Sincerely, Nobody.

Raw Eggs & Fish Fins

2012-01-27T10:11:00.005-05:00

What's on the menu today? Raw eggs and fish fins. I know it's enough to make most people want to hurl.

I wouldn't blame them. It doesn't sound very appetizing, but this little entry will be about how delicious food is here anyway. Just wait.

Haru took me to school again, and I have to say I wish she would invest in a more comfortable form of transportation for me. Being wrapped up in a purple scarf and stuffed into her backpack is not the best way to go anywhere, especially during rush hour! If she thinks she feels suffocated, imagine being wrapped like a mummy and trying to battle her water bottle for space in her bag at the same time! Luckily, today was pretty sedate as far as traveling goes, but boy, was lunch not.

So here we are somewhere between TUJ and Tamachi Station with the Tokyo Tower in sight down the road.

Here, we found a restaurant on the corner called Sukiya (すき家). It's a fast food chain store of sorts. But when I say fast food, I don't mean hamburgers and fries like at McDonald's. This place has more traditional food like various gyuudon (beef and rice) and curry dishes, among other selections.

It's pretty cheap too! Only 380 yen for a big bowl of beef and other ingredients – including a raw egg. I was shocked that Haru chose it, but she told me it was because she liked the name, Negitama gyuudon (ネギ玉牛丼). It had chopped up leek, beef, and some special sauce drizzled over a bowl of sweet, short-grained rice. But the best part was the raw egg, according to Haru here. The egg should be strained for the yolk with the little strainer… but the way Haru did it was dump yolk and egg guts alike onto her beef, then churn it up together with her chopsticks like she was making cookie dough. Unfortunately, she felled the huge bowl of rice so quickly that she didn't even get to take a picture of it because it was gone so fast.

Komame and I barely had enough time to dodge her chopsticks and get out of her way! I could only watch our human friend in disbelief as she mauled her food.

After lunch, it was back to school again, but not before Haru snapped a photo of her two victims who were (willingly) dragged to the restaurant. V for Vive - lucky to be alive!

On the way, we passed by this cool little restaurant. Judging the fish fins displayed by the front door, I'm thinking there's a lot of raw fish inside.

I asked Haru, Nina, and Casey if those fins happened to be what's on the menu, but they didn't know either. I would have stopped to ask, but Haru put me back into her bag before I could go anywhere.

I WILL have my chance to do something more interesting than going on lunch dates and watching Haru stuff her face. However, I have to say I wasn't expecting to see her eat raw egg and pass by a restaurant selling fish fins in a span of one hour. There's always something new to see here in Tokyo, no matter if it’s a sky-scraping tower or a little restaurant nestled in between.

Till next time,

Rowan

Skyline View

2012-01-19T09:11:00.009-05:00

Hey everyone! It’s Rowan here again. I wanted to show you what I did this past weekend… I almost got to go bungee jumping off a 781’ tall skyscraper in the Roppongi Hills on Saturday!

Haru had to go on a fieldtrip for her art history class, so she and her friend, Nina, took me to the Mori Art Museum on the 55th floor of the Mori Tower. And when I say tower, I mean the kind where you can’t tell where it touches the sky! I asked Haru if I could go bungee jumping, but she said I wasn’t tall enough for the ride. So I asked her to go bungee jump for me, but then she said she was too short as well. If you ask me though, 5’1” doesn’t seem short at all!

When we got there to see the exhibit, Haru had to put me away so I didn’t get to see anything… But I’ve been to the Metropolitan Museum in New York before, and I always fall asleep. Haru says it’s because I’m a little kid though. And she told me the Meta…Me-metalbowl…ism… show didn’t allow people to touch anything, so I would have been really bored anyway. But Haru and Nina took me to see the observatory at the very top of the tower after they were done taking notes!

Nina was wondering why there were poles sticking out of the floor into the ceiling. But what got me was how the city looked as flat as a carpet rolled out under her feet! Normally, humans look like towers to me, but the humans on the streets below were so small that I couldn’t even see them!

And look at me! That red thing behind me is the Tokyo Tower. Haru found out a lot of it was made out of recycled steel from damaged US tanks used during the Korean war. I hope Haru will take me there one of these days.

The room near the observatory’s café was SO BIG. To me, at least…

I wanted to use the binoculars, but it’s hard to see through them if your head is too small to fit right.

So Haru let me sit on a stone bench to look out the window. People kept giving us weird looks, but the sun felt so good and Tokyo looked so cool, I didn’t care. Even my kitty, Komame, was straining to get closer to the view.

After leaving the tower, Nina and Haru went back to the Japanese gardens outside to take pictures. There, they saw some kids playing with a dog. I wanted to go pet him too, but Haru wouldn’t let me.

But I got to get close to the water. It looked so pretty – like the sky was living inside of it.

I almost got to jump in, but Haru grabbed me before I could. I’ve never seen someone turn so white and floppy so quickly, as if they had suddenly turned into paper. When I asked why I couldn’t go swimming, she just made a face and said I’ve never taken a swimming class before.

Anyway, I wish I could have had more freedom to do the things I wanted to do, but I don’t mind right now. This visit is far from over after all!

-Rowan

Home Base in Tokyo

2012-01-12T05:52:00.004-05:00

Hello from Tokyo!

It's been about a week since I landed at Narita Airport and traveled to my host family's home in Kanagawa Prefecture, where I'll be staying for this Spring semester. Now everyday, I find myself making my way into the heart of the city, to Minato-ku, where Temple University Japan is located. It's an adventure everyday just to make it to school, and a bit of a heart-stopping one since it's my first time staying out of the States for so long. There's a whole different world out there, and it's all intimidating at first.

