I've finally finished playing Professor Layton and the Curious Village for Nintendo DS Lite. (T_T) So sad!!! I really really really like the game. It's fun, brain squeezing and has got a good storyline + graphics + music. =)
Professor Layton and Luke are the 2 playing characters while the rest simply contribute to the plotline and the game play itself. Luke is the Professor's assistant and the Professor is actually a very famous detective, known for being able to solve puzzles. The story revolves around St Mystere, a town with a secret and townspeople who love puzzles and test you at every stage of the game. The puzzles are pretty random sometimes but some do contribute to the plot and really are well incorporated into the game. Some are pretty tough [not always indicated by the number of Picarats - the point system - in the stupid game.-_-"] but others are pure logic or calculation. I've been stuck more than once [I think of all my friends who also play, I get stuck the most.*hangs head in shame* Thank goodness for having smart friends who "pwn" the game or I'd never finish.] so do expect there to be some puzzles that require you to sit there and think. In the game are mysteries within mysteries, questions within questions and plotlines overcrossing everywhere. You can sometimes guess what's going to happen but Professor Layton and the Curious Village still can sometimes surprise you.
As previously mentioned, Picarats are the point system in the game and each question's difficulty is indicated by the number of Picarats you can earn. There are also hint coins that you can collect along the way to help you when you encounter difficult puzzles. These can come in REALLY handy sometimes and really unhelpful [when it's really vague] at other times..=P
The graphics in the game are really really really good.=) I guess I am still inexperienced and not very knowledgeable about all these developments in the gaming industry..=P But I was pretty impressed at how much effort they put into a DS Lite game! I thought these kind of great graphics and music were reserved more for actual gaming platforms like the Wii or PS3 or even the PC. Within the game are mini movies that highlight some things and give a more story-line feel to the whole thing which I really like because it ties everything together.=) The story makes its presence felt throughout the game so it's not like some random story just thrown in for the heck of it.
Overall, I really don't regret buying this game and pre-ordering it even.=P Thank you Nao [of alice nine.] for this GREAT recommendation!!! xD xD xD
Part 2 is already out in Japan and they are currently developing Part 3! I cannot wait for Part 2 to be released in English.=D =D =D I tried playing online in Japanese and I totally had no idea what they were saying..=S I don't think I should be quite so ambitious yet... Part 2 looks good too, and brings the Professor and Luke out into.. I have no idea where. It's supposed to be about a Pandora's Box or something to that effect.=)
Ahh.. I'm so thrilled with this game, that I'll just let you beam at Professor Layton and Luke for this week's Midweek Men!!! =P
Previous weeks have brought you:
Week 1: Hyun Bin (Snow Queen), Daniel Henney (My Name is Kim Sam Soon), Miyavi and Mr Rabbit Week 2: Lelouch (Code Geass), Tom Schilling (NAPOLA), Saga (alice nine.) and Mr Rabbit Week 3: Tachibana Keita (w-inds.), Terashima Nobu (NANA), hyde/HYDE (L'arc~En~Ciel) and Mr Rabbit Week 4: Initial D Special - Edison Chen, Shawn Yue and Jay Chou
Since Mr Rabbit didn't make an appearance the last time, let us squeal over his great looks!!!
Hello Mr Dustball! You are looking FINE today.xD
And that's it for this week's Midweek Men-cum-Video Game Roundup Report.=D I'll try to feature some REAL humans next time. Heh. In the meantime, I should pack up. I'm halfway through my stuff..
Tuesday Special: Advertisements I Like! - Part One
Hello!
Since I've been so slack in updating lately, I think I'll shall start something new: Tuesday Specials! ^_^ I'll introduce something new every now and then on Tuesday just to chase those Monday blues away. ;D I think it's time to restart Midweek Men! Haha. Anyway, this week, I'll be starting an introduction of a series of advertisements that I'll carry out over a couple of weeks, months,... since there are always new and exciting advertisements to look out for!
Here's to sharing advertisements that I like! ^_^
Dove - True Colors
Coca Cola - Happiness Factory Part One
Coca Cola - Happiness Factory Part Two: The Movie
M&M's - Addam's Family
And to end it off, here's a LINK [click the word!] to a site with 19 Great Advertisements - print and outdoor! ^_^
There'll be more coming soon. I LOVE looking at advertisements.. The creative ones are ABSOLUTELY brilliant!
I've been trying to catch up on anime and reading while procrastinating from clearing my room for move out! Haha.. I'm really sad that Rachel has left.. (T_T) Weeps. Never mind. We'll see her in 2 weeks! For the Tulip Festival! YAY!!!
