Abandoned, just simply too long

Trust me. This blog is still the home page for my web browsers for those of you who are … wondering. I know how pathetic it is to keep a blog that hasn’t been updated since the New Year (side note: I did complain at people for not updating much); but, hey, please be happy for me since it shows that in a way, I was ‘tied up’ … a proof that life’s actually been happening, naturally looking at this dusty blog of mine, or perhaps I should restate that Facebook & Twittering were enough to update everyone with all the tiny little events in my humble life.

So, what triggered me to jot down a few lines in my tatami room. Nothing actually, just a random kick in myself after watching 2 movies on a Sunday morning (Multiple Sarcasms & Youth in Revolt, for curious individuals) when I should have been studying actually for the coming exams. Oh well, exams don’t intrigue me at all (a passive, not active learner – in other words, I’d say I prefer to absorb things as I run, I don’t run to things to absorb them. Get me?) and somehow all the last minute trainings back in school life turns to be handy even now. Squeezing them into the temporary memory, zipping them up in packages and then unzip them to fill in the blank pages at a well, acceptable extraction quality.

This blog had been a good partner to record significant events in life (see how I put this line in past tense), sharing whatsoever that interests me as they throttle down my lane. It’s actually funny to see how this blog links me with all the people who actually bumped into it. Mostly they are my colleagues at work as some of them were searching for details of my current job and randomly, got to know that I scribbled about my joy of getting the job that changed my dreaded life of engineering.

So, how’s work life? That’s one of the questions I always get lately. People seems to be so “creative” or perhaps, they just don’t know much enough on what I am up to (don’t blame them) and they’d eventually land on the same boring question. Life’s good, I would always tell them and I would quote my junior who commented on my Mixi blog (the largest SNS site in Japan – I, somehow, manage to update daily as a routine now) stating that,

“Hey, Endoru, how come it hits me that you are enjoying working life than student life?”

Urm, hello, if you’ve been following with what I’ve gone through in that dark age, you’d agree that I am having a hell good time of life now much more.

As how one of my Facebook status update goes, “I feel like a financial analyst on weekdays and a career consultant/therapist on the weekends.” I even, continued by commenting on my own status update, “Filling up e-mails with my ideas/advices/thoughts for their wearies. Shooting sentences of motivation and slaps of reality to help one to measure his/her abilities. Dream, reality, how. If I got all the answers, I would be God but am glad somehow people repetitively revisit me as they face different phases of life. I can only and only share based on my experiences and limited knowledge, connecting dots to dots hopefully they turn into lines and finally become stereoscopic visions for them.”

Another junior suggested that I should set up some FAQs on my blog. I politely rejected by stating, “Good idea. But actually, my dear customers do not only comes from engineering line. Anyway, I can pass to some others who seem to be on the right track like yourself. Every single one has their own unique worries and I prefer to talk to each of them directly for those I give a damn for – again, I do have the rights to choose on my side as well and I don’t just cater anyone who comes to me. Some people take me for granted (those that comes to you only when they find you useful) and those are not worth for me to “waste my saliva”. I don’t like the idea of preparing a go-to-Bible for everyone since it doesn’t work like the debate: Holy Bible is correct, Al-Quran is correct.”

That’s how life is for me now. Somehow, I get to practice my passion a bit, time to time, in the HR related department. I used to aspire to be a psychologist or therapist and I see that that could be a side dish. I like to share and be bluntly truthful and honest (perhaps an urge after suffering years pushing myself doing things I discern). Advices … some may say, but I don’t like to put it that way for advices have responsibilities tagged to it and I just like to express it as an action of laying out some stories for people to see so that very person could take it as a reference, consuming only what’s relevant for them and slowly digested, not meant to be swallowed without giving much thought on it.

Finance, HR or venture capital. Those were the 3 choices I had for my job offers back in school bench – I am now on finance for my rice bowl and HR for side dish. Venture capital will come into vision when I get more ready as I move on. People do hit me with big questions and I see that everyone goes through the same loop in their mind. It’s good for me for it reminds me to perk myself up when I get mundane or just too comfy in own life zone. Oh well, human are just greedy beings trying to achieve things beyond their limits and just have the tendency to want to fail in life when traveling too down that spiral of self-dooming.

