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Saturday, October 30th, 2004

11:17 am - Survey for "Abnormal" Psychology
Hey y'all...I really need some people to fill out either one of these surveys for my "Abnormal" Psych class (everyone disagrees with the "Abnormal" part in the title of that class, even the prof, though the subject matter is one of my lifelong passions. Also note that sexual/romantic orientation has NOT been considered a disorder or abnormal by the American Psychological Association since the 70s...this is simply an exercise for understanding). One survey is specifically aimed for homosexual peeps, while the the other is for those who identify as heterosexual. I'm sorry that I don't have one for bisexuals/asexuals/pansexuals/yadda yadda, but this is meant to be a small assignment and the prof is apologetic about his requirements. Hopefully, for those of you who are kind enough to respond, your answers will only be seen by you and I. I encourage people of different viewpoints to respond to this. I am not going to debate with you in any way...the most I may do is ask you to elaborate on your responses and thank you for your time. Bah, you all know me well enough already. :)

For those who identify as gay:
1. When did you first realize that you were attracted to someone of the same sex?

2. When did you first identify yourself as being gay?

3. Do you have a need for others to know you are not straight?

4. How does society's heterosexual presumption affect you?

5. How has being gay affected your life?

6. How do you think your life would be different if you were straight?

For those who identify as straight:
1. When did you first realize that you were attracted to someone of the opposite sex?

2. When did you first identify yourself as being straight?

3. Do you have a need for others to know you are not gay?

4. How does society's heterosexual presumption affect you?

5. How has being straight affected your life?

6. How do you think your life would be different if you were gay?

- Still no sign of Momo...:(

+ Party tonight!! :D

Oops, forgot to screen comments there...o.O should be working now, though!

current mood:

curious
current music: Where oh where has my little Momo gone?

(6 comments | comment on this)

Monday, October 18th, 2004

9:56 pm - Tomorrow’s the last day of fall break.

Tomorrow’s the last day of fall break. *sniffle* Just a little bit more, pleeeaaaase! Oh well…better update while I can!

The Morrissey concert at the Aragon on Friday...if I was obsessed before, it’s even worse now, for sure. I’ve been on a nonstop Smiths/Morrissey solo listening streak since I got back from Chicago on Saturday.

Set list (not sure how accurate it is, but it seems right):

How Soon Is Now?
First of the Gang to Die
November Spawned a Monster
Don't Make Fun of Daddy's Voice
I Like You
I Have Forgiven Jesus
This World is Full of Crashing Bores
Bigmouth Strikes Again
Such a Little Thing Makes Such a Big Difference
Let Me Kiss You
Rubber Ring
The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get
Irish Blood, English Heart
How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?
Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me
Everyday Is Like Sunday
You Know I Couldn't Last
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

Fan Reviews

Acoustics were poor and he looked rather irritated with them (fiddling with his microphone & making faces & such), but his voice was as lovely as ever, and the band rocked, too. No one sings cynical verses as sweetly as Mozzer does. :D He was also quite fabulous-looking the whole time (he started off wearing white, then black, and lastly, a lavender shirt), and, surprisingly, very gracious to the audience. Some great comments and gestures while he sang, too. We were very, very close (not bad for arriving later than we hoped…thank goodness we did, though: they opened about an hour later than scheduled & Chicago’s not known as the “Windy City” for nothing), and right behind this chick named Julia Morrissey kept speaking to. We decided she was probably the pres of a fan club or something…she was holding a sign that said “Viva Morrissey” that was cool but blocked an otherwise good view of the stage for some fans.

In all, it was a superb time. It’s quite lovely to be legally able to sip a Gin & Tonic while bopping to great music in a beautiful club, surrounded by fans and that weird love aura that concert-auras are all too aware of…or maybe that was just a cloud of marijuana smoke.

( More in da life of da Namster )

current mood:

calm
current music: Halloween (the original movie)

(16 comments | comment on this)

Saturday, October 9th, 2004

10:47 am - Busy, busy, busy...AH! Distraction!
( What Kind of Girl Are You? )

current mood:

busy
current music: Velvet Underground, strangely enough

(5 comments | comment on this)

Monday, September 20th, 2004

9:24 pm - Burninator!
I just got back from a free kickboxing class! Whew, I'm in so much pain right now (it's like being in the military!), but I had a blast. It was fun working out to old cheesy fighting music (like the Rocky & Mortal Kombat themes)...just like how I used to about 8-9 years ago. I kickboxed for 2 years until the shop closed, and I really miss it. I remember a lot and the instructor could tell I have experience, but I'm still rusty. Now I want to join. This may be what I need right now...

Anyone else interested?
The first class may have been free, but it's $89 a month to stay in it. O.O (and $125 the first mo. to pay for a uniform: silky black pants and a gray t-shirt with "team nialation" on it :D)That's for 4-5 2-hr classes a week, though...not a bad deal. (And you're not EXPECTED to show up to all of them; most people go to 2 a week)

M, T, R, F 7:00-8:15 pm (though tonight we didn't get out until 8:45!)

