visions of clarity...do as infinity

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

A Japanese Teleconference + 青花瓷

Hello!!!

=D This evening we had a live teleconference with Mie University in Japan.=) Very cool!! Haha. It was super fun. Except now I have to write a reflective essay in Japanese and I don't really know what to write except "interesting!" and "fun!". Haha. I can see my limited vocabulary slowly by surely killing me...

We, the American students learning Japanese, presented in Japanese on varied topics like music and food. It seemed completely elementary compared to what they presented to us, the topic of immigration in Japan in English. O__o It was very interesting though.=) I only wanted to giggle because it was so cute that they all spoke in super katakana-ed English. Hahaha. Kawaii.=D

We kept telling sensei that we should do this more often!!! Haha. And it was so cool that there was absolutely no lag. xD xD xD I love technology!!! I think that if people do this kind of thing more often, your conversation ability will improve by a lot.=)

Anyway, it's a busy two weeks coming up.. xP I have so much to do! But let me share the extremely hard to read lyrics of Jay Chou's 青花瓷 which is an extremely nice song I might add.=D Please listen to it!

周杰伦 - 青花瓷

素胚勾勒出青花笔锋浓转淡
瓶身描绘的牡丹一如你初妆
冉冉檀香透过窗心事我了然
宣纸上走笔至此搁一半

釉色渲染仕女图韵味被私藏
而你嫣然的一笑如含苞待放
你的美一缕飘散去到我去不了的地方

天青色等烟雨而我在等你
炊烟袅袅升起隔江千万里
在瓶底书汉隶仿前朝的飘逸
就当我为遇见你伏笔

天青色等烟雨而我在等你
月色被打捞起晕开了结局
如传世的青花瓷自顾自美丽你眼带笑意

色白花青的锦鲤跃然於碗底
临摹宋体落款时却惦记著你
你隐藏在窑烧里千年的秘密
极细腻犹如绣花针落地
帘外芭蕉惹骤雨门环惹铜绿
而我路过那江南小镇惹了你
在泼墨山水画里你从墨色深处被隐去

天青色等烟雨而我在等你
炊烟袅袅升起隔江千万里
在瓶底书汉隶仿前朝的飘逸
就当我为遇见你伏笔

天青色等烟雨而我在等你
月色被打捞起晕开了结局
如传世的青花瓷自顾自美丽你眼带笑意

I hope the wordings are correct.O__o I can't tell.. I mean, I can barely read half of it.=X =X =X

Hope everyone will have a great week ahead!!!

~爱是不是不开口才珍贵~

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : 青花瓷周杰伦]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : beef quesadilla!]

Ted: I typed it wrongly!!! Dies. Okay! Please remind me about the anime.=)

Mom: Yes! I can actually kind of understand their grammar and stuff, only sometimes I don't have enough vocabulary to understand.

Jiamin: (T_T) I don't have a lot of time, I just take it as practicing my Japanese when I watch anime. Hee.

Labels: Japanese Lessons, Jay Chou, umich

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Dennou Coil

Hello

I've finally finished watching Dennou Coil, all 26 action-packed fabulous episodes.

It's been quite long since I've found an anime that really just makes me.. I don't know. Happy. I started watching this because the summary kind of sounded interesting and everything but I had no expectations. Kind of like how I started watching Higurashi no Naku Koro ni except I didn't like it at all and couldn't bring myself to finish it.

But Dennou Coil is one hell of a creative anime. It might not be pretty in the CLAMP way and it's actually from a child's perspective but all the same, it carries a certain quality that makes you want to finish watching it and at the same time, you don't want it to end.

It also reminded me that anime, with a nice storyline and a fantastic plot, well-covered bases to prevent you from going, now where did that come from? as well as good animation is truly a joy to watch. It's like watching a drama, only with characters that are drawn, but still retain all the human qualities as a reflection of life.

Ahh Dennou Coil.=) I'll hope in vain for a second season because I'm pretty sure there won't be one.. But I also hope that this will set a new standard in anime.. And there'll be better ones to come.^_^

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : 空の欠片 池田綾子 (Dennou Coil OST)]
[mood : ^_^!!]
[food : --]

Labels: anime, Dennou Coil

Friday, January 25, 2008

Hmm..

Hello

Is it just me.. Or does the pink aura really envelop other people who don't emit it? Sometimes I think that we can be happy without the pink aura, but at other times when I see the pink aura and I realise how happy and almost misguided these people are, I think that maybe being in that state is better.

