3rd Grading

BLOG # 01

Every Inch of You

Dear Mister J,

                Good day! I hope you’re not forgetting me because it’s almost three years since we’re not meeting with each other. But I think we just met last year. Well, it’s not that long. I would not make this letter very long. First, I still have a crush on you, I hope you know that. With that attitude and smirks of yours, I couldn't sleep every time I thought of you.  Sometimes I thought of something else to do just not to think of you, but it’s still insisting and your face keep up in popping up in my head. I couldn't remove you so easily. Second, I hope there’s an instance that we’re going to meet each other and talk about something. Well, I think it’s something impossible because whenever I get close to you, I felt something tingling in my heart. A feeling inside my heart that’s something very funny and unexplainable.  And at last, the third one ---- it’s hard to think of that we don’t have any communication with each other, but it’s okay, until there’s patience remaining in me I could wait for a good time for me to meet you AGAIN.

Truly yours,

Ashurii

BLOG # 02

A Conversation with a Friend:

                                                  General of the Blazing Flame               

The conversation below was between John Ray and me, when we are talking about the latest episode of Sword Art Online (SAO), an anime adaptation of a Japanese light novel Sword Art Online written by Reki Kawahara.

The topic was about episode 20: General of the Blazing Flame

It’s early in the morning, when I already saw him I asked him if he was able to watch the latest episode of Sword Art Online. And he replied yes, so we discussed to each other what we’ve watched. I asked him again if he was able to see Kirito using his special skill: dual skill blade and he said yes. We’re both laughing while talking and I can’t fully understand what he’s saying because of his laugh.

We laughed because that scene was very fantastic and amazing. Kirito was able to use his special skill in Alfheim Online and used it in fighting one of the generals of the race of salamanders. John Ray said that, that scene was very amazing and I agreed with him because it really was.    



BLOG # 03

It started one night in my dreams. I saw myself walking alone in the darkness. I could barely see anything and the silence was giving me creeps. I can’t think of anything. What’s on my mind is the way to escape this distress.

                It’s been bugging me for such a long time. Every time that I am thinking of it, it is just sending shivers into my spine.  But how could I escape this darkness if I don’t have anything with me—no telephone, no radio, and no laptop even. Is there anyone who could help me? Sometimes, I could say that I am having visions. Void visions indeed—where only pain and misery are what I can feel.  

                One night, I started dreaming again but this time I could see anything. It seems like I am astral projecting. I tried to walk and walk, while walking I saw a man sitting in cross legs. It seems like he’s been waiting for someone, so I asked him lots of things “Who are you? Why are you here? Are you bad?” He just laughed at my questions and answered me “I am here to guide you—I will be your spirit guide. My name is something you don’t need to know.” I just accepted his answers. While we’re walking I thought to myself that he’s someone familiar—but it doesn’t matter.

                We already reached our first destination: the gate of disrespectful. My spirit guide explained that the violators here are the one who are being disrespectful to their older. They are being punished by sewing their mouths using an ordinary thread. I couldn’t think how really painful is that, but that’s their punishment. My guide shown to me who is guarding that gate and it was Ma’am Pareja. I knew that we are now going to the next gate. I suddenly thought that he was being thoughtful to me and I thank him for that.

As we are approaching the next gate, I could see clearly who’s guarding that gate—it’s Ma’am Elaine. As I am going to open my mouth, my guide told me if what that gate is: the gate of cheaters.  I could see from the outside of the gate what’s happening to the violators. Their eyelids are being glued together and their heads being twisted 180 degrees. I am very shocked in what I could see. That’s why my guide covers my eyes so I won’t see their heads being twisted. I could feel that my eyes are getting watery, so we walk to the next gate.

The gate of gluttonous—being guarded by the canteeners. They let the violators to eat and eat because once they didn’t stop eating they will transform into a greedy pig. “After they transformed into a pig they still won’t stop eating” my guide explained. It’s very gross to see them eating greedily.

It’s like my stomach would reverse so I run fast not expecting that I stopped right infront of the fourth gate: the gate of bullies guarded by Ma’am April. It’s not a good thing that there are persons who are being bullied without any reasons. They treat them like their own toys, but not. My eyes widened when I saw one of the violators being hanged up above a large quicksand. And the rope supporting the sinner was being lowered by the angel.

