visions of clarity...do as infinity

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Post-Last Day of Work

Hello

Hmm. The last day of work at ... where I worked was yesterday.=) I have to admit I still haven't gotten over the "OOH BANK AD" and "OOH WATCH" when I read the newspapers and making a mental note to cut it out/take a photo the next day for the competitive report.O.o Bizarre.

I'm glad that I did this internship.=) I guess I really saw what work went into producing just ONE campaign. Okay. Not even one campaign. Just ONE AD requires so much work.X__x Things like this make you a little more appreciative.^_^"

The work environment there too is wonderful.=) Everyone is supportive of each other and helpful in trying circumstances. Ahem. I think the work environment is incredibly important and practically integral to whether or not you enjoy working somewhere. It's kind of like school except that in school, you can choose to not make friends with certain people but at work, you should try your best to get along with everyone so that everyone can work well together. I think I was lucky that I was seated where I was since I could make friends with the people who still remember what it's like to be new I guess? ^_^"

I'm sad to leave because I enjoyed working there [would I call it work though? Hmm.] but I'm also happy that I can now focus on packing my room and preparing for university.X__x

Although no work = no money too. O dear.

I'm in the midst of packing for Japan. O my goodness. I cannot pack! Absolutely cannot! *stares miserably at suitcase* My clothes are kind of draped all over in my attempt to "throw things in".=X

OMG *distracted* NEW ALICE NINE. PV OUT!!! *squeals*

Ahem. Anyway. Packing. Yes. I just found out from dear Jiamin that I'll have to bring a towel.O.o I'm just like. O DEAR. *stares at bag* Perhaps I should just prepare myself for doing laundry to save space in case we shop! =D Oh the possibilities Japan brings!

xD

Anyway, I don't know if my friends from work will read this but... if they do..

THANK YOU.=D

Oh! And the ramen at Robertson Quay in the quite-dubious alleyway behind the Japanese-Taiwanese food place is really quite good.=D I think it's better than Miharu.^_^v I would've taken a photo but their presentation isn't very pretty... Thanks for the meal!!! =D I'll bring you all something the next time we meet.

Last night, we also went to MOS.=) Dangit I thought it was Ladies' Night but no.-_-" I had to pay. Rawr. Anyway. I actually rather enjoyed the whole experience. Except that I am convinced that next time, we'll have to go somewhere for cheaper drinks first.^_^" I would still like to go to Zouk though. The fact that it's been there for... AGES still mystifies me..

O FAINTED. Gackt!!! YOU LOOK DAMN GOOD!!! I love your kimono!! *wishes she owned one* I am SO getting this magazine. Just look at him!!! *_*!! *brain stops functioning*

Squeals!!!

Oh I could ramble on! But my open suitcase and empty bag are GLARING at me in the most ferocious manner. And popiah for dinner calls!
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Shunkashuutou + FANTASY alice nine.]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : bo lor bao!]

zeelei: Miyavi is indeed not quite a rockgod. But he IS a good guitar player so I think he could bring some youthful enthusiasm to the whole project! Haha.=D His new hair! Omygoodness. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT.-_-"

wendaye: HRM. I think it's debatable whether you want to see Yoshiki without clothes.O.o And Miyavi too. I'm not sure what Sugizo looks like so no comment there. But Gackt!!! *_*!!!!!! NGYAHAHA.

pixiezdust: I meant that I feature a bunny every Midweek men.=D Can't let the animal kingdom be left out.;) Haha. Sadly, Hide is no longer around and I think Miyavi isn't bad. I mean, he's talented! And has great stage presence!

Labels: alice nine, clubbing, internship, Japan, ramen, work

Friday, April 20, 2007

Another Long Day..

In my previous post, where I wrote that I might update again, I was planning to update and tell you all about the Takuya movie, Love & Honour.

Sadly, because I was WORKING...-_-" I didn't get to watch it though I've been assured by my darling friends that it was bittersweet. Sigh.

The worse thing is that my friend kept apologising to me for making me stay back to help so I can't be grouchy at that. And I've also mentally prepared myself for rubbish things like this to happen. After all... If you want to get a taste of what the real world is like, I guess this is a good start?

Thankfully, we had a nice dinner! ^_^ I don't know about my friends but.. xD I had Saba Misoni! My favourite braised fish.=D =D =D In miso/soy sauce!!! Yay. I LOVE IT. xD xD xD I could eat bowlfuls of it for one meal.=D =D =D And it HAS to be eaten with rice. But wahhh. I love it. I need to learn to make a better version than the one I made previously.xD Namely, one that tastes more like the yumminess you get in the restaurants..xD

I wonder why I associate most anime ending songs with a sense of sadness/finality. Hmm. They might be cheerful and boppy sounding but I still associate them with a heavy feeling of "sigh, it's over". Maybe it's to do with how's it is the ending song.

O well. I am so tired. And I still have to wake up early to go driving!!! xP Maybe I should do like what the other intern is doing and go in the morning before work then go into work late. But that's rather irresponsible. And completely taking advantage of the flexible working environment! xP

Hachimitsu to Clover! xD
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Waltz Suneohair (Honey & Clover OST) + a little pain OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST)]
[mood : --]
[food : saba misoni! xD]

Yay! New NANA and Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori episodes up to watch!!! xD xD xD FINALLY!

cch: And pray tell, why would YOU want to see Gackt? O.o Unless.. You are starting to like him and his music!!! *_*! Yes! =D =D =D Ooh. Dimsum. Hmm. I think you should try the CP Shrimp Wonton! It's like. REALLY good for frozen wonton [why is wonton when we pronounce it wanton? O.o]. =D =D =D I want to eat har gao!!!

Labels: anime, driving, edibles, internship, Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori, NANA, work

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

Labels: Gackt, Honey and Clover, internship, MTV, work

Friday, April 13, 2007

I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud - William Wordsworth

I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed---and gazed---but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth

xD No matter how overused or overly common this poem is, I love it!!! =D Beams. Like. Really. I LOVE this poem.xD

I always makes one feel so peaceful when you imagine the dancing daffodils.=)

Anyway, today I found out exactly what my friends at work are paid. And then I learnt all about the world of the grown-ups where one can't depend on their parents anymore and where you actually have to pay your own bills.

It was MOST depressing. [Like the poor bear in a cage. It's cute. But it looks so SAD! (T_T)]

You see when one thinks of adulthood and working life, one would naturally forget the nitty-gritty. However, these tiny things are the most important. Let's see.
- Household bills [electricity, water, conservancy fees, house phone, etc.]
- Handphone bills [o my goodness.O.o]
- Transportation [to and from work, taking into account ending work late and having to take a cab]
- Food [*gulps*]
- Being a good filial child and giving your parents money.

