Back To Japan!

It's been a while since I posted here, huh.

I'm heading back to Japan.  Most of you who actually know me probably found out through other means, but I've won an all-expense-paid 10-day trip to Japan, courtesy of the Japanese government, for a brand new youth cultural exchange program they're doing.  They picked three American universities, and mine happened to be one of them.  And they actually chose me from among all the applicants (along with 22 other students) to get to go!

I leave Monday.  We'll be heading to Tokyo this time instead of Osaka, so I'll get to see a lot of new places.  Since it's all planned by the government, every day looks like it's going to be completely packed this time.  Usually we'll be visiting 3-4 different locations each day.  This is going to be super busy, but should also be a lot of fun.

I don't know how much internet access I'll have there.  I think I'll have some during the middle days of the trip, but probably not in the beginning or end.  I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and post when I can.  Look forward to it! :)

How I Spent My New Year's Eve - by Thayne Bohman

I barely slept at all this morning, spending the last two hours (of three in bed) tossing and turning most of the time.  Then, around 5:30, I got up and had breakfast.  Then I played some piano while I waited for my mom to get ready to take me over to a doctor's appointment I had at 7:30.  Once there, I filled out a bunch of paperwork and had the doctor test out my legs.  I've had a bad left knee for around six years now, ever since it moved out of place while I was limboing in a dance class back in my first year of college.  Finally decided I should do something about it.

After that appointment, I went to get my knee x-rayed, and didn't make it back home until around 11:00.  So I had lunch and watched some anime with my mom and brother.  Normally, the anime only comes after dinner, but we were already all up and eating at the same time, so I suggested we do it then.  Then I messed around on my computer, played some games, and fell asleep around 4 or so.

My mom woke me up to have some dinner before going to the church dance tonight.  The dance started at 9, but I didn't show up until a little after 10.  There were probably about 4-500 people at the dance, of whom I knew 3, sort of.  None were really my friends, and I've never been much of a dancer (despite taking the class), so I mostly just stood around and watched other people dance.  Then they started doing the limbo, and I got all depressed because that's what made my knee bad in the first place.  But I figured, it's been years since I really got to limbo (I don't think I've done it since the accident), and I used to be really good, and if I'm careful and pull out if my knee starts to hurt, then I think I'll be okay.

So after they'd already lowered the bar probably two feet from the starting position, and it was now at low chest or stomach level, I joined in.  My first run wasn't great, because I wasn't into it, and honestly it was still too high for me.  By the next time I went, it had dropped another foot or so, but I made it through easily.  After one more run, there was only me and one girl left, and they lowered it to just above my knees.  She went first, but bumped her chin on the bar, and they called it out.  I went through and cleared it with an inch or two to spare, so they declared me the winner.  Didn't get to see how low I could actually go.  I'm surprised my knee held out, though.  Didn't even hurt this time.

Anyway, I stuck around and ate some stuff there, watched everyone attempt to dance to Gangnam Style, and then decided to go home.  That was around 10:50.  When they started playing Cha-cha Slide, I left immediately.  I despise that "song."

So I got home around 11:20, talked to my parents a bit, changed out of my nice dance clothes, did some laundry, and have spent the last 45 minutes or so discussing the finer points of Windows 7 and 8 with a friend online.  And now it's past midnight.  So, yay?  Happy New Year, to those of you who care.  お正月おめでとうございます。

Otakon 2012 pictures from Friday

So, Otakon was two weeks ago, and I haven't gotten around to uploading any pictures yet.  That changes now.  I took a ton of pictures, and handed my camera off to other people during the photoshoots I was in, so they took a ton more pictures, so all in all, I've got 843 images.  I haven't gone through all of them yet, and I'm sure some at least are pretty blurry.  Anyway, let's go in order.

Thursday

We arrived Thursday afternoon, around 4 or 5.  By far the earliest we've ever arrived.

Our hotel room, once we'd brought all our things in.  The whole left wall in this picture was lined with boxes for my friend's costumes.  It took several trips with multiple people to get everything in.

