Saturday, October 15, 2011
So... I'm not dead
Friday, September 23, 2011
No Love ~ Simple Plan
Friday, September 16, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Hurricane Irene is coming...
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Shameless Advertising
Join me there, or uh... Be square!
(My characters are Arielle Grace Levesque and Himitsu Sakei.)
~~~~~~~
Gaikoku no Akademi.
This reknowned boarding school, located in Japan, has been around for nearly two centuries. It caters to the children of the rich and knowledgable who come from all over the globe. It has become known worldwide for its many programs taught by the most intelligent teachers the school could hire. Over the years, its programs have become the best and most diverse out of any other school in the world
Fall is coming, and the beginning of a new school year. There are many new students and teachers alike filing into the academy from all over. The year will prove to be a promising one with many intelligent children attending the academy and new, highly experienced professors to teach them.
Welcome to the start of a new school year at Gaikoku no Akademi.
Monday, August 22, 2011
I added some links...
Glee Project Winner
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Of my last post...
WIZARDING WORLD
1. Too crowded, even for the Harry Potter fanatic. I understand that the wonderful J.K. Rowling wanted an "intimate" setting of Hogsmeade, but that just does not work in a theme park.2. Ollivanders was NOT worth it. I probably would have appreciated the extremely short, five minute "show" if I hadn't been waiting for hours on end JUST to get in. (In which wonderful Florida weather blessed us with a sudden downpour. Thank goodness my family is so Asian, that we were using umbrellas for shade anyway.) Only ONE child is chosen for the wand choosing, which (you can probably imagine) was extremely disappointing for my younger brother.
3. The Three Broomsticks served a wonderful lunch! Though obviously very pricy (there's no avoiding that at a place like Universal), the butterbeer was wonderful. We bought the wonderful refillable butterbeer mugs, which were also souvineers of course. The atmosphere was absolutely wonderful, and the food more than decent. (I suggest the feast that serves four. It definitely serves more than four, and we made the mistake of ordering that plus more. Also, the cornish pasties and fish & chips.)
4. The Forbidden Castle ride was excellent! Takes you right through the world of Harry Potter on a simulation in which you fly with the lovely trio. The wait for the ride was tolerable, once you got into the Hogwarts castle. (The line ended very far away from the castle.) Inside, you trapse through Dumbledore's office, a hall with the moving pictures, and various other sights. ALSO: Folks in wheelchairs or strollers CAN tour the castle. Once you reach the ride, there is the child swap area, so everyone can take turns for granny duty and the ride.
5. Besides my obvious complaints about the crowding and pricing, the atmosphere of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts were wonderfully authentic. (Though I must say, seeing the snow on top of the roofs in the middle of July was bizarre!) My recommendations: bring an umbrella, plenty of water, sunglasses, sunblock, and possibly a portable fan. And before jumping onto a line, MAKE SURE YOU ARE WILLING TO WAIT.
THE HORROR MAKEUP SHOW
I saw this in Universal Studios: Florida. See this! It's funny and there is air conditioning! However, small children COULD be scared. (These are FX horror make-up, after all!)
RESTAURANTS IN ORLANDO
1. Bahama Breeze: Wonderful service, food, and atmosphere. I recommend the popcorn shrimp and Jamaican grilled chicken.
2. Olive Garden: Good service, food, and the usual Olive Garden atmosphere. You may wait for a while... But a decent branch of the chain.
3. Sushiology: Hooray for fast-food sushi! This place is my hero. Quick, decent sushi. I like!
4. Sweet Tomatoes: Decent chain. Personally, I liked the one that I tried in Arizona more! But that's just me. Soup, salad, pasta, bread... Eat what you want! Quick, easy, and pretty good.
MISC.
1. Terminator Ride: Go watch it! Even if you don't like Terminator (I'm not quite sure who doesn't...?) You'll enjoy this. (Even if you haven't watched the original film.) Enjoyable and combines the magic of 3-D with real life action... Plus air-conditioning both while and after you wait! That's important on a hot day.
2. Jaws Ride: It's on the water, and you may get wet! Don't go on it if you're deathly afraid of sharks (or have little children that may get scared). It could have been longer... But that's just me. The wait is absolute torture though. The line was tediously long, with nothing to look at but each other.
