Welcome!  Irrasshai!

You have reached the journal of one Laura H. aka Areea aka areea-chan.  This journal is totally dedicated to fangirling with a few non-fangirling things thrown in for good measure.  I mainly blog about mah main JE boy, Toma.  If there's anything you want to know, look around, send me a comment, look at my profile page, or just ask!

If you, for some crazy reason, want to know more about me, please read my Laura!Fail intro post.

You can also  because everyone has one and it's so dang addicting, and we can have crazy conversations about fandom.

FRIENDING POLICY:

1. I want to be your friend, but let's PLEASE have something in common.  Makes the talking thing a whole lot easier.
2. Leave a comment on this post or send me a message telling me why you are adding me.  I really do hate it when people randomly add me and don't tell me why.  Pretty much all of my posts are public anyway, so why not just lurk like most of the people around here?
3. I DO NOT ADD YOU BACK UNLESS YOU ASK ME TO OR LEAVE ME COMMENTS.  Again, my posts are public, so why add me when you could just lurk?

I <4 you guys a lot (it's one better than <3)

Thanks to princess_rei09  for the wallpaper from which I made this header.  Isn't it purty?

Zombie Michael Jackson!

No...wait, it's me!

Yep, I am finally FINALLY going to the Land of All Things Boyband, the mecca (as it were) of my very fandom.  This trip has been a whole year in the making, and it's finally happening in TWO DAYS.

I'm super excited because I am going, well, everywhere.  Almost.  Here's the basic breakdown of my trip:

Tokyo --> Osaka/Nara/Kyoto/etc. --> Aomori --> Sapporo --> Lake Kussharo --> Sapporo --> Saitama --> Tokyo

I'm starting off in Tokyo my first night where I will in attendance at Takeru's play Romeo and Juliet.  Yes, I am going, foos!  I already have my ticket (it was kinda esspensive ya know), but it's HAPPENING.  I GET TO SEE TAKERU AND ISHIHARA SATOMI MY FIRST NIGHT IN JAPAN. *squeak*

The next day I will head to Osaka where I will meet up with my friend Naomi for sightseeing.  She's planning to go with me to Kyoto, Nara, and wherever else I get to go when I'm in Osaka.  I sort of promised my nephew, Connor, that I'd go to Iga, the home of the ninjas.  He wants a ninja star.  I am not buying him a real ninja star.

So Osaka for five nights, then heading up to Aomori for two nights, Sapporo for three nights, Lake Kussharo for three nights, back to Sapporo for a night, then to Saitama for a night or two before ending up in Tokyo proper.  I'm also hoping to go to Nagoya one day to meet up with my friends Geneva and June who are doing the Japan study abroad trip with our school.

We're all going to be in Japan at the same time.  WE HAVE TO GO SEE THINGS TOGETHER.

So I'm really excited/nervous/really nervous/oh god what have I gotten myself into? but yay, I'm still excited when I think about it, and...man, it's going to be a good trip.  It's hard to explain why I feel like I need this trip, but part of it is that I feel like I need a catalyst to push me into finally being the person I want to be.  Yes, it sounds cheesy and self-improvement-y, but whatever, I'm going to Japan!

I will keep everyone updated through this LiveJournal, Twitter, and post all sorts of pictures on Facebook and flickr.  I really, truly am excited and can't wait to actually experience Japan.  It's a place I have been imagining since I started watching J-dramas back in 2007.

Next time you'll hear from me, I will be in Japan...or possibly Dallas if I'm bored enough at the airport.

Ja ne!

So, interesting story, thanks to my fandom friend dual_tsubasa, who posted this link on Twitter to a certain CNN Geek Out! blog article titled (without the proper capitalization) "The beginner's guide to Japanese drama."  Please read it, because it is relevant to this blog post.

