visions of clarity...do as infinity

Monday, December 24, 2007

Merry Christmas!!!

Greetings from Assisi!

We're here in the heart of Italy on Christmas Eve, in our hotel, right outside St Francis Basilica.=) It is quite an amazing town... It's pretty much preserved in its original state and even though the frescoes have been damaged in the 1997 earthquake, loads of people came to help piece everything together again to preserve a bit of history.

This morning we were at the Vatican, viewing the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica, among other amazing things in the smallest country in the world.

The last few days have been in Rome and today we're in Assisi. Tomorrow we'll be headed for Venice!!! BEAMS. It means a long bus ride but the countryside here in Italy is amazingly beautiful!!! All the villages perched on the hills are so... gorgeous!!! I am totally backpacking through Europe next time so I can take my time and take loads and loads of fabulous photos.^_^

Italy is pretty warm too which should be wonderful for all my friends who hate the cold and snow. Tsk tsk.

Anyway, I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas! I'm headed for the Basilica to check out the Christmas Mass.^_^ Should be interesting, yes?

Okay. I declare that I HATE European keyboards.-_-" I cannot type my smiley faces properly. RAWR.

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Con te Partiro Andre Bocelli]
[mood : Beams!]
[food : xD xD xD]

Jiamin: Merry Christmas!!! ^_^ How can the snow look delicious? O__o

Labels: Italy, misc

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

雪に遊びでした!

Teehee!

Now that my exams are over... I can post photos of the day of the snowstorm! Heehee! =D =D =D It was so fun!!! Hahaha. I love snow! *hearts*

I woke up in the morning to this scene of howling wind, pouring snow and thick thick white all over.=)

Guo Lu and I knew that we had to study... But we decided to take a break after lunch!!! Haha. SNOW!!! =D

Then we took tons and tons of super random pictures!!! When you go out into the snow, you have to take advantage of it and have fun. ;)

Haha, since we have only 2 of us out in the snow.. We can only take random shots like this..xD Haha.

This is how thick the snow was!!! My whole shoe sank into the snow.X__x

And this is the thickness of the snow!!! xP Guo Lu tried to measure it. And we decided a conservative estimate would be about 20cm. Haha. Horrifying. And this was just on the cleared sidewalk!!!

Church Street behind East Quad.=) You can usually see all the way across but the snow was too thick that day...X__x

Our semi-wannabe-artistic sepia shot..xD It would have been much better if I was wearing a long black coat in some emo position I suppose...? And if it was darker.... Haha.

A totally wind-swept car that looks like it got frozen while driving...xD Cool ne?

I can't wait for the next snowstorm!!! Even though it's cold, the snow is already starting to disappear... ;_;

Tomorrow, we're flying off for Italy!!! ^_^ And I've rekindled my love for Ouran High School Host Club! *hearts!*

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : music from Ouran High School Host Club]
[mood : ^_^v]
[food : ai-su-ku-ree-mu!]

Joyce: I do not!!! !_!

Labels: Ann Arbor, misc, photo journey

Monday, December 17, 2007

London - William Blake

London

I wandered through each chartered street,
Near where the chartered Thames does flow,
A mark in every face I meet,
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

In every cry of every man,
In every infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forged manacles I hear:

How the chimney-sweeper's cry
Every blackening church appals,
And the hapless soldier's sigh
Runs in blood down palace-walls.

But most, through midnight streets I hear
How the youthful harlot's curse
Blasts the new-born infant's tear,
And blights with plagues the marriage-hearse.

William Blake

I love this poem.=D

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

Labels: poem

The Land of Dreams - William Blake

Land of Dreams, The

Awake, awake, my little boy!
Thou wast thy mother's only joy;
Why dost thou weep in thy gentle sleep?
Awake! thy father does thee keep.

"O, what land is the Land of Dreams?
What are its mountains, and what are its streams?
O father! I saw my mother there,
Among the lilies by waters fair.

"Among the lambs, cloth?d in white,
She walk'd with her Thomas in sweet delight.
I wept for joy, like a dove I mourn;
O! when shall I again return?"

Dear child, I also by pleasant streams
Have wander'd all night in the Land of Dreams;
But tho' calm and warm the waters wide,
I could not get to the other side.

