Meme
Topics by d_angel
1. Soul Eater
2. Manga
3. Australia
4. Kuroshitsuji
5. Singapore
1. Soul Eater
I'm nuts over Soul Eater! XD I got to know of this series through Random Curiosity. After watching it, I realised I liked a badass female lead (i.e. Maka), who was like a tomboy in many ways, brash and stubborn, strong and also fragile. And Soul completely made me look his way after his debut in a pinstriped suit. How hawt can he get!? He treads between evil and good, rationality and insanity. Or maybe it was the suit. I have a fetish for suits. I knew Miyano Mamoru was in the seiyuu cast, so that was the final pull factor for me. And he was such a natural for Kid's character. Yes, Kid's my favourite! He's so funny and lame at the same time. So far, I'm enjoying both anime and manga concurrently (which is a rarity, I must say). Hopefully this lasts until both ends! I'm also writing a fanfic surrounding Soul x Maka on FF.net, but there's no way I'll say which one because it's embarrassing.
2. Manga
The very first one that I picked up was Dragonball. My younger cousins were collecting Dragonball cards, and I, being the oldest of the lot, went to the video shops to borrow Dragonball VHS tapes for all of us to watch. I got involved in collecting those cards, and I still have a whole collection of shiny, glimmering "rare" cards back from the 80s (and was very broke in the process too). The manga shop vendor introduced me to Ranma, and I got suckered into that world since then. I was perhaps 13 or 14. When I was in Secondary 3 (15 yrs old), I was streamed into Arts, and got to know that my new classmates secretly exchanged manga series in the back row. I was sitting in the first row originally, but eventually, I got asked to sit at the back due to demands from people behind me (I was one of the few taller girls back then, and blocked their views of the chalkboard). Since then, I was part of the group by default, and was introduced to my 3rd series called Tokyo Babylon. I forged a lifelong connection with CLAMP's work since then, and the concept of yaoi was imbued into me much earlier than most of my manga-reading peeps (being in an all-girls school for 10 yrs also helped). I became part of the 'Comix Gang' in my class, the 6 of us becoming well-known amongst the other classes. Till now, more than 14 years later, we're still very much a clique, with 1 of us expecting a baby in September. Despite the different priorities we have (i.e. marriage, work and commitments), we still meet up for gatherings, movie dates etc. I'm the only one who's missing out as I'm in Australia, but they still keep me very much part of their lives through Facebook and emails. I'm really very blessed to have known them, all because of manga.
3. Australia
I knew nothing much about Australia before coming to Perth in Jan 2006. I had finished a 3 year stint of studies in the U.K., and was working in Singapore for 2 years. Perhaps the life I had overseas was somewhat addictive and unforgettable. I couldn't sit still, and no matter what I did in Singapore, my own home country, I was always unhappy. I love my family and my friends, and I love Singapore for her security and convenience, the food and her idiosyncracies. But even my mom was starting to feel my growing irritation, and she asked me to start reflecting on my thoughts. I prayed and thought about my current life back then, what I wanted to do and achieve, what exactly was gnawing at me. Eventually, I decided to do a 2 year postgrad degree in Perth in order to obtain permanent residence in a country which I knew little about. I shall say that this was God's guidance in bringing me here, and since then, people have commented that I seem fresher and happier whenever I return for a visit. Some are not Christians, and know nothing about why I left in the first place. My parents are fully in the know, and have supported me in my decision. I am working towards bringing them over to live with me ever since I have obtained my permanent resident visa in Jan 2009.
4. Kuroshitsuji
I have an inclination towards butlers, especially sleek, mysterious and handsome ones (not the Hayate-kind). When I saw Sebastian in a Japanese anime mag, I was pwned. And after I realised Sakamoto Maaya (my all-time fav seiyuu), Paku Romi (oh, why for such a short time!?), Ono Daisuke and Fukuyama Jun (KYAA!) were the seiyuu cast, I was fangirling and weeping with joy for a long time. Unfortunately, I don't have a shota thingy going on, so I'm not inclined towards Sebby x Ciel (neither do I condemn it, mind you). Sebby and Grell are incredibly entertaining and funny. In the manga, Sebby seduced Beast and I thought it was the most delish side of Sebby I had ever seen. I mean, he's already such a sexy thing with his smiles and demonic skills of fighting, but when I see him truly shed his 'false' front and reveal a little of his true self, it makes me swoon to no end. Glad that Lacrimosa is the new ED too. Kajiura-sama steals my heart every time. XD
5. Singapore
My home country. My nationality derives from this small nation state, denoted as a tiny red dot on the map. I love Singapore for all her quirks and smirks, I love Singapore because my family and friends all live there. I love Singapore for the amazing food, the convenience of shops that do not close till 10pm, and the continuous shopping regardless of weekdays or weekends. Truly, I realise it is a country that never sleeps, especially after living overseas for more than 5 years. I do miss the security, the convenience of travelling because it's very small, and I miss using 'Singlish' which is the special language that Singaporeans have conjured up after mixing English with Mandarin or Malay. I don't expect myself to give up my citizenship. I think Singapore is a neutral state, a country which is well-known for its strict discipline, the authoritarian state governed by people with iron fists and closed