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Book Analysis: April loves Black Coffee

2011-04-06T13:05:00.004-04:00

Book Analysis: Conversations Between Us

Author: Solangel
Genres: Romance, Drama,
Rating: 10/10

April loves Black Coffee.

Many people do not understand the significance of this phrase – the depth, the heart and the love imbedded, inscribed in this simple statement remains irrelevant to the mass. But the ones that do understand simultaneously smile and cry for the love we all begged to have ended in a happy ending.

The rawness of love in this story is overwhelming, April really did love Black Coffee and he reciprocated this love perfectly. It makes one believe that in this world of contempt, conflict and pain, we do find happiness in the darkest corners of our lives. The power of love demonstrated in this simple fiction floods my heart with the hope that it does conquer all? But beyond this clear-cut message of the power and authenticity of love, could there be a hidden message we choose to decline, could this imaginative narrative actually be undermining the hope of love and its absolute existence?

May Lee and Yoon Jaewoon struggle to be together, despite the strength and the perfection that is their relationship; they barely celebrate their love. They were caught and ripped apart by the looming reality of human nature. The deception rooted in the foundation of their relationship questions its own validity. Can true love really emerge and blossom from a lie?

It’s arguably a matter of ones perspective, and this is where a distinct line is drawn between pessimists and optimists. The difference between both suddenly becomes very clear; some people believe whilst others have lost the patience to.

Yoon Jaewon and May Lee didn’t have an intertwined fate, their entanglement wasn’t caused by the power of love, but ironically by the vulgarity of human nature; it was indeed all a game to begin with and this was admitted – accepted by both. Should you then accept that this was real regardless of such mocking beginnings? Perhaps optimists would still believe, but it can’t be wrong for pessimists to claim they have been proven right, that the purity of love, in which its power emerges, does not exist. The mere fact that this narrative only ends with misery and pain undermines love’s existence. Happiness cannot ultimately be achieved with love.

But seeking perfection, a clear picture without mistakes, is tedious. And perhaps that is why pessimists are tedious. Their endless search for the negatives, so that they can reproduce the picture and point out the mistakes, seems tiring. Therefore they may state that this story undermines love’s existence, but love itself ridicules theirs. It’s amusing how pessimists tend to sit at a corner refusing happiness just because it doesn’t last, whilst love runs free and savours the glimpses of happiness presented to them. After all, you can only take what you can get.

Yoon Jaewon and May Lee may have been fooled to think that what they had was real or lasting, but regardless of such, they experienced happiness, no matter how fleeting. No one can really put forward an argument against this because it’s a state of being, not a way of living. The tragedy of this story does not therefore lie in the death of Yoon Jaewon, but rather in our own personal longing; deep down when we sit there crying for May’s loss, we also cry for ourselves. No matter how fleeting happiness is, we seek for its magic, and we can only dwell on such a story that gave us a glimpse of what it would feel like.

Therefore the only ones fooled are those that choose to decline the basics of this story. To dig deep into a novel, with only seeking for the flaws must be a crime; what is the point thereafter of anything else in life if all you want to see are the mistakes. Nothing in this world is perfect and that is true; therefore the love between April and Black Coffee must be true for it wasn’t at all perfect. Everything about it was flawed, but one thing was for certain, and that is the happiness they felt with each other – that is something we neither can judge nor question; we can only believe, or quite tragically, not believe.

To those that narrow their eyes at this story’s authenticity and the love between April and Black Coffee, you might perhaps want to open them a little wider; just enough to see the clearer picture of two people in love, point blank. It’s a waste of energy trying to see the hidden messages because love itself is too simple for that, it’s just us that manages to complicate it.

So April loves Black Coffee.

It will always be as simple as that.

---

This is an analysis of an internet novel called Conversations Between Us written by Solangel. It is posted on a forum called Soomp!

By: Arty

You can find this here!

News:

2011-01-01T22:31:00.007-05:00

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August 19th: If you'd like to be published on this site, contact me!

Book Review: Chinese Lessons

2009-11-17T18:27:00.000-05:00

Non-Fiction: Chinese Lessons: Five Classmates and the Story of the New China
Author: John Pomfret
Genres: Non-Fiction, Historical
Rating: 7/10

I'm not a non-fiction fan, but once I picked up John Pomfret's memoir detailing the last thirty years of Chinese history, I simply couldn't put it down. Pomfret offers a rather compelling account of the significant political and cultural change that has gripped China with the fall of imperialism, the rise of communism and the quasi-authoritarian integration of capitalism.

Pomfret starts off with his first visit to China as an international exchange student from Stanford. Imagine how the dusty, old agrarian villages must have seemed through his worldly, journalistic eyes. And his description was exactly that - workers crowded on hard-seat trains; women in shapeless uniform clothing. But such derelict beginnings was exactly what Pomfret needed to provide a powerful contrast to the growing economic powerhouse China is today. The book's impact was made through the consistent focal lens that saw China through both the bad and the good.

The focus of the book is not on Pomfret himself (though he does occasionally digress to his own experiences), but rather on the stories of five particular classmates of his. There is no point to offer a summary of each one, but I have noticed one thing in common amongst four of them - the injustice suffered by each individual through the political regime of Mao. The last classmate was portrayed as an opportunist who threw away all morals for a seat in the government.

Prejudiced? Of course. Pomfret digs a little too deep for a good story on one side of the extreme, and fails to encompass any other aspects of the culture and society of China in the 1970s-80s. His book seemed to point out that nobody could flourish during that tumoultous period of China's history without losing their dignity by working for the only thing that would allow for them to flourish - the government. The reader is encouraged to empathsize with the Chinese people; rail against the system, but ultimately remain unenlightened of the fact that the system is not Big Brother Mao - it has human faces controlled by human minds.

Definitely a book to check out if you want to get to know China on a deeper and more personal level. It brings to light many of the aspects that define Chinese culture and Chinese life. Well-written, analytical, and a a good read, even if it is a little on the biased side.

By: Annie

Manga Review: Parasyte

2009-06-24T15:46:00.012-04:00

Seinen: Parasyte
Mangaka: Iwaaki Hitoshi
Genres: Action, Drama, Horror, Mature, Psychological, Romance, Sci-fi, Seinen
Rating: 10/10

Summary [from mangaupdates.com]: They arrive in silence and darkness. They descend from the skies. They have a hunger for human flesh. They are everywhere. They are parasites, alien creatures who must invade - and take control of - a human host to survive. And once they have infected their victims, they can assume any deadly form they choose: monsters with giant teeth, winged demons, creatures with blades for hands. But most have chosen to conceal their lethal purpose behind ordinary human faces. So no one knows their secret - except an ordinary high school student. Shin is battling for control of his own body against an alien parasite, but can he find a way to warn humanity of the horrors to come?

There are perhaps only 2 or 3 horror mangas I've read since I started my obsession with manga, and I never finished them because I'm not a big fan of horror mangas. However, this one is something everybody should read. The art wasn't thrilling at first, but I got used to it as I read into the deep plot and interesting turn of events. The art is suitable for the story itself - it's not all that perfect nor realistic in some scenes, but it gets better during the really horrific scenes where the action and killings happen.

The character development is pretty amazing, and the relationship between the two main characters progresses as the story goes on. The pace is quick, it gets right to the point. The parasite idea is something I've encountered in books and such, so it's not surprisingly creative. But the author does take the suspense and character expression to the next level. Even thought it's really all about the horror and tragedy, it gets really comedic at parts and opens your mind to how you view things.

The way the parasites transform is kind of disgusting, then again, you'll encounter a lot of disgusting and pretty awful things as you read on, but you won't be able to put it down for some reason. I really like this manga.

By: Eli
Edited By: Annie

Book Review: The Vampire Diaries Vol.1-2

2009-06-13T15:02:00.008-04:00

Fiction: The Vampire Diaries Vol.1-2-The awakening and The struggle
Author: L.J Smith
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Romance, YA
Rating: 7.5/10

Summary: [taken from Barnesandnobles.com]

Elena: the golden girl, the leader, the one who can have any boy she wants.
Stefan: brooding and mysterious, he seems to be the only one who can resist Elena, even as he struggles to protect her from the horrors that haunt his past.
Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him. Determined to have Elena, he'd kill to possess her. Collected here in one volume for the first time, volumes one and two of The Vampire Diaries, the tale of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.
--

L.J Smith's approach to the vampire theory is mysterious and intriguing. Yet the whole making of the characters, their descriptions, their feelings for each other weren't exactly translated into words very well. The summary (see above) seems like it's a book worth reading, but when you read the book, you'll find that it's nothing special. Well, at least that's how I saw it.

A lot of people were comparing this to amazing well-written stories like Twilight or the Sookie Stackhouse Series, so I assumed it would be good. The story starts out strong but then falls apart when the characters realize their own feelings for each other. The plot was way too rushed and the author didn't spend enough time in deciding the characters' feelings for each other - to wring out some emotion from the readers. Elena instantly falls in love with Stefan and the way she wants to grab his attention seems kind of forced and desperate (as opposed to the introduced character). I didn't like her at all - her character development wasn't as strong and descriptive as I wanted it to be.

On the other hand, Stefan was your average good-looking vampire boy who tries to blend in but doesn't. He transfers to the school and instantly notices how Elena looks like the girl he loved in his past. That right there ruined it for me completely. It seemed like he didn't get over the first girl at all; he was falling for Elena was because of her looks despite Elena having the exact opposite personality from the girl he loved in the past.

My expectations for this story weren't met, but I enjoyed the [petty drama] of two vampire brothers fighting for the same girl and trying to win her over. Overall, it was an almost good-read if it weren't for the quick description of the characters, and their desperate attempts at finding love in each other.

By: Eli
Edited By: Annie

Book Review: Psyche in a Dress [Needs Editing]

2009-06-13T00:04:00.004-04:00

Fiction: Psyche in a Dress
Author: Francesca Lia Block
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 10/10

Summary: [taken from barnesandnobles.com]

But this is what I could not give up:

I could not give up myself
Psyche has known Love—scented with jasmine and tasting of fresh oranges. Yet he is fleeting and fragile, lost to her too quickly. Punished by self-doubt, Psyche yearns to be transformed, like the beautiful and brutal figures in the myths her lover once spoke of. Attempting to uncover beauty in the darkness, she is challenged, tested, and changed by the gods and demons who tempt her. Her faith must be found again, for if she is to love, she must never look back.

This is..
Only the most deep and astounding story there is. There is not a single word that can describe how beautifully written this story in form of prose is.

Francesca Lia Block writes about a young girl named Psyche who had found love in her childhood but in an instant she lost it. As time goes by, she grows and becomes a women. She then tries to fall in love again by meeting various man, only to realize that her one and true love will always be that man from when she was a little girl. Through all the struggles she goes through, she realizes that she's playing all the stories her lost love had told her when she was little, she realizes that she will not ever find anybody to love more than that man.
The way this book was written was amazingly deep and cunning, by fusing stories from Greek mythology, Francesca Lia Block paints a world filled with wonder and realism through the use of deep and expressing words which will leave you with a deep understanding of how much pain and suffering the character is going through. The story narrates through out Psyche's whole life as a women and a mother, and then at the end it leaves you wanting for more..
This book is poetry itself along with powerful and beautifully well written prose, you will re-read it again.
This book is raw literature itself. With a deep understanding of even the simplest things, it makes for a great and unique read. Honestly, I took my time reading this, for this makes you forget everything around you since the descriptions were so explained in detailed, you could actually see what was happening and for a moment, you can almost imagine the world Psyche belongs to.
Truly a deep and amazing read. For a mature audience. This book is a memorable one that will always stay in my mind as one of the most unique and amazing stories I've ever reading. There is not a single word that can describe such masterpiece.

Eli.

Book Review: Ink Exchange [needs editing]

2009-06-12T22:25:00.004-04:00

Fiction: Ink Exchange
Author: Melissa Marr
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Drama
Rating: 7/10

Summary [Taken from: Harpercollins.com]: Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.
Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.
The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . . .

I'm one of those people who judge books by their cover, but luckily I don't do the same for people.
This book should be put at the top of the list for it's amazing and captivating cover, unfortunately I can't say the same thing for the story itself.

I managed to painfully finish it and I was glad to get rid of it. The story itself was a little hard to follow since you had to remember a lot of names and I mean a lot but I managed to somewhat understand what the hell was happening.
First, the characters were well written and somehow captivating. Second, there were various plots to follow altogether, evil mothers, evil fairies with a lot of power, Irial's true love was dying and Leslie is being forced into marrying the summer king-Irial- in order to restore peace in the fairy world. As describe in the story, the fairies are really good looking creatures so of course all the girls were dying to be with Irial except Leslie since she was already in love with another guy.
The romance was constant since there were a lot of love triangles. The story was pretty good but the thing that just threw it off was the useless scenes that weren't needed, a lot of useless details and just continuous talk that just wasted my time.

Overall, it was an almost-great read. If you like fairies and just constant fantasy, then this is the book for you.

Eli.

Moral Disorder

2009-05-17T20:17:00.008-04:00

Fiction: Moral Disorder

Author: Margaret Atwood

Genres: Romance, Life, Psychological

Rating: 10/10

More than 20 years ago, Margaret Atwood wrote a short story called 'Happy Endings' that presented a series of possible plots that could follow the beginning of 'John and Mary meet'. Finally, the narrator steps in to announce that the only "authentic ending" is death, but that beginnings are much more "fun" and the "in between" is what connoisseurs prefer.

The blurb for this book anxiously declares that "Moral Disorder" is "almost a novel", but it turns out to be much better than just a novel. This is a book that, structurally as well as thematically, invites readers to experience the orderly and disorderly beginnings, endings, and in-betweens of a life.

The stories present incidents from the life of one person. She's the first-person narrator in some stories and 'Nell' in others, who is usually uncertain about what kind of girl or woman she wants to be. An intellectual with pimples on her bum? Or "practical and mundane" like her parents? And how can she determine which role is an impersonation and which is the reality? "A sister pretending to be a monster or a monster pretending to be a sister?" It's hard to tell.

Real time presents "a small window" between the frighteningly predictable plots of "not yet" and the well-worked tales of "back then". Many of the stories in "Moral Disorder" are about "back then" - about growing up. Nell's relationship with her sister and the consequences of falling in love are displayed in this book. Nell is clearly aware of the inevitable gap between how she felt then, how she remembers feeling, and of the temptation to change details to make the events sound more exciting. It is hard to admit that her sister was not a changeling who sucked up her mother's energy rather than simply the owner of a hamster from whom the mother caught a thyroid disease.

One day, Nell notices how beautiful the winter landscape is, but knows that she would never photograph it for her Christmas cards. It was, she says, "beautiful in real life, but too overdone for art." Atwood, too, works hard to circumvent cheap emotion or consolation. These stories are not simply unsentimental; they're rigorously anti-sentimental and, at their darkest, they're also at their funniest.

Atwood’s fierce determination to veer off the well worn romance track is a little bit like a slap on the face or a douse of water. It stings, but it refreshes. The words, as told by Nell, felt almost like she was detached from the stories - just retelling it the way she remembers. The rawness of the words are something that can’t be described out loud - there isn't any extra baggage, no filler words. I had to push through the pages like foliage, never knowing where it was going to take me next.

The book is full of wonderful details - the way in which the narrator, as a teenager, smeared her face with frozen Noxzema face cream before doing her homework (she had a theory that it would "stimulate the blood flow" to her brain); the way in which her sister argues with the drivers of other cars, all of whom she calls Fred; her recipe for "nuts and bolts", a vile-sounding hors d'oeuvre.

There is a total of 11 stories in the novel. When, in the final piece, it emerges that the mother's horse was called Nell, it feels as if we are being gently reminded that this is not a memoir but something made up. Asked in an interview if the book was autobiographical, Atwood replied, "There has to be some blood in the cookie to make the gingerbread person come alive." There's plenty of wit, compassion and grace present in "Moral Disorder."

After a long hiatus,
B.

Edited by: Joey

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife

2009-05-14T17:30:00.015-04:00

Fiction: The Time Traveler's Wife

Author: Audrey Niffenegger

Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance

Rating: 10/10

Unconventional, original and undeniably romantic – this story takes you around the bends of time where Clare discovers her soul mate at the age of six, and he (Henry) appearing to already be thirty-six at the time. It all seems rather surreal, though later on we uncover the whirl wind that is their untypical boy meets girl love story.

Niffenegger breaks barriers and boundaries of love in this novel, demonstrating the idea of fate in the most unexpected way. Impossible but true, Henry suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. Through his misadventures in this unwanted time travelling, he finds himself to stumble upon a six-year old Clare, whom he already knows shall be his future wife. At this young age of pure innocence and naivety, Clare is already convinced that her heart can belong to no one other than Henry. Funny as it may seem, Clare grows up with the assurance of Henry being all she’ll ever want and need, thus it appears that she no longer has anything to worry about because as far as she’s concerned: the future is very well taken care of – it just seems to be a matter of waiting. Always waiting.

Personally, when I stumbled upon this book myself, it was in itself purely unexpected. I was clearing up in my mum’s room, and stashed away in some dusty yellow Selfridges bag was this book. The thick layer of dust over it made me hestitate to pull it out, but I am now glad beyond reason that I had disregarded its condition, for this novel has surely etched itself in my mind and heart. You will find that no matter how imperfect and struggling love can be, a moment’s bliss is worth all of it. An elegy to love and loss, and perhaps the reality of relationships and love itself, it is beautifully written, unmissable and dazzlingly imaginative.

I guess for me, what makes an amazing novel really worthwhile is the impression it leaves on you as a reader. It's safe to say that this novel has impacted me greatly; it offered me heart melting conversations, thought provoking concepts and genuine tears. I was taken away, lost in this story were ‘time is nothing’ – and finding that you can love whenever, wherever, forever. This story gave me hope, entertainment and impossible inspiration.

A must read.

---

I have also just recently found out that it has been made into a film and will be released in August here in London, so I'm pretty surprised and truthfully ecstatic about it.

By: Ces

Edited By: Annie

Manga Review: Koukou Debut

2009-05-07T16:27:00.012-04:00

Shoujo: Koukou Debut
Mangaka: Kawahara Kazune
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shoujo, School Life
Rating: 10/10

Summary [from baka updates]:

When Haruna Nagashima was in junior high her life consisted of playing softball and reading comics. But now that she's going to high school, Haruna decides to put all of her energy towards getting a boyfriend and having the high school romance of a lifetime. To help in her quest, she enlists cute upperclassman Yoh Komiyama to coach her as she eschews her jock tendencies and turns herself into the kind of girl who can catch a guy. Yoh agrees, but with one exception: He tells Haruna not to fall in love with him!

Another great shoujo manga. Number 3 on my Favorite Shoujo Manga list! Among others like Hana Kimi and Beast Master, this one definitely caught my attention and I am so happy to have read this great piece of work.

This was so amazing that it made me laugh and cry. I absolutely did not want it to finish it, though it ends with 5 volumes, 52 chapters. I will always love this manga. The plot is original, surrounding an idea I've never encountered before. In addition, I instantly fell in love with the characters. Haruna is not your typical everyday girl - she's strong and a little insecure, but she's the type of person who doesn't give up on her goals. The way she does things makes you laugh out loud. The male main character Yoh is a very particular character, whom I fell completely head over heels for. He is quite the opposite from Haruna - he's reserved and cool, but there is still an undeniable amount of attraction between them. Yoh' s ways of expressing his love is quite different from what you might imagine, but Haruna is not the weak girl who can get easily affected by his harsh words. It's interesting to note that most of my fellow shoujo-readers thought he was the awesomest guy ever.

I fell in love with this manga so much that I think I'm becoming a shoujo manga otaku. This manga made me crazy about it to the point where I didn't want it to end. I mean, it was hilarious to the point of tears, the romance was there, and in each scene you could see in detail the characters' expressions and feelings. Until the very end, it kept me at the edge of my seat. Again, since the story revolves around high school, there are a few love triangles, a lot of humor, and a refreshingly youthful romance. The characters have very distinct personalities, though they work together very well. It's a masterpiece - you will surely love this manga and will never let go.

To read it: Koukou Debut

By: Eli
Edited By: Annie

Manhwa Review: Totally Captivated

2009-04-30T20:40:00.029-04:00

Yaoi: Totally Captivated
Author: Yoo Ha Jin
Genres: Action, Drama, Comedy, Romance, Yaoi, Psychological
Rating: 10/10

Summary [from baka-updates] :
The mafia threatens Ewon into working for a loan shark, where he's forced to run dangerous errands for no pay. The culprit who doomed Ewon to this life is none other than Jiho, Ewon's jealous ex who still burns at Ewon's infidelity. Their gang leader, Mookyul, who has movie-star good looks and the bizarre, drunken habit of biting people on the neck takes a keen interest in his attractive new errand boy. Will Ewon be able to survive the violent underworld (not to mention the constant sexual harassment he must endure) as an underling of Mookyul?
----------
You will sink yourself into the story and forget everything else around you.

There is a lot to say about this manga, but I'll keep it short.

