ii ne.

thank you please:
aussie dollar to worth as much (or more) than british pounds whenever i feel like online shopping
all manga to be translated into english straight away
this:

the softest, comfiest piece of clothing i have ever felt/worn *angels singing*

hugo cabret & grand illusions

omg youtube is in widescreen.

anyways

came across this book by Brian Selznick: The Invention of Hugo Cabret on the Borders website and can't wait til i see it in the shop!

the description of the actual book, more than the story, is what sounds most interesting:

This 526-page book is told in both words and pictures. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is not exactly a novel, and it’s not quite a picture book, and it’s not really a graphic novel, or a flip book, or a movie, but a combination of all these things. Each picture (there are nearly three hundred pages of pictures!) takes up an entire double page spread, and the story moves forward because you turn the pages to see the next moment unfold in front of you.

here's the site, and a video interview on amazon of the author explaining the book.

there was also the author's links to "weird websites" like Grand Illusions which has articles, toys, and features on...weird stuff. like optical illusions, toys, etc
and things i found really amazing:

metal pen

the whole pen is metal and has no ink so that it doesn't run out ever. unless you drop it and break off the 'soft' nib.
it works on all types of paper but dunno how it works. apparently it's been used since medieval times.

resurrection plant (Rose of Jericho)

a small fern that grows in arid parts of the world and shrivels up and drops its flowers when its roots are dry, but turn green and unfurl again when moistened.

and this "dragon illusion" that i've seen in the clip of daniel radcliffe visiting a girl's magic high school in japan (youtube it. it's good)

where the dragon seems to be turning its head and following you when you walk left and right infront of it. you can even download the pdf so u can make your own dragon! hehe i did :D but hv to wait till i buy new printer ink to make it.

and also another site called "Barry's farm" that makes these super cute laptop cases!

ok. next post is a pets post.

rebound, slumdog, matsuko

went to the finders keepers markets on saturday and got this! (kinda sad since there weren't any old frankies to be bought. and just found out that the back issues are mucho expensivo)

it's a "little golden book" (the ones you see in coles, bookshops for kiddies and has the golden edges) made into a journal by Rebound - btw i just realised that "twothousand.com.au" is cos sydney's postcodes are 2000 something. and there's a threethousand.com.au for melbourne!!!!

anyways.

yesterday was the slumdog millionaire advanced screening at paddington's palace verona cinema - the fundraiser for the RSPCA - and just as expected, there was A LOT of old people. probably only a handful were youthful. and it was so cute how before we went in they gave a small paperbag with biscuits or timtam and jellybeans XD

the movie was really good. i read that it won 3 awards at the BAFTAs - best director, film, upcoming actor - but since atonement won lots and it was kinda boring at times.. didn't want to get my hopes up. but no. there wasn't any boring bits in fact EVERYTHING was good. but since i suck at writing out a synopsis, go to twothousand.com.au's review on it.

oh and also i'm watching this new jap series called "bloody monday" about this hacker who helps save japan from a biological terrorist attack. ahhh addictive.. and just realised the main actor's the guy from koizora - the crazed movie which i haven't watched because it sounds too dramatic.

AND (hahaha keep forgetting things) memories of matsuko (kiraware issho no matsuko) was good too!

the story is this guy "sho" (played by eita!!) who's told by his dad to clean out his auntie matsuko's house because she has died (murdered actually) but he doesn't know anything about her since according to his dad, she was removed from the family and her life was meaningless.

and so the whole movie is duh "memories of matsuko" and i guess showing how her life's not meaningless. but it's not a soppy nostalgia, but more eccentric and laugh out loud funny at times (the characters, the musical scenes). At first though it's funny, exciting, empathy-causing, you're kinda wondering where the movie is gonna go, but the second-half makes sense of it all and it even becomes sad and touching.
can't really pinpoint the exact moment because then i'll spoil the unexpected-ness of the movie that makes it so good. and that's why i won't link any reviews of this movie since they're all too revealing.

and if you're very knowledgeable of jap culture, then the snippets of tv they show to represent the time period will be amusing. this jap guy sitting on the row behind was like "hikaru genji!" and "dango dango dango san kyou" in a soft excited whisper.

so..... yea watch these movies. 9/10 out of 10 as clearly described.

