I love Mika Nakashima

I would just like to take a moment out to make a post to say thank you to this womderful woman and say what a great person she is. I had heard her mention something on Utaban last year (a music show) about a visit to New Orleans. Recently, I saw something on tv which seemed like a documentary of her trip there. I didn't watch it all, so I still don't know the exact details of everything. But I do know now that the new song I heard from her when I was bowling with the line "All hands together" isn't just any song. It's a song with words that speak directly to the people of New Orleans and also a charity single. I honestly feel like crying right now (ok, so I am crying like for real). I was only in the states for a short time after it happened, and I've been away for a year, so the short memory I have of Katrina has become distant to me. But thinking about it now, brings all the memories back. I can still remember the shock of realizing how extent the devistation really was, the disbelief that something like this could be happening in America, and the mixed feelings bordering on anger about the rescue efforts to this crisis. It made me happy to be leaving the US for a year.

I've always been a little annoyed with Japanese youth (or any non-black) I see imitating modern black culture (hip hop, rap, etc). Why you ask? One because some of the things I see them imitating are some of the things I think are what's wrong with African American culture, but mostly because, two, I wonder do they even care about the people from the culture they are so in to? I haven't listened to all Mika Nakashima's music, so I don't know how much of it or she herself is influenced by Black culture. Whether it is or isn't, truly doesn't matter, but, still, if she is someone who loves an aspect of Black culture...well...that just makes me cry even more. I finally found someone who's answer is "Yes" and proves it by their actions. She is someone who cared enough about my country to do something to help the people (all the people. white, black, latino, asian), and I am very grateful to her. With the racial situation that surrounded this crisis and the musical angle of this single, it makes me even more grateful to her that she was willing to care.

Translation of the song
http://www.cherryblossom-garden.com/3/nakashimamika-eng4.html

Song for sale online
http://global.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-j/section-music/pid-1004151691/

yayz!!!

I got the ticket! yay! I got the email around 10, so I headed out early to get the ticket. I went to all the stores I knew just to make sure, but it turned out the ticket I saw last night was the best place and price. (I saw a worse seat for like 200 dollars at a diiferent store. o_0)

Here is the line up of the whole weekend, but I'm only going on Saturday. (Yeah, the girl on the bottom got cut off, but I don't care. I don't even know her)



I'm super happy to be seeing Kaela my last day in Japan (yep, I'm leaving the next day), but I still hate the line up. >_< The only other person I'm excited to see is Hirai Ken (The guy at the top). Ai I just "know", the group with the cowboy hat guy I only know(since an hour ago) because a friend sang their song at Karaoke once, and the rest I've never heard of.

This is my dream line up. I'd be so happy if this was how it really was.


You know making this thing up almost makes me think that's how it's going to be XD Nope. No such luck. But really, even just throwing Puffy over there would make it more worth while.

I don't particularly want to see Koda Kumi live because, as I said, I do concider her as "the talented slut". Meaning I'd fear she'd spend 90% of her dance moves touching herself, her back up dancers, and your little dog, too, and her wardrobe would her typical "feeling the midnight breeze" style. Still, I don't know who the hay anyone else is, and I do love! her music (Just wish she'd stop being a slut cause she really doesn't need it).

I would really love to see Angela Aki because her lives that I've seen on tv are just amazing! She really! loves playing that piano. XD I'm serious. I've never seen someone throw themselves so much into playing and singing a song. It's almost comical, but it adds so much to the impact of the song. Best part is that most of the lives I've seen she's performing in a jersey and jeans, lol! XD She did just get signed by Tofu Records, though, (a company that distributes Jpop in the US! ^^V) so I may get to see her after all! She performed in Chicago at some video game symphony this May(one of her songs was the theme for Final Fantasy XII). If she comes back, I'm kidnapping my sister and taking her with me(hear that Michelle?!). So now that's 2 people on the "must take my sister to see a live" list. (the first being Mika Nakashima.)

Live of "This Love". It's awesome I swear (yes, she's a half. Japanese and American. Probably lived in America for at least some time since her English sounds perfect)


Full Music Video

Wonderful...

Well, I broke into the template settings and did some monkeying around with my site. For all the different versions of the site I came up with, in the end, all I changed was the blessed header. -_- sigh...now I have to go find all my links again. I was having a lot of trouble with this stupid "padding" command especially since I don't speak html. I was just blindly typing stuff in and wondering what the page would look like when I hit preview.

