So I have not been manga lately. But now I started a new one called Skipbeat スキップ・ビート  華麗的挑戰  written by Yoshiki Nakamura which started in 2002 and is still on-going . (I did get caught up on the others too–with recent english translations-Bleach, Ouran, Wallflower…). This manga has been made into an anime and was supposedly going to be a live action drama made in Taiwan, but recently it was pulled indefinitely.

I am hooked and I just finishe the first 7 volumes. So far there about 18 volumes available in the USA translated but about 22 volumes in Japan.

Basically this manga chronicles 17 year old Kyoko Mogami 最上 キョーコ. She runs away from home and does not attend high school on a whim with her childhood friend/cruch Sho Fue 不破 尚 . He goes to Tokyo in dreams of becoming rich and famous. He does not want to inherit and live a stuffy life owning a Japanese inn. Kyoko was trained at a young age while living with Sho’s family all there is to know about working in a Japanese inn.

One day, Kyoko learns that Sho does not love her and was only using her as a “maid” while she was selflessly working 3 jobs to support Sho who did not have to lift a finger doing anything at home-housework, laundry, cooking etc. Then she swears she will get revenge by becoming a bigger star than Sho. Problem is she has not special talents, she is plain and not curvy. This breaks Kyoko’s heart and shatters any last vestiges of humanity, compassion in her heart.

Sho’s goal is to take away the most popular guy in Japan from 敦賀 蓮 Ren Tsuruga. Later on, Kyoko joins Ren’s company LME but on an interesting trial basis. But the  President of the company saw that Kyoko had potential but was leery of her attitude of only wanting revenge.

Other

Anime Network

It tells of a young girl born into education and privilege. But it all comes shattering down under Mao and the Cultural Revolution. The day her innocence and childhood ended was when she heard her headmaster committed suicide.

Currently she lives in the Boston area.

OTHER
Book Review by International Herald Tribune

Author’s website Moying Li

(photos credit from Cashewmania)

**I have to redo this entry due to Xanga not saving it—grrrr!

Thanks to SNSD fans, they translated this game show KBS Star Golden Bell 스타골든벨. (I did catch a translated episode on KBS World while traveling through SE Asia.) One recent episode that shown on Valentine’s day had SNSD 소녀시대 aka Girls Generation and  빅뱅 Big Bang’s Seung Ri on it.

The first part of the show they have everyone do some promo work so SNSD 소녀시대(minus Yoona) did a quick demo of “GEE” (their latest and hottest song that is redone all over the world into many versions) and Seung Ri 승리 with “Strong Baby” 승리솔로. Then later the participants have a few games as a team (each row) or later on individually. At the end, one person will have the honor to answer the final “STARGOLDEN BELL” question. All the money raised does to go to charity.

I thought this episode was cute as whenever Seung Ri did well and his team, he had to do the dance from his song to “crack crack” which was hilarious. Or when one of the SNSD gals had to swipe a stick with food to have the other gals try some of it while the MCs were not looking. One game I don’t get but enjoy is when Kara’s Nicole for the guessing game.

VDAY-Woke up at 5am to volunteer at a local Chinatown food pantry. I have gone here a few times and this time beyond the usual packing, assembling I got to talk to the participants and use my Cantonese/Mandarin to good use. Fueled by a delicious  SB expresso truffle, I was able to power through the session. One kind man asked if I was Cantonese. Upon hearing yes, he noted that my mandarin was good. Awww, very kind of him but I know I only can get by in Mandarin.

Since I was in Back Bay, I was able to accomplish a few longstanding tasks. One to pay off my friend TN and I headed to Bank of America.I got some stuff at FBasement and browsed Borders. (I had to kill some time before meeting up with my friend for lunch.) With a little time, I headed to the ICA to see the new big exhibit. Fairey has a big one and has recently been arrested for his previous outstanding warrants for his arrest for his graffiti. I think the man is very talented.

Grabbed lunch with AO and then went to see Black and White at the CitiWang Theater. I can see the economic slump as upper areas of the theater were empty! Afterwards we headed to Chinatown and my friend wanted to get some Chinese medicine and ended up seeing a Chinese doctor and having acupuncture done. Dinner was vietnamese again, I didn’t mind as I like it.

