Can you see the cat ?

pinkshiori @ 2008-02-23T02:13:00

2008-02-23T01:23:27Z

Almost two month since I last inscribed something here, since I last felt the urge to pour my thought to this silent, invisible audience. So much have happened, and yet so little. I gave up on my quest for love, figures, feels like I gave up on a friend - a very dear friend - too in the process, and I'm not even surprised. It was just like in the movies, 'cept I never got the girl in the end. And what for? I'll be leaving town in a few months. I have so many things to settle, next year is so close yet so far away. There are so many places I want to go, to be. London, Lyon, Wales, Greece, New Zealand, China, Korea, Japan, even the US. I dream. I dream maybe too much and I don't know where to start to make these dreams come true.
Is this a come back on LJ or just a fleeting thought ? Maybe I'll take up my writing once more, if only to delay the inevitable job seeking and form filling...

holiday readings

2008-01-03T22:39:29Z

"Praise and blame alike mean nothing. No, delightful as the pastime of measuring may be, it is the most futile of all occupations, and to submit to the decrees of the measurers the most servile of attitudes. So long as you write what you wish, that is all that matters; and whether it matters for ages or only for hours, nobody can say. But to sacrifice a hair of the head of you vision, a shade of its colour, in deference to some Headmaster with a silver pot in his hand or to some professor with a measuring-rod up his sleeve, is the most abject treachery, and the sacrifice of wealth and chastity which used to be said to be the greatest of human disasters, a mere flea-bite in comparison."

V. Woolf, A Room of One's Own, 1929

...quoting, an unusual thing.

Happy New year

white

2007-12-17T16:21:03Z

From dark the mornings become whiter with frost, your ears freeze and soon you cannot feel them anymore, you find yourself wearing your coat even in the classroom, and suddenly your friend grabs your arm and exlaims "Look! It's snow!". Yup! Winter's there and there's nothing you can do about that except adding a few more layers of clothes. November is long gone with its nanowrimo failure and student strikes. Put it all behind and embrace December with its cold days and running noses \o/

Shiznat amv !

2007-12-06T17:57:39Z

Yeah I've been neglecting this LJ for a while now. Just did not feel like writing anything. I even gave up on my Nanowrimo projet, yeah after only 18 000 words. I may finish it someday.. or not.
Anyway, here's a shiznat amv I made this summer, too lazy to upload it on youtube so far. The music is from the awesome LezzieonX, I never get tired of their music.

But who is Gabrielle ?

2007-11-25T01:07:54Z

Which Female Heroine Are You?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Xena, Warrior Princess

I am Xena, Warrior Princess. I have done some bad things in my life, but I am committed to helping other people. I like to laugh, though my sense of humor can be rather sarcastic. I have several close friends, including Gabrielle.

Xena, Warrior Princess

83%

Boudicca

75%

Joan of Arc

71%

Cleopatra

67%

Elizabeth I

63%

Such a dyke!

2007-11-07T13:34:27Z

So while those idiots keep me from studying (which is not going to end soon now that the movement has started spreading on a national scale) what else can I do except sitting bored at home, watching Xena Warrior Princess and listening to Melissa Etherige, talk about cliché !

My nanowrimo project is on its way too, after a tough begining I finally got the grip of my story and characters. It's just to bad my muse only visit after 2 am.

4:04 : hour not found

2007-10-30T03:16:59Z

Okay, it's 4am and I am still up, trying to put together what will be sent to the local media to promote the 3rd edition of the Korean Movie Festival in Rouen. Because we are very organized people, you know, the festival is in less than two weeks, basically nothing has been done except getting the credits and the movies (which of course is quite a good deal of work, yet not enough), the file I'm working on is supposed to be sent like tomorrow, and we started like today. So here I am, high on orange juice and ginseng tea because there is a CRUEL LACK OF COFFEE in my house.
Those idiots people call students at my university decided to go on strike (again) for god knows what - yes our president is an a$$ but can somebody kindly explain to me the point of blocking access to a campus, since it does'nt really bother anyone except students themselves. Anyway, if you look at it, maybe it was luck because with the load of work I have these days there no way I could have done it without skipping at least some classes.
Aeren is coming tomorrow from Lyon to see me and the bags under my eyes and I f***ing don't know where I'll take her since it's so dam dead over here (and I have work to do anyway). And I also signed up on Nanowrimo, it's my first time and I have absolutely no idea why I did that. Probably not the brightest idea I've had so far, thankfully it only starts on november 1st, right after Dagga's birthday party, who knows in what state I'll be.

