Individual Reflections - My Journey to become a better learner

 

Yes, a long title. A dedicated one

 Hello everybody, welcome back to my shelter. Its been a while since my last post. Do i miss this blog? Not really, to be honest. But hey, i miss you guys. I just don't like writing that much. But i know as a uni student i have to get used to this thing. So yea, with that out of the way....lets get started

 Today i'm gonna share with you lot my journey in this ICC class. Yep, my ICC class is almost over, so i think i need to write this (also because this is the last assignment of the ICC class, i believe). Wait, so this is gonna be the last post? Well, i don't really know about that. I mean, i'm the one controlling this blog, so maybe there's a chance that i will use this blog again in the future. So what? Hiatus? Hmm, i don't think that's the right word. I mean lets be honest, there's only 10 people who read/following this blog. So, even if this is the last one, i don't think anyone would give a damn. But, i think i'll be back, even if the main topic of this blog isn't about english anymore. Whoa, i talked too much. Lets get back to the topic.

 One word from me about this class: Simple. You just need to read/listen to a story, and then make a blog post about it. Simple, but not easy. As some one who doesn't like reading/listening that much, this is kinda make me suffer. I need to read 40.000 words, and listen to 70 stories (i don't think i finished it yet, welp). But yea, for a dumbo like me, that's too much. At the beginning of the semester, i asked myself "can i really do this?". For those who know nothing about me, i'm a skeptical and a pessimist. So of course i doubted myself. And, did it change after one semester? not really.

 Now, to the present time. At the end of the semester. Did my habit change? A little bit. I'm starting to care about literature. If i found a story interesting, i'll read the rest. Even though its not a part of the assignment. I listen to some story that have an interesting title and topic. Yes, i'm starting to care, but for a little bit. I'm not totally changed. I still despise some books/stories, like that Ivanhoe one. The topic is interesting, but the writing is awful. When i read it, its like jumping to the boiler room next to the satan's office in hell. But, there's some stories that i like, like the Thames Murder one. Oh, that was beautiful.

 So now, to the final question. What will i do after this course? Well, i still gonna read some stories/books, but not as many as now. Yes, a disappointing answer, but atleast its an honest one. I don't want to lie to myself and other people. I'm not that guy. I need to find a really interesting books to finally read something. I need to change that, but i think for now i'm gonna stick with it. I'm sorry if you're expecting alot from me. And for Pak Daniel, i'm sorry. I know i made a promise that i will improve myself. But in the end of the day, i don't think i improved anything. So yea, once again, i'm sorry.

no, i'm not cheater. i swear.

 

:)

 And yea that's it. I have nothing to say anymore. I think i just wanna say thank you, to all of you, who's always reading my post. I dont care if its only 10 people, 6 people, or even only 1 person. Thank you so much. Now, i don't think i have to make any dumb excuses to end the post. This is Alex, thank you for reading, and.......goodbye, i guess.

 Oh, i almost forgot,

 don't forget to drink water

 Bye~~

 

An Interview with Rebecca and Ivanhoe

  Holaaaaaaaa. Welcome back to me, ladies and gents. And for today's post, i'm gonna embarrassed myself a little bit more. Yes, i know, this is what y'all want, huh? Hell Yea! Well, good for you because today i'm gonna show you my interview video. Uuuuuu, this is gonna be good! So this week's assignment is that we need to pick a character from a fictional story, and then we need to interview them. So yeah, we need 2 people. But of course, i'm not alone (obviously). I'm with Ms. Alko Hollysum herself, Arin. Oh, i thought you're gonna suffered alone. Well, that's a big HA-HA to you my guy. Anyway, before i show you my vids, let me tell you more about the story that we picked for that video.

 Ivanhoe, written by Walter Scott, contains 14758 words, and the genre is fairytale (you can read it here). The story is about.....i don't know, honestly. Its a bit confusing. No disrespect to the author, but you know i gotta keep it real with everything. The cuts in this story are weird. They did one scene, and then cuts it into another different scene that's not that relevant to the previous scene. So yeah, thats a minus for me. But basically, this story is about the great adventure of Ivanhoe himself, at the tournament, and then being a hero saving the day. Even though for me, he's not a main character. His screentime is not enough. But enough with my rambling. This is the moment y'all been waiting for. My video, or maybe our video. 

