visions of clarity...do as infinity

Monday, June 29, 2009

よく食べた～

こんばんは～

週末にすごくおいしい食べ物を食べた～　うれしかったな！でも、食べ物のせいで今貧乏な学生になった．．．（Ｔ＿Ｔ）　（でも学生はいつも貧乏な．．．）　そして、無料で、Ｙｏｕｔｕｂｅでガクトの新しい曲を聴いていて、宿題をして、音楽を聴くほどうれしい事はないと思う！＾＿＾ｖ　本当にいい歌なぁ～　

金曜日に、三人一緒にカラオケに行った！～すごく楽しかったよ。でも三時間で歌に続けて．．．後で疲れちゃったんだ．．．しかし！カラオケ後、他の友達に会って、京都駅にあるレストランに食べに行った。ちょっと高いけど、すごくおいしかったんだ！びっくりしたな．．．京都駅でも、おいしい店もある？！じゃ、その本店の食べ物は考えられないようにおいしい？！Ｘ＿＿Ｘ　幸せな～と思って、湯豆腐や焼き魚を食べた。その店の漬物は最高だ！赤御飯と一緒に食べた、本当にチョ～おいしい！＾＿＾！後に、皆酒を飲んだり、遊び場で話したりした。でも、最後のバスを乗らなくちゃならないから、早く帰った。

そして、土曜日に、大阪に行ったんだ！大阪ではね、あまり有名な場所に行かなくて、買い物や食べ物のために行った。大阪の心斎橋（買い物のいい所）は本当に大きい！！びっくりした．．．昼御飯は有名な道頓堀の「かに道楽」に行って、すごくおいしい蟹を食べた。特に、茶碗蒸しとかに釜飯は一番最高だ！（焼き蟹もおいしかったね。）昼御飯の方が安いから昼御飯の時間に行った．．．後で、心斎橋に行って、何時間歩いていて、まだ道の終わりを見えないんだ！大阪の買い物場所は東京に比べて、負けないよ～（でも、確かに東京はそういう風な場所が色々あるかな～）様々な店に行って、たくさん服を買った！～うれしい！！！そして、シュークリームやクレープを食べた。おいしかったよ～でも、買い物をしたり、お菓子を食べたりする後、もちろん晩ご飯を食べたね。チェーン店の「千房」というお好み焼の店に行った。ここで、セットメニューがあるから、チョ～安い！「とん平焼」と「焼きそば」と「お好み焼」そして「サラダ」があるセットを注文して、おいしかった！でも、いっぱい食べたから、たこ焼きを食べなかった．．．残念ね。（しかし、京都のたこ焼きもおいしいよ～負けないよ～）

あ～週末、おいしいものを食べ過ぎちゃった！～今、お金がないね。（Ｔ＿Ｔ）　今日から、今週に、安いものを食べるつもり！～

では、ガクトの歌を聞いて続いてね～

*-[5 days to Gackt's Birthday!!!~]-*

Omg. Super long post in Japanese. Must have become easier to think and type in Japanese after writing that stupid 1500 word report. X__X [Though I can't vouch for my grammar which is still shaky... But I'm trying to incorporate those terribly useful phrases from the textbook!~] Now as Gackt's music plays on loop via Youtube, I have become regretful of my spending over the weekend on food(!) and clothes(!) so this week shall become one of penance as I attempt to rectify the weekend's expenditure overload. ^_^"

I think that every cent spent was worth it though - the food was so good!!! xD And if you really look at what you get for the price you're paying, it was very good value for money.^_^

Friday, we went for karaoke! and then went for this expensive Japanese meal at Kyoto Station - finally managed to eat 湯豆腐 (yudoufu) which I've been dying to try since coming to Kyoto [Kyoto is famous for 2 things especially: tofu and vegetables]. =D It was super delicious!!~ But then again, so was the rest of the meal. And the 漬物 (tsukemono, pickles) was indeed 「最高！～」 as Jeldine so succinctly put it. Haha. I am totally buying all these fabulous　漬物 before going back to Singapore.. You'll never get to try those superbly delicious pickles again I can assure you! =D

And on Saturday, we headed for Osaka - what I have come to view as the equivalent of Orchard Road [but LOTS better] for Kyoto-ites! Haha. =D It's a ridiculously short 28 minute JR train [by the Super Rapid Service, otherwise it's about 45-60minutes depending on the train] ride away and is so filled with good food and good shopping it makes Kyoto seem like a quiet town. [I still think living in Kyoto is more conducive though.. Haha..] We went to the famous crab restaurant for lunch which has pretty affordable and very yummy lunch sets.=D [We were looking enviously at the table next door which ordered the fabulously expensive seasonal crab set lunch.X__X ヤダ．．．食べたい．．．] I'm not big on crab though, so I was pretty happy with my set which had the most delicious 蟹茶碗蒸し (kani chawanmushi; crab chawanmushi) and 蟹釜飯 (kani kamameshi; Japanese crab claypot rice)! ^_^ They even give you the option of turning the rice into お茶漬け (ochatsuke; rice with toppings over which tea or broth is poured) which I adore!!! =D For dinner [after shopping and eating シュークリーム (choux a la creme) + クレープ (crepe)], we went to this famous お好み焼 place to partake in yet another set menu that was really affordable~ Yummy!!!

お好み焼 tastes great with cheese if you ask me.^_^

I want to try もんじゃ焼き～

And so after a weekend of eating and shopping, it's time to cut down on the spending and start being super frugal! [I'm generally frugal on weekdays anyway - it's hard not to be when the 食堂 (cafeteria) is so affordable.=D] And I have discovered a new fabulous way of eating eggplant [which I generally dislike]: cut a thick slice of it, stuff it with some delicious minced meat mixture, fry it tempura style, and top it off with a thick tempura sauce + negi!!! =D =D =D SO GOOD!

Ok~ Back to listening to Gackt on loop! His new singles and B-sides are FANTASTIC!