So I'm sitting there reading and cringing at certain mentions of websites like d-addicts which, while they don't HOST torrents anymore, still has links to those torrents.  It's my one last haven for dramas since Megaupload is down for now and Mediafire is soon to be the same.  I'm not fond of getting dramas that way because if it's an older drama, chances are it won't be seeded and will take days to download.  But I still use and don't want it taken down in any capacity.

Anyway, I'm sitting here reading and things start sounding more and more familiar...more and more like the information I have painstakingly research the past few years and included in my presentation for my Sociology of Modern Japan class as well as made into a panel for MTAC (Middle Tennessee Anime Convention) last year.  Now, the article was worded differently, and I might have just said, "Well, she probably did the same research since some of it did come from Internet sources and there were a few added things in there" except for one paragraph:

"Often faces from big pop acts show up in dramas, such as members of long-running pop band Arashi. By using radio-popular songs as J-drama theme songs, producers increased viewership exponentially."

This information is my panel.  It is not research-based.  It is based on my own experience watching over 400 J-dramas in the past four or so years.  I have researched dramas and drama ratings as well as current trends in Japan and how they affect the overall ratings of dramas as well as what can make or break a drama.  This particular information about arashi is something I included based on my own experience in fandom.  It's not written down anywhere.  It's common knowledge, but not something I feel a general fan of dramas would automatically make the connection to or if they did, they could have used any othttp://www.mediafire.com/?x95zqp0jkzxho1zher boyband.  I particularly used arashi because the past several years have proven that arashi dramas are popular dramas.  I also said that using their songs as theme songs also helps with ratings.

I looked into this writer's other articles, and she mentions a lot of different conventions that take place around the east coast and in the south.  It's probable that she was there in my panel last year and took notes.  I was too busy freaking out and trying to explain things and being weirded out by the two rows of 40-something year old balding men in the front to notice who was doing what.

As evidence, I offer my panel presentation for your viewing pleasure.

Japanese TV Dramas

So go read the article, check out my presentation, and tell me if you think the author copied my panel.  Honestly, I still have a nugget of doubt, but it's very odd.

My apologies.  I wrote this about a month or so ago...maybe longer.  I am a terrible fangirl.

What's this?  WHAT'S THIS?
There's color everywhere!
What's this?  There're sparkles in the air!
What's this?!
I can't believe I'm back, yes it's true, no more fail!
WHAT'S THIS?

Okay, enough of the fail!song lyrics.  I am finally--FINALLY--writing a proper post after over a year--A WHOLE YEAR--of not really writing posts.  Oh sure, I've "written" stuff, but it was pitiful stuff full of fail compared to some of the posts I've done in the past.  Suffice to say that this past year I have been busy/angsty/not a good fangirl.  It was shameful.  I am ashamed.

BUT WE MUST PRESS ON.

Because I really have so much to write about, I won't be doing it all in this post to save both mine and your sanities, good readers.  In fact, just writing this bit right here is making me tired and want to quit and go watch Rebound instead of writing.  I'm stuck here at the desk for another four hours and four minutes, so might as well, right?  And to start off with, I'll be doing a review of what's going on in the Johnny's world as I currently know it.

First of all, because the Dear Boy should always be first, TOMA.

I can't say anything about Toma that hasn't been said in the past year aside from NINGENSHIKKAKUSEASIDEMOTELHANAMIZUKIOMGHEKISSEDSOMANYGIRLSANDRIGHTNOWHEHASACOMMERCIALANDARMPORN!!!!!

Ahem.  If you've seen his latest scans, good for you.  Also, I'm showing you one, anyway.  IT'S UTTER ARM PORN.  I decided I was an arm girl after seeing so many pictures of Toma without sleeves.  Something about his arms are just so...sigh...

One thing I constantly get frustrated with about Toma is that he doesn't smile much in pictures anymore.  I don't know if it's the photographer or the people who choose the pictures or what, but Toma always looks so nice when he smiles.  I agree with godsgirl7  in that this poll is invalid but not because Aiba's not on it, but because Toma isn't on it (although I agree Aiba should be on it as well).

