Expo was fantastic!
Just got back from London late last night, and now I finally have the time to write up a review of everything that happened over the past four days!! It was amazing. I had so much fun, and I enjoyed every second spent with my lovelies.
Thursday:
Thursday began with me and Sam ( crack_tod ) waking up at 5:30am, rushing around to take luggage downstairs, and sitting down for some coffee while squeeing about what was to come. We left the house at 6:30am, and got a taxi so we could be iin town in time for Tesco Express to open at 7am so we could stock up on food for the long coach journey.
We got on the coach at 7:50am, and the journey began!
After six and a half hours, the two of us arrived in London Victoria coach station at around 2:15pm, and right away we spotted chibielmer and 10sugars out the window, and then went to collect our cases before making our way over to where they were standing. Plus Emi was filming us XD Sam and Steph irimachi? Anyway, lots of squeeing and hugging happened, and we started the underground and DLR journey to our hotel.
After having some problems checking in, the four of us dropped off our stuff, and headed to Camden to meet up with Scott, Bidoof and Iggie for food in the American diner. After ordering amazing giant milkshakes and tons of awesome food, Sam, Bidoof, Iggie and myself made our way to Underworld just in time for the HANGRY&ANGRY concert, which was AMAZING AND SURREAL AND OMG AWESOME, I SAW YOSSIE AND RIKA!
The concert started with an intro video, starting with Yossie and Rika when they first joined super idol group Morning Musume. It then moved through clips and short subtitled videos of Takahashi Ai, Niigaki Risa and Tsuji Nozomi talking about their upcoming European tour, and then finally, Yossie and Rika came on stage! it was so surreal. They were really close to us, and they are SO beautiful in person O__O <3 so they sang songs from their new album, and the encore was "The Peace!" which totally made my day <3 the concert then ended with a Q&A session, the highlights of which being the fanservice, Yossie singing Mr Moonlight at random, Rika doing her "HAPPPPYYYY!" thing, and Yossie telling the audience "no lady, I like boy!" when all us girls were like "we want to marry you!" XD The four of us were so damn happy! We bought merchandise and left to get some drinks before heading back to our hotels. Once back at the hotel, there was much zuka squeeing until we all went to bed at like.. 2am XD
Friday:
Friday started with me and Sam being woken by loud banging on the door at 8:30am. When I opened the door, sailortelevator was standing there with her suitcases XD best wake-up call ever. Once everyone was up and ready, we checked out of the hotel and made our way to Custom House hotel to leave our luggage in the storage room, and then went back to the diner in Camden for a late breakfast of coffee and pancakes. The rest of the day was spent squeeing over zuka and buying bits and pieces, and we went to Kings Cross to meet up with Emi's friend. Then, back to the hotel we went, to check in.
Then we went back out to Camden for more bits and pieces, and food, and then headed back to ExCel on the DLR, were we talked about random things and Emi decided to randomly bite me lol. We then dropped by the apartments where everyone was staying for some drinks, and to watch Debbie and Lauren practice for their masquerade performance, then went back to the hotel to watch Miroirs and then sleep.
Saturday:
On Saturday, Sam and I got up early and went to meet Debbie and Lauren at the ExCel centre to buy our tickets for the day. After TONS OF QUEUEING we went back to the hotel to change into our cosplays, and then went back to the ExCel again~ I cosplayed Andre Grandier from the Zuka version of Rose of Versailles, with Sam as Fersen and Emi as Oscar. And Debbie and Lauren were Der Tod and Rudolf from Elisabeth, so we were all sparkly and kirakira!
Lots of photos were taken in ExCel and at the apartments with a green screen (with stage kisses XD), even though only a handful of people recognised our costumes.
After the masquerade and the day's events, we went back to the hotel to change and we all went to the Chinese restaurant in the hotel for some nice food and whatnot.
The evening ended with the kirakira group splitting up to go to the Novotel bar and to the apartments for funtimes again. It was a really tiring day with shoes that killed our feet, but so much fun!
