Birthdays, Greek Myths, and English Gentlemen

My birthday was November 8th. A little over a week ago.

It was fun. My Aunt Susie and Uncle Dennis came to town from San Jose, and Shae spent the night. We all went out to my favorite restaurant, and I got some cool stuff. (Like a PS3 for my room!) I had a lot of fun.

So, right now, in English, we're working on this project. The class was divided into groups of 6 or so, and we were each given 2-3 Greek Myths. We had to create a performance based around them, like a play or a puppet show. My group was given the stories of Bellerophon and Pegasus, Hades' capturing Demeter's daughter, Persephone, and Hephaestus, who was throw off Mount Olympus by his own mother for being born ugly and lame. Anyway, our group decided to do a sock-puppet show. More specifically, it's called "Greek Myth Therapy." It shows all the main characters of each story going to therapy to work out their "issues." If somebody comments on this post saying they want to read the script I wrote, which is supposedly hilarious from what I hear, then I'll post it. (But why post it if nobody cares!? Comment if you're a freak and you do.)

The sock-puppets look adorable. I'll post photos of them. (The therapist puppet kind of looks like Dr. Phil.)

So, for my birthday, I got a $100 bill, $50 Best-Buy card, $30 Michael's card, and a $25 Barnes'n'Noble card (love you, Shae!). It's all almost completely gone. (Insert mischievous giggle here.) A good portion of that money was spent on the two DS games in the Professor Layton series out in the US currently- "Professor Layton and the Curious Village," and its sequel, "Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box." I am halfway through the latter. These games are amazing!

Basically, in the games, you play as world-renowned scholar, archaeologist, university professor, and English gentlemen Hershel Layton, along with his spunky young apprentice/side-kick/self-proclaimed "#1 fan," Luke Triton. In the games, they go on adventures, solving mysteries, kicking butt, and taking names. The basic game play is a series of puzzles (trick questions, brain-teasers, and the occasional math problem). I know what you're thinking. "Ewwww, Mary- you're one of those people." Actually, I really enjoy these puzzles, and I only have trouble with a puzzle about 50% of the time. Anyway, these games are amazing- intriguing plot, beautiful graphics, and great music! If you want, YouTube the games. Now, what the bloody hexagon are you waiting for? Saunter over to your nearest game supplier and demand that this fine pair of gentlemen be placed into your possession immediately. What's that? Do I sense... Doubt? Fine. Here's the trailer for the first game.



The third game in this magnificent series is called "Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel," but it is only out in Japan. (It's expected to be released in the US, though.) Now, while YouTube surfing this evening, I happened upon a cut scene (perhaps the final cut scene) of this third installment. It is... Well. I only have a vague idea of what's going on in this short clip. However, even with my lack of background info, this scene is... Painful to watch. It makes my eyes tear up just thinking about it. Here. Just see for yourself...



Ugh. Perhaps you'd have a better understanding of why this is so dramatic if you have played the game(s). You see, it's both a running joke and an understood fact that Layton never, ever, takes his signature silk top hat off. Ever. His car, the "Laytonmobile," even has an extra-high roof so that he can wear it in the car. In one game, he builds a sort of hang-glider of materials on-hand to escape from a mile-high collapsing tower, flies all the way down, is fired at by an evil flying machine, nearly crash-lands, only to save the other passenger in a tumble roll off the thing- and his hat stays neatly in place all the while. The man is a magician or something.

All I know about this scene is that his old flame just kissed him in an "I-will-always-love-you" sort of way and then left. I think. Still a little fuzzy on the details. All I know is that this is extremely sad to me.

Well, anyway, enough of that. I have to go hot-glue a golden clay crown to a Hades sock-puppet. Bye!

Photo #1: Hades abducting Persephone. Photo #2: The cover of the first DS game in the "Professor Layton" series, "Professor Layton and the Curious Village."

