Star Candy

I begin writing on this regrettably hot day with translation news.

Miss W_B & I have updated Nopperabou both with the latest interviews & the geography pop quiz from Fish Tank Issue #52.

The interviews are short & sweet. They chat about the tour, facial hair, Imai's choice of footwear, U-ta's beautiful new bass ♥ and performing in the rain.

I really hope they filmed U-ta playing that bass because it looks absolutely stunning in photos...

white_boot also got a little surprise with her FT issue because FT staff are sweet~ *smiles*

( Happy Surprise <3! )

It was her birthday in June too...so of course, I made her a birthday cake.


Kindly ignore my horrible wrapping techniques.

It was a chocolate cake with lemon icing~ and of course no cake is complete without gratuitous candy sprinkling and in rainbow no less. See, this is why I shouldn't be allowed in the kitchen. I nearly used the entire bottle of sprinkles.

Ok. And now, I was tagged to do this by the lovely speedygz some time ago but never got around to it.

So here it is, 11 random facts about Lola:
1)I am a very light sleeper. As a result...I don't sleep much. I need absolute silence and darkness to sleep and ideally I prefer my bedroom door to be closed otherwise I become tense. I also can't be hot...or I won't sleep. The need for silence is so great that I even hide my watch in a drawer under layers of clothing otherwise the ticking will keep me awake. *laughs*
2)The first thing I do upon returning from a trip is unpack and put everything away. I can't relax otherwise.
3)I make my bed every morning after getting up, I just...can't bring myself to leave my bedroom with the bed unmade.
4)I can't share the kitchen with anyone. I cook alone. People may help by cutting food up for me and preparing ingredients but when it comes to the actual cooking...the spatula is mine!!
5)Two things I absolutely can't stand are the sound of the vacuum cleaner and being hot.
6)I fractured my skull as a baby, then injured my neck when I was 13 doing gymnastics and as a result I regularly get migraines at the slightest shift of atmospheric pressure.
7)My father stole both of my guitars.
8)I can always tell when someone has been in my room whether they touched anything or not because of the residual energy they leave. It freaks my family out but I always know.
9)My emotions are very visceral. Which means...the moment I'm upset, I get sick.
10)I keep little piles of books all over my room. Next to my bed I have Dante's Divine Comedy and Faust then next to my computer desk I have some Oscar Wilde & Ovid.
11)I am the 13th generation descendant of King Louis XI of France.

Tada! See? I'm really not thrilling.

Now, I do believe I hear mint ice cream calling to me~ have a lovely afternoon everyone!

I have been awake since 4:30am and given that I went to bed at 1am I'm feeling a little strange right now. But there was simply no sleep to be had with the raging thunderstorm outside. Unable to fall back asleep with all the white flashes of lighting I decided to take my dog on a walk at 5:30 once the thunder had quieted to distant rumbles. He was anxious and pacing and wasn't about to let me go back to sleep anyway so why not venture out into the rain for a pre-dawn stroll?

Despite being exhausted, I'm glad I did. The streets are so ethereal in the rain right before the dawn. There is a silver shimmer to the air...and the rain though heavy...was somehow serene, falling in a straight curtain.

The path through the park was lined with scattered rose petals, hot pink. I felt like my way was being gently laid out for me. I followed the fallen petals from entrance until exit where on each side of the path stands wild rose bushes. The color of the blooms was so vibrant against the gray of the rain and the sleek black ribbon of wet pavement. It all seemed surreal. Like I had stumbled upon some secret place that only reveals itself in those ashen hours to the few who dared to look through the gloom.

Strange and how beautiful nature is. That you can pass through a place so many times, and yet always, there is a new way to perceive it...

*smiles* And along those lines...some thoughts from Sakurai regarding the tour.

( Fool's Mate - July 2009 )

Special thanks to morgianasama for sharing the scans and a Happy Birthday!!! to the lovely and ever generous tigerpal! May the day be bright for you and I hope you feel better soon ♥.

