PMS

In certain circumstances, I think the threat of PMS is underestimated. I've been suspicious of myself recurrently displaying some of the symptoms with such consistency that it might actually be some sort of a sickness.

I quote NHS:

There are many different symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and they can vary from person to person. Most women only experience a few symptoms each month, but these may differ over time. For example, you may find that you have similar symptoms every month but that they vary in intensity. Equally, you may find that you have slightly different symptoms every few months. PMS tends to be different for every woman.

As many as 150 different symptoms of PMS have been recorded, but the most common are:

• feeling irritable and bad tempered, (so that's why I was mad at the whole world the other day)
  
• fluid retention and feeling bloated, (nope)
  
• mood swings, (that explains my sudden happy-depress-annoyed-disinterest mode)
  
• changes to your skin and hair, (hmmm... does unexplained bruising count?)
  
• feeling upset or emotional, (very frequently, totally)
  
• insomnia (trouble sleeping), (nope... sleep like a log)
  
• difficulty concentrating, (oh yea... short attention span)
  
• backache, (yes... and I thought I was getting old!)
  
• muscle and joint pain, (no wonder I get cramps at the side!!)
  
• breast tenderness, (uh.. not really)
  
• tiredness, (absolutely... won't be enough even if I slept the whole day)
  
• some weight gain (up to 1 kg), and (1kg??!! NO)
  
• appetite changes, or food cravings (that's why I've been eating curry and spices!)
  

The symptoms of PMS usually happen at the same time in your menstrual cycle each month, which can be up to two weeks before your period starts. They usually improve once your period has started, and then disappear until your cycle starts again.

While most women with PMS find their symptoms uncomfortable, a small percentage find that they are severe enough to stop them living their normal lives. This is due to a more intense type of PMS known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). The symptoms of PMDD tend to be similar to those of PMS, but more exaggerated.

Causes

The exact cause of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is not fully understood, but there are a number of possible factors that may contribute to the symptoms. These are detailed below.

Hormonal changes

During your menstrual cycle, levels of hormones, such as oestrogen and progesterone, rise and fall. Hormonal changes are thought to be the biggest contributing factor to many of the symptoms of PMS. The fact that PMS improves during pregnancy, and after the menopause, when hormone levels are stable, supports this theory.

Chemical changes

Like your hormone levels, certain chemicals in your brain, such as serotonin, fluctuate during your menstrual cycle. Serotonin is known to help regulate your mood and make you feel happier, and so it is possible that women with low levels of serotonin are particularly sensitive to the symptoms of PMS. Low levels of serotonin may also contribute to symptoms such as tiredness, food cravings, and insomnia (difficulty sleeping).

Stress

You may find that your symptoms of PMS become worse the more stressed you are. While it is not a direct cause, being stressed can aggravate the symptoms of PMS.

Diet

Eating too much of some foods, and too little of others, may also contribute to the symptoms of PMS. For example, too much salty food may add to fluid retention, and make you feel bloated, and alcohol and caffeinated drinks can disrupt your mood and energy levels. Low levels of vitamins and minerals may also make your symptoms of PMS worse.

I need more serotonin.

～みはる～

Miyazaki Hayao

Been watching a bit of Miyazaki's films lately. Yea, yea, I know. I'm a little late in appreciating his works. But better late than never.

I must say I love the themes and fantastic imagination Miyazaki-san animated in his masterpieces. The animation is obviously top-notch, but what was far better was the amazingly imaginative stories and characters.

1986 - 天空の城：ラピュタ
(Laputa: Castle in the Sky)

1988 - となりのトトロ
(My Neighbor Totoro)

1989 - 魔女の宅急便
(Kiki's Delivery Service)

1997 - もののけ姫
(Princess Mononoke)

2001 - 千と千尋の神隠し
(Spirited Away)

2004 - ハウルの動く城
(Howl's Moving Castle)

All are simply excellent and brilliant. I especially like Howl's Moving Castle because the voicing by Kimura Takuya (as Howl the wizard) is just fitting. 木村さんの声とハウルの性格はすごくぴったりだよ。

One thing I note about the style of Miyazaki's characters is that they tend to have pretty similar designs over adjacent releases. Take Satsuki (My Neighbor Totoro) and Kiki (Kiki's Delivery Service) for example. The two movies were released in two consecutive years (1988 and 1989 respectively), and both of them looked pretty much the same!

The other example is Haku (Spirited Away) and Hauru (Howl's Moving Castle). Okay, the resolution's pretty bad here, but watching Hauru reminds me instantly of Haku! Even the trait of the voice actor had the same clear tones!

One thing exceptionally incredible about Miyazaki's works is that his films makes you think about the themes he wants to convey. For instance, in Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, there's a very significant emphasis on environmental issues especially concerning the collapsing harmony between the human race and the nature. In Howl's Moving Castle and Laputa: Castle in the Sky, he contemplates the issue of love and war. Not all his movies are laden with heavy themes though. My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away takes you into a world of forbidden fantasy, which is simply entertaining.

While Miyazaki establishes the foundation of all these masterpieces with his fantastic plots, it is Joe Hisaishi who breathes audio vibrancy into all these films. All the soundtrack were mastered by Hisaishi-sensei himself, and they are masterpieces in their ownright. I can't put in words how marvellous a job he has done, to the point Miyazaki's films would not be Miyazaki's if it does not come with Hisaishi's soundtrack.

While I think Shinkai Makoto rivalled Miyazaki in his quality of animation, I have to admit Miyazaki's storytelling is way over Shinkai-san. Miyazaki's art of capturing his audience into his fantasy world is incredibly refined and incredible, and it makes you look forward eagerly to his next release (which is of course, God knows how long). Well, as of now, we know that his next feature film will be released sometime in 2008, and it is entitle Ponyo on a Cliff.

たのしみ待っています！

～みはる～

わがまま

ちょっと落ち込んでいて。
気が悪くなっちゃう。
何でみんなもわがままなの？
どうしてそのわがままな人達は他の人の気持ちを考えらないの？
ずるい過ぎだよ。もう嫌だ！

～みはる～

良いこと

あのね、昨日ひとつ良いことになった。
あまり話さないけど、すごく嬉しかった。
そのこと前にまだ長い時間があるけど、もうどきどきしている。
本当に本当に嬉です。
その時までに、頑張ります。
良い時来たら、必ずみんなに教える。
（でも、ひとつヒントをあげるわ）

ヒント：パリ

～みはる～

RXJ Manga

やっときた！
ロミオX ジュリエットの漫画が。

Front cover

Back cover

Okay, so this is the RXJ-niac writing.
I got hold of the only (remaining) copy of Romeo X Juliet Japanese manga last weekend. Wai~~!

With the anime ended (T_T), the manga version is slated to release until next year. And the first volume made its debut in Japan since 25th August. The story is essentially the same, but the sequence of events were slightly altered. And get this: the manga version has a slightly more romantic impact. The drawings are comparable to Gonzo's, but much cuter (with all the chibi's) as Juliet was granted larger and more adorable eyes and prettier dresses and hair curls. I could keep gushing about how pretty the drawings look, but I'll let the splash pages do the talking (although the horrible resolutions of the images do no justice to the actual gorgeous-ness):

Splash page

Volume #1 splash

When's volume #2 releasing??!!