tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27222373773980207892024-03-14T03:19:21.394+08:00[whutderrfakqizvat]THE WORLD OF A BOWL OF CHINESE-INDONESIAN Rice, who gets mistaken countless times of being a Korean or Japanese, who loves fashion but think its boring now, as the entertainment world is highly more like her juxtaposing with arts, design, food, and how life's supposed to be enjoyed.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.comBlogger276125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-31452312982023510782017-11-12T00:22:00.003+08:002017-11-14T23:10:42.427+08:00Mammals.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Quoting from Nick Hornby's novel <i>About A Boy,</i> reading through the passage that shared the same sentiments like I had meant that I was not the only one being a morbid mortal - this perspective is shared from a heterosexual main character, a guy: <span style="font-size: large;"><b>"He wanted to cut off his own penis with a kitchen knife". (p36, 1998)</b></span><br />
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<b>Certainly, let me help you with that. </b>Especially men who call themselves fathers and force themselves to their children; boys destroying another girl, and so on - treacherous, atrocious, disasterous stories of society that leaves you lifeless, no faith is restored in this type of mammal.<br />
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Boys to men, don't be sorry for me. I'm only one of the countless victims of your kind. Look, I don't even work in the entertainment industry - oh wait, I do - but I'm not the star everyone wants to pounce on - or the director to please. I work behind the scenes. So I clean up the mess the next day instead with a smile. Heheh. #DirtyLaundry<br />
<br />
As simple as a flick of my sports bra the other night from my bro, is forgivable. In my head, I only roll my eyes and say, "<i>Ah boys being just boys really"</i> but as a matter of fact for my value as a female, it has reduced my own value <b>as one female</b>. It felt condescending. Degrading. But, a that's what a heterosexual boy do during adolescent years, pulling mini sets or bra straps from behind as our white uniform shows its creases and lines of it.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">#MeToo. Have you not?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Don't go further on this read if you don't want me to crush your K-pop dreams and promises of faithful marriages.</span><br />
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Consider yourself absolutely lucky, girl. Really.<br />
_____<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Really, you like singer 'R.K.'? OMG he's just so weird. He's really weird you know, </span>he's a friend's friend and he's just..."<br />
<br />
"Sly?" I continued.<br />
<br />
"... Not sure of the word but technically he ridiculed my friend and chiding childishly <i>have you done it before? No way, you haven't done it? How could you not?</i> manner. And my friend, as he should know is a more conservative Christian so that was rude."<br />
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"Ah I can imagine, he has that funny sleazy face he makes which I can imagine he uses that particular face. Your friend is a guy, girl?"<br />
<br />
"A girl."<br />
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There goes my other dreams, shattered by public image thinking he was a genuinely funny artist - not a pop star, an artist. "Guys, afterall, will do so. But now we know he really is just another lame normal guy, not that guy that can earn our respect."<br />
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That was last week. One man down again on the list of the seemingly respectable public figures.<br />
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____<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I consciously, alarmingly remember </span>about my afterschool lessons of art and drawing. It was a Bobo (magazine) kids center near my house. I don't remember which grade exactly, perhaps 2nd or 3rd grade. The art lessons was taught by Mr. M. (<i>Holy smokes I suddenly remembered his first name as I was writing this, I never thought I'd remembered).</i><br />
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For a slightly young age person like me to understand how men are like predators to the opposite sex must've been a disturbing fact <i>back in the day</i>. Today, is a different story - everyone is just sexually active from youth. Can't hide it.<br />
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His hand was on my shoulders. Slowly circling, feeling the straps of my undergarments. Sometimes he strokes my back saying "Great job, keep it up. When you're famous you should remember who taught you for the first time, Mr. M" which I know it isn't those friendly strokes; his fingers searched.<br />
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At every class I would smartly position myself to then take a table at the inner side so he wouldn't hover to my table and did the same disgusting thing. I manage to minimise further damage. I cringed. But I didn't say to anybody - who's going to listen to me, a little girl about this? I have no proof at all and I was probably too young to realise a sexual awakening or perhaps, if he was a secret paedophile. Dunno.<br />
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I was clearly aware of my position. I was ugly, I was forgettable, I wasn't a goddess oozing of incredible beauty and prowess but what I didn't forget is that I was still a female - same for all men, they're a partner to waste their semens into. Their dreams.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh, wait - what's this hand on my left mammary gland?</span><br />
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Cue in about 12 years old when I enrolled to Taekwondo class. I was never a gymnastics kid and I felt like I've found my place in a martial arts class. I was the only girl amongst 5 boys there. I loved being in a martial arts class.<br />
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I train Mondays and Thursdays for about 2-3 hours. There were their little brothers and these big brothers who were about my age, where we were all spurting of puberty. But, as I was the only person with long braids or ponytails, I was easily bullied by them - ironic wasn't it, to be bullied at a martial arts ground?<br />
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Still loved it though. Boys will be boys, I thought. Hetero ones, are probably something to be thankful of in this time of era that <i>phew, he's straight. We have enough gay BFFs around sorry, because we need someone to procreate after all, ha ha ha</i><br />
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Well, back to the story, my sentiments are like bah, boys. Kids. Let me practice you evil asses.<br />
<br />
The bullying continued. It was mild for me; I knew that boys <i>always</i> do that to girls. I was ugly, I was forgettable, I wasn't a goddess oozing of incredible beauty and prowess but what I didn't forget is that I was still a female - same for all men, they're a partner to waste their semens into. Their curiosities.<br />
<br />
Which the highest streak was for this slit-eyed boy, the slimmer one (there was a bigger built one, I can't remember whether it was his brother or just his neighboring friend) was probably coerced by his friends to say "hey let's bully her, you should touch her boobs", in which he bravely enough he did.<br />
<br />
I recalled correctly that <i>song-saeng</i> carried him out and tipped him over the balcony towards the pool (our dojo was the 2nd floor) but he only tipped him. That's it.<br />
<br />
I continued my class as usual. Boys will be boys, I thought.<br />
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The only reason I quitted? My scores in history class (IPS) flunked in school, so my mum had to get me out of the Taekwondo class saying that it took a lot of time from me. I earned my first belt there. I still miss that class regardless. So don't worry, it wasn't because of the boys.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Echoing unconsciously, is the reason why I'm yellow, female, Indonesian, third world, unsafe.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
I am the only daughter. I've been protected by my parents and they have kept saying how safe I should be. Apparently, which I responded in laughter, is to know the real reason why my mum dressed me up with polo shirts, knee shorts and oxfords - very boyish looking and she bought it in the boys section sometimes. It had nautical themes of bears and embroideried anchors and stuff.<br />
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"So if there's something wrong, it's easy to just run away. If it's a skirt it is difficult," she reasoned.<br />
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I was kept in a bubble of real reality. When people lurk around to kidnap. To target a girl. A girl, a female is always a degrading figure. A soft spot to target to. An instant mistake. Whatever we did, whatever THEY did, it will STILL BE <b>OUR </b>mistake. Not theirs.<br />
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One night stands for example? Females get pregnant, males say g'day and bye. Gotta take it to our own hands as always.<br />
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That was how I was brought up.<br />
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_<br />
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No, you don't judge me. I know a lot of things, girl. Didn't anyone tell you I was the Tinder Queen between 2015-16? I was there for my UIUX research + finding new friends in the capital city.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Do they exist? Yes they're perfectly normal human beings. Men who are swiping in front of their wives, children, outing, meetings, office hours (they replied to me in those hours too, asking for the number, sometimes I give them my e-mail instead so I can trace their profile),</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
The ones who are looking to get laid and 'sell their business' or simply just looking for ONS FOC, also the ladies side. Sometimes a couple who's looking for threesomes partner. Plenty.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Which ones did I get to meet? I asked them 'I don't chat and I prefer to meet' </span>and some did respond to it. They told me stories of their marriages and why they're around on the app; others looking for love and why their past didn't happen, my meetings are like <i>veritaserum</i>.<br />
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I don't need to watch another sappy soap opera; the soap opera is in my head, real stories with honesty. It's completely normal - love dies out, find a channel to revive oneself and keep the marrige intact while satiating the other senses. I think our parents' times were almost the last of its kind in Asia. Now, you have to be open-minded to accept and be aware that open marriages is what keeps marriages alive - it's a concept that I get and understand, multiple layers of affect and impact.<br />
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In conclusion, these apps are a wake-up call. It's incredibly <i>easy. </i>One can cheat on so many other apps, including Growlr, Grindr, Crawlr... they all have these cute UIUX too and I can't help but learn how to flirt from my friend, reading from the way he does it.<br />
<br />
He does it so much better than me.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">_</span><br />
<br />
Today, my girl friends and my guy friends always keep saying to "use my assets" to get future boyfriends or just anyone to enjoy myself; I only reply, "oh thanks for being nice friends guys, ha ha ha ha I'm enrolling myself to a nunnery, obviously I cannot!" and to they reply to even say "well that's an even better excuse, do it now then enter the nunnery later!"<br />
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I dress like manrepeller.com instead or with a One-sie. Or ninja gears. <b>I have realised, they're my natural defense mechanism.</b><br />
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Animals. Mating seasons. Can't help themselves. Where did humane consciousness go to self-control? Nada.<br />
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This also explains why I wrench my heart in pain when my girlfriends do that to themselves. It's their right but it's like cutting my wrist over and over to see them with their clothes of choice - I know they're smarter, but I guess that's that. From female to female, it personally disheartens me. But it's their choice and well, life goes on.<br />
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I think I'm pretty forgiving. I'm aware of my position that I'm only second to male. I was ugly, I was forgettable, I wasn't a goddess oozing of incredible beauty and prowess but what I didn't forget is that I was still a female - same for all men, they're a partner to waste their semens into. Created to be their <i>costae </i>in the first place.<br />
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You know, they'll always be boys. We're animals. We're mammals. We have that drive like of animals. So, they'll always behave like animals. End of story. It is expected.<br />
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Humans who are smarter than animals will use their brains to control their dicks, scrotums and balls and use their energies and neurons to think of something else - world hunger; conserving nature and ecosystems; preserving endangered languages and systems; anything besides that 99% of the time (cue in E.L GRAY'S Mr Grey version. Dicks do think and speak).<br />
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I hope that my friends can understand where I now talk from. How my views were shaped. How I'm comfortable in my own bubble. The world right now is not worthed enough for my stature.<br />
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I haven't sworn off men, I am <i>straight af</i> and I know that completely. I fawn over idols - it's healthy because if I don't like anyone my life is rather empty and boring. But I only like you.<span style="font-size: large;"> So, the bottom line is that I am scared.</span><br />
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I can only like you. Further than having a posture I adore and perhaps conversations, the dream ends there because I cannot continue further - you're still that very men I know that can cheat within a swipe in front of my face saying "business chat" over dinner at a hotel or booking that getaway to Phuket every weekend saying "clients are there".<br />
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I'm not stupid. I know men. I hangout with men, doing sexual jokes from S to X to the bed and techniques - which are the best jokes really, and I also agree open marriages is the glue of today, it's the most adult and responsible decision any married couple can make and I respect them. At the same timg because of this very thing exist, I have lost trust in our own kind, subconsciously.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am scared. I think this is why I've never felt like I could to have a relationship with a heterosexual male. I wish and I yearn, but to take that step means I put myself in jeopardy. I don't have the time to deal with my own depression against break-ups and failures because it will take half of my life. I think quarters have been killed when 2 friends I consider them as Best, rejected me in the same month.</span><br />
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I was left in the sahara for 2 months. It was excruciating. I was swimming nowhere. I felt our years of friendships meant nothing. I couldn't trash it the same like them. So now, imagine if it was a possible boyfriend Y.<br />
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I cannot do the Trust Game yet and depend on someone. Maybe, if there's someone I can really trust. Once I give that trust away, that's my end game if he's on an App or two.<br />
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I think I'll see the Han river, or river Thames for my end. If I'm not strong enough.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I haven't sworn off men - I still love you, please don't be sorry for me. Can you please do me a favor?</span><br />
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Like those feminists how females hurdle together and fight for justice, can you also round up your kind and tell them to please CONTROL, THEIR, ENTIRE, SYSTEM, TOGETHER AS ONE ENTITY AND NOT ONE GENITAL? You guys, teamwork yeah. We did it, now you gotta help your own kind, thanks.<br />
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So what's the solution? Who's a potential mate for me? <b>Easy: </b>Anyone who's not thinking of using their dicks 99% of the time but trying to solve societal, environmental, and political issues by day and a gungho street fighter by night (I still love ninjas and fighters because I fight so...). And a beautiful voice... handwriting... manbun hair... hot dudes who reads on subways and public transports or wherever (Cue in that Instagram handle that appreciates these fine specimen)... see? I'm easy. My knees are weak thinking about this, ha ha ha.<br />
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The good thing about this exercise is that embracing and unearthing this very fact - something I didn't realised until today - can mean that, I can unlock some bolts now. Perhaps.<br />
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This is my #MeToo story. I am ugly, I am forgettable, I'm not a goddess oozing of incredible beauty and prowess but what I didn't forget is that I am still a living female - same for all men, they're a partner to waste their semens into. Their so called significant other half. Now, replaced by males too.<br />
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But I'm better, well-equipped, well-versed, well-thought, well-trained, and living well. I hope that your #MeToo experience only made you rebound back for the better to find the meaning of your life. Mine is to show that I can, despite all obstacles.<br />
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PS. No, I don't take martial art classes because I want to protect myself. Everyone knows whatever we do in our dojo will get us killed in a street fight. I just love the feeling of becoming a ninja assassin, my ultimate dream. But I'm too fat to jump across roofs, you see.<br />
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_<br />
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<u>Disclaimer: I'm a journalist. We have a code of conduct to only report the truth. This is not a work of fiction. If you think this is a blasphemy or aggrandized or I took your story, share your thoughts below.</u><br />
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<u>- Rice (25) is a creative consultant, lecturer and social entrepreneur. She divides her time in Jakarta and Bandung to keep herself extremely occupied and not think of anything else but for a better address of tomorrow for everyone.</u><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-92126151098944874952016-03-17T21:23:00.000+08:002016-03-17T22:00:16.552+08:00Yang.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uV9YMUZtWTw/VuqvMEo-EDI/AAAAAAAAEjE/_E-j9LYWdjANzSdSqO74YB2lNx4L6iRQQ/s1600/IMG-20160304-WA0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uV9YMUZtWTw/VuqvMEo-EDI/AAAAAAAAEjE/_E-j9LYWdjANzSdSqO74YB2lNx4L6iRQQ/s400/IMG-20160304-WA0002.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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I've reached to the point where I'm slightly around the same time last year to start taking charge of things and it's halfway March 2016.<br />
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It's been a year into the new year and I'm not going to lie that the power of the fire is going to set an all-time high. Mixing with my youthful energy but my almost near the grave neurons approach, the Fire Monkey has probably never been apt in timing and combination as I, the Monkey, needs Fire as much as I can get this year. And so, I need the sun to energise me. The sun is a star full of blazing fire, therefore I'm asking the star, for a person who loves stargazing, to lend me a hand this year.<br />
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Third time's a charm, everyone say, and now my hair is done right and I'm happy.<br />
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I'll be sharp, en guarde, on point, feisty, rough, tough, to huff. I never felt like I'm going to work my ass off completely this year as my deadline gets close. It's been 6 years since I've setted that timing and I've got roughly a year and a half left. This year should be paramount; next year is the anti-climax where everything settles and I would like the flowing water to just bring me down.<br />
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Last year was a lot of self trials and errors on my own. I'm finally able to make peace with myself. Here's what I congratulate myself in: is alive in one piece to adapt and settle into a lifepath, a major milestone, I chose. Here's what I have regretted the most in: guilty as charge to have friendzoned. There's never enough regrets and alaudable things in the air; I decided to let go - so long, blue hair, that was one other regret - and bring in the sun, the Yang, my source of energy, carved into my life with an added colour from the warm palette (hello, pink! I don't really like you but you'll have to push me this year).<br />
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So long, 2015. 2016 will be the journey I shouldn't look back, ever, since I only have the time to look forward.<br />
<i>-</i><br />
<i>This is the first feisty firey comeback in 2016, so I'll only get sharper by the year if you tick my balance.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
Another thing is that, for all my friends, neighbours, mother, let me answer your question:<br />
<i>"Yes, I do have a preference when it comes to a guy. He's gotta be filthy, filthy rich."</i><br />
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No, hear me first, to those of you who don't know me.<br />
<br />
<i>"you see, this fellow has to be a philanthropist or by rebirth has already been setted up for me by the celestial heavens in order to balance my soul.</i><br />
<i><br /><b>I'm intending to make or buy, if any, a bandage for this planet and it doesn't come in cheap.</b></i><br />
