ブログ 12: 「昼下りの情事」

 

This is a new song from a band that I have not heard before, called "Lamp". While a strange band name, this song, 昼下りの情事, or "Love after noon", is a very blissful song. I have surprisingly been able to figure out most of the lyrics, however their interpretation is not quite obvious. It starts in the scene of two lovers walking together in summer, a little after noon, "紅い花の影が零れ落ちた通りを / 二人は歩いていた", translated is "We both walked on the path where the shadows of red flowers were scattered". Later on it goes into the chorus, where their connection is further explored, "恋の予感のする季節きみと出逢った / 二人だけに通じる / テレパシーのような", translated is "I met you in the season where love lingers. It is something only we two can understand, like telepathy". Suddenly, though, the scene shifts into seemingly a café of some sort, where some form of physical or symbolic barrier is introduced, "氷珈琲の中へ会話が落ちていく / 混ざるミルクの色 / グラスの向こうで滲んだ恋人 / 古いフィルムのようね", translated is "Our conversation fell into the iced coffee, color of mixed milk. On the other side of the glass is my lover, blurred like an old film". It then shifts into a separation, "日傘の下にきみを残して / ぼくは行くんだ / 遠いあの街まで", translated is "I've left you under the parasol. I'm leaving, far away to that path". It then follows with the chorus again, until it wraps up the ending of the song, "真夏のようなあつさできみに触れた", translated is "I touched you with the heat of pure summer". It seems to be, in my own interpretation, a story about two lovers that have been separated. In the song, the lyrics interchange with a male vocal and a female vocal. I assume, therefore, that this is a separation that both parties are attempting to resolve on their own terms. Walking through the "path" with the other person, only to need to accept that the other person is blurred on the other side of another life, and therefore towards the end of the song, decide to walk that exact same path from the beginning, but alone, leaving their own manifestation of the other person behind. Therefore, it is a song about a breakup, loneliness, and finding the courage to continue on without their presence. A very poetic song, I very much enjoyed it and recommend it.

ブログ 11

 

This is a recent song by キリンジ. It is a more simple tune and simple topic, however it encompasses the frequent situation of falling in love, while at the same time fearing the other person finding out. Towards the beginning they express their affection towards the other person, "横顔がきれいだ / ときめきもあらわになりそう / 笑うところが同じで嬉しい", or "Your profile is pretty / I think my heart is fluttering / I get happy when we laugh together". This individual also expresses questions they have for the other person in the song, "週末は何してるの? / 恋人は誰かいるの", or "What are you doing on the weekend? / Are you seeing someone else?". But ironically, they do not ask the person they're in love with directly, and instead express immediately after their fear of admitting it to them because of feelings of unworthiness, "好きバレしたくないから / そんなことは訊けない / 不釣り合いなんだ", or "I don't want to show that I love you / So I won't ask you that / I can't match you". Interestingly, halfway through the song, the speaker admits their contradictions, "ひとり合点なのかも / 地下鉄のホームで溜め息 / 人に言いたい / でも仕舞っておきたい", or "I might be making harsh conclusions / I sigh in the train station / I want to tell someone / But I want to stay bottled up". In the second refrain, the speaker further explores this contradiction, "好きバレしたくないけど / 君を深く知りたい / 困らせてるのかも", or "I don't want to show that I love you / I want to deeply know you / I might be making it difficult for you". At the end of the song, it interestingly shifts tone and expresses plainly their desire to express their affection, "好きバレしてかまわない / 伝えたい / いつか / 君を愛してるってこと", or "I don't care if I show I love you / I want you to know / Someday / That I love you". Overall, it is a song about the incredibly common situation where one party feels affection, and wishes to express it, but fears to say it. It is simple, but can relate to many people.

