Everybody Needs Somebody

By Love Psychedelico. Just an awesome song! The singer says she was mainly influenced by Janis Joplin, Sheryl Crow, and Bob Dylan. She also was born in California. :D It's mostly in English, even though it's a Japanese band.

I wrote more on my characters' personalities. I didn't think it would take me this long, but it's fun to actually put down their personalities that I've been slowly developing. Some still need to be in the story a bit more in order to get a better feel of it. So, there won't be much on them yet. XD I made it to Max Leiche in my 5th chapter. He's a fun character, which you'll read more about when I post it. I also posted 3 pics. One of the zigzag bridge and 2 of the bamboo grove at the Morikami. If you don't have my deviantART: http://rcmacdonald.deviantart.com/ I think these actually came out pretty well. :P

Sebastian's especially good at sweets. :P Oddly, he told the gardener to get some iris seeds, and they blossomed that night. O.O Ciel is usually with a cane. He's president of his family's company. (The Phantom.) Which, is England's best toy company. Elizabeth or Lizi visits him, and she's his fiancee. She's creepy, and tries to decorate the mansion with 'girly' stuff. (Ribbons, hearts, flowers, etc.) She even tries to dress everyone up 'cutely'. He's not interested in her, but he's forced into it. Another thing Sebatian's good at is dancing. (Does this guy have any faults?) So, he teaches Ciel, since he has to dance with her later. Also, Sebastian gives him tips on how to be a gentleman. The ring Ciel wears has been passed down from generation to generation. It also seems to have some weird power where every night he can hear his predecessors' screams since it 'witnessed' their deaths. O.O Lizi accidentally breaks it, and he goes nuts. After some calming down he throws it out the window. Later, the butler gives it back to him fully intact. O.O Apparently, he's also good with playing the violin. Next, Ciel's kidnapped by the Italian mafia. His butler beats up (and eventually kills) the boss' hitmen. Ciel seems a bit mysterious too. (Ciel and Sebastian are in the pic above.)

日本語

I did more of section か or ka. 学部 or gakubu- department of a university. 火事 or kaji- fire. (Yet another word for it. :P) ガソリン or gasorin- gasoline. ガソリンスタンド or gasorinsutando- (lit.) gasoline stand, gas station. 方 or kata- way, direction, method of, manner of. 形 or katachi- form, shape, figure. 勝つ or katsu- to win. 格好 or kakkou- shape, form, posture, appearance, manner. 悲しい or kanashii- sad. 必ず or kanarazu- certainly, always, without exception, necessarily, without fail, positively, invariably. 金持ち or kanemochi- rich person. 彼女 or kanojo- her, she, girlfriend, sweetheart.

Yesterday night was fun. We had the seder for Tu B'Shevat. (Seder lit. means 'order'. There's a certain order that the meal has to go. Each thing has a symbolism.) I was so full of fruit at the end, it was crazy! There was a nut mix, kiwis, 2 types of oranges, dried cherries, mango, apples, pears, Fig Newtons, dates, strawberries, raspberries, avacadoes, pistachios, apricots, olives, nectarines, and some others I can't remember. I pretty much had everything but the avacadoes. We also had to drink grape juice or wine 4 times. Fruit is like candy to me, so it was awesome! :D

Sayonara

By Orange Range. Kind of a sad song. It's about a guy who died tragically, and how he watches over his girlfriend. At the end, he's happy to know that she'll always love him and never forget him. He smiles when she's walking with her new boyfriend. Then he says Sayonara and disappears. :'( I wrote out more of my characters' personalities. Stopped at Kenta's description. I'm also thinking of writing out the relations each character has had with each other- just for me to keep things clear. :P I might write out the descriptions of the buildings too. This is turning out to be really fun! :D