Enough rants from me this time. When will be my next, I do wonder too. I do plan to write more, of course. I am finally making my move from Chiba to Tokyo. Pay extra for rent just to buy time for other things. Weighed my choices on the scale and made my decision and final, so to speak. Alright, I wish you all a good Sunday and I am making ZzzZ’s till I wake up again with my next attempt to tackle exams & moving preparations. Au revoir and peace.

The story of William Kamkwamba

Yes, I know. Yes, I realized. Yes, I’ve been awfully quiet for way too long. So, what motivated me to break this long silence? Well, somehow this story about “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”, Mr. William Kamkwamba, made me felt that it would be a good share.

When William Kamkwamba was just 14 years old, his family told him that he must leave school and come home to work on the farm – they could no longer afford his fees. This is his story of how he found a way to make a difference, how he bought light to his family and village, and hope to his nation.

Malawi is a country battling AIDS, drought and famine, and in 2002, a season of floods followed by the most severe famine in fifty years brought it to its knees. William Kamkwamba’s family were farmers, and relied on their maize crop to feed them for the year and bring in money by selling the surplus. But after many lean years, finally there was no more. By Christmas 2001 they were running out of food – with months before they could harvest their crop again.

At 14 years old, William had been forced to leave school as there was no money to pay the fees. Borrowing library books to continue his education, William picked up a book in English about energy, with a picture of a wind turbine on the front cover. Fascinated by science and electricity, William decided to build his own.Ridiculed by those around him, exhausted from his work in the fields every day, slowly he built it with scrap metal, old bicycle parts and wood from the blue gum tree. It has changed the world in which William and his family live.

Only 2% of Malawi has electricity; and the windmill now powers light bulbs and a radio at their compound, and he has built more windmills for his school and village. When news of William’s invention spread, people from across the globe offered to help him. Soon he was re-enrolled in school and travelling to America to visit wind farms. This is his story – his attempts to teach other Africans to help themselves, one windmill, one lightbulb, at a time.

It’s great to see how people get their revelation when they are young. William got his when he was 14. Mine came at that same age too. How have I been doing lately? Well, life’s been real good for I feel like I am a fish who finally found the right place with the right water for me to swim in. Working life is not bad at all and to be honest, it is far much better than my years in engineering studies. It could be true after all that business and finance is the thing for me. I will try my best to update as much as possible from now on. Alright, people, have a good life. Peace.

Spring: A season of changes and farewells

Since I became a heavy user of Facebook (will be light one once my work starts to pile up), updating my blog seems to have become like a burden since I will be repeating all the stuff that I update in the status in Facebook but I guess it is good to keep this page alive for other readers who aren’t in Facebook. To keep this post simple, since I have other tasks in mind to do, I will just sum up the core events that has been happening in my life lately. Till my next post, stay tune.

• First: I’ve graduated on the 25th March 2009 and I am officially a master degree holder in Engineering.

Me at the graduation ceremony with Teruko and Jose

The certificate that I earned after 2 years of hard work

• Second: I’ve bid my two Malaysian friends farewell who were going back to homeland for good.

Farewell gathering for Ching Foa and Darren

• Third: My work life with GE began officially on the 1st April 2009.

Me and my fellow super-talented colleagues

Am officially with GE, the company that values “imagination at work”

Mind your English language

It doesn’t hurt at all to be careful with your spellings.

Some of the common spelling mistakes that I see that bothers me a bit.

If you are a Firefox user, then you should try to install the dictionary from the add-ons that will automatically check your spelling after you’ve typed each word. Sometimes, you may not have done the mistake on purpose and this will help a lot in avoiding you from doing all those silly spelling errors especially when you update your status in Facebook or when you Twitter. The dictionary add-on is also available in other languages as well. Just a tip for those who thinks that they do tend to err or those who does all the mistakes stated above. *hehe* Being careful with your spellings will help not only you but also those around you, especially little ones who are still learning how to spell right. Just remember, the cyber space is for the eyes of all so let’s make it a better place by doing this small step. About grammatical errors, well, we just have to put that responsibility on the English teachers, don’t we?

Utada Hikaru – Come Back To Me

Allow me to break my silence up to now with this long awaited “Come Back To Me” video premiere from Utada Hikaru’s upcoming album “This Is The One”. The video is directed by Anthony Mandler and was shot in Los Angeles. I have to say that her brand new song “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI” is also simply fabulous and she’s definitely serious this time in re-invading the world. Just can’t wait for the day when they start putting her albums on the Tower Record racks and getting my hands on one of them. Utada, great works as always ! Thanks for the posters sent in to me the other day ! Can’t wait to go to your next concert in the future !