But the pink aura can be really. REALLY annoying. But it's okay. Pink auras can be entertaining to watch and see how the aura will develop.^_^

Everyone emits an aura.. Do you know what's yours?

Anyway, I realised after someone told me that I haven't posted photos of myself in a while! [Ahh.. A nice way to diffuse aura is to change the subject.]

Giant Lemon Eating in Positano.=D =D =D Yum! Okay no. I didn't actually buy the lemon. Finishing the whole thing might be a bit of a pain. O__o

The beach at Positano!! ^_^ It was totally not cold by the way.. I should have taken off my jacket.O__o I think I should one day drive around Michigan and visit the Great Lakes, since they are so famous and everything.=)

Perhaps the Great Lakes will remind me of a beach? =P It won't be as warm though, sadly..

On a bright note, I finished reading the manga Basilisk [バジリスク甲賀忍法帖], on which the movie, Shinobi, is based on.=) It's a good manga that is violent and bloody and everyone gets killed off by flies. But the ending was so dumb I almost killed myself from how cheesy it was.-__-" Still, it has been a while since I read a nice creative manga like this one! ^_^ I'd prefer it more if it were prettier though, and with a slightly better ending.. And fewer despicable characters..=)

Ahh.. Auras.. I've seen a number of them here.^_^ Has anyone seen any lately?

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : The Cape of Storms HYDE + MY HEART DRAWS A DREAM L'Arc~en~Ciel]
[mood : --]
[food : quesadilla!]

Labels: Ann Arbor, Italy, manga, misc, thoughts

Monday, January 21, 2008

And the weather turns colder...

Hello..

The temperature is a wonderfully chilly -16 degrees Celcius, but it feels like -22 degrees Celcius right now. It felt like that yesterday too. And ooh. The day before! And if it helps, today's high is a warm warm -4 degrees Celcius.

Ahh. The joys of Michigan's winter! I get to finally freeze my feet off and while I enjoy the cold for short periods of time, the horrible prickly pain of being in the cold for too long while walking around makes me grow hostile to this terrible thing called WINTER. However! The cold is totally worth it when it snows.=D The sidewalks and roads are horrendously slippery though. I never thought I'd see the day SOIL has actually frozen..

I feel like we're in Siberia. O__o

Anyway, today is Martin Luther King Day!!! ^_^ It commemorates the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. who was the chief spokesman of the nonviolent civil rights movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. He was assassinated in 1968 [from wikipedia].

I don't really know all that much about these things but.. Hey! I am all for equality of mankind and yay we get better food in the dining hall for once! ^_^ Joy is me.=D

However, other crazy friends and myself are currently in a science laboratory while my dear friend works on making sure fruit flies do not mate. It's a very strange thing when someone tells you in all seriousness: "I cannot teach fruit flies about abstinence. The only way to prevent them from becoming non-virgins is to separate the males and females." O__o Um. Right.

I've also learnt that while a female fruit fly's butt looks like 2 lumps, the male's looks sharp and the male has an orange abdomen! Haha. Very fascinating. ;) They also feed on a REALLY gross looking... Sample thing. Ew.

I love wandering around science laboratories.. It's fascinating! I found this culture broth for ... bacteria I suppose [?] called Terrific Broth. It was completely hilarious! xD xD xD My friends stared at me of course, so I had to merrily entertain myself instead..

And they have all these DNA machines.. And some stuff that can help a Polymerase Chain Reaction occur, among many other fascinating experiments. If looking through a microscope didn't boggle me so much, and if the theory weren't so boring, maybe I'd actually enjoy science more.^_^

While I wait, I shall return to playing online games! Orisinal is a GREAT site with beautifully designed games but I think I shall now move on to the McDonald's game! ^_^

Belatedly, Happy Birthday XW!!! I hope you enjoyed the dinner we made for you!!! =D [Photo courtesy of our resident photographer, Ted.]

If it interests anyone, the birthday dinner menu was: Chicken Rice, Laksa, Vegetables, Fish Tofu, Mushrooms, Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake and Mua Chee [all of which we made from scratch thank you very much. How can those hawker centre aunties only charge $1 a plate for mua chee! FAINTS.]. ^_^

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Wu Ding Jay Chou]
[mood : tired]
[food : cheesecake! And MUA CHEE!]

cch: Lucky Kitchen is my new best friend.=D

Jiamin: Yup. I SUCK beyond all belief at origami.^_^ Yay me. Hahaha. And see! I've updated!