You can watch it here.

 Yes, i know. Cringe. Hey, we're not professionals, okay? Hmm, why am i smiling a lot? There's something wrong with me. But yeah, as cringe as it is, i enjoyed it. Its a cool experience. Do i want to do it again? No. At least not for now. I need to prepared myself more. Because as you can see in the video, we're not prepared at all. One take and thats it. But yeah, that was a great one, or maybe a cringe one. And big up Arin for editing the video, if only i could help. Thanks, me boi. 

 And that's it for today's post. Thank you for reading. Now if you excusme, i'm gonna go play some nier. See you in the next post. And last but not least, don't forget to drink water. Bye~~

Sketch It!

 (Before we start, i just wanna let y'all know that this will be a short one. Why? Because my internet data is at its limit. So, sorry about that)

 Hellooooooo, how its goin'? Its been 2 weeks since i upload my last post. Where's your consistency now, big boy? Yes, i know. That's why i'm posting today innit. So for today's post, i'm gonna tell you one scene from a story, and then i'm gonna draw it, and put my drawing here. So yeah, lets go!

 So the story for today's post is Jack The Ripper (you can read it here), written by Foreman Peter, contains 7501 words, and i love it. Now, if you don't know who Jack The Ripper is, then i lost for word. What's wrong with you? Ay yo chill. Nah, you need to improve your literature for a bit. Come on man, there's a lot of books out there. Okay, thanks for the advice, but um....i still don't know who he is. I know, that's why i'm introducing you to this book. Yeay. So read it, please. Yes sir! Good, now let me continue. This book is telling us the story of Jack The Ripper. Not his life story, but his criminal story. From his first case in Whitechapel, until his last one where he turns a human body into a piece of raw meat without skin. So if you're into some criminal story and all of that, then you're gonna love this story. Okay, before i tell you about the scene, let me show you my drawing first, okay? And please, don't laugh at it. I tried

 No, its not a chicken nugget, its not a failed cookie dough, and definitely not a sex toy. Its a dead body. What? Yes, my choice is bizarre. This is the body of Elizabeth Stride, Jack The Ripper's third victim. And for the scene, this is when the police discover her body. But it look really gross. Yeah, i exaggerated it. But, where's the police? Okay, let me tell you one little fact. It took me 2+ hours to draw that one body right there. If i'm gonna draw the police (at least 2 of 'em), then there's another 4 hours of me desperately trying to draw things while having suicidal thought. So allow it, please. But why this scene? This is not the sweetest scene in the entire story, right? Yea, but my reason is simple. Its because this is my first time drawing a dead body. So i have to take it, right? I mean, fair enough. Good, i'm glad you're understand.

 And that's it for today. Thank you for reading. Now if you excuse me, i'm gonna try to connect to my neighbor's WiFi. See you in my next post. But most importantly, don't forget to drink water. Bye~~

Let Me Write A Poem About You, Again

  Hello.........its me. Welcome to my weekly blog post (yay). Now, today's gonna be a short one. What? Why? Because...... there's only one story. And also because i don't have much time. Yeah, my schedule this week is crazy. And i hope next week is gonna be different. So yeah, hope that explains the situation and hopefully, you guys understands as well. Oh yeah almost forgot, today we're gonna do the acrostic poem again. Wait, we've done that before, right? Yeah, that's why i said the word AGAIN, you dumbo. Anyway, lets begin....

 So, today's story is The Labors of Hercules (you can watch it here)

(Source : here)

 Um, is that image from RoR? Yes, i know, shush!. Anyway, lets talk about the story, shall we? So the story is about Hercules, or Heracles (or whatever you wanna call him) who seeks forgiveness from The Gods. And so, there's 12 labors that he must do, so that The Gods will forgive him. And guess what? He finished it. Perfect score (how SHOCKING). And because he is the main character in this story, i picked him to be my acrostic poem's theme.....or subject, or object, or whatever. Anyway, lets look at the poem, shall we?

Honest.  Empathetic.  Reliable.  Clever.  Upstanding.  Legitimate. Easy-going.  Selfless.

 Wow, that was positive. Any meanings behind it? No. This poem is just me describing his characteristics. How humble he is, and how he's able to complete all the missions. And that's why a lot of people love him. And also, that's why some people (maybe gods) got jealous, and then hate him. Such a nice character. Yeah, i agree. Too bad Jack The Ripper killed him. RoR? Heck yeah. Well, nobody is gonna understand that reference, but i rate that.

