Yesterday I watched Best Hits Kayousai 2008 （歌謠祭） on hand phone for a while, checking out SPEED. Before that I had homemade Oden with two Taiwanese for dinner, celebrating my first ever Thanksgiving XD

Taiwanese really love 牛頭牌沙茶醬 (sauce).

Sometimes it is good to stalk other artists, we might get to discover some other interesting stories, and sometimes, it might have something to do with YUI.

I posted my trip to Shibuya with lots of YUI MY SHORT STORIES posters on the other day, but pictures don't really show the atmosphere of the stores. We might have difficulty imagine how it is like being in that place, or how people around will react it be if YUI goes to that place.

I always wonder if YUI goes to the stores before opening hours or just enter normally like everybody does.

So I was reading blogs by SPEED members, video blogs to be exact, Hiroko, Takako and Hitoe actually went to Tower Records, HMV and Tsutaya when their single, Ashita no Sora was released, and even recorded videos!!

The single was released on November 12, same day as MY SHORT STORIES.

They just entered like that, LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE, and bought their own CD. Nothing happened.

First, Hiroko, Hitoe and Takako went to Tower Records in Shibuya, then,

* HMV in Shibuya video: Hiroko's blog

Pay attention to that song played in the store the moment they entered =P

* Tsutaya in Shibuya video: Takako's blog

YUI flyers on the ceiling~

They had trouble looking for their CD display, where as YUI, you can see her everywhere. I heard in some radio interview that they even teased someone who was looking at their CD display to buy it XD

I think YUI mentioned something like that before. She was looking at her CD display, and some high school boy was standing beside her, when he turned his face towards her side, he actually pretended that he didn't see YUI and turned his head back. And then, turned his head towards YUI again, to double confirm if she was really the real thing.

I shall go Shibuya again to check out whether they have written something on the display or not.

Oh, I think they don't even have a special corner =x

Now I do believe the fact that YUI always says that she walks around the streets unnoticed. Maybe because it is Japan, people act as if they didn't see anything.

That means, I missed out the chance to bump into YUI, and SPEED =(

I just came back from Iwate prefecture (Miyako) for a three day trip. First time staying with a bunch of Japanese students, only me the only gaijin. I got to see the snow for the very first time when the night bus stopped at Morioka (prefecture capital) service area ;D


Around 5 in the morning.

The trip was memorable, REALLY. I have never experienced such coldness in my life before, I will talk about it in next posts.

I have been checking out a bunch of artists in the past few weeks. Since YUI is having her holiday now, gotta find some other things to do, besides exploring Japan, and of course, going to school.

First I went to monobright concert at Akasaka BLITZ. I was surprised to see this guy sitting few metres away from me.


MTV M Size, 10 March 2006

And, I was late for the concert again. Akasaka seems to be an interesting place, TBS is there, I will explore it again when I come here for GO!GO!7188 concert on next month.

Then I met my idol during my teenage days, SPEED at this place.


Tokyo FM Studio at Shibuya PARCO 1

SPEED was there for Tokyo FM's radio show appearance.

If it wasn't for SPEED, I won't get to know J-Pop, study Japanese, discovered YUI, and in Japan right now.

It has been over 5 years since they disbanded.

Even though I'm not that crazy over them as much now, being able to see them again does bring back a lot of good old memories. Reminding myself why am I here now. Hence when I realised that I might get to see them for FREE, I went to Shibuya even though I have to finish my presentation and what not.


November 15, Shibuya PARCO 1. They covered the studio, with a bunch of staff in black suits guarding the place, and people were lining up, waiting for their turn to have a 'peak' inside.

I thought I will be late again for this, luckily I managed to get the lining number. I was the second last person to received the 'peaking pass'. Before SPEED's appearance was Aoyama Thelma, and after SPEED was Orange Range.

Basically, there's no point if you start queuing early in the morning, and if the line gets too long, there is a possibility that you might not get the chance to 'peak' inside.

As it was a live recording, while waiting for our turn, I listened to SPEED's talk in the radio show through my mp3 player. There was this guy standing beside me, he just stood there doing nothing, waiting, so I was thinking of asking him to listen to the radio show together, and took off one side of my earphone.

