2nd Anniversary

~striveagain.blogspot.com 2nd anniversary~
From 15.02.2008 to 15.02.2010: 2 years of striving & blogging.

It's been two years since the first ever post "Roots" was written on striveagain.blogspot.
Made a total of 38th posts (deleted one, because of spam) and this post you're reading now is the 39th post of this blog. The first year 2008 had a slow start of 7 posts total. In the second year my blogging began to shape form with 23 posts made in 2009. And now into our third year, the counting has already reached 7, which was the whole amount of the first year. I got a feeling there will be more frequent posting coming up ahead. (Ofcourse quality > quantity, so will try to write better. But then again, gonna write whatever comes to my mind anyways...so).

~What has changed these past 2 years for striveagain.blogspot?
Well to start off, there are more readers. When this started off, Nobody knew about this. I was literally just writing for myself. And that was and still is my purpose now. Ofcourse, knowing there's actually some people reading this does affect you.
Also there seems to be more people blogging that I know of. Ofcourse blogging isn't new, but it sure is a lot easier than before. youtube, facebook, twitter; it all adds to the multimedia society we're living in.

~Had you been blogging elsewhere?
I did had some blogs elsewhere, but didn't posted alot there, since once again, noone knew about it. Had xanga for a bit, but didn't used it. Most noteably was my blog at Hyves. It gained quite some popularity and controversy on it. Also replying on other blogs on Hyves was fun to =)

~What do you want to achieve with your blog?
Like I said before, The solely purpose for this is to write for myself. I just like to write things down. Not only online, but on paper/notebooks too. We as humans communicate, and everyone got something to say. Just look at youtube, literally everyone wants to upload something of themselves just to show to others.
Ofcourse I know people will be reading this and I'm glad for that. There are times when I feel there's something that should be said and I want people to know about a certain issue or topic then it's only good that I got such medium as a blog for me to communicate through. "The pen is stronger than the sword".

~Do you think people get your blog?
Ofcourse I can deny that, there's alot times that I write things that are difficult to understand (pardon my bad english). Or really personal things, but I do think that somehow, someway, if you can relate to it, it would be worth reading it.

~What do you wish for the future of striveagain.blogspot?
I hope that I can continue to write on it everyday, every week, every month and every year. I will work harder too on everything. I'm content with this blog and if some readers do actually have gained something reading out of striveagain.blogspot then I'm glad =) I just hope that everyone would continue blogging. So we could share all the good (and less well) things in life to support each other.

All you have is you yourself and your thoughts and minds.........and everyone & everything around you =)

Peace!
ShiftySeven / K.Lam

多少22年

"多少"
主唱：陳奕迅
作詞：蔡健雅
作曲：蔡健雅

我用盡所有方式找個人給我安慰
渡過寂寞的黑夜
我問守護的天使也許她能夠體會
這無助讓我好累
走到無路可退我還能相信誰

＃用多少天用多少年的跌跌撞撞才找到終點
用多少傷痛的心愛才不離開身邊
用多少謊言去掩飾彼此的不完美
要用多少個世紀讓我看透一切＃

我走在這個城市 熟悉又陌生的臉
有誰能給我安慰
我問守護的天使也許她能夠體會
這無助讓我好累
走到無路可退我還能相信誰

REPEAT＃

我沒有任何防備 沒方向到處地追
沒翅膀卻好想飛
我努力順風跟隨
黑或白找不到個絕對 全都是灰

REPEAT＃

要用多少個世紀讓我看透一切

______________________

The song with english translation



(Link to video, if you can't see it on here)

Not Who You Are

Talk is cheap
That much I know

Everybody wants to be someone
Nobody wants to be noone

Everyone got something
I got nothing

Talk is cheap
That much I know

It's not who you are
Then who are you

Do you know me?
You don't know me

Talk is cheap
That much I know

Time will tell
Fake hopes won't sell

What's really true
Will be true

Best of Both Worlds

(Bring Back Balance Part 3.)