高校の時のクラブ活動

 高校の時、「サイエンスオリンピアード」のクラブに入っていました。私は天文学と林業のイベントに参加しました。活動はたくさん勉強したり、試験の練習をしたりしました。最初に、私はあまり下手でした。でも、高校の卒業の前に、天文学と林業の試験に一位を取ったら、とてもうれしくなりました。今、もうテーマはよく覚えませんですが、まだ少しが覚えています。そのクラブにたくさん友達が作られてとてもいいクラブでした。

ブログポスト９

This song is composed by the group Kirinji, called「十四時過ぎのカゲロウ」, or "14 Hour Heat/Dragonfly/Fleeting Life". This song is really complicated, a little difficult to understand and very difficult to actually interpret. From what I was able to understand, it is about a person who, while diving into a "swimming pool" of some kind, forgets who they are, and considers themselves one with the water. The song starts off with "水辺の生き物 / だから陸では生きてゆけない / 気がしている", which is "I realized that I am a being who belongs at the edge of the water, and I cannot follow life on land". Later in the song, it holds "ひたすらに泳いだ後は / 筋肉の翅が生えている / 赤い背中に", which is "After earnestly swimming, the (insect-like) wings of my muscles grow on my red back". The refrain, interestingly, says "水の中に僕の影を追う / 捕まえたと思えば逃げてる / All I want is just truth", meaning "In the water, I follow my shadow. When I think I can catch it, it escapes. All I want is just truth". One of the last interesting parts I will bring up is towards the end, "十四時過ぎの陽炎 / プールサイドは地獄より熱く / 水を切り裂く音だけが / 響きわたる夏", which means "It is a 14 hour long heat, and the poolside reaks hotter than Hell. The summer echos the sound of ripping water". Interestingly, the word 「カゲロウ」can mean three things from two kanji compounds: 陽炎, which means heat or shimmer; 蜉蝣, which can either mean dragonfly or "short-lived" life. The song, I believe through my own interpretation, is about an individual who expresses their thoughts about life and its brief timescale through the metaphor of water and swimming. I believe that this individual, while diving off of a board, reflects on that brief instance between the jump and the arrival at the water as an example of an instance that is powerful, yet brief, much like life. The individual reflects on this idea through powerful metaphors, identifying themselves as the water, searching for an answer through its waves, while the heat burns them, slowly eating away their life. The wings on the back is an interesting metaphor, as the kanji 翅 holds the same reading as 羽, however is specific to insect wings, much like a dragonfly. This song is very philosophical and sophisticated, and while complicated and pretty difficult to understand, it is a very powerful and moving piece of music.

春休み

春休みはちょっと退屈したけど、たくさん大切な用事しようと思いました。私の車の前をちょっと直したり、たくさん書類を書いたりしました。私の町に変な建物があるし、楽しい道があるし、買い物に行くとき、ちょっと面白い散歩ができました。私のパソコンのヒンジは先月に少し壊れられましたから、直すために店に行きました。家にもたくさん掃除したり、料理したりしました。今週たくさん強い風がありましたから、あまり外に出かけられませんでした。でも、ちょっと寝られましたから、よかったです。春休みは一週間しかかからないのは不正と思いますが、しかたがないです。

FIFA、喜ばせたい人、と「スマイリングフレンズ」

６月に、FIFAが始まります。 応援しているチームはメキシコですが、何位を取るか全然分かりません。韓国との試合が勝てると思っていても、南アフリカとの試合はちょっと不安になります。

一人の喜ばせたい人がいません。全部の友達を喜ばせたいんですが、一番いいすることは何か分かりません。でも、いつも友達を手伝いたいので、いつも友達のそばにいると、友達に喜ばせてあげます。

 最近、たくさん映画を見ませんでした。でも、「スマイリングフレンズ」というテレビショーを全部見ました。とても面白くて、かしこいユーモアがあります。感動したかどうかは論じられるんですが、悩んでいた間、このテレビショーはちょっと気持ちを上げました。

日本のニュース

 

Recently, I found this 2018 Japanese news section that was about Kendrick Lamar surprisingly. They talk about how he rose to fame, about his Pulitzer Prize, and about why young people listen to him. They mention how his lyrics are popular because they inspire many themes about race and identity, and many people relate or feel moved by them. Kendrick himself (through Japanese subtitles) talks about how be believes that some things cannot be expressed only through words, and need music to fully understand. They also talk to a professor, who explains further the influence of Hip-Hop and how it originates from the Civil Rights. Overall, its a well made news section and I was able to understand a good portion of what was being said. I especially enjoyed how they cut and edited his music and concerts together.