Get to Know Ames

Oooh, look. A new friend. (AKA “New Friend Amey”)

Name:  Amey. My friends call me Ames.

Age:  Dirty 30

Status:  Alive?…. Oh. You meant… I see. I’m single. As in, not married.

Twitter:  @ReneeGoetz

Do you blog? Why, yes, in a sense, yes I do. It’s dedicated to original works of writing, just, you know, in case anybody is actually bored enough to want to read it. It gets updated once or twice a year. http://rengoe84.blogspot.com

What other social media sites do you use?  Facebook and Instagram, mostly. I think that’s pretty much it.

5 little-known facts about you:
-I was born with my two lower front teeth on a Friday the 13, on a full moon, at 11:11.
-I had surgery to remove a double inguinal hernia at two weeks old. Still have the scars!
-I was a cheerleader in junior high school.
-I have been writing stories since I was five years old.
-I was writing fan fiction before I knew what fan fiction was. Seriously. I was seven and wrote a Power Rangers fic. Give me a break. I was seven. At ten I got sucked into X-Files and wrote TONS for that. My mom probably still has the notebooks in an air tight, climate controlled display case somewhere in her house.

Questions stolen from Twi-Between:
When/how did your Twilight obsession begin?  I wouldn’t call it an obsession, exactly, but regardless, it’s my boyfriend’s fault. We first began dating in 2008, not long before the first movie came out. We were still in that learning about each other phase, you know, favorite colors, favorite food, all that good stuff. So I think it was our first date actually, I don’t remember what movie we were seeing but the Twilight trailer was attached to it and they were heavily playing up the fighting and the ballet studio scene, and he leaned over and whispered in my ear, “That. I’d see that. That’s the kind of movie I like.” So on our third date, Twilight had come out the week before and I asked him if he wanted to go see it. He said yes. We went. And were miserable the whole time. Him more so than I. I thought it was just all right. This poor guy was looking for any escape. Turns out Underworld is more his speed and when he saw the vampires and the fighting in this trailer, he thought it would be like that. When I bring it up present day, he denies that night ever happened. Anyway, I told a friend what happened and she insisted I read the books because “The books are so much better!” So I gave them a chance and they were pretty not bad. And here we are. (kmah’s Note: All together now. “Awwwwwww.”)

What is your favorite Twilight quote?  “Face it, I AM hotter than you.”

Who is your favorite non-holy twinity (minor) character?  Holy Twinity? That’s what we’re calling them now? Okay. Hmmm… Well I guess I’d have to go with Emmett. He’s just so great, the big goof ball! I also like Jasper a lot, but that may have been influenced more from reading fan fiction than the actual books.

Which is your favorite Twilight movie?  Eclipse. Though, I am very partial to the “battle” scene of Breaking Dawn 2.

What is your favorite song from any of the Twilight soundtracks?  Full Cheese Disclosure: If I were to ever get married, I would want A Thousand Years as my first dance song. The longer version. Who wouldn’t, right? But overall, I really like Friends and Shooting the Moon. And I always love Muse.

Ideal vacay? Forks, set stalking, Brit Pack concert, or a non-Twi premiere?  My IDEAL vaca would be Bora Bora, but if those are my options, I’d do Forks again. So beautiful there.

What is your favorite Non-Twilight film of a Twilight star?  Pitch Perfect.

What is your favorite Twilight memory?  As awful as that date was, it has to be when the boy and I went to see it in the theater. Six years later and he’s still around! Second favorite would have to be when I went to Twi Fest this past September and met a bunch of awesome people. (kmah’s Note: Hey, does she mean US?)

New Questions:
Who is your favorite Twilight actor?  Have such a crush on Taylor Lautner. But talent wise, I’d go with Peter Facinelli. He’s got great range.

What has being a fan of Twilight opened up for you?  Friendships.

What is your craziest fangirl moment?  I’ve never really been one to fangirl. I don’t know if that comes from living in NYC or what, but celebs are just people. Some are cool, some are assholes (coughJamesSpadercough). If I had to pick a moment from my life, I guess I’d go with when I finally got to see Hanson in concert. I was 29, but standing only a few rows back from the stage, I was a squealing 13 year old girl again.

