This is a public blog, but entries made on/before April 30, 2008 are friends-locked. Feel free to friend/watch; you don't need my permission. ♥ If you are here for the fiction or fanfic, it's over at apples_for_me. ^_^ I'm always open to discussions on fandoms, but I am anti-spoilers. Please check my anime list and manga list if you want to know what I've watched/am watching!

Quick Update
Denver has been so much fun! So far:

• chaineddove, aoyagi, and doumeki have been wonderful hosts (though we were sad to say goodbye to Sherri today).
• Meeting link621 and ellipsesbandit at Dave and Busters was excellent, and I have a pink Care Bear to commemorate the occasion. Good food (thank you AM) and hearing a LOT of good things about "Form The Strongest Team" (I sure hope there is a PC emulator for this). Lots of shooting, Daytona racing, skeeball (wow do I fail bad at that), basketball (well, hoop-shooting; both AM and Valerie did amazingly), and DDR (I did not fail until the third round, and this was amazing; we did need a LOT of water and rest after that, though. XD) Afterwards, there was some very lovely strawberry cookies-and-cream ice cream too (thank you Valerie)! ♥
• British Tea at The English Commons (really nice tea place) was wonderful, as was meeting chaineddove's friend Nathan. A nearby store that sold really nice things was going out of business, but on the bright side, a 75% sale meant I could get some really nice things.
• Butterfly place was amazing (yes, the same place we talked about, AM, Valerie!) Bought souvenirs for everyone and necklaces for me.
• Sadly did not get to take pictures at Shan's photo studio as the place was swamped, but we went to get smoothies, and then hit Borders, where I miraculously managed not to buy books by leaving my purse in the car on purpose.
• Sadly my fiscal responsibility did not last. We dropped Sherri off at the airport (boo), picked up Shan (yay), and then went to Bed Bath and Beyond, where I spent a lot of money on really nice-smelling things. Then we went to New York & Company, and I got myself a lovely black dress and a handbag for far cheaper than it would have cost in Tokyo. I had no self-control, but at least I now have nice clothes (machine-dryable, hallelujah) and a lovely work handbag.
• Purse much lightened, we headed to Maaya's parents' place for dinner. Wow, her mother can cook. There was also much random bursting into song, and we were pretty hilarious. Classical music. Ave Maria. Language (I learned how to toast in Russian--it sounds like "Vashasdavonia", if I'm remembering this right; I also learned the difference between -sky, -oya, and -eyeh, and managed to get it wrong on the first try by saying Shan was Polish in the worst way possible. XD) I blame the delicious plum wine, the only sort of wine I can stand; it really was very delicious and I had two glasses of it!
• We've just spent the last three hours watching Love Actually. I have alternatingly laughed, flailed, squealed, shed tears, and cheered.

Tomorrow we're going to a Drag Queen breakfast (♥), the mountains (hot spring! ♥ possibly a Hawaiian sushi place! ♥), and then a concert with Eric Whitacre (♥). Monday will include a "real Mexican restaurant" for Maaya's birthday (early) at the Hacienda. There will also be some updating of PW, e-mailing concept betas with more spam, and doing of laundry, but we can skip the boring stuff. I haven't had a chance to update/read the f-list for a long time now (yes, 24 hours is a long time for me), but now that I'm here and updating, we'll see how much I can catch up on. ^_^

Blind Go
Deadline moved! Sad that I still won't be likely to be making guesses (still on vacation then), but happy for others that might be in need of the extra time!

ETA: Meme
Stolen from array_of_colors: The Hypothetical AU Meme: Take any one of the fandoms you know I write and give me a type of AU (space opera AU, pirate AU, superhero AU, What-If-X-Happened etc.). I will then explain what story from that fandom I would write for that AU. Never mind that all I write seems to be AU. Try me anyway. ^_^

ETA2: Also from array_of_colors: Building Your Own World. This article makes me feel better about some insecurities I've been sitting on lately.