I ended up staying up til 7am doing odds and ends. What I am not sure of.

Sunday 2/16-Got a text at 10am so my 11am dimsum was happening afterall. UGGGH. With 3 hours sleep I scrambled to meet up with my friend HS 현숙 in Chinatown. While waiting at the Boylston T station I met up with SLan who I had met at a mixer earlier in the week. (Such a small world eh?) We shared a table and had many different things as I wanted HS 현숙 to try stuff as she won’t be able to have it in Pusan. Afterwards we went to Eldos and I got her some stuff I love to eat there. But most importantly we got freshly made egg custard tarts still yummy and warm from the oven!

After dropping her off, I had to rush over to meet up with Tomo for lunch/tea. No tea was served but it was lunch. We had a lovely nice nice meal to celebrate her bday and graduation from grad school. So proud of her. After a leisurely meal, we head over to Washington Square to hang out before I head to meet MPK for Indian at Tamarind Bay. We had an interesting conversation and this was the most about his opinions and thoughts I have heard from MPK in a long time. Still I am glad we are good friends.

Sunday was such a food day that I needed some bitter melon tea. I have gotten used to drinking it when I need it.This weekend was very packed and busy. You work all week for the weekend to end up not having much time at home. But I had fun doing it and meeting up with friends.

VDAY-Woke up at 5am to volunteer at a local Chinatown food pantry. I have gone here a few times and this time beyond the usual packing, assembling I got to talk to the participants and use my Cantonese/Mandarin to good use. Fueled by a delicious  SB expresso truffle, I was able to power through the session. One kind man asked if I was Cantonese. Upon hearing yes, he noted that my mandarin was good. Awww, very kind of him but I know I only can get by in Mandarin.

Since I was in Back Bay, I was able to accomplish a few longstanding tasks. One to pay off my friend TN and I headed to Bank of America.I got some stuff at FBasement and browsed Borders. (I had to kill some time before meeting up with my friend for lunch.) With a little time, I headed to the ICA to see the new big exhibit. Fairey has a big one and has recently been arrested for his previous outstanding warrants for his arrest for his graffiti. I think the man is very talented.

Grabbed lunch with AO and then went to see Black and White at the CitiWang Theater. I can see the economic slump as upper areas of the theater were empty! Afterwards we headed to Chinatown and my friend wanted to get some Chinese medicine and ended up seeing a Chinese doctor and having acupuncture done. Dinner was vietnamese again, I didn’t mind as I like it.

I ended up staying up til 7am doing odds and ends. What I am not sure of.

Sunday 2/16-Got a text at 10am so my 11am dimsum was happening afterall. UGGGH. With 3 hours sleep I scrambled to meet up with my friend HS 현숙 in Chinatown. While waiting at the Boylston T station I met up with SLan who I had met at a mixer earlier in the week. (Such a small world eh?) We shared a table and had many different things as I wanted HS 현숙 to try stuff as she won’t be able to have it in Pusan. Afterwards we went to Eldos and I got her some stuff I love to eat there. But most importantly we got freshly made egg custard tarts still yummy and warm from the oven!

After dropping her off, I had to rush over to meet up with Tomo for lunch/tea. No tea was served but it was lunch. We had a lovely nice nice meal to celebrate her bday and graduation from grad school. So proud of her. After a leisurely meal, we head over to Washington Square to hang out before I head to meet MPK for Indian at Tamarind Bay. We had an interesting conversation and this was the most about his opinions and thoughts I have heard from MPK in a long time. Still I am glad we are good friends.

Sunday was such a food day that I needed some bitter melon tea. I have gotten used to drinking it when I need it.This weekend was very packed and busy. You work all week for the weekend to end up not having much time at home. But I had fun doing it and meeting up with friends.

(pics source: ICA)

Saturday, I went to the ICA to see the new Shepard Fairey exhibit “Supply and Demand” (now til August 16, 2009). He came into the mainstream with his work “Hope” with Obama in it.Fairey has other works around the Boston and Cambridge area too and the ICA has a tour to check them out during the week and weekends. I have to do it when I have a free weekend.

