“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”
So today was a day of many changes in my life... and then I found this Japanese proverb that I really enjoyed so I thought I would share...
I think many of us are guilty of this one...we often spend too much time daydreaming about all the things we want to do or fantasize how we want our lives to be....either that, or we make hasty decisions without thinking things through which often times can have harsh consequences..
regardless, i felt like this saying rang very true...
just my two cents for today... here are some more Japanese proverbs
猿も木から落ちる。
Saru mo ki kara ochiru.
Literally: Even monkeys fall from trees.
井の中の蛙大海を知らず。
I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu.
Literally: A frog in a well does not know the great sea.
二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず。
Ni usagi wo ou mono wa ichi usagi wo mo ezu.
Literally: One who chases after two hares won't catch even one.
Every year FIts Gum has a contest that become quite popular..the contest is pretty simple just submit a video with the famous dance and jingle…here are some of my favorite videos
(the contest is normally around April)
I finally ordered the Otaku Encylopedia! I can't till it comes... I actually ordered it with a few differents animes. I really want the Nana anime but its so expensive... like $50, and thats just for one season.. so I'll have to wait it out I guess.. booo (I'd rather spend the same amount and get more than just the one)
I have been slacking on my Katakana this week.. ::sadface:: I just need to better manage my time which I'm guessing means getting up earlier... so hopefully by the end of this week I can figure out a better routine.. (this katakana chart might look a little childish but its actually really helpful to study from) Lastly.. I am a huge fan of Japansoc. Its a book marking site for all things Japanese and its one of those websites that is on my "daily reads"... well each month they have a blog carnival called Matsuri.. and I talked to Nick (the site's owner) and I will host it on here in January!!! I am so excited since I love the site and like usually bookmark something every other day...
So today when I browsing around the blog-o-sphere I passed through Sara Mari's page Moments like Diamonds and she had this excellent post about her Gyaru likes/dislikes/misc. While I am definitely not gyaru by any stretch of the imagination I do love it! So consider this version of the Gyaru Manifesto Meme a very basic newbie friendly version.
=)
Please copy and fill out the meme if you enjoy it!!
Gyaru Manifesto Meme (in which you write out your gyaru goals and inspirations!) Name: Marie Lo Location: the South ::Georgia:: Occupation: Student Height: 61 inches or 154 cm (i like the cm version better.. i sound tall) Hair/Eyes: Black/Dark Brown (almost black, for realz) First discovery of gyaru:
September 2009 (newbie status!)
Your Gyaru Style: (however many you like)
1. Mode ("high fashion")
2. Onee (more for girls who are in college, and starting to work in the business world, a bit more conservative but still very trendy!
3. Gyaru Mama (classic gyaru but keeps her children stylish too!)
Your Top 3 Gyaru Model Inspirations:
1. Tsubasa Masuwaka (basically a religion if you like gyaru)
2. Romihi (soooo prettyyy.. I mean they all are but I think she is super pretty)
Your 3 Favorite Gyaru Magazines:
1. Ageha (so visual! all the pictures, and tutorials are so fun! will always get this magazine and probably never do any of the looks.. lol)
2. Jelly (realistically if i lived in Japan and was a college student I think this would be my main magazine, its practical for my age though generally not as fun as Ageha)
3. Egg (gyaru necessity)
The Top 6 Gyaru Brands you like best:
1. Liz Lisa (the standard)
2.Cecil McBee
3. Gilfy
4. Lip Service
5. Moussy
6. W*C
3 of Your Favorite Coordinates: (not your own)
Your 7 Favorite Fashion Items That You Own:
1. Burberry Tote (amazing as it sounds)
2. Brown Charlotte Russe Wedges
3. my Butterfly double ring
4. Bebe Black 4" Heels
5. Liberty of London Floral Sundress
6. Betsey Johnson zebra heart earrings
7. Black Member's Only Jacket
Top 7 Gyaru Fashion Goals: [[it was 10 but I could only think of 7]]
1. Become Gyaru (duh XD) [[this was sari mari's... i think i will keep this as #1]]
2. Learn more about the different sub genres of gyaru
3. Develop a more individualistic style (okay, not THAT individualistic)
4. Make wearing heels an "at all times" thing
5. Be more comfortable with false lashes
6. WEAR false lashes (i should have switched 5/6 lol)
7. Curl my hair more often.
There was a "list of achievements" but since I'm not gyaru I haven't really achieved anything! lol Anyways this my version of the meme... but definitely you should add your version!
I just wanted to point out that I have added a "translator" widget... I should have done so earlier but at least I have it now! I hope this makes viewing a bit easier for those visiting outside of English speaking countries!
