When Katie and Kristi were Little Girls

SPOILER!
Paranormal Activity 3

yes, i've watched Paranormal Activity 3 at the cinema.  i was so stressed out by the assignments and tutorials that i had to deal with, that i HAD to put those things aside for a while.  it's not so much the toughness or difficulty level that makes those tasks feel like some sort of a burden (sorry, dear educators! :/), it's the abundance of the workload.  *sigh*  be strong, be strong!  so, i took a break from my assignments and tutorials.  my younger sister (not the youngest) and cousin tagged along.

as some of you might have already known, the three Paranormal Activity movies make use of first-person view and home video-like theme.  i see that this theme is getting more popular these days.  the rationale behind this is due to the fact that watching a movie from a first-person view makes the movie that much more believable and relatable.  before watching Paranormal Activity 3, i've read some reviews and comments about the movie.  some people like it ("like", not "love") and some dislike it.  they have their reasons, i'm sure.  despite whatever review i've read, i was still so determined to watch that movie!  i've been watching Paranormal Activity series since the first one came out.  i got hooked!  nang ngam bah movie ya ngan dirik, kali.  walaupun sebenarnya penakut!

for me, these are the top 4 scary bits in the third movie:

1) as Lisa, the babysitter, sat in the dining area after putting Katie and Kristi to sleep while Julie (Katie and Kristi's mom) and Dennis (Julie's boyfriend - Julie and her husband, who is Katie and Kristi's real dad, got a divorce or probably just a separation) went out, there was a white bed sheet in the figure of a child standing right behind her.  the reasonable thing to think of at that time was perhaps either Katie or Kristi was under the bed sheet and the girls just wanted to scare Lisa for fun.  then...the bed sheet got out of shape and fell flat on the floor, as if there was just air under it.  how did it stay in shape for so long, then??  and how did it manage to go behind Lisa at the dining area??  creepy~

2) Katie's, the older sister, blanket vigorously flew away from her towards the camera.  the poor girl was so scared and wanted to run to their mom downstairs, but that wasn't enough for the demon named Toby (which was claimed as Kristi's imaginary friend).  soon after that, Katie was dragged from her bed to the mini store in their room, feet first.  anyone would be petrified if that happens to oneself, right?  the poor girl tried to crawl back towards her younger sister.  we could hear Katie asking Kristie to help her, "Kristi, help me!!!" but Kristi could just watch her from her own bed, shocked.  as Katie almost reached her sister's bed, the demon dragged her again but Katie kept crawling away from the store.  along with some other things in the room, Katie's empty bed moved and rotated about 90 degrees.

3) Katie was chasing after Kristi, or maybe the girls were just running around playfully.  Kristi ran to the washroom in their bedroom and Katie was right behind her.  however, Katie bumped into something like an invisible wall.  that must be Toby, judging from Katie's fearful expression and action of slowly moving backward.  she tried to call out their mom but Julie was too busy having an argument with Dennis.  then, Katie stood still.  gosh, that part was suspenseful since we knew something would happen.  guess what happened?  Katie's long hair was pulled upward!  kowai~~!!

4) after talking to her mother through the phone in the kitchen, Julie (Katie and Kristi's mom) went to the door because she heard a knock.  no one was outside when she opened the door.  then, when she went back in, she noticed something strange in the kitchen.  all of the furniture and items that were supposed to be there (except for the cemented cabinets, sink, etc., that were attached to the floor) weren't there.  a few seconds later, all of those things crashed down from the ceiling!  weird and spooky!!!  she right away ran off and shouted, "Dennis!!  get the girls!  we're getting out of here!".  the four of them then went to Julie's mother's house.

some movie-goers complained that there were some parts in the trailer that weren't shown in the movie.  here's an article about it -- click me! --  there might be reasons to this.  trailers are trailers.  movies are movies.  yes, a trailer is supposed to give audience a clue on what's in the movie but let's not be feel so bumped if some parts in the trailer aren't in the finished and edited movie.  filmmakers must have their reasons.

Scientifically Supported - My Heart is Pure, I Symbolise Peace

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A psychologist says: “Don’t underestimate those who chase after Korean celebrities [it's not so much different for J-pop fans too, i believe.], their hearts are purer than anyone else, they love courageously, they will want to try their best to tackle difficult obstacles, the language and cultural barriers.  They symbolise peace ^^v, they don’t discriminate based on race, they befriend people with the same interest from different countries, they’re more passionate and warm than anyone else.  They don’t betray the ones they like easily, they are persistent and don’t give up easily.  They are stronger than anyone else on the inside, because when they are loving these Korean stars, they experience the setbacks they’ve never experienced in life.  They are all sensitive, easily touched to tears for a long time because of one incident.

Through investigation, most of them understand gratitude.  Their way of thinking is different from others, they don’t easily get carried away by love, they don’t harbour thoughts of doing bad things [for children, especially], and their criteria when looking for a partner is very high, other than looks, personality is more important, so the rate of marriage isn’t high, but neither is the rate of divorce [this isn't a bad thing, is it?  i suppose it's not.].

Their memory is very good, they can easily remember the Korean lyrics they don’t understand [if this is very much true, i should use this advantage for studying and stuff.], and their coordination skills are also very strong.  Most of them are cheerful, not the kind who keep to themselves.  Their will of determination is also very strong, they are able to persevere all the way just to buy something related to the celebrity they like [haha...true true~ to others, trying so hard just to get albums or merchandises might seem pointless.  it's actually part of the challenges fans need to face.].

In short, the way they think is vastly different from others, and their thoughts are not easy to understand.  Generally, only those who have similar interests are able to enter their world [this may be true when applied to young fans such as those who are in high school or younger.  but in my case, you can still be my friend even if you're not a J-pop or K-pop fan. ;)].

Source + Original Article: http://i52.tinypic.com/am9jba.png [now deleted :/]

Translations: sixbyul.tumblr.com

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so, i'm all of the things that have been underlined above?  xD  probably not all (probably yes, too), but i do agree with the article.  even though each fan is different (because no two or more individuals are exactly similar in this world), the general statements done by psychologists about fangirls and fanboys are somehow true.

"J-pop and K-pop are distinct but the fandoms are overlapping."

- nanaharhar.livejournal.com

yours truly,

I Live in a Different Time Zone

** i depart to campus and go back home almost daily just like my other friends.  i set my alarm at normal wake-up time just like others (though i usually wake up later than the time set on my alarm ^^v).  i have my meals at about the same time as the people around me.  (ignore the fact that i skip meals every now and then when i get a little too busy.)  i have my watch and cellphones set to the correct Malaysian Standard Time.

however...
there's one thing that doesn't seem to fit with the timing that i'm supposed to live in.  [--- i don't know how else to construct this sentence.  that's why it might sound odd and out-of-meaning.  how do you "live in" a "timing"?  see?  odd, right?  sorry! :/]  that one thing....is my sleep/ nap time.  in fact, i seem to interchange those two.  sleeping should take a longer time than taking a nap, right?  but i tend to have my nap longer than my usual sleeping time period.  not every day, but it happens a few times a week, especially on weekdays.  when i'm so occupied with assignments or tutorials or tasks, i either sleep very late or wake up very early.  it's not always due to having tasks.  sometimes, i sleep at the wee hour of the morning simply out of habit.  before i sleep, i usually read magazines, watch TV, listen to songs (and sing along as if no one can hear me at 2.00 AM - sorry, neighbours~  please don't move because of me.), or just sit on the couch or **lie on my bed without doing anything else for up to an hour.  yes, i'm weird!

as a current example, i just woke up from my supposed-to-be nap two hours ago and it's 4.26 AM as i'm typing this right now.  i went to my bedroom when i arrived home after class in the early evening.  i didn't plan to nap THAT long.  i didn't even have my dinner.  my family members did wake me up, or should i say, they did try to wake me up a few times, but their effort came to no avail.  i kept sleeping.  :D  once i woke up just now, i had my shower.  then, i ate the food that was left on the dining table for me.  now, i can't go to sleep when everyone else is sound asleep.  they'll wake up soon, perhaps.  what's more...it's the weekend!  why am i up early in the morning??  this is unacceptable!  xD  maybe i'll take this opportunity to complete my assignments, or part of them.

the bottom line is, i have an uncertain sleeping time.  it's not healthy, i know.  i'll try my best to care more about my sleeping time.  no promises, though.

sleep well, everyone!

extras:

** it's grammatically wrong to repeat the same word as the first word in a sentence for 4 times in a row.  my English teacher (when i was in school) once mentioned that the maximum number of time is 3, but it's safer to limit it to 2 times.  so, i'm using the wrong way here by repeating "i" four times straight.  since it's just a blog's post and not something formal, i just go ahead with it.

