Minako

Well, currently, my world is falling apart. I may be kicked out of my dream university due to my poor grades this year (curse you chemistry and calculus) and it's only by [B].07[/B]. Grr...hopefully the Chem curve is good. So, I was wondering, [B]Has there ever been a time in your life where your world has fallen apart?[/B] If so, [B]how did you deal with it?[/B] And for those of you that are fortunate enough to HAVEN'T have had that happen to them yet, [B]how do you THINK you'll react/deal with it?[/B] And as a side note, what would you suggest I do to deal with it? I mean, if I don't come back, they'll only ask me to leave for a year, and I could stay home for a year and go to a local university. It could be good for me...i guess. I've never felt so at home than at my school. The only thing keeping me together right now is the fact that I can go back. If you feel like you can't post about that time, I don't want you to open up a proverbial "vein" for me. Only post if you feel comfortable. :)

I think I have one of the most popular names of 1988/1987... [B]Laura[/B]. And I hate it. Yes, my parents gave me that name because it's so easy to say in numerous languages (I plan on naming my kids like that whenever I have kids). But why did it have to be so damn POPULAR?! In grade school (mind you, there were only 27 of us), there were two Lauras, so I never responded to my name, because it was never me. It was always the other one. It wasn't until someone said, "Laura...LAURA...LAURA!!" then I'd respond. High school wasn't that bad, even though I had another Laura added to the other one, so there were 3 of us. I wasn't stuck in the same room with them every day, so if someone called my name, they usually meant me. In college, I wasn't expecting it to be a problem, but out of 42,000 students, I'm in the same bible study (about 7 of us) as another Laura. Oy. [I]Lauren[/I] also gets me sometimes. I get that a lot, when I introduce myself. "Hi, my name is Laura" "Please to meet you Lauren" "Uhh, it's [I]Laura[/I] " "Oh I'm sorry!" "T_T" So it's not only the unusual names that get trouble too.

I claim [B]number 41: Water[/B] please! :D

You know what really grinds MY gears? [B]OVERLY. SNUGGLY. COUPLES.[/B] They downright piss me off, and I don't get pissed off a lot. It's even worse when [B]they're both my friends[/B]. And the girl broke up with her last boyfriend of 2 and a half years not more than a week before (more like 2 DAYS). *sigh* I love both of them, but it's just SO awkward and annoying when they're all cuddly and what not. "ooh, look at us! We're dating and we don't care if it hurts anybody's feelings!" Ugh. They don't realize that I have an issue about being lonely, and the more I hang around them, the more lonely I feel. However, I'm glad that I'm single now though. I get to focus on schoolwork and I'm going to be gone most of all this summer....but still. I don't like getting the fact that I AM single rubbed in my face. It's SO hard not to be resentful...

First off, I have to say that Keyblade Wielder? Your dress is GORGEOUS! I luff it. :) But anyway, I graduated high school last year, and my first-last-only prom was actually my post prom. Since I went to a tiny school, and there were only 59 of us seniors, we didn't have our own prom because that would've been really awkward since we all knew each other., the only reason we went to the school was just to take pictures. *shrug* But anyway, I got asked by one of my good guy friends (who was shorter than me, which was a silly issue for me at the time) and I said "Sure! Why not?" Now I know why not. heh. Well, my date's parents were VERY gracious and grilled prime ribs for all 10 of us (which I was late to because of my hair appointment, the only one I've ever had for any dance). I loved my dress, and I felt really pretty (and people complimented me on my make-up too, which I did myself). When we got to post prom, however, my date and my friend's dates were kind of "clingy." They followed us around pretty closely, when me and my friend only wanted to have fun. So...we kind of ditched them for a while. It was only for like 10 minutes, but I still feel kind of bad, but it was good to get them out of our hair for a little while. All in all, it was kind of a bummer, but it was a fun time anyway. :) *under the links are pictures of my dress* [url]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h274/Minako_06/IMG_3952.jpg[/url] [url]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h274/Minako_06/IMG_3953.jpg[/url] I hope you have fun!

Well, this summer I landed the summer job of my DREAMS, working at a language camp teaching Finnish. After that (or before hand, I don't know) I'm going to go to Finland and China.(to visit my family and friends in Finland, and my dad in China) And also, [SIZE=2]HARRY POTTER.[/SIZE]

I got a few pranks pulled on me, because I don't like pulling pranks on people... Well, one of the student papers on campus had said that Facebook was shutting down (I'm seriously a Facebook nut) but it was a joke. Then the theOtaku one about Jeff. I almost believed it until I read the comments, heh. And THEN my best friend (a guy) told me he had a girlfriend, but he doesn't. Well, there's a story behind that. We have a bet going that whoever gets a bf/gf first, has to buy the other one dinner at the place of their choosing, and he made me think that I won the bet....jerk. heh heh just kidding. I love him!