And that's the BASIC NECESSITIES. (T_T)

Then you've got to save money? One of my friends said that was a problem at first because she was too ambitious in saving money so she had nothing left to spend. I was all O___x O dear. I'm always ambitious then I give up! O my. Must come up with a concrete plan.

*thinks*

So they were saying that it's best to have a sort of chart where you write down what it is that you spend on so that you can budget better the next month.

This is rather worrying!!! (T_T) I mean, I realised that to save a substantial amount every month, you can't shop much, you can't eat expensive meals [or you can only eat expensive meals maybe, once/twice a month?], you can't have expensive habits [like going drinking or smoking], you have to limit what shopping you do because you need to budget.

My friend said that she has to think twice before buying a pack of SWEETS. I almost fainted when I heard that part. (T_T) Oh the harsh realities of life!!! *flings self onto bed in despair*

I shall resume my previously-thought-to-be-overly-ambitious goal for my savings account. *nods resolutely* I shall spend less this month, next month and for all the months that I'm working so I can save what pennies I earn! =D Beams.

This would mean eating cheap meals and eating out less. And less shopping. X___x O dear. But I need clothes for university!!! *nudges parents* I am still a to-be-student so I guess that entitles me to being a dependent right? =D =D =D Beams hopefully.

*giant squirrel eyes*

Lucky for us, there are always cute and wonderful Jrockers around to make the day brighter! =D

Scans from Arena 37C Special Volume 32! ^_^ alice nine. in Yokohama.xD Yay!

Saga-san! xD Beams. So goodlooking as usual.

Nao-san! xD xD xD SO CUTE. Haha.

AHAHA.xD I think this is SO CUTE. Gackt is like OMG! *Squeals like a girl* xD Ahaha. And that random girl. *shoos her away*

Right! *brightly* We should enjoy our youth and dependency while we can! =D Beams. Or rather, use this time of carefree living to think about how we can properly enjoy ourselves even when we have a million more tangible worries! =D

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Honey Vanity Kozi + 絵夢~for my dear~ Gackt + Binetsu shita de shajitsu shita shinsou wa atesaki fumei no tegami to naru RENTRER EN SOI + Clocks Coldplay]
[mood : worried]
[food : vegetables!!!!!!!!!!!]

Joyce: I have no idea. Haha. That's why I was wondering if he's a romantic poet or not.=P Anyway, that Elijah Wood sequence. TOTALLY B-GRADE! -_-" I thought the blood was quite gross but was too tickled and annoyed by the fact that it was so wannabe film noir. Haha.=P

Liu Yi: Hi Liu Yi!!! xD I didn't know you read my blog. Haha. And you CAN post Japanese on my c-box [the tagboard] but I think some computers can't display it? =X Mine can but HMM. I haven't learnt kanji yet. Obviously. Haha.=X Still trying hard to remember the kazillions of katakana.(T_T) But thank you! ありがと! =D

Labels: alice nine, future, Gackt, poem, thoughts, work

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Some Things One Learns...

Hello

Firstly, Gackt is SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xD xD xD I just watched the episode of Domoto Kyoudai where Amuro Namie is a guest.xD SO CUTE PLEASE! Omygoodness! JIAMIN YOU MUST WATCH. *dies laughing*

Secondly, voice actors/voice over people earn a hell of a lot of money! As in, they earn a lot on a per hour basis so if they get 3-4 sessions everyday about 3-4 days a week, they'll be raking in big bucks! xD Plus if you're naturally talented, it'll be easy peasy for you.=)

Thirdly, I've been accepted into the University of Maryland (College Park) and George Washington University.

Fourthly, the US Postal Service is terribly slow!!! -_-" The email from Maryland stated very happily, "You should have received your admissions package a few days ago!" I'm like, URHHH WHERE?! -_-" And the GWU package arrived in such bad condition that SingPost had to repack it before it could be delivered.O.o

Fifthly, there are days when I don't get a chance to do anything for myself. Today was one of them! It was only in the recording studio that I got to study Japanese in between the recording sessions.

Sixthly, good, professional recording studios earn hell of a lot of money. And they get loads of cool equipment to work with!

Seventhly, when you are the go-between between the client and the company, it can get pretty stressful.

Eightly, when I'm stressed or tired or grumpy, I always feel like cooking! Or baking! [Mostly baking.] And I am currently having these GRAND plans of making strawberry shortcake [the Japanese type] and a Japanese meal.=D

Ninthly, I learnt that if you don't learn anything while you're doing something, there's almost no point doing it [because you could be doing something else where you learn something].

Tenthly, I need to decide what to do with my life. Soon. HMM. (._.)

Wee! I think I've decided what I should make if I am going to cook.=D The recipes aren't too difficult I think! ^_^ Beams. And it involves fish, vegetables and rice! SO HEALTHY! =D

Busy day tomorrow since I have to prepare their submissions for the competition entry. Faints. I have like, 3 million labels to paste onto each submission! (T_T) And then I've got to do competitive reports... And hope I can meet people for lunch... And hope I leave early for Japanese class... Then on Thursday there's a morning meeting... And I have to zoom back to do the competitive report... And continue helping people... Hmm. I can see how my days are going to get busier.O.o

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : I LOVE YOU Nakashima Mika + Mizerable Gackt]
[mood : tired]
[food : fish ball guotiao! =)]

Jiamin: I told you. I'll watch the Snow Queen. But don't kill me if I laugh/make comments/snort at the cheesy lines/retarded acting/cliched events. And they are NOT cream puffs. Cream puffs are like Beard Papa! -_-"

Speaking of which, I have been dying to make chouquettes all day!

Labels: cooking, Gackt, internship, misc, thoughts, work

Monday, April 02, 2007

Long long day

Hello

I had an extremely long day today. Groan. More magazine flipping. Non stop magazine flipping. At least I learnt some important things [that may or may not be important to you]:

- I love Lanvin clothes
- And Ralph Lauren!
- And Bottega Veneta! [Their bags are nice too. ;)]
- Celine has beautiful clothes...
- And Valentino has the occasional GORGEOUS, TO DIE FOR gown.
- Oh. And the Louis Vuitton Satin Monogram Multicolore is so pretty!

Very important stuff obviously.