Possibly Sat. around 2:30 (I can't make this one because I have work)

current mood:

thirsty
current music: Cocteau Twins

(6 comments | comment on this)

Tuesday, September 14th, 2004

8:59 pm - Argh...must vent
I just found out that my website of nearly 4 years, Zelda no Densetsu, and my personal site have both been obliterated by a huge server crash. -_- Restoring everything is possible, but it would entail rummaging through my recovery discs (of what I was able to back up before the crash) and uploading hundreds and hundreds of files once the server is back up, and then recreating those files that weren't saved...and I just don't think it's going to happen. I simply don't have the time to devote to a project of this magnitude, not when I have an MCAT on the horizon and a thesis looming over me, so I think it's time to let it finally rest in peace. It's really regrettable, seeing that the translation site had ONE chapter left before completion. :/ A lot of people are going to be disappointed, but I really can't do anything about it. I had a lot of visitors and even made contact with two of my manga idols (Akira Himekawa) through the site, so it'll be sad to let it go...but I have other priorities to concentrate on.

current mood:

aggravated
current music: Morrissey

(17 comments | comment on this)

Thursday, August 19th, 2004

10:44 pm - Just hangin' around here
What I’ve been up to lately...working, mostly. I’m done driving back and forth from Muncie to Sushi Umi in Terre Haute to work for a while, so my car is probably relieved. I’ve also been volunteering at the I-House as the new international students have been arriving, mostly by doing check in stuff, cleaning up after banquets, and carrying around tables, chairs, and donated items into different rooms. I’ve also been able to banter a bit and meet new people, and offer a little bit of advice (for that’s all I know to give) to make their stays in Muncie more ~~tolerable~~ enjoyable. Many of the students seemed excited by the prospect of seeing real, live raccoons, and possibly being robbed by them. We had one that lived above our apartment who would regularly bring us such thoughtful gifts as decaying possum jawbones, but since our new neighbor moved in, I’m sure he’s fled to less human-infested areas. Darn. I had such a cute picture of the Czech boys eagerly awaiting the appearance of the raccoon with offerings to his striped-ness.

Yesterday, I met with my advisor to discuss the project I have to do to graduate from the Honors department. I’ve decided to do translations of selected chapters of Rumiko Takahashi’s Urusei Yatsura, and write essays between each chapter to discuss the cultural elements brought up in each. My advisor sounded really interested in my project (I showed her samples of Takahashi’s work), and said there’s a possibility I could have them published. I doubt that would happen, though, especially since I’m not doing the whole series in sequence, like Viz tried to do years ago. She also recommended I go to some sort of conference at Butler University to present my project there, and I may do that if I feel confident enough with it once I’m done. We shall see. As for the format, I’m having a hard time deciding. I know I’ll do most of the scanning and editing on my computer, and it would seem natural to host them on a website as I have with the Zelda manga translations, but unlike with them, getting the artists’ permission will probably be very difficult, if not impossible. So, I may be stuck having to print them all out and make a notebook of sorts instead. If anything, it'll be a chance to show my gratitude to Takahashi, since through her books I've learned so much more about Japanese culture and language than any textbook could hope to teach.

I went ahead and bought books today. My Organic Chemistry class alone cost me over $200 in books. Why oh why did they choose a hard-covered lab manual for this class? For all my other Chem. classes, I had the paperback ones the profs put together themselves that were 1/5th the price, and I’m quite sure what we did in Analytical Chemistry was more dangerous. It’s heavier, too. Muh.

I’m really looking forward to my Abnormal Psychology class, though. That’s just about my favorite subject…right next to "Female Comic Book Artists of Japan," if a class like that actually existed. =)

My class/work schedule for ( fall semester. )

current mood:

determined
current music: Adam Sandler

(9 comments | comment on this)

Monday, July 12th, 2004

11:30 pm - Howl's Moving Castle
Gah! I am dying to see this movie!

Howl's Moving Castle.

It's a match made in heaven...a fun book, as interpreted by Studio Ghibli. *_* Howl looks damn good in it, too! Check out the trailer toward the bottom of the page.

Oh yeah, and I get to see the Cure Aug. 3rd in Cincinnati! *bounce*

current mood:

chipper
current music: Woodstock 1994

(10 comments | comment on this)

Saturday, June 26th, 2004

11:35 am - So, I have a Mr. T fetish...
It took me a while to come to terms with it, but it's true.

I guess I can only fall for extremely buff guys with mohawks, gold jewelry, and a bad-ass attitude.

Diana quipped that at my wedding, when I become Mrs. T, instead of "I do," he would say, "I pity da foo' who would say 'no' to Andrea!" Isn't that sweet?

We all have to have our dreams. *le sigh*

At least I get to see a live Rocky Horror show tonight (bachelorette party) with my kick-ass roommate from freshman year, Sara. Maybe the summer won't be all bad afterall...

current mood:

contemplative
current music: Devo

(4 comments | comment on this)

Tuesday, May 25th, 2004

5:35 pm - Join us for Towel Day

Let us mourn together. At least we have a new movie of his to look forward to!

current mood:

pensive

(22 comments | comment on this)

Sunday, January 11th, 2004

11:06 pm - Meet Momo
Nothing too interesting going on here; classes start tomorrow, so I must sleep soon to get ready for another long day. @.@ Here are some pictures of my fat hamster to entertain you. (That must be hitting a kind of low--showing people pictures of your pet rodent, lol)

Momo encaged
Momo looking at wall
Momo up close
Fat Momo
Dad holding Momo
Dad holding Momo (2)
Momo wanting out of her cage
Momo with full cheeks
Chubby cheeks
Sleeping

Her name means “peach” which suits her because that’s what she looks like when she’s sleeping. ^_^

current mood:

sleepy
current music: Lord of the Rings soundtrack

(19 comments | comment on this)

Friday, October 31st, 2003

5:02 pm - Happy Halloween!
Jan, Cristella, and I are having a Halloween bash at our house. I hope it'll be a blast! I'm going as...Tankgirl! Jan is going to be Hermione, and Cristella is Stevie Nicks. Hope you all have a great holiday.

current mood:

dorky
current music: Sneaker Pimps

(17 comments | comment on this)

Friday, June 6th, 2003

4:39 pm
What your desktop icons do when you're not around

Snagged from

tdj

Going to visit Setsuko for the weekend.

current mood:

geeky

(26 comments | comment on this)

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2003

11:29 pm - LJ Match Quiz
( LJ Match )

current mood:

amused

(13 comments | comment on this)

Tuesday, May 27th, 2003

10:22 am - 7.0!
Strong Earthquake Hits Northeast Japan

I bet my parents are freaking out right now. That's what they get for not checking their e-mail!!

