Important note: my list is in alphabetic order, with some optional stuff AND length of added details doesn't mean I'd prefer one fandom over another<\/strong> (last, bold bit added for clearing up) :)
Fandom: Akatoki no Yami<\/strong>
Characters: Yorimichi, Shinnou, Muhaku, Haruaki
It's a tiny, tiny fandom since there's barely anything translated into English yet. I'll be grateful for whatever I get. :) <\/em>
Take the characters, the setting (Heian period, onmyoudou, onmyouji, mononoke, familiars, the political system,...), add Muhaku (Yorimichi's frog-familiar) or Haruaki (Shinnou's 'guardian') or whomever you'd like to add if you want\/need it - and run with it! ^_^
Surprise me! Really. :)
Fandom: Gilgamesh (anime)<\/strong>
Characters: Kiyoko, Novem, Tatsuya
I take almost everything with a rather happy feeling to it involving those characters (one of them, two of them or all three).
The anime is rather dark and very consequent at the end... you can twist that around to make a 'happy end' (or at least a happier one) happen. Or do something within the timeline of the series like a missing scene, some background, introspective,...<\/em>
I guess my love for Novem & Tatsuya is the result of the interaction between those two. It often seemed to me as if there is more to their 'relationship' than has been shown in the anime. Novem could have crushed Tatsuya quite a few times, but never really did it. Why is that?
As far as those two go, you can write pretty much everything: friendship, get together (till a certain point, see below), hurt\/comfort, teasing,...
I don't necessarily see those two as lovers, having hot, steamy sex (even though I think it is possible to make it work and a part of me wants to read something like that if someone ever would write it). But if something like this happens, I'd rather see it not happen after Novem and Kiyoko get together and become the 'canon couple' (in my humble opinion they are a cute couple ^^;). It would be some kind of betrayal towards Kiyoko and as I like her and she goes through quite a lot in the anime I'd rather not see her 'suffering' more.
I could totally see a fic involving Novem, Tatsuya and Kiyoko. I guess since Kiyoko & Novem are kind of a couple and Tatsuya & Kiyoko are siblings, they share a connection which ties them to each other. Probably I'm wrong or it's just my imagination, but it always looked as if Novem and Kiyoko were watching out for Tatsuya, caring about him as much as they could in their respective position.
Or maybe write something about Novem & Kyoko as a couple? And maybe their baby? I know, the end of the anime makes this impossible, yet I generally wouldn't mind an AU where the end isn't that sad and they'd still be alive and a family. Maybe even with Tatsuya around?
As Gilgamesh has a rather drastic end (like quite a few other anime\/manga XD), I am well aware that certain stories will only work if it's going to be an AU fic. Well, maybe something like an AU derived from canon? Canon with a twist? While I could follow and understand why Gilgamesh ended as it did and accepted it, I also had discussions about why it didn't turn out differently. Because it definitively could have turned out differently (=happier). :)
Fandom: Ghost Hunt<\/strong>
Characters: Lin, Naru, Mai, Yasuharu
I especially listed Naru, Mai, Lin and Yasuharu as characters (instead of just 'Any') because I'm kinda fascinated by their relationship(s) and how they interact with each other. You don't have to focus on those three alone, though. I liked the entire bunch as they were working together to solve the cases. New case? Character study? Something else entirely? Whatever you come up with, I'm gonna like it.<\/em>
I especially like the interaction\/relationship between Naru & Mai, Naru & Lin and Lin & Mai. It's always been a little bit difficult to tell where they stand. Naru being distant, yet caring for Mai. Lin being focused on Naru's safety and sometime seeming rather ruthless when solving a mystery (without actually being it). Lin kinda hating Mai (at least I got that vibe at the beginning) - till the Christmas episode and Mai being possessed. Then something kinda changed. And Mai... being Mai... in general happy and energetic (in Japanese I'd say she's 'genki<\/em>').
Yasuharu was a late-ish addition to the team, and I began to enjoy his interactions with the team greatly after re-watching the show. He's smart and able to keep up with Naru's wits, at the same time he can be quite cheeky, geeky and throws people off (flirting with Bou-san). XD
And as I said: feel free to add the others if need be. After all, they were solving the cases together. I'd be just glad if Masako wasn't too important, she sometimes got on my nerves.
Oh, and, random info is totally random: the arc with the doll as well as the one with the blood-bath were the ones which got to me the most. Trust me, if I ever have a daughter, she'll never get a doll from me. NEVER! It's amazing how easily something as common as a girl's doll can turn into something truly evil. And the twist with the Dracula-story was nerve wracking, too, especially since Mai came so close to death.
>Again<\/strong>: Just because the details for Gilgamesh are longer than for Akatoki or Koori doesn't mean that I'd like a Gilgamesh fic over the others. It just happens to be the fandom I'm 'pickiest'(not exactly the right word, but it's hard to describe...) about. With the other two you more or less have a carte blanche. :) <\/strong> <\/a>
If you need further references, you can either check my few memories (yes, I've more or less abandoned LJ by now, which is kinda sad), visit
![](\"https:\/\/l-stat.livejournal.net\/img\/userinfo_v8.png?v=17080&v=916.1\")
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>' fic journal <\/a>shades_of_color<\/b><\/a><\/span> (she wrote a few fics for me, some are now also on AO3 listed as gifts for me), ask <\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span> directly and politely or go through the Yuledite mods.Much love, good writing and thanks again for offering to write in one of those rare, but very dear fandoms!!! *huuuuuugs*
~belina"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:199606","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/199606.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=199606"}}],"title":"I never learn...","published":"2011-12-23T01:51:20Z","updated":"2011-12-23T01:51:20Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"yuletide 11"}},"content":"... and I'm a horrible spoiler-whore. Yes, I just checked out if there's a new gift on AO3 for me. There is. :D
And checking my fandoms, I already know which fandom it is written for\/in. Reveal-day can't come quick enough. *bounce bounce bounce*
(I also never learn to get my story done way before the deadline to NOT STRESS out...)"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:199403","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/199403.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=199403"}}],"title":"Christmas card","published":"2011-11-28T14:23:39Z","updated":"2011-11-28T14:24:33Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"T\u00f4ky\u00f4"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"christmas card"}}],"content":"Want a Japanese Christmas\/New Year's card? Let me know (with address)!
(I'm in T\u00f4ky\u00f4 right now, you've got time till Sunday ;))
Comments are screened."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:198695","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/198695.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=198695"}}],"title":"Yuletide","published":"2010-12-25T09:31:29Z","updated":"2010-12-25T09:31:29Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"thank you"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"yuletide"}}],"content":"The Archive is not open yet and I'm not sure how trustworthy the \"My Gifts\" part on my Profile is since system 'burbs' (doubles) with those were once reported. But still...
I know I had two gifts listed before the official deadline passed (and know their fandom; I'm still mad at myself for klicking the 'Fandoms' link then<\/small>) - but since then two more gifts appeared. *_______*
Whoever you, my dear writer(s), are and even without knowing WHAT you wrote (I didn't go to \"Fandoms\" after that first time, no need for more spoilers ^^;)<\/small>:
I have to go to work soon-ish and won't be back until very, very late in the evening (11.30 pm), thus I won't reply on my stories right away. But I'll get to my gifts as soon as possible. <\/small>
*gleefully awaits archive opening*
PS: Merry Christmas to all of you! <3 <3"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:198564","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/198564.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=198564"}}],"title":"Back from a shirt visit in Japan","published":"2010-12-08T23:50:17Z","updated":"2010-12-08T23:50:17Z","content":"And darn am I sick. I got a scratchy throat the day before flying home and now it's a full blast monster of an infection. I've tried with the usual stuff till this morning, but since it wasn't getting any better, my mom picked me up to get some new stuff from the pharmacy at the nearby Airport. Luckily she came with me. I'm not sure I would have made it home on my own, as I nearly fainted on her while on the way back home.
