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Halloween
Today I have been stared at more than on any other day in my life. More than walking around with bells and flowers in my rag curled hair wearing a green velvet cloak and carrying a mock-up giant hammer for the Changeling finale. More than during the summer when I walked to Changeling in my corset carrying a four foot plastic sword. More than going to Marsh all gothed up for Knightridge parties. More than riding on the New York City subway during morning rush hour dressed as my idea of a Victorian prostitute - granted, that was actually on Halloween.
So what did I do to draw so much attention? In a way, I'm not even sure.
I've been getting steadily sadder as the 31st has approached because it became clear that I would not be doing ANYTHING for Halloween. No parties, no seeing people, and no costume. Halloween is my favorite day of the year, and the only thing I'd done was buy myself a pumpkin - about which I was, and am, delighted, but still. So when I realized I had to run some errands anyway, I thought I might as well do SOMETHING, ANYTHING, and it would cheer me up. With that in mind, I dug out a Halloween t-shirt I have - it has a ghost on it and says "boo!" - and my floor length black skirt. Better than nothing, right? But hardly remarkable.
While I was walking to my first errand, I had an idea. With the addition of one thing, I could make it in to a costume. I even knew where to buy the one thing, and it was on it's way to my destination. Thus, within 10 minutes of leaving the house, I'd stopped at Claire's Accessories and purchased myself a black witches hat, which I promptly put on.
I was out for 3 hours total with my new hat. I went to the bakery, the dollar store, the book store, and a used book store. And everyone GOGGLED at me! Okay, not everyone. But I'd say more people stared at me than not. Even in Akihabara! I walked past girls fully Lolita'd out and they got less attention than ME. At least for that, all I can figure is that loli's are in these people's experience, whereas weird foreign girls dressed all in black wearing witches hats...aren't. Most people just stared, though a few did double takes, and some clearly didn't want to be seen to notice. A few older men gave me looks as close to hatred as I've ever had directed at me by strangers. A fairly large number of middle aged women gave me broad, laughing smiles. A couple of parents made sure their kids noticed, and a couple of younger guys smiled too. People TALKED about me! Where I could hear! Oh, it's Halloween, or what is she wearing? One older lady even pointed. A couple people spoke to me, mostly "It's Halloween!" though one guy said "Trick or Treat!" which I thought was really cute. One mother had her adorable children wave at me - the two kids were the only other individuals I saw in costume the entire time, the girl as Snow White, the boy as I'm-not-sure-what.
All in all, it was rather surreal. I mean, wearing Scottish tartan to Cracker Barrel on a random Sunday morning in February drew less attention the this silly witches hat did on Halloween! And it's not like they don't know it's Halloween - it's no where near the OD you get in the states, but I still passed multiple businesses with Halloween stuff out, you'd have to live under a rock not to know it was Halloween, even here. And yet there I was, followed by astonished stares and a trail of people commenting to each other that it was Halloween as if I wouldn't have been able to understand them even if the only word of Japanese I knew was "hai." I thought maybe I should write a sign, ハロウインが大好き or maybe 今日はハロウイン！ ("I love Halloween!" or "Today is Halloween!").
At first, I was really embarrassed by all the attention I drew; I think I spent the entire first hour blushing, but as I got used to it, it was actually kind of fun, meeting the angry looks with confidence, smiling back at the folks who smiled, holding my head high with every one else. Despite being more attention-getting than Changeling costumes, it was still reminiscent of back when I used to wear whatever I was wearing to game all day, out to restaurants, etc. (For people who aren't Changeling crowd, I wore things like this, where it says CLONE on my forehead in red lipstick, that's the sword I mentioned,, this, and this - the cloak and hammer and such mentioned above in public on days where there was no apparent reason to be dressed oddly) It felt similar to those times. But then, I was expecting it, I mean, I was dressed like a total weirdo. ;) But a witches hat on Halloween? In the states, no one would look twice. But of course, this isn't the states.