It seems that when Toma has a comedic role, he gets more smiley pictures and when he's all dramatic, he's non-smiley.  I don't know if there is a correlation, but I wouldn't doubt it.  Well, at least he's sort of smiling in the making of his new Volvic CM.  Still crossing my fingers for a fall Toma drama.  There was a rumor circulating that he'd have one with Yonekura Ryoko, which might have meant a young guy/older woman romance which is what I've been wanting for awhile now.  And to have Toma in the role?  I would be MORE than okay with that.  Heck, Toma in ANY romance drama would be FANTASTIC.  As long as he doesn't die at the end.

Well, we still have time before the fall season, so anything still goes. *crosses everything*

Tackey and Tsubasa are coming out with a new single!  I feel like this time, they are truly getting back together.  Then they will bless the world with lots of rainbows and sparkles and adorable fanservice because they're totally married.  Have I mentioned that TakkiTsuba is ONE pairing that I actually don't mind shipping.  How can you argue with something that's canon?  Their new single will be titled "Bokura no Mirai Journey Journey" and will be released AUGUST 31.  I'm looking forward to a PV with more rainbows and confessions of love.  Hopefully Takki will have better hair by then.

Also, is anyone watching Tsubasa's Spanish program?  I keep meaning to watch it, especially if it's full of lolz or Tsubasa shirtless.

NEWS is still not NEWS, but at least Yamapi hasn't shown any signs of leaving.  Let's see, both Ryo-chan and Shige have dramas this summer, both of which I am watching.  Ryo-chan will be in Zenkai Girl, co-starring Aragaki Yui, in which Ryo-chan plays a nursery school worker trying to raise his son while Yui plays a lawyer who is assigned to watch her boss's five year old daughter.  Of course, romance happens.  I admit that I haven't watched Inu wo Kau to Iu Koto yet, and I'm actually surprised that Ryo-chan got another main drama role so quickly.  Usually stations don't like to do that, but then, Toda Erika had SPEC followed by Taisetsuna Koto, so whatevs.  Ryo-chan's acting has gotten better, too.  I immensely enjoyed him in JOKER, so I'm holding high hopes for both Inu and Zenkai Girl.

Shige will be in Hanawake no Yon Shimai where he will play a photographer who gets involved with four sisters.  The cast for this drama includes Mizuki Alisa (Ohitorisama), Kanjiya Shihori (Buzzer Beat, Kimi Hannin Ja Nai Yo Ne), Kichise Michiko (Hagane no Onna, Bloody Monday), and Kawashima Umika (Kaibutsu-kun, Bloody Monday), and with such a great cast, it's bound to be pretty good.  All four women play girls who are just not lucky in love and have a father who is something of a ladies man and a mother who remains faithfully devoted to him.  It seems a lot like a family/romance crossover drama.  Heck, I'm in.  And Shige's acting has gotten better over the years, too.  Have you seen TROUBLEMAN?  He was pretty good in it.

Koyama's still doing his news thing, which is cool.  Tegomass?  Are they doing anything lately?  I haven't watch Deka Wanko yet, either, so not sure how Tegoshi did in that.  I hear conflicting reports.  Yamapi?  Is he still on his Asian tour?  Sorry, guys, whenever they're not all together, I get disinterested and wander off to other groups and other music.  Sigh...I really miss NEWS, and I know I'm not the only one.

I want that again.  All together and being all Member-Ai...y...ish...^_^

So this entry is now long enough, and I will continue to try to update.  I have given up all hope of reviewing everything from this past year in word form...

...and so it will probably come in video form...

Look forward to it...muahahahahahaha--coughsputterhack--

Ja ne!

And so, we come to it at last.  The final day of the year 2010.  In just a few short hours, it will be 2011 here in the states, and I'm spending it just the way I want: at home, spreadable cheese and crackers, sparkling grape juice, and the Johnny's Countdown pulled up and all ready to go at 11:45 tonight.  I want it to coincide with the actual New Year's here, so I'm waiting.

