I have deviated

Dear Reader,

I presume you have been eagerly anticipating the appearance of my next post, so I'm sorry for its somewhat tardy arrival. I shall make up for my procrastinating ways by announcing that...I have a major announcement to make. 

I have finally, finally made a decision about something I've been thinking about doing for the past few months. After weeks of deliberation, hours of sleeplessness and considerable bowel discomfort, I have decided to...deviate. That is, I have [finally!] made up my mind to join deviantART.com. I'm sure you've heard of the site before, my techno-savvy reader, but in case you've been spending the last few years hiding under a rock on some desert island, let me fill you in on the details. 

Well, DA [as an honourary Deviant, I'm allowed to use the acronym... ;p] is an online community where artists from all over the world--aspiring and already-there--can post their works, receive feedback from their fellow deviants, and ultimately grow as an artist and improve their skills. There are just so many different forms of art, and all of them seem to be represented on DA. All the categories to choose from! There's photography, traditional art, digital art, manga/anime-style drawings, film and animation, cartoony-type art, literature...the list goes on. There's even a category called 'artisan crafts'. How cool is that? 'where ART meets application!' indeed.

I see you fail to grasp the importance of this announcement, dear reader. There you go, shaking your head in derision, thinking to yourself, 'Well? So what? This is hardly a dilemma'. My dear, dear reader. Have you ever actually been to DA? Have you seen the artwork there? I'm nowhere near to even touching that kind of quality and standard and...and...eminence. Yes, eminence.

Anyway, I took so long to make up my mind because, honestly, I was really intimidated by the sheer awesome-ness of all the artwork already on display. During my periodical reference-picture hunts, via Google Images, I would usually come across something from DA. Almost invariably. So, pretty soon, I'd just skip the Google Images part and go straight to DA if I ever needed some inspiration on a particularly difficult piece.

The thing is, my preferred media is the plain ol' pencil and paper. I'm pretty old-fashioned that way. But, my scanner broke. Beyond all hope of repair. Having said that, I do in fact have in my possession a tablet and pen tool, thus enabling me to doodle straight into the computer.But I'm still new at it, so my drawings look a bit funny. I'm still a noob at colouring. And I suck at backgrounds. In fact, I don't do backgrounds. My backgrounds are all blank.

I'm sorry if this post is sending a whiny and complainy and I'm-just-not-good-enough-poor-me kind of vibe, my dear reader. It's...it's just an abysmal, jarring, and extremely humbling feeling when you realize you're not as good as you thought you were.

I'll get over it, I hope. And there's always room for improvement. Oh, man...when I look through some of the drawings I did a few years ago, I cringe at all the flaws and all the mistakes I've made. Especially in anatomy. So embarrassing. *shudders* Yes, there's always room for improvement.

The point is, I've taken the plunge. I've joined DA. Now all I have to worry about is my compulsive tendency to dilly-dally. Speaking of dilly-dallying, I should be going now. There's something I should've finished doing already. Like, yesterday. So, until next time, I remain...

Yours,

Figgy the Deviant

P/S: Here's the link to my DA page. Just click here!

Jump Higher!

Dear Reader,

I've just realized...it's been almost a month since my last musical post. This just won't do. I must have my music! Plus, it's been a boring couple of days and I have absolutely nothing else worth blogging about. So, today I shall share and translate a song called 'Melompat Lebih Tinggi' by Sheila On 7. It means 'Jump Higher' in English, hence the title of this post. It was sort of the theme song for an Indonesian movie, '30 Hari Mencari Cinta' (30 Days To Look For Love) so the video clip is basically a movie trailer. 

The movie in a nutshell: three housemates, who are also the bestest of friends, make a bet with each other to see who can successfully procure a boyfriend first after being called lesbians by a really annoying, shallow, big-slut-on-campus type girl. The catch is, they have a 30-day deadline...and the loser has to do all the chores for a month or something. So, a classic I-have-to-find-me-the-perfect-guy-amidst-all-these-losers montage ensues.

The video clip is just a compilation of little bits and pieces from the movie, but with the band-dudes substituting some of the wannabe boyfriends used in the real movie. I love Sheila On 7! They just crack me up. And their lyrics aren't half bad, either.

Anyway...enjoy!

Sheila On 7

'Melompat Lebih Tinggi'

Kita berlari dan teruskan bernanyi

Kita buka lebar pelukan mentari

Bila ku terjatuh nanti,

Kau siap mengangkat aku lebih tinggi.

