Tsunami Hee Ja - "Hello Lovely Blog"!

A sneaky peek backwards before getting on with it..

2012-02-08T22:04:00.009+10:30

2012, and I am! I am aware that it is February and despite last November's promise of imminent blog revival, this page has remained stale and neglected. I know it's not much consolation, but I promise I haven't spent my time since then just sitting around scratching my bum. I've been drawing, painting and plotting like a woman possessed! Hopefully this year I can actually show off some of what I've been working on..

But in the meantime, here's a recap of some of last year's fun times. It's as much to remind me as for your entertainment, because give it a year or two, and I will not recall when any of this happened. Not even thirty and almost senile.. it's funny because it's true!

Around February I karaoked outside a private room for the first time! Not that it made much difference since my friends and I were the only ones at the bar. Here I am doing the female parts of "Love Shack". My vocal chords didn't handle "Tin Roof, Rusted" at all well. T-T

I went to Sydney twice in 2011. With S.O. for our second honeymoon in March, to make up for the fact that I'd been sick for the first one (unfortunately I got sick for the second one too), and then solo in December for my birthday. Damn I love that city. World Square is definitely one of my favourite places to loiter and look creepy. ^3^

Speaking of looking creepy... Weddings! I love them! And this one was an amazing event. Gamer themed with Nintendo cake, coasters, desserts - the works. And Ben... dearest Ben the waiter who kept filling up my champagne glass. The result, as you can see - was not pretty. Of course the bride and groom remained handsome/gorgeous throughout, and wonderful fun was had by all in attendance. Yay!

Aaaaand, this was Bicky's wedding in November! I reported earlier on her awesome Hen's weekend, and the wedding was equally excellent. It was a delight catching up with Sarasparilla (who flew from London to be bridesmaid), and to just enjoy being in the company of some of my best girlfriends on a beautiful day in a beautiful location. Of course the really splendid news (for me at least), is that I did NOT fall over the side of the river boat during the reception! ^0^b

So rock on, rest of this year. Don't expect photos at the end of it though, because I've turned into a giant mouldy hermit (sorry, but I get way more work done that way)! Till next time. *waves* ^_^'

(So) WRONG guess

2011-11-29T21:01:00.003+10:30

Once upon a time during high school:

Yeah, this can happen when you're an international adoptee. Being of a distinctly different ethnic background to my parents, and looking nothing like either has lead to innocent (though traumatizing) mistakes by others. My solution to the problem ever after has been this:

You hear that everybody? "He's my DAD!"

Bicky getting married

2011-11-21T15:16:00.004+10:30

I'm off to a wedding this coming Saturday. Bicky (codename), one of my girlfriends from high school is tying the knot interstate, so I'm looking forward to a holiday full of fun times with friends and high-spirited celebrations galore!

But before all the marital hub-bub, here's a wee recap of the excellent hen's weekend Bicky set up for us all last month.

We started the fun by heading to a club called "Swish" - the main reason being that it doesn't do door charge, and every Friday is 90's night - very nostalgic for us relics (over 25ers). Wearing the very nifty veil constructed earlier that day by yours truly, Bicky scored some free drinks from a nice chap at the bar, and the champagne flowed! Too much of it apparently, because before the night was over I was dancing dirty with a bar stool that I insisted was my big-headed, blue boyfriend from Dreamworks.

Despite the speedy deterioration of our conversational and fine motor skills, Bicky, Calico, Hazelnut (who arrived a bit later with her beau) and I had a very enjoyable night dancing non-stop to classics like "Mambo Number 5", "Boom Boom Boom Boom", and "Gonna make you sweat". Unfortunately it was soon time to head home and hug the toilet bowl (too much champers + dancefloor flailing = deadly). Big thanks again to dearest Calico, my designated driver and shoulder to lean all over as I staggered down the street. ^_^'

Next day's hangover was truly terrible, and I swore, as I have many times before - not to drink again. At least until the wedding. Ho ho!

Sunday we were all off to the Barossa for a wine tasting tour booked by Bicky online. Waiting for the bus early that morning we were befriended by a peppy British tourist called Dick who instantly developed an interest in Calico, and spent much of the bus ride in conversation with her across the aisle. Meanwhile, I gulped back multiple Blackmore's travelcalm tablets and tried not to think about Friday night. My poor stomach had still not recovered, and the road was rather hilly. =.='

Our first stop was at The Big Rocking Horse toy factory, where I purchased some neato little wooden road signs for the kids and a cute mini rocking horse replica for my office. While hiking through the small wildlife enclosure and petting zoo, I regaled Calico with all I could remember about the titillating dream I'd had Saturday night, until we were rudely interrupted by something big and woolly.. .

Next was "The Whispering Wall", which is actually the Barossa Resevoir's retaining wall. The gimic is that if someone runs over to the opposite side and stands at the end of it, there's a spot where you can converse with people standing in the same position on the other side.

Now don't ask me why exactly, but anyone who has read my blog up to this point will probably not be surprised to learn that when amongst a group of my own gender I get this ridiculous urge to act manly in front of them. Whether it's disposing of a visiting spider or raising my hand to RUN ACROSS A GIANT WALL with water as far as the eye can see on one side, and a massive drop to jagged rocks below on the other. Did I mention that I'm petrified of large bodies of water and heights? Apparently I'd forgotton that, and it was only when I was too far along to turn back without looking like a total ninny that I remembered it. This was the most traumatic part of my day! >0<'

We popped into several wineries after that, but my innards were sufficiently squirmy to keep my taste testing to a minimum. Calico had me in stitches with her "sensory examination" of one particular drop, repeating two excellent double entendres from a suggested list of tasting adjectives on the counter.

It was at the same winery that the whole tour group trekked down to a grassy spot by a stream for our "fully catered lunch", which actually turned out to be a self-catered barbeque. Prior to this stop our tour guide had queried the three vegetarians (myself included) as to what he should feed us - because meat eaters apparently have no clue concerning the diet of us nutball hippy folk. He came back with potatoes, half a dozen eggs, and a packet of tofu.

Being of an age where barbeques constitute a true event and an excellent opportunity to showcase one's culinary skill, most of our tour group jumped into all areas of food prep with gusto. The vocal (and vego-ignorant) men commandeered the sausages while their equally outspoken wives eagerly prepared salads and buttered the bread. We "young ones" sat on the hill, aghast when it was suggested that we should do our share by dealing with the dishes afterwards. As it happened I did put my hand up for that - macho martyr syndrome had reared its ugly head again and I willingly took one for the team. Washing up in a small plastic tub on the grass by the stream, and being accused of hitting on the married tour guide by one of the fish-wives was probably my low point for the day. ^~^'

After one more tasting stop it was back to Adelaide. We were all a bit tired and wine-weary by that stage, so were ready for the tour to end. It was a pleasant journey, with strong afternoon sun warming the bus, and the lullaby of gears grinding to accompany our descent into wine-induced stupor.

We departed the bus and said a fond farewell to Dick (who gave his fondest farewell to Calico), then walked down to Cibo on Gouger for afternoon refreshments. It had been a splendid day, and a wonderful weekend.

So roll on Bicky's wedding. The ceremony will take place in a beautiful garden, and the reception on a riverboat. Mother has already phoned me twice warning that the water will be murky, and I may well drown if I drink that night. She has also threatened to come and strap a life-jacket on me if I do, but so be it. It's been a while now, and I quite fancy a good drop of wine.

Love and best wishes to the bride and groom to be!

Tsunami-out (and about). xoxoxox

Poor Mr. Popular

2011-11-15T22:28:00.004+10:30

Flashing back to high school again, I am reminded of a teacher I once knew called Mr. Croaker. He was a young, male, not hideously-deformed or otherwise obviously unattractive phys ed teacher, and therefore an object of keen interest to most of his female students.

Perhaps it was the very fact of his popularity that I resented (being chronically unpopular myself), or because he taught my least favourite subject, but in any case - I didn't like Mr. Croaker. I didn't trust his big blue eyes and charming boyish features, and seeing that his most ardent fans were a group of girls who took great pleasure in tormenting me (and whom I'd mentally dubbed "the bitch brigade") didn't do much to improve my opinion of him. The picture had formed and solidified in my mind like a rather nasty glacier: "Mr. Croaker - sordid ladies man and dull sporty jock."

Then one night my friend Sarasparilla and I decided to go to the movies..

I will never forget the sight of him that night. A fully grown man in his prime (adored by scores of horny young girls in small school shorts, and not exactly hated by the female faculty either), creeping into the darkened cinema, all alone, and sitting down in the middle of the front row to watch Meg and Nick declare their undying love in "City of Angels".

From where we were sitting we couldn't see his face, but I have this delicious mental image of Mr. Croaker blubbering along with the rest of us at the end when Meg takes that fatal tumble off her bike while pretending she can fly or whatever it was she was doing after nookie with Nicky C.

Before the end credits rolled, the glacier had melted. And between you, me and anybody else who bothers to read this, so had my heart. You'll never measure up to Mr. Bowdell, Mr. Croaker, but even years after aforementioned incident - I'm really rather fond of you! ^_^'

Take that Sandy!

2011-11-08T22:18:00.004+10:30

One of my best friends during high school and to this day is a delightful oddity of a being called Sandy. I'm not even bothering to disguise her name, because frankly, what other weirdo could I be talking about? And besides, "Sandy" isn't even her full name - the real thing is this gigantic mouthful of pleasingly bouncy syllables from Sri Lanka which is excellent fun to say when you get the hang of it. Kind of like "supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus", but with less of a Disney dance beat.

Anyway, she's a wonderful source of hilarious memories and I shall be sure to revisit more of them in future blog posts - she really is a character! But despite being wonderfully off-beat and unfailingly chipper during the seemingly endless drudgery that was high school, Sandy had her dark side. A cruel streak that she apparently didn't notice, because she always dealt the harshest blows with a huge smile and much laughter (maniacal cackling). Be it phoning Sarsaparilla's secret crush and blabbing about her friend's longtime infatuation, or asking some dude I didn't like to the prom on my behalf without telling me. She was kind of evil like that, but it was impossible to hold a grudge against somebody who did such a good Captain Planet impersonation and fled in fear at the sight of a poodle.

As you see though, we took our revenge! At least we tried to. It was during science class where we basically had free range to do what we wanted since we were good little students and our teacher liked us. One lesson Sarsaparilla, Big Kell and I went into the adjoining room where we found an old typewriter, and proceeded to type up a super-gushy, cornball mess of a love letter to SANDY'S big crush - a dude a year above us who could often be sighted slouching around in a really baggy jumper. That was his defining feature in fact, although Sandy insisted he looked just like Devon Sawa with brown hair. Ick.

Anyway, we were lazy schemers that day, and even though we'd began our project with much gusto, when the bell rang we just left the letter there. Next lesson our Science teacher returned it to a dumbfounded Sandy, and despite us having never included his last name, Mrs. B knew exactly who it was for! The way she was smiling made us all wonder if she might of passed on the message to Mr. Baggy-jumper herself... but I guess we'll never know. ^3^'

Year of the Rabbit-hearted Girl

2011-06-29T12:28:00.006+09:30

2011 - year of the rabbit, and like a rabbit it seems to be racing away pell-mell into the distance. A streak of something barely glimpsed from the corner of my eye but never fully comprehended.

It's almost July and I can scarcely believe that time has always been so fluid. And I'm moving with it, but not as quickly as I want to. I'm still pouring my heart into a story I began in 2009, but I can't keep up. I want to draw faster, create more, crash and burn with all of the passion that bubbles up inside me, but there's still cooking, and cleaning and the care of all in my warren to think about, so I work, then I wait, and I work, and I wait, and every day my heart feels like it might leap out of my chest with impatience!

But I'm not unhappy. It's been a hugely challenging year so far. Artistically, psychologically and emotionally - though maybe not physically. I've barely even thought of the gym since my favourite trainer left. She was replaced by the Wicked Witch of the West's less likable sister, but that's another blog entry. =_='

I took the plunge earlier in the year and went for oil-painting classes. I learned a lot, and although I'm still extremely amateur with the medium it's something I'd like to keep practicing and get better at in the future. The fumes can be a bit overpowering, but I figure that just contributes to my level of creative zen while working (I wouldn't advise painting in an unventilated room though - bad things might happen to your brain). Anyhoo, now I have one more thing competing for my time and attention, and golly I'm grateful for it!

Something I've had to step back and really look at recently has been the meaning of friendship. This undoubtedly stems from my unfortunate addiction to social networking and the perils of Facebook. These modern trappings are certainly a lot of fun, but I daily ask myself how many of these so called "friends" are really friends at all. Look at your own list sometime. It's likely that many of them are barely acquaintances, and then there are friends you see a little and whose company you enjoy, but who don't really KNOW you.

How close does someone need to be before they're truly a friend? And when you do have a true friend, isn't it your responsibility to be there when they need you? And what if you can't? Is it better to quit that friendship than let them down?

I suppose you could argue that somebody who has to ask themselves those questions is never going to get invited to any fondue parties, but I've always believed that friendships aren't something you take for granted. You do have to work for them, and maybe that involves taking some time to assess the essentials now and then. I've lost friends in the past because they weren't who I thought they were, or (even more painfully) because I couldn't live up to their expectations. This is all getting a bit heavy though, and that wasn't my intention at all!

I'm still waiting to hear from the woman who gave birth to me, and I probably will be for a very long time. My case worker calls me up now and then just to keep me up to date with the fact that nothing has happened yet. She's a sweetheart like that.

