The Opposite of DisneyLand

Speaking of free days, the schedule got flipped around again so only half an hour before leaving for the day I found out we were instead going to DisneySea today. Needless to say I flipped out and was reminded yet again about how awesome my life is.

The train through the Disney area has Mickey Mouse head shaped windows and handholds. And Disney themed elevator music. Thought you should know.

Oh, and DisneyWorld has nothing on DisneySea. At all. It may be smaller, but it’s got nothing.

I completely didn’t get the whole DisneySea name until I asked and someone said, “Because it’s the opposite of DisneyLAND. It‘s on the sea...” Hah. Right. I feel intelligent.

The details of the park were really just amazing in every way. I can’t fathom the amount of genius behind the people who created this from nothing.

Those of you who know me and my bravery (or rather, lack of) will be surprised to know I rode the Tower of Terror AND a roller coaster. I have proof... That will come eventually.

Just getting through it quick because reading about it probably isn’t as good as experiencing it.

1.) Some rides may have been better if I understood Japanese. Despite this, I still laughed and screamed with everyone else who actually knew what was going on.

2.) The Tower was SO worth it because of the holograms.

3.) The highlight of the Indiana Jones ride was the animatronic Harrison Ford speaking in fluent Japanese.

4.) We went on a Journey to the Center of the Earth. Twice.

5.) Disney + Steam punk = YES.

I also really liked how Stitch seemed vastly more popular than even Mickey as for as gift shops went. In the US he’s completely ignored, here he’s the secondary mascot. Japan likes my favorite Disney character! Cuteness prevails in Japan, I suppose.

Samurai, Dinosaurs, Sushi, and Old Friends.

The 47 Ronin Gravesite was really cool, especially after hearing the story. It’s too long and confusing to talk about so go Wiki it some time or something.

I put incense on all the graves. It was pretty cool. Got some good panoramas.

It didn’t take too long, so it was then off to the free day.

My original plans were to finish up these blog entries after the gravesite and then head to the hotel lobby to see Ayumi and her parents… but I really had to draw dinosaurs again. Mark Shultz was going, and he was coming back right when they were to meet me- I pumped my fist in victory. I really did. At breakfast in public. Because really, who ever said, “You can’t always get what you want.” I got everything I wanted that day. First samurai, then dinosaurs. Really, could my free day get any better? (Oh, it does.)

And I got to see a part of the museum I hadn’t seen the last time! I didn’t know it was there- mainly on natural history of Japan. I though the wax Neanderthals were scary, they had a whole line of wax figures of the evolution of Japanese people that could have been breathing for all I knew how real they looked. The figures even had hair on their arms.

How they keep the dirt and dust off everything in that museum is beyond me.

Actually, now that I think of it, it’s the same for everything else in Japan. I’m going to feel so grimy back in the U.S.

Also, I got the see the plesiosaurus, which seemed to be the pride of the museum.

Also, it was pretty interesting to hear “Wow cool!” in perfect English with an Italian accent behind me as I was drawing a Protoceratops skull. A son and his father, from Italy but having lived in Japan for about 7 years?! It was an unexpected experience to hear Italian, English and Japanese from the same people. The kid wanted one of my drawings, but I’m selfish I suppose. He pulled out an Ueno Zoo sketchbook that he pulled out with his own sketches, so I pulled another drawing of the Protoceratops for him.

I was late to see the Sasaki family, which was entirely my fault and I felt horrible for it,(especially when it was simply on my whim to draw dinosaurs) but we were all too excited to see each other I think every irritant was thrown out the window.

I was really kind of shocked when Ayumi’s mother rushed up to hug me with a cry. I was really touched and overjoyed by it. I’d never really seen her react so emotionally to anything before. I can’t explain how happy I was to see them, or how amazing it was to be greeted like that again.
Allright, ao we have samurai, dinosaurs, old friends, and now we add sushi to the mix. They took me to a sushi restaurant?! Authentic, practically swimmingly-fresh raw sushi, and it was so-o cool!

I was also glad to impress them with my bravery, as compared to when I last ate at their house so many years ago and picked at every little thing when it came to food. I’m still pretty picky but this was authentic sushi!

Then we went over to Shibuya again, where Ayumi took me to a place called ‘Loft’ which I had mistaken for the clothing store on my previous excursion there. She defined it as a stationary store, but really it was, like Tokyo Hands, an everything store.

And I finally found more ink brush pens- which I must say are now the reason for my existence when it comes to drawing now. The Sasaki’s bought them for me, I was so touched, and the gave me a New Years stamp with a little Totoro sitting on a traditional Zodiac ox/cow.