But people are built to adapt and explore, which means meeting new people and making new friends. I’m surprised by what I’ve already learned in just the first week of my stay. It's very surprising how many different points of views I've encountered while living here.

It's all very exciting and new, and I'm enjoying every minute of it. But yes, sometimes I've felt lost and a little frustrated with myself since my Japanese speaking skills are not as smooth as I want them to be yet. The simplest things, like asking for directions or how things work, has made me brain freeze on more than one occasion. Although the people living here are understanding, I can't help but feel somewhat embarrassed. That's when I just wanted a place to speak English freely without feeling awkward.

Yes, this is Temple University Japan campus. It's like home base, and I've met a lot of new friends already - Japanese, American, German, Swiss, Chinese, French, Australian, Mexican, etc. alike. It's home base to about 40% Japanese students, 40% American students, and 10% of students from over 60 different countries around the world! Impressive right?

Already I've been out eating and exploring with friends. Recently, we went to a little restaurant called Asian Kebab, located somewhere between Shirogane-Takanawa metro station and TUJ. Japan's a haven for good food, and it's hard to go wrong.

After lunch, we found ourselves leaving the cozy little restaurant and heading back to TUJ, ready to go our separate ways for our afternoon classes.

But before we parted ways, I wanted to talk a bit more with my new friend. Kristina and I hit it off really well, and talked a lot together. She's from Missouri, and she’s a Japan Campus student - not to mention the last home-stay student who lived with my host family in Yokohama last year.

Oh, and that's me - the little guy sitting next to her. I forgot to introduce myself earlier. My name's Rowan, and I'm a Volks Yo-SD boy, a Japanese BJD or “ball-jointed doll.” You'll find a lot of my resin kin wandering around the streets of Japan with their human friends. They’re all over the place, and I’m not kidding! I’ll get Haru to take me to Shinjuku or somewhere, and I’ll show you. Japan was actually where I was born... but since I don't remember anything, we'll just call this my first real visit.

Join me on more adventures! I’ll tell them to you through my human friend, Haru, as I make her type it all down for me.

Till next time,

-Rowan

A Rainy Day

2011-05-31T23:35:00.006-04:00

I finally got around to taking Rowan around, although I had to do quite a bit of chasing. That little boy has a lot of energy and was curious about everything. So about a week or two ago, I took him with me as I went over to my friend's apartment for lunch one rainy day.

Rowan: Is lunch done yet?

Me: Sorry kid, we haven't really got started yet...

Rowan: Can I help?

Me: I wish, but I don't think you're old enough to chop up veggies just yet.

Rowan: I'm bored, Komame.

Komame: Mew?

Rowan: I think I hear something...

Rowan: Whoa! Komame, look! It's a train! It's a train!

Komame: ...mew?

Rowan: People look so small from up here... they usually look as tall as buildings to me!

*Waiting for lunch to happen.*

Me: This chair's a little too big for you, Goldilocks...

Rowan: I'm bigger than you think!

Rowan: See? King of the Kitchen Table!!! Look who's a tiny now.

Me: :)

Rowan: You can see everything from here... It's almost lonely.

Me: Why don't you go play with Darien?

The furry griffin puppet is Rowan's new friend, Darien. But as always, Komame's never far from his side.

Corn has invited us over again, and Rowan's really excited to try flying next. I don't think Darien would mind giving him a ride, but I worry sometimes. While my little boy has a peaceful nature, he's got an imagination the size of the sky. I can't really tell what he's thinking about most of the time, but he seems pretty content dreaming with a faraway look in his eyes. Whatever his dreams are, I hope they may come true one day.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

What Equals 'Weird?'

2011-05-17T16:29:00.005-04:00

If my final ceramics project could be condensed into one sentence, it would be a mathematical one.

Something I fear + Something I hold dear = Something REALLY weird.

So maybe it's not the most eloquent mathematical expression. But hey, I think I got the expression part down. Here's the proof, pictures from the actual critique and my classmates'/friends' expressions.

People tried talking to him, but Cecil's a bit on the silent side.

People are also shocked at the sight of him. He is articulated, in more ways than one.

My ceramics professor on the right is talking about how I could possibly create more Cecils out of the big plaster block molds I made, and market him.

"What made you chose a wig with a rat tail???"

Don't worry, he's not that fragile! I dropped him a couple times myself...

He's kinda heavy, so it's not my fault.

Indignant pose. Sorry Cecil, but you have no crown jewels to worry about. Forgot to attach them in his leather hard stage...

For the most part, I'm happy with how he turned out. I should have ordered the clothes, wig, and eyes a size smaller, since clay shrinks A LOT, particularly such hollow molds. But this way, Thack can inherit his stuff. Cecil is currently hibernating in my closet back at home and wearing a different set of Thack's old clothes, while Thackery is enjoying Cecil's new Dollzone boots and refuses to give them back.

As for me - my finals for the Spring semester are done, but I'm now taking GenEds for both Summer Sessions, so I can sign up for courses that actually apply to my major and minors during the year. I needed some company, so Thack and Rowan are here with me at school. One of these days, I will have to post a some of our adventures together, or at least give Rowan his own little bio post like I did for all the other resin kids.

One of these days.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Rocking the Uniform Look

2011-04-30T22:49:00.005-04:00

Again, it seems I've neglected this blog. That's not new, but here's what's up as far my BJD family goes. We currently have four members: Thackery, Rui, Shun, and Rowan. And then there's the soon-to-be noobie! No, I did not purchase this next one. I made him, but not out of resin.

The new boy is my final project for my Mold-Making/Ceramics 2 class.

Well, I'm not posting pictures of him yet, since he's not painted or dressed... and the group critique is this Monday... However, Thackery's claimed his clothes, shoes, and wig for now - minus the uniform jacket and white dress shirt. Those are originally Thack's, which were originally owned by a Shirou Tachibana 2. ANYWAY, the following pictures are of Thackery wearing a mixed assemble of clothes for the new boy.