I felt a few aftershocks all through the night.

current mood:

nervous

(9 comments | comment on this)

Monday, May 26th, 2003

6:27 pm - Earthquake
That was a pretty good sized one, too. I feel really dizzy now, like I just got off of the Scrambler.

current mood: dizzy
current music: Evanescence

(7 comments | comment on this)

Thursday, May 22nd, 2003

6:21 pm
"Algerian Earthquake Kills at Least 538"

current mood:

sad

(1 comment | comment on this)

Wednesday, May 21st, 2003

7:34 pm - Layout change
I changed my layout. I've always been meaning to try a Tank Girl layout; today I felt it was the right time.

Azumanga Daiou cracks me up. Chiyo-chan was talking about doing a study abroad in America, so her friends started pressuring her to run for president and make the U.S. hers. Tomo asked if she could have Hawaii.

Anyone interested in a road trip West? I'd like to make a trip East sometime too, but I've sorta seen the Eastern states while I haven't seen the West. It'll be whenever I get some wheels.

current mood:

creative
current music: RHCP: "Californication"

(14 comments | comment on this)

Friday, May 9th, 2003

7:28 pm - Adults
Are We Grown Up Yet? U.S. Study Says Not 'Till 26

I'm taking an all-night bus this evening and will wake up tomorrow in Nagoya!

current mood:

bouncy

(22 comments | comment on this)

Tuesday, May 6th, 2003

10:02 pm - Shoplifters
Japanese Spy TV is hilarious. You see, since there's such little crime in this country, they have to make big deals about the littlest things--in this case, shoplifting. They had one of those spy shoppers watching an old woman (about 65 years old) at a grocery store, and found her sticking strawberries, cheese, and noodles into her handbag. The best part of this is that before she started to stick stuff into her bag, the program had this creepy horror music in the background crescendoed to when she finally started to steal. XD
After she had paid for what she couldn't shoplift and went to her bicycle, the security guards accosted her and brought her to the back office of the grocery store. They started drilling her, asking why she had stolen the goods, and she said that she just didn’t have enough money with her at the time and intended to come back and pay the next day (yeah, right). They then asked her where she lived and who she lived with, and she begged them not to call her husband. Well, they did call, and she started to sob and wail in terror. Her husband came to the store and proceeded to scream at her while she hid behind one of the guard’s backs. It turns out she has a pachinko addiction and was spending too much of their funds on gambling. The next shoplifter they showed was an man in his early 60s who lived alone. Both stories were sad. :/
These guards could tell who was going to shoplift by the way they acted, it seemed. Since I stick out in this country, whenever I shop I feel like I’m being scrutinized far more than I do back home by people to make sure I don’t shoplift anything. @.@ It doesn’t help that this makes me self-conscious, and that probably makes me appear guilty, which only adds to their suspicion. ^^

I also finished working on a website I've been messing with since about a year ago. It's about the Ahiru no Oujisama manga, which I highly recommend checking out if you get the chance. Since I couldn't find anything in the way of websites on this series, I decided to make my own to promote the manga. It's not an extensive website--just think of it as a teaser. I'm glad to get it out of the way at last though. Having an unfinished project like that picks at my conscience. No more picking now! Ha ha!

current mood:

accomplished
current music: Veruca Salt "Hellraiser"

(7 comments | comment on this)

Monday, April 28th, 2003

5:53 pm - Moon Child
[sarcasm]
Yesterday I had the intense pleasure of viewing Moon Child, the most thought-provoking, emotional cinematic experience I have ever had.
[/sarcasm]

“Moon Child” is the product of when the vocalists of now defunct Japanese visual-kei rock bands get together, drop some acid, then decide they want to write a film. (Which they both star in, of course.) It’s got the now ubiquitous Gackt from Malice Mizer as the main star of the film, with Hyde from L’Arc~en~ciel tossed in for good measure. The film was largely written by the former. Oh, the carnage that ensued…

The gist of this film is that after Japan’s economy suffers its final blow, the entire population flees the archipelago in a mass Diaspora, settling mainly in an area of China called “Maleppa.” (There were several spellings of this area throughout the film) Japanese street urchins make their living by stealing, and Gackt’s character, Shou, happens to grow into the ruthless leader of a band of these gun-toting orphans. So, there are lots of gun fights and weird camera angles throughout the film, and Gackt’s character tough-talking and shooting people up, while occasionally shedding a single tear.

Okay, so now about Hyde’s character. Well…he’s a vampire. Yeah, you heard me. That’s why the movie’s called “Moon Child,” I reckon. The fact that he’s a vampire isn’t really relevant to the plot…okay, there is no relevance in this movie. I think Gackt was reading some Anne Rice books and was thinking about making a movie about vampires, then saw The Matrix and got side-tracked.

Oh yeah, the music choice in this movie was hilarious, too. “Mr. Bojangles?” Huhngl?

Adrienne and I sniggered throughout the entire film. It has to be intentionally campy, right? No? I was shocked to find that many Japanese girls were so moved by this…herring of a film…that they were actually crying! What!? Why!? Was it because of Gackt’s acting? Oh…the angst. @.@

You know I’m getting this when it comes out on DVD. ^_^

current mood:

amused

(17 comments | comment on this)

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2003

10:50 am - I have a new friend.
Okay, a few minutes ago I found what appears to be a particularly venomous-looking spider crawling around my study books, and I was debating what to do with it. I'm terrified of spiders, but I also refuse to kill bugs. If he were a cockroach and not a spider, then I'd wrap him in a kleenex and throw him outside. Since he has large fangs, that is out of the question.

So, he went behind an artbook and I thought that'd be the last I'd see of him. But then, I put on Crazy Town's "Butterfly" (a guilty pleasure song) for the heck of it, and it lured him back out of hiding.

And now, here he is, running back and forth on the top of my laptop monitor. Every once and a while he'll stop, then start raising his front legs up and down to the beat. I put on The Smiths and he promptly ran back behind a book.