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Ｏｂｌｉｖｉｏｕｓ～顔のない天使～　Ｇａｃｋｔ]
[mood : ^_^v]
[food : Tempura Eggplant stuffed with meat!~]

Sam: Ahh! You must tell me how was Hokkaido!! I want to go there when the lavender fields are blooming...

ZL: Haha.=D I would like to go for a JE concert too~ Just to see what it's like.=D

XW: It totally was!~

CL: Ehhh! But XY knows some Japanese too. Hahaha.=P She can read hiragana at least.=) And of course it's long, didn't you see who it's dedicated to?!

Jiam: Squeals too!!! ^_^ I saw Keita's new look - it's er... You have to go see it yourself. The images I saw were from w-inds. latest tour. ^_^" I don't think I'll be able to bring him home.(T_T) He's nowhere to be found.

Labels: edibles, Japan, Japanese Food, Kyoto, Osaka, shopping

Thursday, June 25, 2009

素晴しきかな人生：ガクトヘヴん

And thus, my love for Gackt is renewed.

Ten-fold practically.

My wallet is also emptier. But the heart is full and despite my exhaustion, I'm in a fantastic FANTASTIC mood that has carried over from yesterday.^_^v

GACKT VISUALIVE ARENA TOUR 2009 Requiem et Réminiscence II Final 〜鎮魂と再生〜

Because I'm still so excited about the whole concert thing and my テンション is 高い (spirits are high), I shall bore everyone and write about every single detail! But in the end, I guess this is more like a memento for myself, a way to pen down all the 素晴しい (amazing) experiences I had at the concert.

The whole thing started when I first realized after I got into my study abroad program that Gackt would be having the second part of his Requiem et Réminiscence II tour at the exact same time I'm in Japan. And so upon arriving in Japan, I dragged the ever suffering good friend of mine to Lawson and I bought a ticket to his concert - Osaka [my first choice] was completely sold out before I even got here, so the next choice was Nagoya. My preferred day [Thursday] was also sold out, so I got a ticket for Wednesday [yesterday! xD].

Knowing that the fastest and most efficient way of getting to Nagoya was by Shinkansen, I then went to purchase the cheap, economical plan ticket - Puratto Kodama [ぷらっとこだま] to save a bit of money on the way there. =)

Then came the weeks of waiting for the concert - truth be told, I still found it somewhat unbelievable that I actually had, in my hands, an actual Gackt concert ticket. I mean, the odds that I would actually be able to attend his concert in Japan itself had never climbed past 0% previously. Rather than feeling pleased with myself for having gotten a ticket, I think what I felt instead was happiness and gratitude that somehow, fate [and money] had allowed me to go see this person I've been dying to see live for the longest time. So despite the disbelief I still held, as the concert got closer, I started trying hard to learn/at least recognize Gackt's new songs.=)

I must say, after the concert, all the songs I thought were passable/horrible suddenly became fabulous because... Gackt is amazing live. Like, amazing. Fantastic. 素晴しい。

Anyway, so the day of the concert itself came. I'd already finished all the required homework so I wouldn't have to carry my homework with me to do on the train - so hardworking I know!! Gackt is like this huge motivation for me. Really. Rather, if I have motivation I suddenly become very determined. Haha.=P As I packed my stuff and put his new songs into my mp3 player, the feeling that this was all surreal still lingered. Was I really going to see Gackt? Live? In person? In Japan?

Ever since I started to really become a Gackt fan, I promised myself that the first concert I go for [it might be my last concert, who knows... It depends on fate again..] would have to be in Japan. Someone asked me why? Does it matter where I see Gackt? To me, it does. The most important thing is his voice, and his performance. But what really makes a concert extra memorable is the audience - their response, their dedication, the interaction between artist and audience. And with Gackt's original fans from Japan in Dears, I wanted to experience Gackt's concert like they've been experiencing it. My first choice would have been Tokyo - but of course... Er. I'm in Kyoto. Not Tokyo. Coughs.

So with my stuff packed and determination to get there and enjoy myself, I headed to the JR station after school. After finally finding my way to the correct platform, I waited for the Kodama train which chugged [not too slowly] to 名古屋駅 (Nagoya Station). Got a bit disoriented upon arriving but found my way to 笠寺 (Kasadera - the station name) where 日本ガイシホール (Nippon Gaishi Hall - the concert venue) is located with little problem.

On the train, I spotted so many goth girls and well-dressed young people that I felt totally under-dressed and plain next to everyone.(T_T) But Gackt's fanbase is amazingly large - from kids in elementary school to goth-loli girls to ageha girls to young working women to mothers to old grandmother types. And there were even guys! Normal guys, goth guys, host-club like guys... old grandfather types too! Even I'm impressed - but though I'm generally accepting to all kinds of strangeness, I still find the sight of women in their 50s and 60s dressing in what 16 year old wannabe goths would wear disturbing. X__X

Finding my way to the concert venue was made ultra easy because all I had to do was follow the goth people and people carrying Gackt merchandise [eg: Tour bags, cellphone straps, etc.]. =D I suddenly felt like all the Gackt love I openly show pales deeply in comparison to these people... And despite the fact that I was like, about 2 hours early [I arrived at 4.30 ish, the doors open at 5.30, concert starts at 6.30], the whole venue was packed with people. Talk about being ontime! Haha..

After wandering around, listening to announcements, and totally people watching [it's really fun, you should try it], I found my way to the merchandise tents and was greeted with a spectacular array of Gackt merchandise!! I think the Drug Party stuff was better, but you know, going to an actual concert and all... It makes all the related stuff super キラキラ！～ (sparkly) I spent wayy more than I anticipated [partially because I bought stuff for other people - *looks at Wendy, Joyce, and Jiamin*] but in return, I got 3 calendar cards + 1 giant poster free with a DVD!!! =D =D =D BEAMS!!! The tour goods were really expensive though, but ohhh I'm super happy! ^_^ I'll just eat poorly for the next few days/weeks/months and try to recoup some losses..