In the end, I didn't have the courage to ask him. Plus, he was looking at the other side most of time, didn't even turn his head towards my side.

Japanese.

Haha.

Hence my chance of talking to another SPEED fan gone. If it was a girl, I think I might have no problem on chatting up with her =/

That explains why I remained single for 21 years.

Then I thought of writing something on a paper and show SPEED from outside the window. I took out a piece of A4 paper, and wrote "I am from Malaysia" with a ball pen.

After 40 minutes of waiting, MY TURN!


Source: Natalie Music

Takako is really beautiful, I only noticed Hitoe has braces when I saw them, there were like less than 2 metres away.

It was just like seeing them on the TV with close up shots, I think.

Since I was the second last person in line, we got to stare at SPEED till they left (yay). Roughly 10 minutes, being so near to them.

If anyone of you guys know how to steal these two videos, can do me a favour? Steal them?

I still can remember back then I watched their concerts in VCD for more than thousand times XD And memorised all the dance moves, OMG. I don't do this now, not even YUI. Since I couldn't join YUI Fanclub now, I might consider joining SPEED fanclub hee. It was one of my dreams to see their concert, it seemed to be impossible to me back then, but not any more.

Hmm I wonder if I can get to go Ayu's countdown live LOL, I'm not even the member of her fanclub...

YUI been to this studio as well.


YUI - COUNTDOWN JAPAN (060923)

I wonder how will I react when I saw her up close.

Speaking of radio shows, I discovered Perfume Locks when I was listening to Chatmonchy's interview on School of Lock.

They are d.a.m.n hilarious!! Especially A~chan LOL. Perfume just performed in Music Fair together with SPEED, HALCALI and Lil'B, check out the talk part here, really really funny girls talk.

This one is for Chatmonchy and Perfume fans: MediaFire

After listen to this, my opinion on Perfume changed completely. I don't really mind that they lip synch 99% of the time any more haha.

I'll just listen to Chat Locks and Perfume Locks since no more YUI Locks =P

This Friday I'm going to see Shiina Ringo sama at Saitama Super Arena. My first ever arena concert, hopefully I'll reach there on time.

Btw, I think my message on that A4 paper to SPEED failed to get through them because I used ball pen, the writing was too thin to be seen. Help me to get those two videos ya =x

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Misc Announcements:

YUI 3rd tour goods orders are closed now.

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My camera doesn't really work at night.

To commemorate the release of MY SHORT STORIES, today after school, I went to Shibuya.

The first billboard I saw when I came out from Shibuya Station was the one above, in Shibuya 109. Check YUI STAFF PHOTO REPORT for more pictures, and translations can be found in YL.

Then I entered nearby Big Camera and checked out some in ear phones (eyeing on Denon AH-C350 now), on my way out, I took three Sony brochures.


Driver Manner Campaign lol. You can hear YUI everywhere in Shibuya, even on the streets.

As I was wondering where the hell is HMV, I saw this long line outside Coach store.



Hmm, sometimes I don't really understand girls. To those who are expecting me to have some changes in terms of appearance (since I'm in Japan, so called fashion world and what not), you guys might be disappointed. I haven't even buy one piece of cloth yet, except the GO!GO! T-shirt. I wonder how am I going to survive in Iwate prefecture (somewhere near Hokkaido) next week.

HMV!



I had a weird feeling when I saw the date on the stuff YUI has written down. 12 November 2008.



So near, yet so far away. She was here today, but......

Well, even if I met her, I can't do anything either. Nowadays I always have such feelings. I wonder if my purpose in Japan is to say good bye to all the great people I met in Japan. The more people I met (besides forgetting names), the more I thought about how am I going to say good bye in 7 months time, and then I got really sad. Gahh.


Outside HMV. Free paper is just beside the screen. See how easy we can actually get it.

After HMV, next Tower Records. The largest YUI billboard mentioned by YUI daisuki! san is just outside Tower Records.



