Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Heather's LiveJournal:

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Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
12:04 am	Japan travels, day 2 post script I forgot to mention that I was the cause of setting a house on fire my second day back in Japan. The family's house I was staying in was rather old and was not originally a residence. When I went to take a bath, I noticed that the bathroom was rather dark. A light shined in from an adjoining room, but in the actual room with the tub, there was no light source. I ask the mom about it and she took care of it. What she did was pull off the tape that was over the light switch. The light turned on with a pop and a flash and then a flame. Quite alarmed, I just kept repeating the word for "fire" over and over again. (She doesn't speak English.) When she saw what was happening, she shut the light off and the fire soon went out. There were burn marks over and around the light fixture. While I was unnerved by the events that just transpired, I took my bath, chatted with the family and some ALT's who lived in town that arrived after I left, and then went to bed. I was a bit nervous, even had my things ready to grab and run in case of an emergency. Nothing happened that night, except getting bit by a bug or two. Current Mood: grateful (Comment on this)
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
1:50 am	Japan travels, day 3: Wedding day! I originally had a grad plan, running all over the prefecture during my time there.  Once I arrived, however, I realized that it was unrealistic.  Instead of heading into Yamagata City and doing some shopping and visiting some parks, I spent most of the day at Mr. Ishiyama's house.  We took a trip to the 100 yen store and I picked up some things that I wanted or had been requested to get.  When I came back to the house, I ironed my taiko uniform. That evening was the wedding.  It turned out not to be the actual ceremony, but the formal wedding reception.  There was a lot of people there.  We filled the large banquet hall.  Mark's family was there from Canada, along with his Japanese co-workers and friends, and a few other foreigners.  Momo's coworkers were also there, as well as her friends.  It was an interesting mix:  teachers, city hall workers, foriegners, and bikers.  People were wearing suits and dresses, traditional kimono and hakama, and leather pants and vests with patches.  One person was transgender was was she surprised us by singing with her very deep voice.  The whole affair was a mix of traditional Japanese customs and more familiar Western ones.  The supper was a blend of dishes, but they were all small portions served over time.  I was worried that I wouldn't feel well enough to eat it all, but luck favored me that day.  Even though this was the reception, they held the ring exchange ceremony there.  The ring bearers were slime monsters from the video game Dragon Quest. It was fun, but it was a formal event.  The more relaxed party was next, the nijikai.  But I was dead on my feet after the reception, plus I couldn't party that hard anyways because I had to play drums the next day.  How fun would it have been to party with the Japanese bikers!  But I simply couldn't.  Mark and Momo paid for a hotel room for me that night and it was much appreciated and well used. Pictures to come! Current Mood: calm (Comment on this)
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
12:21 am	Japan travels, day 2 My first full day back in the land of the rising sun saw me leave the east capitol and head to the mountain shaped land, the giant's head who is yelling into the sea.  (Translation:  My first full day back in Japan saw me leave Tokyo and head for Yamagata.) I decided not to rent a cellphone, so all I had were some phone numbers on a piece of paper that had all of my important information.  Well, I did have my old Japanese cellphone, but I can't make any calls on it.  The other functions were still useful:  alarm clock, dictionary, address book, etc.  Hours on the trains and then I was finally back home.  It was great to be back in Yamagata station, and then going to Sagae station was a homecoming.  Mr.  Ishiyama was waiting for me, the first familiar face.  His was the first house I was staying at on this trip.  He lives with his mother, wife, and oldest daughter.  His daughter's name if Fumie- she is 30 years old and plays taiko.  Multi-generational houses like this are not uncommon in this area of Japan. I was still feeling off from all the traveling, so we didn't do much that day.  We watched some tv, ate some snacks...  In the afternoon, Mr. Ishiyama took me for a drive around the city and I was surprised at how much it had changed in just over one year.  Some places that I liked were now closed, there was a MacDonald's now, and my old 7-11 which closed a long time ago was now a restaurant and another shop.  We also visited Fumie and the kindergarten that she works at (for kids 3~5 yrs.).  They were getting ready for their festival and it was going to be ninja-themed. Current Mood: amused (Comment on this)
