tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39016796543211469192024-03-13T06:45:18.157-07:00Jae's Contemplations of LifeCrossroads of life, reflections, thoughts, moments.Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-19439566129899428082021-01-30T15:54:00.002-08:002021-01-30T15:54:47.187-08:00The Three Woes We All Carry<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsc8-ZwcOXePz8cMhkBd_KTEi_RvQYyoEJgNKRHDW903GEide3de3umKoJiIOo1N_xt8wVrsHAKgBXfWrqivZUnswRLaKGZ-zG-ZlIq7hudI-EDewTUQ0Puc9c-Tltoyc2LBTsWIYAjJ8g/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsc8-ZwcOXePz8cMhkBd_KTEi_RvQYyoEJgNKRHDW903GEide3de3umKoJiIOo1N_xt8wVrsHAKgBXfWrqivZUnswRLaKGZ-zG-ZlIq7hudI-EDewTUQ0Puc9c-Tltoyc2LBTsWIYAjJ8g/w400-h400/original.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I was actually going to write some blog posts on two books I currently read that left an unforgettable experience and mark on my memory but decided to hold off. Lately, I have been spinning in circles with life as I am sure many people have been. However, that’s common isn’t it? If life didn’t give you surprises and obstacles on a daily basis, then that’s not being truly alive is it? <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">As humans, we are always racing against fleeting time and forget to take a step back and look at ourselves and where we are. What is fantasy and what is reality? The fantasized version our life is actually already given to us by society. We are supposed to have a happy family growing up. We are expected to attend at least 12 years of schooling after that we can choose to continue schooling or start working or attend trade school. Society expects us to be married by 27 or 28 years old, to have at least one kid before the high risk pregnancy period, to be good parents, to have a successful job of what we went to school for, and live comfortably. That’s the fantasized version of every human’s life but of course nothing goes as smoothly as they say. If everything went smoothly, then there would be less criminals, less pain, less headaches, less regrets, and less tears. Life is unpredictable as much as one may argue it is not. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I feel we are always the unpredictable ones as many settle for things that are less than what we want regardless if it’s because of financial income, stability and security, or simply because we’ve given up. Many aren’t unfortunate enough to find a job that is related to what they went to school for. What they had dreams of doing and had a fierce passion for is smothered and buried in exchange for a stable source of income. We torture no one but ourselves when we grow weary and fed up with our jobs yet we all, even myself fear to take that first step to look for new hope. We have become too complacent. But yet who can we blame? I can understand why there’s some people who’ve been in jobs for so long that they turn so bitter and sour. But remember it’s up to us to not become bitter or sour but it’s easier said than done. No matter how strong willed we are, how good a person we are, it will wear us thin. It’s inevitable. If a job never wears us down, then no one would ever be quitting jobs to look for something better. Some people get pushed to the edge only once in their life and others may get pushed to that edge multiple times in their life, no one knows. What would you do if it happens to you? Will you hold onto a job for financial stability? Would you hold onto a job until you find another one and when is enough where you say you can’t take it anymore? Is it worth your mentality and sanity? Everyone is different.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Just as what kind of work we end up in is inevitable so are relationships. It’s hard to find someone who’s right for you and once you do, don’t let go. Media paints the perfect and imperfect relationships for us through the years and most of the times, it is the perfect relationship. However, no relationship is perfect. Every relationship has it’s hiccups if someone told you that’s not true then they are lying to themselves. The heart is the most unpredictable organ in the human body probably more unpredictable than the mind. As all things are born from the heart, what the heart feels sends it up to the brain to comprehend and do. No one can tell you how to maintain your relationship. They can only give you advice and it’s up to you to act on it or not. I believe relationships are the most torturous thing in life, sometimes it’s not only effecting the two parties but two families. Will you choose to compromise with each other? Will you stay with each other because you both have become too complacent? <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Not everyone is born into a perfect family. A family is a story within a story that carries with it the memories of pain and loss, love and hate that spans across generations. They say it doesn’t bleed onto the next generation but it does and it shapes us out to who we become. Some argue that their past or what type of family doesn’t shape them but it does because those are the roots you are born from. There is no shame in admitting where you come from because it doesn’t have to define you. You may carry some imperfections and the burdens but you are your own person. The choice is ultimately yours, no one can control your way of thinking in whatever direction you choose to take your next step in. Never forget where you come from. When is enough though? When do you decide your family has crossed the line into your life? How much family burden is too much? Who can be the judge of that? It’s impossible to calculate or give a clear answer to that question. Family is complicated. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I’ve seen enough growing up and from personal experience and with friends how hard life can be. Everyone suffers from their own regrets, from their burdens, from their demons and ghosts from the past, and their wrong choices in life. When one person says they are alright and doing well, that’s only the surface, everyone has their own pandora’s box that they have locked away and they don’t want to deal with it. And that’s completely fine. I feel that it’s best to try our best to keep our heads high and do what we feel is right. Do what we must to keep pressing forward but to look back to see how far we’ve come and don’t lose that dream and passion. Again, easier said than done, right? <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"> <o:p></o:p></p><h1 class="title style-scope ytd-video-primary-info-renderer" style="border: 0px; color: var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-color, var(--yt-spec-text-primary)); font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-font-size, var(--yt-navbar-title-font-size, inherit)); font-variant: var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-font-variant, inherit); font-weight: 400; line-height: var(--yt-navbar-title-line-height, 2.4rem); margin: 0px; max-height: calc(2 * var(--yt-navbar-title-line-height, 2.4rem)); overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-shadow: var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-text-shadow, none); transform: var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-transform, none);"><yt-formatted-string class="style-scope ytd-video-primary-info-renderer" force-default-style="" style="word-break: break-word;"></yt-formatted-string></h1>Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-46107461547223405672020-12-11T17:11:00.002-08:002020-12-11T17:11:19.178-08:00Book Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fkAcuvGg4j55R73gQ3Iv2fz4fGsmrbccJB5UQh6jBZfQDAUTl59yDUaO7ds2dA52T0EE1Gytih-3t1m0tSm-Pa_THdbAMBEE8HMxAVDynX-z6Gx2IO5tQLCz4MgNNLDvPmb_TlAb5_j0/s2048/Pv61C8s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fkAcuvGg4j55R73gQ3Iv2fz4fGsmrbccJB5UQh6jBZfQDAUTl59yDUaO7ds2dA52T0EE1Gytih-3t1m0tSm-Pa_THdbAMBEE8HMxAVDynX-z6Gx2IO5tQLCz4MgNNLDvPmb_TlAb5_j0/w400-h400/Pv61C8s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">If someone asked me to rate this book, I would give it a 10000/10000 if possible. This book touched not only on how unpredictable life is. It touched on family, chance encounters, regrets that never leave you be, the cruelty of life, the guilt and heartache after making a wrong decision. There are many different opinions of what the final life lesson of this book was. I felt the final lesson was there are no second chances in life sometimes. Once you make a decision to risk everything for one thing (a gambler’s mindset is a good example), you’re trapping yourself in a dead end. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">A brief summary of this book is Addie makes a deal with the devil (a bad god) to avoid marrying someone she doesn’t love, to be able to live out her dreams and wishes. She asks for more time. The god tricks her and she is cursed because of the deal. She can live forever as an immortal at the cost of being forgotten by everyone she creates a bond with. Everyone she crosses paths with forgets her with a close of a door or by leaving a room. That is until Addie meets Henry who remembers her and later on revealed that he also made a deal with the exact same god. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">This book’s setting was so beautiful painted, every scene and every city mentioned in this book was like an oil painting, fragile and graceful. The way the author writes of Addie’s time in New York was so breathtaking, I could smell the pastries, taste the coffee, smell the streets during the time. Such a vivid style of writing that reminded me why I love this author’s writing style so much. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">One thing that I thought this story lacked was character development. I would have liked to see more of Henry’s backstory. I felt that every single chapter was very repetitive with Addie reminiscing her past experiences and her reintroducing herself to Henry’s friends. Long story short, I felt she was still the same girl in the beginning of the story to a certain extent. I actually found the scenes of when Addie goes back to her hometown every time to be more emotional and enjoyable to read than some parts of the book. I cried more when Addie’s parents looked at Addie like a stranger every time she went back to see them. The agony of standing in front of your own parents and them not knowing you are their child is heart wrenching to me probably because I’ve been in that position. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">A theme I enjoyed in the book was the topic of immortality. I feel there aren’t enough books that touch on that, there are a few but not as deeply as this book does. Immortality is a gift and a curse. You get to live forever, you get to experience history happen in front of you through the ages first handed, and you also suffer the most losses. Losses in the sense of you watch everyone you love, things that you care about decay and die out. Time means nothing to you and the nights never seemed longer in this book for Addie. No one is perfect and everyone has their own sufferings regardless if they are immortal or just normal human beings. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The other theme I really savored in this book was how Addie keeps getting forgotten so easily by others because of her curse. It reminded me a lot of the world we live in today where everyone is in a rush and we brush shoulders with easily a 100 people a day when we are out and about. Have you ever had that one moment, that one chance encounter where you looked up on the train or on the street and caught the eye of that one person where you felt that connection with? And when you finally turn back to take a second glance, they’re gone into the sea of people. You wonder if you’ll ever see them again. You wonder if they felt that same spark and if they are wondering the same thing. Or how about a scenario where you had a nice conversation with a complete stranger on the train or at a coffee shop while in line and then you parted ways without exchanging contact information. You’re left wondering if you’ll ever see them again and regret not exchanging numbers. You wonder if you left a mark on them to make them remember you one day down the road. This book is all about making an effort to leave a mark on the world, on the people that matter to you. We all want to be remembered when we are gone, don’t we? <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Overall, I love this book to death just for the themes that were discussed alone. It holds a dear place in my heart. I would recommend it to everyone. I just felt that some chapters were not needed because the writer didn’t expand enough on why certain things needed to be said. The book could have been a little more condensed. I skimmed over some later chapters in the book and I never do that unless I felt it was getting a bit sidetracked. Bottom line is, this isn’t her best book but it’s definitely a good book by her. I loved it enough to overlook its flaws. </p></div>Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-43584132979945299992020-08-30T05:45:00.000-07:002020-08-30T05:45:06.006-07:00Tying The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah To The Happenings In The World Now<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5buQQKAC7jiv1ZK0CAlW-XkjxAttj2EquDZvqw15JzTrCX5xl5x0S-EjlJsc2X9ikr-qgI-tO1kTaf-JGp0eibGtyeAUSu1ykXwGGZgGfZiDSmQW9uRhrDasoet58Q8Bozscnfk-sYzr/s580/m_5d114466248f7af7ce92f83b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5buQQKAC7jiv1ZK0CAlW-XkjxAttj2EquDZvqw15JzTrCX5xl5x0S-EjlJsc2X9ikr-qgI-tO1kTaf-JGp0eibGtyeAUSu1ykXwGGZgGfZiDSmQW9uRhrDasoet58Q8Bozscnfk-sYzr/s0/m_5d114466248f7af7ce92f83b.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I recently finished <i>The Nightingale </i>by Kristin Hannah. Was really debating on whether or not I wanted to do a blog review/reflection on it but decided to it after all. I figured this book touches on the most fatalist war in history with over 70 millions deaths. I knew it would be a touchy subject for everyone but there’s some memories that have to be revisited now and then. That’s how I feel anyways. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The book follows two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle who had a tragic childhood, death of their mother, abandonment of their father, and not ever learning what love or being wanted really felt like. Vianne is the more fortunate of both sisters for the first quarter of the book whereas Isabelle has the less fortunate of fate. I loved the writing style, definitely reminded me a lot of <i>My Dear Hamilton</i>by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kaye. The book is doomed to be a tragic story and boy was it. I felt like I was right there next to Vianne and Isabelle for every moment in the novel, witnessing the horror that fell upon France when Germany invaded. The details were vivid and the scenery were so well painted that everything was in full color as I read it. The heartbreak and pain never felt so real. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I didn’t read any spoilers beforehand and always thought Vianne and Isabelle’s father was just a coldhearted drunk that truly couldn’t handle the responsibility of raising his daughters at first. That was until I realized what his true reasons were and that tore me up and I shamed myself for even thinking anything ill of him. His death was so noble and terrible to read, finally the misunderstanding between a father and his daughters is dissolved yet they don’t even get the chance to make amends for lost time. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I am definitely more relatable to Vianne than Isabelle and I sympathize for Vianne more than I do for Isabelle. Seeing a mother struggle in the midst of a world war, trying to protect her children and home, losing her husband in the war, hoping that he would return one day just tore me up. The tree of remembrance in her garden still haunts my memory. