Date September 14, 2004
Age 27
Location Narita, Japan
Sign Gemini
Chinese Astrology Snake (Fire)
Occupation ALT @ JHS

Recent...
Screen Pirates of the Caribbean
TV Sokyuu no Fafnar
Book Warlock (Wilbur Smith)
CD Harlem Beat wa yoake made 1
Manga Chrno Crusade 8, Mossore 2
Clothing East Boy fall jacket
Sustenance Dieting
Top Three Desires
1) New Computer
2) Children of the Nile PC Game
3) Gundam SEED DVD 1

Domain...

Viewed daily...

Checked regularly...
Animesuki
Manga Jouhou
The Japan Times Online
Suprnova

Credits...
Image Takashima Kazusa
Hosting Pitas
Layout&Content E. Davies

Monday, August 30, 2004

I REALLY REALLY wish that crickets and cicadas had "OFF" switches, or at the very least I wish I were able to find them all, and hurl them into some other area where I could NOT hear them!!!!! This noise is constant and irritating to the ears. I think it could be an effective torture technique. Place someone in a room with nothing but the sound of crickets and cicadas. Within a day or two they'd be willing to say anything just to escape the ear shattering NOISE!!!!

From the Great White North!
Sunday, August 8, 2004

Hi! This entry is being written from Tanya's computer in Victoria~! I made it here safe and sound...albeit extremely tired. The jetlag didn't bother me too much though. I arrived in Van to a beautiful fresh sunny day...and it was NOT humid!! Oh it was so nice to be out in the sun and not have to wipe myself down for all the sweat pouring off of me. I took the ferry to Vic and the trip was nice. I had JELLO! I haven't had JELLO for a year!

I am going to finish this later as the keys are very noisy and Tanya is sleeping...

Alright, so we're back again! So, I had JELLO on the ferry. I took the PCL all the way and met my brother at the station. Man is he ever tall! @_@ I feel like a midget everytime I see him. Had to go to the museum to get Tanya's keys from Tanya. Since she works in the Eternal Egypt exhibit, which is highly secured, I had to get a stamp on my hand and everything to go up and see her. It was an instant squeal-fest when we saw each other and she took me down to whatever room to get her keys. I introduced her to my brother and then he and I were off to her house to drop me off there with my tons of luggage. We had a lot of fun in the car singing along with much beloved retro tunes. It's nice that we've spent so much time apart that we can now get along so well. :) He took off and I hung out at Tanya's condo until she got off work and then we went to White Spot for some long lost burgers, pickles and garlic panini bread.

Over the past couple of days I have been mostly putzing around. I regret that I have not see many people since I've been here, but I really don't want to be running around with twenty people. Sorry...I apologize. I have seen Tanya, Colin and I visited my former workplace and that's about it. I went to the Wax Museum, one of my most favorite touristy thingies. I did that on one of my first days back...went by myself and rather enjoyed it. I got to take my time and read ALL the plaques in the dungeon >:) I had to get up early and go to work with Tanya in order to catch the Eternal Egypt exhibit. It is wildly popular and within a couple of hours you have a line-up going out the doors. I got there before the doors even opened so I was right at the head of the line. I wanted to see the Mysteries of Egypt IMAX show as well so they recommended I do that first and then go to the exhibit. I did. The IMAX show was nice, but a tad cheesy with the attempt at putting a "story" and acting to it. I'd rather see a plain old documentary, thanks. By the time I got to the exhibit it was 11am and it was PACKED. They give everyone an audio guide thing (that's Tanya's job) and off you go. I didn't use my guide...it took too long to stand there and listen to John Rhys-Davies yammer on when I could just read the plaques on the displays. I'd rather look and read than listen. 'Sides, it got REALLY annoying when I had to wait for people to finish listening and staring in order to GET to read the plaques. I wanted to spare as many as I could from being annoyed with me for the same reasons. The artifacts were beautiful...ARE beautiful. My 'favorites' include a pink granite statue fragment of Ramses II, a "Head of a King" which looked extremely serene on my first visit but somehow less so on my second (yes, I went twice), and a stela of the king Horemheb, successor to Tutankhamun...even though the relief shows him as old (he's a bit wrinkly) it's the way his eye, wig and hands are rendered that gets me. The exhibit was lovely, although I wish I could have been able to touch some of the artifacts...touch makes it that much more real, you are TOUCHING something that is ancient, that's been around for CENTURIES. It's mindboggling. Although to see it in person is wonderful, it's still almost a bit like just looking at a slide, since it's not in its natural context. It is in a display case, not lying in the sand at Karnak or Luxor or wherever. To actually go there would be the ultimate, wouldn't it. The exhibit also made me feel a bit sad, that such a marvelous culture is gone, just another wave in the ocean of time. It makes me feel very small.

