like butter scraped over too much bread
Apr. 22nd, 2026 12:08 pm
Misc. links
Boosting some initiatives that my oomfs are involved in:
2.
Misc. Links
3.
Journaling:
I have been keeping up with my daily planner but can't be bothered to cross-post pics here... In lieu of 3 weeks' worth of journal spreads, here are some food-y ones instead:
2 pics
Because it's a daily journal and I'm too lazy to print photos (since most of my pictures are of food and the neighborhood egret), I've accidentally gotten a little better at drawing basic shapes, which is... good? It's kind of like getting regular drawing practice but without the pressure of a dedicated sketchbook since the main goal is personal note-taking.
那曾經吹過的風...
Jul. 25th, 2025 04:17 pm( Read more... )
Bits and bobs:
Recent fannish developments
Jun. 8th, 2025 01:24 pmI keep finding out again and again that people react to my designs the most when I draw earnestly. I recommend the same to you, the world is a lot more interesting with your vision in it. If you’re scared people won’t like it just remember that you should be your biggest fan and that you’ll be glad you put your heart on paper. An honest design will last you a lot longer than a popular one. It’ll make you stand out more, too.

Small victories, etc
Btw I have a computer now! I bought it from my brother's friend who owns a computer shop, which landed me a considerable discount AND reliable/free delivery. I've mostly been using it for watchpartying, online purchasing, posting on DW, and watching videos. I'm trying to ease my way back to do other stuff (making icons, edits, fansubs, etc) but I'm enjoying lying down too much. ^^;
Links of interest:
In any case, translation toward English is not an act of benevolent charity — Penguin’s imprimatur did not rescue Truyện Kiều from obscurity. Nearly a hundred million people live in Việt Nam and several million Vietnamese people live abroad. Việt Nam is now more populous than the United Kingdom, Turkey, Australia, France, Germany, South Korea — and many, many other countries. A friend recently shared a reminder from her mother: Vietnamese doesn’t need you. We get so embroiled in our diasporic angst, writing heartfelt, tortured essays about not being able to impart cultural knowledge to any children we might have, but we’re lucky for what is not the case for everyone who has lost a language or had it taken from them. Vietnamese is not endangered, and its literature is not honored by translation toward English — it is English-using society that benefits from gaining access to literature produced in other languages. . .—Som-Mai Nguyen, "Blunt-force Ethnic Credibility" (h/t
2.
In that instant, Kiyose realized something. If happiness, or beauty, or goodness existed in this world, for him, they would take the form of this runner.
Just finished Shion Miura's Run with the Wind (translated by Yui Kajira) and loved it. Although I barely remember anything from the anime, I adored it the first time I watched it and I now appreciate it as an adaptation. :') The big race (Hakone Ekiden) took almost half of the book and I'm amazed at how invested and emotional I was throughout it, even when I was just reading it! I did mostly have to skip Shindo and Haiji's legs because I was too anxious haha.
Also loved the bits where Musa was struggling with colloquial language (as a foreign student) and Shindo was always checking in on him. I actually don't remember Shindo at all in the anime, which makes me feel bad because he is such a GEM.
Some of the side characters (namely the rival athletes and Hana) were more obviously narrative devices than people and it took some time for me to get used to that, and I was very surprised to see the (one-sided) Kakeru/Hana developments.
Really enjoyed the English translation, the (consistent and intentional) choice to leave specific words untranslated and unitalicized, and the writing.
Some excerpts from the translator's notes:
Miura's writing has a warmth and an openness, though it's hard to put a finger on what exactly gives it that feeling. Her all-embracing love for human beings and their everyday lives, in all their messy glory, seems to seep through her words and touch us, too. Her characters come alive on the page, each possessing their own past and future. As readers, we are pulled into that embrace, and, like the spectators of the Hakone Ekiden, we feel absorbed in the Chikusei-so team's endeavor as if we were running alongside them ourselves.
My general stance in translating this novel was to prioritize the momentum of the story, the feel of each character (and their relationships, with all the banter), and the authenticity of the language revolving around running. At the same time, I wanted to retain as many Japanese terms as possible, and in a way that allows curious readers to look things up. After all, it's perfectly natural to come across unfamiliar words or concepts while reading any book, no matter the language it was originally written in. Luckily, it's easier than ever to find out what an engawa or a kamaboko looks like, or what a higurashi sounds like. Of course, there are many English videos and articles about the real-life Hakone Ekiden as well, packed with as much human drama as the story of the Chikusei-so team.