Wasting Time
It's 4:45pm and I'm sort of wasting time, trying to find a way to spend the next half-hour. I'm beginning to feel sleepy; it may be the jet lag. I have a book though, and maybe I can get partway through it.

Writing
Did some mana-typing. Did not manage to do very much mana-sorting for characters beyond the basic mana types, but hey, I made progress after a few weeks of block! This calls for a celebration. ♥

Distractions
Spent the morning doing everything but writing, apparently. DDR (bah I fail even at three steps), food (aoyagi is a wonderful cook!), and LJ itself. Though the f-list has calmed down (everyone's at work, I guess).

Writing
I have re-written some things that needed to be rearranged for PW. Antihistamines are a good thing! *loves on aoyagi for thinking of them* My head has cleared, as has my nose, and now I can think. I also got some semblance of enough sleep! *writes*

Random
And as doumeki has to study, I get to keep the PC! <3 This is good, because I have an Excel sheet to work on to lay out the new mana specialities ...

ETA: Whoops, no going out. We won't be able to get back in if we do, since apparently we don't have any keys ...

Denver, CO
Denver's airport is huge! I got here safely last night, but by that time I'd been up 24 hours straight, and I was not very coherent. Met chaineddove who picked me up from the airport, and then at the apartment I also met aoyagi and doumeki. Lots of PDA went on, hehe, but there was much DDR-ing, Youtubing, brain-breaking, and pizza. [ETA: In case people don't know, Shan makes the BEST tea ever. *sips, happy*]

Sleep
I crashed after 30 hours, but of course jetlag and exhaustion fought with each other. I managed, on and off, about 6 hours of sleep, so I think I'm pretty-much well-adjusted now? Ish.

Today
First, hang out with aoyagi and doumeki in the morning until aoyagi heads off to work. Then doumeki and I will probably end up just keeping each other company until I head out to wait for ellipsesbandit. She'll be driving me to Promenade over in Westminster, CO, and we'll be meeting up with link621. There will be dinner and general hanging out, and finally link621 will drive me back here. I can't wait--so much fun!

ETA: Meme
Tagged by epigrammist: ( Twenty Questions )

Random
How do you make sure you're stopped for interrogation and questioning before they let you board the plane? Travel on two Malaysian passports. My US visa matches an old passport, and it's good for ten years. My Malaysian passport is good for five, and they don't renew--you have to get a new one made. I've never been questioned so many times in my travels! Sounding educated and being an Asian female is very helpful--the immigration officers aren't mean or harsh.

The Advantages Of One's Accent
As soon as I open my mouth and immigration officers hear the Brit/Yank/generic not-Western-but-still-Western semi-educated accent, their treatment of me becomes a little friendlier. It also helps that I smile and do the female-at-your-mercy act, I guess. ^_^;;; Brit I met on the plane actually complimented me on my accent. Wonder if I should do another sample/recording--I don't get any work right now, and if my accent has changed, maybe a new demo will reflect the changes.

Spam Spam Spam
Don't mind the ten thousand messages--I'll get on a plane soon enough, and once I reach my final destination I'll be too busy to post to LJ. ^_^

Writing
Still no mojo. Maybe it's the jetlag or sleeping pills. I don't know anymore.

Random Bits
Pop tarts for a dollar-fifty, ouch. But at least now I have sugar. I'm surfing on adrenaline! The sleeping pills didn't take because I only got 3 hours of sleep (most of it broken). I just can't sleep upright!

Blogging
Did I say I wasn't going to be updating much? Er. Heh. ^_^;;;;; I have nothing else to do except write, and my mental muses are either still drugged or uncooperative ...

Travelling
PDX has free wi-fi and power outlets! I'm going to be here for a 6-hour layover, so this is heaven. I love Portland already! My first purchase on American soil was a Wendy's egg and cheese muffin set. ^_^;;; If this is indicative of anything, I'm going to be a blimp when I get home. Met a really cool person on the plane (details on RL blog). Slept 3 hours sitting straight up--I now have a horrible crick in my neck! *winces*

Requests
ontogenesis, cienna, koramay, kevinsensei, anyone else in Tokyo I forgot to mention ... Do you want anything from the USA? I forgot to ask before leaving, sorry. ^_^;;;;; Any snacks/food I can grab for you before I go back to Japan?

