The going away party was cool. Very low-key, just what I wanted and I was glad for the people that came out. I had a nice time. Here are some shots, I’m gonna go to bed.

Party

My brother Quinn and I went to Japantown today so I could pick up some party favors for this weekend.  I really like J-Town, it’s the oldest one in the United States (out of only 3 total) and I always wish I had a ton of money to spend in every store because they always have so much cool stuff.  We were mainly hanging out and browsing around besides getting the favors.  We also made sure we picked up some Japanese snacks and drinks, I really love Peach-flavored green tea drinks.  =D

I didn’t really want to go with a theme or do something too big or extravagant for the party because that’s really just not my style and there is just soooo much going on right now that I don’t want to complicate things; but I did think it would be cute to use Japanese Bamboo Fans as party favors.  There’s a Japanese dollar store called “Ichiban Kan” and picked up a bunch of bamboo fans for a little over a dollar each.  I got 5 different patterns in 2 different sizes.  I plan on writing my name in Katakana (クリスティーナ) on the back, along with my placement city and email address so people can contact me.

Just 16 days left and I can’t wait!

I should be asleep, but I’m so excited because I was able to borrow my sister’s laptop cord and I’m actually able to use my OWN computer!  I haven’t been able to do that in a few weeks and I didn’t know just how much I missed my computer.

I’m starting to freak out just a bit because I have less than 20 days left and I have to start packing… right now I still can’t wrap my mind around everything.  I just hope I don’t procrastinate too much, especially since I like going and hanging out at my sister’s place all day.

Okay, this entry is about nothing, so enjoy this totally awesome picture I found today of the Kobe Port Tower.  I’ve made it my desktop background because the colors are amazing!

Seeing as how I’m leaving soon, I want to spend some time with as many friends as possible before I fly out.  Today after an early dinner with family and some friends I was in the middle of making movie plans with a friend by text message when I guess a little joke I made was taken in the wrong way.  I don’t say things with the intention of hurting my friends, and take extra care for certain friends, this being one of them.

Even through texting I could tell the mood had entirely changed and I just couldn’t figure out why it had been taken so extremely wrong, and it was made harder when they refused to continue conversation after I asked several times what I had done wrong and apologized for the slight.

I’m used to talking through problems with people, that’s the only way my siblings and I survived through my parents’ divorce.  This puts me in a mood, too because I was making plans with a friend and they cancelled on me for something that they can’t even talk to me about.

Now I’m in a bad mood and I had been having a good day too.  THere’s not really any way to come out of this today unless I can get them to talk to me. =(

So I’ve been away for awhile again.  The power cord for my laptop got busted and funds are low so I haven’t been able to purchase a new one straight away.  To get online I’ve been using either my mom’s company-issued laptop or my brother’s agonizingly slow PC.  Also, as the time draws nearer, things are getting more hectic because I have to get ready to leave for Japan.  So let’s get with the recap, word?

I already mentioned that I got accepted into the JET Programme for the 08-09 year, I also found out that I will be placed in Kobe, which is 20-30 minutes West of Osaka.  It’s one of Japan’s designated cities, it’s a port city, and apparently very metropolitan.  I’ve heard it referred to as Japan’s San Francisco, which is right up my alley.

I’ve already been chatting with other JET participants that are currently there as well as fellow newcomers to the Kobe ALT scene; which is awesome because it does away with lots of initial awkwardness, hopefully; and also almost every question or concern you have about living in your specific city is pretty much answered before you even board the plane.

I don’t really know any Japanese so I’ve been taking a class the Consulate offers once-a-week in SF before I leave.  It’s pretty helpful so far, I just find that when the teacher asks us to say something in Japanese, if I don’t really know it, in my head I start speaking Spanish like somehow that will suffice.  I’ve haven’t said anything out loud yet, but knowing me, it’ll happen at some point.