Even though this is yaoi, it's a light read [doesn't contain strong situations], which mainly centers around romance and drama. The art is captivating. The author drew each expression and feeling in such a strong way with mesmerizing detail; it was amazing. The humor was present as well as drama. In unfortunate situations, the author still manages to add some comedy and somehow make it all work out. The story wasn't rushed - it had it's own pace. The storyline is superb and dramatic.

Everything becomes much more interesting during the middle of the story when their hidden pasts are revealed and the characters start to realize how strong their love is. The balance is right, a little of everything, plus fascinating artwork. I was entertained until the very end. It's one of those stories you fall in love with and never want to finish reading. It's one of those stories that make you want to read it over and over again. I will love this manhwa and the author (whose work I am looking forward to in the near future) forever.

There is an extra to this manhwa: Totally Captivated [contains strong situations]. The manga is impossible to find online since it's licensed, unfortunately. So Google it or buy it.

Eli
Edited by: Joey

Book Review: Peeps

2009-04-23T20:25:00.006-04:00

Fiction: Peeps
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Genres: Fantasy, Comedy, Mystery, YA
Rating: 9.5/10

Summary:

"One year ago, Cal Thompson was a college freshman more interested in meeting girls and partying in New York City than in attending his biology classes. Now, after a fateful encounter with a mysterious woman named Morgan, biology has become, literally, Cal’s life.
Cal was infected by a parasite that has a truly horrifying effect on its host. Cal himself is a carrier, unchanged by the parasite, but he’s infected the girlfriends he’s had since Morgan—and all have turned into the ravening ghouls Cal calls peeps. The rest of us know them as vampires. And it’s Cal’s job to hunt them down before they can create even more of their kind. . . . "

This is something entirely different from what I usually read. Definitely a hilarious piece of work, I thoroughly enjoyed Cal's adventures of finding out where his ex-girlfriends were and the problems that he had to deal with that made him go..well, crazy. This book can be partly categorized into the theme of vampires, but the whole STD spin off made it tremendously different and interesting.

Peeps has some strong situations and language, and it turns out that it's just that much more attention grabbing. The effects of the disease parallels the conventional vampire setup, but it's definitely funnier and more lighthearted. The teen aspect of Westerfield's book is that unlike the usual way for someone to turn into a vampire (they need to be bitten by another one), the disease is sexually transmitted. Which... totally made me read the book. [Ed's note: ...and raises some eyebrows as to Cal's promiscuity].

Since Cal has a strong immune system that prevents him from turning crazy and allows him to stay in control, he joins an organization whose main goal is to hunt down peeps like his ex-girlfriends - those without that extra layer of protection. Perhaps the interesting part of the book is that in each chapter, Westerfeld includes a description of various real parasites and diseases; a taste of real science, so that while you read the book, you might come to believe that everything you read might happen for real.

The combination of action, romance and that extra dash of scientific commentary makes for a great read.

By: Eli.
Edited By: Annie

Book Review: Untamed

2009-03-27T22:00:00.006-04:00

Fiction: Untamed [House of Night Series]
[Book 4]
Author: P.C Cast, Kristin Cast
Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, YA
Rating: 10/10

I was in my school library when I finally found the book I was desperately looking for.
[Whoo me!]

I was absolutely psyched to read it. My expectations were high, but they were well met once I finished reading the book. It was totally awesome. I am addicted to this series and can't wait to read the next book in the House of Night series, HUNTED.

A lot of mysteries were revealed in the 4th book. Neferet, Zoey' s enemy, has declared war against humans and is trying to awaken an ancient evil, who is more powerful than anything or anyone. This evil is someone beautiful and dangerous. On top of all of this, there is some kind of darkness surrounding the Academy and is targeting Zoey. Neferet has deceived everybody, and now, they think that this someone is related to their goddess, Nyx [the goddess of all vampires, basically]. Actually, the truth is that he is a fallen angel [a lot like Lucifer], who hates humans, especially women, and is now coming back to get revenge!

The good thing, though, is that Zoey has her friends back and maybe even her boyfriend, Erik Night. Her friends, who were dead, have now come back to life.

The weirdest thing that happened while I was reading this book was that I found myself visualizing everything that was happening. And, I have to say, I have a pretty awesome imagination. The way the author described everything was simply amazing, because it was easy to imagine how beautiful the fallen angel was. I really love this kind of action. Cast's use of words was superb and incredibly visualizing. I really enjoyed this book.

I am anxiously looking forward to the next book.

By: Eli
Edited by: Joey

Book Review: Chosen

2009-03-27T21:19:00.007-04:00

Fiction: Chosen [House of Night Series]
[Book 3]
Author: P.C Cast, Kristin Cast
Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, YA
Rating: 10/10

What can I say about this series?I totally love it. These books are a must read.

Tagline?

A 16-year old girl has the future of humanity in her hands and her enemy is the strongest priestess in the House of Night Academy.

~
In the third book of the house of night series, Zoey Redbird struggles to get back her friends' trust and friendship. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, has been reborn from being undead and has acquired a new mark, which is completely different from the normal fledgings [students in the academy in the process of becoming vampires]. All in all, this book has lots of good and bad surprises along with a few steamy characters to die for.

The story is thrilling and filled with action. The drama is powerful, especially when some of Zoey's friends reject the change [into vampires] and die.

I am completely in love with the characters, especially Zoey, who is far from being a mistress in distress. There is a dash of comedy to it and quite a bit of romance, which will leave you completely satisfied at the end.

You can say these series have a litle of everything: romance, action, comedy, suspence, mystery and a touch of something special.

I love this series!

By: Eli
Edited By: Annie

Lovely Complex

2009-03-15T10:45:00.006-04:00

Name: Lovely★Complex, Love★Com, ラブ★コン Rabu★Kon
Mangaka: Nakahara Aya
Genres: Shoujo, Romance, Comedy, School Life
Rating: 9.7/10

Before I start my review on Lovely Complex, let me write about a chapter in my life that nobody knows about: my brief stint with OchibiChan Scans. I have been an avid reader of Lovely Complex since about...the dawn of time. There has always been something that's been tugging me in a corner of my mind. What can I do to contribute? I don't want to always be a silent reader - reading a chapter, and then spamming the scanlation group for a month until they update again.

Maybe there was something deeper than that. Something that would put this mental harassment to an end. And there it was: the answer to everything. I can, I shall, I WILL become a scanlator. I was pretty handy with Photoshop and I think I could read my fair share of Chinese. So I emailed them and after dinner, they replied saying that they'd love to have a potential translator/typesetter on board. They emailed me two tests to do, a translator one and a typesetter one.

There's a reason why it's called a "brief" stint with OchibiChan Scans. That night, I got to work on the Translator test (they kept hinting at the vacancies in their translator posts...). Unluckily, my mom (with her psycho-Asian mom powers) managed to come into my room at the same time I was in the middle of a quite finicky Traditional Chinese character. Outraged at my association with these "abhorrent Japanese trash", she banned me from doing anymore of this "useless" thing. I managed to email Ochibichan that due to circumstances I was unwilling to say, I couldn't go through with my application.

That's my sad, short (not really) story. Now onto the actual review section.

Lovely Complex rates high on my list of good mangas. There are only a few mangakas who draw don't always make their characters look as pretty and composed as [we expect them to be]. One is Nakahara Aya-san. Another one I can think of is the mangaka of Goong (I actually can't remember her name!).

Lovely Complex is the hearwarming story of two people: Koizumi Risa and Otani Atsushi. When you look at the characters of their names, there is something interesting. Koizumi (小泉) means "little spring". Otani (大谷) on the other hand, means "big valley". Their real-life personas can't be anymore different. Koizumi is the tallest girl in her grade at 172cm tall, towering above the rest of the petite and cute girls in her school. Otani, on the other hand, is shorter than the other boys in their grade. He is 156 cm, humiliatingly shorter by about 20 or so centimeters than the rest of the male population.

The whole story revolves around these two odd people. The two of them are always in the same class, where the apparent height difference is constantly picked upon by their peers. The entire school jokingly dubs them as the "All-Hansin Kyojin" after a famous Japanese comedic duo that has the same height difference. Both are very sensitive about their height...leading to meaningless and comedic fights between themselves. Hate slowly turns to like as the story progresses. About half the storyline is concerning Koizumi's attempts to get Otani to like her (he couldn't 'see' her as a girlfriend just yet).

I absolutely loved this series but I was bipolar when it came to the end of this series. Yesterday, the last chapter of Lovely Complex came out. I was happy that it finally came out after about 3 months of dormancy (I even finished the sequel first!), but there was a feeling of disappointment because it had ended.

The art isn't Korean manhwa but I think that there is something special to be found in it. [However simple it may be, it's capable of summoning a whole range of emotions from you]. It seems confusing, but goodness knows how many times my heart throbbed at their angsty antics. Nakahara-san manages to bring a healthy dose of comedy into each chapter. Either with lates (to school, school trips, and eventually even the graduation ceremony) on Koizumi and Otani's parts or with absolute hilarious faces and expressions.

As the story gradually progresses from hate, dislike, neutrality, and then to like, I felt myself melting into the storyline and relating to all of the characters, especially Koizumi. Being 171 cm myself, I remember going back to China and feeling like a lanky giant. I totally felt everything she felt, with all of her insecurities and doubts. Of course, here in Canada, the height complex isn't as prevalent as in Asia so I don't think I have it as bad.

Ending on a final note: read it! I think it is considered as a classic manga, up there with Ouran, Special A and Naruto (which I absolutely detest...I don't even know why I'm naming it...=.=). The manga has been made into a 24 episode drama, a live-action movie, and a video game (what do they NOT make into a video game nowadays?!). I have watched all of them and loved it. Lovely Complex has a fiercely unique plot with equally original characters. It is deep but light at the same time. It explores the psyche of teenage adolescents while maintaining its humor and keeps the romance flowing.

Read the manga.
Watch the anime.
Watch the movie.

Experience the love.

By: Berber
Edited By: Annie

Book Review: The Hunger Games

2009-03-07T14:50:00.001-05:00

Fiction: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genres: Science Fiction, Suspense, Romance, Action, everything
Rating: 8/10

24 Kids.

1 Winner.

How to be the winner? Be the last one alive.

In the country of Panem, there are 12 slave districts surrounding an authoritarian city called the Capitol. Each year, a boy and girl from every district is selected by random lottery for the Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games are a grim reminder to all those living in the 12 districts of the consequences of rebellion and the power that the Capitol holds. This control mechanism pits all the contestants against each other in a desolate and hostile environment, where the only method of action is “to kill or be killed”. The winner gets a life of ease, along with special treatments to his or her district. The losers can only lose in one way – by dying.

~
We follow this gripping tale by listening to the narrative of Katniss Everdeen, a girl who takes her sister’s place as District 12’s female representative in the 74th Games. Along with her comes Peeta Mellark, the baker’s son who once saved her family by providing them with some loaves of bread. With these two competing against those who’ve trained their whole lives for a chance at the Games, hope seems slim. And what happens when the two are forced to turn on each other in a place where the “only unspoken” rule is you can’t eat the dead contestants?
~
But this isn’t even the fun part yet. Every moment of the games is televised to the entire nation, and all the citizens are required to watch the gruesome display of supreme power by the Capitol. Sizzling right underneath the subplot of political intrigue is a love story that holds the readers (and the residents of Panem) in complete fascination.
~
Reading about this post-apocalyptic world is grisly, terrifying, and at the same time, exhilarating. The Games are not simply tests of strength or agility, but of both intelligence and the instinct to survive. Suspense and action are keywords that provide the readers with a fast-paced journey through a world where the next page seems too far away. It will be inevitable that in a few years, you’ll be watching Hunger Games, the movie.

"Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. Let the games begin…"

By: Annie

Book Review: Betrayed

2009-03-05T22:21:00.014-05:00

Fiction: Betrayed [House of Night Series]
[Book 2]
Author: P.C Cast, Kristin Cast
Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, YA
Rating: 10/10

The second book of the House of Night series is better than the first.
Following Zoey Redbird's new life as a vampire in training has become even more exciting. Along with becoming the high priestess of the House of Night, Zoey' s life has turned out to be way more complicated.

First, she encounters her ex-boyfriend Heath again and they imprint [When a vampire sucks the blood of a human and they form a special bond.]. Then, she becomes Erik's girlfriend, the hottest guy in the academy. And on top of this, she feels an attraction towards the most god-like teacher in the academy, Loren, and he feels the same way towards her.

Moreover; human students are starting to turn up dead from blood loss and all the evidence points towards the House of Night Academy. She also finds out that her high priestess (mentor), Neferet, isn't who everyone thinks she is. Many secrets are revealed and enemies become friends.

Along with other unexpected surprises that I'll leave for you to find out yourself, Betrayed has become a story impossible to put down. It was hotter than the first book; the scenes were surprising and steamy. It kept me at the edge of my seat and I seriously could not put down the book because of its amazingly well-written plots. The humor - which was in parts you'd least expect to find - was amazing and kept me laughing. The action was thrilling with the new enemies that were made and secrets that were uncovered. Zoey struggles as a new vampire who has been given the mission of finding out the secrets that surround the academy and the teachers themselves.

By: Eli
Edited By: Joey

Boys Over Flowers/ Kgotboda Namja [Need Editing]

2009-03-04T22:36:00.006-05:00

Boys Over Flowers/꽃보다 남자 / Kgotboda Namja

Drama Recommendation

I'm surprised that there isn't a post on this yet. Here it is: the most popular drama on the other side of the International Date Line. Kgotboda Namja. BOYS OVER FLOWERS. Korean baby.

I'm sure all of us have watched either the Taiwanese or Japanese versions. I have watched both. :D.

All of these dramas are adaptations of the extremely popular Japanese manga Hana Yori Dango (Boys Before Flowers) by Kamio Yoko. Makino Tsukushi is the only poor student at Eitoku Gakuen, the school of the ridiculously rich and privileged that is ruled by Flower 4 or F4, a group of four boys who come from extremely powerful families: Domyoji Tsukasa, the leader and heir of the Domyoji World Finance Group; Hanazawa Rui, the introverted son of a large company; Nishikado Sojiro, a player who is the heir of a tea ceremony school; and Mimasaka Akira, a madam killer with ties to the underground. If a student gets on the F4’s bad side, he/she gets a red notice and is bullied and driven out of school.(DramaWiki) Even though she is harassed, Makino decides to keep going to school because she is a “tough weed”. She declares war right back on the F4. Her resolve gets the attention of her crush Hanazawa Rui and oddly enough, rouses romantic feelings in her worst enemy, Domyoji Tsukasa. As all dramas are built, there is love, friendships, difficulties, misunderstandings, and love triangles.

The Korean version is a bit different:
Jan-di, the female protaganist of this drama, is the poor but bright girl who has a strong sense of justice and full of vitality. She transfers to an exclusive high school where only the rich go. In there, she encounters with the four rich and quirky boys and experiences love and friendship.
The storyline illustrates the supreme fantasy that a drama can bring out the most. Each of us probably has an experience of admiring or dreaming of something. The drama ‘Boys over Flowers’ is the concentration of the admirations.

I just started watching this when I thought "To heck with French, let's listen to another foreign language!" Of course, I just got to Episode One Part Two on Mysoju.com. Not very far, but that is going to change.

I'll post again when I watch a bit more and can justify my opinions. I'm just basing my enthusiasm from my other Korean friends' ravings about this drama.

Playing Jan-Di is Koo Hye Sun

Playing Joon Pyo is Lee Minho

Playing So Yi Jung is Kim Bum (Annie...I know you love him :D)

Playing Song Woo Bin is Kim Joon

Gosh...I love them all :D
Watch it here!!

B.

Manga Review: Until death do us Apart [Need Editing]

2009-03-01T21:24:00.012-05:00

Seinen: Until death do us Apart
Mangaka: Takashige Hiroshi
Artist: Double-S
Genre: Action, Adventure, Seinen
Rating: 9.8/10

These series is about a blind guy who can pretty much kick butt and a girl who can predict the future.

This ability has gotten her into the sight of various organizations that want her for their benefit.
Despite all of this, she meets Hijikata Mamoru, a blind swords man who is greatly feared by everyone for his amazing skills, along with his companion, Igawa they sweep the streets of Japan for known criminals and so on.
Thought this manga is still ongoing and irregular [meaning you don't know when the next chapter is going to come out], it's one of my favorites among a few, since the art is pretty awesome and kicking, the action is totally amazing, I am a big fan of swordsman plus Mamoru is seriously hot and awesome, his blindness makes him even more intriguing. I fell in love the minute I saw him. Thought his ways of showing affection is kind of harsh, he's a pretty cool character.
The action is always there since there are a lot of people who want Haruka's power, but Mamoru is always there to protect her.
There are a lot of surprising twists, among others that are very cunning, the plot is well written and I hope they keep translating it because I look forward to the characters' futures and their so called-Romance...

Clickie: Until death do us apart

Eli.

Mei-chan no Shitsuji [Need Editing]

2009-03-01T18:11:00.008-05:00

This isn't so much of a review than it is a heads up. I was just browsing MySoju.com when lo and behold, guess what I saw?

One: Boys Over Flowers is now the #1 Drama, over Fated to Love You.

Two: There is now a drama for Mei-chan no Shitsuji.

It basically translates to Mei-chan's Butler. This is based on a manga of the same name, done by the same mangaka who authored Love Monster. The general plot of it is (from MySoju, because I'm a lazy bum that can't write summaries):

The story revolves around a young woman named Mei who finally finds the "butler of her dreams", whom she has been searching for since a past encounter.

From Mangafox (be warned that the drama may not follow the same plotline):

Mei Shinonome always has this dream. When she was younger and lost her way in a dark forest, she sang her favourite song, "Mei-chan's Butler", to build up her courage. Suddenly she was lifted up by a man who said he was her butler. Now she can't remember what he looks like, but remembers his shimmering brooch and long slender fingers. Kento Shibata is a pretty boy who, along with everyone else in the class, doesn't believe Mei's dream was once real. Emiri Enari has a crush on Kento and looks down on Mei as her father is a noodle chef. How will Mei find the butler from her dreams and will she get everyone to believe her?

There's love triangles and bunches more.

Just saying...I'm really surprised that they made this into a drama. It looks interesting...Maybe I'll do a review on Mei-chan No Shitsuji later.

Click here to watch it.
Click here for the manga.

(Note: writing "just saying" reminded me of the movie I watched at Cineplex last night with friends: Fired Up. It was hilarious XD There was this one girl that kept saying the weirdest things and then, when all activity hushed and everybody looking at her, she'd say, "Just saying."

B. :)

Manga Review: Kare Kano

2009-03-01T15:36:00.012-05:00

Shoujo: Kare Kano
Mangaka: Tsuda Masami
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Life, Shoujo,
Rating: 10/10

Kare Kano [his and her circumstances], which is number 2 on my favorite shoujo manga list, is about a girl, Yukino Miyazawa, who is perfect at everything in her school. She is both smart and athletic. She has the looks and the personality of a perfect young lady. Everybody admires her and thinks she is amazing. But, that's not her real personality. The real Yukino is actually the queen of vanity - she loves to be praised by others regarding how perfect she is.

Everything goes according to plan until she enters high school. There, she meets her match - Soichiro Arima. He is athletic, smart and good-looking. He soon finds out about Yukino's real personality and that's when everything starts to change.

Kare Kano fills my thirst for the perfect shoujo manga. On top of the amazing art, the characters were flawless and the various plots were something to scream about. The romance was extraordinary and cunning. The various problems that the main characters faced had depth to it, the comedy was hilarious and original, and the story itself was a masterpiece. It was written with immense detail; Tsuda Magami made sure you understood each character and its circumstances.

I found the whole story mind-blowing and something unique. Although some said the story dragged out, I think it was due to the setting and the many characters that were introduced. It took place in high school, and the memories of it were precious to the characters themselves. The drama and romance kept me at the edge of my seat.

If you are looking for a manga that has drama, romance, and everything in between, check this one out. It is truly a masterpiece.

By: Eli
Edited By: Joey

Manga Review: Othello

2009-03-01T13:33:00.012-05:00

Shoujo: Othello
Mangaka: Ikezawa Satomi
Genre: Comedy, Psychological, Romance, Shoujo
Rating: 9.5/10

A long time ago, I realized that some mangas are really rare and hard to find. Therefore; you had to cherish them. For instance, this little piece of work, which I completely adore and hate at the same time, Othello.

The main character suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder, where two or more distinct personalities exist within a single person. I've come across a few mangas with this type of psychological genre which are really hard to find, so I'm happy it came to my mind.

Yaya is a naive and incompetent girl who does what everybody tells her to do. But, she is too ignorant and gullible to even realize that others treat her like a dog. Then, in comes Nana, a girl who's hard-rocking and butt-kicking and doesn't let anybody tell her what to do - the complete the opposite of Yaya.

These two girls are quite the opposites, but they are, surprisingly, the same person. You will come to hate Yaya or pity her, since her stupidity is something out of this world. I didn't like her, because she was over-the-top ignorant and never did anything against her "friends." But that's what the mangaka was aiming for. She wanted the characters to be complete opposites, like fire and ice. Yaya being weak shows how Nana comes out and solve the problems that she faces.

The thing about this manga is that it made me hate Yaya and love Nana. Along with romance and comedy, this is a manga that you will surely like. The art is also pretty. Nana's superhuman strength is something to laugh about and her boastful personality is strong and independent - something that Yaya is lacking.

