Life? What Life?

itsumoganbaru

Be sure to friend!

I've finally decided on my name for my new LJ: itsumoganbaru

I think I'll be using it even after I get back from Japan. This username has become a bit outdated, I think.

Anyway, I'm still working on my new layout, but I have the background down at least, and I think it looks pretty nice, so check it out! I'm doing a Plus Account so that I can have a photo album. Unfortunately, that leads to ugly ads. :(

Anyway, I should probably get back to packing.

Finally! It's finished! It's not perfect, but I don't care. (There's also a bit of shine on the canvas in the photo, plus it looks slanted)

( Captain Jack Sparrow )

So, I'm not getting that scholarship I thought I was giving. I guess being disqualified for the JASSO also made me disqualified for the Konan scholarship. Still, I really could have used the money. I'm going to reapply for the Bridging scholarship. Hopefully it will come through; this application is a lot stronger than my previous one. I won't know until sometime in November though.

In other news, I'm almost done with that fricking painting! Then I just have to do a sketch of someone and send them both to the woman.

I started packing last night. I can't believe I leave so soon! I don't feel prepared.

So, I think I'm going to create a separate livejournal for when I'm in Japan. I can't decide what name I want though...

Went to the beach for the weekend, and guess what? I'm not pink!

Instead, I am horribly disfigured. Well, not really, but my shoulder hurts like a mother, and I don't exactly have full mobility of the right arm because of it.

This, however, shall not deter me from riding waves in the future. As far as I'm concerned, there's no other reason to go to the beach. It just shouldn't be done on a beach where the waves are breaking way too close to shore. Fenwick Island State Park is not a great beach.

In other news, my visa, passport, bill and plane tickets arrived, and I have learned through e-mail that I did in fact get the Konan Scholarship, though I haven't received the actual information regarding it yet.

Also, the Emmy voters couln't vote their way out of a room made of open doors. Barry Manilow? BARRY MANILOW? Someone better get put on notice for that mistake.

I'm also disappointed by AD's loss, but I guess with FOX's stranglehold, it was a little hard for them to perform to the best of their ability this past season. The Office was definitely the best choice after them, and they could use the win.

I leave a week from tomorrow! Crazy! O.O

I've been feeling very emo lately. I think it's stress, nervousness, and the renewed realization that I am, in fact, the ugliest person in the world. Maybe a weekend at the beach will alleviate the stress, at least, and hopefully, by the time I get home, my passport, visa, plane tickets, bill, and information about whether or not I got a Konan scholarship will have arrived in the mail, which will get rid of some of the nervousness. The ugly, unfortunately, shall always be there.

Google Earth is insane! I found my house! Also, here's the school where I'll be studying the next school year: Konan University. I'm trying to figure out where I'll be living, but so far I only have a general area on the map (Japanese addresses confuse me and they don't seem to work on the Google Earth thing). It's in Ashiyashi, which is outside of Kobe, I guess.

I'm going to be staying with the Shimizu family, which includes Yukihiro (50), Satomi (43) and their 18-year-old son, Yuma. They also have two dogs who are very cute. I really don't know anything else about them except a couple of interests and the fact that the parents both smoke. I'm going to e-mail them soon, I think. I'm still really nervous about the homestay thing in general, but I guess I just need to get over it.

Despite my nervous feelings, however, I'm dying for this summer to be over. It's going to be so nice not working for a whole school year (or, if I do work some, like tutoring or something, it's not going to be the majority of my non-class time).

Anyway, I really ought to be studying.

Grr I hate you, Jack Sparrow! This painting is becoming a nuisance. I have to get it done soon though so I can start working on another painting, one for which I won't be getting paid; instead, it's kind of like an audition to show that I can paint "real people," even though I don't see how Jack Sparrow doesn't count in that category (since, unlike Edward Scissorhands, he has a natural skin tone). Then, hopefully, I'll be painting some other picture for this woman's doctor. Of course, I kind of doubt she'll get the necessary pictures or whatever to me in time.

