Why Are My Weekends So Busy?!
My wrist is screwed. And it had been doing so well these past couple of weeks, not even a twinge of pain! Grar. I'm not sure what set it off this time, but I really hope it'll be okay for the recital... Of all the body parts to worry about for a ballet show, this is pretty silly. :P
I went to Nippori today, and showed remarkable restraint! I spent barely over Y2,000, and much of that was on trim. Haha, like I'll ever have time to sew again... ;___;
Perhaps everyone else has this problem too, but there's just so much stuff I'd like to do, and I haven't got the time to do it! I suppose I'm managing pretty well this month, what with all the ballet and the writing, but that means that Chinese and sewing have basically been cast aside, and the only reason I've been knitting is that I've forced myself to watch movies to relax. *ded*
We're two thirds of the way through November! [insert exclamation of disbelief at the swift passage of time.] If I make it through the month only having fallen a day behind once, I'll consider NonNaNoWritMo a smashing success. My excuse for yesterday was that Harry Potter made me stay out until one in the morning.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Do I really need to warn that there may be spoilers ahead? Is there anyone who cares who hasn't read the book? I had read it, but didn't remember much of it at all, as it turns out. Luckily, Kimberly -- huge fan of the books that she is -- was there to discuss with Jamie what had been left out, what had been changed, and other little details. In the books, it seems the characters weren't so cavalier about Harry wandering around without any disguises, which I thought was a weak point of the movie; you're trying to protect Harry, so you let him mingle with dozens of guests at the wedding? Smart.
Another thing I wondered, though, is why the Snatchers just happened to be in the woods right where the three ended up. Did that happen in the book? And even though Hermione had uglified Harry, Draco should have known that it was him, since he knows Ron and Hermione.
Since the movie is only the first half of the book, there's no resolution as such. Some characters, such as Snape and Draco, get very little screen time. In fact, Dumbledore gets almost as much as they do, and he's dead!
Personally, I thought Hermione erasing her parents' memories of her was the most heartbreaking thing in the movie, on par with Dobby's death. Actually, I think it was better, because Dobby got his little dying speech, which is obviously meant to make you cry. (Though I was still thinking of him saying, "I'm a free bitch, baby!" as Eda put it. XDDD)
After Ron had stomped off, and Harry and Hermione got the book about Dumbledore, I could just imagine Hermione saying to Harry, "I've been reading this book on Dumbledore, and did you know he had a secret gay lover?!"
As usual, I thought the best parts were Harry, Ron and Hermione just being teenagers together. "How long do you think she'll stay mad at me?" "Keep talking about the light going into your heart, that was good." XDDD But nothing will ever be as funny as the conversation in the sixth movie about Ginny's... skin.
The theatre wasn't anywhere near full, and the five of us were the noisiest patrons. But come on, that scene of them all turning into Harry was hilarious!
7/10
And here are the memes, both yesterday's and today's entries:
Day 19 - Your favourite Japanese character(s) and Gachapon/UFO Catcher toys
I don't play UFO catcher games, and the only gachapon machines I've spent money in are the ones that had Yuu Yuu Hakusho or Rurouni Kenshin figures in them. Oh, and Prince of Tennis magnets. As for characters, there isn't any in particular that I like to collect, though I have a soft spot for onsen manjuu. I only own two. Hello Kitty amuses (and sometimes frightens) me, the Namja Town mascot is cute (my current icon is one of its various incarnations), but I don't have a particular favourite character.
Day 20 - Favourite Japanese festival or folklore.
I like Inari's foxes. Something in the look of the statues appeals to me, and I usually leave a go-en coin if I happen by a shrine with them. I like the idea of the foxes being messengers, and thus travellers.
[I also tend to identify with other deities or figures associated with travel, which is why I light candles to St. Christopher if I visit a chapel dedicated to him, though I'm not Catholic.]
Day 01 - A picture of you "in Japan". (doing or wearing something "Japanese")
Day 02 - Describe your neighbourhood in Japan.
Day 03 - Most interesting person you've met.
Day 04 - What's your favourite place that's not in any of the guidebooks/lists of places to visit?
Day 05 - Which, if any, Japanese mannerisms or expressions have you adopted?