And you know, the funniest is all this is that except the lack of cafeine, I feel good, as if I could do anything, for once ^^

bookish lady nanao chan

2007-10-18T21:29:30Z

Since we are doing Shakespeare this year, and because Virginia Woolf puts it beautifully : "Cleopatra did not like Octavia. And how completely Antony and Cleopatra would have been altered had she done so!"

I took an optional course in Women studies at uni this year. "Feminist theory in English literature", what can I say except that it is gradually changing the way I read, think, live. I find myself questioning things I would never have thought of questionning before.

And I discover that so many book have been written about this subject, out there for me to read... YAY!^.^

(By the way, my resolve finally broke and I treated myself to that evil thing you modern people use, called a myspace. Absolutely useless were it not for the link toJean Genet's myspace, not the writer(he's dead, duh) but the band (if you could say so) who.. well check it yourself ^^)

woot

2007-10-09T20:55:59Z

Lezzies on X tomorrow night in Lyon :D :D :D \o/ *so excited*

And I am currently reading Women in Love by DH Lawrence, this ought to be the most erotic book I've ever read, now I know why I love litterature :D

...

2007-10-02T17:05:09Z

Just thought I should post something here, to finally put an end to my London break. I've been back home for almost a week but was stuck in a kind of in-between place, my body in France, my mind in London . For my last week I almost did not work, went to the Victoria and Albert Museum, saw not one but two Shakespeare's plays at the Globe, had three new roommate whom I totally adored and partied for Lucie's birthday. Happy, happy memories, had it not been for my landlord spoiling my last day by stealing £10 from my deposit. If you ever want to go and work in London like I did, as sweet as this idea sound, never ever give Londonjob your money like I did. They don't find you no job, unless you already work in the catering sector in your country of origin and of course do not care if the manager of the place they send you to live steals from you :/

All of this seems so long ago now, I went back to university on Monday. New teacher, new subjects and new people, yet still the same useless people in the office, the same grey buildings and that rain I had fogotten for a while. Holidays are really over I guess. I put some photos I took in London in my gallery ^^

One month

2007-09-18T21:32:56Z

I told my landlord I'm leaving next Tuesday. "I'n leaving next Tuesday", how final it sounds ! It seens so far away yet to close.
It made me realise I had bee there in Golders Green for one month exactly.
When I said three weeks, well it was only three times a week, and what is a week compared to a whole MONTH. "I've been in London for one month" how accomplished it sounds ! Then again maybe something really happened during the 4th week, last week. I s[ent this week helping a friend getting everything ready for a departure -which was on Sunday - and working, seeing less and less of London, taking the tube on peak hours. From tourist to commuter. I felt I became a Londoner.
And I'm leaving it all behind in one week while London has so much more to offer still. Oxford Street, Camden Town, Whitechapel,Soho, Hammersmith, Whitehall. Literrary London, artistic London, frenzy London and oh so gay friendly London !... And I, laying on my bed in my empty room now that two of my roomates are gone, writing away to the sound of the broken flush.

I haven't left it yet, I already want to come back

\o/

2007-09-13T13:46:20Z

I finally got it, my real summer !
Just laying around in the sun in London

you want to see me cry, that's what you want ??

2007-09-04T17:02:34Z

I hate it I hate it I hate it !
It's like the 3rd time my boss calls me in the middle of the afternoon to tell me "you aint working tonight". First because no work means no money and then because I could have been doing something way more interesting than just waiting for the time when I'm supposed to take the bus.