Well, before I jump to the conclusion that he's a jerk (which it almost sounds like, but I'm giving him the benefit of a doubt), has [I]he[/I] given [I]you[/I] anything? Does he talk/hang out with you? Would you consider him a friend? Would he consider [I]you[/I] a friend? I mean, I've bought stuff for my guy friends before because I felt like it. Especially around Christmastime, once, I found something that was PERFECT for my friend's boyfriend (also my friend), and I bought it for him. He felt bad that he didn't get me anything, but I wasn't offended, I was just happy he liked it. And plus, are you sure he liked the balloon before he popped it? I mean, I've had friends fill my locker up with balloons so that I couldn't fit anything in there for my birthday once, but I still made an effort to keep as many of them as possible, because it was a sweet gesture, ya know?

What am I afraid of as far as men are concerned? Well, I'm mostly afraid of [B]rejection.[/B] I know that that's kind of a masculine thing, but seriously, who isn't? I'm TERRIBLY afraid that guys won't like me for how I look, considering I'm not nearly as beautiful as some other people I know, but my guy friends assure me that I am...But I don't believe them, heh.

[quote name='jigglyness]I dont have a lot of resources at the moment [since I'm not supposed to be using photoshop at school anyways :animeswea '] so it's not as great but here's a Host Club one. I'll probably try to get some of the othe ones done later when I get home. :][/quote] These Host club ones are GREAT! I love them! Thanks a lot, jigglyness! *no offense to Redemption* I'll be using this set then. If anyone else want to make avatar/banner sets, feel free to, but I won't be checking this thread as often as before, so...yeah.

#3 DEFINATELY! I get totally creeped out by those old guys that you just [I]know[/I] just are looking at you like you're some sex thing. *shudder* Ok, my turn, What do you fear most? 1.The apocalypse (sp?) 2. Being tortured for eternity while still keeping your sanity, so you remember everything. 3. Having your loved ones brutally murdered in front of your eyes *kind of random choices, but it's all I could think of*

That's awesome, thank you! :D

I'm not even going to START to go into the whole AnimeFF deal. It's frickin' screwed up, and I have my own opinions of it, but as Shy said [I]that's not the point of this thread[/I]. I've been around myO and OB for about 4 years now in October (WOW does time fly!) and I don't ever really remember OB and theOtaku being closely related except for a link to the OB on theOtaku homepage. What I often did (in recent times) is that I'd have my Otaku "rounds," if you will. First, I'd check myO for updates of my friends and/or comments on my own myO, then, I'd go to theOtaku to check the Anime news. (though I must admit, rarely do I ever read through the articles, just check the headlines.) and Lastly, [B]through the link on the theOtaku homepage[/B] I would come onto the OB. It worked out relatively nicely, but now, I've noticed, that theOtaku.com no longer has a link to the OB on it's main page! (if there is, please let me know, because I haven't found it.) I was mildly peeved about it, since I'd grown into this habit of going to the OB through theOtaku, but I've worked around that. They've never been that [I]closely[/I] related (from the time that I've been here), so if OB and theOtaku were to part ways, I don't think it would really matter much. Not to me anyway.

