Katsucon post-mortem

Two colds in two months. Wonderful.

Anyways, Katsucon was alot of fun, as any anime con I go to is. (sorry, it's the weekend, and I'm not ready to think like an ESL teacher on cue) I had hoped to take some pictures of cosplayers to put up on my Japanese blog, but there was just too much running around and too many things I wanted to do besides teaching Japanese (Marble Madness in the video game room, for one).

As for Japanese, the main panel was a success; we were at capacity, and then some. I think I will have to remove some of the extra elements I added this time around to make room for more questions, but otherwise I get the impression that alot of people enjoyed it.

The extra panels...well, not so much. At Anime Boston and Anime USA, the additional lessons were well advertised. Katsucon...again, not so much. I'll just spit it out: only one person came to the final two panels combined. That's because of the reason above, and that one of the panel rooms required a trail of bread crumbs. I will definitely have to step up my advertising of the extra panels at the next con.

Speaking of the next con...Anime Boston is coming up again in April, and Japanese Basics is on the schedule yet again! Hooray!

On top of that, I will be presenting a brand new panel, something I hope other people will pick up on in the future. Once upon a time, I was a fanfic writer who constantly complained deep inside that C&C was, more often than not, nothing more than token "great job!" or "your writing really blows" remarks.

So, at Anime Boston I will be hosting Fanfiction C&C Workshop. Yet another 2-hour panel detailing the elements of anime fanfiction needing to be reviewed, how to review them, and how to define content in fanfiction that is good from that which is not. I'm planning to solicit works from one or two fanfic writers to test out the theories presented at the workshop, so stay tuned for that (specifically, keep your eyes on the AB message boards).

Enough out of me for now. Time to play some Wii.

Japanese Language Extra @ Katsucon

I just confirmed some additional dates with Katsucon. They are:
- Friday @ 8-9PM
- Sunday @ 12-1PM
- Sunday @ 1:05PM-??? (this being the final panel in the room, it can end whenever I want)

If you are going to the convention, please check with convention volunteers as to where these additional lessons will take place, or ask me on or after Wednesday, my email is roehl.sybing@nyu.edu.

Handouts will be uploaded on Wednesday as I make copies (my rule is I make the absolute minimum, as defined by the seating capacity of the room, for the environment's sake); if you'd like to skip ahead then and print out your own handouts, please do.

UPDATE - here they are:
http://homepages.nyu.edu/~rgs216/Katsucon/first_handout.pdf (Friday @ 5PM)
http://homepages.nyu.edu/~rgs216/Katsucon/Lesson_2.pdf (Friday @ 8PM)
http://homepages.nyu.edu/~rgs216/Katsucon/Lesson_3.pdf (Sunday @ 12PM)
http://homepages.nyu.edu/~rgs216/Katsucon/Lesson_4.pdf (Sunday @ 1:05PM)

I am still taking on private Japanese lessons during the convention weekend at $20/hour. I should be available most times from Friday-Sunday (preferably not Friday morning - I will be driving in late Thursday night and my trip will be lengthened by the snow coming down this week), excluding some prior appointments and those panel times listed above. Please email me for details.

日本語の勉強をがんばって！また金曜日！

"Washington must change"

If I'm wrong, I'm wrong (and I supported Dean in the primaries four years ago), and Clinton and Edwards would also be head and shoulders better than McCain or Giuliani. But my support will be going to Barack Obama in next year's primaries.

Honestly, now...

Does it really matter whether or not man is responsible for climate change? If a tidal wave were coming to wash your house away, are you really going to sit there and do nothing because it's only a natural occurrence? Forest fires have been happening ever since there were forests, does that mean let them burn? If you're falling off a cliff, would you refuse a parachute because gravity is just part of nature?