Not everything has to revolve around love, you know.

It always goes back to the rather tiresome plot that the two protagonists hate each other at first and eventually they'll end up together.

Hah.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to plots that are cool without all the cheesy romanticism thrown in. Which is perhaps why I like Hero and Nobuta and even Kurosagi---> they are stories with a 'hint' of romanticism but ultimately it ends very inconclusively and vaguely. It's precisely because of this ambiguity that these shows are more unique and memorable.

Disclaimer: Although I do like HYD and HanaKimi and Goong as they are definitely love-centric and the hilarity that ensues, but it's a very different kind of "like".

Though there has to be a clear distinction between reel life and real life. Naturally.

我只爱陌生人。
That song by 王菲 is still pretty listen-able after all these years.

It seems that everything changes with the passage of time. Is culture stagnant? Definitely not. Even Shakespeare was considered popular theatre in his time. Although now we consider him to be far above that. Kabuki was once thought to be low-class, crass culture, but now, while it is still considered to be of a lower level as compared to Noh, it's way beyond popular culture... it has evolved into a high art practised by many revered Kabuki families in Japan.

So I wonder what our popular culture will be in 200 years. And will certain genres reach that exalted status of being fine culture or high culture in time?

I'm placing my bets on jazz and blues. Maybe, maybe not.

Labels: thoughts.

Labels: shiina ringo, suberidai

Thanks for calling all the way from down under! <3!

HanaKimi has ended. :( No more Nakatsu! :(

But I have other stuff to look forward to, like Kurosagi :)

Moe-eh! Hahahaha.









The facts of life unspoken.

I watched Jonathan Ross' documentary on In Search of Steve Ditko. And what can I say but that I love comics comics comics.

I have a happy planner from Kino (which means today in Japanese), which then leads me to extrapolate,
Kino=yesterday
Kuni=country
-ya= is a suffix added onto words that indicate that it's a store.

so Kinokuniya=yesterday's country bookstore? or yesterday's national bookstore?
Or something.
Or does "ki" mean something else? 紀伊國屋書店 hmmmmmm translation please!

It's mid-sem break. I feel that the next few months only exist for me to count down to January. hahaha.

Labels: stuff

Reading Gaiman's website/journal/blog/thing always brings me such joy. :)

BBC has some very offbeat and quirky documentaries, offering you insight into different cultures :)

NOUVELLE VAGUE is good!



It's very good to be back with Family, although we're waiting for the big boss to return from his Grand Tour de France. Although I am missin Eldest terribly, but it's ok. We have to get used to the fluidity in this globalised age. Although globalised seems such a dirty word now!

Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?

It's true. THREE MORE MONTHS.
Then again I have

• 嵐　
• L'arc~en~Ciel (sorry I dunno how to write in Katakana as of now)
• M~flo

them being just some of my random fandoms that promise to span the entire music industry across the globe

and my HERO DRAMA!
I am not even past the halfway mark.
OH AND HANAKIMI last episode is out. But it's not out yet!

I seem to regress very quickly in the holidays. WELCOME CHILDHOOD!




While compiling (or more like converting pen to Word), I had a look at what I wrote for Hell Bento.


• Merging of technology and spirituality ie the disconnection

Japanese society described as:
Hardware-software-network= Ie The New Holy Trinity,
stepping up to the higher state through counterculture

• The merging of old Shinto beliefs with the new technological spirituality:

-double clap=open spiritual doors
-double click of the mouse=opens technological spirituality?

I really liked the double clicking analogy. And the interesting parallels provide much food for thought.

Labels: hell bento, jap studies, popular culture, spirituality

One of the swankycool numbers off Nerd's album. I do like Nerd's music. They do have talent, despite their very coughcough language. :P

I'm met RS at Kino today most coincidentally, and we felt that we're not freer even after we stepped down. And I think wryly to myself that I haven't stepped down, once again. Sigh.

But it's okay baby. We're going off in three months. Rockabyebye.
We should count our blessings. So I will not dwell on past mistakes/disappointments.. but be happy that I have what I have and to be thankful for all the good luck that I'm lucky enough to have enjoyed.

Hell Bento attacks you in a very twisted, disturbing way. And it highlights the massive imbalances in the Japanese soc. Every society has its underground culture and its sick, freaky and intensely 'alternative' aspects, but the Japanese have somehow managed to draw international (and mainly Western) for all the wrong things and for all the wrong reasons. Maybe it's because of the whole Oriental allure, the feeling of something so different in the eyes of the westerners. But it seems to be true and the numbers of such practitioners seem to be swelling.