So, that's it. I'm done with that... Sorry, really didn't have the energy to make it that interesting or long or anything. Hope it may be helpful in your future travels though. :)
Friday, July 29, 2011
Hiatus? & Orlando
I apologize for the unexplained hiatus. I've just been feeling too lazy for my own good... I've spent a good portion of my summer vacation to eating, sleeping, rereading some old favorites (Harry Potter, anyone?), and reliving childhood memories by wasting my time slaving through Zoo Tycoon (Those stupid saber-toothed tigers just wouldn't stay in their exhibit!)
In other words, a whole lot of nothing, I suppose.
However, for a good week between the non-stop eating and Zoo Tycoon, I went on a wonderful, much-needed vacation to Orlando, FL!
NOTE: Now, as for the key aspects of my Orlando trip, it would be very difficult to squish everything together into this one post. So, I've decided that I'll be splitting up my trip into various posts. I'll review the places I've seen and (especially) the restaurants where I've eaten. Because, after all, it's not a good vacation without good food, right?
Now first of all, may I state that the weather was rather hot and humid. Being an upper-east coast girl, I was not used to it. (My hair frizzed up and straightened out of my carefully-done curls within ten minutes of walking outside.) Luckily, the weather was actually pretty good for Florida! Only one unexpected rain storm and apparently "mild" heat. Oddly enough, while I was gone, the upper-east coast was having worse weather, as a heatwave had rolled in.
Anyway, I stayed in the lovely Waldorf Astoria (which is part of Bonnet Creek Resort). Here is a picture straight from the site:
Isn't it gorgeous? That was my exact thought as we pulled up to it in our rented car
My next thought was, Wow. As soon as we first pulled up to the front of the hotel, a smiling young man in a Waldorf uniform opens the door for us to come out. As soon as the keys are left with the man (valet parking: yes), a pair of uniformed men open the door for us.
And we enter the large lobby, which is exquisitely decorated. Oh yes, there are complimentary drinks in the corner (water with cucumber, or the freshly-made cranberry lemonade). Oh yes, there are a row of windows overlooking the pool, private cabanas, and extraordinary golf course. Oh yes, an lounging area with a bar and (in the mornings) complimentary coffee and tea.
Needless to say, I enjoyed the hotel very much.
REMINDER: "Now, as for the other aspects of my Orlando trip, it would be very difficult to squish everything together into this one post. So, I've decided that I'll be splitting up my trip into various posts. I'll review the places I've seen and (especially) the restaurants where I've eaten. Because, after all, it's not a good vacation without good food, right?"
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Rude Teachers & Being a Victim (of Cheating)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Fire-Engine Red??
I'm still recovering from it.
The noodles were in a soup that was FIRE-ENGINE RED.
And that was before the red chili powder.
... Yeah.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Hair Growth and Gyaru-Inspired Hair
I've been trying to grow my hair out longer after a way-too-short haircut recently (I believe I said one inch, not three...) and that means I have to now follow these haircare guidelines very carefully:
- Limited heated hairstyling~ This means that I've been letting my hair air dry, and I don't curl or use my straightener (to smooth out ends, of course, as I have naturally pin straight hair) my hair every day anymore. If I feel like my hair is a total mess, and I MUST straighten or curl, I use heat protectant.
- No shampooing every day!~ This means that I haven't been using shampoo in my hair every day... Okay, I hear you little sissies out there going "ewww", but it's healthy for your hair. (I actually do wash my hair every day, but not with shampoo. I co-wash my hair. This means using conditioner to wash your hair. If you'd like to learn more about this, look here. I've been using Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk conditioner... I've been trying this for a few days now. Once I've co-washed for a while, I'll post about my experiences with this.)
- Take an omega-3 fish oil pill everyday~ I have been taking these mainly because it was suggested to keep my cholesterol low (it's hereditary), but I also hear that they're good my hair growth...
- Eat things containing gelatin, such as Jell-o or yogurt~ This is the same as the fish oil pills. Gelatin is said to promote hair and nail growth... And anyway, yogurt is good for you. I've been trying my best to include yogurt (or Jell-o, if I have it on hand) in my diet, but it's a little difficult considering my... aversion to yogurt.