Who is your favorite NON-Twilight vampire?  Damon Salvatore. Yeah, definitely. And Selene from Underworld. Because, girl power.

Fanfiction Questions:
What are you reading right now?  This email.
Oh. You meant what fan fiction am I reading? LOL sorry…
That Doesn’t Happen in Real Life by lilhummingbird. A couple other WIPs.

I know it’s almost impossible, but ~ what are your top 5 favorite fics?
In no particular order:
Living in Death’s Shadow by Kitty T’s Keyboard
Page Turner by Karry4Harry
Her Keeper by 4MeJasper
Whirlwind by Betterin Texas
For A Reason: Inauguration by Mir Queen

Who is your favorite incarnation of Edward (specifically, from which story)?  Any Edward where he is not moping or whining or telling Bella that he’s “not good for you, but I love you! I can’t be without you! But stay away from me.” Not so much an Edward fan. In case you couldn’t tell.

What are your fanfic hard limits?  I don’t want to set any because if the story is good, I’ll read it. Not into slash or smut really, but if the story is decent and it’s well written, I’ll stick with it and skim over any parts that make me uncomfortable.

What is your biggest ficpeeve?  GRAMMAR!! You’re a writer, learn how to use it! And spelling! I mean, my God! What computer does not have spell check today?? I understand things slip through the cracks, hell, I’m guilty of it, too. I know how it is, you get into a groove and your fingers are just flying away and you miss some things. But page after page of just blatant abuse of the English language… It hurts. Especially the your/you’re and there/their/they’re. Sigh. I should’ve been an English teacher. (kmah’s Note: Word.)  

Who are your favorite authors?
J.K. Rowling
Edgar Allen Poe
Ransom Riggs

Why do you read fan fiction?  Partly because it’s great for expanding a universe a reader may be interested in, but wasn’t fully explored in the book or movie or whatever it was based off of. In the case of Twilight, that also applies (love reading about Jasper and his possible histories and AU’s), however, I also find many of the Twilight fics to be better than the actual books. I don’t remember how I initially started reading Twilight fics, but somehow I did and that’s where I am with it.

What other fandoms do you count yourself a member of?  Harry Potter, for sure. And X-Files. Ohhhhh yeah. The truth is out there, bitches.

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How Ames and I met: Fun story. So Jodi, who doesn’t like people, decided that in Forks she would be nice to one stranger. If she got her name, that meant the new girl was in. We were officially introduced (“Guys, this is Amey.”) and liked her and sort of stalked her the rest of the trip.

amey

This is how to react to your stalker.

(originally posted to Eat. Sleep. Breathe. Twilight. and Team Fireball)

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Get to Know Mandy

I was going through some stuff online and realized I never posted this one ~ a later addition to our group.

Name: Mandy

Age: 29

Status: Single and CMMC (currently missing my cat – he is at home until I find an apartment and my mom can fly out with him.)

Twitter: @agoodwitchff

Do you blog? Yes, I used to do the fic recs at http://www.twibetween.com but it has been a little while since I, or anyone else has posted to that blog, its been tough with the move. I also had a blog for my writing that like 8 people followed so I eventually closed that down.

What other social media sites do you use? Twitter and groupme. FB and I broke up years ago and tumblr was something I only did temporarily.  It’s easier to focus on my writing when I’m not on a ton of other sites.

5 little-known facts about you:
1. I remember just enough American Sign Language to make a deaf person think we can talk, and then I’m lost two seconds in.
2. I make lists for everything (see Karen, not the only one),
3. I’m a published poet,
4. I went to college with Jason Zimbler (Ferguson from Clarissa Explains it All)
5. When I say I’m reading “Gone with the Wind” on my kindle, that’s code for twific…I have read that book, but no one asks follow ups so its the quickest way to deflect from the smut on the screen.

