はじめまして！ My real name is Carmina, but almost everyone calls me by my nickname, Mina (hence my username Minacchi), and you're very much welcome to use that as well. I'm a 21-year-old Registered Nurse/Kanjani8 + Arashi + NEWS fangirl/Japanophile/Internet junkie/couch potato/shutterbug/bookworm/music lover/glutton from the Philippines.

( Do click here to know more about me. )

Right now, this journal is entirely public, so I guess there would technically be no point in adding me up as an LJ friend if you'd only like to read my entries. But still, please feel free to add me if we have the same fandoms, the same interests, the same crazy fangirling habits, or, simply, if you would just like to be friends with me. I'd love to meet new friends. <3 Please be warned, though, that I tend to write long-winded entries concerning just about anything, though most of the time, I love to talk and flail about my fandoms. If you don't really mind, go ahead and add me up. <3
But before I add you back, please introduce yourself first by commenting on this entry.
よろしくお願いします！ m(_ _)m

No matter what, I just had to make time for this entry to follow tradition. ^_^
Exactly three years in LJ now! <3 (Suddenly missing the LJ life three years ago. :|) So here, f-list (and visitors), have some yummy!Tacchon as a celebration treat. :))) And belated merii kuri and advanced ake ome! <3


(Note: This blog is child-friendly. hoho.)

Wow, after almost seven months of nothing from me, I'm here again! 8D I'm not sure if I would be as active as I was before though, what with work (and that strong need to just sleep afterwards) taking up most of my time. But because I got several days off-duty (I'm on mandatory vacation leave for nine days, yay~), I was able to read a bunch of new manga, and one of them is the pretty prettyyy Chihayafuru (do read it, it's good!).

What's more, I just found out that it has been recently turned into an anime series as well (which is just as pretty!), so, currently, I've finished watching the tenth episode, and I'm still hooked! (too bad I don't think there are any karuta clubs--or players--here in the Philippines, or I would have quickly joined!) <3

The opening song, Youthful by 99RadioService, especially caught my attention--I love energetic, inspiring songs like this! And the lyrics were so meaningful, I felt the need to translate the whole song and share it to everyone. =) I believe Youthful was especially written by 99RadioService for this equally-meaningful anime, and they indeed succeeded in depicting the anime through this song.

And who would have thought that a simple game of karuta could have such deeper meanings related to life? I commend the author for the genius use of "Chihaya"/"Chihayafuru" as throughout the series in order to imply deeper meanings. *_* Anyway, I do hope you'd have a few minutes to listen to the song (and while you're at it, do watch the anime as well! <3


Romaji Lyrics and English Translation by: minacchi

( Ima wa, chihayafuru omoi mune ni daite... )

Okay, so apparently, I have a bit more time in my hands. 8D I transliterated and translated the second track in the My Home single this time, Baby Moonlight. =)

Anyways, is it just me, or is this song actually really lewd???? Perverted Eito rarrrr If you think it's just my green over-analyzing brain talking, feel free to throw potatoes, haha! But how would you interpret "suhada ni koi no ya wo hanatsu, shaking all for you"?? 8DDD This reminds me of the Life~Me no Mae no Mukou e~ and Jackhammer combo. What's with pairing the title songs with such... "meaningful" second tracks? 8D


Kanji Lyrics, Romaji Lyrics, and English Translation by: minacchi 

( Koi na ya wo hanatsu... )

First of all, belated happy 26th birthday to you, Tadayoshi dearrrr. <333 (I so miss your fatssss. *_*)


Aaaaand here's another loooovely new song from our loooovely Eito. <3 I find the lyrics touching and inspiring and the melody just perfect for my taste. Actually, the lyrics remind me of Ikimonogakari's Kaeritakunatta yo (another pretty song, do listen to it!), though My Home has a rather unique charm that makes it more appealing to me (and this is not just my Eito bias talking, by the way). After just a few rounds of playing the song endlessly in the background, I had already memorized the song; it's so addicting! ;D

Plus, the live band performances in Music Station were <3333! (okay, so my eyes were following that hot drummer most of the time XD) And by the way, the fandom collision in the May 13 episode was epic! So I now want to announce that there's an addition to my already huge fandoms--SNSD! I started being a fan last December 2010, though, so this is kind of a late announcement. Anyways, Eito doing the Mr. Taxi dance moves were epic!! :D (Would so looooove to see them dance Run Devil Run, Gee, and Genie, hahahahaha!)

Going back to the topic, I tried to romanize and translate My Home this time. Spent most of my limited free time today just to complete this. :D Work has made me lose Internet life during weekdays, so I only get to indulge in fangirling during weekends. :| This has been one productive Saturday, though. :))) Anyways, enjoy!



