(no subject)
It's been a doozy, these past few weeks. The first truly good turn recently started with a good study session with Amanda at mochalux that led to the ending of our later story. (We'll call these Ref 1)
However, first, let's go back. I attended the speech competition and didn't even make it to the finals. However, the process was an amazing one-- and I'm not just saying that to attempt a cliche. During the entire thing, Amanda dedicated so much of her time and energy to helping me practice, the majority of it spent at Mochalux, a local coffee shop. Toward the end, nearing the final date, I was on mochalux's little stage practicing in the nearly empty room. I got a little loud and a little crazy, studying for far too long, and just began goofing off, shouting my lines in funny voices. Eventually, out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the other customers get up and approach. I get ready to apologize, but when I look at her, she starts. "Excuse me," she starts, "I'm Japanese! I heard Japanese and i was so surprised. I thought it was Heroes on TV!"
We start talking and eventually she asks if she can sit and watch and help. So, she does, and we talk and arrange to meet again the next day. Her name, which is on the card that she gives me, is Keiko Hoshi-Garcia. Ok, I think.
So, the next day, her husband comes with her. At first he sits away from us as we practice, but he comes over to introduce himself. He's incredibly nice, and wearing a Police shirt. It turns out, he's some sort of Criminal Investigation official for the TX Attorney General. He's really nice. After he goes back to his table, Keiko and I keep talking and eventually we start talking about health and excersize. She was, it turns out, a professional triathelete. I tell her about my trail, and turn on my computer to show her a map, getting her really excited about it-- and we continue our food conversation and I talk about how I would just live off of fruit alone if I could. She laughs, and says that when she was younger, her favorite character from a story loved peaches, so she ate them all the time, too. What? I stop.
"Journey to the West?!" I ask. It was! Her favorite story is JOURNEY TO THE WEST!
So, after the whole thing, I begin drawing cards for Nana, Amanda, Takeuchi Sensei, and Keiko, to thank them for all their help. My mom falls in love with them and suggests that before I hand them out, I get prints made of them and see if I could sell them. So, on to kinkos. As I'm in there making copies, a big guy approaches and asks if I drew them. I did, I say. "I'm in the art business. I produce music videos but I support all things art. Here's my card, call me and we'll talk," the man named Zeb suggest. Wow! I find out that he dabbles in film on the side, and he offers to let me borrow his HD cameras if I need to.
So, as I kept asking myself why I was doing the speech... there it was. It led me to those people and those situations which I feel really good about. I sold two cards already, one for $5 and a semi-custom one for $7. A coffee shop in North Arlington wants them but their consignment fee is 40%. I guess it's better than nothing, huh?
So, as I fell back into the groove of normal life and the rythm of school, I have ended up staying at my friend Matt's house two times now on Tuesday nights to alleviate some of my late night (Hong Kong Cinema gets out at 9:20pm, then the next morning I have an 8am class) driving stresses and to try and get a little more sleep. Thankfully, Matt (who is a fellow LJer and might very well be reading this... uh.. hi matt!) keeps a pretty healthy refrigerator, making my stay all the more enjoyable. Last night, we cooked grilled salmon and had it with french wheat bread and steamed veggies. Yes, it was that good, and yes, we do rule.
Sleep, however, did not come easily. I was up studying (more) for the kanji quiz from way back up there at Ref 1 (if any of you are still with me here, holy crap are you neat) and then moved on to make lunch and pass time until all of a sudden it was 2:am. I woke the next morning without problems and after oatmeal and a banana made it to class, and through class, in an equally smooth way, but by the time I got out and got to the gym, I was feeling not so hot. I was tired, hungry, sore, and generally not feeling it. I messed around and didn't achieve much, retreating to the language lab to study, where I did so for another hour before giving up and going to watch TV in the language room. I laid down (I've never been able to sleep there) to rest my eyes and just in case set my alarm for 12:40, as my Japanese class is at 1:00. After listening to the grating, yelling Arabic newscast on the TV and trying to drown it out with Amos Lee MP3s, I was shocked to be suddenly waking up. A quick check of my phone told me that it was-- OH DREAD-- 1:00. I grabbed all of my bags (so many) and leapt to my feet and out the door in one motion, severely startling the poor fool beside me, and bounded up the stairs and into the classroom where I was handed a quiz. And then, I realized, I had to go to the bathroom like mad. Yes, indeed, it is true. I couldn't concentrate on the quiz because of said... issue, and finally scratched my answers out and... escaped. However, I can confidently say that I made a 100.
In my sleep, I dreamt that I had been showing Matt a portfolio of some of my photoshop work, which was completely comprised of the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers doing funny things together, such as laundry and cooking. How delightfully dumb!
Now, I'm home, on my beloved Wednesday afternoon (so beloved because it preceeds Thursday, the day of stay-in-Arl-and-get-things-done, AKA my own personal weekend) and for some odd reason, I was overcome with the urge to post. I think it's because I didn't really get to talk to V about any of this (big boss day at her store) and everyone else I called was relatively busy. Also, I talk a lot.
Tomorrow will be a busy day. In the evening, I'm going to an Anthropology lecture with V (dressing up, I believe!) and from there we turn into the undead and storm Gamestop. Friday is loaded with indefinate clashing plans as of yet-- meeting up with a friend named Rachel for JP conversation hour at the school and then either going to Clyde's art show or Amanda's play OR Irving with Clyde and aforementioned Rachel.
