Updates on UPD Enrollment

Pre-Enlisment Schedule:

Tuesday and Thursday:
8:30AM-10:00AM > Biology
10:00AM-11:00AM > Foundations of Physical Fitness
11:30AM-1:00PM > Biotechnology

Wednesday and Friday:
7:00AM-8:30AM > Philippine History
8:30AM -10:00AM > Archaeology
11:30AM-1:00PM > Creative Writing

Medical Check-up Result: Fit to enroll

STFAP Application: not yet passed

Dorm Application for Kalayaan Hall: not yet passed

JActress - Yui Aragaki

Name: Aragaki Yui (新垣結衣)
Nicknames: Gakky (ガッキー), Yuibo (ゆいぼ)
Profession: actress, model, singer, seiyu, occasional radio host
Birthdate: June 11, 1988
Birthplace: Naha, Okinawa, Japan
Height: 167 cm (approximately 5'6 feet)
Star Sign: Gemini
Blood Type: A
Family: Parents and two older sisters
Talent Agency: LesPros

TV Shows:
Smile (2009)
Code Blue SP (2009)
Code Blue (2008)
Papa to Musume no Nanokakan (2007)
My Boss My Hero (2006)
Galcir (2006)
Kanojo no Koibumi (2006)
True Love (2006)
Onna no Ichidaiki: Koshiji Fubuki (2005)
Dragon Zakura (2005)
Sh15uya (2005)

TV Show Theme Songs:
Make my day - theme song for Hachi-One Driver

Movie Theme Songs:
Heavenly Day - theme song for Koizora/Sky of Love

Movies:
Ballad: Namonaki Koi no Uta (2009)
Fure Fure Girl (2008)
Koizora/Sky of Love (2007)
Koisuri Madori (2007)
Waruboro (2007)

Endorsements:
Glico Pocky (2006)
NTT East (2006)
CibaVision Dailies Aqua (2006)
Meiji Chocolate (2005)
JT Senoby (2005)

Trivia:
Education: Naha Elementary School, Ozato Middle School, Sunrise High School
Hobbies: Karaoke, reading manga and drawing

Some Japanese words and phrases

"Kekkon dekiru?" - Will I ever get married?

"Zutto ikite ne" - Live on forever.

"Nikki" - Diary

"Usotsuki" - Liar

"Kowai" - I'm scared.

Some stuff from 1 Litre of Tears... Meh. I might post some quotes from Kito Aya's diary itsuka...

1 Litre of Tears - Episodes 10 to 11

These two episodes are evidently the most dramatic in the series. Episode 1o is entitled, "Love letter", while episode 11 is entitled, "Far away, where there are no tears left to cry."

In episode 10, Aya decides to break up with Asou-kun by writing him a love letter since she can't say some things to him face to face. Aya also asks her mother, "Kekkon dekiru?", which means, "Will I ever get married?".

Episode 11, the final episode, marks the conclusion of Aya's disease. Her health goes downhill and she could no longer walk. Asou-kun visits Aya for one last time, bringing with him a post card sent to Aya by a young highschool girl with the same disease. He reads it to her. Aya, with all her remaining strength, pushes the curtains open and tells Asou-kun that even though she was no longer able to walk, she was able to help people through the excerpts of her diary which Takano-san had kindly published.

Aya goes home to spend Christmas with her family. This was to be the last time they would all be together so everyone tries to make it a beautiful memory. What touched me in this part was when Shioka gave presents to Ako, Hiroki, and Rika. It turned out that they were presents from their neechan. Each present was highly symbolic of Aya's gratitude and apology to her siblings.

However, Aya's disease continues to grow more and more dangerous. The next scenes show that Aya has already lost her voice. She now uses a hiragana-card to spell out what she wants to say. Asou-kun visits her for the last time. Aya tells him to read her "nikki" which means diary in Japanese. He reads them loudly (excerpts from Kito Aya's diary) and cries as he realizes how hard she is trying to live on. Aya then falls asleep, still smiling as Asou-kun points out. In her dreams, she sees herself in the basketball court, scoring each basket beautifully.

The scene is cut short with a loud alarm coming from Aya's room. Five years have now passed. Dr. Mizuno and a group of nurses come in and ushers Aya's parents outside. Death had now taken Aya. Someone screams her name out loud into the night.

