Category: Junior Literary

Today I decided to do something regrettable. I  google translated my favorite song from the school idol anime Love Live. While I haven’t watched the anime, I have played the mobile game, and listened to many of their songs. Over time, I have found that Printemps “Puwa-Puwa-o” is my go-to song. Something about it is so inspiring. It has a very energetic tone, and a nice beat. Very positive all around.

However- I have absolutely no clue what its about. I mean, it could be talking about the 500 ways to walk out of a door wearing gucci flip flops. Unlikely- but possible.

SO! today i want to find the true meaning of the song! and from none other than our 100% accurate, totally reliable, Google Translate.

 

Here are some of my favorite lines… the ones of which I will attempt to derive some meaning from.

“Scissors Ski Genuine Shake it!

I want to see wings sooner

Please catch me when you find me (Puwakuwakuwakuwa)

Only one LOVE YES!

do not wake me up!

There is nobody BABY”

Some may say this holds no meaning. I beg to differ. This can hold so much meaning and value. For example- “Scissors Ski Genuine Shake it!” can represent someone facing their fears. scissors. Cut through your fears, face them head on with your head held high. Maybe in this case, you are afraid of skiing. Climb your own personal mountains as you climb up the hill you will ski down, and let go. Be genuine, and shake the world. one small hill for you, one giant leap for humanity. Brave, strong, powerful. Scissors ski genuine shake it.

 

“I want to see wings sooner” can be taken in 2 ways. Perhaps the singer wishes to find a holy meaning in their life, and meet an angel. However this could also represent a better day. When the sun shines, and the birds chirp, many are able to bring that joy into their day, and further their quality of life.

Further down, I would like to highlight the phrase “Do not wake me up.” Which can suggest that the singer wishes to get a full nights sleep. Getting the recommended hours of sleep per night can have many health benefits, and can help one function at a higher rate than what they may usually do.

 

Therefore, the song “Puwa Puwa-o” is about staying healthy and becoming the best version of yourself. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

As I stated in my last blog, 2019 is the year of taking the lessons I learned in 2018 and applying them. Keep that in mind while reading this….

New Year: As of 12:00:00 AM January 1, 2019, it is no longer 2018. Get it? Got it? Good! 

Same Me: I was born February 28, 2002 at 7:31 P.M. at GLH. Just because the time and date changes, does not mean I have to change to. Therefore, the New Year, New Me thing does not apply to me. What I will do though is grow, which is what we all should thrive to do every-day.

New Routine: In order for me to grow, I have to put myself on a routine or schedule that involves all things that will enhance my mental, emotional,and physical traits. Of course just because I put myself on a routine or schedule, does not mean everything in my life is going to happen according to that. But, that is where the growth comes in. How do I deal with the unexpected things that take place? 

Here is my routine/schedule:

Mental: Around October or November, I started having frequent headaches. I used to wonder why, but now I know. It was because I constantly remembered EVERYTHING I had to do/know. I never wrote anything down, I would just keep it all in my head. So now, as soon as I recognize that something has to be added to my day or week, I put it in my calendar on my phone and set two reminders for it. That way, I can go through the day only worrying about what I am focused on at that time. It is still a lot, but a lot easier. 

Physical: Around November, I started noticing that either my pants were shrinking or I was gaining weight. Come to find out, I was gaining weight. When we went home for Christmas/New Year’s break, I went to the doctor and found out that I have gained 40+ pounds. I wish I could blame it on this school, but I can’t. It was all me. So, before my birthday, February 28, I will tone this weight. I don’t want to lose it because the weight looks good on me. I just need it all to not look like it’s just there. So, I am committing to exercise everyday. I WILL…. stretch, walk for 4 minutes and 25 seconds, do 16-25 squats, run for 2 minutes and 16 seconds, do this crazy leg/stomach/back workout, lift 40-60 pounds of weights, do the Move Your Body challenge, and run in place EVERYDAY! I think by the end of January, I should be fine, don’t you think? 

