visions of clarity...do as infinity

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

I've been listening to Legend (Main) and Yuki no Hana, both by Nakashima Mika, on loop for hours. O.o I have no idea why.

And I totally agree with Joyce. Valentino = beautifully feminine! ^_^ Especially the S/S '06 Collection. Simply gorgeous I must say. And also completely out of range. Sigh. Oh to be able to wear a Valentino gown..

I'm so sleepy. It's extremely early in the morning. I don't know why I'm still awake. But maybe the time explains my incoherence.=S

I sometimes wonder who actually reads this. Because you can never tell right?

Then after that, I wonder who I'm writing this for. Is it for myself? Or am I writing it because I want others to read it?

By posting it online, it would be tantamount to allowing and wanting others to read it. But at the same time, you have to write for yourself in order to actually be able to write something. Some people can't understand blogs. "Why would you want other poeple to read your private thoughts?!" they say. From what people post though, no one actually truly pours out everything online. That would be virtual suicide wouldn't it. Surely some vulnerability should be kept to ourselves. If all was exposed, wouldn't that leave you defenceless against a cruel world? Of course, you could tell me I'm over generalizing. But allow to me to over generalize again: I'm pretty sure a lot of people feel that way.

It's one thing to think in a certain way, it's another to express it. They can be so very different. Thinking it, you'd simply let out the flood, but when you say it, you've got to be careful. What you say can have implications, it could hurt or offend.

So when writing online, one would then have to be careful about what one says.

Are you then truly writing for yourself?

~ witchstone

Drama : From Deviant Art

Hello =)

Dinner was rather good! Enjoyable certainly but I have to say.. Les Amis impressed me more. ^_^

St Julien is located at Waterboat House and overlooks the Singapore River. The building itself is lovely and well-lit and when you enter, you walk through a bar before getting to the main restaurant. There is a wine bar on the second level that is run by Bacchus [they have a shop at Paragon]. As you enter the restaurant, there's a glass walkway, followed by a view of the kitchen, not a show-kitchen though. We were led to our table that overlooked the River. Sadly, the Esplanade Bridge blocks some of the view, you'd do better at One Fullerton. It was lovely though, seeing the light reflecting off the water.

We were duly presented with the menu. There was the option of the tasting menu and a la carte. My parents had a la carte while my brother and I had the tasting menu. My mom ordered the Maine Lobster with avocado while my Dad ordered casoulette of Escargot with tomato concassee for Entrees. For the main course, my mother had the L'Huppe Duck and my dad had Pigeon, both specialties of St Julien.

Before our actual order came, they presented us with an amuse bouche of the raw Spanner Crab with sea urchin dressing. They have this fabulous garnish that seems a bit like coriander and exudes a spicy sort of taste. It went fabulously with everything that it came with. This garnish was like a miniature sprout with the smallest, cutest little leaves. Very nice. ^_^ The raw crab was a bit weird but it went very well with the dressing. The croustini that accompanied it also provided a nice textural contrast. The dressing was rich, without being overpowering with the taste of sea urchin. It was also a pretty orange that complemented the glassy white flesh of the crab.

For starters: [I'll start with my parent's food before talking about the tasting menu my brother and I had.]

The Maine Lobster was amazingly delicious. It wasn't fishy at all, something that tends to plague cold seafood. In fact, the rich firm chunks of lobster meat complemented the soft texture of the avocado well and the dressing bound the 2 together in a nice harmony. I loved my dad's escargot. It came in a little pan and emitted steam merrily. The escargot was accompanied by the fabulous tomato concassee and a very light and delicate cheese that was absolutely delicious. The concassee was amazing. I loved it! From what my mom and I guessed, it seems to be made of tomatos, basil, onions, garlic and just a tinge of anchovies. Strangely, I hate anchovies on their own but when they are added in small amounts to other things, they lend the most wonderful salty and rich flavour to the food. The escargot was bouncy and delicious, going very well with the light and slightly melted cheese. Yum. My dad was mopping up the sauce with his bread. ;) Promising sounding, don't you think?

For mains, my mother's duck was amazing. This L'Huppe duck, apparently, is one more of those "branded items" from France. France brands everything, even food. It's practically the equivalent of Bresse chicken which is supposed to be amazing. In any case.. It was really good. It had a very nice rich flavour and was incredibly juicy, probably because it was cooked to medium rare. [The chef recommended it at medium rare - a good thing in my opinion, it might have been a tad dry if it was done medium. Always trust the chef. *nods*] It came with mashed potatoes, which topped some duck bits that were fried a bit in their own fat, or with a bit of bacon and it was simply superb! I loved it. If I'm not wrong, it was confit of duck. But I'm not too sure. My dad's pigeon was amazing as well. It was a bit less gamey tasting than the duck but it had a very nice accompanying sauce and arranged very prettily on the plate. I loved the pigeon more than the duck actually. Possibly because it had a nicer sauce. Heh.

Alright. Time to move on to the tasting menu my brother and I had. [O yes. Aren't you simply shocked at the lengths I can go to talk about food?]

White Asparagus with Smoked Salmon and Rocket Salad Drizzled with Hollandaise Sauce
Our first h'ordeurves [I don't know if I spelt it right.=S]. I was not thrilled with it at all. Firstly, I don't like salmon. Secondly, I don't like white asparagus, even though yes yes I do know it's expensive, it's a delicacy, it's really hard to get, etc. etc. But I still don't like it. It's soft. And well.. I like texture thank you very much. I know soft food has texture too. But I think only the tip of the white asparagus is fine [it's the best part anyway.] the stem is just terrible. I have nothing to say about the salmon because I detest salmon. The rocket salad was rather nice though.=)

Foie Gras/Onion Soup Gratin
The original menu comes with foie gras but I don't eat foie gras for both ethical and health reasons. The alternative they offer is Lobster Bisque, but I don't like lobster bisque either since it tends to be very fishy. So I asked for Onion Soup instead and received a steaming hot bowl of soup that just came from the oven to gratinate the cheese on top. My brother seemed to enjoy his foie gras and went on and on about how a French restaurant's standards can be judged by its foie gras. Well, I don't foie gras and I think it's still possible to judge a restauran'ts standards. Anyway. The onion soup was fine I guess, nothing to shout about.

Baby Sea Scallops in Tomato Concassee
I loved this dish. It was really cute, a little glass cup with the baby scallops and tomato concassee inside and a croustini lying delicately on the plate the cup was set on. Firstly, they had that wonderful garnish I already talked about which complemented the scallops and the sauce really well. Secondly, I love scallops and these were delicious! No fishyness at all thankfully and they were so cute and small. Also, they were very fresh and still had tht great bounce. Thirdly, I love this tomato concassee!!! =D It's absolutely delicious! It went so very well with the scallops, lending a very light flavouring to them. This dish had my brother mopping up the sauce with his bread. Ahh. How very French.

Veal Loin with Mushroom sauce/Venison Loin
I had the Veal while my brother had Venison. I've been a bit paranoid about Venison after a bad experience at Gyu-Kaku [which is fine for everything else.] since it was really gamey. I had a pleasant surprise when I tried the Venison at St Julien. It was amazing! =D Accompanied by a sweet sauce, the Venison was far from gamey and had a nice richness to it. It was quite different from beef of course and it seems that well cooked venison is a good alternative to beef.^_^ My veal was amazingly juicy. Possibly because it was only medium to medium-rare. I loved the mushroom sauce that accompanied the veal and soaked it up with my bread. It was rich and had a very nice mushroom taste - I'm guessing it was beefed up by some porcini when it was being made. A nice finish!

Dessert platter
The dessert platter consists of 4 desserts chosen by the chef. There's a mint soup, homemade vanilla ice cream with fruit, chestnut cream and chocolate ganache. Very nice. ^_^ The mint soup had a nice tang from lemongrass and the orange segments in it also gave it a nice subtle hint of sourness. It was refreshing, but would suit my mom better than me. The vanilla ice cream was light and very refreshing. The fruit complemented the ice cream well and enlivened it with a bit of texture. I loved the chestnut cream which was piped on top of orange zest and topped with a thin wafer. The chestnut flavour was complemented by the orange and the wafer gave everything a nice crunch. Finally, the chocolate ganache was simply sinful but very good. Nice dark smooth chocolate. Yum.