Don't bring me down
I take the best of both worlds
Balancing on the line
Is what you need to do

The best of both worlds
Balance between back and forth
Setting up the world
For us to live in

Taking on forth the difference
Bringing back the balance
This is our resemblance

Bring Back Balance Part 2

Bring back the Balance
Bring back the Battle
Back to Back

The line between...

Now and Then.

At your best when you're alone.

Bring Back Balance

A line of life
Bring back balance

At your best when you're down
Bring back balance

Not a noisy silence
But a real difference

Bring back balance

An End of An Era

It's an end of an era, but every end has a beginning.

This post should have been made on December 31st 2009, but I was too busy watching TV/eating and didn't felt like blogging.

This is in fact part II of the 'review/preview decade/newyear post'. If you haven't read part I yet, feel free to read it. (Although you won't miss a thing if you don't...)

Actually I should preview the upcoming year/era, which has already started as of now. But the thing is, I can name alot of things that I want to happen, but I've done that already many times before. Saying from now on I will do this and do that, making new years resolutions. (Why is it called resolution? Like the resolution of my screen 1280x800? yeah I got widescreen =)

So I'm not gonna name anything significant that I'll do this year, like making a film, making a radioshow/podcast, working hard on school, concentrate more on music, training for.......wait wait wait stop ....STOP. I said I'm not gonna say those things...

We'll just see what has happened on 31 dec 2010...

It's hard to forecast the future.
Sure you can wish, you can hope.
But more important, you should strive for it.

---

I was listening to the radio the other day and the DJ talked about the usual batch of sms/messages you get at new years eve. Those messages that are send out to literally everyone in you contacts list. Each of them containing more or less the same content: Wish you a happy 2010, have a nice new years eve, wish you all the best, may all your wishes come true ( oh this one is a good one, I like it. May all our wishes come true, hmm, it hits on to every owns indivual wishes, which is good. So everyone can be happy? What if my wish is to conquer the world? I don't see how's that making everyone happy. Yes not everyone can be happy, and not all your wishes can come true, that's life. So it's both an unrealistic and unoriginal wish! Although I do have wish people this before, and probably will continue to do so...) Anyway I did received a bunch of these messages. Normally I would send something back, like last year. But to everyone who has send me something. Thanks, I really appreciate it. Forgive me for not sending something back, since my old school 2006 phone can't handel multiple-sending (unless you wanna call a maximum of 6 'multiple'). Plus, I couldn't think of anything original. Sending a plain message back would be kind of meaningless, since you would have already received a dozen of those.

Back to the radio dj, he asked the listeners to send their most original new years wishes to him. One man won the price. I want to share with you guys this one original message...

"May the best day of 2009 be the worst day of 2010"

=)

A Decade of Life

It's been a decade of life.

For those who were born in the Eighties.
We grew up in the Nineties. Our childhood years.
From 2000 - 2009, our younger years. The era which will be known as 'Our Time'.
The period which will be told as "when we were young" to our children.

"Those were the days..."

Millenium bug, 9/11, tsunami, natural disasters, iPod, internet, mobile phones, war on terror, global warming, terrorism, global epidemic, financial crisis...

I went to highschool from the beginning of this century, graduated in '06. It was sure a time to be remembered. It had it's ups & downs, like life has.
Do you remember your teenage years? 12, 13 years old kid. So young and pure. When I look at kids these days they look so different huh? Then again, I'm still just 21, not like I'm already an old grandpa looking back at things. But still, it's good to watch back once and a while.

Soon turning 22, I guess getting older, for once, does feel okay. It really feels like an end of an Era. We've come from a long way, we've gotten this far... Been trough alot or so it seems. Then again, nothing really happened...It's all within you minds.

A Decade of our Generation.
See the world at 13.
Mindless at 15.
Our Heydays at 17.
And who are we at 19?
You acknowledge life at 21, cause you can't go back.

"All is well with the world" / "It was the best of time, it was the worst of time" *

If you had the chance to go back, would you?
I would not...I'm glad for everything life had offered.

