Pig Pie

 some of prof's fav. sayings,
' have you been taking suffixes n prefixes to lunch?'
' carve those words onto your body, genu, pectoris, clavis, ...[blabbering continues]'
' don't worry about the test, you can always make a G that looks like an L' -[we have to identify if the roots come from Greek or Latin... i'm so confused] i tried it. it's easy, G does look like L if the tail isn't excessively curled.
' have you been losing friends recently?' - we're supposed to,

piss you off with my ectomologymania. ec(out, G)/tomos(cut, G)/logos(speech, G)/y=ia(suffix, G, =condition, quality)/mania(there you go, madness, G)

I deserve full score on that word

famous phrases
tempus fugit = time flies (L)
pathea mathos = suffering learning (G)
ab mera ad mera = from sea to sea (L)

madeup words (If they do exist, ...... then...)
elephantineczema = huge skin eruption
bromogyne= stinking women

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sorry if someone got confused by the ambiguous title i put there. i'm not saying military , physical wars that take place in reality. the war- UofT finals that's what i mean. the 'war' is over for all the enscience guys, and should I just say the war's over for everyone except we poor souls who take chm247, and me who take additional burdensome course-cla201, greek n latin in scientific terminology. both next monday and I know it'll pass before I know it. It always happens. Time slips away through your fingers and it's an impossibly dreadful thing trying to envision it or to give it a corporeal body. This morning I was still lying in bed around eleven, my brain in a semi-conscious state, drifting in and out. I wasn't aware when Guizi left for her biochem final early this morning. I was thinking, one hour later she would be released from her dreadful hell, freedom after 4 days of intensive fighting. All the enscience girls would be free 4 or 5 hours following that and all that was left- me. It wasn't a matter of alienation, rather I prefer this strange state of peacefulness, knowing that I could stick with my own pace while the other half of the world was partying away. As if in total control of what could otherwise go haywire. but that was just an illusionary comfort. But will be better once I dip myself into this tangle of mess called organic chem. there must be a start. Give it a spark and it'll burn. I'm that candle and I have to self-ignite what a funny thought is that.

Is guizi going to move out? I'll definitely miss her if she does. And I don't understand why she ever thinks of moving out for the next semester, and with Merli. I have absolutely no idea how to settle the problems of printer, goggles, lab coat, gloves, anthropology book and that electrical kettle- all of them shared property. and that huge printer! what a heck. We'll part ways sooner or later. think of it realistically. but that's just a fact written down that cannot be erased. 'Stay' you say, how much does that word carry. 'Please stay', do I really care so much that the word should sound so heavy. 'Stay coz I'll miss you' and why is the physical presence of a friend significant enough to make the same thought tossing around and bumping against the walls of your prison like mind. but i'm sure if she goes, i won't be seeing her often then. We go to different classes. even people on the same campus can be no more different than those oceans away. won't we be happier if we can find a shared apartment together next year and gang can join us too. why such an abrupt early move. I always think too much. but here's the joke- chances she's moving out is minimal. unless she successfully finds a house in 4 days. i was thinking, the one who stays and the one who leaves, they'll probably blame it on the other half, both of them. 'why won't u stay', 'why won't you come?' fools. just like dad and his best friend.

Does the title sound as if minako narita's dead. nooooooooo, 'munch scream'
long been planning to write a review on one of my fav. manga artist -minako, who has actually disappeared from the japanese manga world for several years now. , that is, ever since she finished her last work-natural and in an interview she said she would probably spend her savings travelling around the world, wa't the next time she'll ever pick up her pens again is a mystery or is she making a come back at all i wonder. if you search the net for her name, whether english, chinese or japanese, there are few sites left dedicated to her. How ironic if you realize that the websites dedicated to her virtually 'flourished' in her prime time, probably during the publicaiton of 'cipher' and 'alexandrite'- which is a sequal to 'cipher' but does not receive equally popular review as cipher. so she's forgotten in some sense but i'm pretty sure people who truly appreciate her contributions to the manga art world will never ever forget her uniqueness in the commonly miscomprehended shoujo world- some think it's just girlish love stories. minako narita will make u think twice. and whether her work should be categorized into 'shoujo manga' is debatable - at least i oppose it. and it's kind of sad or should i say i feel a great discontenment that she's the only one of that 'one of a kind' and take a look at the current market, (i'm not criticising them, in fact i like some of the current manga works as well, such as death note-but it's getting more n more boring) , it's flooded with common world-saviour-super-power-highschool love story -samurais and what not content based manga books, i really miss minako. her stories are as close to a real person's life as can be, interweaved with intriguing cultural elements(she collects all kinds of ethnic costumes), eccentric, interesting and brave characters(but no super power!) and a flowing story line that takes you through someone else's life, and you feel your own rite of passage. papable, real and intimate.