Overall, I give this manga a 9.5 out of 10. I don't know about you, but I hate main characters in mangas who are weak and aren't able to say no.

To check it out: Othello

By: Eli
Edited By: Joey

Manga/Anime Review: Death Note

2009-03-01T08:00:00.010-05:00

Shounen: Death Note
Mangaka: Ohba Tsugumi
Artist: Obata Takeshi
Genres: Drama, Mystery, Shounen, Supernatural, Tragedy
Rating: 10/10

This morning, while I was listening to the song Alumina by Nightmare (the first ending of Death Note), the manga came flashing through my mind. After watching the anime and reading the manga, I fell completely in love with the music that came with it.

To me, this manga/anime was awesome to the core. It was something outside the box, highlighted by its originality and creativity. The intense action filled scenes will surely leave you wanting for more.

The story goes like this: Light Yagami is an ace student, and he's bored out of his mind by the normality of the endless days ahead of him. One day, he finds a notebook dropped by a Shinigami, or a Death God, who also happens to be suffering from the same boredom. Ryuk decides to spice things up a bit in the human world with a Death Note. This note book is able to kill all the people whose names are written in it.

As time progresses, there arises various national and philosophical conflicts. You can say that the anime/manga begins to take on a political theme, and that's where the famous detective L gets introduced to the plot. Who wouldn’t be curious when criminals start to turn up dead in great numbers?

I'm not a fan of mangas/animes involving political themes [ex: Ghost in the Shell] where it involves high authorities. In fact, I hate them because occasionally, I can't keep up with the high class vocabulary. However, this manga was definitely an exception. Besides the art which I instantly fell in love with, I love shinigamis, and the whole theme of death. The story was not difficult to follow, especially when the characters happen to be strong and overwhelming. Despite the tragedies, there’s also a lot of humor (surprisingly).In addition, the constant battle between good and evil, or perhaps what's considered to be good and evil, continues until the very end. Among all the problems that were present, the mangaka never left the main topic – [that the fight between light and darkness is subjective, and there are times when the line becomes blurred.] In the ongoing war of fates, the conflict between Yagami Light and L's is something that won’t resolve even after death.

I seriously recommend this.

To read: DEATH NOTE
To watch: Death Note~

By: Eli
Edited By: Annie

Book Review: Thicker than Water

2009-02-27T23:55:00.007-05:00

Fiction: Thicker than Water
Author: Carla Jablonski
Genres: Drama, Romance, YA
Rating: 8.5/10

[Even though I loved this book, I found that the ending was absurd and disappointing. It was a story I couldn't put down and a story with an amazing plot and strong characters I could relate to. However, while I was so much into it, I (along with the main character) was fooled by its surprising twist, which I hadn't seen it coming..until this day. I still laugh about it, because it's something I never experience in a book and it's something I find unique in a way.]

The story goes like this: It's about a girl, Kia, who's mother is dying of cancer. Her father is a complete fool and is never home, and her friends can't help her because they have problems of their own. The only way to escape the reality she lives in is while cutting herself.

In the mist of everything, she is introduced to a goth world filled with vampire fanatics and people who enjoy living in the darkness. This world is something out of the ordinary. And while being a part of it, she meets the sexy and handsome DJ Damon, whom she instantly assumes is a vampire due to the world he belongs to and the mysteries that surround him.

Jablonski introduces us to a world where everything is not what it seems; that appearances can be deceiving; and that reality can be mixed with fantasy. There are some things you want to believe, even though it seems irrational or unreal. In this story, Kia is able to experience the feeling of being liberated by a world that is fake and make-believe, yet she refuses to see otherwise. The pain caused by her dying mother is unbearable and she wants to be set free. By confining her self to Damon and believing that he is a vampire, she grabs hold of an escape that she badly needs.

While reading this book, I was entranced by its plot and its mysterious characters. The method in which it is written will surely make you feel addicted to it. The intensity and the depth of the characters; the feelings and strong personalities, are so well described that every reader can understand what Kia is going through.

[The book is a painfully true novel about how the cruelty of reality can cause us to escape to a fantasy world where lines blur between life and death.]

By: Eli

Edited By: Annie

Book Review: Marked

2009-02-27T23:31:00.010-05:00

Fiction: Marked [House of night Series]
[Book 1]
Author: P.C Cast + Kristin Cast
Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, YA
Rating: 9.5/10

[The reason for taking 0.5 points away: I found the story to be lacking in some parts, but I did enjoyed reading it.]

I finished reading this book today and am totally looking forward to reading the second one and so on. The plot is very original - something I haven't read in a while.

From being a total outcast in her old school, to becoming the high priestess of the house of night, Zoey Redbird seems to have come to the right place. But the House of night isn't as peaceful or safe as her old school, as mysterious events happen and enemies begin to arise. Then, along with Zoey's new powers comes [the danger of living in a secret world.]

Overall, it's about a girl struggling to understand and fit into her new vampire school and about the changes that she goes through. An example is how she transforms from being completely grossed out by blood into totally liking it. Of course, don't forget meeting the school preps and getting to know the school's hottest guy, Erik Night.

The plot is interesting, the dialogue is of modern-age - funny and spicy. There are moments that leave you both laughing and crying, moments that take you from sadness to hilarity, and moments that makes you sigh as everything unravels for Zoey and her friends in the House of night.

Needless to say, I enjoyed this book to the core, mostly because I'm into every kind of vampire series. Since I am a devoted vampire fan, I am looking forward to the next books which I will surely be reviewing later on.

By: Eli

Edited By: Annie

Book Review: Twilight

2009-02-27T21:54:00.007-05:00

Fiction: Twilight
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, YA
Rating: 10/10

I finished this book a long time ago, but couldn't help letting go for its well-written plot and originality. From time to time, I go back to reading it because I can't get enough of it.

This is one of the best vampire books I have read in my life. Honestly, the characters are well developed and the story keeps you wanting for more.

Isabella Swan goes to Forks, Washington to live with her father, Charlie. Upon arrival, she starts to attend Forks' high school and thereby meets Edward Collin, the biggest mystery to be ever known.

After a series of strange events, Bella starts to question Edward's real identity. This is especially true after he saves her from a car accident, and the story only escalates in suspense.

Stephenie Meyer can seriously write a thrilling story with powerful characters. [Her imagery allows readers to imagine incredible scenes] and get a clear view of what's happening in the story.

Her characters are thrilling to the core, especially Edward Cullen, whose personality is strong and is easy to befriend. Bella, on the other hand, is a curious character and intriguing character.

It's easy to get in deep with the story, since it's easily understandable. The descriptions of the characters, setting and [plot flow together into a masterpiece]. All in all, I enjoyed reading this one till the very end.

Romance, action, spellbinding characters, and a story to die for.

By: Eli

Edited By: Annie

The Wallflower

2009-02-27T20:20:00.010-05:00

Shoujo: The Wallflower

Mangaka: Hayakawa Komoko

Genres: comedy, drama, romance, shoujo, school life

Rating: 9.5/10

Who hasn’t read The Wallflower, otherwise known as Perfect Girl Revolution? I admit that I was addicted to it over the summer, [and have been impatiently waiting for updates ever since.]

Wallflower is about a girl, Nakahara Sunako, who used to care about pimples, hair, and clothing. Until, that is, when she gathered the courage to confess to an upperclassman that she had a crush on. He responded rather cruelly, saying, “Sorry, I only like PRETTY girls.” Rather than making herself pretty in response, Sunako loses faith in people and in the superficiality of beauty, including her own.

She refers to pretty people (bishounen and bishoujo) as “creatures of light.” She is obsessed with horror movies and blood. Her rich celebrity aunt is worried for her, so the aunt makes a deal with the (extremely attractive) guys renting one of her mansions: if they can turn her niece into a real lady, they can have free rent, but if they fail, they have to pay 3x the rent. Kyohei, Yuki, Oda, and Ranmaru are up to the challenge. While the four of them manage to make Sunako physically beautiful (occasionally, when she feels like crawling out of her shell), it is still difficult to cure her emotional outlook. The main problem lies with Sunako's attitude and interests (which she has no intention of changing).

This manga just cracks me up - it's hilarious! There was one scene in the beginning when Sunako scares the bejeebers out of the four guys by crouching in the rose bushes. All of her fights with Kyohei and her constant nosebleeds whenever she sees a “creature of light” are beyond comical.

I have to admit, if you are the type of person who likes reading slow, extremely slow romances, this is it. It beats Ouran High School Host Club (romance started around Chapter 62…ish) and even Special A (Hikari FINALLY realized around Chapter 56 -I was about to throttle Hikari's denseness). There are about 87 Chapters scanlated on Mangafox right now. The first hint of romance was in Chapter 59. HINT. Not even an “I think I like her.” Just a hint.

Only now does the romance start flowing in. The first 85 chapters deal with how Sunako copes with the presence of four extremely hot bishounen around the house that forces her to lose copious amounts of blood. It is so sweet when she does start to have fewer nosebleeds and the four guys get scared out of their minds less and less.

As an artist, I also really like the art of this manga. The characters all have very prominent jaw lines, chinlines (if that makes sense :P), and foreheads. There are four things that captivate me in the art:

1. The body proportions. Sure, they are a bit exaggerated, but Kyohei just rocks those legs of his. They aren’t over-exaggerated like Gals! or Code Glass.

2. The eyes. The eyes that Hayakawa draws are absolutely amazing. They have the dimensions of real eyes, only manga-fied and beautified. The lashes are so crisp and clear; the pupils don’t resemble black and white Easter eggs. It's just so beautiful to look at.
~

3. The hair. I don’t know how the mangaka does it, but the hair is just so wonderfully drawn. Every single clump and strand is inked on. The tendrils and the bits that escape are tremendously realisitc.

4. The hands. The hands aren’t beautiful or graceful. In fact, they are knobbly and kind of unproportional. But there is something alluring about them. Have you ever imagined a man’s hands? Kyohei’s hands are thin, long and strong. It’s really indescribable.

It’s an awesome shoujo, definitely in my top 20 mangas. Check it out :D

Note: There is also an anime out, though sadly, there is no feature on the impending romance. :'(

By: Berber

Edited By: Annie

Nobody's Princess

2009-02-20T16:08:00.005-05:00

Fiction: Nobody’s Princess
Author: Esther Friesner
Genre: Historic, Adventure
Rating: 8.5/10

The first impression I got from this book was that it might be one of those horrid spinoffs of some fairy tale. Like Just Ella (though I enjoyed that one) or that one by Jane Yolen, Briar Rose. It had the word “Princess” in it, so don't blame one for making assumptions.

Of course, like most times, I was dead wrong. This book turned out to be about Helen of Troy. Yes, that one. The one whose face launched a thousand ships…supposedly. It was the initial blurb that drew me in:

“She is beautiful, she is a princess, and Aphrodite is her favourite goddess, but something in Helen of Sparta just itches for more out of life. Unlike her prissy sister, Clytemnestra, she takes no pleasure in weaving and embroidery. And despite what her mother says, she’s not even close to being interested in getting married. Instead, she wants to do combat training with her older brothers, go on heroic adventures, and be free to do what she wants and find out who she is.”

Okay, at first glance, I thought it was a tad presumptuous of the author to create our lovable, war-incurring Helen into some tomboy. But then I thought to myself, “Hey, it has a unique plot. Might be a good read.” So I followed myself on that instinct.

I’m what you would call one of those history nuts. I know way too much about Ancient Greece and the history of it too. This was the first time that somebody shone the spotlight directly on Helen. Sure, she was known as the most beautiful woman short of Aphrodite, but that was when she was mature.
In this book, Helen is portrayed as a tall, awkward, gangly girl. Can you imagine a girl like that growing into the Helen of Troy? I suppose that it was partially to extend a hand out to the girls who are reading this to say that even if you are tall and gangly, you might grow up to become extremely beautiful. I enjoyed reading about her escapades and her determination to get what she wanted.

The first few chapters really made a deep impact on me. I’m not going to reveal the whole book, but it has an epiphany where Helen, our cute gangly Helen, realizes that being beautiful has advantages. It’s disturbing to think that a seven year old girl can realize this so early on in life, but I guess it worked for her. She knew how to charm people with her smile and a flick of her hair.

The most surprising thing is how many of my preconceived stereotypes this book broke about Helen of Troy. She wasn’t blonde; she was a brunette. She wasn’t pretty from the get-go; people weren’t compelled to make her their bride when looking at her in her crib. She wasn’t weak and meek; the exact opposite actually. And she wasn’t dumb. Of course, I don’t know how many creative liberties Esther Friesner took with this book, so I’m calling these stereotypes “cracked” until further notice.

The level of reading is fairly easy. It would be advised that you know a bit about Greek mythology before reading, it would make the read more enjoyable. There is also a sequel now, called Nobody’s Prize.

If you enjoy reading historic novels, here are some recommendations of mine:

- The Black Stallion, Tim Farley: a very touching story about Alexander the Great’s courageous black stallion Bucephalus and his adventures with Alexander. This book actually brought tears to my eyes in the ending. People usually think of dogs as fiercely loyal, but who knew horses could be that loyal too?

-Troy, Adele Geras: a story of two very different but close sisters who lived in Troy at the height of the Trojan War. Romance, sisterly drama, and internal conflicts ensue! The book conveys very accurately what it was like to live during the time of war.

-The Red Thread, Roderick Townley: a girl keeps having dreams of her past life—no, her past TWO lives. She finds out that she was killed in one of them—murdered. But how can she forgive her own murderer when it happened 400 years ago? Like a tapestry, there are so many complex layers woven together in this story. It's like reading three plots at once - with them all joining together at the end

By: Berber
Edited By: Annie

Manga Review: Liar Game

2009-02-19T20:33:00.012-05:00

Seinen: Liar Game [ongoing]
Mangaka: Kaitani Shinobu

Genres: Drama, Seinen, Live-Action

Rating: 8/10
Reason: The manga is still ongoing, but overall, I find the art great and interesting. The twists just keep on coming and there are still mysteries to be solved..

Summary from Onemanga.com:

Congratulations! You are one of the 1 in 100,000 people who have been entered in the amazing LIAR GAME TOURNAMENT! Along with the postcard there are 100 million yen in notes. That's the beginning of the Liar Game. When the game ends, in 30 days, you will have to return your 100 million. If your opponent steals them, he can keep them as a prize, and you will have a debt of 100 million...

-------------

Even if it's ongoing, this manga deserves a mention in this blog.

[Twisted] Keeps you at the edge of your seat, with compelling twists that will keep you reading.

[Dark]-The mystery and madness...The characters would go to any means necessary in order to achieve what they want.

This manga will surely keep you interested. For fans of mistery (Death Note and such), you will surely love this manga.

You can't trust anybody and you can't run away. If you are not smart enough, then you will surely die..because you need to set up strategies in order to win the liar game.

In regards to the art - it may not be that great at some parts, but it keeps you in deep.

Similar mangas:
Deadman Wonderland
Rabbit [Doubt]

To read Online: LIAR GAME

By: Eli
Edited By: Annie

Manga Review: Beast Master

2009-02-19T19:47:00.011-05:00

Shoujo: Beast Master
Mangaka: Motomi Kyousuke
Genres:Comedy, Romance, School Life, Shoujo
Rating: 10/10

Summary from Onemanga.com:

Yuiko Kubozuka is a high school girl who loves animals. Unfortunately, animals hate her and flee from her whenever possible. So when a new classmate, Leo Aoi, turns out to be a scary guy who resembles a wild animal than anything human, she is intrigued.....
---------
Hahahah!
I seriously have to tell you to read this manga when you have the time - it's short yet amazing. I laughed so much that my stomach began hurting.
I completely love it, it's hilarious. The art is amazing and the expressions are incredible.

Note by Annie: I remember reading this manga. Though I didn't finish it, it was pretty unique in its plotline and its ability to give its readers a light-hearted good time.

To Read: Beast Master
By: Eli
Edited By: Annie

Manga Review: Absolute Boyfriend

2009-02-19T18:45:00.012-05:00

Okay, so I seriously hate this manga to the bottom of my heart, yet i love it and can't help liking it despite what happened...

Shoujo: Absolute Boyfriend
Mangaka: Watase Yuu
Genres: Shoujo, Romance, Sci-Fi
Rating: 8/10
Reason for Rating: The art and the story line were pretty original, but 2 points deducted for its abrupt surprise (and inability to fulfill my hopes).

Summary from onemanga.com:

Rejected way too many times by good-looking (and unattainable) guys, shy Riiko Izawa goes online and signs up for a free trial of a mysterious Nightly Lover "figure." The very next day a cute naked guy is delivered to her door, and he wants to be her boyfriend! Has Riiko died and gone to heaven? The cute guy turns out to be sweet, smart, a great cook, and lots more. And he looks like a million bucks, which is what he's going to cost Riiko if she doesn't return him in time...

-------------------------

At first I thought this was a light hearted manga because it was really funny at some points - like the fact he acts really innocent and doesn't know the ulterior motives of the people around Riiko.

The perfect boyfriend was delivered to Riiko and now she has to pay a really big amount of money since she added things like "must speak many different languages, smart, strong.." and every other thing a girl dreams in her perfect man.

Yet this was a trial and so they didn't know for how long he was going to last. The big disappointment in this manga is that there was a sad and unexpected surprise at the end.

There was a drama made for this, though I haven't checked it out yet. It might be good, so go for it drama lovers.

Note by Annie: This manga has one of the most original plotlines I've ever come across. Though I've never been a fan of Watase Yuu's drawings (art-wise), I really loved the creative aspect of this series. Not only is Absolute Boyfriend super popular among readers, a Japanese drama has been made based on the manga (like Eli mentioned). By the way, does anyone else have something against pointy chins (in manga drawings), or is it just me?

To Read: Absolute Boyfriend

By: Eli
Edited By: Annie

Book Review: Girl, Interrupted

2009-02-19T00:06:00.008-05:00

Non-Fiction: Girl, Interrupted
Author: Susanna Kaysen
Genre: Drama, Memoir,YA

At first i didn't pay much attention to this novel, thinking maybe it was just some book about a typical girl's problems. But then I thought "what the heck"and started reading the first page. It was the most original story I've read so far [in a long time]. How should i say it - it was raw literature, simply brilliant and hillarious to the point of tears.

Susanna Kaysen writes about her memories as a young 18-year old girl struggling in a psychiatric hospital where she was admitted apparently because she suffered from Borderline personality disorder. She tried commiting suicide and [slitting her wrists], from there, she met a psycologist and concluded that she had this kind of disorder.

She met various people [with whom] she became friends with.
Her memories of being in the hospital were something unique, [especially when] outsiders feared them. Due of the fact that they were different and suffered from a disorder, they seemed like they had been cast off to the side by society and their own parents just because they did things that weren't "normal" to most people.

Heck, what does it even mean to be normal?

It's special in its ability to make you think about greater concepts. For the most part, it's a brilliant memoir of a world we hardly know of. The world of Susanna Kaysen may seem crazy and scary, but inside the hospital everything is peaceful and free, as [described] by the author.

And maybe at the end, you'll find yourself asking if she really suffered from BPD, whether or not if it was a matter of choice, or perhaps she was simply questioning her own sanity.

By: Eli
Edited By: Annie

Very Short Semi- Hiatus

2009-01-21T20:34:00.000-05:00

I will be taking a very short semi-hiatus for the next two, three weeks.

I am doing so because:

1. Life has caught up with me. Heavy school work -> less time to read and review.
However, it is "semi" because I might still ocassionally make a post.

2. I am working on Version 2.0 of this site. I am planning to upload my Internet novel: The Pursuit of Happiness onto this Blog. This means I must adjust some of the layout. I'm planning to have another two sections that can be accessed from the splash page. Therefore, I will have a section for Reviews, one section for the story, and one "personal" section. However, that is to be determined later.

On another note, I will still upload any writing I enjoy and review very inspirational books/mangas.

Manga Review: Paradise Kiss

2009-01-12T08:19:00.004-05:00

Shoujo: Paradise Kiss
Author: Ai Yazawa
Genres: Drama, Romance
Rating: 7/10

I first encountered Paradise Kiss in my school library, among volumes of One Piece and Death Note. I wasn't attracted by the cover, but as I learnt long ago, it's impossible to tell anything by the cover. What was supposed to be thirty minutes of productive work turned into thirty minutes of me pouring over the first volume, captivated by the art and unique plot. I identified greatly with the protagonist, a girl named Yukari.

From mangafox:

Yukari wants nothing more than to make her parents happy by studying hard and getting into a good college. One afternoon, however, she is kidnapped by a group of self-styled fashionistas calling themselves "Paradise Kiss." Yukari suddenly finds herself flung into the roller-coaster life of the fashion world, guided by George, art-snob extraordinaire. In a glamorous makeover of body, mind and soul, she is turned from a hapless bookworm into her friends' own exclusive clothing model.

There are various cameos by characters from another manga of Ai Yazawa's called Gokinjo Monogatari. However, I don't believe that the manga is nearly as good as Paradise Kiss. With this one, the most intriguing aspect of the story is definitely the relationship between Yukari and George. It isn't like most other shoujos, in which the whole plot revolves around the pairing. Although their relationship is an important factor that shapes the five volumes, it is portrayed in such a way that continuously keeps the readers guessing. The art is simply amazing. Every page is full of exciting, beautiful fashions. I think it's a must read for all inspiring designers.