Top 10 Hopes for the Holiday Season

Well, folks, it getting to be that time of the year again. Yup. Oh, stop your groaning. I personally love the holiday season, and I always try to squeeze every last drop of joy out of it before it's *poof!* gone.

This year, since this is my first holiday season blogging, I've decided to make a list of my top 10 hopes for this holiday season, so in January, I can see how things turned out.

Well, here goes nothing.

1. That I can manage to return all the love and appreciation I get (and often don't deserve) from my friends.
2. It would be nice to have our relatives over here for Thanksgiving.
3. That Christmas isn't as dull as it usually is for my family.
4. Maybe we (my family and I) can go out to a party or something this New Years.
5. That it snows, just like it did last year, on that one day!
6. My mom says every year that we might go on vacation during winter break. Perhaps this year is the year. (She often says either Disneyland or my grandparents' in northern California.)
7. That I find great Christmas presents for all my loved ones!
8. That my mom doesn't spend the entire holiday season complaining about how stressful it is.
9. Perhaps my teachers will be in brighter spirits and not assign too much homework in December. Hey, stop laughing. A girl can dream.
10. That I can manage to stay cozy-warm and be the victor in my yearly love-hate battle with Jack Frost.

Hands, Harlequins, Poodles, and Steampunk

Hello there people! Just a little update on what's been going on.

I ended up buying that costume I talked about last post. I love it, and I got so many complements! I wore it with black tights, Mary Janes, a headband, and a Mardi Gras mask.

Wednesday was my school's "Harvest Festival"- basically, our version of a homecoming carnival. We (the art department) used this opportunity to promote our art show, "Sticks, Stones, Roots and Bones," by doing a parade in-costume at the festival, passing out candy and promoting the show. The art show itself featured work by the art majors. It was voodoo/New Orleans/vampire/death themed. In the parade, there were gypsies, vampires, mourners, dead people, and me- the only Mardi Gras person, a black and white harlequin

The art show was yesterday. It was great- there were a lot of great pieces. (Mine got in!) There was a giant swamp display in the middle of the gallery (complete with an alligator with a fish in its mouth), a fortune telling booth, and lots of free food. We repeated the parade at the show, only this time, we got a hearse to lead us! (Even the guy driving the hearse wore a skeleton mask.)

There was a sculpture at the art show that was a taxidermy shape of a skunk, complete with a fluffy tail. In its side was a working clock, and it had tiny cuffs, a small Victorian hat, and cameo jewelry. I thought it was good, but when I read the title, "Steam Skunk," I thought it was even better! Steampunk is a style based off of what was fashionable in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. It gets its title from the fact that, back then, everything was run by steam. I love that style- I've always loved Victorian clothing.

At the Harvest Festival, they also had fortune tellers, so I got my palm read. The girl said (based on my palm) that I was a sweet person, I loved the feeling of being in love (but that I am far from it at the time), that I have highs and lows of luck, that I'm strong, and that my life and love lines meet at a perfect angle, so I'll have a good life in that department.

Next Thursday is a 50's Diner themed art show featuring the entire art department! (The show yesterday didn't have the electives, such as photography and ceramics, but this next one will.) I'm so excited- the bigger of the two galleries will be transformed into a diner and we'll have In-and-Out burger come. Girls will be dressing up in poodle skirts and everything! I'll be sure to post about it.

Well, I feel like playing Eternal Sonata. Bye!

Photo #1: A Mardi Gras parade. Photo #2: A great example of the Steampunk style. A major thing in Steampunk is goggles, mostly brass goggles. Photo #3: A colorful 50's diner.

Sickly, Sicker, Sickest

Hello again! It's me, just as sick as ever. I missed three days of school last week, but went on Friday... I felt worse today, so I stayed home and slept until 1:15 P.M. Feeling a bit better, but I'm still coughing, and I still feel like the world is one giant icebox.