The new kid's new shoes! On Thack's feet, of course...

Well, Thack with his default hair and eyes.

Thack trying on one of the blue eyes I got for the new boy. They're not nearly as nice as Thack's HG green eyes though, as you can see.

Totally a rocker by nature.

As per usual, Thack is real easy on my eyes - especially after a hard day at work in the studios.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Just For You

2010-12-24T17:18:00.011-05:00

It's that time of the year again! Yellow snow, deer accidents, black ice, and snow storms. Of course, there's also the Christmas cards, hot chocolate, snowball fights, and eggnog to look forward to. Not to mention - PRESENTS!!! a.k.a. the timely arrival of my new resin friend.

So I'm finally putting up some photos of my new boy in my blog. This is Rowan, and I'll be giving his profile next time I make a post. Anyhow, here's something just for you.

Rowan: ...Why are you pointing a silver box at us?

Shun: That's a sign for you to look away and be uncooperative.

Rowan: Oh! Okay. *look away*

Rowan: *can't help but look anyway*

Thack: It's okay, Rowan. You don't have to listen to the brat. It's just a camera, so you can do whatever you want.

Rowan: *tentative wave*

Rui: ^^;

Rowan: I'm down here! *more enthusiastic wave*

Shun: Down Boy.

Rowan: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!!

And that's that. Bet you can guess what his favorite animal is. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! And don't worry about getting fat this time of year - that just means there will be more of you to love.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

New Kid in Town?!

2010-12-16T00:04:00.005-05:00

Yes, there's a new kid in town.

In fact, he just flew in last night, and was supposed to arrive at my front door today.

Well, he was. In front of my front door today, actually.

But no one was home to let him in, when there was supposed to be someone waiting for him... It was all a miscommunication, really. Bottom line is that someone has to pick him up from the daycare at the post office - tomorrow, preferably. I mean, when was the last time a daycare center was willing to keep kids overnight? Much less one at the local United States Post Office.

...So you caught me.

I got another addition to my resin family, after swearing off never getting another BJD till I was out of school, with a job, and LOTS AND LOTS of money to spare. So sue me, but he's quite different than the other resin buddies I have at home.

And... here's where I'm inputting my abashed expression. He was just too good to pass up! I normally see the guy up for waaaay too much than I can afford to shell out. And I really liked him ever since he came out earlier this year at Volks' DP 23, but hey, I didn't think I was gonna get him at all. First, he was out of my comfort zone. I'm not particularly great with little kids...

Yet he still won me over when I saw him in the Den of Angels' marketplace though - even with his default clothes, which unlike the older Limited SDs, don't normally come with tiny sizes. All for a very reasonable price. I'll give you the run of that some other time. Now don't pee your panties though, for those of you who aren't familiar with BJDs and their prices. They don't come cheap, but for those who understand, they're totally worth every penny.

So just saying. There is a new guy. You're just going to have to hear more about him next week when I actually get to open his box.

So till then!

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Key Lime Pie

2010-12-08T13:59:00.007-05:00

I've been meaning to post this for a while now... but every time I thought about it, I procrastinated since there's was always a million other things to do.

Just over the summer, I ordered Rui some new clothes - a green tank and a white hoodie - and I think they look pretty good on her. My sense of fashion isn't the best, but I try to get these kids what I think looks best on them. Anyway, these colors were perfect for a little mini-shoot that I think turned out nicely! Guest starring My Neighbor Totoro.

Just a little posing. :)

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

WingMax in Taipei

2010-08-06T11:03:00.009-04:00

Well. I'm going home to the States tomorrow afternoon. But before I go, I'd like to share some pictures I took at WingMax, the only official Volks franchise store here in Taiwan. It's small, but I don't live close to any BJD stores in the US. So this was a treat for me. And to compensate my excitement to be there... I bought two outfits and a pair of shoes. (Not to mention, I drooled over the 3rd Hewitt they were selling. Shun would have killed me if I had really thought of getting that boy though.)

Everything was so EXPENSIVE. On only those three things, I spent well over 100USD. Probably closer to 150USD or more. *sigh* On top of that, I bought Rui some casual girl clothes off the marketplace on Den of Angels. It's a lot cheaper, but still cost me some pocket dough. These kids better appreciate my generosity!

SD10 Kurumi 1st Version (not for sale, only display) - Can you believe that her fullset second hand market price can top 4000 USD easily?

Taipei's Official Gundam Store just right down the hallway from WingMax.

Since when did you get such a pretty girlfriend, Thack?

If I can ever afford another Volks doll, I would like to get SD13 Shiro Tachibana in this outfit. I can't resist a bad boy Shiro!

The last two photos show you some of the things they have for sale. However, this doesn't include the counter where they have eyes, tools, etc... Or the other two racks where there are more outfits up for sale. So use some imagination for that. :)

And woebegone from me - I need to fix my violin doll carrier case when I get back to the US. When I was getting on the public bus here, the freaking moron driving the bus closed the door on me prematurely. I got a bruise on my shoulder as a result, but luckily the hard cover case protected me from any further injuries. And Thackery was perfectly okay too - thank God for hard cover cases. The bad news is, the double doors snapped the strap. I can carry the case in my hands, but now I can't carry it on my back. Anyway, that was my drama on the bus, and I wish I kicked that old fart where it hurt most. Too bad I'm too nice. Now I regret NOT throwing more shit around.

*I apologize for the quality of the photos (as well as my bad language.) As you can see, my camera is getting old. I love it, but I need to let it retire one of these days.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

OSweet Cafe 2010

2010-06-13T07:08:00.004-04:00

Greetings from Taiwan, everyone.

