One Potato Two

Today was one of my days to go into Company A.

I went in around 11:30...but had to stop working because my wrist started to hurt a bit.
I wasn't at home, so I didn't have ice packs to take care of it.
I couldn't take painkillers because I haven't eaten yet, and I couldn't eat because I had a dentist appointment at 3.

So...I went shopping.

I went to Target to buy ice packs (to keep at Company A).

Then I went to the dentist.

I got back at around 5, so I stayed a little later to finish the file I was working on.
I managed to finish even after Excel lost some data (grr!).
I left around 7, and the office was empty.
Usually they stay later but they probably went to get their Metal Gear Solid.

The only ones left in the office were A-san (non otaku), M-san (non otaku), and me (non...otaku).

This is how I work at Company A.



The left laptop is mine.
The right laptop is the company's.

Congratulations to Rafa Nadal for his 4th straight French Open title!
Vamos Rafa!

Anyway, I'm still working on the Code Geass booklets.
I hope I finish by tomorrow so I can finally focus on the two KABOOM projects.

I came upon an acronym in one section.
It kept talking about KMF.

KMF!?

What the heck is a KMF?

I wasn't sure if it was a mechanical or technical (military?) term...
I was going to email fellow translator Ana (link coming later) for help when...



I figured it out!


KnightMare Frame!


Those Japanese and their bad habit shortening words like that!
So confusing!!

Anyway...

Phew.
I've been up since 4am (took a 3 hour nap though) so I'm beat.
Zzz.

I was reading the Code Geass DVD booklet on the couch while watching TV.
I left my seat to get a drink, and when I came back...



Hey!


She's sleeping on the booklet!




I guess it could've been worse.
She could've run off with the mask of Zero.


Is everyone watching Code Geass?
Would you get the reference?

If not, please watch episode 6!


Oh, and I just noticed that the Code Geass website is updated.
(They're updating every week or so?)
Please check it out!

I put off Speed Grapher #3 to the side because the deadline for Code Geass is earlier.

I have three booklets to work on.
I was hoping to finish at least one yesterday night, but my tennis lesson ran long (I had three hours of tennis) and I only finished 1/3 of it.

So I'm trying to finish it before I head out to do my video game project.

Of course, I'm watching the French Open before I go.

Shiku shiku shiku...

Right after I accepted the video game job (and started on it today), I found out that I have another huge project that is due around the same time.

Bombs keep exploding!
Actually, they are more like land mines...

The video game is a pretty big project.
There are four translators working on it simultaneously.
So I'll be driving out to the Company A office about 3 times a week to work on it.
Gasoline bill going up...

Other than these two big projects, I'll be finishing Speed Grapher #3 and doing Code Geass DVD booklets #4, #5, and #6.

No, I'm not complaining...
I just hope I can catch up with July projects after I finish these, or I won't be going to Comic-Con!

I haven't done much video game work in a while and didn't expect any for the rest of the year.
But a client contacted me just now to ask how my schedule looked.

I would NEVER say no to a video game client, so of course I told him I'm pretty much free.

He'll give me more detail later, but it looks like it's going to be due within the month of June.
I have two projects for June, which is a really slow month.
So I am pretty much free.

Let's hope it's a video game that I have interest in.
No more EverQuest or anything similar, please...


At least this conversation is pushing me to finish Speed Grapher.
Even with the Company TP news that came out today, I should finish this...right?

I was so exhausted after Fanime I took a week off.
I even missed Book Expo.

I picked up Ed from MangaCast on Thursday to drop him off, so I did see the outside of the con center...
Thursday was the big game next door at the Staples Center (Lakers vs Spurs), so I wonder how crowded that area got when the con let out?

Anyway.

I've been trying to working on Speed Grapher #3, but I've been on the same page for the entire week.

I'm supposed to receive some Code Geass stuff from Company BEI this week too, so I better get working!

But the French Open is distracting me...

Shoulder-A-Coffin Kuro #1 is out.

There are color pages throughout the book!

Last day.
I went with them to SFO to see them off.

I was "released" earlier than I anticipated, so I was hoping I can change my flight to something earlier at Southwest...

But!

Ugh, holiday weekend!
Everything was booked.

