Galifornia Disneyland Adventure

Man, how long has it been since I last blogged this time? xD I'll just be straight up. School is my number one priority right now, and what little free time I have is spent with my boyfriend or just resting. I have about a month of school left to go, and then I can definitely fulfill my promise of being more active again! ^__^

This post is way overdue. It's been almost a month since the Galifornia Disneyland meet-up, but I still remember how much fun it was! The weather was awesome, too! Sunny all day and not too cold at night... Perfect for watching the fireworks and Fantasmic! ♥


In our Mickey and Minnie-themed outfits! Everyone looked so adorable! :3 From left to right: Me, Michi, Mei, Val, Rina, Leah, and Courtney. ♥


Me and Michi sippin' on our frozen lemonade! ♥


Obligatory "behind the bars" photo. :3


Agepoyo with Mickey! xD We were expecting Mickey to be in his normal attire (which would've been awesome because he would've matched us), but he was dressed in old school black and white! U.U


It got super hot! Maybe because Cass joined us. xD


I love how Steph and Leah had matching outfits without even planning it!


More matching cuteness! :3

And that's pretty much the gist of it. We rode tons of rides and watched both the fireworks and Fantasmic (with special thanks to Mei and Rina for getting us awesome seats). It was so much fun! Hopefully we can do it again soon. (´▽`) ♥

On a side note, I've decided to delete Disqus and stick with Blogger's crappy commenting system for now. I spent so much time trying to figure out how to get Disqus to work on my blog, and when I finally did, it didn't even last that long. U.U

Diamond Gals on NTV!

Do you remember the secret appointment that I mentioned not too long ago? Well here it is: Diamond Gal Circle featured on NTV's Sekai no Kuchikomi Atsumemashita (Rumors From Around the World)! (´▽`) I was so nervous about how the final cut would look, but I think it turned out pretty good! Our segment mainly covered our "gal circle code." Just a quick disclaimer before you watch it, though... A lot of the dialogue was translated incorrectly, but you can kind of make out what we're actually saying if you listen carefully. xD Here's the video:



I've also included some screenshots with translations below! A big thanks to Grace and Mie for spending hours to actually find the video, and to my Take-chan for providing the translations! ♥


We are going to introduce an interesting rumor from a gal group in California. In the area of Los Angeles appears to be... California gals inspired by Japanese gal culture (Galifornia).


"Hello! I'm Krystina, the leader of this group!"


"In Los Angeles, there are a few groups that make gal circles and are still active. Today, our Galifornia rumor is that we want to show our love for Japan ('Japan Love')."




First, the gals introduced their club room. When you see them from behind, they look Japanese.
"This is our club room, and we call it 'Shibuya.'"
1. They call their club room Shibuya.
2. Gal goods are purchased at Little Tokyo. (Japanese doll?)
3. They consider Ageha and PopSister their bibles.
"We buy them at Little Tokyo and study Japanese gals from the magazines."


"Why did you want to become a gal?"
Val: "The first time I saw gal fashion, I was shocked. That cuteness can only be in Japan!"
It seems that their inspiration comes from... Tsubasa (Masuwaka)!
4. Tsubasa is considered to be a god or queen.


Mandie: "These are my favorite eyelashes from Tsubasa! Just looking at the eyelashes makes me happy."
Mie: "This is Tsubasa’s eye shadow and mascara. I want to be like Tsubasa, so I put them on all the time."


Suddenly...
"Tricia, we are Tsubasa for life! Do you understand the importance of this? Your hair is not sticking out! Please fix it right now!"


5. Hair should always be sticking out moru (poofy).
"We have to always be fashionable or we will not be considered as Galifornia."


"What do you think? Doesn't it look good?"
"Wow, it really looks great!"


The gals wanted to show the Japanese something. They arrived in the middle of a downtown Los Angeles shopping mall. What's going to happen?
Val: "Are you guys ready?"
Is it what we think it is...? Para para?
"No way!"


Suddenly...
"This gal is not dancing. Does she even remember it?"


