Birthday Smerthday

First off, I'd like to give you something I found over the net a year ago.
It was special, so I'm going to share it with you guys (if there are anyone reading, that is):

Kudos to Jason Rappaport for writing this up.
I've edited some of it as it doesn't apply to me at all.

************************************************************
I’m 18 now! That means that I’m “legally responsible” for myself. So, with that said, let’s look at The Wonderful List of Eighteenitude:

- I am an adult now. Legally!
- I can now be sued by my mom. And everyone else.
- I can buy and sell a drug that causes a slow, decaying death.
- I can get a credit card.
- I can accumulate credit card debt.
- I can borrow money to pay off that debt, putting me into greater debt.
- I can play the lottery. And win. And spend all that cash.
- I can file for bankruptcy after spending all that cash.
- I can get my unrestricted driver’s license.
- I can take money out of the bank without my parents to stop me.
- I can get into R-Rated movies. (I think I have to convince the cashier that I'm 18...Which is kinda hard...)
- I can buy R-Rated movies without being given the seedy eye.
- I can make life-altering decisions and no one can stop me.
- I can make life-threatening decisions and no one can stop me.
- I can basically destroy my life and no one can stop me.

So there you have it - the perks of being an adult. Let’s all grow up! Happy 18th birthday to me. :D
*******************************************************

Now, you must be wondering about the Smerthday attached to the back of my title.
Well, that applies for today.
I am now convinced that life hates me and it is trying to get back at me, or that it thinks that I was too happy yesterday.

Here's what I was happy about yesterday:
- The internet couldn't work for a couple of hours in the morning, but it miraculously did in the afternoon. (Or maybe because I overloaded it when I was doing some mega downloads the day before...)
- The college texted me saying that my only class for the day -Chem 1 was canceled on account of the lecturer taking an emergency leave.
- My buddies texting and posting on Facebook, wishing me a Happy Birthday. 有難うございます!

...Other than the two above, nothing much happened.
It was another boring day filled with chores and more work.
I finished two scripts yesterday and found that 宝宝万岁 is awfully long...
Then I played MapleStory till 3 in the morning.

Here's what happened today:
- I was already feeling crappy that I'm getting older and that the day was spent in a really boring way so I decided to just sleep in.
- I was nagged at to get up and to mop the floor.
- I was scolded at because I used the wrong mop.
- I was nagged at again because I said I didn't like doing chores.
- I'm at odds with my mom now.

...I think that today is going to get a hell lot more worst. It's better for me to just stay upstairs and be busy with my scripts and Math homework.
I hate life and its way at getting back at me for being happy.

Attempts to climb out of piled up work and scripts.

-falls back into the chasm made of books and e-paper-

Don't expect to hear from me any time soon...I've got loads to finish before my ball and chain are released.

College

Yup, I'm now a college student.
I've even got an ID card to prove it!
Yeah, I'm totally psyched about it.

So there are about 24 people in my class, including me.
The thing is, there are only five girls in my class.
Oh well, less bitches and cat-fights.

I think I'll go clear my desk first, then continue to translate my script.
Since Sophe has sent me the raws for Love Catalog v12 & 13, I'll do one chapter of this and another of Confession Truthfully.

Before that, I think I'll take a nap.
I'm so freaking tired now...

Complete

Wheeeeee~
I've completed my first ever volume...this year!
*throws confetti*
Confessing Truthfully is the second project that I have completed a volume in the whole of my scanslating (more like translating) career!
My first was Love Catalog, which I did two volumes.

Well, I'm really psyched that I'm starting college tomorrow!
But what I'm afraid of isn't the new environment; it's the freaking examination that they're having tomorrow!
*gasp*
Sheesh, I left school almost half a year ago!
Who expects anyone to remember anything?!
I guess I'll just have to sit and stare blankly at the paper tomorrow...Since I don't even know what sort of question they'll be asking.

Dad's dropping me off at the entrance tomorrow, since I've yet to get my license...
Hey, at least I passed my pre-driving test!
I hope that my future classmates are nice...I don't really want my college life to be ruined.

Gaah! I'm eager for morning to come, but dread it at the same time...
Am I weird or what?

Work

Yup, it's one in the morning and I'm still up.
Nah, I was reading Honggane after finishing up on forming the general idea of what Confessing Truthfully is all about.

When I said I wanted to keep myself busy, I really meant it.
Today, I went to Atria with mom and inquired about the Japanese classes.
It costs around 530 bucks for 12 weeks and there are a total of 10 levels.
The counselor there told me that I'd take about a year to finish it.
No worries, I've got time.

