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At this very moment (yes, literally, at this very moment) I am taking my first ever French exam. The test is supposed to help the University of Ottawa place students in the right French language class i.e one which matches their skills and proficiency in the language. And all I can say about the exam at this point is this:
XD!!!
HAHAHAHA this is HILARIOUS. Imagine trying to do an exam in a language which you literally can’t understand (this actually reminds me of how I used to view Add Maths exams in Form 4? =p), complete with speech boxes and audio tests hahahahahahah.
And yes, in case you didn’t get the message – I am planning to take French as a Second Language…oh sorry, pardon me, I meant langue seconde (=p) – while I’m here
. I wanted to take it ever since first year but I couldn’t fit it into my schedule. But second year is sufficiently open enough to allow me to fit in a language class.
So, back to the test. This is how it looks like:
And yes I have been hentaming answers to virtually every single question hahahahaha!! Like, do I look like I know what is “Les repas chauds à l’Équinoxe“? XD But mind you, I am very convinced that I my tendency to read + memorize French signboards/notices while I’m walking has actually helped me steal one or two answers to this exam LOL!!! For example, that fee thingumajingy in Question 6? I am convinced that the answer is Vrai (true) cause I heard the phrase for “ten dollars” in the related sound file =p
Of course, it may be an entirely random mistake, or the exam is designed to screw you over – like, they could have said “the fee is not ten dollars” or something eh? @.@ + XD
Oh what the hell. I am about to submit my work (or random guesses XD) now, and I’ll be back in a bit to tell you how I did (or didn’t do) okie? HAHAHAHAHA this should be interesting.
*prepares to press the Submit button*
Oh and for the record, I actually have a knack for passing exams in languages I don’t understand? I scored a 40% on a Jawi exam once in primary school…and all that I somewhat knew about the language was the alphabet lol =p
OKAY, HERE WE GO!!!! XD XD
*presses submit* XD
*****EDIT: I HAVE SUBMITTED THE EXAM*****
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA WHAT THE KUCINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!! XD XD XD XD
I got an F3 WTHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH XD + @.@
A F3 – are you kidding me?!?!?! @.@ As you can see on the scale, F3 places me in FLS 1512, which isn’t even close to the bottom of the language hierarchy ladder (F1 is lowest) – it’s actually closer to a second year course? XD?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH WTH WTK WTH WTK XD XD
This, btw, is the course description for FLS 1512:
Development of listening and reading comprehension skills; identification of main and supporting ideas. Development of oral production skills; practice of simple conversations. Development of basic level writing skills. Review of basic grammatical concepts. Independent study.
HAHAHA, not only are they going to help me develop my skills (develop = build upon something already there? XD?), I also get to do a REVIEW of basic grammatical concepts ke? That’s funny, as seeing I don’t even know what kind of grammatical concepts there are hahahahahahahaha!!!
Kah kah kah kah. Kelakar betol ar!! Okay FLS 1512, see you this Fall!!!
*grins*
XD
The following excerpt was posted on the English Debating Society (EDS) of the University of Ottawa’s CUSIDnet forum recently. Created by Alejandro Salas – the society’s Secretary – it’s an entirely random proposal which actually motions for the creation of EDS war medals (XD) to “honor our valiant warriors” and “grow ourselves more guts”.
Some references in the forum post actually made me miss the EDS loads, and wish that the day in September for our next meeting wasn’t so far away. Sigh lol =(
But anyway, here is the post, in all it’s random glory:
Enjoy XD
I think we need to create medals for the EDS, since medals make people fight hard for things.
Proposal:
EDS Medal of Freedom: given to debaters who uses “for liberty and justice” at least once in the debate, and claims to be defending democracy at least 5 times in their rebuttal or closing case speech.
EDS Knight’s Cross: given to debaters who references the Nazis at least 3 times during a debate.
EDS Gold Star: given to debaters who wins a tournament round with a style case.
EDS Bronze Star: given to the debaters who win a case in a tournament they made up on the way to the tournament.
EDS Ribbon of Merit: given to debaters who win a round against dinos arguing a case on a subject they majored or minored in.
EDS Bleeding Heart: given to a debater who loses 3 consecutive tournament debates or faces a former world champion in their first round (and loses).
EDS Medal of the Sacred Beaver: given to the debater who illustrates one of their points with a dance or jig during a tournament round.
EDS Medal of Glory: given to a debater who mentions the EDS at least 3 times during their debate.
EDS Medal of the Order of John: given to a debater who references the undead at least 3 times during a round.
EDS Medal of the Order of Sasha: given to a debater who references Alberta farm subsidies and/or cows in a debate not primarily focused on Alberta farm subsidies or cows.
EDS Medal of the Order of Amy: given to a debater who references Star Trek at least 3 times in a debate not primarily related to Star Trek that is also not a style round.
EDS Medal of the Order of Pam: given to a debater who corrects an opponent on the proper wording of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms during a debate.
EDS Medal of the Order of Alex: given to a debater who references the following at least once in a debate:
-CEGEP
-Big schools
-CUSIDnet
-Battlestar GalacticaEDS Medal of the Order of Irving: given to a debater who ends at least 3 sentences with “lah” and references Asian style debating during a round of debate.
EDS Medal of the Order of Oscar: given to a debater who exhibits mathematical skill during a round far superior to their peers.