To be honest I'm having a hard time recalling too much about this year at the moment. The sun is streaming in through the window and I feel warm and sleepy, and I guess the most important thing right now is where I'm going - not where I've been.

So here are the essentials:

My boys are growing up too fast, my husband is a workaholic (I'm trying to follow his lead), and my imaginary friend is still right here, cheering me on in my head and my heart. And I'm so happy to be alive some days, and so horrified on others that half the time I'm on the verge of tears! I'm comforted by the fact that as long as I'm breathing, as long as I can see and hold a pencil to paper, I'm going to be drawing and making stories. Not just this year, but for as many more as I'm lucky to get.

However 2011 is treating you, I hope you're living it well. My heart says (when I can hear it above all of the frenzied pounding) that actually, I'm doing pretty okay.

Anger - I has it

2010-12-16T09:47:00.003+10:30

It's a shame really, because recently I have been much calmer, and having many positive feelings about S.O. who is undoubtedly a great catch and a true Prince some of the time.

However, it is an ongoing and irksome issue that he is reluctant to be stern with our offspring, and the job of discipline usually falls to their hysterical mother (ie. me). This is part of the reason S.O. is absolute favourite parent in our household, and though he pretends not to care I am certain that he secretly revels in this fact (and perhaps this is why he is so reluctant to put his foot down).

The reason our boys call for their dad all of the time is that they know he'll pander to their shenanigans, but at night or the wee hours of morning when they holler, it is inevitably mum who gets the honour of rising to their call.

I'm well aware of the fact that I have a short temper, and I do want to change... but dammit - S.O. makes it FREAKING HARD sometimes. =_='

Natsumi steps out (my day as a dude) - part 2.

2010-11-19T21:57:00.004+10:30

Yes, yes, I know what you really want.. photos. I decided to build some suspense and saved them for this post, but I don't want to alienate my already minimal readership by being too big a tease.

Without further ado, I present Natsumi, my fictitious half brother - "a study in cross-dressing"..

Exhibit 1: Natsumi - with balls

Exhibit 2. Natsumi - with wood

Exhibit 3: Natsumi - manly geek

So what's the verdict? I know I'm swimming in that suit jacket, and I could have styled my hair a bit better, but if I happened by you in the street would you pick me as a chick?

Personally, I think I make a pretty passable bishonen hottie nerd! A bit effeminate perhaps, but jump on Google and take a minute to scroll through images of Korean boy bands and drama actors. You will inevitably come across a few male idols like this:

My Y chromosome just got bigger, didn't it?

So to continue with my report, let me back track a little.

Bon-Bon and I talked for quite a while over coffee. I was feeling a bit cocky because I'd ordered it in my manly voice and was now conducting a rather boisterous conversation about my fictitious life in Korea.

I asked my date a lot about the kind of guy she likes. Apparently she's into the cool, aloof type - basically the exact opposite of poor geeky Natsumi. I made my disappointment known with the poignant statement that became my catch phrase for the day: "my heart, it hurts".

Purikura next! I've done this plenty before, but always as a girl and always in an attempt to look cute. That day my aim was to look MANLY, but the devious machine sabotaged my game plan. I've since concluded that it's practically impossible to appear macho when you're surrounded by a border of sparkly pink hearts and star jewels. Despite my enthusiasm, I also botched a pose or two..

I know guys often sit with their legs spread, but I think I took the concept a little too far. @_@

While at Morning Glory I purchased matching turtle phone charms - pink and blue, and gave the girly one to Bon-Bon. Was this a nice guy type thing to do? Or would you say it's just lame? I think it's sweet, dammit! Real boys could take some tips from Natsumi. =_='

Anyway, I honestly believe I have more empathy for the opposite sex now. Especially when it comes to being expected to lead in the dating game, because that afternoon I had no freaking clue. If I was a girl I'd say, "let's go try on shoes and look at cute underwear!" Instead we bummed around at a comic shop and did laps of the mall.

Feeling desperate, and also wanting to show off my impressive cross-dressing skills, I called up two of my guy friends (we'll call them "Play" and "Chill"). They caught up with us a short time later, and Play proceeded to jokingly rip my confidence to shreds.

Apparently my man walk sucked and my Revlon brand upper-lip shadow was badly applied. My accent was also all over the place, which I already knew, but my male pride still stung a bit. Lacking anything better to do we all went to an empty cafe and just sat for a while where I finally threatened to tell my "big sister" on him. Play retorted by calling me a "wussy". T_T

I was getting kind of tired of manhood by this stage, even though I have a strong suspicion that one of the cute waitresses was checking me out. Whether or not this was merely to search for a sign of genuine facial hair, I'm not certain, but she did have a rather flirty smile on her face when I glanced over at her from time to time. =^w^=

Bon-Bon also seemed a bit bummed, and I realise now that it was rude of Natsumi to invite extra guys along in the middle of their date. If I ever turn into a dude again (which I won't, S.O.), I will try to be more sensitive!

In the end, Play made up for his teasing by giving me a lift home (so that I could transform back into a girl before S.O. caught me in his jacket). We sang out loud and proud to "Baby's got back" on the trip, and I must say, it was one epic, MANLY sing-along! ^_^b

THE END.

PS. I know I drew Bon-Bon's hair wrong in my comics. I did it from memory before looking at the photos. Believe it or not it was a fair mistake, as ninety percent of the times I've hung out with her, she DID have curls! SERIOUSLY. >_<'

Natsumi steps out (my day as a dude) - part 1.

2010-11-17T20:07:00.015+10:30

I know it's been a while since I last discussed my cross-dressing experiment, but as I replied to someone who actually asked about it recently, not many people seemed interested in knowing the results. Least of all poor S.O. who is in complete denial about what a spiffingly hot looking guy I make and doesn't ever want me to be one again. This is fair, and in the interest of a harmonious relationship I shall oblige his request, but oh! For one glorious day I saw the world from the other side. It was an intriguing experience and one that I won't soon forget! ^0^

Here's how it all went.

Sunday morning I woke as a woman, but before I left the house I performed the all important gender transformation and became.. a woman dressed as a man. =_='

I was amazed at how much quicker it is to get ready when you're a guy, and this was including the extra time it took to girdle my boobage, stuff my crotch and draw on manly brows! I ambled to the train platform, attempting to refine my boyish gait as I did so.

When the train pulled up I was handed a golden opportunity to embrace my role. A woman with a pram waited to board, and like a gentleman I opened the carriage door for her and gave her my best "'t'weren't nothin', ma'am" smile when she thanked me. I mean I would have done this regardless, but it felt really great doing it as dude. Chivalry is NOT dead! ^0^

Being that it was the last weekend of the show, the train ended up pretty crowded, and some old guy had to sit diagonally across from me. I'd been doing my best young-adult-male slouch until this point, but I was forced to tuck myself in a bit here. It was rather uncomfortable because I was incredibly self-conscious and felt like he was looking at me strangely for much of the journey. Probably just my imagination.

It was only when the train arrived at Adelaide station that real troubles began.

Looking like a guy I felt I could pull off, but talking like one? Nu-uh, so I had it planned to remain mute for the day (as in Natsumi's bio). I would communicate with my date by using a writing tablet, and not put myself in any situation where I would be forced to speak.

Hitch number one.. my ticket wouldn't validate at the gate when I tried to get out. TRAPPED!

There was no option but to approach the faulty ticket booth. My heart was pounding and I was seized by the sudden urge to pee standing up (in my pants that is). I'd say I have a fairly hearty tolerance for embarrassment, but this situation was well out of my comfort zone. The options for me now seemed to be:
a) just go ahead and speak in my normal voice - and be seen as exactly what I was (a chick dressed as a guy)
b) write on my doodle-pro (with its funky lime green and purple border and cool dangly magnetic-pen) and probably be forced to talk anyway when the ticket officer refused to take me seriously OR
c) attempt to speak like a man and fail miserably, thus looking even weirder than in either of the above scenarios..

I opted for option C. But with a twist!

In order to say as little as possible (and thus offer less speech to be analysed and deemed somehow wrong), I spoke like a visiting foreigner. ie. bare basics English.

My low grunt of "this not working" combined with my awkward appearance and confused expression was enough to save me any further explanation. The man in the booth swapped my ticket and sent me on my way.

Inwardly I rejoiced, until I returned to the turnstile and was again refused exit. A nearby worker waved me over and I resorted to the same sentence in the same low voice. The guy genuinely believed me to be a foreigner and was very kind, explaining in slower and louder than necessary English that I needed to go around and validate my ticket at another machine near the ticket booth first (which of course I've done many times before but had forgotten about on this occasion). I nodded and looked at him with what I hoped would seem like only vague comprehension, before wandering away and doing as instructed.

Finally I made it out! T0T

Having survived speaking as a man, and apparently getting away with it, I felt pretty gosh-darn nifty. Walking to and through the mall that day was a thrilling experience, because at all times I was aware that no one was seeing me as a girl. That's if they saw me at all, because I was just another face in the crowd and that was fine by me. No one was staring at me like a freak. I was just some random guy!

My pal Bon-Bon was the perfect choice for my pretend date because she's shorter than me, super cute, and apparently very open-minded. When I hit her up with that "Hey, wouldn't it be funny if I dressed as a guy and we went on a date?" message on Facebook she didn't kick me off her friends list, so I knew I was onto a good thing.

I had time to kill before meeting her so I went browsing through Borders. When I came out, there she was outside looking really adorable. She didn't see me at first because she was texting on her phone, but when she did..

The Doodle-pro didn't last long. It was just easier to speak in deep, badly assembled English than to scribble every thought onto my tablet.

We stopped on Rundle street for sushi then went and had coffee at Gloria Jeans. I was completely in character as Natsumi the whole time, so I had a lot of stories about my life to make up. ^_^'

After that we went to Morning Glory for hilarious purikura (sticker photos). I will show them to you along with additional photographic evidence and the conclusion of my narrative next post! Stay tuned cross-dressing fans! ^3^b

Meet Natsumi

2010-08-30T13:31:00.008+09:30

As promised, here is THE EXTREMELY FICTIONAL PROFILE OF MY EXTREMELY FICTIONAL HALF-BROTHER

Koh Natsumi

- the son of my biological mother, born to a Japanese father two years after my own birth.

He is proficient in the english language but doesn't talk. Though never medically diagnosed as being mute he hasn't spoken for several years due to the traumatic experience of having a woman he liked tell him he had a "little girl's voice". He usually communicates by writing in a notebook or with an erasable writing tablet.

Age: 26 this year

Birth date: 8 December, 1984

Bloodtype: AB

Favourite food: Dolsot bibimbap

Interests: Art, Manwha, Manga, Movies, Online comics, Nature

Favourite movie: "No Mercy for the Rude"

Favourite book: "The Great Catsby" by Doha

Favourite season: Winter

Loves: his sister (of course! ^o^)

Occupation: Graphic designer

Goals in life: To travel and get married, but doesn't want kids because he feels he would make a crummy role model

A candid Interview with my little bro..

Tsunami: So Natsumi, you've just arrived in Australia. What do you think?

Natsumi: (communicating via written word on his "Doodle-pro"): It's not as hot as I expected - and where are the kangaroos?

Tsunami: Hoo boy. Anyway, when did you first learn that you had a sister, and how did you find out about me?

Natsumi: Mother told me when I was still very young that I'd had an elder sister. She said she'd been eaten by a tiger because she was such a naughty child. As you can imagine I was very well behaved growing up.

Tsunami: *aghast*

Natsumi: I often asked about this digested sibling as a boy, but mother didn't like to talk about it. It made her sad, and that seemed fair. Having your daughter eaten by a tiger would be quite traumatic. When I was eighteen she finally told me the truth. I think she looked even sadder then - she probably felt bad about giving you up.

Tsunami: Well I'm glad she did! It turned out much better for me than being eaten by a tiger!

Natsumi: When I found out about you I just had to track you down. It was much easier than I expected, and I've spent years saving for this trip.

Tsunami: So what do you think now that we've met? *turns/struts/poses* Big sis is pretty nifty, right?

Natsumi: ...

Tsunami: Well you probably need some time for my niftiness to really sink in since we've just met. I'll ask again later. In the meantime, who is your hero?

Natsumi: Guus Hiddink! What he did with the South Korean team for the 2002 World cup was truly amazing!

Tsunami: Oh man, I hear you! We are so totally related! *high fives*

So are you dating anyone back in Korea? How many girlfriends have you had? *wink-wink, nudge-nudge*

Natsumi: No, I am not. I've never had a girlfriend and haven't been on a date before.

Tsunami: Whaaaaaaaaaaa? Why not? Don't girl's like you???

Natsumi: *shrugs* I don't know.. I've been too busy to date.

Tsunami: Listen bro, strength training your right hand does not constitute a legitimate reason for shunning romantic relationships.

Natsumi: That's not what I've been busy with! I was just very devoted to my studies, and since graduating university I've been working hard to pay for my overseas travels.

Tsunami: This simply will not do - let big sis help you out here! What kind of girl are you attracted to?

Natsumi: ...

Tsunami: COME ON! SPILL!

Natsumi: I suppose.. someone kind. With a cheerful personality. And not taller than me, I guess.

Tsunami: Well you leave it to me! I'll hook you up. OH! I know, what are you doing this Sunday?

Natsumi: I haven't planned that far ahead..

