Journey to the south of Japan - Kyushu! #4

I must apologise for the infrequent updates, been really busy with jamming the past few days in preparation for the band competition finals.

Day 4 - Unzen

We woke up really early the next day to make a short trip to the Confucius shrine behind our hotel. It was a rather grand shrine, flanked on both sides by rows of "Learned Men", famous scholars and thinkers of Confucius' time. And of course a statue of Confucius himself. It was built by the Chinese residents of Nagasaki, and today students from all over the prefecture go there to pray for good results.



There was a museum of donated Chinese artifacts behind the shrine, but it wasn't very interesting.

We then took a short drive towards Unzen, a hot-spring town located high in the mountains. Along the way, we had to wind our way up and down very narrow, 2-way mountain roads. It was so narrow, that for most parts there was only enough space for 1 vehicle. The only way for incoming traffic to get past was to stop in a grassy patch along the side and wait for the cars to pass. We had the bad luck of getting into a tight situation with a minivan INSIDE a tunnel, which we managed to get pass after a few minutes of inching forward with the wing mirrors closed.



After several other harrowing moments we finally reached a small town at the foot of Mt. Unzen



You guessed it right. Obama Town! And they're milking the name for all its' worth. It's well known for its hot springs (onsen), which get their mineral rich, steaming water from Mt. Unzen itself. We stopped by a large park by the sea, built around a large steaming cauldron of steaming water.





There was a foot bath running through the park which was available for public use. I saw mostly elderly soaking their feet in the hot water, which turned red pretty quickly due to the blood circulation. A stall nearby sold eggs steamed by the hot spring. They tasted pretty normal, with a very slight sulphuric taste (or perhaps it was the smell).

We went to a nearby restaurant for lunch before doing some souvenir shopping. The smell coming from the shops were irresistible - one store was barbequeing its own cuttlefish! The guy let us try and it was so good my mum immediately bought 3 packs.



More Obama love



We then drove up to Unzen town, where we would be spending the night. As it was still early to check in, my dad decided to drive us up the mountain to take a look. On the way up we stopped at a lookout point to take a look at the dome of Mt. Unzen, which last erupted in 1991. The remnants of that eruption can be seen in the following photo.



This peak was formed during the 1991 eruption and the scars from the lava flows are still visible. My camera battery died after that, so I couldn't take any more photos from the top of the highest peak in the Unzen area, Fugendake peak. Anyway, there was a ropeway to the peak but somehow when we reached it wasn't operational, so my dad, being the adventurous one, cajoled us to take a hike up (there was a trail up the mountain). Unfortunately the trail was pretty challenging as well as steep, and after about 15mins we realised that we had barely left where we started off. There was a "fail" moment and we slowly made our way down and back to Unzen Town.

Unzen Town is a small, quaint and quiet town - we hardly saw anybody walking around.



There wasn't much to see around town, but I spotted this really adorable dog standing guard at one of the shops.



A Shiba Inu, the same breed as the famous Hachiko whose statue sits outside Shibuya station!

I spotted an entrance to a shrine that looked pretty unique - a tunnel of multiple torii gates!



I also spotted another entrance to a different shrine, this time it looked pretty dubious and creepy.



I followed the path (which led up a small hill, I was panting when I reached) and finally saw the shrine.



Specialising in fertility, eh? I was quite shocked when I saw it - I was expecting more of a conventional shrine. Apart from that phallic shaped stone, there was the female version carved into rock at the side.

Before checking in we decided to take a walk round the back of the ryokan (traditional Japanese inn), which was covered in pits filled with bubbling, steaming, sulphur-belching pools.







Dad and me taking a photo with the "Screaming Jigoku" or "Screaming Hell". Apparently the loud bubbling and gushing of boiling water evokes the imagery of souls screaming while being dragged into hell. I couldn't find the similarity though, it just sounded like very loud bubbling.

We headed back to the ryokan for a very sumptuous dinner, made up of many small dishes that I didn't know where to start. The waitress fortunately gave us a rough guide on which dishes to eat first.



The food was good, but not very filling despite the many dishes. Give me a bowl of ramen anytime :P

And so we spent the night in Unzen, sleeping on the tatami floor on futons.

Journey to the south of Japan - Kyushu! #3

Day 3 - Nagasaki (Peace Park)

We got up pretty early in the morning to take a walk and explore the area around our hotel. It was just next to the waterfront! Nothing much to see though, it was more of a port than a beach. Its a really quiet and laidback town, you don't see people walking at insanely fast speeds like you see in big cities such as Tokyo, even though it was supposed to be rush hour. The trams were packed though.





2 Oji-sans fishing. The waters there were filled with jellyfish! Must be the warm weather that's causing the population boom.

Anyhow, we took a packed tram to the main tourist attraction in Nagasaki, the Peace Park, located around the site where the atomic bomb exploded that fateful day in 1945. There were many school children going to the Peace Park as well, class excursion day, perhaps?





