And thus a meme fiend... I mean FRIEND!!! Has memed me again and so I tag you all... ALL OF YOU!!! MUWAHAHAHA!

No, not really - but it is a curious little exercise filled with curiously curious curiosities and may perhaps afford you a glimpse into the nooks and crannies of my life, head and how I tick...

Mostly it reveal what a dork the Lamasu really is... and here are the rules for your delectation and observational needs:

* Post ten of any pictures currently on your hard drive that you think are self-expressive.

* No captions. It must be like we're speaking with images and we have to interpret your visual language just like we have to interpret your words.

* They must ALREADY be on your hard drive - no googling or flickr! They have to have been saved to your folders sometime in the past. They must be something you've saved there because it resonated with you for some reason.

* You do NOT have to answer any questions about any of your pictures if you don't want to. You can make them as mysterious as you like. Or you can explain them away as much as you want to.
























Oh yeah ... and I actually cheated... which I think is fairly representative in itself. There are actually 11 pictures. THAT'LL LEARN YA PLAYIN' POKER 'GAINST A LAMASU!!!

>_<;;.

On morning Abraham decided to have a career chang. From corrupt religious figure - to garden ornament of the fairy kind...




If I don't wake up tommorow it is probably because Abraham murdered me in my sleep.


;_;.

This has been stolenated from a fabulous individual who knows who they are and I thank them for the gift and bounty of Meme ^_^.

1. What song are you currently addicted to?

Currently your old fashioned Lamasu is swinging between De Camino A La Vereda from Beuna Vista Social Club ... which she discovered via a long time infatuation with a certain German Film Director ... and Kay Starr's Its's A Good Day... which I discovered via some comercial on TV - I don't remember what the product was but the song got me on a Kay Starr role. Don't tell me nothing good ever come out of advertising XD.


2. What's your favorite season?

SPRING! Love me some blossom and fuzzy bees and a weather that is perfectly suitable for reading in the park and it is still cool enough for three piece suits ...


3. What’s the latest film you watched?

Genji - A Thousand Year Love... with Yuuki Amami as Genji. I have a fondness for that story anyway but the film absolutely blew me away on so many levels I couldn't sleep for three nights in a row <3.


4. What is the one talent you wish you had?

Tap Dancing. I would pick up lessons tommorow if there were any around here for old ex-belly dancers but sadly - you have to be 10 to enroll for the local course... so ... meh.

Wouldn't mind being able to blow some Gershwin on a Clarinet which is far more do-able ... but I promised myself I will clear grade 8 on the flute first.


5. What’s your current fandom/obsession/addiction?

OK... so... you haven't been around here for long have you? I am still head over heels in Takarazuka heaven and I dare say my obsession with hot cross dressing Japanese ladies who can sing dance and make me do stupid things like GO ALL THE WAY TO JAPAN JUST TO WATCH A PERFORMANCE... well... it is here to stay and make light my wallet forever ^^;;.



6. What's your favorite musical instrument?

My trusty flute Ulaume shall be forever by my size... well...until I clear grade 6 anyway because then I will need to graduate from the Yamaha s211 ... but it will be a sad day of many tears and sorrows :(.



7. What web sites do you always visit when you go online?

Cannot live without TakaWiki for all my Takarazuka needs and LibraryThing because I once spent 13 years being a librarian and if I don't catalogue books every day I feel I might cease to exist!



8. What was the last thing you bought?

A trilogy of some horribly purply prosey out of print fantasy pulp on ebay. I paid far more for it than it was worth but I go weak at the knee at the very thought of trashy novels. It is the food for my soul and I am not even joking when I say that!



9. If you won 10,000 pounds today, what would you do with it?

I will put it in one of my saving accounts. AM I BORING YOU??? If I was forced to spend it post-haste I will drag the whole family with me to Japan ... my bigger chibi is as hopeless a Japanophile as his mum and he even agreed to go and see some Zuka with me :D:D:D Needless to say once we are I will have to be forecefully removed from Quatre Reves and my credit cards incinirated because 10k can in no way buy me everything in that shop and I WILL try to buy everything in that shop ;_;.

Yeah... I ... I will just put the money in the bank ^^;;.



10. Favourite time of day?

Evening. After dinner was eaten and everyone washed and pijama-ed and Vulcan is back from work and I can waste my time with clear concience watching something sparkly, reading something trashy, playing something naughty or just staring at the cieling... yay!



11. What's the last thing that made you happy?

Being accidentally mistaken for a MALE flamer in my little town... I didn't intentionally went out trying to confuse the local population but it is always nice when it happens without... you know... actually being chased down the street by a mob ...


12. Do you want to learn another language?

Always! I would love to be fluent in Akkadian for that trip I plan in the time machine to ancient Babylon... Would love to brush up my Arabic and my Yiddish too and a spot of Japanese could come in handy what with the whole Suka thang swirling around in my life.