Tsunami: Well now you have a date!

Natsumi: What? WITH YOU?

Tsunami: No, you goobzilla! With a very cute girl friend of mine. Don't worry, she's super nice and cute. You can meet her in the city, have coffee and hang out for the day. It'll be fun!

Natsumi: Well.. that does sound nice.

Tsunami: It's settled! Make sure you tell us how it all goes, okay?

Natsumi: "Us"? *looks around*

Tsunami: Anyway, come help sis with the laundry, will ya?

If I were a boy

2010-08-29T20:40:00.005+09:30

After my last blog post there was simply no way to resist the urge. I shut myself away in the bedroom, donned that very same wig and raided S.O's wardrobe. A bit of eyeliner on the brows and some shadow on my upper-lip later and I had transformed myself into -

"Honey, can I come in?"

Erf. Well S.O's reaction was sufficient proof, in my mind at least, that I do make a rather convincing male. I'm sure I heard the words "fourteen year old boy" muttered under his breath before he turned-tail and fled the room - the key word being "boy", which isn't quite "man", but close enough! And I (being the bored domestic that I oft am) feel compelled to test this belief.

Obviously a social experiment is in order! My mission? To go out in public for a day and see if I can pass myself off as a guy. I'm not sure how well my disguise will wear in daylight, but I've already started practicing my man-walk. I'm intrigued to see whether people will notice that I'm not quite what I appear (or at least am trying to appear) to be. Aesthetics aside, just how hard is it to fake a Y chromosome?

I mean when a guy does an unconvincing job at cross-dressing in public, let's face it - he is probably going to get gawked at a bit. But what about when a girl swaps genders for a day? I don't imagine it would be nearly so taboo. If anything I think people will pity me for not being able to afford a good waxing appointment. =_='

In order to play my part convincingly I have already created a male identity to assume, because I think this will work better if I am pretending to be someone instead of something.

Coming up with his name was easy - I just reworked the letters of mine and came up with "Natsumi". I've decided that he's my long lost Korean/Japanese half-brother (which considering I'm adopted is not so unbelievable).

Next post I'll share his vital statistics! Please be kind to him - he's a sensitive boy. ^_^

Gender-bent

2010-08-23T11:55:00.005+09:30

It is a fact that I rarely have cause to bring up (and nobody seems to care much when I do), but as a child it took me some time to accept the truth of my own gender. Growing up I always identified with, and felt that I was, despite my contradictory biology, a boy.

I'm not sure if this is a normal occurrence in children, but given that pretty much all of my best friends at this time were male and that I watched way too much television (primarily programs aimed at hyperactive little dudes) I tend to think it was a natural outcome of my upbringing.

That's not to say my mother didn't try to correct my manly tendencies even at that tender age. As much as I wanted to wear shorts, singlet tops and shirts that made me look tough and cool, she often insisted on dresses, frills and pukey pink outfits that I loathed to death. She also refused to let me change my name to "Billy".

Once I started to hang out with girls in primary school (since boys had supposedly all contracted the life-threatening cooties virus) I was finally forced to see myself as a female. I threw myself into this new role by hating the gender to which I'd desperately wanted to belong, and spent most of my time being weirdly possessive of my girl friends and not really understanding why.

Even by high school when I could be in absolutely no doubt of my gender, I still struggled with playing the part convincingly. Though I was beginning to want the attention of the opposite sex, it was impossible to garner their interest when it was in my nature to act and to dress a bit too manly. I should have realised my mistake sooner. Flannel shirts, backward caps, a disgusting oilskin jacket that I hoped would make me look like a bikey - ARGH! It's only in retrospect that I realise I was still trying to be.. a guy!

I can't honestly say that in the midst of my youthful confusion I was never romantically attracted to girls. I don't think I was, at least not to the extent that I'm attracted to men now, but I think there was, and still may be lurking beneath the surface, a desire to BE the Prince, rather than be saved by one. UTENA COMPLEX! I must admit I'm a sucker for damsels in distress (the cute ones anyway). ^_^'

All that said, I did grow out of my desire to be macho - I discovered the joys of make-up, of boyfriends and cute panties. I learned to like the colour pink. Truthfully, it's taken a considerable portion of my lifetime to accept and understand the joys of being female and how to utilise the powers that accompany this privilege, but now that I have I'm so glad that I'm a girl! I'm much happier as a woman than I ever was pretending to be a fellow. ^0^

In fact today you might never guess that this romance-addict with a wardrobe full of short skirts and fantasies of her own male harem stocked with hot-hot manga boys ever wanted to be a dude. But sometimes, even now, I'll glance my own rather rugged jaw-line in the mirror, and I'll think to myself... yeah.

With Age comes Oldness

2010-06-24T15:41:00.005+09:30

Lately I've been feeling kinda old. I'm turning 28 this year - my official "forever age", because from that birthday forward whenever someone asks my age, I will declare that "I am 28" - even when I'm 83. >_<

It’s the little things that I’m noticing, like how the idea of a nice “nanna nap” after lunch really appeals to me, or how I feel dirty when I realise that bishonen hottie in whatever manga I’m reading is at least ten years my junior. Then there’s the need to bundle up like the Michelin man come winter - did I always feel the cold like this? And why do I like tea so much now? For what unholy reason do my hands ache after drawing for long periods of time? That one scares the bejesus outta me. If I couldn’t draw.. Let’s not even go there! >o<

It sure doesn’t help when I’ve got some mischievous little “bozu” on the Australian Comics forum calling me “Tsunami-Lady”. ARGH! I remember working as a checkout chick back in high school and hearing mums call me “lady” to their children. I’d be cringing and thinking to myself “I’m not a lady yet, dammit!!!”

But now it seems I am..

NUUUUUUU! Does this mean I can’t wear cute hairclips anymore, or dress as a cat girl? Do I have to subscribe to “Better Homes and Gardens”? Do I have to start liking the colour navy?!

Pffft. Not bleeding likely. I’ll be mutton dressed as cat for as long as I can squeeze into a mini without my spine snapping. Scary thought for you to think about before falling asleep tonight, kiddies.

Well anyway, Bozu had something positive to offer despite the rude reality check:

Honestly, Being a geezer is a pretty cool thing, With it comes Wisdom, Power, Status, Greater artistic ability...chronic back pain...
So don't stress tsunami-lady! XD There's probably a whole bunch of people somewhere looking up to you and thinking "I wanna be like that when I grow up some day!!"

Ahhh, the innocence of youth. -_-'

Hehehe. Just you wait squirt. I'm going to live forever so that when you're hobbling around on your cane I can kick it out from under your wrinkly ass! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

*cough* No, I wouldn't really do that. But I may rave a bit and throw some cats at him. I just hope to God I've finished my comic project by then! T-T

Oh, and before I go (and still on topic), HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARSAPARILLA!!! Miss you loads so come back from the ol' U.K. soon, okay? Preferably before we're both shopping for "poise". ^0^b

(Animania 2009 - That's Chill-Opa dressed as Hei from "Darker than Black".)

What???

2010-06-22T09:57:00.003+09:30

I can be about as vain an any other girl out there and waste countless hours primping and prettying myself when I feel like it, but most days I pay zero attention to my appearance and often race out of the house without looking in the mirror.

Little wonder then that this has happened to me not once, but twice. I go out, notice that everybody is looking at me oddly, then arrive home and see that I have Betadine smeared all over my face. To make matters worse it's usually in the shape of a beard and moustache combo, because I apply it to combat zits that sometimes pop up in those areas.

That's right everybody - I'm awesome. =_='

The Massage from Hell

2010-06-21T13:07:00.002+09:30

Lately I've been drawing a lot and really feel like a nice back massage to cure my aches and pains, but then I remember this and suddenly it doesn't seem like such a good idea anymore. -_-'

Comikaze '10

2010-06-19T13:43:00.003+09:30

Well I hadn't planned to enter this year, but with some nudging and encouragement from friends I decided to throw myself into the fray once again. I'm proud to say that I pulled it off with a mere two hours sleep and even skipped my shower. *PONG* Such was my dedication to finishing this 24 page comic in a 24 hour time frame. >o<

Sorry to say (to those of you who hate sentimental, romantic, warm fuzzy stuff - but just what the heck are you doing reading MY blog anyway???) that I opted for another shoujo style love story this year. I have absolutely no illusions about being in the running to win anything, but I had lots of fun with it anyway, and there's something incredibly satisfying about having a comic manifest under your own hand in.. well, A DAY.

The good news is this year I entered into the "general" category, so you can access the forum thread without joining. I'm going to upload a few pages (just so you can decide whether or not it's worth your precious minutes to read the rest), and here's a link to the whole thing:

http://forums.pulpfaction.net/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=14717

Please enjoy it. ^_^

Where I Belong

2010-03-27T19:02:00.002+10:30

As far as this blog is concerned, Significant Other has thus far been shrouded in mystery. This has been at his request, as he prefers to remain anonymous and keep details of our relationship private. So while he makes an occasional appearance in a memory of this or that, I've never had an opportunity to talk about him in depth.

But having discussed the previous loves of my life, how can I not devote one entry to sing the praises of the one who I am about to marry?

Imagine yourself as you appear to other people. On your best days. The picture perfect version of yourself in your favourite Facebook photo, or the person peering back from the mirror just before you dash out the door for a big night out. Can you see them? That ideal you?

Now strip away the things that create your polished appearance. Your possessions, your make-up, your hair product, your clothes. And pretend you've had no access to salons or waxists for a while, and that you're not able to suck your gut in when it's poking out. Maybe you're having a break-out, or a break-down? Maybe you're sick. You're helpless. Imagine that. Think of yourself in any or all of those situations, at your most wretched and lowly, and then think of who you would be comfortable showing that side of yourself to. Who would look but not think less of you?

My lowest has been pretty low. At my worst I have been worlds away from the happy, shiny creature I go out as on other, better days. But the man who accepts all shades and seasons of me has not wavered in his love or his loyalty.

The one who wakes to soothe away my night terrors and who holds me when I need to cry is the man who I will soon marry. And although I am obliged to tell you little more than this, I can safely say that I love him deeply for all of it, and more.

With him is simply where I belong. I don't need a marriage certificate or a fancy wedding to prove it, but...

any excuse to eat cake. ^_^

A word on breaking up

2010-03-12T22:17:00.002+10:30

They say it's hard to do, and they're right. When either party does not want a relationship to end, or sometimes even when both do, break-ups can really shred a person to pieces. I've certainly been there! And it made me draw some pretty depressing pictures. I think my uni lecturers were all secretly pleased when I graduated just so they wouldn't have to look through my very angsty art diary anymore.

Here is a sample, plucked from a darker time and place. Ack! Panties. It would appear that even in my more serious sketches I still end up drawing fan-service - Tsunami is a peeeeeervert! But to be fair I honestly did spend a lot of time sitting around in my undies during uni. Probably because I had no clean pants handy. -_-'

One more for Borag

2010-03-08T10:39:00.003+10:30

From our first date I think. This pretty much sums Borag up - he was impulsive, carefree and a lot of fun. I always draw him with a soccer ball because it seemed that he carried one with him 90% of the time. His two major passions were his art (comics specifically), and soccer. There was no competing with that order, but I didn't mind - he inspired me to be more passionate about my own artistic goals, and even though I've not been able to commit as completely to these aspirations as I would like, I know that I'll never stop trying! ^0^

Tsunami and the art of seduction - Part 3.

2010-03-06T21:57:00.000+10:30

Tip 3: Stink it up - entice your target with your signature fragrance. Be sneaky if you have to!

Ahhh, the old perfume trick. Borag once confessed that he'd read those books before bed and it would make him think of me. Muhahahaha! My cunning plan paid dividends. Hence the fact that I have no time for girls who mail S.O. scented resumes. Keep your stench for someone you love, hussies! >_<'

Tsunami and the art of seduction - Part 2.

2010-03-05T13:32:00.000+10:30

Tip 2: Give them the look of love - stare deeply into your target's eyes for a tender and romantic moment that they will never forget.

I don't know if Esquire ever realised how much his casual words got under my skin, but to this day if someone looks at me closely I assume they are examining my faults. -_-'

Tsunami and the art of seduction - Part 1.

2010-03-03T13:41:00.007+10:30

Now you're probably wondering, and I certainly don't blame you for doing so, how it is that I came to date such a nifty collection of guys. Well I guess dumb luck played a big part in it - after all, every one of them was rejected by a girl they liked better before taking a second look at me. If those girls had all been mutually keen there would be no story to tell here! ^_^'

But while tipping my hat to the powers that be, I must also lay claim to some pretty fancy moves of my own. As I am a generous blogger, I shall share with you some of my secrets. Let me teach you dear reader, how to snare your heart's desire!

(DISCLAIMER: This blog entry should not be taken seriously, and no responsibility will be taken by the author for the potentially tragic consequences of following the advice featured therein)

Tip 1: Smooth talk them - implement your verbal powers of persuasion to maximum effect!

Ex-perience - I has it

2010-03-02T19:58:00.011+10:30

As promised, tonight I shall present to you my humble list of ex-loves.

Although there have been minor flings and even the odd online romance mixed in, these are the unfortunate few that did time bearing official "boyfriend" status. Of course their true identities shall be protected by cleverly conceived (pfft) aliases.

I can promise you this won't be pretty! It's kind of a cleansing experience for me. Admitting things about myself that aren't all sugar and spice while paying my respects to boys who at one time in my life I loved more than anybody. That deserves some space here. Talk is cheap - blogging is free.

