Fruits Basket: A Social Psychology Analyses

If you analysed each and every character in Fruits Basket carefully, they're all analogies of one social problem, mental illness and prevalent adolescent dilemmas.

Tohru Honda is representative of a pupil ostracized for coming from a hard family condition. A poor orphan in a sea of ignorant peers trying to survive each day's loneliness. A representative of children who come from 'troubled' homes.

Sohma Kyo - another ostracized pupil whose sole fault is being born a cursed zodiac. He can be an analogy for children being born with some form of developmental disability aka Special Needs Child analogy.

Sohma Yuki - a possible analogy for autism spectrum. He appears to not make friends easily.

Sohma Ayame - this is definitely histrionic and narcissism.

Shigure Sohma - Hyperactivity. Really, the man is like a bouncing ball that never settles.

Sohma Momiji - child abandonment/neglect. Both his parents practically dumped him when the mother suffered nervous breakdown after giving birth to Momiji.

Akito Sohma - severe depression, bordering on schizophrenia.

Sohma Hatori - he is representative of all human beings who carried a emotional baggage one way or another. We are all shrouded by mistakes we will regret for a lifetime, or a secret so terrible you'd take it to the grave and also social withdrawal caused by traumatic events. Hatori never actually speaks unless spoken to.

Rescue Gone Awry

Last night I spotted an old dog in my apartment compound. It was late at night so I thought I'd go look for him tomorrow. One look, and you'll know he is an abandoned pet, he still had a collar on his neck and VERY FRIENDLY with hoomins.

This afternoon, I went out to look for him after throwing my garbage. I looked everywhere and when I was about to head home to call it a day, like magic he popped up in front of me.
OH MY GOD I have never felt so relieved. Then I remembered, even with my phone with me I did not had Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better's number and dashed up too look for the number and when I got it I came back down, the dog was lost.

I tried searching everywhere and all of a sudden a stray attacked me and although not bitten, thankfully, I was left with this:

I am still bummed over these wounds and the fact that I had broken my glasses in the process. I feel like almost giving up on looking for the dog. But my heart wouldn't rest, I feel like I had to do something. So I emailed details to MDDB and now I can only hope for the best.

Ai no Kusabi (2012)

So I was watching Tight Rope OVA (no I did not shlick) late last night in Youtube so naturally I saw various yaoi anime recommendations. One of them was Ai no Kusabi. You see, I watched Ai No Kusabi long, long time ago when I was still a horny teenager. So I thought "Ahh, why not? For old times sake". I clicked the link and for a few seconds I was completely lost as it wasn't the familiar opening scene I was expecting. Here I see a clear-cut HD anime, with spectacular artwork and vivid colorings and naturislic flow.

Wait. Is this....? It couldn't be, is it?

It is.

A full remake of the 1992 Ai no Kusabi.

And BY JOVE ITS SEXY TO THE DROP.

The luridity is more astounding, more sexy more 'wetting' in speshul pleyces. Sorry, so much smut made me stoopid.

The new 2012 Ricky.

When Ricky first sexed it with Iason, he was only FIFTEEN. The story progresses until he's 18 years old.

The storyline is still the same where people's status were determined by the colour of their hair. Blondes being the highest ranking and black hairs being the lowliest scums. oh my.

The story is still about a very young Ricky who is the object of 'silent' affection of a Blondie, Iason Mink.
Ricky spends 3 years as Iason's 'pet' - sex slaves more like. Iason releases Ricky into his slums convinced that Ricky'll be a stranger to his own home and will eventually come back to him.

Just wait till you see him in his slut uniform.

Of course, we get to see Ricky wearing his 'sex slave' suit and get sexed up with the fully clothed Blondie.

If I had a Blondie who looked like this...

I give this series a full 10 in terms of plot, character development, artwork, quality, sexy-meter. EVERYTHING.

I heard it's gonna be slated for 8-13 episodes after a a few months of hiatus. Definitely watch this and look out for the new  5th OVA. I know I am. 

Here is the screen shot of the original 1992 version. For nostalgic purposes! XD

A Toothy Story with a Sprinkle of Wisdom

I simply love making up weird titles like this. XD

I had my third molar from my lower right jaw removed and boy, that escalated quickly. I was in and out of the dentist's chair in less than 20 minutes. XD
I was given strong numbing injections and when she probed with my gums and the offending tooth with scalpels and hook-like devices, I felt no pain - only pressure from the instruments she used.

I was stitched up real quick and I can fell it's prickly surface touching my tongue. I am swollen like nobody's business and she expects me to be this way until my stitch removal next week. =P

After the extraction, I was extremely elated because a) the dentist was a kind, gentle person ; b) she was REALLY GOOD. Her name is Dr.Chan and her clinic is in PJ New Town - it was clean and so nice looking XD.

