nunuuu

( Adding? )

To friends visiting: You can still leave comments even if you don't have an LJ. I'd love to hear from you.

At least 10 previously unwatched movies a month in ~~2010~~ 2011. Feel free to recommend movies, I'd really love it. (No film school stuff though, got those pretty much down pat because I studied film. No "The Ring"esque horror films too. Just, no.) Anything that struck a chord, in any language, and preferably well-made, do tell.

( Read more... )

Also, Japanese dramas watched, in alphabetical order.

( Read more... )

☼ My friends literally brought the party to me last Saturday, since I'm still not allowed to go out if it's not extremely important because of the operation. They brought food and booze to my place, and we had our annual Christmas party - complete with costumes and everything! I didn't drink though, I'm still not allowed to. This is probably my first holiday season in years sans the booze...let's see how I fare. Anyway, everyone also came in costumes, so it was fun - I was Santa's little helper. Pictures next time, maybe? Had a great time. (Perhaps I enjoyed too much because I ended up getting a fever. Yikes. Mom is furious.)

☼ Really happy about Arashi winning those awards for their DVD and album releases, btw. I'm not the type to care much for awards and they've never influenced my love for Arashi, but I think this time around, they really deserved it. Beautiful World, which I pseudo reviewed, is a great album, and their concert DVDs, for me, are still unmatched. I'm happy that I can still honestly say that I still listen to Arashi and that I genuinely like it. Seriously, remove Arashi from my music collection (+ other JE songs) and you wouldn't even think that I'd be someone who would be inclined to listen to Japanese idol music. The fact that their songs still resonate with me assures me so much. Even though I'm spending "time away" from Arashi in a sense, they're never too far away in my heart. Arashi = home.

...okay, that was all via WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS CHEESE. Anyway.

☼ Random SMAP thoughts: If I were a fan of SMAP in the 90s, I would totally have been a Goro stan. IT'S THAT GODDAMN AERODYNAMIC HAIR WAVE + 90S GET-UPS, I'M TELLING YOU. And probably that unexpectedly teensy cutesy voice too. Ugh. ♥ And yeah, just watched Tsu's 3-hour Plant Life SP. Well hello abs. Tsuyopon, how do you have such an amazing body underneath all that...adora-blur-ness? Half-naked Tsuyopon does nothing to help me in my efforts of repelling his atrocious attractiveness. Also, he is so nice. If I had to eat only grass for three days, no, if someone merely suggested that I eat only grass for three days for the entertainment of other people...I'd flip. He was so cute about it too, even wearing that all-green outfit all throughout and being friends with a llama. How does he exist??? ALSO, AKB48/SMAP Christmas collab was cute! I literally don't have exposure to AKB but SMAP was adorable. Nakai didn't even try to pretend he was singing, he was just ~~trolling everyone~~ enjoying himself. SMAP, why am I so in love? Someone answer me!

☼ I'm compiling my 2011 Highlights playlist. I always make one every year, it usually has fifteen songs or less that represented the whole year, songs that when played in the future, would remind me exactly of the things that happened in that certain year. I'm quite a stickler about it so it usually ends up to be quite a taxing task that I nevertheless enjoy. It's totally mainstream but my shoo-in for first place this year is Avicii's Fade Into Darkness. This was the song blasting all those epic and not-so-epic nights of this year, and it never failed to pump me up! 2011 doesn't get much better than this song. I still feel like slitting myself silly for missing out on his one-night gig here in Manila! SO MUCH ANGER. Great timing to grow painful tumors, ovaries. I mean, really.

☼ Ah, I have a migraine the size of a rhino. Gonna sleep it off. Excited for Christmas! Mainly for the food, I'm predictable like that.

/RECUPERATE MODE

I love this song.

It’s everything that you seem to ignore.
The classroom that you treated as a bore.
The alcohol you drink but never bought.
The dress you stole, and were never caught.
The bed you wake up in that’s not your own.
The makeup you applied two days ago.
The night you lost your phone on the way home.
The taxi ride where you decided your end goal.

And still I try to lure you into my own hurricane,
it’s like you spot me trying from a thousand miles away.

Walking (even though I take smaller steps than a toddler) helps
Fresh air helps
No smoking definitely helps
Funny conversations on the phone with friends help
Fangirling helps
Writing helps
Reading (lots) helps
Music that I love helps
Eating right helps
And I'm not hypocritical, painkillers help

But most of all, breathing helps. One breath at a time, one day at a time.

