Amigos

First off, let me say, colloidal silver is the best frickin' medicine on Earth. I woke up with a nasty sore throat, and a weird one at that. Just in the back of my mouth, not exactly in the neck area like usual. Anyway, after eating breakfast and lunch, it gets a little better, but then my mom gives me a cup with a little colloidal silver, and MAAAAANNN...instant throat-cleanser. Of course, it's not a miracle healing liquid, and the soreness comes back after a while, but it's awesome because in the multiple cases I've used it, it provides an INSTANT relief and then also helps take the soreness away. Something about silver and how it kills bacteria. Anyway, I just love that stuff...

Anyway, the topic of friendship has popped up quite a bit in my head. Paula recently posted something about a couple of her friends, I recently talked to my cousin Victor and the topic came up. I mentioned something that he agreed with, and that was that there are not enough synonyms in English to describe the different levels of friendships.

You see, most people call anyone they know relatively well, a "friend". I've recently (as in the past years :P) have noticed this is an overly used word. You see, friends should be people you are close to. People you talk to quite a bit, hang out, stuff like that. I think it takes a certain level of bonding between 2 people to consider each other as friends. So here goes my list of levels:

Acquaintance: These are people you have met in this past few minutes. You know their name, maybe age, and another detail or two, but that's it.

Personal Acquaintance: This type of person, for instance, is one that needs a specific word for. I'll refer to them as a "Perquaint" for now. A perquaint was an acquaintance that you got to know. You know a little more than a name now, and you can talk to them about different things. You are probably just learning about their interests, and maybe what they plan on doing in the future/already working as. A perquaint can also be used to refer to a friend of your friend. Like, you don't really know them, but you can discuss things you saw on the news or whatever if your friend leaves the room, leaving you two alone. After a while it may get awkward (unless you really get along quickly) and you need to call your friend back.

Homies: Homies, for a lack of a better word, are probably a majority of what people consider "friends". For instance, I would consider half of my old youth group "homies". You can talk to any of them, maybe even about some personal stuff, but really your relationship is a bit shallow (not in a bad way, just, it's not a deep friendship). You probably don't call each other, only see them every once in a while (weekly through monthly) but you know quite a bit about them as well, and probably leave each other Myspace messages. You should also have an idea of what month their birthday is in.

Buddies: Buddies near the level of "Friend" but are not quite there yet. You probably hang out sometimes, chat up on instant messengers a bit, but private matters normally aren't revealed too much between each other. I would consider online friends right around the "buddy" level. For instance, I have a bunch of buddies from my tournament in 21CW. I talk to many of them almost everyday, we play online together, and we make jokes about each other without taking offense. Sometimes, we even learn some personal things, a little about their family or something, but it's usually not something you discuss to often. Anyway, I think "buddy" should replace friend as the common word. Why?

Friend: Friends...these are people you talk to all the time, have such a close bond you share secrets with each other, you got too many inside jokes, etc. The Bible has an example of friends, David and Jonathan. I believe it mentions something (if not there, then in Proverbs) that a good friend, can be closer than a BROTHER. Wow. Can you really use "friend" on as many people as you probably do? I can tell you right now, I've only had 2 real friends. Malcolm, who I use to go to School with from 2nd-4th grade, and Michael, who anyone in youth group (or Cornerstone ;D) should know. And yet, even though they were friends at one point, prolonged lack of contact can still lower them in the levels of friendship. I wouldn't consider it as a bad thing or anything, friendships aren't just any little thing. Right now I wouldn't consider Michael less than a buddy, and Malcolm, seeing as how it's been more than 5 years since I've even spoken to him, I'd consider a homie, both of which, with some time, could rise back to "friend" level quickly. Also, though probably dealt with different, a girl/boyfriend would hover around this level as well. Also, even if, for example, you had a girlfriend, you could still have another "friend" who is a girl as well. Being friends requires TIME, without that the bond is easily weakened. Either way, a "friend" is quite an important thing for someone, and I think that it should be used a lot less than it is. Finally:

Spouse: This about the ultimate level, which you can obviously only have one of. A spouse is your best friend in life. I mean, you're gonna be with this person for some 50+ years about everyday right? Of course, not every married couple has their level of friendship where it should be, but a good couple tops the list of "friendshipity".

Anyway, hope none of my buddies who somehow find this post get mad or anything. Especially now being in a different country, I doubt anyone would be able to consider me a friend. A buddy? Sure. Nothing wrong with that. Less? I don't mind. If we talk enough we can climb our way up to buddies as well. As for friends, I sure hope I can find some down here, but I'm sure it'll be a while. :P

Oh yea, and I finally finished coloring this.

