A Lonely Summer

I haven't blogged in a while. It has been a little over two weeks since school ended. Having no real friends is depressing but I tell myself I am independent to make myself feel better. =)

Since summer began, there has been a major change in the pace of my life. Sometimes, I find it boring. At other times, I am perfectly content with all the free time I have to relax and do what I want. I now have the chance to work on some handicraft (my new obsession hobby) and practice my culinary skills. I am far from being adept in either areas, but I'll try to master them the best I can. My lovely sister already made a bunch of lovely softies! She recently finished Usotsuki to accompany Warumono from Aranzi Aronzo.


I designed some cards using my original art. These are prototypes that I gave to Oda sensei for approval to sell at the craft fair. I still foolishly cling to the hope that I can make enough money to go on the Japan trip.

I don't feel like saying much else. Pictures will suffice.



Does she look like Nyozeka?

Working hard and diligently studying Japanese.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Mango-banana Cupcakes

Innards

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Ehhh? What is Usotsuki doing, ogling at my new Evan CD?!


Uh oh. Warumono is getting some funny ideas. I knew I shouldn't have left Death Note lying around.

You can't take your eyes off them for even one second. Please excuse me while I make sure these bad boys don't make any more trouble. =)

Camp Erdman: My Misery and the Stars (Part 5 of 6)

It has been a while since I made another camp post. Sorry for taking so long! I'm sure nobody cares by now, but I will finishing up since the next camp post will be the last part.

Note: Looking back, this affair was extremely embarassing for me so I wasn't sure if I should post it. But I have decided to be honest with all the events that happened during camp, even of the things that I am not proud of. This was the only one time I felt unhappy during camp, but it helped me to grow stronger. I think that if this happened again, I would have acted differently.

Continued from the previous post...


A class picture behind the campfire.
After doing the skit, late night snack (this time it was pizza) and "discussion," we made our own campfire. It took us a long time to get a fire going. It is silly how people get fires started unintentionally and here we are trying our best to start a fire! It was really difficult. Once we successfully made fire, people took turns to say a speech. We took some group pictures behind the fire and then went star gazing.

I was looking forward to star gazing until the teachers told us to lie on the sand. As prissy as this sounds, I don't like the idea of getting my clothes dirty, but I reluctantly laid down on the gritty sand. We were bunched up like a pack of sardines, touching shoulder to shoulder. The night sky was magnificent. I think this was the first time in my life that I saw so many stars in the sky. I only recognized the Orion belt. It was nice for a little while, but in time I wanted to get back up. The teachers wanted everyone to stay down. Suddenly, I felt someone on top of me. It was Juri! I realized that she was making her way across the sand, just rolling on top of us. That crazy girl. I thought she was the only one until another person tried it. And another. And another. Finally, even Ms. Nakamura rolled on top of us! Sam grew excited and decided to try it, but she rolled off course. It was hilarious. I don't know how long I laid down there, but it felt like forever. I think we must have laid there for an hour. Michelle showed me her watch and it blinked 10:40pm! We laid there long after that, me waiting patiently for us to go back to our cabins.

I loved the night sky, but I was freezing. I wasn't wearing my jacket in an attempt to keep it clean but with insane people rolling on top of me, my efforts were wasted. I tried to concentrate on the stars, but my vision grew blurry, even with my glasses on. People started singing random kiddy songs and Disney songs. It went on and on. I wanted to go, but I stayed because everyone else was having such a great time. I wasn't sure if they wanted to leave yet. Some even suggested lying in the sand until morning. I panicked and hoped they weren't serious. I tried waiting some more until I was absolutely stiff from the cold. I was feeling extremely uncomfortable and I felt my muscles tense up. I tried telling myself to stop being such a spoil-sport. As Janelle would say, I should "chillax." Loosen up. Try to enjoy myself. But I couldn't. I tried to rest my legs, but it was hard. I felt like Jack and Rose near the ending of the Titanic movie. Stiff and cold in the middle of the ocean. When I couldn't take it anymore, I forced myself to sit up.