But really we just spent forever laughing at the oddities and niceties, and it felt like home again. But for everyone speaking Japanese.

I think my favorite parts were when we would play with something, and Ayumi would read aloud the instructions to whatever it was and say we weren’t allowed to touch it. Of course she’d be the first one to play around with it, and I’m the one who can’t read kanji.

It ended too soon. I managed to look pathetic enough that we went out for coffee before saying goodbyes. I just wanted it to go on longer and forever. It’s really decided now. I have to come back. For all of it. The Sasakis, the sushi, the dinosaurs, and the samurai.

More Historical Touristy Stuff

Schedule was changed up today because the weather was so nice, so we headed off to the Imperial Palace which was a little hike from the hotel. I took the most pictures here out of anywhere, even the Natural Museum, and I’m not sure why.

It was beautiful, but we weren’t allowed inside. Apparently the actual palace is only open a few days a year.

Nevertheless, it was a gorgeous place, I just expected to have more images of dinosaur skeletons than a park area.

I took a lot of sequence photos that I’m hoping to turn into cool panoramas soon. Especially of the waterfall with the koi lake. Got a few good drawings in, but the only ones I really liked were gestures of the woman in a bridal gown taking her wedding photos there. What a cool place to do it!

Otherwise there isn’t much else interesting to say. When we left, we took a detour and saw THE coolest statue ever.

Three words. Samurai Equestrian Statue.

Totally freakin’ awesome.

Took some time to do a bad drawing of it even after everyone left, and when trying to make my way back… Got absolutely lost in Ginza. Fortunately I was with Charles, so we were at the very least lost together. We looked so distressed that one man on his bike that knew a little English actually came up to us to help.

But in the end we went to the subway, took the one stop to get us close to the hotel, and that’s how we got ourselves unlost. Doesn’t it feel great to be a tourist? Urgh.

Then the two of us shipped ourselves over to Akihabara. He went to get another Gundam, and I just wanted to see it.

I was brought back to middle school again to the time when all I could think, sleep, and breathe was anime. It was awesome.

Not that anyone cares BUT I GOT A ZOID. And not one of the lame little wind up ones that have no poseability (which is a word now) that you find at Toys R Us. No, this thing was as good as a Gundam but in Zoid form. I’d rant more about it but nobody cares. I seem to be the only one who liked them. I’ll probably have a whole blog post devoted to the Command Wolf I got in the near future.

I wanted to find Big O, and I’m still trying. It’s hard to ask for it. Language barrier and all that.
Anyway, Akihabara was awesome. The main reason most people seemed to go there for was the arcade version of the new Street Fighter game.

A Semi-Literate Walk through the Edo Period and Expensive Pokemon

Edo Museum day. Another museum that would have been informative if I could actually read. They did have a little more English than the Natural Museum, (which was none at all, over there) but I found myself drifting off anyway, as everything I found myself deeply interested had no subtitle, and the things I was only somewhat into had a paragraph or two.

They had a lot of scale dioramas of Tokyo in different time periods. They were absolutely great for reference on my Animation in Tokyo project. I’m hoping to involve ravens, and the main problem with all the reference I’ve been taking is it’s from human eye level. Finally, I could get reference pictures from a birds eye view.

There were also a lot of scrolls and original woodblock prints that we weren’t allowed to take photos of, though I adored them. I wanted a book of their selection but couldn’t find much in the gift shop.

Another important thing to mention is at the beginning of the day, we were told to have one good drawing by the end of our time there to turn in to the visiting artists. Three students would be picked (one sequential and one animation) to have a goodbye dinner with them. I won’t lie, I got anxious about it. It ruined any groove I had to draw that day, but I talked to a friend and kind of get myself set straight. In the end I got a really good drawing out of it after relaxing. For now, here’s only a photo of the boat I drew. I loved this thing.

Ah, and in the end, said friend got to go to the dinner, and I got to go shopping instead, so it all worked out for the better eh?

And shopping to where? But the Pokemon Center of course!

Alas, it was actually very disappointing. I’m one of those oldbies that only likes the first 151, and most of what they sold was Diamond and Pearl characters. What a letdown.

But they had these awesome shirts I wanted more than anything, but were ridiculously expensive. They were all designer-like- where you had to double take to see it was a Pokemon shirt at all. Example being a coat of arms with the animals holding the shield being a pair of Mewtwo. But, only at the Pokemon Center would you have to buy a shirt for $45. Maybe they’re just converting prices from the game, where prices are so inflated that a bike costs 1,000,000 poke-dollars.

