We're back from PAX and still absorbing all the awesomeness of the experience. Friday was our Normandy crew day when we got a taste of traffic-stopping fame. We didn't get to the convention center until 4pm after getting ourselves outfitted up. We deliberately got a late start to the day because Chris and I didn't know how long we would last in our costumes and we knew we wanted to catch up with fellow Mass Effect cosplayer and awesome all-around girl, Holly Conrad at her evening PAX panel, From CG to Reality.
Little did we realize that as soon as we rounded the corner towards the last two blocks on the approach to PAX that our progress would be severely impeded by picture posing. Every few feet or so, we would be stopped by people wanting to take pictures of us or with us. Luckily, it was pretty easy to just ask the people asking for our pictures where Holly was and where the Bioware booth was. It just took a really long time to get there. We could only really move forward when security would tell us that we would need to keep moving to prevent blocking up the aisles. Then we would move another few steps and start it all over again.
The picture above was taken at the Bioware booth. We were a bit anachronistic standing in front of a huge poster of their fantasy game rather than Mass Effect, but we were loved up with flash photography all the same.
I didn't actually see much of PAX until Saturday when I had no helmet on my head. Chris switched to his Daft Punk (below) costume where he was wearing a helmet. He got stopped for plenty of pictures and interviews but we could still walk around and see the booths we wanted to see.
We're still looking for pictures and Chris' aforementioned interviews so if anyone's got links, please let me know!
Now for the pictures that we did find. I think my favorite mention of us came from Joystiq.com where they used our picture to lead the article and wrote that we were "quite possibly the best Tali and Garrus we've ever seen". Yay us!
We were included in Kotaku's gallery (picture 17).
Game Informer also had us in their gallery of PAX
About 56s into this video Daft Punk makes an appearance.
And then a random video where I desperately dodge the camera.
Saturday night, we had a blast attending the Paul and Storm and Jonathan Coulton concert. On Sunday we unexpectedly ran into them at their merchandise booth so I got Jonathan Coulton to sign my pass.
We had so much fun! I have some repairs to make on the costume and perhaps some redesign, but I'll give myself a week or so of down time before I tackle those so long as they're in time for Halloween.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Post PAX + Press
Friday, August 13, 2010
Musical Intermission: Yoshida Brothers
Took a break from costuming (only mostly) yesterday to go see the Yoshida Brothers, a shamisen playing duo at Yoshi's jazz club in San Francisco. I found them by stumbling on this Youtube video some time ago. Then I heard that they were playing this week and figured they were worth seeing after listening to some of their other songs. They have some surprising influences in their songs, including blues and rock, for an instrument that sounds very traditionally Japanese. My current favorite songs of theirs are Storm (the song in the video above), Kodo, Rising and Indigo.
I'd never been to Yoshi's in SF before. The performance area was intimate and people were crammed in at small cocktail tables on several tiers. The sign outside said it can hold maybe 400 people, but it felt smaller than that. Last night, the brothers were accompanied by a really good drummer using a wide variety of percussion instruments from snares and cymbals to bongos and what looked like a set of chimes. Clearly they'd been working with him before because their point-counterpoint exchanges sounded dead on even with their complex syncopation. Everything in the performance seemed very exacting, even down to the timing and shape of the lighting that went with the music. Watching them play, their fingers flying over the three strings, made my fingers hurt. Afterwards, they were available for CD signing so we added their Best of CD to our collection.
I have a feeling I'll be sewing to the sounds of shamisen in the next couple of weeks.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
High Heel Peace
I hate wearing high heels. I don't care that I'm short and could use the extra height. They're uncomfortable, unstable and unhealthy. Research has shown that high heels can contribute to the development of chronic knee pain, sprained ankles and back problems. It's a conspiracy of fashion to sacrifice women's health for the sake of beauty. I'll never be a fashion plate because given the choice, I'll pick comfort and health over looks. However, when it comes to wearing dresses for evening wear, I don't have much choice in shoes. But to my shock, I've just discovered one very specific case where wearing high heels may help me more than hurt me.
Last night we went salsa dancing for the first time in four years or so. We stopped because it was frustrating for Lee and painful for my ankles. Ever since I pulled my Achilles tendon playing ultimate frisbee, my puny little ankles have never been the same. If I don't have healthy ankles, knees, legs then I can't go to karate practice which would make me grumpy. In fact, I've had to curtail all dancing except for special occasions because of ankle trouble.
A couple of weeks ago, my friend Maria suggested we go salsa dancing. I figured that it had been a while since I went dancing and agreed. But I didn't have decent dance shoes. The pair I have is sufficiently low-heeled but gives me blisters and is more suitable for swing fashion than salsa fashion. So I ordered a pair with 2.5 inch heels that the internet reviews claimed was very comfortable provided you ordered a size up (which I did).