Elementary school students with their distinctive yellow caps! Makes it easier for their teachers to spot them I guess, especially outside school.



It was insanely crowded within the Peace Park, with most of the crowd consisting of students from various elementary, junior high and even high school students. As we walked closer, the purpose became clearer - Class photographs! Perhaps it was custom for the schools in Nagasaki to take their class pictures in front of the Peace statue.







The Peace Statue. To quote Wikipedia, "The statue's right hand points to the threat of nuclear weapons while the extended left hand symbolizes eternal peace. The mild face symbolizes divine grace and the gently closed eyes offer a prayer for the repose of the bomb victims' souls. The folded right leg and extended left leg signify both meditation and the initiative to stand up and rescue the people of the world. Installed in front of the statue is a black marble vault containing the names of the atomic bomb victims and survivors who died in subsequent years."

Flanking the statue were two towers which held ribbons and ribbons of colourful origami cranes signifying peace, with the cranes folded by students from all over Japan.







Love and Peace. Two very simple, overused words, and yet mankind hasn't achieved either.

Next to the Peace Park was another park located at the exact hypocentre of the explosion - Ground Zero. The bomb "Fat Man" exploded directly above the black monolith you see in the photograph below.





A statue with the exact date and time of the explosion - "9th August 1945, 11:02p.m"

We visited the memorial museum chronicling the events leading up to the dropping of the "Fat Man" as well as detailing the aftermath that followed. It was a solemn and sober experience. All along we were taught that the dropping of the bombs signified the end of WWII (which in a perverse way was supposed to mean a good thing), but no one really bothered to tell us of the horrors that followed the explosions. Was it really the "price of peace"?

I could tell that some of the schoolkids weren't really interested in it, they were busy with looking for answers to their excursion quizzes. Reminds me of my school visits to Kampong Glam and Little India :P

It wasn't the best way to end a trip to the Peace Park, feeling all depressed. Luckily we ran into a cheery Oba-chan selling sorbet, who gamely posed for a photograph.



I then proceeded to contribute an origami crane to the pile.



Can you guess which one it was? Hint: I didn't have pretty origami paper with me, so I made do with a crude tourist map. On the way out we spotted a large group of schoolkids singing a memorial song I presumed, in front of the monolith, guided by their teachers and the park guides.



We headed back to Nagasaki Station for lunch and some shopping. I spotted a "Solanin" poster - it was still showing in cinemas over there. I nearly went and bought tickets, but I realised they wouldn't include subtitles for the movie.





I stumbled upon a music shop with a HUGE range of guitars and basses. I could have stayed there the whole day, trying out every single one, but time constraints (damn).

We went up this Dutch Slope next to our hotel, supposedly with rows of Western style housing, but all I saw were over-commercialised shops all the way to the top of the hill. Ah well, tourist trap.



We decided to walk to Nagasaki's Chinatown, and along the way I passed by a school filled with activity, even though it was past 6pm already. Apart from the various sports being played, the air was filled with the sounds of a brass band. Really reminds me of my school days, having CO practice until late in the evening.



Pre-dinner snack was takoyaki, bought from the rear of a mini-van. Its so true when they say the best foods come from the unlikeliest of places.





Not as great as the ones I tried in Osaka, but damn it could beat any takoyaki from Singapore anytime.

Chinatown in Nagasaki was really small, and it mostly consisted of rows and rows of Chinese restaurants. Not really interesting, but we found a small shop selling dried goods like seaweed and mushrooms. We bought a large pack of seaweed, and the friendly owner started talking to us, assuming we were Japanese. Using our limited Japanese me and my dad managed to carry the conversation for a few seconds before she realised we were tourists (lol).



The chinese food we had wasn't special, but it tasted great. Perhaps it helped that the restaurant was empty at the time. The waitress was a Chinese national, but her Japanese was really fluent!

And so we spent our last night in Nagasaki, a city of diverse backgrounds, Japan's portal to the world (well, mostly China and Korea) back in the old days. And no other way than to have Chinese food in a city with so much foreign influences.

Journey to the south of Japan - Kyushu! #2

Day 2 - Karatsu, Nagasaki

The next day, we hit the road towards Nagasaki, making a detour towards the town Karatsu on the way. It was a pretty smooth drive on the highways; even though the speed limit was 80 everyone was pretty much zipping around at 100+km/h, even the huge lorries and buses. No speed cameras *wink*

Anyway on the way to Karatsu City, we drove through a pine forest, with rows after rows of pine trees on both sides of the road. It almost created a green tunnel.



The main attraction in Karatsu City is of course Karatsu Castle (nearly every large town has its own castle, dating back to the olden days where war between factions were common). It wasn't as impressive as others I've seen (they're all based on the same design, anyway), but the view from atop the castle was excellent.







