Rest in peace, Ryutaro Nakamura

The official Twitter feed for the Chibi Neko Tom no Dai Bōken anime announced on Thursday that anime director and storyboard artist Ryutaro Nakamura (Serial Experiments Lain, Kino's Journey) had passed away on June 29 at 4 p.m. after months of being hospitalized while fighting pancreatic cancer. The announcement was made after permission was given by his family. He was 58 years old at the time of his death.

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This is quite sad for me: Serial Experiments Lain and Kino's Journey are both one of my top favourite series, with the first one, if I could say, changed my perspective (with its topic on the internet and social networking and the sort), and the subtopic on religion, technology, evolution - it's unlike anything I've ever watched then.

Funnily I found it because one of my friend constantly uses Lain as her avatar, and I'm intrigued when I saw the description of the series.

Rest in peace Ryutaro Nakamura. Thanks for all the memories.

Tauhu rojak

I was at Times Square's Borders, on the carpet, browsing through this one novel - 28 Hari - when he called.

It was this one guy on one of the provided bench - earlier the vacant spot was occupied by this bored looking woman, and it was then that I gave a mental slap to my forehead, seeing as I didn't take the provided comfort provided by the shop.

He asked where I was from. 'UM,' I replied. And him? 'Oxford... nah, just kidding'. I would later learn he's from Damansara, and how he was on a trip around KL area.

He was this one tall guy, with spectacles, and a blue scard hung lazily around his neck. He was reading one of the novel, Cerpen. Seeing as we were both reading, our conversation geared towards books - apparently he had read the book I was holding, and he remarked that he liked reading book on music... as well as a bit of novel cinta, if I'm not mistaken.

I never gotten around to know what he really does, but he was saying how he's writing for songs... and also this one biography on M. Nasir. He likes listening to Nasheed, folk music... anything but black metal (though heavy metal is OK with him). He's the eldest in a sibling of five, with all boys save for his youngest sister.

His name is Sham. He was carrying a pink slingbag, and he passed me a copy of a book on Yusuf Islam in the short while we were on the bench.

Since he talked of writing, I mentioned how the local publication is good now - Fixi, Lejen Press - look at these eye catching cover designs, he pointed out.

It was Ramadhan. I told him I'm breaking fast in UM's mosque. He said I should try Masjid Al-Bukhari - I might just try it one of these days, while I'm in KL.

He know of the art performance in Perdanasiswa every Wednesday evening. He commented how UM has no Mass Communication course. He was asking if people could come in the university's library.

All the while I'm trying to imagine how involved he is in his art - whether I would meet him again, where he would proudly produce his writings (be it in the form of book, or a song).

Eventually I bid him farewell. His hands were smooth, and cold. I wondered how long he was in the bookstore.

On the way back to UM, I bought a pasembor (or rojak tauhu as it's called outside of Kedah or Penang yo) - I've been craving for it ever since we christened ourself (a bunch of enthusiastic people working on a Touhou Project artbook) Touhou Projak... and that is a different story.

There was an abundance of food that day at the mosque - nasi ayam and bubur lambuk. Nasi ayam was alright, bubur lambuk is how I'd describe as 'nutty and meaty'. I had my pasembor last, and it was good.

My craving was satisfied, but I sure could go for another round of it another day.

An enthusiastic art person, and a pasembor. Both connected in the sense that both I've encountered by chance.

Ramadhan

Happy Ramadhan to those who are observing it! No hanky panky mmhmmmmm

Ask me about Ramadhan, and I would view the whole thing as a time to practice minimalism. It's something more of a spiritual experience for me. Hopefully I can strengthen my inner self during this time - all for a better mind, spirit and all that eh?

An old friend

Today I have received news that one of my old coursemate have passed away last Sunday. He was caught in a motorcycle accident in a place that isn't too far from his hometown.


I was utterly caught by surprise with this news. After most of us have graduated, each of us are caught up with out own destination that we generally keep in touch with only a handful of ex coursemates. And some more or less stay out of touch almost completely - this guy was one example. Not many people knew what he's up to, and he don't really use social media a lot like the rest of us.

The last time I spoke with him was a few months ago, when I called him out of the blue to ask him what he's up to. And that was not too long after a chance encounter with him in the city, when he was looking for a position for work.

He is as old as I am, and his death prompted me to think deeply on questions such as what I really wanted to do with life, or how the people and the world around you will act after your death, or... what actually happens to us when we die?

I try to carry on as usual the rest of the day, but there's just that sadness and confusion and depression going on at the back of my head. Outward I seem like I'm just going through the day as usual, but... my mind is still not really there.

He is one of the most random, funniest and crazy (albeit low-key kind of crazy) people that I know. He was certainly not the usual 'normals' that you could find; he's cool. He's not so much outstanding or brilliant, but he was an all around pleasant and fun to hang around with. We certainly had a good time back then in our student life. If I didn't find him, my degree life would have been considerably more serious and boring... or maybe even much stressful.

We'll definitely miss you, Jun. Al-Fatihah.


ADDENDUM: I've just remembered how he was featured in one of my blog post way back. So, here we go...

3 years of eating danmaku

And as usual, I'll start this short musing by recalling how it all began by checking out a few albums off the awesome CROW'SCLAW, and coming across a well written entry on a blog for interested newbs at that time.

And it began with... two 

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Some further thoughts on crossplaying

A follow up to the post I've written way back, with a few more things to comment after some experience and observations.

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Positive minded

We need more positive minded people.

Of course, when I said that I meant to seperate from the naive overly optimistic ones. There is a fine line between being a realist and a cynic, and those line might have overlapped without us being able to differentiate where it is.

The ones who have assessed reality for what it is, and act accordingly to the situation - making the best out of what they have - they are the ones who are most commendable. And as much as negativity is easily passed on to others, so are positivity (the non fake and naive ones). But unfortunately, the way I see it it's these negativities and fake optimism which are being spread around - and the second type I view it as further causing a positive feedback on the negativity: when they are told how they should act, how 'wrong' they are, on how they should follow the norm to happiness.

But what is happiness anyway? It's very subjective. And I'm thinking on how we're lacking on people who are positive minded, being drown out by the voices of negativities.

Maybe someday we will realize that we don't need to tell all the bad things that we feel just to make us feel better; to validate our own existence, as some might feel; without realizing we're running a vicious cycle where all this negativity keeps on getting bigger and bigger.

Maybe.