After unpacking, we went and got our badges and met up with some other friends, then wandered around a bit more before coming back to the room.  All night, we (well, one of my friends and the girls we met up with earlier) worked on making a bow and arrow for someone's costume for the next day.  It was a cheap prop, but it worked well enough, I suppose.

Friday

Since we had picked up our badges on Thursday, and we were in the Hilton (which is connected to the Convention Center), we were able to walk right in on Friday morning.  After putting on our costumes, of course.

This is my friend's Canti (from FLCL) right before we left.  He has spent the better part of the last 6 months working on it.

Some people from Full Metal Panic on the way over.  I don't really know the show, but I liked the giant... mouse?  It squeaked with every step, too.

Friday morning crowds.  Nothing compared with what would come later.

We met a second red Canti, so my friend had to get some pictures together.

Kid, from Chrono Cross.  I always like seeing the lesser-done shows and games that I know.

The fountains were off all weekend.  I don't know why.  Maybe someone got in trouble last year, or maybe they were under maintenance or something.

The line for preregistration was 3 or 4 hours long in the morning.  At-door registration was probably about the same.  Glad I didn't have to wait through that in the 100+ degree weather.

The line for the Dealer's Hall was also stupidly long.  Well, it was just stupid.  They kept opening it and closing it, telling people to disperse and come back later (very few people did).  It seemed like no one really knew what was going on.  Apparently, the line was too long for fire codes or something.  Hopefully they'll figure out how to organize it better for next year.

You're not an anime girl!

My Little Pony was popular this year.  I haven't watched the show, but one of my friends was in this shot, so I got the picture anyway.

Canti vs Castle Crashers.

White mages are always classic.  I think I made his day when I asked for his picture and not the picture of the two (much fancier) costumes next to him.  I'm not sure, but I think the other two were from one of the newer Final Fantasy games.  I'm not that familiar with the latest ones.

My friend (middle), our friend (right), and her friend (left).  We split up shortly after this picture so I could get autographs.

While in line for Gen Urobuchi's autograph, the people just behind me started playing the game from Steins;Gate (which I haven't watched).  It looked interesting.  Simple game (I still remember all the rules), but complex strategy.  Like chess.

Nagisa!  Clannad is still my favorite show ever.

Dr. Wily.  Not a costume I expected to see.

Tomoya from Clannad.  Too bad I didn't see him with the Nagisa earlier.  I also didn't bring my Tomoya cosplay this year.

Final Fantasy VI seems to be gaining in popularity over the past few years.  It's become increasingly common to see characters from it, especially in large groups.  This is Terra/Tina Branford and Relm Arrowny.  VI is still the best Final Fantasy.  And video game.  Ever.

Here's me.  I'm dressed as Arc from the DS remake of Final Fantasy III, in his Freelancer (base) job outfit.

Guarding the escalators.  The closer one is one of the characters from Heroes of Newearth.  I haven't played it and don't remember the character's name, but the person in the costume said he's actually a developer for the game.  Pretty cool.  They were standing there for at least 10 or 15 minutes.

Then they got in a fight.

Not from an anime, but still a cool suit of armor.  He didn't make it himself, though (I asked).

Lucia from Lunar II!  I loved that game.  I keep thinking one of these days I should go as Hiro.

Marle from Chrono Trigger.  She has the crossbow on her back, too.

Some of my friend's friends dressed in Black Rock Shooter cosplays.

Shortly after we returned to the hotel room for the night, we looked out the window and saw a fireworks show some two or three hundred feet away in the baseball stadium.  I guess someone won.  We recorded most of the show on camera.  It lasted a little over 10 minutes, which I think is longer than the 4th of July fireworks I saw.

I'll come back and post stuff from Saturday and Sunday sometime later.  If you see yourself in here, feel free to post a comment.  If you saw me take a picture of you, and it's not in here, send me a message and I can send you the photo(s).  I have far too many to post them all in a blog.