Healthy hair is growing hair! Or the other way around...? Whatever. Either way, you know what I mean!
Going back to the photo of me, I was wearing sunglasses mostly because I didn't have any appropriate gyaru make-up on... No need to see my face. :)
Monday, May 9, 2011
Inappropriate Animal Crackers
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Waffles... And other stuff
Second of all, I have been completely hooked on a few songs!
Here they are, in no particular order:
"I'm Going Crazy" by Se7en
"Don't Cry" by Park Bom
Anyway, moving on from my K-pop craze... I got a new haircut! Which I'm sure is of no interest to anyone besides myself... But I reserve the right to complain about it, seeing as the hairstylist cut THREE inches off, rather than my requested ONE inch.
Okay, ta ta for now, my lovely munchkins!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
ABDC Season 6: I.aM.mE.!!!
Well this season, I'm excited because there's this group that totally KILLS. I.aM.mE. is AWESOME.
As you may or may not know, I LOVE dancing. And right now I've been completely inspired to start my own dance crew... Except, I'd need friends that enjoy dancing too. Hrm. Wish me luck on that! In any case, I'll keep with a one-girl dance crew for now. Here's a dance that I'm learning and putting together so that it'll work with just one dancer:
I've learned most of it already, but it's a matter of finishing it off!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Bodyline Yokoso: Review
Now, Bodyline has a rep among Lolitas for being HORRIBLE and taboo (cheap fabric, lace, badly made, knock-offs of Lolita brandnames, etc), but seeing as I'm not a full Lolita fashion follower... I was curious.
The skirt is cute. I actually get many compliments when I wear it! It sort of reminds me of skirts from Hot Topic, but less cheaply made, and definitely less slutty. (Seriously, some of those HT skirts are more like wide belts... Though they are okayyy with leggings underneath.) At any rate, this skirt is definitely my style... <3
So, the fabric isnot terrible by any means. It is not the best, but it's not bad. It actually reminds me of some fabric that Forever 21 stores sometimes use. I have no complaints about the construction of the skirt either. It is still hanging in one piece in my closet, so... Yes.
The shipping was quicker than I thought it would be, seeing as it was making it's way literally half-way across the world. I received it in a few days, which was certainly exciting. :) I ordered by DHL, which has a fixed rate of $20. Unfortunately, looking back, I should have ordered more items along with the skirt because it was a lot of money for shipping just one purchase.
Now, the original pricing was not terrible. The skirt cost $25, which is fine by me, considering how unique the piece is. (Well, at least no one in this small US town has one!) Besides, I've seen some plain pencil skirts price for WAY more. (Of course, typically these are designer brands... Ridiculously enough, sometimes they aren't even.) However, the DHL fixed rate of $20 added onto the price of the skirt ended with my purchase pricing about $45... Hm, worth it for a Japanese skirt? By me, it was fine (mostly because it was a birthday gift and I'd been eying it for a while), but Bodyline shipped by DHL is MUCH MORE worth it if you buy multiple pieces. (Or you could place a group order with some friends of course.)
Overall, I do like Bodyline very much. I think that the pieces are rather unique- you don't see this stuff at the mall! However, DHL shipping at Bodyline is only worth it if you purchase MULTIPLE items. That said, it may seem overpriced. (Next time I visit Hong Kong, I might actually see similar style items for wayyy cheaper. But only IF and WHEN I go back to Hong Kong, which may be a while. $4000 a ticket? No thanks.)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Within Temptation's, The Unforgiving- SQUEE
I've heard previews of some of the songs on the album, and all I have to say is that I am stunned. Stunned by their change in style, but also stunned by the fact that it's still the epic Within Temptation we know and love. Their new songs sound amazing! (Well, what little I heard of them.
Anyhow, here's the video for the previews. You may want to skip to these times:
2:54 - 3:20 for Sinead
4:00 - 4:12 for The Middle of the Night
4:30 - 4:35 for ???
