ダイナマイト授業！！

 Day before yesterday I went to Oslo with Cat, to go to a café and draw some and talk bullshit. Mostly the last one.
I tried to make up a list of the clothes I can bring to Japan, to eliminate the things I CAN'T bring. As it looks right now, I'll be bringing five pairs of shoes...
The thing is though, I'll be really stripped of money. If I don't get a scholarship I'm not really sure how I'll manage the first year, even though Toukai is a lot cheaper than Jousai was. And hence, I won't have much money to shop, so I thought if I BRING the stuff I need then I can stop myself from shopping so much...
I do have my doubts it'll actually work though.
 

 This is ALMOST my outfit from that day. This is actually a picture I took a couple of days earlier, and then it started raining, so I had to change clothes (And yes yes, my room's a mess. Hey, that rhymes!).
My hair was different, and I wore these shoes:

 With a bracelet around my foot, lol. Hey, I see people do it all the time!

 And this was the lunch I accidentally spent money on. I shouldn't be eating out! Or drinking tea at cafés, for that matter, but you see, I have a months train pass. Now shouldn't I use it and get my (my dads) moneys worth?
Mind you, a train pass is worth fuck all this month, as the noble train company of Norway have decided that they will finally do something about their shortcomings, and have declared the line from my town to Oslo, cut. Until August 9th. It's been going on for over a month now and it's completely ridiculous!
Not the fact that they're actually fixing the problems, that was about fucking time, but the fact that they cut one of the busiest lines for more than a month and don't provide proper substitues.
The direct lines (that will take you to Oslo in 12 minutes) are suspended, and instead you'll have to get on the local line, which in 20+ minutes gets you to a station two stops short of Oslo central, and then you have to get off, walk to a tume station which is rediculusly far away, and hope theres a train from there, because God forbid they correspond!
Why don't they have a bus substituting the direct line??!
Because it's such a hassle, I've been taking the bus a lot, but that takes an hour!
Especially when going home, 'cause the tubes and trains don't correspond, I use the bus. I've never noticed how awful the bus is until now.
Crammy, sweaty, shakey. Yesterday I actually got sick and had to get off at a stop about 30 minutes walk from home. I like walking though, so I didn't mind too much. I was just really naucious. Once I got off the bus though, I felt better.

This is me walking... just in case you didn't beleive me :p

And then I have to talk about this weekend for a littlebit.
We had a birthday party for Cilee and Julie. It's hard to find a time when we can all meet these days, so we have to do combination parties and stuff :p But that's allright!

The plan was dinner and a concert, so I wore something fitted for a live.

Actually it's just a perfect excuse to dress like and emo, and I also had a bad hair day :p


Here are the girls:

Well, not all of them, and actually we also had to boys, Alex and Eivin. But I kind of forgot to take more pictures :p
We ate at something called the Nighthawk Diner, where the staff insisted on speaking to us in English, even though I could have sworn the girl that showed me my seat spoke Norwegian!
They have kind of an American concept thing going, so the staff might be instructed to speak American, but the thing is that in Norway (at least with my groups) we concider it kind of snobbish to speak English to fellow Norwegians...
The food was really good though!
My friend who's a vegitarian got a burger with a huge mushroom instead of meat, and the waitress warned her it tasted just like steak, but luckily she said it didn't. Why do people think vegitarians want to eat stuff that tastes like meat, if they were so into meat they wouldn't be vegis, right?