Just like how Paradise Kiss was an escape for the main characters of the story, this story became a small escape of mine. The manga has spawned an anime series and has fans around the world. It's been translated to at least ten different languages. I recommend checking it out whenever you have time.

Second Part

2009-01-11T17:29:00.004-05:00

Someone asked me whether or not I knew about the second part of a manhwa.

Which manhwa??

I know that there are side stories to some of the manhwa I've talked about, such as Cat Street.

A story

2008-12-28T00:07:00.000-05:00

Soon to come...

Manga Review: Mars

2008-12-24T22:05:00.001-05:00

Shoujo: Mars
Author: Fuyumi Soryo
Genres: Drama, Romance
Rating: 8/10

I feel that this is one of the most emotionally engaging manga series I have ever read. I reread it pretty recently, but had to wait a week before reviewing it because my sense of ardour would simply overwhelm my review had I attempted it then. The characters were so engaging, and so beautifuly crafted, that I actually felt a sense of loss by the end. It is truly an inspirational piece of artwork, and deserves to be remembered by all manga readers. It brings back memories of Conversations Between Us, for those who have read Solangel's internet novel.

The plotline's streamlined berth allows it to delve much deeper into its themes than most mangas. The story revolves around an introverted artist, Kira and a playboy motorcycle rider, Rei. The two first meet when Rei asks Kira for directions to a local hospital, and Kira draws him a map. On the back of the map is a sketch of a mother holding her child, and Rei becomes intrigued by the drawing and the artist. In school, the two find out that they're classmates, and a series of events soon lead Rei into posing for Kira as a model, in return for a painted version of the sketch on the back of the map.

Seems innocent enough, right? This story takes some huge turns within the first few volumes (there are 15 in total). The issues it deals with are dark and oftentimes painful. The drama is a little overwhelming at times, but one cannot deny the beauty of the characters themselves. While Kira takes a little getting used to, Rei keeps true to his nature. Since Kira is a painfully shy girl, it is often difficult to understand her, much less like her throughout the series. This gives way to little support for some of her actions. Rei, on the other hand, lights up every frame he's in. He draws people to him like moths to a flame (as befitting his prescribed social status) and perhaps even the most relatable of all the characters. Though one might wonder at the extent of his recklessness, he's surprisingly engaging due to the impossibility of having an equal counterpart in real life. The two turn out to be a very balanced pair.

Had the art itself been anything less than what it was, Mars would not garner such widespread attention. There are no excessive details, and the author takes no shortcuts in drawing anything. Everything is displayed realistically, and it's simply impossible to read market trash after going through this series. It is difficult to describe the extent of Soryo's talent, but her portrayal of every one of her character deserves to be applauded. Their stance, their expressions, the setting... her drawings define the better qualities of manga.

One of the most memorable moments of the manga (guess what the statue is of):

Though I loved almost everything about the series, I was bothered by the often gloomy atmosphere. There were moments of surprising clarity and fluidity, but most of the time I felt the manga was shrouded in a tremendously depressing perspective of their adventures. Then again, I suppose the issues in this story requires such a setting. This manga is not for the faint of heart.

As one of the members of my top ten, I encourage you to check it out.

~~~

I have read too many books to count in the space of a week. I am currently stuck on some epic fantasies (wrong move there, I've now got a billion pages on my hands). I've read Green Rider, First Rider's Call, Medalon, Treason Keep, and will attempt to finish Harshini soon. On the non-epic scale, I read the YA novel Another Kind of Cowboy (don't ask). I reread Paradise Kiss (def. reviewing this one) and a few others that I've forgotten the name of. I would like to review everything, but I simply don't know how to fit it into my Holiday schedule. Dropping everything and going off to Columbus in a few days would further cut away at the time I have to work on important things. Doesn't matter, I will get my hands on The Hunger Games soon, and it better be fantastic.

English Rain

2008-12-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

Poem: In Your Mind

Author: Carol Ann Duffy

The other country, is it anticipated or half-remembered?

Its language is muffled by the rain which falls all afternoon

one autumn in England, and in your mind

you put aside your work and head for the airport

with a credit card and a warm coat you will leave

on the plane. The past fades like newsprint in the sun.

You know people there. Their faces are photographs

on the wrong side of your eyes. A beautiful boy

in the bar on the harbour serves you a drink – what? –

asks you if men could possibly land on the moon.

A moon like an orange drawn by a child. No.

Never. You watch it peel itself into the sea.

Sleep. The rasp of carpentry wakes you. On the wall,

a painting lost for thirty years renders the room yours.

Of course. You go to your job, right at the old hotel, left,

then left again. You love this job. Apt sounds

mark the passing of the hours. Seagulls. Bells. A flute

practising scales. You swap a coin for a fish on the way home.

Then suddenly you are lost but not lost, dawdling

on the blue bridge, watching six swans vanish

under your feet. The certainty of place turns on the lights

all over town, turns up the scent on the air. For a moment

you are there, in the other country, knowing its name.

And then a desk. A newspaper. A window. English rain.

Book Review: Graceling

2008-12-11T21:56:00.005-05:00

Book Review: Graceling

Author: Kristen Cashore

Genres: Fantasy, YA

Rating: 3.5/5

The fact that I am the first person from my library to borrow this book is surprising but understandable, considering its inconspicuous hiding place. It was sitting in a dusty corner of the very lowest shelf, among books whose widths span the length of my hand. I happen to have a gift for finding great books (by looking in places where only the mightiest of heart traverse), and I congratulate myself on discovering yet another jewel among paperback trash (ie. Mates, Dates, etc books). However, I shall not indulge the reason behind why I picked it up (Ok, fine - the cover looked pretty), and will contend myself with simply providing you with my personal account.

Blend of jacket cover and my edits:

The setting is a familiar idea - a beautiful and fantastical land divided into seven countries. In this world, some people are born with an extreme skill - called Grace - and are often feared and exploited. Katsa, niece of King Randa of the Middluns, carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of Killing. For the most part, she is her uncle's toy, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anyone who displeases him.

When she meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, her life suddenly takes a drastic turn. She never expected to become Po's friend, or to learn the truth about his Grace and her own. And for the first time, it occurs to her that there is a more important calling beyond the borders of her world, a secret that has the power to destroy all seven kingdoms... with simply words alone.

The characters were absolutely enthralling. Unlike many other heroines, Katsa had absolute power over almost every aspect of her life. She was a refreshing change from the girls in distress who are always squalling to be saved. And Po? It is simply too easy to fall in love with him. His lazy arrogance tainted with surprising intuition makes for a great secondary character.

I found the plot elements especially creative. I never knew what was going to happen next, but I could see both the plausibility and logic when it did happen. The world Cashore created was rather comprehensive for a YA (and for a non heavy-duty fantasy), and there is definitely a lot of potential for future books in the same setting.

There were, however, a few aspects of the book I had qualms with. The climax was too short, and too pitiful an end to what the whole novel built up towards. The pacing was wonderful in the beginning, but turned erratic near the end. Again, the climax was less than satisfying, and though I would love the book to be longer if only to admire the characters some more, the end was much too stretched out. There is no point adding more to the plot if it doesn't amount to something, and Cashore was only good at tying up the strings of the subplot as opposed to the main political intrigue.

Graceling is not deep as it is entertaining. It makes for a great, light read, but if you're looking for something to make you cry and laugh, this isn't the book for you. Not a winter night's tale, but a good bus-stop/ boring-class/ read.
~~~

Next on my reading list? The Hunger Games, A Curse as Dark as Gold, and Book of a Thousand Days. I'm open to any recommendations (apparently the Sword of Truth series are quite good? I shudder at the length of the books in comparison to my free time). Can't wait till the Break - then I can get down to the heavy ones.

Book Review: Summers at Castle Auburn

2008-12-03T20:08:00.000-05:00

Book Review: Summers at Castle Auburn

Author: Sharon Shinn

Genres: Fantasy, Romance

Rating: 3.5/5

There are two large shelves dedicated to YA books at my public library. It is interesting to note that her books actually occupy a great percentage of that shelf space, though based on the two books I've read by her, I never felt that she deserved it. However, this is to show that I've never come across Summers at Castle Auburn.

Coriel is the illegitimate child of the noble Halsing line, and spends three months of every year at court. Though she often feels out of place in a society where every action is first weighed against the gain and loss of favour, she continues to visit court to see her adoring half-sister, Elisandra. Elisandra is engaged to Prince Bryan, and though Coriel is at first infatuated with him, she soon begins to see the dark undercurrents beneath the idyllic life at Castle Auburn.

For a more comprehensive intro, click here.

The only major concern I had with the book was the great amount of ambiguity associated with the main character's feelings. Usually, I'm able to establish a great and understanding relationship with the main character and can perceive what he/she feels through her thoughts and actions However, Coriel was always a two dimensional character to me. She behaved in ways that suprised me, and it was only the justifications that the author provided afterwards that anything was truly explained. Had her character been logistically developed, I would have understood Coriel's actions a little better. Perhaps this sort of equivocal shadowing was on purpose, but I believe it could have been pulled off much better.

Apart from the perceptual shallowness of the story, I loved Shinn's vivid descriptions. She has the ability to paint beautiful pictures within the readers' minds. The pacing left little to be desired, and she was exceptional at crafting language between the lines. Not only does this book have a creative plotline, Shinn is great at solving the problems she creates within the story. This makes for a fast and absorbing read.

It is without reservations that I recommend this book.

Comments on the Prince of Tides

2008-12-01T20:44:00.004-05:00

I'm currently reading The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy and hating it. Then again, I've only read the first 100 pages detailing endless descriptions of how depressing his family is. I truly don't see the point of using a page to document the fact that a woman is sitting silently in a mental hospital and what that possibly might mean.

"My sister did not move. Her spirit had been subtracted out of her flesh. There was a mineral stillness to her repose, an immaculate divinity to the black ensemble of her catatonia... There is integrity in the vow of silence and something sacred in the renounciation of movement. It is the quietest human drama of the soul undone, the solemn dress rehearsal for death itself. I had not seen my sister not move before...blah blah blah... And, she had added, she could not hurt herself when she was not moving"... and only a page more of the description of the fact that his sister was silent and not moving.

I hate pointless reiterations, especially in the type of language he uses.

Why?

1) Is he showing off the fact he can string together stuff like "an immaculate divinity to the black ensemble of the catatonia"? Not only is this a gross exaggeration of the simple point he wanted to convey in the first place, it becomes meaningless junk after the 2nd page of this stuff.

2) Why does he need to even talk about this pointless scene for a whole page? He could have easily said:

"She was huddled into the corner of the white-washed walls of the hospital. Silent and unmoving, her blank expression stirred in my mind the impression of the dead."... or something to that effect.

3) Though his flowery language is nice to read once in a while, it detracts from the possible influence it could have had, had it been used sparingly and at a point that deserved such a description.

In addition, I especially hate the unrealistic nature of his characters. Take this for example:

Tom (the main character) has just been informed by his wife that she is cheating on him.

This is his reply: "May I please know who it is?"

And this is coming from a person who's self-admittedly cynical and tremendously contemptuous of others due to the fact that his sister is a suicidal maniac and his father is in jail for murder. Not only is he often disrespectful to others, his ego is impossible to deal with. Soaked in self-pity, he believes that his miserable life deserves much more attention than what others are giving him.

This is his thought process (I made it up) --> "Oh my god! Our family was so dysfunctional that my sister had to move to New York, the most detestable city in the world! You can just see how bad my family was to push her to such a drastic action!"

I can't handle Conroy's meaningless babble anymore. The only interesting parts are when he's (Tom) recounting the story of his childhood to a psychiatrist and using a lot less adjectives. Had the characters been alive and real, I'd fully understand why his sister would go mad in this family - the narrator is simply too much to listen to.

- Keep in mind, however, I've only read 100 of the 650 pages, and he hasn't even begin explaining why his whole family is in this outrageously depressive and homicidal mood.

Manga Review: H2O

2008-11-23T18:20:00.012-05:00

Shoujo: H2O
Author: Hwang Sook Ji
Genres: Friendship, Comedy, Romance, Shoujo
Rating: 8.5/10

I was perhaps three volumes in when this manga found a place within my top ten favourites list. Even after reading countless novels and mangas, I still haven't been able to determine the recipe for the perfect literary escape, but whatever it may be, H2O has hit pretty close to home. Its originality is absolutely refreshing, and the humour is both witty and at times satirical. The story is told through the interactions of numerous charactes, and provides a fascinating perspective on the tiresome hustle and bustle of student life.

Occasionally, one wonders if the subtle humour found in the dialogue can be considered as well-disguised social commentary - especially regarding some of the issues that are brought to light in the plot.

Short Summary from Baka-Updates:

Menga is simply known as the vice rep and is bullied. Hanako has moved to Korea but was robbed the first day and has nothing. Na Hong Soo is known as a troublemaker and is in constant trouble. And Eechan is the student body president, very popular and known as Bacchus. It seems they have nothing in common but all of this will change soon.

On another note, the story is both engaging and relatable. Nothing seems overly dramatic, though upon further consideration, this might be because of the realistic portrayal of human reactions to rather dramatic situations that allow for this feeling of easy relatability than a drab plotline.

To be honest, this was perhaps the first manga that had me questioning who was in fact the main character. I then realized that there were two, and that every character (both main and supporting) were so well developed that it was like a third person narrative. This is a rare phenomemon due to the fact that manga artist/authors tend portray their stories in first person, allowing for an easy relationship to form between the reader and main character. In this case, though this attempt was tremendously creative and original, I always felt that there was a sense of distance between the characters and the reader. For once, I was a bystander, and I have to admit that it's only fun for the first time.

The art, on the other hand, is close to flawless. I dislike mangas by artists who take the shortcut and draw small, shapeless features for their characters when given the chance. Example:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- exaggerated features

- shapeless characters

- crowded spaces

- pointless frames

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Instead, I prefer work by artists who adhere to attention and detail. Example from H2O:

- attention to detail
- accurate drawings
- realistic
- beatiful expressions
- large, simple frames

There are instances where bad artwork can be ignored - when the plotline is overwhelmingly good. (Itazura na Kiss). Other times, great artwork can substitute for a mundane or slow plotline (Bride of the Watergod). Most of the time, however, artwork and content go hand in hand. H2O is such an example.

It is definitely a manhwa to check out.

- Annie

Memories

2008-11-22T01:03:00.001-05:00

This is a featured poem by lili3.
Thank you for your wonderful contribution!

Memories

By: Lili3

Did you have memory that stayed through your head a long while?

If it was a memory of the first time you realized that you’ve gotten taller by an inch in the morning

Or if it was the memory of imagining the life and world of the people in the cars passing by in traffic, and how much affection and care did they have or gave to the passenger

Was there a memory of a loved one cry in your presence that affected you deeply that you might even remember it on the hospital bed with the doctor beating his fist on you’re the left side of your chest

Sometimes, people save these memories in their mind, even if it wasn’t special, but was a small connections or an encounter with a stranger

Would it be the memory of the early mornings in the school bus waving back to the kids in the other car?

Or when exchanging a smile with a waitress in a diner?

Normal people would say that’s just foolish to remember any single detail of a passing stranger, but who are they to define normal if they do the same thing as every human does

Some memories unwarily leaves, with no alert or a sign of it, just walk out of the door leaving chunks or bits

People wonder how they could possibly forget the date of their first greetings with their first love in their lifetime

People also wonder how they would forget the pictures of their old friends in an old floppy disk

They also wonder how couldn’t they realize that their children has matured a lot that they already got a job at an office and sometimes came back home drunk or drugged

If it was possible, if you can collect all the memories from everyone around the world

Think … how a heart would understand countless experiences of hardship or happiness that large and big crates couldn’t hold

Think … of the people that created those memories, how they felt, how they lived it, and how it possessed them for a few seconds of a minute while laying down on their bed before falling in a deep sleep

Keep a memo to yourself how wonderful a memory means, how emotions it carries and how it just attracts a simple attention from you

....

A Card!

2008-11-20T19:53:00.000-05:00

I recently received this. Thanks!

Manga Review: Cat Street

2008-11-18T15:36:00.004-05:00

Shoujo: Cat Street
Author: Yoko Kamio
Genres: Drama, Friendship, Romance
Rating: 8.5/10

This is the second work I've read by Yoko Kamio, and I only need to mention that the first was Hana Yori Dango before I can see you nodding with appreciation and acknowledgement. Like all other works by Kamio, this story is raw inspiration. I have never read a manga that portrayed the relatable themes of friendship and life in such a pure and unaffected manner. The lack of excessive frills allows Kamio to put more emphasize on the genuinity of her characters and the relationships they develop. This sincere dipiction of the strength that lies within the fraility of human nature is what makes this manga stand out and above others in the same genre.

From Condensation:

The story centers around Keito Aoyama, a former famous child actor. Due to a childhood incident, she retired from her career early and withdrew from normal society. Now 16, she passes her days in boredom and without purpose. One day she runs into a stranger who takes her to El Liston - a free school for high school students like herself, who don't have a place where they belong. Though hesitant at first, Keito decides to enter El Liston and subsequently, she begins a new stage in her life. With the help of her only remaining childhood friend, Taiyou, and her new classmates Rei, Momiji, and Kouichi, Keito slowly finds the courage to open up to others and to accept their support. Will Keito return to acting? Will she find true friends? Love?

It is difficult to find faults with Kamio's artwork. Her ability to capture the emotions of her characters is exceptional. These characters come alive for you. At the same time, it is all too easy for place yourself in to any one of their shoes and find yourself swept along in a life-changing experience. By the end of the manga, it felt as if I'd lived a lifetime in the space of a winter afternoon.

Simply said, Cat Street is a must-read.

2008-11-13T17:25:00.000-05:00

I wrote the following passage as a narrative from the perspective of one of the characters of a famous book. Can you guess which character, and which book? And, if you're really good, the situation of the narrative?

~
Birds chirped while a gentle breeze swept passed by and ruffled my fur as I led the group towards our home. It was a big escarpment lined with a thin belt of large trees at the ridge where the hill flattened out. The sky was a clear and crisp blue dotted with translucent clouds that were too small to form any significant shapes. It was like those winter mornings when the sun stretched its lazy rays across the horizon. Every little insect and bug was full of life, buzzing nosily while flying here and there, never stopping long enough for a predator to take notice. The grass was moist with tiny droplets of dew, which slid off every time something moved nearby. All these activity was inconspicuous to me though; I was busy worrying about Bigwig’s wound, what was to become of us, and our future home.
~

Comment if you know the answer.

I finished Persepolis and True Stories from the Nation's ERs (actually over the weekend). I've been stretched to the max this week.
Number of tests this week: 3
Number of assignments/ labs due: 4
Other important stuff: 1000000

Why am I blogging, then? Because it's a good stress reliever, just like orisinal.com.
Persepolis is a good book to review, and I think I should be reviewing some mangas (but there's no time to read!)

A Middle School Project

2008-11-10T21:15:00.000-05:00

I was on Freewebs today and suddenly remembered old websites I had on there (I made them during my website craze in middle school). I visited all of them and found only one that remains. I guess perhaps it's because it's the only one I've updated after graduating from middle school - for a grade nine math class, to be sure.

The site is about stock markets, and if you have the time, check it out.

www.freewebs.com/stock_market

My other sites ranged from an indepth analysis about books like the Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz to the world economy. I wish those weren't deleted.

Book Review: Notes of a War Story

2008-11-07T17:17:00.008-05:00

I love visiting the library because I always come home with a few good books that I can add permanently to my own small library of books. My library sells books that have been withdrawn from the system for only 25 cents, and really, where else can you find a deal like that?

One of the books I recently took home was Notes for a War Story, by Gipi. It was translated from Italian (I believe) into English by Alexis Siegel. Before I go on any further, I must point out that this book is a comic book, done in green and black overtones.

Comic: Notes for a War Story
Author: Gipi
Genres: War, Friendship
Rating: 7/10

As the title suggests, Notes for a War Story deals with a trio of friends during an unnamed war in what is perceived to be modern times. To survive, the three resort to petty crimes and eventually find themselves under the tutelage of a thug named Felix. From there, their actions escalate in immorality, which is undeniably linked to higher risks and consequences. It is from these wartime adventures that we begin to understand each character's background and the road they've chosen for themselves.

The narrator is Giuliano, who gave up a life of certain privilege to be with his friends - Christian and Stephano, dubbed the "Little Killer". The camaraderie that builds between these three friends is their way of dealing with circumstances of the war. However, there is an inevitable bridge that the narrator cannot cross, as he has a past with a family that he does not want to forget, while Christian and Stephano can only look forward to tomorrow to escape theirs.

It is Gipi's exploration of the relationship between these lost boys and their perceptions of the world around them that speaks volumes. The cry for humanity in a world that has lost touch with morality and order is visible in each character's urge to connect with something that holds sentimental value - from Christian's admiration of a perfect home to Stephano's willingness to connect with Felix, the father he never had.