<i><b> </b><br />I'm planning to do it on my own with my band of bros in this lifetime, but if that particular fellow comes along and he could earn my trust and ease (not to mention to satiate my cerebral neurons everyday) and actually let me think to say that 'well, I actually can see myself settling down with you and you taking my time by being completely egoistic to have me for yourself while I'm supposed to be busy giving back life to Gaia", then it shall be'"</i><br />
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And off I go, doing my thing in my own time, and my own mission. Here's to 2016! Please #GetMyBack.<br />
I'm actually running out of time and I've reached to say <i>I'm tired</i>, earlier this year. Therefore, the above story applies. /insert laughter </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-61671597707944772822015-05-14T22:19:00.001+08:002015-05-19T17:08:05.772+08:00Notions.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Earlier this month, I showed my Japan trip pictures, including the ones you readers are about to see to my visiting guy pal from BKK.<br />
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"OMG Rice, you're so pretty here! You should use make-up!" was his reaction.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://igcdn-photos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xta1/t51.2885-15/11093018_1603553426552581_961773118_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://igcdn-photos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xta1/t51.2885-15/11093018_1603553426552581_961773118_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The (in)famous pic with new fabulous hair colour I totally love!</span></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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That was one honest response from a straight dude right there that yes, once again, exemplified visual beauty works to appeal, whether it's comfortable or uncomfortable for the user itself. But then again, it wasn't me wearing make-up (I don't even to weddings). I shall introduce to you this transformation digital magic that instantly change you to be ultra 'pretty' within seconds - hello to Japanese photoboxes!<br />
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<a href="http://canp.net/image/pc/top/other-present.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://canp.net/image/pc/top/other-present.jpg" height="149" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Purikura </i></span></span><span class="st"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i></i> (プリクラ)</span></span> or the Japanese-designed and system of photoboxes for fun, and mostly with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Girly-Graphics-Interpretation-Glamorous/dp/4756240097" target="_blank">girly graphics</a> (or an example seen, right, from Canp) which girls can enjoy an instant 'plastic surgery' makeover within 3-5 seconds upon each shot taken.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">Of course, the boys can join in the fun as well - who said only the females can have some weird or beauty fun? I went with my lovely Tokyo boys and these photoboxes with loads of designs and styles to begin with for 400 yen ($4) per session, but I broke my <i>purikura </i>virginity the day before with my old junior high school senior in order for me to learn how it works.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br />Little did I know that for photoboxes are now dead in most South East and East Asian countries with the rise of camera phones and now smartphones with dual cameras which has excellent quality of selfie-ing, Japan still flourishes in its <i>purikura </i>business. Competition gets all-time high with a lot of different companies designing, making, and conceptualising each box to sell a different style and focus point - really captivating that just mind boggles you and end up choosing whatever since<u> everything is same-same but different</u>, if you get what I mean.</span><br />
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<span class="st">The two boxes I used in April 2015: </span><br />
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<a href="http://canp.net/image/pc/top/machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://canp.net/image/pc/top/machine.jpg" height="177" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://decopika.jp/pc/img/04_image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://decopika.jp/pc/img/04_image.png" height="305" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">In the first ever experience of me in the box, my friend and I chose somewhat random and chose something super girly one named USAGI from <a href="http://canp.net/" target="_blank">Canp</a>. Based on the website I can now understand a little better about how each box concept work: USAGI has a thicker and kohl based make-up and mascara while the HOW TO+ has a natural or some make-up theme going on. The second box was COLOR CHART from <a href="http://dekopika.jp/">Dekopika.</a></span><br />
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<span class="st">First they took our solo shots, which showed me a very fabulous option for my next passport or any ID photo in the future (below)!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hs5q_9U2UQw/VVSsKgg9FVI/AAAAAAAAEPY/4pLAa3Ki9Ho/s1600/20150421_135902.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hs5q_9U2UQw/VVSsKgg9FVI/AAAAAAAAEPY/4pLAa3Ki9Ho/s400/20150421_135902.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><i>Wait, who did they take a picture of, there's only just us in the box!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span class="st"> </span>
<span class="st">That explains how I have lost my own visual identity in Tokyo - in this city, you can be anyone new at anytime. Pretty fun, ain't it?</span><br />
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<span class="st">Don't even recognize myself and we both laughed so hard while editing away. We could enlarge our eyes bigger or to keep what they edit in that MAGICAL 3-5 SECONDS ONLY TRANSFORMATION</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">We went through a digital plastic surgery with my three Tokyo boys or monkeys or princes to get one. I start to notice the similar transformation and repetitive transformation as this is what Japanese think is the most beautiful or <i>utsukushi:</i></span><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span class="st"><i> </i>Big eyes. Bigger, bolder, sparklier, better!</span></li>
<li><span class="st">Smaller jaw or chin</span></li>
<li><span class="st">After all this, making your face smaller by size</span></li>
<li><span class="st">If it's a full shot, they'll make you slimmer in an instant or longer legs</span></li>
<li><span class="st">They even shape your eyebrows!</span></li>
<li><span class="st">Fairly visible cheekbones is favoured</span></li>
<li><span class="st">The first and most important - the whitest, fairest, supple and luminous skin</span></li>
</ol>
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">[Readers who's done <i>purikura</i> and can see other details can always leave more in the comments - these are how I try to scrutinize from my small piece of photos]</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">This applies for EVERYONE IN THE BOX - so yes, my little princes turns into princesses with googly, sparkle-eyed eyes and smaller jaws and chin and we sort of vandalize our faces just because, its us you know.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">How did we pose? We posed this cheesy by following prior pose examples shown on screen before the camera opens to take a shot. Legitly Japaneezy.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DTKUtIm0J-E/VVSsLBBZteI/AAAAAAAAEPc/hyhFXnZopoc/s1600/20150421_135649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DTKUtIm0J-E/VVSsLBBZteI/AAAAAAAAEPc/hyhFXnZopoc/s640/20150421_135649.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">The guru teaches us how to pose.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7DR4K7D39p4/VVSr66dKAyI/AAAAAAAAEPQ/YUAyPJ53WiY/s1600/20150421_135754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7DR4K7D39p4/VVSr66dKAyI/AAAAAAAAEPQ/YUAyPJ53WiY/s400/20150421_135754.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Camera, action, shoot, taken, edited, TA-DA!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k4WDC4CZQr0/VVSsPDQIuGI/AAAAAAAAEPo/b62fTMo5Twc/s1600/IMG-20150421-WA0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k4WDC4CZQr0/VVSsPDQIuGI/AAAAAAAAEPo/b62fTMo5Twc/s400/IMG-20150421-WA0004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Cutie Bunny, Like A(n) Usagi Girl... Eat me?</span></b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2URp5vZneEw/VVSq4mdYmUI/AAAAAAAAEO4/14bdEnQ8Zvg/s1600/puri%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2URp5vZneEw/VVSq4mdYmUI/AAAAAAAAEO4/14bdEnQ8Zvg/s400/puri%2B1.jpg" width="250" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l5W3GbS727Q/VVSq56MF7wI/AAAAAAAAEPA/lf4WLNaeVz8/s1600/puri%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l5W3GbS727Q/VVSq56MF7wI/AAAAAAAAEPA/lf4WLNaeVz8/s400/puri%2B2.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #e06666;">A night with my Tokyo princes, the new term will have only just begun! (stamp on left says something like that)</span></b></div>
<b><span style="color: #e06666;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-29Y_eHeTMjE/VVSrBZC-i2I/AAAAAAAAEPI/HjlOuNgH1rY/s1600/20150423_205729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-29Y_eHeTMjE/VVSrBZC-i2I/AAAAAAAAEPI/HjlOuNgH1rY/s640/20150423_205729.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Editing frenzzzzzzzzzzzy - colors, stamps, people, faces, you name it, they have it. We're timed by seconds! How!?</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">Laughter aside, this picture and with my friend's remark made me think about the acceptance and the notions of beauty in Asia once again. My junior, C. Sentoso coincidentally uploaded her paper this week on Academia that perfectly stand tall with my rant, that "</span><span class="st"><span class="a" style="left: 521px; letter-spacing: 1px; top: 1161px; word-spacing: 7px;">Body imag<span class="l7">e is a central poi<span class="l6">nt of discussi<span class="l7">on in our media powe<span class="l6">red world<span class="l7">" <a href="https://www.academia.edu/12000916/What_our_bodies_got_to_say_Does_Body_Image_reveal_who_you_are_" target="_blank">(source)</a>. </span></span></span></span></span></span>With the continuous charge of mass media, ads and products for whitening in Asia, the non-Chinese ethnic females dreams to have fair skin. She buys whitening lotions, creams and night gels for it to happen. The regular Chinese descent who is yellow-white generally keeps her skin pale. Most East Asian make-up offers pale and cakey-faced white, yes, white, not peach or light beige, as their preferred tint. <span style="font-size: large;">It just looks almost like Pantone #FFFFFF.</span></span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="st">Body image is generally defined as how one thinks and feels towards one's body (Cash & Smith, 1992). It can also be perceived as how a person thinks their body should look... To be female,there are 6ody expectations one must fulfill which might have negative or positive impacts...Women desperately try to alter themselves to achieve the “ideal” body image. Women painstakingly go through rigorous exercise, extreme diets and even put themselves under the knife for the sake of beauty and body image. Gakley explains that we are in a never-ending pursuit of beauty ideal </span></blockquote>
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">I recalled once on SOAS Confessions FB page where a person messaged the admin to announce "Why SOAS ladies aren't dressing up or try to look good at all. It's alright to relax but hey, you guys are still girls so it's good to do so" and it receives comments that suggests its shallowness. What is with beauty and how we look?</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="st">According to Milestone and Meyers, women in popular culture has always been closely associated with and scrutinized in terms of physical appearance. We have been taught from a young age to be beautiful and live up to expectations physically to be successful in life - to be desirable in a patriarchal society. </span></blockquote>
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span class="st">The answer is, really, why bother about us? You might grow up in, for an example, Egypt, to have the females be in dark and contrasting make-up, and that is your level of beauty. If Cleopatra didn't use her kohl and eyeliner and eyebrow-liner she wouldn't be the Cleopatra we know, so that's alright. But hey, she's the queen and she's got people to do it - I don't have time and I can't be bothered to do so as I don't even know how to put them on my face. I would love to be Cleopatra if I can - if I have that disposable income, energy, and if I'm comfortable with the way I look.</span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span class="st"> </span></h4>
<span class="st"> I appreciate and love seeing people with make-up if they feel that they're more confident and comfortable that way, I feel the same way without it. Contrastingly, I do feel queasy and uncomfortable if I USE make-up. Call me weird, but, if I don't see it as myself I feel that I've done a bit too much on myself. Do men expect women to deck themselves when our main purpose to college for the time being is education? Don't you worry.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">Men, we're clearly above your thinking league: Women are highly mind-manipulative and they know how to hide and play their games when the time is right because they can't be bothered with men who expects them to look 150% Christmas tree fabulous bedazzle every single day, and we know better that genuine appreciation and flattery can be found elsewhere.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">In another recent occasion, within my own proximity in the country I call home, expectations are high and everyone is porous to soak in trends and expectations from public. I, too, get super conscious as I DON'T want to be seen. The levels of worrying about how the public will see you is beyond a fair amount of consciousness. A friend of mine posted saying how she doesn't have clothes when she returns for a holiday to her parents' home, and her mom told her to not worry about it. She replied saying that she might be afraid how the public will remark that her mom is walking alongside with the housemaid (by the way she dresses simply with what we call, 'home clothes' perhaps). Within the same update, this too is reinforced by the fact that she is tan-skinned from her travels and "Asia loves their fair skin right, so I will totally look like a housemaid".</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">[Any readers have a say to this?]</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span class="st">Looking at the completed and edited pictures, <span style="font-size: small;">I agree that I would look extremely more likeable and feminine and fitting in the female standards to be sparkly and pretty. I would have a smaller jaw, in real life it will be sawed out in South Korea, done some double eyelids and making my eyes bigger in a clinic, loose weight for beauty and not for health reasons, I would be more confident and not despise myself to look at my own passport images to show my eyebrows and ears and look fantastic in any photo ID.</span></span></h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2MSakseShRI/VVSsQJ1o1iI/AAAAAAAAEP4/_rFeNUejkH4/s1600/20150421_141133.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2MSakseShRI/VVSsQJ1o1iI/AAAAAAAAEP4/_rFeNUejkH4/s640/20150421_141133.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="st"> </span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">But then, reality doesn't work that way and I've chosen to accept it long ago that I'm ugly and I'm comfortable. It makes life easier if you lower your own standards to go and be all yourself out. No expectations, focus on what you really want to do in life. If I have all the luxury and time to take care of myself, that time will come once I have the disposable income to do so and my choice to make. So far, I'm still living as a hermit as I dislike being in the spotlight and being seen - I just happen to love colours and <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/2015/04/plunge.html" target="_blank">dye my hair blue</a> - certainly unconventional.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">At the end of his tripping to hang out for the weekend at my place, my guy pal said, "All my friends would never go out from their house without make-up, except if we know them and probably see them in the morning. You're so chill," with a thumbs up.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">Looks like I can have a never better conclusion for this round-up. How do you feel about the ongoing notions of beauty, does it bother you, and to what level that it bothers you? What notions imply in your country? There are so many acceptance of beauty where curves are celebrated and is adored in the African society while the American and South Korean loves supermodel quality bodies over Beyonce's curves, so I've asked and been replied. This is always an open space to care and share below, so I hope many could share their thoughts.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="st"> Lastly - it is Tokyo, always keeps you alert with what you do in the city - get lost and what is done in Tokyo, stays in Tokyo. Irreplaceable energy and experience which works like a magnet you can't help but want to return! </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FWShL_YN7uE/VVSsQJdcj1I/AAAAAAAAEPw/NQawkrvVYP8/s1600/IMG-20150421-WA0005.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FWShL_YN7uE/VVSsQJdcj1I/AAAAAAAAEPw/NQawkrvVYP8/s400/IMG-20150421-WA0005.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><i>Just happy being me - the Asian pose to reduce face size</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="st"> Further topical readings: <a href="https://www.academia.edu/10651757/Beauty_and_Body_Image_Beauty_Myths" target="_blank">J. Frechette,</a></span><br />
<span class="st"><a href="http://docs.rwu.edu/nyscaproceedings/vol2010/iss1/4/" target="_blank">Chae J.Y.</a>,</span><br />
<span class="st"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">The takeaway in 10 words or less...</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;">Work it until you accept yourself - <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;">sel<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;">f-acceptance is key.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-12622318521915487922015-04-28T17:02:00.002+08:002015-06-14T17:12:05.191+08:00Pidato.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Pidato: meaning '<i>speech'</i>, in Indonesian.<br />
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22 and acing life - including this rather boring but most expensive paper I've earned in my life and it is entirely the most beautiful thing *tingles*<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
30.09.2014 LDN - I'M DONE WITH THE CITY. BUT, SO NOT DONE AND OVER WITH ALL OF YOU INSANE AND LOVABLE HUMAN BEINGS I'VE EVER MET.</h3>
<br />
I guess to recap the one year, I learn that I have to introduce myself like:<br />
My name is Rice, short from Raisa.<br />
45 years old mentally and going 46 as its less than 6 months away (the internal joke between a 36 and a 50 year-old classmate there), 24 - Korean age, but 22 internationally.<br />
I have an Indonesian citizenship but to answer your beffudlement shown on your face, I'm second-generation Chinese from pops side.<br />
<br />
But more than that, SOAS was the other world I couldn't wait to get through because of the challenges thrown to ask about my existence and sanity...<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
I'm not going back to London to get up to the podium. Instead, I'm saving money to travel somewhere else while I will be working and I can't take a long leave. But I miss everyone and I would like to remember each and everyone of you - including that <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">#RICEinLDN YEARBOOK</span> I haven't got to finish - and this is my speech if I ever came up and had the chance to speak (Never happen since it's not in distinction or special case or professor or whatever. Not your Steve Jobs after all)<br />
<br />
Here goes all the love poured so bear with me you, each and every one of you who have click-through'd to this space. Let's race it through with outtakes you might enjoy :')<br />
<br />
You see, SOAS had this otherworldly charm I couldn't resist. The image you have seen on Facebook is the last hurrah and achievement I have in the academic realm, me as a student but in the future I'm truly working on being a lecturer and spending more time in the education sector. I really enjoy teaching, whether it's for the babies, the children, the teens, or the adults at university. So far, the only one I have left is to stand in front of senior adults in a form of a seminar/business and get them to realise the earth is destined to be a total whack and wreck if this lifestyle continues.<br />
<br />
SOAS, right. First question is - <i>how did I get to know SOAS? Why are you here? from the SOAS-ians. (Let's not go from the perspective from where I come from, it's a never-ending confusion hahaha)</i><br />
<br />
I first didn't know about SOAS. But I knew through the supervisor I had wished to be under for the media/ korean studies/ music PhD. My areas of research starting from 2010 through ethnography and direct respondents was about the rise of amateur journalism in new media, with a case study of K-pop as it grew along hand in hand. Regional-wise, I had been focusing and where the activities are sprouting, is in Singapore and Indonesia.<br />
<br />
That "K-pop professor" which I dubbed - <a href="http://ow.ly/KjV3v" target="_blank"><i>he's having a K-pop lecture last month and I'm missing it!</i></a> - <br />
was the person I found out about, and through him I researched that <i>Oh OK, so he's in London, and he's working at SOAS...</i><br />
<br />
The other choice was NYU Steinhardt or Michigan U, the concentrated Korean Studies and a lengthy contemp Korean culture like K-pop is pretty hot at the end of 2012 there.<br />
<i> </i><br />
Alas, I didn't get the funding.<br />
<br />
I kept working.<br />
<br />
Pops told me that you should go study and I can handle you for one year.<br />