This, too, was very good. I don't remember what it's called, but it's like a ginger been vanilla milkshake.
We all had to try it :p

After the dinner we went to a nearby park to "get ready" for the live. That means we bought affordable alcohol at a supermarked and got affordably drunk.
I'm not one of thos people who HAVE to get drunk at lives, actually in most cases I prefer not to, but when it comes to Guitar Wolf, you kinda have to :D

If you don't know Guitar Wolf, they're an old fashion rock'n roll band from Japan. My ex was really into them, and I've seen them live once before, in Cologne when they played with AnCafe, bis and Girugamesh. A very strange mix, but one of the most meroable lives I've been to, mostly because of Guitar Wolf being drunk and disorderly on stage, blowing the minds of all the VK-fangirls who had never heard of them before and were fighting for a spot in front of the vocals, awaiting Girugamesh.
In Oslo they played head-lining, at a club called John Dee. It's not too big, just about the right size for an indie rock concert? And I was surprised at how many people showed up to see them.
The girls in the middle even brought a poster of a picture they'd taken with them XD
The audience was quite different from the live I've been to lately (I say lately, but it's like 6 months ago now).
The sound wasn't very good where we were standing, 'casue the speakers were on the side of the stage. To be honest all I could really hear was the bass and some vocals and the rest was noise. But then again, I don't really know Guitar Wolf all that well and havn't listened to them in forever, so I wouldn't have recognised their songs anyway.
I know they played this:

Basically 'cause Guitar wanted us to shout "KOUKOUSEI!" (high school kids) into the mic, and I think I said "HA??" instead because I was sure I heard wrong:p

We were properly drunk allright.
Some time during the show they pulled guys up on stage and made a cheerleader pyramid XD Alex got pulled up and he was like the middle layer, and I got really worried that he wouldn't be strong enough ('cause he's recovering from chemo and stuff), but he's just fine! When he got back down all he could say was "did I look stupid?"
Well, for a dude on all fours in a cheerleader pyramid, I guess you looked allright XD

After the show Cat and Cillee were sleepy and wanted to go home. I wanted to wait with the others, 'cause I really wasn't tired, but if I get stuck in Oslo I'll be in trouble. It's not a very safe city. So I went home with them, which I kind of wish I didn't, 'cause the others apparrently got a hold of Guitar Wolf (that is, vocal and guitarplayer, Mr. Guitar Wolf) and took him to a pub.
So jalous XD

Nyanyanyanyanyanyanynanyannyannyan～♪

Last week we had our friend Fran come over from England. 

The week started out with Desucon, which is the biggest Japan nerd convention in Norway. But before that I left my home and went to Oslo to meet with Cat and Fran.

Whenever a foreign friend comes to visit, us Oslo people feel the need to show them how big part of our culture café life is ^-^

 

I managed to pick a piece of the leaf off on our table plant, and then I felt bad about it. Unfortunately noone had glue, so we couldn't give it a permanent solution. Sorry, mr. Pot.

My dear friend, Cat, finding a new interesting way to wear a sweater :D

And this is Frans ribbons.

After two days of sewing, cutting labels and sticking them on, she was ready for Desucon. Cause we weren't just going there (honestly, I probably wouldn't have been there just for fun), we had all ordered artstands.

So the next day we were up very early to get ready to go. They opened for the crew at 8 in the morning. We almost made it :p

Cat and I tried to take a picture in the mirror.
That went well :p

Seriously, I hate this camera, can't wait to get my charger back!

So here are our stands. Cat and I are cheap enough to share one XD
But there's a theme! We're whitey and Blackey!

Lol, I completely disappear into the painting behind.
Since all our friends are so busy (ok, Jack was actually sick) we kind of all joined in on Frans stand when it was nesescary, but luckily most people at Desucon are very good at English!
And at the end of the day Julie came by to help out.

This was a picture I sold. I was up late the night before to finish all the damn butterflies, so I disn't have the chance to scan it. But I'm happy I sold it! I'm happy every time someone wants my stuff!

This is a little painting that I didn't sell. I honestly thought I'd sell alot more of the mini paintings, but I only sold two and then I gave one away to this really cute little girl who was all out of money. Her and her sister, who was also really adorable, were hanging around the stands the last day. They kept switching their cosplays, which was really confusing, even though they didn't really look anything alike XD

More Norwegian culture, people!!
The sandwich lunch pack! I actually cheated, you're not supposed to put two slices of bread together, but it just makes it that much easier to wrap.
The point is saving money and staying healthy!