To relieve my boredom and intense PAIN in my eyes [okay. Not pain exactly.] I also visited the World Gourmet Summit site and got some fabulous recipes! ^_^ I am dying to try the beef short rib recipes and the caramelised pineapple millefeuille recipe.=D They have all the recipes from the Masterclasses last year. And I would REALLY love to attend a masterclass this year but sadly, it's held on a weekday from 3-5pm. Which is SUCH a tai-tai time don't you agree?

Braised Beef Short Ribs with Sweet and Sour Onions.

The magazines also revealed surprisingly simple recipes. Like one for molten chocolate cake from ELLE. ELLE seems like a very dubious source for a recipe don't you agree? =S It's easy though, but time consuming like leaving the batter in the fridge over night?! -_-" Their cake batter is also flourless which worries me because then it'll be SO rich and decadent and SO VERY FATTENING. (T_T)

I'm not even done with the pile yet. *deep sigh* No worries. I'll finish it tomorrow! ^_^v Yay. Then I have to help them with their competition submissions, etc etc and then lug the whole huge stack of magazines [that has reached epic proportions] back to my friend's desk. Oh joyful.

alice nine. updated their webpage with the announcement of the release of their new single! [Which was announced some time ago but webpages are always slow. I have no idea why. Aren't they supposed to be the fastest announcement delivery system?!]

I love this new look on Shou and Nao! =) Saga's leopard print thing is DISTRACTING.-_-" And I don't really like animal prints. Ahem.

Apparently, the website will soon be available in Mandarin and Korean as well as the current English. Do I sense even more MAINSTREAM-NESS? -_-" If their sound changes to some happy boppy music like w-inds./KAT-TUN/Arashi/SMAP/random boy band [happy and boppy and catchy is fine but ROCK bands do NOT have boppy music], I might seriously lose interest though the songs would definitely still be catchy.-_-"

Rentrer en Soi recently released a new single: THE ABYSS OF DESPAIR. I know. SO dramatic.-_-" It reminds me a little of Dir en grey. AGITATED SCREAMS OF MAGGOTS? THE ABYSS OF DESPAIR? HMM! I sense much similarity in not only "depression" but also capitalised titles!

It's even got a depressing/monster-ish CD cover to match! I wonder how it sounds. THE ABYSS OF DESPAIR sounds like a ticket to screaming-madly-and-without-a-tune land. Hmm. I hope it isn't though. Their previous single was TERRIBLE. Screaming and growling and.. um.. so on and so forth.-_-" Terrible. And I LOVED their RENTRER EN SOI album!

Okay. Must attempt to rev up some energy and brainpower to do my Japanese homework! =D And leave enough energy to read before dozing off completely.
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Without You (Classical Version) YOSHIKI]
[mood : headachey]
[food : short ribs! *_*!]

Wendaye: Chubby Hubby recommended that ramen place! You are now on a mission to find out whether it's really good! =D And I thought you are poor? You still want Wild Rocket?! -_-"

Jiamin: Snow Queen. Coughs. I don't trust these Korean weepies. Do you realise that at every sad point in the show, I'll either agree calmly that it's sad [instead of crying] or insult it by laughing at how cheesy it is [thus spoiling the moment]? I'm surprised Joyce can sit through it without dying from how retarded it is. By the way, I think my muffins can keep till Wednesday. *crosses fingers* And I TOLD YOU! Those are NOT cream puffs!!!! They are MINI SWISS ROLLS. I mean. Which part of them looks puff-like to you?!

cch: YOU ASS. IF I WANTED SPOILERS I WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR THEM RIGHT. *glares* How dare you!!!!!!!! And I NEVER EVER SPOILER YOU! Stupid cow. You're always doing this. RAWR.

Joyce: Omg Joyce! I thought you were the one sane person left beside me who doesn't fall for cheesy Korean weepy love stories! *faints* I'm all abandoned and alone now.-_-" And I'm not watching Desperate Housewives season 3. Are you? I don't see any point since I haven't finished season 2.=P I'll wait for the manga to come out thanks.=D I don't like reading manga in English.. It just feels different. Haha.=P Thanks though! ^_^ In any case, I'm only on book 3 so book 5 would be a bit of a jump wouldn't it?

Labels: alice nine, edibles, internship, misc, Rentrer en Soi, work

Thursday, March 29, 2007

The 5 Stages of Dying

Hello

Today I was reading the advertisement by the Singapore Hospice Council and it lists Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's 5 stages of dying. Trust me. It's both depressing and snaps you into the reality of your upcoming death [one day... it WILL happen.-_-"].

Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance

I don't think it applies only to dying.. I think these 5 stages actually occur in a lot of other situations like if someone dumps you or something heartbreaking like that. Hmm.

So today I was much busier helping them prepare stuff for submission to competitions and the like.^_^" And I had to research stuff too! AGAIN! Oh. And then I was merrily surfing around DeviantArt.=)

Isn't it morbidly funny? =P It is also ironic and... Strange.

And isn't this SO CUTE? xD

And this is pretty! And cute.=) And sweet too!

I know. All are drawings, none are photographs. But o well.^_^

Today, they showed me this booklet thingy they put together to present to the client. It was SO well done. I swear, I was practically INSPIRED by the sense of accomplishment one would feel when looking at the put-together package [after slogging hard for 3 days with no sleep apparently, and that's not even an exaggeration]. But it was simply.. a touch of brilliant marketing. Honestly. And they even added an extra touch that tied in perfectly with the client. ;) Yet, it still blended in with the overall package. Seriously. I was very impressed.xD

And looking at the work they have done, kind of like a collection of the work done in the past year, I was like.. when I saw those, I liked EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! xD So yes. I was inspired. Again. Haha.=X

*is easily moved*

And then it made me think of how proud you could be to present these brilliant ideas to your clients! Although the clients can be very demanding. Like calling every 15 minutes or something [trust me. I know. I have to pick up the phone ALL THE TIME.] to ... I don't know. Discuss something of DEATHLY importance.

So I must say that I think I would enjoy the work they do. I don't think I'll hate it except that it gets repetitive.. But then again. Which job isn't repetitive? The pay though... The pay is a fabulous disincentive to work in this industry and the long hours.. Thankless work you put in is even more reason to avoid it like the plague.

Working in a bank would induce boredom and repetitiveness as well but hey.. At least you get better pay right?

I think I'll relook career options once I finish this internship. I think 3 months should be enough to help me see if this is what I want to do.. I hope. If I still am not sure.. Hmm. That could be troubling indeed.

I always wish I were creative and good at designing and drawing though. That's something I'd like to do but cannot EVER do. O well.=) Dealing with clients can be *cough* fun too!

Besides DeviantArt, more alice nine. stuff.=D Yay!

