boo;

Moving on.

2007-10-07T12:55:00.000+08:00

taken by my phone, please excuse the resolution.
The artwork look vely vely good, stuff that I'd do when I was six.

Anyway. I've moooooved over to gotmoo.livejournal.com. This journal shall henceforth by used for picture posting, and for my USC 2008 trip. I'm an annoying git who's got such an inflated sense of ego that she keeps two blogs. :)

Update thy bookmarks. please. :)

ps. and finance was uberly bad. don't even let me start. :(

2007-10-05T23:38:00.000+08:00

After getting all frustrated with my dear Finance... I decided to chill and watch some Music Station. The result being that I UNDERSTOOD IT! MWAHAHAHAHAHA.

One flip to the special page=sudden realisation.

Jun = best!~*

*flies around*

the arrival

2007-10-05T00:59:00.000+08:00

Hyde
A Drop of Colour

Confusion rules this shifting age
And uproar fills the town
My thoughts of you are drowning in the noise
How could you know?
Why should you know me?

You gently nourish my dry skin
A drop of colour saves me from
The fate I'm facing everyday
A single bloom piercing the snowdrift

How softly, the springtime breezes sing
How deeply, the distant mountain breathe
There are so many things to show to you

How softly, the springtime breezes sing
How deeply, the distant mountain breathe
There are so many things to show to you

Anyway, for those comic buffs, do check out Shaun Tan's The Arrival (as pictured above).
http://www.shauntan.net/
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2007/09/comics_arrival.html

To sit in a corner and flipping comics. Preferably in a treehouse.

5: 19

2007-10-04T00:00:00.000+08:00

With one eye on the clock
And one on the phone
It's 5:19....

I must vork hard. I think that that's not too bad a dream isn't it? No matter how unrealistic, how silly it sounds. I shall be "happy"aku! Hanako-san I am looking forward to our fangirling sessions! :)

Arashi = Love and Yamapi = Double Love :) To think that he's studying at Meiji. Rarrrr too bad we don't have an exchange program :( But we do have one with Keio and GUESS WHO WENT THERE??

Missed chances missed chances, so close yet so far.

Focus, kid, like Focus. Econs was great today though! Grouplove! :)

Honestly though, 一人で　ist gut. :) Because then I'm superbly free and I still want to achieve my wish of working in 日本　one day one day. (I wish I could study there though because then it's a lot more different and more ideal but oh well circumstances and the too-late realisation.. should have considered that way back in Sec 1. But we were young and dumb and well things have worked out well nonetheless :)

Hanako-san! I want my １ hour worth of fireworks! Well that's how much money they can afford to burn in Japan! I just don't want to forget anything before I even started :(

Learn learn. I must master some thing. And to show that it hasn't been to waste afterall.

But at the end of the day, if my life could be described in hours, I want to sit not on top of a pile of money, but on top on happy people. :) (like those body-surfing moments ne!)

縁分!!!

2007-10-02T10:52:00.000+08:00

Supposedly, MatsuJun is going to act in a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 隠し砦の三悪人!!!!!!!!!

HA and just when we were talking about this for JS! Hanako-san are you reading this????

To quote Psy, is this 縁分????

Twenty-something.

2007-10-01T12:37:00.000+08:00

Certain songs conjure up memories of space. Not the physical place per se, but rather incidents associated with that moment in the past.

Like how Faye Wong's make me think of listening to 93.3 in lower secondary at the end of the year... And watching rain trickle down the window panes.

Listening to L'arc's Winter Fall reminds me that it was the song I used to play to wake me up everyday in secondary school.

L'arc's Fourth Avenue Cafe is eternally associated with Rurouni Kenshin.

Malice Mizer = ping.

W-inds, Lead... the crazy sec 3 days with qing and sheau ying thrown in...

and slam dunk and fushigi yugi remind me of Sheena, the lender of comics to my whole class.

Qi Ling Wang = 2D, the usual suspects

KKNM= me, sheryl, sheau ying, chei ren, weizhuang, soo shuen...etc

Actually, DHS days were so much fun and definitely loads more carefree. I really loved life in 2D and the insanity. I can't forget how we set up a playstation gaming booth in our class for one of the funfairs...

Not even twenty-one, and we're getting nostalgic.

Culture Vulture, not.

2007-09-30T23:49:00.000+08:00

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.

すべりだい

2007-09-30T17:33:00.000+08:00

すべりだい
椎名林檎

その時全て流れ落ちた
冷たい秋はたった二度目でも
砂場の砂も気持ちも全部
二人の手で滑り落とした

その時全て流れ落ちた
激しい雨には慣れていたけど
お得意の嘘や詮索ごっこが
最後の遊びへ導いていた

end!

2007-09-29T22:16:00.000+08:00

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.

Why I Hate Passive Verbs and Love My Word Processor

2007-09-26T17:57:00.000+08:00

Nouvelle Vague
O Pamela

This a page from my diary
The fifteen day of November
This a page from my diary
What happened that day
I don't remember

But I do remember when
I wrote these words and then
And then reread them
Slowly to myself
Without emotion

And although the feelings changed
The words still sound the same
O Pamela
Tell everyone
Hang my head in shame
Take your name in vain
O Pamela
O Pamela

I have no soul
I'm as cold as December
Maybe twice as cold
And I'm as white as the snow
Because of my age
But my hand was shaking
As I wrote this page

and now the bank is broken :)

2007-09-25T11:21:00.000+08:00

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.

oooo!

2007-09-23T01:18:00.000+08:00

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!

The best years of our lives
The hope of it survives
The facts of life unspoken

The only game in town
I’ll turn the last card down
And now the bank is broken

Nouvelle Vague--Let Me Go

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!

Hell Bento II

2007-09-22T23:57:00.000+08:00

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.

2007-09-21T23:53:00.000+08:00

"Et tu, Brute?"

tell me your politik

2007-09-21T00:00:00.000+08:00

Damn, it's setting in now (so high)
Cuz cartoons are turning into real life
Lemons and limes are fighting
Fighting over straws
Like they were oil filled pipes

And why's the sun writing this song
And why is this funny to me
All of a sudden the mouse comes along
And what he sings brings harmony

You may not understand
Why there's a smile on my face
It's cuz this world could be
Such a wonderful place

Look at the birds
Look at the bees
Look at the skies
Look at the seas
It's a wonderful place

My soul's in my smile
Don't frown
Just get up get up

Look at the planes
Look at the cars
Look at the sun
Look at the stars

The wallpapers moving
My arms and my legs leave
A blur when I swipe
Sap is just oozing
The trees say "smoke blocks the sun"
So for them it's just night

The seven eyes look in through the clouds
And why is that funny to me
And here comes the mouse singing loud
And what he sings it brings harmony

N*e*r*d - Wonderful Place

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?

Closure!

2007-09-19T21:12:00.000+08:00

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

HanaKimi!!!!

2007-09-18T21:26:00.000+08:00

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!

Gravity - Luna Sea

2007-09-18T00:04:00.000+08:00

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

2007-09-17T19:54:00.000+08:00

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.

2007-09-15T22:43:00.001+08:00

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.