So I had a lot of time.
At least I had work from Company BEI to read...


For lunch I ate at Go Bistro.
The food was not good...
I chose this place only because they had comfy cushions.



So that ended my Fanime 2008.
My friend F asked me if I would ever take care for 50 people again.
Hmm...
Judging from the time I need to recover from the convention (two to three days), maybe not.
Depends on my workload, I guess.


So here are the gifts from Company G:

The rest of the Gurren Lagann DVDs.


The limited edition of the new Evangelion movie DVD.


Some stuff from England, from their research trip.


And this is the yosegaki I got for Fanime 2008.
It's not all 46 Company G staff...just those who went to dinner on Saturday, including Maika Netsu sensei.
Oops, I had forgotten to tell her that I translated Devil Princess...oh well.

We went again to San Francisco, but this time the staff was completely free to do whatever they wanted.
Otsuka-san wanted to see Iron Man, so I gave him the times and the location.
(He was sitting next to me on the bus, so I also gave him information about US anime cons in general).

I hung out with Yamaga-san and Takeda-san.
We first rode the ferry that went under the Golden Gate Bridge.
I was actually happy to do this because it was something I didn't do the last time I came to San Francisco.

Yamaga-san took many pictures.


Golden Gate Bridge from the cruise.


We then went to the Francescan Restaurant to eat crab.
It was so good.
The amount we spent on the food was how much I would spend on food in about 3 weeks.
But it was so good.

This is Yamaga-san looking at the mussels.


Crab feast (for 4 people).


We had a lot of food, but managed to finish most of it.


We then stopped by the Ghirahideli Factory.



The two bought chocolate for the people in Japan.


Then we headed back to Fanime.

It's the dreaded event as an interpreter...the meet the guests reception!
Interpreters never get to eat at this event.
So before the event started I took pictures of the food that I didn't get to eat.











Once the fans came in, we had them stay on one side of the room while the Company G staff stayed on the other side.
We introduced every staffer there...a total of 46 employees.
It took just about an hour to finish, and those who were there know how bad I was (not memorizing names or their occupation), but I didn't get much sleep over the past 3 days.
I just wish there were microphones in the room to do the introduction.
I had a REALLY hard time hearing some of the staff.

After the introductions I had to troubleshoot here and there.
I won't get into details, but it was really tiring.

I wish the day had ended there...but then there was the Gurren Lagann panel.
It was pretty much packed, which was really nice to finish off the convention experience for the Company G staff.

The panelists were Otsuka-san, Yamaga-san, Takeda-san, Manabe-"Hige"-san, and Yoshinari-san.
Yoshinari-san had to leave early, so Yamada-san took his place.

The only thing I remember from this panel is about Yomako-sensei.
Someone commented that she looks like another anime character, and wanted to know if it was on purpose.
Otsuka-san answered that "what you're probably thinking is correct."

Here are the fans who were present.





At the end, they all held up their pointed finger and it was so cute!
I wanted to take a picture but couldn't...


After the panel I was "released" so I went to go eat with Company B staff Jonathan, freelance editor D, Company V graphic designer F, and MangaCast contributor BrianP.

Phew. What a long day.

Today was our "tour San Francisco Day 1" day.
The Company G people had a crazy schedule where they went to San Francisco during the day and Fanime during the night.

This is our bus and one of our tour guides. (There were three total).



The bus said "Company G-sama."


We went to Twin Peaks first.

It was a cloudy day...


But the staff still had fun, it seems.


The garbage truck came by, and they were all amazed by it.
Because in Japan there are about two men per truck, throwing small trash bags into the back of the bin by hand.
I told them that it's handy, but loud...it wakes you up every week.


Shudo-san wearing a Gurren Lagann t-shirt with a Company G jacket over it.
It looked cool because of the transparency.



Then we went to the Conservatory of Flowers.



Takeda-san pointed out the graffiti.


We went on the rare occasion where they take out the flowers.
I actually preferred this.




Everyone was freezing, yet Yamaga-san was wearing a t-shirt!
He had just come from England, and said it was warmer than there...



Then we went to the Golden Gate bridge.

It looked really cool with the fog.
I prefer dark visuals (gloomy or nighttime images), so I loved it!
This is the staff taking pictures of the bridge.



