I'm eating Apples again! ^___^

I miss the smell of book pages. How long has it been since the last time I buried my nose in the aroma of ink and paper? Weeks? Months? Years? I can' recall, it's so sad. I know I don't have anybody else to blame but myself since I over indulged with shoujo mangas and anime in my spare time instead of finishing Age of Innocence (hontou ni gomen, Kaoru! I'm still not done with it.. T___T) I got so used of reading mangas online that when I open a book, my eyes automatically fly to the right side of the page. In short, the monitor replaced the ink and paper. But it looks like I would start smelling pages again because somebody's artwork caught my attention. Neil Gaiman. Rai, a new friend from the new office (^___^/"/ hello Murasaki-chan!), introduced him to me. Isn't he the guy who wrote Stardust? Yep, that's him. (I remember Wywy-sama laughing at the title of the movie adaptation because it was so cheesy while I, on the other hand, was pleased because Stardust is one of my pet name for Arvin. Though it's a secret why! :p) Anyway, Rai told me about his novel which involved a Fox, a monk and Morpheus (from The Sandman). I immediately got curioused because it was based on a Japanese folklore and it was drawn by Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy) and when she showed me this: It literally took my breath away. ... and after reading it. I fell in love with the artwork and with the story. Arigatou, Murasaki-chan for lending me the book and introducing Gaiman! ^_________^ ... and thus, it triggered my decision to collect graphic novels. I know, it's impossible at this point but hey, we'll never know! xD -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Also, I finally bought one of Murakami's books. This one: It cost me a LOT. I sacrificed the new shirt and jeans that I've been planning of buying for months now in exchange for this book. It's worth it, I can still manage with my current clothes but my brain couldn't take its hunger anymore. I have to feed it. Haha.. xD Another friend from the Office, Ron (haller, Ron-kun! ^___^/"/) , and I will be exchanging books next time because he has Norwegian Wood. Yey! Finally! What can I do, I'm becoming the bookworm that I was again.. So happy.. ^___^ -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- I'm not very happy with DeviantArt though. They keep on deleting my wallpapers, saying that I commited a copyright infringement. WTH?! I try to put credits on my work as much as possible. *sigh* ... and worst, they took my most "Favorite" -d work, Itazura na Kiss.. T__T Hate them! Grrrrrr.. To think I've encouraged so many people to sign up in deviantart.. huhu.. T__T

[chuu~

I look stupid, I can't stop smiling. ^_____^ No matter how many times, how many versions, how many episodes, whether it's on print or in tube, I still get this stupid smile on my face every time I watch Itazura na Kiss (It Started With A Kiss) and it still has the same effect on me: Lovebug. Haha.. :D As I've said on one of my posts on DeviantArt, Irie-kun (or Zhi Shu in ISWAK) is somehow my ideal guy. Come to think of it, he almost have the same attitude as Chiaki-senpai.. (sorta cold, teehee.. xD) Sheesh. And then I like Kyouya Ootori from Ouran.. Jeez, am I a masochist subconciously? >__< SPOILERS!! Muahahahaha! Omedeto Kotoko-chan! It's been a long journey! I kinda like the manga more though and ISWAK.. :D Joe Cheng did a good job portraying Shi Zhu (Irie-kun), although he's a bit, uhmm, soft (?) at times.. xD Kyaaaa, more, more, more! ^___^ If you're curious why I love this series, you can watch it here: http://www.crunchyroll.com/group/CRSeries_-_Itazura_na_Kiss_-_Anime Enjoy! ^___^v

たそがれ

I wonder if the person who crossed my mind today also thought about me. Even just for a minute, a second, a millisecond, a nanosecond. Did you miss my smile, laughter, smell, eyes, stories, conversations, as I miss you, in all your entirety, on that split second you entered my thoughts? I wonder.. (But then again, you'll just tell me I have too much time to laze around that's why I can still think of these things) No. You don't understand. Memories, it leaves a lingering bittersweetness for the soul to feed upon.