Writing
I didn't get much done on the plane. Guess who had ink pens that leaked all over her hands? I didn't remember that the pressure would kill the pens. Go me! ^_^;;;

Beta-ing
Being at the airport with an internet terminal that's actually on full power and connected is love! ♥ The time has flown by without my noticing. I managed to give moonsliver some comments (though not as detailed as I would have liked; I'm not anywhere near full-beta mode right now) and I'm current on my f-list too. Ah, how wonderful.

So Near, Yet So Far
I'm seeing the waiting lounge fill with people around me. I wanted to buy some food from the shop nearby, but I don't want to pack up my things, and the shop is just far enough that I can't just leave my things on the bench while I get myself some munchies. I know this is Japan, but I can't. For one thing, it's an airport and most of the people around me aren't Japanese. For another, just putting expensive equipment on a seat and walking off? I have never done this and still would never do it. There's a large gap between casual and foolhardy. But I want munchies. *sighs, has eaten all her provisions*

Unconcerned Global Citizen
CNN was showing coverage of the earthquake, and I listened with one ear (as most of us are wont to do in airport lounges). It's just like September 11 all over again--the same news, over and over and over again. I guess it's just a lack of information, but still, one can't help but feel one has to choose between being a depressed global citizen, or a self-absorbed frog happily sitting in a well.

Getting Cut Off
There are irritated babies and children, and there are annoyed parents and other passengers. Oh dear. I hope this baby is not near me and sleeps throughout the flight, or I may seriously consider taking a double dose of sleeping pills early. Writing won't get done in this sort of noise--too much stray energy.

Writing
Actually, if I'm honest, I can't get any writing done. There are too many people around me, and I just can't write when surrounded by people. I'm too in,terested in them. I'm also getting a little wound-up from all the nervous energy everyone else seems to be emitting. (Why oh why do people work themselves up before a flight? They end up making the mellow ones of us all worked-up too ...) In any case, blogging is a yes, writing is a no. It's almost boarding time--I'll pack up and just go.

Wanderlust
The next post I make will be from the USA. I'm so excited! o(^_^)o Well, except for that kid in the boarding line who's just decided to become hysterical ... Uh-oh. *sighs, contemplates loud music*

Mobile Internet
Saeki saved me again! I forgot to look up which of Narita's two terminals I needed to be at, but with Saeki's help I found my flight (20 mins early from Terminal 1!). *snuggles Saeki and eMobile* I love mobile internet.

Random
Sakura is a station on the Keisei line, but it's not 桜, it's 佐倉. Are we amused yet? (Are we confused yet?) I really shouldn't be as entertained by train announcements as I currently am.

Internet
At my current rate of use, Saeki's batteries will die in the next hour. Phooey. (Edit: I have power! Hooray for unattended power outlets! *cheer*)

Earthquake
It's been over 48 hours since the Sichuan earthquake, and I'm finally seeing posts on my LJ f-list. Guess I just watch the earthquake news too closely. I expect one in Tokyo anyday, and yet I keep hoping that I'm wrong and that it'll never hit. The earthquakes are all off the coast, after all. But the closest one has been 25 miles from Tokyo. Well, I won't dwell on it--it's not I can stop it if it comes.

Internet at Narita
Aha, eMobile works beautifully at Narita! Time to comment-spam and other things (for as long as power lasts). (ETA: I found a power outlet and a seat beside it. I have Internet until take-off! o(^_^)o)

Holiday
I'll be gone for two weeks, but will be checking LJ (and posting) sporadically. Don't expect too many comments on your posts (sorry), but e-mail me if you have anything you need to show me or tell me, okay? *hearts* My e-mail is in my profile.

