Reflection
I’ve always had the idea to do a weekly reflection note in order to both blog more and for me to synthesize what happened in a given week. The ideal was to do this every Sunday but of course on the first week I forgot about it entirely LMAO. I got inspired to do this from small cypress as it made me remember that the concept itself existed. I’d say the week itself was pretty alright, as I got to see a lot of friends who I hadn’t seen in a long time due to being at college.
Back home
I’m still on winter break until the 12th, yet I’ve been craving to go back to university since the beginning of winter break. I much prefer my university town over my hometown, primarily due to it actually being walkable, and that I am much unhealthier while at home. I also have the seemingly universal problem of realizing how much I am diverging from my parents, which I won’t get into here but which has made me want to go back to college. But it isn’t all doom and gloom! I’m able to see my dogs, which is always a delight. It is kind of amazing seeing how much Rudy has sprang back; only a year or so ago he seemed to be on a sharp decline. After he started arthritis medication he has been much more lively, which is really nice to see. He is 12-14 years old (he’s a rescue so we are unsure of his actual age), but I think he still has a bit to go, since he only started graying recently. LJ has gotten more sassy in the meantime as he truly becomes closer to the small dog archetype.
I also got to hang out with my hometown friends! Me and some of my close high school friends yearly do a New Year’s party (I think this is the 3rd year, but 4th year I’ve gone to her house to do NYE). It’s always a really good time and a nice way to catch up with everyone; I probably won’t see most of them until next December (or November if we do Friendsgiving again) due to being in Taiwan this summer. We did a presentation night which, no joke, took six hours to get through. It honestly was still fun, but maybe next year it would be beneficial to impose a time limit (I also went very long so I am certainly a part of the problem). Following, I went out to a friend to KBBQ and another friend to her house to do some art. I wish I got some pictures of… any of these events but I forgot to do so. Maybe a goal for this year is to take more pictures!
Project Sekai
For my presentation night I decided to do mine on the rise, fall, and rise of VOCALOID (originally I had planned to do it over Evillious Chronicles but that would’ve taken substantially longer). This was inspired by going to my grandparent’s house and my cousin showing me a drawing with Miku and Teto on it and in my head I went “what do y’all know about them…” I was in the VOCALOID TRENCHES during the dark ages of post-2017. Seeing Miku was not that surprising but Teto was! To me, she was still that obscure figure you knew only if you were really in the fandom, and not her current status as one of the most recognizable Vocasynths. This made me realize that VOCALOID (more Vocasynths in general given SynthV’s popularity) were going through a renaissance, which was absolutely supported by others online. A part of me is mildly dismayed by the current lack of diversity in popular Vocasynths (it is truly Miku and Teto for as far as the eye can see) but others are still being used by smaller creators.
At the same time I got recommended the video Why Mizuki Akiyama is the BEST Trans Representation, which was on the Project Sekai character Mizuki Akiyama. I’d always been aware of Project Sekai’s existence but never played it purely because I admittedly viewed it as not a “true” VOCALOID game (since it had non-VOCALOID characters within it). I thought the video essay was super interesting and the way Mizu5 (Where Does the Path of Thorns Lead To?) was acted was great, and completely changed my perception of the game. So of course I started playing and… I am ADDICTED. I’ve finished the main story for Nightcord at 25:00 and I’m working through The Imprisoned Marionette. I want to create a Mizuki shrine soon so I’m opting to go through all of the Nightcord at 25:00 stories first before I start doing the other main stories. So far the story is pretty cute! It’s rather simplistic but I enjoy it nevertheless.
The actual rhythm game itself I’m also having fun with. I enjoy the sheer amount of songs (especially having so many from Evillious Chronicles! Apparently there was an EC event at one point) with there being songs from non-CRYPTON VOCALOIDs. So far I find it to be a bit harder than Project Diva, as I feel in Project Diva the other hand is only used due to how fast the notes come, while in Project Sekai both hands are actively doing different things. I’m slowly getting the hang of it, though!
Art
One of my primary goals for 2026 is to draw every day. Every year since I was 14 I’ve always wanted to learn how to draw… which is a little frustrating because if I just started then I would’ve had 6 years under my belt! Nevertheless, no time like the present. It is probably one of the most frustrating things to do– my hand simply can’t do what my brain wants it to do. I know this is all helped by just practicing frequently, but it can be rather demotivating. My goal is that by July to have 500 hours under my belt! It’s definitely possible but it will require me to have the self-discipline to sit down and draw, which I have a hard time doing (especially with the knowledge of how busy this semester will be regardless). My first art goal is to create character sheets for each of my characters (of which there are many) and be relatively satisfied with them. My end goals are to create comics and video games! I know that all of this will come down to how often I practice… I can do this! Right now, I’m currently working through the Draw a Box curriculum. After I finish Lesson 2, I’ll start supplementing it with human anatomy studies.
Week ahead
Next week will begin my spring semester of sophomore year! I’m excited for my classes ahead, although I’m still not off the waitlist for my Chinese class… I’ll still go to the class regardless until I’m added into the class. My other classes are Accelerated Second Year French, Ancient Christianity, Philosophy of Religion, Contemporary Tibet, a required class to graduate with honors, and a class so I can teach (!!) fall semester. Even with studying French and Chinese at the same time there is a part of me that also wants to begin self-studying Japanese… but for right now I just need to focus on those two languages (in particular I really need to lock in on my Anki!). My goal is a 4.0 this semester, which is possible (I only got two A-s last semester). My main problem will probably be with making sure I do the readings in the second half of the semester (I always end up giving up towards the end), along with putting all my assignments into my planner (and then doing them on their respective days). I know I’m also going to be busy with Model UN… but we will get there when we get there.