So - here we go.

Ex 1: Jalpo

I met this sweet and gentle individual while working my first job at Big W as a checkout chick. It wasn't as though I hadn't had a crush before, but this was the first time it felt like maybe - just maybe - I had a chance at getting it reciprocated. He was a quiet-spoken, unfailingly polite and friendly boy, with a geeky haircut and pants that were five inches too short at the bottom. I think I fell in love with those small pants. The fact that he was nice to me helped, because not every (or even most) boys had been nice to me up until that point.

Work became a thrilling opportunity to flirt with my target, and I still remember the innocent high that clung to me long after the last late night shopper meandered out of the store on a Thursday eve. I was desperate to make him mine.

After a short and awkward courtship initiated by a ridiculous phonecall, Jalpo became my first-ever-totally-for-real-not-just-one-of-those-pathetic-fantasies-entertained-at-night-while-clutching-several-plush-gremlins-one-cat-two-rabbits-and-a-worm-to-my-bosom-BOYFRIEND! And man was I happy.

And in a hurry too, to do lots of boyfriend girlfriend stuff. He went to a different high school, but at every opportunity we were together having dates, getting smoochy, and swearing eternal loyalty to one another. Of course we were going to get married and spend our lives together! We were under eighteen and violently in love.

But things did not stay candy sweet for long. A giant cavity developed in our relationship - one which gave me peculiar unease but which I couldn't pinpoint until the very end. There was absolutely nothing wrong with Jalpo. He was, and I dare say still is one of the nicest guys on the planet. Genuine, honest, hardworking and kind. All of the things a mother wants her daughter to bring home, and a "bloke" dad could talk cars to.

No, there was nothing wrong with Jalpo. It was what he brought out in ME that ruined us. In short, being with him made me a bitch. A total, utter, ball-busting harpy of a girl who complained and criticized and threatened and manipulated. Why? Because he was so damn NICE! And he never dared to question me. He never had an opinion that he thought was better than mine, and he went along with whatever I wanted. Nothing I did or said broke him, until the very end when I dumped the poor guy - over the phone, after a "temporary" separation during which I claimed to still love and need him - in the middle of half yearly exams. *CRINGE*

I realize now that I needed more than he could give me. The relationship was undeniably boring, and I felt it was too soon to be bored with love. Sick of playing leader in an increasingly sadistic pairing, it suddenly struck me as painfully obvious that things with Jalpo were never going to work out.

I was the worst girlfriend in the world to that poor boy, and while I have no regrets about having spent time with him, I regret terribly how I treated him. He deserved much better, and thankfully I think he has it now. He's married to a woman who I'm sure adores him and is NOT a harpy.

Ex 2: Esquire

When I broke up with Jalpo there was no looking back. I can honestly say there were no residual feelings for Ex 1 when I hooked up with Ex number 2, but I did think of him often during the course of my second relationship, and when I did one word resounded jarringly in my psyche - "KARMA".

During my first encounter with Esquire, he became smitten with my best friend. It was at a backyard party, and although I was with Jalpo at the time, I watched with interest as this tall, trench-coated enigma played amateur guitar with his rough little band. He was an older man (by a year) and therefore quite the catch. I was pleased for Sarsaparilla when he began to pursue her, then sympathetic when she rejected him and he became vaguely obsessive.

It was a week's worth of gossip, but Esquire's blip soon vanished from our radars and remained forgotten until much later when he appeared again on mine - this time as the sound of a knocking door and a flashing red and blue name on my ICQ contact list. He was still a blurry memory of someone more sophisticated than I, so when he initiated conversation with me I was thoroughly flattered. We flirted and played harmlessly in type, but with Sarsaparilla's blessing I moved to make things more serious. He had left town for university but came back regularly to visit his family, and it was on one of those trips that we started dating. I had a new boyfriend.

This was my first (and arguably only) experience in a long-distance relationship. Esquire went back to uni and I hauled ass to finish high school with a score sufficient to get me into a nice university in the same city as him. In the mean time I survived on his occasional visits and numerous gut-wrenching phone calls where we invariably ended up fighting because of my paranoia or his indifference.

It was a sucky set-up, mercifully ended when I shifted to Adelaide to begin my course in visual communications. At last we were in the same city, and I could be close to the man I had come to practically worship. Esquire, who was charming and funny and could be irresistibly sweet when the mood struck him. He was my romantic hero, and nothing mattered if he would only treasure me as I did him and promise to stay by my side.

So what went wrong? "KARMA". Whether or not fate intended it that way, I was given a bitter taste of what it felt like to be the hapless follower of one who doesn't seem to take you seriously. I know that he loved me, but he was bad at showing it. Never did I feel safe or secure. There were always allusions to other girls who were pursuing him, to a future that might not include me, and marriage was a moot point he said, until he turned 25 - at which point he might think about it. He was never desperate to see me, and never seemed to need me like I did him. It was painful, and I felt pitiful, because his dismissive attitude had turned me on my head. From harpy bitch-lord to an anxious, clingy love-slave. More and more I realized how cruel I had been to Jalpo.

We fought so often and I became so insanely unstable that I'm amazed he didn't ditch me. Certainly I can't say I was a great girlfriend in this equation, but there is no doubt in my mind that he knew, everyday that I was his and that I loved him. I loved him but I hated myself. I hated that I was so insecure, and I resented him for not allaying my fears.

It was I, once again who dealt the killing blow. Again, over the phone. This time after waiting hours for him to arrive at my house and then discovering that he'd fallen alseep at home. What if that straw that broke the camel's back was actually a needle? What if it actually HURT the camel? Can you blame it for buckling under the accumulative pressure of so many "little things"?

When the dust settled and I began moving on I was a broken woman. Two failed relationships had instilled a sense of urgency in me and I became shamelessly desperate. So began my darkest period. I sunk into a terrible depression during which I did the worst things to try and win love. I pursued and was pursued by cretins. In the process I began to lose hope and finally to believe that I didn't deserve happiness. I still wonder to this day if I do, but whatever the answer, it found me.

Ex 3: Borag, Lord of the Sheep

A normal star that falls in love with a shooting star knows how it's going to end, but in the brief light of their romance, it shines brighter than it knew it could.

Borag was my shooting star, and in the midst of my secret misery he saved me.

It was the day of a funeral, for a girl I didn't know well - just enough to feel grief at the sight of her coffin surrounded by those who would truly miss her. After departing her service I went to the uni computer pool to work on a soon due project. I cannot describe how very low I felt that night - alone without my family and few friends, and feeling like no one would ever love me, reeling at the reality of human mortality and rather worried that I'd fail my stupid project.

In that dark place I found an unexpected light. He was in my class, though he hadn't spoken to me all that much before. I had always fancied him as being very cute, but never thought of him much beyond that. Striking up a conversation with his trademark enthusiasm and unfailing cheer, he regaled for me a story from his high school days of watching a giant zit on a fellow student's neck explode and gush pus. The smile he gave to me was a miracle, and his first gift. I am positive it was at this exact moment that I fell in love with Borag.

The Japan/Korea World Cup brought us together. His love of soccer and my interest in my country of origin meant that we both tuned into this sporting event with gusto. We playfully locked horns when Ireland played Korea, and for a while I had the perfect excuse to talk to him every day in class.

I confessed to him with a comic. At first I was gently rejected, but one day to my complete surprise, he consented to be boyfriend number 3.

My time with Borag was a paradox of emotion. I was euphoric for the most part. He was one of the most singularly amazing individuals that I had ever met, with an infectious optimism that lifted my flagging spirit and helped me laugh again. He encouraged me in my artwork and made me feel beautiful, effortlessly showering me with an affection that came naturally to him but seemed surreal to me. Everything about him was inspiring, and I wished so much that I could hold onto him forever.

At the same time I was in agony because I knew that one day he would leave. It was not a guess, it was a fact. He was going to France, with or without me and I knew it would be without me. He couldn't tell me that he loved me, after all. It was a grace he was saving for the woman he would marry, he said. That sincere statement broke my heart, so I guess it was easier to end when the damage had already been done.

Love and marriage aside I knew I wasn't strong enough for another long-distance relationship. Not this time when I understood how much of my happiness he would be taking with him. Not this time when I couldn't secure so much as an "I love you".

I like to think that he did though.. even if he never admitted it.

We mutually decided to end it. I grieved by sticking a photo sticker of us to a fountain and singing to it until an old man came in and looked at me funny. I will never forget Borag. Like the Little Prince in the book he gave to me upon our final farewell - he changed me forever then left my world.

One Wedding and Several Impending Autopsies

2010-03-01T21:05:00.006+10:30

Happy 2010 every-buddy!

My first post of the year comes after a prolonged period of zero postage despite earlier promises of blog revival. What can I say? I suck like that. ^_^'

OH! Hey, gee, guess what? I'm getting married (and about freaking time) in less than a month! Good gravy, have I got some work to do, but before I bother with it I'm determined to delve into and record something of my stumbling-bumbling-fumbling-heart-crumbling romantic history leading up to this momentous occasion.

There's nothing quite like pulling out the decaying cadavers of failed romances and rehashing the cause of death now and then to inspire appreciation for one's current partner. Or in other more sentimental moments, recalling the spirit of those fetid remains with a bitter-sweet smile, and realizing how very much you've changed since they drew breath. Those moldering corpses were catalysts for said change in me - but this metaphor is getting gross and I'm going to stop using it. -_-'

Getting married was always high on my list of priorities, but was less important than my one shining goal of finding true love. The problem was - and I think I have already discussed this with you dear readers - that my expectations of love were terribly warped and inflated by popular media. If there weren't tears, poignant moments, lingerings, tremblings, fights and ultimate triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds - then how could it be the real thing? I mean you only have one lifetime to spend with some one. You wanna make sure it's THE one.

I suffered for my misgivings, and caused suffering in turn. And never after my quest began did it stop. From my first boyfriend I can scarcely recall a time that I was single. I jumped from relationship to relationship, running from one hurt and disappointment by rebounding to the next, but I don't regret it. I'm grateful for the time I spent with those unique and wonderful beings, even though in some cases my memories of them are a bit on the shitty side. -_-'

So before I walk down the aisle and promise my heart to one man alone (though he's had it for many years now and has probably lost it somewhere in his sock drawer), I shall here pay tribute to those who came before him. The abandoned beaus who shaped me into the woman I am today. A raving nut case with a blogging account and ink to burn. @o@

Prepare yourself! Tomorrow I'm taking the lid off my Ex-box and pulling out my Ex-files! Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha - *cough-wheeze-hack* - ha!

Please enjoy it!

Tsunami does AVcon, 2009

2009-09-22T22:42:00.011+09:30

Oho! Some action on this desolate plain at last. Considering how very LITTLE I've been accomplishing on my BIG project lately, I figure I may as well pop back and give my blog some attention from time to time. ^_^

So backpedalling into the past, I shall retrieve my hazy memories from AVcon weekend and try to present some coherent account of why it was AWESOME!

First, (for those who don't know but actually care) "AVcon" is Adelaide's own anime and video-gaming convention organised by local nerds, for local nerds. Up until this year it has always been held at the Adelaide university, but 2009 saw the event take a giant leap into the realm of mainstream attractions, relocating to the Adelaide Convention Centre, with advertisments aired on network television.

On Saturday I went along with an old uni pal of mine,(the ever lame but loveable)Craig, and his housemate (and my very nifty new pal) Chill-kun. I'd actually managed to talk Craig into cosplaying, and he showed up looking suitably diabolical in a Light Yagami costume. Well, the wig was diabolical at least. ^_^'

We had a pleasant day strolling along artist alley, skulking through the lightless cavern of pumped-up gamers, and posing for numerous photographs in our cosplays. We even sat in for part of a cosplay panel, but when the speakers started talking about the necessity of good-taste, I got uncomfortable and snuck out. After all, they were griping about girls in skirts too short, and there I was not wearing any pants. T3T

On Sunday I did a shift at the maid cafe, which as the name suggests, is a cafe served by maids. Having met the coordinator of this outfit the previous day and mentioning that I had a maid costume handy, I'd been recruited to wait on customers all morning. Unfortunately I was overly optimistic about the job requirements and rocked up inappropriate footwear. Navigating tables and queues with a big tray full of food and beverages while in a floofy great costume and high heels is no easy task, let me tell you! >_<

And so it all came to an end, but I scored bonus fun by attending the AVcon after party where I became extremely inebriated and danced maniacally into the wee hours. All in all it was pretty gosh darn swell. ^0^

Comikaze '09

2009-07-06T21:44:00.003+09:30

Hi-ho all! I know, I know. You thought I was dead.

Well I'm happy to report that isn't the case! Still plugging away at my big comic project, though not nearly as consistently as before. I've had a few breaks in my focus, including the Australian 24 hour comic challenge that took place on the Queen's birthday weekend - ie. "Comikaze".

http://comikaze24.com/

It's an annual event hosted by "Pulp Faction", a very cool forum for Australian comic fans and creators. I heard about it when a friend participated some years back, and I had peeked at it before, but never been brave enough to enter. Until this year.

I drank green tea, I cranked up the J-Pop, I holed up in my office and sat at my desk with a stack of paper and art supplies at the ready. 24 hours, 24 pages, 3 keywords, and who knows how many panels later, I'd finished. It was a beautiful feeling. FINISHING something. Good gravy! Me?! *sound of reality's fabric tearing*

As for the final product, my comic is called "Plush Love", and I'd love to tell you to go look at it because it's online, but I entered into the "mature" category, so the only way you can access it is by actually joining the forum (and being over 18 years of age, of course).