"Downwards looking at the reflections of the skies" (As said somewhere in the middle of the decade/2005)

Tomorrow last post of 2009! Part 2 continues...'An End of An Era'
(Preview of what's about to come: Into the new world of 2010)

*('All is well with the world' as inspired by "Neon Genesis Evangelion" / 'It was the best of time, it was the worst of time' as used as the tagline for the HK film "Infernal Affairs II")

A Gain Generation

"It's not who we are that matters,
It's what we do that defines us."
-from Christopher Nolans' Batman Begins-

"When you get what you want, but not what you need"
-from 'Fix you' by Coldplay-

---------------------
Sometimes you get a second chance. Sometimes you even get a third chance.
I'm a lucky person. I've been giving four, five, six, seven chances.
Each time I tell myself, this is the last chance.
But still, I waste it anyways.
Recently I've been giving another chance again.

Should I thank God or Life for this? I guess I should huh?
Cherish everything you have.

Don't focus too much on the result, but live the process of life.
(As much as a cliche it is...still got to be said: Whole life is a chiche not?)

But yeah, Life's been good to me =) It definately is.

-------------------
How's everyone been doing? Going to school, making homework/projects, exams, working, training, doing sports, making music, going out, attending events, cinema's, shopping, having fun? It's getting chilly again, be sure to pack up warm! This new influenza H1N1 is supposedly spreading out to alot of people. So get your scarves, hats & gloves out and keep it warm. =) And don't you think the Winter fasion is much more fashionable than Summers'? You get to wear jackets & coats! Hoodies, long sleeves & cardigans! (haven't seen anyone with a cardigan yet though).
Speaking of clothes, found out the colorrange of my clothes is consisted of all variations of blue, grey & white. I also got some brown & dark green. But mostly it's blue/grey/black. Some say that's boring, but bright red or yellow just doesn't suit me. =P

You know fashion...Fashion is about wearing something you like and be creative about that. Create your own style. Take different things and make it your own. Most people misunderstood fashion by "following it". Blindly following everything what's supposed to be "hot or cool" is like the complete opposite of what fashion is about. Not saying you shouldn't wear certain style, but more so, wear it because you like it. And it should suit you. Something that expresses "YOU". What you stand for. Something that adds to your personality.
(okay someone hire me as an editor for a fashion magazine =P)

Been talking with a friend about the weather (yeah this is Holland! most common standard topic in this country). Appearantly the skies got some suprises for us next week. According to that one site, from next week on the temperature is going down and snow is expected! I want inches of thick pack of snow!

Last month before we go in to the first year of double digits in this new millenium.
Let's make the December of 2009 a pleasant one!

Peace!
--------------------
Music: John Mayer - Room For Squares & Heavier Things (Bought his 3CD Box) It's definately some nice music for the winter days!

Guitar Outing Ep.2 [23.10.09]

[Guitar Outing Ep.2 is a pun/in-side joke of the name of the Korean variety show 'Family Outing' ;) ][If you don't get it...then nevermind, it's inside-joke]

What happened previously in episode 1 of Guitar Outing? (Months ago)
The first ever outing includes Kin and KS with no guests.
The location for the first ever guitar outing was Dijkman!

~To do list: Buy Plectrums & a Tambourine!~
The tambourine can be seen in this post! And was bought at a Percussion Shop (don't know the name of it)

Along the way we discovered this funny little cute mouse right on the pavement on the street, next to AH @ Dam. Everyone was taking pictures at it. It was pretty odd seeing this. A mouse right in the middle of the streets, not running away or anything, just chewing on his piece of food.

Guitar Outing Ep.2 [23.10.09]
Members: Kin & KS

Guests: No guests...yet.
Location: Dirk Witte
To Do List: Boss OD3 (OverDrive Pedal)
(and PES2010 for KS)

Each episode is always full of fun, with special encounters. The 1st episodes we got the Mouse, this time we encountered a street musician.

He was playing on his acoustic amplified. (The amp is just on the left, outside of the photo). He played some covers including Jason Mraz's, always covered popular song, "I'm Yours". He also performed Snow Patrols' "Chasing Cars". And his last song before he took a break was one of my favourite songs of this moment: "Fix You" by Coldplay.