I went to see The Village on Saturday. It was good but we paid far too much to see it at Silver City AND since it was Saturday it really should have been called "TWINKY CITY" because the number of twitty little girls there made all of us (Colin, Bobby and I) want to throw up. They couldn't stop talking!! They were giving play-by-plays of the movie "Oh, he's crying" No shit sherlock!! Colin told them to be quiet at one point and they all said he was a jerk...who's the jerk REALLY!? UGH...I dislike teenagers.

Tanya and I have had many dinners out and ordered Romeo's as we always must to celebrate the place where we first had a really good talk :) We've gone swimming and shopping and stuff...she works most of the time, and at the museum so I didn't want to drag her through it hehe It's been really nice staying with her and her kitty, they have been very good to moi :)

I went to SoV to have a look around and BOY has it changed. There is WAY more clothing!! Still got the chocolate tho. I talked to Cathy for a bit and she's as great as ever. She's such an awesome lady. I went back today and bought some chocolates and some maple sugar granules for the staff back in Japan. I don't think I'll be getting the kids those chocolates because I KNOW that they won't be allowed to eat them. I'll bring them a better souvenir...my home movies!! MWAHAHA!!

On Wednesday I leave for Terrace. It's weird being here and knowing I'm not staying. It doesn't feel like I ever was in Japan. Coming back here has scared me a little bit. I don't feel like I have a place called "HOME" right now. Victoria doesn't really feel like home, Terrace isn't really home anymore, and Japan is too transitory to feel homey. I feel like "Kate" in the movie French Kiss..."I am currently without country". I have also been 'forced' to think about what the hell I want to do AFTER the ALT thing. And what the hell DO I want to do!?! I have no f-ing idea. Thoughts that have crossed my mind include travel to Europe, opening my own anime etc shop, travel to Egypt (thank you exhibit). That's about it. My parents are trying to get me to consider working for the government in some capacity, like an interpreter or a consulate person. Trouble is, I don't really WANT to do any of those things. I feel like I'm in a race and am losing it and I don't even know who I'm supposed to be racing against? Myself? Other people? Should I feel like I am running out of time or do I need to absolutely decide this now? In some ways those ancient times seem appealing. It might have been rough, but at least you had your life cut out for you from the get go. We may have the benefit of choices today, but when those choices become burdens, what are we to do?

One more sleep!
Friday, July 30, 2004

EDIT: I am reading through mine and Colleen's shounen-ai RP's of Fusajiro and Koji...the part when they were in high school...and I must admit that, after now having actually BEEN in a Japanese school, we had no idea what we were talking about %D NOT that that's a bad thing, I just find it funny XD

Only one more sleep until I am winging across the pacific ocean to my home country *_* Ahhh, these will be three weeks of bliss...not counting the five odd days I will be surfing the crimson wave in Victoria ~_~ The wave's timing sucks, but oh well. I am pretty much finished packing, and if I forget anything, oh well. As long as everything makes it there in one piece.

I caught a commercial for a new single from Ketsumeishi the other day. It's called "Kimi ni BUMP" and god knows what THAT means, but it sounded pretty spiffy! I managed to find it yesterday and it IS pretty spiffy! I think they make great summer driving music. The kind of stuff you always here playing when everyone's at a party and jammin'. I have one other song of theirs "Natsu no omoide"...which was released (shock) last summer! The only problem is that most of their songs have the same tone, beat, melody...so they're rather repetitive. I'd put it up for a sample, but I'm too scared %D

When I get back from Canada I'm buying a scanner. I NEED a scanner. If I only had a scanner I could get rid of so many of these doujinshi that I have. I have so many things that I just like certain images in, but don't want to READ. Need scanner...~_~

I hope that Tanya and I can order pizza when I get back to Victoria...that would be nice...and then I'm going to SLEEEEEEEEEP! Not looking forward to jetlag, which is apparently worse going back east. Mleh.