"Father, O father! what do we here
In this land of unbelief and fear?
The Land of Dreams is better far
Above the light of the morning star."

William Blake

Hmm. Somehow, it's a bit sad. ;_;

When my Japanese exam is over, I'll try to find time to post photos of the mini-snowstorm we had! ^_^

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Tears X Japan + Algorithm Dance song from Pythagoras Switch]
[mood : studious]

Ted: I agree!!! We must watch it again soon.=D =D =D

Wendaye: I don't know any Japanese drinking games.O__o I think my teacher would kill me if I try to get the seniors to teach us. Hahaha.=P And yes. I must see you online soon to send you KISS! =D

Fel: Thank you.=)
[food : cookies]

Labels: misca, poem

Saturday, December 15, 2007

色，戒

Hello!

We just got back from watching 色，戒!!! =D =D =D It's such a nice movie! Beams. I totally don't regret spending 2.5 hours watching it. And we are experiencing a mini snow storm right now.^_^ Although weather.com calls it "Light Snow", I say it's a mini snow storm. Ahaha. It's the heaviest snow we've seen since coming here and the snow has piled up about 3 inches or so I think?

I am happy!!! I love snow!!! It's supposed to accumulate 6-10 inches of snow by tomorrow so Guo Lu and I are all set to go take photos!!! xD xD xD BEAMS.

Anyway, back to 色，戒 [Lust, Caution] which is the latest Ang Lee [李安] movie to be released. It stars Tony Leung [Hearts!!!], Tang Wei [she's pretty! Not in an in-your-face kind of way, but in a grows-on-you kind of way (耐看).], Joan Chen and Wang Lee Hom, among other people. ^_^ It's set during the Japanese Occupation of Shanghai in the 1940s and flits back a bit to when the Japanese were readying to take over the rest of Asia as well.

It involves Tony Leung as a Japanese-collaborationist, a Chinese working for the Chinese-Japanese government in Shanghai and Joan Chen is his wife. Then we have a group of resistance fighters who met in college [ahh typical! All these high-strung, hot-blooded college kids who think they can do it all..] where Wang Lee Hom and Tang Wei are members. Although they at first initiate a plan to assassinate Tony Leung, they fail and then years later, they try again. It involves Tang Wei as the seductress and undercover spy. ;) Rather exciting.

Anyway, I know exactly why this movie got a R21 rating in Singapore and NC17 in the US. O__O So much.. FLESH! Coughs. I don't know if those scenes were really NECESSARY but.. I don't know. Maybe I'm missing something?

Anyway, I'm shocked that Wang Lee Hom didn't act completely horribly in this show so thumbs up to him. What I'm really pleased at is Tang Wei who acted really well!!! =D At first when I saw her, I thought she wasn't all that pretty but throughout the show, she really grows on you. And my god! I totally want a Shanghai tai-tai lifestyle thankyouverymuch. ALL THOSE CHEONGSAMS!!! *hearts!* Hahaha. I still think the cheongsams from 2046 and In the Mood for Love are much nicer though.

Hmm.. Let's see. I enjoyed this movie overall and I highly recommend it. It didn't have a typical ending.. And it was SO SAD. But at the same time.. I don't know. On one hand, Tang Wei deserved it, on the other hand... I don't approve of collaborationists. -_-" Or maybe it's necessary for survival, etc etc. I don't know. In any case, it's a nice movie with some really nice and atypical scenes of Shanghai. I'm surprised at how all them spoke the different languages really well! They used Mandarin Chinese, Shanghainese, Cantonese, English and some Japanese quite liberally. They either dubbed it well, or the actors are all fluent in language-learning, or they have great voice coaches. *cheers for them*

The soundtrack is nothing to shout about so.. Not many comments there. I liked it though.^_^ I'm so glad Xinyi told us about it... And I'm glad that they are actually showing these movies in the US. Everyone thinks Asian films are about kungfu or Japanese ninjas which is such a wrong perception.

Anyway, while my jacket dries and my shoes too... And the snow falls gently outside, I shall return to my books. Yea! いしょにべんきょうしましょう！

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Dramatic (Piano) OS Version Hachimitsu to Clover OST]
[mood : ^_^ 色，戒!!!]
[food : 椒盐排骨!!!]

