Review of examination:

It was kind of a great relief to leave behind the nightmares that I had been suffering during the more-than-horrible examination... The entire exam period started off with the wrong note, and ended with a way-off key... The re-vamped format for this semester, in which all papers were only two hours long, did not sit well with me... The assurances given by the tutors and lecturers that the papers would be modified to help students finish the papers in the shortened duration were nothing but crapping... In fact, the requirements of those exam papers were time-consuming, with a handful of tedious calculations... God bless someone like me who tends to commit careless mistakes under exam-mode stress!!

All in all, I would try to erase this terrible incident from my memory till the release of the results... But I would certainly remember the mysterious happening during my PE final and the short meet-up with Andrew...

The mysterious happening while I was sitting for my PE paper was indeed magical... Had the magic of the course, Introducing Magical Realism, entered the examination hall during that day and staged a scare for the invigilators? It must had been, for no one could really explained why the attendance list would contradict with the number of answer booklets collected... Furthermore, the one who had marked the attendance was none other than our dear module lecturer!! He was quite sure that he did not make a mistake, and yet the students sitting near the table in question had claimed that they never saw the owner to that table turn up!! Had the student, who was supposedly marked present according to our lecturer, completed the paper and left with the missing answer booklet? Or had he really got the guts to forgo the paper and accept failure without trying for this subject? So many questions were formulating in my head, and yet it would all be left unanswered!! Personally, I preferred to view it as an incident of magical occurrence, where all eyes were fooled and all minds were played with by the unseen! What best to strike interest in students to take this wonderful module than the ticket to experience one magical event on your own!!

And Andrew, should I hate you for the question you asked with that look on your face? I don't really care for now, as I am hoping to get him as my supervisor during my IA (heehee!! *evil smirk*)... But it was a bit frustrating to actually hear him asking that... Especially when it was after a paper, and I was busy nursing the wound inflicted upon me by the paper I had just sat for... However, what more could I say... He had always been liked this (a point re-enforced when he remarked something to the tutor that me and my friends went to consult, something about us pestering the tutor...) Maybe this attitude was what made me labeled him as one of the better tutor one could ever get in NTU!!

Spoiler - And if you are wondering what Andrew had asked:

死了没？(referring to the exam paper that we had just sat for)

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My current Life:

I am currently employed by my mom to teach the elder of the two little devils to prepare him for K2... Yes, my high-paying job waved me bye-bye... My boss could no longer pay me to do nothing... To be truthful, I had somehow anticipated this when I was well into my last few weeks with the company... My job title got "up-graded" to be a consultant... One who, other than trying my best to teach the auntie who was working part-time to cover the secretarial job while I was away, was only updating the disbursements incurred by clients for my boss... Strictly speaking, I was just sitting in the office, enjoying the air-con and doing a little updates... This amount of job done by me was certainly not in proportion to the pay that I am getting... So I can understand why my boss was unable to arrange any task for me... So, I am just going to stay at home and "rest" for one month before going for my IA... Just hoped that the two little devils would co-operate and keep out of my path... Create less troubles for me and I would be blessed...

The only other thing to keep me happy throughout this one month stay at home would be the animes and the albums that were released...

荒野流転
by FictionJunction YUUKA

1 荒野流転
2 blessing
3 荒野流転 (without vocal)
4 blessing (without vocal)

[荒野流転] was the opening theme for Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto, a new anime which I had picked up... FictionJunction YUUKA never ceased to amaze me with her vocal and her performance... Credits should also go to Yuki Kajiura for composing this wonderful piece...

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愛の剣
by TAKAKO & THE CRAZY BOYS

1 愛の剣
2 赫乃丈の手毬歌
3 愛の剣(without vocal)

A good anime is never complete without a powerful ending theme... Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto had proved to be successful in this. 愛の剣 is the ending theme that had in my opinion, gave each episode a wonderful round-up. The song and it's lyrics touched my heart... So much so that Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto has becomes my top rated anime now!!