Petit Fours
Today, they decided to be special! We got bebe financiers [Financiers are the actual things. Bebe simply means they were small.] and homemade truffles. I was not too thrilled with the truffles that came in a cocoa powder coating. They were rather dark chocolate and didn't complement my tea at all. However, I adored the financiers!!! They look like miniature muffins, only cuter, and were each endowed with a blueberry. They have a subtle hint of almond [probably from the almond meal used in its making] and while I felt the blueberry added a nice bit of interest to the financier on the whole, my mom didn't like it. It was dusted with a bit of powdered sugar and tasted marvellous. It is not of a cakey, crumbly texture and actually seems a bit more like kueh. However, it tastes very light and you can't really tell that it's actually denser than regular cake.

All in all, it was a satisfying meal and while I'd say it was pretty good, I wouldn't say I had many nice surprises while eating. The service was a bit lacking since the staff weren't super attentive and we had to keep calling for them to refill our water and top up the wine. They were efficient but I thought the service at Les Amis was much better. At Les Amis, they were hardly intrusive and very attentive. ^_^ I think most places should be run like that. It's nice having good service.=) My dad knows the owner at St Julien though, so they got some free stuff to eat while my brother and I polished off our multi-course meal.

On the way home, the family got all excited over the issue of deferring NS for talented guys. Like the latest case would be that kid who dropped out of RJ for violin and now wants to go to the US to study but is unable to because of their new rules. I think it's nonsense really. I mean, if the government lets every talented child defer their NS, and risk them refusing to return, people will take advantage of the situation and there will be no end to it. Although I do understand that 2 years of NS can be rather detrimental to their education and might leave them out of practice or worse still, might even damage them physically so they are unable to continue pursuing what they want to, it would still be unfair to simply let them defer on account of them being talented at a certain field. Apparently, those who achieve international recognition of their talent can be exempted but no other. Getting into a prestigious music school doesn't prove anything, you might still flop after graduating right? [On a side note.. Isn't Julliard better than Curtis? O.o For that violin kid anyway.]

To me, I believe that okay. You might be talented and all but it doesn't mean you should shirk your duty to the country. You might feel that I can talk about it so easily because I'm a girl who doesn't need to do NS but I beg to differ. You do realise that by enlisting the males in Singapore, you're effectively stopping them from contributing to the country's economy for 2 years at a stretch and then for a few weeks every year. By enlisting the girls as well, you're going to practically stop the economy because there aren't enough people to contribute. So what if you are talented? You might have a 2 year gap between you and your peers but it doesn't mean that you cannot catch up. If you truly are talented [and fated for that matter], you'll be able to overcome the obstacle of time [almost] and succeed eventually. It's ridiculous to expect the government to allow you to defer.

Imagine a situation where you're allowed to defer at 18, thanks to your university education, on account that you return at 21/22 to complete your NS. However, that's your prime and you would thus be unwilling to return right? So then, what happens if everyone does that? No one would return for NS and in that case, can they still truly say that they are fulfilling their responsiblity to their country? It's only fair to enforce the same system nationwide, regardless of who you are and where you are coming from.

Such a complicated issue. Sigh.xP

At least my Bittorrent download is making happy progress.=D As is my downloading list! More boxes are being ticked! Yay.=D

Incredibly sleepy now. And I'm still planning to read my notes?! O dear.

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Legend (main) Nakashima Mika]
[mood : sleepy and satisfied]
[food : xD]

I can't believe I spent so long updating. Argh. So. Very. Sleepy. xP

Hello

Faced with disappointment at how I'll never get my hands on the Gackt File, I practically poured the whole pack of raisin breadsticks down my throat. It's at an insane US$86.68 right now. Which is just. Insane. I mean, I might be nuts to spend all that money on Gackt but $140+ is way too much for a photo file. Even if it's a brilliant one.

But you know what? Upon further reflection, it's actually not a bad thing. I mean, this will leave me with money to buy The Gift and more concert DVDs!!! xD Yay.=) Besides. I might get lucky and UV will publish another photo file!!! =D From 1999 - 2006!!! Yay! That would be perfect. I would buy it immediately.=D Hehe. Got to buy The Gift first. Oh. And more concert DVDs!! I want Jougen no Tsuki!! *stomps feet* And Mars even though it's like, the most basic concert of Gackt's so far. Hardly any elaborate set up.=P But all that fan-service! O.O Great to watch.

Then again, if I find this photo file on sale again somewhere else for a more reasonable amount, I would buy it. Immediately.

Scans.

I need scans.

And if someone throws the Crescent photobook into the mix, I don't mind! ^_^ *beams*

Fan-service. Hmm. I find it highly entertaining [it's supposed to be anyway] and funny [Mana! Twirling around stage! Ahahaha.] but I find that it takes attention away from the music and everything. Which I am not fond of. Of course, some theatrics won't hurt since it adds another level of interest to the concert but I'm really there for the music and to see who I like performing. =) I guess I've been brought up on a diet of classical and jazz concerts so I'm quite new to this whole rock-pop concert thing. ^_^

It's quite different since classical and jazz musicians tend to get you to focus more on the music than anything else. However, rock and pop concerts tend to encompass most of the senses. There's the visual aspect [helped along by costumes and stage-sets and such], the aural component [music is, after all, what they are selling along with their image] and the tactile [you might be waving a sign, or if you're at a Gackt concert, you get those things pouring down from the ceiling to grab]. It might take attention away from the music, but these little extras are important since the artist is also selling an image.

The atmosphere is also very different. At a classical concert, I really doubt you'll see any screaming fangirls. But at a pop concert, you'll definitely see that 99% of the audience are screaming fangirls. This makes the atmosphere much more charged and energetic. Conversely, classical concerts tend to have this very stately calm mood all round. =) My dad is convinced that I'll die in clubs/rock concerts because long periods [a couple of hours] of exposure to very loud music/heavy bass beats/screaming gives me a headache that just kills me. And he's very pleased about it too since he's convinced that it'll not only keep me away from such things but will also push me towards more "civilized" interests like classical and jazz concerts. Unfortunately, he's right. I got such a headache after the MTVAsia Awards the year I went.xP It was such a turn-off. However, lately.. I've been thinking otherwise.. For Gackt, I will risk it!!! *nods*

It's not every year, after all, that one gets to go a Gackt concert. Especially when one is located away from Japan. *sigh*

The new Bittorrent download is making good progress! This pleases me endlessly. ^_^ I'm dying to hear what Lafflesia sounds like. I mean, does it not sound so similar to Rafflesia to you? And all I can think about when I see or think about the word is Sir Stamford Raffles, and that smelly old flower! =P

Hooray! Going for my parent's Wedding Anniversary dinner tonight.*beams* Extremely pleased. Going to Waterboat house. [at least that's what I think it's called. The one near Fullerton] St. Julien!!! Yay!! =D I can't wait. After such a great experience at Les Amis, I wonder how this will be like?

Right. Must go urhm. Prepare? =S
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Legend (main) + Yuki no Hana Nakashima Mika & Sekirei~seki-ray~ Gackt]
[mood : slightly saddened but has rebounded]
[food : aloe vera! and hmm.what will I eat tonight? =P]

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Hello

I am making relatively good progress on my history notes. The part left to be read has become thinner. With only so few pages to go! *falters* urhm. Actually. Hmm. Maybe not. *grits teeth* I will finish this tonight. Even though it's so damn painful to read.xP

This is depressing. The minute I decide I'll bid on the UV Gackt Photo File (link), suddenly, everyone has the same idea as me and as of now, it's US$49. (T_T) *wrings hands in despair* Wails. It's so worth the money. It really honestly is. But everytime I see the price jump, my heart sinks just a little bit lower. *gulp* $77!!!! (T_T) It's practically as expensive as a photobook. Which means it's like, not so bad. I mean The Gift The Sixth Day & Seventh Night Tour Document is like.. $90 or something. But still. (T_T)

466 pages.

Glossy magazine pictures.

Hard to find old photos.

Out of print book.

No need to pay shipping charges.

All Gackt. And some GacktJOB.

(T_T)

Gah! And Ebay hates me. It won't even let me set up an account when I helped Jiamin set up one. Like.. How can a computer programme so effectively discriminate against me even when I tried so many times and more importantly.. How can it do so when it can't even know me?! (T_T) Wails.