I am a bit needled by the price though - RM600 for one tooth! So freaking expensive. I was told dentists in Subang Jaya does it for only rm300 per tooth. Next time, I'm having my left lower jaw wisdom tooth removed in Subang >=O
After exiting the clinic, half of my face is numb and my head throbbed from all the pain. I decided to wait for my mum until her work finishes at 1pm. I had thought myself able to withstand the dizziness but boy, was I ever wrong.

I said hello to diarrhea, vomiting and near-fainting episodes. I called the mumster and begged her to come pick me up because standing up is such a strain. I cried in public over the discomfort I endured for an excruciating hour. I pretty much fell asleep on the bench like a freaking hobo. =\

When my mum arrived, it was as if an angel itself had landed from the heavens.

I fell asleep the entire ride in car, body stinging with pain, having made weak from the vomiting and diarrhea. As soon as I reach home, I fell asleep immediately, waking up in intervals to drink water. I felt a little better at 6.30pm. Mum bought food shortly after. I had asked for either noodles or porridge so I wouldn't chew as much, clasping my teeth is a fucking pain. In the end I only ate half of wantan noodles. Chewing is a fucking pain.

Taking painkillers for the throbbing pain in my gums and aspirin for head, I once again fell asleep.
My sleep is really uncomfortable, the bed feels like rusty metal, my head feel heavy and numb.

In short, this is kind of a traumatic experience for me. It'll be a while before I have my other third molars pulled.

Even the dentist admitted that is one monster of a tooth. Can't believe this shit had been in my gums. Crooked, nonetheless.

Relieving Tired Eyes

Have you been noticing an increase of those red lines on the whites on your cornea? You may have tired eyes.

If you're a long-hour computer user, the red lines happen when you're not blinking enough hence the eyes create more blood vessels to carry oxygen to the surface of your eyes. The resulting damage is the red lines on the cornea that looks bloodshot like you've been smoking weed.

Maybe that was an exaggeration. But really, if yer' eyes are similar to this, you may need to cut down on the computer use.

Before you opt to check with an eye doctor, I suggest that you try these simple home remedies. 

1. Warm water

What you do is, have a bowl of hot boiling water, fold a small towel into a rectangular shape, and dip the flat surface facing downwards in the boiled water. Like this:

Just click on the image for larger view =D

After doing so, you might wanna wait until the hot water is comfortable enough to be placed on your eyes. But make sure it is still hot. Gently place them on your eyes closed, room lighting is dim-to-dark. You can leave the hot vapour do it's job or you may like to press them on the eye gently. I prefer to press them since my eyes are large but deep set and it doesn't touch properly on my eyelid. Once the heat have cooled down, repeat the process and do it as many times as you like or until the boiled water lost it's cool.

You should feel significantly better and the red lines should have decreased.

ps: everytime you open your eyes after basking your eyes on the warm towel. the eyes might feel a little blurry to the vision. This is normal. Just blink a few time DO NOT RUB! You'll lose the moisture if you rub.

2. Drink and eats fruits

They're a natural anti-oxidants to the eyes. Carrots, honeydew, papaya & cucumber are hydrating fruits so it is beneficial to eat them.

3. Supplements

I am currently drinking Brand's Innershine 7 Berries Essence. As much as home remedies are a stellar, I suppose nutritional 'eye food' is a plus. I have yet to see any difference upon drinking this 'eye food' supplement as I have drank 2 bottles so far. Mind you this is malt-like drink made from chicken essence and some fruits meant to feed the eyes of lost nutrients so you might not be too fond of the taste. I am used to drinking alcohol-free malt drinks so this is kinda tasty for me. (^v^)

 Besides, you'd want to have tried your best at improving your sight at home before visiting the doctor if these didn't work - 

3. Artificial Tears

Eye drops like EyeMo and Optrex are over-the-counter eye lubricants. EyeMo are eye drops while Optrex is kinda like an eye-wash. I find Optrex particularly soothing and gives me a relief when I wake up in the morning with dry, red eyes ='(. This happens only when I wake up early mornings like 5am or so if late morning my eyes are fine.

4. Simple Eye Yoga/Eye Exercise

The gold rule: look away from the screen and look at greeneries like trees, even your mum's potted plant can do. If you live in the city and trees are scarce, you simply close your eyes(you can keep them open but the constant changes in peripheral vision as you move your eyes may cause you dizziness), and roll them clockwise 10-15 times, medium speed. Do it again for 10-15 minutes counterclockwise. Do this simple eye yoga every 30mins-1hour to avoid strain on your eye muscles. 

Also, close an eye, have a book, newspaper or anything at hand with semi-large words on them and concentrate on those. Count to 12, and move 5cm closer. Repeat this until your elbows are in a V-shape and the book/newspaper is 10com away near your eyes. Repeat this on each eye 3 times a day =). 

