Reading r_pendragon's journal

I can't help it, I don't know why, but I love this color.

I was thinking about it today, as I was making my commute home on the train, that pink is one of the things I will really, truly miss about Japan. That might sound odd, but I genuinely mean it.

There's no stigma to pink here. I was wearing a pink sweater, pink socks, and a pair of pink and magenta striped gloves, and the only comment I got when I walked into work this morning was "Cheru-chan! Kawaii!" (Rachel! Cute!) I can just picture the reactions of my more feminist-type friends at home. Eyerolls and derisively shaken heads.

Men here wear pink, too, which I think is great. I'm not saying I'd want to date a guy who ran around in Barbie-doll rose and carnation all the time or anything, but I do like the fact that this color is equally accessible to both genders. One of the little boys at the school where I work is a huge fan of pink– he will literally scream "Pink is best, pink is best!" until given item X in a rosy hue. When I asked him why he likes pink, he looked at me like I was stupid and replied, "Because it's cute." Duh.

And once, while I was living down in Osaka, I saw a man who was dressed head to toe in badass black leather, except for his shell-pink cell phone. Made my day.

I don't dribble pink all over my life or anything; given the option of a pink cell phone, I chose cobalt blue instead. Most of my clothes are cold winter colors: navy blue, grey, black, red, white; my apartment is mostly neutral/primary.

But once in awhile, I just go weak for pink, and living in the only country in the world that voted for the pink M&M has really allowed me to indulge.

Fellow pink-lovers out there, whether you are still in the closet about your love of pink, or proudly wear your pink hearts on your sleeve, I salute you. ;)

My stepdad isn't mean, he's just adjusting. -Death to Smoochy

You've put me in a pink mood. (Which I think is actually a song by my favorite 50's style Tiki group - Tipsy's 'Pink Mood') I've been having a really crappy day... getting wierd e-mails and Jury Summons for the third time this freaking year! And then I read this post...Thanks Rachel! I needed this... so much. :D

Just thinking about pink M&Ms makes me happy. I wish that I had some right now. I love pink, not to mention chocolate!!!!!

I went to lunch with a friend today, and passed a woman wearing the currently requisite black and pink outfit that has recently become popular in the States, and longed to go home and find my Hello Kitty steering wheel cover... An ex bought it for me, and I felt wierd about parading my love of Hello Kitty around... I though it would lessen my credibility, but now I think... to heck with it... I'm gonna wear pink, and wear it proudly!

And so will my car... my black car with the pink and black Hello Kitty steering wheel cover...maybe I'll get pink seat covers, and tool around defending my right to sport anything pink.

Pink lovers unite! If I have to go to the jury selection process I think I'm gonna dye my hair pink, wear a pink bow in it, pink shoes, pink blouse, pink jeans, and a pink purse. I am so tired of getting randomly selected, repeatedly from a computer base of anonymous people, to do my civic duty, over and over and over again...Think I'll just go stand out in the crowd, and make my statement on life... They have a dress code that doesn't allow for excessive jewelry -sets off the metal detectors- but they said nothing about wearing excessive amounts of pink.

If they don't think I'm odd enough already... well then...

I just had to add that another friend of mine came by for a little while this evening, and we tooled around in his new sleek black Chrylser/Daimler while listening to the Jpop duo of "Puffy AmiYumi", and I loved them...it made me feel like I was in a 'Pink Mood'... even happier now.

Anyway... could you bring us all back some pink M&Ms?

And Orchid, you go girl... with your pink ipod mini... makes me hope my free one in the mail is gonna be in pink too!

Think pink! (Pink Panther, Inspector Clouseau...ya know)

If mountain goats like living at high elevations, why do none live in high rise apartment buildings?

This post was edited by rosyxxx on Oct 05, 2004.

You've put me in a pink mood.

Huzzah for being in a pink mood! I'm wearing pink again today, and it's immensely satisfying. There is just something undeniably happy about the color.

Just thinking about pink M&Ms makes me happy. I wish that I had some right now.

Assuming I have time during my whirlwind last month here, I shall try to airmail some your way. :) I make no promises, because I have the short-term memory of a fruit fly, but I will try.

