It's amazing how unproductive I am on weekends. Except for Halloween weekend, when all of Saturday was spent with 4 awesome people, driving around the island taking photos. Sunday was a bust though X3

Anyway, have some photos from Halloween, in no particular order

From the left: hand-made Hakuryuu, me as Hakkai, Shime as Gojyo, Julie and Brandi as goth/emo/vampire slayer/model dolls. Or something. XD Shime's mom was behind the camera, with a white wig on. She rocks.


Hakuryuu wishes he could fly in the sky like the tiny little dragon kite you can't see in the photo


He also wishes he could eat the koi in the pond at Valley of the Temples, but he's pleasantly chubby as he is and therefore forbidden to torment the fish.


We now have an AU fantasy wherein genius photographer Gojyo meets with master makeup artist Hakkai, and they combine their superpowers to take over the world. Or something.


Haha! Photoshop! I forgot the third cuff, so I faked it with photoshop. Also, I found out it is freakishly hard to get dark brown eyes to look green, even with the wonders of photoshop.


Lookie at Shime's scars! But poo, the lighting made her hair look more purple than it actually was.


Another not-quite-what-we-intended photo. I wanted to get in tighter, but I wanted the sky and the rocks too, and I didn't want to run in the sand. Meh.


More contemplative Gojyo...


Shime actually brought her Hi-Lites, but we couldn't for the life of us get one lit in that park.


And promptly after lighting Gojyo's cigarette in our imaginations, Hakkai sternly reprimands him for putting the cigarette out in the can of beer. Kirin, just like what Gojyo was clearly drinking in Reload vol 1 XD


It's hard to reenact that bridge scene from Reload when you don't have a good vantage point for the camera


Looks like a really clean, well-framed sneak shot. That's totally not the word I'm looking for. But this photo is another reason why Shime's mom rocks.


Le singe est sur la branche! (Is that seriously how you spell it? Oh French, you confuse me)

There will be more! Buahahahaaaa! Captain Gojyo, and Fairy Hakkai, and maybe a couple of Brandi and Julie, if they're okay with me posting those photos. As my partner in cosplay crime, Shime gets no such consideration X3 ♡

Here's some assorted photos, including Rasta Bird, the Rubber Duck Army, and a Halloween photo shoot preview

( Clickety )

Stay tuned for the (huge) picspam from Halloween day! X3

GO READ THIS FIC!!

nouvellebrielle is amazing and wrote me birthday fic of awesome! I wanted Gojyo/Hakkai domestic snippets, and she delivered! There's everything that makes Saiyuki Saiyuki: comfort and home and death and meeting and all the time in the world, plus Hakkai naming the veggies in his garden.

So go read Memento by the fabulous nouvellebrielle already! Shoo!

Nurglegloop. I is deded. Just spent all day BSing my way through the 5 page Japanese midterm report due tomorrow, and to blarble a phrase from Kyo, I can't brain no more; i has the dum.

Of course, it probably didn't help that I didn't really start until this morning, but y'know. Marflebloo. And the insomniac demented chicken my neighbors so thoughtfully keep right outside my bedroom window doesn't help, keeping me from a good night's sleep for a month.

...And I'm really klutzy, apparently. I've graduated from bruising my leg with my sword, slicing open my elbow with my sword, and smacking the back of my neck with the flat of the sword, to ka-THWACKing myself int he forehead with my sword. Nice big egg, bisected by a thin little line that didn't bleed, thankfully. I'd facepalm, but that'd hurt. XD

Oh! but cosplay things are progressing! Hakuryuu is now done, I have black short hakkai hair, and after a day of avoiding my paper hunting with Shime, I've got pants and material for the tunic and sash, and Shime's got an awesome leather jacket. This is pleasing to me. Now, I just need to procrastinate budget my time so that I can actually sew the tunic and sash. And figure out how to resize photos, so I can post not stupidly-oversized photos of hakuryuu and my head. Yes.

I think there might have been something else, but it's eloped with my brain. Geez, I dont even get invited to my own brain's wedding. What a brain. Going to bed now.

Just have to say.

amai_kaminari and veronicacode are my Saiyuki heroes right now.

That is all.

My computer and calendar conspire against me. In brief, 2 essays, a project, 4 extra Wushu sessions (moon viewing season, and we're popular), a Shaolin Warriors performance to watch, and a DDR/Guitar Hero party to host...AND I need to scrounge important data from my Dell before it goes completely kaput.

