Cover of SEASONS （浜崎歩）+ 一週間で、試験時間！

Hello! Its the end of a cold week. :)
Before and after my OSCEs on thursday, the rate of studying fell dramatically (was too stressed from anticipating the OSCEs oral component - had to role-play pharmacy with fake patients), but is slowwwly picking up again. In a few days I will probably enter the panicking/I'm-screwed phrase so this is my last post before all this is over. 

*
Did this recording before the exams, but....hesitated to post the video (perhaps for good reason). Used a photo unlike my previous videos at the urging of someone, though this may be a case of ill-advice...

Anyway, its titled SEASONS by ayumi hamasaki （あゆみ浜崎）, which was meant to be for the holiday season (Christmas, new years etc). Its a little late, but hey! Winter is a wonderful season, cold and exams aside. :)
Cheers!

And wish me luck!

Everyone(?) is excited for snow...

...well at least for the tropical-countrybumpkin residing in London, which only sees this weather phenomenon gracing its skies a few privileged days of the year! Finally some proper, ongoing, ground-accumulating snow!

Keeping sane during a fortnight of bitter hibernation

Well, today marks 2 weeks till start of my exams and with the advent of a (finally) colder climate here of around freezing, the beginning of  the peak of my sedentary lifestyle is here. Other than grappling with the consequences of revision procrastination, my teeth also decided they want attention and is gingerly hurting with occasional flares brought on by less cautious chewing and whatnots. My hair and skin is also frizzing and cracking somewhat. 

On the brightside, all my recent online shopping orders came through (saw so many mailmen) including bodyshop tolietries, the usual bag and clothes and more significantly, a yellow pikachu  nintendo 3dsxl console! 

(Yes I gave in against better judgement). 

Got the cartridges for pokemon white 2 and a free e-download professor layton & the miracle mask, and waiting for "The world ends with you" to arrive.

Some thoughts on the console itself:
-The design is average, it could be cuter with a full bodied pikachu instead but no complaints here. it is limited edition and so far released only in Japan and Europe so I'm happy it will be a rare species in Singapore (for the moment at least).
-Screen resolution is like the reviews said, not as clear as it can be. Even my samsung ace phone has better screen, but is a bummer I guess cause it is the one thing I think could have made this console perfect. The selling point is its 3D capability which nintendo tried to maximise with things like augmented reality etc, but if the resolution is poor, it highlights the fact that you are still seeing it on a screen instead of helping the imagination that it is more like a hologram.
-Nintendo's interface is cutesy vs sony etc (Japan. figures) which is definitely appealing to girls. :)
-Its a little heavy, but feels sturdy and durable.
-There is a browser for internet but its not as friendly to use as your handy smartphones.

Overall I think it is (definitely) a tad overpriced, since the games are all so expensive 20-30+pds per game?!? (keeping in mind i traditionally do not fork out money for all the games i have played, this is too much for my poor wallet.) And the blasphemy is that some games like pokemon black and white only allows one save file so your friend/family member can't even share a cartridge. :(

But well, price gripes aside, its a cute little nifty gaming console to keep in your bag and open up at will to play it. I especially like leaving it on sleep mode and flipping it open to see the game loaded on the screen immediately. Thats something a PC can't do!

x Back to studying!

[Cover] Pure again (Breath of fire 3)

A cover of the ending song "Pure again" from the fantasy RPG game "Breath of fire III". 

Recorded in the summer of 2012.

Van

きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ - ふりそでーしょん,Kyary Pamyu Pamyu furisodeshon

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has been a very popular icon in Japan for a while now since her original PON PON PON days, and while I'm didn't necessary really like her at first (trying too hard to be radical?) but she's been consistently quite cute&weird which I like more than just over the top cuteness of say Japanese Lolitas (frilly-ness and pink overload), so here's a plug of her latest song (whose MV I find is one of her nicer and less cutesy grotesque ones) that is brimming with new year festivity cuteness. :)

Furisode is a type of formal long-sleeved kimono worn by unmarried women on the '成人の日' coming of age day for those who are turning 20 (meh long gone for me) on the 2nd Monday of Jan, so I guess this song is released in time for that!

 - Van 

Since there are no translations on the web, with my half-assed Japanese, here is the english meaning of the simple song. Should be ~90% correct!

はたち はたち はたち はたち

hatachi hatachi hatachi hatachi

(20 years, 20 years...)

あたし あたし はたち ふりそでーしょん

atashi atashi hatachi furisodeshon

(Me, me, 20 years furisodeshon)

はたち はたち はたち だけなの？

hatachi hatachi hatachi dake nano?

(20 years, 20 years only right?)

そうでしょあたしはたちはたちのふりそでーしょん

sou desho atashi hatachi hatachi no furisodeshon

(Isn't it right, my 20 years's furisodeshon)

こんにちは こんな 記念日は

konnichiwa konna kinenbi wa

(Good morning such an anniversary)

心から ありがとうって言えるね

kokoro kara arigatou tte ieru ne

(From my heart, I say thank you)

いつもは 恥ずかしいけど

itsumo wa hazukashii kedo

(Always so embarrassed though)

一生に一度大切な日

issho ni ichido taisetsu na hi

(Once in a lifetime important day)

チョコレイトの苦いとこ 大人なの子供なの？

chokoreito no nigai toko otona na no kodomo na no

(Chocolate's bitterness, is that of an adult or a child's?)

いつまでも 夢見たいから

itsumademo yume mitai kara

(because I want to dream forever)

このリズムにのせて

kono rizumu ni nosete

(carrying this rhythm)

はたち はたち はたち はたち

hatachi hatachi hatachi hatachi

あたし あたし はたち ふりそでーしょん

atashi atashi hatachi furisodeshon

はたち はたち はたち だけなの？

hatachi hatachi hatachi dake na no?

