Fanart, Fanfiction and Fangirling

I should really try to make an effort and update more often, but the last thing I want to do when I get home after work is sit in front of my laptop. And I haven't even drawn a single thing for Inktober. Fail. Well, at least I've scribbled down a few more paragraphs of that Mystrade fic I started AGES ago. My goal is to finish before the end of the year, wish me luck.

Things in the new flat are good. I still need to buy a bookcase (I have too many books and comics, boo!) and curtains for the bedroom, but the rest is pretty much done.

And I bought new shoes today! YAY!



Right, that's it. I'm going to a Mode Inside concert tonight, I'd better get ready.

Last night I had a dream about Mark Gatiss. Well, he only appeared at the end, but that's the second time I've dreamed about him in less than two weeks. In last night's dream he was supposed to be the pilot of a private plane my parents and I had booked, but he was late, so my father decided to fly the plane himself and almost crashed it. At the end Mark arrived and apologised. I woke up thinking "What the f*ck was that?" XD I don't remember much about the older dream, but I do remember that at one point Mark and Noel Fielding were kissing. Too bad I woke up just when things were getting... interesting.

I went for a bit of shopping today. After trying various tops, I put on a black T-shirt, looked at myself in the mirror and thought "Oh, yes". I can't help it, I will always feel comfortable in black. I ended up buying two purplish tops, a rust coloured jumper and the black T-shirt. I'm so predictable.

Also, because I'm worse than a 13-year-old girl, have a chibi version of me, done with Chibi Maker:

I sort of disappeared for a while. I replied to a few job offers abroad, I'm not holding my breath, but who knows. Sales started yesterday, so I went and bought something nice for myself, which doesn't happen often. I wish I could buy new sandals too, but they're all either completely flat or ridiculously high-heeled. Oh, well, maybe next summer.

Is any of you watching "Crossing lines"? It's an American-European co-production that takes place all over Europe. I started watching it because it was created by the same person who created Criminal Minds and because it's broadcast pretty much at the same time in the USA and in Italy (I think Rai2 airs the episodes a week after NBC), so we don't have to wait 6+ months for once. What I've seen so far hasn't really blown my mind: it's like the took an American series and simply moved it to Europe. There is a lot of potential in the idea and I think the pilot showed that potential, but it still needs work. We'll see how things develop.

What made me laugh, though, is the description they have on the NBC website: «"Crossing Lines" is set in the world's most exotic locales [...]"» I laughed when I read this because the last episode was set in Udine, which we don't consider an exotic or glamorous location at all. I mean, it was convenient for the plot because it's close to the Slovenian border, but, as the Germans would say, it's pretty much "am Arsch der Welt" ("in the middle of nowhere"). Also, mass-shootings abound and that's something we usually consider "typically American". Maybe they are not so common in the US either, but we're so used to seeing people shooting left and right in American films and TV series that we think they're normal. Seeing them in a series that's set in Europe made me think "This is so completely unbelievable". I'm curious to know what Americans think of mass-shootings in films / TV series.

Uhm, I think my Sociology of Media background is showing. Sorry.

Anyway. My friends Deluded by Lesbians released a new video! It's a cover of an '80s classic, well, classic for Italians anyway: "Cicale", originally sung by Italian-American starlet Heather Parisi and opening of a popular TV show from 1981.

This is their version:



The video is them being idiots as usual. It's funny, but if you want to see a really hilarious video, watch their first video, "She do wanna", shot in the streets of Milan during Fashion Week in 2010:

Please, Alex, be more adorable, this clearly isn't enough.


Source

In other news, this is the first decent weekend in over two weeks (because of course we have 25°C from Monday to Friday and then the Flood at the weekend), so I'm going to Milan this afternoon, I need to buy a Los Angeles guide for my trip and I'll see if I can find a pair of trousers and maybe a summer dress. Wish me luck!

I'm back safe and sound. I still have to put away some stuff and I haven't downloaded all my pics yet, so this post won't be that long.