I’m a geek. We’ve come to terms with this.

After this, we went to Shibuya, so I got to see a little more of that- a different part than Ayumi had shown me. We went to one of the many Mandarake’s, a manga/book/geekery-paraphernalia kind of store, which I thoroughly enjoyed despite not spending too much there. Then later went to “Tokyo Hands” which seems to be an everything store. And everything as in more variety than Wal-Mart. I walked in thinking it was a Japanese version of Micheals, or JoAnn Fabrics… then went upstairs to find everything else from jewelry to furniture to art supplies to camping equipment. Downstairs even had a woodshop not unlike Home Depot.

It was really confusing. Didn’t help that not only did it have about 8 floors, but each floor had an a, b, and c, floor.

Everything’s built up, rather than out here, but that just felt like walking through an Escher drawing.

Of Fresh Fish, Drawing at the Temple, and Christmas Shopping

A note on the entries. I have a lot more photos that I want o post but have no time nor decent version of photoshop to post them with. I'll have better, more descriptive recaps later.

But On a quick side note. I’m watching TV as I write this, and all I’m actually like watching is the commercials. They’re much shorter, is all I really have to say, and I just saw a commercial for Patapon 2 and Loco Roco 2. It’s been hard not to buy all these games.. And I don’t even have a PSP. But the DS Eye came out here, and I want to snatch up the first one I see... But aw man. I’m a college student.

Oh, Cooking Mama’s coming out on Wii!?

So it was pretty early today. Set the alarm to 4:30 and went to the fish market. It was mainly a reference day. I wanted some sushi, but seriously, it must have been about 10,000 yen. Not to mention we were trying very hard not to get ourselves killed by speeding lift carts. The professors informed us that “you will get smoked” if you get in front of them.
Anyway. There’s a lot to say, but I think I’ll leave it to “the fish was fresh.”

See for yourself.

Oh, and the next day, we found out that the fish market was scheduled to be closed to tourists because of a mishap the morning we went. We were raised into a state of panic for a bit, thinking it was our faults, but found out later some Australians apparently were obnoxious in the tuna auctions rooms. It was too formal for us, so we tried to stay as far out of those as we could, so there was some relief there.

The Asakusa Temple was lots of fun! I actually got myself to draw there without anyone yelling at me.

Got to a point where there were about ten other students sitting on the front steps, drawing the crowds in more ways than one. We may have been drawing people, but also people come to watch us. It was an interesting feeling after all this time people seemed to avoid having you know they were watching you. Some even went as far as to photograph us.

The coolest part had to be when this guy came up to the girl behind me and asked her to draw his portrait (by means of charades and Japanese that may as well have been gibberish) in his own notebook. As he was sitting still, I decided to do the same in my sketchbook. I offered my own sketch as well, but instead, after I handed him my sketchbook, he took my pencil and wrote his name in Ramanji, and handed it back. A few minutes after he left, he reappeared and had us pose for a picture with him. I manage to get a snapshot myself.

After this we drew such a crowd that a policeman shooed us off as he thought we were blocking the entrance. We were actually quite flattered, and it was time to shop anyway.

They had a lot of interesting shops and stalls. Mostly traditional stuff, and katanas were everywhere. Of course I wanted one, but alas what is a poor college student to do but to turn from school and become a wandering samurai in the 21st century?

Instead I bought ‘Taki boots’ or rather, ninja shoes. The ones with the big toe separated. They’re so amazingly comfortable.

Bought a lot of Christmas gifts which will remain confidential until they are given away. I must remember to talk about the p---r shop later, when I know the surprise won’t be spoiled. I was shopping most of the time with Mark Shultz and his wife Denise, who are so amazingly nice. I hope I didn’t drag them down. They paid for dinner! So amazing! I love them!

Of the Ghibli Museum and Frames for Sale

Shorter one.

Because.

I’m speechless. Pictures weren’t allowed inside, (only outside, with the Laputa robot) and there’s no way to describe the actual experience. I doubt pictures would have done well anyway. I cried for probably the first half hour, it was that amazing. But man, I hate being emotional. I was shaky at first, and when I saw the 3D zoetrope of the Totoro scene, that’s where I lost it.