Though it's fictional, the book is filled with very fine observations that go far in the development of characters. Throughout the book, these boys transform from subjects of examination into animated livelihoods, holding the readers captive in the way they speak, look and act. The art seems entirely too appropriate for the content of the book, with dark shades of green and gray daunting every page.

Nothing is truly resolved in this book, but this is simply a reflection of the lives that go on after the ravage of the war. Gipi has outdone himself with the curiosity he provokes in the readers and the pure, emotional impact of an imaginary world that is only one step away from reality.

One cannot read this book and not be affected in some way.

~~~~~~~
I'm happy today because I just received a new copy of Persepolis today for free. It's interesting - Remembrance Day is coming up and I'm reading numerous war books.

I've been out these past few days due to my busy schedule and lack of inspiration. I needed some time to relax and read - the weekend provided ample opportunity. I should be preparing for a very important interview, but I'm currently hooked on a nonfiction I picked up out of curiosity - True Stories from the Nation's ER. It has proved to be worth much more than it cost ($0.25), and has literally made me laugh and cry.

Couch Potato Conglomerate

2008-10-29T16:24:00.004-04:00

This is the essay that was published in Challenge the Experts. It's a variation from my usual form of formal writing, and I only had two hours to work on it. The topic is: Many experts believe that voter turnout continues to decline because people have lost faith in their political leaders. Do you agree or disagree? and Why?

Couch Potato Conglomerate

By: Annie Li

Theodore Roosevelt once coined the phrase “A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.” Neither the target nor the rifle has changed, so the fault is ultimately bequeathed to the user. The 1960s marked the gradual decline of voter turnout, and statistics reveal that the waning is predominantly determined by young voters. In a decade that saw mankind extend its fingers to touch the moon, it is necessary to recognize the debut of the tributaries of technology. Media propelled the debutantes of society onto a world stage and assumed the directorial position to advertise the indulgent behaviour that keeps voters grounded at home. This time, it is not a struggle against the red flags of foreign powers or their axes of evil to preserve democracy.

Instead, it is a fight against the couch potato conglomerates. Modern political leaders continue to trudge solidly along the steps hollowed out by the dedicated individuals who first intoned democracy. It is the masses that constantly writhe in fevered inconsistency, easily influenced by remote obligations and heedless of the ramifications of their conduct. The youths of today are confined within the materialistic ventures of Ipods and MP4s, spending 25 hours of their 24 hour day tapping away at computers. The immature citizenry tolerate extravagant lifestyles that far surpass society’s romantic view of civic duty. Every action is first evaluated against the effort and energy consumed as opposed to the consequences. In this case, though the leaders have not lost their appeal, it is simply too much of a hassle to vote.

Indifference and apathy are also major contributors to a declining voter turnout. Throughout the history of democracy, the value of one vote is often regarded as insignificant when placed adjacent to the whole. Though this fact will never change, when it is coupled with the belief of a ballooning population, it is much too discouraging. It is not the loss of faith that stimulates a conscientious voter to maintain sufficient distance from a ballot. There is no lack of remarkable political leaders, nor is there a lack of political passion. In this day and age, the enormous time commitment essential to understanding the party platforms and the candidates themselves is too expensive for many to consider while maintaining a fast-paced lifestyle.

The overexposure of the electoral campaigns to the public years before the actual election is another disincentive. On the other hand, while smear campaigns and attack advertisements aimed to reduce candidate credibility does trigger a loss of faith in the government, it in turn encourages the public to take action. To uphold the standards of democracy, it is necessary to utilize a more dramatic approach to resolve the conflict. Perhaps Australia’s compulsory voting system should be adopted - a breath of fresh air to poke fun at the idle clouds.

---

Some parts are quite awkward when I read it now - but I suppose it's because I never had the chance to let it sit and then go back to it. I wrote it in one setting without doing a proper rough copy and hardcopy edits. The last sentence is a specific example. I was actually trying to link the image of clouds with the image of potatoes (which then links to couch potatoes) in the readers' minds, but I don't think it was as effective as it could have been.

However, I do believe the essay discusses several issues regarding the decline in voter turnout, none of which is caused by the lack of faith in political leaders. If you didn't believe in the person who was representing you, wouldn't you do something to change that state of disatisfaction? You'd want to be more involved, as opposed to staying away. In addition, I don't believe that our current political leaders are necessarily less capable of fulfilling their duties than previous leaders. In the end, everything really depends on public image.

Malaysia!

2008-10-25T11:18:00.007-04:00

Earlier this year, I won a trip to Malaysia (cool, huh?) and went away with a couple of other students for eleven days. I have to say that it was an experience of a lifetime.

My friend (one of the students who went on the trip) said this about it: (my comments are in blue)

Once the thrilled students stepped foot on Malaysian soil, they were immediately greeted by the warm 30 degree weather, a well earned break from the frigid subzero climate of Canada at the time. They were able to experience an incomprehensible spectrum of experiences from traditional to modern. For a few days, the participants found themselves navigating the labyrinth of bustling streets of the capital city Kuala Lumpur. This city has more bombardier rapid transit trains than Toronto, some which are even driverless. Here the students experienced places ranging from historical sites to houses of worship of several religions.

[We had to transfer at Taipei, and you could just feel the humidity and warmth of the air. Coolest thing about their transit is the section that's in the air.]

One evening, students were aggressively bargaining with street vendors in Petaling Street, a famed market in the city’s Chinatown. Another evening they were exploring the several floors full of brand named stores ranging from Gucci to Adidas at the Suria KLCC, a grand shopping complex at the foot of the majestic Patronus Twin Towers lit up in full glory beneath the night skies.

[I bought a shirt at Petaling St. for 20 ringgits, and then found the same shirt at the KLCC for a couple hundred.]

The students braved some 272 steps to reach the Batu Caves on the outskirts of the city. These caves are a Hindu pilgrimage site with ornate carvings and a population of friendly local monkeys who enjoy munching on food thrown by visitors.

[I fed a monkey an orange! I'm not so sure now that it was so wise - considering it was a wild monkey and it was hanging off my arm. But still very cool!

There's my monkey.]

The Canadian students also had the opportunity to tour a local Malaysian school and learn about local students of their age.

[That's a small sentence to sum up a big experience. They put on special performances and had special food prepared for us at the school. Their cooking classes are like the ones you read about in mangas - where each student has a little desk and has the opportunity to make stuff.]

Since the experience was government funded, students enjoyed a private bus as well as enthusiastic tour guides. The lavish and colourful bus was decorated with intricate patterns and glossy curtains. Thanks to this bus, the students were able to get out of the big city and head elsewhere. One morning students found themselves eating a decorative seafood lunch at the Putrajaya Seafood Restaurant, which is essentially a hut floating alongside a lakefront with dazzling views of the house of the Prime Minister, the 116 metre minaret of the Putra Mosque, and other architectural marvels within the administrative capital of Putrajaya. That very evening they devoured dinner sitting down on the floor and using nothing but their right hands to go through large portions of rice, vegetables, and meat plated on banana leaves and all grown in their very own backyards. They were now at the Kampung Dorani Homestay, a traditional Kampung village that offers foreign visitors a taste of traditional life.

[Yeah - the bus was pretty awesome. But on the topic of food - we were served really well. The restaurant he's describing there floats on a lake and has the most amazing view ever.

This (the pic) is what we could see.

The Homestay is my fav. part of the whole trip - as you will see later.]

At the homestay, the students experienced the true Malaysia. There were vibrant green rice paddies as far as the eye could see dotted with Kampungs, traditional colourful wooden Malaysian homes on stilts. In pairs, the students spent two nights with foster families, immersed in their gracious hospitality and the Malay language. Some of the families spoke little English. Students also experienced several traditional activities including eel fishing in the rice paddies, batik painting, and bahulu “kite” making. They also went to a colourful traditional Malaysian wedding, local food processing industries, and even on a river cruise to watch a rare sight of thousands of synchronized flashing fireflies.

[This is the only line that most of us learned on the two hour trip to the countryside. “Di Mana Saya Pergi Tandas?” The line literally translates to “Where I go washroom?” The picture below was taken by another friend on one of the mornings.

The homestay experience took my breath away. We split off into pairs and had our own "family". My partner and I ended up with a family that lived in the cutest house ever! They had a coconut tree in the front of their driveway and their house was painted in yellows, oranges, greens and blues. Our room was richly decorated (with a wedding-style bed - hahahaha) and had windows that overlooked the red flower bushes.

I wrote this in my "journal":

The sweet aftertaste of the cold coconut juice we were greeted with lingered until we’d split up into pairs and left with the “Father” we were introduced to. Sitting on what would be Canada’s driver’s side of the car and driving on the other side of the road was a new experience for me. Our car speeded past stocked mango stands as we weaved through the small, close-knit community. The house we were brought to seemed to come right out of a storybook. The driveway was lined with bright green bushes overgrown with red flowers. A coconut tree stood high beside the house, weighed down by the clusters of coconuts that reached for the ground. The colour of the house was a bright yellow orange, highlighted by beautiful, flat paneled shutters. Looking out from the second story window into the endless blue sky and mango grooves, Malaysia never seemed more real.

It's impossible to express everything that happened there, but I'll describe what I believe were the two coolest things.

Kite making was absolutely amazing. It wasn't too difficult, and I was the first person to go out and fly my kite. The sky was endlessly blue - and the wind was just perfect. All the coconut trees were swaying a bit on the side of the road, and my kite just flew up into the air.

There were a few times when it got caught on some weird eddies and started twisting, but soon, it was up as high as it could go.

I can't describe that feeling - simply standing near a paddie field and watching a kite fly on forever.

(I had to magnify my camera like 12 times to take this picture. It flew up really high.)

The other experience was the rain. It rained a couple of times in the short time we were there. But it wasn't the wet and disgusting kind you get in the city. It was seeing nature in nature. I remember the couple of us kicking around a coconut (as a soccer ball) after a whole day of activities (such as eel-fishing), and just running around the area created by the house stilts. Next thing we knew - the sky had turned dark blue and large splatters of rain were dropping from the sky. Within moments, it just started pouring.

A section from my "journal" again:

The sun that’d bathed the world in such bright light hid its face behind the clouds. Within moments, buckets of rain poured down in torrents, cutting us away from the rest of the world, in a place where life could be simple and happy. Where stress could find no foothold in the confines of such tranquility. Where laughter trickled alongside the water.

And it was true. I had no worries, no unpleasant thoughts, and felt a certain kind of peacefulness that I haven't encountered since.

Though this is an old image of a more traditional house than the homestay headquarters (where everyone goes to for the activities), just imagine standing underneath the house and feeling the rain blow in. It's unforgettable.

And rainbows, amazingly, aren't a rare sight. You can see one almost after every rainfall. ]

Another day, the students found themselves within the historical city of Melaka along the Straits of Malacca, once a prominent Portuguese seaport for the great spice trades. Highlights from this town include its authentic cuisine influenced by a variety of cultures. Students enjoyed a Portuguese influenced dinner and a Nyonya lunch, which is a complex style of cuisine utilizing a variety of spices and is influenced by local migrants from China and India throughout the past few centuries who married into Malaysian families. One night, the students cruised around town in trishaws, three-wheeled cycles topped with colourful sheaths of a variety of artificial flowers and designs. These vehicles dazzled as they traversed the roads flashing with flashing bright lights ranging from green to orange while blasting out their loud radios. They squeezed through every street corner from the bright red lanterns and Chinese flavour of the Jhonker Street markets, to the colonial styled churches and elegant gardens of the Dutch square, and even down the pristine riverfront.

[Trishaw experience!

That's what a trishaw looks like.

We also ate at a very modern seafood restaurant where there was a live performer. The couple of us sang rowdy English songs at the "stage".... and took secret pictures of a goodlooking bartender.]

After nine days of the jam-packed Malaysian experience, the Canadian students headed on the nearly 30-hour journey home. Each one carried with them at least 300 Malaysian Ringgits ($100 Canadian) worth of Malaysian crafts, imitation brand-named clothing, souvenir key chains, and tea back to the land of hockey, Tim Horton’s and the CN Tower, which to the students was now dwarf in comparison to the Petronas Towers. It was a sad wave goodbye to the smiles and hospitality of the great Asian nation. This unbelievable experience has opened the world and all it has to offer to the students. Malaysia is a must-see for everyone!

[He didn't mention our night in Kuala Lumpur - when we went into the megamall at the bottom of the Petronas Towers and then hanged around the park that surrounded the city centre. KL is super green. They've got trees everywhere. When we were swimming on the outdoor ninth-floor swimming pool, they had trees dotting the border of the pool and tennis court.]

I had some serious issues with going back. I kind of didn't want to.

I'm def. going back to visit someday.

- Annie

Ps. And the 30 hour plane ride wasn't that bad. I watched at least three newly released movies and played tons of video games. Asian airlines are pretty cool.

Pps. One of my hotel rooms (We always had a good view):

Manga/Anime Review: Artist Recommendation: Hayao Miyazaki

2008-10-21T19:18:00.009-04:00

Artist Recommendation: Hayao Miyazaki
Director, Artist, etc

I have always loved Miyazaki's films.

It is amazing that I encountered each of his works individually and loved them beyond words before realizing that it was one artist behind all of them.

My favourite movie ever is called Kiki's Delivery Service, and though it's very childish to admit that now, I can't help but love it. I watched it during one of those long lazy summers when I was still in elementary school, and haven't watched anything since that made me feel even close to what I felt then.

It was more than inspiration and hope - it was almost magical. Every time I think about the movie, I think about how it would feel to just fly above a beautiful coast city and enjoy the wind blowing by. What would life be like in a world where you could live each day as it comes, with no expectations or worries or fear of letting life escape through your hands in carelessness?

Then came movies like Castle in the Sky and My Neighbor Totoro. Could anyone watch them and not love them inexplicably? Watching each moment of the movie became feeling each of those moments, and I simply didn't want them to end.

I remember the day I watched Spirited Away. I wasn't even aware of the man named Hayao Miyazaki at that point. In fact, I was a bit miffed that Spirited Away won the Academy Award as opposed to Spirit (the movie about the horse), and didn't hold it in high regard.
It was after the movie ended that I realized I had been holding my breath for the last few moments, hoping to make the "magic" last just a little bit longer. The music, the scenery, the art, the characters - everything was just so perfect. I turned from a skeptic into an advocate.

I couldn't believe it when I found out that Miyazaki was going to make one of the most enchanting fantasy books - Howl's Moving Castle, into a movie. I nearly died of happiness.

I suddenly had countless screensavers saved on my laptop from the movie and my ipod was filled with every song from Howl's Moving Castle. Sophie and Howl became common names to me, and I looked forward to every update by Studio Ghibli.

Since then, I have watched every movie made by Hayao Miyazaki, and have been touched every time. I don't know how he does it, but the fact that I'm not the only person who's been influenced by his works is a testament of his ability to create beautiful masterpieces.

Here's a list of his works.

~~~

Director, screenplay, and storyboards

Yuki's Sun 1972 (Pilot film for a never-realized anime series)
Future Boy Conan, 1978 anime series
The Castle of Cagliostro, 1979 film
Sherlock Hound, 1982 anime series
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, 1984 film
Laputa: Castle in the Sky, 1986 film
My Neighbor Totoro, 1988 film
Kiki's Delivery Service, 1989 film
Porco Rosso, 1992 film
Princess Mononoke, 1997 film
Spirited Away, 2001 film (winner, Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, 2002)
Howl's Moving Castle, 2004 (nominee, Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, 2005)
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, 2008 film

Shorts

On Your Mark, 1995 music video for Chage and Aska
The Whale Hunt, 2001 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum)
Koro's Big Day Out, 2001 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum)
Mei and the Kittenbus, 2002 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum)
Imaginary Flying Machines, 2002 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum as a part of the exhibited material)
Ornithopter Story: Fly! Hiyodori Tengu Go!, 2002 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum as a part of the exhibited material)
Monmon the Water Spider, 2006 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum)
House-hunting, 2006 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum)
The Day I Harvested A Star, 2006 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum)
Film Guruguru, ? (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum as a part of the exhibited material)[26]

Scene design, layout

Heidi, Girl of the Alps, 1974 anime series
3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, 1976 anime series
Anne of Green Gables, Episodes 1-15, 1979 anime series
Concept, screenplay, storyboards, scene design, key animation

Panda! Go, Panda!, 1972 short film

Screenplay, storyboards, scene design, art design, key animation

Panda! Go Panda! and the Rainy-Day Circus (パンダコパンダ雨降りサーカスの巻, Panda Kopanda: Amefuri Sākasu no Maki?), 1973 short film

Screenwriter, storyboards, executive producer, sequence director

Whisper of the Heart, 1995 film

Story consultant, key animation, storyboards, scene design

Animal Treasure Island (どうぶつ宝島, Dōbutsu Takarajima?), 1971

Key animation, storyboards, scene design

Hols: Prince of the Sun, 1968 film

Organizer, key animation, storyboards

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (アリババと４０匹の盗賊, Aribaba to Yonjūbiki no Tozuku?), 1971