Hide & Seek

2007-09-13T23:49:00.000+08:00

Hide and Seek
Imogen Heap

Hide and seek.
Trains and sewing machines. (Oh, you won't catch me around here)
Blood and tears,
They were here first.

Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that you only meant well? Well, of course you did.
Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that it's all for the best? Ah off course it is.
Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that it’s just what we need? And you decided this.
Mmm what you say?
What did she say?

Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth.
Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut-outs.
Speak no feeling, no I don't believe you.
You don't care a bit. You don't care a bit.

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.

2007-09-13T04:46:00.000+08:00

IT IS FIVE AM AND I AM STILL AWAKE.

GOD HELP ME.

FINALFINALFINALLLLL!

Urgh/

2007-09-12T18:55:00.000+08:00

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!
:)

Nike: Run

2007-09-10T21:47:00.001+08:00

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!!!

only in India

2007-09-10T19:53:00.001+08:00

TROJANS!!!

2007-09-08T10:57:00.000+08:00

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!

2007-09-06T22:12:00.001+08:00

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!!!
:):):):)

the flavour of life

2007-09-05T20:12:00.000+08:00

どんな時だって
ずっと二人で
どんな時だって
側にいるから
君という光が私を見つける
真夜中に

No matter what the time
We'll always be together
No matter what the time
Because you're by my side
The light known as "you" finds me,
In the middle of the night

Utada Hikaru - Hikari (光)

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

If it is a crime of popular culture that it has taken our dreams and packaged them and sold them back to us, it is also the achievement of popular culture that it has brought us more and more varied dreams than we could otherwise ever have known.

2007-09-04T23:42:00.000+08:00

I miss my brother.

How?

Whine.

MOMOOOOOO!

2007-09-04T21:01:00.000+08:00

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

your conscience can't go a-sailing up.

2007-09-03T22:29:00.000+08:00

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

my heart draws a dream~*

2007-09-03T15:29:00.000+08:00

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!

mmmmm.

2007-09-02T17:02:00.000+08:00

Sea Of Doubts
The Observatory

no one heeds a warning
no one needs a warning
while their conscience goes a-sailing up
the river life is giving up
an intermittent howling
while your soul is prowling for
a conscience life is giving out
a conscious lie unfolding out

i know he's using me

all the leaves are burning
all the leads are turning up
like dead-end streets and roundabouts
cast across the sea of doubts
my confidence is waning
my confidence is fading from
the lives they have been selling out
the lies they have been handing out

i know he's using me
i know she's using me

2007-09-02T11:37:00.000+08:00

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.

Dog

2007-09-01T00:53:00.000+08:00

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.

潤くん～＊

2007-08-29T09:10:00.000+08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUN~*
One day in Advance :):):)

お誕生日　おめでとう～＊
　

WHOO-EE!~*

2007-08-28T08:56:00.000+08:00

It's been very busily exciting the past few weeks :)
And it's going to get even more exciting woot.

I AM SO HAPPY BECAUSE the best thing happened today!

:)

Yayyyyyy my family rocks :):):):):)

2007-08-26T17:02:00.000+08:00

I think that the majority of the scholarship will go towards paying my air ticket.

So much so that I'm tempted to by by China Airlines because it's whackingly cheap by comparison.

If I can persuade my parents of course.

Ohwell.

Now to be obsessively compulsive.

welcome to matsu-mania :)

2007-08-25T19:20:00.000+08:00

Annoyed that Stardust in only coming in November! ARGH when they're enjoying it over in US. Grrrrrrrrr no simultaneous worldwide release, and we're ahead of TW and JP!!!
ARGH.

But I have my Nouvelle Vague cd (the bande a part)
and
Absolute Garbage.

The queerest of the queer
The strangest of the strange
The coldest of the cool
The lamest of the lame
The numbest of the dumb
I hate to see you here
You choke behind a smile
A fake behind the fear
The queerest of the queer

Finally I can listen to Queer on demand.

Very very lovely. :)

The Happiness PV is totally dedicated to ohmiya fans man. Tskkky!

Okinawa

2007-08-23T14:34:00.000+08:00

*whew, really a massive phew because I managed to print out the survey so I am officially VERY LUCKY!

Jap class was interesting today. I was always intrigued by the whole Jap National Identity (crisis) of sorts. While we have US, Europe and our very own SEA countries* celebrating diversity and multiculturalism (is there even such a word), here we have Nippon happily proclaiming her homogeneity and her extremely singular national identity.

Then in comes Okinawa culture and how now there's a new spin on things because Okinawa is like a throwback to the past and a source of nostalgia.

According to the lecturer (Mr very-cool-funkily-dressed-Romit) Okinawans have the longest life expectancy, high QOL and well a less stressful (dare I say stress-free) type of life. And he did point out, is this really something to champion, publicise?, specially when you put two and two together and you notice that young Okinawans are heading out of the island and onto the main islands for jobs. Investment in Okinawa is afterall, selective, tourism and real estate. Frankly, it's going to become another Hawaii or -insert idyllic island name-.

So it's food for thought. And when you throw in US occupation, you're going to get a real major crisis of identity. Okinawans were once described as noble savages and well, it's not just a non-sequitur of a term but insulting too.

And afterall, the whole Okinawan-nostalgia thingymajig is profit-driven concept. His point being, is your traditional culture still a way of life? Even if we look at home, do we really celebrate traditions and stick to them as strictly as we ought to? Uh uh that's definitely not a way of life, but if you look at tourism ads you would think that we wear cheongsams and play five stones and maybe India= elephants....you know that sorta thing? What is popularly projected as the norm could differ from reality.

Food for thought.

*though I do feel that it's kinda selective diversity if you get what I mean in these times (grumble)

ps. it's interesting to note that Gackt is an Okinawan (he's a coughcough vampire I thought?). Watch his Shima Uta cover. Gackt has got a good voice but it's sure weird he's performing ol' style.

extreme stupidity

2007-08-23T08:25:00.000+08:00

Tiger Biscuits are by Danone. And Danone is a gooooood company! :)
Mmmmmmmmmmmm *munch*

I am one step closer to USC (yay!) but I am annoyed that I failed to pay attention to smalllll details. I think Sean is going to kill me. Ok he replied I think he is going to kill me. *little whine* Ohdear I shall be detained and deported. Hmmm.

Extreme ways are back again
Extreme places I didn't know
I broke everything new again
Everything that I'd owned
I threw it out the windows, came along
Extreme ways I know move apart
The colors of my sea
Perfect color me

Extreme ways that help me
That help me out at night
Extreme places I had gone
But never seen any light
Dirty basements, dirty noise
Dirty places coming through
Extreme worlds alone
Did you ever like it planned

I would stand in line for this
There's always room in life for this

Oh baby, oh baby
Then it fell apart, fell apart
Oh baby, oh baby
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
Oh baby, oh baby
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
Oh baby, oh baby
Like it always does, always does

Moby - Extreme Ways

Off the Bourne OST although I heard this song off Moby's 18 many years back. So my jukebox abilities still exist!

past.

2007-08-20T23:21:00.001+08:00

JUST ONE WEEK EARLIER.
Now, if only I had put my mind to it.
But I am therefore mindless.