Well, just in case anyone is that interested, here's the address for Pulp Faction:

http://forums.pulpfaction.net/

You can find my entry in the thread "Comikaze 24hr Comic Challenge '09 - Mature".

And no, it's not listed as being by "Tsunami Hee Ja". What can I say, I used an alias. ^_^'

If you don't get the opportunity to read it now there's a good chance that I'll post it to my website at a later date. There's also word of a Comikaze '09 comic being printed, which should contain my entry. Should, because I somehow managed to win the competition! @_@'

I was as shocked as you probably are. The talent of the other artists who entered really pooed all over me I think, but somehow my story still managed to win the judges' votes. So even though I didn't get a people's choice for my category, I still won the Wii. Not bad for 24 hours work methinks. ^0^

If any of you guys read this, a big thanks to the PF team for hosting the competition, and to sponsor Jacen C (creator of "Monstar") for my prize.

It's still early days, but maybe, just maybe.. I'll enter again next year. ^_^'

Page 1. "Plush Love"

GTT - "Great Teacher Tsunami" (?!)

2009-04-04T20:46:00.003+10:30

Ack, scary, right? I'm going to be hosting a couple of workshops at the West Lakes branch of the Charles Sturt library over the coming school holidays.

http://www.charlessturt.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/School_Holiday_Program.pdf

Manga and anime drawing for 7-12 year olds. Should be swell and nifty if I can avoid weeing myself like a nervous puppy! ^_^'

Busy-busy-busy as per always, but hope you're all doing great out there.

Artist at work

2009-03-09T22:28:00.003+10:30

Yus! I have been MIA lots, and this post is not to say I'm back to blogging - it's more to warn you that I won't be.. probably for a while.

Reason being I have a major new project in the works. I think it's a premature mini-midlife crisis manifesting as a thorn up my bum/bee in my bonnet to do something I've always desperately wanted to do. FINISH SOMETHING.

There's a story that needs drawing and it's buzzing around in my head along with catch phrases from the most awesome sports manga ever - "Prince of Tennis". At night I can't sleep thinking about it (my project, and sweaty high school tennis boys), so during the day I'm rather zombie like.

I've stabbed myself in the finger with my pen twice, and even though it hurts I kind of like pressing it. "There's a fine line between pleasure and pain". Is this the idea? Or is it meant to be something kinkier?

I feel pretty guilty for not being socially avaliable anymore, but I'm just so strapped for work hours. FORGIVE ME FRIENDS! I do care, but I am a woman possessed! T-T

Meanwhile, my Daruma is staring at me accusingly with it's one eye, willing me onward and towards my goal so that it can finally gain some depth perception.

I have never been more motivated about a project... ever. Well actually I probably have been, then lost interest. Which is why I'm trying really hard not to do that!!! >o<

TSUNAMI, FIGHT-O!

Again, sorry for not being around anymore. It's not you, it's me.

Mistaken Identity

2009-02-12T22:05:00.003+10:30

Perhaps you've noticed that my dad has appeared in several blog entries now. That's because he's funny. This was one of his goofier moments, but I'll admit that that photo does look more like a dude than a chick. Blame the haircut! I never wanted a pudding bowl, I swear - mother bent me to her will. T-T

That frame had pictures of my family below me, plus one of my pal Sarsaparilla and my cat Angus. Ahhh, how limited my circle of loved ones used to be. ^_^'

Can't stop the Music

2009-02-11T20:37:00.002+10:30

Something that happened on my recent trip. Why they switched to George Micheal after seven straight hours of doof-doof music (?) is anybody's guess. -_-'

I brought you back a Postcard!

2009-02-09T21:59:00.007+10:30

I'm back! And boy, am I happy to be here enjoying the delightful cool change. I can't believe I'm actually wearing a jumper. o_o

Well I said I'd record any exciting goings on while away for illustration in my blog when I returned. Unfortunately (but not surprisingly) nothing very interesting or amusing happened. Every day was a sweltering forty something degrees, so even going for a walk was out of the question. I spent most of my trip indoors, allowing my sweaty body to be caressed by the experienced touch of a big, buff air conditioner. Mmmm.. that was an affair to remember (my cooler at home just doesn't do it the same).

During my heat-imposed incarceration my mother nagged me into cleaning out my old cupboards full of crap from high school. I found a lot of embarrassing things, including half-finished letters to an ex boyfriend. URGH! Was I really such a psychopath? No wonder men went screaming for the Hills whenever I looked at them with goo-goo eyes. They could probably see the Hannibal like craving behind those batting lashes: "I love you so bad that I need to eat your heart with fava beans - NOM NOM NOM".

I did manage to do a couple of social things on my trip though. I caught up with a recently rediscovered friend from high school (hi Greg!) and fellow Blogger (also childhood/lifelong friend) Stefan. I'm kinda bummed that I didn't get to see his lovely Leen too, but they wanted me to go to the pool. I hate the pool. I can't swim, and I can't shake that irrational fear that someone might have slipped a shark into the deep end while I wasn't looking. T-T

Oh! My nan had her 70th - the very reason I went on this trip. I think she had a nice day and really liked her present. She rocks! Even at her age she's still the most gung-ho nanna I know. Most pensioners break limbs falling over in the bathroom, but she does it climbing woodstacks or slipping down a boat ramp while trying to rescue a toilet-roll raft.

Also, I went out with my sister. What was meant to be a 100% swell and nifty sibling bonding session turned into me getting very drunk to fuzz out the image of her bored, unsmiling expression. I might scribble a blog about that later. ^_^'

I did manage to draw a few entries while I was away. Not necessarily about what happened on my trip, but about stuff that I did back when I lived there. I'll post them later.

As for today's picture? Well I drew that to sum up my holiday. Though I don't have cat ears I do actually own that singlet - an engrish gem that sparkled like ironic gold during my visit to "the accessible outback".

Anyhow, I was up way to early (to catch the plane home) this morning. I need bed - soooo bad.
Peace out for now, kittens! =^0^=

Tsumi-chan. <3

BRB!

2009-01-29T22:27:00.003+10:30

It's not as if I've been regular with posting so I don't really need to tell anybody that I'll be gone for 10 days and to not expect any action here. But I'm going to anyway. I'm off to visit my folks and enjoy some deserty goodness. I'll be sure to record any exciting happenings and bombard you with them when I return, so look forward to it! ^_^

Tsunami the devourer

2009-01-19T22:43:00.002+10:30

In case I hadn't said this before - I LOVE food! Savory stuff is my favourite, and anything involving potato is particularly alluring to my taste buds, but I also enjoy something sweet now and again. That caramel waffle sure hit the spot after all of the salt I'd consumed previously. Thanks again for the fun night out, Rao-chan - sorry that I "demasculinated" you by making you sit through "Twilight". T-T

Over-dressed

2009-01-18T18:51:00.003+10:30

Ladies - as you get older (and more out of shape) you can find yourself muttering "isn't she cold" or "does she know you can see her ass in that" whenever a scantily clad girl passes you by on a Saturday night. And these would be reasonable queries I suppose, if you didn't know the answers already. If a few years back you hadn't worn equally risque outfits yourself. If you had never gone out in a dress slightly too short, or shown a touch too much cleavage. If you'd never bared some skin because.. well, you could. If you were that superior, then your disdain might sound like more than just jealously that you no longer (if ever) had that option.

It's easy to be a hypocrite, so I'll try not to be. Certainly if I had a daughter I wouldn't enjoy the idea of her getting about half drunk with her boobs popping out and her dress(?) revealing her buttocks every time someone so much as exhaled in her direction. That said, I don't begrudge young ladies their fun, or the heady rush that comes with showing off physical assets, which, over time will peak and wither and need to be hidden under floral frocks and coral coloured slacks. No, I say, appropriately aged women may wear what they will, as long as it falls into the boundaries of the law and their own comfort zone.

After all, there's nothing to stop you from thinking "she looks like poop", but if she spent all the time she undoubtedly spent in front of the mirror and decided, "yes, I'm wearing this - I think I look nifty", then there's no reason at all for you to burst her bubble. She's happy, she's probably not hurting anyone, and why is what you've put on any better?

I ponder all of this after my experience last night. Wearing what I did, I felt utterly uncomfortable, and very much "over-dressed". I was a wet blanket in the sea of skin that surrounded me, and this would be fine if the outfit were something I felt confident in. If you're wearing clothes that make you feel weird, even if the ensemble is completely acceptable, there's little to no chance of relaxing and having a fun time. It just wasn't me and I didn't feel right. It was as awkward as that day I went to the supermarket and forgot to wear pants (true story). @_@'

Personally, I don't mind seeing a little bit of skin. *coughs* Tsunamiisapervert *clears throat* I mean look at my favourite artistic subject matter (girls, girls and more girls). That doesn't mean I encourage or endorse forgetting to put your pants on - I just don't particularly mind if you do. No wait a minute, that's not right either. -_-'

What I mean is, "BURN WITH PASSION, FIERY YOUTH!" Or something along those lines. Young people are young, so let them have their fun. Sometimes they can be offensive and shitty (like the girl who was playing her crapola ring tones at full pump on the train ride home when my night-out concluded), but they'll probably grow out of it - if only because nature forces them to.

After all my inane ranting, let me close by stressing that I'm not excusing scantily clad behavior, which often goes hand in sticky hand with under-dressed girls on a drinking spree. What you do has (or at least should have) a lot more bearing on what people think than what you wear (unless your shirt says "I love Hitler" on it - then you deserve all the pain that's coming to you).

And once again, I've forgotten my point. Ummmm... did I have one? Oh yes, wear pants in public. Seriously, you could get into a lot of trouble if you don't. ^_^'

Garage Days

2009-01-15T21:37:00.002+10:30

Before he became an inspiring short-tressed blogger, Stefan D was a bespectacled mass of curly locks living in the house next door, and my best friend growing up as a kid.

Anyway, he and his brother had this really cool Lego table set-up in his garage/clubhouse/secret headquarters, and I would often spend time there constructing nifty little houses and gardens and all sorts of things. I liked picking out individual pieces from those chaotic buckets of blocks and creating peace, order and shiny plastic beauty from nothing.

Unfortunately Stefan never shared my vision, and as soon as my back was turned he would demolish my mini-masterpieces and assimilate their remains with his latest haphazard monstrosity. No offense Stef, I'm sure you thought it looked like a robot and all, but to me, it was always just a big mass of my dead houses. -_-'

Predictive Txt Rejection

2009-01-05T21:51:00.003+10:30

This happened during my turbulent University days, when I was a dateless desperado on a frantic search for Mr. Right. The boy featuring in this particular story was a classmate of mine, and after an unceremonious smooch-fest at an end of semester shindig, he later invited me to his house for what I believed to be a "date". How naive I was!

And so it went. I still remember sitting at the bus stop reading that txt again and again, until it finally sunk in that he'd made a typing error - apparently with predictive txt on his phone. "FOOT" was meant to be "DON'T". So not only had I been rejected via txt message, but the txt itself was totally half-assed. -_-'

At the time this was slightly devastating, but now I'm glad it happened. It taught me a valuable lesson about the opposite sex (ie. the key to a man's heart is seldom found in his pants or yours), and once the sting wore off I abruptly found the memory hilarious.

As for the fellow with the poor txting skills? Well we're still friendly. He's the kind of guy you just can't stay mad at, and he did try and explain himself later down the track - not that it was worth a hairy banana to me at that stage.

The moral of this story is obvious: FOOT DO WHAT I DID.

New Year's Nostaligia

2008-12-31T21:07:00.003+10:30

New Year's Eve, huh? And I can imagine friends and strangers all over the city, all over the country preparing for midnight at parties and pubs and beaches and barbeques and everywhere in between.

I was supposed to draw something to mark the occasion, but again, time got away from me. That happens doesn't it? 2008 is drawing to a close already, and now I understand the incredulity in my mother's voice when she laments how quickly a year goes by.

Having failed at my simple task of drawing a picture of my past, I'd decided to post a picture drawn in the past instead. I've sunk myself into an hour's worth of nostalgia, looking at old sketch books and cringing at my crappy squiggles. My ugly black tomes contain records of so many important, emotional and life-changing events (usually centred about love and losing it) that it's easy to get a little depressed.

Right now though, I'm really freaking happy.

New Year's is like a birthday without the distraction of presents, in that it reminds us that life is ticking by. There are only so many New Year's Eves we'll get to celebrate, and only so many New Years Days to save our fresh-starts for. Life is painfully short, and beautiful, and precious.

I've seen and done and felt so much (yet so little) in my twenty six years, and I have oodles to be grateful for. So in my quest to find something to express my feelings at the end of 2008, I've scanned in the above. Not a drawing at all actually, but I hope you can kinda feel it too.

Love and peace! And Happy New Year everybody. <3

Christmas Wishes

2008-12-25T18:03:00.002+10:30

I was going to draw a picture to celebrate today being Christmas, but I was up till midnight writing last minute cards and getting everything organized for today, so obviously it just didn't happen. But I did wear a very festive looking dress, and the camera being on hand I decided to upload a goofy photo instead.

So here's a Christmas wish for you folks out there in net land. Hope you have an awesome day and eat lots of yummy stuff!