this is a very long post. so i've bold-ed the sections to help navigate.

twothousand.com.au & robio

found this new link: twothousand.com.au the "subcultural guide to sydney"
the description on their site says:

TwoThousand is a weekly snapshot of Sydney's subculture - a Sydney guide to film, music, design, books, art, goods and links for people who realise that the best things in life are often hard to find.
there's sections on Hear, Read, Goods, Look, Shop, Watch, Out, Stray, Work, Eat/Drink and Win!

and lemme show u my findings which all turned out to be from the Eat/Drink section.
(click on the names for the twothousand.com.au link for info on description, location, price, opening times and phone number)
the red writings are what made me drool when browsing the page

WAFU - japanese (surry hills)
www.wafu.com.au
gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, no refined sugar, organic

Tempura, ohitashi greens, teriyaki, katsu and sashimi salads - alongside mountains of brown rice.

FAT SANDWICH SHOP - (neutral bay)

The corned beef and pickle; the roast beef, potato salad, and mustard; and the chicken, basil, avocado, and water-cress sandwiches are all enormous and delicious. The chicken, basil, and asparagus soup is very filling, and the caramel slices and brownies are "the bomb".

CENTRAL BAKING DEPOT (CBD) - (wynyard)

you'll smell the caramalised banana tarts and freshly baked pies and pizzas from your office.

DUMPLINGS AND NOODLES - (kings cross)

cos how can dumplings and noodles not be good

BURGERLICIOUS - (bondi junction, newtown, darlinghurst)
www.burgerlicious.com

Firstly, they're made fresh right in front of you.

Second, they're effing huge. Third, the chips are real, thick cut slabs of potato. Fourthly, there are 18 styles, from your good old cheeseburger to your gourmet Greek-style beef with tzatziki, fetta and grilled eggplant. Six different chicken burgers and four, count them, FOUR vegetarian varieties, made with tofu, red kidney beans or veggie patties that are so good, even vega-phopic meat lovers have been known to "experiment".

i've actually passed this shop often on the way to tutoring it's quite now, i think opening only last year. but never went in cos the shop sign looked weird with red lips as the "O" in burgerliciOus.

FAMOUS SINGAPORE BBQ PORK - (chinatown)

in case somebody didn't know about this - which i highly doubt. or they can just remember the real one and start craving some.

and found a site that sells some of the things in fred flare!! like the "tape dispenser" and... can't remember what else:
ROBIO

and there was a DIY tofu-oyako kit! hahahha the name is so cute!

The To-Fu Kubrick set gives you the ability to design your own To-Fu Kubrick! Includes 100% Mother To-Fu Kubrick, 50% Child To-Fu Kubrick Zipper Pull and special mini sharpie marker printed to collaborate Devil Robots' 10th Anniversary!

and did i mention it's an AUSSIE site? yippee can ship~ can ship~
but i wouldn't get this though. cos i probably can't think of what to draw and never be satisfied with it.

oh, and this is fiona's guinea pigs:

bowlar on the left and sophie on the right

nguik times 2

i will be getting two rabbits!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hehe since cc cindy's friend is going to indo for good and so needs a new caretaker for his/her rabbits!
so far, all i know is: they're dutch rabbits (a small rabbit but bigger than dwarf), adult already, been spayed, and come ready with their own cage, food bowl, drink bottle etc! yay yay yay

i hope their cage is easy to clean and most importantly not afraid of people and doesn't scratch like oreo

and look at the "aloha~" rabbits! so cute!


but probably sold out by now cos i "add to basket" it and when i clicked on it again, it was "out of stock". i wish they'd open up an aranzi aronzo store here T___T. (or else i can just go to hong kong, taiwan, oosaka or fukuoka i wish) and why shipping fee so expensive especially to "oceania" *tear*

oh oh. just remembered there's such thing as clay! can always make your own cups and then draw on it right.... (omg copyright infringement) but the plastic ones are so much cuter!

