Recently, [ok not that recently...] I've been listening to the insert songs in the anime ハチミツとクローバ [Honey & Clover] again.^_^ スピッツ [Spitz] and スガシカオ [Suga Shikao] have songs that really fit the whole mood and theme of the anime really well. You know, teenage and university angst is the best for producing creative types ;)
I've been meaning to translate my current looping song: 夜を駆ける (Chasing the night) but it's got tons of all these unreadable kanji which just kills me and my meager brain.X__X So I shall put that off for a bit...
Instead, I've been doing readings *groan* and papers *double groan*, but on top of all that I've been meaning to change the template of this blog. And while I was searching for skeleton HTML templates that I can change, I found these gorgeous photo blog templates.. xD And I am dying to use them!!! Maybe I should... Hmm... I guess having a photo blog will encourage me to take better photos in future..? ^_^
kimi to asobu dare mo inai shigaichi me to me ga autabi warau yoru wo kaketeiku ima ha utanaide tooku no akari no hou he kaketeiku
Playing with you on the empty city streets Each time our eyes meet we smile Chasing the night, don't destroy anything now Running toward the direction of the faraway light
A rough translation. Isn't it so teenage angst! I love it.=D
Recently lots of Singapore fans got to see Gackt in Singapore's airport... *dies a little inside* ちょっと羨ましいけど、まぁ～いいや！夏に名古屋で”会った”から、それでも十分だね．．．？
空に太陽のように輝かしい一日であるように。 [Something I should be thinking of everyday~] cheers *[-witchstone-]*
=D =D =D Jiamin and I went shopping today and WOW. I haven't bought SO MANY pieces of clothing in SUCH a long time!!! xD Actually if I had bought really cheap clothes [like, $20 for a piece which was available 10 years ago or something and probably won't reappear in my size/style/quality ever again.] with the amount of money I spent today, I could have filled up my cupboard a lot more but must remember: Quality over quantity! Beams.
And I finally found Levi's jeans that are nice!!! SO EXCITING. I have new faith in Levi's.xD Except that they discriminate against tall and fat people. Their longest inseam is 32!!! Which is JUST NICE/too short for me.-_-" But it's perfect when I wear flats since the jeans don't drag on the floor.
And my Calvin Klein Jeans pants!!! xD SO GORGEOUS. I love the buttons. And the colour. xD Yay! And despite the price tag [O FAINTS.], I was still compelled to buy them. Yay!!!
Beams. I love shopping. Next up! I have to go look for tops.=D And dresses if I can find any. O.o Oh. And shoes. It was so upsetting that I have such gigantic feet because cheap, nice and comfortable shoes are never available in my size. SIGH.
Anyway.
This morning I went for the Driving Simulation Lesson. -_-" I was looking at the dubious looking machine which is extremely ancient with great trepidation. And everytime I got into an "accident", it was never my fault [because the cars that hit me were usually in my blind spot which you cannot see in the simulator] but I still couldn't avoid them! That was REALLY annoying.
Then I had to drive on this coastal road which was really fun! Haha. But then I was supposed to demonstrate to myself and my other 2 classmates that "We Must Always Slow Down When Going Round A Bend" and that "Our Car Is Affected By Centrifugal Forces When Going Round A Bend". -_-" That was extremely retarded. I was like, OKAY. It's not like we haven't been told this at least 3 MILLION times.-_-"
I also learnt the S-Course, Crank-Course [spelling?] and Directional Change modules today. Yay! I must say that I am not bad at the S-Course. Haha. But the crank-course! O my goodness. I kept hitting the kerb at first which REALLY irritated my instructor.=X Because he told me about 10 times how to do it. Finally though, when he stopped reminding me, I could do it. Haha. How ironic! He got annoyed at my lousy reversing skills too because apparently I always let the car drift at too high a speed. =X Oops.
It's not my fault auto cars drift so easily. =X
So yay! Circuit training is SO fun. I mean, waiting CONSTANTLY [I think about 1/4 of the lesson was spent waiting] to be able to turn onto the "main" part of the circuit is a great test of your patience. I MUCH prefer driving on the main road. Which is more to the point in what you'll actually do as a driver in the future.
Ahh. Back to watching Honey and Clover! xD [Called Hachimitsu to Clover in Japanese if I'm not wrong] I love it. It really speaks of teenage concerns and is extremely realistic in the situational matter. [Okay, some bits are quite ... anime-ish/unrealistic but the storyline itself and characterisation is pretty good.] And it is SO heart-wrenching and bittersweet. I love it for how it really reflects how some teenagers feel lost in their pursuit for what they want, how love can be unrequited or bittersweet, the trials and tribulations of teenage life and the struggle to do what you like while trying to make it in the world.
