Early birthday present = I am never leaving my house again. Yeeeeah buddy.


I can hear again, I got my permit again, I'm possibly getting published in an online magazine, and I'm heading to LA tomorrow with the parents. It's been a good week. :]

WTF moments of the week:

1. not being able to hear properly out of my right ear and the loud, incessant ringing for four days running. nnngghhh I would LOVE to hear loud and clear out of both ears again.

2. failing my driving test, not by anything understandable or "damn that bitchass instructor cheated me!" but by making the shittiest left turn in the world.

I gotta laugh, though, and thankfully these are (hopefully) temporary fixes. Just...a trip to the doctor should not end up in bleeding and (albeit temporary) hearing loss, and (lookit my deflated ego), I gotta be honest, all signs aside, I thought I was a better driver than that. But hey, you live and you learn...

As open and evocative and apparently easy as this week's topic was, I was so stumped for something good to write about. I'm incredibly proud that I stamped this out last-minute in one afternoon, despite the fact that's it's unconnected, inconclusive, and doesn't really say anything in the end. It's basically just a little strange, and I hope it's as much fun as I had writing it. :]

[edit 7/12/09: with corrections from awkward_ostrich
8/3/09: now published on FreightTrain Magazine ]

Week 1 Prompt: Wings
Word Count: 1,866
( There was once a man on Cherry Street who grew wings... )

Whooo so I am so juiced to have finally finished this!

I feel like the name had come up and I'd been recommended it a couple of times but I was just bored enough and curious enough one recent Saturday night to look it up on Youtube. I'm pretty sure I watched all 26 episodes of Samurai Champloo in 5 days. Despite its addictive quality I think it took a while for the show to grow on me, but by episode 26 I was close enough to crying as I've ever been with any tv show/movie and the characters were firmly latched into my brain. Shinchiro Watanabe delivers.

After spending the better part of 5+ days indoors, in front of my computer, I was ready to go back into the real world...and then I started writing this. Trying to write a fic with plot (I have not tried to write anything with plot since middle school), trying to look up terms and research the period and make it as good as a lazy American Jade with Google and an East Asian Studies textbook from the sixties can do, has taken up what feels like the better part of last week. Happily, but all the same, hella time. So here's the first chapter of my lil fanfic, fresh off the desktop.

p.s. If you've never seen Samurai Champloo, watch it subbed now.

Also, much thanks to Mitch for doing a beta-read. :]

Title: Teppanyaki Dango
Rating: R
Warnings: Violence, language. Nothing worse than what Mugen would do. Spoilers for the end of the series.
Word Count: 2,876
Summary: 5 years after Ikitsuki Island, Jin and Mugen must come to the assistance of a pregnant, restaurant-owning Fuu. Yakuza, nosy neighbors, and burnt dumplings abound.

( Chapter One )

The case for going digital:




( Read more... )

Also, if you live in the Bay Area and have any interest at all in samurai/Edo period Japanese culture, check out the Lords of the Samurai exhibit at the Asian Art Museum in SF, it will not disappoint. I had never seen a real katana before, and oh my god the impact is so much crazier in real life (as is everything else in that exhibit) - those things are definitely giant human-cutting cleavers, also stunningly beautiful.

( Item #1, On Speaking Too Soon )
( Item #2, the Question of Language. )
( Item #3, On Funny Feelings )
That was waaay longer than anything I've ever blogged before. Wow. Well, as with Item #1 I am still feeling anxious and uncertain and at the same time excited about this captain thing, we'll see throughout the year how it goes. In the meanwhile, cheers for now and ohh the weather's finally looking like summer, although this is worse for running, but oh so much more seasonal.

p.s. I fell in love with an Asian guy on a bike today. Not really, but I realize I've been crushing on guys with just the wrong personalities. I mean I didn't know this Asian guy but he had the style and swagger and bike of my imaginary dream boy. Yes. Ok I'm out.

Zion I "Geek To The Beat" from Okayplayer on Vimeo.

Watching this video just made my day all the more better.
( And what did you do today? )
Also came to the conclusion that there's nothing redeeming about The Cataracs music, that generic shallow shit needs to go. Such a guilty pleasure though, gah.

haha also thanks to homeboy I am the trustee of a shitload of leaving school permits, leaving class permits, and referrals. Need to get out of class, I am your go-to girl. Not really sure if I should announce this on facebook haha.

Feeling positive and loving summer up.

Cyrano of The Cataracs is so fine.

I saw them with a friend with Dizzy Balloon, the Skaflaws and Dev at the Oakland Metro Saturday. I'd heard of The Cataracs before but I'd never heard any of their music. I would not say I was missing out on much. Club beats, endless autotune and Dr. Seuss rhymes on gettin that pearl and bank are not hard to find. I am really digging the fact though that these kids are doing this out of a little studio in Berkeley, producing the kind of quality song you could hear on any radio station though. Plus the verses are ridiculously dumb and catchy aand Cyrano is fucking hot (I made eye contact with him while not knowing who he was and tryin to find the bathroom, and I got splashed with water that came out his water bottle. lyk omgz!!1!)

Just had to get that out. Besides that, the Skaflaws and Dizzy Balloon really made me want to start up a band again. thebitten we are doing that shit this summer. "Real talk doe" ahahahaha.