Key animation, storyboards, design

Puss 'n Boots, 1969 film
Flying Phantom Ship, 1969 film

~~~

Even after everything, my favourite is still Kiki's Delivery Service. It brings back memories of ripe blackberries, geese eggs, and a bright green summer.

I wish I can recapture that feeling I had when I watched it for the first time, though I am unsure...
if it's anticipated or half-remembered.

Interview: Premier Dalton McGuinty

2008-10-19T22:50:00.002-04:00

This interview took countless emails and several months to arrange. This was before I got on to Toronto's Supercouncil, so I suppose it would be somewhat simpler now. In the end, it was really nice how he answered each question in-depth.

My Interview with Premier Dalton McGuinty
1. What did you aspire to be when you were in high school?

Growing up, I always wanted to be a doctor. I grew up in a large family. I have nine brothers and sisters … and that’s a lot of dirty dishes. My mom would ask me, as one of the oldest, to help out a lot around the house. I would say to her “but mom, these are surgeon’s hands.”

My mother would have been happy if I’d followed that path. She had plans for her sons to become doctors and physiotherapists and dentists, so we could look after her. But we became lawyers instead.

A lot of people don’t know this but I actually went to university for biology. It’s funny how life turns out.

Don’t worry if you don’t know what you want to be. You’ll find your place … or it will find you.

2. What made you head down the political path?

I have been fortunate because I found my biggest sources of inspiration right at home. My mom and dad showed me a solid work ethic, and taught us all to always look out for those around us.

My father was the MPP for Ottawa South — where I am MPP now — and taught us about the value of public service so I was inspired to follow in his footsteps.

I asked for this job so I can make changes to improve the quality of life for all Ontarians. Especially changes to improve education, to improve the quality of our health care and to build on the strength of our economy.

There was a saying in my family: “None of us is as strong as all of us working together.”

I got into public service because I want to make sure that every Ontarian finds the opportunity they need to succeed here. And we can only do that when we work, build and dream together.

3. What do you like about your job?

This is the best job there is, but I have no idea how long I’ll get to do it. So I’m enjoying it — the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows — and I always try to do what I won’t regret later.

And it doesn’t really matter what the world throws at us — I know Ontarians will always find a way to rise above.
What I really enjoy about the job is when I’m doing things that I know have a connection right in Ontario homes. So when we work together to bring class sizes down, or get kids with learning difficulties a little bit more help, or help families make their homes more ‘green’, or a grandmother or grandfather have a shorter wait-time for a hip replacement, those are the kinds of things I like best.

Those are the things that really make me feel good about the job of Premier.

4. What is the most difficult aspect of your job?

The most challenging part of the job is just trying to stay normal. There are so many demands that are unlike those most people have to grapple with — both in terms of time, and duties. You’ve got to show up at events, you’ve got to give speeches, and some days I think I actually spend more time talking to the media than to my own kids. Well, how normal is that?

5. Gun violence stemming from gang activity is an issue in many Ontario communities. What do you plan to do in schools to target this issue?

As a father, when I hear stories of young lives cut short by senseless gun violence it affects me deeply and personally.

And as Premier, I have a responsibility to take action, to get the guns off the streets, to show young people better choices and to put criminals who use guns in jail.

I believe in you. I believe that if given the right opportunities, you will make the right choices. That’s why we’re working hard to create opportunities for our young people.

Our government is committed to being tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime.

Over the next four years, we will double funding for our community use of schools program, so that space for after-school activities is affordable for all Ontario families and free in communities that need it most.

We’ve raised the school dropout age from 16 to 18 years old and supported that with new kinds of learning opportunities both inside and outside of school. Obviously, you’ll have a better life if you finish high school.

We will continue to work with police and community groups to add more prevention initiatives to our safe-schools strategy.

We have launched the $45 million Youth Challenge Fund and the $28.5 million Youth Opportunities Strategy to give young people, especially those in at risk communities, real opportunities to achieve a brighter future.

If there is even more we can do to make our students, schools and communities safer - and help young people make good choices - we have a responsibility to do everything we can.

We have to keep working together to get the guns off of our streets to create safer streets.

Gun violence is wrong - plain and simple. We cannot and will not become complacent in any way. We will continue to do all that we can to fight gun violence. Young people who pick up a gun will face the full force of the law.

6. Will you be proposing any new plans that will enhance the education in high schools in your new term?

Young people are our most precious resource, so when we invest in your education, we invest in our shared future.

We will build on our successes by expanding after-school homework help and introducing online homework help.

We will also expand Specialist High Skills Majors that will let you bundle courses to prepare for specific careers. You can also take advantage of dual credit programs, expanded co-operative education and innovative Lighthouse projects that could include credit recovery and alternative education.

Students are also receiving better support through new Student Success Teams, a dedicated team that provides extra attention and support when needed, and a new Grade 8-9 transition plan.

7. How are you targeting students that are dropping out and planning to drop out of high school?

We won’t give up on you.

Our government will continue working to improve graduation rates in our high schools, and ensure more young people keep learning beyond high school.

We will raise the graduation rate to 85 per cent by 2010 by expanding learning options for all students and by providing focused supports for students who are struggling academically and students at risk of dropping out.

Our government has introduced the Student Success/Learning to 18 Strategy that helps you stay in school until age 18.

8. What do you think about money going towards private religious schools?

Our government believes that our schools should be places where all our young people, from all faiths, come together to learn from one another and grow together.

I see tremendous diversity in our publicly funded schools. And that diversity is a tremendous source of strength for Ontario, as long as we continue to come together as Ontarians, the way we do in our publicly funded schools.

It would be wrong to disrupt the education of almost two million students — 95 per cent of all the students in Ontario, including the majority of students from every faith.

It would be wrong to divert our funds, and our energies, from our publicly funded schools to private religious schools.

We are focusing our resources, and our resolve on improving our publicly funded schools.

9. Students are becoming more environmentally aware as schools are bringing this issue into the classrooms - is Ontario aware?

There is a proverb that says “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”

Nothing is more important to our success, our quality of life, our future, and even our survival, than a clean, strong, healthy environment.

When it comes to climate change, it’s true that we can’t do everything. But we can all do something. We can all take action in our homes, in how we get around and in our schools and businesses.

We have launched two websites — http://www.obviously.ca/ for secondary students and www.ontario.ca/ezone for elementary students — that explain the challenges facing our planet and how you can take action to protect the environment.

We will make schools greener. We will make sure all new schools will conform to better energy efficiency standards. We are putting in place all of the recommendations of our Curriculum Council so that environmental education is part of every student's learning.

10. What message would you like to leave the students of Martingrove Collegiate Institute with?

I want to thank the students of Martingrove Collegiate for all your hard work. I want you to know that anything is possible. I mean anything.

When I was growing up, one of the things my parents impressed upon me was that all you had to do was work very hard and nothing could hold you back.

They taught us that where you start out in life is not relevant and that what counts is how hard you take hold of your opportunities to succeed.

You can overcome any obstacle — if you dream big, work hard and seize every opportunity.

I believe in you. With your energy, your enthusiasm, and your idealism, you have what it takes to build an even better Ontario, with a more prosperous economy, and a stronger society, in the years ahead.

Our job is to equip you with the education and skills you need so you can each reach your full potential.

1000 Marbles

2008-10-16T23:26:00.000-04:00

Though I hate chain letters, I couldn't help but feel touched by this one.

"1000 Marbles"
By: Anonymous

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable. A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the basement shack with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning, turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it.

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business.

He was telling whomever he was talking with something about "a thousand marbles."

I was intrigued and stopped to listen.

"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well, but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital."

He continued, "Let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities."

And that's when he began to explain his theory of a thousand marbles.

"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years." Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime.

Now stick with me Tom, I'm getting to the important part.

It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail, and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy.

So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to roundup 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.

Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight. Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.

It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. 75 year Old Man, this is K9NZQ, clear and going OUT, good morning!"

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast."

"What brought this on?" she asked with a smile.

"Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles."

MAY ALL SATURDAYS BE SPECIAL!

Book Review and Interview: Daughter of the Forest; Juliet Marillier

2008-10-13T01:52:00.001-04:00

Fiction: Daughter of the Forest
Author: Juliet Marillier
Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Romance

I remember that fateful day when I asked the librarian for an interesting fantasy novel and she picked one off the shelf, stuffed it in my hands and told me that I just had to read it. Little did I know that it would eventually become my favourite novel. If you’re a sucker for romance fantasy novels, perhaps you should flip through best-selling Daughter of the Forest and see how much you might like it.

Daughter of the Forest is basically a spin-off of a classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale called The Six Swans. Like numerous fairy tales, the main character Sorcha has to deal with an evil stepmother who not only spellbinds her father, but also curses her six brothers to become swans. Faced with the impossible task of overcoming challenging obstacles all on her own, Sorcha has to vow herself to silence and weave shirts of stinging nettles to break her brothers’ enchantment. However, with a twist of fate, Sorcha falls into the hands of the enemy, but also in love. Perhaps her biggest obstacle yet is deciding between “the life that she has always known and a love that comes only once”.

Unlike most fairy tale adaptations, Daughter of the Forest is not set against a backdrop of blue skies and pretty butterflies. More often than not, the impediments that Sorcha faces are realistic and meaningful. This is not a quick read, and sometimes deals with deep and grim situations. In addition, this novel also has a historic component to it. It’s set in Ireland and Britain in the ninth century, with a good description of the feud that pits both cultures against one another.

For the few days that I was engrossed in Daughter of the Forest, I think I was living in the world brought alive by Marillier’s “rich words”, as the librarian put it. I felt like I was brought to a world that I wished was in existence and was finally given the chance to experience; to watch a fairy tale play out before my eyes. One of the main characteristics of this book is its ability to incite emotions. I laughed and cried, both literally. For those who can’t get enough of it, there is a second and third book to this trilogy. However, I believe both are less compelling than the first one. To put it simply, this is a must read for all fantasy lovers.

- Annie

Short Bio

Juliet Marillier is an Australian best-selling author who was born in New Zealand and grew up listening to old Celtic legends and folktales. Some of her works include The Sevenwaters Trilogy, the Saga of the Light Isles and The Bridei Chronicles. They have been welcomed by many in eight languages. We were fortunate to get in touch with her through email and had this interview.

My Interview with Juliet Marillier

A: Is it really true that you wrote this all at one time as a 200 000 word blockbuster?

I did take three years to write Daughter of the Forest, because I was working fulltime in another job and was a single mother of two school-aged children. I worked on it evenings and weekends.

A: Was it hard for you to publish it? Did you get rejected at first?

Not very hard. I sent it to a local publisher for an opinion (I knew it wasn't the kind of book they published, but they had a policy of reading and commenting on any manuscript sent in by an author from this state.) They were very encouraging and suggested two mainstream publishers for me to try. Only one of those two accepted unsolicited manuscripts, so I sent an outline and three chapters to them. They asked to see the whole ms, and when they'd read it they made me an offer.

A: If I'm writing something and I get a writer's block, how do I get over it?

If you can't summon up the motivation to write something, it's probably better to put this piece of writing aside for awhile and try something completely different. I don't really believe in writer's block. You might get stuck on a particular piece of writing, but there should always be SOMETHING you can write, even if it's just a daily journal entry. If you're trying to write and can't get the flow happening, doing some exercise is a good circuit-breaker.

A: Did you get a chance to choose the cover you wanted for the book?

No. This is usually all done by the publishing house. Sometimes the author gets consulted - my Australian publisher is very good about this. Sometimes the author doesn't get to see the cover until it's all done. I found some of mine rather surprising! My best covers are the ones by the artist Kinuko Craft (American editions of Wolfskin, Foxmask, Wildwood Dancing and the forthcoming Cybele's Secret.) Kinuko always reads the whole book and captures the atmosphere perfectly in her painting.

Interview: Prof. Dr. Fraedrich

2008-10-09T18:00:00.001-04:00

A Chat with Prof. Dr. Fraedrich

By: Annie Li

I was in a wool sweater and snow-pants when I first met Prof. Dr. Klaus Fraedrich in the middle of summer last year. I was three thousand metres above sea level, and contemplating whether or not I wanted to go on a glacier climbing expedition that afternoon when I saw two white vans pull up in front of the gate. My dad, who had brought me along from my ambitious shopping spree in Urümuqi, China, to his Tianshan Glaciological Station two hours north, had been trying to help me retain the little knowledge I had left from the school year in my head.

Prof. Klaus Fraedrich had been one of the scientists sitting in that white van meandering along the side of the mountain; with a steep drop into a gulley that was perhaps ten-stories down on the other side. Unlike me, he seemed unnerved by the experience and stepped out of the vehicle unfazed. So did the other German scientists who were with him in China to participate in a Sino-German Symposium on “water resources in large river catchments of western China and the effects of climate change”.

He was extremely interesting in the sense that he was both funny and knowledgeable. It was he who guided me down a slippery mountain slope in the drizzling rain when we all went mountain climbing. It was I who whittled him into taking an afternoon off from listening to the boring drone of countless speeches into going out and experiencing the fascinating culture of the local people (and to shop a little).

During the actual conference, I was given the role of being a translator for the Head of Water Resources for the Xinjiang province. As I made a fool of myself by translating a page of Chinese into one sentence along the lines of “Hello everyone, welcome to the conference”, Prof. Klaus was tackling serious global climate issues in his own presentation.

Dr. Fraedrich is director of the division “Theoretical Meteorology” at the Meteorological Institute of the University of Hamburg:

“…where a broad spectrum of research topics such as non-linear system analysis, climate modeling and theoretical concepts are studied. The group enjoys international recognition through its fruitful cooperation with institutions of oceanography, meteorology and physics. He has authored over 150 publications. In addition to the Gay Lussac Award by the French government, he has also received the Max Planck Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board on Global Change of the German Federal Government. His section was home to the only graduate group on palaeo-climate-change of the German Research Ministry's Climate Research Programme.”

Need I say more? It was easier copying and pasting from the university website than to wrap my own head around everything he does. He is the type of person that you can trust with the world to handle the problem of climate change.

My Interview with Prof. Dr. Klaus Fraedrich

1.You do a lot of research in your work, especially regarding climate change, is global warming very apparent in your research?

Yes, our whole group is working on it. We have just received funding from an excellence cluster by which we can hire about hundred scientists, 10 professorships etc. Altogether, by this Hamburg will become one of the top-places for climate research in Germany.

2. What do you like/dislike about your job?

I don’t dislike anything, but help is needed to cope with administrative matters.

3. Can you give us some insights about your job?

When I read loudly, I give a lecture, when I read quietly, I do research.

4. What is the hardest aspect of your job?

To concentrate on one thing at a time, as there are too many things to do.

5. What did you aspire to be when you were in high school?

I wanted to be a lot of things, though I wondered how I would be able to do everything that I wanted to do.
6. Share a high school memory with us.

This was a long time ago in high school when we were asked to have all official schoolbooks constantly with us. [Imagine lugging every textbook assigned to you from class to class and getting punished if you forgot one.] So one day we decided to do the very first demonstration ever in my school. We borrowed big suitcases from our parents, put the books into them and then walked into the school building one after another. We were like a gaggle of geese with big suitcases in hand. From then on, that rule was no longer considered to be serious and most of the teachers were sympathetic about it. Mind you, it was long before 1968*, but we became that generation of students later on.

7. Do you have any advice for the students of Martingrove?

Actually, I do not like to give advice as one should know by one's own education. But, as you need a response: do what you would like to do but also keep in mind what others would like you to do. Concentrate on matters of interest to you and try to achieve perfection in it; do it on a very regular basis and keep going. Things you don't like to do: try them, there may be something in it that you may enjoy. If something new is presented to you, do not start by criticizing it but try to see the positive aspects first. Learning different languages and music is another important thing. Travel to learn in other countries - after all, we are all people of the world in the first place and, thereby, realize that you have access to resources another person do not.

*The German student movement of 1968 was a protest movement that was a reaction against the perceived authoritarianism and hypocrisy of the German government. It was also a revolt fighting for better living conditions for students.

Some More Rambling

2008-10-07T20:17:00.001-04:00

First of all, before I forget, here are some tips for avid readers who just don't have the time to read anymore:

Simply don't start reading a good book the night you're supposed to be studying for a test.
If it's bad the first fifty pages, it's probably bad all the way through. There's no point of wasting your time and going through a bad experience of your own volition just because you think it might get better.
Read something that you won't get hooked on if you're stressed and need a book to relax.
Download or borrow an audio version and listen to the book when you're doing the dishes or riding the bus.
Even better, convert an Ebook into Ipod notes using the countless convertors on the Internet and read it anywhere, anytime (you can listen to music at the same time, too!)
Focus on the things you have to do, and once you're done them, go to bed early. Then start reading.
Finish everything you have to do before reading. Don't work on something, read a novel for thirty minutes and then go back to work. Reading feels better in long stretches.

I haven't had a chance to read a good novel in so long that I've forgotten what they're like. I can't wait till next year (after university applications). Right now there's grades, scholarships, exams and universities to worry about. Grade twelve is seriously too taxing.

Actually, the best tip for avid readers is to just drop everything and read. How else are you supposed to find time? It's impossible!

Saying "Hi" from the Depths of Nowhere

2008-10-05T16:11:00.001-04:00

Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh. Life has been good.

Meaning life has been good after 1:30pm yesterday.

I finished my SATS yesterday and have been feeling good all the way up till now- time for me to study for my humongous calculus test tomorrow.

And then I'll feel good till Tuesday at 7:00pm, when I'll start studying for my AP biology test and another math test on functions.

O man. Life has got to slow down a bit.

- Annie

Ps. Cool thing is - I'm actually doing pretty good even with my busy schedule. Though it took some work, I've found a way to balance this site with my other endeavours.

Interview: Noah Robischon

2008-09-28T01:39:00.000-04:00

Gawker
By: Annie Li

For those who spend life outside of school on the computer, blogging has become a daily routine in addition to checking emails and hanging out on Facebook. What do blogs offer? They offer the personal and interactive touch that's accessible nowhere else, not to mention the opportunity for anyone, anywhere, to achieve a global audience with a shoestring budget. Fifteen of the Internet’s biggest publications – from Gizmodo to Defamer, are managed by Gawker Media, which also publishes the eponymous Gawker. These websites are where more than 30 million readers stake their territories every month.

The managing editor of the Gawker Media Network is Noah Robischon, who’s been an editor and writer for nine years. His works appear in The New York Times, Business 2.0, Stuff, GQ, People and Entertainment Weekly, where he worked as a senior writer for five years. For those who just happen to watch New York 1 News, he does a Digital Living Review each week.

My Interview with Noah Robischon

1. What inspired you to go into writing and blogging?

I started my career in radio and documentary filmmaking. The lure of online media is that it combines writing, video and sound in new ways.

2. Please share with us your experience with Gawker Media and the things you've learned from being in this job.

It's a world apart from the glacial pace of mainstream media. The days are fast-paced, exciting, and I go home feeling that something has been accomplished.

3. What do you like most about your job?

Working with the editors and writers in our network of blogs.

4. What is the most difficult aspect of your job?

Working with the editors and writers in our network of blogs.

5. Can you give us some insight into your day-to-day life as Managing Editor of Gawker?

This morning I handled a reader complaint, worked with developers on a new design element that will appear on the sidebar of every site, gave an editor notes on yesterday's posts, estimated next month's budget numbers, and created an account for a new writer.

6. What's the best way to get into the writing/journalism field?

Network with peers. Keep pitching yourself and your stories, and don't be afraid of getting turned down.

7. As technology continues to develop, what role do you think blogs and Internet publications will play in the media sphere?

Blogs in some form will be the dominant force in daily news coverage. Readers are already shifting away from print and television to online. It's more participatory and accessible than any other medium.

8. Many people are apprehensive towards information on the Internet due to user-provided content. How does this trend impact your work and industry?

Reader participation is a blessing more than a curse, but it does have drawbacks at times. Still, I prefer having active readers and dealing with those problems than being alienated from readers the way writers are at many print publications.

9. Just for fun, please share a high school memory with us.

I played Scrooge in my HS production of A Christmas Carol.

10. Do you have any advice for the students of Martingrove?

"The best writing is rewriting." - E.B. White.

Manga Review: Do You Want to Try?

2008-09-26T19:49:00.003-04:00

Shoujo: Do You Want to Try?
Author: Cha Kyung Hee
Genres: Romance, Drama, YA
Rating: 6/10

I started reading Do You Want to Try? today, and I have to say that I don't mind the style. In fact, after the first chapter, I really started getting into the plotline and the characters. I like the main character, who is assertive and even agressive when the situation calls for it. The main male character is also quite attractive, and as an added bonus, his personality reminds me of Jaewon from Conversations Between Us.

As for the artwork, I'm not going to sing praises about it. I don't like it as much I should (I try to appreciate everything I see in its own style), but let's just say it's similar to (but still a notch below) Hwang Mi Ri's. One of these days, I really wish I would be able to encounter stuff like The Bride of the Watergod or Red River, because even if the plots were horrible (they are not), I'd read them to enjoy the artwork.

Overall, the tone is optimistic, so I'm not really expecting a sad ending. However, it deals with tough school leaderships (which remind me of gangs), and in that way, who knows what can happen? In regards to the story, I think what started off as cliched is no longer as predictable. The interesting parts always stem from originality, and I see the potential for new development. I haven't been able to get my hands on more than perhaps 2 volumes, so I can't say that much more. Check it out when you have the time, but don't expect too much.

The Internet Summary:

When the hot-tempered Han Hye Won accidently insults the handsome jjang of Han Hwa Go, Sun Woo Bin decides to pay her a visit... with his entire motorcycle gang, ready to see some blood. So how does that lead up to a kiss and the infamous captain begging for a date? Do you want to try?

- Annie

Interview: Kyle MacDonald

2008-09-26T01:32:00.000-04:00

One red paperclip
One house
One year

By: Annie Li

Everybody has heard of them – from the 17 year-old millionaire to the 12 year-old novelist. Most people have dreamt of or even came close to realizing these potential achievements, but it’s much easier said than done. Just how many times have you imagined becoming a millionaire overnight, being the CEO of a successful company or starting the next trend in our technologically dependent society? Actually, there’s just one thing from stopping your dreams from coming true.

An idea.

A creative idea that is so powerful and moving that it will undoubtedly sweep everyone off their feet and into an obliviously satisfactory contentment. The red paperclip is an idea of similar magnitudes.

In the hot summer days of 2005, a man named Kyle MacDonald in Montreal had the light-bulb idea of trading one red paperclip that he had sitting on his desk for “something bigger and better”.

He posted this idea on the Internet and the next thing he knew; two people from Vancouver had called him up and were offering to trade a fish pen for the paperclip. He gladly accepted the trade and proceeded to trade the fish pen for an even better object. Thus began his journey to gain objects that were more valuable.

Kyle’s idea began to gain momentum and it was only a matter of time before he gained a one year lease to an apartment in Phoenix, Arizona. He traded this for “an afternoon with Alice Cooper” with an employee of the rock star who saw the apartment deal as her big chance for free rent.

Amazingly, Kyle then traded the afternoon with Alice Cooper for a snow globe, which seemed quite insignificant at the time, but proved itself to be worthy when it garnered a role in a movie. The trade was made with Corbin Bernsen, an American actor who happened to be one of the biggest snow globe collectors on the planet. In return for the snow globe, Kyle received one paid, credited and speaking role in a film by Public Media Works, room and board during filming and return airfare from anywhere in the world.

At this point, you might wonder, was Kyle satisfied? What more could he have wanted? Well, his bartering wasn’t over just yet. During the whole process, his one and only goal was a house. Since he wasn’t rich enough to buy a house with a snap of his fingers, he proceeded to achieve it through another way. Approximately one year from the emergence of his idea, his dream came true when he was offered a house in Kipling, Saskatchewan for the movie role. In fact, he was even given the Key to the Town of Kipling. Kyle immediately accepted it.

The manifestation of the concept of the one red paperclip received a swarm of media attention, and a large number of people tracked his progress online. It was an inspirational idea in which people were attracted to it as moths to a flame. In the end, one seemingly unimportant idea had blossomed into a life-sized reality for not only Kyle MacDonald, but also for those whose lives had been touched by his venture.

Needless to say, it’s possible that one of your own far-off fantasies might spring to life, and all you need is a key to unlock it. So when you feel like an anchor plowing through the depths of the seafloor while your ship sails on overhead, use your mind a little more, and perhaps your next inconsequential thought just might be that key.

My Interview with Kyle MacDonald

1. What gave you the idea of one red paperclip?

It was actually morphed from a game that I played when I was young. It was based on the same concept: asking for better things to trade than what you had in the beginning. When I saw that red paperclip just sitting there, I decided to try the idea online. As you can see, it turned out pretty well.

2. During your trades, you traded one afternoon with Alice Cooper for one snow globe, why?

It was actually prearranged.

3. So you knew that if you traded the afternoon for a snow globe, Corbin Bernsen would trade with you afterwards?

Yes. I had already planned out the next trade.

Note: That really surprised me. No wonder he did something like that, and I thought it was only a stroke of luck!

4. Can you give us some insights regarding your trading experience?

It was an extremely fun experience; I got to meet many people. In the end, I think it made a lot of people happy, which is what matters.

5. What did you aspire to be when you were in high school?

I had no idea – I still don’t. It was just finishing up school and seeing what life was willing to offer.

6. How has the one red paperclip made an impact on your life?

Well, now I’ve got high school reporters from Toronto calling me up. Haha. There was a lot of media attention. I would get recognized while walking down the street or just going about. I have a new house now, and it’s a pretty sweet story to tell. Though since so many people know about it, just a mention of the red paperclip and they’d go “you’re the red paperclip guy?” It made a lot of things happen in my life that wouldn’t have otherwise.

7. Do you have any advice for the students of Martingrove?

My biggest advice would be to keep your options open. It’s good to have one goal and know the one thing that you want to do, but make sure that you have back up plans. A lot of people walk out of the school with their mind made up of what they want to do for the rest of their lives, but that type of thing almost always changes. So be open-minded about the opportunities that are in front of you and be aware that you should hope more while expecting less.

About

2008-09-24T05:13:00.015-04:00

J is looking for J is exactly what it says in the title: a literary escape.

Though the main focus of this website will be books and manga, all other literary forms are also open to discussion (book-into-movies, plays, poems, short stories... you get the idea).

Why was this site created? Have you ever spent days browsing through bookshops online and library shelves just waiting to find that one right book? What about if you're a manga lover and just aren't familiar with the titles? Or perhaps the world around you isn't as excited about literature as you are, and you just want someone to talk to about the topics that fascinate you?

I know I'm not the only one who sometimes feel this way. That's why this site is here.

Also, this website provides you with the opportunity to share your own works with the readers - whether it's art, videos, or writing, be sure to send them in!

Breakdown of pages:

Book Review - Origin of the Book Review
Manga Review - Origin of the Manga Review
Literary Circle - Featured writings
Interviews - My interviews with numerous people on behalf of my school.
Annie's Muse - Personal ramblings
Affiliates - Friends of Jil4J
Contact Us - Leave a comment there or contact me through email and we'll get back to you.

Current Staff:

Eli - New York
Writer
Sign:Cancer
Favourite Food: Dumplings!
Favourite Quote: [Changes sometimes but here is my current ONE: Love the sinner, hate the sin]
Likes: Japanese Music [pop,rock,punk], Anime!, Mangas [yaoi/romance] and such
Dislikes: Ignorant people

Berber - Toronto
Writer
Sign: Cancer
Favourite Food: Anything Italian!
Favourite Quote: "Not everybody can be heroes, somebody have to clap as they go by."
Likes: Cats, books, dramas, staying up late, collecting fonts, violin, everything Asian-pop
Dislikes: Mushrooms, computer crashes, theory, standing up too quickly and getting an out-of-this-world experience

Ces - London
Writer
Sign: Libra
Favourite Food: Not a picky gal, from anything to everything really...lol!
Favourite Quote: Life is like a photograph, you need the negatives to develop
Likes: Writing, reading, music (K-pop, Big Bang), films (Australia)
Dislikes: Rain, school, not fond of shopping

Joey - Los Angeles
Editor
Sign: Aries
Favourite Food: green tea ice cream
Favourite Quote: "Money and everything else are zeroes. Without health, the '1' in front, the zeroes wouldn't matter."
Likes: food, sleep, music, art, books, shopping, singing, dancing
Dislikes: peanut butter, ketchup, mustard, nuts, olives

Prerana - Toronto
Layout Manager
Sign: Scorpio
Favourite Food: Pasta
Favourite Quote: "I can resist everything except temptation." - Oscar Wilde.
Likes: the rain, books, art, and Johnny Depp. :P
Dislikes: Uh...bull terriers scare me a little. I wouldn't say I dislike them though, as I've never met one.

Andreas - Toronto
Layout Manager
Sign: Pisces
Favourite Food: Dim Sum
Favourite Quote: "If we could bottle your luck, we’d have a weapon of mass destruction on our hands."
Likes: Almost Everything
Dislikes: Yogurt

Annie - Toronto
Admin
Sign: Sagi.
Favourite Food: Everything
Favourite Quote: "One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching."
Likes: Being inspired
Dislikes: Red marks all over tests

To see the 1st post, click here.

Signing off,
Annie

The Secret Behind J is looking for J

2008-09-23T21:34:00.009-04:00

~J is looking for J~

...

Most people who follow this blog have realized the origin of J is looking for J - it's an inside joke from the manga 100% Perfect Girl. However, they would have also realized that I never truly explained it, and it's about time that I did. So here's a little insight:

Some people are consciously looking for an individual who understands us on a really deep level - perhaps someone who shows and teaches us new things, things that even we don't know about ourselves. Some people are simply searching for another soul to be with - to either dispel the loneliness of our single, solitary voices or to provide support, warmth and company.

Other people are unaware of this inherent, all-encompassing search, though they are still an active participant in this process. A few individuals are lucky enough to have already found someone who fulfills and inspires them to achieve what would have been the impossible.

In our search, we look at the people around us, but we always encounter the same problem - that the person we're searching for isn't there. There's nobody even half-decent, nevermind anyone we can consider our "soulmate". So what do we do? We wait. We wait for that someone to walk down the road, bump into us and hopefully find us just as perfect as we find them.

But if we thought this through rationally, we'd be stumped by the first question. Can fate bring us our destiny so easily? Shouldn't we be out there, actively looking for something to fill that inexplicable hole within us?

And this is where J is looking for J comes in. I don't want to be just waiting. I want to be searching; looking for it. Js are synonymous letters. I can replace the first J with anything - my name, your name, a number, a picture, or an expression of myself. And the other is like the first J - a simple parallelism that would make this sentence complete. It's weird to think that the name of a simple blog can be considered in such a way, but it's a reminder for me to always keep my eyes open. I don't want life to pass me by while I'm half-stuck in dreamland.

Then there are people who read this and think - how can we define fate or destiny or luck or karma or soul - searching? Isn't life just a big coincidence? There are no coherent thoughts; no shackles we can possibly clasp onto intangible substances.

Well, let me ask you: Wouldn't this world - our lives be so much more interesting if we thought otherwise? That someday, our search will be fruitful? That in our search for someone else, for a definition, for a purpose, we might be able to discover something more about ourselves and humanity?

I believe, without a doubt, that life would be much more interesting.

- Annie

Manga Review: Kiss in the Blue

2008-09-22T20:16:00.004-04:00

Shoujo: Kiss in the Blue
Author: Kaho Miyasaka
Genres: Romance, Drama, Shoujo
Rating: 7/10

I read this manga about a year ago. I've decided to review it now because I've never forgotten it, and because it's fundamentally different from most other works I've read. A majority of the time, I'm in the mood for romantic comedies. I like things that are light and appealing, because it increases the general outlook I have on other things as well. I don't need works that make me feel bad, because literary escapes are supposed to make me feel good.

Occasionally, I encounter a masterpiece - a piece of work that I have to enjoy to the full extent, no matter how it makes me feel. It is during these rare circumstances that I disregard the possibly that I might feel sad, depressed or lost by the end, because all the emotions that I would never experience in life (the drama!) have appeared somewhere in the middle.

I'm not necessarily saying Kiss in the Blue is a masterpiece, nor am I saying that it makes me feel bad. It's just one of those few mangas that stand out among the others in its category. The plot line isn't as cliched as it could be, and the main character isn't the most annoying I've encountered. The art isn't bad, and I've got to say that throughout the whole manga, I was genuinely interested. It is something that a manga-lover has to check out (and notice I said "manga-lover", because someone who's just starting into mangas may not be immediately be attracted to the dark undertones.

On to the summary!

From Wikipedia: This is a very dark and angsty work, much more so than Miyasaka's other works. Saeki Chise has no recollection of the summer of three years ago. Whenever she feels as though her memories might be returning, her head begins to ache and Chise stops trying to remember. That's when Tamiya appears before her. He has a familiar face and photographs from the traumatic time that Chise's mind has suppressed. He uses the photos to blackmail her into becoming his woman...but then Chise is saved from Tamiya by Katsuragi Kaoru, the biggest delinquent in class! Chise begins to fall for Kaoru, but his role in this situation is not as innocent as Chise at first believes.

I'm planning to reread the series (there are four volumes in total) because I haven't found anything really good up to now. The last awesome manga I read was 100% Perfect Girl in April or so of this year, and I've been on a futile search for something just as good ever since. There was one point when I would read everything and anything, but now I've become picky. I want to experience the feelings of when I first stepped into the manga world - when there were numerous good titles that never ran out. Now that I've been through them all, finding a good one is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Of course, "good" is subjective. What I mean is something that truly appeals to me. The same thing is happening to me with books. Though I've got a bigger selection with books, I spend most of my time reading halfway into it deciding that it isn't right for me, and that there is no way I'd like it. I wish I would come across a list with absolutely eveything that I should read - specifically tailored to me.

But then again, I'd be missing half the fun, wouldn't I?

- Annie

A Little Philosophy

2008-09-18T16:48:00.013-04:00

I stayed up all night yesterday (for the first real time ever), and I feel absolutely horrible. But as feeling hung-over as it goes without alcohol, I felt a little burst of inspiration this morning. Some sort of chemical combustion happened, and next thing I knew, I was spouting a whole bunch of random stuff about the meaning of life and happiness and who-knows-what. I wrote it out on paper (wow, that's a rarity), and decided to discuss it at this site. So here's my little philosophical outburst.