13. What's the mythical creature from legend, movie or book you wished with all your heart existed for realsies?

Would be quite keen on Fairies of Seelie and Unseelie... oh wait... you meant ones that DON'T exist? Ummmm... TOTORO... oh wait... he is real too... errr... ^^;;.


Still have 8 invites codes for DreamWidth where this Meme wormed its way to you... if you desire a code let me know and I shall bestow it upon you ! I go by the same name there if you so wish to embrace me to your virtual bosom...and ... stuff...

Would he blow all the bridges in Japan or would he go to Yuuhi's Iri/Demachi?



"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

John Donne is made of very heavy and now I must go and lift my spirit with some chocolate and Hard-Boiled Sam Spade...

One day they will make a musical out of the Maltese Falcon - Hey ... stranger things happened in Zuka-Land.

Sam Spade: "When you get slapped - you take it and like it... WITH JAZZ HANDS! *sparkly feathers*".

I need chocolate! ^^;;.
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EDIT: Errr... seriously though... the reference about Hemingway and Blowing Up Bridges above is wink at his novel FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS (in which blowing up a bridge is key to the narative) and not a statement designed to promote terrorism in Japan! Seriously - don't people read books anymore? SERIOUSLY! Reading before Wanking plz kthx bai! ¬_¬.

Now look what you made me do ... you ruined my snappy statement with your ignorance ... silly people ;_;.

MADNESS!



OK ... no more Zuka shopping ... until next tuesday... unless there is an absolute dire necessity rising from some urgent situation in the realm of life and death ... like a situation in which I find myself really really really REALLY wanting more Kosher Zuka!

Yes... that would do...

Now excuse me - I am off to be blinded by the sparkly shininess!

If anyone wants me I will be in Chie's lap... I mean HEAVEN! (Same thing really ^^;;).

( OMIGODDESS! She is camwhoring like it was some blog of her the bitch! )

< /Schmaltz>

You turn heaven and earth in order to get the DVD of the show loved most on your last trip to Japan.

Overpriced DVD + Proxy Buyer Fees + Shipping + Custom Fees = OUCH!!!!




Call me a sucker - this is the closest I will ever get to having Matobu Sei sit on my lap and overall I paid £150 for the pleasure.

AND BY THE GODS OF SPARKLIES! A PLEASURE IT IS!!! :D:D:D.

In between sprees of Chick Lit and Hardboiled (they DO mix if ... if you kinda... shake them really hard inside a sock... or... stuff ;_;), I built up a bit of a backlog on the Hebrew literature.

TOTORO DOES NOT APPROVE!




It might fall on his head... all that Hebrew!!!

A bit of a cheat since 6 of the above are translations from Japanese, Danish, French and Arabic.

So I PROMISE! Once I finish Marian Keyes' LAST CHANCE SALOON and Raymond Chandler's THE LITTLE SISTER I am totally cracking on these ones! XD.

What came first?

The Dress Sense or the Fandom?

When I am asked how I got into Zuka I say to people that someone at some convention years ago told me I dress like an Otokoyaku and my reaction was: "OtokoWHAT?" And when I was told I shrugged and said the very VERY lame : "heh... don't they have MEN in Japan?"

YES I WAS AN IDIOT!!! (Albeit... gadnammit... a well dressed idiot ... even if I do say so myself ^^;;).

But these days if I tell people this story they think I lie. They think I only discovered the three piece suit and tie when Zuka finally hit me in the face and ate my life!

BUT I HAVE PROOF TO THE CONTRARY

This is yours truely, reading Gay Space Smut (Well... actually just... mostly... looking at pretty pictures of men smexing in Zero G).



At February 2005 Zuka wasn't even on the radar! More than 5 years later and everyone forgot that I dress like that because I wanted to be Rufus Shinra when I grow up and my own skewed interpretation moved from flaring layered white three piece suite to quazi-Edwardian-tweed suits... go figure.

The truth is actually far FAR more embarassing when you ... actually ... look at it ... ACK! >_<;;.

This right clicking disabling by Hankyuu is really hard work. I had to spend a full ten minutes of my life doing the PrtScr + CtrlV stuff... seriously - half of my life has been wasted.

So now I feel obliged to post the shiny and comment lengthily about the latest batch of chirashi becasue... well... it is shiny :D:D:D

First Tom doing Pushkin. Zuka doing Russian literature BECAUSE IT CAN! I approve seeing as I love Russian literature and takarazuka and can't express how much I always thought that Evgeny Onegin could benefit from sparkle, feathers and heavy eye-makeup! *loves*.




