Anyone have any book recommendations? I still have A Game of Thrones sitting unread on my shelf.
28.11.11
Now reading ...
I've been waiting for free time to read for fun. About to start reading 1Q84. I bought it today for $29.95 from Kinokuniya in The Galeries Victoria, Sydney. It looks much better with the jacket cover. I don't like the cover of this version. Some of the overseas versions are much prettier.
Anyone have any book recommendations? I still have A Game of Thrones sitting unread on my shelf.
Anyone have any book recommendations? I still have A Game of Thrones sitting unread on my shelf.
27.11.11
In the zone
So, my friend surprised me with unexpected Sexy Zone CDs. I already purchased two which is still in the process of being delivered because I chose the cheapest shipping option. They all come with posters so and the end of it I will have four of the same posters. XD
Sexy Zone are a new group from Johnny and Associates. They're quite young. They range in age from 11 to 17. I got lots of teasing last night when I got these. It wouldn't be quite so bad if their group name wasn't Sexy Zone.
Anyhoo, these are my early Christmas presents. So unexpected. I like getting unexpected gifts. XD
Also, making other people watch "Sexy Zone" PV XD
and random Kis-My-Ft2's "Everybody Go" at SM karaoke.
Holiday for a week-ish before summer school starts. Hope I passed all my subject otherwise it kinda throws next year off its kilter.
Sexy Zone are a new group from Johnny and Associates. They're quite young. They range in age from 11 to 17. I got lots of teasing last night when I got these. It wouldn't be quite so bad if their group name wasn't Sexy Zone.
Anyhoo, these are my early Christmas presents. So unexpected. I like getting unexpected gifts. XD
Also, making other people watch "Sexy Zone" PV XD
and random Kis-My-Ft2's "Everybody Go" at SM karaoke.
Holiday for a week-ish before summer school starts. Hope I passed all my subject otherwise it kinda throws next year off its kilter.
13.11.11
K-Pop Music Fest 2011
... was much better than I thought it would be! But let's go chronologically because I can't think of a more coherent way to make this post.
NB: I wrote this last night after I got back.
I don't really know much about K-Pop. Not as much as my friends do. I like some songs and I know the groups vaguely but that's about it. In the lead up to the concert I downloaded some of the performing artists' songs and had a listen. A lot of it sounded the same and the only songs I really liked were they ones that were released as singles.
We arrived at Sydney Olympic Park at around 3pm. A Cityrail person at the train station suggested that we buy the return tickets right away since after the concert the line for tickets would be massive (and it was). It was such a carnival or festival atmosphere outside ANZ Stadium. Some people were already waiting in lines, long lines to stalls and lots of people gathered around the SBs Popasia stage.
We were a bit peckish and looking for cheap water. Water outside ANZ Stadium was 5 bucks a bottle. Yeah. We were going to head to McDonalds but all the young ones were in line. So we headed to the relatively emptier bar The Brewery. Air-conditioned, beer, water and not busy. Yay for being an adult!
We bummed around for a while until it was around 5-ish and the gates started to open. I thought it would take a while to get in but it was a relatively fast-moving line and brief bag check. Paranoid about cameras for nothing. Should have brought my bigger lens. Ah, well.
My friends and I had a VIP seating ticket which meant that we were on the ground of the stadium. The layout of the stage meant that the VIP standing areas were closest to the stage. We bought water for $4 a bottle inside and I was so paranoid about leaving to pee in the middle of the concert that I made a couple of trips to the toilet. XD When we can back down to sit we discovered that mychonny, the YouTube guy, was in the row right in front of us. Lots of people, including my friends, spoke and talked to him. He seemed really nice about it.
The ground of the stadium looked really full. The seating behind was less full but didn't look empty. Like, less people but it didn't look like there were no people. So, I'd say it was a pretty good turnout. (The J-Pop/Johnny's fan inside of me wondered a J-Pop act/s could decently fill a stadium like this).
The concert started on time at 7pm. Still bright and sunny. Generally, besides the special stages, most of the acts sang 3 songs. Started off with SHINee. From our seats, you can see them but they were really small. Even though we had seats everyone stood. We stood for most of the 3 hours. Everyone had cameras out too trying to capture every moment.
I wish we could not do that anymore. I wish we could just watch concerts and not feel the need to photograph or film them because it just gets in the way sometimes and distracts you from the actual performance. Also, if we didn't need that need to take document everything then I wouldn't need to be try to see over people's cameras too XD. That said, I did take photos but ah, they're not so great. I didn't bring my better lens and I swapped batteries with my friend with a camera with a better lens so he could get some shots. And I'm short too and could barely really photograph anything well.
I don't have set lists remembered or anything so here's point form:
- Everyone is so gosh damn pretty!
- I didn't think SHINee were that great.
- That translator they had was not good. Her English wasn't great and she didn't translate well.