BUT, Daddy helped me pick out a shiny new MacBook Pro, so I have a place to put all my stuff and a computer that easily does Japanese text with which to write my papers! So that is very happy. It's got about twice the processing speed, twice the RAM, and it only weighs about half as much as my Dell. So shiny...

Also, I'm almost done making Hakuryuu! Shime and I are planning Gojyo and Hakkai cosplays for Halloween, respectively, and Hakkai needs his Jeep! Just one more wing to attach... shouldn't take more than an hour, then I can start working on Hakkai's actual outfit. There will be pictures. Many pictures. *evil grin*

And last week Friday most of Other Family, my parents and I drowned our Tall One-less sorrows in steak and Bloomin' Onions. Three hours of chatting and gossiping about what Tall One's been up to. We miss you Twin!!!

I was looking up Osakana Tengoku (Fish Heaven) for Saiyuki Gaiden Memoirs translations, and that led me to Oshiri Kajiri Mushi　(Butt-Gnawing Bug), and Tarako... So instead of an actual informative post about what's been going on with me, I post links to Amazing Dance Things I Must Learn

Osakana Tengoku
It was a promotional campaign song/dance for Japan Fisheries Cooperatives, but who cares about that! It's a silly song about eating all sorts of seafood and getting smart and pretty. Ignore the guy in front, he doesn't know what he's doing.

Oshiri Kajiri Mushi
The Butt-Biting Bug! Oh man, those poor children, spanking their own bottoms and having to smile through it all...It's a long video, but they teach you how to butt bump the people next to you! Hahaha!

Tarako Tarako
The infamous Tarako song! Good grief. What is it with these (sea)food promotional song/dances? They're so catchy and stupid! I love them.

Onara Taiso
Farting Exercise! Buahahahaa! There's a mongoose, and children dressed up as adults, and they sing "Let's energeticly let one loose! Let's let loose a good sound! Do Re Mi Fa Pu pu pu! Wa! Whether you're big or small, no matter what we all fart the same" X3

Kori Kori Mari Mokkori
Apparently the theme song of Marimokkori, which is... I don't know, something green. I'm having too much fun watching these kids jump around in green faux gangsta outfits. Do it for the kids!!
Marimokkori Call
Same kids, but this time with green feather boas and pink feather fans! Singing about how milk makes you grow...

There's also one about nose picking fortune telling, but that's really only funny if you can understand Japanese... and if you find that kind of stuff funny, which apparently, I do.

Pantsu Pankurou
Ha! I used to watch this every morning in Japan. And it's got English subtitles, so my f-list can understand the craziness of Underwear Pankurou! who has a singing toilet and toilet paper holder, and also a washing machine that steals his underwear in a clip I can't find.

... Goodness, that's a lot of butt jokes, isn't it. XD

Gyag, I have got to learn to schedule my time better. I have a lot more homework this semester, and this is actually the first chance I've had to really relax and do my own thing since school started. And since it's 1am for Tall One, I can't really call her like I promised I would 。゜(>д<)゜。 Tomorrow, as soon as classes let out. *nods*

But I'm really happy that I get to see people again! I'm terrible at keeping in contact with people I don't see on a regular basis, if you hadn't noticed (＞人＜) Saturday Kyo organised a picnic with a bunch of people, so I got to spend the afternoon playing with a handful of awesome people.

Oh, and there's a Wushu performance thingy this Thursday. Silks! And I've got a shiny new tassel on my straight sword that doesn't get tangled about my wrist!

And, dorky squee time. Been working on the Saiyuki Gaiden Memoirs booklet that maze_of_spades uploaded. Kenren and Tenpou are such a couple. So many times Minekura Sensei says they act like husband/wife, and.... What Kenren looks for in a partner? A high-maintenance beauty (Tenpou). And what Tenpou looks for? A self-suffient person (Kenren). Not anything we didn't know before, but. XD

Nnuuuuuuuuuuuu! don't make me go! Where's the 'rewind' button on life so I can go back to the beginning of summer and avoid this Monday some more?