Apparently he was doing this for promotional purposes, you could buy his CD and he can be booked for parties and events.

So I took a namecard of him, and it seems he is not just a random someone. Meaning, he is already featured on some radioshows and stuff.

Anyway he will now be featured on my blog, which means after my recommendation his fame will skyrocket up 10 times, since we all know my blog reaches out to thousands of netizens......Not. "-__-.

But his name is Rupert Blackman. So just so you knows.

You know I admire him for perfoming on the streets. It's really a oldskool and good way to spread out music! It's not something you still see alot these days. So kudos for that.

After the street music gig, it was time for some food. We went to this famous! Fries/Chips/Potato ->PATAT place! Having lived in Amsterdam for whole my life I never knew about this place. I knew Manneke Pis at Damrak, but didn't knew about this one.

A long line with people queing up shows that this place must have something special to offer!

After we got our fries we found ourselves a good spot in the alley to stand and eat. Cause the whole alley/street was crowded with fries-eating-people. It really was a odd-looking sight.

It was another nice episode on Guitar Outing. See you next time on the next episode, maybe together with some guests!

---
Goodies bought on this outing!

BOSS OD-3

OverDrive Effect Pedal.

Ibanez AC Adapter AC109

Extra guitar wire, since mine was broken.

And...

FAIRTRADE 4-taste Tea!!
Bought at FairTrade Shop.

Should I write a review about the BOSS OD3 Pedal? Well I think I would if I could. But I can't. Not pro enough. But to share my noobish thoughts: It's way better than the build-in effect of my amp...duuh "-___-. I still need to figure out the best settings to get which sound and so on.

That was it for today, see ya next time!!
~ShiftySeven~

1 point for trying

~1 point for trying~
Gave up trying
So I'll just let it be
But no, they won't let you
So I'll try again
Try again
I'll get 1 point for trying
But...
Give up your dreams
They're called 'dreams' for a reason
Dreams don't come true, now do they?
And...
Maybe this wasn't meant to be in the first place
I'll go back to 'normal'
I'll go back to normal...
The alternative is an option
The current...is a question

Disciplined

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Music] [Jpn// HY - Confidence Album (recommended by K) / ZARD - Request Best 'Beautiful Memory' Best of Album (recommended by Uko) / Asian Kung Fu Generation - first 3 albums ] [Eng// The Kooks - Konk / KT Tunstall - Eyes to the Telescope / ] [Krn// Also listening to some Korean stuff lately =P But I'm not gonna name it =P]

[Series][Krn Drama: You Are My Destiny]

[Films][Jpn - Shonen Merikensack (ft. Aoi Miyazaki)] [Eng - UP (Pixars 10th animation film)]

[Books] Paul Arden -"Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite"& "It's Not How Good You Are. It's How Good You Want To Be"

These are the media stuff I've been listening/watching/reading lately/at the moment.
If it looks like I'm a busy man, no I'm not. I'm the most lazy kid ever I think. I might write about some of the stuff above later on.

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Signs: I've been noticing that there might be people reading this!! Thanks for dropping by! I really appreciate it ;) Guess through the Japan Blog, striveagain.blogspot has gain some publicity. But whatever, my humble life is not that much interesting anyways, but I really want to write things that matters to people. You see, it's not about me really, it's about you. I think by reading blogs you will gain something for yourself. Whatever that is, you decide for yourself. But blogging and blogreading is definately more than just writing a 'personal diary'. Everything is connected in way. Readers are not just merely bystanders who just read and do nothing, they'll react and think for themselves, how things affect them in their personal life.

Apologies for the vagueness, although i've said this many times on my blog, if you don't get it than nevermind it. I've added some communication theories in it (Yay, I've been studying lately! I'm studying communications if you didn't already know.)

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Let's start this off with a memorable photo from my summer trip to Japan!