I went to lunch with a friend today, and passed a woman wearing the currently requisite black and pink outfit that has recently become popular in the States

What is with that trend? It's popular here, too... it's like time-warping back to the 1950's.

And so will my car... my black car with the pink and black Hello Kitty steering wheel cover...maybe I'll get pink seat covers, and tool around defending my right to sport anything pink.

KITTY-CHAN! Oh, I love Kitty-chan. There is a Hello Kitty store in my neighborhood, and I confess the Roommate™ and I had fun/went mad with the Hello Kitty paraphernalia. We have travel food dishes for the Fucktard Cat™, a Kitty-chan in a bunny suit toggle for her carrier, and a Kitty-chan towel. Right now there's a Hello Kitty collection for each district in Tokyo: in the one for my neighborhood, Shinjuku, Kitty-chan is wearing a black minidress and carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag. Right on.

I've also been collecting Kitty-chan cell phone chains for a long time. My favorite is the one from Mt. Fuji– it's Kitty-chan in leiderhosen. (sp?)

[/squeeing idiotically about a pink cat]

. I am so tired of getting randomly selected, repeatedly from a computer base of anonymous people, to do my civic duty, over and over and over again

I've actually always wanted to be selected for jury duty. (Bizarre, I know, and scores of Amercians are probably shaking their fists at me as I type this.) I did get summoned once, but unfortunately I had to decline because I was going on a trip outside the country. I wouldn't want to do it multipple times or anything, but once could be interesting. I do hope your Pink Ploy pays off, though.

while listening to the Jpop

Ahh, J-Pop. If that isn't the audio version of the color pink, I don't know what is. :)

My stepdad isn't mean, he's just adjusting. -Death to Smoochy

I shall try to airmail some your way.

Here! Here! *waves wildly*

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

E-mail me your address as soon as possible and I shall make my best efforts. Any other requests?

My stepdad isn't mean, he's just adjusting. -Death to Smoochy

E-mail me your address as soon as possible and I shall make my best efforts.

You would do that? Man, that would be like... oooh.... uhm... ooh...
Yay! :-D
Can I send you something in return, chocolate or a bunch of anime DVDs with subtitles?

Any other requests?

Some Mintia Dry Hard, all of here, a couple of these, and... oh, maybe some of those if there's still space, and ...
*buys half of Japan*

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

Man, why dont't you just fly over with me? I'm starving of hunger of Japan because it's just one year ago I've been there and I'm so longing to get there again and buy as much as my account allows me.
Hey, that would be so great, we to, we'd totally mix up Japan! :) It'll be so much fun!

I won't beg you to bring me the stuff I want 'cause I'm afraid, you'll travel back with xxxkg overweight ;)
Instead I told my anime-freak-mate to bring over some stuff from Hello Kitty, some crackers, some music, handy-straps... I hope he won't forget and brings me at least one piece I had on my list :)
Well, but r_pendragon, if you'll send null a package of M&Ms, It'll be very nice if you'll smuggle in something for me, too :)

Advice: www.japansalon.de. Gotta go there as soon as I'll be in Munich again. They've got the cutest Hello Kitty-Shirts and wonderful Kanji-bags!!! Aaaahye!!! :)

"Sie wollen nichts anderes. Sie wollen kämpfen! Sie sind Soldaten! Fucking Wahnsinnige!" - Noel G.

This post was edited by Orchid on Oct 07, 2004.

Man, why dont't you just fly over with me?

Ticket to Japan - CHF 2,000
Accommodation in Tokyo for a week - ¥ 80,000
Postcards & phone calls to family - ¥ 5,000
Lending credit card to honey bunny for LV store - ¥ 1,000,000,000
Shopping at Akihabara Electrical Town - ¥1,000,000,000,000,000

Getting a packet of pink M&Ms delivered to the door for free - priceless.

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

Postcards & phone calls to family - ¥ 5,000
Lending credit card to honey bunny for LV store - ¥ 1,000,000,000

I haven't seen one postcard in Japan! And I won't have to call anyone 'cause you're with me :)

Hey, that's unfair! But you're sweet :)

Anyway, I just had to try... :) Maybe next year!