On May 24th, 2009 Nopperabou reached over 10 000 hits~! I never imagined we'd get that many in five months. *laughs* So my happiest thanks to all those who have visited! It's beautiful to see so much love from all over the world!

So I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to our visitors from the US, Canada, Russia, Hungary, Poland, Japan, Brazil, UK, Mexico, Sweden, Romania, France, Czech Republic, Australia, Argentina, Finland, Germany, China, Singapore, Bulgaria, Chile, Philippines, Belgium, Columbia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Taiwan, Spain and the Ukraine~ ♥

Thank you for the support, it makes me so happy seeing so much love for B-T.

Speaking of B-T~ Yuuta and Toll's corners are up from FT 51!

I'd also like to say a special thank you to W_B for taking over Toll's corner for this issue as I've been overwhelmed lately. Her aid is very much appreciated. ♥

So~

In the spirit of happy shiny love, I share a hanami journey through the Botanical Gardens in the pouring rain...

( May 16th, 2009 )


Because there is always new beauty waiting to bloom...

Personally, I prefer running through the gardens in the rain. *smiles* There are less people so you can truly take your time to enjoy each beautiful blossom. And there's no one to stare as you dance under the trees...

Yes, we got drenched from head to toe but never have I felt so happy, surely it must be because I was blessed with the best of company. ;} With such radiant friends, who needs the sun?

Love to you all, my beauties!!

Hello ladies & gents~!

I hope you are all enjoying this magnificent day.

So Buck-Tick have been touring for about a month now~ and we've all been reading the reviews and following the tour's progress. *smiles* But I know several ladies who will be heading off to Japan to see B-T in June, and so perhaps this will make them even more excited, to read of the joys promised.

( FT 051 - Higuchi Yuutaka )

( FT 051 - Hoshino Hidehiko )

( FT051 - Yagami Toll )

( FT051 - Imai Hisashi )

( FT051 - Sakurai Atsushi )

My comments on these interviews are two. One, I have mad love for Toll ♥. It's the way he words things, especially when he was speaking of 'memento mori'. And two, I am utterly amused that nearly each member talked about the crazy spinning in the 'GALAXY' pv. It didn't make me dizzy...but when my sister watched it...it made her feel sick. *laughs*

Other than that, have you all been having a lovely spring?

Back in March I went to enjoy the serenity of being amidst hundreds of butterflies... It's something they had at the Botanical Gardens called 'Butterflies go Free'.

After first walking through a greenhouse filled with lush orchids and all manner of beautiful tropical flora, I stepped into a paradise of glittering wings, brilliant color, and dulcet fluttering as countless butterflies danced and drifted lazily all around me.

In the shade, a green butterfly's wings seem almost somber...then a moment later it is almost blinding in brilliance when flitting through the sun.

Beautiful...but not as magical as when a black butterfly came to land on me. He perched on my left shoulder and stayed as I walked through the garden, preening and fanning his black wings tinged with crimson. People cooed and snapped photos, amazed that the butterfly, a Rumanzovia swallowtail, would stay on me even as I moved. My sister said it was because I have peaceful energy *smiles*.

Eventually all the exclamations bored the black beauty and off he flew to feed on sweet nectars. But then...right as I was about to leave...another of the exact same breed perched on me. Again on my left arm.

The likeliness of it being the same butterfly are very slim, I know.

But...

I smile and tell myself it was my black beauty come to say farewell.

There is nothing like rain after a hot day.

When the sun sets, clouds blanket the sky in misty veils, all goes dark...

First you smell it, a freshness in the air.

Then you hear it on distant leaves and rooftops, those initial delectable notes.

A melody begins softly and grows...

At last... you feel it.

The first summer rain.

First let me begin by saying that writing this is uncomfortable for me. I don't like making posts of this nature however, given recent incidents and the sudden escalation of plagiarism, rudeness, and privacy invasion I've had to deal with in recent months, seems I am left with little choice.

Now, here is my question to all those who are so keen to invade my privacy, demanding personal information of me or worse, harassing my friends to try to squeeze information out of them: When you read a translated novel in any language, do you then look up the translator and try to dig up as much information on them as possible? Do you fanatically copy their work? Do you obsess over their private thoughts?

