I'm complaining about my schedule again. I can't WAIT til November 20th, when this is all over, and I have my easier classes and a lighter schedule. 5 classes in a row two days a week is horrible. Especially when you have three tests in a row. gyack.
Oh well. That's over with at least.
Today was really...plain. Ate some food. Went to class. Talked to Yusuke about helping each other with the Literacy homework, because I don't understand Japanese and he doesn't understand English. So hopefully that works out nicely and I don't come off sounding mentally handicapped at my next translation. Should be fun.
Also: Third Futurama movie is out, for anyone who cares. It's hilarious. Much better than Beast with a Billion Backs. That one was only alright. This one jumps around a bunch so it feels more designed for TV in an episodic format, but its still watchable as a movie.
That's... yeah I pretty much don't got anything else. Downloaded some music. Journey and Barenaked Ladies cause I just remembered that the mp3s I had were corrupted, so they are replaced now.
Japanese people still don't know how to choose a side of a hallway to walk on. I think over everything else, that will never cease to annoy me for my entire stay here.
Also, Muslims can't eat ramen.
Possibly the most depressing thing I've ever heard.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Onsen is Japanese for Being Naked in Public
So I woke up today and hopped on my computer to check my e-mails like I normally do first thing in the morning. While I was doing that I noticed "HOLY CRAP I WOKE UP TWO HOURS LATE FOR CLASS!" And in the midst of that I notice "HOLY CRAP I NEED TO GO PICK UP MY ALIEN REGISTRATION CARD IN THE NEXT TEN MINUTES!" So I figured at the very least this was a good excuse for missing class. Went and did that so I dont' need to carry around my Passport anymore (thank God) and went to class to...remember...that.... it was cancelled. Well hey, being panicky got me my card so whatever. And I slept in an extra 4 hours anyways, so that's good as well.
Anyways, basically did nothing until time to go to Onsen at 3pm. Watched the Nostalgia Chick. She's funny. Google her or something. Or whatever, here's the link. http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thedudette/87-nostalgiachick
So go through the trouble of getting a new bus ticket set cause I forgot mine and mental math proved it to be more cost efficient to just buy a new one and cut my losses than to spend the money I had on my on bus travel. Then I found out that the bus we're taking doesn't use the bus tickets I bought so...yeah, that's super. Blaugh.
Get there, and did some sightseeing. Took pictures of stuff that I'm too lazy to upload at the moment because I'm studying hardcore, but I'll retcon them to make them look like they were always in the article tomorrow night. Even though I won't remove this paragraph. So everyone will know how much of a failure I am. Nyoro~n :3
Wandered around for a while, saw a bunch of cats, one who's picture I am submitting to Catswholooklikehitler.com. Shaw-san went around chasing EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Girl is insane. And everyone spoke to me in a broken gibberish mixture of Japanese and English. Shibuya-san spoke primarily in Japanese, and he was the only other guy in the group ( I...I got switched again. Somehow) so that was weird being in the Onsen with him. I followed his example when we go there, which involved stripping completely naked, dousing ourselves with water, and then just getting in the spring(No pictures of this). Which turned out to pretty much be a big bathtub that smelled funny and already had a naked old guy in it (no pictures of this either).
When I got into the spring it was...odd? For some reason it didn't feel like normal hot water. My head got all tingly and I sort of lost equilibrium and thought for a moment? It was really weird. Got sort of tingly. Then your body adjusts to it all and it really is extremely relaxing, aside from the fact that being the prude American that I am I spent the entire time covering my shame. And the old guy just kept...staring at me. He had a folded washcloth sitting on his head, and he kept getting in and out of the onsen, and just looked disgusted the whole time. My apologies for being American.
Afterwards we wandered around Beppu, looking for some "megane (glasses)" clue that nobody told me any details of. Bought some chicken which tasted REALLY good. I don't know why all the fast food here is so good, but it is. America needs to learn about this. Anyways, we eventually figured out the clue (no thanks to me) and wound up at Junko-chan's house (the Senjinkai leader). She made us dinner, and there was candy and stuff, and one of the girls in my group (I don't know her name. I was too ashamed to ask and I got switched too many times between groups to guess) clung to me and just spoke to me in broken English the whole time. It was cute but I felt awkward because I literally ran out of things to say. Your topics are limited when you're speaking to someone who barely understands what it is you are saying.
Afterwards I discovered the best kept secret in Japan: Discount grocery stores have even greater discounts later at night. And by at night I mean after 5 pm. And by greater discounts I mean pretty much 60% of the things in the store are FIFTY PERCENT OFF. How they even stay in business doing that is beyond me. Granted it's only to perishables, but by perishables this includes bread and stuff that is actually in a package, not just fruits and fish. It's insane, and I bought a few meals, some daigaku imo (which is candied sweet potatoes AND DELICIOUS), and some sake. I don't like sake. We're not going to get into this.
Anyways, the day was a whole lot of fun. I made friends with a whole bunch of people whose names I don't know at all, and I got to practice my Japanese a bunch. You remember things better when it's based on people being able to understand anything you're trying to say.
Basically, if you're learning a language, thrust yourself into a situation where you HAVE to use it, as often as you can. It'll be good for you.
I'm still not used to being naked in public though.
Anyways, basically did nothing until time to go to Onsen at 3pm. Watched the Nostalgia Chick. She's funny. Google her or something. Or whatever, here's the link. http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thedudette/87-nostalgiachick
So go through the trouble of getting a new bus ticket set cause I forgot mine and mental math proved it to be more cost efficient to just buy a new one and cut my losses than to spend the money I had on my on bus travel. Then I found out that the bus we're taking doesn't use the bus tickets I bought so...yeah, that's super. Blaugh.
Get there, and did some sightseeing. Took pictures of stuff that I'm too lazy to upload at the moment because I'm studying hardcore, but I'll retcon them to make them look like they were always in the article tomorrow night. Even though I won't remove this paragraph. So everyone will know how much of a failure I am. Nyoro~n :3
Wandered around for a while, saw a bunch of cats, one who's picture I am submitting to Catswholooklikehitler.com. Shaw-san went around chasing EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Girl is insane. And everyone spoke to me in a broken gibberish mixture of Japanese and English. Shibuya-san spoke primarily in Japanese, and he was the only other guy in the group ( I...I got switched again. Somehow) so that was weird being in the Onsen with him. I followed his example when we go there, which involved stripping completely naked, dousing ourselves with water, and then just getting in the spring(No pictures of this). Which turned out to pretty much be a big bathtub that smelled funny and already had a naked old guy in it (no pictures of this either).
When I got into the spring it was...odd? For some reason it didn't feel like normal hot water. My head got all tingly and I sort of lost equilibrium and thought for a moment? It was really weird. Got sort of tingly. Then your body adjusts to it all and it really is extremely relaxing, aside from the fact that being the prude American that I am I spent the entire time covering my shame. And the old guy just kept...staring at me. He had a folded washcloth sitting on his head, and he kept getting in and out of the onsen, and just looked disgusted the whole time. My apologies for being American.
Afterwards we wandered around Beppu, looking for some "megane (glasses)" clue that nobody told me any details of. Bought some chicken which tasted REALLY good. I don't know why all the fast food here is so good, but it is. America needs to learn about this. Anyways, we eventually figured out the clue (no thanks to me) and wound up at Junko-chan's house (the Senjinkai leader). She made us dinner, and there was candy and stuff, and one of the girls in my group (I don't know her name. I was too ashamed to ask and I got switched too many times between groups to guess) clung to me and just spoke to me in broken English the whole time. It was cute but I felt awkward because I literally ran out of things to say. Your topics are limited when you're speaking to someone who barely understands what it is you are saying.
Afterwards I discovered the best kept secret in Japan: Discount grocery stores have even greater discounts later at night. And by at night I mean after 5 pm. And by greater discounts I mean pretty much 60% of the things in the store are FIFTY PERCENT OFF. How they even stay in business doing that is beyond me. Granted it's only to perishables, but by perishables this includes bread and stuff that is actually in a package, not just fruits and fish. It's insane, and I bought a few meals, some daigaku imo (which is candied sweet potatoes AND DELICIOUS), and some sake. I don't like sake. We're not going to get into this.
Anyways, the day was a whole lot of fun. I made friends with a whole bunch of people whose names I don't know at all, and I got to practice my Japanese a bunch. You remember things better when it's based on people being able to understand anything you're trying to say.
Basically, if you're learning a language, thrust yourself into a situation where you HAVE to use it, as often as you can. It'll be good for you.
I'm still not used to being naked in public though.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Yakitori
Is delicious. Dear god, I don't think that I can say that enough. The stuff is SO GOOD. I spent what would come out to 10 bucks on it today, and also some milk bread which is ALSO delicious. Though honestly, the only thing I'll miss about Japan is the food after I leave. So I should learn how to cook it ALL before I go. We shall see how well that works out.
