Floating

Hello all!
So I didn't announce it in my blog, but I think I will now... I ended up revoking my application from the internship in France for hotel managing, because the company was being very disorganized. They also glazed over a lot of important questions I had concerning living arrangements, dates I would go, which VISA to get... so ... CACA SUR VOUS!!! Too bad that doesn't make me feel any better about losing my principal chance to going back to France... sigh

I've been reading over my old blogs, and I realized... I really like blogging and reading over things. LOL So! I think I might spend more time on here! (Can I get a Yee haw???) Also! I realized that it might be interesting for me to upload entries from my diary while I was traveling. That way it could be an awesome travel blog, yea? Maybe some people can learn more about life in France, and in Europe in general, since I did do some extensive traveling. :)

Just a thought.

But man... I would just like a job that incorporates French, helping others, and anything that is not a desk-job or cubicle-related. I'm just floating until God presents me with an opportunity...

OH! SHARON GOT INTO USC GRAD PROGRAM! WHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO HAPPY FOR HERRR~! and I knew she could do it; she's so smart and awesome! Only the best roomies get into the best grad programs! hahah :D

Ok, time to get ready before class! Being a student is so hard especially during Week 8 of SPRING quarter... we're all just counting down until summer... or in my case... GRADUATION! YEEEAAA YUHHHHHHHH!

Gros bisous!

-Michelle

Waiting for my Easytones is not an easy thing to do.

Nooooo!!! You can't make meeeeeeeee... write my paper. -_-

I have yet another paper to poop out (as Sharon puts it, haha). This is getting to be super draining. It's hot to boot. Which makes me want to run and frolic outside, which I already did today! :)

Today was our annual Outdoor Service at church. Whheeee! The weather was gorgeous!! <3

Prayer requests:
Deda and Mario's health
Unni's wedding (bachelorette weekend)
Moving out/Moving in logistics
Sharon's grad school decision
San Leandro Hospital
job hunt

So many things on my mind lately, I feel bogged down, physically and mentally. Unfortunately, I was born with the odd superpower of NOT being able to take a nap. I've taken around 3 or 4 in my lifetime, and they range from 2 minutes to 5 hours. (Just some interesting stats for you...)

La dee dee dee!! My goal for summer is to lose 5 more pounds, I am so close to my goal!! :D And it's not to be freaky deaky skinny, it's for health. I want to just feel light and dance-y fresh anytime, all the time! :)

I just bought new Reebok Easytone shoes. I AM SO EXCITED. I actually saved up to buy them, so I am impatiently waiting for them. Eeek!

When I get them I will definitely write a review on them. These shoes are special, because they are built in a way that while you walk around you are working out specific muscles and getting toned. I mean, I walk EVERYWHERE, so I might as well get definition in my tushie and legs while I do it. I cannnot waiiiittt!! (But, obviously I can wait, since I'm waiting right now. And now. And now...)

I am looking forward to this summer. I want to move back home. I want to just chill and relax. And I want to start a new chapter of my life... my career! Yessss.... I know God is waiting to put me in touch with my true calling, and I am eager to find out what it is! :)

Please pray that I can stay calm and patient as He gets it all ready!!

Okily dokily, time to TRY and extend this paper another page. (WHEW)

Gros bisous,

Michelle

Happy Mother's Day! @-/--

Happy Umma's Day!!

Today at church, a couple that just had twin girls gave their testimony and it was really heart-wrenching. They talked about how hard they tried to have children and that they made themselves vulnerable to God to and to our church, and that was when God was able to reach out and bless them with their children. They also faced a miscarriage. I couldn't believe it since I knew the father of the girls and was always so bright and happy. Thank You, God for blessing them with children. If I know anyone who deserves to have children, it's Ji and Nancy. <3

I was a bit tired today, so sorry if I seemed out of it at church. I couldn't sleep very well last night, and I even found myself sleeping on the mat with the babies during daycare. It's okay, it's safe to leave your babies with me!! ;)

Taking care of babies is HARD work, so you should all REALLY thank your mommas for putting up with you (and your dads too, today and next month!).

Here are some pictures of my momma and me:






















Well. That makes me depressed. I just found out that the last time I took a picture WITH my mom was WAY too long ago... ;_; But, until I get home and bombard her with my camera, enjoy the pics of my beauuuutiful mother, who taught my sister and me to be strong women who can do anything! :D Just like herrrrrrrrr!!!