I think the important people look terribly good here.xD Hooray!

"We are never more mysterious, beautiful or powerful than when we are ourselves."
- Harper's Bazaar

In the days to come, I think they're going to start giving me more stuff to do and responsibilities to handle.=) I'm looking forward to it!

Work and Japanese homework. Oh glory! We are SLIGHTLY more experienced about worldly matters [ie: work], a LITTLE richer [hah!] and one step closer to reading all about alice nine., Gackt, w-inds. and HYDE without relying on translations!!! xD

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Waltz Suneohair (Honey & Clover)]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : cookies and sponge cake!]

cch: I am DYING, absolutely DYING, to make Lemon & Orange Mascarpone Muffins now. But I'll have to wait till Sunday!!! Wails. When I'm, you know, free.^_^" And I feel like baking and eating chocolate chip cookies!!! I was SO tempted to do that just now but I was just so tired and I was watching Desperate Housewives! xD Which is REALLY nice to watch. Haha.=P

Labels: alice nine, art, DeviantArt, future, internship, psychology, work

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Stress Cure: Flowers

Hello!

=D Today all of us got a flower from my friend at work [not my seat-partner, someone else.^_^] and she told me that whenever she's stressed out, she'll give away flowers! ^_^ I cannot think of a sweeter, more random gesture from a friend. Haha.

In other work-related rubbish...

As Jiamin aptly pointed out, I'm also getting very well-acquainted with the office scanner. I mean, seriously. The number of hours I spend with that machine is comparable to no one else.-_-" Since it is a multi-function machine, I am also forced to spend even more time than just scanning since it can photocopy, print and.. gets me to go around asking them where I can help in the projects. Hello dear office printer-photocopier-scanner! You are my new best friend! [An arbitrary decision based on how many hours I spend with any one person/thing.]

I am also the errand-girl. Something expected of course, considering I appear to be the person with the most free time.=P Yesterday I had to run out to buy a WIRE that didn't work... Today I went to deliver artwork to a client because it was too big for a courier to carry! -_-" The document bag was almost as tall as me when I sat down.O.o Terrible. It's nice to spend time out of the office but sometimes I do wish that I had something else to do.=P

I spent the morning busy and now.. Hmm. I wonder what people can think up for me to do?

I've been watching Desperate Housewives which is intrigue, bitchyness, laughter, sweet moments, gossip and everything a girl could want in a show. There are hot guys too. ;) It's SO addictive. I totally understand why people couldn't stop watching it when it was showing on TV! xD

We also watched Deathnote 2 over the weekend and finished Hana Kimi!!! O GOSH. Wu Zun! xD You are VERY hot and VERY goodlooking! *squee!* And Jiro! You are too cute! xD Jiamin and I also managed to fit in a spot of fangirling over alice nine. ;) Not a bad use of the weekend! Ladida.

Oh Saga and Shou! xD I love how you 2 are close friends. =D =D =D

Oh Saga! xD Your style is VERY inspiring! And I know you know how gorgeous you are but really.xD xD xD No need to pose in such a droolful manner!

I would post pictures of the other guys but I keep deleting off alice nine. stuff from my computer because I don't want to clog it up [especially since it's not mine].=P I need to clear Cutie as soon as I can so I can fill it with more joy-inducing people! xD

I would blog about Gackt except that he's once again dormant and urm.... Off the press radar. *deep sigh* Not even a magazine appearance! ;_; Wails.

I also feel like cooking. Just look at these waffles!:

Drools.

Doesn't that INSPIRE something in you?

Wee! Back to reading food blogs, surfing alice nine. and generally slacking around till I can find something useful to do. [Or remember why I actually came to blog in the first place..]

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Wish OLIVIA inspi'REIRA (TRAPNEST)]
[mood : --]
[food : chicken rice!]

ViQue: You must be the only one who doesn't hate me for posting loads of rubbish! Haha.=D Yay! And this isn't really a JOB.. It's an internship.. Which kind of explains my brilliant amounts of free time.=)

Jiamin: I TOLD you he looks demented there. It's hilarious! Hahaha. The different coloured contacts do not help. I thought Miyavi was most secretary-ish in that picture so it kind of corresponded to my next paragraph.=) And yes! Chanel suits! Unaffordable, overpriced but PRETTY! xD

Labels: alice nine, Desperate Housewives, edibles, internship, work

Thursday, March 22, 2007

And the courier said...

Hello

Wee! Just now, a couriered envelope came for my dad and I was reminded of our hilarious [and worrying] encounters with the couriers employed for our usage in the office.^_^"

The whole office uses one courier who is extremely reliable, efficient and they are all about the service thing. However, a certain client chose this OTHER courier which really really sucks and gives my friend [seat-partner!] tons of headaches.=P

Like one morning, she zoomed into office, called the number and told A couriers [I'll call them "A" for the sake of giving them a name.=P] that she needed this package delivered URGENTLY, like within the next 30minutes - 1hour. So I offered to bring the package down for her because she was all frazzled looking. [And besides, I'm nice and helpful.^_^] After I brought the package to the reception, my friend zoomed off to do all those things she has to do away from her desk.

Half an hour later, I picked up a call from this woman who sounded like she was all stressed out. She kept asking for my friend and I kept telling her that she wasn't there. This happened repeatedly for the next hour. So 1.5 hours later, when my friend finally returned, she called this woman and asked what the problem was. Turns out, the package had not yet reached them and they needed it URGENTLY.

Hmm.

So my friend called A couriers and the woman went, "HUH. You said it was URGENT? It's still here in the office." My friend almost DIED. Haha. So she was like, it's been ONE AND A HALF HOURS CAN YOU PLEASE SEND IT NOW. So A couriers assured her they'd get it there in half an hour, something she promptly told the client.

If Masa [ex GacktJOB] were their courier, I'm sure we could say...

Problem solved right?

Wrong.

45 minutes later, stressed-client-woman called and was all, THE PACKAGE IS NOT HERE!!! (T_T) So my friend once again called A Couriers and the woman was like, oh! Our courier just left! -____________-" Both of us were like. OMG WHY ARE WE USING THIS SERVICE AGAIN. The package finally reached the client almost 3 hours after she first called them. So much for "urgent" service.

*shakes head*

In other hilarious work-related news, I seem to act as my friend's personal assistant, helping her take calls, jotting down who called and so on. Haha. These people are almost never around so since I'm practically glued to my chair half the time, it's up to me to answer the phone or be irritated to death! =P My friend is always very apologetic about getting me to help her do stuff [she only gives me stuff when I offer if you must know] so it's not so bad.^_^

She calls our position the "saikang warriors". Haha. I never thought I'd hear that phrase out of the army-guy context.=P Just like how I never thought I'd hear the word "chiong" out of the army-guy context. [I heard it from my driving instructor.]