I hate being sick. I hate being bound to my bed, it's boring and my brain is too fuzzy to work on Yuletide or anything else for that matter. My throat still hurts, even with all the shit I've put on\/swallowed and it's been going on for so long now that an infection of the middle ear is just a matter of time.
But hey... Japan was a BLAST!!!! As always. :D
***
PS: Still waiting on that pinch hit. We're up to about 50 now... :P"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:198246","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/198246.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=198246"}}],"title":"Yuletide Pinch-Hitting","published":"2010-12-01T01:06:00Z","updated":"2010-12-01T01:06:00Z","content":"I'm always waiting to find my Yuletide-requests on the Pinch-Hitters list. 18 have been out so far. (and while it wouldn't surprise me to find them there - I'd be utterly destroyed because it just means there's no love for my rare fandoms D:).
btw. a prediction: I'll get a Ghost Hunt story this year. Chances for this to happen are statistically higher than with the other fandoms. (I can go wrong, though, as my recipient bets on all fandoms except for the one my recipient will get with a good explanation while the others are more likely to be written -> the surprise factor is yet kinda in the run)"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:198019","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/198019.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=198019"}}],"title":"belina @ 2010-11-29T15:33:00","published":"2010-11-29T14:33:44Z","updated":"2010-11-29T14:33:44Z","content":"Hmmmm... part successful day shopping for stuff in Japan.
I fed my Nyanko-sensei obsession (Nyanko-sensei from Natsume Yuujinchou) and bought a fancy pillow (prize somewhere) and a hot water bottle Nyanko-style, because obviously a JUMBO Nyanko is not enough. *rolls eyes at self* Well, I gave the K-Books staff a run for their money - because they had no bags for such a bulky purchase and thus had to modify one\/two other bags. I'm quite the challenge. But a good customer. ^_~
Also, I was tempted to ride back to Ikebukuro Animate to beat one guy with the Natsume Yuujinchou 2011 calendar at 9pm. Why? I first went to that Animate (big, but not as crowded as Akiba; I like) and since they had all the calendars except for that one (I give a damn about naked school girl calendars), I asked a staff guy. He looked over the same calendars I had checked TWICE before - and when he couldn't find it, he disappeared. \"Shou shou o machi kudasai...\" Yeah, of course.
After a few minutes, during which I stumbled upon the Narurihyon calendar of AWESOME (but 2500 Yen), he came back, apologizing that he can't help. He mumble something super quickly and when I asked him about trying in another Animate (like Akiba or Shibuya (I love the Shibuya Animate)) he just shrugged and said something about it being useless. Hello... release date November 13th and we're talking about Natsume, not Naruto or Bleach calendars everyone fawns about.
So... why the heck am I now the owner of that 'non-existant' calendar? Thanks to Shibuya Animate. Where you find the older, often cool(er) stuff or things you can't find in any other Animate.
I have to admit though, that I'm disappointed in the merchandise. It's shelves and shelves of Reborn, Gintama, Bleach, a tad Naruto... *not interested* and everything else is pretty much dead. Or gets shitty stuff. D:
Photo-days now coming up. Shops irk me..."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:197796","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/197796.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=197796"}}],"title":"In Japan","published":"2010-11-28T21:50:35Z","updated":"2010-11-28T21:52:06Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"japan"}},"content":"I'm in Tokyo for about a week (till Dec. 6th, if everything works out with my staff ticket).
Fan-shopping, karaoke, much picture taking, food. Wooohoooooooo!
If anyone of you reading this post wants a Japanese style Christmas\/New Year's card, send me your address (message or here). :3"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:197272","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/197272.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=197272"}}],"title":"belina @ 2010-11-15T18:58:00","published":"2010-11-15T17:58:07Z","updated":"2012-11-02T21:14:39Z","content":"Dear Yuletide Writer,
First of all, thank you for offering to write a story in one of my selected fandoms. I'm sure you'll make me happy, no matter which request you decide to fulfill in the end since I love all of the requested fandoms and chosen characters. And they are so super rare, that EVERY fic for them is a very precious gift. :D
I would say it's not hard to write a story I'm going to like. While thinking of what I've read in the past to maybe give you some useful tips on what I like\/dislike, I noticed that in general there isn't too much that really scares me off. Thus, maybe it's easiest to first tell you what I don't like as this list is rather short:
- mpreg (tried to read stories with mpreg, but it just doesn't work out for me)
- death fic (can work, but if one of my favorite characters dies, I can tell you quite frankly that I'll be crying most likely like a baby somewhere in a corner)
- 'unhealthy' jealousy
- un<\/strong>resolved angst (I'm fine with angst if it's not overboarding and if it is resolved...)
- character bashing
- mind-blowingly bad grammar and spelling (even though I am a non-native English speaker\/writer, bad grammar and spelling make me cringe...)
- extremely kinky stuff (no tentacles please)<\/a>
There are also a few things I can for sure tell you I like in fanfics and maybe that helps you, too.
- happy endings, or at least an ending that gives some kind of hope for a happy end
- fluff
- angst to a reasonable degree (because angst is sometimes needed in a story to make it work and add some depth)
- hurt\/comfort (the focus being on comfort, though)
- strong characters (if two or more are involved and in some kind of relationship, I'd rather have them about equally strong (you see, I'm not too much into the entire seme\/uke, top\/bottom or 'whatever you wanna call it' thing)<\/a>
Please note the use of '&' instead of '\/' with my 'pairings'. While I read smut\/slash fiction as well, it's not what comes to my mind first when thinking about the requested characters\/fandoms. I'm totally fine with everything except hot and steamy sex, too. ^_~
I've already tried to give you some ideas of what I could see written in the details while requesting, but I didn't want to write too much in there.
If you're a lucky writer who is blessed with the ability to only see the requested fandom & character(s) and you instantly have a story up your sleeve, feel free to ignore the following. ^_^
If you're a little like me though and need a kick off\/starting point at times, even if it's only one single word, I thought that maybe some additional thoughts about the respective fandom\/characters might be of some help. (I just hope I don't scare you away... it's kinda lengthy... ^^;)
In alphabetic order and with lots of optional stuff :)<\/small><\/center>
Fandom: Akatoki no Yami
Characters: Yorimichi, Shinnou
Take the characters, the setting (Heian period, onmyoudou, onmyouji, mononoke, familiars, the political system,...), add Muhaku (Yorimichi's frog-familiar) or Haruaki (Shinnou's 'guardian) or whomever you'd like to add if you want\/need it - and run with it.
Surprise me! :) <\/em>
Fandom: Ghost Hunt
Characters: Lin, Naru, Mai, Yasuharu
I especially listed Naru, Mai, Lin and Yasuharu as characters (instead of just 'Any') because I'm kinda fascinated by their relationship(s) and how they interact with each other. You don't have to focus on those three alone, though. I liked the entire bunch as they were working together to solve the cases. New case? Character study? Something else entirely? Whatever you come up with, I'm gonna like it.<\/em>
I especially like the interaction\/relationship between Naru & Mai, Naru & Lin and Lin & Mai. It's always been a little bit difficult to tell where they stand. Naru being distant, yet caring for Mai. Lin being focused on Naru's safety and sometime seeming rather ruthless when solving a mystery (without actually being it). Lin kinda hating Mai (at least I got that vibe at the beginning) - till the Christmas episode and Mai being possessed. Then something kinda changed. And Mai... being Mai... in general happy and energetic (in Japanese I'd say she's 'genki<\/em>').
