Entries for March, 2008
I just came from a Softball game with some friends. It's been a while since I've played any sport. The last time I remember playing Base/Softball was way back in fourth grade with Ma'am Alena and some classmates. It (today's game) was fun and cool though we ended up getting pretty dirty because the field was muddy due to the heavy rain last night.
There's only a week left of school. The Holy Week comes before our Finals Exam week--"our" meaning the undergrads since the Seniors already finished theirs and since last week, have already ditched their uniforms. I won't hold my breath though. It's far from over for us. I'm starting to sweat and it's not from playing ball.
I bought several books from eBay last week. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning (90); Meg Cabot's Mediator Series: Shadowland (140) and Haunted (40) and Ann Brashares' The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (50). The numbers are the prices in pesos. I'm still waiting for the bidding for Cecily Von Ziegesar's Gossip Girl Series--the first three books in the series--to end. I'm quite lucky when it comes to bargain books. Che can attest to that. I once bought Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident for 50php at Shop-O-Rama which is something.
Well, other than books and school, I really have nothing going on. I still have the same old boring life. It's reassuring yet at the same time, tiresome. The past twenty years are starting to get to me. 
By the way, I need help. I need someone who can translate Kanji (Japanese) to English. I can't use Babel Fish Translation since it's a static page. It's the official website of Hana Yori Dango Final movie. From what I can see from the site, it contains facts about the movie and the trailer. I can't say more since I can't understand a thing except the occasional "F4". I really need to learn Kanji and Nippongo but until then HELP! Here's the link to the site: Hana Yori Dango Final
{ show } Hana Yori Dango Final trailer (I can't understand a word!)
ADZoo, Fetish | 1 hollered back
I found the translation. Arigatou, meimi (
nyonyo) of LiveJournal!
From the official Hana Yori Dango Final site, here's my rough translation of the story explanation posted on the site.
[Summary of the past season]
Four years have passed since then...
"I, Doumyouji Tsukasa, have formally decided to get married in the spring of next year! I will be marrying the woman of my destiny, who captured my heart and never let it go, Makino Tsukushi!!"
In a hotel in Japan, Tsukasa held an extravagant press conference to announce this to the entire world. Afterwards, Tsukushi is targeted even by television programs, which are hailing her as a modern-day princess.
Following that, when the Makino family and the Doumyouji family gathered together to give their engagement presents to the couple, Doumyouji's mother, Kaede, once Tsukushi's divine enemy who was always opposed to the match, offered Tsukushi a 10-billion-yen tiara as proof of her acceptance of the engagement. The tiara, named the "Smile of Venus," is an heirloom that has been passed down through the generations to women in the Doumyouji family.
That night, as she sat in her hotel room watching the tiara sparkle, Tsukushi embraced all of her worries about how, by marrying Tsukasa, who had become successor to his family corporation, everything in her peaceful life was about to change. Tsukasa, sensing her mental state, swore to her, "I will protect you for the rest of my life. Come with me without any worries!" But in front of the two at that moment, suddenly, a man dressed in black crashed through the window, took the tiara, and ran away! Not knowing what was going on, Tsukushi and Tsukasa chased after the man. But in the blink of an eye, he vanished into the city.
Dumbfounded by this event, the two returned to the hotel room only to be dumbfounded again at the sight before their eyes. The window glass that had only just been broken, and the furniture that had been damaged in Tsukasa's struggle with the man, had all been replaced as if nothing had ever happened!
This way, the situation takes on the appearance not of the tiara having been stolen, but that Tsukushi lost it herself. They must get it back at any cost! This is no time to be getting married now! Is the owner of the hotel in on it as an accomplice too? Is his goal the 10-billion tiara? Or to put a stop to Tsukushi and Tsukasa's wedding? And who is the culprit?
In order to retrieve the "Smile of Venus" tiara, which legend has it will "bring eternal love to its bearer," Tsukushi and Tsukasa give chase through Hong Kong, Las Vegas, and throughout the world. And, what of the "F4," who have begun to walk their own paths in life? What are they doing now, and where are they?
{ mood } cheerful
TV/Movies/Music, Fetish | say what?
I had one of those nights again--those nights when you feel so aweful that you think Lemony Snicket should write a book about it. I couldn't sleep, probably because I downed a liter of Coke--damn! To hell with it! It's the last day of the school year. What is done is done, up to the class standing that is. We've only got Finals left, which won't be until next Monday and we'll finally get to greet SUMMER. I don't really have summer classes but I might look into it and see if I can squeeze in the classes. My dad wants me to. Besides, I really don't want to be stuck in Basilan for the entire summer. That would kill me, not unless my dad decides to bring us to some place for a vacation. I miss traveling so much.
I think I won't be able to update until the Finals are over. I have resolved to "kick ass" in the examinations because unfortunately, I don't think my class standing is that great and the exams carry a third of the final grade. Talk about dire and desperate. Ha!
Anyways, it's Che's birthday today! I got her a present. It's nothing much but I hope she likes it. She'll probably hate me for spotting it first. I suppose I'm just lucky in that sense.