Picking up a seating plan sheet, I was very pleased to discover that although I was seated in the 2nd tier of the stands [there are 4 tiers so I was really lucky!], I was really close to the stage [ie: I'm sitting on the horizontal side, not directly facing the stage] AND I was in the prime viewing area to see Gackt + YOU!!! xD xD xD YAY. Haha. But you know, I'm attending the concert to hear Gackt so it's most important to me that I can hear his music. Not so much about getting the best view.

At like, 5pm, I realized that a line had already started to form to enter the concert venue so having nothing else to do, I joined the line and resumed people watching.=D Normal beings like me were all in the stands, while the special Dears got the Arena seats [on the main floor, directly facing the stage], and super special Dears got the Premium seats [right at the front, and they get all the goodies thrown out from stage] which included some super special goodie bag. (T_T) I want to be a super special Dear too...

When I finally could enter the concert venue, the cutest usher ever (!) tore my ticket for me, but after that I had to lie through my teeth that I didn't bring my digital camera so that the other usher would stop glaring suspiciously at me.X__X Then picking up a pamphlet with Gackt チラシ (mini posters/leaflets, usually for advertising purposes) stuffed into it, I headed off to hunt for my seat.

Upon stepping into the main concert arena, I was amazed at how big the whole place was. I can't even imagine how big Tokyo Dome is.X__X How in the world could all the seats be sold out?! The whole venue had this misty atmosphere and the lights weren't very bright so it had this kind of mystical, mysterious appeal all over. After settling myself into my seat [and was promptly surrounded by guys on my right, おばさん (middle-aged women better known as aunties) on my left later on] I took a sneaky shot of the stage but only the red R&R logo placed at the top of the stage set can be seen - it was too dark.-_-" So I gave up and started twiddling my thumbs to entertain myself - and opened one Gackt sticker envelop to prevent ensuing boredom.

During the concert itself, I armed myself with the annoying notepad and pen to jot down the set list [or what I could figure out] and of course, all the random squeals in my heart that I wanted to voice but couldn't because people around me would definitely think I'm weird. Trust me, the super *hearts!* thing was so overflowing from me that the whole notepad is peppered with hearts. Everywhere. X__X

And thus, I shall present the set list that I somehow figured out during the concert/after the concert when I went to check up songs and lyrics. It is by no means accurate, and by no means the definitive version. It could be totally wrong and I should wring myself for being a bad fan. But hopefully, it's somewhat correct - the set list was fantastic!!! And I totally want to create a playlist based on it soon.=)

ETA: I'm still really unsure that I got the set-list correct so I'd really like to emphasize that I'm probably wrong. Somewhere. =S I'll wait till the DVD/actual set-list in a magazine comes out - then I'll update again.^_^"

Oops. Another thing before I launch into happy squeals and disconnected fangirling. Gackt's voice and performance are so much better live than anything you've seen on TV, DVD, Youtube, or heard on CD, etc. I can honestly swear by this.. His voice is absolutely amazing - and I'm 100% certain that he does not lip-sync like some people claim he does.. Also, he has this overwhelming stage presence - but so do GacktJOB which makes the concert very magnificent. And finally, not only was I swept away by his voice and performance, I must tell you right now that I can finally admit that Gackt's dancing has improved. A lot. =D His English is pretty good but his singing pronounciation needs some work.X__X!

Ok! Set List. Sorry for the delay. It'll be peppered with random comments and all sorts of squeals but I'll try to keep to some form of structure.

Preconcert
Continuous... Looping... of... Bolero... Like, I totally love Bolero. It's a really nice piece of music! But to listen to it continuously for one hour is a bit painful. Really.X__X And I wondered whether Bolero was chosen by Gackt or if it's a random song played by the concert hall people.

10 min before the concert started
Instrument tuning time! You can hear them being drowned out by the insistent beat of Bolero.=) I was already in full anticipation!!! =D

1) Movie Part One
As with all Gackt concerts with a storyline, this concert too started with a video. The super dramatic music and script was super Gacktポイ！～ (like Gackt) The CG was too. But I think it's a much better produced concert video than previously - obviously Gackt is getting better at all he does! ^_^

Anyway, the movie essentially is a continuation of the story [from the website: The Asakura Report, and from the first part of this tour] about Zero, the cyborg soldier created by the secret army research department and Asakura. Plus it has random Caucasian dudes in Nazi like uniforms.

2) Jesus

Without warning, the word "Jesus" suddenly flashes on the screen and as the screen falls, Gackt bursts onto stage and launches right into the super catchy heavy-rock rhythm of Jesus! =D Unintentionally, I started screaming like all the other fangirls... Haha.

Dressed in an all black military style outfit, the whole scene was reminiscent of the first R&R tour wayy back when. =) Totally rocking it out with a mic stand like in the PV, my first thought was: Wow. Gackt sounds really good live, even better than his recordings. And what a great first song to choose because it really starts the concert on a high note and brings tensions up! Er. The only thing was that I really really couldn't hear his English lyrics clearly - even though I tried really hard.X__X

3) Uncontrol

As Jesus came to an end, the word "uncontrol" flashed on the screen and immediately, the opening of Uncontrol started and Gackt went right into it.xD Since I totally love this song, I was singing along already~ =D I think it's one of his really good rock songs that can really lift the mood.=D And it was arranged slightly differently from what I've heard before so I was really happy.^_^

Another thought that occurred to me was that Gackt's voice was more growl-y than usual, and he sang slightly lower than the Uncontrol CD version I'm used to listening to... Hmm.. [Found out why later... Read on!]

3) Suddenly

A brand new song, it's the first B-side of his new single Lost Angels, so I'd never heard it before. But I was totally loving the slow rock rhythm of Suddenly and wondering why I even thought that Gackt's music was not improving. O__o Because this is a really good song and you can could feel the emotion behind the voice - I also liked the fact that they used the screen behind them to display background images and stuff that matched the music and song because it really worked very very well.=)

Did I mention I'm really looking forward to his next album? Because his songs lately are all fantastic, and are a vast improvement over Diabolos which I was rather disappointed with.

4) No Reason

The second B-side of his new single Lost Angels, so again I'd never heard it before. They matched the fast-paced rock with moon images which even though it might seem contrasting - tranquility with this heavy beat, it worked really well. And I liked it a lot! No Reason is another good song that Gackt has come out with~ I am impressed. He must have had some kind of creative streak recently because everything sounds really good!!!

