On finding myself mainstream

Just as pop culture has taught us, Japanese girls are cute. Most of them are cute in that non-descript way that happens when people have the same haircut, same makeup style and look like they shop in the same store (i.e. probably 80% of all college girls around here), and it's a way that requires a lot of work. When I moved I was about as low maintenance as anyone could imagine. Since moving, however, I've grown far more interested in makeup and other girly things, and I've expanded my routines to things like bb cream, blush, makeup remover before bed, and shaving my legs with razors that aren't the cheap disposable kind (setting the bar high here, I know). In the Japanese mind, I'm still very low maintenance, but it's funny how much more effort I spend on this stuff now. It's funny how much I like spending effort on this stuff. I'm still me. I'm just a far more put together version of me than most people know me as.

Still as true as it ever was.

I'm starting to really connect with one of the other female instructors more and more. She's good, tiny and pretty much a hard-ass, so I was glad to be on her good side either way, but the more I hang out with her during breaks, the more I find myself really liking her, like a person instead of just as a colleague. Especially when the conversation drifted into k-pop land and she had all this knowledge and interest that I never could have guessed. We bonded over our mutual disinterest in poor Yoochun ("Now give me some Yunho, that's a real man"), and I've gotta say that it feels really nice to be in a country where I can say which bands I like and people don't just give me a blank stare. People here can revel in the joy that is k-pop and other Asian goodies. They play my music on the radio. I've become practically mainstream.

Speaking of Asian goodies, since Sakanaction released not one but two new videos, you guys aren't getting away.

While the song's not my absolute favourite, I still wish I could be driving around in a car with Ichiro Yamaguchi like that. I love how they make videos that feel really everyday, like with the Music video, where I can imagine we're just chilling over Skype (without microphones). I don't know, it just makes me feel a little closer to them. That whole 'Hey, these people are actually real'-kind of feeling. Although both song-wise and aesthetically, Sayonara wa emotion feels more like their wheelhouse. It reminds me of the Bach no senritsu video in how abstract and dark it is.

I'm loving the mood here. It's giving me this German expressionism type vibe a little bit, with a helping of Eraserhead. Boys should wear more turtlenecks. It makes them look so cuddle-able.

Finally, I know that this is probably something that no one gives a shit about, but... Oh my god I managed to do a bridge for the first time ever and I'm so fucking excited! I've never been able to do that. Like ever. Do you guys ever feel like you just want to high five yourself? Because I do. Even at my fittest I couldn't dream of doing a bridge, so fuck yeah, this yoga mat was an awesome investment. Every other time I've tried I've just awkwardly balanced on my head, and now I could extend fully and it felt amazing. I almost fell on my head out of pure surprise. I could feel I was getting a bit stronger and all, but I didn't know I'd advance this much this quickly. As someone with a long history of not really digging on my body, being filled with ecstatic happiness over it being able to do all this cool shit feels new, but really good.

Okay, excited work-out ramblings over. For this time. Just wait until I can do a full side plank. Then I'll be back with some more full force self-adoration.