Art modules like these really make you pause in your steps. Well it does for me at least. Because it prompts be (well forces me really) to examine my erstwhile beliefs (yes they have changed so fast huh!) and form new ones.

Which makes you wonder... what?




My brothers seem to write highly amusing emails. Amusing is a nice word, just bemused..it's just the musingness of it that makes it sound somewhat special.

One week of Japanese hiatus and I'm somewhat lost. Argh I need to sort out all the grammar. That happens when tests and the like squeeze their way into your life and threaten to marginalize any free time. Ack.

I think I'm starting to pick up the unhealthy habit of sleeping naps that become longer than just mere naps. *Guilty-look*

Next week promises to be a very busy week because I have so many presentations/reports/etc due when school starts. Keeping my fingers crossed because if it doesn't materialise -- that means I will have two days free, not to mention I won't annoy my econs group. (I hope.) Anyway econs tutorial seems to be the only tutorial that really made sense to me today. (Cheers! to almost perfectness except for one smalllllll error.)

I think I'm starting to realise that you only take part in stuff if you're very free (how I have no idea) or you're those zai ones. As in the really, really zai types.

I wish I could be as swankycool as my seniors.

But nonetheless, to quote Hum SinHoon, Press On, Don't Give Up!

Which means I better start figuring what on earth has been going on for OM for the past few weeks. :D

Labels: school

OMG HANAKIMI Episode 10+11!

I love Ikuta Toma Ikuta Toma Ikuta Toma!!!!

Ackkk!
:)

And MatsuJun=Love! He is such a girl la <3<3!




Spammed by Hanako-san!~*

• If someone says "is this okay?" you say,
For You - Utada Hikaru

• How would you describe yourself?
Shadows of You - Mika Nakashima

• What do you like in a guy/girl?
Haiiro no itomi - Shiina Ringo (duet with Kusano Masamune)
translated as Grey Eyes (hmmm!)

• How do you feel today?
Wonderkind – The Observatory

• What is your life's purpose?
Band Aids - Gym Class Heroes

Thank you.
You know exactly who you are
You played the role of superglue
When I was falling apart
Through all the papercuts
And all the broken hearts
You played the role of superglue
When I was falling apart
Thank you.
You know exactly who you are
Through all the nightmares
And anxiety scares
You played the role of superglue
When I was falling apart
---> Eh, I need a break man.

• What is your motto?
CANDY POP - Heartsdales feat. SOUL'd OUT

• What do your friends think of you?
Inside & Out – Feist

• What do you think of your parents?
ビバ！機内食　～さようならグローバル・アストロライナー～- M-flo - The Replacement Percussionists

• What do you think about very often?
In Life - Blue Sorbet

• What is 2 + 2?
Whooo' R U - Air City OST

• What do you think of your best friend?
Onaji Yoru (The Same Night) ????? - Shiina Ringo

• What do you think of the person you like?
Violet Sauce - Namie Amuro (??!!!)

• What is your life story?
Winter Fall - L'arc~en~Ciel

• What do you want to be when you grow up?
ブラックアウト– Tokyo Jihen (Black Out???)

• What do you think of when you see the person you like?
7th Period, 7 Weeks - Gym Class Heroes

• What will you dance to at your wedding?
Seventh Heaven (whoot!)- L'arc~en~Ciel

• What will they play at your funeral?
Mr Postman - Monkey Majik

• What is your hobby/interest?
Love Situation - Arashi (Yea! Arashi is def my love interest!!!)

• What is your biggest fear?
Like it or Leave it - Aly & AJ

• What is your biggest secret?
ヘムロック(Hemlock) – Mika Nakashima

• What do you think of your friends?
Iro Asenaide (I Hope It'll Never Fade) - Arashi :):)

• What will you post this as?
Gravity - Luna Sea

Labels: random things to do.

