The joy of spring break.
03.03.28
E12:22
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Music o' the Entry: "Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku", Shoujo Kakumei Utena Movie OST
The music of the eve is courtesy one Misha, and I'm terribly
grateful to her for it, interesting stuff. Of course, could be listening to LOTS of stuff,
provided the Internet connection at my family's home where I currently reside wasn't an
atrocity, but happy downloadage can resume upon my return to Ye Olde Apaato. Katakana looks
ridiculous as romaji.
Anyway, now that the quarter is over and I'm enjoying sweet merciful Spring
Break bliss, time to catch up on what life's been up to.
First off, Mardi Gras, my lovely cultural holiday, fell on March 4th this
year and I celebrated appropriately, sort of. I finally remembered to make
a King Cake, of which Kaleigh got the baby (even though she wasn't there; Kaleigh
ALWAYS gets the baby), even though it turned out funky. I actually used a mix as opposed
to making one from scratch, which was keen because it came with uber-tasty praline
filling but...yeah, it wasn't quite what it was supposed to be. Still, heaven help me
if I'm going to shell out $30 getting one sent up, across the frigging country...anyway, in
addition to this I made a big pot of gumbo with fake boudin (usually we have either
boudin or kielbasa, but we're low this time of year) and valiantly attempted to make crab cakes,
though they unfortunately fell apart for the most part...oh well, still tasty. This attempt at
a proper feast was shared with Matt and Kenji, who both found it tasty, and I was pleased, though
the rest of the evening was way too sedate for a Mardi Gras night-hooray studying. Next year I'm
planning more grandiose things, for example REMEMBERING Mardi Gras other than the day of
and inviting some more folks, it makes a crapload of food...
In recent and wonderful news, I received my grades for the Winter 2002 quarter
and lo and behold, I FREAKING PASSED MATH. MATH IS MY BITCH. Sort of, I passed it with a
2.0, the absolute lowest possible passing grade (sort of like when I finally did pass my driver's
license driving exam), but I am out of Math 105 and am immeasurably pleased. Of course, this simply
hearkens to that I have to take one more math to graduate next spring: either Precalculus II
or the other option, Math Reasoning. I know I'd have a higher likelihood of passing the latter,
but taking such a class would basically amount to closing any possibility of a career in science
to me, so sometime next year, the suffering shall resume. Still, I know how to make it work and I
might actually retain something so we'll see. All other grades were fine, save for a 2.6 in Geology
that surprised the crap out of me. Whatever, I passed, it's over with, it can go to hell.
Next news of note: Xenosaga. Uh, yeah, I was planning to talk about it as I/Matt went along,
but being busy, I sort of finished it over the weekend so I guess my next section is on my thoughts.
However, I don't really like how I wrote my thoughts on it, and they're not terribly original,
so in a blinding strike of weirdness I'm NOT going to my thoughts, other than the general ones:
I enjoyed it, but the game definitely possesses issues. I find it amusing how the sex symbol of Xenosaga
is not cleavagy Shion, battle thong-wearing KOS-MOS (though she has nothing on Kuja), but MOMO,
who resembles a 12-year-old. God bless Japan, if he exists.
As I mentioned before, I'm presently on Spring Break, and it's amazing the crap
you can do: like, have a social life, something I haven't experienced since the end of my
junior year in high school (some would contend that it started after my sophomore year, but
I don't feel like arguing specifics). Lessee, my exploits this far aren't horrifically
out-there, but entertaining enough: I went to visit Matt's hometown, which is always
fun because I get to leave this place, where I visited his family and his relatives gave my
Blueberry-Vanilla Tea, the best freaking stuff EVER. Seriously, if you're a fan of hot tea
or tea in general and possess taste buds, this stuff is great. Well, unless you hate blueberry
or vanilla for some sick reason, but I digress. I also received a cube of my ramen of choice
(I like Maruchan. I don't care what anyone says, Maruchan and Cup of Noodles are SO not the
same.) of the chicken flavour...w00t, thanks extended to Matt's generous family, in addition
to taking me out to eat Mexican (chimichangas with shredded beef...remind me NEVER to do that
again prior to getting my braces removed) and to everyone's quintessential favourite,
the American Chinese buffet, which this time had Safeway pizza sticks, which is freaking awesome.
