Cosplay Notes

After chatting with Ishu and looking at her cosplay photos, I’ve decided to make an effort to learn more about cosplay this year. Starting out with putting this post together and also doing some ‘homework’ on figuring out my list of favorite characters in anime and video game series (casual and also formal outfits). Part of cosplay is the making of the costume and the other part is really to immerse yourself in your favorite character and share that with other enthusiasts. and some outfits are really too fantastic to believe until you see them made and worn by fans (Aoba from DMM and Erza Angel Armor Mode from Fairy Tail)…

Characters (ongoing list / dev)

yes I realize this is where pinterest boards would have been handy for brainstorm but oh well. will just to try without it.

1) brainstorm characters (done)

2) find reference pics (in progress)

3) break down the main outfit pieces and colors (not yet started)

• Yowapeda: the general manager of the club. Kanzaki (http://yowamushipedal.wikia.com/wiki/Kanzaki_Miki?file=Kanzaki.Miki.full.1565237.jpg)
• Korra: Korra, or one of the pro fighting team members? i even have many red pandas if required.
  (http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Korra)
• Sailor Moon: sailor mercury or mars (casual, school uniform, fighting uniform, other)
  (http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2015/01/31-1/cartoon-redraws-sailor-moon-crystal-in-style-of-manga-and-original-anime)
• Rwby: Blake (casual outfit, uniform, or fighting outfit)
  http://rwby.wikia.com/wiki/Blake_Belladonna
• Fairy Tail: Erza (regular or casual, not super fancy armor)
  http://fairytail.wikia.com/wiki/Erza_Scarlet
• Fairy Tail: alternate universe Lucy Ashley (black outfit)
  http://fairytail.wikia.com/wiki/Lucy_Ashley
• Samurai Champloo: Fuu (although those shoes are hard to pull off)
  http://champloo.wikia.com/wiki/Fuu
• Hamatora: Koneko (somewhat minor character though)
  http://myanimelist.net/character/93439/Koneko

Self-assessment on cosplay readiness/skills

• drawing – translate anime outfit into real outfit. can probably also research what other cosplayers have already done.
• sewing – can hand sew, that’s about it. can maybe borrow a sewing machine
• gathering /converting supplies – um, old shirts/fabrics which can be recycled?
• characters – should be ok to rewatch shorter series like RWBY. but for series with longer storyline (fairy tail), may need to do more watching and/or cliff notes.
• acting / role – playing the part.
• photography – would be good to learn more about taking pics and also posing (can take notes at convention and also through observation of what I like/don’t like from photos).

Next Steps

• Feb/March: go fabric shopping with Ishu (maybe also help with sewing process)
• Feb: attend Katsucon cosplay events to get inspired / motivated / observe photography and poses in a convention setting.
• May: attend Brooklyn Botanical Garden cosplay event to also get inspired / motivated / observe photography in an outdoor setting.
• assess next steps for making an outfit and/or buying an outfit

Resources

• http://www.crunchyroll.com/call-to-cosplay (cosplay iron chef style. I love how the participants get creative with the materials and turn them into great outfits.)
• http://www.cosplay.com/ (forums, photos, tips, etc)
• http://anyonecancosplay.tumblr.com/ (motivation and inspiration)

New year and new discoveries

It's been a good start to the year and I wanted to write a quick note (via phone blogger app) before the next proper update.

I've been discovering good tours this year, all from places I've been to before. 

For some reason I've never taken a tour from the following places until this year. How wonderful to climb a castle (in Central Park), recognize tree types (in Brooklyn Botanical garden), learn about Islamic art symbolism (in the Met), and hear about the diorama process (in the Natural history museum), just to name a few. 

All of this makes me feel like a student again (explorer, creator, and researcher, all rolled up into one). 

Central Park

Brooklyn Botanical

The Met

November Adventures

I met up with a group of friends in Grand Central and took the Metro north train to see our friend Doug play “Grandfather” in a production of Ragtime (with CNR Drama) in New Rochelle. As it happens, the author of the book was originally from New Rochelle and the mayor of the town actually presented the key of the city to the family! The theater was an U shaped intimidate space with maybe 100 people capacity. I was impressed with the main cast’s performance, the music, and all the turn-of-century costumes (Evelyn Nesbit’s various outfits were dazzling). As I have not read the book or seen the broadway show before, I do not know whether the production was slightly modified or not. The show made me want to look up the soundtrack and all the historical figures during that time. Who was your favorite character in Ragtime? I particularly liked Mother and Coalhouse, who may be the most developed characters throughout the story.

