Cosplay Photo essay

Just thought I would put up some more cosplay pictures taken at the recent anime expo. It can be quite difficult putting together an outfit. I met Mystique, pictured below right, earlier on in the day as she was trying to put on the wig which proved to be a bit of a challenge.

I did run into quite alot of people I've seen at Deviant Art cosplay meets including Teal Pirate from Organisation 13, Samsara16 and her Soubi, Manga Girl and Chun-Li from the Guinness Book of Records meet. These cosplay picnics are even more insane than expo, which may be hard to believe and generally involve meeting at Hyde Park, heading over to Tokyo Toys for Pocky, gaming in the Trocedero and then China Town for some grub.

One of the perils of cosplay is getting glomped big time by other cosplayers and the tightest hug I got was from this little Ritsuka:

Cosplayers are very good at bringing their characters to life, no one did this better than this Hunny from Ouran Host Club, who was bouncing around full of happiness.

I nearly got run over by this skateboarding Sasuke from Naruto but I was impressed by his customized skateboard - I think Sasuke would approve, every emo kid needs some trendy wheels!

Cosplay photo's at London Expo

Yesterday was that time of the year when I head over to the ExCel centre in London for the big anime expo which happens twice a year. There were plenty of cosplayers dressed up as characters from Death Note, Ouran High School Host Club and Bleach which as ever included an impressive array of costumes.

Lots of manga, merchandise and anime was on sale as the cosplay kids danced on the DDR machines and battled it out on the computer games screens. It was a good excuse to eat lots of Pocky (not that you need one) and a chance to hug your favourite manga characters. How could I not resist the urge to glomp a super happy Hunny from Host Club with her pink Bun Bun? There were some pretty outrageous costumes but my favourite had to be a hoodie wearing Pikachu in shorts! Surely something you don't see everyday.

Credit crunching on the web

There has been lots of coverage about the credit crunch on various websites so for today's blog I thought I would do a round up of the best guides I've seen so far.

Kicking off is the MSN Money guide which lists 22 different tips on how to survive the credit crunch

Next up is Moneyfact's Credit Crunch Daily Tips on how to save money on a daily basis with lots of easy to use tips like ditching your morning latte to having fewer nights out. Practical tips that we all know that can make a difference.

Handbag.com has a fashionable way to beat the credit crunch with tips on how to be fashionable on a budget and a handy section on things to buy which cost under a tenner.

The Daily Telegraph has a wide variety of tips to help save those pennies along with suggestions including growing your own vegetables and looks at how to audit your own lifestyle.

And if you haven't read my own suggestions on how you can beat the credit crisis, check out my recent blog entry.

Nodame Cantabile

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Recently, I've become addicted to the Nodame Cantabile drama series. There's a manga and anime series too but what I love about the drama is the way the story sometimes strays from the original, which creates lots of surprises!

Now whilst everyone says Nodame, a piano student who lives in a room full of trash, is the heroine of the story, personally I think the real hero is Chiaki, Nodame's neighbour and sometimes cook.

Due to a fear of flying he is stranded in Japan away from his favourite teacher who lives in Europe. Disillusioned with music, Chiaki has an arrogant personality and thinks all the other students at the Music Academy are rubbish. But the girls and boys at the school let him get away with it because, well... he's rather hot!

Whilst he learns to play piano, his real dream is to become a conductor and he is put in charge of the student orchestra, which basically comprises of all the worst students in the school, where he learns how to get on with others and the true meaning of how to play music from the heart.

Add to the drama, a suspicious teacher who plays truant so that he can go to host clubs, a timpanist with the biggest Afro you've ever seen and a flashy violin player who wants to rock the orchestra and you have the most charming drama I've seen in a long time.

Then there's the strangely odd Nodame herself who never plays the piano properly, but is a big fan of a fictional anime series, so how could I not warm to someone like that?

It's about hopes, dreams and friendships and watching them grasp the possibilities and fears of youth is both endearing and compelling. I've never been a classical music fan but if music is food for the soul, then Nodame Cantabile will most certainly be an enjoyable feast.

Can eating out really be cheaper than eating in?

I found an interesting article on the web about Americans opting to eat out rather than eating in as rising prices mean that it's now cheaper to eat at a restaurant than at home. Which really surprised me, but I couldn't help thinking that whilst this might work in America, could it really work here in the UK?

The last time me and my family went out to a restaurant, the bill came to £50($100) to feed five of us, which was a rather pricey evening meal. And I can't help but wonder whether the rise in food inflation in the UK will have a knock on effect to the cost of dinning out, especially as many chain restaurants have fixed prices.

Add this to the large portion sizes which critics have blamed for the increase in obesity in the States and you have a growing problem. The last time I was in America, the ethos I experienced was that 'bigger is better.' Walking into a fast food joint my younger brother ordered a large sized drink which turned out to be about four sizes bigger than the large size we get in the UK. The whole incident resulted in laughter as we watched him contemplate how on earth he was going to drink it all. It did raise a question as to whether bigger really is better especially with teenage obesity rates heading the same way as in America.

Mind you, if food was cheaper I would probably be tempted to eat out more often, but then again, there's nothing quite like a home cooked meal.

Budget beauty buys for the holidays

With the summer holiday season just around the corner, many stores have already introduced mini versions of products aimed at globe trotters and handbag ladies who want sleek beauty products on the go. But whether you're jet setting abroad or want to de-clutter your heavy handbag, here are my tips to help you along the way:

1) Decant into pots - You don't have to buy new products, head to Muji instead and get a collection of jar and squeezable bottles and decant your favourite products to take with you. Even cheekier, go to department stores and nab free samples. Next time you go on holiday, nab a couple of those shampoo/shower gel bottles you find in hotel rooms, they are the perfect size for holidays.

2) Overhaul your handbag - If you have everything including the kitchen sink in your handbag, it's time to give your handbag a makeover. Tip everything out and wipe the inside and out with antibacterial wipes.

Next get all you cosmetics and chuck make up you have had for more than two year (six months for mascara) and divide the remainder into two piles, what you use everyday and stuff you only use occasionally. Anything, you seldom use, leave at home and take the other one's with you.

Not sure what's enough? Think minimal - powder foundation, lip balm, lipstick/gloss, mascara and that's it.

3) Mini make up - If you plan to buy new make up, opt for mini versions or multi purpose make up that do more than one function such as lip gloss/blush. I'm currently loving the Mini Borjois range where a tiny lipstick can fit on the end of a mobile phone strap which costs £3.50. No need to buy a full sized version.

4) Basics over luxury - Drugstore brands like Vaseline and Nivea are just as good as the more expensive brands, even check out supermarket own brands which are just as good. Follow the above tips and this way you won't have spent all your money before you have even set foot on the place.

Supermarket shopping gets more expensive

I knew that food prices were really rising the moment my mum came back from the local shops complaining that the price of meat is going up. I came across this interesting article on food prices which had some unconventional suggestions such as baking your own bread.

The article went on to say basic food stuffs are up 20% on this time last year with the biggest increases seen on dairy and wheat products, with fruit and vegetables not too far behind. Shoppers will need to be that more savvy the next time they push their trolley around the supermarket if they really want to get some deals.

The Government states food inflation is around 6% but the article states that prices in the supermarkets are actually up between 40-80% depending on what you buy. So this week, I will be exploring my local area to see what I can save.