For a little shift in perspective. This made me cry.

I don't know until when I'll be on a hiatus. Just my luck, got admitted to the hospital last night for extra observation, severe abdominal pain. Being poked and scanned so much, so yeah, no fun. Hope to be back soon! Sorry if I haven't replied to some messages and stuff. See you guys.

I think I have exhausted everything I possibly could about my appreciation for Ohno Satoshi's existence in last year's excessive birthday post. (I truly enjoyed writing all of those 2000 words.) There really isn't much more to say, really. I could expound on how he's aging like fine wine and looking better and sexier every damn year, but that would just involve a lot of expletives and indecipherable keyboard-smashing. Let's just settle it with the fact that Ohno is looking extra shaggable lately, yes?

But seriously, I wonder at the miracle of him being born on this day, thirty-one(!) years ago - all innocent, pink-skinned, and oblivious to the bigger world out there. I wonder if his mom had any inkling that her son would be a superstar. Ohno himself could have never fathomed the heights that he would climb as an idol. The best part about it is that he doesn't even care. I think Ohno is the genuine article: he didn't and will never see himself in a different light just because they're selling out concert venues or he's earning way more yen than he ever imagined in his wildest dreams. There is something fundamental about Ohno Satoshi that has never changed, something that ties him to the ground so beautifully while allowing his star to soar, and it is this stability that makes him different from all the rest.

It's really amazing. The one thing I have always loved about Ohno is how unlike a celebrity he is, despite what he does for a living. He doesn't dress like one, he doesn't talk like one, he doesn't expect to be treated like one. His mug might be plastered all over Japan (and on millions of mobile phone and laptop wallpapers of fangirls all over the world) but it has never affected him a single bit. The ironic thing is, even if hypothetically, he didn't end up as one of Japan's most popular and top-selling idols, he still would be adored. I honestly believe that. He could have been an eccentric fisherman, a withdrawn artist, a lazy bakeshop owner, or anything, really, and people would still be drawn to him. His eyes are kind, and even if he usually doesn't have much to say, he makes people feel at ease. It also helps that the man has a lot of charm to spare, a charm that I'm not too sure he's aware of. Factor in his talent and physical perfection (I dare you to refute me), and you get an Ohno who was always meant for big things. I will always be glad that such a person was born into this world to become the leader of Arashi.

Thank you for always being a calm presence and lending a gentle hand to those four other idiots. Yes, you are not exempt of said idiocy. But hey, look at how far the five of you have come... You will never own up to it, but a big part of it was because you're Leader. It doesn't get any simpler than that.

That you were born on this day is a miracle that I will always wonder about and feel thankful for.

Happy 31st birthday, Leader! I hope you don't mind me cheating with Tsuyopon right now. It'll always be you, anyway. ♥

Okay I'm definitely spamming now (and I apologize) but I wanna share what I'm having for snacks right now! It's one of my favorite things to whip up in a jiffy.

It's basically pineapple tidbits in syrup with diced Manchego cheese and ice cubes thrown in for good measure! The nutty bite of the cheese rounds out the fruitiness of the pineapple (get the Curado variety of Manchego, if you can), and the ice makes everything swell.

Perfect for hot even-if-it's-not-summer afternoons! ♥

Woke up in my beloved animal pajamas (with sharks, elephants, rhinos, and whales, wee) to a rainy mid-morning sky and a piece of news that just literally made me squeal. I am a fangirl by all accounts but I hardly ever do the squealing thing, honestly. But today's news was just too...surreal. I've been waiting for this day for years, ever since I read my first Aoi Hitorigoto essay. Shige is such an amazing writer. Today is definitely a happy day for all the residents of the bad-ass Kato Kingdom.

For your first novel to be released on January, congratulations. I am so proud of you, Shige. You always set the bar high.

Just another weekend.

( Saturday night drinks, Sunday family lunch )

And because I am shallow, got some nail polish. I know I need to stop with the nail polish obsession, but I can't.

Chanel's Black Satin is forever my go-to nail polish when I just want to have clean looking dark nails. I really love having black nails (not in a DIY punk rock way, I like them neat and glossy!) Inattendu, on the other hand, is a full-coverage nude, veering a little bits toward peach. It looks super neat when painted on! Itching to get my hands on some non-Barbie pink shades!