And NANA! Omygosh. I'm super upset at Hachi. How DARE she treat Nana in that manner. How DARE she let Takumi tell Nana everything. What kind of friend is she! I would never let something so important be told to my friend by ANOTHER PERSON. Even if she can't face them. RAWR.
But omygod. Episode 37, the latest one released, is SO SAD. I literally welled up in tears. I think it helped that I watched the last recap episode to remind myself of what happened. WAILS. (T_T) SO HEARTBREAKING. I can see why NANA is so loved by girls in Japan.xD
Sadly, the new starting song by Anna Tsuchiya is TERRIBLE. Completely killed the mood of the very sad starting. (T_T)
Leslie Kee Superstars in National Museum! + Gackt on MTV Chinese
YAY!
The book which is like, 600+ pages long and has a photo of Gackt, will have it's pictures featured in the National Museum from 28 April to 4 May!!! =D =D =D And best of all, admission is FREE! ^_^
Oh I love how they want to support local talent! =D Even if said local talent is based overseas.=D
Yay. PLEASE LET THEM SHOW GACKT. I will drool over it! Oh rather, in front of it. xD Hehe.
Sadly, tonight on Chinese MTV, they'll FINALLY show a Gackt PV. A moment I've been waiting for ALL THIS WHILE! And I won't be home to see it. (T_T) Extremely upsetting!!! Sigh. I hope someone uploads it. REALLY! xD
Anyway, yesterday clocked my longest day in the office EVER. I left at 9+. Oh the horror! And we were doing rubbish work called Packing Desks. -_-" Sigh. Obviously, my desk has little to pack. But we had to help other people.^_^" O well.
I am also hooked AGAIN on Honey & Clover. I love it! xD
Alright. Quick random post. I might update later.=)
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : Dramatic Yuki (Honey & Clover OST)] [mood : ^_^] [food : HUNGRY!!! for Mos Chicken!]
Jiamin: That is actually my aunt. Hahaha.=P And it is kind of related! xD
Honey & Clover, Lunch at Taste, Randomness + Gackt's new single!
Hello
So yesterday we had the fashion show [for maternity wear, don't ask.-_-"]. It was pretty fun overall but rather tiring thanks to that damned fake belly thing.-_-" [Don't ask.] Much thanks to Joyce for helping us!!! ^_^ Yay. And thankfully she didn't die of laughter when she saw us.. [Someone is obviously far more mature..-_-"]
And don't even think about me posting pictures.*deep sigh*
I've finished the first season of Honey & Clover. It ended on a "we'll definitely have a 2nd season" note because it was a rather incomplete ending.. But omygosh. IT IS SO SWEET. *dies* They have extremely sad/touching/sweet scenes interspersed with very funny scenes so everytime I felt I was going to cry, the next scene would make me laugh and the feeling would be gone. But the show is pretty heart-wrenching when you attempt to relate to the characters and their plights.*sobs*
Plot: A group of students in an art college in Tokyo meet through different circumstances and end up being a group of close friends. Together, they go through romance, the trials and tribulations of adolescence and eventually, find out that their friendship is what is extremely important to them. The series focuses on different characters to give each coverage and depth, developing them in a wholesome way. The themes and situations are so realistic that one really is able to connect with the show and feel for the characters.
Another great thing about Honey & Clover is their soundtrack! They choose fantastic songs and since the fansubbing group offers translations of the insert songs, you can see that they [the music and lyrics] really fit the whole theme/mood of that particular episode as well as the whole series.^_^
While the drawings aren't pretty like CLAMP works, I have to say that I like the colouring and art style now. It kinda grows on you..^_^ The illustrations are very nice and detailed as well.. But the "water-colour" colouring of the anime gives it an overall softer look which is really pretty.^_^
I'm hunting for the special episodes [Chapter L and Chapter F] that were included on the DVD. I don't know if they subbed this by recording from TV, but the special episodes aren't included in this set. Argh!
We ate at Taste Paradise [Mosque Street, near Chinatown] today. It's not bad actually but the service is a little wonky.=S However, Majestic is still better.^_^" Although Taste does decent Chinese food..
Gackt's New single, no ni saku hana no you ni - Limited Edition CD cover.