Don't be like me and take some pictures with the lady that loves you most! <3

ughhhhhhh

That is basically how I would describe how I feel: "ughhhhh". Slept around 5 am thanks to my last midterm of several that is due today! Yayy! I'm done!!! :D

Anyways, last night around 4am to 4:15am until 4:30am I was trying to sleep but I kept hearing planes. I thought, that's odd, we don't live near LAX or anything... it was the sound of helicopters! I'm not sure if there was one or two, but they were hovering around our apartment and their lights were whirling about next door looking for something or someone...

What could it be?

Due to the lack of information on this, here is my blog to chronicle this event that has not gone unnoticed by my insomniac roomie and me! ;)

SENIORITIS at its finest!

Okkkk!! So I have three papers due next week and I spent the night reading for an assignment due in a couple weeks. Hahaha :P

Then, I took a facebook quiz on which Super Junior member is my bf/hubby...

I got Si Won, of course! hahahaha

Ok, I should really start getting to work. Now. Right... now. Or soon.

Yahhh!! How about an update on life?

I've fallen into a state of sadness, no, not depression, sadness. What am I going to do next year? I have no idea. I'm so scared. I feel so uncertain-- and I hate it.
The only thing keeping me up and going is faith that everything will fall into place. Psalm 121!! God won't let my feet slip and He is constantly watching over me-- so what have I to fear? Nothing! Right? Then why do I care so much? Sigh

I am definitely looking forward to moving back to NorCal, no more smoggy days and awful traffic. But also, no more UCLA, scenery, fun nightlife, chill hangouts with friends... no more college. ;_; I'm having a crisis... what do I want? What do I have to look forward to?

Well, I am also looking forward to spending this summer with family. Helping my beautiful sister with her wedding. Hanging out with my parents and grandma. I'm also excited about getting integrated into a church that is nearby! As much as I LOVE LHCC, it's so far, it was really a challenge getting involved, and also the fact that I am car-less REALLLLLY didn't help.

Hm... it feels good to write all this out. I'm not sure if anyone reads this either, so I'll just let loose! haha

I have to write a paper, but the professor puts on so many restrictions and things we have to include, that it doesn't feel like a paper. I feel like I just add random junk so that I can check mark it off. Like "causal phrase... check... okay, now add in a comparative clause... check..." Ugh! No creativity! How boring! I don't even want to start the oppression.

My other paper is just going to be long, but it is do-able. (It's comparing 2 Afro-francophone poems... one of them is my favorite we studied in class! Yes!)

The other paper is a 2-3 page paper on basically any reading we covered in class. I'm also taking the class Pass/No Pass... so not too much pressure there. But there is no incentive! Augh! Also, the professor is one of those let-me-ask-for-your-opinion-and-then-not-really-care-about-it professors. I'm not sure what to write. I just feel kinda stuck, you know?

Waiting in response for job applications/offers is really stressing me out, too. All in due time, though!! I believe it!!!

God, please continue to bless my family and friends... and help me to keep faith, Lord. I need You more than ever! <+3

Last quarter...

Hi hi!! I cannot believe I am going to be graduating in T-minus 6 weeks! O_O

Lots of changes have been going on recently, and the only reason I can cope is those moments when I get a grip and pray. I quit my part-time job, so I will : 1) have more free time!!, 2) have less money, 3) be less tired and stressed, 4) sleep a LOT, and 5) wake up earlier and work out more often and be a better student!!! hahah I had to group all of my favorite stuff at the end ;P

Anyways! I had a fantastic weekend with my sister who came to visit LA, but this week at school has been ROUGH. I have so much homework I feel like I'm drowning in it. Plus it's my last week at work, so I'm trying to get as many hours in as possible without dying. I just keep telling myself it's my last week so that I can keep on truckin'... but for real... I am collapsing inside!! Ahh!! So much reading, writing, THINKING.

Ok, so since I'm writing on this blog that must mean that I am not doing homework! Alrighty, I will go back to hwwwww.... Yayyyyyyyy.... Waking up extra early for the past couple days to do homework is poopy, but that's what I get for stretching myself too thin with extracurrics and school. Sigh.