First of all: WTF East Coast. First earthquake in a century and it happens right when I'm there. I mean, we barely felt it, but still. I was sitting outside with my aunt when the bench started shaking, we looked at the A/C unit and it was shaking as well. So I turned to my aunt and asked "Uhm, do you have earthquakes here on the East Coast?" And she went "Not that I know of." But of course it was one, it even ended in the news on the Italian channel and, not 10 minutes later, my dad called to see if we were all right. I had gone to NYC just the day before, I had woken up early and it was a nice day, so I thought "I could go today or tomorrow. Oh well, I'll just go today." HAHA, that was lucky, if I had gone the next day I would've been stuck in a mess of people crowding the streets, with bridges and tunnels being closed.

And then Hurricane Irene. When I was planning my trip I thought about leaving on Saturday or Sunday (tomorrow), but since I didn't know if I was supposed to go back to work on the 1st September or the 29th August, I decided to get back a couple of days earlier to avoid having to work while jetlagged. And thank God I did, all flights are being cancelled and rescheduled.

Anyway, I had a lot of fun, I'll write a proper post about it. For the moment have a few pics of some stuff I bought:

( Shopping pics )

Oh, and I bought myself an Amazon Kindle! Which I'm basically using to read fanfic wherever I want at the moment. I'm so shallow.

I'll write more in the next days.

I had the weirdest Holmes-themed dream last night, featuring both BBC!Sherlock and Granada!Sherlock. It started out with BBC!Sherlock looking for some kind of assistant (read: nanny) for him and John, but there was more to it than that, I saw him talk to some man and by choosing said assistant he had to prove he was right about something - as usual. Then there was a Christmas buffet of sorts and a treasure hunt based on a Christmas story I didn't know, so I only got 2 items out of 5 and they were wrong. Granada!Holmes was very disappointed in me and I was all "But... but... I didn't know what I was supposed to find! D:" Then, after a magical change of scenery, I was somewhere in the country witnessing a romantic date between Granada!Holmes and a random young lady, she was quite sad because she knew he would always love his work more than her and she gave him some books as a present because the next day was a birthday or anniversary and said "I understand if you can't spend the day with me, don't worry." And he was all "OMG I'm such an idiot," and hugged her and whispered something I couldn't quite understand.

Er, yeah, whatever. >_>

Anyway, look what I bought yesterday! :D



Yesss, leather gloves! All I need now is a fedora hat and then I'm all set for autumn. I also bought a long-sleeved top - purple, how predictable. I was looking for an L size, but they only had it in S and M, so I picked up the M one and went to try it on, expecting it to be too small, but it actually fit. I was all "What?!" I keep forgetting I lost weight in Berlin and haven't gained it back.

Tonight my friends are playing in front of the theatre where I did an internship in 2007. I sent an email to one of the guys working there to promote the gig, he said he doesn't know if he can make it, but he forwarded the email to a few other people. I also "casually" mentioned I'm looking for a job and he said I should go the opening of their new library on Saturday, so we can have a chat. Now, I don't want to get my hopes high, but damn, I wouldn't mind working for them again!

And psst schwimmerin:

Being dragged into 4 different shopping centres by my mother isn't my ideal way to spend the morning, but at least I found tea! I've never been much of a tea drinker, as I have coffee in the morning (I need my caffeine boost, thank you very much), but I used to drink vanilla-flavoured or spicy tea almost every night in Berlin. The problem is, it's difficult to find all those delicious sorts of tea here, so I was very happy to find something different from the usual Earl Grey or mint tea. I bought "1001 Nights Tea" (with cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom, chicory and clove), vanilla-caramel tea and apple-cinnamon tea. Yay!



And now let's see if I can draw or write something...

I'm finally done with all my Christmas shopping. *collapses* I wanted to do everything today so I can start packing up tomorrow, plus I'm going to chat with my parents via Skype (IF they remember about it! :P) tomorrow afternoon, so I wouldn't have much time anyway.