May the year of Cow brings everyone joy and happy laughters !

It’s a “Moo – Moo” year everyone !

The new “old” message on this festive season

By Petronas, Directed by Yasmin Ahmad

Watch it and feel the sentiment.

Work That !

Teriyaki Boyz Feat. Pharrel & Chris Brown

Another funky tune by the Teriyaki Boyz, collaborating with Pharrel once again after Zock On.
Their new album “SERIOUS JAPANESE” will be out on 28th January !

(HOOK)
Let me see ya work that Let me see ya work that
Let me see ya work that Let me see ya work that
Work That! Work That! Work That!
Work That! Work That! Work That!
Work That! Work That! Work That!
Work That! Work That! Work That!

(VERBAL)
GIRL in a PURPLE, said she THIRSTY PASS that GRAPPA,
swig that girlfriend…
So heated this WEEKEND Best-looking EARTHLING yet to surface
“She’s taken… what’s the purpose?”
“Just looking… CAN I DO THAT?”
Wanna DO that, chauffeur that THING back home,
just watch her WORK that…
Her shirt be BURSTIN When she twist & twirk that skirt get
Lifeted HIGH, so SCI-FI said she SHY? YEAH RIGHT!
もう相当　末期症状　ポッケにROCKET、どうしよう?どうしよう!
東京妄想　BOYZが爆走　高度上昇　We in MOTION

(RYO-Z)
He say She say TB　リクエスト　まんまのシーケンスで深いGroove
P先輩　say line for the bathroom　どんなサイズも一目で採寸
TOPからアンダー ウェスト　ヒップ
HOTなナンバーがかかればZOCK ON!
みんなでWillie Bounce　あの娘とDirty Wine
とっくのとうに忘れてるぜ恥じらい
まるで真夜中のまじない　フロア中揺らすBasslineに感じない?
どこまでも照らすSearchlight　逃げられやしない　しなるBodyline
Let me see ya work that　呑み過ぎKnockdown
どころか頭はますますClock up
なんとか立ってられるくらいフラフラ
もう一回ドアタマ戻してPull up

(WISE)
Uh〜 She got crazy charisma, body like a magnet　引き起こす asthma
引き寄せる手綱　アッて間に乗りこなすじゃじゃ馬
Oooh I’ve seen that on video,
tame her like a mustang ride like in a rodeo
Oh That’s what I mean move it slow,
work that thing like you wanna be a pro
Uh, Straight from TOKIO　眠らない街へようこそ
Neon lights shinin’bright　彼女が履くJeans みたくTight
街はGlamorous　夜はScandalous Can you really hang with us?
味は格別　テリヤキ　マジです　Yo, Can you handle this?

(ILMARI)
TokyoのネオンみたいにShining　フロアで悩殺されちゃヤバい
タイトなサイジング(oh-)そのバディー
フレッシュでライカ酸味の効くパイン
オーラ迸る凸凹ライン　僕の手を握る
なんならどっか　いっちゃいそうさ
アゲアゲオズマみたいにパーティー　今夜も超HOT(超HOT)
Turn It Upで超ハイ　HOW HIGHどんぐらい?
腰揺らす超満員　頂上までgroovin
Turn It Upで超ハイ　HOW HIGHどんぐらい?
腰揺らす超満員　頂上までgroovin

(PHARRELL)
Girl, work that body Girl, work that body
Girl, work that body Girl, move your body
Work That! Work That! Work That!
Work That! Work That! Work That!
Work That! Work That! Work That!
Work That! Work That! Work That!

(Chorus)
Let me see ya work that Let me see ya work that
Let me see ya work that Let me see ya work that
You can work it out but you gotta get started now
You can work it out but you gotta get started now

The Obama speech

44th President of the United States making his Presidency oath

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land – a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America – they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and travelled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and ploughed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions – that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act – not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions – who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them – that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works – whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account – to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day – because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control – that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart – not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort – even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West – know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honour them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment – a moment that will define a generation – it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends – honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism – these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence – the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed – why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have travelled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Her new single and a new English album to be out soon !

When I checked my Hotmail account a while ago, I was thrilled to find out that an e-mail from the Utada mailing list that I’m subscribing to had arrived informing the new single by Utada and am real excited for the release of her coming new English album. Anyway, you can listen to her new single “Come Back To Me” at her official website. Also available at her MySpace. So check it out ! Been a bit busy lately to blog. Will start re-blogging properly once I get settled with current higher priority matters. Peace.