Look forward to next week when I am more bubbly and jobless!!! :D

GLAY live in the US: VERB Tour 2008

August 12, 15, and 16, 2008 will go down in history as the 3 most spectacular concerts in J-Rock History. (Well, at least in my book)

Glay, "BELOVED" J-Rock band celebrated their 20th year as a band by FINALLY coming to the United States. And much to my happiness they toured in California, where I live! And even better, they went to both cities where I live!!!!! (Kudos to whoever planned this out) And in case you still need one, disclaimer: this blog is completely biased! haha

It all started near the end of July when I was at a boba shop with friends when I went to grab some napkins and saw a poster announcing Glay's VERB Tour in the US. Safe to say, I freaked out of my brains and called my sister (aka fellow Glay lover) and she, my super duper awesome Unni, went and bought the tickets right away! Despite the fact that tickets starting selling June 22, it wasn't sold out, which was surprising, and left me delighted that I had tickets but disappointed that more people didn't duke it out to get these tickets for such a special show (Glay's first appearance in the U.S.... HELLOO~~~!!!)

Ok, ok, now I will describe the concert at the Fillmore, Glay's FIRST concert in the US!!! Welcome!!! :D Doors opened at 7pm, and the concert was at 8. I got there in line around 2, and I wasn't the first. I wasn't even close enough to the entrance to see Glay when they entered the venue. But I was close enough to hear the screaming and I ran over in time to get photographed by their tour photographer. (But darnit I wanted to wave at them!)

I made some really nice friends in line! On my left were 2 male Glay fans who were super sweet and just as excited as me to get inside, and on my right were 2 female Glay fans who came all the way from Japan to see them! I found out later that they made the trip to California because even though they see Glay all the time in Japan, 1) the concerts in Cali were so much smaller, it's a really rare thing to be able to see them only 5 feet in front of you, 2) tickets are pretty cheap (although I bet the plane tickets weren't!), and 3) this was true of my 2 new friends, they had gone to every single of Glay's tours, why miss it now?

the 2 male fans and me(Ian and Philip)

The Fillmore is a beautiful theater that has a 20's vintage style. The standing area was vast, so there was enough space to move around-- but not in the very front (as is true of all moshpits). My sister opted for the balcony ("best seats in the house" said a staff member) while I opted for the moshpit, because heck, who knows the next time they'll come to SF, I want to see their freaking pores damnit! So I did. :)

Once inside I stood with the 2 male Glay fans and we each said which Glay song we wanted to hear/see the most: I said Soul Love and Ikiteku Tsuyosa, Philip said Glorious, and Ian said Kanojo no Modern. We were in the 4th row and weren't close enough to see the set list. So I learned something new: bands put set lists on the floor so they don't forget the order. For this concert it was on the floor in the form of a glow in the dark sticker! Sweet!
Okay, so things were running 15 minutes late, and there were a lot false alarms, as people came out to tune the instruments and whatnot (making us think they were the actual members!! Hidoiiiiii!), but as soon as the lights turned off... MAN! Let the screaming and craziness begin! I couldn't help but go crazy as I saw the silhouettes move across the stage. Everyone could immediately make out the figures just by the hair and the gestures... it was GREAT. (Being a Glay fan for about 10 years would definitely pay off if there were such thing as a silhouette guessing contest! lol) They appeared across the stage left to right in their "usual" spots: Takuro, Teru, Jiro, and Hisashi. I could not and still almost cannot believe it. I saw them. Wow. This has been a dream of mine since I was in middle school! And now... REALLY?! O_O

Oh yea, photos weren't permitted so I have no pictures, sorry! But, when I got home I did my best to make sketches of their outfits, because C'MON I love their outfits! For their hair Jiro was blonde (my fave), Hisashi had black hair with blonde tips that fanned out, Teru was natural black, and Takuro had his usual pretty shade of brown. Sigh. So cool.





I say Hisashi won, he had a blazer where one side was a bell-sleeve and the other side was sleeveless, but he was wearing a fishnet long sleeve... so awesome. Also he gets props, because his bell sleeve kept flapping around while he was strumming but he kept on trucking! Yay!