School'd

Weeeee...excuse my little rant here, just something I'd like to share.
Every time someone mentions something about college I get to wondering...what's the big deal? For instance, some people in my family have asked repeatedly what I think about doing about college now that I've moved over here. My answer, "I guess I'll go to college here." For those who don't know, I plan on studying Graphics Design. That or maybe something with animations, or as a last resort, some sort of computer technician course. That's if I go to college in the first place.

Suddenly, gasps are heard everywhere! "What you you mean IF you go?" Well, I'm not sure if I need to go or not. You see, I'm very laid back about this college situation, maybe too much, but I think I have logical reasons. First off is the obvious international transition that has just took place. if I were still over there I might have been applying already, but since we moved, I'll be delaying any of that junk until I know we are staying for good.

Secondly, I don't see the big deal. I know people who are entering and are stressed to their limits because of college, and I feel so sorry for them. I don't see why it's gotta be like that. What do people go to college for? To study something they'd like to have as a career in their life. Why do you want a career? Well, to have a good life, money, and get a nice piece of paper certifying you for that career. Uh...what? You see, some people, like my grandmas for instance, want their grandkids to get a career simply for bragging rights! That's absurd. Some people do it because their parents pressure them to. That sucks. Me? My parents have one priority in my life, and that is that I have a close personal relationship with God.

Nothing else matters. Am I saying "DON'T GO TO COLLEGE, ITZ WASTE YOUR LIFE!"? No, by all means, do whatever God leads you to do, not what family, friends, or society wants you to do. God probably could care less if you got a career or not, as long as you were doing it in his will. Maybe you were called to do something else besides waste a couple of years learning something you are not meant to do? Which leads me to another point:

I think colleges are really only good for "officializing" whatever it is you are studying. For example, I plan on learning graphics design right? No business would really take a look at my work unless I had a "degree" or some little special thing like that, even if I'm just as good, or BETTER, than some dude that does have one. That's lame, and I see that as a flaw in society. You know how much I've learned about computers over the past 10 years? Then I see these "Geek Squads" and crap like that come up, and hear the stories of how idiotic they diagnose problems. But does it matter? They probably have some certification, while I don't. Too bad for their customers. So pretty much, all I'm going there for is to spend months and months of mostly useless work, to get a paper saying, "Look at me, I can do this!". Seriously, most of what you learn will be on your own time, throughout your life. (unless of course, you get one of those "specialized" type of careers, like a doctor, who will spend years learning stuff) That's what I think, and have read. Programmers for instance, will learn more during their teenage years, hacking away at programs or making viruses (:P) than learning a bunch of junk at college that businesses won't even USE! It's also too generic sometimes. Jose has told me about his studies, and one day he's learning stuff in Flash, another day stuff in Maya (a 3D application). What the heck? if I want to learn Flash animation, I sure as heck don't need to learn about 3D modeling or animation. There's really no way to study a very specific thing...at least, it doesn't seem that way in any of my fields of interests.

BAH! What a waste it seems to me. That's why I'm wingin' it (I guess I'm wingin' life too :P). I have my plans, but if God decides something else, heck, I'd gladly change my plans to suit his. Not that it'd be any easier than going to college, but atleast this will get me some "eternal diplomas", if you will.

Blurbs

ZOMG! I'm on the second to last episode of Eureka Seven! Awesome...

I've noticed that novelty tee's don't exist here. That sucks. Apparently people are to cool for them or something, I really don't get it. I was at a restaurant and this little kid and his older brother seemed to have been staring at my shirt. That or they were laughing at my hair. ;) Either way, people seem to be to "old" for these silly shirts. Too bad for them.

Another thing I've noticed is that girls seem to be/look older here. :P In the U.S., I've always thought, a girl from 14-20 something can look like a 16/17 year old. Here, a girl from 14-20 something always seems to be 20 something! Ok, maybe not 14, but definitely a girl my age. She will always seem older than me. It's like puberty all over again. Snap.

I think I beat Red Steel, but not completely. The guy killed the other guy with the sword, I was suppose to protect him. Either way, I failed that little mission. LOL, gonna have to do that stage again! >_< (Review in a following post...later)

I should probably call some friends. I have plenty of minutes on my Gizmo account.

I bought a Canon SD600. My aunt will hopefully ship it to me. It's tiny.