minds. Or rather, by people who know of the 'pandora box' effect which true democracy can bring to its citizens. To be honest, I didn't leave Singapore because there was restriction on speech, or human rights. I actually don't care much about these things. I appreciate freedom of speech, but without it, my life still isn't substantially altered or impaired in any way. I left for my own petty (perhaps selfish) reasons, for exploring the world out there, to enrich my own life, absorb experiences and know people from all over the world, work hard in less-than-comfortable zones with people I don't really know much about, learn new cultures, and not continue to be complacent and comfortable in a world which suits me. Singapore was a place which could really make me forget what it was to struggle. Things were handed to me in a silver platter. I got to the point that a 5 minute train arrival delay made me angry, and that was really quite pointless. I forgot that there was more to achieving higher statuses, higher salaries, higher job positions, craving for acceptance around me, competing with others for acknowledgement to the point of forgetting that I could be happy. I worked till 10pm on some days, and my enjoyment was watching movies, dining out, singing in karaoke boxes, and making the occasional overseas trips for a week or two. I forgot that there was more to life, I started to crave the long solitude hours I spent by myself, observing snow falling from the grey British skies, taking long walking trips to the towns and smiling at kids running by. I forgot the days of spending hours with my good friend there, just laughing at anything possible, a warm feeling that was lost ever since I returned home. In Singapore, I was forced to work towards a certain target, forced to live like everybody else, forced to like or dislike the same things, forced to develop certain traits of myself, forced to deny certain talents which I wanted to keep, forced to date, pressured to get married by a certain age, forced to do what this tiny island state made everyone do/ think/ act/ deny in unison. My life is given by God, my ideals and priorities are my own. No one bends me to their wills, and I only listen to God. Perhaps on hindsight, I knew I was going down a life of which nothing would be of my own decision. I would probably break under the societal pressure around me, and relent to many things which I probably wouldn't want to do. It takes a strong willpower to stand firm against expectations of your family, friends, bosses and colleagues (especially when the whole country acts like a small town, you can't break the status quo so easily). Perhaps I don't have a strong willpower, and thus I fled. Perhaps, I'll never know. But God has called me away from Singapore, and has asked me to settle here, in Australia. I'd since left Perth and finally landed in Melbourne, gotten my PR and now have begun to hunt for a house to buy. I'm happier, I'm contented and I don't strive for anything which I don't want to do or obtain necessarily. Even with all the natural disasters that have striked Melbourne lately, I'm still perfectly sure I want to be here. And that is something I have decided.
1. Soul Eater
2. Manga
3. Australia
4. Kuroshitsuji
5. Singapore
1. Soul Eater
I'm nuts over Soul Eater! XD I got to know of this series through Random Curiosity. After watching it, I realised I liked a badass female lead (i.e. Maka), who was like a tomboy in many ways, brash and stubborn, strong and also fragile. And Soul completely made me look his way after his debut in a pinstriped suit. How hawt can he get!? He treads between evil and good, rationality and insanity. Or maybe it was the suit. I have a fetish for suits. I knew Miyano Mamoru was in the seiyuu cast, so that was the final pull factor for me. And he was such a natural for Kid's character. Yes, Kid's my favourite! He's so funny and lame at the same time. So far, I'm enjoying both anime and manga concurrently (which is a rarity, I must say). Hopefully this lasts until both ends! I'm also writing a fanfic surrounding Soul x Maka on FF.net, but there's no way I'll say which one because it's embarrassing.
2. Manga
The very first one that I picked up was Dragonball. My younger cousins were collecting Dragonball cards, and I, being the oldest of the lot, went to the video shops to borrow Dragonball VHS tapes for all of us to watch. I got involved in collecting those cards, and I still have a whole collection of shiny, glimmering "rare" cards back from the 80s (and was very broke in the process too). The manga shop vendor introduced me to Ranma, and I got suckered into that world since then. I was perhaps 13 or 14. When I was in Secondary 3 (15 yrs old), I was streamed into Arts, and got to know that my new classmates secretly exchanged manga series in the back row. I was sitting in the first row originally, but eventually, I got asked to sit at the back due to demands from people behind me (I was one of the few taller girls back then, and blocked their views of the chalkboard). Since then, I was part of the group by default, and was introduced to my 3rd series called Tokyo Babylon. I forged a lifelong connection with CLAMP's work since then, and the concept of yaoi was imbued into me much earlier than most of my manga-reading peeps (being in an all-girls school for 10 yrs also helped). I became part of the 'Comix Gang' in my class, the 6 of us becoming well-known amongst the other classes. Till now, more than 14 years later, we're still very much a clique, with 1 of us expecting a baby in September. Despite the different priorities we have (i.e. marriage, work and commitments), we still meet up for gatherings, movie dates etc. I'm the only one who's missing out as I'm in Australia, but they still keep me very much part of their lives through Facebook and emails. I'm really very blessed to have known them, all because of manga.
