3 posts tagged “international wota”

No, it isn't my AKB48, Kago Ai and SCANDAL CDs.  Those are currently being held hostage by the customs commissioner.  But I did receive a couple of packages over the last few days...

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Yatta!  It's the JunJun cap from MB that I won in her Fantasy NASCAR challenge.  Oh an MB...I would have kicked some serious butt this past weekend if we were playing for the Sonoma race.  And in the foreground are my new business cards from International Wota.  Maize did an awesome job of putting them together.

Thank you MB.  Thank you Maize.  You guys are awesome!!!

CK in California 

It's the second anniversary of the birth of International Wota, a site that many English-speaking J-music bloggers hold dear to their heart.  Last year I was very new to blogging when the first "Cake Day" rolled around.  But I still managed to send my best wishes in this post.  Although the post was devoid of any sugary treats. :(  This year I was determined to put a little more effort into the Cake Day celebration.  But there is one problem...

I have always, always, ALWAYS hated birthday cake!

Much to the chagrin of my childhood friends, I would never have a traditional birthday cake at my parties when I was a kid.  My mother would put a candle on a dish of ice cream, or some sort of Bundt Cake.  But the thought of that "fake tasting" and overly sugary frosting makes me cringe to this day!  But not to be a party pooper...

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Oh yes, it's CK's IW Banana Cream Pie!!!  I'm sure Jun Jun would approve!  Although my decorating skills leave much to be desired.  I really CAN cook...I swear!!!  I prepared a complete St. Patrick's Day dinner tonight!  But like the wannabe chefs on most cooking shows, I just don't "do" dessert!

Rika, Mai and Asami would like to send their best wishes too...

So here's to another great year for IW.  I am so glad they adopted me as an editor.  I will make sure the third year will be just as good as the first two!

CK in California

A lot of people see it feels like this blog has been around longer than one year.  But checking the record, my first entry here occurred on February 17, 2008.  The very first post was a response to Hello!Blog and Tom's H!P Ranker.  (plus I threw in a little shout out to YouTube celebrity Cutiemish).  One thing I have always enjoyed doing on my blog is making subtle references that only a few people get.  It is my little way of being funny, and when I go back and look at my old posts it is what I laugh at the hardest.  Here are some samples of CK's sense of humor in action.  A sampling of things I have referenced...

Books
Finnegan's Wake, by James Joyce
The Call of the Wild, by Jack London
They Shoot Horse, Don't They?, by Horace McCoy
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells
The Three Faces of Eve, by Thigpen and Cleckley
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl
Encyclopedia Brown, by Donald J Sobel

Films/TV
I Love You Alice B. Toklas (1968)
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978)
Scrooged (1988)
Magnum Force (1973)
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1967)
The Blues Brothers (1980)
The Bugaloos (1970)
Gilligan's Island (1964)

Personalities
Crispin Glover
Robert Mitchum
Jackie Gleason
Al Jolson
Stepin Fetchit
Martin and Lewis
Fred Gwynne
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

What does any of this stuff have to do with J-pop?  I don't friggin' know!

Anyhow, looking back on all 100 posts, there was some definite crap in there.  But I am quite proud of many of my entries.  Here is a CK's H!P Blog Year in Review, my ten favorite posts in chronological order...

Am I Too Early or Too Late to Jump on "The Possible" Bandwagon? - 3/14/08
I chronicled how I discovered THE Possible, and how I loved the new direction they were going in.  Not surprisingly, that direction was short-lived and they went back to being a more traditional Idol group.  But the idea of a "Lolli Rock Band"...ohhh, what a dream!

Revisiting My First H!P Love - 4/14/08
Quite simply a love letter to Kago Ai after her "eventually" triumphant return to the limelight.  To be quite honest it was the most personally emotional events to occur in J-Pop since I became a fan, as evidenced by this post.

H!P in "The Great Orthodontist Adventure" - 4/18/08
I loved writing this post, and I really am a "teeth man"  Well, teeth and butts, but that's another story.  But I think I was most proud of my I Love You Alice B. Toklas reference toward the end.  It is also memorable for me because it is the one post I wrote in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  And let me tell you the internet access there sucks!

Trusting The Hello! Process - 4/30/08
I was really on a roll in April!  This is where I predicted the demise of the Elder Club.  The writing was on the wall after Gocchin, Ayaka and v-u-den left in rapid succession.

Haromoni@...Why I Love That Stupid Show! - 5/12/08
Morning Musume's Sunday morning television show was definitely a guilty pleasure for me.  What kills me is it had such an opportunity to be good, but most of the time the producers were just "phoning in" the material.  And it's too bad because MoMusu dressed in animal ears and tails is a recipe for total win!  I miss Haromoni@

The Three Faces Of 久住小春 - 6/5/2008
I was merely trying to figure out if we are supposed to see Kusumi Koharu as a legitimate singer or a novelty act.  The fact is the crazier the songs sound, the more I like her.  So have another sniff of whatever you are sniffing Koharu, I love it!

They Shoot Saki's, Don't They? ~ The Nakayoshi Battle Concert - 7/22/08
This is the only TBT that makes it into the Top 10, mainly because I loved formatting the review in the form of a Boxing match.  And who cares that it ended in a tie?

The Good, The Bad, and Idoling!!! - 8/15/08
This was my most commented on post in the last year (I think).  And it's funny because I have since become a fan of Idoling!!!  This was as much about how much I like the songs Natsu Matsuri and Jenny wa Gokigen Naname as anything else.

AKB48 Live at Shibuya AX, Nobody Told Me How Awesome This Would Be! - 9/16/08
I had such a hard time obtaining this unbelievably awesome DVD Box Set.  It was the first time I was really introduced to the massiveness of AKB48's catalog.  I have always said if you take the time and effort to watch this four-night extravaganza, it will make you a fan of AKB...if you aren't already!

CK's Japan Tour, Fall 2008 - 10/26/08 through 11/04/2008
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8
My Japan trip travelogue.  I was probably more proud of this series than anything else I did on this blog.  I had a blast writing it.  And of course I had a blast experiencing it!!!  It is filled with concert reviews (I went to seven shows!) and plenty of Tokyo travel tips for the rabid J-pop fan.

It has been quite an eventful year as now I am also running Chuo Dori, which is an AKB48 blog.  I invite you to check out if you haven't already.  But I am also an editor for International Wota, a job that I love doing soooo much.  I hope this past year of 100 posts have been entertaining for you.  Here is to another year of J-music fun!

CK in California