Anyway, here I am, procrastinating again, to share the Top 10 Lists that I found most interesting in [my very back-dated issue of] Time! =)
The 10 Best Theater Shows
#1: August: Osage County. #2: Journey's End - I've been DYING to watch this.. Ever since I read the play! #3: Fuerzabruta #4: The Overwhelming #5: Wooster Group's Hamlet #6: Pygmalion - Another thing I want to watch! #7: Grease - Who doesn't like Grease?? #8: The Farnsworth Invention #9: Eurydice #10: Intimate Exchanges
The 10 Best Songs
Amy Winehouse : Rehab 50 Cent : I Get Money Feist : 1234 Plain White T's : Hey There Delilah - I love this song! Rihanna : Umbrella - And this one! Manu Chao : Me Llaman Calle LCD Soundsystem : All My Friends Aly & AJ : Potential Breakup Song - Sounds potentially interesting. Radiohead : Jigsaw Falling Into Place The Fratellis : Baby Fratelli
#1: Tent dresses - Erm. #2: White Sunglasses - Only on certain people.. #3: High-waisted Jeans - O dear. #4: Day Clutches #5: Ankle Boots #6: Vests - Yum! #7: Fedoras #8: Bright Tights #9: Cocktail Rings #10: Red Lipstick - Always in style.=)
The 10 Best Books: Fiction
#1: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz [Amazon Link] #2: Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris [Amazon Link] #3: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini [Amazon Link] #4: Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson [Amazon Link] #5: Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson [Amazon Link] #6: The House of Meetings by Martin Amis [Amazon Link] #7: No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July [Amazon Link] #8: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling [Amazon Link] - Yawn. #9: Like You'd Understand, Anyway by Jim Shepard [Amazon Link] #10: The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver [Amazon Link]
The 10 Best TV Ads
#1: Super Bowl of Love, Late Night Show with David Letterman
#2: Impossible is Nothing, Adidas
#3: Thief, Gatorade
#4: Onslaught, Dove - Dove campaigns are always inspiring.
#5: Meredith, Apple
#6: Tina Fey, American Express - Cute.xD
#7: Happiness Factory, Coca Cola - I LOVE this series of ads!!!
#8: Most Interesting Man in the World, Dos Equis
#9: Live the Flavor, Doritos - Hahaha!
#10: Rollin' VIP, Nationwide
Have fun watching, Youtube-ing and Googling everything! ^_^
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : 3月9日 Remioromen] [mood : annoyed at the mess] [food : something not salty.. please?]
I AM DONE WITH FINALS FOR THIS ACADEMIC YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!! [I don't count Spring. Because it's an extra semester. And why am I doing Spring semester again. Sigh.] YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!
My friends from Japanese class and I went to Karaoke together!! xD xD xD xD xD SO FUN! Haha. We sang so many random songs from Japanese class it was great.=D =D =D
This is my first time going to karaoke and I thought it was really fun.=) There were so many Japanese songs I wanted to sing. Hahaha.=P So much Gackt! and L'arc~en~Ciel! and Utada Hikaru! and Hamasaki Ayumi!~ xD Maybe going to Kbox with my friends in Singapore won't be so bad after all.^_^"
I mean, my econ paper was terrible.. I couldn't do the first question.. And I left quite a few blank which is good I guess since it means that I've already earned a few points [a blank answer = 1 point, correct answer = 5 points, wrong answer = 0 points].^_^v Trying to stay positive is the key! I left early because I decided there was no point glaring at the question and hoping it would stop fighting to keep the answer to itself. So I went to study Japanese with my classmates and already they were going crazy. Haha. It was so funny.
Japanese proficiency, however, was VERY not funny.-_-" I was like. WHATTT when I saw how long the stupid paper was. 2 essays! And 1 EXTREMELY LONG and COMPLETELY UN-UNDERSTANDABLE comprehension passage with ridiculously hard content and translation questions! The kanji section wasn't too bad, there were a few I couldn't answer on first try but I knew the answer eventually.=) But I wanted to DIE when I was reading the passage. It was seriously hard.-_-" However, I felt quite pleased that I could read about the problem in Japan about children who are foreigners and so fail at school because they can't do Japanese or they become so good at Japanese, they become totally detached from their origins.^_^v Yea! Haha. I can't believe I understood most of it.=S But the translations! A 2 liner in Japanese would translate into this giant paragraph of English.X__X Keel me!
But whatever. Right now, I am SO DONE with exams! YAYY!!! Hahaha. I need to pack my room and later on, I'll worry about my grades. But right now. Freedom! I no longer have to justify watching anime or drama with "I am practising Japanese! *nods nods*". Haha.=D =D =D
However, I am really sad that this truly marks the end of Japanese in the RC. (T_T) I really had a lot of fun with them, and there was absolutely no rivalry in the class. The supportive environment with such fun-loving people was really conducive to learning a language which was totally foreign to every single one of us. And of course, one cannot forget our dear dear dear Satoo Sensei who is seriously one of the best language teachers I've ever had.=) He's so cute and uses the best examples to get us to remember stuff! Plus he's totally patient when you are trying desperately to think of an answer to his question and when he's explaining why you were totally WRONG on your essay. Today we were talking about how far we've come and how much we've learnt..=) At first all we could ask each other was stuff like: "What's your name? Where are you from? What are you studying? ... Silence ..." and now we can have full conversations in simplified Japanese! It's quite amazing really.^_^
Today my brother and I went to attend the Sustanability Lecture by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at Crisler Arena right here on campus!
I should have been studying but seriously, you'll never ever get to see the Dalai Lama in the flesh for FREE so.. I sacrificed my study time for this once in a lifetime experience.=)
The ticket for general admission [university sponsored event meant FREE ENTRANCE! to whoever could grab a ticket first] and the commemorative magnet for the Earth Day Sustainability Talk.