EDS Medal of the Order of Jean-Michel: given to a debater who defeats a politics/public admin/international studies student in a IR debate during a tournament.
EDS Medal of the Order of Val: given to a debater who so intimidates the other team that they stand on no points of information during that speech.
EDS Medal of the Order of Kishek: given to a debater who outs an opponent as a sexist fool, and shames them into apologizing.
EDS Medal of the Order of Alejandro: given to a debater who wins a round with at least 50% of their prep notes consisting of drawings and arrows connecting shapes and illegible characters.
I miss these crazy people lol.
So what if we aren’t world beaters (yet)?
=)
Did anyone ever tell you how awesome screaming along to Metallica is when you’re feeling stressed?
I recommend the S&M version of Master of Puppets, turned up to high volume.
Like,
“OBEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YOUR MASTERRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!“
Damn that felt good. Next up on the cd is Of Wolf and Man.
“SHAPESHIIIIFFFFFFFFTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
@.@
And let you guys and myself know that I’m alive and still sane. I realize it’s been ages since I last blogged here, and that readership has been on a steady decline as a result. Oh well.
So how have you guys been eh?
A distinct feature of this post will be a running commentary of my iTunes status, which is on random; just for the heck of it, we’ll see what songs come up ok? =D Current song: Purify, Metallica.
So spring is now officially over. Fall and Winter course registration just happened a few days ago, and I must say I was very excited by the prospect of finally being able to put my name and student number down for all those “this-is-Geology-and-not-general-Sciences” courses. At the point of writing, I have registered for four courses to go with in the Fall semester, and five for the Winter. I was thinking of picking up an elective for the Fall semester to tie up the number of courses in each semester to five each, but recently I have started to think that I may want to ease myself off the throttle a bit, as seeing I have already essentially taken that elective this summer – by way of ADM 1100.
Current song: Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine, The White Stripes.
So this is how my second year of university (gosh, second year already?!?!) looks like:
FALL/08:
GEO 2163: Introduction To MineralogyGEO 2165: Stratigraphy and Sedimentation GEO 2334: Quaternary Geology and Climate Change
GEO 3342 Introduction To Hydrogeology
WINTER/09:
CHM 2330: Physical Chemistry – Introduction To The Molecular Properties of MatterGEO 2020: Field Studies 1
GEO 2113: Paleontology
GEO 2164: Analytical Methods In Mineralogy
GEO 2321: Structural Geology and Tectonics
Okay, now you’re gonna hear me ranting for a bit: firstly, notice that one of my courses in the Fall semester has a “3XXX” numerical prefix to it? That means it’s a third year program, which I will be taking in my second year - yes, you guessed right – without the necessary prerequisites, and basically jumping into the deep end of the pool academically.
Current song: Light In Darkness, Mitsuo Suzuki.
The reason as to why that is the case is because this dearest darling university of mine i.e the University of Ottawa actually only offers some of its Geology courses in alternate years, and that also with a rotation of languages; that is to say, if GEO 3342 is in English this year, then it will only be offered in French next time around.
And as you all know I am ridiculously fluent in French. ROFL.
So because Hydrogeology will be in French when I am in my third year here in Fall 2009, I have to take it early. The reverse, taking it late i.e in fourth year is definitely out of the question as the subject is a prerequisite for GEO 4010, which is my thesis project…the one about northwestern phyllite outcrops, remember?
So yeah, there we are. And heck, I’m not done yet; Rant #2 comes in the form of CHM 2330 – I had initially wanted to take CHM 2353, which is Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry (and apparently more relevant to Geology, or so I hear). Also, just so you know, we Geology majors are given a choice between the two in the process of completing our program, but it is compulsory to take either of the two at least.
However, there is only one slot for CHM 2353 this Fall, and it clashes with GEO 2165, which is a compulsory subject. Ergo, a Geology major has to select the only other way out to complete his or her degree – that of taking CHM 2330.
Some choice =.=”
Current song: From A Mountain In The Middle of the Cabins, Panic! At The Disco
I could go on, but I think it would be better if I yakked about how much I am looking forward to taking all these courses next term =) Really, even if you lookit the names, to me they sound ridiculously interesting. Personally, I find Climate Change something interesting as it is operative on so many levels – think cosmic ray clouds, sunspots and albedos and what not; then there’s Stratigraphy, which would be an integral aspect of rocks which I found most interesting in first year – those of the sedimentary type. Also, don’t forget Paleontology – who wouldn’t want to shake hands with the Stegosaur and tickle the Ankylosaurus’ underbelly?!?! =D
It looks to be a very interesting second year!
In the meantime, I am stuck with Statistics and Business. Bleargh, honestly, I never thought I would find Business so…so…Business-like? (ROFL) Like, I can see why its a blessing in disguise that RMC hardly offered any Social Sciences classes for me. What irritates me the most is that the degree of arbitrary memorization seems ridiculously absolute, like, go hafal every damn phrase in the textbook Irving =.=” And that would be fine, if the textbook wasn’t such a joke!!! I wish I could show it to you guys man, like, it is ridiculously disorganized – the pages are lopsided, Chapter 3 ends in Chapter 7 (seriously!), and you will randomly find the decapitated body of Chapter 5 in the midst of the oft-forgotten other half of Chapter 3…it’s an ungodly mess. And interestingly, I also miss the wonder of discovery that Science creates, or the brilliance of literary creation. Trade you that for random memorization of the definition of a partnership any day lol.