Anyway to reply:
Greg ur reply was classic, im going to rmb that comment
Sheryl you should be on your plane now <3!
Dracegal haha yeap been seeing you ard school!
G hahaha no la i have watched far too few movies and I was trying to write about Bourne:U without giving away too much spoilers.

Anyway Bourne is damn good la.
Oh, I hate CORS.

*~*
I'm tired of trying to fit schedules. CORS is such a mentally draining exercise at times that I think I should get one module based on the amount of heartache that it generates. And yes I think I no like you year one freshies. For a while. It's the system, but it's so nice to label people innit (evil!)
And naturally, I'm going to freeze on a LOOOOONG trip on the train tmr from Clementi to the Airport (urgh) but it's for you Grace! :)

Bourne Ultimatum

2007-08-20T01:01:00.000+08:00

Bourne was seriously mind-blowing! I really enjoyed the rollercoaster of a movie and well, afterall if you haven't watched the first two, it's definitely not a problem (well I didn't) because you won't be left too clueless!

Parts of the plot was quite well, typical, but it was nice (sweet!) to see how it was played out. And the fights were just NASTY! The showdown between him and Desh was really the sorta getting down to the basics kind of fight. I was quite O_O when I saw how they were doing it the hard and gritty way. Heh boggles the mind, it's a lot more realistic though!

And the high speed chase was original, although some parts were stretching reality, but it's Bourne, he's close to indestructible.

And frankly it wasn't quite dizzifying as some of my friends complained. I really enjoyed the whole jerkiness of the filming. Pretty different from Matt Damon's persona back in Oceans.

It's a good, entertaining movie, with some originality in the sense that although spy movies have to follow a certain route, this movie has a fair amount of inventiveness in it :)

Plus memorable characters to boot. Frankly, I quite like the 4-15-71 arc. That was wayyyyyy cool. The way Bourne carried it out, wow.

And the ending is quintessentially Bourne. Bourne to do it. Hehe. Okay sorry about the pun!

:)

2007-08-17T01:12:00.000+08:00

愛してる!!!!!
I am just very happy that I know how to write that and I almost guessed it completely today :) YAY MOO YOU ROCK!

Plus. I met my brother's friend who's a little minor celebrity in sg circles.. in jap class no less. What a teeeeeeny weeeeeeny coincidence! :)

And are we facing such a LACK of talent. Hai.

AKIRA SHOCKU!

2007-08-15T19:56:00.000+08:00

TODAY is a day of many startling revelations.

AKIRA SHOCKU would be an appropriate description!

Nonetheless, it's good to know that you're valued. :)

"I am Miss Spink--" "And I am Miss Forcible--"
"Elderly thespians fallen from grace--"
"We never married so we're undivorceable--"
"Tripping on clippings all over the place."

Coraline

Never give the game away
Try to keep me entertained
Don't make it too easy
Leave something.....

For me and my imagination

Sophie Ellis Bextor - Me & My Imagination

pingu it's all your fault now that song is spinning in my head :P

early whirly!

2007-08-15T09:08:00.000+08:00

Anyway, after I got over the happiness at finding random schtuff.
School's in, and a coupla funny things happened.

I was lugging my textbooks and files and whatnots and a kind really nice guy offered me his seat on the bus!!! But then I felt bad/shy/dunnowhat/unprepared so then I refused him. Actually I was quite surprised so then my knee-jerk reaction was to refuse. But it was SUPER NICE OF YOU KINDLY PERSON! :):):)

Then I met this really pretty Czech girl who couldn't find the laundry room, so we managed to find it together. And she has such a pretty name, Pavla :) Yay it's so fun meeting random strangers and doing good deeds!

Thereafter QH came to my room to scan his passport. It was so funny cuz he jumped over a low wall to take a shortcut from the carpark and if I had to do the same I would prob have to climb over it. Note: my friend is 1.8, I am but a measly fraction.

And yes we cleared up the bizad lounge and clubroom too!
I talked to Psy !!! :)

I wish I had a soundproof door sometimes!

And my darlingest CHEE CHEONG FUN is COMING BACKKKKKKKKKK! :)

水嶋ヒロ

2007-08-14T20:35:00.001+08:00

水嶋ヒロ or Mizushima Hiro!

Anyway, he has the same bday as MEEEEEE! megafaints! :):) Yes, Namba has the same birthday as me! Whoo~ :):)
This has made my day!

dedicated to sheep!

2007-08-10T13:56:00.001+08:00

extremely funny

Fiction...not!

2007-08-09T12:51:00.000+08:00

After a while you get fiction overdose and your brains are screaming for NON-FICTIONNNN! Which is what I'm doing. I just realised that I haven't touched a truly fictionnny book in a while. At least a new fictionny book.

Because all I've been reading have been stuff on Kabuki (then again it's a book on the plays, which are semi-fiction but I digress). Stuff on Japan's pop culture and it's more erm cultural aspects, a gaijin's tour of the neon sun, random sf books (ok there we go, fiction did pop up afterall) and watching dvds.

So, non-fiction ist gutt. There's only so much Crime & Punishment you can take afterall. (trust me, I still haven't worked up the guts to plough beyond the first chapter)

Thereby proving that I'm no snobby wobby when it comes to enjoyment, Orange Range's イケナイ太陽 is a superbly funnnnnn song because it's the OPENING SONG for HANAKIMI~* And who can ever forget Nakatsu's Homo ja NAIIIIIII! :):):):)

rabu rabu attack!

2007-08-09T00:44:00.000+08:00

WHYYY is Toma joining NEWS?

My hands now reek of the smell of coins, well not really after I gave them a really good scrub. Anyway counting flag money was really tiring, five hours of it afterall! But it gave me lots of time to figure out the most efficient, energy-saving way of sorting out coins. :)

Gosh school's starting soon, but I'm looking forward to it! :D:D:D:D:D
TOMA IS LOVEEEE!~*

I've not stocked up on stationery because I feel this slight sense of guilt whenever I see the pens bought from yesteryears lying all around my table and my drawers, although I am extremely partial Uniball's Jetstream pens. I pray to them now. :) Because they are smooooth and the ink doesn't fade after a while. That's surprising because these pens often sadden me. Esp roller pens. They have issues with consistency! I am addicted to good pens. Like the Uniball... I refer to that as the expensive pen. And my Bic Orangeness, those are the cheap and good and highly distinctive pens. :)

I lost my notebook for a few days because it got stuck among my Japanese stuff but now it's back. Although I did spend a while worrying (albeit guiltily) about buying a new schedule book.

I am also wondering whether I should wait till I go to US and get the US versh of Harry Potter over there. And I hope USC will hurry up and contact me because the deadline is looming dangerously close and I don't wanna have any last minute bad news and so divine intervention had better come soooooooon. And I have so many places to go to when I'm over at L.A. that I've no idea how I'm going to complete all my visits.

