Fansubbers vs Pro (?) Subtitlers

And such, ladies and gentlemen, is people.
The local tv network started airing Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu (which, henceforth, shall be abbreviated to SHnY for one very simple reason - I'm too lazy to type...) tonight, in the non-chronological order. I pity those who might find it hard to grasp, but saa...that's life for you anyhow.
Although the tv people retained the series in its original language (yay, no dubbers for this one! I'm getting bored figuring out who's who...it's no fun, unlike in the case of Japanese seiyuu...), the subtitles still present a big problem.
Fansubs are, without a doubt, more dedicated in the cause compared to the people who work as 'subtitlers' by a long shot, hands down. The former beat the latter in three categories:
1) Timing: Yup. Higher accuracy. You know how sometimes the dialogue overlap? Fansubs have enough common sense and generosity to include both (or more!). Simply superb (what else can I say?).
2) Detail: Sometimes a series introduces certain terms integral to the plot, and to make the viewer more acquainted with the world in the series. We don't see that plus-point with our local subtitles. Amazingly meticulous (and generous, too).
3) Creativity: Nice fonts and colours (which is sometimes used to distinguish the speakers, particularly when there's dialogue overlap). Aesthetics count.
What's interesting about fansubbers being superior to subbers...is that the former don't really get paid (or do they?). They know about the series in and out (or, at least, almost), and they utilise their knowledge and sacrifice their time so that other fans can benefit from their hard work.
Without money coming in.
But the pro-subs (...I'm starting to think the term is inaaccurate...) are paid. They get to put their names at the end of the series.
Still, fansubbers are better.
Which goes to show that passion and interest do play a humongous part in determining the outcome, and not just money.
Saa, quoting one of our respected lecturers in my Uni..."Remember to have fun!"

Current Music: Mosaic Kakera - SunSet Swish

P/s: The PV for this song is pretty good. Not top notch, but nice. How the vocalist walks on while the buildings and other stuff organise into their forms in the background...Tho personally I must admit I was surprised to see how the vocalist looks like. His voice gave me the wrong idea on how he could have looked like...
Anyhow, it's the 2nd ED of Code Geass (which, although I can safely say I've all of the episodes so far, I've yet to _really_ immerse myself in the story), and perhaps, in my opinion, the best song for the series, collectively.

borderline

For at least a week, my mind was off the current problem troubling me in this period of time. I mean, being at home, away from _the_ place and _the_ ambience, entwined in WWW, downloading like there's no tomorrow, having my own bed, having Shuuhei-kun, no lectures...some would say it's a medical student's heaven.
But with the faintest flicker of remembrance of _the_ problem, all the joy started melting away.
I get palpitations. Like, something is telling me that the future doesn't bode well for me.
It's not the type of problem that would just go away when one ignores it. Alas, even if it ain't that bad, I doubt I could pull through.
It won't do if I'm the only one who's seeking to find the way to solve this. Or, worse, if I'm the one who initiated it but...everything crumbles down, and back to how they were before.
It's a reflection of my inner insecurities.
That's why I prefer getting depressed most of the time. Even with any sudden jolt of change that, in turn, provokes some emotional change, the surge of feelings won't be too...overwhelming to handle.
I criticise myself too hard. That's all that I'm able to do. Somebody has to keep me in check with reality. Somebody has to motivate me when I'm more down than usual.
Because nobody else would take up that responsibility, I've to fend for myself. Unfortunately, the negative force works in a form of positive reinforcement - no matter how despicable the means, because the end result is what I seek for from the start, the 'means' is brought forward to be re-employed in the next scene.
...I can't take this.
Likewise, the most drastic solution...is bad news.
What saddens me more is that I'd never thought it would be like this ages ago.
What set me ill at ease is that I blinded myself with fantasies...
I'm disgusted with my own pathetic thinking and state.
I don't know what to do anymore.
It feels like my heart is getting heavier...

Current Music: eX Dream - Myuji

...ah.