4:55 - Endish for Shot in the Dark
Of course, the people speak over it all... In Dutch. So I have no idea what they're saying, and it's slightly irritating since I would like to listen to the bits!
But I'll take what I get! I can't wait to actually buy the album!!!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Stupid Bomb Threat Terrorists and Skimpy Clothing
There was, apparently, an anonymous caller that left suspicious calls to bomb a school in my district. So, of course, all the schools in the district were either evacuated or put into lockdown.
Guess what my school decided to have us do?
That's right; we evacuated. And of course it was freezing cold outside, and right before my lunch. I would have cried, but the tears probably would've turned to icicles. :(
Anyhow, we were outside for a full one hour and forty frickin' minutes. It sucked... Though I guess I couldn't really complain, because I had on a nice, warm black sweater (over a lacy black cami...). But hey! I saw the majority of girls outside wearing those silly short skirts or tank tops or skimpy T-shirts, all with flip flops. Uhm, hello? It's like 30 degrees, you fools!
I guess the stupid anonymous terrorist did get some sort of point across, though they didn't blow up the school.
Skimpy clothing = BAD
Full out black, WARM clothing = GOOD
Lauren- 1
Rest of girl population- 0
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Personal Problems and Self Reflection {Pt. 1}
Second of all, I am aware that most people, or rather, everyone, has experienced this before. Let's stop pretending that we're unaffected by this. I mean sure, maybe other people truly "get over" a person and completely don't care, but for the most part... Most people simply suppress their emotions toward this. Also, let's stop pretending that we are simply "upset" over "finding out about the new flame". Honestly, it makes it sound so... Unemotional. Apathetic. Almost like a bland article about politics. (I, personally, do not care for politics.)
Let's just stop pretending that it's a stupid cliche, and"I-don't-give-a-BLEEP-about-the-so-called-ex-whose-number-I've-still-remembered".
Perhaps I'm simply a supremely emotionally fragile person. I care. I care very much. I hate the girl, even though I probably don't know her and she's probably a lovely, sweet person. (I mean, my ex obviously has good taste if he's dated me. HA.) I hate him for moving on with his life, when personally I think he should be devasted. Almost to the point of self-destruction.
But I also am not really liking myself for caring this much.
For the past few months, I have slowly been rebuilding myself. I've been becoming more "emotionally stable". (That's the only way to sum it up into words, though really it was much more an in-depth self-evaluation. Deeply philosophical and involved becoming a hermit. However, those two words are the best way to describe it.) This month, in fact, I have felt great. My self-confidence seemed to improve. My entire view of the world and reality seemed to improve, actually.
Until, of course, I spent a few minutes to check my online profile (Facebook, of course. Since that seems to be the entire hub of socialization, these days.) for the first time in A LONG TIME, and I discovered... With horror! That my ex had set his relationship status as "In a relationship with.... *********" (Now, I would like to put out there that I was not cyberstalking, but this instead popped up on my news feed. I'm fairly sure I would not need to reinterate what a "news feed" is, because I imagine that most people reading a blog do happen to know.)
I am much more upset with myself for BEING UPSET about it.
(continued...)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Twisted: The Horror Game
It's not entirely complete, but:
http://www.wix.com/xshatteredxfirex/twisted
It's a horror "choose-your-adventure" type game. Tell me what you think!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Happy Chinese New Year!
Coincidently, half my family's year. :)
Though the celebration lasts for about 10 days, today is the most important day and my family celebrated with a huge feast of traditional foods... And some less traditional.
- Salmon
- Soy Sauce Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken (with pineapple)
- Mushrooms with Abalone
- Chinese leafy greens (yum!)
- Foo Jook (?) (Not quite sure what the English translation is)
- Chinese soup (of course)
- And last but certainly not least... RICE
I. Am. Stuffed.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Polymer Clay Mini-Sculptures
Friday, January 21, 2011
Owie!
Clearly, I'm not coordinated enough to walk outside when it's icy out. My hand is proof of that! D;
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Internal Cleanup and Resolutions
My new year's resolution? To clean out my insides! (Okay, okay, that brings unpleasant pictures of dusting off an organ, but you get my meaning!) I feel as if in the past few months (alright: years), I've been absorbing and giving off too much bad energy. Thus, life has been throwing me more bad energy. Superstitious, I know, but doesn't it make sense? Like: What you give is what you get.
