Journey to the West (西への旅) - Stephen Chow

 

昨日、私は友人と一緒に映画を見に行きました。

Kinō, watashi ha yūjin to issho ni eiga wo miniikimashita.

Yesterday, I went to see a movie together with my friend.

 

私たちは映画 "西遊記"を見ました。
Watashitachi ha eiga 'Saiyuki' wo mimashita.
We saw ' Journey to the West' movie.
 

それは非常に面白かった。笑いが止まらなかった。
Sore wa hijō ni omoshirokatta. Warai ga tomaranakatta.

It was very interesting. I did not stop laughing.

 

私は子供の頃から, 空悟空の事を知っていた。

Watashi ha kodomo no koro kara, Son Gokū no koto wo shitteita.

Since I was a kid, I have known the story of Son Goku.

 

ただ、それが好きです。

Tada, sore ga sukidesu.

I just love it. 

 

とにかくそれは素晴らしい映画だった。

Tonikaku sore ha subarashī eigadatta.

 Anyway, it was a wonderful movie.

 

それを見て、本当に楽しかったです！
Sore wo mite, hontōni tanoshikattadesu!
Watching it was really fun!

Not That Close of an Encounter

 Teluk Kemang Beach, Port Dickson, Malaysia.

Have you ever been to this place?

It's a very beautiful sandy beach with wide blue ocean.
I love the ocean...

The vast open sky looked bewitchingly far away.

Tickly sand softly brushed against my bare feet.

I went there with my close friends. Our last year together as university students. Despite last minute planning, we were able to make it. I had the opportunity to ride on the 'banana boat'. Even though I wished the boat was faster, it was thrilling to be in the middle of the ocean.

 

While closing into the seashore, the banana boat swerved. We went flying in the air and Geronimo'd into the water.

Being a girl, I screamed with joy.

It was all part of the 'buy one free one' package.

Yet, we were thrown a bit too far.

Oh, did I mentioned that I didn't know how to swim?

Since I had my life jacket on, not having fish gills wasn't a problem. That is until I felt someone grab my back, dragging me down into the water. Pushing myself up, I saw that the person hugging me from behind was my room mate, Sarah.

"My life jacket's opened! I can't clip the belt ...!".

She was crying her eyes out and I tried to calm her down.

Panicked, she struggled to stay afloat by hopping on my back like a big baby koala holding on for dear life.

Not able to feel the ground, I felt tense.

"Let's grab the banana boat, they'll carry us ashore", I told her.
Like a fish floating in the sea, we held on to the boat.

As we were floating farther away, the ocean seemed so empty and big.

Wanting to swallow us up.

 

I looked at Sarah's crying face and felt hopeless.

I stared into the sky...

Am I going to DIE?!

 

Drowned in the ocean right after riding on the BANANA BOAT???

Such a terrible joke. . .

 

Then, I heard somebody calling my name.

"What are you guys doing? You can let go now".

It was another friend of mine. She looked as if she wanted to laugh but stopped after seeing my white pale face. No longer crying, Sarah gingerly stood on her feet. Doing the same, I felt my feet touch the seabed. For a few minutes, I tried to make sense of the situation. During all the time we were floating with our feet up on the surface which seemed like forever, we didn't realize that we were already ashore, dragged along by the banana boat.

 

 

I was so GLAD... And MAD at the same time.

Not because of Sarah's carelessness but the fact that I couldn't do ANYTHING.

To save her and myself.

The hopelessness that I felt... engraved deeply in my inner conscious mind.

 

I chased after Sarah to give her a piece of my mind.

 

"Sarah, YOU IDIOT. Don't go panicking like that EVER AGAIN!".
"I seriously thought we were going to DIE!"
"It wasn't MY FAULT>... It was the JACKET'S!"
"Really? You're actually BLAMING THE JACKET?? Next time FREAKING CHECK IT!"

Laughing like crazy, Sarah ran and ran.
I gave up and went on to the next activity.
The super fast viper boat. "Not for the faint hearted".
Why not, I thought. But this time, NOT WITH SARAH...