Kanji Lyrics, Romaji Lyrics, English Translation, and Color-Coding by: minacchi 

( Saa, kaerou... )

To continue from THIS ENTRY, yes, what's next is that I am finally saying goodbye to bumming around (though I really don't want to. Okay, so let me just rephrase that: "I am finally going to have LESS time to bum around" 8D) because I'm going to start working as a Staff Nurse at the PHILIPPINE GENERAL HOSPITAL on Monday. *_*

Our batch (looking so bright in our white Head Nursing uniforms), with the Oblation statue and the Philippine General Hospital behind us.
( Bum no more! )

I'm so in love with the Korean drama SECRET GARDEN and the Korean actor HYUN BIN right now!! <3 (I've just finished watching the drama two days ago, so, still being in that giddy New Fangirl stage and thus being unable to contain my fangirl-y jumping-and-giggling excitement, I just had to shout that out first!)


The now-famous Cappuccino Kiss. <3
Before I start squealing and ranting here, I think I ought to give some sort of explanation since this is the first time I'm fangirling in this journal about something that isn't Japanese in nature. =P I basically have always preferred Japanese dramas over Korean or Taiwanese dramas, manga over manhwa or manhua, J-pop over K-pop or Tw-pop, and Japanese idols over Korean or Taiwanese idols (Johnny's loyal granddaughter here, heeheeee). BUT, for the record, even though I can be biased, it doesn't mean that I dislike the other fandoms; I actually do watch numerous K-/Tw-dramas, listen to K-/Tw-songs, read manwha/manhua, and flail about those hot K- and Tw-actors and idols, too.

I originally wanted to write about the different K-dramas and K-actors I've been watching and fangirling about recently, but if I do that now, I'm afraid this entry would be some hundred pages long. So I'm going to leave the other dramas (including Jang Geun-seok my other oppa) for later and concentrate on my current addiction, Secret Garden and Hyun Bin. <3 Shall we call this entry the Squeal-Filled Hyun Bin Love Post then? 8D So, just to warn you: beyond this is a LONG fangirling post. Expect lots of adfasdkljfk-ing crazy ranting. <3


( The new obsession. )

あけおめ！　ことよろ！

AKE OME! KOTO YORO! <3
May 2011 be filled with even more happiness, even more luck, even more blessings, and even more love (and lots more sugar and spice and everything nice) for all of us! Cheers! <3 ２０１１年はきっと楽しいぞ！ 明けましておめでとうございます！　今年も宜しくお願いします！　ｍ（＿　＿）ｍ

I think December 29 will always be a memorable day for me, so I just couldn't let this day pass without writing a commemorative--but entirely random--entry. *_*

Exactly two years ago, I wrote my very first LiveJournal entry because I very much wanted to flail and fangirl and rant somewhere about--surprise, surprise--my hottt Johnny's Entertainment men and my then-newfound loves, the crazy Eito Rangers. Exactly one year ago, I just flailed and fangirled and ranted about them again. Aaaand today I'm writing my 66th entry (ONLY my 66th?) and yeah, well, that's still what I'm going to do!

This means that I've been an Eighter for two years already (and an Arashian and NEWS fan for four years), and wow, looking back, those two years with Eito were so asdlkfjdlf-ing crazy (one random highlight: "Tada as a sexy blondie" period) and filled with all kinds of awesomeness (highlights: too many to mention!)! So, happy two Eito years to me!

Also, those two years here in LJ during which I met new friends and shared lots of fangirl moments with lots of people were indeed memorable as well! (So what have you guys been up to recently? I seriously miss talking to all of youuuu. Drop a quick comment so I know you're all still alive? 8D) I know I haven't been keeping in touch with everyone, but I hope some of you dears still remember me...? =P

To be honest, I haven't been regularly keeping up with all of my JE fandoms' activities (lazy fangirl, I know. Three very active JE fandoms are quite hard for me to keep up with every second!) and I think I've been focusing too much on Korean dramas and Korean men lately (Jang Geun-seok!! *fangirl scream!* More on this later, in another looong entry perhaps ;D), but I'm very sure that I won't be abandoning any of my awesome Japanese fandoms any time soon. <3 Well, I'll be writing more soon (I hope?), so, for now, I shall leave you guys with...


...pleasured Pi who is wondering if he's been a good boy enough for Santa to bring him some presents. *WINK WINK* 8D
(belated) Merii kuri and (advanced) Ake ome to everyone! <3

I graduated and received my BSN degree from university this April, reviewed until my precious CSF dried up (nah, who am I kidding?? I honestly just fangirled about JE for probably 70% of the whole two-month "review period" -_-) this May and June, took the dreaded licensure exam this July, found out that I passed the exam this August, took the oath for registered nurses this September, registered my name as a full-fledged nurse this October, and, finally, I received my professional license just this afternoon.


So, after six months of just practically bumming around (ahhh, this is heaveeen) and enjoying the longest guilt-free studying break I've ever had (which I deserve to have, I hope...), the question is definitely "What's next?". Hopefully, what's next would be a hospital staff nurse ID like this:



And still more time for some fangirling, I hope? Or a Japan vacation? (wishful thinking, I know. ;D)