Yet again, what an interesting thread, Adahn! Well, my past is very interesting (at least most people tend to think so). My whole family, including me, is from Finland. We moved to the States when I was two years old, after living for a year in Germany. (If you'll talk to me, you'll notice I don't have an accent when I speak English) I'm bilingual in Finnish and English, and I've found that set me apart from the other kids. But anyway, because of the fact that I had lived in 3 countries by the time I was 2, I was confused as to which language I should speak. So I didn't speak at all until I was four years old. The teachers at my Montessori school ( a school for young children, I started there as soon as I moved to the states) thought I had a learning disability, so I had speech classes from then until first grade. (I was so proud of the little graduation cap they gave me on my last day of speech class!) Then, in 4th grade, I transferred out of the public schools into a private, Lutheran grade school. It was there that my grades soared and I was known as one of the smart students. Not the best, but smart enought that people would ask me for help in math. Other than that, I had a broken childhood. My parents argued and nearly got divorced several times in grade school. I even thought about killing myself in 5th grade (weird, I know), but didn't do it. I was forced to grow up really fast because of the tension in my home. When I was in 4th grade, I could carry on an intelligent conversation with someone in High School. On the first day of class, people would ask, "Where are you from?" so I'd have to say Finland, and that would spark many questions. I never got teased badly about it, but I always [I]felt[/I] different. But then again, when I was smaller, I wished we had moved back to Finland, so that I could be a [B]real[/B] Finn, not a stupid American. (not that I think all Americans are stupid now!) I was teased about being a dork though. I wore glasses (still do), had braces, and I didn't exactly wear the top of the line clothing, like my other classmates, so I really got teased about my weight and looks more than anything. I also didn't have many REAL friends. The ones I had always shunned me and left me, and then they'd just [I]let[/I] me play with them, except for one. Amanda. She always had wanted to be my friend, and we became the best of friends my 8th grade year. Also during 8th grade I hated practically everyone in my 27 person class except for a handful of people. I [I]loathed[/I] them with every fiber of my being for teasing me so, and shunning me. Though on the last day of class at that grade school, I got a letter from the most popular girl in my class, which said how much she admired me for not caring what other people thought of how I looked. She said that she wanted to be like me. And to think! This from the most popular girl in the school at the time! I SO looked forward to high school, but all but 5 people went to the same small Lutheran high school as me. (I didn't really talk to them except for 2 after grade school) High school is where I've made my dearest friends. I really enjoyed my freshman and sophomore years there. During my Junior year, I went abroad to Finland, and stayed with my Uncle and his family. My foreign exchange year changed my life forever. It's not like my uncle and his family were complete strangers to me, I'd visited them every summer! However, their three unruly YOUNG (all under the age of 8) children drove them mad. I remember the very first night I was there, my aunt was screaming at my cousins because they wouldn't behave. Every. Single. Day. was like this. It broke my heart that this family had to live like this. My uncle was hardly ever home, because of their business that they ran, and I didn't receive any attention at all. I pretty much just lived there, no matter how much my grandma tried to convince me that I had become "part of the family." I also have never felt so alone in my life. I felt deserted, and broken. I literally [I]broke[/I]. I've never felt so sad, or angry at the world in my LIFE. It changed me.I turned back to my God and Father. It was through Him alone that I made it out alive, not to mention my LOVELY LOVELY friends that I made. I would have gone crazy without them. When I came back to the states, the world had moved on without me, and all of my friends had changed. Some for the better, and some had forgotten about me and moved on with their lives. For those who had changed for the worse, I've never re-established our friendships like they were. I just never felt the need to. I have great friends now, and I realized that they weren't who I thought they were. I became stronger, fearless even. During my foreign exchange year, my grades SUCKED whereas I used to be a nearly straight A student. Senior year wasn't much better. I slacked off when I had 8 finals (which was un-heard of at my high school), and it cost me. Not badly, but my GPA has never been the same. But During my Senior year, I've found the friends that really matter the most, including my first TRUE best friend, as well as my first boyfriend ( and ex-boyfriend, and he's the best friend too!). When I started college, I was excited. FINALLY! No one telling me what to do, I can do things on my own time, and I slacked off last semester (my first semester). I've resolved to get better about study habbits. Also, last semester had another life-changing experience. I went on Campus Crusade for Christ's (our Christian student org) Fall retreat. I've never felt so [I]close[/I] to God before, and I'm a much stronger believer now. My faith has become very important to me, and I wouldn't change it for the world. As for my past, it wasn't pretty. Wrought with stress, pain, broken hearts, and so on. But I've become that much of a stronger person. "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger" is one of my mottos. Though I didn't do it on my own, I did it with God's help, and the help of my lovely lovely friends.

Adahn, I don't know why, but your threads intrigue me. :) As for the question, I'm curious as to what it is. I'm not quite philosophical enough to know what it is. Unless it is [I]Why?[/I] Well, because I can. I'm here (a lot more than I used to be) and like you said, I am untouchable here. I can voice my opinion, my feelings, my very [I]heart[/I] here; without worrying about any repercussions. (sp?) The OB rocks my socks off.

Hey all you awesome OB peeps! I would like a banner/avi combo of one of these anime: A. Ouran High School Host Club B. Black Cat C. Fruits Basket D. Kingdom Hearts Just pick one (or more, if you're feeling ambitious) with or without my username on it. There can be text that relates to the picture as well. Thanks a lot! I'd make one, but I suck at it. :animedepr