And I realised that being a celebrity, for YUI, seeing yourself everywhere in Shibuya, might not be a good thing. Even though she said that she's happy that she saw those posters in her latest diary entry.



Imagine YUI passes by when you are wandering around Shibuya T.T

I spent quite sometime inside Tower Records. It is better not to go there that often, they placed magazines related to the artist below the CD racks, to tempt us to buy more stuff. I was so tempted to buy School of Lock Days 2 when I read YUI's entry in it.

Apparently her mom cried on that day she left Fukuoka.

And YUI took the wrong train quite often when she first came to Tokyo (for me, none, yet).

YUI went to Tower Records as well, and the staff even wrote something like "YUI visited our shop~!" just to piss us fans. I didn't take any pictures because I saw the no camera sign outside the shop, but I saw someone did take a picture with his mobile phone. YUI daisuki! san took a picture too.

Again, to me, it feels weird when they are a lot of people interested in YUI around you. I went to this guitar club, and apparently most of the members are YUI fans. The most I can say is, YUI! YUI! I LIKE!! *starts to show them my hand phone*

End (unless they read half banana dot com).

After listened to ONE OK ROCK's new album, I'm so gonna go to their concert next year. They placed B-PASS Dec issue below ONE OK ROCK's CD, when I saw the entry on MY SHORT STORIES, I couldn't resist any more and bought the magazine ><

Next stop, Tsutaya. Again, didn't take picture. This picture in YUI STAFF Diary was taken in Tsutaya if I'm not mistaken.

Then I saw this trailer by that Laugh away SUMMER SONG boy. That movie looks interesting. It seems that they trained for three months for this movie.

Btw, this place is in Shibuya too. I walked around Ginza line in Shibuya Station but I still couldn't find this place mentioned by YUI staff =/

Didn't steal much today. Spent 690 yen on B-PASS, and 320 yen on transportation.


B-PASS, the pictures are really nice, even though they are old pictures. HMV, TOWER free paper.

And, I still haven't receive my copy of MY SHORT STORIES.

I miss YUI more after listening to this album, so nostalgic. I'll go see someone else while she's having her holiday =/

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Misc Announcements:

I just forked out 30,000 yen to buy YUI goods, ordered by those who already paid their deposit of RM 40 or SGD 20.

For those who are interested in ordering YUI 3rd tour goods, remember that the cut off date will be Nov 10, and all the deposits must be collected before Nov 12.

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Entrance of Toyama Campus, Waseda University

When I first found out that Chatmonchy is coming to Waseda Festival, I was extremely excited.

However, I was one day late. The tickets were already sold out by the time I figured out how to buy it. My only solution at that time: Yahoo Auction (Even though YUI said that we shouldn't buy from that website).

In the end, a 2,000 yen ticket, I bought it for 5,505 yen. Every time someone overbid me, I was contemplating whether this would be my final offer or not. From 4k, to 5k, then ended up 5k more.

I'm glad that I bought it though, really. It is not often that your favourite artist comes to your school, so no matter what, must go.

The concert started at 2 pm, November 3. It was the second day of Waseda Festival. Before that, I went to see Reina's (another cute YUI fan) dance performance.

Unlike Malaysia, in Japan, concerts start right on time. That's why I always wait until the last minute then enter the venue. I HATE to wait. Plus, being alone, I can always sneak into somewhere in front if I want to. So I went to the toilet, and walked towards the stage slowly. My ticket was at Block A, front block.

I was on time =P

After the Sokei match incident, I decided to wear more layer of clothes than I needed whenever I'm going out for a long period of time.

Concerts = Hot

Hence I took off my YUI hoodie and stuffed in my backpack. I brought bento as well, and my bag got really big. How to watch concert with a big backpack on your back? So I put it in front of my knees.

Suddenly the screen showed Waseda school song. As a loyal student, I raised my hand and 'pretended' to sing (because I haven't memorise the lyrics). It was kinda embarrassing, because not everyone is Waseda students.

Then halfway through the school anthem, Chatmonchy came out and did our signatured hand gestures when singing school song. That was a good move, impressing us Waseda students XD

First song, Hira hira hiraku himitsu no tobira. Disaster came.