I spent most of the afternoon working.
Yup, working on the scripts.
In just one day, I've managed to proofread two scripts and finish translating one chapter.
I also had the time to go for a jog. I'd be mad to sit in front of the computer the whole day!
I've also just applied to be a CT for Wataame Shoujo, since I'm sure that some of the groups in my pending list won't answer.
Oh well.

The speed of my work is fast now, but it'll start to slow down next week.
I'm starting college already, I can't even believe it myself!
I wonder if my schedule is flexible enough that I have a few days off in a week instead of 5 days of studying...
I guess I'll know in a few day's time.

There's gonna be a function tomorrow night, I wonder how boring it would be...

Keeping Busy

I had a friend of mine ask me this, which made me think:

"You're almost 18 and you're still single; don't you ever feel lonely?"

LoL, my answer would of course be a huge "NO", but that's cause I don't want to admit it.
Honestly speaking, there are times in a month were I feel particularly lonely and I don't know why.
It's like everyone in the whole world has someone to spend time with and I don't.

Hold on a sec, I don't need anyone to pity me 'cause...
I think I found my answer to keeping that feeling away!
It's to keep myself busy, real busy.

Ever wonder why some career women never seem to yearn the company of males?
They keep themselves busy by working on projects and keeping up their career performance.
Which brings me to what I'm about to do, or rather did.

For the past few days, I have been applying for jobs as a translator and a proofreader.
Not to mention doing the test for some of the groups.

I've applied for:

- Shoujo Crusade (CT)
- Tasty-Kiwi Scans (CT)
- J-Sis (PR)
- Fate Scanslations (CT)
- Project Noir (CT)
- Forbidden Garden (CT & PR)
- Rebellious Love (CT)
- Ochibichan (PR)

Last but not least, I'm returning to my first group, En.tro.py to continue on Love Catalog.
I think that's all the groups that I've applied with, unless I did forget about any other groups.

So far Tasty-Kiwi, J-Sis, Project Noir and Forbidden Garden have answered my application and I'm waiting for the scripts and raws to come in.
Decision is still pending for Shoujo Crusade, Fate, Rebellious Love and Ochibichan; I hope that they'll make their decision fast.
Sophe from En.tro.py has also answered my mail and I'll be expecting the raw with her next mail.

So you must be thinking, this girl is mad!
Why the hell pile yourself with so much work? Besides, they don't even pay you! Moreover, your college classes are starting next week; so why bring on more work?-That was what my brother said to me this afternoon.

My answer is, I want to do it.
I want to keep myself busy and not let my mind wander and wonder.
It's bad enough that I see half of the people I know busy with their 'significant other' (in my opinion, we're too young to have a lover, much less a significant other) and I'll be a bother if I asked them out.
The only way I can think of is this- to busy myself with projects and scripts; when college starts next week, it'll be projects, scripts, assignments and quizzes.
So what? I'll take this as a challenge for me to master time management; something that I've been lacking but learned after one and a half month in the camp a.k.a HELLHOLE.
And since my very own laptop is pending from dad, that'll make my work much easier since I can work anywhere.

I also planned to take on some language courses and some other recreational classes, like yoga.
And since I'm taking my driver's license in two weeks, I'll be able to get my lil monkey (sis) and I to the yoga center in the township nearby.

There, how can I think about bothersome relationships when my schedule is packed with things that I want to do?
Singlehood offers more freedom, albeit the occasional lonely feeling.
At least I'm able to do the things that I want.
I mean, life is short and I don't want to live it being chained down by a person; I'll gladly settle down when I feel like I'm ready.
For now, the sky star's the limit and I'm doing whatever I want!

Edit: Will start on a project on Forbidden Garden as soon as I wake up tomorrow.

Crap Galore

Oh no, I'm posting twice in a day; that's not good...
Nah, I'm just VERY VERY VERY BORED.

Mother's Day was nice, but not nice to my effort of maintaining.
Maintaining what? It's none of your business.
Had dinner at the nearby Korean BBQ; nice place, nice atmosphere and nice vibes.
Just that the waiters had to mangle the beautiful greeting of 'Anyeaong Haesayoh' into something that you shout in a fight.
But that's just a tiny thing.

I gawffed at the results of the quiz I made in Facebook; especially the one about my career path.
Three out of six said that I'm gonna be a writer; sorry to disappoint, but that's a definite no.
A writer's life isn't stable at all and I'm not really sure about having 'the talent'.
Of course, there were a few teachers in my secondary school who recommended me to either take linguistics or creative writing...
I can't.
I really like learning new languages, but I can't stake my entire life on a career that is as rocky as the Rocky Mountains.
Besides, my parents are really practical, 'nuff said.

