@Lupine, it's so awesome that there's a taiko group in your town! You should at least check it out if you want to. That would be awesome.

@Peregrine, Hinamatsuri is on March 3. I don't actually have one of the fancy sets, so we just put out a bunch of smaller things for that.

Thinking of which, I literally just came here from making some daifuku mochi with adzuki beans in the middle. I didn't wrap them very neatly, but they taste good. I made them from mochiko flour - in the microwave!

As you both like writing, what genres do you like to write? I like writing anything within the speculative fiction umbrella, so sci fi and fantasy mostly. I like making different worlds and spend a lot of time on character development as well. I don't like plotting very much but I do like being able to look through it before and catch problems. 

I wanted to say that I performed Bach's adagio from Sonata No. 1 in G Minor for the first time.  It was a huge relief, I had been nervous about performing it.  The first chord is hard and there are funny fingerings all over.  But I did okay, and the first chord turned out fine.  I had a small memory slip, but recovered before I panicked.  It felt good to perform it for an audience and I am really happy and satisfied.

I plan on commenting more here later! 

Happy Halloween! I'm a witch :) if you're dressed up, what are you dressed as?

@Peregrine, that's really cool! It's nice to feel proud after a performance. I haven't heard that piece but I'll look it up. 

@Blackfooted Bobcat, I mostly like writing fantasy because it's fun to create worlds and how magic works in those worlds. I have attempted realistic fiction before, but for some reason it's harder, even though you lose the responsibility of having to literally design a universe. I guess there's a lot you could mess up in realistic fiction. I've finished one book, called Gretel, that's over 100 pages in Word. It's about Gretel from Hansel and Gretel, but years after the original story. Also Gretel's a witch. Anyway I could talk about writing forever, so what stories have you guys worked on?

Happy Halloween (belated though, oops)!  I didn't dress up this year, not because I think I am too old for it but because I don't eat candy and ever since my homeschool group stopped doing Halloween parties I have no where to go.  I spent the day raking and collecting leaves to press, and my sister showed me an amusing 1970s animation done to Dance Macabre.  I hope you both had fun trick or treating!

Blackfooted Bobcat, I don't have fancy Hinamatsuri sets either.  I have it marked on my calendar for next year, so I will probably set up a small display too.

Thank you for the congratualtions.  You should try playing solo (or with a pianist) sometime!  If you can't find an audience: family and grandparents usually love hearing you play.

I almost always write fantasy, though I think I did write a couple realistic fiction short stories.  I am not very good at finishing long stories, so all my finished works are short.  But I actually enjoy writing short stories.  I like the challenge of drawing the reader in, devoloping, world building, and making things make sense in a short period of time.  (And the plotting isn't as tediously long, I can usually plan my story in my mind while I am in bed before I fall asleep).

I'm working on a long story, but it took me a year to get not very far in and I don't like how I did it now, so I am going to start from the beginning.

I had a short story I wrote that I still really like, but it had the most temendous cliff hanger (even for me) and I have no idea where it goes after that.  So it has been sitting in my documents waiting for an inspiration.

Lupine,  I looked up the Chieftans and Sinead O'Connor, they sing very well!  The minature museum sounds really cute, I would love to visit it someday.

Your story, Gretel, sounds like a very unique story.  I love the idea and I think it is great!

Like I said above I mostly write short stories.  I wrote one about the power of promises and the irreplaceable realtionship of a close friendship with your sibling.  I've written a strange rambling story for a CB contest.  I think it needs some work because I am not sure I like it, but I don't think it was bad.  Maybe I will write one to share here on this thread for both of you.

Today I have a letter to write, a sock to knit, school to do, violin to practice, and a friend I want to call.  A busy day for me!

I'm not feeling great and can't really play viola and violin, which is TORTURE AHHHHHH -! AND my lesson was today, so I'm missing it. WHY?????? 

I usually write fantasy and science fiction. I don't ever write realistic/contemperary fiction because I can get all the character development and such into a spec fic novel - and  I get to write spec fic! I probably like soft sci fi a bit more than fantasy, but they're both really fun. Currently I'm working most on a sci fi novel called Ploys, Guards, and Criminal Escapes and a fantasy novel that I haven't named yet. But I have a bunch more that I'm going to work on (and, because I usually try hard to work on viola and violin more than writing, will take a long time to finish).

@Peregrine, I'd love to read some of your writing! The same goes for @Lupine.  

I did dress up and go trick-or-treating. I went as Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service. I got three (yes, three) full-sized chocolate bars, which is ridiculous (ly awesome)!!!!!! And I've eaten so much candy in the last two days! 

@Peregrine, I really wish I could perform solo or with a pianist, but I don't know where I could, especially at my level. Maybe I'll ask my teacher. It would be good to get some practice, as my preferred career would be a soloist of some kind. (*shudders because I'm up against people who have been doing this almost their whole life* It's probably not going to happen, but I'm just going to practice and work as hard as if it is. For which I will need to practice solo playing.)

I carved (well, my dad carved, but I designed) a pumpkin to look like a violin! I think it actually turned out nice.  

I really hope you are feeling better, Blackfooted Bobcat.  Missing a lesson annoys me, and not being able to play is many times worse.  I feel lost without violin.

Ploys, Guards, and Criminal Escapes sounds really intriguing.  I like the title very much.  Titling a work is something that rarely comes easily to me.   It takes a lot of thought.  But you have hit on a great title!

I am trying to plot a work, and I don't know if I want to finish it.  The problem is my sister really likes it and wants me to finish it.  But I don't know that I care for the story much.  I do care and I don't at the same time.  Besides, I have no idea what the theme or the idea I am trying to get across in my story is.  So I have set it aside for now.