The first museum survey of one of the most influential street artists of our time (source: ICA)

From humble beginnings as a defiant, skateboard-obsessed art student pasting homemade stickers, Shepard Fairey has developed into one of the most influential street artists of our time. Despite breaking many of the spoken and unspoken rules of contemporary art and culture, his work is now seen in museums and galleries, as well as the worlds of graphic design and signature apparel. His multi-faceted, open-ended and generous artistic practice actively resists categorization. Building off of precedents set by artists such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, Fairey shifts easily between the realms of fine, commercial, and even political art.

Fairey’s multi-layered renderings of counter-cultural revolutionaries and rap, punk and rock stars, as well as updated and re-imagined propaganda-style posters, carry his signature graphic style, marked by his frequent use of black, white, and red. Recently, his portrait of Barack Obama, a ubiquitous sight on the campaign trail, drew a new level of attention to the artist’s work and was recently acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, for its collection.

Shepard Fairey: Supply and Demand   traces the development of the artist’s career, from the earliest Obey imagery through his latest efforts, and includes screen prints, stencils, stickers, rubylith illustrations, collages, and works on wood, metal, and canvas. The artist is also creating a new mural for the ICA and public art works at sites around Boston.
Shepard Fairey: Supply & Demand is sponsored by Levi Strauss & Co. 

Additional support is provided by Hal and Jodi Hess, Patricia La Valley and Geoff Hargadon, and Timothy Phillips.

Media Sponsor  

I was really impressed by the amount of work he has accomplished at his age. I plan to go again to check it out and give a bit more time to it than I was able to give this weekend.

(photos: Sookyeong)

Yesterday was the second episode of the two episode spot with 빅뱅 Big Bang’s T.O.P (aka 최승현 Choi Seung Hyun)on the Sunday show 패밀리가떳다 ”Family Outing”. Even though I cannot get alot of the jokes, I was still laughing alot. Compared to 다니엘 헤니Daniel Henney, he is very quiet. The first part shown on 2/8/09 was funny as he had problems touching the fish. Or that Daesang 강대성 was taking advantage being a permanent member on the Family by ordering around his 형hyung while the members were making dinner. Or the fact Hyori 이효리was making pancakes and how everyone lined up to take try some. The singing contest between Jong Gook 김종국 and MC Yoo 유재석 was hilarious to get more of Hyori’s pancakes. I was impressed that this time Jong Gook stepped up and helped YeJin 박예진clean the fish. She is the one who is skilled in making food and knowing what to do.

Last night’s episode (2/15/09) was funny. MC Yoo’s rapping and poking fun at Jong Gook of his old “scandal” with 윤은혜Yoon Eun Hye on “Xman”  (especially in 2005) was hilarious. I still think it is not fun to wake up at 7:30am to play a game to avoid making breakfast. It was funny how Daesang was a bit jealous and had to come out and check out how the breakfast prep was coming along with TOP, MC Yoo and Yoon .Chunhee 이천희 showed off on the ice and after making a cool jump he later fell after doing some other tricks. Poor YeJin fell when paired with Chunhee.

Next up is the third female guest since this show started Yoona 임윤아 of SNSD 소녀시대 (aka Girls Generation the 9 girl group). Right now their song Gee is very hot in Korea at least 3 weeks at the top spot. Of course during the episode preview, she does the requisite performance of “Gee”.

This is the second weekend I caught a dance performance, next weekend I want to catch Jewels.

Boston Ballet presents-BLACK and WHITE: (source : Boston Ballet)

