My Absolute Favorite Foreign Songs

I almost always write about Japanese songs, but here is a list of my favorite songs from Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Germany, Iceland, and China.

"春夏秋冬" covered by Goose House

"Life is Like a Boat" by Rie Fu

"Pop Up!" by Goose House

"魔法の料理 〜君から君へ〜" covered by Goose House

"Koisuru Fortune Cookie" covered by Goose House

Get the guitar chords here!

"女の子は泣かない" by Rina Katahira featuring Kei Takebuchi

"NOW ON AIR" covered by Goose House

This song was performed on USTREAM on my sister's (and Manami's) birthday, and was later published on YouTube on my birthday.

"恋はヒラひらり" by Goose House

"今、走れ!" by Goose House

"虹" covered by Goose House

"Sing" (2014) by Goose House

"Sakura" by Ikimonogakari

"Music Hour" by Porno Graffitti & covered by Goose House

"Shanghai Honey" covered by Goose House

"Hana" by ORANGE RANGE & covered by Goose House

"我的天空" from Young Style

"Hanabi" by Ikimonogakari

This might be the song that sent me into full-blown J-pop/rock nerd mode. I even know how to play it on guitar. You can't really find the studio version of this song on YouTube, so I suggest purchasing the album.

"Life" by YUI

"My Pace" by Sunset Swish

"ร่มสีเทา/ฤดูอกหัก/ฤดูที่ฉันเหงา/ฤดูที่แตกต่าง - พาย ชา แอร์ หนวดนำเหนอ" by MusicClay2011

"Guren no Yumiya" by Linked Horizon & covered by Goose House

"Daisy" by Stereo Dive Foundation

"Scramble" by Yui Horie

"This Beautiful and Cruel World" by Hikasa Yoko

"Oto no Naru Hou e" by Goose House

"Hikaru Nara" by Goose House

My favorite part is from 3:27-the end. The bassline is what makes this better than the recorded version.

"Shiawase" by PUFFY

This is my absolute favorite PUFFY song (they are well-known in America for singing the Teen Titans theme and having their own show, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi), and should totally be covered by the girls of Goose House.

"K2G" by PUFFY

I'd add more PUFFY songs, but really you should just buy the entire NICE album, which includes "Teen Titans" as well.

"Lea Halalela" by Lebo M

"9,000 Days" by Overtone

"Um Oh Ah Yeh" by Mamamoo

"Gutes Tun" by Willemijn Verkaik

"Takes One to Know One" by Belinda

"Go Do" by Jonsi

Well, those are my favorite foreign songs. What are yours?

15 Songs You Should Listen to in 2015

Merry Christmas, guys! Mine's been pretty awesome; we're preparing for dinner right now. I was given several baking supplies, so I'll be busy for these next few weeks!

Anyway, here are some songs you need in your life this year.

1. "3005" by Childish Gambino. This is definitely the song I'll be ringing in the new year with... partially because I have no social life and will be ringing it in at home. Again.
2. "Dollhouse" by Melanie Martinez. "Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces. Everyone thinks that we're perfect; please don't let them look through the curtains."
3. "Jealous" by Nick Jonas. I will admit that I never really stopped liking the Jonas Brothers, nor Nick himself.
4. "Shadows" by Childish Gambino. I could just listen to Donald Glover's voice all day. Even just him talking-- I never get tired of it.
5. "That Power" by Childish Gambino. If you ever just want to listen to Donald Glover's voice while he tells you a story, this is the song you need to hear. "This isn't a story about how girls are evil or how love is bad; this is a story about how I learned something... I wish I could say this is a story about how I got on the bus a boy and got off a man... but that's not true. The truth is I got on the bus a boy, and I never got off the bus."
6. "3005 - Beach Picnic Version" by Childish Gambino. I just really like Childish Gambino, okay?
7. "Sky" by Goose House. "Constellations above nowhere to be seen at dawn, while I blink just once. They're so like you, I smile. Strong as the will we swore, straight like the road we once used to walk. I'm missing those days, times I spent with you, and your melodies..."
8. "The End of Everything" by Measure. This is my go-to song for bad days. Whenever I'm rejected by a casting director or I get a bad grade, this song reminds me that life goes on after the fact. My life will continue even after everything I care about ends. I'll figure something out. The end of everything isn't really the end of everything.
9. "Bang Bang" by Jessie J. I absolutely hated this song when it first came out, but now I just can't help attempting to hit Jessie's notes and rapping Nicki's part.
10. "Alchemy" by Kyler England. This one is a lot like #8, in the sense that it is my go-to song when bad things happen. It reminds me that even if I don't get into a school or musical or ace my chemistry test (I got a 56% on my last one and barely swept by with a 90% for the quarter), I can't change what happened, so I need to stop wishing. That's why I love the way the chorus of this song is written-- she spends half of it talking about what could have been done differently, what she wishes would have happened, how simple it could have been, and then she shuts it down saying, "it's all said and done."
11. "Hurricane" by Athlete. "I don't wanna run; I've been here since I was young. What we see today could be gone within the hour. Oh, Hurricane, what you gonna do to us this time?"
12. "We Are One" by Angelique Kidjo. I really love how she combines English with... Zulu, I think. I'm pretty sure it isn't Swahili, but I don't know. 
13. "Personal" by Stars. This song kind of addresses online dating, and I'll leave it to you to decide what this song means.
14. "Ride" by Cary Brothers. This song almost has a creepy feel to it, which is why I like it. Not because I'm creepy, but because of how soothing the song is.
15. "Eyes Wide (Fool's Gold Remix)" by Aristotle Pop A Bottle ft. Local Natives. I don't what's up with the rapper's name, but I promise it's actually a good song.