Here is the set list (which you can find on their myspace):

1.VERB
2.YUWAKU
3.GLORIOUS
4.IKITEKU TSUYOSA
5.GIANT STRONG FAUST SUPER STAR
6.STARLESS NIGHT
7.AMERICAN INNOVATION
8.Lock on you
9.SORRY LOVE
10.HOWEVER
11.KUCHIBIRU
12.KANOJO NO "Modern..."
13.SHUTTER SPEEDS NO THEMA
14.PEAK HATESHI NAKU SOUL KAGIRI NAKU
15.BEAUTIFUL DREAMER

Encore
1.SOUL LOVE
2.ROCK'N'ROLL SWINDLE

3.SUFFRAGETTE CITY 4.ACID HEAD

As you can see from the set list... they played all freaking 4 songs that my friends and I wanted to hear. Wow. Thank You, God!!!! Ahh!! But of course, all of the songs were freaking awesome. And amidst all the fans around me belting out the songs, I could still make out Teru's voice. If you think the members sound great on CD seeing them live is 1,000 times better. I mean REALLY. Teru = charisma. He made the songs come ALIVE. It was very cute! Teru did little sexy dances that seriously made me want to scream out in laughter. He is SO CUTE (and pretty damn hot). He danced around the stage and winked and blew kisses at a few lucky fans (even males! haha). In fact, I waved at him to come down and he smiled and waved at me to come up (I WISH). Teru kept drinking out of his water bottle and spitting out the water on the audience, an action that is otherwise pretty groddy, was actually very heartily welcomed by the fans. LOL (I did my best to avoid the spittle spray. Teru or not, mouthwash is mouthwash!)

There was a cute part where the audience mimicked little diddies that Teru would sing (interactive singing! fun stuff) Mainly like Whoooa~ whoaaa~. And clapping together to a beat. I think it was for American Innovation and for Starless Night.

The highlight of the night for me was Shutter Speed no Teema (I am a Jiro fan ALL THE WAY). He was SO into it!! He mainly stayed in the back part of the stage (kinda shy) but for this song he came to the front and took over the microphone and just stole the show!!!!!! AUGHHH!! Any Jiro fan would have been more than impressed and satisfied. Then he kissed his pick and threw it into the crowd... somewhere over my head. Sadness. But! I made a sign that said "San Francisco <3's onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAusTJZPB2cLNiTa_gAZxDOcqOjltY_MyyQYaYMo-4qOB42n_ClqQGdV_zecYYIst7ZJ83F_3jApvnoa2mb6Hhs2HSm7ZX_G1Kw6hc8YInERhOXWKv9fytHFTttiu7alWj-ppwyuyrjw/s1600-h/IMG_0122.JPG">
The Fillmore is super nice and gave out free posters. I will treasure mine for as long as I live! It was cool, I heard a Fillmore staffer say that he didn't know too much about Glay but that he wanted a poster because it 'just looked so freaking cool'. Right on!


Thanks so much, Unni for the tickets and the rest of the weekend (massages, okonomiyaki, and just one on one sister time), I'll never forget it. It was always a dream of our's to see Glay live before you got married. Looks like we did it just in time! (We saw them RIGHT before you got engaged! Omedetto!)



Okay, so yea, I was hooked, and loaded with birthday money to spend on frivolous things, like, say... another Glay concert! So after I visited my family for the week, I was back in LA anyways... so WHY NOT. If I knew that they were in LA and I didn't see them, I'd poop my pants angrily!! Lol (Not really.)

So this time it was a the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. I was going alone this time so I'm SUPER grateful it wasn't in the shady part of Hollywood! Whew~!

I opted for the concert on 8/16 (the finale)!

So at the House of Blues, if you eat there for dinner you don't need to have tickets for the show, you can just chill, listen to some music, and eat for $$$$$$$$. Anyways! HoB gets kudos from me, because they had really friendly and nice staff. And, they let line-people use their restroom (thank GOD). Here are some pics of the HoB:

Well, doors opened at 8 (concert started at 9) and I got in line around 430pm. I was waiting in line, and I saw my Korean TA!! Hahaha! She seemed a little flustered to see me, but hey, I don't judge! :) And I also saw... Rieko and Emi!! The 2 nice Japanese ladies who were next to me in line at the Fillmore!! They sure are dedicated groupies! They went to all 3 concerts! :D They were waiting since 9am. (AUGH. I wouldn't be able to do that, well, not by myself!)

We hung out before the show (they're SO SWEET). And my limited Japanese (which I learned from Glay songs, dorama's, manga and anime) helped me make friends!! How amazing!!! Hontou ni sugoi!!

