Sangawa, 2017

On Friday and Saturday, 12/8 and 12/9, my brother and I had Sangawa, the Japanese Cultural Society, the 18+ convention at the Double Tree Hotel, near our city.  The voice actors attending were Colleen Clinkenbeard and Robert McCullom.  After a very busy day at my dentist office (where I did not get lunch at all, BTW), my brother and I spruced up and left to go to the hotel.  We missed opening ceremonies, but we didn’t care about that.  We bumped into a few people we had met at previous conventions and decided to hang with them for a little while.

The staff ‘quietly’ advertised the fact that they had gambling in one of the rooms and we went to go check it out.  It was just a few games with prizes like a samurai mask, or a Japanese tea set or a sake set.  My younger brother and our acquaintance played a few games and bought tickets to see if they could win any of the raffles.  After that, we checked out the ‘dealer’s room’ or the small market place.  It was interesting, but not as diverse as the market at Tekko.  However, I bought a few Soul Eater plushies to put on the rest between the seats and back windshield of my car.  My brother actually cracked and got a Ryuk Funko Pop bobble-head.  Then, the Sangawa Social started, and he went off on his own, and I went with my very fancy tumbler into the room and started drinking.  I was warned off a witch’s brew of sake and cinnamon fireball, but then (regrettably) I started to get a headache.  I cut my alcohol intake and just had water.  I was kind of glad, only because I saw several people already going loopy from just a couple of glasses.  My brother found me not long after and we left a little before midnight.

The next day, we arrived around 9:30 and immediately got into line to have our stuff autographed by Colleen and Robert.  I got my FMAB poster signed by both of them, as well as my Fairy Tale.  After the signing, we went through our schedule to see what we wanted to do.  There were a couple of panels we went to see, a Q&A for both actors, and then we played a Jackbox game in one of the game rooms.  We all became a bunch of liars on Fibbage.  Saturday was actually kind of boring after the Fireside Chat with both Colleen and Robert.  My brother and I went home after that.  However, we have higher hopes for next year and I hope to see them come to fruition.

And on that note, it’s been real!

Clubbing: You Only Live Once

I am not a party animal.  Little known fact for today.  I have never snuck out to a club, was never involved in high school parties (I was home schooled), and no underage drinking or drugs took place.  I was dedicated to graduating high school so I could do whatever I wanted after the fact.  Now, I am going back to school for dental assistant, but I feel I have not experienced most of what young adults experience even before they go to college.

I get asked all the time if I want to go to a strip club, or anything like that after work.  My usual response is, “No.”  However, a week or so ago, my one coworker asked if I wanted to go to a club in the city with her.  I told her I would not be opposed to a regular club.  I could wear a cute mini skirt or little dress and just watch.  I would drink, chat, and possibly dance, but I think the main reason I want to go to a club would be to observe humanity.  As a writer, I like to see people in their natural settings and see how they react to certain stimuli.  Not to say that I won’t participate at all.  Give me a few drinks, and I will talk your ears off.

Yeah, me going to a night club or a casino would not be for me to experience it from an individual standpoint.  I would have to experience it from a community standpoint; what are other people thinking and feeling around me?  I know that most people want to be participators in life instead of just being observers; but… I don’t know if I’m personally ready to participate in life.  Not yet, at any rate.

And on that note, it’s been real!