Even Homers sometimes nod

What? What? See that line in my subject? That's not English. But I heard Yuna Ito (of the NANA movie's Trapnest's lead vocalist, Reira fame) spoke very good English. Of course, singers and actors alike just say what they're told when it comes to other works, but I'm hoping it's just a case of me mishearing. So, for anyone who saw NANA the movie 1, can you tell me what line Reira said to the blond guitarist after the Trapnest concert?

I just got horribly spoiled by Wikipedia AGAIN. You know, their spoiler tags really don't do much for me. I just end up scrolling past them and then BAM! "WHAT!? WHO!? ZOMG!" But in truth, it does make me look forward to the parts of the manga and movies that I haven't seen yet (or that haven't come out yet). Same's true for Death Note. :)

Nana also made me realize something that was already told to me by one of the girls in a class I T.A. for-- that in Japan, "smoking is cool." The girl in the T.A. class said that the person she respected the most was a particular musician, and she taught her how to smoke. When she asked me if smoking was considered "cool" in America, I had to be honest and tell her no, it really wasn't-- though I could have gone on and practically preached her ear off.

People can say that the cigarettes here have less tar or whatever in them, but honestly, it doesn't make people's teeth any whiter or their breath any better. I still dislike smokers and smoking. Ironically (or not), one of the Intl. Center workers agreed with me on this; even if we found someone who was good looking and kind, if he smoked, we wouldn't pursue anything.

With movies like NANA portraying smoking as this common, easy, every day thing that's "cool," kids are probably more tempted to try it. And because it's so easy to get cigarettes from vending machines (jidouhanbaiki), nothing stops them-- even the teachers at school smoke, so it's not like when they watch any so-called "educational" anti-smoking propaganda, they have any reason to believe it. It's a real shame. :P

And you know, something else... I want to be able to dream too, no matter how painful it is. I think I can relate more to Nana Koumatsu than I can to Nana Oosaki (but I like Nana Oosaki's personality), and that's why I like the series. :)

That which I am thankful for

Okay, so it's a little belated on my end, but here's my list (in no particular order) of 10 Things I Am Thankful For This Thanksgiving. Feel free to do this and encourage others to do the same, I think it's nice to say what you really appreciate.

I am thankful for...
1 - The opportunity to study abroad here in Japan. While at times it's incredibly difficult and frustrating (the language, the things that I take for granted being able to communicate, the other exchange students, etc.), I am constantly reminding myself that this is a learning experience, and an incredible one at that. I WILL be able to walk away from this having learned things that I could NOT have, had I just stayed in Northridge.

2 - My incredible friends and family. I was able to talk to my dad, some of my cousins, my aunt, and two of my uncles today via Skype Video. I've been able to call Scott, my mom, my dad, and my friends. With baine's help, I've gotten up off my lazy butt and we're 75% done with getting our butts to Hong Kong --Hong Kong!-- for Christmas. I think friends and family are powerful, for better or for worse, and I am SO lucky for those that I have in my life, online or offline. When I was younger, people used to ask me how many friends I had, and the fact that I could count them on one or two hands always made me sad, and usually made me a laughingstock. So, much as I hate to disagree with Ebenezer Scrooge's "If you want to know the measure of a man, you simply count his friends," I think it's quality, not quantity, that makes the difference-- and I have some friends of the absolute highest quality friends can be made of.

3 - The kindness and understanding of strangers. I was terrified at first, coming here to Japan, living with Japanese girls who I was sure would think I was strange. And whenever I went out to do something, I was terrified that I would be teased (ah, gaijin!) or made to feel stupid because of something "obvious" that I couldn't understand. Luckily, everyone I have met seems fascinated rather than disgusted by my presence, and they have been more than willing to help me with everything from the annoyingly mundane to the oddest of bizarre requests.

