Squats

Fitness myths are everywhere, and somehow they exist more among the girls. Among the statements I've heard are:

• "I can't do weight training, because then I'll look like Vin Diesel / The Rock (or insert name of other muscular man)"
• "As long as I'm moving, it doesn't matter how slow I go" - usually on the bike thing

For one, lifting weights tone your muscles - unless you go on a high-protein diet, you WILL NOT bulk up. And no, leisurely paddling your feet while you watch a drama on your phone doesn't really constitute as exercise. For me: no sweat, heavy breathing, and muscle aches means I didn't do enough for the day.

ALRIGHT. Enough with some of the things regarding fitness that I'm a little frustrated about.

Due to various reasons, I haven't been hitting the gym at all for about half a year. From running 15km in total every week, to almost not moving at all for 6 months, needless to say, my cardio strength went downhill, counterbalanced by my weight which shot up to the dangerous 6x.

So now I'm trying - and please note the term "trying" - to be somewhat active without needing to hit the gym, and of course, trying to eat better (doesn't really apply since I've chowed down 3 bowls of rice with lots of battered deep fried food today).

Squats to tone your thighs and your butt. Source unknown, but I found it from another friend's Instagram feed.

BUT! Along with my sister (always the best motivation), we've taken to stocking the house with fruits and yogurt, and I've taken up the 30 DAY SQUATS CHALLENGE. Pretty much self-explanatory, and I thought it would be a piece of cake...

I'm on day 4 today, which is a rest day, but my thighs have been sore since day 1. And here I thought "I used to do a lot of squats so this shouldn't be a problem". Take my word for it, "challenge" is the keyword here.

What I do is break up the required number into smaller parts scattered throughout the day. No, the "bulking thighs" don't bother me - I would prefer toned but large thighs to flabby thighs. =D

Just a little update, because I think I update too sparsely now... All my inspiration for writing has been channeled towards assignments. We had mostly computer software-related assignments the previous semester (Flash, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, etc), and this semester it's all writing...

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 30

Full list here.

Day 30: A Song That Makes You wanna Drive Fast and Crazy

The list is looong. And since I gingerly put together an answer for many of the previous challenge questions, I'll compensate here~





How can you go wrong with a Need For Speed Most Wanted soundtrack? Like seriously, this is almost the only NFS I'd play. Still stuck at #5 on the blacklist, though... Even the system remembers that I like to start my game with Nine Thou.





Named after the epic late Hide of X Japan (who performed the song with his other musical unit, called Hide with Spread Beaver), Pink Spider is the first track on my visual J-rock CD in my car. Driving to campus on a gray Monday morning is much more awesome with this on full blast.





This is not a religious hymn, or at least it's not to me. To my ears and mind, this is another epic song by L'Arc~en~Ciel (lyrics written by hyde, if I'm not mistaken). The song is performed by hyde's other group VAMPS, and sounds a little different than the studio original. Jesus Christ is an English J-rock song, the guitar is just... awesome!!!

***

There's another last optional question, and since it's optional, I shall be a lazy bum and not do it!!! Instead, I might be doing a synced post with a fellow friend and blogger. So, this concludes the Improved 30 Day Song Challenge!!!


Remind me not to do another challenge for a LOOONG time. I'm going nuts already.

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 29

Full list here.

Day 29: A Song That Makes You Wanna Punch Someone in the Face

It could be a song that I hate so much that I wanna punch someone, or a song that fuels my anger. Actually, both are irrelevant. So, how do I answer this question?





Not that I have anything against this song or Fergie, but London Bridge is just a really annoying song for me. Even more annoying than continuous Bieber.

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 28

Full list here.

Day 28: A Song From Another Favorite Album

Repetition is this challenge's middle name. Ugh.





Danson Tang's Love Me was my first "idol" album - Taiwanese singer who did some acting as well. He was the Taiwanese guy I went ga-ga over, apart from my Japanese "beaus". My favorite song of the album is the title song, Love Me.

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 27

Full list here.

Day 27: A Song You Wish You Could Play on an Instrument

KUON's Eternity -Memories of Lightwaves-. It's the opening theme to Final Fantasy X-2's PS2 game. Beautiful, yet sad at the same time...





