visions of clarity...do as infinity

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Training Days 2006 Drug Party DVD

=D

As mentioned in my previous post, I received the DVD today! I was so excited, I went to watch it immediately. Haha. And my brother was complaining that I blasted it damn loudly.xP Not loud enough for Gackt.xD Haha.

Okay, I LOVED THIS CONCERT. The set list is fantastic!!! xD

And I apologise for no screencaps.=X I'm using old file pictures/scans from myself and from kind people on LJ.^_^

Training Days 2006 Drug Party
Cube
Maria
uncontrol
絵夢~for my dear
seven
REDEMPTION
Ash
NINE SPIRAL
Speed Master
Lu:na
Storm
Papa lapped a pap lopped
Kalmia
Fragrance
mind forest
Metamorphoze
Birdcage
Mirror
ANOTHER WORLD
君が追いかけた夢

Note: Mirror, ANOTHER WORLD and 君が追いかけた夢 are actually the encore.

Setlist
^_^ Very nice setlist, lots of fast-paced tracks and just "絵夢~for my dear" and "Fragrance" as his slower tracks.=) So this gave the concert a lot of energy and a fast-paced rhythm which got the audience all hyped up and everything. I'm only concerned that "Cube" is a good song but not a fabulous opener. It's good for people like me who adore the song, but if you aren't too fond of it, it's not a good opening song because it doesn't have that upbeat tempo that suit opening songs.

Stage Performance
Great stuff! xD I will drone on about Gackt's costume later. He has stated that his singing style has been altered a little and you can hear that in most of the songs except things like "NINE SPIRAL" and "Speed Master". This change kind of dies in the middle of the concert and picks up again in the later part. Haha. I love his new singing style though. It showed really well in "Cube" and was especially obvious because it was the first song. Oh! And Gackt has.. *gasp* LEARNT TO DANCE!!! Seriously! He can really swivel his hips now in an omg-dies manner.xD xD xD I melted. Absolutely melted. xD Hehe. And and and! He could actually DANCE. Like a human being! And not like a robot!!! ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ I am very proud of him. Beams!

My inner fangirl squealed and jumped up and down with excitement when he was dancing and swivelling his hips in the sexiest manner possible.xD xD xD

Costume
Unlike his previous concerts, there were no elaborate costume changes here. It was one outfit and for the first half, he wore a coat over that outfit. But OMG. The outfit. *drools* First of all, I must look for Gackt's personal trainer and employ him. Somehow, Gackt manages to work out by getting leaner and leaner without gaining muscle bulk! It's AMAZING! xD So he looked fabulous in the ripped top and pants with those sexy belt thingies on the thigh. xD xD xD He did a super deliberate, pre-orchestrated "shrug off the coat" thing which elicited a few screams from the less-knowing fangirls. Haha. You see Gackt. These overused tricks don't work anymore! Tsk tsk.

Stage Set
The stage was pretty small but then again, Zepp is a livehouse so that's quite expected. Hence, the decor was quite simple, 2 pillars, a chandelier and the background had the Drug Party ... logo thing. During certain songs, they would use a projector to flash images on the back wall.^_^ That was quite pretty but it's quite far removed from Gackt's usual drama. Haha.

GacktJOB
^_^ They've got a new drummer called Junji! ^_^ And the performance of Mirror. *thumbs up* I usually HATE it when they play Mirror [I think it's the only Gackt song I don't like.xP] but this performance was GREAT STUFF! xD They had great energy throughout the concert which was great though not much interaction.. I've noticed that Gackt likes.. Order on stage. [Everyone gets a fixed position on stage.] Haha. Still, I think it'd be nicer if they moved around more and had more interaction with Gackt.^_^

DVD Extras
The Mirror performance in the actual concert footage is cut but you get the full "Drug Party" version in the "extras". ^_^ You also get this "Gackt Commercial Film Collection on DRUG PARTY" in 3 languages: Japanese, Korean and Mandarin [some dubbed, some subtitled]. ^_^ It's quite cool, first they've got CMs then they play the "opening video" that they play before each Drug Party concert starts! ^_^ Very nice. The Japanese version would have the opening video they played in Japan, the Korean one gets the one they played in Korea and the Chinese one gets the one they played in Taiwan! So you get to see all the opening videos! That is cool.=)

Highlights!
- Gackt plays the drums. HE LOOKS AMAZING WITH DRUMS. *dies*
- Gackt can dance! He must have practiced extremely hard to improve. Haha.
- His swivelling hips thing. He looked so pleased that he could swivel his hips, he kept doing it. And my inner fangirl squealed with happiness every single time.
- The Mirror "Drug Party Version" is well worth watching.xD
- The DVD extras!
- His new and improved voice. He sounds extremely good in this concert.^_^ [Plus, I was blasting it on the surround system so that helped too.xD]
- HIS COSTUME. *drools*

ETA:
Oh. Can I add that.. Gackt looks absolutely droolfully meltingly hot when he kisses a girl? Even if she's wearing a mask? [Once again, I bet its to protect the dancers from rabid fangirls. Haha.xD]

I couldn't stop squealing. O___________o

Points to note:
- Usually Gackt Concert DVDs are split into 2 discs about halfway through the concert, this one is slightly different. I was totally panicking about this.xD Haha.
- The included booklet is a measly 4 pages long.-_-" [Meaning 4 sides on 1 folded piece of glossy hard paper] And there's the lyrics fold-out too.
- They didn't change his official website to "gackt.com" so everything is still "www.dears.ne.jp".

