It’s my second new year here in Japan and so far, here are the interesting things that I found out the Japanese are doing during this season:
Preparing and eating Osechi – my labmates told me during our bounenkai that Japanese moms spend a lot of time to prepare Osechi for new year. This ‘food set’ should be eaten from January 1-3 only, when moms are also on holiday. (They are free from house work and all, yeah!!!) I so wanted to try Osechi but since we had no chance (we were in snow country), I must wait for 2011 to do so. ^^ They said that Osechi doesn’t have that much taste though. Perhaps, everything is just boiled without much seasoning. ^.~
Going to Shrines to ring the ‘Bell’ – one of the nearest shrine here in NAIST is the one near Todaiji in Nara Park. If ever we’ll feel like going out tomorrow, we might, perhaps, visit that one or some other shrines in Kyoto. Japanese tradition, from what I heard, states that ringing the bell is like a call to ‘heaven’ to bless the person with good life all throughout the year. And for the girls who are 18 and boys who are 23, they must pray harder because, for some reason, these years are supposed to be the hardest. Doushite? Wakaranai…
Fukubukuro (Lucky Bags) Hunting – Now this one sounds the funnest of all. Shops all over Japan have ‘Lucky Bags’ being sold for ¥2000, ¥5000, ¥10000, ¥20000, or even more, wherein if you’re lucky, you’ll get more than the worth of what you spent. This is considered an exciting way to spread ‘luck’ in Japan. Apple Stores too have such a tradition, of which we just sorely missed. T.T There’s still tomorrow to grab some goodies somewhere. Perhaps, we’ll get some coolness stuff in Nippombashi tomorrow. Nendos and One Piece stuffs, here I come!!! Oh, and actually, these Lucky Bags are popular for fashion thingies, which I am not so into. ~.~ Shinsaibashi and those stores in Namba streets would be great for 2010 bargain shopping.
Anyway, we spent New Year quite differently, again, but I think it is better than last year’s slacking mode in my room. Haha! I am so looking forward to this year. So many projects and activities and events on the way. ^.^
Hihi, New Year celebration ends tomorrow anyway, so Nyaw and I still have another day to try doing some Japanese holiday tradition too. Hope we’ll have the energy!
01. Mercedes, Artie, Rachel & Tina – Proud Mary
02. Will & Rachel – Endless Love
03. Finn – I’ll Stand By You
04. Will – Don’t Stand So Close To Me/Young Girl
05. Rachel – Crush
06. Finn – (You’re) Having My Baby
07. Artie & Mercedes – Lean On Me
08. Mercedes – Don’t Make Me Over
09. Mercedes, Artie, Finn & Rachel – Imagine
10. Tina – True Colors
11. Finn, Rachel, Artie & Mercedez – Jump
12. Rachel & Finn – Smile (Cover Of Lily Allen Song)
13. Rachel, Finn & Mercedes – Smile (Cover Of Charlie Chaplin Song)
14. Mercedes – And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going
15. Rachel – Don’t Rain On My Parade
16. Rachel, Finn, Artie & Mercedes – You Can’t Always Get What You Want
17. Rachel, Finn, Tina & Mercedes – My Life Would Suck Without You
The last stretch of Glee this season was indeed spectacular. The last episode in itself felt like the end already… yet of course, we Gleeks want more. MORE! So mark your calendars my friends. April 13, 2010! On to the Regionals!!!
In this volume, I can’t help but smile with Endless Love, as Rachel fell in lurve with Mr. Schue for quite some time. And I remember Igor and Nyaw singing this duet back in Minoh. Boom, boom, boom… Hahaha!!!
Finn’s I’ll Stand By You is another favorite. Wow! Remember that episode when he was singing to the ultrasound image of his baby (well, now he knows the baby’s not his, saaad)? That was so sweet.
Imagine makes me cry everytime I hear the piano intro. Damn deafs!!! Can’t sing a single note… but they sure can melt hearts with their ‘music’. One of those episodes when I want to hug Mercedes.
And Tina’s True Colors. I have great memories with this song (hihihi)… and so when New Directions took their stools and just sang (after all those hair moves that made them look crazy and wheelchair performance for Proud Mary), it was just wonderful.
So what’s your favorite?
Oh, by the way, how can I forget Mercedes’ Ballad? But that’s worthy of another post. ^^ So wait up!
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And for the record, Glee Club is not a club for Losers!!! (I was in one when I was in Grade 5 ) Hahaha!!!
Tomorrow is supposed to be a day to enjoy live classical music from a renowned concert master. I could imagine the ambiance, the feel of the upholstered seats, the dim lights and the single spotlight… I could already hear the smooth vibrations that those four strings would produce the moment I was informed about it. Every single night, yes, until now.
It turns out, it is just not meant to be. Too busy with “work” to go elsewhere. You see, as the year ends, I am anticipating the end of some things as well. The finale of my current topic is to be culminated with a huge deadline, which is fast approaching. The end of this series of experiments that I have been preoccupied with some months now, included. Of course, the end means the beginning of something else; that place I am very eager to be in already. But more work. Push a little longer. Almost there.
Before, I would have been just dreaming of the happy ending, despite all the pressure. But through time I have learned that stories with “happy endings” haven’t exactly ended yet. So what now?
There’s still Backstreet Boys on Feb… Whitney Houston too. Naaah… How can I let this small yet worthy concert pass?
Perhaps, everything is just boiled without much seasoning. ^.~