Well, here are fifteen songs I like! Enjoy the last week of 2014!

Merry Christmas (and a happy new year)!

Before I start, here is a little Goose House song to get you in the spirit!

I will admit, I'm not that in the spirit this year, or any year since like... 2007. But, after completing my Christmas shopping yesterday (spent less than $68 on four people-- is that NOT a win? AND every person got at least two gifts from me, so yeah, it's a win), I got a little happier. Aside from the fact that I think I'm starting to get sick after having a migraine for two days in a row.

I thought I would reflect on what 2014 has been like for me. This has been a year of major ups and downs. I started driving... BUT I didn't get an A in geometry. I did good in this one thing... BUT I didn't get this other thing. I have always been one to focus on the negative, even if wasn't a big deal. So, I'm going to share the good AND bad that happened to me this year, instead of focusing on one or the other.

WHATEVER THE HECK HAPPENED TO ME IN 2014

1. I turned sixteen, and started learning how to drive. I haven't practiced much in the few months I've had my permit, but I learned that I am actually pretty good at parking. 
2. I got into my school's chapter of the National Honor Society, which has been my dream since middle school. I was inducted last week!
3. I started hoarding mail from Northwestern. I guess they got my contact information by using a cookie to see how many times I've been on their website? It's a mystery. ONE YEAR MORE!
4. I performed in my first concert, Les Miserables, in front of more than 2,000 people. I was only a chorus member, but this brought me a step closer to getting the roles I've always wanted.
5. I got rejected at an audition. I mean, this has happened in the past in one way or another, but this really hurt me. I auditioned to play one of my absolute dream roles, Natalie, in Next to Normal, a character I have always felt a strong connection with for all of the things that make us similar-- our personalities, our similar family issues, etc. It all made sense why I had to play her. And someday, I hope I will. But, I auditioned for the role, and in my opinion, it went pretty well. As cliche as it is, I auditioned with "On My Own" from Les Miserables ("...and I know it's only in my mind" through to the end of the song). Because it was a community theater, I don't think they cared how popular the song was. The mistakes I made all had to do with pitch and volume. I noticed I tended to "back off" of the higher notes ("That I'm talking to myself," "he is blind," "when the night is over," "every day I'm learning all my life, I've only been pretending," "happiness that I have never known"). That might have hurt me a little, especially since I'm a belter and didn't belt the whole time. Also, Natalie plays piano. I have it on my resume that I know chords, but... that probably wasn't a very big deal, because playing wasn't necessary. The point is, I auditioned for a role that I spent six months preparing for, and wasn't even called back. When a girl who didn't even have sheet music with her was called back. When a boy who stopped the pianist in the middle of his audition was called back. Like, what the heck? The point is, I learned that you will not always get the part. You might not even be called back. But you have to keep trying anyway. At least I can say I tried to get in.
6. I got third place in my first Junior Council on World Affairs quiz bowl. My team of girls who didn't study at all until the week before. My team of girls who, even then, barely studied. My team of girls who were only guided by common sense. Third place out of more than sixty teams.
7. I started my own business! Come on, if Northwestern doesn't want me after the work I've been putting into getting in, then somethin' weird's going on (actually, it's probably just my freshman grades coming back to haunt me). But yeah, I started a cake business. I've gotten really good reviews on the free work I've been doing so far. I might even get to be a decorator for a wedding! Now, to be employed...
8. I read Fullmetal Alchemist. And yes, that needed to be mentioned. All twenty-seven volumes of it. And I have absolutely no regrets-- best manga I've ever read.
9. I cut my hair into a pixie cut. Which I kind of hated. And still do, but it won't grow out. And yeah. It still fits into a ponytail, though, which confuses me. Like, is it a bob? Is it a pixie? Is my hair just magical?
10. I got back into gymnastics! By gymnastics I mean an acrobatics class I took at my local dance studio for a month. But, nevertheless, it was gymnastics. And I plan on doing it again next summer.
11. I ran for my school's student government. And didn't get in. Their loss, not mine. Actually, it is my loss because that would make me look good for Northwestern, but... oh well. I'm running again to be the senior class rep next year, and guess what my slogan is? I'm not even kidding. My slogan is, "First things first, I'm the realest." Because I am.