そうでしょあたしはたちはたちのふりそでーしょん

sou desho atashi hatachi hatachi no furisodeshon

ありがとう 君に逢えて

arigatou kimi ni deaete

(Thank you for meeting you)

色々な 素敵な体験をしたよ

ironna suteki na taiken wo shita yo

(Had all these wonderful experiences)

今年も そして来年もこのワクワクを忘れないよ

kotoshi mo soshite rainen mo kono wakuwaku wo wasurenai yo

(This year too, and also next year too, don't forget this excitement.)

ショートケーキの中の甘酸っぱいやつみたいな

shoutokeki no naka no amazuppai yatsu mitai na

(I want to see the sweet and sour inside the shortcake)

恋ばかりしてるきみに

koi bakari shiteru kimi ni

(Only love you)

キャンドルナイトをつける

kyandoru naito wo tsukeru

(Giving a candlenight)

はたち はたち はたち はたち

hatachi hatachi hatachi hatachi

あたし あたし はたち ふりそでーしょん

atashi atashi hatachi furisodeshon

はたち はたち はたち だけなの？

hatachi hatachi hatachi dake na no?

そうでしょあたしはたちはたちのふりそでーしょん

sou desho atashi hatachi hatachi no furisodeshon

大人になったら 嬉しいの？大人になったら 悲しいの？

otona ni nattara ureshii no? otona ni nattara kanashii no?

(Are you happy becoming an adult? are you sad becoming an adult?)

なにするの？なにができるの？いましかできないの？

nani suru no? nani ga dekiru no? ima shika dekinai no?

(What will you do? What can you do? Only now can't do?)

はたち はたち はたち はたち

hatachi hatachi hatachi hatachi

あたし あたし はたち ふりそでーしょん

atashi atashi hatachi furisodeshon

はたち はたち はたち だけなの？

hatachi hatachi hatachi dake na no?

そうでしょあたしはたちはたちのふりそでーしょん

sou desho atashi hatachi no furisodeshon

Into the week

Just finished my hospital attachment, which was only 3 hours and not what I expected it to be (a full day) and is now typing up the mandatory portfolio crap. Presentation went OK yesterday too, so I'm done with any school related stuff for the week, except for the assignments and revision of course. 

Been spending money quite freely recently on non-necessities I think (travel, fashion), and I'm developing a bad habit of creeping on shopping sites online since boxing day. Only popped into a physical store recently for the sales and I must say I like picking up random bargains more physically cause they don't stock those 1 or 2 last pieces online. I'm also still undecided what I should make T buy for my late christmas present (lol.) He couldn't think of what to get me (or rather I couldn't so we postponed it). I got him a ukulele but since he didn't seem to like it (it was a banjo he wanted silly me!) so I kept it instead. Didn't bear to return it cause it was a sweet little instrument that was light as a feather and well I test strummed some simple songs and it comes up as a discernible tune. Considering my shitty skills at stringed instruments like the guitar, the fact that this instrument allowed me to play a tune in such a short time made it a keeper in my opinion.

ANYWAY, i'm really eyeing this:

just cause I want to own one and not because I need something to play on tube rides (I'm very capable of stoning/zoning out/blanking my mind) or preoccupy my idle times. I always thought a (pink/red) DS is a very cute object to own and this pikachu one is just too irresistible by the sheer attraction of the mascot (not the design admittedly). >< PIKAAA  I do play games legitimately (harvest moon, prof layton, pokemon and jap rpgs) so it won't be all that useless buy!

Also, just to spread AYU love, link to her CDL 2012-2013 (滨崎步 COUNTDOWN LIVE 2012-2013 ～WAKE UP～ 跨年演唱会)! Recently many fans have remarked on her poor vocal performance, and I do kinda agree its not as good as before sadly, but its just entertaining to watch her live. :) I also spent some of my last day of 2012 watching the annual NYE NHK kouhaku uta gassen and she had the opening performance with a medley of her older more well-known songs dearest-evolution-SURREAL:



and since i really like SURREAL, here's a better rendition!
Happy watching!

School term starts now

After a whole month of slacking consisting of travelling, watching movies, eating, lazing around, having time sucked into the massive blackhole that is the cyberspace, here I am again at the all too familiar end of my procrastination spiral, a day before term starts. As an attempt to quell the sickening panic in my gut since the min I regained conciousness this morning, heres a breakdown of the nightmarish month to come:

Monday (7th) - Presentation and prep for attachment on Tuesday
Tuesday - Hospital attachment
Wednesday-Sunday - Essay writing
Monday (14th) - Submit essay start COPD osces prep
22-24 - OCSE on one of the days
henceafter till 31st jan where I have my BP exam and 1st feb law and practice, crazy revision.
(The last part is f**ked).

I do not feel much better lol. NOOOOOO~~~~

2013の最初

ここから、新しいの始め。(^-^*)/

Yet another personal blog, since I first started at Dreamcloudz in October 2003 (back when "z"s at the end of names are coolz) and my 2nd at Shinji-yume in from July 2005 and at DAY from June 2009, and now its year 2013 and I'm at my 4th! Looking back at all those old sites simply convinces me even more of the value of blogging for at the foremost myself, and well if it entertains anyone else (hello!) along the way its a plus. :)

Not really sure where this one will go, might take advantage of the fact that its pretty quiet around here and unlinked (as unlinked as the internet can ever be) to post more?

I'm really hoping 2013 will be a better year than before, and I will be a better person. So far the first few days has been plagued by procrastination already (a prime example being me here typing instead of doing the same in my msword assignment window) and late nights (the combination of which with short winter daylight hours means I'm living zombie times). But here's to a better lifestyle, better chronicled!

Yuria (aka. Van)