Emotional: I was an emotional WRECK by November. Guess what? Now…. “I PUT MY FEELINGS ON SAFETY!” < Ella Mai Reference! I’m returning to people whatever energy I receive from them, PERIOD. 

Thanks for reading/skimming…. 

Back at it again with the blog posts! Now, what to blog about… Okay. So, I’ve talked about my thing with watching food videos, and yada yada, but I’ve gotten into another food-related video genre: street food. Just Saturday, I subscribed to three more YouTube channels. I’ll include the links at the bottom of this post, naturally. Gotta share it with you guys!

My best friend and I already plan on going to Japan one day, but the videos solidified it for me. Now I just have to figure out what would be the best time for us to go. I personally want to go during the fall because it won’t be too hot or too cold, but I also want to go to a matsuri (Japanese for ‘festival’), and I’d have to see what festivals would happen around that time. On top of figuring out the timing of a trip out of country, one would have to factor in finances, availability, transportation while in Japan, and other things that I can’t think of off the top of my head. But all that won’t really bother me: I have an affinity for planning trips or events.

Back to the topic of street foods though, it’s actually pretty cool to watch the vendors make the food. Like I watched this video where they were making taiyaki, a fish-shaped cake that usually has some sort of filling (like red bean), and it’s so neat to watch!

This is taiyaki, by the way.

Maybe I’ll make it one day… It just won’t have the fish shape because I don’t have that mold.

Anyway, that’s my new obsession! So if I ever get any free time, you’ll most likely find me watching something from any of those three channels.

Making Taiyaki 

Street Food Channel

Travel Thirsty Channel

Aden Films Channel

I’ve always been a big reader. I would sleep with books under my pillow when I was a toddler. In elementary, middle school, and even the first year or so of high school, you could never catch me without a book in my hand. That’s always been my luxury get away and I felt incomplete without knowing that a book was under my desk or in my book bag. I still feel incomplete without my books. I typically stuff my book bag with work and like three different books that I don’t even have time to read. I’m aware that I don’t have time to read but, as I said before, the knowledge of them being near me is so comforting. Some of my top favorites are The Book Thief and I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green, and The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. I’ve been into so many different genres of books like thrill, horror, comedy, and drama. I was always the top reader in elementary school. Lately, though, I haven’t been reading. I mean, I finished and started a book over the Christmas break but I want to catch up on so much more. I miss reading with all of my heart and I don’t have as much time to go to a bookstore and read all the summaries and skim through the pages. So, it kind of hinders me from being able to find books that I could be interested in. Which brings me to why I’ve written this post. If anyone has any books that they’d think I’d be remotely interested in, please please please give me a list or something!! I really miss reading with all my heart and I’m gonna be packing my summer with reading and catching up on what I’ve been missing. So yeah! Tee-hanks!

we start with learning how to function as a normal human being.

our body takes care of the basics; eating, sleeping, breathing, etc., but at sometime we start to hit milestones. rolling over, walking, talking, going to school. From the moment we are born we are taught how to live as a person.

my question is, what makes someone’s personality different from that of their friends.

obviously there’s up bringing. something that differentiates me from everyone else is the people and environment that was around me. I’m a collage of my family’s and friends traits. i’m also a big believer that while those things can determine a person’s personality and mindset, it isn’t always the determining factor. some serial killers were brought up in nice, respectable households. and some people grow up in a horrendous house and town, and turn out to be the sweetest people i’ve ever gotten the pleasure to meet. not to say this has to be the case with everyone.

genetics also apparently factor in. family traits can carry on, same with mental illness, but that doesn’t mean it accounts for everything. Even identical twins only have up to about 50% of the same personality traits/interests.

the last factor of sorts ties in with environment, but it’s life events. positive or negative events can sway a person and how they act. anything from a transcending trip to a traumatic memory trigger the shift.

all this said, sometimes a bad person is just destined to be a bad person. same with good people. people can change, yes, but they have to make that conscious effort. maybe it is out of their control. who knows.

nature vs. nurture is a whole debate.

