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Meaningless Rant: Light Out

Posted on October 28th, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Meaningless Rants.

Sometimes crappy things hapen.
Sometimes the sole light bulb in your room’s light fixture burns out.
Sometimes your ceilings are ten feet high.
Sometimes you don’t have a ladder.
Sometimes you don’t even have a lamp.
Sometimes you don’t even have a candle.

These things happen.

But they all happened to me at about 11:30pm Thursday night, shortly after I got home from Jedi practice.  “I used to have a flashlight…” I muttered to myself as I considered how I might dig that out in the dark.

But first thing’s first - I needed to swap out the batteries in my lightsaber.  (Priorities, right?)  Conveniently, I have a large stockpile of AA batteries (more than 100), and I keep them out in a handy location on a shelf in my room.  I grabbed blindly for the batteries and made the change - and sighed with relief when it worked again (I had been afraid there was a bad connection in the hilt.)

And then on to the light fixture…not that I have a spare bulb…but how would I even reach it in the first place?  I sighed.  I still needed my flashlight…

…my flashlight…

I pulled out the lightsaber I had just put away.  Who needs a flashlight when you’ve got a lightsaber???

I turned on the brilliant blue rod of light…tried to discern the color of clothing in my closet as I picked out the next day’s outfit…and for the first time, I gave serious thought to investing in a lightsaber with a white blade.  It could come in handy.

Nevertheless, I was grateful for my lightsaber.

And mostly satisfied.

Satisfied enough that this is my third night without a working light in my room.

Maybe I’ll fix it tomorrow.  After all, I can’t live like this…

…can I?

0 comments.

Star Wars: The Obsession Begins

Posted on October 23rd, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Star Wars.

It occurred to me, as I began sewing my Santa Jedi robes tonight (I now have two red velvet sleeves - YAY!) that I’ve never actually explained my Star Wars obsession…

It began in fall of 8th grade.  My brother, who was big into laser discs at that time, told me he bought the first two movies of a trilogy, and he forced me to sit down and watch the first one, Star Wars: A New Hope, with him.  It was OK.  I mean, it was good an all, but it wasn’t going to change my life.

Two days later, I was itching to see the second movie, so I threw in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.  Also a good flick, but I felt like they left huge plot holes completely unexplained.  How did Han Solo get frozen in carbonite?  How did Luke Skywalker overnight go from whiny brat to Jedi Knight?  And suddenly Darth Vader is Luke’s father and Princess Leia is his sister - where did THAT come from??  And who is Yoda, by the way, and why do we care when he dies?

Despite Return of the Jedi’s short-comings, I still enjoyed the film.  The third movie, I learned, was titled Star Wars: Empire Stikes Back, though, and I couldn’t help but wonder how the Empire is going to strike back with both Vader and the Emperor dead!  It occupied my mind.  It drove me crazy.  I had to see it.

My mom told me that we had all the Star Wars movies on video tape somewhere.  Indeed, my family had everything on video tape somewhere, each in identical brown cases, with seven other things on the same tape.  Hundreds of brown cases on shelves and in boxes and behind some other stuff in a cabinet in the basement.  I searched.  And I searched.  And I searched.

I also started watching A New Hope and Return of the Jedi repeatedly in the hopes of scaping together some clues.  The only thing I really picked up on, though, was the oddity that one movie was labled Episode IV and the other was labled Episode VI.  I had never really been great with Roman numerals, but a quick check with the enternally broken cuckoo clock in the kitchen and I discovered that ANH was Ep4 and ROTJ was Ep6.

…where was 5?  Why start with 4 was indeed one question, but…

I went to file my complaints and inquiries with my brother, as he drug me into this in the first place.  The conversation went something like this:
Brother: ”Empire Strikes Back is Episode 5.”
Anna: “…but you told me you bought the FIRST TWO in the trilogy…”
Brother: “Yeah, I bought two of them first and I still have to buy the third.”
Anna: “But that’s not what you SAID!!!”