Imagine my surprise when I tested them out in my living room to find that they were quite comfortable to dance in. I had to stay on my toes because putting weight back on my heels was a guaranteed wobble. The cool thing was that because of the heels, I was taking more of the physical strain in my calves - a much bigger, stronger part of my body than my ankles. I figured out that the higher heel prevented me from flexing my foot on a backwards step to the degree that my ankles don't like.
The true test was the actual salsa club. After five hours at the club, the part of me that was sore were my toes, not my ankles, not even my calves. For a night of salsa dancing, I consider that a success of health and I attribute it largely to my new dance shoes. It remains to be seen whether we do more salsa dancing, but I think I may be back in the game if we do, thanks to high heeled shoes.
I still hate high heels for most other applications, but in salsa dancing I don't think I'll wear any other kind.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Cry Havoc and Let Loose the Tugs of War
Warning: You might want to turn your audio down before hitting play.
Unbeknownst to the folks at work, the 'cry havoc' part is standard operating procedure for tug of war games at my karate dojo. It's been reported to me after the picnic, that my strategy of psychological warfare at the front lines was actually pretty effective. I think the quote was "You're scary." I guess it doesn't hurt to be scary, screaming girl at the front when you're the smallest person on a team built for tug of war.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Witchy, Witchy Night
We took my youngest sister, Jessica to see Wicked for her birthday a week ago. I bought the tickets sometime in January so we had a few months of anticipation. I tried to see Wicked on Broadway when I was at a conference in NYC several years ago but it was always sold out. I'm happy to report that Wicked didn't disappoint. I laughed, I cried. I'm going to see it again and again (well maybe my checkbook won't let me).
Wicked is a stage adaptation of Gregory Maguire's book of the same title. I picked up the book because I grew up watching The Wizard of Oz and was intrigued with the premise of seeing the other side of Oz. In short, the book was a mess; a meandering plot that picked up complexities as if it were a collector with a cat's attention span. The musical plot line was cleaner, straightforward and well-suited for a stage presentation. The musical focused on the relationship between Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West and G(a)linda, the Good Witch of the North. Although Elphaba is the main character, the story did a good job of making Glinda more than just the opposite foil to Elphaba's goals. She had her own valid point of view even if I didn't particularly relate to her.
To my mind, the success of the performance really came down to the quality of Elphaba's and Glinda's actresses. I was a little nervous when our program notified us that the standby actress would be playing Elphaba's role. Vicki Noon had some big shoes to fill because I'm a huge fan of Idina Menzel, who played the role on Broadway. But my doubts went away when she sang her first notes of "The Wizard and I." Kendra Kassebaum played Glinda adorably. She had the lion's share of funny lines through the show and she delivered hilariously. I managed to get seats in the fourth row so we really got to see the actors' expressions and the details of their costumes. While the rest of the cast enriched the story (and we had some wonderful actors for the other parts - Patty Duke played Madame Morrible and David Garrison played the Wizard), it was only when either of the witches were on stage that the performance felt gravity defying.
Speaking of which, "Defying Gravity" closed out the first act and was the highlight of the whole show. Jess made fun of me for tearing up as that song closed but it's not as if I could have helped it. As Elphaba rose above the stage, haloed by a star of lights, her soaring voice brought with it such an overwhelming sense of triumph and hope that one can't help but respond.
A fantastic, magical event overall. Go see it! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go listen to "Defying Gravity" again. And again.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Ka's Backyard Adventure
It was a bittersweet day.
The sweet part was when Ka donned his smart red walking jacket and ventured out in the wilds of the backyard. This wasn't his first outing. A few weeks ago, he wore his red jacket and yo-yo'ed in and out before he could muster up the will to stay outside. He would put a paw on the step outdoors, retreat to his room upstairs. Then he would come down a few minutes later and sit on the step. He would retreat upstairs again, then come down and sniff the patio tile below the step. It took him six or seven tries to slink over to the patio table and lie down in the moss. He cautiously explored the area just outside the door with me scrambling to make sure the leash didn't get tangled up in branches, chairs, or plant containers. This time, he didn't need the retreating iterations to get outside but it still took several laps around the backyard before he stopped slinking around. The sheer joy of pouncing on bugs probably did it. It was Lee's turn to "walk" Ka. Although Ka's pace was relatively slow, he would unexpectedly speed up to jump on anything of interest.