5) Lost Angels

This started out with a slow music interlude that developed into... Lost Angels! xD

I have loved this song since the first time I heard it during his performance on Music Fair!~ =D It's relatively slow, almost like a rock ballad but it still has the heavy drums and this Gackt-ness to it. Haha. ^_^ With the dramatic entrance of the chorus, they made great use of shooting flames up around the stage!! ^_^ It was really nice and made the whole stage light up with orange flames - even from where I was sitting, I could feel the heat of the flames closest to me..X__X!

ETA: OOPS!! TOTAL wrongness! X__X Gomen ne. I went to check up other fan's live reports and turns out this song was NOT Lost Angels [a total guess on my part because I've been thinking that it's actually Lost Angels that ends the concert...]. Instead, the song at this section is called "in flames".=D Which suddenly makes sense because of the whole flames thing. HAHA.=P

6) Sayonara-ЯR II ver.-

Despite Sayonara being one of my least favorite Gackt ballads, I loved his piano playing here..xD That, and his fabulous voice, were the main redeeming factors for me in terms of him picking this song. - I prefer songs like 再会～Ｓｔｏｒｙ～... (T_T) O well. There must have been a reason for picking this.=) [Like maybe because it also appeared in the first R&R concert? Haha..]

Intersecting the song, was a piano and violin duet between Gackt and YOU which I was loving very very very much because anytime they use those instruments is happy times for me!! ^_^

At the end, the stage went totally dark, except for one spotlight shining down on Gackt from directly above him. And at that point, there was the image of a full moon on the screen right above Gackt so it had this super poetic image of moonlight casting it's light on Gackt and the piano. =) I was very moved.

Then all of a sudden, Gackt stood up, walked to this.. thingie on stage and picked up a violin. And I was like, what is he doing.-_-" When suddenly, YOU appeared and... they performed a violin duet!!!!!! Omg!!! I was totally shocked~ And VERY pleased. =D =D =D And of course, it was fabulous. YAY!

7) Dramatic Plot Development

They had some.. plot development for the story with all sorts of dramatic military stuff on stage. Wasn't terribly interested but it added to the overall atmosphere and experience of the concert.=)

8) CREEPY masked People

Dancers with masks appeared and they had this really well choreographed but super creepy dance where all the masks were moving all over then clustered, then spread... Etc. Well anyway, the masks were supposed to resemble those robot faces that the army had been developing in the story I believe but masks in general creep me out so.. X__X

9) GHOST

As a very nice set appeared on stage - all the band members were hooked up to what looked like those high-tech sci-fi life support machines. Then rising from below the stage were Gackt and his dancers!!! In a new outfit, Gackt literally ... shined. Haha. He was wearing a leather/PVC like material as the inner body suit, and a jacket with a fur-like collar over it.xD Beams!

Watching GHOST, Gackt has come a long way in terms of dancing [he's so much better now] and acting like a robot [he's really good at it compared to last time]. =) They used the fire in this song too! Which was cool and suited the high energy dance that accompanies the catchy song~

10) Blue Lagoon ～深海～

The B-side from GHOST, Blue Lagoon ～深海～ is another song that was new to me.^_^" Apparently, it's supposed to be a sexy song because on stage was this naked statue of a women with a spear pierced through it and Gackt was doing his sexy dance moves... Haha.. =P They took it away very soon though and Gackt went to dance with real people instead. ;) I really like the chorus of this song though!~

11) Oblivious ～顔のない天使～

Oblivious ～顔のない天使～ is a brilliantly made B-side to the Faraway ～星に願いを～ single!!! It's so good, it should totally be a single, not just a B-side! =D I was so busy bursting with hearts for this song that I didn't write down much except hearts and lyrics [because I didn't know the title].. =X

Because the song is relatively slow, of course Gackt had to have a dramatic close... And to do that, he [sexily..xD] pulled down his jacket to expose just one shoulder as he sang and then slowly sank to the ground with his shoulder exposed. Super. Hot. Stuffs. Really. I was like *kyaaaaaaa!~~~~*

12) Movie Part Two

Asakura appeared in this part and omg! He seriously reminds me of Kevin. Like. Omg. Totally. Same feeling and everything. X__X Except the actor has a wider face than Kevin. X__X

Sorry. Back to the main point. Anyway, this part of the movie was Asakura regretting his actions toward his friend because he turned him into this cyborg. Or something like that. I'm getting all the parts of the movies mixed up..X__X And they had this part at the end where Gackt was speaking in Engrish to radio some comrade somewhere! It was sooo cute.=D =D =D Hahaha. "Data One Data One This is Zero. Do you copy?" Ahaha. It was pretty accurate actually, but super cute...

And then what happened? The enemy gunfire suddenly sounded like something more familiar and peaceful... And what are those shadowy figures around Gackt? Ah!! Fireworks! And... ニャンニャン！ (Cats!) Gackt's usual furry friends have appeared and are watching the 夏祭り花火！～ (Summer Festival Fireworks)

13) My Father's Day

The happy catchy B-side of 小悪魔へヴン that was accompanied by Gackt's furry friends! =D =D =D I must say though, that Gackt needs to improve his live English pronounciation because errr it wasn't like, superb or anything even though he sounds pretty accurate on the CD.^_^"

I still really like this song though~ My Father's Day is one catchy tune~

And Gackt came out in the casual wear section of the concert!! Donning a white tee, with a red checkered shirt over it, and white 3/4 pants, he looked really good. Especially the shirt. Which he looked droolful in.xD

14) Gackt Cheer!