( And the rest goes under cut to protect the masses from blinding sparkly )

And thus ends my contemplations of various colourful pieces of papers scattered around theatres across Zuka-Land.

I am off to partake in some tea and ... errr... pickles (which I have laboriously plucked from trees along the avenue of Jew-Land in London (also known as Golder Green Kosher Supermarket :D:D:D))... because tea and pickle make sense when... when you are... when ... OK- OK!!! IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! Go away ¬_¬.

EDIT: Despite my lack of interest in things of Nihonmono nature I have now come to a decision that turning AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN to a Nihonmono might in (a "two wrongs most definitely make a write if you use enough sticky tape") actually salvage the story and make it bearable... maybe... worth a try... how can it possibly be any worse (don't say "Richard Gere in Lipstick" because I will kill you if you do ;_;).

My week so far was mostly made of Tax related FAIL only narrowly salvaged from utter stressful disaster by THIS:



A great big flouncy Korean gorgeous-fest with sword and sparkles - SQUEE! :D:D:D

Mostly trying to make up my mind which version of First King and Four Gods (Zuka Version: Damduk does not smile - Damduk angst on rocks and brandish sword and spear manishly... with fabulous eye make-up!!! *sparkles*) I love best and really REALLY can't make up my mind. Both Yuu and Chie are Love. Lust and LURV for so many different reasons and I just marathoned full days flicking between versions getting really flustered and dreaming about being squeezed between them.

DAMDUK SANDWICH!!!

I ... I will ... just go stand in the corner now ;_;.

It probably isn't coming as a big surprise to those still reading this (or any of the back-up blogs) that I find blogging a bit of a chore lately.

A lot of people on my f-list are here from the days of yaoi, few from the time before M/M got on my tits... I am still reading those voraciously but don't feel like talking or dabbing in their fandom anymore. Those days are over.

Takarazuka has taken over but I find I have very little in common with its fans on both sides of the east-west divide. I enjoy frolicking on its fringe and for a while have been enjoying reviewing it and fussing over it.

THAT I still massively enjoy. And I reached the conclusion that is what I should dedicate my journal too... but I feel the weight of all the past entries trailing behind me with their yaoi related tags weighing on my blogging life like a mountain or two or ten.

They don't seem to represent anything of what I am today and they still attract a big chunk of readers (yes - for those of you who don't realise I DO check the guests on my stats).

So I am going to do a clean-out.

Worry not - I will save you all the humiliation and will NOT clean my f-list. Those of you who want to leave are welcome to do so because I don't take it personally if you find my blog dull and not to your inclination but I DO know that some people get genuinly hurt when removed and I respect that. I don't EVER take it personally unless you are a really good real life friend which, lets face it - most of you never even talked to me on the phone let alone met me in person... so ... feel free sweeties! I won't cry or bitch or slash my wrists XD.

The cleaning I intend to do will involve LOCKING a lot of my old posts. I will start from removing all the tags and then starting from my first entry EVER will slowly either privately lock it or f-lock it Renewing tags as I go along.

Many entries WILL remain open to the public and ALL new entries (appart from massively personal ones which will be f-locked) will be OPEN. It is about sprucing up the LJ not making it intimate.

Entries that will remain open are ALL Zuka related ones and from the old ones - the ones that are linked to other sites... which is basically the LibraryThing reviews. Those include all the yaoi book reviews so those who have some saved up will still be able to view them even if they remove me from their f-list.

This will take me fuck-loads of time sooooo.... no rush.

Just clearing my thought on the subject.

Hopefully a re-organized journal will prompt me to blog again because I really enjoy blogging and am a bit depressed over my own lack of enthusiasm....

Anyhoooooooooo - that is that - just dusting my thoughts on the subject.

Let the new age of slightly more organized tiny and not really that significant part of my life begin :D:D:D.

Right now I am in a Hardboiled/Noir Fever and am up to the tip of my fabulous fedora with Marllowe, Spade and Hammer....

I already decided that next month will be CHICK-LIT months. Since I only read little but loved a lot and want to deep more than my little toe in. But it IS a big pool and I don't know where to start.

SO.

REC ME those of you who read chick-lit!

Those of you who DON'T read chick-lit, I would appreciate if you don't bother commenting at all (and by "APPRECIATE" I mean "BUZZ OFF") : I am not particularly interested in why you don't read chick-lit, don't like chick-lit, hate-chick lit or think that chick-lit should be stabbed with a firey spork through the fanny!

If you are the kind of person who think reading this stuff makes one an air-head we clearly don't need to talk. I probably need to nuke you from orbit with a massive sneer of contempt on my face ... got the point?

Your arse! Don't make it speak in my presence!


Yes - I am trying to pre-empt the high brow wank that is inevitably brews itself virtually the minute I dare admit that I love something that wasn't concieved up someone's butt (and isn't yaoi).