Questions stolen from Twi-Between:
When/how did your Twilight obsession begin? The October before the first movie came out, 3 people came up to me, my sister included (who rarely reads books all the way through) so my mom got me the series for Christmas. Then I saw the movie and thought it was okay. (I know that’s blasphemy, but the first movie is my least favorite of the series, they definitely improved as they went on.) Then my sister got pregnant and stumbled upon fanfiction, so she badgered me until I read it too.  A week later I was posting my first chapter, 4 1/2 years later I have 45 stories posted and a couple more in the works.

What is your favorite Twilight quote? “Why am I covered in feathers?”

Who is your favorite non-holy twinity (minor) character? Carlisle

Which is your favorite Twilight movie? tie between Eclipse and Breaking Dawn Part 1

What is your favorite song from any of the Twilight soundtracks?Oh man…either “A Thousand Years” or “Turning Page”

Ideal vacay? Forks, set stalking, Brit Pack concert, or a non-Twi premiere? Forks has always been a dream, so I’m excited for that this year, and going to a movie premiere would be awesome, though I dream of a day when I would be on the other side of the barricade as the screenwriter of the movie being premiered.

What is your favorite Non-Twilight film of a Twilight star?“Remember Me” – I love a lot of them, but that movie still makes me bawl.

What is your favorite Twilight memory? It would have to be when I started talking to A Cullen Wannabe, because she was seed that started the mighty oak. It was when FDKK was still posting, before the prologue event had even happened, and her beta had gotten pregnant and wasn’t able to do it too often.  I sent her a PM saying I would help out if she needed it and she took me up on it.  I did the chapters her old beta couldn’t and before the end I was her set to help her on other stuff if her beta couldn’t. Somewhere in there she had taken over Behind the Images, and was having problems with the NYC stuff, so I offered to help her with that, then she made me the beta for that fic.  Then I became her only beta. Writing with her came after that which was how I got on skype, which then led to WC’s.  Posting a WC announcement on twitter was how Dee contacted to ask if she could join and I pulled her in.  Now, I’m sitting on a futon in her living room.  Meeting Dee would have never happened if I hadn’t written that PM to ACW, and my life would definitely suck without her.

New Questions:
Who is your favorite Twilight actor? Rob, Jackson (he is the person I would want to hang out with the most), Michael Sheen, PFach, Taylor, and Anna Kendrick.

What has being a fan of Twilight opened up for you? It made me a more confident author, it gave me a huge group of online friends, and a few that I’ve met in person, including Dee.  She’s the first person I contact with almost any news, and we have spent over three years writing online almost every night.

What is your craziest fangirl moment? I’ve never been a hand trembling in front of my mouth, tears streaming down my face, kind of girl, but the first celebrity I met was John Stamos when I was like 11.  He was in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and my sister had brought me to see “Cats” for my birthday and then walked me down the street to his stage door.  I looked up when he walked out, not knowing why we were there until that moment, and said, “It’s Uncle Jessie,” in a hushed voice.  He was so sweet, and five months later my sister brought me to see the show and we met him again to get my photo with him autographed.  The middle-aged women in the crowd parted like the Red Sea so that I could get to “Johnny” and once again he was so sweet.  Six years later, I had just graduated from high school and was going to school for musical theater, and I went to see him in “Cabaret” once again with that picture in hand, because I wanted a smaller one in my dorm room than the 8×10 I had gotten all those years ago. When I handed him the pic, he did a double take, and then I told him that when I met him back then, he taught me the kind of person I would want to be if I ever became famous, and he inspired my love in acting and singing to grow, and now I was headed off to college for it.  I made him cry a little and he gave me the biggest hug. It was just such a great moment.

Who is your favorite NON-Twilight vampire? JRM from the TV show Dracula. It’s goofy as hell, but I love that man!

Fanfiction Questions:
What are you reading right now? I’m playing catch up on fics I’ve put off for a while, but at the moment, the only current fic I’m reading is The Fox by capricapra.

I know it’s almost impossible, but ~ what are your top 5 favorite fics? Never Sleep in a Strange Man’s Bed, The Mail Order Bride Series, FDKK, Emancipation Proclamation, and Eight Days a Week.