It was relatively interesting though he went off-topic a lot. But he seems like a cute old man.. My brother and I were trying to decide if we felt enlightened [after seeing him on stage, and leaving in his car outside the Crisler Arena]. But we're not very sure... I really liked seeing the blessings he gave people with the symbolic white scarves.=) I didn't really see any protestors though apparently a lot of the Chinese students were protesting at his religious talks..^_^"
The next person to see: The Pope! ^_^ [and Pierre Herme. Ahem ahem.]
I'm actually feeling very grateful to the university for providing so many opportunities to see these famous people for free or at a super reduced price. [My Lang Lang tickets were so cheap! Yay for the half-price student sale! xD] I really like how here they are really relaxed about everything and don't keep stopping you from doing stuff. Like if you see a table filled with food and stuff, unless there's a sign, you can basically just walk up and take what you want without someone looming up behind you to yell at you for taking food. Yay for the opportunities! ^_^
I'm looking forward to the end of exams... There are so many places to go, so many things to do, so many people to meet.^_^
Okay! I have wasted enough time. It's high time I go back to my books: JAPANESE and ECON!! HERE I COME!!! *deep sigh*
*runs away* *[-witchstone-]*
[music : 3月9日 レミオロメン] [mood : sad at life] [food : garlic bread!]
Here's a series that Guo Lu and I created to let you know when the exams are getting to you.
First you're faced with a table covered in books, notes, scribblings of frustration, and lecture slides that mean absolutely nothing:
Then as your sadness at life builds up as people are MOVING OUT OF THE DORM AROUND YOU, you start to do something about it!
The Stressed Orange Series
Xiaowei
Sze Yen
Guo Lu
The Imitation: Sze Yen
The Imitation: Guo Lu
The Imitation: Xiaowei
The Threes: The Row.
The Threes: 老天爷！为什么我们的命这么苦！
The Threes: Sze Yen
The Threes: Guo Lu Head On
The Threes: Guo Lu Profile
The Head Knock / 撞头
All photos taken with Sony Ericsson phones.
I cannot wait for tomorrow evening when all this will be DONE!!
Even the oranges are crying for us.(T_T)
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : Dreams High and Mighty Color] [mood : --"] [food : Garlic Bread!]
YX: Durian sticky rice just replaces the mango with durian. Hahaha.=P It's yummy! One semester for us is about 4 months? And my spring break is LONG over! I went to NYC.=D =D =D I have a week's break between this semester [winter semester] and next half semester [spring semester].^_^"
Jiamin: Yup! Exciting right.. I want to read Murakami in Japanese but I can barely read manga so let's not even bring up novels..=P 22 degrees is EXTREMELY hot. You're grateful for the wind..X__x I don't want to think about Singapore's weather yet.^_^"
After reading the Murakami story: "On seeing the 100% perfect girl one beautiful April morning", this song really reminded me of the themes and stuff in the story.^_^ I have conveniently embedded the subtitled version for you to better appreciate the lyrics in relation to the story! ^_^
レミオロメン「粉雪」(Remioromen - Konayuki)
This song was actually used as an insert song for 1リットルの涙 [One Litre of Tears] and part of the lyrics are featured as part of this blog's template [look above].=) The show made great use of this song by getting the plaintful chorus to coincide with the tear-jerking bits of the drama. ;_; Your eyes would leak tears in total harmony with the chorus. Very appropriate I must say.
Another insert song by レミオロメン is 3月9日 which the actors sang in both the drama and the movie.
レミオロメン - 3月9日 (Remioromen - Sangatsu Kokonoka)
This is the PV which stars 堀北真希 [Horikita Maki]. There's a movie version as well though. Apparently, the drama is much better but I've never seen the movie version so I wouldn't know. I'm not too keen on watching it because it would mean another sob-fest with my friends..
Anyway, I have 2 papers left! TWO! PAPERS! TO! FREEDOM! Omygosh. I CANNOT wait. (T_T) Studying econs is getting to me.. It's so irritatingly un-understandable. I mean, I get the whole Monopoly bit and stuff but all the things before continue to elude me... Kind of sucks seeing as this is a cumulative examination. Just my luck. Sigh.
Okay. I shall quit procrastinating and continue to feel sad as I listen to these 2 songs.. While studying. I feel sad while studying. How appropriate!
I shall post some cute photos soon.^_^ And enjoy the beautiful weather everyone!!! I feel it's getting too warm though.O__o 22 degrees! OMG. The HEAT!!! I feel like dying...
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : 粉雪 + 3月9日 レミオロメン] [mood : sad and stressed] [food : something light and refreshing]
YX: Ganbatte!!! ^_^! The story is really nice right..=) And you have to teach me how to make mango sticky rice! My favourite is still durian sticky rice. HEHE.=P
Mom: Guo Lu read them all in Chinese!! So you can be assured that they are available.
Jiamin: Hahaha. It wasn't his best certainly, and it was a bit draggy.. But didn't confuse me as much as The Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World [though I eventually got it in the end..].=P
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
村上春樹 / Murakami Haruki
Hello
Jiamin posted this beautiful story by Murakami Haruki / Haruki Murakami [depending on which side of the pond you're from] on her blog. ^_^
I love Murakami-san's writing.. It's simply beautiful! I wish I knew enough Japanese to read it in its original language, but being fully able to appreciate the complexity of a language's literature might take far longer to learn than what I currently have gone through. I mean, if you think about it.. I probably still can't fully appreciate a Chinese novel - rather sad.
