Quote of the Day: Real (Takehiko Inoue)

I love reading manga (Japanese comics) because I get to know Japanese culture shown by different authors as well as gems of thoughts. Some of them can really humor me, some of them really move me, some of them make me see things in different perspectives, some of them teach me things and some of them can be pretty deep.

Here's one quote I'd like to share with you when reading a manga called "Real" by Takehiko Inoue. When I was in Indo, my bro and I LOVED his other manga called "Slam Dunk", which was turned into an anime (cartoon). I'm not really a big fan of any type of sports, but that basketball manga really kept me interested until the very end - and I still want MORE and MORE and MORE of it. I think that's a sign of a good story - a story that keeps you wanting until the end, even until you've finished reading it.



glitter-graphics.com
But OK, here's the quote:

"People show their true value when they get smacked down. Do they look down? Do they look forward? Do they continue to challenge themselves without giving up? That's the most important thing - something that's often hidden by talent and experience."

However, I'd also like to distinguish giving up and letting go. Here's another quote:

There is a big difference between giving up and letting go. Giving up means selling yourself short. It means allowing fear and struggle to limit your opportunities and keep you stuck. Letting go means freeing yourself from something that is no longer serving you. It means removing toxic people and belief systems from your life so that you can make room for relationships and ideas that are conducive to your well-being and happiness. 

Giving up reduces your life. Letting go expands it. Giving up is imprisoning. Letting go is liberation. Giving up is self-defeat. Letting go is self-care. 

So the next time you make the decision to release something or someone that is stifling your happiness and growth, and a person has the audacity to accuse you of giving up or being weak, remind yourself of the difference. Remind yourself that you don’t need anyone’s permission or approval to live your life in the way that feels right. No one has the authority to tell you who to be or how to live. No one gets to decide what your life should look like or who should be a part of it. No one, but you. 

~ Danielle Koepke 

Junior High School Memory: Manga

Manga (Japanese comics) started booming in Indo when I was in Junior High School. A big publisher had just started translating manga back then and I was one of the fans. The first manga I had ever owned was Candy Candy. I had actually watched some episodes of the manga in the form of anime*** (VHS tapes) when I was much younger, but at that time there was no continuation yet, so I bought the manga also because I wanted to know the end of the story. If I remember correctly, at that time a new manga was published mostly every month, so we had to be patient, especially because at that time there weren't too many other manga books to read in between the wait. 

Of course as time went by and the popularity of manga increased drastically, the publisher hired more translators so that they could publish more manga books in a month. So I started collecting some manga that I liked and the collection grew bigger and bigger. As I had a limited amount of pocket money, I couldn't buy all the manga I wanted, so usually we'd switch reading them with other people who bought different ones. And there were also some friends who just wanted to borrow them.


Unfortunately, bringing manga to school was forbidden in Junior High School, so sometimes there would be unexpected raids. One time I had some manga books and comics that some friends had returned when I heard a friend saying that there would be a raid that day. I panicked while trying to find a place to hide them. Finally someone suggested hiding them underneath the teacher's desk. You see, the teacher's desk was put on a kind of "pedestal" (hollow platform in a shape of an upside down box), so I hurriedly shoved all the books there.

Fortunately, there was actually no raid, so it was a false alarm. But at least all my precious books were safe (albeit a little dusty). Ahem! :-D 

P.S. I sold almost all of the manga and comics that I had collected years back because there was simply no more space for them. I sold them to a place that rents comics and manga books.

 ***Before translated manga came to Indo, I had already been influenced by Japanese anime ever since I was young through VHS tapes that we used to watch with my cousins. These were some of the anime tapes that we watched when we were younger (there are more but I'm gonna share five):

1. Candy Candy (it's dubbed in Finnish):


2. Mazinger Z


3. Megaloman


4. Minky Momo


5. Goggle Five

When I posted links about old anime movies in FB, a cousin of mine said that we used to play together pretending to be them. I remember that, but I don't remember who I "chose to become". He said that I used to be Goggle Yellow, my bro used to be Goggle Red. My male cousin used to be Goggle Red, whereas his sister used to be Goggle Pink. We were laughing hysterically while remembering those days ROFL ROFL ROFL!!! OK, enough reminiscing hi hi...

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!

The Chess Set Is Here!!!!!

HURRAAAAHHHH!!!! The chess set is finally here!!! I'm SO HAPPY HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE...The board and the chess pieces aren't too small or too big, so they would be PERFECT for my Dad. Why don't you join me in my HAPPY dance????

Maybe something like this:

Or this?

Or this? HE HE HE HE HE HE...

Anyway, I'm now currently addicted to reading Vagabond, a manga written by my fave mangaka (mangaka = manga writer) Takehiko Inoue who wrote Slam Dunk. Vagabond is a story about Miyamoto Musashi, based on the novel "Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa.

The difference is that Slam Dunk is funny, whereas Vagabond is really bloody and it's for mature audience. So, you are WARNED he he he...

The Power of Online Friends

The other week I read this online manga and I could really relate to the story. It's taken from a real life story in Japan. I'm sure all my blogger friends can also relate to this story. We've all been helping one another in this blogosphere by being friends. Can you imagine life without blogging and without your blogging friends? I can't anymore.

Blogging has helped me TREMENDOUSLY, especially since I moved halfway around the world last year. You guys have helped me not only survive in Finland, even before I found friends here...and you guys have also supported me in SO many ways, so:

glitter-graphics.com

If you have time to read the manga and you just need a break from work, here's the link to the manga:

Densha Otoko

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