I am getting my bro's STRAT. (Rubs hands in glee)

Somehow, the more I read about Japan, the more mixed I feel about them. Their aversion towards anything non-Japanese; their obsession with purity; the kitschy-wannabe-cuteness of the ladies; etc etc. You can never fully integrate, there's just too much confusion and of course, the innate knee-jerk rejection in me that can refuses to comprehend the numerous absurdities. I guess it's the same feeling I had while reading One Billion Customers (China). It seems that everyone's a cutthroat waiting to spring a deal, with you, the outsider, as the loser. Then again, no race, country etc is perfect, but some are far harder to understand. There's the reminder to not swallow anything wholesale.

Have a free drink. I still have my free Starbucks Voucher (courtesy of Narita Airport) pinned on my note-board. Ahwell.

Fret not, time to watch Porco Rosso.

Understanding the language in one important step. But it can also swing your opinion either way.

Tell me again why I'm walking through that forest for the nth time?

2007-08-07T10:35:00.000+08:00

Why? Anyone who has spent more than a few hours trying to complete a game knows the feeling: you get to a point where there's a sequence of of tasks you know you have to complete to proceed further into the world, but the tasks themselves are more like chores than entertainment, something you have to do, not something you want to do: building roads and laying power lines, conversing with characters when you've already memorized their lines. And yet a large part of the population performing these tasks every day is composed of precisely the demographic group most averse to doing chores. If you have to lock kids in their room to get them to do their math homework, then why are they willing to spend six months smithing in Ultima? You'll often hear video games included on the list of the debased instant gratifications that abound in our culture, right up there with raunchy music videos and fast food. But compared to most forms of popular entertainment, games turn out to be all about delayed gratifications--sometimes so long delayed that you wonder if the gratification is ever going to show.

On rewards.....
IF you create a system where rewards are both clearly defined and achieved by exploring an environment, you'll find human brains drawn to those systems, even if they're made up of virtual characters and simulated sidewalks. It's not the subject matter of these games that attracts........it's the reward systems that draws those players in, and keeps their famously short attention spans locked n the screen....

Everything Bad is Good for You, Steven Johnson

Ran, 乱

2007-08-07T00:36:00.000+08:00

Wow I just watched Ran and it was so so so amazing. Completely blown away!

Ran (Japanese: 乱, "chaos", "wretchedness") is an Oscar-winning 1985 film written and directed by Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. It is a jidaigeki (Japanese period drama) depicting the fall of Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai), an aging Sengoku-era warlord who decides to abdicate as ruler in favor of his three sons. The story is based on legends of the daimyo Mori Motonari, as well as on the Shakespearean tragedy King Lear.
-Wikipedia

Seeing it on small screen doesn't do it justice. This is my first ever full period movie and it was totally absorbing. And the sets were wow. And seeing the Osaka Castle 'burn up' was a fiery sight. (It looks like Osaka Castle but I could be wrong!!) I'm just speechless. Kurosawa is a genius. The last scene was especially poignant, summing up the hopelessness and the bleakness. It's not those sort of endings where you're filled with that sad feeling, but rather, this sad feeling is so inevitable yet so final that it strikes you really hard in the chest.

And the music. It's the flute that does it. It makes you feel so wretched and empty that it kinda gnaws at you.

I'm still speechless. I'm not thinking straight.

Daddy Long Legs

2007-08-06T23:00:00.000+08:00

I'd love pretty hats and things, but I mustn't mortgage the future
to pay for them.

-Daddy Long Legs


That is such an apt line. Pretty beautiful too :)

WHERE IS CACOFONIX?

2007-08-06T00:13:00.000+08:00

1. I forgot to return my Franz Ferd dvd. Which means i'm going to be slapped with a hefty fine!!!!!

2. I found up a $1 coin after losing a 10cent coin. Not a bad tradeoff.

3. I have gotten new books (whee!) and it was for free, or more like my bro passed them to me but YAY I LOVE BOOKS!

4. I've finally (yahoo!) gotten HERO! Wheeeeeeee! I love offbeat humour. :D

5. I am tempted to get Gokusen II

6. Oweek ytd was fun, I know a few vj people coming in, plus I met my old classmate (double whee!)

7. I am getting a STRAT yayyyyyyy.

8. School's starting double whoo-ee.

9. I'm moviiiing back. ARGH!

10. Photos make good memories.

11. ANDDDDD I remembered! When I was borrowing Kurosawa's Ran dvd, the librarian actually said, "You like kurosawa? Very good, he's an excellent director, pity not many young people know him." Which made me grin from ear to ear, and it's like THANKS to the parents. Now it's lying on top of the lappy and so i shall go and watch it soooon! (and pray I don't kena another overdue epic or the library is going to bankrupt me.

12. ps if you ever have money, you can buy me a J Mascis Jazzmaster. It's purple!!! hehehehehehe :) That is so faintworthy!

uh-oh.

2007-08-02T00:52:00.000+08:00

ARGH (@)!*#)@($%*()@$*)(@$

I am supposed to have a test tomorrow, a spelling test no less, and I still haven't studied. Annoying past habits still have not changed.

Good thing is that if things are approved it might be a prolonged stint. Okay now I better mug like hell for this semester or else.... (suspenseful pause) And if things really do surprise then maybe it will be for FOREVER!!!!!! *throws confetti* Okay kidding about that.

And I resisted buying 10000000008902389045820358923 cds today. Because they are so expensive sigh sigh! I am rather saddened by the cut throat pricing sigh sigh sigh. Ohwell! Anyway I am glad that four modules are settled!

randoms

2007-07-31T23:26:00.000+08:00

________ says:
ahaha u noe i was talkin to a frend abt tt overseas guy
________ says:
n u noe wat she called me..
________ says:
lol
________ says:
an offshore mistress
________ says:
lol
________ says:
very creative ah
[harlequiin] いろは |30.8| says:
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
[harlequiin] いろは |30.8| says:
you wad
[harlequiin] いろは |30.8| says:
oil rig ah

hmm okay I just thought it was quite funny.

* and yes names were changed to protect the innocent (cough)
** and yes i'm lazy to type in Proper English.. on msn :D

weekend.

2007-07-29T23:22:00.000+08:00

trains and sewing machines! :)
one year on and I might be gone from here/
what a thought/
rainy, rainy sunday//

and nylarehs! I saw the fireworks too, at the marina bay golf course :) was pretty spectacular albeit short.
and I saw someone pretty unexpected, what a pleasant surprise :)

yay///

flutter'

2007-07-26T17:51:00.000+08:00

http://www.beowulfmovie.com/

Beowulf has gone live. I wonder how I'd cope without the likes of Gaiman, Pratchett, McKean..in fact I was contemplating Stardust esp since c'mon I admit it the paperback is cheap.

Potter books going for 20k pounds, anyone? Tea, and scones included? Wow that's some hard buying man, don't think my potter paperbacks from '97 are going to fetch such a swanky price. :) Still, I'm glad that I found the book (or should I say the Mother found it for me!) before it hit mainstream. And I still can remember thinking it's bloody brilliant the first time I read it, little knowing how big the series would become.

Well, too many choices can be quite a headache. Uncertainty isn't always so fab at times hehe. :) Still, what's life without a little flutter from time to time innit!

お茶

2007-07-26T00:46:00.000+08:00

This made me think of Green Tea. And also the dodgy advertisment for Heaven & Earth. Which is funny, in a weird Godzilla way.