Unrelatedly, but very nicely, I passed a Japanese girl wearing an Alkaline Trio patch, and she and I spent a few moments exchanging OMG's Alkaline Trioが大好き! with each other, which was awesome, since they are my favorite band and it sounded like they were hers, too. ;)
I was just rather astonished. But it made for an interesting cultural experience. :)
So what did I do to draw so much attention? In a way, I'm not even sure.
I've been getting steadily sadder as the 31st has approached because it became clear that I would not be doing ANYTHING for Halloween. No parties, no seeing people, and no costume. Halloween is my favorite day of the year, and the only thing I'd done was buy myself a pumpkin - about which I was, and am, delighted, but still. So when I realized I had to run some errands anyway, I thought I might as well do SOMETHING, ANYTHING, and it would cheer me up. With that in mind, I dug out a Halloween t-shirt I have - it has a ghost on it and says "boo!" - and my floor length black skirt. Better than nothing, right? But hardly remarkable.
While I was walking to my first errand, I had an idea. With the addition of one thing, I could make it in to a costume. I even knew where to buy the one thing, and it was on it's way to my destination. Thus, within 10 minutes of leaving the house, I'd stopped at Claire's Accessories and purchased myself a black witches hat, which I promptly put on.
I was out for 3 hours total with my new hat. I went to the bakery, the dollar store, the book store, and a used book store. And everyone GOGGLED at me! Okay, not everyone. But I'd say more people stared at me than not. Even in Akihabara! I walked past girls fully Lolita'd out and they got less attention than ME. At least for that, all I can figure is that loli's are in these people's experience, whereas weird foreign girls dressed all in black wearing witches hats...aren't. Most people just stared, though a few did double takes, and some clearly didn't want to be seen to notice. A few older men gave me looks as close to hatred as I've ever had directed at me by strangers. A fairly large number of middle aged women gave me broad, laughing smiles. A couple of parents made sure their kids noticed, and a couple of younger guys smiled too. People TALKED about me! Where I could hear! Oh, it's Halloween, or what is she wearing? One older lady even pointed. A couple people spoke to me, mostly "It's Halloween!" though one guy said "Trick or Treat!" which I thought was really cute. One mother had her adorable children wave at me - the two kids were the only other individuals I saw in costume the entire time, the girl as Snow White, the boy as I'm-not-sure-what.
All in all, it was rather surreal. I mean, wearing Scottish tartan to Cracker Barrel on a random Sunday morning in February drew less attention the this silly witches hat did on Halloween! And it's not like they don't know it's Halloween - it's no where near the OD you get in the states, but I still passed multiple businesses with Halloween stuff out, you'd have to live under a rock not to know it was Halloween, even here. And yet there I was, followed by astonished stares and a trail of people commenting to each other that it was Halloween as if I wouldn't have been able to understand them even if the only word of Japanese I knew was "hai." I thought maybe I should write a sign, ハロウインが大好き or maybe 今日はハロウイン！ ("I love Halloween!" or "Today is Halloween!").
At first, I was really embarrassed by all the attention I drew; I think I spent the entire first hour blushing, but as I got used to it, it was actually kind of fun, meeting the angry looks with confidence, smiling back at the folks who smiled, holding my head high with every one else. Despite being more attention-getting than Changeling costumes, it was still reminiscent of back when I used to wear whatever I was wearing to game all day, out to restaurants, etc. (For people who aren't Changeling crowd, I wore things like this, where it says CLONE on my forehead in red lipstick, that's the sword I mentioned,, this, and this - the cloak and hammer and such mentioned above in public on days where there was no apparent reason to be dressed oddly) It felt similar to those times. But then, I was expecting it, I mean, I was dressed like a total weirdo. ;) But a witches hat on Halloween? In the states, no one would look twice. But of course, this isn't the states.
Unrelatedly, but very nicely, I passed a Japanese girl wearing an Alkaline Trio patch, and she and I spent a few moments exchanging OMG's Alkaline Trioが大好き! with each other, which was awesome, since they are my favorite band and it sounded like they were hers, too. ;)
I was just rather astonished. But it made for an interesting cultural experience. :)
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My coworkers suggested I dress up as McLovin for Halloween. It's depressing, and yet completely, totally accurate :P
-- Gerardo
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