一期一会

Sales Post - updated 28 April 2013

2011-12-27T14:02:42Z

I'm selling a whole bunch of stuff from miscellaneous fandom including anime/Johnny's Entertainment/games. Please make me an offer. I won't refuse anything reasonable.

Shipping from Sydney, Australia

Prices listed in Australian dollars

I can do pick-up from Sydney CBD

I am willing to ship domestically or international (contact me for a quote)

I accept payment through Paypal or Direct Bank Deposit

Updated as I can be bothered...

Johnny's Entertainment

Magazines

Potato September 2008 (HSJ) - as new - photo
Duet September 2008 (YamaP) - as new $5

~~An-an 13 Feb 2008 (Yama-P - Full Nude) - new in shrink wrap~~ SOLD

Potato July 2008 (KAT-TUN) - as new - photo
Wink up July 2008 (KAT-TUN) - as new - photo

CDs

All CDs are the Japanese versions unless specified.

Singles
Arashi 'Happiness' - Normal Edition with obi (as new) - $10
Arashi 'One Love' - Normal Edition with obi (as new) - $10
~~Arashi 'Truth / Kaze no Mukou e' - First Press Limited Edition with obi with Truth DVD (as new) - $20~~ SOLD
Arashi 'Step and Go' - Limited Edition with obi and Step and Go DVD (as new) - $20
Arashi 'Beautiful Days' - Limited Edition with obi and Beautiful Days DVD (as new) - $20
Arashi 'Believe' - Normal Edition with obi and Believe DVD (as new) - $20

Albums
Arashi 'Dream Alive' - Normal Edition with obi - as new $25
Arashi 'Beautiful World' - First Press Limited Edition with obi and plastic wrapping (as new) - $35

Official Shop Photos

All photos are $2.50 each.

KAT-TUN ON HOLD

Break the Records Concert Photo Set - Kamenashi - $12 ON HOLD

All 4 photos must be bought as a set.

NEWS - Yama-P

Un-official Photos

These are unofficial photos bought in idol shops in Tokyo, etc. $1.50 each or 3 for $4.

KAT-TUN - Akanishi Jin

Available

JIN-02, JIN-03, JIN-06, JIN-07 & JIN-08

SOLD

~~JIN-01, JIN-04, JIN-05~~

Other

FREESTYLE by Satoshi Ohno - brand new in shrink-wrap $25

FREECELL Mook feat. Kamenashi Kazuya (KAT-TUN) as new - $15

KAT-TUN Otakara Photo Book BOMB! - as new $15

Kurosagi The Movie Official Guidebook (Yama-P) - as new $17

Kurosagi DVD 'Maido Ari' Collectors Edition - excellent condition, watched once $40

Arashi Around Asia Photo book - as new $30

~~Tokyo Dogs Clear-file (bought from FujiTV store in Tokyo) - new in shrink-wrap $8 (includes international shipping)~~ SOLD

(Front, back)

Other

Magazines

~~GYAO September 2007 - good condition $5~~ SOLD
Featuring Toda Erika, cast of Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, Matsuyama Kenichi, Hey Say! 7, Otsuka Ai, KinKi Kids and more

Oricon Style Sep 24 2007 - good condition $5
Featuring Koda Kumi, Dreams Boys, cast of Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, KinKi Kids, Yuzu, Ninomiya (Arashi)

Junon October 2007 - good condition $5
Featuring Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, Yamamoto Yusuke, Mizobata Jumpei and more

~~Black Kinejun 2009/4/3 Edition (softcover) - as new $12~~ SOLD

pg 4-54 Crows Zero II (Pictures, character information, story and cast interviews)
pg 55- 63 DROP (Narimiya Hiroki and Mizushima Hiro)
Short spread on ROOKIES (black & white)
Short 2-page interview/pic with Yamada Takayuki, Daito Shunsuke, Saito Takumi

Various Oguri Shun Photo Books

Available

Shun x Genji Takiya (hardcover)- as new - $25
Crows Zero II Photo Book (hardcover) - as new - $25 ON HOLD
DVD Jonetsu Tairiku x Oguri Shun (Premium Edition) - as new - $40
high - Oguri Shun (softcover) - as new - $20

Anime & Manga

Art books

Fruits Basket Character book - good condition $10

Card Captor Sakura Memorial book - good condition $15

Life Update - I can drive

2011-08-01T12:57:16Z

I passed my driving test today, first go!

I got 97/100 but with "bonus points" it ended up being 105/100. I am officially a super driver.

I'm kind of a late bloomer... most people got their Learner's drivers license when they turned 16, red Ps at 17, green Ps at 19?

Not me. I'm 26, nearly 27. Guy at the RTA: "So you've never held a license. Not even in a foreign country?"

Judgey McJudgem! I went overseas for 3 years. I didn't need to drive in a Japanese city with the awesome public transport system. But I got the last laugh... because being over 25 meant that I didn't need to fill out the logbook or pretend that I drove 120 hours.

I couldn't sleep at all last night, with the anxiety about taking the test. Even tortured myself by reading forum posts about why people failed on the first go. It was easy. I don't know what I was freaking out about.

I can taste freedom...

... but the license photo makes me look like a crim.

murderwinks @ 2011-07-19T13:50:00

2011-07-19T03:50:38Z

They've remade Hanazakari no Kimitachi e ~ Ikemen Paradise ~ starring Maeda Atsuko from AKB48, Miura Shohei (pretty cute, would make a good Nakatsu) and Nakamura Aoi (who?). It's on every Sunday at 9pm on FujiTV.

I don't know why they would remake a perfectly good drama! The original cast was awesome too.

Anyway I dl'ed it and watched the first minute or so of the opening and it's all right so far. The music is the same and the overall atmosphere (that vivid, colourful filming style), but it seems they have changed the story line slightly. Hibari from Hibari Four is a bit ugly.

More on this once I've watched the whole thing.

Recently I've become addicted to the Glee Karaoke App for iPhone produced by Smule. They had a competition running last week for 'Defying Gravity' (a song from Wicked the Musical) and I entered a few times. Here's a recording of me singing it. The competitions are actually really competitive and it makes you realise how many good (amateur) singers there are out there. The highest I could get was #25 for one day. My username on the app is 'Murderwinks' - look me up if you have it!

The app has this built-in auto pitch-correct but it comes out sounding more like autotune, lol. If you have an iPhone and like singing, I recommend getting it. The only problem is that you have to purchase additional songs. But once you've purchased them you can sing as much as you like! I've purchased a few songs so far; 'Bust Your Windows', 'Take a Bow', 'Defying Gravity' and 'Bills Bills Bills'.

