New discovery!

Hahaha, it's finally that time again. The time I discover a new artiste I like and start fangirling like crazy. Righto, the music highlight of the month is this band:

Jrock band シド (SID)!!

From the left: Yuuya (Dr), Shinji (Gt), Mao (Vo) and Aki (Bass Gt). Guess my fav? XD

Haha, have been reeeaallly into them lately. Started off listening to Black Butler's OP, Monochrome Kiss...was really attracted to the style, so I checked out other songs by SID. Being relatively young in the scene of Jrock, I'm surprised they have settled on their own music style already. Started off as a Visual Kei rock band, they've dropped the image since 2006, so now they're going major. SID's music tend to lean to rock, but with some jazz infusions, so I find it refreshing.

Of course, Mao's vocals won me over with his somewhat 'light' voice. It's quite a big contrast from all the 'heavy' and breathy vocals I normally hear from Jrock. Likes of Gackt, Nightmare and even Larc tend to have really deep, heavy vocals...in a way, I guess their voice is the 'rough' type. Mao's vocals lean towards a lighter, somewhat smoother feel. His powerful vocals can carry off the genre they play, and he can still sing light-hearted songs with a pop-like feel. (LOL, ok, I admit it. I'm pimping 'em)

Of course, it'd be weird to talk about SID's vocalist. The other band members are great too. Aki and Shinji play really well, and a distinct feature in their music seem to be the guitar riffs. And Yuuya...well, he's one crazy dude, but he does the drums real cool. For all the music they've done so far, Mao writes the lyrics and Aki does most of the compositions...Shinji does some of it, sometimes. Of course, the one thing that really set them apart in my eyes is that they really can perform live well! That's like, a super important aspect I like to look at, and it's really interesting coz Mao sounds as he does in the records, which I think is really good. Many artistes sound good on the records, but they can't deliver in the lives...but SID carries it off well.

Haha, end of pimping session. XD But seriously, if you have a taste for Jrock, but find the music in the scene a little too much for you, I suggest giving SID a try. The songs they have are quite diverse, from the usual heavy Jrock fanfare to mellow ballads. Some recommendations: 涙の温度 (Namida no Ondo) and 夏恋 (Natsukoi).

-

I'm sorry, guys...sorry...sorry....

*Interesting* V-day...

V-day...the day where people (esp guys) open up their wallets and drain their life savings on goodness-knows-what in the name of love. Isn't if overrated, how we choose this one day to show our affection for loved ones by being extravagant? I mean, we can show affection in many ways, and certainly not just on this one day. But no, I told myself not to be judgemental. Those who have those significant others to spend it with, I'm sure you enjoyed each other's company. Those who are like me would probably have either spent the day enjoying one's own company, or went out with your friends ala singles' night out.

But alas! My plan of having a fairly uneventful V-day was disrupted by a fairly bizarre and shocking incident! I was much disoriented after that...but being me, decided not to let it bother me...till after my evening out anyway. Service was funny, actually, since Ps made some really hillarious allusions to us female species, and gave advice to the guys that they all paid close attention to while the girls laughed knowingly. After that, it was 'makan' time, then I headed home...my plans for the night drawing to an end. Of course, there was that issue to deal with still...but some advice and sleep sorted it, and it has been taken care of since.

What about you? Anything interesting?

PS: I really kinda wish I had a camera phone...or a decent camera with me nowadays. It's when you hang out with your friends like this that you wanna take a snap and realise that, "Drats! No camera!"

PPS: I soooo want to play Dissidia Final Fantasy. Now I wanna get a PSP just to play this game, dang it! It's literally a fangirl's dream come true, to see your fav FF characters ditch it out cross-universe. Personally, the fact that I can finally see Zidane and Kuja rendered in 3D reminiscent of Advent Children is icing on the cake. If you haven't seen the intro video, I recommend you Youtube it...the visuals are breathlessly beautiful.

Some DFF wallies; top one is the hero wallie, bottom villians.

Gah...

Oh dear Lord, are you playing a trick on me? Of all days, today too! >< What am I to make of this weird turn of events?

And So, 2009 is Here...

Time flies by so quickly. As one reflects on the year, it becomes clear that there are things one wished one has done, and silly mistakes one wished one has not committed. Yet, as time flows without stopping....forward, unto the shapeless future ahead, there is nothing but reflection, for no change can be brought unto a decision that has already been executed.