A special shout out to my buddy TB who was working over Christmas, because people need to catch buses everyday of the year. Let's have lunch up soon. ^0^

Lotsa love to joo all,
Tsumi-chan. <3

The Tell-tale Present

2008-12-22T23:00:00.004+10:30

To mark the festive season here's a little Christmas memory of mine from way back when.

As a girl of perhaps ten, I dearly wanted a pair of those new-fangled "rollerblades" that all the cool kids were talking about. In consideration of the fact that I got what I asked for EVERY year, I had no reason to suppose that this Christmas would be any different.

Despite this comforting track record, I felt compelled to try what other children my age described as "peeking at presents" prior to the big day. Everyone else did it, in fact some kids bragged about the lengths their parents went to hide their gifts (and of course how these attempts were foiled by brave feats of chair climbing).

When I did venture fourth into the forbidden realm of my parents' bedroom, I found that no chair was necessary. In the bottom drawer of a wardrobe sat a shiny new box of black and purple rollerblades. I was surprised and excited, more by the fact that I'd found them so easily than by their confirmed existence.

But after the adrenalin rush died down, an overwhelming sense of regret kicked in. I was filled with remorse for my actions. I imagined my mother, heartbroken because her surprise had been uncovered. I tried to picture myself feeling the same measure of delight in opening this gift on Christmas morning now that it had already been viewed. More than anything else, I knew that I had done something wrong, and oh, how it ate at me! In my tiny childish mind, I had RUINED Christmas.

For the next day or two I recall feeling sick with guilt. I kept thinking of those rollerblades sitting in the drawer, my poor parents still cheerfully planning their kind surprise. Finally I could stand no more! I ran to my mother crying and begging for forgiveness..

She flatly informed me that the rollerblades were for my sister.

And I felt much, much better! As it turns out we both got a pair for Christmas, and I have never ever peeked at presents since.

Pictionary Hall of Fame No. 1

2008-12-21T10:18:00.002+10:30

With our parenting responsibilities, Significant other and I don't get out as much as we used to. These days our social activities tend to be based at home, where once in a blue moon we arrange some kind of gathering to celebrate a birthday, a child, or a change of address. We invite a few friends over, eat a lot of home-baked vegetarian goodies, warm up with the Wii, and then onto my favourite part of the evening. PICTIONARY! I love-love-love Pictionary, and over the years we have amassed a small treasury of artistic gems.

So my friends, let me share with you a few of the classics. Ask yourself as you look at these - would you have guessed the word in under a minute?

Please take time to appreciate if you will, the fact that Hayley's streaker is endowed with both male and female genetalia. This prompted her teammates to repeatedly call out "hermaphrodite". The playing field element of her picture was very much ignored.

Slug traps (the garden saga continues)

2008-12-19T14:41:00.002+10:30

I'm reluctant to post this because surely the ickiness of it must compromise the "loveliness" of my beloved blog. However, I did promise to keep you updated on my gardening exploits so here are some results.

After weeks of procrastination I finally slapped together three slug traps last night and stuck them in the strawberry patch. When I remembered to check them (half way through the day), I was greeted by this attractive sight - "drunken slug stew".

Well I'm thoroughly grossed out! How about you? I have no idea what to do with them now. If I drove I'd take them to the beach and get the seagulls intoxicated. ^o^

Anyway, seeing as this experiment has been a success, let me give you a run down on how to make your own handy dandy slug trappy. The instructions I saw online recommended cutting a bottle in two and inverting the top half into the base which I tried, but I made two simpler versions that seem to have worked better.

1. Take an empty yoghurt container and pour in some beer (until it's almost half full).

2. Place some glad wrap over the top and wrap some tape around the container to secure it.

3. Use scissors to cut a small hole (about the size of a five cent piece) in the top.

4. Stick it in the garden overnight. Try to pick a spot with confirmed slug activity.

5. Check the next day, and prepare to go "EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

Happy gardening my little chipmunks. =^w^= <3

2D love

2008-12-17T20:54:00.009+10:30

I've been kinda down this week so I drew something to cheer myself up. If you, like me are a child of the 80's who grew up on a diet of cheesy merchandise-fueled animation, you might know who this dude is.

Before I get to that, let's talk about one of my earliest established quirks. I like guys best when they are drawings. Ask my buddy Sarsaparilla, and she'll tell you that while all the other girls in high school were fawning over the latest bit of celebrity man meat, I was oggling Nickelodeon's every animated offering. I crushed out on Rocko, Ickis, that tall birdy-looking guy from "Hey Arnold", and even the singing ant from "Santo Bugito". Thank God "Sponge Bob Square Pants" wasn't around back then - falling in love with a sponge is where I draw the line! >_<'

Years later my taste is a little more refined. I'm all about the manga boys now - ooh yummy. *mutters* Yes, I'm a fangirl, so what? It's been a fabulous revelation finding out that I'm not the only weirdo who fancies two-dimensional dudes.

Back to the picture though, I recently rented "Care Bears movie II - A New Generation" to relive my own youth and enjoy with the kiddies. As the opening theme began to play, a floodgate of memories exploded in my aged and fraying brain. It was all so hauntingly familiar. I could anticipate every image, action, and nuance the second before it occurred.

What really rocked my world was the scene where the shape-changing baddie manifests as a human boy to fool a jaded young camper. The moment preceding his entrance I became inexplicably excited, and when at last he flashed up on the screen I giddily squealed "Dark Heart"! My son was scared. What an epiphany. He may have been my first ever cartoon crush when I was young. I would have watched this movie repeatedly when I was what? Five or six? So it has to be. I've found him! My first 2D love!

Okay, so looking at the guy now I have to cringe a little. The red hair, red eyes combo still sits well, but the cut and the red track-suit set gives him the feel of a normal pre-teen dork whose mum can't dress him properly. The style of animation makes his character appear constantly goofy instead of cool and calculating. Not to mention I'm a heck of a lot older than I used to be, so fancying a guy that young (even if he's animated) just feels wrong.

And thus: I gave him a bishonen makeover. Let's just assume he's older in my picture, and he's totally giving me "Proud Heart" cat as a token of affection because I DO like cats, and he digs me! 100% swell and nifty. <3

I know what you're thinking, and yes, I am a lot stranger than you will ever know.

Hang on, you hate me!

2008-12-12T22:50:00.006+10:30

Here's a story about the boy next door (from the less friendly side of the fence). My childhood memories involving him are consistently bad, and I regarded him in much the same way as a wounded rabbit would an anaconda. He was the bully, the bad boy, and my dislike for him seemed set in stone.. then this happened.

Somehow it just wasn't as satisfying as it should have been. One of my lifelong tormentors suddenly appearing inebriated before me, and making a total fool of himself. Why was this not 100% swell and nifty?

After some reflection I realised that I no longer felt any animosity towards the individual in question. My lingering fear and resentment were vanquished in the wake of a few slurred words, leaving little more than vague amusement.

It's funny how we grow out of things that aren't physical. Tastes change, friendships die, and sometimes grudges evaporate without a trace.

By the way, I do not endorse getting drunk! Minors especially should stay away from the alcohol - you'll have plenty of time to make an idiot of yourself once you turn eighteen. And now I must go, because I have a lingering hangover from a Christmas party that I attended on Saturday night. I embarrassed myself terribly, and will probably draw something about it later when my head doesn't feel so icky. See? Champagne = alcohol = evil. -_-'

Say What?

2008-12-12T21:12:00.004+10:30

Perhaps you had to be there, but my friends and I still recall this incident with much giggling. My representation is based largely on Sarsaparilla's (girl seated behind me) account. She insists that my delivery was confident, enthusiastic and accompanied by an idiotic smile, which I don't remember at all! Since she's the one who saw it I'm taking her word for it - mortifying though it may be. Don't you just love it when your brain gets confused before the words reach your mouth?

Toilet Paper fairy

2008-12-08T22:43:00.002+10:30

Happened a couple of weeks back. I know it's good to help people and be kind to others, but why when the impulse to do a good deed seizes me, do I have to pick something so ridiculous? That poor old lady actually looked kind of scared, and when I thought about it (all the way home from the supermarket) I realised that I must have looked like a total freak!

To be honest, I have a definite soft spot for the elderly. Maybe it's because I did work experience in a nursing home while I was in high school? Don't get me wrong - I hated it, but it reminded me how awesome it is to be young. I just like old people I suppose.. ARGH! I'm so weird!

Anyway, this is not the first time my good intentions have led to me seeming creepy, but I'll save my other examples for future blog entries. For now, the toilet paper fairy bids you goodnight- may you all wipe with triple ply! <3

Where's the blog?

2008-12-07T15:59:00.003+10:30

Hey guys - been a while, huh? Sorry about that. -_-'

I really have been busy though. One of my few important achievements during the interim was that I FINALLY GOT MY WEBSITE IS ONLINE! Yay! <3

www.tsunamiheeja.com.au

Go check it out, and marvel at how hideously long it takes to load. ^_^'

So yes, I've recently turned 26 (the horror). To celebrate my older-ness, I went and did something I've always wanted to try. I got my hair permed.

You know how it is. The grass is always greener on the other side, and curly hair always looks so nice - on other people. Feeling optimistic I bounced into the salon ready for a miracle makeover. After a very uncomfortable two and a half hours I walked out of the salon $165 poorer, reeking of some apparently fart-fragranced chemical, and looking like a cocker spaniel.

Thankfully the smell has since faded. My hair is still quite big and scary, but the hairdresser assured me it would drop over time. I definitely won't be getting it re-set. T-T

Anyway, lovely blogging is back. Sort of. It's December after all, and I have kids, a mortgage and the family coming to mine for Christmas this year. Drawing entries must take a back seat for now. I shall try to add more dumb stories to the ever-expanding collection when it's convenient!

Rock on everybody,
Tsunami-chan. xoxox

How does my garden grow?

2008-11-18T18:19:00.005+10:30

Well suddenly I have a giant garden. After living with a paved courtyard for so many years I have to admit, I'm a little out of my depth here. For the longest time my gardening exploits have been limited to keeping potted succulents, the majority of which died mysterious deaths.

Today I got itchy green thumbs and decided to make use of the empty space in our second-hand vegie plots. I purchased some watermelon, sweet corn and butternut pumpkin seedlings and hit the yard, my hoe in hand. The first task to be tackled was removal of old and dying plants, including a cabbage that had gone to seed and mutated into some sickly fungus-green monstrosity. That done, the soil needed to be turned. This proved quite a job because the ground had set as hard as rock. I suppose I should have watered the plot earlier. ^_^'

The corn and watermelons got planted, but the pumpkins will have to wait. The rest of my afternoon was dedicated to some intense online research into the initiation and upkeep of an organic vegetable garden. I learned all sorts of crazy stuff. Like nematodes are REAL! I thought they were fictional creatures from "Alice in Wonderland", but actually they're filthy little worms that make your vegie roots get all lumpy and gross.

Cyberspace also yielded answers to my slug crises. The slimy little beggars have been chowing down on my strawberries, and I've not known how to fight back without resorting to poison. It seems the answer is to get them drunk. You can make a nifty little trap with beer that baits and drowns them. And did you know you can kill off ants by giving them polenta or semolina? Apparently they take it back and feed it to their queen, who later explodes.

Thank you internet for knowing everything I don't.

Keep off the bed

2008-11-16T21:31:00.005+10:30

I know, I know. It's probably not the best idea for a parent to throw a toddler-style tantrum in front of a 3 year old, but my son has become a serial bed-jumper. Sure, once upon a time it wouldn't have bothered me. In fact, poo to the Scrooge who would deny a child the freedom of expression and love of life that can only be channeled through the uplifting act of bed-jumping!

These days my thinking has changed a bit. When you take on the role of stay-at-home-mother and house-wife, things look rather different than when you were a kid, a teen, a single adult, or even a coupled adult without children. Suddenly you realise how much you have to do, and how little anyone will notice that you've done anything at all.

You don't get paid for washing or vacuuming or sorting the linen. The home becomes a workplace, and even when you try to relax, somewhere in your brain you're nagging yourself to weed the garden.

Looking after the kids can be great fun, but after hunting around for lost drink bottles, changing nappies, enforcing meals, wiping up spit and supervising play dates for hours it really stings when the highlight of their day is Dad (the favourite parent) arriving home from work. T-T

Now I get why mum would flash me that homicidal look when I brought out my dinner plate after the dishes had just been done. Now I know why a tissue left in my pants pocket on laundry day could send her spare. Now I get that flopping onto the bed seconds after she'd made it was both insensitive and insulting. Not because it takes any great effort to straighten a rumpled cover, but because I'd taken away the very small satisfaction of seeing her thankless task completed.

As with most chores, the knowledge that they will need to be repeated again and again and again till the day you die is a given. A bed made in the morning will be pulled back and slept in that night. Dishes washed will be eaten off of only to need washing again. BUT, when these jobs are completed, for a moment we can smile to ourselves and feel that we have created a little bit of order in a sea of chaos. It feels like we are doing our jobs.

So try not to harass your mum too much - she might be on the edge as it is. @_@'

"Share House" Sunday, no.5

2008-11-15T20:36:00.004+10:30

Well here is the last "Share House" strip I ever drew. Didn't last long, did it? And just when I'd lumped all of our main characters together under one rented roof.