personally i can’t choose to believe either is the right answer. all of these factors seem to clash too much for either to the one thing. i wish it was that simple. to have a kid, raise them “right”, give them my whole heart, and them go out into the world and be the best person ever. sadly, that’s just a risk you have to take. have a kid, do the best you can, and hope for the best. i think that’s one of the most terrifying parts about the whole building a family thing. other than messing a kid up. even if you they turn out to be the next notorious serial killer, you have that unconditional love. or at least most parents do. that’s also scary. to love someone so much. not ready for that no sir.

i’ll just stick to raising my sweet pup, being able to sleep well at night knowing i can’t mess up bringing a dog into this world.

 

I want someone to tell me how to be happy.

 

I want someone to take me to the end of the rainbow,

where they have found their very own happiness.

 

Take the corners of my fallen mouth and turn them upright.

Sew them up with purple thread because that’s my favorite color.

 

Take my tears and store them somewhere sacred.

Where someday I can go back and spread them,

on the dead ashes of the sadness inside me.

 

Reattach my hair back together with my scalp.

Do so carefully because they are delicate too.

 

Pinch my cheeks to give them a rosy color,

even if the only way is through pain.

 

Lift my drooping shoulders and arch my slumping spine.

So that I can stand tall in hopes of seeing the light,

at the end of the dark tunnel I’ve been traveling through.

 

Take a magic marker and erase the darkness under my eyes,

Because the pigmentation is taking away from the beautiful blue eyes,

I used to get complimented on some time ago

 

Put my puzzling mind back in place,

One by one so I’ll know if I’m missing a piece or not.

 

Piece me back to whole because I can’t remember what that was like anymore.

First, you must get married. Find a man that you half-way love, and convince yourself he is the love of your life. Ignore his faults, and tell your parents he is the one.  Craft a fairy tale in which he is your prince, and he’s found your glass slipper in a hole-in-the-wall sports bar. Throw away all your convictions of love, because this illusion will be your reality of love. Know him for five months, and talk about the subject of marriage. Get no engagement ring. Decide you’re both too mature for that. Plan a wedding for the somewhere tropical, maybe Key West, but get eloped in Vegas. Be a walking stereotype for twenty year olds in love. Move from his hometown to New York. Be young, and in love, and New York. He pesters you to have children. You’re not sure it’s what you want. Spend a couple more years, just the two of you and your career. Write love letters to him, telling him he’s different from all the other football players you’ve dated. There’s something about him you can’t put your finger on. Or maybe you just can’t capture it within the 8 x 5 letter paper.

Tell him you’re pregnant. Watch as his co-workers pat him on the back, and say “Congrats man!” Spend the next couple of months watching your belly grow. You tell him you’re going to go back to work a week after she’s born. He complies. Notice he becomes less frustrated, and pray that it stays that way. Give birth to your baby girl, and fall in love for the second time. You look past her crooked nose and smushed face. You see an angel. Interview nannies and realize you cannot leave your angel alone. You never go back to work. Beg him for more children.

Get pregnant for the second time years later. His anger starts up again. Hear his yelling, and pray again. Pray. Pray. Pray. You still believe in God because your child is proof from heaven. Have your second child, a boy, and love deeply. Convince your husband to move back to his home town, to be closer to his parents. Your husband’s anger will burn bright. Try your best to shield your children from it.

It escalates from throwing words to throwing objects. T.V. remotes, shoes, anything. Argue with him about what kind of dog food to buy, if your boy should play sports (he doesn’t want to, much to his dad’s dismay), where all your saving’s money is going to, etc. He will deny that he is in the wrong about anything. Watch as one cup of wine turns into ten shots of vodka. One night, at three a.m. he will stumble in from bar hopping. Somehow, in his haze, he will tear the fan in the master bedroom down to the floor. He will try and salvage the ceiling fan drunkenly.