Life has gone back to its mundane routine, so has mine.
I had forgotten how boring my life was while I was away.
Now, I crave for something fun to do.

My tests have been sent but there aren't any news.
No news means good news, right?
I don't think so.
Oh well, I'll just have to find something else to do then.

Mistake?

Hehe...I haven't put up the pictures yet.
御免 to those who have been waiting for the photos; I guess the only thing the camp didn't succeed in changing is my procrastination.
It did tone down, just by a bit.
I'll put up the pictures...some time soon.

I finally finished reorganizing my manga files!
But my memory capacity shrunk by 2GB...
A small price to pay for the long period of reading!

Oh yeah, I just got news that I'm having an examination ON the day I start college.
What's up with that?!?!
I barely remember anything I've learned in Form 4 & 5!
HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO CRAM TWO YEARS WORTH OF INFORMATION IN TWO WEEKS?!?!
Okay, make that less than two weeks.
I can't bear failing...The idea is really suicidal.

I guess that's it for this time.
What am I gonna do next?
Play CABAL? Or read 花と悪魔? Or should I upload the picture...
Who knows.

Blurred

...It's almost two in the morning.
You know, it's weird that I feel extremely tired even when I was used to staying up until 3 in the morning.
Yup, NS sure has taken away an unhealthy (according to my mom) habit of mine.

I just finished the proofer's test for J-Sis moments ago and shot the e-mail back to Roniz.
I hope I do pass, and I do hope that the current translators do not have the English skills of a six-year-old.
Oh my gawd, was that piece of script nerve-wrecking!
I spent half of the time scratching my head over what the translator meant when she wrote it!
The project I was proofreading was ホタルノヒカリ; genre is comedy, romance and josei.
I don't mind doing josei; heck, I don't even mind doing smut projects anymore.

For those of you who are in a state of blur and saying 'What the heck are you talking about', let me explain to you the organization which is known as a scanslation team.

A scanslation team is a team of people who scans a particular comic (mostly Japanese, Korean or Chinese).
It first starts with the raw providers or scanners; these are the people who will sacrifice their volume of tankoban in order to give joy to people like you and me.
Then, there is the raw scan preppers; they clean the scans and then pass it to the translators, which is the section that I'm in.
Now, translators are pretty much the bunch of people that makes all the alien looking characters into simple and plain English.
There are three main types of translators: J-E, C-E & K-E. If you don't know what those abbreviation means, you should go back to school.
After the translators comes the proofers or proofreaders. Mind you, this may seem like the simplest job in the whole team, but it is in fact the most mind-numbing and nerve-wrecking one.
It's easy when you receive a script from a translator that has a competent level of English; but when you meet someone like the one I did for the test, you'd be crying out loud!
Okay, after the proofers comes the editors. These are the bunch of awesome people who are Photoshop geniuses who makes the scans look all pretty and inserts the English scripts into the scans. Some of them are cloning ninjas too!
There are times when a scanslation team has typesetters; they are the masters of SFX. Without them, you ain't got no sound.
The last ones would be the quality checkers or best known as QC'ers. They make sure that everything is all right and perfect before the chapter / volume is sent out to the public.

There are people outside of the team who does contribute, like uploaders and updaters.
Updaters will inform the manga database about the newly release mangas.
This is done by the member of the team but sometimes, a really addicted and rabid reader just wants to spread the news to his / her other rabid fiends, oh I mean friends.
Uploaders on the other hand will upload the releases into a free server, the IRC or even a huge distributing site.

So far, I've been an uploader (in SMD but now could be considered as retired) and a Chinese translator.
Translating is a really fun job; it gives me a sense of fulfillment when I see my webname in the credits page. At least I can bring joy to people who doesn't know how to read Chinese.
I'm now trying out as a proofer and the job seems challenging, and I am up to it.
So if I do pass, I'll be working for two teams (since TKS doesn't have any openings for Chinese translators) and will have to revise my timetable.
I do intend to maintain the weight that I have lost and to do that, I have to go for physical activities instead of glueing my ass and fingers onto the chair and keyboard.

I'll see when to upload my NS pictures into Facebook. I know there are plenty who are curious how the prison of mine looks like...

Edit: I have just applied for the position as a proofreader for Ochibichan. I really do hope that the position isn't filled yet and that I'll get the job. I need to make up for all the effort the scanslation teams have put into the scans that I'm reading.
It isn't nice to only take but not give.

Absence: The Epilogue

Okay, I've done unpacking all my stuff.
And that's a hell lot of stuff.
I think I came back with more stuff than I left.
I went with only a huge luggage bag and now I come back with the same luggage bag, a smaller red hand-carry, two large plastic bags and a water tumbler.
I also came back with a few more bruises, including the nasty one I got on Sunday.
Oh well.