This was probably the most impressive thing I saw on the first day. Giant light man!
Ofcourse there were lots of interesting looking people, Norwegian cosplayers are getting better and better. Ofcourse there is a huge gap between the really great ones and the ones just dressing up, but I'm impressed. And also, some people had made their own costumes for their own characters, which was cool!
One day I'm gonna make a cosplay worthy character! (Then I', probably gonna have to play it myself)

When we came out afterwards we turned the corner and there was the old gang from Blitz (that's the punkrock club we used to hang out at), playing croquet in the street XD

Actually this was an event we were invited to on Facebook a long time ago, but they kept changing the date, so I kind of just gave up on it.
Because of getting up early the next morning we couldn't stay and party, so we just chatted for a bit and then left for Cat and Jacks apartment again.

Cat and I on day two!

And lookit! Isn't it cute!

This was probably the most impressive thing I saw the second day, that I hadn't already seen the day before, ofcourse.
I'm not a huge fan of animé and manga, and not really of fantasy or sci-fi either, except for the odd series ofcourse, and here's my problem with Desucon.
Being in charge of such a huge convention is hard and even though there were some problems, I think they do a great job at that.
BUT they greatly favor the "old school" nerd business, like anime, manga and games, and exclude or downprioritize the new things like j-fashion and j-music, that's reqruiting a lot of new Japan-fans all over the world now!
The last time they had Versailles come over and it was a great live, all though it was hell for the people in charge. This year there was ZERO j-music on the programme, and as for j-fashion, there was ONE fashion show, placed at the shittiest time on the schedule. Half an hour after the doors opened. They weren't even finished letting people in yet. And they could have easily put one of the seminars they had two or three different spots for there, but no. They think that this isn't important, and that kind of pisses me off.
I was into manga at one point, then I stopped being into it and years later I started studying Japanese BECAUSE I LIKE VISUAL KEI (Ok, that was emberassing, but never the less true!). The reason why I wanted to go to Japan was not anime or manga, or cosplay or videogames.
And I know there are lots of lots of other people out there who are interested in these things, but not particularily in anime and manga. Where is the con for those people in Norway, if our "leading arrangers" don't want to include them?

Calm down now. This is fish that Fran made for us for supper, when we were exhausted after the second day.
Was soooo good! And sleep too was so good!

It's that time again...

It's time to go back home, the last two days have been kind of stressfull. Cat bought a bag to fit all her stuff...

...and herself in. I got to use her beaten up suitcase as a post package to mail the stuff I can't carry to the airport. No guy to carry the luggage to the airport, it's kind of wierd... I know someone I wish would come but we're not on that level... and I can imagine the face he'd make under the weight of my bag would break my heart completely XD
Here we are in the process of packing, this morning.


Actually, the room has looked kind of like this all the time we've been here. I'm so glad the girls we live with arn't uptight^^;

When we finally decided we needed a break for breakfast it was Dotour again. This time we hit the big one and bought cake!

It's pumpkin tart! Ok, honestly we've been snacking like pigs all week, but we're feeling so sorry for ourselves XD Three months in Japan is too short...

Cat, looking sad. Actually I've noticed she always looks kind of sad, or like she's not happy with her food, even when she is. I just noticed recently :p Oh well, I love her anyway!

Did some drawing at the cafe as well. We've been arting quite alot lately, so when I got home I'll post some of the pictures I've made. Putting your heart on the brink kind of gives you inspiration ^^
Also, I'll post more about the final days in Japan when I get back (and possably after the Mucc-live, depends on how jet lagged I am when I get home). Really need to go to bed now!