I can hardly stand my roommates anymore, since they arrived the room is all dirty, they eat in it and never clean. Because they spent like the last 6 years of their lives partying and not building anything they believe me a nerd way too inocent to fit their standards. Not my fault I love my books better than they love their lives. Anyway the fact is I'm thinking of changing rooms for it feels more and more like THEIR rooms than ours.

Fortunately I made some good friends in Golders Green and last night we chatted in the hallway (because you cant use the living room between midnight and 8 am) until 4 am... only to be woken up by my roommates at 8, of course.

I went to King's cross this afternoon (quickly of course) and saw platform 9 3/4 haha, not really interresting but now I can say I saw it ^^. Personel from the Tube are on strike by the way, so that from last night to thursday only 3 lines are working : Northern, Picadilly and Jubilee, I feel sooooo lucky to live on the Northern line.

Reading list for uni is finally online, I have a dozen books to buy before going back home, I'm afraid I'll have to buy a new suitcase to carry them :/ No I just have to find some time to go to Charing Cross road ^^

ps : Starbucks' caramel frappucino mmmmmmmm

What is done is not to be done...

2007-08-28T12:37:57Z

.... except when you work as a kitchen assistant in a busy restaurant.

A boy from Golders Green (where I live) introduced me to his boss before leaving London. I began cleaning plates and mopping the floor there on Thursday. Saturday was my first night on my own and of course it just had to be the busiest day of the week. Plates and glasses just kept coming and coming, I could not manage everything all alone. In the end Joji (or however you spell it), on of the two South American waiters came and helped me.

On Friday night I had let the French people in Golders Green take me to the Fabric, the biggest club in London. We queued for 2hours, paid ₤12 and went out only 1hour later because the Drum’ Bass shit there quickly got on our nerves. We then headed to St Paul’s while actually looking for Leicester Square. We took a night bus for Victoria, stopped in Oxford street, ate chips (fries) and cheese and went back to Golders Green.

I went to bed around 6am, still waiting for our real night out to begin. The next day I woke up late but still decided to go to St James’Park. I stayed there for half an hour and then went to work, I could not go back to Golders and eat, for the tube was way too slow that day, just my luck!! No wonder I was so slow in the evening, I was starved :/

On Sunday my roommate introduced me to her friends, she took me to her parish. I attended a regular Christian mass for the first time in my life, in a Church full of French speaking black people, right in London. An interesting experience if you ask me but no enough to make a believer out of me, aaand I had to leave right in the middle of the prayer or I’d have been late for work. My roommate did not come and sleep at Golders this night.

Monday was my day off and the Notting Hill carnival. I woke up to late to follow the French people of Golders to the carnival. I took the Tube to the East End instead and walked a bit in Whitechapel. It is more or less the South Asian district now, didn’t hear a word of English there – then again the most spoken language in Golders Green is Hebrew. I could see the Ten Bells pub, where Jack the Ripper’s victims were said to hang around. It is still furnished in the Victorian style. Had I not been alone and broke I would have loved to have a drink there.

Is it sick to be fascinated by the darkest and cruellest period of English history?

Blue

2007-08-22T20:06:36Z

I want to go back home

It rained all day

I had another fruitless interview

I haven't seen anything of London yet

I can't seem to find my place in the group of young people there

I can't even afford food

I should stop complaining

I'm in London d*** it!!!

I miss her....

Shiori in the Tube - London life

2007-08-21T21:12:30Z

Muahahaha I found a cyber café just nearby the place I ‘live’ !!! Once a geek, always a geek!

I got an interview for a job today, but when I arrived the person whose place I was supposed to take had decided to stay, so no job for me.

I spent 4 hours in the tube today.

I also walk a lot.

I’m losing weight, good thing. I may have to buy new, more fitting clothes…

The owner of the Korean shop nearby is really cute.

I keep passing by the shop just to grab a sight of her…. :D

Sakura drops

2007-08-19T16:51:05Z

It's raining outside.
I've lit my desk lamp, it is too dark outside.

I'm leaving for London tomorrow morning.

