Friday, January 30, 2009
Rotary-trip of awesomeness
I'm currently sitting at a TullY's coffe cafe in Tokyo, having a maccha latte. Jessa and I found a shop called Closet Child that sells used lolita clothing to fair prices. 天国〜 Next we're going to Shibuya, then meet Francesco in Harajuku. I love Tokyo！ ヾ(*⌒∇⌒)ツ
Monday, January 19, 2009
What I do when we have English...
...I make gyakuten saiban fanart!
(Or Lion King. It depends.) I've been dying to do this particular one for ages, I'd say almost since I started playing Gyakuten Saiban 4 - Apollo Justice. *shudder*
Needless to say: Phoenix kicks Apollo's butt. If I was Capcom, I'd get back to Nick and Maya now.
...for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about: make me happy - get a DS and play the Ace Attorney series!
(Eirik - you should love me for this!And you know you do!)
(Or Lion King. It depends.) I've been dying to do this particular one for ages, I'd say almost since I started playing Gyakuten Saiban 4 - Apollo Justice. *shudder*
Needless to say: Phoenix kicks Apollo's butt. If I was Capcom, I'd get back to Nick and Maya now.
...for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about: make me happy - get a DS and play the Ace Attorney series!
(Eirik - you should love me for this!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Keep your head above the water!
Friday. I'd gone to sleep too late on Thursday again even though my goal was 10:30 PM (why I can't remember, but I think we ate dinner pretty late) so I was really tired... waking up at 7 AM and having dance lessons at school that day was pretty brutal, haha! :P
I'd planned to sleep some once I got home after school, but preparing pictures for my self introduction (I'll be going to school with my 8 year old host sister Momo the 29th) occupied me for such a long time that in the end I just grabbed my towel, swimming cap, goggles and my bathing suit...
...I thought. Once in the changing room, I undressed and pulled out what turned out to be my bikini. The bottom half of it. Cursing my luck I went around my row of lockers to find Madoka and announce the Failure of the Year. We left our bags in the lockers, sprinted for the car and raced back home.
I almost knocked my host brother over in the hallway as I sped around the rooms looking for my disappearing bathing suit of doom. It was not in the drawer. Not hung up to dry. Where the he- oh, Madoka found it - in the basket with all my other clean clothes. ..."Eagle eyes" is my middle name. *ehm*
Once we got back to the pool, I scrambled out of the changing room 15 minutes late and hurried to the poolside, bowing ans apologizing to the teacher, explaining that I'd forgotten something.
Helene: "Osokunatte sumimasen!" ("I'm so sorry I'm late!")
Trainer: "Aa, daijyobu desu." ("It's OK")
Helene: Wasuremono deshita..." ("I'd forgotten something..." lit.: was forget thing)
Trainer: *laughs* "...mizugi deshita yo ne?" ("It was your bathing suit, wasn't it?")
Helene: "..hai..." ("Yes...")
Great success. p(-.-);;
After swimming 100 meters to warm up and catch up with the others, I joined the lesson. It's basically a swimming course focusing on technique, so it's not like the swimming I used to go to, but it's still great training. I've forgotten some, and there's lots of things to improve. I swim first in my group, since I'm the fastest, but this time he also asked me to swim some in the course beside the others so I could practice more. I have more stamina then most of them (although I've lost a lot of what I had when I went swimming in club each week in junior high), and so I like being allowed to swim and train a bit more. (I miss moving! Here I sit a lot... there's not many places to go. :P)
The trainer would repeatedly smile and say things like "and then we'll swim 25 meters... Helen: dash!" or "Helen: speed! Up!" Also, he showed me how I was supposed to move - both by showing me using his own body and by taking a hold of my legs/arms and moving them to illustrate what he meant. (Which I often find a great help no matter how well I understand the language in which it's being taught - feeling what it's like when you do it right gives you something to compare with.) But of course, he'd only do that after saying "Maybe it's OK if I show you by moving your legs?". Very Japanese. :) It's fine, really - in such a setting and to demonstrate, please - feel free to borrow my arm any time!I promise I won't scream sekuhara!!
Oh, and I still get water in my nose when I swim backstroke. I can close it, but it still tickles something impishly.
Location: Japan <3
Mood: "Must... blog! Update!"
Listening to: My host brother sniffling.. uh, yeah...
Eating: just ate. Too much rice. I'm gonna get fat, blargh. ><
Drinking: Probably not enough water (The pool doesn't count!)
I'd planned to sleep some once I got home after school, but preparing pictures for my self introduction (I'll be going to school with my 8 year old host sister Momo the 29th) occupied me for such a long time that in the end I just grabbed my towel, swimming cap, goggles and my bathing suit...
...I thought. Once in the changing room, I undressed and pulled out what turned out to be my bikini. The bottom half of it. Cursing my luck I went around my row of lockers to find Madoka and announce the Failure of the Year. We left our bags in the lockers, sprinted for the car and raced back home.