Wake up the next morning, call the handyman, and pretend like nothing happened. You will pretend so hard that you will forget what’s real and what’s not. When you’ve had too much, you’ll bring up the idea of couple’s therapy, and he will pretend right back at you. This is when you’ll realize your marriage is a lie. A childish fairy-tale, similar to when you little girls plays make believe. Contemplate leaving for the first time. You’re not sure where, but it doesn’t matter to you.

Contemplate leaving for the second time and decide you want to move back with your parents.

When you contemplate leaving for the third time, you call your mom, and tell her you’re coming home. Tell your husband later that night that you’re leaving. He gets angry again, screaming about how life is unfair and all the reasons you aren’t allowed to. Just tell him the way it is, and that you’re leaving come next week. He doesn’t seem to believe you until he comes home a week later and the only trace of his family is a forgotten baby shoe.

Leaving your marriage is the exact way you save it.

Okay, I told myself I wouldn’t get into any new obsessions this year. I really did promise myself. Well… I broke that promise to myself. I kinda got into a new podcast series. It’s called “Welcome to Night Vale.”

“Night Vale” is a podcast that is made on both YouTube and iTunes. This podcast is… what can only be described as amazing. The very first episode enters with a voice saying these words:

“A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep. Welcome to Night Vale.”

Then the music comes. Oh my god, the music in this podcast is wonderful. I love it so much, and it’s so catchy that I can’t help but hum along every time I hear it.

We discover that the name of the show host is Cecil Palmer, broadcasting on the radio from Night Vale. He talks about the events happening in Night Vale, like the civilization of people living under the pin retrieval area in lane five, or the dog park, that doesn’t allow people or dogs inside the dog park.

He also tells us about a newcomer named Carlos, who is a scientist. He describes Carlos as having dark skin, and having “long, perfect hair.” He admits that he was infatuated the moment he met him. And hoenstly, it is so refreshing to see a gay romance story in a work of fiction. There’s characters that reperesent almost every aspect of the LGBT+ community, and it’s very refreshing to see.

Later in the series, we learn of Night Vale’s enemy town, Desert Bluffs. Desert Bluffs is just like Night Vale in many ways: it’s a small desert community with townspeople who love their community. However, there is one major difference: the whole town is under the thumb of an evil corporation called Strex Corp, and they have mind-wiped everyone in the town, turning them into violent and obedient “employees” under Strex.

Everyone in Night Vale has a counterpart that lives in Desert Bluffs. Cecil’s coutnerpart is named Kevin. From his description, we are told that he looks like Cecil, except that he has “black gaping eyes and a sinister smile.” Every time Kevin and Cecil interact with each other, it’s a battle to survive the encounter.

The Night Vale community is a strange one, that is true, but there is one thing that makes it equivalent to any other town in our normal world: they love their community, and they care for their friends and family. Even when the town is threatened by the street cleaners on Street Cleaning Day, or when portals open that bring in their violent Desert Bluffs counterparts, they still do their best to protect each other.

And I think that’s a beautiful message for this quaint little show.

And now, the weather.

Here at MSA, I go by Carter. It’s not a preference; I don’t mind being called Imani because that’s my name. Carter is typically what I want to change my last name to because I genuinely hate my current last name and I’ve always wanted to change it. But, I feel like there’s a difference between Skipwith and Carter. When I say this, I mean Jackson Imani (Skipwith) and MSA Imani (Carter). I started noticing this a couple weeks ago and I was talking to someone the other day about the changes I make when entering these different environments. When I’m Imani, I try to maintain a certain image everywhere I go. Skipwith’s a really smart person who doesn’t have any anxiety, depression, and works hard to maintain a good image. She works hard to make everyone happy; if everyone else is happy, so is she. She has no problems with religion. She’s  an all around happy and fun-loving person and though she has moods, they don’t last very long.