Everyone, how was your weekend? Here, have an awesome laidback weekend song.

♥

Random day.

And when I say random, I mean random. I got my nails done at Dashing Diva for lack of anything to do. (The lull before the storm?) I love how you can't go wrong with Dashing Diva. Their service is flawless and their tools are so clean! No complaints here. Oh yeah, please excuse my ugly, pudgy excuse of a hand.

Decided to try out this shade, I'm looking for a holiday color! I think this works out fine: it's just olive green normally, but when the light hits it, it turns golden. Think peridot. I like! I also had a pedicure, it's Malibu pink, but you're never going to catch me posting a photo of my feet. It's a legitimate insecurity, okay? But to celebrate a nice nail job, I went ahead and got some flats. This is me being reasonable.

Bought it at the cheap and reliable Charles and Keith. I think I have a new errand day footwear! :D

BUT THE BEST PART ABOUT TODAY WAS THIS FINDING THE NEW HARUKI MURAKAMI BOOK!

I was just on the way to the parking lot when I saw this on Fully Booked's display! I've been meaning to grab myself a copy for the past couple of weeks but it keeps slipping my mind. I'm so excited! I haven't read any reviews about it (consciously), so yes, no spoilers please, if you've read it!

This is how the spine looks like:

And when you open the sheer book jacket, it looks like this:

PRETTY. I've read most of his English-translated books, so far I still find South of the Border, West of the Sun (my favorite from his oeuvre) and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle to be his strongest works. I want to be wowed by 1Q84, so yeah, reading this book with lots of expectation. Fingers crossed! Can't wait to plow through it; I always find Murakami's works transporting and meditative, even though I feel that I've genuinely outgrown his writing style quite a bit.

Anyway! Off I go to watch my copy of Jane Eyre! I've got some Fassbender-ing to do tonight. (He's so gorgeous, ugh.) And apparently, this is one of the better, if not best, interpretation of Jane Eyre. That's saying a lot, because there have been more than ten, if I remember correctly. Excited to hunker down in my bed and watch! <3

*

EDIT: I just finished it! It was amazing and atmospheric, and I would think it the closest film adaptation to what Charlotte Brontë envisioned in her writing. The coloring and cinematography aptly captured the gothic feel of the novel. The sinister way Michael Fassbender interpreted Rochester (with his bedroom eyes and the offhand smiles) and Mia Wasikowska harnessed the plain-ness yet hidden spark of Jane were just plain virtuoso. I don't think I can write a proper film review, because for one, I dislike writing them, and two, Jane Eyre was one of my favorite novels as a girl (it was one of those books that really opened my eyes to the wonders of literature) and consequently, I don't think I can be really objective about my love for this adaptation.

It's probably one of my top three "period" films, along with Bright Star (dir. by Jane Campion), and the Joe Wright version of Pride and Prejudice. That's saying a lot, because I love those films to death.

I have no other intention tonight but to spam clothes and all other manner of pretty stuff, mostly through magazine editorials. (As the photos might prove, I'm a little bit of a hoarder when it comes to them.) I'm so obsessed with a lot of looks right now, and I want to place them here just for reference. Like a mood board. Or, you know, just because they're all pretty and I'm a sartorial junkie, through and through.

A picture or two might be NSFW, so, yeah.

Kicking things off with that Prada shoe that I still can't get out of my head, several months after. Ugh. (It was my wallpaper for a couple of months, too!)

( Shoes )

My other favorite thing right now are STARS. (No thanks to D&G.) My 7th grade self would just totally slobber all over these frocks, seriously.

( Stars )

I've always been a print/patterns kind of girl, so it really never goes out of season, for me. Right now I'm so into the vibrant, 80s-90s, out-there Versace prints!

( Prints & patterns )

On the cleaner side of things, I've also been seeing a lot of neat tailoring this season. It's not very me, but I like. This Rodarte jumpsuit just speaks to me.

( Tailored )

I can't take my eyes off jewelry! And not the dainty kind, I mean the outlandish yet obviously expensive ones. I love all the editorials combining it with everyday clothes. It's so Kate Moss. (But, yeah, this one, not so much. Still stunning though!)