12. I made peace with my inevitable fate of being forever single. I have embraced it. In fact, I don't even really want a husband until my late twenties. Which isn't the smartest decision, being someone who wants to have a lot of kids. But, like Kate Monster from Avenue Q says,"You gotta go after the things you want while you're still in your prime." 
13. I went crazy with community service. Nearly 300 hours, I believe. I am an usher for national tour performances at my local regional theater, I volunteer for my local library, I babysit in my church nursery, I help with elementary school kids at my church, I volunteered for a Kiwanis club Christmas tree lot, I am in Key Club at my school, and I'm doing other things as well. I might start tutoring middle school kids. Take note, Northwestern. Although, I will admit that I honestly just enjoy volunteering. I don't just do it to get into college.
14. I read 200 books! And stay tuned for a MASSIVE book review over them soon.

WHATEVER THE HECK MIGHT HAPPEN IN 2015

1. I will start my senior year of high school. This is scary, especially since my recent Principles of Macroeconomics grade isn't exactly going to raise my GPA (I got a B... one that I am actually pleased with, as it was a poorly planned online college course). I hope my transcript is pretty enough. I'm mostly just afraid that my freshman grades are going to make colleges say no to me. It's frustrating, really, because I feel like my cumulative GPA says nothing about me as a student. I'm usually a 3.8-4.0 student, not a 3.5. I feel like my freshman mistakes are going to end up determining where I can go, even though I have grown so much since then.
2. I will turn seventeen. I'm still sad about not being fifteen. I really don't want to turn seventeen. Luckily, I have eleven months until that happens.
3. I will apply for BFA programs. I feel like I just started my freshman year, and now it's time to audition for programs to get a freaking Bachelor of Fine Arts. Like, where did the time go?
4. Northwestern will make a decision about me. This really, really scares me. The one school I've had my eyes on since ninth grade will tell me a yes, no, or maybe this time next year. The only school I really can see myself at will only see me as just another applicant. One that probably isn't as impressive as those with higher GPAs and ACT scores.
5. I will get my actual driver's license. In my grade, about 50% already have one. But, considering I'm a lot younger than most of them, getting it this summer isn't that late.
6. I will perform in another concert, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. I'm already in this one, and rehearsals will start in March. I'm so excited-- I might even get a solo (?).
7. I will audition for more productions. I will audition to play the wicked witch in Shrek, Rizzo in Grease, Christmas Eve or Kate Monster in Avenue Q, and some character in Mary Poppins. It'll be a busy year!
8. I will compete in another JCOWA quiz bowl. This time, me and my girls are aiming for first place. And we've already started studying.
9. I'm growing my hair out. How long? Who knows. I wanna see how long it can grow. Generally, I maintain it at chin length or slightly longer. But, I wonder how long it can go. When I was about eight, my hair was pretty long, but it didn't look good on me, so I finally caved and cut it when my mom asked me to. I wasn't even aware that my hair was even long until someone said, "short hair looks so much better on you than long hair." And so I have kept it short all these years. Aside from the fact that my hair began moving past shoulder-length in ninth grade, I have always had it cropped short. In the long run, I think it'll probably be short. But in the short run (ugh... I sound like I'm talking right out of my econ textbook), I think I'll let it grow long.
10. I'll go back to gymnastics again. Or, I might even take some ballet or jazz classes, because why not?
11. I want to attend my first casting or go-see. I should be an official signed model after taking a long hiatus this upcoming year. I'd love to book a bridal show!
12. I'm running for Student Government again. First things first, I'm the realest. 
13. I might get asked out to prom, or force a guy to go with me. Probably the latter.
14. I will complete an internship. It will probably be a journalism internship, but I don't know yet. All I know is my school is forcing me to do one whether I like it or not.
15. I will pick up a new musical talent. I own too many instruments to only be playing two of them (and they're both guitars). I think I'm going to work on autoharp and keys, while learning the basics of violin and string bass. 