But it can get pretty bad I suppose, dealing with unreasonable clients and the like.=P Today, one person was talking on the phone and going, "Oh don't worry! I'll get back to you the second I get any news! Yes yes I'll go find out now! Don't worry about it.=D =D =D". The next second, she put down the phone and screeched "F-ing SLUT!" Haha. I almost laughed at the irony of the situation but contained myself by concentrating on aligning the posters to photocopy.=P

Thank goodness for darling alice nine.'s entertaining blog entries. Of particular interest is Nao, who updates like, I don't know. Every half an hour or something. Haha.=P [I am exaggerating of course..] Whenever I got back to my desk, I'd continue reading the translations and try very very very hard to contain my giggles. O dear.

Anyway, my once trusty Nokia 6230i is beginning to fail me. (T_T) Very upsetting I might add. The battery dies very quickly and I've realised all the disadvantages of having a lousy camera in my phone. It's much easier to take random photos with your phone than with a camera which attracts far too much attention.xP

O my. My xxxHOLiC collection is INCOMPLETE. How is this possible? I remember downloading AND watching every single episode!!! OMG. WHAT HAPPENED!!! Oh. Found them. Oh thank goodness I label everything.(T_T)

Okay. Time to start burning to free up my laptop [which is COMPLETELY and TOTALLY full].^_^ And while that happens, I can make a list of Gackt stuff I have! And read more of Haruki Murakami's book!

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Q. + JEWELS alice nine.]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : --]

cch: Urm. O.o And I hope your generosity will extend beyond your wife to your Darling Sister!!! xD Beams.

Labels: alice nine, internship, thoughts, work

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Another Day...

Hello

Today, I was once again flipping through magazines for work. [I know. It sounds like such an "Omygosh you get to flip through MAGAZINES for work?! YOU COW!" but really, it's not that great when you have stacks and stacks of them to go through.] And today, I had to go through the high society magazines with all those rich socialites flaunting their gorgeous jewellery, droolful shoes and unaffordable dresses.

O yes. I was picking out the outfits that I liked.xD [What, you thought I wouldn't notice?]

But as I kept flipping, I got increasingly riled at these stupid women.

And I wondered... Exactly what did they themselves contribute in buying the dress? Surely if they hold no job, their husbands would have had to pay for it? If not, they could be one of those who take advantage of the system and "loan" the dresses off the brands with promises to flaunt them at social functions. [Hence their varied selection at every single function..]

So then I got all annoyed and grumpy. Okay, Georgia Lee [that dermatologist who rakes in heaps of money] who appears in so many branded dresses might have earned her own money by her medical profession. And Shabnam Melwani-Reis runs some.. company [family-owned I think?] so she might have earned her own money too. But the rest? THE REST? I got so grumpy that they did absolutely NOTHING to earn the dresses they were wearing. Well okay.. They have to marry rich first [or get an inheritance. Or have super rich parents.] but still. I don't think they paid for the dresses from their own pockets.

Which led me to think that life is truly an unfair and unjust world. And I came to the conclusion that unless it were a gift from someone I know, I would buy any branded item I own in future myself. With my own money. That I earned on my own. I mean, if say... My friend were to give me a *coughs* BIRKIN! *coughs* for my birthday, at least it'll be a gift from someone I care about. But I would never want to depend on someone else to fund ALL my purchases. [Seriously, singular bank account with loads of your own money in your own name? GO YOU!]

In this case, it would mean that I would have to strive to be rich and successful on my own! O faints! The very thought...O.o And here I am. At 19, already planning what to do with my [soon-to-be-earned] money. HMM.

If all goes well, I will have cupboards full of bags! And shoes! And jewellery! And gorgeous clothes! [Although I still think paying a few thousand dollars for a Chanel dress, no matter how beautiful, is a silly thing to do.] But I will never be like this one crazy socialite who keeps a separate apartment JUST for her clothes.-_-"

In other news, I met Vivion and Zeelei for lunch and Jiamin for dinner! ^_^ Good day.=D Haha. And we ate the Yuzu Soba at Shimbashi Soba at Paragon! ^_^ It was really yummy and chock-full of yuzu goodness.=D I love yuzu!!! Haha. I love all citrus fruits actually.^_^ [Hmmm... Or perhaps I haven't yet found a citrus fruit that I strongly dislike?] Beams. I wish they would have the yuzu equivalent here but not yet not yet! *stomps around*

I have also learnt about home decorating, the property market, branded clothes [xD], expensive [and all-too-well-known] wines... Basically the chi-chi lifestyle.=D Haha. Somehow, I wouldn't mind having the money for all of that, but at the same time, the whole "I must own an expensive car because I'm rich" thing is so overrated.-_-"

In between researching MADLY for work, I also managed to dig out alice nine. images! =D Beams. A little dose of Shou, Saga and Nao [and the 2 randoms] never hurt anyone.^_^ Of course, I have to try to keep from letting other people see because everyone will definitely think I'm weird, bizarre and generally... Strange. So yay! alice nine.! =D

Demented Shou amused me endlessly.xD Ahaha.

And gorgeous Saga is always a perk in alice nine. image searches.xD

Finally, Nao puts a smile on my face everytime.=D

^_^ More research tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be continually busy for the rest of this internship! Sure beats being bored and grumpy.=D

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : JEWELS alice nine.]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : yuzu soba!]

cch: Is Michigan THAT countryside-ish?! They don't have FOOD NETWORK?! But it's .. it's .. CABLE TV!!!!!!! *wails*

Jiamin: Omg! We must totally buy a region-free DVD player for the TV then to Beam happily at alice nine. and w-inds. and Gackt!!! =D =D =D [I realise both w-inds. and alice nine. have a fullstop at the end of their names. Ahaha.] And yes! I will cook for you.=D I don't mind cooking even here though. Yay!!! Cooking! *beams* Yarrr. Gackt looks completely good there.xD Beams!

wendaye: COUGHS. I hope you didn't watch 300 because of that.O.o Anyway! Yes. They have laptop bags because the laptops are also issued to them maybe? Haha.=P Anyway! I not only love the namecards from Ogilvy Advertising, the other wing in Ogilvy called "David" has nice namecards too!!! xD Haha. Anyway, who's the person in charge of your account? And I applied to NUS. And I have to do "media monitoring" too!!! Haha.=P

