Spring Fever

I'm currently on my spring break—that is, I'm on my week-long break that the school gives during the month of March. Unfortunately, they're making us come back on Easter Sunday, so I won't be able to spend that holiday with my family. However, I'll be going back a little early so I'm not traveling on a holiday. The bus ride that I take to go home and go back to school is very long and tiring, and I refuse to travel on a holiday, especially for that long.

It's hard to believe that summer is coming closer. This winter has been the longest in at least three or four years—it's almost April and there is still snow on the ground. I think my step-grandmother shares my spring fever, as she is already breaking out her plants and gardening. My grandparents, who I'm staying with for the majority of this break, have a garden, and I know for a fact my step-grandma is just itching to get her hands back into the garden on the weekends. I know my grandfather is also itching to take his motorcycle out for a spin; after all, he brought his tractor out yesterday for a quick drive, but he said it was really too cold to drive it.

I myself have something of spring fever: I'm getting ready to plant some flowers and try to start them from seed. Right now I have no plants—my gorgeous cactus died last fall, and my roommate accidentally killed my chicks and hens I gave her to babysit over Christmas break. I really want to start some forget-me-nots, simply because they used to spot all over our yard the entire summer when I was growing up. They really are pretty flowers. Just to be safe, though, all of the flower seeds I bought from the co-op (local/organic food store) specifically state to “start indoors.” I really want to start from seeds to flowers, but we'll see. I know it takes a long time for some of them to flower, but I'll be patient.

My cactus last summer. Unfortunately I killed it last fall.

Speaking of plants and flowers and stuff, apparently I got a job for the summer at a local farm (not too far where I'll be living for the summer). My grandfather got ahold of the farmer down the road (apparently this farm is huge), and got my sister and I jobs at said farm. Decent wages too. I hope it all works out.

I've also been crocheting a lot. It's pretty funny, I swore I would never crochet, because it was too difficult and so different than knitting. I'm afraid I've become quite addicted, however. I've been crocheting mostly small things. I'm not skilled enough to do amigurumi or anything bigger than dishcloths or 'media device covers.' That is, I have been crocheting a lot of iphone/ipod cases. I made three for three of my friends.

An ipod touch case I recently made and gave to a friend.

Despite my earlier misgivings about the art of crocheting, I really like it. In fact, when I went to Barnes and Noble the other day (IT WAS AMAZING), I bought a book called “The Crochet Answer Book” by Edie Eckman. Seeing as I rarely, if ever, buy books brand new, I think this gives me some promise as a crocheter. I bought the book mostly because it's so hard to remember all of the stitches for crocheting, as well as the specifics of finishing, blocking, and whatnot.

I'd really like to start selling the things I crochet and knit, but for now I think it's going to be more of a hobby and a gift-giving thing than anything else. It really relaxes me, so as long as I can continue to knit and crochet, I couldn't be happier.

In all seriousness, though, spring needs to be here already!

"Another" Anime Review

Hello everyone! I have noticed that my fellow postcrossers (from postcrossing.com) have been reading this blog and seem to enjoy it. As I have this blog on my Postcrossing.com profile page, I figure I should keep this as updated as I possibly can.

The following is a review of an anime I recently watched. I highly recommend it--I did fail to mention in this review that you can watch this series for free on hulu.com and crunchyroll.com; with subtitles of course. There are no dubs, as far as I know. You should still check it out, however.

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If you're looking for a new and exciting anime to watch that won't involve a major time commitment and you enjoy the horror and suspense genre, look no further! Prepared to get blown away by the recent anime mini-series “Another.”

This series, originally a Japanese horror novel by Yukito Ayatsuji, made its debut as an anime mini-series in the spring of 2012 (that is, last spring). The series contains 12 twenty-five minute episodes, with a thirteenth episode as part of a prequel.

The series starts with a young boy named Koichi Sakakiriba, who transfers to a new school. Upon entering the school, he meets a mysterious girl, Mei Misaki, and befriends her. It is through meeting and talking to Misaki that Koichi discovers that there is something terribly wrong that is going on inside the school—and somehow, he has to stop this force that is killing his classmates.

The suspense in this series is pretty intense; the director, Tsutomu Mizushima, does a very good job in making the series as dramatic and as emotionally powerful as possible. Information about 'the calamity,' as it is referred to later on in the series, is given to Koichi and the viewer in very small amounts in the beginning. This witholding of important plot information until the last possible second had me on the edge of my seat. After the main secrets to 'the calamity' are revealed, however, there is less suspense and more of a horror element in the series.