( Bling )

SHEER LEGS, I WANT IT. (SANTA, PLEASE GIVE ME LONGER LEGS)

( Sheer legs )

And since this is a post dealing with beautiful things, I find it fit to post about my current fixation of late, thanks to Ohisama, his films, and that sexy Uniqlo ad. JUST, GUH.

Who else but Kengo Kora?

( Ugh, guh, whatever floats your boat )

♥

Food spam mode! Why does eating always make me happy? *sobs* I haven't posted food spam in three months, I think, so I've got quite a bit (even after sifting through it a little.) Maybe you might want to scroll down really quickly if you're super hungry? This post is gonna get pretty hateful if read on an empty stomach. Don't say I didn't warn you! :D

Everything that follows is the reason why I'm going nuts busting my guts at the barre (Plana Forma), studio (yoga), and courts (tennis). Sadly, there's always a price to pay. Love food = must exercise.

It's worth it, though!

Breakfast of champions: tuna, cherry tomato, pomelo salad with Yakult and a tall glass of water! (and National Geographic for some idle morning reading)

The best, the best, and I mean the best, halo-halo on the planet from Razon's, scrumptious Hayashi burger steak with rice and gratin from UCC (Nino, I see you salivating!) Also, wine platter from Barcino (Chorizo Bilbao, Jamon Serrano, Fuct Extra Manchego Queso, Ensadilla Rusa, Chorizo Pamplona = YUM!)

Burger from some stand in Mercato (which had peanut butter, and seriously, why don't people put peanut butter in burgers more often? It was sensational,) pesto fries from Mercato as well

CASA MARCOS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE RESTAURANTS, EVER. Manila people, do me a favor and dine there, please. You won't regret it. The restaurant is pretty well-known in food circles for their Castillan fare, and it's not surprising, because they have had a loyal following since 1945. What can I say, great, heartfelt food never goes out of style (or business, for that matter.)

They serve unlimited pandesal, and man, they're good. They always serve it piping hot; it's crusty outside and so soft on the inside! They also have the best gambas in town. Also, you can't go wrong with their steak and their paella. HEAVEN ON EARTH.

Cyma's home-brewed iced tea, one of my favorite salads (fresh arugula, chopped Romaine lettuce, sun dried tomatoes, candied walnuts, served with shaved Parmesan in traditional Greek vinaigrette *slobbering right now*), and their godly paidakia, which is tender char-grilled lamb ribs served with rice-stuffed peppers.

( FOOD. LOTS OF IT. )

Also, leaving this track here because it's just too damn smooth and so awesome for cruising down the streets. Haven't stopped listening to it for a month (was on a 'Underneath The Pine' withdrawal!) Chillwave or not, fuck it; good music transcends genres, anyway. Along with Best Coast, Toro y Moi is probably the definitive music act of my 2010 and 2011. Chaz Bundick's music is just so now and resonates with me, probably because we're around the same age. It's that feeling of "holy shit, YES, this is my generation's groove."

Or at least, it feels that way to me and my friends. lol

I like Meikyuu Love song too, just saying. Especially that "always with you, tatoeba" part. Arashi's still my happy pill! (Also, Kageyama, but that's a whole new other post. Next time?)

♥

I've been written letters by boys (all those painfully cheesy words on Hallmark cards during high school), and a couple of "serious" ones by men (because they're called men once they're out of high school, aren't they? Not that they all act like one.) But never something like this. My nerdy heart is just over the moon about this fictional letter.

If you haven't read or watched One Day yet and you're planning to, you might want to skip this altogether. But then again, it doesn't really spoil anything other than the fact that Dexter is hilarious and awkwardly sweet, and that every girl needs to be written a letter like this once in their lives. Seriously.♥

Boys (or men), take copious notes.

( Dexter's letter to Emma )

Wish you were here. The sand is still powdery and like Nido milk, before you add the water. There is so much headiness in a sip of Long Island and Duke in my ears, especially under the glorious noon sun. It's still not enough, though. Not nearly.

~~Promise to have a real update soon, f-list loves! I'll catch up with you soon. Life is taking over.~~

Threw a surprise bachelorette party for my sister over the weekend!

It was my first time to plan and attend one, such a blast to coordinate and giggle with her friends! Our theme was "Naughty Bunny Bachelorette" so, uh, you know how that goes. I can't believe my sister is getting married in two weeks!!! Right now she's sleeping like a zombie in the bed next to mine, and I can't fathom that in a few weeks, she won't be. But yes, so happy and excited for her. ♥ (And frankly, I can't wait for one thing: babies! Babies who'll probably look more Singaporean/Chinese than Filipino, but still, I CAN'T WAIT! I LOVE BABIES!)