The bitter part came when he returned inside. During his adventure, Zaia stayed firmly inside. She also yo-yo'ed up and down the stairs, but the closest she came to outside was to stand at the threshold and sniff the air. When Ka came back inside, she made it a point to smell him thoroughly. Apparently what she found wasn't to her liking. They're no longer on speaking terms. Perhaps she's jealous that she wasn't able to experience whatever it was that made him smell so differently. But there was much hissing and growling within a radius of about 3-4 feet. Ka has spent the rest of the evening asleep on my lap. Zaia spent the evening cavorting in their room alternating with coming downstairs to see how close she could get to her brother before he starts hissing or growling. We did have some moments of peace when we had a trick and treat session, but it ended with Zaia cuffing poor Ka upside the head. As I type this, Ka is under my desk, hunched up, staring at Zaia who's on the other side of Lee's chair, similarly hunched up and staring at Ka.
Hopefully they'll remember they're each other best friends soon.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Oh, Happy Day!
I knew I was going to watch the inauguration of our 44th president today. I expected to fire up a live feed on my computer and watch from there. Then my office offered to have it showing in one of the conference rooms on campus. Which was better because I would be able to be with other people, other Americans witnessing this moment in history. Then I found a text message from a friend inviting me to watch the inauguration at the Oakland Arena. Without much further thought, I went and bought tickets. My inauguration-watching experience was even better - I managed to talk Lee into going with me so that I could weep at will on his shoulder and I got to feel the energy of an arena full of hopeful, cheering people. We the People, indeed. Before Biden and Obama took their oaths, we were asked to stand. Lee wondered whether that really included those attending via live television. I felt, and apparently the rest of the people in the arena did also, that since I was witnessing the ceremony, I was a part of it and was therefore included in the "Please, rise.." request. (Admittedly, I might have felt a little silly standing had I been watching at my cubicle.)
While I could have done without the tv pundits bloviating over the video feed, I did learn from them that after noon today, he could officially drop the "elect" part of his title and become President Obama, per the 20th Amendment. However, he can't execute power as the president until after he uttered the oath. Yay, for learning about our Constitution!
I thought President Obama's inaugural speech was excellent. I still think he's one of the finest orators of our day. It was grittier and more somber than I expected. I thought he would employ soaring rhetoric as might have been called for under these ceremonial circumstances. But perhaps the grittier, more realistic look at the challenges we face as a nation is more appropriate for the times. I think I'll have to listen to it again later to digest it better. Ah, the wonders of the internet.
I liked the musical interlude, composed/arranged by the awesome John Williams and played by a quartet that included a clarinet player (REPRESENT!). My favorite may have been the end of Reverend Joseph Lowery's benediction: "...help us work for that day when black will not be asked to give back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right." It's not so much the words, but his delivery and cadence that brought a smile to my face for the umpteenth time this morning.
Have I ever watched an inauguration before? Not until this time. Have I ever paid tickets to join hundreds of other people in watching said televised event in an arena? Not until this time. Have I even seen a presidential election process through to the very end and felt like I was a part of a proud, national process? Not until this time. I think I'm going to need some champagne before dinner tonight.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Neil Gaiman
We went to see Neil Gaiman ('gay-mun' instead of 'guy-mun'. People kept thinking I was saying 'Neil Diamond' when I mispronounced his name) this past weekend. The author of Stardust, the Sandman comics and Good Omens, with Terry Pratchett was in town to do a reading of his latest children's book, The Graveyard Book.
I'd never seen him before aside from his book jacket pictures and he was a very funny, engaging public speaker. We also received signed copies of The Graveyard Book with our tickets which was nice. He read Chapter 6 to us and now I'll have his accent in my head as I read the rest of the story. I envy him his imaginative story ideas. I wish my brain worked more like that. The Graveyard Book tells the story of a boy being brought up by dead people/ghosts/etc. in a graveyard. His family was killed by someone and is looking to kill him too. The chapter we got to hear was about the boy, Nobody Owens, aka, Bod, dealing with a couple of school bullies at school with his graveyard training ways. It was a pretty long chapter, especially read aloud like that, but it never felt boring. I was just worried he would leave us with a cliff-hanger and I would have to read the rest of the book on the way home. Thankfully, he did end the chapter with a mini-conclusion with only hints at the larger conflict ahead.
He's a very good public speaker. I'm sure the British accent helps. We got to preview clips of his next film from one of his books due out in February, Coraline. It's being done in stop motion animation by the same director that did Nightmare Before Christmas. I hadn't even heard about the book/film before then but I'm looking forward to it.
Then he answered some audience submitted questions. My favorite response he did was when he described the best advice someone had given him on the writing process. I don't remember who it was that had written it, but the suggestion was to have a room/place/mindset where you had a choice of either writing or doing absolutely nothing. That way you would still have a choice and avoid the automatic procrastination that comes with 'YOU MUST WRITE OR YOU FAIL' but if you do choose to do absolutely nothing, you'll get bored enough to start writing again. I think I'll have to adopt that mindset in our hobby room upstairs for this coming November.