xiaoqiang says: okie i snapped the pic above this morning using my ever-proud T610.( okay not ever-proud anymore, just something to boast my ego) i guess it drizzled or rained this morning. and while i was waiting for my lift. i saw this pictureque view in my neighbourhood. and it's been a while since i last saw a rainbow. especially a rainbow in a cool morning. HAH! what a beautiful morning to start a day.* happy smile*

Went to Orchard Hotel last night for a wine & cheese indulge session with my colleague. it was really a nice ambience, with gracefully sang live band accompany the environment. it's probably one luxuriate night after a day's work. Thanx to Ernie's recommendation, Carbanet Merlot was chosen to compliment the cheese taste as some cheese comes with a peppery taste; in contrast with some apricot, walnut and a special chewy jelly. if you guys are interested in chocolate indulge, you can try during " afternoon tea" (noted it's not high-tea) at orchard hotel. i have already tasted, witnessed, thumb-printed chocolate fondue. when will cheese fondue land in singapore? *grin*


below is yamato nadeshiko's episode 7.
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if you all can't wait for me to post the story. click here to view all 11 episode. i am just linking the english version to here.


Title: Yamato Nadeshiko (Perfect Woman )
click here to find out more.


a little more about...
Matsushima Nanako grew up in a very poor family and is thus determined to marry a rich man so that she will never have to go through poverty ever again, and is named the "gokon queen" in her quest to find her man. Tsutsumi Shinichi is a brilliant academic (Fields prize winner - Nobel Prize equivalent in Mathematics) who gave up his studies to take over his deceased father's fish-shop. They meet through a doctor's "gokon" (group date) and she falls in love with him under the mistaken assumption that he is a very rich man...

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Yamato Nadeshiko ("Perfect Woman") : Episode Seven

At the races, Osuke looks on as his horse nears the finish line...






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As Osuke and Sakurako are standing there in the rain, facing each other, Osuke says to her "You’re right, money is more important than the heart." But Sakurako does not seem at all happy to hear him give in, and she quietly looks over at the cat that’s mewing in the doorway of the fish shop and says "the cat must be hungry... our cat at home used to cry like that when it was hungry... it’d be nice if there were some fish for it to eat." She turns and walks off in the rain.

As she leaves, she thinks back to her childhood, when her cat used to mew and she would try to take some of the fish from the dinner table to feed her but then her brothers would snatch it back because they didn’t even have enough food to feed themselves. Sakurako reaches her home and as she’s sitting inside in the dark, she’s holding Osuke’s chameleon toy and thinking about what he’d said to her earlier.

At their pre-flight briefing the next day, Aya, Watabe and Nami are discussing Osuke’s debt situation. Nami had learned from Kasuya how large his debt was and was telling the others about it. As they talk, Sakurako shows up for work, which surprises them as she had taken a leave of absence to go to New York. It turns out she secretly sold the first-class ticket that Higashijujou had bought her and used the money to pay off her debts. She’d then cancelled her leave and arranged to work on the New York flight, and would then meet Higashijujou there.

Before take-off, the crew is in airport lounge and Sakurako is eating her second breakfast of the day. Watabe wonders how she can have such a good appetite and not be bothered at all by the fact that she is becoming a hospital chief’s wife at Osuke’s expense. Meanwhile the others are watching her eat and Aya says that soon she won’t be able to eat such foods so freely (she’s eating instant noodles - which would be considered too cheap once she becomes Higashijujou’s wife.) Sakurako doesn’t seem bothered and replies that it’s better than having to eat it all her life! She then tells them that one’s happiness is bought with money.

In New York, Sakurako is happily trying on wedding gowns with Higashijujou. Meanwhile, back in Japan, poor Osuke is frantically raising the money to pay his debt (it’s 30 million yen!) but with no success. Osuke goes back to Sakuma’s and while he’s sitting there disconsolately, Kasuya tells him that it will be difficult to find someone to help him - Kasuya himself had approached his own credit company to ask them on Osuke’s behalf but he says that credit companies are unwilling to go against such an important client as Higashijujou. Sakuma had also approached his bank to try and raise some money by re-mortgaging his house, but because his current mortgage still has 30 years on it, he is unable to get a second mortgage. Osuke is touched to find that his friends are willing to do this for him but feels quite guilty. Mariko tries to cheer him up by saying that he still has a week to go and tries to get them to eat something to replenish their energy but Osuke gets up to go, saying he still has deliveries to make and he’s going to try his best to deliver fresh fish to his customers while he still can.

In New York, Sakurako is eating at a fancy French restaurant with Higashijujou and as she raises her champagne glass, she tells Higashijujou that she heard someone say that the god of happiness can be found in the bubbles of the champagne. He replies that his god of happiness is her.

Osuke is delivering fish to the wealthy old couple at the mansion. The owner tells him that he has entered a horse in tomorrow’s race but that it’s unlikely to win. He’d spent 300 million yen on the horse and it has 6-4 odds, but the horse had lost the past four races already. Osuke calculates the probability and tells the old man that the horse has a 99% chance of winning! The old man is naturally incredulous at his words, and Osuke quickly retracts them, saying "sorry, don’t pay any attention to me...of course it can’t be so..."