My two weeks of confusion and frustration were finally over.  A couple days later my brother acquired Empire Strikes Back, and I finally watched the three in order and put all the pieces together.  And I watched it again.  And again.  Once or twice a week, always in order, for the rest of the 8th grade.

I suppose that, had I seen them in order the first time, the suspense and obsession never would have built up the way they did.  But whether my introduction to the Star Wars galaxy was a blessing or a curse, my brother is entirely to blame.

2 comments.

Costuming: A New Hobby

Posted on October 21st, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Costumes.

Not that I have time for a hobby, I admit - I hardly even have time for sleep.  But making my Jedi robes this summer held some appeal.  I was thinking.  I was learning.  I was creating.

And then I pulled together my Mara Jade costume this fall - largely off of pieces that I got off e-Bay.  I spen a fair deal of time thinking about this one, even though it was all pre-made.  I looked at pictures of Mara, and I reread passages about her in books, pulling together a compromise between what the generally accepted image of Mara Jade was, and what my image of Mara Jade was.

Of course, there’s a lot more that I’d like to do.  I have other ideas to pursue.  Better quality Jedi robes.  More artistic Jedi robes, incorporating Chinese silk.  An Imperial military jacket, like I think Mara Jade might have worn.  An Amidala dress, like her throne room dress or picnic dress, if I had a few months with nothing to do.  Some skirts or shirts incorporating Chinese silk brocade, or traditional Chinese-style shirts in modern fabrics.

[Tarzan and myself, with the newly acquired Mr. Sewing Machine]

And now, I have the means: introducing Mr. Sewing Machine.  This fascinating new technology, which Tarzan takes an unhealthy interest in, sews 500 lightyears faster than I can sew by hand.  Furthermore, it will not cause pains in my joints, and the stitches will no doubt be ten times stronger.

Now, I have no idea how to use a sewing machine, but we did have a sewing class in junior high school, so how hard can it be?  (Though Chris gave me a disturbing and graphic warning against sewing my own fingers - yikes!)

[Me, with 5 yards of red velvet for my Santa Jedi robes…and hair in my face, if you’re one of those people who find that annoying]

I bought some thread.  Good step in the right direction.  And I finally hit up the Garment District in Manhattan - a wonderful discovery.   5 yards of velvet for a grand total of $35 - though Xenia tells me I can do better in Chinatown. 

I would have been all set to start my Jedi robes if the pattern pieces I needed weren’t missing.  But then I remembered The Padawan’s Guide.  They’ve got some rough measurements for Jedi robes on the site - I’ll wing it!  I mean, how hard can it be, right?

0 comments.

Star Wars: Mara Jade Costume (part 2)

Posted on October 14th, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Costumes, Mara Jade, Star Wars.

[Myself, in my Mara Jade costume, getting ready for Halloween]

As promised, more costume photos with the addition of the belt with thigh holster, which I bought off a costumer in Singapore who runs an e-Bay store (costumebase).  He’s honest, helpful, offers a high-quality product, and ships super fast, even though he may be on the other side of the planet.  He’s got a ton of costumes: Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar  Galactica, Pirates os of the Carribean, Superman, Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones, etc… 

    
[The new belt!  Technically a Han Solo belt, but it serves the purpose.]

Above is a picture and close-up with the new belt, which I admit I’ve ghetto’ed together with binder clips and a fabric scrap.  Nothing wrong with the product - it’s just designed for someone taller than me, such as your average American man.  So I shortened the side.

9 comments.

Star Wars: Death of the X-wing

Posted on October 14th, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Star Wars.

For those of you who do not keep up on geek current events, the California X-wing I was so excited about exploded in a giant ball of fire not far off the ground. (Click here for a short clip of the launch and explosion, or go here for the full Gizmodo report.)

 
[Pre-Launch X-wing - original picture from Gizmodo]

On the whole, I was disappointed with the experiment.  Though I knew they were using rocket engines, I somehow expected it to take off like an X-wing traditionally does (more similar to a plane.)  This, however, they launched like the overglorified model rocket that it really was.