- The best enjoyed performance was Girls' Generation. Definitely. Everybody was into it. They performed 'The Boys', 'Gee' and 'Kissing You'. Lots and lots of singing by the crowd. They also through roses into the crowd too.
- CN Blue's Yonghwa. I love you again. So, so pretty. While I was watching his face on the big screen he really did remind me of Kis-My-Ft2's Fujigaya Taisuke. And the drummer of CN Blue reminded me of Hey! Say! JUMP's Hikaru.
- Also, TVXQ's Changmin got really hot. I remember when he was younger and I was like, "Aww, it must suck to be the ugly one." XD Might finish Paradise Ranch now.
- So MBLAQ's Thunder spoke in English in a really Filo accent. XD It was cute.
- I so need to research the members of MBLAQ and B2ST. I saw one of them, I don't know which, closer to where were seated and I swear he looked at me. XD No, of course not. But I looked right into his eyes and this dude was so pretty. They all were. XD
- I love CN Blue's I'm a Loner all over again. It got a great response from the crowd and apparently my friend's friends got the drummer's drumstricks. XD
- I knew TVXQ was going to be a let down of sorts. I knew they'd only sing songs from their 2-person TVXQ album. And I didn't like or know that many. But Changmin more than made up for it.
- I want to be as pretty as anyone from Miss A or SNSD or KARA. KARA looked amazing.
- They threw plastic balls into the crowd at the end when they were all on stage singing 'Arirang'. When we got out of the venue we saw someone with them and they were signed! So, reminded me of Johnny's when they throw signed stuff into the crowd. One girl was trying to swap a Miss A signed one for SHINee.
I have other thoughts. Not specifically about this concert but thinking that if Arashi has concerts in venues this size or larger ... how can anyone see them? I'm short as it is and lots of tall people were standing in front of me and unless they came to that side stage near us they looked quite small but visible but small.
Ok, that's it for now!
I don't really know how many people turned up. My estimating is not good. I don't how good a reflection that is of hypothetically trying to get K-Pop mainstream in Australia. If there was going to be such a thing , Australia's music market is too small for them to financially benefit so concert tours woud probably be the best money makers for them. Though how this popularity transcends into the actual purchasing of singles and albums, etc is something to be considered.
Also, this made me realise I need more real-life Johnny's/Jpop friends. XD
And time for some not-so-great photos. There are better more amazing photos around on the internet. My friends took some pretty good ones of the concert and the press conference that they attended so they should be on the internet soon.
I have no photos post-SNSD's appearance since I swapped my battery with my friend's, since his battery died, so that he could take more photos. He has the better, zoomier lens for taking photos with so it was for the best. XD
Ok. That's it. No more blogging 'til post-exam time.
NB: I wrote this last night after I got back.
I don't really know much about K-Pop. Not as much as my friends do. I like some songs and I know the groups vaguely but that's about it. In the lead up to the concert I downloaded some of the performing artists' songs and had a listen. A lot of it sounded the same and the only songs I really liked were they ones that were released as singles.
We arrived at Sydney Olympic Park at around 3pm. A Cityrail person at the train station suggested that we buy the return tickets right away since after the concert the line for tickets would be massive (and it was). It was such a carnival or festival atmosphere outside ANZ Stadium. Some people were already waiting in lines, long lines to stalls and lots of people gathered around the SBs Popasia stage.
We were a bit peckish and looking for cheap water. Water outside ANZ Stadium was 5 bucks a bottle. Yeah. We were going to head to McDonalds but all the young ones were in line. So we headed to the relatively emptier bar The Brewery. Air-conditioned, beer, water and not busy. Yay for being an adult!
We bummed around for a while until it was around 5-ish and the gates started to open. I thought it would take a while to get in but it was a relatively fast-moving line and brief bag check. Paranoid about cameras for nothing. Should have brought my bigger lens. Ah, well.
My friends and I had a VIP seating ticket which meant that we were on the ground of the stadium. The layout of the stage meant that the VIP standing areas were closest to the stage. We bought water for $4 a bottle inside and I was so paranoid about leaving to pee in the middle of the concert that I made a couple of trips to the toilet. XD When we can back down to sit we discovered that mychonny, the YouTube guy, was in the row right in front of us. Lots of people, including my friends, spoke and talked to him. He seemed really nice about it.
The ground of the stadium looked really full. The seating behind was less full but didn't look empty. Like, less people but it didn't look like there were no people. So, I'd say it was a pretty good turnout. (The J-Pop/Johnny's fan inside of me wondered a J-Pop act/s could decently fill a stadium like this).
The concert started on time at 7pm. Still bright and sunny. Generally, besides the special stages, most of the acts sang 3 songs. Started off with SHINee. From our seats, you can see them but they were really small. Even though we had seats everyone stood. We stood for most of the 3 hours. Everyone had cameras out too trying to capture every moment.
