Who Are You?

Received this meme from Manny:

Who Are You?

He challenges his readers to give the non-typical answer, something that doesn’t explicitly say where you’re from, what you do, what school did you go to, or what family you belong to. In other words, answers such as “I am a doctor”, “I am a Harvard graduate”, “I am from the Philippines” or “I am a stay-at-home Mom to two kids” are not acceptable answers.

So, here’s my answer:

I was a person who was constantly thinking “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” When I was doing one thing, I wish I was doing something else. But, now I am better at focusing on and being grateful for where I am at the present. It makes life a lot more fun.

Subs?

I know beggars can’t be choosers, but where are the subtitles for the Hanayome to Papa finale episode?! I have been waiting for too long. 🙂

Papa to Musume no Nanokakan パパとムスメの７日間

 

Mariko recommended that I watch Papa to Musume no Nanokakan パパとムスメの７日間 (Papa and Daughter’s Seven Days), saying it was really funny. My friend Jeremy also mentioned that it was pretty good, so I started watching last night. This dorama is a short one, with only seven episodes, and I watched the first four, staying up until about 1am. Mariko and Jeremy were right. It’s a great show!

The story is basically a “Freaky Friday” story. Basically the father and daughter are involved in a freak accident and somehow trade bodies. Before the accident, they were kind of a typical family of father, mother and daughter. The father is a salaryman, mother is a housewife, and the daughter goes to High School. The relationship between father and daughter is not so great, with the teenager resenting her father, and the father wondering why they have grown apart. I think it is just the normal teenage years.

But after the accident, things start to get really hilarious. The acting is really good, with the girl (Aragaki Yui 新垣結衣) taking over the mannerisms of an oyaji, and vice versa. And you hear some oyaji-language coming out of the mouth of the cute girl, which is great. Plus, she stands and sits like a man, and talks to her peers in a brusque and straightforward manner. It’s really funny.

Then on the other side, the father (Tachi Hiroshi 舘ひろし) starts acting like a High Schooler, and he does it so well, with funny dancing, texting super-fast, crying when she realizes that she might be stuck in her father’s body and miss out on her youth. There are some really hilarious situations, like when the father goes out on a date, and the daughter follows them around, making sure the father doesn’t do anything crazy.

I can go on and on about the funny scenes, but I will just say that if you have access to this show, watch it! Oh, and the scene where the daughter realizes that the father has to take a bath and will see her naked body (and the solution to that predicament) is so funny. Plus of course the girl is super cute!

Ate Too Much

This weekend was filled with food… lots of food. On Saturday our neighbors had a party to celebrate their daughter’s first birthday. The bbq was going full steam ahead, with chicken and beef the star attractions. They were served with homemade salsas and corn tortillas. It was soooo good. Mexican families sure know how to make delicious food.

Then on Sunday, our next door neighbors on the other side were having a bbq party, so I ate a couple big burgers, some brats, and a drank a dos equis. That was early afternoon. At 5pm, we had some friends over for a Korean-style bbq dinner. I made kalbi, and there were some other delicious side-dishes. I was so full from earlier, but I still ate a good share of kalbi, and drank some vino and more beer. I knew I would be pigging out on Sunday, so that morning I woke up a little early and ran 4+ miles around the neighborhood. But, I must run more this week to work off the calories!

Friday’s Feast

(a day late!)

Appetizer

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how much do enjoy watching sports on television?

Depends on the sport. 9 for baseball, 4 for others.

Soup

If you could completely memorize any one work of fiction, which one would you pick?

The Tale of Genji

Salad

What is your favorite breakfast food?

Chili and eggs.

Main Course

Name something fun you can do for less than $10.00.

Make funny faces with the kids.

Dessert

How long does it usually take you to fall asleep?

According to my wife and kids, it takes less than a minute for my snoring to kick in.

Need More Subtitles!

I just watched the second-to-last episode of Hanayome to Papa. The final episode still doesn’t have subtitles, and I am dying! Should I try to watch it without the subs? From now on, I will wait until the entire series is subbed before I start watching!!! (This dorama is great)

New Zard Releases

Two Zard CD’s will be coming out next month. “Soffio di Vento” (Breath of Wind) is a selection of Izumi Sakai’s favorite songs, and “Brezza di Mare” (Sea Breeze) is a selection of Zard songs from the Zard staff and production team. There will also be a book with photos, Sakai’s handwritten lyrics, etc. I might have to pick them up when we visit Japan later this year. Also this year, there will be two tribute concerts called “What a Beautiful Memory”. The first one will be in Osaka on Sept 7, and the second at Budokan in Tokyo on Sept 14. I wonder who the artists are who will be performing Zard tunes…

What Does It Mean?

I just read a blog post about a new computer display, and part of it read,

“When I turned it on, I was blown away – literally.”

I am imagining the display exploding, sending the poor owner flying into the livingroom wall. Or maybe he didn’t use the word “literally” correctly.

Seriously though, Glenn Wolsey’s blog is great. I learn a lot from it.

Zelda: Twilight Princess Progress

I am now about 18 hours into Twilight Princess, and made it through the Goron Mines. It’s been a few months since I picked up the game, but it is still great. I really enjoy the ambience of the Zelda games, and this one is especially cool. The music is fantastic and I was immediately immersed in the setting once again. Really an awesome game.

I had originally wanted to play the game and not look at any spoilers, but I decided to go ahead and read the online guide to speed my way through parts that I couldn’t figure out. This includes learning how to defeat the bosses. I think I consulted the guide three times the other night, and I didn’t feel like I was cheating myself, but rather just saving myself from frustration.

In the Goron Mines, I picked up a new weapon, the Hero’s Bow. This thing is great. It was so cool being Link as a sniper. I can’t wait to combine it with bombs later on. Next, I am going to backtrack a bit and pick up the pieces of heart that I missed earlier. I’m still taking my time, which is fine with me. The game is still so neat.