Oh, and Graduation! It was nice, it was fun, it was mellow.  Gavin Newsom, the current Mayor of San Francisco, gave our commencement speech.  He’s got quite the female following, but he’s sort of irritating to me.  He always sounds like he’s selling something.  Not to mention that throughout his speech, he was hoarse and sounded very much like the piano-playing Muppet, Rowlf:

The amount of graduates was just overwhelming.  My mind was fully boggled.  Check this photo out on Flickr.  At one point, there was even a news helicopter flying over the stadium to do a report on the ceremony, which someone commented to me later on that they actually saw it on the news.  I guess a ton of people just wanted to hurry up and get out with tuitions going up every year…

But the ultimate, out of the entire event, was the entire Creative Arts section.  There were between 8-10 different sections for graduates to line up in so you can march down to the field: Creative Arts (CA), Social Sciences, Humanities, etc.  In order to get the the CA section, I had to walk through all the other groups and since it was right before the ceremony began, I could hear various professors from different departments telling the graduates to line up single file so the ceremony could begin.  I reach the end of all the groups, where CA graduates are located and everyone is just milling around, having conversation, grabbing programs, fixing themselves up, etc.  There are no professors around and most people don’t know we’re supposed to be lining up and those that do just stand in one spot with the idea that the line will form in front and behind them.  It was quite amusing.

Then, once we’d marched in and were all seated, the real fun began.  There was so much side commentary about the ceremony that you would think it was Monday Night Football or something.  I only knew and small handful of people and was lucky enough to sit with an old friend who also didn’t know very many people and was also graduating that day (I think we saved one another).  Then, anytime something was mentioned that made the graduates clap and cheer, the Creative Arts section was entirely lackadaisical or felt downright opposite.  I mean, when they introduced the President of the University, there was jeering.  And when Mayor Newsom was speaking, there was nowhere near the excitement as displayed by other departments.  I mean, one girl even screamed out “Gavin, call me!”  Yeah.  It was like that.  I laughed through my entire graduation ceremony and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I guess that’s a decent enough update for now.  Hopefully I will be successful in maintaining updates.  I want to blog regularly again to keep Fam and Friends updated, too.  But now it’s late and I’m going to roll into bed because it’s been quite a long weekend already and it’s only Saturday.  Tomorrow better be mellow.

Two towns over, where I used to live, there’s a Drive In movie theatre.  I used to go a lot with friends and stuff back in high school and then in 2005 they didn’t open it up for another season.  Needless to say, we were all sort of bummed.  I had even heard they were thinking of bull-dozing it and building a Wal-Mart there… God knows we didn’t need another one of those.

So anyway, last year Westwind bought the Solano Drive In, re-paved the two lots, showed some other much-needed love and car, and opened the joint back up.  I didn’t get to go last summer but I made it a point to go this year before I leave.  Tonight a bunch of us went and saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  I was not disappointed at all.  It was true to the essence of the first 3 movies in terms of humor, dialogue, plot twists, obstacles, and fight scenes.  Except for in this one there seemed to be more longer fights.

Im not going to spoil anything for you, I just want to say that Harrison Ford did a great job, Shia LeBeouf is fantastic (I was already a fan, but this just won him so many more points with me), and I think Cate Blanchett was both lovely and funny as the villainess.  If you are a fan of the original trilogy, I highly recommend you see this one.

Now at the Drive In you get two first-run movies for $6.75.  You can’t beat that price at all, the second feature that was paired with Indy was Speed Racer.  I don’t think I’d enjoy the overly-CGI flick, plus I used to watch the original cartoon as a kid and felt like I might be disappointed with the remake.  And on top of that, I was tired and I have to wake up sorta early tomorrow, so I just came home early.  But whatever.

All in all, it was a fun night… next time I really have to get some video footage of the Drive In to show everyone.  But I’m hella tired, so… peace out!