Wendaye: It wasn't a hint at all!!!

Labels: Ann Arbor, Michigan, misc

Monday, January 14, 2008

Singapore, The Happiest Country in Asia?

Hello

Firstly, I UPDATED THE FOOD BLOG!!! YAY!!! Are you not proud of me.xD Hahaha.

Then, I read the article about Singapore being the "Happiest Country in Asia" and almost died from how much propaganda they are spewing: ABC News Article and the video on 20/20: 20/20 Report.

Sure, I think it's crap because how can you classify

"Ninety-five percent of the people around us say they're either somewhat happy or very happy," Buettner said of Singapore. "That's a very high proportion for Asia."

to be accurate of how it's the happiest country? =P

But it's okay.=) I like Singapore! ^_^ It really is a nice place, except for the heat all year round.. But I guess that's something a lot of people like about it since it's tropical all the time and you only need one wardrobe.=D

Hmm. I would like to point out quite needlessly that I've become increasingly bored at economics class and it's only the 2nd week of school. O dear.O__o Just 4 more months of this rubbish!!! =D =D =D On the other hand, sociology is very interesting!

And though I am going to regret changing my meal plan from 13 meals a week to 9 meals a week because of all the extra money I am spending, I haven't been so happy with dinners in a while.

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : 青花瓷 周杰伦 + DAYBREAK'S BELL L'arc~en~Ciel]
[mood : --]
[food : Lucky Kitchen!!]

Fel: I'm sure you'll get to go soon!

Labels: food blog, misc, news

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

餅つき 2008!

みんなさん、明けましておめでとうございます! 今年もうよろしくお願いします!
English: Everyone, Happy New Year! This year too, Yoroshiku onegaishimasu! [Please guide me/Teach me? O__o How do you translate yoroshiku onegaishimasu..]

On Saturday, my friends and I went for the 餅つき (pronounced: もちつき Mochitsuki) organized by the Center for Japanese Studies! ^_^ It was very fun indeed. Haha. I'm still sad we missed Kevin pounding the mochi.. But origami called!

We got to do loads of fun things, one of them being calligraphy! ^_^ Urm. Okay.. So I don't actually know how to write calligraphy COUGHS but then.. =D =D =D Calligraphy! Haha. This is a very good example of you should NOT write calligraphy.^_^v

Since mochitsuki is supposed to be a celebration of お正月 [the first day of the new year], they had all the traditional activities! ^_^ There was mochi-pounding, live music [koto, shamisen, shakuhachi], story-telling [in both English and Japanese], Calligraphy, traditional Japanese games, Origami and of course, FOOD!!! =D =D =D

The snacks we got from the mochitsuki! ^_^

We had freshly pounded mochi too, in 4 ways: With anko/azuki bean paste, with seaweed and shoyu, with kinako [roasted soybean powder] and with grated daikon and shoyu! YUMMY!!!!!!! It was SO GOOD. Much better than I expected!! The mochi was soft, chewy and tasted so fresh!!! I was so happy and attacked it with such relish that I um.. Forgot to take photos. Coughs. But it was good. Yea! ^_^v

We spent the rest of the time folding origami.=D As expected, I'm really bad at it... ^_^" Haha. But I managed to fold these:

^_^ My very first crane!!! Squee!!! Haha. And Anna taught us to fold 3-D Turtles!!! =D =D =D But I really suck at origami, so don't expect me to remember how to fold these.. I took the guiding papers though.=D

Teehee! I love these CJS-organised things.=D The best thing is that, everything is free!!! Unlike the horrible Singapore Student Association where we have to pay for everything.(T_T) I'm actually looking forward to their film series this year.=) And if I skip lunch on Thursdays, I can go to the CJS Noon Lecture series ... The Otaku one sounds interesting.=) I'm REALLY looking forward to taking Asian Studies...=P

Anyway, I hope everyone will have a good year ahead! Once again, よろしくお願いします!　今年、みんなさん頑張ってください!　夏休みに会わなくちゃいけませんよ!
English: Once again, yoroshiku onegaishimasu! This year, everyone please work hard! We must meet in the summer holidays!

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : 金魚花火 大塚愛]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : MOCHIIIIIII]

Labels: edibles, misc, mochitsuki, origami, umich

Monday, January 07, 2008

Highlights of Italy 2007!