Food/Drinks (throughout the weekend)

• Rayuela (LES) http://www.rayuelanyc.com/
  I enjoyed the octopus appetizer and squid ink rice main course.
• Donburi-ya (Midtown East) http://donburiyanyc.com/
  the tuna/mountain yam rice was delicious although the ramen dishes also looked great. I was craving lotus roots but the fried renko was not quite what I was looking for. Also tried the crepe cake which was interesting.
• Cosmopolitan Café (Tribeca) http://www.cosmocafetribeca.com/
  I ordered the coffee and challah french toast with scrambled eggs. All items were amazing and the service was superb. The nice part about this café is that it’s quiet with soothing café music, instead of being too loud like most crowded brunch places. I liked the dark wood tables, the bar décor, and the cozy fireplace too. a very good start to the cold winter morning.

Jazz in Autumn Central Park, New York

Jazz and Colors was advertised on many NYC event guides as a great way to take a stroll around Central Park while listening to classic jazz performances. I was surprised this was only the second year for the event. Just to note, I didn’t research the set list or the bands. Sometimes it’s better to just walk and enjoy and see what’s playing. I started out with egg/cheddar on a sesame bagel for breakfast (prepared for walking!) and headed to Columbus Circle. A banner indicated the band/location: ELEW and Nature of the Next / Columbus Circle. They had a huge crowd probably because Columbus Circle gets quite a bit of foot track. I wonder if most people just walked by and learned about the event. Maps and pamphlets were available at the information table.

While I walked to nearly 7 or 8 bands, the only three I remembered were Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra (Bandshell, not pictured), Jason Marshall Quintet (Pineband Arch), and Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All Stars (Olmsted Bed on the Mall).

I know I had a perfect autumn day/weekend in Cambridge [blog entry] but New York also has its perfect autumn days. With foliage all around me in orange, yellow, red, and some greens too, I just wanted to keep walking and taking pictures. Dark branches with character spiraled out of nowhere. Ginkgo, maple, and pots of chrysanthemum looked even more lovely with the various sculptures / buildings inside the park. I also liked Central park’s benches, pools, lakes, bridges, and reflection of the leaves and buildings. Even more pics on shutterfly.

Other highlights from the weekend

Go go Curry http://www.gogocurryusa-ny.com/ typical comfort food. Try the chicken katsu or pork katsu and you won’t be disappointed.

Jiro dreams of sushi movie. http://www.magpictures.com/jirodreamsofsushi/
A movie about work and passion, with just a dash of sushi food porn in the mix. Linda and I both agreed that the food critic was awesome. He’s able to articulate just what sets Jiro’s sushi place a step or two above others. The movie was also a keen study on father/son relationship as well as the relationship between sushi chef/customer and sushi chef/fish market/fish dealer. I don’t think I’ll make it to Tokyo’s Ginza district any time soon, but may check Sushi Yasuda because it’s well regarded in the city.

Dim sum in 8th Ave Chinatown (Brooklyn Sunset Park) for the first time with friends was great. I didn’t get the name of the place but am sure we’ll go back there. Good service and very delicious shrimp dumplings. Pretty cool to have had dim sum in Manhattan, Queens, and now Brooklyn!

Windy Sunset Park made it difficult to take a picture of the gorgeous skyline. I recommend people take a trip out here though. http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/sunsetpark

Whole Foods almond milk latte. Yes it’s not a secret that Whole Foods has almond milk available if you’re not interested in milk or soy. I like to switch it up a little and find it fun to get an almond milk latte whenever I’m in a Whole Foods. In this case, we were waiting for the movie to start so had some time to chat and sip coffees.