Ah. Better get back to work now. I'm sick with a cold again and am soooo nasal. Last night my throat was all itchy and my nose was running like a tap. I hate winter and wish summer could come soon...

Giving away 3 Harry Potter Promotional Posters & 1 Pirates of the Caribbean Poster

2011-05-02T04:30:19Z

Hello neglected LJ.

I am doing a spring clean and discovered 3 Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban movie Posters.

I used to work at a DVD store and they were the promotional posters that were hanging during the DVD release in Australia. As such they are in pretty good condition, just with staples in the corners.

I'm not selling them - just want to give them away. So if you or anyone you know wants them and will pay the postage (cost of a poster tube and postage cost from Sydney Australia), leave a comment and let me know.

They are too nice to recycle.

Previews:

I also acquired one Jack Sparrow Posters (slightly smaller than the HP posters) for a game release or something? Not sure why I have it. But it's also up for grabs.

Preview:

Earthquake and tsunami in Japan

2011-03-14T02:58:31Z

The mood at work is sombre today. The girl next to me ran to the kitchen and started crying because her husband is in Tokyo and she's worried about him. Apparently he tried to get a flight out of Japan but couldn't get one I told her not to worry because as far as we know, apart from power outages and transportation disruptions, Tokyo is ok.

My boss has given us weird instructions about what we can and cannot tell the general public. "We don't want to cause any unnecessary panic." but really we're concerned about how Japanese tourism will suffer as a result, despite our best efforts to promote it. Just a couple of months ago we had some travel agents out in Tohoku (one of the worst-hit areas) for a familiarisation trip to the ski fields. Even now there are some journalists who are out on a media trip to the ski fields. The aftershocks may even cause avalanches in the Nagano/Niigata areas, which would be full of tourists in the peak of the ski season.

I can't stop thinking about the thousands without electricity and water in the Tohoku regions of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima in sub-zero temperatures. Probably the worst part is not being able to make contact with family members in those areas, not knowing if they are still alive. It's a saddening thought because it could have been me there, a JET living in a small coastal town of Iwate. And now there's talk of a nuclear meltdown, though an evacuation has only been issued for people living within a 20km radius of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.

Apparently the area of Kansai and west of Kansai including Kyushu have been largely unaffected by the quake and tsunami, although mild tremors were reported in Kyoto. Also, Hokkaido in the north is apparently safe apart from the pacific coastal areas.

murderwinks @ 2010-07-19T20:43:00

2010-07-19T11:43:10Z

"I want KAT-TUN to be the ocean."

"Each of us has our own individuality; rivers of different lengths, flow and speed, but at the end using each of our own experiences, we make up an ocean called KAT-TUN. I want to make that our strength."

- Kamenashi Kazuya (KAT-TUN)

(Quotes translated from a Japanese fan community)

Eyes all puffed up

2010-06-06T01:11:55Z

... from playing on my DS too much! Yesterday, I played for at least 8 hours after rediscovering my love of Harvest Moon: Kimi to Sodatsu Shima (The Island grows with you). I'm trying to marry the character Waltz (or Vaughan in the English version) but he only comes to the island twice a week so it's a slow process. I sometimes worry about my adult self.

Then I went onto the Bokumono website and discovered that a new game for the DS, 牧場物語ふたごの村 - Harvest Moon: Village of Twins is due to be released next month. And the graphics look gorgeous. <3

I think I'm going to buy myself a DS XL when I go back to Sydney.

Well, I'm off to work at a children's English day and it's Sunday. ;_; I need Nobuta Power right about now...

Sayonara Sale - Fandom

2010-05-23T12:25:47Z

I've decided to sell some stuff because there's no way I can take all of it home with me. I'll be updating it regularly up until I leave Japan (about 2 months).

All prices are listed in USD and do not include postage (items will be shipped from Japan worldwide). I accept payments from Paypal (buyer pays fees) or direct-bank deposit (Australians only).

If you want a postage quote you can send a comment with your email address and country. All comments will be screened.

Item list: Oguri Shun photobook & DVD, FLIX (cinema) magazine, BLACK KINEJUN (cinema) magazine, Crows Zero II Official photo book, Kurosagi DVD, HSJ 'Mayonaka no Shadow Boy' CD + DVD, UVERworld 'AwakEVE' LE, ROOKIES 'Perfect Book'.

Oguri Shun

1. Photo book - same age. photo essay 'Dokyusei' - $12

front / back

Condition: Excellent (barely flipped through, original paper jacket intact)
Pages: 127 pages, 48 full-colour photos
Published: 2005/3/25
Size: 20.8 x 15 x 1.6cm

2. DVD - Jonetsu Tairiku x Oguri Shun (Premium Edition) - $50

front / back

Condition: Excellent (watched only once and put on my bookshelf)

2 Disc set
Japanese language (no English subtitles), NTSC DVD region 2
54 minutes (main), 50 minutes (special)
Dolby, widescreen
Limited Edition with 42-page booklet (colour/b&w)

Released: 2008/07/25

3. Magazine - FLIX JAPAN 2009 vol 4. - Oguri Shun on the Cover - $6

front

Full-colour glossy magazine about current films and actors (loads of pictures).

Condition: Great, but slight bend in top left corner. Does not affect any of the pictures.

Featured articles:
pg 2-13 Oguri Shun interview and photos
pg 14-19 Crows Zero II
pg 20-27 Tamayama Tetsuji
pg 28-35 Ito Hideaki
pg 36-41 Narimiya Hiroki
pg 42-47 Okada Masaki
pg 48-53 Matsushita Ryuhei

Size: 27.8 x 20.6 x 0.8cm
Published: 2008/12/5

4. Photo book - Official Photo Book Crows Zero II (hard cover) - $15

front

Official photo book of Crows Zero II. Picture-heavy, with cast interviews, story and more.

Condition: Mint (paper obi still intact)
Pages: 77 pages, full-colour glossy
Size: 30.2 x 21.6 x 0.8cm
Released: 2009/3

5. Magazine - BLACK KINEJUN (Crows Zero II/Bad Boy Movies Special) - $8

front

Cinema magazine, 90% Colour pages, 10% black & white.