Insecure.
Will I get a job ? Will I make friends ? Will I have enough money to stay ? Will I find my way in the underground?

I've been trying to make a new ShizXNat amv before leaving. My computer keeps crashing down.

Gloomy mood. Gloomy day.

August, where are you ?

playing with crayons

2007-07-27T20:49:11Z

A new haircut, a boring afternoon and make up

last summary

2007-07-27T11:29:45Z

This is the last part of my trip to Korea I was too lazy to write down.

The days after the night we spent at shimjilbang, Wednesday, july 18th, we were supposed to visit Panmunjeon and the demilitarized zone between South and North Korea. At 9 pm we were at the meeting point in the Lotte Hotel in Seoul, only to find out that Kyosunim (our teacher) had not properly booked our seats in the tour. It was thus postponed to Friday. After some more arguing we decided to go first to Namdemun; traditional market place in Seoul where you can find pretty much everything at a low price. We then took the subway -Seoul subway, just imagine ! - on our own because Kyosunim had to stay with her sister, to Gyonguk palace in Seoul where we met up with Nohun.

Afterwards Nohun took us to Insa Dong; the place where most ~~traditional~~ tourist's shops are gathered. We had ice cream and took the subway gain to Yonsan station. There we met with Kysunim and took the subway again for a two hour to Cheonan. There Kyosunim's family was there with three cars to drive us back to their temple where we spent the night.

We spent the next morning cooking in the temple's kitchen for the reception at Korea's Foundation we were to give in the evening. Korea's Foundation is the society that pays the wages of our teacher and supports many of our projects. Because I spent the day helping organize the reception I changed in my dress at the very last second… and got stuck in the closet I had elected as my hiding place (no time to go hide in the toilets downstairs. I was lucky Marcia heard me and rescued me quickly or it would have been very very embarassing :/

After the reception we rode coach to Oryu Dong, where Kyosunim's family had booked rooms for us. The main asset of our hotel was that is was cheap and… OMG it was actually a love hotel ! First thing we noticed was the mirror above the bed :D We spent the next three nights there.

On Friday we finally visited Panmunjeon and the DMZ, yeah you read right, somehow they managed to turn the South/Noth border into an attraction for foreign tourists. In the afternoon we were back to Seoul, we took the subway again to meet with a group of Bon San artists - Bon Sang is traditional Korean masked dance - they taught us the basics of their dance and music and allowed us to try on their costumes and masks. I did not like it at first, just like anything sport related like dance, but in the end it was pretty fun ^.^
Then they invited us to the restaurant with other friends of them. We drank and sang, a common evening in Korean. After that Kyosunim invited us, and a film director who was there, to drink beer in a pub. At 1am the taxi drove us back to Oryu Dong… where Kyosunim's sister came to drive us to the club where her boyfriend was a DJ. We were supposed to stay there for only a short time… We stumbled into our hotel room between 4 and 5am, efficiently disturbing those of the group who had gone to bed right after the restaurant.

On Saturday we went to Yonsan, the electronic market, where you can find anything electronic related at a lower price than in France, I bought speakers for my PC.. and managed to stuff it in my suitcase !! \o/. In the afternoon we went back to Namdemun for last minute souvenir shopping. Some of the boys went to a book shop while Kiang Sin and Nohun led the rest of us to another district for Marie Laure and Christelle to buy hanbok (traditional Korean dress) in a shop Nohun knew. It took a long time and we were tired so with Kiang Sin we went to a have a drink. Their coffee shake was heavenly.

In the evening we had all planned to pack our things in peace but noooooo there had to be another dinner out with the formor boss (if I got it right) of Korean Airline, well all I know is that there was soju and meat, and soju and even more soju, perfect way to end this wonderful trip to ~~Soju land~~ Korea.

I packed my things in the middle of the night, which probably explains why I forgot many of them, among which my diary, of course I WOULD forget it :/

The flight back was uneventful, I had a long conversation with my neighbour. He sounded agreeably surprised to learn that so many French people are interested in Korean movies, dramas and culture as a whole.

erf

2007-07-26T22:11:31Z

I've been back home since last sunday, I was just to lazy to write anything. When I arrived home it was raining, I miss the monsoon already.

woot

2007-07-17T15:04:06Z

1st time I have access to the internet since I left Jeju.