 Anyway, thats it for today. I already told y'all that this is gonna be a short one. If you're still reading up to this point, thank you so much. Now if you excuse me, i'm gonna go and re-new my Netflix subscription....Just kidding, i wouldn't pay that much for a movie streaming service. Thank you for reading my awful blog post. And last but not least, dont forget to drink water. Bye~~

The Perfect Song

 Hi again, its me. Welcome to my blog post.....again. Okay, before we start. Ladies and Gents, please welcome....Alex 2. The man, the myth, but definitely not the legend. How are you doing, my man? Hello, hello. Um, i'm doing good, thank you for asking. Okay, thank you for coming back. Just a reminder, another absent, and you're out. Understand? Wait wha- Anyway, today we're talking about songs. Wow, this is unexpected. Why? Because...that's my assignment, you dum-dum. So basically, i'm gonna pick 2 stories, and then i'll choose a song that best represents the story (1 song for each story). Now this is where thing get difficult. I love music. 100%. But, i'm kinda lazy when it comes to reading/listening to stories. So yeah.....Don't ever expect me to talk about Shakespeare, Harry Potter, or even The Great Gatsby. Wait, you don't know anything about Harry Potter. Yes, i know nothing about Harry Potter. In fact, I don't think i ever watch the films. Wow, uncultured son-of-a- Shush! Anyway, let's begin....

 So the first one is The Book of Life (you can watch it here).

(Source : here)

 It was made by Jorge R. Gutierez and Guillermo Del Toro, back in 2014. So this is a story about 3 best friend, Manolo, Maria, and Joaquin. Or more specific, this is a story about Manolo and Joaquin competing against each other to win Maria's love (I mean....it's kinda messed up for a child story). But yeah, thats about it. I don't want to spoil all the story. You watch it yourself. So, the song that i picked for this movie is......Let Us Cling Together (Teo Torriatte) by Queen (Spotify: here)

"Let us cling together as the years go by

  Oh my love, my love

  In the quiet of the night

  Let our candle always burn

  Let us never lose the lessons we have learned"

 Yes, i bring out my Queen card. Um, this song is kinda unique...especially the lyrics. Can you tell us why you chose this song? Thanks for asking, my man. So, some people saw this song as a romantic song. But there's also a lot of people that saw this as a friendship song. And that's why this song is perfect. What do you mean? Because, thats what the movie all about. The movie is telling us their love stories, but also their friendship. Yes, they're competing for love. But in the end of the day, they're still friends. Ah, i see. Clever!. Thank you so much. Oh yeah, fun fact for you guys. I originally wanted to put Heart and Soul by Floyd Cramer. But after a second thought, i think Teo Torriatte is better (Love you Mr. Floyd, but this is not your time yet).

 Okay, the second one is Fake Little Love (you can read it here)

 

(Source : here)

 It was made by an author named LOL (i'm not joking), and it has 711 words...pretty short. Fun fact, i found this story yesterday. What? Yeah, because i can't find anything interesting to talk about. So, do you think this story is interesting? For me, it was decent, a 7.4/10. So, as you can see in the title. This story is about a young girl that experienced this thing called "Fake Love". And yeah, i don't want to ruin the fun. Read it yourself. Aw come on. At least give us a little spoiler or something. Nope, can't do. But i can tell you, the ending is unexpected. Anyway, the song for this story is....Lose by KSI and Lil Wayne (Spotify: here)

"You got me fallin' thinkin' of you

  But that's the one thing i shouldn't do

  I, I, know the truth

  I, I, know that you're just one more thing to lose"

 Wow, i don't know you're into rap song? Well, its not like that. I just think that this song is the most fitting for sthe story. The fact that she fall right into his hand( in negative way), and then in the end, she...No, i can't spoil a good story! Really? Come on! One thing that i can say about this story is: Don't be a naive person. The world is not your personal playground where everyone making a circle and singing Kumbaya all the time. Sometime, things just don't go smooth as you wish. And maybe, you'll regret your decision. But whatever the case, Stay Strong. Wow, strong words...strong words.