Updates lang.. ^o^

I'm borrowing your line, Nathan.. Updates lang.. :) There hasn't been enough time to write lately. I'm in the 10pm to 6am shift, so it's either I stay up until 12nn out of the house or get home and be asleep by 8am. I miss my friends, I miss my Cabal Online Wizard (Akong, we're yet to play together! Wait for me! \"\ ^___^/"/), I miss going to Divi, I miss... A lot! Hay, I haven't been producing wallpapers either. Just this one: I made that after taking some time to do a marathon of Parfait Tic (read chapters 1-103, all in one sitting!). I should be glad because it's my first decent CG in PS but instead, I'm kind of down. I feel like my creativity (if there has been any to begin with xD) is slowly seeping out of me. No, I don't blame the job, I think I matured (just a bit!), and I finally understood some things. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o I want to finish my romance novel but after giving it another run through, I trashed the idea. One word came to mind: Plagiarism. I'm sorry Tada Kaoru, I got carried away by Irie-kun.. :) I'll make my own hero next time.. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o I think I'm getting along pretty well with my new officemates. Nobody calls me Essie-hime anymore (I miss Wywy-sama, Patty-chan, Ria-chan, Mari-chan and Joanne-chan! Not you, Anselmo, daikirai!! Hmpf! :p) but I'll be forever using that nickname, arigatou.. ^__^ My new officemates make fun of my name Ester. It's because they've known me as Essie since Day 1 and when it was my chance to report, my name was flased on the projector. Sheeeesh. :p =-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o I'm pretty sad and hopeful both at the same time. Sad because: 1. Nobody likes anime in my team that much 2. I don't have anybody who I can learn Japanese with Hopeful because: 1. I can see A LOT of people onemanga.com at the lobby! Sad because: 3. But I think they are just a bunch of Narutards or Bleachmaniacs.. Haha, don't get me wrong, I meant that in a good way. I, eherm, like Naruto and Bleach too but I just can't stand people who says "I love anime" and then when I ask them what they've seen they would tell me all the animes that were shown in either GMA or ABS-CBN only. Well, I kinda want to have an anime conversation away from those two animes because I dropped Naruto and Bleach as well as One Piece from my must watch list because of the sole reason that those series were too long. (oh, and maybe because they were too commercialized.. @__@) Hopeful because: 2. I did make a bunch of new friends.. :) hontoni shiawase da! ^__^ -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o On Ouran: 'Atta boy, Hikaru-kun! You did it! Next: Go go go Tamaki! -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o T___T Still no Nodachi.. *sigh* and just about when Chiaki is giving his carrot to Nodame.. Gyabooooo! (Haha, that didn't come out right. It was waaaaay too ambiguous. Oh well, Nodame fans would know what I'm talking about.. :D) (.. and does that mean Chiaki only has a ... carrot?! Buahahahahahaha.. xD sorry, it's already 5 in the morning, I'm no longer thinking right.. :p) -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o and also, I got this from Nathan. I was curious so I took the "test:

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents, beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

hmmn, the Empress huh? So I'm no longer a hime? :p -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o Speaking of being a hime, I had a weird dream last night. It's giving me goosebumps just by remembering.. I was standing in the middle of a garden (think period gardens e.g. Ever After, The Man With The Iron Mask), some people were busy preparing for something. I get the feeling that it was for a wedding.. Uh-oh, lemme turn the lights on first, I'm getting scared.. @_____@ Then suddenly a man in an equestrian costume, the Prince, approached me. He seems to be looking for some sort of treasure. He asked me if I know where the lake is and I said I know where it was. He wanted me to take him there and I said "We can only get there by horse" (Alam nyo 'yung paraan ng mga Kastila noong araw ng pananakop ng lupain? 'Yung tipong "hanggang matatanaw ng mata mo", ganoon kalaki daw 'yung tatahakin namin..) So he whistled then two horses came, one brown then one white. I remember him riding the white one but when I'm about to ride the brown one, it was white!.. So there, we rode until we reached the border of his land which turned out to be the sea (think Baywalk, with all the trees and bench). At that point, I got scared because I realized that the lake he was looking for was actually the sea! Then he disappeared and I got really sad because I was sort of in love with him (I was in love to a Prince in tights? Ek! :p).. Then.. It was cut-off, then suddenly I was with Arvin, Besh and Enil somewhere in Imbiernes (dito sa may Pandacan) and I was asking them to join me in my search for the treasure because my self then knew I was a Princess and I need to search for that treasure. I had one clue, the number 25.. So we moved forward but then suddenly We were in a tunnel with intersections and then I was in a procession. No creepy long black robes or whatsoever, just ordinary humans but when I looked around I got separated from them and I can't find neither Arvin, Besh or Enil and when I looked around, I can see graves! No particular name on it, just graves, just like the one my Lolo have. Then I woke up. Really weird. I told Arvin about the dream and he was worried so he told me not to sleep again, yet. (He actually slept over, so it was a good thing he was with me when I woke up.. ^__^) Then he said he remembered reading in a newspaper that there was a prediction about a very strong Earthquake on July 25. ... then last night, we had an earthquake. Twice. God, am I becoming a psychic or what?! Now, I can't sleep.. @___@ It's 6am already.. Maybe I'll wait for Mama to wake up first, then I'll go to sleep.. @__@ -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Another broken promise..

