もうすぐだ！

I am scared that no one will come to meet me at the airport when I arrive Friday morning at about 11:30AM. Granted, it's my own fault for not calling people and asking them to meet me... but!!! I wonder if I should have flown back to SFO anyway, rather than LAX, and been greeted by my family.

誰も来ないと寂しいからな～

If anyone can make it, I would love you forever! Please come and I'll show you my new arm muscles. Haha, just kidding~

In other news, since I really love that Japanese electronica duo capsule, I'm wondering if I should get into Perfume. They're really big right now and Yasutaka (the mastermind behind capsule) has been producing them for a few years now, so his sound is really evident in their music...

Ahhhh, so I am a dork and even though I have years of facebook experience under my belt I pressed some buttons which made it post weird results that I wasn't intending >_< If you don't understand what I am talking about, just ignore this please... I am so lame.

ANYWAY!!! I was walking through the metro today and saw a giant ad for the Antique Bakery Anime, kyaaaaaa~ Here are some pictures I took on my camera phone.

( Let Them Eat Cake )

Apparently it starts this Thursday, July 3rd, at 1AM (so technically Friday). Too bad I have class the next morning at 9AM or I would totally watch it... Waaaah!

In other news, I just got into this awesome Japanese duo called capsule. Their style started out as retro lounge pop and has evolved into some kickass electronica. I've heard it described as a mixture of Daft Punk and a sunshine smoothie. Check it ooooooouuuuuut!

Okay, guys!

I was talking to Aaron about what to bring back for everyone's お土産 (omiyage), and it turns out that right now this popular store here called uniqlo (kind of like a GAP/Old Navy type clothes store) is selling really cheap 浴衣 (yukata)!! They have really nice quality clothing there despite the affordable prices (for Japan), and I thought that I would loooove to pick one up for all the beautiful women in my life ♥♥ AND THEN WE COULD WEAR THEM TOGETHER, kyaaaa~ （＾ε＾）

Check out the website here: http://store.uniqlo.com/jp/CSaDisp/Wyukata I'm going to head over to Uniqlo as soon as I have the time to check out what designs are still available. Since these are about $40 each, and it would end up costing me over $250 overall *dies*, I was thinking maybe we could split the cost? $20 isn't asking too much for a gorgeous yukata, is it? >_<

♥ Beth
♥ Danielle
♥ Kara
♥ Lianna
♥ Liz
♥ Sharon

Let me know ASAP because I think the special only lasts until the end of the month!!  By the way, did I miss anyone? If so, don't hate me, it's 1AM here. @_@ If I missed you and you would like one, please mention so in the comments!

In other news, I am in Osaka with Aaron (his stomach is so flat now, OMG) We went to see Indy Jones together today ♥♥

I had a great idea today and couldn't wait to get out of work (English conversation partner - 1 hour, 3000JPY + transportation fee + free drink @ cafe, FTW) to try it out!! I figured, I'm such a clothes whore -- geeze, how am I ever going to get all this back to the states -- and I've got all these great outfits right now, so why not do a little showcase of the various things I wear? ...VIA THE WONDERFUL MEDIUM OF PURIKURA ☆☆

So here is the first of what I hope to make a series (at least until I have to leave Tokyo, boo!) where I'll tell a little story about the outfit and, as much as I can, try to break down the price for you. For the meantime I'm calling it Hachi-Puri for lack of a better name, but if you can suggest a better one I will love you forever, especially if you can incorporate purikura and fashion and/or hachiko and/or shopping into the name ♥♥

( Hachi-Puri... Part I. Planetarium )

In other news... yay for avoiding writing the last six pages of my ten-page classical Japanese poetry midterm paper and a two-page 作文 both DUE TOMORROW.

In other other news, there's a 飲み会 tomorrow, yay~ because I haven't really gone drinking for like two weeks now, what the heck.

I was meaning to post this two weeks ago, gaaah >_< Anyway, this is the first time in four years that I've missed Fanime Con, but it only felt weird for a little while because this Memorial Day Weekend was pretty much the same as every other: crowded venue, badass costumes, stage performances, and overpriced food!

( Shounan Yosakoi 08 湘南の風よ吹け！！ )

In other news: I've been plowing through SubaSekai but, gaaaawd, my R4 card is a real battery drainer, so half the time I want to play my DS is dead. =( Also, I waste waaay too much time leveling up stupid badges that I don't even like (I think they're called "pins" in English???) just so I can master all of them.