Yasuharu was a late-ish addition to the team, and I began to enjoy his interactions with the team greatly after re-watching the show. He's smart and able to keep up with Naru's wits, at the same time he can be quite cheeky, geeky and throws people off (flirting with Bou-san). XD
And as I said: feel free to add the others if need be. After all, they were solving the cases together. I'd be just glad if Masako wasn't too important, she sometimes got on my nerves.
Oh, and, random info is totally random: the arc with the doll as well as the one with the blood-bath were the ones which got to me the most. Trust me, if I ever have a daughter, she'll never get a doll from me. NEVER! It's amazing how easily something as common as a girl's doll can turn into something truly evil. And the twist with the Dracula-story was nerve wracking, too, especially since Mai came so close to death.
Fandom: Gilgamesh (anime)
Characters: Kiyoko, Novem, Tatsuya
I especially have a knack for Novem & Tatsuya, but I also love the 'canon couple' Novem & Kiyoko or the triple Novem, Tatsuya & Kyoko.
I like friendship, getting together, fluff, romantic or explorative stories, smut\/slash isn't necessarily wanted\/needed..
Please, no mpreg or death fic, those tend to scare me off and the anime already has a sad ending -> AU is fine with me in this case.<\/em>
I guess my love for Novem & Tatsuya is the result of the interaction between those two. It often seemed to me as if there is more to their 'relationship' than has been shown in the anime. Novem could have crushed Tatsuya quite a few times, but never really did it. Why is that so?
What I thought possible is something like a missing scene or an alternation from an existing scene. I've come across such a story (alternation from an existing scene) (here), if you want to check it out), but otherwise my searches for Novem & Tatsuya fic have been unsuccessful.
As far as those two go, you can write pretty much everything: friendship, get together (till a certain point, see below), hurt\/comfort, teasing,...
I don't necessarily see those two as lovers, having hot, steamy sex (even though I think it is possible to make it work and a part of me wants to read something like that if someone ever would write it). But if something like this happens, I'd rather see it not happen after Novem and Kiyoko get together and become the 'canon couple' (in my humble opinion they are a cute couple ^^;). It would be some kind of betrayal towards Kiyoko and as I like her and she goes through quite a lot in the anime I'd rather not see her suffering more.
Still, I could totally see a fic involving Novem, Tatsuya and Kiyoko. I guess since Kiyoko & Novem are kind of a couple and Tatsuya & Kiyoko are siblings, they share a connection which ties them to each other. Probably I'm wrong or it's just my imagination, but it always looked as if Novem and Kiyoko were watching out for Tatsuya, caring about him as much as they could in their respective position.
A rather new thought came up while actually requesting Gilgamesh as fandom: What about getting to know more about Novem & Kyoko as a couple? And maybe their baby? I know, the end of the anime makes this impossible, yet I wouldn't mind an AU where the end isn't that sad and they'd still be alive and a family. Maybe even with Tatsuya around?
As you probably see from my straying thoughts, you can't go wrong with anything that involves those characters.
As Gilgamesh has a rather drastic end, I am well aware that certain stories will only work if it's going to be an AU fic. Well, maybe something like an AU derived from canon? While I could follow and understand why Gilgamesh ended as it did and accepted it, I also had discussions about why it didn't turn out differently. Because it definitively could have turned out differently (=happier). <\/a>
As I said before, all of those additional info are meant to help and not to restrain you! If you can use an idea, I'm glad I could help. If it bothers you, just ignore them. ; )
If you need further references, you can either check my few memories, visit haraamis' fic journal shades_of_color (she wrote a few fics for me) or just ask haraamis directly and politely. She knows me kinda well and might know additional things when it comes to what I like\/dislike.
Much love, a good writing time and thanks again!!! *huuuuuugs*
~belina"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:196731","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/196731.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=196731"}}],"title":"Yuletide nominations of LOL","published":"2010-10-21T11:17:47Z","updated":"2010-10-21T11:17:47Z","content":"Harry Potter?
Supernatural?
Bones?
D. Gray-man?
Gundam Wing?
Final Fantasy 7, 8, 10?
Very rare and obscure fandoms, all of them! XD (I'm not feeling bad for checking on The Mentalist being nominated for Yuletide... even though I think it's only borderline rare\/obscure anymore; although a lot of fics are more drabbles\/ficlets *sighs*)
Also, I changed half of my nominations. I had a week to think of even more whacked stuff than I first asked for... ^^;"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:196359","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/196359.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=196359"}}],"title":"YULETIDE!!!!!!","published":"2010-10-14T22:00:20Z","updated":"2010-10-14T22:00:20Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"yuletide"}},"content":"Woohooooooo!
For the moment I've nominated:
- Bayonetta
- Gilgamesh (anime)
- Harukanaru Toki no Naka de - Hachiyoushou
- Heavenly Sword
- Nabari no Ou
- Tegami Bachi aka Letter Bee
XD XD"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:196017","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/196017.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=196017"}}],"title":"Some days can just get better...","published":"2010-08-29T21:31:01Z","updated":"2010-08-29T21:31:01Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"job"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"irl"}}],"content":"My day started with an unwanted surprise: I called a cab upon waking at around 3 am for 4.10 am to be at work by 4.30 am (it takes 5 minutes by car to the airport). And it didn't come, even though they said at the hotline it'll be there on time! x.x I tried to call them back, but no one picked up the phone anymore, so I had to go hunt down a free cab at 4.15 in the suburb of Zurich. I finally found one 5 minutes before shift start and the guy even got me there on time. I was so happy... and stressed at the same time. (Note: Never call a cab from 044\/2222222 again)
I barely call cabs, as it's not that far to the airport, but my shoulder's been bugging me yet again, I barely slept 4 hours thanks to a phone call from my mom at 10.30 pm while already dozing off and then my body deciding that 3 am is a better time to wake up than 3.30 am when my alarm was supposed to go off. WTF, body?!?
With a start like that, things can only get better, right? Except for a slightly miffed supervisor at the check-in (I partially skipped the info-session, I just happened to have had the same flight to check in 4 days ago - what's going to change?!? Additionally, we have a check-sheet where every step is listed *rolls eyes*), things really improved.
The improved that far, that I could even offload a person on my last flight... and I was almost happily dancing. Unfortunately, the passenger came before they'd found the bag and thus I had to onload her again. Darn.
When I started at Swissport, I was always afraid of offloads, because 'OMG, they bought tickets, they should be able to fly'. The first time I had to offload someone was due to late arrival of his incoming flight and thus it wasn't the passengers fault, so he'd be rebooked without consequences.
Then came the first case where I had to offload someone because he was just not appearing at the gate on time. We have set time-frames to be sure that the schedule can be maintained and since we couldn't delay the flight, bags were searched and the passenger offloaded by me. Back then it was still weird.
But I've seen so many passengers by now who don't give a rat's ass about how important being on time is for the daily operation at an airport... that I happily offload them if they're not there on time. Especially since they've been 'warned' that the flight is closing several time.
We usually have a speech upon boarding start, then in between, a general final call and once there are only 4-5 passengers left, I do a final call by names. So, if I happen to be your gater, you'll have heard from your flight at least 4, if not 5 times before the flight is closed. Thus, everyone who's still late after the call by name and does not have the excuse of a 'short connection' in our system will be offloaded.