As Karatsu is within the Saga Prefecture, my food-loving dad (or, as I like to say in Hokkien, "tam jiak gui") went in search of Saga beef, supposedly similar to wagyu. We found this restaurant at the recommendation of the castle security guard which sold Saga beef!





I wasn't feeling particularly hungry so I settled for a bowl of eel-floss rice. Tasted pretty much like pork floss. The beef was good though! Very tender, and not too fatty. It wasn't that expensive either, with the whole set for SGD$60 unlike the previous time on tour where the tour guide recommended a few slices of wagyu for the same price =.=.

Still, I wouldn't spend $60 just to eat good beef, give me a bowl of Yoshinoya's beef bowl (Japan) anytime. More about that later. Anyway, there wasn't much to do in Karatsu, being a relatively small quiet town, so we continued to Nagasaki, passing Omura Bay on the way.



We reached Nagasaki in the evening, checked into the hotel and made a short trip to the nearby Mt. Inasan for a night view of Nagasaki City. We took a ropeway (they don't call it "cable car" in Japan, to them cable car refers to a tram being pulled by a cable up a slope, thanks to Fujita sensei for that titbit of info :P).



When we got to the top of the observatory the wind was absolutely freezing, even the bunch of schoolkids on excursion were running about shrieking about the cold. I tried to snap a few photographs of the lights before I had to run back into the comfort of the heated building. It was a pretty spectacular sight.





We ran into a a pair of elderly Caucasian tourists, probably American, who were engaged in a pretty amusing conversation with the school kids, involving plenty of gesticulating and a mish mash of Japanese and English. Somehow I find that they (the Japanese) are quite intrigued by foreigners, especially foreigners who attempt to communicate using the Japanese language. More on that later.



We headed back to Nagasaki Station for dinner, and I spotted a familiar sign:



Yoshinoya!



You must be thinking, why the hell would I go all the way to Japan, only to have Yoshinoya for dinner? You can get it in Singapore! Well, all I can say is, once you've eaten their beef bowl in Japan, you'll never touch Yoshinoya elsewhere ever again. I tried it on my first first trip to Japan in Shibuya, and since then I've made it a point to eat it at least once every time I visit Japan. The beef was nice and bouncy, not dry and hard like back in SG, and the rice, having soaked up the sauce, was exploding with beefy flavour. Even the ubiquitous miso soup tasted refreshing, not overly salty.

Nothing like a budget beef bowl to end the day. Like ramen, I could eat this for every meal if I could :D

We shopped in Seiyu for some necessities (and beer!) before heading back to the hotel by electric tram. Very old school, but efficient, if not a bit jerky. And cheap as well! I'd take trams over subways anytime, although they can get very tight during peak hours.





One interesting thing about the trams (and public buses all over Japan), is that on top of the card reader not unlike our EZ Link card reader, they have a money changer incorporated into the coin collecting machine for people (like us) who have to pay in cash. Throw in a 1000yen note or a 500yen coin, and the machine will spit out coins in various denominations, always adding up to the original amount. Then you can pay your tram/bus fare. Cool huh!

Sure beats digging your wallet for coins, or even begging fellow commuters for small change (I did that before, and it was very embarrassing).

That sums up day 2! I was intending to include day 3 with this post, but after looking at the number of photos I took on that day, guess not.

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P.S Quis will be competing in the Singapore Street Festival WOW band competition semi-finals tomorrow, Friday, 11th June, 7pm at Orchard Cineleisure. Do come down and support! Audience votes will be counted :D

Journey to the south of Japan - Kyushu!

I've finally found time to do what seems like a huge task - uploading and chronicling the 12 days I spent in Japan. Its something which I've always done whenever I went overseas, partly to share the photos as well as a way for me to remember this trip. Trust me, 2 years down the road and I'd have forgotten everything, if it were not for the photos.

Day One

Alright then. We touched down at Fukuoka Airport a little past 7am, before checking in at the hotel. The check-in time was 3pm so we had some time to burn.

Our hotel was in Hakata, next to Hakata Station. We decided to explore the area a bit, before heading to the largest shopping mall in the area - Canal City. Its a mall built over a canal, hence the name.



That circular stage, coincidentally, was where YUI performed years ago.

There wasn't much in the mall apart from millions of clothing stores (a scene that would be repeated again and again) and a HMV. So we took a walk and decided to search for lunch, and chanced upon a shopping street (as well as a ramen shop!)



The ramen came as a slight shock because the soup was very dark, thick and flavourful, nothing like I had ever tasted before. I'm not sure what type it was, it wasn't miso, nor was it shoyu, or even tonkotsu. It was good though! Walking around for awhile, I spotted a float used for festivals that was being kept in storage.



Amazing eh? And during the festivals it'll take many guys just to lift it.

