1Q84 teasers

I'm a huge Murakami fan (I say that though I haven't read all his books ha!) -- and today is the US release of his new book 1Q84! Which looks amazzzzzzing!! (｡◕‿‿◕｡)ﾉシ

I can't wait to get my copy :)

Back to basics: Memorizing Japanese syllabary

Found these in an old box yesterday. Figured I should start with my Nihongo lessons again before I get too excited with other things. Back to basics (cause I forgot everything I learned from Elem 1)....

If you guys (you know all 3 of you~ (＾ー＾) ha!) want to study with me...I can try and guide you. :)

Memorizing of Kana (Hiragana and Katakana) characters

I found these in an old site but its gone now so I thought I'd upload here instead. I learned Hiragana & Katakana this way by memorizing the pictures. I can't find my Katakana picture sheet (sorry!) so we both would have to learn it the hard way.

To listen to how the characters are pronounced check this site: genkienglish.

To test yourself use these flash kana cards: realkana (has an iphone app!) / kanacards / search itunes store, there are tons of apps for Kana practice.

Next lesson!~ Reading & Writing practice

Style: Hibernating

The cold months are my perfect excuse to wear baggy clothes, tights, sweater and big glasses without getting weird looks from people. I call this the nerd-grandma aka hibernating look. (￣ω￣)ノ

I need to replace my glasses :( my old one snapped in two. Σ（￣o￣lll)

these look like something Rachel (from GLEE) would wear noh?! (＾ー＾)

*sigh* I wish I had gone shopping when I had the money. I'm running out of clothes!! I need to save my money since I'll be moving this end of October. Gah!!! So many bills to pay, stuff to buy. I am literally starting over. *no money (╥_╥)*

© glasses (forgot where I got this image); forever21 1/2 ; tokyofashion 1/2

Saranghe BIGBANG

Excuse me for getting sentimental--its 1AM and I really really miss BIGBANG. It's sad that they only just got back after a 2 year hiatus then bad things happen one after another. I really hope they stay strong, they're such an amazing group and they don't deserve all the bad publicity.

VIP's will wait for you. Please stay strong. FOREVER VIP ♛

Watching clips of their concerts....here are a few of my favorite BB songs.

Heaven and Pabo (Fool)...(2010 BIGSHOW concert)


Sunset Glow (w/c they almost always sing at encore) (2010 BIGSHOW concert)


Always (2009 BIGSHOW concert) -- 2010 -- 2011

They always sing this song when going around the concert grounds / interacting with the fans.

Brazenhead Books

One of my life-long dream is to live in a house filled with books, own a bookstore, or get trapped inside a library. haha! ( ´ω`)

I used to beg my Mom to buy me books when I was younger but we didn't have the funds. （￣へ￣）Seeing how I love books, my Mom decided to buy me a set of encyclopedia which took her years to pay. I learned so much about the most random things. Once I see something interesting on TV I would dash to the bookshelf and read all about it. *sniff*

I'm so glad there are 2nd hand bookshops and that we had been blessed with a much comfortable life now. (Thank YOU for the blessings. ☆彡) I'm currently building a mini library. Filling it with books I should have read when I was a child. The idea of living with books, it being a big part of life is something I want my future to have.

Books about books

Added a few more titles to my to-read book list. Because I'm writing a reading journal (and having a hard time figuring out what to write), I wonder how other people dissect their books. Maybe I can pick up a few tips.  What should we be looking for when reading a book? What should we be asking ourselves? I want to get more than just knowing about the plot. I want to understand more.

As reading is a solitary experience, I find comfort in a fellow book lovers experience living with books. That's why I'm starting to read more book blogs than reading actual books. Just reading about their adventures makes me happy. I know..I know.. I need to speed up my pace, my to-read list is currently at 69. (＾ー＾)

A Reading Diary by Alberto Manguel; How to talk about books you haven't read by Pierre Bayard ; At Home with Books.