Hello

Due to the overwhelming number of photos I have, I'm only going to post a selection and then put the rest up on Facebook.^_^ Ask me for the links if you want to see them! It's hell of a tiring putting everything up on Facebook but I am determined to finish putting up everything. Yea!

Anyway, Italy was wonderful.^_^ I think I went with zero expectations and came away very very happy. Also, I'll be posting [urhhh soon!! I hope. COUGHS.] on the food blog because we had some pretty good food and 2 extremely amazing meals.=)

The Highlights of Rome!

The Forum Romanum / The Roman Forum

The whole place is too huge so it's hard to take photos of everything but it's amazing how everything is still standing after more than 2000 years.. The Forum was the center of political, religious and social activities in every major Roman city.^_^

Another view from the Tarpeian Rock, where the Romans used to throw down traitors.^_^

The Coliseum

It's hard to believe that these cobble roads are still intact after thousands of years. But the Coliseum was amazing.=)

The inside of the Coliseum.

Circus Maximus

Imagine it covered in marble columns, statues and seats with columnades all round and colourful canopies all round, then add in the racing horse chariots and cheering crowd and you'll be able to see Circus Maximus in its heyday when the Roman Empire was strong.^_^ Or you could always imagine Ben Hur's chariot race part, it was based in Circus Maximus.

The Pantheon

The amazing dome that has stayed since thousands of years ago. Most church domes in Italy are based on the architecture of the Pantheon.

The Capitoline Museum

Allegory of Love: The Young, representing the youthful joy and idealism that one has about love when one is young.^_^

Allegory of Love: The Old, representing the pain and realism that one realises when has experienced love.

The Catacombes

No photos allowed inside sadly.. And it was really creepy to know that you're walking through an ancient Christian burial site.. But it was really interesting.=)

The Vatican City

Does this look a carving? It certainly did to me.. Until our guide told us that this is just one of the many frescoes painted on the ceiling of one part of the Vatican Museum. PAINTED! I almost died from the awe I have for these people talented in art.=)

The amazing ceiling in the Hall of Maps. It's also all frescoes painted onto the ceilings.=)

The Dome in St Peter's Basilica, one of the most famous basilicas in the world. It's an amazingly beautiful place stuffed full of artworks by the who's who in the art world umm.. A few hundred years ago.

St Peter's Square, right outside the Basilica and one of the most famous scenes of the Vatican.=) It's a beautiful day isn't it?

I think cobblestones are very pretty but they are heck of an irritating to walk on.

Food

The most AMAZING hot chocolate you will EVER drink. The Italians are BRILLIANT. =D Haha.

Spaghetti Carbonara which I don't usually like but it was REALLY good.=D =D =D Pastries in Italy leave a lot to be desired though. Horrors, they don't use real butter in their puff pastries! Otherwise, they're butter isn't great.-_-"

The most AMAZING pasta you will EVER eat. In a restaurant located in a quiet street, this place was recommended by a LOT of people.. It's really expensive but the food is DAMN good. xD xD xD This is a pasta with Roman cheese, black pepper and a generous shaving of truffles. Divine.

At the same restaurant, this was 100% pure Pistachio ice-cream/gelato. So. Good. DIES.

The Highlights of Assisi!

The main church in Assisi, St Francis Basilica lit up at night.=) The whole Assisi is historical really, and it's a charming place.^_^ We attended part of the Christmas Mass but left because it was all in Italian and I couldn't see a thing.O__o

St Francis Basilica in the morning.=)

The Highlights of Venice!

The view of the Grand Canal from Rialto Bridge.=) We did take one of the Gondolas and it was really fun but so touristy.O__o And it was really cold in Venice.

On the pier of Venice, near the Doge's Palace.=)

The pier of Venice, and all the parked Gondolas.

St Mark's Square at night! ^_^ When all the stupid pigeons were gone, I felt safe again...

The Bridge of Sighs, connecting the courthouse and the prison and where the convicted prisoner will get a last look at Venice before being shut in his cell.

The Highlights of a Tuscan Vineyard!

Tuscany is BEAUTIFUL. Look at this mountain shrouded in clouds!

Did I mention that Tuscany is BEAUTIFUL? They get like, more than 200 days of sunshine a year!

The pathway to the farmhouse. See. Tuscany is beautiful.

The bare grapevines in winter.=)

Olive groves, apparently you'll be thrown into jail if you chop down an olive tree because they are protected.=)

The most amazing biscotti EVER! It was so good.

