Personal projects...IB style

The title ‘Personal Project’ brings a sense of dread as soon as someone mentions it. Two weeks ago or more, before we were sent off to have Christmas break, our homeroom teacher told us about something we’re going to have to do because of the fact we are in IB. Apparently everyone in my grade as to present something end of the year during Awards Day, or something of that sort. If we make a guitar like I think one of my friends is doing, then they would have to play it, or choreograph a dance, and then dance it -that sort of thing.

Now, knowing me and my obsession with Psychiatric experiments and research papers, along with writing, I have been thinking about making an essay about the brain. However, for the life of me, though, I can’t think of a decent subject for it. I think I need two things to tie in together, like, how meditation or Buddhism fits into the psyche, or how doctors get to be where they are. Or the generic self image. I have also been thinking about relationships, those fascinate me because of how complicated, but really, hasn’t all of this already been done before? Plus how are you going to prove anything, or ask the right questions?

My mother also mentioned that I should get a hold of the faculty of psychiatry at local universities and I was thinking about asking other people as well, but I need to think of a focus first because I want to make a good impression on people I admire the most. Plus, what’s the point of asking questions when there is no direction?

So anyways, that’s my dilemma now, considering I go back to school tomorrow. I guess I’ll ask a friend who is doing the same sort of thing and maybe do a joint project or something. If anyone has any ideas…don’t hesitate to mention it.

Lolita

I have found a new obsession and its killing me. Well, not really, but I’m always thinking about it. I have said before on my blog that I like Japan and anime right? Well, I also like frilly dresses and more gothic style clothes. And then I was introduced to Gothic Lolita.

Now please don’t search up Lolita yet, or at least search it up WITH the gothic part. As many people know, Lolita was the name of the girl and the novel by Nakobov. Now, in that novel, it has a lot to do with pedophilia and well, really rather, disturbing content in it, and as soon as you mention Gothic Lolita, this is what they think. I mean, if you really think about it, Lolita style is kind of making fun of that novel, having people dress up to look younger, in a way of saying: So what?

Now Lolita, as defined in Wikipedia says: “Lolita (ロリータ・ファッション? roriita fasshon) is a fashion subculture in Japan that is primarily influenced by Victorian children’s clothing as well as costumes from the Rococo period.” Gothic Lolita is a little darker, with more black and white that usually had petticoats and frills. These dresses and other types of clothing are designed to look old, and make both men and women look a bit like dolls. When you go to anime conventions, people will be dressed up as their favourite character, but they might also be dressed up in Lolita, with insane or cool high heels, bonnets, mini top hats or other really cool things.

Now I am very envious of these people. They look so nice and cute and it was very much my style XP. A friend actually introduced me to a website that sells really nice gothic Lolita dresses. They are about $150 (the one I want, at least) and I’m hunting down a top hat and making a nice Victorian style choker. I also have flats with ruffles on the front and striped tights to go with the dress. I’m going to wear it at conventions.

Anyways, I just wanted to put that tidbit of information up there, just to show that if I’m talking about Lolita, it is not about dressing up as the character or any sort of sexual deviation cult you might think I’m joining.

Vic

Yes, I’m back and moved yet again. I was inspired to write some more in my blog because I came across another Fan writer’s blog and how interesting her life is, even compared to mine XP. Anyways, I figured I should just put this out there even if now one reads it. I mean, why not?
I have moved again, this time to the big city. Since I started writing this I have lived in three different places, wow. I’m attending a high school art school with about 2000 other people (k-12) and it’s glorious. It’s like everything I am and have become was just to mold me into this person so I can fit in with everyone else. I’m not someone that worries about that sort of thing, but when it happens without you even trying, haha, it’s incredible.
The school is actually split up into the more preppy people or scene kids and those who are more alternative and weird. I’m in the weird group, but I don’t care because it isn’t like we’re outcasts, it’s just a different perspective. And everyone is so close, we always hug (well everyone does, it’s kinda retarded not to), but I’m friends with people way older than me but it doesn’t matter. People don’t tend to notice me because I’m quiet but I also have not made any enemies so far. I find that people are very nice to me compared to how they treat a lot of people, but I think I have a new kid status.
As well, we have three options right now, because I’m in my last year of Junior High, so there aren’t many things to pick but I have French, Art and then Video where I’m writing a screenplay for one of our projects. In art, we have these black hardcover sketch books where we have to do two things in them a week and we will get marked on progress and stuff. It isn’t a percent but rather Excellent, proficient and crap like that. It’s really fun and when I first started, we had to do just squiggles on a page and showing the contrast and placement of things using graphite blocks. That right there showed me that I would never go to another school. The fact that we just spent the whole class doing that, and that our teacher told us to free up our hand sold me right away.
I’m also thinking about what I’m going to take next year. During the summer I’m thinking of doing PE 10 so that I don’t have to do it using the year and block up more important subjects. I’m also going to try and take a correspondence course for Psychology but I doubt that will happen. I found out that if you get higher than 80% in Social Studies you can’t take Psychology, Philosophy or any of the other cooler types for grade 11. That seriously bites. All I know is that I’m taking Bio and Photography.
I also found that Vic has a huge amount of Anime fans and an Anime club I attend twice a week. I guess it’s inevitable that people would like it, with so much Japanese influence nowadays and the amount of effort it takes to make really good anime and manga characters would fit with the alternative/punk/weird/emo groups that are all around the school. I’m just surprised that I have so much in common with people.