I thumb my nose at thee, Spider! Now I take leave to see a movie.

current mood:

uncomfortable

(10 comments | comment on this)

Thursday, April 17th, 2003

12:31 pm - Anime Recommendation!
I just finished watching the first episode of a fantasy comedy called "Rune Soldier Louie," and it promises to be an entertaining series. It's like a mix of Bakuretsu Hunters, Slayers, and Trigun, with Louie, the main character, comparable to Carrot, Gourry, and Vash (scary thought, huh?). The series starts off with a female trio including a priestess, a theif, and a swordswoman who are looking for a magician to add to their group running into him in a small town and being utterly repulsed by him. They want a lady magician but now Louie's stalking them to prove how he's not completely useless. Can't wait to watch more. ^-^

Normally I disagree with much of what John says in Anime Nation's "Ask John" section, but he's (unfortunately) on the map with this article. Can American Artists Work in the Manga Industry? I hope this changes soon. :/

Off to class now!

current mood:

amused

(5 comments | comment on this)

Monday, April 7th, 2003

8:13 pm - I have nothing to say
Okay, just when I though Tissue-san was weird enough, one of the newest San-X characters came forth to dethrone him. I guarantee that you will be disturbed. Too bad that stole the idea from my lovely friend

vanima, who could be making a mint right now since it was her idea first.

Link thanks to

tdj

current mood:

touched

(6 comments | comment on this)

8:05 pm - Weird commercial
Just saw this one. A teenaged Japanese boy and Japanese girl are sitting on a fence dressed as a bull and cow respectively, eating ice cream. The girl cow has udders. She says to the boy, "Is my breast milk good?" and he nods and says, "Uh-huh!" She then cheerfully says "Moooo!" and knocks him off the fence.

Japanese commercials are getting weirder everyday. O.O

current mood:

shocked

(8 comments | comment on this)

Sunday, April 6th, 2003

9:03 pm - I like squash
I am so tired, but in a good way. Today I met with my English students in Tanashi (which means "no rice field," but there are rice fields there) & we went to Anko's gym since she was given free day passes to bring along 3 friends. We were there for FIVE hours! First, to get started, we did about an hour of yoga set to an Enigma CD which has a place of honor within my collection. I felt so refreshed afterward! Then, we played some squash, which I found to be quite addicting and good for relieving stress. Akemi (Amy) and I were fortunate to be taught by a so-called famous squash instructor! She was very nice and made strange sound effects. Whenever I would say anything then she'd squeal "Kawaii!" at me. I fell down a lot and she laughed at that, too. Did some statio bike, lifted some weights, then played some more squash. I also tried the "Dr. Fitness Chart," which tells you what your BMI, bone density, muscle mass balance, ect. are. It told me I have an "ideal obesity-resistant body," but need to gain more muscle mass in my arms, upper back, and chest to balance out my lower half. I've gained about 10 lbs since I've been in Japan, though, and I can guarantee that it's not muscle. I had biceps while I was waitressing last summer, but now I have those floppy arm "wings" like that teacher in "Monkeybone." Actually, they sort of entertain me. I may just keep them to annoy people. Watch me flap them! Weee! Weee! Okay, enough of that. The lady who gave me the BMI test was borderline patronizing. She kept saying random English words and laughing at herself, like when people back home say "Sushi! Mitsubishi!" when talking to Japanese people or Japanese majors. Ha ha. <.<

After all that exercise, Jonathon's (like a Denny's) curry never tasted so good in my life. There is a Book-Off near Tanashi station, so I made sure to hit it before I left and picked up a Japanese Harley magazine for a family friend. Japanese Harley magazines are...sophisticated. They have women in kimono sitting on them instead of gals in bikinis. O.O Weird, considering that most newspapers here have full-frontal nudity in them. Or at least, the ones the guys read on the trains do. I also got a new pair of pajamas...and they're Chinese-style, with frog buttons like what Shampoo wears all the time! I about died when I saw them because they were the last ones that were in this style out of the lot and came only in blue (and in my favorite pattern at that), and they were only $10! I'm definitely taking these home with me and having my mom make a fleet of them. I would wear these on the street. They are so cute and comfortable!

I sleep now.

current mood:

accomplished
current music: Front Line Assembly: Prophecy

(3 comments | comment on this)

Thursday, March 27th, 2003

1:01 pm - Geeky babble!
Last night, when I laid down to sleep around 2 a.m., a rooster decided it was time to wake me up. Now, when I lived in the country side of the Hoosier state, I was never once awoken by a rooster. Now that I'm in Tokyo, I hear them every morning. O.O So, to solve the problem, I put on my headphones and listened to the soundtrack of FF VI. Being a light sleeper, normally I can't stand to listen to music when I want to sleep, but it was either that or listen to Mr. Cockle-doodle-dandy out there. FF VI...what beautiful music that game had. I believe it's my favorite Final Fantasy game out of them all. The characters...the stories...the mood...everything just swept me away when I first played it. Sure, I have a few characters I really, really adore from FFVII, VIII, and X, but I liked the entire cast of FFVI more in general than the other games. I wish the company which made the FF movie would make a movie about VI...it would be so awesome since it's so much more fantasy-based than the movie they wound up making. (Which I did like, don't get me wrong...I just like fantasy more than sci-fi)

I received a comment in my guestbook in which a guy was pointing me to a flame war he started (I'd point you to it but you've seen them all before and I wish to respect his privacy), in hopes that I'd take his side and join in the "fun." Instead, I sent him a calm yet firm e-mail why I thought he was being immature and that he should apologize to the people whose feelings he hurt. I hope he takes my suggestion to heart. We're all fans of anime, manga, and videogames; we should get along, dashnabbit!