Interesting times today. In Japanese class we had an "exchange session" that involves going into a larger classroom and combining with the intermediate English class. Then we hold conversations with these random people we really don't care about, assigned into groups of other random people that we don't care about. Super. First half of the class is all Japanese, second half is all English, but really the whole class was a messy mix of both. So uncoordinated.
That or none of us know how to speak the other language. That works too.
The girls I was paired up with were nice. I found out more people than I thought watch anime. Out of the foreigners at least. And my Japanese is a lot better than I thought it was too, so that's good. I've learned my American accent is confusing to all dem foreigners though. So I gotta put some tough emphasis on what I say. And I have to speak slower. So anybody who told you that foreigners won't understand you if you speak slower and louder was a liar! (note: Please don't take this at face value, you ignorant, moronic, jerks)
On the way back from classes I was stalked. Stalked I say! I was stopped by this group of three grade school kids to have a conversation with them for their homework. That's cool, fine, I don't mind talking to the kids if it's to help them out, right? So that's done. Oh wait, three more kids. Alright, I can do that. But then these two, I dunno, 9 years old? I can't tell ages of these Japanese people, they all look young. But yeah, these two girls literally just walked around me for something like 6 buildings, which is almost the entire length of the campus mind you. They were giggling and talking in Japanese at each other, and if I looked back at one of them they squirmed out of my view and ran to the other side. It was REALLY unnerving and I couldn't figure out why they were following me. All the other kids needed me to do some homework thing but these girls were just...following me around. Kinda odd. But I was stopped by another group of three boys (They travel in groups for some reason. Japanese are apparently pack animals. Americans are lone wolves. A-ooo), and then after that the girls finally came up and asked me to help with their homework. Which is like.... way to stalk me for a good 10 minutes instead of just saying something to get my attention. I know excuse me in Japanese, and you probably know it in English. So gyah. Wow.
Fell off the wagon and got some potato croquette too. Screw it, I love those things.
Watched more episodes of the OC with Fanxing. Rule seems to be two a night, so that's neat. I love that show. I know I sound like such a fruit for it, but I don't care. I'm planning to hate it during the next season because networks always have to pull something huge and dramatic that has nothing to do with the plot. Unless it's the suicide of the one guy that I'm expecting. I dunno. If anyone else is stupid enough to watch it, don't ruin anything for me.
He also got me to watch a Mr Bean short. I forgot how funny those were. And then he had me recite these song lyrics to him? I guess it was a song he really liked and he wanted to know how to pronounce everything right and what it all meant. That's cool.
Tomorrow I go to the onsen with Senjinkai. Yeah.... naked in front of a whole bunch of strangers in a hot tub. Should be umm....yeah. Something. Hopefully an enjoyable experience. This may or may not be dependant on how co-ed the hot springs are.
If I don't come back, tell my wife I said 'Hello'.
Interesting times today. In Japanese class we had an "exchange session" that involves going into a larger classroom and combining with the intermediate English class. Then we hold conversations with these random people we really don't care about, assigned into groups of other random people that we don't care about. Super. First half of the class is all Japanese, second half is all English, but really the whole class was a messy mix of both. So uncoordinated.
That or none of us know how to speak the other language. That works too.
The girls I was paired up with were nice. I found out more people than I thought watch anime. Out of the foreigners at least. And my Japanese is a lot better than I thought it was too, so that's good. I've learned my American accent is confusing to all dem foreigners though. So I gotta put some tough emphasis on what I say. And I have to speak slower. So anybody who told you that foreigners won't understand you if you speak slower and louder was a liar! (note: Please don't take this at face value, you ignorant, moronic, jerks)
On the way back from classes I was stalked. Stalked I say! I was stopped by this group of three grade school kids to have a conversation with them for their homework. That's cool, fine, I don't mind talking to the kids if it's to help them out, right? So that's done. Oh wait, three more kids. Alright, I can do that. But then these two, I dunno, 9 years old? I can't tell ages of these Japanese people, they all look young. But yeah, these two girls literally just walked around me for something like 6 buildings, which is almost the entire length of the campus mind you. They were giggling and talking in Japanese at each other, and if I looked back at one of them they squirmed out of my view and ran to the other side. It was REALLY unnerving and I couldn't figure out why they were following me. All the other kids needed me to do some homework thing but these girls were just...following me around. Kinda odd. But I was stopped by another group of three boys (They travel in groups for some reason. Japanese are apparently pack animals. Americans are lone wolves. A-ooo), and then after that the girls finally came up and asked me to help with their homework. Which is like.... way to stalk me for a good 10 minutes instead of just saying something to get my attention. I know excuse me in Japanese, and you probably know it in English. So gyah. Wow.
Fell off the wagon and got some potato croquette too. Screw it, I love those things.
Watched more episodes of the OC with Fanxing. Rule seems to be two a night, so that's neat. I love that show. I know I sound like such a fruit for it, but I don't care. I'm planning to hate it during the next season because networks always have to pull something huge and dramatic that has nothing to do with the plot. Unless it's the suicide of the one guy that I'm expecting. I dunno. If anyone else is stupid enough to watch it, don't ruin anything for me.
He also got me to watch a Mr Bean short. I forgot how funny those were. And then he had me recite these song lyrics to him? I guess it was a song he really liked and he wanted to know how to pronounce everything right and what it all meant. That's cool.
Tomorrow I go to the onsen with Senjinkai. Yeah.... naked in front of a whole bunch of strangers in a hot tub. Should be umm....yeah. Something. Hopefully an enjoyable experience. This may or may not be dependant on how co-ed the hot springs are.
If I don't come back, tell my wife I said 'Hello'.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Stupid Site Meter
I just spent a good amount of time trying to find the data that shows me what my largest hour of traffic is. To know if I should bother caring when I update late. Couldn't find it, but what I did find out is that I shouldn't even bother updating on Tuesdays. Only two people check it then allegedly? I'm... I'm guessing that's not right compared to the other days of the week (You don't get exact numbers, I need to keep the ego deflated after all). But hey, I'll keep it up because I like to hear myself speak. Type. Well, I'm usually singing along with my music when I'm typing this. Thank God nobody can here me walking by in the hallway. Trust me, I've tested this. If I don't sing louder than the music I'm fine.
You probably didn't need to know that.
Just an FYI, updates will probably be late for the next week or two. I know I said check it after 12. Depending on my mood and what's going on, check between 11 and 2. That's Eastern time folks. I'm running on that for this despite my difference in Time Zones. I don't know why I capitalized that. I blame the FREE SEX ACTS PERFORMED BY HOT ASIAN NURSES that my site so blatantly displays. I know that had nothing to do with anything, but I'm waiting to see if I get any angry comments from people who found this site while they were looking for porn.
Now we play the waiting game.
Today was Monday, so I avoided anything culturally related by being in class all day. Then I went to get a fish burger. Japan needs to realize that just because something is between two pieces of bread it is not a "burger". The word sandwich is in their vocabulary, I think they are just terrified of using it.
I'm building something. I predict you'll see it in about two weeks time. I think it has appeared in the background of some photos, so if you're attentive you may have noticed it already.
Also, it's not so much that I'm building something as I am too lazy to throw things out so I'm passing it off as a decoration.
Haha, go me. You wish you could be this creative with your laziness.
Senjinkai was cool. I had broken stilted conversations in Japanese with random members, so that was neat. And one of the people I met at the beach wanted to tag along today, so she was there, and I froze and utterly screwed up the Chinese she told me to say. I'm sorry, but I was expecting her to try to get me to say something like "I speak Chinese" or "I like hot and sour soup", not "I love you". My apologies for freezing at the awkward request.
The Senjinkai members all went to the onsen (hot springs for those of you with short term memories, and knowing my friends there are quite a few of you. Yes, I just called you an idiot. It's okay, I still love you. Let's go for soft pretzels), but myself, and two others stayed back on terms of having homework to do. I'm not sure about the other two, but I decided mine wasn't worth the time. HA! TAKE THAT SHUKUDAI! (Shukudai means homework for the context clues impaired).
Man, I'm sorry. I've been insulting my readers a lot today. Let me make that up to you. Gimmme a sec, gotta open upMS Paint Photoshop.
There you go. A misaligned winged lobster. AWESOME.
If I get too many hits I need to remember to remove those porn tags. Don't let me forget.
Also, me and Fanxing (SCREW ENGLISH GRAMMAR CONVENTION, the King and I!) watched the O.C. Yes, I know. I know. Gay jokes aside, the show is actually pretty good. First two episodes at least. I was on the edge of my seat biting my lip in suspense and fear for the main character in some scenes. It's insane.
But yes, that's the reason the blogs will be late.
Because I'm watching the OC.