We headed back to the hotel to check in and I took a nap as I didn't catch a wink on the plane - was busy watching Nodame Cantabile :P On a side note, Juri Ueno was hilarious, first in Swing Girls and now as Nodame.

As dusk approached, we headed to Tenjin for a little walkabout and to try the much talked about "yatai", or street stalls. Tenjin is really the "Orchard Road" of Fukuoka, everything is concentrated along the main street Watanabe-dori, with towering malls like Daimaru, Mitsukoshi, Tenjin core and others flanking both sides of the street. It even has an underground shopping street stretching the whole length of the road.





The view of Canal City at night. As we walked along the river in search of yatai (thanks to a tip from a local guy, although he did mention it wasn't all as its hyped up to be), I could see the faint glow of lanterns. A whole stretch of street stalls selling ramen, oden, yakitori, and even sashimi!



We ate at a oden stall which also sold yakitori and ramen. Talk about variety! And naturally we had all 3, all washed down with a nice chilled bottle of Asahi Super Dry :D







The whole cost of the meal? 4000yen, which amounted to about SGD60, for a bowl of ramen, selected skewers, oden, and a bottle of beer. Expensive, I would say, considering its a street stall. A tourist trap perhaps? But I also saw many locals (mostly salarymen) tucking in happily. Well, it was a unique experience anyway. Plus the ramen tasted really good! I'd say the same of the yakitori, which included chicken skin eheheh. Not the most healthiest of choices, but definitely the tastiest.

And that concludes Day 1 of the trip! I figured splitting it into 12 posts would be an easier and more enjoyable read, plus it'll buff up my blog posts :P

Til the next post! Still uploading my some 700 photos to photobucket D:

九州へいきましょ！

sorry 'bout the lack of updates, but its to compensate for the flood of posts that will be popping up 2 weeks from now :P

posts filled with bandwidth draining photos from Kyushu, Japan!

I will be lugging my laptop around so I might find time to upload photos during the trip. And hopefully I can get free Internet access in the hotels that I'll be staying. It'll also be my navigator of sorts - Google maps!

Tong-ing 100yen every 15mins to use a computer in a hotel lobby is something I wouldn't want to experience again. Not when the keyboard is configured to display Hiragana. I remember going through 500yen just to send off a couple of readable emails trying to arrange a meetup with a friend over there :S

Occasionally if I manage to hook onto some free Wi-fi while on the move, I'll probably tweet some photos from my lousy 2mp E63 camera phone, so look out for that :D

I must apologise beforehand though. This trip, unfortunately, will result in my carboon footprint being excessively large, mostly due to the fact that it will be a driving trip. My persuasive powers weren't enough to sway my dad to go train-hopping, nor was my attempt to change his mind to choose a Prius over a Wish.

Kinda fits the title of my blog, eh? *sigh*

Well, I guess 2 weeks of not being at home and playing games on my PC probably eases some of my guilt. Economists call it "opportunity costs" - I call it "lame reasoning just to make myself feel better".

Anyway! Green ideals aside, it'll be a good trip. I've already planned out a half-day YUI-stalker itinerary (her hometown is Fukuoka, one of the cities I'll be visiting) :P I'm just praying it doesn't rain too heavily. Plus I've heard the Hakata ramen there is heavenly :D

Just a lil' info about my itinerary - Fukuoka -> Nagasaki -> Kumamoto -> Beppu -> Oita -> Fukuoka

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Oh and if you're reading this and somehow feel the need to contact me, just drop me a message on FB/twitter/email. I won't be contactable by phone, well, at least not willingly. Roaming charges = $$$

Rock 'n' Roll Circus

No more sidetracks this time.

Ayumi Hamasaki's latest album, Rock 'n' Roll Circus contains 15 tracks, 5 of which are singles, 7 are new songs and 3 interludes.

I mentioned before that its another "business as usual" album right? That was indeed my first impression. Well, after listening to the songs a couple of times, I take it back. Compared to her previous not-so-impressive albums such as Next Level, Secret and (miss)understood, this album has a mix of songs that try to break free from the generic pop, rock and ballad concoction and actually succeed, one thing which Next Level didn't manage to do (too much electronica for my liking).

I would place it on the same level as Guilty, one of her better recent albums.

Do note that I'm talking from a totally musical standpoint, as I haven't really taken a good look at the lyrics yet.

