and so....   
11:38am 09/12/2005
 
mood: excited
music: Japanese TV
I have both sad and happy news that take affect starting today.

My stay in Japan will officially end today Dec 9th at 5pm. I will resign from NOVA. I will have 30 days left of work (including paid holidays that I must use), so I will be out of Japan EXACTLY 6 months after being here (as I arrived June 9th 2005 and I will probably be on a plane out of Japan January 9th 2006).

Why has this happened? I will explain.

Apparently in NOVA sub-lease policy (apparently which I didn't read or didn't think about or completely forgot or in all honesty didn't care), no one who is not a NOVA teacher or resident cannot stay in the house for an extended period of time. Most of the times this is not a problem despite the rules. Scott (one of my coworkers) had his fiancee Quan living with him until they got their own place without a problem.

Unfortunately, I have been caught.

My boyfriend, Max, has been staying with me since October 25th. Yesterday I received a call that if he was not gone by the 12th, and the landlord reported seeing him again, then there will be an inspector here and I will be evicted if there is any sign of his presence.

After panicking for 15 minutes and crying--I finally sat myself down and said--Think of the solution, not the problem.

I came up with 3 options.

A)Talk to my landlord
B)Quit--which gives me a month to clear out--and go to NZ with Max like I was planning to anyway...but not for a vacation anymore
or
C)Find a new place ASAP

C--the most improbable--became impossible. I could not find a place with enough time, put down a downpayment without any money. And on top of that, in less than a month I would be gone from the place for 2 weeks, spending lots of money going to NZ on vacation??? There was just no way.

A--became impossible, because apparently he doesn't talk to me. He talks only to the person leasing the apartment. Which is NOVA. And that's that.

So B became the one and only option.

And, in all honesty, even though my Japan stay was cut short, I don't regret this decision at all. How many people can say that they've spent half a year in Japan and another half in New Zealand? I'm actually really excited. I would get to stay with the man I love, which is what's the most important for me, and I get to experience life in another country. I will probably be able to get a good, high paying job, as I've worked as a teacher and substitute and I have a BA in English Literature.

It'll be a hell of a good experience.

I'm sad I didn't get to see Hokkaido before I left. Or use the birthday travel discount Japan has. Or go to Izumo or see cherry blossoms. But I can do ALL of that and more on vacation. I can always come back!

And you know what?

I'm crazy.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Things never work out the way you plan. There was so much I had planned to do in the next couple of months. But you know what? Always taking what life gives you and running with it and enjoying it, is what I do best.

So here I go!!		  
     Post
 
Ciao for a Fortnight   
11:48pm 24/10/2005
 
mood: the calm before the storm
It is currently 11:45pm in Japan. Of Tuesday the 24th of October. It will be the 25th in approximately 15 minutes.

I'm going to finish what I have to do online, which is:

-Post on my online RPs and wish them a happy 'sayonara' for the next 2 weeks.
-Clear out all my email, and pay for stuff I haven't paid for.
-Check out how to get to the Kyoto Garden Hotel again.
-Post in my journals.

Once this is complete--no matter what time it is, I shall attempt to go to sleep. I will probably have to take the last of the sleeping pills my grandmother gave me... If I haven't finished them all. I don't remember. I will set my alarm for 10am, in case, I do have the pills and they knock me out but good.

Tomorrow, I have a couple of things to do in the morning, and then I'm out. Gone. Vanished. For a while. If you want to contact me, probably only be able to do it by calling my cell phone (or house phone after the 28th and before the 1st, and after the 2nd) and that'll be it.

God, I sure as hell hope so.

If I am online for any time between right now and the seventh... it had better be for DAMN GOOD REASON.

Honestly, pray that you don't see me at all online.

And also pray for my family and friends in Florida. Another Hurricane has hit, and though I don't know much about it, I'm worried about them.

Mama hasn't called me and I haven't been able to call. Mich is up and pacing because of it. I hope they are all right. Please let them be all right.

I love you all. Be safe.		  
     Post
 
drifting cars and screeching tires   
11:25pm 19/10/2005
 
mood: amused
music: Ain't it Funny
Mood: Amused
Movie: Initial D
Music: Ain't it Funny

I just got back from the movies--I biked to the next town. Why? Because I can, I need the exercise anyway, and I would've gotten there faster than it took for the train to get here and drop me off at the station and then walk.

::deep breath::

The stuff I wanted to see? Unavailable or I had to wait too long.

Shinobi didn't come on till 5pm and I was there at 1:20 (what the hell was I going to do for 4 hours waiting around for the blasted movie?), Corpse Bride comes out next week, Brothers Grimm comes out sometime in November as does Potter and Mr. and Mrs. Smith doesn't come out till December. They had Stealth (ick), Cinderella Man wasn't until 4 (too long to wait), and I didn't want to see something I'd already seen.

So I said FUCK IT and sat my happy ass to watch the Initial D movie. THE MOVIE. i.e. Live action.

I think it's amazing how much easier it is to understand a foreign film when you know the whole story anyway! heheheheh. Thank god I'd seen the anime. If not... yeah...

It was actually really good. Nothing beats seeing a HachiRoku (AE86) on the big screen. It was just beautiful. It was like I was actually on the sidelines of those damn races for the first time, instead of on the other side of the screen. Definite benefit to seeing it in the theater and it being live action. They scrunched up the first 3 seasons (if you can call the '3rd stage' a season....) into the movie, which means characters got cut out and other characters merged into one entity. For example... Iketani ceased to exit. No Iketani. But there was still was someone who was running the Speed Stars...sort of... as much as Itsuki could anyway.

::WIDE GRIN::

For those who know Initial D, they are now looking at me very confused. Let me explain.

The VERY BEST thing about this movie is how they managed to take these anime characters and transform them into real life entities.

All the characters--minus Takumi--was DEAD ON. But really...how dead on can you be with a no personality twerp like Takumi...? Anyway!

Natsuki=Freakily dead on. It was just... wow. NAILED. (and yes, 'literally' too--those who know Natsuki and know the situation get the joke...I hope)

The guy who runs the gas station= DEAD ON. The biggest change with him is that he became Itsuki's father, which honestly I think makes more sense considering the friendship between him and Bunta and Itsuki and Takumi... but that's my opinion.

The 2 guys (the bald one with the bandana and the one with the dreads) from the Emperor team= like Natsuki, freakily dead on. The bald one even LOOKED like him. It was creepy.

What's-his-face from the Night Kids= had got a mustache. Okay, so maybe he's not so dead on. I find this version of him much more likable than the one from the anime. This guy was rooting for Takumi when he was racing Ryousuke... speaking of which...

Takahashi Ryousuke= DEAD FUGGIN' ON. I mean... DUDE. Sooooooo seeeeexy~~~ Got to love that Takahashi bastard. DAMN. I even got to see my beloved FC on screen. Aaaaaah~ Love me the Ryousuke. I must admit, I was doing what the girls in the anime were doing whenever he came on screen "Ryooooooooooouuuuuusuuuuuuuuuuukeeeeeeee eee!!!!"

Ahem.

Bunta= SO DEAD ON I WANT TO WORSHIP THE ACTOR FOREVER. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Initial D fandom? I HAVE SEEN FUJIWARA BUNTA--a real life Fujiwara Bunta. And he's in this film. HOLY SHITES. Could they have picked a better actor? PROBABLY NOT. My GOD ...it was just... WOW. I don't think it was an actor. I think it had to be the anime character transmuted into flesh and blood. He was just THAT GOOD. And of course, if he's got Bunta dead on, what does that mean?

The drunken, smoking, old fart of a racer stole the GOD DAMNED SHOW.

That he most certainly did.

And last, but creepily enough NOT least, Itsuki.

Itsuki= so damn dead on it scared the FUCK out of me. Dude... this guy even LOOKED like Itsuki. He TALKED like Itsuki. It was so scary I just... well, same thing with Bunta. The anime version had to have been transmuted into real life because there is just NO WAY. Just... no. Wow. Yikes.

So yeah...

The movie was good. I enjoyed it. Makes me REALLY want to see the 4th season now after rewatching everything before... if I had it here which I don't. Ah, well.

But you know what was the saddest thing about it all? There weren't that many Japanese people, but I assume they were all people who knew the manga and the anime at least somewhat for them to be interested in the movie. Right? Well, dude. I couldn't understand all the Japanese and *I* was laughing at the jokes. Bunta is fugging hysterical. So is Itsuki. So is Takumi, occasionally! I was LAUGHING at jokes that will not be translatable because I'm not really sure what the hell they said, but I got the jist and it was FUNNY. I mean, Bunta and his buddy, at a Snack Bar (umm....long explanation... will do that later...) eating crap with a bunch of girls? Was HYSTERICAL. And then Itsuki threatening his father with the receipt from the Snack Bar!? BRILLIANT!

And nothing. Nada. Not a single giggle from these people sitting beside me. I just... HUH?!?! Don't they have a sense of humor? I know they do! I've seen my students laugh! They have the capacity. But nothing. Not a blasted sound from anyone other than my occasional spastic giggling of amusement at Bunta's and Itsuki's antics.

I just...

I don't get it.

ANYWAY.

The movie was damn well brilliant. Well, okay--maybe not in the sense of the story, it's the same as the animation, which it's brilliance can be debated until the earth crashes into the sun--but the actor choice for the characters (minus Takumi), and the way it was presented was just great. I recommend to Initial D fans. Those who don't know the anime, all I can say is look it up and watch it in Japanese--the English version is perverted.

I'm going to hear screeching cars in my dreams. I just know it.		  
     Post
 
good karma bad karma   
02:02am 17/10/2005
 
mood: weird
Mood: wiewnwnoknfewhjfoweihsnfvoswnfwnf?!?!? daaaaaaaaa gaaaaaaaa!!

All right.

If anyone says there's so such thing as karma they need to have been put in my shoes over the last 2 days. Why? I shall explain. It will also explain my mood. Which in actuality is not how I feel this moment but I how I feel in general when reflecting on the events of this entire weekend.

Friday:

HEAVENSENT. Good karma is rampant. Spend the morning online, no biggie, do some things, don't finish others, eventually get ready for a nice hot lunch of steaming spicy curry. I thought I only had one letter in the mail. ::loves on her d-chan:: Thanks so much D!!! aka the writer of Red Halos--I loveded the letter! On my way out I see this package sticking out. I take it, I see who it's from, I squeal with joy, and bolt to the curry place quickly so I can open the thing.

Ask the curry guys about my grin that day. It was HUGE.