So - I found some spare time to upload pictures from the last doll meet I went to here in Taipei, Taiwan. It was a really nice (pretty expensive) cafe out in the Zhongxiao district called OSweet Cafe. This meet took place on Friday, May 28th. The pictures aren't very impressive, but the cafe itself was rather nice and had a cute guy working at the counter.

My two doll meet companions:

Please excuse his pissy look. He really didn't like the girly wig we put on him. He's just lucky we didn't force him into a dress.

Here's a YoSD Alice! She's super adorable.

Not the hair, buddy!

OMAKE - wig on wig:

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Longwood Gardens 2010

2010-06-07T11:18:00.021-04:00

I kept postponing this entry, but no more! I shall update you on the last meet up I had in the US before I left the country for the summer. Here's a post about the Longwood Gardens meet on May 16th... Yeah, don't give me that look. I was having too much fun lately, so I sort of forgot (or was too lazy?) to bother blogging anything. But after this entry, I will post photos from the most recent meet up that I went to in Taipei. When did I get halfway around the world? Two weeks ago, baby. I don't have as many pretty pictures for that meet though. Anyway, let's save that for later.

This is my favorite shot of Rui - she's rather hard to photograph, but it's mostly because of her bangs. I love how the purple in the background compliments her eyes though.

Chrom! *drool*

She's really cute, don't you think? Just look at how delicate her hand is.

And here's a Bory girl - I love her dress and wish I could get one in the right size for my girl.

Here's a few with everyone's dolls together.

Longwood Gardens is so big that we weren't able to walk everywhere and see everything, but here's a little taste of just how gorgeous everything is there. Go there on a nice day and it looks like something out of The Secret Garden.

Into the famous Orchid Room:

Now for some exterior and interior wonders:

In the Perfume Exhibition room:

Check out the bottle for #71, "Head Over Heels!"

Hope you guys enjoyed that. I will post pictures of the most recent Taipei meet next time!

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Volks Overseas List

2010-05-04T12:04:00.008-04:00

Well... I double posted Thack's profile by accident. Basically, the Volks Super Dollfie Overseas Database is just an official record they keep of their dolls in other countries. So far, I got Thack and Rui there, but I'm still trying to get Shun on there as well. It just takes them forever to accept submissions. So I'll post Shun's link when/if they decide to put him up.

Thack's Profile

Rui's Profile

*UPDATE*

As of May 7, Shun now has his own profile page!

Shun's Profile

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Sakura Sunday 2010

2010-04-30T00:27:00.010-04:00

I failed to write about the doll meet I planned earlier this month, so I made up for it by uploading some pictures for you. The meetup took place on April 11, 2010 at Fairmount Park near the Japanese Tea Ceremony House. Sakura Sunday was the center piece for the whole Cherry Blossom Festival hosted in Philadelphia, PA by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia. The whole thing went really well, and we all had a good time, even if there was only a small handful of us that showed up for the meet with our dolls. Anyway, I've picked some choice photos to share with you.

Below, the little guy chilling on the tree branch is my prankster, Shun. The other two belong to two different owners from Den of Angels who live in the area. It was great meeting some new faces!

And here are some photos of the performers invited from Japan. They were absolutely mind-blowing. Two thumbs up!

Hope you enjoyed them!

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Interlude: 13 Going On 17

2010-04-15T17:32:00.008-04:00

And I thought the Tsukasa mold couldn't get much more beautiful than it already was. But check out Tsuka-pyon's new look. Now if only I could get Thackery an SD17 body too...

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

A Year Already???

2010-02-19T23:19:00.004-05:00

It's so strange, not blogging about Thackery and his friends for so long. I guess I was too caught up in school work. But no worries. I just thought I'd make a note about another big package I got. And no, it's not another doll.

I'm going to go back to Taiwan this summer, so I thought I'd need a stronger SD carrier for the plane ride. Even if I'm taking him as a carry-on, I'd feel better knowing he was in a hard-shelled doll carrier. But I didn't want people wondering if I was carrying a bomb, so I wanted to go for a disguise. So what's the next best thing? I got Thack a Volks' SD Violin Case.

And I know it's pricey, but if I'm going to get something this nice and long-lasting, then I might as well go the whole nine yards.

It's arrived today, but I'm not home now to open the package. When I do though, I'll be sure to take pictures of Thack and/or Rui inside it. There's just not enough pictures or information of these things outside of DoA. I remember trying to look up pictures of Volks' violin case, but I only got a few hits. So I'll make my next post a review of sorts too.

Until then,

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Christmas Angel

2008-12-28T11:51:00.003-05:00

Name: Rui (類)
Age: 16
Date of Arrival: December 25, 2008

Appearance: Default hair, eyes, and faceup.
Personality: She has a strong sense of justice, and gets a little carried away with revenge.

Likes: More than she dislikes.
Dislikes: Spiders, backstabbers, and the dark.

Quote: "Creatures with more than two legs and complicated faces make me squirm."

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Happy Christmas!

2008-12-25T08:12:00.002-05:00

Ah. December.

December = Winter break, presents, no homework, going out with friends, sleepovers, presents, candy canes, toasty gingerbread, steamy malt wine, presents,buttered lobster, juicy Filet Mignon, Christmas trees, glass ornaments, and...

What's this? Presents again?

That's right.

I am now eagerly awaiting a Volks SD13 Jun Tachibana! Unfotunately, she doesn't come with her cat plushie, Komame, but she does come with everything else, including her official papers, etc. She belonged to another Den of Angels member, who had one of the most gorgeous Tsukasas I have ever seen - and she did his faceup herself. I've long admired her doll family, but recently she has been selling both her Tsukasa and Jun, as well as some of her other beloved dolls.