Who is your favorite incarnation of Edward (specifically, from which story)? THAT is the impossible question, but I would have to say any of the Edward’s from my top 5, or Edroar from Edroar, the Angry Lion, or Olderwards, it doesn’t matter if its a few years or much older, I like Edward’s that want to take care of their Bella’s.

What are your fanfic hard limits? Violence just for the sake of it, rape as titulation, and things along those lines.  I’m not someone to set a lot of hard limits because if it’s well written, it could open my mind to something new.

What is your biggest ficpeeve? Poorly thought out plots, poorly written stories, horrible grammar, or weirdly formatted stories.  And as an author, guest reviews that flame – put a name to your hatred so I know the troll I’m dealing with.

Who are your favorite authors? A Cullen Wannabe, Mizzdee, 107yearoldvirgin, Lady Gwenydd (Mrs Brownloe), Carano, pattyrose, there are others but those are the biggies!

Why do you read fanfiction? For the same reason I write it.  I love the characters, and I love the creativity that is in this fandom.  There are so many stories out there and each one has its own spin on the original.

What other fandoms do you count yourself a member of? Lord of the Rings.

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How Mandy and I met: Dee would always tell us about her BFF, Mandy. When she moved from New York to live in Colorado (taking up residence on Ddee’s couch for awhile), she added her to our group. We didn’t get to meet in person until our trip to Phoenix this past June.

mandy

at the Forever party in Phoenix – Uhh… alcohol was involved. That’s my excuse. LOL.

(originally posted to Eat. Sleep. Breathe. Twilight. and Team Fireball)

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A Dream

I just woke up from a very confusing dream where my husband and the guy I liked in high school were both teaching me how to pay the guitar, but I was both the me from the past and my current self simultaneously. I would answer Hubby as myself now, but the other guy as my high school self. Really weird.

The content of the dream itself was cool. I was telling them the difference between piano and guitar. Key changes were the topic. Apparently (in my dream), on a guitar you can play in two keys at once and that is how you express emotion such as sadness – slide your notes from one key to the other. I was explaining music theory to them – how keys are marked at the beginning of the piece (and often end on that note, classically at least) but accidentals are used throughout. Emotion is expressed through dissident accidentals, a minor key, pace, and/or weight.

It was fascinating. Probably only 20% accurate though.

guitar piano.jpg

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Why Did I Say That?

I have been obsessed – OBSESSED – lately by a specific TV show on Oprah’s network ~Super Soul Sunday.

super soul sunday.png

Those that I’m closest to know this already because I won’t stop talking about it. I think it’s so important in the world right now. I wish I could force everyone on the planet to watch it. In it, Oprah has a conversation with various thinkers and spiritual leaders. They discuss different aspects of getting it touch with what really matters.
I get so excited about it because I’m totally into this whole spiritual awakening thing. I am big on compassion and being present and gratitude and the law of attraction, etc. Each episode of the show delves into some or all of these. It’s thought provoking – making me think deeply on a lot of different things. Every time I watch it, I have moment after moment of discovery, understanding, and recognition.

I was talking to my dad the other day. I can’t remember now what about but I brought up the show.
In the past, he has been very resistant to any type of thought that doesn’t match up with his own. When I was interested in some of the aspects of Buddhism and Taoism in high school, he had said something like I had no need to look any further than my own (his own) Christian beliefs. That was the only truth that mattered. It was as if anything that wasn’t part of Christianity was a direct attack on his belief system.
After many conversations like this, I learned to just keep anything “different” to myself. I’m not sure if his views have changed at all recently but I also know that the older people get, the more rigid in their beliefs they can become. And I know some other topics, he has not budged at all on – so it’s unlikely anything has changed.
Knowing this, when I mentioned the show, I downplayed it. I shrugged off something I actually feel very strongly about by describing it as “one of those hippy-dippy type of shows.” This isn’t even a phrase in my normal vocabulary. It’s something he says a lot.

I have no idea why I did that and felt like an inauthentic asshole afterwards. Sometimes it’s like my parents make me regress into this fearful child who can’t stand up for what she believes in. It’s weird and disconcerting.