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The theme/moral Kristin Hannah conveys through the novel is very witty and thought out well. She does an amazing job of creating Gaetan, Beck, and Von Richter and installing them well into isabelle and Vianne’s lives. Gaetan, a prisoner that was released during the invasion who Isabelle was quick to judge as someone dangerous at first because he was a criminal, but after experiencing life and death with him realized how wrong she was about him and falls in love with him. Beck is a captain of Germany’s military force who chooses to billet at Vianne’s house for a long time in the book. Good lord, he was with Vianne for at least three quarters of the book which I loved. Vianne and Isabelle were on their tippy toes around Beck, living in fear and on guard 24/7. But then over time, from Vianne’s perspective you see a drastic change of her opinion of Beck. Yes, he was a nazi, but he was a good man. He was polite, intelligent, respectful, and helped Vianne more than once in ways that could have caused Beck to lose his job and be executed. I feel that Vianne and Beck shared such a deep, unspeakable connection and affection for each other that no one will truly understand. Finally, you have Von Richter who is the nazi who billets with Vianne after Beck’s death. He is cunning, brutal, violent, and coldblooded, rapes Vianne multiple times and is the complete opposite of Beck. I feel Vianne comes to the realization of the magnitude of what she lost with Beck the moment she meets Von Richter. If they were born during a more normal time, without a world war happening (something Isabelle speaks to Gaetan about), they would have ended up together. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Hannah’s moral of the story is, don’t judge people because of where they come from and there are good people among the enemy/wolves. You have to get to know them, understand them in order to judge. As Beck mentions in the book, he is a solider, he has to do certain things that go against his morals and conscience as terrible as it is because that’s his job. I feel that is such a powerful moral/theme to visit during world war 2. Obviously, everyone has their own opinions and thoughts on what happened back then and now. But, if we open our minds a little bit more, open our hearts a little bit more, we will see things that we didn’t notice before. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">There are good people among the savages, good people among the wolves, good people among us every day. We shouldn’t judge because of one’s skin color and race. Sometimes, the role models and inspirational people we respect and worship may not turn out to who we thought they were. Someone who may be less fortunate in life may actually be a good person or ask yourself why they turned out the way they did. Was it something that happened in their past to lead them to become what you loathe? Not everyone has the fortune of being born into a good family, getting a good education, and being able to become someone famous or powerful. We shouldn’t treating the good or bad people any different from each other based on what they’ve done for the society or in their past. Everyone deserves a second chance and yes, some are beyond saving but learn all you can of someone before you are quick to judge. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">That’s what I feel Hannah’s book is about regardless if it’s from Vianne and Isabelle relationship with their father to Gaetan, to Beck, and Von Richter. <o:p></o:p></p>Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-32081081517715157642020-06-01T14:01:00.001-07:002020-06-01T14:02:07.370-07:00This Year Has Exceeded Everything In History <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2020 so far has been a year filled with restlessness, unease, fear, and calamity. Something major has happened in every single month with covid-19 spreading in the background. Many would say this a sign from God himself that this was foreseen in the Bible. Others would say that what’s happening is just the repercussions of our own actions and the way we treat the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The most violent event as of right now surprisingly isn’t covid-19 but the death of a black man, George Floyd. I haven’t been the most up to date on the news because it’s filled with nothing but depression, violence, and the same things over and over. George Floyd’s death is a tragedy and brings the issue of racism and brutality to the forefront once more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What bothers me the most is how violent the protests and riots have been throughout the country. Police shooting pellet bullets at civilians, throwing mace at reporters. People throwing rocks at the police and screaming profanity and demanding justice. In the ugly way of saying it, people are fighting for their lives, for their beliefs, every man for himself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Violence never solves anything. Violence against violence is a stupid thing to do. I am not on anyone’s side, but from the sidelines of what happened to George Floyd— if he was able to articulate he couldn’t breath, of course no one would believe him. How do you speak if you claim you can’t breath? That was misleading but as police officers, they should have known better and at least loosen their grip to see if the guy was bluffing or being serious. At least check their vital signs, how fast is their pulse, etc.? Showing a bit of sympathy or caring won’t make you a weakling. If anything, it shows cops are humans too instead of cold blooded executioners? On top of that, the way the officer had the poor guy in submission was wrong. Had the officer not received proper training on how to restrain someone? Sure seems like it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It takes one rotten apple in the basket to drag the whole basket down with it. One bad cop makes every cop bad. One bad mexican, Asian, middle eastern, etc. makes everyone bad. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The tension between civilians and law enforcement has always been a thin line. It’s been stepped on many times, pulled out to the point of breaking many times, and this time it didn’t survive what happened and snapped off its hinges. My economics professor once said: the only thing stopping this world from moving forward is racism. And that will never change. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everyone’s complaining of how bad the protests and riots have been this time compared to times in the past. I feel it’s because this happened in the midst of covid-19, the amount of people that are unemployed, lifts on lockdowns being extended, and the government turning a blind ear to the cries of the people. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have you guys seen the insane lines to food pantries in the less well off neighborhoods? Have you guys paid attention to the ever rising levels of unemployment? How many people are losing their sanity in the midst of everything that’s going on? This was the perfect chance to act out and go all out. Not only for justice for George Floyd, for them to express freedom of will and speech after being suppressed for so long. The fight for poverty, for justice in racism, and to exercise their first amendment is lit. I don’t agree with how everyone’s going on about this though. No matter how suppressed we are...we shouldn’t be doing destructive things to innocent people, to loot stores, to destroy public buildings and so forth. And certainly, trying to block a fully loaded semi truck or jumping a fully loaded Fedex or UPS semi is not the answer to anything. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are going to protest, please protest in peace, riot in peace, don’t disrupt the lives of others in your protests. Don’t hurt innocent people in your moment of anger and desperation. Many people are trying to be Martin Luther King but you’re not. MLK did not use violence, none of his protests or walks have been in violence. They protested in peace. That’s a perfect example of how protests and riots should be. Not screaming at the police, or taunting them. You speak formally, make your points, stand your ground. When we act out in violence recklessness and act like animals, this only makes law enforcement retaliate with violence and act like animals right back. When you act calmly with precision, with strategy and careful planning, you will get much further with what you are trying to convey. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Show them, you are better than what they perceive you to be. That is the best weapon to use against your enemy to force change. As unjustly George Floyd was treated and died, we need to wield that anger in the right way to make change come into effect. Wielding anger and waving it blindly around with no final goal in mind is in vain. And nothing succeeds if you are going into a fight for some sort of personal gain such as looting stores, restaurants, and destroying retail stores. Again, please protest in peace. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What a year 2020 has been. It’s been more colorful than both World Wars combined. Stay safe everyone out there and stand strong. May peace be with you. A better world is possible but this certainly is not the way to go about it right now. </span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-91224938709588002812020-04-26T09:15:00.003-07:002020-04-26T09:28:54.902-07:00Review On A Darker Shade Of Magic Series: The Tragic Characters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I hope everyone is doing well during this pandemic and finding ways to entertain yourselves. I recently finished the <i>A Darker Shade of Magic</i>series by V.E. Schwab. I came stumbling onto these series through a review I read about and I knew I had to read it. The world building is amazing, each London having its own culture, story, and air made it all the more enjoyable for me. I know if I choose to talk about every little aspect of the book, this review will be too long so I’ll keep it short. Out of all the characters in the series, I had a deeper connection to the tragic characters more than Kell and Lila. What can I say? I love characters with tragic stories. I’ll be talking mainly about Rhy, his parents, and Holland. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The book is set in multiple Londons where each is ruled by a monarch but the ones that get mentioned the most are Rhy’s parents. We don’t really get to a backstory or anything much from their point of view until the last book which destroyed my heart. Schwab did an amazing job of portraying the pain, the helplessness, and composure of what a king and queen should be like. A king and queen should never show emotion no matter the circumstance. King Maxim believed a king should be with his people, think for the country before for themselves and know how to use power smartly. As for queen Emira, she is a very unique character where she has the power of water/ice and always broke things since she was a child causing her to fear breaking literally everyone and everything she cared for.<o:p></o:p></div>
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These two poor souls who never wanted to fall in love until they met each other was a tragedy to me. Two people that never wanted to be trapped in love, trapped to a kingdom, to be monarchs got trapped in exactly what they didn’t want the most. When Rhy came along and carried no magic in his veins, his father was disappointed and his mother treated Rhy like a flame in a wind gust, trying to guard him in her own way. I wouldn’t say they were bad parents. They were parents that loved their son so much that they took drastic action and care to make sure he was safe and sound from a distance. We don’t even get a glimpse of raw love and emotion until Rhy literally dies in front of them and it is all but a glimpse. A mother's love surpasses everything and a father's love is always there but hardly shown. Poor Rhy never realized his parents’ turmoil and love for him until their dying moments.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rhy was born with no magic in his veins and he spent most of the first and second books blaming himself and dwelling on it. He is the crown prince to Arnes, his parents both have magic so why doesn’t he? He lived thinking his parents didn’t love him and developed a much deeper bond with his brother Kell above anyone else. Rhy believed having magic determines everything and is the most crucial part of being a king, this mindset changes drastically in the second and third book. When Rhy died and gets bind to Kell’s life, giving him a borrowed time, Rhy feels indebt to Kell and tries to find more purpose in his life. When he’s told there are different types of kings, some are powerful in magic and are meant to be on a battlefield, then there are those who are meant to excel in politics and strategy. Rhy starts to practice the skills his father taught him in being a king. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This all builds up to the climax of the series sadly. Rhy accepting his fate in becoming a king of politics and strategy versus a king fighting on a battlefield begins to show the reader all he learned through the years from watching his father rule and his studies. Rhy has never experienced grief and betrayal. When his mentor is trapped in a spell, his parents dying one after another, and Kell far away, Rhy is forced to his breaking point. The people that he was so used to having around him to defend him, watch over him, and guide him were gone. Rhy is forced to take on the burden of a king and as much grief as he is dwelling in, an empire still needed a king to lead it. This was heartbreaking for me to see this young boy who was protected all his life, who spent all his time messing around and spinning around Kell, bloom into a king. What a tragic and beautiful fitting way to tie Rhy’s story together. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I know there are a lot of mixed feelings for Holland’s character. He started off as the enemy to Kell in the first book. Holland had been a slave to the rulers of White London for seven years. Astrid and Athos Danes had broken him, destroyed the dreams he had for his home, and turned him into a cold hearted monster. Not a lot was revealed about Holland until the last book as we all thought he was dead after Kell killed him. In the last book, the crooks and crannies of Holland spread out before us like an open book which was great to finally see what happened to this antagonist everyone hated. Holland’s past broke my heart. Why wouldn’t it? He grew up in a London that was decaying away, his brother tried to kill him, his lover tried to kill him, what else did Holland have? All he wanted was to restore his home to its former glory, to be free from being someone’s slave, and thus he took the wrong path and turned to the darkness. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I personally loved how Holland came back around. Not forgetting what his original intentions were. Confucius once lectured that everyone’s basic nature was kindness but through life and experiences that changed and twisted into something nasty. But as long as one didn’t forget their original intentions and nature, not all was lost. For Holland it was to save his home, protect what mattered, and do what was right. In the end, he just wanted to be free of chains and die in peace and relief, to be one with the world. His death left a deep scar on my heart. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This series tore me up in so many ways, had so many valuable lessons that I will never forget. I would definitely recommend this series if you haven't read it!<o:p></o:p></div>
Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-38315046367153735602020-04-13T16:19:00.001-07:002020-04-13T16:37:31.438-07:00Covid-19: Social Distancing, Technology, and Lost Skills<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First of all- I hope everyone is having a great Easter and enjoying it in whatever way you guys are choosing to spend it. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-83a160eb-7fff-55c3-8134-ebe72655dac9" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know this year has been crazy so far. Remember back in 2019 when we were all excited to make the leap into the next decade and start off with a bang? We were all pumped and excited for 2020, making wishes, dreams, goals, and plans for how great the year would turn out, but that all changed when a pandemic swept the world by surprise. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ever since this coronavirus decided to pop up and spread wildly out of control, threatening to destroy life as we know it, different versions of people have surfaced on all ends of the spectrum. As expected, you’ll have people who will follow instructions to stay safe and healthy, while on the opposite end of that spectrum, you’ll have the people who just don’t care. There are some that are indifferent about the virus and what it entails. Some are amplifying their racist views by putting the blame on all asians and recognizing them all as Chinese. Then there's some people that are panicking and hoarding supplies and food, while others are mourning losses and are allowing hatred to drive them. Finally, you have some people that are worried whether or not they will still be employed to receive a paycheck to support their families and pay the bills. </span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After reading the last paragraph, have your eyes been opened a little more compared to when you first started reading this blog? Where do you fit within the spectrum that was just described? In times of panic and mass confusion, we as human beings tend to stray away from our Dr. Jekyll persona and lean more towards our Mr. Hyde alter ego. If that’s not the case for you, then congratulations, you are one of the few who will help us get through this together. </span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Black Death, Plague, Spanish Flu, and Coronavirus to name a few. You would think that in the year 2020 we as humans would have learned from our ancestor’s experiences from prior pandemics, but I guess that would not be the winning guess. While we have not learned from our mistakes in history, we also have not grown wiser nor stopped thinking with heads jammed up our asses. We are still totally prejudiced towards certain people without looking at the bigger picture. The amount of hate crimes towards Chinese Americans (well, let’s face it...Asians in general) has significantly risen during this virus outbreak. It's ridiculous and disgusting to see, yet we see it time and time again. </span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have been rushing and always chasing after life on a daily basis before all this happened, relying on technology and throwing all the basic skills our ancestors had taught us out the window. Now with everything closed and the majority of us being stuck inside our homes, a lot of people are now having issues with not knowing how to do certain tasks such as cutting hair, mending clothes, cooking, sewing, operating household appliances and even taking care of loved ones when they’re sick or even in general. When everything was open, we took everything for granted and used the services available at our very fingertips without a care in the world. Now that the shoe is on the other foot - it's a different story. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite all of these hardships, we still have the internet and cell phone service in all of its glory. We can still order cookies, clothes, and lumber online, all at the same store while watching a movie on Netflix. Life can still continue with some semblance of normalcy, but what if we didn't have these services and the internet and mobile networks were somehow affected by this virus and were forced to stop operating? Would we all be caught with our pants down or would we know how to live like we did in the past? As with a corrupted computer, we need a hard reboot. We need to relearn how to do simple tasks that used to be dominant in our lives, not even 30 years ago. Tasks like those I stated above as well as knowing how to operate as sociable human beings. This is where our ancestors have the advantage over us. They knew how to live life without depending so much on technology. It is true that one can argue that my claim would be unfair because there was no tech back then, but the point remains the same. They knew what they had to do to survive and support their families. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you remember when your mom or dad tried to teach you how to use a saw, a sewing machine, needle and thread, how to do something and you just blew them off when you were young? How do you feel now without the convenience of dry cleaners, barbers, or tailors to name a few? How do you feel now that you are now responsible for your children 24/7 instead of being able to drop them off at school, daycare, or camp? My mom raised me along with the help of her mother and my dad's sister. There was no daycare or camp, just the apartment and my family. Most of what I learned in life has come from sitting at the kitchen table and listening to all the knowledge my family had to give to me. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Throughout all of this craziness that has been transpiring since March, strangely enough people are having the hardest time practicing social distancing. Being able to say hello to a stranger or start a conversation with a new friend was damn near impossible before this pandemic came to light, but for some reason, everyone still wants to be butt up against one another, despite knowing that anyone and everyone could either be sick or carrying the virus. I do not get this, not even one bit. No one listened to it nor give a heck of what it meant. They still crowd the stores and disobey the 6 ft. rule regardless of what anyone says. I don't know what is so hard to understand about staying away from each other and no gatherings of more than 10 people, yet here we are. But hey, at least they still have their cell phones and internet, right?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thinking back to the generations that lived through The Spanish Flu and Plague, they managed to find the light at the end of the tunnel, so why can’t we. It is true that the losses were great but the lessons that were learned should be just as great. Technology has only been around for a small fraction of human existence, so we can find a way to survive not only with its help, but also without forming a dependence on it. This Coronavirus will pass eventually, but until then, we need to become used to being inconvenienced and living without festivals, parades, concerts, conventions, sit down restaurants, and so on. I would like to think that we would all come out of this smarter and more knowledgeable, but I don’t know. Some people are probably sitting at home, thinking this is going to be the end of humanity, but it will not be. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do not get me wrong, I like technology, cell phones, and going out on random road trips too, but this is not the time to be doing those sorts of things. Now is the time to stay at home and freshen up on those skills we used to be so good at when we were younger. Take advantage of the free time you now have at home to become a better person and improve your skill sets. When this pandemic goes away, it will be back to 8-12 hour work days for most people. Swing shifts will be back in full swing and overtime will be a plenty. Sure we will all be making more money and the economy will be saved, but at what cost? Should we really sacrifice our survival skills and knowledge of manual labor just to be wholly dependent on technology while spending a huge chunk of our lives away from home and our families. Remember, we are all in this together, the entire world. Oh, and one more thing...Stop Being Racist Towards Asians!</span></div>
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Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-58719731378853821292020-04-01T09:09:00.000-07:002020-04-01T09:10:16.573-07:00Book Review: One Day In December by Josie Silver <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I finally read this book after it sat on my shelf for close to a year, I believe. Yeah, I bought the book because I loved the synopsis and then just never got around to it until now not realizing how much I missed out. The book reminded me of a lot of soap operas I used to watch growing up.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some of the main things that I loved about this book was how it went from warm and cozy to sad and heartbreaking in the next. Silver does an amazing job with her choice of words as always. Her ability to move back and forward between different perspectives with ease and everything just flowed so well, one chain link hooking on to the next. Every single obstacle and event in the book drove the story well.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One thing I admit that I never saw coming was the fact that in less than the first 100 pages, I was completely mind blown by what happened. Now, remember I haven’t read the synopsis for close to a year and just randomly decided to read this book. When Sarah introduced Laurie to Jack as her boyfriend, that scene made me stop and go: Wait… what? By that point, I pretty much knew this was going to be a complete spiral downward. The three main characters were standing at the edge of a cliff and then pushed over to fend for themselves from that point forward. It was going to end bad either way it went and at that point I raced through the book dying to know what happened next.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My heart never stopped racing nor hurting on every single page throughout the entire book. This book in my opinion is better than </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s not fair. Let me put it softly as each had their own pros and cons but if I had to pick one over the other definitely </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One Day in December </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">wins. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The theme of time is used very well in this book. I love how the book is divided into years and every chapter is dedicated to a certain month and date. Each year gives a good amount of what has happened and that allows the story to progress quickly. I don’t mind the writer dumps it all on you. She eases you in through dialogue and showing which is a very smart way to not bore the reader. The start of each chapter is started with dialogue mainly or a very touching scene. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Love and friendship play such a huge role in this book. It drives the story so powerfully that I felt I was in Laurie’s shoes right there with her the entire way from beginning to finish. Sarah is portrayed as the perfect girl, as a friend and lover to Jack and Laurie and Jack and Laurie’s every move and decision is based on that. They refuse to acknowledge they knew each other before Sarah introduced them until much later in the book which was heartbreaking to watch. Laurie’s level of endurance and tolerance is extremely admirable. She won’t hurt Sarah and that was that even if it meant she had to sacrifice much more and travel halfway across the world to get away from Sarah and Jack. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Laurie’s trip to Thailand starts the talk of the theme of marriage in the book. She’s the first to get married out of the three to Oscar. Her relationship with Oscar to me wouldn’t be considered a filler. Because Oscar and Laurie were actually in love, just that I felt it would have been better if they never went back to London. The marriage was more of a wake up call due to certain events in the book for Laurie to realize she still loved Jack yet she chose to let go of him for the sake of Sarah. Think of the love between Laurie and Jack as the entire underlying foundation of the book- it never goes away from beginning to finish just buried for greater purposes and benefits for everyone. That’s the tragedy right there. And Jack has always been there for Laurie more than Sarah has at some moments through the thick and thin of this book. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marriage is never as easy and as lovely as people may think and Silver does a good job in showing that. We could see how happy and excited Laurie was to marry Oscar but Oscar’s mother and Laurie didn’t get along at all. Lucille thought Laurie was not Oscar’s equal in terms of career, wealth or place in society. This is very typical with in-laws throughout the world and it does not help that Oscar doesn’t stand up enough for Laurie. I thought the idea of Oscar wanting to tie Laurie down with having a baby after knowing Jack still has feelings for Laurie is very typical for married couples. Watching Laurie struggle to try to conceive a child and being heartbroken when she doesn’t, trying to live up to being the perfect wife, and getting along with his mother was the most aggravating part of the book for me. But it was depicted perfectly nevertheless. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The character development in the book was very well written for all three main characters. They go from innocent and carefree characters into mature and independent adults in a span of four years during their time in the real world. As Laurie put it they had to start learning to stand on their own than rely on each other. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love this book to death. I am not a huge romance book reader but this one holds a very special place in my heart. It has been a fun ride from beginning to finish. A powerful book about growing up, love, loss, friendship, family, marriage, and life. This book will definitely be on my mind for a while now. </span></div>