I said, no. No use. Waste of money. Paper doesn't guarantee anything I'm responsible for the work [I was at] the time.<br />
<br />
No, you should go and study, pops said firmly.<br />
So OK. That rested for a while until I received by <b>post mail</b> for the prospectus. (Because I hate everything online and I prefer to have a private one-on-one with a physical being, sorry).<br />
<br />
I was flipping things through, and I saw a new school has just been formed. School of Arts (SOA). And even cleverer, SOA-SOAS = SOASOAS. Again, sorry. I'm a sucker for these since I'm a copywriter and I know the marketing department has clearly done the best research and amazing at that.<br />
<br />
Two new MA course will proceed in the new 2013 term time.You bet that I'm going to choose the degree that has a looOooOong title (well, the other was something not to my expertise).<br />
<br />
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Long story short: I was heavily involved in one society, casual goer of 2 societies, and after the end of my studies I managed to upped my societies attendance to 4 different ones (life begins after school ends, you see). I was heavily depressed with the German theories I had to recite in the first 7 weeks, and I was extremely flabbergasted when I actually managed to get some Distinction pts. on my transcript.<br />
<br />
I threw myself into the student body, something alarmingly so rich and warm in Western campuses that we can't find back home - you get to appreciate the liveliness of it when you know how different it is. Plus, SOAS scores 22nd overall for students' satisfaction and <a href="http://bit.ly/1aP2fPT" target="_blank">no. 1 for everything else </a>apparently. Yummy!<br />
<br />
In conclusion, as I have predicted, the paper still doesn't guarantee anything up to today. I haven't stretched it to use, perhaps to my original intention to get into the newly created Ministry of Creative Industries in Indonesia, aka the BADAN EKONOMI KREATIF (BEK)? Maybe this looooooooong MA title will be quite sparkling enough for me to break down doors and start creating change.<br />
<br />
However, whenever you need to hack a little of life's interminent system, you can always count on me to do it. Signing off now, fellows, while I'm making more tangible magic, I also might do another short course for fun because I just heard that the Japanese government is throwing scholarships into thin air and all I have to do is inquire and apply... hehe.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #ffe599;">The London retrospective starts soon after I'm done with my 'grad trip' no. 2, the NipPonPonPon saga to Japonica for 2 weeks on my own. </span><br />
<br />
All long last. Connect with me professionally on <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/rrraisa" target="_blank">Linkedin</a> or follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/asiaraisa" target="_blank">Twitter</a> for timely updates of my career - my Facebook space is completely off-limits, friends I know only. Cheers!<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">More outtakes to what I call my own graduation pictures, free and easy hacks! All shot with the help of my homie in town, Ndam. No one understands me like she does in this small town. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The famous 2nd shot which needed contrast and lighting tweaks before turning out to be the hit. Have I channeled the Brit Rock properly here? </span></i></span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Till' next time, Great Britain.</span></h3>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-86719852306473043942015-04-27T22:34:00.000+08:002015-06-14T17:05:30.390+08:00Plunge.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span id="goog_361333223">So, you've never seen a mermaid around here on land?</span><br />
<span id="goog_361333223"><i>"Rambutnya biru tuh, liatin deh, biru ijo ma!" (</i>Mom, take a look at that blue hair, its like blue-greenish!)</span><br />
<span id="goog_361333223"><i>"Liat si tante ini, rambutnya biru tuh" </i>(Take a look at this auntie here, her hair's blue)</span><br />
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<span id="goog_361333223">Yeah, so now if you've met me then you can proudly say "I saw a mermaid on land!"</span><br />
<span id="goog_361333223">But before I became a mermaid... </span><br />
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<span id="goog_361333223">I decided to try blue, a hair dye I haven't tried and I've always wanted to try. I wanted the camouflaging electric dark blue which looks black but shows itself under light. It looked like a waterfall with my loose curls...</span><br />
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Little did I know my hair would metamorph and strip its own colour and present people who saw my hair behind my back a 'new' hue every time I gave ma hair a wash... and not returning my hair into the bleached yellow colour like most do! </div>
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The first week after I dyed my hair, it looked more bright purple than of dark blue, which is expected since any fashion hair dye won't usually appear with the colour you sort of want. Asian hair is stubbornly solid.</div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><i>Channeling #supermarketchic</i></span></div>
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It plunges to have a gradation like from the <span style="color: #073763;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">deep</span> <span style="color: #0b5394;">blue </span>sea...</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><i>The best moment on the tip ends, yet, it starts to show its light aquamarine in the third week I arrived home in December.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><i> Disintegration of colours, around January 2015</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><i>All colours have ran out! Just of what its left, however the blue gets all bright like Hatsune Miku...</i><i></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><i>En route to Seoul, South Korea. Washed my yellowish fringe purple and now, I have warm and cold colour.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"> To this one which one exclaims that "we have seen the Northern Lights, it's<a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/2015/03/wanderlusting.html" target="_blank"> here - by your back!"</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://igcdn-photos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t51.2885-15/10963772_771372419643548_440645984_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>The next best moment of hair washes comes unexpectedly for <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/2015/04/pidato.html" target="_blank">my graduation picture</a>: I can explain how it looks like a complete ROY G BIV since the purple has turned red, the gradation of yellow meets blue that turns like green and it's become those Red-Yellow-Blueish-ness I also don't understand as it runs between washes... </div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">It just gets brighter and brighter, April 2015</span> </div>
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Swimming back up for a lighter and washed-out hue, it's loosing its colour.</div>
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However, this hair has made a lot of bonds from meeting a same-age female in Tokyo who happens to also have the same hair and getting much love and appreciation which I can't get in my own country. The gap of cultural capital is just so big that it takes time for the people in the hood to be 'normalized' - with my pop-up hair colour bar, coming (hopefully) this August 2015.</div>
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Stay tuned as I aim to colour the entire Jakarta in full colours before moving onto the next city I'll open the pop-up!</div>
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Time to strip your tresses and get some magic going with the choice of your favourite colour :)</div>
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This is your mermaid on land signing out / or that kid who comes to church every week with that green hair now </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-66683284646117285172015-03-20T22:46:00.005+08:002015-03-20T22:53:27.996+08:00Wanderlusting.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
First ever couch-surfing trip and solo-tripping to Seoul, South Korea for a mission and time-out after coming back to the homeland has been accomplished. Without any frost bite. Almost...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Word must be crazy that I was by Han-gang at 9-10PM with the winds after a huge dinner from DMC... just for the night lights, really. It was my last night.</span></i></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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I came back, and I saw my mum probably received this calendar from the travel agency, and I was looking at it.<br />
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Friends know I have an 'ultimate dream job' is <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/search/label/journalist" target="_blank">to go out </a>and talk to people. But not just people. They're the Korean and Japanese people that everyone right now is currently fawning over. So as expected their questions upon my return was "so who did you see"<br />
<br />I said, "None".<br />
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I tried but in their own land it simply didn't work - it wasn't the country's USP so it would be highly neglected. Visiting on other places especially in the West, they'd be begging for some serious exposure. Time to morphin migrate I guess.<br />
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That aside, I felt that I've been slapped because the deeper story within how this trip has tweaked my high levels of skepticism and have significantly reduced it..<br />
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The trip gave the needed feels and good angst coming out... and how pure luck and magic of life's unseen algorithms (like <i>The Secret?</i> but we never know) I just need the world to prove to me that I may be optimistic about the bleak future of the earth we're directing ourselves to. Thanks to this trip I reflected what I have accumulated from friends and memories of such to say "Hey, it would be nice after all not to die alone!" - <i>slap! </i><br />
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On the other hand... these quotes from the calendar are all true - <i>slap!</i> as seen below.<br />
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/0c4m3UCg19/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_top">A photo posted by ら/ㄹ/R. "Rice" (@ghostxhearts)</a> on <time datetime="2015-03-20T13:32:54+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Mar 20, 2015 at 6:32am PDT</time></div>
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/0c4tA8Cg2D/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_top">A photo posted by ら/ㄹ/R. "Rice" (@ghostxhearts)</a> on <time datetime="2015-03-20T13:33:44+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Mar 20, 2015 at 6:33am PDT</time></div>
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/0c41tkCg2O/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_top">A photo posted by ら/ㄹ/R. "Rice" (@ghostxhearts)</a> on <time datetime="2015-03-20T13:34:55+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Mar 20, 2015 at 6:34am PDT</time></div>
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And <i>this </i>quote was especially befitting with the 7-day getaway out to unplug unfinished issues from where I came from:</div>
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/0c5Dgvig2g/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_top">A photo posted by ら/ㄹ/R. "Rice" (@ghostxhearts)</a> on <time datetime="2015-03-20T13:36:48+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Mar 20, 2015 at 6:36am PDT</time></div>
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Can you hear the <i>slap! </i>?<br />
<br />
Hahaha.<br />
<br />
I won't lament skepticism about the world's bleak future with current signs and sighs. However power has been given back with new inspiration, perspiration, expectation and new knowledge with each step I route myself to venture out in the city.<br />
<br />
Love has returned, as I witnessed something I've never seen in my life for me to believe that such thing does exist. But in order to be able to find it, how simple and hidden can this be? This is still a journey in progress.<br />
<br />
While this idea of being a skeptic is magnanimously lifted to some point <br />
<br />
Traveling for me, has sowed its seed inside me and grew to be fed with oxygen. Like the air we breathe, we need to step out and do it - I have to do it to fill in this oxygen tank.<br />
<br />
Seems like meeting new people that sends the same positive vibes or energy gives me much more strength - an extrovert at its finest?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-sin.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/10933763_10155351546720046_3866917615058047212_n.jpg?oh=3b565f13824397b615aa4a936e6bc6b1&oe=55ABDB85" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://scontent-sin.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/10933763_10155351546720046_3866917615058047212_n.jpg?oh=3b565f13824397b615aa4a936e6bc6b1&oe=55ABDB85" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This couple has lifted my skepticism by an immense amount</span></i></span></span></td></tr>
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Don't count on me after 2 weeks - I'll be hibernating for a month close doors in my room without speaking to anyone because business and leisure trip took quite the energy to speak both ends - speak professionally and to speak with friends after it all ends but it means double energy speaking.<br />
<br />
With the success of me <a href="https://www.couchsurfing.com/users/2000163687/profile" target="_blank">couchsurfing</a> (but this includes a LOT of random luck, really, it's been a very interesting trip), I was let for more, more, mooooooore.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Couchsurfing allows us to learn and live from locals, and immediately have friends to tell you about the society. That itself is such a thrill for me and I can testify how <i>perfect,</i> its tagline is:<br />
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You have friends all over the world - you just haven't met them yet</h3>
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(A little Buble here?)</div>
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I'm <i>dying</i> to go out now and meet. Rinse, repeat, and do it all over again with the right people, friends, and memories to be made despite all of these havoc - ISIS, global warming, carbon footprints, rainforest depletions, any other plane crashes, natural disasters, anything - going on....</div>
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<br /></div>
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Let's just try and continue to enjoy what's left, live in the life you have, while also trying to find the best solution to all of this.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Live it. I'm going to work my ass off and get some moolah in exchange for another trip out and bounce positive vibes around the globe and fill in my oxygen tank or else I can't live.It's a lust I think I'd have to cave in.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t31.0-8/10945801_10155351868595046_7306419887810817291_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t31.0-8/10945801_10155351868595046_7306419887810817291_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"You are here! We found it!" that tricky <a href="http://eatyourkimchi.com/" target="_blank">Eat Your Kimchi</a> cafe but we found it thanks to my usual map-reading prowess. In Seoul.</span></i></span></td></tr>
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Till the next journey.<br />
<a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/search/label/holiday" target="_blank">(see the archive)</a></div>
<h3 class="r">
화이팅!!!!!!!!!</h3>
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</h3>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-size: medium;">Wanderlusting in 10 words or less...</span></b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: medium;">Open skyscanner.com and book to a place you've never been<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></span></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-62847320460114255992014-11-13T08:58:00.002+08:002014-11-30T23:47:50.358+08:00No. 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Bi5IPSYS6s/VDFUCB8Km6I/AAAAAAAAD9g/25RHvsBhNHc/s1600/2014-02-19-18-22-57_deco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Bi5IPSYS6s/VDFUCB8Km6I/AAAAAAAAD9g/25RHvsBhNHc/s1600/2014-02-19-18-22-57_deco.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hello. A "designer's studio" feature. Korean version below. See how much I've<i> suffered</i>?</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<br />
Which was more important, the home first or the admittance to school?<br />
While yes, the importance of being admitted to the primary institution of choice is absolutely the greatest thing, I decided to rank it No. 4 because, all in all, the humble abode will house you no matter what when you are tired from the city's lights and frights of deadline rush.<br />
<br />
To have lived in zone 1, having a London address, a London postcode is something not everyone can have. I was immensely lucky to immediately have found a place that caters everything and for me to move in without problems.<br />
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So yes, that is the no. 3. <br />
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<b>Old</b>, for Old Street, the zone between central and East London; the tech roundabout, London's answer to Silicon Valley; Google Campus; and of course, my home area for my year in London.<br />
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Where it all started:<br />
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/1451955_10153525675480046_1614640523_n.jpg?oh=434fde31269fb6eded6f3db8c06b542b&oe=54E5D2D4&__gda__=1424660494_3ae1662a84279308e79eca0d35fd105d" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/1451955_10153525675480046_1614640523_n.jpg?oh=434fde31269fb6eded6f3db8c06b542b&oe=54E5D2D4&__gda__=1424660494_3ae1662a84279308e79eca0d35fd105d" width="400" /></a></div>
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I arrived in Heathrow with one suitcase, one handcarry, 21 clothing article, 3 pairs of shoes, and a mix of poundsterling and euros and I used it to this cab which no one told me about...<br />
<br />
It's been one year, intensely crazy, I bid farewell to the political
world of academia forever as a student but to return as a lecturer...<br />
<br />
Who knew Old Street would be such a gem? What's a real, <i>real, real pity </i>is the fact that I didn't explore the area when I was living in the area. Everyone can shoot me now that I realised how Shoreditch market/ Old Spitalfields was just 15 mins. away from me? That I discovered somewhere in my second semester in London. Say, February?<br />
<br />
Mhmm. I've moved out to the northern area of London in zone 3 for the next two months until 26 Nov, my flight from Gatwick. It'll be my first time to try on Garuda Indonesia, stopover Amsterdam, and to arrive back in CGK within 15.5 hours. Let's give it until 17 shall we.<br />
<br />
But before everything else, the wonderful one year in my home that I dub as the lost Grand Budapest Hotel (our lobby is entirely powder pink!).<br />
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Then, let me introduce my 'London workshop' for the year. A designer will always be a designer. <i>laughs</i> I had editorial design withdrawal symptoms because my assignments were all words-based. <span style="font-size: large;">If only, I could paint a picture with 5000 words, that would be nice.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>"The Grand Lobby"</i></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>"...at the enormous Dining Room"</i></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Peering through that rare London sunlight</i></span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10262224_10154034245185046_6312184686065822556_n.jpg?oh=aadcf834e90fbfcda077aabd40af63e3&oe=54B89268&__gda__=1421407767_bd92f9c0050373f6f07743fed0d3cd5d" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10262224_10154034245185046_6312184686065822556_n.jpg?oh=aadcf834e90fbfcda077aabd40af63e3&oe=54B89268&__gda__=1421407767_bd92f9c0050373f6f07743fed0d3cd5d" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>"Doing mundane things, like World Cup at home's comfort"</i></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>"Monsieur Gustave H.'s room full of love letters"</i></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(which actually, are my 'junk' of flyers, posters, and everything else)</i></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original beginning, Sept-Nov 2013</td></tr>
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<a href="https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/71422_10154056905665046_6431132316810453725_n.jpg?oh=1220a8014d7cf35279d707c840eab561&oe=54C9C628" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/71422_10154056905665046_6431132316810453725_n.jpg?oh=1220a8014d7cf35279d707c840eab561&oe=54C9C628" width="400" /></a></div>
Guests around the year... and to see how long my tresses have grown for the year to denote change:<br />
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LOOKING BACK RIGHT NOW ^ I'M STARTING TO WALK DOWN THE PAINFUL MEMORY LANE.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">OK London, time to see you properly now! At the time of writing, I have crossed of "for the first time" bucket list: Tate, Sloan Square, Saatchi, Hampstead, Stratford Westfield, North Greenwich, and the V&A at night, stunning.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">(At the time of writing, TRIED) To Do: More museums, Observatory, Wimbledon, Wembley Park, Queen's Park, do the Independent bookstore map, and other cities and Wales, highly recommended by <a href="http://www.lukepyenson.com/" target="_blank">Luke</a><a href="http://www.lukepyenson.com/">.</a></span></span><b><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-77748657947282069442014-10-10T07:46:00.000+08:002014-10-20T03:29:38.672+08:00No. 46<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strike> 46. Only know Yoshitomo Nara to visit London the day before - Contact PR rep for interview - Nab a schedule - Attend his sold-out artist talk</strike><br />