A year later, Aya's parents are shown visiting her grave. They are surprised to see Dr. Mizuno there also. He tells them that Aya was such a great person. Suddenly, more people come up to them, some healthy, some sick. These were all the people who have been touched by Aya's story.

The credits show that Kito Aya's diary has sold more than 18, 000, 000 copies. Aya's youngest sister, Rika, is working as a private tutor. Hiroki is now a policeman and Ako is, like their mother, a health consultant.

- - - - -

Overall, this series is one of the best ever. I hope it also makes a great impact when it is shown here in the Philippines.

How disappointing...

I searched eBay awhile ago to see if I could find an English translation of Kito Aya's diary. I didn't find anything, but I did find a DVD of the series and the SP. The series DVD cost 135.oo. The movie cost 65.00. Sugoi, nee? But the problem was the payment. Mah. How come I don't have a bank account yet?..

*sulk sulk sulk*

1 Litre of Tears - Episode 9

This was a really nice episode. The first part was really funny. Ehe. Otosan is good at cracking jokes, nee?

Mah. This is perhaps the most romantic episode ever. Asou-kun finally confessed to Aya~

"I like you. Maybe. Probably."

Mah!

Narumi Riko's role is really touching... She got into Higashikou too and decided to wear her Aya-nee's uniform. Isn't that a sweet little sister?

Asou-kun also answered the "future path sheet". Yay~ He's decided to become a doctor. Gambatte, Asou-kun!

And here are some nice quotes from the episode I wanted to share...

Asou-kun: If you want to walk, no matter how slow it'll be, I'll walk with you.

Aya: Isn't it great that I could pass on a dream I had given up on?

From 1 Litre of Tears (diary): People shouldn't dwell on the past. It's enough to try your best in all that you're doing now.

The next episode contains some hard-core drama, basing on the preview. Gotta get the tissues ready.

Eeh~

Nani?

I noticed just now that some of my previous posts were pretty short. Maybe I need to lengthen them up a bit. After watching Inkheart, starring Brendan Fraser, I'm once again inspired to write stories... Which reminds me of my fanfiction, "Sunny Love." I haven't been able to update it for a month, I think... Gotta grab the pen.

Ja~!

1 Litre of Tears - Episode 8

So far, this episode surpassed the drama of Episode 6. This episode is entitled, "1 Litre of Tears", and it is rightly named. Here, Aya finally decides on her future - a school for the disabled - that is, after overhearing a class discussion led by Tomita-san about her condition. Asou-kun intervenes and defends Aya (URESHII~). He also uses the term "omae" - which is an informal way of saying "you" in Japanese - while speaking to his teacher. After saying some heart-touching stuff, he runs out of the room and helps Aya by carrying her down the stairs. The two of them spend a tearful scene outside the school (specifically, in the place where they first meet) as depicted by the screenshot above. Aya announces her decision to her family, to which she tells her mother not to quit her health consultant job and her father to quit his part-time job. Everyone is relieved. The next day, Aya announces her decision to her classmates and thanks them. All of them are reduced to crying, even Tomita-san. About to leave the school grounds, Aya and her parents are temporarily stopped by her classmates. They sing the song, "March 9th" - their song for the choir competition - as a goodbye song to Aya (led by Asou-kun).

Aya's speech, while she was saying goodbye, was very nice and touching.

- - - - -

Oh. We also found a site with the English translation of Kito Aya's diary, "1 Litre of Tears": http://onelitre.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=OneLitre&nextdate=3%2f25%2f2006+21%3a27%3a5.560

1 Litre of Tears - Episode 6

This episode is probably the most dramatic episode yet. Narumi Riko's acting is just flawless. Her portrayal of Ako Ikeuchi is so realistic. I wanted to cry on the part where she was lecturing Sanada Yuma (Hiroki Ikeuchi) about his embarassment of their Aya-nee (played by Erika Sawajiri). That lecture was truly heart-breaking and one could see that Ako's viewpoint on her nee-chan really changed.

This series is really one of the best I've ever watched.

1 Litre of Tears episode synopses can be found here, courtesy of DramaWiki: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Ichi_Rittoru_no_Namida/SynopsisEpisode

Kito Aya

This is Kito Aya - the spinocerebellar degeneration disease patient whose story inspired a drama and a movie in Japan. I personally think that this picture of her is an inspiring one so I decided to post it here. Even though she is long gone because of this cruel disease, her story will continue to inspire lives and to make us all cry. She is now one of my role models.