Life and Manga Blues

I'm gonna die

2009-11-10T11:31:31Z

Waiting for FFXIII to come out.

I went to Tsutaya today and made a card. I had promised myself I would be allowed to set foot in Tsutaya only on my payday and only to preorder FFXIII.

It was hard.
Stupid Squenix had to go release a new cutsy game for DS so the temptation was staring me in the face. However, I bravely turned a blind eye at the cute display and gazed upon the real prize....

omg...It looks so amazing. I can't wait until Dec 17th!

In other news, I have to buy a PS3 now OTL

Damn....The only reason I want it is to play this game.
It had better be worth spending 28,800 for the system....

Fun with Cardboard

2009-11-08T11:47:55Z

I have a #$%^load of cardboard in my apartment and today I used some...
by pinning it to my wall ^^;

look at how eco I am

Hat holders!

I am getting sick of drawing myself into stupid situations like night clubs...
Damn periphery people...

ANd last a sleepy bunny

Too cute...

2009-11-08T03:29:08Z

I can't get anything done bc of my fluffy lil roommate

I seriously can stare at him for HOURS

btw here is the site of the comic I am working on

http://failpires.smackjeeves.com/

There is nothing there yet but there will be tomorrow!!!

I will update weekly so yeah.

Almind is sleepy now and just became a fluff ball.

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

New comic soon to be posted!

2009-11-05T12:31:31Z

First off is an Almind update...

He is so cute (what else is new?). Now he is openly affectionate toward me :D
He lays down and lets me give him a head massage and then he makes little happy grinding noises. (I read that they are equivalent to a cat purring!!!)

Today I fed him a little piece of mikan. When he tasted it I swear his little eyes bugged out and he started greedily devouring it. He is now a mikan fiend.

I read that bunnies have a horrible sweet tooth so I have to make sure to now hide the mikan D:

In other news I have a lot of time so I told myself I will work on one comic this year...
This are the first two pages.

I am going to make a banner and start posting on smackjeeves and will update AT LEAST A PAGE A WEEK
(Let's see if that happens or if I waste all my time playing with my bunny)

READ RIGHT TO LEFT

WARNING: Disturbingly cute pictures

2009-11-03T22:43:52Z

I got a new partner yesterday.
He's about the size of my entire hand and is chewing on a piece of apple now.

I am going to have trouble waiting until 4 to get home to this guy...

MEET ALMIND

When he's sleepy he just turns into a ball with ears <3

He loves this box. He goes in and out of it repeatedly and then proceeds to act cute in it.

Halloween

2009-10-29T14:44:51Z

I get to cosplay for Halloween!
I'm excited :D

I made a huge batch of leek and potato soup tonight and consumed the whole thing D;
I have been downing tea, vitamin C and soup all day because I am afraid I'm getting sick.
I think if I just keep this up I'll be in the clear...

In other news I have been working on a comic with some old characters and I have four pages already inked!
I think I may actually stick to this!!! (I REALLY HOPE)

Here's a page I just scanned.
Actually the blonde guy in the comic is the guy I drew the other day as a magician ^^;

ENJOY...without words or knowledge of the story...I'll update later when I put text in...

Day Out

2009-10-25T10:38:07Z

This was another slow weekend.

I was going to try to hang out with this Cameroonian guy but he seemed like he likes clubbing a lot so I didn't end up going out with him.
I don't want to be in Roppongi at like 3 am. That is really sketchy and dangerous for a girl D;

So today I was supposed to meet up for lunch with Kiko. She readily agreed to meet up the night before so I thought, "She's finally snapped out of her depression!"

Actually I was really wrong.

It started when she asked for us to meet at 1 instead of 11:30 and then at 1 she called saying that she didn't want to go out. I was practically crying in front of Harajuku station...I am so worried about her and I am worried that I am losing one of my best friends. She is closing herself up in her room and not seeing anyone. I don't think it's good! Whatever I said to her was countered with resistance. Her grandfather is in the hospital now so she goes there but I think that just going to the hospital and her house is not good either.

I wish there was something I could do to help her but I feel like she doesn't want to even listen anymore.

