Friday, September 29, 2006
i think the important thing in life is to be at peace within oneself.

as much as you long and want things, dreams, desires, ambition, hopes-- get lost in the diluge of life directionless, lost, confused yet seeking more, getting lost between the twist and turns of the heart that stirs restless within.

i think, the important thing is to find peace with oneself, and to know that life goes on with or without.... to know that one day, nothing will matter anymore.

I think that's the best I can do, to know I have tried, to know that, well... "oh well, whatever, nevermind." and that I can live without because life is long, and there are always other possibilies out there, and that most and more importantly... life just goes on, you know, even if circumstances are not what you want it to be, life goes on, life always goes on...

let me find peace.

at least, I have found a fraction of it...

and this won't mean a thing come tomorrow.

You're What Makes America So Great

I think I feel very indebted to the all the people I met here in America in my stay here...

Before i came to California, I was very worried if it was God's will for me to come to California. But looking back at the past years here, I know, you know, I think it was the right choice...

I say this because of all the great and amazing people I have met here who have just simply been so wonderful towards me...

Everyone: from Luis to Michelle, Johanna, Wendy Michelle and Jessica, Carin, Norika, Aya, Justin and everyone I met at CSUN, Michelle, Chris and Rob, Maya, Taku (sensei yo!)... And then there were the various friends i met each semester who accompanied me every one of those semesters: Jessica, Vanessa, Aya, Akio.... And of course there's Aunt Mei, the Zeier Family, and of course EILEEN... also in Boston, Dragon and his family, G, Minh and Young... EVERY SINGLE ONE i have met and come to know in America, EVERY ONE of them have been awesome awesome awesome and simply AWESOME towards me.

I know i didn't make like a WHOLE BUNCH of BIG friends but you know, the few people I've met in my time here, they have just held out such a welcoming and warm hands to me that has colored my experience here wonderful...

You guys are amazing, you know that? And for every memory of America that I have, I will remember them as Beautiful because of You.

Thank you all and Thank You God.


==============

Today, Michelle, Chris, Robin and I went out for dinner. It was awesome meeting up again... haha, our group who went to Japan last year. It is great that I got to know them and we could become friends through that trip...

And I'm really really so touched that they're sooooooooooo VERY VERY awesome towards me, although I don't really hang out with them much... They have NEVER once treated me like an outsider you know... But considered me a Friend.... I am so touched and will enternally be grateful for making me feel like I am part of this....

Anyway.... here are pictures :)

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Willy Wonka!!! Chris's Halloween Outfit, it's damn cool!

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Michelle and I :)

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Rob and Chris :D hahah they're damn funny ok!!!

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GROUP PIC!! The gang who went for Guy Healy Camp Spring 05 ^^ great memories of here and Japan :)

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I WAS SOOOOOOOOOOO TOUCHED!!! They actually bought me a gift!!! DAMNNNNN!!! I didn't expect it totally!!! Rob actually took the purse out then gave it to Chris and Chris was like "who is this from?" and I was thinking "oh damn must be Chris' bday passed or something and i didn't know" and Rob was like "me michelle and us..." and Chris was like "who's us and what is it for?"... then Rob was like "it's for Elaine!" hahahahahahahaha damn funny!!!! BUT I AM SO TOUCHEDD!! damn i will miss them sooooo much!!!!!
Tuesday, September 26, 2006

NEW LAYOUT! Mizuiro Girlfriend!

Yayyyy finally..... NEW LAYOUT!! After ONE YEAR!!!!

So this layout is... Mizuiro Girlfriend... Sort of... I was listening to Mizuiro Girlfriend by Plastic Tree and I really like that song... Apparently that is the first Ryutaro "happy" love song... and I think it's a very sweet song cause the ending goes... "kimi no egao ga neji wo watatte todoku"... and that means "your smile goes across a rainbow and reaches me..".... Don't you think that's just such a sweet line??? So un-Ryutaro usual lyrics! But it's so hopeful and sweet!!! ^^

So here's to Mizuiro Girlfriend!

Download the Song Here
Monday, September 25, 2006

The American Dream to The Tunes of Reuben's Accomplice



Sept 24th: 20 days till Homecoming:


How do i tell michelle that the most mundane and normal things that she does everyday like hanging out with her friends and going for shows are like fragments of a real-life dream to me?


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So went for the Japanese Student Association (JSA) barbecue with Justin in the afternoon. Met Hirota Sensei, Maya, Ai, Brandon, Rob and Daisy there again, so that was really nice.... nice and WEIRD to see that people you know from different social circles are all associated at one point! Either that or there are ALOT of Japanese students at CSUN and somehow or rather we all end up here lol ;)

Had a nice time just chatting and not understanding alot of stuff that was going on haha... BUT ahhh damn, let's take up Japanese again dammit!