The short film I got to see was pretty much a sequel to My Neightbor Totoro, regarding the cat busses. I don’t know what was better, getting to see a film that would never be published and sold, or that fact my ticket is three frames of authentic filmstrip from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

Spent about $100 on books and two kodama. (Layouts of general Ghibli films [probably all the SCAD students bought one] and the entirety of the storyboards for Totoro and Mononoke.) I realize now I should have bought an animation book for my mentor back at ACCAD, and I’m plotting on how to get back to Nakano Broadway to find another one.

Nakano Broadway is where we went afterwards. I was far too tired to enjoy it completely, not to mention I was probably carrying 50 pounds worth of Miyazaki merchandise. Went to conveyer belt sushi. Wanted the squid but decided against it since I was still queasy from the sheer joy of being at Ghibli.

Later I followed Jason up to I think the third floor of the mall- action figures, animation frames, and cels. SO shocked. Animation is so popular and prolific here that malls will sell frames for as little as 500 yen to adoring fans. I found quite a few animes I recognized. Cels from Tenchi Muyo and Cowboy Bebop were my favored jewels of the day (not to mention the Ghibli ones scattered around in prize cabinets). The latter were far too expensive (price goes up with popularity) but I’m interested in a layout frame of Wasshu from Tenchi that I might snatch if I come back. Also found a stack of the character designs for DNAngel, but I like the comic better so I managed to pry myself away.

Ah, a note regarding Xuco and Andy. Yes, I found Knights of the Zodiac cels and frames. They were like 60,000 yen. Actually everything I’ve found from that series is mint condition collectors quality stuff that I can’t possibly afford. I wanted to get something for them, but they’d have to split the action figures.

I missed out on the bookstore that everyone got such amazing stuff. I have to come back!

Despite the missed opportunities, coming back to Ginza (where the hotel is) was a wash of relief. Had a snack at McDonalds for the first time here, and wow. Different. Of course it was expected. Main observations about it were that while McDonalds in the US has a ‘poster child’ staff member, with immaculate uniform and always smiling, it’s really never seen. Japanese McDonalds gives you that dream world only found in the ads. Clean restaurant, perfectly uniformed, and broadly smiling people. It was a little unnerving, actually. I felt like I was in some color version of Pleasantville in an oriental setting.

Wasn’t all perfect though, as I noticed they were poking fun at myself and the guy I was with when we turned to leave. I’m not insulted at all, really. Being an American here… it’s just asking for it. I’d like to laugh along if I knew what faults they were pointing out. I’d like to see what the Japanese find funny about me. I’d probably find it amusing too.

Fungus, Dinosaurs, Mark Shultz, and Tentacles

This far too much of a fun day, I drove myself crazy with how much time I wasted taking pictures rather than having fun drawing. It was the

ANyway, Tokyo National Museum of Natural History. The traveling exhibit was about mushrooms and fungus, which was actually pretty cool, but in retrospect, I was bitter with how much time I wasted in there. At least I got some good reference pictures. I’m set for life if I ever need to refs for fungus. I'm not going to post any of it here now. Not worth wasting my time.

Also, a note on mascots. Everything has a mascot here. Absolutely everything. So even the fungus did. Actaully the fungus had multiple mascots. They're kinda cute, but I'm kinda seeing them everywhere. Even in vending machines on the street as cell phone keychains. It seems random cutesy things become very popular for no particular reason (other than cuteness, I suppose). I also heard that although Ponyo on a Cliff was pretty succesful, some of the hype was dulled due to the fact the theme song was made so popular.

Digression.

Something to be noted in retrospect- not being able to read anything actually helps a lot ot get through the museum with out wasting any time. I was really interested in everything but all I could read was the Latin describing scientific names. The history of man exhibit looked painfully informative, but I couldn’t catch a word. All I could see was that the wax Neanderthals were creepily lifelike, to the point I kept looking over my shoulder to see if its eyes were following me.

The event of the day is drawing dinos with Mark Shultz. I didn’t know his work too well before the trip. I knew a little because of Sara’s love of his work (I’m still trying to muster up the courage to ask for an autograph for her), but there’s little that can prepare you for drawing with an receiving tips from someone so mightily talented. He helped me flesh out the stegosaurus skeleton as I looked over his shoulder at his own example. (I'll show drawings later, when i'm home with a scanner.)

Something must also be said about his lack of ego. I’ve never met such an amazingly nice and inspirational person.

On that note, we got on the topic of dinosaur artists, and I mentioned my favorite, James Gurney. To which he replied “Oh yeah, he invited me over to lunch not too long ago.” (or something along the lines.) Yeah. Wow.

