Boy, I need to update this thing...

A little over a year ago, I returned to America after teaching in Japan for a year, which was all kinds of awesome. I would have stayed longer if not for the fact that my father passed away right before I left, and because of that, my mother became pretty lonely while I was away. Of course, now that I'm back, I miss Japan pretty badly, and I look forward to flying back there and visiting my old students and coworkers in the (hopefully) near future.

I take pride in being weird, and I consider normal people kind of boring. I'm a huge video game nerd, but thankfully that side only emerges in situationally-appropriate moments. In college, I majored in Advertising, with a minor in Japanese Studies - two things that I'm still quite enthusiastic about. I also enjoy engaging in sarcastic conversations about nothing in particular, discussing politics, and sipping tea with my pinky finger extended. That last one makes me feel fancy.

I moved into my new apartment at the beginning of June, and I still have a whole bunch of stuff sitting in boxes in my closet, waiting to be unpacked. I should really get on that! I'm also in the middle of a seemingly-endless quest for employment that would keep me busy and satisfied, though thankfully I'm quite secure financially, so there's no huge rush. Currently, I have a lot of down time, so I do my best to keep busy with friends and other activities. This summer was absolutely fantastic, and I took up jogging five miles every morning, which left me far more fit and tan than when I began in June. Now that fall has arrived, I need to find a good indoor alternative to feed my new exercise addiction. Can anyone point me in the direction of a good, relatively inexpensive gym?

I'm really good at making people laugh. I have a very sarcastic sense of humor, and there is very little in life that I don't try to make a joke out of. I'm also a very good listener and advice-giver, and am always happy to help out a friend in need. I very much enjoy the art of conversation.

Hrm, what else, what else... I'm kind of a grammar and spelling Nazi, which makes me a good proofreader and editor. I really like cooking and trying out new foods and recipes, too! Oh, and I adapt very quickly to new ideas and technology, which will greatly assist me when our robot overlords finally rise up to enslave us all.

In Japan, everyone thought I looked like Harry Potter, what with my brown hair, glasses, and striped scarf I'd wear in the winter time. Somehow, that joke seems to have followed me back to America, too... Oh yes, and apparently Harry and I share the same birthday, which doesn't help!

Other than that, I have no idea what people first notice about me... My sense of humor? My good looks? Shrug.

Books - Sad to say, I haven't read many books lately, but I'm trying to fix that. I love the Harry Potter series, and anything by Naoki Urasawa (bonus points if you know who that is *without* looking it up). A couple friends tried to get me into Twilight, but that was a resounding failure. Sorry, Twilight fans!

Movies - Anything by Studio Ghibli, Pixar, or Satoshi Kon, the *old* Star Wars trilogy, Disney films from the late 80's and early 90's (the Disney Renaissance), Ghostbusters, Pleasantville, Little Shop of Horrors, Hairspray, Terminator 2, Austin Powers (but only the first one), The Addams Family, Elf... I could probably go on for a while.

Music - I have strange musical tastes, primarily centering around video game soundtracks (mostly older ones) and Japanese pop or rock. A few examples of these would be Nobuo Uematsu, Yasunori Mitsuda, Yuki Kajiura, Tommy february6, HALCALI, Do As Infinity, Ayumi Hamasaki, and Utada Hikaru. I enjoy some Western music as well, but that's more on a song-by-song basis, I guess. Classical stuff is quite nice, too.

Food - Japanese curry rice is my absolute favorite food, especially when served with chicken katsu. Other favorites include pizza, sushi, pasta, potato chips, and anything I can put chipotle mayo on. Great, now I've made myself hungry...

(What, no TV category? I'll fix that!)

TV - Oh man, I love a good TV show! Arrested Development, Home Movies, Futurama, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Lost, DuckTales, Darkwing Duck, Fringe, Boston Legal, Gargoyles, The Office, South Park, 30 Rock, Venture Brothers, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Desperate Housewives, Garfield and Friends, House, Frisky Dingo, The Real Ghostbusters, Dollhouse, Batman: The Animated Series... again, I could go on and on. I'm also a fan of (good) anime, I guess - Cowboy Bebop, Utena, Monster, and Read or Die, among others.

In no particular order...

-Friends - Without them, I'd probably turn into a crazy cave-hermit, subsisting solely on tree bark and off-brand ketchup.
-Technology - I'm never far from a gadget to help me stay connected to the things that barely matter in life.
-Sunshine - Gloomy weather puts a frown on my face. A sunny day does the opposite!
-My Glasses - I'm ferociously nearsighted without them, plus they make me look smart.
-Cats - I'm allergic to them, but that doesn't keep me from burying my face in one if given the opportunity.
-Laughter - It's important to keep an upbeat attitude and appreciate life's inherent silliness. Midgets, for example.

I spend a lot of time thinking about what I want to do with my life. It feels like I've been on a long vacation since arriving back from Japan, and I'm very eager to find a new adventure. Sooner rather than later, with any luck!

On a typical Friday night I could be doing a lot of things! More likely than not I'm out spending time with my friends, though I could also be relaxing at home, watching a movie, cooking, or sitting in front of my computer too. Variety is the spice of life, right?

I enjoy a good offensive joke. Dead babies, abortion, you name it - if it pushes the boundaries of good taste, I'll probably laugh at it. Shame on me, I know.

You should message me if you're friendly, enjoy life, appreciate goofiness and sarcasm, and like video games and other quasi-nerdy pursuits. Quirkiness definitely helps. I'm also a fairly mellow person, so drama is a no-no. Surely there's *somebody* out there that fits that description... right?