Why We Should All Abide by the Hayao Miyazaki Rules

    Know what backwards-opening graphic novel picks me up when I'm alone in the deserted "young adult" section of a strange library in an unknown town that houses a school that my younger brother used to go to? My Neighbor Totoro. 
    Know what I've watched mazillions of times since it came out in theaters in August '09, not to mention bought exactly on the day it came out on DVD because it was on my birthday, and sang the words of the CLOSING SONG with my dear friend Chuck? Ponyo. 
    Know what scared me for a few nights after seeing it because of the CREEPY RADISH GUY and also No-Face's practically nonexistent voice, but prompted me to declare that my favorite name in the whole wide world was Chihiro? Spirited Away. 
    Know what movie made me want to buy tons of sugar cubes just so I could stealthily noisily steal them and laugh hysterically when my parents didn't even notice my expert espionage skills? Arietty.
    Know why I've been spending the past ten minutes writing run-on sentences upon run-on sentences about Japanese films, probably half of which you viewers (pop. approximately 4, but only two commenters) don't even know about? Because Studio Ghibli, the maker of all these great movies/graphic novels/general awesomeness, is so totally tubular and all that, of corpse!  I've decided to compose a list of movies that are just Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli GOLD, y'all, in hopes that ole Chuck will remember the good old days of Spirited Away and sleepovers.
     Ponyo: This was so fabulous! My grandpa took me to see it when it first came out, and I was totally in love with it from that moment on. Plus, Matt Damon! I have no comment about how Ponyo and Sosuke are played by Little Cyrus and Little Jonas. This was the very beginning of my penchant for Studio Ghibli. Now my little brother watches it, and since we own it (we got it on my birthday a few years ago because that was the exact day it came out on DVD), I watch along every single time he does! The Devonian-age fish are the coolest thangs. I had to look them up afterwards because I was so interested in them. Dipnorhynchus, now I know a big word.
 My Neighbor Totoro: Okay, I'll confess...
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Living in a Spy Movie

     Day tre. I've always wanted one of those cool computers you see in James Bond or the Bourne movies that crack codes and display different neon numbers and things like that. It seems so... so... so secret agent! So I've made my own here. Next step, Raspberry Pi...

Epic winning, yes? #schnazzy.

We Both Reached for the Gun

    SO GUYS! I'm just bursting with enthusiasm because yesterday I went to see Chicago on Broadway and it was so great. We sat on the second level of Ambassador Theatre, right at the ledge, and a silly girl kept talking about how her uncle told her about someone puking right above her on the second level, and how she would bring an umbrella next time. Nasty side conversations! But then the show started, and it was just stellar... obviously, I spent a lot of my day today listening over and over to the soundtrack on iTunes, YouTube, and 8tracks--especially the puppet song, PAHM! Such a work of art. This I can now add to my growing list of Broadway shows. I'm going to write type this list all out, because you all care soooo much about all of the playbills I've collected over the years. Now, have fun!
          BROADWAY SHOWS I'VE SEEN, YA KNOW
*Billy Elliot
*Lion King
*Chicago
*Mary Poppins
*Wicked
*How the Grinch Stole Christmas
*Mamma Mia!
*soon Annie, later this month
*I feel like I'm forgetting something...
*The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center, like that counts
         I am so lucky! I just realized that. All of us people living near NYC are so lucky. Not trying to gloat, but not too many people get the chance to see this many Broadway shows. And, well, relatively speaking, I'm barely past my single digits, and I've seen 7--soon to be 8, whaat?--shows already. That's so insane! And lucky. I feel pretty spoiled now.
         Moving this discussion away from morals... I loved Bob Fosse's choreography (so roaring 20s!) and obviously the score; I loved Roxie, and Billy Flynn, and Cell Block Tango (one of the only songs I already knew), and not Velma because she was a little bit creepy. But she had a cool voice. I loved when Amos sang "Mr. Cellophane" because his voice was pretty much the antithesis of Kurt's when he sang it on Glee. Basically, I thought it was uh-MAZING. Also, happy early birthday to Jezebel! Good day, and *ugh* back to school. If you see a boy named Richard who is really short and goes on his neighbors' swings, alert Tess immediately.

La Vita é Bella

     I watched this really beautiful, really sad movie last night, called "La Vita é Bella." It was in Italian and made in Italy, so there were subtitles (like Ouran! This is tagged in, like, every single post since last week), but I could still understand words I already knew, and it was cool! The stahhh and also writer and also director (triple threat! Whaaat? Jen He) of it, by the name of Roberto Benigni, is probably the coolest person ever. He's really weird in real life, just like in the movie; he kinda reminds me of Kramer from Seinfeld. Especially when he went to the Oscars. I totally wish we still could do the research projects like we used to in elementary school, about people that interest us. Maybe we should suggest that for EAE. PAHM... Jezebel...

     Anyways, what I'm going to do now is supply y'all with some pictures from the movie so that you'll be inspired to watch, because it was really good if you like sad, historical, European movies. If you're feeling ready to become an ex-pat, this is the movie for you.. I feel ya, wannabe-ex-pats! :) Alrighty. 
     Blogger isn't cooperating, so the pictures are going to go at the bottom of the page. Sorry! I bet you'll love 'em, though. I recommend the movie to anyone. As in anyone with extra time on their hands and a serious love for Italy, funny people, and the 40s. Arrivederci!

How Bout Dem Curls? A Simply Divine DIY

     Here's a great solution to being bored on a weekend morning, possibly after a run! I wish I could say that the results are instantaneous, but they're not--in reality, a decent result can be reached after a long night of sleep, and the BEST results come after about a night of sleep, a full day, and another night. With wet hair. But it's 100% worth it! Here's how to get great curls without hurting your hair, totally natural and never losing their shape.

     Here's what you'll need:

*hair ties (I used four for mine, but two work too, whatever you've got on hand)

*a shower

*a pillow

*a head of hair

     Here's what you won't need:  (curling iron, blowdryer, crazy curlers from the fifties, or Renge)

Indojewban Birthday

Hey guys! I just got the Blogger APP, which I didn't even know existed, and I'm in a very good mood because of it. Score, y'alls!
So as some of you may know, my birthday was on Sunday. And I had a right dandy time! I went into the city the day before, and had a blast at the New York Children's Initial Film Festival. Here are some cool pictures that I took before the films started and they were just showing previews. Sorry for being blurry! I don't know where exactly they'll be placed in the post formatting on the Blogger app, but it'll all be cool... I think. Don't get lost!
Anyways, I did that and it was awesome, as well as seeing the Shoe Obsessions exhibit at FIT, eating at Patsy's beforehand, jumping around at Duane Reade, singing and skipping on the city streets (mostly B.o.B songs, for those wondering), and eating at a "gourmet" doughnut place in Chelsea by the name of the Doughnut Plant. It was just SMASHING. Bombs Away...
And then on Sunday, I went out to eat at the Yard House at the mall. We knew about it from eating there in Arizona, and seeing as my mom and I are suckers fo' mac and cheese, it was just a win-win. We gorged ourselves on mac and cheese, and when we got home, we had FUDGIE THE WHALE CAKE! French the llama! It was pure awesomeness, although occasionally I wish that Fudgie could have been a narwhal. Oh vell.
Evidently, I had a spectacular weekend, and I hope y'all did too. This was a whole lot of nothing, but I just, ya know, wanted to flaunt my birthday and stuff. A huuuuge shout out to all y'all who made Polyvores and whatnot in honor of March 3rd (and me, dur). THANK YA THANK YA THANK YA! So sweet. Alrighty then, you're probably all getting bored, so I'm gonna wrap it up. Adieu!