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Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-44078791102923306572020-03-30T10:03:00.001-07:002020-03-30T10:03:12.237-07:00Book Review: The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">I don't normally do book reviews for every single book that I read only notable ones or if I feel a very close connection to it. I just finished this book a few days ago and wanted to do a book review on this because it's relatable in a lot of ways to my own experiences in life. When I read the synopsis to this book before it came out, it broke my heart in at least three different ways. I have been in Lydia’s situation more than once and I had no way out of that loss and grief to this day to a certain extent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">A quick little summary on this book for you guys spoiler free. Lydia and Freddie have been in love since high and church bells are on the way when suddenly Freddie dies in a terrible traffic accident and she doesn’t know how to cope with it. A doctor prescribes her some sleeping pill that allows her to go to a universe that runs parallel with her real one in which Freddie is alive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">Josie Silver does an amazing job in the portrayal of love and loss in this book. I have yet to read her first book but this book twisted my heart on every single page. It was so beautifully painted like a classic painting with every single word. I felt pulled right into Lydia’s shoes and reminded of my own loss that I have suffered of loved ones through the years. Silver’s writing style is very easy flowing which made the read quick and enjoyable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">I loved how she swapped back and forth between the two worlds which transitioned well. Silver dares to touch a very interesting theme of what if parallel worlds did exist in real life. What if in another world – certain things never happened and some people end up together that would never have. It rang a powerful message on how some forces can’t be tampered with. A person cannot live in two separate worlds peacefully that’s just not how it works. Lydia’s selfishness in the first half of the book of wanting to be with Freddie nearly costs her a job, her mother and sister, and her sanity. In the alternative world, Lydia gets her wedding to Freddie, but she soon realizes she’s not the same woman Freddie expects her to be. I remember I read a quote along that lines that said don’t disrupt the flow of time or natural order of you and others will pay the price. I believed this theme was the main drive of the entire book and I loved it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">Something that was a little lacking to me was Jonah’s character. I get the story is surrounding Lydia and how she copes with Freddie’s death but Jonah is a very interesting character. I wished we saw more of Jonah’s side of the story from his perspective. You get glimpses of it but not enough because he seemed like such an interesting character on his own. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">One thing that I loved most between Lydia and Jonah was pretty much in the second half of the book where they were at opposite ends of the world but still kept in such close contact. I felt that the time they spent apart really allowed both Lydia and Jonah to see how important to each other- especially Lydia more than Jonah. I mean Jonah pretty much confessed to Lydia in the alternative universe causing Lydia to start questioning herself and what Jonah meant to her. A life lesson—sometimes taking a step back is good for two people instead of being in each other’s faces everyday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">It really takes a hard whack over the head to realize what you have right next to you instead of drowning in grief, to treasure and value those around you that are still there rather than dwelling on those who are gone. It nearly costed Lydia to lose her family, job, and her oldest friend to realize that and that was a hefty price to pay but she managed to break the surface in the end. The message I got from this book is as unbearable as times are remember to treasure what you have today because it could be gone tomorrow. But the most important thing is to never forget you are never alone in whatever situation you find yourself in. </span></div>
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Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-5238911110917039972020-03-19T16:19:00.000-07:002020-03-19T16:19:01.520-07:00Book Series Review: The Diviner Series by Libba Bray <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Diviners series by Libba Bray is in my opinion one of the best YA fantasy series I have read in a while. To be honest, I never even heard of this series before until a few months ago where I watched a youtuber praise the series and then I looked it up on goodreads. I love stories about the supernatural but when you add the 1920’s and New York in it, it just peaks my interest even more. If you are into that stuff as well, then this is a series I highly suggest. I practically blew through the entire series in about a month and a half. I would definitely recommend this series to friends and even people I don’t know. I am just surprised this hasn’t been turned into an adaptation yet. </div>
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The series is based off a group of main characters who each gets their equal amount of time throughout the books to get their stories told. Speaking from personal experience and from other writers’ I’ve read that attempt to do this usually doesn’t go as smooth as Libba Bray does it. My own writing style is very similar to Libba Bray’s in terms of having multiple main characters and maneuvering them so their stories and voices can be heard at the same level as the main character’s. I really admired her talent for that. She did an amazing job on building each character’s backstory and allowed each of them to grow, learn, and experience. I love how she weaves actual historic events into the story as well and showing us the social norms, conflicts, etiquettes, and issues during the 20’s. That pulled the entire series together so well with the characters’ backgrounds. Libba Bray’s writing style is definitely one of the best in YA. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I loved the love triangle in the series between Sam, Evie, and Jericho. It reminded me a lot of the love triangle in the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare between Will, Tessa, and Jem. The only thing that I felt was lacking from the love triangle was that I wished Jericho and Evie had a bit more physical interaction in the series. Yes, I ship Jericho and Evie. I don’t care what anyone else says! They deserved to be together. I felt like Bray was really pushing Sam and Evie’s towards one another. Yes, they went through a lot together throughout the whole series, but I didn’t feel that deep underlying connection between Sam and Evie as I did with Jericho and Evie. I would say Jericho and Evie had that more deeper connection where even if they were apart they thought of each other and longed for each other and their love was more calmer, gentle, lasting, and didn’t flipflop back and forth like Sam and Evie’s did. Sam and Evie were the couple that was more upfront and direct there was no hiding from anything and full of impulse and wild fire as Evie put it herself. On top of that, Jericho is way more loyal and Sam was portrayed as a playboy. All of this is especially obvious in the King of Crows and the way how Bray ended this love triangle killed my poor soul. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My favorite character is hard. I would say it’s between Jericho and Memphis. Jericho because of how his personality is- I am exactly the same way. Someone of few words, always has their nose stuck in a book, loyal, and a deep thinker. Jericho’s backstory also broke my heart more than Evie or Sam’s ever would. I felt bad for him being played by Marlowe for so long that aggravated me beyond words. I love Memphis because of his backstory as well. His backstory made me cry so much because I lost several loved ones and I have also/still live in guilt for not being able to ease their pain or save them. It just kills me every time I read a section from Memphis’s point of view and he is being eaten up by guilt for not being able to save his mom. I love them both equally and Memphis is an aspiring poet wants to be published and I’m on the exact same boat haha. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I love this series to the ends of worlds and back. It’s definitely well-written, strong storyline, amazing character building and development. This series will be on my mind for a long time, wondering on what happens next and if Jericho will ever come back…haha. I wish. I have never felt so connected to characters in a book for a while and after I finished the series- I felt as if I was bidding goodbye to lifelong friends. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-28583725176020064562020-03-15T07:07:00.000-07:002020-03-15T07:10:32.909-07:00Coronavirus: A Rant On What Is On Everyone's Minds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The last few days have really opened my eyes to the morals of people and witnessing how fear is the key factor in pushing anyone over the edge no matter how steel willed one is.</div>
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We went out for a routine grocery run a few days ago and was stunned at the volume at the grocery store, all the dried goods were pretty much wiped out and the toilet paper and cleaners were nonexistent. It was a complete nightmare and having St Patty's celebration falling right on top of this madness only makes stores so much worse. I was very upset as I couldn't find a tray of skinless chicken breast at three stores we tried, complete insanity. Everyone's carts were like mountains of canned goods and cleaners. We saw one guy's cart was filled with nothing but baked beans and soups. It's insane. Some people just need a few simple items to use for dinner and yet not being able to find anything because everyone is hogging up everything. So please stop. </div>
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Theres another thing that people have been buying like toilet paper. That is portable freezers to store all the meat and foods they bought. That's good for the businesses but shows how people have lost all common sense and logic. </div>
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One topic I wanted to touch briefly on was how hard sports fans took it when all sports games and parades have been cancelled until further notice. I know there's some hardcore sports fans out there and its understandable but it's not the end of the world. Take this extra time to stay home and be with family and think of other ways to have fun. It's all a matter of just getting over yourselves and worry about your own safety than about watching the games. </div>
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A few days ago, I saw a piece of news that left a sour taste in my mouth. Apparently the Federal Reserve injected 1.5 trillion into markets to save the stocks and give investors a pease of mind. We are dealing with a worldwide pandemic and people are worried about their stocks? If you have enough money to invest in stocks, then you should have enough money to save yourself if the stocks collapsed completely. We don't want to help the poverty or lower the crime rates, or create more jobs, or help people who are in debt, but instead we want to protect rich people. I don't care about the economical impact - as bad as that is for me to say that but this is hard for me to comprehend. CPS was on strike for over a month fighting to get funding, Bernie Sanders has been pushing for healthcare for everyone for years, and the coronavirus has its jaws locked on us. That 1.5 trillion dollars could have served a much bigger purpose and we would have seen quicker results on other matters. But apparently, protecting assets of the rich are more important and come first above all else. Is this really the world we live in? </div>
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This is a little off topic and I know a lot of people will probably disagree with me. However, I have to get this off my mind. Bernie Sanders has chosen to try again for the presidency and his morals and plans are not favored by a lot. I favor his ideals and morals. I think what he wants to do would be what we need to make a comeback and bring us to where we have to be. Healthcare for all is fearful to everyone and many claim it would just start chaos in hospitals across the nation. It may. It may not. We don't know that. Not everything can be determined by statistics. Canada has free healthcare. UK has free healthcare in certain places. They manage to get by on a daily basis. What's the problem? </div>
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The problem is obvious in the country just that many choose to turn a blind eye to it and that is race and class will always be the wedge that exists in society. Everyone thinks they are privileged and have the right to have what they got. The dividers between the different levels of class only gets worse as time goes by. Everyone is walking around with their heads held high and refusing to share or wait longer than they have to for anything they go to. That's our problem. Patience is long gone. We've been too comfortable with how this country is run for way too long. We fear change and Bernie's change is extreme change all at once unfortunately. If we had politicians that actually support that and willing to back Bernie and be his backbone in the white house, this could actually succeed.</div>
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It had been done before thousands of years ago during the Qin dynasty when a court officer announced he wanted to tear up the old systems by their roots and start fresh. It was a bloody time when that happened but sometimes you just need to be fearless and keep on pushing your ideals into effect no matter what and they succeeded. Unfortunately, we don't have that will or courage to do so. We fear change because we've been nursing in our own comfort zone for too long. </div>
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All I know if when this is all over...this will be one hell of a story to tell to generations to come. We lock ourselves in our own prison called fear.</div>
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Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-31226096313513109242020-03-13T06:02:00.000-07:002020-03-13T06:02:33.098-07:00Catching Back Up: Why I Took A Break<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-73679847-7fff-ffb6-c7b1-e9408c23155a" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Work had a death like grip on me throughout the entirety of last year to the point where I was miserable each day. I was living in unease and exhaustion everyday from working, worrying about keeping an eye out on my back, dealing with the majority of the people I worked with, and trying to have a life outside of work. I could no longer separate work from my personal life and it affected me on a deeper level that I could imagine. Never have I had a job where I was not only exhausted physically but mentally from trying to protect myself in my work space. </span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had no time for writing at all nor did I have time for reading. It was purely work and go home and do chores and cook, pick up around the house and that’s it. I usually only had one day off a week and worked splits the rest. I was able to manage it but in time I couldn’t help but feel my mental state shattering. I felt my mind screaming for a way to get out and be free. I couldn’t find no motivation to begin to write again no matter how hard I’ve tried. Deep down, I knew writing could save me but I couldn’t grasp it at the time that was the most painful thing for me to endure. To know that the one thing that could pull me out of my bind was the one thing that didn’t spark anything for me. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I knew that wasn’t good for me to make me lose myself and my passion to work. But that dark time has now passed. I have grown a lot and learned a lot and will strive to do my best. </span></div>
