Back in the atmosphere.

Train-Drops of Jupiter

It's been 13 years since this song was released, and it still manages to capture me every time I hear it. I usually start to like a song once I get to know the lyrics, 'cause It feels good to know what the songs about, right?
So I was bored the other day and suddenly my Youtube playlist started playing this song, and I started singing to it, mind you, quite loudly >.< And then I kind of just realized, what am I really singing? I don't really know what this song is about, so I replayed the song and listened to the lyrics and I still didn't get it. It went on for 2 times until I just gave up and googled it. LOL
Honestly, I always thought this was a song about a guy singing to a girl whom he loved very much, but she wanted to explore the world and he let her go. But then she realizes that the world isn't what she pictured it to be, thus we hear him singing,
"Tell me did you sail across the sun Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded And that heaven is overrated"

And believe it or not, I wasn't the only one who thought so! From my search results, I actually found an article which similarly states what I presumed this song was about. But then, Youtube proved me wrong. I found a video on Youtube entitled 'Meang behind Drops of Jupiter'. Turns out, there was an interview between the lead singer Pat, where he revealed what Drops of Jupiter was really about.

It was about his mom. Believe it or not. She passed away due to lung cancer when he was busy on the road producing songs. After she passed away, he had a dream and woke up with only 'back in the atmosphere' in his head. He took it as a way of saying, people actually never leave. Their here. Their in the atmosphere. Thus we hear him singing,

"Now that shes back in the atmosphere

With drops of jupiter in her hair"

After watching that video, every time I heard Drops of Jupiter, it felt different. I also lost my mother to cancer when I was 16. And I know how much it hurts to convince yourself that their gone, and their never gonna come back. But I've never thought of it as, Hey, yeah their gone, but maybe a part of them is still here. Here in the atmosphere. When you think of it that way, it makes you feel better, doesn't it?

I wonder, what would you think of me now?

So lucky, so strong, so proud?I never said thank you for that.

Now I'll never have a chance.

-Hear You Me, Jimmy Eat World

Digital Age.

I was shooting a scene in my new film, No Strings Attached, in which I say to Natalie Portman,

“If you miss me, you can’t text, you can’t email, you can’t post it on my Facebook wall. If you really miss me, you come and see me.”

I began to think of all of the billions of intimate exchanges sent daily via fingers and screens, bouncing between satellites and servers. With all this texting, emailing, and social networking, I started wondering, ‘Are we all becoming so in touch with one another that we are in danger of losing touch?’

It used to be that boy met girl and they exchanged phone numbers. Anticipation built. They imagined the entire relationship before a call ever happened. The phone rang. Hearts pounded. “Hello?” Followed by a conversation that lasted two hours but felt like two minutes and would be examined with friends for two weeks. If all went well, a date was arranged. That was then.

Now we exchange numbers but text instead of calling because it mitigates the risks of early failure and eliminates those deafening moments of silence. Now anticipation builds. Bdoop. “It was NICE meeting u” Both sides overanalyze every word. We talk to a friend, an impromptu Cyrano: “He wrote nice in all caps. What does that mean? What do I write back?” Then we write a response and delete it 10 times before sending a message that will appear 2 care, but not 2 much. If all goes well, a date will be arranged.

Whether you like it or not, the digital age has produced a new format for modern romance, and natural selection may be favoring the quick-thumbed quip peddler over the confident, ice-breaking alpha male. Or maybe we are hiding behind the cloak of digital text and spell-check to present superior versions of ourselves while using these less intimate forms of communication to accelerate the courting process. So what’s it really good for?

There is some argument about who actually invented text messaging, but I think it’s safe to say it was a man. Multiple studies have shown that the average man uses about half as many words per day as women, thus text messaging. It eliminates hellos and goodbyes and cuts right to the chase. Now, if that’s not male behavior, I don’t know what is. It’s also great for passing notes. There is something fun about sharing secrets with your date while in the company of others. Think of texting as a modern whisper in your lover’s car.