I guess music can have different interpretations depending on the person, even if the creator meant it to mean one thing only. This song kind of means destiny is a part of everything - meeting that special person, and the memories that are left behind when your paths divide. Amidst the pain, there is always something to value in the end.


Not sure if this makes sense, but it kind of means that love can surpass time, dimensions, and everything in between.


The piano itself is a beautiful piece, much like To Zanarkand and Suteki Da Ne? from Final Fantasy X.

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 26

Full list here.

Day 26: The Perfect Song to Listen to While You're Angry

Typically, I would listen to any heavy song - metal. Among some of my favorite heavy metal: Girugamesh, Rammstein, and sometimes the GazettE, depending on the single. Versailles, Kagrra,, and others are a tad too "light" when I'm pissed off.





At first I thought this was a Rammstein single, until thousands of Youtubers said otherwise. Otherworld, performed by Bill Muir, is the theme song played in Final Fantasy X while you're battling a Jecht-like fiend which has two floating pillars that heal the main character.


Raspy, heavy voice; heavy drums and electric guitar. This is awesome when blasted through really good speakers/headphones really loud. It's music like this that helps me calm down when I'm pissed.

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 25

Full list here.

Day 25: A Song You Discovered on TV

Does Korean drama count as TV? I think so... Even if I watched most of my Korean dramas from DVDs. ANYWAYS.





My first K-drama was Boys Over Flowers, but it was You're Beautiful (Ninami, Shineyo!) that made me fall in love with Jang Keun Suk~ (And I love any K-drama that makes me cry like a broken faucet) Here are the lyrics: hangul, romanji, and the translation.


The original version was by 9th Street, but Park Shin Hye did a cover of the song for the sake of the drama, where her character was supposed to record a single for the use of an upcoming drama. The song is essentially a break-up song, themed with regret, hurt, and disappointment. More or less describes me perfectly, to a certain extent (I know, I know, I'm whining again).

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 24

Full list here.

Day 24: A Song that is Anti-YOU

A song that isn't me... This is tough, 'cause I listen to a lot of the songs I listen to because they're relative to my feelings and thoughts.


And there could be a few different interpretations to this question, so I'm not quite sure how to approach it.


I think I'll go with this interpretation: the song that isn't my style. In general, anything that is punk, monotonous rap, or screamo isn't my type. Maybe I'll go with...





Isn't about the music, but rather the lyrics. The chorus sings, "break up happily, I wish you happiness". I believe in karma, and I actually don't wish happiness on anyone who would hurt me.


But then again, it's also a song that describes me: letting go is like taking a ride on a slow train - after a while, everything becomes clear and much more cheerful.


这个…好像很明显的是乱答一番…

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 23

Full list here.

Day 23: A Song That is YOU

Emphasis on the YOU. A song that best describes me. The only song that comes to mind...





My mother can dislike Taylor all she wants - so many of Taylor's songs describe how I feel most of the time. Songs like Red, especially, when I broke up.


The reason why it's ME. Because I'm beyond naive. Sure, the song says "'cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you, you're gonna believe them", but I'm 19, and it still applies to me.


Most of the story - going to high school, meeting some old friends and saying hi, then trying to stay out of everyone's way. Had some crushes, met some people in school (primary, high, and university) who became my best friends, whom I've shared many secrets with. Fell in love, went for dates, gave almost everything I had just to get heartbreak in return.


I won't say I'm a person who lives for love, but indeed, love is what keeps me going. Having a person for me to dedicate my entire being to is what helps me tolerate all the other bullshit that happens in my life.

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 22

Full list here.

Day 22: A Song from a Band You Heard About Before They Were Cool

I usually hear music when they're way beyond their prime, or when they're already hot. Very rarely do I hear a song before they're hot, and from a band... Well, I'll change the challenge to "a song that you heard before it was cool". Within my local vicinity, anyway.

MissChievous did an inspired look based on Alexandra Stan's Mr Saxobeat, and having nothing to do, I watched the video, and looked up the music video as well. The song was good, catchy, groovy. And a few days later, it exploded all over KL. In the UniGym at campus, at malls - it was everywhere.