And dear God: if your plane is scheduled for departure at 9.25 am and you are at the gate at 9.30 am, the plane is already \/gone\/. You're at least 10 minutes too late. Maybe a tad less Duty Free shopping might have been a good idea? x.x
Also, everything over 30 minutes connecting time is enough to be still on time at the gate. Landing at 8.30 am and not being on time for the connecting 12.50 pm flight... there's no excuse. Especially not if the short connections (less then 30 minutes to change planes) are already all sitting. *facepalm* <\/a>
After my shift I met my mom, who drove my home with all my groceries and after cleaning the living-\/dining room, I had a 2-hour nap with my kitty to get at least half-awak through the rest of the evening. She was so pissed this morning when I woke her due to me getting ready for work. But I guess once I was gone, she went back to my bed and continued her beauty sleep. Not too much harm done there... XD"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:195772","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/195772.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=195772"}}],"title":"Meme before Bed","published":"2010-08-28T19:45:38Z","updated":"2010-08-30T08:26:29Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"meme"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fannish things"}}],"content":"As seen on the LJs of
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span> and <\/a>wasabi_girl1<\/b><\/a><\/span>:1) Post a list of up to 20 books\/movies\/anime\/TV shows\/video games\/bands [fannish etc.] that you've had an obsessive fannish love or interest in at some time in your life.
2) Have your f-list guess your favorite character\/member from each item.
3) When someone guesses correctly, strikethrough the item and put the name of your favorite character next to it.<\/em>
Okay, finding 20 fannish things was hard, as some of the things I like have ONE big character and usually it is the one I go for. So, a few favorites of mine (Mushishi, Mononoke, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, DMC, Tomb Raider among others) couldn't be listed.
1. Final Fantasy VII (my first fave character, not the one you might think now *evil grin*)
2. Bones
3. The Mentalist
4. Natsume Yuujinchou ; Nyanko-sensei\/Madara by
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>5. Ghost Hunt
6. X Files ; Alex Krycek by
<\/a>wasabi_girl1<\/b><\/a><\/span>7. Scrubs
8. Black Lagoon ; Revy by
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span> (I like the 'r' better... it rrrrrrolls so nicely ^_~)9. .hack\/\/SIGN ; Tsukasa by
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>10. Final Fantasy XIII
11. Galerians\/Galerians:Ash ; Rion by
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>12. Harukanaru Toki no Naka De ~ Hachiyoushou ; Abe no Yasuaki by
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>13. Gilgamesh (the Anime) ; Novem by
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>14. blur
15. Heavenly Sword
16. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
17. Gun X Sword
18. Skies of Arcadia ; Gilder by
<\/a>wasabi_girl1<\/b><\/a><\/span>19. The Neverending Story
20. Trinity Blood<\/a>
Bed now, have a 4.30 am shift. x.x"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:195385","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/195385.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=195385"}}],"title":"Finally...","published":"2010-08-19T17:41:01Z","updated":"2010-08-19T17:41:01Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"trip"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"japan"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"ono fuyumi"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"anime"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"shiki"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"horror"}}],"content":"Vampires are not shiny and fawn-worth any more. If you think they are, watch 'Shiki', you'll most likely be cured from the glimmer-shmuck. There you see how vampires ought to be: scary, creepy and deadly as hell. *shudders*
I wonder how \u00d4no Fuyumi came from a story like 'J\u00fbni kokki' (Twelve Kingdoms) to the grisly story telling of 'Shiki'. Via 'Ghost Hunt' probably. The 'Blood-soaked Maze' surely has some 'Shiki' touches... >.o
Totally random as this post: I stumbled upon the horror that is 'Shiki' by sheer accident in Narita, while roaming the airport-book store. Freaking cover got me. I only realized back home who's the author of the novel on which the manga is based (and had to laugh... I'm an \u00d4no Fuyumi (closet-)fangirl, obviously). And the timing to get into it couldn't be better with the anime just being released. Woooohoooooo! XD
Also: I've been gone for a while. Japan. Again. If I feel up to it, I'll post some of the 2805 pics I took while roaming my favorite country for vacation. IT WAS AMESOME!!! And some MORE!!!!! ^_~
And now, you'll excuse me: I'll go close all windows and doors for the night..."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:195123","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/195123.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=195123"}}],"title":"Can I has break, nao?","published":"2010-06-27T21:59:45Z","updated":"2010-06-27T21:59:45Z","content":"Has someone something that would brighten up my mood? Or at least something that \/might\/ brighten up my mood? Because I feel like I need something like that..."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:195066","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/195066.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=195066"}}],"title":"Not your 08-15 tourist","published":"2010-06-20T07:48:36Z","updated":"2010-06-20T07:48:36Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"trip"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"vacation"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"japan"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"irl"}}],"content":"The most recent addition in my Japan guide books has a few pages about a less known and visited by tourists spot in it: the Izu islands (\u00a0\u4f0a\u8c46\u8af8\u5cf6) in T\u00f4ky\u00f4 Bay. And now I am kinda tempted... islands, beaches, volcanos, almost untouched nature,.... hmmmm... *_*
I LOVE big events like the Sumidagawa Hanabi Taikai or the Nebuta and Neputa festivals. But at the same time less known and less touristy stuff peeks my interest, too. So, now I have to figure out if it is possible to do some island hopping without it costing us a fortune. Because as far as I've seen it, there are no specials like 'Free Passes' for the Izu islands like there are for Nikk\u00f4 and all the ferry-prices are one-way (which always is more expensive than return-tickets).
*Dorks away to poke the internet for some more info*"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:194729","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/194729.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=194729"}}],"title":"Hunting Accommodations","published":"2010-06-17T22:19:25Z","updated":"2010-06-17T22:19:25Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"japan"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"traveling"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"irl"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"roomie"}}],"content":"So I've been hunting accommodations a little more for the Japan trip. I still haven't found anything in\/around Aomori for the specific days (6th and\/or 7th August) even though I tried various combinations on those dates, locations and the occupants (double\/single). I stumbled over far more local sites thanks to
<\/a>gretenai<\/b><\/a><\/span>'s link to aomiren, but still no luck. :-\/But nonetheless I booked some cheap rooms in T\u00f4ky\u00f4 and found various seemingly nice places in Nikk\u00f4 and T\u00f4n\u00f4 that won't cost too much (compensating for the Aomori\/Hirosaki stay, I'd say).
As for T\u00f4no, I think I'll get one of this<\/a> place's plans\/rooms. It's not too far from the station plus the English part is kinda cute and there's lots and lots of green around there. ^^;
For uber-cuteness this<\/a> goes far too, though. :D
The YouthHostel<\/a> seemed like an option too, but compared to Tokutaya... Tokutaya wins. Funny thing though I noticed: the reservation in English doesn't work... the link is non-existant. XD
For Nikk\u00f4 I'll probably go for Minshuku Rind\u00f4 no ie (found in a lot of the guide books) or Minshuku Narusawa (both with rooms about 3500Yen\/46 bucks; I'm tempted to got with Narusawa due to its 'underdog' status ^^;)). Or maybe The Hotel Lakeside in Ch\u00fbzenji, even though their prices seem weird (I've seen on one page prices from 55 bucks, but most sites show prices from 150 bucks upwards?!?). <\/a>
My brains a bit mushy, though. The kanji bother me less than expected (I'm out of exercise, I sadly have to admit), but it's more the hunt in general that is tiring. x.x
Additionally, my upset stomach is not helping. Plus I fear my iron level is a bit down, I'm extremely exhausted and could sleep all the time which has nothing to do with the travel-planning. Craaa~p...