I started a new manga called Kuroshitsuji or Black Butler. I've heard about it as an anime, but I wanted to test it out with the manga. It's really good so far! I thought I would hate it or something. It's set in England. The butler is Sebastian Michaels. (The guy in the pic.) He seems to be too talented as a butler. Being able to do everything perfectly. There's been hints that he might not be human. O.O The boy he looks after is Ciel Phantomhive. He's the head of the family, yet he's only 12. Still don't know much about him. They have a gardener named Finnian, a maid named Maylene, and a chef named Bard. They're all extremely clumsy, and Sebastian is always cleaning up after them. The house steward, Tanaka, is just bizarre. I might see what the anime's like eventually. :D

日本語

I did the き or ki and part of the か or ka sections. 気 or ki- spirit, mind, heart, nature, disposition, motivation, intention, mood, feelings. 機会 or kikai- opportunity, chance. 危険 or kiken- danger, peril, hazard. 汽車 or kisha- train (steam). 技術 or gijutsu- technique, art, craft, skill. 季節 or kisetsu- season. 規則 or kisoku- rules. 厳しい or kibishii- strict, severe, rigid, stern, grave, majestic, intense (cold). きっと or kitto- surely, certainly. 絹 or kinu- silk. 気分 or kibun- mood, feeling. 君 or kimi- you. (Another form. Other one: 貴方 or anata.) 気持ち or kimochi- feeling, sensation, mood. 着物 or kimono- kimono, traditional Japanese dress, clothing, clothes. 客 or kyaku- guest, client, customer, audience, tourist, passenger. 急 or kyuu- urgent, steep, rapid, fast, emergency. 急行 or kyuukou- moving at high speed, express train. 教育 or kyouiku- education, training. 教会 or kyoukai- church. 興味 or kyoumi- interest (in something). 近所 or kinjo- neighborhood. カーテン or kaaten- curtain. 会 or kai- club, meeting, assembly, party. 海岸 or kaigan- coast, beach. 会場 or kaijou- assembly hall, meeting place, the grounds. 会話 or kaiwa- conversation. 科学 or kagaku- science. 鏡 or kagami- mirror.

I tried to watch the next episode of Gintama. The one before that said to be continued next time. There wasn't a good sub, or even raw of it. So, I moved on. (They've done this with previous episodes, kind of annoying.) The next one was odd. About a boy who observed Madao for his summer observation journal. (Madao- the guy who's always down on his luck. Real name is Hasegawa.) It wasn't as funny as it usually is. Although, I have to hand it to them, they can turn anything into being serious or sad. Even if it's a ho- hum episode, they seem to still do really will with the story. Next one is about when Gintoki was with the Joi during the war against Amanto. That should be awesome! He used to be called the white devil. O.O

I finished with Sahara's anatomy. She seems to look a bit better than her brother, at least, I think so. I added her school uniform and inked everything. Next time I'll probably use white out on a couple of areas that my pen messed up on. Then, I'll color it. Lastly, I'll be able to post it. These last bits won't take long, so look forward to it! :D

Tomorrow is Tu B'Shevat. It's a harvest holiday, that's like a tree New Year's. We're supposed to have like 15 different fruits and nuts. Each are divided into 4 categories, representing the seasons. I love this holiday for some reason. XD There's also an interesting metaphor where if a fruit producing tree were to be chopped down in the midst of war, it would be as though you murdered someone. O.O So, they're very special. Also, we're supposed to have 4 different shades of wine (or juice in my case) representing the seasons.

El Mirador

Mood: annoyed

By nobodyknows+. Another awesome song from them! :D Kind of a upbeat party song. I got up a little earlier than the last couple of days. That was a plus! :P I tried calling our local SSA office, but every time I did it was busy, except the last one. But, that one I got their answering machine telling me they're not there. This time it said I could leave a message. So I did. At the end of it, it asked me if I wanted it to be a priority and personal. Obviously, I picked those. I left this message about 11:30 AM, and haven't heard from them since. I'm going to call the national tomorrow, ask them my question, and tell them about our local office. I'm pissed about it! (I calmed a bit more, so that's why I'm just annoyed with it at the moment.)