Monday, November 9th, 2009
1:46 am	sometimes, I can't pick just one snagged from pinkspiderchan and onikoneko and snogged ( another google meme ) Current Mood: amused (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, November 5th, 2009
12:49 am	Japan travels, days 1 I left Milwaukee Tuesday morning and landed in Japan late Wednesday afternoon. The traveling was pretty easy and I encountered some characters along the way. I realized all too late that I was missing one important thing- directions how to get to my first hotel. Once I got to the station, I could find my way there, but I didn't know the train/subway route to get there from the airport. Luckily, the person working at the ticket booth knew how to get there. My goal was Jimbocho station, the book district. (^_^) In an effort to save money, I stayed in the dormitory of a hostel. Tired and unwashed, taking that first shower when I got in felt so good. The flight made my skin crazy- my face even started bleeding in a few places, no cuts or scrapes, but small drops of red on my nose and cheeks. I attempted to pack light for this two week trip. However, between my special events, uncertainty of the weather, and general length of the trip (and not wanting to do laundry while over there), that wasn't really possible. I arrived with a purse, travel bag, and one large suitcase. (I had more bags inside, a traveler's secret.) However, even this was too much for me on my lonesome. I could, in theory, carry everything, but in reality it wasn't so easy. The subway station I needed to go to didn't have escalators or elevators in all of it's parts. I was slowly managing, taking breaks between climbing flights of stairs where my heavy bag would bang into my ankles, scraping and bruising them. As a point of pride, I wanted to do it myself, but eventually I accepted the help offered to me by random passersby. I knew that I couldn't keep doing this. Luckily, I knew that I could ship my luggage (for a fee). My plan was to get to Yamagata (where I knew I could call on friends for help) and when I was leaving, take my carry-on size suitcase out of the larger one and ship the larger suitcase to the airport. Current Mood: content (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
1:19 am	Shag, Snog, Marry, or Cliff Comment to this post and receive 4 options (actors/singers/so on, so forth). You must then decide which of the 4 options you would: Shag, Snog, Marry and Throw off a cliff. snogged gave me Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp, Daniel Radcliffe, and David Bowie. Shag David Bowie- He has a bit of a reputation for certain anatomy bits... ;-) Therefore, a simple snogging would not suffice. Snog Johnny Depp- Very handsome, especially in the Pirates movies. Marry Orlando Bloom- He's the closest in age to me of the top three, and it would mean that I could also shag and snog him. (Not to mention that he's fit, good looking, and has played roles in multiple movies that I quite enjoy.) Cliff Daniel Radcliffe- Too young! He's adorable, but I can't help thinking of that 11 year old kid just entering wizard school. He is about the same age as my youngest sister, so shagging, snogging, or marrying him would just seem weird. I hope someone would catch him as he falls! Current Mood: amused (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, October 26th, 2009
12:47 am	calling on friends! Halloween is coming up, a time when even "normal" girls can pull out a whip or riding crop and have some fun.  I was watching a movie a few nights ago, and one scene really struck me (no pun intended).  The main character was getting whipped as punishment for a bad decision he made, which lead to a team member's death.  It made me wonder, how many mainstream films show people getting whipped?  (Main characters, not random people in the background.) I can think of only a few, starting with the one that began all of this. 1.  Starship Troopers 2.  Pirates of the Caribbean:  Dead Man's Chest 3.  Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Can you think of any others? Current Mood: curious (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, October 24th, 2009
12:19 am	getting ready for Japan ( history, buying my ticket, and scheduling problems ) Current Mood: amused (Comment on this)
Friday, October 23rd, 2009