Another tool that the director used in this film was the cliffhanger tactic; there was a cliffhanger at the end of nearly every episode, especially the episodes where a character was about to die or be killed. I should probably mention that if you don't like horror or suspense, it's probably not a good idea to watch this series. There are several graphic scenes that occur throughout the series; the violent and graphic scenes increase dramatically during the climax of the last two or three episodes. This is where the horror element comes in—the characters that do die during the series generally die in shocking, gruesome, and unusual ways, adding to the suspenseful and slightly morbid air of the mini-series.

The main characters from the series "Another." The main protagonist, Koichi Sakakibara, is on the far left.

The characters in this series have unique but hidden personalities—especially the main characters, Mei and Koichi. The character development in “Another” is another reason that this is a worthwhile anime to watch. The characters are relatable and it's fairly easy to get emotionally attached to one or two of them while watching.

The animation, led by chief animation director Yuriko Ishii, really stands out. The storyline in “Another” is characterized by dark and dismal scenes, yet there are some bright and cheerful scenes in the series as well. The animators manage to capture both of these constrasting scenes with talent and expertise. The characters are also beautifully represented, demonstrating their personalities through the animated representation of them.

One last thing that stood out to me while watching this mini-series was the music for the series. The main theme song for the series, “Kyomu Densen” (“Nightmare Contagion” in English) by the band Ali Project was my absolute favorite. Although the theme is meant to be frightening and suspenseful like the rest of the show, it fit the mood of the entire series perfectly. The rest of the soundtrack fit the events and climax of the show and was another element that the series definitely could not do without—like most television series or movies, the music is an integral part of it. This series was no different, and the music fit the rest of the high quality of this anime.

Overall, “Another” is a great anime to watch if you need a weekend to relax or a few hours to spare at the end of a long day. Just be prepared to watch for the unexpected with this series!

Making the Time for Writing

As usual, I've been pretty lazy with posting in this blog. It is what it is though, I suppose, and I feel good that I've been posting in it at all this year, even if it's only a post or two a month. Since my last post, I've been busier than ever. I've come to the realization that with these things, such as blog posting and writing in general, you have to make the time for them. I have been making the time for writing, so I can make the time for this. Writing stories is something you especially have to make time for. It takes a lot of effort and a lot of meticulous editing in order to produce something worthwhile and satisfying to both you and the reader. When juggling my part-time job, the student newspaper, a decent sized number of credits and the work that comes with that, and my social life, you begin to put your passions on the shelf for later because there simply isn't enough time in the day.

For myself, writing is like that. Writing prose and fiction is not my passion, but I do enjoy writing and I at least hope I have a half-way decent talent for it. But back to making the time. I suppose if you really want to excel at something, if you really want to get something done, you'll make the time for it. Prioritizing is something I really don't have the hugest skill set for. I admit I have my weaknesses, and prioritizing is one of them. I think that setting up your priorities in the right way can really set you up for success. Then again, completing my bachelor's is my top priority over everything else, especially writing. I like to write, but writing is not the only part of my identity. I am so much more than just a writer--I'm a friend, a student, a reader...

By writer, I suppose I mean what so many people mean when they say "I'm a writer and I'm writing a novel! I'm a special snowflake!" I think that so many people have said that term and used it so frequently that it's taken on a different meaning. It's taken on a shallow meaning, one that limits what writer means. "Writer" is a word that should go beyond just prose and poetry. It means so much more. Do I consider myself a writer? Sure, of course I do. But when I place the term "writer" as a part of myself, I don't just mean it as something that makes me special. I don't mean it as or some tag that separates me from the rest of the crowd, or that people should somehow revere me because I possess a skill that they don't have, the skill of manipulating and molding words to the plot of their choosing. I think the most ironic part about this, the people that tack the "I'm a writer, I'm specialer than you" mindset--well, their writing always seems to need improvement. I'm not saying that this is always the case, but... I guess what I'm trying to say is that generally the people with a big ego and a quickness to identify themselves as a writer deny that they need improvement. If you want to identify yourself as a writer, you better admit now that you are always going to need improvement and your writing will never be "perfect" or even half-way there. 

I consider myself a writer not in the fact that I write prose or I think I'm writing the next "great American novel," but in the fact that I write beyond that. I write every day--in Facebook posts, on postcards (if you have read my posts before, you know that Postcrossing is my big love), and I write in my academics. If you're not afraid to admit that we are all writers, then you're off to a good start. If you're not afraid to admit that we all need improvement, and we're never going to be perfect people or writers, and that you have to make the time in order for any dream you want (even writing, you have to make the time), then you're on the right track.

End rant. That started out as a typical blog post and actually ended up being... something. Maybe a substantial piece of writing? I'm not sure. I guess I can speak my mind when I'm overtired/have a lot on my mind. I didn't know where it was going to take me. I guess in that sense, writing is a journey too.

Classes

The first week of classes has come and I'm well into my second week. I waited until I had taken all of them to ramble on about them in this blog. I'll elaborate on some, skim over others. I guess this is just something I want to write about.