I was able to snatch Jun, but I was really curious why she was selling Gabriel, her Tsukasa Konoe. I didn't know her that well - we were only acquaintances, but I do know he was a very special doll to her, as he was her first doll and the main character of her storyline. I remember seeing photos of him all the time, and just going all starry-eyed. He was one of the Tsukasas that helped me keep my hopes up to get my Thackery.

So while Gabriel's owner and I had been messaging back and forth on DoA for Jun's transaction, I asked her.

She was kind of enough to explain. Somehow, Gabriel ended up dying in her story. One way or another, the character's death also caused the doll's death. In her eyes, it was very difficult to look at Gabriel after the plot of the story unfolded. After months of difficult ruminations, she finally decided that parting with him was the best idea, for she could no longer give him the attention he should have. She told me that "it's reached the point where the memory of him is better than facing the feeling that his shell is all that's left now."

So hopefully Gabriel/Tsukasa will find a home that will cherish him. He was on Layaway throughout the transaction for Jun, so I hope whoever is waiting for him will really take great care of him.

I know some of you who stumble on my blog may not understand the level of dedication some, if not most, doll owners have for their dolls. This is not an easy hobby, as it is QUITE an expensive investment. It's only natural that most owners would end up really loving their dolls. While some of you may find it childish, that's the truth of it. You don't need to understand it, but it would be nice if you could accept it and even respect it.

Anyhow! It's Christmas, and I'm telling you something bittersweet. Therefore, I will top off this post with sweeter information.

Jun will be arriving sometime next week, provided there are no holdups. I have decided to name her 類 (pronounced Rui.) It's an uncommon name, and is somewhat genderless. I've heard both guys and girls called that. I did name her after a guy though... Rui from Hana Yori Dango. Anyhow, I thought it fit her when I first saw pictures of her. So now I just can't get the name out of my head.

Cheers!

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

DOMO-ATTACK 2

2008-12-20T17:12:00.010-05:00

View the previous blog entry to keep up with the story!

Shun: ...Sen?
Me: 'Sup?

Shun: I can't find the red ribbon for my shirt. I think Thackery took it.

Me: Wait up, kiddo. Are you sure?

Shun: Yeah. He hates me!
Me: He doesn't hate you, Shun. You just have to lay off on those pranks.
Shun: I still think he did it.
Me: ...

Sakuri: *walking*

Sakuri: *stops*

Sakuri: *turns quickly*

Domo: DDOOOOOMMMMMMMOOOOOOOOO!
Sakuri: WTF.

Sakuri: O_O

Domo: DOMO! ^_______^ <3
Sakuri: Oh boy. I think my wig is falling off.
Me: I'll give you one guess on who sent him.

Shun: ...

Shun: Damn.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

DOMO-ATTACK

2008-12-16T00:11:00.006-05:00

It started out as a simple photo shoot, but kind of led to a semi-photo story... in the sense that the prop turned into a rabid, stuffed animal.

Enjoy!

Me: Hey Shun, I think you've got yourself an admirer.

Shun: Say what?

Shun: ...

Domo: AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHH!
Shun: HOLY CRAP?!

Shun: O_o;; Ouch. Get off, I can't breathe!

Domo: DOMO!

Shun: *sits up* Should I be pissed?

Shun: Well... I guess it's not too bad. He might come in handy later. Thackery's in for it. *smirk*
Domo: ^________________^ <3

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Candy Cane Princess

2008-10-21T22:02:00.009-04:00

It's been a month or two since I last updated. Amazingly enough, this time I'm not updating because of Thackery or Shun. Just this past weekend, my cousin came up north for a visit and brought along his little daughter. She's a wee, little girl, but her dad claims she looks more like a boy at times. Frankly, I think she's too cute to be a boy. She certainly acts princess-like enough. And, she gets her way most of the time.

That would be Natalie's great-grandma on the left, a.k.a. Bruce's and my maternal grandmother.

Nat's maternal grandmother making lunch.

Family portrait. The lighting sucks... and I don't have flash on my new SLR. :(

My parents with Natalie. That makes me an aunt, right?
Damn, I'm not even 20 yet.

Check out those chubby cheeks. :)

If you haven't noticed yet, my mother tends to be a baby-hogger.
I think she took more pics with Nat than all of us combined.

Don't worry, dad. She doesn't bite. Yet.

The princess and her gallant horse.

The loyal steed taking a bite of her foot. Ouch.
You know why?

Shadow must have been human in a past life.

(Proof: He sits like that all the time.)

Her daddy absolutely adores her.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

He was KIDNAPPED.

2008-08-04T18:17:00.003-04:00

Shun's Homecoming

Arrival Date: June 21, 2008

.........

Me: Yo Thackery. Guess who came in the mail?

Sakuri: Your mom.

Me: No, nice try.

.........

Sakuri: Oh no. It really is him. Do you know what a troublemaker this little monster is?

Me: You're not a drama queen so stop exaggerating. It's your job to make him feel at home.

.........

Sakuri: When you wake up with bubblegum in your hair, you'll see. Now let's just get this over with.

.........

Sakuri: Bad news, Sen. The package ran away!

.........

Me: He's gone! KIDNAPPED. Help me look for him, Thack!

.........

Sakuri: Just chill a second. He'll show up when he gets sick of his own game.

.........

Me: Stop standing around and DO something!

.........

Sakuri: I'm doing something by standing around.

Me: Don't get fresh with me!

.........

Sakuri: Jeez, chill. And give me some room to breathe. I'll think of something...

.........

Sakuri: Here. I'll go upstairs and look. I bet that kid has already found the TV by now.

Me: ...Good idea. You go do that.

.........

