his clients as he tells them that their clones are void of any emotion when in reality, they have and feel the same emotions humans have and feel. I won’t go into the details of the plot, but from just the setting, many questions came arose in my mind.

Science is truly an awe-inspiring, yet scary field. Are humans truly capable of creating clones? Are we trying to become God by creating life? It truly frightens me when I try to think about what science can do. Even now, with each coming day we are advancing more and more in the field of science. The many diseases that were once life-threatening are now often curable by a shot or pill. As we find ways to improve our health, people are living longer and longer, with the average life expectancy now that doubles that 100 years ago.

One of the lines of the movies that really hit me was the line, “People will do anything to survive. I just want to live.” For the sake of a longer life, will people truly go as far as Dr. Merrick did? Are we trying to be God by extending our lifespan? As an inspiring Doctor, these questions really shook me. Science has the ability to save lives, yet at the same time, it fundamentally challenges religion, a clash that has gone on for centuries.

Another part that really got me thinking was when Dr. Merrick mentioned how without emotion, none of the clones could survive, so therefore it was necessary to give them emotion. He also mentioned how it was to instill fear within the people’s mind by making up the contamination scenario. This keeps the clones from wanting to go outside. Fear holds them back and keeps their curiosity in check. The other import element of Dr. Merrick’s world is the lottery system and the “Island.” The clones believe that the lottery system is truly random and that people are chosen randomly to go to the utopian “Island.” This reward system provides the clones with a sense of hope that allows them to continue on living each day with a purpose.

There are so many parallels that can be made from this movie, but I think I am going to leave it here. I haven’t really sorted out all the questions myself. But, really, despite how the movie was a big flop at the box office, it was actually quite good.

Now, the movie Avatar directed by James Cameron, the famed director of Titanic, the highest-grossing film of all time, was nothing sort of amazing. Despite being released only a few weeks ago, the movie has already become the second highest-grossing film. The 3-D graphics stunned many as Cameron really placed viewers in the middle of his dream world, Pandora. I was completely captivated by the beauty of this untouched world. I loved the intricateness of each of the creatures and the plethora of plants that gave Pandora the feel of a jungle. Both the animals and plants colored Pandora in cool colors that light up even at light from bioluminescence. It was just amazing to be able to take a glimpse of this world and at the same time, due to the 3-D nature of the movie, feel like you were there as well, walking along side the Na’vi, a race of 8-feet tall, blue, cat-like humanoids. The world that Cameron painted seemed almost believable.

Other than the beauty of James Cameron’s Pandora, the plot itself was very will written. Although the beauty of Pandora might have won my eyes, it was the plot of the movie that ultimately won my heart. The movie is set in the year 2154 on Pandora, a lush, Earth-like moon of the planet Polyphemus. The atmosphere itself is toxic to humans so they need to wear oxygen masks. The people are there in part with this corporation headed by Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) because of this valuable mineral called unobtanium (I love the name) that the corporation is mining for. The avatar program is an attempt to improve relations with the natives by creating human-Na’vi hybrids called avatars that are controlled by genetically matched human operators. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic former marine, becomes a last-minute replacement for his murdered identical twin brother, a scientist trained to be an avatar operator. As Jake finds himself on Pandora, he finds himself in a bunch of conflicts.

In my opinion, the conflicts are what make up the plot of the movie. The main conflict Jake finds himself is an inner struggle of where he stands, his identity. Right off from the start, he finds himself pressured by the science program to fill in the shoes his brother left behind. At the same time, being an ex-marine, he finds himself as Colonel Miles Quaritch’s (Stephen Lang) eyes and ears inside the world of the Na’vi (the natives). Therefore, from the beginning he finds himself in the position of a double agent. One side wants to know the secrets of the Na’vi so that they know how to exploit them and get them out so that the unobtanium can be obtained, while the other side wants to establish and understanding and mutual relationship with the Na’vi by understanding their culture. It’s military/power vs. science/nature.

Later, the conflict becomes humans vs. Na’vi, and Jake finds himself really torn. Now that he’s become a member of the Na’vi, he understands much more about their way of life and their unique culture. The deeper he goes and the more he understands, the more painful it becomes for him to continue to help Colonel Quaritch. When he witnesses destruction firsthand when the bulldozers come in and destroy the Na’vi’s sacred Trees of Souls. He finds himself very conflicted, his humanity vs. his avatar. As the story progresses, and as war becomes almost inevitable, Jake has to choose a side, and it is this internal struggle that I believe makes this story stand out.

As the storyline progresses on, loyalties become muddled, a love story across races begins, and the ultimate clash between human and nature is observed. I found that the film was really critical of human nature, and our one-sided relationship with nature. The humans are portrayed as money and power thirsty people willing to destroy the way of life, culture, and home of another species in order for unobtanium. If you replace unobtanium with the various things from nature such as oil, ivory, wood, etc., the story isn’t really much different. In the future, James Cameron’s portrayal could very well be very much true. In terms of power, Colonel Quaritch is a character that embodies the typical power-thirsty leader, willing to use all means to gain victory, just like how mankind can resort to wars, violence, and acts of terrorism for power, land, and money.

Therefore, after watching the movie, not only was I in awe at the amazing 3-D nature of Pandora, the world that James Cameron creates, but also I felt quite conflicted and convicted as well. I began to think back to all I’ve learned in environmental science and all I’ve heard all over about habitat destruction, global warming, and violence. I began to question my own humanity and think about the many times where I committed wrong acts in order to gain some sense of power, whether it be some competition or better performance in school. Although I am happy to admit that I haven’t faced many of these moments, the movie Avatar by James Cameron definitely made me more aware of my nature and of humanity in general. Although I want to believe that we are all good people in heart, there are inevitably those that are corrupted by power and will do anything to achieve more of it.

So, at the conclusion of my analysis, a few more final questions came up.

Who am I? What is my identity? (With what and who do I identify myself with?) What can I do to prevent myself from becoming power-thirsty? Where do I stand when it comes to science, medicine and religion? What are my boundaries?

These questions might sound funny, but they are questions that have seriously boggled me. I don’t know if I will ever know exactly who I am or where I stand, but I would like to at least be able to understand myself better and figure out my boundaries (or the range within which I stand) when it comes to the tough questions over ethics, morality, life, and religion.

Note: I use religion in a broad sense throughout this entry because the problems and questions could apply to all religions, but for me the specific religion is Christianity.