Although I already know.  Toma wasn't there.  I hate him (not really), and I'm wondering where on earth he went for this occasion.  As Toma fans may already know, he posted a picture in Toma no Heya of a JAL plane at some airport (scroll down at least halfway down the page).  Fans are trying to figure out at exactly which airport this picture was taken or where he could have been going.  Where in the world is Ikuta Toma is the question right now.  I guess we'll find out when he gets back and posts more pictures (hopefully he will, I mean, he gave up the whole toy camera hobby ages ago).

So, this past year has not been the best.  I feel like I say this every year, but this year has really been off.  Despite that, there were some awesome things that happened like graduating college (woot!) and landing a full-time, well-paying job (double woot!), and niece, Hailey, being born (eternity woot!).  I had some fantastically snarky fandom talks and spazzflails with B-chan at 2:00am when we were both supposed to be sleeping (this was 2009, but remember when we made sparkly cupgaykes for Toma's birthday and went around handing them out?  And someone asked us why we made them, and we told them it was someone's birthday, but then they asked us who, and we had to say it was a friend. XD  Oh, good times.)  We created possibly the first Japanese Culture Club in WKU's history.  I drove to Nashville by myself for the first time and subsequently got lost in Nashville for the first time.  I met the girls on my wing and we've had a lot of fun times this semester (that often involved food).  I've made new friends and gotten closer to people I already knew.

I honestly don't remember big fandom stuff that happened this year aside from Toma's three movies, the much-anticipated return of NEWS after a long dry spell, Jin's concerts in the US, and Toma's magnificent Anan spread (we'll never forget that, will we?).  I don't think this year has been a great fandom year for me.  I'm really hoping this next year will bring even more fandom excellence.  A lot of things are going to happen in 2011, and here's a taste of what I have in store:

--Attending the Middle Tennessee Anime Convention and possibly doing a J-drama panel while I'm there
--Visiting purrgrowl  again in California during the summer (please?)
--Giving Japanese lessons to kids in Bowling Green
--Applying for Temple University Japan or JET (probably both)
--Making videos for YouTube
--Generally being a more positive person and enjoying life

I am ready for 2011 to begin.

See you next year!

Ja ne!
 

I AM NOT DEAD.  I PROMISE.

Ignore the dirt clinging to my clothes and the zombie fangirl horde behind me.  I was tricked, I tell you, tricked!  Ahem, anyway, this has undoubtedly been the longest amount of time I have gone without writing a post.  It's been almost two months!  What the heck have I been doing anyway?  Well, for one thing, I've been on Twitter.  It's hard to get me to shut up on Twitter, actually.  For another thing, I've been doing that thing called work and another thing called school, although I sorted of phayld at both due to some...stuff...*mumbleslooksatceiling*

So in addition to all of the stuff I wrote down in my last entry that I meant to talk about, I now have a bunch of other stuff to talk and flail about and possibly rip apart with analysis.  Oh yes, I acquired brand-spanking-new film analyzation skills thanks to my Introduction to Cinema class (even though I phayld) this semester.  Prepare to see movies ripped apart in a brand new way (but not really, because, as I said, I phayld at raifu).

Wait, where is Toma?  I need Toma.  My life has been sorely lacking in him for months now.  I feel like the distance between us is growing.

There's my adorable boy.  He's been so busy, what with finishing up Unubore Deka, filming Genji Monogatari, and preparing for not one, but TWO STAGEPLAYS Madame de Sade and My Friend Hitler (both of which I have but have yet to read).

Not to mention the promos for Kyuukei no Kouya (have yet to watch it, as it's not subbed and I'm not well-versed in Japanese police jargon) and now doing commercials for Toyota as a hot detective.  This is, what, the fourth time he's played a detective?  Can't Toma just be a detective all the time.  OR OR OR BETTER YET, he can be a hot supernatural fighter guy a la Supernatural.