~~~~~~~~

The Pursuit of Happiness

Annie

As humans, it is impossible for us to be in a constant state of happiness or satisfaction. Every once in a while, life happens, and it is our response and reaction to these circumstantial events that make us grow. It is during these trials of life that we are given the biggest opportunity to prove ourselves, and to fulfill our capacity as individuals.

I doubt that there is any person in this world whose life isn’t defined by the ups and downs of action and consequence. To achieve anything, may it be the acceptance to a good university or the promotion to a higher position; we must first establish that we want it - that it is a goal in our life. But what is “want” when what we “want” is almost disconcerting in its frequent appearance in our minds? It is here that we make an either conscious or subconscious decision that not only do we “want” it, we “need” it.

The higher the object is on our list, the better the chance of us obtaining it. Why can we change our chances simply by associating a different word with the object of our desire? Because whether we know it or not, it signifies our willingness (however reluctant we provide that willingness) to sacrifice for the achievement of our goal.

Now I find myself repeating a concept that has been reiterated boundlessly, but it never detracts from the truth of the statement - that though thinking and speaking is significant, it is our actions that matter. Following through with what we decide is just as important, if not more, than making that decision in the first place. Putting words down without a plan for action is a representation of irresponsibility and in my opinion, even a display of the lack of morals.

It is here where we can find a definite distinction between those who succeed and those who fail. When your work is deemed more substantial in comparison to a competitor’s, it is a testament of your will and human capacity. Standing out – that is success. Yet at the same time, failure does not mean the eradication of the opportunity to obtain what it is that we “need”. It simply means that due to some circumstance, we’ve now been pushed out onto the long road from the short. It is too much to expect an individual to be perfect, as much as we strive toward it, and sometimes the long road ends up teaching us more than what we could have gained otherwise.

Sometimes we fall. It is not an uncommon sight. There are many reasons – from our inability to fulfill expectations to unforeseen circumstances. This is when we hit our lowest, when the word “happiness” ceases to exist in our dictionary. But what can we do except move on? As much as we’d like to change the past, the sun will continue to rise every morning, and the world will continue to rush past, with or without us.

I also believe, however, that without the lows, we wouldn’t be able to truly experience the highs. That without the contrast of life slapping us in the face and then shaking our hands, how would we be able to determine that we’ve achieved happiness?

Isn’t this what life is about, the pursuit of happiness? Every action in our lives is a contributing factor to our progression towards an intrinsic sense of deep satisfaction. As much as we’ve accomplished in our lives – with the establishment of goals and the fulfillment of our dreams, we yearn for that few moments of ecstasy.

Happiness is when after studying four years in high school at the expense of a social life, the student receives an acceptance letter from Harvard. But as high as that letter pushes him or her up, humans, like everything else, eventually fall down. Once we’re on the bottom, we restart our climb up, gradually accumulating more knowledge and experience. We make another goal, we place it on our “need” list, and we set ourselves up for another taste of that sweet ambrosia.

In contrast to the focus on “achievement equals happiness”, we must also realize that no matter where life takes us, the levels of happiness are the same. A rich millionaire isn’t necessarily happier than a poor individual whose goal in life is to see his kids grow up healthy and strong. There is a common misconception that the higher you are on the food chain, the happier you are. Happiness is determined by the set of individual values that only pertain to the individual.

I must ask you this: have you ever laughed while watching a dog chase its tail? You have. In a way, you’ve been laughing at your self. At the end, when we look at life as a whole, it is a never-ending cycle that doesn’t have a definite beginning or an end with the inclusion of a purpose and a checklist for the fulfillment of that purpose.

Can we ever truly experience the question of why we’re here on earth; with the feeling that we’re searching for something? No. But perhaps our closest guess is that we've got to take life as it is, and enjoy it while it lasts. Therefore, humans must take up every opportunity; every chance that makes an appearance as a fork in our road.

In the expansion of our capacity as individuals, in the impact we deliver to our surroundings, in our pursuit of perfection, maybe, just maybe, we can find happiness.