I think I need to read faster. And like.. just faster. xP If I don't, I'll never finish this damned set of notes. And I don't even know why I'm reading the notes when I'm not even planning to do this question in the exam.-.-" O well. Once I get this over and done with, I can move on with my life. Hooray.

I realised that I'm not even bothered about whether I remember what the notes are saying or not. As I've said.. I'm not even planning to do this topic. It's discouraged in the first place. Why would I be so stupid as to do it?!

On top of all the non-stop readings I have, I really should try and complete my homework and start packing! xP It's worrying. My suitcase is still sitting forlornly in the middle of my room and is being completely ignored every single day. *sigh* Got to wait till I pack my jeans and pants first though. Or else all the shirts will be squashed and that's the end of my nicely pressed clothing.xP

Wee! Watched Platinum Box IV and the special movie from PB V! xD Ahaha. Gackt in an apron!!! *dies laughing* And Gackt washing dishes!!! Ahahaha.=P Gackt is such a kid, I swear. He cannot be more than 5. He does such typically guy things. Firstly, he's so damn immature, doing stupid things all the time - makes me laugh though, so all is forgiven. Secondly, he's such a show-off in that stupid ego way - but he does stupid things too and it makes me laugh so all is forgiven. But well. He looks so happy and relaxed and cheerful and carefree when he's doing all those stupid things and it's nice seeing that other side of him.=P He's constantly laughing on the set of whatever they are doing at that time by doing all sorts of stupid things that make the crew roll around with laughter.=P I can't wait for the other PBs to be done downloading.xD Yay!

I sense progress on my notes.Yay.=) Shall focus my attention on them now. I'm surprisingly alert.^_^ Might as well make full use of it. And I found a way to stay awake: Play a Gackt video! Preferably a platinum box video. Or one of those random variety show things. It keeps me awake and leaves me alert - good news for my notes who are thus no longer neglected! Yay.

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Gackt songs are running through my head.=S]
[mood : awake]
[food : ALOE VERA. *stomps feet*]

Monday, May 29, 2006

Bonjour!

[As you can see.. I'm trying to create some variatian in the way Good Morning is said..=S]

Hmm. This updating-in-the-morning thing is rather good.=) Wakes me up a little. Which is great! Since I was like..you know. Sleepy.. But now I'm rather awake! Not totally because I'm typing of course.. *rambles on*

Anyway.

Yippee! =D The Hey!x3 download is finally done!!! =D And the Malice Mizer download has started! Yay! ^_^ Brilliant news my friends. Brilliant news! Can now watch Yoshiki and Gackt downing expensive food after watching how it's been prepared. Now. Is that not the perfect show? xD Yay! Very very very pleased right now. =D Hopefully the Malice Mizer download isn't too urhm. Slow. ^_^" Though it is likely to occur seeing as my luck with Bittorrent hasn't been wonderful.=S

And I finally learned how to use HJSplit, boy am I a dodo bird.-.-" I mislabelled all my files so I had to redownload everything. Well. All's well now.=D My computer is fabulous! *Throws arms around computer* I managed to download all 8 parts of the movie at once! ^_^ Yay. Using the joining programme now to piece the files together so I can watch our dear Gackt's Special movie from Platinum Box V with no interruptions! xD Yay!

And now. We'll be able to see the making of when he gave this dreamy gaze. xD *beams*

Right. Yesterday was..rather productive. And with the appearance of.. *insert drum roll here* Joyce[!] today, it promises to be even more productive. Along with the very encouraging role that aloe vera plays, I'm sure we'll be in good stead to finish our ambitious holiday plans.=D Yay! This is great.

On the other hand, ebay refuses to let me create an account.-.-" It's annoying. How am I supposed to ever get the Gackt photo file at this rate??? (T_T)

O well. Must run. I'm urhm. Almost late.^_^"
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Mirror Gackt]
[mood : bouncy]
[food : aloe vera! xD]

PS: Jiamin! If you urhm, ever read this.. the youtube clips were hilarious!! I was just laughing throughout the sunning one. Ahahaha.=P O and urhm. Jiamin and Joyce! If you do come to my house, would you like fried chicken?

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Good morning!

I'm being disgustingly cheerful at this godforsaken hour.xP No one should even be awake at this time, whether it's the holidays or not. Yawn.

Anyway! I finished Howl's Moving Castle last night, against my better judgement.=P Had to sacrifice some sleep. But it was worth it in the end since the book came to a very satisfying conclusion. I was coming to the impression that the Studio Ghibli version had glossed over any sad parts and made a happy ending but well! The book had a happy ending too - of the cliched, boring, fairytale kind that I love.=D Yay. It was rather simplistic though, probably because it was written with children in mind?

I don't know whether I like the original version better. Both Diana Wynne Jones and Hayao Miyazaki's storylines have nice plots and everything so I'm not certain which I like better.=P Too bad Spirited Away wasn't based on any previous novel [I think] but Tales from Earthsea is! ^_^ Yay. More stuff to read! [Once I get E4 out of the way of course..Ahem.]

*peers at Bittorrent* It's coming so very close to 100%. Usually the most painfully slow period where the bar just seems to creep to the end or simply stays frustratingly still.-.-" Hope the Malice Mizer discography will be less painful.^_^" I wish.

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Howl's Moving Castle soundtrack]
[mood : drowsy]
[food : mi fen? too sleepy to crave anything.xP]

Just watched Initial D. With my mother. Can you believe it? Haha. =P My mother actually sat through it! Amazing. Ahh. I love Initial D. I am waiting impatiently for the sequel. And in that sequel, I sincerely hope that they'll use the same actors again. Urhm. Except for Anne Suzuki, who was rather annoying. But apart from that. *beams* I love Edison!!! =) [My mom actually knows who he is! But only by his Chinese name.-_-] He's just too cute.*squee!*

Renewed love for the Jay Chou song from Initial D.=)

On an unrelated note, the price of the Gackt Photo File hasn't increased since a couple of days ago. It's stuck at US$42.00 and there are 3 days left. Should I be pleased [because it's about the same price as a regular photobook which is practically affordable and I don't have to pay shipping and I can collect it in person!] or worried [because it's about the same price as a regular photobook which is practically affordable and I really shouldn't take anymore money from my ATM]?

Oh.. Decisions decisions decisions.

I just realised the other day that I've loved Gackt ['s music. And image. And concerts. And..^_^"] since before my birthday. Which means it's been a couple of months already. And that's pretty long because last year, after a couple of months, my Tom Schilling love was already dying out but this has barely ceased and is actually going very steady.O.o I wonder if I should be pleased or worried. On one hand, it's a very nice happy bubble that keeps me cheerful and it's quite a stress reliever, on the other, it requires quite a bit of dedication to be a fangirl and it's A level year so maybe now isn't the time.

Oh.. Dilemma.

I hope it won't die out too soon though.=) I've still got plenty of Gackt stuff to collect! ^_^ Wait for me dear Platinum Boxes!!! =D I'll work after the A levels and buy you!!! The same goes out to the dear Photobooks and Japan-Imported Albums and DVDs and tour merchandise [I realised that the gorgeous picture of Gackt (shown below) is from the Diabolos tour merchandise!! xP] and like.. everything else. It's an endless process. But it's really worth it. ^_^ It makes one happy. [and poorer.]

Oh Sunny World!

Ah well.=) Went shopping and completed the formal attire problems. I even bought a skirt. *gasp* *shock* *flabbergasted* And a pretty pair of wedges! ^_^ They are low so they'll be perfect for shopping. Yay! Shall wear them while I figure out how to break the other ones in without killing my feet again.=P I did it before for black almost-stilettos. I'm sure I can do it again! =D And I was shocked when my mom actually agreed to buying me a new wallet! ^_^ *beams* The wonders of a Taka gift voucher. Haha. Am to lazy to repack my wallet now though. Shall do it over the week..or something.=P

Gah! Must pack my stuff now.=) Study plans ahead! And maybe a spot of light reading before bed.=)

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Yi Lu Xiang Bei Jay Chou]
[mood : sleepy but cheerful.=)]
[food : satay! ^_^ i love satay.]

The Aloe Vera will be ready from Tuesday onwards.=D Yay!

Hrm..