TADA!
Wednesday, July 28, 2004

I changed the layout again. It was being really pissy with loading. ~_~ This one features a very yummy picture from Yamane Ayano. I got scans of her artbook from Possible Soup and there are some REALLY nice shots in there. Colleen, there is a -super- picture that I think fits Fu and Ko very well, even Ko and Ken! %D You have seriously struck me with a bug to get them commissioned. I just need to get the snips organized enough to where I feel I can...do...something @_@ I don't know. ANYWAY...

I LEAVE ON SATURDAY!!!!! TWO MORE SLEEPS!!!!!! XD

Pokey
Thursday, July 22, 2004

Well, as cool as this layout is, I may change it...it's being a really pokey loader on my computer...and mine is the most important after all! :P

Sugoi!!
Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Wow!! Check out this new layout!!! I didn't make it, but that doesn't make it any less cool! It's got a picture of Yuuhi from Ayashi no Ceres that I've wanted to use for SOOOO long but couldn't find a decent way to do so. Now I've got all the funky shite on the side bar and -everything-! I feel so wonderfully conformist now! XD Just a heads-up...my domain will be getting another face lift when I return from my vacation in Canada. I believe it to be one of the coolest yet, although I borrowed the code...but the graphics I made by myself!

Good news...Gundam SEED: Destiny, the second series, will start in October this year!! AAAAAH!!!! XD Excitment!! I recall someone mentioning that fansubbers were not to touch it though ~_~ Grr... I guess I'll be scraping through the RAWs then. Athrun returns! *_* (I really prefer the "Aslan" spelling, but oh well) Speaking of Athrun, I went to Animate today seeing as I was in Chiba (getting my re-entry permit). There was SO MUCH new SEED stuff *_* I bought three little mini mascots (Miguel, Athrun and Yzak), a chibi-Athrun mini whiteboard...well I think that's all I bought of SEED stuff, the rest fell to my Uchiha obssession. %D GO SASUKE!! GAWD I love that store... *_* I should open one up in Canada!

Classics in my eyes
Sunday, July 18, 2004

I like a lot of anime, it's true. At any given time I'll probably be following at least three. Most of these are pretty "come-and-go", ie I'll watch them while they're on and then forget about them. There are, however, some anime that I feel are classic. I was reaquainted with one today.

Please Save My Earth is a great anime, presented in a six-part OVA series. It is based on the manga by Saki Hiwatari, which I haven't yet read. I first saw the anime at the apartment of a former acquaintance named Omid, who was also a big anime fan. I don't know why he put it on, but I only managed to see the first couple of episodes. I think I managed to rent the rest fairly quickly because the story was quite capturing. After seeing the rest of it, I found that it's also quite heartbreaking. It's a tale of reincarnation, love, jealously, betrayal and revenge. I found it online a few days ago and decided to download it (seeing as I haven't been able to find it here to rent). Much to my dismay it was a Japanese copy with Spanish subtitles. I watched a bit of it and even though I couldn't understand half of it, it still made me cry. Since it's an anime that I can watch again and again (or at least every once in a while) and still get the same response from it as I did the first time I watched it, I went to Amazon.ca and bought the DVD U_U; I also went and bought the third soundtrack CD at CDJapan...I already HAVE it, but it's on cassette and we all know how long THOSE last. I would have bought the domestic version, but apparently it's no longer available ~_~; Oh well.

The second classic for me is Shoujo Kakumei Utena. I first saw it when my former friend, Chris, came over to show me Serial Experiements Lain (which I wound up strongly disliking because it was so...QUIET). I didn't like it at first because the character designs were EXTREMELY pointy. Chris left the video with me, however, telling me to watch it because it was GOOD. I wound up agreeing with him. I have seen the entire series, the movie AND read the manga. I prefer the series and the movie though. It is multi-layered adventure, romance etc. I don't think you can take it all in in one sitting, you have to watch it many many times and each time, you'll realize you missed something and some bit of symbolism or metaphor will smack you upside the head. I love it...

15 days
Thursday, July 15, 2004

I have 15 days left until I go home for three weeks! WHOOHOO! I can't wait.