Other than that, enjoy the concert!!! It's amazing!! =D And to my friends, if you want to watch, PLEASE COME OVER. I will bake for you. I will watch with you. Again and again and again!!! xD xD xD Beams!

And I was in such a good mood, my orange cupcakes turned out rather well if I do say so myself. Yay!

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Ares Gackt]
[mood : xD xD xD extremely cheerful]
[food : orange cupcakes!!!]

Wendaye: You MUST watch!!! It's damn nice. Of course, I'm biased. But please don't take that into consideration.xD Haha.

Labels: DVD review, Gackt, GacktJOB, misc, orange cupcakes, tour 2006

Gackt Training Days 2006 Drug Party

HELLOS!

OMG! I just received my shipment from Amazon Japan with my Gackt Training Days 2006 Drug Party DVD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And this is considering a few factors
1) The DVD is released in Japan today.
2) I received their shipment confirmation email this morning.
3) They stated on the website that shipping will take 2-5 days.

Okay. I TOTALLY support Amazon Japan now.^_^

Of course, you pay a premium for their shipping [they don't allow economy shipping anymore] so that's another hole in my poor wallet but! OMG!

I AM SO WATCHING THE DVD NOW.
*zooms away*
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Heisei juushichi nen shichi gatsu nanoka alice nine.]
[mood : ECSTATIC!]
[food : apple!]

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

Ayako: Hello! *waves* Haha. They've dropped enough hints in Higurashi for me to want to see what in the world is happening.=P If not, I'll just delete it and move on. And yes.. Kagen no Tsuki wasn't what I expected but HYDE looked fabulous in it so that was such a plus point.xD xD xD

Labels: Gackt, misc, tour 2006

Saturday, May 26, 2007

SUPERBAND + DVD release

OMG I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!!!

The fourth member in Yoshiki's Superband is... none other than.. MIYAVI!!!

(Miyavi [ex-Due le Quartz], Yoshiki [ex-X Japan], Sugizo [ex-LUNA SEA])

PLUS

(Gackt [ex-Malice Mizer])

EQUALS

I see trouble ahead. Seriously. All these people fighting for attention? TSK TSK. Still, I am THRILLED that there will be so many goodlookers! *supports*

Haha. But Miyavi's latest transformation is.. horrifying to say the very least. O.o

I also don't see how Miyavi is a "legend" like the other 3 are. Since X Japan, LUNA SEA and Malice Mizer all had [and still have] a HUGE following and they also went major [thus proving their popularity], Gackt, Yoshiki [who is a legend on his own] and Sugizo do have a certain place in this superband. But Due le Quartz. Hmm. They were famous certainly, but never on the scale of the other 3 right?

Nevertheless, they will be performing at Anime Expo on June 29 and in Japan in November. (T_T) In other words, mortals like me from faraway lands cannot go.

Apparently, the Superband is called "SKIN". I wonder why? O.o

All images from Deviantart. Squee! I love playing with photoshop.=D

More news! =D Gackt will be releasing the TRAINING DAYS DRUG PARTY 2006 DVD!!!!!!!!!!!!! *squeals madly with excitement* xD xD xD YAY!!!!!!!!! I adore the setlist!!! =D =D =D And apparently, it'll be the Zepp Tokyo performance! [For which I have fond memories because I urh. Stood outside the concert venue.=X]

SQUEE!!!!!!!!!! Hooray for Gackt! He's finally returned to the spotlight after hiding almost all of last year!!!

The dears (link) page has also been updated with images relating to his role as Uesugi Kenshin in the NHK drama Fuurin Kazan (link) (風林火山) and his new single, RETURNER～闇の終焉～.

Arena 37C will also be released on 9 June and... Gackt will be on the cover!! SQUEE! In KIMONO!!! xD And if I remember correctly, the kimono dresser who helped with the photoshoot said that Gackt looks so good in kimono, he should wear it everyday. Ahaha. Except that kimono is quite difficult to wear so I think that'd be a problem..

Anyway, since I am resting instead of flitting around the zoo, I shall have to pack for Japan [or rather, start packing/planning what to pack.=X] and organise things. X__x

Ahh! The excitement has practically made my flu go away!

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Requiem et Reminiscence tour Gackt]
[mood : xD xD xD]
[food : soup!]

Wendaye: omg! So smart. Yar. I think she's asking when she can eat it. *stares hard at sentence* WAH SO SMART. Haha. xD Ahaha. I couldn't stop laughing at your little Takuya anecdote. ;) He apologised to his fangirls! Like "sorry I'm marrying someone that isn't you". Hahaha. And omg! HIS SOCKS!!! AHAHAHAHA. Thank god Gackt doesn't do that. *can't stop laughing* Ahahaha. I wouldn't be able to stop ridiculing him about it.