Seperti pedih yang telah kita bagi

Layaknya luka yang telah terobati

Bila kita jatuh nanti

Kita siap 'tuk melompat lebih tinggi.

Bersama kita bagai hutan dan hujan

Aku ada karna kau telah tercipta.

[chorus]

Kupetik bintang untuk kau simpan

Cahayanya tenang, berikan kau perlindungan

Sebagai pengingat teman

Juga s'bagai jawaban

Semua tantangan

[chorus]

Sebelum waktu memisahkan detikku, detikmu

Sebelum dewasa, menua, memisahkan kita

Degupan jantung kita akan s'lalu seirama

Bila kau rindu aku...

[chorus] x2

English Translation:

Sheila On 7

'Jump Higher'

We run and continue singing

We open wide the embrace of the sun

When I fall down,

You're ready to lift me higher.

Like a pain that we have divided

Like a cut that has been treated

When we fall down,

We're ready to jump higher.

Together we're like the forest and the rain

I am here because you were created.

[chorus]

I pluck a star for you to keep

Its light is calm, it gives you protection

As a reminder of friends

Also as the answer to

All challenges

[chorus]

Before time separates my moment, your moment

Before adulthood, aging, separates us

Our heartbeats will always be in rhythm

When you miss me...

[chorus] x2

Okay, footnote time! Kindly suppress your groans until I am safely out of earshot, my dear reader. Ahem. So. If you are Indonesian-speaking, you're probably wondering why on earth I translated bagi as divided. Well, my dear reader, that particular 'bagi' is probably a shortened version of 'bahagi', which, in fact, means 'divided'. You see, 'bagi' usually means 'give'...but I couldn't very well translate the line as 'like a pain that we have (been) given' or something like that. It doesn't make any sense! So, I deliberated that the songwriter actually meant the other 'bagi'; 'bahagi'. Then it's 'like a pain that we have divided (amongst ourselves, therefore we both share it and feel it less)'.

Well...I think that's it for this post; I'm all blogged out. Good news for you, I suppose, my dear reader. But please, don't break out into song just yet. I'm already cooking up an absolutely amazing post as we speak. It will blow your mind. Prepare to be mind-blown! 

Nyeh...not really. I have no idea what I'm going to write about next. Guess I'll just wing it. Sort of like I'm doing right now. Just winging it. Alrighty then, I'm gonna wing it on out of here. Until next time, dear reader.

Yours,

Figgy

[FiSPToW]

I'm lopsided!

Dear Reader,




Yes, I am indeed lopsided. I've been noticing it more and more these days. One of my eyes is smaller than the other...I always forget which. The mirror-image effect always screws up my perspective. And this somewhat squinty peeper is also fringed with droopier eyelashes than my...other eye. I hate applying mascara on these thrice-accursed lashes because they just won't stay up. And they keep smudging up my glasses because they droop down, instead of curling up, like their more obedient counterparts. I keep telling my dad to buy contacts for me, but he just fails to see the relevancy of my argument.

"Just don't wear mascara," he says.

I mean, really! Don't wear mascara, indeed!



Moving on. My right hand is bigger than my left hand. I think it's because I'm a righty, so my right hand is more...muscular [?] than my less-developed left one. And when I say 'bigger', I mean my right fingers are bigger in diameter, but not longer, than my left ones. Same goes for my fingernails, too, incidentally. And my left-hand fingernails grow faster and thinner than my right-hand ones. Hmmm...curious.



Also, my right leg is longer than my left leg. No joke. I don't exactly know how I came to make this shocking discovery. I think it just gradually made itself manifest over the years. And my second toe--the one next to the Big Toe--on my right foot is longer than the one on my left foot. There's this old wives' tale (Indian, I think) that if a girl's second toe is longer than her big toe, she'll be a bossy and demanding wife. But if it's shorter than her big toe, she'll be a very devoted, domesticated-type wife. I guess that puts me somewhere between the two extremes.



Well. Have I freaked you out, my dear reader? Are you appalled at my non-symmetry? Are you staring aghast, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, at the long list of my physical deformities? Have I shocked and flabbergasted you to no end by the recitation of all my lopsided flaws?



If so, then...good! My work here is done. Muahahahaha! *flashes evil grin*



Sorry about that, dear reader. I just couldn't resist. I think it's about time for me to sign off...I've been awake the whole night. It's almost nine, now. In the morning. In extreme cases, sleep deprivation can lead to temporary insanity. That probably explains the unhinged and haphazard nature of this post. So, I'm off to bed. Good night...I mean, morning!





Yours,



Figgy the [Mentally] Imbalanced

Success!