Anyway, before this, I spent waaay too much time photographing the taxidermy animals, which were incredible, and for once didn’t creep me out (except the birds. Taxidermy birds just don’t work due to the lack of preening). I keep kicking myself about not taking more time drawing. I only got a few lame sketches.

Akihabara was pretty interesting, I didn’t really get to experience it this night, but later really got into it and it’s officially my favorite part of urban Tokyo. (More on it later, obviously.)

First off, the stores close early, at around 7 or 8, which is odd since it’s the ‘electrical district’. I personally see it as the anime/giant robot/Gundam district, but the amount of lights make electric appropriate as well.

Tagged along with one of the professors, three of the artists and some other kids into a restaurant since we were falling over starving. What drew us in was the chef, placed at the window making some food on kebabs, which in the restaurant (alongside the extra ‘Engrish’ menu) were simply called ‘sticks’.

Mysteriously, before ordering we were given earthenware mugs filled halfway with...something, and in the center of it was a tentacle.
I was the first one to realize it was a tentacle, as it was raw, and otherwise looked like grey jelly. Mine had the ‘advantage’ of having a suction cup sticking out the side.

It took come bravery, but I had it, and it wasn’t too bad. There was some spice in it that distracted from the ‘wet’ texture. It took a lot of chewing.

The rest of the food took way too long to come, I think because we were obnoxious stupid Americans, but that’s not to say we were treated rudely. Rudeness is a rarity here. I kind of wish Americans could follow suit. It’s going to be hard coming back home.

Anyway the food took so long that by the time we got out, there was only half an hour to enjoy Akihabara, which was no time at all, really. I saw some tempting Ghibli stuff in one place, and messed with those keychain vending machines for myself and Christmas presents.

The Rest of Day 1- Japanese Food and Crane Games

Slow going since there's so litle free time on this trip! I have everything typed up for the rest of the week so I'm going to try to upload it tomorrow. After the trip is over I'm going to upload the better of the pictures, sketches, and videos (when i actually have a version of PS i can use. Stupid Elements.) For now here's the rest of day 1.

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Sketch-wise, I was really thrown off the day we went to the Meiji temple. Seeing a policeman come up and halt any progress in drawing was just really far too intimidating, and it stuck with me even in areas where drawing was allowed. I got a few sketches out, but nothing I really got in to or felt had any importance. I liked the Oni heads I found on one building though. The photos turned out better than the sketches.

After that was a short walk to Harajuku, somewhat of Japan’s equivalent of a fashion district. I split off from the group pretty fast though… It was where I was going to meet Ayumi, my long distant friend from middle school. I hate to admit it, but I was afraid I wouldn’t recognize her. I was early at our meeting spot (which I was relieved to find immediately after leaving the Meiji Shrine) and whittled the time away to draw a bit, after the small group that was entertaining my whim in helping me feel secure in such a busy street decided to pull out their sketchbooks. Before I knew it, she was sticking her nose below my sketchbook and I hadn’t even noticed. I recognized her, to say the least.

It was a strange feeling, seeing her after all this time (I’m estimating about four or five years since she last visited.) I can only remember a lecture given by C.S. Lewis talking about ‘true friendship’. He posed a theoretical scene, in which a group with common interests is brought together, and they may consider themselves friends, even after leaving each other‘s company for a while. True friends, he said, are the ones that when meeting each other again, act as if no time has passed at all. Ayumi and I left and returned to met each other quite a few times, but it’s always been the same feeling. No time has passed at all.

I hate how cheesy it sounds. But it makes me wonder what really makes a friend like that, psychologically or spiritually.

Anyway, she immediately led us down the main street of Harajuku, which I think myself and the others would have completely missed (at least for a little while) if she hadn’t presented it.
Lots of colors. It was pretty trendy looking. I saw a backpack that (three days later, as I procrastinate on journaling) I’m still thinking about and hoping to return for. Maybe it was a shame that I was too distracted about how happy I was to see Ayumi again to really check anything out, but we definitely made up for it.

She brought me to a very indie looking restaurant. It was in a strange back alley at the end of the street of Harajuku, behind an attractively graffiti-covered, abandoned apartment building covered in a strange structure of PVC pipes that were spray painted red.

She told me beforehand it was traditional Japanese food, looking a little concerned. Last we knew each other, I was much… pickier when it came to food. My attitudes have changed, but really I was just desperate to get my hands on something that would fit in with the whole experience. Contrary to the Japanese way, I jumped around a little and emphasized how much I really just wanted to do precisely what she was bringing me to. I don’t think she believed me, and her boyfriend who had tagged along seemed to be amused at the very least about my mannerisms. He didn’t speak a word of English, so he had no idea what we were talking about for most of the night.