2:07 am	getting things done There are some things that I have started writing about, or said that I would write about, but haven't yet. Now I'm changing that. I'll work going from the most recent. So that would mean my trip back to Japan, Kansas, and Thailand/Japan. I think I will skip writing a detailed post about my cousin's wedding. Am I missing anything? Current Mood: determinedasf (Comment on this)
Saturday, October 17th, 2009
1:04 am	tv: the good, the bad, and the annoying Between cleaning and applying for jobs, I've been watching tv (big surprise). Mostly, this is something that I really enjoy. However, there are a few things that don't sit well with me. Bones is a show that I've grown to love: it is intelligent and funny, with a big serious side as well. But it isn't perfect. It may just be small stuff, but to me, it is big. And when you watch a show, you're bound to run into commercials (unless you're watching TCM). Commercials themselves can be annoying, but there is one that I cringe every time it is on, and with what it is advertising, you'd think that they would do a better job. THE GOOD Bones has made me very happy lately. There have been a few episodes where I missed that one, critical moment where something of great importance happens. This happened in the very first episode I watched of it- one that takes place at a sci-fi/fantasy convention. Bones gets into a sword fight with a black knight (yes, like from Monty Python) and her opponent uses actual techniques from the time period. I missed the hand placement the first couple times I saw it (The whole episode is so awesome, I got distracted.), but I was finally able to catch it. In another episode, it was revealed that a character had scars on his back from an abusive childhood, but I missed when they showed it the first time; now, I finally got to see what had been hiding under the shirt. THE BAD There was an episode of Bones however, that did not make me so happy. It started off well- Japan!- but that was also part of the problem. Some of R/L confusion seemed forced and exaggerated, but that is minor. Also an excess of bowing, even for the Japanese. At the end of the episode, the Japanese cop lights a stick of incense for the dead, and he blows it out! To me, this is a huge mistake, a major faux pas. The mouth is considered an unclean part of the body, so you shouldn't use it to extinguish the flame. I lost a little bit of respect for the show when I saw that happen. Where was the input from the anthropologist?! But the visiting doctor who was into visual kei (though by the time you reach the age of adulthood, 20, most people back away from trends like that, so this was a big stretch, but not impossible) was quite androgynous, and the other characters played one of my favorite games: Guess the Sex! Strangely, I got it wrong for the character, but right for the person portraying it. THE ANNOYING You would think that the NYSE Euronext would have someone that checks their grammar on staff. They can get CEO's of major corporations to appear in the commercial, but can't use their commas appropriately. It is a common mistake, but that doesn't give them an excuse. When they list a group, they do not have a comma after the word that comes before the "and." I had this drilled into my head when I was a student and I fully admit to being a grammar nazi. I learned from the best. (My teacher would deduct 5% if he found one grammar mistake, another 5% if he found one spelling mistake, and went from there.) I'm not perfect, but I try to be. Current Mood: accomplished (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
12:10 am	more personality stuff tandu recently put up something about his personality style, which reminded me of something I earlier wrote about it (but about myself, of course).  Well, now that I've gone looking for it, the post doesn't seem to be here; maybe it was something on facebook. Anyroad, my personality type is apparently INTJ.  This result has been repeated, which amuses me and gives it more credence (if you believe that internet tests could actually be used to diagnose anything). This makes me a Mastermind, one of the Rational personality types.  It has also been described as the Outside Contractor or a System Builder. Here are some excerpts that intrigued me: Masterminds are rare, comprising no more than, say, one percent of the population, and they are rarely encountered outside their office, factory, school, or laboratory. Although they are highly capable leaders, Masterminds are not at all eager to take command, preferring to stay in the background until others demonstrate their inability to lead. Once they take charge, however, they are thoroughgoing pragmatists. This sounds fairly accurate to me. Here's another one from a different place: Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations. Current Mood: contemplative (Comment on this)