(originally posted to wohngsikneuih)

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Can I Help?

“Can I help you?” said Jane.

Though Jane herself had no inkling of it, those words were the keynote of her character. Any one else would probably have said, “What is the matter?” But Jane always wanted to help; and, though she was too young to realize it, the tragedy of her little existence was that nobody ever wanted her help… not even Mother, who had everything a heart could wish.

L.M. Montgomery

Jane of Lantern Hill – chapter 3

~~~~~~~~

I think when someone offers to help you – truly WANTS to help you – you should accept. Even if you are doing something that requires a set skill level. If it turns out that if you hand it over to someone else, it will create more work for you to fix it afterwards, don’t give them THAT job.

It’s like with a child. They are so eager to be involved in the “grown-up” things that you do. If they offer to help with dinner, you obviously don’t give them the ingredients and leave the kitchen. But they can help stir or set the table or …whatever. To deny a child their desire to be of assistance… I believe this crushes something within them. It’s rejection. And good luck getting them to do anything when they are a teenager and more capable. You’ve already trained that willingness out of them.

It’s really the same thing with adults. If a friend sees you working hard on something or struggling through something and says ‘if there is anything I can do to help’… let them. Even if it’s just the mundane side stuff. Speaking from personal experience, this can solidify a relationship. It’s saying ‘yes, I accept your offer and value you enough to involve you in this thing that is important to me’.

On the flip side, if you ask someone to help you, you are doing both of you a disservice if you don’t spell out exactly what you want from them. If you are vague or say ‘do whatever you want’, which is fine, don’t later on change around what they are doing or tell them they are doing it wrong. If you want something specific, be specific. If you made the mistake of not being detailed enough in the beginning and the help you are receiving is no longer what you need, it’s not that difficult to let the person know that their assistance is still valued but your needs have shifted. To ignore this can destroy a friendship.

Above all, be grateful. When someone helps you, they are sharing a part of themselves with you. Recognize that. Let them know you appreciate them. Everyone wants that validation.

help.jpg

(originally posted to wohngsikneuih)

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Old Facebook Groups

Remember back in the early days of Facebook? I used to have a “group” for people who were in my Japanese class at U of T. It lasted a little longer than the actual school year but was eventually deleted because it had the copyrighted videos they used as class material (even though it was a closed group and they were only being used by us and the videos were all available to us on our class website).

I was just thinking about this group… I created it mostly to chat with fellow students about class material and study tips, etc. There was a small group of us who met weekly to go over the lessons and help each other out. (The way first year Japanese classes are structured was that there was one lecture on Mondays which included all the 1st year students. I don’t remember how many, but it was a lot. Like 200 maybe? And then we were split into groups of about 25 for daily tutorial classes 3 more times a week. You didn’t really get a chance to know anyone who wasn’t in your section. There was only one person who was included in our study sessions and FB group who wasn’t in my section.)

eas120

~Anyway…

I used to post these article-type-things on there. These long posts about certain course material that I found interesting or had found related material elsewhere that would give more in-depth understanding of the concepts. Granted, it was mostly for my own benefit.I really have to delve into something to truly understand it. I have to find something to relate to in order for it to stick. But some of them said it was interesting and helpful to them as well, so… yay.

Looking back on it now, I so wish I had copied these things down somewhere. (I’m actually really surprised I didn’t, with the way I hoard stuff.) They would have been nice additions to this blog. And helpful as a refresher now that Hubby and I have decided to go back to Japan again. *sigh* Hindsight…

(originally posted to wohngsikneuih)

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The Story of My Hair

*sigh* Well, my hair is almost all gone…

hair1.jpg

I posted this on Instagram and Facebook yesterday. The response was… amusing, to say the least.

Although I hate how I look with short hair, I don’t regret it at all.

Six and a half years ago, I had long BLACK hair. It was admittedly too dark a shade for me and looked harsh, but it didn’t start out that way. I first started dying my hair a nice dark brown colour. I loved that. Blonde does NOT suit me. You would think, because I’m so pale and have light eyes that it would work. Nope! I liked the contrast of the dark hair and paler features.  …Anyway~

When the roots grew in, it was atrocious. And when I’d dye it all to cover them, the remainder would get darker and darker each time so that’s how I eventually ended up at black. That was a nightmare when the roots started to grow even a bit. It became impossible to keep up with, so I decided to grow it out, chop off the black, and start afresh.