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This bucket list number is totally new, unexpected, and mission accomplished on the day itself (technically it was worked out from the day before, waiting for a response).<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VXuyE3sYe-k/VDcTukUGtVI/AAAAAAAAD-s/dZ-IY0jnfo8/s1600/IMG_0304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span>
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<span style="color: #f4cccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Who said that the artist's audience cannot be as manic and eccentric the artist and to what they are presenting? I digress the idea. Herein, proven. Ha.</i></span></span></span><br />
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I will admit I've activated press power in order to snake
through the event's sold out - in two hours about 600 waiting list names
have been in - and to get a reserved seat, while everyone else was on
the floor. I didn't get to use it for No. 32 - no outlet for it :(<br />
<br />
But, but, <i>but,</i> it's Nara. (see right)<br />
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And
for this new exhibition, I am ever more obsessed the way he paints his
character's eyes. With the fact that he has shared with us the process,
his layering technique with ever more beautiful colors are just beyond
words.<br />
<br />
So yes, I would like to own a piece of him one day (not just postcards). And no, he doesn't sign signatures. Moreover, during the long queue for the artist talk <a href="https://twitter.com/asiaRaisa/status/518098551529017346" target="_blank">(see it here)</a> there were that weird odds from the universe to place me behind an Indonesian girl talking to her mum-now-I-know-she's-her-aunt in Indonesian (so I know) and casually asked her if this was the right queue. Was I to queue or to skip them all through and go to the desk's guest list? To my spectacular amazement she said that she had no idea how because she was invited, <i>because her aunt is the artist's friend</i>. Let me translate that to you in English: Her aunt is a friend of Nara. One simple reason that happens is because her aunt is an artist herself, confirmed by the girl who I now know as Robyn, studying at Imperial. Sweetness.<br />
<a href="https://31.media.tumblr.com/35411cdb7574a2b23c13b4903e8442c6/tumblr_nd79naFcsj1qedrbgo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://31.media.tumblr.com/35411cdb7574a2b23c13b4903e8442c6/tumblr_nd79naFcsj1qedrbgo1_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Did I tell you I'll be visiting Tochigi next year? <strike>This comes in very handy</strike><br />
<br />
<strike></strike><br />
While I didn't nab an interview schedule, I was pleased to have asked him 3 questions during his talk. That will be saved for a <a href="http://www.dearzine.com/" target="_blank">Dear exclusive exhibition coverage for the London special I'm now trying very hard to collate within one month</a>. <strike></strike><br />
<strike><br /></strike>See and reblog my favourite artworks from this exhibition <a href="http://ghostxhearts.tumblr.com/post/99600336624/eye-merising-blogged-about-the-event-before-the" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> <span style="color: #f4cccc;">Statistically, 1 out of 100 of your friends will stand out as the weird one. I'm that one weird friend of yours - here goes!</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i> Finally, about the dress.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Megumi-san couldn't contain herself when I posed.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I said, "it is politically-correct layered dress and the attitude I'm suppose to give - it's all a fake"</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
This was the quickest OOTD decision with careful thought ever and the subliminal message I fold through is the best yet. I could drop in a 2K essay on theories of dress, but in a nutshell, this is what today's dress meant: I layered a metallic pastel dress, a color scheme the artist uses so ever often. Above it is a shirt, peeking collar on top. Where usually one wears inside a dress, I wore it out. Shows the abrupt layering and forceful show of being a slackety-slack girl. I wore 'yakuza-like' mermaid stockings, which I DID NOT DRAW MYSELF BUT designed from a lovely friend in Hong Kong, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rhapsodyisland?fref=ts" target="_blank">RI by Carrie.</a> Go buy. It was particularly white and the mermaid has geisha-pertaining make-up, which is somewhat the geisha's way of powdering herself complete.<br />
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While my question to Nara, or rather a stating point that his works are <i>mukokuseki</i>, it's hard not to delve that he's still a Japanese artist, hence the get-up that has that 'Asian <i>kawaiiness</i>' to it you can't help but dote or pacify... But to package it, a cream top with bold black slogan that states 'FAKE'.So, no. I bite, just like Nara's characters. We're angsty young beings.<br />
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Cutesy, kawaii, slackety, we're really just going against the world, really, and it's all just fake.<br />
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The shoes? Of course it meant something. Having similar resemblance to roses stuck in a bush, I'm only being a fake and getting the world's slaps by walking on thorns.<br />
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We are living in a bitter world or sweet world, and it's a reality that it's bittersweet. It's only how you make it, really. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eEj54XZWzbc/VDcU5Y_BblI/AAAAAAAAEAA/7YXiIl7_Lr4/s1600/IMG_0305.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eEj54XZWzbc/VDcU5Y_BblI/AAAAAAAAEAA/7YXiIl7_Lr4/s1600/IMG_0305.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thank you Megumi-san for accompanying this nut head today! Www~</span></span></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: large;">The full artist talk lowdown, snippets of the artist's holiday, more speeches and drawings and everything from <i>His Heart</i> will be on www.dearzine.com *promo, promo, I'm trying to revive it while I'm at it*</span></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Plug-in promotion in 10 words or less...</span></b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: large;">Bored of art exhibitions? Enjoy it <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;">your way (see above)</span></span></span></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-61610714042869657022014-09-25T16:51:00.000+08:002014-10-09T18:33:50.878+08:00Wednesday.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There was that infamous Monday, then it was a famous Friday. Yesterday, it was a wonderful Wednesday . The days that somehow worked for me like magic.<br />
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My closest friends in London pointed out, "Networking really does work for you like a charm" whereas I said "I still really don't know how to network in a networking event to just 'hello, what do you do?'"<br />
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But somehow, on cue like an actor who approached K and I yesterday out of the blue, he came behind us and said, "Are you involved in the media by any way or from the press?"<br />
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If we said no, then he's ask, "what do you do?" and then we'll politely answer what we do which is a start of a short or long conversation on how you bring it. How things work, very interesting.<br />
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So it was the time where I was in the cinema and I knew who I would be sitting beside with. Somehow he lost his phone somewhere and I offered him to key in his mobile (with a ready +81 but that was Japan and Korea is +82, ding dong) to call and somehow hope his phone to light up and for him to trace where it is. Smooth gesture and a quick introduce and the card's in my hand. That's my first and best gesture yet, it pays off being a specialist in the countries I aim to work in. Feat!<br />
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Even Y only told us yesterday the first time she met J while waiting for the radio, in the next 5 minutes of saying hello and talking they were on the topic of depression and suicide. She ranted, "To talk to a stranger about suicide! Literally!" Now that works wonders.<br />
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Wednesday was wonderful because of a catch-up lunch meeting at the Strand and new ideas are pushed forth and more forces are combined to have the opportunity for project collaboration, in LOOOOOONDOOOOOOOOOON.<br />
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Technically, there is some job happening! And if it really goes well with the plan then it fits perfectly for me to actually <b>attend my graduation which I'm too lazy to drag myself half way around the world for<i> </i></b><i>and start working on more creative pursuit. Oh boy!</i> So exciting (can drag on).<br />
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The night ended with meeting Yang-kangdongnim. Creator of IRIS drama. And he's so amicable.<br />
One thing I knew now is that there's no problem for SK to make dramas/movies about NK, and portray it however they want. Now that's, one enlightening and serious tidbit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yeah, we look like we're bloodshot killers in this light.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-3679632628617309652014-07-07T04:09:00.006+08:002015-03-20T22:21:08.671+08:00Yell.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gJYxkpOjq4g/U7HX9slRStI/AAAAAAAADys/7w5bb0rTRCc/s1600/DSC04471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>My editor-in-chief Lily-san and I at the historical Olympic stadium. It was soo bright we couldn't open our eyes, thank you.</i></span></a></div>
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YELL FOR JAPAN and, JAPAN TO THE WORLD.<br />
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Two days of Japanese music festival to commemorate and celebrate the final days of Tokyo's National Olympic Stadium before it gets demolished and rebuild for Tokyo Olympics 2020 (it was ready in 1963 or -4) - the day I got to firstly visit the stadium after the work begins with a proper press meeting, this is the account of the 2nd day of the trip and I made it to the stadium, where the <a href="http://www.britishcouncil.or.id/en/programmes/arts/indonesia-fashion-forward" target="_blank">Olympic flames were lit up</a> among the huge attendees!<br />
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See what happened <a href="http://bit.ly/jpn01" target="_blank">on the first day</a> to catch up where I left off - including meeting the musician and producer <a href="https://twitter.com/asiaRaisa/status/482477087912374272" target="_blank">Aiji after being Twitter friends</a> what it looks like at the Shibuya scramble at 3AM - is it <a href="http://bit.ly/jpn01" target="_blank">busy, or empty</a>?<br />
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Bookmark this link as this gets into major details from morning to night of day 2. To enable the full experience read it bit by bit and play the music later!<br />
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And hi again from the same place (my room and my new hobby of becoming a Shibuya Scramble day analyst/watcher):</div>
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So... in the morning right. Woke up about 8AM-ish and didn't feel hungry, skipped breakfast and hopped to the nearby <i>depaato</i> (department stores).<br />
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Basically we had to be back by 12.30PM to join the bus that drives us to the other hotel for the official press meeting. And meeting Aiji - now he did not probably sleep to prepare today, poor lad. Cos we did this at 2AM, hahahahha<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
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Boy, did gravity pulled our <a href="https://twitter.com/AIJMUSIC">@AIJMUSIC</a> faces at 2am in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo?src=hash">#Tokyo</a>. This mtg concluded us becoming proper friends just f <a href="http://t.co/lY1Jzdp1sN">http://t.co/lY1Jzdp1sN</a></div>
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— R@!$4 \\ Rice. (@asiaRaisa) <a href="https://twitter.com/asiaRaisa/statuses/482474016046059520">June 27, 2014</a></div>
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After making random rounds and not getting anywhere we went down to the supermarket and there, was glory of freshness. Now that I recalled and becoming disappointed in mysel<u>f that I WAS. IN. A. SUPERMARKET. A good one. </u>I saw a whole rack of Twinings tea to just compare prices (sadly, I can't inform you guys because I don't remember) but I completely forgot to have bought tons of <i>natto, wakame, </i>dried <i>wakame</i>, and every other bits of <i>konyaku</i> and dietary needs that costs a fortune overseas but just perfect in the country. I can say to you that I'm downright annoyed to my own lack of memory and again, the loss of appetite > no natural callings of raiding supermarket > forgetting everything about the food to bring back.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>From editor's instagram - with ocha on the side~</i></span></td></tr>
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Anyhow, this is what we got for brekkie <i>(right)</i>, freshnessss~! Can you believe it that mine (sashimi, top) was sufficient?! I probably wanted to nom more but it was pretty OK for me till like 4-5pm. I was in a ridiculous sitch of my own being. Still sad for the fact i wasnt able to enjoy more of being a foodie.. look how beautiful it is with #nofilterneeded<br />
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At 11.30AM we were back in our rooms to eat our brunch and the cleaning lady hasn't come to our room which was surprising - in Japan, editor Lily said.<br />
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And then she came in when we came in, and we told her that we'll be done in half hour. She apologised profusely to which I felt bad because it wasn't her fault at all! Living in the residence I am now in London, there's a set of time for housekeeping to clean the house within that hour. We have to evacuate out of our relaxing poses and scramble to find ourselves lost within the hour... well, let's not get to that because the sitch here is completely different where one is the <i>okyaku-sama</i> and customer is king. Super.<br />
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More funny spottings around Shibuya, taken from my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.765319936853795.1073741831.747109985341457&type=1" target="_blank">SOASSOAS album</a>:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Aiji during briefing - from <a href="http://twitpic.com/e4vrcf" target="_blank">my Twit</a></span></span></i></span></td></tr>
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After the briefing which later brought us to Hotel Cerulean about 10 mins away from our hotel, the bus took us to the stadium. The funny thing on board the bus was, getting to say hello to fellow journos and as I remembered, <b>Taku - Anna - me - Joe - Tilo</b> occupied the back row, and <a href="http://millatimes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b>Milla</b></a>/Warren was like "so hello you kids" which we did look like ones compared. Now that I know they're legitly enough to label us as kiddos. And so, welcoming team Azzuri - no, I meant the press bib team, for this 2 days...<br />
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PS. Shoutout to Joe here who became our trusty papz around our side, not about the artists, but ourselves so we pictures below are mostly his to remember this fantastic journey! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Georgia; font-size: xx-small;">Tilo and Joe, caught on camera</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Georgia; font-size: xx-small;">Aiji on spot!</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Georgia; font-size: xx-small;">Few of us here, from Tilo - Taku - Anna - Me - Lily - Chief from 'Gitar Plus' indo zine</span></i></td></tr>
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After briefing and arriving at the stadium we were given time before the concert start. Spotted <b>Sherlock </b>and <b>Downton Abbey</b>'s poster - indicating how <i>huge</i> the fanbase is here as well. BBC, you're doing pretty snazzy with this. As planned, we escaped to <b>Harajuku</b>, a stop (or was it two?) away by station! Now, <b>Harajuku</b> has two parts, the <b>Takeshita-Dori</b> (<span class="st">竹下通り)</span> area and the <b>Ura-Hara</b> ( <span class="st">裏原宿</span>). The former is a street known as the shopping mecca for most gals getting their sweet, kawaii to a bit of black metal outfits ala 90s Avril Lavigne - tons of shops are around and the most famous brand franchises open in this lane. There are a lot of tourists around, and I overheard one say "this is where youth meets and create, lots of crazy stuff happening here, especially with the way they dressed".<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fire Emblem from 'TIGER & BUNNY'</td></tr>
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I took the photo (below) in front of the famous Takeshita-Dori - the sign on top keeps changing every time and this one is the princess and the fairy thing going on. Check out the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=takeshita+dori+street+black+male&num=30&newwindow=1&safe=off&noj=1&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=aCLGU7fNHsK_uAT5n4CICw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=645#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=e4CBJdicOWIaWM%253A%3BpRgJF8Em2Xu1UM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ftokyofashion.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2010%252F12%252FHarajuku-Christmas-Pictures-2010-A-001-600x400.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ftokyofashion.com%252Fharajuku-christmas-pictures-2010-takeshita-dori%252F%3B600%3B400" target="_blank">other older decorations</a>, super cute. All offence aside, can anyone from Anthropology of Japan or similar to it tell me why there are a lot of black males, dominantly, in this street to hold the selling banner and shout, and also have shops? It's just new for me to see them in Japan - was there any trade going on or something? Plus, they spoke Japanese (duh) so I'm trying to trace back the reason why the chara exist. <b>Fire Emblem </b>is inspired from (which I discovered the show through its movie and <a href="http://soasradio.org/content/class-5-reviewing-bfi-anime-weekend" target="_blank">did a SOASSOAS review about it</a>). It's not common yet to see a dark-skinned chara come to play in manga/anime... half of them are tanned and not technically from the black race, if you get what I mean.<br />
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The latter, Ura-Hara by literal translation is "Back side or backstreet of Harajuku". Where the main street lies in Takeshita and alongside the road on the other side to find the famous department stores, Ura-Hara houses the indie and obscure brands and labels, created and established in this very historical street. I only read the history then again since I've forgotten everything from my undergrad studies. <br />
Without a doubt, <b>Harajuku</b> is globally known to be the birth of Tokyo fashion that sprung up into stardom mid to late 90s with their originality, creativity, and style. To pull off assumptions <b>BTSSB (Baby the Stars Shine Bright)</b> is NOT in Shinjuku/Harajuku area, it's in fact "south" from Shibuya <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Takeshita+Street,+Jingumae,+Shibuya,+Tokyo+150-0001,+Japan/%EF%BC%88%E6%A0%AA%EF%BC%89%E3%83%99%E3%82%A4%E3%83%93%E3%83%BC%E3%80%81%E3%82%B6%E3%82%B9%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A3%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3%E3%83%96%E3%83%A9%E3%82%A4%E3%83%88,+Japan,+%E3%80%92150-0011+%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E6%B8%8B%E8%B0%B7%E5%8C%BA%E6%9D%B1%EF%BC%93%E4%B8%81%E7%9B%AE%EF%BC%92%EF%BC%96%E2%88%92%EF%BC%93/@35.6435912,139.7106404,14z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x60188cbb498d3303:0x1ea96e04223979bd!2m2!1d139.703116!2d35.671532!1m5!1m1!1s0x60188b41980982e5:0x281fee575f516d63!2m2!1d139.709589!2d35.648407" target="_blank">(see map)</a>, where I lived I didn't take photos as I guess it's ubiquitous enough for everyone to experience the crazy crowded street and if there is one thing I should say, it's the disappointment when I arrived the street.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">After years of <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/2010/05/snap.html?showComment=1272982689708" target="_blank">adoring</a>, <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/2013/12/shojo.html" target="_blank">reading</a>, <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/2011/08/oh-you-fancy.html" target="_blank">adopting</a>, and <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/2011/07/kirameki.html" target="_blank">obsessing</a> with what is Japan and Japanese streetstyle is all about, highly concentrated in this district, I came back to write this post-trip with a huge sigh of disappointment...</span> the crazy clans or creative looking people arent as omnipresent as it used to be. True to form, there are a lot of tourists combined. Certain shops that house indie labels would be more likely be found in Ura-hara.<br />
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Gilda-san of Revasseur said the fast fashion killed it. Marcus was looking for <i>ganguros</i>. Its so back then and not in fashion anymore. I regretted not visiting this place a few years ago when it was still celebrated. 2009 was still before Korea and the Korean style grew too. I kept repeating to myself that I absolutely regretted not going down to this street <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/2010/01/1.html" target="_blank">back in winter 2009 </a>where I was <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/2010/01/7.html" target="_blank">visiting Japan</a> and escape while the whole tour troupe went to Disneyland.<br />