Miyazaki movie Wind is Rising or Wind Rises. I don’t know what the movie is called but it was a sold out crowd (possibly because everyone heard the ad on NPR or because it’s only playing at the Landmark Sunshine theater for one week). I enjoyed the visual effects but found the love story a bit difficult to relate. I did like the main character’s pursuit of his dream though. That was powerful.

Speaking of jazz, there is also an excellent jazz anime called “Kids on the Slope”. It’s currently available on stream on Crunchy Roll. I found it because I heard Yoko Kanno also worked on the music. There were a few love triangles but the overall character interaction was genuine and relatable. Best part was of course the music but it’s rare to find anime more focused on friendships and growing up than the regular school romance. Who is your favorite character? It’s a toss up between the two male leads at various points of the storyline.

Of Montreal at Music Hall of Williamsburg

Music Hall of Williamsburg is located close to the L stop Bedford Ave. I don't usually go out on Monday nights but a last minute concert idea was suggested by Vin and I decided to try it out. (who really does anything fun on Mondays!?)

We have the tradition of meeting up for food before a concert. This time I met up with Vin and Laura at Baoburg, a block away from the concert venue. There were half a dozen restaurants/bars in the area so I'm sure everyone can find their choice of food and beverage. My favorite dish from Baoburg was the duck noodles. Please beware the place is cash only (for now, maybe they can look into Square payment in the future), which I learned the hard way. 

The band we saw was Of Montreal. I know I've heard of band but post concert still have no recognition of their songs. Clearly I need to refresh my music library. 

The venue is cozy and the best feature is a bar on each floor (three floors total) and plenty of couches and seating. During the opening act Luz, we lounged around the couches on the top floor balcony near the bar. According to the bartender we had a happy hour deal for drinks. Maybe because it was Monday. Most of the crowd was on the lower floor. 

During the main act, we ended up on some bleachers on the top floor. Relatively good view and a back to lean against. 

New band, new venue, and new restaurant, all on a Mon night. Hard to top that for the rest of the week but anything is possible in New York. 

Boston Philharmonic

Program included Wagner, Mozart, and Brahms. I don't go to classical concerts very often these days so it was nice to try it out. Wonderful venue and also at the suggestion of my friend Ying at MIT.

I guess I will count this as 'exploring music venues' part of the new year resolution. Another plus is that it's relatively close to restaurants. We tried indian food which was pretty good. 

I just remember it wasn't as easy to find reasonably priced food around Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. or maybe I should give it another try. 

Outdoor summer concerts NYC

Pics from Prospect Park in Brooklyn, Central Park, and Citifield in Queens. Happy I got around to those concerts with friends. Extra shout out to Sok for the delicious picnic baskets pre-concerts in the two parks. And Tracy for making Citifield happen.

Slavic Soul Party - bringing brass into popularity again. All bands should have some brass (instead of just guitars).

Wordless Orchestra played the score for the movie Beast of the Southern Wild.

What a movie... The heroine probably wins as the strongest heroine in a feature (honestly can't think of another one recently).

Bobby McFerrin had amazing energy. I loved the part where he joined the crowd and asked people to participate. 

Third Eye Blind is coming out with a new album soon. They gave a concert after a Mets game in Citifield. 

The Killers - Brooklyn and Newark

Pics from Brooklyn's Barclays Center and Newark's Prudential Center. I suppose Barclays can be included in my 2013 resolution to explore new venues. Prudential was a return trip but since it's also for the Killers, wanted to include them here.

First time in Barclays. Great energy with the crowd. J. and I had a good seat without people in front of us (just the sudden drop in steep level...)

Went to Prudential Center with Origami friends Wes, Trish, and Uyen. Loved the laser show. Thought the Newark crowd was somewhat tamer but it was also a week day.

Jack in Brooklyn

After my friend L. (animemiz) and I finished MoCCa Fest on Saturday, she suggested that we check out a show in Brooklyn, at a venue called Jack. I’ve never been to the venue before and thought it would be a fun adventure, plus we are there to support friends.
The show was called Doctor & Mister’s Loaded Capsule [site link]. Jack is a few blocks from the C/G train stop for Clinton-Washington. I only went to see the show so didn’t get a chance to check out the neighborhood. Maybe next time.