Condition: Excellent

Featured articles:
pg 4-54 Crows Zero II (Pictures, character information, story and cast interviews)
pg 55- 63 DROP (Narimiya Hiroki and Mizushima Hiro)
Short spread on ROOKIES (black & white)
Short 2-page interview/pic with Yamada Takayuki, Daito Shunsuke, Saito Takumi

Published: 2009/4/3
Size: 29.4 x 20.8 x 0.6cm

Johnny's Entertainment

1. DVD - Kurosagi 'Maido Ari' Edition - $50

front and inside, discs

Condition: Excellent (watched only once and put on my bookshelf)

2-Disc set (main movie and special features disc)
Japanese language (no English subtitles), NTSC DVD region 2
Dolby, widescreen
127 minutes

Released: 2008/09/16

2. CD + DVD Single - Hey! Say! JUMP 'Mayonaka no Shadow Boy' LE - $18 SOLD

Condition: Excellent (opened, but original case still intact and obi inside)
First press, now out of print.
Contains two tracks, 'Mayonaka no Shadow Boy' and 'School Kakumei', DVD contains the PV and making of 'Mayonaka no Shadow Boy'.

Other

1. CD (Album + DVD) UVERworld 'AwakEVE' - $30

Condition: Excellent (With obi, cardboard box and original plastic cover)
Released: 2009/2/18
First press edition, CD (14 tracks) with DVD (Music clips, making movies and special track) plus 24-page special booklet (colour).

2. Photo book - ROOKIES 'Perfect Book' - $10

Condition: Mint
Pages: 108 pages (full-colour)
Size: 19.6 x 18 x 1.6cm
Published: 2008/7/18

Yokoyama YOU

2010-02-21T14:48:29Z

Yokoyama Yu is coming to Nagasaki as part of the Yokoyama YOU zenkoku tour on May 3rd. It's just so funny because nobody comes to Nagasaki. Nobody worth seeing that is. Most major bands will go as far as Fukuoka, but not Nagasaki. I'm almost tempted to ballot for tickets because Brick Hall (the concert venue) is small and FC seats will probably be awesome. I don't know how much I really want to see Yoko though, let alone from close up. I mean I like kanjani 8 but he is hardly my favourite member. When he took off his shirt during the kanjani 8 Kyocera dome concert last year, all the girls screamed but I was like: "Put your shirt back on!" Haha...

Meanwhile I paid a visit to the Fukuoka JE store today and spent 5,000 yen on shop photos, mostly of YamaP's Loveless shoot (see my icon), some from the Johnny's Undokai and a handful from the Love Yourself/D-Motion PVs. Jin didn't look so good in the most recent PVs because he's wearing those aviators the whole time and I can't see his face. : / I saw about three nice photos of Kame so I bought those too... and a nice one of Junno with blonde hair from Love Yourself. When I got to the counter to pay for the photos and the salesgirl brought the photos and counted them in front of me so I could confirm they were the ones I wanted, she goes: "There was one of Taguchi-kun in there... is that what you wanted?" I chuckled and said "Yes, that's correct." but I found it so amusing. She thought I chose Taguchi by mistake because the others were of YamaP, Jin and like 3 of Kame. XD

Is it just me or does YamaP look way more haggard in Code Blue 2 than he did in Buzzer Beat? I also noticed that his face looks almost gaunt in episode 4 and he has... acne on his cheek. OMG. I wonder if he is stressed out or something.

YOU&Jin Report 2/12 @ 1.30pm

2010-02-15T14:31:07Z

It’s the best concert I've been to since I got to Japan.

I got to the theatre early because I was worried I wouldn't be able to find it, at 10.30am and there were already people hanging about waiting outside. I went to Starbucks for a while, then flailinginlove came and we had a quick lunch of First Kitchen (fast food) before going back to the theatre just before the doors opened at 12.30pm. Surprisingly there weren't too many people lining up (less than 100) so we got into the venue pretty quickly. There we were subjected to stringent bag-checks and being a tourist from Nagasaki I had two cameras in my bag. Rather than try to conceal them like at previous concerts I just handed them over to the bag checkers to be picked up later. As we went up the stairs there were two goods stalls on either side so we went to the one on the right and bought goods really smoothly. I was excited to see 5 sets of stage photos available, because I was already disappointed about the regular photo sets featuring that ghastly perm. I bought everything except the poster, so all 7 photosets, the album, the scarf, shopping bag and pamphlet.

We got to our seats in the first row (A) of the 2nd floor at 1pm. I was so excited because they were actually really great seats despite being on the 2nd floor, with a clear unobstructed view of the stage. Being on the second floor we were told not to stand up, which was kind of sad and great at the same time because I wanted to dance along and yet sitting down was more comfortable for a 3 hour show. I wanted to sneak a photo of the stage but Christina warned me that if I got kicked out she would have nothing to do with me, so I figured it wasn't worth it. =p

At around 1.15pm, the dancers came out wearing shiny gold suits and a couple of black American dancers came up to the 2nd floor and started chatting with the audience and giving high-fives, getting the audience pumped. Then some jugglers appeared on stage and a white American MC walked out and gave the usual warning of no recording during the show, pointing out emergency exits and what not. He pretended to have trouble reading some kanji on his script so he asked a woman in the front row to help him read it and the audience were like: "Kawaii!!" to which Christina remarked that he was probably fluent in Japanese but putting on the dumb foreigner act. Always a crowd-pleaser. Soon the dancers returned back to the stage and one of them started saying "AKA-NEESHI, AKA-NEESHI, AKA-NEESHI!" to get us to start chanting but it took me a while to figure out what he was actually saying before I joined in.... and then he appeared! In a white hoodie, and ripped-up jeans, hair pulled back into a ponytail. So hot.

Setlist and MC:

Eternal Orgel ver. -> Christmas Morning
Robot/wind-up style doll dance that Jin did before he performed WONDER in BTR. Then he started playing the drums!
Then Christmas Morning started, a weird high-pitched song with too much auto-tune. I wasn't a fan.

Keep it up
Good dancing but the thing I remember the most vividly is when a female dancer spread her legs and Jin got up under her and started humping the air. Such a whore! XD

WONDER
Probably my favourite performance of the day. The dancing was great and the lighting was really cool in this. Also, it's just such a great song. I am so bummed it hasn't been released as a single yet.

I.N.P. - International Party People.
Hilarious. The video playing in the background showed Jin acting like such a pimp waving a fist-full of dollar notes. The other dance moves were also pimping. Not to mention the lyrics. It's a party take a shot... take a shot... take a shot... grab a girl... grab a girl... x 100 syncopated clapping I couldn't keep up with.

Adjust the love
The white American MC (aka Keibo) and Jin did a rap together for this one. I don't remember much else about it. Then Jin got shrouded in smoke and had a wardrobe change... to a black and white striped hoodie and shorts. He had his hood up covering his face this time.

A Page
I loved this song. He sang it with such emotion. I hated myself for ever doubting whether he could sing. He was absolutely brilliant solo.

LOVEJUICE
I was so happy when this song came on! I don't even remember anything else except that the audience screamed so loudly when the intro started.

