Allow myself to introduce...myself...

Hello everyone. I'm Matt, though you're welcome to call me anything that isn't mean or too dirty.
I'm a student of Law currently in my third year of my bachelors degree. Although my career aspirations don't leave much room for creativity, I do like to think of myself as quite a creative person, and I enjoy writing fiction. But I'm one to keep work and pleasure separate and I'm not sure that I'd want to turn my hobbies into an actual job. I'm also, admittedly, a huge fan of the Sims 2 because it allows me to bring my stories to life; but I shall save the details of that for a Sims 2 forum.

I first came across AO in the dealers room at Anime Weekend Atlanta. At the time I had a girlfriend who lived in America so I spent two summers in Georgia. We were both yaoi fans - which is ironically how we had met in the first place - so we were going to pay half towards the game to share it.
When I returned home to the UK, I took the game with me as I ended up paying the full amount due to her money troubles. A few months later, her manic depressive disorder kicked in and things got a little too much for me to bear, so I broke it off.
Even a year down the line, it still hurts sometimes. She posted hate letters online everywhere telling everyone how terrible I supposedly am, but I'm sure most of you know that old chestnut. She also ended up stealing $500 from me to heal her aforementioned money troubles, and suffice it to say, when she came begging back and apologizing, I wasn't having any of it. After which she insisted that I must be gay and that the breakup was my fault and had nothing to do with anything she may have done wrong. Sounds fair to push 'all' the blame onto me.

I'm happy to be single again though, and there are plenty more fish in the sea, of either gender. I'm looking forward to finding someone that is actually deserving of my love. Someday, somewhere, who knows.

So that's basically my story for the past two years.

I instantly fell in love with the characters of AO and I can relate to Louise quite a bit. No I don't sleep with cute men because rich people want me too (though one can only hope), nor do I have obscene amounts of money (I am a student after all).
I can say, however, that I'm the proud owner of 3 horses, one of which is actually the grandson of Oberon, who is currently owned by H.M the Queen.
I too am a collector of fine china, and although I don't share his affection for Herend items (I find the patterns a little busy for my tastes), I do have a nice little Wedgwood collection, including a Jasper Blue teacup; though as a general rule, I don't often use mine.
I love classical music and relish my rare visits to the theater or opera. (Has anyone here seen Wicked? I would recommend it.)
Aside from that, most of my friends will tell you that I'm a bit of a sadist, and I can't really say they are far wrong.

That said, admittedly I have more affection for Kia, which is where the saying 'opposites attract' holds true I suppose.

To be honest, this is the first and only AO devoted forum I have seen; I'm happy to be here, and I look forward to getting to know fellow fans.
Kindest regards to you all.

hello, welcome in AO forum hope you will enjoy yourself here ^^

Lucky you who owns three horses I love horses too I like going to theater and love tea even though i don't collect teacups XD I think I would rather collect different kinds of tea hehe

Thank you for your warm welcome. I've noticed that you're quite a prominent figure here so I look forward to getting to know you.

Unfortunately, horses aren't all rainbows and sunshine (or sparkles of love >_>). Generally, they follow Murphy's Law; if there is a way for them to injure themselves (like a piece of wire left negligently in their field by a farm worker, or a broken fence) they WILL hurt themselves. And that's just while they're in the field! The vet's bills can be astronomical. o_o Even with insurance, there is a hefty excess charge to take on.

I don't collect teacups per-se, just some Wedgwood items in general as I think of them as part of British heritage. Have you tried white tea before? It's one of my favorites, and it has more anti-oxidants than green tea and tastes better too.

Hope to see you around the forum.
Take care.

Thanks, since I've discovered this forum I practically invaded it

As for horses, well I can quite imagine that raising them is not easy, if it was like that I would have owned one a long time ago XD XD

I may sound like an idiot but isn't white tea just normal tea with milk? O.o I tasted green tea also but I didn't like it that much

I've noticed, but not in a bad way might I add.

Owning a horse is much like having a child. They need constant attention and a scandalous amount of cash.:-p
There are riding schools where you can rent horses to use however, and if you are interested, it might be something to think about. Usually their horses are very tame and well trained.