Labels: Gackt, miyavi, skin, superband, tour 2006, Yoshiki

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Gackt Update?

More photos of the Training Days 2006 Drug Party tour are coming out.=D =D =D

GAWD it looks good.xD

The "official" report on Oricon Style makes it sound uber-fantastic. I'm really hoping for a tour DVD now but hopes are not high since this was a fanclub-only tour. Thus it might be another of those "reserved for special memories" things.(T_T) Sigh. There might be a photobook which will serve to further fuel my sadness that I wasn't able to go [yea. Me and all of Gackt's overseas fans.(T_T)]. But it will also give me a chance to drool over the very delectable pictures that are appearing.=D

He looks absolutely amazing in this tour for some strange and bizarre reason. I think it's his hairstyle. And very hot clothing.^_^ See how a wonderful hairstyle can change your life? ^_^

Like this impressive photograph for example.^_^ Although you can't really see him, you can see the very nice stage.=D

On a random note, I managed to listen to the songs on the special December Love Song release thing with 9 tracks all dedicated to the song: the 2004 version in Japanese, the updated English version, the Chinese version with Wang Lee Hom and the Korean version with random Korean person along with instrumentals and whatnot. [It came with an aromatheraphy lamp. Very random.O.o] ^_^ It's a nice collection to own although its incredibly expensive [and thus wayyy out of my league].

The songs all sound re-recorded except for maybe the Korean version. He definitely rerecorded the English version [different lyrics, different singing style] but if the Japanese one is the "2004 version", did he rerecord it in the same style or is it simply an old recording? =S Bizarre.

Okay. Random update over!

cheers

*[-witchstone-]*

[music : December Love Gackt]

[mood : merry]

[food : --]

wendaye: I've watched Moonchild only twice. And I always get all sad and everything at the end. Haha.=P I have not watched it enough! =P Takeshi is cute in any possible role they can put him in.xD I only remember him in God Please Give Me More Time? Haha. With very annoying Kyoko Fukada.-_-" My Fair Lady! Now that's one show I'm sure Joyce will want to watch too.=D

Labels: December Love Song, Gackt, tour 2006

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

December Love Song

Hello

I've been surfing around and apparently.. Gackt changed the lyrics to the English version of December Love Song! =D No more Engrish.. His grammar and spelling and tenses and all that actually improved! Ahaha. Nice to see that he hasn't been wasting his life away, languishing in his previous state of a terrible command of the English language.=X

The silent city lights, coloring the night
Busy avenues, bringing back my old memories of you

I can't help wondering why, as couples pass me by,
Seeing your shadow from the corner of my eyes

Now I am here all alone
Still reminiscing about the time you're here
Together with me
I still think of you
Wondering if you'll be back again

Save your smile for me
Even though when you cried for me
Remembering you loved me, always

Keep your smile for me
Holding on to all that we had
Remember it? "Love can't have an end."

Truly being alone, unfulfilled on my own
No one is here at all to take my hand
And protect me from the cold

I'm afraid that silence
Makes me feel the difference
I'm waiting for your voice
to guide me out of here

Snow's drifting down as tears run slowly down my face
Falling for you trying to find a way
I think of you night and day
Wondering if you feel the same

Being in the silence of the night
You'll fall into my arms and I'll hold you so tight
Your kiss will guide my lonely heart
but you'll let me feel love again

Save your smile for me
Even though when you cried for me
Remembering you loved me, always
Keep your smile for me
Holding on to all that we had
Remember it? "Love can't have an end."

Save your smile for me
Even though when you cried for me
Remembering you loved me, always

Keep your smile for me
Holding on to all that we had
Remember it? "Love can't have an end."

君だけを抱きしめて。。。
(kimi dake o dakishimete...)

Not that anyone cares but at least let me keep this as a record of such a momentous occasion. AHAHA. Not that I've heard the song. [I didn't even know he re-recorded it.O.o]

And this is from his photoshoot for some superstars charity book.=P All the names of the people featured in the book are written on him I think.=)

And since I'm practically turning this into my "keeping for memories" post, I might as well post his song line-up at the Training Days 2006 Drug Party tour [from 19 Dec's performance at Zepp Tokyo. The day I was there! OOH! xD].^_^v Tralala.

