Tempus neminem manet

Get your head in the game 

Out of all the lessons I learnt this year, this would be the most important one, decisions. I've never been a person that could decide something in an instant and be completely for that choice. From a few close calls to almost missing university deadlines or project deadlines, everything has happened to me, and I have been trying to change that particular mindset. I've learned that wishy washy minds are not good in any situation. It only complicates everything else. Not being able to make a decision leads to procrastination, but procrastination is a whole other topic for another day. Basically, above everything else, learn to make quick logical, reasonable decisions ahead of time, especially if it affects your future, then everything will flow smoothly (hopefully)!

"We're all mad here."

Juniors,
I wish you good luck to your upcoming year and future endeavours. This year, I experienced many obstacles, learning how to avoid them, the hard way. Senior year for me was full of classes, contrary to what I've hoped to have during senior year. First, try to finish taking the tests needed for university in junior year. Second, taking harder classes in junior year= easier load in senior year. Third, do your research on universities and always keep note of deadlines. Last but not least, take it easy, high school may seem hard now but when you get into the real world you're going to wish you were back in high school, well not necessarily high school but the responsibilities of a high school student. 

To the future and beyond!

To be completely honest, I have no future plans at the moment except to pick which university to go to. Although, I would like to be looking forward to at least a month of complete relaxation. I am looking forward to university, but it is a bitter-sweet feeling, at least to me. Thinking of the future is such a vast thought, to me, the future is like a black hole, I never know what's going to happen, tentatively I approach it, not getting to close, yet it's full of mystery that just entices people to go near it and sucks them in. While everyone's talking about the far future, I'm still contemplating what I should eat for lunch. 

One day Alice came in a fork road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. "Which road do I take?" she asked.  His response was a question: "Where do you want to go?"  "I don't know," Alice answered.  "Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."

Ars longa vita brevis

Below is an essay I wrote for the New York Times' annual editorial writing contest. 

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Will Graffiti Ever Be Considered Art? 

What is art, or what makes something art?Art by definition is a form of expressing yourself through visual representation. Art nonetheless is art, whether it’s on a wall, a canvas, a piece of paper, or anywhere else for that matter.I, personally would not have considered a red splatter of paint on white canvas as art, but paintings like that have been sold for thousands of dollars. As that effortless painting is considered art, wouldn’t intricate, vibrantly colored pieces of graffiti also be considered art?

Some people feel disdain for graffiti, because graffiti has been stereotypically associated with gang-related activity, rough neighborhoods or violence.  Not all pieces of graffiti are vulgar. Take Banksy for example, this anonymous English artist not only has spread satirical messages about politics with his art, but has made an impact on the world, although many of his pieces have been whitewashed already.

Art isn’t seen from a legal aspect, but seen from artistic point of view. George C. Stowers, a professional graffiti artist, affirms this point bysaying that he too, believes by aesthetic criteria, that graffiti is definitely considered an art form.

One cannot determine whether or not something is considered art based on where the art is located. In the same way, most people consider doodles or sketches a form of art. If a student doodled on his test, most people believe that the test is the teacher’s property, similarly,with graffiti, doodles would be defacing someone else’s property, therefore not art.

In Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” he says, “To put in terms of St. Thomas Aquanis: An unjust law is a human law not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” Each individual piece of graffiti is a part of the artist’s personality, something that the artist poured his heart and soul into to make. The only difference is thatthese artists are displaying a different type of “right”to express themselves. I am not saying that the right to express artistic freedom is equal to the fight for civil rights; however I do find the use of his quote appropriate from my stance.

Art cannot be seen from a legal perspective,  nor can it be prejudiced against because the location may not be ideal. Art is open to anyone's interpretation, some may like it, some may not. It's all in how you look at it, either half glass that's full or half a glass it's empty. It is thus, that I believe, graffiti, without question, is art.

Works Cited:

"Graffiti: Art through Vandalism." Graffiti: Art through Vandalism. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. <http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall07/sanchez/uses.html>.

Buckley, Cara, and Marc Santora. "Night Falls, and 5Pointz, a Graffiti Mecca, Is Whited Out in Queens." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Nov. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/20/nyregion/5pointz-a-graffiti-mecca-in-queens-is-wiped-clean-overnight.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0>.

"Graffiti Art." Debate Argument:. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2015. <http://www.debate.org/debates/Graffiti-Art/1/>.

Minima maxima sunt

"Good fences make good neighbors"- Robert Frost

 Good fences make good neighbors, to some sort of degree. On one hand, they make good neighbors because of the communication needed to rebuild the fence, but on the other hand that communication is limited, unless you put an effort to turn that limited communication into some kind of a connection. Humans are social creatures where communication is an important aspect in daily life.

Where to visit in Taiwan

One of the most notable landmarks in Taiwan would be the Taipei 101. The Taipei 101 was named the tallest skyscraper of the world in 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. Not only is it a landmark, the 101 also doubles as a shopping mall with floors of shops and dozens of options at the food court. The Taipei 101 is a mixture of modern technical advances with Asian traditions. The picture shown below is part of the design motif on the exterior of the 101, called ruyi. The ruyi is a talisman of ancient Chinese origin, looking like clouds. This ruyi symbolizes healing, protection and fulfillment. Each ruyi figures stand 8 feet tall. Other from the many symbolizations of this skyscraper, the Taipei 101 is a must needed destination to visit. A trip to Taiwan without a visit to the 101 would not be an actual trip to Taiwan.

Interesting Reads

"The Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams is a play that demonstrates the realities of life and how happily-ever-afters don't happen all the time. This story takes sharp turns that continuously surprise me with every scene that comes. Stella, who comes from a promising family, gets married to Stanley, who is quite the opposite of the DuBois family. Blanche, Stella's sister, comes to visit, disapproving of Stanley and not necessarily keeping the peace at Stella's place. Her past secrets unravel and the man she falls in love with leaves her. The ending was a complete shock to me. I think this play is worth a read