I wish we could not do that anymore. I wish we could just watch concerts and not feel the need to photograph or film them because it just gets in the way sometimes and distracts you from the actual performance. Also, if we didn't need that need to take document everything then I wouldn't need to be try to see over people's cameras too XD. That said, I did take photos but ah, they're not so great. I didn't bring my better lens and I swapped batteries with my friend with a camera with a better lens so he could get some shots. And I'm short too and could barely really photograph anything well.
I don't have set lists remembered or anything so here's point form:
- Everyone is so gosh damn pretty!
- I didn't think SHINee were that great.
- That translator they had was not good. Her English wasn't great and she didn't translate well.
- The best enjoyed performance was Girls' Generation. Definitely. Everybody was into it. They performed 'The Boys', 'Gee' and 'Kissing You'. Lots and lots of singing by the crowd. They also through roses into the crowd too.
- CN Blue's Yonghwa. I love you again. So, so pretty. While I was watching his face on the big screen he really did remind me of Kis-My-Ft2's Fujigaya Taisuke. And the drummer of CN Blue reminded me of Hey! Say! JUMP's Hikaru.
- Also, TVXQ's Changmin got really hot. I remember when he was younger and I was like, "Aww, it must suck to be the ugly one." XD Might finish Paradise Ranch now.
- So MBLAQ's Thunder spoke in English in a really Filo accent. XD It was cute.
- I so need to research the members of MBLAQ and B2ST. I saw one of them, I don't know which, closer to where were seated and I swear he looked at me. XD No, of course not. But I looked right into his eyes and this dude was so pretty. They all were. XD
- I love CN Blue's I'm a Loner all over again. It got a great response from the crowd and apparently my friend's friends got the drummer's drumstricks. XD
- I knew TVXQ was going to be a let down of sorts. I knew they'd only sing songs from their 2-person TVXQ album. And I didn't like or know that many. But Changmin more than made up for it.
- I want to be as pretty as anyone from Miss A or SNSD or KARA. KARA looked amazing.
- They threw plastic balls into the crowd at the end when they were all on stage singing 'Arirang'. When we got out of the venue we saw someone with them and they were signed! So, reminded me of Johnny's when they throw signed stuff into the crowd. One girl was trying to swap a Miss A signed one for SHINee.
I have other thoughts. Not specifically about this concert but thinking that if Arashi has concerts in venues this size or larger ... how can anyone see them? I'm short as it is and lots of tall people were standing in front of me and unless they came to that side stage near us they looked quite small but visible but small.
Ok, that's it for now!
I don't really know how many people turned up. My estimating is not good. I don't how good a reflection that is of hypothetically trying to get K-Pop mainstream in Australia. If there was going to be such a thing , Australia's music market is too small for them to financially benefit so concert tours woud probably be the best money makers for them. Though how this popularity transcends into the actual purchasing of singles and albums, etc is something to be considered.
Also, this made me realise I need more real-life Johnny's/Jpop friends. XD
And time for some not-so-great photos. There are better more amazing photos around on the internet. My friends took some pretty good ones of the concert and the press conference that they attended so they should be on the internet soon.
I have no photos post-SNSD's appearance since I swapped my battery with my friend's, since his battery died, so that he could take more photos. He has the better, zoomier lens for taking photos with so it was for the best. XD
Ok. That's it. No more blogging 'til post-exam time.
11.11.11
Arisun, Chinatown
In celebration of end of semester a couple of friends and I went to Arisun for some chicken and beer. It was nice and sunny still at 6pm so it was nice to see the sunset as the night progressed.
We were confused what these were. We knew they were towels but they were so dry and small. Then someone had the bright idea to add water to them and they expanded and became wet towels for your hands. There are different sets you can order of chicken and beer as well as other stuff on the menu. We order set 5 which cost $80 altogether. It comes with chicken, 3000cc of beer, 1 bottle of soju and this vegetable and noodle platter thing whose actual name escapes me.
The waitress moved too fast! The above vegetable and noodle dish was all presented nicely and I was too slow to take a photo and she started mixing it for us already!
Chicken was hot (warm not spicy) and crunchy and FRIED. It comes with little dishes of cut radishes (I assume), salt and pepper and a bowl for your chicken bones. You get a choice of chicken for your set. Either Sun's Original chicken, a soy sauced based chicken or a spicy chicken flavours (I forget the names, as always. I must take pictures of menus next time). We opted for the original flavour.
We also ordered a bottle of Korean rice wine 막걸리 ($12) which they opened then transferred into this teapot and we get little bowls to drink it out of. We also ordered some seafood pancake ($20) to eat with it. This was good seafood pancake. Very crispy and not too soggy like it can be at other restaurants.
