[Yasumanaide, Yume o Shiteru]

Everyone and their blogging-obsessed housewife are going to be blogging about today being Christmas and whatnot, so I’m going to stray away from the norm, as I make a point to do daily and blog about something else: My plans for winter break…

…IN AMERICA.

Anyway, I have just begun my search for all the anime that I was not able to properly complete while in Japan. The last episode of Air Gear (before it was licensed) and Zegapain will be added to my list of viewing pleasures along with my list that is available in my sidebar if you’re at all curious.

My sleeping patterns were actually pretty accurate when I returned to the east coast on Friday evening, but then I stayed up all night Saturday and wound up sleeping for the rest of Sunday afternoon until around 1:45AM. Given that it’s the holidays, I don’t count this as a complete inconvenience, but rather a time in which I can focus my energies without having to worry about using my voice. Strep throat somehow got a hold of me the other day. At the moment, I’m multitasking using IRC, rereading the Epitaph of Twilight, replying to a post I made on A-S, while listening to the .Hack//Sign OST on my laptop, which is about to be used for some FTP work related to that post I’m making on A-S. This obviously means I am doing most of my work on my KanaHime PC that I missed oh so much. Not to mention that I’m also planning out a few things in my mind as I’m attempting to balance my usage of time. Oh yeah. I’m also typing this. Busy busy.

Like that’s anything new.

I have intentions of replaying an oldie but a goodie Sega Saturn title called Shining Force III: Scenario 1. I’ve already beaten it once in the past, but playing that is for the purpose of reviewing the storyline before I attempt to tackle Scenarios 2 & 3 that I bought while in Japan. They were never dubbed, so when I found Scenario 3 in a classics gaming store in Den-Den town, I was ecstatic. I ordered the rarer Scenario 2 online, along with an Action Replay card that would enable me to play J-region games on my US Saturn. So, even though my brother’s PS2 is regrettably out of commission, I still have those. Still have to invest in the PS2 boot disk anyway. By the way, here’s a word of advice: If you used to be a gamer, don’t go to Japan unless you want to reawaken “the beast within.” Once a gamer, always a gamer. If I were more proficient in kanji, I would have brought more games back with me than I would have known what to do with. Though the games I did buy will take me long enough to beat, including a copy of NamcoXCapcom that Rob found and picked up for me for 980 yen. That guy rocks my socks. He’s probably the first person I have ever been able to engage in a “chat between otaku” with. That was beautiful, since we have a bunch in common in regards to taste in anime, and our own J-pop singers and seiyuu that we adore.

After having received positive, receptive feedback from a few Japan-born manga readers from Osaka and one non-manga reader (Tama), I have honest intentions of continuing pressing on with my main manga project with my artsy partner, Kou. Shaian may also finally be enlisted into the team as a Cover Art CGer. I also have been in the process of brainstorming for a Kakumei endeavor that I’d like to attempt, but requires serious devotion (on my part especially) and web assistance. My web design skills are not nearly on point enough to manage a project and produce site coding at a reasonable speed. I’m not exactly searching for help at the moment — the creative inspiration of my imagination and leadership, and the artistic hands of Shaian, Kou, and possibly one other are already accessible necessities above all else — but I have pitched a vague proposition to someone who had contacted me via e-mail, wanting to know more about the Fate/Stay Night PC game. This person just happens to be a database programmer/web designer for a living. So…we’ll see.

After all the fine-tuning for my recent spotlight article on the A-S site early Sunday morning, as I mentioned before, I stayed awake. The Writing Team leader had put out a request for an image for a new segment the site is running called the Fall 2006 Season Summary. In a matter of 4 or so hours, I put together the logo image for this segment.

No, I was not going for a Shana theme, since Shakugan No Shana was a 2005 title. Also, you have Youmu Konpaku, a character from Touhou Project games, and Haku from Naruto: Hidden Mist Arc. My intention was to go for a seasonal theme. I was not supplied with any sort of theme direction for the imagery, so I went with a mixed-seasonal theme — winter and spring (cold) can be seen in the background, while Shana gives off a summer and fall (warmer, brighter) feel. There were other details (e.g. snow illusion) that only show up in the larger version (will link later when I transfer it from my laptop), but the general feel is conveyed. Not too proud of this work — been a while since I’ve shopped anything — but it was accepted so I’m grateful for that much.

Well, I will continue making the best of my time until daylight comes. In light of a dinner invite, I will be away from my PC, but will have my Kana-Chan notebook accompanying me. There is no rest for the weary. Fortunately, I am hardly among the weary. Nothing will happen if I do nothing but hope. I dream big. Including the faith that I have, that is the best incentive I have to draw from.

Currently Listening To: Ayana (I’VE) – Blue Velvet – The Acoustic Side – “Change Your World”