Those are my goals for 2015! Thank you for being apart of my 2014, and have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!

The Realization of Growing Up

When I was younger, all I wanted was to grow up. I wanted to start high school. To get my driver's license. To get a boyfriend. To get into National Honor Society. To turn eighteen. To move out of the house. To get married. To have my own children.

Now that I'm older, I am facing the sudden realization that things are actually happening, and the ones that haven't happened will probably happen soon. I'm almost done with high school. I will have a driver's license this spring, most likely. I just turned in my application for my first job. I am getting inducted into NHS next month. Now, I still don't have a boyfriend, and I can't vote in the presidential election until 2020 (I literally JUST miss election day in 2016... thanks to having a November birthday). But aside from marriage, it's all starting to happen.

Don't get me wrong, growing up is exciting. But anyone who has been my age before (which it is likely that you are older than me) knows how this feels. People keep asking me where I want to attend college and what I want to study. Which, I have a pretty solid idea for both, but it's still frustrating. It's finally getting to me that 2015 is going to be the year that determines a lot of things for me. I'll turn in my application for Northwestern. I'll audition for NYU Steinhardt School of Music. I'll audition for a lot of roles, and probably won't get most of them. I'll have to utilize the piggy bank (or, as I call him, Piglet). Everything is changing.

As much as I want to stay the little girl who is a few weeks shy of her sixteenth birthday forever, times are gonna have to change. It's kind of like the song "Sky" by Goose House.

"I wished upon the sky in a dazzling starlight for you to please stay the same as you are. But I know that even the sky I gaze will change in every way."

Entering adulthood is a scary process. It seems far away until it finally dawns upon you that it's less than two years away (for most of my friends, it's a few months away). But even though the changes seem abrupt at first, they shape us into who we are.

And that's how I'm going to end this post, because I can't think of a better way to do so.

YouTubers I Just Can't Get Enough Of

YouTube and I have been through an on-again-off-again relationship lately. In seventh grade, I had at least ten different playlists with hundreds of videos saved, and even a few of my own uploaded. In tenth grade, I only used it for academic purposes. Now, while I am not nearly as obsessed as I was in seventh grade, YouTube and I are friends once again.

During my time this year, I have discovered some of my favorite videos and vloggers. And I think you should experience them too, if you haven't already.

So... here they are!

1. Leenda Dong (LeendaDProductions)

I don't know if it's because of all the Asians that are included in her videos (I love Asian guys... especially the one in her "If Your Period Was A Person" video) or because of how hilarious and relatable Leenda can be sometimes. Either way, I just can't stop watching her videos-- of course I have a subscription!

2. Goose House (goose house)

(Apparently, the one above was used in the anime Silver Spoon as the second ED! That's an anime I must put on my to-watch list)

Oh yes, I've blogged about Goose House. Numerous times. They might be my favorite band right now, and just so you know, you were spared. I didn't include some of my favorite songs by them. But, if you want to hear them, check out "Sky English Version," "JUST FRIENDS?", "teens," and of course, "Sing" on the blog playlist to your right.

3. KisukeUraharaAnime

Now, I know that this guy doesn't really post original stuff. And, his channel is really, well, full of anime. But you signed up for anime the second you started reading this blog, sucka! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have heard of "Hanabi." Which means I would never have started listening to Ikimono Gakari (actually, Goose House has covered their songs, so I guess I would have heard of them eventually). Speaking of Ikimono Gakari and Goose House-- why haven't they covered "Sakura" yet?