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Wild Flower
by Jyukai

1 あなたがいた森
2 恋人同士
3 ヒカリ
4 太陽と行くミチ
5 strangeman
6 追い風
7 ホシアカリ
8 今宵、アナタイロ。
9 モノクローム
10 ファレノプシス
11 Letter
12 ホリディ

Jyukai had finally decided to release their debut album... Although this album came a little too late for the fans who had a hard time waiting, I am happy to finally hear the full version of the legendary episode 14 ending for "Fate Stay Night" - ヒカリ (Hikari). Indeed, Jyukai lived up the expectations of fans to deliver a simply wonderful album of songs... Way to go, Jyukai!

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ROMAN
by SOUND HORIZON

1 朝と夜の物語
2 焔
3 見えざる腕
4 呪われし宝石
5 星屑の革紐
6 緋色の風車
7 天使の彫像
8 美しきもの
9 歓びと哀しみの葡萄酒
10 黄昏の賢者
11 11文字の伝言

Sound Horizon, a group that I had accidentally stumbled upon, produces story albums which had me hooked... However this album fell short of my expectation, as the music were not as colorful as previous ablums... Too many cooks spoil the broth, as the big line-up seiyuus and vocal artists blurred the focus of this ablum... Nonetheless, I would try to write up more on this talented group again...

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Secret
by Ayumi Hamasaki

1 Not yet
2 until that Day
3 Startin'
4 1 LOVE
5 It was
6 LABYRINTH
7 JEWEL
8 momentum
9 taskinst
10 Born To Be...
11 Beautiful Fighters
12 BLUE BIRD
13 kiss o' kill
14 Secret

Another enjoyable release by the forever Ayumi Hamasaki... If I am not mistaken, she had pen most of the new songs for this album, like JEWEL. The PVs for this album were also very beautiful... This is the reason why I would always support her!

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Baby It's You／ディスコティック☆ロマンティック
by JUNE

1 Baby It's You
2 ディスコティック☆ロマンティック
3 LOVE
4 Baby It's You (less vocal)
5 ディスコティック☆ロマンティック(less vocal)

To be truthful, I am only interested in "Baby It's You", the new ending theme to the anime Bleach. However, as a new comer, JUNE does deserve some credits to his singing... Only that his record company had to consider re-packaging him again... The album cover just puts people off... Haiz~

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Tears by Lisa
(Gundam Seed Destiny Special II: Ending)

koboreochiru yakusoku no kakera-tachi
mune ni kizamu koto sae dekinu mama ni
The scattering fragments of a promise
Cannot even pierce my fragile heart

surinuketeyuku itsuwari to shinjitsu wo
miushinatte kidzuita
narihibiku kodou no kotae wo
Deceit and truth slip through
I lost sight of them and then realized
The echoing pulse's answer

hateshinaku meguritsudzuku
kanashimi no tobira
owarinaki tooi namida atataka na hikari ni shite
kimi ni todokimasu you ni
The door of sorrow turns everlastingly
And the distant, endless tears
become a warm light
I pray that it reaches you

hoho wo tsutau shizuku ryoute ni atsume
chiisakunaru kioku no kage wo keshita
Collecting all the drops that roll down my cheek in my arms
It becomes small; erasing the shadows in my memory

inori no sube wo yurusarenu ashita demo
mitsukeru koto kidzuita
narihibiku kodou no mirai wo
Through prayers, even if tomorrow is unforgiving
I realized what I was searching for
The echoing pulse of future

tooi itami kanashimi ni owari ga aru nara
shizuku hanatsu hikari-tachi arukidasu michi terashite
kimi ni tsudzukimasu you ni
If there's an end to the distant pain and sadness
The light freed from the drops will illuminate the road I walk
I pray that it will leads me to you

surinuketeyuku itsuwari to shinjitsu wo
miushinatte kidzuita
narihibiku kodou no kotae wo
Deceit and truth slip through
I lost sight of them and then realized
The echoing pulse’s answer

hateshinaku meguritsudzuku
kanashimi no tobira
owarinaki tooi namida atataka na hikari ni naru
tooi itami kanashimi ni owari ga aru nara
hitosuji no hikari atsume
kimi ni todokimasu you ni
shizuku ni hisomu subete ga
kimi ni todokimasu you ni
The door of sorrow turns everlastingly
The distant, endless tears become a warm light
If there is an end
To the distant pain and the sadness
I'll gather the rays of light
And pray that they reach you
Everything hidden within the drops
I pray that it reaches you

Credits: Sunrise, AnimeFanGirl99 & Youtube