Also... roomie hunt is not really successful, but one of them is leaving in about 8 hours and they didn't fuss about the additional costs (which are freakingly high this year with estimated 7000 bucks) besides the regular rent. I feared it would be more of a problem. But obviously shelling out 720 bucks more then the rent itself doesn't bother them as much as it bothers Silvan and me. Life's sometimes full of surprises. ^^;
Bed now, (paid) 9 hours shift (which equals 11 effective hours at the airport)."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:194341","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/194341.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=194341"}}],"title":"Hello Summer...","published":"2010-06-12T11:20:08Z","updated":"2010-06-12T11:20:08Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"hakuouki"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"summer"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"anime"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"letter bee"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"sunny days"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"trip"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"japan"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"tegami bachi"}}],"content":"My PS3 obviously hates you, but for me it's: YAAAAY, summer has finally come! It's an amazing feeling after we had rainy or gray days for what felt like forever. Well, it was 'forever' to me as whenever there was a bit sunshine, I was working and thus couldn't enjoy it. But the past few days made up for that. :D
We even hat a storm already and I got drenched. ^_________^
I've been also planning my Japan-trip. It's a bit more complicated than usual since my mom travels with me and I have to at least try to figure out what she actually might enjoy, since she has now clue or even tries to help me with suggestions (even though I gave her two guide-books about two months ago to make some suggestions).
So far I think we'll be in Tokyo on July 28th (when we arrive), use a two-day-pass for Nikk\u00f4 and Ch\u00fbzenji the next two days, are back in T\u00f4ky\u00f4 for the Sumidagawa Hanabi-Taikai on July 31st and then head north for the big festivals up there.
Next would be Ton\u00f4 and the Ton\u00f4 valley for 2-3 days, then Akita for the Kant\u00f4-matsuri on August 4.\/5., then Hirosaki's Neputa-matsuri on the 6., the finale of the Aomori Nebuta-matsuri (with the floating fans and the fireworks) on August 7th and then back towards central Honshu on the last day of the Sendai Tanabata festival.
From there on I'm still a bit unsure how to proceed, as we fly back to Switzerland on August 13th, and I'd love to show her also Ky\u00f4t\u00f4 and surroundings, but am not sure that those final four days are enough to show her a lot of the Kansai area (I think I'd show her Ky\u00f4t\u00f4, Nara and maybe \u00d4saka).
Partially I don't want us to travel too much around, sitting in trains. At least not too much per day. Then again, we have to get somehow from one place to another... ^^;
One thing that bothers me, though, is the lack of websites (English and\/or Japanese) with accommodation options. I've tried Rakuten, I went through the guide-books I still have... and it's always the same hotels\/ryokan that come up. I highly doubt it that there are only 5-6 different hotels in Aomori, and that one Youth Hostel. It's not T\u00f4ky\u00f4, but still...
Sooo... does anyone on my f-list maybe know a good site (English or Japanese), that not only shows the usual hotels\/ryokan\/yh, but also minshuku or other, maybe smaller, accommodations? I'd appreciate any help very much. :) <\/a>
Also, thanks to a friend of mine (the guy who's giving me massages) I remembered an anime that came out last autumn and which I totally forgot about due to the annoying file-format crap that's going on with fan-subbers and raw-providers. (I can't stress enough how much I HATE .mkvs, respectively how much my 6 year old laptop hates those suckers. It makes watching anime way less attractive. :-(
But when he showed me an app for the iPad which is supposed to show the CrunchyRoll series, I remembered and hunted the series down.
In a nutshell: Crybaby boy wants to become a Letter Bee due to him being delivered to his aunt by a Letter Bee. When he becomes one, some things turn not out as he thought they would.
The longer version:
The series starts with Lag Seeing, a 7 year old boy, being picked up by the Letter Bee Gauche Suede. He's to be delivered to a town, to his aunt. It's a bit of a bumpy road they have (mecha-insect-wise but also relationship-wise), but somehow their time together makes Lag wanting to become a Letter Bee too, just like Gauche.
Of course he becomes one (doooh), at the partially ridiculous young age of 12 years. Ridiculous because of the freaking huge-ass mecha-insects that stomp through almost each episode and seem to be attracted by the letters the Bees are carrying. And they're not coming for a cuddle-session...
Which is made 'better', or 'safer', by the fact that each Letter Bee has to have a 'dingo', a travel companion. The rules for what a dingo can be, are quite broad... most of the Bees seem to have an animal, but it is said that one can also buy a 'bodyguard'. Lag's dingo Niche is not quite an animal (she looks human, except for her arms and her hair) and not quite bought by him (unless you count a pair of underpants a form of payment). XD
Anyway, a lot of the episodes resolve around delivering mail, but it's quite early visible that there's something more going on than the simple delivery service. And somewhere in there is Gauche, Lag's idol who went missing some time ago.
The mystery isn't solved at the end of episode 25... actually it fully starts unfolding! Until episode 25 there are only memories of Gauche seen through the eyes of various people he met. His whereabouts are unclear, though - which is 'drastically' changed in that finale episode. I'm soooo looking forward to the second season. :D
I bought folders of the 'series' 1-2 years ago just because I loved the coloration\/art of the folders. And now I got an anime that is drawn as nicely as those folders. *_*
Lag Seeing, the protagonist, is crying a lot. Except for one episode he's crying at least once per episode. At least<\/strong>. *facepalm* But that's just his character: he's a nice, extremely emotional (and empathic) guy and he's carrying some traumatic baggage with him already (his mother was 'abducted' in front of his eyes around age 7).
Also, his quest do find Gauche, first only to meet him again, but over the time also for other people that care for Gauche (like his sister Sylvette or the Assistant Director of the Beehive Aria), is a mayor golden thread in the story. After all he became a Bee \/because\/ of Gauche.
The rest of the cast is enjoyable, too, for once. (I've senn quite a few anime where I hate half or most of the cast like Bleach and Bantorra)
And the story progresses nicely too: the Gauche-storyline is the main golden thread it seems, as he himself as well as his mysterious disappearance affected a lot of people (obviously (Lag, Sylvette, Aria) or less obvious (Lagos, Jiggy)). And then of course we have Lag's progress as a Letter Bee.
Overall Tegami Bachi is a happier anime than a lot of the others I watch(ed). And I'm glad for anime like that from time to time.
I have to admit, though, when I read 'mecha' among the genres, I flinched. Because mecha-anime often are not my thing. But as it is not 'mecha' in the sense of a 12-15 year old sitting in an oversized war-robot to risk their life for egotistical and\/or cowardly adults, I enjoyed the series anyway. The destruction of those mecha-insects (and so far only the insects were mecha, who knows what's to come in season 2...) actually provided a few extremely beautiful animations. :)
Second season, yay! :D<\/a>
And as the same Subbers I got Tegami Bachi from also had a nice Hakuouki layout, are subbing it and have .avi-files on ddl, I got the first four episodes from then... and then the rest from DB. For the moment.
In a nutshell: The Shinsengumi as bishis with a bit of Zombie\/Vampire in the mix, a girl looking for her missing dad who experimented on human beings and conspiracies around each corner of old Ky\u00f4t\u00f4.
Let me tell you this: shows like that would have made my uber-happy 2-3 years ago. When Harukanaru Toki no Naka de ~ Hachiyoushou came out, I was a happy bishi-fangirl. Something changed in the meantime, though. Yes, it's still nice to see bishis and I have to say the fangirl-moments in Hakuouki are \/not\/ sparse. One sees a lot of nicely drawn men, at times topless (the episode with the medical examination *rolls eyes*) or wearing very form-fitting clothes... The problem for me now is: it seems at times a bit too forced, a bit too much skin, like the producers are focussing only on TEH eye candy. And nowadays I get snarky and picky when that happens and tend to ridicule EVERYTHING. Like:
- isn't it glaringly obvious from miles away that Itou-san is not playing completely honest
- that Sannan-san is a freaking moron for actually believing that 'a swordsman is useless\/worthless if he can't use his sword any longer'. This might be true for idiot-warriors who only have muscles and no brain, but he's clever. He could be of use as a freaking strategy master-mind. But nooooooooooo~ (plus points got to him for he seems to be a lefty... which is quite rare to be shown in anime... or they screwed up while drawing him; minus points for the dringing of that Elixir... massive minus points)
- the Damsel in Distress, who carries a freaking sword but dear Lord forbid to actually draw the thing when she's in danger. Because there's a bunch of bishis protecting her, now matter what they say about not protecting her or even killing her *headdesk* LLet her get killed already, we'd probably be better off that way anyway...