Stats on the other hand, is Stats. Our prof told us that in the process of trying to bring Statistical analysis like Poisson and hypergeometric functions to new levels, some mathematicians actually went insane wth. Well, I think that they were already insane to begin with =.=”
~lalalalala~
Chapter 5 of Stats is just a pain in the nuts. Like, I don’t bloody get it, and what irks me more that in the “Exercises” section, the book sets you the most inane problems ever, with up to four variables and tiers of integration; but in the contoh2 that they do, they show how to do the blardee easiest ones =.=” Like, blardee damn easy – you know, cheap shit with two variables and obvious parameters – the ones you could do with one hand behind your back and with blindfolds on wth.
I think that trying to learn it myself all over again is just a waste of time. I’m gonna have to see Prof Khanchi again this Tuesday. Really, I think he’s almost gotten around to memorizing my name XD
Current song: Butterfly, Jason Mraz
Okay, what other random stuff can I throw at you?
Imma playing StarCraft: Retribution at the moment; it’s an unofficial expansion pack for the original StarCraft and I have to say its probably better than Insurrection (another one of them unofficial expansions). Am currently on Mission 3 of the final campaign which, last I tried, didn’t go too well as my second outpost was gutted by the AI just before I remembered my food was about to be burnt (=p). And I also hate playing as the Zerg (the faction of the final campaign) – they are by far my weakest side in StarCraft wawawa.
I also spent CAD 80.00 on groceries today @.@ WTH kan? I also don’t know what I bought that caused it to escalate so much. Hohum. What I DO remember was that lugging back 8kg of rice, one bottle of cooking oil, three chickens, a jumbo pack of nuggets, a broom, Chewy snacks, and cookingware back to Brooks from LoBlaws in downtown is an experience I would advise you all to stay away from. The super strenuous weights caused me to hurt my left knee again, which has been acting up lately >.< I think its the cold, and my tendency to over jog sometimes that has made it a bit worn out.
Current song: Dani California, Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
Apa lagi ek. Oh oh I can’t wait for the first of July!!! =D I think it’ll be an awesome day over here (kalo tak faham why, gi Google =p) I have massive plans for the day, and hopefully I can drag a few buddies along =D I also have to go to the Royal Bank of Canada tomorrow. To pay my first phone bill lol.
But in the meantime, *turns on StarCraft*
Cheers people!
PS-Most probably a picture post next!!! =D?
Current song: Lucky, Jason Mraz.
Do you hear me? I’m talking to you.
EURO 2008 Austria-Switzerland Match of the Tournament (so far):
GROUP A -
TURKEY VS CZECH REPUBLIC
FINAL SCORE:
TURKEY 3 CZECH REPUBLIC 2
Brilliant game, just bloody brilliant. You’ve got to admire the way the Turks fought back from being two goals down to snatch the win by hammering in two of their own – in the last three minutes. They tore away like men possessed at the Czech defence, just ripping at what was possibly the tightest back four in the whole of the tournament; and not to mention that the Czechs also have the best keeper in the world by way of Petr Cech.
So the Turks get a quarterfinal place, and the mighty Czech Republic is out.
Seriously, that was awesome stuff.
(photos from http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/)
Hey there people!
So today I went for a walk around Parliament Hill; the main reason I went was to obtain material for this post, which I have chosen to call A Mari Usque Ad Mare; or “From Sea To Sea” if translated from Latin to English. Canadian geography is the theme of the day, as I seek to share with you all the sense of attachment which I feel with the country which has been my home for the past 10 months =)
Ottawa in the spring is gorgeous, especially on a beautiful day. The flowers are already in full bloom, and there is a friendly, tangible bustle in the air. Above, the blue fields of sky roll over the northland, then swell apart and slowly disappear beneath the green plains of the republic. But the thing that actually caught my eye was in fact the synthetic decorations around town – the adornments that characterize the essence of the country and remind us all what a beautiful land this is, especially to the wide eyed wanderer like me.
I am referring to the provincial and territorial banners around town. The country of Canada is made out of ten provinces and three territories, and the National Capital Commission has recently designed a commemorative banner for each and every region; every banner is unique to its designated location and displays the characteristics which that particular area is famous for.
The provinces and territories of Canada.
I hope you enjoy viewing this post as much as I have enjoyed making it =)
We begin with the place where the heart is – home:
Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet – Ontario.
The province is home to the seat of governance of the country (Ottawa), the largest city in the nation (Toronto), and is also famous for its close proximity to the five Great Lakes: Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, and Lake Erie.
Gloriosus et Libaer – Manitoba.
Home to Winnipeg and the first of the three Prairie Provinces, Manitoba was the first province created from the Canadian territories, and is also the only Canadian Province that has an Arctic deep water sea port.
Multis e Gentibus Vires – Saskatchewan.
Think rolling fields, think great expanses of land, think the second Prairie Province of Saskatchewan. Host to the cities of Regina and Saskatoon, the province gets its name from the Saskatchewan River, whose Cree designation means “swift flowing river”.
Fortis et liber – Alberta.
The oilfield of Canada, Alberta was created from what was formerly land belonging to the Northwest Territories. It is home to the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames hockey teams, who derive their names from the biggest cities of the province.
Splendor sine occasu – British Columbia.
For you folks who know what Vancouver is but have no idea where exactly it is located, know that British Columbia is the province you are looking for. Famed for its natural beauty, the sun motif is a common fixture in BC-based institutions.
