Song Analysis: The Wish to Not Vanish

Here's something I'd thought I do for fun. This song, titled The Wish to Not Vanish, has 'literary merit' to me. That is, this song positively impacted me as a person based on how I interpreted the lyrics (and listen to its melody). It's in Japanese, but I've provided a translation. Use the romanji (English pronounciation of Japanese words) as a guide to keep track when listening to the song.

Song: 消えない願い  (The Wish to Not Vanish)
Singer: Toshinobu Iida
Anime: Katekyoushi Hitman Reborn
Album:  [Mukuro/Chrome]
Release Date: March 4, 2009


Lyrics:

Kawaranu kokoro na do
Like the unchanging heart

Koko ni wa koko ni wa aru hazu mo nai
At here at here it shouldn't exist

Koboreta sakebi demo
Even the overflowing shout

Koko kara koko kara nukedasenai
From here from here it won't slip out
(So far, this song reminded me of the nostalgic past that I had throughout high school)

Tada hitotsu mata hitotsu
Just one and one again

Te ni ireru tabi ni
The obtained journey
(Right now, I think about the future. Colleges, my career, and other stuff that my jouney has)
Tada hitotsu mata hitotsu
Just one and one again

Asu ga toozakaru
Tomorrow has gone far off
(A constantly changing future)

Kienai negai yozora no hate ni
The never-vanished desire in the end of night sky

Ryou no te de hanatsu yo shinjite mitai
Releasing both hands, it's like believing
(There's an entire sky, hence the world, to live in. Even though college rejected you, all you have to do is let go and fly into the sky. However, make sure your desire never vanish by having a strong determination)

Yagate wa kieru sadame toshitemo
Even if the fate vanished before long

Ano hoshi no you ni tsuyoku tsuyoku hikare
Just like that star, shining strongly strongly
(Even though college, or frienship in my case, vanished a long while ago, just keep strong)
Wakariaenakuto mo
Even if I can't understand

Kotoba wa kotoba wa hitsuyou jya nai
The words the words aren't necessary
(You just have to feel, and use your feelings as your power)

Taguri yoseru hibi ni
Reeling and gathering the days
(Remembrance)
Sukoshi mo sukoshi mo mayoi wa nai
Even just a little, just a little, I won't get lost

Tada hitotsu mata hitotsu
Just one and one again

Mitsukedasu tabi ni
The discovered journey
(For those who read my earlier post, this denotes that those who got rejected from the college of their dreams can still find their dreams on a different, but true, path.)
Tada hitotsu mata hitotsu
Just one and one again

Ukande wa kieru
The depression will vanish
(This, to me, voice out my wish of friendship that I lost)

Kienai negai kaze ni nosete
The never-vanished desire riding on the wind

Ten made noboru to shinjiteitai
Rising to the heaven, I want to believe it
(This reflects how I always wanted to fly, not walk, to my goal)
Kowareru you na hakanai inochi mo
Even if it's only a momentary life, it won't broken

Fuusen no you ni takaku takaku nobore
Like a balloon, rising higher and higher

Kienai negai yozora no hate ni
The never-vanished desire in the end of night sky

Ryou no te de hanatsu yo shinjite mitai
Releasing both hands, it's like believing

Yagate wa kieru sadame toshitemo
Even if the fate vanished before long

Ano hoshi no you ni tsuyoku tsuyoku hikare
Just like that star, shining strongly strongly

Once high school ends, you might find your legacy vanishing. However, if you have a strong wish to not vanish, you shall persist.

--A. Chang

The Joy (and disappointment) of College Acceptances (and Rejections).

Yesterday, Mrs. Elliott told us about college acceptances and rejections. She said that these acceptances do not define our value as a person. The same goes as our rejections. Now, some of you may think "psh, it's just a cheer-up thing to say." However, I agree with Mrs. Elliott with my view: college acceptances are just another open path on a journey to a dream. After pondering about the worth of rejections for a while, I came to think rejections as, well, closed paths, meaning that these colleges are not meant for you because your path to your dream lies in some other path (hence college).

However, I'd like all of us to know that during college, it is our chance to excel and prove our worth in the world. How? I'd say by working hard based on your dream. After all, as philosopher Nietzsche noted, it is we as a person who determines our value.