3.
I don't have a favorite anything anymore since I have a very short memory and tend to move on from interests... But here's a list of favorites from the last five years:
I guess it's easier to say that my favorite medium is comics these days... I need to relearn how to read books without illustrations. ^^;
2.
Vocabulary list from the first chapter of 全宇宙最后一只猫 The Last Cat in the Universe (which I'm dropping because I'm looking for shorter or maybe less webnovel-y reads):

3.
Recent bookmarks:
Links dump (so I can find them again)
Jul. 18th, 2024 05:40 pmTwitter finds:
Synopsis:
Agatha has always dreamed of the stars. But when a chance encounter introduces her to the Lady of the Hills, Agatha is shocked to learn that a secret magical world lays hidden in the mist-shrouded land next to her village. She finds herself quickly captivated by the Lady, but is the Lady who she appears to be?
Embedded tweets, in case Twitter is inaccessible:
It's been almost a year since I started subbing for i/QI/YI
— 🍉 田里的猹 (@melonconsumer) April 25, 2024
Some things I've learned:
They have staff regularly watching social media. During this time, at least 2 subbers got fired for leaking drama release dates and other info
— 🍉 田里的猹 (@melonconsumer) April 25, 2024
I don't know why because melon accounts on Weibo often have faster and more accurate info than us 😅
There have been dramas that got released suddenly and we had like 1 day to sub 4 eps
— 🍉 田里的猹 (@melonconsumer) April 25, 2024
There have been dramas that we worked on for a 1 week in advance, only for the release to get scrapped the day before
So many things get edited last minute (or even after release)
— 🍉 田里的猹 (@melonconsumer) April 25, 2024
The last few eps of a recent drama were mostly subbed without sound because it got edited and didn't finish getting re-dubbed until a few hours before release
There are different levels of subbers. Higher budget dramas will obviously have a higher level sub team with stricter editors
— 🍉 田里的猹 (@melonconsumer) April 25, 2024
But editors only look at a part of each ep (due to workload and time issues)
Can't think of anything else, other than that the full-time staff work so hard it's crazy
— 🍉 田里的猹 (@melonconsumer) April 25, 2024
The manager works literally every day and replies immediately even when I message her at like 3AM 😳
Forgot to mention some things!
— 🍉 田里的猹 (@melonconsumer) April 25, 2024
Multiple subbers work on 1 drama. Sometimes, there are multiple subbers for 1 ep
We have a glossary but when there are flashbacks or repeated lines, it's near impossible to have the exact same wording
Subbers don't get to see much of the drama beforehand and everything is done real-time
— 🍉 田里的猹 (@melonconsumer) April 25, 2024
Sometimes it's halfway thru the drama and we realize something is wrong 😅 (ex: CP4 where elixir had to be changed to pill)
The translation process: transcription to Chinese → AI translation → humans proofread (have to change 95% of the content because AI sucks) → transcription and translation of onscreen text → broadcast → review and edit
— 🍉 田里的猹 (@melonconsumer) April 25, 2024
The biggest difference between official subbers and fan subbers is that fan subbers don't have set deadlines, understand fandom language/style, and can add translator notes to explain things
— 🍉 田里的猹 (@melonconsumer) April 25, 2024
Dreamwidth finds:
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Currently playing Eiyuden Chronicle, and keeping most of my real-time thoughts on Twitter because I don't have the energy to write a post. 😂
Current party favs are Garr (or Kogen–this game makes me appreciate tanks SO MUCH), Iudo (a physical attacker with high speed and high MP so I use him for healing magic), and Kuroto (stronk archer)... Mellore's stats and growth are mediocre, and magic is ANNOYINGLY next to useless at this point in the game anyway, but her rune slots are promising, so I rotate her in now and then for extra heals... Am retiring Francesca even though I enjoy her so much, because her HP / speed/ defense are abysmal and mark her for death.
PS. This game has a character named Pohl! No real connection/resemblance to the Suikoden 2 character but it made my heart jump hehe
thefridayfive 240628
Jun. 29th, 2024 11:43 pmI guess! I sorted out my Philhealth so I could get a cyst out of my body (years overdue) and not have to pay for all of it. Did both of these in February! And I finally finished 我五行缺你... Also in February.
