I'm quite surprised that I have found any sense of direction to my life at such an early age. Partly because I'm the most idle and unambitious person you could ever meet, and partly because my talents are few. I have always been mediocre with athletics, sciences, maths, social skills, hard work, orginization, etc. Usually I just don't try hard enough. Needless to say, me and the educational system have gone together like oil and water. If you believe in that right brain - left brain theory, then I am definitely a total right-brainer. Still I accept my faults and I wouldn't want it to be any other way. I do know that I do have a few good traits which I wouldn't trade for anything. Modesty aside, I feel that I have a philosophical type of wisdom highly developed for my age, a single-minded passion for things that I love, straightforward honesty, loads of creativity and natural gift for good design. I'm usually a typical lazy guy, but when I truly care about something, I can work at nearly superhuman capacity (On the flip side, when I don't care about something I won't do the work at all). But life has never been better to me and I get by pretty good. 

For me to describe my own personality would be difficult because I can't be objective about it. Yet, seeing that I am a very self-obsessed guy, I apparently have a lot of opinions about myself. I suppose you could say that I'm a cross between Yusaku Godai of Maison Ikkoku fame (although not as hopeless) and Hamlet from Shakespere's play (although not so brooding). If you are familiar with both characters, then you should have a relatively accurate idea of where my tendencies lie.

My most visible personality trait is that I am dual-natured. All aspects of my personality tend to contradict. I'm analytical and full of deep thoughts yet dull-witted. I'm bursting with entheusiasm and zest for life, but at the same time I'm restrained and often appear bored. I hate everything about myself, but at the same time I love myself unconditionally. I'm optomistic and full of glee, but I'm also a cynic with a dark sense of humor. I'm highly sociable and thrive on the comeraderie of other people, but I'm also a hermit who sometimes would rather avoid human contact. I'm introverted yet I have an outgoing attitude when I feel like it. I treasure the wholesome platonic relationships with the women around me, but at the same time my mind is always filled with perverted, carnal thoughts which would shock even the most depraved freaks. I'm sensitive and emotional yet desensitized and uncaring. I'm honest and never hide my true feelings, but I also lie and cheat. I take comfort in familiar people and things, but I'm also fickle and prefer to try new things instead of dwelling on what I already like. I'm nervous and full of self-doubt, but I'm also cocky and arrogant. I regard women as a superior gender whom are above my unworthy affections, yet I also view them as a infinitely flawed sex. I'm generous and charitable, but at the same time I'm the most selfish person I know. I have expensive tastes, but I also prefer a life of simple, humble pleasures. I'm stubborn yet open-minded. I'm independant yet I constantly rely on others. I'm highly motivated, yet a total procrastinator. I really could go on forever but I think you get the idea. My personality is completely contradictory and it is because of that I feel I may never truly understand myself no matter how much time I spend in deep introspection.

In the past year I have gained a rekindled love for my French-Canadian heritage. Starting from kindergarten I studied the French language for 12 years and was quite fluent. But living in strictly English speaking communities most of my life, and a household where it was never spoken, the only place I ever used it was at school and some get-togethers with extended family. Eventually I came to associate French more with the things I hated about school and disassociated it with the real world. Halfway through high school I just dropped it altogether. For five years I barely spoke a word of French. From lack of practice little by little my French deteriorated to the point where I all but lost the ability to speak it. I wasn't a big deal at first, but once I graduated and went out into the real world I found I was missing out on so many social opportunities. I had started to yearn for that richer side of my life that had been neglected for so long but my increasing inadequacy was denying me not only a closeness with a culture I had started to love again, but with an extended family I had been apart from for so long. So now I'm much more serious about my French again and don't be surprised if you see me writing in French on these pages from time to time.

On top of all that, ever since I was a child I've had a passionate interest towards Japan. A land that wonderfully melds the new with the old. Modernization and ancient tradition combine in a way that really speaks to my soul. I love the aesthetic values that beautifully marries power with elegance, the philosophies, the rich and utterly fascinating history, the intriguing mythology and beliefs, the popular culture. The sights, sounds and tastes. Even the language itself is an endless source of fascination to me. Most of all, it's the people of Japan who I've grown attached to. My experiences with the Japanese community in Ottawa as well as the many exchange students with whom I've become close friends with has given me an appreciation for the kindness and hospitality of Japanese people. I have always felt a special kinship with the whole of Japan and while I'm fiercly proud to be Canadian, I also have strong feelings for Japan. Sounds strange to hear since I've never been there myself. This attitude puzzles most of my family and friends. Even my Japanese friends don't get it. Among other things, this love turned me on to Japanese animation (called anime if you didn't know already) at a young age. 

Apart from just watching animation, I'm an avid lover of anime music, j-pop, j-rock, japanese voice actors, manga, classic (live-action) Japanese films and anything else related to the Japanese entertainment market. My two favorite anime of all time are the classic sci-fi, slapstick comedy series, Urusei Yatsura and the truly moving and funny romantic story of Maison Ikkoku. With my love for the show and my moderate skills as a web page designer I have created the most complete Urusei Yatsura site in the entire world. I'm really proud of it if you can't tell already. The creator of both series, Rumiko Takahashi creates some of the best comics I have ever read. I am a lover of most manga, but her stories are what have kept me a fan all of these years. I might go so far as to say she is one of the largest reasons why I started following anime in the first place since UY was one of the first anime I ever latched onto way back when I was 7 years old (about 14 years ago).

Furthermore my love for popular Japanese music has grown in the past few years to the point where I've become a collector and officianado on the subject. I follow many Japanese bands and solo artists religiously. I've even come to enjoy it more than most American music. So I thought "why not create a web site about all of my favorite bands?" and that's just what I did. My J-pop guide is a no-nonsense source of information for beginners and vetrans alike on the subject of Japanese rock and pop.