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Published: July 17th 2008
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Addiction
A vast majority of my friends are avid artists, and these are the things they come up with when bored The truth of the matter is that I can never move back to North Carolina. It's something I didn't want to realize; part of me had always hoped that I could return to the world I was comfortable and complacent within prior to leaving for Japan, with familiar walls and scenery that used to excite. I thought that maybe I needed my dog to feel at home, or friends close by, my old university right down the road from me. But I realized after being in my father's house for less than an hour that those things couldn't be returned: I really have changed. I remembered the exact reason why I ran away to Japan to begin with, and as much as I wish that it wasn't the truth.. It can't really be helped. Mail me if you'd like to know the facts and details; it's not appropriate for the travel blog unfortunately, though I may have to talk about it here sometime rather than letting it build up inside. I'll be returning to Silver Spring this Saturday though, and have already begun shuushokukatsudou yet again. All good things must come to an end.
Serious subjects aside, today was possibly
Akira mitai!
I believe Ami's first reaction to seeing me recently was "Ay, Akira mitai yo!", haha. one of the best days I have had recently, and I can't wait for the plans we've made for coming months. I met up with Kerri, Sarah and April and the three of us went out for a picnic lunch. It was a beautiful setting: the sky was clear and blue, it was just warm enough without being oppressive (which is rare for North Carolina. Typically it can be as hot as 45 C here during July and August), and I couldn't have asked for better company. The lake we went to is actually one that I used to run around before going to Japan, and where I discovered really how much I love sprinting and that physical action of "being free". There is something unnaturally liberating about being able to escape reality, both physically and mentally, for those few moments that you are in motion. After that we went to this small local Japanese grocery store that my hometown has, and talk about natsukashii. They had ramune, ramen like you wouldn't believe, inarizushi, bags upon bags of sticky rice and freshly prepared mochi and melon pan.. they even had Calpis! It was like being in heaven. I was finding
Batman
How are your parents? all sorts of things I could get at Sanko and Top World so readily back in Japan, and it just made everything so surreal. It was really like being back there if only for a few minutes.. It was just enough to satisfy that desire for Hirakata without being too overwhelming. I picked up some pre-prepaed anko and mochiko flour to use in a few weeks for baking cupcakes, which will be damn exciting. Have a few recipes I'd love to try out and I finally have the perfect occasion to do so.
From there we went to the city's shopping mall, and ended up sitting down in the food court for hours just talking and scribbling back and forth on Kerri and Souji's sketch pads. We talked about the old times, about plans we have coming up in a few weeks or in the latter months of the year.. as well as one of my more interesting hobbies, I suppose you could say. And it might make me a dork, a nerd, or a complete geek for saying and revealing this-- but I love to do cosplay costumes. I started at least ten years ago very basically, and
Toyo Shokuhin
I would die if it weren't for this place. I've been going here for years, but only can I really appreciate the nostalgia it brings. have only in recent years tried more and more complicated projects and venturing into different things. Most of the costumes I make are animanga related.. Even though I'm not so big into anime fandom as I once was in high school and earlier. Do still love it but I think the passion lies more in the art of costume play. I'm not sure if the experience will have changed any given how much I've changed since Gaidai, but before Japan I always used cosplay as a way to escape reality and become someone else for a little while. It's a challenge, it's frustrating as hell at times, and I love it. And since this year might be one of my last chances to do any cosplay we're making plans to live it up in as big of ways as possible. Think what you will about it! This will give me a good creative outlet at least where I can't bake as much now that I'm in America. Right now plans are to be Sora (Kingdom Hearts II), Lelouch (Code Geass), Yagami Light (Death Note), and possibly Kurogane (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles) or Itoshiki-sensei (Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei) if time and expenses allow
Ramen!
Seeing so many different kinds of ramen in one place.. natsukashii as fuck. for it. All of these costumes minus Light are very prop heavy; I'd like to have a keyblade for Sora, and make Lelouch's zero form helmet which will take a significant amount of time. And haha, yes, I only cosplay boys. :P
On becoming a girl: My bridemaid dress for Sora's wedding finally came in, and I have to say.. I really like wearing dresses. I'm actually more comfortable in them than I thought I would be, and that's an extremely wonderful feeling. Right now I'm reaching a stage where I'm trying to figure out what precisely my style and preference in clothing is. It's.. very difficult actually. I'm entirely too accustomed to wearing guys clothing or more athletic styles of dress, so trying to buy clothes that are actually cut to be form fitting is a bit awkward. So far I know I love button-downs and skirts, leggings, hair accessories, and really tall and ridiculous platformed boots. Go figure. ;D
The rest of this momentary "vacation" will hopefully be as amazing as today was. I'll be spending a bit of time with my mother tomorrow, and Friday I'm staying over with Iris (where I will be staying
every time I come back to North Carolina from here on out) and I think we'll be taking a road trip to Sanford that afternoon. We're also going to work on some cake designs and projects to extend my own portfolio. Also need to start working on any of my little wedding projects that can't be taken back to Maryland with me, which include the cherry blossoms for the cupcakes and some pieces of my Miyavi costume for the reception. All in all I just hope I have enough to keep me extremely busy until Saturday evening when I head back to Maryland. I really don't want to think about North Carolina anymore.
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Lebdawho
Kathryn Lebda
I felt the same way about Toyo Shokuhin when i came back from gaidai too. i almost asked if i could get a job there but i decided that my japanese wasn't good enough and i just went there often. they have everything that you need for J}
roslyn
non-member comment
OMG your food store is amazing! So are you going to Japan or Sweden next?
April
non-member comment
THEY'RE DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!