Lucky Star... My latest craze!

WARNING: A lot of Anime lingo ahead! Proceed with caution!

Aaaaaah... My first Model Exam for JLPT N5 is over and I did worse than I hoped for. And that means I need to put in more effort!

As for the sudden involvement in doing better at studies? Well, this is what a clean table and bookshelf can do to you!

Now, all my books are arranged neatly and can be accessed when I want to. It was quite something trying to find a particular book from the mess that was my table before! :) And I'm also watching Lucky Star. It's a slice of life anime series about an Otaku girl named Konata Izumi. I believe I've positively fallen in love with all the characters in it. Especially Tsukasa!

Tsukasa... kawaii Tsukasa!!!

I don't know... something about her seems so pure and well... adorable! I feel like hugging her whenever she's bullied and smiling when she does something clumsy. Ah, how I wish I had a sweet and lovable sister like her! I'd protect her from all the baddies of the world and be so happy when she smiles! (Kagami-san, I am beginning to understand you a lot better now!)
And the other characters are just as sweet! From the gaming geek "Kuroi-sensei" who secretly is worried about her single status to the Manga freak "Otou-san" of Konata! I absolutely love all of them! :) This is quite a change from the usual type of Anime and Manga that I read. Most of them have a lot of fighting or are equally random - like Gintama! But this anime, sure, it's random like Gintama but somehow it's not as risqué as Gintama is!

Well, I shall be writing a detailed review on the anime after I've completed watching it! So, wait a while longer for that folks! :)

Hmmmmmm moments

Aaaaah... I've finally reached the end of my JLPT N5 class at the institute and as I wait for three more tests to happen before I can get my certificate, I can't help but look back at the times when I first walked into class. The people who welcomed me there and the image I have of all of them...

I did mention Shimizu-sensei in a previous post and our final class was one where she encouraged us to speak in Japanese to another sensei who'd dropped in just the day before. We were all so apprehensive about speaking with someone who we'd only met... and who was Japanese. Sure, Shimizu-sensei's japanese as well... but somehow, you can't feel anxious or scared with her around. She's that awesome! :D Anyway, the new sensei happened to be just as forthcoming as Shimizu-sensei and she got along like a house on fire with Humaira-chan! They seem to share their taste for Techno J-Pop and Shoujo Manga! LOL... I wonder what she'd think when she gets to know my interest in Bleach and Naruto and not to mention Gintama?!

As for my classmates, I'm really happy to have them around!

Humaira-chan is a picture of how I was some five years ago! Into Japanese anime and J-pop... unaware that Japan is bigger than just that... crazy about Japanese guys who look like girls... finding it very hard to pronounce Japanese words... Ah... those were good times! I'm sure that if she were to work just as hard and put in more heart into it, she can floor any person with her Japanese!

Swarna-san is another classmate of mine and she's the one with whom I discuss lessons with. These discussions are more like "えっと私は全然勉強しない!" (Translated: Er.... I don't study at all!) And it gives me a totally different perspective when she tells me about her day... how she has so many things to do and jobs to juggle and yet manages to have a smile on her face all the time! I wish I be like her when I end up with a demanding family of my own!

Hmmm... Partings are so difficult but we carry memories with us wherever we go... and that makes life all the more beautiful... I hope I never get to lose contact with these people who're genuinely nice and kind! 

WTF???!

Has anyone seen the recent ads for Tata Manza and Bajaj Pulsar? And am I the only one who find them in bad taste?

Okay... for those who haven't seen them yet, I'll give you a short summary - 

For Tata Manza, they have a bunch of Japanese people waiting with a Tata Manza for their CEO from some company called Nippon Motors (In reality, Nippon Motors sells used car engines from Japan and is based in California).They find the car amazing (what's new!) and he asks them the rhetorical question, "What should we do?" for which one cocky engineer replies that they should buy it immediately. For this, the CEO (Called Tanuka-san) locks the cocky engineer in the boot of the Tata Manza and drives the car home (presumed). 

(The Ad under discussion)

Here's what I find appalling in this ad:

1. In the current scenario, the Japanese are some of the best there is in the field of automobile engineering. Sure, the Indian counterparts are good. But let's not forget that the Japanese spend more on R&D than Indians. And after having gone through this ad, I guess I'm beginning to understand where the Indian companies spend their money!
   
2. Japan is an extremely hierarchical place and you will never find an employee address the CEO by name! Heck! I'm sure they call their CEO something like "CEO-sama" or "Sachou-sama" or some other thing along those lines! Yep! Japan's like that. Deal with it!
   
3. Coming to the cocky engineer, it would've been marginally better if the engineer was someone working for Tata and the CEO decided he needed the extra brain to make better cars for his own company. I highly doubt if the CEO would actually pack his own employees into the boot for stating something that he must be thinking himself! I'm sure if the car is all that, the Japanese would buy one to reverse engineer, straighten the kinks and sell it right back to the Indians! Or... they might come up with a better idea altogether!
   
4. The CEO from the ad looks and behaves more like some leader from the Yakuza than like the head of a multinational.
   
5. Then again, when I did Google "Nippon motors", I got the website of a company that buys used engines from Japan. Hmmmm... maaaaaybe, the folks at Tata are saying that their car gives a better performance than a second-hand car with a second-hand engine from Japan? If that is so, I'm sure it isn't something to feel proud about! Ah... a self deprecating pun in the ad, eh Tata?

---

And now for the next ad that irks me!


The Bajaj Pulsar DTS-i. It has a couple of scenes where you have Japanese people in different settings exclaiming "Hontou?" and then the stupidity takes over with some puntz dropping a caption - 

"HUNTO = Unbelievable"

The first time I saw this ad, I was most unfortunately in the middle of drinking water. And without a doubt, I almost splurted it out!

