child devil of tuna

Mammoth and San Diego were both fun and now over. I am currently spending my days sitting on my ass catching up on the last three seasons worth of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and doing little more than wasting away like a vegetable left in the 110-degree sun. Yet, despite the oodles and oodles of free time that I have, I can't seem to be able to motivate myself to do constructive things like study a little bio in preparation for grad school or clean out the stinking garage. Nope, I just sit glued to the TV as if I didn't know what was gonna happen to Buffy and her gang of demon-hunting buddies.

All is not completely lost, though. I now have a place to live in the UK and a visa! Hooray!

Conversation heard while trying to buy a train ticket home from Union Station in LA:

Man #1: Hey man! How've you been? It's been forever!
Man #2: Yeah, I know! Man, I just got out!
Man #1: Really? No kidding? How long were you put in for?
Man #2: 7 years and finally I'm out.

Wonderful. I wonder what the sentence was for? Armed robbery? Kidnapping? Holding up a 7-11? No matter. I made it home safe and sound. Ah, LA. How charming.

posted by Grace @ 8/27/2005 04:44:00 PM 0 comments

I'm off to Mammoth for a week-long Lee-family reunion. So in the meantime, here are some photos that never made it to my blog but I thought they deserve some internet-time. Here's the last of my Japan photos:

The students of Oyamadakita Elementary School played some Japanese folk songs on these strange instruments that seemed to be a cross between an accordian and a recorder.


This is me teaching a lesson at Oyamadakita. The conversation on the board reads,
Who are you?
I'm _______ .
We did it!
Sorry, good-bye.
I have no idea what the purpose of the lesson was supposed to be.


Hokkaido. Yes, it was -12 celsius at the bottom of the slope. Something like -17 at the top of the mountain. It was COLD.


From left to right: Alice, me, and Jenni.


These ski suits alone will fuel the 80's fashion revival. Long live Panther suits and the Order of the Black Diamond!


Me and the ladies at the Snow Festival in Sapporo.


Went to Kobe with Ruth during my last three-day weekend in Japan.




Jellyfish in Osaka Aquarium. For those of you still in Japan, DON'T listen to the Lonely Planet. The Osaka Aquarium was just OK at best.


Girls' Last Night Out in Nagoya. We had a couple of drinks at My Fanny Bar. Whether you're British or American, it's still funny. "Let's have a drink in My Fanny."


On my last night in Japan, we all went to the Nabari Fireworks Festival. I got to wear my new yukata (summer kimono). Shannon and I shared our last plate of takoyaki while walking through the streets of Nabari.


The members of Up Up Down Down got to dress up and participate in the festivities as torch bearers. See Jenni's blog for more photos.


Well, that's all I guess. A nice heartfelt goodbye to Japan. It was a fun and crazy two years. Maybe I'll find my way back there sometime in the future. Hopefully, armed with a JR Rail Pass so that traveling won't cost me my right arm and leg.


Currently Playing: Time To Waste - Alkaline Trio
Currently Reading: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling

posted by Grace @ 8/11/2005 11:56:00 AM 0 comments

Googling my name is pointless because I get something like 70,000 hits, with none of the hits in the first 10 - 20 pages being about me. So I decided to search for "grace" at Zappos.com to see what kind of image the name "grace" conjures up when various designers set out to create a "grace" shoe. Let's see what kinds of shoes share my name.


Bull-dyke Grace or construction worker Grace would have liked these shoes.


Shoes for conservative office worker Grace.


A whip and some handcuffs would go well with S&M Grace's shoes.


If I were a senior citizen, I might like these sensible old-person-shoes.


These were actually not that bad. Sensible but not frumpy. However, they're not too terribly exciting, are they?


Shoes for a tasteless version of me.


A Cynthia Rowley purse to go with the tasteless version of me (Zappos apparently does handbags, too, now). Although, it does perfectly match the acid green of my Zen Micro. Color coordination IS important.

posted by Grace @ 8/06/2005 03:21:00 PM 0 comments

Mammoth: Aug 12 - 17
San Diego: Aug 19 - 22 (subject to change)
Berkelely/SF: Sept 7 - 12
Manchester: Sept 18 - whenever I earn a degree (1 or 4 years from now)
Santa Clarita: the rest of the time

Keeping myself busy, but somehow managing to waste huge amounts of time. I've succeded in applying for dorms at Manchester and booking my flight to the UK, which takes a huge load off of my chest. Now if only they'd send me info about how on earth I'm supposed to pay them. Well, I guess it's not like they're gonna forget to collect the 10,000+ pounds from me.

I've been spending my time watching Fear Factor (ew, American TV) and Family Guy, cleaning my room and the garage, and meeting with old friends. It's good to catch up with people.

Some observations:

There's a new nickel. It looks like it was printed off-center. Leave it to the US Dept of Treasury to design a new coin that looks like a weird screwed-up version of the original.

The hole in the ozone layer above Southern California hasn't closed up yet. I spent two hours in the sun WITH sunscreen (applied twice during that time) and I still managed to pick up color.

Asian girls in Cali can be SKANKY. I'd forgotten that. Went clubbing with my old high school friends Chrissy and Evy and got quite an eyeful.

In and Out still tastes as good as ever. Mmmmm, beef.

Korean people in K-town are loud.

Currently Playing: Carnival Kids - The Futureheads
Currently Reading: My brother's Star Wars magazines

posted by Grace @ 8/04/2005 10:52:00 AM 0 comments