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HUGEEE skipping rope haha ;)


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Michelle Brown and The American Dream

Michelle drove up from Anaheim to get me so we could go for a show at Spaceland at around 3:30pm...

Somehow... hanging out with Michelle always gives me this weird feeling... Like I belong here, like I have a life here in this country... Like, I could be just like one of them...

It was the best feeling ever, in her car and The Format was playing on the car radio, looking out through the window and at Michelle... THIS was hanging out, you know, American style lol ;) I don't know, i guess.... it's the feeling of being part of something... part of this country, and not just an immigrant, 20 days before depature back home nevertheless...

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She should be driving.... NOT taking pictures!

We went back down to Anaheim and then to the place where michelle's friend Heather was living. And the most surreal thing happened. So I go into this big big house, and didn't know anyone, and then i follow michelle and heather through the house to this bedroom and there was this guy giving a tattoo to a girl and 3 other girls were there... And i was like "wtf? where did this come from??" it's like walking into an episode of the OC hahahahaha or Laguna Beach or something, haha whatever!

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Tattoo!!! Michelle took this pic on her sidekick..

Anyway... We stayed there real long and i was just sitting the room...

I know for a fact, I would never belong in this world because I don't. I can't carry a normal conversation, I don't know why... Maybe I don't know enough American pop culture, I don't know enough about American culture, or simply, maybe I just don't know....

But the thing was that though... Michelle came to sit with me and asked me if I was bored and I was like thinking "totally no man..." I mean... sureeeee i felt out of place (cause heck! i didn't even know whose house i was in!) but.... it was just great being able to just be there, you know...

Being so close to depature date, the end of this dream, here we were just hanging out with a bunch of people (and a bunch of people i didn't know to add to that!) but hell, you know, THIS was an experience in itself... these were the times that I had never imagined 5 years ago back in malaysia, that I would get to experience one day... what it feels like to just hang out with a bunch of people... American.... OC style ;) lol! But you get me?

And then Michelle went smoking with heather outside the house and DAMNNN the most surreal conversation happened... Heather has that depth to her that I can't explain... But they got to talking about Heather wanting to leave California for Washington state and Michelle not wanting her to go... and I swear it was like a conversation that popped out of some movie... It really did!!

"Why do you have to leave?"
"Because I can't make it out here"

Really!

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Anyway... We met up with Michelle's best friend Kim and left Anaheim to get to Spaceland near Sunset for the Reuben's Accomplice show... We we travelling down the 10 i think... and we approached LA by night... And I love the LA skyline... Something about it always reminds me of a dream come true.... And I think it will always do that to me... But today... That night, that whole day travelling through the freeways across LA county (i never realized poor michelle has to pratically drive through the entire LA county to get to me)... that was wonderful you know... to feel like residents of this place and to still feel the magnitute of this dream...

the lights in LA were beautiful... they always are...

We were coming back from the show and Kim played Reuben's Accomplice's song Lost Sun (it's the song playing on the blog right now)... and it was just such a lovely sountrack to a very surreal day... driving under the night lights of the Los Angeles skyline through the streets and freeways... I just couldn't help but feel... how surreal, how beautiful, it was all like a dream...

^^^^^^^^^

Somewhere towards the end of the night, michelle and I were sitting in the lounge in spaceland, trying to get warm and feeling sleepy.... And.. I don't know maybe it's because I was going to leave so soon and all these are coming to and end soon and I knew that... It was just weird being there you know, just lounging there like I was part of this, like this life could last, like this life was what my life is... like this was normal... that was just the weirdest best feeling I had you know...

and it was sad... that at that moment i was thinking that "how weird" because I knew I was leaving soon and this will probably never happen again, and that tonight, this whole day out with Michelle, surreal it was... was probably the last I'd have to touching... the Ameircan Life.

^^^^^^^^^^^

Anyway, if Michelle is reading thsi right now she's probably laughing and thinking I'm weird to be thinking all these... But really, Michelle, the most normal and ordinary of lives that you have, being able to see and be part of that life even for a moment, for a day, for an hour, it is a living a dream for me... And thank you, you know, for all those times you have opened and shared this world with me, to allow me to experience this dream for real... and I'll always love you for that, and I'll always miss you for that.... you're what makes America so great, remember?

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Michelle Brown

^^^^^^^^^
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Michelle singing The Used... MILD Michelle!
Saturday, September 23, 2006

New Found Glory New Album Review and Download

OK... so i got this yesterday :)

New Found Glory - Coming Home

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it's NFG at their finest, but even better! think about how blink182 and green day progressed and then you'll know what i'm talking about.
-Stefanie Reines

You know what, Stefanie? I don't think so! Blink 182 progressed??? you could have fooled me!

ANYWAYS...