You probably didn't need to know that.
Just an FYI, updates will probably be late for the next week or two. I know I said check it after 12. Depending on my mood and what's going on, check between 11 and 2. That's Eastern time folks. I'm running on that for this despite my difference in Time Zones. I don't know why I capitalized that. I blame the FREE SEX ACTS PERFORMED BY HOT ASIAN NURSES that my site so blatantly displays. I know that had nothing to do with anything, but I'm waiting to see if I get any angry comments from people who found this site while they were looking for porn.
Now we play the waiting game.
Today was Monday, so I avoided anything culturally related by being in class all day. Then I went to get a fish burger. Japan needs to realize that just because something is between two pieces of bread it is not a "burger". The word sandwich is in their vocabulary, I think they are just terrified of using it.
I'm building something. I predict you'll see it in about two weeks time. I think it has appeared in the background of some photos, so if you're attentive you may have noticed it already.
Also, it's not so much that I'm building something as I am too lazy to throw things out so I'm passing it off as a decoration.
Haha, go me. You wish you could be this creative with your laziness.
Senjinkai was cool. I had broken stilted conversations in Japanese with random members, so that was neat. And one of the people I met at the beach wanted to tag along today, so she was there, and I froze and utterly screwed up the Chinese she told me to say. I'm sorry, but I was expecting her to try to get me to say something like "I speak Chinese" or "I like hot and sour soup", not "I love you". My apologies for freezing at the awkward request.
The Senjinkai members all went to the onsen (hot springs for those of you with short term memories, and knowing my friends there are quite a few of you. Yes, I just called you an idiot. It's okay, I still love you. Let's go for soft pretzels), but myself, and two others stayed back on terms of having homework to do. I'm not sure about the other two, but I decided mine wasn't worth the time. HA! TAKE THAT SHUKUDAI! (Shukudai means homework for the context clues impaired).
Man, I'm sorry. I've been insulting my readers a lot today. Let me make that up to you. Gimmme a sec, gotta open up
There you go. A misaligned winged lobster. AWESOME.
If I get too many hits I need to remember to remove those porn tags. Don't let me forget.
Also, me and Fanxing (SCREW ENGLISH GRAMMAR CONVENTION, the King and I!) watched the O.C. Yes, I know. I know. Gay jokes aside, the show is actually pretty good. First two episodes at least. I was on the edge of my seat biting my lip in suspense and fear for the main character in some scenes. It's insane.
But yes, that's the reason the blogs will be late.
Because I'm watching the OC.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Tenku Fest, day two
My camera karma'd at me by running out of batteries during the day and cutting off some cool stuff I was doing with it. Stupid camera!
Still got some pics though, so be prepared for those.
I woke up later again today, but there was no opening ceremony to go to, and as a result of waking up late I missed the rainfall, so that's pretty good right there. Still have no means of purchasing foods for breakfast (or anything else for that matter) due to the ATMs being closed on weekends (Why Japan?!?! They are there for convenience! You suck at everything, ESPECIALLY that!)so I grabbed some stale bread and water from my room (If it's still able to be broken off the loaf, it's edible) and then ran out to the Tenku Fest area.
After wandering around for a bit and taking pictures of various things and talking to people I know that were being foolish (Free Hug t shirts. I'm under the impression that they really didn't work) I ran into Jennifer and Jen again and complained loudly enough that my stomach was eating itself from the inside out and I desire money so that I can CONSUME things.
So Jennifer lent me a thousand yen bill and owns my soul til I pay that off. Hurm. Well, I should get on that ASAP I suppose.
Anywho, we trolloped along for a bit (I don't actually know what that word means) and darted in and out of the concert areas, until something that I'm not sure happened separated Jennifer and I from the rest of the group. Oh well, not too bad. Then my camera ran out of battery power and I ran back to my room to recharge it for a bit and upload some pictures.
Also, before that (Throwing chronological order out the window here) we all went to the Alice Cafe. Essentially, imagine a whole bunch of people who are obsessed with Alice in Wonderland, dressing up in Alice in Wonderland costumes, playing the movie on repeat on a TV, decorating the place and cooking the food in relation to the film.
Oh hell, screw the imagining, here's some pictures of it:
Yeah, it was cute. And there were terrible misspellings everywhere because this is, after all, Japan. Also for some reason it took me something like 20 minutes to realize that the White Rabbit girl was wearing a wig. I don't know why I thought an Asian girl had naturally white hair. I.... I think I should lie down.
I saw a whole bunch of bands, and one of them did a cover of a Rip Slyme song (you don't have to know who that is, I still love you) and then some American guy came on stage and started rapping with them. That was really cool. Everything you hear about Japan makes you think that something like that would never happen. Only at APU I guess.
I came back for the fireworks and some other big band performance that had some Japanese cultural dance thing before it. I tried to get pictures of both of them but from the top of the bleachers in the dark it was....pretty difficult. I did manage to get some nice pictures of the fireworks though 花火（hanabi, for those interested).
Keep cheeckin the photobucket for more pictures that aren't up yet. I'm going to try to get some of the videos uploaded as well. Some of the bands were really good, buy my camera kept cutting out so I only have like 20 seconds of some of them, sorry. I'll try and splice something together and put it on youtube.
Now classes are tomorrow morning, and due to the festival none of my homework is done. You'd think the school would enforce teachers to plan around that.
I wish I could curse Japan for this, but every school does this.
Oh, before I forget, I have some bad news:
I told everyone I'd be coming home in July. Well, that might still hold true but...
I've been told from various people different end dates for the spring semester. Everything from July to SEPTEMBER. IF it's September that means I'd miss part of the first semester back home, and I'd be really upset about that. If it's July, the earliest date I've found suggests the 28th, so anyone who I had made plans with or whatnot...well...sorry, but the earliest I could possibly be home is the first week of August. Won't that be a blast.
(Fucking Japan)
Still got some pics though, so be prepared for those.
I woke up later again today, but there was no opening ceremony to go to, and as a result of waking up late I missed the rainfall, so that's pretty good right there. Still have no means of purchasing foods for breakfast (or anything else for that matter) due to the ATMs being closed on weekends (Why Japan?!?! They are there for convenience! You suck at everything, ESPECIALLY that!)so I grabbed some stale bread and water from my room (If it's still able to be broken off the loaf, it's edible) and then ran out to the Tenku Fest area.
After wandering around for a bit and taking pictures of various things and talking to people I know that were being foolish (Free Hug t shirts. I'm under the impression that they really didn't work) I ran into Jennifer and Jen again and complained loudly enough that my stomach was eating itself from the inside out and I desire money so that I can CONSUME things.
So Jennifer lent me a thousand yen bill and owns my soul til I pay that off. Hurm. Well, I should get on that ASAP I suppose.
Anywho, we trolloped along for a bit (I don't actually know what that word means) and darted in and out of the concert areas, until something that I'm not sure happened separated Jennifer and I from the rest of the group. Oh well, not too bad. Then my camera ran out of battery power and I ran back to my room to recharge it for a bit and upload some pictures.
Also, before that (Throwing chronological order out the window here) we all went to the Alice Cafe. Essentially, imagine a whole bunch of people who are obsessed with Alice in Wonderland, dressing up in Alice in Wonderland costumes, playing the movie on repeat on a TV, decorating the place and cooking the food in relation to the film.
Oh hell, screw the imagining, here's some pictures of it:
Yeah, it was cute. And there were terrible misspellings everywhere because this is, after all, Japan. Also for some reason it took me something like 20 minutes to realize that the White Rabbit girl was wearing a wig. I don't know why I thought an Asian girl had naturally white hair. I.... I think I should lie down.
I saw a whole bunch of bands, and one of them did a cover of a Rip Slyme song (you don't have to know who that is, I still love you) and then some American guy came on stage and started rapping with them. That was really cool. Everything you hear about Japan makes you think that something like that would never happen. Only at APU I guess.
I came back for the fireworks and some other big band performance that had some Japanese cultural dance thing before it. I tried to get pictures of both of them but from the top of the bleachers in the dark it was....pretty difficult. I did manage to get some nice pictures of the fireworks though 花火（hanabi, for those interested).
Keep cheeckin the photobucket for more pictures that aren't up yet. I'm going to try to get some of the videos uploaded as well. Some of the bands were really good, buy my camera kept cutting out so I only have like 20 seconds of some of them, sorry. I'll try and splice something together and put it on youtube.
Now classes are tomorrow morning, and due to the festival none of my homework is done. You'd think the school would enforce teachers to plan around that.
I wish I could curse Japan for this, but every school does this.
Oh, before I forget, I have some bad news:
I told everyone I'd be coming home in July. Well, that might still hold true but...