Recs only kthx!

It is the end of the school year ok? And appart from all the normal school sport events, artistic extravaganza and teacher parents meetings - it is also the traditional time for Gabriel to have tonslitis.

So - I have better and worse things to do with my life than updating LJ.

I am mostly alive on facebook where it is easier to comunicate in small bursts.

That is all...

Will return with Zuka stuff when time permits.

AND by the bye... it doesn't look like I will be picking up on updating regarding Yaoi and M/M anymore. Yaoi has become something I am happy to deal with on my own and M/M and me don't really see eye to eye that much since it stopped being about romance and turned out to be about disappearing up one's historical arse.

So if you are here for these - WRONG PLACE! move on ¬_¬.

EDIT:

OK... look - I don't like angry entires so if you want to know what my Zuka-centric existence revolve around at the moment - it partly has a lot to do with the discovery of YUU... YUUUUUUUUUUU*loves*.

So here is a snipet of Yuu I stole from somewhere on the internet in her role as a cheese Mafia Don from Adieu MArseille (It actually has something to do with soap but a friend of mine dubbed it BETTER! and thus it is now cheese! And Yuu is made of loverly - so shut up and stop nit-picking).

YUUUUUUUU <3.

Name: Kazutaka Shin
Kanji: 和貴 しん
Current Troupe: Cosmos
Role: Otokoyaku
Status: Eternal

Nickname: Ziki,Ziki-chan, Oy-Vey-Zmir
Hight: 162cm
Birthday: 19 June
Blood Type: A
Home Town: Haifa, Mordor Perfecture
Favorite Food: Falafel
Favorite Flower: Orchids, Red Roses
Favorite Colour: purple, Black&Wite, Earth tones
Hobbies: Reading (Sumire code forbids me disclosing what ¬_¬), Playing with dolls, Gaming
Collections: Miniature books, Papo figurines
Special Talent: Belly dancing (in a Tuxedo... HOW? ^^;;), Playing the Flute.
Origin of Stage Name: Combination of my two favourite villains... errr... I mean ... chosen as an expression of peaceful harmony and utter faith in Hankyu and other less worthy gods (can I be promoted to top star now?)
Favorite Role: Lucheni from Elisabeth,
Would like to try playing: Anything involving sitting on Tomu's lap or climbing on Tomochin's head (without a ladder) or both.

Aditional information: Currently the shortest (and hairiest) Otokoyaku in the company.

Can be mostly summed up with this:




Made of equal measures of Jew and Pirate... so... really... a rather normal day I think ^^.

*goes off to watch Zuka* :D:D:D

Beneath the cut is that picture of yours truely which was taken in Salon de Takarazuka this May to many giggles and botched up Japanese....

I just scanned it - mostly for my mum because she wanted a better copy of it - and it is a bit on the HUGE size so... do not clicken if your computer has the Kanipshin from high res stuff.

( Dorking it Zuka Style all over again )

And that is all for now... begone for I have apple pie and custard to devour and tea to sip in impressive quanitities - HUZZAH! ^_^

With all the excitement about the Resident Resin Rabbi - I forgot how much I love my Resin Psycho-Fop.

Few days ago I pulled out the Violin I intended for Abraham only to find out that Solomon is far better playing it.




And I got excited all over again about how expressive his face is... you only need to tilt his head a tiny bit to get a completely new and often menacing and somewhat disturbing glare from him.

And so I ended up playing with my dolls ...

( Falling in Love with Resin again )

And thus ends another episodes of Doll Can Camwhore Too...

The pox has left our house more or less and my mum is sadly heading off to Paris so this journal will slowly return to regular Zuka mayhem, spam and dribling...

OH HOW YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT! ^^;;.

I woke up this morning and went to check the ticket sales on Trafalgar because my sadness knows no bounds and found THIS on the Hankyu site... which begged to be print-screened...

Gypsy... Baron... Pretty...Can't...Breath...

*FlailFlapFroths*



Dear Kiriyan!

I know you were always awesome and beautiful but can you please stop getting more awesome and beautiful because I keep nose-bleeding on my carpet and carpet shampoo cost a lot of money.

Actually... carpet shampoo is rather reasonably priced if you buy it from Tesco ... also, I ... errr... don't have a carpet.

Sooo.... I guess it is ok for you to continue growing in awesomeness and beautifulness.

I will now go and nose-bleed happily into a bucket in the corner.

Lots of love

yours (now fainting with advanced euphoric anemia)

Lamasu



Since I can't catapult my arse to Japan every-time Takarazuka swishes something painfully eye-candy I guess I better start saving for YET ANOTHER DVD... me and Crescent Shop will be getting really friendly this coming year ^^;;.

Beans on Toast (with sparklies) for the next years chaps wot-ho!