It had me floating on a cloud the rest of the day. FLOATING. Dude, I can't even begin to describe how floating I was. I think I blushed five thousand times and all the fugging students noticed. It was a fantastic day. I didn't care that I had two kids classes. I didn't care about anything other than what had made me that fantastically happy.

In the letter:
-The Letter (3 1/2 pages long! Woot for me!!)
-Naughty Bits (Enough said)
-A stick-on tattoo (o.O boys are strange)
-A set of sticker pictures (yum)
-2 passport photos (very yum)
-2 large gorgeous photos (swoon)
-And an expensive gold, jade and paua shell necklace.... WHAT THE FUCK?!?!

Exactly what I thought.

I've only taken it off so far to shower. It's beautiful and this is the first time EVER in my ENTIRE LIFE that a guy has given me a present without any kind of reason behind it. Just because it gives him pleasure to give me a gift and see me deliriously happy.

Can you blame me for being on a cloud? I think NOT.

It also helps that Heather never came home that night. HEH. And I got to stay up late. On the phone. With them wonderful free minutes that my student gave someone else to call me with. Yeah. GREAT.

Saturday:

On the verge of Hellish. Just at the cusp. The salvation was Saturday night, but I'm not there yet. So, my day is looking peachy. I have an early break, which isn't the best situation in the world, but hey, whatever I'll deal. I was still in a good mood.

Noel managed to piss me the hell off. Just by being his usual snot-nosed nasty self. Might also be because I was PMSing and didn't know it. (I realized too late that was also why I was particularly bitchy at work today, but I knew my boss wouldn't take that as an excuse--but I felt bad. Abe's nice to me.) ANYWAY.

What ruined the day yesterday was the robbing of my Voice lesson. I love Voice. It's the biggest reason (other than getting out at 5:20), that I actually *LIKE* working on the weekends. Yes, there was no one in Voice. All right--that just meant I'd get a free lesson FOR A FUCKING CHANGE. Woot. How nice. For one, I?!?!, get the free lesson? Must be the sign of the apocalypse. Me? Nah. I'm just selfish. Everyone else gets free lessons all the time. I'VE NEVER GOTTEN A FUGGIN' ONE. And Alaynne, new chick, got two ON HER FIRST DAY. Nice. Of course, did I get my free lesson? HELL NO. Hahahaha!! No--a 'No show' (a student who didn't show up for another teacher--Scott namely) decided she really wanted a lesson even though she'd missed the last one, and they begged me to take her and give her fucking lesson. As if I could say no. Yeah. They'd just complain about me if I did. I'd be making the company lose money if I said NO. So I had to say yes. I'd just gotten out of a rambunctious Kid's class. I could've used the break offered by Voice. Or by the free lesson created by no one being in Voice. No. I went into a lesson. And SCOTT got the free period because she didn't show up to his class before as WELL as his fucking Voice. Usually, when one has an early break, it doesn't matter because Voice breaks up the longer half of the day. No so for this girly. OH NO. Let's ring her dry because she's too nice and will say yes to anything we ask. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

I was royally pissed for the rest of the fucking day. I wanted to go to curry to ease my soul. I convince Alaynne, by inviting Kelsey and the Kelsey inviting Alaynne and Kelsey never saying yes to me to going and yeah... basically, I suggested it so I invited myself to Kelsey and Alaynne's curry dinner. The bad karma, thanks to curry, got spread around a bit. Poor Alaynne ended up taking the wrong train and going to Okayama instead of back home to Takamatsu and Kelsey had to pick her up because she had no more money. Kelsey and I, on the way back home, walking in the rain, a biker got hit by a car and Kelsey and I rushed to help as much as we can. We covered her up with our umbrellas, got her bike and her umbrella off the road, and waiting for the ambulance.

It wasn't until I got home, changed, and got on the phone that the day looked up. I took the phone up to my room and had a long talk and went to bed peaceful and blissful.

I'm sorry to all of those I said I would get online Saturday morning. I really am. I just really didn't have the energy to attempt to get online after all the shit that had happened that day.

Sunday: Equals Hellish.

Okay. So...after Saturday night, and despite all the nigh near hellish events of the day before, I got up feeling refreshed and nice. I put the comp downstairs, still no Heather (heaven~!), and left to work with a light step. Met some Italians at the train station. Talked to them for a bit. I was happy.

So much for that idea.

I got to work and had a wonderful schedule! I got the cute little Rie for a Man to Man Kid's class. I had my Seniors who are always bored. I had 2, count them 2!, Voice lessons (probably to make up for the fact that I got none Saturday). The world was a good place.

Then Scott called in sick.

There went Rie, and my two Voices. I had one Voice now, at the END of the damn day. A LATE break, with not only my Seniors now but a set of Scott's Juniors, who, might I add were quite irritating and I hope I never have them again. That and I got my monthly flow so PMSing about the nastiness of my day did not help. I just made poor Abe not know what to do with me, because actually cares and likes me and I felt really bad PMSing on him. GAH.

Needless to say that PISSED ME OFF for most of the day.

My break, when it came, was very nice. The food was so so, but the rest of it was good. I sat outside. The day was nice. I needed a mental break.

Dealt with my Seniors, had my Voice, and was OUT.

Had my curry. It was tasty.

Came home. Changed. Got online.

And did a HUGE STUPID. At least the huge stupid didn't turn out so bad, but DAMN. I can't believe I let that one sneak by and ....oh well. Shutting up about it now. It turned out for the best in the end, and that's perfect. No I'm not explaining this. It's none of your damn business unless you know about a certain personal thing. Unless your name is Mich, Kat, Becca or Rio you don't know about it, and probably won't care to know. If any of you guys want to hear about it, call me, email me or something. Other than that. Not a peep. No way. No how.

Heather came home.

Fuck.

Oh well. That's it for the rant. Ciao peoples.		  
     Post
 
quick update   
01:06pm 14/10/2005
 
mood: sleepy
music: Poe
Why? because it'll be brief.

Sending out a new round of letters on Monday or Tuesday. Working Tuesday, so I don't have to work Monday the 7th. Tried to find hotels on Ikaho for when my mother and my grandmother are here, but YEESH is it difficult. I've save two websites so far... Have to send them to Mama so she can say... all right book this one. It will be during peak season, no way around it. And hopefully, on days I won't be working (hence why it'll be peak season because NO ONE will be working and people can go on vacation and stuff). Who knows? Maybe it won't be possible after all. :sigh:

Found the Ryokan in Shodoshima. Website I went to didn't let me book it though. I'll have to rummage around it more later.

Starting in November on Fridays I'll have different hours. I'll work from 1:20 to 5:40, which means less money for me (i.e. no bonuses for working 5-9), but it'll give me a chance to be home earlier on a Friday night which means I can do other stuff.... Only problem is that I still have my blasted Kid class... which is the first class I have on Friday's currently. Ug. I don't really, honestly, mind the Kid classes. Not as my as before. But I have to watch the clock so much more because I can't hear the blasted bell... and sometimes the kids are hellions. I guess it's good practice.

For one day.

I saved money this month! Woooooo!! Despite buying SH3 and other things of the more expensive kind. I amaze myself sometimes... I have to pay my cell phone bill now, once I'm dressed and can head out for lunch and whatnot.

Ah... lunch.

I remember lunch. I remember food.... how I miss you...

A huge thank you to Mich for the stuffeses you sent. ::loves on her Mich::

I need to go shopping again. I forgot butter and a couple of other things... and Heather's already gone through all of the toilet rolls. I have to return my movies soon... rent something new. Wai! Next Wednesday I'm going to go early to the movies to try to catch a couple I haven't seen. I hope the Corpse Bride will be in English, but I'm not holding my breath.

Still haven't seen Shinobi or Initial D. Shinobi comes first though. Don't know how much longer that'll be in the theater.

11 days.

...yes, I know. My counting down is pathetic, but I can't help myself. Why not? :blushes: okay, yeah, I'm going to stop now.		  
     Post
 
Strange Updates   
11:01am 26/09/2005
 
mood: horny
music: She Bangs
ONE:

There is something strangely comforting about being surrounded my female Japanese doctors, in bright pink uniforms, giggling and jabbering on excitedly in Japanese while they give you a check up. I don't know why, I don't know how, but it is. It's relaxing... And that makes NO SENSE.

But it is.

TWO:

Finally saw "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". Laughed my ASS OFF. That was the most amusing thing I'd seen in a long while. The Oompa Loompas made me laugh so hard my sides were splitting. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Tomorrow I'll watch "Fantastic 4", Wednesday I'll try to watch "Shinobi". And the next week? "Initial D"! Dude, they have a LIVE ACTION Initial D out in the movies! I got to go see it, even if I don't understand what the hell is going on exactly. Good thing, I've seen the series!!

THREE:

I laughed even HARDER after CatCF when I got an email to my phone. Premise: Every KFC in all of Japan has a life-sized statue of Colonel Sanders outside of it. I took a picture with Colonel Sanders and sent it to my brother and a certain person in New Zealand. The response I got at the end of the movie was from the latter individual. I'll let your brains come up with what he could've possibly said in reply to make me laugh so hard I almost fell off my chair.

FOUR:

My excuses for not being online. Mainly, wanting to sleep in instead of get up early. Jogging at night and then relaxing to watch a movie. Coming back from work late and then just wanting to go to bed. Too lazy to drag the computer downstairs and upstairs too often. Talking on the phone to people for hours is more preferable to being online for hours. Online steals away time when I could be doing other things. Like having curry. Or talking on the phone to the guy I like or to my best friend. Or watching movies I haven't seen in ages...

and FIVE:

What's new with me? Didn't go to Ashizuri last week like I had planned. It's been postponed. I might go later...I just don't know when. I want to see the lovely cliffsides, and I want to go soon, but I don't know how plausible that is. I have to save money (of which I am currently spending too much of--what with buying a video game and going shopping and stuff. I'M NUTS) for when Max gets here at the end of October. He said not to worry about it so much, but I mean... Come on! He's going to come and I'm not going to have any money to go kareoking with him, get drunk with him, go out to dinner with him, sneak off to a love hotel with him, enjoy Kyoto with him, go to a Ryokan with him? Uh uh. I know we'll both be happy just being together but I want to give him a good experience here...

Other than just being with me.

Japan's a really nice country! Want him to enjoy the country and not just the strange Cuban living on the island of Shikoku...

AHEM.

This weekend has been fantastic. I can't really say why, but it has. Only one more month till the guy I like arrives in Japan and I'm going to Kyoto. The weather is changing. It has been SO NICE these last couple of days. Like heaven itself. You can't understand how fantastic this weather has been. I need to live in a temperate zone. This is just...blissful.