Fel: I know the format.. I just hate typing papers in that format so I always change the format before I submit. Hahaha. And yay!!! You got the card.=D =D =D Perhaps I should have more faith in USPS? =P

Jiamin: Hahaha. Yar. I was fine in the end.=D Teehee!

vivion: I LOVE SNOW TOO!!! xD xD xD

wendaye: When I see you online? I forgot the link already. I'll just send it to you? Hahahaha.=P

Labels: Ann Arbor, Lust Caution, misc, movie review, umich

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Epistemology

Hello

I am currently working on my there-is-no-page-limit-because-I-don't-want-to-limit-you-guys-and-what-you-want-to-say Philosophy paper.

It is getting horrendously, horribly, completely, totally long. Thank god she didn't give us a page limit. At the same time, it would have meant a lot less pain and a lot more summarising.

As it stands, I currently have 7 pages of non-double-spaced, font size 12 ramblings on Epistemology, or theories of knowledge. And since I haven't even gotten to my wonderful reflections yet, I shudder to think of how long this will be when it is double-spaced, which seems to be a favourite pastime of the Americans. Why o why would anyone double-space their paper? To make it seem longer? I would think teachers like to think they have less shit to mark!

O Woe is Me!

Despite the no-page-limit thing, I have a feeling I'm the only insane person in the whole class who is writing so much. Like hello international student and your bizarre ways!!! (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) What if my professor kills me! "YOU WROTE TOO MUCH. YOU FAIL!!!" *squirms in horror*

And I pity my poor friends who have unwittingly befriended someone who will ask [beg] them to edit her extremely long paper. *Deep Sigh* Maybe they will no longer be my friends and I will have to bake many cookies and brownies to make up for it.

O Woe is Me!

I could write a long poem on the pain of Kant and Epistemology in general but I don't think I have the energy for that. I still have to write my reflections! And finish Bertrand Russell's precious words. Horrors.

I shall now return to my suffering. And hope that my brother will send me photos of my gingerbread house soon. Then I can post pictures and feel happy!

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

Randomly, Laruku's new album, KISS, is amazing! Now Gackt! Shame on you! Can't you come up with something like this?!

[music : DAYBREAK'S BELL + MY HEART DRAWS A DREAM L'arc~en~Ciel + Kaze no machi he FictionJunction KEIKO]
[mood : dying]
[food : MILOOOO!!!]

Liu-yi: I'm waiting for it to snow again! Haha.

Jiamin: Sorry, I'll be in school for a while yet. My last exam is on the 18th. Woe is me again!

Labels: L'Arc~En~Ciel, misc, thoughts, umich

Friday, December 07, 2007

The end of the school year draws closer...

Hello

Today marks the 3rd last day of school for this semester!!! =D On one hand, I'm happy that I've almost finished [I'll declare it all at an end once I've finished my term papers and Japanese exam.-__-"] one semester at college, but on the other hand.. I'm kind of sad about it too. ^_^

Today was the last Japanese Lunch Table and last Japanese Conversation Table of the semester. We'll have it next year too, but some of the absolutely hilarious seniors that we've gotten to know will have graduated and they won't be here anymore. Which makes me quite sad because.. I realised that if it wasn't for these lunch tables and conversation tables, I wouldn't have made quite so many friends outside of the people I usually hang out with. Also because we were so limited in our Japanese, it was easy to make friends because laughter really brings people together.

I guess that's one thing about college that's really different. Unlike in secondary school and JC where we were divided by our seniority in the school, in college, the boundaries are far more blurred. You could be in the same class as a junior and senior and thus while they are technically "senior" to you in terms of number of years in college, they are at the same time your equal in the class. At the language table too, even though they were our seniors [and were obviously FAR more experienced in terms of mastery of the language..-__-"], we actually all became friends. To me at least. And so there wasn't like, a barrier of age that separates you from someone else just because you aren't in the same year of school or the same age.