The ever present Gackt cheer where you scream "ガクト～～～" (Gakutooooo) after every guitar riff, and then he starts teasing the audience by going "キコエマセン～～～" (I can't hear youuu)! =P This carried on for a really really really long time though so I was starting to have my doubts about the whole process.O__o But it was still fun to scream along with everyone in the audience!!~

15) Mirror + ニャニャ！～

The super genki Mirror appeared once again during the screaming and was interrupted, as usual, by lots of scream-time for everyone!~ =D Haha.. And Gackt gave the audience a flying チュ～ (kiss) which was OMG SO CUTE. I totally died when I saw that.xD xD xD

In between Mirror, was the ニャニャ！～ (meow meow in Japanese) cheers.=D =D =D Kawaii!!!!!! Omg!! xD Haha. I was really うれしい (happy) about finally being able to participate in these cheers with other like-minded people rather than sadly cheering myself while watching the DVDs...

But because of all the screaming and taunting the audience, Gackt literally just... collapsed [he fell in a very straight manner instead of his usual crumbling style] and there was longgg darkness where everyone kept chanting his name and screaming. =(( I was super worried that he wouldn't be able to regain his composure...

16) Water Spray + MC!~

Haha. The infamous water spray where he sprays people with Volvic before flinging the bottle into the audience. One lucky fangirl even got the bottle that he took a swig from before throwing it out - I saw the whole bunch of them [I think they came as a group] kissing the bottle in turn.=D Haha. So cute~

Then time for the MC + メンバー紹介 (member introduction)!!! =)

I was really worried actually, before the concert, that I wouldn't be able to understand Gackt because he not only uses slang, but also speaks really fast [ie: fast for a non-native speaker of Japanese who is still studying..]... But in the end, I could catch practically everything until he used onomatopoeia! =P Yay me~

Gackt was telling everyone how most of the staff on the tour are actually from Nagoya, so he feels like they have all come home to a place where they are from. Not him though, since he's totally not from the Kansai region..=P And that the night before they went to eat Chinese food and of course~ they ordered 餃子 (gyoza)！～ Haha.xD But the day before and the morning of the concert, he had actually lost his voice [and you can totally hear it - his voice was really hoarse and phlegm-y sounding] but because of his determination to finish the tour and see his fans, he decided to perform anyways.=D Awww. So sweet~ And now that he got it back to sing for everyone, after the 「おかえり」　「ただいま」 (greetings when you get home) exchange with the audience [that was really fun by the way.=D =D =D] he's totally lost his voice again! Haha.

「今日本当に声が出ない．．．」

He was ultra cute and smiley throughout the whole MC and even gave a v-sign after that.xD Kawaii!!~~~ Haha... This year is his tenth year anniversary since starting out as a solo artist, so he was also thanking everyone for their support [JOB, staff, fans, etc] and he sounded super sincere so I was very touched.^_^ It's hard to imagine that he's been around for 10 years already! xP Unbelievable..

After that was the individual band member introductions.=D There's Junji and Chirolyn, the newish drummer, and new bassist! ^_^ And there was CHACHA! Who was ultra cute as the お母さん～ (mother) of the "family"! =D Chacha even has some special cheer that everyone knew and I had to learn on the spot... Haha.. 「てばさき！～みそカツ！～エビフライ！～」 (tip of the chicken wing, miso cutlet, fried shrimp) Hahahaha. I was totally dying of laughter when I finally figured out what the cheer was!!! =P YOU was super cute too~ And Gackt introduced him as his most important person who's practically like his 奥さん (wife) and his 親友 (best friend) and 兄弟 (brother) all at the same time.=) Apparently, he's known YOU for more than half his life.^_^~ So sweet.=D

And Gackt kept bursting into random bouts of laughter with the audience whenever the band members did stupid things which was ultra adorable.xD xD xD When he smiles and laughs, he looks like a little kid!!! ^_^v And then because everyone from Nagoya is like his family, he yelled 「兄弟」　(brothers) and we had to respond with 「兄貴」 (elder brother)! ^_^ Super fun!!!~

17) U+K

After blaming everyone endlessly for making him lose his voice more, Gackt started on my all time favorite meowmeow song: U+K!!! It's such a happy song!~ And of course, I was singing along and "dancing" with the cats like you can see in all his concert DVDs! ^_^

18) 小悪魔へヴン

The new meowmeow song that has Para-Para like dance moves!!! =D As much as I think Para-Para is extremely dated, it was super fun dancing along with Gackt, the band members, the meowmeows, and everyone else in the audience! [You can get a whiff of the dance by searching for Koakumania on Youtube.=)]

At the end of the song, when they were done with the whole para-para moves of different levels of difficulty, Gackt turned and smirked in the cutest way at the camera and that's it, I was totally completely utterly taken in. X__X!

19) Papa Lapped A Pap Lopped

3 dance tracks in a row! What's next Gackt? =D They did the usual Papa Lapped A Pap Lopped dance that you see in the other concerts.=) But it was so fun following them!!! I totally realize why Gackt dance moves are so easy now... They are meant for the audience to dance along aren't they. Haha.. How thoughtful.xD

I think Gackt's hottest Papa Lapped A Pap Lopped performance is from Drug Party though.xD

20) Faraway ～星に願いを～

Another happy rock song! Haha, it has a very carefree feel to the whole song which was really nice and the whole synchronized clapping-along and screaming thing is very effective for a very synchronized audience~ Faraway ～星に願いを～'s screen had cat paws to teach you how to clap along to the song.=D Haha.. かわいい～ (kawaii)

21) Flower

The yet to be released single, Flower, is full of energy!~ At least, I'm pretty sure it's Flower. I can't say for certain since I've never actually heard the entire song before, apart from at the concert...^_^" But from what I caught from the lyrics, and based on youtube, I'm pretty sure it's Flower.=D It's a really good single! Very 元気 (genki, full of energy) song which I feel is like this new energetic movement by Gackt. Haha.

22) 君のためにできること

Yay!!! One of my all-time favorite Gackt songs!! =D It's probably the first song I ever heard by Gackt.^_^ So of course, I was really happy when he selected this song to sing~

It started out as an acoustic version on guitar, then it switched to the "normal" version and of course, there were the famous silver streamers! They look even prettier, reflecting the lights of the stage, in person than on DVD. I really hoped they would shoot a lot but only the premium seat Dears got them.. [And I later saw some fans rolling up the ribbons!! I was like, ahhh I want one.... (T_T)]

When the song ended [and he ended it perfectly~ I like this song best live, it sounds much improved compared to the recorded version], the curtain closed but the concert hall remained dark and there was such a long pause that I really began to wonder if the concert was over when...