I've been told from various people different end dates for the spring semester. Everything from July to SEPTEMBER. IF it's September that means I'd miss part of the first semester back home, and I'd be really upset about that. If it's July, the earliest date I've found suggests the 28th, so anyone who I had made plans with or whatnot...well...sorry, but the earliest I could possibly be home is the first week of August. Won't that be a blast.
(Fucking Japan)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Tenku Fest, day one
First of all, I'd like to point out that there is no reason that this post should be late. The images have been uploaded since like 8:30, and I've just been playing video games for the past couple of hours.
Just wanted you all to know that. Now on to the blog.
I was woken up by an announcement at like, 8:30 saying "HEY ALL! TENKU FEST TODAY STARTS AT 10:30! BE THERE!" But I mean come on, my alarms were set for 10, so I'm not waking up that early.
Turns out I forgot to set my alarms so I didn't wake up until about 12:30. Ah....
Well, quick shower and grab some money out of my desk drawer, and me and Fanxing went down to the Tenku Fest.
Turns out it's mostly just music and food. And dances. And there was kickboxing.
That's...that's about it. Still fun though, and I managed to spend 40 dollars there. I really have no idea where it went to. I can pass 10 dollars off to bus tickets to Beppu that I bought while I was out. Then there was a flea market where I bought some shirts, and some calligraphy prints.
Why don't you chill out man? It's a cool shirt.
Don't worry, that shirt was only a dollar.
Also ran into some other friends there, Jennifer and Jen (I know, complicated, right?). I'm apparently even easier to pussywhip in Japan, considering I basically followed Jennifer around to places, carried her shit, and bought her crap. Gyah. I don't know why I did it. I'm such a tool.
She told me I should go to this costume party in Beppu tonight, but considering the ATM was closed so I couldn't get more money, I had no means of buying a costume or anything to drink at the bar. So I kinda just hung out on campus. Hurraaaaay.
Also, weird note about the Tenku fest: In Japanese documentaries you always see people dancing in the circles, right? Like, huge groups of people. Well, there were only 8 people dancing in the circle here.
Yeaah.... oh well. I'll go somewhere else for cultural edutainment.
All my pictures on photobucket are GIANT SIZED. Sorry about that. I'll go through and resize them all sometime before tomorrow night.
In the meantime, there are a bunch more pictures from the Tenku fest there. There's stuff from the kickboxing matches, this little girl who was talking to us that everyone insisted was adorable and who got sad and kept saying "bye bye" to us whenever we started walking away, and people in costumes. Missed the Totoro guy, but I got this:
Say say say.
Just wanted you all to know that. Now on to the blog.
I was woken up by an announcement at like, 8:30 saying "HEY ALL! TENKU FEST TODAY STARTS AT 10:30! BE THERE!" But I mean come on, my alarms were set for 10, so I'm not waking up that early.
Turns out I forgot to set my alarms so I didn't wake up until about 12:30. Ah....
Well, quick shower and grab some money out of my desk drawer, and me and Fanxing went down to the Tenku Fest.
Turns out it's mostly just music and food. And dances. And there was kickboxing.
That's...that's about it. Still fun though, and I managed to spend 40 dollars there. I really have no idea where it went to. I can pass 10 dollars off to bus tickets to Beppu that I bought while I was out. Then there was a flea market where I bought some shirts, and some calligraphy prints.
Don't worry, that shirt was only a dollar.
Also ran into some other friends there, Jennifer and Jen (I know, complicated, right?). I'm apparently even easier to pussywhip in Japan, considering I basically followed Jennifer around to places, carried her shit, and bought her crap. Gyah. I don't know why I did it. I'm such a tool.
She told me I should go to this costume party in Beppu tonight, but considering the ATM was closed so I couldn't get more money, I had no means of buying a costume or anything to drink at the bar. So I kinda just hung out on campus. Hurraaaaay.
Also, weird note about the Tenku fest: In Japanese documentaries you always see people dancing in the circles, right? Like, huge groups of people. Well, there were only 8 people dancing in the circle here.
Yeaah.... oh well. I'll go somewhere else for cultural edutainment.
All my pictures on photobucket are GIANT SIZED. Sorry about that. I'll go through and resize them all sometime before tomorrow night.
In the meantime, there are a bunch more pictures from the Tenku fest there. There's stuff from the kickboxing matches, this little girl who was talking to us that everyone insisted was adorable and who got sad and kept saying "bye bye" to us whenever we started walking away, and people in costumes. Missed the Totoro guy, but I got this:
Say say say.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Jesus Christ
Nope.
Actually, Christ is my first name.
I laughed a bit when I saw that. I should totally get people to call me that now. Or finish starting my religion. That could work too.
Pretty much nothing happened today. I had my two classes and then I may or may not have been consumed entirely by fourcha n (spelled out because I don't want any searches for the site showing up here). It's not a definite. It's still up in the air. You have no proof!
Yeah, I got nothing really. I'm sorry. I did watch a movie with Fanxing called "Moonstruck" which had Cher actually looking human in it. Shocking, I know. Also, I discovered that green tea and black tea mix to make "bleen tea" or "grack tea" if you will be privy to such foolishness.
Also I've been reading Twelfth Night. I should by all means be done with it by now, but I only read it during the 5 minute breaks during classes. So that has an effect on it. The play is hilarious though, for anyone who understands Shakespeare. Not to spoil the plot for you, but it primely involves a girl who dresses up so that she can steal a man from this other woman, and the woman she's trying to steal the man from ends up falling in love with her, whom is disguised as a man.
You...you'd have to be there. I promise, it's HILARIOUS though.
How does this NOT make you want to read the story?
Just for the sake of lengthening the post, lemme grab some old pictures and comment on them. Lets reach into the top hat and see what we get, eh Drew old boy?
Oh God yes. MMMMMM.
This is that milk I was talking about. So good it comes in an old timey glass bottle. It is divine. Absolutely pure. None of them growth hormones like us Americans are used to. I don't care how lactose intolerant you are, you better try some of this stuff. All beverages are created equal, you intolerant prick.
That's the top of the first set of steps to get up the hill to the place where they sell the croquettes. Yes. Look all the way down. Now imagine doing that in flip flops. I did that once and never again. Prevented me from going today. I'm two days clean now. Let's hope I don't fall off the wagon until at least Monday.
That's Oyako Donburi. Don't care about what it translates to. Just note that anything that has "donburi" in the name is automatically delicious. They fry a whole bunch of meat and vegetables in a sauce base. Then they take a couple eqqs, whisk them, and pour them over the pile of food. Then they cook it so that the egg fries a bit and holds all the other ingredients together. Then they pour it over rice. Oh god, it is so, so good. Tonkatsu donburi might be even better. I can't decide.
Tenku festival starts tomorrow, so there shall be pics and tales of even more food to try when you're in the Japanese part of your neighborhood. Should you ever be. Hell those don't exist, who am I kidding.
That's a monkey.
Aaaand that's all I've got for now.
Gochisama deshita.
Edit: Images are acting...stupid. I had to manually resize them so they might look off. Hopefully the function will ...function, next post.
Double Edit: Okay, I think it's from how I uploaded them to photobucket. Should be fixed now for the future. But also, the photobucket link is up on the side. Made it in 4 seconds in MS Paint so be kind. It works, so, there's that.
Actually, Christ is my first name.
I laughed a bit when I saw that. I should totally get people to call me that now. Or finish starting my religion. That could work too.
Pretty much nothing happened today. I had my two classes and then I may or may not have been consumed entirely by fourcha n (spelled out because I don't want any searches for the site showing up here). It's not a definite. It's still up in the air. You have no proof!
Yeah, I got nothing really. I'm sorry. I did watch a movie with Fanxing called "Moonstruck" which had Cher actually looking human in it. Shocking, I know. Also, I discovered that green tea and black tea mix to make "bleen tea" or "grack tea" if you will be privy to such foolishness.
Also I've been reading Twelfth Night. I should by all means be done with it by now, but I only read it during the 5 minute breaks during classes. So that has an effect on it. The play is hilarious though, for anyone who understands Shakespeare. Not to spoil the plot for you, but it primely involves a girl who dresses up so that she can steal a man from this other woman, and the woman she's trying to steal the man from ends up falling in love with her, whom is disguised as a man.
You...you'd have to be there. I promise, it's HILARIOUS though.
Just for the sake of lengthening the post, lemme grab some old pictures and comment on them. Lets reach into the top hat and see what we get, eh Drew old boy?
Oh God yes. MMMMMM.
This is that milk I was talking about. So good it comes in an old timey glass bottle. It is divine. Absolutely pure. None of them growth hormones like us Americans are used to. I don't care how lactose intolerant you are, you better try some of this stuff. All beverages are created equal, you intolerant prick.
That's the top of the first set of steps to get up the hill to the place where they sell the croquettes. Yes. Look all the way down. Now imagine doing that in flip flops. I did that once and never again. Prevented me from going today. I'm two days clean now. Let's hope I don't fall off the wagon until at least Monday.