Day 06 - Food that you swore you would never eat but now love (or tolerate).
Day 07 - Which Japanese words do you use in English? (hanami, shinkansen, etc.)
Day 08 - What thing(s) or product(s) from your home country do you refuse to do without in Japan?
Day 09 - Favourite stores/shopping centers.
Day 10 - Something about Japan that sets it apart from anywhere else.
Day 11 - What did you find most overrated and underrated about Japan?
Day 12 - Describe a fail!gaijin moment. (Where you did something wrong or completely misunderstood because you couldn't ~read the air~ or just plain had no idea what you were supposed to do because you weren't born and raised here) Describe a gaijin!smash moment (Where your foreignness was to your benefit)
Day 13 - How is daily life in Japan different from how it was back in your home country?
Day 14 - What is the hardest thing about living in Japan versus your home country?
Day 15 - Weirdest food item you've seen, and weirdest food item you've actually eaten.
Day 16 - How you realised you'd acclimated to Japan. (if you have)
Day 17 - Your karaoke top 5, your sushi top 5, your conbini top 5.
Day 18 - Post some amusing/cute/faily purikura.
Day 19 - Your favourite Japanese character(s) and Gachapon/UFO Catcher toys
Day 20 - Favourite Japanese festival or folklore.
Day 21 - Favourite and least favorite Japanese fashion trends.
Day 22 - Your favourite Japanese saying or kotowaza (proverb).
Day 23 - What is something you have/do in Japan that you wish you had/could do in your home country?
Day 24 - Your favourite Japanese slang or borrow-word (外来語), e.g. セフレ "sex friend"
Day 25 - Most interesting vending machine find.
Day 26 - What's your favourite/least favourite train line?
Day 27 - Place you avoid going to if at all possible.
Day 28 - A picture of you looking like a weaboo/A picture of you trying to blend in and failing.
Day 29 - What's the thing you [will] miss the most about Japan when you leave (either on vacation, or move away)?
Day 30 - Did Japan meet your expectations, both good and bad? What has been the most surprising thing about Japan for you, or the thing you least expected?
Day 19 - Something you regret
Most of the things I truly regret have to do with G, but I don't feel like going into that right now.
For the most part, I try to live my life without regrets, which goes two ways. The common meaning of the phrase usually means to not let opportunities pass you by, and I do believe in grasping at the chances you're given in life. The other meaning of it, to me, is to think before acting, to make sure I won't do something I'll regret later. Perhaps it means I lack spontaneity sometimes, but I prefer to look before I leap. Of course, it's happened that too much thinking about something means the chance passes me by, but that hasn't happened often enough for me to change my ways.
Okay,
Day 20 - This month
Somehow, November is a fallow month, in my mind, but I always end up being very busy. This year, I have my ballet recital to prepare for, plus my self-imposed writing schedule. Last year, I was studying for the JLPT, and I went to Okinawa for four days. The year before that, I had a part-time job, and... I can't remember, but I'm sure I was busy!
Ogden Nash wrote a great poem about November. I'd post it here, but I can't find it online anywhere, and the only place I ever read it was in an old copy of a book of poems (by Ogden Nash, of course), that my father has. I'll ask him if he knows where the book is, and can maybe type the poem or scan it so I can share it with you. Or if any of you know the poem I'm talking about, and can point me toward a link, I'd be ever so grateful!
Day 01 - Introduce yourself
Day 02 - Your first love
Day 03 - Your parents
Day 04 - What you ate today
Day 05 - Your definition of love
Day 06 - Your day
Day 07 - Your best friend
Day 08 - A moment
Day 09 - Your beliefs
Day 10 - What you wore today
Day 11 - Your siblings
Day 12 - What's in your bag
Day 13 - This week
Day 14 - What you wore today
Day 15 - Your dreams
Day 16 - Your first kiss
Day 17 - Your favourite memory
Day 18 - Your favourite birthday
Day 19 - Something you regret
Day 20 - This month
Day 21 - Another moment
Day 22 - Something that upsets you
Day 23 - Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 - Something that makes you cry
Day 25 - A first
Day 26 - Your fears
Day 27 - Your favourite place
Day 28 - Something that you miss
Day 29 - Your aspirations
Day 30 - One last moment
Travelpod can wait until tomorrow, time to zone out with my glass of wine. Which movie shall I watch?