- the Damsel in Distress carrying a, unknown to her, secret in her bloodstream, which makes her heal super fast. That actually gives a bad combo with the former, since she could be a cool warrior then... getting wounded, healing and then being able to fight on. But noooooooo~ she's the DiD.
- We have a Tuberculosis shinsengumi, but except for coughing up blood once or twice, he seems to be pretty peachy. Let's see if he goes for that Elixir which gives you increased healing powers but at the cost of your sanity when the shit hits the fan...
- oh yeah, the 'bad boys' look freaking hot... but ever noticed that quite often at least one of the bad guys has red eyes which scream at you 'LOOK, IMMA BAD GUY' and 'EVERYONE I ASSOCIATE WITH IS BAAAAAD TOO'... clichee, much? >.<
- Episode 8 was sooooo trying to show them all happy or achieving happiness - the Harbinger of Doom couldn't have been more obvious. Thus I say: The final 3 or 4 episodes must be one hell of a massacre. (if it is, as I found, a 11 or 12 episode anime)
I could go on, as those little random buggers pop up quite frequently while watching the show. But yeah...
If you need a bishi-fix, go for Hakuouki. <\/a>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:194154","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/194154.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=194154"}}],"title":"Happy Post: The 100 Happy-Making Things meme!","published":"2010-06-08T11:35:51Z","updated":"2010-06-08T23:26:15Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"100 happy-making things"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"meme"}}],"content":"I promised a happy post and this will be it.
In the comments, I'm going to post 100 things that make me happy! They're in total random order now, as I first wrote 100 things down and made a drawing out of the pieces of paper before\/while posting. :)
snatched from
<\/a>ruffwriter<\/b><\/a><\/span>, because I think it's a lovely idea\/meme. <\/small>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:194041","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/194041.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=194041"}}],"title":"A ranty post","published":"2010-06-02T13:30:43Z","updated":"2010-06-02T13:30:43Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"rant"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"roomies"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"irl"}}],"content":"We (Silvan and I) should run one of those annoying evening shows like 'American Idol', 'Dance with the Stars' (or whatever you call it), 'PopStars', 'Deutschland sucht den Superstar' or 'Deutschland sucht den Superstar, der singen kann und auch bei RTL auftreten kann' - just name it 'The Flat-share Searches For A Roomie Who's Somehow Compatible, Pays The Rent on Time, Can Follow A Cleaning Schedule and Even Knows What Cleaning Utensils Are For'. I know, it's a terribly long name... but I'm serious. This is pretty much everything our Japanese roomies are not. :-(I'd love to have an easier flat-share life again. I'm the one responsible for everything for only God knows which reason(s). And I'm sick and tired of being the 'mommy'. (even outsiders consider me the flat-share mommy - FUCK OFF!!!)
I'm really, really annoyed again at the Japanese girls.
The first week with the cleaning schedule, assigning each person in the flat-share one 'job' (kitchen, living-room and corridors, garbage\/recycling) she has to do for one week, worked. The kitchen was clean, the living room was clean, the garbage disappeared and the mountains of recyclable stuff also got smaller.
But since the last time I wrote about that kitchen incident, where I cleaned the kitchen just to find it dirty again hours later... it's gone worse. :-(
After I cleaned the kitchen at the end of that week again, the kitchen has barely been cleaned. I'm not a hardcore cleanliness fanatic, far from it actually, but the kitchen is to me still one of those places where cleanliness is a \/must\/. Especially if you share it with others. But now I find the stove and surroundings dirty again and some of the pans need to be cleaned \/before\/ using them, too. Is it so hard to keep stuff clean? Or put away that darn bag of green waste which is now out there for what... 2 weeks?!? o.O (you know, it's my turn this week to take care of the garbage and the mess under that bag... how convenient for them *fumes* and *fears the living underneath*)
Additionally... since they are leaving soon, we are searching for new roomies. Last Sunday we set up as general visiting day, so that interested people could come and check the rooms out. As I was working and they were not around whenever I was at home beforehand, I wrote them a HUGE note, telling them that people would come over for the rooms. Silvan also told them the same on Sunday morning (visits started in the afternoon). Obviously it wasn't obvious enough it meant that those visitors also wanted to actually \/see\/ the rooms. Because one of them had her room in a total mess. ;_; 'Sorry' doesn't exactly help there. *facepalm*
But then again, they don't care. Because they don't have to pay 1200 bucks if those rooms are not rented and Silvan and I have to pay them. I wish I could be that egoistic - but I'm not such an ass. :-\/<\/a>
Oh, and about the roomie hunt. For Silvan it's not 'The Flat-share Searches For A Roomie Who's Somehow Compatible, Pays The Rent on Time, Can Follow A Cleaning Schedule and Even Knows What Cleaning Utensils Are For' but rather 'Let's Find a Boyfriend for Tamara' (even though she doesn't want one or gives a damn rat's ass if everyone else only seems to be able to live with that 'special' one because life's not complete if you don't have one). I told him to stop rating eventual roomies by their 'availability' (= no girlfriend), but he won't. -.- Probably he's not doing it on purpose, but it gets on my nerves. Badly.
Because it generally pisses me off when people plaster their own feeling of 'I need my BF\/GF to live, so if you don't have one you can't actually be happy or even consider you are living your life like you should' onto me. If I could shoot all those egotistical asses rubbing their so-called happiness into my face... earth would have quite a few less dwellers.
Okay, since I got some steam off now... next post will be happy, HAPPY! Yakusoku, \u7d04\u675f!!XD XD"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:193604","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/193604.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=193604"}}],"title":"Anime post","published":"2010-06-01T17:34:43Z","updated":"2010-06-01T17:34:43Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"sword of the stranger"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"stranger"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"the book of bantorra"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"anime"}}],"content":"For once in quite some time I allowed myself time to watch new anime (aka procrastinate from more important stuff ^_~). As mentioned in a former post, one was a waste of time, while the other was quite amazing (IMHO, that is).
The Bad, in a nutshell: bad animation and mind-boggling bad storytelling gives you
This one was bad. So very, very bad. 27 episodes of wasted time. The only thing that was, partially, good was the soundtrack. Without a friend of mine telling me to finish it just to being able to say that it was bad till the very end - I would have dropped this one after the cheap, cheap, CHEAP 14th episode (it was cut out from 3 or 4 former episodes and made not too much sense). >.<
Anyway, the anime didn't really have a golden thread, which is kinda surprising, since it seems to stem from a novel. And a novel should have a story-line, shouldn't it? Then again, I guess you can fuck up pretty much everything, no matter what the source material is... and Bantorra is one heck of a chopped beast.
But in the end it was not only the choppy storytelling that annoyed me, but also:
- the drawing style: it looked as if people from various former and\/or ongoing anime (Naruto, GUNxSWORD, .hack\/\/SIGN,...) all put their styles as well as the looks into the characters, each picking a character and drawing it, without checking if it meshes well. Or at all. Which it didn't! ;_;
- a HUGE part of the cast. Let's start with this:
I like my women kicking ass, I really do. Everyone who knows which female characters I fancy knows it. Some of them are bat-shit crazy (Revy (Black Lagoon), not much brain, but guns), but still maintain something I \/can\/ like. But Hamyutsu Meseta... I think I rarely get through an anime where I HATE, HATE, HATE the 'main' character that much and hope each time she appeas that someone please, please, please kills her in the most ugly way possible. I have absolutely NO clue what the creators of such a character thought when creating her. She's all-powerful, has no freaking conscience, no respect and kills who ever she wants often enough 'just for fun' (directly or indirectly). Even her own people. WTF?!?