hair2

went around like this for a good 6 months

hair3

Nice, huh?

Whenever some look I try doesn’t work out to be aesthetically pleasing, I always say, “Oh well. It’s just hair. It’ll grow.” I think I’m pretty lucky. My hair grows relatively quickly. Knowing that and the fact that there are so many people who, for many different reasons, CAN’T grow their own gave me the idea that I can give mine to one of those people. I made the decision to grow my hair specifically with the intention to cut it when it was long enough to be made into a wig for someone fighting cancer. It’s such a horrible disease (Who out of us has not been touched in some way or another?) and no one deserves having to fight that battle.

I don’t have a job, so I can’t really give anyone money. I’m not skilled at a lot of things, so I can’t help that way. And let’s face it ~ I’m lazy! So it seems unrealistic to think I would get off my ass to physically help someone. But sitting back and letting nature do what it does with the end result of benefiting someone else seemed like a good way to go. All I had to do was not dye it and let it grow.

Like I said~ that was 6.5 years ago.

I started off with a pixie cut. For some reason, I had always wanted one. (Actually, I started with a cut I did myself in my bathroom, and then decided to have it “cleaned up” professionally and went even shorter.) Well, that curiosity was satisfied and I will never go that short ever again. It was a very awkward two years.

The last year has been weird, hair wise. A year ago, it had reached the limit for the length of what I would personally want. It ceased to feel like “my hair” and began to feel like I was just holding something for someone else. I’m not sure if that makes sense or if you can liken that to another experience…  It felt like I was growing someone else’s hair. Technically, that’s exactly what I was doing. In the last few months, it’s been almost unmanageable. It was too long for me. It got caught in and under things constantly. It took half an hour to wash and another 15 minutes to comb through and dry. I mostly wore it up in a bun just to keep it out of the way. I was trying to hold out as long as possible but it was time to get rid of it.

hair6

the point of no return – taken September 2013

So yesterday, I went to Truly You ~ a salon/clinic that’s part of the Capilia network which specializes in hair loss solutions. They partner with a foundation running a program called Angel Hair for Kids which accepts hair donations to make wigs for sick and financially disadvantaged children. I had contacted them back in February after finding them in an extensive internet search. (I didn’t want to give my hair to a place that would use it for salon training purposes or to make extensions for someone who just couldn’t be bothered to grow their own hair.)

The whole process is kind of fun and the staff at Truly You are really great. They ooh-ed and ahh-ed over my hair and made me feel really good about what I was doing. After the technician/stylist asked what I wanted as a final style, she sectioned off and bundled up my hair into little ponytails before cutting them off. I didn’t get an actual measurement but I think the longest bits were about 17″. My hair was layered, especially in the front, so some sections were quite a bit shorter.

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And now I’m back at square one ~ short hair I must suffer through until I’m comfortable with it again. But if the hair I gave away makes a little girl smile and feel better about herself… that’s all I could ever ask for.

(originally posted to wohngsikneuih)

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Fanfic Rec Wednesday – My Bella

I love when I can rec a fic written by a friend. I love it even more when I really love the story.

You may remember back in May when PurpleBrina guest rec’d Chop and Change by Krazyk85.  Krazy is taking a hiatus from the sequel, Chopping and Changing, but wanted to keep up her writing skills, so she had the brilliant idea of “fic-ing” the movie Wicker Park. How often do ALL of us twific fans watch a movie …or read a book, or hear a song, or even see a random picture of something… and think ‘that would make an incredible Edward/Bella story!’ and wish someone would “fic it”? (It’s a thing. Trust me.) That is exactly what happened in this case. She says it was the main character’s “desperation in finding the one girl that broke his heart. The suspense and confusion and the love he had for her” that drew her in. And that interest brought us My Bella by my friend Krazyk85 (@KrazyK85_). (Read it here on fanfiction.net.)

my bella.jpg

For the record, Krazy also posted on Facebook that she “sort of” started My Bella because of me after we met in person this summer. Apparently, my dark and depressing sentiments are creative fuel. Lol. Well, if this is what my melancholic demeanour brings out of people… You’re all welcome!

When K first started posting the story back in late June, she said she was surprised at how many people had never seen the movie. Then she suggested we hold off on watching it until the story completed. If you have seen the movie or know anything about it, you will know that there is sense of suspense and mystery that permeates the plot. If you watch it before reading the story, that idea of a puzzle you need to crack will be missing – so I agree with KrazyK. You should wait. I did.