Last night, I finished his "A Wild Sheep Chase" novel.=) It used to confuse me because his books tend to end with ambiguous endings but last night, I confirmed with myself that, sometimes, things don't need a clear ending to be beautiful. It's like a reflection of human existence isn't it? Where the ending of what you're working toward seems fuzzy and unclear because ... there never really is an end is there? Life just goes on as always, and whether or not you've been left in its tracks is something entirely up to you. Or maybe it isn't, and it could be a result of social dynamics as we've learnt in sociology.
Anyway, let me carry my ramblings somewhere else [like into my own internal conversation] and leave you with this beautiful story! ^_^
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
Haruki Murakami: On seeing the 100% perfect girl one beautiful April morning
One beautiful April morning, on a narrow side street in Tokyo's fashionable Harujuku neighborhood, I walked past the 100% perfect girl.
Tell you the truth, she's not that good-looking. She doesn't stand out in any way. Her clothes are nothing special. The back of her hair is still bent out of shape from sleep. She isn't young, either - must be near thirty, not even close to a "girl," properly speaking. But still, I know from fifty yards away: She's the 100% perfect girl for me. The moment I see her, there's a rumbling in my chest, and my mouth is as dry as a desert.
Maybe you have your own particular favorite type of girl - one with slim ankles, say, or big eyes, or graceful fingers, or you're drawn for no good reason to girls who take their time with every meal. I have my own preferences, of course. Sometimes in a restaurant I'll catch myself staring at the girl at the next table to mine because I like the shape of her nose.
But no one can insist that his 100% perfect girl correspond to some preconceived type. Much as I like noses, I can't recall the shape of hers - or even if she had one. All I can remember for sure is that she was no great beauty. It's weird.
"Yesterday on the street I passed the 100% girl," I tell someone.
"Yeah?" he says. "Good-looking?"
"Not really."
"Your favorite type, then?"
"I don't know. I can't seem to remember anything about her - the shape of her eyes or the size of her breasts."
"Strange."
"Yeah. Strange."
"So anyhow," he says, already bored, "what did you do? Talk to her? Follow her?"
"Nah. Just passed her on the street."
She's walking east to west, and I west to east. It's a really nice April morning.
Wish I could talk to her. Half an hour would be plenty: just ask her about herself, tell her about myself, and - what I'd really like to do - explain to her the complexities of fate that have led to our passing each other on a side street in Harajuku on a beautiful April morning in 1981. This was something sure to be crammed full of warm secrets, like an antique clock build when peace filled the world.
After talking, we'd have lunch somewhere, maybe see a Woody Allen movie, stop by a hotel bar for cocktails. With any kind of luck, we might end up in bed.
Potentiality knocks on the door of my heart.
Now the distance between us has narrowed to fifteen yards.
How can I approach her? What should I say?
"Good morning, miss. Do you think you could spare half an hour for a little conversation?"
Ridiculous. I'd sound like an insurance salesman.
"Pardon me, but would you happen to know if there is an all-night cleaners in the neighborhood?"
No, this is just as ridiculous. I'm not carrying any laundry, for one thing. Who's going to buy a line like that?
Maybe the simple truth would do. "Good morning. You are the 100% perfect girl for me."
No, she wouldn't believe it. Or even if she did, she might not want to talk to me. Sorry, she could say, I might be the 100% perfect girl for you, but you're not the 100% boy for me. It could happen. And if I found myself in that situation, I'd probably go to pieces. I'd never recover from the shock. I'm thirty-two, and that's what growing older is all about.
We pass in front of a flower shop. A small, warm air mass touches my skin. The asphalt is damp, and I catch the scent of roses. I can't bring myself to speak to her. She wears a white sweater, and in her right hand she holds a crisp white envelope lacking only a stamp. So: She's written somebody a letter, maybe spent the whole night writing, to judge from the sleepy look in her eyes. The envelope could contain every secret she's ever had.
I take a few more strides and turn: She's lost in the crowd.
Now, of course, I know exactly what I should have said to her. It would have been a long speech, though, far too long for me to have delivered it properly. The ideas I come up with are never very practical.
Oh, well. It would have started "Once upon a time" and ended "A sad story, don't you think?"
Once upon a time, there lived a boy and a girl. The boy was eighteen and the girl sixteen. He was not unusually handsome, and she was not especially beautiful. They were just an ordinary lonely boy and an ordinary lonely girl, like all the others. But they believed with their whole hearts that somewhere in the world there lived the 100% perfect boy and the 100% perfect girl for them. Yes, they believed in a miracle. And that miracle actually happened.
One day the two came upon each other on the corner of a street.
"This is amazing," he said. "I've been looking for you all my life. You may not believe this, but you're the 100% perfect girl for me."
"And you," she said to him, "are the 100% perfect boy for me, exactly as I'd pictured you in every detail. It's like a dream."