So yeah...other than that, not much else. This weekend has been...AMAZING. And I'm feeling quite naughty about it.

Heheheh. So yeah.

Got to mail out letters and have lunch now. Sooooo~ I'm off!		  
     Post
 
ECSTATIC   
11:20pm 09/09/2005
 
mood: loved
music: Beloved
Extremely ecstatic and excited and just plain floating on a cloud swooning. Why?

I shall explain.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been more daring that normal for myself. I'm infatuated with a boy. First time in a long as time--perhaps first time ever with a real person. Infatuation became "Dude-you're twitter-pated", and since then it's become full blown "I'm crazy about this guy!"

And I curse a blue streak at realizing I've fallen. For the first time in my life and fallen damn and blast HARD.

AND--apparently--still falling.

Because within the last couple of weeks our relationship ZOOMED. And I do mean ZOOMED. We've been talking since April at least (maybe March?), and I called him for the first time a couple weeks back on the way back from Matsuyama. Major step for the both of us who'd only been talking via emails and on MSN. Now, we're talking on THE PHONE.

I know this doesn't seem like such a big deal in some respects. After all, internet is less expensive and more modern and whatnot, but DAMN. It makes a HELLUVA of a difference to hear a sexy voice and hear the sexy words than just reading the sexy words. This man has YET to disappoint me!

Anyhow, the relationship--however pitiful it maybe from just knowing each other on devART--ZOOMED. We've called each other a couple of times since then, for over an hour or so each time, (one was apparently over 3 hours ^^;;;) and spent plenty of money on phone cards and minutes alone.

And then there was talk about him coming to see me in Japan. Note. He lives in New Zealand. I shit you not. I live in Japan for the next year, after that back to the States. I know I'M NUTS. I was going to go visit him in New Zealand (I've always wanted to go anyway) in February. He said he's always wanted to see Japan.

But it was all talk. Wonderful talk.

Then it got more hopeful. He asked his family about it. They're all okay with that idea. Eh?! His father is going to give him frequent flier miles so he doesn't have to pay for his ticket. Double EH?! Okay--looking more hopeful. He asked for time off from his boss. WTF?!?

And then today--as I'm blissfully daydreaming of what it would be like to see him--as I am at work, bored and waiting for his email--

I get it.

And it's booked.

HIS FLIGHT IS BOOKED.

He has tickets.

HOLY SHMAHOOLIES AND CARAMEL CRACKERS WITH CHEESECAKE!!!

To say HOLY SHIT and OH MY GOD does not even BEGIN to describe how I feel right now. I just can't belive it. I'm waiting to wake up. Tomorrow I'll look at my phone and won't see the email and I know I dreamed the whole thing up. But OH MY GOD.

He's coming. HE'S ACTUALLY COMING. Coming to Japan to SEE ME. Because HE WANTS TO. Because he LIKES ME. He finds me beautiful and desirable and wonderful. I just...

OH. MY. GOD.

I can't say it enough. I can't believe it. I want to believe it. My dreams are finally coming true? I mean... they have been. I'M IN JAPAN for chrissakes. But those, like Japan and traveling and college and writing, those are done under my own power. Dreams that I must forge.

This is a dream I can't do by myself. It kind of needs someone there to be a part of it...... And he is. And he's coming.

I'll pick him up at Osaka, we'll take the train to Kyoto, we'll stay at the hotel, in the same room and share the same bed...

And when I get into work that Saturday--after 3 and a half days of him being here--I'LL HAVE THE STUPIDEST GRIN ON MY FACE.

Okay--so that's being too hopeful too. Maybe he'll get here and see me and there'll be no chemistry. He won't want me. Who knows? BUT GOD, I hope that's not the case. I hope that I can kiss him and my head will spin.

SHIT. My head's spinning just thinking about it.

I'm ecstatic. And I'm going to be so fucking blissfully happy at just the IDEA that he's coming to see me and actually has the tickets... that...

OH SHITES. I got to book the hotels tomorrow!!!		  
     Post
 
Matsuyama, Ashizuri, and Kyoto   
02:56pm 29/08/2005
 
mood: bouncy
music: Matter and Form
Before I get into the trips for the future and the last one I just did, quick update on recent events.

For one, my gallery is back up. Little chance anyone is going to steal my crap, so no worries there. For two, I'm going to be the only girl at Sakaide starting Thursday. Yay. Kineta is leaving. Which makes me very sad. Three--my probation has been extended until the end of September. Figures. Four, my family is okay in Miami despite the whack from Katrina. And five--there's actually a very good reason I haven't been online lately, of which I will not disclose. ::WIDE GRIN::

And another thing.

The Marugame matsuri was this past weekend. The fireworks were great, the dancing was great, the food was expensive (i didn't eat anything), and the dancing in the street yesterday KICKED MY ASS. It was soooooooooooooo cool!!

Ahem. There, that's done.

Now onto Matsuyama.

I went to Matsuyama on Wednesday. There is a hot spring place there called Dogo springs. There's no outdoor hotspring, just indoor ones, but they're quite nice. Apparently, this is the hotspring used as a model for Spirited Away's hot spring. It's one of the oldest in Japan.

Well, so I got up extra early and we--my buddy Jayne and I--headed out to the station. Got our tickets and went out there. Took about two hours. Not as nice of a trip as going to Kochi, but still pretty nice. Once there, she had a brief spaz attack as they actually had an Aunt Stella's cookie place. It's apparently a cookie place that is supposed to only exist in Pennsylvania. So we grabbed a couple of cookies and walked our butts to the tram to take it to the hot spring.

It stopped at a station about halfway and we had no idea what other tram to take. A Japanese woman who spoke English just walked up to us and offered help. Ah! So nice! So we managed to get on the right tram and got to the hot springs. Just before it though, is this cool clock that does a little show on the hour every hour. So we lingered to watch it. Right beside it is a hot spring just for feet and hands. ^___________________^ Well, after lingering a bit, we walked uphill to get to the hot springs and paid for a private room. We stripped, got into the yukatas they offered and headed downstairs for the little tour of the hot springs quarters (i.e. where the emperor used to stay and whatnot) and then onto the Tama no yu (Bath of the Spirits). It was a small place, just for the two of us. Apparently, I had ordered that one. So we lingered and had a good old time just vegging as our brains eventually melted from the heat. Another lady eventually came it, but we paid her no mind as we were wrapping up.

Out of curiosity, we headed toward the public baths--Kami no yu (Bath of the Gods)--and actually sat there for a while, naked, with a bunch of other ladies naked. Most of them old women. Tell you what, you figured you'd be self conscious, but by the end, you're actually feeling quite better about yourself! heheheheh.

Anyway, we went back up to our room, dried off, had green tea and dango. It's like a sweet rice paste. Very odd. But kind of tasty. Thanks to the dango I could drink my fuggin' green tea. Gosh, I hate that stuff. Ick. We got dressed again and decided to head out for lunch.

Got to a mall-like area and bought getta for our yukatas (they were on sale!), feeling pleased that we already spent more money. ><;; Jayne also bought herself a hat! We had udon for lunch and then stopped at the Ghibli store in that mall. THEY HAD CALCIFER PLUSHIES!! I almost died. Jayne had to drag me out of there. They had some nice howl figures, and they had some AWESOME pins. I'm buying Mich's christmas present there because they had SOOT BALLS. and well, there's just NO WAY, I'm passing that up!!

So yeah--got back to the clock. Watched the show again, stuck our feet in the mini hotspring. I took a picture of my feet. Woooo! I was wearing my COOL socks. Anyway, we caught the tram back and headed over to the main mall. We wandered for a while, looking for a massage place. Found a Haagen-Daaz place, couldn't resist. Bought more cool socks. And a real hematite and amethyst bracelet for me. Nice. Filled up my phone card. Took more money out. And found the massage place.

Poor Jayne went for the reflexology. Much pain. I had a nice lavender oil massage. Whole body. For a really good price too. Aaaah~ Anyway! Started heading out and found the photo booth area. We went nuts doing photos on these things. We had a kick with them! ^__________^ After that we headed out of the mall, and took the tram back to the station and headed back home.

On the way there I did something very very very brave.
Especially for me.

Left me giddy the rest of the night.
I'm blushing just thinking about it so I'm going to stop now.

After we got home, we went out for curry--MMMMM--and got free chai in the process! NICE. Then it was home. It was a good day, last Wednesday.

Ashizuri is where I'm planning on going next month for three days. Cliff-sides and a beautiful hotel. I should have some overtime on there, so my paycheck should be decent in September. Hopefully, by then I'll have a digital camera and I can take many many many pictures.

I will be going to Kyoto in October. Probably the last week of October. Originally it was only going to be for three days, but I want to try and stretch it to five. Let's see if I can do it! I want to see the fall leaves and go to Ginkakuji--the Silver Temple. I'm so excited about going there! I have to ask Scott--he just went there--which hotel he stayed at, so I can do the same.

October is going to be a very nice month.		  
     Post
 
My Day Trip to Kochi   
01:56am 17/08/2005
 
mood: happy
All right--so because of lack of money and internet addiction, I have barely gone out in Japan. Safer to stay home and mess around online than to go out and spend what little cash I had.

Bright side?

The 15th was payday!

So I decided to plurge. Waste around 20,000 yen and go about.

I went to a place briefly mentioned by a coworker. It's called Kochi. Probably spelled Kouchi really, but who knows? Anyway, since my bike has a flat tire I walk my happy ass at around 10:30am to the station. Buy my ticket, which costs 4,130 yen--i.e. like 42 bucks. I wait for my train, killing time by writing letters I will mail out tomorrow. I get on the very comfortable express train and begin my journey.

I think it's going to take an hour max.

It takes 2 hours.

Am I complaining?

HELL FUCK NO.

Why?

Well, before I get to the why, let me say something about the first 15-30 minutes of the trip. Not only did I see lovely towns, but really, there is something downright beautiful about the VIVID green of rice plants. They just glow. And on this hot summer day, sun beaming, blue gorgeous skies, and a COOL BREEZE (holy shit the day is perfect!!), they just glow. Glow, dude. GLOW. We made a stop at Zentsuji City. Some people got off. Some tourists maybe. I saw them taking a picture by a statue at the station. A lady saw me looking from inside the train and waved at me. She WAVED AT ME. I waved back. Then everyone on the damn platform was waving at me!

I don't give a damn what anyone says about Japan, ever. The one thing that can never be argued is that these people are the sweetest and most friendliest people in the WORLD. And the rest of the events of the day only echo this observation.