Like I said, it'd be nice to do more of these because it was a fun little project, but I've already spread myself a tad artistically thin, and there was never much marmalade in the motivation jar to begin with. Breakfast condi-metaphors aside, let's just say "I don't have time", and tack on a "maybe later" to make myself feel better.

Water War

2008-11-14T10:56:00.005+10:30

The battle took place on a hot Summer's day. A valued colleague from primary school was visiting when my neighborhood nemeses (a dastardly duo of boys) pitched a cluster of cedar berries into her perfect preteen forehead.

This meant war!

Stefan, our trusty ally from the friendly side of my fence came to back us up. For my guest's honor we retaliated with powerful weapons of mass-saturation. Sensing imminent victory, we pressed our attack, when out of nowhere the enemy unveiled it's secret weapon. We were forced to flee in the face of superior water-power.

It seemed we'd been defeated, but a wild card fell in our favour when unexpected back-up arrived at the front. With less than an hour before his shift started, my Dad stepped outside to witness his work clothes being soaked by enemy H2O. His wrath was indeed terrible, and the war won - for the last laugh was well and truly ours.

The Forbidden Memory

2008-11-11T16:36:00.002+10:30

I'm not sure how much she cares about keeping her identity private, but just to be safe I'll call the girl friend pictured with me above, "Sarsaparilla". You know, like the drink? Anyway, every time we hang out we usually do two things - eat and reminisce about how crap high school was.

Don't ask me why, but this seems to be the memory that we bring up most often. It's stupid really, but somehow that mental image of the two of us practically creaming our pants because Hanson's "Mmm Bop" was playing on the radio, bouncing around all happy and excited in our clean school uniforms - EWW! It sends shivers of ickiness down my spine. >_<'

I like to think we've both changed a lot, but I'm not entirely certain that I'm any less lame than back then to be honest. At least I don't listen to Hanson anymore. ^_^'

PS. something is screwy with my blog settings. It's saying that yesterday's post is from Sunday, when it was actually MONDAY. And today is Tuesday, just in case it gets that wrong too. I'm gonna have to have a fiddle with my time zone or something. Erf, did that just sound dirty? 0_0

Lucky Corn

2008-11-09T21:44:00.006+10:30

For those of you whose daily vegetable intake consists of fries with tomato sauce, this might not mean very much. In fact, you're probably thinking it would be awesome if you could find a lucky corn too!

Even though I've been eating and preparing a lot of vegetables in recent times, I'd never actually peeled a corn cob until about two weeks ago. And that's when the above incident occurred and reminded me that men can be sneaky bastards. I eventually figured out that I was being mocked, and Significant Other got threatened with a hairy-corn-beating.

So for anyone still wondering, all corn cobs have weird hairy bits. Don't be fooled! T-T

"Share House" Sunday, no.4

2008-11-09T20:51:00.003+10:30

And another Sunday draws to a close. Today I tasted the DIY pie, opting to help S.O. with the paint job in my new office space. I'm pretty handy with a roller if I do say so myself. ^_^

What trials and tribulations will the coming week bring? And how will the epic battle between Tsunami and the slugs eating all the fruit in her strawberry patch end? Only time will tell.

SHOUJO NIGHTMARE!

2008-11-08T23:20:00.004+10:30

I never actually dreamed any of that. This time my comic content is entirely fictional, and drawn in response to my last poll:

Who would you like to see drawn as a cutesy shoujo manga character?

Kevin Rudd (1 vote)
John Howard
Margaret Thatcher
Gordon Ramsey (1 vote)
Mr. T (1 vote)

Since there was a three way split I worked the guys into a goofy narrative thingy. Shoujo of course is manga aimed primarily at a female readership, usually in their teens (think high school romance and relationship dramas). In light of the direction I chose for this comic, I'm REALLY glad no one voted for John or Margie. T-T

BTW, that's my girl pal "TV" with me in that last bit - she's a huuuge Gordon fan. Teehee, we are so sick. ^_^ <3

Don't make me..

2008-11-04T21:29:00.004+10:30

Yay! I'm back! Finally, finally, finally! It feels like so long since I've posted my meaningless blather online, but at last the phone company came through.

Ah Telstra, our relationship is a messed-up comedy of errors. You go to so much trouble trying to sell your services, or else trick people into buying them (that's how I got broadband in the first place - I'm worse off than most nannas when it comes to getting scammed on the phone), and yet when it comes to helping existing customers you really can't be arsed. I shouldn't bitch too much I suppose, because after all, you've finally reconnected me after almost two weeks. And it must be so hard for you when people do wild and outlandish things like CHANGE ADDRESS. >_<'

But I digress. The main thing is that I can resume my net-lurking. *sneaks around* I'm in temporary digs at the moment because my new office needs to be painted - more DIY stuff for Significant other to sink his manly chops into this weekend. I'm still kind of preoccupied with all this self-imposed chaos at the moment, so please excuse if the posts are few and far between.

Anyway, hi to everyone. I owe emails to a few people, especially Adam and Zeno - I'll get to it soon! Glad you had a good holiday Stef and Leen. Sara and Hayley, we'll catch up soon. And Craig.. you are lame.

Oh yeah - obviously I watched "The Incredible Hulk". I love that big green goofball. <3

No Netz

2008-10-27T12:03:00.003+10:30

Erf.. I am still in the midst of relocating offices, so I presently have no net connection. I am writing this in the middle of a shopping centre. I feel so exposed. T-T

Hopefully I'll be back soon! Till then, carry on with your business. ^_^

<3 Tsumi-chan.

Love (drink) lost

2008-10-19T21:58:00.005+10:30

Small things amuse small minds

2008-10-18T21:40:00.006+10:30

When my hysterical laughter finally died down, I realised two things.

1. Even if someone had actually heard my joke, no one else would have found it amusing.

2. I'll never, ever be cool.

"Share House" Sunday, no.3

2008-10-18T21:33:00.004+10:30

Sunday again. As you may have guessed from my rather half-hearted posts, I've had a bit of a crazy week. There's another one ahead, so it'll probably get worse before it gets better. If anything, I may even have to.. *gasp* skip days.

Well it was bound to happen eventually - once the novelty wears off I do tend to neglect these little projects. Honestly though, it's been hectic. Waaah! All I wanna do is vege out and read manga! T-T

Lost in translation

2008-10-17T20:12:00.005+10:30

I had my first real run in with Engrish when I moved to the city. A cheap shower curtain in a bargain basement store had a neat line of text proclaiming "None Poison, None Smell". My initial instinct was to dismiss it as an ordinary typo, but upon reading it again I sensed that here was something special.

There's something magical about these accidental sentences. More is gained than lost during translation. Instead of a smooth transition from one distinct language to another, we see a strange fusion that creates meaning above and beyond what either could convey individually. There's the practical message that can still be picked out from the seemingly irrational ensemble of words, and then there's something extra. Like universal wisdom, like social satire, like truth. I am NOT joking! And I am not mocking those who make the translations. I'm grateful for these little hiccups - they remind to laugh.

"In moonlight I remember, your laughter and your droll behaviour".
-verse from a Korean pencil case

Where's the Meat?

2008-10-16T15:26:00.009+10:30

Mum tells me that when I was a little kid, I abruptly gave up eating anything from two of the major food groups. I shunned fruit and vegetables, and flatly refused any kind of meat. I don’t remember making this decision, but I have fond recollections of surviving on a diet of processed cheese sandwiches, pastry from the outside of sausage rolls, and dry two minute noodles.

During my university years I developed a taste for ham and chicken, and at around 23, I forced myself to eat a small variety of fruit and vegetables. Finishing off an apple for me became the height of coolness, and I brag about it to this day. Whenever I eat one I get this big sense of accomplishment - like "wow, I really ate that, I'm so normal now".

At 25, I'm a born-again vegetarian (I blame watching too many movie adaptations of E.B White books with my eldest son). The pigs and the chickens are safe. I’ve never liked beef or lamb, and I’ve only eaten kangaroo once to be polite when a friend cooked it.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not the kind to sabotage your barbeque or sing "Mary had a little lamb" while you eat your Sunday roast. Humans are omnivores and meat in appropriate quantities is good for the body. It's a personal choice, though I think it's a nice idea to buy dead-animal that's not been tormented too much before getting served up on a burger. So here's a wee plug for free-range meat and such. If you can afford it, maybe buy that.

Unfortunately my diet leaves me prone to regular bouts of iron deficiency. I usually dose myself up with this nifty stuff called “Spatone” everyday, but recently I’ve run out and not bothered to get more. Now I am sleepy.. so very sleepy. Much too sleepy to care how boring this post is. What's that, Boss?

“That’ll do pig – that’ll do.”

I gots nothing

2008-10-16T10:57:00.003+10:30

I lack the energy to rant or draw or reminisce today. Maybe I can distract you with pretty colours while I waddle slowly from my swivel chair to the couch..

Hey Jealousy

2008-10-15T20:07:00.003+10:30

Jealousy is one of the ickier feelings that I can recall experiencing, but thankfully I don’t suffer it nearly as much these days. I’m older, I’m wiser, my man’s not going anywhere, and if he does I’ll know that he’s transformed into a massive git, in which case I don’t want him anymore. Well maybe that’s exaggerating my indifference just a teensy bit, but you get the picture.

As for Significant Other, I have rarely seen him worry about such matters. His trust in me is eerie at times, but it works out well because I have male friends that I’m exceedingly fond of and enjoy talking to without being watched for signs of latent sexual chemistry. “Don’t worry honey, my Bunsen’s outta gas.”

But on the subject of flames, I recently rekindled a friendship with my best online boy buddy from high school. He drew me a great picture, so I wanted to do something equally nice for him. We always used to joke about setting up a humble fruit stand to serve as cover for our secret black market and illegal arms trade, so I had the theme of fruit in mind. As you can see above to the left, my idea led to a tug-of-war style CHERRY BATTLE!

I had an inkling that it had turned out just a bit too touchy feely, so I scrapped it and made a different picture. This hunch proved warranted when Significant Other found the earlier attempt and responded with something along the lines of “hmm, don’t know about that”. This for him is the average man’s equivalent of a tantrum in which fine china and cats are thrown willy-nilly about the room. I was surprised, and at the same time touched by his small display of jealousy.

I patiently explained that it was just a silly gift in return for a picture my friend had made for me. Significant Other seemed placated and said he would like to draw a picture for me too. There it is on the right..

It's nice to know he cares. ^-^'

No snooze button

2008-10-13T12:54:00.005+10:30

It's a somewhat brutal way to wake from deepest slumber, but I can't be angry when he smiles and makes those cute little "gooing" noises. I'm actually grateful to have someone so happy to see my scary morning face. ^_^'

I love love

2008-10-13T11:09:00.005+10:30

I know, it’s not a Public Holiday so I have no excuse to be slack, but last night instead of preparing a post I finished off the crudely sketched one-shot comic I started the night before. It started because I sat down and drew a cute girl (as I’m often inclined to do), then I drew her a love interest. Finally on a whim, I wrote a title, and so it needed a story.

Oh, I’m a sucker for a good love story. Back when I was a little girl it was because I dreamed of one day finding true love and experiencing a sweeping romance of my own. These days it’s for the feel-good entertainment value and the warm fuzzies I enjoy remembering what it was like to be young.

Okay, so I’m only 25, but the Spring time of my youth is well and truly over. Not because of age, but because I’ve settled down with a life partner, had kids and made a conscious decision not to develop the hots for anyone else (except maybe the occasional fictitious 2 dimensional character). I guess I finally understand now why some women mellow out and start reading Mills and Boons later in life. Actually, yuck. No, I won’t go that far – shoujo manga is the staple of my romantic-fiction diet for now, and I hope forever!

Want to know what I've been reading? Of course you don't. So sit back and get ready to be bored stupid, as I share with you 3 of my recent favourites.

Densha Otoko (by Hidenori Hara)
A really cool friend (we’ll call her “TV”) introduced me to the Japanese television series a while back, and since then I’ve been reading every manga adaption I can get my hands on. I’m still to see the movie, but if it’s based on this story and it exists then you know I’m going to get it eventually. The plot follows the romantic campaign of a lonely otaku (ie. fanatical anime/manga nerd) who rescues and falls in love with a beautiful girl on the train. He makes himself over and sets out to woo her with the support of a single men’s forum online. Sounds simple, maybe even boring, but is in fact awesome. A great read for anyone who's ever been low on self-esteem or lonely - or both.

Love Com (by Aya Nakahara)
This is a manga I started reading by chance, but after one volume I was addicted. It’s so adorably funny and cute that it makes me sick with happy. Having had a crush on a boy much shorter than me in high school I can kind of relate, but my feelings were utterly unrequited and to this day I’m sure he remembers me as “creepy stalker girl”. But I digress – this manga rocks, and I can’t wait to read the rest. <3

Skip Beat (by Yoshiki Nakamura)
The heroine of this story is one of my favourite shoujo characters of all time. Yes she’s your standard sweet, selfless moé character to begin with, but when the love of her life squishes her heart like an insignificant bug, she develops a much more amusing and interesting “dark side” that had me nearly weeing myself with laughter while I read this. To spite her ex-love she aims to beat him in show biz, where a nice little love triangle develops and keeps the reader begging for more. ACK! Hurry up and get released other volumes! Hit me hard before menopause beats you to it! >_<’

PS. About today’s picture. This is not from my little comic – it’s just something I doodled one day with the hope of capturing a romantic moment. You know, one of those “I can’t be with you, but I love you so much and you’re so overwhelmingly handsome that I’m going to cry,” kind of scenarios. Unfortunately it looks more like imminent date rape. BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT I INTENDED! Forgive meeeeeee! T-T

"Share House" Sunday, no.2

2008-10-11T11:39:00.003+10:30

Yay! Sunday is lazy day, so here's the second strip from my very short-lived "Share House" series. You do find out their names eventually, by the way. That chick with shorter hair reminds me of someone. I wonder who??