Matilda by Roald Dahl; and The Booklover's Repair Kit: First Aid for Home Libraries (for the die-hard)

Pretty things: Rebecca Green

If I could own one of these paintings, I'd be a very happy person. I came across Rebecca Green's feature at fromyourdesks and fell in love with her paintings. I like paintings that are a bit grotesque and whimsical.

© myblankpaper.com; Rebecca Green

© myblankpaper.com; Rebecca Green

© fromyourdesks.com

Pass the Baton

My need to buy "new" items stem from wanting the best. I do not buy pre-loved items if I can help it. My thinking is "Why would I buy something that has already been used by someone else?" "A new one will last longer!"

Lately though, more because I have a tight budget, I have been frequenting a 2nd hand bookshop near my place. Before, I wouldn't even buy a new book that has been ripped out of its seal (done by people who like to browse the content first to see if the book is worth buying..I sometimes do this too! :3).

Matthew Gray Grubler: ghost story

Matthew Gray Grubler is one of my favorite actors because of his character "Dr. Spencer Reid" from Criminal Minds. I love his squeaky voice and the way he enunciates his every word.

I found this Celebrity Ghost Stories episode of him. Although I would not normally watch scary videos on my own, I got through this because I love the way he told his story. Now if you must know, I scare very easily. I'm scared of shadows lurking under the bed, creaking of closets, flickering lights..and so on~

I am however not new to sensing others. My previous apartment was an old 2 story house. I got the ground floor. One night I had my friend over and she was sleeping in the living room. All the lights were out because I like it that way. Makes me sleep better. So everyone was sleeping except me and my cousin, we were in my room, then suddenly I see someone pass. I thought my friend had walked past to use the bathroom. I walked out of the room towards the hallway and turned the light on. I saw my friend still on the couch sleeping. I looked at my cousin and saw the horror in her eyes. She saw the same thing I saw. Since then, I have never slept without the lights on.

Another time I was vacationing with my boyfriend to their hometown. We just had dinner on his grandmother's house. I was walking alone towards their house to get my phone. The windows were open so my natural instinct was to look inside. I saw someone, an old man, sitting on their dining table. It was just a quick look, then I realized, there shouldn't be anyone there. I looked back and he was gone. I ran as fast as I could.

I'm just glad I only see glimpses and not the real thing. I would probably die of shock. ^-^;

This post is part of the Life series where I share stories of inspiring people, culture, concepts and beliefs.

Feel free to browse my other posts and leave your comments. See you! ( ＾-＾)/★*☆

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Free People

I love browsing through Free People. They satisfy my inner bohemian. Needless to say I always fall in love with their sweaters.

image © one. two. three. four.

Free People October from FreePeople on Vimeo.

Simply Japanese

This room concept is one I have come to associate with Mori girls; use of natural wood color, plants scattered here and there, white walls, white bed linens, and lace curtains.

Although it's muted in color with only shades of brown, grays and peach. Still, it's very relaxing to look at. It's like you're living with nature.

Real convenient too! Most rental apartments and condo's already use the white wall - wooden floor combo. And wood furniture in natural finish are inexpensive. It's easy to design your room like this.

Oh and I want this floor chair. I have been camping in my living room floor lately and my back is killing me :(

Muji furniture © photo nigiyaka

New Murakami book: IQ84

I write about books a lot huh?! Yeah once I get going on something, I'll keep at it until I find another to obsess about. ^-^;

Will be released on October 25! *confetti* (￣ω￣)ノ

updated June 2012: 1Q84 teasers & check out my 1Q84 copy!

Book haul: Tolkien finds

I was feeling down, so instead of indulging on food, I decided to go back to BookSale. OMG I barely made it through the entrance. The mall was packed! It's a Sunday + the last sale day of the month. It was actually a blessing in disguise, cause as soon as I got my books I went straight home. I didn't shop or eat. hah! *pats herself in the back* ★('-^v)

I wish I had gotten more though,~ I was trying to be stingy practical. （￣へ￣）

It was literally book heaven...recent titles at 1/4 its original price. And an explosion of Tolkien books.