Osuke goes home that night and sees his mom worrying over their debt problems. He’d forgotten to go see the creditor that day and says he’ll go tomorrow and tells his mom not to worry. But the next day, the creditor won’t extend his loan and tells him that he’s got five days left to settle it. When Osuke returns to the fish shop, he finds the wealthy old man there, and the guy gives him a wad of cash, saying it’s his winnings - it turns out the horse really did win the race! The guy then tells Osuke that he has another horse entered for the upcoming race, but it has only managed to place only one time in the past two years and it hasn’t won since. He then hands over the race sheets to Osuke. After calculating the odds, Osuke figures that the horse has an excellent chance of winning...

Sakurako returns to Tokyo with Higashijujou and she’s exhausted from having tried on so many gowns. Her crew mates look on from a distance and comments on how scary it is that Sakurako can pull the wool over Higashijujou’s eyes and Watabe says a little bitterly that if there’s any justice in this world, then Higashijujou would find out the truth about Sakurako one day - otherwise it wouldn’t be fair for Osuke.

Nami, Aya and Sakurako are in a beauty salon having a pedicure and Sakurako is saying how it’s strange she doesn’t feel the least excitement about her upcoming nuptials. The others wonder if there’s something wrong with Higashijujou but Sakurako says that he gives her everything she wants and is a really nice person, but somehow she stills feels uneasy. Aya says that Sakurako must be a normal person after all, and is probably feeling uncomfortable at having built her happiness on someone else’s misfortune... "Who are you talking about?" Sakurako asks, seemingly oblivious, and Watabe says in exasperation, "Osuke!" Sakurako replies "No, I don’t think so, it’s just pre-wedding nerves..." She tells them that having committed to a person, one is never sure if there isn’t someone better (richer) out there, and then decides that the only way is to go to more gokons! Watabe says, "I’m not going to go!" but when Sakurako asks the others, they are eager to participate!

Watabe goes to see Osuke to see if there’s something she can do to help him but he’s busy calculating the odds on the horse and is oblivious to her presence. She tries to let on how much she likes him, but he doesn’t seem to catch her meaning and realizing how hopeless it is, she leaves.

Sakurako is at a gokon with her male crew mates, but even though she tries hard to work up some enthusiasm for at least one of them, finally she admits defeat, telling Aya that it can’t be helped, since the gokon was last-minute and it’s hard to find a group of decent men available at such short notice.

At Sakuma’s Osuke shares his hopes about making the debt money from the upcoming races. The others are worried to see him pin all his hopes on gambling but try to not to too obvious about it. Mariko, in her usual optimistic way, tries to support him.

At the gokon, Nami gets a call from Kasuya but gives him the brush off, cutting him off when Hanabusa’s call comes in. She agrees to meet up with Hanabusa later but as he hangs up, Kasuya overhears the conversation and freaks out to hear that he’d arranged to meet Nami. But Hanabusa lies and tells him it’s another Nami, from the hospital.

Meanwhile, Sakuma calls Sakurako and asks her to meet him. She agrees, thinking it’s a gokon, but then he tells her he has something to discuss with her. They meet at a bar, and he tells her that he’s worried about Osuke and asks her to intervene with Higashijujou. She naturally refuses, and is unmoved, even when he tries to remind her how Osuke has helped her many times in the past. She says it has nothing to do with her and the new hospital represents her happiness and starts to walk away. In desperation, Sakuma tells her how Osuke is pinned all his hopes on the upcoming horse race tomorrow. His words seem to have some effect on her and she turns back and tells him that she understands, and will be there as well.

At the races, Sakurako has asked the other cabin crew to come as well, and at first they think it’s because she wants them to rally around Osuke, but in fact, Sakurako tells them that she sees this as a good gokon opportunity! Osuke then shows up with the old man, who is quite surprised to see them all there, but assumes they’re there to represent Osuke’s shop. Sakurako replies in the affirmative and they all follow the old man up to the private box.

While the others are eagerly waiting for the race to begin, Sakurako is busy chatting up the horse-owners inside. Meanwhile, Osuke has put 500,000 yen on the race; if he wins, he’ll be able to repay all his debt! After a tense race, Osuke’s horse really does win and they’re all ecstatic for him... until there’s a sudden announcement from the club’s loudspeakers, declaring a technical fault and Osuke’s horse is disqualified... They’re all cast down by the news. Osuke’s mom, who’s listening to the race on the radio is overcome by the news and faints. Back at the races, Osuke says dispiritedly that it’s God’s way of telling him that he is useless, but then Sakurako says quietly to him, "you’ve done your best..." before walking away.

