Since the pre-blog things hit up all three of the major words in the title ("lost," "serenade" and "valley" in case you were wondering), I figured I could combine them into something that would probably be more of a memorable title.
Come on... you gotta admit that today's entry title sounds cool. =D
CURRENT MUSIC:
Diggi Dis - "Mamacitas in My Valley"
[OCRemix of Koji Kondo's "Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]
For those of you who aren't much of video game music enthusiasts like I am, not only are you missing out on amazing tunes that would probably rival Hollywood scores and playlists made for joggers, but you also probably have never heard of OverClocked Remix, a website dedicated to sharing musical remixes of video game music. It's been around for ages, and I go there on occasion to find a twist of flavor when a particular piece sounds stale.
Now, while I was randomly YouTube-surfing, I ended up landing on the preview vid for this particular remix. I honestly could only think of two words when I was listening to this piece: "HOLY FUCK." "Yeah, interesting choice of words," you're probably thinking. (And yes: I hear your sarcasm.) Seriously, though, after listening to it, you might end up in agreement - if it left me speechless, it should do the same to you.
Take the original "Gerudo Valley," mix it with Latin and hip-hop/dance overtones into a cocktail shaker, and the end result: THIS PIECE. And the best part is that it's got that flair you want for a summer dance party, and - oh, hey, look! SUMMERTIME!
Kinda inspires me to just dance with this. It'd be better if I knew how to dance, or if I had someone to dance with... but that's a story for another day. Just listen to the piece and enjoy the aural pleasure with me! (Here's the best part: you don't even need to be a Legend of Zelda fan to enjoy this! Click the above link if you doubt me!)
Koji Kondo - "Lost Woods"
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Original Soundtrack
Everyone has a few songs or pieces of music that they just can't get tired of. Either they're inspired by it every time they hear it or it brings them an emotion they can never get tired of. For me, one of my personal tracks would be the famed anthem from Ocarina of Time's "Lost Woods" - which is probably one of the best musical pieces from the game (apart from "Gerudo Valley"). Even if I was in the worst mood possible, if I were to hear this start chiming, I'd begin to feel more and more lighthearted until I was either in a much better mood or the music stops. All the field tests I've conducted with this song have been accurate thus far, which proves how hedonistic this piece is. Love it.
The irony here is that the carefree and innocent sound the ocarina "Lost Woods" plays contrasts with the fury and frustration every gamer playing Ocarina of Time for the first time gets when they first venture into the song's namesake. (There's a trick: listen carefully to the music when you're standing at each of the tunnel openings - if the music sounds faded or dimmed, that's not the right path.)
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finish the music section by having Link just stand in the Sacred Forest Meadow for about six hours while "Lost Woods" blares continuously. That's how much I love the song. *falls asleep and leaves the laptop on as it plays "Lost Woods" in an edited loop*
"Time passes, people move. Like a river's flow, it never ends. A childish mind will turn to noble ambition. Young love will become deep affection. The clear water's surface reflects growth. Now listen to the 'Serenade of Water' to reflect upon yourself..."
- Sheik
(The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)
Thirteen years ago when I first played this game, I always thought Sheik was mouthing off random gibberish that made the game feel more epic. Now, as I replay Ocarina of Time on my 3DS, I have come to realize how much more amazing the words and gameplay actually was.*
As to Shiek's words, they are said when first learning the "Serenade of Water." In a way, we've all grown somehow (speaking from a psycho-spiritual aspect, at least). As I spent the majority of the time I spent writing this entry thinking back upon what I've done, I'd like to think that I've grown so far in my journey through life. I'll be damned if I'm wrong.
* = Someone remind me to talk about this. There's one thing in particular that I never noticed when I was first playing this eons ago that kinda spoke to me.
Morning, readers! Welcome to my first entry that I've posted before sunrise! Weird for me, but it saves me the trouble of typing up something crappy before work, so... enjoy it!
So immediately after posting yesterday's "entry," I ended up thinking of what I could do afterwards to alleviate three things:
- the urge to follow through with my declaration for "other things I want to talk about"
- the "monotony" my mellow day gave me, and
- a swift and sudden migraine that makes the invasion of Poland look like a picnic.