Sakuri: If I were as little and annoying as Shun, what's the first thing I would do?

Me: *stares at Thackery's back* I think I have an idea.

.........

Sakuri: Yeah? Well I know I'd at least pull a prank, like slapping a note onto someone's back with a message like "Kick Me." But Shun's not smart enough for that.

Me: Uh... Thackery?

.........

Shun: What a dork.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Story Change

2008-08-03T12:30:00.005-04:00

I found angels and demons a little cliche considering the many stories doll owners make up for their dolls. I'm going for something dramatic, but not blown out of proportion. Therefore, I'm making a story change. Here's the current summary:

This is the story of Sawada, Nozomi (沢田のぞみ). He was born to a Japanese father and an Irish mother. His parents separated when he was very young, because his father was caught up in an affair with another woman. A few years passed, and Nozomi witnessed the most scarring event of his life. After coming home from elementary school one day, he was the first to find his mother hanging from the ceiling. Due to the trauma, Nozomi was sent to America to live with his maternal grandparents.

While he is content living with his grandparents, Nozomi vows to avenge his mother, whom he had been very attached to. He blames his mother's suicide on his father. When he learns that his father had two other children, Nozomi goes back to Japan as an American exchange student in order to find out who they are. He plans to ruin his father's life by using his half-siblings. While in Japan, he uses the name Thackery Riordan, the name his mother chose for him after she left his father.

During his stay there, he becomes best friends with a punky boy in his class. He also becomes close friends with his best friend's younger sister, and even begins to harbor some feelings for her. Together, the three of them are almost inseparable, as if they were real siblings...

What Thackery did not anticipate is that his friends are his half-siblings. He does not know yet, but when he finds out, will he be able to follow through with his original plans?

That's the basic gist at least. I don't think my blog entries will be about this story, it's just made to help me get grasp of their potential characters. Anyway, it's a little more believable than divine intervention and super mafias.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Bloody Chocolate

2008-03-26T00:32:00.015-04:00

Haven't been here in a while... but I thought I'd update this blog with some new photos of Sakuri-kun. There were some very nice shots, even though I'm still using my Pentax snapshot Optio. Can you believe I took these pictures in the master bathroom? Good grief. But the light quality turned out rather well.

And by the way, that chocolate rose is a little over a year old. I got it last year on Valentine's Day. Somehow, I just couldn't bring myself to eat it... until recently. Huh.

Disclaimer: NOTHING WAS HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS PHOTO SHOOT - except for me, who inadvertently ate the stale chocolate rose from last year and had slight food poisoning afterwards.

I hope you like the little oekaki at the end - even though it does look a little painful for the poor thing.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Ps. This entry is dedicated to my parents, because today is their 25th Wedding Anniversary! I'd like to wish them well here. So Mom and Dad, this little romantic entry is for you both. Love you guys!

Pastel Afternoons

2007-10-21T09:54:00.001-04:00

Yes! Thackery now has a new set of clothes, and I think he looks hot. And I'm not a dolliphile or anything, just so you know.

But if he were a human guy, I would find him very, very smexy. Check out the tight khakis on those legs. He can't even sit in them! But lying down is better for his leg joints and stringing anyway.

There's Sakuri's peaceful afternoon for you. Moving on now.

His clothes are from Volks' Tenshi no Sumika (USA store.) Also, it was pretty ironic seeing their model Tsukasa modeling for the outfit too. Their doll clothes are exactly like mini-human clothes - including zippers, pockets, hats, shoes, and all - so that's why the clothes that Volks sells for super dollfies will cost about the same as regular human clothes. That goes for pretty much everything else too. It's really quite awesome.

And technically, he should not be wearing these clothes just yet since the outfit is actually his birthday present, coming up October 29.

Judging his glare in the sixth photo though, I believe I am more excited about it than he is.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Ps. The first four pictures are my favorites for this shoot. What's yours?

Image Tweaking

2007-10-07T13:26:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd experiment with some special features in my camera. The first one is my favorite. :)

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Shadows at Sunset

2007-09-15T00:22:00.002-04:00

"Shadows at Sunset" is a song from the Romantic Impressions Suite composed by Martha Mier. The person playing the song is yours truly.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Sweet Light

2007-09-15T00:01:00.000-04:00

No Sakuri-kun, but I did get several decent shots of twilight at my house. Pictures can't beat actually being there to enjoy the Sweet Light, but they can tell you that there was a magic transcending those last few moments of a dying sun.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Back to School

2007-09-08T12:49:00.000-04:00

*Benkyo, benkyo, benkyo...

Really, that's all I seem to be doing lately. But Tsuka-pyon is a pro at distracting me when I become inhumanly engrossed with my work. Here are some super clear pictures I took of him not too long ago with my snapshot camera. Damn it, I really need a (digital) SLR to do the boy more justice.

Still, the first picture is my favorite out of the whole batch.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

*Benkyo - "study" in Japanese.

In Memory of Tian-Tian

2007-08-31T00:20:00.000-04:00

Tian-Tian, we'll always be thinking about you. This morning was tough and painful, and you finally left us this afternoon. Rest in peace with a smile now. Remember that the flashlight and drawing I sent you are meant to chase away your fears of the dark. I told you, that where there is darkness, there will always be a light.

We miss you. I miss you. A lot.

May whoever's up there take sympathy on a little eight-year-old boy. If there really is reincarnation, I hope he comes back as a normal, healthy boy without cancer or any other illness - and grow up to live a full, happy life.

That, or stay in heaven where there will be no pain and suffering anymore.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

To Layla-chan

2007-08-26T14:31:00.000-04:00

To Layla-chan~

Thackery: Hey, what are you up to now?

I'm writing a congrats card for Layla. Since I can't go to the service today, I thought this was the next best thing to do.