The food was not good. It wasn’t even great. It was AMAZING. The restaurant specialized in a specific dish that I’ve completely forgotten the name of due to it being around seven syllables long. First of all, we had to cook it ourselves, which at first I didn’t know and gave me a bit of a scare when they brought around raw chicken. It was one of those skillet table tops and with the raw food, instructions on cooking it were taken. As far as I can remember what I was told, the dish is a mix of flour, egg, and water, and you can mix anything you want with it, as it seems to me most Japanese dishes are like. We had two entrees, the first with chicken and other curiosities, and the second I’m guessing had shrimp and squid.

They spent a while laughing at my inability to use chopsticks. Waitress brought a fork. Ouch.

We shopped around but the most exciting part must’ve been the crane games, which seem pretty popular here. The Japanese takes these things to the next level. There is no joystick with free movement, and the crane is not nearly as strong enough to pick up anything heavier than a cotton ball. The only movements are forward and sideways, and only pressed once. Since the point is not to pick up the object… You do everything you can to push it off.

There has to be an art to it, but I seriously spent 800 yen trying to get the strange snake keychain I now have on my camera. Ayumi managed to get probably $50 worth of candy from the candy machine, and her boyfriend got a stuffed animal, though with much toil and effort.

Learned how to ask ‘where’. “Doko” added to anything seems to help me get around.

Noticing the Small Things.

So I’m in Tokyo!

Getting here was a trial in itself, and despite being considerably longer, the flight to Narita was much better. The flight to Atlanta was actually quite ridiculous… I had a two and three year old with their mother seated behind me. The two year old sat on her lap and kicked at my seat the whole one and a half hours. The three year old cried and shouted about wanting to get off the plane for about just as long. Never had such an uncomfortable flight. I just remember another flight with a crabby flight atendant who opened the flight by saying “Hope you have a safe OR comfortable flight.” I suppose I had the latter.

I sat next to a retired schoolteacher and a conspiracy theorist… who was also a retired schoolteacher. That was interesting. He got old really fast.

Getting to Atlanta was delayed, and instead of having lunch there I just had to run to my plane, which I barely made it on. For a while I thought it was just me and one other kid, Zane, which was terrifying. We were positive the rest of our group was going to be late to getting to Tokyo. The thought of being along in a foreign country was… well you can imagine.

The rest of the SCAD group got on the plane about 2 minutes before the plane took off. Thank you Lord.

I’ll admit the flight to Narita was taxing, and not exactly fun in comparison, but at least that kid wasn’t beating on me for the whole fourteen hours. A woman who drank far too much on that flight was next to me, but we had an empty seat between us, at the very least.

I can’t sleep on planes… it was painful. But I watched a million movies on that little console screen. I didn’t read or do any of my own things I brought to entertain me because they took far too much energy. I’d had four hours of sleep before so oy. But I beat Fire Emblem. Wow finally.
The Narita airport I barely remember. I was so tired. I just remember customs making me really nervous for no particular reason. And forgetting my jacket on the plane and a flight attendant running in to get it for me. A blur.

Our hotel is amazing. I don’t think we deserve it, really. I mean, the glass in the bathroom has a section that is heat that doesn’t fog over when you shower so you can see yourself afterwards. Really. More on that later when I actually take pictures.

OH, despite having bought an international plan for my phone for the two weeks, my phone is a paperweight here. American phones just don’t agree with the Japanese airwaves, I suppose. I carry it out of habit and because of my lack of watch (which I’m planning to buy at the Ghibli Museum anyway. :P)

That night was the welcome dinner, but he plans didn’t work out so they told us to just go and find something to eat. Yeah it took a while… and no one spoke English. The three people and myself that went made complete fools of ourselves. Pride isn’t really a factor here when you have no idea how to speak the language. We went to a tea/café something-or-other and had breakfast, which was oddly appropriate since it was around 10 AM at home and we were still screwed up.

Funny because I seemed to only notice the small things, when it came to how different Tokyo is. Everything is just so CLEAN.

Even the manhole covers are decorated, like this one outside the hotel. (there’s the group standing in front of the hotel rather rudely. We later figured out a way to be more polite.) I havn’t seen even a cigarette button the ground. And the streets that are in the US usually paved with flattened gum are non-existent.

Crime is so low, people park their bikes without locking them to anything! It was really comforting.