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Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-40317860075633761022020-03-06T06:37:00.001-08:002020-03-08T05:50:55.481-07:00Corona Virus Has Brought Out The Worst In Us <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hello, everyone. Some of you are probably surprised my blog is still alive, haha. I will be posting a blog post to explain why I disappeared shortly after this post so there's that to look forward to for you guys and myself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On to the main topic of this post: the corona virus and how I feel it has been blown out of proportion by nothing more but our own fears and greed. Fear is everyone's biggest enemy in life and it doesn't take a lot for fear latch onto us and grow roots. It could be as simple as a shooting in a nearby city or state. It could be triggered by childhood memories. Once fear sets into us, we tend to blow it out of proportion as much as we hate to admit it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We fear what we cannot control but we will never admit it. Everyone is afraid of war, afraid of change, afraid of dying, afraid of global warming, afraid of diseases, afraid of others’ opinions, afraid of being a failure, afraid of not getting their paychecks, afraid of government shutdowns, afraid of the stock market going down, the list never ends. When fear sets in, it makes people do stupid things and their defenses shoot up to unreasonable levels. It makes everyone lose all their common sense and everyone’s IQ falls to zero. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And because of this people choose to do unbelievably stupid things. </span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-b902fdae-7fff-7645-5c58-bb00e307fd62"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few days ago, We went to a supermarket to get a single travel size bottle of sanitizer for my boyfriend to be safe. Just one. However, we scoured the entire area of where the soaps and hygiene stuff was and found nothing. At first, we both thought that we were missing it somehow but it made no sense that we could. As we were about to give up, I looked up to the empty top shelf above the hand soaps and thought: it can’t be. I looked over to the tag and it was where sanitizer should be. We searched for Clorox/Lysol disinfecting wipes and yet came up empty handed. If I was a clueless person who didn't know about the virus, I would have just assumed all the </span><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">sanitizers had a mass recall. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">People have been massively buying all the sanitizers at every single store that has it. I mean there are videos on youtube of how shocked people are to see sanitizers all cleared out from places like Costco, Bath and Body Works, and all gocery stores. Something that usually sells at a minimum level spiked out of control leaving retailers caught off guard. In some countries such as Australia, people are buying all the condoms to put over their fingers to avoid catching the virus. It's ridiculous and funny. </span></span></span></div>
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CDC keeps on repeating this on a daily basis to wash your hands at least 20 seconds whenever possible and to stop touching your face but amazingly no one listens. Instead, people are buying up everything that they think should protect them from the virus such as face masks, sanitizers, and etc. Some have gone as far as refusing to eat Chinese foods and now I heard they're blaming Corona beer too? What does that have to do anything?! How stupid are people? I get everyone is freaked out and living in fear but it's gotten blown out of control on pure fear. </div>
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On top of that, the media only reports on deaths and new cases around the world but they don't report on those that are surviving, those that have quarantined themselves inside their houses and treat themselves. Those are the true fighters and the logical ones but of course they don't get mentioned for whatever reason. The most laughable piece of news I read was someone who was suspected to have the virus was isolated for a few hours and then released when no symptoms appeared. They then spent two hours walking around a mall. How many people did that individual infect? </div>
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My own thoughts were people are really stocking up on these cleaning supplies to keep their loved ones safe and use it for themselves until my boyfriend reminded me of the greed of humanity. We looked on eBay and saw sanitizer going for triple the prices they usually went for. Every brand of sanitizer you could think of was on eBay including Bath and Body Works ones. I couldn't believe my eyes. People weren't buying to stock up for their own needs. They were buying to resell for a much higher price. People were profiting off the virus! Anything to earn a buck! Who the heck tries to profit off a highly contagious virus in chaotic times like this? Shouldn't we be banding together to work together and pass out sanitizers to those who could or could not afford sanitizers and etc.? People sicken me. The worst type of people are those who make money off other people's struggles and illnesses. What if there's someone out there who needs that sanitizer more than you? Yet, you won't give it for free or sell for a cheaper price? </div>
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The greed of humanity never ceases to amaze me. I just choose to look away from it on daily basis because I don't want to think of how terrible people are. </div>
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The other thing is something that had happened to me literally yesterday at work. I was walking with a customer to show her to the stuff she wanted and she made the unruly comment of: 'oh dear, that customer just coughed on me. Jesus christ, I knew I shouldn't have come out.' I just looked at her indifferently and smiled politely. The customer that coughed on her wasn't even asian. I am just baffled at what the society has come to. It's hilarious and also disheartening. I've seen cases on the news about asians being beat up at colleges and everywhere for being the nationality they are and telling them to take their virus back to where they came from. That's racism at its finest and it will keep getting more out of hand. That's unnecessary and sickening. </div>
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War, viruses, pandemics, and natural disasters all bring out the worst in people. It can also bring out the good in people. There's always those two groups of people that stand in opposition to each other during these hard times. On a spiritual level, I want to say that this is a test by higher powers to see if we as people are selfless and have a bigger heart to accept and help those in need of help during these times regardless of circumstances and differences. However, I feel I've only seen people being selfish and racist. </div>
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When will we ever learn from history, past mistakes, and get over our own ego?</div>
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Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-78159569642891633432019-11-24T08:51:00.000-08:002019-11-24T08:51:17.550-08:00Book Review on Frankly In Love By David Yoon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Small update: I haven't posted on here for a while after google plus closed for consumers. I was just bummed out by that because I was a part of a lot of groups on there. Since then, I've been hopping back and forth blogging platforms to try to find that perfect one again. Here I am again to give this another try. Hoping my audience is still hanging around here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Frankly In Love </i>by David Yoon is a book I picked up a while ago because the synopsis captivated and hit too close to home for me. I recently finished reading it and initial review is that this book is such a laid book and steady flow read for me. It was like reading an asian soap opera watching everything unfold at a nice pace. The book gives the reader a very accurate view on how asian culture and family is. Asians are a very close and tight knit race that stick together in a foreign land. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love how Frank struggles with pleasing his parents so he doesn't follow his sister, Hanna's old road in life. Hanna was the perfect daughter, becoming a successful lawyer and the jewel in their parents' eyes until she chose to fall in love with an African american man. This is a big no no for a lot of old school asian families. You will face being disowned by your family and that's exactly what happens to Hanna. I know it's much more open minded now in reality but there is still a certain amount of distaste in the back of a lot of asian parents' mind when their children bring home significant others of a different race.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Another aspect I loved, was the foundation that was built among the older generation of how they would have these monthly gatherings at each others' houses to catch up on life, let their children hang out and continue the tradition hopefully. When asians immigrate to another country, they certainly do make it a goal to move to a town or city where there are other asians or try to locate other asians. In the book, seems like the few families mentioned were old school friends who landed in the same area in California. They are all well off whether it was starting their own laundromats, restaurants, and stores. And when asians get together they typically like to boast and show off what their wealth and success have gotten them. For example, expensive cars, giant houses, living in nice neighborhoods, and how smart and accomplished their children are. This rings very factual as whenever I go out with family the conversations always spiral to my son or daughter works there or did this so forth. It's normal and definitely was vert enjoyable to read about in the book. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When Frank's relationship with Brit goes down the drain, and he and Joy became official, I was leaping and squealing in joy. I had been cheering for them since they both appeared in the same scene in the book. Everything was fine and dandy until a joke goes wrong at a gathering and everything started going south for them too. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was screaming no after watching them go through everything with their previous significant others and Joy being there with Frank when his father got shot and learning his father was diagnosed with cancer. Thick and thin in other words. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This shows us how much influence parents hold over their children especially in asian families. In the book even Frank wonders how long do parents hold power over them and if it is only as long as we allow them. And then he believes they will hold power over them until they die and beyond. Typically it's the girl that usually crumbles under a parent's pressure to stop seeing someone and Joy does crumble before Frank. Frank only crumbled and let go when he sees that Joy has completely lost her footing in what he describes as love being a mutual belief and once one side starts doubting that's it. That section of the book broke my heart. Two people that loved each other but watching them slowly being forced to let go because their parents' are unable to put down their pride. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pride is a major thing in asian families and something that they won't let go of even if it kills them which to me is stupid. I see how pride has torn families apart including my own. It's a trait we need and yet it will also destroy us. And even if differences are resolve, pride leaves a scar wedged between people forever. It's a cruel thing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When Frank's dad condition starts getting worse, there is a show of sincere concern and closure when Joy and her family come back to visit Frank when he broke his ankle and Frank's dad condition is known to everyone. I wish that scene was elaborated a bit more between the two father's - some sort of resolve would have been nice to see but that's typical asians for you. What I did see was Joy and Frank still in love but unable to fight to break free from the power of parents. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The most touching part to me was when Hanna and Miles came back home to spend time with the family in their dad's last days of life and finally see acceptance. Frank states his parents were finally able to see how stupid their pride was, how ashamed and bad they felt for how they treated their daughter and her husband. Remorse is never too late. That was a very bittersweet moment for me to read. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Joy and Frank's final goodbye was heart wrenching to me. They will always love each other but because of their parents' pride - we don't get a direct answer on whether or not they will ever get back together. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Overall, this book was amazing. I loved it. The writing style, the backstory, the genre was just too close to home. This one is definitely in my top ten favorite reads of all times. </span></div>
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Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-73939278993196926712018-11-03T09:18:00.003-07:002018-11-03T12:03:17.852-07:00The Starbucks Reusable Holiday Cup Craze <img alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h7Fh0GRkDXo/W93K7M7T7KI/AAAAAAAAS78/FBdTlAkX6vkL2l266R9A5ImgqwaNIP7ngCHMYCw/%255BUNSET%255D" /><br />
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I was very hyped about this as I’ve never paid attention to these promotions, but I wanted a reusable cup for fun but I didn’t get one unfortunately. They all sold out instantly to my knowledge.<br />
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I understand Starbucks is the biggest coffee company in the world without a question. Everyone loves Starbucks for the large variety of drinks they have. It’s practially the busiest drink spot every single day at all hours. You all have seen the lines at Starbucks drive thrus and in store and it can get chaotic. It’s so popular among the old and young especially college kids- your 9-5 office workers. It’s a given that it’s the most popular drink to bring anywhere. You needed a strong coffee- Starbucks has what you need. You want a nice treat- Starbucks is pretty much your go to. It’s a great place to hang out, do homework, have small meetings, and just relax at.<br />
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Of course - when Starbucks announced the holiday reusable cup for this year...it drove everyone’s craze for Starbucks to another dimension of extremities. I was told that the Starbucks around the neighborhood had lines for the drive thru across the entire parking lot. Of course we all know their all there for that cup. It’s consjmerism. It’s greed. It’s the need to have something materlistic. You would think right? I’d say yeah there are sincere and loyal Starbucks customers who want those cups so they can get that discount every time they used it after 2 pm.<br />
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However, my boyfriend told me to do some snooping just out of curiosity and we went on eBay. We did a search for the Starbucks reusable holiday cup 2018, and we found something very interesting but not surprising. People were selling these reusable cups for 13-20 bucks for a single one. As we scrolled down, it got a bit more aggravating. We saw five of those cups for sale for about 80 dollars. There was one person who was selling four for 60 dollars. I was baffled. How are you going to get a drink, then circle back for more drinks just to get more cups to sell? Why are you all so selfish and greedy? Who would want a cup that has been used by someone else? I don’t care if it’s been cleaned...seriously. Why would you people want to make cash like that?<br />
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You know there are people out there who just want to try one of the drinks to celebrate the season and get the cup as well for fun. And thank you to those who went through those drive thru multiple times to get a bunch of cups to sell for their own profit. Thank you for ruining the fun and mood of those who didn’t get a cup.<br />