Hatachi no sensou
Jin went to stand in front of the standing mic, hood removed now and the band started playing the background music. When he sang, the whole audience was captivated. He sang so beautifully and I got a little teary eyed. Listening OLYMPOS the CD is not as good as watching Natsu sing it in BANDAGE, which in turn is not as good as seeing him perform live.

BANDAGE
Again, so much better live.

care
The original song was famous before I joined the KT fandom so even though it was a solo on BTR... I think? I never got that into it. But I read on a Japanese community that they changed the arrangement for the concert. It did sound different from how I remembered it.

Interval - Flipped through the pamphlet ogling all the gorgeous shots of Jin. It's a really nice pamphlet! :D~

Hallelujah
A group of about six (the chorus, plus Jin and a guitarist) were sitting around in a semi-circle of chairs when this came out an acoustic version of the song made famous by Rufus Wainwright. One of the chorus (a black guy) had the most beautiful voice, but Jin sang quite well too but you can't beat the pronunciation of a native English speaker. He did a vocal run at the end, almost like he was showing off to the other members, which was so cute! The girls in the chorus didn't leave much of an impression on me.

change
This song sounded so familiar to me. Why? I wonder if it was a remake...

* MC *

He welcomed everyone to the concert and explained that You&Jin was meant to be Yuujin (meaning close friends) and said he had many friends in the cast. He made a special mention to the dance champion from America JoeyBeni. He then mentioned the collaboration with Crystal Kay and asked if we'd heard it. Then he said he hoped we'd enjoy the rest of the show.

It was such a short MC and he spent most of it talking to an annoying obasan in the audience who called out something in an old lady voice so Jin was like:

Jin: Gokigenyou! (How do you do?) *to the audience* How old is she? Is it all right if I try and guess your age by your voice?
Obasan: Sure.
Jin: 38.
Obasan: So close!
Jin: How old are you?
Obasan: ...
Jin: You're not gonna tell me?!
Obasan: Up to what age is still ok?
Jin: I'm not about age.
*audience squeals with delight*
Jin: The other day, I out drinking and there was this gorgeous woman. She was an acquaintance of one of my acquaintances and I thought... she was so beautiful.
Obasan: So it's about looks then? : /
Jin: Well, I'm just going to say that it depends on the situation but looks are important aren't they? Because if someone is a complete stranger to you, how else are you going to be interested in them apart from by their looks?
*audience murmurs in agreement*
Jin: Am I right? If it's a friend of a friend you can talk to them and get interested but if it's a complete stranger it starts with physical attraction. Sorry for being honest... too honest. I can't say I don't care about looks because I do care. Hmmm... where was I? Oh yeah. When I asked how old this woman was, she was 40. She looked about 34... no... 32.
Obasan: Me too!
Jin: You too, huh.
Obasan: Does that work for you?
Jin: I can't see your face.
*audience laughs*
I can't see your faces. *squints into the audience*
Someone: I skipped school!
Jin: No! Don't do that. If you skip school, you'll turn out like me.
... Well, that's about it for idle chit-chat. Johnny's going to tell me I talked for too long.
Obasan: *tries to say something else*
Jin: Onto the next song... let's leave the Obachan alone.
*audience cheers and applauds*
That was a lie. I guessed her age off her voice. I really can't see her face 'cos the stage is too bright and it's too dark over there.
Audience in 2nd level: Can you see US?!
Jin: *completely ignoring the audience* Moving along... this is a collaboration with Kaneko from RIZE, Paparats! Please listen to it!

Paparats
Such an angry song. He used a standing mic almost as if he was talking to the audience, with black and red lighting to show how he really feels about paparazzi!

Hey Girl
The video showed clips of him and Ryo working on the song together. Then there was this poodle animation and three female dancers came out dressed as poodles, one as a fat one and the other two as the hot sexy ones. The fat one kept trying to get Jin's attention but he completely ignored her. This song wasn't bad but not my type of song. It was too upbeat.

DANCE CORNER

In this section they introduced a whole different bunch of dance styles including pop dance (popping), trick dance, lock dance (locking), hip hop and something called screen dance. Screen dance was cool. Jin came out wearing white janitor's clothes and then the lighting changed and they showed different patterns on his clothes. There were three dancers during screen dance including Jin and they acted out a few cute animations such as getting set on fire, then doused with water, then being underwater, then the two dancers on either side draining the water from the centre person with straws. Then Jin was smoking a cigarette and then it floated away out of his hand! As if it was flying away. So weird.

ha-ha

My MP3

RESET
I don't remember anything about these three songs so they must not have been any good.

Eternal
He stood in the middle of the stage and it rose up into some globe lifting the platform high into the air. It was a kind of ballad and showed how beautiful his voice was. I think everyone in the audience was really moved because it was complete silence; we were in a trance.

Keep it up
The last track and member introductions.

Just before he exited from the stage on the left, he said in English: "Later. The show's over." with really great pronunciation! Christina and I were so impressed.

There was no encore. :(

Anyway, I am so tired after writing this... it seriously took me ages to write and I had to scribble notes at school during my break and check Japanese blogs for counter-reference 'cos I kept forgetting stuff. In short, BEST. CONCERT. EVER.

EEEEEE!

2010-01-29T13:53:42Z

Episode 3 of Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge = BEST. EPISODE. YET.

You&Jin ticket delivery - The waiting game

2010-01-23T09:03:18Z

O_o;

It appears that some people have already got their You&Jin tickets. The original FC email said the anticipated ticket delivery date was at the end of January. It's the 23rd now and I checked my mailbox and it was empty. -_-;

Patience, Stephanie... they usually send tickets out two weeks before the actual concert.

I am just itching to find out what seats I got.

It warmed up quite a bit but the temperature has dropped again. I can't handle the cold. When it gets really cold I find it so hard to leave the house. I won't be going anywhere tomorrow. I'm going to bake cookies. :D

Bloody Monday 2-hour SP airs tonight! But at the same time Red Carpet (stand-up comedy show) and Mecha Mecha Iketeru are on. Then Yamada Ryosuke's new drama Hidarime Tantei EYE starts at 9pm with guest star Nakayama Yuma. I love those boys. They are so cute. But also starting at 9 is Matsuyama Kenichi's Detroit Metal City (a movie). I've been wanting to watch that movie since it came out in the cinemas last year. Ahhhh so many TV shows, so little time.

BANDAGE thoughts and Cartoon KAT-TUN ep 134

2010-01-22T16:04:38Z

I finally got around to watching BANDAGE tonight. It was a good movie, but I left the cinema feeling kind of... empty.