But now, I'm swearing off (or more like ever since the Trip) anything packaged as Green Tea/Jasmine Green Tea etc etc because it's too sweet and too much sugar is bad for you. I'll learn how to drink it the original, unadulterated way every time.

Tea ceremonies still seem to be a closed door to me.

I won't be quite losing my sense of self as of now so let's see.

*~*
//HanaKimi Episode 4, soon.
//Second-hand browsing books was good. Got very good buys, especially for poor students like myself. First buys are so extravagantly priced it's such a rip-off. :(
//Iroha has two discarded characters.
//Travelling by bus is infinitely more comfortable than train.
//Sheep is 'da bez. :) Our crazy spontaneous sessions are awesome.
//Nakatsu.
//20 years, oh dear.
//Wasn't that Savage Garden song 8 years old already?
//I'm running out of library card space, I'm running out of time.
//OCL is closing, sadly. 9>.<6

Pangrams

2007-07-24T23:49:00.000+08:00

Pangrams are fun, and they're especially useful when trying to memorise the Hiragana characters. The most common english one would be: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" Recall the Mother making us learn that for five-finger typing, one skill I never regretted learning.

Italian: "Ma la volpe col suo balzo ha raggiunto il quieto Fido"
*But the fox with his leap has reached the quiet Fido (without foreign letters)

And now for hiragana, we have Iroha (いろは)

いろはにほへと
ちりぬるをわか
よたれそつねな
らむうゐのおく
やまけふこえて
あさきゆめみし
ゑひもせす

-attributed to the priest Kukai, but now perhaps to the later Heian period.

色は匂へと
散りぬるを我か
世誰そ常な
らむ有為の奥山
今日越えて
浅き夢見し
酔ひもせす

-kanji and kana version

An English translation by Professor Ryuichi Abe reads as:

Although its scent still lingers on
the form of a flower has scattered away
For whom will the glory
of this world remain unchanged?
Arriving today at the yonder side
of the deep mountains of evanescent existence
We shall never allow ourselves to drift away
intoxicated, in the world of shallow dreams.

-wikipedia

It's amazing how learning a foreign language can expand your horizons huh.

Bambino~*

2007-07-24T03:23:00.000+08:00

For her Japanese recordings, she has used the name Utada Hikaru (宇多田ヒカル, Utada Hikaru), with her given name in katakana. Unlike most Japanese artists, she became well known in the English-speaking world under this surname-first name ordering, since her name has been romanized only in that order for the Japanese domestic market.

-crunchyroll.com

No wonder, I was wondering why ヒカル was in katakana. Yay I think learning a new language is beautiful~* and it really enriches you, because you get to understand a new culture on a deeper level.
And I finished Bambino, that show that I got hooked on while I was in Japan :) It's actually very motivating, and Italian food was phwoar :) plus Jun's character had a great never-say-die attitude that I found very inspiring!

I don't care about anything
どうでもいいって顔しながら
ずっとずっと祈っていた
無い物ねだり
ちょっとやそっとで満足できない
だからkeep trying

宇多田ヒカル- Keep trying

On a random note, I was totally blown away by Tommy Emmanuel's concert on Saturday. He was amazing, and his fingerstyle...I now understand what Erwin means when he gushes about how G3 goes back in time. Because Tommy Emmanuel is totally worth the whole worshipfulness and drool on the floor stuff. Serious, he's such a great guitarist. And he gave a wonderful show-- I was so blown away by his innovative technique involving the use of the guitar body to mimic the sound of scraping ie sand, esp for his Masai Tribe and the Aborigine pieces. That was a stroke of genius.

The Aborigine piece was so mind-blowing. I was really caught by how it felt like he was mimicking the whole jungle---that was some innovative use of the amplifiers. :) I respect him so much, and he's so humble, I gush, oh yes I gush.

Plus I got his autograph and a photo. He was so nice and warm, and he had the kindest eyes ever. Honestly, I felt so humbled in front of him. AMAZING! I really feel that this concert was worth every cent, and it was SOLD-OUT. Whoo! I love it!

日本語　IV

2007-07-20T03:05:00.000+08:00

Classes absolutely rock. I'm utterly drained after 2.5 hours of
これはだれのてちょうですか？
それは。。。。？、あのひと　は。。。。。？etc etc
Although inputting in 平仮名　is rather tiring especially since not everything follows phonetics if you know what I mean.

But it's been amazing especially when you actually understand a wee little now. Especially when me and エウゲネ-　さん　understood the first page (well some parts) of　our textbook! Hehe! PERSEVERE!~*　And finally、 we're done with　平仮名! :) Onto 片仮名！

じや、また　あした～＊

where the laptops' cheap and the lights are pretty

2007-07-19T01:08:00.000+08:00

Ack sometimes I wonder if I'm chinese. :|
Smacks self.

Anyway I'm doing the DVD Reload thang again.

Jun's got new hair again! Still love his Gokusen 'do the best though :) And KimuTaku was doing his Gatsby moves on tv again. That just cracks me up, period.
And why is Taiwan loads more funnnnn boo! MTV Taiwan is the closest I can get to J/K overdose. When are they shipping the albums to Singapore!!!! Boo.
Clazziquai's getting heavy promo airplay.

Osca is weird, period. It even gives me creeps at the thought of Shiina Ringo doing a Hollaback Girl. Seriously ever since I saw the Himitsu rap pv, I lost faith in TJ. NOOOOOO! *I am not against japanese rap (look at m~flo) but NOT TJ. TJ is not about that. You do not like TJ because of OSCA. I don't want them jumping on the bandwagon thinking that TJ is OSCA. If you do, arghhhh no man that is not the TJ sound. Where are the Kao, Sounan, Kuramaya-san and even Shuruba sounds! The new crew is not to my liking!!!!!!!! :|:|:|:|

Anyway Cosmicolor by M~flo is glad-stuff. I'm so glad they've gone back to the old skool. Reminds me of the times when they were with and Lisa. There's really quite a few gems off this album:
- Stuck In Your Love with Melody
- Summer Time Love with Emi, Ryohei
- Picture Perfect Love with Monkey Majik
- Love Me After 12am - feat Alex from Clazziquai fame

etc. Namie Amuro's and Bonnie Pink's numbers are pretty good. I like Summer Time Love and Love me after 12am because they really grow on you. I've been plugging this album since Japan May June 07 and it's gotten better :) Meet me there at Akihibara City where the laptops' cheap and the lights are pretty! I love Alex's voice! Smooth :)

I am blogging more often haha

2007-07-17T10:39:00.000+08:00

The Mother is whatchamacallit an ORACLE. Okay so if she's right about it all then it's going to be bloomin' good!

Hurray it's winding up, but it's been one awesome experience~*

And it's been amazing re-living Gaiman, I can't wait for STARDUST! :):):)

And YOU have finally passed your driving, so let's ELOPE!!! whee-hee! Paprika! Paprika!! And funnily enough, my kung-fu friend wrote me an email to tell me he's having a bit part in a movie that'll come out next year! (hahahahaha!~*)

ALL HAIL NEIL GAIMAN! WORSHIP HIM!
STARDUST STARDUST STARDUST!!!

beading whoo-ee

2007-07-17T03:37:00.000+08:00

Eeeeeyur I'm really addicted to this thing called beading :):) But am pretty satisfied with the nifty stuff a little wire can do, and it's officially BAD because I'm going to kill my eyesight at this rate. :) (hurhur!)