Although, what with the death metal nowadays, T?  Slipknot?  Seriously?  No offense to Slipknot fans, but SERIOUSLY?

Someone get the boy a sparkly cupcake and a hug, stat.  He needs to brighten up a bit.  I get the feeling Toma's getting kind of emo.  Not in the skinny-jeans-and-eyeliner-wearing emo way, but the actually emotional and angsty way.  Perhaps he needs a break.  As much as I want him to come back to TV for awhile, I'd like it more if he had a good vacation and could return well-rested.

Seriously, dude, I'm only concerned about your health.

Also, if you hung out with Yamapi more, us fans would appreciate it.  Just saying.

But what is this thing about him and Sho partying?  Dude, make up your mind.  Do you want to be angsty or do you want to be social?  I don't think it's possible to be both.  By the way, one last thing, WILL TOMA BE AT THE JOHNNY'S COUNTDOWN THIS YEAR?  The Countdown is never any good when he's not there.  I'm so hoping he'll be there because epic countdown is epic, and I'm jonesing for some epic JE fangirling stuff.  Like for reals we need some inter-Johnny's adorable fanservice going on replete with hugs and poking of cheeks.

But back to the issue at hand.  One reason I haven't been writing is because my job is pretty much insane.  I'm so tired of the Insanity by the end of the day that there's none left for me to put in here.  I welcome breaks from the Insanity like coming home and sitting in the living room with my parents and just watching TV.  But I really do miss posting on LJ, and I've realized that this blog has been more for me than just a place to flail about Japanese stuff.  It has been a place for me to express myself creatively.  I'm still writing, and that's good.  Through this blog, I managed to work for Fuji TV for almost a day.  Maybe, just maybe, this blog can help me make the dream of actually working for Fuji TV or even Johnny's (holy crap, can you imagine?!) come true.  Hey, it's possible.  I really do think anything can happen.

So for 2011, I'm going to be a better LJ friend and definitely post more.  I want to get to know the people on my flist more.  Seriously, though, guys, GET A TWITTER AND THEN FOLLOW ME.  I feel like I've gotten to know some of you a whole lot more through Twitter.  It's my Inner Sanctum; my Fortress of Solitude.  In other words, be prepared for a lot of complaints and random observations aka Spam.

Just so I don't make this a totally worthless post, one thing that has really got me hooked lately is YouTube, and not even in the YouTube-is-a-black-hole-that-will-destory-your-life way.  Although, it sort of it is...anyway, I've been watching a lot of videos from Wong Fu Productions, a company made up of Phillip Wang, Ted Fu, and Wesley Chan, all of whom are awesome and hilarious.  They frequently collaborate with other YouTubers like nigahiga, KevJumba, HappySlip, David Choi, and ChesterSee and create some amazing short films and music videos.  I totally aspire to be like them...I also stalk Wes on occasion...

Sing it with me, people.

WEEEEEE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, MAH FRIE--ENDS, AND WEEEEEE'LLLLL KEEP ON FIGHTING TILL THE EEEEEND.

My favorite part of this email was the "If it doesn't ring a bell" part. XD  This is only the beginning, people.  I love how it's spreading throughout the Johnny's fangirl community that we're finally getting officially recognized.  I mean, we're even getting our own ticketing system!  Although, really, it doesn't seem fair.  Consider that fans in Japan only have to compete for tickets with other members of the fanclub.  Japan has roughly 126 million people total.  The rest of the world consists of the other 7-odd billion people.  All of us international fans will have to compete with each other for tickets.  We're competing with the entire rest of the world.

No, I shouldn't complain.  This is a huge step toward Johnny's world domination and a huge step in our favor.  We have our own email notification system now.  We're getting our own ticket system (wonder if it'll be the ballot system), and clearly the next step is to create an official international Johnny's fanclub.  To start off with, I mean.  Eventually, I feel we'll have official fanclubs in many individual countries.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

With this new international system, they probably need or are willing to hire some international employees who are fluent in other languages.  I'm guessing mostly English and Korean, since those were the other two languages on the website.  Johnny, you know what you've done, right?  You have officially opened the door for international fangirls to become your minions aka work at the jimusho.  Of course, there are more realistic matters involved, BUT WHO CARES?  THEY HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED OUR FANBASE.

