No photos of me shirtless this time, though. 😛

So the other night I stopped into Hot Topic in Arundel Mills and got that same giddy rush that usually comes over me whenever I step into a HT store no matter where it is in the country. Now I know a lot of people, especially among the older and/or slightly more mature gothic crowd, don't like the chain because it took the "original" culture they grew up with (and to some extent feel that they created, or at least somehow made their own) and essentially made it a trendy place where rebellious teenagers can conveniently pick up threads to flaunt their attitude and piss off their parents and schoolteachers, and I can understand that. Where before folks cut up their clothes and wore them with ragged gaping holes and in unique stitched-together Frankenstein patterns as acts of DEFIANCE, now they can pick up the stuff manufactured that way (albeit at a hefty cost). It's not the same, I agree, and most of the stuff I buy from Hot Topic is low-key and off the discount rack, like skull and crossbones thermal shirts in the summer or tees with bands I've never heard of on them that I pick up because I think an alien with a guitar looks really cool. Which is less because I'm taking a stand against the paradox of manufactured "uniqueness" and more because I'm too cheap to pay $30 more for a pair of pants just because they have an extra zipper and a few bits of red yarn sewn into them -- admittedly, I like just about everything in Hot Topics. Contrast that with the bookstore, where there are a number of books in there that I like, but there's also tons of crap with Oprah plastered all over it and stacks and stacks of books on LOW-CARB DIETS! (When it comes to that crap, I'm with Foamy.)

But more than the merchandise, there's something about the atmosphere of the stores that really gets me, I kinda wish we had one in our local mall (we don't), seeing as how I think it's one of the few retail jobs I'd actually enjoy working. Not only would I get to be in that store all day long -- which admittedly would probably get old after a fashion -- but I'd also have the pleasure of working with other Hot Topic employees. Now given that I haven't been working at BAM very long, it's hard for me to say much about my new co-workers -- though they don't seem like people I'd get on extremely well with after hours -- and when I worked at KB I was under 21, whereas my co-workers were all over the legal drinking age and one of them even had a kid. But when I walk into Hot Topic, the employees always strike me as interesting, no matter how old they are (this probably has something to do with the apparent lack of a dress code, unless the code word is WILD), and more often than not I find the female (and occasionally one of the male) workers to be really attractive. Like the other night. These are people I'd like to be around.

I don't think I have enough piercings to be a Hot Topic employee, though. 😛

Thus concludes my brilliant segue into briefly talking about my two sole piercings, for no apparent reason. I've got two. On my left earlobe. And that's it! Can't think of anything else I'd pierce, except maybe my right earlobe too. I would, however, go for tattoos -- and one of these days I'll probably get one. Thing is, I'd want to design my own, with an original character, and I haven't gotten around to doing that yet. One of these days.

So given that the subject matter of this post was chosen partly with Mickey in mind, and given that Mickster recently posted a few anime-related quizzes and asked for anime recommendations -- and since I'm talking about stuff I really like -- let's touch on my favorite anime series...

Azumanga Daioh!!!

I think I recommended Grave of the Fireflies to Mickey -- which is not only the absolute best anime I've seen, but probably one of the best films altogether -- but that's a really serious and ultimately depressing film. "Azumanga Daioh", on the other hand, isn't a film at all, but a television series, and a really fun one at that. It basically follows a handful of young girls (along with a couple of their teachers) through their high school experience with no real "story" to speak of. What drives Azumanga Daioh isn't events, but characterization, and just about every character is likable, from 10-year old (though she has a few birthdays throughout the series) genius Chiyo to spacy Osaka to everybody's favorite gym teacher Nyamo and her wacky and slightly insane English teaching pal Yukari. It's a really great series. It's definitely got a distinctly Japanese flavor to it -- much of the dialogue centers around things and places endemic to Japanese culture -- but even if a lot of it goes over your head the personalities of the characters and the warmth of their interaction should still shine through. Check it out!

Above, Osaka rushes to protect Chiyo from Sakaki, surmising that Sakaki is so tall (Sakaki's really tall compared to the others, and busty too) because she's been stealing Chiyo's height. I <3 Osaka. But yeah, the series is a lot of stuff like that -- conversations between the classmates, fantasy/dream sequences (especially where lesbian-leaning Kaorin, who's in love with Sakaki, is involved...), school events such as the athletics festival and class theme day, summer vacation trips, etc. The latter eps are particular favorites of mine, since everyone gets together and has a good time. The five above are the main focus of the show (that's Sakaki with her back to us, Osaka blocking, Yomi with the glasses, Tomo with her hand up, and Chiyo with the pigtails), but on the vacations and in school events some of the less-often featured characters get the spotlight as well. The students are such good friends with their teachers that they even come along with the vacations, so it's all great stuff... and I was genuinely sad when the students graduate at the end of the series and they all say their goodbyes. I think maybe there's a vicarious thing going on here -- I wish my high school years (or college years, for that matter) had been as great as those depicted in "Azumanga Daioh". Okay, I'll stop gushing now. You get the idea. 🙂

Oh, and there's a photo of my room. I took it with the sepia effect on because it gives it a more antiquated effect... like it's a tragedy that took place in the distant past. Plus the monotone mutes some of the horror of the actual scene... in color, you'd have no idea what anything is -- it's like a freakin' kaleidoscope. But that's what happens with 20+ years of nostalgia packed into a room roughly the size of three regular walk-in closets...

Oh, and thanks to Sam's comment, I went back to tackle the stupid hourly chime feature on the watch and got rid of it at last. It makes no sense how I did it, but it ended up being pretty simple. Counter-intuitive to be sure -- you'd expect an option like that to be disabled from the alarm menu -- but simple. So yay. Damnit.

Alrighty, I've written enough for this post. I'm planning a really great Scary-Crayon update for Sunday (emphasis on the word planning), but I may toss up a Crayon Haiku on Friday just to keep things from getting too quiet over there. I probably won't. But you needn't worry -- we'll definitely have something here on the blog to keep you occupied in the interim. And you read the blog! So stay tuned. 🙂 Ja for now!