The blonde female with the telepath skills and that red uniform. I've rarely come across a female anime character I want to beat with a baseball bat as badly as her. It's like she's constantly PMSing as well as having the worst love-life she's forcefully forgotten (Volken) mixed with the worst case of indecision(s) (she's always too late to help anyone because she's always hesitating). And she survives this SHIT!!!! As one of the few. OMFG!!!! She'd been the first one I'd put out of her misery, but nooooo.... :-O
Noloty's overly cheerful behavior could get on my nerves. What pissed me off was her end though. Or how it was 'told' in the show. BOOOM, and suddenly she was dead. WTF?!? And then they needed two freaking episodes to patch this mystery up. I think with those episodes (17-18 or 18-19) I just lost any hope at all for this crappy thing.
The rest of the cast I can live with or ignore... even though certain characters just popped up to disappear right away again. They do the same in my brain: 'hi' and 'bye'. I would have loved to see more of Mokkania (one episode and guess what: he dies while Hamyutsu sticks around), though. Has probably something to do with his VA (Ishida Akira). ^^;
I have no clue what those producers thought when coming up with this anime. If they were on a drug-trip while putting it together... bad drugs! Really, really bad drugs and an even worse trip. There's no other explanation. >.< <\/a>
The Good, in a nutshell: untypical ending for a Japanese anime with the given setting gives you Sword of the Stranger.
I've seen adds for this animated movie while in Japan. I always wanted to watch it, but somehow never came across a version I could watch (mkvs suck, my 6 years old laptop can't handle those suckers). Finally, I stumbled upon it over a streaming site and as the subs were decent also watched it.
And boy, was I surprised. From the adds I always thought it's going to be one heck of a samurai and fighting anime. It is... but there's so much more to Stranger than the crazy and bloody figths.
What touched me was the story\/development shown between the main characters, young boy Kotarou & his dog and the nameless samurai Nanashi (yay for word-play!!!). Their relationship constantly grows over the ~140 minutes the movie lasts and even though there's other stuff being told also (the story needs to move on, after all), it's always there. It has its up and downs, like friendships IRL also do, but in the end Nanashi even breaks the seal on his sword to try and save Kotarou.
Most of the time and due to quite some experience with anime I got a bad feeling about the ending, though. I loved those two and the depiction of their growing friendship so much... and usually when that happens, someone dies. Thus, I was convinced that one of the two would die for sure, because it seems to me that Japanese don't have this extreme urge for a happy-end as a lot of western productions do and thus the viewer is often confronted with a bitter-sweet (if sweet at all) end. There are anime where the end is dark and people die and still I love it (Gilgamesh). But there are others where such a harsh end can completely ruin the anime.
But Stranger surprised me and in the end I was crying because of its (good) ending. I feel like a huge ass dork every time I cry over an anime\/movie\/game ('cause it's not real), but haven't seen an anime that touched me like Sword of the Stranger did for quite some time. It's even weirder when your expectations of the end are completely blown away by the real end. :D
Also, the soundtrack is much love. <3 <3
It's beautifully done by Sato Naoki, mostly traditional Japanese tunes\/instruments. I'm in total love with 'Sora no Hate Made' and 'Ihojin no Yaiba'. The basic tunes are the same, yet the vibe that comes off of those songs is completely different.
It took me quite some time to hunt down the OST, but it was well worth it. :D <\/a>
Also, re-watched Ghost Hunt and Black Lagoon. Good, 'old' anime.... *sighs contently*"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:193307","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/193307.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=193307"}}],"title":"Random post is random","published":"2010-05-20T12:10:01Z","updated":"2010-05-20T12:10:01Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"mag"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"job"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"roomies"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"rl"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"games"}}],"content":"Since I'm waiting for my Japanese roomies to disappear to school, I'm 'hiding' in my room. I'm a bit annoyed with them again, since I cleaned the kitchen the day before yesterday in the afternoon - and when I went down the same day a few hours later the kitchen was a total mess again. :-(
It's only one month until one disappears, and then another 10 days till the other one is gone too. That's the thought that keeps me from getting too aggravated or go screaming at them for not even trying to be considerate. It's not only the cleaning thing... I can't even count how many things they or their friends broke or used up without saying anything, forget about replacing anything. It's always a surprise if you look for something and can't find it, or find it somewhere hidden and totally broken...
Well, I keep myself distracted from frustrating roomies and kill people in video games (mind you, the idea of wielding a gun IRL is somewhat disturbing - the only thing I would consider is archery). I've gone back to playing MAG (Massive Action Game) after an almost 2 months FInal Fantasy XIII and anime hiatus. A lot of people have left or moved to another group to complete one of the trophies which requires gamers to go through all three PMCs (Private Military Companies) with one character. I don't go for the trophies, but I might get another sub-account to finally try SVER out. I know a few of my Valor friends will switch over to SVER soon and thus I could still stick around with them, without losing my Valor friends.
Can't wait till 'The Last Guardian' is released, though. There are not that many good games out there right now... :-\/ (worst genre-switch ever, from MAG to something as special as 'Trico')
Tonight I'm taking over a shift of a colleague whose husband had to got to the US on short notice and who had no one to babysit her two children. It's not that I don't have waaaaa~y too much work this month with over 100 hours already. *facepalm* Oh, and I should organize that Japan-trip, too. XD"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:192196","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/192196.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=192196"}}],"title":"A meme once in a while...","published":"2010-05-05T21:24:56Z","updated":"2010-05-06T07:20:39Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"meme"}},"content":"Nabbed from
<\/a>wasabi_girl1<\/b><\/a><\/span> since it amused me:Pick
Anime<\/strong>:
1)
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>2) Romeo and Juliet... with ninja!
3)
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>4) A salaryman quits his job to run errands for and with unstable foreigners who frequently try to kill him. He still dresses like a salaryman, though.
5) The path to hell is paved with the internet.
6)
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>7)
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>8)
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>9) An unnamed albino with Pointy Ears, Facial Markings and a Situational Sword dredges up the guilty pasts of an inn, a ship, a mask, a stick, and a train. His Literal Split Personality then uses this to kill Japanese Cthulu.
10)
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>Extras:
- A kind English church boy repeatedly rips his arm off to fight a clown.
- Boy passes the world's most grueling license exam, then uses a fishing pole to fight an evil clown, a band of shady mercenaries, and other maniacs.
- Dead people fight aliens at the command of an alien orb that likes to make crude jokes. Horrible bloodshed and gratuitious nudity are in heavy supply. Their guns make people explode.
- Robot powered by orgasms fights every fairy tale ever. (XD XD)<\/em>
Western Animation:<\/strong>
11) Funny Animal Harley Davidson enthusiasts fight against alien fish.
12) A cynic, with a swearing father and a workaholic mother, makes fun of everything while her sibling runs a fashion club where people wear the same thing all the time.
13) Small, ragtag band of heroes search the oceans for ancient treasures that are needed to stop an all-consuming black sludge from devouring the world. The fact that the show never finished became a Running Gag on Cartoon Network for years.
Games<\/strong>:
14)
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>15) Amnesiac Irish girl and occult magazine reporter attempt to solve a murder mystery connected to her past.