I think I'll start translating soon.
I dunno, maybe in the next few days?
I still got my driver's license to settle with...
And I've got to start my Japanese classes soon after...
And then there's the yoga class that I plan to take with the little monkey...
And I'm starting college in two weeks.
Man, time sure passes real fast when you're on the outside.
Two days in the camp seemed like two months, I swear.

Speaking about the camp, I think I'll have to find time to upload the pictures into Facebook.
I'm glad that my glasses broke that day, or else I wouldn't have had the chance to ask mom to get me the camera.
I miss my friends.
I miss Cindy and Neng's singing.
I miss Clara's smile.
I miss talking to Elaine and Hong Chu.
I miss messing around with Has, Yat and Willie.
I miss talking about games with Ain.
I miss goofing around with Theresa and Fish.
I miss all my other friends who goes crazy and high with me.
I miss complaining about the food and the monkeys.
I MISS MY FRIENDS!

The things that they write in the newspapers are plain BS.
The truth is we, or I, don't miss the camp at all.
I miss the FRIENDS that I made in the camp.
Most of them are leaving within these few days; more are leaving on Saturday.
Very few will stay till the 8th of June.

I can't stay.
I don't like the life there.
It's so...
so...
so...controlled and barred!
Besides, I was getting edgy without my manga fix.
See the amount that has built up within the time period that I was gone!

135 files!
How long do I have to sit in front of the computer?
...
I guess it's gonna be a long night.

Okay, time to get back to work, or else my workload will bury me alive.
Oh yeah, you guys will have to wait to see the picture I took; I'll do it when I'm free.

Absence: A Premature End

YUP, I'M BACK!
For good this time.

I'm back, I'm tired and I got injured on both of my legs.
So, I'm heading to bed now and will continue to unpack tomorrow.
I guess that's it for now; no new reports until...until I have the mood.

Damn, I really want to lay down on my fluffy bed right now!

Absence: Act VII

I've finished have of my stint, another half to go.
In another four weeks, I'm finally able to go home.
And in another month after going home, I'm finally able to start college, and my Japanese classes!
I swear, if I don't start it someone better use a pico-pico hammer and smack me on the head. I must still have some of the stupid-ness left back from the stint.

-

Hmm, what should be the random topic for today...
...
...
...How about music?

Oh yeah, there's this opening I heard while watching のだめカンタービレ. It's not the opening of the anime, per se. Rather, it's the opening of a song in the show.
If possible, find amour no kuni and listen to the opening. It gives a somewhat carnival feeling, to me at least.
While I was listening to the first few stanza of the song, the notes of piano popped into my mind out of nowhere.
I'm serious.
And the song itself has no piano keys being played at all; the xylophone, celesta and the accordion are the only instrument being used.

While listening to it, I see myself standing outside of the carnival during dusk.
I could everything in slow motion; the sky had a beautiful shade of violet, sky blue and a thin streak of mint green before the pale orange and yellow.
The lights are flickering on as the sky becomes darker.
There doesn't seem to be anyone around or in the carnival, I'm all alone.
The atmosphere is circa 1920s or 1930s.

I had the dream following the night I downloaded and listened to the song.
My piano addition made it sound more like a longing and yearning for something; it's a bit melancholic and sad.
There's the feeling of waiting for something I know I can't get, but I'll still wait for it.
...Woah, where the heck did that come from?

Is that something from my subconscious?
If past lives were real, what do I have to do with the carnival and during the 1920-1930s?
And why does this piece of soundtrack remind me of this?
And what's with the sudden piano notes?
This is pretty weird.

-

Music has a pretty good influence on moods; though I have never had the above kind of experience before.
Music works best if a person is, I dunno, tuned to a particular frequency. <- Quoted from Cass.
For me, rave and techno works best when I'm using some electronic device.
It makes me feel like I'm one with the device. *cue eye-rolling*
Classical music works when I'm doing some hell-made math question.
Heavy metal, grunge and alternative rock when I'm just me.
'Bad Day' by Daniel Powter is my down-on-the-dumps / feel-good song and it will probably never change.
I don't know about you, but my moods are detectable by the music I listen to.
Most of my friends, on the other hand, have no whatsoever reaction to what they listen to.

When asked, I don't have a particular singer or band that I idolize or admire.
It's the song that speaks to me instead of the singer.
And never ask what singer or band that I listen to; my list is endless, I tell you, endless.
Thank God (and dad) my MP3 storage size is 20GB, or else I wouldn't be able to fit all my songs in there.

-

The post about music makes me miss my MP3.
*cries*
Oh well, I have only a few weeks left till I go home, ne?