Now as to the why those two hours were the BEST two hours I ever spent on a train. Because to get to this particular town, which is quite literally on the OTHER SIDE of Shikoku from Marugame, I have to go through mountains. Lots of them. To say it's beautiful is to do it no justice.

It stole my breath away. I mean... I can't really find words to describe how beautiful this really was. I was glued to the window, staring out in awe every second of the trip. I now have to make a trip to Ooboke because damn it's right smack in the middle of those mountains. It's literally a town sitting on the mountains. Bridges connect to the bits and pieces, and at the base of the mountains is this huge river that people were WHITE WATER RAFTING ON! I was jumping from one side of the train to the other to make sure I got every view possible. I was so sad that I couldn't take a picture because the train was moving!!! It was just so amazing.... I started getting upset every time we went through a tunnel because I couldn't see outside anymore.

Even if Kochi hadn't been wonderful--I'd go back just for the trip through the mountains. Well, worth the amount I fuggin' paid.

Sooooo!

Finally, 2 hours of bliss, I near Kochi. Mountains vanish, I get plains again and real cities/towns. I heard that as you got near you were supposed to have a fantastic view of the ocean--I probably misheard--because I didn't see crap. So I arrived, somewhat disappointed. I remained so as I walked outside and saw...well, basically what looked a lot like any other city I'd been to in Japan so far. The local ones. But sitting right in front of the station was this tram... and well, I thought... FUCK IT.

So I got on the damn thing, having no idea where it was going. Even though it said the name in romanji so I could read it despite the blasted kanji, it meant diddly to me. I looked around as we rattled and screeched and decided, randomly, to stop in this one spot. Probably because I'd caught a glimpse of this nice little bridge and fountain and figured, well, hell. Let's start with the monuments and stuff.

All right. I wander through this little park thing, take pictures. It's really lovely design, just ...well really nice period. I'd love to do what a couple of people were doing and lingering. But I moved on through it with an enchanted step because it was just too nice not to be enchanted by it. As I came out of the little parkish thing--I saw this steel, modern artish building and thought--damn that's ugly. I wonder what it is. I took a picture of it, because why not? Then I decided, well, hell. Let me wander in. So I do, looking around like the curious tourist I am and see in great big letters...

"INFORMATION"

Well hot damn.

I'd just found the information center of the city.

WHAT LUCK!!!

So I go to the counter and the lady there eagerly helps me, displaying her amazingly good English and I, my craptacular Japanese. She pulls out maps and pamphlets and English/Japanese Japanese/English dictionaries and we get down to business!

Her name is Yumi and I dedicate this post to her. Without her, my day in Kochi would not have been as much fun.

We sat there for like an HOUR, planning out my day and the potential things I could do. I even thought about staying the night at a hotel and continuing to see the city on the morrow as well! Then, thought of going somewhere else to sight see... but it didn't work out. Still! She set me up with going to Kasturahama, a sightseeingish beach in Kochi. I took the bus to get there, this rickety thing that was really actually kind of cute. Everyone got off but me before we got to Katsurahama, so I attempted to talk to the driver to make sure I knew where I was going. We ended up chitchatting in a blend of broken English, broken Japanese and fluent Japanese (on his part only!) for a little while before getting to Katsurahama. He was super sweet!!!

Anyway, Katsurahama and a bunch of shops I bypassed for the moment and I headed straight for the goods stuff. The beach. Sand is mostly stone, beautiful rock formations in the water and and the cliff side. I put my feet in the nice cool water. I was soooooooooooooooooo happy. Being near the ocean again! I took LOADS of pictures. There was this ancient shrine on the cliff and a couple of monuments and two toris! Lots and lots of pictures. Oh yes. I eventually wandered back down to the shop areas and bought myself my first official souvenir in Japan. A straw hat. The triangle ones. With kanji painted on it.

I crazy gaijin wore the damn thing most of the day. Heh.

I barely made it to the bus back on time (I spent the day cutting it close), because I had the munchies and got myself tako (octopus) on a stick dripping in yakitori sauce and a lemon icee thing that didn't taste even remotely lemonish. Got on the bus, and enjoyed the ride back toward Harimaya-bashi (the name of the street or something). Got off a little weirded from where I got on and ended up walking back through the little park thing to get to the information place.

They had added stuff in the three hours I'd been gone.

I took pictures of that too.

Went back up to the Information building and reunited with my lovely compadre, Yumi. She'd found me an ATM. I was already running low on cash and wouldn't be able to afford the trip back if I didn't haul my ass to one quick. We chatted for longer than we were supposed to--and I ended up running out towards the ATM waving crazy goodbyes to Yumi.

I gave her my email address. I hope she sends me a message. I'd love to see her again the next time I go to Kochi.

Got to the ATM in the nick of time (that cutting it close bit again), and took out another 5000 yen. Woo. More money down the toilet. Anyway, I decided, even though it was already 6pm and my train left at 7:30pm, I'd try to get some grub and see one more site on the map. I had four highlighted.

Koya Temple.
Kochi Castle.
Jyosei Park.
Kochi Dai Shrine.
and Hirome Market.

The latter was where to get the grub. yay.

So I decided, all right, the castle, the park and the shrine are a little farther away and I don't have enough time. So let's do the Temple and then the food and then head back. Good reason to come back. Do the other stuff!!

So I headed down one of the main streets, Ohashi-dori, same street as Hirome Market and Koya Temple, and marched to the temple, looking around constantly so I'm not run over and so I can see the temple.

Almost pass it!

Thank god for accurate maps!!

I notice because I start to walk passed the street its on, looking for it, and see the giveaway architecture and these bunch of festival like decorations. So with a wide grin I head to the temple.

Let me clarify something before I go into my amazing experience at this temple.

It's Obon right now in Japan. It's about a week of celebration and family get togethers. They visit graves of those departed, leave sweets and flowers for them, pray for them at family altars, and pretty much thank their ancestors and their deceased loved ones for caring for them and wish them well. I've been talking to my students for the passed two weeks, trying to figure out what I could do for Obon.

They kept telling me there's not much I can do. They told me the above. None of that is something a Gaijin like me can do.

This is my mentality. I've accepted the fact that I can't do anything to celebrate Obon.

So I walk into this temple and I'm surrounded by lanterns. A group of old women are wandering about helping people with their lanters and pretty much selling them and making them and lighting them. I'm amazed.

And I begin to hope.

Please! OH PLEASE! Let this gaijin make one!!!

I go up to one lady and ask in my distorted childlike Japanese if I can make one. She says it costs 1000 yen. I willingly pay for it. The problem is...I don't have much cash left. I need to make sure I save that 5000 I just took out for my trip back home. And the original 10,000 I took out is dwindling quickly. So even though I wanted to make several lanterns... I did only one.

I wrote down the name of the person and my name in katakana for nice old lady doing the calligraphy.

Nicholas Acosta.

Even now, I'm starting to cry as I remember.

The paper was done, they gave it to me, they made it into a lantern and they lit it for me. I wanted to go into the actual temple, but the lady led me to another portion (I guess the newer portion), and showed me into the room where people were praying. She grabbed a young man to help her translate and she offered me to stay for the ceremony at 7.

I soooooo wanted to.

I told him I couldn't--that I live in Marugame and my train leaves at 7:30pm. For a moment, I almost thought they were going to offer for me to stay in their home so I didn't have to take the train back and could stay for the ceremony. They didn't...but it sure looked like they were considering it.

But I told them I would stay a while and pray. I told him who I did the lantern for.

Nicholas Acosta is my cousin. He died January 6th 2000. He was 12 years old.

I sat there, by myself for a while, and prayed. I cried.

Hell, I'm crying now writing about it.

Another old lady eventually appeared, with another young person, a woman this time, to help her translate. Turns out the woman is an English teacher for a private school and she just got married in June to the priest! The young man I had spoken to earlier! She helped me translate for a bit. The older woman wanted me to stay. She told me she was going to sing in the ceremony. I told her that I was so sorry I couldn't stay, that I wanted to but couldn't.

She gave me 2000 yen.

I honestly don't know what compelled her to give me the money. The younger woman said it was for 'my journey'. I couldn't refuse. To say I was moved and honored is to mock my own feelings.

I don't care what anyone ever says about Japan. The people make that land beautiful.

I spoke to the younger woman for a while still, after the older woman left. She told me some things about herself (the aforementioned) and about the temple. They had the biggest moving lanterns in Japan at that temple. I felt so bad that I couldn't stay longer.

Eventually I left. But not after being moved and honored so deeply that I felt like crying again at the wonder of it. I told her I would come see her again. I promised.

And I will.

I left and headed toward Hirome Market for dinner.

Hirome Market is like a giant food court. Only all the tables are made out of wood and even though it's technically in a building all the shops are designed as if they were outside in a festival street. I wandered about for a bit, watching my time, and ordered seafood yakisoba. For those who don't know what yakisoba is--it's damn tasty. Noodles, cabbage (ew), onions and seafood, fried on a skillet with soy sauce. DAMN TASTY. I ate fast and hurried out of there.

I headed back for the main intersection on Ohashi-dori and took the tram back to Harimaya-boshi. I got off and felt lost. I knew I had to take another tram to the station--and I didn't know how to do it.

I was cutting it close again.

The lady who got off the train with me, suddenly spoke English to me, asking me if I was headed toward the station. Setting aside my surprise, I said yes--she was heading there herself. She asked somebody next to us and found out we had to go to a different 'tram station' in the middle of the road. So we headed over there. She was tall, and kind of big all around and spoke English better than anybody else I met. She even understood my mutterings to myself.

I think she's half Japanese.

Anyway, we got on the tram, paid for it and finally got back to the station. I ran and got my ticket and then hurried to my platform. Another 4,130 yen gone.

Just in time.

Two more hours to get back to Marugame, and then the 20 minute walk back home at almost 10pm.

My day was great. I plan on going back soon and seeing Yumi and the lovely people at the temple again. I don't know when, maybe in September, when I have to go through Kochi to get to Ashizuri. But I will see them again.

It was a fantastic day trip. And that is the understatement of this century.

My only regret? On the ride back I couldn't see the beautiful countryside again. It was too dark.		  
     Post
 
MOVIES ARE GOOD.   
11:00pm 03/08/2005
 
mood: ecstatic
music: FMA SOUNDTRACK
OKAY.

So I guess I've been stressed out lately. Couldn't tell you why for, though I'm sure there are some fantastic ideas with valid evidence to support them. My jaw has been acting up because of it. Been getting pains and whatnot and it's just been aching something fierce.

BUT!!