Despite the fact that I had to get up at an ungodly hour, and it's sort of freezing outside, today has been an amazingly good day so far.  First of all, I'm actually off today and get to go home for the weekend where I shall commence a Hana Kimi marathon full of Nakatsu goodness as well as enjoy the company of my family and my bed.  I will try to be back with a proper entry later.  I know, I'm a failure.  Or a perfectionist.  Or both.  LIST TIME!

--TOMA: His birthday, photoshoots, Genji, his upcoming female and Hitler roles, and his love for things like Ajikan (AJIKAAAAAAN) that endear him to me more and more.  Except where is the TomaPi lurve?  Pi is finally back with NEWS, and he can't be bothered to stalk Toma like the good little BFF he is?
--NEWS: Fighting Man PV!!  NEW SINGLE!!  I love my boys so much when they're together.  When they're not, I tend to forget about them.
--Arashi/K8 Madness: Haven't even finished it, and I'm rolling in the aisles.  CAN'T THEY DO THIS MORE OFTEN?
--Movies, movies, movies: BANDAGE, Liar Game, Solanin, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac and more of the movies I was dying to see earlier this year and have now seen.
--Summer drama recap: How did the summer dramas do?  I quite enjoyed them myself.  UNUBORE 5 FOREVER.
--Fall dramas: I'm so addicted to Q10, it is not even funny.  Add to that the recent robot revolution in Japan, and it's insanity.
--flumpool: THEY ARE TOURING WITH NICO TOUCHES THE WALL.  WHY CAN'T I BE IN JAPAN?  Also, I had a rather big fangirl spazz the other day after finding out Nino likes them, and they are THIS CLOSE to being friends with Johnny's boys.  I also have thoughts on the "Kimi ni Todoke" single and it's awesomeness.

Ja ne!

I have to write about today.  I HAVE TO.  Because it was the weirdest-slash-coolest day I've had in awhile.

I worked the Japan booth at the Bowling Green International Festival almost all day.  It was sponsored by the Japanese Culture Club, and I was sort of in charge of making sure everything was in place and we had volunteers.  I wanted to stay as long as possible, too.  After all, I brought my own stuff.  I didn't want people messing with it, and I felt uneasy when I did take breaks.  Call it the control freak in me.  Anyway, we set up about 8:30 AM, and it was pretty slow for awhile.  We had a steady trickle of mostly little kids who were thrilled to get Japan stickers for their little passport books and 1 yen pieces that the Taste of Japan food wagon had given us since we were situated right in front of them.  I did katakana nametags, too (and was complimented twice by Japanese people for my writing).

One thing that happened during the morning was that a Japanese couple and their baby son came around.  The husband spoke English, and the wife spoke a bit.  I could pretty much understand what she was saying, though.  They picked up my "An Introduction to Modern Japanese" textbook that I used for my first Japanese classes and were, well, laughing at everything.  I wasn't offended, but I felt a bit embarrassed.  The book was actually published in 1975, and it's a very basic Japanese book.  Sure, it may have been simple to them, but I like that book.

I thought I had a desk shift from 11:00am to 12:00pm, but it turned out I was wrong, so I came back to school for nothing.  So I went back to the festival and took over for the volunteers for that shift had left.  We had good turnout for the next couple of hours.  I went and got curry rice from Taste of Japan (they had just run out of yakisoba), and worked/ate.  I had brought the four idol mags that I bought at Kinokuniya in SF and had put them out there.  Boy, am I glad I did.  They attracted attention.  I found SO MANY international JE fans.  You wouldn't even believe it.  I had an awesome conversation with some girls from Vietnam about Kanjani8 and Toma.  Let me tell you, THEY LOVED TOMA.  My heart was bursting with happiness.  I also had a conversation with a random mother who actually watches subbed dramas and TV shows on ViiKii and Dramacrazy.  I did try to tell her about hardsubs, though, and their more awesome quality.  She's watching Natsuniji right now, but she doesn't know about MatsuJun.  HOW CAN SHE NOT KNOW ABOUT MATSUJUN?  She said Yamapi sounded familiar.  OH. EM. GEE.