Haidan - 私のペット / Watashi no Petto (My Pet)

これは私のハムスターです。
Kore ha watashi no hamusuta desu.
This is my hamster.

彼の名前はHaidanです。
Kare no namae ha Haidan desu.

His name is Haidan.

 

かわいいですよね？
Kawai desu yo ne?

 Isn't he's cute?

世界で一番かわいいもの。
Sekai de ichiban kawai mono desu.

The most cute thing in the world.
 

毎回Haidanと遊ぶことは私を幸せにする。
Maikai Haidan to asobu koto ha watashi wo shiawase ni suru.

I am happy everytime I play with Haidan.

残念なことに、彼はずっと前に死んでしまいました。
Zan'nen'nakotoni, kare ha zutto mae ni shinde shimaimashita.
Unfortunately, he died a long time ago.

 

最近、私は彼がとても恋しい。

Saikin, watashi ha kare ga totemo koishi.
Recently, I miss him very much.

彼の空のケージを見て、私は孤独を感じる。
Kare no sora no keiji wo mite, watashi ha kodoku wo kanjiru.
Looking at his empty cage, I feel lonely.

たぶん私は新しいペットをさがす必要があります。

Tabun, watashi ha atarashii petto wo sagasu hitsuyo ga arimasu.
Maybe I need to find a new pet.

例えば、ラクーン。
Tatoeba, racoon.
For example, racoon.

ラクーンも非常にかわいいです。
Racoon mo hijo ni kawai desu.
Racoons are very cute too.

それでも
Soredemo,
But still,

Haidanはかけがえのないもの。
Haidan ha kakegae no nai mono.
Haidan is irreplaceable.

My Japanese's Diary - 父よ母よただありがとう (Mom Dad, Just TQ!)

私はお父さんお母さんがいちばん愛してます。

Watashi ha otōsan okāsan ga ichiban aishitemasu.

I love my mother and father the most.
 

 

彼らはやさしくてしんせつな人です。

Karera ha yasashikute shinsetsu na hito desu.

They are nice and kind person.

私は少しいたずらな人です。

Watashi ha sukoshi itazura na hito desu.

I am a bit of a mischievous person.

 

いつも少ない小さな問題をつくる。

Itsumo sukunai chīsana mondai wo tsukuru.

I had always made a few problems.

 

その当時、私はあまりいい子ではいませんでした。

Sono tōji, watashi ha amari ī-ko dewa imasen deshita.

Back then, I was not quite a good kid.

とにかく、私のせいでした。

Tonikaku watashi no sei deshita.

However, it was my own fault.

このことから、彼らは心配してきたなので,お父さんお母さんごめんなさい。

Kono koto kara, karera ha shinpai shite kita nanode, otōsan okāsan gomen'nasai!

From this, I made them worried so 'Mother, father, Sorry!'.

 

毎日、毎回、感謝する。

Mainichi, maikai kansha suru.

Everyday, every time, I am thankful.

よかった...

Yokatta...
"I am glad"..

 

Greeeen - 父母唄

My Japanese's Diary - Japanese's Songs (Nihon no uta)

Saikin, watashi wa nihon no uta wo kikimasu.

Lately, I'm listening to Japanese's song.

Naka naka omoshirokute tanoshii desu ga, kashi ga wakarimasen.

They are quite interesting and pleasant but I cannot understand the lyrics.

Watashi wa mainichi kiite imasu.

Everyday I listen to them.

Sukoshi zutsu, motto motto suki ni natte.

Little by little, more and more, I'm beginning to like it.
 

Ima wa Yuya Matsushita san no uta wo kiite imasu.

Right now, I'm listening to Yuya Matsushita's song.

Yuya Matsushita ha yumei desu ka?

Is Yuya Matsushita famous?

Kare no uto ha totemo subarashii.

His songs are very wonderful.

Tatoeba, Trust Me, Paradise, 4 Seasons, Negai ga Kanau Nara to See You.

For example, Trust Me, Paradise, 4 Seasons Negai ga Kanau Nara and See You.