It was so fun trying to put everything together as the chapters went up. My Bella updated every Monday and it was hard to have to wait all week to get the next clue. There was even a weird sort of enjoyment that came from being proven completely wrong. The way the story progresses, your brain automatically questions every single little detail and K did an excellent job of bringing attention to those tidbits. I was personally convinced that Edward was insane.

For me, what makes this story SO great is Krazy’s unique writing talent. Since I knew that what I was reading was based on a story that was previously told only visually, I was blown away at the nuances she was able to bring to the character’s inner thoughts and the descriptions and explanations of happenings that you miss out on in a movie. She is unbelievably creative.  I did end up watching Wicker Park after I read My Bella. In my opinion, the fic is SO MUCH BETTER! Read it for yourself and see what you think.

It’s a on the shorter side of a mid-length story – just over 43,000 words in 15 chapters and was completed in September.

AND, sidenote: Krazyk85 is up for 6 awards, including Favorite Undiscovered Gem for My Bella, in the 2014Twific Fandom Awards. The first round of voting ends November 8th. Read it quickly and then go vote to help get it through to the next round.

my bella 2.jpg

I made this banner this afternoon, especially for my blog.

(originally posted to Eat. Sleep. Breathe. Twilight.)

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I FAIL!

Soooo… I have now been back from Hong Kong for, what, a year and a half now? OMG. And I really do hate myself for this. I have forgotten so much. I have a few notes up to day 12, but I’ve lost all the interesting anecdotes and tidbits. The emotions that went with everything are hazy. Just… ugh, so upset with myself for not keeping this blog up.
I mean, I KINDA knew this would happen, because the same thing happened with my Japan trip blog. But I started off so well! The problem was, again, that I tried to make it too much. If I had just done simple, small posts… little bits at a time. Tiny thoughts here and there, it would have been awesome. ‘Cause really, we packed SO MUCH into that month. It was amazing. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime thing. But it was also somewhat crushing to me. I had such a hard time when I was there, not necessarily with the whole being in another country thing (although, at times, that was incredibly difficult), but just the actual “work”. No one else that went seemed to go through that.

As I said, I’ve been back for a year and a half, and I completely stagnated since then. I have literally not done a thing since coming home. The experience was awesome, and, as people do, I found out so much about myself through it, but… I also lost myself.

I spent two years in ECE, and even though I was always kind of feeling kind of lukewarm towards the idea of teaching in a preschool, I still just went along assuming I’d get a job in “the field” at least for a little while. Or go back to school to upgrade.

Yeah. That’s not happening. Working in Hong Kong kind of destroyed my confidence. Everyone else seemed to slide right in and take initiative and ‘do well’. That was not the case with me. I feel like I barely scraped by. The entire time, I felt this weight on me of “I can’t do this”.

Maybe it’s me being exceptionally hard on myself like I always am. Maybe it’s looking back and not seeing it clearly. Or maybe, and I think this is really the case… I’m just not meant to teach. Not in that capacity anyway.

So, feeling this way, how can I possibly go out and get a job with my confidence shattered that way? Can’t, really…

This was so NOT supposed to be the point in this update. Sorry!

What I meant to come here to say is that I am finally “in the mood” to upload pictures and whatever else I can remember. All posts will be back dated but they won’t be written in present tense (except day 7, because I wrote something on that day and saved it in the drafts). That’s all. Enjoy!

Oh, check out these videos I made for the next batch of interested students. Our group reunited at the 2014 information session to give a presentation. (I’m not supposed to share part 2 because it’s pictures of the schools and the kids but since no one will probably ever see in anyway, I’m posting it.)

(originally posted to ngohheuiheunggong)

Posted in hong kong | 3 Comments

New Music Tuesday – Weezer Album Release Day

I briefly contributed to a blog network with editorial articles mostly about Twilight fan fiction and a few about Weezer. I worked really hard on them and am somewhat proud of the results so I decided to post them personally as well too. This is one of those articles.

This one is copied directly from PurpleBrina’s New Music Tuesday column.

ewbaite2.jpg

Welcome to New Music Tuesday.

Yes, it’s late in the evening but sorry, I was working my real job.

So today, is a day that Weezer fans have been waiting for for 4 long years… That’s right boys and girls – New Weezer Album dropped today! And since my bestie is the BIGGEST Weezer fan I know (She has a tattoo and everything… See? Hardcore.), I am turning the blog over to her.

Hold on tight, because this Wezer fangirl is about to blow up…

