On Studying Japanese...

Now that I've memorized practically all the hiragana, I've decided to take this thing as far as I can. I accidentally stumbled on a learning method called AJATT ("All Japanese All the Time"). The method itself if very simple; just immerse yourself with the language as much as you can. Soak yourself in the language and absorb everything. Of course the method requires a bit of  heavy lifting you can't avoid, like learning the kanji with SRS ("Spaced Repetition System"), but the main idea behind the method is, that you have fun while learning.

So basically, in order to succeed I have to listen to GACKT (oh, the horror...), watch anime in Japanese (yikes!), watch Japanese movies (OMG) and study the Japanese writing system ("Oh, that one totally looks like a rabbit"). As if I hadn't been doing those before :D For someone as easily obsessed as me, this method is made in heaven. All I need to add to the equation is practising with SRS every day and a real determination to become fluent in Japanese. All the rest of the method I do too much already ;)

So, be warned my friends. I'll be obsessing over, and constantly talking about Japanese-things even more than before. Don't be alarmed, it's all part of the method :D Someday it will pay off.

Minor Changes

PROJECT UPDATE 2:

• Small changes to weapons. Renshin's katana -> wakizashi. (I figured a full length sword would be cumbersome for someone who really doesn't like using swords.) Hayden's weapon has a name change. Rainy Day -> Spiky Rain.
• Gitai, Renshin, Akashini and Temujin now have nicknames. (Suitable for "celebrities", right? :D)
• Additional information about how the skills actually work.
• More personality traits added to basically everyone.
• Chapters 1-7 of the script sent to test readers.

PERSONAL UPDATE:

• Twin Peaks still freakin' rocks!
• It sucks being poor, since there are too many things I'd want to buy but can't afford.
• I'd really want to visit Japan.

Akhsnika vs Music

I noticed one interesting personality trait in myself recently. I guess I've always had it in some form, but it seems to have gotten stronger over the years. I'm talking about my reluctance to find new music. It's shape has changed through time, but the basic trait is the same. I'll start this little diagnose from my teenage-years, so be warned.

As a teenager I was very much into punk. It was basically the only music genre I listened to. I wouldn't even try to find new artists from other genres, because they weren't part of my genre. I only now realize how much great music I missed back then. But the big question is, why did I behave like that?

I bet a part of it is teenager's insecurity about herself and her worth in the eyes of her peers. However, I don't think that's the whole picture. Today I believe it's because of how enormously personal music becomes, how deeply connected it is to your emotions. I'll tell you what made me realize this.

A few months ago I bumped into a new artist through some movie's fanvideo. At first I didn't even listen to the song itself (I mean, the video was about a movie I liked), but eventually it caught my ear. I thought to myself "Well, this isn't bad, whoever this is." A bit by bit I'd get to know the music of this wonderful artist, and to my annoyance more and more great songs came my way. Any artist or band can have 5 good songs. But when someone has over 10 good songs and counting...that is when the alarm goes off in my head. That's a Condition Red for me. 

So what do I do? I fight back. Even if I adored a song and it deeply moved me, I refuse to admit that I like it. I guess it's some kind of defense mechanism, since admitting you like someone's music means a part of your emotions are now tight to the melodies. Eventually I of course have to give up. If the artist truly is so mind-blowing, I have to surrender. For this particular artist, it took me a month.

So, what is the end result of this? Very few new artists or bands get to my heart. Most only have those 3+ good songs that I like listening to, and they have no effect on me on emotional level. However, there are few who have 3+ good albums.The only ones so far that have reached that level in my scale, are CMX, Faith No More and the most recent one, GACKT.


Faith no More even made it through my genre-obsessed years ("Not punk? It sucks"), and I've been listening to the band for about 20 years. CMX got into my life about 10 years ago. GACKT is a newcomer (for me that is, I'm probably the only on on Earth who didn't know him until 2011...), but I don't think he'll be going anywhere. These three I can see myself listening to even 30 years from now on.

However, these three also have something in common which shows clearly that a part of my personality trait has changed. All three are extremely versatile, moving from one genre to another freely. From one album to another, and even inside one individual album. I think that is wonderful. I don't really like this personality trait of mine, since it seriously limits my view on music, but at least I'm genre-free now. Thank god for that. If I was still stuck to my teenage-attitude, I'd have never found such awesome music. There's no my genre anymore, now there is my music.

Thank you, Kiitos, Dômo arigatô. You give the melody to my life.

The First is Always the Hardest

To those who are familiar with The Project, let's not discuss about the details here. I'm still paranoid about idea-thiefs. Do comment if you want, but do it discreetly (perhaps in some secret code, like morse-code or something).


PROJECT UPDATE:

• Project Version 8.0 (actually the changes have mostly been quite small, so maybe version-changes were actually unnecessary, oh well)
• Added uniforms to everyone (more militaristic and professional, don't you think?)
• Fixed one timing error which would have meant one unlogically lost day...whoopsie
• Scetched character portraits: Renshin, Gitai, Akhsnik
• Changed the quote and title of each chapter. Now each chapter has a title of a song, which I also quote.
• Removed Dori Panthera and the reference to Kiri Panthera. Maybe I'll have use for them in some other role in the future than comical relief.

PERSONAL UPDATE:

• Had a fever for a month now...but now I also have my head full of snot. Gross...
• Has come to the conclusion, that no other language can be more sexually suggestive without actually saying anything that bad, than Japanese language.
• Was at an entrance exam to an art-school. Has a bad feeling about this.

That's it for today folks...