Je me souviens – Quebec.
A nation within Canada, Quebec is where the French heart of the country lives and grows free. Championed by metropolitan cities like Montreal and Quebec City, the province plays host to an F1 Grand Prix in the summer every year; pictured above, the fleur-de-lis is an evergreen motif of the province.
Quaerite prime regnum Dei – Newfoundland and Labrador.
The tenth and latest province to join the Canadian Confederation, this province has only been known by its current name of Newfoundland and Labrador since 1964. The “Labrador” component of its name comes from the Portuguese lavrador, meaning “landholder”; its capital is the city of St. John.
Munit Hae et Altera Vincit – Nova Scotia.
Canada’s ocean playground, Nova Scotia is the most populous Maritime Province in Canada and also home to Halifax. The osprey (or seahawk) is the emblematic bird for this province which faces the Atlantic Ocean; Nova Scotia is also the second smallest province in the entire country.
Spem reduxit – New Brunswick.
The province’s rather pomp name comes from the English translation for the city of Braunschweig in north Germany. In extension, New Brunswick is also the only constitutionally bilingual province in the entire federation; it also sports the distinctive characteristic of being home to a relatively significant Francophone minority.
Parva sub ingenti – Prince Edward Island.
Known colloquially as P.E.I. to locals, and referred to as Île-du-Prince-Édouard in French, the province of Prince Edwards Island is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population, if one does not factor in the territories. It has two other historically significant names: “Garden of the Gulf” and “Birthplace of the Federation”, both of which the author is yet to learn the history of.
Now we move on to the Territories:
The New North – Northwest Territories.
Home to the immense Mackenzie River (I remember being told that it is the second largest groundwater body in North America, and also the biggest in Canada during my Earth Systems course), the Northwest Territories was created in June 1870 upon the transfer of Rupert’s Land and North-Western Territory to the government of Canada from the Hudson Bay’s Company. Its capital is Yellowknife.
Yukon.
Birthplace of a third of the Moffatts (seriously, no joke!!), Yukon can also be known as “Yukon Territory”. Its capital is the city of Whitehorse, and Mount Logan within its depths is the highest point in the entire country.
Nunavut Sannginivut – Nunavut.
Currently the largest and newest Territory of Canada, Nunavut was created as part of the 1999 Nunavut Act, in where the region was divided away from what used to be the Northwest Territories. Its inhabitants are called Nunavummiut, and the interesting writing observed on the banner is the written form of Inuktitut syllables; Iqaluit chairs this northernmost region.
Case Summary.
You might also be interested to know that the province of Quebec is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year. Pictured above is the governmental commemorative banner celebrating this historical event. There are two versions; below is the second form of the banner:
If you ever get the chance, I would highly recommend that you go over to Montreal or Quebec City to watch this commemorative event. From what I’ve heard, its going to be truly spectacular and should not be missed. I would go, but summer courses are in the way it seems =’(
Right, hope this post was fun to read – I really enjoyed making it, and it will be something that I will go back to in the future to remind me how much fun I’m having here =) I leave you with a spring picture of the body of administration that rules all 13 subsections of the country – the seat of the federal government.
Parliament.
Cheers to you all! =D
Very misleading title, I know.
Right people, we (or I) have waited long enough; here we go:
“THE BLACK MAGES III ~ DARKNESS AND STARLIGHT ~” ALBUM REVIEW:
Alright, after days of deciding, this is how this review is going to go down – I am going to split the recap into ten parts (namely, the songs themselves) and go through them one-by-one in order to attempt to do the album proper justice. Of special mention is the title track – Darkness And Starlight – which will also have its own review section split down into a further four parts; the reason for this will become apparent later on.
All of these songs will then be scored out of ten, and the total score from that will be converted into percentage, like the other reviews I have done on this page. So that’s consistency taken care of.
Now we begin:
Album: The Black Mages III ~ Darkness And Starlight ~Artist: The Black Mages
Release Date: 19th March 2008
Number of Tracks: 10
1.) Opening – Bombing Mission (FF VII)
The first single off The Black Mages’ third effort is also the opening track of the compendium, which is very fitting to say the least. The first minute of the song begins with the all-too familiar string pull of “Opening” from FF VII. You realize that this time things are a bit different however – one can make out fader bass drums thudding in the background, and the audio quality is clean and crisp; totally unsynth-like. By 1.22, where the percussionary strikes begin, we are truly in the third The Black Mages album.
The solidity of this track is clear from the beginning of the “Bombing Mission” section. Watch out for Hanyuda’s drum march snare bed, and the way the guitars fuse into this amorphous beast, creating an eclectic atmosphere of action and dread. As the guitars warble powerfully over the strong midsection of the song, you note another avenue of difference in The Black Mages’ play – the organs have been toned down @.@ Previously almost jarring and a true source of music distortion, the instrument has been shifted to a support role, only providing crashing support when absolutely apt.
Nice =D
Among the many things that caught my attention, the keyboard peak press was right at the forefront. Popularized by the World Festival Symphony Orchestra, this trumpeting section truly sounds awesome here, what with the bass throbbing and the guitars fusillading in the background. The ending was somewhat of a surprise though; I remember that on my first listen I was a tad bemused by how the Mages decided to end the song, deciding to rely on synth warbles and random guitar riffs which lead to a full drop of the tune at 4.37. I would not say that it is weak, but my humble ears believe that of all the many ways in which this tune could have been ended, this was definitely not one of the strongest.