 And thats it for today. If you're still watching up to this point, thank you so much. Now if you excuse me, i will go staright to bed, because i'm really tired. Thank you for reading. And big thank you to Alex 2 for coming back. And last but not least, don't forget to drink water. Bye~~

Bookmarks With Quotations

 Hi, its me again. Welcome to my.....6th post? Maybe? I don’t know, who cares. Anyway, today we’re going to talk about “quotations”. But before we begin, i have an announcement to make. So for today’s post, Alex 2 is not gonna be here. I know, i know, you guys love him more than me, he’s more rational. But i promise you he’ll be back next week. He’s got something to do today, so let’s just give him a rest for a bit. Okay, back to the topic. So a few days ago, my lecturer give me an assignment. But, it is quite unique. It says “Choose 2 quotations that you like from the texts you read or listen to. And then, create a bookmark for each quotations”. Pretty unique isn’t it? Now, one fun fact about me: I suck at designing. But just for today, i give it a try. So, i opened PhotoShop, and then i started designing, with my limited imaginations. And the result was.....not bad? Like i don’t think it’s terrible. I feel like its alright. But anyway, enough for the chit-chat, lets go...

 So the first one is Lionel Messi – The GOAT Official Movie (you can watch it here). I discovered this video 1 years ago. It was made by the channel called Magical Messi, and it had more than 25 million views. So the video is talking about the journey of Lionel Messi, since the beginning. From 2004, when he first played for the main team of FC Barcelona, until 2019 when he’s become the legendary player of that club. There’s a lot of quote on that video. But this is what i picked

 Um, quite unique isn’t it? Obviously, Leo Messi isn’t the one who said it, lol. It was the narrator. And, for me it was such a nice quote. I don’t know about you guys, but i can feel that quote. Yes, i know, you guys need context about the event behind that quote. So, let me explain, okay? So in the video, people’s always doubting on Leo Messi. They’re saying he’s done, and he’s not the best player anymore. And then, come the FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifications Match : Argentina vs Ecuador. This is the chance for Messi to prove himself in front of all his fans, and his haters. But in the very first minute of the match, Ecuador scored. And it looks like its already over. But then in the video, this quote showed up “The greatest players produce their greatest performance when they’re needed” followed by Messi scoring a hat-trick. Messi, once again, saving the Argentina national team, with a 3-1 wins. So what’s the lessons from this quote? Patience. Just wait, and believe......and you shall achieve.

 It feels different without Alex 2 isn’t it? Feel quite lonely. Do i really miss him? Does he really that important in my life? Does he even exist? Anyway, lets move on to the socond one!!

 So the second one is Warden Once More (you can read it here). It was made by Vagabond, and it contains 699 words #verynice. So this is a random fan-made short story that i picked from Warcraft fandom. So this is a story about Adinassa Moonwalker and her sister Maiev Shadowsong (Btw, i’m just gonna put this here. I don’t think Adinassa even exist in the real warcraft lore. I tried to do some research about her, and i found nothing. So yeah, fan-made character). So basically, this is a story about their reunion. Adinasa, who abandoned them long ago, finally return (Well, not that she “return”. I think they’re “accidentally” met because all the night elves is joining The Alliance). Anyway, before i explain any futher, let me show you the quote i picked

 In the story, they talked for a while (quite a long time, actually). And then, Maiev asked her to re-join The Watchers, Maiev’s special group. After hearing that, Adinassa was shocked. She asked Maiev the reason behind that. She is so confused because she’s already abandoned them. And she think she is not worhty for being a member of The Watchers again. But then Maiev explained, that Adinassa is not abandoning The Watchers. She is just seeking for justice and vengeance. And once again, Maiev said “We need you, Adinassa”. And then, with a smile on her face, she’s joining The Watchers once again. And the conversation in the bookmark above, is the first conversation Adinassa had with Maiev after officially joining The Watchers. For me, it’s like a sign. A sign that their relationship as sisters is alive, once again, under the light of the moon, in the middle of the night. And that’s why i chose that quote.