Beading is highly therapeutic though, and it makes one 'appi :)

Am highly inspired to do more wirework tho' the current standards are somewhat questionable hahah, and I shall be creating funky wunky highly original stuff so yayness and shall give them to the Mommy and the Brother's Girlfriend who are the few guinea pigs that I am testing them out on :)

Yay hobbies really, really rule this planet :) My Planet :D

I think I could have been a dentist :)

And I think it's time to be more serious. I have been slacking ever since er, a long long time ago. So must not slack so much. Or else I will truly lose it :)

dim sum dollies

2007-07-16T11:35:00.000+08:00

this particular edition was pretty good! The good-natured jibes, the craziness of Hossan Leong (who pretty much stole the show from the dollies) and of course, the fantastic sets~* There must've been a lot of effort in this years sets because they weren't some simple thang, gosh imagine the work behind that! Kudos to Elaine Chan who did a great job with the music, wah got bossa nova-ish jazzy bits sommore.

And Selena Tan + Glen Goei truly outdid themselves this time. This years craziness trebled!

And we agreed that Pam Oei has got powerful lungs (I will never forget her ROCKER persona) and Emma Yong we felt, has got a pretty polished voice :)

So that I won't forget, they punned everything from:

IR (NTUC Comfort Ladies hurhur)
POTC (Capt'n Jack Shallow and DVD, Dirty Very Dirty Pirates)
Mao Zedong, Ghandi, Zheng He, Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, Julius Ceaser-->classic with Hossan Leong playing all the roles cept one
En-Blocs (in Kampung Style sommore)
Kamikaze soldiers (token classic)
Sarong Party Girls (19th Century Style~)
Ms Singapore (HL was amazing I tell you, his legs put all females' legs to shame!)
Sang Nila Utama (Mat Rocker persona, another HL moment)

etc. etc

it was good. this year was even better than the previous one! :) Kudos to our quintessentially LOCAL productions. This one got class, ohkay!

ta.

2007-07-15T12:25:00.000+08:00

Aiyoh, and that was one of the Starbucks outlets I really liked. And it's not a real eyesore, but sigh, touche.

Actually, if you want to see things in a cetain way, and to interpret it that way you want to, you will. The human mind is amazingly flexible.

Gaki no Tsukai is a cultural phenomenon in some ways, to be listed in a pop encyclopedia; to be two of the top money earners in jap (dubiously honoured with paying the highest taxes, and Hamada's comment is classic!); to have a show that's been running since 1989...etc. Something must be right afterall.

Kabuki is very intriguing. I deffo would like to see a Kabuki play one day.

花ざかりの君たちへ

2007-07-15T01:06:00.000+08:00

花ざかりの君たちへ!~*

It's finally out in Japan and Mizuki is sooooo much better (well I adored Horokita Maki since Nobuta wa Produce, and she's younger than meeeeeeee, Inuoe Mao too OHNOOOOOO!). :) Thanks June for adding to the addiction~*

Whoo-ee j-doramas are the addiction man! Yipppppeeeee!

Although I wonder why the jap versh's always come out after the taiwanese ones (hyd and now hanakimi) Hmm. And Thank Goodness the jap versions are so much better!!!

Although Nanba is disappointing cuz he's supposed to be a mega playboy! :( Nevermind, watch on, there's bound to be surprises! BANZAI!!!! *throws confetti*

Spasmopriv

2007-07-14T13:38:00.000+08:00

Ah how would I survive without you :)

Omedetou~

2007-07-12T00:23:00.000+08:00

Yayness to Arashi and the HYD cast! :):) Numero Uno and breaking records~*
Next batch I'll be looking out for will be:
[Album] MONKEY MAJIK - Sora wa Marude ->July 25th
[Single] L'Arc～en～Ciel - MY HEART DRAWS A DREAM -> Aug 29th

:):):)

And let's go Dubai!~* Dubai could be a potential stopover now that Uncle ___ is going to teach there!

the wonderful miracle

2007-07-11T12:58:00.000+08:00

Reverse reverse.

Eeeps trying to clear my brother's room is like entering a swamp. I think I might never come out alive sometimes. :( Siblings (grumbles) He's coming back today, so he's going to have a pleasant surprise, and I'm going to charge him for clearing up all his books. He didn't even clear his textbooks from last century! Good thing is that we're donating them all to Salvation Army so I hope that someone will benefit because many of the books are still in extremely decent condition.

And I finally threw away my jc mechanics notes. Out. Out. Out. And lots of others, and I'm only keeping the literature essays because they were once-upon-a-time my source of pride. :) I really liked Lit. And it's amazing that ALL of us studied Animal Farm, which is a killer text for basic level. I love that book.

*~*
I read Ibsen's A Doll House Play (finally!) last night and it was really mind-blowing. The last parts were stunning, and to add to the atmosphere, right after I read the last line the lights went out (blackout). Talk about dramatic effect!
------
NORA. [Looking at her watch.] It's not so late yet. Sit down, Torvald; you and I have much to say to each other.
[She sits at one side of the table.

HELMER. Nora- what does this mean? Your cold, set face-

NORA. Sit down. It will take some time. I have much to talk over with you.

[HELMER sits at the other side of the table.

HELMER. You alarm me, Nora. I don't understand you.

NORA. No, that is just it. You don't understand me; and I have never understood you- till to-night. No, don't interrupt. Only listen to what I say.- We must come to a final settlement, Torvald.
HELMER. How do you mean?

NORA. [After a short silence.] Does not one thing strike you as we sit here?

HELMER. What should strike me?

NORA. We have been married eight years. Does it not strike you that this is the first time we two, you and I, man and wife, have talked together seriously?

HELMER. Seriously! What do you call seriously?

NORA. During eight whole years, and more- ever since the day we first met- we have never exchanged one serious word about serious things.

HELMER. Was I always to trouble you with the cares you could not help me to bear?

NORA. I am not talking of cares. I say that we have never yet set ourselves seriously to get to the bottom of anything.

HELMER. Why, my dearest Nora, what have you to do with serious things?

NORA. There we have it! You have never understood me.- I have had great injustice done me, Torvald; first by father, and then by you.

HELMER. What! By your father and me?- By us, who have loved you more than all the world?

NORA. [Shaking her head.] You have never loved me. You only thought it amusing to be in love with me.

HELMER. Why, Nora, what a thing to say!

NORA. Yes, it is so, Torvald. While I was at home with father, he used to tell me all his opinions, and I held the same opinions. If I had others I said nothing about them, because he wouldn't have liked it. He used to call me his doll-child, and played with me as I played with my dolls. Then I came to live in your house-

HELMER. What an expression to use about our marriage!

NORA. [Undisturbed.] I mean I passed from father's hands into yours. You arranged everything according to your taste; and I got the same tastes as you; or I pretended to- I don't know which- both ways, perhaps; sometimes one and sometimes the other. When I look back on it now, I seem to have been living here like a beggar, from hand to mouth. I lived by performing tricks for you, Torvald. But you would have it so. You and father have done me a great wrong. It is your fault that my life has come to nothing.

