I am one big ball of whining and complaining. Apparently it shows, because I got grilled the other day with questions about if I am okay, am I homesick etc. etc. from another girl I am friends with from my Japanese class.
Honestly though, I am feeling a lot better over the last few days because a few things happened:
1. My host parents didn't freak out when I asked to stay at a friend's house since he was having a party for me and it would start kind of late (although since then the party has been canceled. Oh well)
2. After venting to my mom via email about how expensive it was here, how much money I'd been spending, how much money I didn't have... she basically told me to stop stressing out, that she'd put 600 dollars into my bank account, and to keep in contact about how spending money is going and all that.
So, yay for loads of stress taken off my shoulders!
Anyway, Tokyo Cowgirl and I are going to meet tomorrow and eat ramen. How very gaijin of us! That's okay, we both love it, that's all that matters, eh? I'm pretty excited to meet up with her, we've been talking for a few months and she seems like a firecracker. I just wish her and I could have met earlier, would probably mean I'd have had something more to do this weekend than sit on my butt at school on a Saturday! I love Tokyo if only for the pure fact that it's such an international city. Being an exchange student, I've already met so many people from all over the world, and even a lot of people from all over the US.
I think it's pretty damn nifty.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Exhausted with being exhausted
So much for posting on a more consistent basis. Looks like I am starting a once a week trend now that I can only really use the internet on campus. On top of not having internet to keep me distracted at home, I have been absolutely exhausted on days that I am busy with school. Though I get tons of sleep on the weekends, I feel like I get barely enough to get through the week, and that thought is dragging me down already.
Okay, maybe I should move to something more entertaining before I zonk out at the desk and scare all of the Japanese students around me.
I met with a friend this weekend that I first met online, and one of the great things about that was the hilarious conversation we had while sitting on the Tsukuba express, discussing the courtesy seat symbols. (I have read at least one other blog entry about this topic, but I thought his points would be entertaining nonetheless.)
He's a sign that's not the same, but similar... I'll explain the differences.
Anyway, the ones we were looking at didn't show the bottom part of their legs, just the thigh part. Because of this, my friend was saying that supposed thigh part of the person could just be a shadow of a standing figure. This, to him, made the equivalent of the 2nd picture appear to be a man stealing away with a bag of kidnapped children slung over his shoulder. I asked him why his deluded mind came up with that as opposed to say, Santa with a bag of presents over his shoulder, and he said it was obviously not Santa because he doesn't have the Santa hat on. Of course. Also, I am pretty sure I don't need to go into detail about what that first figure looks like. Oi.
That's all for my entertaining stories for now, I have to wake up super early tomorrow morning to go to Hakone with the rest of the students from my program, and I need to be bright and bushy-tailed first thing if I am going to make it through the day. Ugh, time to trek on home.
Okay, maybe I should move to something more entertaining before I zonk out at the desk and scare all of the Japanese students around me.
I met with a friend this weekend that I first met online, and one of the great things about that was the hilarious conversation we had while sitting on the Tsukuba express, discussing the courtesy seat symbols. (I have read at least one other blog entry about this topic, but I thought his points would be entertaining nonetheless.)
He's a sign that's not the same, but similar... I'll explain the differences.
Anyway, the ones we were looking at didn't show the bottom part of their legs, just the thigh part. Because of this, my friend was saying that supposed thigh part of the person could just be a shadow of a standing figure. This, to him, made the equivalent of the 2nd picture appear to be a man stealing away with a bag of kidnapped children slung over his shoulder. I asked him why his deluded mind came up with that as opposed to say, Santa with a bag of presents over his shoulder, and he said it was obviously not Santa because he doesn't have the Santa hat on. Of course. Also, I am pretty sure I don't need to go into detail about what that first figure looks like. Oi.
That's all for my entertaining stories for now, I have to wake up super early tomorrow morning to go to Hakone with the rest of the students from my program, and I need to be bright and bushy-tailed first thing if I am going to make it through the day. Ugh, time to trek on home.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Boring, but an update nonetheless
I realized last night that today would be my official one month mark. It feels a little surreal, especially with how much time I have left as well. Nine more months and it feels like it is stretching off into the distance.