They sat on a park bench, held hands, and told each other their stories hour after hour. They were not lonely anymore. They had found and been found by their 100% perfect other. What a wonderful thing it is to find and be found by your 100% perfect other. It's a miracle, a cosmic miracle.
As they sat and talked, however, a tiny, tiny sliver of doubt took root in their hearts: Was it really all right for one's dreams to come true so easily?
And so, when there came a momentary lull in their conversation, the boy said to the girl, "Let's test ourselves - just once. If we really are each other's 100% perfect lovers, then sometime, somewhere, we will meet again without fail. And when that happens, and we know that we are the 100% perfect ones, we'll marry then and there. What do you think?"
"Yes," she said, "that is exactly what we should do."
And so they parted, she to the east, and he to the west.
The test they had agreed upon, however, was utterly unnecessary. They should never have undertaken it, because they really and truly were each other's 100% perfect lovers, and it was a miracle that they had ever met. But it was impossible for them to know this, young as they were. The cold, indifferent waves of fate proceeded to toss them unmercifully.
One winter, both the boy and the girl came down with the season's terrible influenza, and after drifting for weeks between life and death they lost all memory of their earlier years. When they awoke, their heads were as empty as the young D. H. Lawrence's piggy bank.
They were two bright, determined young people, however, and through their unremitting efforts they were able to acquire once again the knowledge and feeling that qualified them to return as full-fledged members of society. Heaven be praised, they became truly upstanding citizens who knew how to transfer from one subway line to another, who were fully capable of sending a special-delivery letter at the post office. Indeed, they even experienced love again, sometimes as much as 75% or even 85% love.
Time passed with shocking swiftness, and soon the boy was thirty-two, the girl thirty.
One beautiful April morning, in search of a cup of coffee to start the day, the boy was walking from west to east, while the girl, intending to send a special-delivery letter, was walking from east to west, but along the same narrow street in the Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo. They passed each other in the very center of the street. The faintest gleam of their lost memories glimmered for the briefest moment in their hearts. Each felt a rumbling in their chest. And they knew:
She is the 100% perfect girl for me.
He is the 100% perfect boy for me.
But the glow of their memories was far too weak, and their thoughts no longer had the clarity of fouteen years earlier. Without a word, they passed each other, disappearing into the crowd. Forever.
A sad story, don't you think?
Yes, that's it, that is what I should have said to her.
So we had lovely warm days, going all the way up to an extremely warm 20 degrees [walking around in a t-shirt is the MOST you would wear to revel in the warmth] and cool breezes to dampen the frightfully strong sun.
Then yesterday we had snow. Some flurries perhaps, and some large flakes which stopped in the afternoon much to my dismay [and to the delight of many others].
And today, what do we have? An in-between and very warm 12 degrees with the sun blazing down and a breeze to cool you down.=)
Today in class we started on a new drama called オヤジぃ / "Oyaji", well not really started.. We're just randomly watching it because we've finished Tokyo Tower. Which is the saddest drama ever with a very O__o ending. I liked the whole drama but not the ending that much.=( And it's got a great song too!
So I seem to be keeping this archive of songs I can find on youtube from Conversation Table.^_^ Haha. They are easy songs for most beginners [hence why we are singing them] and really show a progression of vocabulary and grammar that we've learnt.^_^ Speaking, singing, listening and whatnot in whatever foreign language you are learning is really the best way to improve.^_^ I'm glad my teacher makes learning so fun!
Here we have the song from Tokyo Tower! It's a really fantastic song from one of the most popular bands in Japan right now.^_^ And by the way, you should REALLY watch Tokyo Tower. It's so good!
蕾 / Tsubomi By: コブクロ / Kobukuro
涙こぼしても 汗にまみれた笑顔の中じゃ namida koboshitemo asenimamireta egao no nakaja 誰も気付いてはくれない dare mo kizuitewa kurenai だから あなたの涙を僕は知らない dakara anata no namida wo boku wa shiranai