So I ended up walking around by myself and there was a children's costume parade for Halloween!! It was overly adorable so I was able to cheer myself up. After staring at cute kids and dogs (yeah, single people with elaborately made dog costumes for their "children"....) I went to eat a kebab and talked to the Turkish guys who run it. Somebody slammed into me when I was holding my kebab causing meat and kebab sauce to go all over me. Luckily the nice kebab ppl gave me a refill and helped me clean off ^^;

I then realized that Tokyo has way too many people and I like just going there on the weekend ...
besides from I got Mauna Loa cookies, a can of chickpeas, manga ink, manga paper and a Hatsune Miku outfit. YEAH. It was 2,990 yen.

2990 YEN!!! OTL

Now I have a skirt with no purpose (; , ;)

It's pretty amazing

2009-10-24T23:02:56Z

that I waited so long for my first paycheck and haven't touched it.

TODAY I AM GOING TO.
I really hope that I don't go crazy tho.

Tokyo is one of those places which has the effect of just sapping my money from me being there.

I got a package from China yesterday :D
I got pinenuts, a super poncho, and pillowcases.

I am enjoying the pillowcases but my parents could have been more creative and put some candies in there or something >:{

In other exciting news I discovered a craft called "felting." It's pretty fun!
You take wool and then just stab it to death until it starts to firm up. You can then mold it into shapes and then stab it some more to keep it that way. The stabbing needle is really sharp so I punctured my fingers and bleed a bit....BUT aside from that FUN!

I made a really cute bunny

Stupid flu

2009-10-22T11:07:00Z

I only have one class a day nowadays DDDD;

I spent the rest of the time grading midterms.
It makes me sad just sitting around all day at school...

Look how bored I am!
I made these guys at my desk

Really slow day

2009-10-21T10:07:46Z

I had no classes today and came an hour early....

why? Because of flu and the latter because of my habit of always being late on Wednesdays...^^;

I drew a picture today that I was happy with while at school. My fellow teachers seemed to like it :D

This took me two periods to complete!
Then the rest of the day was spent doing Japanese grammar exercises and grading papers.

Then I came home to my costume in progress...
I got pretty far!
The skirt is mostly done, one sleeve is done and I'm making the headphones :D
I ended up sticking ribbon on tape and sewing it on the skirt ^^; Daiso didn't have thicker ribbon in the right color so yeah.

Pretty creative, right?

Hatsune Miku Costume :D

2009-10-19T12:46:42Z

I went to the Daiso today and got a needle, thread, and cheap black fabric for a total of about 500 yen.

I found out that I didn't buy enough fabric...but I did complete one sleeve and a good portion of the skirt!

Here is a picture (^o^)
(It's hard to see because everything is made of the cheap, shiny fabric and my room is a mess)

The wig already cost about 2,000 yen so I am shooting for the entire outfit to be a total of 6,000....That means I have about 3,500! :D

I think the hardest part will be finding a long grey button up shirt and the extremely teal tie ^^; Maybe I should find a white tie and paint it....

1st Story DONE

2009-10-18T13:19:48Z

So it turns out that I can't go to Comiket in winter D;
I have to see my dying Italian relatives...at least this means a trip to Italy! (I sometimes wonder if I have a heart)

ANYWAY here is my first story that was going to be in the doujinshi.
I will probably make cheap-o copy books with the second story (Germany/Italy) included and hopefully those will be sold sometime.

"Wow! Look at this!"
"Um Alfred...I'm trying to relax right now so could you be a little more quiet?
"What's that? It looks like a child made it!"

"Alfred! Why are you always coming over to MY house?"
"Why?" "Because nowadays Kiku never comes over to America" "I wonder why that is..."
"Is it the high price of the ticket?"
"Or is it because you've gotten tired of me already?"

"That isn't true!"
"I knew it! I'm so happy!"
"I bought you a ticket already!"
"I'm looking forward to next week!"

"Alfred!"
"Yo, Kiku!"
"What is with that outfit! You look terrible! Hahahaha"
"Hey!"

"Your jokes are weird!"
"Let's go"
"Sometimes Alfred can be rude but there really are a lot of awesome places in America..."
"Why don't we go eat dinner?"

"What are we having?"
"Don't worry! We can eat stuff other than hamburgers!"
(He's eating hamburgers before our meal)
"Wow, so this is what Jambalaya is...Better take a picture"
"Alfred..."

"Today was fun. I learned a lot about America. Thanks"
"Ah! What are you doing! We're in a restaurant!"
"Are you embarrassed?"
"Yeah, here it's embarrassing...Can we move to a love hotel for this?"