That's Oyako Donburi. Don't care about what it translates to. Just note that anything that has "donburi" in the name is automatically delicious. They fry a whole bunch of meat and vegetables in a sauce base. Then they take a couple eqqs, whisk them, and pour them over the pile of food. Then they cook it so that the egg fries a bit and holds all the other ingredients together. Then they pour it over rice. Oh god, it is so, so good. Tonkatsu donburi might be even better. I can't decide.
Tenku festival starts tomorrow, so there shall be pics and tales of even more food to try when you're in the Japanese part of your neighborhood. Should you ever be. Hell those don't exist, who am I kidding.
That's a monkey.
Aaaand that's all I've got for now.
Gochisama deshita.
Edit: Images are acting...stupid. I had to manually resize them so they might look off. Hopefully the function will ...function, next post.
Double Edit: Okay, I think it's from how I uploaded them to photobucket. Should be fixed now for the future. But also, the photobucket link is up on the side. Made it in 4 seconds in MS Paint so be kind. It works, so, there's that.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Heigh ho, Heigh ho
It's off to bed we go.
I really should be sleeping right now. I'm exhausted from the last few days. I'm still feeling that walk through Beppu from yesterday and I'm sleep deprived. Everyone seems to be exhausted at this point though, which is probably why the Tenku Festival is this weekend, as a chance to relax. They plan this stuff EXACT. Scary.
I woke up a bit later than I intended and rushed through my morning routine so I could make it to class on time only to get stopped by a 7 year old. Him and his mom and brother were standing there and they were foreigner spotting for his school assignment. He had to find 3 foreigners to talk to and ask questions in English and I was lucky number three, and I'd be a real jerk to deny a kid. So he asked me where I'm from, what kind of Japanese food I like, and what sports I like (I had to lie about that one. I said baseball cause I don't think the kid would have any idea what I meant by hockey...not that I really care about sports in the first place. Woe is me). Nobody seemed to care that I was late though, as there were three kids that came in after me, so that worked out nicely and I filled my good deed quota for the day.
I had to go to see a guest speaker for class. I got pics, but I'm too tired to post them right now, so check the photobucket later. I should put that link up like I said I would.
Anyways, Yuan showed up and we yoinked some of the guest assembly food and then I went to my next four classes (yaaaay).
In Traditions this girl who I worked with in a group once sat next to me cause she was freaking out about the attendance and then seemingly forgot about it. Cause she passed out. Right away. And she kept falling over in her sleep and landed on my a couple of times, in which she'd instantly wake up, look confused, and realign herself before passing out. I can't say I blame her though, the only reason I was awake was cause I had a coke (not the nose candy). Frikkin 90 minute minimum classes back to back for 5 periods. FFFF-
In Interpreting we had to translate a paragraph from Japanese to English and recite it to the class. My paragraph was essentially reading a list so...yeah, REALLY easy, and I pretended like it was hard so the non-native speakers wouldn't feel bad. They all look so nervous when they get up there and read it off that it's kinda depressing. I helped this one girl when she couldn't remember the numbers by doing the show of hands thing, but I did one wrong and she said 5 instead of 50, to which I waved frantically and corrected her but she still looked embarrassed. We talked after class and now we're friends or something like that. So hey, fun times.
Also I popped open that 5 dollar milk I bought. That stuff is delicious. Will buy in the future. I'll probably be the weird guy drinking that instead of liquor with his friends. I really don't care. Nectar of the gods.
Unless I can find some mead. I probably read too much Thor or something, but I needs to try me the ACTUAL nectar of the gods. Or was that ambrosia? Was ambrosia a drink? God, I can't think this late.
Here's a youtube link for you.
I promise it's not the gayest thing you'll see this month.
I really should be sleeping right now. I'm exhausted from the last few days. I'm still feeling that walk through Beppu from yesterday and I'm sleep deprived. Everyone seems to be exhausted at this point though, which is probably why the Tenku Festival is this weekend, as a chance to relax. They plan this stuff EXACT. Scary.
I woke up a bit later than I intended and rushed through my morning routine so I could make it to class on time only to get stopped by a 7 year old. Him and his mom and brother were standing there and they were foreigner spotting for his school assignment. He had to find 3 foreigners to talk to and ask questions in English and I was lucky number three, and I'd be a real jerk to deny a kid. So he asked me where I'm from, what kind of Japanese food I like, and what sports I like (I had to lie about that one. I said baseball cause I don't think the kid would have any idea what I meant by hockey...not that I really care about sports in the first place. Woe is me). Nobody seemed to care that I was late though, as there were three kids that came in after me, so that worked out nicely and I filled my good deed quota for the day.
I had to go to see a guest speaker for class. I got pics, but I'm too tired to post them right now, so check the photobucket later. I should put that link up like I said I would.
Anyways, Yuan showed up and we yoinked some of the guest assembly food and then I went to my next four classes (yaaaay).
In Traditions this girl who I worked with in a group once sat next to me cause she was freaking out about the attendance and then seemingly forgot about it. Cause she passed out. Right away. And she kept falling over in her sleep and landed on my a couple of times, in which she'd instantly wake up, look confused, and realign herself before passing out. I can't say I blame her though, the only reason I was awake was cause I had a coke (not the nose candy). Frikkin 90 minute minimum classes back to back for 5 periods. FFFF-
In Interpreting we had to translate a paragraph from Japanese to English and recite it to the class. My paragraph was essentially reading a list so...yeah, REALLY easy, and I pretended like it was hard so the non-native speakers wouldn't feel bad. They all look so nervous when they get up there and read it off that it's kinda depressing. I helped this one girl when she couldn't remember the numbers by doing the show of hands thing, but I did one wrong and she said 5 instead of 50, to which I waved frantically and corrected her but she still looked embarrassed. We talked after class and now we're friends or something like that. So hey, fun times.
Also I popped open that 5 dollar milk I bought. That stuff is delicious. Will buy in the future. I'll probably be the weird guy drinking that instead of liquor with his friends. I really don't care. Nectar of the gods.
Unless I can find some mead. I probably read too much Thor or something, but I needs to try me the ACTUAL nectar of the gods. Or was that ambrosia? Was ambrosia a drink? God, I can't think this late.
Here's a youtube link for you.
I promise it's not the gayest thing you'll see this month.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Why yes, it is lonely
Up here in my pedestal.
I know I said I was against it, but screw it, this blog is about me and everything I do. You are all living vicariously, in Japan, through my eyes.
So this is pretty much either the best or worst thing to happen to you. If you aren't sure yet, stay tuned until the ratings come in.
If it helps any I'm growing a beard for a week or two.
After classes this morning I decided that if I'm going to wander around sleep deprived every day, I might as well look like I'm sleep deprived because I've been up wrestling bears all night.
Also, lots of people seem to have weak facial hair here. All the suge no ko (incorrect method of saying "cool kids") have what amounts to patches of hair that they trim awkwardly to look like it was on purpose. I figure I'll grow a real beard out for them and then shave it right off. JUST TO SHAME THEM.
Anyways, I was supposed to go to a club meeting for Senjinkai. That's the name of the Onsen club, I just can't ever remember it. My group personally, so I had to be there.
But first I had to go to the Fire Drill! Awesome! And it was also a how to use fire extinguishers demonstration. Cause we're not encoded with that in our genetics from birth in America or anything. How many people honestly can't figure out that you pull out the pin and squeeze the handle? It doesn't work to gnaw on the hose. Believe me, I've tried. TWICE. You know, to be sure.
Turns out that wasn't MANDATORY even though the pamphlet I got said it was, and I turned out leaving past 5 (the time the group was meeting at). Turns out I got on the wrong bus. Uh.... what? I wasn't even aware the buses WENT different places from APU. I just always kinda hopped on one. But no, this one had a different final stop, so I had to get out and walk to the meeting place.
On the way I realized the streets were ridiculously narrow and the sidewalks are practically nonexistant, or at least by western standards. There were people biking along them though. INSANE people. I don't know how the death toll for getting hit by a car in Japan isn't astronomical, as you have something about the width of the curb in American to walk on.
Anyways, after old women scurried quickly by, mothers hid their children from me, and some woman's dog attacked my leg (Yes really. It was like the size of my shoe though) I finally made it to the meeting place. Oh, it was raining most of this time too. So that was awesome. And nobody was there. Because of everything that happened, I missed the entire meeting and I came out for no reason.
Dinner time though. Gaijin discrimination time hurrah! I walked into the restauarant and was immediately presented with a picture menu. They really don't even give you a chance.