Dear Reader,

I am in a happy state of mind today. I am at peace with the world. Nothing can discourage me or bring me down. Today, at least. My bubble of optimism will probably deflate by tomorrow. But for now, I'm on top of the world!

The reason behind my temporary euphoria is: I passed my driving test. On the first try. I was so dreading the possibility of failing and having to retake it. But I managed to pass...barely. The passing mark is 42/50, and I got a 43. Talk about close calls. It's probably because I didn't really read the darn 'textbook' or whatever it is. Every time I tried I would fall asleep from sheer boredom. So I skimmed through the thing. 

Anyway, I'm glad the whole ordeal is over and done with. It was nerve-wracking. No joke. I don't fare well under pressure; I fare very badly under pressure, actually. I hated all the waiting around, mostly because I'm just a very impatient person. But I also hated all the uncertainty of it. 

"Should I go there? Should I stay here? Do they want my IC? Should I just stand here or should I sit down? Why is it taking so long? Does it take this long for everyone else?"

Yeah. I guess I just think too much. I wish my brain had an off switch. But then, if I had turned my brain off, I wouldn't have been able to think. And zero brain activity during an exam isn't a very desirable state of being.

Anyway, that's my post for today, dear reader. Short and sweet. A welcome change, no doubt, from my usual loquacious, long-winded posts. But don't get too used to it, my dear reader. I'm sure the next one will be a doozy. Til then, paalam.

Yours,

Figgy the Flourishing!

Bibliothèque

Dear Reader,

Please direct your attention to the foreign-looking title above. That's right. Bibliothèque. It means 'library' in French. If it looks familiar, it's probably because you've seen it somewhere before. If it doesn't, then chances are, you haven't seen it somewhere before.

Anyway, I think that's enough tomfoolery on my part. Or monkey business. Or shenanigans. Or high jinks. It's time to get to the heart of the matter. Cut to the chase. Get to the nitty-gritty. And stop beating around the bush.

Ahem.

So, without further ado...I shall 'get on with it already', as you so eloquently put it, my dear reader. Anyway, bibliotheque. I think the word 'Bible' comes from the same root word as bibliotheque. Which makes sense, because the Bible is pretty much a library in itself. It's a compilation of 66 books which are divided into 2 volumes (the Old and the New Testament), written by a total of 40 different authors on 3 continents over a period of almost 1, 500 years in 3 languages. And it isn't just a one-genre type of library either. There are books on Law, History, Poetry, and even Romance. Oh, you don't believe me, my sceptical reader? 

"The Bible, a romance novel?" you pshaw and harumph, your head tilting condescendingly at the very thought of such a silly notion.

Well--how about the book of Esther? Or Ruth? Those two books alone have all the plot points necessary for a best-selling romance novel. Not to mention the Song of Songs. Seriously, you two...get a room!

Even if you don't believe in God and His Word, or if you think that the Bible is just a pedantic, outdated and old-fashioned bunch of gobbledygook that in no way applies to real-life situations, I think that you should still acknowledge the sheer poetic and literary value of the Bible. Because it's truly a beautiful book, take it from an avid word-lover. Words have power, and the Bible is a very powerful book.

So, today I'm going to share a little poem from this vast treasure trove of literature, written by King Solomon, found in the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3. It's called 'A Time for Everything'. You've probably heard it, or heard of it, before; it's one of Solomon's more popular works. But, if you haven't, my fortunate reader, here's your chance of getting acquainted with it.

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

And there you have it. Oh, I hope you'll allow me to share with you one more thing, my patient and long-suffering reader. It is actually an explanation of the Bible, found in the Bible itself:-

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Basically, these verses mean that, though the Bible was written by 40 authors, every one of these authors were inspired by The Big G to write what they wrote. And what they wrote can come in handy every time you need to teach, reprimand, chastise and train someone 'in righteousness'. Righteousness means every practice and virtue that is right, correct, accurate, decent, upright, noble and good in human nature. Traditionally, 'man of God' would probably mean a Christian, but if you believe that a Supreme Being called God created the universe and everything in it, then, Christian or not, it can mean every single living human being on this planet. And, being 'thoroughly equipped for every good work' means that by reading the Bible, you will be prepared, with the right attitude and the right words, for every virtuous and constructive activity you choose to take part in--not necessarily of the Christian or religious persuasion.

Well, there is a time for everything, and something tells me that the time has come for me to leave you to ponder on this particularly preachy post in peace. Ooh, nice alliteration, if I do say so myself. Until the next post, I remain...

Yours,

Figgy the Avid Word-Lover