(Only two words escape my mouth - Oy Vey!)

I am not going to list out the different things that's wrong with this ad... because it would be endless.

If there's one thing that ticks me off is when someone assumes they know the culture of a country and then butcher it with the ignorance that clouds their pea-brain. If I could meet the Baka who came up with this ad idea, I'll have him fed to rabid Mononoke without a doubt! Forget the bike specifications and how Bajaj is supposed to be better than the Japanese counterparts, why would you murder a language when you probably had more than enough resources to do your research to know that THERE IS NO SUCH WORD AS HUNTO IN JAPANESE!!!!!? 

I mean, you have enough funds to film in Japan, show the Yakuza relaxing in an Ofuro, Japanese women in furisode (with their right lapels over their left - they only dress the dead that way... so, they're dead women discussing automobiles?! Seriously... research, idiots!) but you can't take a Japanese dictionary off the shelf of some book store to check if a word like HUNTO exists? (you don't even have to buy the god-damned dictionary!)

And then calling the Pulsar a "sports bike"! Ai Eru! I may not be the most auto-savvy person on the planet, but I know enough to say that the Pulsar is NOT a Sports Bike! I'm the one who drooled over a Hayabusa and THAT is a Sports Bike! Jeez... are they taking Indians for idiots? Or have the higher ups at Bajaj finally lost their noggins?! 

I think they should be locked up in the boot of the Yakuza CEO's car for punishment!

Disclaimer: Sure, I don't know much about bikes or cars. And yep, I still hate the ads mentioned above for the simple reason that they are inaccurate as far as the Japanese cultural aspect is concerned. I don't understand why we get so worked up about somebody showing India as nothing more than a land of the poor and the superstitious but we wouldn't think twice before twisting some other country's culture out of context!

Aaaaaah..... iinda naaaa~!

Ah... my Japanese classes are coming to an end soon. And I'm undoubtedly a little sad. Sure, the institute isn't really humongous and I'd studied in a bigger place before.

But there's something about my Japanese institute that's heart-warming and welcoming. Maybe it was the bright and kindly smile that Shimizu-sensei awarded me with on our first meeting, even without knowing what my purpose of visit was. And I should say, I have become a total fan of her! If Japanese people in general are like her, Japan must be the closest thing to Heaven!

And Madhumitha-sensei... irrespective of the fact that I am older than her, I still consider her my sensei for the simple fact that she is one! :) But she hardly deals with us in the way a "teacher" does. She is more of a friend and I hope she has the best of everything wherever she goes. It would be hoping for too much if I wished Madhumitha-sensei would continue taking classes for the next level as well... Ah well! She is one of the reasons why I wish I could teach Japanese! And I am sure I'll do a satisfactory job because I've never been more passionate about a thing than what I've been with Japanese.

I plan to continue my next level here as well. And truth be told, I can't wait! :)

I love Kawaii!!!

Okay... I'm finally coming out of the closet with this post! I accept unashamedly that I am fond of all things kawaii! And for those of you out there who're scratching your head wondering what in the name of Hello Kitty's polka dotted bloomers is Kawaii, I'll explain.

Kawaii is Japanese for cute. And when the Japanese mean cute, they MEAN IT! I mean, it can be anything... from a friendly toast with cute button eyes and a kindly smile or Jack the ripper! (and yes... they can make Jack the ripper kawaii as well!).

But I'm not that overdosed on Kawaii yet and I guess I never will be. My addiction to Kawaii remains confined to admiring purses with cute animals on them or pencil pouches with cupcakes and loads and loads of stationery. Forget the fact that I can never afford any of these (the shipping alone shall kill me!). But I guess I goad myself to do better in whatever I do with self-made promises of getting that cutesy Memopad or that ubercute scheduler.

And before I sign off, a visual representation of what's kawaii and what's not! Pay close attention! :D

P.S. If any of you would like to send me gifts that consist of Kawaii stationery or other paraphernalia, I shall unabashedly build a shrine in your honour and reside as the resident Miko! :D

P.P.S. How many times have I used the work Kawaii in this post? @__@;;

A letter to those who gave life to me...

Respected Incensed Parent,

I am well aware that the world requires me to multi task with cleaning the toilet bowl and attending to a career at the same time. And I am also aware of the fact that the chauvinistic bastards who call themselves prospective grooms expect a slave more than they want a wife, I'm aware that my disability to cook good food will be my downfall,the fact that I have talents at numerous other things that can make the world a better place not withstanding. I am also painfully aware that you wish to see me off to my "husband's house" as soon as possible and irrespective of how much you drone about societal pressures, I can't shake off the feeling that being a girl is equal to being a burden. And so, it is but natural that you belittle my achievements in a "language class" that is nothing more than a hobby for you. But do realize that for me, it is life. I thrive on the fact that finally there is something I'm not terrible at. And that my worth is appreciated there. And the fact that I can have a career there, doing something I love is something that pleases me. I am well aware that you feel I shouldn't work hard to be good at my Japanese because I don't spend enough time being the prospective and lucrative bride.


I am hurt. Not that either of you would actually give a damn! But then again, why should you? Especially when you will never read it. Anyway, this is just one of those letters that I write for the simple reason that writing it made it seem like there was someone to talk to. I am aware that once I post this, I shall once again return to being that single "weird" entity whose sensibilities are at once alien and silly to you and like-minded adults.


Regards,
Your differently-abled daughter.

I'm alive!

Ah... it's been long!

This post is just a shout from me to indicate to the world in general that,

"HAH! Tough Luck! I still live!"

© Julia Grace M via Flickr