This was roughly 1.5 months ago @ TOKYO Narita Airport. My lunch before departing back to Holland. HMT wasn't here cause he already ate something. When I orderd this, I thought I would get some potatoes, turns out, it was just chips."-__-

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~New Start 2009/2010~

I've switched school since the start of this schoolyear. After 3 years of VU [Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam] I've decided it was time for something New & Refreshing! 3 Years VU, 2 studies, nothing achieved! So yeah, yell at me or look down on me, whatever.

My new school is the UvA [Universiteit van Amsterdam]! It's closer, saves me alot of travel-time. But that doesn't stop me from being late at school "-__-.

Been into it for a month now, ofcourse you got the usuall colleges and classes. New year, new school also mean new classmates. But I'm not excited, cause it's the same every year. The compilation of people are fairly the same each year. Nothing special. =P

~Disciplined Me?~

One day at school, in a conversation about making homework, my classmate said this:" Well he (meaning me) is Chinese, and you know Chinese are always disciplined." I literally laughed out. Chinese are disciplined? Well not me! This chinese here is far from disciplined (when it comes to waking up in the morning =P)

So are Chinese disciplined? I guess each ethinicity do have some unique traits. Like they say Dutch people are greedy, Surinamese are lazy, Germans are 'punktlich', Americans arrogant, Italians romantic etc. Some might be true in general, but let's talk about the Chinese case.

~Made in China~

Chinese are disciplined? Well I think, Chinese CAN be disciplined. As you can see in this whole economic growth they're going trough, China is slowly getting in the right direction to become one of the big economic blocks in the world. Also another recent example, the Olympics 2008, look at how 'well' they organized it.

This very own 'well organized' Olympic also brings along the other side of China. The bad political organisation. All those people that got their houses brought down, in order to build new olympic facilities. Some got new houses or a amount of money, but still, from what've understand it didn't went that smooth. I'm not against China or anything, but in this same period you also had the 'Baby-milk-powder' -incident. But China didn't reported that cause they didn't wanted to cause bad publicity for China during the olympic games. How wrong is that?

The Baby-milk-powder...it's not an incident. Those Chinese people did that to save money. Thinking it won't harm the babies...How is that disciplined? Same with the case of toxic chemicals in Chinese toys, that occured some time ago. How is that disciplined?

As a summer part-time job, I've work in a 1Euro shop that sells only Chinese stuff some years ago. Most of the stuff you could buy there were quite of good quality for 1 Euro. I don't deny that. But I've seen some stuff...I was really speechless. I'm not gonna write more, since I don't think I'm allowed to say these stuff as a former-employer. But you get the point.

~If people were disciplined, the following stuff won't happen~

Previous week, my adapter, electric plug or whatever you call that thing of my modem was broken. So I called up my internet/tv/radio/telephone provider (which name starts with a U and ends with a C and is 3-letters). To ask them to solve this problem. They promised to send me a new one.

After 2 days it arrived...
Within 5 minutes it was already broken!!!
Reason: Bad design (made in China) The heavy block of like 1 kilo is too heavy for the small plastic plug to hang on. Now I know I won't be able to put in against the wall cause of the weight, so I plugged it in a multi plug case, when I wanted to plug it out...this happened!! (look photo beneath)

They sended me a new one again.
When it arrived, the surrounding case of the block was simply letting loose! It wasn't even hold together, I used a elastic to kept together.

!! 2 times of manufacturing failure !! 1. How can they make these bad products? 2. How can U*C even give these to the customers??!!

~While I'm at it...more bashing!~

Most of the days I'm alone at home, so making my diner is a everyday-hassle. It's not like I can't do it, more like, I don't wanna do it. Too lazy. So once in a while I order food.

You got good food places, you got bad food places...
Watch below...

Ordered at this Chicken food place, it came 2 hours!!! after I ordered it! I have no idea what they were doing. From my house to that place is like 5 min with the car. On top of that they messed up my order! I asked for the normal menu, they gave me the large menu?! This aint the first time, they messed up my order, the previous time too! And look at the hotwings, they are more like Blackwings!!

jeesh, I'm never gonna order here again.