I bought two more Newbery books. Check my content pages for the update.
I got to watch Step Up 2: The Streets a few weeks ago. It's a dance movie so I won't dish/diss on the story because a dance movie is more about, well, the dancing. The opening scene was great as well as all the dance routines. Channing Tatum (He's in this one, too.) is unbelievable. I can't believe a guy that big can dance so well. I think they really aced the casting.
I also got to watch My Blueberry Nights by Wong Kar Wai. I really can't compare it with 2046 or In the Mood for Love, both critically acclaimed since I haven't watched both yet. (I have a copy of 2046 but it has no subtitles!) I bought the DVD because: (1) of Wong Kar Wai and (2) I was dumbfounded when I saw that Norah Jones was starring in it with Jude Law as her leading man and supported by Rachel Weisz, Natalie Portman and David Strathairn. All in all, it was a good movie. I love the kiss and the "blueberry pie".
I'm eyeing a DVD of Hana Kimi. I'm so rotting in hell.
{ music } Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis
{ mood } chipper
ADZoo, Fetish | 2 hollered back
I wrote months ago that my high school friends and I met to catch up on things last New Year's Day. Here are the three-months overdue pictures.
Pupung, Hazel and Marion
Jehza, Debra and me
Me and my best friend, Reyner
Me and Pupung
Winston
La Plaza de Isabela
{ mood } contemplative
School Year 2007-2008 is finally over. The waiting game begins. Finance and Cost Accounting are giving me the "dread". I think I answered the final exam in cost accounting quite okay but you can never be too sure. The Finance finals is a nightmare. I can't think of a way my midterm grade of 77 can be saved. When the bell rang signaling the end of the exam, I swear all of my classmates including me, of course, wanted to murder our teacher. He is such an a**. Anyways, the finals are over and as I've said a million times before, there's nothing I can do but wait. And it's killing me. On the other hand, I loved our Philiosophy exam. It was a bit chessy, rather my answers were a bit cheesy but I had fun answering it.
I finally got around to upload some photos. Here are pictures of my Dopie sandals. I love them!
{ mood } contemplative
My cousins from Cebu, Kuya Rommel and Kuya Roy2x and my uncle, their dad came to Isabela for a visit. Kuya Rommel kind of teased me on being a fatty and at that moment, I really considered and resolved to lose weight. Lame, I know but that's what happens when a really cute cousin teases you. Anyways, the feeling soon went away after they left. BUT... I really should lose weight. The thing is, I don't have summer classes and so I'll be at home with Auntie Beng's and my stepmom's cooking and that is so not good for anyone who is considering losing weight. Just this lunch, we had beef caldereta and dinuguan. Oh, bother!
Last Easter, we went to Bukol falls. On the way there, we had to hike down a cliff(?) along a thorny pineapple trail. My legs suffered a gash and it was so exhausting just getting there but it was all worth it. We're going back there tomorrow for the every-quarter outing of the gas station. My stepmom asked my dad about a vacation this summer (for the nth time) and my dad shut her up by his usual miserly reasons (for the nth time). I really want to travel again but if I have to beg for it, no thank you.
Here are some pictures of Bukol Falls taken by my stepbrother. Most of the pictures were taken by my dad but apparently he lost his memory card.
{ mood } contemplative
I have watched both adaptations of Hana Kimi--the Taiwanese and Japanese series. I haven't finished watching the Taiwanese but I can say that without a doubt the Japanese version is way, way, way better than the Taiwanese. The Japanese Hana Kimi's characters and plot is more well-written and well-adapted. Perhaps, it's because it's based on a shojo manga. Who knows the essense of the shojo manga better than the Japanese?! It's hilarious. The series is very well cast. The actors played their characters so well that I don't think I'll ever forget them. It's definitely a must-see.
It has 12 episodes and each one is guaranteed to make you roll on the floor laughing (or sympathetically sad).
More about the Japanese Hana Kimi from Wikipedia:
The story is about Ashiya Mizuki (Horikita), a Japanese girl residing in the U.S., who one day sees the young athlete Sano Izumi (Oguri) compete in the high jump on television. She begins to idolize him, and decides to move to Japan to attend the same school as him. However, Izumi goes to an all-boys school, so Mizuki disguises herself as a boy to achieve her dream of being with her idol. (I know the reason is lame but there is more to it in the Japanese series. Watch it to find out!)
Since I don't want to live up the tag as being a spoiler, I won't say more but if you want to know the real reason why Ashiya went back to Japan, go here: Michelle's Entertainment Library. I really agree with Michelle that Hana Kimi is like an anime done in live action.
Final Note: ABS-CBN claims that the Taiwanese Hana Kimi is the "original" but I beg to differ. Taiwan was the first to adapt the manga into a TV show but that doesn't make them the original. That makes them, well, the first. I have nothing against ASB-CBN. I'm just stating my humble opinion.{ mood } high
TV/Movies/Music, Fetish | 7 hollered back