At first, I really liked Jin as Natsu. When he first tried to nanpa Asako at the concert after-party and throughout the time when he was trying to get her to like him. I thought he was kind of goofy and cute. But his laid-back attitude and lack of ambition in LANDS was kind of annoying after a while. Actually, in real life I hate guys who say "I don't know" when faced with an important decision. Having Natsu as the leader made me think immediately about the interview in the BtR DVD where Nakamaru says that KAT-TUN lacks leadership. It's so true! Arumi had the right idea giving him the smack-down. She was a right bitch, but I loved her character. Also, drunk and abusive Natsu = : (

It really felt like the 90s to me. Well, I never went to Tokyo during the 90s but I imagined it to look and feel like it did in the movie. I went to a few grunge concerts in the late 90s and those in Tokyo seemed (and still do) seem tame compared to the ones we have in Australia. The movied touched on the pressure the musicians have to produce a song that sells, above all else. The life of a musician life filled with after-parties, boozing and women seemed really hollow

Ah, I find it so hard to properly write reviews for movies because so many thoughts are going through my mind and I have trouble putting them into words.

I was actually more excited to watch episode 134 of Cartoon KAT-TUN with Yoshimoto comedians. There was a funny segment on 下ネタ(shimoneta - dirty jokes) in which the king of dirty jokes, Wagaya's Tsubokura taught KAT-TUN how to tell a dirty joke to a woman. Tsubokura said that contrary to expectations, women love dirty jokes even more than men but they have to be told a certain way in order for them to go down well. They have to be told:

Dry, without laughing
Indirectly
Without any build-up

Sounds pretty obvious right?

Here's what a translation of 3 of Tsubokura's examples

Scene 1 - At a bar, he sees a woman sitting at the bar drinking next to him

Tsu: Oh, you like guys who are strong drinkers? Well, I'm quite a strong drinker but I won't drink any more for today, because my "bottle" will lose it's energy.

Scene 2 - At a haunted house on a date with a girl

Tsu: Ahhh, the haunted house was fun. Oh, but when you jumped up against me, goosebumps stood up *glances at crotch* too. (the 'too' indicating that something else stood up. Ehehe.)

Scene 3 - Watching the movie 'Heidi - Girl from the Alps'

Tsu: That was fun. But because you were next to me, Clara *glances down at crotch* stood up, too.

The hilarious part was when Ueda and Koki had a go at shimoneta that can be used on a date:

Ueda: Tokyo Tower is huge! *pause* Oh, but my "Tokyo Tower" is huge too.

Koki (on a house date, drinking tea): Look, look! *glances from crotch to teacup* A tea stalk is standing up too!

And later... Kame was introducing a microwave potato chip maker and goes: "Chin shite chips" (zap it chips), where 'chin' means 'zap' or 'microwave'. But as you all know 'chin' also means penis, so Kame started giggling like a junior high school kid. Priceless. Then everyone gives him crap for being juvenile enough to laugh at the word... XD Kame was laughing the hardest out of all the members during the dirty jokes too.

I freakin' hit for tickets to Jin's Solo Concert

2009-12-11T15:35:36Z

OMG.

Today's horoscope was right. It said that today would be the best day for me... and it is.

But I don't have enough money in my bank account to make the transfer... HAHAHA

I have to go to the bank in person with cash + my dwindling bank balance.

Please let this work out somehow. I need to see Jin again.

Akanishi Jin on HEY! x3 - Highlights

2009-11-23T12:54:24Z

Haha. On tonight's show Jin came on for a moment with some food combinations he wanted the hosts (from comedy duo 'Downtown') to try. He said the first one was his original creation and number 2 and 3 were suggestions from staff which he liked.

1. Takuan (pickled daikon) + Raa-yu (Chinese red chilli oil - the kind eaten with gyoza)

I bet some of you remember the episode of Cartoon KAT-TUN, in which Jin forced the other members to try this combination. It didn't go down well then but for some reason Jin won't give up making other people try it.

Jin - "There's something wrong with their [the other KAT-TUN member's] tongues." (When asked why the other members didn't like it)

Matsumoto Hitoshi - "I never want to try that again." (After eating one piece)

2. Ochazuke (a Japanese dish of rice and other ingredients with hot tea poured over it) without tea and with cheese and hot milk poured over it instead.

Jin - "It's like risotto."

Matsumoto - "It's surprisingly good."

3. Cream puff with curry poured over it.

Jin - "I've never tried this before tonight..."

Hamada Masatoshi - "I didn't like it. But the worst combination was number 1..."

Jin - "There's something wrong with actors' tongues too."

Jin's performance of Bandage was slightly better than last week's M-Sute but still not that great. I don't know. He must have been nervous because he seemed to have trouble singing in tune. O_o; He looked really hot with that hat on and liked his hair. It reminded me of his look in LIPS.

EXILE's performance of 'Futatsu no Kuchibiru' was amazing. Can't wait til the single is released at my local CD rental shop.

Teehee. Music Station 11/20 ramblings with YamaP and Jin

2009-11-20T11:47:31Z

YamaP's hair looked hot. And Jin's aviator sunnies are sexy. He looked like a total rockstar with his hair pulled back like that.

On Music Station, YamaP said that he and Jin have had くされえん since junior high, an inseparable relationship they're both stuck with. Awww. <3

And Loveless is number 1 on MS rankings this week. YAY!

When asked if they were really good friends, YamaP said they were. YamaP said that when they were in junior high, he was a freeloader (that got free meals without paying). Jin said that YamaP sometimes goes to his house to eat even when he's not there. He said when he comes home really tired from work, YamaP tells him: "Welcome back."

When asked if they go out together sometimes, they said they do. They went to 'Kenko Land' (health land, a kind of spa?) near where they both lived. So Tamori asked YamaP if he knew stuff about Jin that no one else knew about. YamaP was like: "You mean like his weakness?" Then he went right for the collarbone. AHAHA... Jin jumped out of his seat and ran away. Then when Jin came back YamaP did it again. XD Tamori was like: "What's so bad about it?" Jin was like: "I don't care if it's a live broadcast or whatever... I just can't handle it."

Jin said YamaP is stingy ("Even though he has money.") and was trying to say more but was interrupted by YamaP who wanted to explain to the audience why. Apparently when he was a student, his parents gave him a fixed amount of spending money. He also added that he's not stingy any more and occasionally pays for Jin. Jin tilted his head (which means "I don't know about that.") And YamaP was like: "LIAR!" Apparently he treated Jin to yakiniku the day before yestreday (then added 'bento' onto the end of yakiniku, which means it wasn't such a big deal because a yakiniku bento is way cheaper than going to a yakiniku restaurant, hahaha). YamaP was trying to say it was take-out and from a good place in the city but before he could finish the story, Jin was like: "It says standby.", as in you have to get ready to perform now. So YamaP got up to sing Loveless.