I went to the Christmas market in front of the Rotes Rathaus at first, but it was so, so cold, after an hour I couldn't feel my hands anymore. D: So I just ran into a shop, where, luckily, I could find a couple of small presents. Then I just went to the Alexa shopping centre, which was so incredibly crowded, but who cares, at least it was warm. And I could find everything I was still missing, even the present for my dad. I also bought THE COOLEST T-shirt for me.

Front

Back

And I only paid 9€ for it! :D So now I own two blue T-shirts. :P

And now, for the WTF moments of the day:

WTF #1: Punkreas are playing in Berlin in January! At the SO36! I'm going back home for a couple of weeks in January/February because I'm going to have a free month between the Praktikum I'm doing now and the next one, and I was thinking of leaving on the 19th or 20th, but since they're playing on the 21st, I'll stay a couple of days longer. Punkreas in Berlin! Fuck, yeah!

WTF #2: My Prawda is already here! And there are 5 of my photos in it! Including a full-page photo on page two! *is proud* Thanks for choosing them! (You know who you are. ;) )

Apropos pictures, here are the ones from the Bela concerts in Leipzig and Berlin. They didn't come out so well, sorry.

Bela B y Los Helmstedt, 8th December 2009, Leipzig



Bela B y Los Helmstedt, 9th December 2009, Berlin




And a short video: Gary, Holly and Olsen at work. With Holly messing up and having an adorable "D'oh!" moment. <3

I had two interviews for a Praktikum today. Both places are kind of dull, but I must choose one (the interviews were organised by the language school and the lady there told me I must choose one). I think I'll choose the one in a big agency that organises international conferences. It would just be office work, but I'd have the option of switching to another activity after the first month, and the lady who talked to me said I can start whenever I want. The other Praktikum would be in a bar/restaurant where they organise parties and small concerts too, but an important part of the job is organising the menu, the man with whom I talked even asked me if I had any experience as waitress, because if I had, it would be easier to understand how things work. Besides, it's an Austrian restaurant and he even asked me if I was familiar with Austrian cuisine. I think I cut a very poor figure there. And he said he'll let me know what he decides, so it's not even sure I can work there.

So, maybe I'd better go with the duller but sure job. In the meantime I'll keep searching for something else on my own and, if I find something, I can quit after a month.

Why must everything be so complicated? =/

But Saturday I bought this lovely shoes! :D



And today I bought a *cough* black tutu and dark grey leopard print leggings. '80s, anyone?

I met up with a few friends to watch a dvd last night, we didn't know what to see, but in the end we chose "Hoodwinked!" (Italian title: "Cappuccetto Rosso e gli insoliti sospetti"), an animated film from 2005. I had heard it was good, but I didn't think it would be so good, we laughed all through it. If you still haven't watched it, go on and buy/rent/borrow it, it's great! Our favourite character was Japeth the Goat, my God I still have his song stuck in my head.



Other than that, I finally bought a backpack for my laptop. I've always refused to buy a backpack because I thought "The laptop isn't even mine, it belongs to the society I work for, I'll just use the bag they gave me to carry it to work." But carrying it on one shoulder every day was killing my back, I tried carrying it by hand but the situation didn't get much better - and I got calluses on my hands! - so this week I made up my mind and bought a backpack. The real reason why I didn't want to buy it before was that I was hoping I would get another job and wouldn't need it anymore, but it looks like that's not going to happen anytime soon. And, even if a miracle happened and I really got another job, I will eventually buy a laptop of my own, so I'll need it. And it was only €30 anyway.

And I love H&M. I paid €16 for 2 short-sleeved shirts (one black with little white stars, one emerald green with little white black stars), 1 T-shirt (white with black stars) and a pair of bright pink fishnet tights with a star pattern. Why, yes, I like stars.

Jag älskar Sverige!