So I realize I haven't posted in a while, and I hadn't really posted much in a while before that haha. I just wanted to mention that I had a good moment last night when it came to Japanese, which doesn't always happen with me. I was watching Japanese TV, a comedy show called エントの神様 (Or "The God(s) of Entertainment"), and I was actually following what was going on in the sketch comedy to the point where I was laughing--and no, not just because I thought their outfits looked funny.
Nice to realize that I am actually getting what is going on around me, and that the language barrier is becoming more of a language fog. Not quite gone, but definitely an improvement.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Men of all nationalities
While men all over the world all have their own little quirks that I can find attractive (Japanese and Korean men are very stylish and nice to look at, Irish and English men have super hot accents, etc.), I have come to the conclusion at this point that American boys just feel like home. When I find one I like, I just really connect with them on a way I don't think I could with anyone else, at least not as quickly and easily. I think part of it is the shared cultureand growing up in a relatively similar environment. Just lets you make that leap of being together that much easier.
No, this it not my way of saying "AMERICA, FUCK YEAH!". I really do like Japan, though I don't think I could ever live here on a permanent basis, but I just really like the American guys more than the Japanese ones when it comes to a level beyond just eye-candy.
P.S. Especially the tall ones.
No, this it not my way of saying "AMERICA, FUCK YEAH!". I really do like Japan, though I don't think I could ever live here on a permanent basis, but I just really like the American guys more than the Japanese ones when it comes to a level beyond just eye-candy.
P.S. Especially the tall ones.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Foreign-Japanese dynamic
Yes, my updates are pretty intermittent. Not that a lot of people read it anyway, but I was inspired this weekend by my night out with some friends.
To start with, it was me and 3 other foreign girls (Another from America, one from Canada, one from England... we represented the typical West pretty well that night) and 2 Japanese guys. The only person in that group that I didn't know was the girl from England, but was still somewhat connected to her since she is going out with a guy in my program.
Anyway, the place we went to was a little izakaya (in that the floor plan was little, though it's apparently 6 floors) in Shinjuku that my Canadian friend had recommended. Not only are the beers 100 yen each, but the gyoza there is to die for. This essentially put me in the right mood for the night because I was free to drink as much as I wanted and it was a relatively small group so we could all converse pretty well together.
One thing I noticed was the conversational dynamic that is created when you get Western girls and Japanese guys together. As the boys confirmed, there is pretty much no way Japanese guys are going to be talking about topics like sex with Japanese girls, and yet much of the night we spent talking about that particular subject. In regards to America, though it may change with the relationship between the guy and girl, I can't imagine that a guy and girl who aren't particularly close friends could have a casual conversation about sex without the guy thinking this is a kind of hint that he might be able to hook up with her at some point. (I may be stereotyping a bit here and if you think differently, you're more than welcome to comment, but that's just what I have experienced.)
Though it doesn't inspire me to revitalize my search to attempt to understand Japanese guys, I found it quite interesting to observe.
(My attempt to figure them out went like this:
To start with, it was me and 3 other foreign girls (Another from America, one from Canada, one from England... we represented the typical West pretty well that night) and 2 Japanese guys. The only person in that group that I didn't know was the girl from England, but was still somewhat connected to her since she is going out with a guy in my program.
Anyway, the place we went to was a little izakaya (in that the floor plan was little, though it's apparently 6 floors) in Shinjuku that my Canadian friend had recommended. Not only are the beers 100 yen each, but the gyoza there is to die for. This essentially put me in the right mood for the night because I was free to drink as much as I wanted and it was a relatively small group so we could all converse pretty well together.
One thing I noticed was the conversational dynamic that is created when you get Western girls and Japanese guys together. As the boys confirmed, there is pretty much no way Japanese guys are going to be talking about topics like sex with Japanese girls, and yet much of the night we spent talking about that particular subject. In regards to America, though it may change with the relationship between the guy and girl, I can't imagine that a guy and girl who aren't particularly close friends could have a casual conversation about sex without the guy thinking this is a kind of hint that he might be able to hook up with her at some point. (I may be stereotyping a bit here and if you think differently, you're more than welcome to comment, but that's just what I have experienced.)
Though it doesn't inspire me to revitalize my search to attempt to understand Japanese guys, I found it quite interesting to observe.