After watching the Concert DVD.. I wasted some of the afternoon reading Howl's Moving Castle.=) I was rather pleased to see that Hayao Miyazaki and Co. actually stuck to the story quite closely, omitting details that would require too much of an indepth exploration to understand and such. For example, they omitted some extra details about Howl and Markl [actually, his name is Michael in the book. So Studio Ghibli either hired people who can't pronounce Michael, as Japanese tend to be unable to pronounce weird English names, or they changed his name completely.] and merged some parts of the story to great effect. Also, as I've mentioned before, the movie is more dramatized version of the book with theatrical effects added for interest.=) A rather good adaptation I must say. I can't wait for Tales of Earthsea.=D

After that, I was feeling rather guilty so I divided up the endless stack of SEA lecture notes. For a topic we aren't even encouraged to do!!! (T_T) Crazy Cambridge.. Anyway. After struggling with the stupid stapler bullet [which emerged crooked, but still very large] I separated the various parts and then started on SAT practice. Again. It's the least painful thing besides Math! =P Signed up for the Kaplan Online SAT practice and did their diagnostic test. xP I shall dedicate the week to improving my SAT score. *determined look* On top of all our work of course.

I should get round to reading that stack of SEA notes. But it's so very daunting. And so very dry and messy, as Gloria Chan's notes tend to be. =S On top of that, I should stop reading Howl's Moving Castle [or finish it as quickly as possible.=P] and finish up The Soldier's Return before we leave. xP I refuse to carry 3 books to Washington, with 1 halfway completed.

In fact, I should start packing as well. *looks meaningfully at Jiamin and Zeelei* I've dragged the suitcase into my room already and it's standing forlornly in the middle of my room. My mother assures me that despite how it doesn't look as big as the other hardshell suitcase, it's extremely spacious. However, as I overestimated the size, I'm not so sure. I guess I'll find out when I'm done packing.^_^

Going shopping later! Rather guilty now that I didn't do as much as I'd have liked today but o well. What's done is done and perhaps I can bring Howl's Moving Castle with me to read in the car or something.=P That way, little time is wasted and I also get to finish the story quickly so I can complete The Soldier's Return! *beams* A brilliant plan, no?

Argh. I want to watch all my concert DVDs again. *looks fondly at DVD jewel cases* But.. (T_T) NO TIME!!! *wails*

Malice Mizer's Merveilles L'espace, for some reason, is prodding my brain into taking action but I shall not give in. Hrmph. (T_T)

Hope you liked The Sixth Day & Seventh Night Tour DVD Zhilei's friend! =D [sorry.I'm urhm.not sure of your name.=X oops. I don't even know if she'll read this. But o well.] And hope you liked Requiem et Reminiscence Zeelei! =D Hehe.

O M G! I found Platinum Box downloads!!!!!!!!! *Squee!!!!* I am so pleased!!! Now. All the downloads have to do is WORK FOR ME and I'll be a happy happy girl.=D *beams* I know it's bad to like share things wholesale though, since it undermines what the artists have worked hard to put together. But hmm. I'm taking this as resolve to save up harder and be able to buy more Gackt stuff.=D *beams* It's a neverending cycle. Which is great since it's constant encouragement to save money. And not to spend all of it too! ^_^

And MORE IMAGES! *SQUEE!!!*

I am a happy girl.

Now. What was I planning to do tonight again?

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Papa lapped a pap lopped Gackt]
[mood : *squealing*]
[food : meat.meat.meat.xP]

*beams*

Want nearly 3 hours of pure viewing pleasure?

Invest in the Diabolos Concert DVD.=D =D =D

I just finished watching it and I haven't stopped smiling to myself.

As you can tell.. I loved every second of it. ^_^ But the last part takes the cake for sure.

Gackt is the king of drama I tell you. ^_^ I'm not complaining of course.. It makes for great entertainment! This concert was on a much larger scale compared to his previous concerts so it was very impressive and the number of people there was just..staggering. Some highlights:

- He didn't faint! And he didn't look like he was dying! For once!!! =D
- I loved the part with 12Gatsu no Love Song and Love Letter. ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ Super pleased and happy and floating in a bubble right now.
- They actually showed his introduction of the members of GacktJOB for once. And when Gackt introduced You, I'm sure he said something really really sweet because You started tearing. *beams* Cute!
- Horse-riding segment was way cool.=D I realised it when I heard the audience screaming like mad. ^_^" I'm rather observant don't you think? =P
- The dances weren't lame for once. [Like Papa lapped a pap lopped. Which was cool, in a very funny way.=P] And the dancers had so many costume changes! Rather impressive.=)
- I think they should more Gackt/You duets featuring the Piano and Violin.=) [They played Misty together.]
- I loved the rock songs. Wee! Total adrenaline rush. =D
- They spliced previously shot scenes with the actual concert scenes during some songs to great effect.=) Very nice.
- The part with the coffin was way cool.=D And I loved the extra stuff they used in this concert like Gackt popping out from the floor.. Flying through the "sky".. That kind of thing. ^_^ Dramatic theatrical effects!!
- They had a lot more stuff compared to previous concerts.. Everything was on a large scale. There were more dancers, the stage was huge, the audience was countless, and I loved the set and everything.
- Gackt was super energetic and happy during this concert. ^_^ Despite the miniscule amount of sleep just before the concert.
- And I loved the 2nd movie. It was TOO FUNNY!!! Ahaha.

I would have loved this concert even more if it weren't for the cornrows. Which I've decided I like..but not very much.xP And the movie was just..terrible!! I hated it when all the members of GacktJOB died except Gackt. (T_T) Especially You.. Spewing blood from his mouth. Argh.xP

Track listing:

1st segment

Dybbuk [rap by You and Gackt]
white eyes
Dispar
Metamorphoze
REDEMPTION
Ash
Misty [violin/piano duet by You and Gackt]

2nd segment

Lust for blood
Noesis
Farewell
Future

3rd segment

BLACK STONE
Mirror
U+K
Storm
Road

Final segment

Todokanai Ai to Shitteiru no ni Osaekirezuni Aishitsuzuketa...

Encore segment

12Gatsu no Love song
Love Letter

I really should invest in more Gackt concert DVDs.=) They have the wonderful effect of making me really happy and energetic. Though I always feel slightly sad at the end of it..

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Gackt's Diabolos concert soundtrack.=D]
[mood : ecstatic]
[food : prawn crackers!! *claws at petrol station minimart*]

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Hello all

Just returned from Grease with my parents and Jiamin.=) It was a rather enjoyable performance. Except for those hideous 50s/60s fashions. ^_^"

Hmm. The stage set-up wasn't too bad, rather basic since they just moved props around, but the main set was fixed. The acting wasn't too bad either but the girls' shrill voices really grated on my nerves. -_- And when they sang, oh my god. xP Super super super shrill. Ouch. It didn't help that the sound system was really loud. But they were good singers, except for the shrill part. A lot of the time, the girls drowned out the guys so I think they could have done better with the sound. ^_^ However.. There's no denying that some of them could really sing. And quite well too! *beams* I love the Grease songs, they are all so pleasant and jolly.

I loved their heels! They are so cute.=D I really want pumps.=P Nice practical shoes. Hehe. The tights and body suit however..Ewwww.xP I cringed at the fashions of that era. I mean.. The whole high waist skirt thing was bad enough. Then the tights and bodysuit came. I almost fainted. It was so hideous. I mean.. What were those people thinking?! Not only does it emphasize a tummy, but it also emphasizes your butt, whether it's big or not. Also, it makes your thighs look gigantic and of course, cinching it in at the waist doesn't do much for you since it's like a I'm-supporting-my-boobs-with-my-belt look. -_- O well. At least they had cute shoes! And if we have anyone to blame, it's the leading fashionistas of that era.

Overall, the show was rather enjoyable.=) Too bad the concert hall was so empty. I'm sure better marketing would have done wonders for audience attendance.^_^

Ahh! I tried on my mom's batik wrap skirts and oh my goshh.=D =D =D I am so in love with them right now!!! ^_^ *beams* They are so pretty!!! xD Haha. She was so annoyed with my lousy wrap/tie skills. But well.. I managed it in the end.^_^ They are just brilliant for GYLC.=D They are ankle-length and will go well with a black/brown top. ^_^ Gorgeous patterns and all.. My mom also said that I can borrow anything of hers [if you dig long and hard enough.. You can actually find rather nice articles of clothing.^_^"] as long as I don't destroy anything. Sounds fair to me!