It is with open arms that I welcome Shuuhei-kun to join me in my never-ending quest to...search and fulfil my many meanings of life!
Shuuhei-kun has come in to replace Mika-chan, who is, as yet, still out of work due to her regrettable circumstances. It'll be some time until I muster enough courage to plug Mika-chan into Chidori (a laptop at home) to see if there is no positive development in her condition. A price of Rm58 for the 2Gb-sized Shuuhei-kun...saa, not bad, not bad indeed...
Of course, if it has a purple coat I'd be jumping with glee but...saa, it'll be awfully OOC (out of character) for me...
Kudos to my uncle for putting up with my choosiness. I wasn't there with him when he looked for a new pendrive for me, so he had to call me up at least 3, 4 times to ask my opinion, giving me descriptions and stuff...Sorry if the phone bill escalates to the heavens this time...
My downloading spree of now includes...
1. Code GEASS: Hangyaku no Lelouch - Fourteen episodes done (in only four days!), nine to go...
2. Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu - Okay...having read reviews and stuff, I'd say this one should be the answer to my requirements of humour! We'll see how it fares...
3. Spiral the manga
Those are the cream of my spree for now. I'm really still wondering if I should complete my collection of Matantei Loki Ragnarok...The ending is...unbearable IMO.
Pink haired girls annoy me.
Has anyone noticed that Euphemia from Code GEASS has the exact colour theme of Lacus Clyne of SEED? Pink hair, purple eyes...and I swear, they're the same down to the exact same shades of colour! Is that why people are comparing Suzaku to Kira...

Current Music: Vio Pipe - Butterfingers

p/s: This song was used in our Geriatrics seminar...Don't know why I bothered. Maybe it's the bagpipe-like sounds? It reminds me of Oasis...
Worse aspect of the song? Not the song per se, but the band (?)...Yup, it's a local band. I'm allowing my eardrums and my hearing organs access to local stuff... *shudder*
...Oh, the horror!

p/p/s: Meaningless entry, ka? I just thought I should introduce Shuuhei-kun...God, I love that name. *smirk*

Slow Mo

I'm starting to think there's something wrong with this Internet connection.
The claim that the speed is 100 Mbps is difficult to believe, especially if the downloading speed is below average. I mean, it takes 3++ hours to download a file that's around 80Mb. Impossible! That's the time taken when we use the wireless, which only boasts a speed of 54Mbps.
What's worse? The download terminates after I'm only halfway done!
This is unacceptable. If this doesn't get resolves soon, I'll be behind schedule! I need to finish the downloads before time runs out!
*tugs hair*
*incoherent grunts*
*glares at computers*

You are Milk Chocolate

A total dreamer, you spend most of your time with your head in the clouds. You often think of the future, and you are always working toward your ideal life. Also nostalgic, you rarely forget a meaningful moment... even those from long ago.

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?

Your Worry Factor is 69%

The amount you worry is definitely borderline unhealthy. Even when things are going well, you find yourself fixating on the negatives. Try to remember the times you've been able to let your worries go. If you can do that again, you'll be much happier!

Do You Worry Too Much?

Uchi ni

Whoo, I'm back home!
So, as expected, I'm basically doing Anime Studies. Y'know, one is never thankful with what one already has, and then seeks what he has yet to procure. Same thing here.
And, barely one day, I can feel that most of my brain cells have gone into suspended animation. I should sue the local drama/film crews for that.
Butchers of art should be arrested, sealed tight in an air-tight container locked at least three times over, then anchored so that they'll drown in the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean!
[Rambling] Saw an old, black-and-white movie called A Hard Day's Night starring the Beatles on the bus ride home. Made me think how much the entertainment industry has...changed. And fear the horror that comes in the form of fangirls! [/Rambling].
Did I mention that women should not wear too much make up? (This rhetoric sprung from our local actresses who think that their faces are canvases and that they own the entire stock of cosmetics in the country) I mean, dude, we ain't doing some Kabuki or some opera, y'know? And the local actors and actresses are downright gratingly annoying. It's like there's nothing new, nothing fascinating, nothing that could pull me towards the idiot box and gawk at the screen like an idiot also...
Automatically I'm reminded of how a friend said something about how "being an idiot can be fun", to which (as far as I could remember anyways) I responded that it would depend on the kind of person one is in the first place.
Oh, yeah, local actresses are just too annoying, they defy the scope of the word itself...
Wow, I'm on a roll tonight.