日本語

I finished the け or ke and く or ku sections. 毛 or ke- hair, fur, or wool. 計画 or keikaku- plan or schedule. 警官 or keikan- policeman. 経験 or keiken- experience. 経済 or keizai- economy. 警察 or keisatsu- police. 怪我 or kega- injury. 景色 or keshiki- scenery or landscape. 下宿 or geshuku- lodging. 決して or kesshite- definitely, by no means. けれども or keredomo- but, however, although. 原因 or genin- cause, origin, source. 喧嘩 or kenka- to fight. 研究 or kenkyuu- study, research. 研究室 or kenkyuushitsu- study room, lab. 見物 or kenbutsu- sightseeing, watching. 具合 or guai- condition, state, manner, health. 空気 or kuuki- air, atmosphere. 空港 or kuukou- airport. 草 or kusa- grass. 首 or kubi- neck. 雲 or kumo- clouds. 比べる or kuraberu- to compare. 暮れる or kureru- to get dark, to end, to close.

I watched the first episode of Ando Natsu since I liked the last time I watched. I like it even more now! ^_^ Ando was working and learning from a 'foreigner' (Laura) making European pastries. She said it was the happiest month of her life. Then, Laura died so the shop closed and she was forced to go to a job interview. She didn't get the job. She later decided to eat at a sweets shop while trying to figure out what to do next. The shop was looking for another worker, but no one was interested. So, long story short, she got the job. (With a little help from her friend, Yousuke's mom.) After trying them, Ando wants to be a Japanese sweets or wagashi chef. Apparently, there's many different varieties of wagashi. They joked about her name, which sounds like AnDonuts. :P There was a huge festival called the Sanja Matsuri. This time they centered the sweets on Hourai manju. It's like a giant cake filled with manju- or a type of wagashi. It was crazy, but good looking! They only have it for special occasions like weddings. (I couldn't find a pic of it for some reason.) Eventually, the head chef agrees to let her be his apprentice.

I also played some games. I'm going to do more things tomorrow, I was just put on hold because of those stupid SSA agents. -_-' My dad has a 3 day weekend starting tomorrow, so that should be nice. :D

Chocolate Disco

Mood: content

By Perfume. I oddly like this song. It's a bit random. :P Kind of a guilty pleasure I guess. Perfume's such a weird group, but some of their stuff I love. I had such a hard time sleeping last night, I slept in again. I then called SSA, because I had a question. I was on hold for 30 minutes! Then, the times I called back after that, their machine said they weren't there! What the hell?! I was pissed! I'll try again tomorrow.

日本語

I finished the こ or ko section. 子 or ko- child. ご or go- same as お, being an honorific. こう or kou- like this, this way, thus, or such. 郊外 or kougai- suburbs or outskirts. 講義 or kougi- lecture. 工業 or kougyou- industry. 高校 or koukou- high school. 高校生 or koukousei- highschool student. 工場 or koujyou- factory. 校長 or kouchou- principal or headmaster. 交通 or koutsuu- traffic. 行動 or koudou- lecture hall or auditorium. 公務員 or koumuin- public (civil) servant or government worker. 国際 or koukusai- international. 心 or kokoro- mind, heart, or spirit. (It definitely looks like a heart to me. :P) ご馳走 or gochisou- to treat to dinner or feast. 小鳥 or kotori- small bird or songbird. 細かい or komakai- small, detailed, fine, minute, or minor. 塵 or gomi- dust, trash, or garbage. 込む or komu- to be crowded. 米 or kome- rice. (Before it's cooked.) 怖い or kowai- scary, frightening, eerie, or dreadful. (Interesting that kawaii is cute and kowai is scary. They sound pretty similar.) コンサート or consaato- concert. 今度 or kondo- next time, now, or this time. 今夜 or konya- tonight or this evening.