I almost knocked my host brother over in the hallway as I sped around the rooms looking for my disappearing bathing suit of doom. It was not in the drawer. Not hung up to dry. Where the he- oh, Madoka found it - in the basket with all my other clean clothes. ..."Eagle eyes" is my middle name. *ehm*
Once we got back to the pool, I scrambled out of the changing room 15 minutes late and hurried to the poolside, bowing ans apologizing to the teacher, explaining that I'd forgotten something.
Helene: "Osokunatte sumimasen!" ("I'm so sorry I'm late!")
Trainer: "Aa, daijyobu desu." ("It's OK")
Helene: Wasuremono deshita..." ("I'd forgotten something..." lit.: was forget thing)
Trainer: *laughs* "...mizugi deshita yo ne?" ("It was your bathing suit, wasn't it?")
Helene: "..hai..." ("Yes...")
Great success. p(-.-);;
After swimming 100 meters to warm up and catch up with the others, I joined the lesson. It's basically a swimming course focusing on technique, so it's not like the swimming I used to go to, but it's still great training. I've forgotten some, and there's lots of things to improve. I swim first in my group, since I'm the fastest, but this time he also asked me to swim some in the course beside the others so I could practice more. I have more stamina then most of them (although I've lost a lot of what I had when I went swimming in club each week in junior high), and so I like being allowed to swim and train a bit more. (I miss moving! Here I sit a lot... there's not many places to go. :P)
The trainer would repeatedly smile and say things like "and then we'll swim 25 meters... Helen: dash!" or "Helen: speed! Up!" Also, he showed me how I was supposed to move - both by showing me using his own body and by taking a hold of my legs/arms and moving them to illustrate what he meant. (Which I often find a great help no matter how well I understand the language in which it's being taught - feeling what it's like when you do it right gives you something to compare with.) But of course, he'd only do that after saying "Maybe it's OK if I show you by moving your legs?". Very Japanese. :) It's fine, really - in such a setting and to demonstrate, please - feel free to borrow my arm any time!
Oh, and I still get water in my nose when I swim backstroke. I can close it, but it still tickles something impishly.
Location: Japan <3
Mood: "Must... blog! Update!"
Listening to: My host brother sniffling.. uh, yeah...
Eating: just ate. Too much rice. I'm gonna get fat, blargh. ><
Drinking: Probably not enough water (The pool doesn't count!)
Monday, January 12, 2009
...but my eyes are dry.
My 110th post, yay~!
Kagoshima Josei Kokou, my high school, came second in the all Japan school competitions!
...so now there's crying and despair all over the place.
What's with people? Yeah, they lost, but... they're second in the whole country, for crying out loud! The changing room was filled with boys in blue uniforms sobbing. Ookaay...? I understand that they're probably disappointed that they didn't win when they'd worked so hard to get to the finals... but it still kind of baffles me. They say they're happy they got this far, learned so much and had fun, but they say it with a choked voice while stearing with tear-filled eyes into the camera. When these sport clubs do something, they go all the way.
...Still, you don't see a lot of people winning silver medals in the olympics crumbling into a sobbing pile at the finish line. "Those who get in second didn't win a silver medal - they lost a gold". The person who said this can never have won a silver medal.
People - be happy! This was friggin' well done if I may say so myself. Now let me see some smiles.
Location: Japan! In front of the TV...
Mood: O__o ?
Watching: soccer on TV
Kagoshima Josei Kokou, my high school, came second in the all Japan school competitions!
...so now there's crying and despair all over the place.
What's with people? Yeah, they lost, but... they're second in the whole country, for crying out loud! The changing room was filled with boys in blue uniforms sobbing. Ookaay...? I understand that they're probably disappointed that they didn't win when they'd worked so hard to get to the finals... but it still kind of baffles me. They say they're happy they got this far, learned so much and had fun, but they say it with a choked voice while stearing with tear-filled eyes into the camera. When these sport clubs do something, they go all the way.
...Still, you don't see a lot of people winning silver medals in the olympics crumbling into a sobbing pile at the finish line. "Those who get in second didn't win a silver medal - they lost a gold". The person who said this can never have won a silver medal.
People - be happy! This was friggin' well done if I may say so myself. Now let me see some smiles.
Location: Japan! In front of the TV...
Mood: O__o ?
Watching: soccer on TV
Monday, January 5, 2009
I love Book Off!
Madoka was nice enough to take me to Book Off today - a big store that sells used books, CD's and DVD's at reduced prices.
I didn't manage to find any H!P CD's, but I found half a ton of singles for 105 yen, equaling about 8 NOK! Two of them limited editions: Morning Musume's "Ai Araba It's All Right!", that came with a mini photobook pamphlet. The other was "Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari", complete with a set of photocards! :D Happy! I brought a total of 12 CD's (singles, mostly) to the counter. The lady behind it smiled politely and said "please wait a minute..." while she started beeping in CD after CD of H!P... Haha! XP
Limited first press releases. I'm so happy~ *^^*
The other singles I found included "Suki Sugite Baka Mitai" by H!P's DEF. DIVA, "Sakura Mankai", one of my all-time H!P favourite singles by Morning Musume Sakuragumi, "Lucky Cha Cha Cha!" by Mini Moni and a heap of older Morning Musume singles.