~~~~~

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credit to Kyle Clothier from the Weezer Fan Club Facebook page

It’s here, it’s here, it’s here! It’s finally here!!! After four long years, Weezer has made a new album. “Everything Will Be Alright in the End” released today.

For any Weezer fan, such as myself, it’s been a lonnnnnng time. I’m pretty used to waiting for things and have built up quite an armor of patience, but when they started teasing the new album in their YouTube webisodes back in May (made a playlist of them here, just for you), I got super excited. I wasn’t able to make it to the Weezer Cruise this year (I WAS there in 2010, though!) so I never got to hear “Back to the Shack” – the album’s first single – until it was formally released in July. Immediate hardcore love. It was like a love letter to fans. All us longtime hardcore fans from ‘way back’. The video came out a week ago. You need to watch it.

What I love about this song, and the entire album (I’ve been listening non-stop all day since it arrived in my inbox. And I’m proud to say, I remained spoiler free this whole time!) is that it is undeniably Weezer’s “sound” but it’s not a repeat of what we already know, nor is it something that makes you wonder what the hell kind of experiment the band is conducting now. It is fun, singable, quirky, relatable, and profound in their signature non-pretentious, unassuming, simple Weezer way.

This is the kind of Weezer album that appeals to the masses. In fact, since I’ve been hassling everyone I know to check it out, one of my friends who was almost entirely unfamiliar with the band for the last 20 years (how does that even happen?!) downloaded the album this morning and is loving it too. She has also been listening all day long. You can’t even imagine how happy this made me – that my longtime loves are still capturing the hearts of new fans… YAY! Way to go, boys.

I also urge YOU to buy the new album. If you’re tight on cash, use the BestBuy coupon to get the album for only $7.99 (here – use coupon code WEEZERSAVE2). I promise it’s worth it. And I also have a lot of music industry reporters backing me up too. (Quote from Karl Koch’s newsletter to the Official Weezer Fanclub: “So far so good, with excellent reviews from Rolling Stone, Consequence Of Sound, and many others, great acoustic performances on Live 105 and KROQ, [and] rocking out worldwide on the iHeartRadio Music Fest.”)

If you need further convincing before getting the album for yourself, Weezer is appearing TONIGHT on Jimmy Kimmel. (Half an hour ~ eek!) Watch them. See what I see. Then run out and get the album for yourself (or buy it from iTunes).

Now that I have converted legions of new fans with this fangirl-y post, stalk your new favorite band:

www.weezer.com

twitter.com/Weezer

www.facebook.com/weezer

weezer.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/weezer

#EWBAITE

❤ love from, kmah 
(Thanks for the spotlight, Brina!)

ewbaite

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Hmmmm… PurpleBrina here. Guess she was more excited than I expected. I thought it would be a little post… (Wordy bitch, I mean… bestie! I love your words. LOL.)

So go make a Weezer fan happy and pick up this new album. Just see above these words to find the link that best works for you.

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