As a whole the album sounds pretty dark, with just 2 song providing a little sunshine. Some of the better songs:

Microphone - this is the reason the album has the words "Rock 'n' Roll" in it. The use of the organ during the opening and ending is epic, as well as the floor-shaking guitar riffs combined with her powerful vocals. If there's one song to look forward to in every new album of hers, its the rock anthem. If she wasn't a J-pop singer, she'd be the frontman of a kickass rock band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMAntfxf420

Sexy Little Things - I didn't like the song at first. After repeated listens I discovered the reason why. It was different! Its a cheeky and fun little song, and although I don't care much for the electronic music, it does fit in pretty well. Definitely a refreshing change from the usual pop/rock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B73K8pJYjgo

Don't look back - the opening hits you like a hammer. A sitar! Followed by a tabla! Not to be racist here, I did feel the urge to bob my head a lil' bit while listening to this song. Another breakthrough song, especially with the infusion of the Arabian/Indian inspired background music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn3sI4OFn_k

RED LINE ~for TA~ - the most meaningful track on the album. Apparently this song was written to encourage a fan who had suicidal thoughts. It's an uplifting song that certainly deserves to be placed among the best "last tracks", alongside "Who...", "Memorial Address" and "untitled -for her-". Coincidentally, "untitled -for her-" was written and dedicated to her close friend who committed suicide that year.

"If you have a feeling of despair, please remember
This day called today on which you are going to give up,
Is the tomorrow on which somewhere, someone didn't want to give up.
And that I'm tightly, tightly
Holding your hands"

it ends with her singing the chorus A capella, definitely one for the fans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC9EUb0PUdY

Well, thats it! This album may signify better things to come in the future from Ayumi Hamasaki, and has been described by many as her "comeback album", considering the quality of her albums haven't been very impressive since My Story. Something to look forward to, definitely.

I bought a CD.

When was the last time you bought a CD?

Alright I'll give you some time to think. Rabid fans of *insert popular musician/band here* exempted.

Can't recall? Not surprising really - its the worst kept secret. Fact is, CD sales are tumbling. Remember Sembawang Music? It used to be THE place to go to get the cheapest CDs on sale, compared to inflated prices from the likes of HMV and Tower Records. Where is it now? Gone. Even the gigantic Tower Records has left our shores.

Left standing are HMV, which has since vacated its megastore at the Heeren, and a couple of smaller shops sprinkled over the island like Gramophone and Music Junction. It used to be the fact that in every shopping center you'd find a CD store. Not anymore.

The point is, buying a CD nowadays is a rarity. Nowadays, getting an album means downloading it, legally or illegally, not heading down to HMV and paying 20 plus dollars for a piece of plastic and some paper. Besides, who listens to CDs anyway? Everything fits into that tiny thing in your pocket called the mp3 player. You don't carry boomboxes or discmans around anymore.

And so I am proud to say this - I bought a CD.

Speaking of which, I had to overhaul my CD/DVD drawer just to accommodate the new CD which I just bought recently, Ayumi Hamasaki's Rock 'n' Roll Circus. It was full to the brim when I opened it to slot in the new addition. I had to migrate the DVDs into another drawer, clearing a ton of junk from that drawer in the process. And that was just the Japanese section of my music collection. The remnants of my English/Mandarin listening days are stuffed into another corner. I'm running out of storage space.

Here's the part where I stop and think about how convenient it is to store hundreds and thousands of CDs worth of music into a single hard drive.

+1 to the growing list of reasons "Why we stop buying CDs"

So why did I buy a CD?

The only reason I can think of is this - musicians depend on CDs to make money, so they can use that money to make good music which we listen to and appreciate. CDs are the holy grail to all musicians, especially to the newbies hoping to strike it big. Its a common consensus - the day you make it is the day you release a CD. Not a playlist of Youtube videos nor a digital album distributed over the Internet. Its the physical, piece-of-plastic in a jewel case CD.

I always say this - if you support the artist, buy their CDs, as long as they're within reach and within financial means. I'm lucky enough that stores here actually stock some of the more popular Japanese artistes (overseas versions at reasonable prices, not those crazy imported ones in HMV), although I do wish more were available.

Without people to listen to their music, buy their CDs or cheer them on, musicians are as good as nothing. So take heart, fellow music lover; somewhere, out there, with every CD you buy, with every song that plays on your mp3 player, you are being appreciated.

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Before this Internet age, can you remember the feeling of buying a CD of your favourite artist from the store? The feeling of opening the cover, looking through the included booklet, sitting back and listening to songs you've been looking forward to listening to?

I still get that same feeling each time. And that, is the reason why I buy CDs. Sure, I admit to a bit of fanboyism, but hey, at least I have a reason for it.

This post was supposed to be an album review, but uh, guess I got a "little" bit sidetracked :P

Post-exam activity #1 - Don't Say "Lazy"

What does a guy do alone at home the day after he finishes his exams?
.
.
.
He watches anime!

Alright, I suppose this doesn't apply to the generic "guy" in the street, more to the inner otaku in every one of them.

I've been a huge fan and rabid follower of Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood even though the storyline matches the manga word for word. Its got something to do with getting a kick out of watching all the special effects blaze to life, something you can't get from reading the manga.

But even I must admit, I've been watching too much FMA. Its getting too emotional, too serious to really enjoy watching. Its more for the story, really.

