Childhood Memories: Japanese and Wuxia Series

The other day a FB friend posted a video clip from an old Japanese series that we used to watch when we were kids. Back then computers were still a luxury and there were not many TV programs for kids, so video rental providers were popular (along with handheld game devices). I was saturated mostly with Japanese series (anime and non-anime) and wuxia (martial arts) series ever since I was young and I still have fond memories of these even until now. I still love Japanese anime and wuxia series.

Let me share some of my memories that have recently brought up to the surface by watching that video clip. Here goes:

1. One of my most remarkable memories of a Japanese anime series was when a bad guy in the series died and the girl who loved him the most did something extraordinary. She used a machine to take over his body to get some revenge. This body switch was such an amazing concept for a young person like me and it's left such a profound mark on me. In an anime world, imagination is the key!

Side note: the thing is, I don't remember where I saw this scene, but it's been stuck on my mind for the longest time ever, so I can't find any links to this just yet. 

2. The said video showed a superhero that could produce fire from his hair (and could shoot fire from the hair). How awesome is that? :-D I don't care how the mechanics work, but the sheer possibility of making it happen on screen is super cool. 


3. In one Japanese series, there was a female robot that could shoot boob missiles. The only downside of this was that once both missiles were shot, then she was doomed. I just found some info on this robot. No wonder she wasn't built with lots of weapon. She was built for peace! Here's the link if you want to read about her: Aphrodite A.  

I couldn't find any video clip of her in action in the anime, but here's a video of her action figure (including the boob shots) in case you want to see it: 
 

4. I loved watching wuxia series when I was young because of the many female characters in the movie who could do martial arts. As a tomboy, I loved the idea of strong women he he he he...Funnily enough, though, I never questioned something that I considered an epic love story in one wuxia series until much later. You see, in one story, this "forever young" female loner took in a young boy and trained him in martial arts. As he grew older, they fell in love with each other, but many people thought it was unnatural for them to be together, so they were separated for many, many years. They went through a lot of hardships, but in the end they were reunited (the guy lost one arm at one point in his journey). Here's some info on the female character: Xiaolongnu.  

Move away, Romeo and Juliet! LOL!!! 

Here's a video clip that some scenes from the series. You can see how the guy has progressed from a young adult into a mature man in it. 

3BT: Random Days

1a. Looking at my own reflection on hubby's eye (I told him not to blink for a while when I enjoyed looking at it HA HA....;-D

1b. Forgot to write this: On Sunday when I was about to go to work, after I put on my winter shoes and jacket, R2 knelt down, squeezed me, and playfully said, "Don't goooooooo!!!!" LOL LOL!!!!

2. Having a farewell Japanese dinner with hubby and my Japanese and UK friend. It was FUN FUN FUN. :-D

3. The sweet little girl came to the store with the daddy and she ran towards me and gave me a hug again. :-D

4. Making weird faces and making hubby laugh.

5. SO THANKFUL that our house isn't that far away from downtown, so I can walk to and from work easily (yesterday it snowed so much that biking to work was just impossible with all the thick snow everywhere).

glitter-graphics.com

6. Laskiaispulla on a discount. YEAH!!!!

7. Making a stupid mistake at work, but the customers forgave me and I didn't beat myself too much after it happened.

8. Not beating myself too much about my own mistakes is a HUGE progress. In the past I could continue doing so for days or even weeks! Learning from my own mistakes isn't the same as beating myself about it.

9. Reading a very heartwarming love story/manga between a normal person and a deaf person that gives me more insights towards the life of a deaf person (the kind of insights that didn't even cross my mind).

10. Buying a pair of cheap sports shoes for work purposes (the current pair I'm wearing is starting to get worn out).

11. Finding two cheap, sturdy second-handed bags online that I need he he he...Two for only €10!

U-Min: Japanese Poppers

Found this accidentally and my mouth was gaping open while watching. SUPERB!!! BRILLIANT!!!!

Movie Recommendation: A Tale of Mari and Three Puppies

If there's a movie that you MUST watch, then it's A Tale of Mari and Three Puppies, especially if you're a dog lover.



I just saw it last night and it beats Eight Below IMO, since it's based on a true story he he he...I've NEVER cried that much during a movie. Even if you're not a dog lover, it's more of a story of a dog's resilience and strength, but it's a story of survival, love, faith, family, and so many moreeeeeee things!!!