Nah, it's nothing serious. I'm just kind of down in the slump lately since there hasn't been any update recently on the mangas I reallly really love.. No updates yet on Nodame Cantabile, Nana, Ouran HS Host Club and Itazura na Kiss, so sad.. T___T I miss Chiaki-senpai badly and yet there's no shirt to smell (haha, only Nodame enthusiast will understand the joke, gomen!). I've watched Nodame Cantabile's Paris Night Special for the nth time. It doesn't sate the thirst for more Nodachi update, but it fills my senses with Noda spirit! Gyabooooooooooo! \^____^/ See? I'm already intoxicated by the Nodame spirit, I'm no longer making any sense! xD -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Bukol was disappointed when ABS-CBN suddenly decided not to air They Kiss Again while I, on the other hand, was relieved. There's really something about Xiang Qin and Shi Zhu (or Naoki-kun and Kotoko-chan in the original version) that really makes me stay put and watch them. The manga's incomplete because Tada Kaoru died of a disease before she was able to finish the manga. I'm currently up to date with the animated version of the manga. I'm done watching the live version and God, the Taiwanese version almost just literally translated the whole deal into their language. Well, my point is, I still can't get enough. Why did you leave us, Tada-san? T___T =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- OHSHC, I'm still waiting for Tamaki and Haruhi to realize their #%$#%# feelings! Haha, they're so naive. Cute! ^__^ o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= I'm back in the call center business and I can say that I'm enthusiastic about my job again. But.. I wanna change some things this time. I want to focus on my job, no more half hearted attempts and lame excuses for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm still holding on to my dream. But Arvin said something to me that made me decide in favor of BPO industry again. (No, Hun, it's not the "I told you so" speech.. It's the "Let's compromise" talk.. ^__^) Anyhow, my CCT (Cultural and Communications Trainer) in 24/7 was really good. He's so observant of what my flaws were and was able to pin them out individually. But then again, I noticed, since I started working with 24/7, I got scared to speak and write in English again. I feel like there's always something wrong either with my S-V agreement or with my tenses.. Ugh. See? I won't edit this post anymore, I'll end up redoing everything, just tell me if I have any errors, OK? :D ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* So there, another senseless post.. But Paula's right, this is my blog so I can choose whatever is in it.. xD maybe I can write a more thoughtful post next time.. Teehee.. xD Jaa! d^___^b

Hisashiburi, blog-kun! ^___^

Maa, maa! Write, write, write, something with sense! Yosh! Hajimeru!

My Top 5 Shoujo Anime! ^__^

5. OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB 桜蘭高校ホスト部（クラブ）, Ōran Kōkō Hosuto Kurabu

Haruhi Fujioka is a scholarship student at Ouran High School, a fictional school located in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Because of the superlative cost of the school uniform, Haruhi resorts to wearing long slacks, polo shirts and vests. Combined with her large glasses and tousled short hair, Haruhi's look causes her to be confused for a boy.

Looking for a quiet place to study, Haruhi stumbles upon the Third Music Room, the working place of the Ouran Host Club, a group of six attractive male students (Takashi "Mori", Mitsukuni "Hunny", Kaoru and Hikaru, Tamaki, and Kyouya) who spend their time charming and entertaining the school's girls for profit. During their first meeting, Haruhi accidentally knocks over and break a vase valued at ¥8,000,000, estimated to be US$80,000.

