Experiment on Animal Sounds

made for completing one task I got from a class called Mapping.

The idea of this experiment is to classify the animal sounds into pitches. Just like human, animal also talks in various tones (different frequencies of voice).
We can grumble and produce low pitch sounds or we can clamor and produce high pitch sounds. Animal never talks in one tone only, which is why the sound that an animal produce is already “music” to me. Therefore I cannot classify each animal voice into an exact category of pitches.

But still, just like human, I think animal voice can be put into groups of vocal range too. Some animal talks in its natural low vocal range and some other has a higher vocal range. To compare it with the human voice, let’s say for instance, a lion growls in its bass voice and a rooster crows in its countertenor voice. That is how I classify the voices, based on their vocal range.

I could not find anyone made a research on animal’s vocal range or scientifically put it in voice category, therefore there is no scientific explanation for the classification I made in this experiment. It is just my idea of mapping the animal sounds and form some music from it.

The Notes
Since I'm not a musician nor have the sensitivity to distinguish notes, I will not draw a formula to show which sound is similar to which note. So there is no do-re-mi in this list of notes, just the names of the animals. I try to put them in order from the lower vocal range to the higher, but it will only be based on my own interpretation.
So these are the animal sounds I use in this experiment.



The Music
I didn't take all the "notes" to form the music, just some of them. Honestly, the result is not as good as I've imagined before and it is very short. I tried to make it longer, but I was stuck. I guess I'm just not creative enough to be a composer :)



PS:
The inspiration comes from my childhood memory. I was still in the Kindergarten when we learned how to play one traditional music instrument called angklung. This unique instrument can only perform a melody when it is played together with other angklung(s). Why? Because each angklung only holds one note. So, angklung is usually played by many people in an ensemble, with each person holds one instrument with one note.
Since we (at that time) did not know what musical note is, our teachers put an animal sticker on each instrument. Then they built the musical notation using the animal pictures too.
When the teacher points the picture of a duck, all children who hold the angklung with duck picture has to shake (play) their instrument. When the teacher points the bird, every kid who has the bird angklung takes their turn and shakes their angklung, and so on. That way, even some kindergartners who don't know how to read notation can perform a nice song.
This then bring me to the idea, that animals may represent notes.


Credits
All of the animal sounds are taken from:
http://www.animal-sounds.org/animal-sounds-free-download.html
http://www.a1freesoundeffects.com/animal.html
Software used:
GarageBand
Wavepad Trial Edition
Windows Movie Maker

Just Another Ordinary Day

Today:
I lazily get off the bed with heavy eyes. The alarm clock had already given up shouting after the 4th snooze. I only slept for 5 to 6 hours every night in the last two weeks. Sometimes less when I couldn’t shut down my stubborn brain even after 3 o’clock in the morning.

Today:
I had a fight with my best friend. The first frontal fight after we’ve become friends for about a year. Part of it was my fault. I was too harsh and very impatient because I was sure that I was right and I was tired of arguing about simple things that became big. My words had offended her, so I said sorry. Then I went to the bathroom. Obviously I didn’t only release the regular stuff, but also released the tense in my brain. So I felt very light hearted after that and I just wanted to laugh at our stupid fight. But she was still hot, couldn’t even give a bitter smile. Anyway, after some time she cooled down too and we talked like normal again.
Maybe what happened today will bond us stronger.

Today:
My professors told me that the team definitely needs me in the project. I was really good in some tasks and they really gave me some supportive words. I was happy. It went quite well and short.

Today:
I remember, one week left before I fly to home. The luggage is still unpacked. The souvenirs for the relatives still have to be bought. What do they like? What do they need? Why are those stuffs so expensive? Is it enough for everybody? There are still no candies for the kids. Oh no….!

Today:
One of my friend is on his flight, flying back home for good. Maybe we won’t see each other again, maybe we will. Who knows…

Today:
I want to jump into bed earlier. But I still have this damn report to finish. Aaaah….. give me a break!

Today was so different from yesterday. Even though both are just ordinary days, but no day is really that ordinary. I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

Good night now.

Why I should met him today?!

I had such a bad mood today and as if there always has to be a climax on each doomed days, I met a very strange guy on my way home after shopping. At first I didn’t notice the guy who sits behind me on the tram (we were the last passengers). I walked in front of him and knew right away that he also lives in my building. Then he sped up his steps to catch up with me and said hello. I answered with a broad smile as I was thinking, oh good, another conversation with someone from the building. You know, people barely know each other in my apartment and they never say a word other than “hallo” and “ciao” when they meet in the elevator (mostly without even looking at the people they speak to). I know I could just break the ice if I want to, but I don’t even care to make friends with them. Yes.... I'm guilty too!