1. Cube
2. Maria
3. uncontrol
4. 絵夢～for my dear～ [emu~for my dear~]
5. seven
6. REDEMPTION
7. Ash
8. NINE SPIRAL
9. Speed Master
10. Lu:na
11. Storm
12. Papa lapped a pop lopped
13. Kalmia
14. Fragrance
15. mind forest
16. Metamorphoze
17. Birdcage
EN [encore]
18. Mirror
19. ANOTHER WORLD
20. 君が追いかけた夢 [Kimi ga oikaketa yume]

Like how fantastic is that? Except for Mirror, I love and adore all the other songs!!! (T_T) Well. Mostly.^_^" Maybe I should create a playlist with this set list! *bounces off*

Besides that, I've been watching Kyou Kara Maou [God? Save Our King!] which is hilarious and ohmygosh. SO MANY HOT GUYS!!! xD xD xD But of course, since I love playing favourites.. xD I love Konrad!!! Like ohmygosh. Perfect husband material!!! xD He's devoted, gentle [but protective when necessary], kind, very hunky [he's like, the best swordsman in that land or something.xD] and oh! I could go on but I'm sure you get the picture.xD Have I mentioned that he is very goodlooking? xD *points up*

I would totally buy the DVDs/VCDs if it ever comes out here. But has it? No. Of course not.-_-"

Alright. Shan't bore everyone anymore. In fact.. I should go read my Basic Theory Handbook.O.o

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Leeca Gackt & Yoshiki]
[mood : --]
[food : --]

cch: Urh. I wasn't planning to test anything. I was just wondering. O.o

And!

I dreamt last night that my whole family was in Japan and we ate at an outdoor cafe serving Pierre Herme pastries. Not only was there the LOVELIEST cake I've ever seen in my life [it was a very pretty cake] they also gave us the most delicious cookies I had eaten in my life. Strangely enough, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get a nice photo of the cake because the box holding the cake was too big [don't ask me.. That's what my dream told me.=P]. I tried taking a photo over and over again but it just didn't work. And my mom kept hogging the cookies which sandwiched really smooth and creamy dark chocolate and it had to be dipped in this gorgeous berry jam before consuming. The waitress offered us 2 kinds of cookies, one being "hand cookies". And even though I dreamt that we were in Japan, the waitress spoke in perfect English! I even wondered how that was possible while I was dreaming. Strangely enough, I also appeared to accept readily that we had just come from medieval [?] Europe - more specifically the time the novel Perfume is set in. And all my brother and father could talk about was the significance of our left ear. They kept going, "Van Gogh cut off his left ear!!! WHY his left ear?! Why not his right?!" And I went, "Doesn't the left ear have something to do with one's soul?"

Beats me why I had a dream like that but I did.O.o Oh and I knew we were in Tokyo though it didn't look like any part of Tokyo I had seen before.O.o Bizarre.

Labels: December Love Song, Gackt, Kyou Kara Maou, tour 2006

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Gackt Training Days 2006 Drug Party

Hello

I posted scans of the postcard set I got at the tour goods stall [OMG. It was VERY exciting. Until now I regret NOT taking a photo of the stall! *throws self off roof* But you know.. It would have been rather embarrassing since no one else seemed as excited as me..=X] at the dears community on LJ but! I must share the love here too.^_^

And since I can't post EVERYTHING, I've selected two [amongst many others] that I just FAINTED over! xD

NGYAHAHA.xD This is the FIRST postcard in the set. Like ohmygosh! *faints after opening*

And zis one! OMYGOSH.xD xD xD As I've previously mentioned [though probably no one was paying attention (it rhymes! xD)] Gackt's mouth is a bit WEIRD so you know. He looks even more gorgeously wonderful when he covers it. Ahem.

Sorry but I'm not a very good scanner. I would blame the scanner except that it's really probably just me. =X So yes. Lousy person who cannot scan = not very good scans as a result.=X

And I just thought that maybe I should go .. I can't remember what it's called .. cover the posters in plastic and seal it. What's it called what's it called.. *thinks* O geez. My brain isn't working. But you know what I mean. I hope.=S LAMINATE!!! That's right. Laminate the posters. [Goodness. I'm more retarded than I realised.O.o] =D Brilliant plan no?

Alright. That was all I wanted to post! =) *goes back to drool over Gackt stuff again*

cheers

*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Missing Gackt]

[mood : Brilliant]

[food : mochi? =P]

cch: I emailed them to you already. I am SO efficient! Mwahaha.=P And you should seriously upload everything and let me pick.=P Haha.

Brenda: I would bring them along when I go meet you IF there are any left [should be.. 100?! How can anyone polish off everything in less than a week?!] BUT I'm afraid they'll be melted and disgusting. I'll try my best though.=D Haha. REMIND ME.=X

Jiamin: Urhh. You can come over and help me eat the chocolates AND make a dent in the cheesecake AND the mochi I have. Like. Anytime you want. I just said Tuesday because that's when everyone [I think?] is coming over before we go to Thng's house.=P Haha. My mother keeps asking me when my friends are coming over to help us eat up everything.=P I want to watch Black Dahlia too. Though I'm a bit suspicious about Josh Harnett's acting skills. Ahem. =X *hides*

Sidenote!

These are simply HILARIOUS.xD Ahahaha.

Bad English Subtitle Translations from Hong Kong Movies (link)

Example: You always use violence. I should've ordered glutinous rice chicken.

and!

Bad English Mistranslations (link)

Example: From a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo: When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.

Labels: Gackt, tour 2006

Clearing Up

Hello

Okay. It's not all THAT cleared up yet. Ahem. The room is still pretty messy. But..

Omygackt the Moonchild Photobook is SO PRETTY!!! xD xD xD *faints from happiness* It was so elusive and now that I have it.. *clutches it tightly* AHHH! xD xD xD Oh and on top of the Moonchild photobook which has EXCELLENT printing on EXCELLENT paper [and a photo which is SO brokeback mountain I might add!]...