Of course not, right? Why? Because that would be crazy!!

Forgive me for being harsh but when you copy my work, stalk my journal and my friends and even go so far as to copy entire journal entries of mine in full, from title to signature...it not only appears a little crazy but quite creepy as well. Not to mention it demonstrates a sad lack of imagination.

I mean really. Nothing better to post than my exact words? Please people, use your own mind, create, discover, I know you can.

In case that was not lucid enough, here it is in point form:
(1) I am not a translation churning robot, I am a human being. Demands for translations won't make me work faster. Good work takes time & thought, that's just how it is.
(2) I am exceedingly private. So no, I don't appreciate having my picture plastered all over different sites, especially since those photos tend to be the stolen work of a friend.
(3) Sharing translation is what I love and I would like to continue to do so, so...be good, be respectful, and think before you steal or demand.

I would also like to mention that most of my readers are wonderful and I am always happy to see new people shyly peek from the shadows. I want people to feel welcome here and I do understand that some people will always be too shy to come forward and that's ok. ♥

However, when people run around stealing my work and my personal entries it ruins the atmosphere not only for me but for those who come here to enjoy a bit of a reprieve from the stress & irritations of their day. I know that sometimes...people do things when they get excited or carried away with something they like and they forget that their action affects more than themselves. The intent behind the copying and the...over zealous inquiries is likely not malicious but that does not change the result of what was done.

If you like the translations and want to post them somewhere else, please ask. I am after all, completely for the spread of B-T love ♥. And if you're too afraid to ask then just please remember to give credit to B-T for the original lyrics and to me for the translation or you can simply link to www.nopperabou.net. If it's the photos of white_boot you fancy, then please ask her permission for reposting them and please credit her for her work.

Most of all...my wish is that people would just respect and be nice to each other here. Understand that this is my personal journal and I am an individual, not a community so please respect that I like keeping a positive atmosphere for people to enjoy B-T and to spread B-T love. Because I enjoy sharing my love of beautiful artistry and would like to continue to do so publicly.

I would also like to take a moment to thank all those who quickly jumped to my defense recently, supporting me, understanding my need for privacy and just being wonderful and beautiful friends that I am blessed to have in my life. jenbowie, eccentricsage, white_boot, uchihakagura1, speedygz and airian_reesu. You ladies are such love! *smiles* Thank you. ♥!!

And thank you my readers, both friend & shadow lurkers alike for taking the time to read this and for your patience and understanding. Please know this is not directed at the majority but rather at the sad minority of fans who don't comprehend basic boundaries.

-Lola

Am still a sick lump under the grip of this vicious virus that seems to be going around.

But I can't wait to get better because I've discovered new baking recipes~! I'm so desperate to get out the flour & sugar and start baking lemon squares, blueberry lemon cake and red velvet cake, among many others.

All these delicious desserts just waiting to be baked and enjoyed with tea. Tea that I cannot currently drink due to being sick and only being allowed water. Tragic. Well, for me. Tea usually is my water.

However, I did break the no-tea rule tonight because I had an egg for supper and I simply cannot eat eggs without tea. My throat will likely dry up and hate me later tonight but I don't care. A week without tea was too much.

But being sick has some advantages, namely productivity.

I was able to wrap up FT50, which is good because the next issue will be coming out soon enough.

So Toll & Yuuta's corners are up at last~

I love the last line of Toll's corner. ♥ He's so wise. So very wise.

Also, I wanted to share some snippets from the April Fool's Mate, the I.S. edition from Imai and Sakurai because I read the interviews and some lines were just...too precious not to share.

( FM April 2009 snippets )

Have a lovely weekend my beauties~!

Which way will you go?
Shall you walk where expected?
Or shall you journey where you wish?

( Through the darkness...to find a world of color )

In honor of Sakurai's birthday, I am sharing a short interview in which he recommends the book, 'Kokoro' by Natsume Souseki.