Which was why, in the midst of studying for the exams last week, I chanced upon an anime which I knew was around but never bothered to watch. Yes, call me Mr. Lag. This always happens to me, yes?

K-ON!

When I first heard the opening theme song on Youtube, I nearly cringed at the overly cute vocals, even though it matched the entire theme well. I didn't know at that time, but K-ON! was one of the most popular animes in Japan when it was first aired. After watching a few episodes I kinda knew why, and well it sort of made for a good post-studying pre-bedtime activity :P



In a nutshell, K-ON! is about a 2 high school girls, Mio (Bass) and Ritsu (Drums) forming the "Light Music Club" (Kei-on in Japanese) in their school. Short of members, they go on a recruiting spree and manage to recruit Mugi (Keyboard) and Yui (Guitar). Packed into 13 episodes with practices, high teas in the music room, desperate crises, new members, training camps, school performances and many epic, L-O-L moments, I'd say K-ON! is definitely not the kind of anime you'd wanna catch for a strong storyline.

Rather, its that kind of anime that brings a smile to your face after a long day at work/studies, no thanks to the antics of the 4 girls, each with their own set of unique characters. Its more of a brainless, overly cute comedy than a music-oriented anime, even though the music aspect first drew me to it. Not that the music isn't good; the ending song "Don't Say Lazy" is catchy, as well as the songs the girls perform on stage "Fuwa Fuwa Time" and "My Love is a Stapler". Yup, strange song titles indeed.

Its currently into its 2nd season now, and while I can almost predict the story already, I'm gonna follow it just for the laughs and entertainment value. If you happened to walk past my room while I was watching K-ON! in hall, you'd have noticed the wide smile on my face, with the occasional outburst of laughter. I hope it didn't look weird :x

K-ON! is freely available on Youtube for those who'd like a peek, so go ahead and have a laugh :)

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In other news, Command and Conquer 4 didn't live up to my expectations. After just 4 campaign missions I gave up. More on that in a later post, perhaps.

A list...

of the things I want to do after tomorrow :D

1) Move out of hall. Yeah, bummer. Hopefully I can stay next sem

2) SLEEP.

3) Play my backlog of games. Others have work backlog. Or homework backlog. I have games backlog :P

4) Watch my backlog of live performances and movies

5) Practice guitar/bass! My fingers are itching now. Especially after watching K-ON! Unfortunately all I can do is to touch my Materials Science notes -.-

6) On the same note, jamming! My ears feel the need to be stuffed with earplugs again!

7) Soccer! I haven't exercised since... well since the word exams found its way into my daily vocabulary.

8) Find a job. Hopefully I'll get down to it as soon as possible. Though considering the amount of stuff I need to catch up on...

9) Buy CDs! I still haven't bought Ayu's latest album D:

10) Celebrate! Spending the whole day in a tiny room studying can get quite claustrophobic.

Oh, wait. I still have another paper this Thursday. *sigh* It'll come soon enough. Soon. Very soon. Very VERY soon....

****

exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams exams

if that's not enough to drill it into my head, I don't know what will.
I'm going cold turkey, locking myself in Hall 6, 32-3-XXX.

If I don't answer the door, call for help.

:P

Catch me @ Can 2, if you're lucky.

Dreams are(n't) my reality

Its strange how dreams can pop up from nowhere with totally random storylines - you wake up and you go "What was THAT all about?!?!"

Especially since in my case, dreams are about as rare as catching a Mewtwo in Safari Zone.

Which is why most of mine are pretty memorable.

I remember having 1 ages ago during Primary school (yes it was that long ago), where I was standing at the top of a super-long escalator that stretched down in some random shopping mall, and it was snowing. Indoors.

Don't ask me what that means.

Then there were the numerous occasions where I would be falling indefinitely, waking up at the exact moment of landing. That was scary. People say it means insecurity, but I think its just the brain's way of saying "Ok, the alarm's gonna ring pretty soon, so why not I give you a lil' ride just for fun".

And many others which I can't really remember. I can only vaguely remember the characters present in some of them - A polar bear (must have been a really hot night), an elephant (uh, ate too much peanuts?), and random people from my childhood.

Like last night, a fragment of my childhood surfaced yet again. Can't really recall the exact story, but it involved a certain person, a bungalow, a strange proposal, a celebration, Facebook, an interview, a revelation and a dilemma. Its strange right? Having a dilemma within a dream. And I think I actually had to make a decision, which of course affected the course of the dream. WEIRD! Its almost as if I was inside directing the whole thing. (I thought dreams were supposed to be uncontrollable?)

It might be due to waking up at 4am to hunt down a god-forsaken mosquito that was happily slurping up my blood. Just to let you know, I didn't manage to smack it. Yes I know, all future NEA employees should come equipped with mosquito swatting + mosquito breeding site spotting skills. I'll work on it, I promise.