Last-Minute
*PACKS*

Baseball
[Edited--11th, not 12th.] Man, that was a very exciting game. Tied at 1-1 going into the 11th inning, the Mariners hit a two-fer, and I thought all hope was lost for the Fighters. I should have known better--the Fighters lived up to their name and fought back with three runs to win the game. Oh man, my heart is still in my throat. (I'm glad I won't need to speak, tomorrow--I'm hoarse from the shouting!)

Wanderlust
Packing resumes tonight; I have almost everything, but now I need to double-check. The wedding invitation is still lost--I guess I definitely left it at my outservice. Oh well--I just have to make sure I have everyone's address, and I'm good to go. Last-minute packing will include all related chargers--the customs and security people are going to think I'm either nutso or a terrorist with the number of electronics gadgets I carry around. ^_^;; The things I do for my addiction.

Whoops
T_T I've lost the wedding invitation. *worried that immigration will ask for it* I hope my outservice calls back and lets me know if it's with them by mistake.

Wanderlust
Packing went so quickly. O_o I'm almost done except for what's in the washing machine!

Darker Than Black
I don't believe I'm stupid, but I still don't understand the full scope of the story. Can someone explain to me what was going on? Spoilers below cut and in comments.

Spoilers for Darker Than Black (full series)
( Summary of what I think I know about the plot )

After Episode 25 (typed before watching episode 26)
( My opinion of the ending, complete with tons of questions-yet-unanswered )

Episode 26
[Edited for clarity.] Episode 26 is not a continuation, it's an unrelated OVA. The tone of episode 26 is not in line with the rest of the series. In fact, Ep 26 feels like fanfic, only animated. Story quality = low. Animation = normal. Sound effects/editing/production = laughable. Don't bother, just stop at 25. You won't miss anything.

*sighs, posts this entry* I still want to discuss the series. Anyone?

Subrosa Tennis
thephoenixboy, I mailed your prize today. Let me know when it arrives (safely I hope)!

Takarazuka
They were very cool, and very interesting. The girl who played Tatsumi Eiji (I think she's Ranyu Tomu) is my favorite, though--man, what a strong voice. ♥ The revue was a lot more fun than the play, possibly because it was a more involved play and I only understood them half the time, which led to me slightly sleepy in parts. I did not doze off during the revue at all!

Wanderlust
It snowed in Colorado on May 13. I'm most definitely making sure I have two sweaters. The worry about the weather is a big deal; it looks like I'm going to be a firm devotee of the layering school of thought. Well, the most layerable clothes are being packed. Roommate took a look at the purple dress I wore for graduation and gave it her seal of approval, so I'm set for the wedding reception! ♥ Now I just need to do laundry, and see how much I can fit in one suitcase (with carry-on).

ETA: Writing
I haven't been writing at all. Is it just because I'm too busy? Or did my muses run away? I haven't thought about PW in a while too. Some things happened, and I just ... stopped. Avoided it. At first, I wasn't worried. I attributed it to being busy. Then I attributed it to letting a whole bunch of new ideas settle. Now I'm a little worried. It's time to start on the actual writing, I think, but I still need to work out two things. Oh well, I have a long plane ride ahead of me. A few of them, actually. *chuckle*

ETA2: Alumnae Direct Sales
My alma mater sent me an e-mail asking me to call to update information. Curious, I did so. *sigh* Okay, they updated my information. What I didn't like was how they later said they were making/printing a booklet/CD-ROM, and would I like to reserve one for $89.99? So that's why they wanted us to call. I have a fundamental dislike of paying to be advertised to. Gee, thanks, alma mater.

Chi's Sweet Home
Chi going to the hospital = best arc EVER. Especially episode 23. *laughing so hard*

Darker Than Black
Phew. On episode 21 now (out of 25), and I still don't know what's going on. T_T And yet I keep watching this! [ETA: Episode 22 just cleared EVERYTHING up. O_o Wow. Oh my. *will watch the rest somehow, tonight!]

