So I was playing around with my livejournal layout. I haven't quite gotten the hang of it just yet (as you can see) but at least i've managed to figure out how to change my background images. NB I am not techno-savy and have extremely limited knowledge of HTML. But the header and the footer is really annoying me. I can't seem to get it transparent so that my background image will be visible. And even after I uploaded an image for my header I couldn't the image to take up the entire header area so it was only limited to the centre of the header leaving 2 white edges on the side. It looked strange so i decided to just do away with the image for now. At least, until I figure out how to totally change the header. And i need to figure out how to get my background image to just stretch out instead of tiling it.

I'm sure all the things i want to do with my layout are possible. I probably just don't know how to. Dang.

Anyway. 

I no longer have to worry about exams! Well, at least for the next 3 weeks. I'm about 99% sure I messed up at least one of my written exams so far so I'm gearing myself up for the worst. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) I won't know the results to the exams I think i messed up until July. Urgh. Waiting sucks. I wish they'd just tell me now. Then at least I can plan my revision and arrange my flights and all that jazz.

Enough about exams. On a happier note, I'm quite happy with my achievement(s) this month! Not that i actually have an achievement-of-the-month thing going on but that's the term i'll be using to describe my accomplishment :) Last Saturday I managed to (1) donate money to help Japan; (2) get a good workout and (3) speak Japanese to a total random Japanese person! Yayyy!

Okay so number (3) isn't strictly an "achievement" per se but.... hear me out!

I went for a Zumba class at the studio I usually go for Zumba classes because it was being organised by someone who was raising money for the victims affected by the recent earthquake in Japan. Too lazy to explain what zumba is in detail. Suffice to say, it's a combination of latin dance moves + exercise. Anyway, i figured why not because I sure as hell wasn't going to be doing anything productive if I stayed home. Plus it was for the ppl in Japan! Japan is like THE magic word when it comes to me. And I felt like doing my share of helping out. Obviously I couldn't afford to give much but I did pay more than the minimum fee for the class. And of course, on top of donating, I got a good 90min workout that afternoon. Sure, I probably made a fool out of myself but it was for a good cause :)

The ppl who turned up for the Zumba workout that day were mostly friends of the instructor herself and I went for class alone because my hsemate (whom I usually go for Zumba with) was out that afternoon. So i kinda just kept to myself during the breaks in between the songs. But I did notice 2 Japanese women who turned up for the class (lol my Japan-and-all-things-Japanese-Radar perked up when I saw them lol) but didn't speak to them or anything. Just smiled at them when I saw them. Not that I didn't smile at other ppl lah. lol. The younger Japanese girl turned out to be the friend the Zumba instructor was supposed to pass the money we raised to because she had a direct contact in Japan.

So the class went on as per normal but during one of the breaks that Japanese girl turned around and I was standing just diagonally behind her so obviously I saw her and we both smiled. Then she asked in Japanese if I was Japanese. Enter years of self-taught japanese and years of watching anime and Japanese dramas: I replied her in Japanese and said that I wasn't but that I could speak a bit. Booyah! I managed to speak to her in my somewhat broken Japanese but the point is, she understood me! And more importantly, I understood HER! Obviously I got tongue-tied at some parts because I was thinking in English and translating it to Japanese on the spot but I think I didn't do too badly. Honestly, I think I have Arashi and their TV shows to thank for helping me up my level of comprehension of Japanese to what it is today especially in terms of conversational and slang Japanese.

I have to say, I am quite proud of myself :)  Heh. Okay okay enough boasting. I'll stop now.

Funny how i tend to post entries when I have a thousand other things I should really be doing at the moment like... studying for 2 major exams coming up next week (both of which I have zero confidence of even passing due to my awesome possum procrastination skills. I'm subconsciously making plans to stay back for resits in August. fml.)

I never learn from past mistakes. I keep on repeating them again and again and again. 何でだろう?

And I've discovered that I seem to a knack of picking the worst times in life to make mistakes - when the consequences REALLY matter. Sure all consequences of our mistakes matter to a certain extent but i mean, really REALLY matter (in a big way). Like in a life-changing way. 

Sigh.

Yesterday a friend sent me a link to an old clip of Sho and Jun who answered a request of a mother who had a daughter who just wouldn't revise. Sho was supposed to be her 'tutor' (although a rather dorky one since he was dressed in a formal school uniform and thick black rimmed glasses lol).

Oh how I wished Sho-sensei was here now.

It's here! I FINALLY have my new external HD with me! Yayyyy :D :D :D 

No more restraining myself from downloading medium quality vids to save space.
Even better, no more restraining myself from downloading at all due to the lack of space on BOTH my laptop and my old HD.

