Kou just left. And Mom's driving Nana and Pop-pop home, and Rachel and Anna are going with them to go shopping or something afterwards, so I'm all alone, and kind of lonely.
Kou asked me to write him an e-mail when he got back to Japan about how it really was to have him here, and what I really felt about it. I guess kind of like my own 'grab basket'?
Then Kou showed me the pictures from Dream Planet, and also the script of RENT that they're working on in one of his classes. It was pretty amazing. It's an English Script, and the rest of the pages are filled up with writing, and even some drawings. First there's just a Japanese translation (which Yuki-san does), and then there are the themes, concepts, and questions/statements about the characters motivations, and feeling etc, written in all different kinds of pen, and in all sizes. Yuki's translations are more than word for word, they also capture the feeling, or the deeper idea behind the words.
RENT is perfect for DPIS. All about making something out of nothing (Yuki's translation: 'creating something where there is nothing'), and how everyone is human, and esp. 'The opposite of war isn't peace, it's creation.' ('creating something'). I wonder if RENT is like that already, or if Yuki makes it fit what they're doing at DPIS. Iasked why they were studying RENT; to put on the musical, or learn English? But Kou said no. He said that of course they do learn the English, but they're really studying it to learn about the different lifestyle of the characters, and their feelings etc.
They all really seem to love Yuki, and idolize her, just like they did with Anna-san. It still seems to me like Yuki has become a replacement Anna-san. I mean, she's practically like the chief instructor of Dream Planet, it seems like she's Makino's new right hand (wo)man, and etc. That really bothers me. I mean, maybe it's just me projecting, or thinking about it all too much, or something, but that's really how it seems to me.
Anyway, before Kou left today, he stopped me, and said, 'I had a really good time. I got to spend hang out with you in N.Y, and come and see your house, and spend Christmas with you and see what an American family is really like. I felt so many different things; I'm so glad that I was able to do this. And I want to see you again in NY if we can, and in Japan, and show you around. So, don't worry about whether or not I had a good time, because I really did. I had a lot of fun. Thank you so much. I just wanted to tell you how thankful I am. Thank you so much!' And then he bowed.

 
Kou just that I was a good person, and an adult. He said that my heart was really open, more open than his was. (In normal English, 'more caring?'). Wow. That makes me really happy. What a nice compliment to get from someone! Especially from someone from Actors and DPIS, where they (theoretically at least) make being good people and having open hearts their business. Plus, I think that's the first time I've been told I'm grown up. ^^; People usually say I'm childish....

 
MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone!!
Ah, Christmas. This was my first Christmas with someone besides just my family, and Kou's first Christmas in America where he just lazed around the house, with a lot of snow.
It was pretty fun. I got a lot of nice stuff, even some of what I asked for. (LOL) It was great to spend it with Kou, esp. in the morning, because was so so overwhelmed and happy with his stocking, the present we gave him, all of the presents we openned, and the tree etc. It was so cute, to see how happy and excited his face was.
For a while I went thru the mid-Christmas disillusiion/bordom, where you've openned and looked at all your gifts, and aren't sure what to do next, and get kind of depressed, spurred by Kou's absence as he read my GALS! manga in my bed (he's sleeping in my room) for about 2 or 3 hours.
Then we hung out, watched MTV, and SPEED Spirits II.
Then came the second depressing part of the day when he said he'd have to leave on the morning of the 27th because he had a dance lesson at 4:30 that night. It was weird. I tried to convince him to stay later, and when I thought that he'd have to leave so soon, I almost cried. I don't know. It just made me really depressed. And then of course I felt bad about asking him, and apologized for being selfish. He said it wasn't selfish, since he'd originally said he'd stay till the 28th, and I was letting him stay at my house, but that he was one of those people who always has to do something, especially in America, where he really wants to feel many things, and meet many new things.
We walked in the snow too, and it was really beautiful, and he said he was very very glad he'd gotten to spend Christmas with me at my house.
Then he did my hair and make up, which was a whole lot of fun. He's really good! I look so nice!! We took pictures, so maybe I'll post one whent hey develop. We chatted about Anna-san, and how I was supposed to meet her. He said that she's usually at Yokohama Actor's on Saturdays, so I should go there. I asked if it'd be weird just to show up and be like, 'I have no real purpose, I just wanted to see you again.' He said no, because for example, he e-mailed me because he wanted to see me again, and also he said she's lonely because she doesn't get to see the people from Actor's so much, and that she's be happy and flattered if I came to see her.
He took me to the scary cultish Dream Planet home page and showed me the picture of Hinata. I asked why she was crying, and he said she was crying becayse she was so moved. I asked by what, and he said the 'Grab Bag', which turns out to be this thing where you write a theme on something, where you get really honest about it, and then turn it in without a name, and Yuki-san reads them. (Can we all say, that still sounds kind of cultish to me, and I doubt it's just because I am now possessed by this insane jealousy of Yuki-san for Anna-san, because she's kinda become like the replacement Anna, being bilingual, and practicially the only teacher at DPIS, and whatnot. I know it's stupid - Kou would probably tell me that, that Anna-san doesn't care about things like that, she's happy with what she's doing now, but I can't help it. )
Then we had dinner, which was really good. We talked about how good Anna-san's english was, and being bilingual like Yuki-san, and how I'd first e-mailed Anna-san. He said that Anna-san never answered her fan mail, or e-mail, and sometimes didn't even look at it, because if she answered one persons she'd have to answer everyone's, and also I guess they get weirdos e-mailing sometimes/ suspicious e-mails. But she not only read mine completely, she answered it. He said he bet she was really happy to get an e-mail from someone in America, and that she had probably looked at it because it was in English. (I guess she figured that someone from America wouldn't be writing a prank e-mail) He said that it was a really special thing to get a reply from her. He also said that that was the reason they'd shown me the dance with BB, since I had come all the way from America. I'd told him how I had been so suprised that I had gotten to meet Makino-sensei, but he said that nowadays whenever a visitor comes to look at the school Makino-sensei meets with them and talks to them. I told him how Makino and Anna had been so genuinely worried for me and how they hadnt just tried to get me to come to the school, and had really listened to what I said. He said that they're always like that, with everyone. He said that Makino-sensei really just wants to help kids, and change Japan, and make a revolution. (uh-huh)
We also talked about the food and how its really delicious, and how the food at MHC sucks, but you can't really go talk tot the president about it, and he said that that was a good thing about DPIS; Makino is always at school and accessible.
Kou said that we should hang out over Spring Break when he comes to Tokyo (he's from Chiba!) and he wants to take me to a festival, and that he would help me with any questions I might have about Japan. I told him that the one thing I want to do in Japan is go to a MAX concert, and he said it was good to have a goal. So I told him that I had 3 goals: Seeing MAX, Hanging out with him, and seeing Anna-san again. He said that those were good goals, but that I also had to buckle down and ganbatte at my studies! And this from the Dream Planet Student! (LOL) I guess that means I really have to study.... ^^;
Anyway, everyone raved over my carrot cake I made, so I was really happy.

