azurite: (double trouble minako & usagi)
Tonight after EC, I went with Holly, John, and two of our mutual EC partners, Haruka and Naomi to have some okonomiyaki. Haruka drove, and for someone that's only been driving four months, she was really good! Naomi and I joked that she's like Haruka Tenou from Sailor Moon! But since she drove, we took a different path than from what Holly and I would normally do if we walked or took the bus to the same area, just behind Mito Eki. So alas, even if I went in daylight, I don't know if I could find the place again!

It was a little bit smokey inside, and we had to sit on our knees (ow), but the okonomiyaki was delicious! We had one vegetable one with asparagus and the like, and another one with lots of corn and potatoes.

Afterward, we went to a nearby Namco Land (!) and played some games-- I got myself my first Initial D 3 Japanese card (my American ones wouldn't work, of course; I ended up getting myself a white Integra DCR) and I beat both Itsuki and the guy after him (forgot his name) in one fell swoop! I also played some "Love and Berry," this collectible card-swiping game that's really targeted toward younger girls, but it's fun. I've seen the machines everywhere... and they even have their website in English! The basic premise of the game is, you insert 100 yen and get a card. The cards come in different versions-- outfits, shoes, hair, or "special" (change facial color or hair color). You collect different ones and scan the outfits you have that are most appropriate for a given "stage" (i.e. Idol Stage, Seaside Stage, Street Stage, Fashion Street, Ball Stage). You then dress up to get a certain amount of points, and then try and ADD on to those points by hitting a button to the beat of a song that plays on each individual stage. I failed miserably the three times I played, but after reading the instructions on the English site, I kind of understand now. It's addicting to collect all of the cards, though! (I think I like it because it has to do with fashion. :P I kinda want a Berry icon now...)

I also got two new NANA seal sets-- Hachi and Blast! So far, I've collected them all, but I gave [livejournal.com profile] atlantian_magic my Trapnest one. The art of NANA (by Ai Yazawa) is really good, and I might try and make a site layout from the seal artwork. But I accidentally left them with Naomi, so she'll have to give them to me next Wednesday at the holiday party!

We also took some cool Purikura, though decorating them in such a short amount of time (i.e with text, stamps, sparkles, and so on) is difficult! Since there were 5 of us, we printed a sheet of 36, so they're kind of small, but we each got one of everything. I'll scan them in later. :)

Tomorrow I'm going to Tokyo (Shibuya and Shinjuku) with Holly; we're waking up extra-early to catch one of the first trains, but we've got a tight schedule. First is Shinjuku for Gothic Lolita gear and craft supplies; then is the antique fair near Hamamatsucho, and finally, we're going to Shibuya, where they have a Jewish deli and the synagogue (JCC of Tokyo). Since Hanukkah started tonight, I'd like to go to the synagogue or maybe even a service, just to see what it's like here in Japan.

Since we have to wake up so early, I suppose I'd better get to sleep!
azurite: (indiana ed (fma))
Well, no one can say that my last few days have been uneventful, because frankly, they've been anything but. Some of them aren't exactly EXCITING!! but "stuff happened" nonetheless.

First off, I went shopping in Uchihara yesterday, which is always nice-- even when I'm on a self-imposed budget because of all the bills I had to pay earlier this month. I still ended up buying two new pairs of shoes (oh my god) and some scrapbooking stickers, along with a Christmas card for Mom. The Christmas/holiday/New Year's cards here are gorgeous! For a while there, I thought I could make a deposit at the postal service ATM in the mall, but I doubt it. I didn't actually try it because I had no money TO deposit, but I might go back there after payday just to see. Still, I don't think I can, and my best bet is *sigh* to pay for a wire transfer to my bank account in the States. I don't understand what PayPal's linkup is with Japanese banks, but I know that I don't have a Japanese bank account and don't intend to get one (even if I could; I'm pretty sure student =/= resident). Why do I need to bother with that when I get paid in cash? Simple-- for when I want to buy things online, like books, food, gifts, or travel. :P

I also found out that Gina Reams (zOMG, remember her?) is here in Japan too, going to Temple University. Her winter break is a little bit longer than mine, but they overlap, so hopefully if we both have some time, we can see each other. That would be fun.

I've been having some weird dreams lately, too (this morning's latest dream was undoubtedly influenced by [livejournal.com profile] baine's "The Temptress" and "Star Trek," the original series), but I guess that's to be expected when your brain just says 'You have had a WACKY day, and I am going to try and organize all this...' and does that in the form of some very strange dreams.

Ah, I'd love to find another pair of my old Oxford (Low-Cut) Purple Satin Chuck Taylors (Converse), but it appears they were a special series from 2004, and the likelihood of me being able to find them again in my size is pretty slim to none. Technically I already replaced them with the rainbow-colored hi-tops I bought at Shoe Plaza, but nothing quite replaces a pair of shoes that have seen me almost everywhere, doing all sorts of things, and in my favorite color, no less! You can make a custom pair of shoes at Converse's website, but the fabric isn't really an option, much less the pattern ON said fabric, as far as I've been able to see. I HAVE to make myself get rid of these old shoes! ;_; But it's so difficult...

For anyone curious, the new shoes I bought are downright GIRLY. I got a pair of slip-on wannabe-ballet flats in shiny vinyl red, complete with two knit cherries on the left corner of each opening, along with a pair of fuzzy violet and gold low-heels, with a strap just over the toe (but a closed toe). The great thing is, both of them would look great with jeans OR a fancy dress! I'd much rather have a shoe fetish than a purse fetish, like my mom!

WaMu is idiotic. They're either powered by robots or by people that don't speak English, because when I sent them an email yesterday asking them the SIMPLE question of "how can I make a deposit from Japan?" they kept responding with "you can go to a WaMu branch!" and I'm like "THERE ARE NONE HERE!" Even the Citibanks are all the way in Tokyo. I just wanted to know what the rules were regarding wire transfers, but even though I *KNOW* you can do them (for example, from any place that DOES wire transfers, such as Western Union and its ilk), WaMu didn't mention them as an option at all. Seriously, STUPID!

Also, that thought: how come there aren't any "purikura" programs for PCs or Macs? I mean something that takes your existing pictures (or if you have an iSight/Photo Booth like I do, one that lets you TAKE snapshots) and then lets you decorate them with a wide variety of frames, text, and other decorations? The only thing I can think of that would come close would be a range of Photoshop filters. It wouldn't be hard to make them, necessarily, but not everyone has Photoshop. On top of that, determining a size would be a pain, because I know I would like to "print my own" purikura (you can buy sticky photo paper at most office supply stores). My favorite sizes are the 2.5cm x 2cm ones, or the smaller, 1.5 cm x 1cm ones (roughly). I don't know, has anyone heard of anything?

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