=)
**let me know if you would like me to put up more languages
Sooooo.. currently I am procrastinating on a resume project for my Communications class... we have to format our resumes to the job we want to apply for after we graduate, write a letter of reference about ourselves and interview someone we think has our dream job... I said I as going to apply for the JET programme, and the person I interviewed was Koichi from Tofugu & Textfugu... While these are both things that really interest me.. ... obviously im distracted. lol
anyways i have cool ideas for some upcoming posts.. i dont know much about any japanese celebs so i was thinking of highlighting a few...and i really want an issue of Happie Nuts Magazine so maybe I will do a review and where i buy my magazines... i dunnooo. we'll see i guess...
so this post was kinda of pointless but oh well... im being productive in some way right? hahaha :: back to work now...... =)
I just wanted to take a moment to thank my blog viewers/subscribers... its always nice to know someone is listening to your crazy thoughts and blurbs and that your not just crazy.. lol... I have been posting a lot lately about "factual" Japan stuff, which of course I love, but I think in these next couple of posts I will try to make it a bit more personal..
I always like the blogs that are picture heavy and a bit personal so with that being said expect to see a bit more Marie amongst these pages =)..
So today when I was making my normal rounds checking out the various Japanese Culture Blogs etc... I noticed that DannyChoo had some really good visuals of the Otaku Encyclopedia..
I have been eyeing this book for awhile now, since apparently -- if your "into" Japan -- this book is a must have, and I was so happy when I saw DannyChoo's website had so many pictures of it!! (pictures of a book? oh hush and just check it out, you soooo kno you want too!)
This book give you the ins and outs of just about everything dealing with Japan, and from most of the reviews I have read about it online it seems to be really well written & entertaining.
If you have this book let me know what you think.. otherwise I think I just might be going to Barnes and Noble tonight after class =)
So the other day I was having such a bad day so when I came home I just wanted to chill out and watch some videos... I started watching a few different Girls Generation videos and then I saw this one... it made me laugh - a lot...
so i wanted to start my first feature on this blog which i will try and do weekly..
::short story first::
..when the Japanese little league team to the United States for the Little League World Series(which i love to watch every year but its always sooo sad when a team loses and all the little boys start crying!!! i always cry too.) a reporter from ESPN was asking them if they liked American food. One little boy said that had tried mashed potatoes for the first time and he HATED them…
Now being an American, this seems like a travesty!! who doesn’t like mash potatoes.. so warm, soft, & fluffy.. with garlic and butter even better! yummm! how could anyone not just gobble these up in a heart beat..
My point being that obviously there is vast differences in tastes and preferences between our two nations. so i thought i would feature a weekly ad and/or food product from Japan that is relevant, probably only in Japan…
so i saw this video today, and it totally might be old news to you… however i had to share it. after watching it a few times (which i did because i was strangely drawn to it) i still couldnt decided whether or not the video had made me upset or more intrigued…
let me know what you think tho. maybe im just crazy.
Okay so im pretty wiped out (with school and work.. basically life in general) but i really wanted to share this... today i put in for some days off and one of the dates i am requesting off is September 18/19th for Japanfest!!!
i know that might seem like a long way off but i really want to go again this year and its never too early to start making plans..
so you might be wondering Japanfest.. huh? basically its just what it says, a festival (two days) dedicated solely to everything Japanese. Last year was my first year going and i must say i was pretty suprised how much i liked it!! they have food, stages, and sooo many different booths with items such as magazines/books to sake tastings and travel information..
since i live in a small town i am thankful that atlanta can offer something like this... also Japanfest is the same weekend as Anime Weekend Atlanta. I have never been to that tho.. its a bit pricey but is supposed to have some pretty awesome booths and things... we'll see how everything pans out..
okay, so i might be the only weirdo who does this but i love looking for and finding cute, kawaii, japanese iphone apps…whether they be fashion, music, games, or basically anything kawaii, i always get so excited when i find a new one… so here are a few of my favorites
***********
mm park [[this app is actually made by a company based in hong kong so its not japanese =( but still very kawaii]]
awwee so cute!
basically this game is super simple… just find three or more of the same character in a row & you get so many points toward the next level.!. you do have a timer though so you have to make your matches fast…however, depending on how many matches you have already made, you can ask for a hint if you are stuck!
this game is super cute, super fun & super addictive [[the music however is only cute for like the first five minutes, after that, its just annoying]]
this app is another good one if you away from other resources, computer & magazines, but still want to be “plugged” in…
Tokyo Kawaii Magazine is a magazine app that comes in both a free “lite” edition, and a paid “full” edition.. it features fashion, anime, cosplay, bento and almost anything that is cute… one of my favorite things about this app is that it has a lot of pictures! and i love pictures….
*****
i will end this post with my two favorite camera tweaks…
this is an app i just downloaded not too long ago… i downloaded the full version because it seemed, based on reviews, to be worth it and IT IS! this app has soooo many backgrounds and tweaks!
so there are a few of my favorite kawaii apps currently on my iphone.. let me know what your favorites are! =)