"'Love hotel'? What kind of place is that?"
(Oh right, America doesn't have any...)
"Next time you come to Japan I'll take you to one"
"Can't forget my camera!"

Let me know how it was! This is my first completed doujinshi story EVER ^^;
(It's sad because I start so many)

It's been a while....

2009-10-16T09:57:13Z

And in that while a lot has happened :D
My student made it to the national competition for the English speech contest!
I still can't believe it!

The following weekend I went to the exotic land of Toyama and stared at Korean boybands in nittlegrasper's house.I'm sad because I can't find my memory stick that has the Korean songs on them. I am happy, however, that "Lollipop" is finally out of my head! oTL

I got my first paycheck this week so I went to the home goods store and bought luxurious items like a bucket, a shower curtain, and some more hangers.

It's funny but buying cleaning products makes me really happy. :D

I also found out that my air conditioner has a heating function and that it is actually really warm....

I brought the computer in today to work on my doujinshi. The students were amazed by my drawing tablet. It was really cute.(Good thing they did not see the doujinshi)

GImme Fonts!!!

2009-09-24T22:28:09Z

So I finished toning the first page of my doujinshi and I soon realized that all of my Japanese fonts SUCK....

DOES ANYONE WHO READ THIS JOURNAL KNOW WHERE TO GET GOOD JAPANESE FONTS??

OTL
I will show you how horrible the page looks to try and sway you.

I love how...

2009-08-20T22:00:18Z

When you open a bank account in Japan you get a dishtowel and a sponge.

So practical!
It saved me the money of actually buying those things!

I bought a $20 dollar knife the other day. I think it's worth it because when I was cutting a tomato it didn't feel like it, it felt like cutting through butter.....

YUM

Japan, you make some good kitchen knives

Here

2009-08-19T13:10:14Z

I am now in Japan.

In a Leo Palace in Midori City, Gunma.
Everything is happening so fast that it's unbelievable.
My company I'm working for is pretty small and based out of Ashikaga in Tochigi so most of the day is spent commuting from place to place by car. Gunma is amazing in that it is a continual maze of big roads and chain stores.

It kinda reminds me of America lol

Today I got to go to the Fukaya branch and help teach a class of two six-year olds.
They were absolutely adorable and extremely intelligent. Not only could they read words in English but they could also read out sentences.

They spent most of the time chasing each other around and screaming "Gattai!" when they catch the other tho ^^;

Everyone at the company is very nice and extremely friendly. I think this is going to be a good environment for me after all.

Decisions, decisions...

2009-08-13T21:58:59Z

My language school just contacted me with an offer of either working at the language school and teaching all ages (what I applied for) or going to one junior high school and teaching there everyday.

The junior high school is near my house and so I wouldn't need to drive...

However these are middle schoolers....possibly the worst age that a kid could be.

What should I do?

Back behind the Iron Veil

2009-08-11T01:53:39Z

And now Facebook is blocked D:

At least I have LJ....

Man I want my Facebook back!

For some terrible reason airfares to Shanghai are 2x what they usually are so my mom and I used our miles and flew for free. We got to ride on a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong.

Cathay Pacific was so awesome! They had over 100 TV programs and 40 movies that you never had to wait for! And they had semi-edible food! It was like airplane heaven.
(except for the fact that it was 15 hrs long and we had to take a plane back up to Shanghai when we had flown over it. My mom and I wondered if they couldn't have just given us parachutes so that we wouldn't have to waste so much time/energy flying)

I don't know when I will go back to America (which is sad because I really do like the US even though I keep leaving it T,T)

But I am really really excited to start my new life of English teaching in Japan!
I leave on the 18th and have no clue how I am going to get my stuff there...
When I arrive in Narita on the 18th I have to wait around for 3 hrs for a bus to Ota (which takes 3 hours to get to) and then have to wait for someone from my company to come pick me up at the station D;

It sounds like a very nerve-wracking day.

Right now it's typhoon season and it's very dark and windy outside D;

I'm actually not dead [end of journal is doujinshi for sale]

2009-07-28T15:42:37Z

but I am still in a bit of sadness over not getting the MEXT scholarship....
I knew my chances were low but I still wanted to believe that I could get it D: I had already started imagining how I could meet Takemiya-sensei. However, I will still continue to read Kaze to Ki no Uta because I am wondering if Gilbert can actually stay alive to the end.