This is a decent album but a far cry from what NFG used to sound like. There are still traces of the NFG-ish sounds, but the overall tones of those songs are watered down and mellowed and made radio friendly. What happened to all the melodic pop punk sounds of Nothing Gold Can Stay and the self titled album??? GONE! Well... there are some with traces of it, but still, very diluted versions of the usual NFG.

Most of the track sounds like watered down versions of the usual NFG pop-punk sounds towards their later Sticks and Stones album (not so much of the older stuff). Others are like spin offs of "I Don't Wanna Know" from the Catalyst album...

So what can I say???

THEY GOT MARRIED.... with CHILDREN..

nuff said. they grew up, and along with it have traded in the camaraderie in Ballad For The Lost Romantics for the comfort of matching bedsheets and the arms of a wife and kid...

I was hoping that Coming Home would be a going back to their roots of Nothing Gold Can Stay and New Found Glory, but it seems like they were going home to their wife and kids in their big house with white picket fences and a dog in the yard... Yeap... THAT is the evolution of NFG sounds in this album.

Here are the downloads: (tracks are not in order haha)

connected - http://www.sendspace.com/file/k9g6vs
boulders - http://www.sendspace.com/file/zmwihp
coming home - http://www.sendspace.com/file/jsxgpp
Hold my Hand - http://www.sendspace.com/file/eh5y87
it's not your fault - http://www.sendspace.com/file/fbmj5t
Taken Back By You - http://www.sendspace.com/file/msz3lz
Oxygen - http://www.sendspace.com/file/f645tq
on my mind - http://www.sendspace.com/file/yzguhe
make your move - http://www.sendspace.com/file/znmet2
too good to be - http://www.sendspace.com/file/wz1ksh
Love and pain - http://www.sendspace.com/file/itfknd
familiar landscape - http://www.sendspace.com/file/28sutc

I had not planned to upload all the songs... but Sendspace was damn fast! and i ended up uploading everything for my friend... so might as well.

My fav tracks: Boulders, Connected, Coming Home.

cross-posted: http://purakisuki.exblog.jp

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Profile 1: ???? Arimura Sei................ SORT OF!

I've decided to do a profile of my friends... the one who goes for alot of shows and stuff.... And today i am gonna start with SEI a.k.a. Arimura-chan!!!!!!

SEI IS THE ULTIMATE PLASTIC TREE FAN! (and hehe, i am sure that's reason enough for me to profile her first! hehehe)

I only know Sei from MSN. She added me a few weeks back on MSN. She got my contact through a nice Plastic Tree forum at www.batsu.org.

Sei is the webmistress of a wonderful Pura website: http://puratori.brinkster.net

The reason why i chose to profile Sei is because i REALLY REALLY REALLY admire her love for Plastic Tree and.......... RYUTARO haha... She has faithfully been a fan for over SEVEN LONGGGG YEARS! and even after 7 years, her enthusiasm, her love, her devotion and her craziness for Plastic Tree has not even subsided one bit! She seems like she is still as in love with Plastic Tree today as she was when she first heard them 7 years ago. I think that's very awesome because as a music fan, I have seen (and I myself too have been) people be totally obsessed over a band and love everything about a band and listen to the music religiously... But, not for 7 years, you know what i mean? But that same craziness that's in the voice of a "new" fan shines right through Sei when she talks about Plastic Tree and Ryutaro... and I think, THAT, is RARE and ONE OF A KIND! That's why I think she's an awesome, if not, the ultimate Plastic Tree fan that I know of :)

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Name: say [ sei arimura haha]
Location: Thailand
DOB: 16/10/1984
Blood Type lol: a

Since when did you like Plastic Tree?
1999 range Single "Sink"

Why do you like plastic tree?
Pura's song so pretty and wonderful, Ryutaro's voice is charming and I fell in love

Do you remember which is the first plastic tree song you heard?
Sink

Top 5 favourite plastic tree songs?
1. Hello
2. Kuuchuu Buranko
3.Harusaki
4.sink
5.Last Waltz

How many Plastic Tree Live have you been to?
about 24 round

Why do you like going for their live?
Because their live's fun and enjoyable, feel warm

Best plastic tree memory?
First time i met Ryutaro, he said " Hello" and smiled to me. that's my good impression

Favourite Plastic Tree Member?
Ryutaro

Why do you like him most?
because he's strange, but friendly and have good idea, amiable haaa~ I fell in luv with him...what can i do

What does Plastic Tree mean to your in your life?
it make my life's bright, can think about someone. everyday I must see Ryutaro's face at my computer and listen their songs.


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cross-posted in: http://purakisuki.exblog.jp
Friday, September 15, 2006

MICHELLE I LOVE YOU~~~~~~~~~~~~~

where have you run too so far away man? no work. are you in cali? ive been calling. but i guess you will re surface when you are ready. till then.
michelle brown 09.08.06 - 12:01 pm


And for this reason, I will always love Michelle!! hahaha she understand sooooooooooo welll!!!!!! "but i guess you will resurface when you are ready" I LOVE YOU!!!! You're so understanding!!!!!!!!!!!