Everyone got really excited and started to move towards the stage. I was pushed down, and tried really hard to protect my precious backpack, and my mp3 player (aka recorder) dropped during the mess. It was really scary, for once I thought the possibility of me being stepped until dead or something.

Chatmonchy had to stop performing and they returned to backstage. Thank god.



The staff had to ask us to move back numerous times, and people were passing their belongings to the staff at front. I decided to put my bag at the other corner, didn't care that it will be stolen or anything, since I'm in Japan, not Malaysia, where we have to look after our stuff all the time.

When Chatmonchy returned back, Ecchan said something really touching. She asked us to show some consideration to the people in our left, right, front, behind, and enjoy the concert. I think everyone followed what she said. No pushing or body touching when the concert continued. Relieved. Sometimes I'm quite Japanese, because I don't feel like being pushed by unknown people, how can that be an enjoyable live experience if someone kept pushing you? And you always have to be careful so that you won't get pushed down by others.

Luckily I was in Japan, luckily it was Chatmonchy. Luckily Ecchan said something like that. That reminds me of Switchfoot concert I attended in Malaysia. I was in the front row hence I could hang on the barrier whenever someone pushed from the back, I wonder what will happen if I was in the middle of the crowd......

Set List:

01. Hira Hira Hiraku Himitsu no Tobira *CRAZY*
02. Hana no Yume
03. Koi no Kemuri
04. Tsumasaki
－－MC1
05. Oya Shirazu
06. Donaru, Denwa, Doshaburi
07. Sayonara Good bye
08. Renai Spirits
－－MC2
09. Mayonaka Yuuenchi
10. Tobi Uo no Butterfly
11. Bus Romance
－－MC3
12. Somaru Yo *LOVE*
13. Sekai ga Owaru Yoru ni
－－MC4
14. Saraba Seishun
15. Toukyou Hachimitsu Orchestra
16. Kaze Fukeba Koi
Encore
17. Shangrila

During the MC, Chatmonchy was saying that they wanted to visit the booths in Waseda Festival but they were surprised that there were nothing in Toyama Campus lol so sad. The booths were at Waseda Campus, somewhere 10 minutes away. Luckily the student staff brought a bunch of food for them to try out.

Halfway through the concert, I started to get very tired, no more energy to jump and wave hands lol (old woman). At first I could see Ecchan clearly, after that someone blocked my view and I had to switch my focus to Akko instead. Luckily Japanese are not that tall =x


Akko gave away all her and Ecchan picks at the end of concert. "This is Chatmonchy Eriko's pick." Someone in mixi got it. Akko said that Ecchan doesn't know how to throw picks, so she helped Ecchan, reminds me of YUI lol.

Thanks to the happening incident in the beginning, I had my own space to do jumping and stuff without bumping into each other (That explains why why I was tired even before the concert ends).

I wonder why Ecchan has to change her guitar so frequent, like every 1-2 songs, 2 Teles, 2 Gibsons. It kinda interrupted the flow of the concert. Ecchan uses a lot of weird chords, or maybe my guitar chord knowledge is too limited. Just like the previous GO!GO!7188 concert, at first the audience was screaming here and there, after a while, no more name calling. Guess they were tired, just like me haha.

I first heard Chatmonchy when they released Shangrila, got interested (guitar playing girl), Hana no Yume rocks, and yeah. Before the concert I watched Top Runner and I was really touched, even though Ecchan's outfit in Budoukan was a bit, ahem. And her recent hairstyle. Maybe she is going towards rock-ish side, I still like her haha.



Time to practise guitar.

Reports of this concert by Mezamashi TV can be found in YouTube.

Lesson learned: Don't go to a concert with empty stomach, and better, don't bring anything.

Note: YUI is mentioned at the last part.

Continued from Sokeisen in previous post.

GO!GO!7188 at Nihon University school festival (砧祭, Kinuta-sai), College of Commerce. 2300++ yen. Alone, yeahhh.