I've been thinking about what characters I'd like to cosplay at the next CON I go to...Firstly, I've been entranced by Ren from Final Fantasy X-2. I love her long hair, which looks like how mine used to be, and her outfit is cool yet not as revealing as Yuna's new one. *sweatdrop* Next, I think it'd be fun to go as Ran from Urusei Yatsura. To tell the truth, I used to loathe Ran, but she grew on me after a hundred chapters or so. It'd be fun to wear a frilly dress and be all sweet and innocent one minute and then a heinous bitch the next. (Sound familiar? Hmm.) It'd be easy enough to find a wig in her hair style from a draq queen outlet, too. I've also thought about doing Lum before, but I really couldn't do the bikini. 1.) I couldn't do the bikini justice. 2.) I'd feel really self-conscious in the bikini. 3.) I would FREEZE in the air conditioning...in the bikini!

When I went to Tsutaya to buy the latest copy of the Gothic Lolita Bible, I heard some girls say, Kakkoii ne, ano hito! ("Wow, that person is cool!") So, I looked around to see this "cool person," and saw they were talking about me! I've never had that happen before! The girls who said it must have thought I couldn't understand Japanese when they said it, and when they saw me turn around and catch them they became all embarrassed and went back to browsing the fashion magazines. Back home, it'd be "Wow, look at that freakazoid!" ^^

I'm thinking about cutting my hair into bangs...you know, gothic lolita style, and then growing my hair back out super long. I don't know if it'd work on me, though. I used to have bangs back in the day, but then I got sick of them and grew them out. I'm sort of afraid of looking dumb and then having to put up with them until they grow out, but if they work...what do you think? It would open up my cosplay opportunities, too. So many anime chicks have bangs, heh heh. If I do get them, though, I won't be able to cosplay as Ren so easily.

The Myanmar girls left yesterday. We were all crying, but I think they're happy to go home to their families. Maw-san, who was my neighbor, is going to become one of my new pen-pals. *sad smile* I'm going to miss smelling her cooking wafting down the hallway.

Tonight we're throwing a Sayonara-party for Anton-san from Indonesia at a fancy Italian restaurant. He has a very sad face all the time but he has the greatest laugh! I'm gonna miss him! ;.;

current mood:

geeky

(12 comments | comment on this)

12:02 am - Wow!
Dolphins Help Spot Mines in Iraq War .
When I read a few articles before arriving at this one, I read mention of "dolphins" but thought it was a military term--not actual dolphins! Just so long as the dolphins don't get hurt...But what if the Iraqi army brought in their own trained legion of dolphins? The last thing we want is dolphin warfare being waged in the high seas...Okay, I'm ready for bed.

current mood:

impressed

(13 comments | comment on this)

Wednesday, March 26th, 2003

3:06 pm - Something that made me laugh.
Ripped from

invisi_ink's journal. Check it out if you haven't read it already!

( Axis of Just As Evil )

current mood:

giggly

(2 comments | comment on this)

Monday, March 24th, 2003

11:27 pm - Haru-urara
Today it was nice and warm outside. I can't wait for more days like it.

I rearranged my room. It gave me the illusion of having more space in it, so I'm satisfied. Now I can play the Gamecube Zelda game more comfortably than before. Damn, I hated the first boss. I laugh my ass off at movies that are supposed to be horror, but I scream and run in terror when fighting an ugly boss in a friggin' Nintendo game. I think it's because it was a fire-spitting mechanical centipede. That don't bode well with me, no Sir-ee.

Well, I signed up for classes for Fall semester at Ball State. I'm taking the rest I need of Chemistry & Biology, and then some Physics and Japanese History. I don't know shit about Japanese history, except for what pops up in Takahashi's manga, so I figured I should probably take it. Even though that's only 4 classes, it's still 15 credits, and THREE labs. The Physics lab will be a scanty 2 hours, the Bio lab will be hearty 3 hours, and then the Chemistry lab will be a hulking 4 hours. I may not have time for a part-time job after all, but if I can find one that's weekends only I should be okay. Unlike other college students, I don't mind working on my weekends, especially since I'll be LIVING with the people I would always arrange my schedule so I could hang out with them every weekend. Jan, could you give me a sample of what your schedule at the library is like? If I could work with you, that would be awesome, especially so we could walk home together late at night and fight off the drunk guys kunoichi-style. WAAA TAAAAH!

Something funny about Japanese: my vocabulary is pretty scant, you see, and for some reason I remember words I never have to use, like "inversely-proportional," but can't remember simple words like "floor." The word for "floor" was always on the tip of my tongue...if someone else said it, I'd know what they meant, but I could never recall it to say it for myself. So, if for some reason I'd have to say "floor," I would have to say something like, "You know, the very big spacious thing that we're standing on right now..." Friend: "...you mean the floor?" "Yeah, that." XD I needs me some education.

( Jimmy )

current mood:

silly

(14 comments | comment on this)

1:32 pm - What have I been eating...!?
I had a very lucid dream last night that Saddam Hussein invited my family and I over for dinner. He lived in a very modest house made of brick and wood, and we were dining on Indian food, complete with soft naan and this spicy red sauce that I remember as tasting quite heavenly. I thought it was really happening and even thought, "People won't believe me when I tell them about this." Then Saddam turned into my Grandpa and I felt simultaneously angry and sorry for him.

*shakes head in disbelief*

current mood:

shocked

(8 comments | comment on this)

Tuesday, March 18th, 2003

12:04 pm - A shout out
Whoever gave me the year of paid Livejournal, thanks!

current mood:

thankful

(4 comments | comment on this)

Friday, March 14th, 2003

2:47 pm - I'm back!
For the last 6 days, my mom, brother David, and friends Jan (

jmdavis24) and Cristella (

cielopollo) were visiting me in Tokyo. We did a lot and went everywhere. I bet they are all exhausted. They ’ve all gone home now. I hope they’re now safely in their beds. I was sad to see them go, but it marks the half-way point before I’ll be going home myself.