Saturday night in Busan we met with No Hun and her friend Cheong Min, in whose apartement we slept, or rather partied all night until sunrise.
Then on sunday our teacher's family joined us with in a bus they had rented and we all went to Gyeong Ju to visit the Bulguksa temple. We learnt how to pray to the Buddha. After that we went back to the common rooms we had rented in Gyeong Ju and slept for a few hours. At 3 am we woke up and we rode the bus to Seokoram Grotto where we bowed 108 tines to the buddha in order to wash up the 108 human sins in buddhist belief.

We then went back to the rooms, slept a bit and slept again in the bus to another temple near Seoul where we ate with the "monks" and slept, a very unique expoerience. In the morning we rode the bus again to our teacher's family temple. They are a very particular buddhist family I think, they gave us meat for lunch and one of our teacher's cousins plays the guitar.

After leaving the temple we went to the supermarket in order to buy everything needed for tuesday's reception. I was in charge again, almost another nervous breakdown for me,we could not find everything since it was all written in Korean and everyone tried to discuss everything :/. After that the bus took us to the center of Seoul. Afte a good hour of arguing because of our lack of organisation we, the dongari, all went to the shimjilbang (sauna). Boys and girls are separated for bathing, Asian common baths with the shower on the floor and... naked Korean girls. We, shy European girls were oh so self conscious in there, but I quickly got used to it. They give bright pink clothes to the girls and blue ones for the boys, so cliche. The shimjilbang is on the 17th floor and from the windows we can see the town, We met the boys in the common room, ate in the Korean restaurant (mandu and naengmyon) and enjoy the cyber room with many computer and and an internet access (a little more than 1euro for a 1 hour connexion). btw our teacher left us alone in the shimjilbang :/ we are on our own and no one here speaks English.

Anyway I'm going to make the most of this night (yeah we sleep here for the night, it is way cheaper that an hotel room).

Here we are

2007-07-14T01:45:28Z

Here we are, I'll be leaving Jeju university in about 1hour and a half.
Everything went smothly yesterday night, no problem with the food, they all seemed to like it. Even the cooking in a unknown kitchen was pretty fun. I'm proud to say I read my speech in Korean in front of everyone without loosing all my means. My teacher was even surprised that was pronunciation was that good. We sang, exchanged gifts and took photos.
After the dinner we went somewher to empty the leftover bottles. Strange atmosphere. We were trying to party but with the ghost of departure looming over us. Gwi Hye cried for quite some time. I will cry todays at the airport.
I so don't want to leave!

We even tried to pray for the typhoon that has been anounced for these days ( and indeed wind was quite impressive last night) so that our plane cannot take off :/

Ok, cheer up Shiori ! Now we have a whole country to discover, Busan, Kyong Ju(or however its spelled), Seoul. And I' ll see Gwi Hye in London this summer, and all the other doumi in France next year.

dont want to leave

2007-07-12T14:26:12Z

I can't believe we are leaving Jeju on Saturday :/ Tomorrow we have a kind of farewell dinner to wich we, students, invite officials and people who helped us during our stay (we even invited the bus driver and the cafeteria lady). Each of us has a speech (in Korean) to learn by heart for tomorrow's dinner. No way I'm making it, its almost 11:30 pm and I haven't started reviewing.
Tonight we spent a good part of the evening in a supermarket to buy food for tomorrow's dinner. You can't imagine how expensive beef meat can be in Korea!
Some tensions appeared today in the group between the girls who wanted to go shoooopppping and only cared for their own plans, and the boys, Elise and I. The girls bought presents for each one of the doumi (even thoses they haven't talked too), something that I find even more stupid since some of us did not find the time/money/inspiration to do the same. So yeah they'll think I'm greedy and all. I just hope Gwi Hye and Ji eon won't be too disappointed with the cards Gwen, Elise and I managed to find.

