Today was a very good lesson! I actually got there a few minutes early for once, and ran into one of the obasans from class, who complimented me on my now straight hair, but said that she was jealous of my curls.
Then I went into the lesson room. Today the only instructors were Anna-san and Atsushi. There also weren't so many students either. Maybe because it's the Friday of Golden Week.�@
Anna-san, standing at the front of the room, gave me a big smile and said 'Ohisashiburi, A-chan!' I smiled back and said Ohisashiburi desu! She noticed my hair was straight. I told her that a friend had done it, but it would go back to curly as soon as I washed it again. She asked, 'Oh, so your curls are natural...' (A, ja sono pa-ma ha tennen?) It made me very happy. So I threw myself into the exercises with a renewed fervor. Anna-san looked so beautiful again after not seeing her for two weeks. She messed up in the exercises for the first time ever - she skipped part and then suddenly said 'Machigaimashita!' and we did that whole bit over again. LOL
After the exercises Anna-san asked us all if there were any parts of any of the dances that we didn't know, or would like to work on more. One of the high school girls said the group dances, and I raised my hand and explained that I had never been taught the second part of the House of Love dance. So Anna-san decided that we would spend the first 30 minutes of the lesson working on group dances while all of us who don't have group dances (me, Midoriko, and that girl Maiko-chan who almost never comes to lessons) would practice the other dances. Atsushi was manning the music.
First we showed our Run DMC, which I felt relatively confident about, to Anna-san (and Atsushi). She said that we had the first part down really well, but were shaky on the second part, and the ending. So we moved in front of the mirror, and all practiced the middle part and the end, with Anna-san dancing in front of us. The end was hard, you have to do all these poses, and then duck front, right, left, right etc. I guess I was making unsure/scared/bewildered faces, because Anna-san cracked up, showing us the scared/bewildered, 'deer in the headlights' looks on our facesand made us do it several times in a row until we could do it without looking panicked about which direction to duck. (it was really funny, I cracked up too.)
Then we practiced the House of Love dance, with Anna-san showing us the whole thing step by step. I had a lot of fun watching Anna-san dance. Sigh. She's so cool... And she does the effortless looking slide movement that is the Actor's special move. At any rate the House of Love Dance is very fast, and pretty difficult, at least to me. But Anna-san was very patient, showing me how to do the arm movement I couldn't get over and over again. We have to shake our shoulders fast at one part, so she made us drop our arms and loosen up and raise and drop our shoulders many times, while she checked them. It was cute. It was also cute to watch her going over the dancing in her head, where she'd move through half^baked short versions of each step in ultra fast forward.
Then it was time to watch the group dances. She told us to sit down, and we did. She sat next to me, which made me happy.
The groups dances were all very good, although you could really tell how few people were here today by the fact that it was only about half the group dances. The chuugakusei/koukousei group did a dance to the Euro^beat zippity doo dah, which had a lot of leg slapping, and was very clapping game like, and cute. Then the OL team went, and they did a dance which started with them being OLs and ended up to be the song from the Fujiya loan bank commercials with the woman dancing in black tank tops and underwear. It was great. The name of the song is Synchronized Love, which Anna-san told to Atsushi, who said 'Synchronize ...Love...' in cute katakana speak (as was Anna-san's) and it was just very cute for some reason whcih doesn't transfer to paper apparently.
Then the Obasan team went. They do the forties like dance (it turns out to be a Fun Factory song) with Atsushi and Yuuta (altho Yuuta wasn't here today). Atsushi looked very adorable stupid during the dance. I mean, he had this idiotic, beautific expression on his face for the dance. It was strangely endearing. LOL After the dance, Anna-san laughingly reminded the chubby short haired obasan that she had taken the man's role (put her hand out for Atsushi's hand, instead of waiting with hers on bottom). Everyone laughed. Before the obasans dance, they asked Anna-san about the depth of the stage, and she explained it and marked it off for them. At that moment, I remembered how Anna-san had produced all of B.B concerts for so many years, and how this is all second nature to her now.
Anna-san praised everyone on their group dances and said that they were very well done, and everyone's individuality came out really well, and if people could now just get to the point where they were absolutely confident about the steps etc, then they would be fabulous! Here she gave an impression of looking around in panic before every step. It was very cute.