Thackery: I feel like writing something now too.

Thackery: The pen, *mon cherise?

The William Penn? You know, you can't ask too much from me.

Thackery: Sorry... Please and thank you?

Thackery: That ought to do it.

Thackery: *muttering* ...and Thackery...

Here, I think I should put the card in the envelope.

Thackery: Wait. Put this sticker on the back too. I was saving it for something like this.

It's a... Tsuka-pyon, you like Hello Kitty? Are you also some kind of secret Drag Queen too?

Thackery: Don't get your hopes up, kid.

Thackery and I apologize for not being able to go to your baptism, however, we still wanted to express our congratulations! We luv you!

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

*mon cherise - "my cherry" in French, but don't be fooled. Thack doesn't really know French; he only knows what he thinks are pick-up lines.

Morning Gaze

2007-08-26T12:29:00.000-04:00

Tsuka-pyon was staring at me rather peculiarily one morning when I told him that I felt like taking him out for another photoshoot. He's not much of a photo-hog - it's more like I photo-hog him, and then he gets sick of me. But anyway, he was rather cooperative with me when I set him up against an old chair and gave him a pillow to pose with. Not that he knew what to do besides just sitting there. He's not a very creative fellow, but don't tell him I said that. :)

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Antique Mosaics

2007-08-15T12:47:00.000-04:00

These are just a few pictures of Thackery/Tsukasa posing with some objects we found around the house. I really would like to take him to Longwood Gardens since summer is not quite finished yet, but this photo shoot and the flower photos will have to do for now.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

My Heart's Garden

2007-06-22T15:02:00.000-04:00

I decided to take Thackery outside with me today around noon for a photoshoot in the flower patches out back. Unfortunately, it was not easy posing him as the wind was too strong. Plus, I wish I owned a digital SLR - it would have let me adjust the Depth of Scale and maybe even the aperture. The sun was really bright.

Anyway, I picked a few of my better shots, but they're all still pretty much half-crap. We were just getting ready for summer. Wish us better luck next time! Have a wonderful summer, everyone.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Saying Hello

2007-06-07T20:29:00.000-04:00

We're just saying hello.

So, hello.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Mini-Comics Ctd.

2007-05-28T11:56:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I promised extra pictures on Volks' Tokyo Shounen Monogatari (Tokyo Boys' Story) kids. Well, here goes. I think I'll even repost Tsukasa's comics as well just to make this entry more complete. Anyway, I'll go in the order that each character made their debut - and post the comics/art of the ones that I have respectively. (Ps. When I type "Dollpa" it's actually the abbreviation for "Doll Party," which people commonly use in the doll community.)

Shirou Tachibana - Dollpa 9 (May 5, 2003) - 2nd version came out in Another Yourself Limited Release in October 2006.

Tsukasa Konoe - Dollpa 10 (December 7, 2003) - no 2nd version available currently.

Isao Nanjou - Dollpa 11 (August 1, 2004) - 2nd version came out in limited numbers from Haute Doll Magazine issue December 2004.

Jun Tachibana - Dollpa 12 (December 5, 2004) - was also available in limited numbers from HD Magazine - no 2nd version available currently.

Yukinojo Sawaragi - Dollpa 14 (December 25, 2005) - no 2nd version currently.

Olivia Morgan - Fashion Doll Quarterly Dollpa in NYC (July 29, 2006) - no 2nd version currently. I don't have any artwork on her as of yet... Sorry! Anyway, most of the comics only come exclusively with the extra limited items. So it makes sense that Shirou and Olivia don't have their own comics.

Extra information about the characters in the story: Shirou and Tsukasa are best friends; Isao and Jun are semi-dating each other; and it's said that Yuki and Olivia are an item. However, it seems that the Tsukasa and Jun pairing is also a very popular theory among fans.

To close off this entry about their comics and artwork, I will leave you guys with a colored picture. Pardon the quality though, I would sharpen the image if I had the tools. But please enjoy.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Mini-Comics

2007-05-27T11:45:00.000-04:00

When I got some of my friends to see this blog, one of them exclaimed, "Oh my gosh! Is he some American punk or gangster?" If you could only imagine the faces we had: she in awe and me - completely flabbergasted. Hehe!

But no, I must point out once more that sweet Tsukasa is no more gangster druggie than Big Bird from Sesame Street. Here's Tsukasa's official profile provided by Volks on their database - though it seems they have taken down his actual mini-biography that I was very sure used to be there. However, you can find a little excerpt about him on Volks' site: The Songs of the Boys. So sexist a title! Jun is a girl! Just to let you know though, The Songs of the Boys has not been updated since Jun's first release and Isao's second-version release in Dollpa 12 back in December 2004. Therefore, it has little to no information about Yuki, Olivia, or Shirou's after-school version.

Beyond the Volks Official pages, there's a GREAT database just for SuperDollfies that I believe somebody made (in honor of Volks - not sure if it's official or unofficial, but I will look into it.) It is called Where Angels Lie. It is very accurate and in depth for each model and offers some hard-to-find pictures. Here is Tsukasa's Profile on Where Angels Lie - it includes the official translation of his biography. Hurrah!

Just for the heck of it, I will post a few pictures of him here. Last one of this batch is my favorite!

Also, when I got Thackery, I recieved his ownership papers. They include his background history too, but I'm still in the middle of translating most of it for myself. It isn't easy, as I self-taught Japanese. But I'm slowly getting there. Reading manga, watching anime (no English dubs!) and listening/watching Japanese dramas really do wonders. I mean... I watch Taiwanese dramas too and my Chinese has improved a lot. See? Wonders.