Anyway, I was just thinking about some things. First of all, I think I finally found a Halloween costume... It's called a Moulin Rouge mime. (The one in the picture, click to enlarge.) I like it. I'll probably get a tiny hat or something, a little black face paint... It's going to be fun.

Also, my birthday's coming up. November 8th is right around the corner, and I still don't know how to celebrate. I love my birthday- going out to dinner, having a birthday cake, getting presents... It's so fun. If I could find a good way to celebrate at home, that would make things even better. I've been thinking about it and looking around, but I just don't know. Well, I'm sure I'll come up with something. The only thing is, my birthday's on a Sunday- which is horrible. It's not like I go to school and celebrate with my friends, but I don't get to stay up late either...

I was also just thinking about changing my blog's layout... Maybe something more old and ornate. I'm not quite sure.

I should probably get going. Words will probably fail to express to my readers how much make-up work I have to do. Later.

Sickly

I've stayed home the past two days. I feel so horrible, I think my organs are turning inside-out.

In case anybody is wondering about my last post, it's me and Shae. She came over this past weekend and helped make my science project video, "The Wonderful World of Proteins." I'll post it up on YouTube one of these days.

I'm listening to "Alone" by Heart. I really love this song, it's one of my favorites. It almost makes your heart ache. I really like it when Kristen Chenoweth and Matthew Morrison sang it on the show "Glee." You can listen to their version here.

Well, I should probably go. I'm too exhausted to type anymore. Bye.

Wordless Wednesday #7: Let's Talk about Proteins

Wordless Wednesday, or WW, is when bloggers post a single photograph that requires no description or caption. A picture says 1,000 words. Click here to visit the official Wordless Wednesday website.

Something to Look Forward To

This weekend was fun. Ushering was pretty cool. I spent the night at Shae's on Friday, and she spent the night here last night. Today, Shae and I went to Ethel M's chocolate factory and the Galleria mall. (I saw two hilariously great t-shirts: One had Spock on it and said "live long and prosper," the other had the original Enterprise crew in the transporter and said "beam me the hell up!")

My mom played the song "Fame" on the drive home. As much as I love its music and story, the comparison to my school, LVA, is just a little bit flawed. People say LVA is just like Fame; there was even an entire local newspaper article comparing them. However, is there an art department in Fame? What about international studies? In the newspaper article, they didn't even mention that our school had an art department. Its only reference was a quarter-sized photo of a couple students drawing mannequins. Sure, students look over my shoulder when I draw, saying "You're amazing! I wish I could draw." But other than that, you feel pretty left out, because the majority of the students are performers.

People don't realize that art is a really difficult major. The visual arts students don't follow choreography, sheet music, or scripts; they have to create things from their head, make sure they look good, and improve them. They're expected to create great things.

Yeah, yeah, I know I'm being dramatic. I really want to see Fame, though- I think it looks really cool! I really do respect the performers of my school. Besides, there's not really much I can do. Any-who, if you want to read the article, click here. (It's pretty interesting.)

Well, leaving that all behind, tomorrow should be a good day. I have all my best classes (ceramics, biology, and English), and I have no geometry homework! Oh, and tomorrow, I'm picking up an order I placed at Blick Art supplies- new ink pens and two new sketchbooks. It's so nice to be able to look forward to the day. When you know a day is going to be great, it usually turns out to be!

I'm going to go- House MD will be on soon. Bye!

Ushering

I had fun ushering last night at the Fall Dance Concert.

My friend Maggie and I were selling roses and little dancing pink dolls. (We personally thought the dolls were funny-looking, but a lot of people thought they were cute...) We would write the name, location, and class of the performer it was for on a little envelope, the person buying them would write them a message, and the runners would take them backstage to the performer.

The concert itself was amazing. I really loved it. I got to see my cousin and my friends perform. I'll be ushering again tonight.

I'll be spending the night at Shae's tonight, and we're going to see Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3-D tomorrow.

Well, I should go eat lunch/dinner... Linner? Well, bye.