First of all, swimming is brutal and unforgiving. In my college, you have to take four credits of physical education, which I think is... well, kind of stupid. But rules are rules, and since I'm not in a varsity sport (you can fulfill your credits that way), I have to take four 1 credit pass/fail P.E. courses. So far, I'm on my third (the previous being ice skating and softball), and I decided to take "Swimming for Fitness." Probably a bad idea.

The fact of the matter is, I was only taught how to swim two years ago, and to be honest, it definitely wasn't a formal lesson. So I learned how to swim in a mismatched way, I suppose. I think it's a combination of that, and the fact that I'm definitely out of shape that contributes to how much of an utter failure I am at swimming.

Luckily though, the coach doesn't really seem to care how bad my skill level is, at long as he sees everyone swimming for the 45 minute allotted time for the class. Maybe I can jack my skill up by the end of the semester.

I'm taking a class called "Ancient Philosophy" this semester, just so I can get rid of a history general education credit. I thought for sure it was going to be boring, but it's turning out to be quite opposite the case. The professor, Dr. Curry (who is notorious for his smoking habit, apparently), manages to make the subject interesting. One class he repeatedly said that the Greek hero Achilles "was a badass." So I think I'm in for a good time. 

The two other classes that are of intense interest are "Biblical Heritage" and "Nationality and Literature." The first class is taught by a guy called Dr. Steinberg. He's interesting, but he speaks very softly. I joked with my friends that he needs a microphone (the kind used in acting) so everyone can hear him. But the Bible as a piece of cultural literature is of course the focus of the course, and I think it's fascinating. I'm not what one would call a "person of faith," nor am I heavily passionate about faith (talking Christianity). So I guess when it comes to the Bible I have a secular point of view. I'm sure others in the class are devoted Christians, or other religions as well. So it will be interesting to hear their opinions on the subject.

As for Nationality and Literature, it's exactly the typical literature course that I've been taking for the entirety of my college career. But its focus is on British Literature from the 1800s. We started with Jane Eyre, and to be honest, I am really loving it. I think I'm going to enjoy this class more than I initially thought.

I'm sure there will be more rambling about these courses as the semester rolls onward. Probably also rambles about the student newspaper, The Racquette. I have also received a bunch of interesting postcards as of late, so I will do a feature of that. Heck, maybe I'll show some of my stamps. I've been collecting stamps since I was a little kid, and although it's not my main passion, I still have a collector's booklet I've saved.

About Knitting

Okay, so my first post of 2013 is going to be about one of my biggest hobbies (besides Postcrossing), and that is knitting! (Sometimes I wonder how I manage to make time for both hobbies, but I do make the time for them and I have a lot of fun doing it).

Now, knitting is something I've been doing for at least half a year--I can't really remember when I first really started to get passionate about it. It's also something that takes a lot of practice. I was terrible at first and kept messing up a lot, especially with my first projects. My first projects included a dishcloth (during which I made a lot of mistakes), knitted bookmarks (which are very simple once you get the hang of it), and slippers (the first pair were too small and incorrectly sewed together).

I am going to show a couple of my projects and explain a little bit in how they are done.

One of my favorite and simple projects to do is a pair of slippers! Although my first pair was poorly made, I've improved with each and every pair I make. Given a suggestion by my boyfriend's mother, I even crocheted laces on the slippers so they won't slip off as easily.

This is my personal favorite pair of slippers that I have made so far. They were made as a gift to my twin sister, and they came out fantastic. I don't think I've made a better pair than these, and I have made five pairs so far. For the yarn, I used a kind of yarn that variates--this kind in particular variated between blue, light green, and yellow. From making the first pair and discovering that it's best to use the size needles that come with the pattern, I used size 10 needles as stated in the pattern. Needles come in many different sizes, from very thin needles to very thick ones. The way this works is in this way--the smaller the number, the thinner the needle. So a size 4 needle is going to be extremely thin when compared to a size twelve.

This is one of my newer projects. Yes, it looks like a piece of candy because it is SUPPOSED to look like a piece of candy. There is a contest on deviantArt for the month of January. The theme for the contest (it can be knitted or crocheted) is the board game Candyland. I thought and thought of an appropriate thing to make that I could knit for this contest--it's easy to crochet amigurumi, but I'm not much of a crocheter. So I came up with this. Using double pointed needles, I knitted a small tube to fit a empty toilet paper roll. Once it was long enough on both ends, I wrapped the ends up with hairties and you have something like a larger-than-life tootsie roll. I'm going to make three of these for the contest.

What are double pointed needles, you may ask. Well, they are four or five short needles that are six to seven inches long and have double points. When knitting, you place an even number of stitches on each needle and knit around it, creating an unseamed tube. Double pointed needles are often used when making smaller tubes, such as socks, these things, and gloves and mittens.