OK, back to this guy (who was his name? I forgot). So, I turned to him with a big smile which slowly faded away as I remembered that I saw him before and then realized who he is: the guy who lives one door to the right in front of me and happen to be the neighbor I hate MOST!!! Well, the only neighbor that I hate, to be precise.
He is the one who always goes to the emergency staircase right in front of my balcony whenever he needs to yell at someone in his cell phone. Can you imagine, I was studying or enjoying my favorite drama show or simply chillaxing in a beautiful Sunday afternoon with the balcony door opened to get some fresh air when suddenly I heard this annoying guy yelling and cracking non-stop for at least 15 minutes each times.
I always wonder why he always has to go to that staircase when he wants to yell, while everybody in this building has their own balcony. Why didn’t he go to his own balcony?

Maybe I was being really patient, that I waited until the third time he did that again, I went outside and told him to go away. Without even care to stop yelling at his poor enemy on the other end of the phone, or take a single breath, he made a very offensive body language to shut me up. So, instead of regaining my peaceful day back, I became even more boiled. Unable to think clearly to strike him back, I closed the door with a loud bang and tried to calm myself down.

Today he said he was surprised that I’ve already become his neighbor for about a year. He never saw me all this time. I silently said to myself, "Aha…! Maybe I put such an evil face that day when I confronted him, so he couldn’t recognize my original angel face today."
Further he asked about my age and gave me the – REALLY? You look so young – crap and suddenly pinched my cheek. I was stunned, couldn’t find a word to say and only managed to rub my cheek clean in front of him.
Why does my brain always work so slowly whenever I need to fight with someone?

Finally he said we should meet again. Oh yeah…! Dare to knock on my door, you are soooo gonna die.
--- Well, maybe not. I don’t have enough guts to punch him. My two excuses: he is almost two heads taller than me and……. I just have no guts!

PS: annoying neighbors could be the next interesting topic. My sister always has some bad luck with the neighbors. Or maybe another interesting topic: Have you ever met a “psycho”?

Orange Afternoon

the sunflowers are facing to the west
saying goodbye to the fading sun
that's slowly creeping into the evening's hug

I rush after the sun
I run, I run and lose my breath
still I cannot stop it from leaving

the stars glitter in the sky
cheering the dark and silent night
too beautiful to ignore

still I cannot forget
the sparks of the orange afternoon
keeps me warm and alive

that's how you are to me
irreplaceable, indispensable
I'll be waiting no matter how long
until the day comes back in shine

Behind "Liam and Fluffy"

The story bellow, “Liam and Fluffy”, was originally created on Thursday, April 10, 2008, but then edited and published last night, August 1, 2009. Oh…. almost 1.5 year after it was first written.

I asked a friend who happened to be online that day and was chatting with me, for an inspiration regarding the characters’ names, because I was not satisfied with my own ideas. They were Helly the dog and Bombi the lioness. I then finally took the name Liam for the dog after searching in internet. It means a determined guardian. And I took the name Fluffy for the lioness after my friend’s suggestion.

This short story is actually part of a “novel” that I wanted to write two years ago, but I never finish it. I then started with another story and didn’t finish it either. For those two fictions, I’ve already known the beginning and the end of the stories, but I got stuck in the middle part because lack of ideas. Other than that, my writing skill sucks….

Oooh… since I mentioned that “Liam and Fluffy” was part of my prior novel-on-work, I want to make it clear though, that it wasn’t about children story at all. It was about a young teenage girl, full of hatred, contented to take revenge on her own father and drew a plan to get rid of her step mother. The draft was ended tragically with her soul mate’s death and her own suicide. My sister and brother-in-law laughed so hard at me when I told them about this novel where all the characters die.

After I reread the whole pages all over again until the day changes, I decided that I hate the general idea of the story, even though I like how it ends. No, I’m not depressed and I wasn’t depressed when I wrote it. I don’t know why, I ’m just so into a sad ending story, either it is in a film or in a book. But who knows, it might just my way to escape from the blues.
OK, maybe this is the two sides of me who loves to laugh and to be sentimental at times.

Hmm… I think I’ll just abandon my first novel. Perhaps I’ll continue with the other one. I like the story better. It was about friendship, but again, of course it was also ended in tragedy. Let’s see… maybe it would change. Hope I have time and inspiration to write again.

Liam and Fluffy

One day, Liam a shepherd dog was taking a stroll when he started to hear a heartbreaking groan from somewhere in the woods near to the barn where he lives with an old farmer. Fluffy, a lioness, got enmeshed in a trap built by the farmer and Liam just happened to be there and became the first one to find Fluffy.