I happily placed the Gackt desktop calendar on my desk! xD xD xD And the CD-ROM comes with wallpapers of the pictures in the calendar to fit any desktop size! xD Beams.

Then I drooled over the tour postcard set but have yet to faint from happiness over the tour posters because I need to figure out how to display them to their full potential.xD BEAMS. The postcard set.. Oh how can I describe it! xD xD xD I think the clothes he is wearing is the tour costume because I read the report and the girl was talking about how he was wearing a mesh top that left little to the imagination.;) Well dahlin'.. Have you never seen him topless! Ahaha. *becomes severely incoherent*

Ahem.

Omygosh! My mom and I have been unpacking all the gifts my dad's been receiving over the holidays and we just unveiled..

This. A box of 100 handmade chocolates. I almost fainted from the extravagance of it all. And when one looks at a huge box of 100 truffles beaming at you.. One cannot help but think: It's time for sharing! xD

So anyone who is coming to my house on Tuesday.. PLEASE I beg you. Help me finish them chocolates!! xD It shouldn't be too hard. I've got Canele chocolates too. Oh, and a GIANT cheesecake. And ichigo no choco daifuku as well as maccha no choco daifuku.xD

Must.Diet.Soon.*coughs*

Oh! And I've posted most of the holiday photos to Flickr.=) It's very messy because I don't know how to arrange the photos so they aren't in order. Check out the link on the right column! =) [It's bolded for those bilnd ones out there..]

I finished the latest in the Artemis Fowl series and have started on American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Coupled with the books I've finished so far: False Impressions (Jeffrey Archer), Garlic and Sapphires (Ruth Reichl), Perfume, The Black Dahlia and the ton of movies.. This is not a bad start to the new year! =) I just might be able to get through the stack in my room within this month.xD Beams.

And despite 2 hours of sleep this morning, I'm surprisingly perky. It's disturbing.O.o

cheers

*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Kimi ni aitakute Gackt + Hitoiro NANA Starring Mika Nakashima]

[mood : ^_^]

[food : --]

*returns to beaming at Moonchild photobook*

Labels: edibles, Gackt, Hyde, tour 2006

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Day Four: Roppongi Hills, Odaiba, Drug Party

Hello

xD xD xD BEAMS. One of most satisfying days ever!!! =D =D =D Not only was there wonderful food, I got to buy Gackt's 2006 Tour goods!!! xD xD xD SO EXCITING!!! I was beaming to myself since I seemed to be the most excited person in the queue.xD xD xD Teehee.

Ngyahaha!!!

*composes self*

Right! So we went to Roppongi Hills this morning, one of the newer shopping complexes in Tokyo [the other being Omotesando Hills]. ^_^ It's a beautiful shopping complex that is spaciously laid out and is home to hundreds and shops and eating establishments. The stores there have beautiful clothes!!! *bounces about* My mom and I were drooling over them.xD And Tokyo isn't as expensive as I thought it would be. Sure it's expensive, but not completely utterly totally terribly unaffordable.^_^

We made a reservation at L'atelier de Joel Robuchon for lunch and I swear.. The food there is superb. *beams to self* We had a fantastic lunch!!! Hehe.

After wandering around the shopping complex and buying some gifts, we went to L'atelier de Joel Robuchon for lunch and were shown to our seats by the black-clad staff. The restaurant is beautifully designed with a long row of counter seats as well as tables for four. The good use of space and minimalist decorations make the place feel warm, yet classy. The colour scheme is red, brown and black, accentuated by the use of food items as decorations. The seats were very comfortable and were just the right height for the table.^_^ Top marks for decor!

Once you're seated, you are presented with the menu that is in French and Japanese. The staff can sort of speak English so it's not really a problem if you don't quite understand the menu. [Seriously, if you just know what the main ingredient is, that's quite good enough..xD Hehe.] There are 3 sets as well, the 3000 yen, 6000+ yen and 12000+ yen menus. While my dad had the 6000+ yen menu, my mom and I ordered a la carte.^_^ Due to my irritation with Blogger's picture upload, you'll only get to see my meal, everything else will be up on Flickr eventually.^_^" Gomen ne?

Right! On to the food. I was all tempted to get the 12000+ yen menu because they had EVERYTHING I wanted!!! xD Haha. But that would obviously be far too much food so ahem! My dad suggested I order a la carte instead, something I gladly did.^_^ Beams.

Amuse Goule [spelling?]
Thin slices of baguette topped with pork rillete [spelling?]. ^_^ Quite yummy with the wine.

Bread Basket

Ohh.. LOVELY bread basket. The bread was really good.=D And so nicely presented! And so generous! My favourite was the brioche [the round little buns in front], it was so light, fluffy and buttery. YUM. I kept eating it..xD Hehe. But omygosh. So good!