Hontoni suteki na koe desu.

His voice is really lovely.

Nanka... Yuya Matsushita wa kakkoi desho?

Somewhat... Yuya Matsushita is cool right?

Kare ni au koto wa muri dakara sukoshii kanashii desu.

I'm a bit sad because meeting him is impossible.

Nantoka ...ima wa, Nihon ni motto motto ikitai.

Somehow, now, more and more, I want to go to Japan.

My Japanese's Diary - Introducing Myself (Jiko Shokai)

 

Mina san, konnichiwa!

Everyone, hello!

Hajimemashite.

Nice to meet you.

 

Watashi no namae wa Missie desu.

My name is Missie.

 

Mareshia shusshin no niiju go sai.

I am from (born and raised) Malaysia, 25 years old.

 

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

Please take care of me.

 

 

Watashi no nihongo ga sukoshi wakaru you ni narimashita, demo mada heta nanode gomen'nasai.

I have come to understand Japanese a little but it is still poor, so I am sorry.

 

Nihongo wa naka naka muzukashii desu ga, nihon no koto daisuki.

Japanese is quite difficult but I love Japan.

 

Ima kara, chanto, motto motto ganbarimasu.

From now on, properly, more and more. I'll do my best.

 

Mina san, o genki desu ka?

Everyone, how are you?

 

Watashi wa genki desu.

I am fine.

 

Kochira wa itsumo ame ga furimasu.

Here is always raining.

 

Chotto samui desu.

It is a bit cold.

 

 

 

Ahhh, Nihon ni ikitai!

Ahhh, I want to go to Japan.

 

Osaka to Kyoto to dochira ga ii desu ka?

Osaka or Kyoto which one is better?

 

Sakura to hanabi ga hontoni mitei desu.

I really want to see Sakura tree and the fireworks.

 

Mochiron, ima wa muri desu datte okane ga zen zen arimasen dakedo itsuka zettai!

Of course, now is impossible because I have no money at all but someday for sure!

Thicker than blood and water

Looking into the wallet, there’s always a dollar short. In terms of money, ironically, we get just enough just to give it away. Unless you’re Aladdin with a genie in a lamp, like a bump on the road, there will be times of ‘Mc Hammer Broke’ crisis in life. It is however to be a bona fide belief that no one in this materialistic little big planet likes to be indebted. Habitual maybe but definitely nobody enjoyed it. For sure. Yet, desperate time needs desperate measures. Left with no other alternatives, most would put on their Batman costume, saying ‘to the bat mobile!’ with a husky voice and choose the easiest way, i.e take up a loan. People that comes in mind – blood relatives or best friends.

 

 

Call it an act of kindness or naivety, lending money to a loved one is a risk similar to a no-rope-attached bungee jumping. Geronimo all the way down. Either you’ll be saved by a giant trampoline or fall flat on your face, the aftermath will most probably ‘rust the trust’ in a relationship when the I’ll-pay-you-back-for-sure party couldn’t live up to their words. That goes without saying. Just because you’re brothers in arms, there is no excuse for taking-it-lightly attitude. Instead, as strong as you presume your relationship are, when it concerns money, it is as breakable as the thinnest crepe. Sad but true.

 

When a person lend their money, logically, s/he is conceived as the good guy. When s/he wants their money back, if you can’t pay them immediately, you’ll feel like they’re the bad yakuza guy. Then, when either party can’t get what they want, things get ugly. Thus, ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ theory of money lending. High chances are the borrower will likely asked their money back later than earlier. Believe it or not, some even feel guilty. No one is more lenient and considerate since it is a bet they’re willing to take for their loved ones.

 

All is well if within the five fingers limit, we couldn’t cash in the debt on the ground of acceptable reasons. Yes, there’s no helping it right? But don’t push your luck. The price tag you’re bargaining is TRUST. Even if they won’t point a Gatling gun at your face like Al Pacino did in Scarface, they’ll probably just hate you forever. It is a fact that the nicest people can make the worst enemy.