...and I bought Gackt's CD "Moon" and Otsuka Ai's newest release "Love Letter". And the other day I bought two CD's: "7.5 Fuyu Fuyu Morning Musume Mini!" and High King's "C/C Cinderella Complex". (It's really too bad this group will only be releasing one single. I like their sound.) My H!P collection is growing, and I'm terribly pleased. Especially since I'm such a good girl and even bought it at reduced prices. Mom, pet my head! ^^
...Being in Japan is great. XD
Location: Japan!
Mood: content~ (I had dinner, haha!)
Listening to: Morning Musume - various singles... :P
I didn't manage to find any H!P CD's, but I found half a ton of singles for 105 yen, equaling about 8 NOK! Two of them limited editions: Morning Musume's "Ai Araba It's All Right!", that came with a mini photobook pamphlet. The other was "Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari", complete with a set of photocards! :D Happy! I brought a total of 12 CD's (singles, mostly) to the counter. The lady behind it smiled politely and said "please wait a minute..." while she started beeping in CD after CD of H!P... Haha! XP
Limited first press releases. I'm so happy~ *^^*
The other singles I found included "Suki Sugite Baka Mitai" by H!P's DEF. DIVA, "Sakura Mankai", one of my all-time H!P favourite singles by Morning Musume Sakuragumi, "Lucky Cha Cha Cha!" by Mini Moni and a heap of older Morning Musume singles.
...and I bought Gackt's CD "Moon" and Otsuka Ai's newest release "Love Letter". And the other day I bought two CD's: "7.5 Fuyu Fuyu Morning Musume Mini!" and High King's "C/C Cinderella Complex". (It's really too bad this group will only be releasing one single. I like their sound.) My H!P collection is growing, and I'm terribly pleased. Especially since I'm such a good girl and even bought it at reduced prices. Mom, pet my head! ^^
...Being in Japan is great. XD
Location: Japan!
Mood: content~ (I had dinner, haha!)
Listening to: Morning Musume - various singles... :P
The start of my new year...
New Year's Day I went to an onsen (hot spring) with my family and went to a shrine with them around midnight, where I was shown how to wash your hands before ringing the bell and doing the "bowing and clapping your hands" ritual. I also bought one of those notes where you can read your fortune for the coming year. Mine was "so-so", but second best. And "my wish will come true because all my friends are there to help me"! It was really nice. ^^
The 1st we went to the grandparents house in the evening and ate together with the whole family. My host dad got kind of drunk, so I spent a lot of the 2nd rubbing it in and teasing him. Haha! :P
I've gone to three shrines, so that's supposed to bring luck. ^^ I also bought a o-mamori (protection charm) from a shrine maiden. (Wearing the red and white clothes~). It's a buji kaeru, a "stay safe frog" that'll protect me and make sure I get home to Norway in one piece in the summer. ^^
Since Madoka turned 20 in 08, which is when you come of age in Japan, this January was her 成人の日 seijin no hi - Coming of Age Day. She wore a furisode (a kimono with long sleeves worn by unmarried women) and had her picture taken with all the kids in the family. Including me. ...so guess what? Yes, I got to wear a kimono! The real thing, with all the fastening and all the layers and one huge obi. The camera guy actually took some pictures of just me too. I don't really like having my picture taken, (lcontiniously looking bad in pictures tend to lead to that...) but it was fun! I'll post some pictures when they've been developed.
Location: Japan!
Mood: Starving! I want food~ hungry! XD
Listening to: Eg ve te Bergen - Knutsen og Ludvigsen haha! I started laughing in the back of the car listening to this. My host mom was probably wondering what the heck I was doing. XD
Eating: not yet~ T_T
Drinking: I want food. Not drink. Food~
The 1st we went to the grandparents house in the evening and ate together with the whole family. My host dad got kind of drunk, so I spent a lot of the 2nd rubbing it in and teasing him. Haha! :P
I've gone to three shrines, so that's supposed to bring luck. ^^ I also bought a o-mamori (protection charm) from a shrine maiden. (Wearing the red and white clothes~). It's a buji kaeru, a "stay safe frog" that'll protect me and make sure I get home to Norway in one piece in the summer. ^^
Since Madoka turned 20 in 08, which is when you come of age in Japan, this January was her 成人の日 seijin no hi - Coming of Age Day. She wore a furisode (a kimono with long sleeves worn by unmarried women) and had her picture taken with all the kids in the family. Including me. ...so guess what? Yes, I got to wear a kimono! The real thing, with all the fastening and all the layers and one huge obi. The camera guy actually took some pictures of just me too. I don't really like having my picture taken, (lcontiniously looking bad in pictures tend to lead to that...) but it was fun! I'll post some pictures when they've been developed.
Location: Japan!
Mood: Starving! I want food~ hungry! XD
Listening to: Eg ve te Bergen - Knutsen og Ludvigsen haha! I started laughing in the back of the car listening to this. My host mom was probably wondering what the heck I was doing. XD
Eating: not yet~ T_T
Drinking: I want food. Not drink. Food~
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