Ants are just invading my keyboard!!! Like, why?! There isn't any food here..-_-

I cannot imagine Chachamaru singing in such a not-so-deep voice. O.o Listening to one of the songs from his album right now. Oh gosh. I cannot imagine him sounding like that. The voice and face just don't match. O.o At all. Not that he looks manly to begin with.. But well.. His speaking voice is rather deep. So.. O.o It's pretty weird.

I'm doing all I can to stop thinking of the fried chicken I ate the other day.. xP Ahh. I'm trying to use the thought of it being super fattening to deter me but it's not really working. All I can think is "juicy meat!!", "crispy skin!!" and "SO YUMMY!" -_- It's not helping at all. I should think "oozing fat", "flabby!!" and "NO!" But..=S Fried Chicken!!! xP

Good news. I've finally finished Through the Looking Glass and I've started on Howl's Moving Castle. ^_^ The end of Through the Looking Glass is a bit of a blur because I tried to read it as quickly as possible. =P And so some of it rather confused me. Like the 2 crazy queens. =S But well. I'm glad I've started on Howl's Moving Castle! ^_^ All I can think of is how Hayao Miyazaki portrayed it and adapted it in the movie. Some nuances are lost of course, seeing as all minute details can't be put into the book. But really. Some parts of the movie are far more dramatized than the book.=P I can't wait to finish it! Apparently, there's a continuation to it. ^_^ I'll see how things go. After all.. I haven't seen much of Howl in this book yet.=P

Wee! I can't wait for a chance to watch the Diabolos concert DVD.=D *beams*

I really should start planning how to pack my stuff for GYLC.xP With luck, I'll be able to leave much space for extra nonsense! And Jiamin! Zhilei! Joyce! We've got to prepare something that's urhmmmm Representative of our country. -_- I was just thinking of speaking in Singlish or something.=S Or maybe.. FOOD. *blinks* Any ideas?

Perhaps I should continue with The Soldier's Return. ^_^ It's part of my completing holiday homework scheme, but far less painful!

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : music from Grease!]
[mood : cheerful]
[food : chicken + aloe vera.xD]

Friday, May 26, 2006

Hellooo!

The You official website is up and running! It's rather cool since there's this flash movie thing you have to click on before you enter.=D And there are delicious pictures of him in the gallery!!! *squeals*

You's Official Website (link)

On top of this, I managed to find many many Gackt songs!!! xD *squeals more* Like Shima Uta on mp3!!! *hops around in happiness* Yay! This is fabulous! Just.. fabulous! =D And 2 different versions of Vanilla.. =D I'm starting to buildup a collection of Vanilla versions. O.o And more rock songs! Yay! =D

Have I mentioned how I love LJ? xD It's the most wonderful communities place ever!

The most amazing thing of all though, is how I'm still awake and poring over the SAT book's questions. *beams at self*

I wonder when I can watch Diabolos.. It's just waiting so very patiently. It's worrying that I can wait so long without just setting up my brother's computer to watch it.xP Ooh. Maybe I can watch it on Sunday while the family goes for my dad's company's family day! ^_* Great idea, no?

Plus.. I can watch it on the BIG TV!!! Yay! No more scrawny laptop screens and poor laptop sound quality! ^_^

And Gackt's Platinum Box V's download is just not working. (T_T) Sigh.

~ witchstone

Okay. I take what I said about SAT practice back. I'm dozing off over my book..-_- *unable to open eyes fully*

Hello

The last day of school before the June holidays! =) Well. Okay. The word "holidays" is a complete misrepresentation of events but anyway.. ^_^ Went for the Suki Sushi buffet with Brenda and had our last session of KidsRead.=)

School was a complete waste of time since practically the entire class was away at some psychometric test thing. Sigh. The only remotely useful thing that occurred was that we got some notes and urhm. More notes. *sigh* I mean.. it's such a pleasure to receive all these notes. Nothing gives me greater joy..

Wee! Indulged in many many temaki at Suki Sushi. I have to say, it's not very good.. But at least it has a rather large variety of stuff to choose from for the buffet and it isn't very expensive. I think Sakae's buffet is slightly better but well. I'm never impressed by the quality at sushi buffets. =S [What a bratty comment.xP] Anyway, I thought the temaki was rather pedestrian and I didn't think the rice was very good. But as I said.. It's a good since it isn't all that expensive and there's quite a range of stuff to choose from and it's great because they don't mind if you just sit there and chat after you're done.=) Plus, the service wasn't that bad since the staff were relatively alert, more than I can say for some other places..

Bought a file at kino.=) *beams* I was looking hard for a nice hard file that won't bend and die in my soft bag for GYLC. Eventually.. I got the cheapest one though I preferred another. However.. It was urhm..3 times the price? And so I hastily put it down and got the cheapest.^_^" I also went to look at Fool's Mate and Arena 37C! =D Haha. Brenda was like, "is that a girl..or a guy?!" ^_^ The same reactions I had when I first started looking at J-rockers. It's easier to tell now.. but.. anyway. =) I was right. The Gackt articles are about his new dorama. And I was peering at the pictures and I realised that even though he had a ponytail, the sides of his head were shaved.-_- Growl. Well.. At least his hair's nice now.=) W-inds. is on the cover of the latest Arena 37C and they've got a poster inside of Keita & Company! =D Haha. The reverse side of the poster is Gazette, looking fine as they always do.=) As Brenda pointed out, Ruki [the vocalist] and the other guitarist [the one who's not Aoi] looked rather similar in this photoshoot. I think it must have been the hair and the makeup.

KidsRead was fine I guess.. The kids were slightly restless..possibly because it's the start of the school holidays? Oh.. I remember primary school school holidays.. How carefree we were! Not a shred of homework.. Just images of fun in the sun. ^_^ But as you get older though, the workload begins to pile up and by the time you hit the ancient age of 18, you might be in JC and would thus never have a single day to yourself to have fun since you have to study.*groan* Oh carefree days of primary school..Where have you gone?

I was planning to do SAT practice and watch the Gackt concert but I'm really tired and sleepy. I don't think it'll work out.=S Especially the Gackt concert part.xP

Yay! =) My mom says we can go shopping on Sunday [and take advantage of the GSS!] to complete my shopping for GYLC. She's wholly disapproving of course, but relented when I whined about my packed study schedule during the week. And she's made me promise to study tonight, tomorrow morning, afternoon and Sunday morning and.. urhm.. Basically she just made me promise to study everyday.^_^" Plus, my dad was waving these Taka vouchers at me last night. *eyes twinkle* Does that not mean I can buy more stuff? *squee!*

Saw a nice LeSportSac Remix bag today.. It had leather trim which was rather unnecessary.. But what shocked me was that it was practically the same price as Braun Buffel. Like sure, I'd choose that plasticky material over genuine leather.-_- Braun Buffel's on sale but I didn't see any wallets. *sad sigh* I'm hoping to get a nice new wallet. *beams* Take advantage of the GSS! I need rattier slippers too.. Preferably with fewer embellishments for really casual wear. *thinks of shopping list*

- 2/3 more blouses/shirts [long-sleeved]
- wallet! Preferably leather or if canvas, not monogrammed.O.o
- rattier slippers =)
- 2 x semiformal wear! Like a skirt and a nice top..or a dress that doesn't make me look like I'm 50 or fat.
- casual clothes for..whenever wherever.
- toiletries/food/necessities
- more heels!!! xP

I can't ask for another bag because my aunt just got me a bag and my mom's screaming at how many bags I have [not that many..]. And hrm. I don't know if she'll let me buy more heels because well.. My shoe cupboard is actually running out of space..=X And I don't even have that many pairs! xP I think my brother should sacrifice some space for me. Mwahaha. His sport shoes and ratty and dirty anyway, piling them on top of each other won't them! Haha.=P

*yawn* I'm so sleepy.. drowsy.. exhausted.. tired.. fatigued.. How am I ever going to finish the SAT practice and Through the Looking Glass?! (T_T) I really want to finish Through the Looking Glass so that I can start and finish Howl's Moving Castle quickly. ^_^ After that I can get through my pile of novels slowly since I have to finish my E4 texts ["The Soldier's Return", "The Vintage Book fo War Stories" and "The Things They Carried"] first. Sigh. So many things to do.. So little time!!! xP

Have a great holiday everyone! ^_^ *beams*
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Speed Master + Shima Uta Gackt]
[mood : extremely sleepy]
[food : ALOE VERA]

PS: Jiamin! I've been hounding my mom for aloe vera and.. and.. she'll try and buy some this weekend to make! *beams beams* Haha.=P Shall have to ration it out carefully.xP

Of stars and moon craters. From Deviant Art. It is rather emotive, no?