5. Spots, photosensitivity and 'shadows' that gradually move across your eyes.

Photo curtesy of mmu.edu

This is a WARNING sing. I urge you to make an appointment with an ophthalmologist immediately as a gradual 'shadow' that moves across your peripherals are a sign of detached retina and can lead to blindness if left untreated. I currently have this symptoms and it freaked me out when I made an appointment with Vision Space Optometrist(thanks guys for giving me a free consultation and being so professional in examining my eyes!]. Test each eye by focusing on a dot or an object and if you have 'shadows' gradually covering all or part of your peripherals I URGE YOU to see an eye doctor immediately. This is preventable if detected at early stage!  I will be updating this after my visit to eye doctor this Saturday. 

Try the aforementioned home remedies and hope it works. See ya! 

Understanding Introverts

Right, I wrote this purely based on my own experience as a super-introvert.

If you take a look at Facebook posts, you'd probably think I am an obnoxious loudmouth who never shuts up. But then you see me in real life - I hardly speak two words to you.

It's not that I am ashamed to be face-to-face with you. As an introvert, I greatly enjoy my company and I value my privacy/alone-time.

I am always thinking about something, always have little 'projects' to be completed.

An Introvert is knowledge-seeking. She is constantly reading a book or looking at some form of information fuel. She is what the judgmental society calls 'nerdy'.

I do enjoy a bit of quality time and socializing with friends. I have no problems going up the stage and present something. I may not be the best presenter but unlike common misconception most people have - introverts are not shy. Maybe to a small degree, we are indeed shy, but not too much.

We are definitely not snobbish, arrogant or anything like that. Our lack of enthusiasm in communication may turn you off but really, we do appreciate you taking the time to talk to us. I know it's not easy to keep a conversation going with an introvert and if you can keep a conversation going with an introvert, you'd be surprised with the knowledge we have got to offer. [Yes, we "Silent Lambs" revel in reading and collecting knowledge and like to share it to whomever that asks].

We are very loyal and devoted to our interests so if you insult it, expect us to be cold with you.

Another common misconception about introverts is that we are 'boring'. Well, just because we don't prance around in our trophies and medals and certs doesn't mean we have nothing to talk about. For all you know - that quiet girl you sit next to runs a well-received blog(ahems, ahems) and apparently is the most sought-after person in times of need(my friends often tell me this ehehehehe).

Really, as an introvert my achievements are something that is privy and special to me. I don't see the point of exposing it and seeking social validation of sorts. I just...don't. We prefer to keep it silent because really, sudden fame is an introvert's worst nightmare. We can't handle all the love.

Unless you're a Hot Topic shirtless model then yeah sure why not. XD

ps: the hot anime guys are just for your eye candy. Sorry guys, most of my readers are ladies, so...XD ahaks.

Rape: Not Limited To Only Girls

The word 'rape' almost instantaneously elicits rage among people, stronger in women as women are the most prevalent victims of this heinous crime.

These are the statistics collected on the number of rape cases involving women.

When a woman is raped, ample of assistance if available for her. She, most of the time, gets the sympathy of others and her support system is most of the time, good. People around her help her recuperate from this traumatic chapter in her life. In short - help for a female sexual assault victim is readily available.

...

Have you ever heard of the myth that men get raped in the prison? Well, brace yourselves. It is not a fable, it is a FACT.

Yes, men get raped too. 

Consider this story that my dorm mate told me 4 years ago.

Many years ago, a 14 year old boy was tied to a pole and was raped by three construction workers in an industrial area. Upon finishing this sentence, my dorm mate burst into a fit of laughter. I sat there, horrified that she can even laugh at the poor boy's unfortunate circumstance. She proceeded to say that the boy must've been a sissy if he got raped by men. Again the horror juice continued to spew from her mouth. it was only then I realized, that people by default become protective over female victims but not male victims.

 Only then I realized that there are many, many ignorant people like her who doesn't know that rape, regardless of the gender of the victim, is still serious no matter what.

I wish I could have told her that a scrawny 14 year old teenage boy have no way to defend himself against three men who are hard laborers, honed by working long hours and can you just imagine the strength of a man who is used to handling heavy materials? Can you imagine that strength by three? Can you imagine trying to fight them off?

Yeah, I don't think so.

...

Don't think just because a man is expected by society to be able to defend himself because he is deemed superior in physical strength doesn't mean he'll kung-fu chop whenever he's attacked. Men get overpowered too, men get assaulted too and the impact of this trauma is no different than a female victim.

Unfortunately, there is almost NO HELP for male sexual abuse victims and boys/men who were violated are forced into silence, dying a little each day at having absolutely no one to turn to for help. Just try Googling about male rape victims, I was appalled at how little information I found in my google search for help for make sexual abuse victims.

There is almost none to scarce! Malaysia once had a facility for battered men but it was closed down from severe lack of finances and lack of support. The facility had only 2 inmates and God knows what happened to them now.

I just want to urge male sexual abuse victims to not be quiet about their suffering and seek help. You deserve as much help as a female sexual abuse victim. It's gonna be hard, dealing with people who are not understanding but trust me, there are MANY, MANY therapists out there who are compassionate towards your unfortunate circumstance.

Someone out there cares.