I spent two wonderful weeks with the students of Jeju Daehakkyo, I sad I'm leaving. This will probably be the last update until I found another internet access in Pusan or elsewhere, since tomorrow we have a very busy day, we'll then go drink for the night in order to spend as much time as we can with our doumi. Maybe on saturday but I'll be too busy crying :/

welcome to Sojudo we love having you here

2007-07-11T16:46:19Z

OMG I did not update as regularly as I wanted too, and tonoight I m still not in the state to write. Time goes by so quickly, we are leaving Jejudo on saturday. I so want to stay here,I made wonderful friends.

Today we tried on Hanbok, traditional Korean clothes. I could have been fun, but the TV was here AGAIN >,< and they filmed our every move. At first they wanted to be there when we took off our clothes and put on traditional undergarnment, fuck them. Then the first undergarnment I tried on was too tight in the chest area, I could not close it, and so was the second. By the time I took off the second everyone else pretty much had their full hanbok on, so i kind of gave up on the idea of wearing a hanbok, I ate being late during this kind of things. I was so disapointed I started to cry for no reason, just like I always do. But the teachers noticed it and made me put on the ugliest hanbok in the room (bright orange, god I looked like tweety :/), not the one I had chosen. DO of course the TV filmed me with puffy eyes and wearing birght orange :/
After that we learn Korean tea ceremony and it was interresting, calming and moving, it is not everyday that a European has that kind of opportunity.

Then in the evening we went to a restaurant (again) and ate and drink and partied for Marcia's and my birthday. they had bought a cake and a rose for each of us, so nice. And Ji Eon gave us oil paintings that she had done herself <3

Then we went back to the campus and drank some more soju, we = some of the French people, our teacher and Tanaka-san

another day, another rain

2007-07-09T08:43:40Z

Yesterday we woke up with rain, monsoon rain. Still -after some arguing of course - we went to Iho Beach near Jeju with Miss Pion (who is in charge of the international relations of Jeju University) and the doumi. When in the bus it rained all the way, it looked like the floods we can see in France, except that it is the usual here in this season. We still were mad ebough to go the beach, and it was a good idea since it stopped raining some ten minutes after we set foot on the sand. First we played a volley ball game, France versus Korea ( Korea won btw, but only because they had two French traitors in their team) while some of the others went to swim. I hurt my feet on pebbles that were hidden in the sand. Then I went to swim a bit too and cut my foot with a rock. The water was cold at first but nice once you are in it. Ji Eon, after playing volleyball with us, spent most of her time drawing portrait of Marc, she is very good. Miss Pion pick up see snails from the rocks, to be later boiled and eaten.
Once we got tired of the beach Miss Pion offered to go to the sauna, but it was quite late and we will be able to enjoy sauna when we are in Seoul. So we all decided we'd rather go eat somewhere. We did not go to a restaurant, instead we went to a park anf Miss Pion ordered fried chiken and coke, someone came to deliver in right in the park, it was fun, greasy and delicious. On the way there three primary school boys talked to Christell and I, I was impressed at how good their english was. Later that night I learned that children are taught english from the age of 6 in South Korea, I so wish it would be the case in France.
After leaving the park we took the bus back to the dorms, it was not the same bus as usual and the bus stop for the dorm was in the middle of nowhere. We had to walk by a road after nightfall, just imagine that. Then some of us stopped by the Family-Mart ( Korean Wall Mart) and bought soju and beer, alcohol is so cheap here. You can suply for ten persons witht he quivalent of 10 euros.

With our amunitions we went back to the dorms where we meet with the others and two Korean boys from Busan, that the boys met in the dormitories and invited to come and drink with us. They spoke neither Franch nor English (or so litle english) but is was okay since some doumi were with us. Gwi Hye and Ji Eon joined us and we went back to the tennis court where we drank last monday. It seemed like a popular place to party since we were 3 groups of students on the court at that time. We were lucky there was no rain.

This morning most of us were sick but more because of saturday food that because of alcohol. I am starting to be a bit sick too :/