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

SHIMA UTA!!!

*points and beams*

YAY!

=D

*settles in to watch*

*SAT book feels neglected*

*Shima Uta continues..*

*continues to beam*

I would put up a screencap if I knew how to but..well.=S I guess you're spared from that. Heh.

*beams*

Hello

I was watching this show on the history of China just now. O.o And there was this one part where they called these special horses used during the Tang Dynasty, "dragon horses" and my dad got all huffy about it because he insisted they are called "celestial horses". And so I had to dig out some smelly old Chinese history book so he could prove to me that he's right.-_-

Apart from that, it wasn't too bad actually. The Chinese are utterly dramatic in everything that they do. I mean, just to prove China's might, they had a fleet of more than 300 ships and the largest ship was like..urh..300feet long? Or something like that. I just know that it's bigger than a modern passenger aircraft today. The Zheng He fleet was much larger than Columbus' fleet as well.. At least they were successful in impressing everyone they visited.=S

And it was only today that I realised just how much of the world Genghis Khan was able to conquer, if not more internal conflict, they might have really taken over the world and we'll all be Mongolians today. The extent of their power was amazing. The Mongolian empire stretched all the way from Japan [or rather, the part of China that's really close to Japan] to Europe, Russia and Burma. Like.. O my goodness. That's huge. They would have conquered Vienna as well but internal conflict caused the Mongolians to call it off. The narrator said that it was largely due to the superior riding skills of the Mongolians who grew up on horseback that gave them an advantage in battle. The Great Wall of China was also built with the horses in mind, it is wide enough to accommodate 4 mounted horses.

Another interesting thing, the Tang Dynasty wasn't actually ruled by the Chinese per se. The Turkish were actually the ones holding court after expanding their empire, Turkmenistan. [At least, I think that's what it's called.] So I was excitedly telling my dad about how we could have a trace of Turkish blood within us!! All the Chinese! Haha.=P He thought I was being stupid of course. But he made a stupid comment too: "And that's why we should all love Turkish food! *goofy grin*" I was like -.-" at him. Ahaha. My dad can be so hilarious.

I had the most amazing fried chicken for dinner! *squeals!* Okay. It was really good for home-made standards. I don't think fried food at home can ever be compared to restaurant fare since we are definitely unable to actually achieve the same level of crispness that restaurants can achieve. It's got to do with the temperature of the oil, or so my aunt tells me.

Anyway.

It was SO GOOD. I polished off everything. And to think I just rode the bike just now telling myself to burn lunch off..-_- But it was so good.. O my goodness. The chicken drumsticks were literally dripping with the juices of the chicken, meaning all that fabulously juicy [my vocabulary is exceptionally large] meat was locked within a really good batter. It was also marinated well, especially the drumsticks since they gave off this great fragrance that enhanced the taste of the chicken.=D It went extremely well with ketchup [something I am wont to dumping all fried stuff in..] because while it was flavourful, it was still slightly bland so that you can dip it in a sauce. Ahh! *squeals!* I was hopping around squealing at how yummy it was and my parents just looked on worriedly as all that saturated fat slipped down my throat..

*stares guiltily at SAT book*

I really should get back to work now. Ahem. And if you'll excuse me.. there's also that tempting stack of CDs from Wendaye.xD

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Honey Vanity Kozi]
[mood : cheerful!]
[food : chicken drumsticks and i'm still waiting for aloe vera.]

PS: You know. I thought Kozi was the guy from Malice Mizer. But I saw photos and I'm not so sure anymore. Does anyone know? =D

Hello!!

Man. It almost feels like the school holidays. *attempts to get serious* Trying to do my SAT practice but well.. distractions distractions distractions.

=) I love meeting new people online! It's so.. you know. Cool. Because in other circumstances, you'd never actually meet and know each other but online, it's free for all, anyone can be friends and you can meet people you'd never have met otherwise!!! =) Like how I've found 2 other Singapore Gackt fans.xD Yay! Hehe. And one actually sounds like she's my age. Because she said when she was in sec 2, that was 2001/2002.. and I suppose..that means something? =P Anyway. It's nice meeting new people with similar interests.=) Everyone can fangirl together! Haha.

I'm glad I joined Livejournal.. Even though I don't exactly use it.=P The communities there are amazingly comprehensive and it's rare to find so many people fangirling together. Hehe. And it's great to get new information about stuff! =) Perhaps I should pursue something more intellectual..=S

pixiezdust: You have another copy? O my!!! xD Hehe. Hmm.. I'm still thinking of whether to bid or not. Because I've never actually used Ebay before so.. I'm not really familiar with it at all.. And also I have to see whether I can afford it since I don't really have much savings at the moment having just blown most of it on Gackt stuff..=X Oops. Thanks though! ^_^ If I don't get it this time, I'll try again. Thank you!

Ooh. You's personal official website is coming up soon!!! ^_^ *beams* As soon as it comes online, I'll check it out and hopefully..there'll be cute pictures!! Especially ones with Gman. Since they look utterly adorable together.=D Heh.

I want to go to Kino and check out the Gackt article in Arena 37C..Even though it'll probably be another article on his dorama.. Furin-something or the other. *nods* With the same pictures of him at the press conference with his ponytail. *waits for July issues to make their appearance*

Hmm. Have to start planning out our study schedule for the holidays. It's a rather stressful thought.. I mean.. Studying hard in the holidays!!! Can you imagine?! But I cannot allow myself to slip into a comfort zone of "oh.. it's months yet before the prelims make an appearance! *brushes off all worries*" Of course.. so far, everything's been lip service and I'm currently feeling all guilty but am unable to actually work up any resolution to do anything.=S Story of my life. *sigh* I was hoping that maybe in JC I'd be more responsible, less lazy and more hardworking but so far.. I've only improved a little. And that's only because it's imperative to be slightly more hardworking.. I can't not study and still pass anymore. Life.. It gets harder as the years pass by doesn't it?

*waits patiently* So far.. I'm waiting for this megaupload upload to quickly resolve all its..issues before it allows me to start downloading again. And a kind soul on livejournal said that she'll upload the Platinum Box V Special Movie soon.=D *beams* I can't wait! It's the photoshoot for the Sixth Day Seventh Night Tour Pamphlet where Gman just looks absolutely.. Yummy.xD Heh. It's a huge file but I'm thinking.. If I could wait weeks for 1.3GB [the Hey!x3 500th episode special where Gackt performs Love Letter and Ayumi performs teens~acoustic version~, among other performances. Like KAT-TUN. Ahem.] to finish downloading, I can wait for almost anything.=D

Ahaha. Zhilei! Someone uploaded the KAT-TUN remake of Wa.su.re.na.i.ka.ra from that TV variety show on livejournal! You know. The hilarious one where they go out of tune? [Ahem. Except Jin. Of course.] Ahaha. I can send it to you if you want.=P And to anyone who wants to giggle over it. Wee! So far.. From what I've heard from KAT-TUN, only Real Face is fine. Oh come on KAT-TUN.. With all your popularity, I'm sure you can come up with better songs soon.=)

And I bought the Studio Ghibli archive collection today!! *beams* I know I know.. I shouldn't be spending money.. But there are 10 movies in there! There's Laputa, Totoro, Kiki-chan and Mononoke Hime among others! Exciting stuff. I can spend my holidays [after the A levels hopefully] watching and admiring Hayao Miyazaki's work.=) Of course.. I still think Spirited Away is really a masterpiece though Howl's Moving Castle wasn't bad too.. Nothing has come super close to Spirited Away though. I get the same rush of exhiliration everytime I watch Spirited Away.. And I've seen it quite a few times already.=) Contrary to popular belief, I honestly do not think all animations are meant for children just as not all children are meant to watch animations.=) And with animations, producers and directors have better control over their characters since everything is created and nothing is already present.