Eventually, everyone got up and slowly walked back. It was hard for me to move in the sand. I felt drunk. When we went back to the camp, I couldn't hold back my tears. I really wanted to shower first, but I was scared of being selfish because I wasn't the only one who was dirty. Ha insisted on going first so I went second in a different bathroom. I finally got to relax when I got in the shower. My arms finally loosened up but my hands were still shaking and I dropped the showerhead I was holding. I then realized that my entire body was shaking. Not only that, I usually take baths so I wasn't used to the showers. I tried to calm myself down. Now I feel embarrassed for acting the way I did. I don't know what went wrong. Why did I have to be like that? I guess I can handle only so much after one day. Jenni was very understanding and asked if I were okay since I broke down crying in front of her earlier. I wanted to stay up a little later to write, but it was past midnight. The girls planned to have a "Project Runaway Show," but we were so tired and exhausted from the day's events that it wasn't held. Some immediately went to sleep. I lingered around longer, talking to Jenni and eating. I don't know when I finally went to sleep, but it must have been morning. That was a first since I have never been able to do this at home.

They're Not Fat, They're Muscular!

Today, I went to the 2007 Grand Sumo Tournament with Sarah and Jenny. I had won three tickets through Shirokiya's 2007 Grand Sumo Tournament Coloring Contest. Let me first say that I had no interest in sumo, really. It was the $50 Shirokiya Gift Certificate that caught my eye (think of all the free food!) I entered the contest even though I did not expect to win. It was just for fun. But I won, so I'm very happy. =)

At first, I did not know what to do with the tickets I received. At the time, I knew nothing of sumo except that they have many crazy fans in Japan. Yes, apparently they do have their share of fangirls (think fangirls with their favorite popstars). I did not understand their obsession because wrestling wasn't my thing. My reasoning was that I should give the tickets away to someone who truly loves sumo and who deserves them...alas, I found no such person. Now I can honestly say I'm very glad I did not give them away. =)


Spotted two!

Before the tournament began, Jenny, Sarah, and I were scavengering outside the Blaisdell Center, looking for something to eat and drink. The food and drinks were way overpriced ($2.50 for a water bottle!)...but we were hungry. Jenny had a chili hotdog for $4.50 and I had three small pieces of inari sushi for $2. While we were waiting for Sarah as she stood in line to get a drink, we spotted two sumos! They were putting mustard and ketchup on their hotdogs. Sumos eating hotdogs instead of chanko-nabe! How exciting! Of course I had to bust out my camera before they could get away!


We're finally here!

Uwahhh...I was so excited. The sumos came out to do a few warm-up stretches before starting.


Betcha can't do this.

Whoa...dude...everyone started clapping right away. =D


Introducing all the sumos...

They're all coming out. I don't know who's who, but whatever. The robes are pretty.

After introducing all the sumos, the host announced that it was time for some, "comic sumo" - things that the sumo wrestlers cannot do. I am sorry I couldn't catch any pictures during this event, but it was very entertaining to see. There were two sumos (a really skinny one and a really big one) that demonstrated what went against the rules. They did all sorts of funny things to make the audience laugh.


Push, push, push...!

After the comic sumo, a bunch of young'uns came out to strut their stuff. =3 Everyone seemed baffled but delighted by these little guys. The host announced over the speaker that they were the keiki (children) of Hawaii...so they're locals, not sumos-in-training like I originally thought. xD When they first put up the smallest little guy up on stage, he tripped backward. He was obviously scared. It was funny to see them all go up one by one, trying to challenge the bigger guys. There was one particular boy that was really aggressive and he pushed and pushed, struggling to get one win. The sumo was eventually "pushed" out of the ring so the little guy won. The above picture shows one kid who pushed and pushed, but failed to make the sumo budge. Many of them were also twirled in the air by the sumo. xD It looked fun but scary at the same time.


Charging all at once.