I would love to read some of both of your writing!

Three full sized chocolate bars!  Wow!  Were you bouncing off the ceiling?  Or maybe you wore your energy down by playing viola or violin really fast?

A violin Jack-O-Lantern sounds cool.  Do you have a picture you would feel comfortable sharing with us? 

I remember you mentioning making some mochi.  That must taste so good.  Do you enjoy cooking?

You should definitely ask your teacher about performing solo.  And don't worry.  I think that you have a very good chance of making a career out of music if you keep working hard.  Music is one of those things that require a lot of passion, which you defintely have.  Just becasue someone has been doing something longer that you have doesn't mean you cant' do it.  Know that I am cheering you on.  You can do it!

~ 

Yes, Studio Ghibli!  I have to say my favorite I always go back to is My Neighbor Totoro.  But I love Kiki's Delivery service.  The scenery and Jiji especially.  I was really disappointed when he stopped talking, I loved his comments.  Do you ever watch the original Japanese version with subtitles?  I prefer Howl's Moving Castle in the English version, but most others I prefer the Japanese version. 

I flipped through the English traslation of the Kiki's Delivery Service book, but came to the same conclusion as you, Lupine.  It was hard to get in to.

Have you noticed common themes throughout Hayao Miyazaki's films?  One I noticed is there is usually some flying machine involed or shown (Castle in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service, Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle).

~ 

Last week I would have said "I don't want to have violin as my career".  But this week, I don't know.  I love it so much.  I go back and forth between wanting it as a life long hobby or a life long career.  I just don't know.  Not knowing bothers me sometimes.

Good news!  My violin teacher didn't get really annoyed when I played Bach's Fugue.  So I played it correctly, yay!  I felt nice to know I could play the piece technically correctly, now for the musicality.

I am doing well.  Though I worry about my violin.  There are a few cracks in it.  They're small and only one needs to be fixed (the others aren't open), but I still worry.  My violin means so much to me, when it hurts so do I.

~ 

Lupine, I agree with Blackfooted Bobcat, you are really good at drawing!  Your watercolor works are amazing.  I remember one you did of a teapot that amazes me.  I also love the drawing you did of Chang'E for Inktober.  I like how her face has a rabbit like quality, which matches the idea of the rabbit in the moon. 

Have you read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon trilogy by Grace Lin?  She does amazing art and her sotries are so cleverly built around Chinese folktales.

@Admins: Thanks for reading through all this! 

Thanks guys ^_^ As for not being able to play, that's just because I have some balance issues and stuff that were getting worse. Health and I are not always friends XD But I'm able to play again, thankfully.

I didn't eat all the chocolate yet XD And I'm always super hyper, so that's not much of a change. I'm saving some of it. I'm looking into finding more sustainable chocolate though; that way I can have it more often and support more sustainability. It's hard, though. There are often things that aren't great. Thinking of which, I'm working on some things to combat the way palm oil is produced (it's reeeeeaaaally bad) and that's kind of in everything too, and the Roundtable for "Sustainable" Palm Oil (quotes are mine) lets there be awful violations and they're just like "eh". It does annoy me when all people talk about is the orangutans. Don't get me wrong, they're important, but they're not the only important thing. There are so many other environmental and human rights abuses too.

I'm working on several things writingwise, so maybe I'll share some. Most of them aren't really finished though.

I might have a picture of the violin pumpkin I could share. I'll see. 

I do enjoy cooking. I make a lot of sweets, like mochi, manju, and cookies, and also things like miso soup and rice bowls sometimes. I make onigiri for lunch a lot. Although I don't usually do anything with meat. Sometimes I make cupcakes and decorate them with violins or treble/alto clefs or such ^_^ (And when I'm allowed to make cupcakes XD) This is usually for when I decide I'm going to have an extra-hard practicing few days, which I do for fun sometimes. (Well, also because I want to get better, but I do like it. My brother, who gets the worst of hearing violin/viola constantly, does not XD)

Yes, I watch the Japanese version as well as the English version. I can understand... some??? @Lupine, you said you were studying Japanese, right? Can you understand much?

@Peregrine, maybe you could make a pros/cons list for whether you want violin as a career or a hobby. I usually make pros/cons lists for things. I'm guessing that you're not at an age where you have to decide right now though. You could be though, I don't know. (You don't have to say anything about your age, of course.)

I have read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. The first two. It was a while ago, but I remember enjoying them a lot. I should read them again. I can't say much because I only remember liking them.

Last thing: Glad you liked the title! I put a lot of work into them, so I'm glad you like it. 

I'm glad you're feeling better, Blackfooted Bobcat!

I agree about the chocolate. It seems like every single thing you buy probably hurts the environment in some way. I think chocolate is also often made with child labor and/or really bad treatment of workers, which is sad. 

What books are you guys reading? I just finished The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay, and I definitely recommend it. It's fantasy but it's set in a realistic fiction world so it's not like, intense fantasy. 

Thank you so much for your compliments on my art!! It means a lot to me :)

@Blackfooted Bobcat, it's really cool that you can make mochi! I pounded mochi dough (dough? ...batter? xD) once in Japantown in LA but I've never actually made mochi. 

I can't really understand the Japanese versions of Studio Ghibli movies, because the only Japanese sentences that I really understand are "where is this thing" and "this is a thing." (heheh I haven't studied Japanese in weeks...) They are fun to watch with subtitles though! The subtitle translations are pretty different from the English dubbed versions, though, which is interesting. 

@Peregrine, I have read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and its sequels! They're really good. Grace Lin is a great author.