But still, a great opening track (9.5/10).
2.) Neo EXDEATH (FF V)
Final Boss Battle Theme from FF V. The Mages open their remake of this audio menace (and visual too-you’d understand if you’ve ever seen images of Neo EXDEATH on the GBA or SNES lol) with aggressive guitar riffs to play up the introductory sequence of the original sound version. Having been one of the tracks of the album “leaked” to the general public in the run-up to the third album’s release, I had high expectations of Neo EXDEATH as from what little of the main section I had heard, it was ridiculously catchy and never failed to get my head bobbing with its fantastic tune jumps.
This main section is undoubtedly the crowning glory of the track, as it is a stark remake of the original synth jumps but using the electric guitar. The coherent piece is further solidified with steady drum accompaniment and very well placed keyboard interludes, including one that Fukui cleverly uses to lead you out into a twin play of rhythm and lead guitar.
However, frankly, that’s all that this track really has to offer. The band’s solo jam, driven forward by Okamiya is reasonably interesting – and harsh enough to project the sensation of a furious pixelated battle – but other than that it fails to match the strong reinterpretation of the original’s main section.
Nevertheless, I thought it was good enough (8.5/10).
And not-so-randomly, you might want to know that this song has also been made into the band’s first music video? (@.@) You can take a look at it here.
3.) The Extreme (FF VIII)
Finally, another of the three tiers of Final Fantasy VIII’s epic final boss battle is reinterpreted. Having rockified Maybe I’m A Lion in their sophomore effort, TBM now moves to the third theme of the battle against Sorcerer Ultimecia, which is The Extreme. And they did a BRILLIANT job.
The intro is easily one of the best the band has ever done – the track opens with a piano montage, which works up the familiar “tinkles” one hears upon encountering Ultimecia in the brackets of warped space time. However, upon careful listen, you discern that it’s not ‘just’ a piano playing – there is also an acoustic guitar strumming along, adding into the resonance created by the synthetic bell tolls -
VERY NICE =D
This continues for a bit, before then the melody slowly starts to die out at around 1.10. Then, there is a short, infinitesimal moment of silence…
But with a roar the Mages pick the tune back up – LISTEN to the bass throbbing away here, simply absobloodylutely BRILLIANT rearrangement at work!! The drum kit enters, and Hanyuda just makes you want to thrash away with him on the snare drums and bass clicks. Sekito and Okamiya also push themselves ridiculously well here – check out their warped interpretation of the synth whistles; they actually make their guitars whine to reinterpret the grossly sick tune of the original. Not a moment too late, the piano dances back in with the opening montage so the guitarists can take you for another spin. This is sooooo sick!!
And the jam session – OHMIGOD @@@.@@@ The entire band hits the throttle in the final 45 seconds, playing at speeds we have never seen them reach before – Hanyuda simply SLAMS away at the drumset in front of him, creating a frantic tune that never fails to start me air-drumming. The guitarists outdo themselves too, whining in and out of the bass play, creating a wall of sound that you definitely want to come back to, again and again.
Brilliant stuff – easily one of the best songs TBM has made. How “best”? It tops Force Your Way in my opinion, no joke (10/10).
4.) Assault of the Silver Dragons (FF IX)
This track tells you it means business right from the start. From the word “GO”, the guitars pick up a heavy prog metal riff that drives away at you. Extremely catchy, and an almost unrecognizable (but enjoyable) distortion of the original is at work here. This song is apparently Arata Hanyuda’s first ever arrangement, and hats off to him – we have found ourselves another gem in the collection.
The track is a bit heavy on synth and keyboard play in the opening bits, relying on Fukui to get much of the rhythms going as the guitars struggle to make an appearance. However, all that changes at around 1.25, where the electric strings go into a super build and the Mages set off into their jam session at an unusually early point in the track. The jam is a medley of the guitar build and almost random guitar riffing – the thing that you do want to watch out for in this bit is Fukui’s keyboard play, which simply THROBS away at your eardrums. If there is one song on this album that you should listen to on earphones, this is the one.
There is a somewhat Force Your Way-esque ending to the whole affair, as the guitars take it upon themselves to repeat the opening bits played by the keyboards. The chords seem rather hard to hit, and you can just about catch the “straining” feel of the instruments as they visibly struggle to imitate the tonal dancing of the original; however I find this section well played, no pun intended (8.5/10).
5.) KURAYAMINOKUMO (FF III)
Kurayaminokumo, or also known as This Is The Final Battle comes in here as the fifth track on the album. If there is one complaint I would like to make about the album at this point in the review, it would be about this song. Not that the track is bad, mind you – it’s easily one of the Mages’ better compositions – but rather of the fact that this song is even included here; it is not new. Kurayaminokumo had previously appeared on the soundtrack of the remake of Final Fantasy III for the Nintendo DS, and I want to publicly shame The Black Mages for even thinking of putting this song here. I find its inclusion cheap, and a very bad way to cheat fans who have waited years for their next release. Shame on you guys.
As a mark of my protest, I have only listened to this song once since I found out that it was to be included in TBM 3 – and even that was during my customary initial walkthrough of all the songs on the album upon first getting it.
