Dreams Do Come True (If You Make Them)

Once again, I have gone more than a year without blogging. Are blogs even a thing anymore in this day and age of social media? Regardless, in my absence, I managed to make one of my dreams come true.

How Lucky Star Changed my Life

Here is the story of why I love Lucky Star and how it changed my life.

2019 Update (A Masters Degree, Health Crisis and an Itasha)

Holy hell does time fly. While I doubt anyone is reading this now, since I’ve pretty much moved completely over to Facebook, I’ve been thinking of reviving my blog and using it to post some of my longer and more insightful (says me) posts. But today, I just want to talk about life, what I’ve been up to and what I plan to do going forward.

I Need to Start Blogging Again

Oooh dear… It’s been awhile, huh? I said that I was going to put more long-form posts here, but in the end, I have been too busy/lazy (the paradox!) and have been using Facebook for everything… (>.<)

I don’t know about you guys, but while this blog has been extremely imperative in helping me meet many wonderful people and exchanging ideas, it really hasn’t been offering the instant gratification and viewership that Facebook has. Not to mention, the UI is far more clunky and there are so many extra considerations including categories and tags that you just don’t have to deal with on Facebook… Of course, there are far more formatting options available and that’s something that cannot be ignored. (^.^;)

Still, I do want to start putting up stuff here again because I do want the freedom to format my posts and to insert pictures in them. Not to mention, I also want to give them some sort of permanence and ease of reference that Facebook really doesn’t allow for.  So, speaking of Facebook, first up on my agenda is to migrate some of my posts over from Facebook.

Hopefully, I’ll be turning some of these into commentary videos as well… (^.^;)

I am Now on Facebook (and MyAnimeList)

Yes. After years of trying to steer clear of social media, I’m actually going to give it a shot. (^.^;)

Currently, I’m still experimenting with the type of content I’ll post there and I’m also thinking about how to differentiate it from my blog. Essentially, what I’ll be posting there are updates, random musings, show reviews, opinions and even small loot posts. Stuff that I feel are important, but not important enough for a long blog post.

My blog will still be for longer, more well thought out opinion pieces, articles and loot posts – the kind that anyone can come back to and won’t be lost in a sea of updates. However, I’ll be sure to link all new blog posts from my Facebook account as well.

Please don’t hesitate to drop by and say hi and don’t be afraid to send a friend request!

http://www.facebook.com/actar.raikit

You can also follow me on MyAnimeList! I’ve been a member for a very long time and I update it very, very, religiously. My favorite anime, my favorite characters, what I’m watching, what I watched, it’s all there!

http://myanimelist.net/profile/Actar

Honors Thesis Submission – Dreams Do Come True

…and with that, I’ve come to the end of my University education. The years just flew by and I am still in shock at how fast it felt (in retrospect). People say that dreams don’t always come true and that sooner or later, you’ll have to face cold, hard and harsh reality.

JLPT N2、無事に合格しました！

Ooh, I was not expecting this at all! The results of the JLPT were made available today and I’m happy to say that I managed to pass N2! That’s another step closer to fulfilling my childhood dream of being (officially recognized as being) fluent in Japanese (and employment!).

2013 Japan Trip Highlights and Acquisitions!

In a brilliant attempt to circumvent me running out of steam doing a day-by-day recount of my trip, this time, I’ll be writing just one post featuring only the juicy bits – Akihabara, Comiket (doujins) and more!

I’ll organize this post by sections that go in chronological order. At the end of the recount, will be a section that is dedicated to all the acquisitions that I got during my trip.

Without further ado, here we go!

(Warning! Image intensive and somewhat NSFW. Also, the changing aspect ratio of the pictures is due to the fact that a number of them were taken with different cameras.)

Going to Japan… Again?!

I can’t believe it. It’s like I’m still in a dream.

A couple of months back, at the recommendation of my teacher, I took part in the annual Japanese Speech Contest that’s organized, supported and sponsored by some of the most distinguished and renowned companies and organizations.

After two months of hard work and instruction by my dedicated teachers, I am glad to say that I have managed to come away from the Grand Finals with the top prize in the tertiary category this past weekend. One of the prizes is a trip to Japan and home stay in Shizuoka which I will be going for at the end of the year. In addition to that, I shall be extending my stay for about a week.

Once again, I really do have to thank the wonderful teachers from the National University of Singapore’s Center of Language Studies for all their guidance and support. I would definitely have not been able to achieve this without their help. Personally though, it’s not the prize that makes me happy, but the fact that I was able to do my teachers and parents proud gives me the greatest satisfaction.

…and with that, I wonder where I should go this time round. One thing’s for sure. Considering the fact that my speech was essentially a thank you letter to anime for playing an integral part in my life, Akihabara will be undoubtedly be a priority on my itinerary.

Actar in Japan …Part 2! – Day 2: Stand By Ready, Set Up! (For Wallet Pain)

With my opinions on the movie already covered in the previous post, it is time to chronicle my experiences at the movie premiere itself! Get ready to relive an epic tale of tragedy and triumph!

…well, not really.