Fluffy pleaded Liam to help her get out of the trap. She convinced Liam that she was a trustful kindhearted lioness, she wasn’t the one who ate the farmer’s chickens and she had never harmed nor annoyed the farmer’s family.

Liam looked deep into Fluffy’s clear big eyes to see if she was being genuine with all she had said but suddenly got enchanted by her beautiful glance. He instantly believed in Fluffy’s words, and then for 2 days long he struggled, biting the net that trapped Fluffy inside. He guarded Fluffy at night and never rested from biting even though his jaw was already worn out. His only wish and intention was to send Fluffy to freedom as soon as possible.

When the hole was big enough, Fluffy stepped out of the trap. Liam tried to take Fluffy to his home and asked if she would live together with the farmer’s family. He was so sure he could convince the old farmer that Fluffy was a good lioness.

Fluffy replied that there was no chance the old farmer would believe nor accept her and Liam should never believe her either. To Liam’s horror she added, “It was true that I never ate your old man’s chickens, they are too tiny for me. But I’ve been starving for two days and I will eat you now.”

The old farmer caught the lioness red-handed as she was devouring the poor dog, and immediately shot her to death.

***

A tragic end for a naive dog and a fair karma for the unthankful lioness.

Is this too harsh for a children story?

** thanks to Adeel for helping me with the Lion's name :) **

好きな人の事は何でも許して

奇麗言葉です,ね?

What would you do

if you are someone who always find it so hard to fall in love
but then as you find someone that can really make your heart trembles
you realize that he is not the right person to fall in love with
you know it’s so wrong
and normally you wouldn’t even think of falling for this kind of guy

but your heart jump every time you see him
and you want to see him again and again
and when you do see him you wish you can see him longer
unfortunately you think he shares the same feeling
it makes it even harder to avoid him
and you pray he will not say that magic word to you
so that you will not faint in the twirl of excitement and tremor

and all you can do is whispering to your own ear
“Stay away from me, you my beloved one…!”

Oooh…this is what they call love storm :(

Let Me Dance

Let me dance, oh… let me dance
Give me some melodies
Where are my tap shoes, did you see them?

Let me dance, oh… let me dance
Play your electric guitar
Let me put on my tutu first
Don’t you think it looks beautiful on me?

Let me dance on my toes
Jump on my feet and roll on my back
Swirl like thunder and circle all around
Throw my head up and down

Let my body moves to the rhythm
Would you turn the volume to its limit, please?
So that my brain full with the music
And I can feel my heart jump with every beat

Let me dance, just let me dance

Want to but don't want to ...

I have this one work that I know I should do it NOW. I've delayed it since 2 days and I've slapped myself for being too lazy. But I just can't start it, can't put my hand on it, can't even lay my eyes on it. Aaaaarrgggh....

Setangkai Mawar Kuning untuk Sahabat Sejati

dalam mimpi aku melayang
seakan rapuh dan jiwaku terbang
kusambut pusaran yang mendekat datang
meski silau akan cahayanya yang benderang

tanpa sadar aku terhempas
masuk kedalam dunia tanpa asas
tenggelam dalam euforia kebebasan tak berbatas
namun ketika kukira segala bebanku lepas
hatiku berubah kebas dan penuh jejas

kulihat seseorang mendekat
wajahnya penuh kasih dan tangannya hangat
dia membalut hatiku dengan cermat
menghapus segala luka yang mencekat
yang kutahu kini aku selamat

darinya kubelajar sesuatu
bahwa hidup memang terkadang pilu
namun janganlah mengeluh
karna semua yang diraih dengan peluh
takkan hilang dalam sekejap jenuh

kutinggalkan dia dibelakang
karena mimpiku masih menjelang
aku tak ingin terkekang
ingin kugapai langit menjulang
dengan sayap lebar terkembang

puncak langit telah hampir kusentuh
tiba-tiba saja dari ketinggian aku terjatuh
hatiku pilu namun tak berani kumengeluh
karna kini kupercaya semua yang diraih dengan peluh
takkan hilang dalam sekejap jenuh

akan tetapi ketika dera tak kunjung menyingkir
dan kurasa semua akan berakhir
kulihat seseorang datang menghampiri
wajah yang sama, yang penuh dengan kasih
perlahan dia bantu aku berdiri
tanpa peduli betapa aku selalu jatuh lagi lagi dan lagi
namun kini telah kusadari
tak pernah dia tinggalkan aku sendiri

kurasa sesal tak lagi menghadang
batinku tak lagi gamang
kutumpahkan segala rasa sayang
hingga gelap tak lagi membayang