(My attempt to figure them out went like this:
- Okay, I think I know what Japanese guys like. Kind of timid and cutesy, right?
- Fuck I don't know how to be cutesy, should I just be myself? Crap that scared them off.
- I have no fucking clue how to deal with them, shitshit what do I do?!
- Fuck it, this is too stressful, I don't give two craps anymore.
- Yay, American boy to play with! No more worrying about Japanese guys!)
Saturday, May 9, 2009
I'm too lazy to make a witty title
So Golden Week was full of me being at home doing a whole lot of nothing. On Sunday or Monday (can't remember which) I got so bored that I just decided to type up an update and post it when I got the time. Here ya go!
So I have too much time to myself, which leads me to over-analyze anything that I could possibly over-analyze. Also, to horribly exaggerate my woes. I feel so silly sometimes for complaining about being in Japan and not home in America, but it's hard to stay positive at times when I have nothing to mentally occupy me at home but homework and music (not enough for me), and nothing to do outside of my house for free but go to school or go to the park (also not enough for me).
I was talking to my best friend yesterday about how kind of depressed I am and how I have nothing to do, and she was telling me that I have to stay positive, which I am sure is advice that I have given her numerous amounts of times. But as they say, easier said than done.
I feel like if I had something to distract me then the next two-and-a-half months would go by very quickly, and thus came my idea of working out and trying to get into better shape. This came to me just a bit after I got back, and I have been going, but what with my a) love of snack foods and b) proficiency in procrastination and half-assing things I haven't gotten very far with actually trying to healthify my diet (yes, I know that “healthify” is not a real word, deal with it).
Something has changed though. Over the last couple of days of vacation, sitting at home re-watching movies and shows that I have seen at least half a dozen times while in Japan, I had my down point decide to incline and my brain go “Oh, right, being POSITIVE.” This dieting infomercial came on the TV this morning and I was glued to the TV for the whole 30 minute run-time. After watching it and coming upstairs and fooling around for a while on my DS, it just clicked into place. I realized that, now of all times, when I have nothing other than school distracting me, would be ideal to take advantage of when it comes to taking care of my body. We all know it's the hardest to start exercising and eating healthy when we have other things giving us excuses as to why we shouldn't go to the gym, or why we should just eat take-out instead of putting a meal together. Although I can't really work on cooking for myself right now, seeing as I am living in someone else's home in which my dinners are cooked for me (though that's a positive in itself), I most definitely can start taking exercising seriously and also watching what I eat for lunch.
On one hand I feel like such a stereotype in Japan for wanting to diet, but on the other... I am not stick-thin like a lot of Japanese women, I could lose a good chunk of weight, and I really just want to be a healthy person. I need to reign in my eating habits for they have been in the low for a long time, with too much junk food thrown in there. It also helps that I'd like to return home looking nice and hot for a certain boy... ;D
On a side note from the dieting thing, but in regards to taking up time and lifting my spirits, I should probably start working on the whole procrastination thing. Start working on my homework as early as possible and not doing shit last-minute the morning/day it's due.
P.S. From Today (05/09) The whole not procrastinating thing isn't working quite yet, but I am trying. Sort of.
So I have too much time to myself, which leads me to over-analyze anything that I could possibly over-analyze. Also, to horribly exaggerate my woes. I feel so silly sometimes for complaining about being in Japan and not home in America, but it's hard to stay positive at times when I have nothing to mentally occupy me at home but homework and music (not enough for me), and nothing to do outside of my house for free but go to school or go to the park (also not enough for me).
I was talking to my best friend yesterday about how kind of depressed I am and how I have nothing to do, and she was telling me that I have to stay positive, which I am sure is advice that I have given her numerous amounts of times. But as they say, easier said than done.
I feel like if I had something to distract me then the next two-and-a-half months would go by very quickly, and thus came my idea of working out and trying to get into better shape. This came to me just a bit after I got back, and I have been going, but what with my a) love of snack foods and b) proficiency in procrastination and half-assing things I haven't gotten very far with actually trying to healthify my diet (yes, I know that “healthify” is not a real word, deal with it).