Hatori

The man on my left is my new sweetheart. He’s a manga character from a graphic novel called Fruits Basket and is named Hatori Sohma. He is Japanese but likes western style clothes (suits), cars (wheel on the left not right), and a lot of western books. I picked up Fruits Basket when I was in Chapters and seeing the manga, decided to read it.

The book is about this girl, Tohru, whose mother died and she started to live with her grandfather. However, her aunt and uncle wanted to live there too so her grandfather made them live elsewhere until renovations for the house was over. The place she stayed was a tent on the Sohma property, unknowingly.

The three Sohmas who live on the property see her and recognize her from their high school and invite her to live there with them until she can go back to her family. During her time living there, she realizes that, the reason the family is so secretive is because 14 Sohma people are cursed by the Zodiacs (they turn into their animal when hugged by their opposite sex) and usually have a really bad childhood (their mothers want to hug them but they turn into animals and thus are abused or over-protected). One of the Sohmas is the ‘emperor’ and is ruler over everyone else (you learn later on that he is actually a she) and the other is the cat, condemned to try and get accepted into the family.

All in all, Tohru doesn’t return to her family and meets other Sohma members. Hatori is the dragon but turns into a seahorse! Does that mean he can become pregnant?

Now I have watched all of the episodes and ordered about four more of the books. However, my biggest problem is money. I don’t have very much money and I have to pay the person who’s getting those books for me by next week!

I went to Vulcan yesterday and it was awesome. I thought it wouldn’t be that good considering how small the tourist place we were going to was. However, it was great. I cuddled up with the cut-out Spock and took pictures with some of my friends. There was also a game you got to the back room where there was a virtual game and that was cool, it kind of felt like you were actually controlling the ship. I also bought a faux-double layered shirt (where it looks like a t-shirt with a long sleeve under) that says ‘Live long and prosper’ with a little Spock that looked really cute. If you’ve seen Powerpuff anime then you would get what I mean.

I also went to the Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump and that was cool. It has the museum layered so that you go to the top, go on the cliff and observation window, and then go down a floor see some stuff; go down a layer see more stuff (duh). But what’s the best about it is that you can see all the floors because they designed it to look like steps and you can see everything from the top floor. _ (top floor)

_ (2^nd floor)

_ (3rd floor)

_ (4^th Floor)

Anyways, this day kind of pales compared to yesterday. But tomorrow I am going shopping so another day of fun. And no, I am not going to tell everyone what I buy because that would be a really boring post.

But what I am going to tell you is that I am going to go for an emo look and have almost totally achieved it. My hair is a no, it doesn’t have really cool bangs or anything, but I have black clothes, tight pants and band shirts. Tomorrow I am going to buy some converse high tops and will have completed the look! Don’t worry, when I have less time to kill, my posts will become more mature and I will talk about something other then shopping.

Vulcan

I’m going to Vulcan, Alberta tomorrow. I have to say that I actually kind of like Star Trek to be honest and am looking forward to it. I have heard that a new movie is coming out, with Spock! I hope that it isn’t as cheesy as the former movies, because I couldn’t even get through them, what would it be like it I went to the theater to see this one?

I am also going to Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump and that will be fun. It’s where the natives who lived there would herd the buffalo off the cliff and to the animal’s death. A lot of those animals would be killed and I want to see just how high the cliff is. It’s an incredible waste of meat if you ask me.

I also wasted about five hours watching Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s comedy on youtube. Hilarious, but I can’t believe its already evening. I was going to say more about it, like fancy that or that’s a laugh but realized that I would sound too much like a Brit, hearing them and no one else talk for five hours. Kind of like someone adopting slang when they first learn the language if you tell me.

I have also written about one more sentence in my novel. Dreams of making it rich and famous from a fantasy novel is slipping away if I don’t get it finished before the next life. Ha ha ha ha, alright, I may never finish it, or even sell any of it if I do finish it. Finishing that large of a piece isn’t even enough anymore, without making it big like: J K Rowling, Stephen King or… I can’t even think of anything. Whole crap, I think I need to get off the computer and get some exercise. Fat chance.

I did it again! I used British slang, crap, that’s really annoying. Did I even accomplish anything from this post. Jut meaningless ramblings.

I’m going to Vulcan, Alberta tomorrow. I have to say that I actually kind of like Star Trek to be honest and am looking forward to it. I have heard that a new movie is coming out, with Spock! I hope that it isn’t as cheesy as the former movies, because I couldn’t even get through them, what would it be like it I went to the theater to see this one?

I am also going to Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump and that will be fun. It’s where the natives who lived there would herd the buffalo off the cliff and to the animal’s death. A lot of those animals would be killed and I want to see just how high the cliff is. It’s an incredible waste of meat if you ask me.

I also wasted about five hours watching Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s comedy on youtube. Hilarious, but I can’t believe its already evening. I was going to say more about it, like fancy that or that’s a laugh but realized that I would sound too much like a Brit, hearing them and no one else talk for five hours. Kind of like someone adopting slang when they first learn the language if you tell me.

I have also written about one more sentence in my novel. Dreams of making it rich and famous from a fantasy novel is slipping away if I don’t get it finished before the next life. Ha ha ha ha, alright, I may never finish it, or even sell any of it if I do finish it. Finishing that large of a piece isn’t even enough anymore, without making it big like: J K Rowling, Stephen King or… I can’t even think of anything. Whole crap, I think I need to get off the computer and get some exercise. Fat chance.

I did it again! I used British slang, crap, that’s really annoying. Did I even accomplish anything from this post. Jut meaningless ramblings.