I went to Nippori today, and showed remarkable restraint! I spent barely over Y2,000, and much of that was on trim. Haha, like I'll ever have time to sew again... ;___;
Perhaps everyone else has this problem too, but there's just so much stuff I'd like to do, and I haven't got the time to do it! I suppose I'm managing pretty well this month, what with all the ballet and the writing, but that means that Chinese and sewing have basically been cast aside, and the only reason I've been knitting is that I've forced myself to watch movies to relax. *ded*
We're two thirds of the way through November! [insert exclamation of disbelief at the swift passage of time.] If I make it through the month only having fallen a day behind once, I'll consider NonNaNoWritMo a smashing success. My excuse for yesterday was that Harry Potter made me stay out until one in the morning.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Do I really need to warn that there may be spoilers ahead? Is there anyone who cares who hasn't read the book? I had read it, but didn't remember much of it at all, as it turns out. Luckily, Kimberly -- huge fan of the books that she is -- was there to discuss with Jamie what had been left out, what had been changed, and other little details. In the books, it seems the characters weren't so cavalier about Harry wandering around without any disguises, which I thought was a weak point of the movie; you're trying to protect Harry, so you let him mingle with dozens of guests at the wedding? Smart.
Another thing I wondered, though, is why the Snatchers just happened to be in the woods right where the three ended up. Did that happen in the book? And even though Hermione had uglified Harry, Draco should have known that it was him, since he knows Ron and Hermione.
Since the movie is only the first half of the book, there's no resolution as such. Some characters, such as Snape and Draco, get very little screen time. In fact, Dumbledore gets almost as much as they do, and he's dead!
Personally, I thought Hermione erasing her parents' memories of her was the most heartbreaking thing in the movie, on par with Dobby's death. Actually, I think it was better, because Dobby got his little dying speech, which is obviously meant to make you cry. (Though I was still thinking of him saying, "I'm a free bitch, baby!" as Eda put it. XDDD)
After Ron had stomped off, and Harry and Hermione got the book about Dumbledore, I could just imagine Hermione saying to Harry, "I've been reading this book on Dumbledore, and did you know he had a secret gay lover?!"
As usual, I thought the best parts were Harry, Ron and Hermione just being teenagers together. "How long do you think she'll stay mad at me?" "Keep talking about the light going into your heart, that was good." XDDD But nothing will ever be as funny as the conversation in the sixth movie about Ginny's... skin.
The theatre wasn't anywhere near full, and the five of us were the noisiest patrons. But come on, that scene of them all turning into Harry was hilarious!
7/10
And here are the memes, both yesterday's and today's entries:
Day 19 - Your favourite Japanese character(s) and Gachapon/UFO Catcher toys
I don't play UFO catcher games, and the only gachapon machines I've spent money in are the ones that had Yuu Yuu Hakusho or Rurouni Kenshin figures in them. Oh, and Prince of Tennis magnets. As for characters, there isn't any in particular that I like to collect, though I have a soft spot for onsen manjuu. I only own two. Hello Kitty amuses (and sometimes frightens) me, the Namja Town mascot is cute (my current icon is one of its various incarnations), but I don't have a particular favourite character.
Day 20 - Favourite Japanese festival or folklore.
I like Inari's foxes. Something in the look of the statues appeals to me, and I usually leave a go-en coin if I happen by a shrine with them. I like the idea of the foxes being messengers, and thus travellers.
[I also tend to identify with other deities or figures associated with travel, which is why I light candles to St. Christopher if I visit a chapel dedicated to him, though I'm not Catholic.]
Day 01 - A picture of you "in Japan". (doing or wearing something "Japanese")
Day 02 - Describe your neighbourhood in Japan.
Day 03 - Most interesting person you've met.
Day 04 - What's your favourite place that's not in any of the guidebooks/lists of places to visit?
Day 05 - Which, if any, Japanese mannerisms or expressions have you adopted?
Day 06 - Food that you swore you would never eat but now love (or tolerate).
Day 07 - Which Japanese words do you use in English? (hanami, shinkansen, etc.)