Some of the most important advice my mom has ever given me is that it's important to feel your emotions. From the best of ectasy and love and happiness to the worst of jealousy, rage and despair. Because you can't have the highs without the lows. Because having a full range of emotions is what makes us human (and maybe our society's philosophy of "cheer up," "don't worry be happy" is misleading; is it so wrong to feel?).

See: Regret. ( Venting! )

In other news, it's almost summer and I am excited to try and live a productive one. All I really want to do is summer training, take a trip down to LA to see family and check out colleges, and make a bag (maybe). Also AP assignments..oh and I am trying to hustle on some scholarship essay contests. Check out a bunch of CDs. Turn 17. Get my license omg. Play a lot of jazz. I think that's it. Spend time with friends! I'm also really excited for senior year, I've so idolized it in a way for the past 3 years that I'm so ready to take it on, all the good and the bad. Talking with some kids in band today I realized that to have a good senior year, you really gotta work at it...like, fun and success won't just come at you, you gotta make it. And we will. Class of 2010 we rockin this shit, one-oh we go! (<-- totally catchphrase).

I'm about done for tonight, but before I go...tell me this music video doesn't make you want to bag food at the food bank (or whichever organization you choose...)

Spring break has been good, just chillen. I feel like I have a lot of things I need to get done - actually I do have a lot of things to get done - but there's not enough time. Ahh..

-Kicked break off Friday with a trip to Emeryville with Agnieszka, fulfilled my pho craving and a bunch of window shopping..
-Saturday Oakland Relays, shitty fucking racing on my part, cried in a bathroom stall after the 1600. Came back and sat with the team for a few hours, always nice. :) Went home, napped, parents took me to thebitten house for her 17th birthday party, involving her awesome boy from Wisconsin, middle-aged people, Emilia's post-prom 11pm entrance, tossing balloons, smoking some trees, tossing more balloons, and a really good sleep..

The rest is pretty unremarkable. But it's been nice. I drew the only thing I've been proud of drawing for a long, long time CHECK IT OUT OMG, mmm fanart. I really want to do some Dr. Horrible too. Most of today has been SO lazy, just watching hella old Naruto on the computer and browsing through LJ communities, I gotta break this slump.

GAME RULES:

1. Put your music player on shuffle (ALL MUSIC).
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 20 friends who might enjoy doing the game as well as the person you got the game from.

( Music Meme, Take Two )

( Done. )

Lunachicks are so good. Speaking of other shit I've gotten into lately:
Erykah Badu. The end of this song is so intense, makes one wanna go out and live.
Really cool art. Came across this Google Image searching Zion I; both this guy's digital and hand-made pieces are so impressive, I really dig his style.

Came down with this nasty fever/chills/raspy voice that's been going around. Can't help but think it's somehow linked to my emotional state too. Feelings are blown so out of proportion, from inexperience and youth and naivety, but I think if I don't indulge in this shit rotten feeling, this shot down and (over-dramatic) heart broken feeling, I won't be able to grow and move on.

I decided I need to reevaluate the way I live my life. 'Cause, this shit ain't cuttin it.
( thinking, )

Ugh so the good thing about time off is I've gotten back in touch with my inner nerd..how, you say? Cowboy Bebop. So good, omg.



If I ever had a crush on an anime character, Spike Spiegal would be a first choice. Somehow that went way over my head, back in middle school. Lanky, laid back dudes ftw.

Oh man. I had such a good night last night.

I have such a splitting headache, and my stomach is all "bleeeeaurgh" and I'm trying to do US History homework.

Ugh.

HAPPY 2009 YA'LL

Too excited to do calculus.

There is so much hope, so much excitement in this moment. Watching Channel 7 news and so many people all over the country, coming together and cheering, yelling, crying, embracing, for Obama. Chills witnessing his acceptance speech. Neither Obama, or the government, can fix all of our nation's problems - or those of the world - but there is hope, there is a new foundation for the American people to come together, to, through our united efforts, promulgate a new era, to create the change we want in this world.

Is it naive? Is it overly optimistic?

The election of an African-American man, of mixed white and Kenyan descent, has shown that the majority of the (voting) nation is embracing of progress. Much of the world, with great interest, has been watching. The stage has been set for great opportunity, new horizons, and the election of Barack Obama is the first step.

To quote the cheering supporters rallied in Times Square, the audience presence at Obama's acceptance speech, Obama reiterating in his speech himself, "Yes we can."

Shit, what a fucking crazy week.

Man I miss this.

Ed Sias tomorrow. I'm juiced. ARE YOU????

I wish I could change the way I think about you. I wish I'd go back to feeling like last year, it's being out of touch that makes me dumb. I don't need this, I could forget about you "like that".

I wish life will work out for you. I see you walking down somewhere I don't see going well. I don't think I can stop you, I think you have to come to your own conclusions - and it's not like it's a problem yet. You've too much going on, you said it yourself...it's a lot to handle. Stay strong, we need you here more than you think.

My mom takes care of us all and it's fucking taxing. I need to help her out, I don't want her to have to work so hard. I have my head shoved up the ass of personal preoccupation schoolwork XC selfishness.

Tomorrow will be a new day.