Libera me, Domine, de morte æterna, in die illa tremenda

I'm having so much fun with Meteor Shower! They're finally getting into the romance, and I'm so looking forward to the next episode! Only 6 episodes have been subbed, so I'll have to wait awhile. I love Yuxun. She seems to me to be such a paradigm of Chinese virtue, which is adorable and awesome. The one problem I have with cdramas (or at least the two cdramas I've seen) is that they seem to be dubbed. Like the actors dubbed themselves. I'm sure it's just how they mix sound in China, but it's odd to me.

In other news we went to look at and apartment this morning (it was okay, not amazing, but sufficient for our needs). We go to look at another one at 4pm. We have REALLY high hopes for this one, and hope we get it. It's a two floor apartment in Danshui. Danshui is a smaller seaside town just outside of Taipei. I've been interested in it since seeing A Game About Love, where portions of the story took place there. Living outside Taipei means cheaper apartments, better air (though to be honest the air quality hasn't bothered me in the least since being here), and quieter streets. I'm not a big partier (AT ALL) so I don't mind being rather far from the city proper. I'll post pictures and stuff if/when we get it!

Otherwise we registered for school yesterday. Our first day of classes is September 3rd. Orientation is the 2nd. I hope to go to the 101 sometime before that. They have a Body Shop store in the 101 mall, and I want to get some shampoo. We've been a lot of places so far, but not anywhere in XinYi (which is where the 101 is). Too bad it's ungodly hot. Though I think I am getting a bit used to it.

A couple new pictures from the hostel. I really have to remember to take pictures when I go places...
( Taiwan pictures! )

Crap, I hate it when this happens. I know I just posted, but I DID NOT KNOW the new season of jdramas was starting so soon!

Yamapi's new drama starts airing today/tomorrow, and Nagase's airs on the 18th! Otomen starts a little later (01Aug09).

I'm not sure how I'm going to handle watching five live aiiring dramas (Buzzer Beat, Karei naru Spy, Otomen, Triple, AND Easy Fortune Happy Life), plus I will inevitably fall into the crack that is Koishite Akuma. Plus Meteor Shower starts airing this August, and possibly Down with Love and Calling Big Star will be airing soon... maybe. Not to mention the new MingEn drama which might air sometime, and I will not miss FOR THE WORLD.

I kinda hate Japan for how many goddamn dramas they put out in a year. I CANNOT keep up.

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with stuff recently. I've been feeling quite shitty.

But that's beside the point; Random Taiwanese stuff!!

SO, both Ariel Lin and Xiao Gui (Alien) are coming out with albums this summer. I knew about Ariels, but not about Xiao Gui's! Ariel's comes out 17Jul09, and Xiao Gui's 24Jul09. I'll probably buy both when I'm in Taiwan, since the shipping will take 2 weeks anyway. I'm particularly excited for Ariel's album. Her music isn't really my type (poppy and ballady), BUT I adore her voice.

Summer dramas... well... I haven't been talking about them much, because, to be honest, not a lot of them really interest me. I mean, you've got;

1. Mo Nu 18 Hao (Magic 18) - Joyce Zhao and Sam Wang are the redeeming factors of this drama for me. Mostly revolves around family, and magic, and it's complicated

2. Roseate Love - I'm SO bitter about this drama it's not even funny. Like, I'm sure it'll be good and everything, but it was SUPPOSED to star Ariel Lin AND BRYANT CHANG. In a lead role! But then bad things happened, and now he's not in it, and I'm sad. Rui Jia deserves a lead role, damn it! I mean, he was FABULOUS in Eternal Summer and Summer's Tail...

3. Momo Love - Drastic cast and plot changes cooled my desire to watch this as well. I might still watch it because Vanness and Ken will be in it (along with some other Taiwanese character actors I like), but I can't say it's number one on my list.

4. Love Buffet - This one is a maybe for me. It might actually be a high school twdrama, which never happens... But Calvin and Aaron are adorable, so maybe. I THINK it's based on a manga, and I usually like manga adaptations, so yeah.

5. Fighting Spirit - I have no idea what this one is about, and I think it was only recently announced... It's a sports drama though, so yeah. Not for me.

6. Calling Big Star - I love Mike He, but the premise just seems boring.

There's a few more, but the details are scarce....

ON THE OTHER HAND, there ARE twdramas I'm looking forward to!

7. Down With Love - Ella and Jerry's drama. Anything with Ella in it automatically goes on my list. Add a fun plotline, and it's on my must-see for the summer list!

8. Easy Fortune Happy Life - I finally got the first episode of this, and I'm so excited to see it! Qiao En = LOVE.

9. Ni Shi Wo De Wei Yi - OMG I want to watch this SO BADLY, but it'll probably never get subbed.

10. Summer's Bubble - Cast changes put it down my list, but the plotline, with the fakecest, makes me want to watch it.

11. Take Care of You, Accompanied by the Lights - This is a cdrama, but whatever. The pairing of Ming Dao and Chen Qiao En makes me happy beyond words. I CANNOT WAIT for this drama.

12. Meteor Shower - Another cdrama. This is, obviously, the mainland version of Hana Yori Dano. I want to see it for the lulz.

As for the Taiwanese version of Full House... I'm not really sure how I feel about that one. I adore Wu Zun, and I think he'll be great. I haven't heard of Zhou Xun, but she's a mainland actress, so it's not like I would have heard of her anyway. BUT she's beautiful, and supposedly a good actress. One part of the story I LOVE is the cross cultural issues it'll be addressing, since the plot will go into the relationship between mainland China and Taiwan. THAT is interesting. But then, I have a thing with Taiwanese history and politics.