Woohoo!

Though I guess it's probably not such a great thing that I got my HD now since I'm in the middle of exams.

But in the long run..... i can finally continue downloading more Arashi stuff! (>___<)

It's been a while I know. 
I seem to start most of my posts like that now. 

7 months into the bar course. Barring my option modules i'm technically done with the Bar. But i don't feel ready at all. Handed in a skeleton argument last Monday and sat for my Opinion Writing and Drafting exams on thursday and friday respectively. All i can say is that I'm not even hoping for a VC (i.e. very competent). I just need a Competent. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. 

And on Monday i'll have to sit for my Advocacy 1 exam and i'm honestly afraid I'm going to blank out and break down during my exam. I've never had to sit for a practical exam like this before. I was never one for joining the debate teams or doing public speaking. Why am I doing this course again??? :S

Anyway here I am procrastinating because I don't want to deal with looking at my submissions for Monday's exam. I don't know why I screw myself over like this time and time again. This isn't even subconscious self-destruction anymore... it's CONSCIOUS self-destruction because I KNOW i should be doing my prep but i'm just not. urgh. 

In other news, i'm sure everyone has been keeping up with the earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan on Friday 11th March 2011.  

To say that it was horrible is probably a massive understatement. I think a survivor who was interviewed and asked to comment on the disaster put it aptly: kotoba ga denai - words fail me. 

For a good couple of days it felt as if I'd wake up and discover that it was just a movie I saw and that everything was alright. Only, it was real and the earthquake and tsunami did happen. Watching and reading the news of the aftermath is just heartbreaking. The fact that Japan has a special place in my heart makes it that much more painful. But I'm hoping that Japan will be able to overcome this disaster more easily since it's a developed country with more resources.   

It's things like this that remind me again of how easily we sometimes take things for granted and how we can never tell what might happen in the future.

So everybody, love your family and your friends. And live life to the fullest. 

Wargh i'm a day late but.... 誕生日おめでとう翔くん! I can't believe you're 29! Then again, Leader is 30 and still so darn cute and that's unbelievable as well loll. 

I probably should've posted this when i was home this afternoon (when it was actually still the 25th =__=) but i was trying to control myself from logging into LJ in the hopes that I'd focus on my work. I should've just logged in because i spent the entire afternoon doing everything but work. I TRIED. I really did. i just couldn't concentrate :S

Sigh. I'm still looking for that fastforward button so that i can just fastforward the next 5 months of my life.

But then it's times like these where I tell myself to just suck it up and do what I need to do and think about how easy i have things going compared to what Sho-kun went through when he was juggling between being an idol and a university student. I will forever respect him for having done that. 

Anyway, happy belated Sho-day everyone! May Sho bring us more ShoFail! and laughter and may the rest of Arashi continue to entertain us for many years to come! :)

Chesuto!!!!!!

So i'm in the last week of my 2-week Xmas break which isn't actually a break since I have exams next week. Okay, so they're mocks but still, this is NOT a good way to start the new year. Also not a good way to end the year.

And because I'm me, i haven't started ANY revision. On top of that I haven't started two assignments which i had since before term ended.

I don't know why I do this to myself every time =___=;; 

Every break i tell myself that I'll finish my work on time and NOT procrastinate but then i ALWAYS end up procrastinating. Gaaahhh.

Sigh.

On a happier note, I had a dream about Aiba-chan! (>__<)
He wasn't  in black silk pajamas with cute puppy prints this time... but at least this time I spoke to him! hahaha.

Sigh.. reality sucks right now :( 

omg i had a dream yesterday. it was kinda strange but in a good way i suppose. Can't really remember much of it but i do remember that Mukai Osamu was in it!!!!! Seriously! And for some reason, Masumi-chan (from the live action version of Nodame Cantabile) was in it too =___=;;

But Osamu Mukai was in it!! kyaaa >_____<

*yes contrary to popular belief, I DO watch non-Arashi related stuff.

I recall at one point i was next to Mukai Osamu and talking to him and he gave me that oh-so-mysterious smile of his *melts* and then suddenly he was going off to participate in some race which was taking place in front of me. That was when i saw Masumi-chan (coz I saw his super afro) and was like "Mausmi-chaan! What's going on? Where's Mukai-san??" I kinda looked into the distance and saw Mukai Osamu amongst all the other participants. But then he and like half of the participants started walking back.. and i DEFINITELY remember me saying out loud "アッ, 帰て来たんだ ..."