Back to Black

I am currently hypnotized by Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black". The music keeps echoing in my head and I often unconsciously murmur the melody. It is a quite good song for a mellow person like me. Brings me into a black atmosphere which somehow makes me feel at ease.
Talking about black, a color usually associated with negative connotations, I can list some great blacks that I love and that bring me a happy joy joy feeling. Here they are:

Black Grass Jelly drink: Aaaaaaahhhhh.... so refreshing in a hot summer day
Black Sun-Glasses: protect your eyes from the burning sun and UV, of course. And when your eyes are protected and you frown less, the process of getting more wrinkles on your forehead might slow down too!

Black long straight shiny hair: proud to be an Asian lady, hihihi...^^

Black Mascara: sexy

Black Jasmine Tea: smell so sweet, especially when poured from a clay tea pot. Sipping it hot, hmmmm.... so relaxing. Makes me feel really at home.
Black Coffee: helps you to stay conscious during lectures and works. Better than sticking toothpicks between your eyelids.

Black shirt: hide your bulging fat and wet armpit. I recommend to use a deo for the latter case, though. One in a black packaging really drains and stops your armpit from spraying (you've seen the commercial ad, haven't you?).

Black forest cake: chocolate, cherries, cherry brandy, whip cream......... =P~ what could be better than that?!

Black Mushroom: used in many delicious Asian cuisine and might have some medical benefits too. Remove fat and lose weight, help to prevent heart coronary disease --> see http://www.healthy-chinese-recipe.com/obesity-diet-food-black-mushroom.html

Black Glutinous Rice Porridge: huhuhu..... sweeeeett.... i'm drooling drooling drooling!
Black and White Photography: please rate me!

Black bean paste ramen: well, never tried this one, but it looks so damn tasty on TV. Would LOVE to try it. Sadly I haven't even found the instant noodle form in Asian shops around here.

Black humour: aha... maybe we need it to keep us sane.

Could you find another great black that you like? Maybe I can add it on my list too.

a Story of Bubble

One day Bubble, dim and dull, got tired playing with other bubbles, decided to make a journey of his own. So he called Wind and asked her to take him far away to see places he had not seen.
Wind, who had been all over places, warned Bubble that he might possibly meet unfriendly things along the way and new experiences might not be as brilliant as he thought.
Bubble said he'd take the risks, so Wind started to blow slowly and softly.

They landed first on Desert. It was so hot and the midday heat was unbearable. Bubble passed out and nearly died from dehidrated, but luckily Wind found Oasis nearby. Oasis took care of Bubble so tenderly, but as soon as Bubble woke up, he said to Wind that he hated Desert so much and Cactus's thorns had nearly stung him, and that they should just leave the place at once. Oasis was dissapointed to loose a friend and Desert got offensed. Just before Desert spurted his sand and grit to pop Bubble, Wind took him away posthaste.

They reached Ocean the next day and Bubble hated her as well. He said she was too noisy, her salt dried his skin and none of her suds friends were as beautiful as he was. Ocean heard him and stormed in anger. Once again, Wind saved Bubble before he got caught by Ocean's hands and melted by the salt.

They arrived on Snow Mountain in early morning and Bubble began complaining again. "I'm freezing out here, soon I'll turn into an Ice Ball. Why do you always take me to such places where I cannot live?!"

Trying hard to please Bubble, Wind took him higher and higher to a place where she thought to be the most beautiful one in the world. They met the Cloud there and Bubble started to cry in frustation. "Cloud tries to suck me in. She already has so many water inside her, yet she wants me to join her too. What a greedy creature!"

Wind couldn't help it anymore. She yelled at Bubble, "You're the most ungrateful bubble I've ever met! I was so happy to take you around the world, so I could share the wonder I've seen with you. But you just couldn't see how good Desert carves the sand and how brave the Cactus is to live without water. You didn't notice how blue the Ocean is and how many lovely creatures live deep down. You never know the cheerful that Snow brings for the kids and how gorgeous the scenery is, when you look down the Mountain. You have no idea that Cloud is so tender and mild, and that she creates the Rain, which brings life for the earth." Bubble was stunned and started to regret himself, then said, "Oh, Wind. Now I wish I could be like you, who helps others like me to see the beauty of the world."