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This shows you how consumerism and greed is destroying people and the society. It’s a process of buy buy buy and then selling it for a higher sell profit. Also, how materialistic people are.<br />
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My boyfriend and I went to try a Starbucks near home last night to get a cup. We were behind 3 cars in the drive thru and two more were behind us. The staff had a paper stuff on the order intercom that said: no red cups. That was Hilarious to see. And then the wait was very long to get our drinks. We got our drinks for free in the end so it was a shock .<br />
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<br />Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-3335977375115138122018-09-09T16:26:00.001-07:002018-09-09T16:37:53.666-07:00Review On (Spoiler Alert) : A Reaper At The Gates <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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FINALLY! I finished this book yesterday after having the book for months after it's release but never had the time to read it. This is one of my favorite series in Young Adult literature. The writer is amazing and I love her style. Her characters are not easily forgettable, her character development is so well done that it craves a mark on my memory. The tone and the use of words in some of the passages reminds me greatly of Chinese sayings. I remembered the thing I was most excited about this book was because of Elias taking over the duties of the Soul Reaper of the waiting place.<br />
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This installation was rollercoaster of feelings from the beginning to the very end. I believe there are only a few sections of the book that really broke my heart to a million pieces and I am pretty sure there are a few pieces that will never be found.<br />
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Helene who had everything from family, honor, respect, to a boundless future fell from the top to the very bottom. She probably has the most tragic background story out of all the characters. In the third book, Helene and Livva's relationship tore me. They had really little time together in the book as Helene was always away from the capital chasing down Keris and having her own obstacles that she had to jump over. But Livvy was Helene's only reason to keep fighting ever since she lost her entire family to the hands of Marcus. When Livvy was in labor, it was the most heartwarming moment to see Helene and Laia work together to help her sister but also to see Helene lose all composure and fret because she had no idea how to guide someone through labor. We get to see the perspective of Helene on children and marriage. Helene bears a lot on her shoulder, her entire family's death and name will shadow over her decisions life. She has to rebuild the empire and make sure Livva's son sits on the throne. This poor girl can never cut her ties to politics, oaths, and duties. I do want to see her have a happy ending with Harper though.<br />
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Laia has always been a strong character. She started off as a basic character and through the books she has grown and developed so much that she has her mother's shadow more and more each day. She has always wondered what happened to her parents - it had always been the mystery she was chasing after to find the truth. Unfortunately, the truth gets revealed to her with the night bringer's aid. This destroys her mentally and psychologically when she realizes her mother was not only the murderer of her sibling and father but also still alive. I always thought Cook was too hard on Laia whenever they were in a scene together. Now, it makes a lot of sense that Cook was actually Laia's mother in hiding for so many years. As short as their reunion was, it was touching and painful to see them interact and be together as Keris has destroyed her mother's ability to speak. When Cook chose to sacrifice herself to save Laia and pay for her wrongs, it broke my heart and how she tried to say: 'I love you, Laia,' killed me. Unfortunately, for Laia I feel she will have to keep being haunted by her past for many years to come.<br />
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Keris is a character Sabaa wrote to be the character that everyone would hate and be misunderstood and she would never open up to anyone. I loved the concept and planning. However in this book, we get to see her backstory or a glimpse of it through her father's storytelling. How Elias's father was beaten to death without Keris's knowledge, how she had gone back to find Elias in tribes, how she was treated horribly in the academy. We get this different version of Keris. Someone who was protected by her family, had a loving mother but then everything changed when she stepped outside of that protective circle. She lost her beloved. She got trampled upon and stripped of everything she loved. Of course she'd become a monster that everyone feared. It's a natural instinct.<br />
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I would like to close the girls' perspective on this note with a small section of Helene's final thoughts in the book:<br />
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<i>"Curse this world for what it does to the mothers, for what it does to the daughters. Curse it for making us strong through loss and pain, our hearts torn from our chests again and again. Curse it for forcing us to endure." </i></div>
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Helene, Laia, and Keris are such strong women all in their own ways with their own burdens and pasts that keep pushing them forward. This small passage relates to all females out there and yes we become stronger by the day with everything it puts us through so cheers to all the females out there and cheers to Sabaa for writing such an amazing series. I cannot wait for the final book and see where these three women end up.<br />
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Elias's growth through the books from the first to the current is a rollercoaster heck of a ride from an emotionless Mask, to a boy in love, and to the empty soul reaper. Elias wasn't a perfect mask, he hated his mother, and Laia brought into his life the light and love that he never thought he could be worthy of. She pulled him up as he pulled her up in times of dire need and they were able to give each other direction and strength. However this was a late bloomer in terms of romance to me. Both characters never knew how much they loved each other or needed each other till the moment where there was no return. Because of Laia's cries of help, he neglected his duties and caused the entire barrier of the waiting place to be destroyed and all the ghosts escaped and possessed countless of innocence and dozens of lives were lost. At that point, Elias threw Laia to the back and tried his best amend for his wrongs. At the end of cleaning up his mess, he had pretty much lost most of his humanity to my interpretation.<br />
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<i>Abandon your mortal attachments. Abandon your humanity. </i>That's what Mauth, the source of magic from the waiting place that Elias uses keeps telling him. Every single conversation between Elias and Mauth are very spiritual in my perspective. Put personal love aside and think of universal love. Detach yourself from mortal attachments such as: family, friends, loved ones, politics, materialistic matters and be one with the universe. Everyone is equal. Love the universe as a whole with no selfish needs and wants. That's what Mauth wants Elias to achieve and he does finally but you can tell Elias is still trying to hold on inside.<br />
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When Laia goes back to talk to Elias one last time, it completely breaks my heart. As Elias once described it, he is an age while Laia is mortal and is getting older and older and will eventually die. He wished it that she could have a chance at life and he'd give up his life with her and choose to live without her and it came to be.<br />
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<i>'We are, all of us, just visitors in each other's lives. You will forget my visit soon enough.' </i>That is a very true point in the book and in reality everyone we meet are only for this lifetime or for even a short period of time. We cross paths and then move on. That is actually a chinese saying. I was surprised to have read that. Laia's cries and pleas to try to make Elias stay destroyed my whole mentality. It was too much. I do hope that Elias will come back and be able to escape his fate as soul reaper. They are the most tragic pair of all the pairs in the book.<br />
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All of that said- I cannot wait for the next book! Thank you for listening to me rant!Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-3540118280174462352018-09-07T09:26:00.000-07:002018-09-07T09:51:22.438-07:00What Did We Grow Up For? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Why live? What exactly did we grow up for? I have been having some nice conversations with several of my close friends. We grew up in hopes of finding a good job after college right? Or going to a trade school and land a good job at a reputable company. We grew up hoping we'd make enough money to buy things we want and have a family right? </div>
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Did you guys know in the 60's...a man could work a full time job and be able to pay for a house and provide for his family. Nowadays, you need two full time workers to just manage to scrape by to afford a house, car, and start a family. But the downfall is you don't have anyone to take care of the kids or the mother stays home but doesn't get paid for being away from work. </div>
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In this era and world, trying to attempt a normal life is causing people to be pushed to the edge of a cliff. In the good old days, the man would work a full time job and come home and have time to play with his children, hold conversations with his wife but nowadays that parents spend less than an hour with their kids after a work day.</div>
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Jobs nowadays don't pay enough for entry level work and they expect you to do so much work or they want someone with several years of experience. It seems that it doesn't matter what respectable school you graduated from, how many awards and clubs you were in, or what experience you already have is nonexistence if you don't agree with their terms. That's reality. If you don't know someone, or if they don't want to spend too much money on hiring you when they could just hire a temp for a quick solution- they wouldn't think twice which is more favorable for them. </div>
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Life. Other than searching for your purpose in life, working till you collapse, dealing with deadlines, maintaining your lifestyle, trying your best to pay off school debts, car loans, bills, earning as much money as you can to fulfill your materialistic wants, what else is there? Remember that everything I have just mentioned would probably just bring frowns upon people's faces. They would probably answer: 'that is my purpose in life!' Is it? Are you guys really happy with all those burdens?</div>
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Being in jobs you're stuck in that you hate and love at the same time, you probably hate your boss, gossip, and complain about every little thing in the office but it gets you that nice paycheck right? Or settle for job that was never what you went to school for, work until you collapse, getting paid so low that it's an insult to yourself. Or working an insane amount of hours to the point where you have work/life balance? Where work consumes everything? Are you truly happy? Was this what you grew up for? </div>
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Where is the balance in your life? Isn't that what everyone is so big on right now? Balance between work and personal life, physical health and mental health, enjoy life, and so forth. Did we grow up to step into this?</div>
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Are you happy with where you are? Sometimes its good to do some meditating and try to find your center and ask yourself if this is really want you want to do. You could always be doing something that makes you happier. The question is if you're willing to. </div>
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Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-11519893736579071582018-08-29T18:49:00.002-07:002018-08-29T18:49:36.152-07:00Wasted Talents<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Everyone spends a ton of money to get through college if they are not lucky enough to get grants, scholarships, or some kind of federal aids, right? In this era and society, it's drilled into everyone's heads that if you don't get a degree you won't be able to land a good job. It is also drilled into everyone's head that there are bachelor degrees on every street corner. You need to get an MBA to even get considered for a good office job causing a lot of young people to drop further into the wormhole of debt. Also, causing a lot of high school grads to turn to options like trade schools instead of four year colleges and universities. </div>
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In school, advisors and professors make it seem getting an internship is a piece of cake...finding a job related to your field as long as you have a minor to accompany your major would be much easier and less of a pain. However, that is not the reality. If you don't know someone in a company, you won't be able to land a job in that company that you had on for so long unless luck is on your side. </div>
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Lately, I have been in a rut about this and so have a lot of friends of mine that went to college and are unable to land a job related to their fields. A lot of college grads end up back in retail because the higher you move in retail the better you get paid but the more nonsense you have to put up with. The amount of college grads that end up in those situations is crazy. It really makes you wonder.</div>
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It makes you wonder why you went to school all those years and spent all that money? Why do companies and firms set standards so high when hiring for entry level positions, demanding a certain amount of years of experience doing certain things? How are fresh college grads able to get the experience these places want if you don't give them a chance? Let fresh blood into the company, let them mess up, let them learn to clean up and learn from mistakes. Everyone started there at one point right? Regardless if companies are trying to save money by hiring temps instead of permanent workers or if they just does want people who don't have the qualities and experience they seek--college grads are never going to be able to land a job in their fields easily. </div>
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I have friends that majored in respectable fields like neuroscience, friends that followed their hearts and majored in graphic design, fashion design, english, art, engineering, film, communications, and etc. They did nothing wrong. They just followed their hearts and passion and studied what they love and yet they are stuck in jobs that they despise and lifestyles that are not what they ever wanted. They are still hopeful that one day they could possibly land a job in their field of work. </div>