Le Coquille St. Jacques

Scallops!!! xD xD xD This was made with herb butter and served on the [reused] shell. ^_^ They looked marvellous and tasted even better. I was swooning over the scallops. They were just cooked through so they weren't raw or overdone at all. While the scallops with probably seared and broiled with a herbed butter, an extra scattering of salt over them gave a wonderful crunch and enhanced the flavour considerably.xD Beams. So. Good. Scallops should always be like this! Words fail me when I want to say how good this was.. YUM. I've had very few fantastically good Western-style scallops in my life and this definitely makes it to the list. *drifts away on a scallop shell*

Le Caille

Quail with Joel Robuchon's famous mashed potato with 2 slices of black truffle. xD DELISH. This was like, swooningly amazingly good. On the plate are the quail legs as well as quail meat that had foie gras wrapped within. Then a slightly sweet [honey I think] sauce was drizzled over the quail to make the whole dish so. absolutely. amazing. The greens on the plate were spicy and complemented the quail very well. They were dressed lightly in a dressing that didn't clash with the sauce. My parents commented that they had never seen such meaty quail before. Ahaha.xD Beams. It was perfectly cooked as well and the mashed potatoes were creamy and so smooth. Eating the gorgeous puree with the truffles gave the mashed potatoes an amazing flavour that was slightly tinged with the scent of mushrooms. Omygosh! I think I like truffles.xD BEAMS! I loved loved loved this dish. It was a wonderful followup to the delish scallops.=D

Sorbet

Basil and lime sorbet with berries in syrup. This had a lovely and slightly pungent basil aroma that was very sour and cleared the palate nicely.=) I think basil and lime make for a yummy and interesting combination. The intense acidity from the sorbet was calmed by the very sweet berries.^_^ Yum. I love berries! They put in blueberries and sliced strawberries.=) Yum.

Millefeuille

Joel Robuchon's version of millefeuille, the noodley layers were fried and filled with fresh cream and the yummiest raspberries ever.xD Beams. It was a bit of a let-down after that fantastic meal and is the one fault I have to say for this meal. However, the raspberries saved the day and smooth, creamy vanilla ice-cream was yummy.^_^

We also had a Pinot Noir with the meal.=D The first red wine that doesn't taste funny after I eat something! Haha.=D

Hmm. My parents and I agreed that the meal was really amazing and passed with flying colours on all counts except dessert. The service is wonderful, they are attentive without being irritating. While the staff hover, they do it subtly and appear at magical moments with food! ^_^ The open concept kitchen also allows one to watch the chefs at work and despite the huge number of staff, they all seem to be busy at every moment. When we came in, the hostess also made sure we were seated, had ice water and took our coats for us. We noticed that they even take your shopping bags for you! xD That's what I call service. The staff were also very polite and tried their best to explain what was in each dish.

Yay for L'atelier de Joel Robuchon! =D I would HIGHLY recommend it if you go to Tokyo. While at lunch it is possible to get a seat if you walk in, dinner is a reservation thing.^_^

After that lovely meal, we dropped the shopping back at the apartment before heading for Shiodome where we changed to the monorail to Odaiba! =D Odaiba is the new development in Tokyo Bay with 4 mega malls, Aqua City, Decks, Venus Fort and Palette Town. Aqua City has rather nice shops, Decks is slightly tackier but with shops for young people, Venus Fort is an Italian-themed mall that reminded me of Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas [and apparently Gackt had a performance there! xD] and Palette Town is home to the Toyota Showcase, Zepp Tokyo [!!!] and a giant ferris wheel. To get to Odaiba, your train will pass on the 2nd deck of the Rainbow Bridge so you get a nice view of Tokyo.^_^

Odaiba is rather..nice I suppose. I bought my gloves! Yay.=D Finally. And they were very affordable too! =D Beams. However, it wasn't that big of a deal. The highlights were the Toyota Showcase and Zepp Tokyo where Gackt's Training Days 2006 Drug Party is held.xD xD xD BEAMS.

The Toyota Showcase is HUGE! And they've got tons and tons of cars for display from every line that they have.=)

Jiamin's dream car.. I think? She has about 3 thousand dream cars.. But this was a Lexus sports car and I remember her saying something about it..xD Haha. It's a nice car actually in real life.^_^ There were these foreign people hovering around it just before I snapped the photo.^_^" Obviously attracted to it...

My future car [unless a better one appears]! =D The Toyota Prius is a hybrid car that is environmentally friendly [relatively more so than a regular car] since it can run on hydrogen and fuel.^_^ Yay.

After the Toyota Showcase, I zoomed over to Zepp Tokyo and the Training Days 2006 Drug Party venue!!! xD xD xD

Isn't it exciting! *feels the power of Gackt calling her* =D Beams. There were TONS of Gackt fans milling about, mostly carrying at least the tour pamphlet or the tour bag [it looks like a damn plastic bag.-_-" It looks worse in real life. Really. O.o].=D Very easy to spot. ^_^ I joined the queue for the tour goods.