In 12 days I leave for Asia. In 22 days I start my teaching job in Saitama. It seems so far away but now I am actually thinking about it.

ANYWAY now to the part that may be interesting to people.
Yep, I'm selling many things and here are a few doujinshi/art books that I am letting go of.
Everything is 5 USD and shipping is 3 USD

Why am I doing this? Because these doujinshi need homes and caring people who will look at them. I am going to put most of my stuff in storage but letting go of these

ALL PAYMENTS WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH PAYPAL...sorry

(I got tired of taking photos but I will give them to interested parties for the doujin I did not photograph)

OTHER

How to Draw Manga Vol. 6: Martial Arts & Combat Sports
By Hikaru Hayashi
147 pages

God Child & Angel Sanctuary book
(purchased in China…so it’s not an official artbook)
Illustrations by Kaori Yuki
118 pages

SAMPLE

Spiral official artbook
Illustrations by Eita Mizuno
87 pages

Prince of Tennis:

SAMPLE

Title: Spleen Butterfly
Series: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: FujixKikumaru
Circle: E-PlusxMikoto Aogiri
Pages: 40 pgs

SAMPLE

Title: Eros Terrorist
Series: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: InuixKaidoh (R18)
Circle: Hyper Reality
Pages: 24 pgs

Final Fantasy Series

SAMPLE

Title: Best Friend
Series: FF8
Pairing: Seifer xSquall; IrvinexSquall
Circle: Kuchibirukara Sandanju
Pages: 16 pgs

SAMPLE

Title: Prescription
Series: FF8
Pairing: IrvinexSquall
Circle: Russian Blue
Pages: 18 pgs

Title: Turks Dokushinryo
Series: FF7
Pairing: TsengxRufus
Circle: Kaoru Kobayashi
Pages: 28 pgs

Title: Oretachi Turks
Series: FF7
Pairing: Mostly gag, some RudexReno
Circle: Yuna Akiyama
Pages: 26 pgs

Title: Cranberry Soda
Series: FF7
Pairing: Renox Elena
Circle: Akai Tsubasa
Pages: 20 pgs

SAMPLE

Title: Planet Market
Series: FF7
Pairing: SephirothxCloud
Circle: Shayoukan
Pages: 44 pgs

SAMPLE

Title: Baby, Baby
Series: FFVII
Pairing: RenoxRufus (Some light sexing)
Circle: MICROMACRO
Pages: 32 pgs

SAMPLE

Title: Metronome
Series: FFVII
Pairing: ZackxCloud
Circle: Silver Stone
Pages: 22 pgs

SAMPLE

Title: Sweet Mission*****SOLD*****
Series: Crisis Core
Pairing: AngealxZack (R18)
Circle: Kani
Pages: 32 pgs

Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn!

SAMPLE

Title: Limonate
Series: Hitman Reborn
Pairing: YamamotoxGokudera
Circle: Kurodakan
Pages: 22 pgs

SAMPLE

Title: Koi wo Hajimemasho
Series: Hitman Reborn
Pairing: Yamamotox Gokudera
Circle: GO MAD
Pages: 22 pgs

SAMPLE

Title: Sharara
Series: Hitman Reborn
Pairing: YamamotoxGokudera
Circle: Nanaya
Pages: 20 pgs

Title: Calabrone
Series: Hitman Reborn
Pairing: YamamotoxGokudera (R18)
Circle: Vem
Pages: 24 pgs

Miscellaneous

SAMPLE

Title: Project V
Series: Kingdom Hearts
Pairing: AxelxRoxas; TerraxVen
Circle: NPH
Pages: 16 pgs

SAMPLE

Title: Warmth
Series: Kyou Kara Maou!
Pairing: ConradxYuri
Circle: Par Deux
Pages: 12 pgs

SAMPLE

Title: Pyracantha
Series: Tales of the Abyss
Pairing: kinda Syncx Ion
Circle:yellow.zip
Pages: 28 pgs

SAMPLE

Title: Hikari Mau
Series: xxxHolic
Pairing: DomekixWatanuki
Circle: Samuedo
Pages: 32 pages

SAMPLE

Title: Baby, Go!Go! AVANT-GARDE
Series: Harry Potter
Pairing: RonxHarryxHermione friendship
Circle: Monokurosaka
Pages: 28 pgs

Hikaru no Go

SAMPLE

Title: Moruhine
Series: Hikaru no Go
Pairing: KagaxShindou
Circle: Sinrigaku
Pages: 16 pgs

SAMPLE

Title: Tobira no Mukou
Series: Hikaru no Go
Pairing: AkiraxHikaru
Circle:
Pages: 22 pgs

SAMPLE

Title: Garasu no Fukei
Series: Hikaru no Go
Pairing: AkiraxHikaru
Circle:
Pages:24 pgs

Job!