Grappa! It was my new favourite drink until Limoncello came along...

The Highlights of Pisa!

Who can forget the Leaning Tower?

The Baptistry, where babies had to be baptised before they could enter the church in the past.

The Highlights of Montecatini Terme and Florence!

It reminded me of tokidoki.=) Some artwork on the walls of our hotel.

The beautiful Duomo in Florence!

One of the beautiful tombs in the Santa Croce.=)

The grounds of the Santa Croce, which used to be a monastery or nunnery, I can't remember which.X__x

The Rape of the Sabines.

The Ponte Vecchio! It's SO. BEAUTIFUL.

The most amazing gelato you will ever eat is available at Vivoli in Florence, near the Santa Croce! I picked Lemon and Gianduja/Nutella.xD xD xD YUM.

The Highlights of Sorrento and Capri!

The most amazing roasted fish with lemon and olive oil you will ever have. The lemons in Sorrento are ... Fragrant beyond my imagination. Seriously. I've never tasted such amazing lemons. O__o

Limoncello!!! My new favourite drink! It's made from lemon zest, sugar and water.=D

Capri is... Gorgeous. Seriously gorgeous. I can understand why people flock there in summer. *_*!

The island of Capri!

We took the chairlift and I risked my life taking all these pictures.X__x It was one of the scariest things I've done because firstly, you have to sit alone, secondly, it's a little rickety, and thirdly, it goes up really high.

Once you reach the top though, the scenery takes your breath away...

It looks like an enchanted place...

Or a fairy island, rising out of the mist...

Another little village on the island of Capri from a different vantage point of the island.=)

Seeing as Pizza originated in Naples which is close to Sorrento and Capri, we had to have pizza! And it was SO. EXTREMELY. DELICIOUS. The crust was thin and flavourful, the sauce was fresh and the cheese was yummy!

You know the song Funicoli, Funicola? =D This reminded me of it! The Funicolare is the transport system from Capri Town to the port. There are 3 levels in Capri, the port at sea level, Capri Town which is midway, and Anacapri the top level where we took the chairlift up!

The Highlights of Pompeii!

The amphitheatre! Because Pompeii is so well-preserved, even the mosaic floors are original.

One of the main streets of Pompeii.=)

The Forum in Pompeii, with Mount Vesuvius in the background.

The remains of the courthouse.

Pompeii lit up by the setting sun...=)

Spraymutter l'Arancia or however it is you spell it, it is freshly squeezed orange juice and trust me, it's VERY good. It's available all over the country but the ones I had in Capri and Positano were the best!

The Highlights of Positano and the Amalfi Coast!

The Amalfi Coast is the most beautiful coastline in Europe.=) According to the Italians of course.. I'm almost inclined to agree except that I haven't seen the other coastlines before..

A slice of a GIANT lemon native to the region called Cedri, it's got a really sour pulp but an amazingly sweet pith. It was so refreshingly sweet and I was really surprised!

The volcanic sand of Positano.

Positano is pretty small but very quaint and pretty.=)

The town from a high vantage point.

Finally, The Highlights of Monte Cassino!

The Monastery from which the... Franciscan order I think? originated. Monte Cassino was the site of heavy fighting during World War Two.

The cemetary for all the allied troops except the Italians and Americans who have separate cemetaries for the deaths in the Battle of Monte Cassino.

The memorial site with the names engraved on the pillars.=) It was peacefully beautiful..

Whew! What a long entry.X__x Italy was an amazing place and is REALLY beautiful. ^_^ I think my favourite parts were Tuscany and Sorrento/Capri.=) Haha. They were really too beautiful to be true.. You know how you always hear about the Tuscan hills..=) I'm glad I went.

Okay! Time to give my fingers a break and hopefully I'll be able to move myself to update my food blog!!! Haha. I at LEAST want to talk about the amazing restaurant in Rome and the other in Sorrento...

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : 青花瓷 周杰伦]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : biscotti!!!]

Wendaye: Haha.. It's very warm today, I could not be more pleased! ^_^ Time to not have to drag that heavy winter coat around.. But I think I like it colder.=P Lust, Caution! =) I prefer Confession of Pain for eyecandy reasons..xD Haha. And okay! We must meet up okay.=P Are you going to work or anything?

kee: Hee! =D You're welcome!!! Haha. I was so worried that it would never reach people because the US postal service is horrible. I'm sorry you got it so late!

Labels: edibles, Italy, misc, photo journey

Twittering~