23) Journey Through The Decade

What a fitting end to a concert that's marking his 10th anniversary!!! ^_^ Having changed out of casual attire, Gackt and GacktJOB emerged in all black military attire once again and totally delivered an awesome performance that I loved even more because I like this song a lot!! ^_^

ETA: WOW. Total WRONG once again. =X I should be knocked on the head I swear. =( But anyway, like I suspected but couldn't confirm till now by comparing with someone else' report, he didn't perform Journey Through The Decade during the concert at all, instead he ended with the highly dramatic and very moving Lost Angels - I suspected this after seeing the clip of the preview of the song with scenes from the live. But now I can rest in peace after confirming it.=D I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DVD!!! ^_^

24) Movie Final

The ending of the movie was really sad as Zero lay broken, but remembered his human memories in the end right before he "died". [Or as much as a cyborg can die - if it's Gackt the cyborg, he'll totally come back to life sooner or later.=D] And the last scene had the cyborg Gackt crying - aren't cyborgs supposedly unable to cry? Hmm.. It reminded me of 絶対彼氏 (Absolute Boyfriend) when Mokomichi cried. (T_T) Sobs..

By this time, it was really quite late, and to my great surprise, the concert had lasted about 4 hours!!! I was shocked to the say the very least... X__X! Don't concerts usually only go on for about 2 hours?? As the ending credits came on, and the instrumental version of my beloved 再会～ｓｔｏｒｙ～ started playing - marking the end of the concert indeed. However, it was between watching the ending credits, listening to the song, and looking at the images of Zero and Asakura or rushing to catch the last train home...

So sadly, I tore myself away from the concert hall, leaving the strains of 再会～ｓｔｏｒｙ～ still playing, and rushed to the JR station to take the train back to 名古屋駅 (Nagoya Station) to catch the Shinkansen.

Unfortunately for me, the train was delayed one stop before Nagoya station and I missed the last train by mere minutes. (T_T) Had I known this, I would have just stayed to finish the credits - but well... I wouldn't have been able to foresee that right?

In the end, I stayed overnight in the station and took the first shinkansen [Nozomi! Super Fast!] to leave Nagoya home to Kyoto~ No worries~ Apparently JR stations are really well kept and everything was super locked up and all so no random people could come into the station and the station managers and staff kept coming in to check on us stranded passengers. They were so apologetic that we missed the last train as if it was their fault when it really wasn't. Haha.. Ahhh the politeness of the Japanese!~

Was it worth it?

For Gackt, definitely. My only regret out of this entire experience is probably not staying for the entire credits...

And so, my love for Gackt has been renewed, restored, rejuvenated. ^_^

I want to go for another ライブ (live) again...

This has been a marathon blogging session for Gackt, and for my memories.=)

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Gackt Gackt Gackt!]
[mood : Gacktful~]
[food : からこラーメン!]

Labels: Gackt, Gackt Live, Japan

Friday, June 19, 2009

まだ、ゆずの味わい

まだ、ゆずの味わい．．．おいしいゆずシャーベットやゆず酒を食べて飲んで．．．おいしかった！

ゆずが大～好き～！

今晩は楽しかった！～やっぱり、女性一緒に飲み行くのは最高～串かつやに行って、そこで様々な串かつを食べた。おいしかったと思う！多分、皆が串焼きを食べたことがあるけど、串かつを食べたことがある？串かつは色々な材料を使って、スティックで揚げることだ。私たちは和牛とか、カボチャとか、チーズとか、しそえびなどを注文して、色々なおいしい酒も注文した。店の環境がよくて、にぎやかじゃないから、とてもいいと思う。

そして、昨日ＫＣＪＳの人と一緒に「スシロー」と言う回転寿司屋に行った！とても安かった！～うれしい．．．＾＿＾毎皿は100円だけだ～安いでしょ～でも、とても安かったから．．．皆食べ過ぎちゃった．．．ー＿－ちょっとよくないなあ～と思って．．．でもさ、そこで中とろうやうなぎやえびサラダ軍艦などがあるから、いいチョイスーがある。シンガポールと比べて、もっと安いと思う。

皆と一緒時、いつも日本語でしゃべって、皆がどんどんよくなる感じがあるかもしれない。例えば、今晩私たちがずっとアイドルやアーティストのことを話して、面白かったよ。去年は今日本で日本語をペラペラ使うことが絶対に信じられない．．．クラスでも、いつも自分で色々な難しい言葉を説明の必要があるから、いいよね。話す練習がたくさんあって、そして聞く練習のチャンスが上げるみたい。まだ、勉強しているから、下手だけど、去年と比べて、今私達の日本語のレベルが上げるそうだ。＾＿＾いいよね。

日本に住んでいって、まだことがたくさん分からないと思う。日常生活は大丈夫だと思うけど、本当に全部のことを分かるのは、まだ出来ないと思う。（Ｔ＿Ｔ）でも、いつも頑張ります！

あ～今日、プロポーズ大作戦を見終わった。今、スペシャルを見るつもりから、次回、写真を出ると思う．．．

~*~

I definitely do not want to translate all of that.X__X!!! So I'll just carry on separately in English..=P

But tonight was very fun!~ A bunch of us girls went out to this 串かつ [kushikatsu] place which is essentially a fried version of 串焼き [kushiyaki; barbecued skewers of food like yakitori]. We drank some and ate lots of different varieties of 串かつ and everything was delicious!!~ It's one of the most expensive meals I've spent on so far but it was a nice and enjoyable evening.=D Because Kyoto is famous for all things tofu and all things vegetable, those are must-tries everywhere! Haha.. So we ordered 湯葉 [yuba; tofu skin] which was served with 抹茶塩 [matcha shio; matcha (green tea) salt] and was really yummy!!! Haha.. I really want to go eat Kyoto tofu but it's prohibitively expensive..X__X