I had to let everyone know that I made an unexpectedly odd purchase yesterday. As many of you know I enjoy "Boy's Love" manga and in fact the majority of my manga consist of that type of volume! :) WELL yesterday I went to Aeon with Tara and inevitably we went to the bookstore. I, of course, had a look at my favorite section. There, I found a new anthology of works published under the "Piasu" (Pierce??) label and it had one of my favorite artists on it. It did not show them in the table of contents, but I thought what the heck and bought it anyway. When we made our usual stop at Starbucks on our way out I had a look at this gem...and got a bit of a shock. Not only were there the usual manga, albeit more raunchy than usual, there were advertisements (or at least reviews of) REAL Japanese gay videos!!!! @_@!!! That took me a bit by surprise cos those have NEVER been included in anything I'd ever bought before. There are, in fact, several of them spaced throughout the book. There are screencaps (with naughty bits slightly blotted out with black circles)...SCREENCAPS *_* Alright, I'll let you in on a little secret...having lived with a gay roomie for a while and him (knowing my 'tastes') bringing home or letting me watching some of his videos, I have noticed one thing...in North American versions the guys are all usually NOT hot, but in the Asian ones...usually there's some pretty hot guys in there *_* Ah...pretty bois...I luv dem all. I STILL can't believe those ads were in there @_@ damn...

Matsuri!
Monday, July 12, 2004

It's festival season!! Whoohoo! I updated my DOMAIN to suit the moment.

I spent my time this weekend the Narita GION Festival! All THREE days! *tired* Friday night I went out with Tara. We sat at the window in Kohikan and watched the dashi (floats) go by. Saw MANY students! I was feeling rather mizerable at the time because of something one of the teachers had said to me that day...that and I was surfing the crimson wave. Seeing the kids cheered me up...not to mention talking Tara's ear off about my problems. We walked all the way down to the temple, which isn't easy when there's hundreds upon hundreds of people trying to do the exact same thing. ^^;

Saturday I decided to go down to Aeon by myself and check out the bookstore. Of course there wasn't ANYTHING new there for me to buy...(*cough*sarcasm*cough*) I sat and had my usual McDonald's and emailed Ai about going to the festival. She had sent me a note asking me if I wanted to go. I wasn't really sure if I WANTED to go that day. It was soooooo hot and I'm such a sweaty person >.>;;; But I was already in the area so I decided to go ahead and go. I went around and around the place with Ai, Kiyo and Kiyo's friend. We chased after the Honchou?? float for a while because Ai's crush was on the ropes, pulling it. 'Course we all had to take pictures of him for her...and 'sides he's got a cute face and it's so fun to bug him with it too cos he doesn't like it *evil* When we got down to the temple area where there are TONS of booths with games and food...I had THREE cups of shaved ice with peach syrup *_* Goooood especially on a hot day. We walked around for SIX hours, but I already had two under my belt from going to the mall. I felt dead tired when I got home that night.

Sunday, I went with Tim and his girlfriend, Nozomi at night. We saw SO MANY KIDS!!! There was a whole bunch of them pulling one dashi, it was amazing. We kept getting stuck trying to get down to the temple (they stop the crowd when the dashi are coming around a particularily difficult bend in the road...on a hill) so we took a shortcut near school and got in right at the base of the temple. Wandered the booths, had some food and then we followed several dashis back UP the street (it's the quickest way...like following an ambulance in rush hour traffic! :)

It was a great weekend :D

Forecast?
Sunday, July 11, 2004

Last night, I dreamt that I was on a plane. The plane was going to crash over the ocean. We were trying to get everyone to jump from a door in the plane with parachutes, but it was just taking too long. Something began to beep and it was the "100 feet marker"?? Or something that told us that we had reached the point that we couldn't let anyone out anymore and we had to crash into the ocean. I was telling myself and others that it's just water, it's just like, it's just like.. (I don't know what it was just like cos I never said) and then the plane crashed into the water and water came in through a window and got me in the face. Then we were swimming around trying to get people out and for some reason, even though I was constantly looking for airpockets, I could breathe through my nose underwater. When I woke up I thought "Oh that's a great dream to have before I'm going to fly home, over the ocean..." ~_~;;;

the matrix
Friday, July 9, 2004

"LEMME OUT!! I WANT OUT!!!"