But that was it.. sigh...

Still.

Mukai Osamu in my dream! Booyah!

I wonder who's next. I'm still waiting on Jun and/or Nino to appear one of these days ;)

First thing's first - 誕生日おめでとうリ-ダ- !

Can't believe Leader's 30!

Can't believe Leader's 30 and still so friggin 可愛い sometimes. (seriously have you seen the making of the 果てない空 PV?? I think he looks adorable there. Totally agree with matsujun in the making of who said that Leader's hairstyle was cute haha) 

In any case, Leader is awesome the way he is.

Didn't really "celebrate" Ohno Day today BUT i did have Japanese for dinner just now. Had sukiyaki nabe! If I would have Leader describe it i can only think of one word: うまい! ;) Even though it was only a 1person portion i swear it was for 2. Can't believe i finished it by myself. SO full :S but it was good so i HAD to finish it.

On the topic of food, I was watching last week's Himitsu no Arashi-chan where Koyuki was the VIP Room guest and was extremely happy that there was a food segment. Since Shukudai-kun ended I think the producers have been trying to include food segments into the current Himitsu no Arashi-chan and Arashi ni Shiyagare programs to appease the fans (because we all know that 嵐 + food is an awesome combination). I mean seriously, think about it - on HnA they've had Toda Erika + gyouza; Ayase Haruka + i dunno what thingy she pan fried..it was kinda like some savoury pancake thingy? and on Arashi ni Shiyagare they've had cooking showdown btwn Kokubun Taichi and MatsuJun; another cooking showdown btwn Oizumi Yo and Nino... just at the top of my head. 

I'm liking this trend :D

But anyway back to Koyuki and the food segment - members of Arashi were introducing different types of nabe to her and i REALLY want to try Leader's nabe - Kimchi Nabe + Curry  for some reason. I can't explain it. lol. AND on a more general note, I really wanna try kimchi nabe + cheese - I can't rmb where I saw it on but I'm pretty sure it was on one of the old Shukudai-kun episodes. And even if it's not I'm pretty sure I saw it on some Arashi-related program. haha. The last time I made a snack they tried on Shukudai-kun, it was メチャメチャうまい! (it was the kimchi + cheese on toast. seriously good) I'm hoping that I'll have time during my brief 2 week study break to try someting out lol.  

On a very random note, when i was having dinner tonight the restaurant i was in had a TV and they were playing one of the Kisarazu Cat's Eyes movies hahaha. I was like "Ehh that's Okada Junichi! Ehh this is Kisarazu Cat's Eyes!" I swear my friend was probably rolling her eyes. I felt kinda bad coz i caught myself just watching the TV at some points and zoning out on my friend. Usually happened whenever I spotted Sho-kun in the scene from the corner of my eye lol.

お久しぶり...

It's been a while.. again. I haven't had the time to really post because I've been working on auto-pilot since bar school started. My daily routine now consists of getting up in the morn - going for class - coming back straight after - starting on prep work for tmrw's class. But being a true blue fangirl obviously I manage to slip in some Arashi time in between. 

I swear if it wasn't for Arashi, I'd be pulling MORE of my hair out right now. Watching some ShoFail! or Ohmiya SK action after reading about the procedure on how to serve a claim form keeps me sane. 

But on a more serious note, I am having serious doubts about my choice of career right now. If this is how it's going to be for the rest of my life I don't know if I'll be able to handle it. I'm just not cut out for it. I want to enjoy my job. And I don't think that I'll enjoy it if I continue on this path I've chosen. The questions that then follows is "So, what do you really want to do?" And my answer would be.... I have no clue. And this really annoys me. My lack of self conviction is frustrating.

Maybe I'm just being spoilt. I should probably just suck it up and quit whining. That's part of being an adult right? 

Well being an adult sucks :(

I think i'm just gonna put Arashi's 果てない空 on repeat. It should help. somewhat. If anything, it'll help me get through work much easier.

:( 

Thoughts running through my mind right now:

omgomgomgomg tmrw is the first day of school/college/whatever.

I'm going to be sandwiched in the tube.

I hope my groupmates are nice.

I hope I dont' have to talk a  lot.

I hope I don't say stupid things.

What am I going to do for lunch tomorrow?

How am I going to have lunch with so little time in between classes??

Dammit I have to do the prep for some ethics class on Tuesday.

I haven't ironed my suit for Tuesday yet.

I really want to watch Arashi ni Shiyagare right now.

Should I have dinner or skip it?

omg I don't want to fail this course.


Yep. ALL that is running through my head at this very moment.