"Sie wollen nichts anderes. Sie wollen kämpfen! Sie sind Soldaten! Fucking Wahnsinnige!" - Noel G.

Right now there's a Hello Kitty collection for each district in Tokyo: in the one for my neighborhood, Shinjuku, Kitty-chan is wearing a black minidress and carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag. Right on.

Where oh where might I find one of these in StL? Is there a 'black market' for this stuff... Hello Kitty is sooooooooo hard to find here *sniff*

I've also been collecting Kitty-chan cell phone chains for a long time. My favorite is the one from Mt. Fuji- it's Kitty-chan in liederhosen (sp?)

Kitty-chan in liederhosen? O_o.

You can actually purchase cell phone chains with Hello Kitty on them? *having an orgasm*

Oooooh...

where is the dotted line
upon which I need to sign

and can I put you in my will
my beating heart be still

it's off to Western Union
I go, I go...

Send pink M&Ms Stop US Stop Switzerland Stop Maybe Hello Kitty too Stop

*waving last pink cent frantically*

You live in Japan and people wear pink all the time, even the men (obviously secure in their manhood)... Japan has pink M&Ms and J-pop that turns my day around so that I can actually socialize with people on a regular basis, instead of staying in a crumpled ball on the floor. Hey, why again are you leaving Japan? I mean, I know, family and everything...

IMAO, I think the color pink, even in its mild incarnation here...

What is with that trend? It's popular here too...it's like time-warping back to the 1950's

is the perfect counter-attack to depression. Forget Prozac. Just think pink! And, dare I say it... ******Let's do the time warp again!*******

As far as 'jury duty' - I really do feel personally singled out, having been summoned seven times since 1999. A bit excessive. They really don't want me there. Trust me. I will so go off on any idiots present in the room if I have to sit there with them for eight hours a day, while getting paid $12 an hour, missing work, and soaking up the whole depressive atmosphere... not to mention that it is during the week of my nephews birthday. Bummer.

If I end up having to do that, and I may, I'm gonna have to wear a lot of freakin' pink to counter the gray atmospheric cloud that will hover over my head. Not that I can't deal with negativity... I do every day in my job... I hear all kinds of stuff from people... and end up being a shoulder to cry on, but I have the option to walk away when I need to...

You know if I have to sit in that jury box I'll be taking a lot of bathroom breaks, probably making trips to the car for *brownies*, and I'll probably wear a truckload of pink... calling my hairdresser right now to see if he can fit me in for a new hair color. :D

As for the music:

Ahh, Jpop. If that isn't the audio version of the color pink, I don't know what is.:)

Yeah, I'm gonna beg for a copy of my friend's CD... I'll be listening to that for hours...

Oh, and Tipsy and *hugs copy of Nick Drake CD*

...listening to Nick Drake's 'Pink Moon'. Most of his songs on this album are talking about the dreamers, the lonely, the homeless, the people that others think are crazy - witness 'Things Behind the Sun' and 'Parasite'.

... and the melodies on the album are beautiful. Sort of like a pink mood to make it easier to hear what he is talking about...it's like a pink smear across a cloud of gray...'Pink moon' could be interpreted in many ways...

Pink Moon

Saw it written and I saw it say
Pink moon is on its way.
None of you will stand so tall
Pink moon gonna get ye all
And it's a pink moon

Yes a pink moon
Pink, pink, pink, pink
Pink, pink moon
Pink, pink, pink, pink
Pink moon

I saw it written and I saw it say
Pink moon is on its way.
None of you will stand so tall
Pink moon gonna get ye all
And it's a pink moon
Yes, a pink moon.

*humming to self as I walk to watch the pink sunset* :D
And, no if you were wondering, I don't drive a Volkswagen, but I would if I had one.

If mountain goats like living at high elevations, why do none live in high rise apartment buildings?

This post was edited by rosyxxx on Oct 06, 2004.