Osuke then gets a call telling him that his mom has passed out and he races to the hospital. When he gets there, Sakuma tells him that his mom still hasn’t regained consciousness and Osuke goes to her bedside. Later on, Sakuma tells him to go home to take a rest, as his mom is not likely to wake for some time. But Osuke decides to go to find Higashijujou instead, and outside Higashijujou’s hospital, he goes down on his knees and begs Higashijujou to give him some more time. Sakurako comes out and sees Osuke on bended knees, but Osuke continues in his supplications, asking Higashijujou to give him "one year... no, one month will be enough" - just long enough for his mom to recover her health. Higashijujou is touched by Osuke’s sincerity but tells him that he can’t stop the construction of his hospital and offers to take his mom into his own hospital to help her recovery. He says that he knows Osuke to be a brilliant academic and that he doesn’t understand why Osuke - with such a bright future in academia ahead of him - continues to waste his talents at the fish shop. Osuke replies that the shop is something his father left behind and it’s something that money can’t replace... Higashijujou says "sorry, but I really don’t understand", and Osuke finally admits defeat and walks away.

Sakurako, bearing flowers, goes to Sakuma’s hospital and Sakuma is surprised to see her there. She tells him that she’s here on behalf of Higashijujou’s hospital to visit Osuke’s mom, and also to give final notice to Osuke, saying that it’s useless to ask for mercy. Sakuma is disgusted at how hardhearted she is.

Meanwhile, Osuke’s inside the hospital room, by his mom’s bedside. She’s still unconscious but he’s apologizing to her anyway for his abject failure. Sakurako reaches the door and hears him say that "someone once accused me of running away from my problems by coming back to Japan. I know that person really despises me but she’s right. I did use Dad’s death as a means of escape, it gave me the excuse to give up academia. If I hadn’t done so, then we wouldn’t be losing the fish shop now..." His mom regains consciousness, and as Osuke runs out to find Sakuma, he hesitates on seeing Sakurako at the door but then goes racing down the hallway. Sakurako goes into the room, and his mom mistakes her for Yukiko and is glad to see her, saying that Osuke’s been really lost without her and she’s glad Yukiko-san has decided to come back to her son’s side. She tells Sakurako that even though they don’t have any money, they’ll be happy together, because "the most important thing in the world can’t be bought by money". Sakurako wants to know what "that thing" is, and Osuke’s mom replies that when she’s with Osuke, she’ll understand what it is. (Sakurako then thinks back to her childhood and how she’d heard the same thing from her own mother, and how there’s something more important in this world then money.)

As Sakurako leaves, Osuke comes back into the room with Sakuma. Sakuma gives his mom a check-up and tells Osuke that she’ll be fine. His mom then tells Osuke about "Yukiko’s" visit, and although Sakuma and Osuke exchange glances, seeing how happy she seems to be about Yukiko coming, they don’t tell her that it’s actually Sakurako. But as Sakuma leaves, he says in an undervoice to Osuke that he shudders to think what "that woman" has said to his mom. After Sakuma leaves, Osuke stands quietly by the window and looks at the flowers that Sakurako has left behind.

As usual, Kasuya, Osuke and Sakuma are all at Sakuma’s house. Osuke is reconciled to losing the fish shop and when Kasuya asks him what he plans to do, since he’ll be losing his home as well, Osuke says optimistically that he’ll work hard and find a way out, and they shouldn’t worry. Sakuma retorts that hearing him say that makes him more worried! - but Mariko, in her usual cheerful way, tries to lighten the atmosphere by saying that she’s sure things will take a good turn from now on.

Meanwhile, Higashijujou is telling Sakurako about his plans for the new hospital. Suddenly, Sakurako asks him to cancel his plans for the hospital. He’s struck dumb by her request and she coquettishly says that it’s because she dislikes the area and asks him to find a new location. He tells her that it’s not possible at this point, and she skittishly threatens to cancel the wedding, forcing him to agree to her request. Higashijujou asks her if she’s doing this for Osuke, but she doesn’t answer and continues to silently gaze out the window.

On hearing the good news about Osuke from his credit bank, Kasuya goes racing over to Sakuma’s hospital and tells them how the credit company is extending Osuke’s loan by a month! They’re all really happy for him and go out that night to celebrate. On their way home, they’re talking over the bank’s decision and Kasuya says that it must be because of his supplications to his company. They run into Sakurako, and Watabe shares Osuke’s news with her but she only says in reply, "oh, that’s nice - bye" before walking off. Kasuya, who’s drunk, stops her and asks her why Higashijujou changed his mind about the hospital and she replies that she doesn’t know. They continue to harass her, saying "how can you not know? Is there some problem?" until Osuke pushes them away. He tries to be friendly by saying that now the fish shop is still in business, she can come over anytime she wants fresh fish, and then babbles on about how he’s so lucky to have friends rally around him in times of trouble, and that even though he’s poor, he’s still got their support and there is a god looking out for him etc. Sakurako hears him out in silence and then congratulates him coolly and then walks off. Kasuya is bugged by her cool demeanour and shouts after her that she’s "evil" but she ignores him. As the others pull Kasuya away, Osuke stares after Sakurako’s retreating back, while Watabe watches him from behind.




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