Sunday, February 19, 2017

2017 - Welcome Year of the Rooster Part 2 - Personal Plans! (English)



Ok, we're already well into 2017, but here are some of my personal plans for this year. But at first, let's look back into for a bit into my hobby plans as I forgot to include a few important things! :D So much for "let's can the materialism talk"...

I'll once again divide this post into two, this is the English version.
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Ok, ollaan jo hyvän matkaa vuoden 2017 puolella, mutta tässä tulee muita suunnitelmia -postaus. Tai eipäs vielä tulekaan, vaan ensin vielä pari juttua, jotka unohtuivat mainita harrastusjuttujen puolelta viime postauksesta! Sori~ Se siitä "nyt loppui materialismihöpötys"-jutusta...

Jaottelen postauksen kahtia, jotta lukeminen helpottuisi. Tämä on englanninkielinen versio, lue postaus suomeksi täältä!






Aside from Aoba and Spike Spiegel from the last post, this is one of the AAAA-MUST-GET-IT-ASAP!!! -figures of 2017. Genjyo Sanzo from Minekura Kazuya-sensei's Saiyuki -series. This character is also from one of my longest running fandoms. Gensomaden Saiyuki was among the very first manga series I got hooked into back in the beginning of the 2000's.

Like Spike, Sanzo is one of my absolute favorite characters of all time and I've even cosplayed him a few times(as a matter of fact, the Sanzo robes still hang in my wardrobe even now). I'm so happy I'm being treated to so many old favorites this year!!! ;;___;; <3





I've preordered the Deluxe-version of Sanzo which comes with this stylish art print drawn by Minekura-sensei.





Also, there's going to be a new Saiyuki anime this year! I'm so excited! I really need to catch up on reading the manga, though.

This means that there's probably going to be more Saiyuki fan-merch too, yay! (...and maybe... even a Saiyuki café or some fan event... please? In July? That'd be great! :3 )





I've also ordered my first doll for 2017. She's Blythe UFO-A-Go-Go! Finally a new Blythe release that speaks to me with her space-inspired theme and blue hair!

I've never had a Blythe doll before, but I've always adored those owned by my fellow hobbyists. Now I'll get to see what it will be like owning and photographing one of these adorable little oddballs myself!



I feel like I've yet again forgotten to add something, but let's just get on with the show, So, ahem:


My Goals for 2017

- to try and think positively and not stress that much!
- start something new (already working on that)

- spend more ME-time and do thinks that I like more (go to art galleries, do art myself, generally go  out more, or spend time at home, depending on the mood I'm in)




- make an entry on my Hobonichi Techo for every single day. If I am not able to make an entry on that specific day, I'll do it when I have the time. All entries don't have to be amazing, but every day should have an entry.

- Watch more anime. Find at least two new shows to follow regularly (...because I want to be able to buy doujinshi if I get to go to Comiket :D Oh well, I can always count on some Persona 5 doujinshis to appeal to me at least) None of the hyped new shows are really doing anything for me. Just please, move on from the sports show-boom already? No offence to people who like sports *cough* fujoshi-bait *cough* shows.




- Draw something everyday. At least every other day. At first, I made a promise to myself not to show my drawings publicly before the end of the year. That way I could allow myself to draw in peace and to myself, whatever I want and feel inspired to draw, without any stress of feeling pressed to publish the drawings anywhere. But I kind of already posted a sketch in Instagram, so maybe I'll post some drawings every now and then. If I feel like it.

- Work on my photography more. Not just dolls. (This I've started already. I'm looking for "hidden gems", or places that are worth a look or a visit, and post about them on Instagram.)

- Work further to improve my Japanese. Learn new Kanji. Try to improve in keigo or formal language.





- Read more books (meaning = reading for pleasure, not books I *have* to read) and document what I've read. I always feel a spike in imagination and creativity after I've read a novel or short stories. At least reading always gives me to most vivid dreams. I guess the same part of brain that are activated when reading fiction are connected with creating dreams. Come to think of it, I really like to look into what's happening (or if anything is happening at all) in the field of one of my favorite literature genres, magical realism.
I'm going to start with The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, which seems like it's some sort of steampunk-meets-magical-realism! Seems good!

- Find something inspiring even in the most mundane of things.


This is me. Sad but true. :D

- hmm, I really like to add spend less time online or on my phone. I feel like my computer and my mobile phone are taking up all the time that should go on more productive things. I'm already starting to downsize the time I spend scrolling Instagram and lately I've just opened my computer for university stuff only

- And... *sigh* to at least TRY to drink less Diet Coke. This is gonna be a hard one. I'm trying to substitute it with drinking ungodly amounts of oolong and green tea, but they can only do so much. I think I'm too addicted to aspartame (every time I get a head ache, I always go "Oh this is it now, I've finally done it and gotten that brain tumour because of my excessive intake of artificial sweeteners..." :'D No, I'm not too paranoid, people just always *always* frighten me with that aspartame causing brain tumour-prospect. ) ...says Spica and downs another glass of Coca-Cola Zero. But you gotta have at least ONE goal that you can't reach, RIGHT!

...I really feel like I should make at least one really *serious* and ambitious goal but I'm not really feeling it. (Hmm maybe take the JLPT - Japanese Language Proficiency test again as it's been a few years. I passed N2, but I think I maybe should renew that and then set a goal for N1 the following year.)
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Other plans for 2017





I'm looking forward to playing Persona 5. It's already been released in Japan but I don't have that PlayStation 4 yet. I could get a PS4 slim for a reasonable price, but of course I have gotten in my head that I have to get PS4 Pro. Because when and if I buy a new TV, it'll be 4K technology and what's the use of a high-end high-definition TV if you don't have something that can put it to good use?