This is the only song that is CLOSE to the challenge question.

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 21

Full list here.

Day 21: A Song From Your Favorite Album

I prefer tracks over albums, but in the rare case that I get to buy an album, I love the entire thing. Two notable albums I own: Kelly Chen's 心口不一, and L'Arc~en~Ciel's Awake. Both were gifts, one from my dad, and the other from my sister for my birthday.

I had a Ricky Martin cassette once, which was my first ever "album", but it's long been missing.

Guess my favorite album would be Awake, since it's the only CD I bothered putting on replay in my car... And also due to the fact that I'm almost completely Japanese biased. =D

L'Arc~en~Ciel - As One. by 244Wylde

As One is the heaviest track on the album, featuring heavy drums, electric guitars, and also raspy vocals by hyde. I couldn't find the original track, but the live version is just as good. =D

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 20

Full list here.

Day 20: A Song from An Artists that You Like but Wished They Had Never Made

Black Eyed Peas. For some reason, a lot of people on the internet don't like them. But they were the music which basically accompanied my adolescence (apart from my discovery of J-rock, J-pop, and C-pop).





Bebot is the Filipino slang for "babe", "hot chick", etc. The only lyrics I can fathom are "bebot", and "Filipino". Other than that, it's rap. I don't like rap in general, of course with some exceptions (particularly like Lil Wayne's or Wiz Khalifa's).


Personal preference only. I like BEP,  but this is really a song that I really dislike, just because.

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 19

Full list here.

Day 19: A Song You Will Never Get Tired of

I missed a few days, now I'm replacing them. Too busy with CNY!!!


I guess repetitive playing of a song would be really boring, and there are so many songs that I love playing over and over again...



There are tons of songs that I never get tired of, and depending on my mood, I could replay them over and over and over again, 24/7 for over two weeks. Songs like that include the GazettE's Pledge and Davide Sonar's Natural and Reactor.





GazettE has tons of tracks - hits, misses, and some tracks like The xx's Intro. The one I love listening to on replay when I feel in a more subdued bad-ass mood: The End. The bass guitar is just...


Here's the lyrics to the song, provided by a fellow Youtuber in the video's comments.

FIRST PART:
Ruki: theory
Aoi: free
Kai: treasure
Reita: fuck
Uruha: stand up
Ruki: liberty
Aoi: raise
Kai: past
Reita: money
Uruha: alien

SECOND PART:
Ruki: Inochi
Aoi: Umi
Kai: Aisuru
Reita: Kamigami
Uruha: Jintoku
Ruki: Shinrai
Aoi: youen
Kai: chuushini
Reita: kizuna
Uruha: shinnen

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 18

Full list here.

*can't be bothered to link all the other posts anymore*

Day 18: Another Favorite Band

A band, to me, is a group of people who play instruments and sing. Groups like BigBang, or KAT-TUN are more like just boygroups to me, and don't qualify as bands.


Another favorite band... Instead of another Japanese band, why not go with an English-oriented band?





I basically grew up with Maroon 5, consciously or unconsciously. I think most of us have, giving us hits like She Will Be Loved. Maroon 5 only came to my attention when they performed Makes Me Wonder on Japanese music show Music Station.


It's a favorite band mostly because it sort of a background music to my childhood, like before I actively started listening to anime songs, or Britney and Avril, Maroon 5 along with many oldies (like ABBA) were songs that were frequently played on the radio, much like Bruno Mars is played often on the radio now (it's been some time since I actually tuned in to any radio channel since I listen to music from my own digital "collection" now).

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 17

Full list here.

Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 / Day 6 / Day 7 / Day 8 / Day 9 / Day 10 / Day 11 / Day 12 / Day 13 / Day 14 / Day 15 / Day 16

Day 17: Another Favorite Song

Something more mellow this time, perhaps? To be honest, where favorite songs go, basically all the music I would voluntarily listen to could qualify as my favorite song. Cassis was a rock ballad, so this time perhaps something more pop-y or mellow?