Went to You Mei town and got some cooking ingredients, kitchen utensils, toys (a weird little airplane thing and a Gurren Lagaan figure. One of Kittan's sisters. The girl with the glasses that nobody likes. Hurray 400 yen!) and some Guinness because the Yakitori guy said I have to drink beer with his chicken next week, and, seeing as how I know nothing about alcohol, I grabbed the name I've heard the most.
But also: 430 yen milk. IT's like a pint. supposedly the most delicious milk ever.
If it is I'm dumping the bank on a supply of this stuff. The campus milk is terrible.
Goddamn I want some Mighty Taco right now.
I know I said I was against it, but screw it, this blog is about me and everything I do. You are all living vicariously, in Japan, through my eyes.
So this is pretty much either the best or worst thing to happen to you. If you aren't sure yet, stay tuned until the ratings come in.
If it helps any I'm growing a beard for a week or two.
After classes this morning I decided that if I'm going to wander around sleep deprived every day, I might as well look like I'm sleep deprived because I've been up wrestling bears all night.
Also, lots of people seem to have weak facial hair here. All the suge no ko (incorrect method of saying "cool kids") have what amounts to patches of hair that they trim awkwardly to look like it was on purpose. I figure I'll grow a real beard out for them and then shave it right off. JUST TO SHAME THEM.
Anyways, I was supposed to go to a club meeting for Senjinkai. That's the name of the Onsen club, I just can't ever remember it. My group personally, so I had to be there.
But first I had to go to the Fire Drill! Awesome! And it was also a how to use fire extinguishers demonstration. Cause we're not encoded with that in our genetics from birth in America or anything. How many people honestly can't figure out that you pull out the pin and squeeze the handle? It doesn't work to gnaw on the hose. Believe me, I've tried. TWICE. You know, to be sure.
Turns out that wasn't MANDATORY even though the pamphlet I got said it was, and I turned out leaving past 5 (the time the group was meeting at). Turns out I got on the wrong bus. Uh.... what? I wasn't even aware the buses WENT different places from APU. I just always kinda hopped on one. But no, this one had a different final stop, so I had to get out and walk to the meeting place.
On the way I realized the streets were ridiculously narrow and the sidewalks are practically nonexistant, or at least by western standards. There were people biking along them though. INSANE people. I don't know how the death toll for getting hit by a car in Japan isn't astronomical, as you have something about the width of the curb in American to walk on.
Anyways, after old women scurried quickly by, mothers hid their children from me, and some woman's dog attacked my leg (Yes really. It was like the size of my shoe though) I finally made it to the meeting place. Oh, it was raining most of this time too. So that was awesome. And nobody was there. Because of everything that happened, I missed the entire meeting and I came out for no reason.
Dinner time though. Gaijin discrimination time hurrah! I walked into the restauarant and was immediately presented with a picture menu. They really don't even give you a chance.
Went to You Mei town and got some cooking ingredients, kitchen utensils, toys (a weird little airplane thing and a Gurren Lagaan figure. One of Kittan's sisters. The girl with the glasses that nobody likes. Hurray 400 yen!) and some Guinness because the Yakitori guy said I have to drink beer with his chicken next week, and, seeing as how I know nothing about alcohol, I grabbed the name I've heard the most.
But also: 430 yen milk. IT's like a pint. supposedly the most delicious milk ever.
If it is I'm dumping the bank on a supply of this stuff. The campus milk is terrible.
Goddamn I want some Mighty Taco right now.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Obsession
by Calvin Klein
Woke up at 9. Showered, brushed teeth, did laundry, went to class.
After class? Up the hill to get potato croquette.
Come back to my dorm and study for the test I don't have later because I misunderstood the teacher's Japanese (well DAMMIT).
After class? Up the hell to get potato croquette.
FFFFFFFF-
I don't think I can stop. Everytime I see that staircase it DRAWS me toward it. It beckons me, calling out how much I love the croquettes, how they are so delicious, how they cost less than going to the cafeteria! You know how much you like that! Plus there is free green tea and water, so you don't have to buy a drink or anything! And there is a tv to watch! You love it there.
Gyah. Hopefully going in to Beppu tomorrow will get me away from the siren call. Although I might have time to rush up the hill before I leave....
Yakitori guy was here again today too, and that was quite delicious. I managed to hold a conversation in Japanese with him, so that was really cool. I love when I manage to pull that crap off. He told me to go into town and get some beer for next week, because yakitori tastes better when you drink with it apparently. I'll take his advice, but I don't like beer pretty much at all. Especially not Japanese beer. It tastes like stagnant water. Yeuch. Maybe I'll just drink it with a pepsi like this time. You know you can cook chicken in coke? It's true! The drink, not the drug.
gyah! Real time event! I just yawned and stretched and my chest pushed against the desk and my office chair wheeled backwards while I was still heading forward and I almost smashed my face into the desk. How extreme would that be if I died while writing a blog? Like the ultimate dedication to you guys. I hope that whoever found me would write my time of death and click publish for me. I'd be peeved if they didn't,really. Speaking of extreme, tell me this isn't the most radical show ever.
Also, since I'm a dork who likes to loudly sing along to his music in his single dorm WHERE NOBODY WILL EVER KNOW (shut up)I was looking up song lyrics for what I was listening to at the time, and since I couldnt' find them I tried checking out the band's website.
Well apparently they have a free downloadable cd, eh?
Free* by Jim's Big Ego
If you need a reason to listen to the band, their autobio: "Jim's Big Ego compares itself to such major players as The Great Wall of China, The Grand Canyon, Antarctica, and other things you can see from space." That's great right there.
If you do happen to download it, I suggest the songs "Background Vocals" and "Depravity", preferably in that order. All the songs are pretty good though (Some of the older CDs were better though, look up the songs Stress or Prince Charming. should be videos on youtube). Just a warning, track number 9, pacagulo gun or whatever, it's a kinda country/blues type song? It's amusing but if you hate country it'll make your ears rage, so just letting you know ahead of time.
In a rare occasion, I actually read the comments and am responding to one because I can't think of anything more to say (listening to Private Radio by Vanessa Carlton. So it's this or I post the lyrics to the song):
>You should post a list of all the stereotypes that have been upheld!
Sure, why not. Nothing racist though.
-Asian people are good at math.
OH ME. Seriously though, all the asian kids, not necessarily Japanese, that I've gone out to town with add up the random yen values instantaneously in their heads. And this isn't at the dollar store or something, this'll be like 142 yen plus 1263 yen plus 816 yen equals... something, I don't really care. Point is: geniuses
-Japanese are better with technology.
This one is two sided. On one side, the technology here IS better. The technology that EXISTS here is fantastic.
But not everyone knows how to use it. Turns out that "middle aged people and your mother cannot use technology" clause holds true even here. One of my teachers has had to call for computer assistance at the beginning of every single class we've had. For those who follow my twitter(when it updates) this is when messages like "Class has been delayed 25 minutes" pop up. Good times.
-Do they seriously eat raw fish in Japan?
See, this is the one I was angry my camera died for. The sushi place we went to advertised that they would chop up and serve a live fish to you, and you could eat it before it died! Why that's appealing I'll never know, but our good old Dutch buddy decided it was delicious because he'd come last time. Of course, he was also convinced that it was a dead fish and it was just the resultant thawing/dead nerves twitching. Until he read the characters and saw the "still alive" part in there. So then when the fish was sitting there lip synching to Michael Jackson and he was poking fun at how long it kept twitching, it was actually a lot more morbid and disturbing than the situation reacted to it. Well, for us foreigners at least.
My fish was quite dead before I ate it. Also I had cake.
-Why are they all so short?!?!
Astute observation, Cracker McGee. Actually, genetically, Japanese men have a smaller leg to body ration than every other race on the planet. NO idea why. As it stands, there are anomolies in every race, and a good amount of the people on campus are taller than me. Per the laws of racial diversity, though, I'm still of a stockier build than most of them. Also, asians get fat...awkardly. European frames are built to carry the weight. Asian people apparently just sort of...bloat. Like that episode of Invader Zim where Dib got infected by bologna DNA.
You...you had to be there.
Also, just a note: cameras. EVERYONE has them, EVERYONE uses them. People will take pictures of anything. I mean I do too, but like... I'm a foreigner. It's expected. Everything is WEIRD to me. I'm not sitting there photographing hot dogs or proper English texts (Engrish, on the other hand? Completely different.)
I feel I should also direct attention to the site where my Blog icon comes from. That lil robot guy on the right side of the page. His name is Boxbot. He is terrible. Trust me on this. Absolutely, utterly terrible. You know, like my blog.
He comes from a comic called .Gunnerkrigg Court. Written by a one Tom Siddel, hailing from the other side of the pond. It's a very good comic, one that I check at every opportunity (or you know, at the times that he updates). I think you should check it out, and start from the beginning. The double arrows will take you there. The comic is beautifully written and drawn. The art is strikingly different in the beginning comics, but if you read it through you can watch it evolve to what its become today.