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Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh! It was still feisty back then, I guess the <i>kira-kira</i> sparkle is not felt anymore. Maybe the hubbub of things re moving towards Shanghai and Seoul? <b>Fashion business-wise</b>, the 90s saw Burberry and Westwood to have designed a specific and Japan-only line, and only obtainable there. That's how big the potential of Japan back then, and the reason why they were more exposed to international, western fashion, the credo that creates world trends. Today, as the market progresses and how Japan's economy is stagnant - plus post-tsunami - things have dissolved and not have been into pumped up lights again. Although still, Japan still has the most unique small market network and still sells weird services and product - it sells!<br />
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In one alley in Takeshita I found the AVEX ARTIST ACADEMY - the place to see future beautiful kiddos in Japan. It's a strategic spot; Kyary was also scouted in Harajuku then this is it, the centre of youth. The original AVEX office is around Omotesando.<br />
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We ran back to the stadium on time after munching in Yoshinoya simply the easiest food around... and off to the stadium. Upon briefing and entering the premises, we entered the area by using the staff lane on the left side - the usual perks to enjoy. However, with the Japanese, entering an entertainment venue was very well-mannered, not to mention how it started ON THE DOT 6:30PM with over half of seats capacity inside the enormous Olympic stadium. Now that's something I never find in Indonesia. Does the US have the same timely manner? Even in the UK those K-pop concerts tend to be slightly off by tens or twenty to bring the crowds in or just to give the wait for 'suspense'.<br />
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<a href="https://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net/photos/large/854745853.jpg?1401267221" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net/photos/large/854745853.jpg?1401267221" width="180" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #666666;"><i><span style="color: #cccccc;">KOKURITSU, YELL OUT FOR JAPAN! Bringing you the best rising and established J-pop stars in one stage, this was JAPANNIGHT DAY 1.</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #666666;"><i><span style="color: #cccccc;">(<a href="http://twitpic.com/e4w6e6" target="_blank">photo credits</a>) </span></i></span></span><br />
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The first concert was directed by <b>Seiji Kameda</b>, bassist of my band hero of all times <b>Tokyo Jihen<i> </i></b><i>(disbanded)</i>. Their 'eerie', funk, spunk, jazz, pop, synthesizers, electro, beat, whatever you call experimental but still acceptable to a raucous and spiffy head like me, it just fits and vocalist <b>Shiina Ringo</b> (sadly not present) has one of those unique shrill voices that you can't get bored of - it gets to you, it's not even annoying (for me, might be for the rest of anyone who dislikes the rather kooky head Japanese, heheh). Sot that night, with a full orchestra - all songs sung by various artists that night were rehearsed and re-arranged by him. Talk about the wrong venue - the orchestra was extremely beautiful and I wished it was indoors . Pop songs, groovy songs, upbeat ones and those melodious ones, all adapted to orchestra, amazing!<br />
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The report my editor and I co-wrote is now out in Indonesian in the magazine Animonstar. Here, below, I'm sharing you the songs I discovered and actually enjoyed the most! As a long-time fan of <b>Ikimonogakari<i>, </i></b>I was disappointed again that they sung the more latest songs I haven't kept up to date with but wasn't the best song choice to end the concert as it wasn't as upbeat and crowd-pumping as the ones I'm sharing below. This was JAPANNIGHT day 1, half attendance of the crowd but it was about 50,000 strong (<a href="http://www.britishcouncil.or.id/en/programmes/arts/indonesia-fashion-forward" target="_blank">check it out</a>).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Georgia; font-size: xx-small;">This kindergarten girl with such a big square-ish bag walking out, all alone! I wonder what I did in that age. </span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><i>No cameras and taping allowed in this concert - except taking photos of anything besides faces of artists.</i></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Georgia; font-size: xx-small;">Still acceptable to take shot of the screen instead. Seiji-san~!!!</span></i></td></tr>
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Did you enjoy the song choice like I did? I'd love to know what you think. (Artist, from top: Sukima Switch, Funky Kato, Naoto Inti Raymi)<br />
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Here we are, back in the hotel, while I decided not to join karaoke
with them (regret of the lifetime but I was too tired) I was looking
for late dinner to fail. Back to the room and wanting to shuffle the
article but sleep calls in... this time it's proper sleep to prepare for
day 3 chocolate disco dancing!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-71272047477694615782014-07-03T05:21:00.001+08:002015-03-20T22:14:18.602+08:00Den-effing-tsu.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t1.0-9/10350422_10154336907225046_4707004444125032955_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>YELL FOR JAPAN and, JAPAN TO THE WORLD.<br />
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Two days of Japanese music festival to commemorate and celebrate the final days of Tokyo's National Olympic Stadium before it gets demolished and rebuild for Tokyo Olympics 2020 (it was ready in 1963 or -4).<br />
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The invitation came along with us (my editor and I of <a href="http://www.animonster-id.com/" target="_blank">Animonstar Magazine</a> in Indonesia) being smacked for 3 days in the heart of Tokyo. So much things to do, what <i>can</i> I really do? Too overwhelming to have been given an amazing direct return flights, a lucky room that's abuzz in <b>Time Out Japan</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>edition that it's only for hotel residents with room numbers -01 at the end to get the full panoramic view of Tokyo through Shibuya. If you've seen it on <a href="http://instagram.com/ghostxhearts" target="_blank">my Instagram</a>, that very Shibuya scramble basically justifies the amazement upon my check-in:<br />
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This was possible because of the swift response and mailing of visa requirement letters, and who knew it was from <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEYQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.animenewsnetwork.com%2Fencyclopedia%2Fcompany.php%3Fid%3D249&ei=SNixU6W3GMHYOaK1gLgG&usg=AFQjCNGy7rZD-wNNv5N6qy5q3f2H4ajM6w&sig2=Jfzqdr3Mq40Txh_yp4hW5A" target="_blank"><b><i>Den-</i>effing<i>-tsu</i> </b></a>behind the <a href="http://www.japannight.jp/en" target="_blank"><b>JAPANNIGHT</b></a> project - which without doubt, we'll only receive the best from the rest in terms of service. It was my dream/one of those places I wished to intern!<br />
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Being really glum on that <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/2014/05/monday.html" target="_blank">particular Monday</a>, and post-travel that left me in such disappointing mood (I was extremely in the down side of everything, which I'm telling you after the break), I finally am able to literally scream and <i>yell</i> out that it was a great trip - I can now focus on the happiest and laughable things I did within the 3 nights I was there.<br />
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Here's the lowdown on the first day...<br />
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Excuse me for the
rambling. I guess by just receiving the pictures from Carine-chan who
took her awesome pink coloured Pentax (only in Japan, man) for Day 3 at <b>
Shinjuku Gyoen</b> visiting and all, for the anime pilgrimage <a href="http://fb.com/soasrsoas" target="_blank">project for SOAS-SOAS</a>
(previously introduced, check out my <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/unleashed.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>) and everything else
for my last day in Japan with the most pictures bring back the memories
and wanting me to write about it before I forget.<br />
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WE arrived about 4PM after a rainy takeoff, 11 hours before. The airport had people holding a sign "JAPANNIGHT" image. Anna of <b>Exploring the Orient,</b> SOAS society chum and also the "Korean Englishwoman" <a href="http://exploringtheorient.com/2014/05/27/japan-welcome-to-japan/" target="_blank">blogged </a>about our humble arrival and where our 11-hour faces meets the guest... she's the lucky duck that came along with me :D<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Boy, were we proud that both of our Japanese skillzzz were pretty decent to ask and understand the answers! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">On board LHR - HND, somewhere in the Scandinavian area, these ice lands intrigued me. Who lives here, how to live, what a fascinating place I must visit one day!</span></span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Tokyo subway virgin with the subway sensei ready to hurdle</span></span></span></td></tr>
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We both arrived from London, which was getting cooler again from 25 to 21 degrees, and the first thing that I felt was that... 36 degrees. It was 26 degrees, but it <i>felt </i>like .The air was stagnant. There wasn't any fresh oxygen. OOOOOOOOOKAY. I clearly have brought the wrong wardrobe or planned the wrong one. My outfits are now in shamblessssssssss they're very important for me ------------------------------ ><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">From my editor's instagram: The first night we arrived, the</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">view from our hotel room, it's bloody <i>Ichi Maru Kyu</i>!</span></td></tr>
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Long story short, there wasn't any point of stripping off - I have to get through downtown with the subway clothes on (Ha. Any <i>gaijin</i> would have felt mortified against a fully-clad kimono'd lady in this heat). On the ride, it was my very first time to ride Tokyo's subway down and just enjoyed the view and also people on board looking at us two tourists speaking English. Thank you.<br />
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In another train which we moved, still hurdling with our luggages, a very gracious elder lady in her kimono was sitting on the side, where we placed our luggages and clenching ourselves for balance. When we headed out, she was so nice to have said "Enjoy your stay here" in English. I FELT LIKE THE WHOLE TOKYO WAS WELCOMING ME - WHY JAPAN WHY ARE YOU SO <i>NICE</i>. Everything of this trip has been <i>nice</i>.Awesomeness (OSMness).<br />
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Hotel - arrived, found the reception, JAPANNIGHT table. We've made it to the hotel after being a difficult person on the elevator and lift and waited for the next lift... the 5th floor seemed so difficult when we didn't know there was a direct lift to the hotel. Again, they were <i>nice</i> because we were their guests but everything was done for us, we picked up our keys at the table and all set in for me to go to <b>Room 1201</b> and open the door...<br />
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*<i>fling those doors open, flop your bags on the bed and ta-daaaah*</i> LIKE A BOSS.<br />
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So the 30m2 room they've booked for me isn't as small as I thought with 2 queen-size beds and a decent-sized bathtub for the loo - with the panoramic view, I was simply amazed <i>that I. have. arrived.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The amazing view from my crazy lucky hotel room! I would've gotten a different single room without the panoramic view if it wasn't that I went to JAPANNIGHT with the 2 of us, with my editor in chief from Indonesia. Lucky~~</span></td></tr>
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The first night was already planned for me to meet Hana-san~ My editor Lily came along, and it went better than I thought it would be! Hana suggested to meet around 8pm and she works about 2 stops from Shibuya. We roamed around and thought "what to eat, what to eat" and we WERE in the heart of town. Lily previously said eating in <b>Matsuya </b>was good stuff, cheap stuff but still Japanese, and Hana was like "Eh, really, is that OK... ?". We were all cool about it because food is food, who the hell says no to it? But realised afterwards to <u>understand the culture of Japan once again</u>, eating in Matsuya for example has this strong 'odour' (too much Iwabuchi) of 'salarymen'. So having guests around and bringing them to somewhat a place that is not as <i>nice</i> to sit or chat or bring is something probably <i>hazukashii</i> for a Japanese as a host - although in no way Hana is our host - she's just a friend but lives in Tokyo and is a Japanese. She also remarked which I thought was gigglingly hilarious (is that even a legit word?!) "Uuu~ Rice-chan," eyeing me top to bottom, "you're so cool, so stylish!" and I was like, lady, where have you been you were my flatmate! I guess you saw me too much at home being in PJs and comfort of dad's old tees instead of me going out. Thank you for the compliment, I was very happy. し(*・∀・)/♡\(・∀・*) /// </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Guess - Lily, me and Hana, which of us is not Japanese?</span></span></span> </td></tr>
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Twas a good thing to have walked aroundabout the bright lights of <b>Shibuya (left)</b> and finding a lot of offers along the way, with lots of young men offering the menu and for us to politely decline or let Hana read it up... </div>
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After showing off my 1950-60s Japanese cinema skills to point out<br />
"<i>AH! Sochi wa Ishihara Yujiro ne Hana-san!?</i>"<br />
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and she was like "How did you know! Even I'm not sure about him he's an old star!"<br />
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and I was like "We're all experts in this now with the Nagisa's and Akira's wwww~ DIE."<br />
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Who knew my skills and essay writing completely about Yujiro became useful *NOT* to point out some retro poster (seen below).</div>
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At the end, we ended up in <b>Hanbey Izakaya </b>(http://www.hanbey.com/) - my experience there is definitely recommended to go for anyone who has a big hole in their pocket after getting lost in Tokyo with a taxi and stranded at the heart of Dougenzaka. It's ridiculously cheap with a retro affair inside - fun place to be anyhow regardless of how normal and nothing so spectacular the food tastes! If you're hungry, then every dish would taste just GOOD. But it's good!<br />
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Plus, for the ladies, we get free dessert - just for the ladies. Vanilla ice cream. This night is getting better. I was so full after being so famished.</div>
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Food was all sorts and tried everything and ate everything and who knew simple cabbage dish was <i>umai~ </i>(delicious). Only <i>washoku</i> (Japanese food) can do such things simply, efficiently, with magnanimous flavour our tongues are so spoilt with. The place, like I said, was just fun to be in, the atmosphere and bubbling pot of youths and working men, as seen below...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ohai there, Yujiro and some Titanic looking. My essay has made me knowledgeable about you fellow Otaru-ian and somehow know you when Hana doesn't!</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiPFcd9rCfc/U6lr-Jm-ljI/AAAAAAAADxs/TS1UggBcggU/s1600/IMG_5363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiPFcd9rCfc/U6lr-Jm-ljI/AAAAAAAADxs/TS1UggBcggU/s1600/IMG_5363.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And the menu. Very cheap!!!!!!!!!</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RqViDOU5Fv0/U6lr-_qraMI/AAAAAAAADw4/4TZ0ppo68Wk/s1600/IMG_5366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RqViDOU5Fv0/U6lr-_qraMI/AAAAAAAADw4/4TZ0ppo68Wk/s1600/IMG_5366.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Teru teru bozu mushrooms!</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KCLPitYLo5k/U6lr_I2bUeI/AAAAAAAADw8/yxtq8Cg1Iq4/s1600/IMG_5368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KCLPitYLo5k/U6lr_I2bUeI/AAAAAAAADw8/yxtq8Cg1Iq4/s1600/IMG_5368.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I can eat anything. A 2/5 standard tasting okonomi because it wasn't that piping hot and you're not in Osaka and it just serves various dishes of Japan.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FI1s4Tqs-w/U6lsAg7-H5I/AAAAAAAADxk/XyxDDxCUTl8/s1600/IMG_5377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FI1s4Tqs-w/U6lsAg7-H5I/AAAAAAAADxk/XyxDDxCUTl8/s1600/IMG_5377.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tpr9jDyYZc0/U6lsA_Hw66I/AAAAAAAADxc/N-BU8igQlCA/s1600/IMG_5375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tpr9jDyYZc0/U6lsA_Hw66I/AAAAAAAADxc/N-BU8igQlCA/s1600/IMG_5375.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wanted to say is that Kitahara Mie?! To show off again but of course the kanji isn't her name. She looks similar though.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kOQPUnVszBo/U6lr_qAoIHI/AAAAAAAADxI/EYbmCYyMVPM/s1600/IMG_5374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kOQPUnVszBo/U6lr_qAoIHI/AAAAAAAADxI/EYbmCYyMVPM/s1600/IMG_5374.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The best part - busting the TOKYO expense with super cheap outcome with all the food we've eaten! Way recommended.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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I can now properly introduce <a href="http://twitter.com/aijmusic" target="_blank"><b>Aiji</b></a> - not the executive committee of JAPANNIGHT but as a musician in his own right (definitely must listen to his stuff <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/monday.html" target="_blank">I've intro'd here</a>). I finally meet him for the first time ever and to say my gratitude by visiting him to his office after dinner. Jetlag, wasn't sleepy, rather tired, but wanting to go out to check out about town!!! And so, we went.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our first ever formal photo together looking... you know. At 1AM.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net/photos/large/858330665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> From our humble beginnings as Twitter pals, I across the Atlantic and Pacific to finally get to meet the man who had remembered what I do for a living (I eat air, only this comes in to my stomach pocket). His office was at Yoyogi Garden which was a stop or two away if I recalled correctly and instead of walking, Hana-san advised us to take the tube at this late hour (it was about 11.30PM or close to midnight).<br />
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I mean, I thought Tokyo was safe, but OK, just to be safe we followed her advice and went all confused in the train and change and everything.<br />
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Upon arrival, thank goodness for <u>free Wi-Fi around the station so I could get it and called Aiji on LINE for free or else~~~</u><br />
Good stuff that free Wi-Fi is being implemented everywhere. Very helpful and without having to understand a single Japanese, I think I managed to get it without having to sign up as well. OSMness.<br />
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Now I wonder how Aiji liked the two tea leaves packet I chose which has beautiful colours with morning star blues in it for the earl grey, typical English. Let me ask him now..............................................<br />
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Took pictures, talked, updated, talked, oh not forgetting to properly introduce ourselves, then took pictures for the magazine's future interview like one offshot below, and Aiji in the studio and then his producer/owner of the place popped by to share some CDs samples. Sweet! One band was also <b>London-based or recorded here</b> and the other was a <b>unique amalgamation of monks and their chants into some dubstep/trance/electro beats</b>. <i>Oooooh-kay</i>, I'm not surprised here because <span style="font-size: large;"><i>has Japanese ever not done pretty much first in the most eccentric fusions or products?</i></span> </div>
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So about 2AM, where initially Aiji planned to go home and cab, and drop us off at Shibuya, he indeed got a call from THE <i>Den</i>-effin-<i>tsu</i> (still stoked, yeah) and said, "this is gonna take long again, looks like my night ain't over" and led us the diagonal straight street that leads us back to the heart of the Shibuya scramble. Hey, walking is so easy and thank goodness we had the time to check out every <i>konbini</i> for <b>Pocky and all-that-jazz hunting, including the Don Quixote store that closes at 4:30AM</b>! Real important activity, you haven't gone to Japan if you didn't do this. I was very relieved I did this because in the next 2 days I practically didn't have the time or ENERGY to scour and see more stuff, even to go back to Don. On our way back then...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GahShp7fsEs/U7H19Fqu02I/AAAAAAAADzs/JwFL2Tot9kg/s1600/IMG_5390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GahShp7fsEs/U7H19Fqu02I/AAAAAAAADzs/JwFL2Tot9kg/s1600/IMG_5390.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Caramel shop. Everything here is made and moulded from caramel</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K7oxPkznxgE/U7H19LNPaJI/AAAAAAAADz4/Z2c3mmZ4_Uk/s1600/IMG_5393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K7oxPkznxgE/U7H19LNPaJI/AAAAAAAADz4/Z2c3mmZ4_Uk/s1600/IMG_5393.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
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One more thing before we went back to our hotel...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Jetlagged.