Junjou Romantica
Episode 5! *gets* [ETA: Ooooh. Now this is more like it. Okay, like the Egoists a little better now. (And then with the omake, the Romanticists clawed themselves to the top! *rofl* ♥!)]

Wanderlust
... I really should be packing.

Imagining Ten Dimensions
Imagining the Tenth Dimension -- video walking you through from the 0th dimension to the 10th. I was with them up to five dimensions before I needed to pause and let it sink in. Then I went on to the 6th, 7th, and 8th dimension, and right now I'm sitting here panting (metaphorically) while my poor brain digests the ramifications after getting to the 9th one. Too much eye-opening. (But you know I dived back in after a short break.) *chuckle* Oh man. I want to write this SO BADLY. But I can't--I don't have a good-enough grasp of physics. Yet.

Wanderlust
I have most of my things ready to go. Tomorrow, I iron, and then I go to Takarazuka! Er, I need to ask people about meeting times etc, urk. *will have to figure out where to go and how to get there*

Nintendo
Oooh, I like this Wiiware thing they've got going on. I'll be keeping an eye on Nintendo.

Portal
WHOA. I did not know about Portal, which looks like one of the coolest things ever. (Link to Youtube demo clip.) That is a brain-blowing idea, and I'm VERY tempted to start gaming again just so I can try that. Wow indeed.

Super Paper Mario
Wow. This is really cool, too: Super Paper Mario. Check out the Youtube video of the 2D/3D flipping gameplay. Me like a LOT.

Oh The Horror
One genre I can never get into is the horror genre. Horror movies, horror stories, horror video games ... I don't do ghost stories well; my imagination may be a little too vivid for this sort of thing. ^_^; In any case, reading this review of Bioshock reminded me a lot of Fatal Frame and Silent Hill. I didn't play those--I watched my ex. And let me tell you, even secondhand, I was scared to death in some parts. ... and I still want to watch someone play these games anyway. Why can't they just make a movie of all the hours of gameplay? So I don't actually need to _play_ it? *can't control scary games, gets too scared and dies because her motor control gets shot to heck from trembling*

ETA: Halo
Adding this spoilerrific story summary of the original Halo to appreciate the beauty of plot-driven gaming (... okay, an approximation of it, at any rate.)

ETA2: *drool*
Eee PC 900 (video here). Can I have one now?

[Moved PSA from earlier post to this one--sorry if you saw it twice.]

PSA
ka0richan and haruyuki, you need to e-mail me (aiwritingfic(AT)auone.jp) to claim your prizes. ASAP, if you live in the USA, because I'll be mailing your stuff on my trip there! PLEASE read this post and then E-MAIL ME. [Edit: Contacted somehow. If I don't hear, prizes roll over to round five. Maybe then we can have a "most active commenter" prize! ^_^]

3gatsu no Lion
hachou, mintrain ... what's up with 3gatsu?

Blogging
I'm starting to use my OpenID elsewhere. Whoohoo! Never mind that it's my real life LJ ID (not this one); it still counts.

Blind Go Guessing
Self-disqualified after reading the clarifications on guessing here. I've both received confirmations (when guessing others and getting it right) and given confirmations (of my own fic--one correct guess so far). No more three-strikes for you guys too--sorry! (Though only one person has attempted, so far ...) [ETA: Dude, I have _11_ right so far from confirmations after pulling out, and I haven't even started on the real grammar/structural analysis. O_o]

*sigh*
I think it's great that I managed to guess 8 people on my own (zero help, zero discussion), and I was well on my way to getting another four (through various clues I narrowed them down to within three and was going to do a detailed reading). Now I get to stare at my stat chart and wonder what it was I was doing and whether I should try for more or stop because I'm too busy and it's not like I'll be able to do much except go, "Yup, see, I got that!" for bragging rights. Which is great and cool and all, but I don't have the time this round.

Oh well. There's always next round.