I made Japanese curry. Mom helped with cutting the beef. I also put onions, carrots, and potatoes in it. The brand that the curry mix came from is just awesome! It's called Vermont Curry. It's sweet and has a tiny bit of a kick. Also, has a million different things in it. O.O I can tell why it's so popular over there. Instead of using rice they said you can use any pasta too. So I did. ^_^ It was interesting with rotini. Earlier my mom made a spice cake with icing, so we had that too. That was so good! All this put me in a really good mood. :D

Kokoro Odoru

Mood: cheerful

By Nobodyknows+. It could literally mean heart pounding. It's a very awesome song! :D Very upbeat, makes you want to dance, kind of song. Also, one of my fave bands! I went through a list of Japanese artists to add to my playlist. I needed more, since you get tired of hearing the same thing over and over again, right? I forgot about most of these bands. Also, some I knew I liked before, but I looked at their other songs, and they've become my faves too. It's too awesome! I heard some bands for the first time, and have new faves, too. Makes me happy just thinking about it. XD

When I used the hydrogen peroxide last night, apparently it hit a large pocket of water, because it fizzed so much it leaked out my ears. O.O It was a weird feeling. But, 2 hours after going to bed, I was pain free. :D So, I slept in. I didn't feel the pain until just a couple of hours ago, so it's almost gone! Plus, my mood has really lifted. It's really nice, because I've been feeling pretty bad since we got back from the trip. Maybe it'll be totally gone tomorrow!

日本語

I did the し or shi and さ or sa sections. 小説 or shousetsu- novel or short story. 招待 or shoutai- invite. 承知 or shouchi- consent or agreement. 将来 or shourai- future. 食事する or shokujisuru- meal. 食料品 or shokuryouhin- foods or groceries. 女性 or josei- woman or female. 人口 or jinkou- population. 神社 or jinja- Shinto shrine. 親切 or shinsetsu- kind, kindness, or gentleness. 心配する or shinpaisuru- to worry, concern, or anxiety. 新聞社 or shinbunsha- newspaper company. 最近 or saikin- recent or latest. 最後 or saigo- last time, last, or conclusion. 最初 or saisho- first time, first, or beginning. 財布 or saifu- purse or wallet. 盛ん or sakan- popular or enthusiastic. さっき or sakki- some time ago. 寂しい or sabishii- lonely. 再来月 or saraigetsu- the month after next. 再来週 or saraishuu- the week after next. サンダル or sandaru- sandals. サンドイッチ or sandoicchi- sandwich. 残念 or sannen- regret.

I posted 2 more pics. This time it was the start of the Morikami gardens. Got a comment already, saying the flowers I posted were very pretty. They look kind of funny to me. They're these weird pom pom things. I guess they do look pretty though. XD The other pic was the wisdom ring. Might post more of them tomorrow. :P

Re:member

From the Naruto soundtrack by FLOW. Another cool rock opening song for the series. :P I posted more pics to deviantART. If you don't have the link it's at: http://rcmacdonald.deviantart.com/ I also posted those 2 pics on other sites. Started my first real post on LJ. That's at: http://rc22macdo.livejournal.com/ I posted pics, some drawings, a simple recipe, and tried to post a Youtube video on it. Their code is a bit different, so I still have to figure that out. I just posted the link instead. But, it's easier if it's embedded. (At least I think so. You get to see it right away that way.) I love that they actually have moods for each post. Maybe I can do that for this one. (I'll try it at the end.) It's sad it's not already set up, though. :'( Also, they have better layouts. Hmmm... Maybe I can fix that too. :P

Wanted to read some of Gintama (I don't even remember the last time I read it!), but the site I go to was having issues. So, I decided to search around for some newly released manga. I'm getting tired of the ones I'm reading right now. I'll definitely go back to them, but I need something new and fresh!

I made some tamagoyaki and onigiri again. This time the omelet came out really great! I'm getting the hang of rolling it. (Although, I forgot to test it using sweetener instead of sugar.) Also, I experimented with fillings again for my onigiri. I used cheddar, sliced turkey pastrami, 2 with sweet gherkins, raisins, and umeboshi paste. I had some and still have plenty for tomorrow's lunch. It was all very good. I thought that the cheddar would be horrible, but it's good. Oh, this whole thing took about an hour to make. O.O

