A lie like this is a quick fix, a band-aid. It doesn't really fix the problem, but it can stop the bleeding and cover the wound for a little while, until there's time to really take care of it.

... even though I had to spend the night in a Tokyo porn shop coming back from the Versailles concert. xD

Thank you all for your well-wishes. I guess I'll just mass-reply here. :3 Japan is truly a wonderful, beautiful place: clean, safe, and the natives are friendly. xD Kanazawa is large city with a lot to see... there's even a large Kera store here. :3 Kanazawa has a lot of artistic and feudal history... one of Japan's most beautiful gardens is here (Kenrokuen). The school is... okay. It's good for the classes I'm taking (which are separate from all the others), but I don't think I'd want to go here for school or anything.

I'm really learning a lot. My Japanese speech still sucks and my understanding sucks harder (it's not my fault that all the words sound the same -_-;; ), but I'm ganbatte-ing my best! xD

Against the better judgement of my professors, I made the four hour shinkansen (bullet train) trip to Tokyo to see one of Versailles' last indie lives. Honestly, it wasn't the best concert I've been to (even though it was really good), but it's probably the most "valuable" concert experience I've had so far. I'll probably never get to see Versailles like this ever again (i.e. almost able to hold their hands from the pit) since they're going major... and it was a lot of fun to see Teru kind of... *stare* in my direction the whole time. xD (It was probably the fro and the fact that I've met them before, but... yeah. :3) After the concert, me and a bunch of the other international fans were interviewed by NTV for a late-night special. And we got a free dinner out of it! xD I'll let you guys know when that's coming on.

The *real* fun started when I was trying to get back to kanazawa... *sarcastic face*. I mixed up Shibuya and Shinjuku station and I ended missing my bus. After two very stressful hours of wandering around Tokyo asking maybe 20 people where I should go or what I should do, I landed in front of Tokyo Station, almost ready to resign to my fate of dropping $100 to stay in a hotel for a few hours. >_< At the last minute, I asked some slightly inebriated ladies if they knew of a manga shop or internet cafe nearby (pro tip: if you're poor and in Japan, they're great places to stay. $10 to $20 can get you a comfy, slightly entertaining place to crash for the night). One of them kindly led to me one, which I was very grateful for, until I climbed the stairs and quickly realized that this was a very... ah, special kind of manga shop...

so, Yeah. Only in japan is a porn shop with private viewing rooms a reasonably safe, comfortable, and cheap place to stay for a night. xD

I know, great story for the grandkids. Really, if you'd asked me to stay there an hour before, I would've refused, but I was exhausted and desperate. I got back okay, but I missed my first class... but missing a quiz, staying in a porn shop, and dropping about a total of $300 dollars was worth it for this concert... almost.

~~~~

To those who want to see pictures from my time here so far, I'll add them soon. :3 Just remind me if I don't over the next few days.

So, I arrived in Japan safely and am typing on my school-issued rental computer, about an hour before I need to head for my first class. Kanazawa is beautiful. The school is far from the more trendy, touristy downtown, but it's quiet and has a nice homey feel.

Tokyo was both a blast and a nightmare. Next time, I'll definitely have my luggage shipped to my destination... dragging it around Tokyo's metro system was no fun. >_< My travel buddies and I were originally going to stay in a good hostel, but they were full. Thankfully, the hostel staff was able to get us a reservation at a nearby Toyoko Inn... definitely reccomended. Cheap, good service, comfortable. :3 We spent the first half of Wednesday running around Akihabara... we even visited a real life maid cafe! It wasn't nearly as scary as the internet lets on. The food was... okay, but the service and the experience were really great. One of them even drew a message on my friend's omelette in Ketchup!

More later...

Hey guys, I should be sleeping, but I'm writing this to let all my dear, distant friends here on LiveJournal that I shall be in Japan for the next two months. I shall have internet access, but I expect updates to be even more sporadic than usual. >_< I plan on living the life of a very poor college student (i.e. never going out to eat, no new clothes, ramen and rice for dinner every day)... then really living it up in Harajuku when I'm not in class. xD

If any of you will be in the Kanazawa or Tokyo regions, please let me know in a note so we can meet up! :D

(P.S. I deleted the La Carmina entry because I've recently realized how lame she is, but I accidentally deleted all the serious stuff in there, too. Oh, well. >_<)

I recently attended a particularly "Princess-y" event at my school with my Boyfriend...a performance of Swan Lake by the Russian National Ballet!! It was a pretty incredible experience, especially since I used to take Ballet and Dance classes when I was a young girl and I've only seen a few professional Ballet performances. We were so incredibly lucky to have been able to see it at all... the waiting list for tickets was over 200 people long, and we got our tickets a few hours before the show, and for free because we're students!! *o* I really do wonder why I'm so blessed all the time... Perhaps I'm being prepared for something, but that's another blog entry entirely.... ^^;

Anyway, on to the event. Eli-kun and I had a quick dinner and headed out to the auditorium, I in my Lolita finest, and he in Jeans and a sweater. xD (but that's okay... I don't know if I could ever live with someone as vain as myself! ^^;; ) We were thrilled to find that our seats were a pretty good spot: far right, mid-way from the stage. I love this particular auditorium because there isn't a bad seat in the house... even the balcony has it's advantages, since you can see the whole stage at once. ^^ The music (Tchaikovsky's, of course <3 ) was pre-recorded, but the excellent sound system made up for that.

The ballet began with the Prince's grand birthday ball, with as many as 20 people leaping and dancing gracefully in celebration of the Prince's coming of age. I was particularly enchanted by the adorable, love-sick Jester and the dashing "second" Prince (I'm really not sure what to call him... he was dressed similarly to the Prince but was obviously a different character) and his two female companions. They were definitely the best dancers in the first Act!

The next Act finds the Prince at the Swans' Lake, where 20 tutu'd ballerinas danced with the quite grace of real swans. I really loved how the Prince and the Swan Queen interacted and how she made her movements almost bird-like... But the most exciting dancer was definitely the evil Wizard. His costume was a little silly, but you could tell that he was really the master Dancer of the bunch. He could jump the highest and most forcefully, and he had the most expression (partially because of all his face make-up, but his dancing really told you that he was the one pulling the strings in this story). I thought the times when he "took control" of the Prince and they danced the same movements was REALLY cool. *o*

The third Act was a bit of a "filler episode" story-wise, but it had the four Foreign Princesses' (potential brides of the Prince) dances! I don't remember which one I enjoyed the most (especially since I hard time deciding which Princess was from which country ^^; ), but I do remember enjoying the one that seemed to have all the Russian influences. But certainly the greatest dance was the one between the Wizard and his daughter: the Black Swan - the False Princess. Oh my goodness, I wish I could show you what she was wearing! She had a black tutu dress with sparkling peacock feathers painted on the top of the skirt, with black and purple alternating layers of tulle underneath. And wow, did they do some incredible tricks!! All sorts of lifts and long spins... until the Swan Queen appears at the door, calling for her deceived love in despair.

I don't remember which Act the Swans danced their second slow, sad dance in, but I do remember it was very calming... not boring, but somber. It was really beautiful seeing the Prince and the Swan Queen return to each other. The Wizard attempts to break them apart once more only to be defeated by the power of their love.... yes, a tad cheesy. I was actually quite disappointed by how quickly it ended... I expected there to be a desperate battle between the Prince and the Wizard over the freedom of the Swan Princesses!... but the Wizard just rolled away in defeat. T-T

The only parts of the Ballet I didn't perfectly enjoy were the very end and the Swan Queen Ballerina's tendency to bow about 10 times after each dance... I'm hoping it wasn't conceit but rather tradition and thank the audience for their graciousness (we *were* pretty enthusiastic), but those are small details. It was an unbelievable show through and through, and I'll be sure to look out for more fine dramatic arts in the future!!

As usual, sorry for the long absence, I've been busy, etc. I'm just writing to let you know that I am happy and healthy. I had a lovely Christmas break with my friends back home. I also turned 20 on January 1st! We had a really wonderful party at my parents' house with my friends from high school. Engrish, video games, great food, and presents abounded. ^^ My Prince also gave me a gorgeous hand-made present... a leather/wire braided bracelet with charms! Maybe I'll post a picture later....

I'm back at school... my chapter of Engineers Without Borders has decided upon a project, and I'm helping on the cultural committy. ^^ It's going to really take a lot of time and effort, but I'm finally helping real people with my time, not just "organizing" donations at a local mission (you can read my rant about that on my other journal ^^; ).

I really haven't had much time to sew lately, but I have been more and more inspired by gothic fashion, especially of the Japanese kind. My friend andrewperson and I randomly found the "long-lost" brand website of a coat she got in Japan and got totally inspired. Check it out!! http://www.presence-by-mistymist.com/main.html

I've been wearing Lolita a lot more often in public. I need more essential accessories (i.e. black tights, bloomers, petticoats, shoes, etc.), but I'm doing alright. I'm pleasantly surprised by how well it's recieved around here... many of the women think it's really cute! ^^

I'm also more and more interested in street fashion in general... I'd really like to be able to open up a boutique and design, but that's a far-off dream right now... I'm studying engineering, japanese, and perhaps business management right now. I think these will all help me get a really solid foundation to knowing how business works, perseverence, etc. I might go for a fashion certificate in the future, but for now, I'll finish my schooling here. But that would be so awesome to start a business or something with my friends... <3

I'm also hoping to go to Japan this summer for a language program! I really need to get started on the paperwork and such though... >>;; Thankfully, it's not very expensive. I think it'd really help me reach my dream, since I love Japanese fashion so much.

Anyway, just wanted to give you all an update. Blessings!!

-kagi-hime

Hello, and welcome to my Lolita selling post! Several people have asked about buying my creations, so I'm finally going to sell! :3 This post will stay at the top of my journal and be updated every time I make progress on commissions, change commission options, or put new pre-made items up for sale.

To see examples of my lolita handiwork, check out my Lolita DeviantArt Gallery!! If you see it there, I can make it (though I'm not taking dress or top commissions just yet -- too much fitting required), and if you don't see it, just ask! ^^ In addition to what you see there, I can make skirts, aprons, really cute purses, bonnets, and some kinds of jewelry. I'll even do cosplay accessories!!

For payment, I accept checks (by mail) and PayPal (still experimenting with that, though).

Commissions: If you are interested in commissioning something, send me message on LJ or DeviantArt. If you see any fabric, trim, or style you like from my past creations, ask me about it! I can probably make something with it. :3

v Pre-made Items for Sale (posts in reverse chronological order) v

So, yeah. A LOT has happened in the past month. First of all,andrewperson and I entered the MaruiOne.jp Fashion contest! Here's her entry, and here's mine! I really hope on of us wins (we've promised to to take the other to Japan if we win the Grand Prize! x3), but these entries are just AMAZING, IMO. I think one of them might win, especially the pirate girl. ^^

Contest results are announced on the 25th... I wish everyone luck in the contest and in their future styling/design projects! ^o^v

~~~

So, the second two topics are quite related. I arrived safely here in Indiana for college, and during the simultaneously busy and relaxed Freshman Orientation, I found myself in a group of about 9 people, including my room-mate and my next-door suite neighbor, who basically do everything together. ^^ These people are Tim, Eli, Jessie, Miranda Pitsh, Miranda Haenftling, Alyssa, Jarek, Catherine, and myself. Well, as the days rolled by, Eli and I began to spend more and more time around each-other, and I became convinced that he was developing feelings for me. Well, I, in turn, began to feel the same way. I was attracted to his gentlmany ways and quiet, Christian demeanor. Soon after learning that neither of us had been in a relationship, I decided to take the plunge and since the evening of Saturday, the 6th, we are officially dating. After 4 days of dating, I told Eli that I loved him. The following Friday, we shared the first kiss of our lives with each other. ♥ This has only been my perfect romantic dream for about 5 years now...

It's interesting... we haven't really gone out on a "real date" yet... just seeing eachother whenever possible, spending time together talking, watching a movie on the laptop computer... but it's enough for us. I'm really glad neither of us have been in a relationship before, actually... we're both quite willing to take it slow, and we don't have any major biases or pre-concieved notions about dating, either. It's amazing how quickly he accepted my weirdness, too. The lolita dresses don't "turn him off" (as far as I know), and he's perfectly okay with the fact that I'm more Deist than Christian. He's actually more Christian than most people I've met... in the best way possible.

Eli has filled the hole in my heart that grew after years of being alone. He is showing me that there isn't something horribly wrong with me, that I can get along with someone who isn't a total Japan-o-phile like myself, and that I'm not shallow or only attracted to looks. Every day, I love him a little more.

This past Friday was his birthday. I gave him an origami heart with a note inside. Super-cheap, but it contained my own heart. ^^

~~~~~~~~~

I've been buying/seeing/getting a LOT of music lately, possibly to make up for my decision to skip the Versailles concert last month. On the 13th, I went to X-fest outside of Indianapolis ("Indy") to see Apocalyptica play live for the second time (the first was in mid-March). I don't think I ever want to go to a big concert like that again, though. There was the risk of rain, crazy drunk/high/stoned people, I could barely see the stage, and Apo only had a 30-minute set. Oh, well. At least I bought an awesome tee-shirt, and I bought their latest release, "Worlds Collide" at Walmart Yesterday.

A German online friend of mine, AtariPunk665 of deviantArt, sent me a tape compilation of local punk bands that he did the cover art for, plus a CD. There's some really good stuff on there...more on that later. ^^

On the 16th, I went with Eli to see Barrage, the dancing/singing violin sextet, play at my school. They were pretty amazing, so I bought one of their two albums. Super-awesome.

Finally, just last Thursday evening, two bands on tour, Nurses and Maps and Atlases, did a little outdoor show at my school. I was pretty impressed, so I bought an EP from each of them. I'd call them both "dream rock" bands... they both have unique vocalists and cool rythm sections. Look 'em up if you like... ^^

Just felt like featuring some awesome Japanese bands. Check 'em out on Youtube, and if you like it, BUY IT! :D (haha, I hardly own music from any of these bands, tho... I'm such a hypocrite... Dx )

I might have gotten some of the categories wrong... ^^; But I did my best to express what I think as concisely as possible. :3

These aren't in any particular order... just in the order they came to mind (or of when I found them today... I've been listening to a LOT of new music. :3 ).

EDIT: Bands with a "*" before their name come very highly recommended by me. ^^ Not that the others aren't as good... I just might be more familiar with the music or it has particularly inspired me. :3

*+Merry (angura-kei/alt.) Japanese Modernist PV Tozasareta rakuen PV
+Plastic Tree (angura-kei, prog-rock) Alone Again, Wonderful World PV
+The GazettE (visual kei, nu-metal, alt.) Filth in the Beauty PV
+Nightmare (visual/angura-kei, alt. pop) The LAST SHOW PV
*+Onmyouza (a.k.a. Onmyo-za/Onmyou-za/Onmyoza) (japan-inspired, angura-kei/alt.) Koga Ninpoucho PV
*+Versailles (Symphonic power/thrash metal, visual kei) Prelude/Aristocrat's Symphony PV
+Hizaki Grace Project (symphonic/goth metal, visual kei) Race Wish (Live)
+Aikaryu (disbanded) ("pirate"/power metal, visual kei) Susume! Pirates PV
*+The Polysics ("technicolor pogo punk"/neo-new wave) Electric Surfin' Go Go PV
+Aural Vampire (gothic electronica/light industrial) Freeze PV
+Miyavi (alt. rock, japan-inspired, Visual Kei) Neo Visualizm PV
+Beat Crusaders (comedy rock) Hit in the USA PV
*+Yoko Kanno (jazz, rock, electronica, neo-classical, soundtrack) Inner Universe Tank
*+Yuki Kajiura (neo-classical, electronica, soundtrack) The World (AMV)
*+Monoral (prog rock, angura-kei/alt.) Like You PV
+Ketchup Mania (punk pop) Namida Vacuum Sound PV
+Asian Kung-fu Generation (alt. rock) After Dark PV
*+Psycho Le Cemu (disbanded) (visual/cosplay-kei, pop rock) Ai no Uta PV
+Abingdon Boys School ("alt." rock, something-kei...? (they dress like upscale private school students, what can I say?))  Innocent Sorrow PV
*+Omodaka (experimental/"8-bit" electronica, japan-inspired, experimental film) Kyoteizinc (Video Mix) Kokiriko Bushi
+My Plastic JonBenet Doll (alt. rock, shoegaze) YB PV
*+Girugamesh (angura-kei, nu-metal) Vermillion PV
*+D (visual kei, gothic metal, japan-inspired) Yami Yori Kurai... PV Ouka Saki Some ni Keri PV Taiyou wo Hohuru Hi PV

ZB's A-Z of J-Music is an excellent blog/resource for independent/alternative Japanese Music. I discovered many of these bands - even whole new genres - through ZB's website. :3

Next time, I'll feature all my favorite non-Japanese bands... that's right, I'm such a japan-o-phile that I have as many Japanese faves as non-Japanese. xDDD

So, I ordered NOBLE, Versailles' new album from the Japanese music store "Like an Edison" through the Mukunoki shopping service. There were a couple delays (my comment DVD and autographed photoset are being shipped separately), but the time and money were worth it... I think.

My First Press copy comes in a beautiful cardboard sleeve, along with a sticker of the band's new "butterfly" logo, a 30-page book full of gorgeous photos of the band members (but no picture will all of them together... hmm), a little pamphlet with instructions to buy tickets of some sort, and, of course, the CD + DVD set. Mukunoki also included some Japanese candies and a burned copy of the "Jishuban Club" (another music store) Teru comment DVD to make up for the delay of my "official" one.

I listened to NOBLE more or less all the way through, taking a break after "Zombie" to watch the PV DVD and the comment DVD. So, here are my comments:





This review was a lot less ambitious than my first one, and uses a lot less inaccurate terminology, is less pretentious, etc. Please let me know what you think about the album and the review by commenting or sending me a message! ^^v

~peace!!

P.S. I'll review the Comment DVDs when I receive my own from Like an Edison and when more have appeared on Youtube. ^^ But I'll tell you now, I was pretty disappointed that there weren't any live clips from the USA shows... >_<*

Thanks to mysticyourheart for the helpful advice on this review and the last. ^^v

I have a lot going on right now. Guitar lessons, a possible trip to Lafayette, Louisiana for a convention; buying a Japanese CD (a lot harder than it sounds), the Haiku Writing Month on deviantArt, several costumes, and possible job hunting.

My day started off pretty calmly. Wake up, play on internets, eat... (xD) But as 11:45, the time I needed to leave for guitar lessons approached, it got a little stressful.

Early this afternoon, on my walk to take care of some business at my school, I came across a little bird in the street. It was just...sitting there. I've seen too many squished birds and bedraggled piles of feathers on that street, so I checked to see if any cars were coming (there weren't), walked over to the bird and...