Just before the day ends, I want to formally post this in my blog (though I have been active about it on twitter already)...

HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY YUI!!!


Recycling this from my 2010 YUI birthday greeting post because it looks so cool!

My wishes for you are simple and straightforward:
(1) Happiness -- the most basic yet the most important. I hope you sincerely find your happiness within. Do what makes you happy and do it because you are happy! We (fans) are happy when you are happy. And it reflects in your materials, performances and personality.

(2) Good Health -- this is important because you are a performer. You need stay healthy everytime! We will worry about you if you are not in good shape! So please always take care of yourself and be healthy.

(3) Inspiration -- continue to inspire us. This might sound selfish but you do this effortlessly. Even if you do little things, you inspire us! Please continue to do so!

Thank you that I was able to know you, YUI! You have been an inspiration, a heroine and a role model to me. I have been a fan for more than four years and will always be your fan.

But I must admit, I have a prodigal fan. I verged away from you -- or in fandom terms is close to abandoning. I had my reasons -- and they are valid. But, I realized that I need my fandom back -- not because I just wanted to, but because I know I want it deep from my heart. The fandom that brought me friends and loved ones and who always makes me look forward to each day (and updates!). But I'm stopping and reserving this on another post, I don't want to spoil your birthday.

Again, thank you very much for everything!

WE LOVE YOU!

Happy Birthday YUI! Japan has never been the same again since March 1987!


Recycling this from my 2009 YUI birthday greeting post because it looks so cool!

From,
Rob of Philippines, one of your biggest fans!

PS: YUI-Lovers PH Meet-up on March 31!! We have been doing this pre/post YUI birthday meet-up for about 4 years already! Thank you for all the YUI Pinoy fans that I have met! See you again, old members, and looking forward in meeting the new ones!

It's been a while!

Anyway, just a quick post, apparently, pwrtsm and cyclo (of YUI-Lover) found this boy choir's version of YUI's new song, 「fight」, in Nico-nico (Japan's youtube) a few hours before the contest proper/show for NHK N-Con (which is tomorrow).

If you have a Nico-nico account, you can watch/listen to it in here:

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm17299402

You can use Nico viewer to view it if you don't have a Nico-nico account. Click here:

http://nicoviewer.net/sm17299402

Update -- Youtube version!:

Credits to Andry Ristiawan and MrR1st youtube user

Initial thoughts?

• The song sounded like a YUI-esque song (for me) from the verse to the chorus and the bridge part. The trademark YUI is there (but I can't really pinpoint what the trademark is -- maybe the blending of the lyrics+melody and the perfect bridge as always).
  
• Sounds weird to listen to deep otoko voice/s singing the song.
  
• The clapping part was really good.
  
• I need YUI to sing this as soon as possible!
  
• Am pretty sure this is how to song goes, unless one composes a song that fits the lyrics initially released (and that's hard!)

Lastly, I updated the lyrics -- you can find it in my previous post.

Again, I can't wait for YUI to sing this song (and promote extensively just like what Angela Aki did for this song's counterpart a previous year/s ago). For now, let's enjoy the boy's choir version and anticipate tomorrow's event. :)

It's March 1 -- therefore it's YUI month! I have this sudden urge to post something related to YUI, in line with being the first day of her so-called month. This urge came from some inspiring words from a user in YUI-Lover about the forums that is always there to call as your home.

In coincidence with all this, I saw Kitkit-san posted the lyrics of YUI's new song for the NHK contest titled 「fight」. So, for this post, I'll (try to) put it in Kanji and Romaji (for now). Well, translations to follow if I still know how to translate:

「fight」
作詞・作曲：YUI　編曲：松本　望
Composed/Lyrics by YUI, Arrangement by Matsumoto

Kanji

描く夢がすべて
叶うわけなどないけど
あなただってわかっているはずよ
壞れぞうな空だって
あたしは受け入れるから
大丈夫よ
優しい嘘
大人になりたい

頑張れ頑張れ
命燃やして
続く現実
生きてゆく
頑張れ頑張れ
限りある日々に。。。
花を咲かせる

希望の先にある
憧れに手を伸ばせば
明日にだって手さぐり見つけるよ
散りゆくから美しいという
意味がわかってきた
ごめんね
もう少し
大人になるから

頑張れ頑張れ
勝ち負けだって
本当は大事なことなんだね
頑張れ頑張れ
そうさ人生は引き返せない

いつか振り返る時
今日の若かりし日が
きっと懐かしくなるから

頑張れ頑張れ
命燃やして
続く現実
生きてゆく

頑張れ頑張れ
限りある日々に。。。
花を咲かせる
花を咲かせる

Romaji
Updated after this

Egaku yume ga subete
kanau wakenado nai kedo
anata datte wakatteiru hazu yo
kowarezou na sora datte
atashi wa ukeireru kara
daijoubu yo
yasashii uso
otona ni naritai