 

Preposterous it may seem but nevertheless, money is thicker than blood and water. In today’s world, it is only human. Money make things happen.

 

So, All YOU NEED IS LOVE? 

GO FIGURE.

 

 

What does a man with money wants? More money.

 

What does a man with power wants? More power.

 

 

 

 

Typical.

My Days of Driving – Part 2

Can you see that piece of cello tape?

Cello tape??

 

There. (Pointing).

 

I don’t see any. (Confused, my eyes were frantically looking outside the car).

 

Right there! Honestly!
Where are you putting your eyes at ??
(Furiously pointing at the window).

(Intimidated. Come on eyes! Cello tape! Fast!). Oh, THAT Cello tape. Sticking at the window? I thought you were pointing outside.

Anyways, when you reversed the car, stop as soon as the first parking sign pole is somewhere within the same line as the cello tape.

 

Okay… (Ears ringing).
 

 

 

That was the starting of my first parking lesson.

 

At the first sign of idiocy, my teacher was quick to snap. With crushed enthusiasm, I couldn’t grasp how the wheel works when reversing. Should the wheel go right or left? Constantly questioning myself, I made more mistakes that I intended. My teacher, instead of being a figure of encouragement, effortlessly emitted sounds that I interpreted as pure annoyance.

 

Panic, scared and irritated, learning was anything but easy. Focusing was harder. Suddenly, my brain was a separate entity from my body. Forget the trauma of solving mathematical Pythagoras Theorem, THIS was by far a lot worst.

 

 

Assuming that I was making my own rules, she concluded the lesson after a mere 15 minutes.

Before, I waited half an hour because someone else was late. It even took me half an hour just to get here. Now, I got a lame 15 minutes parking lesson?? Unbelievable!

Unfastening the seat belt, I took a long deep breath. I was determined to give her a piece of my mind. Or rather, I felt like screaming at the top of my lung.

Then, just before I allowed myself being possessed by the devil, at the spur of the moment, another student came up. Giving me the confused look of ‘What’s taking you so long?’, my heart gave out. All is lost but honour. Barnicles!
 

 

 

 

~ To be angry is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way… that is not easy. ~

(Aristotle)





Truly Madly Single



‘Don’t worry so much. You’ll get married eventually.’ I remembered saying those comforting words to a dear friend of mine. Being only a year older than me,  I was puzzled cos unlike her, I wasn’t having those I’m-getting-old-and-should-be-married-soon thoughts in my head. Perhaps I was missing some important female hormones?

 

I’m perfectly aware that at some point of my life, I should grab the nicest guy available, settle down and produce a baseball team of miniature me and my husband. Since they always say that the right guy will come along at the right moment, the marriage-thinking was safely stored in the temporal lobe of my brain. Well, not until recently when my mom started giving me the it’s-about-time-to-get-married-and-produce-a-rightful-heir-to-the-throne speech. At that point of time, I knew I'd better start practicing the penguin’s dance of seduction.

 

So, just to relax my mind, I opened my Facebook account. Maybe somewhere someone was feeling as miserable as I am. Rather the contrary, I was notified on several invitations to attend friend’s wedding ceremonies, photos of honeymoon pictures, first born and loving couple posts. I was made to realize that while my friends are all busy ‘pluralizing’ themself, I’m left in the state of singular comatose. Thus begin my days of worrying like an old spinster in their 80s.

At the office, while pretending to be immensely busy, I started scanning for eligible bachelor. Being in the accounting work field, the guys are the perfect resemblance of either John Nash or Forest Gump. I guess in my case, there’s little chance I’ll get hooked up with Keanu Reeves. Not being a hottie myself, I know beggars can’t be choosers. But every girl can dream right? I remembered going back home with a strained back and a defeated heart.

 

The fact that I was 25 and single never bothered me before but now like an itch that can’t be scratch, it left me insomniac for weeks. I felt like Hunchback of Notre Dame's twin sister and I was drowning in my own self-blaming world. Still, fortunately, being a creature that take things lightly, I wasn’t depressed enough to the point of suicidal. So, after days of self motivation and drop-the-subject face I gave my mom, I was back on my feet again.