I'm only taking 12 credits this semester, but to be honest, I think that might be all I can handle, considering the courses I'm signed up for. Chinese 101 is being my easy class. Which, yeah, it was in Oregon, but this time I'm learning traditional characters! Yay! Science of Human Nutrition wouldn't be too intimidating, if not for my disinclination toward anything science-y... It's the Japanese classes that're gonna kill me. I have seven books for Modern Japanese Lit. Seven At least I've read a couple of them before, but still. (＞人＜) And Japanese Composition? I hear this teacher really pushes you, which, yay! but, I can't actually write anything anymore. I can get the meanings of what I read pretty consistently thanks to all this translating I've been doing over the summer, but actually writing out the characters with my own hand? What madness is this?! So yeah, death.

But Thursdays I only have one class from 1:30-2:45, so that's nice. Lots of time to struggle through my Japanese homework (^_^) I wonder what time that'll be in Boston... Boston is 6 hours... ahead? of Hawaii?

So. Much. Watermelon!

( Wushu hike = training with watermelons )

Murrrr... (heat+humidity)x(not Wushu day)=lying on the couch all day doing nothing productive. Well, at least I'm getting through some anime series I've always wanted to see beginning to end X3 Evangelion is just as confusing out of order as in, and Ranma is actually funnier than I remember.

But! This week looks to be much more productive than the last! It isn't quite as muggy, so today I actually got some translating done, and as soon as I find envelopes big enough I can put a couple packages in the mail to mainland-type peoples.. And tomorrow we've got karaoke planned with Kris and Katie from Wushu (Maybe I should go by 'Kagawa' to fit in?) before heading off to class. And gasp! There are actually Leaving the House plans for Wednesday, even though it's not a Wushu day! Here's hoping I can power through a hike up St. Louis Heights with Twin and her Shmoopy. Thursday's Wushu again, so I'll at least get out of the house by 2p X3 Friday though.. unless Twin has anything planned that she doesn't mind me tagging along for, Friday has loads of Unproductive Potential right there.

...aaaaand that was a near-totally pointless update. Meh. See icon.

o(>ε<)o

All right, time for all the random stuff we did.

( Beware the pic spam! )

Oh, and we stayed in Niigata for one night after Sado, and a bunch of us went out exploring at 11pm. Quill, who's 6'5", decided it would be hilarious to swing me up over his shoulder like a bag of rice, and walk through the mure of hosts loitering on the sidewalk at close to midnight. I was later informed by Taylor that the hosts all looked perplexed like, "Should I help her?", because my hair was all in my face and my giggles sounded like sobs, and when Quill put me down I stumbled like I was going to run... XD Good times.

And that's it for this time's Japan report (^o^)ゞ

Continuing the trip log...

The real reason for this Sado Island trip: Noh with Tsumura Sensei. Sado Island is known as the homeland of Noh. Back in the Edo period I think, the ruler of Sado was really interested in Noh and other arts, and paid handsome sums for some of the best Noh actors to move to the island and practice and preserve their art there. Tsumura Sensei doesn’t live in Sado, but held the workshop there. Oumi-san, who gave us a place to stay, drove us out to the other side of the island, and generally made this trip possible, his father maintained the Noh stage we practiced at. He did it because he wanted to preserve the tradition, so all the costs for replacing the floors and everything came out of his own pocket.

( Read more... )

One more entry ought to do it. Wagh, so much happened!

Oh dude, Sado Island. If you ever get the chance to go to Sado Island, do it. It’s a little island off the coast of Niigata, famous for gold mining and Noh. It’s very country, very beautiful, very welcoming. Even more so than Hawaii. There were rice fields everywhere (with random drink vending machines dotted along the roads, of course), the clearest ocean I’ve ever seen all around, and such a strong sense of community I couldn’t figure out who was blood-related to whom.

We were the first foreigners many of the people we met had ever seen in person, so we were something like celebrities while we were there. Plus we were doing things that most normal Japanese people never got to do, so we were featured in two newspaper articles, and two TV news broadcasts on the national new station. Unfortunately, we only ever saw one of those newspaper articles, and were running around the island when the TV programs ran…

( Photos )

We got to do so many awesome things…! During the Oni Daiko festival, Sensei, Quill and I got to go upstairs into the holy space where not even normal Japanese people get a chance to go. We were the first foreigners to go up there, and I think I was the first girl to go up there. We raised the huge flag poles for the festival by hand, something the Haguro Shrine hadn’t done in years (they were using cars because there weren’t enough people). We got to see Noh under the stars, and after the Oni Daiko festival, we got to learn Noh from one of the masters, Tsumura Sensei

Technically, the reason I was in Japan at all was to go to a Noh / Oni Daiko workshop with a group from my old college, but since Lindsey was going down to Tokyo for a week before the workshop, I got to go up a week early and play. So the week before Sado Island was spent searching for random Book Offs, raiding Animate stores, going to karaoke and Psycho le Cemu concerts (yes, that is a plural ^_^), and even a quick jaunt down to Kyoto to hang out with my study abroad days speaking partner.