Our final meal in Japan was, naturally, idian :D This has got to be the biggest naan bread I've ever seen! I had to call it quits after two thirds, and that NEVER happens.
Anyway, we're leaving a lot of stuff behind, for the girls in our room and possably new guests to enjoy.
Handsoap
Toothpaste
candy
couch pills
stuff for cleaning wounds(and piercings)
Shanpoo
Conditionar
Hair removal products
Mild soap

everything us sleezy party girls need XD

Very badly timed trip to Osaka

And I thought it hadn't been that long.
A very merry Christmas to everyone! So far mine's been very good, but let's go back to a little bit before Christmas.
Cat and I know this awsome band of awsome people called Roach, from Okinawa. The week before Christmas they've been playing concerts in Tokyo, and we managed to go to three of them.
The first one and the last one had an afterparty (the first one included Satoshi from Girugamesh as a guest, I just have to brag about that and then mention that I totally didn't even recognise him until Dai-chan, drummer of Roach introduced us XD Some fan right :p).
At the second concert Miya from MUCC decided to drop by... that was really crazy for us, who are crazy fans of them. But we weren't crazy enough to try to talk to him... I know it's completely dumb, but I'm really scared of being seen as a burden to people I really admire. The Roach show and also Rowthe (who we have also gone drinking with once, and who is an amazing band) was amazing though. Rowthe bloody nearly makes me cry, the music just really pulls my heart strings.
After the last live, held at Shibuya O-West (an event called "the amazing rock party!" or something), vocalist Taama and drummer Dai couldn't come to the party, which was really sad, because we won't see them now for who knows how long! But Taama took us to a nearby conveniense store and bought us box cocktails for one last kampai (cheers). Then he let us back into the hall so we could go with the remaining bembers of the band and their staff to the afterparty.
This time there was a huge party for all the bands who had played and their staff and invited fans. It was at a bar-like place (I forgot the name), and everyone were so friendly!
Cat, who didn't have an ubrella, and had gotten soaked like a fish in the rain on the way there were handed towels from everywhere, even the bartenders, and everyone asked if she was alright. And we talked to so many cool people!
Naturally, there were a lot of cute guys. I mean bandmen and rocker boys. Cat has made me aware lately that I suddenly seem to be into kind of lame looking guys with black hair and trailer caps, maybe it's just 'cause I'm so tired of the overly stashed and glammy gyaruos.
There was a guy there who was kind of the trailer cap-type, only he wasn't wearing a hat, and I don't think he looked that lame either (honestly I only remember he was wearing a tartan shirt but whatevs:p).
I got talked up by his friend, Tyler (seriously, that was his name, with kanji and everything, Taira XD), who played in one of the bands we'd missed, and who was basically hands on with everything with a hint of boobs in the place. He wasn't really creepy though, he was funny, and because of him I gt to talk to the dude in the shirt. And did so all night XD
His name is Natsu. He's 26, and it doesn't creep me out the least bit this time. He plays the guitar, but doesn't have a band right now (which is perfect) and he's handsome in a way that I really apreciate, but he's really not a babe, so I don't feel intimidated. Kind of like with Tomo...
but I don't think I've ever liked a guy like him before (at least not a japanese guy) and I kind of fell for him... I guess it's stupid, 'cause even if he doesn't look like a player I might get my heart broken, but you can't keep playing it pokerface all the time, right?

It was horrible timing that we were leaving for Osaka two days later... :(
First time going to Osaka, and I just wanted to stay in Tokyo. But we've been sending mail every day sisnce, and he also kept me company on the night bus :)

So did Cat, ofcourse.
I'de been looking forward to sleeping on the bus, because of the hard week we'd had before going, but the first three hours I sat rigid like a log, trying not to pee my pants XD The bus had no toilet, and the bathroom breaks really weren't frequent enough XD
I made it though, barely. And then I could sleep the rest of the way.

We arrived in Osaka on the icy cold morning of December 24. After going back and forth for a bit we found the right train (trains are really cheap here, by the way), and made it out where our friend, Petter lives.
He loves to cook, and had whipped up a real norwegian christmas breakfast!

