The Negative Effects of Conformity in Japan

I wrote a post awhile back mentioning that as an outsider who stayed in Japan for a long time and dating someone that is Japanese, I’ve seen a lot of the good sides of Japan, as well as the issues. Earlier I talked about sexual assault and the misconception that there is no crime in … Continue reading →

Reflections for the Weekly Writing Challenge

In answer to the questions for my first response for the Weekly Writing Challenge. Hopefully I’ll keep up with these as I have (mostly) with the Weekly Photo Challenges. Here are my answers to the questions in the challenge:   Which books did you love growing up? Which poems? I’ve loved books for a long … Continue reading →

Crossing the Moon (Weekly Photo Challenge: Reflections)

Yuuki and I on the gorgeous Togetsukyō Bridge (渡月橋: literally Moon-Crossing Bridge) in Arashiyama, Kyoto Japan with rented kimonos in late January, 2014. Uploaded for the Weekly Photo Challenge. Sorry for sort of cheating and using two photos, but I couldn’t decide. I like my photo (actually taken by him) because you can see the river … Continue reading →

A Few Updates

I’m sorry I went a week without posting. I had a huge translation due, a huge application due, another little application, and Yuuki’s family came to help him move back near Tokyo so it was the last couple days I could Skype with him for a week. So – busy. And buy the time that … Continue reading →

Should Have Gone With Pudding

The comic I made for the League of Legends contest. It was due as I was coming back from Japan, so I didn’t get it colored, and the last panel was finished with barely ten minutes to spare…but alas, I’m pretty sure I was disqualified due to no color. But I finally finished using me … Continue reading →

Sunflash (Weekly Photo Challenge: Perspective)

Taken in Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture Japan in January, 2014. I thought this would work for this month’s challenge as the first picture shows the perspective of an outside observer, the second is from my perspective, and the last one I took directly in front of Yuuki’s face, so it’s from his perspective. Uploaded for … Continue reading →

A Guide to being an Activist on Facebook

For all those that want to share the things they’re passionate about without making people say things like, ‘Oh, I’m not a feminist, I just think men and women should be equal.’ I’ve noticed a few friends of mine on Facebook that are activists, and while I think their passion and their drive is admirable, … Continue reading →

Of Broken Backs and League of Legends

A. K. A. This doesn’t seem physically possible. For almost a year now, my boyfriend and I have been pretty regular players of League of Legends. With half the world in between us, it’s one of the few ways we can hang out, other than Skype. It wasn’t long after we started playing that most … Continue reading →

The Brink

Taken in Eau Claire, WI (sadly with an iPod), in 2013. Continue reading →

The Top Three Video Games (according to me (so it’s infallible))

I refuse to number these, because, well, I just can’t choose. It was hard enough to choose just three, and even then I sort of cheated. Enjoy:  Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition No game quite shocked me like Fallout 3 did. My roommate-to-be said she loved it but it was too scary to … Continue reading →