Yeah, I have a friend who has ADHD-PI who's been telling me how helpful fidget spinners have personally been for him, and another one of my really close friends who thinks it'd be helpful for my own anxiety attacks, so I'm really keen on trying one out and seeing if it helps! I'm also thinking about getting some kinetic sand for stimming purposes; I think I would like it a lot because I absolutely adore the texture and feel of sand in general (and love beaches because of it), so. I'm glad to hear fidget cubes help with your own anxiety! Do you use anything else to help?

Really? I'm surprised more people don't hop on board with his servant outfit given it's got a FANTASTIC color scheme going on. Like I adore his two-toned shirt, and his other shirt that's layered underneath it a lot? It's literally so pretty aesthetic-wise in my opinion. But maybe that outfit's kind of hot since he's literally wearing two shirts a jacket and a glove haha.

Oh man though I think it'd be fun to cosplay him; I also really, really like his neck chain. It honestly super fits him too, given his original design in SDR2 has a chain (with a skull) hanging off his pants/waist. If I cosplayed him I'd totally get some long nails for my left hand and paint them red, eeheehee!

(If you don't mind me saying so, I honestly think examples like you are encouraging and inspiring! I also read over your tips to , too; exercising is frustrating to me though because I actually have exercise-induced asthma, and I have NO IDEA where my inhaler actually went, so I try not to overwork myself. I like to dance to music though a lot, and my room is actually located upstairs, so I have to travel up and down it several times a day, so there's that.)

Man I have no culinary skills at all, so it's actually fascinating to me to hear about the different methods you're using in your pancakes to make them even better. It sounds like you've found some nice tips for your recipes that have really improved them! Did you just learn this by experimenting, or did you read it or hear it somewhere? Either way, glad to hear they're turning out better for you. Sounds yummy and delicious!

Yeah, that makes sense about measurements! For that reason, do you think cooking/baking is more like a science, or an art? Or a bit of both? Because I've heard people have this debate before when it comes to this subject, so I'm curious about your personal take on it! It seems like you utilize both, since you experiment too, which sounds pretty fun and delightful!

That's actually cool that you trial and error like that. It helps you make the best food you can, when you figure out what does and doesn't work. Honestly, cooking is something that sounds really fun but, I'm just so hilariously inadequate at it that it's better I don't try when my passion lies elsewhere. So that's one reason I think it's really neat to hear about your own process. I can appreciate it vicariously, you know? ❤️❤️

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Oh wow, moving furniture is some serious business, so I'm glad you already got the bulk of that done, aha. I hope you get everything settled 100% soon - it sounds like it's a good experience, but at the same time it'd be nice to have it done, yeah? C:

Oh ja I draw haha, but I am HILARIOUSLY LIKE THE SLOWEST ARTIST IN THE WORLD IT'S PRETTY FUNNY. If you want, you can check out my art tumblr here. Maybe I'll post a WIP of the picture I'm currently working on later though, heehee!

I know most of the hiragana/katakana as well (currently memorizing the youon, but that's pretty easy given that they're... kind of obvious what they are when you know the root katakana/hiragana). Just out of curiosity, which one do you prefer the aesthetic of more (just the appearance, not the functionality) - katakana or hiragana? I like the way katakana looks myself; hiragana is so squishy looking in comparison to katakana's more hardness / solidarity.

I think we have the same method for learning, gathering resources and trying to familiarize Japanese and make it more a daily part of our lives. Like, I follow a lot of Tumblrs that just post random stuff in Japanese like street signs and food packages and stuff, and I make attempts at translating them and understanding the syntax / context. Dang. I wish we could actually discuss Japanese without that English rule because it kind of limits what we can and can't say about it, eh?

I don't print out things myself but I bookmark resources personally! Although I do have some books on it, despite preferring online resources. I think I'll check out that Japanese From Zero series though, that sounds like it'll be useful. Like honestly any resources are useful, y'know?