Ahhhh his dancing was so sexy and I loved his black sequined blazer. Love the song!

Poor Jin! He forgot some lyrics of Bandage because he was so nervous. He looked really hot singing but I'm not sure whether I like the song or whether Jin's voice is suited to that kind of song. I dunno. I prefer Jin singing ballads or even songs like Lovejuice (not sure what this is classed as... pop hip-hop/R&B?) Also Jin is such a great dancer I feel that him just standing behind a mic doing nothing is such a waste!

Akanishi Jin Solo Concerts 「You&Jin」 Confirmed!

2009-11-19T08:32:16Z

OMG. I never thought this day would come. But why do I live so far away from Tokyo?!

The solo concerts start February 7th (Sunday) 2010 until February 28th (Sunday). 32 shows have been announced! Tickets are 11,000 yen each. Postcard registrations are open but I don't know which show I can make it to yet... I really hope I hit for tickets though. I better bloody get a ticket. Hello, poverty. Wait... I am already poor.

Meanwhile, I saw a trailer for Bandage at the cinemas yesterday. He looks so freaking hot; I can't wait to see it!

A more coherent post to come... maybe.

YamaP flailing

2009-11-16T11:59:38Z

Just watched YamaP on HEY! HEY! HEY! MUSIC CHAMP. He performed LOVELESS and omg... when did YamaP become so sexy? He sang really well live. I have this habit of avoiding listening to online versions of songs I want to buy but now that I've heard it and absolutely love it, I'll buy it tomorrow.

A few actors including (actress) Ryo, Toda Erika, Hannya and Aikawa Sho (who played the cop in Kurosagi). I was trying to watch the TV show and check the cranberry muffins I had baking in the oven at the same time so I missed a bit but managed to catch a few facts I didn't know before:

Toda Erika said that he has a habit of adjusting his fringe (bangs). He also has really smooth skin, like a baby's. Also, if likened to an animal he would be a cat because if he is not interested in something he doesn't pretend to be. She did this great impression of him too!
Ryo said that his biggest problem is that he's too nice. He's nice to both men and women and is a great listener. She said that girls probably get the wrong idea because he's so nice to them. She said she'd liken him to a lion.
Hannya (Kanada and Kawashima) said that he has awesome pecs and abs. Also they said that he is a big drinker and doesn't just drink beer and sake, he drinks hard liquor like whiskey and doesn't change a bit.
Aikawa said that when he drinks alcohol he eats a lot. Maybe even twice as much as Aikawa could eat.
YamaP said one of his close friends just gave birth and he was the one that set them up (cupid) so they named their kid Tomota, taking the 'Tomo' from Tomohisa. Awww.

At one point, he pulled out his glasses and put them on and all the girls in the audience went mental. He did look smoking hot. Gah, I wish I had balloted for his solo concert now, but I wouldn't have been able to afford going to Yokohama. Argh.

Meanwhile, Akanishi is on next week's episode! OMG. I must watch it.

Now for Tokyo Dogs...

PTA Sports Day

2009-11-09T10:58:06Z

Sports Day

Oh, my arms hurt from entering the 綱引き (tsunahiki - tug of war) event at the PTA sports day yesterday. I'm really glad I went. I got to meet some nice parents; some of which really made the effort to talk to me. They gave me snacks, bought me lunch and even gave me some alcohol-free beer (a real first... it's not so bad actually). We lost the tug of war to Fukuda junior high. Fukuda seem to whip our asses in everything; it is so depressing. Last thing I remember was when they came first overall for the JHS karate tournament.

I did an absolutely pathetic job at 玉入れ (tamaire - throwing coloured balls into a wicker basket on a stick) and didn't get a single ball in, despite having played basketball all my life. The problem was that when everyone throws a ball up in the air at once, they rebound off each other and nothing goes in. Ok, well that's my lame excuse. Oh, and one of the dads almost stepped on my hand while I was reaching for a ball. Our team only got 18/100 balls in. Hahaha. The highest was 55.

The good news is that the relay went relatively well for me. I wasn't nervous at all for some reason and by the time I passed the baton onto the 6th runner, I had overtaken two people so we were in second place! But then when the baton was handed to the 10th (last) runner, who happened to be the PTA chairman, no less (a small Japanese lady in her late 30s), she fell flat onto her face. We ended up coming 5th or something and I could tell the rest of the team were disappointed but I felt so bad for the Chairman who was quite clearly embarrassed. She wasn't hurt but I think her pride certainly was. I guess most adults aren't used to running so it's easy to fall over in that kind of high-pressure situation.

After the race, so many parents said I was really fast; one even said I was the fastest in the team and even our Principal said I was fast and had the potential to become great at kumite (karate sparring), which made me quite pleased. It is kind of funny because in Australia I was always very average at running (coming like 4th or 5th in a 100m race) but compared to the Japanese, I'm considered fast. Hohoho. I am clearly in the right country.

Anime and TV

As I've mentioned in the past, I don't really follow much anime at all these days (Chibi Maruko-chan and Crayon Shin-chan don't really count because I just watch those whenever they come on TV) but I do watch Naruto Shippuuden as it's released by Taka Fansubs, who are an excellent subbing group. I noticed they were subbing a series called Dragonball Kai, which was up to episode 30 so I figured it was a new series and decided to do a little bit of research... only to discover it's actually a remastered version of Dragonball Z with a new opening and with some voices redone, etc... which made me want to watch it even more because I watched pretty much all of DBZ dubbed back in the day. Watching the Japanese version took some getting used to. I kept thinking... why is Goku's voice so damn high? And Vegita doesn't sound mean enough. But I think a lot of the original humour was lost in dubbing it into English because the Japanese version is funny! Episode 30 is the Namek saga, definitely one of my favourites.

I've come to the realisation that when it comes to drama, I prefer watching raw episodes rather than subbed episodes. Subtitles are often more distracting than useful. Not to mention that subtitles are not beneficial to improving my Japanese as reading subtitles means I don't really listen to the dialogue as closely as I could. Of course, it depends on content of the drama. For example, if there is a lot of technical or complex language, I need subtitles!

Haaaaa~

2009-11-07T12:45:45Z

Music

It occurred to me recently after going to karaoke with friends in Japan, that I don't listen to non-Japanese music at all these days and don't know any songs made after 2007. It's not that I don't like Western music, it's just that I have no desire to listen to it when I can listen to Japanese music.

My top three songs of the moment:

1. もっと・・・　／西野カナ
2. MY LONELY TOWN ／B’z
3. 僕は君に恋をする／平井堅

All of them are on the Oricon top 20 charts so they're played everywhere. Speaking of B'z, they've been around for so long but why is it I never got interested in them until Buzzer Beat used イチブトゼンブ as an opening song?