( No naughty stuff here, just the relatively nice stuff. Oh yes, discretion. )

JUST READ ABOUT NEWS. OH MY FUCKING GOD. I CAN'T....I JUST CAN'T

;______________________;

I know it's pathetic to be this devastated about something fandom related but how...... HOW. I kind of knew it was coming, have felt it...but to have it really happen is just...horrible. I even feel more horrible after saying what I had to say about NEWS in my last post about them, it's like the gods listened, but NO, I DON'T WANT THIS. I was just about to post about Shige's adorable Photoshigenic where he talked about Koyama, Tego, and Massu crashing his apartment w/ Massu and Tego soiling and checking out his bedroom and opening all Shige's expensive champagne bottles (to Shige's horror) and Koyama terrorizing his refrigerator and Tego vandalizing his prized lamp with his signature, the little brat (it's like a fanfic only it's real omigod I love them so much it hurts) but then it's kind of apt for the announcement, because really, they're the ones who're sticking around. THEN IT HITS ME, THEY MIGHT'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE BREAK UP THAT NIGHT, SIPPING BUBBLIES AND COMFORTING/ENCOURAGING THEMSELVES AND HURTING AND HOPING. FUCK.

I understand Ryo, having two groups is not really ideal. But Pi? Of course, from the start, Pi could've always had a solo career. But right now, to me, it feels like abandonment. HE'S PI. I love you Pi, but it really just fucking stings, right now, because you lied. It's inevitable blahblahblah I KNOW but I'm still so so so heartbroken. If I have to admit to something, it's to the fact that they never really gelled together as well as I would've hoped (because you know, I'm spoiled by the natural, glittering ease of Arashi's bond and to me NEWS was always a little awkward )... there was always a Pi/Ryo faction then the other four aka the rest...but they were all reasonably good friends (aside from Koyashige who are just JOINED AT THE HIP and are the bestest best friends I've ever seen) and I saw that and they had amazing songs and held amazing concerts and just....I can't bear the thought of never seeing the six of them together again, as a group, because I fell for them and have always cheered them on, always. I also can't bear the thought of never hearing their beautiful harmony in a new song (because omigod I love their songs so so so so so so much, unlike other Johnny's acts it's actually their music that I love I know that's silly but their discography just kicks ass and speaks to me and just... how will a NEWS song be a NEWS song without Pi and Ryo's voices???) How how how? What a fucking bludgeon. I know it's ridiculous but I love their songs that much. I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T AND JUST EVERYTHING, OH GOD, NEWS, WHY DO YOU ALWAYS BREAK MY HEART

I was just daydreaming about a new concert tour the other day, too, how dare you, subconscious, hurting me this way

At least they left us with the awesome that is their LIVE album, what is perfection, only now, it'll only make me so sad, so sad, that it's hard to imagine. Crying while listening to Share right now. Oh god

My best wishes for Pi and Ryo (because god knows I love them too) but god, my heart goes out to the now four member NEWS. Koyama, Shige, Tego, and Massu... DO YOUR BEST AND BELIEVE AND WORK HARD AND BE STRONG AND I LOVE YOU AND GOD, DON'T DROP OFF FROM THE FACE OF THE PLANET PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE AND BE HAPPY AND PROUD AND I KNOW THAT THE FOUR OF YOU HAVE AWESOME CHEMISTRY (HELLO, SOUKON) SO CAPITALIZE ON THAT AND JUST....DO IT AND SURVIVE, K???????

AND BEING TOTALLY BIASED, BUT SHINE, SHIGE, SHINE

OKAY BYE I'LL GO LICK MY WOUNDS RIGHT ABOUT NOW I'M SORRY IF YOU DIDN'T CARE FOR THAT UGLY EMOTIONAL RANT BUT SERIOUSLY, SOMEBODY HUG ME ~~ARASHI DON'T YOU EVER DO THIS TO ME I WON'T SURVIVE~~

*

Within the different winds that passes
Why did we meet
If we can see the same stars now
We're just fine with that

To be able to meet with you, and the crying and laughing expressions
Are all my treasures, let's continue walking from now on