Sunday:
Sunday began with us getting up early again to queue for tickets, and then bagels and tea were consumed before we went back to Custom House to change into costumes. This time I cosplayed Asaka Rei AKA St Juste from Oniisama e, with Emi as Mariko~ then Sam got a text from Chrissy who had *just* decided to come to Expo, and so when Emi and I were all dressed and sparkly in our shiny shoujo costumes, we went to meet her at ExCel~
After moar photo taking and things at ExCel with Emi and Chrissy, we went back to the hotel so everyone else could finish getting ready. When we were all ready, we went out to ExCel and took pictures outside, before getting some snacks, and we sat around to talk about Zuka and nice things :3
Then again, on the evening there was chinese foods, drinking, and watching Takarazuka shows in the hotel.
Monday:
Monday started with early moring packing, and worrying and panicking when Lauren and Debbie hadn't turned up to pick up their stuff from our rooms. Eventually we all checked out and paid, and dropped our luggage off at the apartments. Then me, Emi, Sam and Chrissy hopped on some buses and trains to Soho for food in a diner where we were joined by Adam, and went to the Japan Centre before realising we were running late. After taking a group picture, Emi, Sam and I hopped on some more trains where we discussed Jan Ammann, Zuka shinies and Yuuhi while travelling back to ExCel. By this point, we all reaslised we wouldn't make it to the coach station in time for our coaches home.
We then decided we'd get trains instead, and after collecting our luggage and saying goodbye to everyone, me, Sam, Emi and Debbie got a taxi back to Victoria station, where Emi would be getting her train. So we then said our goodbyes to Emi (and I managed to not cry, but it was hard ;3;), and the three of us hopped on more underground trains to Kings Cross where we would all catch our trains. We got our tickets and checked the train times, and went across the road to McDonalds to get food and drinks, and hung around until Debbie's train arrived. After more sad goodbyes, only me and Sam were left, so we sat on the platform for a while, until we bumped into Chrissy and Adam again!
An hour or so later, we were all on our trains home, and the kirakira weekend finally came to an end.
It was all completely amazing, fun and sparkly, and the post-kirakira-expo depression is already kicking in. I love you all to bits! Thank you for such an awesome long-weekend <3
Thursday:
Thursday began with me and Sam ( crack_tod ) waking up at 5:30am, rushing around to take luggage downstairs, and sitting down for some coffee while squeeing about what was to come. We left the house at 6:30am, and got a taxi so we could be iin town in time for Tesco Express to open at 7am so we could stock up on food for the long coach journey.
We got on the coach at 7:50am, and the journey began!
After six and a half hours, the two of us arrived in London Victoria coach station at around 2:15pm, and right away we spotted chibielmer and 10sugars out the window, and then went to collect our cases before making our way over to where they were standing. Plus Emi was filming us XD Sam and Steph irimachi? Anyway, lots of squeeing and hugging happened, and we started the underground and DLR journey to our hotel.
After having some problems checking in, the four of us dropped off our stuff, and headed to Camden to meet up with Scott, Bidoof and Iggie for food in the American diner. After ordering amazing giant milkshakes and tons of awesome food, Sam, Bidoof, Iggie and myself made our way to Underworld just in time for the HANGRY&ANGRY concert, which was AMAZING AND SURREAL AND OMG AWESOME, I SAW YOSSIE AND RIKA!
The concert started with an intro video, starting with Yossie and Rika when they first joined super idol group Morning Musume. It then moved through clips and short subtitled videos of Takahashi Ai, Niigaki Risa and Tsuji Nozomi talking about their upcoming European tour, and then finally, Yossie and Rika came on stage! it was so surreal. They were really close to us, and they are SO beautiful in person O__O <3 so they sang songs from their new album, and the encore was "The Peace!" which totally made my day <3 the concert then ended with a Q&A session, the highlights of which being the fanservice, Yossie singing Mr Moonlight at random, Rika doing her "HAPPPPYYYY!" thing, and Yossie telling the audience "no lady, I like boy!" when all us girls were like "we want to marry you!" XD The four of us were so damn happy! We bought merchandise and left to get some drinks before heading back to our hotels. Once back at the hotel, there was much zuka squeeing until we all went to bed at like.. 2am XD
Friday:
Friday started with me and Sam being woken by loud banging on the door at 8:30am. When I opened the door, sailortelevator was standing there with her suitcases XD best wake-up call ever. Once everyone was up and ready, we checked out of the hotel and made our way to Custom House hotel to leave our luggage in the storage room, and then went back to the diner in Camden for a late breakfast of coffee and pancakes. The rest of the day was spent squeeing over zuka and buying bits and pieces, and we went to Kings Cross to meet up with Emi's friend. Then, back to the hotel we went, to check in.