4 - Scott. I don't mean to shaft any members of my family or any of my friends by giving Scott his own place, but really, Scott has done a whole lot for me in terms of inspiring me, motivating me, and helping me to who and where I am today. And I'm so thankful for him being in my life, and I hope anyone else that is lucky enough to have anyone --be it friend, family, lover, or otherwise-- really emphasizes EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR what that person means to you. You never know what will happen tomorrow, whether that person will die somehow, move away to find their own place in the world, or any number of other things. So always be grateful for those amazing people in your life, and understand when they do move on.

5 - Dad. It's funny, because there was a time when I honestly HATED my dad. I've since changed my view on many things-- him, the meaning and feeling of "hate," and how lucky I am just to have a fatherly presence in my life, when so many people (like my sister) never even got the chance, or if they did, it was from someone who was ill-prepared to be a father. I have great respect for my father as a teacher, and even though at times he really bugs me, I think my mom's always right-- "it's my job as a parent." I think if anyone had PERFECT parents a'la Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield's parents, it would be a sickening lifestyle that one would long to break out of. Luckily, my dad's taught me a lot and given me a lot of great experiences, so, for better or for worse, I'm very glad he's still in my life.

6 - Mom. As with Dad, I know there are some people out there who either "hate" their mom, don't have one, or have a hard time getting along with her. I've had my share of those too, but my mom's taught me a lot, being a single mom and raising me (and my sister, up until 1996) on her own. She's taught me a lot about what it means to be really dedicated, and a lot of what I've taken for granted, living where and how I did in San Francisco. She also allowed me to be ME, never restricting my interests or what made me happy, so she bears at least part of the responsibility for me getting as far as I have.

7 - The SMRFF. Yeah, I'm a dweeb and I know it, but all you smrffers out there should know that I was a wee little writer with no idea about fandom, fanfiction, or anything like that-- and it really took over my life, and changed a lot of who I am. Maybe I became a "geek" or a "Moonie" or an "otaku," but regardless, I'm happy with who I am, and I'm glad that I still talk to many members of the SMRFF, even if the list isn't as active as it used to be in its heyday. I especially am grateful to those that acted as my "oneechans" because while I both admired and respected them for their own work, they didn't hesitate to help me out (even if that meant some harsh critiquing) when I needed it. The SMRFF was where I spent my "formative" years, and thanks to them, I'm still in fandom, still writing-- and I hope to do it for my career someday. I owe them a lot.

8 - rhapsody_dragon, geniusgirl, a_white_rain, atlantian_magic, wickeddawn, guardian_kysra, akavertigo, heartless_vaz, mischiefmagnet, nekokilala, praiseofshadows, obabscribbler, members of playthedamncard, winterwing3000 and probably countless others who don't have LJ-- it is thanks to you that I am not only *IN* Yu-Gi-Oh fandom, but constantly enjoying it, even after the series end. Whether you inspired me with your own writing, or we just met through our mutual like of the show/fanfics, you have had an impact on me. I remember RPing with Mamono and Neko, brainstorming with Atlantis, Harley, and Kysra, angsting over the next chapter of PoS or Geniusgirl's releases... you get the idea. Whether you're still in fandom or not, your contribution to fandom FOR ME means more than words can say.

9 - A roof over my head, food in my fridge, a bit of money in my wallet, heat in my room, brains in my head, friends in my heart, family in my blood, and Internet, Internet, Internet. If I weren't grateful for "the basics," I wouldn't be a very good person now, would I?

10 - You. Even if I've already mentioned your name explicitly or implicitly above, I'm really grateful for anyone that ever takes ANY amount of time out of their day to read the sort of things I go nuts posting here on my LJ. It's true that I don't write everything on here for others-- that is, for other people to necessarily comment on, but I do care about other people's opinions, and I feel very good when someone DOES take the time out of their day to say something in response to me or the things I've said-- even if it's just one sentence or one word. And even if you don't comment, thank you anyway. Thanks for putting up for my rambling, my non-LJ cut entries, my tacky layouts... whatever, you get the idea.

Thank you.