3. Mozarella

You do not recognize the bodies in the water. You do not recognize the bodies in the water. You do not recognize the bodies in the water. You do not recognize the bodies in the water. You do not recognize the bodies in the water. You do not recognize the bodies in the water.  ____ I’ve been listening to audio versions of the SCP files because it’s perfect for keeping me awake at 2:00 A.M. while I scribble away at the last bits of my homework. I know I'm compromising a good night’s sleep for a scare that will haunt me for a week, but the feeling is so addictive. For a bit of context, the S.C.P. (Special Containment Procedures) Files are part of a massive collaborative writing project of paranormal anomalies detailing hysteria-inducing phenomena. Although I’m not too deep into the fandom myself, I enjoy reading/listening to the terrifying monstrosities that the human mind is able to conjure. One of the most popular ones that you might’ve heard of is SCP-3008, the file about the infin...

     Would you rather lose the ability to make new memories or forget all your memories up until this point in your life? I came across the question during my daily doom scroll session of instagram reels and I was struck by the depth of the question. For 20 minutes I sat there weighing the pros and cons, the effects and ramifications it would have on my future.      The academic asian in me was the first to react. He was conflicted. Up until now my memories held knowledge enough for a junior to graduate high school, but beyond that I possessed no special talents to make it for myself in the real world. He opted to make new memories because I could always relearn what has been taught in school and to be a successful first born child and make my parents proud, I need to have a complete education.  Then came the sentimentalist. He recognized that up until this point, I have lived my life with minimal regrets. I’ve done almost everything I’ve wanted to, ...

                                           Image Citation I am extremely grateful for some specific experiences. The Proustian memory effect describes the phenomenon where a smell suddenly brings back a vivid memory, even from years ago. Words cannot describe the genuine awe I feel when I experience smell evoked memories. Crayons, old textbooks, cleaning products, closets, markers, old perfume are all things that can suddenly teleport me through years and dimensions. Unexpected memories that were completely forgotten suddenly get rejuvenated and flood my nervous system until I find myself trying to smell every last air particle in the room, only to relive the memory temporarily. Who knew that stepping into my backyard shed would actually transport me to my second grade school Christmas party? However, it’s also a short term euphoria. It’s almost like this alien, mythical drug ...

Eternity is the oldest dream. Immortality. War. Children. Legacy. To become eternal is to transcend the limits of our humanity, our mortality. It brings us closer to perfection, to divinity, to a life better than the one we currently suffer through. Maybe my children can transcend my humanity. If I can keep this warm, beautiful little ball of flesh alive for a decade, it will grow up to be big, strong and handsome. It cries out for me, for its parent. I get this warm fuzzy feeling. Perhaps this is what it is like to love. I’ve decided. I’ll care for it. When it get sick and bedridden, I will care for it. When it screams in pain from injury, I will stay by its side. Season by season, year by year, I will hug it, kiss it, give it my love. It may hate me, it may leave me one day, and yet this offspring of mine will be my legacy. To you, I leave you my everything. I only ask for you to remember me. Maybe then I can become eternal. There are far more entertaining things than what these weak...

  This past week, I have been allowing myself to indulge in Marvel movies while I do my work. As of writing, I have watched Iron Man 3 , part of Civil War , and right now (not while I’m writing, of course) Iron Man 2 . While these movies aren’t exactly the most thought-provoking or Cannes-worthy films I have ever seen, I can’t deny the soft spot I have for Marvel.  For a good three years of my life, I used to watch everything Marvel-related; I would stay up on school nights to watch the new WandaVision episodes, I was a regular at Century 25 in Pacific Commons (which is arguably the best theater in Fremont), and I even watched No Way Home in theaters three times during my seventh-grade Christmas break. It is safe to say I was a Marvel superfan. To me, superhero movies are one of the best simple pleasures in life. I love the over-the-top explosions and cheesy dialogue that come with this genre of film, which is funny because one of my favorite superhero films is Captain Ameri...

Memory is a tricksy concept. Memories are what shape who we are as individuals, our personalities and hobbies, but they are also things that are easily lost or forgotten. Which memories will stay with one forever and which are whisked away on the rivers of the past is a toss-up, a random choice made by our brains. Technically, there probably is a pattern to the choice, but my memory has always been an unreliable and spotty entity.  My childhood memories have always been especially varied compared to my memories of my high school and junior high years. While on one hand, I vividly remember good moments from my field trip in 5th grade, I also remember a random day where all I did was joke about acronyms with my friends. My recollections of childhood aren’t quite a proper picture, moreso a collection of various puzzle pieces where quite a few are missing. Out of all the pieces that are there, only some I vividly recall, while other pieces are more like vague summaries of what occu...

Absolutely voracious caterpillar with its big, buggy eyes. Let’s have a little blast to the past shall we? “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle may be the book of all time, but I personally enjoyed “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” made by the same duo over the greedy slob of an insect that only ate a SINGLE bite out of one apple, two pears, three plums, four strawberries, five oranges, and other delicacies that would eventually go to waste. The animals that were created of acrylic shapes and the accompanying entrancing chants truly made the book a poetic and artistic masterpiece. I loved seeing all the vivid colors of each animal (particularly the cat with its bewitching violet hues) as they told me about their visions. Tell me more! I want to know what you see Brown Bear! Bestow this knowledge upon my little brain! Then things got a little more advanced as I started reading works such as “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse.” There's many rend...