I leave in a few weeks, and I'm starting to get a bit nervous. I would really like to know my living arrangements and other information pretty soon (Ashleigh, did you say something about not receiving another bill or whatever? Cause I would like to get one of those...). I'm kind of half-dreading living with a host family; it's definitely a situation that will be completely new to me, and I don't know what to expect.

In other news, I like my new icon. "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" = hilarious.

Anyway, I need to get some sleep.

I updated my layout again, everyone, so check it out! It's quite simplistic, and I like it. :D

My room is a fucking sauna. I can barely think right now, though that might also have something to do with alcohol (even though I didn't have that much). I'm thinking of investing in a window unit.

Kenny posed some questions, but I shall answer them later.

There's really not a whole lot new going on. Just felt like updating.

I've figured out that if I study like 31 kanji a day from Remembering the Kanji Vol. 1, I will get through all of the writings/meanings of the 2043 or so kanji featured in the book, and will be able to start studying the readings. Those books are really effective, but it does put someone at a slight disadvantage when it comes to testing one's progress in kanji, since it approaches it differently. I don't want to be put in a lower level class because I'm completely retarded when it comes to the kanji readings. Unfortunately, my study plan is proving to be a bit ambitious.

I have a new commission from the Edward Scissorhands lady, and it's actually another Johnny Depp character, but this time, it's good old Captain Jack Sparrow. She might have me do another painting as well before I leave.

Um... that's about it. Enthralling I know.

Here's that painting I mentioned before. The photo kind of makes it look strangely bent though.

I hate waiting for replies or comments on the internet. I get so impatient. And there's always that disappointment when you go to check to see if there's anything new, and there isn't.

But anyway

I'm getting promoted to a front end supervisor at Michael's. This means more money and more hours. Also, this will be more responsibility than I've ever had in any previous jobs. I've never really been at a job long enough to get promoted, and I lucked out at Michael's because they needed another FES so badly that they were willing to train me as one even though I'm leaving in September.

I went to the art museum today. They have an entire Japanese tea house in the Asian Art section. It was pretty awesome. Unfortunately we couldn't go in it, but we could pretty close. We only saw the Asian art section and earlier European art, including armor and weapons, but it was all really neat. I'd like to go back though to see more contemporary works.

Speaking of art, it sounds like something could be arranged for me to study Japanese art or do something art-related while I'm in Japan. I'm not really sure what options would be available, but I'd love to learn how to do sumi-e. It's so pretty :D

Finally, I must make a TV show plug, for yet another good comedy has been discovered. Watch "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" on FX, everyone! The new episodes air each Thursday, initially, I believe, but you can pretty much find it on several nights a week, as well. (Check your local listings ;) )

UPDAAAAAAATTTEEE! (Do those e's remain silent?)

And guess who's not gonna bitch about money today? Me! Cause I know you all don't want to hear it.

I went shopping this week and last week. I may not work at Express anymore, but my sister does, and they just had an employee sale last weekend. Hooray 45% off! Plus they were also having the box sale last week and Victoria's Secret was also having a sale. Hooray sale! (Does anyone else like those "Hooray beer!" commercials? Cause I do)

I got....

• A new pair of jeans (and for you fellow What Not To Wear fans, they're a dark, single wash denim, like they're always telling people to get. I heart them)


• A pair of dark gray editors (I really didn't have that many editors, surprisingly, even though they fit so well)


• Three tops


• Three tanktops


• A pair of black editor gauchos and a pair of brown cropped editors (Both were only $20! Plus they were the only ones left and they were in my size :D)


• Two pairs of yoga pants for 5.99 each


• Then some stuff at Victoria's Secret.

Other news:

• My brother's back from China (and there's now a yak on my bookcase)


• Fireworks were fun, and I got to hear "Brick House" performed live (along with other Lionel Richie songs that I don't know). It started to rain at the end, though


• I've gotten back into studying mode


• Will Arnett got an Emmy nomination (Hooray GOB!)