They've even got decent bread, 'cause they've got a breadmaker!
Here's the humble Christmas tree, with a gingerbread star at the top.

And here's Cat, in the lovely cardigan she bought at Tralala, just before leaving Tokyo.

I don't know about other countries, but in Norway it's old tradition to have seven kinds of Christmas treats. Our family is not hardcore enough to do it, and if we do make the effort it only goes as far as to buying christmas cookies, maybe making gingerbread.
Petter had gone all the way and actually baked, using a fish griller and a microwave, 'cause that's what you've got to work with in Japan.

The result was amazing. I had never thought you could actually make Kranzekake without special equipment or at least DECENT equipment. The one he made was really soft and a lot better than many of the one's we've bought through the years!
He'd also made pudding:

The sause was made from strawberry jam, since he didn't have red lemonade, but it was probably the best treat there!
It was a very nice Christmas eve, and my first actually noregian one in three years. The previous two have been done the japanese way, which is a date XD Very nice, but for someone who comes from a country with such strong Christmas traditions (allthough I have not always loved them), also for the none-christians, you do start to long for this kind of thing.

I'm sorry, but to have a chance to get all this into the blog, I'm going to have to put it all in one insanely long post. Maybe you could read it in parts? If you've even bothered reading this fr XD
We actually went to a shrine!

I don't hate shrines or anything, I do think they're beutiful, but I'm just not that interested. I can go for one every now and then, if it's a really huge one maybe it'll last a couple of hours, but not like a whole day.
The one we went to, however, is a very small one, located near Petter and PGs house.



They were busy doing morning preperations (for something) when we went there. Like washing stuff and bringing things out of cars. A few locals came in now and then to casually ring the bell and say a prayer. I wonder what they pray for and if they do it every day.
A friend told me that there arn't many actually religious people in Japan, but everyone seems to be doing rituals and stuff.

After that Petter and his mom were leaving for a short trip to Tokyo. His roommate PG had also left for a few days, so Cat and I would be in charge of the house for a few days.
That first day of independence we decided to go clubbing in Osaka.
The train is really no problem. We have to switch once, but that's it and it's really easy to understand (unlike Chiba, where I still get on the wrong train even when I'm only going one station). I can't say I hate the stairs at the station either, but aparently they hate me XD

Fell down some stairs, lol. No, 4 real XD
It hurt a bit and I've got a bandaid and a swollen ancle to show for it, but most of all it was just emberassing. Somehow the cap came off the heel of my shoe, and a very sweet man picked it up for me. I like Osaka, at least the people are friendly ^^

Luckily there was a tutuanna-store at Umeda station, where we had to switch, so I could buy new stockings. They're not Pierre Robert, but they did the trick.

Actually we didn't know the way to the club we wanted to go to. We figured we'd go to Shinzaibashi, supposed to be the most lively part of Osaka, and take it from there.
It really was lively!
Osaka is kind of like I imagined Tokyo would be before I actually came there. In Shinzaibashi you can turn any direction and you'll see rows and rows of walls plasered with neon sings, even late at night.
Ofcourse, it did help that it was a Saturday and Christmas day (Dec.25.) too. The streets were packed with people dressed up for a night out, and people in various kinds of Santa Clause-like cosplays. And the boys hunting customers for bars and izakayas are all so cute here! Too bad they're all woking XD
Some streets we walked were also lined with hosts is shiny suits and not so shiny suits, and hostesseses clad in cabaret-dresses with down jackets on top, so they wouldn't freeze to death.
Eventually we came to a canal, where we saw the biggest Donki-store in the world! And beside that was a club named Giraffe, which totally wasn't the one we were looking for, but the crowd outside seemed interesting enough and it was 1000en entry(that was including the drink ticket) if you entered before elleven o'clock.