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There is so much wasted talent everywhere you turn nowadays. Top of the class college grads ending up in shift jobs, retail, and so forth. When they are capable of so much more, amazing art talents, creative talents, intelligence and it's all wasting away slowly. It's a tragedy. </div>
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It's unjust and I would like to say a test of life for most of us. But is it really and how long is this to last before we find that job that we always wanted? </div>
<br />Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-14652573380246927422018-08-19T04:30:00.001-07:002018-08-28T15:47:20.257-07:00Remember Your Roots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Never forget your roots. Many people forget their roots as they grow older. Forgetting where they first started once they've reached a high point in life. </div>
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A lot of people nowadays forget where they came from. No one was born high and mighty or perfect. We all had to do soul searching and give a lot of hard work to reach where we are today whether it be working hard to move up a in company, working hard in school, working hard to have a place in a family, working hard to prove oneself. I am sure all of us have lost dreams to share, hopes that got shattered, injuries and scars that we had and carried on proudly. </div>
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Never forget where you started from because that is where it all began. </div>
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If you were once trampled on, ignored, seen as nothing, scapegoated, you should never forget the pain. You should never forget it even when you become a CEO or someone big and powerful. You were once at the bottom of the barrel too. You spent sleepless nights working hard to move up and be someone in the world. </div>
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When you see the younger generation struggling, you should not turn the other way or deny them help. Because you know better than anyone, that you were once in those shoes too and aware of what it feels like to be in that position. You should extend a helping hand - to give those who have talent and passion the chance that you were given. </div>
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Roots define us. We would be swaying in the breeze if we didn't have strong roots. Experienced the failure, the struggle, the journeys, and the results...that's foundation of each and everyone's roots. Don't be ashamed from where you came from. Don't deny where you started and how you worked your way upward. It's what defines you as a person and shows your growth.</div>
<br />Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-45828950172480386372018-08-16T11:01:00.001-07:002018-08-16T11:06:42.984-07:00Wise Words <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Would your 8 year old self be proud of you right now? When we were children- we fantasied what and who we would be ten years in the future more than likely. When we see a television show that shows a cowboy that is righteous or saves lives and rid the world of evil- we think that's who we want to be. When we see a doctor, nurse, or lawyer and see the amazing things they do- our desires get swayed again and we tell ourselves that we must do good in school so we could like them one day. Yet, things never go as we plan unfortunately unless you were born in a rich and well off family that offered you that luxury of having things your way or making it through college for the most part. I don't know about you folks but my 8 year old self is cursing the daylights out of right now if that was possible. </div>
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But did you ever think that you would possibly find yourself stuck in retail work after four years of college ... probably not right? Retail is probably the brutalist field of work for people to go into. If it's just a temporary thing or you do it because your about to retired and bored or do it because you need a side job in school, then that's probably not too bad and it doesn't eat you alive. However, if you are a college grad or someone far done with schooling, and hoping to make a career out of retail industry...that is probably not the smartest idea. </div>
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I've been in retail for about 6 years in total. I can tell you retail is roughest - rougher than factory work because at least in factory work you don't have to deal with customers who are jerks and douche bags giving you nasty attitudes. Or dealing with corporate who doesn't really give a crap about you and only wants to see results. </div>
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I went to college got a degree that wasn't of much use and ended up in retail. I never gave up on looking for jobs related to my field but there were no replies and it reached the point where you don't give up but you get tired from trying. I decided to move up in the chain of command in retail and landed a managerial position in the store which took about a year to do so. As managers regardless if it's of a department or a store level manager- we are required to work a minimum of 50 hours a week. No overtime pay, no holiday pay or much special treatment other than having the title and the word of law.<br />
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Moreover, dealing with customers who treat you like crap, talk to you like you are illiterate and dumb. They all believe they are privileged to be respected and you are to do everything they tell you to. We are human beings...only you managed to not work in retail and we did. There are college grads and people smarter than you think working in these retail positions. What makes you think- you as a consumer have a right to undermine them? If you want to be respected, then respect those serving you too. It works both ways. </div>
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Over the years in retail, I destroyed my body, my health, my state of mind over and over. Picture a bulldozer running over your body every single day consistently. Ruined my shoulder muscle, ruined my stomach health, ruined my back, and the list goes on to much more serious conditions but because I cared too much about my job and the team. Never took breaks or kept hydrated. I never felt my body's breakdown or pain when I first started but as I got older everything just amplified. And never once was that appreciated or thanked for by anyone. </div>
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Recently, I learned the store manager that I was working under had turned in his two weeks. It was sudden and unexpected. He gave the few managers that were in the small cubicle with him a small update. He said he's tired of the company, tired of not being appreciated for all the work he's done for the company, all the time, energy, and passion he gave to the job. He reached the point where he has to start thinking about his life, his family and what they needed. No one will mourn for any of us if we were to pass out at work. No one would care. They don't want to hear explanations, they don't want to hear reasoning or excuses. They put you where they want to put you and that's it. The question for right here is-- for what? Why destroy yourself over this job? </div>
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That little speech hit home for me. I was sitting super close to him and could see his water glisten in his eyes from the reality - or because he finally took that step. I will never know. What I do know is-- he is absolutely right. </div>
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So would my 8 year old self be happy with where I am today? No. If I could go back, I would have probably studied something that could give me a better chance at finding a job related to my field. How ironic and sad is it not? </div>
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Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-20913863866076075932018-08-15T18:39:00.002-07:002018-08-15T18:49:03.934-07:00Drivers and Turn Signals <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This has been a topic that I wanted to talk about for a long time. I took CTA for most of my school years and work years until recently where I made the move from Chicago to Indiana. Driving is the pretty much the only option to get from Indiana to my work in Chicago. Being one of those people that usually drive for at least an hour to get to work and to get home everyday is not fun. I try to avoid the expressways as much as possible because idiots who believe the expressway is a nascar race track fly down those roads like there's no tomorrow. </div>
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However, that is not the issue right now. The main issue I wanted to talk about is how annoying it is when people do not use their turning signals when they want to switch lanes, making a turn into a parking lot, or when they're coming from the opposite direction and wanting to turn into a parking lot on your side of the street. It is so irritating when these scenarios happens and it happens every single day more than once. Have none of you ever gone to traffic school? Do none of you people know common courtesy? </div>
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You are not higher than anyone else on the roads. If you are not a first responder, then you do not get the privilege of driving however you wish. Even first responders know common courtesy when they are driving with no lights and sirens on. </div>
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Have you guys never gone to driving school where they tell you must turn on your turning signal about 500 feet before where you are planning to turn? Or make sure to have at least blank amount of feet of clearance before switching lanes? I see people turning tight turns so many times and whizzing in and out of lanes like there's no tomorrow with no signals or care. You guys are all so inconsiderate and idiots.</div>
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It is annoying and this is how accidents happen. Turning signals are there for a reason - to be utilized. If you were turning down a familiar alley or something then it'd be okay to not use turning signals those are all the only situations where that would apply.</div>
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I sometimes wonder what type of person is driving the car that just cut me off a few days ago or any other old day. If you guys are this reckless and push aside, I wonder how you guys in the other aspects of life. What is the rush ? Why are you guys all cutting through traffic to only get how many more steps ahead than everyone else to only find that it probably didn’t make that much of a difference ?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">If its because you’re running late for work, then you should have planned more effectively on when to get up and what time you absolutely have to be out the door by. If it’s just a gathering, then there is no need to rush because you won’t be the only one wait. Rushing will make us lose our common sense and judgement and forget to use turning signals .</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">Work will still be there if you’re late. Gatherings and appointments will still be there when you get there. So why the need to rush and forget the basic safety and basic usage of turning signals and using better judgement?</div>
Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-72274350290013020592018-08-09T19:30:00.000-07:002018-08-09T19:30:04.571-07:00My View On Steel Mills <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recently, I visited Arcelor Mittal in Riverdale (which is a mini mill) where my fiancee works. They had an anniversary tour and I went out there to see where he worked because he'd always come home extremely drained and exhausted and from the stories he told me- it was still hard to picture how its like until I went on the tour.<br />
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All steel mill workers have to wear their 'greens', carbon X undershirts and pants, earplugs, helmet, safety glasses, gloves, and whatever other equipment is needed for their specific department. Greens consist of a green coat with green pants that protect you if you catch on fire. We had to wear them to go on the tour. The greens weigh down on you- that's how I felt anyways it was heavy but I felt protected.<br />
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We went to visit the caster floor first. It looked like the inside of a space ship- or a control room with the engines and everything, but most importantly with steel cooking. The air was very dry and it was very humid- the heat is equivalent of standing inside a preheated oven of 400 degrees. I started sweating instantly by the time we got up to the caster floor which is like 4 stories up inside of the mill. It is very loud and hard to hear each other over the noises of the machines. There were these giant fans that were constantly going blowing warm air around the space. You could get the cooler air if you stood right in front of the fan- that's probably the only relief you can get from the humidity. It was endurable for me but it was to the point where I was reaching the point of where I wanted to take off my clothes. I cannot imagine how people can stand to work in there for 12 hours everyday and not go insane from the humidity.<br />
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I wanted to see the tundish shop - and that is what I am to believe is the entry level job that many new hires get put in. That's where my boyfriend works and the horror stories he tells me is never-ending. But during the tour- the tun dish department was never mentioned nor were we shown it. That only irritated me more because how could you overlook the department that probably does the most work- the hardest of the hard labor on a daily basis?<br />
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Let me explain briefly to you what the tun dish shop is in charge of to my best understanding. They used a ton of impact tools to scrap off substances from the tun dishes that get sent to them and then they have spray them, and while they are doing all this - did I forget to mention that tun dishes are giant cauldrons with temperatures ranging from 250-300 by the time it's safe enough for them to spray and scrape? It's a very tough job and can break anyone who gets put in that department.<br />
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Even though we didn't get to see the tun dish shop. I believe the most interesting department to me is the BOF (Basic Oxygen Furnace) which melts down scraps and cooks a type of iron to formulate the main ingredient for steel. It was very hot - like a witch's house where there are several big cauldrons just cooking the base ingredient for the steel. It was very fun to watch all of that happen.<br />
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All in all it was very informative and fun to go on a tour and see what a mill is all about and what mill life is like.Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-75071293596400560512018-08-07T17:13:00.001-07:002018-08-07T17:18:34.836-07:00Enjoy Life Before Adulthood <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I only have one piece of advice to share with everyone today. That is to enjoy your childhood, to enjoy the good old school years, and the time that you spend with your friends. Because it is in the world's natural order that in order for you to gain something, you must lose something first. In this case, everyone needs to lose their innocence and childhood, we can't go around acting like children for all of our lives right? We must grow up, leave our childhood state of mind and years and ease into the years of adulthood which is filled with responsibility and bills. </div>