Stuff I liked:

The program

The program is made out of origami by Sok Song! He organizes the origami meetup group and it’s such an awesome group, see my write up of origami group at Howl festival last year. The attention to detail on this fortune teller program is amazing, because each part of the show has relevant detail behind each section header.

Intermission

I wish I had taken pics of the hats, they were all paper creations with beads / feather-like flourishes. Needless to say, many fans inquired about those hats during intermission. and rejoice for bbq pork steamed buns (chashao bao) and beer.

Story Telling

I love podcasts and shows like Moth and Radio Lab are some of my favorites.
Sabi Part 1 and 2 (James Harrison Monaco and Jerome Ellis): Story about how the reporter found a human interest story in a Long Island antique shop. I liked the bit about the chandelier and the color changing head of Sabi. Or maybe the long walk from LIRR to the destinations.
A Play (called Not a 10-minute play)
The way the characters played with time / internet /youtube was quite clever, and with minimum props. Nudity worked well for shock value but I think keeping his pants on would have been just fine too.

Music

I don’t understand the speaking flutes or the magical sound-making teacups, but the song at the end of the show by Rick (pictured above) was very nice. Of course I can’t seem to find it on his website. Something about she has eyes instead of diamonds.

Jazz and Pizza while crossing the bridge

Progress has been made for my new year resolution to check out new venues and bands, and even J. has come long for a ride (although he wonders if I found the 'Terminal 5 of Brooklyn'.

Brooklyn Bowl
http://www.brooklynbowl.com/
Btw 11th and 12th on Wythe, in Williamsburg.

• The band: Preservation Hall Jazz Band http://www.preservationhall.com/band/
• drink: I ordered a gin and tonic. They also had beer on tab for cheaper.
• Vibe: Psychedelic bowling alley, funky abstract art playing on large screens, GIANT disco ball (pictured), and giant fans on very high ceilings. Standing room only but look at how close we were to the band (pic).
• Adventures: well, I had some issues with the map directions so we ended up going the wrong way(one benefit was we managed to pass the Manhattan skyline so that was a nice surprise. The view was so amazed I forgot to take a photo. Actually, probably because I was freezing from walking and wind near the water).
• Lessons learned: Show up on time, check website for directions. this isn't some other music venue where they have two opening bands and the main act doesn't show until 10pm.

Unrelated but I'm not doing a separate post is an Italian place J. found in yelp while looking up 'gnocchi'.
Tres Sorelle
http://tresorellenyc.com/
Near City Hall
J had gnocchi with tomato sauce. I had capricciosa pizza (personal size was still big, if you order two, you can easily feed three people). Next time with more people I may try ordering the bigger size pizza. I was sold on the artichoke although the other toppings were fine too. And crust was superb. We had attentive service and would definitely come back.

This entry and previous were written on the Ipad blogger app. I like how easy it is to draft and publish, but I miss the formatting tools (bullets, font colors and header style, tagging labels library, pic size adjustment). Mostly the turn text into url function. The app comes handy for traveling though. And good for sharing photos. Update: I redid the entries on laptop because urls were dead, photos had wrong dimensions, and all the photos were automatically put in the end of the entry. I guess mobile apps are still limited. Need to keep those things in mind next time I use the ipad.

2013 Resolution - Explore More Music Venues

One of the many things people take for granted in NYC is the opportunity to see live shows every single night. Besides signing up for Songkick and exploring new music from various podcasts [placeholder for podcast blog entry], I wanted to move beyond my regular music venues in 2013. To J.’s observation (and complaint), I default to Terminal 5 way too often. In fact, had I made my resolution: “don’t go to terminal 5 this year”, I would have already broken it. I already booked a show in March (at least it’s a new band). Feel free to suggest shows and/or venues. I don’t mean to replicate Nick’s adventures although I was certainly inspired by his 100 days 100 concerts.

If I count Winter Jazzfest [blog entry], I would have already been to six new venues in January. Instead of counting just numbers of venues attended, I will evaluate progress/success by the number of blog entries I write up by the end of 2013. I hope to find some new favorites along the way and maybe even introduce friends to new places.

To officially kick off the resolution, let’s start with Arlene’s Grocery.