Sending sweet nothings on Twitter or Facebook is also fun. in some ways, it’s no different than sending flowers to the office: You are declaring your love for everyone to see. Who doesn’t like to be publicly adored. Just remember that what you post is out there and there’s some stuff you can’t un-see. But the reality is that we communicate with every part of our being, and there are times when we must use it all. When someone needs us, he or she needs all of us. There’s no text that can replace a loving touch when someone we love is hurting.

We haven’t lost romance in the digital age, but we may be neglecting it. In doing so, antiquated art forms are taking on new importance. The power of a hand-written letter is greater than ever. It’s personal and deliberate means more than an email or text ever will. It has a unique scent. It requires deciphering. But, most important, it’s flawed There are errors in handwriting, punctuation, grammar, and spelling that show our vulnerability. And vulnerability is the essence of romance. It’s the art of being uncalculated, the willingness to look foolish, the courage to say,

“This is me, and I’m interested in you enough to show you my flaws with the hope that you may embrace me for all that I am but, more importantly, all that I am not.”

- Ashton Kutcher

Oxygen

This felt so right, pull me upsideDown to a place where you've been waitingAnd how am I supposed to tell you how I feel?I need oxygen

-Colbie Caillat

It's Spring. So for those of us who are trying their best to survive and live with all the radioactive stuff going on in Japan, it's just about a really nice time to go Hanami. In other words, we go out to a park, have a picnic under all the beautiful cherry blossom trees. I assure you, its much more fun when you're doing it rather then reading about it :p

Chiba has received 3 new members to the family, and we have accepted them with open arms. They, are my juniors. Watching them, guiding them reminds me a lot of how I was exactly one year ago. It surprised me by seeing them, to as how much I've grown more independent and changed so much.

So basically, this is the main reason we go and have these activities.

What would a picnic be without food, right? Menu for lunch: Nasi Lemak, Agar-agar, Spaghetti

There's actually a story to tell about lunch. As we were busily and noisily, as we Malaysians tend to be just because nobody can understand what you're saying, eating lunch, suddenly a Japanese woman comes up to us and hand us a plate of Sushi! Or more in lines of Onigiri, I think. So in return, I set up a plate of agar-agar and some kerepek we had to that woman and her group. It's amazing how friendly Japanese people can be. Then again, were they just drunk enough to give us food?

So this is the park we chose to have our Hanami. Chiba Park. Yes, you could go on those boats for..i'm not sure how much.

I really wanted to go on one with one of my seniors, but we were unlucky as we got to the counter at 4 o'clock, and it had just closed :(

Addition to the Chiba family, Fatira & Syadah

Half of the guys in Chiba

So this is what a Cherry Blossom a.k.a Sakura looks like up close. Pretty, right? :) Their's apparently a lot of colors, but I've only seen white and pink.

Atiqah, or Atie as we like to call her. My senior, and my cooking mentor :p

Wahi and Atie, two of my closest friends in Chiba.

It wouldn't be Japan, if there weren't stalls selling their delicacies such as Takoyaki and Yaki Ika (grilled squid)

After a month and a half spent at Malaysia, coming back and smelling all that grilling smell of Yaki Ika, Yaki Soba and Takoyaki somehow made me feel nostalgic and just happy to be back to the place which has most of my favorite foods.

The gang :)

Just to share, apparently there's a Sakura park in Manhattan, United States. Japan gave Sakura trees to the United States as a token of their growing friendship. pffftt

A place in this world.

I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know

I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh but life goes on

I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in this world.

-Taylor Swift

So do you like your job? So is college treating you well? So how is high school? So are you happy with your life? So are you settled with the life you have right now? So are you happy with the decisions you've made in life?

The job has a good pay, so i'm good. College can be a pain sometimes, but i'm getting through it. High school is just plain, high school. I think I am? I'm going with the flow. I like to believe so.

Questions which I think, no one will ever have the answer to. Answers which I think, has been amazingly synchronized with our minds. So, how's life treating you?