Val: "Stop, stop, stop! Mie, did you practice the moves?"
Mie: "That's what I think I'm doing..."
Val: "Tsubasa might be watching this! It's a disgrace!"
Mie: "I'm just a little bit nervous!"
Val: "You are a disgrace to Galifornia!"
6. They are aware that they are on Japanese television.
Michi: "Just calm down, you two. I can't believe we are fighting over this. What if this whole segment is being aired in Japan? I can’t believe this."


"We are trying to impress Tsubasa, and our leader feels pressure because of that. Our leader probably loves gal more than any of us. She's just really intense when it comes to leading the group."


One hour later... "Okay! We got to our favorite spot! Yoshigyu! We heard that Tsubasa eats here too."
7. After an argument, they go to Yoshinoya. Yoshinoya is very popular in Los Angeles.


8. Beef bowl with extra juice is the best!
Even in the receipt, it says "extra juice." In Los Angeles, you can experience the taste of Japan. After putting a lot of assorted pepper... "Itadakimasu!"


Val: "After eating a beef bowl, I feel that our argument was stupid, Mie. I'm sorry I said harsh things to you."
Mie: "It's okay. Let's work on the para para so we can perfect it together." Val: "We need to study more on the Japanese gal culture so we can show good things to Tsubasa!"


The staff says, "Um... Sorry to burst your bubble, but there are only a few Japanese gal circles in Japan, and they're not that popular."
"..."


♥


"Did you like our rumor? Please judge!"


"Wow!"
"It made me happy to know that Japan is being accepted by many."
"I know! All you need to put is a host club near Yoshinoya, and it's completely Japan."
"I really want to bring them to Shibuya."
"Oh my gosh, that's a brilliant idea!"
"What if we bring them to Shibuya and out of nowhere, Tsubasa runs in to see them?"
"Wow, sounds like so much fun! I would love to see that."


Bonus! Here's a photo of us with the guys from NTV. Since we pretty much spent the whole day together, it was kinda sad to part ways with them!

Another bonus! ♥ Michi compiled a video of her own to show what really happened behind the scenes. xD



And just to clear any misunderstandings...
1. The show portrayed us as "Galifornia," but our gal circle is Diamond! Val even said it at the beginning, but her voice was dubbed.
2. Val isn't the leader (nobody is), and she's not scary at all in real life. xD
3. Mandie isn't a part of Diamond, but she was our very special guest. ^__^ ♥
4. Most of us don't actually dance para para.
5. The fight between Mie and Val was staged.
6. That was our first time eating Yoshinoya.

So all in all, it wasn't the most accurate representation of us, but we still had a lot of fun! :3 Also, Tsubasa tweeted about us! She says she wants to meet one day! *__* ♥

Diamond Gals in LA

Last Saturday, I met up with my Diamond Gals for a top secret appointment. xD Even though it was tiring to walk all over Los Angeles in heels, we had a lot of fun! I really love spending time with them. ♥ So for now I'll leave you with some photos! This is what I wore:


Some of the new Liz Lisa stuff I brought back from Japan! (´▽`)
Hat: ANAP
Top: Liz Lisa
Skirt: Liz Lisa
Boots: Liz Lisa


I miss wearing these Dolly Wink bottom lashes! I've been kinda lazy lately and have been resorting to Dolly Wink #5 because everything is on one strip and easy to apply. xD


All of the Diamond Gals together! From left to right: Val, Michi, me, Dolly, and Mie! ♥


Mandie was also there as our special guest! Sadly, this is the only photo I have with her. T__T


Me and Dolly! I have no idea why we're bending since we're both shorties... xD


Val and Michi are hot and sexy as usual... ♥


Dolly again and Mie lookin' fierce! :3


If Diamond had a hand sign, this would be it! xD


And last but not least, what I ate for lunch: Udon and vegetable tempura with brown rice. Yay for healthy food! ^__^

Stay tuned for more posts about my trip to Japan and details about my upcoming giveaway! I really want to thank everyone who's been reading and commenting on my blog. ♥

Shibuya 109 & Big Gyaru Me2

Hello, everyone! I'm sad to say that I'm back from Japan, but I had the most amazing time! (´▽`) Take-chan and I only spent about 10 days there, so we tried to visit lots of different places. It might've been too much because my poor Take-chan got sick while we were in Kyoto (probably from fatigue and the extremely cold weather). U.U But luckily, he had a speedy recovery! ♥