Today is one of my days off. Last day. Tomorrow back to work. So I decided, because it's ladies night at the theater, I'm going to treat myself to a double feature. Because there are 2 movies I wanted to see. The Island and the Fullmetal Alchemist movie.

Before I move on to the actual rants about the movies--which will include some spoilers--let me say something about the previews.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Cinderella Man and the Fantastic 4 come out in September. Madgascar comes out next week. But there are two really fuggin' AWESOME looking movies--that are all Japanese. This makes me sad. Because even if I tried to watch them in raw Japanese...sigh. So I hope that I can eventually get them with subtitles. I'd really like them. One looks really funny. It's about a group of nerds who seem to run a movie rental place and are all obsessed with s.f. (sci-fi for cheesy americans)--BUT! They actually get a hold of a real time machine and things go nuts. Looks like it would be a KICK. The other one is called "Shinobi--Heart Under Blade".

Dude... let's just say I was quivering in my seat from excitement. OMG. I think I may still go and see that one even though I probably still won't understand it.

Okay! Now onto the movies. I'll start with the Island because that one will have no spoilers. Really.

THE ISLAND:

...FUGGIN' FANTASTIC!! I guess it helped that I was expecting crap and a horrid ending and got something blissfully the opposite. The previews do pretty much give the whole movie away though and the plot was semi-predictable (but only thanks to those damn previews), but DAMN. There were some nice twists, awesome effects and action sequences, the plot is good, and you leave the theater feeling like all is right in the world!

Note: I saw this second because I was hoping it wouldn't disappoint and FMA had the slight chance of doing that. So there was stuff that happened between the watching of this film and the watching of the previous that I will bring up now since I'm going backward in time.

Okay so during the two hours between FMA and the Island, I tried to kill time without actually going INTO the mall. Because god help me, I was already spending enough money today (having bought my monthly pass as well...which FUCK!!! I FORGOT TO GET THE RECEIPT FOR!! ...i wonder if I can still get it?) ...but I still ended up spending cash. I ate, woo, but the Japanese have this ingenious little device installed in their theaters right by their concession stand. A Gift Shop. For movies. So I get out of FMA feeling like heaven has granted me and anime boon and I see all this FMA stuff...and I start to shiver. So temptation possesses me and I wander in and look at the pretty FMA things that I want. I bought something for the anime club back in the states (I will send it to Juan or Teri, please give me your address so I can send it to you!), I bought the soundtrack for the FMA movie, and I bought an Ed charm for my phone. BECAUSE HE'S HOT AND I COULDN'T RESIST LEAVE ME ALONE. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. So yeah. Money went poof. So I said--okay--let's kill more time. I went to the book shop, wandered around the manga I can't fully understand, got reprimanded by a nervous Japanese salesman who didn't know how to tell me I couldn't read the graphic novels without buying, and passed by the 'FOREIGN BOOKS'. I.e. They're all in English.

What scared me was that they had One Piece V.2 and Dragonball 1-2--MANGA--in ENGLISH. Sitting there. Staring at me. I just stared because my brain was at war. It's JAPAN. Why would the have their own MANGA IN ENGLISH!?!? And the other side of my brain is saying HOLY SHIT WHY CAN'T THEY HAVE MORE ENGLISH MANGA HERE SO I COULD READ IT?!?!? WHY DO THEY TEEEEEEEASE ME?!?!

So I quickly wandered away, looked at more manga, and then headed to leave when I saw a giant poster. I stared at it for a moment, recognizing Miyazaki's art, and saw a movie/art book for the new film "Howl's Moving Castle", which I won't get to see for a long long while... Unless I download it... which right now doesn't sound like a bad idea... hmmm...I think I will do that tonight. ANYWAY. I flip through it and WISH by god that I could see it with subtitles and then I notice a strange book. Looks like a novel. With the same title and different pictures...But with an English name on it. Diana Wynne Jones. I pick it up. I flip through. AND THEN IT HITS ME.

This is THE BOOK Miyazaki based his film on!!!

I TOTALLY SPAZ.

IT'S IN ENGLISH.

WRITTEN BY A BRIT.

I ask for the price, realize I don't have enough, hide it (like a Japanese person is going to by an English kid's book novel in the 2 seconds I'm gone...::rolls eyes:: but i still did... ^^;; ), go to the ATM, take out more cash (as if I HADN'T spent already over 100+ dollars), run back, and buy the damn book.

I still have an hour to kill before the Island starts.

So I start reading. The book is damn good. I want more of this writer's crap. God help me.

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS MOVIE.

....I'm going to download it tonight for sure.

OKAY.

SO.

FMA.

Spoiler warning ahead. The reason being for sure is because I want to help myself work out what went on by going over it again in text. Remember--I saw it in raw Japanse. I only have a VAGUE synopsis what is going on. But I will also dictate my reactions as the story unfolded, which includes a lot of squealing, gasps, OhmyGODs, and ACKILOVETHEMALLIWANTTHEWHOLESERIESHOLYSHITES.

So there you have it. You have been warned.

Spoilers AHEAD:

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SERIOUSLY--IF YOU DON'T WANT IT STOP READING. I PROMISE I WON'T WRITE ANYMORE AFTER IT SO YOU CAN STOP READING MY JOURNAL NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW SEMI-WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FMA MOVIE AND THE END OF THE SERIES.
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Okay. Series ends with Ed stuck in our plane (with Honeheim) and Al back as a ten year old (as if the last 4 years hadn't happened), with his body and no memories of the last 4 years. Fast forward another 3 years. Honeheim is missing, WW2 is full swing, Ed is running the mechanics/fix it/etc practice he had going with his father, they live on top of or next to Glacier from our world's flower shop. He's working with the Alphonse in our world, who is older and has different color eyes. They go to a demonstartion of Al's (FoW--from our world for short) new rocket design, crash a the car because Ed's not paying attention telling a story about him and Al back in his world to this other Al. So yeah. They hitch a ride with gypsies. One--Noah--touches Ed and knows he's got fake arms. I think she has powers and can see into another person's dreams or some such. She saw some flashes of Ed's world when she touched him. They get there, Ed's chilling, these military guys go after Noah. Ed protects her, takes her home. Hughes FoW has a crush on Glacier. The local townspeople are not sure what to do about Ed bringing a gypsy home. Ed sees King Bradley FoW--thinking it's the one from his--chances him down and realizes, oh yeah, no homunculus here. Duh. Since Ed knocked out his driver, Ed takes him to where he was going, which was to this castle that said there was a dragon in it. No idea why KB FoW is there--he's a movie director. ::shrug:: Anyway--turns out the dragon is Envy (the end of FMA anyone?) They fight a little, but Envy can no longer change shape because he has no power here. He's stuck as a dragon. Military people (the ones that tried to capture Noah) with friends show up and capture Envy. They know who Ed is--Honeheim's son. Flash to Envy's situation... Apparently, there are people who know about the alternate world Ed's from and are trying to open the gateway to get there. They've made a magic circle with runes and whatnot, and are using Envy and Honeheim (poor bastard's been captured), to fuel it. They send some guys in armor there. Some armor of which, of course, looks like Al's armor. Finally go to Al and Winry etc. Izumi has died. Winry came to visit the grave. Wrath is there, miserable with messed up automail. She fixes him up. Rose and Armstrong are helping people in a town when those guys in armor show up. I think it's one of the towns they destroyed. All the people are dark like her, and they're in the desert. Anyway, guys in armor show up, start busting things up, they're 'empty'. Al appears, wearing Ed's old get up, and does a nice little trick which is putting a little bit of his soul into an inanimate object to possess it and make it move. Rose and Armstrong are a little weirded out at one point because it looks like Ed and Al fighting together again, since Al is wearing Ed's old get up and he's fighting alongside a suit of armor that looks like his old one. Flash back to our world. Ed's been following the assholes who took Envy. Breaks into a universityish looking place, and finds the room where they're doin these experiments. He sees the magic circle on the floor, retraces it, uses some of his blood (he cut his face on the way into the building) to activate it. Baddies show up. Guys Al was beating up on the otherside are starting to get sucked back into a similar fuschia glowing hole where they first came. Al spazzes, thinking to go through it to get to Ed, gets pulled back by Armstrong and Rose. He was gripping onto one of the arms. They start trying to kill Ed in our world, shooting at him, his fingers on his 'automail' (not quite the same anymore) getting blown off, and jumps into the armors (which are now dead guys in suits again). He sees one that looks like Al's old one, looks at it in surprise for a moment, until the eyes glow and Al's voice screeches out--"NIISAAAAN!!!" Enter bearhug of reunion here, kicking off of Al's helmet as Ed yells at him, and crazy escape from bullets. From what I gather, because of Al's little trick, his consciousness traveled inside the armor to this plane. In Al's world, he's unconscious muttering 'nii-san, nii-san'. Ed and Al talk for a bit before Al is pulled back to his plane and falls apart on Ed. Al cries when he comes to, Ed looks depressed as hell. Meanwhile, Al FoW is accidentally working on rockets now for the baddies without realizing. And he's dying of TB. Fun. Noah is sweet on Ed--he looks sweet on her too oddly enough (there's a scene when she goes into his room in her shift!)--Al FoW and Ed have a fight--Al FoW runs off. Ed ends up meeting with King Bradley again FoW, find out he's a director, and a lot of information is passed along, most of which I don't know. All I managed to gather was that people are becoming fascinated in s.f. and he shows Ed a bunch of stuff on parallel worlds. I guess he indicates that people believe in this stuff. Ed tries to brush it off, but KB FoW pushes and gives him more and more info. While he's gone, Noah get's caught and you find out Hughes--as well as the baddie military people--are working together and they're all Nazis. Ed comes back, goes out with Noah, everyone around him has gone Nazi and she goes of her own will. I don't know how they got her to do it, what the hell they bribed or threatened her with, but ::shrug:: Anyway--he goes back to the university looking place--and goes back to the room. The person in charge of all this is this weirdo German blond bitch obsessed with power. Anyway, back home Al and Wrath headed down to the underground city beneath Central and Al tries to form a circle that will attempt to connect the worlds. Gluttony--still absolutely insane with his 'sin'--had deformed and attacks. Wrath starts to fight him while Al watches in horror. Ed gets into the building, back to the room, finds Envy again, and realizes that Envy has Honeheim in his mouth, a tooth piercing Honeheim's torso. Honeheim says some farewell words to a horrified Ed, who watches as his father dies, his blood fills the room and ignites the circle. He tries to stop it, get's shot at and knocked down to where the rockets are located at the base. AT THE SAME TIME Wrath is handling Gluttony... sort of. Wrath ends up luring Gluttony and himself over Al's circle, Gluttony already have chewing and killing poor Wrath who is begging a horrified Al to use them to ignite the circle. He begs--saying he wants to finally go home--and be with his mother. Al does it and the GATE FUCKING OPENS. Al FoW's rockets are in full swing, filled with warriors in armor who are going to invade Ed and Al's home world. Al FoW sees Ed who fell, straps him into a plane and sets him off into the gate to go back. He gets shot in the back by a baddy who saw him help Ed. He dies, smiling. Ed goes through the gate first, leaving a screaming Noah behind, followed by the army of baddies. They all come into Al's world who is totally freaking out causing a huge earthquake all over Central. Sheska and Winry, who were in town after Al, fall into one of the quakes and end up happily in the underground city. Ed's plane crashes near them. Baddies infiltrate the skies and start invading Central. Alchemists are on the move, lead by Armstrong--when Roy makes an appearance (after apparently being in isolation a long while--oh and he only has one eye now)--and helps out, blowing shit up! Alchemists fighting above ground, Ed and Al meet for the first time in 7 years (though Al doesn't look it or remember 4 of them), Winry patches up Ed's automail. Al freaks out at the war around him, Ed helps him through it. Psycho bitch is flying around, Ed, Al and Roy all work together to get at the main ship of hers. Her--and all the people she brought with her--have symbioted with the black nasties from the gate. They fight briefly. Her and Ed fight, Al uses the suits of armor he possesses to finish her off. It's over, the other rockets are destroyed. Al and Roy are like woo! let's go home, but Ed separates them and pretty much says he's going to go back to our world. Al is screaming trying to stop him, but he still goes back on what's left of the rocket. AND I'M IN MY SEAT SCREAMING "I DID SO NOT WATCH THIS FUCKING MOVIE IN RAW JAPANESE TO NOT SEE THEM STAY TOGETHER!! WHAT THE FLYING FUCK!?!?!?!" ...well, not in so many words. There were Japanese people around me. But that's how I felt. He crashes the sonvabitch back into our world, a fucked up psycho bitch wanders out and gets shot by the good guys who have finally arrived (turns out Hughes was a spy for the good guys), Noah is cradling a dead Al FoW, who Ed realizes is dead and is horrified. Then Al's voice busts out of a suit of armor. Ed is freaked out for a moment--asks something that's probably along the lines of, did you transfer your soul again? but then AL CRAWLS OUT OF THE DAMN SUIT OF ARMOR!!! I SPAZ FOR JOY!!! Both of them together--say something like dude, your my brother, I'm with you, and they close the gate together. Basically end of movie here... Hughes FoW approaches Glacier finally, Ed and Al and Noah hitchhike onto another Gypsy car--this one driven by the Lust and Scar of this world who are together (SPAZZES AND DIES AGAIN FROM THE SQUEEING OF THE JOY)--and go off into the distance, muttering who knows what out this world and whatnot.