I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend it for the WHOLE family!!! The setting is LOVELY, the music choices are PERFECT!!! Ohhhh...this movie deserves two thumbs up!!!

I've never wanted to stop watching a movie simply because I couldn't bear to watch more and cry more, you know? HE HE HE HE...And I'm NOT on my PMS, so I don't know how much more I'll cry if I had watched this movie on my PMS HI HI HI...

But don't you worry, this movie has a HAPPY ending hi hi hi hi...

What Do You Think of This Story?

World's Oldest Man Turns 112

Hmmm...personally I don't want to live THAT long. A friend of mine who lives in Japan (she married a Japanese guy) was elated to hear that the government had raised child's benefit this year since the birthrate in Japan has been so low these days. She said that her husband's grandfather was still alive and well and was still working. WOW!!! Unbelievable!!!

Personally I also think that the Japanese are VERY creative. I grew up watching their anime and reading their manga. They're AWESOME people he he he he...

P.S. The basic Finnish course went SO well. The teacher seemed to be very attentive to each of our abilities. I think I'm gonna have fun in this class. Plus I get to meet my only British friend here. She enrolled in the course with her husband and eldest son. There were also some other ladies in the class. Two of them are pretty heavily pregnant, by the way!!! Tomorrow's the next class and I'm looking forward to it. Maybe I should bring a camera with me so that I can take a picture of the school and the classroom. We'll see!!! ;-D Good news is that there might be a continuation course next spring. YAAAAAAAAAYYYY!!!! I pray and HOPE that there'll be one!!! ;-D

People-Watching

Went to bar/disco/karaoke with my hubby and his brother and his friend last Friday. Gladly this time I prepared myself with layers of warm clothes, so I didn't get sick or anything. Since I was the only sober one, I decided to enjoy myself by watching other people there. Here're my notes:

1. I wonder why people "like" getting drunk. What's so addictive about getting drunk senseless? Will someone please tell me? What's so nice about getting drunk and then forgetting some or most or everything you did last night? Plus, what's so nice about getting a hangover the next day? (FYI, weird thing is that my hubby never gets any hangover in his entire life - he never had headaches - LUCKY GUY!!!)

Anyway, I know it can be "fun" to be a bit tipsy as then you'll loosen up and you can be your fun self. But drinking until you're drunk senseless???? In Finland it's like the "norm" to get drunk senseless when you're "partying". I just don't get it.

2. I noticed some guys almost getting into a fight. There was this guy on the table next to us who grabbed another guy's hair and then tried to push him down. The other guy didn't even fight back. Maybe he was so drunk, too. A big guy stepped in and separated them. PHEW!!!

3. There was this old guy who kept on wandering from one table to another, trying to chit-chat. I wonder why he didn't just go home as I spotted a wedding ring on his left ring finger. He looked lonely and it made me sad.

4. Another guy was so drunk that he kept on wandering from one table to the next to find his lost jacket. He dropped by our table for seven times at least and I wanted to say to him, "Why don't you go home? You've been asking us for so many times and you probably lost your jacket someplace else. You might not even have brought your jacket in the first place."

5. I also noticed a girl who almost got into a fight with another girl. She was obviously drunk as the other girl was confused when she grabbed her shirt. Crazy world indeed!!!

6. My hubby was drunk enough to accept his friend's offer to sing together at the karaoke bar (it was the first time for my hubby to sing in a karaoke bar). They ended up singing two songs. They tried to make my hubby's brother to sing, too, but he wouldn't do it. How did they go? Well, what can you expect from drunk people? There were just a few people who sang well at the karaoke, but most of them sucked. Oh well...

7. Several glasses were broken due to people's drunkenness. I asked my hubby if they had to pay for the broken glasses and he said no. Interesting!!! He also said it was normal to have broken glasses at a bar. Nice going!

8. A guy sat next to me (gladly he kept an arm's length so I felt safe enough) and then said, "Konnichiwa!" I then told him that I wasn't Japanese. He then asked if I was Chinese and I said yes. LOL!!! SO FUNNY!!!

That reminds me of our honeymoon in Bali. When we went into a souvenir store, the salesperson started talking to me in JAPANESE right away! Then I started talking in Indonesian and he got the shock of his life! LOL!!!!!