Where oh where might I find one of these in StL? Is there a 'black market' for this stuff... Hello Kitty is sooooooooo hard to find here *sniff*

At home, I have no idea; the internet is probably your best bet. Bum ex-pats are always trying to sell Japanese stuff online. Otherwise, in MN at the Mall of America we have a Sanrio store– that's about all I know.

You can actually purchase cell phone chains with Hello Kitty on them? *having an orgasm*

You can purchase everything with Hello Kitty on it. Up to and including, in fact, things having to do with orgasms... "back massagers" and condoms and the like.

I can certainly get you a Shinjuku Kitty-chan cell phone strap. (I think. The stuff cycles constantly.)

I wish I had time to go to PuroLand, the Sanrio amusement park. I think it would be hella entertaining.

You live in Japan and people wear pink all the time, even the men (obviously secure in their manhood)... Japan has pink M&Ms and J-pop... Hey, why again are you leaving Japan?

Because Japan drives me nuts. ;) Love it, but it drives me nuts. Highly highly recommend a vacation here to anyone, though. Nuts or not, it is still one of my favorite places on the planet.

My stepdad isn't mean, he's just adjusting. -Death to Smoochy

Up to and including, in fact, things having to do with orgasms... "back massagers"

As the proud owner of not one, but two Hello Kitty Vibrating Shoulder Massagers, I can assure you that they're actually intended to be just that and nothing else, altho they do an awfully poor job at that. It's not Sanrio's fault the porn industry mistook them for something else :-)

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

Hello Kitty is sooooooooo hard to find here *sniff*

Have you tried J-List? They have a rather long list of Hello Kitty products, everything from funny to cute to scary... and they speak English :-)

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

I was thinking about it today, as I was making my commute home on the train, that pink is one of the things I will really, truly miss about Japan. That might sound odd, but I genuinely mean it.

Why? Pink is punk! ;P
Just have a look at the goth scene - at least over here in Europe, pink (and neon green, too) is a much-loved, much-hated colour to be seen in very different forms and styles. Pink hair, pink-black striped, knee-long socks, etc. etc.

I must 'confess' pink is not my favorite one, I tend to magenta combined with orange, like you can find out if you go over here (to my personal weblog ;)). But seeing this color on friends then and then (as they're mostly into the goth, punk and metal scene, over here in good ole Germany) is rather nice. ;)

Take a peek on this over here:
- http://www.trauerpower.de/galerie.html - latest images are 'Totentanzbilder 2004' and 'Totentanzbilder 2004 II' ;)
- pictures from WGT 2004 @ schwarzesmuenchen.de
- Provisorium: Image gallery (and the site in itself is pretty in pink, too :))

cu, w0lf.

Multiple exclamation marks are a sure sign for a diseased mind!

Why? Pink is punk!

You don't really want to know what some Japanese pop magazines think is punk. (Search for "punk" on the linked page)

Update: the original site seems to have bandwidth/connectivity problems - maybe it's just me, but I've put up a temporary mirror just in case.

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

This post was edited by null on Oct 07, 2004.

LOL!

DONT search for "punk"... read it from top to bottom and it'll make your day!

After decades of construction my website is finally up an running: www.kkds.de

Oh god, that page is a chronicle of my life.

-I've actually listened to a "Bump of Chicken" album, and at my local Tsutaya (think Blockbuster), they have a huge Bump of Chicken ad on the Music floor. I've heard the "Kinki Kids," too. What makes them even better is that it's not some clever pun on the English word "kinky" as you might expect– it's just that they are from the Kansai Kinki region (near Osaka). I actually lived in the Kinki region when I lived down there, and did my banking at the Kinki Bank. Sounds like a pr0n store, though...

-Girls really do dress like that. A friend of mine likes to say that Japanese women make a fashion statement out of being fashion victims. Tonight after work, one of my Japanese co-workers, who had been wearing black jeans and a navy blue T-shirt (cringe, cringe), changed into this hideous cardigan and cowl-neck turtleneck combination. She looked 85, and the colors were TEAL and MUSTARD. And then she asked, "Isn't is cute?" Me: "Well, I've been blinded by the color combination, so now that I can't see it anymore... yeah, sure, it's cute."

