May 18, 2006

Still looking at HK...

I apologize for the infrequent updates. Since getting my degree in Economics, I've been trying to prepare myself for a probable move to Hong Kong. I keep talking with various companies, and a lot of them seem interested in my specific background and skillset. As a result, I've been unable to update for a month (exams, then more recently various tasks).

As I learn more about Asia and Hong Kong, I'll let people know. This has been my dream, I'm trying to keep in contact with the people I've been talking to on a regular basis.

My parents have been suffering through the waterlogging in New England, but they'll be back on their boat soon somewhere in the Virgin Islands, and then speeding off (as much as a sailboat can speed) to Trinidad. Since my mom's broken leg, they're way behind schedule.

Oh... maybe I never told anyone here. My parents live on a sailboat and sail around the world (currently, the Caribbean and South America). They enjoy the lifestyle. Is it any wonder where my wanderlust comes from?

My brother has been travelling a lot, but lately he's grown weary of it. I haven't got there yet. My biggest dream has always been to go to Asia, get a good job there, and spend my spare time travelling. Our planet is full of such fascinating people and places, and although I can't possibly see them all in my lifetime, I'm making it a goal to see as many as possible. I've travelled extensively in my life with my family and I want to continue the journey.

Anyways, I'll get back to RahXephon. I'm thinking about some other newer series too. I refuse to blog the revisionist Gundam Seed Destiny miniseries thing that's been on recently. It redoes some of the scenes in GSD, and admittedly, the scenes are much better in some cases. But I can't continually blog the same series over and over. I'm wondering what will be on the final few GSD dvds once they're released. Will the last one have Final Plus, or the original episode 50, or both? New viewers would be terribly confused by the old 50.

Keep an eye out... I *promise* that updates are coming.

Posted by Drylnn at 06:46 AM | Comments (0)

March 16, 2006

New Beginnings

The beginnings of my new preparation for a move to the region.

Years of preparation have been going into getting to live in China/HK or Japan. I have been in serious discussions with people in these countries, and I don't want to jinx anything, but things are falling into place. So I figured I better get a pile of new books on the area and begin extensive research. First up, Hong Kong, since I've done quite a bit of research on Japan already.

More details to follow - after all, that's part of what this webpage is for.

Posted by Drylnn at 03:40 AM | Comments (0)

March 07, 2006

Quick Hits Again

The end result of the past month is that I will be blogging some older series of anime. I'll start tonight with RahXephon, but it's also static night, so that usually eats up my time.

The main reason I've been so busy is that I've been exploring my myriad options with going overseas, talking to people in Japan and China (specifically Hong Kong and Shanghai). It looks like things are coming together nicely, although I don't want to jinx anything too soon.

All this discussion seriously ate into my blogging time, so I'll reevaluate what I was doing and try to get back to it. I'd like to finish ToHeart, since I had started it. I doubt I'll do Shana, since its almost over. I'm looking at some new stuff as well.

I've heard rumors of a new GS series or OVA. I'm hoping OVA. I'd watch another GS series, but another 50 episodes would probably wear thin on me. I have the feeling if they did a series, they'd indulge in the "Let's kill a central character, say.... Lacus.... to make conflict for the rest. And while that would be an instigator of events, it smacks of just doing it "because we can!" I'd like some new ideas in the series.

More importantly, I'd like characters to evolve in the series. But I digress.

A pile of Miyazaki films are out today on American DVD. They will be mine, oh yes, they will be mine..... ( after class that is )

I apologize to everyone... it's been hectic for a few weeks, but I'll start back up tonight before Static

Posted by Drylnn at 12:34 PM | Comments (0)

February 08, 2006

More miscellaneous thoughts

I'm about to post a pile of updates, and I'll get back on a regular blogging schedule.

I've been trying to decide whether I'll write up summaries of some older animes that I've watched recently, particularly RahXephon, which really struck a chord with me. I'm a sucker for tough-to-define principles and believes, and the idea in the movie about whether it matters if you really experienced a set of memories or not really made me think a lot. I also have always been a fan of the "love separated across time" bit - it's one of the classic writing themes in fiction. You see it in books like the Symphony of Ages series by Haydon, and it makes its experience in a number of movies. RahXephon did it very well at times, and the story really becomes complete if you combine pieces of the movie and the series.

So in the end, I think I would like to do a summary set of RahXephon, but I'm wary of the effort of back-blogging 26 episodes when I have a pretty full slate of stuff.

Other bits and pieces:

• Congratulations to my hometown team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, on winning the Super Bowl. It's been a long time coming, and in the end, I don't care about the refs - it's all about the scoreboard.
• I'm not sure what to think about all this Middle East violence over the cartoons, but I can understand the anger on one side and the confusion on the West's part. This kind of stuff isn't exactly making each side want to understand the other though.
• I've been preparing for future job stuff looking to a career in Asia (which is why my site has a huge travel division). I recently talked to one of the professors at my school (the former department head) and she has been very helpful in starting the process for me to find a job in China/Hong Kong or Japan. So far, I've had to write a lot of letters to a variety of contacts, but I hope everything pans out. It's been a dream of mind to live overseas in Asia, and I'd rather do this than an alternative plan.
• The new Fed chairman is in office, and as a budding economist, I look forward to what are sure to be interesting changes to the way the Fed informs us about what is going on.

I'll start updating the series I'm reviewing. I saw the end of ToHeart 2 already and I was kind of disappointed. I probably won't blog Canvas 2, even though I greatly enjoy it. I'm trying to be different in what I give to the reader, so I don't want to just blog the same series that everyone else is, because quite frankly, some of them can write circles around me.

Posted by Drylnn at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)