I finally heard Gackt's new single! =) He performed just yesterday [3 February 2007] on Music Station.^_^ Surprisingly, his style this time is slightly different. The song is a ballad about his youth or something like that. It's quite a nice song and it really shows off his vocals.^_^ And aren't the CD covers simply beautiful? xD xD xD *BEAMS!*
Regular edition CD cover
I was reading my brother's blog and omygosh it's SO COLD in Ann Arbor that after he left a bottle of diet coke out on his window ledge for 20 minutes or so, the entire top part turned to slushy diet coke! Amazing! Haha.Excuse my fascination but since your coke can only get warm and warmer on one's window ledge here, this is exciting news indeed.=D
Yay! The newest Code Geass and NANA episodes were released this week! =D Code Geass has some great developments between Lelouch and C.C. while the next episode promises to delve into Lelouch's past. NANA is getting upsetting.. I hate it when the 2 Nanas don't talk!!! (T_T) I can't wait for the next few episodes to see what happens next..
Since we were in the area today, we bought pineapple tarts from Dai Thong! ^_^ They're actually pretty yummy in a different sort of way. This particular batch [their batches differ each time so taste before you buy] has a crumbly pastry that isn't too thick. YUM! It's different from the melt-in-your-mouth pastry but it's yummy all the same.=) Yay!
I drove on the road for the first time today too.=P Haha. I think the instructor wants to MURDER me for my completely lousy eyeline. =X I almost missed a red light, always forget to check for pedestrians, negotiate turns/humps/filter lanes too fast, and veer to the left too much. Urm. All I can hope for is improvement in the future.^_^" Heh.
Anyway, New online Chinese paper! 我报 Online! (click this link)
^_^ Have a great week everyone! =)
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : No ni saku hana no you ni Gackt + Triangle SMAP + A little pain OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST)] [mood : tired] [food : --]
Wee! I've been watching Honey & Clover and though it isn't as engaging as say, NANA, it's still nice to watch in a lighthearted and funny way.^_^ Although I'm very sad that those relationships never appear to work out.(T_T) Sigh.
Maybe I'll watch Honey & Clover Season 2 as well if season 1 ends well! =P Haha.
Anyway, work has been pretty fun.^_^ Apart from me being super blur and always blocking the path, everyone's been really nice and helpful in giving tips on achieving the fastest way to get things done. ^_^v Yay! They put me under one of the full-time staff for training and she's really nice and friendly. Chatty too, and very playful.=P But she's good at training because she isn't too judgemental or overly strict.
I usually help to serve starters, drinks and clear tables/set up tables. [Yesterday I was trailing along like a puppy and doing whatever they asked me to do.-_-"] When people get really busy, I just tag along and help behind them. Today, she let me take orders! ^_^v Yay. And I also learnt how to type in orders into the computer. It's completely confusing.-_-" TOO MANY OPTIONS! *faints* I usually take a REALLY long time to search for the food item.^_^"
Oh! Apart from the staff being terribly friendly and EXTREMELY efficient [if you don't clear the table once the customer is done eating, they kick up such a fuss so one has to be very very very alert! Which is good for the customers right? Having alert servers that is..], they're pretty neat too. ;) It's great for restaurant cleanliness! ^_^
Please though.. Don't let me be your server if you're one of those who pick "well-done" for your steak. I always sigh inwardly when that happens because I feel so sorry for the piece of meat, unable to show off its happy and juicy self! If you do pick it though, there's nothing I can do but lament that the poor beef will be cooked to full doneness.(T_T) *pats meat sadly* There was a customer who ordered "VERY (I repeat, VERY) well done". O my gosh I never knew anyone would order that!!! Haha.=X =X =X So I was like. URHHHH. WHAT DO I DO! (T_T) So anyway, one has to zoom into the kitchen to tell the chefs to get it VERY well done. ^_^v Mission accomplished. The guy was very happy with his steak.=D
All in all, I think working in a restaurant is fun if your fellow workers are nice and everything.=) Plus I think Western food makes life easier because there are fewer variables and not as many options as Chinese food [you know, they have like..200 things on their menu or something]. ^_^v
Oh and I like a busy restaurant.=P I prefer walking around a LOT compared to having nothing to do for periods of time.. Advice? Go early if you want an outdoor table, and slightly later is fine for indoor but it still gets crowded anyway. So.. Go early if you don't have a reservation at dinner.^_^"
One thing to remember: Wear jeans to the interview. They all thought I was getting office work because I wore a skirt.-_-" Thanks for the advice mom.. -_____-"
Ah well. Got to go memorise the shortforms used in the menu. ^_^" It's not so much for me to write things down quickly, but also if I help someone else take an order. It's best to have a standardised set of shortforms. I'm super bad at this memorising thing though. (T_T) Oh heaven help me!
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!