絶やす事無く 僕の心に 灯されていた tayasu koto naku boku no kokoro ni tomosareteita 優しい明かりは あなたがくれた 理由なき愛の証 yasashii akari wa anata ga kureta riyuu naki ai no akashi
柔らかな陽だまりが包む 背中に ポツリ 話しかけながら yawarakana hidamariga tsutsumu senaka ni potsuri hanashikakenagara いつかこんな日が来る事も itsuka konna hi ga kuru koto mo きっと きっと きっと わかってたはずなのに kitto kitto kitto wakattetahazunanoni
消えそうに 咲きそうな 蕾が 今年も僕を待ってる kiesouni sakisouna tsubomi ga kotoshi mo boku wo matteru 掌じゃ 掴めない 風に踊る花びら tenohiraja tsukamenai kaze ni odoru hanabira 立ち止まる肩にヒラリ tachi tomaru kata ni hirari 上手に乗せて 笑って見せた あなたを思い出す 一人 jouzu ni nosete waratte miseta anata wo omoidasu hitori
ﾋﾞﾙの谷間に 埋もれた夢を いつか芽吹いて biru no tanima ni umoreta yume wo itsuka mebuite 花を咲かすだろう 信じた夢は 咲く場所を選ばない hana wo sakasu darou shinjita yume wa saku basho wo erabanai
僕等この街に落とされた影法師 みんな 光を探して bokura kono machi ni otosareta kageboushi minna hikari wo sagashite 重なり合う時の流れも kasanari au toki no nagare mo きっと きっと きっと 追い越せる日が 来るさ kitto kitto kitto oi koseru higa kurusa
風のない 線路道 五月の美空は 青く寂しく kaze no nai senromichi gogatsu no misora wa aoku sabishiku 動かない 千切れ雲 いつまでも浮かべてた ugokanai chigire kumo itsuma demo ukabeteta どこにも もう戻れない dokonimo mou modorenai 僕のようだと ささやく風に キラリ舞い落ちてく 涙 boku no youdatato sasayaku kaze ni kirari mai ochiteku namida
散り際に もう一度 開く花びらは あなたのように chiri kiwani mou ichidou hiraku hanabira wa anata no you ni 聴こえない 頑張れを 握った両手に 何度もくれた kikoenai ganbare wo nigitta ryoute ni nando mo kureta
消えそうに 咲きそうな 蕾が 今年も僕を待ってる kiesouni sakisouna tsubomi ga kotoshi mo boku wo matteru 今もまだ 掴めない あなたと描いた夢 ima mo mada tsukamenai anata to egaita yume 立ち止まる 僕のそばで tachi tomaru boku no soba de 優しく開く笑顔のような 蕾を探してる 空に yasashiku hiraku egao no you na tsubomi wo sagashiteru sora ni
Secondly, allow me to introduce the song for Oyaji, さよなら 大好きな人 by Hana * Hana.=) It's a very nice song that is very easy to sing along to and so I've romanized the lyrics below! ^_^
さよなら 大好きな人 / sayonara daisuki na hito By: 花＊花 / Hana * Hana
さよなら 大好きな人 sayonara daisuki na hito さよなら 大好きな人 sayonara daisuki na hito まだ 大好きな人 mada daisuki na hito
何もかも忘れられない nani mo kamo wasurerarenai 何もかも捨てきれない nani mo kamo sutekirenai こんな自分がみじめで konna jibun gamijimede 弱くてかわいそうで大きらい yowakute kawaisou de daikirai
さよなら 大好きな人 sayonara daisuki na hito さよなら 大好きな人 sayonara daisuki na hito ずっと 大好きな人 zutto daisuki na hito ずっとずっと 大好きな人 zutto zutto daisuki na hito
泣かないよ 今は nakanaiyo ima wa 泣かないよ 今は nakanaiyo ima wa 心 はなれていく kokoro hanareteiku それでも私の 大好きな人 soredemo watashi no daisuki na hito
最後だと言いきかせて saigo da to iikikasete 最後だと言いきかせて saigo da to iikikasete 涙よ 止まれ namida yo tomare 最後に笑顔を saigo ni egao wo 覚えていおくために oboeteiokutameni
さよなら 大好きな人 sayonara daisuki na hito さよなら 大好きな人 sayonara daisuki na hito ずっと 大好きな人 zutto daisuki na hito ずっとずっと 大好きな人 zutto zutto daisuki na hito ずっとずっとずっと 大好きな人 zutto zutto zutto daisuki na hito
AHH! I love these songs!!! ^_^ Wee! I have been karaoke-ing Tsubomi for the longest time.=X But! There's another song that is super catchy and something you MUST know.=P
ありがとう / Arigatoo SMAP / SMAP
どうしようもない doushiyou monai いつもしょうがない事ばかりで itsumo shouganai koto bakaride 盛り上がって そんなぼくらも 大人になって moriyagatte sonnabokuramo otona ni natte どんな時も 僕に勇気をくれるみんなが donna toki mo boku ni yuuki wo kureru minna ga 僕の言う希望 大切だから最高仲間 boku no iu kibou taisetsu dakara saikou nakama 泣かせてきた人も、たくさん nakasete kita hito mo, takusan もう見たくない 母の涙 mou mitakunai haha no namida こんな僕でも 見捨てなかった konna boku de mo misutenakatta こんなにも すてきな人たちが そばにいてくれた konna ni mo suteki na hitotachi ga soba ni itekureta
ありがとう （なくさないで笑顔 忘れないで涙） arigatoo (nakusanaide egao wasurenaidenamida) ありがとう （僕の大切な言葉 僕の大切な人へ） arigatoo (boku no taisetsu na kotoba boku no taisetsu na hito e) ありがとう （なくさないで 笑顔） arigatoo (nakusanaide egao) ありがとう （忘れないで涙） arigatoo (wasurenaide namida) ありがとう （僕の大好きな言葉 僕の大切な人へ） arigatoo (boku no daisuki na kotoba boku no taisetsu na hito e)
小さな 小さな幸せでいい chiisana chiisana shiawase de ii
僕らにずっと 続きますように・・・・ bokura ni zutto tsuzukimasuyouni
どうしようもない いつもしょうもないことばかりで doushiyoumonai itsumo shoumonai kotobakaride 盛り上がって そんな僕でも 人を愛した moriyagatte sonna boku de mo hito wo aishita どんな時も 愛のために donna toki mo ai no tameni その思いが 募るたびに sono omoi ga tsunorutabini わかり合えずに 離れ離れに wakari aezuni hanare banare ni 泣かせてきた人の心 もう見たくない君の涙 nakasete kita hito no kokoro mou mitakunai kimi no namida こんな僕でも愛してくれた konna boku demo aishite kureta なによりも 君と出会えることが 出来てよかった naniyorimo kimi to dearukoto ga dekite yokatta
