Niche

Everyone here has seen Totoro, and the mid-twenty somethings get excited about Ponyo. A lot of people here have a good understanding of a second language and are interested in a third. We are all hard workers, though some like to play more than others. At the same token, we all like to play. We worship Pixar and Studio Ghibli. I haven't met a person here who likes Miley Cyrus. It is not uncommon to talk about foreign films. No one is interested in getting wasted or being promiscuous. We cheer for world cup teams during class. When we need breaks, we tell each other about illustrators/artists/animators/filmmakers we know about and learn from each other. Late at night in the studio we watch unusual anime-style pieces on youtube. Guys can be totally straight and be into fashion. Everyone I have met so far is intelligent and quick on the uptake. At least the people in the summer program, with a couple exceptions, you don't make friends with people based on looks or age. No one grimaces at the mention of thai/indian/vietnamese/what have you/ food. People's faces light up at the mention of Korean BBQ. People have seen the same short films that I have seen. We all compliment each other, we are interested in each other's works, but we also help each other out. There are techies and athletic people and people from Iran, Indonesia, Columbia, Mexico, China, Vancouver, Toronto, Texas (basically another country), Japan, Korea, India.

There is a place for me.