Again, shame on you guys. It would almost have been better if you left it out altogether – at least it would have shown that you people aren’t cheap. Even if you HAD to include it somehow, stick it at the end of the album and market it as a bonus track la – instead of placing it in the middle and obviously hoping that it will count as a new piece =.=
The song as a unit gets a 8.75/10, but I’m not even counting it in this review. The album has only nine songs, as far as I’m concerned.
6.) Distant Worlds (FF XI)
The sixth track marks a first of sorts – it’s the only time so far that the Mages have forayed into the musical realm of FF XI. The cover in question, that of the ballad Distant Worlds, would also be the only ’slow’ song that TBM has done, aside from the excellent Matoya’s Cave that characterized the band’s sophomore release. Therefore, being one of only two ballads from the band, comparisons between these two tracks are inevitable.
Reportedly keyboardist Kenichiro Fukui’s favourite song on the album, Distant Worlds starts off pretty slowly, choosing to attempt to build an aura of speculation with respect to its rhythm. It actually takes a full minute before anything really happens, and even when it does, the music is sultry and simple. A piano rhythm carries the main tune for the next 90 seconds, occasionally dropping keys every now and then to keep one intrigued. The incredibly relaxing atmosphere is accentuated even more by the entrance of the acoustic guitar, a harmony whistle, and soft bass drums at around 3.10; the build is gentle, but not too subtle – a nice balance.
And just as you think that this track is going to harmony and caress you to the end of this seven and a half minute piece, The Black Mages pull off a surprise at with what appears to be a slight tune hold at 5.27 -
Then the electric guitar screams in, trumpeting away the aura of dissonance with a sad, mournful melody that gradually climbs into a dipping solo. The solo carries you up and over the bass line right to the end of the main rhythm.
Against Matoya’s Cave, I think I would settle for the former – just barely, as Distant Worlds is excellent in some areas which Matoya’s Cave was not; think sound quality and subtle power play (8.0/10).
7.) Premonition (FF VIII)
Earlier in the review we dealt with the marvelous The Extreme, which was a remake of the third tier of the battle with Ultimecia – Maybe I’m A Lion of The Skies Above being the second. The first level however, is this one: in the game, this tune starts up when you encounter Ultimecia at her lowest skill grade in her castle, and it is one that has stayed fresh in my mind over the years.
(mainly cause it took me dozens of tries to defeat Ultimecia lol =.=” + XD)
The tune starts with the reminiscent menace of Ultimecia’s Castle theme – with warbling guitar cuts included, a very nice touch. Sekito’s rearrangement then proceeds to use the electric guitar to slowly carry the listener into the main body of music, announcing the arrival with a steep climb and firm, drop-down drum blows. However, that’s about it, unfortunately, as the tune really goes nowhere after that, try as Sekito might. The subsequent tonal shifts and cracks all seem to be elementary, as the song almost struggles to be rid of itself. The entrance of the keyboard solo at the end of the second minute only seems to complicate matters, and its virtually a relief when the song arrives back at the original tune.
The ending comes across as somewhat uninspired. However, interestingly enough, this song does have that certain factor that makes you not want to write it off, for some reason? Possibly it’s the gentle electric synth digitizations at the end, or maybe even the coherence of the unit as a whole. Either way, call me biased, but it’s somehow not that bad as my adjectives have possibly made it sound (7.0/10).
8.) Grand Cross (FF IX)
This one starts with an almost similar introduction to the original – the ghostly wails and pontianak mengilai sounds are back in full capacity, as first-time arranger Keiji Kawamori didn’t see it fit to do away with them. Like many of the songs on this album, it takes a full minute and then some to build (1.21 for this one) and then the drums finally start coming in with distorted electric guitar support. Synth and keyboard are a heavy factor in this one, serving to lead the electric guitar through much of the main rhythm; even the bass takes a lead role as opposed to the standard guitars.
You actually get the impression that the guitars are being overpowered somehow, and the guitars themselves seem to reassert this by only getting their first significant portion of the song at 3.10, with the thrusting “jeng-jengs” (very articulate, I know) that carried much of the main tune. A clever move by the Mages here was to bring back the organ (which has featured in only very small roles so far throughout) for the band jam session. Uematsu’s grim play sets the tone for this Necron showdown well enough, and the electric guitars then return to finish the job aptly enough.
Despite all this, I found this track the obvious weak link in the lot. And if you examine the album arrangement carefully, note that the weak(er) songs apparently seem to be clustered around track number 9 for some reason?
And I think this further proves my case (6.5/10).
9.) Darkness And Starlight (FF VI)
Track #9. The one I had been waiting to listen to the most prior to release. Marketed as a remake of the very famous Aria Di Mezzo Carrater (Aria Of Half Character) from Final Fantasy VI, this track was proclaimed by the band to be their “masterpiece’ prior to its release, and I was more than eager to see if they could set store by their words.
Aria Di Mezzo Carrater was originally a tale about a woman fought over by two of her lovers. It is a tantalizingly simple tale of female naivete and the desire of the alpha male to best the rest of them. The story begins with one of the men, Draco, lamenting his love for the world’s epitome of beauty, aptly named Maria -
Part 1: “Oh, Maria…”
The song is divided into four parts, each of them (save for one) arranged by a different member of the band and based on the acclaimed version conducted by Arnie Roth and the World Festival Symphony Orchestra. Part one begins with the very familiar trumpeting of octaves – but with the electric guitar. If you’re a fan of the original, these few notes will catch your attention instantaneously. The guitar then is led by some simple organ play into the main introductory session, where the main body of this rock opera waits; there, the bassline simply catches the flow of play and lifts us past the narrative into the main vantage point, where Draco waits.