I was also disappointed by the fact that it took off with the wings open - my understanding from the Gizmodo article was that they were to open mid-flight (not that it matters as the X-wing never reached the “mid-flight” stage of its journey.)

[Post-Launch X-wing - original picture from Gizmodo]

And that got me thinking that perhaps what we need to use as a base for the X-wing’s construction is not a model rocket, but a model plane.  Admittedly, the propeller would be lame…  And would it be aerodymanic enough to actually fly?  Would it be possible to open the wings mid-flight, or would the change in aerodynamics cause it to crash?

Yea though my parents’ home certainly contains the resources to pursue this line of thought, I simply don’t have time (or space, for that matter…)  But, it would be neat to have a recoverable, flyable X-wing…wouldn’t it?  Even 1/10th scale…

[Pre-Launch X-wing - original picture from Gizmodo]

On another note, a Y-wing was also launched the same day.  I guess it got less media attention.  Lets face it: the Y-wing just isn’t as cool as the X-wing.  It’s an older model starfighter; it’s slower and carries less firepower.  But, shockingly enough, it seems to be very graceful in atmosphereic flight.  Who’d've thunk it?

[Post-Launch Y-wing - original picture from Gizmodo]

2 comments.

USA: NYC: FAO Schwartz

Posted on October 9th, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, NYC.

Chris finally came back to America (like I’m one to talk) and her first stop was New York City (yay me for living in a major travel hub!!!)  After laying around the apartment for half the day, we headed out to Times Square and eventually hit up FAO Schwartz, possibly the best toy store ever.

 
[Me, doing my best to intimidate a life-size plush bear]

We had a lot of fun playing around with the exorbitantly priced stuffed animals - for $5500 you can get a huge Hungarian Hornback (Dragon) plush toy…but I’m not sure it would even fit in my 9×9-foot room…

[Chris, like me, has a love for kitties.  Tarzan, incidentally, loves her even though she abuses him]

There were board games galore - Chris found a neat travel trivia game, and there was a spherical globe puzzle.  And I’m still sorely tempted to get a sized One Ring…  And then I’m still debating over whether I should get a Gryffindor or Ravenclaw tie and scarf…but maybe I’ll save that debate for a separate Meaningless Rant…

[Anna: (holding large plush bear) “Why does no man ever buy me giant stuffed toys like this?”
Chris: “Cause no man wants to spend…” (grabbing for the tag) “a hundred and fifteen dollars on you.”
Anna: “Oh…”]

0 comments.

Star Wars: Flight of the X-wing

Posted on October 2nd, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Star Wars.

OMG this would have been cool enough to be my 100th post!!!!!

Wanna see an X-wing fly?  Better be in California next week!  This 21-foot, rocket powered X-wing model will take off on October 10th - unmanned, unfortunately…but small steps, right?

Gizmodo reports that the X-wing will even change wing position mid-flight like a real X-wing starfighter would, changing from its plane-line two-wing style to its signature 4-wing, X-pattern attack position.

SO AWESOME!!!!!

5 comments.

Blogging: 100th Post!

Posted on October 2nd, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

[Random embarrassing photo of Tarzan sleping] 

Wow…

My 100th post.

I really feel like I should wait for something exciting, something excellent to report…but why put off posting for three years because of a silly number?

You’ve endured a year of my direct brain-to-keyboard link.  You’ve endured 99 posts of meaningless rants, wanderlust babblings, and pictures of my cat.  Across two continents and six countries; in and out of illness, insanity, and peculiar obsessions.

And what do we have to show for it?  Not much, really.  Just this little post.

Still, I would like to thank all my devoted readers out there for their preserverence.  And all those people who would be devoted readers if they could ever remember my site’s address.  And all those people who visit my Jedi Squirrels post - it’s because of you that my site comes up with both the third and fourth results under a Google Image search for “Jedi Squirrel”. 

Thank you.

1 comment.