There are a few varieties of white tea but the only type I've tried is Darjeeling White which is produced in India.
It's made with uncured and unfermented tealeaves; usually young leaves and buds which contain less caffeine. When brewed, it's a nice gold colour and it tastes very refreshing, naturally sweet, and slightly perfumed. I suppose I could compare it as a cross between regular tea and Earl Grey.

hehe, I went to horse riding for a couple of times, I also took lessons but I went only once, coz it's not exactly cheap T_T I miss going there T_T

As in tea, I think I should start taking notes from you I'm not exactly a tea expert but it's nice to taste different types, I also tried some other oriental tea which I absolutely forgot its name -_- it sucks when you live in a small island, those things are not exactly that known >.>

Yes, the downside to horses is that there are so many expenses. Some that you wouldn't necessarily think about. At least at a riding school, however, you only pay the specific amount regardless of anything that happens, and you can hold them liable in regards of negligence if necessary; for example, if you were thrown off because they gave you an injured horse to ride; failing to realize that it was lame.

I'm hardly a world authority on varieties of tea myself, but I would recommend that you try at least:

Earl Grey
Chamomile Tea
White Tea
Green Tea

All can be considered acquired tastes, as all can be quite perfumed. Admittedly I hated Earl Grey and Green Tea when I first tried them, but I grew to appreciate them. White tea and green tea especially are very good for you as they are packed with antioxidants and have less caffeine than regular tea. Chamomile is renowned for a relaxing effect, so it is usually enjoyed just before bed to aide sleep.
But if in doubt, use the internet. It's not all porn you know. lol

I did actually visit Malta not so long ago on holiday. Unfortunately there was quite a bit of construction work going on at the time, but there are some impressive sights and an epic history for such a small island. I especially enjoyed Mdina.
I was horrified it the road and driving situation though, it seemed there was a flower memorial at almost every turn, that was quite depressing to say the least. :-/
Over-all, however, I stayed at a wonderful hotel that was capable of meeting all of my needs (a task not easily met, I assure you) and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay. It's just a shame that so many of my holiday photos have road-works and construction cranes in them. :-/

Well the horse riding I attended was like paying every lesson instead monthly or l something like that, and there was another one which seemed to be more popular but it's freaken far away from where I live lol

As for tea well I write them down and see if I could get my hands on them

I'm glad you enjoyed your stay at Malta. I'm sorry that you came like on while they were construction and stuff and as for the flower memorial yea I know what you mean. I have to add also that it's the same thing with churches lol, but the good thing about being a small place is that the destinations are short and even more in Gozo XD XD

You are in Malta. How far can it possibly be?
I'm always on the look-out for new tea varieties so if I find any notables I shall let you know.
No doubt I will end up returning to Malta again; I was especially impressed with the hotel but the name of it escapes me.

I mean compared to big countries like America, it's easy to travel from one place to another. And thx to let me know more about teas it's easier to find them when you know their names!

And well you're most welcome to come to Malta again XD and if well you can let me know if you do, maybe we can meet XD I'm not exactly a tourist guide but I can show you around XD XD

I tried nettle tea today for the first time. It's really quite unique and I would suggest that you try it. n_n

And thank you, I would be happy to visit again; the five star hotels are delightfully inexpensive. I expect you to be a tour guide so you should read up on places of interest. I'm also curious to try some Maltese wine, I saw the vineyards while I was passing through on my previous visit.

thx I'll put it in my to types of tea list

And you're welcome ^^ hehe yea dear I'm gonna have an extra curriculum to do well as for wine, well why not and there are some couple of nice wine bars around malta too XD XD I happen to like wine too XD XD

I prefer white wine because it's the most refreshing, but red wine goes particularly well with Indian or Italian food.

I wonder where the others are? I've seen neither Kia nor Louise at all, yet the forum page says they have both visited in the past 24 hours. Perhaps they're on the prowl for me, getting ready to pounce? *is paranoid* lol

I think I prefer red wine XD and as you said yea it goes well with Italian, I like drinking wine with risotto XD

As for the others I can understand that you'd be excited to meet everyone, unfortunately this forum is moving at a staggering pace >.< sometimes I feel like I'm sort of a pest lool

NotaBene wrote:I wonder where the others are? I've seen neither Kia nor Louise at all, yet the forum page says they have both visited in the past 24 hours. Perhaps they're on the prowl for me, getting ready to pounce? *is paranoid* lol

Oh, no, I'm not particularly fond of surprise attacks, myself. I prefer for my victim to be fully aware of the situation at hand.

Welcome to the forums, Matt! I apologize for not greeting you sooner.

I'm thoroughly impressed by your interest in horses, china, classical music and the like. As for the Sims 2, you're more than welcome to share your stories with us in the 'Irrelevant Rambles' section. <3

Freaky_Feline wrote:sometimes I feel like I'm sort of a pest lool

Don't be silly. >(



Also, I'd like to apologize for my absence around the forums recently. I've been devoting all of my time to school, Kia, and attempting to get over this nasty cold of mine. My lack of activity is only temporary, though, I assure you.