In case you guys don't know who GO!GO!7188 is, I have included youtube links for the songs I mentioned in this post. I can't remember how I discovered them, but it was around the time when they released PARADE album.

That's why I prefer their recent stuff, old stuff is cool too, more folkish, weirder.Fall in love with them after watching the performance of ROCK during random youtube surfing. So kakkoii!! Never knew that such awesome female guitarist and bassist exist in Japan.


Pictures were taken after live because I was literally rushed to the venue.

I discovered the existence of school festivals thanks to YUI. She went to a couple of universities to perform during their annual school festivals, which are normally held around autumn. Waseda has one too.

After the dinner, I took Odakyu line (reminds me of Ikimonogakari) for the first time to Soshigaya-Okura station (祖師ヶ谷大蔵) from Shinjuku station.



The live started at 6.30 pm. I reached the station around 6.20, and I still had to walk another 12 minutes according to Yahoo maps.

Luckily I have memorised the route, I just followed the road which has the most student looking people came from. On my way, I was wondering why the street is called Ultraman Shopping Street.

When I reached the campus, I could hear Nounai Traveller. OMG OMG.

I quickly rushed to the information booth, and the staff pointed me some building and told me the live was on 4th floor.

4th floor...by the time I reached the hall (classroom to be exact), I felt so hot and took off my jacket and rolled up my sleeves. Freezing in the morning, now very hot. I won't to be late in my next concert any more......

But then, because that I came late, I got to move around the classroom. So I went as near to the stage as possible. Less than 5 metres away from them. I could see Yuu's Custom Made Vintage White Telecaster or maybe the other yellow one clearly.

Yay for Fender Telecaster~!!

But Yuu was at the other side (right), Akko was at the left side of stage. Bah. It was definitely 100 times better than DAI live I went anyway. No one was beside me, because it just happened that that row was completely empty. It feels weird to watch a live with nobody around, literally. But after a while, I became used to it. Shock sendiri you know.

During the MC, Akko (bassist) was really funny. She asked us to repeat after her these phrases:

「俺の、ものは、俺のものー！！」 (What belongs to me is mine~!!)
「お前の、ものも、俺のものー！！」 (What belongs to you is mine too~!!!)

Then Turkey's (drummer) turn:

「世界の、ものは、俺のもの！！」 (Everything in the world is mine!!!)
「世界の、女も、俺のもの！！」 (Every woman in the world is mine too!!!) *Akko pointed her middle finger at him LOL*

And she was saying that the 5 pretty girls standing in the front row was a rare sight in GO!GO!7188 live.

Yuu said that they better be careful of Akko XD And she told the audience that she went to check out the school festival before that too.

*Imagining Chatmonchy walking around Waseda school festival......*

Set list: (Thanks to 琴≒ごりこ san in mixi)

1. ROCK (OMG WTF I MISSED THIS!!!!!)
2. Nounai Traveller
3. Ska
4. Sandaa Gaaru
5. YOME toshite 2008 (Akko)
6. Bariburi (Turkey)
7. Kataomoi Fighter
8. Otona no Kusuri

I really like when everyone did the yeah! thing. It was fun. Yuu made weird + cute faces when she paused during the yeah part, very cute.

9. Futashikatashika *New Song*
10. Koi no Uta
11. Ukifune

I got very excited when they sang this song. Because this is the only GO!GO! song I've learned before, I can play 15 seconds of this song =.=

12. Hyokkori Hyoutan Jima
13. Manhole
14. Bungu

~Encore~
15. Jetto Ninjin

When Yuu moved to the other side of stage (my side) and started playing a bunch of crazy solos, only then I realised how pretty she is =3 Apparently she is left handed. She plays right handed guitars because she thought that there's no left handed guitar back then. Omg so cool *Salute her guitar skills*

One thing I noticed was when GO!GO!7188 first stopped to check the sound or had a break, the audience screamed here and there, after a few attempts with no response from GO!GO!, the audience stopped doing that. There were even times that the classroom turned completely silent for 5 seconds, which is impossible in Malaysia.

And during the final encore, Akko was promoting their upcoming releases and ask us to buy the tickets of year end tour in Akasaka BLITZ. When I heard that, I was so eager to shout at them that I already bought the tickets but I didn't dare to do so.