** do you know the difference between "lie on bed" and "lay on bed"?  to "lie on bed" means that one is being on the bed on his or her own effort and will.  to "lay ___ on bed" means to put something or someone else on the bed, and not oneself.  i get confused all the time, so i just want to get it clear.  :)

まだ いきてる かな. . .

my level of endurance is really being tested.  the same thing goes to some of you too, perhaps. work, school, or life itself can get pretty exhausting.  sometimes, there's no easy way when it comes to dealing with those tiring things in our life.  just remember to breathe in and breathe out, okay?

anyhow, this is my side of the story... chewah.. xD

it's not so much a story.  in fact, it's not even close to being a story.  haha..  just a list of the tiring-but-inevitable things that i currently need to face.

(1) commuting to-and-fro for classes four days a week (the early morning traffic makes it =.='.)

(2) remembering yet-to-be-familiar theories and formula for core and elective subjects

(3) attending one more (darn) softskill class

(4) revising Japanese Language for the purpose of assessments, exam, and daily life (it gets tougher for each lesson.  i'm not kidding.  still, it's fun!)

(5) completing seemingly never-ending assignments, with more than just satisfactory outcomes
(6) going to substitute classes that are usually held in the evening

(7) mid-term exam!  the nearest one is in two days!!  God, pour us with Your blessings and inner strength.

じゃあ...まいにち がんばります!  あきらめないよね.

"whatever you say.. whatever you do.. there will be good times waiting for you.."  so, endure the hard times!

berakit-rakit ke hulu,

berenang-renang ke tepian,

bersakit-sakit dahulu,

bersenang-senang kemudian

ada paham?? ^^v

Twenty-two

birthday yesterday~~

thank you very much to everyone (family members, relatives, friends, lecturers, former co-workers), for giving me warm wishes.  oh...and for singing me a birthday song.  thank you also to those who thought of me on my birthday even for just a millisecond.  ;)  i really am grateful for the wonderful people that i know so far.

before going to campus for classes

 a note (and money) from mom

had a little feast when i got back home 

 card and gift from family

my youngest sister made this card 

got a new blouse!

live well, lovesss~

I'm a Fan of BOTH J-pop and K-pop

my very first encounter with the Asian pop scene was after i completed watching 'Hana Yori Dango Final - The Movie' a few years ago, starring Matsumoto Jun and Inoue Mao, together with co-stars Oguri Shun, Matsuda Shota, and Abe Tsuyoshi.  you know how every drama or movie has a theme song, right?  sometimes, there are two theme songs; one is the opening song, and the other is the closing song.  FYI, i was more of a drama addict rather than a fangirl of idol groups at first.  ^^v  'Wish' is the theme song for 'Hana Yori Dango (Season 1)', whereas 'Love So Sweet' is the theme song for 'Hana Yori Dango (Season 2)', and the theme song for 'Hana Yori Dango Final - The Movie' is 'One Love'.  all of those three songs are sung by none other than the group Arashi.