Friday
Picked them up at the airport. I took the cheapest route I could find to get there, which meant transferring from train to train a bajillion times. O.o I coincidentally met Jen and Matt en route, and helped them carry Matt ’s luggage because he was going back home to fields of corn. (His music credits wouldn ’t transfer) When I got to Narita Airport, I found that their flight arrived about an hour early. “Shit,” I thought aloud, scanning the crowd at the meeting area for their faces. My eyes passed over a tall red-head and a blonde pony tail, and then I realized it was them. I ran over and collided with them, and was soon enveloped in their hugs. They exchanged their money into yen, and then we headed back. To save them money, I suggested the cheap route I took to arrive at the airport.

It was a bitch with their luggage and the crowds, plus the rain, and they were all exhausted, so we should have taken a Limo Bus as I had initially planned. -.- It took about 4 hours to get to Koganei, so we dropped my brother off at their apartment at the I-House and he immediately fell asleep, so the girls and I went to find some food back by the station. On our way there, we saw 3 cute kitties sitting atop a woodshed, and the biggest, fattest bullfrog I had ever seen casually crossing the cold street. We had some Kaiten-zushi, some soba, and then stopped by the 100-yen store to pick up a few things they needed. As I predicted, Mom loved the 100-yen store. Then I took them back to their apartment, bathed, and returned to my own apartment to sleep.

Saturday
Got up early and made toast and coffee, then took them from their apartment to my own to eat breakfast. We left early to go to Setsuko ’s (

secco) house in Utsunomiya, and the 3-hour train ride brought us there around 1 pm. We took the bus to her house to drop off our stuff and say hi” to the family, then went to a nearby raamen shop to have miso raamen and Utsunomiya’s specialty, gyouza (fried dumplings). David really liked them. Then we went to an arcade and took some purikura, and played some games. There was a cool boxing game that tried …I did pretty good, too! I got really into it and punched the screen, though. The group of schoolboys who had been watching me giggled at that. Mom even tried that game, and I got a picture of her playing it. Jan and Cristella got to try DDR. On our way back from the arcade, we picked up some goodies from the supermarket and returned home for an amazing feast. The Mimura family were amazed that my mom tried natto and liked it. She did pretty good with her chopsticks! We gave Setsuko and her family the gifts we had brought them, and watched them open them. Jiichan liked his Harley shirt and posed with it on for us. I was going to go to the public bath house next to Setsuko's house, but it was closed. Mom and the others got to try a Japanese-style bath, and then we went to bed in our big fluffy futons.

Sunday
Got up early, had a nice breakfast of eggs and toast. My professor who I started a few months ago, Shibuya-sensei, lives close by Setsuko ’s house, so he met us at 9 am so we could go see the temples at Nikko. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room for Setsuko and her son, Kouhei, in the
van, so we had to go without them. ;.;

Nikko was cold, but very beautiful. We saw the “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil” monkeys, the “Sleeping Cat,” the “Crying Dragon,”and the Tokugawa shogun ’s grave. We took a ton of pictures and bought some gorgeous souvenirs there, including a katana envelope-opener for Dad and some silk pouches for both Grandmas. For lunch, we had soba. Then, we visited some museums and caves by Utsunomiya, and then returned back to Setsuko’s.

We had planned to go home Sunday night, but Jiichan offered us to stay one more night so we accepted. We went to a huge Kaiten-Zushi place, and then took a trip to Book Off so Jan could get some used manga, and then went to a new 100-yen shop that is inside a 24-hour department store. Mom bought a lot there, and at one point we couldn’t find David, Jan, and Cristella. They were up on the 2nd floor, the clothing department, and had found some cheap & hilarious Engrish sweatshirts and were going crazy
reading them aloud. Of course, we had to get them. Some of them: The spores flew in a parabola.” “Emit Gream: Buzz along.” My brother got one that said, “The right answer will get you a platinum joint.” We explained to Jiichan and the others why the shirts were so amusing and they laughed. We had a nice sleep that night, too.

Monday
Woke up and had Japanese style omelets with rice. They were yummy. We left Utsunomiya around noon, and were sorry to part ways with Setsuko. We had a good time with her and her family. We had to get back to Tokyo to meet my English students and lj user=klarfax> in Shibuya at 7 pm, so instead of running back to Koganei to drop our stuff off, we just went straight to Shibuya. David was grouchy and annoying me, so we ate some raamen while I thought about what to do with him. We visited Tokyu Hands, Harley Davidson, and Starbucks (couldn’t find the cup I wanted to get Cristella there) to pass the time, and then David and Mom were tired so we went to a karaoke parlor to rest. They were too tired to move, so I decided it ’d be best if I grabbed my students and

klarfax and took them to the karaoke parlor while leaving David and Mom there. We spent a great deal of time there …it was fun! Everyone was beat after karaoke, so we went back home and grabbed some McDonald’s since everyone was still hungry. I decided to move my bed into their apartment so I would have more time with them.

Tuesday
We sort of slept in a little, then went to the ATM at the Post Office and had lunch at a soba shop across the street from the I-House. We decided to hit Harajuku first. We went to the Meiji shrine first and got a bunch of souvenirs…Mom found a cute Hello Kitty doll in a kimono and bought it for me. She asked me if I wanted it, so I think secretly she wanted it, too! It was a beautiful day and would have been perfect for a hike through the gardens if we had more time. After the shrine we meandered around the myriad shops, then found a Book Off where we spent some time and a Starbucks where David and Mom took a rest. I found the cutest pair of underwear ever…When it got dark, we went to Akihabara to play at the arcades, check out the anime shops, and look at electronic dictionaries. We were hungry and desperate for food, and Mom didn’t want curry, so we found a nice little café which served spaghetti, curry, tarts, and coffee where we chilled before trekking back to Koganei. Mom and David were beat, so they went back and Jan, Cristella and I looked for a karaoke parlor to play at. The first two we found were Western-style (meaning you sing in front of everyone in the bar instead of in your own private booth), but then we found a more secluded one and spent about an hour there wailing away like banshees. Then we went back to the I-House to sleep.