Despite wanting to be super-excited about P5, at first I felt kind of "meh" about it. Ok, it looks great and I bet the gaming system is awesome. And I'm sure I'll learn to love the characters. But... I'm just not so hyped about the visuals, the main colors (red and black? It's been done so many times! At first I thought P4's bright yellows and lime greens were hideous but now I think they look fresh) or the theme. And I'm not really a fan of the "thieves"-thing. I just like P4 too much and I'm not ready to move on yet. Ok, it's been what, 9 years since P4 was released? Haha, I just get too attached... :D

But anyway, I'm seeing a lot of praise for the game, and I am getting curious and maybe a little "I call myself a Persona-fan and yet I haven't even rushed to get the new game yet and it's been out for months what's wrong with me!!!" I think I'm going to give Persona 5 a chance. When you find me ranting how good it is here on my blog, you'll know I've been converted into P5 fandom! :D



Keisuke, my LittleMonica Ginger, special order Brown. One of my newer dolls that doesn't have a profile anywhere... yet.


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I'm not going to say I'll "try to update this blog more regularly" because I already know I'm not going to be able to do it, at least when I have so many personal goals to take up my time. But I'll try to keep the blog alive, and post a little something now and then. This is also a little hobby-related, but I'd like to update the doll profiles, finally.






Most anticipated movie of the year is Blade Runner 2049, of course, since the original is my all time favorite movie!

Although, I am anticipating this new movie with both hope and dread, as I'm a little afraid it might ruin the lore of the original movie. The teaser trailer looks kind of cool though!


View over the rainbow bridge from Tokyo Tower. Photo © Me


Also, I'm going to Japan again with Petunia! *____*

We're looking at another three weeks in Tokyo (and possibly venturing outside Tokyo too) in the summer. Before the first trip, I was worried about the heat being too much but actually now I'm looking forward to the toasty Tokyo in July! I'm really missing the warmth...


Fox statues at the altar for Oinari-sama at Hanazono shrine in Shinjuku. Photo © Me


This time I'll be armed with my DSLR and dead set on taking some awesome shots! I'd like to document the nerd paradise in Akihabara and Otome paradise in Ikebukuro with photos taken with a *real* camera.  But I'd also like to catch some pretty pictures of the dinstinctive Japanese summer life, like the matsuris.

And of course the beautiful temples and shrines! I'm hoping we can make a trip to Kyoto this time so I can make a pilgrimage to Fushimi-Inari shrine. I'd also like to visit a shrine which main kami is a yatagarasu, or a three-legged crow. If we are going to Kyoto, Shimogamo shrine would be awesome.


Juniso Kumano Jinja in Shinjuku. <3 Photo © Me


I'd also like to visit Juniso Kumano -shrine in Tokyo's Shinjuku again. I'm still holding on to the yatagarasu Omamori I bought there (although according to the Shinto-belief you should bring the Omamori-charm back to the shrine after a year to be burned and then buy a new one... but I can't bring myself to burn my first Omamori).

I might write a post about what I'd like to see and experience this time in Japan. Now that I've already been there once, I think I can pin-point more clearly what I'd like to do this time and maybe make a small and flexible travel plan together with Petunia.


The place to be. Nitro + Chiral shop at Akiba. Photo from a person who deals information to me. :D

We'll surely visit the Summer Wonder Fest this time as well, to check out the up-coming new figures from commercial figure companies and - what I now know to anticipate over the figure companies' new releases - the special exhibition hall for independent doll and figure makers!

Also I've heard from reliable sources that there is a special Nitro+Chiral shop in Akihabara which is a must-go for me. We also have yet to visit the SmartDoll Store, as its grand opening was delayed last time we were in Tokyo. I now know a few places in Koenji that were overlooked last time and need to be visited this time around!


Mitama-matsuri at Yasukuni shrine. The word mitama refers to the soul of a deceased person. Photo © Me.

This time we'll be present at the beginning of August as well. Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed, that they'll open the exhibition of the ghostly picture scrolls at Zenshoan temple before we leave. These are picture scrolls by such great names of Japanese art as Hiroshige. The scrolls depict images of legendary Japanese ghosts and yokai. These scrolls can only bee seen once a year in August at the time of the Obon-festival. It'd be so awesome to get to see them in person!

Summer is the season of ghosts and ghost stories in Japan, which is great for a ghost and paranormal phenomenon-enthusiast such as myself! :D





4 comments:

  1. Congrats on your Blythe girl, she is lovely!!!
    And I do wish you the best of luck with the plans for the year! I hope you can achieve them all! I get the read goal, it is so much fun!! Although sotimes I cheat and hear audiobooks, so I can sew and "read" at the same time xD

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    1. Thank you! :) I'm very excited to get a Blythe, finally after years of thinking about getting one. I'm also a bit nervous about her because I tend to like boy dolls more, but if it doesn't work out with her, I'll just have her as a part of my "all kinds of different dolls"-collection as I've been trying to collect one of each kind (well, of the doll types that I like, that is).

      I love reading, I used to read novels and short stories all the time when I was younger. I think it's rather odd when someone says that they don't really enjoy reading books... I do listen to audiobooks sometimes, but usually the voice of the reader us a bit distracting to me. Like, I can't imagine the different voices of the characters when I have to listen to the reader. I can concentrate on my own inner voice better. :)

      But that's great, sewing and listening to audiobooks at the same time! Maybe I should try drawing and listening to audiobooks...

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  2. Kiitos kommentistasi Spica. Hienoa, jos edes joku ymmärtää, saa sen tunteen kuvistani.

    S

    ReplyDelete
  3. Eipä kestä! Kiva jos kommentti ilahdutti. :) Kuvasi olivat hienoja.

    ReplyDelete