Also.. I tried out my brother's laptop's CD-burning capabilities and all is good! ^_^ Very pleased with it now. Hehe. Shall continue to sit on my brother's laptop till he comes hunting for it with a parang..=P

Argh. Sorry for the post that's completely dominated by all this.. Fan-girling stuff.xP If I do update later, I hope it'll be filled with more diversity.=)

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Love Addict + SEVEN Nakashima Mika]
[mood : very bubbly]
[food : aloe vera! xP Charsiew too.=)]

PS: Mika has a surprisingly large range of genres in her songs.. it ranges from Pop to Pop-Rock to even slightly Jazzy beats. =) Rather nice. Too bad there's no Taiwan version to this CD.. The Japan version is simply unaffordable..xP

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Sigh.

(T_T)

A fellow Singaporean has the UV Gackt File 1999-2004 for sale on Ebay and I asked her and she said she's willing to meet up to let me pay in person if I win the bid so I don't have to pay shipping costs. On top of that, the buyer doesn't have to pay the extra fee that PayPal charges for people who receive money [sounds a bit like GST doesn't it?].

Of course, the first reaction I had was..WOW! That's fantastic!! *beams beams* But the problem with it is that.. (T_T) The bid has gone up to US$41 and there are still 8 days to go!!! (T_T) Okay, I don't know if the price will go any higher but if it does, I won't be able to afford it.. So there really isn't any point trying to bid for it right? I mean.. It's almost $100. For a damn photo file. Even though it has every single article from UV from 1999-2004 on Gackt inside and the whole thing weighs 1.5kg. Which is pretty heavy actually. And it has.. 466 pages. (T_T)

I mean, I know that for her, it's a purely commercial venture and if a Singaporean doesn't win the bid, she'll just send it off to whoever does. She says she got it from Japan and I know this thing is out of print. (T_T) But I was wondering whether they'll have a new one soon.. In which case.. 1999-2006 = BRILLIANT! But.. one never knows. *sigh* The pictures inside.. are just.. amazing.

UV Gackt Photo File 1999-2004 (Ebay link)

I know I said I can't afford to spend any more right now on Gackt. And I really can't. Because my finances are in a state of shambles and it's looking like it'll never be healed again. (T_T) But! *points to Photo File and wails* Ahhh!!!! (T_T)

I think I know what I need.

It'll solve all financial problems!

I need a job.xP

Or maybe I should just stop loving Gackt. Which, at the moment, is not a very possible thing to do.xP

~witchstone

And we're sinking into a state of financial misery. (T_T) Sigh.

I don't even know why I'm so worried about this when really.. it's not the most important thing in the world right now.xP But.. it is quite important though.xP

Hello

Yay! AC won today's Boys Tennis Nationals.=D *beams* And I had exciting sightings! =P

It was like more Henry Park people. O.o Ivan Tay [omg.], Keith/Kevin Liang [looks different] and yes. Who knew they'd still be in tennis after so many years? =P

Ate at Ichiban Boshi.=) Wee! Their aloe vera drink was actually not bad except that the calamansi drink was extremely artificial. The aloe vera came in these giant cubes of yummy sweetness and though I still think my mom's is the best, this isn't a bad alternative.=P Their chawanmushi was actually rather acceptable, quite smooth and flavourful since they used chicken stock.=) My favourite is still the one at Nadaman [in Shangri-La] but for the price one's paying at Ichiban Boshi, it really isn't a bad alternative either. I wasn't quite so fond of their kappa maki [cucumber sushi roll] since it was a giant piece of cucumber within the rice and seaweed. It would have been much nicer if they had used thin strips of cucumber like at Nadaman and even Cold Storage since it would have a nicer.. texture? Right now, when biting into the sushi, you get 3 distinct layers whereas if the cucumber was sliced thinly, it would have a nicer overall bite to it. ^_^ However, their sushi rice is rather nice.

The Japanese cheesecake looked fantastic. Argh. I feel like eating it now. (T_T) I really still want to try and make it myself though. Hrm. But what if it tastes horrible?! I'll just die because I don't want to finish it..=P On the other hand though, I found a recipe for crepe cake. Yes. You read that right. Crepe cake. [Apparently, there's a shop in New York that has a cake made of like.. I don't know a hundred layers of crepes? And apparently, it's not bad..] Essentially, it's crepe sandwiching cream of some sort and some other filling like strawberries. And then Jiamin suggested Durian and my brain just started squealing! What a brilliant idea!!! ^_^ *beams* I mean, if you use durian, tecnically it's already creamy so you might not even have to use cream to "paste" the crepe layers together and use durian instead. However, I do think it's advisable to do like Goodwood Park Hotel and mix some cream into the durian to get it smoother and easier to work with.=D Must find good durians and then think of a fast, effective and easy way to get the durian meat off the seeds.=P Shall have to make some time to do it one day. Wee!

Alright. Must attempt to finish my compo and start on SAT practice if I want to happily devote tomorrow to Wendy's CDs!!! Haha. Thanks Wendaye!!! =D They inevitably mean more happy Gackt rubbish for me to go through and waste my life away. Not that I'm complaining. Of course not! xD

Hrm. I just remembered that SATs are next week. Like, that's just really soon. ._. Too soon in fact. Argh. ._. Must actually try and do more practice. On top of all the other holiday homework..O.o

On a random note [I seem to have many random notes.O.o], the Kagen no Tsuki tour pamphlet has the most amazingly film-noir-esque pictures ever.xD Plus, Gackt and You get to take pictures in Shanghai! Never more will you see so much You. I think. Anyway, the point is.. It's a really really really nice pamphlet. And the words are in Chinese!!! Which is absolutely fantastic. Because it means we can actually read it! xD It's probably to complement Moon Child now that I think about it. Especially since all this stuff is like, part of his Moon Saga. [Which Jiamin thinks is really stupid. And I might almost agree since it does seem like a boyish fantasy world.. except that it's rather cool at the same time.=P]

You looks a bit weird here but nevertheless.. "Even if you lose everything and fall into Hell, I will always be by your side" and "even if one day in the future, you cannot see with your eyes, I will be happy to be your eyes". ^_^ Aww.

Wee! Good progress on the Bittorrent file.=D Yay! It actually hit a decent percentage before my internet decided to die! ^_^ *beams* If only I'd come home earlier, maybe it'll be much higher now. *frowns* O well.

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Yuki no Hana + Legend (Main) Nakashima Mika]
[mood : bland.]
[food : aloe vera!! *claws at non-existent bowl in fridge*]

Monday, May 22, 2006

Hello!

Success!!

I've converted my mom to Gackt!!! *beams to self* Mwahaha!!!

Okay. Fine. So it's only one song.xP But still! There's hope!!! =D =D =D My mom was like, "isn't that the guy whose CDs you asked me to buy?!" So she listens to him sing.. and then she's like, "wow. Nice song!" *SY begins beaming* So I prod her and she's like, "So this Gackt thing is like, all those people?" *head desk* -_- So after clearing up that misunderstanding, she continues listening, peers at the screen and goes "Ta you nu ren wei!!! *gives me cynical look*" -_- [that means that she thinks he looks a bit like a girl. But anyway.] So I assure her I love his voice and his music and his image is secondary to that but a definite bonus. And thus, when the song ended, she declared "That was a very nice song! And okay. He can sing."

YAY! xD

So my mom's like, "Oh. So you want his CD?" And I nod enthusiastically and she's all "Go and buy then. As long as you pay for it yourself."

SUCCESS!!!!

I now have official endorsement. Of course, I did add that he's a rock singer who also does ballads and other classical music.=P So technically, I'm not misleading her. ^_^" Heh. Wee! This is great news. And as she left my room she went "If he does any more songs like that you must show me!" xD Haha.

And if you really want to know, the song in question is Shima Uta. I just knew my mom would love it.=P She loves this kind of enkai/unkai [however its spelt] songs! Yay. And look how its converted her to say my taste in music is not bad. Wee! xD xD xD

*cough* So yes. Anyway.

I discovered this whole bouquet of roses downstairs. Okay. Maybe not bouquet. Arrangement? It's graduated, so you've got rows of pink roses! And there's a basket of lilies too. And theres a basket with freshly picked mushrooms from Yunnan or some other part of China with mud still on it to prove its utter freshness. O.o Urhhh. Okay..O.o O well. I love mushrooms! I hope they'll be cooked nicely. Wee! No idea where these randomly appeared from. But o well.