-I don't know how many people use the eyelid glue, but it definitely exists. It's creepy.

All Japanese magazines are not as inane as the one described on that page, but a lot of them are actually worse. I was bored at the laundrymat one day (NOT the day the naked man was there), so I skimmed through some of the magazines on the shelf. The men's were pr0n with articles about political scandals and sexy actresses, and the women's were soft-core pr0n with housekeeping/childrearing tips and raves about how great Takuya Kimura's ass looks in Levi's.

I have to give the Japanese a lot of credit for their unabashed silliness. The best part is, they think all the rest of us just can't understand the refinement of their culture.

Who knows... maybe we can't. ;)

My stepdad isn't mean, he's just adjusting. -Death to Smoochy

The best part is, they think all the rest of us just can't understand the refinement of their culture.

Who knows... maybe we can't.

We might soon find out.

Rachel, this is Reverse Culture Shock. Reverse Culture Shock, this is Rachel.

Let us know how the first date went. :-P

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

The best part is, they think all the rest of us just can't understand the refinement of their culture.

Who knows...maybe we can't.

We might soon find out.

I saw it written and I saw it say
Pink moon is on its way
None of ye will stand so tall
Pink moon gonna get ye all
And it's a pink moon. - Nick Drake

...as opposed to Nick Cave...

Update on the Jury Duty:
I went by the courthouse with my doctor's note and form filled out...and they thought I was an 'attorney', and then complemented me on my traditional Chinese art-patterned red high top Keds peeking out from beneath my jeans and gray turtleneck. I actually had a 'fashion conversation' at the courthouse... does red count as part of this discussion, since it is just a more passionate version of pink, and as 'ginsterbusch' says, is part of the punk and goth scene, as well as the Japanscene? I feel like I am 'in the pink' again...

Oh... and r_pendragon, the Hello Kitty from the Shinjuku region sounds sweet!

Get ready for the Pink Invasion... it's a pink moon rising!

If mountain goats like living at high elevations, why do none live in high rise apartment buildings?

That's it. I am decorating my master bathroom entirely in pink. Formerly, it has been somewhat evocative of the color pink, but not quite.

I relieve 'stress' in my life by the application of color. My lighter is now pink. My razor is pink. You know, Gillette makes a Venus razor in 'Passion'. My goal is to be passionate... about my bathroom, and all of its accesories...I am not going to hide my passion for pink anymore. Pale pink, baby pink, dark pink, hot pink, fuchsia, even burgundy (which is arguably a red, but oh well). As long as I am single who cares... and if someone comes along who wants to share living quarters, then, and only then, will I negotiate. If people don't like the excessive amount of pink, well then, they can just use the guest bathroom, which will be all red!

Besides, at the turn of the twentieth century, little boys were dressed in pink regularly. It is only now, and during the last ninety some odd years, that men have been loathe to be associated with pink in this country. Even if I do have issues, which of course I do, (but I am not divulging them here) it doesn't matter...it is, after all, MY space.

There. I feel better now.

If mountain goats like living at high elevations, why do none live in high rise apartment buildings?

This post was edited by rosyxxx on Oct 15, 2004.

Pink is the best thing that could happen to me (err... besides null of course :)
In my teenage years I bought everything that was dark blue. Black may have been to hard for me, I don't know. And some years ago I discovered pink, don't know why. And since that time, it's my favourite colour. Anytime I see some nice stuff in pink, I get totally enchanted, it just makes my day. So, anytime I got two chose between several items, I logically tend to chose pink 'cause pink is the colour of romance, happiness, optimism, freedom and peace! Am I exaggerating? It makes my life better, nothing can be wrong with that.
But, by the way, I don't look like barbie and my room doesn't look like her house. My car is black. I like many colours and I've got clothes in almost every existing colour :) Hmm... But the real essential things (handy, i-pod mini in spe) have to be pink :)

"Sie wollen nichts anderes. Sie wollen kämpfen! Sie sind Soldaten! Fucking Wahnsinnige!" - Noel G.