So I was set to live here from the first few hours I spent here. Everything is so organized and beautiful in an industrial way.

Second day showed a little of the more peaceful, non-urban side of Japan (sort of). We went to the Meiji shrine, covered in trees and just green everywhere. The sound of crows (very large ones) set an incredible ambience for it, especially after Professor Mauer telling us they were the guardians of the temple. They were EVERYWHERE, and dare I say not nearly as mangy or small as the ones I’ve seen back home.

I felt like all they were doing was shouting “American! American!” as we walked through.

The whole place was so beautiful and inspiring... and I was dying to draw through my whole walk around the place, but, interestingly, we weren’t allowed to draw. The police officers that patrolled the area would rush up to us and hurriedly tell us to stop drawing and put our sketchbooks away, despite photography being encouraged. I was told later that it’s a spiritual reason- apparently the act of drawing is seen as taking some of the spirit of the place away. It was interesting to see a culture in which the act of drawing is considered to have so much power.

At the end of a long forest path, we saw the dojo, but before we entered there was a small place to cleanse yourself.

The water was very cool and clear. You’re supposed to take the ladle in the right hand, and wash your left. Then switch, and do the same to your right. Lastly, taking it back in your right hand, you cup our left and ladle water into your hand to cleanse your mouth. I was a beautifully organized ritual.

I watched an old woman, bent over reverentially, run over to the cleansing area and vigorously and devoutly wash herself. He looked so passionate for being so small. When I made my way to the prayer area, I watched her as she bowed over the prayer tables. It was so beautiful…

That’s all for this post, I have to go out for my workshop on the third day. I’ll finish up the account for day two and three tonight, that is if my 24 hours of internet hasn’t run out. It’s 500 yen per day, so I’m trying to log in every other day or something affordable like that.

Think I'm Turning Japanese

So I got here yesterday, but then, I had that 15-16 hours of flight time, I was run too ragged to function.

And today, I was overwhelmed with going around on our first day, and I need sleep, as I'm feeling the jet lag.

Hotel is amazing. Tokyo is amazing. The visiting artists are amazing. Et cetera.

So real updates tomorrow.

Off to the glorious abyss that is sleep.

Thanksgiving and Haircuts

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! Eat a lot of turkey and... whatever else it is you like.

If you don't celebrate thanksgiving, EAT A LOT ANYWAY. It's good for you.

Being grateful for what you have is a universal thing. I keep finding myself forgetting what the holiday's really about, but such is human nature. But this year's brought me so much, i suppose I needed a day to reflect and meditate.




In other news;

I got a haircut finally, and while I usually like it short have I gone too far this time?!

(No, I didn't Photoshop it. My camera's just broken. I can't even get colors to look right. I have turned PURPLE!)

I'm kind of intimidated by the shortness. The cut didn't look this short when it had all that gel in it, and I washed it out and it looks like this! Hairstylists like gel, and it makes things magical.

I dunno, I'm not too distressed by it, despite the picture. I like short, low-maintenance hair, and it'll grow back anyway. I'm just hoping my friend will recognize me...

Which applies only to specific people.

Ayumi, you want me to bring you anything specific that you can't get over there? Like LemonHeads?

Fellow SCAD students: When do our grades come in?!

Anyone who has anything to do with FaceBook: Stop nagging me about not getting on it. I visited for the first time since June. And stop sending me application invites. I don't use faceBook and will not use your applications unless it has to do with drawing or Pokemon. :P

[EDIT:] Since I realized I didn't sound like I was joking around, I shall show my stats.

Friend requests: 19
App/group invites/Etc: 54
Inbox: 29

I was overwhelmed! I wanted to play that superhero thing that people sent me quite a few of... but instead I went GUWAAAHH (waving my arms about too) As per usual.

In all actuality I like getting sent all that stuff. Makes me feel loved in a "You've been fried with French Toast Laser Vision! Click here to retaliate!" kind of way. Which is certainly not a bad thing.[/EDIT]

To anyone else! Comment so I don't feel like I'm talking to the air.

In Which Nothing Important is Said

Taking a moment to say nothing important. Just happy to be home.

My dog missed me. He won't leave me alone!
Also, finished up my finals, here's the one for Animation 1.

Also messing with the blog layout. New banner drawn with refs from Marey's photographs on movement.
I've always like these photos. They were actually made in the name of SCIENCE! as Marey was actually a physiologist, rather than an artist. Just goes to show that everything connects to each other.

