ARMY Month Day 1
I am letting go of this hand built ceramic plate hoping that the ARMY who will get it may find joy and comfort because, I was happy and content when I made it. I had a new set of underglazes I was excited to paint on the bone dry plate. It performed well in the kiln so the fire goddesses have blessed the work of my hands as well as the potter who glazed it.
Jin sings:
Even when I fall and hurt myself
I endlessly run toward my dream
Fighting! Forever, we are young!
When the MV of Nuts dropped a few weeks ago, I and ARMYs in my circle speculated on this one person who hurt our Joonie. This is an ongoing question since he’s always bared his feelings of deep anger, regret and frustration. By default, I, like many ARMYs, couldn’t wait to pulverize the person in question. Back pedaling to Nuts, however, and watching Joon sing and move-dance about in a studio all by himself made me ask: Is he talking about and with himself?
Nuts is Kim Namjoon’s soliloquy making the song and the MV
highly appealing. Soliloquy as narrative device allows the character to connect
more emotionally and psychologically to the audience. The self-talk is an
exposition of prevailing themes in the story as well as the underlying
conflicts and the more obvious problems or issues at hand. The technique is a
delicious invitation to the character’s introspection of past actions leading
to decisions or possible consequences brought by the thinking process. This
metacognitive approach to storytelling engages audiences even more and for fans
like me, we become deeply invested in the artists that we stan.
Taking Nuts as a soliloquy and a reference to Hamlet’s, this
2nd track of Right Place Wrong Person, is Kim Namjoon’s madness in full
display, once again. The song lyrics references two genders. A She and a He.
Using Jung’s Map of the Soul as framework for this discussion, the former is
the Anima and the latter is the Kpop Idol Persona
These two stanzas show the conflict that drives Namjoon
insane as Anima and Persona clashes.
Verse 1
“She a pro rider… When it comes to love, she could be an all
nighter | Best gaslighter, no man could ever fight her.
I go mad, how can we do everything together?”
Verse 2
“He a pro rider… | Must be an A1 guider, always on that
fuckin’ Kakao talk | When it comes to money, he could be a damn fighter | Best
gaslighter, no woman could stop him.
I go nuts, I feel like a monster.”
The song closes out with two stanzas by the Anima and the Persona.
“Now lay back | You never been so high | Know you ‘fraid of heights | I will close your eyes”
“Now lay back | You never
been so high | Know you ‘fraid of heights | Don’t say a goodbye”
Words of caution. A caveat. A desire to rest and to take a
pause but it is not a goodbye. It is not the end because, later on, Namjoon
sings Come Back to Me to reassure himself and ARMY that he has integrated with
the Anima. The male Ego leaves the set of mazes intact and can confidently walk
along side its feminine power.
And there lies the courage and the intelligence of Kim
Namjoon. Blessed with a 148 IQ, his heightened awareness of his Self and the
world around him drives him “nuts”. Choosing music to channel and balance the
crazies that torment him all day and all night, he is able to create art that
is both luminous and illuminating.
I am really glad he picked up learning the saxophone while
on military service. Serenading Jin and playing the chorus of Dynamite are
manifestations of grace. Our Joonie is going to be fine.
One of the things that excite me as a literacy skills teacher and reading interventionist is the engagement I have with students and the manner in which they provide knowledge and reason when we encounter new words. My recent session with my student a week ago led us to opportunities to talk about words in length.
The words we unlocked are argue and argument. Of course, the dictionary is a handy tool where he learned that argue is the root word of argument. The suffix "ment" is a noun suffix that when it is placed after a verb, the word becomes a noun. Argue is the verb; ment is the noun suffix. This makes argument a noun. I then asked him to verbally use the words argue and argument in a sentences - one for each.
In context, I asked him what he knows of the word argue. He said that he associates the word as a violent exchange between two people. To this I replied, that it is a common understanding because when we argue, we insist on the other/s our beliefs with no basis but our feelings and ego. When we argue, I added, it has to be based on facts, a pattern that follows a logical sequence, a truth that has been in existence for so long it is considered universal.
The point of an argument is to make us think. People go violent when they argue because, one, they cannot hold their statements with pieces of evidence and two, their egos are bigger than the points they want others to consider.
I will definitely go back to this experience with my student when we begin writing the persuasive essay.
Afterwards, we both concluded that sci-fi magic made it all
possible. (ang genX ko talaga). But there’s more, the title of the movie opened
the door for me to learn new words and language. Of course, my mama took
advantage of the opportunity to teach me the use of a dictionary. A complicated
word such as extra-terrestrial pertains to objects and entities beyond the
planet we know as Earth. When broken down in two, terrestrial means earth and
extra means add-on; something supplemental. E.T. the Extra-terrestrial was, at
the time, an out of this world movie experience.