Also, you may have noticed that my first blog poll ended yesterday. The results were thus:

If a beautiful stranger gave you candy, what would you do with it?
37% said "Eat it"
50% said "Throw it away"
0% said "Give it to somebody else"
0% said "Suck on it then put it in a busker's hat"
12% said "Keep it under my pillow and talk to it at night"

What intriguing results! I'm sure you could use them to create a detailed analysis of the human psyche - even if only 8 people answered.

Please do vote again in the next one. It tickles me to see evidence of folk considering my inane queries to the void.

Until tomorrow, love thy weekend. <3

Faulty ticket

2008-10-10T21:39:00.000+10:30

Happened yesterday. You can see tell how action-packed my life is, because I spent Friday night preparing this entry. ^_^'

By the way, I bear no residual ill will towards the ticket man. He looked like he'd had a long day too, and it's possible (even probable) that they get a lot of nut-cases through trying to scam free rides. He was just following policy I'm sure. And to show there's no hard feelings, I even drew him kinda cute.

Dunno what I'm going to do with this stupid multi-trip though. -_-

Accidentally racist

2008-10-09T22:03:00.000+10:30

Yesterday Optimus Prime told me not to be racist. To be more precise, a very clever somebody took a photo of a toy Transformer and captioned it thus:

Optimus Prime wants you!

Growing up in a country where I was not born, and looking as distinctly Asian as I do, I understand oh too well how needlessly cruel racism can make people.

From an early age I was a target for mean-spirited children who enjoyed taunting me with names like “gook” or “ching-chong-China-man”. I always struggled to make sense of the latter, because I am NOT Chinese, and I’m very obviously NOT a man. For my foreign appearance I was pushed down a ramp and laughed at when I picked myself up, teary and bleeding. I was stabbed in the arm with a compass and screamed at by a boy two years my senior and twice my size. For the longest time I wished I could just fit in or disappear.

Time passed, I grew up, and I moved to a city where the population was more culturally diverse. It was refreshing to own some anonymity at last. I imagined myself safe from the harsh discrimination of random angry souls.

Then one day I was meandering through a food court when I heard a woman call out from behind, “excuse me”. I turned around smiling, only for her to tell me “you’re fucking ugly - I hate gooks. Go back to your own fucking country you ugly bitch”. Shocked and horrified, I told her to “piss off”, at which point she spat on me. Everyone around us just watched. She seemed a little bit out of her mind, so maybe that’s why no one spoke up in my defense. The less pleasant scenario is that nobody cared.

More recently I was leaving the train station with my son in his pram. A bunch of teenagers were standing at the lights in front of me. They were the kind that try to out-loud each other and impress their friends by picking on meek strangers. One of the boys turned around and saw me, then smirking yelled out in a mock accent “Konichiwa! Fried rice! You no speak English?”

In my disgust I yelled back that I did speak English, and something else that I won’t repeat because it wasn’t very nice. Bewildered he turned away towards the road, ignoring the taunts of his friends who had heard every word.

Here are examples of why I think racists are really crap. That said, there are people who I love and respect that on occasion make snap judgments or nurse opinions that border on being politically incorrect. I’m guilty of it myself.

For example, I am scared of doing DDR. Why? Because I feel that people will see an Asian chick stepping onto the platform and expect me to rock their world with some bad-ass moves. Instead I clamber on awkwardly before doing a constipated Macarena-type shuffle, then depart shame-faced in the wake of a glowing “GAME OVER – YOU SUCK”.

I always wonder, is this racism on my part, because I think that people think something about me because of my ethnicity? That suggests that I agree with the assumption – “Asians are good at DDR”. Am I an accidental racist? Or am I just a hypersensitive idiot?

And as Mr. Delatovic wrote in a previous entry, it’s easy to fall into the trap of assuming things about a certain race because of your own experience with only a handful of people from it. I’d been to two Asian hairdressers thinking that they’d have better luck taming my wily Korean hair, and on both occasions they’d totally stuffed it and overcharged for the job. I couldn’t argue because they didn’t really understand me. So for a while I avoided them like the plague thinking the language barrier was just too tricky to work around, until my recent Sydney trip where I booked into a Toni and Guy salon. When my cute Chinese stylist appeared behind me in the mirror, I worried, but I needn’t have. She did an awesome job – so great I went and bought her chocolate afterwards.

So anyway, what was my point again? Try not to assume too much and just treat everyone nicely regardless of race – unless they are total assholes. Um… yeah. Rant over.

Airmail hugs

2008-10-08T21:06:00.000+10:30

For my buddy Adam, who is presently too far away to hug for real. He has his good days and hard days as we all do, but in the end is just totally super great no matter what the circumstances. He's one of the nicest human beings I know, and a genuinely good guy.

Being predictably lame as I am, I missed his birthday, and I still haven't posted the letter I wrote him a week ago. Until then here's a chibi-me sent via dandelion-mail. It's goofy, I know, but I didn't want wings. ^_^'

Will get to the post office soon - promise!

The pain comes later

2008-10-07T21:03:00.001+10:30

This always happens when I get gung-ho about housework. Anyway, I drew this yesterday night (after a long day of walking like a wind up ducky). From experience, the third day (the day after the day after) is always worst! This blog getting uploaded is proof that my prediction was too pessimistic - I'm out of bed, but I'm still sore. -_-'

Boys

2008-10-07T10:32:00.000+10:30

Mr. Left-hand-side definitely has dibs on himself. I much prefer Mr. Right-next-to-him. He can pour my drink anytime, and I'll sit and look at it longingly because for biological reasons I am presently unable to consume alcohol. -_-'

Drawing dudes is hard! I mean harder, for me anyway. They have less curves I suppose, and the more geometric a shape is the more I struggle with it. I mean if you've seen my attempts at buildings, tables and boxes, then you'll understand.

As for boys in the real world, well I've always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the opposite sex. I started out thinking they were peachy, because I grew up in a neighborhood full of the things, and my best friends at that time were boys. When primary school came along I started getting grief for hanging out with them, so reluctantly I made gal pals and adopted the "boys are gross" mantra. I dunno how or why, but according to my associates, Dieter Brummer didn't count.

Then in high school, I was horrified when suddenly genders began mixing their social groups. It blew my mind, shattered my reality, and really pissed me off. Why was it suddenly okay? Everyone started getting boyfriends and girlfriends, and I was still just busy being miffed that when I wanted to have boys as buddies it so wasn't cool. It's true, I have trouble letting go.

Even though for the majority of high school I looked like swamp thing, and no guy would touch me if you paid him, I finally started dating towards the end there. And so began a long and drawn out cycle of girl meets boy, girl loves boy, girl stalks boy, boy dates girl (possibly in fear of his life), girl and boy break up and girl goes off and falls in love with someone else.

Thankfully that's all over now. No more awkward first dates or embarrassment when either party breaks wind. I'm getting married sometime.. soonish. No seriously, it's going to happen! One day. <3

Ghost Radar!

2008-10-06T22:14:00.000+10:30

I know, brilliant right? Oh the nifty gadget's money can buy in Japan! I love this guy's suspicious facial expression. Maybe the ghost is asking him for money.

By the way, it's a Public Holiday here, so this is a bonus post (I wasn't going to bother at all today). The "Karate Kid" movie we rented the other night was a set of all 3 films, so guess what I've been doing?

"Share House" Sunday, no.1

2008-10-05T09:44:00.000+10:30

Last night I had the choice of either preparing a new post for today, or watching "The Karate Kid" while eating popcorn.

I chose the latter, so here is something I drew a couple of years back.

It came about when an old Uni chum started working for a Chinese student paper called "Evolution" and asked me to contribute a regular strip. It needed to be translated into Chinese, so this is the first time it's been seen in English by anyone other than myself.

I did about six of them before I figured out that my friend had quit the paper and not told me. So balls to that. I stopped drawing it, but I almost wish I'd done more because I had a lot of plans for my characters.

As you can see, the comic series was named "Share house", but somehow the name never got printed. I decided to base it around a group of students from various Asian countries living together in an Australian share home. Ingenious right? Anyway, this first strip doesn't explain any of that so I thought I'd better. I'm gonna post these every Sunday till I'm out of them. Who knows, maybe I'll do more? Pffffffffft.

"Wax on, wax off!"
This is Tsunami-chan, waxing out.

Very excellent cutie fashion Quest

2008-10-04T08:42:00.000+09:30

First let me say this - society today is too materialistic. Too often we care about things over people. I see reports on television saying how much we spend in our state, and it's something ridiculous, but the industry leaders would like it to be more. They wants shops to stay open later, and longer! It's craziness! Don't people have lives anymore?!

Secondly, I am a big hypocrite. I love shopping. I get very cross at myself for enjoying it so much, but I do! I'm going to make a concerted effort in future not to get swept up in the retail frenzy that is the cultural norm these days. But for now, on with the story.

Recently I went to one of my best friend’s wedding in Sydney. While there I could hardly resist the lure of hunting through China Town for quirky Asian clothing boutiques. I’m a big lover of all that weird and wonderful, cute and crazy "Fruits" style apparel, so this seemed like a great opportunity to buy some key items for my boring Western wardrobe. For example, overly long t-shirts with printed slogans like "love smile in the refreshing morning", or "super power heart motel", or "lucky day here forever". Basically any combination of English words that when combined make no real sense… and yet somehow strangely do.

Alas, reality struck when I realized that I do not have the ideal figure for the fashion I adore. The shops I visited stocked a lot of stuff I liked, but it was all too small! I suppose I may be somewhat taller than your average Korean gal, but really – was all their clothing designed for anorexic midgets? The fact that I have hips didn’t help the matter. I attempted to squeeze my apparently bulky self into half a dozen or so teensy-dress-shirt things before I finally found something that fit. It was a hideous, puffy black velor dress with knitted sleeves, a metallic pocket-watch print all over, and a gigantic sequined bow at the neckline. I put it on for a laugh, but when the sales assistants (who had been hovering behind me like hungry puppies) attempted to seriously sell the look, I couldn’t even muster a smile.

Obviously I didn’t buy it – even if it was "special", and half price. I still managed to come away with some nifty purchases though, including a baseball cap that reads "BRISK Stylish HIDDEN TREASURE Finally my name is woman". It’s so amazing that it "makes my head glow happy in the wondrous sun".

Spring Silliness

2008-10-03T08:36:00.000+09:30

I'm prone to Seasonal depression. Winter makes me kind of gloomy, and I usually spend it doing a really great impersonation of Jabba the Hut in all his ill-mannered, fatty-bum glory.

Thankfully the warm spring weather has roused the hibernating happy-idiot in me. Yesterday I took my kiddies for a picnic and a stroll down on the local "sweat course", where I could only (barely) complete two of the tasks set forward by the course stations.

Forget pull-ups, sit-ups, rope climbs and parallel bar work-outs. I managed a very wobbly log-lift, narrowly avoiding a head injury when I tried to put it back down, and then had a race with my eldest (3 years old) on the hurdles.

There are two sets of hurdles next to each other, one shorter than the other. I was running over those and told my son to go on the high set - he could only throw one leg over before getting stuck. Yeah! I totally blitzed that race.

Hey, stop looking at me like that. I'm teaching him about adversity! Is it so wrong not to let the child win all the time? -_-'

On a side note, my new Katamari shirt is 100% swell and nifty.

Mystery smell

2008-10-02T10:45:00.001+09:30

This blogger system really isn't made for picture stories, but I seem to have worked it out for now. Sort of anyway.. I mean you can read it, right?

I'm actually very sensitive to strong smells. When people wear too much perfume or aftershave it makes me feel queasy, and new car scent gives me a headache! I'm kind of pathetic like that. -_-'

Tsunami was, Tsunami is:

2008-10-01T15:38:00.000+09:30

I'm setting up camp here with my very own little Blog - it'll be a nifty link to post on my website when it's finally up and running.

I've always sucked at keeping journals, but maybe this will fair better! So first things first. Who am I, and why should you bother checking back on this particular crumb in the never-ending bakery that is cyber space? I really have no case to make, but here's an insight into my humble beginnings. It may give a clue as to what's to come.. or not.

I was born in South Korea and adopted by Australian parents, then raised in a small town with minimal racial diversity. As imported goods, I was an oddity throughout the course of my school life, sporting an overbite, giant eyebrows, and slits for eyes (due more to the fact that mum pulled my hair back too tightly than my genetic makeup).

Almost 26 years from the day I was born, I find myself decidedly better equipped to move through society without being gawked at. My parents forced me kicking and screaming into the orthodontist's chair just prior to high school, and even though it didn't improve my popularity any, those braces really paid off. The discovery of waxing and finally being allowed to choose my own clothes have also worked wonders.

Now I have a family of my own, and lots of ambitions that probably want acting on. Meh, we'll see. Anyway, I draw stuff! Do look at my website when it's finally alive. For now you can only see the goofy placeholder, but all lameness aside, watch this link:

tsunamiheeja.com.au

By the way, from now on the majority of this blog will probably be in pictures. ^_^