Gambare gambare
inochi moyashite
tsuzuku genjitsu
ikite yuku
gambare gambare
kagiri aru hibi ni...
hana wo sakaseru

kibou no saki ni aru
akogare ni te wo nobaseba
ashita ni datte te saguri mitsukeru yo
chiri yuku kara utsukishii to iu
imi ga wakatte kita
gomen ne
mou sukoshi
otona ni naru kara

Gambare gambare
kachimake datte
hontou wa daiji na koto nanda ne
gambare gambare
sou sa jinsei hikikaesenai

itsuka furikaeru toki
kyou no wakakarishi hi ga
kitto natsukashiku naru kara

gambare gambare
inochi moyashite
tsuzuku genjitsu
ikite yuku

gambare gambare
kagiri aru hibi ni...
hana wo sakaseru
hana wo sakaseru

Do let me know if I translated anything wrongly or if any of the kanji are not correct -- my rusting Japanese skills (don't even know if I had skill in the first place) is the one to be blame. :)

Quickly browsing into it, it looks like a positive song. The chorus seems to have an encouraging meaning -- the "花を咲かせる" last line is quite an expression (and is actually in the lyrics of one of SMAP's famous hits -- I really like this song) about letting the flower bloom. Seems inspiring to me.

The song will be sang by a chorus of children on March 20. Hope this gives YUI more exposure similar to Angela Aki and Ikimonogakari's contribution song for the contest in the last years.

I'm looking forward to myself writing more YUI related stuff this month. Might as well do a good birthday post too!

Sources:

• NHK-Con 2012 Website
  
• Kitkit Fong's Photo
  
• YUI-Net
  
• YUI-Lover

PS: Today, I did some training on the work I do to some colleague from our Indonesia office. Quite fun experience but it was really tiring. So much to explain/discuss in so little time. I give myself a bit of a credit since I was teaching people older than me. I feel like an expert when I'm really not. Hehe

I'm a big internet junkie. I do surf a lot and it is what I usually do most of my free time. Searching in the internet is quite easy -- with the help of the search engines particularly Google. Finding your interests is within a type in the keyboard and a press of the enter button. You'll actually find yourself overwhelmed with the massive of related links (and may I say, unrelated/spam links as well!) that may or may not pick your attention (depending on your interest).

But the harder part of this internet journey, well for me, is saving and organizing your links AND having a means to access them all over again. I know that I can read, see and understand the contents of the websites that I go to -- but, I would like to keep them as well for easy reference. Plus, sometimes, you just don't have the time to look (or lazy to), and consequently, whenever, you would just like to check it out again in the future. This is where the tricky part comes in -- because with overlapping interests and various related/unrelated links, organizing your favorite links/references could be harder than you thought.

For this post, I would like to share some of the possible ways I utilize to organize my favorites links/websites/references.

1. Normal Bookmark/Favorite

Different browsers has bookmark/favorite functions -- wherein you can just click the bookmark button and it is saved somewhere there (unless you format your computer -- remember to back up it everytime!). Though I'm a Chrome user [but thinking of switching to Opera], I particularly love Firefox's straightforward bookmark location. Well, the length of time (especially during fandom days) I've been using that browser should have contributed to that.

Pros: Straightforward and easy to use, default - no need to install plugins or anything, easy to access and built in your browser itself.

Cons: Hard to organize (for my case)

2. Discover thru Stumbleupon

This second one is leaning more on the discovery end rather than the organizing/saving part. Stumbleupon lets you explore sites that is related to your (declared) interests from the recommendations/likes of the users. The good thing with this is that you are looking directly on the site -- it is not transferred to a different personal "Stumbleupon" platform (well, except for the plugins/buttons, I guess). I'm a "regular" user of this site because it does the exploring/recommendation for you. Another thing I like with Stumbleupon is that you are not time-dependent (current events, latest memes, etc.), because sharing here is not under a timeline -- what you didn't 'stumble upon' today, you 'might' still be able to see it in the future. The site may not have that advantage of being up-to-date, but it may work as a unique edge for it.