We went to grab a burger and were inside by 10:48 XD
In the beginning the music was nothing but mushy RnB, with the EXACT same rythm, and I was kind of scared that we would have to snail-dancing all evening, but luckily it picked up as the crowd thickened. I did not love the DJ though. He cut all the songs too short and had this nnoying habit of talking on top of all the really good songs. When he finally played Gaga or Dynamite or something, he HAD to mention that he was also DJing on Tuesday, and that it was Christmas and merry Christmas and shut the fuck up. He also thought that December 25. was Santa Clauses birthday, which was hillarious XD
I did have a very good time though. A group of boys bought us drinks, so now I know what a Cosmopolitan taste like. Not so much. I was hit on by three boys who were remarkably shorter than me, try to catch the eye of a few real hotties that wouldn't give me the time of day, danced with one hot dude and had to run from a few who wouldn't take a hint... of and I remember slappinga guy who grabbed my boob and throwing his sunglasses on the floor. It's funny now, but I must have been really mad. Things like that does piss me off.
Cat met this incredably sweet guy and got sucked into his world. The club started feeling more like a concert than a dance floor towards the end. I was completely worn out when they were closing, and kind of wished I'd left with the cute guy I'd danced with. I'd be sleeping in a hotel bed by then, probably, but now I'm really glad it didn't turn out that way. I don't need even more boy trouble...
We weren't home until like 7 in the morning. And slept until 4 the next day. But we had so much fun!

I just talked to Natsu on the phone, and I'm kind og troubled. I really like him, but I'm such a douchebag... he kind of talks as if we were actually dating, and we've only met once... both kind of drunk... so I don't know if the only right thing to do would be to stay chaste until I get back to Tokyo (at the current state that would mean ripping all his clothes off in the elevator at Tokyo Tower, I'm only being honest here), or if it's allright to have some fun with this... kind of insanely hot Osaka-gyaruo who I have no intention of really dating anyway but... kind of... drives me crazy...
I feel like when I blog lately it seems like I'm dating a hundred people, but it's not really like that... I don't want to be a player, not with him, but I don't want to give it all up for something that might not turn into anything anyway...


komatta....

I am a material girl

First of all, this lives in our apartment...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

It's huge. It's like a fucking baby tarantula! I have never seen a wild spider this huge, not inside anyway! At first I thought it was a Halloween decoration, but then it moved.

My.God. ...

Ahm, not really related, I had kind of a scattered Saturday. I would have wanted to go to Togane to hang with my friend Petter who'd come over from Osaka, but had already promised Tomo to hang out. We were supposed to have a studio session, only we hadn't booked ahed so there was nothing free on a Saturday.

I was kind of happy about that, 'cause I really wasn't in the mood for an accustic session. We play punk! There doesn't seem to be much point in going in just the two of us without the band.
So instead we went to a Starbucks, 'cause I hadn't had a cup of tea for days. Seriously!

And we also went to my favourite pasta restaurant, I think it's called Gokon.

I know it looks kind of green and yucky, but it's really just amazingly delicious!

Happeeeeeee....^^

We hung around in Chiba for a while, and went to PARCO to see our friend Shun, who'd just gotten a job at a clothing store. He has to dress like a gyruo for work, it' really funny. Though I actually have to say he looks really handsome. Business was really slow that day though, and he didn't have enough money for the train back XD He's a bit too impulsive for his own good I think.

After talking to Shun we went to the top floor where Tomo went to a guitar shop, and I went to TOWER RECORDS.

Found this poster:

I kind of want one^^

And I bought this:

Small picture :p it's Nieche Syndrome byt ONE OK ROCK.

Tomo and also his brother, who had invited himself to Tomos apartment that day, could not understand for the life of them, why I'd bought a cd that was already in my iPod.

I like cds, ok? I like owning^^

Then we went to karaoke, and now my throut hurts. I'm fearing it's not just the singing... damn.

Anyway, here's a little drop of sugar from Nieche Syndrome, Jibun Rock: