Another Hearty Greeting from JP Otaku

What a beautiful day! If you're living in the tri-state area, you should notice that there is a beautiful sunshine out today, with a fair amount of surrounding clouds. The sky is almost too bright to look at!

So, how have you been? I hope your day goes fantastically well today!

What's that? --- Yes, in fact, I AM bored out of my mind, thank you for asking.

What should I do??? It's almost halfway into summer, and I haven't yet gone on any memorable trips!! Any suggestions?

With the lack of occurrences in my life, I now leave you with a nice, long SIGH....

I don't like Pina coladas...

Hello everyone! (What makes me think that I have such a huge audience??)

Anyway, I suppose I shouldn't post only when the day has been epic. So, here's a nice greeting, from me to you. I hope your day is going well!

So, the day looks bleak and dreary, the air is too heavy and thick to breathe, the ground is wet and covered in leaves. Why not take advantage of it?

I've only started loving the rain 4 years ago, but ever since then, I've never been let down by the weather. The sun is nice, blue skies are uplifting, but the rain is--- i can't explain it. Like the feeling you get when you start something anew after a bad experience. Snow is also delightful, at least as long as it comes down thick enough that it sticks and does not cause black ice on the roads.

(What is the point of this post?) I'm not really sure, as I am quite tired right now. But, have you ever had an immense appreciation of nature? Have you ever looked at the moon before going to sleep and wanted to sit and stare at it all night?

This was just a short reminder from JP Otaku, telling you to love Mother Nature with all of your heart. You can see the same moon from Japan that you can see from New York.

I should stop being selfish.

Blogs-- okay, they're not only about me, or else I wouldn't be posting on the internet! No, I have been selfish for the past few days, in the sense that I have been gone the entire time, and I don't really have much of interest to say. Look at me, right now, at 11:40 pm writing this (or whatever the weird clock at blogger.com says)! But then again, I have to try as hard as possible to keep you all reading. (Gambatte!)

So, due to the "Summer Hiatus" of the channel ABC, there have been a multitude of new shows premiering, which include "Wipeout", "Opportunity Knocks", "The Goode Family", "Life on Mars", "High School Musical: Get In The Picture", etc. etc., you get the point. Among this truckload is one show I've seen called "I Survived a Japanese Game Show", yet another series, with the Japanese twist I so admire. Not being too crazy over the ABC network, I initially took this sweet and tantalizing premiere with a grain of salt. However, when I saw it just tonight, it blew my mind! Not to... advertise it or anything, I don't get paid for it... but... okay, I'll just tell you about my experience. (I'm not quite sure what a plot-spoiler really is or isn't, so if you want a brief synopsis, please read the next few paragraphs on the show. If not, I would not be surprised! Hahaha!)

"I Survived a Japanese Game Show" begins as a normal, run-of-the-mill reality show, quite reminiscent of "Real World" or "The Mole", where each contestant starts out in a bus, at the beginning of their adventure. However, the host of the show must have "overlooked" the purpose of the show, and told each bright and excited, yet unknowing contestant that they had, that whole time, been traveling to an airport, and were on their way to Japan. At that point, each of them began the expected enthusiastic wails, which consisted of "Konnichiwa, baby!" or "Sushiii!" and even quick, animated traditional Japanese bows. After their long, tiring trip to Tokyo, the lot breathed in the fast-paced air around them, and bathed in the lights of surrounding skyscrapers, yet still not quite sure of the basis of their arrival.

When they reached their traditional Japanese style house, they were shocked into learning to sleep on futons and using remote-controlled toilets. However, the biggest shock came to them when they journeyed to a "popular" television studio the next day, and were introduced to the purpose of the show--- they were meant to be the guinea pigs of Japan! Why not laugh in other people's expense, especially when they are made to eat as much clay-like substance off of their teammates' heads in as short time as possible? Who wouldn't make fun of people who are put in an extremely uncomfortable situation, especially when everyone around them who could possibly help them does not speak their language?

Okay, so laughing at the expense of others makes up more than half of modern television shows. Oh-- and you say that's why you're sick of modern media? Well, I'm dreadfully sorry.

If anything, watch "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" as a way to learn a thing or two about Japanese culture-- because, believe me, the show does not come up short on the culture aspect. Dropping people in an unfamiliar setting and watching them squirm is one of the best ways for a person to learn to adapt to their surroundings.

In conclusion-- it's a pretty good show. Though it at some times definitely follows the patterns of most reality shows on ABC (heck, even on MTV), hey? What else can you expect from an on-a-whim series on ABC? I'm not asking for an epic show here, nor should you expect one. But, I'm sure you'll enjoy most of it, a comedy while learning things you've never known before. I give you my blessing. Go ahead. (Also, in the sidebar, I've given you a link of a Youtube video which is the prime example of why you should be afraid of Japanese game shows. VERY afraid. It is also not for the squeamish... so, viewer discretion, blah blah.)

Anyway, a quick ironic thought: The show "Wipeout" on ABC is quite, QUITE similar to the show "MXC" (Most Extreme Elimination Challenge) which was aired on Spike. MXC, in turn, was the redubbing to the JAPANESE GAME SHOW, called "Takeshi's Castle", which connects to "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" once again! So,what's with this, ABC? Have I been getting through to you, or what?!

Also, before I end this novel, I'd like to tell you about a website that I heard of, called "expertvillage.com", which is a nice little youtube-like website which teaches you how to do... anything you want! Why yes, a DIYoutube. This is one of the implements I use to learn Japanese phrases, characters, the whole schmear. However, you can look ahead to find your own interests. See for yourself!

Step inside of the Shinkansen... and hold on.

Yes if you are wondering, the Shinkansen is the Japanese "bullet train", which runs through such popular cities and towns in Japan such as Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo, and can run up to 300 kilometers per hour (about 186 miles per hour).

I have told this to you because I am about to convey as much information as possible about myself in as short of a post as I possibly can, so as to "put my life in a nutshell", figuratively speaking. So, just hold on!

My Age: I will just say that I am younger than you think. No, you're cold... go lower. Higher! Okay, never mind, I don't know what you think. At all. I'll just say that I'm a teenager hoping that no one will view my blog differently because of it.

My Gender: I am a female.

My Height: I would tell you this, but I really don't know! Again, let's just say I'm tall enough to ride a roller coaster, but too short to join the army. You do the math!

GRRR...

My Name: Due to the fact that I do not want to share this particular piece of information on the Internet, I'll say that when you look up my name, you find a website with a bunch of drag kings. (It's not me, I swear! This is embarrassing...)

My Hair/Eye Color: It's black usually, but when I am outside in the sun, it turns a beautiful nutmeg brown! That's my favorite quality about my hair...

My Political Preference: Sorry, but I have a feeling that if I say anything, half of the number of people reading this right now would attempt to choke me...

My Favorite Color: C'est bleu, et vert aussi!

My Sleep Number Mattress Preference: Umm... okay, well... I don't exactly understand why you want to know that. Sorry... next question.

Number of Mosquito Bites: What kind of questions are these?? Okay, um, the train has stopped, and you're at Fukuoka. Get out!!

Okay, that's all I have to say! I hope you enjoy reading this blog regardless of how you view me now that I have told you a little more about myself. Also, if you have any questions, or if you have anything else to say, please comment! Thanks :)

Welcome to the (Carless) beginning

Hello, it's Japan Otaku again with another post on my new blog! Why, it still smells new as well.

I'll tell you about some of my interest-- no, I don't have the car.

I'm telling you, I don't have the car!

Okay, anyways, I'd like to share some of my interests with you. I really like the country Japan. In particular, I like the culture. Having lived in USA all of my life, I don't get exposed to a lot of culture that often. I've done a lot of studying on Japan, and... well, I enjoy learning about their lifestyles! Not only am I learning about certain customs of Japan, but I am learning to speak and write in Japanese.  Many of us take advantage of Asian culture, and I want to embrace it. So, I am here to say, pick up that sushi you're eating, and embrace it! Take in the wonderful scents of that teriyaki chicken! And before you turn the channel on your television from the anime "Inuyasha" in the small hours of the morning, take a second to understand the long winded, convoluted story that others have taken so much time to think up. And I KNOW you understand what I'm talking about.

Now that I've succeeded in making everything awkward, how about I tell you about some of my other interests? I play the violin, as well as the piano (and maybe the oboe soon!!!), and I take French and Latin classes. I enjoy watching "This American Life", which can be seen on Showtime (however, I do not receive this channel, so I listen to the radio edition of the show on thisamericanlife.org). Right now I am reading "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (instead of watching the movie!! I've heard that people who have been following the movies since the 1980's find this a slight disappointment)... and I'm also reading Hana-Kimi, an anime. If you have found anything on this post that interests you, please don't forget to comment! Thanks for reading, and I'll see you soon :)

Welcome to the Super Party!

Hello! You've reached the From NY to JP blog. By now, you've realized that this is not actually a super party... but don't run away just yet! I may have lured you in using fresh baked cookies and promised you a brand new car, but even though you won't be getting those, you just might enjoy this blog if you just stick around. 

Actually, this is kind of weird.

I've always found reasons to purchase diaries in the store, but once I got one, I realized that I don't actually WANT to write my memories down all in one place. Memories, for me, are meant to be kept in my head, and uncovered at the most delightful and unexpected times. Writing them all down seemed... odd, like it was an exercise for people who aren't able to properly express their feelings. Now, I am beginning to see that when people express their thoughts in different mediums, it helps them to not only feel open to new experiences, but it helps them share their interests with others, which is why I am here!

In later posts, I will explain my interests, and hobbies.

You can stop edging away now.

Yeah, maybe later I'll get you that car, but you'll have to stick around...