So, walking down from Yoyogi where Aiji's office is at, my editor went
back to Shibuya and became tourists at 3AM. Why not? When else?</span></td></tr>
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All the excitement and zzzzzzzzzzzzzz puts us to sleep at 4AMish, but for me to toss a while and see the glowing light from our curtains say that about 5AM, well, the sun is up, and I was about to get ready to SLEEP.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">A few hours later... like a few. 5?</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Compare, </span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So in the morning...</span></span></span></td></tr>
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So my day ended at about 5AM, and woke up roughly 8AM-ish... skipped breakfast because we didn't feel like it and went off to the department store... And I wasn't even sleepy. I was pretty much awake:<br />
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Officially, day 2 in TO the KYO! I'll<a href="http://twitter.com/asiaraisa" target="_blank"> tweet </a>and<a href="http://ghostxhearts.tumblr.com/" target="_blank"> Tumblr </a>it out once I sorted out what happened on the 2nd day (Harajuku and the concert, the major bits) and over with through <a href="http://instagram.com/ghostxhearts" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.<br />
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PS. <i>Sankyu</i> for keeping up with this post till the end with poor command of Enggrish. Talking and typing gibberish these days. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-65827983973505777352014-06-17T08:24:00.000+08:002014-07-03T05:31:46.264+08:00Unleashed!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unleashing the side we are not fearful of to show to the world...</div>
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I proudly present *with that dramatic drum roll* the professors in the making of the unofficial SOAS: Not School of Oriental and African Studies but, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/soasrsoas" target="_blank">School of Otaku and Anime Studies</a></b>!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Left to right: Anthea-sama, Jeanne, me, Eran, and Kash</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Yeah, this is school stuff we're doing ^</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We've proudly hijacked our own campus' name in the movement to say, we obviously need a dedicated half-unit course that really analysis and discuss the critical discourse and world of otaku and anime. We've named it SOAS-SOAS. Hey, this is serious stuff, it ain't just a kids play. We have taken it on <a href="http://soasradio.org/school-otaku-and-anime-studies" target="_blank">a whole new level</a> and we won't stop. The original story of how we got together will be featured soon... in a magazine... in another language... our FIRST INTERVIEW. *A low whoo-hoo*</span></div>
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This has been a remake of Jojo's<a href="http://images.eurogamer.net/2014/usgamer/1366060654969.jpg" target="_blank"> bizzare pose</a> (referencing either <a href="http://i7.minus.com/igJodgYSBIJho.png" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/343/9/1/jojo_pose_motivation_by_djwill-d5kl5jg.png" target="_blank">here</a>, or <b><a href="http://i.imgur.com/0Bpev.jpg" target="_blank">here</a></b> if you don't know about it because I didn't either, I'm really back in my late 2000s for anime, not as informed as the rest of my otaku panelists here) for a photoshoot we did for the <a href="http://soasotakupeia.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">SOAS-SOAS' blog</a>, which was Kash's media project but currently she needs to game up to continue to update and not leave it after we've received our marks (uh-huh, it was homework).</div>
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<i style="clear: left; display: inline !important; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><i style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"With Kash... Rice... Jeanne, president of the SOAS Anime Society, meeting every Thursday from bla to bla at room bla-bla-bla... I'm Eran, Co-president of the Anime Society... You guys are now so together. I'm Anthea, by the way" </i><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">-how our intro would usually go</span></i><br />
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The thing is about being part of the SOAS Radio, which I do have another show called <a href="http://soasradio.org/conversations-creators" target="_blank"><b>CONVERSATIONS WITH CREATORS</b></a> (interview based with Asian creatives) but let my co-producer handling editing and post-prod being really busy at the moment, you can do whatever but sadly unpaid/un-reimbursed with the hard work. But never mind, this has been the most hilarious venture ever and I think we're one of the best shows that our<u> first class 'attendance' has about 70 shares!!</u> A geeky record I'm not going to hide but blatantly say it out loud and proud, heh heh heh.<br />
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This has been the most rewarding and annoying yet addictive activity I have had so far in my postgrad life. I'm not complaining, doing this is like hanging out <i>productively</i> - talking about things we <i>like</i> and making stuff - the things I miss doing most in an academic campus. Absolutely loving the times of doing this and being part of such a genius show with a <i>genius </i>name - thanks to, d'oh,<b> Anthea-sama</b>~<br />
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Recently in the booth for upcoming future otaku/anime topics, this one's about <b>anime opening and ending songs (OP and EP)</b> and how important it is. It was my first time to have realised how inevitably important the song choice was and a vital element to an anime, which is also why anisongs (anime songs) orbits the musician into stardom and famous. Why? Class 8 on this! (At the time of writing, still on Class 5 published).</div>
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Last week we did 3 friggin' recordings for 3 topics. Talk about the sucking of time down the drain... in a good way where geeks and nerds just come together. On the table. The next two topics recorded is <b>anime pilgrimage </b>and <b>chara stereotypes and types</b>.<br />
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What should be coming as Class 6 is the debate of <b>Remakes. </b>Stay peeled and join in the debate <a href="http://fb.com/soasrsoas" target="_blank">when it comes out</a>.<br />
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K and A are the ones who are responsible for the post-prod, so in honours to them please wait until they're able to bounce it off fast enough. I've been very lucky to just <strike>blab and regurgitate</strike> talk things I actually don't know very well - these days. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For if I were to gauge myself against all of these panelists, I have almost no strength - I've left the Japan pop for quite a few years with Korean stuff on the rise and me focusing my research in it, little did I know coming to SOAS rebounded my initial plans of analysing the Korean culture to actually bring me back to Japanese studies. Interesting.<br />
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And, and, and, another great thing included is to chase an interview for the show which was super <span style="font-size: large;">super adorable cute burst into happiness and OMG squish die why Japanese peeple are cute gushing </span>of Tiger and Bunny movie director. Super good movie, recommended, I said it was "Justice League and Avengers combined" in all its commercial appeal glory and that's why it's such a <i>genius</i> show in our era today:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Director Yonetani, of Tiger and Bunny on stage~!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">HIS SIGNATURE IS SO PRECIOUS.</span></td></tr>
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Listen to our BFI Southbank <a href="https://www.facebook.com/soasrsoas/photos/exp.764982870220835.unitary/764982230220899/?type=1&theater" target="_blank">Anime Weekend 2014 review</a> AND the interview YOU CANNOT MISS AND GUSH TOGETHER.<br />
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THE BEST PART IS THOUGH, the fact that we grew from <u>A to F: alien to friends.</u> We've grown over the love of Japanese geekiness that makes one kichigai and blossomed as friends. So excuse me for posting good picnic piccie and an epic Turkish breakfast mealtime provided by Professor Eran.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">We've all got it covered and eaten our hearts away, tissue roll ready.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">By EPIC, Eran invited and fit 17 people inside a student accomodation kitchen. This wasn't all of us!</span></td></tr>
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That's about that. Anyway, still not done with 3-day Japan trip + 1 on flight. Coming soon as I just got the pictures last week of my own and I'm incredibly happy how the photos turned out... well, <a href="http://twitter.com/asiaraisa" target="_blank">stay tuned.</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">From my editor Lily's instagram: We WERE there for JAPANNIGHT! <br />My eyes are indeed gone with lack of sleep... story's coming soon. Really.</span></td></tr>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Plug-in promotion in 10 words or less...</span></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-78399981527939011722014-05-20T01:19:00.000+08:002014-06-02T01:28:32.815+08:00Friday.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
... The particular Friday, 2 weeks ago, confirmed my invitation to Tokyo, and the day that I was generously being pampered and well-serviced by a Japanese lady who does shiatsu for a living.<br />
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The particular Friday also showered me with heartfelt abundance and support from those who are dearest to me. It was a whirlwind week because I became agitated and anxious; waiting doesn't get you anywhere but trying to shun it off was impossible; it lingers around and around but I did manage to get it off on Wednesday!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Copying the most hilarious conversations I happen to have had for this same week, this is a copy pasting the conversation and how I absolutely looked forward in having awesome food and thriftin' shoppin' about in the downtown heart of Tokyo...!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.359999656677246px;">I keep having the most delightful conversations today by meeting friends who has gone through the finish line (fighting for ones still doing it!!!) so here was another hilarious conversation I had today with the Shiatsu lady, Machiko at school.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.359999656677246px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.359999656677246px;">Me: (on the floor with the mat in tiny room 501 with the door open, face facing outside the door)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.359999656677246px;">Passerby: *saw me, saw the lady, stopped and look back* </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.359999656677246px;">Hey, can I know how to book the appt?<br />Me: *bloody hell mortified/hazukashi as a patient anyone can just see what's happening*<br />Machiko: *pressuring my right arm* Please contact Leah and book an appt... Fridays only!<br />*<br />Machiko: *kneading my legs* So you have shoulders and back concern. Yes, you have a very muscular body, because you walk to school and all. You run? What exercise do you do?<br />Me: Yes I wanna delete my muscles if I can... (and all the activities I do when moving countries of carrying 30Kg x 2 and boxes and my school books on my own) I do aikido these days, sometimes basketball<br />Machiko: Haaaa¬ which belt? You're dangerous!<br />Me: Puhahahahahah abunai onna darou. My friend told me once that she's more concern of my kidnapper than of me because of this. She's so mean.<br />*<br />Machiko: *breaking my back* So, so, you will be going end of the month? What would you like to do?<br />Me: All I'm going to do for 4 days is eat, and forget about the concert. I miss nippon shoku so much, and nani mo Asian food. Wwwwww<br />Machiko: Ah, you want like tofu, miso, and rice? Yes yes, bacon, sausage, egg, hammu, or bread is quite heavy<br />Me: YES! Those make me feel so heavy and unhealthy with all of it I really want clean and light food but I can't cook because my house is catered. Gohan tabetaiiii. Natto tabetai!<br />Machiko: That's good, so you dont' have to worry about shopping for grocery and they cook and it's cheaper. But, *translated* if you like miso and some steamed fish and rice please contact me and please come to my house.<br />Me: (still lying on the mat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee<br />Machiko: Yes please contact me my house is near Hammersmith, anytime you say you miss nihon shoku.<br />Me: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥<br /><br />And she was just the lady I happen to converse when I was spangled on the mat for 45 minutes nonstop talking.<br /><br />SHE IS SO SWEET. OK I'm going to text her to say thank you now and see you after my trip (she asked me when I'll be back and took a note beside my name). We exchanged name cards. And... the massage was free some more.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-54105067775903012372014-05-19T23:28:00.003+08:002014-05-19T23:28:41.874+08:00Monday.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
These days happen to become on the month of "Miracle May" (how I dubbed it). <i>The</i> particular Monday 2 weeks ago needs its own personal post I haven't wrote in the longest time to say my thanks and gratefulness for the whirlwind I'm currently experiencing.<br />
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Monday was a bank holiday in London and I was still feeling under the weather, until 2 days later after this Monday.<br />
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Monday was when I checked my e-mail and it was there, the person who has been such a <i>nice</i> person I don't know how else to emphasize how <i>nice</i> and <i>wonderful</i> it is even though I have never met the person.<br />
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I'll be meeting the first time in person next week as of writing in Tokyo because he has given me the opportunity. And properly saying my gratitude and thanks. 7 days to go...<br />
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Again and again I say, he's one of the very rare and few people within the music/ent. industry that is just <i>down to earth</i>, nice, and strong in faith. Plus, he speaks English and is from Japan. How else could this be ever so 'lucky' for me? A-san, mata raishu!<br />
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Songs on repeat <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aijmusic" target="_blank">you should support</a> and do. Because of this song (below) it has been the very element to where I am today and what I have received. Like his page and<br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/131032481&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true" width="100%"></iframe></div>
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Of course, listen to all his stuff!</div>
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/users/3548400&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true" width="100%"></iframe></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-23611824350566855822013-12-27T21:34:00.003+08:002013-12-27T21:43:09.335+08:00Shojo.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Whilst everyone else is enjoying their Christmas and New Year's break here I am scrummaging time to complete my 5K analysis on the Japanese movie <i>Kamikaze Girls</i>, which I found it so stimulating, profoundly the most Japanese in the 21st century, arguably to give a different view how people might see it as a very Westernised product (it is but it is still Japanese through <i>shoka</i>). Then as I'm still struggling to write my essay I even had take the time off to share this interesting tidbits of 'did you know' and 'who knew' through my research! Procrastinating at its finest.<br />
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While still <a href="http://mymomknowsmyfangirlism.tumblr.com/post/69519427499/tsuchiya-my-new-hero-i-didnt-believe-that" target="_blank">professing my new love</a> over the heroines of the movie, Momoko and Ichiko, especially a new light to Anna Tsuchiya because I thought she was a singer but she acts so well as a <i>yankii</i>?! She clearly embodies that <i>haafu </i>personality which the director did share how Tsuchiya emulated the character in new ways out of the script.<br />
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So much research is going on to this paper and I'm <a href="http://instagram.com/p/iOPT2oig7e/" target="_blank">having the time of my life</a> going through my bookstack it's not even funny as there's no holiday.<br />
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To underline what I found about the relations of <i>shojo (</i>girls, teenage girls, adolescent girls in the global view) and <i>pink</i>, aka the colour for girls, and drawn into the movie, here's a visual teaser:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/9d71f76d0403d1d138e9b8516984e23e/tumblr_mxk73hH2Jp1rtef58o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/9d71f76d0403d1d138e9b8516984e23e/tumblr_mxk73hH2Jp1rtef58o1_500.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THE CELEBRATION OF SHOJO (GIRLS) AND PINK AT ITS FINEST</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/2531_736714856342597_1503854183_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/2531_736714856342597_1503854183_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Could you believe it, this 'scary woman' has a <i>pink, vespa<b>?</b></i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1jedkrWCW1qj40nro1_500.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1jedkrWCW1qj40nro1_500.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink is so prevalent in the movie, and Ichiko as the antihesis of Momoko the pinky girl wears, obviously, the genderized color blue against pink.</td></tr>
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I suddenly remember <i>Para Kissu (Paradise Kiss) </i>and pink as it's also a very shojo story<i>: </i><br />
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<a href="https://24.media.tumblr.com/fd4dece07136fe3b65cb9c6f0f01bbac/tumblr_my4vb8oKj31rvhow8o1_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://24.media.tumblr.com/fd4dece07136fe3b65cb9c6f0f01bbac/tumblr_my4vb8oKj31rvhow8o1_400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Off I went to Wikipedia and Answers to really get into the real answer <i>why pink is for girls</i> and always is associated by it, girl power... although I can't find the English text of Eva Heller's Psychology Book of Colours because she said that<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<span id="docs-internal-guid-4f697db5-3445-1e17-2cb6-6799ba6a3b0c" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The golden age of the color pink was the</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rococo" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Rococo</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Period (1720–1777) in the 18th century"</span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span> I've found Natalie Wolchover added to my bibliography as it has answered another great relation from the <i>Kamikaze Girls</i> story itself - I mean, take a look:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-4f697db5-343c-98b3-20a1-4a5779c730fc" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As for why one color-gender pairing came to dominate over the opposite pairing, Paoletti argues that the rule we use today may <b>reflect the influence of French fashion</b>. Traditional French culture paired pink with girls and blue with boys (while Belgian and Catholic German culture used the opposite), and because France set the fashion in the 20th century, their tradition held sway.</span></span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"This happened during a time when mass marketing was appearing," Cohen told Life's Little Mysteries. "Being</span><a href="http://www.livescience.com/14323-genderless-baby-gender-anxiety.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">'gender normal</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">' is very important to us, and as a<b> marketing technique</b>, if retailers can convince you that being gender normal means you need to <b>buy a certain product — cosmetics, plastic surgery, blue or pink clothing, et</b>c. — it just makes sense from a production or mass marketing perspective <i>- <a href="http://www.livescience.com/22037-pink-girls-blue-boys.html" target="_blank">Source</a></i></span></span></i></blockquote>
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Well, the five elements I chose that contributed the success of the movie as a transnational cinema, includes fashion and the new market of girls, the teenage boom. It was ridiculously appealing for production and consumption and within Japan especially, was the nonstop destination of affluent purchasing of luxury goods in the 90s, even for Western brand to establish exclusive 'labels' only available in the country. Moreover, Lolita fashion is about Rococo and our main star in the movie professes her soul to have lived within the Rococo era.<br />
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Mind-blowned at the moment to have discovered this integral aspect - thanks to my oddly curious thought to why Ichiko's vespa has to be pink out of all colors because she's... tough.<br />
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What a feat to find the red line between all this, the girl market has never been so dynamic, fragmented yet one brings it altogether, one here is by just the color.<br />
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Back to the essay now, clearly having new lights and materials to manifest the thoughts.<br />
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<a href="https://24.media.tumblr.com/692ca6f5cfd9a0c44967686ed14b9d8e/tumblr_my4yjxqiQL1t440yzo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://24.media.tumblr.com/692ca6f5cfd9a0c44967686ed14b9d8e/tumblr_my4yjxqiQL1t440yzo1_500.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #e06666;">I really can't focus now. Braindrained. Tsuchiya so apt. Should stop going to Tumblr. *sigh</span></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-36360714663735061102013-11-13T00:00:00.000+08:002013-11-16T22:23:45.864+08:00Crashing.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have found a way to get me <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/enough.html" target="_blank">out of here</a> for just one year.<br />
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I would have to eliminate warm, fuzzy, human feelings and change into a state of humanoid - without feelings.<br />
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"We evolved a psychological system of <b>emotional attachment</b>" (from <a href="http://markmanson.net/sex-and-our-psychological-needs" target="_blank">Manson</a>) and this is exactly what I would have to work towards to eliminate it. For one year. Just one year.<br />