Oooh, I think that would be really hecka rad if you ended up writing music too! That makes sense you want to have a groundwork sense of the notes first though. I think with enough determination you can totally do it though - especially if you have such an inner drive that keeps pulling you back towards it like that. It's like any skill; it's not something that comes overnight. You're an artist too, ja? It's like how you improve artwork by studying anatomy, lighting, poses, composition, etc.

It's like that saying, "Good artists are only the bad artists that never gave up." I think what's most important in learning a craft is to just keep practicing, learning to recognize notes and tempos and whatnot even if it doesn't come naturally to you. I'm glad to see you have such resolve to do it though! I think that's the best attitude to have when trying to learn - you just have to try. And sometimes that's really daunting but, in the end you either choose to do so, or don't, you know?

Have you tried studying songs you like by the way, to learn what kinds of tunes go well with each other so that you can one day write your own? I actually write music myself (mostly the lyrics / tune rather than instrumental, but I'd like to get into the instrumental aspect of it too). I've personally found that like, making mental notes of what sounds good and trying to understand why can help in utilizing those tricks in your own song/music-writing.

To answer your question, I used to take lessons in piano, but I quit because my teacher wasn't a very nice individual, and he was stressing me out and being condescending for no reason. I'd really like to learn to play the violin, as it's my favorite instrument, but when I'm in the middle of trying to learn other things there's just not enough time to do everything I want to do, aha.

that's very impressive. do you have any favourite veggie dishes so far?

uhh HHh not really haha i just stir fry pretty much everything and add a small amount of oyster sauce for flavor (optional) + hot sauce

• i'm stealing your reply-under-spoiler-cut idea. good idea

Yeah, I can't really do anything extensive exercise-wise without absolutely getting out of breath really fast. (Which makes me feel a bit awkward to talk about since a lot of people who haven't heard of exercise-induced asthma immediately jump to the conclusion I'm just being lazy and don't exercise enough.) I do try to get in exercise, but I try not to overdo it. I honestly wish I could work out more and get more in shape though; it's something that's always held me back from achieving certain things I wanted out of life.

Hmm, going on what you said about how your friend exercises, maybe I could focus more on things that require less overall movement of my body and therefore be less taxing on breathing. You know, I never thought of that before aha, about muscle-building versus cardio. I'm so used to the routines most people recommend that it didn't really occur to me. Thanks for the tip! That actually is super encouraging to me; I might start trying some ideas out this weekend. Thanks so much! ❤️❤️

I definitely get that with everyone else being so far ahead making you feel self-conscious; I'm the same way. Looking at study blogs & stuff makes me motivated, but it also makes me feel so slow. It's definitely nice to meet someone who is at a more relatable level. :3

I like how hiragana & katakana both have their own distinct style & individuality, if that makes sense? I also like how, when used in the same sentence, they sort of divide things up and make the sentence easier to understand/take apart. I'm more used to [writing in] hiragana, so it appeals to me. Katakana looks neat in its context though. ~

It's nice to know we have a similar way of learning! Just getting general exposure to the language helps. I follow some of those aesthetic blogs too, as well as creep on the occasional jRocker's twitter & read the kana posts. My iPod is also set to Japanese, which gives me some more katakana (not to mention that I listen to 95% jRock, so that's titles/lyrics, different ways of pronunciation, etc.). The more the better, really. ~ It'd probably have been easier if we could say things directly rather than describe them, but I don't think we're doing too bad, ha-ha~

Text on a screen feels a bit too abstract to me, which makes the information more difficult to process, so I definitely prefer to have stuff on paper. It's still the same information though. ~ Japanese From Zero is nice - it's a text book/work book series (three books in total, I think, which cover hiragana/basic grammar, katakana/extensive grammar, and kanji/extensive grammar respectively) with culture notes, various activities, word lists etc. which slowly replaces romaji with the kana you learn. I took a few pictures, here: x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x . I think it's been described as a bit 'less professional' than Genki (I'd definitely like to compare the two!), but it's cute; I like it. ^^ And I agree - the more resources, the better!