as mentioned earlier, i started to become interested in Asian pop - in this particular case, J-pop - since the final installment of 'Hana Yori Dango'.  in the credits when the movie ended, i saw "One Love - Arashi", well, something like that, i don't really remember the exact phrase or words arrangement.  not long after that, i looked up on YouTube and found the PV for 'One Love'.  [note: in J-pop, PV stands for promotional video, which is a term used to refer to a music video (MV).]  i could recognise MatsuJun right away since he played the main character in Hana Yori Dango.  in the PV, the five of them are wearing white outfits and the setting has a dreamy flower garden thingy going on.  i would show you the PV here but it has been removed from online video-streaming sites that i know of.  speaking of removed videos, it's now super hard to find J-pop PVs or official recordings.  i suppose it's due to the policy or regulations made by the Japanese entertainment industry.  illegal airing and uploading of official J-pop videos are not tolerated.  it might be one of their ways to curb piracy and plagiarism.  so, it's really hard to find PVs of J-pop artistes on any free online video-streaming sites these days.  as sad as it is for international fans, i understand why they do that.  so, if you happen to come across a PV or music show recording that is recently uploaded by someone, watch it right away before it gets removed.  okay, back to Arashi!  from the day i watched the PV, i searched for more information about the group.  instantly, i became a fan!  since Arashi is under Johnny's Entertainment, i also came to know other talents from that agency.  KAT-TUN, NEWS, Ya-ya-yah [this group no longer exists.  it was my favourite Johnny's Junior group.  i miss Yamashita Shoon!  :( ], Kanjani 8, Hey! Say! Jump!, Mis-Snow-Man, and ABC-Z were some of the groups that i had been checking out.  i know that some of the names may sound tacky but the members are talented, alright.  it's the management in their agency who came up with such names.

here are a few Arashi videos that i manage to find (while i'm typing for this blog's post).  watch them before they're deleted!

PV for 'Love So Sweet':


PV for 'Monster':


'Subarashiki Sekai' performance at their concert:


'Be With You' performance at their concert:


'Hatenai Sora' performance in a variety show:


one regular Arashi-hunting day, i casually searched for Arashi-related videos online.  i wanted to see if there was any video that featured their song 'Blue'.  it's a catchy and melodious song that i like very much.  one of the suggested videos was this [thank God this video is still available!]:



i couldn't recognise the guys in this performance video.  what i knew was, they were singing Arashi's song.  gosh, they looked charming!  *easily blinded by eye-candies*  i read comments below the video and figured out that the group is called 'B2ST' (pronounced as "beast") and they're South Korean singers.

some time after that, there was a commercial on MTV Asia, promoting a pre-debut documentary of a K-pop group.  i didn't give much attention to it because i was not interested in K-pop, really.  however, i checked it out just out of curiosity.  the MTV commercial mentioned that the group's name was B2ST.  yes, the same B2ST who sang Arashi's song in the video i unintentionally watched before.  being oblivious (but i didn't mean to), i wasn't aware of that, not even when i started to watch the documentary on MTV.  told you i wasn't a fan of K-pop.  even when i wasn't into K-pop, i still took the time to watch how the K-pop group members dreamed high and worked hard towards their dreams.  without realising it, i was attracted to the group.  i bet my fangirlish conscience was like "girl...you're falling for them but you don't even know it yet."  yeah..whatever~  after watching several episodes of the documentary, it suddenly crossed my mind that i might have seen the group somewhere before.  my memory told me that the South Korean group was the one singing my precious Arashi's 'Blue' some time ago.  i believed what my memory told me and searched for the same video once again.  bingo!  it was the same B2ST.  somehow it felt like destiny.....i was very much into Arashi (still am), and B2ST sang their song, which video i happened to bump into.  in that performance video, there were five members of B2ST but the group actually consists of six members.  the maknae, Son Dong Woon, wasn't part of the group yet at that time.  "B2ST" means "Boys-to-search-for-the-top", which portrays the desire to be on the journey to become the best.  later, the name officially became "BEAST", which means "Boys of the East Standing Tall".  the inspiration to come up with the name "BEAST" came from an American choreographer (or is it a songwriter??  or what??  IDK.), who commented "that's so beast!" - a phrase that's equivalent to "that's amazing!" - when he was at CUBE Entertainment.

one afternoon in 2010, i was having my lunch break and ended up at a Speedy outlet [Speedy is one of the stores that sell CDs, DVDs, and VCDs.].  my visit to that store came from my habit of frequently checking out if there was any newly released drama DVD that i hadn't bought.  my DVD-buying impulse is under control now, though.  as i scanned through the CDs on the "Featured Section" in the store, one album caught my eyes.  it was 'Shock of the New Era - Asian Version', the second mini album by BEAST.  attached to the CD, were a t-shirt and a showcase ticket.  as if being hypnotised, i bought the CD without thinking twice.  that rarely happened, considering that i wasn't officially a fan of the group and my commitment was solely towards Arashi.  furthermore, the CD costed RM100++!  call me crazy~  i really am.  later, i realised that the CD costed that much because of the ticket that came along with it (might be the t-shirt too).  it was a ticket to BEAST's showcase in KL.  i couldn't be bothered by that ticket at that time, so i just put it aside and listened to the tracks in the CD.  oh yeah, i enjoyed the songs in the CD~  i then proclaimed myself as a fan of BEAST, the first ever K-pop group that i truly like.