日本語

I did more of the し or shi section. (It's a huge section!) 式 or shiki- equation, expression, ceremony, or style. 試験 or shiken- exam or experiment. 事故 or jiko- accident. 地震 or jishin- earthquake. 時代 or jidai- age, era, or generation. 下着 or shitagi- underwear. 支度 or shitaku- prepare. 確り or shikkari- firmly, tightly, or reliable. 失敗 or shippai- failure. 失礼 or shitsurei- rude. 事典 or jiten- dictionary. 品物 or shinamono- article or goods. 暫く or shibaraku- for some time, moment, it's been a long time, or instant. 島 or shima- island. 事務所 or jimusho- office. 社会 or shakai- society or public. 社長 or shachou- president, manager, or director. 邪魔 or jama- obstacle or hindrance. ジャム or jamu- jam. 自由 or jiyuu- freedom. 習慣 or shuukan- habit, custom, or manners. 住所 or juusho- address (ex. of house). 柔道 or juudou- Judo. 十分 or jubun- enough, plenty, or adequate. 出発 or shuppatsu- to depart. 趣味 or shumi- hobby. 紹介 or shoukai- introduce. 正月 or shougatsu- New Year's Day, the first month, or January.

I played Temple Escape. It was really good until the end. Apparently, the guy who made it forgot to code the orb you're supposed to click in order to get the 'congrats' screen. (According to Gamershood.) It was annoying that the orb looked clickable but nothing was happening.

Mood: curious

The Raising Fighting Spirit

From the Naruto soundtrack. Awesome background music for fight scenes and when a character is beating the odds. :P Finally felt up to getting back into my routine! Wahoo! Started writing chapter 8, and I might call it Alone or Threatened, I'm still not sure.

They introduced Chiri who's, I would describe as, OCD. They call her methodical and uptight. Things have to be done properly and perfectly everytime. Even her hair is perfectly split down the middle. Almost everything irritates her, the leaning tower of Piza, shows that don't start on the dot of every hour, etc. There's even the cake scene, which I posted a video earlier of it from the anime. She tries to cut each piece of cake perfectly, but people keep showing up. So, eventually she can't stand it, and just puts it in the blender and gives it to everybody as a drink. O.O

Next, was about Maria. Who's an illegal alien. (Don't exactly know from where.) She bought some random guy's name and enrolled with it. Everyone feels like they have to protect her, and they give her a bunch of gifts. She thinks everyone in Japan is nice. ^_^

The last one was Nami, who's considered the 'normal' girl. Although, I don't think she's very normal, especially later on in the story. She doesn't really have a label. Sensei tells her it's good that he has one student who appears to be normal. He says all of the other 32 students are in despair or are helpless. They're such likable characters, though.

日本語

I went through the す or su and the beginning of し or shi sections. 水泳 or suiei- swimming. 水道 or suidou- water works or water supply. 随分 or zuibun- very or extremely. 数学 or suugaku- mathematics. スーツケース or suutsukeesu- suitcase. 少ない or sukunai- very few or scarce. 凄い or sugoi- fantastic, terrible, dreadful, amazing, great, cool, wonderful, or terrific. すっかり or sukkari- all or completely. ずっと or zutto- throughout, always, all the way, much better, or by far. ステレオ or sutereo- stereo. 砂 or suna- sand. (Always thought this one sounded cool.) 素晴らしい or subarashii- wonderful, splendid, or magnificent. 滑る or suberu- to slip or slide. 隅 or sumi- corner or nook. 済む or sumu- to end or finish. 掏り or suri- pickpocket. すると suruto- and, or then. 字 or ji- character (like kanji), handwriting, or penmanship. 試合 or shiai- game. 仕方 or shikata- method, way, means, or resource. 叱る or shikaru- to scold.

Hey! That's a first! Reading it and watching it in one day! XD First part was about people's inner switches and what happens when you flip them. (By saying something or through your actions.) Was pretty funny. :P Next, was when forced to decide between 2 options people usually go for a random 3rd. For instance, when you're trying to decide between 2 action flicks, but in the end you choose a romance one. Also, he says the world has become way too overprotective and is way too cautious. (I agree with him in most of these. :D) Next, was a bit about TPO or Time (and?)Place Occasion(s). Basically is it really worth following all the manners each occasion calls for? Next was a bit on reasons to celebrate. Started with saying what do people in Japan, who don't live next to the sea do to celebrate 'The Day of the Sea'. Then, like everything on the show goes, they expanded a bit to general celebrations. Like, what's the proper way of celebrating things?