This book played a great role in my choice to pursue Japanese studies. One moment, I was set to get my doctorate in philosophy...but that all changed one afternoon when I happened to glimpse a white book peeking at me as I walked through the school library. I pulled out the book, 'Kokoro' and began to read. Nothing was ever the same since. It is simply, that kind of book.

( DaVinci March 2009 )

'A man capable of love, or I should say rather a man who was by nature incapable of not loving; but a man who could not wholeheartedly accept the love of another-such a one was Sensei.'
-Natsume Souseki 'Kokoro'

お誕生日おめでとうございます櫻井さん!

♥

May your words continue to inspire as you sing of life.

May good wine always flow into your cup.

And may love surround you, always...

~Lola

'Memento mori' was put up last night on Nopperabou but I was too tired to post here after.

Tired and more than a little disappointed with...people. So narrow is their vision at times, never seeing the whole picture. It saddens me and in many ways, I feel bad for them and the joys and beauties they are letting slip by.

But B-T does not disappoint me. Actually, the depth to the lyrics of this album impress and amaze me. And yes, there is depth. It's in the choice of words, in the play of rhymes, the subtle hints, the very rhythm and cadence of each syllable chosen. I sat listening in awe because that takes time and thought. Unfortunately, some of this gets lost in the translation but you don't need to know Japanese to listen to the sounds and appreciate the beauty of a perfect beat.

I only wish more people would open their hearts to it and hear the message.


( Memento Mori )


I can't lie, this album struck a very personal chord with me. From the beauty of 'Coyote', to the softness of 'Message' <3, to the brightness of 'Memento Mori', 'Suzumebachi' that made me blush and the sad love affair depicted in 'Motel 13'.

As I said to white_boot, from the moment I heard 'Les Enfants Terribles' and onward I had this strange feeling...like my past had been wrapped up and somehow put into music. All of it strangely familiar. Like every dear and beloved sound & memory combined. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me dance, it made me blush...

I hear within its melodies, beautiful moments from my childhood....I hear a bit of my parents, a bit of my grandparents, a bit of me...it's...I hear life.

And a life no matter how brief is like a light that reverberates through many others, never insignificant, never fully lost.

All things continue...perhaps that's why if you listen to 'Continuous' at 1:27 you will hear a certain motif that was revisited in 'Memento Mori'. ;}

Thank you white_boot for putting up with my many uncertain moments the past few days.

Thank you _maldorora for sharing.

Thank you B-T~ ♥

Love love love!

To build anticipation...

( 音楽と人 - March 2009 - Sakurai Atsushi )


( 音楽と人 - March 2009 - Imai Hisashi )

Excited yet~? ;}

I was three when I first went to a funeral. It was my grandfather's. I stared at him, lifeless in his coffin, cheeks painted like some old doll. The layers of makeup applied sinking into the cracks in his skin. Too orange, like a false tan.

'This is not my grandfather' I thought.

Only three, and yet I understood. My grandfather is dead. But my grandfather is not this painted man in a box that everyone is weeping over...no. My grandfather is the tall man who would bend to greet me with open arms as I ran to him. He is the man whose eyes twinkled merrily as he laughed. He is the man who danced with my grandmother in the kitchen while I sat on the floor eating chocolates brought from Ireland.

Those are the memories I hold onto. I was only three but I knew, these were the precious things I wanted to keep safe in my heart. The light in his eyes and the way he danced.

He & my grandmother are the reason why to this day, I still can't help but dance in the kitchen, laughing all the while.

A few evenings past, my nieces lost their grandmother. It was sudden. She went to bed and did not awaken. We still do not know what caused her death.

My oldest niece is 9...and though she loved her grandmother dearly, she did not cry when told the news. I heard some family say, 'she's so strong', while others shook their head arguing, 'she should cry'.

While I sigh and think, this poor girl, let her be!

Grief...is felt universally, but it is expressed individually.

I believe this holds true for every emotion. Love, happiness, sadness... It is human to feel them all...but so many misunderstandings come from not recognizing these feelings in others and why? Simply because the manner of expressing what is in their heart differs from our own.