Labels: alice nine, edibles, internship, thoughts, work

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Home Decor + Meme

Hello

Thanks to research I was doing at work today, I got tons of links to places with great home decor and interior design and stuff for you to use at home! =)

Thank you Wendy for telling me about design*sponge! ^_^ It was most useful in discovering these links.=)

For pretty cards, wrapping paper, notebooks and stationery in general that are unique, pretty and eye-catching, go to:
http://whimsypress.com/
They have great paper and lovely designs! The only problem is that they sell their stationery like the Japanese paper in Kino where you can calculate the cost of EACH SHEET of paper. Which you know, makes it difficult to justify parting with your money...xP

For artwork that you can display in your house as a centerpiece or as an added interest to your white wall:
https://www.wonderwall.se/wwclient/index.jsp
They offer beautiful, limited edition prints of artwork by artists from all over the world, though they mainly come from Sweden and other parts of Europe or America. Another drawback here is cost but as each piece is limited in stock and so beautiful, it's actually cheaper than buying oil on canvas.=P

For that unique table/chair:
http://www.zaishu.com/shop.php
Here, you can buy Japanese-inspired, limited edition seat/tables. They are painted in beautiful designs and come in seasonal collections. This time, the cost of the product is quite worth it because you can see that a lot of effort has been been put into the design and construction [meaning it's actually a substantial thing to add to the home, unlike artwork].

For beautiful and unique homeware:
http://www.modern-twist.com/_modern-twist.php?product=page&which=home
Modern-Twist Homeware is expensive but pretty [the coasters are relatively cheap at 4 in a set for US$12. *coughs*]. They have marvellous designs that spring out at you and lots of smart ideas to keep orders coming.=)

From wendaye:
Instructions:
01. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
02. I respond by asking you five questions of a very intimate and creepily personal nature. Or not so creepy/personal.
03. You WILL update your LJ/blog with the answers to the questions.
04. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
05. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

1. Where do you forsee yourself in the next 10 years? Why is that so?
Hmm.. Well. Obviously, over the next 4 years I'd go to university.. Then after that I'd find a job! Like hmmm.. Needed a genius to figure that out. Haha.=X I hope I'll have a job I enjoy and maybe omygosh. I might even be *gulps* MARRIED. *dies* But we WILL be 29 in 10 years so...^_^" And why? Because.. You need a job for money and you need money to get married and survive and you need a degree to get a good job that will get you money and so on.=D

2. If you could spend a night out with anyone in the entire world, who would it be? (if it's someone already dead just er, imagine he's very alive.) What would you do with that person?
Hmm I don't like questions like this because.. I don't know who I'd choose! Haha. But... I guess I would say that I would like to spend one night at a really really really really really beautifully staged, beautifully executed concert by Gackt. And of course, this concert of my dreams [since it would involve Gackt actually dancing and not twitching or writhing if he dances at all] would have all my favourite songs as the set list! Mwahaha. And of course, I'd invite all of you along because you know. This is imaginary.=P And I wouldn't actually want to meet him. Just watching and listening is enough.^_^ [Though meeting him wouldn't be a bad idea if *coughs* I could speak Japanese or he could speak English properly. Hahaha.=P]

3. Would you rather be motherless or fatherless? Why? (ummm sorry I know it seems rather OMG WHUT WHY IS YOU BE ASKING but hey.)
Hmm.... Tough one WENDAYE! Haha. I'd rather be an orphan because I think that it might be less painful or less possible to miss something you've never had.

4. What's your favourite line from your favourite book?
Ehhh. Don't have one. Like. REALLY. Haha. Or rather, I can't remember if I have any favourite line from any of my favourite books [I have ahem. More than one.] I tend to like things on the whole and not by a certain line.^_^"

5. What do you think are the main ailments of the Singapore soceity in this day and age? (haha sorry sounds damn GP I know)
Yar. Completely GP. Haha. Hmmm... I think people are generally inconsiderate and selfish. They don't care about the environment, they don't care about other people [especially if you work in the service industry or some other "less-important" jobs] and they are only concerned with conveniencing themselves. I hate people who don't use recycling bins properly. It's not THAT hard you know.-_-" And the nearest rubbish bin is not that far away! COWS. Also, it might be a general trend all over the world, but at least people overseas don't treat service staff like crap. The couldn't-care-less attitude also annoys me in salespeople because, why can't they be proud of their jobs? Another selfish notion in people that they are "better" because they hold a desk job or earn a higher salary. They like to forget that these service staff are NECESSARY to the daily running of practically EVERYTHING in this world/country. SIGH.

Eeks! Extremely long answers! I must apologise.

I'm reading Haruki Murakami's short story collection, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, courtesy of Jiamin's sister! ^_^ He has a very nice writing style that is easy to follow and yet he uses this almost conversational tone to delve into deeper societal issues or issues of a seemingly personal nature.=) Yay! Let the SMART reading begin! =D

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : U+K + Missing Gackt + au revoir + EEGE + Le Ciel Malice Mizer + Mosaic Kakera Sunset Swish (Code Geass OST)]
[mood : =)]
[food : --]

cch: Omygosh. I WANT A TV!!! *nods nods* But I want CABLE. Is that possible to hook up?? And about the crystal mirror, refer to the cbox! =D Haha.

Labels: books, Gackt, interior design, internship, meme, work

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Korova Cookies

Hello

^_^ Today, I baked the Korova Cookies.=D I made the batter a few days ago and put it in the freezer. You have to chill it for at least 2 hours before baking anyway, and the batter keeps in the fridge for 3 days or the freezer for a month.

The recipe warned that they would be soft when first out of the oven but as they cooled, the outsides crisped up while the insides remain nice and chewy.=D =D =D

They were YUMMY, if I do say so myself.=D I think they tasted even better when I sensed victory against the cookie battle.xD I've always made terrible cookies: they either spread and become burnt, turn a funny colour [I had orange ones once.O.o] or.. basically they end in disaster. But these! OH THESE! xD

They are chocolatey but not too sweet and the chocolate chips add a wonderful, extra chocolate flavour.^_^ They are supposed to resemble sables and they do have that gorgeous sandy texture.^_^

I ended up with a LOT. The recipe says you get 36 but since I am perpetually sizing my end products down [I think small baked goods are nicer and cuter! xD], I ended up with a TON of cookies. Haha. ^_^

Thank you Dorie Greenspan! You have once again triumphed with a fabulous recipe! ^_^ And thank you Pierre Herme for giving her your wonderfully brilliantly yummy recipe!

