OMG, DOUBLE-WIN!

How It Ended -the Drums

Those days when I would sit around with you

oh there’s nothing like it

and even when my heart was black and blue

oh there’s nothing like it

and everything before and after you

oh doesn’t matter

so do you remember the old times
those were the only times, the only times

I don’t know how it ended
I don’t know where you ran to
I’ll always be right here
I don’t know how it ended
I don’t know where you ran to
I’ll always be right here

you never have to say that you were wrong
I know I’d do it all again even if it was wrong
and I could write a thousand more songs about you
before this one, so that the next one’s for you

so do you remember the old times
those were the only times, the only times

I don’t know how it ended
I don’t know where you ran to
I’ll always be right here
I don’t know how it ended
I don’t know where you ran to
I’ll always be right here

and how will this sound
and when will my life begin
again, again, again, again

so do you remember the old times
those were the only times, the only times

I don’t know how it ended
I don’t know where you ran to
I’ll always be right here
I don’t know how it ended
I don’t know where you ran to
I’ll always be right here

Top Albums of 2011 so far

The Drums - Portamento

Friendly Fires - Pala

Destroyer - Kaputt

 Washed Out - Within and Without

The Radio Dept. - Passive Aggressive

 

me and eric

 

on the CityBus, West Lafayette, IN

 

reading at the moment

Life's better than a year ago, better than a couple of months ago. And I am happier.

 

Still heavily obsessed with Valtteri Filppula.

 

Got a new haircut. Still living and going to school in AA. Not going back to Asia for this Summer.

Playing handball with the people I hang out with mostly these days. This is my 2011, so far.

Kyoto, Japan

 

I only have a full day left tomorrow in Japan. I met some new people again and saw some people that I met from the last time I was here. I jokingly complain about Osaka people being loud, but they are super friendly!! 

I went to many Buddhist-related stuff this time, Mr. Brose should be happy about that one of his students actually appreciated the Buddhist art more after taking his class. 

I am very hopeful about the year 2011. 2010 was a bit rough, but full of excitement. I could use some stability. I will miss this country and my best friend.

 

It has been 5 days since I have been in Osaka. The city seems the same, the people are the same, just wearing thicker clothes. I've been going to the usual places like Umeda, Shinsabashi. It felt a bit weird to see the restaurants in Shinsaibashi that I went with Joe when I came to Osaka 9 years ago. And I was here around the same time, too. Very humid Winter gives me more chills.

 

 Image from Negiya Ryofukaku

Reserved a fancy onsen-ryokan in Arima for Boxing Day. 

Arima is known for hot springs and I've always wanted to try the fancy meals and enjoy the spa in Japan. So I ended up booking the most expensive one with a private open air bath. 

  Image from Negiya Ryofukaku

It seems a bit surreal that I will be leaving for Japan this Sunday. I think I need a vacation. 

 

 

Image from Sacred Destinations

I really didn't wander around Kyoto enough in May and Will suggested that we should go there together. There are a couple of places that I want to go in Kyoto. Mostly to look at the stuff that I got to see from my professor's pictures from the Buddhism and Death class. I heard the Winter in Kyoto can be harsh, but it's still going to be in Japan. So it can't be all that bad.
I also want to go to Kobe, Nara and maybe Arima.
 

Obsessed with this video. Wish I could be in it, too.

<3 Of Montreal!

Sort of lost a faith in humanity a bit.
I don't quite understand why people say stuff to manipulate the others.
So they could get what they want?
I may be shallow and superficial, but I really detest people with ugly personalities!

Ann Arbor is bi-polar. It gets cold and warm so easily. This small city in the middle of nowhere, people believe that it's the real world. And I have become a part of it. It has given me bittersweet memories so far. The city is just being there. It didn't do anything wrong to me. I just feel a bit bitter now. And soon it will go away.

Look at all the veins in his arm! So Sexy!

All the pictures are from http://www.tomas-berdych.com

Tomáš Berdych is my new find for my 50K List. Too bad he lost in the first round at the US Open 2010 today. 

He's my new Goran Ivanisevic. Now I have another reason to continue watching tennis games again.

It's been about a month since I moved to Ann Arbor, MI. 

It is a bit weird to walk around see all the college kids, quite different from where I lived before.

Lost some old friends, made some new friends. 

It was really lovely to see sort of an old friend visiting me to Ann Arbor yesterday. Getting to know new people can be very exciting, but also can be quite tricky. 

I suppose it won't be worth obtaining such a thing without much endeavouring?

I moved to Ann Arbor about a week ago, it was a big change and I still haven't unpacked yet. I will try to resume my Japan, Korea stories soon.

John Squire is bloody sexy, totally forgot about him. Should I put him on my 50K list?

I had to check two of Soseki's books out from the Hatcher Graduate Library. I've had a thirst for more.  Ideally I would have liked them in Korean, but reading them in English would be fine, I suppose. I got Sanshiro and I Am a Cat.  One day, hopefully, I will be able to read them in Japanese.

I got lost in the Hatcher Library and I could totally see how one person I know could have sex there!

Will I miss this view when I move away?

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I finished reading Kokoro by Natsume Soseki.  It is not as depressing as it seems in my opinion.  The protagonist's dignity, loneliness, betrayal and despair, I could sympathise with. I think I am going to the library tomorrow to check some of Soseki's books out. I've got thirst for more! I'm very curious about the way how the sensei from Kokoro killed himself, which Soseki decided not to write specifically.

We had get ourselves photographed in font of Akamon of Tokyo University, since our ryokan was in the Hongō (本郷) area.  I've heard about the gate from Japanese manga books quite a bit, however it was not as impressive as I thought it would be. It just looked too familiar to me.  If I ever lived in Tokyo, I'd like to live in Hongo area. Cheap and quiet. And I already know one nice bar to go to. The bartender is a huge fan of rock music, he was quite impressed to hear that we were from Detroit. He told us that he had seen KISS numerous times.

The old wooden building in front of our ryokan, the ryokan itself was over 100 years old.

Kasumigaseki (霞ケ関), Political Science-major Will wanted to see the Diet Building.

 I never cared for going to Kasumigaseki, but it was quite interesting to see Kasumigaseki area and to pass by Nakatacho. The streets were empty, as we went during the Golden Week. 

Then again, I was not able to go to the observatory again this time. The line was way too long.  JAL had the on-flight service, which you could choose to any film. I watched Tokyo Tower, as I love Odagiri Joe quite a bit. Tokyo Tower itself won't be the same as before I saw the film.

I'm ever so tired. I may be really suffering from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Currently reading Natsume Soseki's Kokoro. Some say that he's the Shakespeare of Japan or some say the Charles Dickens of Japan. The word 心 Kokoro seems, to me at least, really tricky to be translated into English. Mind, heart, feeling, liking...

This novel is not necessarily cheery, but, hopefully it will somehow cheer me up. The deaths of the Sensei's friend, Sensei himself, the main character's father, Emperor Meiji, General Nogi Maresuke and his wife. 4 suicides out of 6. Don't get me wrong, I am really enjoying this novel at the moment.