2. Did anything exciting or unexpected happen to you during the first half of 2024?
Good: A number of college friends came back briefly to visit so we had a couple of reunions.
Bad: One of places we reunited in was a wake (a friend lost a family member).
3. What big plans do you have for the second half of 2024?
Going to the dentist at least two more times. :(
4. Have you taken, or are you planning, a vacation this year?
Yeah, but I don't like talking about WiPs, so...
5. Have you ever wanted to be one of the people writing and posting these questions?
Haha no.
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TV/Books:
Twitter things:

I've been watching Tender Light (formerly Gone with the Wind), a drama with crime/thriller and coming-of-age elements, and major domestic abuse and rape storylines (multiple scenes of both).
Eps 1 to 9 were great at depicting coming-of-age bits with the younger characters (as well as the younger versions of the women), but not so much with the main storyline and its characterization of both the adults and Qingshui Town. It does nail down the right notes for a small town where the sun hits exactly right and you can feel the heat settling in in various ways while the darkness festers, etc. But the storytelling was rough, and the parts that surrounded Nan Ya's abuse felt, though obviously having a destination, overblown.
The crime stuff picks up at at the end of episode 9! It's getting twistier. The POV flashbacks are more immersive and functional rather than gimmicky and distracting. The (adult) characters still feel more contradictory than complex, and I'm still not sure if the dubious plot points will be sufficiently explained, but we'll see when more things come to light!
Misc:
Also I have... once again... made a vid... of a Cdrama G4G prompt... This one was not claimed by or assigned to me, but it was Justice in the Dark (Modu) and I had a song in mind for it and all. I'll cross-post it to Youtube AO3 Tumblr etc at some point (I hope my computer doesn't die before then lol), but for now:
Snowflake Challenge 7-10
Jan. 22nd, 2024 05:00 pmCfandom people are always looking for Chinese learning resources, so here is a list (with other links thrown in):
( Read more... )
Challenge #8 Talk about a current fannish project (fic, art, vid, crochet, funko pop village) (that you are creating or enjoying)
Not exactly fannish, but I'm trying to maintain a journal—and trying to keep reading cnovels so I have content to put on my journal (vocabulary lists). XD I meant to finish My Five Elements Lack You before LNY but I've been to preoccupied to sit down and read, oops.
And someone did an animatic of a Modu audiodrama skit (parody of a viral Korean video/meme) I subtitled/translated, though as usual, I can't look at my old stuff without critiquing them and wanting to claw out my face.
Audio with soft subs:
Animatic by liss:
Challenge #9: Rec Us Your Newest Thing.
Not really a "thing", but, well, my latest dog obsession is Manyu and only Manyu!!! I now understand solo/celeb stans because I felt a wave of crushing disappointment when her owner posted a photo of her little brother... Like, cute doggo, but that's not my baby :( :( :( I hope she's genuinely being treated well by her owners because she seems like such a sweet baby and I love her little face sooooo much.
I also started Fire Emblem: Three Houses last week + am trying to do Yoga with Adriene's January 30-day challenge without following her timeline, ie. just doing a video whenever I feel like it. I don't usually vibe with her videos but this series actually looks beneficial for my back, with different core focuses and an average video length of 18-20 minutes. We'll see if I can make it to the end! (I'm at Day 6 lol)
Challenge #10: Five Things
Five recent reads/watches (or attempts to):
Short recs
Nov. 25th, 2023 08:58 pmArt/comics
18+ BL comic with a love triangle between the main character, personified Work, and personified Vacation, now available as a digital comic on Bookwalker TW! The comics are by a Taiwanese artist and on a Taiwanese site, so text is in traditional Chinese. *adds to the pile of digital comics I want to get*
Full webtoon 隔壁同學是人魚 My Classmate is a Merman (BL) is on LINE webtoons (haven't read this one, but it looks cute)
Mostly textures and light grunge effects
Book Clubs
Join us for an international #ReadPalestine week, starting Wednesday, November 29, on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. (Free downloads from Nov 29 - Dec 5)
An online groupread for Journey to the West (bring your own book), with 2-3 chapters a week—I'm not participating but the tag seems pretty active with interesting discussion and notes.