Rieko-san & me

It was SO COOL. So around 6 I went inside to use the restroom, and I heard... GLAY REHEARSING. I was in awe! There was window next to the kitchens by the bathroom so I snuck over, and I watched them practicing for a little with this other girl who was there. It was AMAZING. Teru was singing and stretching, while the other 3 were standing and playing. I came in time to hear them practice "However". Wow. It was scary though, because Takuro looked up and saw us. We hid and looked back and he was just staring at us. Takuro-san, shitsurei shimasu! Demo Glay no renshuu honnnttoouuuuuu ni subarashii deshita... dakara I couldn't help myself!

Anyhoo! No cameras allowed, so I had to check mine in for $4! It's amazing that they can make money by not allowing people to bring stuff in. I got in!! YES!

I ended up in the moshpit area again, although I didn't really want to be there. I wanted to appreciate the music instead of screaming up and down. Well, a friend I met up with wanted to be there, so I stayed there for most of the show.

Of course, they didn't disappoint at all. MAN. And this time I got my tour tee shirt!! Yee haw!!

Here is the set list for the 8/16 concert:

1.VERB
2.YUWAKU
3.GLORIOUS
4.IKITEKU TSUYOSA
5.GIANT STRONG FAUST SUPER STAR
6.STARLESS NIGHT
7.AMERICAN INNOVATION
8.Lock on you
9.SORRY LOVE
10.HOWEVER
11.ROCK'N'ROLL SWINDLE
12.MERMAID
13.SHUTTER SPEEDS NO THEMA
14.PEAK HATESHI NAKU SOUL KAGIRI NAKU
15.BEAUTIFUL DREAMER

Encore
1.Winter,again
2.KUCHIBIRU
3.KANOJO NO "Modern..."
4.HIGHCOMMUNICATIONS

W-Encore
1.ACID HEAD

Let me just say, I went freaking whacko when they performed Mermaid. Freaking best song for them to perform. SWOON.

Personal failures/achievements at this concert:
-didn't catch Jiro's anything (pick or water bottle or nothing!) because he kept throwing to RIGHT in front of him (C'mon!!!)
-Teru spit on me (via his water spout)
-I saw Teru do his trademark mic hold with his pinky under the mic!! Well, Unni will know what I'm talking about! lol
-during Acid Head, Hisashi screamed out during the chorus!
-I saw Hisashi and Jiro jam together! WHOOOO~!

All in all it was great. Different from the Fillmore, but not a bad "different".

Costumes were the same, except I think Teru added a belt and Jiro changed his shirt (nice to know he's hygienic lol).

It was funny, there was a balcony on the side of the main standing area, so I walked over there (I was WAY too short I couldn't see anything without hopping around) and climbed up the side. SUPER PAINFUL. My arms are still sore from hoisting myself up for songs at a time. But then again, I impress myself with my strength! LOL

Fun facts:
-Rieko reads Teru's blog from his TeruMe Night sight, and he said that he wished that the foreign fans could come up to the front instead of the Japanese fans (because Japanese fans can see him at many other lives)
-Teru's blog makes a comment about how the writer for the sfweekly article only paid attention to Jiro and he seems sad about it! Maybe that's why he didn't like my sign at the Fillmore... ;P
-I left my sign for Glay at the Fillmore in their gift box. I hope they got it!
[the following are HoB perf. factoids]
-Glay's photographer, Ai, took a lot of pics of fans waiting in line. I saw her so I posed with my shirt (that reads "I <3 JIRO") and a peace sign while nonchalantly on my phone. HAHAH
-when Teru did the interactive singing thingie he went really low and made Santa Clause noises. hahaha
- they did TWO encores! Sweet!
- when they did High Communication Teru did arm movements like an "x" or something, which everyone did too. except for me, because I was holding onto the balcony hoping not to crush those beneath me. lol
-at the end of the second encore Teru said good night and started walking off the stage, and then he ran back on stage laughing at himself, he had forgotten to do the whole "hold hands and jump in the air thingie" that they do, cutie!

Whew. I'm beat. And I feel like I just relived the 2 concerts.

This tour was very important to me, because ever since I first became a fan it was DREAM of mine (and I'm sure for many other people too) to see them live. I was planning on going to Japan to see them, but luckily they came to me! :)

Jiro shaped my fashion sense and they shaped my music taste for my entire adolescence! It was so great to see them. I feel like I got to go back to the past and relive a truly great love that I had in life. People asked me how I liked the concerts and I say with all earnestly "I feel like something that was dead inside of me is alive again". Because with Glay, "I'm in LOVE".