YAY END OF MOVIE.

I AM DAR JOY AND HAPPINESS.

The moment it is available for download IT IS MINE. So I may see it with subtitles and fill in the many holes. There's stuff I left out because damn... somethings have to be a surprise don't they. ::WIDE GRIN::		  
     Post
 
I'm a fool   
10:21pm 24/07/2005
 
mood: embarrassed
music: VNV Nation
A fool who has a major crush on a guy for the first time in a LONG ASS FUCKING TIME.

So much of a crush, mind you, that getting an email from him is a rush of pleasure and joy. Seeing him online and being able to talk to him, makes me smile and laugh in ways I hadn't thought I could with a guy. He's a good friend. A sweetheart. Completely and totally. I mean, I look over our conversations on MSN and I get teary-eyed.

No guy is this sweet and kind.

I respect him so much. He can write, he likes the same things I do, he draws beautifully...

And he thinks I'm beautiful. He thinks I'm understanding and kind.

I've told him I have a crush on him. Most guys who are my friends, would be gentle, but let me know they are not interested in me. All the guys I meet are interested in other girls. Never me.

The pessimistic side of me has a lot to say about this situation. It says I'm hoping too much and I'm going to suffer for it. It says, well, he hasn't met you yet! And yes, that's the clincher. I have never met him. I've only spoken to him online, only gotten to see pictures and talk to him over the worldwide web. So there's a little voice that says, once he meets me, this wonderful thing we have, that could one day be more--will vanish.

It gets worse.

He lives in another country. New Zealand to be precise. Oh no, it gets better.

I'm 23 years old.
He's 18.

In March/April 2005, which is around the time I met him, I was teaching 18 year olds. He was staying up late instead of being in bed despite having school the next morning, talking to me halfway across the world, just before I began teaching a class full of students his own age.

And despite all this. Despite the fact that I know I am a damn and blasted fool for wanting someone I've never met. For wanting him to want me...

I'm going to hope that when I visit him February or March of 2006, almost an entire year of knowing him just from online, that he will look at me, and want me. That his image of me as this gentle, loving, kind, wonderful, beautiful woman doesn't vanish with the first glance.

That instead of pretending to kiss him over an IM box, I could kiss him in real life, and feel desired.

I am a fool.

A fool for grasping at something so improbable and impossible and praying that these silly hopes, don't come crashing down.

And do you know what he tells me when I tell him that I am afraid, that I am hoping so much for something to spark between us in real life the way it has over this imaginary subworld?

He says he hopes it doesn't come crashing down on me...
But if it does, he will help me out, and dig my hopes back up.

How can I not want him? When everything he says brings a hopeful smile to my face, sweet tears of hope to my eyes, and catches my breath.

I'm going to wake up.

And he's not going to be this person. Or this person never really existed.

Because men like him don't exist anymore.

And if they do, some other woman or man already has them.		  
     Post
 
   
02:41pm 19/07/2005
 
mood: depressed
my kitten died on the 18th. Feifei. Wong Fei Hong. My squishy.

Died of probably a stroke or a heart attack.

He was only a year old.

I'm in Japan and unable to do anything.

I just wanted him to be there when I got back. I didn't want this to happen. I wanted him to be old one day.

I just want my kitten back.

That's all.

I don't want him to be dead. Just happy, meowing, eating and living.

I want him ALIVE.

Is that so much to ask?

A friend told me that he'll be reincarnated and he'll find his way back to me. I pray that he does. And when I see the kitten he will be one day and be back in my life I'll know it.

I love him so much.

I love you, Feifei. My little Feifei.		  
     Post
 
LONG UPDATE   
11:25pm 14/07/2005
 
mood: chipper
music: Futureperfect VNV Nation
This will be a long update. If you read my devART journal, most of it will be just repetitive. ::huggles and kisses:: But at least it's an update!

Oh, and this information is a little old...so here's a quick telling of today and notes to those I love: FUTraining was okay, because Jayne was there and she helped me out plenty. Wai. Met some really cool people, but they all liked Jayne and not me. Figures. Oh, and I'd like to know when I can start RPing with all my buddies!!

RP DAMMIT, RP!!

Ahem. Okay. Now to post:

Currently I am working on images I've lost and have to do. Like the LaZhol that was almost finished for Becca that got deleted. Like the gift art I promised to give Max (a buddy in New Zealand.)

sooooo much I have to update the moment I get a chance. To call me this is EXACTLY what you have to dial.

011-81-90-5271-7937

there you go.

I've met a bunch of great people here in Japan. Already said good bye to one. Alex's farewell party (awesome gorgeous Brit lesbian who I want to keep forever) was a couple of weeks ago and very nice, and I had some great Japanese food, an entire bottle of sake, then went to a kareoke bar called Chakuman, had 2 Jack and Cokes and 2 shots of tequila. On a tab! I sang a bunch of songs, including my theme song, "Fatbottom girls" by Queen. It was sooooo much fun. The place is so small and it was packed with all the NOVA people from Marugame and the next three towns over, and a lot of the students too. The best was when the entire bar busted out into "Sweet Home Alabama", replacing the Alabama with Marugame. Dude.

It was a TRIP.

I've noticed that here people go on a lot of drinking binges. I'm proud to say I've only gotten drunk once, because of a stupid mistake by me, but other than that I've done quite well.

Too hot to sleep in my room. Will be sleeping downstairs tonight, and Heather and I, since we both have tomorrow off, we'll be doing some house cleaning and setting up computers a little more officially. Which is quite nice. I want to see if tomorrow I work on a lot of my projects for dA. Stories and images. So when I can get online from my laptop I can upload and overload all your inboxes. HEH.

I hope I start to drop pounds soon dammit.

I barely eat lately, I sweat constantly, and I have to walk or bike everywhere. Dammit weight, GET OFF ME. I have figured out the coffee machine. Wai. Heather and I are going to save up for a rice maker, because doing it in the pot is very annoying. Mainly because neither of us like doing the dishes.

I also can't wait to get internet for the main reason that I can damn well start rping again. I'm going through some serious withdrawal. Ug. I did finish coloring the O'Connors, but I haven't figured out a background yet. Any suggestions? I will continue working on my others too.

Oh, current plans for traveling in Japan so far are, either Okinawa or Kochi (being the name of a good beach here in Shikoku apparently) for a beach this summer, the World Expo so I can see the robots, Izumo in Shimane sometime in the fall, an onsen resort in the winter (great place in Gunma I did research on called Ikaho--must go!!), the snow festival in Hokkaido--ideally before the end of the year.

And after?

Well, I'll probably be desperately saving up for a trip to New Zealand. Because well, I'd like to visit Max. ::eyebrow wiggle::

Anyway things are getting weirder the longer I stay in Japan.

First off, last time I was online, I spent a good portion of it fufilling my need for anime, literature and film. I didn't spend a whole lot, but enough to bring relief to my poor tortured mind... for the moment. (The brightside about this is that now I can get all this stuff from home because I FINALLY HAVE MY OWN BLASTED INTERNET AT MY PLACE!!) Ahem.

Anyway, back to the story... The beginnings of problems happened as I left Funky Time (the internet cafe in Utazu I frequent). This was the second to last time I was there....

As I paid for my hours and walked my happy ass out... I noticed my bike was gone.

Vanished.

Extinct.

I searched. Maybe it had been moved? Nope. Gone. My bike had been stolen. I walked my butt back home, a whole kilometer trek. I called up one of the buddies back near my place to ask him what to do, and by the next morning, every gaijin in town knew my bike had been stolen. Wai.

I walked the next day everywhere I went. I couldn't report it, the bike wasn't registered and... apparently, something no one bothered to tell me, if your bike isn't locked that means that it's up for grabs. So... yeah.