あの日々が （怖がらずに今を 強く生きて行こう） ano hibi ga (kowagarazuni ima wo tsuyoku ikite ikou) あの愛が （助けられた言葉 今もずっと胸に） ano ai ga (tsukerareta kotoba ima mo zutto mune ni) あの人が （怖がらずに今を） ano hi ga (kowagarazuni ima wo) くれたもの （強く生きてゆこう） kureta mono (tsuku ikite yukou) 忘れない （助けられた言葉 今もずっと胸に） wasurenai (tsukerareta kotoba ima mo zutto mune ni)
大きな大きな愛情だけで ooki na ooki na aijou dakede 僕らはきっと強くなれるんだ bokurawa kitto tsuyoku narerunda
訳もなく人は淋しくなるけど wake mo naku hito wa sabishiku naru kedo 一人ぼっちではないんだ hitori bocchi dewanainda 大きな存在がきっっと救ってくれるから ooki na sonzai ga kitto sukutte kureru kara
ありがとう arigatou 、、、、、、、、、、
小さな幸せでいい chiisana shiawase de ii 僕らにずっと続きますように、、、、 bokurani zutto tsuzukimasuyouni
ありがとう arigatou 、、、、、、、、、、
愛する人へ ありがとう ai suru hito e arigatou
GOSH THAT WAS LONG.-__- But it is SUCH a catchy song!!! xD Haha.
And as usual, I've changed the words to fit their pronounciations.^_^ Do remember that Japanese has a lot of different pronounciations for each word that differs according to the structure of the phrase/sentence.=)
OKAYS. I must run. I wish I could karaoke by myself longer! Haha.=D
Here's my LONNNG belated entry on the Japan Cultural Festival and our visit to Tup Tim along Washtenaw! ^_^
Held at East Hall's Math and Psychology Atriums, the Japan Cultural Festival was an extremely successful event, with a huge turn-out! They had traditional matsuri games, food stalls, performances and even a section for tea ceremony.^_^ My Japanese classmates and I met up to go and squeal over everything.=D And of course, since food is EXTREMELY important, it was the first thing we headed for!
Home-made Takoyaki!!!
Yakisoba!!!
Shaved Ice [Kakigoori I think?] with Strawberry and Melon syrup!!!
Chocobanana!
After we stuffed ourselves silly, we went to explore the performances and games!
The banner in the main atrium with the performances!
Just a fraction of the huge turn-out!
Some of the decorations around the atrium.=)
Traditional Tea Ceremony Demonstration.=)
And of course, what's going out with friends without a few photos?
^_^! Haha. Ari, Anna, Jeldine and I!
Hahaha. Reed is so cute.=P Reed, Ari, Jeldine, Sandra and I!
Dear Bar-ni San trying to act like a cute Japanese girl. AHAHA. Alex, Steven, Reed, Ari, Anna, Jeldine, Sandra and I!
=D Guoluz models the balloon that I won at the pick-up-the-balloon-in-water-with-a-paper-hook game.
Ahh Great Purple Light! You are fascinating!
And then in the evening, we went to Tup Tim! ^_^
Ginger Pork!
Stir-Fried Vegetables!
Beef Red Curry!
Pad Thai!
Mango with Sticky Rice!
I'm looking forward to exploring more of the restaurants in Ann Arbor, and in the surrounding towns.=) Right. Anyway, hopefully these happy thoughts will last me through this horror finals season.(T_T)
And I'm so sad that Kekkaishi is over.=(
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : Akai Ito Koshi Inaba] [mood : --] [food : anything but dorm food]
Another day, another performance.. This time by Umich's very own Michigan Pops Orchestra, the only student-run, student-led orchestra in Umich! ^_^ Today they presented us with their last performance for this school year and the theme was "Victors & Villains".
Playlist:
"Superman March" from Superman J. Williams
"A Little Priest" from Sweeney Todd S. Sondheim
Themes from 007 - A Medley for Orchestra Arr. C. Custer
"Intermezzo" from Cavalleria Rusticana featured in The Godfather, Part 3 P. Mascagni
Night On Bald Mountain M. Mussorgsky
Voodoo Violin Concerto D. B. Roumain
=Extra Item: Violin solo by Daniel Bernard Roumain=
*Intermission*
Music from Spider-Man D. Elfman, Arr. J. Wasson
Video Games Live Suite Including music from: Halo, Bounty Hunter, and Kingdom Hearts Arr. R. Ford
"Battle of the Heroes" from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith J. WIlliams
Hercules Suite including: The Gospel Truth, Zero to Hero, A Star is Born, Go the Distance Music: A. Menken Lyrics: D. Zippel Arr. B. Healey
"Defying Gravity" from Wicked S. Schwartz Orch. W. D. Brohn
It was overall an extremely enjoyable performance.=) I particularly liked Intermezzo [because I'm biased toward it in the first place], A Little Priest [I want to watch Sweeney Todd!!!], Themes from 007, Night On Bald Mountain, Video Games Live Suite and Defying Gravity [I REALLY want to watch Wicked!!!]. ^_^ I felt the Intermezzo performance could have been stronger, but it wasn't too bad. I REALLY liked the Video Games Live Suite though!!! ^_^ And I seriously feel like playing Kingdom Hearts! Where o where has my PS 2 gone! Haha.=P
Anyway, last Friday was our last Japanese Conversation Table. ;_; SO SAD OMG!!! I was very crushed when I found out.