歌曲：无状态
歌手：张悬
专辑：my life will

歌词：

我喜欢永恒的短暂
化主动为被动的昏暗
所有公允的景观之中
我都不存在
我喜欢邂逅的对白
抹有某部电影的光彩
你要我给的
应该也如此的是这答案
do……yeah
不要把美好的故事留下来
不去制约被制约没有习惯
我喜欢独白胜过众人的彩排
不要让眼泪成为生活的客串
不去制约被制约等待遗憾
我酷嗜孤独的爱
我酷嗜倔强的爱

Four hours staring at screens and if it wasn't for you guys!
I love my Bizcomm group, honestly!~*
I guess it's really a blessing to have bumped into Ash & Aud on the first day of school, met Taran along the way through ambassadors, and finally Sharon through this class (and she can speak mean Japanese!). I'm really glad for this group :)

Ash & Aud are two people I really owe so much to.

Hurray and I finally found 张悬's first album :) After a very long search.
--->

Three months and a little bit more.




The week so far:

1. Killed by case. Learnt a lot more about a case that was not a marketing case.
2. Got into the IBM YEA semis, way to go to my two brothers.
3. Took part in Bizad sports Carn, it was fun playing today and there was lots of laughter and fun!
4. Saw Daddy off.
5. Got my tickets to US and confirmed my flight. Whee I'm going with Peklyn!
6. And say hi to my new friend. I'm back to Nokia once again.

Labels: roundup

For JS class today, I watched About Love.
We (+はなこ　さん）felt that it was a ________ type of show because everything was overly slow. And it just struck me as forced, the trying-too-hard-to-be-art-film type of a movie. I just thought it was a pretty sappy show. >.< And when it was meant to be funny (I hope it was!), I felt that the funniness was more of the slapsticky type rather than the oh-I-see-type-chuckle sort of humour. Ohwell.

I don't like these type of shows because they make me feel that they're trying too hard. The only thing I liked about the movie was the music. And the cinematography was decent! Oh I did like the photos one of the characters took in the first part of the trilogy.

Today was good with dearest はなこ　さん (Hanako-san) because I think we're just weird JE Fans who like to talk about 嵐 . Grow up us two we should be out of this kind of idol-worshipfulness! Hahahaha. But JE isn't an obsession as it is just a reserve of happiness we can tap into :)

Too much time was spent on the wrong things this week.

Labels: arashi-嵐, fangirling, friends, jap studies, movies, music, musings

IT IS FIVE AM AND I AM STILL AWAKE.

GOD HELP ME.

FINALFINALFINALLLLL!




Airline fares drive me crazy. Anyway as the mother put it very succinctly, if you wanna pay, you have to pay in other ways.

Tomorrow and the insanity will be over. Somewhat.
Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you, tomorrow!

And to my uberly nice and understanding group mates these few weeks, thanks a buncha! Ie my bizcom gang, spankews!
:)

Labels: air tix

I'm back from my run! My first run since what, July? HAHAHAHA.

But running's excellent la, how could I forget the shiokness of running on a nice cool day??

And tickets are booked already! I'm flying offfffffffffffffff in January muahahaha. But it's early in the morning! But I like early morning flights because then I can play computer. At least I hope this airline has its own personal tv screen la >.< Or else!!!
I'm superbly excited but it's going to be quite a long trip and I'll be flying alone! So that's EXCITING! Whoot I hope I don't get kidnapped at the airport and sold to slavery!

AND THERE'S A STOPOVER AT NARITA LA! Bet I can't disembark shucks! Maybe on the way back I'll try to stop by Tokyo?!!! Or something! Hahahaha. But I won't be able to do that alone so that's BOO!

Hahahaah. Okay now I must hurry up and settle things the next two weeks are going to be crazeeeeeeeee!

Nevermind I have my MOMO!!!

Labels: usc, whoo-ee

Labels: Nike

I think I should start counting down to USC!
I was talking to Andy and Varun yesterday and all of us can't wait to be done with this sem and FLYYYY off to USC. Let me say I am EXCITED!!~*~*~*~*

And it's amazing! So once things are more settled (I'm just waiting for Oct 15th!!!) I'll be out and ready to run wheeeeee!

:)

I'm superbly high as you can see.

And yesterday at Xt's bday was fun too! Happy 21st!
:)

Guitar was excellent because I can play chromatics 8 beats faster! Hahahaha. Sorry I'm just a beginner so any increase is still like WHEE!
Whoooot!

Labels: usc, xt's bday

Aiba X MatsuJun!!!

Whee I am so totally happy with that.