Day 08 - What thing(s) or product(s) from your home country do you refuse to do without in Japan?
Day 09 - Favourite stores/shopping centers.
Day 10 - Something about Japan that sets it apart from anywhere else.
Day 11 - What did you find most overrated and underrated about Japan?
Day 12 - Describe a fail!gaijin moment. (Where you did something wrong or completely misunderstood because you couldn't ~read the air~ or just plain had no idea what you were supposed to do because you weren't born and raised here) Describe a gaijin!smash moment (Where your foreignness was to your benefit)
Day 13 - How is daily life in Japan different from how it was back in your home country?
Day 14 - What is the hardest thing about living in Japan versus your home country?
Day 15 - Weirdest food item you've seen, and weirdest food item you've actually eaten.
Day 16 - How you realised you'd acclimated to Japan. (if you have)
Day 17 - Your karaoke top 5, your sushi top 5, your conbini top 5.
Day 18 - Post some amusing/cute/faily purikura.
Day 19 - Your favourite Japanese character(s) and Gachapon/UFO Catcher toys
Day 20 - Favourite Japanese festival or folklore.
Day 21 - Favourite and least favorite Japanese fashion trends.
Day 22 - Your favourite Japanese saying or kotowaza (proverb).
Day 23 - What is something you have/do in Japan that you wish you had/could do in your home country?
Day 24 - Your favourite Japanese slang or borrow-word (外来語), e.g. セフレ "sex friend"
Day 25 - Most interesting vending machine find.
Day 26 - What's your favourite/least favourite train line?
Day 27 - Place you avoid going to if at all possible.
Day 28 - A picture of you looking like a weaboo/A picture of you trying to blend in and failing.
Day 29 - What's the thing you [will] miss the most about Japan when you leave (either on vacation, or move away)?
Day 30 - Did Japan meet your expectations, both good and bad? What has been the most surprising thing about Japan for you, or the thing you least expected?
Day 19 - Something you regret
Most of the things I truly regret have to do with G, but I don't feel like going into that right now.
For the most part, I try to live my life without regrets, which goes two ways. The common meaning of the phrase usually means to not let opportunities pass you by, and I do believe in grasping at the chances you're given in life. The other meaning of it, to me, is to think before acting, to make sure I won't do something I'll regret later. Perhaps it means I lack spontaneity sometimes, but I prefer to look before I leap. Of course, it's happened that too much thinking about something means the chance passes me by, but that hasn't happened often enough for me to change my ways.
Okay,
Day 20 - This month
Somehow, November is a fallow month, in my mind, but I always end up being very busy. This year, I have my ballet recital to prepare for, plus my self-imposed writing schedule. Last year, I was studying for the JLPT, and I went to Okinawa for four days. The year before that, I had a part-time job, and... I can't remember, but I'm sure I was busy!
Ogden Nash wrote a great poem about November. I'd post it here, but I can't find it online anywhere, and the only place I ever read it was in an old copy of a book of poems (by Ogden Nash, of course), that my father has. I'll ask him if he knows where the book is, and can maybe type the poem or scan it so I can share it with you. Or if any of you know the poem I'm talking about, and can point me toward a link, I'd be ever so grateful!
Day 01 - Introduce yourself
Day 02 - Your first love
Day 03 - Your parents
Day 04 - What you ate today
Day 05 - Your definition of love
Day 06 - Your day
Day 07 - Your best friend
Day 08 - A moment
Day 09 - Your beliefs
Day 10 - What you wore today
Day 11 - Your siblings
Day 12 - What's in your bag
Day 13 - This week
Day 14 - What you wore today
Day 15 - Your dreams
Day 16 - Your first kiss
Day 17 - Your favourite memory
Day 18 - Your favourite birthday
Day 19 - Something you regret
Day 20 - This month
Day 21 - Another moment
Day 22 - Something that upsets you
Day 23 - Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 - Something that makes you cry
Day 25 - A first
Day 26 - Your fears
Day 27 - Your favourite place
Day 28 - Something that you miss
Day 29 - Your aspirations
Day 30 - One last moment
Travelpod can wait until tomorrow, time to zone out with my glass of wine. Which movie shall I watch?