Kathleen Breen Combes and Sabi Varga Photo by Gene Schiavone			NO MORE PLAY CHOREOGRAPHY AND SET/COSTUME DESIGN Jiří Kylián ASSISTANT TO THE CHOREOGRAPHER Roslyn Anderson and Patrick Delcroix MUSIC Anton Webern: Fünf Sätze für Streichquartett COSTUME DESIGN/SUPERVISION Joke Visser LIGHTING DESIGN Joop Caboort TECH/LIGHTING ADAPTATION Kees Tjebbes World Premiere: November 24, 1988, Nederlands Dans Theater The quiet gravity of Webern’s Five Movements for String Quartet underscores the intimacy and introspection of No More Play.
Roman Rykine and Rie Ichikawa by Gene Schiavone			PETITE MORT CHOREOGRAPHY AND SET DESIGN Jiří Kylián ASSISTANT TO THE CHOREOGRAPHER Roslyn Anderson and Patrick Delcroix MUSIC Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto in A Major, Piano Concerto in C Major COSTUME DESIGN AND SUPERVISION Joke Visser LIGHTING DESIGN Joop Caboort TECH/LIGHTING ADAPTATION Keese Tjebbes World Premiere: August 23, 1991, Nederlands Dans Theater         Petite Mort, a ballet for six men and six women, incorporates artistic swordplay set to Mozart.
Yury Yanowsky by Eric Antoniou			SARABANDE CHOREOGRAPHY AND SET DESIGN Jiří Kylián ASSISTANT TO THE CHOREOGRAPHER Patrick Delcroix MUSIC Johann Sebastian Bach: Partita Nr. 2 D-moll/Sarabande BWV 1004 COSTUME DESIGN Joke Visser LIGHTING DESIGN Joop Caboort LIGHTING ADAPTATION Kees Tjebbes  World Premiere: September 13, 1990, Nederlands Dans Theater         A powerful display for six men, Sarabande showcases dancers as they shift between their group and individual variations using movement and sound to intensify the piece.
Photo by Gene Schiavone			FALLING ANGELS CHOREOGRAPHY Jiří Kylián ASSISTANT TO THE CHOREOGRAPHER Roslyn Anderson MUSIC Steven Reich: Drumming | Part I COSTUMES DESIGN/SUPERVISION Joke Visser LIGHTING DESIGN Joop Caboort LIGHTING ADAPTATION Kees Tjebbes World Premiere: November 23, 1989, Nederlands Dans Theater Falling Angels is a mesmerizing and multilayered study in motion and minimalism featuring eight women and Steven Reich’s hypnotic music.
Roman Rykine and Dalay Parrondo Photo by Gene Schiavone			SECHS TÄNZE CHOREOGRAPHY AND SET/COSTUME DESIGN Jiří Kylián ASSISTANT TO THE CHOREOGRAPHER Roslyn Anderson and Patrick Delcroix MUSIC Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Deutsche Tänze COSTUME SUPERVISION Joke Visser LIGHTING DESIGN Joop Caboort TECH/LIGHTING ADAPTATION Kees Tjebbes World Premiere: October 24, 1986, Nederlands Dans Theater Literally translated Sechs Tänze means “six dances”. The speedy and slightly madcap partnering of this work exhibits Kylián’s complete mastery, as well as his unique sense of humor.

“‘Dazzling’ doesn’t do justice to the program Boston Ballet performed last night.”
—The Boston Globe raved when Kylián’s works were performed in 2005.

“He’s an absolute master of his craft. He’s a genius. I feel that any dancer who has the chance to dance a Kylián work is so blessed. To have five of them in one night is fabulous.”
– Mikko Nissinen, Artistic Director, Boston Ballet 

Black and White Run Time: 2 hours including 2 intermissions

OTHER

Credit : ALLKPOP

Pics: Suit Power Magazine

I like the song 반쪽 Half from her mini album This is Love.

This is the video teaser

The audio of Half or aka One Half and Let’s Love

Lyrics-One Half (lyrics written by Hwayobi)
I only love you,
My heart is palpitating that I can’t sleep,
I never missed your way of speaking and your expression.
A woman in love supposed to be happy,
But why it is so painful to me,
I say ‘no’ shouting but I can’t listen myself.

But I love you,
I only love you,
I should be happy with a half of you,
My delayed love,
It’s my fault you couldn’t help with that,
You couldn’t help with that..

Once I used to struggle thinking of you,
It seemed difficult already that I couldn’t handle it,
A wounded heart should be cured by another love,
I only think about you..

credit: Rikkimargarette at HwanYobi soompi
Translated by Leandrosxxi at DCINSIDE/ Hwanyobi Soompi