I didn't hit for the flumpool special mobile-club members' special concert (Tokyo/Osaka/Nagoya). I balloted for Osaka and wasn't too surprised to receive the rejection email this afternoon. I knew my chances were slim enough and that I was already short on money this month so I was mentally prepared for rejection. Still, it would have been nice...

I still haven't bought the NEWS DVD and am stubbornly refusing to listen to ripped versions online in case I do end up buying it. I went to Tower Records and held it in my hands for about 10 minutes before mustering up all my will power, putting it back on the shelf and walking out. I was proud of myself for having that much self-restraint.

TV

Is anyone watching Samurai High School? I watched the first two episodes and really like it! Somehow, I really like watching drama set at school because now that I actually teach in a Japanese school, I can relate to them more. Shirota Yuu's character is so different from the kind of roles he usually plays and he's really entertaining.

Bakusho Red Theatre was so funny last week. They had a contest to determine who would be the new leader. The comedians contesting for the title were Kano Eiko (defending leader), Yatabe Shun (我が家) and Kanada Satoshi (はんにゃ). The challenge was that they had to run across a pool of water with stepping stones, but some of the stones would sink if stepped on. Once they crossed the pool, they had to run up a slope covered in soap or something to make it really slippery and grab a rope and pull themselves up to the finish. It was SO funny. I laughed so hard, my neighbours probably heard me. I've been trying to find a video of it online to share but to no avail.

Life

I attended the JET Nagasaki Prefecture mid-year conference on Thursday and Friday. It was a lot better than last year's and I actually found it valuable. I realised that lately I've been feeling a bit burned out from teaching and needed some fresh perspective. I'm ready to face another school week starting tomorrow, as I've been entered into the PTA Sports Festival. I'm doing three events; tug-o-war, throwing coloured balls into a basket and a relay. I always get really nervous before a race, so I hope I can stay calm and run the best I can. I've been thinking more and more about life after JET. I am still in two minds about whether I want to go home or stay for another year. I thought I had made up my mind to go home next year in August (after my current contract runs out) but there's a strong part of me that wants to stay in Japan. I told my family that I wasn't going to sign another contract and told some of my friends but I'm just not sure. I only have 10 months left of my life here in Japan if I decide not to re-contract.

I've decided to sit for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) level 1 next year in July. I have been studying Japanese a lot more since I moved back to Japan and am confident that I can pass if I put in the work. If I pass, then I'll have achieved one of the main goals in my coming back to Japan.

flumpool Budokan concert 2009

2009-10-28T14:22:43Z

Ok, before I completely forget about my experience I thought it was time to post a long overdue report.

I got to Nippon Budokan at 2pm because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find the place, but it was pretty easy to find. Budokan is in the middle of a park and the nearest subway stop is Kudanshita. The actual Budokan is really cool.

Photos:

I had loads of time before goods went on sale so I took photos of the bouquets that flumpool received for their first Budokan performance from friends, affiliates and sponsors like lego big morl, Music Station, Mujack and Pati Pati, etc.

The goods went on sale at 4pm, but there were already people lining up to buy goods at 2.15pm, so I joined the line and waited as patiently as I could. I ended up buying the hoodie and sports towel. The hoodie is really cute. I've already gotten loads of wear out of it as it's gotten pretty cold. I finished buying the goods in 20 minutes so I walked back to the station in an attempt to find buyers for my two spare tickets. I ended up selling the pair of them for 1000 yen to a scalper who looked as dodgy as hell but was actually pretty nice. I was tired of waiting in the cold so I figured that 1000 yen was better than nothing.

I met up with Jo, her sister Hannah and her friend Bonnie. We got into Budokan at around 6.20 so we had 40 minutes or so to wait until the concert started. I was sitting in arena C9 block, seat 18 which was on the right hand side of the arena towards the back. I had a decent view of Kazuki but wasn't close enough to see his facial expressions clearly. Still my overall view of the stage was decent.

First, flumpool's kouhai band (actually they are the same age, but in terms of music they are kouhai) Weaver that only just had their debut two days before the concert on 10/21 performed two songs as the opening support band. They are a group of three, piano/vocalist, drums and bass. They vocalist has a great voice; almost Ryuta-like but he must have been nervous as he struggled to hit some of the notes. As I think Jo already mentioned in her report, the first song wasn't well received by the audience and I admit I wasn't a fan either. The arrangement was weird to me and in some parts the piano and guitar sounded really off. I thought the bassist Okuna Shota was pretty hot but it's really hard to find pictures of Weaver, let alone Shota online. At last it was time for flumpool to perform.

Setlist:

1. 花になれ
2. 388859
2. 回転木馬
MC
4. Calling
5. サイレン
6. LOST
MC
7. タイムカプセル
8. 未来
9. 春風
MC
10. ハイドレンジア
11. MW
12. 夏Dive
13. Hello
MC
14. Labo
15. 星に願いを
16. Over the rain 〜ひかりの橋〜

Encore 1 - キミイロ　FINAL
Encore 2 - フレイム

During one of the MC sessions, they showed a pic of Seiji's cat Shion looking really cute followed by a picture of Seiji when he was 18. He looks so much better now that he has long hair. He looked like a total thug in the picture. The audience was like: "EHHHHHH????!!!" so Ryuta quickly changed the photo back to the photo of the cat. LOL Next, they showed a picture of Genki from his elementary school graduation ceremony. He was wearing a t-shirt (singlet? I forget) that said 'Enjoy Summer'. Ryuta mentioned that even though he's all fashionable now, he wasn't always this way (Thanks to his mum!). XD Next came the regular Kazuki-bashing, with a photo of a piglet supposed to be Kazuki shortly after he was born. Next Ryuta said he'd show a picture of Kazuki as a teenager with facial hair but he showed a picture of a seal instead! Finally they showed a picture of a hippo before the real photo of Kazuki appeared. It wasn't a very flattering photo of him, but he kind of still looks the same only with better hair now.

Kazuki said to the audience: "Can you people in the back row see me? I made myself extra visible for you!" Ryuta was like: "That's just your excuse for gaining weight!" Kazuki did look a bit bigger than when I saw him in Fukuoka in July.

They also announced the tour which would accompany their new full album 'What's Flumpool', due out on 12/23. There will be 16 songs (80 minutes) and will sell for 2,480 yen. Bargain! The first press edition will have three bonus features including a pre-sale password for the 2010 Love & Piiiiss Kids Show tour. They are coming to Nagasaki in March! I can hardly wait. I screamed 'Kazukiiii!' about three times, much to the chagrin of some of the other people sitting around me. Fortunately the high school girl sitting to my left was really into the music and was dancing as much as I was. The audience around me was kind of tame. There were loads of couples around me so I got the feeling that the guys were dragged along by their girlfriends, who were too embarrassed to really get into the music in front of their boyfriends.