In Which There is Collaboration

I've been thinking lately... how incredibly cool it is to be at a school where collaboration is so encouraged.... or maybe it's just my major.

I got to be a werewolf in a friend's Vis. Effects film. Dressed up in this awesomely bad costume and run around in a graveyard. Then another friend who's in Interactive Something-Or-Other Game Design is creating a game (on paper) and was encouraged by his teacher to get friends to do some concept art.

Despite thinking I had absolutely no time, I did some anyway. I like this kind of thing. There isn't much pressure so I can just draw whatever. I even convinced myself I didn't have to take time looking for reference. True enough it doesn't make for a good drawing, but it helps to loosen up a bit. I need some time to draw for myself during project crunch time.
Since the game is based on Dante's Inferno, and there was no specification on what I should do, I had to draw Lucifer (Final Boss? Heck yes.). Of course, I spent no time on research so I didn't really remember what the 9th Circle of Hell looked like other than ice and Lucifer halfway encased in ice. So I just made a Biblical kind of Lucifer, like a pretty angel with horns or something. Nothing very creative.

He told me later about Dante's Satan having three faces and six wings that beat the air to get free and constantly re-freeze the area over.

So here's a more appropriate vicious dragon sort of boss. I don't really like the drawing though, so it's smaller.

Then a character design of Dante, based on said friend because he asked for it. I'm trying to get more stylized with my imagined figures, but this is ridiculous. So much for practice.

In which the author remembers her inept sense of direction

I remember coming to SCAD, and being overwhelmed by the layout of Savannah. I'd never really been in a city that had a grid-like layout before. It really threw me off at first, but now I know how to get around really easily... that is, while walking. I don't remember the one-way streets so I tend to confuse drivers when giving directions.

Even the hyper-simplified map SCAD gives its students is a little confusing and overwhelming, but it's fine once you figure out the main streets. It only took a little while to be able to look at the map without my heart to sink with disappointment as I was well aware I'd get lost. Again.

I digress.

So I bought our 'textbook'. The Tokyo City Atlas: A Bilingual Guide. Of course I took a peek as soon as I got it.



Well, then.

In which there is an Orientation

I want to go now!

Orientation seemed to be full of lists. Not surprising, but tedious. Still, the professors are pretty cool, so they made it a lot of fun.

"How many of you have flown internationally before?"

Half of the room, hands raised.

"How many have never flown before?"

No hands.

"How many of you have killed a yeti before?"

Without hesitation half the room raises hands.


Also awesome famous sequential artist whose name I've insolently forgotten came and showed us some work. Crazy amazing stuff. I'll remember his name in an hour when I'm away from the computer, I know it. I suppose I'll update that later.

[edit] Mark Shultz, I remembered after I had turned my computer off. Anyway, the only think that can compare to his pencil work, is his ink work. I think seeing the originals made some part of my brain explode.

I just did a quick search on the web of him and found one of the exact images he showed us. Pitifully itty-bitty image but I don't think any size would compare to seeing it in person. This was one of my favorites.

Anyway, it's such an honor to be able to take some workshops with him, and in Japan no less. True enough, he's there more for the Sequential Majors, but fortunately us animators get to hang around him too. I hope he won't be too overwhelmed by us.
[/edit]


Anyway, note to self learn phrases in Japanese:

"Thank you."
"Excuse me." (Or other apologies.)
"How much for..."
"Where is..." and directions, like left, right, north south, etc.
and of course, we can't forget:
"I'm sorry, I don't speak Japanese."

Really, I'm hopeless at learning languages. I'll probably attach a notecard to my sketchbook or something.

Fortunately not only do I have a friend in Japan I am hoping to meet, but apparently my roommate for the trip knows a little conversational Japanese. Schaweet. I like it when things work out.


I hate blog posts without images. I'll try to find one for this one.

In which the passport is recieved

I got my passport in the mail today, so I've decided to begin.



Keeping a journal's never been easy for me, I get too lazy and feel kind of stupid about talking to nothing in particular. I'm hoping blog may be more interesting. This is an attempt.

Anyway, for those who somehow stumble upon this page or if I've sent you here and you don't know me too well, I'll be keeping a blog of everything during my trip to Tokyo, Japan.

I'll be going with SCAD, taking animation courses, so there'll be a lot of drawing in here as well. As I learn about animation, maybe others can learn with me.

But, for the time being, I'm still down in Savannah finishing up fall quarter. There won't be much posting around here until I actually go in a couple of weeks.

Hopefully I'll get a camera by then.



Next post probably about Orientation.