I played Jinx Episode 3: Escape from Area 52. I like the series so far, but this one I wasn't able to solve on my own. Maybe I'll try it again sometime. It's a fun story. This time Jinx (who is in a ghost costume because he was swept into another dimension on Halloween night.), the professor, and the E.L.F. are caught and thought to be aliens. I got to the part where everyone was freed from their cells and E.L.F went hiding in one of the vents. I'm at a loss of what to do next.

I started drawing Sahara, from Alliance. I think I have her anatomy down more than her brother. I might try to have her hands on her hips. With her leaning a bit on one leg. Hopefully, it'll work out. Wish me luck! :P Oh, and those descriptions of the characters will be up soon! I promise! :D One more thing, I created a LJ account just to have another place for my art and/or recipes and my experiments in the kitchen. After I do the next post, I'll be sure to give you guys the link to it soon.

Youtube:

One of my faves! His art is amazing! The story is a bit sad, but the concept is amazing:

Cats and Baby squirrels? XD

Still Doll

From the Vampire Knight soundtrack by Kanon Wakeshima. This artist is amazing! She's an awesome singer and cellist. She's also still pretty new, and has won many awards. This was her debut song, that was also the Vampire Knight's first season ending theme. Vampire Knight is pretty awesome too! Has vampires, romance, a good complex plot, lots of humor, cool fight scenes, and so much more! It's one of my faves. The next season was even better, but has an even more complex plot. It's called Vampire Knight: Guilty. Check it out if you can! ^_^

Well, last night my ears were hurting a lot worse than before. I used hydrogen peroxide in them this time instead of rubbing alcohol. It feels a lot better today. I still have a slight pain, but it's a lot tolerable. Hopefully it will go away with a couple of more treatments of that. Also, sorry about not posting in the last couple of days. My internet connection was out everytime I tried to post.

日本語

I'm going to post the stuff I did today, not the vocab I did in the last couple of days. I did the new そ or so and せ or se sections. そう or sou- so, really, or seeming. 相談する or soudansuru- discussion. 育てる or sodateru- to raise or to bring up. 卒業 or sotsugyou- graduation or completion. 祖父 or sofu- grandfather. 祖母 or sobo- grandmother. 其れで or sorede- and, then, or because of that. 其れに or soreni- besides or moreover. 其れほど or sorehodo- so, so much, or extent. そろそろ or sorosoro- slowly, gradually, quietly, or soon. そんなに or sonnani- (expression) so, so much, or like that. 製 or sei- made of or make. 政治 or seiji- politics or government. 西洋 or seiyou- the west or Western countries. 世界 or sekai- the world or the universe. 席 or seki- seat. 説明 or setsumei- explanation. 背中 or senaka- back (of body). 是非 or zehi- by some means, without fail, or certainly. 線 or sen- line, wire, or beam. 全然 or zenzen- not at all. 戦争 or sensou- war. 先輩 or senpai- one's senior (at work or school), superior, or old- timer. 専門 or senmon- major, specialty, expert, or subject of study.

I started to draw Shadow's sister, Sahara. I'm drawing her next to him, since they're siblings. She seems like she'll be so much taller than him, but she's average height, and he's short. :P I'm going to update my character descriptions and post it soon. Chapter 3 was the last time I put the descriptions up. O.O (I've just started chapter 8!) I have a lot more characters now! So, this way they'll be able to 'see' them. And I'm going to write a bit more in depth about the previous characters' personalities, especially since at the time I was just developing them. I still am, but they've developed a lot further. :D

Shikamaru's Theme

From the Naruto soundtrack. His background music. It's kind of cool! I worked more on my story, and realized I had finished the chapter. It always creeps up on me. I don't plan them out, but I just seem to know when I finished a chapter. So, I posted it on deviantART. By the way my DA is: http://rcmacdonald.deviantart.com/ I even wonder what will happen next in the story. So many ways it can still go! Somebody on a forum told me he's envious of my talents. I don't think they're that good!