I would like to go again and try some of the other dishes and chicken varieties and to drink more! Maybe post-exam time ... XD
- Find Arisun at 1 Dixon Street, Haymarket.
9.11.11
Stage for the K-Pop Music Fest in Sydney 2011 (and a little Arashi)
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| Image from http://www.facebook.com/kpopmusicfest. |
My friend tweeted a link to this. I was expecting to actually see the stage all set up and not this graphic. I wonder how long it takes to put together? Wonder if it's up right now? I suppose it would be. This is not a K-Pop Music Fest post. Sorry, if you're deceived! Not really. Some K-Pop Music Fest related stuff at the end.
I saw this and my immediate thought was "Ain't got nothing on Arashi". To wit, this is sort of an Arashi post. They're my favourite thing in the whole world. They're a 5 member male Japanese group and for the past 4 years (2008 to 2011) they've had the privilege of performing at the National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Only one musical group or artist get to perform there a year. What made me think of Arashi was that ANZ Stadium (oh, remember when it was called Stadium Australia and not anything corporate related?) is the Australian equivalent and I just wanted to compare and contrast the stages, is all.
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| Image from a google image search which led me to this tumblr post. |
I have VIP seats to the K-Pop concert so hopefully I'm not too far from the stage. I wonder how much you'll actually see from the seats. It's so far back. I wonder if they'll move people forward if there's still room on the floor ... hmm.
Have some more Arashi (http://dai.ly/ru9yaf - because Dailymotion won't let me embed) and uh, Akanishi Jin's new single "Test Drive". My first reaction to this PV was "JIN TAKE OFF YOUR SUNGLASSES AND HOODIE!" Trying to make people forget he's Japanese? IDK. Not a great PV but a catchy song.
Pointless post really. I'm just procrastinating. Last day of classes for semester and I don't really want to start studying. :D
Writing this as I'm watching How I Met Your Mother ...
Distractions all round. I know I tweeted that I wasn't going to blog til like after Saturday. But, here I am.
There's 2 and a half weeks til I'm exam free and I'm very behind in making notes and in reading.
Last day of uni for this semester today, Thursday I have dinner, Friday I'm going to study all day, Saturday is the KPop concert, Sunday is for studying, Monday is study day at uni, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday is studying day and Friday is Princess Toyotomi watching at the Japan Film Festival, Saturday is exam number 1 and GANTZ watching at night. Then I have Sunday to Friday to study for exam number 2 that's on Saturday and then I'm done for this sem. I can spend the rest of my time from then worrying if I'll pass or not.
Also, I have a tumblr. But this tumblr is for things that have low quality mobile phone pictures and not enough to blog about. Not like this post is enough to blog about but whatever ... XD Link is down below! I don't really post that often but I tweet the link so you don't have to follow.
I've been sick for almost a week. I don't know how or from whom but this is not the best timing. Spent like 4 days in bed (Thursday to Sunday) because standing up made me dizzy and so I just slept for like 4 days. Such a waste of time!
And what was with Sydney's weather today! Such short bursts of horrendous rain! Walked from Town Hall to Chinatown without an umbrella and my feet were so soaked! Delayed trains! And it started off so hot and humid too.
Also, I've just finished watching this ep of How I Met Your Mother as I've been typing this and OMG THAT ENDING. It's the most recent one that aired so 7x09. And I 'm all ... !!!
Going to watch The Daily Show then sleep. Maybe.
kthnxbye
There's 2 and a half weeks til I'm exam free and I'm very behind in making notes and in reading.
Last day of uni for this semester today, Thursday I have dinner, Friday I'm going to study all day, Saturday is the KPop concert, Sunday is for studying, Monday is study day at uni, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday is studying day and Friday is Princess Toyotomi watching at the Japan Film Festival, Saturday is exam number 1 and GANTZ watching at night. Then I have Sunday to Friday to study for exam number 2 that's on Saturday and then I'm done for this sem. I can spend the rest of my time from then worrying if I'll pass or not.
Also, I have a tumblr. But this tumblr is for things that have low quality mobile phone pictures and not enough to blog about. Not like this post is enough to blog about but whatever ... XD Link is down below! I don't really post that often but I tweet the link so you don't have to follow.
I've been sick for almost a week. I don't know how or from whom but this is not the best timing. Spent like 4 days in bed (Thursday to Sunday) because standing up made me dizzy and so I just slept for like 4 days. Such a waste of time!
And what was with Sydney's weather today! Such short bursts of horrendous rain! Walked from Town Hall to Chinatown without an umbrella and my feet were so soaked! Delayed trains! And it started off so hot and humid too.
Also, I've just finished watching this ep of How I Met Your Mother as I've been typing this and OMG THAT ENDING. It's the most recent one that aired so 7x09. And I 'm all ... !!!
Going to watch The Daily Show then sleep. Maybe.
kthnxbye
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