Then we went back out to Camden for more bits and pieces, and food, and then headed back to ExCel on the DLR, were we talked about random things and Emi decided to randomly bite me lol. We then dropped by the apartments where everyone was staying for some drinks, and to watch Debbie and Lauren practice for their masquerade performance, then went back to the hotel to watch Miroirs and then sleep.
Saturday:
On Saturday, Sam and I got up early and went to meet Debbie and Lauren at the ExCel centre to buy our tickets for the day. After TONS OF QUEUEING we went back to the hotel to change into our cosplays, and then went back to the ExCel again~ I cosplayed Andre Grandier from the Zuka version of Rose of Versailles, with Sam as Fersen and Emi as Oscar. And Debbie and Lauren were Der Tod and Rudolf from Elisabeth, so we were all sparkly and kirakira!
Lots of photos were taken in ExCel and at the apartments with a green screen (with stage kisses XD), even though only a handful of people recognised our costumes.
After the masquerade and the day's events, we went back to the hotel to change and we all went to the Chinese restaurant in the hotel for some nice food and whatnot.
The evening ended with the kirakira group splitting up to go to the Novotel bar and to the apartments for funtimes again. It was a really tiring day with shoes that killed our feet, but so much fun!
Sunday:
Sunday began with us getting up early again to queue for tickets, and then bagels and tea were consumed before we went back to Custom House to change into costumes. This time I cosplayed Asaka Rei AKA St Juste from Oniisama e, with Emi as Mariko~ then Sam got a text from Chrissy who had *just* decided to come to Expo, and so when Emi and I were all dressed and sparkly in our shiny shoujo costumes, we went to meet her at ExCel~
After moar photo taking and things at ExCel with Emi and Chrissy, we went back to the hotel so everyone else could finish getting ready. When we were all ready, we went out to ExCel and took pictures outside, before getting some snacks, and we sat around to talk about Zuka and nice things :3
Then again, on the evening there was chinese foods, drinking, and watching Takarazuka shows in the hotel.
Monday:
Monday started with early moring packing, and worrying and panicking when Lauren and Debbie hadn't turned up to pick up their stuff from our rooms. Eventually we all checked out and paid, and dropped our luggage off at the apartments. Then me, Emi, Sam and Chrissy hopped on some buses and trains to Soho for food in a diner where we were joined by Adam, and went to the Japan Centre before realising we were running late. After taking a group picture, Emi, Sam and I hopped on some more trains where we discussed Jan Ammann, Zuka shinies and Yuuhi while travelling back to ExCel. By this point, we all reaslised we wouldn't make it to the coach station in time for our coaches home.
We then decided we'd get trains instead, and after collecting our luggage and saying goodbye to everyone, me, Sam, Emi and Debbie got a taxi back to Victoria station, where Emi would be getting her train. So we then said our goodbyes to Emi (and I managed to not cry, but it was hard ;3;), and the three of us hopped on more underground trains to Kings Cross where we would all catch our trains. We got our tickets and checked the train times, and went across the road to McDonalds to get food and drinks, and hung around until Debbie's train arrived. After more sad goodbyes, only me and Sam were left, so we sat on the platform for a while, until we bumped into Chrissy and Adam again!
An hour or so later, we were all on our trains home, and the kirakira weekend finally came to an end.
It was all completely amazing, fun and sparkly, and the post-kirakira-expo depression is already kicking in. I love you all to bits! Thank you for such an awesome long-weekend <3