 And i think thats it for today. I hope you enjoy this post. If you’re still reading up to this point, thank you so much. Now if you excuse me, i’m gonna play Genshin impact with my mom. Thank you for reading. And i promise, Alex 2 will be back next week. And last but not least, don’t forget to drink water. Bye~~

Let Me Write A Poem About You

 Hi, its me again. Welcome to my 5th post. Do you miss me? Probably not......But whatever. Because today i'm gonna talk about something interesting. Okay Alex, please be something interesting. You're letting us down last time, buddy. Don't worry. I promise, this will be interesting. Because today we're gonna talk about.....POEM. You know what, that is kinda- Shush! Before you complain, let me explain. Now first of all, i don't like poem. I don't like 'em and i don't know why. Maybe because i can't find the beauty inside of it. But, it all changed, when i found out about DDLC. DDLC is a psychological horror cute visual novel game that let you interacts with all the in-game characters through poem. Its a good game, to be honest. And i promise, after you play this game, you'll be terrified happy. Um, i thought we're gonna talk about poem, and not about this....absurd game. Oh, sorry, my bad. Let's get back to the topic.Today we're gonna talk about poem. More specifically, acrostic poem. If you don't know, acrostic poem is one that uses all the letters in a word or name as the first letter of each line of the poem (more info here). So today, i will pick 2 characters, and i will make an acrostic poem for each of 'em. So without further ado, LETS GO!!

 So the first character (from the reading text) is Monika from DDLC.

(Source : https://www.meme-arsenal.com/memes/4fd79c294c2eacf5f46e4192f1e83892.jpg)

Starting off strong, aren't we? YES. Monika is the most cruel beautiful character i've ever met in my entire life. This demon woman has been haunting me for years. I don't know why but i just can't forget about her (help me pls). Monika is one of the charcters from DDLC (made by Team Salvato. You can read/play it here) besides Sayori, Yuri, and Natsuki. Now if you ask me, i can't even tell if she is the protagonist or the antagonist. She is just.....mysterious. And in my opinion, she looks creepy cute. Anyway, let's try to make a poem about her.

Mysterious

Omnipotent

Nice

Intimidating

Kind

Awesome

 Um, okay. That poem is kinda....weird. Can you tell us the meaning behind all the words? Okay, i will explain one by one. Mysterious : As i said before, no one really know much about her. Omnipotent : I mean.....in the story, she can kill/delete all the characters anytime she wants. And in my opinion, that's kinda overpowered. Nice : In one chapter, she is giving Natsuki a protein bar for free, so its kinda nice, i guess? Intimidating : Okay, try to look at this picture for 15 seconds, and i bet you'll feel intimidated. Kind : She is teaching us (the main character) how to make a poem, and its nice. And Awesome : There's nothing to say here, she is the best! Period!

Wow, that was a long one. Anyway, lets move on to the next one (from listening text), which is Uchiha Obito from Naruto Shippuden

(Source : https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/naruto-shinobi-collection-jp/images/6/66/S-0474.png/revision/latest?cb=20170325212849)

 Now, if you never watch Naruto, then i don't know what's wrong with your childhood. What do you mean? Dragonball is way better than Na- Shush! Anyway, let's get back to the topic. Naruto was written by Masashi Kishimoto. And it's one of my favorite anime ever. You can watch the english dub here. Now, lets talk about Obito for abit. One word to express his character is.....beautiful. And i'm not saying his face is beautiful. Because if you can't tell already, his face is half crushed. There are a lot of beautiful things about him, such as his personality, his backstory, his characteristic, his charisma. Its just....well written. Its beautiful how he changed, from that one kid who always helping everyone in the village, into this international villain who wants to destroy the world because he lost one person that means everything to him. Just perfect. But its a shame that he's just a puppet for Madara to complete his objective. Anyway, let's make a poem about him.

Overpowered

Beautiful

Interesting

Talented

Odious

Now, if you want the explaination about my poem, just watch this video, it'll explain everything. For me, Obito is one of the most well-written caharcters in the naruto franchise. I just hope that he had a different ending. His story is telling people that anyone can change, its just need a trigger. When you lost the most important thing to you, the world will feel different. Then, you'll have to decide. Do you want to stay the same, or do you want to change yourself....hoping you can change the outcome, for you, and for everyone else. And that's the life lessons, folks. Wow....i never thought about that. That was awesome! I know. That's why Naruto is one of my favorite story/anime of all time.

 Anyway, that's it for today. If you're still reading up to this point, thank you so much. Now if you excuse me, i'm going to my bedroom, to sleep......i'm tired. Thank you for reading, and i'll see you in my next post. But most importantly, don't forget to drink water. Bye :)