Then we did all the dances as a class. I leanred that I am now in the second row, in the very corner of the stage for Run DMC. LOL Not that I:m suprised, since I'm still shaky on parts of the dance. At least I'm not being cut. I guess this means Anna-san knows that at least I'm ganbaru-ing. LOL During House of Love, I realized how much I sucked at it after only doing it today (to be expected I suppose). Seigi no Mikata was fine, only I was quite tired by the end, since we had no break at all today.
Anna-san then led us in a deep breath, and told us that most people woudl be coming on Sunday for our meeting, during which we would run through everything, and she'd give us a paper with the song list etc and everything written down, and we would also show everyone our group dances etc, and all talk together about how to do things and what would be cool to do, etc. I must admit, for a moment I thought, 'I have to really know things so much better before I could make them cool', and that maybe she was still trying to do things the way she had been able to with BB. But it was still very cool and Actors like, to have everyone put out their opinions and make things together.
Today, since I had brought my whole big bag to stay at my host family's I actually changed. So once again Anna-san was in there, and I happened to see her bra again. Hee hee. I also found out that there are still tickets (I asked), so maybe all my ryugakusei will get their wish and be able to see my live. (well, our live). Today Anna-san wore a light pink/peach sweater with a v-neck, and beige pants with a matching beige jacket. She looked very cool and grown up. I wached her and Atsushi chatting so buddy-buddy as they walked onto the bus, and it was very home-like. You can really tell how close she is to the ex-Actor:s students/ ex BB members.
On the bus I sat next to the chubby short haired obasan, and diaogonal from Anna-san. Atsushi was sitting in front of me, and across from Anna-san. I realized that Vol. 2 of Love Junx News is out. I was excited to read Anna-san message in it, and then had a luxurious moment were I realized it didn't matter so much, because Anna-san written message wasn't so important now that I was sitting right near her ont he bus. The obasan hadn't gotten a news letter either, so she said,
Obasan: Anna-san won't you give a newletter to the cute and pretty women here?
Anna-san: I don't see any cute woman?
Obasan: I was the pretty one!
Anna-san: Gotta love your optimism! (sono maemukisa ha ii!)
It turned out there weren't any left today though, so I'll have to get it next time.
I love all of Anna-san's expressions; her face is just so expressive. I was watching her talk to Atsushi on the bus about something, and it was so much fun just to watch her face as she listened to him. They also talked about how apparently there is Pop Class tomorrow at 10 am in Yoyogi. I realized that, remembering the conversation I had the one time with Tomoko-san, Anna-san really works much harder than I realize. She is so busy...
We also talked about the school uniforms for Seigi no Mikata, because Anna-san turned back and asked everyone where they were going to get theirs. The Obasan turns out to have lots of uniforms (I guess from her kids) that she will lend out. She even has some sailor suits! So of course I said 'I wanna wear a sailor suit!' More suprising, Anna-san said the same thing. LOL
then the conversation turned to how short the skirts where, and how you'd have to wear rolled up shorts underneath like the school girls do now, or the audience would see under them by accident. I said that it would be ok if you just wore cute underwear. They all laughed. Anna-san laughed too, and said 'But it's a pain in the neck, so why don't we just wear nothing under them?' To which Obasan said that now I would thinkt hat all Japan was like this, and take her seriously, but I said 'teiuka Shuukanshin ni desou'. 'Actually it seems like it would end up in the tabloids. Anna-san cracked up at that. It made me very happy. Anna-san laughed at my joke!
Atsushi gave us all bread, presumebaly from his part time job at some bakery.
Poor Atsushi had to stay on the bus all alone when we got off at the Eki. According to Anna-san he had left his keitai (in the lesson room?) and didn't know the way to get home without looking at the website on his keitai, so he had to go back and get it. She felt bad for him, and so did we. Poor Atsushi, the only person on the bus. But as it passed us, and we all waved, he gave a cool manly wave (where you just raise your hand, and don't wave it over anything). Someone said, 'he's so cool!' Anna-san said 'Even though he's actually in a really uncool position right now, he can still manage to look cool.' We laughed and agreed. Then as we walked into the Eki, one of the OLs was telling Anna-san about some dorama that she would like,and she said 'The one Sakai Noriko's in?' And I got another one of those weird jolts, becayse Anna-san was a teen idol at the same time as Sakai Noriko, albiet only for 2 singles.
Then I had to go my own way to the Subway part, and this time everyone waved to me, and Anna-san said 'Go home safelty!' (Ki wo tsukete kaete ne!) And it made me so happy! Yay! Today was a very happy Anna-san class.

