Love Me Tender

I’m not sure what it is about awesome Asian artists coming to Toronto at the end of 2008, but it’s great (aside from killing my wallet). In addition to the Dir En Grey concert on November 16 and the Jay Chou concert on December 18, I am now also going to the Polysics concert on November 5. The last time they were in Toronto was in 2005. I’m so excited! I can’t believe how spoiled I am for being able to go see so many people that I love. *squee*

CONCERT INFORMATION
Artist: Polysics [Official Site] [Wikipedia]
City: Toronto, Ontario Canada
Venue: The Horseshoe Tavern
Date: November 5, 2008
Time: 8:00 pm
Tickets: Ticketmaster

I read that the prices for the Jay Chou Toronto concert at the ACC (December 18, 2008) will be the following: $58, $78, $98, $128, $188, $288 (VIP tickets) and $388 (Fan’s Zone). I’m not sure what the seating arrangement is for each price but I will post as soon as I find out. If you want to purchase the tickets now you can do so through the Facebook group, Jay Chou - Toronto Music Journey 2008. Just message the administrators for more information or to purchase tickets. Tickets are not for sale yet on ticketmaster. See you there! =D

Links:
Jay Chou - Toronto Music Journey 2008 (Facebook Group)
Official Jay Chou Toronto Concert Site

It is not official yet but there is a strong rumour that Jay Chou will be having a concert in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on December 18, 2008. Tickets are not up yet (obviously since it’s not confirmed), but the venue would be the Air Canada Centre. I will post more when I find our more information. I really hope this gets confirmed. I would love to go!

Two weekends ago I went to Okonimi House - a Japanese restaurant in downtown Toronto that makes okonomiyaki. It was my first time trying the dish and I was really excited since I’ve seen it so many times in dramas and animes (i.e. hana kimi). Well it was everything I anticipated it to be…delicious! So if you are ever in Toronto and in the mood for okonomiyaki, stop by there and have one. It’s about $6 for one and worth every bite. Here is the picture I took of mine. It doesn’t do it justice.

There are some pretty disgusting comments left on this video. It’s really sad to see such ignorance and xenophobia in today’s world, but it’s also an eye-opener as to what still needs changing in our world.

I don’t remember how but I stumbled upon Wikipedia’s page on the ‘V’ sign as an insult, and it had a section called “Japan and the V sign in Photographs.” It’s pretty interesting actually. I don’t know how much of it is accurate since many things need citations, but who really does studies on this. Well, maybe someone in cultural studies or social movements maybe. Anyway here is what it said:

During the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, figure skater Janet Lynn stumbled into Japanese pop culture when she fell during a free-skate period—but continued to smile even as she sat on the ice. Though she placed only third in the actual competition, her cheerful diligence and indefatigability resonated with many Japanese viewers, making her an overnight celebrity in Japan. Afterwards, Lynn (a peace activist) was repeatedly seen flashing the V sign in the Japanese media. Though the V sign was known of in Japan prior to Lynn’s use of it there (from the post-WWII Allied occupation of Japan), she is credited by some Japanese for having popularized its use in amateur photographs. According to the other theory (actually present in the Japanese version of this entry), the V sign was popularized by the actor and singer Jun Inoue, who showed it in the Conica photo camera commercial in 1972.

(Read on …)

Apparently there is a rumour that Kibum from Super Junior may be leaving the group. According to All KPop, Kibum fans noticed that he had numours scheduling conflicts between his acting arrangements and SUJU promotional activities. Some are speculating that this, in addition to his minimal vocal contributions on their second album, is a result of Kibum slowly moving away from the group. Will SUJU diminish back to 12 members?

Personally, why is this even an issue? Kibum is supposed to be the English rapper of the group and his that is minimal, at best. He’s not very good either, and he can’t hold a key if his life depended on it. But that’s ok, because he’s more talented in acting anyway. If he is going to go (even though I wouldn’t be surprised if this is just a marketing scheme to create buzz about SUJU for their third album as well as Kibum’s acting roles), then let him go. He was hardly in the spotlight anyway. And at least this way the members can evenly pair up during their dance sequences. =P