 
Yay! Kou and I really met up! It was really lucky actually, since I got lost (second time in the day; I got lost a total of 3 times) going to Rockefeller Center, and I was wondering around it looking for Kinokuniya, and all of a sudden he was standing in front of me! He looks just like I rememeber. But he's really good looking; I didn't remember how much. And he acts the same as he did at Dream Planet too. He's so cute and so sweet. (and acts so gay, altho apparently he's not).
He said that going to Japan for a year would be a great expericence and I would meet a lot of new things, and be really broadened.
Then we went for brunch, and I asked him about Anna-san, and he said that she doing well at her new dance school in Yokohama, and that he talks with her thru e-mail. Hinata and Yumi are both doing well too. Kou is also a BB member now. :D He danced behind Takeshi in the last A-LIVE.
He said that Actor's hasn't changed since Anna-san left, but that everyone has become independant in a good way. (What else can you do, if you don't have a chief instructor/ the person that produced the concerts? )
He said that Anna-san said that Actor's was good, and without Actor's her life would not be what it was, but she had been at Actor's for 23 years (she's 30 now, BTW) and she wanted to try new stuff, and see a new world. Apparently this is what she told him when he talked to her, because later he said that after he first found out she was leaving Actors, he was really in shock, and worried that something bad had happened, and so he went to see Anna-san, and they talked for two hours. He said she told him that she was leaving for positive reasons, not negative.
All of B.B is also going to Dream Planet now; including Wakane, who is in the college there (being 25), and according to Kou will probably never leave Actors, because she said, 'DPIS us my life'.
Speaking of DPIS (Dream Planet) the only teachers that are still there when I was there in January are Yuki-san and the other Japanese teacher. The others all quit or were fired. The reason they were fired was because 1) they didn't have 'faith' (read: philosophy), and 2) It was just a 9-5 job for them, whereas for the students it was a way of life. For example, they all worked late into the night making the hand-made covers for the concert video, but the teachers left at 5, because 'work was over', and as Makino said, it's not fair for the students to put all their time and effort and heart into it, when you just say, 'oh, works over' and leave. Which makes sense. But still...all of them??? I think he just likes to fire people that don't agree with him.
About that; Kou said that what you do is listen to what Makino-sensei says and make it your own thing inside yourself: you take the parts you agree with and think them over and change them into something you fully believe in. Which is good. At least he's not saying to believe everything Makino says.
We talked about college, and about learning new prospectives, and doing something everyday, and leaving something concrete for people to enjoy, etc and Kou said that it was very comfortable for him because even though he was in NY, talking with me, my thinking etc was very Okinawan. Yay. He said that college will give me good experiences and that I can go back to Dream Planet any time I want, if I want, because Dream Planet will be there forever. Yes, well. We can all have our own opinion about *that*.
He did my make up at the store (pink and white, which he said was good for me cuz it makes my face look soft, because I have a cute, small face, as opposed to say, Hinata, who has a kitsui face, which looks sharp when you use gold on it. He does HInata's make up all the time, he says, for concerts and whatnot, because he has really good taste, and he likes make up.)
It was also cute, because we went shopping, and he kept finding shirts etc, and saying 'kawaii!' or 'Kyuuto!' and the trying on and buying the stuff. Only a Japanese guy....
Speaking of which, we talked about 'RENT', which DPIS put on, apparently, and he said that learning about gays and lesbians and AIDS, etc, was good, because before he thought, 'Eeee!?' when he heard about them, but now he's realized that it doesn't matter what sex they are, as long as they have true love.
Lastly (I think), and most amusingly, he called after dinner (at my house, on my home phone) and asked me, 'Did you get home?' LOL and then responded. 'I did too!' LOL

 

What color of kitten would you be?
brought to you by Quizilla

Yay, kittens!! I'm a kitten, I'm a cute kitten!!


What sexy girl are you
brought to you by Quizilla


Er....Okaaaay.... And no, of course I didn't put this up just because the pictures are pwetty....


The Ultimate *Which Harry Potter Character are You?* Quiz
brought to you by Quizilla

Lockheart??? Ultimate my ass....


What kind of Goth would you be?
brought to you by Quizilla

um...ok...I suppose so...Yay Anne :)


* Which Tragic Shakespearean Heroin are You? *
brought to you by Quizilla

Huh...I'v enever read Othello....