It'd be a dream. I have so many project/ideas I want to breathe life into - I just need the skill/understanding to do so. In a way, music/sound & art/visuals are basically the same thing to me, it's just my grasp on them that's different. Because of this I feel that I can use the two in relation to one another (to empower each other, even), which also means that, as you said, I can use my experience with drawing to get a better handle on music.

I like that - Good artists are only the bad artists that never gave up. It's comforting somehow. Drive is definitely important. I think what I struggle with is the push versus the pull. I feel a desperate pull, but I lack the energy - the fire, if you will - to push. I'm trying, of course, but I burn out so easily. It's a bother that makes progress slow... but all progress is progress, right? The worst thing you can do is to give up.

I'm definitely trying to learn about the songs I like/why I like them. Though I don't really have a good enough musical understanding to pinpoint things exactly yet, it's one of those things I expect will come as I learn more about the songs I want to play + music in general. It's hard to find tabs of songs/bands I like though. I'm hoping to get a hold of a couple of band score books soon, and then to use sites like Songsterr to help with the tempo.

It's cool that you write music! Any particular kind?

I write lyrics, but without a tune they're basically just poems, ha-ha;; I would've loved a basic programme where you could create melodies with different instruments/layers. I've tried looking into it, but all I've been able to find is abstract information and 'to make music you need this ridiculously expensive setup on a powerful computer & software the price of photoshop' like |: For drawing you can download GIMP or Paint.NET or FireAlpaca. For music it feels like you can't create until you're already a pro;;;; "orz

I'm sorry about your piano teacher. /: Piano/keyboard is another thing I've wanted to learn (a bit more casually than guitar), but you know, one thing at a time. It'd be really nice if you had the chance to learn the violin though. I definitely get not having enough time/having so much to do, but it's a beautiful instrument, and creative expression is always a good thing. This made me think, have you heard the soundtracks for the anime Your Lie in April? I don't watch anime personally, but I came across them recently, and the piano/violin combination is very beautiful. Maybe it'd be of interest, I don't know. xD

I don't think too hard as to what cooking is. But, if you were to go into the science vs. art argument, I say it's a bit of both and it completely depends on the individual. For me, the science part kicks in when I need to know how certain foods interact with each other (like which spices work well together) and how to keep the ingredients balanced (especially important with baking).

The art part comes when when I'm experimenting, like when I add a new ingredient to something. I also don't do precise measurements for anything, so technically, my dishes come out slightly different every time. I don't care to make my dishes look pretty though... I rather focus on the food tasting good.

I can understand living vicariously. I can't draw well at all, but I love seeing others' artwork. I saw your Tumblr, and I like your art. ^^ I do need to avoid the Danganrompa spoilers since I only played the first one. Though, I have no idea when I'll play the second one.

My favorite thing so far is homemade tomato sauce. It's a lot easier than I thought it would be. I also had cucumbers and radishes in vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, and that was delicious. Oh, and mashed sweet potatoes are great.

I should try stir frying some vegetables. I have tamari sauce, so I can use that with the vegetables.

It's definitely about starting with the small things & working yourself up. If you keep a personal diary/journal for example you can get in time, dates, greetings, and names, just to start. ~

I can definitely see your learning method. I'm pretty organised myself, but if I have too many options & no red string to show me where to go I get easily overwhelmed, and I sort of just collapse in on myself in a huff. At the same time I need to do things my own way - strict rules just make me rebel. :'D

Yooo thanks for the input! The more it's mentioned, the more I want it ; ;

good luck on your journey! getting healthier is so rewarding. also don't feel bad if you mess up, everyone does. just go at your own pace. i'm sure you'll do an awesome job!

ooo i might try the cucumber / radish thing! that sounds really nice. i have cucumber plain or with balsamic vinegar but that's getting old.

have fun cooking! ❤️

i love cycling but hate walking so it works out cx i'm doing okay! bit tired. how are you? do you get nauseous or just forget to eat? maybe try adding some foods high in protein to your diet for when you do get hungry? (i'm not an expert on this at all but it might help you not lose too much muscle mass)