I found a ticket to the J-wave live, but I didn't buy it. The exchange office hasn't told me if they got the plane ticket for my first choice date or not. If they didn't, and they have to go for my other choices, I'd be long gone from here before the concert starts. I sent an email to the office when I got back from Shinjuku, so hopefully it will get answered when everyone gets in this morning. I want to go back out to get a ticket to the concert anyway, though, so I might show up at the office to check on the date before anyone even has a chance to answer. If it works out, I'll get to go to a Kaela concert the day before I leave. It won't be a full length concert since she's playing with other people, but for all I know, I could never get to see another live of hers again. (That's my half empty attitude. My half full attitude is that she'll be touring the states same as Puffy AmiYumi by next spring. XD)

Jason is leaving in the morning (a few hours Z_z). T_T Another friend goes bye bye and probably for good. He's going back to Taiwan for summer break and isn't coming back till September when the second semester starts and all us exchange students are gone. boohoo! I saw him this evening when I was on my way to Shinjuku. He said I'd probably see him when I came back that evening, but I didn't get a chance to. I think he said he is leaving around 10 or 10:30. I'll probably pop downstairs around then to check. I always thought of him as a pretty cool guy. Always will remember how in to photography he was (enough to climb on to the roof of the bike lot o_0).

Though, I probably will be back here again. XD Like I said before, going home at Christmas taught me that Tokyo is now just another place in the world. It's not strange, weird, or unknown. It's a place where I use to live. All I need is money for a ticket, and I'm already back here again. ^^V

I'm done. Can I go home now?

yay!!! I finished my last exam today which means I am doooone!!! I was so tempted to scream something stupid when I was walking out of the A building with Rida today, but I just waved at all the random people standing around outside and said (instead of yelling) a farewell. I'm guessing I did ok on it since I was actually the second to last person to finish today instead of being the first. Now just to get through this last month. Unfortunately, I am going on two trips between now and the time I leave which means I can't just glide smoothly till the end. But who knows. Maybe I'll actually have some fun.

I'm planning to go to Amuro Namie's concert in Saitama and hopefully, I can go to the J-wave live in Yoyogi because Kaela is going to be performing there. That's the day before I leave, though, so I'll have to see if I can actually do that one. I sent an email in to her radio show. I'll laugh so hard if she actually reads it on air this Tuesday.

Big Happy Birthday to my sister back in the states!!! ^^V

2 down, 1 more to go

Well, I'm already in exam period, and this blessed year is finally coming to a close. My last exam is next week Monday then I'll be completely finished with this school.
Darn, I'm realizing I should have just skipped the ESS trip and come home like I wanted. The place we're going only has onsen because the showers are broken. (why bother fix the showers? We can all just bath together!) I will never understand a culture who's people have no problem getting naked in front of people they've never met in their lives, but freeze in fear when having to speak English with a foreigner...or just being around a foreigner. The suggestion of my friends was to go at an early or late time, but the onsen opens at 6am and closes at 10pm. I was hoping for a random time like let's say...3:14 in the morning. Whatever. I'm sure I'll figure something out. There's a river near there I think. Maybe I'll just go jump in it with all my clothes on then go change.

Speaking of rivers, I went to Chiba prefecture this past weekend with some friends. It was 2 of the girls I met when I went to Ueno Zoo with Sonnya and her huge group of friends. We stayed at their friend's house who lives in Choushi(sp?). It's like the furtherest east you can go in Chiba, so it's right by the sea. Where the house was is right by a river which I think is the longest (or widest) river in Japan. It was fun, but they did try to get me to go to the onsen. (do I need to even bother say, they didn't get me in?). The food was delicious, Mikiko's mom (the girl who's house I stayed in) is a great cook! I even ate fish and enjoyed it. (I hate fish)

Happy Independence Day everybody!

This is one July 4th I'll never forget. I felt a little sad that I'd miss July 4th in the states since, honestly, it's my favorite holiday out of the year. A little idea popped into my head last week, and I decided to give it a try. So, I invited a bunch of friends, bought some fireworks, and we had our own little July 4th celebration on the football/soccer field. It's memories like these that make life worth living. ^^

Part 1
http://umbc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2015205&l=83148&id=15203096

Part 2
http://umbc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2015205&l=83148&id=15203096

I have a few videos I'll upload soon.

Being creative again...

Made another music video!!!



It's for Kaela's new single, Magic Music. It was awful having to wait an entire month to start shooting it. I started planning it after I watched the Hey!x3 live, so I had to wait all that time for the single to be released. X_x

A few things I did go along with the lyrics, so for those who don't speak Japanese...

Japanese to know for watching the vid

ame na boy - rain boy

higasa girl - parasol girl

takaku takaku jump shite -　jump (really?) high

anata no egao ga mitai - I want to see your smile

dokodemo it's ok ikeru you want to play

doko de mo - anywhere

ikeru - I can go

sunika-sneaker (i don't think her pronounciation was bad, but just in case)

mada owaranai - it's not over yet

My self-critic opinion of it is a 8/10 only because I know I did a bad job of planning before I started shooting. It made the recording and especially the editing time a little bothersome. Also, the timing for the video is off a bit! I don't think that was my fault, though. Comes from using windows movie maker which is just met for putting together a little video of your family vacation. Other than that, I really like the video. ^^