Organizing-wise, it is still hard to do it from here but I think you have more control here than in bookmarks. Plus, it is more fun to reminisce your links thru this website than a listing of your favorite sites that sometimes you don't even remember liking.

Learn more about this site from this video:


Pros: Exploration ability, Fun control over your links, Sharing,

Cons: Still not convenient to organize (besides it is not the site's main purpose)

3. Organize via Pearltrees

And finally, my new discovery, Pearltrees is a website wherein you can "pearl" your websites and organize them accordingly. The concept is quite simple and similar to Stumbleupon (plus the organizing function) -- you "pearl" your links (this is similar to bookmark) and it goes to your pearltrees page. From there you can create trees, depending on your interest.

The good thing with Pearltrees is that it focuses more on organizing your links/websites and the exploration part is just an add-on. It has organizing tools like "Create trees", etc. and you can view your links right there and there. Simple and clean. But, you do need to install the "Pearler" add-on so that you could "pearl" your links to your Pearltree page.

Learn more about it here:


Pros: Organizing is fun and easy, Exploration ability, Sharing

Cons: Requires plug-in for Pearlers

I use the combination of these three to organize my links/websites. I guess I really have some problems in organizing my web stuff but with the help of these three, I hope that I will, eventually. Hope that helps.

... I guess is not that bad right? I mean, I hope it won't have bad news trade off later in my life (READ: days after). But, anyway, just wanted to share to you the three good news I saw/received/read/experienced/whatsoever today!

Good News #1: Community Season 3 is coming back!

FINALLY! NBC listened to the hardcore solid fanbase of Community, an awesome comedy show in the US. Been really addicted to this comedy series since I started watching last month and hearing it was placed in hiatus last month as well was depressing on my end.

But, the tables have turned around! They will be coming back! Here's the tweet from the Producer/Creator of Community, Dan Harmon:


Taken from here

If you are watching US Comedy series and you are not watching this show, you are losing so much of your valuable time watching the other shows. I thought at first that all the raves about Community was some overhyped repercussions from it's wild fanbase. I was wrong. Episode 1 of Season 1 was a deal-maker already. Then the episode goes on and on and keeps on improving. I wanted to do standing ovation every single episode (well, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you do get what I mean). I would love to do a separate post about my admiration with this show -- hopefully I can!

I think now is the time to get back my eyes glued to the available third season episodes. And keep yelling and making statement of Community having Six Seasons and a Movie.

Good News #2: YUI 5th Tour DVD and Blu-Ray Disc Announcement and Cover Release

YAY! My inner YUI-stalker-alter-ego is experiencing double rainbows. 5th Tour (Cruising ~HOW CRAZY YOUR LOVE~) of YUI will be release in DVD AND Blu-Ray Disc format on March 28, 2012! Awesome awesome awesome! I hope it features freebies that you can't resist and videos that we have never seen. We should #OccupySonyMusicJapan and make them to that.

Anyway, besides having a release date, they also released the covers of the DVD and Blu-ray Disc! Apparently, they have different covers (not familiar if other artists do separate cover for these releases).

( Under the cut since it is too much awesomeness )

Awesome covers isn't it? Makes me want to buy both editions ... NOT. Well, it is too expensive in my case as of the moment (since I'll be going back home in March). I'll prioritize the First Press DVD first as it has the sleeve. The Blu-ray Disc can wait. And besides I don't even have a Blu-ray Disc player. Haha

Additional news is that YUI will be releasing a song for an NHK Contest (or something that goes that way), titled fight. Something to look forward!

Exciting YUI News is exciting! Makes me want to be active again. XD

Good News #3: Lost, Found and Returned Book!

Okay, quick history/background. I borrowed "A Geek in Japan" book from the National Library here in SG thru my friend, who is a member of the Library. Apparently, due to my stupidity and carelessness, I accidentally left it in the MRT train.

I immediately reported it in the Passenger Service lane of the said station. They asked me the details and to leave my contact numbers, just in case someone surrenders it to any of their station. A day passed by and I didn't receive any call from them. Further, I went by the same station I reported it in and they said they haven't received any reports yet (though, they had alerted all stations already).

Worried and frustrated, I went to the Library to check the possible consequences of losing a book loaned from them. The staff, who was very helpful, assisted me in checking first the loaned books lined up from my friend --- AND to my surprise, the book is not in the pending list anymore! Confirming it with the staff, whoever it is that found my book in the train, apparently returned it to the library already. I love how efficient the system here is! (Returning books is just dropping the loaned book/s in some compartment -- so that means anyone could return it and it will still be considered to whoever registered that book). Amazing isn't it?