And yesterday we went to a 回転寿司 [kaitenzushi; revolving sushi bar] place which was super cheap at just 100 yen [105 yen including tax] a plate for basically, 95% of the things on the menu!!! =D Of course, quality wasn't top-notch [who's expecting that anyway..] but the variety they had was really good.=) We totally ate too much and I was so stuffed after I was done..X__X But I totally fell in love with 大学いも [daigaku imo] which is essentially sweet potato coated in a caramel like syrup with sesame seeds - it sounds really normal and it's not ALL that unique and special but it's really yummy..X___X

With all the new friends we've made, it seems like everyone almost naturally lapses into Japanese - which is great right, since you practice in and out of school.=) It's become a habit of everyone to slip in random Japanese phrases even when we speak in English; as if there are words in Japanese that cannot be replaced with English. Which is kind of true in a way, but I'm sure most things can be translated.. somehow. Haha. But it's been really good practice here because like in the RC, they have the somewhat enforced rule of speaking in Japanese only while in the 会館 [kaikan; the building we have our classes in - a kaikan is essentially like a conference hall of some sort]. They don't fine you or anything but everyone tries to keep to the rule as much as possible which I appreciate.^_^

Ahhh. Tomorrow we're going to explore more of Kyoto!!! I'm beginning to lament the fact that 6 weeks is really short...

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : 明日晴れるかな]
[mood : psyched for the final special of プロポーズ大作戦！～]
[food : YUZU!]

diggeratwork: Er. I don't really use flickr.=X

lihui: Haha.. FOOOOD.=D

Labels: edibles, Japan, Japanese Food, Kyoto, thoughts

Sunday, June 14, 2009

伏見稲荷寺へ～

昨日、楽しかった！～友達と一緒伏見稲荷寺に行ったんだ。ここで大きい山があって、山を登って、疲れちゃった．．．－＿－”　でも、赤いとりいがあるから、森の中で緑色と赤い色を見る時、とてもキレイ～ [Sorry, stopped typing halfway to go do something and I've forgotten what I wanted to say.O__o]

Yesterday we went to the Fushimi Inari Shrine in the southern part of Kyoto city.=) Just like before, when the sunlight shines through the trees and casts a gentle light on the red torii, it was beautiful! ^_^ Unfortunately, it was really tiring because we walked the entire trail of torii, through the forests and up the mountain - right to the peak. =) It's not all that high I suppose, but the trails are steep so it's pretty tiring.-_-"

And the most horrific thing is that most of the Japanese girls we saw were in really pretty clothing, wearing high heels to climb.O__o Omg. We were dying in flip-flops and sneakers... なんていうか [How should I say it]．．We felt kind of useless and all we could say was 「すごい～偉い～」... [Wonderful... Respect!~] Haha..

Everyone was tired after that, so we all went our separate ways... And Jeldine and I discovered this おいしい～～～オムライス restaurant!~ [a delicious~~~ omurice restaurant] =D =D =D The sauce served with the オムライス was super duper yummy!~ Haha.. Truth be told, I've never had オムライス at a proper restaurant before, just seen it on TV or made it myself. So to try this 经典 Japanese dish in Japan was exciting!~ 最高だ！ I can totally see the appeal in オムライス... And once you have the skill to make it, it's actually a really good business!! Haha... But like all of us agreed, the best business to go into is... 手作りお好み焼 or Make-Your-Own Okonomiyaki!~ Haha.. It's cheap and everyone loves it, the best part is that no one can blame you if it's bad because they made it themselves!!! =P

Stuffing ourselves on オムライス was great.. but the best part was going through the Isetan in the 京都駅 Kyoto Station...^_^v!!! Haha.. My favorite part after all is the デパ地下！～ The depachika is the basement of departmental stores where all the food stalls and everything food related is located.=D =D =D It's the best!! place to walk around and look, but it's really painful when you want to try everything and can't do so... xP

あらぁ．．．I wanted to post photos but I haven't uploaded them all.. =X ごめんね～ Sorry... Next time!! ^_^"

Dinner tonight was yummy!! After all, the best places to eat are the ones closest to you. ;)

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : music from Love Shuffle!]
[mood : ^_^"]
[food : お好み焼 + いなり寿司]

Lihui: As you requested.=P

ZL: Yes.. WHY can't you type in Japanese.. xP And you should come!!!

Liu-yi: 実は、ＢｅａｒｄＰａｐａのシュークリームが最高だと思います！～新鮮のシュークリームはやっぱり一番おいしいですね！でも、買ったミルキーロールがとってもおいしい！！！！！クリームがいっぱい入って、スポンジーがふわふわして．．．午後の時少し食べた．．．おいしかった！～けど、今でもおいしい．．．＾＿＾

Labels: edibles, Japan, Kyoto

Monday, June 08, 2009

Good-by - Ralph Walso Emerson

Good-by

Good-by, proud world, I'm going home,
Thou'rt not my friend, and I'm not thine;
Long through thy weary crowds I roam;
A river-ark on the ocean brine,
Long I've been tossed like the driven foam,
But now, proud world, I'm going home.

Good-by to Flattery's fawning face,
To Grandeur, with his wise grimace,
To upstart Wealth's averted eye,
To supple Office low and high,
To crowded halls, to court, and street,
To frozen hearts, and hasting feet,
To those who go, and those who come,
Good-by, proud world, I'm going home.

I'm going to my own hearth-stone
Bosomed in yon green hills, alone,
A secret nook in a pleasant land,
Whose groves the frolic fairies planned;
Where arches green the livelong day
Echo the blackbird's roundelay,
And vulgar feet have never trod
A spot that is sacred to thought and God.

Oh, when I am safe in my sylvan home,
I tread on the pride of Greece and Rome;
And when I am stretched beneath the pines
Where the evening star so holy shines,
I laugh at the lore and the pride of man,
At the sophist schools, and the learned clan;
For what are they all in their high conceit,
When man in the bush with God may meet.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I really like this poem!~ Even if it's a bit depressing at first look, essentially, I think most things work when you view them with a happy twist..=P

Today is Jeldine's birthday!~ Too bad I can't make/do/cook/etc. anything for her..X__X Because erm. Resources are limited... =X

But yesterday, we did try out this お好み焼、たこ焼き、焼そば place near the apartment and omygosh!!! The お好み焼 was yummy~~~ Haha..