Hooray! The Bittorrent download has finally reached 50%!!! Exciting news. ^_^" Okay. So it's not a large file. But still. Bittorrent tends to hate me. =S Hopefully the remaining 50% will be less painful a wait than the first 50. Wee! =)

Been deciphering the Chinese cookbook my dad got. It's actually rather informative just that I don't know what those things are called in English.. I can guess though. =P They give the basic techniques and decorative methods at the start though there are no detailed examples as to how to actually pipe those decorations onto the cakes. There's a small section on plating techniques and the food photography isn't bad actually. =) I would like some pictures showing the methods though.=P

Right. Must finish GP tonight before I can scan Jiamin's magazine. *nods* Must. Be. Disciplined.

On a random note, I'm really really really poor. =( Sigh. But no matter. I am happy! ^_^ And money can always be saved up again. Ladida. Got to limit my spending like crazy for the rest of this month. *takes mental note*

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Shima Uta Gackt]
[mood : accomplished!]
[food : aloe vera!! aloe vera!!]

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Is Miyavi not one of the prettiest people you've ever seen? xD Have I mentioned how I adore his hair? It's just..fabulous. In great condition and well..almost always looks wonderful.=P

Ooh. I was poking around the internet and found out that Miyavi is releasing a new single! And it's totally limited edition because only..what..10 000 copies will be released or something? It's called "Kimi ni Negai wo" or, My Wish to You. I'm rather looking forward to this new release since it actually sounds..you know..not noisy and overly rockish. His last 2 singles, Itoshii Hito and Dear my Friend, were rather promising compared to older songs like Pop is Dead and Girls, Be Ambitious. O.o To me at least. Heh.

Anyway, Kimi ni Negai wo will be released in July, is limited to 10 000 copies, and includes a DVD along with the CD [1,100 yen tax included = rather cheap!]! Exciting no?

Not only that.. but he'll have 2 new albums out this year and he'll also be featured in a CD that's a tribute to Nirvana. The first is called MYV POPS [cough] and will be released in August while the second, Miyavi -miyabi utaka dokusou-, is due out in September. The Nirvana tribute is called All Apologies and it was released on May 10! =D It features one song by Miyavi and the rest are by other random people.

=D

I love looking out for new releases.=D *beams*

Gackt can be so retarded. But it's funny anyway! Haha.=P And he's always a dork with a straight face which makes it funnier. Just like how Mana twirling had me in stitches.=P

Dears FC just sent out some pamphlet thing with utterly hilarious pictures. Ahaha.=P It has to do with the Diabolos tour's special movie thing. Ahaha! Gackt & You = Perfect bar girls. Hahahaha. And they have a picture where they moon [that's the right word hopefully] the camera. I'm waiting for scans. *beams*

And I found the June 2006 Gackt Fool's Mate scans! *beams* No sign of Arena 37C though. Hrmph. It's nothing much actually. It was exactly what I expected, more news of Gackt's new drama series next year, Fu-rin Kazan, and if Tacky is the same guy from Tackey & Tsubasa, then well, they are co-stars. Also, if Shingo Katori is Shingo from SMAP and Shingo Mama, they are co-stars too! Haha.=P Apparently, Fu-rin Kazan can be literally translated as "Wind, Fire, Forest, Mountain", or the expression "as fast as the wind, as quiet as the forest, as daring as fire, and immovable as the mountain". Sounds like a chengyu to me! =P

Exciting stuff to look forward to! ^_^ Now.. If only someone would share news about Gackt in Thailand..*frowns*

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Music from Spirited Away Image Album + Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa OST]
[mood : calm]
[food : aloeeee veraaaa. My mother is not getting hints.-_-]

I've got such a headache now. Argh. xP On the bright side though, the downloading speed for Bittorrent has suddenly increased. It's heartening it is! But it doesn't make the headache go away.xP

*beams*

Feeling tired now but was feeling virtuous and skinny just now after the Big Walk! =D Hehe. 10km was completed in about 100 minutes [according to my dad] because Brenda and I just kept running after them to keep up.=P That's apparently about 6km/h. Or something like that.=P It was rather.. hmm.. invigorating? Ok. Not really. But I wouldn't mind doing it again. Make me walk 10km, but never make me run 2.4km ever again.

Ahaha. Turns out that Mr Ngoei [or one of his inner circle.=P] really did make a blog in response to Gayle. Ahaha. I cannot wait for the absolute hilarity of all they can type!

I hope to see more "Dear Mao" columns in the next issue of Non-Sequitur. *beams* It is hilarious, is it not?

*stares at Diabolos DVD*

Argh. If I complete my compre this afternoon.. and maybe do something extra.. I won't feel so bad if I "reward" myself with Gackt tonight! ^_^ *beams* The DVD is seriously tempting. Like, oh my goodness. I'm hoping this week will be rather relaxed so I can properly indulge in Gackt [ahem] before doing work like crazy during the holidays! If not, I'll just be this distracted thing that will never get any work done. *nods*

I don't have much to say so..

I'll let our 2 Big Walk pictures speak for themselves.=P I have terrible teeth. Sigh. What can I say.xP

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume + Sekirei~seki-ray~ Gackt]
[mood : cheerful]
[food : aloe vera! *stomps around*]

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Hello..

I wasn't planning to update today but well..things happen.=S

Went to the G-Boys autograph session with Jiamin today.-_- I'm really sorry but I really don't see much future for them. Then again, I'm no expert on this sorta thing so I'm not quite a trustable source.^_^" In any case though, I find nothing impressive about their songs, nor do I think their voices are outstanding. Their dancing is .. okay I guess, nothing outstanding either, though that could be the fault of the choreographer. =P There were quite a number of fans queuing up for their signatures and stuff. Hrm. My first experience at an autograph session wasn't an altogether bad one I suppose though I'd much rather attend someone else's..=P

Yay!! =D Jiamin got the Requiem et Reminiscence tour document for me today! *beams* Thank you!!! =D I quickly flipped through it. They've got pictures from 1999 to 2001 showing his career changes. Sadly, it's a rather wordy document so it has surely strengthened the resolve to go learn Japanese.=P The pictures are quite nice though there aren't enough of You!!! Hrmph. And there aren't as many random fun pictures or photoshoots, this one really focused mainly on the tour. This is probably because he was hospitalized with severe pneumonia just before the tour so there wasn't time to do any photoshoots or anything. Sigh. Very saddening. But nonetheless, *beams* It's very pretty!

Hrm. Studied with Brenda after dinner at Starbucks at the HSBC building between Paragon and Heeren. It's quite conducive for studying actually since it's relatively spacious so even though it was full, it didn't feel cramped. I managed to make good progress on the compre surprisingly, seeing as I thought I wouldn't be able to concentrate. Hrm. Must start reading the new E4 text soon. And read all the E4 texts before we start on them. That way, one won't get a whole backlog of work later on! ^_^ *beams* So yes. If you want a nice and convenient place to study, Starbucks wouldn't be a bad choice. Plus, they let you sit there forever!

Just horrified Brenda with pictures of J-Rockers. Haha.=P I have to admit, it reminds me a lot of my initial reaction to it except that I wasn't so horrified as I was curious. But I really think that I've come to accept it though sometimes, they still shock me but as I come across one shocking picture after another, I'm generally a lot more open to this kinda thing. Especially the yaoi-ism that kinda.. shocked me at first. But the Gackt one was intensely funny and eventually, I got over it and now.. It's just another part of fanservice. Which I enjoy immensely of course. *beams*

I wonder now though, whether I would have accepted these images as readily when I was younger. I always did like goth though I never said so since it was pretty obvious people around me thought it was weird and unacceptable. But now that goth is "in", it seems much more acceptable to "like" it though I've really actually thought it was cool and pretty all along. Especially the pictures of like Miyavi or Mana in the Gothic & Lolita Bible where they are styled in girls' goth clothing. I think I would have definitely thought they were girls. And I wonder how I would have reacted when I find out they are guys. Hmm.. Probably with a, URM. That's SO WEIRD! But.. I don't think I would have been disgusted or anything like some other people would be. Strange isn't it. Considering how my mom really reacts quite strongly to such things.=S

O well. Must rise early tomorrow for the Big Walk.=) Healthy living! Yay. It will all be negated if we eat a lot at the VIP reception though. Sigh. No matter. Shall attempt to have fun. Wee!

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : kono daremo inai heya de + Shima Uta Gackt]
[mood : contemplative]
[food : something citrusy, slightly sweet, slightly sour, crunchy.. all that just screams: ALOE VERA.]

Twittering~