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Can anyone give me a crash course to be a complete "cold-hearted player" for 1 year?<br />
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I have to, or else I won't be able to reach to my end target and make the world warmer than ever in this freezing hell made by the people who loves money bloody damn too much more than the value of their own soul.<br />
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And even though I've gone through it, "it’s not changing any time soon" either.<br />
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Loved Mark Manson's <a href="http://markmanson.net/sex-and-our-psychological-needs" target="_blank">article</a> (although I wonder why there is a point in writing this and people so helpless because you're suppose to realise it itself, aka. control your body and not your body controlling your mind, like self-help books because it has to be done by the insides of you) and I've used it to this entire write-up. But really, he is my hero, <a href="http://markmanson.net/disney" target="_blank">'nuff said</a> <<br />
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<but br="" it="" realised="" should="" this="" too.="" ve="" you="" yourself=""></but><br />
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<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/56b1824869427cea0d212990eb942b87/tumblr_mfakchnvuT1qzdzabo1_500.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/56b1824869427cea0d212990eb942b87/tumblr_mfakchnvuT1qzdzabo1_500.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><br />
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If you really want to spiral in with me, this is exactly how I feel - Tablo has probably viewed in different problem (heck cares where we graduate or not, I'm still with him) but the lyrics are all the same state of being emotionless and what's in the future without oxygen. This song has been a favorite of mine and now the lyrics even made more sense in the journey I'm now drowning. Human made, human consequences. Read, consume, lyrics, carefully.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-43964076812254751922013-11-11T01:10:00.001+08:002013-11-11T01:10:12.704+08:00Enough.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have had enough of this dog-eat-dog, cat-eat-cat, adults-eat-babies world.</div>
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<i>Celui qui voit tout en noir. Voir en noir. </i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Can someone pull me out of this; please keep me sane.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-86779324406024334022013-11-03T01:22:00.000+08:002013-11-03T01:32:33.334+08:00Five.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Spot Liberty? My mind is in this mess. How can you not be in the world today?</span></span></span></td></tr>
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In just 5 weeks enrolled in school for my MA course, I have gotten all my curiosities and answers I needed about life, culture, and of Japan (as my specialist region lies in Asia, Japan was my ultimate source of curiosity and inspiration to why they are the 'finest' breeds of all society in Asia). <br />
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6 hours of class per week, the entire week dedication of borrowing and reading books from the reading week.<br />
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<b>My life-deepening curiosities were (some related to how to rise cultural capital and creative industries):</b><br />
1. How Japan rose and became 'The Asia' and be in par with the benchmark against Western 'culture'<br />
2. Why is the world is as is today?<br />
3. The vulnerability of the now generation and the bleak future for the next gen<br />
4. Why is the no. 1 media and entertainment content has and always been America? Is it because its in English?<br />
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And, I found those and found much, much, much more to put me into insanity <br />
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<a name='more'></a>I'm currently enrolled at <a href="http://soas.ac.uk/" target="_blank">SOAS</a> in the <a href="http://www.soas.ac.uk/soasoas/degree-programmes/" target="_blank">MA GCCI course</a><a href="http://./">.</a><br />
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What I expected to delve into was to organise and understand the systems of the creative industries which as been a hot topic and an optimistic slice from the bleak economy.Dr Charles Landry was the hero in idealising this.<br />
<br />
What I didn't expect that the foundational studies or what creative industries was the breakout of people that started to question their existential being in the society - how culture was made, developed under political views that I've never honestly cared about before. *Why meeeee* <b>(╯°□°╯^* ┻━┻</b>) <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>1. On Japan</b>, which is indeed I herald them as the society which are above all else, they've got an entirely and completely different dimension in life and way of thinking of their own like no other.<br />
<br />
They've always been somewhat the one who took the innovative turn before most around the world; to have thought of things in such a way. Easy examples include Japanese movies which are then taken the ideas of and Hollywood directors getting the credit of fame <i>(the connection with question no. 5). </i>Although in remindance that nothing is original today; to make is to imitate and practice until you find your own style.<br />
<br />
Movie<a href="http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FPaprika_(2006_film)&ei=Wgt1UoulH4WDhQeN3oHoCg&usg=AFQjCNGf179rypiHaKE_YC1HKTeRdNQCDQ&sig2=p0Te6ZJZ_RLNF0e_2JUi1A" target="_blank"><b> Paprika (2006) </b></a>and <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FInception&ei=ygt1UuDTDsythQe-zIGoAg&usg=AFQjCNEye5w3fgGdrS2he7rT-inaZ7DR3w&sig2=1q863XbF8b9d0zqmnNJtWA&bvm=bv.55819444,d.ZG4" target="_blank"><b>Inception (2010)</b></a> (a discussion <a href="http://uaddit.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=15125">here</a> but since I'm biasedly towards the anime you can read the biased view <a href="http://farfromthesilverscreen.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/anime-vs-hollywood-paprika-inception/">here hehe</a>)<the a="" debate="" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0851578/board/nest/178027622?ref_=tt_bd_1" on="" target="_blank" went=""></the><br />
Movie <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CD8QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FBattle_Royale_(film)&ei=QA91UpnxEceRhQegnYGQCQ&usg=AFQjCNGdM66bzsEY0nLANCcW9sDbYimxeA&sig2=sRs3hJtS39UXdUa8hceviA&bvm=bv.55819444,d.ZG4" target="_blank"><b>Battle Royale (2000</b>)</a> and <b>The Hunger Games (2011)</b> <their a="" debate="" href="http://io9.com/5888124/did-the-hunger-games-really-rip-off-battle-royale" target="_blank">(discussion<a href="http://io9.com/5888124/did-the-hunger-games-really-rip-off-battle-royale"> here</a>)</their><br />
<br />
And, Christopher Nolan DID STATE about it: "Christopher Nolan cites [<cite class="e anime">Paprika</cite>] as one
of the principal influences and was inspired by its main character to
flesh out his character played by Ellen Page, a 'spirit architect' named
Ariadne."<a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.co.uk/interest/2010-07-20/bloody-monday-manga-creators-draw-inception-poster"> source</a><br />
<br />
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">
&You get the gist, those two will leave you hanging and with a lot of homework of research and rewatching the movies several times. Similarities were <b>both Japanese movies were from a novel.</b> But the latter movies, most arguments say it isn't a novel idea but taken from the act of gladiators. Both had different direction of outcome (BR in 'saving the society', HG is about rebellion against authority).</div>
<br />
<b>Then on why Japan is Japan today, as "The Asia" before the rise of internet (that opened all doors)? Why the whole world knew about Japanese culture as "Asia", </b>quoted from <i>Handbook of Japanese Popular Culture by Richard Gid Powers and Hidetoshi Kato:</i><br />
<br />
a) To bring the nation up, their own nation must have pride in their nation, comes <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihonjinron" target="_blank"><b>Nihonjinron</b></a></i><br />
b) Owe's their brilliantness and the then-leading country in technology for the emperors in the Meiji Era, read below in the image cap:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aC4gW8jJipw/UnUm4CPkU4I/AAAAAAAADkU/BaMfCbQzPF4/s1600/untitled.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aC4gW8jJipw/UnUm4CPkU4I/AAAAAAAADkU/BaMfCbQzPF4/s1600/untitled.JPG" height="464" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Click to enlarge, excerpt from <i>In Praise of Slow</i> by Carl Honore. About Japan.</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"> YOU CAN SCREAM "AHA!" NOW.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Admit it: Japanese people are always the most amazing and this class I'm in testifies to that too. <strike>(I must have been a Japanese in my past life being so pos about them)</strike></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>2. I'm blaming the root of all causes is by the mass/popular culture and mass media, which of course is 'run' by America.</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Popular entertainment, particularly on television, is truly a wasteland in T.S. Eliot's sense of the term as well as Newton Minow's: a junk heap populated with fragments of once-vigorous cultural forms, now detached from their communities and belief systems and turnedinto mindless diversions, sometimes narcotic, other times stimulant" (Introduction, page xi, <i>Popular Handbook of Japanese Culture</i>)</blockquote>
<br />
It's ultimately <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/wwyd.html" target="_blank">your choice</a> to not or stay in tuned with it. However the choices we are given are also part of control and capitalism. However you don't have to think so far, <strike>as I do think until all ends like a grandma and </strike>you only live once so enjoy it anyways. I shunned it off since 2006 to switch to Asian content (because I also wouldnt understand the language even though it might be profane but visuals and graphics were then respecting the <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/wwyd.html" target="_blank">Eastern heritage of modesty</a>). I won't argue now that it's as corrupted as any other because of the benchmark, case no. 4. (There's hefty more to keep you mindfugged and delusional but I'll just leave it here as it's already written in my essay instead)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://31.media.tumblr.com/a24f1a9e1540f57cff1f47eddcdbb59e/tumblr_mvfx72vrY71ry9vkao1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://31.media.tumblr.com/a24f1a9e1540f57cff1f47eddcdbb59e/tumblr_mvfx72vrY71ry9vkao1_500.gif" height="200" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Dimensions, choices, decisions...</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>3. Internet, vulnerability, can anyone tell me <u>what has technology ever done good for nature?</u></b><br />
And it branches out that internet is a virtual platform where there was once a time we can only watch 1 person at a time in a big stage; now the whole world's a stage and anyone can climb up to the stage. Welcome to the open stage of the internet to share what was once something you only do in private to be everybody's amusement. I've never thought internet as the best thing in the world that has ever happened. It might've struck a chord to break out of capitalism but yet it returns to it once again.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Add No. 2 and No.3 together and it makes the world amass: all hell breaks loose as it is today, thank you.</span><br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>4.</b> Nope, I haven't found the answer to this yet, I'm very intrigued to what I will find soon because I honestly want to know why the whole world is watching Transformers franchise series instead of movies made in France, China, Vietnam, whatever. Why? Someone out there must know, pray do tell below!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">OK, I've come to the end reading your view, so what's the solution?</span><br />
<br />
I agree to the plot where Battle Royale is about<span style="font-size: large;"> "Life is a game, so
fight for survival and find out if you’re worth it!” </span>and that was
exactly what I thought to save Earth. Because too much of everything isn't good - imagine that everyone is all urbanised and wants to be educated, no one wants to work as a farmer and what are we eating, artificial vegetables? You'll die faster anyway ruining bodies because everyone wants to work in the city and not caring less about the space of forests and lands when the Earth needs to breathe and have time to grow what it can for normal food.<br />
<br />
Why do we need a lot of food and artificially made food? Because there's too much people in the world. So, we'd have to eliminate ones just uselessly taking up space and not doing anything and keep the ones who are "worth it". Hitler in my head.<br />
<br />
<br />
Back to No.1's movie discussion: It's without question inhumane. But, do you agree or disagree? Justify first as it took me countless [just] days to think of a solution to make Earth breathe again.<br />
<br />
This made me insane for sure, thinking how <i>you</i> could be so ignorant with the world today and still live like there's a bright tomorrow. I had indeed kept my saneness because I had faith. <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://imgs.mi9.com/uploads/movie-tv/1504/paprika-movie-still_422_21023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://imgs.mi9.com/uploads/movie-tv/1504/paprika-movie-still_422_21023.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Exactly. Going out ot sanity.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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As it happens, that’s advice offered to the young from an old man: the
film’s director, Kinji Fukasaku, was seventy when he made “Battle
Royale.” “Those were my words to the next generation of young people,”
he explained to an interviewer. In a conversation with Steve Rose of <i>The Guardian</i>,
Fukasaku explains that, as a boy during the Second World War, he worked
with other kids in a munitions factory; when Allied bombs fell, they
would use each other as human shields, then work together to clear the
bodies afterwards. “We didn’t really blame each other,” he said, “but it
made me understand about the limits of friendship.”</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Source quote above from <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2012/04/the-real-hunger-games-battle-royale.html" target="_blank">New Yorker</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
All pictures from the movie still Paprika, various sources</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm done for the timebeing but being a student the journey still continues on... new page category!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">Putting it 10 words and less...</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;">MINDFUGGED. MINDFAKQ. How can everyone still live after all this.</span></span></span></span></b></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-63244376521873918592013-10-08T04:15:00.000+08:002013-10-08T04:15:07.811+08:00WWYD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Know if or not know it, I've moved to London for postgrad studies dad's been pestering of me going out of the house or else...but all in all I've arrived and started everything and got, a fresher's flu. A freshie in the West in the fall weather and down with a wet nose to welcome me (amidst the honestly friendly weather of sunshine and wind that's totally human).<br />
<br />
It's definitely going to get a lot colder than this so this is a good welcome, better now than later in the middle of the semester which has chuckloads of reading to do...<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2RKxAzAMahQ/Tdw8SIi0T7I/AAAAAAAAAGE/9lmdQI2i2gE/s1600/asianeuropeanblend3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2RKxAzAMahQ/Tdw8SIi0T7I/AAAAAAAAAGE/9lmdQI2i2gE/s320/asianeuropeanblend3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talking about beauty is another entire database of research and perception.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Not the point now. I think I have a clear goal as a very mild-to-none feminist mission - <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/sm.html" target="_blank">seeing in my previous last blog post on a random month about how sex and entertainment industry is now giving free sex through pop culture and music</a> - in their tiniest sense to bring back sense to the girls in today's world, especially with the Eastern heritage. I was home all day and a Hall mate of mine in the study room was present; we were discussing about here and there and about globalisation, Western notions, and everything - in this terms, it's relationship, love, sex, everything - MILEY will be one case of the extreme.<br />
<br />
In regards to crudely devaluate female.<br />
<br />
Eastern values still remain intact with me, although I live as an individualistic, introverted, metropolitan single that wishes to remain silent, until another being throws in the question for me to react to it, which is almost found in every first world metropolitan city and means it has been under the Western culture.<br />
<br />
With more women not having more integrity for themselves. As simple as my Hall friend A says,<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">"I think first, if I were to do this, I would think that if my dad walks in out of nowhere and no news right now what I'm doing, will I be able to casually say, 'Hi Dad, what's up?', then it's good. But if I can't do it, then, well I won't do it."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">And this is as concise and simply said.</span> I won't have face if my dad knows things I would feel uncomfortable if he knew. His colleagues knew. My mom. Demoralise. We're Asian so we still have to keep the Eastern respect. If I respect myself then I could face my dad in all circumstances of what I do. <br />
<br />
It's amazing how Billy Ray actually approves his <a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/shes-still-my-miley-billy-ray-cyrus-on-mileys-twerking/423415-8-67.html" target="_blank">daughter's artist's current image-reconstruction</a>, so I would respect on that that <b>"She's Still My Miley"</b> (however the moment I was watching Wrecking Ball I was squeasy in my seat - her dad can watch it too and well, his full-grown daughter is swinging without clothes, so).<br />
<br />
What would you do? I'm just keeping my self-check sane and integrity alive and to keep the Eastern heritage of <a href="http://dearzine.com/" target="_blank">respect going for teenage girls</a>, and it's what strongly I believe in as a mission.<br />
<br />
Next time I'm writing it'll be a whole new light on Asian culture, the study of the cultural industries and whatever I'm on <span style="font-size: large;"><i>fa-i-ah</i></span> sitting in as a pupil again! But, chunk-sized bites on lecture notes on <a href="http://twitter.com/asiaraisa" target="_blank">Tweetah</a>, for those who are interested in the subject, mention away!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-80228853181946613632013-07-01T13:00:00.000+08:002013-07-01T13:00:04.772+08:00SM.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xF3MC8PWgJE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
Nope, it's not about SM Entertainment.</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
It would be really bad if SM Entertainment is really the Sadomasochist Entertainment. Everything gone wrong.</div>
<br />
The news that broke out how Yura was protested by wearing costumes that could answer an ad that needs "an S&M model, in your teens, for a photoshoot" in Japan piqued me to watch the video.<br />
<br />
Watching the video, its forgivable if BEG replaces the 4 girls. They clearly know better how to play the eye being women, and not girls.<br />
<br />
I was squirming in discomfort while watching. So teenagers, right? 16 onwards. Arguing fairly, Britney Spears debuted when she was 16-17. Then her first full body latex suit came and that's sex enough to sell. But now anyways, Teen Mom is for 16YO. But sorry folks, that's the west.<br />
<br />
Why was I watching with my nails biting? It's still in the Asian context. I know Japanese are the best in selling their body like naked sushis but I suppose they're the first westernised country ever, and it's also still uncomfortable to watch <i>(You're a brother. Your younger sister prancing with her cleavage and thighs out in her own room following the MV and you happen to pass her room with the door ajar. So how do you feel?)</i><br />
<br />
That's for me. I was searching on the right word of black lacy suits and S&M came to my mind, searching for images when I found Rihanna's image. I didn't know THAT song that played along 2011 was that song! (Told you I was absolutely Asian and I have no idea what western music is out there) and it was titled, 'S&M'. Kinbaku below!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://images.nymag.com/images/2/daily/2011/02/03_rihannasm_560x375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://images.nymag.com/images/2/daily/2011/02/03_rihannasm_560x375.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
But she did it in a candy colorful I'm a Harajuku kawaii kid way and screaming while being bonded... is there anything right in this anymore? It's Rihanna, she's still young but anyway, forgiven because she's a westerner.<br />
<br />
This is the reason why I left western music in the first place; there isn't anything to watch for a then 14 year-old girl in wanting to watch something inspiring with good, honest lyrics. Think it's a scary world of exposure how one day you might see your little sister trying to bind herself thanks to a lot of hentai animes out there.<br />
<br />
BACK TO THE VIDEO... Well, those office blinders says one thing that those activities are possible when maknae and BF Tony An meets. Midnight gratification, it's not that hard to point it out. Although, these girls and the rest of the K-pop Mattel Inc. can get away with <i>aegyo</i>.<br />
<br />
Riiiiiiiiiiiiight? You're a boyfriend, you have this uber cute Asian girlfriend, let alone you dream of that K-pop ido lbeing your GF, and her contact lens oogly Pussy in Boots eyes just start to water and you have to stop those tears from dropping. Yikes!<br /><br />
Then, it shows girl domination - sorry, <b>grrl domination</b> in the lyrics how girls can approach the guy first and kiss him. The grabbing of blinders are more than enough. The silhouette of them unclothe and tossing their clothes out means something else. Presidents to shut down girls' self esteem to be comfortable in 'selling herself' and say that 'sex is okay'?<br />
<br />
In this modern era i's considered OK with the mega babble of the media and broadcast but with my Eastern heritage and <a href="http://dearzine.com/" target="_blank">my project that serves girls and their parents a G content</a> to empower them, maybe I'm in the wrong century. I live like a grandma, but I guess I've always been the salmon that fights the current of the river.<br />