2009-06-26T21:06:54Z

I got a possible job offer in Japan!

....I guess I have to break the news to the Koreans:erm:

look at the school where I may have taught at http://www.kmb.es.kr/
isn't that a really adorable website?

I really hope I get this job!!
It's in Saitama and one of my best friends in the world will be about an hour away!
The pay is a lot less and the rent is only partially subsidized but I don't care about money as much as I care about location (I think). Besides I have the rest of my life to make money, right?:sweatdrop:

Manufactured Landscapes

2009-06-22T14:10:27Z

Really an awesome documentary about the photo projects of this photographer, Edward Burtynsky.

Burtynsky started the project where I think he is from, Ontario, photographing various aspects of mining. There are some pretty stunningly, horribly beautiful pictures that then grew from this line of work.

Check it out for yourselves (Click the texts under "Work")
http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/

I think some of the most compelling are the recycling centers in China. Practically all of the world's computers go to this one place in China where they are manually pulled apart in order to obtain the precious metals within. However this process releases harmful materials into the environment that made the water table so contaminated that the village has to import its water! I guess getting those little scraps of gold, etc. is worth the lifetime of heavy metal contamination. Sad, but true.

Completely off topic but I sent out my MEXT application! I really think I have little to no hope getting the scholarship. I just received the research proposal of a person that got it and it was WAYYY better than mine in oh so many ways....(T , T)

oh well, I must persevere....

Um what?

2009-06-10T14:52:42Z

Okay Chinese government, I really don't get it....

Last year LJ was blocked and I tried to get on it like everyday and suddenly today it works??? Are you doing this to just fool with me?

I'm going to exploit this opportunity.

Today I was in a newstand that sold only foreign magazines. My Chinese friend was flipping through one and noticed that one page was mysteriously gone. It was very neatly cut out of the magazine. I turned to her and said, "You know what was on the page, don't you? It was an article on China I bet. Check another magazine."

She picked up a different copy and couldn't find where the page was removed so I told her to look in the index. Lo and behold there was an article called, "Remembering the events of Tiananmen Square" on page 31...

we only found page 32.

This actually did not bother as much as the thought that somewhere in China there is a man sifting through every magazine that comes into the country and neatly cutting out pages of questionable articles.

I really feel for that guy.

And in other news...youtube is still blocked D;
oh well, there's always tomorrow

I am actually in China and on LJ??

2009-06-09T14:13:15Z

Yeah, I am using a proxy server...
I feel so rebellious :D

take that government!

I'll be in the US soon and then I will post a real journal.
In the meantime I will let you gaze upon my beautiful pics of me and my sis in Yunnan, China
http://s38.photobucket.com/albums/e110/Chocobosh/Yunnan/?albumview=slideshow

If you want to go to a great place in China go to Shangrila (formally Zhongdian)! Especially if you enjoy yak meat.

気になる

2009-05-10T17:38:08Z

Apparently my professor used me as an example of "ki ni naru" which means to worry about, care about, be anxious over...

And then he quickly said "No no, it's not like that! I didn't mean it that way!" and he flailed his arms wildly.

I wish I could have been there D: That sounds really cute. This guy says really awkward things a lot so this isn't really that shocking. He also has pretty much become my guardian at school. During a presentation I gave he was in the front row making hand signals at me and then openly laughed at me when I had a spelling mistake on my slide.

I'll miss him.

Yunnan!

2009-04-28T12:53:58Z

Arg....it's so hard to concentrate on my paper while I am thinking about my post-graduate trip to Yunnan province with my sister! We are going to Shangri La which was actually renamed this to promote tourism (I am bad with large crowds + tourist traps so I am a bit wary).

This is right outside of Tibet. This is weird for me because for years I've been hearing my mainland Chinese friends argue with my American/some other country friends about the issue of Tibet. I think that it's finally time for me to start researching about Yunnan and Tibet because each side seems to have its own standardized propaganda D: I also would feel weird if I didn't know anything about where I'm going...

BUT my papers come first!!!