No more hanging out on Friday afternoons in Greene Lounge singing away in Japanese [and eliciting stares from passers-by] and then chatting about the song afterward in Japanese, no more hanging out randomly with my Japanese classmates to squeal over the song [whether good or bad..], no more Satoo Sensei and his random comments about the song... I really love RC Japanese, so far, it's the only class here that I've more than 100% enjoyed and loved. And I've made so many friends, my Japanese classmates, the teaching assistants and volunteers. I'm so sad that LSA doesn't have the same system for Lunch Tables and Conversation Tables. (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) WEEPS!
Thankfully, we sang this super uplifting song by SMAP:
SMAP - 世界に一つだけの花 [sekai ni hitotsu dake no hana]
It's got a wonderful message within the song that we talked about together on Friday afternoon [I got "chided" for thinking too deeply about the song.O__o Oops.] but I don't really have time to discuss it right now.^_^"
Alright, back to work. (T_T) Sociology is SO HARD! With such difficult assignments, does she really need to give exams too?
I've just returned from a Lang Lang concert at the Hill Auditorium.=) Ahhh.
Today's weather was simply beautiful! ^_^ It was a little cold in the day time, but not enough to really kill you and then as the day went on, it got really warm and spring-like with a nice breeze!!! ^_^ Of course, it's cold now [as usual] but this afternoon's weather was gorgeous!!! A brilliantly warm 7 degrees, set to rise over the next few days.=D Beams! Hark the coming of spring!
We also had a lovely dinner at the Earl of Sandwich which I totally LOVE and is my new favourite sandwich place! ^_^ It's a teensy bit more expensive than say, Subway or Jimmy John's but they have the most amazingly delicious sandwiches. I haven't heard any complaints as yet.=D I first tried the Earl's Club [ham, bacon, cheese, sandwich sauce (whatever it is, it's good), lettuce and tomato] the other day which was really really good and today I had the Florentine [grilled chicken (amazingly, it was juicy and delicious), spinach, mushrooms and cheese]!! YUMS!
I also ate at Amer's yesterday and I LOVED the egg salad sandwich on challah that I had. SO GOOD!!! ^_^
Now where was I?
Then of course, I'm [almost] ending my day with that brilliant Lang Lang concert at the nearby Hill Auditorium.=) The auditorium was filled with so many Asians it was scary! Haha. And I met a lot of my friends there too.^_^ I'm so happy to know that there are so many people here who love classical music!! =D
Playlist for the night:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Sonata No. 13 in B-Flat Major, K. 333 Allegro Andante Cantabile Allegretto Grazioso
Robert Schumann Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17 Durchaus phantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen Massig, Durchaus energisch Langsam getragen, Durchweg leise zu halten
Intermission
Traditional Six Traditional Chinese Works from Dragon Songs Album Autumn Moon on a Calm Lake The Cowherd's Flute Spring Dance Chinese Tango Moon Chased by Colourful Clouds Happy Holidays
Enrique Granados Goyescas, H. 64 (excerpt) No. 1: Los Requiebros (Flirtations)
Richard Wagner, arr. Franz Liszt Isoldens Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde, S. 447
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody, No. 6 in D-Flat Major, S. 244/6
Encore: Chopin piece that I can't remember.
My favourite was the encore.^_^" I love Chopin.. What can I say? Haha. But the Hungarian Rhapsody was amazingly good as was the Fantasy though JX pointed out that he made a mistake at the end. Ah well. Not like I noticed, being so unmusically inclined and all...
I loved this concert.=) It allowed me to forget about my work for once and just enjoy the music.^_^ Joyous!
Alright, my night is not yet over. I still have a crapload of work to do.(T_T) Sobs.
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : Chopin + Jupiter Hirahara Ayaka + Stop Crying Your Heart Out Oasis] [mood : ^_^] [food : EARL OF SANDWICH!]
My Emotible!
starry-eyed: filled with such youthful hope and optimism that one's eyes twinkle even when it's dark
Wish List
ie: motivation to save money!
- clothes
- shoes [heels! boots!]
- the perfect tote
- coats/outerwear! [Soïa & Kyo, Burberry...]
- Gackt - nine*nine
- Gackt Photobooks:
1 The Gift The Sixth Day & Seventh Night Tour Document (2004)
2 Crescent Photobook (out of print)
- Cookbooks!
1 Thomas Keller The French Laundry Cookbook
2 The Nobu Cookbook
3 Emily Luchetti A Passion for Desserts
4 Alice Medrich Pure Dessert
- Anime/Manga
1 Rurouni Kenshin
2 xxxHOLiC
3 Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE-
- Proficiency at Japanese!
- Learn French for Food!
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