when did i start reading her books? i'm not sure. the first book i read was 'Alexandrite' and why did I buy it? I can't remember! following that, I read 'Cipher' because alexandrite is a sequal to cipher. and later on i read 'natural'.

her characters are never japanese and settings seldom japan, laughs. that's why it's interesting I guess because she loves to depict other cultures that are rarely known. cipher and siva are american but their grandma indian. alexandrite is half greek half american and michael is from Peru. all these characters have one thing in common - they're challenged by their own unique identity and they seek the truth, break the chains and set their minds free. that's a thread you can easily follow in almost all her works. there're stories behind those great cultures, rich with colours, rich with courageous giants that marked them on the map, and above all rich with spirits even though countless strifes have almost brought the country down into debris. that's why her characters feel proud, confident because they know they're from lands where people live life proud and free. they feel the legend in their blood.

'Alexandrite' is probably the one exclusively devoted to the idea of 'self identity'. - how alex sought after his own Greek father and the story behind the precious family gem - Alexandirte (Alex is named after it). and it's a special gem that changes colours

here're some brief notes on the gem
-discovered in 1831, named after Alexander II of Russia
-mystical properties of alexandrite: reinforces self-esteem, assits one in centering the self(does Minako know this when she was working on the book?? It rings a bell)
-changes colour from green/or even bluish green, almost violet(day light) to red(incandescent light), u won't believe your eyes first time u see it!! (as it IS indeed the case for poor Alex!! It is Siva - Alex's roommate, who told him the special properties of this gem)

razzle dazzle

Alex- very interesting character. he's virtually a 'rechargeable battery'. forever energetic when he's awake and when battery runs flat, he falls asleep instantly, no matter what time or place. Alex and Siva were roommates when they attended Univ of Columbia. and he had a black belt for karate and also in the school team for judo. and in fact he had a difficult time deciding which one to drop later coz it was getting too big for good. and he even did part time modelling. i can never forget that weird interview. out of around 100 people Alex was chosen for the modelling job. when he went into the room, there was a lady sitted casually on a chair, legs crossed. and around her, there were 4 or 5 people making noises and dancing jumping as if mad. the questions asked were even more bizzare. well, maybe not the questions, but Alex's answers. Alex had a small whistle that was tied to a string and worn around the neck. and the woman being intrigued by it, asked him what it was used for. guess what he said? 'there's no bell on my bike so i blow this whistle whenever i am about to bump into pedestrians.' 'do you like to dance?' 'yes, absolutely!' then those funny clowns who were dancing around throughout the entire interview shouted 'woooooooow! your dream must be becoming a dancer!' Whohoaa!!' and they cheered, rocked their body, made faces etc. Alex was pissed for a while and he shouted 'No! I don't wanna be a dancer. I wanna be a karate master!' - that was the end of the interview. Once the door was closed after Alex made his exit, those 'clowns' stopped their ridiculous performance and each of them laid out a card on the table - 'kings and queens' , meaning they all thought Alex was the right one. I never knew they use poker cards to vote. well, that's one weird interview. and Alex was often joked for looking girlish (he was pretty looking and had long black hair in streaks of tight neat curls) and nobody would bully him of course , remember his black belt for karate! there're lots of other interesting characters(side-dishes i call them, haha), such as Ambrosia, his girlfriend who grew up with him, and a Japanese guy who planned lots of fun activities(secret 'Santa'- he asked Ambrosia to draw a name from a black box, inside all of the strips had Alex's name written on them, so it's cheating, that's a very romantic X'mas btw. Alex asked his distant cousin to play violin for Ambrosia) and of course there you have Siva and Cipher making guest appearances here n there. In the end, Alex met his true father in Greece. He didn't really abandon Alex and his mum. Due to political strife(yes he's a politican...) it was impossible for him to return at that time and his dad even went for Alex's final karate tournament. there're so many episodes of stories if you write a novel out of it, it'll be equally thick and solid.