Draco, played by a member of the original Tokyo Philharmonic, is excellent here, working extremely well alongside the drums and whining guitars to deliver his famous lines. One can sense the emotion building up in this rock opera performance, even as he leaves to allow the music to take control once again.
I never knew metal could match orchestra like this – Sekito and Okamiya simply take the strings on, rocking solidly amidst Uematsu’s organ play to carry the section into completion. Slowly but steadily, the trio wrap up the introductory montage and set the stage for the next event in the proceedings.
Part 2: “I’m the darkness, you’re the starlight…”
With gentle piano keys, The Black Mages open the second section alongside Maria. The Japanese archetype of exoticism serenades her hero and beloved evening star; the hints are subtle, but you get the impression that she had already made her choice of man between Draco and Ralse. Check out the slow piano play by Fukui here, and the way the rest of the band enters upon cue by Hanyuda’s percussionary strokes.
The rhythm slowly builds as even Uematsu enters, the opera singer for Maria hitting the high notes effortlessly – a truly awesome spectacle. This steady musical spectacle is helped even more by the entry of the dual guitars, singing sorrowfully along to Maria’s tune.
Maria, Maria, I love you so…
Maria, Maria, I love you so-
First Okamiya, then Sekito. Then back to Okamiya again. It’s very very nice at this point, just leaning back and listening to the story unfold. Then the drums roll about and come to a gentle halt -
Part 3: “Then we duel…”
But with a whirr the mood changes, rocking back out of the melancholy into a cheerful serenade of blissful love as the courtship begins to enfold. Then the Mages catch you off guard again – the organ calls a halt to proceedings and the mood takes on a grimer, harsher feel. Hanyuda gives you the key staccato, and the conflict is known to be nigh. Draco and Maria are forced to part -
Ralse enters. He tenors in protest against this shameful spectacle of love, effectively setting the stage for a prime showdown between Draco and himself. The selection of the opera man for Ralse is an excellent choice: with his shorter fetch and harsher tune, he makes the perfect foil for Draco. Then the famous invitation is uttered: “Then, we duel!”
I had been waiting for this part all along – the climatic audio duel between the two antagonists, which apparently, would feature The Black Mages themselves singing. The song warps out of control here, and the Mages bring the rock back in. Sekito riffs furiously into the jam session and the rest of the band stands at the ready, all playing at full distortion power.
Draco opens the first shot, taunting Ralse. The latter responds with a vocal weapon of his own. A trade of audio operatic battles ensues, spectacularly building up the atmosphere; I enjoyed the background throughly at this point as well, as it is none other than The Black Mages themselves, acting as a singing choir to the whole affair. Then the guitars rock back in, with aggressive prog metal riffs that tear up the fight and bring about pure chaos as Ralse and Draco square off again with a scintillating vocal push in unison.
Okamiya takes the guitar solo. Excellent play, but then again, in such an atmosphere, almost anything sounds good.
Then, silence. The battle is over. Someone has won.
Part 4: “Our love come what may, will never age a day!!!”
Ralse is defeated. He lets you share his anguish as he tells Draco that the day is his to claim; the latter answers with a truly noble salute to his fallen foe -
Peace then, for you have my word, with me she’ll know nothing of thee!
The blissful damsel Maria re-enters the fray, joining her choice of man at the helm as the Mages’ piano play truly capture the moment. The rest of the band slowly enter as well, with Okamiya and Sekito doing a marvelous job at a mournful hymn, both joyous and respectful at the same time. Unabated, our two lovers of Draco and Maria are finally united in their bliss, finally allowed to exchange their vows in peace.
Behind them, our band salutes this ideal of unison with a trumpeting note of finality, bested only by the singers themselves.
The whole affair clocks in at 15 minutes and 31 seconds…and I enjoyed every damn bit of it. By far and away, the BEST song that The Black Mages have ever produced – truly a masterpiece, truly a song worth being proud of for its seamless marriage of humanity, rock, and Final Fantasy.
(11.0/10).
And even that is unfair, seriously =)
10.) Life~IN MEMORY OF KEITEN~
After that monstrous performance on Track #9, The Black Mages power down for the final song on the album. It’s terribly short, only 1 minute 42 seconds long, and it has the distinction of not coming from any Final Fantasy soundtrack. This one, Life~IN MEMORY OF KEITEN~, is a small addition to the album, and is here as a tribute to a personal friend of the band who died earlier in the year.
The song, a piano instrumental, is simple and touching. And is also perhaps exactly what we need after all that progressive metal excitement.
It gets a 8.0/10, with 1.5 added for the sweet nature of the song (9.5/10).
TOTAL: 9.5 + 8.5 + 10.0 + 8.5 + 8.0 + 7.0 + 6.5 + 11.0 + 9.5 = 78.0
78/9 = 8.67 = 87%
SUMMARY:
THE BLACK MAGES III ~ DARKNESS AND STARLIGHT ~ is by far the best album that the band has ever produced. It has no straight duds or ’stupids’ (like Battle, Scene 2 in their first album and The Skies Above in the second) and for that the band deserves a lot of credit. They did a good job in reinterpreting many of the classic Final Fantasy tunes, with most of them getting a much deserved makeover since their synth days of the SNES or the PS1. More credit should also be given to the band for effectively playing at their very best – all of them are now playing at speeds never before seen, and that is a testament to how epic TBM 3 really is.