On the bright side, though, I am starting to feel a little bit better about my skill in Japanese (Emphasis on the little bit). I finally met my host parents' daughter (she's staying with us because she and her husband had a tiff, what a situation), and she complimented me on my Japanese, and then today in class one of the volunteer students complimented me as well. I don't know if my Japanese has gotten any better per se, more than my confidence level in speaking it has simply gone up... though I still waffle sometimes when it comes to saying what I want to.
Slowly, but surely, I am feeling a bit more comfortable, and I am definitely happy for that. The one thing that is really paining me right now is the noticeable speed at which money leaves my wallet. I knew it would be more expensive here, but now that I have spent a good chunk of time here it's really becoming noticeable. Oi.
Time to go read and write up a short paper for class later, but I will try to update again at a time sooner than I've started to adapt to, hah.
On the bright side, though, I am starting to feel a little bit better about my skill in Japanese (Emphasis on the little bit). I finally met my host parents' daughter (she's staying with us because she and her husband had a tiff, what a situation), and she complimented me on my Japanese, and then today in class one of the volunteer students complimented me as well. I don't know if my Japanese has gotten any better per se, more than my confidence level in speaking it has simply gone up... though I still waffle sometimes when it comes to saying what I want to.
Slowly, but surely, I am feeling a bit more comfortable, and I am definitely happy for that. The one thing that is really paining me right now is the noticeable speed at which money leaves my wallet. I knew it would be more expensive here, but now that I have spent a good chunk of time here it's really becoming noticeable. Oi.
Time to go read and write up a short paper for class later, but I will try to update again at a time sooner than I've started to adapt to, hah.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
The End of the World
Right. Updating. That'd probably be a lot easier if my internet at home hadn't decided to go out on a more permanent basis, eh? So here I am, on a Saturday, sitting in the self-study room on campus. I'm at school, because if I was at home, all I'd have to do is homework. What an ironic twist of fate.
Anyway, the last couple of weeks have been pretty uneventful. Not much in the way of getting together with people, though I did have lunch a week or so ago with a couple friends and got to see my first bloody crime scene when we were returning from the cafe. How fun is that, following a meal? Tons, I tell ya! Other than that, it's just been school, homework, school, homework, downloading doc and pdf files of books to avoid homework, then more school and more homework. Luckily I am going to Shinjuku tomorrow and actually doing something, primarily spending money I don't have on clothes that don't look half as good on me as they do on Japanese women. Then Monday is another busy day of reading more than I should because I still haven't done my homework. Wee!
As a side note about Japanese men/women/relationshis between the two... I've kind of wavered about trying to integrate somewhat by taking a bit more of a feminine role or image. I've already talked about fashion and guys, and I don't want to and don't plan to compromise myself to appeal to men or fit in with women, but like I said... I'm here, do as the Romans do or somethin', right? That stress on top of just trying to adjust is driving me nuts lately. It's hard to believe it's already been a month, but maybe I'll just have to tough it out to get to that famous 3 Month Mark, eh? Well... Ugh. I should probably skidaddle, I've got to get home for dinner time (oi), and then go drown myself in more reading. Helluva way to spend my 4 day weekend hah.
Anyway, the last couple of weeks have been pretty uneventful. Not much in the way of getting together with people, though I did have lunch a week or so ago with a couple friends and got to see my first bloody crime scene when we were returning from the cafe. How fun is that, following a meal? Tons, I tell ya! Other than that, it's just been school, homework, school, homework, downloading doc and pdf files of books to avoid homework, then more school and more homework. Luckily I am going to Shinjuku tomorrow and actually doing something, primarily spending money I don't have on clothes that don't look half as good on me as they do on Japanese women. Then Monday is another busy day of reading more than I should because I still haven't done my homework. Wee!
As a side note about Japanese men/women/relationshis between the two... I've kind of wavered about trying to integrate somewhat by taking a bit more of a feminine role or image. I've already talked about fashion and guys, and I don't want to and don't plan to compromise myself to appeal to men or fit in with women, but like I said... I'm here, do as the Romans do or somethin', right? That stress on top of just trying to adjust is driving me nuts lately. It's hard to believe it's already been a month, but maybe I'll just have to tough it out to get to that famous 3 Month Mark, eh? Well... Ugh. I should probably skidaddle, I've got to get home for dinner time (oi), and then go drown myself in more reading. Helluva way to spend my 4 day weekend hah.
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