--A. Chang
(ps, C. Tagge likes to call me by this)

Nearing the End and the Beginning

It's already the time of year where college acceptances are coming, or have already came. Everyone has had various degrees of success with regards to the schools they have been accepted to. However, it does not seem like we are anywhere near the end of the school year. For some reason, even though there is only a few weeks of school remaining, the workload seems to be increasing rather than slowing down. Personally, I would have been able to indulge myself over weekends by doing whatever I wished; however, these past few weeks seem to have overwhelmed me with a deluge of calculus, economics, and literature. Despite the perceived increase in work to be done, though, it also seems that other people are having more free time, which is a paradox I cannot begin to comprehend. There's only a few weeks left, so I figure that I might as well go all out until the end. Congratulations to all who got accepted to the colleges of their choice and good luck to those who haven't heard back yet.
Byron C

To be a Philosophic History

A while ago, Mrs. Elliott had the class take an online quiz to suggest our philosophical nature. I got philosopyy history. According to the results, philosophy history believes in multiple truths and opposing ideas and that no person is correct. Most of what I believe matches the description because I believe in the concept of truths have different versions. Also, I believe that EVERYONE is correct, not incorrect (though, I must say there are very little exceptions). The version of truths varies from person to person. It is anologous to a map; a person may see a land from his perspective while a cartographer may see the land from his own view (such as a satelite image).

Philosophy

In class we are studying philosophy.  It's pretty interesting to learn about the way people approach life.  We are doing some project about philosophy where we analyze a philosopher.  My philosopher is pretty interesting.  It's nice to see the contrast between people's viewpoints and strategies when it comes to approaching life.  My philosopher has several quotes that share his perspective on life and the way he lives.  I'm glad we are learning about philosophy it really sits well with me.  I think it's good that we are learning about something other than literature and analysis of texts and expanding our knowledge to worldly topics.

Social Class: Jane Eyre

Underprivileged and disrespected as she was, Jane was in a lower class.  She was looked down upon not only by the male-dominated society of England, but also by anyone whose social class was above her own.  An example is found even in Chapter One of Jane Eyre where, as she was reading “Goldsmith’s History of Rome” on the window, her high and mighty cousin John harassed her to the point of grabbing her “hair and... shoulder.”  By the end of the quarrel Jane was the one to be scolded by Miss Abbott, not John, which puts Jane’s social standing at fault.  However, Jane would not let this hinder her drive to be an independent woman.  She even had doubts with the first marriage proposal with Mr. Rochester that she would be giving up to much of her independence to be under both a man and a person of a higher social class and financial status.  After the first wedding is broken off, however, Jane becomes a headmistress at a school, a relatively high position for a person of her age and sex.  This levels out the hierarchical gap between her and Mr. Rochester for their second and successful marriage proposal.  Ultimately, Jane is able to overcome the obstacle of social class by both working hard and being presented with the right opportunities at the right time.

This was my portion of the team essay we had to do in our english class.  I decided to post it because I thought it reflected what we have been doing in our class.  Basically we learned how to write a very long essay without actually writing the whole thing.  With my portion of the essay, I tried to stick to just pointing out the social class stuggle from the novel and stay away from how gender made an impact.  I wouldnt say it was difficult to pick out what parts were gender related and which were socially related but i also wouldnt say it was easy.

A Will to Eradicate the Epidemic of Senioritis

Senioritis, the dreadful "disease" that infects the mind of many teenagers, has made itself evident among many student, causing them to procrastinate on school assignments. Even worse, not only school assignments are being neglected, but Senioritis has progressed so far to disable its victim from completing club and social duties. In sense, Senioritis is the invisible chain that wraps themselves around a victim, rendering them to a standstill.

However, I believe there is a way to conquer Senioritis. And that's the key to victory: believe. If you believe that Senioritis does not exists, if you believe that chains of Senioritis are not strong enough to stop you, if you believe that you will not allow anything stop you in your path, then Senioritis cannot hurt you. Essentially, believing is taking the responsibilities that present themselves into your life and making them yours, not Senioritis's. I chose to think Senioritis as a test to prove to myself that I am worthy of controlling my own life and I can pull any weights strapped around my feet to become a stronger and better person legitamately.

--A. Chang