Current Music: A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles

P/s: Speaking of the Beatles, in a parasitology lecture in which Prof. Pakeer was teaching entomology...He deliberately pulled our legs in the name of good ol' sport. He asked us to jot down four names when it was under the topic of beetles...and then a very smart classmate figured out that they were actually names of the Beatles...Latinised, or something like that. Pity I erased the names, otherwise I would have reproduced them right here...and laugh at my lack of observational skills all over again...

Falling into Temptations

Remember what I said about supposedly trying to stay for one week plus-plus to revise? Yeah. Well, as my self-control is failing, I've to succumb to the immense desire of going home tomorrow. Yesh, less than 24 hours from now.
Oh, the joy it brings!
Ah, the guilt that has fallen upon my shoulders!
...and the headache that comes with it.
I've always known that my discipline is nothing to be proud of. I'm too weak to accomplish a simple thing like going against the luxury that is home.
But! Let it not be forgotten that I had, in fact, cleaned my room as I said I would.
So perhaps all is not lost.
Note to self: Indulge in anime at home.

Title-less. Again.

So my exams ended two days ago. Nothing much to comment, except that it was full of surprises - Dude, I thought there would be at least 90% anatomy questions but no... - and, yeah, depression on my part.

Personally, there would be more sadness had my conjuncture been correct (Anatomy hates me, I tell you! It's out to get me! Call the cops!), since I barely managed to squeeze some credible answer once I was confronted with the evil anatomy questions.

Anyhow.

Planning to spend one week (plus-plus?) here before going off home for the break. I mean, it goes without saying that I'm productive without the Wifi connection at home (here, I cycled all the way to the lecture building just to get this darn free Internet access), and it's actually rather fun scrolling through old lectures (provided you can get pass the dreadful Oh-God-why-can't-I-remember-a-thing-about-this-It-has-been-a-mere-less-than
-one-year-OMG-my-memory-is-failing-me-does-that-automatically-make-me-at-risk-of
-getting-Alzheimer's phase...or, the less severe Why-does-nothing-ever-makes-sense-What-on-Earth-was-I-doing-in-class-back-then-
and-how-on-Earth-did-I-manage-to-pass-the-exam? (Of course, for that final question, the most elementary explanation would be: 'Coz they didn't ask you that in the exam. Duh!).

Yes, I am well aware that I am acting OTT but hey, give me some room to let out some of my OCC-ness.

Completed around 80% of the very vigorous spring cleaning on my room, and God! I was surprised to see so much junk lying around. Think of all the poor trees that sacrificed their lives just to become paper, and how did I waste paper? By scribbling incoherent stuff and drawing random caricatures...

One needs to allow one's 'creativity streak' to roam around freely once in awhile, but surely not at the expense of tainting (or, in the case of trees, balding) Mother Nature.

So how do I sum up Y1B4? Loads of emotional roller coaster rides, a little fun here and there (Remember the geriatric seminar? Yup, we pulled it off, thankfully! Cheers, people!), formaline stenches (...cadavers, enough said), etc.

And I'm still me.

Now, the ideal concept of getting through life is to, at the end of the day, emerge as a better person. Have I achieved that? Nope. I still think I'm the old me, with nothing much to be proud of in terms of positive change e.g. perspective in life and all that philosophical stuff (does that mean I'm actually in the wrong course in pursuing a profession? I know at least one person who would say I would be better off as a politician...).

But, maybe, just maybe, at my tender age of 20+, it's still to early to prospect how my life will take its course, say, fifteen years from now (although it's no secret that I hope it'd be somewhere in a certain another Asian country...although maybe Europe won't be too bad, assuming I have some degree of qualifications, credentials and capabilities to secure my spot in either place) since life's surprises catch you at the most unpredictable times.

...End of thoughts of the future. Start present.

Mika-chan...is ailing. I think she's really approaching her time. Mac can't detect her (be it Avicenna or this particular eMac), and for some strange reason, Windows states her properties as 100% used despite the fact that she has zero files stored in her! I got someone to format her a few weeks back, and this is how she turns out?

Somehow, I'm too embarrassed to show up at the IT department, asking them to check up on Mika-chan. Again. They'll label me as the-kid-who's-too-paranoid-over-her-thumbdrive.

Anyhow. I'd best get back to my room. It's nearly afternoon, and I'm still wondering if I should get lunch, just get an afternoon nap, or just...study. Ha ha.