 

Then, like any typical movie, there came along a guy. (Let’s call him Justin Bieber since he was younger). So, Justin was cute in his own way and have a charming smile. Seated just behind my enormously small cubicle, we chatted between breaks and get along just fine. On weekends, he’d sms me and I’d sms him back. All the formalities of being in the friendship zone. This went for as long as 6 months until one fine day, Justin asked me out. As happy as I should be because FINALLY SOMEONE ASK ME OUT, unlike Selena Gomez, I didn’t say yes. Porque? It was the matter of the heart. I couldn’t say yes when my heart was saying no.

 

Unable to find the coach for my baseball team, I’m back to square one. I come into terms that finding my star crossed Keanu Reeves hangs on a thicker string called destiny. Serendipity movie is a good example! Being single doesn’t mean that you’re leftovers that nobody wants. Even if you feel like it, leftovers are just as good. Heat them up and they'd still taste great. Beside, guys who doesn’t waste and eat leftovers? That's priceless.

~ Whatever you are, Be a good one~
(Abraham Lincoln)
 

U.G.L.Y (Unidentified Goosebump Like Yourself)



 

Mirror Mirror On the Wall.
Who's the fairest of them all?

 

With skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood and hair as black as ebony, every girl wants to be Snow White. Cinderella is gorgeous too but let’s pick Snow White because she doesn’t have to do much. Just eat a poisoned apple, got kissed while in comatose and voila...you’re set to be married with the sexiest Prince alive.

In this ‘Never-Ending-Judgy World’, being pretty makes life seem a lot easier. Yeah, they get second glances, extra cheese in their burritos but it doesn’t make the world a better place to live. Just more endurable. It’s a given to say that with good looks also comes great sufferings. (Hooray??).

Clearly, we have no control over how we look like. Its one of those oh-surprises in life. There’s absolutely Nothing Wrong being ‘below pretty’. The word ugly was created just to add extra vocabulary in the human-being-mean dictionary. It is merely a word used as often as stupid does.. yet not as easily forgotten. To those that believe them, it magically comes true.

It is inevitable that beauty captures attention. BUT,
Being pretty ugly can be pretty awesome too. Apparently because :

1. People will love you for who you are

• Rest assured. If anyone’s interested in you despite how imaginary-ugly you assume you are, the chances are they like YOU, not your looks. Period. Consider yourself lucky because these kind of people are quite rare and almost extinct! Quite a catch huh.

2. Healthier

• Hate your big nose? Well, don't. Bigger nose are healthier! Mouth-breathing are so lame. Thanks to your large nostril, germs would think twice before going in, fearing they might get lost on the way. How cool is that?
• Shorter people live longer too. They also make good Limbo dancers. It’s proven since the longest living people are from Japan with the elderly average height of 4’9”. Still, accidents happen.

 

 

 

3. More Mr. Cash in your wallet

• Cosmetics? Spa? You don’t need them. You’re secured,financially. Looks vs money. I’d pick money anytime.

4. More Me Time

• Since Snow White get so much attention from her evil stepmother, she can’t barely make time for blogging or putting up her status in Facebook. With only 24 hours a day, pretty ugly people have more time for themself. Wrapped up in their own world, they’d make good bloggers ,inspiring writers and awesome hackers.

5. We are the majority

• Believe it or not, we dominate the world. We can easily take over the world now.
 

No one is butt ugly unless they feel they are.  We might not like what we see in the mirror but when you feel ugly, definitely you can’t feel pretty. May it be your nose, eyes, skin or lips, they’re never perfect to begin with. Nevertheless, nothing short of unique in its own way. Like how Sylvester Stallone can’t be Rambo without his crooked mouth or Wesley Snipes won’t be Blade if he hadn’t been black. Rather than hating how we look, we might as well embrace it. Before you know it, ugly might be the next beauty.

~The most beautiful thing in the world is the world itself.~

Uragiri Wa Boku No Namae Wo Shitteiru



Betrayal Knows My Name.