In order to pay off the large debt, Haruhi is employed as the club's "dog" and constantly ordered to do menial tasks like serving food or cleaning up. The Club president, without knowing she is really a girl, promotes Haruhi to "host" as soon as he discovers her potential. Even after the truth comes out in the Club, Haruhi continues the charade and is allowed to pay off the rest of her debt working as a host; in order to accomplish this, Haruhi conceals her true identity/gender from the customers. -Wikipedia

There are LOTS of reason why I love Ouran. One of them is the well developed characters. From Renge to Tamaki, everybody has their own story. Two, the humor. I find the antics in OHSHC very funny. Seriously! :) I actually did a marathon of Ouran High School Host Club manga last night. Too bad there still aren't any news about a second season of the anime because there were major changes in the manga that any OHSHC fanatic would love to see animated. Don't worry, there are no spoilers here.. :D Just like in Honey and Clover, I can't decide which of them is my favorite character.. *sigh* Before, I love the Hikaru x Haruhi tandem but then again, in the manga.. kyaaaaa.. @_____@ I was turned into a Tamaki x Haruhi fan.. Omg.. :D Hope they never ever ever ever ever do a Live of OHSHC, I'm gonna kill them if they do! >:-) This is the ever famous opening song Sakura Kiss by Chieco Kawabe Now this is also the same artist, but they did some hocus pocus and turned 'her' voice into 'his' voice.. :D cool! ^__^V Now, I fell in love with that 'guy' version of Sakura Kiss. I can imagine Tamaki singing, haha.. xD 4. LOVELY COMPLEX ラブ★コン, Rabu★Kon

Lovely Complex is a love story between a boy and a girl. The girl, Risa Koizumi, is 172 cm (5'7") tall—much taller than the average Japanese girl. The boy, Atsushi Otani, is 156 cm (5'1 and a half") —way below the height of the average Japanese boy. Because of this, they are called the "All Hanshin Kyojin" after a popular comedy duo that has a similar height difference.

During summer school, a very tall student (from another class) shows up and Risa immediately falls for him, as she has had bad luck with boys in the past because she is tall. There is a girl that Atsushi likes as well, so Risa and Atsushi decide to put aside their differences and help each other get their love interests. But as they get to know each other better, Risa's feelings for Atsushi begin to blossom, and her love life gets complicated from there. -Wikipedia

I watched the anime of Lovely Complex again the other day. I still laughed and cried on the same scenes.. :) Koizumi's facial expressions still made me laugh and Otani's idiocy still got on my nerves. Overall, Lovely Complex still pulled my heartstrings even though I've seen it for, 3 or 4 times already.. :D I'd say it's an all time favorite.. :) XS: I wasn't that impressed with the Live version of LC, uhm, I guess it's with the girl who played Koizumi. I really don't like her acting, waaa.. Gomen.. T_T Bon Bon by Hey! Say!, my favorite ending theme.. ^__^ 3. NANA ナナ

Nana Osaki is a punk singer who wants to debut with her band as soon as possible to leave her ex-boyfriend, Ren Honjo, behind. Nana was the lead vocalist in their old band with Ren, and they lived together as lovers. When Ren is offered a chance to debut in Tokyo as a replacement member of the popular band Trapnest (T-Nest for short), Nana chooses to cultivate her own band, Black Stones (BlaSt for short) instead.

Nana Komatsu, the other Nana, is called Hachi (after Hachikō) as she has weak mental characteristics that resemble a puppy. With a habit of falling in love at first sight, Hachi has always depended on other people to help her. When her friends and then boyfriend leave for Tokyo, she decides to join them a year later after having saved enough money.

Nana and Hachi meet in a train by chance, both on their way to Tokyo. After a string of coincidences, they come to live together in an apartment numbered 707. Despite having contrasting characters and ideals, the Nanas like and respect each other.