This comes highly recommended, and is a surefire contender for my personal Album of the Year award.
Okay so here’s the dilemma: I want to do an interesting blog write-up for the Malaysian MidWest Games 2008 (an official sponsored-by-Malaysian-Students- Department North American event that pulls together Malaysian students of North America in the spirit of sportsmanship and togetherness) which was held at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) late last May. But unfortunately, I do not feel like writing foot-long posts nor do I feel like staying up late to complete such an unnecessary assignment.
(=p?)
*kemalasan menaip menular kembali* XD
So here’s the compromise: I’m gonna do a picture post, with sufficient words to keep this from becoming a third grade essay. Here we go =)
This is where we are headed to: Carbondale, IL, U.S.A.
*Travel Map versi Anem (jauh sket XD)
On the way to the United States of America via the Ambassador Bridge, which links Detroit (U.S.) and Windsor (Canada).
Shitstop Pitstop.
After a 24 hour drive, we are almost there.
(Oil goes at USD 4.50 per litre. And we complain when it’s USD 0.90 back home LOL).
Venue of the 2008 Malaysian Students MidWest Games, SIUC – home of the Salukis.
Opening ceremony.
Meet team United Canada: (from right) Anwar “Bro” Darwin, Shireen (both of Carleton University), Qayyum (uOttawa), Anem (McGill University), Braun, Shanan, and Irving (all of the final three from uOttawa).
Flying the Maple Leaf.
Opening Ceremony enchilada.
Silat makes its way to the United States. The mat sallehs stared in awe, trust me 
Said Salukis, still at the opening ceremony.
Seronok bermain dengan Si Salukis. Braun tidak setuju nampaknya.
24 Seasons Chinese Drum-set Performance.
With officers of the Canadian MSD.
Dinner in the States – at the only “halal” establishment in the nearby town (I insisted on it HAHAHAHA XD)
The Games Proper (Day 2 onwards):
Lihatlah betapa ramai orang Malaysia di sini. LOL.
United Canada + SIT + U of Texas at Austin in action.
Bro Anwar, about to pull off a fine penalty save in the soccer tournament.
As part of Team Dreamkillerz, United Canada managed to pick up a bronze medal as well through soccer =)
And yes I also competed, in the most generic of sports:
BADMINTON.
Mixed Doubles: United Canada VS Ohio State University.
Ohio State won, 21-19, 21-6. Not a bad performance for a scratch pair from Canada who rarely play badminton, much less played the damn sport together before lol =)
Also participated in Men’s Doubles; was an early casualty to Oklahoma State University: 21-6, 21-10 lol. Next year, next year. Ko silap ah kalo ko introduce squash as an event LOL XD
Towards the end…:
The closing ceremony included a fire show -
- Wayang Kulit -
The 24 Seasons Drum-kit again, and some completely inane performances I’d give almost anything to forget. Trust me – I have seen a LOT of bad live shows, but the one that night just upended the lot. It was a three-piece band. Nuff said lol.
Also, look who I met while I was in the States!!
RMC mates: 433310 OP (PRM) Nabil bin Nasaruddin, H Company and 388774 OP (PRM) Irving Tan Zhi Mian, G Company. The former is currently a scholar under Bank Negara at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
It was damn good to see him again after all these years =) What made it sweeter was the fact that we met overseas, and totally out of the blue.
S.O.U.L.S. FOREVER buddy! =D
But the prize meet:
With En Aznan Saad, PETRONAS Student Officer for North America @.@ + XD + @.@
The first thing he said to me after he shook my hand and asked how I was: “Irving, have you sent in your results to us yet?”
*gulps LOL XD*
To sum it all up, Irving you shall now describe the Malaysian MidWest Games of 2008 in three words:
1.) FUN.
2.) EXHILARATING.
3.) MALAYSIAN (in all the generic + stereotypical sense of the word…go figure – extra points to those who can guess what I mean by this LOL).
The MWG 2008 Contingent Champions was the delegation from Pennsylvania State University. In the meantime, United Canada managed to not be too shabby as well =)
FINAL MEDAL TALLY (UNITED CANADA-uOttawa, McGill ,Carleton University):
G S B
0 1 1
Medallists:
Silver – Shireen Basheer, Carleton University; 50M Track.
Bronze – Bro Anwar (Carleton), Braun (uOttawa), Shanan (uOttawa); Men’s Soccer.
And now -
RANDOM UPDATES:
1.) I now have a cellphone (Sony Ericsson W200a, first non-Nokia phone I have ever had). Please do get in touch with me if my number is of interest to you.
2.) It is getting very hot here in Ottawa LOL. Today temperatures were at 38 degrees Celcius…wow? @.@
3.) Did well in Statistics Midterm, thank God. Business midterm next Wednesday, will do my best, God willing it’ll be okay.
4.) I miss Malaysian food wuwuwuwuwu =( Will go grocery shopping tomorrow to alleviate my pain.
5.) Currently listening to: By The Time This Night Is Over, Kenny G feat. Peabo Bryson. I love this song from my childhood lol. I also think Metallica’s remake of the Misfits’ Die, Die, My Darling is brilliant.
6.) I am sleepy. Goodnight people =)
Love from me in Ottawa.
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