That restaurant is the greatest. Anyway, an entertaining time was had by all and now that
I've been back at my family's home, I've enjoying life the way it's meant to be enjoyed:
exercising, eating tasty food, and watching lots of the Weather Channel. Yes, my official
exercise plan is in (mostly) full-swing: craploads of cardio, and I'll work on the strength exercises
once I get back to the gym and have such capabilities. I shall have arms that will rock your
face off. Now I'm mostly using the bike and using the beauty of speed metal in relation to the treadmill.
Wish me luck kids.
Oh, in addition to this, I also spent the evening with one Misha last
night and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I always like hanging out with Misha, she's different than
my other friends, which is not an insult to them, but I get to enjoy interests that others may not share,
such as weird foreign films and Japanese food. Indeed, we went out and ate sushi last night, which was
tasty (surprising, given my general opinion of sushi, but it had avocados. Avocados make ANYTHING awesome.)
and miso soup (which I HAD had before; it has kind of a distinctive appearance, you know?), developed a hatred
for wasabi that is rivalled only by my pathological loathing of shouga (which was naturally on the plate too,
grrr) and discovered that given my opinion of the nigiri, I think I'd be a big fan of sashimi. It's bizarre
how many relatively common Japanese foods I've never had, on basis of my host brother eating them before I had
a chance or the seasonality of the dish (I've only been there in summer)...so yeah, tasty. We visited a cafe
and I consumed a tasty though a bit over-buttery pink-frosted sugar cookie, and then filed to her home to
watch Amelie, which I'd been wishing to watch...um, yeah. Enjoyable but utterly BIZARRE, but this is coming
from the director of The City of Lost Children, which I've somehow managed to avoid seeing (not purposely)
but is on the list of films to observe. Yeah, it's entertaining, but I'm not sure if I'd like to see it twice,
it's looong...guu. Oh, and we discussed stuff, such as planning a strategic dinner! Perhaps I'll elaborate when
the time comes.
Other than that, I'm just relaxing...I don't think I'm going to post too much on the war because
my feelings are mixed and I have a hard time expressing things than other than in black and white...
suffice to say I support the troops in the fact that I'm not holding anything against them, I don't blame
them for what's going on...this is the result of the President and his sycophants, a man I despise but
whose associates are more foul yet, and I'm extremely suspicious of his motives and worried of the results
of such actions; from the geographical perspective, this can only lead to an already tumultuous region
getting more complex. Still, I wish no ill to any of the soldiers for either side of any nationality
and am simply waiting for this end. I'm not out protesting because I feel uneasy about protests; I'm
not a big fan of propaganda, and to say that the faction I'm generally associated with is not spewing it
as hardcore as the opposition is to speak a falsehood. So I will sit as a silent observer, right now,
although I fear my main battle is with Mr. John Ashcroft. Good lord, someone seriously needs to send
that man a copy of 1984 immediately prior to his unequivocal ejection. I can't imagine the horror
if that nutjob was somehow to make it to the Presidency...ick. So those are my thoughts. I offhand
feel to do that letter-writing thing, but I don't think they'd appreciate my thoughts.
Oh, by the way, this is ridiculously
creepy. Heaven bless The Memory Hole.
In music news, I picked up a Chumbawamba CD used for a cool $2. Yeah, remember that "Tubthumping" song?
Personally I have no attachment to the song, or really the first 3-4 songs on the disc, but after that
it turns plain weird: just my style, baby. So I enjoy it, along with my Evanescence CD, which I really
should listen to more. I'm experiencing an old CD renaissance, I dug out my CD full of random German
visual kei songs and realized once again that my life is not complete without Sanguis et Cinis, or any of
those kids. Maybe for Christmas. Still, German doesn't exactly roll off the tongue when one sings like
Japanese...or perhaps I'm merely not used to it. I encourage all of you to dig up a CD you haven't listened to
in forever and a day, it's an enjoyable experience. Which reminds me, I REALLY need to dig through my CD
box at my home and find my Switchblade Symphony disc. MAA!
Ah well, I suppose this entry has gotten longer than it should be, look for mini-updates on the
lite version, and I'm out for now. Sing, it'll
do you good.
chronos
Ekairos
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