Knee Caps
Thursday, July 8, 2004

Okay, to give you an idea of just how FREAKIN' HOT and muggy it is here...today as I was going to get my hair cut with Tara, we stopped at the red light and my KNEECAPS were sweating!! There was sweat on my knees for crying out loud! I shouldn't have changed my pants, or my shirt...they were both wonderful sweat-shower-offers. It was so gross. I DID get my hair cut though! It looks nice :) I got the same cut as I did last time and the same guy cut it. I didn't really think HE needed to do it, but I think the girl that I had at the outset misunderstood me. I think that she thought I meant that I wanted the same person to cut my hair, but what I MEANT to say was that I wanted the same hair cut. Oh well, he's nice and stuff so it was okay. I feel kind of bad about the other lady though... :T

Guess what!
Tuesday, July 6, 2004

Guess what I'll probably be able to buy when I go back to CANADA in August? ANIME!! They have finally put Gundam SEED out on DVD!! WOOT!!! It's only the first of many...and it'll take thirty bucks out of my pocket, but dammit, I'm going to have the set! I wonder what I should now do with my subbed copies on CD...hmm. I guess the "smart and decent" thing would be to chuck them into the "plastics" garbage as the DVDs come out and I purchase them. I can't wait until a year from now when they will HOPEFULLY have the END ready and released! I'll finally be able to understand what went on between Raww and everybody else! *_*

I wonder how much more anime I'll be able to find while I'm in CANADA...oh the irony...

EDIT: Recently I have noticed more and more than I my English has become incredibly awful...I think I'm losing my mind over here...at the very least I'm losing my ability to speak my own language like it's my own language. *sigh* Case in point, the "more and more THAN I my English has..." bit in the EDIT...gawd...save me

Natural Sweat Box
Tuesday, July 6, 2004

It has arrived. If anyone is looking to lose weight through sweating, just come on down to Japan and sit outside. The humidity has reached a high now and I'm sure it's only going to get worse. Yippee.

This, of course, is only going to concern me for...TWENTY-FOUR more days because on the 31st of July, I am going HOME!!!! I am going back to humidity-free British Columbia to hang with mah buds and bro in Vic and my parents in Terrace! I can't WAIT!!! I'll be surrounded by cuddly kitties every step of the way, I'll be able to eat FOOD, I'll be able to buy CLOTHES, I'll be able to SWIM in POOLs!!! WHOOHOO!!

KYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
Saturday, June 26, 2004

OH MY FUCKING GOD!!!!!!!! I just had my first "roach motel" experience!!!! IT FELL ON MY FUCKING HEAD!!!!!!!! I went to go to the bathroom, opened up the door and this HUGE black THING bounced off my head and onto the ground then scuttled away!! EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!! Colleen, I don't care how icky you feel earwigs are (and believe me, I know how icky they are...), this is TEN FUCKING TIMES WORSE!!!!!! It was on my head for crying out loud!! *CRIES* It took me five minutes to kill the bastard too cos it kept escaping under clothes. I finally got it in the corner with some mildew killer spray and smacked it to death with the bottle. EEEEEEEEEEWWWWWW!!!!! After I try to go see Harry Potter III tomorrow it is SUPER CLEAN TIME!! I am going to be utterly paranoid about cockroaches for sooooooo long now ;_; And I was having such a good day too...

Went shopping in Chiba with Tara cos my paycheck was burning a hole in my pocket. I did pretty well, only spent 20 000 yen (0) and that was mostly clothing. I got four pieces at (big people)East Boy! A pair of green cargo pants, a checkered shirt, a yellow (SHOCK!) tank and a red tee that says "Fatal Love" on it XD Need summer clothes...will be taking a lot of my clothes back with me so I can give them to the SallyAnn or something...bleh

It FUCKING LANDED ON MY HEAD!!!!!!

EVIL STREP!!
Tuesday, June 22, 2004

I was sick ALLLLL weekend with strep throat! UGH! I could hardly swallow and had to survive on ice cream...not that that was a TERRIBLE thing ^^;; Went to the doctor and got some penicillin and stuff, so I got better pretty quickly :) YAY! Back in action!

Fairy Dance
Monday, June 14, 2004

I still long for the fairy-tale romance. Does it exist anymore? Some people find it, and they are very lucky. I am 27 today. Pretty soon, I'll be a COUGAR! Looking forward to it :) Only a few more years until I become the spinster lady I've always dreamed of. All I need now are some kitties!!

Rediscovery
Saturday, June 12, 2004

I am rediscovering how wonderful Japanese rock music is. I am listening to Hide right now. It's really helpful when needing to overcome "weak" emotions like self-pity and regret and guilt and things like that. It really helps you say "fuck the world" and put out a stiff upper lip! It's hard to feel yucky when the music yells "Treat me like your favorite backdoor whore!!" in your ears.

I got Peter Pan, the new one. I'd seen it with Tara in the theatre and loved the music, so I got the soundtrack. Now I've got the movie. It -really- like the Fairy Dance. I want a screen cap of the King and Queen dancing...they look so marvelous.

And least important, new layout.