Thank you, whoever read all this. If we were in elementary, you'd get points for reading this one.
However, first, let's go back. I attended the speech competition and didn't even make it to the finals. However, the process was an amazing one-- and I'm not just saying that to attempt a cliche. During the entire thing, Amanda dedicated so much of her time and energy to helping me practice, the majority of it spent at Mochalux, a local coffee shop. Toward the end, nearing the final date, I was on mochalux's little stage practicing in the nearly empty room. I got a little loud and a little crazy, studying for far too long, and just began goofing off, shouting my lines in funny voices. Eventually, out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the other customers get up and approach. I get ready to apologize, but when I look at her, she starts. "Excuse me," she starts, "I'm Japanese! I heard Japanese and i was so surprised. I thought it was Heroes on TV!"
We start talking and eventually she asks if she can sit and watch and help. So, she does, and we talk and arrange to meet again the next day. Her name, which is on the card that she gives me, is Keiko Hoshi-Garcia. Ok, I think.
So, the next day, her husband comes with her. At first he sits away from us as we practice, but he comes over to introduce himself. He's incredibly nice, and wearing a Police shirt. It turns out, he's some sort of Criminal Investigation official for the TX Attorney General. He's really nice. After he goes back to his table, Keiko and I keep talking and eventually we start talking about health and excersize. She was, it turns out, a professional triathelete. I tell her about my trail, and turn on my computer to show her a map, getting her really excited about it-- and we continue our food conversation and I talk about how I would just live off of fruit alone if I could. She laughs, and says that when she was younger, her favorite character from a story loved peaches, so she ate them all the time, too. What? I stop.
"Journey to the West?!" I ask. It was! Her favorite story is JOURNEY TO THE WEST!
So, after the whole thing, I begin drawing cards for Nana, Amanda, Takeuchi Sensei, and Keiko, to thank them for all their help. My mom falls in love with them and suggests that before I hand them out, I get prints made of them and see if I could sell them. So, on to kinkos. As I'm in there making copies, a big guy approaches and asks if I drew them. I did, I say. "I'm in the art business. I produce music videos but I support all things art. Here's my card, call me and we'll talk," the man named Zeb suggest. Wow! I find out that he dabbles in film on the side, and he offers to let me borrow his HD cameras if I need to.
So, as I kept asking myself why I was doing the speech... there it was. It led me to those people and those situations which I feel really good about. I sold two cards already, one for $5 and a semi-custom one for $7. A coffee shop in North Arlington wants them but their consignment fee is 40%. I guess it's better than nothing, huh?
So, as I fell back into the groove of normal life and the rythm of school, I have ended up staying at my friend Matt's house two times now on Tuesday nights to alleviate some of my late night (Hong Kong Cinema gets out at 9:20pm, then the next morning I have an 8am class) driving stresses and to try and get a little more sleep. Thankfully, Matt (who is a fellow LJer and might very well be reading this... uh.. hi matt!) keeps a pretty healthy refrigerator, making my stay all the more enjoyable. Last night, we cooked grilled salmon and had it with french wheat bread and steamed veggies. Yes, it was that good, and yes, we do rule.
Sleep, however, did not come easily. I was up studying (more) for the kanji quiz from way back up there at Ref 1 (if any of you are still with me here, holy crap are you neat) and then moved on to make lunch and pass time until all of a sudden it was 2:am. I woke the next morning without problems and after oatmeal and a banana made it to class, and through class, in an equally smooth way, but by the time I got out and got to the gym, I was feeling not so hot. I was tired, hungry, sore, and generally not feeling it. I messed around and didn't achieve much, retreating to the language lab to study, where I did so for another hour before giving up and going to watch TV in the language room. I laid down (I've never been able to sleep there) to rest my eyes and just in case set my alarm for 12:40, as my Japanese class is at 1:00. After listening to the grating, yelling Arabic newscast on the TV and trying to drown it out with Amos Lee MP3s, I was shocked to be suddenly waking up. A quick check of my phone told me that it was-- OH DREAD-- 1:00. I grabbed all of my bags (so many) and leapt to my feet and out the door in one motion, severely startling the poor fool beside me, and bounded up the stairs and into the classroom where I was handed a quiz. And then, I realized, I had to go to the bathroom like mad. Yes, indeed, it is true. I couldn't concentrate on the quiz because of said... issue, and finally scratched my answers out and... escaped. However, I can confidently say that I made a 100.
In my sleep, I dreamt that I had been showing Matt a portfolio of some of my photoshop work, which was completely comprised of the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers doing funny things together, such as laundry and cooking. How delightfully dumb!
Now, I'm home, on my beloved Wednesday afternoon (so beloved because it preceeds Thursday, the day of stay-in-Arl-and-get-things-done, AKA my own personal weekend) and for some odd reason, I was overcome with the urge to post. I think it's because I didn't really get to talk to V about any of this (big boss day at her store) and everyone else I called was relatively busy. Also, I talk a lot.
Tomorrow will be a busy day. In the evening, I'm going to an Anthropology lecture with V (dressing up, I believe!) and from there we turn into the undead and storm Gamestop. Friday is loaded with indefinate clashing plans as of yet-- meeting up with a friend named Rachel for JP conversation hour at the school and then either going to Clyde's art show or Amanda's play OR Irving with Clyde and aforementioned Rachel.
Thank you, whoever read all this. If we were in elementary, you'd get points for reading this one.