Sun, the ruler of the earth, who'd been eavesdropping during the conversation, came out from his hiding place and said, "Bubble, I could help you to become the one that you want. But you will have to sacrifice a bit for that. Would you?" Bubble nodded happily. Using his power, Sun began to glow so ablaze. Thereafter Sun said, "Bubble, from now on you will reflect all the things around you. So not only you could help others to see the beauty of the world, you'll also make it double. The kids would love to play with you, and you could see their happy faces mirrored on you. But for this you'll have to be so thin and fragile. You'll only live for a while. But before you dissapear into the air, you brought joy to the world."

Bubble and Wind are now good friends and they often go together since then.

Language Problem

i'm so glad that i had an experience to study in a class full of students from all around the world, who were all trying to defeat one super duper complicated language called German.
the first couple of months in this class were really tiring. my German knowledge was still a big nothing that time. i tried to put a high voltage consentration on the lessons, so that i could at least figure out the outline - if not the whole sentence - of what my two beloved lecturers were saying.
it wasn't only me who faced this difficulty, so was my fellow students. their german lang were nearly as poor as mine and for our own good we were not supposed to speak in other langs. so we talked with "our own German", with a lot of "nggg....", "mmm....", "let me see my dictionary", or a long explanation for one single word, etc. body-lang and face expression took a large part too.

funny is, i understood my friends better than i understood the teachers, and the students understood each other better than the teachers understood us. yes it's true! sometimes the teachers didn't understand what a student wanted to say, but the whole class knew what he meant. that's because the german don't use the same expression or the same synonym as (i guess) other people in other parts of the world do.
anyway, my old german class made me feel like i was living in the babel city. i miss them so much!!!

Dandelion Clock

One of my favorite pics of my favorite flower I made last year.

Coburg, 19.05.2007

Dandelion Clock

… or dent-de-lion in its origin word, which means tooth of a lion.
… or skydiver flower in my own language as I was a kid. Actually, my mom said so, when I and my sister asked the name of this wild flower that grows a bit higher than the grass surrounds it, and pretty eye-catching too with its white color above the greens.
Since forever, I find it as my favorite flower for all time.
And the sweet youth days memories that I had with this wild but gentle, strong yet soft plant, make it even worthier.

I am so amazed by its filaments, that when the winds help it escape from its head, it would fly away slowly, float in the air with incalculable movement and unpredictable direction, look for a new place to grow, maybe search for a new environment, try to survive and to multiply.
And that is exactly what I am doing right now. I am so far away from home, looking for new experiences, searching for a better life, trying to survive and to adapt with this new situation that I am on and perhaps trying to multiply too... :D

Somehow, seeing this flower takes my gloominess and sulkiness out of existence.
So I feel grateful for this is spring and I can see these flowers everywhere, even in my room on the 7th floor. Well, not the whole bunch of course. Around 6 pm yesterday afternoon, while I was chilling and relaxing on my bed, suddenly this white filament came in through the window and danced slowly right in front of my weary eyes. The rays of the sun glowing outside perfectly framed this beauty and the bright blue sky background just made it completely gorgeous.
Then I think to myself, “Hey, it’s so cheerful outside. Why don’t I go for a walk and wash away my tiredness?”
So I went hunting …

Cactus

the easiest plant to be taken care? not really, at least for me. i lost my cactus before for being too much basted.

Eggshell Art

last sunday the christendom, including me, celebrated easter day.
it's been like a century ago since i partook in the typical annual children's easter activities, like painting boiled eggs or seeking hided eggs, but i still spur the joy of my childhood easter days every time i see the painted eggs.


talking about painted eggs, i went to salzburg last december during christmas holiday. there i saw painted eggs too. they were all over the display windows and were put on christmas trees. this was the first time i knew that egg decoration is not only dedicated for easter day.
the ones they put on christmas trees are also real eggs, only without the content. this what made the painted eggs so expensive, since they were so fragile and made by professional hands. here i put some pictures of eggshell art ala salzburg for you to enjoy.

i remember that long time ago i saw in one of our TV Channel about eggshell art. painting is not the main idea this time. carving is! i'm sure carving is way much harder than painting, especially when you do it on an eggshell. you really have to see the picture of eggshell carving to see what i mean. since i don't have the picture, you could try to find it yourself by hitting eggshell carving/sculpture/art on google image, or else see it here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=1xz8E7Di7Fo


Wanna try to make one by yourself? the first material you'll need is a great amount of patience!
you'll also need a drill, some sharp cutting tools, a sharp pin and pattern.
first step: with a pin, poke a small hole at the bottom of the egg, then poke a larger hole at the top of the egg. blow through the small hole, the content will come out through the larger hole. now you have an empty shell.
next step: depends on your creativity. just be extra carefull on whatever you do with your shell.