Wow, you're pretty damn smart. Glad to see the intelligence in all your posts. It's refreshing.

Too bad you live in the UK or I would buy ya a beer.

*cough*Don'ttellLouise.*cough*

As for not being active on the forums, Louise has been keeping me captive. That and I kinda gave him my cold. I hafta take care of him now.

Nichi, Nichi Matt.
Welcome to the forums and I apologize also for my late greetings. The lack of having a computer and equal with a younger sister is never a good combination.

Thank you for all the warm - if perhaps slightly overwhelming - welcomes!
To make this easier I'll respond to each person individually.


Louise. It is good to meet you. I had heard from Freaky_Feline that both you and Kia had not been well as of late, so your absence is perfectly understandable. As for wanting to spend the time with Kia, I can hardly blame you.

I'd be happy to post pictures of my horses in the irrelevant rambles section so that you can see them. Likewise with my AO themed Sims (who strangely enough, act very similar to their real counterparts; Kia nearly burned down the kitchen).



Kia. Thank you. I hope that you're also feeling better. A nasty cold can bring even the hardiest men down. But remember, if anyone asks, it was 'flu'.

I'm quite a keen traveler, so who knows, one day I'll be sure to hold you to that beer.

I didn't realize that is was possible to keep you captive, if you didn't want to be that is; but something tells me that your objections aren't as strong as you make them out to be.
As for Louise's cold, he may want to avoid energetic activities for a few days - you know exactly what I'm talking about. Vitamin C is always good, so plenty of oranges or peppers, and plenty of fluids. Try to avoid dairy products as they can worsen congestion. Pain killers every 4 hours just to numb the symptoms. Other than that, all he will need is plenty of hugs. Besides, it gives you an excuse to play 'Doctor'. Good luck.


Silvio Nice to meet you too. Thank you for the warm welcome, and apologies aren't necessary. I can understand your frustration. I have an older sister who always hijacked the computer for hours on end. I eventually ended up buying a laptop with a wifi router so I didn't have to bother with her. To be honest, I really don't know what I would do without computer access these days. I rely on it far too much, even just to check on the weather...far be it from me to just walk outside and see for myself, lol.

NotaBene wrote:
Silvio Nice to meet you too. Thank you for the warm welcome, and apologies aren't necessary. I can understand your frustration. I have an older sister who always hijacked the computer for hours on end. I eventually ended up buying a laptop with a wifi router so I didn't have to bother with her. To be honest, I really don't know what I would do without computer access these days. I rely on it far too much, even just to check on the weather...far be it from me to just walk outside and see for myself, lol.

Ah, thank you. Yeah, well..she is my younger sister and it is her laptop, but I am being reasonable when I want to borrow it...namely when she goes to sleep, but even there she is trying to cheat her way by stalling and wasting her time on those pointless so called "Reality" television shows. =w=;
I'm waiting for my laptop. >=D Once I get that..I shall laugh for the fact she won't be able to get in there without my fingerprint and a bunch of security checks. >=D
I need the computer A LOT, not for online wise, but for photoshop and other media wise.

Oh no, not reality TV. My mother took over the TV for the past 3 months for 'Big Brother'. More like 'Big Waste of Time'. I've never seen something so utterly pathetic as the rubbish that they spew out these days in the name of 'Reality Television'. If 'Reality' was this soul-less, we'd all have committed suicide a long time ago.

What annoys me is when my sister wants to use the computer. She doesn't live at home anymore, but she uses the house as an internet cafe, visiting only to use the computer. My father and I have recently invested over a grand on a new top spec computer, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let her use it. lol For that reason, we have kept our old one in the study for her to use.

I have a fingerprint scanner on my laptop, and admittedly the novelty does wear off after a while. Mainly because you have to clean it with each use, otherwise bits of dust can interrupt the reading. Mind you, with a 24 character password consisting of both letters and numbers, I really don't NEED biometric security, lol.

I use my computer for all sorts of things. From internet use, to homework, to media; and combinations of them. Because laws can change from day to day, I need to stay updated, and the internet is the only way that I can do that. One of the websites I use is updated no less than 3 times a day!

NotaBene wrote:Oh no, not reality TV. My mother took over the TV for the past 3 months for 'Big Brother'. More like 'Big Waste of Time'. I've never seen something so utterly pathetic as the rubbish that they spew out these days in the name of 'Reality Television'. If 'Reality' was this soul-less, we'd all have committed suicide a long time ago.

Yea TV reality and soap-operas are basically TV trash, at any rate I don't see TV anymore, internet is more efficient for that matter.