ETA: One More Thing
aishuu is far braver than me. That's all I will say until she posts her epic post.

ETA2: 28 sign-ups for subrosa_tennis already. My last round should be done with a bang--if you've been pondering and haven't signed up yet, GO DO IT NOW. ♥

ETA3: Oh, thank goodness--diadem_chi's CD finally shipped. It'll be able to come with me to the USA!

Wanderlust
A last-minute decision to fly between Denver, CO and Columbus, OH has made me $250 poorer. However, I'm looking at it this way: it costs about the same as travelling to Kyoto and back on the Shinkansen. If I could do that, I can do this. I put the flight on the Malaysian credit card; the exchange rates aren't as killer, and this way I'll have an easier time spreading out my credit. (Will have to fund that bank account when I get back, though!) Had to choose the flight--taking the bus would have taken over a day, and Amtrak would have taken TWO DAYS. (WTF?)

Geez... I should have checked earlier. I only have myself to blame.

Beta-ing
thephoenixboy - sorry if you were waiting--I got side-tracked when I realized I had no choice but to fly. It's 12:40am and I have to work early--can I send you the half-beta and then finish tomorrow?

ETA: This Week In Ai
( Read more... )

Social Stereotyping
[Edited.] From evaporate: Self-Fulfilling Stereotypes (by Mark Snyder). This does lead me to one random observation. Background: I behave the same way with EVERYONE--I'm bubbly and outgoing and I just talk and talk and talk. I treat everyone almost exactly the same, and it always depends more on my mood than on anything else I'm getting (usually whether I'm tired/sleepy or not). I have trouble sensing what people think of me unless it's really obvious.

I've heard people tell me, "X is a strange person" or "So-and-so is awful, isn't he?" or "Don't you just find Y to be tiresome?" But ... I usually don't get why they think that. Invariably, I find X to be fascinating (man, X tells such interesting stories and has such a unique viewpoint!). I find So-and-so to be an empathetic speaker who, with some coaxing, tells some stories that show a very sensitive view (and in some cases an immensely world-changing one). And I think Y is very passionate about things, to the point of repeating something over and over again, but they have such strong love for what they are talking about that it touches one somehow.

Maybe being somewhat socially-retarded is a good thing. ^_^

Telephone
Good lord, I spent close to two hours talking to my mother for Mother's Day, to the point where we all ran out of things to say. Mmm.

Wanderlust
I've been focusing on preparing for my trip, including e-mailing all and sundry. If I have not gotten in touch with you by now regarding SOME part of the trip (and we're supposed to meet), POKE ME.

Writing
... don't ask.

ETA: Nodame Cantabile
Second season (Paris arc) of Nodame to air in October! *burbles happily* Thanks for the heads-up, jen_kat! *marks calendar*

Reading and Racism in Writing
I saw a link on my f-list to The Stolen Word over on Fantasy Magazine in the context of an occasionally-heated debate on race. I didn't even think the word "peddlar" was racist, but apparently it was. I don't know how many racial stereotypes one must try to avoid, and I wonder how one writes a story with zero stereotypes. Looking at my latest work, I have no idea how much of it is stereotype and how much of it isn't. I mean ... it's a story. I don't get it.

Is it a racist stereotype to write about a Chinese person who smiles at you face to face, agrees with everything you say, and then takes steps to do something against you behind your back?
Is it a racist stereotype to write about a Chinese trader who lies, cheats, and steals?
Is it a racist stereotype to write about abandoned Chinese female babies?
Is it a racist stereotype to write about Chinese people who will eat anything once (and call anything "medicine")?
Is it a racist stereotype to write about an effeminate Asian man?
Is it a racist stereotype to write about Asian parents pushing their kids so hard the kids commit suicide?

I'm just shooting from the hip here, because goodness knows, I don't know what a racist stereotype is.

I'm using "Chinese" and "Asian" as adjectives here, that's all.

ETA: OMG I forgot it was Mother's Day. What kind of daughter am I? T_T *calls her mother NOW*