Things that have Happened.

I got a haircut last week. I mean a real haircut, where I sat in a barber chair and everything. This was my first real haircut in about 4 years, since up until this summer I was shaving my head down to peach fuzz. I had let it grow to the point where it could be cut and styled into something, well, not bald. So now I have hair that is mostly manageable. It has come as a shock to some people that I have hair at all, but I'm sure that all of this, in the larger scope of things, is actually not very exciting.

I am teaching a Comic Books and Cartooning program on the weekends at Comic Book Masters along with another instructor. I wish I was teaching anime, but it didn't really work out this time, so I was told to incorporate some anime content into the regular lessons. I otherwise don't have very much to do this time around, which is nice, I suppose, but I kinda wish I had something more to sink my teeth into. But it's still early, so we'll see.

My weekday classes are going ok, though the students often seem more interested in talking amongst themselves than listening to me. I've had to raise my voice quite a bit with the younger group. But they follow this strict routine throughout the day, so by the end of it there isn't much that can be done in regards to getting kids to sit quietly. I know that things could be a lot worse though. However, this pretty much confirms that I have no interest in being a "real" teacher.

Other than all of this, I am still angsty. Nothing I can do about that though, so I keep moving on.

Sayonara.

Drawing on Experience.

Tomorrow I am starting to teach again for Comic Book Masters in Thornhill. Hopefully I'll be busy. The environment there is much different than either of the classes I've been teaching at the private school. It's hard to explain, but it's both more serious and more relaxed at the same time. I miss it.

However, the private school does have its fun moments. Earlier this week, one of the younger students decided to draw a picture of me. How flattering! I got to keep it, and so now I share it with the world. Here it is.



Wow, this drawing is so full of youthful exuberance, something I lack most of the time! And I'm so smiley here too, which doesn't happen all that often. Not bad, though. At least the eyes are in the center of the head. Getting kids to even do that right is a challenge sometimes!

Sayonara.

A New Toy.

I have some money now. This is a stark contrast to the way it used to be, when I didn't have money. For the most part I believe this to be a good thing.

So, I bought something that I've wanted for awhile. I got myself a portable DVD player. That is to say, I got a DVD player that is portable in the sense that it is small and has a screen and a rechargeable battery, not a DVD player that is portable in the sense that anything which can be picked up and carried can be defined as portable.

I got the Mustek MP72, and it's working pretty good so far. It has a nice, clear picture for the most part. In addition to playing DVDs, it'll also play VCDs, MP3s, and even some AVI video files, which is a nice feature. Here's a picture:



Hey, look! Robotech is on! Kick ass.

I mostly got this for teaching. I used to bring my own full size DVD player to class every week so I could show anime fansubs that I burned onto VCD. The one I bought a few years ago still works OK, but you have to stick your finger in there like a dentist to open the disk tray. This new player should be easier to bring back and forth to work since it's much smaller, and it should be more durable since it's meant to be traveled with. Plus, I can take it with me to conventions to watch in line, and I don't have to rely on those other screw-ups I room with at Anime North to bring one. Rock on.

Sayonara.

The Flow of Luck.

So, today is Friday the 13th. In October, no less. How cool is that? The last time that happened was in 2000, and that was the month when I opened up this domain name. That appeals to my bizarre sensibilities.

Based on my luck in recent times, today could potentially be a really good day or a really bad day. Maybe something really truly terrible will happen. Would anyone really be surprised if I were attached by some big bastard in a hockey mask holding a machete? If that did happen, pity him and not me. Or maybe, because of how backwards my life has been, this being a bad luck day for everyone else will mean that it will be a good luck day for me. That would be most welcomed. I could really use that.

However, the likely event is that nothing special will happen at all, which I suppose is fine for now.

Sayonara.

Shoujo Manga Exhibit.

On Wednesday I went on over to The Japan Foundation here in Toronto to check out their exhibit on Shoujo Manga. I had hoped to go see it with some company, but in all the chaos that just couldn't work out, so I went all on my lonesome. I'm glad that I did though, because it was a very cool experience. They had original manga pages on display, where you could see the pencil marks, the texture of the paper, and even spots covered up with correction fluid. And there were also plenty of full colour illustrations there, which were incredible to see in person like that. The richness of the paint and the vibrant colours needed to be seen to be believed, and there were some really awesome pieces of artwork. I gained a new appreciation for those drawings and paintings after being able to see them up close like that.

My favorite part of the exhibit was definitely the very beginning. Nothing that explores the history of any facet of anime or manga would be complete without the works of Osamu Tezuka, and this exhibit on Shoujo Manga did not disappoint in that regard. I gasped a little bit when I saw the original manga pages from Ribbon no Kishi that hung on the wall there. It was a pretty special moment for me to be that close to something so historically important. There were also works from other pioneers that I admire, such as Leiji Matsumoto and Shotaro Ishinomori. As the exhibit progressed chronologically, it delved into popular and important series such as The Rose of Versailles and the works of CLAMP. There wasn't really anything that I could find about Sailor Moon though, which I think was a glaring admission, but otherwise it was fairly in depth with lots of artwork to look at.

Now, at this point I'd recommend that you go see it if you're in the area, but I can't do that anymore because the day that I went was the last day. Too bad. But I really enjoyed it, and the Japan Foundation is a very cool place, so I'll be keeping my eye out for other interesting things going on there.

Sayonara.

Robots, Kung Fu, Anime, and Angst.

Well, that's pretty much me in a nutshell, isn't it?

I should really be doing this more often so that I don't post all these topics at the same time that have nothing to do with one another.

Botcon was last weekend, and with it came lots of interesting new Transformers news regarding future toy lines and the upcoming movie. 2 or 3 years ago I'd have been really excited. But now it seems like I've lost some interest. I don't know why, I still like Transformers and all, but I guess the more important (and less fun) elements of life have pushed their way to the forefront of my mind, so it has been hard to get excited about things like this. So I have to take a more relaxed approach to fandom for the time being, because even though I am interested enough to keep up with everything, I just can't be bothered to care about it that much.

When I was out of town, I saw Jet Li's Fearless. I thought it was phenomenal. By far my favorite movie of the year. I absolutely loved it. In fact, I wish it were longer, because I could have easily sat there and watched that movie for 4 or 5 hours and enjoyed every second of it. But, of course, watching a big epic with crazy kung-fu and subtitles is my perfect idea of a good time, so perhaps I am biased.

So, apparently YTV in Canada has applied for a license to broadcast an all anime channel. It'll likely be on digital cable. Provided that this doesn't interfere with anime shows being broadcast on regular TV as well, I think this is a great idea. Really, it should have already happened by now. There are so many shows out there that deserve a chance on Canadian TV, many of which have already aired or are airing now in the US. Plus, there are also plenty of classic series that should be on TV but would otherwise never get up on the air unless something like an all anime network came about. There's a link right here to leave your comments so the CRTC can be convinced that this is something they should allow to happen. I'm going to let my opinion be heard, and so should you. Click the "2006-10" button on the link, then check the box that says "YTV Canada, Inc." and take it from there. Let's make this happen!

Life goes on, and I know that everything is not always as bad as I often make it out to be. But still, I can't help but to feel that life is very unfulfilling right now. Situations being what they are at the moment mean that there's nothing I can do about it except endure. But endure is what ninjas do best, so that's what I am doing.

Sayonara.