Then we went to Fisherman's Wharf to have lunch.

We went to Neptune's Palace.


The staff watching a performance below.


The food was so-so.
This is stuffed half Maine lobster.



We then went to the Winchester Mystery House.

The house that inspired the arc "Blood Stained Labyrinth" in Ghost Hunt...


Since we couldn't go inside because we didn't have time, most of the staff went to Toys R Us to shop.
Takeda-san and I went to Brooks Brother to buy shirts because the US has more options available.
Takeda-san's theme for today's shopping was green.
Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the shirts.
They were nice. And about 4 times more expensive than the clothes I buy.


We then went back to Fanime to do the Gurren Lagann panel for Company BEI.

Company A, Company BEI, and Company G.


Since Toshi Yoshida was a panelist he interpreted for Takeda-san and Yamaga-san.
I finally got to meet Robert, my client, in person.

I don't remember much from this panel because I was talking to my friend F most of the time.
If this was a Code Geass panel I would've been more interested because I worked on some of it, but...oh well.

Then there was the Masquerade.
We stayed for about three entries and went to dinner.
I think the dot-anime blog by Shizuki has some information about it, but I did get to meet some Company V staff (they are not my client).
I sat with Yamaga-san, Takeda-san, Sadamoto-san, and Iida-san.
Iida-san had many interesting stories to tell, but I don't think I should repeat it here.
Actually a lot went on but I shouldn't talk about it, so that's it for dinner.

After dinner I met up with several staff to figure out how they can spend tomorrow shopping for comics and toys.
We were able to figure it out.
Thanks to Iida-san and Shudo-san for letting us use their room...

I woke up extremely early to go back to SFO, to meet up with Company G.
Company G was coming in two groups...so I went to meet the first group.

We came back to the hotel, checked in, and headed to the opening ceremonies.
For some reason this year it was out in the open (in the hallway of the convention center).
Fitting in 50 Company G guests in a tiny space was tough.

Anyway, the three guests of honor went first.
Yamaga-san talks way too much before the translation break, as always.
Otsuka-san never says much but he gives me a LOT of breaks.
(Because I asked him to right before we went up).
Sadamoto-san is funny...he did this last time I worked with him, but he always looks at my notes.
So when Yamaga-san is talking and I'm taking notes, he's reading them.
It's rather embarassing because my writing is messy when I interpret.

Then Yamaga-san introduced the entire Company G staff.
The crowd was roaring, so I heard a staff say, "What a good convention!"
So there you go, Fanime.

We then had the "What is Company G? The Everyday Life at Company G" panel.
Let's see if I can remember anything we talked about...(looking at notes)

They showed their 20th year anniversary DVD.

I think this is the panel where Takeda-san "accidentally slipped" that there are going to be two Gurren movies.

Someone asked a question about negative reactions they got from fans.
Otsuka-san answered that one time, after Evangelion, someone wrote "DIE" (死ね） on their company entrance.
Since those types of fans tend to use 2-channel terminology, I wonder if the kanji was "氏ね." Haha.
(Sorry for those who can't read the Japanese on my blog).

There were other stuff...but please check out other convention reports.
My notes are messy and quite frankly they don't make much sense anymore.

After the panel was the autograph session.
There were seven people + one on the side doing it.
Can I name them all?
Let's see...
Akai-san
Yoshinari-san
Sushio-san
Koyama-san
Iida-san
Hasegawa-san
Kubota-san
Otsuka-san

Takeda-san chose them out of the 50 staff.
When Hasegawa-san asked, "Why me? Why me?" he answered that a girl should be included for visual aestheticism.
I like how Takeda-san thinks.


It was a really tiring day for Company G, but I think they all did okay.
The people who stayed through the panel and the autograph session hadn't eaten yet.
(Including me...I was starving).

I went back to the hotel and ate King's Hawaiian Bread.



By the way, I always eat King's Hawaiian Bread at conventions.
They're easy to eat in the morning and come in small sections, so they're very handy.
I recommend it to those who want to save money on food or are too lazy to go out and get food.
(I'm going to continue mentioning this until they give me free stuff.
Their factory is about a 20 minute drive on the freeway from where I live!)