Maybe... Karma? Well, not exactly the right word. Oh well.
Anyway, I just want to do an internal cleanup. Almost like a computer doing a viral scan. (Nerdy comparison, whoo!) I imagine my conscience is pretty dusty and such. (Not because of guilt, obvs. Because of... Everything!)
In addition to this, I've resolved to "carpe diem", or "seize the day". Perhaps that would be considered an extension of the internal cleaning; however, it seems more like a result of some kind. After all, I need to improve my mentality in order to live better/live life to the fullest.
I've noticed that in the past years, I've been shrinking into myself like a porcipine curling in fright, guarding itself from the world with its spiny needles. Last year, I know I was trying to change that. I pretty much ruined that though, by becoming reckless and making many foolish mistakes. Some things I did last year, I don't regret at all. Naturally, many I do. I won't be making the same mistakes this year. I think that I failed because my strategy was all wrong. My goal was to be MORE reckless, because before that, I was TOO timid. Either way was actually too extreme though!
Such as a viper, I'm just waiting to form strategies. I recoil from failure and wait until I recover. Okay, so that made me sound psychotically evil. Yet, this analogy seems right. (Though I must credit my astrology books for this highly appropriate description of me... I love astrology books!)
So, to condense this all. My resolutions for the year:
- Forgive myself and everyone else.
- Carpe diem; seize the day! Take those opportunities!
- Think thoroughly before I act... But not too much. Or I'll never act.
- Let the past go. (Wait, does that go with #1???)
- Update this blog more!
- Expand the Lolita section of my wardrobe more. (If you don't know what Lolita fashion is, go look that up... And shame!)
- Try to improve at Chinese chess. (Okay, I doubt that this will happen.)
- Have a healthier diet and drink more water.
- Get all A's in school. (Psh, not hard. Already doing that, fools!)
- I actually don't have a #10, but only 9 resolutions is uneven, so... Yep.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Britney Spears?
I think the title clearly illustrates my feelings for Britney. Her name + ? = wtfasjdis?
Meaning: I am just absolutely baffled by why people like her music. Sure, it's catchy. It's got a nice beat. Sometimes I believe that her songs would be lovely- sung by another person.
I mean, don't get me wrong: I admire her for her ability to get all the way to the top as a huge idol of pop. I have absolutely nothing against her personally. It's obviously not easy at all to get recognized worldwide. Or have quite as many songs as she does topping charts.
But her voice and my ears just don't agree. Listen to her singing. No, really listen to it. Not the song, but the vocal quality. I am probably (okay, most definitely) not the first to point this out, but like so many others, I must point it out again. In my opinion, on a range of 1-10 (10 being the best), her voice scores a 4.... Honestly! It sounds dreadful. She sounds like wailing, high-pitched walrus mating another walrus.
Anyway, I'm done ranting now!
K-Pop Guys
Okay, I will back up.
For those of you that don't know what K-Pop stands for (though I feel as if you SHOULD, if you've been following me this far), it stands for Korean pop. It is (obviously) a music genre... Though in my opinion, for anyone obsessed enough (such as moi), it is a LIFESTYLE, thanks.
K-Pop GUYS, are well... Exactly that. Korean pop idols... That are guys.
Hm, maybe I didn't really need to go into such a slow, and agonizing explanation about this term, but hey: some people don't know!
Anyway. Yes, something strangely appealing about them. The super hot dance moves? The chill-inducing voices? The sexy rapping? *swoon*
Sunday, January 9, 2011
I Won't Say I'm in Love
Nope, I am NOT in love. Not at all.
Honestly, Meg is SO right. It's too cliche! And amounts to... Nothing. Hehehe.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
I Don't Think I Love You Anymore
But I don't think that I love you anymore, anymore
It's too hard to keep pretending, it's too hard to ignore
I don't think that I love you anymore, anymore."
I love this song.... And it fits how I feel at the moment. Yes, what a remorseful emotion, but 'tis the truth! :)
Well then. I better stop procrastinating on a project and stop typing this.