Now, I sensed myself can’t hold on my tears so I let it out and got an embrace from my guide. He tried to soothe me while we are walking to the next gate: the gate of not speaking in english, and he managed to do it. This gate is being guarded by Ma’am Lenny. While looking at the violators, I could hear them talking to each other but I couldn’t understand a thing on what they’re saying. It’s like their words are being jumbled up so they won’t understand each other. “It’s hard to thought that there’s no someone who couldn’t understand what you are saying, but you know to yourself that you are speaking the right thing” my guide said. Ah, maybe he experienced that thing. Well, nevermind.

As we are now walking to the sixth gate: the gate of late comers. It’s Kuya Eddie who’s punishing the violators. Their feet are being tied up together, and they will walk in that way. They need to think of another way on how they could go from one place to another. That’s their punishment for not going to school at an early time.

We left the sixth gate and moved one to the last and seventh gate: the gate of w/ incomplete/ improper use of uniform—being guarded by Sir Tom. Those who are wearing the uniform in a wrong way are being punished by rolling in a muddy swamp until there’s no white part of the uniform that can be seen. I really hard thought of their parents if they are the one who’s going to wash the muddy uniform. They are going to be tired by washing it.

“These violations are not going to be experienced if they’re going to do the opposite of it” my guide explained. “Maybe they will note all these things on their head and tried not to experience it on their own” I added. It’s just one thing that we both agreed, and it’s not to do these things so we won’t experience and feel the pain that they are going through with.      

BLOG # 04

Meeting with an Artist: Leonardo da Vinci

 It happened during the summer holidays, when the sun seemed to shine endlessly down from unclouded blue skies on to the long rose-colored days of my girlhood.  I had been for an early morning ride over the neighboring hills and came back to the horse stalls. I ran across the little bridge into our horse then went to my room on the second floor of the main tower. I washed my hands in the basin and was about to run down to the kitchen when I heard a car drive into our courtyard below.

Curious, I went over to the window and leaning out so that I could see. It was a car I hadn’t seen before. A man got out the car. He stood looking around him in surprise. He was in his twenties. He began to raise a hand to shield his eyes to take a better look. But before he could take a proper look, the main door opened and it was my dad.  Maybe he was my dad’s friend.

Walking down the stone spiral staircase into the courtyard, the man called out me. He’s asking if I was the youngest child of my father and if I like would to spend the afternoon with him after his meeting with my father. And I accepted his invitation.

It’s late in the afternoon, when they got finished talking about something.  I’m very curious if who’s that nice man. So while he’s walking down from the main door, I approached him and asked if who he is really. Then he answered that he’s Leonardo da Vinci. I can’t really believe it, that the man standing in front of me was the one who painted ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘The Last Supper’. While both of us were walking up through the flower-filled meadow to the top of the hill overlooking the setting of the sun, he was telling me about his life as a painter and an architect. He was so kind to me that he got to share his story about his life. So on that time, I embraced the feeling and the time that I’m with the one of the greatest painter. It’s getting late so we decided to go home, so while we’re walking down the hill he told me the reason why he visited my father and other things. At that time, I somewhat felt that we’re really close friends.   

This day was really something. Something that was indescribable. I really hoped that there can be again some other time. Even though talking to him is really nervous, I felt that he was a good man and a good friend. After we fixed ourselves, it’s our time to bid our goodbyes. Well, I thanked him for the time that he spent with me and for sharing some of his story in his life.

BLOG # 05

A Puzzled Mystery: Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa: one of the famous artworks of Leonardo da Vinci. He began painting Mona Lisa in 1503 and completed it three or four years later. The painting was not well-known until the mid-19^th century, when artists began to appreciate it and associated it with their ideas.

Some people wonder why Mona Lisa’s facial expression seems to change depending on the direction from which you look at her. It seems natural that every time one looks at the paint, one sees something different. Every person has different perception. Having perception in which a person could tell how an object looks like to him. But the result of having different perception is having different ideas or thoughts to an object. It’s just like how the scientists explained “the enigmatic smile” of Mona Lisa. But for me having the same perception or not, the important is that we are agreeing on one thing. And whatever is the meaning behind Mona Lisa’s smile was something that Leonardo da Vinci capable of.