<br />
And you think you can get away with your pussy eyes for forgiveness? If you feel shit then that's your conscience tugging you.<br />
<br />
Not the girls' fault, it's the entertainment/ concept/ trend-followers. But, as a whole in a cultural point, it keeps showing how they're ready for the crossover on entertainment - sex.<br />
<br />
Sex sells, but never the right choice. BoA can attest to that.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-4459534759850767962013-05-29T13:24:00.002+08:002013-05-29T13:24:56.072+08:00A-List.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zHMIlwyiYYw/UaWQT1zu6xI/AAAAAAAADao/2o39oNy9jB4/s1600/IMG_2527.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zHMIlwyiYYw/UaWQT1zu6xI/AAAAAAAADao/2o39oNy9jB4/s640/IMG_2527.png" width="640" /></a>Please allow me to just reflect the two-week-business-trip to Singapore whirlwind in this post. Amazing, crazy, hectic, back-to-back, 'nonstop', and the list goes on, really. I've gotten a truckload of things from physical goodies, sponsor bags, and FILES AND FILES OF NOTES from various events and business conferences I attended.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Hwang Jae Kun, Kathleen Kye, Jo In Sung, David Choi, </span><span style="color: #999999;">Dominic Lau, Victoria Hesketh, Hikakin, </span><span style="color: #666666;">Ryan Higa, Chester See, Wesley Chan, </span></span></i></span></span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Jay Park, </span></span></i></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: #666666;">Joseph Vincent, Boyce Avenue, </span> Eastern Sidekick, SPICA, Carly Rae Jepsen, AOA, Jeon Jeduk, Park Juwon, Jessica Alba, Jeremy Piven, <span style="color: black;">PSY, Weaver, SID, CeeLo, BLUSH, flumpool, George Takei, </span></span></i></span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Aerosmith, Hussein Chalayan, Carolina Herrera</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">More than I can meet in a million years' time, I did it in two weeks.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">one thing i regretted: FORGOTTEN TO DO THE CLASSIC HOME ALONE FACE WITH HIGA!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The two weeks was filled with master classes and talks on how to embrace and rule the social media world, the internet platform, and where it's going. After horrendous non-stop live tweeting of my life I am abstaining for a couple of weeks (sadly I'd still have to be active on Tweets are still on for article tweeting and my deadline for all of this!) to rest my eyes. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">This is what everyone wants to do to me on Facebook after picture uploading...</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Put me in your suitcase or I'll poke your eyeballs.</span></span></span></b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-56222100535217866832013-05-25T15:28:00.000+08:002013-06-01T15:31:29.935+08:00Merry-Go-Round<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Toshinobu Kubota</b>'s song which was apparently a hit before the millennium year started just got my heart on nonstop loop.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/g7EYZSHfWTQ?rel=0" width="480"></iframe></div>
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How did this come about? I had SHAZAM a cover of this song in English, thinking it is an English song, thinking that it was an original. Turns out after doing some research on it... I finally found the origin of the song, the amazing original live version, and realising that the clock in my house plays this melody! THE SONG WAS CLOSER TO ME THAN I HAD THOUGHT, wow!<br />
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Way to go BENI, I loved your cover so ba a a ad. <br />
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Now I love Kubota's live version too.<br />
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one comment say: BEST AFRO EVER. I AGREE. LIKE THE COOLEST JAPANESE SHIZZ.<br />
Good Saturday!<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">In 10 words and less...</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span>Who lived through this LALALALOVESONG era in 1997? I didn't.</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-67529745828804370322013-02-10T14:26:00.001+08:002013-04-12T13:50:00.536+08:0020.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Should I say I'm a liberal woman, I'm a free woman, I'm an emancipated woman from Asia, this is something important as I am well up and standing today in this modern era.<br />
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Updated: Another website but not in relation to the middle-up society in most developing/developed countries portray the urgency for the need for attention in this 21st C. - it might not be our problem to meddle but it's the dreams those every little girls posses before they even get to dream, can't do due to tradition. I've signed it, what's your say? > <a href="http://tooyoungtowed.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Too Young To Wed</b></span></a></blockquote>
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I now am 20 this year and with my life scope, experience, and current standings and upbringings, modern media and perceptions clearly redefine life, especially for Asian women. I'm Asian, I'm a woman, which path should I go - chase my stars, or let low and feel the grounds?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">20 and forever 19 at heart. No one does this sht except Asians. <3 span=""><!--3--></3></span></span></td></tr>
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50 years ago, our grandmas would've been married by the time she was 14 and had her first child (only child for people in the Republic of China). They didn't know about education, life, and continued to serve her husband, the man of the house.<br />
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Today, where I am standing as well in the position of an Asian woman and educated within the western structure as well as to it being exposed, our demands, aspirations and willing to follow our ancestral lead in life.<br />
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Women used to be the last resort for anything, and is not given chance to expand their horizons. Sometimes, it might be a better case to leave work for men because now the workforce is so competitive, both men and women now are vying for the last space of the chair to get hired.<br />
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What if women kept on following their parents' wish to stay home and do housework? Perhaps the workforce will not have this kind of beguiling, competitive, dynamic, overwhelming industry. But today, we are also in pursuit to be successful in the career ladder, and thus, priorities in life, is re-arranged.<br />
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Marriage used to be a must and is sacral; we now see non-married couples living together like a married couple. Now, Asian women, whom is taught to get hitched no matter what, is also following the business-minded footsteps for gender equality like any Western and decides to focus on their <a href="http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2012/12/why-are-so-few-educated-asian-women-marrying.html" target="_blank">career over family.</a> Article provides relevant changes and facts in today, and it's not absent among in my country as well.<br />
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A lot of feminists strive to put females to be equal as males. <br />
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Or, the fact that the male population is a little on deplete because it's a "cat eat cat and dog eat dog world" where men dates other men, leaving women empty-handed and thus goes on with getting another women.<br />
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I was in an arts school where our liberated minds do not put discrimination against; rather as the very best friends anyone can ever have. Trust me - I can enjoy my time much better in gay parties compared to a regular club. <a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/750066.shtml" target="_blank">Global Times has pinned it down</a> and I only could laugh while reading it ("ahoy, that's me in the situation! Love my boys")<br />
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20 is a start of a redefining decade - there's no more TEEN in my years, it's time to get even more serious. Like, serious. Pretty serious. I take my life pretty seriously or me in doing everything and having the label "being the youngest successful ________" in it because I have what everyone do not have - youth and age number. Something that can let me through the finish point.<br />
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And now I'm halfway to be 21 - legal to do <i>anything. </i><br />
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The issue came up when I emigrated home for a year break before continuing my studies later this year. Aunties, moms, and moms' friends would say "Hello, so do you have a boyfriend?" and in fact, today would be some informal <i>seogaetting</i> going on. I wouldn't mind - it's a way to meet people and do networking for I work from home. As a home kid, I rarely go out.<br />
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But the little <i>nags </i>and prayers for it gets to me pretty well and I understand that I'm still Asian and the even bigger fact I'm the only daughter in the house of course, makes my mom worried. (Thanks dad for not pestering and instead underlining my education and work is important, dating is another priority).<br />
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Asian. Marriage. Women. Life.<br />
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A friend of mine got married last year, age 19. Another one at 20. Another one prior to the end of her studies hitched at 21. I'm not complaining, it's them, why not? Life as <b>Lady of Leisure </b>is something I want as well - who doesn't want to live the big LL (living large) and be a <i>tai-tai</i>?<br />
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But again, it's me (helloooo, the girl who wants to be a gagwoman? yeah). Unless I'm chasing my <a href="http://about.me/asiaraisa" target="_blank">serious dreams</a>, <a href="http://mymomknowsmyfangirlism.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">whut derr fakq dreams</a>, daily dose sleeping and potato couching, I'm a very happy-go-lucky follow-the-flow que-sera-sera. I gots time, no worries.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">NEVER TOO SERIOUS FOR ANYTHING.</span></td></tr>
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With a target.<br />
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Adventure Time!<br />
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PS. Thanks to <a href="http://twitter.com/jamesturnbull" target="_blank">James Turnbull</a> for all the tweets and gave the article links.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-40190542816996277242013-02-08T18:41:00.000+08:002013-02-09T17:21:34.281+08:00Tanning.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
TGIF folks!<br />
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I went in August, and here I am backtracking for a #laterpost (in following to #latergram) from last summer's trip around the EU. Remember the big mess I had<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2722237377398020789#editor/target=post;postID=6637574783114550069;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=13;src=postname" target="_blank"> in preparing </a>for my trip? Well this was the outcome.<br />
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Tanning is the title because of the crazy heat that has targeted Europe to be a very hot ground. Not blaming, it made the beaches of Cannes look glorious with lots of ripples and sparkles from the sun. It was so beautiful and ... when you are there (don't enjoy the ladies bathing, enjoy the seaview <i>lah</i>) the very azure blue ocean is simply mesmerizing. (apart from that, my FB album is also called '<i>Greatest Tanning Trip of Le Life</i>' and I turned 20% darker than usual for my arms).<br />
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I still hate the hot weather. Which is why 3 hats accompanied me, and two of them are showstoppers because of the size (see below).<br />
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Winter's absolutely game over in the tropics and I'm sourcing for new inspiration for the colors and layers of the summer! Within my natural instinct, I head back for my 16-day tripping under the hot sun and managed to wear all the heels I wanted without feeling that I was the tallest in class. It's EU, I feel small. <br />
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Think a truckload of lemons (shoes, accessories, pins, dresses, jackets, hats) and is skimmed through to make lemonades + honey (accessories and the extra oomph of fakq) = squeeze of the summer for the azn girl on holiday and turning 20 on the plane. I meant, on the way to the <strike>plane</strike> airport. Here's #WIW...LY.</div>
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<i style="color: #999999;">(whatiworelastyear) </i></div>
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<i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Morocco King's palace; and the tomb of one of the wives in the olden days with the very cool guard with his sniper. </i></div>
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<b><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wearing flower visor, Lalalove London tee, striped pants and red wedges from Platinum BKK </i></b></div>
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<i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">At Alhambra, literally translated as the Red Castle in Spain.<br />
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<b><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wearing the eye-stopping blue hat (a tourist actually had asked me to take a picture of me and the hat, it was that famous among the group AND people looking), Batik Keris red dress, Bata sandals
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(PS. the day I bought <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/2012/09/ulala.htmlu=allposts;postNum=15;src=postname" target="_blank">my beautiful kawaii Bimba self birthday presen</a>t)</div>
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<i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Small town Mijas, I left my heart with you!<br />
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<i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Wearing a smaller version of the hat, Oink throw on, halter dress and Bata sandals.</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Top of Lisbon, hola hola!</i></div>
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<b><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wearing Cotton On shades, batik PJs (yep, doesn't it look swell, and actual PJ), <a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/2010/01/last-christmas.html" target="_blank">DIY vest</a>, Payless wedges.</i></b></div>
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<i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Lisbon, the next day, in front of the famous patisserie that made the first egg tarts and made Portugal famous. </i><br />
<i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pirates Ahoy!</i></div>
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<i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Wearing an electric blue hat, DIY drape stripe dress. </b>(<a href="http://whutderrfakqizvat.blogspot.com/2012/11/pierce.html" target="_blank">See the dress' transform</a>)</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Self birthday present of Bimba y Lola necklace I've been hunting; siesta time in Toledo. </i></div>
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<b><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wearing a Uniqlo striped dress.</i></b><br />
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<i> "Merci, merci beaucoup, Cannes! Muah"</i></div>
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<i>Red carpet moment in the summer.</i></div>
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<b><i>Wearing the just-got-in-this-trip Zara vest for $10, vintage dress, </i></b><b><i>just-got-in-this-trip Portugal sandals</i></b><b><i>.</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://picasion.com/"><br /></a></div>
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<i>"Madrid and the walking stabbil0 alien" (if there was a newspaper headline)</i></div>
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<b><i>Wearing the pixelated Sunnies, neon green top and skirt.</i></b></div>
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<i>Back to the Gaudi Cathedral from 1999 and of course, still not done but it is totally beautiful. In the centre between those shopping streets of Barca.</i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wearing Purple version of the hat, Tosavica pink top, ASOS blue dress, just-got-in-this-trip Zara wedges for $10!</span></i></b></div>
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<i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Milan's centerpoint in front of Duomo, the sun's being really nice.</i></div>
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<b><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wearing Oink rose throw, black sleeveless, Zara pants, Payless wedges.</i></b></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Bonus!<br />
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When it all are so poised, here's what I do to stay alive:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>CAMOUFLAGE. YOLO.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>TEE HEE</i></b></span></div>
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Anyhow, 16 days WAS NOT EASY TO MIX AND MATCH. Usually, I'd only use my brain juices to style thy self at least twice a week to dress-up. But in this case, it was, 14 days, minus the flight.</div>
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Afterwards I was exhausted of no more ideas to play with my clothes, haha. But, there's a trick to it to pack for two weeks worth - use an agenda. Read the itinerary. Check local weather. See what kind of tourist places you're going to stop by and match accordingly to the style.</div>
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I did that over and over for this tour because I totally want to take an advantage with the great weather and me in full heels everywhere! (Because when I'm back home I feel huge and too tall and it's troublesome and don't feel motivated - EXCUSE)</div>
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<u><b>PACKING TIP</b></u>: So day by day, I wrote top to bottom and shoes of what I wanted to wear for the next day, and prepared, in my luggage, for each OOTD packet, in rolls.</div>
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Say, this goes with this, roll it together. For the first day, roll it on top. Follow by the second and continuing days in rolls and it'll be easier to pick it up and hang 'em out for the next day.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722237377398020789.post-8952777107615705422013-02-04T13:07:00.000+08:002013-02-08T18:41:47.370+08:00Exposé.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My last summer in Singapore
(June 2012, ha) was filled with work, and great fun! What's more than to kill time to dress
models (friends) who has the height, waist, and edge of ‘tude I always possess
except the size of the clothes.</div>
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For a long-time acquaintance and favorite shopping place who has a magazine,
ActuallyMAG launches a styling competition called <a href="http://projectexpose.tumblr.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b>Project X</b></span></i></a> (Project Expose for
long).</div>
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I didn’t win, but it was great fun to have at least a permanent set of team
to do the photoshoot out and indoors! Here are picks of my favorites.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cb4xvKsB2cc/URRwcWgnveI/AAAAAAAADXA/shZxlmov4VA/s1600/tumblr_m6srhipWOb1rtfre8o3_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cb4xvKsB2cc/URRwcWgnveI/AAAAAAAADXA/shZxlmov4VA/s640/tumblr_m6srhipWOb1rtfre8o3_1280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Jerim, <i>Squashed in Squash<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>in my H&M lime hoodie</u></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KakD6tUPCpg/URRmbMHpP4I/AAAAAAAADWA/dgEn9kQgEdY/s1600/tumblr_m5318xl9Hv1rtfre8o4_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KakD6tUPCpg/URRmbMHpP4I/AAAAAAAADWA/dgEn9kQgEdY/s640/tumblr_m5318xl9Hv1rtfre8o4_1280.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b>Farid,</b><b> <i>Time of the Golden<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>in UNBOUNDED AWE and KIROICxJUUNJ sneaks</u></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9YYGJCykASs/URRmgNRpP-I/AAAAAAAADWI/5eqlETWfcaQ/s1600/tumblr_m4fm96u7Wi1rtfre8o1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9YYGJCykASs/URRmgNRpP-I/AAAAAAAADWI/5eqlETWfcaQ/s640/tumblr_m4fm96u7Wi1rtfre8o1_1280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Anita, <i>Monotone Rust</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>in my H&M Fashion A Aids beach crochet and 20:TWOTHREE dress</u></span></div>
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<a href="http://actuallymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/main4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://actuallymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/main4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Amanda (of Kindergarchy) & Farid, <i>Landing Mission</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Her in Saturday, Him in General Idea</u></span></div>
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<b>Manda again,<i> Royal On The Road</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>in L'ILE AUX ASHBY</u></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m5b_ADMBu4E/URRmqjyL3oI/AAAAAAAADWY/RiQVIP_2AYs/s1600/tumblr_m5ig0n1Q251rtfre8o4_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m5b_ADMBu4E/URRmqjyL3oI/AAAAAAAADWY/RiQVIP_2AYs/s640/tumblr_m5ig0n1Q251rtfre8o4_1280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Alex, <i>Coachella Belle</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>in my ASOS blue dress and Linda Farrows from Front Row</u></span></div>
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<a href="http://actuallymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://actuallymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/34.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4NZPl5Uo4m4/URRnVzIXODI/AAAAAAAADWg/1De4pX5yDuU/s1600/tumblr_m4djekweCk1rtfre8o2_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4NZPl5Uo4m4/URRnVzIXODI/AAAAAAAADWg/1De4pX5yDuU/s640/tumblr_m4djekweCk1rtfre8o2_1280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Alex, <i>Primary Framed</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>in my Uniqlo tee and Daniel Palilo skirt</u></span></div>
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Check out the rest of <a href="http://projectexpose.tumblr.com/tagged/rice" target="_blank">my styling editions</a>, and see other 5-6 stylists in the entire website! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904677897005386556noreply@blogger.com0