Judging by the title, I was left puzzled on whether I should watch the anime. The big punch line is obviously Betrayal (Uragiri). So, I expected the anime to have a gloom doom atmosphere + tears rolling down cheek moments and most probably someone DIED. I was very reluctant since sad stories are enough to make me miserable. Life is already sad as it is so why indulge more right? But, since I have a thing for sword fighting animes, I decided to give it a go.

I'm glad that I did and Uraboku has been one of my top favourite since.

 

Uraboku revolves around the life of Sakurai Yuki, an orphan with special empathy like powers who is very kind and caring towards others. Yet, he is deeply lonely since being abandoned as an infant have left him wondering the purpose of his existence. His life then takes an interesting turn when he was saved from being run down by a van (or was it a truck) by the mysterious silver moonlit eyes Duras (demon), Zess a.k.a Luka Crosszeria.

Yuki is actually the reincarnation of Giao Clan's God's Light whose power is vital for fighting the betrayer Giao Reiga, who presently happened to be reincarnated as Yuki's somewhat older brother as they grew up together at the orphanage. Yuki is unable to recollect his past life. So, unbeknownst to him, Yuki was also Luka's master and past lover (Yuki was a girl previously). Kyaaaaa! So, thats the overall idea..

Watching the anime really tugged my heart since Yuki's suffering is portrayed really well. Constantly targeted by the enemy, he does seem like the damsel in distress (and he cries a lot) but he compensates them by healing his fellow rescuers' wounds and inflicting them onto himself. Dealing with the fact that he have to fight Reiga, Yuki's sacrifice left me teary throughout the anime and made his place as my favourite character.

The romance in this anime is not your typical 'boy meet girl and they rode to the sunset' cliche. It swims along the forbidden and tragic love story since Yuki is presently a boy and have no recollection of his past life. Yet, Luka stands firm to protect Yuki which made me want to bawl my eyes out.

Personally, Uraboku was definitely a good anime (Girls may dig it but guys maybe not so much). Overall, it has outstanding soundtracks that matched well with awesome fight scenes, great voice acting and a beautiful story. And yes, it made me miserable for days...

Only I know your pain
Your uncertainty
Your loneliness
If only we could be together forever
I'll say it as many times as you wish
I will not betray you


~ The manga is even better ~

My Days of Driving

Last time I checked. cars are a luxury. Nowadays, it's like having an i-phone. Unless you're Adam Lerner in 50/50 with a brain tumor and friends/girlfriend as your chauffeur, not knowing to drive one is a huge NO NO.

I'd always find driving as rather unsettling. Behind the wheels, most people somehow hulked into an extra crispy Michael Schumacher. Everyones on the rush. There's a chance you might end up being road kill or splattered lasagna.

So, recently, I decided to take my driving licence. BIG DEAL right? So, I thought.

My first driving lesson was nothing unusual. It was a new experience. Yet, it wasn't impossible. Yeah, I can do this....

1. Fasten your seat belt.

2. Check the mirrors, adjust your seat position.

3. Start the engine.

4. Press the clutch.

5. Jab in the first gear.

6. Release the hand brake.

7. Release the clutch slowly

8. Step on the accelerator.

Magically, the car started to move and..there I was. Driving. For the first time.Eventhough I drove like a fat snake without direction, but yes, I did it!

Sheeessh. It wasn't as hard as I thought.

My second driving lesson however requires me to drive on the road.

Being quite the mice, I was unsure of myself . The word Splattered Lasagna kept playing in my mind. Still, I stepped on the accelerator,  like a fat snake towards the road. Quite a few times , the engine shuts down as I released the clutch too fast. So, there I was, making my own private traffic congestion. Instead of making u-turns, I'd make w-turns and went to the other road (It was reflexes!). That irritated my teacher and I got a good scolding since I caused her to be late for the next student. I really felt like throwing up.

Arriving home, my dad asked, "How was it?

"Piece of cake Dad."

(Me, sucking it up....uwaaa)

~ The thing I don't want to learn is a lesson ~ Homer (Simpson)