Another day, another food order, another place. This time I went there to pick it up (there are quite some foodplaces around in my neighbourhood, alot!)

Got the Tagliatelly Carbonara...
Taste is okay.
Price: 7 Euro...
I know it's the way it is, but for the same price I can make this same diner for 4 people!
I think I'm gonna save some money, and spend some more time playing chef-cook at home.
Okay last thing, they gave me some bread along with the pasta. But what are these? Only the outer crispy edges of the bread? What about the whole bread? Is this supposed to be like this?

Such a multi-topic post. Communications-theories, School, sociology, politics, economics, culinair talk, bashing.

Well I hope you are satisfied, and if not, the next post I'm gonna show you my room and my clothes and gear!

Anyhow, I love writing for myself (Just it takes so damn long..."-___- I've been writing for quite some time now...)

An nyoung!

Reunion

"It should have been a day full of nostalgic memories..."

Once upon a time there was a class.
A class that 'graduated' in 1999/2000 from primary school.

10 years later...

One student decided it was time for a reunion.

So she tried all her best to contact all the old-classmates from the class.
This wasn't an easy task, since a lot of them had now moved to another place.
But luckily the year is 2009: The 21st century has brought a lot of convenient technology to mankind: Like Hyves, E-mail, Mobile Phones etc.

In the end she did kind of managed to contact all of them.
The initial reunion date was supposed to be in may 2009. But that didn't turned out well.
So it has been postponed to 18 September 2009.

---

Well so today was the day. I was already excited to be able to see all of my old-classmates again. Chatting about the good old days. The fun days we had, playing football outside. The PE-classes, all the teachers, the camp-excursion to Texel, the lessons we had etc etc, hearing all the stories of what everyone is doing now...but...reality turns out to be a lit-tle different...

Let me start by saying that it was already a bit of a difficult task to gather everyone at the same time on the same day in 1 spot. So I really was wondering whether everyone would really show up.

Eventually, 8 people in total showed up including me & WL.
I just knew this was gonna happen..."-____-

Some were busy, some had school, some had work to do, and other had some other obligations.
It was a rather odd time though, 16.00 on a friday is a bit early for most people.
But it had to be done this early, hence the school (our old school) won't be open in the evening.

We still had a good time though, even we this few people. Seeing my old school sure brings back memories~~~
Everything seems so small right now, our changing room in the gym seemed so big back then, now it's just a small room =P

You can't help but to realize that you've grown, and that really 10 years has passed since you last walked out that door. A place with all those memories of childhood. Those really were some days. No worries, no obligations, no problems, no complicated thoughts.
You were young, free and careless.

10 years seems very long, and it is. But it felt like yesterday when we were still sitting in our classroom listening to our teacher talks.

Time really flies by.
If you think about it...

But let's not think too much about it. It's here and now we're living in. Although it is a good thing to look back once in a while...(eeh sounds like some repeated cliche speech =P )

We need a 2nd reunion! So we decided that in the 2nd reunion we should really gather everyone around!

I hope the 2nd reunion would be soon, cause if it would be around another 10 years later, then I really don't know what would have become of us.
Right now we do have grown up, but we are basically still sort of the same 'kids' like we were back then. Just a larger version =P
In another 10 years later...woow I really can't imagine how that would be...=P

Crossroads

There's always this one point in life where you're ought to make a decision...

I'm sure everyone has been there before. Or actually, quite frankly saying, I think everone will encounter this many many times in his or her life. It's part of our life: Making decisions.
Some are big, some are small. Some have some have tremendous consequences, some are less impactfull. But one way or the another, you'll never know the outcome of it in advance. I think that's maybe the reason why it's so hard to make a decision.

A crossroad of decisions. If you choose to go right, you can't go back to go left. If you go left, you can't go right.
Sometimes you will be able to return, and choose again, but that'll cost your time. Precious time of life. So in a way, you can't go back, since time has already passed.

What to do? You ask yourself. Nobody knows.
I guess what's important is to make a decision you won't regret. Cause that's all you can do.
I don't know whether it's the right or wrong one. I won't know it untill I will know it. Or maybe I'll never know it. Nobody knows. It's life.