Precisely because of the fact that we can't change the past, we need to reflect. It has been a quiet transition into the new year...quietly slipping as the seconds dripped by, and without really realising, nor really caring, 2008 came to an end, and 2009 begins. It has become less imminent, the sense of time...at least, for now it matters not to me what time of the day or what day of the week it is. But soon, I shall have to return to the world where time moves at a pace where things flash by, a world where time is a commidity, scarce as it is.

Life moved sluggishly for me this past week, yet the time disappears quickly without my realisation. As 2008 came to a close, the year...long, inconsistent, full of events...yet strangely with not much memory of it. Strange, the concept of time is such that one year is not long, yet it seems to me so far away that I wonder if it was not a few years ago... Stranger still my inability to remember most part of the year...or perhaps, life was not of such significance till now...at least, not it my memory.

The new year has come, signalling the advent of a decade. And as I prepare to fall back into life as a student, I wonder....how will I be changed by this year?

Here, There, Everywhere

This holiday has been marked by mum's trademark sense of adventure, which means I've spent my holidays so far by travelling up and down the place. Starting off from the final day of exam, family came down to help me move house. Love my new place, really. It's a great environment. Then promptly the next day after finals, we head down south to Malacca. Spent the day walking through Stadhius (or was it spelt with a 'Y'? I can't remember...) museum. It was pretty interesting, actually. Then walked around the Dataran Pahlawan mall...never been there before, I think it's a new mall. Of course, what is a trip to Malacca if we don't take a walk down Jonker street? So we did at night.

Next day, we head back to KL round the evening. And of course, mum engaged in her favourite activity, which was shopping...in the Curve. She was even shopping for CNY clothes...-_-;; Come a new day, it was off to Bukit Tinggi! Well, well, this was different from the previous trip we had. Since we went to Colmar the last time, this time we headed off for some activities, first of which was archery. It was a lot of fun learning to shoot arrows, and I dare say I'm quite inclined to the sport (Hey, I hit the centre area, okay? *gets whacked for bragging*) Next we went bowling, at the same complex. My brother was sure having fun. My hand was already aching when we finished the first game, so I opted to just watched as my younger siblings rolled off the second round. Then we went swimming. It was freaking cold there, goodness...and I hadn't gone swimming since I don't know when! By the time I got out of the pool, my joints were hurting and my limbs were pretty sore.

Then, the next day, after we came down the hill, it was off to Midvalley for another bout of shopping....it's only the first week, but I'm already struggling to keep up with my mum. But we survived it...somehow. The weekend came and we were to go to grandma's place. Sunday was also fast coming, and I was praying for the bursary. Since Sam wanted to go to CF this year, and the two younger ones wanted to stay at grandma's (for the Wii of course...), this meant that mum and I walked the new wing of Pyramid, shopping again. I think I must have walked more miles in those few days than the entire month put together.

Then news came...I've got the bursary, so it was off to church on Sunday, but we have to rush because grandma wanted to have the new year lunch (I don't know what you call it in English...we eat the 'tang yuen' on that day) Then it was back to Ipoh....

Finally, back home after who knew how long...home is still the most relaxing place to be, filling me with a kind of nostalgia that makes me walk into every room in the house, just soaking up the atmosphere of home...to just laze around with a book on the sofa, to play the PS2 till someone complains that it's their turn, to watch TV on the bed....guess I miss home more than I realised.

Of course, given mum's nature, we won't settle in the house. After rounding south, it's time to head north. Penang, here we come. Departing early, we arrived in Penang in time for brunch and headed off to Queensbay Mall. We hung around till it was time to check in and drove to town...but somehow got lost. Well, mum insisted she wasn't, since she's been to Penang so often, but due to the many back lanes and one-way streets...we found ourselves going round and round, not able to find the hotel. So I did the only thing I knew how to do...call for help (Yes, I called Sebastian...coz I can't think of anyone else who know Penang roads as well as him.) And hurray! We found the hotel! But no resting on our laurels, coz next stop was Gurney Plaza. I know...crazy hectic, aren't we? But hey, I only have two weeks holiday...gotta make full use of it. So now, today, we just came back from Penang...got on a ferry since a long time (saw lots of jellyfish too) and resting at home. As far as I know...these few days would be reserved for recuperating my feet at home. But mum probably won't sit still for long...

Good luck!

Exams are coming! As I type this, I'm trying to read up my PSY201 notes... Too many things to remember...and I haven't gone through my PSY209 notes either. Her slides are so hard to read! ><

On one hand, most of the things I'm reading seems to look familiar, so I'm hoping that I can crap something out during exams. I need to maintain my performance now that I have to account myself to an organization...haih... Well, good luck to everyone who's taking their finals. Sure hope all goes well. Minna ganbatte! XD