Wednesday
When I woke up, I got an emergency phone call from my student Amy notifying me that some sakura had begun to blossom in Ueno Park. On the way to the station, some random middle aged man yelled something at us, and I was talking on my phone to Amy at the time (in Japanese). Whatever he said had “baka-yarou”(“stupid bastard/jerk”) in it. I thought he was just crazy at first, but when I looked back at him, I noticed him looking back at us so he was yelling at our group. >.< That pissed me off and I dwelled on that for a little while. Had lunch at the family restaurant on the top floor of Nagasakiya, and then headed toward Ueno.

In front of the entrance to Ueno park, there were a bunch of police cars parked with their lights on, and at first we thought it was an accident, but then we saw a foreign guy with a big nose painted completely silver (!). I saw the cops checking his passport, but we had no idea what was going on. Maybe it was Andy Dick or something? Who knows. We never figured that out.

Anyway, Ueno Park was lovely, but we never saw any cherry blossoms. We played with this huge flock of pigeons who’d land on you if you had food, then walked around Ueno Zoo for a good chunk of time. The pandas were on vacation in Mexico at the time, so we didn’t get to see them. It was a neat place & I will probably go back when it’s warm outside. After the zoo, we had wanted to go to Asakusa to take a ride on the water bus and then to Roppongi to find the Hard Rock Café, but we had so much fun at the zoo we didn’t have time to go to Asakusa, and I since I’d never been to Roppongi I didn’t know exactly how to get there. I remembered that there was a Hard Rock Café in Ueno somewhere, so we went looking for it and were surprised to find it inside the station. We ate and got some shirts there, and then headed back to Koganei. Since Mom and David were tired, I had them get off at Musashi-Koganei station to go to the arcade so the girls and I could go to Kokubunji and the Starbuck’s there to get Cristella’s cup, but the train we were on idled for 10 minutes and then started to go back the way we came, and since we didn’t want to have Mom and David wait on us for too long, we just gave up on Kokubunji and went back to Koganei instead to play at the arcade. We bought a birthday cake (strawberry shortcake) on the way to the arcade since it was around Cristella’s, Mom’s, and my own birthday. When we were almost to the arcade, another old man said something to us, but he was mumbling and neither Jan nor I could make it out. It had “yokunai” (“no good”) in it, though. I’m thinking they’re all talking about politics since America looks like a rogue warmonger state right now. But, just as someone treats you like dirt here, someone else makes up for it. When we got to the arcade, a little old man had just won my mom a huge Pooh UFO catcher doll, and then he won another one which he gave to me after having Cristella, Jan, and I play “Janken” for it. I gave it to Cristella though since I have no room for it. We went back to the room, had cake and sang “Happy Birthday,” then went to bed.

Thursday
The day they went home. Also, it was my birthday. I completely
forgot about it. @.@ We ran to the Post Office, had lunch at the soba shop across the street again (and Mom was called “neesan” by the lady at the shop ^-^), then got ready to leave. Jan helped me pack a lot of my stuff into my mom’s bags. We left the I-House around 3 pm, and took a short train to Kichijoji station then took a Limo Bus the rest of the way. The luggage wasn’t nearly so bad this time around, even if it was heavier. I think they all enjoyed the bus…very cozy, and you can see much of Tokyo on it. We should have taken it the first time around! Oh well. We saw Tokyo Disneyland on the way, as well as the Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo Bay, Tokyo Tower, and some other sights that they missed. I helped them through customs and we ate at the airport, and then I got a cup for Cristella at Starbuck’s there. They didn’t have the exact cup there, but we still got one that said “Tokyo” on it. Why is the best cup so hard to find? >.< I was a bit teary-eyed when I parted ways with them. I really wanted them to stay longer, but I knew they couldn’t. I decided to take the Narita Express train back, and on the way Dad called to see if they made it off alright. Poor Daddy was so lonely when they were gone. His spring break is next week…he didn’t know I was going to be off, otherwise he would have arranged to come up then (even if it was the week after Mom and the others came). Ah well. It takes a lot of time to prepare for such a huge trip.

Last night as I was drifting off to sleep, I felt a slight tremor. It was cute. In my groggy half-asleep state, the earth was singing me “Happy Birthday.”

Today
I woke up, ran down to the computer lab to catch up on my e-mails, and was promptly called by my parents to notify me of everyone ’s safe arrival. *Sigh of relief* I got to hear my dad ’s reaction to some of the souvenirs they picked up, including the Engrish shirt we got him. Dad reads out loud: “’The spores flew in a parabola.’ What the hell does that mean?” Heh heh.

Now I need to mark in the 2nd eye on my daruma. My wish was for them to come here and make it back home safely.

On today’s agenda, I need to go to Harajuku (yay!) because the teacher whom I ’m assisting has his office there, and Kirsten and I have to help him today. He already paid us apparently. I’m gonna save it until something interesting pops up.

I’ll catch up on all your journals soon!

current mood:

relieved

(24 comments | comment on this)

Thursday, March 6th, 2003

10:58 am - *shivers with excitement*
Michigan Teen Gets Stem Cell Transplant to Heart

I am wishing success for this procedure for two reasons:
1.) So that the boy survives and has a safe recovery
2.) Because it'll be a triumph for modern medicine.

Now for a more selfish reason to be excited...

I GET TO SEE MY MOMMY TOMORROW!!

cielopollo and

jmdavis24 AND MY BROTHER DAVID, TOO!

So, I'll be away from the Net for about a week. I don't want a miss a second with them. :)

Thanks everyone for filling out that survey last time, too! The responses made me smile wicked big. ^____~ If you didn't post yours on your journal, then I will fill them out as responses to my last entry. Love 'n stuff!

current mood:

excited

(6 comments | comment on this)

Wednesday, March 5th, 2003

2:08 pm - This could get silly
Taken from

sultryvamp

[x] I ____ Nami.