4. nigahiga

Yes, this is the only video I've seen of his. But come on, he's a cute Asian it's so funny!

5. Octopimp

Okay. If you ever watched Iwatobi Swim Club, you probably watched 50% Off. At least once. I'm pretty sure I'm behind on the episodes, but still. You should check out Octopimp. Nuff said.

6. Anyone who uploads an Ikimono Gakari video

Yeah. I just really love Ikimono Gakari even though the only songs I know well are "Hanabi" and "Sakura".

Who are your favorite YouTubers?

Goose House!

In case you needed another reason to want to move to Japan, I have found another. I have decided to ditch college and move into the Goose House.

Forget auditioning to become a musical theatre major. Forget studying at Northwestern. Forget my dream dorm room. Forget my college Pinterest board. Forget performing on Broadway. Forget living a relaxed life in the United States. Just forget it all. I've already started saving up to move far away from the States and over to Asia.

Okay, so maybe five dollars won't get me a plane ticket. But I'm in the process of applying for a job at my local library, so I'll just use the money I was going to put in a bank account for college and put it in my travel fund instead! And I'll need to go to school to study Japanese. Man, I did not think this through.

Okay, scratch that. I won't ditch the ACT. I'll still take vocal lessons, gymnastic lessons, and audition for plays (I'm auditioning to play Natalie in Next to Normal in a few months, I'm auditioning for a Nutcracker-esque musical soon, and I'm already in Les Miserables!). I'll still keep my grades up (although, I think I'm developing a minor case of senioritis-- and I'm not even a senior yet!). Looks like Japan is gonna have to wait.

But still. I think I have found my best friends. They don't know it, but we're best friends.

When I was little, I used to want to join a sorority and live in a house with sorority sisters. However, I already have biological sisters, and if I can't stand having two, how am I supposed to survive with that times ten? But I think I want to live in the Goose House.

Goose House is a band of (at least) eight people. I don't know if they all live together or they just like to record in that house, but it doesn't matter. Because I'm going to move to Japan and live with them. I mean, they've helped me with my Chinese summer homework (上海 and 花，meaning "Shanghai" [the city] in Chinese, and the next character, "Hana," being the same character in Chinese and meaning "flower"). They've helped me find hair and fashion inspiration. They've helped me discover new music. They've helped me bring out my guitar (one that's been collecting dust for far too long). So it's obvious we should be friends.

Enough talking, here's some of their music!

If you don't admire any of the girls' style or the guys' guitar and mandolin skills, something's wrong. But there are two things you can learn from this at the very least: 1) Not all Japanese people look the same, unlike many think and 2) Japanese girls can pull off any hair length. Or outfit. Like, for real. Those outfits look gorgeous, but the moment I try to wear one of them, it'll look so hideous I won't leave the house in it.

This song translates to "Shanghai Honey," performed by ORANGE RANGE. I wish I knew this song when I was preparing for my entrance Chinese test! Shanghai was one of our vocabulary words. I don't really understand what's going on at the beginning of the video, but surprisingly, I actually understand some of what they're saying! Maybe getting a minor in Chinese or Japanese language is actually for me.

This is "Hana," also originally performed by ORANGE RANGE! Yes, I've blogged about that band, too (look up "Asterisk"). This song definitely does the original justice-- I like it just as much, or even more! I think this might actually be my favorite Goose House cover so far. SAY YEAH!

Yes, these Japanese kids (who are probably in their twenties but whatever) speak English. I honestly like this better than the original. I usually like Taylor Swift covers better than the originals. I think it's because of the use of both genders in this cover. Honestly, the only hope I have in ever meeting these people is because I know they can speak English.

And, of course, the very first song I ever heard by Goose House-- their cover of Linked Horizon's "Guren no Yumiya!" This is the song that got me really listening to their music, so thank you Shingeki no Kyojin!

Here is a list of songs I would love to hear them cover:

"Hanabi" by Ikimono-Gakari
"Life is Like a Boat" by Rie Fu
"My Pace" by SunSet Swish
"Daisy" by Stereo Dive Foundation

So, what do you think of Goose House?