it's funny, isn't it?
i started out as an Asian-drama-lover.  ---  a J-drama introduced me to a J-pop group.  ---  the J-pop group led me to a K-pop group.
it's a wonderful (though expensive) fandom-filled life that i'm living.  they make me happy.  :)

In All Honesty, I'm Worried

from the very beginning, i've been preparing myself for a busier-than-before year.  this doesn't only concern my life as a student. so, don't get me wrong by narrowing it that way.  :)

to start...the core subjects that i'm currently taking are quite heavy in terms of workloads and weekly in-class learning hours.  to add to that, i'm also taking not one, but two elective subjects.  berani mati, nak?!  LOL  the reason for my decision to take up that many subjects this semester is to try to make the upcoming semesters free from subjects that aren't my core subjects.  typically, the difficulty level gets higher every semester.  i'm preparing myself for that too.

what's bugging me is the exhaustion that i often feel on weekdays when there are classes to attend.  it's normal to feel tired when you have to drive to and fro but this time, it seems like i'm even more tired that the previous semesters.  do you get what i mean?  it's not just physical exhaustion, but also mental exhaustion.  something seems to be bothering me.  the morning traffic jams might be one of the contributing causes.  i'm kind of used to  the traffic jams but the journey seems to be 1.5 times longer than before.  perhaps it's the route that i'm using that makes it longer.  i'm using a different route this semester for a valid reason.  :)  it's a logical route considering where i need to go to on my way to campus, but overall, it's actually a little further than what i'm used to.  i'm not sure if i can go on with it till whenever, though.  :/  you see, my house is considered a little far from the main road.  lorong (Stapok) selatan 11c2 oi~  dah la selatan bertentangan ngan utara, nombor 11, kakya c, sik cukup 11c, mok gik 11c2!  it's quite hidden for those who are not used to the area.  anyway...i've made a conclusion that i hate stopping at traffic lights (take note of the plural form.) more than roundabouts.  seriously.  going back home from campus is still okay but going to campus in the morning is a sore in the neck.  i've been late quite many times.  gomen ne, sensei to tomodachi.  shouganai kara.  :(  nasib bait lecturer setakat tok bait2...understanding (or just patient, probably).  i'm afraid that i might not be as lucky next semester.  who knows?

now, you would think that if the long journey is a problem, why don't i just depart earlier from home, right?  here's my answer to that.  every morning when i need to attend classes, i wake up about one and a half hour, if not two hours, before i depart from home.  iboh mok suruh bangun awal gik dari ya!  cukup la ya.  i need to wait for my turn to use the bathroom.  i'm the last one to have my shower.  the others need to depart earlier than me.  aih...apa gik semester depan ow...semua orang sesi pagi dah.  adoh..  when i'm ready, i'll then be on my way.  when you actually have to go through my routine, you'll know how it really feels like from my point of view.  bila pagi2 dah sikda mood gara2 mala jak stop2 kat jalan, ngan kadang2 ada kreta di depan nok agak slow (tapi sik boleh nak nganok sidak juak la.  berhati2 di jalan raya bah.  nang bena ya.), sampei jak kampus, kurang dah semangat mok dengar lecture.  nok polah gik ada sikit semangat ya pun sebab pikir mok balit lekak habis kelas untuk ari ya.  tambah gik mun kelas sampei petang.  mengalahkan orang keja kadang2.  haha..

so, it's kind of worrying me that i sometimes don't revise what i've learnt when i'm back home, particularly on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, so far.  i can't just rely on the other days, right?  makin tua kali dirik tok.  ya makin lelah.  tambah gik makin susah subjek sem tok.  masa kat jalan raya jak pun makin panjang.  bersyukur la ada hari nok sikda kelas dalam seminggu ya.

God, help me to be stronger and more patient each day.  let me find the best possible solution that will benefit not only me, but the people around me too.  bingung kadang2.  tapi apa2 pun, cuba cool jak ow.