It my estimation, one person's sadness is never greater than another's. I've always had a problem with people who...when one says something terrible happened, the other quickly counters by relating something even more horrible. I mean really. Come on. Why would you want to outdo someone in pain? Or in happiness?

As I've told friends before...if they are sad, then they are sad. If they are happy, then they are happy. It doesn't matter if the reasons behind it would not create the same feelings in me. What is important, is that it is what they feel. I will not say 'you shouldn't feel this way' because we all have our cross to bear, our personal demons...

This is my way of saying to those loved ones, you know who you are: If you need to grieve, grieve. I will still be here. Waiting. With open arms.

When you're ready.

Now...

A little something to lighten the mood.

My original plan was to post this Friday but I will be attending the funeral for my nieces' grandmother that day and as I look around at friends & family...there seems an overwhelming tide of sadness of late and so I hastened to offer something light.

( FT50 - いまいなかんじ~ )

He is such a cute man, I thought perhaps some of you would enjoy his words and find a few minutes of laughter while reading.

As for me...today was my youngest niece's birthday~ She turned two. *smiles* So I spent the afternoon with her, sharing birthday cake and watching her dance in that oh so wonderful way that only young children can do. You know the way. When they stand in one place, one leg wiggling, bum out and head bopping.

Then, when it was time to go I watched with a smile as she ran towards my father singing 'grandad~ grandad~' and he bent to meet her in a hug. A reminder to me, that all things come full circle.

And then, just as I was about to descend the stairs to the door I heard a soft voice calling, 'Auntie~ Auntie~' and suddenly I had my niece glued to my leg like a barnacle. I smiled and turned to hug her and was surprised by the power of her embrace.

'T'ank oo~!' she giggled.

My heart melted.

Our love must make us strong...

( GALAXY )

Ah this single...for something that has touched me so greatly...I'm finding myself at a loss for words to describe it. Sakurai said it best when he claimed this single would be overflowing with love.

It truly is.

Imai has once again written the kind of love song that makes me smile...and his lyrics, combined with Sakurai's for 'GALAXY' make for such an endearing single.

They are...soft songs...with warmth, and love.

I'm so happy with this single, you cannot imagine.

It has the same feeling for me...as when someone does something for you not because they have to, but because they want to. You know...that warm feeling in your heart when you see someone thought of you.

*smiles*

Thank you to white_boot for the sparkling roses~ <3

Yesterday morning there was a package waiting in the snow for me...

( HEAVEN )

Nopperabou has been updated with the translations as well. And of course the lovely photo is courtesy of white_boot.

I also wanted to take a moment to say thank you to airian_reesu for the Christmas card you sent me. ^-^ <3 Much love to you for the pretty card with glitter and snowflake stickers. *smiles* You made my morning a shiny one.

Right now I should actually be wrapping Christmas gifts but after I watched the HEAVEN PV on my tv...and the making of footage...I felt compelled to work on the songs first. The lyrics to HEAVEN are so beautiful, they made me cry when I first heard it. Some imagery, some words...are powerful enough to feel.

And leave you stunned.

In the absolute best way~

Tonight the moon is low, playing hide and seek with the clouds.

Perhaps sending a message in code.

For those with insight to see.

( 音楽と人 - January 2009 )

Good night, and sweet dreams~

For most of the day it snowed...my kind of snow as a friend said. The kind that falls so softly but in large clusters like heavenly blossoms. I watched it fall for hours, stood outside without a coat and just listened.

To a beloved sound...

A labor of love is born.



Read, enjoy and stay beautiful my friends.

♥

Love always
Lola~

Did anyone see the moon last night? It was so luminously white...when I had my back turned to my bedroom window I thought the neighbor had a porch light on too bright and then I turned and was stunned still by a stark white moon hanging low between a web of bare black branches. I sat transfixed at my desk for hours watching it rise higher and higher past the treetops...like a dream pulled just out of reach...swallowed in cloud.

Today it is raining, that soft melodious rain that turns so easily into mist or as evening darkens into night and the air becomes cold, snow.