and moving on to 'Natural'. The story is deeper and also darker. Michael(an angel's name) was adopted by Lizi's(I can't recall the Japanese name) father who worked in Peru. (and the whole family can speak the language). reason for adoption, well, it only became clearer later into the plot. that michael was involved in some street gang gun fire and his parents were scared that it would ruin his future so they consented to send him out of the country altogether. the main body is not about gangs in Peru though! (if yes i'll drop the book) Michael left Peru and went to Japan with Lizi's father(daughter n mum already in Japan coz Lizi needed to school there), after a really brief introduction, became a formal member of the family. See it's so brief that Lizi was shocked that she had a brother in a flash of a second. The relationship b/w Lizi and Michael was hazy throughout the book but it's definitely much more than sister-brother love. As a foreinger in this new country, Michael tried to be quiet, obedient, trying hard to find his own niche. and all along he avoided 'team'(street gang gave him v. bad memory. he shot someone in order to protect a friend) and he prayed every night in order to clear his sins. He avoided 'team' because his control buttom would be off whenever he gets too intimate with his friends. If someone provokes his friend (out of bad intention obviously), he might just go a bit out of his way. Only Lizi understood him. Both sisiter n brother were avid NBA fans and Michael was excellent basketball player. ( he never smiled when he first came into the family. one day Lizi brought him to the neighbourhood and they played basketball together, that was the first time Michael smiled.) Although he was excellent he avoided joining the school team. the team leader was so pissed (he bugged him persistently...) and he just couldn't understand why Michael wouldn't join them. Later Lizi gave him a very abstract picture. that everyone has two angels, one by each side. the right wing allures you and the left wing pulls you back. Michael was scared his 'button' would be switched on by the right.

some eccentric figures.
Simen- top seed in archery. loves to bully Michael. he's heir to their family business- guess what it is, a shrine. He's going to be a 'priest' in a sense, because I can't find a proper word for that exclusive Japanese term. Once he asked Michael what animal he would be if reincarnated. I forgot what Michael said. But Simen, he wanted to age like an eagle. Those eagles that roam the northern sky. He showed Michael a very pretty feather, pure white with a strong stem. Eagles aren't borne with those feathers. only when they age does their tail feather turn white, that blends with the snow as they fly.

Michael's friend(I forgot his name...) - loves to collect all kinds of stuff, from bugs specimen to sushi combo. his mum was scared of his room because eerie features were strewn around. once his poor mum tried to clean up his room, she spotted a huge black bug soaked in formaldehye and scream!!!!! one joke, a bunch of guys were discussing about their watches. 'what brand is yours?' 'G-shock' 'Rolex' &$%4, etc etc. when it came to this guy... , he wore a sundial... and 'whatt time is it' ---two streams of tears rolling down his eyes. It's a cloudy day...

Michael never saw snow before. when he did see it, he was so excited he buried his face in the snow piled ground and laughed at his art work- a sculpted mask in the snow.

there're lots of other quotes. such as 'one's room is his private world' what you would put on your desk or hang up on the walls all reflect your innermost desires.

fingers tired, to be continued next time

what has gotten int o me recently... i feel bored and probably lonely. waiting for someone to appear, someone is not prince charming, someone else.

