Dhika's Hike Through the Galaxy

There are a lot of shades and levels of laziness..

What are your shades?

When I’m feeling extremely lazy I could stay in bed and miss everything till noon… That’s the worst of days… During those times, all I want to do is forget that reality awaits outside my door so I just pull my blanket up and pretend that I’m in a cave far far far away from campus, classes, events, assignments, friends, or whatever plan I had for that day…

A better form of laziness for me (but still lazy none the less) is when I actually get up, take a shower, go to campus but miss my classes… No reason really, just don’t feel like sitting down and taking notes. Although there’s only a certain limit to which I’m able to do that coz if i miss more than 4 classes than I won’t be able to join my final exams. So, sometimes I get lucky and like right now, I join a class, put my earphones on, listen to my ITunes, and check whether the internet is running… So, I’m currently in that shade of laziness… I don’t have any idea of what this lecturer is saying – don’t care really – and just laugh when everyone is laughing to indicate a certain amount of attention…

situation in my [boring] class

The problem now is, though I have the internet connection I’m not really sure what to do cause I’m not in the mood to do anything… I guess, I just want to stay in bed and pretend that I’m in a cave far far far away… Unfortunately, having the internet sort of takes away the possibility of that illusion…

So there are shades of laziness… I say, embrace them. We all need a break from reality once in awhile… And we should be more than ready to take that break twice in awhile…

Dhika*Shines

“Kafka sits in a chair by the shore,
Thinking of the pendulum that moves the world, it seems…”

This is a line from a song that ties the characters within this novel into one circle of fate. Once again Murakami has welcomed his viewers into this wonderful world of his where the difference between right and wrong, realities and dreams, are irrelevant and mixed up into this odyssey of destiny.

The hero of this novel, as every other of Murakami’s heroes, is an introvert, persistent, old soul caught up in the body of a 15-year-old running away from home to escape his past. His alter ego, a boy named Crow, assists him on his journey that turns out to be a small part of the prophecy that awaits him.

In another part of town – another world – lives Satoru Nakata, an old man in his mid-50s whose past is as twisted as his future will unfold to be. Murakami doesn’t directly introduce us to Nakata but gives us testimonials of people in his past that were involved in the ‘accident’ that wiped out his memories, took away a part of his shadow and gave him the ability to talk to cats.

And this is where we finally meet Nakata… On his pursuit of a lost cat Nakata finds his world fall apart as he bumps into a big, black, talking dog, an eccentric freak that claims to be Johnny Walker and sardines falling from the sky. His simple, humble life was turned upside down while he starts his mission to close the ‘entrance stone’.

In this magnificent novel, Murakami brings us Greek mythology and Japanese legends that are intertwined into Japan’s modern society. It’s a story of self-discovery, of lust and love, and of forgiving the burdens of our past to grow up and reach towards the future. It breaks down the wall of taboo and questions our intake of life.

In many ways, ‘Kafka on the Shore’ reminds me of ‘Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World’ but ‘Kafka on the Shore’ has a stronger plot that leaves us wanting to know more. After such a hype of a climax, the ending leaves you breathing deeply knowing that the characters that you have learned to love grew and matures through the whole journey.

I would recommend this book for anyone who seeks deep conversations of life in the form of great story!

Dhika*Shines

I love the rain…. I love everything about it! The cool breezes, the smell of wet soil, the cozy feeling that you get when you’re at home, the funny sensation in your stomach when there’s the sound of thunder, the goosebumps and the cool sensation that goes up your spine when you see a great flash of lightning… Yes, I think you can conclude that I love the rain.

But there is one thing that I hate about the rain… and it’s this sentimental, nostalgic feeling that I get whenever the rain starts falling… And it’s not only the rain that gives me this sensation; it’s everything about the rain… Colorful umbrellas that come out whenever the rain starts pouring down, people running around like ants looking for cover, puddles of water that makes your jeans and sneakers wet, children that run around laughing and playing under the rain… There’s this feeling in the air that reminds me of the past.

Memories come down amidst the raindrops.

So, what does the rain remind you of?

It reminds me of elementary school when I would just walk home from school getting soaked under the rain even though I’ve got my umbrella in my backpack. It also reminds me of the medicine that I had to drink after those episodes under the rain.

It reminds me of the first rainbow that I remember seeing when I was in 1st grade of elementary school. I remember this because my teacher (whose name I can no longer recall) showed it to the class and said that there was a pot of gold and a leprechaun waiting on the other side of that rainbow… And being the gullible 1st grader that I was (and some might argue still am), I totally believed him.

I was reminded of this story when I was in Australia… I was taking a walk after a morning of light rain and saw a perfectly beautiful rainbow of all colors boosting with pride in the horizon. When I saw this rainbow, all I could think of was how much I wanted to believe again…

Now, the memories that come back are not necessarily bad memories. In fact, most of them are the sweetest moments in my childhood… But the reason why I hate these nostalgic and sentimental feelings is because they just remind me that I’ll never be able to go back…

Growing up was the worst thing that ever happened to me…

I wish I were Peter Pan that could stay a kid and enjoy the freedom of youth! Or perhaps a princess, enchanted into a deep sleep without ever having to wake up! I never could understand why all of those Prince Charmings took the liberty of kissing Snow White and Sleeping Beauty! What makes them so sure that waking up was better than the beautiful dreams that they were having in their sleep! If I were Snow White I might as well go to the Queen and ask her for another bight of that apple…

Sigh… sorry for my bitterness… It’s the rain… It got me…

Dhika Shines