- Annie

A Short Story

2008-09-15T20:32:00.003-04:00

Like I promised, here is my fictional short story.

~~~*~~~*~~~

Blinded by the Rain

Annie

I spent my flight to Korea reading a short story called “100% Perfect Girl” by Haruki Murakami. I found it absurd – how two people could simply pass each other on an ordinary April morning and assume with utter conviction that the other was their soul mate. I was mildly irritated. Could love be so fickle?

During my few months as an international exchange student at the prestigious CheongShim International Academy, I spent my weekends exploring the city. A blue cloudless Sunday saw me getting lost in the backstreets of Seoul, but I soon found comfort in the discovery of a small café half-hidden behind a busy market square. Relaxing on the patio, I noticed a young woman not much older than myself sitting a table away. She was not particularly pretty, nor did she possess any outstanding features. It was the expression on her face that caught my attention, a forlorn and desolate look that betrayed the playful tug of the warm breeze. I could not see how such a fine day could cause the little furrow between her eyebrows or the severity in the set of her chin.

My journalistic mindset shifted into position and I initiated a conversation. She was reserved at first; somewhat alarmed at the audaciousness of a foreigner who only knew a handful of stuttered Korean words. Thankfully, the girl, whose name I gathered to be Ae Sook, made up for my incompetence with her English. It wasn’t long before I found out the reason behind her melancholy. She had just rejected her childhood friend, “a boy I’d known ever since I was still wriggling in my crib,” she said. He was from a good family – “rich, intelligent and good-looking,” she described, losing herself in the stirring of her juice. I was most curious, unable to understand why she had not given him a chance. She glanced at me at this point, saying bitterly that she would give anything to love him. Her frustration irked me, and I felt clumsy in my attempts to console her as I watched her fingers curl into her palm. “I hate love,” she told me, “it has a mind of its own, and reciprocates with a disregard for convention and logic.”

To make her feel better, I shared with her the stories of my parents and grandparents. I assured her that she was right to have rejected her friend, because who knew if he snored in his sleep or spent all his time partying at night? If he was as great as she depicted, he could very well have fifty secret girlfriends on the side vying for his attention. Though she didn’t understand, I felt the need to quote Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, “love is blind and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit”. I liked to think that my words brought her some semblance of comfort.

She asked for my email and phone number, promising to call and schedule a lunch. However, as she stood up to leave, she accidentally tripped on her jacket sleeve that had gotten caught beneath the chair. It was a waiter who went to her rescue, settling her back onto her feet. Had I seen a slight blush appear on her cheeks? I cannot remember.

I forgot about her for a while. My life was overwhelmed by my studies, and with the addition of new friends, I spent more time at Karoke bars than being alone in sidewalk cafés. It was five weeks later when she called me. We met at the same café on a Saturday; this time the sky was tainted with shadows of grey clouds. Rain was inevitable. Her appearance, once again, contrasted with the weather. There was a remarkable smile on her face that stretched to the corners of her eyes. I began to see why her friend liked her. She pulled me to sit down as she went to call on a waiter. To my surprise, Ae Sook pulled a familiar waiter to our table and introduced him to me. “He’s my boyfriend,” she told me proudly. “We’re in love.”

I would have laughed at such absurdity had I not caught the look that passed between them at those words. Her smile and the soft touch at his elbow bade me to reconsider. I hardly paid attention to the conversation that followed. I knew a few details - that she had gone back to see him, that her parents disproved and that he had dropped out of college. Though she never once reiterated the word “love”, I could see how very much in love she was.

I left when it began to rain. I had not brought an umbrella with me, and the rain that slid into my eyes blinded me. In my moments of sightlessness, I could see how love itself was just as blind. This profound feeling was not governed by direction or the need to reciprocate, and it hid the truth as much as it revealed it. If society was a room, then love was a window – it did not facilitate conventional ideas. I walked forward in the soft pitter-pattering of the rain, finding myself richer in my belief of love and acquiring a poignant sense of hope.

- Annie

I'm Still Alive

2008-09-10T17:15:00.010-04:00

I haven't updated in a couple of days... thought I'd drop by and say hi again.

There have been a couple of things I've been doing with my life: clubs, school work, reading.

I'm pretty involved in school, so it's the second week of school and I feel as if I'm going to get a brain hemorrhage already. I've had one test with two more planned for this week. What does this mean? Three tests in the second week of school. I went to a Supercouncil meeting yesterday and got home at 9:30pm (without dinner). Then I had to make budget forms for all the clubs and blah blah blah....

But no, I just couldn't go to sleep without my daily dose of good fiction - so I stayed up until 1:30am to finish Solangel's book - Conversations Between Us. Even though I felt emotionally impaired and unable to do anything without thinking about the story, I woke up at 5:30am this morning so that I could be at school by 7:00 to help with a teacher breakfast.

I am completely booked this whole week, this month and this year. According to my agenda, the next stress-free period I will have will sometime in February. Wait - I already have a project due that month so scratch that, maybe next summer.

So you get my schedule. I guess it partly justifies my inability to tend to this site as often as I'd like. Of course I will make time for it, but it won't be everyday like in August.

I wanted to post a short story I wrote on here, but every time I tried to copy and paste something from word, my window shut down. This is the third time I'm writing this post. I am annoyed beyond words.

I shall post my story tomorrow then, if I'm up to it.

Interview: Lorraine Zander

2008-09-07T08:00:00.001-04:00

Chillin’ on the Homefront

By: Annie Li

I’ve always envied other people’s summers. To me, the first day of school means admiring a multitude of perfect tans that don’t originate from the usual sketchy tanning salons, but rather from lazing all day under the glorious sun in countries like Spain, Greece and Italy.

This summer was different for me. The monotonous lull that was supposed to be making its appearance a few weeks after school ended never came. It was because I got a job. Fine, it was a co-op placement, but I like to consider it as “An Intriguing Taste of That Vague Place Which Comes after University”.

It was at the headquarters of Faze Magazine, a Canadian based magazine for teens. I met Lorraine Zander, the editor-in-chief of the place, and also my boss. What I noticed first about Lorraine was that she gave great motivational speeches, and I couldn’t help but be impressed by her knowledge of general human nature – especially of teenagers.

Then there was that small detail of her starting the magazine from scratch and turning it into Canada’s largest magazine for teenagers. She’s had eight years to make it into a very respectable piece of publication with lots of star-studded action. Heck, even I got to meet Avril Lavigne’s in-laws.

I later found out that she was a student at our very own school, and that she walked through the same halls as I did, sat in the same classrooms as I did, and wondered aloud what she was going to become one day. This makes me curious. So what will students from this school be doing ten to fifteen years from now? Will I be vying for an autograph from that guy who sits behind me in math?

My “job” somehow transformed my usually très bland summer into something that could measure up to one of those exotic oversea trips. Though I didn’t get bronze skin, I didn’t get a sunburn either.
My Interview with Lorraine Zander

A: What inspired you to start Faze?

Z: I was looking to purchase a magazine subscription for my brother, who was a teenager at the time, and couldn't find anything that I felt had fun and entertaining content, but also articles that had more depth and substance to them. So, I decided to start my own.

A: What do you like/dislike about your job?

Z: Like any job there are love/hate moments. I work long hours, deal with difficult people at times, and I'm constantly under deadline pressures, however, I also get to work with some great minds (many of which are teenagers!), meet celebrities and go to fun events like the MMVA's.

A: Can you give us some insights about your job?

Z: Publishing a magazine requires two types of expertise: business and creative. You need to know how to make a business thrive and grow and at the same time it's helpful to have an artistic side to help with the look and content of the magazine.

A: What is the hardest aspect of your job?

Z: There is nothing truly "hard" about publishing Faze Magazine, however, I must always make sure that I balance budgets, deadlines, and the quality of the magazine so no one area suffers at the expense of the other, which at times can be challenging.

A: What did you like most about Martingrove while you were here?

Z: I loved the diversity of the student body and teachers. Martingrove is culturally rich. Anyone willing to take the time can learn about the world without ever leaving the school.

A: Do you think your experience at Martingrove has helped you with starting and maintaining Faze?

Z: In a somewhat indirect way, absolutely. It was the first place where I really began to exercise independent thinking, self-reliance, and social networking and where I developed my work ethic and learned how to deal with stress and deadlines -- all of which have helped in my success.

A: What did you aspire to be when you were in high school?

Z: I didn't know "exactly" what I wanted to do, but I always felt I would somehow end up in the sciences. I loved the microbiology program and thought it would lead me into marine biology or a career in research. I appreciate now that I chose to be a "well rounded" student as I find myself loving the world of magazine publishing.

A: Share a high school memory with us.

Z: I remember a student in my microbiology class growing something in a petri dish and then making it into a fire-resistant "fabric", and I clearly recall thinking at the time that I felt privileged to be in the company of such brilliance. I regret now that I never told him how amazing I thought his project was. I think everyone has some kind of brilliance to offer and we should acknowledge it when we see it--whether we know the person or not.

A: Do you have any advice for the students of Martingrove?

Z: High school is a very unique environment specifically designed to help you learn about who you are and what you want to become. You are constantly faced with situations in which your responses will define and shape you: how do you deal with stress, deadlines, disappointment, heartbreak, deception, drama, cheaters, backstabbers ... Learn from every situation and think before you react. You can shape who you become. Take ownership. And of course, have fun along the way.

Letters to Myself

2008-09-01T19:34:00.003-04:00

Have you ever felt alone... like really, really alone?

Like the whole world doesn't really understand you or the problems you face?

It's often difficult to find someone you trust and spill everything, which is what you want to do in this circumstance, but there's just nobody out there.

When you're sad, or happy or simply content, and at the same time you feel lonely, write a letter to yourself.

I was reading an article from Marie Clare and the article gave me this idea.

Pretend you're old - maybe in your fourties and assuming the position of yourself in that specific age, write a letter to who you are now. Then you'll feel like the whole world is totally alright.

My imaginary 42 year old self has two kids, a good job and a caring husband. I'm a successful business woman who is very happy with her life. Looking back, what would I say to my teenage self? I'd tell her to keep on studying, and always be tenacious in chasing after her dreams. I'd tell her to continually work on her novel, and forget everyone who tells her that she can't do it or that marks are everything.

I'd tell her that one bad hair day isn't something to fuss over, nor is one bad test score. I'd tell her to look after her family and friends, as those people are what matters the most at the end of the day. I'd tell her to enjoy life, and that people only have one youth. Stop and smell the roses! Is what I'd say to her.

And I'd tell her all of this in a letter. And maybe, if my teenage self feels indulgent enough, she'd reply to me with a letter asking for advice, or simply sharing her troubles and successes with me.

Because then, neither of us would ever feel lonely again.

- Annie

Book Review: Remember Me?

2008-08-30T13:01:00.001-04:00

Fiction: Remember Me?
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Genres: Romance, Comedy, Chicklit
Rating: 3/5

I haven't had such fun reading a book in a long time - especially staying up until 2am to finish it. I had expected Remember Me? to be something of the usual, something that mirrored her Shopaholic series, in which the main character carries on as if she wants to buy the whole world.

---

I liked Alexia from Remember Me? immensely. She's a girl who suffers from a car crash and wakes up without any idea of what's happened in the last three years. One word: amnesia. The interesting take on this is that the last thing she rememers is that she'd been a pretty average girl with a pretty average job in a pretty average life.

However, waking up in a private chamber of a London hospital, she realizes that she'd changed immensely. She is now two sizes smaller with a beautiful, toned body and gorgeous, unbelievable clothes that she had no way in hell of paying for before. But the most surprising thing of all is that big, fat diamond ring and gold wedding band with her intials carved into it. Yep- she's married; and to a Greek God no less. In three years, she'd gone from nobody to someone with a perfect life.

As great as things may seem, her ventures into this brand new world makes her feel as if she's living the life of a different person. In the fab and glam of it all, she seems to have lost herself. No one's able to answer her questions until, that is, she meets a guy who seems to know everything aout her. Suddenly, nothing's normal. Why in the world does he feel like her other half when she's already married?

Remember Me? is poignant in its narrative of finding an anchor in a lost and almost senseless world. The highlight of the novel is the heroine's road to self-discovery, complimented by the gradual collection of new memories and at the same time mourning the old.

Kinsella was able to bring to life the hopes and fears of an individual with astounding success, and the exploration of human emotions is something that hasn't graced her other works in such a realistic style. I was truly touched by the end of the book, and the only upsetting aspect was that there wasn't more for me to read. This is without doubt a wonderful literary escape.

Ps. Why is there a sunflower on the front cover, you ask? It is the cutest thing ever, and I was so touched by it that I felt like I was falling in love with a fictional character...

You've got to find out yourself!

Six Words

2008-08-28T20:11:00.000-04:00

Can you tell a short story in six words?

I recently read a Times article that reminded me of an English class last year. Our teacher asked us to write a short story using six words. Why six? Because Ernest Hemingway once wrote this sentence:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

After reading it, I'd say most people's initial confusion would eventually give way to profound understanding (or supposed profound understanding, as the name 'Hemingway' insitutes a direct correlation between awed admiration and the need to associate oneself with such ingenuity, even when personal opinion might differ).

Either way, this short story is a great representation of his literary creativity. It provokes boundless questions from readers - why is someone selling baby shoes, especially ones that haven't been worn?

Could it be that a baby had passed away? Perhaps a woman had miscarried?

And along it, a sense of nostalgia and insight. Six words, and a world of feelings.

I guess I should contribute personally to this discussion by providing my own six words. I would, but I really haven't been able to come up with something worth posting. When you try it yourself, you'll realize how difficult it is to tell a whole story in such a short number of words.

However, maybe I can take a stab at 8 words:

In winter dreams, down summer lanes, sayonara blue.

Can you guess what I'm trying to say?

- Annie

Manga Recommendation: Honey Mustard

2008-08-25T10:52:00.001-04:00

Shoujo: Honey Mustard
Author: Yeo Ho Kyoung
Genres: Shoujo, Romance, Comedy
Rating: 6.5/10

I wasn't exactly excited about reading this series, since I had my hands on only one volume. However, the plotline in the one volume was amazingly exciting, setting up the story for lots of action in the future.

A quick summary from TokyoPop: Ara, a pretty high school student, finally gets the chance to cozy up to the guy of her dreams, but she blows it and ends up kissing the wrong boy under fairly compromised circumstances. Hilarious complications, mistaken identities, and misinterpreted signals ensue, and Ara soon finds herself being backed into an arranged marriage she at first wants no part of ...
But, as we all know, one love has a way of blooming in the unlikeliest of places ... and, of course, one love eventually conquers all!

If anyone has ever watched the Korean drama series Delightful Girl Choon Hyang, you can easily spot similarities between the two plots. In fact, I believe the drama is based off the manga, if not the other way around.

Since this isn't a review, I'm not going to delve into the rhetorics of the art and pacing, and only say that this manhwa is worth checking out. It's most suitable for someone who wants a light, enjoyable laugh without too much concentration on serious topics. The only downside I can see is that I've only been able to read one volume, and haven't looked further into the series to see how it progresses as the initial drama dies. Chocolat is an example of a manga that failed miserably after the first volume, but I do not believe Honey Mustard is like that.

- Annie

Published Again!

2008-08-23T11:44:00.000-04:00

Hehehe.

I'm happy to say my essay regarding the decline in voter turnout, which I submitted to Elder and Leemaur Publishing, was among the top 3% of over 5000 essays submitted. It was a competition open to high school and university students in the whole of North America.

What does this mean? I'm getting published for the second time! :D

It's going to be in a book called Challenge the Experts, and it will be viewed by an individual panel of judges in late September to determine whether or not I deserve to receive the possible $1000 scholarship.

I'll post the essay on here sometime after it gets published. It's called Couch Potato Conglomerates.

Hehehe.

Book Review: The Ruling Class

2008-08-20T12:48:00.001-04:00

More Mean than the Mean Girls

Cat fights aren’t the only deal when girls are pushed to the brink

Fiction: The Ruling Class
Author: Francine Pascal
Genres: Teen, Drama
Rating: 1.5/5

It’s often easy to be swayed by the outward appearance of something to make a faulty judgment of what’s inside. The Ruling Class is like that, a book that at first seemed to be only describing scenes directly from a Mean Girls situation, but turned out to be much more. This book touches on an important issue that plagues almost every girl at least once in her life - bullying. Even though some cases can be more serious than others, it’s something that happens constantly in all age groups. This book – encompassing the backstabbing, intimidation and plain meanness of such people, delivers a riveting account of one girl who isn’t afraid to stand up to them.

Perhaps being a new girl at a rich high school when you’re poor isn’t what most people would consider their best experience in life. In fact, it’s beyond horrible for Twyla Gay Stark, who is constantly being picked on by a group of girls named the Ruling Class. Made up of the stereotypical cheerleaders, superrich snots and a few all too eager suck-ups to Jeanette Sue, their leader, these girls rule the school by terrorizing those they believe are in their way. Unfortunately, Twyla falls into that group. Having been picked on time after time, especially after Jeanette’s boyfriend Ryder shows interest in her, Twyla takes a stand. There is nothing for her to lose anyway.

One of the most outstanding qualities of this book is the feelings it invokes in the reader. As you watch the main character become a target of the Ruling Class, it is hard to extricate yourself from your personal emotions that compel you to take action along with this brave girl. Exasperated, the only thing to do is to flip another page and continue reading. There is also the feeling of satisfaction when Twyla, at certain times, becomes successful and outsmarts them. The fascinating characters and meaningful plotline are especially attractive to those who love teen drama.

Aside from such good qualities, there are certain aspects of this book that can be frowned upon. The circumstances Twyla is faced with often seem just a bit outrageous, which makes everything less convincing. The climax seems hurried and unexpected, in the sense that you wouldn’t have recognized it except for the number of pages that were still left. The falling action is quite weak, and there could definitely have been more strings to tie up the loose ends. However, these drawbacks do not draw away from the existence of a good story and the impact of an inspirational message.

- Annie

Manga Recommendation: Beauty is the Beast

2008-08-15T15:11:00.004-04:00

Shoujo: Beauty is the Beast
Author: Tomo Matsumoto
Genres: Romance, Comedy, Shoujo
Rating: 6/10

A stolen summary:

When bubbly eleventh-grader Eimi Yamashita finds out that her parents are relocating for work, she decides to strike out on her own and move into a dormitory for girls. Little does Eimi suspect the exciting romantic adventures that await her there!

Eimi's fellow residents are a little bit crazy but a whole lot of fun. They've got a secret mission planned for Eimi's new resident initiation...and it has something to do with sneaking into the boys' dormitory across the street and returning with a special keepsake! Can Eimi pull it off without getting caught by one of the handsomest (and cruelest) boys in the dorm?

It's not a review, so I shall not go into the details. I'm only recommending it, and saying with all honesty that you should check it out.

I really enjoyed it, mainly because the author could take a very simple, everyday occurance and turn it into an experience. Though I've read pretty original/strange/unique plotlines, this one - which stresses simplicity was able to carry me all the way through till the end. However, I will warn you that you might not be satisfied with the end. I wasn't, but it's nothing to complain about.

I forgot to add this to The List, but if I had to, it would be in the Honorable Mentions.

Manga Review: Chocolat

2008-08-15T15:11:00.002-04:00

I started this series today - Chocolat. Five volumes later, I'm reviewing it.

Shoujo: Chocolat
Authors: Written by Shin Ji-sang and illustrated by Geo
Genres: Romance, Comedy, Shoujo
Rating: 4/10

I hate summaries, so here's one from Wikipedia:

All Kum-Ji wants in life is to meet her favorite boy band, DDL. When she finds that the roster for the fan club is full, Kum-Ji despairs on ever having the chance to meet them face to face. Just when she believes all hope is lost, she decides to con her way into the boy band circuit by faking an interest in another band, Yo-I, and joining their fan club. Once in, she will have access to other bands, including her beloved DDL, who often performs at the same venues. However, even the best laid plans frequently go awry, and her deception is discovered by one of the band members, E-Soh. E-Soh originally decides to blackmail Kum-Ji into doing whatever he wants, but he never planned on falling in love!

I enjoyed myself reading the first volume. After that, it took an effort to concentrate. I was not impressed by the storyline, as there was nothing amazingly original, nor was there anything worth pointing out. So another average girl hits another cliched jackpot. So what? Not to mention, the girl has some serious issues. In possession of one of those bipolar personalities - she stands out for not giving in to the hot guys' charms, and often uses her fists to wreck havoc. But in other circumstances, when she's faced with a group of rapid fangirls, she's back to a crybaby and unwilling to do anything about it. It's so frustrating to see this concept used so consistently in the countless mangas out there! This is why mangas like Hot Blooded Woman stand out, because the girl doesn't get pushed around by other jealous fangirls.

On the other hand, I did like the art, not to mention the bishies. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have continued to read it. There were quite a few moments when I laughed aloud, as well. If there is anything that even slightly saves the day - it's the comedy.

Of course, it's not as hilarious as Girl Got Game (that one had me rolling on the ground), this one gave me quite a few chuckles.

If you're going to read it - be prepared for a sagging plotline (it becomes pointless after the first volume or two), and an annoying main character who is so juvenile that it hurts, and of course, some pretty boys - the selling point.

Complete

2008-08-14T21:30:00.012-04:00

My goodness.

The deadline I gave myself was Friday. Wait - today is friday.

Well, it feels like I finished early.

Exactly 337 pages. Of my novel. Completed. From prologue to epilogue. Three years.

Completed.

Finally.

Hair!

2008-08-14T21:30:00.011-04:00

Though I've dedicated this blog to books, manga, etc, I don't believe that my personal life is too out of the ball park. Sure, my life isn't as exciting or memorable as the stories in all the mangas and novels, but it does get a little out of hand sometimes.

So, I'm going to tell a little story - about my hair.

My hair is very thick, as thickness goes. I cut it last year, and it grows quite slowly, so I'm pretty uptight about not cutting it until I have another one of those fantasies in which I am riding on the back of a speeding motorcycle and my short, sexy hair is fluttering in the wind.

Right now, it's probably four or five inches past my shoulder, and I'm ok with it. But at one point less than a month ago, I was definitely not ok with it.

I'd just washed my hair - perhaps half an hour ago, and it was pretty much dry. I was one of those people who doesn't brush their hair until they remember to brush it (as opposed to out of habit), and so when I stepped into the washroom to comb it through, I intended to be quick about it.

I had one of those heavy-duty (if that even applies to brushes), curling brushes. The big, round ones - with tiny spikes.

---

I was at the left side of my head when the brush got stuck. I'm not going to go into detail regarding how I got it stuck, because I'm not so sure myself, but I probably didn't comb it through before lifting it out and up to repeat the procedure.

So the brush got stuck - really close to my head. At first I was completely calm and professional (and by that I mean I wasn't screaming or anything). I tried untangling it - I really did. I simply got myself in a bigger mess. There was no one I could go to, for I lived alone at the time.

Ten minutes later, I was still by myself, stalking the bathroom, and trying the yank the thing out of my hair. You can totally see how that would go downhill, as opposed to actually being somewhat productive. It hurt too. If I took my hand away, the brush stayed there. It looked like a humongous lump on the side of my head - while pulling all my hair out.

At that time, I named it "the monster", because it was eating up my energy, my patience, my intelligence (as I thought about all the possible ways of dealing with this monstrosity)... and my hair.

Next step - I tried washing it. Goodness gracious, let's not go down that road. I stood right outside the bath tub, put only my head in, and turned on the showerhead. I'm cringing as I write, because that was such a wrong move. My hair was now wet. And tangled. Overall, in worse shape than before.

I brought out the hair dryer and started blowing.

I admit, I'd changed a couple of levels from being "calm" into "panicky". Not only did the whole bathroom floor get soaked with water, I had a consistent flow of healthy images in which my hairdryer (plugged into the wall right beside me) starts fizzing up and electrocutes me.

But I survive that part. Half an hour later, my arm very tired from holding the thing up, I'd tried nearly everything except the one thing I didn't want to do. And so, I walked around the house, looking for other inspirational ideas to fight "the monster".

During my psychoanalysis, I took notice of the spikes of the brush. They were the "teeth" that wouldn't let go of my hair. Suppose, I thought to myself, I cut off all the spikes of the brush. Would that work?

---

I put on a face of bravery towards the daunting task before me. There were probably a hundred or so of those spikes. I finally took out a pair of scissors, with absolute conviction that it wasn't going anywhere near my hair (like that was possible), and it was only going to cut the spikes off of the brush.

---

Looking back, if those spikes were made of rubber or something, I might have actually succeeded. But they were something close to iron. Scissors, obviously, did not work against them.

And so, as I sat beside the sink in my bathroom... the tears started coming on. I am so embarassed to admit this, but I guess it adds to the story. If I'd known what was waiting in store for me an hour earlier when I walked into the bathroom, I'd probably not touch my hair for two weeks.

There I was, bawling my eyes out, questioning the great Heavens why I was being treated so horribly; shadowed by what could only be bad luck.

Soaked in self-pity, I took out the pliers. One by one, I started wiggling each of the "tooth" out of "the monster".

Can you imagine me? Sitting on the bathroom counter, tears streaming down my face, a humongous lump on the side of my head, a pair of pliers tugging out bits of iron...

---

How on earth did I manage to get myself into this situation?

---

As I continued my ill-fated journey, I came to a certain self-acceptance.

Simply put, I accepted what had befallen me, and was prepared to deal with the consequences.

Ok. Change that last sentence into:

Screw this BS. I was sick and tired of having dangerous instruments with me alone in the washroom, weeping with hatred. If I was going down that road in the first place, I'd have a razor in my hand, not pliers.

Next thing I knew, I'd snatched my pair of scissors to start chopping away at my hair. It only took one minute (or less), and the brush was out. As well as a whole bunch of hair.

I looked into the mirror. I'd officially labeled myself as a freak... as if I wasn't a freak in the first place for going through all that drama and ending up with the same result. I cut bangs for myself too.

So now? I have half a small muchroom cut on the left side of my head, uneven bangs, and significantly less hair (which isn't too bad of a thing).

But I'm not a pessimist. With a clip and some hopeful wishing that the people around me are blind, I function as well as I used to.

Well... that was just one of those defining moments of my life. I have a couple more, but I guess I'll save them for later.

Hopefully you enjoyed a few chuckles at my expense,
- Annie

Olympics

2008-08-13T11:16:00.003-04:00

Wow.

Don't know how I've managed not to talk about the Olympics up until now.

Yesterday night, at approximately 12:00am, I was sitting on the edge of the sofa, gripping onto the side for dear life, and hardly breathing.

I was watching the Women's Gymnastics team finals.

I couldn't believe what took place before my eyes. It was soooo dramatic! Better than a good movie. It was mainly between the U.S. and China (I was watching NBC, so it was especially about the U.S. team), and I couldn't believe I was gasping away along with the audience.

Well, the first thing was the actual moves they pulled off. For me, the scariest is the balance beam. All that jumping on something similar to a tightrope.... amazing.

The girls of both teams did really well. And I mean REALLY WELL. The race was pretty close too, except at the very end.

I think in this case, it's hardly a case of skill, but rather a case of nerves, optimism and delivery. All your competitors are in top shape, millions of people are staring at you (19 000 are there personally to stare at you) and this event embodies the pinnacle of your career. Imagine the pressure! I get shivers just thinking about it.

Though the United States won silver, they were very, very close. Nastia Lukin, wow. That girl got 16.9/17 for the bars. That's gotta be something to be proud of.

And the Chinese won gold. They deserved it, as was said by the NBC commentator. One of the girls, I don't know her name, but she was the all-around gymnast... I was blown away by her. How could anyone be so amazing onstage... I don't know.

It was definitely a thrill watching the Olympics last night.

On another note, Michael Phelps just became the first person in history to win the most career gold medals (11 at this point), and going on to win the most gold medals at a single Olympics (8, was it?)

I am speechless, watching him swim. He makes it look so easy 'cause he's so relaxed! Everybody else is flailing around him, and he's just going steadily on. Goodness, he broke like 50 World Records. And what does he do after winning the 11th gold medal (I wonder if it's possible to ever be tired of standing on the podium)? He easily takes off his swimming goggles, looks at the board and seems slightly angry that he broke the World Record by less than he wanted to.

I have wonder if he's the best swimmer this world has ever seen...

Also, South Korea is doing REALLY well right now. It's third behind China and the States with 6 Golds. I'd have thought it would be Russia or Germany (from past Oympics), but I'm pretty proud of them. There was this swimmer (forgot his name), that fell into the pool right before the race started at the 2004 Olympics and GOT DISQUALIFIED. Goodness, that must have felt so bad. He was really embarrassed too.

Anyway, this year, he went and won the first gold medal in swimming for South Korea. I think anyone in the world, no matter what nationality, would have been proud of him.

There are so many other stories I have regarding the olympics, but I'll save that for another time.

I'm finished Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs, and have decided not to do a review. I think I'm doing too many book reviews at this point. I'd like to focus a bit more on manga.

Yesterday, I discovered the manga Kakan no Madonna. I REALLY, REALLY liked it. It reminds of Red River/Anatolia Story so much. But of course, nothing I've found could actually compare.

I am not reading this post over. I don't have grammer check, spell check, etc etc. So, spot anything wrong, Comment or Shout me.