The internet is soooooooo slow i almost gave up posting then the windows popped up so that accounted for my first sentence ever written on this blog.
gang's blog- tobenai tsubasa(wings that cannot fly), a track from the movie ost 'all about lily chou chou' directed by shunji iwai, who also wrote the script and he directed many others which won heavy acclaim like 'love letter', 'swallowtail', 'undo', 'april story', 'picnic' - these are some that i've watched. and i like april story n love letter best. his movies are always picture centric, lots of colours and nuances that are bound to tickle your thinnest nerve. 'all about lily chou chou' is, well, quoting from my friend's funny comments 'everyone's so messed up and they wanna die, all of them, except shunji iwai himself who lives quite happily and earns big bucks' haha, that's true to some extent. is life ever so desperate for commoners like us, maybe occasionally but it can't be that dark in what's dipicted in 'all about lily chou chou'. i've never encountered any real gangs and bullying around school so i can't say much and japan's a complicated society(shudder!)

i can't wait to watch 'howl's moving castle', been collecting all kinds of information from the net.

reviews generally read ' this movie's not one of the best miyazaki films' (persons who wrote these favour 'nausicca' and 'princess mononoke') well , me personally, my fav of fav is princess mononoke, followed by whisper of heart(but that's not a miyazaki production, rather his collegue or used-to-be-ghilbi's-heir, kondo, who died unfortunately early), sidetracked. and everyone seems to complain about the movie's ending, too fairy tale, too abrupt so they were left griping after the movie ended. when will they ever show it here in toronto. the only offically announced releases are in korea etc. envy them!! those who go home for x'mas can catch a miyazaki film! howl's moving castle, originally based on diana wyne's fantasy novel, only follows the original storyline loosely. might disappoint some diana wyne fans, i'm not one of them fortunately! but, since if they only go for the movie coz of the book, there won't be much point in going. animation's about creating the impossibles, manipulating out of air, making things move and paint colours onto screen. sensationally so. there're so many ways to bring a point across. artist might draw a rose. composer writing a serenade. poet composing a love poem. animator animating his own feelings, all of them trying to say 'i love you'. whichever way you find your own echo. some like a story written out on paper, some like live actions and someone(like me) loves animation. and it's not to be ranked superior or inferior, finer or coarser, because it's just an echo we're trying to catch, why would you care where that echo comes from.

i am listening to GARNET CROW! their new album(4th) released on Dec 8, 2004. - i'm waiting 4 you. surprisingly pleasing to ears this time on first listen, which's rare for garnet crow. usually takes 4 repeated rounds for me to truly appreciate their songs. but that means the songs will be quite 'durable' and you won't get sick of them soon. some days ago i was wondering how long a band's going to last. most pop bands are effervescent most they can go is probably 10 yrs. i'm not sure about garnet crow, just when i was deep in my thoughts, gang said ' you should ask yourself, are you going to like them that long?' you've got a point! am I? for now, i think i am. how to define something like 'idol', some forms and shapes you get your inspiration from but that doesn't mean they're so perfect and they're definitely not saints who've become your new religion. but knowing them becomes part of ur best memory. for me it is, listening to gc makes me happy, relaxed, confident. and i pursure everything with renewed ferver if that energy comes from them. and it's weird to realize somehow that your idols aren't saints and to pick mistakes and admit their failures have almost become equal to killing a faith or self denial. if you ask me ' don't you think this song sux', it is... well, it is. but i won't say that coz it's a garnet crow song. ' and what's so special with this and that', second thought, nothing special but why would i admit it in your face, some equivalent non believers that it's no good. it's a garnet crow song, that's the only non-reason reason i give to myself. same with some of my favourite animators. what's so amazing about spirited away that it caused such a world sensation and even claimed the Oscar. it has its attributes we're not blind, but there're problems too. there're alwasy some problems with miyazaki's story telling. i've been thinking about that for a while. it's not impossible. and reading someone's review on 'howl's moving castle'- ' although there're lots of loud scenes in the movie, i still couldn't help falling asleep, the only thing that kept me awake is the name 'miyazaki' ' i was pissed. but, it's not impossible. and sadly the only possible escape out of this ridiculous contradiction that arises from some almost cult like fervent belief is, to do something and to surpass the icons i admire so much. i wonder how is that possible.

funny thoughts. some possible names i've thought up for my blog .
marionette fantasia(sounds mysterious and sinister), garnet crow ( i shall not display my obsession so publicly anymore) - but that doesn't stop me from putting up a webpage exclusively on them(plan to, will be there end of dec), that's partly due to ignorance of their name in the english speaking word. 'ignorance' is a neutral word here. i'm trying to promote them(free of charge haha!)

and i should be studying organic chem seriously i should i should i should and greek and latin too. what a dreadfully long vocab list!!!! shudder!