Jan 21, 2013 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Bands:

Hani Zahra http://hanizahra.bandcamp.com/
The Wives http://the-wives.bandcamp.com/

On Tab:

Peak Organic Winter Sessions [more description here]

Comments:

I was overwhelmed by the crowd energy (including dancers in the front row) which I had not expected from a free show on a Monday night (p.s. Arlene’s has free Mondays!). I was standing rather close to the band (as you can tell from the photos above). The neighborhood around the venue offers plenty of good eats pre- and post- concert so I would highly recommend planning a show with food next time. There’s even an arcade bar nearby.

Question of the Night:

What does it take to be a successful band?
Is it the raw talent (skillful with instruments, haunting vocals) or crowd presence (totally owning the space, playing like you’re in MSG even if it’s a small venue like Arlene’s?) or interaction among the band members (cohesiveness, fun banter)? Does it take way too much time trying to connect with fans via social media? Does the immediacy of facebook wall postings and twitter take away from the mystery of a new/indie band?

Souvenir:

Hani Zahra EP for J. As the band mentioned… “we are not on itunes”. Note to self: check back in a year and see what happens. I just listened to the EP and have to say I’m happy I got it. Too bad it’s still really difficult to replicate a live show, just have to track them on Songkick for the next concert! On second listen… I really like “Tamed”.

Research for more music venues:

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/top-lists/best-live-music-venues-in-new-york-city/

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/music/best-live-music-venues-in-new-york-city

http://www.glidemagazine.com/hiddentrack/hts-best-new-york-city-music-venues/

http://www.yelp.com/c/nyc/musicvenues

2013 NYC Winter Jazzfest

Catchy line spotted on the subway: shorter days mean longer nights. Interesting way of looking at it, since most people complain about the lack of sunlight and outdoor activities in the winter months (ski is all well and good, but not a city sport). The cure? Music!
While I was researching activities from my various sources (Time Out, Village Voice, The Skint, etc), I found out about the Winter Jazzfest. Later on I found on this festival has already been going on for 9 years. It’s grown to 6 venues and 70+ bands spanning two nights. The final tally for me was 1 evening, 5 venues, 2 bar drinks, 1 coffee break, 3 complete performances, and a hand full of partial performances.

Favorite Performance

Gregory Porter (at Le Poisson Rouge) http://www.gregoryporter.com/

Favorite Venue

Le Poisson Rouge: I was here most of the evening. Many friends recommended this venue and I finally checked it out. The fish tank at the entrance is still a bit weird for me but the performance space is excellent. The gallery room is a good place to take a break too.

---

Other Venues

The Bitter End: Small venue with giant mural with legends on the left and photos of music greats on the right.

Sullivan Hall: I didn’t note the surroundings but I was within 5 rows of the band.


Bowery Electric: This venue was a bit far from the action (the other 5 venues are within block of each other). I did like the “cave” nook they set up for the performer though.


Culture Project Theater: Not a bar obviously. Can come back to check out the performances.

Zinc Bar: This is the only venue I didn’t get to visit.

List of Performance I Saw (* ones I particularly liked)

• Pedrito Martinez
• The Big Picture featuring David Krakauer
• Ari Hoenig Group*
• 40Twenty feat. Vinnie Sperazza
• Tony Malaby Tuba Trio
• James Carter Organ Trio*
• Gregory Porter*
• Bugge 'n Friends with Erik Truffaz, Ilhan Ersahin, Joaquin 'Joe' Claussell

Tips for next year and beyond

• Wear comfortable shoes.
• Don’t wear huge jackets.
• Take drink breaks (this includes coffee, water, soda, etc)
• Be open to hear new things, but feel free to venue hop
• Sit and relax once in a while. This is of course only possible in Le Poisson Rouge (in the gallery room there are some benches and seating) and Culture Project (theater has seats).
• Bookmark venues in your map app so you can look them up quickly if you venue-hop. The official program (paper copy) also has a small map which is handy. Why wasn’t it on the website?
• Check official twitter page for updates.
• Support the bands and have a great time!

Reference

official site http://www.winterjazzfest.com/
online jazz radio thejazzbee.org
twitter http://twitter.com/WJF2013