Something has changed though. Over the last couple of days of vacation, sitting at home re-watching movies and shows that I have seen at least half a dozen times while in Japan, I had my down point decide to incline and my brain go “Oh, right, being POSITIVE.” This dieting infomercial came on the TV this morning and I was glued to the TV for the whole 30 minute run-time. After watching it and coming upstairs and fooling around for a while on my DS, it just clicked into place. I realized that, now of all times, when I have nothing other than school distracting me, would be ideal to take advantage of when it comes to taking care of my body. We all know it's the hardest to start exercising and eating healthy when we have other things giving us excuses as to why we shouldn't go to the gym, or why we should just eat take-out instead of putting a meal together. Although I can't really work on cooking for myself right now, seeing as I am living in someone else's home in which my dinners are cooked for me (though that's a positive in itself), I most definitely can start taking exercising seriously and also watching what I eat for lunch.
On one hand I feel like such a stereotype in Japan for wanting to diet, but on the other... I am not stick-thin like a lot of Japanese women, I could lose a good chunk of weight, and I really just want to be a healthy person. I need to reign in my eating habits for they have been in the low for a long time, with too much junk food thrown in there. It also helps that I'd like to return home looking nice and hot for a certain boy... ;D
On a side note from the dieting thing, but in regards to taking up time and lifting my spirits, I should probably start working on the whole procrastination thing. Start working on my homework as early as possible and not doing shit last-minute the morning/day it's due.
P.S. From Today (05/09) The whole not procrastinating thing isn't working quite yet, but I am trying. Sort of.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
湿度? More like 死度. Bad joke.
Though the temperature has levelled back out again to what I would call normal Spring weather (take into consideration that I come from western WA where it's typically 50-55 degrees and rainy for the majority of Spring), it peaked at about 70-75 for a bit about a week ago, and from what the internet is telling me it's supposed to be close to 80 tomorrow. Normally I'd say that that temperature is not a big deal, but there are a few very vital defenses I have back home against the weather that I do not have here:
1. Only time I absolutely HAVE to spend out time is either walking to and from the car when at my parents', or the maybe 5 minutes it takes to get to class when I am at PSU. Here I have to walk outside 20+ minutes which is not bad in and of itself, but add onto that the amount of time I have to spend packed inside a stuffed, oven-like train... these are the minimums by the way. Using computers in rooms that are not air-conditioned? Not fun.
2. FREAKING CENTRAL AIR. The only defense against the heat I have at my host parents' place is a little electric fan. Uhhh?!
3. Things to do at home that will distract me when all I want to do is curl up into a naked ball and die from the heat. Only shit I have to do at home here is re-watch the videos that I have seen a thousand times by now, as well as read the shelf of Danielle Steele books my host dad has stashed in my room. Not the best of options.
Not to mention how god-damn humid it gets here, Tokyo with it's special population-enchanced climate. I do not deal well with humidity, evidenced by the fact that I have actually passed out once while in the shower from all the humidity/steam and whatnot. I am going to be drinking a wholewhole lot of water in the coming three months.
Heat + humidity = Death of Keitorin.
P.S. My English is slowly becoming more influenced by Japan, and what really worries me is that I don't usually catch it. This tells me just how deeply it's affecting me. I am praying for a quick recovery when I get back into English-speaking country.
1. Only time I absolutely HAVE to spend out time is either walking to and from the car when at my parents', or the maybe 5 minutes it takes to get to class when I am at PSU. Here I have to walk outside 20+ minutes which is not bad in and of itself, but add onto that the amount of time I have to spend packed inside a stuffed, oven-like train... these are the minimums by the way. Using computers in rooms that are not air-conditioned? Not fun.
2. FREAKING CENTRAL AIR. The only defense against the heat I have at my host parents' place is a little electric fan. Uhhh?!
3. Things to do at home that will distract me when all I want to do is curl up into a naked ball and die from the heat. Only shit I have to do at home here is re-watch the videos that I have seen a thousand times by now, as well as read the shelf of Danielle Steele books my host dad has stashed in my room. Not the best of options.
Not to mention how god-damn humid it gets here, Tokyo with it's special population-enchanced climate. I do not deal well with humidity, evidenced by the fact that I have actually passed out once while in the shower from all the humidity/steam and whatnot. I am going to be drinking a wholewhole lot of water in the coming three months.
Heat + humidity = Death of Keitorin.
P.S. My English is slowly becoming more influenced by Japan, and what really worries me is that I don't usually catch it. This tells me just how deeply it's affecting me. I am praying for a quick recovery when I get back into English-speaking country.