Of course, the sad part is that I afterwards proceeded to waste hours just listening to music (particularly the two tracks mentioned waaaaay above) and reading up on random things, so when it comes to measuring how much of my night was spent doing something productive, the number came up to roughly
However, that 14% was wisely spent working during my buzzed state, and that work ended up becoming something monumental (at least in my book) - the completion of 1/11th of Operation: DREAM EATER!
I'm pretty sure I heard a "Say what!?" out there. I'm not joking - one task is actually complete.
Anyway, in the event that the tags weren't any indicator, then the task I completed was "write a poem." I mentioned before that I had an idea I wanted to work on "...when my poetic muse wants a turn at the wheel," but not once did my mind think of that project this night. Rather, in my buzzed state I came up with an idea that stemmed from a conversation a friend and I had one night. I decided to go with that - fresh material usually yields better results when first encountered.
As per usual with my (old) work (and with poetry clichés, in general), the end result was a tad... melancholy. However, I instilled a good amount of positive hope in the end, and I'm sure the quantity of it was sufficient.
Bear with me - while I'm used to posting my work online, I'm not used to the fact that I haven't written actual poetry in ages. So basically: ignore things like the lack of rhyming (because poetry doesn't have to rhyme) and the very uneven flow of the words.
Oh, and ignore the somewhat-cliché and not-so-inspirational title (because after you see the title, you'll look back at this entry and give off one of those not-so-surprised "Huh" noises) - it's a work in progress.
Serenade of the Survivor
by Josh D. "Whitey" Blanco
I escaped from a gulag – my own personal Hell
a life in a warzone that I once called home
where lies were lullabies
blind hatred was law
and concepts of "happiness" existed only as myth
My situation and past were unique! I thought
no one else had been caught in that war
my scars unique to my time
for a crime that was never mine
no one could know, could understand
That all changed when we talked one day
you heard my harrowing story
dismissed me as petty and blind
revealed that my anguish was not unique
and told me a story that froze my blood cold
A different time and a different conflict
unique for you yet similar to mine
a world of peace, of happiness
of an enchanted, merry life
in a land unmired by battle
Then a bombshell – war!
you didn't know it at the time
one side fought another, claimed a stake
fought jagged tooth and bloodied nail
no care for collateral, for decency, for sanity
And where were you in all this?
under crossfire and deceit
in a foxhole carved with tears
never understanding why this was
and why peace could never be
You relocated as the hostilities went on
walking through miles of misery
overdrugged with the untruth
went from child to statistic
in a game you didn't want to play
And yet you tell me you escaped?
a miracle that sounded like mine
sanity leveled and rebuilt almost whole
somehow able to reach for peace
from a prison that offered you only war
The scars your bleeding heart bears
etched a message on my soul
a testament to our pasts, our torn worlds
and the lives of others like us
a serenade that sung "you're not alone"
An as we live on, please keep hope alive
for others disillusioned like we once were
their wars are now ours, that we walk with them
heads held high, our victory cry eternal:
"We survived. WE SURVIVED."
Interesting, really. What really intrigued me was the metaphor that this poem stood for. I'll leave it open to interpretation and comments, but I'm wondering if anyone can see what the message is here. I'm happy with it thus far, but after staring at the poem with far less alcohol in my system, I began noticing things. They're minor nitpicks, but enough for me to potentially warrant a second draft.
- The title. Explained above the poem, so I won't repeat.
- I don't think it flows all too well. I can probably go back and edit it, but... I'm a tad tired for that at the moment. After all, I did post this at nearly four in the morning.
And yes: comments are welcome. Flames will be used to cook my summer s'mores.
Anyway, I'm going to go ahead and get some shut-eye. Lord knows I'll need it for later on tonight at work (what, with it being a Friday and all).
Since my customary farewell would seem... weird (as I'm sure I'll see a good portion of you later on today) given the circumstances, I shall simply say:
*loud snore*
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