The batter is a BREEZE to whip up and it's even easier to bake! ^_^ Just remember that as with all recipes, if you follow the "cups" measurement, do so all the way and vice versa for metric measurements.=)

Korova Cookies / Sables Korova
Adapted from Pierre Herme Paris, Taken from "Paris Sweets" by Dorie Greenspan

1.25 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (30 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder [I used the Margaret River Chocolate Company one]
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (5.5 ounces; 150 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature [just softened actually, room temperature here is WAYYY too liquidy soft. Haha.]
2/3 cup (120 grams) packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt [I used sea salt since I don't have fleur de sel.(T_T)]
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ounces (150 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small bits [Ms Greenspan suggests Valrhona Guanaja but 1) I'm too poor 2) I don't usually have Valrhona on hand 3) Chocolate chips are much easier no?]

1. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together and keep close at hand. Put the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until the butter is soft and creamy. (Alternatively, you can do this and all subsequent steps by hand, working with a sturdy rubber spatula.) [I relied on my trusty wooden spoon. Yay!]
Add both sugars, the salt, and vanilla extract and beat for another minute or two. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the sifted dry ingredients. Mix only until the dry ingredients are incorporated - the dough will look crumbly, and that's just right. For the best texture, you want to work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.

2. Turn the dough out onto a smooth work surface and squeeze it so that it sticks together in large clumps. [I did this in the bowl because urmmm. It's less messy? Haha.=X] Gather the dough into a ball, divide it in half, and working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1.5 inches (4cm) in diameter. (Cookie dough logs have a way of ending up with hollow centers, so as you're shaping each log, flatten it once or twice and roll it up from one long side to the other, just to make certain you haven't got an air channel.)
Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and chill them for at least 2 hours. (Wrapped air-tight, the logs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 1 month.)

3. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). [Don't you just LOVE how she gives both Imperial and metric measurements?? xD] Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and keep them close at hand. [I ADORE my Silpat sheet!!! xD xD xD It's BRILLIANT, never has anything stuck to it and is a happy camper in the oven!]

4. Working with a sharp thin-bladed knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch (1.5cm) thick. (Don't be upset if the rounds break; just squeeze the broken-bit back onto the cookie.) [They break. A LOT.-_-"] Place the cookies on the parchment-lined sheets, leaving about 1 inch (2.5cm) spread space between them. [I suggest slightly more, especially if the dough is soft as these cookies spread quite a bit.]

5. Bake only one sheet of cookies at a time, and bake each sheet for 12 minutes. The cookies will not look done, nor will they be firm, but that's just the way they should be. [TRUST HER ON THIS. *nods*] Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies stand until they are only just warm or until they reach room temperature - it's your call. [They are soft when warm, crispy when cooler.] Repeat with the second sheet of cookies.

Keeping: The dough can be made ahead and chilled or frozen. If you've frozen the dough, you needn't defrost it before baking - just slice the logs and bake the cookies 1 minute longer. [The 1 minute is unnecessary because the weather here is so warm, they start defrosting REALLY quick.] Packed airtight, baked cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days [let's see if they last that long..]; they can be frozen for up to 1 month.

^_^ VERY worth trying I say! Wee!

Anyway, during the random breaks I had today, I was brainstorming my foodblog template.=D It's hard because omygoodness I CANNOT DRAW. *sigh* I swear, my sketches are HIDEOUS.-_-" I don't know why I bother apart from hoping I'll remember later on what I was attempting to draw.. *deep sigh* It's times like this when I wish I were more gifted in the art department.

I'm also a LOT busier now! ^_^ I swear, I'm the scanner/CD-burner/photographer nowadays.O.o And apparently, I get extended lunch breaks on Fridays while I hunt down material for competitive reports! HURRAY! =D =D =D Sadly, if I wear uncomfortable shoes, that will be the END of me.

Kino sale tomorrow! And Korova Cookies! YIPPEE!
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Velvet alice nine. + 再会~story~ Gackt]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : COOKIES! xD xD xD]

Labels: baking, edibles, Korova cookies, misc, work

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Busy Busy Bee

Hello

Wee! I had tons of stuff to do today. It mostly involved laboriously scanning in ads from bloody thick magazines.O.o All joy I used to have from reading magazines was sapped when the scanner failed me THREE TIMES. After I scanned SO MANY pages!!! (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) SOBS.

The person who enlisted my help was all O.O at me whenever I was glaring at the scanner and asking her for help. Sigh. All of us suck at technology.=S First off,
- She directed me to the scanner that scanned in.. BLACK AND WHITE. Which scanner scans in b&w?!?!?!?!?!?! WHY WOULD YOU NEED BLACK AND WHITE SCANS?! -_-" So after more than 50 pages of pain, I had to re do it.

- On my 2nd go, the bloody inflexible system didn't save ANY of my scans because I accidentally renamed the folder!!! (T_T) The nice IT guy was all, "Just remember okay! DON'T RENAME THE FOLDER! *beams through phone*" Sigh. I apologise to all IT geniuses for my completely stupidity at technology.(T_T)

- So I was trawling through the same THICK and BORING magazine [World of Watches if you must know. Why would I read anything like that?! I guess you'd read it if you were a watch collector but that is a category I most certainly do not belong to.] and scanning again. All seemed fine until this nice lady [she sits near me] came by and was all, "HMM. It didn't print!!! Did the printer[-cum-scanner-cum-photocopier] break down AGAIN?" I swear. My heart almost stopped. She nodded wisely at me and said, "I think you better check if the scanning is working." So.. I crawled to my desk and *WEEPS* IT DIDN'T GET SENT. Omygosh.

I felt so CURSED.(T_T)

Anyway, I felt superbly accomplished when I finished scanning all the pages in the magazines and renaming all the files. [I think it helps that I'm practically obsessive when it comes to naming files properly.*pointed look at Wendy and Jiamin*] =D =D 187MB worth of scans! Beams.^_^

And I helped burn CDs too since my computer seems to have the only efficient CD-burner in the area. [Perhaps I can "borrow" it. ;)]

And I met Zeelei for lunch! ^_^ Yay.