Monday, April 6, 2009
That's What HE Said
New season, new semester, and I am still having a few struggles. I think the sun is beating some of it out of me (pun most definitely intended) , but it hasn't fully accomplished its job yet.
I think Japanese today kind of picked me up again, though. I made a snap-quick "that's what she said" remark today (most assuredly related to how much of the Office I have been watching lately), and it made me happy to make so many people in class laugh again. I wouldn't consider myself the class clown by any means, but I do enjoy making people laugh with my stupid jokes.
New boys always help to pick your mood up, too, even if they ARE halfway across the world :P
That's pretty much all I have got to say at the moment... oh, and Sociolinguistics is piquing my interest.
Ijou desu.
I think Japanese today kind of picked me up again, though. I made a snap-quick "that's what she said" remark today (most assuredly related to how much of the Office I have been watching lately), and it made me happy to make so many people in class laugh again. I wouldn't consider myself the class clown by any means, but I do enjoy making people laugh with my stupid jokes.
New boys always help to pick your mood up, too, even if they ARE halfway across the world :P
That's pretty much all I have got to say at the moment... oh, and Sociolinguistics is piquing my interest.
Ijou desu.
Monday, March 23, 2009
No, I am not dead.
Yeah. I know. I kind of disappeared off the face of the blogosphere, and I am sorry for that. I have been home in good ol' WA since mid-early February, so I have been kind of distracted with being a social human being who can eat whenever/whatever I want, sleep whenever I want, use the internet whenever I want, go places without spending tons of money on the train... basically having a life I control myself. Anyway, I am coming back to Japan in a week so I decided that I should probably poke all of you again and say hi.
I am not exactly sure what to talk about, I am actually stealing my friend's Star Wars virginity at the moment--I don't even know how we have been friends for 14 years and she hasn't seen it up until now--so I am a little bit distracted by the movie, though I have seen it only God knows how many times.
Anyway, I suppose if you guys have any questions then shoot, otherwise I will just try to think up something interesting for whenever I decide to update again :P
I am not exactly sure what to talk about, I am actually stealing my friend's Star Wars virginity at the moment--I don't even know how we have been friends for 14 years and she hasn't seen it up until now--so I am a little bit distracted by the movie, though I have seen it only God knows how many times.
Anyway, I suppose if you guys have any questions then shoot, otherwise I will just try to think up something interesting for whenever I decide to update again :P
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
I know, I know
Yes, I have been terribly inattentive. But the last month or so has been the term finishing up so yeah. There's my excuse, despite how shitty it is! :)
What's new? Let's see...
-Got to meet J, badass with the Japanese and quite the alcohol lover, not that you'd ever guess from the horrendous amount of beer updates he's made lately.
-Got my first cold of the year... on the first day of the year. Joy.
-Turned 20, now I can legally drink here! Even though I'd already been doing it for 3 months prior!
-Found out I am going to be going home for Spring Break (for about 6 weeks, woooo), and looking forward to it. Already got the ticket there bought.
-Cut my hair to probably half the length it used to be, if not more.
-Had a bit of my soul die from witnessing Jessica Simpson attempt Japanese. -cringe-
I guess it's not really anything any of you guys will find particularly exciting, but then again there is only so much fun to be had when you are worrying over every little cent (or yen, to be more precise) that you spend. If only I had internet at home, I'd be less bored (nope, I will not stop complaining about this! :P).
Well my time for internet is up, so... adieu, until I next feel relatively unlazy.
What's new? Let's see...
-Got to meet J, badass with the Japanese and quite the alcohol lover, not that you'd ever guess from the horrendous amount of beer updates he's made lately.
-Got my first cold of the year... on the first day of the year. Joy.
-Turned 20, now I can legally drink here! Even though I'd already been doing it for 3 months prior!
-Found out I am going to be going home for Spring Break (for about 6 weeks, woooo), and looking forward to it. Already got the ticket there bought.
-Cut my hair to probably half the length it used to be, if not more.
-Had a bit of my soul die from witnessing Jessica Simpson attempt Japanese. -cringe-
I guess it's not really anything any of you guys will find particularly exciting, but then again there is only so much fun to be had when you are worrying over every little cent (or yen, to be more precise) that you spend. If only I had internet at home, I'd be less bored (nope, I will not stop complaining about this! :P).
Well my time for internet is up, so... adieu, until I next feel relatively unlazy.
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