Hatsune Miku's Ievan Polkka was the first to come to mind, but then again, I realized I get annoyed with it after 2 plays... So I shall settle for a C-pop song~





Wang Leehom's 依然爱你 (Still Loving You). This song was so overplayed on OneFM, but doesn't get annoying. In fact, it's now on my karaoke to-sing list! Should thank Jasmine for being an indirect influence in making me love this song~


I would say the lyrics are the typical mushy "I will always love you" oriented lyrics, commonly found in Taiwanese ballads. But I love songs that I can sing along to, and the melody is catchy enough while still being kind of mellow. I don't know how music feelings work, but I shall just go by, well, my feelings of the song!

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 16

Full list here.

Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 / Day 6 / Day 7 / Day 8 / Day 9 / Day 10 / Day 11 / Day 12 / Day 13 / Day 14 / Day 15

Day 16: A Song You Could Sing Without Music

I could pretty much sing every song I know without music, as long as I memorize the lyrics. I remember in my early years of high school, I'd print out the lyrics for some Japanese songs (BAAD's Kimi ga Suki da to Sakebitai [Slam Dunk OP]), then sing them sans music in the classroom when the teachers weren't around.





Hikki's Prisoner of Love is my favorite. Back when Last Friends was popular (I still have not watched the drama, though), Prisoner of Love seemed to be practically everywhere, especially when one of my friends (now a cosplayer) was an avid fan of Hikki.



The lyrics from LyricsMode.com:

I'm a prisoner of love
Prisoner of love
Just a prisoner of love
I'm just a prisoner of love
A prisoner of love
Heiki na kao de uso wo tsuite
Waratte iyake ga sashite
Raku bakari shiyou to shite ita
Naimononedari BURU-SU
Mina yasuragi wo motomete iru
Michitariteru noni ubaiau
Ai no kage wo otte iru
Taikutsu na mainichi ga kyuu ni kagayakidashita
Anata ga arawareta ano hi kara
Kodoku demo tsurakutemo heiki da to omoeta
I'm just a prisoner of love
Just a prisoner of love
Prisoner of love
Prisoner of love
I'm a prisoner of love
Yameru toki mo sukoyaka naru toki mo
Arashi no hi mo hare no hi mo tomo ni ayumou
I'm gonna tell you the truth
Hitoshirezu tsurai michi wo erabu
Watashi wo ouen shite kureru
Anata dake wo tomo to yobu
Tsuyogari ya yokubari ga muimi ni narimashita
Anata ni ai sareta ano hi kara
Jiyuu demo yoyuu demo hitori ja munashii wa
I'm just a prisoner of love
Just a prisoner of love
Oh mou sukoshi da yo
Don't you give up
Oh misutenai zettai ni
Zankoku na genjitsu ga futari wo hikisakeba
Yori issou tsuyoku hikareau
Ikura demo ikura demo ganbareru ki ga shita
I'm just a prisoner of love
Just a prisoner of love
Arifureta nichijou ga kyuu ni kagayakidashita
Kokoro wo ubawareta ano hi kara
Kodoku demo tsurakutemo heiki da to omoeta
I'm just a prisoner of love
Just a prisoner of love
I'm a prisoner of love
Prisoner of love
Prisoner of love
I'm just a prisoner of love
I'm a prisoner of love
Stay with me, stay with me
My baby, say you love me
Stay with me, stay with me
Hitori ni sasenai

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 15

Full list here.

Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 / Day 6 / Day 7 / Day 8 / Day 9 / Day 10 / Day 11 / Day 12 / Day 13 / Day 14

Day 15: A Song You Wish You Heard Often On the Radio

I can't really give you a specific song, because my desires for music change quite rapidly. One minute I could be craving for a good karaoke-friendly song, the next minute I wanna bang my head to awesome metal sounds.


Roxette's It Must Have Been Love. Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You. These two were the ones playing in my head, but the final verdict is...








Brown Eyed Girl's Abracadabra. The song itself is just really, really catchy, and is one of my favorite K-pop songs. The top video is the official music video. The bottom one is the dance version.


The song itself being catchy is one thing. The first thing that made me obsessed about this song was the video - the dance version is seductive (swaying hips~), but the official music video is just insanely erotic (for me). I mean, a hot make-out-and-undressing-each-other scene?


