Loong time no write...!

Yes, I know it's been ages since I posted anything here. Sorry 'bout that.

I've been busy as usual - especially since I got in on my school play. No, I didn't make the actor troop, but I'm in the choir. And hey, any excuse to learn more about singing! It's funny - I really love singing, but I've always just done it for fun, so I never really thought about how much technique you need to sing well. It's a lot of work, and I simply can't wait to start learning more!

I'm at my sister's in Kristiansand right now. I'm here for the weekend, and we're having a great time being couch potatoes and celebrating the fact that she finally got a pemanent job as a cellist! Congratulations, you've earned it! Also, we saw "UP", the new Pixar film. It was amazing!

I've realized there's still some posts from my time in Japan I never got to writing. I'm thinking of simply putting it all into one post, as a kind of summary. We'll see. There's a bunch of other posts I've been meaning to write as well. -.-;;

Location: My sister's place, Kristiansand
Mood: Sluggish
Listening to: TV
Eating: -
Drinking: -

Jazz hands!

...I'm officially done with my auditions! 3 rounds of 'em too.

For the first round I had planned to read a poem in two different ways, but ended up improvising nearly everything, doing a tiny bit of Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and just talking.

In the second round I faced nearly all my demons at once by singing "Dreaming" from The Little Mermaid TV-show in front of a huge amount of people. Thank God for spotlights, I didn't see a thing! I was really nervous and felt stiff as a log when I stood onstage and I didn't manage to hold all the higher notes because I was so nervous. Still, it was quite fun! I got a really nice comment too, which made me very happy. (o^^o)

The third round was held yesterday. I teamed up with Andrea, a very talented and fun girl, and we did a modern dramatization of the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. It was really fun to do it onstage! I feel much more relaxed once I have someone alongside me, and we made the audience laugh, so it was all good.

Phew!

Now I will focus on my upcoming history test (today) and then go home and do NOTHING. Except maybe draw and be with my family. Being 19 and all.

I'm already looking forward to it, this week's been rather stressful. No more auditions. THANK HEAVENS! Now all that's left to do is sit around and wait for the results. Wish me luck!

Location: School
Mood: Relieved and tired
Listening to: my Norwegian teacher talking
Eating: forbidden :C

To do or not to do, that is the question...

So I've decided to try out for my school's play this year, meaning....

AUDITIONS!

Tomorrow.

I'm scared out of my wits and have no idea what to do. Except some goofy Shakespeare or a little Chicago. I've never done an audition in my life. This will be... interesting.

Location: School
Mood: Nervous!

Homesick

Ironically enough, now that I'm back in Norway I miss Japan - and maybe my friends and host family - an incredible lot! Much more than I can remember missing Norway - but then again I always knew I'd be back within a year. I'd made up my mind to go back even before I left Japan, but when that'll be I'm not sure. And I want to be back now.

日本、鹿児島、城西高校、皆．．．全部が恋しいの！帰りたい！帰りたい！(; . q)

Location: School
Mood: homesick
Listening to: LIFE - YUI
Reading: The Reader

Resurfacing

So, after my initial shock concerning school I've decided to make the best of it and find what interests me in my subjects. Sociology looks like it can be quite fun too. Tough, but fun. Costume and scenography will probably be awesome - especially since my teacher was open for a cosplay project, including making the costume and a photo shoot! I never thought cosplay would make it to my timetable! My new class will still take some getting used to, I think, but I have some friends there now. It'll be okay - it has always turned out that way, and I see no reason why my lucky star should fail me this time. :)

I chatted with my hostsister Sayaka on skype for a long time today, and we decided to have a skype session tomorrow. I really look forward to being able to talk to them again! I haven't seen them for a whole month, and even if it's only on my computer screen being able to talk and see them again will be wonderful! <3>

My parents are away on a party, and so here I am at 3 minutes past midnight...and I still haven't eaten dinner properly. Haha, I don't see how I'll ever survive if I move out! (^ワ^) At least I've fed the rabbits.

I was looking at ebay and suddenly found the most wonderful things: Lion King plushies! I am desperatley in love with the laying Simba plushies! Especially the most used one, because he looks so soft and cuddly... behold!

Look at the one in the middle! Isn't he the cutest?

I don't want the warthog, just the lion...

Scar! Can you believe it? <3

Location: Norway, at home...
Mood: Happy nostalgia

Reading: Go Ask Alice

Listening to: Aishiteiru (Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou ED)
Watching: Lion King items at ebay (which causes nostalgia)
Eating: dinner at midnight...
Drinking: tea

...and my academical world crumbles

We're so lucky we get to choose some of our subjects at my school. And among all of them there were three I desperately wanted to take:

Mandarin Chinese II
Theater group
Scenography and costume design

...then add to the equation that I can only choose two.
...and that these subjects all run at the same time.

I ended up choosing scenography and costume design. I'm crushed.

I had really thought and counted on that I'd be able to continue my Chinese along with my artsy subjects. Now all I want for Christmas is Hermione's time turner. I had thought I could go back to China this year and meet my friend Si Chang. I'd thought I'd be able to continue, tutored by one of the sweetest teachers I know. No. What I had to do, though, was pick another subject from a pile of the ones I hardly had any interest in at all. So I chose sociology because it's what I think I might find fun and be able to motivate myself to do - if I can get over the loss of my Chinese class.

I want to cry so they'll all feel sorry for me and correct this horrid mistake in my schedule.

..because there has to be one, right? Right?!

Location: school...
Mood: depressed
Listening to: the aircondition
Eating: -
Drinking: -

Tying up loose ends

So, I haven't written here in a while, the sole reason being that I had so much to do that there was no time. I've decided to write a short summary of what's been going on - just so that you're all up to date and we're on the same page.

My trip to Kushikino island was amazing. The whole island was covered in greenery and the tops of the hills were hidden in the clouds making it misty and intriguing - to me it seemed almost Narnia-like. I also snorkeled for the first time in my life, and seeing tropical fish up that close was incredible! It brought me that much closer to my dream of being a mermaid. ^^

I held my farewell speech in front of the entire school...and I sang! My singing teacher told me, oh, about five minutes before I started walking towards the assembly hall! "I've arranged it so that you'll be able to sing!" "Eh?...you WHAT?!" When asking Matsuo-sensei: "What? I haven't heard of this..." then, while I was chatting oh-so-pleasently with Mr. Kamikawa, she came running. "Singing...now!"
...so, after I held my speech (which wasn't half as terrible as I thought it would be) I sang with Shun playing the guitar.

It was kind of nervewrecking, but I did okay, and so in the end it was fun and I felt very brave. Hurrah!

Also... my secret date for leaving Japan was... *drumroll* highlight: the 27th of July!
Meaning I'm now back in Norway. At first it was really weird. People around me spoke Norwegian, I spoke Norwegian, I understood everything... but I couldn't understand why they were speaking Norwegian! Inside my head there was nothing but English and Japanese. I think I've continued dreaming in Japanese a couple of times too. So yes, it is exciting and weird being home too.

School starts tomorrow, meaning a whole new class and new people whom I'll get to play with for a year before we go our seperate ways. I'm curious to see how it'll work out, seeing as they've already spent two years together and I've hardly met them until...well, now. At the same time I'm sure it'll be a year full of surprises and experiences! Exciting and boring at the same time, maybe...? (haha!)

Wish me luck!

I find this song fits rather perfectly for the occasion:


Location: Norway
Mood: "what now...?"
Listening to: 手をつなごう (Ayaka - te wo tsunagou)
Eating: cake! :D
Drinking: water