Me in the queue for Gackt's tour goods. My dad insisted on taking a photo.-_-" He thought it was ridiculous that people were queueing to buy this useless stuff.xP Hrmph. Nevertheless, I was all excited and happy just to be in the queue [and THAT much closer to Gackt! xD]. There were women of all ages around me and many obliging boyfriends.=D Haha. The older women tended to be dressed quite normally and looked quite classy while the younger set tended to veer to the gothic clothing side. There were people promoting the Gackt Card for Upty and DARTS. I saw some people carrying giant Uptys and others with Upty swinging from their bags! xD Brilliant stuff. Anyway, the queue moved pretty quick and I was soon lining up for the tour goods. SO EXCITING! xD

I finally reached the start of the queue! xD And yay!!!! Bought:
- the Tour Pamphlet [am flipping through it now]
- the double poster set
- the postcard set
- Gackt's Desktop Calendar 2007, I won't have to look for Lawson anymore! Ahaha. I'm still a bit sad that I can't get the completely gorgeous and to-die-for Giant Calendar though..

Do not even ASK how much I spent. *faints* [Pictures below, at the bottom of the post.] I was completely BROKE after buying all that stuff so I didn't even buy extra to sell!!! *sobs*

After walking through Palette Town and Venus Fort, we went back to the apartment before hitting Roppongi Hills for dinner at Katsukara, a place that specializes in Tonkatsu! =D

Amazing dinner again. Yay!

The decor was simple and minimalistic.=) The staff were pretty attentive too and very helpful at attempting to explain what we, the useless foreign tourists, didn't know. [Stuff like what the sauces were for and all that..xP Haha.]

Curd Salad

It's really just tofu salad. Haha.=P Dressed with plum dressing.^_^ Refreshing!

This is the pestle and mortar to grind your own sesame seeds fresh before adding the Tonkatsu sauce for dipping. There's a separate sauce for the lettuce and pickles provided with your barley rice and miso soup. Very cool.=D Haha.

Chawanmushi

OMG. This was SO GOOD. I loved it. The egg custard was soft, wobbly and so flavourful from the wonderful broth they used. It had the perfect consistency and was so so smooth. With a generous amount of ingredients [chicken, prawns, naruto (fishcake), gingko nut and coriander], the chawanmushi was even lovelier.xD

Prawns

Do not even start comparing this to the ebi fry you find in Japanese restaurants in Singapore. Those are absolutely horrendously bad. This however.. The crumb was so loose and crunchy, thanks to the lovely batter that held it all together. The prawn inside was fresh and juicy, lovely and crunchy. It went brilliantly well with the katsu sauce.xD YUM.

Pork Fillet

O my gosh. I've never tasted more delicious tonkatsu. xD xD xD Again, the batter and crumbs were lovely but here the pork shone! =D Juicy and tender, it had a lovely yielding quality when you bite into it. It had a wonderful aroma and had just enough fat to be juicy but not overpowering.xD YUM. Again, this went fantastically well with the katsu sauce.

Pork Sirloin

This had a large amount of fat in the meat and this made it really juicy and melt in your mouth.=D Yay! Very yummy too.

^_^ Wonderful meal. Wonderful! =D I have a changed impression of Tonkatsu.xD

After that we walked down the street near Azabu-Juban.=) There was a huge LV store there and the streets were lined with trees decorated with Christmas Lights!

So beautiful.^_^

It's been a lovely 4 days in Tokyo.=D Wee! I haven't yet eaten everything I wanted to so that WILL change! =D Haha. Beams.

The stuff I bought today! =D

The makeup is the eyeliner recommended in Urban while the mascara was recommended by YX.^_^ Yay! I can finally experiment with liquid eyeliner. All the girls here use a lot of mascara.=P Goes to show that Japanese mascara mustn't be too bad right? Hehe.

^_^ We're off to Washington DC tomorrow and then Michigan after that.=D I'll update when I can and take more photos! With my brother around, photo opportunities should be plentiful.=D

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Cherry Girl Koda Kumi + that new Mika Nakashima song]
[mood : =)]
[food : xD]

PS: Cherry Girl by Koda Kumi is annoyingly catchy!!! I found myself singing it to myself one day. *dies* The video is so wannabe Ayumi though. O.o I keep watching PV channels. Haha.=P Food and music: 2 things that cross language barriers.xD

Zeelei: I didn't see KAT-TUN calendars at HMV actually.=S But they keep showing the new KAT-TUN PV on TV. Sigh.

cch: Lobster tails!!! *bounces around*

Jiamin: Yay HYDE! xD Haido? AHAHA. I had to pronounce it like that at the record store before they understood me. So embarrassing.=P And Gackto. Ahaha. I didn't see much Keita or w-inds. or KAT-TUN stuff you know. Except for the photo thingums like the ones at Mise? =X Gomen nasai!!! xP

Labels: edibles, Gackt, Japan, Tokyo, tour 2006

Friday, December 15, 2006

Flying Off

Hello!