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
12:37 am	meme snogged did this I AM meme, and it sounded interesting, so I'm posting it here. the I AM meme instructions/rules;; ♚ comment with your username  (you don't actually have to do this here.) ♚ friends will reply with the fictional character that they think you ARE ♚ pimp it! ♚ this is a drama-free meme ♚ watch toast_ofthetown for more memes? Current Mood: curious (Comment on this)
Thursday, October 8th, 2009
11:25 pm	dreams and reflections Last night I had a dream that involved human sacrifice, except the human to be sacrificed was actually a vampire. Speaking of vampires, I was watching a show about extreme Halloween in America today. One of the things that they focused on was haunted houses. Even though this is one of my favorite holidays (if not the favorite), I have never been a fan of haunted houses. Nor horror movies, to a point. Slashers have absolutely no appeal for me, but if it has vampires, witches, werewolves, etc., then it's usually cool with me (though there are exceptions). My youngest sister loves horror films, but a lot of them, I can't stand. I've talked with my sister about this and it seems to me that if there is a bit of distance between reality and the movie, even if we wish it was real, then it is ok with me. Going back to my thoughts on pranks, there is a horror-prank show on the Sci-fi channel, "Scare Tactics." I have an agreement with my sister- she never puts me on that show, and I never put her on "What Not to Wear." So far, it has worked pretty well. Current Mood: contemplative (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, October 5th, 2009
12:53 am	just a quickie I'm back from Japan (again). Somehow, over the week or so that I've been back, my sleep schedule has gotten more and more messed up. Yesterday I slept in to 2:30, today it was 4pm. Expect a full post about the trip soon. p.s. I love this time of year, Halloween & all. Time for the appropriate icon! Current Mood: awake (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, September 6th, 2009
11:52 pm	look into my eyes The eye is the jewel of the body.  ~ Henry David Thoreau This summer has been a time when I've seen my eyes in a different way.  Normally when I think about them, how to describe them, I would think of the color (hazel, that neither-here-nor-there hue), or how strong my prescription needs to be so I can see like a normal person. But within a month and a half, two people have made comments about my eyes in a totally different way. The first was at a wedding.  onikoneko came to the conclusion that I had "come hither" eyes, which might explain why sometimes people think I'm interested in them, when I'm probably just looking at them.  It gives me something to think about, to be careful about. The second was today, at world_rim_walke's farewell party.  One attendee, I think her name is Jess (I just remember her as "Barbarian Woman") said that she remembered me from an event a few months ago because of my steely eyes.  You read about those kinds of eyes in books, but I've never been able to see it for myself.  Yet, when she said it, it makes sense.  The coloring of my eyes isn't dark and rich, and I suppose that they could be described as "steely." An interesting side note is that at both of these events, I got to meet some folks that I had only known or heard of through livejournal (and vice versa). Any thoughts? ( more eye quotes ) Current Mood: pensive (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
2:09 am	grad school haiku I've made a blog about life & grad school, all with haiku.  Please check it out, not only because it will be different that what I post here, but I also get paid based on how many people visit the page per day.  Livejournal is great and I'm not leaving, but I'd rather have some money come into my hands, rather than have them put ads on my page and not see a single penny. Current Mood: productive (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, August 27th, 2009
2:12 am	My adventure in Kansas: Getting There The tale starts the night before I actually departed. I went to the ren. faire that day and stayed until the end, meaning that I didn’t get home until late. Then the van had to be loaded. It was a cushy ride: my grandparent’s camper/motor-home. It was also one of the roomiest vehicles in the family’s fleet. world_rim_walke came over to say farewell and helped pack, along with the rest of the family, excluding my father, who was sleeping because he wanted to leave at 3am.  