HELMER. Why, Nora, how unreasonable and ungrateful you are! Have you not been happy here?

NORA. No, never. I thought I was; but I never was.

HELMER. Not- not happy!

NORA. No; only merry. And you have always been so kind to me. But our house has been nothing but a play-room. Here I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I used to be papa's doll-child. And the children, in their turn, have been my dolls. I thought it fun when you played with me, just as the children did when I played with them.

That has been our marriage, Torvald.
-----
*~*
Nora slowly crumbles the doll-wife persona before revealing the tragic heroine she truly is. It was quite a masterful stroke. The build-up was fantastic, and how true-how true-! Nora-the doll, the unformed being- to the true human being she seeks to become.

It was classic, although Ibsen wrote this with no obvious intent to champion women's rights, or feminism, or any of those themes along those lines. Rather, he was hoping for 'a revolution in the spirit of man...'.

sunday, 02

2007-07-10T13:23:00.000+08:00

sunday

2007-07-10T13:21:00.000+08:00

before my camera's batteries glamourously died. The next camera is going to use AA batteries. I hate recharging. :(

When I'm old I shall wear midnight

2007-07-09T19:26:00.000+08:00

Eh, don't use my name, anyhow, leh.

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Jenny Joseph

The most merciful thing in the world...is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. - h.p.lovecraft

2007-07-07T23:09:00.000+08:00

Nightwatch is really up there, like Sandman, The Dark Knight Returns...etc. Unfortunately I'm not like the bros, and I only read the big names. (I'm lousy I know!) I think it's really the internet. If I count the amount of time I wasted (yes wasted) on the 'net, I probably could have time to finish all the Sandman Companion books (yes the official and unofficial ones), the whole X Men Series from its inception to the current ___ edition, and everything from Marvel & DC.

It's pretty interesting observing (albeit superficially,) the characters from DC and Marvel. I gotta admit that Gaiman's getting me into the whole comics fest. Though, I spent a fair amount of time on manga, rather than comics. Jeez, I rather ruefully recall the first comic I read...I'm not going to say what it is because it's shoujo ACK! Then I got addicted to the shonen ones and my world CHANGED. るろうに剣心 is still one of my all time favourites! I mean, it's gotta to be darn good for me to still want to read it 7 years on....! Even the bro liked it! Ha and well at the very least, manga helped me learn my 繁体字! :D

LOL those were the good ol' days, but reading the Sandman Companion serves to affirm that I won't grow out of comics or manga, for sure.

I have chucked one of my notebooks somewhere. My room has its own weirdness probably from me.

I think that's such a useful skill to know!

And mah family rocks I tell you! I have the bestest family! Although a dog would make it complete~*

How man I just have so much to do I don't ever want to stop being in _now_.

Now is just about right. Couldn't time stop just for a while? I think it's the effect of Summer.　夏!!!! :) hahahaha I'm thinking of L'arc's 夏の憂鬱 song although I'm feelin' far from it! Still, it's such a song to bring back memories of L'arc. I love L'arc and what their name represents! Glad that they're cleaner nowadays, I'm rather far from the Visual Kei days of yore.

Argh I can't believe I'm actually liking We Can Make it!. AH well. HAPPY SUMMER MUSIC CHU~*!

Ha, I realise I do so appreciate the Redemption storylines.

Oh and Veni, Vedi, Vetinari never fails to crack me up.

All around me darkness gathers,
Fading is the sun that shone;
We must speak of other matters:
You can be me when I'm gone.
- Neil Gaiman

hop, skip, run

2007-07-05T23:49:00.000+08:00

Q: Are you a purple or a green blood?
End --->

*~*

The thing is that a leopard doesn't change its spots, or maybe a leopard is one big spot. That meaning if you use a spot remover, the whole leopard will disappear since the leopard is more like a mass of spots than anything else. Which also means that I'm getting too much pratchett again. When you have tons of books and the ability to borrow 16 library books at a shot...
What gives?

*~*
Mhhhmmmmm Kame actually reminds me of Keita Tachibana from some angles. I love the andro look :):):) So if you look like Kame, Yamapi or *Matsujun* (draws stars) you can be my friend, or Hannah's, or June's for that matter. Although I am still hopelessly devoted to TakuKimu and Hyde. :) Don't worry, I just collect, but I pay my dues to those who were there at the very beginning! Whee-ness for such celebrities! They are motivation!- Surprisingly, but it's true.

*~*
And now the Brother (the elder) has started texting me in Japanese. You hold me in great esteem when I'm completely befuddled at times.
Classes are going amazingly well, the classmates have been swell, especially the three teenage girls, ah youth! And interestingly enough, three young fellas taking it are my age, waiting to ord from army I think! Lucky lucky!
And my pretty teacher is so young! Ah what will I be doing at her age..?

And now I'm wondering whether I should take a different path! :) This new path, if I keep at it for at least another 5 more years, may open up new opportunities!

Thing is, I really don't wanna move, but I've got a feeling that I'll be evicted (ok that's being melodramatic) in less than a year. Dearme.

Oh and wonderful thing is that, it's all MINE MINE MINE for one week.

Now to ferret for the green tea pocky, unless the Ghost of the Breakfast Solvers has decided to pay an unprecedented visit across the seas.

時をかける少女

2007-07-04T11:30:00.000+08:00

After our photo (digi+lomo) jaunt at Chinatown was somewhat spoiled by the rain, we headed off to Orchard on a whim to watch 時をかける少女 (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time). And it was jolly good, the storyline had some pretty unexpected twists (especially so at that moment you're watching it!), plus I thought that the animation was quite amazing. Reminds me The Cat Returns because of the very good use of technology. Especially the differential focusing effect. I was totally entranced!

The best bits were the parts when she was travelling down the hill!
The by-the-lake/river-bit
And the STOP TIME bit.

Can't say too much without spoiling it!

And of course, the storyline was nice and lighthearted, which is such a welcome change!!! :)

I'll see you in the future~*

And we had lovely Hokkien Mee, was fun observing kids with identical outfits (what a capital idea, saves the hassle of trying to think for three kids.)

Couple tees are a no, unless you can pull it off (ie koreans)
I am HG, you are CCF <3!

Finally, I love spontaneity! Isn't it the spice o' life! :)

And Neil GAIMAN IS AMAZING! I just re-read 1602, and the Sandman Companion, and gosh, his genius is legendary!!!

AHHHH!

2007-07-04T01:39:00.000+08:00

Ha I have found another love of my life! :) Hannah you rock cause we are both Blood Traitors wheeeee!

Okay somewhat kidding but next sem is going to be AWESOME I think I am going to be HAPPY! WHOOT! :) Can I say that I am so happy with ice cube divination~~

Plus I had a nuclear meltdown watching Arashi! AH~~~~~~

sakura singapore!