Make a decision, and stand behind it. It's all you can do.

Life.

Who knows what will happen next.

We can only guess.

Only Hope will bring us further.

I hope for the best.

Back from Japan

Finally back again.
Back to the normal world.

I do miss Japan, but for now it's okay. 3 weeks of hectic living holidays, it's fine to be back in your old little hometown. Back to a place you've been living for whole your life.
It's a pretty nostalgic feeling, you wouldn't have felt it if you haven't gone away for some time. Now 3 weeks aint so long, but if you go to Japan, it is.
Japan really is a world apart. Like as if we went to a dream-world like those stories in a Hayao Miyazaki film. Everything was 'magical' in a way.

What we've done, seen, eat, met, went to, it's really a expenrience that we will remember for our lifes.

[Current Music: 3 CD's from Japan: 'Tone' , 'Dreams' & 'Cherry Blossoms' . Nice Japanese instruments, feel, sceneric feel]

Aah, back to the normal world. Back to a place where everything is just the way it is. Everyone just act like they act, so standard. Like it's soulless...

You know, The Netherlands is a nice place to live in, it really is. It's just that if you've been to different world like Japan, it does take some time to revert back to a ordinary life in a ordinary world.


After Japan, nothing will be the same...

Let's Start From Here

[Current Music: Joanne Wang, The Kooks, The Killers, ELT, DAI,Stereopony]

1 week left untill I go to Japan!
I will be opening a new blog, still thinking about the name of it.
Currently doing the last preparations.

Bought a new Eastpak! It's my 7th Eastpak Item =P
But It was necessary to buy a new medium sized backpack, since I didn't got a proper one.
I think I will do a Eastpak collection photoshoot later on, and post it.
Ofcourse, this Eastpak Backpack "Getter" is going to Japan with me, I actually bought it for that reason too.

---
On July 2 I went to the grand opening of MediaMarkt Amsterdam Noord and got myself a Sony Headphone.


It got both a normal audiojack plus a stereo plug-in for amps and the like.


I also cleaned up my room. And the process of that would look something like this.

And suddenly I know why my room is so messed up, I keep all these trash...
Why are there so many empty chewing gum packages??
And last week I got myself something I always wanted to play: The Tambourine!!
Been looking for a good one for a time now. And finally got this one. Nice wood color and nice size.
Let the music begins =P


The Tambourine really fits Oasis' "Don't Believe The Truth" Album.
Exspecially "Turn Up The Sun" is a good song to play with the Tambourine, haha.


When I'm in Japan I'll be switching over to my Japanblog, so be sure to check that one out, if anyone is reading this anyways.

=)

Peace!

Time Goes By . Life Goes On

[Current Music: Every Little Thing, Ai Otsuka, Eason Chan H3M Album, Kay Tse 3/8 Album, MJ's Thriller]

[Current Series: Family Outing! (Korean Variety Show, although I've got nothing with Kpop and stuff, it's really funny haha)]

University Year '08/'09 has ended. Next year, new chances, new start.
Time Goes By . Life Goes On

Had a pretty busy weekend, one of the notable things was a BBQ under the rain.
Also went to watch Transformers 2, it was just as I expected...
(Need to get a Pathe Unlimited Pass, cause 9.10 for one film is just too much...)

Tomorrow will be the grand opening of the MediaMarkt in Amsterdam-Noord! Yeah I'm really happy that now the biggest electronic store is within reach of my house. Now I don't have to travel far (Bijlmer Arena) to hunt for electronic gadgets.

Summer time is coming, already feeling the hotness/heat...it's bothersome.
I hope the weather in Japan won't be like in HongKong, Humid & Hot...
Still 1 month to go untill I go to Japan. Guess I'm gonna open a new blog for this trip. StrivingInJapan2009.blogspot or something =P

I noticed I'm not writing everything I experienced on here, hmm....
Oh well...