While the Black Stones begin to gain popularity at live gigs, other issues need resolving, especially in the areas of romance. The story of Nana revolves heavily on the romance and relationships of the two characters as one seeks fame and recognition while the other seeks love and happiness. -Wikipedia

The story line was amazing, the OST was fantastic and, again, the characters were well developed. After I watched NANA, I can barely see. My eyes were swollen, haha.. xD A manga scan I edited.. ^__^ The song where I got my shout out "You will find me where it's quiet. Listen closely, listen closely." My fave.. ^__^ 2. NODAME CANTABILE のだめカンタービレ, Nodame Kantābire

Megumi Noda, or “Nodame” is a piano student at Momogaoka College of Music. An extremely talented pianist who wants to be a kindergarten teacher, she prefers playing by ear rather than reading the music score. She is messy and disorganized, takes baths several days apart and loves to eat, sometimes stealing her friend’s lunchbox when it is filled with delicacies.

Shinichi Chiaki, is Momogaoka’s top student. Born into a musical family, he is talented in piano and violin and has secret ambitions to become a conductor. An arrogant multi-lingual perfectionist who once lived abroad in the music capitals of the world as a young boy (namely Prague), he is trapped in Japan because of his childhood phobia.

They meet by accident. Nodame quickly falls in love, but it takes much longer for Chiaki to even begin to appreciate Nodame’s unusual qualities. Their relationship causes them both to develop and grow. Along the way, they meet some crazy people (like Masumi, Mine, and Stresemann) and make lasting friendships. Because of Nodame, Chiaki gets the opportunity to lead a student orchestra and begins to have a broader appreciation of people's musical abilities. Because of Chiaki, Nodame faces her fears and enters a piano competition. Opportunities open up as both begin taking risks, stretching themselves far more than they ever thought possible. -Wikipedia

This anime made it to my top 3.. ^__^ I am really thankful to Paula for suggesting it to me. I saw a very good review of this anime in daisuki.com.br but I forgot to check it out, it was Paula who sent me a message regarding Nodame. Pau, thanks uli! :) This is the outcome of me, watching Nodame Cantabile for the nth time. Hehe, one of my favorite scenes. And my fave song on Nodame: 1. HONEY AND CLOVER ハチミツとクローバー, Hachimitsu to Kurōbā

Yūta Takemoto, Takumi Mayama and Shinobu Morita are three young men who live in the same apartment complex and are students at an art college in Tokyo.

One day, one of the art professors, Shūji Hanamoto, introduces his cousin's daughter, Hagumi Hanamoto, who has come to live with him and is a first year at the art school. Upon introduction, Takemoto and Morita fall in love with her. Morita expresses his love for Hagu in ways that scare her, especially calling Hagu 'mousey' and constantly photographing her, while Takemoto hides his feelings and tries to be a friend to Hagu. Hagu herself, though initially timid and afraid of company, gradually warms up to the three.

The group also includes another female: Ayumi Yamada. She is a master of pottery, and is well known by her name "Tetsujin" (Iron Lady). When not at school or hanging out with friends from the college, she helps run the family liquor store. She is very popular with all the guys, whether they are from the shopping district the liquor store is in or the other male pottery students, but Mayama is the only man she is in love with.

Unfortunately, although Mayama considers Yamada a friend, he does not return Yamada's love and is busy chasing an older woman, Rika Harada. Rika runs an architecture studio which she used to run with her husband, Harada before he died in a car accident which also left Rika disabled. Rika Harada and Shūji were very close friends and roommates in college. Mayama is sent by Shūji to help Rika, who has a hard time taking care of herself and running her business.

The story follows these five characters in their love triangles, graduating from college, finding jobs, and learning more about themselves. -Wikipedia

Great animation. Superb storyline. Unforgettable characters. The best soundtrack. I don't have enough words to describe how wonderful this anime is.. ^___^

Listen to Waltz by Suneohair, one of my fave song. Reminds me of Takemoto.. ^__^ Also, a wallpaper I did when I was in Takemoto mode.. :p There. my top 5.. Nothing much, just wanna share. I'm currently watching some series: - Itazura na Kiss (yep, the anime and original version of It Started with a Kiss starring Ariel Lin and Joe Cheng) - Vampire Knight (I'm so into vampires right now, Kaname-senpaiiiiii! ^__^) - Saiunkoku Monogatari II (it's a bit dragging, but then again, I like Shuurei-dono's character. Woman empowerment to the highest level! :p) Do send me a message if you have any news about these animes..