( Some photos )

Too bad essie had to work most of the time. I didn’t get to see her, or Lindsey, nearly enough. Although, with how much they poked me… XD And Lindsey went with me to meet the Sado group at Tokyo station on the 11, whereupon I had almost no time to pause until I got back to Tokyo on the 22.

Daaaaah. Dead. But happy. Very happy. Lacking in Saiyuki things though, sadface. But has much other stuffs! Will be pictures later. And complete sentences. Maybe even grammar!

Oh, oh! But! Must say: I'm over 100lbs! Yay!

And sorry, if anything exciting or interesting or world-rocking happened here in the last month, I probably won't know. Doesn't mean I don't love you, just that I'm lazy.

Moohahahaaaa! Ore no daisuki! That was an awesome week.
You're not gonna get many pictures, because I was having too much of a good time and kept forgetting that I had a camera.

Oh, it was such a happy thing to see Twin and Wabbits and Puppydogs again! Lots of tickles and bum kicks and gnawing and video games. Every time I visit I wish I could've lived with them and just teleported to Oregon for classes. Oh, and Twin's Shmoopy. I approve! (^_^) Remember Tall One, use the plastic wrap well. XD

This was definitely a 'visit amazing friends' trip more than a 'going to con' trip. I actually only dressed up one day, and totally forgot to take photos of my Nataku with new buddy Monkey!Goku, courtesy of Twin and Wabbits. And poo, I was too entranced by the Pokemon dudes at Masquerade to remember my camera. Those guys were hilarious! "You teach me and I'll teach you, Po~ke~mo~~n!!" XD Oh, and also at the masquerade, San Jose Wushu team. Ha! We so kick their butts! Tall One is better than them in jeans after years of not practicing.

Oh oh! New favorite anime: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. GIGA DRILL BREAKER!!! XD But, but, Kamina! With the crazy glasses, and the crazy... I <3

( Photos )

Call me Master Blast, for I am teh awesomesauce! as my icon points out OBEY ME
XD
No, I mean, I just fit 8 days' worth of clothes, plus my Nataku cosplay, translation things, a couple early graduation presents, and a stuffed bunny into 2 carry on -size bags
I am awesome


...and I'm going to be in California with my twin and other amazing people in less than 24 hours. That's pretty awesome too

1. It's summer break!! No more boring classes until fall! Yay!

2. I get to see Tall One in 2 days! Oh the happy that will ensue from that! I am going to glomp her within an inch of her life X3
2.a. Fanime on Thursday! Oh, foo, I can't take the aerosol hair color on the plane with me, can I? Oh well.
2.b. I get to meet Tall One's organic saran wrap motivator and interrogate him make sure he's good enough for her politely say hello. Nah, who'm I kidding, I'm gonna giggle and poke him (and Tall One, collectively) and give them plastic wrap. See Pushing Daisies for that reference.

3. Japan on June 1! Yummy food, language I love, people I haven't seen in ages, awesome music...
3.a. First, running around Tokyo with essie and lindsey, going karaoke and Psycho le Cemu concert, and maybe a quick jaunt down to Kyoto to see Emi (if I can get ahold of her)
3.b. Then, Noh/Kabuki/Taiko workshop on Sado Island with Oregon peoples. Dunno how that'll go, but it sounds like fun.

4. Granddad came home from the hospital today! He went in about a week ago with pneumonia, underlying cause: undiagnosed Parkinson's, but they fixed him all up and now he's stronger than when he went in! The only sad thing is he can't eat normally; there's a tube straight to his stomach that we've got to pump liquid food in through. But he's home and he's healthy and he's cracking jokes like before. (^_^)
Amusing hospital side story: Grandmom's rather deaf. She hears half of the story and makes up the rest as she likes. So she told us that Uncle (her son)'s mother-in-law got hurt climbing over a fence. MiL got hurt tripping over a toy. She's okay now, but oh Grandma. X3

5. We found the ant nest that's been sending out gigantic monsters (according to mother) into Mommy's room! She's been stalking about with the Raid for the past few nights. And tonight she just found the nest... in the water tank of her toilet... while she was using the toilet. XD