3. Australia
I knew nothing much about Australia before coming to Perth in Jan 2006. I had finished a 3 year stint of studies in the U.K., and was working in Singapore for 2 years. Perhaps the life I had overseas was somewhat addictive and unforgettable. I couldn't sit still, and no matter what I did in Singapore, my own home country, I was always unhappy. I love my family and my friends, and I love Singapore for her security and convenience, the food and her idiosyncracies. But even my mom was starting to feel my growing irritation, and she asked me to start reflecting on my thoughts. I prayed and thought about my current life back then, what I wanted to do and achieve, what exactly was gnawing at me. Eventually, I decided to do a 2 year postgrad degree in Perth in order to obtain permanent residence in a country which I knew little about. I shall say that this was God's guidance in bringing me here, and since then, people have commented that I seem fresher and happier whenever I return for a visit. Some are not Christians, and know nothing about why I left in the first place. My parents are fully in the know, and have supported me in my decision. I am working towards bringing them over to live with me ever since I have obtained my permanent resident visa in Jan 2009.
4. Kuroshitsuji
I have an inclination towards butlers, especially sleek, mysterious and handsome ones (not the Hayate-kind). When I saw Sebastian in a Japanese anime mag, I was pwned. And after I realised Sakamoto Maaya (my all-time fav seiyuu), Paku Romi (oh, why for such a short time!?), Ono Daisuke and Fukuyama Jun (KYAA!) were the seiyuu cast, I was fangirling and weeping with joy for a long time. Unfortunately, I don't have a shota thingy going on, so I'm not inclined towards Sebby x Ciel (neither do I condemn it, mind you). Sebby and Grell are incredibly entertaining and funny. In the manga, Sebby seduced Beast and I thought it was the most delish side of Sebby I had ever seen. I mean, he's already such a sexy thing with his smiles and demonic skills of fighting, but when I see him truly shed his 'false' front and reveal a little of his true self, it makes me swoon to no end. Glad that Lacrimosa is the new ED too. Kajiura-sama steals my heart every time. XD
5. Singapore
My home country. My nationality derives from this small nation state, denoted as a tiny red dot on the map. I love Singapore for all her quirks and smirks, I love Singapore because my family and friends all live there. I love Singapore for the amazing food, the convenience of shops that do not close till 10pm, and the continuous shopping regardless of weekdays or weekends. Truly, I realise it is a country that never sleeps, especially after living overseas for more than 5 years. I do miss the security, the convenience of travelling because it's very small, and I miss using 'Singlish' which is the special language that Singaporeans have conjured up after mixing English with Mandarin or Malay. I don't expect myself to give up my citizenship. I think Singapore is a neutral state, a country which is well-known for its strict discipline, the authoritarian state governed by people with iron fists and closed minds. Or rather, by people who know of the 'pandora box' effect which true democracy can bring to its citizens. To be honest, I didn't leave Singapore because there was restriction on speech, or human rights. I actually don't care much about these things. I appreciate freedom of speech, but without it, my life still isn't substantially altered or impaired in any way. I left for my own petty (perhaps selfish) reasons, for exploring the world out there, to enrich my own life, absorb experiences and know people from all over the world, work hard in less-than-comfortable zones with people I don't really know much about, learn new cultures, and not continue to be complacent and comfortable in a world which suits me. Singapore was a place which could really make me forget what it was to struggle. Things were handed to me in a silver platter. I got to the point that a 5 minute train arrival delay made me angry, and that was really quite pointless. I forgot that there was more to achieving higher statuses, higher salaries, higher job positions, craving for acceptance around me, competing with others for acknowledgement to the point of forgetting that I could be happy. I worked till 10pm on some days, and my enjoyment was watching movies, dining out, singing in karaoke boxes, and making the occasional overseas trips for a week or two. I forgot that there was more to life, I started to crave the long solitude hours I spent by myself, observing snow falling from the grey British skies, taking long walking trips to the towns and smiling at kids running by. I forgot the days of spending hours with my good friend there, just laughing at anything possible, a warm feeling that was lost ever since I returned home. In Singapore, I was forced to work towards a certain target, forced to live like everybody else, forced to like or dislike the same things, forced to develop certain traits of myself, forced to deny certain talents which I wanted to keep, forced to date, pressured to get married by a certain age, forced to do what this tiny island state made everyone do/ think/ act/ deny in unison. My life is given by God, my ideals and priorities are my own. No one bends me to their wills, and I only listen to God. Perhaps on hindsight, I knew I was going down a life of which nothing would be of my own decision. I would probably break under the societal pressure around me, and relent to many things which I probably wouldn't want to do. It takes a strong willpower to stand firm against expectations of your family, friends, bosses and colleagues (especially when the whole country acts like a small town, you can't break the status quo so easily). Perhaps I don't have a strong willpower, and thus I fled. Perhaps, I'll never know. But God has called me away from Singapore, and has asked me to settle here, in Australia. I'd since left Perth and finally landed in Melbourne, gotten my PR and now have begun to hunt for a house to buy. I'm happier, I'm contented and I don't strive for anything which I don't want to do or obtain necessarily. Even with all the natural disasters that have striked Melbourne lately, I'm still perfectly sure I want to be here. And that is something I have decided.