I FEEL DAMN BAD AND TERRIBLE THOUGH!! i always do that to my dear friends, don't i? I rarely pick up calls unless i feel like it... Sometimes it's regardless of who's calling, i just.... don't talk! BUT MICHELLE!!! YOU UNDERSTAND ME AND I LOVE YOU TOO!!!!!!!

where have YOU been too??????????????

MISS YOU LOADS!

WILL SEE YOU LOADS now I'm back in CA!

HOMEEEEEEEEEE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ sorta

i'm back in California. will be here till October 18th. Will be back Oct 19th.... BACK as in MALAYSIA as in FOR GOOD T_T

I don't know if i have internet connection while i am here. I hope I would....... or at least I'd have to go to the Uni's library for the comp....

NEWAYS... cya all soon.... I suppose... whoever "you all" are!


PURAKI ROCKS!
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AKIRA ROCKS!
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HE LOOKS SO FUNNY HERE!! damn i love akira cause he's just sooooo frigging funny ALL THE TIME!

RYUTAROU IS CUTE! woo!
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Pensive as ever again eh, Ryutarou???? But always STILL as cute as ever ^-^
Thursday, September 07, 2006

absolutely cute!



They're absolutely cute here!!! damn funny!!!

Ryutarou, as always, was really cute!!! he's so frigging adorable when he wants to be eh!!! But he's not like that all the time... Half the time at photoshoots he seems to be so serious!!!! But for these sweet child TV drawings with Akira, he's damn funny and cute!!!

I love the part where Ryutarou hits Akira on the head and the part where he pats Akira's chest to ask if he feels nervous (trans was from "is your heart okay?") . And Ryutarou is damn cute in the part where he mistakenly puts his hand in the box to take a paper but then stops cause he remembered they only needed to do one drawing... damn cute his reaction. hehehe.

Akira... is of course, always, damn funny!!!! His drawings are always so..... DIRECT! haha!

As for what Ryutarou was drawing and talking about, I think he's referring to this incident that he once wrote in his diary column:

Inuhebi e nikki - Entry 40

I've had many accidents in my life. But I've never gotten seriously hurt, not even when I flew off my bike and turned twice in the air before falling on the ground. Once when we were still indies we had an accident with Tadashi on our way home from the livehouse. I also had an accident on a field once while I was delivering pizza. The pizza got smashed and I was all covered with mud. But I never had serious wounds. Looks like I'm lucky.

When Tadashi and I had the accident, we were all covered with blood. We
went to Denny's [* a restaurant chain] like that, but I must have had a
concussion because I ordered two servings of spinach sautee. (laughs) I was
probably thinking that I had lost a lot of blood, so I have to eat something
that helps me get it back. I was really acting strange. I drank one coffee after
another and kept wiping the blood off my face with an oshibori. [* a hot towel you get before the meal to wipe your hands with] It was right after a concert, so we had makeup on, and the first thing I did was asking the waiters for an oshibori. They were really horrified.

Translation taken from: http://www.mikawawan.net/shindenzu/aomushi.htm

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

??? PURAKI

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YEAP! it's been awhile... but i wanted to Blog about Plastic Tree!

Plastic Tree has alot of nicknames... In japanese you pronouce their name as "Purasutekku Turi".... so Naturally, like some japanese words... they like to shorten stuff... so Puraturi they're called sometimes... if you plastic tree fast.. u get purakuri....

Then there's also Pla... i read somewhere... and a few others...

THEN....Fans also also just call them PURA....

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On one of their tours they used this sign .... as their "logo"....

The symbols there is the Japanese writing for "PURA" for plastic... It's the symbol that the japanese use for recyclable plastic materials (if u check some japanese stuff u have, you will see that sign there)...

So Plastic Tree used it as their symbol...

Anyway... the name Plastic Tree came from Radiohead's song Fake Plastic Tree.... But recently, apparently, Tadashi and Ryutarou revealed that they wanted a name that combined the element of something from nature and something manufactured.... So Plastic Tree...

SO ANYWAY!!!

My own personal nickname for them tho is PURAKI! ????? hehehehe...

Sorry i didn't follow the fans' nicknames... but i REALLY like Puraki!

?? - Pura in katakana following.... PURA...for Plastic...

? - ki in kanji.... for tree...

So.... it still follows the feel of their original intention right? A nickname that encompasses two opposite aspect... Pura, foreign word in katakana, and ki in kanji that is traditional hehehe


ANYWAY..... I told Fuji my OBSESSION with Plastic Tree and i told her my nickname for them PURAKI!

she said it's a very good nickname!! hehehe! She said that Japanese fans would like the nickname... ... hmm i wonder... But i really like it though!

PURAKI!

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