They always say, when you are in your dead bed, the things you regret the most aren't the ones you already did but the ones you never did. In this week, I have regretted on a bunch of things I didn't do.....haih. And I thought that I've become braver and willing to take actions but apparently not. Still have a long way to go.

All in all, awesome live. The best I've seen, because I don't really watch concerts in Malaysia. Right now it is the best haha. For 2,825 yen, I think is worth the money. We won't get to see overseas' artist in Malaysia that near for that amount of money, plus 15 songs, no way. Going to see them again next month~


Something I bought after the concert, I'm running out of clothes to wear so this might be a good one. V.I.S.C. = busaiku (不細工, ugly, plain, clumsy). Akko wore it in the live too.

As I was googling around for GO!GO! info, I bumped into Yuu's blog and she went to dear YUI's live TWICE, because YUI's bassist, Eikichi san is the bassist of another band of hers called チリヌルヲワカ (Chirinuruwowaka), so Yuu gets to watch free YUI lives so to speak.

It is weird to see Yuu not playing solos for the very first time. I really like カスガイ(Kasugai), sounds very different.


Shinjuku's Sakuraya, near West exit. There are more than 5 Sakurayas in Shinjuku. Very confusing at first.

Everything comes back to YUI =.= In the diary Yuu said that YUI has both voice and looks, there are times god will gave both voice and looks as well, to someone like YUI XD Yuu san, you are pretty + talented too, and I like your cute voice, don't get jealous of YUI. She's different =x

So when are you two going to do a duet or something?? (Bokura no Ongaku!!)

Next live will be,



Some band featured in this picture, in 10 hours time.

One of the reason our mascot is a bear because Waseda founder's name is OKUMA Shigenobu.

Saturday, I woke up at 5.30 am, left dorm around 6.50 just to line up for this baseball match between Waseda and Keio University.

Me and my other two class + dorm mates reached Shinanomachi station (信濃町駅) at 7.30. I was wondering why on earth we have to reach so early as the match starts at 1 pm, didn't do any research on this famous match, didn't know that the tickets are not seated tickets.

We had to wait for other international students who might be late or lost, so 1 hour gone.

Then waited for more than 1 hour outside the stadium.

I just wore 4 layers of clothes (bad judgement), wasn't in a great mood. So I kept quiet all the time and listened to podcasts and watching people.

It was super cold and the chilly wind kept blowing non stop. No one knew when the line would start moving, I started to get tulan (impatient), and decided to left the line and went to buy something warm to drink and more food.

The entrance opened just when we left the queuing line. Talk about bad luck.

My other friend almost gone crazy. Luckily, we still managed to get nice seats, just that we were separated from other students, we didn't get to cheer together for our team. But some people behind us seemed to be huge baseball fans. They got all hyped up and sang EVERY song.

Not really in the mood for cheering, very cold you know. Plus Japanese cheering style is kinda...different. More...polite? and too organised.


Waseda actually has a 応援部 (cheering circle) with girls cheer leading squad, orchestra, and a bunch of people in black suits, I think. Notice that person in the left below corner? They do special dance moves too.

Reminds me of my university orientation week. Students from different hostels literally shouted like crazy people until no voice just to beat each others out. Nightmare but, way more interesting, and cruel.

Well, gotta embrace each others' culture. Japanese have their own interesting side when it comes to cheering and stuff.

If you are interested on how we do the cheering and stuff, youtube has a lot of it. Our school song, and the song we sing when we get points. I only know the Waseda, Waseda~ part =x

Waseda beat Keio 3-1. Yay.

My first ever baseball match. Comment: Long, COLD.

No more baseball matches for me. I think I'm the only one who thinks that way, I read other blogs and they really enjoyed it and my other friend was saying that if she has the ticket for Sunday's match she will go.

After the match, we went to have dinner at Matsuya, 580 yen, super full.

Because of the dinner, I was late for my second ever live, AGAIN.

To be continued...

More pictures, report on Sokeisen, can be found here.