To be Free

I really should be focusing more on JLPT since it's coming in less than 2 months *gasp*

Yeah... I'll just leave these here and go on to study Japanese...

I made the first few sentences really long ago. Hence the present tense in the SMAP news...

Let's see if I got these right...

The Internet is inundated with news of SMAP having disbanded, however with no official press release from Johnny's, fans are unable to tell if the news is real.
inundated - overwhelm; flood; submerge

Depressing news appeared one after another, leaving Sho enervated after a day's news reporting.
enervate - to asp energy from

Working in the entertainment industry quickly changed Arashi from ingenuous young man into crafty and calculating adults, navigating the intricate politics associated with their job with ease.
ingenuous - to be naïve and innocent

Asa young junior, Jun was dogmatic in his beliefs. However as time wore on, he mellowed and became more amenable.
dogmatic - highly opinionated, not accepting that your belief may not be correct

Many Arashi fans are feel a strong antipathy towards Kanjani8, a boisterous group from Kansai and Arashi’s long time rival.
antipathy - habitual aversion; intense dislike; natural repugnance

Yokohama’s taunts rendered all past attempts to ameliorate relationships between Kanjani8 and Arashi futile.
ameliorate - make better or more bearable

Although the appeared to acquiesce to the truce, in reality, both groups are already plotting their next move.
acquiesce - agree with

White the formation of Arashi, Johnny amalgamated the top juniors into one powerful group.
amalgamate - unite in one body

Ever so enthusiastic to start the day’s work, Aiba bounced into the greenroom with alacrity.
alacrity - cheerful willingness

While Ohno despised the attention heaped upon him, his bandmate Jun relished in the adulation Arashi received from their fans.
adulation - excessive admiration

Nino manoeuvred his video game character with the adroitness of a veteran gamer.
adroit - having skill or resourcefulness in coping with situations

Sho admonished Ohno for falling asleep on the sofa again.
admonished - express disapproval, give a mild warning

Nino’s acumen and sharp wit made him an asset in the debate team.
acumen - mental keenness

Arashi’s success today did not accrue overnight; rather, it was due to the accretion of years of handwork.
accretion - gradual buildup or increase

So. I'm trying to do something Arashi-ish, practise my writing, and learn some vocabulary for GRE. Yes. While I think my English skills are pretty decent... My vocabulary is really limited. I don't know 80% of their 'common' words... -.-

Anyway. Here goes. Random, perhaps hilarious, short sentences.

The acrimony between Arashi and Kanjani ran so deep that even the usually amenable leader Ohno could not be persuaded to attend their concert.

acrimony - bitterness or ill feeling.
amenable - open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled.


The staff dreaded concert preparation meetings with Jun for he had a mercurial temper. One day he demanded the floor painted brown, and then decided it looked better in green the next.

mercurial - subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.


The parsimonious Nino sat alone in the darkness, strumming his guitar by the moonlight. It was a full moon out and he could see well enough without wasting electricity on the lights. He was the complete opposite of Jun, a man who lived prodigally.

parsimonious - very unwilling to spend money or use resources.
prodigal - carelessly and foolishly spending money, time, etc.


When questioned by the reporters about the dating rumors, Ohno chose to apologise instead of prevaricating.

prevaricate - to avoid telling the truth by not directly answering a question



Ok... I guess the sentences came out more serious than I wanted to... *sigh*

My heart is still heavy with worries... I'm unsure of my next step...

So many things to do, that I can't... I don't know which to do first. I'm paralysed and even more frightened by my own inaction.

Well at least... I did start a little something now. Though I did waste yesterday away, as well as the better part of today.


I should practise my scientific writing skills a little... Because it'll probably be needed really soon.

And I want to take the JLPT N1 this June/July. After all that procrastination. I want to put it in my CV, as my... Extra hobby or something... Whatever. Every little bit helps since I screwed up my undergrad days. *Shrugs* That can't be helped anymore. But the rest can be so I'll have to do whatever I can.

Vocabulary for both Japanese and English is a big problem for me. Gotta work on them BOTH. It's not gonna be easy cos I suck at rote memorising. Which is the reason why I flunked my undergrad exams anyway. Any suggestions/tips/advice on how to study is welcome! Also, I hope I used those words right. Not much deviation from the standard, example sentences though so... :X

Okay... At least... Now I feel kinda accomplished for the weekend/day. Post on NM done, post on SF done, and now post here done.