So I'm happy for my friends who will be graduating because they are all going on to good jobs that pay well and doing stuff they like. But I'm also sad because I have only known them for one semester and they are already graduating. They are really entertaining to be with! Nevermind. ;) My senior was like, "if you come to Tokyo, I'll treat you to a meal!!!" MWAHAHA. Just kidding, I wouldn't take advantage of him like that. But I wouldn't mind seeing these people again. They are all so.. nice.^_^ [My limited vocabulary strikes again!] I hope they can succeed after college ... and show the rest of us that anything is possible as long as you grab the opportunity as it comes.=)

It didn't really help that we sang this song in conversation table that has a slightly sad tone to it even though it's a Christmas song. It's very meaningful.. "chicken rice" by Hamada Masatoshi and Makahara Noriyuki. ^_^ You can search for it on youtube!

Ahh. So many things that you learn as you get older.. And so, I don't think I can agree with Plato's epistemology about innate knowledge; he says that you only need to draw this knowledge out because we already unconsciously know everything we can know. I think that.. We learn stuff as we go along and our opinions change as a consequence of what we learn.=) I wish college was more like that, where you choose to study what you want to study. And discuss questions about life and from there, enrich your own life with the opinions of others. I was just talking to Kevin and Xiaowei about this the other day. All these distributions.. Sigh. They might give me a broader perspective of the world, but I don't really want to take them. At the same time though, I think it's better to approach everything WANTING to like it.. Then maybe life wouldn't appear so bad after all.^_^

I need to finish my term papers! Then I can practice Japanese by talking to myself as much as possible.. And.. Christmas is coming.^_^
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Chicken Rice Hamada Masatoshi & Makihara Noriyuki + 1/3 no junjou na kanjou Siam Shade]
[mood : thoughtful]
[food : おいしい食べ物です!]

cch: I don't like hail. It's painful.X__x

Liu-Yi: Haha. I think I'm the only one nowadays looking forward to snow.. As long as I don't have to walk outside for long periods of time.xD

Fel: I have exams too!!! xP

Jiamin: Can't you see the "wings" and "skirt"?? (T_T) YOU ARE SO MEAN.

Labels: Ann Arbor, Japanese Lessons, thoughts, umich

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Let it Ice!

Hello!

Last night, Guo Lu and I did the crazy thing and decided to go outside to enjoy the weather! ^_^ When we were walking back from ballroom, it was icing a lot and it was so pretty!!! xD xD xD It wasn't snow, it was freezing rain. In other words, it was rain that had frozen because it was SO COLD. That differs from snow but because I'm not familiar with meteorological terms, I shall not attempt to explain.

Anyway, the difference between snow and freezing rain is that snow has larger snowflakes whereas freezing rain comes in little bits of ice. And when snow piles up, it looks soft, fluffy and pure white whereas freezing rain looks soft, white and glittery because the ice reflects light. SO PRETTY!!! xD xD xD

So with the wind howling at up to 51km/h [it's UP TO, which means a maximum, which means it might not actually be 51km/h but has the potential to be], Guo Lu and I went out to play!

All wrapped up and everything, we trooped outside only to find that... It wasn't that cold.-___-" I'm glad I wore my giant winter jacket out though.. It was raining and freezing-raining at the same time so water droplets kept freezing onto my jacket.O__o

Your hands don't fair too well in such weather though. Your cheeks too.X__x

There was about an inch or 2 of "snow" I think.^_^ Pretty!!!

Footprints in the snow!!! I love my new jacket. It's hell of a heavy but it's really really really really really warm. I felt totally overdressed.. Especially when we saw some girls wearing teensy mini skirts and stilettos.O___o

We quickly drew this when there was no one around.xD Haha. Totally embarrassing otherwise...

And this too!!!

A lousy snow angel.(T_T) I'll make a nicer one when there's thicker snow!

Playin' in the Snow/Ice is fun!!! =D Sadly, it was starting to melt a bit and as you know, it is when snow/ice melts that it gets REALLY cold.xP Something about Latent Heat of Fusion. Or something like that. Then it got cold again so... This morning everything looked like this:

^_^

Tonight we're going for the Michigan Pops Orchestra Concert!!! ^_^
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Tsukiakari Rie Fu + Nagori Yuki Iruka]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : oatmeal raisin cookies!]

Labels: Ann Arbor, east quad, misc, photo journey

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