My classes start next Monday, so I may be really busy when that starts. But I'll try to keep these posts to once a week or at least once every two weeks.

Birds and Other Things

My semester is over, and Christmas has come and gone. I have a lot of downtime on my hands, so maybe updating this blog will become more of a priority than previously (seeing as it comes up to one post a month, which isn't really acceptable).

As much as I thought that there maybe wasn't going to be snow after all, it snowed. And it snowed a lot. Enough for my sister and I to make a snowman. We weren't able to make one last year, as it was a very mild winter and there was no snow on the ground. This year there was more than enough snow to build one. That made me very happy. :)

I've been reading, knitting, and crocheting a lot since I got back from school. There have been various misadventures at home and at my grandparent's house, and I have had much fun through it all. I'm finding it difficult to write about one specific thing here without sounding stupid, but I have had a lot of fun and relaxation lately, which is exactly what I needed.

I decided to do a Postcrossing spotlight this week, even though I haven't been able to do Postcrossing for several weeks now. I usually have postcards sent to my mailbox at school--however, since I'm away from school for five weeks, I set my account to "inactive" so I won't receive any more postcards. However, I still have a lot of favorites that I haven't shown.

The Theme for This Week is Birds!

I'm not going to deny it: I really love birds. Pictures of birds, actual birds, you name it. My fascination with birds almost surpasses my inner childhood love of turtles. As much as I love birds, however, I don't think I could ever have one as a pet. Postcards of birds are much less noisy and aren't as much effort to take care of, so I ask for postcards of birds on my Postcrossing profile. I do receive a lot of postcards of birds as a result; most of them which I enjoy very much.

Received November 2012, Helinski, Finland

This bird is a Siberian Jay, apparently called a "Kuukkeli" in Finnish. The woman who wrote the card said she liked to knit too, but she couldn't anymore because her eyesight was going bad. I really liked the wintry feel of this card--plus the bird is just too adorable.

Received November 2012, Russia

This card was sent to me last month by a 10 year old boy who likes parrots. He told me he has a parrot called "Limonchik," also known as "small lemon." This parrot is called a Red-shouldered Macaw, and is native to South America. It is common in countries such as Venezuela, Brazil, and south-eastern Peru. It's the smallest macaw, and is often used for pet breeding. (Thanks, wikipedia!)

Received November 2012, Minsk, Belarus

These parakeets are just adorable. Not much more to say about that.

Received July 2012, Moscow, Russia

This is personally one of my favorite postcards, because it shows nearly all of the birds that are native to Russia. Of course, they are not named on the back of the card, but some of them are recognizable to me because I learned a lot about birds as a child. The only one I can name right now is the Snowy Owl, which of course is native to most parts due way up north.




Will probably post some more before the New Year, at least I hope so. I'll be traveling New Year's Eve.

A Tumultuous Month

Again, I have the hugest problem keeping this updated--mostly for my own entertainment, of course, as few people read this blog.

Two weeks until the end of the semester--next week is the last week of classes, and right after that is finals week. Last week, of course, was Thanksgiving break; that was spent at my roommate's house. It was a lovely break--from the internet as well as the hectic life I usually encounter. Of course, it went right back to that at the beginning of this week, but I'm not complaining. The end is in sight, followed by five weeks of hopping around different places for break and hopefully recharging and reading, knitting, and writing lots. 

I just finished my research proposal for my Research Methods class--it's given me quite the headache, but I'm very glad I'm done with it. I desperately hope I did a good job, as the professor was pretty vague about the whole project (pretty frightening, seeing how this project is 40% of the grade in the class).

Regarding my other subjects, I think I'm doing a fairly good job. Reading Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, in my Sociology of Gender class, was a real treat. It's a graphic novel about a young girl growing up in Iran during the time of the Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, her move to Austria, and her return to Iran. This graphic novel gave me a lot of insight regarding this important piece of Middle Eastern history that still affects the Middle East to this day. I may write a review on this graphic novel--either way, I highly recommend this book.

We've also been reading a lot of really interesting novels (although I digress, I didn't have time to read them as thoroughly as I hoped) in my Contemporary British Literature class. Due to the class size and my professor's overall awesomeness, she told us our final would be meeting at the local pizza place instead of meeting at the designated classroom. Of course, we still have to turn in our final papers at that time, but I think that this is personally pretty cool.

Concerning Postcrossing, I have received and sent a great many postcards this month. I won't be posting any postcards today, due to the fact that I am tired and I don't want to scan some of them in. But trust me on this one, some of them are very cute as well as amazing.

I've had this blog for nearly a year now; I haven't used it as often as I wanted to, but that's life I guess. Once Winter Break rolls around I'll have a lot more free time to write blog posts, and reviews, as well as doing some reading and knitting.