Time to get back to work. Experiences yesterday took up wayyy too much time than I expected. =(

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Moon River]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : 野菜冷麺!!~]

Lihui: Haha.. I think the "good at languages" thing doesn't apply to me..X__X!!! We've been reading newspaper articles which is horrendous because it's always accompanied with a super longgg vocabulary list.X__X And it's really hard to read all those terrible kanji. But you should totally visit Kyoto!!~ I think it's a nicer place to stay than Tokyo though Tokyo is definitely more happening.=)

Labels: poem

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Sunburn in Kyoto~

Hello hello!

Today was the day I cursed my sunblock for totally not working because I'm sunburnt beyond belief but it was super fun!!~ Went to 清水寺 [Kiyomizu Dera - the Kiyomizu Shrine], then after that we just started randomly following pretty paths that appeared to be going in some North-ish direction and ended up seeing many many pretty things!!

Including a whole bunch of real 舞妓さんと芸者さん [Maiko and Geisha], at which point all of us turned into super camera stalkers and because we spotted a pair of Maiko along a rather deserted path, we even managed to take photos with them. ^_^v YAY! At 祇園 [Gion], we spotted this HUGE group of them, and my goodness, they were dressed in the most elaborately gorgeous kimonos and had so many to-die-for kanzashi in their hugeee hair!~ I suddenly want to become a maiko...

It's quite sad though, that they are constantly stalked by tourists like us... But like my friend said, we might as well just indulge in being tourists while we can - and we felt a lot better when every single Japanese passer-by also freaked out and whipped out all kinds of cameras. Hahaha.

We found beautiful, old-style streets filled with old shops selling all kinds of things - from touristy goods to Totoro products to extremely expensive pottery or kaiseki... Very nice.=D I guess this is the nice thing about Kyoto - if you just wander around this district [which we happen to live in - YAY!] called 東山区 [Higashiyama-ku or Higashiyama Ward] you'll see loads of nice things and very picturesque locations.^_^ We wandered into a lot of random small temples and gardens which was nice and a nice way to see Kyoto beyond all the usual crowded locations.

Food so far has been amazing~ =D Of course, we've had to hunt for cheap food that won't leave us crawling home in hunger - but it's been surprisingly easy to find food that's affordable and pretty good as long as you know which direction to wander to - or if you're able to wander off-course and end up in a great area. Haha. Like what happened yesterday!!! While wandering around 錦市場 [Nishiki Shijou or Nishiki Market], we stepped into another street and lo and behold! We found this great shopping area!!! =D =D =D We totally need to go back - we barely covered any ground because we kept being distracted by pretty shops...

And not only did we find good shopping, we also found loads of random alleys lined endlessly with restaurants, cafes, and so on. And all Japanese people too, with nary a tourist [or an obvious one at least] in sight.^_^ It helps knowing Japanese, and it helps to speak the language - but I really wonder why we didn't find these places the last time??? (T_T)

For dinner we had delicious~ お好み焼、焼きそば、and ねぎ焼き [okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and negiyaki]. The ねぎ焼き was surprisingly good - a thin pancake stuffed with loads and loads of spring onions and all sorts of other yummylicious things.=D And the 焼きそば is one of the nicest I've ever eaten - usually they have wayy too much seasoning but this was just right.^_^ Delicious!!! And it wasn't all that expensive at less than $10 a person for huge servings.=) It pays to walk down random alleys [that don't look too dubious] to find delicious things to eat.^_^

Of course, the fun and laughter can't last forever so it'll be back to doing household stuff and *sigh* homework. At least we'll still be surrounded by delicious things to eat [the fruit here is amazingly delicious - but the prices are equally fabulous] and doramas to watch!!~

May these good times last forever. =P
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : ひとりぼっちはやめた from ホーホケキョとなりの山田くん]
[mood : sunburnt. again. X__X]
[food : お好み焼!!!]

Labels: edibles, Japan, Kyoto

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

京都で～

Hello!~

I'm in Kyoto, in the apartment with the shortest LAN cable I've ever seen, and am already freaked out by the crazy syllabus they have planned out for us!!!

Thankfully, there's the Gackt! Concert! to look forward to... And the people to meet... Japanese to speak... food to munch on... and so on.=D

Been running a lot of errands these 2 days, what with orientation, settling into the apartment, and exploring 八坂神社 [Yasaka Jinja] in 祇園 [Gion]... And of course, doing the homework that's already been given to us..X__X Err.. Did I mention I'm not here on holiday? =P

The apartment's a lot bigger than I expected but it's definitely just right for 2, and if you were to fit one more in, it'd be quite a squeeze. We already know one other student who's staying in the same building and he was saying our apartment looks so much smaller than his.. [He lies of course, it's totally the same size..xP] Most other people live in the dorm which is quite a while away so I'm very thankful that we took this apartment and not the one we originally wanted - we had totally mixed up the areas we wanted to stay in and now we're only a 10 minute bus ride from 京大!!

We walked around the university grounds a little today and it's smaller than I expected but I guess not everywhere's like Michigan.=P Haha. The sun here is also crazy strong and it's so much cooler and dryer than I expected but everyone assured us that things will only go downhill from now and the heat and humidity will catch up with us soon.=S I don't know if I'm looking forward to that...

日本で日本語を分かって、よかった～と思います！！！ It's great to actually understand what people are saying around here, without looking [or seeming] completely lost at the store, or in the bus.=D Next thing besides learning how to understand people? Learn how to dress like those impeccably attired and made-up women out there. I am totally impressed...

I think it's time to complete that worksheet so I can slack off a little tomorrow and just study 漢字！～ Beams. =)

May the days get cooler, but not rainier, and not so sunny!!! =P
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : --]
[mood : sun-burnt.. a little]
[food : にしんそば！～]

Labels: Japan, Japanese Lessons

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