Anyway, Tomorrow last lesson of Japanese Class 3. I will continue to follow Japanese Class 4 after the summer. Don't know of we would be still with this amount of people, a lot of people of our original class had already left since we started in September with Japanese Class 1.

Also, this Sunday will be the last time for bandpratice before we go on a hiatus =P Or...actually most of us are going on Holidays, so we have this break. After the summer we'll try to make some progress as in finishing/making some songs.

Need to clean up my room!!

Random post =P

Adieu!!

I'm Bad

This is a Tribute to The King Of Pop
Michael Jackson

May you Rest in Peace.
Your music will always be remembered.
Your music changed the Pop music.


---

Heard about the news when I was on MSN.
Shocked kind off, but at least he's resting now.
First song of him I remembered as a kids was "Bad"
"I'm Bad, I'm Bad..."

---

Still waiting for my CD's too arrive.
All over the world, everyone tried to buy or rebuy his albums again.
Sony needed to repress it.

---

It really is some story.
Legendary King Of Pop.
But also a tragic lifestory.

That's Life.

Again

YUI - again CD's have arrived!! after 2.5 weeks after shipping. And after I'd pre-ordered it 2 months ago.
It's kinda coincidental that this blog is called Strive Again too =P
Anyway will be updated daily from now on, even though I've said that like a thousand times.

---

I stopped blogging on Hyves, since noone was reading it anyway, or not a lot that is. So instead I will continue my boring writings on here. About me and my interests. Who would wants to read it? Well I want to. It's for myself, and the main reason is, got to improve my writings. Grammar, vocabulary and all that. I'm serious, if you want to improve your english (or dutch, I will write in dutch occasionaly), blogging or writing a lot is a good way to practice it.

By the way I opened a facebook account hahaha. It's really good for putting up photos. It will come in handy when I want to upload all those photos I'm gonna make when I'm in Japan this summer!!
Speaking of which, I will try to keep a blog (on here or some new url) while I'm in Japan. So if you're interested, be sure to bookmark the site. I will try to write and post photos everyday.

---

Life>>> It's going pretty good, but let's not talk about school, next year will be a new year again...a new start again for Uni...sigh.
Guitar>>> Got to learn Daybreak's Bell bass+guitar "-__-. With no time left...till sunday
But in general, got a lot of time now, guess I better use it well and go pratice guitar. YUI songs, Oasis Songs, Beyond songs, yeah.

---

Ever heard about C7? It's a song yeah, and also a guitar chord, but I made up my own 7 C's =P

My C7 Philosophy
C1.Condition
C2.Conscience
C3.Concentration
C4.Communication
C5.Connection
C6.Cooperation
C7. ?

I forgot about the last C =P
Anyway these words can be applied on daily life...
Yeah I know it looks kind of random "-__-
Explaination:
Condition - A physical good condition is needed. If your body feels good, so does your mind. Both got to be in balance.
Conscience - Don't be ignorant for the things that happen around you. Try to understand whats right and wrong, What things mean. Have a clear mind. This in combination with point 1.
Concentration - Try to focus on the things you do. If you focus, if you put your heart in it, it will succeed. Or at least it will work way better than if you do it just loosely.
Communication - Communicate, it will lead to better understandings of each other and how a progress works. Be it sport, job, school, hobby, friends, family. A good communication will lead to better cooperation. See point 6.
Connection - Connect with each other. It's kind of a second step of communication. Even if someone is not like you, or different. Connection takes away the fear of the unknown.
Cooperation - The human being is a social kind. You can't make it own your own, that's why we live in societies. Work together to achieve something.

Sorry I forgot about the last C, haha.

Anyway I know it's kind of random, but hey, it's just something I came up with.
But it's not just something, I mean it does mean something.

See ya next time!

TwentyOne'sSomeOne

NothingEverGetsDone.NotEvenIfYou'reTwentyOne.
OrSoISaid...
But...
EvenIfYou'reTwentyOne.ThingsWillGetDone.
TwentyOne.Don'tBeOnTheRun.
GoAndChaseTheSun.
GoFeelMorningGlory.
LiveTheStory.
TwentyOne.
SomeOne.