 
Random recentness.

A few days ago Buri-chan flat-ironed my hair. It is now very straight and long! It is a lot of fun to have nice straight hair for a little bit. I also have my brown color contacts in, so I look quite different LOL. [The long pieces of] my hair, when straightend are the longest my hair has been since freshman year in high school. It is very cool.
When Buri-chan did my hair, she also did my and Kara's make up, and then we had a lot of fun trying on each other's fun clothes and taking random pictures. It was a lot fun, like a move montage or something.

Yesterday I watched the B.B concert with Kinoko-chan, who had said she wanted to see it. She said that they were all sugoi, and so good at singing and dancing. And she loved Maiko-san's voice. It was the first time I'd watched the video in a long time, and of course the first time watching it since seeing the A'LIVE. But watching it just made me happy, or should I say I was happy watching it. I was happy, and I still was awed by the BB on screen, still loved all of them. It made me happy to realize that.

However, I also did a bad thing. I suppose. I skipped Hyper Class on Friday (and there was only one this week). It was so rainy, and due to probably after effects of the A'LIVE and whatnot, I just didn't have the energy to go out and make the long trek to Yokohama and go to class. The thought that I would be missing time with Anna-san hurt, but...I was too depressed to go. I just needed a break from everything. So I slept for quite a bit, and then watched BB with Kinoko.

Today I went shopping in Ikebukuro with Caroline. We ate at Asian Kitchen, which is just always so delicious, and then we had macha parfaits at Seibu. We chatted for a long time, then wandered aimlessly the various department stores. In Seibu we found places selling mix and match school uniforms (pleated plaid skirts, blouses, sweaters, ribbons and ties, and socks and loafers). An entire uniform (minus loafers I think) was anout $160, which is actually a very good price, considering what you have to pay for a real uniform from a school. I was very very tempted. However, I still want to get a sailor suit. I may even need one for our Seigi no Mikata dance.
We went to look at the toys in Tobu, and I bought my first Jenny! I love Jenny! And I am proud of it! Because so many Japanese girls my age and older love Barbie, so I can love Jenny, the cute girlish doll of Japan. (Plus my Jenny's box says 'For age 15 and older' - and at the price ($38!) they should be for grown ups!) My Jenny (who is technically a Kisara -one of Jenny's friends) is part of the 'Uniforms of History' series). She has her hair tied back in a pony tail, and is dressed in a boy's school uniform! (The navy blue military type). You have to love a cross dressing doll! She even has the hat and everything. (BTW, in the same series, there is also a Shinsengumi Jenny!) Now all I want is to find the white and navy sailor suit with the red scarf Jenny from the School Uniform series, and my Jenny-life will be complete!

I also bought (gasp!) and American CD. It was playing in HMV, and it was very good. I definately recommend it to everyone. It is by a group called Evanescence which is made up of four people from Arkansas. The lead singer is named Amy, and she has a very good voice. :) The review in HMV called it 'death healing music'. (death iyashi-kei) LOL

Tomorrow is Midori no Hi so we have no school. I may go see Moonchild with Caroline.