[x] Nami is ____.

[x] If I were alone in a room with Nami, I would _______.

[x] I think Nami should _____.

[x] Nami needs ______.

[x] Nami will never ______.

[x] I want to _________ Nami.

[x] Nami can ______ my _______.

[x} When I think about Nami, I ______.

current mood:

giggly

(32 comments | comment on this)

Tuesday, March 4th, 2003

1:54 pm - Package from Mom
Got a package from Mom yesterday! :D Most of it is stuff she figured she'd need in Japan that she couldn't fit into her suitcase, but she sent some goodies for me, too! Like American-sized cans of shaving gel (3 times the Japanese size), some foundation & powder, my favorite exfoliating scrub, 2 HUGE boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats with Strawberries, and then what I've been waiting for for months: a tape of That 70s Show, Malcolm in the Middle, SNL, and the Simpsons. *.* But guess what? The tape doesn't work. There is maybe 1/6 second of picture, and then it becomes a black screen with white lines through it. *cries* Maybe it got screwed up during customs? ;.; I miss American TV!

current mood:

crazy

(7 comments | comment on this)

1:52 pm - Wasabi
I finally got around to watching the French movie "Wasabi" the other day. I've seen far more interesting and original movies, but it was still pretty entertaining. The plot was the biggest disappointment. (Of course, I was watching it in French with Japanese subs, so I could have misunderstood the subs and the plot may have been far deeper and intriguing that that) It has Jean Reno essentially reprising his role as the main character in "The Professional," only this time he's a police inspector named Hubert, the setting is in Japan, and the girl is his half-Japanese, French-speaking punk-rock daughter. It makes sense that a movie identical to the Professional sans the differences I noted would be made; the Professional was a huge hit in Japan.

Hubert comes to Japan because he is in search of his long lost Japanese lover who mysteriously left him almost 20 years prior, and finds the woman to have just passed on, leaving behind their daughter he knew nothing about. Of course, the girl has no idea when they first meet that Hubert's her father, despite their identical aquiline noses and the fact the girl was raised speaking French, and he's determined to hide the fact from her when they first meet to protect her. From whom? The yakuza, of course, who are after the daughter's inheritance. You know how you can tell if someone's a Japanese mafia member in the movie? They're wearing black suits and sunglasses. And, they all speak fluent French.
Despite the stinking plot, there were some amusing premises that popped up in the movie...Hubert's fearsome temper creates some amusing scenes of ridiculous violence, for one. The daughter is hyper and cute, and it's fun to listen her speak in French (especially when you don't know what she's actually saying then). My favorite scene of all, though, is when the daughter drags her Dad (while she still doesn't know he's her father) and her father's side kick to an arcade and makes them play DDR...and they suck. This I something I have experienced, and why I refuse to play DDR in public. A crowd gathers, because they expect something spectacular to happen when a foreigner hops on stage. And, something spectacular does occur, at least when I'm concerned: I suck spectacularly. Theoretically, if I practice, I will improve, but if I try to practice the darn crowd inevitably gathers and it makes me nervous and I suck even more. :D

The movie does have some great scenes of the Japan teenagers enjoy, so I recommend it if you're curious about that sort of thing.

current mood:

amused

(4 comments | comment on this)

Sunday, March 2nd, 2003

10:09 pm - Darn Internet
The Internet's been down all over campus for the past 2 days, and since I have no idea when it'll be back up again I'm just doing a short update while I can at an Internet Cafe in Ikebukuro.

Today

klarfax and I went to an aquarium in the Sunshine building and pitied the poor dolphins and unhappy-looking sunfish, and marveled at the attention-seeking sting rays and the lazy, monstrous giant spider crabs. We found some decent Mexican food and played a rather addicting hack 'n slash game (MAZAN) at an arcade. Get this: in this game, rather than shooting zombies with a gun, you slice them with a SWORD. Yes, it really is as fun as it sounds. I can see myself becoming very addicted to this game. *.*

*gonna go catch up on world events now*

current mood:

chipper

(9 comments | comment on this)

Friday, February 28th, 2003

1:25 pm - FTP blues
There's a girl in my aerobics class with a J-Rock T-shirt that says, "The Japanese Fucker Family." I want.

I'm currently at an Internet Cafe where I can access my ftp server at long last, but I can't access the damn CD-RW I burned with all the files I want to upload onto it. Grr.

current mood:

frustrated

(7 comments | comment on this)

Wednesday, February 26th, 2003

1:28 pm - A bigot reality show?
Sen.: Hillbilly Reality Show Is 'Bigotry for Bucks'

What do you all think? Is that being too PC, or is it cruel to make rural people the butt of a huge joke? Would a show involving rich urban people being shoved into a shack in the mountains create a similar controversy?

current mood:

contemplative

(7 comments | comment on this)

Tuesday, February 25th, 2003

7:57 pm - Pictures first, talk later
NOTE: When I first made this post, I kept getting an error screen and assumed this post didn't go through, which is why there were two different posts and all the links were broken. They're okay now!

I had a nice, busy weekend for a change with

evilbil and

klarfax. More later! :)

*The Eastern side of Shinjuku*
http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/japanpiccies/shinjuku1q.JPG
http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/japanpiccies/shinjuku3q.JPG
http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/japanpiccies/shinjuku4q.JPG

*Sipping a Long Island Ice Tea at an American Diner in Shibuya*
http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/japanpiccies/americandinerq.JPG

*A pink bunny man in Shibuya*
http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/japanpiccies/shibuyabunnyq.JPG

*And unagi dish with cooked eggs and raw quail eggs*
http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/japanpiccies/eggunagiq.JPG

*Harajuku Kids* (taken by

chipper

(6 comments | comment on this)

Thanks to livejournal.com and Miaka