However, Skipwith is just the surface of Imani while Carter is the depth, it seems. Carter is still smart but she’s not as interested in academics like Skipwith. She’d rather be somewhere writing, drawing, or learning an instrument. She really dislikes school because of the previous pressure that was put on her from years back that Skipwith dealt with. And yes, Carter has always been there of course, but her full debut has been here at MSA away from the having to maintain a certain image and be this person everyone that she was. So, when heading back to Jackson, I have to be Skipwith and leave Carter behind at MSA. Lately, she’s been sneaking back to Jackson with me, though. Carter isn’t too worried about religion, either. She doesn’t get too caught up in beliefs or go strictly by the book. Carter isn’t afraid to hide her issues. She will tell you she has anxiety. She most definitely will tell you she has depression if it comes to that. She’s more cautious than Skipwith. She won’t leak out things that she feels will harm her later on. She thinks through so many situations at once. She doesn’t have that mental barrier that Skipwith has either. She did once upon a time but now that it’s down, she wears her heart on her sleeves and it’s more obvious than if it were Skipwith.

It’s just been weighing heavy on my chest lately. The surface of me and the depth of me. That’s just the way I think of it. As Carter and as Skipwith. It’s a topic I don’t talk about much and I had to get it off my chest somehow. Becoming Imani Carter is just interesting, but I feel more comfortable and more myself when I’m not wearing that mask. Honestly, being Imani Skipwith is draining because all I can do is hold it in but Carter doesn’t care. If she has to let it out, she will. If she needs to scream, she will do so. Imani Carter is so natural and more like who I need to be. I will, of course, still have tendencies of my past self, which is just how it is. So, yeah, my name’s Imani Skipwith-Carter and I approve this message.

seraphims, close to god. full of love, burning bright. an icarus that gets too close to the sun, but never get’s burned. maybe its because they are the sun. maybe its just because they’re an angel. four faced, snakes. trustworthy to god, but not to common folk. beware of the seraphims. more than faces than geminis and bright with love. gods mightiest.

cherubim, record keepers. full of knowledge from the heavens. gods intern. sent to get coffee, refill water coolers, and to exile adam and eve from eden. cat-like, but closer to humans than their predecessors. neanderthals to humans, seraphims to cherubim. not always holy, lucifer was of the cherubim. not all are as they seem. god cannot always tell the divine from the devilish.

thrones, carriers of god. meant to hold up the mightiest man himself, using their hand-crafted muscles to raise his throne above their head. degraded to the name of the thing that are presiding over. high-ranking angel, but at what cost? chariot of god or one-trick pony? depends on who is looking. lower-class would kill over the position, but it gets tiring to hold for eternity. even angels are sinful. lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride.

dominions, pretty boys. faux humans with wings like the big-shots. a higher, lesser angel. presides over those below them, despite being of low-rank themselves. decoration to show that heaven can be beautiful too.

virtues, poster boys for heaven. lower class, but all the fame. answering prayers, taking names. miracle arranger, only loves the faithful. link between mortals and humans. other worldy, but still somehow real. real just like you and me. except i can’t seem to make the blind see or mend broken hearts. id be pretty well off if i could.

power of authorities, warriors of a land unknown. fighting demons, taking names, and also somehow managing the entire universe. i thought that was god’s job? soldiers just like ours, although ive never seen a sergeant with wings. said to be the most loyal of all, but lucifer had high hopes for him too.

principalities of rulers, more protectors of the people. humans cant seem to take care of themselves. fickle, fragile creatures in need of a hero. principalities are over a group. cliques are only for high school, heaven has them too. make sure youre in one or else these angels will not answer calls to rescue.

archangels, one and seven. michael, army leader. defeater of lucifer, whos keeping score? raphael, harmony healer. emotional health is equal to physical health. healer of all, heavenly. gabriel, messenger and teacher. writers alike are touched with her writing talents. jophiel, beauty is in the eye of the beholder with her. shields artists and their craft. uplifting like bergamot. ariel, guardian of all the sebastians and flounders alike. fauna is her domain. azrael, angel of death. end of road greeter. chamuel, defender against woes and anxieties. generation zs archangel.

angels, pawns of heaven. tend personally to humans. hallmark greeting card, generic heaven resident. lowest rank, but all the fame. heavens corrupt hierarchy.