I also called the SSA, and the automated system really is horrible! The 'machine' doesn't understand what you say even if it's extremely crystal clear! Once I finished with the 'machine' they told me I had another 9 minute wait. They called me back, and I finally talked to an agent. I was nervous by then, and I think I jumped the gun on some questions, but it ended up ok. I told her about my 'conditions' that are 'expected to end in death'. I thought that meant you'll have them for the rest of your life, but she said it's if these things are life threatening. Yeah, they still are, and explained more about them. She gasped when I told her about my 8 month period. Soon after that she tried to get me the earliest appointment she could. It's tomorrow at 9 AM. Hopefully, it will be fine. She said to have a list doctors and meds. If they approve me at the end, have your bank account number ready. I compiled the list of doctors, and there's over 20 in the last few years. Crazy! I just made a small list of meds I'm taking now. If they want more I can name some off the top of my head, and tell them they're probably in my records. There's a ton of meds I've tried. The list would be insane!

日本語

I went over the vocab from yesterday to see if it was correct. 中中 or nakanaka- very or considerably. 乍ら or nagara- while. 泣く or naku- to cry. 何故 or naze- why or how. 成るほど or naruhodo- I see, Really!, That's right!, or Indeed. 道具 or dougu- tool. 等々 or toutou- at last, and so on, finally, or after all. 動物園 or doubutsuen- zoo. 通り or toori- street or road. 時 or toki- time, hour, occasion, or moment. 特別 or tokubetsu- special. 床屋 or tokoya- barber. 年 or toshi- year. (Another way of saying it.) I'll list more tomorrow.

We had a Hadassah meeting tonight. It was mainly talking about planning for this year, and how we can improve on things. Since I'm the Secretary, I was a bit tough since people were speaking so fast! There was only a few of us this time. Maybe 7 people. We're used to around 12. Someone said it was probably because some of the other members felt intimidated by the chapter members that came. What's up with that? They were only helping our group, and giving some good ideas for us. Well, it was a really nice potluck too. Mom made quesadillas. There was a nice salad, some sort of tabouleh looking thing (I know it wasn't, but it 'looked' like it), 2 different kinds of quiche, veggies, and hummus with crackers. Dessert was kisses with macademia nuts, grapes, and brownies. Really tasty! :D

Marukaite Chikyuu (France)

From the Hetalia soundtrack with France's seiyuu (voice actor) singing. Another funny version of the song. The inbetween bits sound like authentic French music. Even better! Well, I had some internet trouble for the last couple of days. I have wireless, and for some reason it was reading the signal, but wasn't able to connect. So, I did a ton of things to try and fix the problem. Finally, I was trying to figure out how to uninstall my network card, and then reinstall. (It wouldn't show up in my add or remove thing.) So, I decided to exit it entirely to see if it would show up with it 'supposedly' turned off. This is the crazy thing, as soon as I did that, the internet was back up! Totally illogical, but really a relief at the same time. In fact, it's faster than before! Doesn't make sense! Oh well, at least it's working. I also got some other things done while it was out. So, that was good.

Yesterday, I did a ton of stuff with my story. Wrote some, edited, and added the new characters to my character descriptions. I think I have like 16 'main' characters now. But, each one plays a role. Also, my newest character, I thought I wouldn't like very much. After writing down his description, I realized I like him too. In fact, I like all my characters, and I think that's the way it should be. It was nice to go over some of the story again. Kind of makes me want to write even more. I think I'm almost done with this chapter, so look forward to it!

I saw a Japanese drama that I actually liked. It's called Ando Natsu. It's about a girl (Ando) who wants to become a patissiere or a pastry chef. It's a pretty funny show, yet has some good drama to it too. Ando works at a confectionery shop called Mangetsudo. After working there for a bit she falls in love with Japanese confection, and strives to perfect it. I read somewhere that the title is sometimes read as AnDonuts, referring to a type of Japanese confection with adzuki or an. :D It's a really interesting show.