I also went for a briefing for the Creative team.^_^ It was quite funny because the [cute and tall! xD AHEM] copywriter was all random [as I've come to expect from artsy people] and distracted. Haha. =P And I've been reassured that from now on, only interesting things can happen! ^_^ So exciting! I would like to work in the Creative department to see how things are like actually but I don't think I can actually urm. Contribute.^_^" Heh. At least I can do random menial tasks for people in my current department. Haha.=D

Anyway, now I've been assigned to 3 accounts and supposedly 2 more but I haven't been briefed on those 2 new ones yet.^_^" Looks like my hunt yesterday for things to do is working out perfectly. Oh well. Better to feel accomplished and proud of oneself at the end of the day than bored and sad that there was nothing to do.^_^

When I got home, I was so distracted by dinner that I forgot to bake.O.o Like omygosh. SY can forget to bake?! O.o Hmm. I feel like baking now but that would really be insane. So.. HMM. Maybe I should wake at 6 tomorrow to bake! Ahaha. *dies from the retardedness of it all* I must remember to bake tomorrow! ^_^

I just watched the latest episode of NANA! ^_^ [Not the latest in Japan, the latest released by the subbers.] SO HEARTBREAKING. Omygosh. (T_T) I cannot wait for the next few episodes to come rolling out!!! This section does not allow for pauses!!! (T_T)

Argh. Weekend come now! ^_^ I have Friday and Saturday all planned out so tomorrow [Thursday] is like this random in-between day. SIGH. I don't even know what I should wear. -_-" [Not that that's the most important thing but...]

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Kuroi Namida ANNA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) + Velvet alice nine. + Oasis Gackt]
[mood : tired]
[food : SATAY!]

Note to self: Hours of standing and scanning and then renaming files like crazy is bad for the neck. Reminder: SIT/STAND PROPERLY! (T_T)

Also, randomly, I was reading Newsweek today and there was a small article on JRock. I got SUCH a shock! Haha.=D I think it's leading up to that tour some indies bands are going to have around the USA. For those who don't have Newsweek, here's the article: [typed out, bracketed comments mine]

J-Rock Is on a Roll
Japan has long been a gold mine for the intrepid music fan. Bands there are both bracingly experimental and jubilantly retro - and most of them sing in English. [REALLY??] They're getting good, too. [Thanks for noticing you know. Now.] There are now thousands of Japanese bands that play circles around their U.S. counterparts. King Brothers' "100%" is a song that could make the Black Crowes eat humble pie, while "Johnny Depp" by Triceratops is an amp-crunching reanimation of "Physical Graffiti"-era Led Zeppelin. You'd also swear the the Pillows' "Degeneration" was a hidden track on Matthew Sweet's "Altered Beast". Other bands are less easily categorized, but no less revelatory: the Miceteeth's "Think About Bird's Pillow Case" conjures up a Japanese troupe stranded in a 1930s British music hall, for instance.

Many of these bands have gained increasing popularity in America of late. In fact U.S. aficionados of J-rock are so determined, they've even figured out a way to download their favourites off iTunes Japan, despite the fact that it requires customers to use a Japanese credit card. [Obviously, they've never heard of Yesasia, CD Japan or HMV Japan..] They use dummy addresses and e-mailed scans of prepaid Japanese iTunes cards, picked up by friends in Tokyo convenience stores or openly sold online. So now the likes of Rodeo Carburettor's head-rattling "R.B.B." are no longer out of reach across the Pacific Ocean. It might be time to change that old joke - "We're big in Japan" apparently means something.

While I have to say that I'm pleased that they are finally seeing beyond just English music, don't you find the comparisons just slightly condescending? Most annoying.-_-" Why can't Asian music be as good as Western music? Next up: Jay Chou! ^_^

Labels: cooking, misc, NANA, work

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Earthquake

Hello

So today there were 2 tremors felt after a major quake struck Indonesia. While everyone was squealing about it in the office, I didn't feel a thing because I was in the lift. [And no. I don't think it's actually safe to be in a lift when there's an earthquake.] And then the second time, my friend and I were walking back to the office after lunch and we didn't feel a thing.. AGAIN! O my. We're both so left out of the loop. Hahaha.=P

People did evacuate their buildings though and I saw a lot of people milling around at the lobbies of their buildings. [Fat lot of good that would do if there were really an earthquake.] And I heard from Zeelei that some people got to go HOME. (T_T) Wails. Not only did we not evacuate, we certainly did not get to go home. SIGH.

And today, for me at least, was completely wasted! No one had a THING for me to do [I couldn't even do "sai-kang" work, as my friend likes to put it, for anyone] so I spent the day surfing the net and writing down really retarded things.

Like:

Collective/Group names for animals [from dictionary.com]:

The Alliteratives:
an aamory of aadvark
a bellowing of bullfinch
a coalition of cheetah
a flamboyance of flamingo
a froggery of frogs
a harras of horses
a kindle of kittens

The Hilarious/Weird:
a shrewdness of apes
a flaccidity of clam
a trembling of finches
a convocation of eagles
a smuck of jellyfish
an exaltation of lark
a sowse of lion
a tittering of magpie *titters*
a pudding of mallard [What's a MALLARD?]
a buffoonery of orang utan
a scourge of mosquito [so true!]
an ostentation of peacock
an aurora of polar bear
a cauldron/kettle of raptor [WHAT. Hahaha]
an unkindness of raven
a pail of wasps [HAH!]

And this hilarious story I found on the dears community:

"I [Karadin] gave my daughter *Violet* an orange (peeled sectioned) for breakfast, and she said she didn't like oranges, and I said, since when?

Karadin: You like orange juice, don't you?

Violet (age nine): Well oranges don't taste like orange juice.

Karadin: Yes they do, you need to eat oranges, they are good for you, and help keep you from getting sick.

Violet: But I don't like them.

Karadin: Well, you can't eat just the few things you like all the time. Eat your orange, if you don't like it, eat it fast.

Well, this afternoon she tells me, she didn't eat the orange, and I am tired of trying to think of all the reasons why she should eat it, including the fact her Dad will be mad, and then ...

Karadin: .... Gackt eats oranges.

Violet: *wide-eyed* He does?

Karadin: Yes! He does! He eats all his vegetables too! (might as well go for broke) Do you think Gackt got where he is today by not eating right? (when he eats at all)

Violet: Oh!

Then Violet eats all her orange, with gusto, man, I wonder how long this will work."
Ahaha. I almost DIED laughing after I read this.xD

And because I kept reading food blogs, I just whipped up a batch of korova cookie batter [you should be pleased Vendy] and I'm going to bake it within the next few days.=D Yay.

Apparently, I'll have work tomorrow.=D Hooray! Less boredom! And I can finally work for my [presumably] measly pay.^_^

I've also thought of a name for the up-and-coming food blog. Now I need to look for a template! ^_^ Yay.

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Loop Maaya Sakamoto (Tsubasa OST) + Mugen no Hana alice nine.]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : Vietnamese!]

cch: SIGH. Very sad right.(T_T)

Labels: edibles, Gackt, misc, thoughts, work

Twittering~