Sunday, May 7, 2006

   Well...that was interesting...

Heylo there!

After what seems like forever, I am back once again to ramble on about my peculiar life and odd things I have done and seen in the time between my last post up to present…

To be honest, this has been one hec of a busy month or two: first there was Minami Con, then revision for exams started, then I went to Florida, then the revision came back and then exam week itself reared its ugly head (actually, It’s still rearing, so to speak. And it had several heads).

I’ll start with Minami Con…

Apart from the three hour drive down to the venue, my first convention was brilliant. I ended up spending all of my birthday money on several boxes of pocky (which I have yet to devour), a curiously named box of chocolates (only so I could ask how much a box of “asse” was), a Doraemon Plushie, a Ryuichi-Sakuma-cosplaying-as-Kumagoro plushie, a few wall scrolls and some chobits key rings.

The cosplayers were amazing. There was an awesome Weregarurumon (cannot remember how to spell that…) fur suit, an Edward Elric with what looked like real metal automail, a HUGE group of people cosplaying practically the entire cast of Bleach, a few very cute Chii cosplayers and a great Ryuichi Sakuma cosplaying as Kumagoro cosplay. My favourite, though, had to be an awesome Cloud Strife Cosplay. The guy in the costume not only looked like Cloud, but he did a great job acting like him (although, from what I have seen, Cloud does not hug random screaming fan girls in the audience or pose for cameras. And he definitely does not pelvic thrust XD). The best part of the costume (save the hair) was the HUGE sword he was swinging around with surprising ease. It was the six-part one with all the bandages (I think), and it honestly looked like a real sword…

There were lots of other things going on like screenings of Anime and J-drama, as well as a Plushie Cull and a Cosplay Café. I watched a film called “Waterboys” about a boys’ synchronised swimming team. ‘Twas hilarious XD

All in all, it was a lovely little weekend of fun…

Then the revision started. I had to do at least two hours a night and, bearing in mind these exams don’t follow me past…well, anywhere, I thought it was ridiculous. This was also on top of any homework or schoolwork we had been set or did not finish. Gah…

But enough of my whining! I got to go to Disneyworld!

I was gonna come tell/ warn you guys I was coming to America, but I didn’t get any computer time because of evil revision. Rawr…

I spent the majority of the nine hour flight there watching “Memoirs of a Geisha” (which was amazing. Highly recommended) and reciting “Macbeth” (which we are studying for our English exam) to my brother, who at one point threatened to jump out of the plane if I didn’t stop. ..

Disneyworld itself was…well…Disneyworld! What would you expect? I have been once before, but I was too short to ride the decent “scary” rides. Most of my time was spent queuing for those alone (wimpish family…Most extreme thing they went on had bloody toddlers on it!) or eating.

My favourite park would have to be Epcot. Not only does it have a giant golf ball, but my favourite ride (a hand-gliding simulation over California that was like O_O) and an absolutely amazing world showcase thingy where there just so happened to be a Japan…

I spent literally three hours lurking in Japan, exploring the beautiful gardens or squealing at all the anime goodies in the shop. I even tried on a couple of Kimonos. I ended up buying a box of giant chocolate pocky, a set of chopsticks and a fan with my name in Kanji on it. There was a gorgeous Kimono there, but it was something like $400, and to be honest, I didn’t even have the money to pay for the pocky…

My family and I spent the second week somewhere by the coast. I suppose it was sort of a rest from Disneyworld and all the long days (from seven in the morning to midnight mostly ^_^) and nights.

I found it a little boring at first, but after discovering a Pizza Hut and a Starbucks on site I was set for the week.

Life outside of Disney meant I could explore “real” America a little more. I went to a couple of malls, discovered the wonders of goldfish crackers (bought a couple bags back with me ^_^*), stocked up on Oreos for a couple of weeks and discovered Hot Topic.

I think if I had to choose one reason to move to America, it would be Hot Topic. I spent another 150 Dollars of my parents’ cash in there on some Shirts, an awesome belt that looks like a guitar, yet another trilby hat (I lurve my trilbies ^_^) and an uber cute Kitty hat (the neko from Trigun). I just about managed to persuade my mother to let me buy a pair of big-ass flip flops (about 2 and a half inches high. w00t!) despite falling over while trying them on.

Overall, a good, productive, expensive (I’m just racking up a HUGE debt with my parents here…) holiday…

The moment I got back, though, it was just a constant battle for free time. I was spending my day getting to and from school, being at school, and then coming home to revise, eat and then sleep.

Just last week was exam week. Thankfully, I was given my free time back because my teachers said I needed to be “relaxed and prepared” for all my exams, and revising would just stress me out more. Yup…

The exams themselves were so easy it was almost insulting. The highest grade you can get on the English and Science papers is a level 7, and on the maths an 8. Considering the fact that I was achieving those levels last year just goes to show what low standards they set for us. Does the exam board think everyone is stupid? They say that everyone at my age should get a level 6. I don’t know a single person getting lower than a level 7 in anything. It really bugs me…

But anyway, the “important” exams are out of the way now. Just the internal, more pastoral subjects left to test us on.

This weekend, I must say, is going by incredibly slowly. Yesterday it got to the point where I did three hours revision out of sheer boredom and then tidied my bedroom. I NEVER tidy my bedroom.

My mother, being the nice person she is, decided to take me outside of the house for an hour or two to stop me from going completely insane. She took me to town where I spent a while browsing the CDs and the anime DVDs. I just so happened upon “Final Fantasy VII Advent Children” and it was on sale. To be honest, I have never played Final Fantasy before. What knowledge I have is purely from reading walk-throughs, character bios and a few random screen-caps of Cloud looking prettyful, as he does…

My mother was like “Want it?” Slightly shocked, I just said “Sure!” and let her buy it for me. Displays of kindness and willingness to buy me stuff (especially after my severe over-spending in America) like that aren’t really commonplace, so I just sort of accepted it.

I am very VERY glad I did, however. I’ve watched it three times in both languages, just ogling the beautiful animation, Cloud and Kadaj in particular. The storyline was a little confusing at first, but with a little internet research on the plots prior to AC made it clearer. I’m definitely adding all of the games to my ever-growing anime wish list…

So, yeah. A lot of stuff happening.

My wrists hurt. My dad says to stop typing so much, otherwise I’ll damage myself. I’m all paranoid about Carpel Tunnel Syndrome from my ICT revision already O_o

Ta ta!

C.c ^_^

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