Jampacked!

Happy Thursday! It's crazy cold outside, I'm so sad. Gosh, you know how this is the introductionary paragraph? I'm sick of it, I want to jump right in.

This week had a pair of culinary adventures as well as a pair of high culture events. And by culinary, I mean, Japanese food related, and by high culture I mean school theater.

Friday me and Beth trucked out to Pasadena for some reason, where we discovered new parking and also Noodle World. We've walked by that place plenty of times, but there's so many other good Japanese places in that area, that we'd never had the chance to try it. It looks fast-foody from the outside, but it's like a real restaurant once you get past the gelato bar.

The menu? Noodles. Noodles by genre. Thai soup noodles? Chinese soup noodles? Pan fried noodles? Noodles from everywhere, and if you think all noodles are the same, then you haven't had very many noodles, my friend. And, on the back, rice dishes. I literally want to try fifty things there. I settled on curry noodles, since we did have to pass up Hurry Curry for Noodle World. I was surprised that it wasn't Japanese-style curry, but I don't really know why I expected it to be. It was yellow and light, and noodles aren't really a good receptor for curry. XD But the chicken was very good; well, the whole thing was good, but a little overwhelming for one sitting. Go back there with me sometime, yeah?

Then, Monday I guess, Beth stole me away and drove me to Covina where there's this giant Japanese grocery store, Marukai. And I'm not talking Mama-ya-style deli, here. It's a full-fledged Vons. With separate Hawaiian and Japanese fast food outlets and a movie rental alcove. I bought so much stuff (among this, curry. duh) Candy I've been looking for for years. Apple flavored tea! Pretty cheap, too, if only I didn't buy all of it at once. Next time I stock up, it's coming all from there.

Nikki's really new to Japanese things, so I keep having to explain everything I do to her. Haha. So when I make curry, it'll be a family dinner sort of thing. Also new to her, matzo ball soup. Which I made for Beth 'cause she got sick. I'm finishing it right now, and I'm very happy with it. I made them bite-sized this time, and it cut down on the cooking time soooooo much. I'll make it for you some time, too. (Nikki also is freaked out by mochi. Sadday)
(haha, she just ate my last matzo ball)

Speaking of roommates, Jenn broke three of her fingers on Friday! A subwoofer attacked them at work. Setting up for chapel. Apparently she finally got splints today, but I haven't seen her yet. Wonder where she is, actually. XD Kid can play a mean Mario Kart with a sling, though. Sure gave me a run for my money. It's great, we basically have Tetris time, where we all just break down from whatever we're doing and play Tetris for like hours. We're so awesome.

So, back to the story! Saturday me and Beth (hmmmm, she seems to be following me) went to Joe: the Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man, the current main stage play. It was like, amazing. Written and directed by the Theater guy, and I'm impressed. It was written for the traveling Drama Ministry group like years ago, and he brought it back. Two casts, different on Thursday/Friday and Saturday. Ordered the DVD, which was of the Saturday cast. I will show it to you all. I'm dragging some people to see the matinee, I think, too. I still need to ask around.

APU theater is the one exciting thing at this school that I have not taken good enough advantage of until this year. Now I want to go to everything, and I think I've got Megan to thank for that. And Sitcom, for putting me in the theater for even just those few days. It's like the movies but more once-in-a-lifetime. It's pretty magical. Hahahah, took me long enough to figure that out, eh?

So in the TFT department, there's this thing called Capstone where seniors do a crazy project relating to what they want to do in their life. Like for me, I'd write a screenplay. Lots of people write/produce student films. For Theater kids, it's Capstone Theater, which is student produced (written, directed, acted) shows. I don't remember if I mentioned seeing Lucky Stiff last semester (I probably did), but that was a Capstone production. This week is Reflections, a musical review of songs from animated films. It was really cute. I saw the little flyer for it in my Joe program, and I dragged Beth, Brianna, and Nikki to it (Jenn was feeling not-well enough, sadday). The little theater is tiny, and we sat in the front, and at times I coulda punched those kids in the face, they were singing so close to us. I saw the one kid today, and I told him "good show!" and he was startled and then said "...oh, thanks!" It was cute.

If you're able, you should come to a show. I know all the dates. Main stage shows are Thursday, Friday, Saturdays, and the Capstones I think are Monday, Tuesdays, Wednesdays.

Speaking of Capstones, this weekend I'm going to PA for one. Student film. I really know nothing about it. XD But a few of my friends/acquaintances are leading it, and they needed PA volunteers, so I offered. Should be fun/hard. I really don't know? I'll let you into the student PA world after it's all over.

I won't be helping them next weekend, though, because that's when my own film is starting production. WHAT. Kelly wrote it, and it's pretty awesome, but we still need to cast, find locations, and, like, learn how to use cameras and stuff. It's a pretty tight schedule, and it'll probably be a disaster. XD We only have two weekends to shoot, but she can't do Sundays because of prior and standing commitments, and this first weekend I'm going home anyway to get my crown finished.

Gah. When you add to this the fact that I've been in class all day, you can see how this is so very jampacked.

-Stephanie