After all going up one by one (some with repeated tries), they were allowed to charge at the rikishi (big guys) all at once. What a sight to see!

The preliminary round and the first round began after a short intermission.The preliminary round consisted of six matches and the first round sixteen matches. I fell in love with sumo after watching a few matches. The experience was not what I expected.

I thought that sumo was just a bunch of fat guys goin' at each other...it is so much more than that. In fact, the matches hardly seems to last more than a few seconds. Sumo is a very old and unique sport that managed to maintain its formal rituals and etiquette from the past. It was all these rituals that took longer than the actual matches! They would crouch in the dohyo (the ring), clap to dispel the evil, and of course, wave a sea of salt across the dohyo. Not to mention, I find it funny how they sometimes seem to be throwing the salt in the gyoji (referee's) face. Then sometimes they'd glare at each other some more (thus, exciting the crowd) and grab some more salt to throw at each other purify the dohyo. And then the match would begin. It took a long time. xD


Takamisakari.
A sumo that I can remember in particular was Takamisakari because he was the crazy, riled up one. Before a match would begin, he would always go crazy, shaking his head and his body angrily, glaring at his opponent, and throwing salt aggressively across the dohyo. Takamisakari was remembered because he always made a scene. Frankly, I didn't know what his problem was. Perhaps he just wanted to excite the crowd (he did this succesfully). He seemed very boastful and cocky so I was glad when Ryuo, my second favorite sumo, defeated him in the second round.

Another formidable sumo wrestler was Kotooshu from Bulgaria. By far, he was the tallest (at 203 cm!!!) and one of the strongest sumos that went on stage that night. To sum it up in one word, this guy was scary.

Wakanosato was remembered for being the sumo wrestler with his own group of cheerleaders. Whenever he came up, they would start chanting his name and clapping in rhythm.

During the first round, the match that impressed me the most (aka the most memorable one) was the fourth match, between Ama (peaceful horse) and Chiyotaikai. Ama was smaller, but he managed to outwit his opponent, snatching victory before anyone could blink. As the tournament went on, I found myself cheering for this guy. He had technique and he was agile. Despite his obvious talent and skill, I felt a little scared for him because his opponents were always bigger than him. But he would come through every time. I loved watching his matches the most because he always made the most impressive wins. One of the more exciting matches was when he went against Kotooshu, the biggest sumo in the tournament. Ama managed to defeat him, proving technique over power. Ama slowly passed through the second round, third round, the semi-finals...and finally onto the final round to compete against the yokozuna, the highest title holder!

The current yokozuna (highest sumo rank) was Hakuho and get this: He's my sister's age (22)!!! I had no idea sumo wrestlers could be so young. XD Throughout the entire tournament, I've been watching him. For some reason, I get the feeling that he is the most clear headed one. He never seems overly aggressive nor boastful. He remains calm. The matches with Hakuho were also suspenseful because he never wins right away. During his matches, he always wins at last minute. Whenever he'd seem to lose, he would turn things around. For example, there was one time when he was pushed to the edge of the ring. It seemed like the end for him until we saw him lift his opponent off the floor and slam him down on the floor. Not only is Hakuho intelligent, he is also very strong.

I had always liked watching Ama. I was very proud and happy to see that he was able to make it to the final round. During the finals, the two sumos left were Hakuho and Ama. Both of these rikishis were very admirable. You can just feel the tension rising. Who would win???


Ama vs. Hakuho.

Hakuho won. I liked them both so I was happy whatever the outcome may be. =)

After watching the rikishis for five long hours, my whole perspective changed. They didn't even look fat to me anymore. The amazing strength and power they demonstrated throughout this event just proved to me that it was all muscles and nothing else. I am a step closer to understanding those crazy fangirls who think of their favorite sumo wrestler as the most eligible bachelor in Japan. I can understand why people love sumo. =D I came as a clueless spectator, but now I truly appreciate sumo. This amazing experience really opened my eyes to the beauty of this 1,500 year-old traditional Japanese sport.

Last Day of School!