Here are the papers he came with (these are someone else's scanlations, even though I could make my own if I wanted to):

There's more, but that is only the mini-comic he came with. Likewise, Shirou, Jun, Isao, and Yuki all came with their own papers. I have their scanlations saved (except for Shirou's and Olivia's - they don't have one because they did not have personal limited items; i.e. Tsukasa's backpack, Jun's kitty Komame, Isao's chair and unusual wig, and Yuki's training gear.) But I will have to post them next time. It would require more room.

In the mean time, the artists who drew those mini-comics also made extra pictures of each character. Here are my favorite pictures of Tsukasa:

I will also post artist pictures of Shirou, Isao, Jun, and Yuki (still scouting for Olivia's) next time with their other scanlations.

For anybody who thinks I'm stealing - I'm sorry, but that's completely untrue. I'm not publicizing this blog, so stealing to gain attention is certainly not my agenda. However, I'm still posting my precious pictures in my blog.

Shoot me? I think not.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Volks Overseas List

2007-05-22T15:08:00.001-04:00

Whoot! Thackery made it onto the Volks Overseas List (at last.) It takes Volks forever to add profiles onto the database.

Thack's Profile

H i k a r i : The Light

2007-05-21T17:02:00.000-04:00

These days, I walk alone, out in the open cold...

With no one's hand to hold.

And each step I take - my road gets darker.

Each step I don't take, I'm only shoved forward.

The cold can be welcoming -

With its open embrace for numbing.

But it never really helped, for my fears won't seem to melt.

To every road, there should be a light.

The light should end those fears at night.

But...

These days, I walk alone.

Out in the open cold -

With no one's hand to hold.

And it's freezing, I'm cold.

Though no one seems to know.

Owari~

((Based on a poem I wrote back in sixth or seventh grade. I had such glum thoughts back then. We compiled the poem and photo shoot together, pretty much out on a whim. It still took a bit of work and messing up, so I hope you enjoyed our hard work.))

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥

Ps. When I changed the template of this blog, the words above were changed too. For some reason, you won't be able to see my poem if you don't highlight this entry. Just a heads up.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WOMEN

2007-05-21T16:55:00.000-04:00

I was napping on ***'s favorite peasant top, so I'll admit it was partially my fault. But who said she had to go shopping in that shirt, in particular. I may be a bit of a womanizer, but I don't think I'll ever understand women.

...zz...ZZzzz...

Thack, you're sleeping on my shirt. Come on, I need it.
I want to sleep. Can't you wear something else?
No, because I was saving this top for this outing.

You've got to be kidding me.
Please?

*sigh*

*grumpy*

Thank you, Thack~ery~
Sure, sure.

There. Go ahead.
*kiss*

Are girls always like this?

Yours Truly

2007-05-21T15:13:00.001-04:00

I confess that I have more blogs, online journals, and etc. than most people I know. Although I have many online aliases, I'm not even going to use one here. I'll simply be Nobody.

So hello, I am Nobody - nemo, nada, nihil.

But please, don't feel foreign. Call me what you want - I've been called so many names in the past, I really don't bat an eyelash when I get something new now and then.

Now that my introduction is done, I must introduce my buddy Thackery. Mainly, he's the reason why I set this place up. I know, just for him and my interest in BJDs: Asian Ball-Jointed Dolls. Funny I even got him in the first place, but that's a story for another time.

And in case you still aren't sure what I'm talking about - yes, Thackery is a doll. He is a Volks SD13 Tsukasa Konoe from Volk's Limited Edition Series called Tokyo Shounen Monogatari (Tokyo Boys' Story.) BJDs isn't a light hobby, so those who are not serious in collecting should not waste their time complaining. If you are truly interested, you can go to Den of Angels Forum, get a free account and start cruising the galleries and reading the FAQs to get a better idea. You can also drop comments in this blog for me, and I promise I will answer them to the best of my abilities.

For information just on Volks, the doll company that started the whole BJD stream, please see their English international website. If you want to shop and you live in the US, please go to their Volks USA website. If you can read and understand Japanese, feel free to visit Volks' official database on all the dolls they have released. If you need help navigating the page, I may be of some help - but don't think I can translate everything. I'm not a Japanese translator. You can ask me relatively any question, and I can most likely point you in the right direction (be that a straight answer, or directing you to information obtained from the BJD community.)

About Volk's Tsukasa Konoe

In short according to Volks, Tsukasa lived in LA, USA since he was a kid (American-born Asian descent) and moved back to Japan to attend Junior High in Tokyo. There he met the rest of his friends: Shirou Tachibana, Isao Nanjou, and Yukinojo Sawaragi. He's even friends with Jun Tachibana, Shirou's little sister, who is also a part of the series. Basically, he and Shirou are best friends and they both really admire Isao, the cool guy. Yuki's not really a part of their group per say, but he is involved with all of them as classmates and maybe friends. Tsukasa, like Shirou, also cares after Jun like a second older brother - in return, Jun looks up to all of them. There is also Olivia Morgan, who's also in the story, but she's not connected to any of them except to Yuki.

About Thackery

[12.12.2011] See my blog post "Story Change" for more detail, but long story short, Thack's an American transfer student in Japan. He's 17 years old, a dad-hater with abandonment issues, and has two crazy best friends at school. He's got a younger cousin who's always trying to sabotage him, and another younger cousin who loves cats and won't let go of his leg.

I didn't say this life would make much more sense than his previous background story filled with angels, demons, and super mafias...

Moving on.

If you see the screencap on the right, that is what Thackery looks like in my mind (this is a picture of a Tsukasa Konoe taken from a Volks video documentary.) However, Thackery is still in his complete default form - and will be for some time until I can afford to get him clothes, jewlery, and a new wig that look like what's in the outfit here.

I will post new and old photo stories with him in them soon.

Sincerely,

Nobody ♥