Dreams reflect what our brains have been thinking about, our fantasies, our worries, our hopes, our anxieties. But I really hope they don't reflect reality: Imagine dreaming about giant commando mosquitoes that attack in squadrons.

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What did you dream of last night?

ソラニン

The reason why I'm "wasting"time writing this instead of doing my work is, I can't concentrate unless I let this out. In case you're wondering if its something epic, no its not. Rather its just me getting all melancholic over a song/manga/movie.

If you've been noticing my MSN status recently, its been playing the song "Solanin" by Asian Kung-Fu Generation. I've put it on loop whenever I feel like listening to it (laughs). Its their latest single which they wrote the song for an upcoming movie adaptation of a manga of the same name "Solanin". The lyrics were written by the mangaka (author), which appears in the manga.

I finished the manga in a few hours in 1 shot (thats how addictive it was) - read it here:
http://www.onemanga.com/Solanin/

The movie trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EMFvvv2hF4



The movie stars Aoi Miyazaki as Meiko, an office lady who quits her job, hoping to escape the tedium of her daily life and finally figure out her place in the world. Her long-time boyfriend Taneda (Kengo Kora) is a part-timer who belongs to an amateur band, but he too is stuck in life. Meiko tries encouraging him to seriously pursue his music dreams, but things aren't that simple. A tragedy triggers drastic changes in Meiko's and the band members' lives, following which they have to struggle with their internal conflicts and pick themselves up.

The story is both a reflection of the challenges faced by our generation as well as how we feel at times, and an inspiration to get out there to do something worth doing. I really emphasised with the protagonists Meiko and Taneda and the challenges they faced. I hope to catch it in cinemas over here, failing which I'll have to resort to "other ways" :P

The full song "Solanin" (PV), by Asian Kung-Fu Generation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kn8g0QHVNY




The lyrics to the song Solanin were written by Taneda in the manga:

Translation by Sato (akfgfan.com)

Mistaken thoughts from beyond the sky
A life spent saying goodbye?
The little piece of the future I saw
Was waving goodbye

The small room I once lived in
Is now occupied by someone else
The horrible things I said to you
The days that were wasted

Perhaps if I'd taken that chance, if I could go back to that day
But I'll never be that person again

Even if that frail happiness
had somehow lingered on
A bad seed would surely have sprouted
So I guess this is goodbye

The cold cans of coffee from freezing winters
That long rainbow coloured scarf
I stroll through the back alley
It all comes back to me

Even if that frail happiness
had somehow lingered on
A bad seed would surely have sprouted
So I guess this is goodbye

I guess

Goodbye, that's enough
You can cope anywhere
Goodbye, I'll manage somehow too
Goodbye, that's what I'll do

From the lyrics one assumes it to be a "Farewell song" to a loved one, as Meiko initially thought. But she soon realises that Taneda meant for it to be a farewell song written to his past self.

.
.
.
.

How many of us can say goodbye to our old selves and start anew?

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Alright, now that I've gotten it off my chest, back to mugging. Can't say goodbye to the old mugger in me, at least for now.

And I know I know I know...

And so the significant other has left for Germany on exchange. Guess it'll be a quiet 5 months while she's away. All the best over in currywurst land! Can't wait to fly over - it seems so far, what with exams standing in my way. Sigh...

On the bright side, it means more time for me to study... If it even resembles a bright side.

Still, its amazing what technology can do. Email used to be considered the cutting edge tool to keep in touch, now Skype can do that, complete with live video and audio! And for free too! If you discount the cost of the equipment that is. The 7 hour time difference is a killer though; more often than not email would be the only option.

Coincidentally, the song "Ain't No Sunshine" was kept on constant loop in my head today, ever since I bought Olivia Ong's latest album from HMV today.

Simply titled "Olivia", its her first album under her new record label HIM. The packaging is unique as well, with the standard jewel CD case enclosed within an envelope-like package, sealed with stitching.

Containing 2 new original songs and 8 covers, this all-English album would fit nicely in a quiet eatery or lounge. Without much deviation from her previous works, this latest album doesn't really break new ground nor does it aim to impress. Instead, it builds upon Olivia's soothing and crystal clear vocals, giving a new and refreshing take on old songs that were once radio hits of their time.

Notable tracks on the album:

"You and Me" - An original song that's lighthearted, simple and sweet. Sounds better each time I play it!

"I Feel The Earth Move" - Slightly more upbeat, with a playful bounce to it. An interesting, jazzy reinterpretation of the original song.

"Bittersweet" - The 2nd original song on the album. I first heard it live on TV during this show which showcased local bands (I forgot the title of the show already :x) and was quite impressed by it. The album version is a different take on the same song, but somehow I prefer the live version (maybe due to the groovier feel)

"Ain't No Sunshine" - The best song on this album to me. I don't know why, but it just sticks in my head for some reason.