Three Good News in a day is enough for me. Well, I'm always grateful for any good news that comes throughout my day everyday. Hope you had a great day today as well! Passing in my God bless and Good Vibes to everyone.

... yes and it's the start of a new work week again tomorrow. Thinking about the amount of work I will be facing next week is overwhelming already -- but good vibes and positivity are always my mantra every now and then.

I had a so-so boring time this weekend. Due to being thrifty (or better yet, stingy!), I didn't go out of the house this weekend -- besides, there's nothing much to do outside when you really don't have the money to spend. But, every weekend, I make it a point to create a sort of Weekend Goal List so that my weekend will have some sort of direction every time.

My Weekend Goals are specific and detailed (or so I think). I list down all the things I want to do and I need to do until I have a long list of activities. Pretty much, I won't be able to do everything in two days, but on the average, I am able to do at least around 40% to 50% of the number listed. Not bad, I guess.

For this week, I listed around 25 activities/work that I wanted and needed to do -- wherein I was able to finish around thirteen (13). And for your curiosity, here they are:

• Three work-related activities (out of the six I listed). I put it in here to ease my work week next week.
  
• Clean room. Well, I did sweep the floor and tidy up things. That should count.
  
• Organize Bag. My Bag was a disaster, so I did some tidying up in here.
  
• Study Japan. Oh! I did do some research/studying. I watched Begin Japanology regarding Cafe. Really interesting, though they focused more on how cafes started and flourished in Japan. From current Manga/Maid Cafes to the old Jazz/Go-go Cafes.
  
• Fold/Iron Clothes. A inevitable weekly chores. Ironing my clothes for next week (ONLY) entails me about an hour or so -- sorry I'm not that quick!
  
• Launched indie play. indie play will be my music review blog. I've been to so much music this past few months and I would like to share my thoughts on it to everyone.
  
• Blog posts in yupeh. Well, I'm doing it now. :)
  
• Shave! Finally, I was able to shave. I was also planning to have a haircut but maybe just next week.
  
• Update my files in PSP and/or Samsung Galaxy S2. Doing it right now. New music and videos! Exciting week again, media-wise.
  
• Wash tumbler and utensils. Well well, I added this to increase the activities I finished this week. Sneaky. Heehee

Woot! And that ends my weekend. Looking forward to another weekend everyone!

Okay, some random post here.

First up, the number labels in the title of my blog post seems a bit formal. I'll be removing it to loosen things up. Numbering my posts isn't that much of a help, so might as well drop it.

Next, I created a new blog in Wordpress:

indie play
yupeh's music review blog
YES! indie play is the title of the blog -- can't really think of a much more suitable and wittier name than that. Here I will post my album/single music reviews and might as well my music video reviews -- hope you will visit and read my posts there as well!

Lastly, just making a mental note to myself to make this LJ blog a more personal one. One of the main reasons that I still maintain this blog is that because I have lots of memories in here that I don't want to lose -- yes, sentimental value it is. So, to make more use of this, I'll try to post in more personal posts (rather than random/calculated interest post). Hope I will be able to do that more often.

That's all for now. :)

I like watching music videos, much more from Japanese artist and their Japanese songs. I still believe that music videos are a great marketing medium for songs. Sometimes, music video can make you like (or dislike) one song -- I know that this happens to most of you as well. Music videos has a different effect in one's reception to a song.

I downloaded TONS (and I literally mean A LOT) of music videos since 2008 and most of it, I haven't watched yet -- unfortunately. But, recently, I've been endeavoring to watch these music video -- both new and old, so that I'll be able to deduce which ones are awesome and which ones are worth deleting. I felt it would be good to share it here in my blog. I'll start with this week's Japanese MV rundown:

Screencaps	Comments/Thoughts
	GReeeeN - 恋文～ラブレター～ (Koibumi ~Love Letter~ / Love Letter) Osaka Masaki appears in this video as a nurse to a girl, whom was broken-hearted after knowing that his lover has a new girl (this is all based on my context clues). GReeeeN's song is the background to the bittersweet short story of this music video -- making the song better.
	FUNKY MONKEY BABYS - LOVE SONG I love FUNKY MONKEY BABYS and I always love their MVs as it always has a connecting story with it. This ain't different -- with a Christmas setting and a long kept admiration waiting for the right time to be revealed.
	avengers in sci-fi - Sonic Fireworks This is my first song from the rock band, avengers in sci-fi. Music video involves two kids dancing, similar to Strong Machine 2 dance in I Me My Mine (or so I think). Love the abstract universe effect in the silhouette of the two kids while dancing.
	MUCC - Arcadia ft. DAISHI Just like the screencap I did for this music video, I was very much confused with it. Not to mention that I didn't quite like the song.
	Do As Infinity - Tasogare (Twilight) I didn't understand why some random person with a Cat head is appearing in the video. The MV has a serious vibe with very random characters in it. I'm not particular fond of the song but I find it okay.
	いきものがかり - 歩いていこう (Ikimonogakari - Aruite Ikou (Walk forward)) A little bit of research and I found out that the drama/movie inserts in the MV of this song is actually NOT a real drama/movie. The MV was made to look like it was promoting a drama/movie -- but they were just really interpreting the song. Cool effect -- I was fooled! I find Ikimonogakari to sound samey to all of their song -- and that is a problem to me. Oh well, Aruite Ikou is still catchy and the MV is good.
	amazarashi - 空っぽの空に潰される (Karappo no Sora ni Tsubusareru / Crush the Empty Sky) Awesome MV from the rock band, amazarashi. First song and video I heard and seen from the group -- it is an excellent combination of moving song and visually creative music video. I like the monitor screen activity as background and setting for the creative dancing.

Till next time! Hopefully, I'll be able to endeavor a weekly rundown of music videos. And during writing and finishing of this blog entry, my music video list keeps on piling up. :|

Favorite Music Video/s for this MV Rundown:

• avengers in sci-fi - Sonic Fireworks
  
• amazarashi - 空っぽの空に潰される

Shokuzai (贖罪, Atonement) is one of the dramas I was sincerely looking forward this winter season 2012 (if not the only one, actually). Felt that it was dark themed the first time I saw all the details about the drama. It has a similar plot or central theme as the movie, Kokuhaku (告白, Confessions).


For this episode, here is my quick summary and thoughts about it:

SPOILER ALERT

• Summary: Read the summary first. After that, setting was fast forward 15 years ahead and focuses on Sae, played by ever sweet-looking Aoi Yuu. Here, she gets to know a former schoolmate, Takahiro. She got into relationship with him -- not knowing about his past secret and his unusual intention to Sae (READ: He has an unusual fetish). Eventually, since Sae wants to have an easier life compared to what she is doing currently, she agreed and they married. Before the ceremony, Emiri's mother, Asako, visits Sae on their wedding day -- checking on her "promise". Sae and Takahiro became husband & wife -- with the condition that Sae needs to satisfy Takahiro's weird fantasies. Eventually, something happened, which I will not put in detail anymore so that you'll still watch it.
  
  
• Screencaps (video from D-Addicts):
  
  ( Pictures under the cut to avoid spoilage )
  
  
• Thoughts: I was not disappointed at all with the first episode. It was made/shot elegantly, which makes me want to explore the filmography of its director, Kiyoshi Kurosawa. He was superb in playing/controlling the sound to creating the right atmosphere for each scene (or even more). The storyline was compelling, though some parts were quite slow (and boring) BUT all-in-all, it lived up to my expectations. Aoi Yuu's acting was on the dot -- and she really looks like a doll *hint hint*. Mirai Moriyama did well as the peculiar guy, too. During the first part of (each) episodes, the history of the killing event is (always) flashback-ed. There's nothing to rave on the kid's performances but Kyoko Koizumi subtle acting as the mother of the murdered child was effective. It seems like each episode will deal on the "atonement" of Emiri's friends as they weren't able to do anything to save the little girl.
  
  

This is Yeng Constantino's new song (in promotion of her upcoming concert this Feb. 3):



The song is simple (too simple actually!) and straightforward -- relying on the usual analogies for love (like clothes, mobile phone, and even cat). The chords/melody is also quite basic, as I have deduced. BUT, the song IS effective for me -- for a few reasons:

• (1) catchy;
  
• (2) yes, it might not work for everyone, but the simple-ness of the song, video and melody all worked.
  
• (3) honest and you can feel that is coming from the heart. The Bible verse was a nice touch, enhancing the emotional attachment for the song.

Currently, LSS-ed with this song (and Wakadanna's 何かひとつ (Producer's Acoustic Version) (Nanika Hitotsu, This one thing). Try it out -- her genre is similar to my favorite, YUI. What do you think about it?