Many hands made light work, but I was still frazzled, to say the least. I was up at 3, just a short couple hours after I hit the sack. They say that the zodiac Cancer rules the stomach, and for me it is very true; whenever I have strong emotions (often negative ones), my stomach gets upset. I’d like to say that I’m used to pre-travel jitters, that morning was the worst. I can’t say if it was the lack of sleep, nerves, my subconscious trying to tell me something, or some combination of all three. Whatever it was, I was awake and feeling horrible; I felt like I was going to be sick at the slightest movement. It took me an hour and a half to do what would have taken only 30 minutes on a normal day. Not a good way to start the journey. It was still dark when we left. My breakfast was two Tums, and while it wasn’t much, it was enough and I slept for a while, dozing in and out. My neck pillow came in quite handy. Several hours later, I finally declare that I’m hungry and we stop at a McDonald’s in Iowa full of sauce Nazis. On the registers they had big signs telling you how many sauces you get with your food item and extra sauces were 15 cents more apiece. While I was feeling marginally better, I still didn’t have much of an appetite- I couldn’t even finish a happy meal! But I knew that I had to have some food in my belly or I wouldn’t be able to do what was needed to be done. Of what I saw, I liked Iowa; it was green & hilly. However, if I could somehow fold the earth and cut out Iowa, I would have gladly done so, as over half of the 10 hour trip was in that one state. When I was awake, my job was to be the navigator, a role that I quite enjoy and have skill in. (Maybe I just like telling people where to go.) In a quite odd move, we didn’t have a route mapped out before we left; instead, we had only an atlas and a destination. Lawrence is a decent-sized city, so it wasn’t too hard to find or get to. From Iowa, we cut across the northwest corner of Missouri, around Kansas City, and Lawrence was just down the road from the Kansas part of Kansas City. When we entered into Kansas, I had a good feeling. It was the same feeling as coming home from a trip out of state, and I thought it was a good sign. Current Mood: tired (Comment on this)
Saturday, August 22nd, 2009
11:05 pm	because I feel it is worth passing on onikoneko  posted: Pimping my friend... http://www.bodybyvictoria.com/#/Gallery/880 For those who don't know: Casey is one of the most awesome friends I've ever had. She's quite beautiful, witty, fun to hang around with, and intelligent far beyond her years. Casey also has cancer. She's spent the last few years suffering from chronic pain, had that was upped quite a bit over the past few months as she's been going through chemo, and will eventually be having one leg amputated. In my opinion, she doesn't deserve any of it. Hell, no one, no matter how low, deserves it. But the universe/world is a callous, uncaring place and sometimes the best people get handed the shittiest set of cards to play with, with no sense of justice, balance or reason behind it. But that doesn't mean we can't do anything about it. In this case, all of you can help Casey out quite a bit with almost no effort on your part. All you have to do is click the link on the top of the entry, and then click the little heart that says 'Vote for me!'. If you're feeling dedicated, you can do this once every day. If Casey gets the most votes, she gets to take a trip to New York and get heavily pampered for several days. Something she strongly deserves, in my opinion. So come on everyone, justify your existence and spend what minimal effort it takes to help out someone who rightly deserves this sort of break. Current Mood: helpful (1 Comment |Comment on this)
12:17 am	spreading the love Two friends of mine have blogs on today.com, and get paid for doing it. I'm thinking about doing the same. But the catch is that the amount you get paid is based on the number of visitors per day. Please check them out! http://youngwomenwriters.today.com/ A blog by and for writers. http://joblessgrad.today.com/ A blog about life & trying to get a job. Current Mood: helpful (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 20th, 2009
1:19 am	a big mistake A VERY big mistake ~or~ My adventure in Kansas (short version) I'll do a more complete write-up of the events later, but I wanted to share the news as soon as I could. On Monday, I left Wisconsin to attend graduate school in Kansas.  When I got there, the same night that I moved into my dorm/apartment, I realized that it was not the right place for me.  Nothing felt right and I just wasn't comfortable there, more than just being in new surroundings.  It's strange how I can live in Japan for two years, but Kansas is too much.  I left for home the very next day. The reaction to this has been overwhelmingly, "I'm sad that it didn't work out, but I'm glad you're back." Current Mood: sad & happy (8 Comments |Comment on this)