***

Come Back To Me

The rain falls on my windows
And the coldness runs through my soul
And the rain falls, oh, the rain falls
I don’t want to be alone

I wish that I could photoshop on
Our bad memories
Because the flashbacks, oh the flashbacks
Won’t leave me alone

If you come back to me
I’ll be all that you need
Baby, come back to me
Let me make up for what happened in the past

(Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
I’ll be everything you need (Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
Boy, you’re one in a million (Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
I’ll be everything you need (Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
You’re one in a million
(You’re one in a million)

Memories I have of Manhattan
She goes shopping for new clothes
And she buys this, and she buys that
Just leave her alone
I wish that he would listen to her
Side of the story
It isn’t that bad, it isn’t that bad
And she’s wiser for it now

I admit I cheated (admit I cheated )
Don’t know why I did it (why I did it)
But I do regret it (do regret it)
Nothing I can do or say can change the past

(Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
I’ll be everything you need (Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
Boy, you’re one in a million (Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
I’ll be everything you need (Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
You’re one in a million
(You’re one in a million)

Everything I ever did
Heaven knows I’m sorry but
I was too young to see
You were always there for me
And my curiosity
Got the better half of me
Baby take it easy on me
Anything from A to Z
Tell me what you want to be
I open my heart to be
You are my priority
Can’t you see you’ve punished me
More than enough already
Baby take it easy on me

Baby take it easy on me
Baby come back to me
Baby come back to me

(Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
I’ll be everything you need (Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
Boy you’re one in a million (Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
I’ll be everything you need (Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
You’re one in a million
(You’re one in a million)

(Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
I’ll be everything you need (Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
Boy, you’re one in a million (Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
I’ll be everything you need (Come back)
Baby come back to me (Come back)
You’re one in a million
(One in a million)

La la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la

Wishing you folks a great year ahead !
Let’s simply make year 2009 a blast !

A postcard has just arrived for you …

Kanji for the year 2008 : 『変』

For further informaton, check the Wikipedia.

In Japan, they started using a 漢字, 【Kanji】 (which means Chinese character)

to represent the whole year from 1995.

For this year, the keyword is “change” as in the frequent changing of the Japanese Prime Ministers (Abe to Fukuda to Aso), Mr. Obama winning the American Presidency elections spreading the word ‘change’ globally and also the obvious and serious economical and ecological changes around the world. The word “変” is read as “hen” (for the Chinese reading 音読み) and “kawari” (for the Japanese reading 訓読み). It mainly means change but it also means weird. There were many changes in this year and of course, a very weird year indeed as well. Anyway, we all are hoping for better changes in the world, no matter where we are. What will year 2009 have in store for us ? Let’s get surprised. Hopefully, surprised in a good way.

Mr. Children: 『エソラ』

Visit their official website here.

Out with their latest album “SUPERMARKET FANTASY”.

A unique and amazing video clip by them. Very unlike them but like the new style.

Simply loved the kiss scene at the end of it, fits the title “SUPERMARKET FANTASY” very much indeed.

二足歩行してる空っぽの生きもの
無意識にリズムを刻んでいる
フルボリュームのL-Rに
萎んでた夢が膨らんでいく

君が話してたの　あそこのフレーズだろう？
まるで僕らのための歌のようだ
君は　どんな顔して聞いてたの？
甘く切なく胸を焦がす響き

メロディーラインが放ったカラフルな魔法のフレーズ
輝きを撒き散らしては僕らに夢を見せる
明日へ羽ばたく為に
過去から這い出す為に
Oh Rock Me Baby Tonight
ほらもっとボリュームを上げるんだ

天気予報によれば　夕方からの
降水確率は上がっている
でも雨に濡れぬ場所を探すより
星空を信じ出かけよう

雨に降られたら　乾いてた町が
滲んでキレイな光を放つ
心さえ乾いてなければ
どんな景色も宝石に変わる

やがて音楽は鳴り止むと分かっていて
それでも僕らは今日を踊り続けてる
忘れないために
記憶から消すために
Oh Rock Me Baby Tonight
また新しいステップを踏むんだ

メロディーラインが描いたカラフルな希望のフレーム
輝きを撒き散らしては僕らに夢を見せる
めぐり合う度に
サヨナラ告げる度に
Oh Rock Me Baby Tonight
さぁ踊ろうよ　ボリュームをもっと上げるんだ