In OTHER other news: Has anyone see the new Youtube video annotations?! Haha, total ニコニコ動画 wannabees~

So I have been doing cool things lately!

By a random and sudden sequence of events, despite the fact that I had decided not to join any clubs and wanted to just study hard and focus on my grades this semester, I joined a dance team at the very end of April called Tokyo Hanabi. The style of dance is known as yosakoi, which is an extremely high energy festival dance usually performed in large groups. Basically, I get to wear a badass costume and play with a fan called sensu or wooden clappers called naruko (no, not Naruto!) and hang out with a bunch of wonderful people.

Everyone on the team has such a fun and upbeat personality and we're all practicing really hard for our first performance on May 25th -- Shounan Yosakoi, in Kanagawa. Unfortunately, I joined the team nearly a month later than all the other newbies so I've been working really hard to catch up with everyone else in order to appear in the festival. We have regular practices Tuesdays and Saturdays from 7~9PM and every other day of the week there is independent practice from 6~10PM... so basically I have been practicing nearly every day since the day that I joined! Hopefully I can learn the routine well enough to perform by the end of this month~

Here's a video of a combined performance by the two yosakoi teams at my school, Tokyo Hanabi and Odori Zamurai, at the Waseda 125th Anniversary last year. (I was actually sitting at the front of the audience during this performance. Little did I know that six months later I would be joining this team! >:O) The dancing doesn't start until about 4:30 into the video so I recommend loading it in your browser and then watching.

When I return to California from Japan in exactly three months and four days, will you still recognize me?

I don't wear glasses anymore. I lost them, the morning after Thanksgiving, when I had spent all night out clubbing and was taking the first train back to Saitama to sleep at my friend's house (because I hate going home alone at 6AM). They fell out of my purse, which was so shallow that things were always spilling out of it -- like my wallet two months later, but that's another story. Since then, I have been wearing contacts non-stop and I really don't think I'm going back. Ever.

I drink now.  I hear that my friends back home make jokes now about me being a lush, haha.  Well, I've been cutting back lately but I will admit that I never imagined before I came to Japan that I would drink this much.  I also have to say that I'm really looking forward to  California's smoke-free bars!!!  I hate reeking of cigarettes when I come home every night, yuck.

I own way more clothing.  And shoes. I think the actual figure of how much money I've spent clothes shopping in Japan would disturb some people, so I'm not going to write it here.  Someone also made the comment once that I dress kind of slutty, but they were joking and only wanted to point out that I show a lot more leg now.

I'm getting braces.  As soon as I get back to America, I'm going to finally do what should have been done over ten years ago and get braces. Being in Japan has really increased my comfort level about my smile, but I feel that it's time to get these teeth fixed once and for all.

I wear perfume.  And it's one that starts with "Cha" and ends with "nel." Please don't take this moment to remind me of starving children in third-world countries. >_< (Best 3.5 year anniversary present ever, by the way.)

I'm going to graduate~  Well, in Fall 2009.  But I'm finally on the road to graduation!

Shiseido owns my soul.  A few months ago, I got a free gift (makeup bag) because I spent over $200 in one visit.  Wah!  I will admit, though, that I carry that damn bag with me everywhere, and I use all that makeup regularly.  So it's not like I spent $200 on something I never use.

I'm not tan anymore! Or at least, I would like to hope that I'm not. Besides the vain desire to want paler skin, there's that whole issue of excessive sun exposure being unhealthy and leading to wrinkles (minimum) and skin cancer, eek!

I'm in debt for the first time in my life. I used to hate owing anyone money and now I've got over $20,000 in debt from my student loans and credit card balances. Scary. And before you jump to conclusions - no, it's not because of all the clothes and makeup; less than 10% of my debt can be blamed on that. Studying abroad in Japan is just seriously freaking expensive.

I care about my appearance way too much. I've become one of those girls who wears makeup all the time, checks herself in the mirror, and spends excessive time getting ready in the morning. (Even more so than before!) I don't think this makes me a shallow person: feeling happy with the way I look just makes me more confident in everything I do.

...But I wonder if some people will dislike this new me?  I don't feel like I've become a superficial person, but will others think that I am when I go back to America?  For those of you interested in comparing new-and-improved!Hachi to the one you know and love, my return flight is scheduled for July 25th, arriving at LAX.  There is an incredibly slim chance that this will change; if it does, I'll let you know.

I have the new Backstreet Boys album, and it is freaking AMAZING. Expect a review tomorrow!

Buy it when it comes out in America next Tuesday!