日本語

I worked on more shopping words and some more vocab sections. I'm going to go over those vocab sections tomorrow online to get the correct kanji and some examples of the words. So, those will be sections: な, と, て, つ, and ち. Or na, to, te, tsu, and chi.

Today, I watched some of J- MELO. They haven't aired it in a while. It's mainly in English. This time they went to Taiwan at the beginning, because May J., one of the hosts, had a concert there. So, they spotlighted some of the pop music from there. The main band they showcased was Soda Green. Then they had a 'music discoverer' (new artists) interview Yoko Ono. That was pretty interesting. I always find her a bit odd, although I like the message about world peace and love she still sends. Corny, but still good. They also highlighted one of her concerts. They also visit fans of the show from all over the world.

I mostly tried to catch up today on things. So, tomorrow I'll get back to my stuff. I'm pretty much back on track for my routine, so that feels good. Plus, I'm not feeling sick anymore.

The Far Far Side

By Asian Kung-Fu Generation on the Naruto soundtrack. An awesome rock song. The band is popular world wide, not just in Japan. I tried to call the local Social Security Admin office. Got an automated message saying they wouldn't be able to take calls until Tuesday. Since I have so many questions, the form will have to wait too. So, I just can't win. So, in the end, I relaxed a bit. I've been going nuts with this thing all week, so it was a very nice breather. I'll be able to get to my normal stuff tomorrow. :P

I got an email from a new penpal! She's 26, lives in Saitama, and plans to be a clinical radiologist. Kind of cool! She's very into American culture, and wants me to teach her more about it. I wrote back half in Japanese and half in English. Hopefully my Japanese wasn't too atrocious. She'll probably like that I made the effort at least.

Youtube:

Move it! XD (Gintama):

Part of Russia's version of Marukaite Chikyuu (Main song from Hetalia- that has a version for each country):

Lollipop?! (Gintama):

In too deep (Gintama):

Horror story:

Shutsujin

By Takanashi Yasuharu on the Naruto Shippuden soundtrack. Another awesome instrumental piece from the anime! ^_^ I still feel pretty sick. Hopefully, I'll feel better soon. (Please let it be by tomorrow! ) I woke up with my throat feeling very numb. Like someone poured a whole bottle of cold syrup down it. Also, later I lost my voice. Wahoo! Still have the splitting headache thing. Well, on top of this, our internet was down for most of the day. So, not only could I talk to a rep from the Social Security Admin., but I couldn't do my application either! It's like the universe is playing a big joke on me.

日本語

Luckily, I could study my Japanese without the internet. I decided to study the shopping words list I downloaded. 牛乳 or gyuunyuu- (cow's) milk. (Sounds kind of funny, almost like baby talk. ) 低脂肪乳 or teishibounyuu- low- fat milk. コンデンスミルク or kondensu miruku-condensed milk. 豆乳 or tounyuu- soybean milk. (I sense a pattern! 乳 or nyuu being just milk.) 生クリーム or namakurimu- fresh cream. バター or bataa- butter. (Sounds almost the same. I find that their borrowed words are said in an interesting way. But, that could just be me. ) 無塩バター or muenbataa- unsalted butter. ヨーグルト or yooguruto- yogurt. 低脂肪ヨーグルトor teishibouyooguruto- low- fat yogurt. 塩 or shio- salt.　こしょう or koshou- pepper. 砂糖 or satou- sugar. グラニュー糖 or guranyuutou- granulated sugar. 粉砂糖 or konazatou- powdered sugar. 黒砂糖 or kurozatou- brown (or raw) sugar. (Funny thing is 黒 or kuro means black, so it's really black sugar? Sounds kind of nasty.) Might do more of these tomorrow.

I wrote a little more of my story, too. It's getting interesting. Hopefully, I'll get to finish this chapter soon, because I haven't posted it in a while. The people that read it have been in suspense for too long! After all this, our internet finally came back. So, I tried to do my application. Got the first section done, only 3 more to go. These awesome emoticons are from deviantART, I thought I'd see if they worked on my blog. Looks like they do!