16)
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>17)
2: Son of a demon kicks more ass. Strange girl who can't act and may or may not have an accent shows up. A Corrupt Corporate Executive is involved. None of it makes any sense, but it didn't happen anyway.
3: Guy who eats pizza in slo-mo gets his shop ruined and goes after his Evil Twin who did it, climbing a \"thick shaft that causes women to shudder\" in the process. They are forced to team up against a bald guy with Boat Lights who turns into a blob through their father's power. The Evil Twin falls off a cliff.
4: Pope-lookalike gets headshot and his underlings must find the murderer. Only it turns out that the murderer might have had good reason for doing so...<\/strike> Devil May Cry<\/strong> series
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>18) A boy tries to save a girl from her mother by breaking out of her house.
19) A trio of teenagers break and enter into the residence of a family with a peculiar skin condition, vandalize everything in their reach, horribly mutilate a hamster and mess with a nuclear reactor in order to retrieve a chunk of rock.
20) The main character dies during the first cutscene and is resurrected by an androgynous time traveller who may or may not be Satan. He tries to prevent his own death while avoiding accidentally causing it. This is repeated several times.
Extra:
- A dog takes Karate lessons from an onion, takes his driver's license test with a moose, gains marketing charm from a frog and follows a chicken's instructions to make a cake out of shrimps. He does all this while rapping in order to court a flower.
Television:<\/strong>
21) A paranoid nerd and an attractive doctor (who may or may not be sleeping with each other) spend a lot of time trudging through forests and other out-of-the-way places in search of the truth whilst an elderly government employee smokes a lot.
22) A gorgeous but socially clueless genius anthropologist solves murders involving really icky decomposition with a street-smart and equally gorgeous wisecracking FBI agent. UST ensues. They are helped by a socially retarded supergenius, a conspiracy-theorist slime expert, and a good-hearted, free-spirited artist.
23) Four comedians try to impress a judge with a buzzer by making stuff up as they go along. For the US Version<\/strong>: Cast from an actor's self-titled sitcom act out Ho Yay<\/em>-drenched audience suggestions through improv.
24) Two lazy, unmotivated slackers trick their drunken landlady into letting them rent a flat by pretending to be a couple, and spend their time bumming around aimlessly with their weird friends.
25)
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>26)
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>Literature:<\/strong>
27) After The End, a cowboy with six-guns forged from the sword of King Arthur sets out on a quest to stop Satan from destroying the universe after his childhood love is burned at the stake in an infernal Xanatos Gambit. Along the way he joins forces with a coke mule from the '80s, a ten-year-old-boy, and a paraplegic black woman with multiple-personality disorder, matches wits with a psychotic train, and saves the author of the novel from being killed in an auto accident.
28) Ragtag Bunch Of Misfits fight homophobic Monster Clown.
29)
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span>30)
<\/a>haraamis<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/a>There's a lot of amnesia and quite a few clowns involved... o.O
Anyone has any guesses? :) (aaaaah... childhood memories... *_*)"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:191778","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/191778.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=191778"}}],"title":"It's a good thing...","published":"2010-05-03T04:30:55Z","updated":"2010-05-03T04:30:55Z","content":"
... there are no baseball bats stashed close to the queuing counter at the airport. The temptation to beat certain passengers would be way too big. ;-P<\/p>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:belina:191659","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/191659.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/belina.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=191659"}}],"title":"A work and family post","published":"2010-04-21T21:54:46Z","updated":"2010-04-21T21:54:46Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"family"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"work"}}],"content":"Most European airports are open again, which is an extremely good thing. Things were getting a bit tense from various sides the longer everything was grounded.
Luckily(?) I was off on Sunday for the First Communion of my Godchild. Thus I didn't have my shift cancelled like on Saturday... :-\/
On Monday they called me in an hour earlier than planned, but in the end I just sat around for about 4 hours with 8 other co-workers since they never found enough passengers who'd have been willing to travel to various locations in Europe by bus. Only one bus to London had to be managed in the end and thus most of us were dismissed by 8 pm.
So much for 'working'. >.<
Well, since yesterday morning 8 am flights are leaving and arriving in Zurich,and while it's not yet 'business as usual', it's getting closer to it. I hope that by the time I work again (Friday), that the worst overbooking due to stranded passengers will be over will be less dramatic.
Also, as a maybe snide side-note: I have serious trouble understanding stranded passengers who demand regularly booked passengers to be offloaded so that they can get onto outgoing planes. The regularly booked passengers were just lucky enough to not be affected by the volcano, they didn't 'miss' the grounding on purpose. If Katla decides to blow up too, others will end up stranded, too.
Don't get me wrong, I can understand that after being stuck somewhere (especially not in your home country) for a few days you want to get home ASAP. For various reasons (monetary, job,...). Yet, demanding others to be offloaded because you think you deserve flying more than them... nyaaaa... you don't win any prices with such egoistical asshattery. :-\/
And it's not as if the airlines don't try very hard to get back on schedule and somehow bring people to their destinations. Physically it's just not possible to bring every single stranded passenger around the world back on the first plane\/first day of the re-opening.
Another curious thing: since we have a spare room and couches and mattresses in our flat-share, I though I'd be nice and offer them to some unlucky peeps who couldn't find a hotel (or just didn't have the money for one of the super-expensive hotels). All of them declined. I can understand bigger groups (6 and more) declining, but singles or partners traveling together... not really. And since almost all stranded passengers got an emergency visa to move about in Zurich, the 'I'm not allowed to leave the airport cause I don't have a visa' excuse didn't work.
Also, there were other people offering rooms for free too, but no one accepted their offer neither. It's kinda sad and weird. :-( I think if I'd be in such a situation, I'd be glad for any help. Having a room\/bed\/couch is IMHO still better than having to sleep somewhere in an airport with quite a bunch of strangers (mind you, the max amount of people using Zurich Airport as sleeping ground was at 300, dwindling to about 50-60 on Sunday\/Monday; which is not near as bad as London Heathrow ^^;)
Well, I hope we will have a break from erupting volcanos for a while. But even if Katla strikes in May - I can handle the loss of hours. I got freaking 101 hours of work!! A lot of 8-9 hours shifts, a few 4 hour shifts too, though. Man, I have to write that damn thesis somewhen in between. ;_; <\/a>
Also, I had to attend the First Communion of my Godchild on Sunday. Whoot? Yeah, I'm not that hardcore Christian anymore, but if you live in the Valais and are not Christian, you are 'not-Swiss'. *facepalm*
My mom and I went to our hometown on Saturday, after my shift got cancelled. It's about a 3 hours drive from Zurich to Visp. Since the promised cake wasn't there, I decided to quickly make a cake (lemon-cake <3). We barely got all the ingredients: the family barely bakes and there's nothing open on a Saturday night in the Valais. It's nothing like Zurich, where I can go quickly to the Airport or the mainstation and get stuff till 11pm. Well, we still got kinda lucky with the ingredients.
But while getting the dough on the way, I almost knocked myself out with a huge and heavy glass-bowl. After colliding with my head, the bowl met its end on the floor... scattering a gazillion of shards all over the kitchen. >.< After cleaning up with some help, I finished the cake before going to bed.
The ceremony was kinda okay... it wasn't as long as I feared it would be. And since I could entertain myself with taking pictures (I know no shame :-P), it was even less of a pain. ;-)
We the mass we spent a nice afternoon with the closest family, eating and drinking and having a good time (most of the time; let's just say I'm not too fond of hardcore Valais-people... they are too short-sighted x.x). <\/a>
I've been watching Anime for once, too. Once was horrible, the other quite enjoyable. I'll post more about that maybe tomorrow. ^_~"}]}