So my first impression of Japan: Nostalgic. Even though I've never been to Japan until that moment, there was something about Tokyo that felt so familiar and made me feel that this is where I belong. Plus the warm welcome and hospitality from Take-chan and his loving family made me feel right at home. In fact, I wouldn't have been able to go to Japan in the first place if it weren't for them! So for that, I'm very grateful... ♥ I even got two separate gifts from his parents and grandma for New Year's! All of which I spent at Shibuya 109, of course. xD

The day after we arrived in Japan was Big Gyaru Me2, and I had no intention of letting jet lag stop me. xD In a way, the jet lag sort of helped because I was able to wake up extremely early to get ready. I also got some shopping done before meeting up with the other gals.


Take-chan's dad was very generous to drive and drop us off right in front of Shibuya 109. It was the last day of 7 Days Bargain!


About to enter gyaru heaven... xD


First stop: Liz Lisa! This is Nan-chan, the sweetest shop staff ever! (´▽`) She helped me so much, making my first shopping experience at 109 very enjoyable. ♥


She's so cute!!! I just had to snag her outfit! I bought the same coat and boots that she was wearing. ♥


Next stop was W♥C. It was so crowded in there! (ﾟдﾟ) I'm lucky I was able to snap a photo with this shop staff. Unfortunately, I didn't get to ask her for her name.


In front of W♥C! The mannequins' hands move slowly as if they're playing the drums. Take-chan thought it was so amusing. xD


Taking a break at SBY. Their treats are really yummy! ^__^


I felt bad that Take-chan was carrying all of my shopping bags, but he kept saying that it was fine. Thanks, baby! ♥


This is one of the shop staff from Golds Infinity. I totally snagged her outfit too... U.U The gals in 109 sure know their marketing!


After shopping, Take-chan and I went back to the entrance to meet all the gals for Big Gyaru Me2. I was very surprised to see a camera crew there! Little did I know that it was NHK's Tokyo Kawaii TV! (ﾟдﾟ) I'm so bad in front of video cameras... I must've said a lot of embarrassing things. U.U


With my Diamond sister Bambi and her pretty friend Heather. ^__^


I can't believe I met Sara Mari! She is hands down one of the sweetest gals I know, and she's absolutely gorgeous (just like in her photos)! ♥ A big thanks to her for organizing the meet!


More awesome bloggers! xD Bloomzy on the left and Lou on the right. ♥


Group photo! Look at how cute Sara Mari is! :3


After filming in 109, we met up with more gals and headed over to Eggnam for purikura. Here I am with the beautiful Theresa! Isn't her hair amazing? *__*


I also met Nicola and her lovely friend Katja! :3


And last but not least, Thanh Thao! She is so sweet. ^__^


Inside of Eggnam. It was nice that it wasn't so crowded!


Even their trash can is all glammed up. xD


Another group shot! This time with Tokyo Kawaii TV's camera crew. ^__^


After purikura, the camera crew treated us all to karaoke and non-alcoholic beverages! xD I sat at the same table as Charlotte and Rox. They sang YMCA! It was so much fun! :3 These two lovely ladies also helped organize the meet. Thank you both so much! ♥


Shiena was there too!


She was helping me find the song I wanted to sing. She must've done it about three different times because we couldn't figure out what version it was! I didn't know that there were so many. U.U


Shiena's pretty phone deco. ♥


Our last group photo with everyone! This was taken right outside the karaoke place. I wish there was more time in the day to hang out, but Take-chan and I had to leave. We were going to have an amazing dinner with his family. ♥


We took the train back home. It was my first time riding it! Even though it was crowded, it was a fun experience. ^__^


Sushi feast prepared by Take-chan's mom! She is such an amazing cook. ♥ This is just my plate... Everyone had their own! *__*


Salad. ♥


Apparently these were very expensive! I forgot what they're called, though.


Champagne too?! Man, this dinner kept getting better and better.


And it wasn't just any champagne. ♥


To top it all off, we had macarons for dessert! :3

And I somehow stayed awake for all of this. *__* It was just so much fun! My first full day in Japan was a major success. ♥ Thank you so much, Take-chan, for taking me around!