Wow, this thread is amazing! I HAVE to do this, even though this will be hard for me. Firstly, [B]The Bad.[/B] I'm EXTREMELY self-conscious. You'll often seen me wear sweatshirts and jeans because of that fact. I hardly ever wear anything that's a little form-fitting, but I'm slowly getting better. I feel I have the biggest chest in the world (for a girl), and it really bugs me. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and it sucks. If a guy flatters me, I'll fall hard. I'm better about that now though. I have a love/hate relationship with chick flicks. I can be extremely depressed, so much so that I'll beat myself into an emotional pulp. I can be quite fowl-mouthed at times, when nobody is looking. I use humor to make people like me. I was burned many times by "friends" so I tend to come across as bitchy and stand-offish because I have such strong walls to my inner emotions. Only a select few have gotten through those walls. Thus, I use humor as a defense mechanism. I also cut myself down a lot. I also cut people that i don't know down. If I get a bad first impression of you, it often won't change. If I don't like someone, I always will. I've been proven wrong, but not a lot. [B]The Good.[/B] I feel I'm [I]kind of[/I] cute. I mean, I've gotten more attention from guys than I ever had before, but a part of me fears that it's because of my chest (see above). I care a lot about people. For instance, I want to give hugs to everybody who has shared their flaws, which isn't easy for me. I care about animals as well, which is why I cannot be a veterinarian, my childhood dream job, because I care TOO MUCH. I'm a strong Christian, and I don't push it onto people. If you want to know, I'll tell you about, but I won't force you. I think I'm kind of funny, but I use it as a defense mechanism. (see above) I'm also relatively good at art (not nearly as good as some of my friends!), and also at music. I've played violin for 12 years now (though I haven't been able to play lately because of an injury), and I taught myself guitar, piano (for the most part), and took lessons for the clarinet (and I'm not good at it!). I have a great passion for Genetics, which is my major right now. I'm also good at languages. I'm bi-lingual, almost tri-lingual (Finnish, English, and German). I want to be as many-lingual as I can! I tend to be friendly, and I take constructive criticism well. Wow, that was therapeutic. :)

I have to agree with several members who've posted here when I say that I've been here for YEARS (2 or 3 now, I think) and I doubt if I even have 100+ posts because there aren't many [I]interesting[/I] topics. At one point I hung around the Otaku Lounge a lot, but lately, not very many topics really appeal to me. I'm not saying that the OB itself is boring, but sometimes there aren't very many things that I feel that I need to reply to, ya know? I've also visited other forums, but OB is the only one that has [B]structured[/B] posts and rules, whereas on other forums, they just use it as a chat room, which I don't like. Way to go Otaku Boards! *thumbs up*

[COLOR=Purple][FONT=Verdana]Hobbies? I have so many hobbies that I don't have time to keep up with them all! They mostly are, reading, drawing, writing letters (write me!), hanging out with friends, coffee, cooking, taking long walks, watching anime, knitting (believe it or not), playing violin and piano, as well as practising my German. but with full-time schoolwork and a job, it's kind of cutting my hobby-time short. :animestun[/FONT][/COLOR]

Medafunk, consider your OC [B]claimed[/B]

[QUOTE=HedonismBot][COLOR=Sienna] Anyway, another place I'd really like to go to is Finland. I've heard a lot of great things about the place, it produces some of my favourite hockey players, the people are supposed to be really nice, and I've heard nothing but good things about the uhh... buxomity of it's broads. The only problem is the language barrier; Finnish sounds really cool and all, but so far the only words I know are 'Suomi' (which means Finland) and 'Sisu' (Which I'm told means 'go,' although someone has told me it also means 'guts.')[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [COLOR=Indigo]*blink* That's really cool HedonismBot! Being Finnish myself (though I live in the states, I go there often) I have to say that Finland is pretty cool. However, living there is something different. The winters are long and cold and dark (hence, the higher rate of suicide in the winter), heh heh. But the people are all really nice and most of them speak English, so whenever I'm stuck on a word, they can usually help me. :D I'd recommend going to Helsinki, and to Pori, if you're there in July, then you can catch the world-renowned Jazz festival in Pori. Tampere, and Turku are nice cities too. :)[/COLOR]

I agree with ChibiHorseWoman when she says that I'm glad she didn't die. She gets to deal with the consequences of her selfish actions that killed an innocent woman. (I think that's ironic too, that she killed the other woman rather than herself) It's almost rather Shakespearean, isn't it? I'm not saying that her actions even come CLOSE to the greatness that Shakespeare was, but when you look at some of his tragedies, [I]Romeo and Juliet[/I], [I]Hamlet[/I], and so on, the killed themselves because of love (Well, [I]Hamlet[/I] not so much, but he died because of love...sort of). Not that it's an excuse to do what she did, but suicide really hits home, because I've known several people personally that have done that. (2 of them were in my family, but this was before i was born)

I'm a violinist as well, and I like bond. Their music is a good mix of new and old, but not in a tacky way (as have others that have tried). I only have one of their CD's, [I]Shine[/I] but I'd love to get more of them (I'm broke at the moment, so...yeah. Christmas, definately Christmas). Though I must admit that the video that Azure Wolf posted was kind of confusing. Why would the military care about music or dancing? :animestun But they still play good music though. :)

Oh, the best time of my life was definately this past weekend. This past weekend, i went on Fall Getaway, a retreat with my local Campus Crusade for Christ. Being a Christian, it really connected me really closely with God, and i loved hanging out with my friends, and making new ones. :) If you want to know the details, feel free to pm me, i'll be more than happy to tell you :D

I claim han ki-tae's school girl! (I didn't see that you claimed it, Sara) and here's my character, Hatsuharu. His shirt is normally black, with a white strip along the collar, but you can draw him in any clothes you want. He's kind of a moody, angsty guy. EDIT: DONE! You can see it below.