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We never realize the extent of something until we lose it. We never realized how lucky we were to be able to live in the innocence of youth and not have a single worry in the whole world. We thought naively that that time of carefreeness would never end.</div>
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However, all good things will always come to a subtle end. If life went on in carefree and careless natures, that would be ideal for a lot of us wouldn't it? But would life be life if it didn't have a few bumps and obstacles along the way? Are there any walls with no bumps along the paint? Are there any flawless plans that don't have flaws? There will always be a trick and life is no different. </div>
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Before you enter the period of adulthood, make sure to enjoy those field trips, those parties, those long summer vacations, those fun times with your friends and having nothing more to worry about than to pass exams and classes. One day you will look back in sadness and wondered where all the time went. Why are you stuck in a job you possibly hate and have such a tight schedule where you cannot even live your life and enjoy doing what you like to do. Not everyone can have the job they love or a job that offers a lot of time off. It's a luxury not everyone has. </div>
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So please make the most of your time of your childhood. Try new things, travel, meet new people and make new friends, go soul searching, find your center, and never forget the good times and memories as one day they will only be a memory. When we are children, we walk the path of life with friends and family creating beautiful memories and having joyous laughs. When we are adults, we must trudge along the path of life on our own with a handful of loved ones and carry ton upon ton of burdens that we share with others but there are more joyous and carefree laughs. There are only sighs and complaints. </div>
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Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-20366758030273255662018-05-11T08:34:00.001-07:002018-05-11T08:46:29.931-07:00Outlander Saved My Mentality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am very picky person when it comes to books. Everyone around me always says to broaden my horizons and read a little of everything so I took a good friend's word on it and started several years ago to do so. I stopped reading for about a year mainly because of work and how exhausted I'd be when I got home. I tried picking up various books but nothing could pull me back in. People always say it takes one good book to pull you back into the world of literature. And it's very true. In a time where I was losing sight of my values, my morals, my own self, where everything was crashing down and stress was eating me alive in my life...I came across the book series, Outlander. Some of you may say that is so cliche- but no...Outlander was honestly the book that fell into my hands and saved me. </div>
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I came across Outlander when I saw a commercial of it on TV. Because of how many books are being turned into shows, I decided to try my chance and see if Outlander was a book and it turned out that it was. When it turned out it was and I read the synopsis to it, I knew I had to get the books no matter what. The story intrigued me, the first few pages that I read sucked me in and pretty soon I was lost in the world of Outlander. The writing style flows so well, the transitions and characters made me lose sight of everything outside of the story. I could not put the book down. It saved me and allowed me to breath despite everything that was going on at work and home. </div>
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Even though the book was released over twenty years ago, the power of the story lives on in all of its readers I am sure. I am not a fan of romance novels unless it's a honorable love story or a deep and meaningful love story. At first I didn't think of it as a deep and meaningful love story until I got deeper into the book, Diana Gabaldon makes you feel every single emotion for every single character in the book and cheer on for Jamie and Claire that it just sold me. By weaving background stories into what was happening in that particular scene and igniting questions in the reader's mind on every page causing everything to be amplified. I have not read such a good series in a long time. The layout of every page and chapter was so well planned and done that Gabaldon is no doubt my second favorite author right after John Steinbeck.</div>
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The love between Frank, Claire, and Jamie - tears me apart. The story being told from Claire's point of view breaks my heart into a million pieces when she is conflicted on whether she should go back to her time period or not and the torture she puts herself through on trying to save Frank by preserving Jack Randall. It's a gigantic bundle of no one knows who is right or wrong- or what is the right thing to do. The other aspect in the book that kills me and makes me love so much is the politics, chivalry, the honor, the morals, the values, the humanity, and the importance of a promise. These are things that are no longer of as much importance now as it was back then. </div>
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I recently just started the third book in the series and the first chapter alone touched me. Jamie was on the brink of death with the survivors of the battle of Culloden. The english soldiers found them and was executing them all one by one until he came to Jamie. At the announcement of Jamie's name, the english solider recalled that his deceased brother owed Jamie a debt of honor because Jamie spared his brother's life. The english solider chose to honor it instead of dishonoring his deceased brother's word. That right there is true chivalry and what this world needs a little bit more of. </div>
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There was another scene in the story that destroyed me and that was when Alexander Randall was on the brink of death. Mary Hawkins was with his child. Claire and Jamie were there to be with him during his last moments. It destroyed me- how Alex asked Jack Randall to marry Mary in order to protect her and keep the unborn child under the Randall name. That was a heartbreaking part of the book to read not only to have Jack Randall in the same room as his dying brother in such an intense moment but also for Claire and Jamie to be in the same room as Jack after everything that happened. I finally saw a more human side of Jack Randall in that chapter more than I had in the previous book that I read. I actually felt upset for him. As for how Jamie was, it was amazing how Jamie didn't lash out at Jack Randall after everything. We as people find it hard to forgive, let go, and forget once we've been done wrong for whatever reason. That chapter was a very powerful lesson for myself and everyone that has read that particular passage. To have all those characters who share such a twisted fate- join in one room goes to show us it is possible to put down- let go of differences, anger, grudges, and hate for a brief moment to honor someone on the brink of death. I feel that that is something that everyone has to learn and practice on a daily basis. That passage in the book is my favorite part in the entire series so far.</div>
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Outlander also reminds me of a Chinese book called: Scarlet Heart aka Startling by Each Step by Tong Hua. The skeleton of both books are the same, both are focused on historical fiction, time traveling, romance, politics, fantasy, and life. Definitely big on politics- which is why I love both series so much and how when I was reading the first book of Outlander- it seemed so similar to Scarlet Heart. </div>
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As you guys know, usually I don't do blog posts on books but I felt the need to for Outlander. I usually don't do posts on books because I feel no words can describe a good book once I am done with it. I take every book I read on a much deeper level than those technical techniques and terms I learned in school- maybe that is why. Every book I read is like a genuine friend that hurts me when we have to part ways, books are something that builds me and makes me stronger as person when I am done. </div>
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Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-54630077044137760702018-05-02T09:32:00.003-07:002018-05-02T10:27:35.904-07:00Gain and Losses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gain and losses. Who knows the right order of the two or the spiritual meaning of those words? We never understand those two words until we've gone through enough of life's ups and downs, bitterness and sweetness. </div>
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It is human nature to always want to gain the upper hand in any scenario regardless if it's an argument, a fight, a game, a bet, a business, and so forth. They don't want to lose. They don't want the other one to have any gains. What is their reason of always seeking to gain everything they can and want? Everyone's reason is different. it could be for oursleves, their family, friends, for the thrill of it, for the power, it can be anything. They love the immense amount of thrill and rush they get from winning and it boosts their self-esteem to bringing them to believe they can get their way in anything. There is no clear answer to give other than hearing it from the person themselves. </div>
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Loss. Everyone is afraid of losing whether it be a bet, a job opportunity, a fight, an argument, anything. It is in human nature to fear losing. It lowers their self-esteem and makes them feel insecure. They will torture themselves over the fact of losing something that was almost within their reach and then watch it slip from their fingers. That pain of losing is never easy to forget, the sourness will linger in their mouth for a long time. They could be losing more than a fight. They could be losing something we are not aware of such as a security of their family, a secured future, etc. They could be losing more than just a bet or a fight. They could be losing tenfold that we don't know but the struggler themselves. </div>
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Or it could just be their personality that they can never suffer a loss and must always be the one that wins and gains that upper hand. </div>
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The mentality of gain and losses develop when we were very young. Outside factors shape us and family surroundings push us to either be someone who needs to always gain the upper hand to become stronger and once we get a taste of how it is to lose once- we don't want to lose again. Therefore when we grow older- we naturally either don't care if we gain or lose. There are also the people that grow up to try their best to always be the gainer and never have to taste the bitterness of losing. </div>
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What everyone doesn't realize is the more you gain through life is that you will lose more than what you gain by tenfold. One of my deceased aunt's once said: gain and loss. You must lose something, give something away in order to gain something in return. Once you gain too much that is not meant to be yours- the universe will strip you by tenfold in return. </div>
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Everyone is meant to have a certain amount of things in life whether it be money, clothes, food, career, happiness, family, loved ones, etc. That is already written down in our fate by the universe. When you step over the boundaries of how much you are meant to have in life, then you will start losing what should have never been yours. There is no point in trying to keep what doesn't belong to you. </div>
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Everyone needs to spend more time appreciating what they already have and caring and treasuring what they already hold. The most important thing is not trying to gain a job, win an argument to prove your point, or gain a new client.The most important thing to realize is who you are losing in that process, what you are losing, and whether or not you will regret it in the future. Regret doing certain choices that you made. </div>
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Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901679654321146919.post-75072480474394152462018-04-17T07:15:00.000-07:002018-04-17T07:19:20.869-07:00Your Name Says A Lot About You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What is in the meaning behind any name? Whether it be Bob, Mary, or Jacob. Is there a special meaning behind those names? Of course there is. Names are chosen and given with the high hopes and dreams of the parents. They want their children to exceed what they couldn't, to be someone who makes an impact, to have more education than themselves, to be successful where they couldn't be, and to make a difference.<br />
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Names are given to us yet what we choose to do is up to us. Whether if we choose to live up the name we are given or make wise decisions to shape our lives the right way is up to us. We could have the most prestige and honorable name that a great king or famous person once had but if we make poor decisions or if our upbringing experiences are terrible then it should be up to us to come out stronger and a better person than our past.<br />
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Our names map our lives, our decisions shape how that map turns out. Whatever we do...we do it to ourselves.<br />
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In asian cultures, names have much more deeper symbolic meanings than other cultures. Because of how many different ways a chinese character can be written, how one extra mark could give the character an entirely different meaning. They pride themselves on giving their children names that have deep and meaningful purposes in hopes that their children will live up to the name given to them.<br />
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It is frightening to see how something as simple as a name acts as the backbone or should I say the foundation of a person. You may not believe it but I have seen many friends and family crumble under life or strive in life because of a decision they made which resonates with their names meaning. So yes one's name lays down the map of one's life. It's a blank map with a starting point and ending point of where we would end up if we make the right choices but what we cannot predict is what decisions we make.<br />
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A name can fall either way. It can aid us and with the choices we make we can strive in life with not only our own work but more so because of our name. It can also give us all the ugliness of life because we chose to go in the opposite direction that it meant for us to go in and give us endless trials and burdens to carry. All of it has to do with our upbringing and mentality that we have as person.<br />
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Names are never as simple as we may assume. It is not just a way of addressing someone.</div>
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Jae Okitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15494152153110767815noreply@blogger.com3