Whoo hoo! I have said this many times, but I want to say it again: I still, still, still can't believe it is summer already! For the first time in a long time, I won't be taking summer school. I regret this a little (but only a little) since the majority of my friends are taking summer classes, but I really don't want to bother with it this time. xD Jenny makes a good point - there is no rush to go to college. Why don't you just enjoy your high school days while it lasts? I just experienced how fast the years go by. Two more years is nothing. Gosh, the very thought of graduating so soon is a bit scary. I plan to quit the Engineering Academy in my senior year because I find that being an engineer is not me after all. The electives I signed up for the next school year are "Graphic Technology" and "Travel Industry & Management." I feel like I'm going in all directions, but I like that I have a chance to explore my options. ^_^

This whole week went by slowly. There were more parties than classes actually being held in school. On Tuesday, my special history class planned a surprise party for Ms. Naks. We had two other teachers help us with the plan, but I think Ms. Naks knew that something was up. How can it not be obvious with twenty-something people in on it? During lunch recess, we had Ms. Asato pretend to ask Ms. Naks to watch her class while she goes on an errand. That gave us some time to prepare.


People went absolutely crazy.

Again, my pictures do no justice. The class was a mess as we flew streamers around and over the lights. The resulting clash of green, blue, yellow, pink, red, and lavendar looked like a gigantic spiderweb...a colorful one. Then we blew up balloons and hung some of them on the streamers. Hoang made four big banners...crazy girl.


THE head.

People who watched our play might recognize this. This was the mannequin-styrofoam head that Rachel, Juri, and I bought at Party City from all the way over in Waikele. We used it in our last scene in the Witch Hunts. Rachel's "head" was chopped off by the guillotine but curtains close before the audience sees. Then the "head" was thrown out onto the stage from behind the curtains. In the first two performances, the head got stuck in between the thick, heavy curtains. I wanted to get it right for the third performance so a precaution was taken. I took the initiative to throw the head out myself. However, I went a little overboard because the head flew right off the stage. -____-; Ah, well. The head is special to us all because of all the memories it holds. We decided to sign the head with a little message from each of us to Ms. Naks.


Uh-oh, somebody better help her.

Haha, I told Angie to smile for the camera but she looks like she is getting strangled by the big spider web. XD

When the bell rang for class to start, we told Ms. Nags (Nagareda) to blindfold Ms. Naks. We closed the lights and the whole class crouched down, ready. When she entered the class, the lights flipped on and everyone jumped up to yell, "Surprise!" while balloons were thrown at her. We gave her leis and then I gave her the doll I made. Then we had what seemed like a photoshoot session because thousands of cameras were flipped out and started flashing away for about ten minutes.

I said, "Don't you feel like a celebrity? XD"

Earlier, we had arranged our desks in a circle around our classroom. After the picture-taking session was over, we each stood up to say a little speech. Mine was crap because I can't say anything right at the right moment. Half of the girls in class started crying because that day was our last class together. Although I'm an emotional person, I wasn't one of them because I was not in the mood to shed tears.

We then grabbed some food while we watched a slideshow that Sam and Julia had prepared.


Going clockwise: Ally's chicken katsu, Hoang's mom's fried rice, my pasta salad, and Jenny's mom's mochiko chicken.

Note that the above picture only shows my first plate. ^^; Don't worry, I won't bombard you with any more pictures because the dessert pictures came out ugly (there were TWO cakes, toaster strudels, and cinnamon rolls). All of the food was deeeelicious and my favorite was Hoang's mom's fried rice. I think it may be the best fried rice I've eaten...no kidding (I've eaten fried rice at many places). At first, I was skeptical because I could see that there was pepper sprinkled all over it, but I found it the spiciness of the dish to be perfect. It complemented the rest of the flavors. The ingredients looked ordinary (like all other fried rice) - spam, egg, and cabbage...so it must be how the dish was prepared that made it taste so good. I want to ask Hoang more about it next time so I can learn to make it for myself. ^.~