(btw, saw today in borders another unnatural sounding word: thesauri -___-")

*update*
this is what the rabbits look like

small ei!

internet hobby

a good day on the internet means: never-ending findings of stuff to click on and google : )

today, found this site: notebook doodles
her drawings are so cute! from there found urbanoutfitters.com which is like fredflare! but so sad doesn't ship internationally T___T present shopping for moi-meme and other ppl would be soooo easy if they did!! ahhhh anyways here's some cute stuff i found:

brew your own cola kit! it has the cola extract and...yeast. (i didn't know coke was fermented)

ahahahhaha a milk flask

and something to interest cc oni (see.... so sad cannot buy from there)

ohhh so kawaii!
i wonder what it smells likeeeeee


(i'm so afraid of reading a book or newspapers in case it nudges out exam info even more sad cos the ngm magazine came today and the cover had bright lights and hints something about elephants on the inside T___T)

*update* kaimashita! but not all for me mochiron! love is like standard perfume smell, baby is like baby powder, G is eh... dunno really how to describe, lil' angel is like pinapple (i wore it to a bbq in a park. thank goodness no flies), music is coconut.

(i'm not supposed to be here)

anyways.
photos of stuff!

from fred flare: sooo nice calendars! (i think i actually saw the panda one in a bookstore in japan)




a real tape dispenser!

and from the mugen (infinite) series:
it's from the concept of the feeling you get when u pop bubble wrap
but this one is the sensation of ripping open a new box packaging
before this one there was a edamame one too! so u press the bean and the peas pop up! it's sooo cute! (just type "mugen bandai edamame" in youtube and you should see it)


and a creation of Joo Youn (her site got more cool stuff):
so convenient but i'd be too embarassed to wear it in public..

cool wallet! from fred flare but sad if somebody threw it out accidentally (it's not made out of paper, but "Dynomighty Designs’ ingenious wallet made of a single sheet of super strong Tyvek®. Tear and water resistant, very thin yet designed to expand as needed.")



and also: (cos we were learning about nerve cells in bio)
(the small print says "food" btw)

OHMAGODDD!!

THERE'S CREA CAT!!!!!!
but it's a spring issue... which means it finished last may!!!!! noooooooooo KINOOOOOO please have!

*update: cc oni/kino ordered it and it's coming next month weeee :D

new links :D

http://rob-ryan.blogspot.com
saw his work in Frankie magazine, and after that went to his site and looked through his blog archives all in one go :D
i'm not one to use words like "beautiful" and "amazing" etc but they are! and so intricate! (they're papercuts - as in how they're made)





http://www.tattydevine.com/boutique/index.php
went to this site because rob ryan did a collaboration on some necklaces and found some other cute stuff too!

the collaboration

haha moustache-y and potato crisps necklaces

i like these plectrum necklaces! (even though i don't play guitar)
WHYYY pounds are twice the value of Aus. dollars T_____T from "19" becomes "49" :"((((

and cute cufflinks!

yayyy!!!!!!!!!

my yesasia orders came just then!! heard a *klunk* from outside, and there it was! yayyyyyyyyyyy!!
good timing, it came on the day before school starts! yay! don't have to do holiday homework! hohohohohoho!
playing is priority :D

nah just kidding.
i'll leave it until tonight, so i can play well until tomorrow morning on my bed :D hehehe

present for moi

to reward myself for enduring the exams (though no other choice anyways), i ordered stuff from YesAsia! *yippeee*
ordered:
Chi's Sweet Home #1
got #2-4 already, and will get #5 when it comes out soon...

Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS game)story is the professor and his apprentice has to solve a murder mystery in village of "st. mystere" and for some reason they have to solve puzzles and brain teasers along the way. yes, as always. it's from a jap version, and if all goes well... there should be a second one after this!
the animation looks really good, here's the trailer:

obviously this is the jap one... the english trailer was a bit...cheesy and the voices sounded like an english-subbed anime

they should arrive 5th May, unfortunately, after the holidays... owell

ok gonna watch SYTYCD now :D

photos!

my current character obsession: tofu-oyaku!! this is "eco-tofu" don't ask. (recycled?)biscotti sleeping in the garage between stacked chairs... dunno how she got in though... the gaps were so small!
sorry.. flash sok cool. eating the camera strap

and finally a photogenic photo of biscotti that's not sleeping:

this is the noisy/chubby bird that can't stop jumping and moving its tail
CHINTA!
nyoh so cute. how ur coat glistens..

and finally.... TADAH! yay my ticket came!! but can't watch in school holidays, so i shall watch it next week when my exams will be over! *cheer*