So as you may or may not know, San Diego Comic Con happened this past weekend and it was PHENOMENAL. This has got to be the best Comic Con in years. The news just kept coming non-stop. Everywhere you looked, there was something new being revealed and showrunners interacting with the fans. So let’s look at some of my favorite moments of a con I did not go to! (but will, totally will one day because it is epic)
Final Day of vacation.
We started off the day by going to Little Tokyo. We grabbed lunch and then headed to the purikura pictures. We promised to take them again so we did. These came out much better. I keep both sets in my wallet though. We picked up some last minute stuff and then went back to the hotel.
While we waited for our other friends to arrive, we started packing. We got most of our things away by the time they picked up up. Today, we were going to Venice Beach!
Final day of con! We woke up at a relatively normal time and got dressed. Today we were Mokanas and that was the simplest costume yet. Just a dress, wig, and ears. We walked to con and a few people recognized us which was nice.
It was final day for shopping and we were on a mission to get everything we hadn’t on Friday. I ended up with some more art: one of Stiles from Teen Wolf, a Hannibal one, and a Doctor Who print for my friend. I also bought a tofu cat I named Issac. It’s so squishy!! I got some smaller stuffed animals to give to friends and I convinced myself that I should get the entire Slytherin outfit. So I ended up buying the skirt, tie, socks, and a quill set. Hogwarts here I come!! i also bought a Tardis apron/dress which is so cute. I need to find a reason to wear it.
We both woke up that morning not feeling like doing anything. We were exhausted. We decided not to go to con. It was going to be the busiest day anyway and the crowd would be annoying to wade through. We we slept in late, got lunch, texted our other friends, and watched TV. They came late afternoon to pick us up.
That day, we decided to be really touristy and go to Hollywood Blvd. However, first we went to In & Out Burger to see what all the hype was about. it was actually really good, though the menu was small. I later discovered that there was a secret menu. Ah well.
Day 4 was my second photo shoot. I did guro lolita which is basically like a bloody doll. I woke up earlier than my friend because she was going to be a fox and that was easy. Also, she drank the night before at KBBQ. After I was basically done, I woke her up. She tried on her fox costume only to discover that the top was too big on her. SO instead, she just put on the orange wig and wore normal clothes.
For the photo shoot today, we went to the Figueroa Hotel. It’s actually really cool. It’s dimly lit and has this Moroccan, Indian feel to it. The entire place was shades of yellow and amber. Very rich and very exotic. There were some great pictures from that shoot.
Finally, FIRST DAY OF CON!
We got up early to get everything together. We were doing our most elaborate cosplay that day so it took time. First the make-up, then the costume, and finally the wig. The wig totally reminded me of why I hate having long hair. By the time we were done, we were almost late to our photoshoot so we took a cab to the convention center.
First day was fun. We did the photoshoot and then headed into the hall to wait for our panels. The exhibitor floor wasn’t open yet. We attended the Anime Club Summit panel since I’m the president of my club. It was very informational and gave me some ideas of what to bring to the new year. We’ll just have to see if they work out. After than we attended one about skimpy cosplays which was interesting. I need to get some topstick and dance tights pronto.
We woke up early on the second day. Day two was Little Tokyo and ticket pick-up for Anime Expo.
We didn’t eat breakfast when we woke up. Instead, we figured out how to get to Little Tokyo and ate there. I have to admit, Little Tokyo was one of my favorite places out of all the trips. Like Chinatown, they have Japanese styled buildings in a plaza. There, they had multiple restaurants, cafes and store. It was much busier than Chinatown. We ate at the first place we came across and it was really good. Afterwards, we walked around. There was a really cute macaroon shop and we bought a few to try. Right across was one of those cute Asian stores. My friend ended up buying a bento box. I had to walk away from the stuffed animals.
Recently, I’ve returned from the glorious city of Los Angeles. Not that it wasn’t fun, but I’ll be honest, LA is simply not my city. In the end, I’m too much of a New Yorker. Still, it’s an experience I can check off my list. It won’t be the first place on my list of places to visit again, but I wouldn’t be opposed to returning for a few days.
I arrived at LAX with my best friend at around 9 in the morning. The first things I noticed was the palm trees of course. Don’t see those in NY. We checked into this cute little hotel called the Ritz Milner. If you’re looking for a 5 star hotel with room service and a pool and a gym, this isn’t it. However, if you are looking for a quiet place that’s clean and friendly for an affordable price, you’ll love it here. The rooms were nice and clean and they have a continental breakfast downstairs everyday. It’s just danishes, toast, and fruit, but hey, free food! The only think is that you can’t get extra towels. When they clean your room, they basically take your towels, wash them, and return them.
Technology is forever evolving, becoming more efficient and user friendly. Yet as technology seems to be improving exponentially, one can’t help but wonder when the advancements will start to slow. Will we reach a point where everything has been invented and there is nothing left? If we do, how are we to counteract it?
Global Security Experts has come up with a great idea. It does without saying that we Americans are inherently competitive. We want to be the best at everything. So what better way to jump start innovation than by a contest? (The $10,000 prize money helps as well.)