So, tried to get a free one from a student... but it was so old... well, let's just say after pumping both tires 3 times, both were flat in seconds of riding, the brakes don't work and screech like an Irish banshee, and has got about an inch of rust all over it. So yeah... and just the pleasure of riding it for 3 and a half seconds was enough to make me go "fuck it" and dish out another 7500yen so I can get a new bike and get it registered. This time, someone tries to steal the sucker I'll have the cops on their asses!!!

Felt so nice to be riding a damn bike again.

Amazing how being a month in Japan with a bike (already a month today!! wow!!) would make me sooooo used to the damn thing. I can't imagine anymore getting along without it. I'm definitely taking my bike home with me.

Heh. If I can train Fei to stay in the front basket, I could take him places with me!! ...but I doubt it.

Sad news from Mich. Fei is up and down on health. I'm really worried about my kitten. I hope he gets better. Apparently, Yasumi-con is on full swing and I couldn't get the image I drew for them to them in time... well, duh. No net and no scanner. Sucks for me... But I'll still send it to the anime club once things are up and running finally. Supposedly I'm going to get internet next Thursday (PRAY!!), but I'm going to Okayama for Follow Up Training... and I'm not looking forward to that.

It's like being in a kindergarten class. Because most of the people who come don't have any training as teachers, they give us this rigid system that we have to follow by the book, and train us to do exactly as they do all the time. ...I taught high school for almost an entire school year. Yeah, not as much as most, yeah, not formal training... but don't treat me as if I don't know how to teach ESOL kids. My "Native English speakers" in my classes in Orlando know less English than my Japanese beginners. So don't give me this "follow our instructions and you'll be fine" crap. I taught English before. I know what the hell I'm doing. Moreso than anyone else in this building.

I just hope I have internet by next weekend. Or I will begin to go mad.

And speaking of mad, I'm having issues with NOVA. Issues that probably not be resolved, that it usually takes most people a couple of months to realize and I've figured out in a month. So, just to play it safe--because I've been warned that if I continue on my rebellious streak of actually trying to TEACH students, instead of just sell them English, and not do as the dictated, rigid, 'teaching method' they've provided for me... I will be fired--I'm going to look into other teaching positions here. I already know of 2 potential prospects. The hard part is being able to find an apartment here in Japan. Luckily, I know people, the right people apparently, so I may be in luck. But I sure hope it doesn't boil down to that. If I can keep my cool for the next two months, I'll try to get transferred into a different school that isn't so rigid in structure. And that all the people there like me at least a little. Seems in this school many of the people don't like me all that much. So I avoid them for the most part.

Though I must hound Scott once he's done banging his girlfriend (who just showed up to live with him), and has relieved his stress, for the anime he has. I want the blasted animes burned onto CDs! I want them all!!! I don't care if I irritate him. I will irritate him more to get the blasted anime...

Oh, which reminds me... most of my students get a kick out of the fact that I watch anime, read manga, know so much about it, and know about Japanese movies and TV shows. They ask ME about what I know about Japan!

>_<;;

We have a special class called Voice, which all we do is talk to them and get them to talk to each other and practice their English. Well, it has become standard that my students sit there and talk to me about anime, manga and movies when I walk in. That's it. Today, I spent an entire Voice lesson talking about Inuyasha, Detective Conan, Fushigi Yuugi, and Rurouni Kenshin.

This... has now become standard.

Oh, and to end this today... because I'm sure my bill here will be quite high...and on a very happy note...

Two of my students squealed in sheer happiness when I said the one sentence, "My favorite anime is Rurouni Kenshin."

One was so excited and happy and thrilled to death, that even though I've only had one class with her, she came by yesterday and gave me a little present. An envelope with the Kenshin-gumi on it that is the pinnacle of CUTE. Her name is Ai and I love her, and I want to take her home and keep her and pet her and love on her forever.

Soooooooooooooooooooooooo cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!!!

She wants to be a mangaka. I ADORE this lovely 19 year old!!

The other is an older lady who has been reading manga forever, and apparently wrote a novel herself once for a contest, (not a manga a novel) but they liked it so much they had a famous artist make it into a manga!! She won tons of money for it and it sold lots of copies in its day!! I was amazed! She said next time she would bring it for me so I could see it!

I'm soooooooooooooooo excited!!

I'll tell you what. Japan is a country of contradictions. There is very little crime in this small town, but if anything gets stolen it's your bike or your umbrella. The people here are super nice and friendly, and they can avoid you like the plague itself. I can't be too mad at the asshole drunk who stole my bike. Because I left it unlocked, so as far as he was concerned it was up for grabs.

Bet you tons of cash, if I had a sticker that said, "THIS IS A GAIJIN'S BIKE" on it, he wouldn't have touched the sucker! Locked or unlocked!!!

My new bike is red. I want a purple star sticker to put on it.

I call it... the Outlaw Star.

Now I want to see that anime.

Damn.

And One Piece... saw an episode today... aaaaaah!! I want!!! I also saw an episode of Naruto... and every time I see Tsubasa on, I scream and run not wanting to get hooked.

Damn anime.

and damn not having subtitles!!		  
     Post
 
   
11:59pm 15/06/2005
 
mood: melancholy
I'm going to attempt the big update. Warning: I'm typing on a Japanese keyboard at an internet cafe. So if my apostrophes are replaced by colons it's because the colon is in the apostrophe section and I don:t want to be constantly hitting shift 7 for the stupid apostrophe. oh and i may also skip caps. the shift button is small and its irritating to try to find.

okay.

the flight was fairly uneventful. long, but that:s it. I met Heather, my roomie, on the train--I was walking passed and I heard her say, "do you know where Marugame is?" to the poor korean dude next to her. made introductions, but didn't really talk to her until we were landed. no problems in the airport or customs or anything... just very hot. Not much AC in the airport from some unfathomable reason.

My place actually turned out to be a small house rather than an apartment. It:s acutally quite spacious and cozy, but really bloody hot in the bedrooms. apparently we:re in the rainy season now so ideally it:ll be a little cooler for a while. But the mugginess creates mites in the tatami so we had to get bug spray for it. Expensive but necessary. and we have to vacuum it every week because if not it gets moldy... we have to vacuum a lot it seems even though we have no carpet. the airconditioner, the curtains, the tatami... The person who was last there left a lot of stuff and apparently the garbage pick up is really bloody confusing so we have tons of trash already and nothing to do with it. Ug. I just hope someone gives us a hint soon. We:ve asked but no one seems to know.

We met quite a few of the people in the area--other nova teachers and whatnot. They:re all really nice people and we:ve been warned about the not so nice. Yane is great, I:m sad her british roomie Alex is leaving. I really like her. Simon and Brian are great, though we:ve been warned that Simon causes accidents (people who ride with him tend to get hurt). Anthony is a womanizer we:ve been told, Steve likes to hear himself talk, Noel is an asshole and Alexis is the coolest in the universe. I:ve really only talked to Brian, Simon, Alex and Yane. Met Anthony and Alexis once, met a girl named Danielle who seems really cool. I:m working in Sakaide, about 3 towns down, and Heather is working in Tadotsu, which is where the majority of all the people we know work.

Adventures so far:
Got bikes. My ass is black and blue, my legs ache and i:ve got tons of blisters from walking so much in a short amount of time. Already when to the bar, which is in BFE!! That's where I met most of everyone. I:m currently in Okayama for training, which feels more like a crash course rather than anything else... and my stress level is soaring. yay. Heather got shitfaced drunk in my presence the other day, her way of dealing with the homesickness. She cried her eyes out, puked and then passed out. Biking in the middle of the night in a small town, where you can smell the sea, see all the damn stars and be surrounded by tiny buildings that look both modern and ancient is VERY AWESOME. Apparently there:s no crime in my town. Or very little. Something along the lines of stolen bikes (or bikes parked in the wrong place), two people on a scooter or bike (dangerous offense that) and the worst--bad drivers hitting people on bikes with their cars. Wooo. Amazing how the ENTIRE police department can spend 3 hours with one gaijin they arrested for riding double on her scooter. Story Alex told. Woo. Here I was worried about a mugging, but when people come up to you, they don:t want to hit on your or steal your money.

They want to practice their 3 words of English with you.

Fucking BRILLIANT.

what else?
Oh. Our waterheater is a BITCH. We:re going to see if we put in for a new one, because dealing with that hunk of scrap metal is just SO not happening. Its a nova apartment, then they can damn well get us a new bloody waterheater for the fucking tub thank you very much.

I:m at training now in Okayama. I may have mentioned this already, but I:m here trying to multitask. The two guys we:re training with, Thomas and Timothy are very cool and our trainers are great. I like Gavin more than Genevieve--but that:s because Gavin explains things easier and Genevieve expects a good amount of perfection right away. ^^;

Had a fantastic adventure trying to find this same internet cafe i:m currently in yesterday. searched for hours to find the hovel, and couldn:t well do it. Had to eat because we:d skipped dinner altogether and walked into a restaurant that had no English menu and a very cute owner. We picked cheap stuff and prayed. it was REALLY good. I wonder if I:ll ever find the place again. I had a very tentative, hesitant japanese conversation with him. Boy, do I need practice!!

Oh!! and first day of training another adventure!! We got on the train to go to Okayama, right train, right car, no hassles, no problem. You:d THINK! But no! I:m wondering after a little while why the hell nothing looks familiar and i look in front of us and realize... where the hell is the rest of the train. Heather tells me it split off a little while ago. Eh? The ticket taker tells us, promptly two seconds later that we:re on the wrong train. Headed to Takumatsu,　which is in the complete opposite direction. From Marugame coming to Okayama is already 40+ minutes. And now we:re going even farther the wrong way?! Brightside is, when we got off, we called the office and it was no big deal, we didn:t have to pay for new tickets the people at the station were very nice. And we got to have a well needed nap on the way to Okayama. Downside (other than being late), we had to cram tons of info, and our stress levels were already through the roof for our first day of training.
Ick.

Tomorrow we have 4 lessons to do on our own, and I can only pray that I finally get the thing down straight. I feel bad for my students who have to deal with us newbies. I think I:ll be more comfortable when I:m in my own school, only because I wont: have someone hovering over my damn shoulder the whole time. God I:m tired...

And I still have to walk about 15minutes back to my hotel and try to get some sleep. I don:t know if we have to check out in the morning, but damn i hope not... I want sleep!!

and this is me signing off journal for the moment until I can get back online again... dar, i must have wracked up tons of freaking money... i have to pay much now. I just know it...		  
     Post
 
   
08:16pm 12/06/2005
 
mood: tired
I thought I would have enough time to post on the journal and give everyone an update, but I don't.

Here's what I can do in short notice.