Youtube/Videos
Palestinian baker/recipe blogger who has been recently posting their mother's recipes (but also has a large back catalogue and a written blog)—I think their Instagram might be the most updated video recipe repository right now. Videos are in English.
Filed under "videos that helped me get work done"—I like Adam Neely's video essays even though I know nothing about jazz or musical theory, especially since he’s very conscientious about attributing the history and community that continues to breathe and thrive (and thus challenging Laufey to do the same). I’ve also only ever listened to Laufey casually on music platforms and had no inkling of her MVs, marketing, internet presence, or audience (though my brother was definitely in the concert that was shown in the video—PH crowd is the best crowd ahaha), so it was really cool to see the ~story~.
As someone who has never seen any version of Into the Woods—I'm not entirely sure I'm a Sondheim kind of person either—this made me really want to watch a stage version. ;___;
Recipe shorts by a Filipino cook! I don't cook, but hers is the rare cooking content that makes me want to get cooking. Her humor/personality + recipes are all very approachable, and a lot of times familiar, with brands/ingredients that are legitimately pantry staples (I too am a canned corn enthusiast), as well as easy snacks and hacks. Recipes are in English, with occasional humorous asides in Tagalog/Taglish. She has full videos too but I mostly watch her shorts. For quick and easy Filipino street food, see: banana cue, cheesy corn in a cup
1) "Chinese people playing Wordle like" [video]: so much happening in this video, I keep rewatching it lol
2) Twitter thread by
One of the things that commonly get lost in translation when talking about "Philippine Myths" to folks outside the country is the idea that they're not... actually myths to us.SO TRUE, for our SEAsian neighbors as well, it's also why I feel so strongly about Zen Cho's short fiction. The stories that feature Malaysian mythological creatures inhabit a really familiar space, even for someone like me who grew up in the urban parts of the Philippines. My classmate's sister has encountered a tikbalang (she didn't find out until she played a recording of their interview), my friends have lived near kapres... (I don't really hear these stories in adulthood anymore. Maybe they just don't come up in our conversations, maybe I'm lucky enough to have grandmother who vets houses for supernatural presences, maybe it's a provincial thing, maybe those with higher educational backgrounds don't believe in them--it's hard to tell because I have a hard "no horror or supernatural stories" rule unless it will directly and immediately impact my life lol.)
(I think this is something that even our diaspora counterparts don't always get.)
I mean, sure, the tikbalang is a cool looking horse creature that haunts our campfire stories. What gets omitted sometimes is that the stories are often first or secondhand. You've either actually encountered a tikbalang before, or know someone who swears that they did.
Do I believe that this encounter actually happened? That's an irrelevant question, I think. What matters is that to our culture, these are real encounters.
I say tabi-tabi po when passing anthills, not out of belief in nuno, necessarily, but because that's part of my culture.
3) Found my old planners/journals while attempting to declutter, here's a short thread of photos and notes. This is my favorite find hahahaha:
I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to compile these so they don't take up so much space, one whole hardbound or springbound notebook a year adds up. A problem for another day.
( the justice, our times, squid game, nodame cdrama, my huckleberry friends, deaf republic )
Stuff I did: a scattering of spur-of-the-moment drafts that I have no intention of finishing
遙遠的歌 piano whatever (LH notes if I ever want to revisit: B F# D# B / B G# B F# / F# C# F# F#)
Couple of Mirrors OP - piano whatever (chords if I ever want to revisit: D F A / Bf D F / A C F / C E G, pretty simple)
Miscellaneous Finds
username change + media log
Jul. 14th, 2021 08:35 amundemanding →
halfcactus
I don't feel strongly about the name, but for now it's probably good to narrow my online identities to 2 main usernames haha. Have also updated the FFXV fancomics recs post because I had some unposted backlog.Media I'm into these days:
I have a fuller list of media I'm consuming in my listography but I have a terrible habit of starting things then dropping them, so it's not super representative of my media consumption. XD
Recs, etc
Good day it is crying over Ziqiu + Li Dad o’clock again
EXCELLENT He Ziqiu fanvid. All of his important lines are here, from the open wounds to the casual knifing.
Compilation of pre-timeskip Jianjian and Ziqiu moments! I have this bookmarked to watch on bad days.
I chose English because no one in my family or friends knew it; no one I spoke to could read what I wrote. I myself did not know the language. It was a parallel reality, an insanely beautiful freedom. It still is.