I saw two red cardinals flying about my cherry tree, so vividly crimson against the gray sky and wet branches. Cardinals are my favorite bird, along with nightingales. Perhaps I have a weakness for sweet song...

Lately...I can't stop thinking about one of my favorite myths...the story of Cupid and Psyche. Hm...perhaps because at times I feel watched by eyes I cannot see. *smiles*

And so I offer the completion of FT049. U-ta has a new corner in which he'll be telling little anecdotes to go along with all the albums throughout the years. Beginning with of course, 'Hurry Up Mode'. This makes me utterly delighted. If you're like me and you mourn the fact that you weren't around back in the day to watch B-T grow, well this gives you a window to peek through.

( FT049 - U-ta's corner )

And because I couldn't leave Toll out! <3

( FT049 - Toll's corner )

Have a lovely evening my beauties.

It's SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWING~!!!

雪が降っている~ La~ La~ La~

It's snowing and it's beautiful because it's night and night snow is so utterly magical. And yes I was so excited when my friend told me it was snowing that I ran downstairs and dashed outside in my pajamas and got my slippers wet but I don't care because it's only slippers and how can anyone care about something so trivial when something so beautiful is happening.

Snow!! *-*

Now I know a lot of my fellow Montrealers are gonna groan and complain because they don't like it but look guys, it's gonna be gone by tomorrow morning and it will be warm and sunny by Friday so please, just let me have this moment.

Let me enjoy this beauty, while I can.

Because right now...I feel utterly blissful.

I have melted snow glistening in my hair, a piece of cake and a cold glass of milk.

Happiness...is me.

*sparkles*

After much trepidation, I decided to share something that I wanted to have completed two days ago for Imai's birthday but...alas, as willing as my mind can often be it is regrettably too easy to fall prey to the weakness of the flesh. But my desire to share always overrules, thankfully.

So something for the Imai fans and a little extra something translated by white_boot to bring smiles. I know times are bleak for so many...everywhere you look there is something terrible happening but in the time it takes you to read these little offerings, maybe you'll find reason to laugh again.

<3


( 今井な感じ-FT 049 )


( FT049 - Quizzes )


I saw a white pool of frost on my patio table this morning~ I would love to see snow on Halloween again.

When I was a kid, still young enough to go trick or treating but at the age where sadly all my siblings were too old to come with me, my mother walked with me. I was dressed as an angel in a costume my mother made. She would make my costumes every year out of old clothes of hers or random pieces of fabric she had around the house. For instance, I once had a princess costume made from diaphanous yellow and lavender curtains. *smiles*

So there I was with my mom. Dark deserted streets in a quiet town, most kids not venturing out because of the cold... My halo a simple wreath of golden stars woven of foil and wire. My robes, white and billowing. And then it began to snow...

Glittering flakes falling softly all around us creating a magical world. I felt transported from the haunted dark to a moment of beautiful serenity.

We laughed at our footprints in the snow, not feeling the cold, hand in hand.

Ponder that if you please, I think it might become my mantra.

Today is a wonderful day, why? Because two extraordinary women were born on this day. My two Tanias.

So a happy birthday to my beloved lady of red curls, kit_sin and to a woman whose efforts to spread BT love in Spanish has touched my heart and continues to inspire me even when I think nothing possibly can. The right words, at the right moment can make all the difference my friend. Thank you and a joyous birthday full of love and delicious cake to you my dear uchihakagura1!!

In dedication...

( FT049 - Higuchi Yutaka, September 2008 )

( FT049 - Imai Hisashi, September 2008 )

( FT049 - Hoshino Hidehiko, September 2008 )

( FT049 - Yagami Toll, September 2008 )

( FT049 - Sakurai Atsushi, September 2008 )



The cold creeps, and the leaves fall like jeweled rain on black streets.

It is autumn.

Buck-Tick Shapeless - 1994
Personal Interview
TEN YEARS

( Yagami Toll - LIVE )


( Higuchi Yutaka - LIFE )


Have a good weekend everyone~! And also, let me wish a happy birthday to the lovely and sweet amberorchid!!! All my love to you beautiful~ <33

Onto my next monster project!