After Heather and I get back from orientation tomorrow we will try to get the internet. I don't know how long it will take. I will try to come by the internet cafe, where I am currently at, as much as possible and keep tabs with everyone. It's a hell of a trek though.

But I will try.

I may need to come on my day off and then hit the local hotspring. woot.

I will post soon. I promise. Loves and kisses to all.		  
     Post
 
Quotation Goodness   
11:21am 16/05/2005
 
mood: busy
music: Matter and Form
I'm reading "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" right now, and I've collecting quotes that I just found too good to pass up. Here's a couple. Heh.

~~~

"A computer chattered to itself in alarm as it noticed an airlock open and close itself for no apparent reason. This was because reason was in fact out to lunch."

"I don't want to die now! I've still got a headache! I don't want to go to heaven with a headache, I'd be all cross and wouldn't enjoy it!"

"He reached out and pressed an invitingly large red button on a nearby panel. The panel lit up with the words, Please don't press this button again."

"Dinner! Listen, little green person, my stomach could take you home and cuddle you all night for the mere idea."

~~~

BTW, I updated my user info--now I just got to mess with this site when I get home and update more icons and maybe finally changed the background. Been that for ages... ^^;;;		  
     Post
 
thank the heavens   
08:57pm 15/05/2005
 
mood: tired
music: kryptonite
Okay--so I got the damn thing working at least. dA is up and running on my computer at work, so I don't go crazy. I was going to work on stuff this weekend and ended up not doing much after all. Arg. I felt like shit. Still feel like shit.

Rio came up though and that was nice. We hung out, saw Unleashed--GOOOOOOOOD MOOOOOOOVIE--and general wootness. I had fun. Today and yesterday evening though... they were like HELLO. I am DEAD. Really very sad. I'm not looking forward to work tomorrow, but oh, well. What can one do? Finally catching up with Hitchhiker's. Going to see if I finish it soon. I have tons more to read. Heh. I'm going to try to keep busy and what not. I was working on my picture for Becca today. Almost finished it. Just really need the shading, touch ups, then the background. Woooooooot.

I need a shower...

God do I need one right now. I'll spend an hour in it. Soaking and shaving. Dar.

Looked up stuff for Shadow Hearts 3--have some sneaking suspicions. I'm just glad they left Yuri the fuck alone. Poor man needs to be able to love love with Alice and that's it.

Yeeeeeeeeeeesh.		  
     Post
 
KILL ME KILL ME NOW!!   
01:30pm 12/05/2005
 
mood: pissed off
music: It's so quiet I can hear my thoughts touching every second
"Kill me--Kill me now!" a direct quote from Lamika from the original Vampire Hunter D movie, down to bad English voice acting.

I'm so ticked right now.

Stupid OCPS network has deemed dA (deviantART) a RESTRICTED site. Just now. After an entire year of not giving a RAT'S ASS, NOW when I have all the extra time in the world to FLIPPIN' FUCKIN' work on dA and they take it away from me.

I'M AM FUCKING RAGING.

I have notes to answer, comments to respond to, and I CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE IT WON'T LET ME GET ON THE SITE!!

I didn't want to bring my laptop to school because I didn't want to risk an idiot student stealing it, but I NEED dA TO PASS THE DAY or go crazy.

Yes, I'm addicted. But I'm only addicted while I'm at school and BORED.

But now the question is will I have wireless connection in school so I can sign on with my laptop. Seriously... I can't do this. I need my dA. I need my dA while I'm here. While I'm at school. Please, no god. It's the way I talk to my friends during the day.

I can't have lost it. I can't have.

DAMMIT STRAIGHT TO HELL.		  
     Post
 
OMG DA JOURNAL IZ UPDATED!!!   
10:08am 02/05/2005
 
mood: crappy
music: silence...... ah~
Yes, it's been ages.
No, I won't give excuses.

I've just been a bum.

And I'm not going to bother giving a longwinded update on my life for the last several months, because my head would explode from the amount of information.

But I will give these brief updates:
My date of departure from Miami, FL is June 8th 2005. I will be leaving from Miami International Airport and be flying clear across the globe to Osaka. There I will make my connecting flight to wherever the hell it is I'm going. I don't know where exactly I'll be. I've got a couple weeks left before I figure that out. I will update the information when I receive it.
School is almost out, my seniors have a week and two days left, while the rest of the school is still stuck here. Honestly, I don't know how that works or why that works. I had to stay in school until the end of the flippin' year. YEESH. But they'll be gone soon and I'll have 4 free periods. HEH. I will hide and work little but play much. Idiot seniors that thought I was nice and that I would let them graduate by doing nothing will be spending their summer in school. HEH. I'm paying Magni's rent because he and Christy, despite having no utilities to pay, still manage to wrack up plenty of bills and have no money. Kelly still owes me $200. Mich owes me money now for the two books I bought her. Everyone owes me money. DAR.

I need to get off my ass and update OTW. The images are drawn and inked I just have to get on the comp and mess with them. I'm such a bum. I'm currently packing up the apartment and it looks even more empty than it normally does. It's eerie. I want to see today when I go to pay Magni's bill, if he has his suitcase still so I can have it. I want to start packing things away that I AM taking to Japan with me so it's not just lying there without a home while everything else gets put away.

I'm trying to write. Failing honestly. I suck. I'm trying to see if I can do something with these two stories of mine, but I haven't written anything decent other than RPing in months. It's depressing really since that's what I want to do with the rest of my life. I really need to just screw everyone else and fucking write. The only problem is that I feel wiped most of the time. I have no good ideas anymore. I seem to have nothing left to give. I want to write my books, but honestly I'd think I'd have to scrap everything I have and just start the fuck over because every time I read it I just... don't feel like it's something that people are going to pick up and go "OOOOOOOO!! This is something I want to read!!!"

You know, I think that's what I'll do today when I get home. I've got two (not counting the ones of old) short stories that may or may not go anywhere because I have no plot for them whatsoever. I still have a couple old ones just like it that will ALSO go nowhere and have never gone anywhere because they have no point. I hate having nothing. Great ideas, no fucking flipping plot. I have my books to write but ARG. You know, it's really frustrating to not have any ideas, to feel your brain melting away into nothingness. Maybe I should be a least a little productive and start transcribing my RP with Rio into my bloody fucking book already. That way at least I'll be doing something currently that has a fucking potential future.

I have to sit and stare at Nell, and wonder if I should just scrap the entire thing and start over. I'm now seriously considering it. Maybe I'll send the first chapter and a half or so to Kat because she's probably the only person who hasn't read it yet. Get a fresh opinion and see what happens from there.

ug.

I just don't know.		  
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09:51am 06/01/2005
 
mood: melancholy
music: absolute silence... I have no one in class right now
I went home for the holidays. It was nice. Had to come back up for New Year's though. I had to work at Jurassic Park during the New Year. People were wondering why I counted down even though I was still at work. I didn't get home until 2 something am (long story on trying to leave the bloody park), and I stayed up RPing until almost 7:30am. I had to get up at noon to leave by 2 to be at work at Jurassic Park again by 3. My sleeping schedule for coming back to school this past 5th of January has been completely SHOT. I don't know what to do. I went to bed at 2am the 4th and got up at 5am. I went to bed last night at 2:30am (tried to be in bed at 1:45am but had trouble getting to sleep) and woke up at 5:30am... tried to catch a couple of extra minutes and almost ended up passing out into a dead sleep. So... in 48 hours I've had...6 hours of sleep. Nice.

I haven't had internet for a while (Michi's comp was gone, and now we're STILL having problems~) so uploading comics--as well as everything else--has been difficult. I'm in school right now typing this up. It's also been frustrating because I can't RP. And it's not really the not RPing that's the problem. It's the fact that I can't let anyone know that I can't RP--and the fact that because of these lapses I get really freakin' behind. It's annoying.

So yesterday was an adventure. I got a major killing on "Sister Act" ($5.00), "Amelie" ($10.99), and two--count them TWO--seasons of Nadia (so fucking cheap I couldn't help but squeal and fall over--Season 1: 5 DVDs, 2 Sdtks, $31.99 (WTF?!); Season 2: 6 DVDs, 2 sdtks, $38.99 (WTFF?!?!)). I'm quite happy. I also became owner of a slightly beaten up copy (just the box) of L&O:CI. Quite happy about that too.

Last night, Michi and I got to see "King Arthur".

And dude, let me just say... I LURV IT! It's not entirely accurate, but then it's not supposed to be. It draws a more historical conclusion of the events that are now legendary--though perhaps the history is not all together accurate. Still it's more accurate than... well, GLADIATOR! Sorry, still bitterness there... Anyway, I love all the knights, I actually *liked* Guinevere (thank you Kiera Knightly!) and I LOVED ARTHUR. But then... I've always loved Arthur. I totally understood Guinevere (for the first time!) when she said that she had heard stories of him growing up and let them influence her. I was much the same. I used to wish as a child that I could grow up and marry Arthur... >_< sad really... This will officially be my Arthur movie.

And this is why:
"Camelot" (the musical)--no way in hell. I was traumatized by that film, I cried hours afterward. I saw it during that young age of total Arthur worship... And my hatred of Guinevere came then.
"Excalibur"--cool when I was 8, not so cool when I was 16. It was probably good for it's time, but it did nothing for me... Still doesn't.
"First Knight"--::STAB::
::STABSTABSTABSTABSTABSTABSTABSTABSTABSTABSTABSTAB::
1-Sean Connery DOES NOT EQUAL King Arthur
2-Guinevere is EVEN DUMBER THAN NORMAL. This time because she SEES Lancelot first and wants him and Arthur tells her if you want someone else, don't marry me. But she marries him anyway and betrays him.
3-RICHARD GERE is Lancelot. Need I say more?
4-Arthur--despite being Sean Connery, whatever--DIES AT THE END.
I don't think I need to tell you how much I hate that movie.
"Mysts of Avalon"-- .......Don't want to see it. It's kind of...an issue. Michelle told me about the book...as she was reading it. I want nothing to do with that story.
"Merlin"--Sam Niell is cool and I really liked Morganna, but I don't know... the movie is just seemed to kind of lack something.

I'm very happy with "King Arthur". It brought me much joy.

On a much more somber note--today is the anniversary of my cousin's death. It's been 5 years... He'd be 17 now...or at least he would be in August. I miss him a lot. I think I'm going to stop talking about this now. I'm going down to Miami this weekend. I haven't been by in a long time to see him. I'm going for that, for the anime picnic and for Alain's birthday (early--his b-day is the 12th).

And that's it for me.		  
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duskswitch
 
 
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