A beautiful snowscape that I am hoping [and dying] to see! xD Except that Michigan is having a semi-heat wave and all the snow has melted. Boo.. (T_T)

^_^ Wee! Flying off later tonight on ANA..=D Boy am I excited about Japan. I mean.. It's Japan. xD xD xD

I was peering at the tour goods for Gackt's Training Days 2006 Drug Party.. xD I can't decide! I can't decide! O dearie me. I know I HAVE to get the Tour Pamphlet [top left], the poster set top right] and the postcard set [under the tour pamphlet]. That alone will drain me of all possible resources. But hello! It's an almost once-in-a-lifetime experience!!! [*coughs* I AM planning to actually attend a concert one day..xD] Beams. Plus it's a Dears ONLY tour so you know.. Not many people would be able to go.*drifts off* The cellphone charm [bottom, the 2 chibi Gackt figures] is so cute.xD

Entrepreneurial people are already selling his tour goods on Ebay. That's a pretty smart thing to do! You can earn a whole ton of money doing that.=D Unless they limit each customer to only one piece, it's entirely possible.^_^ [Or unless you don't want his tour goods to begin with..]

Anyway, I'll attempt to update while I'm there with photos and such.=D Depending on internet costs, I'll see whether I can update with long entries or not. Wee!

Have a great Christmas everyone! =D And New Year too! ^_^

To the guys going into NS, be strong.=D It'll be fun! I'm sure it will be.

Be like the snowbell, it's delicate frame was able to push through the thin layer of ice and emerge as a beautiful flower.=) You'll be able to do that too.^_^

cheers

*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Angel's Tale + Shallow Sleep HYDE]

[mood : xD xD xD very excited]

[food : Japanese food! *_*!]

Jiamin: Yes mdm I will. And I'll remind You-Know-Who of our country code too while I'm at it in case You-Know-Who is too blur.=P Haha. Oh to have a Joyce-like figure! *_*!

Photos from DA, Tour Goods from Gackt, translated by pixiezdust.^_^

Labels: Gackt, misc, tour 2006

Friday, December 08, 2006

Gackt Training Days 2006 Drug Party

HOMG!

The pictures of the tour goods are out!!!

PLEASE LET ME BE ABLE TO BUY THEM.

Do they look gorgeous or what! Especially the poster set [top right]. *drools*

And and! Look at this!!!

OMG. *faints*

Thank you Gackt. Thank you for remaining true to your rock roots. I knew those pop days were just a phase. Thank you for becoming goth-y again. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't wait to go to Tokyo. I really can't. And all idiocy that consumed him while he came up with the retarded title "Training Days Drug Party" is forgiven thanks to these absolutely gorgeous images. xD xD xD

Just when I thought my Gackt love was waning, he comes out with this! *faints from happiness* Wee!!!!!!!

cheers

*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Secret Garden Gackt]

[mood : bubble of happiness!]

[food : --]

*twirls away in a bubble of Gackt-induced happiness*

Labels: Gackt, tour 2006

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

GACKT TRAINING DAYS 2006 DRUG PARTY

If you look at the title, that [according to gakuhai.livejournal.com] is the title of Gackt's tour in December.

Sorry but..
HOW LAME CAN YOU GET?! -_-"

Drug Party? Training Days?

All impression of Gackt having cool concepts for his concert tours has just gone down the drain. O.o I am entirely embarrassed. Sigh.

At least this collage I made looks good..xD

I think I chose pictures that are complementary in terms of his positioning and colour [for the 2 blueish ones at least.=P]. ^_^ Sometimes, Picasa does do a good job.. Then again.. Almost anything with Gackt looks good. ;) [You will NEVER see the images where he looks bad here. Glares. Stupid photographers/stylists/make-up artists/hair people.-____-"]

I'm almost done with Silas Marner. Hooray! It is far too long.-_-" Although I'm not even done with the quotes.. I'm already on my 7th page. ARGH.

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : For Real (piano version) Gensoumaden Saiyuki OST + dears + Kono daremo inai heya de Gackt]
[mood : -_-"]
[food : pasta? xD]

Labels: Gackt, tour 2006

Sunday, October 08, 2006

GACKT CONCERT

There's going to be a Dears only Gackt LIVE HOUSE TOUR in December 2006.

Can I just die and kill myself.

I can't go because..
1) I'm not in Japan
2) I don't have a Japan mailing address
3) Meaning I can't be a member of his fanclub
4) So I can't actually buy tickets
5) I can't afford it anyway [6500 yen!!! *dies*]
6) Even if I could afford it, DO YOU THINK MY MOM WOULD LET ME GO?!
7) And even if my mom would let me go, HOW CAN I AFFORD A PLANE TICKET THERE?!
8) What makes you think Japanese fans won't have bought everything already?
9) I'm too far away to make a difference!!!

and finally..
10) I'm just not fated. (T_T) And that's the saddest thing ever.

The worst thing is that this is a Live House Tour. Meaning the venue would be really small.. really packed.. and really close to the stage. (T_T) Meaning you can get.. really.. close.. to.. GACKT. Rawr!!!

Gackt! Tour! 2006!

At least we all now know what he's been up to in his months of hiding.

Sigh.

I'll update properly later after dinner [Peranakan for my uncle's birthday.] and when I'm less forlorn about the Gackt tour. I've got loads of yummy photos from lunch.^_^

witchstone.

He will forever remain elusive. Sigh.

Labels: Gackt, tour 2006

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