Once in a while, radios will play some older songs, but this song is always the one that's not included in the playlist...

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 14

Full list here.


Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 / Day 6 / Day 7 / Day 8 / Day 9 / Day 10 / Day 11 / Day 12 / Day 13

Day 14: A Song You Got Sick of Because of the Radio

Rihanna's Rude Boy was actually just an R&B song that my ex introduced to me. Shortly after that we broke up, AND I STARTED TO HEAR IT EVERYWHERE! At that time, the radio wasn't my main source for music, but every time I flipped the TV channel to Hitz.tv (now Astro Hitz), or tuned onto Hitz.fm or Red FM for music, there it was.


Like many other songs (Bieber's Baby, Selena Gomez's Love You Like A Love Song, etc), it just got overplayed when I wanted to listen to something else. Sure, I could play the GazettE's PLEDGE or Davide Sonar's Natural and Reactor for hours on end, but those are songs that I actually WANT to hear.

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 13

Full list here.

Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 / Day 6 / Day 7 / Day 8 / Day 9 / Day 10 / Day 11 / Day 12

Day 13: A Song from A Band that You Have to Explain to People Who They Are

Photo from Google. With Jasmine You (RIP).

Photo from Google. With the new bassist, Masashi.

First band that came to mind: Versailles Philharmonic Quintet. Read about Masashi replacing Jasmine You on LaCarmina.com.





The song I choose is my first Versailles song, which really made me jump around squealing: The Revenant Choir. Dammit, just look at how their fingers fly over the chords!!!


The few explanations I have to make when people ask me about Versailles:

• they're all men, including Kamijo (vocalist, center) and Hizaki (guitar, far right)
• no, they're not gay, even if they dress in frocks
• yes, Jasmine You, Kamijo, and Hizaki ARE MEN and awesome musicians
• they dress like that because it's their style - French aristocratic
• THEY ARE ALL STRAIGHT MEN, DAMMIT!
• they are a neo-classical metal band

Yes. Many people tend to think that these beautiful men are gay and has something wrong with their brains. Not that I want to bash Korean idols (I like a lot of them, for the record), but they too have tons of make-up on, just that the make-up isn't as dramatic as visual kei make-up.


Even people on Youtube are still arguing that Jasmine You and Hizaki (who typically wear dresses) are women. I can understand why anyone would assume so, but it won't hurt to do some internet research, ne?


Apart from Versailles, I also have to explain to people who GazettE is, who Kagrra, is, who Miyavi is. After a while, I just didn't really care anymore - because people DON'T CARE who they are. What they see are gay freaks prancing around in dresses and making noise, and not much is gonna change what they think.


But these men - these beautiful, wonderful men - are the ones who give my life spice. They are the people who opened my mind, and molded me into the more accepting person (compared with the past).

Improved 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 12

Full list here.

Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 / Day 6 / Day 7 / Day 8 / Day 9 / Day 10 / Day 11

Day 12: Your Favorite Fast Song

I really don't know anything about tempo. Even when I was taking guitar lessons, even if I know how to count beats, I usually miscount the beats of any given song. A fast song is something that I feel is fast, with no technical stuff to it.


There are sometimes too many songs I want to write about for so many of the challenge questions... So I'll list out a few songs I considered: Miyavi's Senor Senora Senorita, Miyavi's What's My Name, NoGoD's Atria (101.41 bpm), SuG's Love Scream Party (76.48 bpm), Aicle.'s Toumei Ningen (133.86 bpm), Tohoshinki's Rising Sun (125.02 bpm).


There are a few more, and I'm seriously trying to vary my music selections rather than just sticking to J-rock. And bear with the random BPM counts - I took some time to download a BPM counter for fun.





Going through my music folders, I found one that's perfect. O2Jam (along with MapleStory, GunBound, SDO-X, AuditionSEA, etc) was one of my favorite online games to play, and this became my favorite song - Bride in Dream.

From Google.

Like I said, I don't have any "tempo/beat" thing going on - the song just feels fast to me, and it's something (I know it's not the right use of the meme, but whatever).