• I need to go to the bathroom (Hooray TMI!)

Jaa, mata ne!

It seemed like a good time to update.

Like everyone, we've been having a lot of rain here. It took my dad three hours to get to work today due to flooding and the accidents and detours it causes. Luckily my house is fine.

But before it started raining here, it was raining quite a bit, from what I understand, in Toledo. In fact, I think they got 7 inches in like 2 minutes at some point (that's what I heard anyway). Needless to say, there was quite a bit of flooding. This really wouldn't mean anything for me, except for the fact that the flooding occurred the same week my parents decided to go to our old house to get the rest of our stuff. Because of this, my dad now has to go back to Toledo this weekend to pick up the car that stalled in deep water and now won't start that will hopefully be fixed when he gets there. I guess it was Toledo's final Fuck You.

Of course, that really isn't the only reason he's going back this weekend. My brother is now officially back in the United States after staying 10 long months in China. He flew into Chicago and my dad is meeting up with him in Toledo (It's cheaper to fly to Toledo than to Philadelphia, though for some reason it's kind of only costing me $10 to fly to Chicago from Philadelphia when I go to Japan). He's only back for a little over a month, but it'll be nice to see him.

In other news, I bought a new easel (table-top sketchbox easel) and some artist acrylics (the ones I had before were craft acrylics and they're old) earlier and today/yesterday I painted a picture! It's of a glass of wine with a couple other things in it as well. I tried for realistic at first, but then abandoned it for a more post-impressionistic approach. Anyway, I really like it. Expect a picture of it soon.

Well, that's about it. :D

Yoga makes me dizzy.

Oh, I'm taking classes at the YMCA with my sisters and my mom, since it's across the street from our house. One of those is yoga and the other is a toning/strengthening class. We also have been lifting weights and such on the days we don't have class.

But I'm still dizzy from yoga earlier today.

I got some potentially very good news today, but I'm not going to celebrate until I'm positive about it. There's still a chance it might not go through.

I'm not really sure why I'm updating. I guess it's just another way to procrastinate. I really need to study kanji.

Sorry I didn't really have anything to say.

As usual, I need money. Freeman-Asia informed me that I will not be hearing back from them until mid- to late June (way to lie on your website, Freeman-Asia), and getting enough money from working is looking less and less hopeful.

Therefore, I think I may try other ways of getting money (in addition to working, of course).

One in particular, is this idea:

I'm going to try to start one of those internet donation thingies, but rather than just begging for money, for every dollar that a person donates, I'm going to take personalized picture for them in Japan. That is, it will include at least their name, maybe more. Then, I will post all the pictures onto a website or blog or something.

A little retarded, but maybe I'll be able to get something at least.

I was also trying to think of other ways to get donations or pledges, not necessarily online. If anyone has any good ideas, I'd be happy to hear them!

(Also, if anyone is looking to commission an artist, I'd be glad to take the job)

It was a beetle! A huge, strangely fast beetle!

It came into my room again last night and I hysterically killed it with a shoe. Since I heard it's good to identify what kind of cockroach you have, I decided not to dispose of its carcass. When my dad saw it, he confirmed that it was a beetle.

It makes sense, since we haven't seen any other roaches.

Anyway, I will now be able to sleep soundly tonight.

I'm so happy! ;_;

There was a fucking cockroach in my room!

Stupid dogs wouldn't eat it.

Who knows when I'll be able to sleep.

;_;

I am apparantly incapable of writing a resume. My goal is to get it done tomorrow, but that's been my goal for the past week. I guess I had an excuse today though, since we had a barbecue. I think part of my problem is that I haven't had much energy/have been a little dizzy lately. I'm thinking I might have low blood pressure.

Still not a whole lot exciting happening around here. Like I said, we had a barbecue. It was enjoyable for the most part (some really good food), though I'm really starting to get sick of older people mildly expressing (or suggesting) their racism when the topic turns to the majors/study abroad of my brother and I.