I think that's enough whoring for the moment. This blog turned out longer than I expected it too.
Oh: One more thing. Picked up some bread, a tea kettle, and some teabags and such. Trying to live thrifty here now. I assume making tea will prevent me from spending so much on beverages throughout the day. And it means I'm drinking less pop, so that's good for the healthitude as well, can't forget that.
What's good for the wallet is good for the heart.
Edit: Haha oh wow. I checked my site referrals (I can do that you know). Turns out I got a hit each from China Pringles and Winged Lobster. AWESOME. Also, a couple hits from my facebook(kinda expect that) and the aforementioned gunnerkrigg comments section. So, if anyone who found my site through any of that is keeping up, welcome I guess, and I hope you enjoy your stay. Don't touch the China cabinet.
Woke up at 9. Showered, brushed teeth, did laundry, went to class.
After class? Up the hill to get potato croquette.
Come back to my dorm and study for the test I don't have later because I misunderstood the teacher's Japanese (well DAMMIT).
After class? Up the hell to get potato croquette.
FFFFFFFF-
I don't think I can stop. Everytime I see that staircase it DRAWS me toward it. It beckons me, calling out how much I love the croquettes, how they are so delicious, how they cost less than going to the cafeteria! You know how much you like that! Plus there is free green tea and water, so you don't have to buy a drink or anything! And there is a tv to watch! You love it there.
Gyah. Hopefully going in to Beppu tomorrow will get me away from the siren call. Although I might have time to rush up the hill before I leave....
Yakitori guy was here again today too, and that was quite delicious. I managed to hold a conversation in Japanese with him, so that was really cool. I love when I manage to pull that crap off. He told me to go into town and get some beer for next week, because yakitori tastes better when you drink with it apparently. I'll take his advice, but I don't like beer pretty much at all. Especially not Japanese beer. It tastes like stagnant water. Yeuch. Maybe I'll just drink it with a pepsi like this time. You know you can cook chicken in coke? It's true! The drink, not the drug.
gyah! Real time event! I just yawned and stretched and my chest pushed against the desk and my office chair wheeled backwards while I was still heading forward and I almost smashed my face into the desk. How extreme would that be if I died while writing a blog? Like the ultimate dedication to you guys. I hope that whoever found me would write my time of death and click publish for me. I'd be peeved if they didn't,really. Speaking of extreme, tell me this isn't the most radical show ever.
Also, since I'm a dork who likes to loudly sing along to his music in his single dorm WHERE NOBODY WILL EVER KNOW (shut up)I was looking up song lyrics for what I was listening to at the time, and since I couldnt' find them I tried checking out the band's website.
Well apparently they have a free downloadable cd, eh?
Free* by Jim's Big Ego
If you need a reason to listen to the band, their autobio: "Jim's Big Ego compares itself to such major players as The Great Wall of China, The Grand Canyon, Antarctica, and other things you can see from space." That's great right there.
If you do happen to download it, I suggest the songs "Background Vocals" and "Depravity", preferably in that order. All the songs are pretty good though (Some of the older CDs were better though, look up the songs Stress or Prince Charming. should be videos on youtube). Just a warning, track number 9, pacagulo gun or whatever, it's a kinda country/blues type song? It's amusing but if you hate country it'll make your ears rage, so just letting you know ahead of time.
In a rare occasion, I actually read the comments and am responding to one because I can't think of anything more to say (listening to Private Radio by Vanessa Carlton. So it's this or I post the lyrics to the song):
>You should post a list of all the stereotypes that have been upheld!
Sure, why not. Nothing racist though.
-Asian people are good at math.
OH ME. Seriously though, all the asian kids, not necessarily Japanese, that I've gone out to town with add up the random yen values instantaneously in their heads. And this isn't at the dollar store or something, this'll be like 142 yen plus 1263 yen plus 816 yen equals... something, I don't really care. Point is: geniuses
-Japanese are better with technology.
This one is two sided. On one side, the technology here IS better. The technology that EXISTS here is fantastic.
But not everyone knows how to use it. Turns out that "middle aged people and your mother cannot use technology" clause holds true even here. One of my teachers has had to call for computer assistance at the beginning of every single class we've had. For those who follow my twitter(when it updates) this is when messages like "Class has been delayed 25 minutes" pop up. Good times.
-Do they seriously eat raw fish in Japan?
See, this is the one I was angry my camera died for. The sushi place we went to advertised that they would chop up and serve a live fish to you, and you could eat it before it died! Why that's appealing I'll never know, but our good old Dutch buddy decided it was delicious because he'd come last time. Of course, he was also convinced that it was a dead fish and it was just the resultant thawing/dead nerves twitching. Until he read the characters and saw the "still alive" part in there. So then when the fish was sitting there lip synching to Michael Jackson and he was poking fun at how long it kept twitching, it was actually a lot more morbid and disturbing than the situation reacted to it. Well, for us foreigners at least.
My fish was quite dead before I ate it. Also I had cake.
-Why are they all so short?!?!
Astute observation, Cracker McGee. Actually, genetically, Japanese men have a smaller leg to body ration than every other race on the planet. NO idea why. As it stands, there are anomolies in every race, and a good amount of the people on campus are taller than me. Per the laws of racial diversity, though, I'm still of a stockier build than most of them. Also, asians get fat...awkardly. European frames are built to carry the weight. Asian people apparently just sort of...bloat. Like that episode of Invader Zim where Dib got infected by bologna DNA.
Also, just a note: cameras. EVERYONE has them, EVERYONE uses them. People will take pictures of anything. I mean I do too, but like... I'm a foreigner. It's expected. Everything is WEIRD to me. I'm not sitting there photographing hot dogs or proper English texts (Engrish, on the other hand? Completely different.)
I feel I should also direct attention to the site where my Blog icon comes from. That lil robot guy on the right side of the page. His name is Boxbot. He is terrible. Trust me on this. Absolutely, utterly terrible. You know, like my blog.
He comes from a comic called .Gunnerkrigg Court. Written by a one Tom Siddel, hailing from the other side of the pond. It's a very good comic, one that I check at every opportunity (or you know, at the times that he updates). I think you should check it out, and start from the beginning. The double arrows will take you there. The comic is beautifully written and drawn. The art is strikingly different in the beginning comics, but if you read it through you can watch it evolve to what its become today.
I think that's enough whoring for the moment. This blog turned out longer than I expected it too.
Oh: One more thing. Picked up some bread, a tea kettle, and some teabags and such. Trying to live thrifty here now. I assume making tea will prevent me from spending so much on beverages throughout the day. And it means I'm drinking less pop, so that's good for the healthitude as well, can't forget that.
What's good for the wallet is good for the heart.
Edit: Haha oh wow. I checked my site referrals (I can do that you know). Turns out I got a hit each from China Pringles and Winged Lobster. AWESOME. Also, a couple hits from my facebook(kinda expect that) and the aforementioned gunnerkrigg comments section. So, if anyone who found my site through any of that is keeping up, welcome I guess, and I hope you enjoy your stay. Don't touch the China cabinet.
Flickr sucks
You can only post 10 MB a month without getting a membership? What the crap Flickr. How are you even still around.
Oh well. I'm using an open facebook account like everybody else that is smarter than me already: http://s491.photobucket.com/albums/rr274/pandanodarth/
So there are a few things in there that you'll see in this post, but I'm going to be putting all the rest of the pictures in there too. So have fun with that. Maybe I'll make an extra link on the side of the blog for anyone who doesn't care enough to save the link themselves.
Alright, so, I went to the Highway Bus Station for more Potato Croquettes today. I'm serious, these are pretty much the best things ever. It's a good 23 minute walk from my dorm too so it's an epic voyage. You have to walk out the dorm building, up the flight of stairs, across the bridge, all the way across campus, then up this really steep hill, around two bends, up more stairs, and then walk across the parking lot into the building.
Not pictured: Remotely close to my dorm building
Wow. So I pretty much burn off all the calories I'm going to consume from the croquette on the way there. Preemptively. But I gotta walk back after that so it works out pretty nicely. And I looked up a recipe, it's pretty much exactly made of what I described: mashed potatoes and crunchy breading. Delicious.
I had a bunch of time to waste after skipping a class so I went to the library for the first time to get some reading materials, as I'm sick of being online for such long lengths of time, or playing DS. So I've already got Ushiro no Hyakutarou (shut up Mel) that I found at the beach for free to practice my Japanese, but I picked up Twelfth Night for some leisure reading, and a copy of Don Quijote/Quixote to practice my Spanish on. I don't know why I felt the need to do that, but I'm doing it, and good luck trying to stop me. Chingate, mama chingador.