Anyway, they dropped streamers from the ceiling at one point, but I didn't get one. I was really disappointed and must've made it obvious as a kind girl in front of me turned around and gave me one of hers. For their performance of MW, they had flame machines! MW was definitely the crowd favourite. The screen behind the band was amazing too. And Genki sang! But I didn't think he was very good. Jo said he was probably just untrained. I guessed that he wasn't a bad singer, but compared to Ryuta most people would sound rubbish. At the end of the concert, they threw guitar pics at the audience again, but I was too far away to get one. I guess it's really amazing that I got one last time. Kazuki performed Kimiiro for the final time and he sang really well! His voice is sexier than Ryuta's in my opinion. He does a lot of chorus/backup vocals and tends to go unnoticed. They also played Hydrangea, a song they were apparently singing back in the days of performing at a livehouse in Osaka.

Finally, Seiji took his shirt off and threw it into the crowd. I went mental! Even though he is really skinny... he has bihada (beautiful skin) that would make most girls jealous. The concert was just EPIC. 感動した!

I can't believe it's halfway through September already

2009-09-14T14:14:06Z

Contract renewal offers will be given in December and we have until February to decide whether to stay for another year starting in July next year. At this point I am really thinking about going home. To me Japan is a fantasy-world where time stays still, but at home everything is changing. I'm getting older I realise, as it's my 25th birthday in a couple of weeks. I always get kind of sad around my birthday in Japan because I want to be with my family and friends back home.

Anyway, I started going to karate club at school again. Today the vice-captain of the team Deguchi taught me a new kata. He is trained in Goju-ryu (a style of karate that originates from Okinawa) and taught me saifa, one of the easiest kata he knows (upon request). It's pretty bad-ass and Goju-ryu is definitely more masculine than the style I learn, which seems a lot more graceful. At first I found it impossible to remember but after asking him to do the steps with me about 8 times (poor kid), I pretty much have them down. Now it's just about making it look good. I'm going to ask my sensei about it tomorrow but he may not know. I was pretty surprised to talk to Deguchi for the first time after the summer break. He's all grown up! Before the break he was just a little kid, although much more mature compared to his other peers but something has definitely changed. I need to practice really hard so I don't get in the way O_O; Man, those kids make me feel like I'm rubbish at karate. Deguchi learned a new kata after being shown just once - that's how fast they are. Or maybe the better you get at karate and the more kata you do, the easier it is to see patterns in the movements and so it becomes easier to remember? I'm hoping that's the case.

In other news... Buzzer Beat ends next week with a 75 minute finale. I'm really sad that it's ending because it's definitely been my favourite series of the season. I thought Koishite Akuma was my favourite, but the last couple of episodes were a little disappointing. Another ALT Emma even sent me an email saying: "I bet they ran out of budget for that last CG scene." during the final episode but I still cried, haha. I am getting really sensitive in my old age.

EDIT @ 12:16AM

Hang on a second I forgot to mention... what is with HSJ getting their own FC? I joined the Johnny's Jnr. FC just so I could ballot for their concerts a little easier but now it's going to cost another 5000 yen a year. Granted, the Jnr FC only costs 2000 yen a year in blank postcards but still... You&J costs 5000 and includes Kanjani, KAT-TUN AND NEWS. OMG. To join HSJ's FC or not to join?!

ショック！

2009-09-02T15:19:57Z

The top news of the moment in the staffroom at school, thanks to a report of the morning news show I watch, Mezamashi TV, is that Yamapi has the flu. And apparently, so does Nishikido Ryo! I actually noticed that Yamapi wasn't very genki on 24 hour TV and looked drawn and tired in the most recent episode of Buzzer Beat. I hope he gets well soon! (and it's not just because I don't want Buzzer Beat to go on a break from filming)

Actually everyone seems to make a big deal out of the flu here in Nagasaki because it's supposedly rampant again even though it's summer. Some kids from another school played badminton against some of the kids from my school and there was a big uproar about flu prevention. I've been marking about 180 3rd grade JHS student diaries and many of them said their goal is not to get sick this year. Our school principal even made a speech at the closing ceremony of term 1 saying he wanted the kids to promise that they'd:

1. study during vacation and keep a regular schedule
2. pursue something they were interested and
3. try not to get sick

But I mean who actually tries to get sick? You never actually expect it unless you run around in the snow naked or something. But even then there people who gargle 3 times a day and wash their hands thoroughly and still manage to get sick.

Anyway right now I'm cho-genki. As in *smacks cheeks* I don't remember feeling this healthy in a long time. I'm not tired all the time even though I have the same amount of sleep (if not less than) I had before.

Impatiently waiting for Buzzer Beat to come on

2009-08-31T12:07:47Z

Ahhh, half an hour more! I only discovered the joys of the timer function on the TV when I moved to Japan and got my shiny LCD. I've got it programmed in so even though my TV is off, it'll switch on just before my show starts. If I'm watching another channel it'll automatically change it to the correct one too. Oh, technology.

.... EEEEEEEEEEEEEE it started! OMGGGGGGGG

EDIT: 10:32pm

Buzzer Beat is so good I drank half a cup of tea before realising the milk was off. =_=; Hahaha. I love the whole 'Love Makes Me Strong' theme. I want to fall in love too...

I also want some pretty Buzzer Beat icons.

This season's drama series are so good, I don't want them to end.

I got two tickets to see flumpool at Budoukan

2009-08-23T15:01:23Z

... but they're not great seats. Even though I was at Lawson waiting for the clock to count down to 10am so I could be the first one to get tickets released to the general public, they ended up being stand seats right up the back because all the good seats seem to have already been sold to people during pre-sale.

I'm kind of disappointed, because once you experience a concert up close, you can't go back to the stands. I sound really spoilt now, don't I?

I wanted arena seats. Especially since I'm going to fly all the way to Tokyo from Nagasaki, which at the very least will set me back 25,000 yen for a return ticket.

I am in the process of acquiring an arena C block seat for Budoukan but it'd only be a single seat. I love going to concerts, but going alone isn't as fun as going with a friend. I hope this seat works out though because I'm buying it from a fellow fan who isn't ripping me off - at least I don't think she is.

That's the problem with large venues; even arena seats might not be fantastic but it sure beats a stand seat up the back on the 2nd level. Why is the Budoukan so damn large? : S

But you know what else... the tickets sold out by this evening.