"Luka" and "Stars" - Both are simple covers of the 2 hits of the 80's - 90's and yet she does them flawlessly, her clear vocals standing out in both renditions. I must say she does Simply Red songs very well, first "For Your Babies" in the previous album and now "Stars".

Overall? The novelty of covering popular songs may have lost its shine slightly after 3 albums, but it still is a tried and tested formula, and one which Olivia does wonderfully. Throw in a couple of new songs to freshen up the mix and you have an easy to listen album that would appeal to anyone.

It's a pity "Ru Yan" wasn't included as a bonus track or something. Its the song that brought her to local fame after all.

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"Ain't no sunshine when she's gone....."

Recess week!

The best way to start off "recess week" is of course having a make up lecture on a Saturday morning! What an educational, informative and productive way to spend a wonderful sunny morning!

Needless to say, I won't be going. Online lecture videos FTW!

I suppose you've already noticed that I haven't been posting for a period of time, ever since the Muse concert (that seemed so far away now). Reason being, its been a mad rush these past few weeks, with Chinese New Year celebrations, followed by back-to-normal school life, and then a weekend of pure mugging for tests. Followed by another last minute bombshell quiz the next day after completing 3 tests back to back.

Bloody hell, its still Chinese New Year! (13th day, to be exact)

The term recess week is actually a misnomer. Recess should be a time where we all head down to the canteen merrily to eat that delicious mee rebus, that scrumptious wonton mee, the forever-long-queue western food. Not to mention the 50cent drink comprising "everything". Some will choose to spend that time playing soccer in the field, basketball, carom, or just simply hang around and talk cock.

What recess week actually means is catching up on lessons and tutorials, completing that time-consuming lab report, and trying to do as much webassign as possible. Coupled with band practices and culture night rehearsals. Phew!

I wish I was back in secondary school again. Or primary school. I really won't mind wearing those tight shorts again. Aren't they in fashion now?

We're not droplets in the ocean

Its been exactly a week since Big Night Out 2010.

And, no matter what their fans say, Saosin and Rise Against were no match for the imba-ness that is Muse.

I don't really have much inspiration now to write out a huge concert report chunk so I guess I'll make it brief.

In a nutshell, the concert was -

Crowded!
The queues outside for the standing pens were stretching out as far as the eye could see. Once inside, especially once Muse started playing, the half empty Pen A (right in front of the stage) as well as the upper floors of seats filled up to the brim.

Crazy!
The jostling and pushing in the crowd was crazy during Saosin's set. I wonder if the Muse fans got restless and decided to do something to up the excitement. It got worse during Muse's Uprising - everyone wanted to get as close to the front as possible. Luckily common sense took over halfway into the concert, people started spreading out to get a better view and more fresh air. Coupled with lots of jumping, fist pumping, singing (some were sadly out of tune) and a placard which read "F*** Me Bellamy!!", I guess crazy is the right word to use. Even Matt said, "You guys are crazy!"

Tiring!
5 hours of standing, jumping and trying to avoid being crushed is no joke. With a recovering left knee and inherent high arch feet, my legs were in a murderous mood. Thankfully the adrenaline during Muse's set was enough to numb the feeling.

Spectacular!
You would have expected a rock concert to be just that - a rock concert. No frills, just music and crazy fans. But nooooo, the effects people had other ideas. The opening effects, backing videos as well as the lighting were all top class. They even had individual cameras filming Matt, Chris and Dominic the whole time, screening the action live on 2 huge screens for the poor people at the back. The laser show during Undisclosed Desires was awesome.

Loud!
I almost lost my hearing during the concert. I never though music could be this loud. Even so, it was the louder, the better. I could feel the floor shake with every drum kick and bass note.

Masterpiece!
Last of all, Muse themselves were absolutely kickass. If I had to choose one band who could motivate their fans to remember every single lyric, shout out every anthem and sing out every guitar riff, I would choose Muse. The indoor stadium was literally shaking during Uprising and Starlight, everyone's voices as one. Their performance was flawless, nonstop until the very end. They played most of their hits new and old, such as Supermassive Black Hole, Hysteria, Starlight, Map of the Problematique, Time is Running Out, the surprise Plug in Baby and the final encore Knights of Cydonia, as well as tracks from The Resistance (Uprising, Resistance, Undisclosed Desires etc).The whole concert was very surreal, everything just went by too quickly, song after song. I couldn't remember a thing immediately after Knights of Cydonia (the final song) ended. It was just a "Whoaa....." kind of thing.

And that's it! I'd post a picture of the wrist tag and the tickets, but lazy la..

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And in the aftermath, the ringing in my left ear has returned with a vengeance. Should have put in ear plugs. But then again, it wouldn't do Muse justice.