So the idol mags were cool.  I got comments on my CDs, too.  I basically brought all six of my Japanese CDs *ahem* and people were fascinated/weirded out by some of them.  Rachel and Scott stopped by and Rachel, as she always does, burst into laughter at seeing Japanese idols.  She says it's the hair/clothing.  I guess I am immune to it by now, but COME ON, THEY'RE IDOLS.  Possibly the funniest thing all day concerning that happened later, which I'll tell about later.

The only thing that bothered me was that people kept coming up and going, "You guys aren't Japanese" like we're helping out at the Japan booth, so we HAVE to be Japanese.  I'm thinking it doesn't matter as we long as we answer your questions, and trust me, I answered every question that came my way.  Several people asked about Japanese lessons, and I answered that.  They asked about the stuff, and I answered those questions.  They asked us about ourselves, and I answered those that came to me.  Anyway, how could they have known we weren't Japanese?  Sure, one of the volunteers was blonde, and that was a tipoff, but one of the Japanese faculty sponsors' kid was there, and she didn't look Japanese at all.

At 2:30, Dr. Ishii, Mrs. Barnaby (the Japanese faculty member), and Kana, who is my first real Japanese friend EVER came to take over.  I was fine sitting at the booth (again, here is the issue of me not wanting to be too far away from my stuff, I mean, a couple of girls tried to BUY my idol mags), but Dr. Ishii insisted I go and walk around.  So me and another girl from the club walked around and looked at everything and lamented our lack of money.  At 4:00, we watched the Bon Odori where the workers from all of the Japanese companies came together and danced.  I took video of both dances and it will promptly be posted on Facebook when I don't feel like passing out.

It was after the Bon Odori that all of the Japanese people truly started stopping by.  Before it, a couple of guys stopped by, and one asked, "daigakusei desu ka" and I just automatically replied "Hai" even though I'm not anymore.  After the dance, however, we had pretty much every Japanese person come by the booth.  The awesomely weird part came when Dr. Ishii saw my flumpool CD's and said she loves flumpool.  HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS?  Also, one of the Japanese women saw my Johnny's CDs and went "NEWSU...TOKIO...ara?  Arashi inai no" and we all started laughing.  I thought it was hilarious, because, no, I don't have any "official" Arashi CDs.  But it was a "Seriously?  Arashi is taking over the world" kind of moment.

Overall, it was a fun day.  Good or bad thing: none of the older Japanese people talked to us.  Kana and another Japanese student whose name I heard but couldn't really hear because of the noise were the two exceptions.  I was really hoping some of them would try to talk to us, but it didn't quite work out that way.  I hope they had a good impression of us, though.  We were friendly and helpful to everyone, even though I felt a bit left out during my off time.  I guess that's the control freak part of me.

Also, with so many people handling my CD's and mags, I am going to have to disinfect everything.  My "What's flumpool?!" album has so many fingerprints on it now.

Ja ne!

I've taken so many pictures over the past month because I like documenting things when I think of them.  I feel like my short-term memory is getting worse and worse, so I'm trying not to rely on memory alone for things.  And trust me when I say that I have been doing a LOT of things these past couple of months.  Nothing really huge, but there are a lot of different things.  So here are some pics.  I also took this idea from chelshock , because sometimes crappy things happen, so I wanted to post some pics that made me happy.

( Random Moments of Life and Fandom )

So there we have it.  Some moments from life that have been nice.

Anyone have pics to share?

Ja ne!