I finished my video piece in time for the critique and I really did crank it out on Monday because it turned out really well and garnered mad kudos in class, even an “above and beyond” type of statement from the prof.  Can you say beaming?  I was so jazzed.  Here it is if you want to check it out:

I started a 2nd channel just for my art videos, 

My last day as an undergraduate was yesterday.  I didn’t get misty-eyed or anything, I actually didn’t really enjoy my time on the campus.  99% of what made it even slightly enjoyable was my department.  There was one class outside of the Art department that I thoroughly enjoyed for the discussion and the people I met in it.  Otherwise, 2.5 years at my current school gets totally pwned by the 3 years spent at San Jose State.  Probably because of I lived on or next-to camps most of the time and could do extra-currics and go hang out after class and the like.

I left for various personal reasons, but deep down I wish that SJSU was my alma mater instead.  But it’s what you make it, right?  I know I could have had a better time here at State if my living situation had been different.  A 50-mile commute makes extra-curriculars tough.  I mean, it makes just going to class tough!  So, I’m just ready to graduate and get the summer started!

I just got out of my Art Final.  My last final.  And I got rave reviews on my video!  Awesome!  There was also some constructive criticism, but my professor said that I far exceeded expectations with the piece.  That means a lot and I’m so stoked.

So now I’m in my department lab… 5 hours to kill until the Dept. Graduation/End-of-Semester party and lots of internetting to do, apparently.  So yeah.  Out!

I’m not generally a procrastinator… I like to work on things little-by-little early on in the project, so that when I get closer to the deadline, I’m not freaking out.  I don’t know what it is about finals, though, especially in Spring, that just make me about the most procrastinating person ever.

The last final, and I mean last final of my undergraduate career is due to be presented Tuesday.  It’s a video piece.  I’m probably only 25% done.  I’m pretty sure it’s because I had to re-shoot it but I found that out just 2 days before a 6-day long trip to Arkansas for my Grandmother’s funeral.

Right now, I know I should be working on the piece but good lord I just feel so unmotivated!  Not motivated?!  You ask, But you’re about to graduate!  What more motivation do you need?!?!  It’s that semester-end thing where I’m just barely crawling over the finish line.  I am overwhelmed with the many things that life is throwing at me now.  I know that I will complete it tomorrow.  I know that I will pass the class.  I know that I will graduate.  But at 9:06pm PST, at this very present moment, I don’t know if what I produce will even be halfway decent.  I’m just so done already.

I need to find employment.  I need to clean my bedroom which is an utter pigsty because I did laundry the morning I left and didn’t get a chance to put it all away.  When I got back at 2:30am, I pushed everything off my bed and collapsed and have been so busy since returning that I haven’t had a decent amount of time to clean.  I need fingerprints.  I need to get 2 sets of paperwork done.  I have to submit volunteer hours.  Worry about getting bills paid (I haven’t worked since January because I was looking after my grandmother, going to school, and taking Japanese classes).  I also have to train 5 people before I leave in August.

Sometimes I just get so worried about stuff that I just want to drop it all and start from scratch, but I can’t really do that, so slosh through it I must.

But I don’t mean to sound like a drag.  There are some silver linings to my clouds:  I made an awesome new friend last month who absolutely makes my days.  I will be graduating with a BA degree by the end of the month.  The Drive-In is open.  I have a full summer to spend with great friends before I move to Japan in August.  I will be a first-time Aunt come October.  I will be independent.  I will almost be like a real grown-up!

So there you have it.  Once I get over this hump called May (which, oddly, seems to be a big hurdle every year), it will almost be smooth sailing for a while.

And with confidence somewhat restored, I will rest and relax tonight and (hopefully) go full-throttle tomorrow, probably chatting with my buddy throughout the day, ha!  Oh yeah, and my sister and her husband come back tomorrow, too… so that’s always nice.

So sorry for the long (unintended) leave of absence.  I didn’t mean to go away for so long.  Life has been insane.  I have one week left of school. my sister is pregnant and just learned yesterday the baby is a girl, (FTW!).  After caring for my grandmother for several months, she finally succumbed to bone cancer about 10 days ago.  I got in to the JET program and will be leaving in August for Japan.

More detailed updates to come, I’m just trying to get things in order and this next week coming up will be a little hectic.

Want to know what was stealing my time?