happy and sad

It's funny how happy and sad things can happen together. In one day. The excited and gleeful feeling in the morning, with the heart feeling so light-hearted, as if it's taking a walk among the clouds. Then later at night, everything crumbles down and you feel your heart's been ripped away, stabbed and left cold, out in the open. Tears streamed endlessly and you can feel your inside's hurting.

If being 18 was the year I come to learn and know. Then I would say being 19 is the year I experience and where the changes take place. I wonder what next year brings.

I won't say of the sad, cause that will be left to be a memory I wish to let it remain in a box, locked, only to be opened when I need to be reminded. I decided that I am going to have a separate outlet for all my memories. I am randomly spamming my blog with all sorts anyway.

Anyhow, I manage to find the 'perfect' birthday gift for my weird friend. Darth Tater. Mr Potato Head turned Darth Vader. Very cool. And cute. I'm just hoping it's still available and that she does not have it yet. Knowing her, anything weird but cool, creepy but cute, whatever that does not go together in a 'normal' person's taste, this might have a probability of being in her lists of posessions. So far, she hasn't mention anything of it, so I guess I might be safe. Hopefully. Now I just have to figure out what to give her twin. Two very opposite people, but both equally fun to be with. And I was thinking about getting the trooper version for my brother, since I didn't really get him anything for his birthday. Cause then I'd get to play with it as well. Hehe.
Edit: My brother called to say Darth Tater is not available anymore! No way! I wanted Darth Tater so badly! Sigh. Guess I might have to settle for trooper potato instead. Maybe I should try to get to the shop earlier and get it before it's sold out too. Why does this always happen? Everytime I want something it's sold out, not available, etc. Sigh. I must have the worst buying power around. On a second thought, since I'm heading to Singapore, maybe I should try to look for Darth Tater there. Hehe.

Finally came around to watching 'Nana' after fixing the codecs and all. The movie is so good! It's not some typical love story and rather dramatic, but absolutely enjoyable. I cried buckets. The tears kept flowing and I felt ridiculous, but it's just too overwhelmingly emotional for me. I adored the Ren-Nana scenes, how sincere Ren's love is and how deep Nana's love is for him. I would say...I wish I could have a love like theirs. Mika Nakashima who plays the strong-willed, tough Nana was awesome. While Miyazaki Aoi was simply lovable! She's a little irritating in the beginning, but as the movie goes on, I just warmed up to her character and she reminded me of myself in certain scenes. The actor who plays Ren is not the most good looking guy in the world, well compared to Kame and Jin and Yuichi and....right, anyway, but I somehow love him anyway. He just switches from being mysteriously cool to honestly sweet in a way that you can't help but go all fuzzy-like. Besides all that, I discovered my new favorite Japanese artiste, Ito Yuna. Her voice is sweet but not saccharine sweet like Otsuka Ai's, and there's some slight similiarity to Lee Soo Young's singing. Her voice raises slowly and smoothly from a soft tone to a higher tone, but unlike Soo Young, Ito doesn't go to a very high note. From what I heard so far anyway. 'Endless Story' is, in my opinion, one of the very best Japanese love ballads, next to Utada's 'First Love'.

Accommodations for Singapore trip is complete. Now there's the travel and passport to be completed. Tickets are...done, I assume, since I gave the reins to my friend to handle it cause I just couldn't take the headache of worrying about the whole ticket thing. I'm half wondering if this is really what I want to do. I'm not too excitedly looking foward to it, but excited enough I guess. On the bright side, this trip is going to be my first step to being independent, meeting new friends, and backpacking. Second bright thing, my friend informed me of a shop in Singapore which sells loads and loads of Japanese stuff, including loads of KAT-TUN. One word - wow!

Speaking of which, Amazon Japan is the BEST place to get something. Really, really, the best online place. The order comes in a super safe condition and it arrives earlier than the estimate time as well. Yes, '1st in New York', THE photobook has arrived safe and sound to my hands. I was not expecting it to arrive that early, though I did for hope it. My dad came through the door yesterday with what looked like a large package in his arm. I thought nothing of it and brushed it off as my dad's documents or some sort. I didn't want to get my hopes up and only to let it come crashing later. When I came out of the bathroom however, dad then told me there was something for me. My heart skipped a million beats faster before I made way to the package. It was from Amazon Japan. I wanted to squeal out loud but self-restraint (to which I never thought I had) kept me from doing so while I ran to my room and carefully opened the package. It was smashed, to which brought my fear of the insides being damaged. The M'sian custom had opened it up to check the insides so it was rather sloppily sealed.

When I finally opened the box, my jaw dropped at how thoughtfully packed it was. Air-tight packed with a brown board to support it from bending or whatsoever (despite the fact it's a hard-cover). Taking it out, there was yet another plastic around the book, which was the book's original wrapping. I am amazed that they actually took the time to place the already wrapped book into another thicker, tougher plastic with a board before sealing it air-tight, just to keep it extra safe! This is what I call excellent customer service. Amazon Japan is definitely, highly recommended for online shopping. It arrived 2 weeks earlier by the way. I ordered it on the 28th July, it was shipped out on the 30th and reached at...I don't know, sometime during the week before the 12th, since it arrived at my grandma's place after all, so I don't know the date exactly. But the main point is...it took about a week plus to arrive. A week plus, from my online shopping experience, is fast.

If my camera was with me, I would snap pictures of the book and all, but it's not. Unfortunately. However, I am definitely VERY happy at the arrival of the photobook. Hehe.