This movie I had seen as a child, made me feel celebrated. I
only had a vague idea that my rights were being advocated back then, but I felt
it. Eliot, was my champion. He was allowed to save and fight for what he
believes in and protect his friend who is not of this Earth against a system
that controls and stifles creativity. He is but a child. A capable child. With
the help of his brother and his biker friends, they beat the authorities who
want E.T. as a lab experiment. An act of subversion, yes, but also, an act
of emancipation and empowerment. Such is the power of storytelling and
cinematic art.
Astronaut Jin was saying goodbye riding that bicycle. At the
same time, it symbolizes the unending journey of growth and possibilities in
the midst of nothingness and uncertainty. Learning to ride a bike is a rite of
passage, besides. A gateway unto freedom. It is a child's foray into the bigger
world to handle responsibilities and the accountability that comes with it.
Kim Seokjin on a bike entering the stage last June 13 in his
first solo performance is a reminder that curiosity and the sense of wonder
never dies. It lives on.
ARMY, we are Young Forever!
#festa2024 #ARMYGlowUp2025 #agu_communication #btskimseokjin
This year, I was reduced to tears reading all seven letters.
How I wished I had the wisdom that each of them displayed when I was in my
20s-30s. I thank God, nonetheless, for witnessing the depth of Bangtan’s
knowledge of themselves amidst a world where people choose to destroy each
other. Theirs is an awareness that springs from a deep personal recognition of
their limitations. They are eternally curious, too. They wonder all the time!
This is power. If you are ARMY, of whatever age, creed and culture, you would
do the same in your own unique way.
You would want to create art. You would want to share; to
grow; to connect; to reflect, introspect and ask questions. So, I wasn’t
surprised when Jhope, our Hobi, inquired. We are used to hearing/reading their
reminders and asking us of self care. It was the question about loyalty that
was unexpected.
Translations on X abound. And we know what gets lost in
translation. But, to continue, I picked two: one from Haruharu and another from
an un-named source (will get back on the credit). The former is direct and
blunt. The later is gentle and kind. Either way, the question is a brave
exploration into human nature and the circumstances that inform our decisions.
What a courageous thing to do, Jung Hoseok!
His question merits a truthful answer. Only in truth can we
set ourselves free.
Happy Festa! Happy Independence Day!
@titazeeh7 This Moonchild planter is my first. The slight crack is only at the surface since the bottom remains unbroken. I combined handbuilding techniques for this planter.
♬ moonchild - RM
While Namjoon faces the camera on broadcast, he communicates
his message that has been crafted, framed and produced for an intended
audience. Sadly, it escapes them as yet another TV production. Unaware of the
dynamics of the media content prepared for their consumption, they choose the
appeal of food. They huddle and listen to each other’s stories on real time
while partaking on dishes shared within their circle.
The technology we use to communicate and make connections
can very well be the technology that divides and isolates us from each other.
Namjoon finds himself at the right place with something to say but he is the
wrong person because, people interpret content from media and the internet
based on their own values, cultural norms, beliefs and biases. More often than
not, people believe and listen to who they know within the confines of their
chosen cliques.
When the credits roll, Namjoon asks, “Do you hang tight or
goes off to life?” Whatever our answer is, he is grateful because, despite
being "godamn" lost, he can come back to “me”.
Thank you, Kim Namjoon for making RPWP. What a well thought out album. Well curated,
artistic and tastefully done. For the past three weeks, it challenged me to
rethink of my own message and biases; my fears and the uncertainty of a future
yet to come. Thank you for opening doors to find “me” and doing it in the most
humane way.
Now, I’m off to do some art.
#RPWP_CreditRoll #RM_RPWP #festa2024 #ARMYGlowUp2025
#AGU_Communication
The experience was nostalgic for me since RENT was the musical lynchpin of my 20s. It saw me through my own identity crisis and rebellion. The angst and trauma from which the musical was based on was not as strong as compared to past productions that I have watched. Somehow, the actors who portrayed characters that represented for me the lost and the marginalized of my generation looked very much entitled and privileged. But the ennui and its drive for compassion were all there.
I am glad I shared this experience with my daughter who recognized the music and the well produced set and stage design. She loved the characters and the actors who portrayed them, most especially, Angel.
Everybody loves Angel.
Back in my day, AIDS/HIV infection and the rights of artists are issues we march in the streets for. My baby thesis in college was about AIDS. AIDS and HIV infections were issues that challenged my personal beliefs on the church, the disintegration of the family, my own sexuality and freedom to be. What I cannot fully grapple at the time, I turned to academic writing. However, my understanding of the context of AIDS and my own personal battles of self expression led me to RENT.
Super thank you to my Tita ARMY friend, Tita Lynnette, for walking with us. I for one needed to be reminded of how precious every moment and every breath can be.