2007-07-02T23:51:00.000+08:00

Thank goodness for pretty trees and SAKURA BLOSSOMS SG STYLE! :)
I am happy since I can see it everyday from the balcony! :)

04S31 on a Sunday

2007-07-01T16:50:00.000+08:00

- A pretty high turnout, yes I will upload them on fb :D
- Cherry trees (kinda) at my home, quite a rare sight, but it's now in full bloom so yay!
- The Other Toy Shop at Taka is so funky and chock-full of accessories
- Met an Israeli gentleman at TakaSquare in a rather surreal and unusual encounter
- Plus on friday I did two good deeds so we will pay it forward, as they say!

WEEKEND AH!

2007-06-29T23:48:00.000+08:00

I am addicted to ARASHI! 嵐嵐嵐嵐嵐嵐嵐嵐嵐嵐嵐!!!!!!!!
Because they sing HAPPY MUSIC!

Ken Hirai is so funny. He was so impressed with 嵐 that he was swooning over their Kitto Daijoubu single :D hehehehehe.

This is the original single! As sung by 嵐! Gosh this is so fangirly but I can't help it, 嵐 does this to youuuuu!

Anyway yes weekend is HERE!

ﾆﾝ

2007-06-29T12:28:00.000+08:00

はじめまして。
わたしは　ﾆﾝです。
どうぞ　よろしく。

the week (x2) so far.

2007-06-26T11:14:00.000+08:00

I am now (tentatively, subject to approval and my erhem subsequent semester's results) going to be (hopefully) $3, 000 richer.

Well that's like a typical 4x one's monthly pay, so getting a windfall in one night just confirms the fact that money is not easy to earn.

To sum up life so far:

Orchard Library (Has a very good pratchett section, 3 rows can you imagine I was in heaven heh heh heh)

Calls ( I think I'm sure a demure pest to these people nowadays)

Shoes ( I wish I can walk in slippers or sports shoes or birks all the time because finding a decent pair of shoes for my weirdly sized delicate feet is such an *urgggh uphill task)

Mediacorp (damn cool place just helluva far to walk into, so you had better take a taxi if you're ever going to visit mediacorp, and that's why taxis are always waiting outside that place)

Books (I am happily swimming in just about 12 of them with a few due soon help I have not returned them hurhur)

Shopping (has been terrible so I shall not be buying clothes because the stuff they're putting out are utterly trashy. Ytd me and the worm tried to look at Mango and etc but I have no idea what sort of rubbish they are trying to pass off as clothes and worse still they aren't even cheap. And besides now is not the time to waste money because I need to save for more important stuff, like stationery hur.)

Studying (Jap is uphill but I am not giving up I shall keep at it like how a dog will harass a piece of cloth hurhur)

Life (some rather unusual happenings although I still think that it's rather hmf afterall it is a large amount but anyway we shall not discuss it)

Promises (I am also learning to be a total lout when keeping certain promises because well you've never kept yours have you. Neways I'm tired of non-committal answers, if the answer is no I can't make it you should say so but yes, time to get more louty)

Meetups (Sat meeting for the s31-ers at say..? Orchard? hahahaha it seems we always end up there; and the next week's one with the 6J people at timbre)

Timbre (which makes me imagine of TIMBER! or so people shout when a falling piece of lumber comes your way)

Quotes (Love it how McCloud describes the transition between different panels in a comic book as similar to a trapeze artist soaring from bar to bar, leaving the reader free to imagine and to imagine between panels, before being safely caught by the subsequent (and almost always ever-present) panel)

Etc (fill in your impact on my life then)

weekend

2007-06-25T00:00:00.000+08:00

heaven is overrated.

2007-06-23T12:49:00.000+08:00

Tell me did you sail across the sun
Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is overrated

Train - Drops of Jupiter

it rains, so it pours.

2007-06-23T00:09:00.000+08:00

足取りも軽くして　チャオ　チャオ
取るものも取り敢えず　チャオ　チャオ
ライオンがうなるみたいな雷鳴が
退散を促している
どうなるの？
そう・・・もうすぐ雨

大嫌い雨なんか　チャオ　チャオ
もう少し居たいのに　チャオ　チャオ
快感が解散に変わる瞬間を
ライオンが急がせたのは
明白No!迷惑
It's gonna rain!

Bonnie Pink - It's gonna rain.

"miihaa" (ミーハー)

2007-06-21T21:33:00.001+08:00

While I was mulling over taking a JS minor and thinking that I might spend the next few years shuttling between here and arts (which isn't that bad since it is walkable,)... It might be quite an interesting jaunt. Although I will have to take one language module (at the very least!) so I'll leave that to year 3 and beyond...? Marxy is good research for his social commentaries on Jap society in general (thanks for the link piiing), and well, the fact that it's written in english is such a boon considering how most articles that go beyond pop culture are usually written by their own Japanese. Plus it will be in Japanese, which I will be unable to understand, at least for another 10 years.

The Japanese are fascinating, well about as fascinating as fire. Nice from a distance but not too close. I recall what Pam said about their repressedness/suppressedness. My sentiments exactly especially after the Holiday. They're rather like the frozen lakes in winter. You're not quite sure of the turbulence that may be bubbling under that layer of ice/serenity.

I'm not that enamoured of the society (although my own society is far from being saint-like too). However, they seem to capture the world's attention, especially in the marketing/cinematic realm. It's interesting to note how many American cult-flicks/blockbusters were inspired by some sort of Japanisms
- The Matrix, those green squiggley words were katakana characters
- Blade Runner with its post-apocalyptic under-(or was is over-?) tones, set in a seedy Harajuku and the random Japanese Ramen lady with the quintessential Japanese mannerisms
- Even Star Wars was supposedly inspired by Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo (if my memory serves me well) and notice how Vader's helmet seems rather close to those of samurai's kabuto helmet.. Amidala looks like a new-age-stylised Geisha with her whiteness.
- Tarantino's Kill Bill with it's mish-mash of Asian culture and a Go Go Yubari thrown in for good measure.

*~*
I do worry if I will be reduced to a mere "miihaa" (ミーハー) type of person, which I quote from marxy,
the problem implied in "miihaa" has shifted from a general problematic interest in low culture to the callousness of being interested in a specific pop culture item solely because it is popular.
And I (ulp) recognise a disturbing trend. If you would ask me or any teenager about the reason behind our interest in certain things, our answers would probably go along the lines of 'because it's popular'.. midst all that bluster.
Applying that logic: So I could be interested in: ----
- Matsumoto Jun because he is popular
- L'arc because they are popular
- The latest (insert product) because it is popular....and for no real reason, although of course I (would like to, very muchly thank you) believe that I would be interested in things beyond just the mere popularity. Instead, I would truly appreciate the music bands were making, their dedication to the craft, and etc. In another words, a genuine appreciation of (insert product/band/etc) rather than a superficial it's-popular-so-therefore-I-like-it-too kind of reason.

Conversely, that could be also a reason why many of us try to pursue more 'indie' interests, perhaps to justify and to prove that we like an Act, for instance, due to their true skill and not some skilful marketing. (Of course, the eventual popularity would be coincidental, or a see-I-told-you-so kind of righteous pat on the back in recognition of one's good taste).

And to my horror, maybe my interest in the pop culture of Japan (as a whole) could be summed up with miihaa as well. Groan.