Yay so I can be Aiba and then I shall go find my MJ!!!! KYAAAAA~*
Rei-san! I want my aibajun!!!
:):):):)





My favourite Utada songs are Hikari and Final Distance and Travelling!
Automatic is special because that's the first song I heard..

Anyway Utada United is amazing!~*

---->
I attended a pretty enlightening case interview session today and it's superbly stressful thinking on your feet. Think case compressed into 15 minutes of thinking, no financial data (or any kind of data) available. Just imagine you and the interviewer, one question that he poses, that's it... And all you have is logic, persistence and sheer garangness.

But consulting can be jolly exciting and not to mention one of the most challenging jobs because your job is to be Chief Ferret and get to the bottom of a company's problems.

Today was stressfully cool.

------>
Adding on, Pop culture is understood as a collective dreamworld. It provides an escapism that is not an escape from or to anywhere, but an escape of our utopian selves.They articulate, in a disguised form, collective (but repressed) wishes and desires. BUT

Labels: case interviews, utada hikaru

I miss my brother.

How?

Whine.





MATSUMOTO JUN!~*
:)

Rarrrrrrr annoying finance. Boo.

But we did something pretty funny today for sports day. As in a sports vid. I think Ryan and Alexis have been eternally glorified in a rather unglamorous manner :D

Labels: matsumoto jun

Acid Pills
The Observatory

acid pills
twice a day
down to half a pack of smokes a day
have a drink or two
when i've quit a few
watch the habit catch up with you

give me hope
take me home
gently rub my back i may breathe shallow
i never know these things
i'm afraid of things
yes i might have blown a fuse or two you know

maybe now
i may rest
turn the sound of hustle-bustle off
i've always made mistakes
it's just my mental state
watch the fear it keeps up with you

some days are hard to get by

some days are hard to get by. yayness for friends and pizza. thanks dudes, and i gotta say, g, twinnie phasit and ian are the coolest bros. :)

In our mortal world, we now have credit cards, cheques and several forms of remittances (SWIFT and telegraphic transfers). I appeal to religious leaders, whose followers practise the burning of hell money, to study the implications of alternative hell fund transfers."

- Credits to Hannah's blog.
I just ROLF-ed when I read this :D

Labels: the observatory

my heart draws a dream
names with no faces

cool song titles right!

anyway I just ate two bars of chocolate. plus i just ate muah chee.

so yay i can feel the sugar overdose.

but this time it is justified!!! roar!

Labels: zookeeping

Is it over...?
Is it over......?

It's this sense of nostalgia whenever we step down from our posts.

But we'll be assuming others. And one thing I have to say, our pehsident has really done an amazing job. Kudos has to go to the pehsident.




Hearts And Souls
The Observatory

normal days in our normal lives
do we wish for something more?
normal days in our normal lives
where there's usually nothing more
normal days in our normal lives
so what are we waiting for?
normal days in our normal lives
where there's usually nothing more

can we ever know?
the meaning of our hearts and our souls

what are we missing again?

And there's this guilt at times for having luck with things in general. So does karma exist? I don't know. I'm feeling the silly argh-ness of sorting out nonsensical thoughts and listening to the Obs (yes all 3 CDs worth of tracks) doesn't help much.

It's so hard to think coherently. Today was a lesson once again because I couldn't comprehend. And so I felt annoyed with my seemingly lack of ability to understand.

I want a nice dog. I would like to go on long walks with it and then we can sit at the park and just be happy in our thoughts-- happy dog and happy owner. I wish I could have a living, breathing pet with me. And so I can talk to it and it can look at me with those "I understand" type of eyes and I would then feel it was all worth it, if just for Dog. And my type of dog would be a beagle. I love beagles. I do love golden retrievers and spaniels and terriers too. Well to be honest, I can't decide, but when I do see the dog of my life I will know it is The Dog.

Actually I want to work in the zoo. But I might get bird flu. I'm so paranoid. >.<

And Eldest has flown the coop. I feel sad. The feeling didn't really strike until tonight when I was sitting down and then it struck me that it might be the last time we're in the same country. Because when we both graduate, I mightn't be here, and he likewise might not return.

Leaving is hard, and it's just the way life is. We live together, we part, we meet again. Everything is impermanent and change is the only constant (sure is!).

But hopefully I'll meet you soon next year.

I just want a nice fluffy noisy dog. And we'll grow old together.

Labels: dogs, family, the observatory, thoughts.