Made friends with more people too. I seem to be getting better at that. It's really not as hard as I thought for some reason. I guess I was just introverted when I got here for some reason. I know, it's so weird. I'm usually everywhere you don't want and now I'm all reclusive and such? Looks like I gotta get back to my alein', wenchin', bear wrastlin' ways then.
Now if you'll excuse me its past 2 in the morning and I have yet to do my homework.
Like a real man.
Oh well. I'm using an open facebook account like everybody else that is smarter than me already: http://s491.photobucket.com/albums/rr274/pandanodarth/
So there are a few things in there that you'll see in this post, but I'm going to be putting all the rest of the pictures in there too. So have fun with that. Maybe I'll make an extra link on the side of the blog for anyone who doesn't care enough to save the link themselves.
Alright, so, I went to the Highway Bus Station for more Potato Croquettes today. I'm serious, these are pretty much the best things ever. It's a good 23 minute walk from my dorm too so it's an epic voyage. You have to walk out the dorm building, up the flight of stairs, across the bridge, all the way across campus, then up this really steep hill, around two bends, up more stairs, and then walk across the parking lot into the building.
Wow. So I pretty much burn off all the calories I'm going to consume from the croquette on the way there. Preemptively. But I gotta walk back after that so it works out pretty nicely. And I looked up a recipe, it's pretty much exactly made of what I described: mashed potatoes and crunchy breading. Delicious.
I had a bunch of time to waste after skipping a class so I went to the library for the first time to get some reading materials, as I'm sick of being online for such long lengths of time, or playing DS. So I've already got Ushiro no Hyakutarou (shut up Mel) that I found at the beach for free to practice my Japanese, but I picked up Twelfth Night for some leisure reading, and a copy of Don Quijote/Quixote to practice my Spanish on. I don't know why I felt the need to do that, but I'm doing it, and good luck trying to stop me. Chingate, mama chingador.
Made friends with more people too. I seem to be getting better at that. It's really not as hard as I thought for some reason. I guess I was just introverted when I got here for some reason. I know, it's so weird. I'm usually everywhere you don't want and now I'm all reclusive and such? Looks like I gotta get back to my alein', wenchin', bear wrastlin' ways then.
Now if you'll excuse me its past 2 in the morning and I have yet to do my homework.
Like a real man.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Home Sweet Home
So It's been a month here and it's nice to know that there are people here who care that I'm alive.
When you travel a whole bunch it makes you feel really insignificant. There's so many other people around you that are bonded to each other in different ways, and it tends to make you feel rather lonely.
So when you hear your name randomly walking around campus or something, it's always an awesome thing.
I woke up late today because I went to bed late last night. That's sort of how it works. It's all scientifical. You figure, going to bed at 4:30 and waking up at 1:30...hey, that's still 9 hours of sleep! Nothing wrong with that.
Tried my hand at cooking again today. I only had some eggs, but I figured hey, I love scrambled eggs, so I went and made those.
Or not. Dear God I suck at cooking, cause my scrambled eggs turned into an omelette. I'm still not quite sure what I did wrong. But it tasted phenomenal, and that's more important. Japanese eggs are superior for some reason. I can't explain it, probably the lack of crazy drugs in the chickens. Can vegetarians eat eggs? I know vegans can't, but it's TECHNICALLY not an animal, so I'm not sure.
I forgot to mention yesterday that I found a book at the beach. I asked a whole bunch of people if it belonged to them and nobody said it did, so its mine now. It's from 1974. It's a really old timey manga with crazy old timey Akira style art. It's awesome and I can't read any of it cause its in another language.
Flash forward!
So I woke up and showered and around dinner time I figured I should go eat. But apparently a 6 egg omelette is HUGE, and when I got to the cafeteria I wasn't hungry. So I walked up this random stairway and found the bus station that was on top of there, which if Ryan hadn't told me about, I never would have bothered to see. It's got a pretty much vertical staircase ascent that I performed wearing flip flops. I don't wear flip flops. I'm not sure I have ever worn them. This was probably the sole most dangerous act I've performed while in Japan, and I leaned forward over that bridge to take some of those photos. When you're afraid of heights like I am, that is an epic maneuver.
Anyways it was hustlin and bustlin with tons of people that I had no idea were up there, and they had a restaurant and a shop there. Tons of Hello Kitty merchandise and some Shin Chan, and a bunch of gift foods and the like. You know, boxes of sample chocolates. Japan is pretty similar I guess, in that regard. The one thing the restaurants had: jyagaimo croquettes. I include the word jyagaimo because it means potato and it's an awesome word. Learn it, love it. I don't know what a croquette is. Not the actual definition of it. What I'd define it as is God's tears given physical and edible presence on Earth. DEAR LORD SO DELICIOUS. Essentially picture a mashed potato that is itself surrounded by a crunchy flaky crust and the whole thing is warm and lightly seasoned. I could probably eat these every day for the rest of my life if I had to.
After I left the station is when I heard that random person call me name, and I turned to see Jenny getting off the bus. So hey, that was cool. Apparently she went to Fukuoka for a random weekend. Ha, Fukuoka sucks! Or not. She said she wanted to go to the sex museum and I told her to take me, because I am desperate for people to love me in this world. Or something like that. I promise I'll upload those pictures right after the exhibit whenever I go. I don't want you guys to miss out on wax sculptures of humping zebras and Disney orgies.
I still don't feel like doing the beach pictures at the moment. I have time after Onsen club tomorrow, so I'll probably upload them then. We'll see.
If you're WORTH it.
When you travel a whole bunch it makes you feel really insignificant. There's so many other people around you that are bonded to each other in different ways, and it tends to make you feel rather lonely.
So when you hear your name randomly walking around campus or something, it's always an awesome thing.
I woke up late today because I went to bed late last night. That's sort of how it works. It's all scientifical. You figure, going to bed at 4:30 and waking up at 1:30...hey, that's still 9 hours of sleep! Nothing wrong with that.
Tried my hand at cooking again today. I only had some eggs, but I figured hey, I love scrambled eggs, so I went and made those.
Or not. Dear God I suck at cooking, cause my scrambled eggs turned into an omelette. I'm still not quite sure what I did wrong. But it tasted phenomenal, and that's more important. Japanese eggs are superior for some reason. I can't explain it, probably the lack of crazy drugs in the chickens. Can vegetarians eat eggs? I know vegans can't, but it's TECHNICALLY not an animal, so I'm not sure.
I forgot to mention yesterday that I found a book at the beach. I asked a whole bunch of people if it belonged to them and nobody said it did, so its mine now. It's from 1974. It's a really old timey manga with crazy old timey Akira style art. It's awesome and I can't read any of it cause its in another language.
Flash forward!
So I woke up and showered and around dinner time I figured I should go eat. But apparently a 6 egg omelette is HUGE, and when I got to the cafeteria I wasn't hungry. So I walked up this random stairway and found the bus station that was on top of there, which if Ryan hadn't told me about, I never would have bothered to see. It's got a pretty much vertical staircase ascent that I performed wearing flip flops. I don't wear flip flops. I'm not sure I have ever worn them. This was probably the sole most dangerous act I've performed while in Japan, and I leaned forward over that bridge to take some of those photos. When you're afraid of heights like I am, that is an epic maneuver.
Anyways it was hustlin and bustlin with tons of people that I had no idea were up there, and they had a restaurant and a shop there. Tons of Hello Kitty merchandise and some Shin Chan, and a bunch of gift foods and the like. You know, boxes of sample chocolates. Japan is pretty similar I guess, in that regard. The one thing the restaurants had: jyagaimo croquettes. I include the word jyagaimo because it means potato and it's an awesome word. Learn it, love it. I don't know what a croquette is. Not the actual definition of it. What I'd define it as is God's tears given physical and edible presence on Earth. DEAR LORD SO DELICIOUS. Essentially picture a mashed potato that is itself surrounded by a crunchy flaky crust and the whole thing is warm and lightly seasoned. I could probably eat these every day for the rest of my life if I had to.
After I left the station is when I heard that random person call me name, and I turned to see Jenny getting off the bus. So hey, that was cool. Apparently she went to Fukuoka for a random weekend. Ha, Fukuoka sucks! Or not. She said she wanted to go to the sex museum and I told her to take me, because I am desperate for people to love me in this world. Or something like that. I promise I'll upload those pictures right after the exhibit whenever I go. I don't want you guys to miss out on wax sculptures of humping zebras and Disney orgies.
I still don't feel like doing the beach pictures at the moment. I have time after Onsen club tomorrow, so I'll probably upload them then. We'll see.
If you're WORTH it.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Happy Blogaversary!
I celebrated by posting late! Hurrah!
You know it's now been an entire month since I left America to live here in good old Japan? And in the process I've come to realize how many stereotypes are true about the country, and in addition, how many more things are just plain depressing.
But other than that, it's been good times! Goin to classes...eating food...random neighbors. And the blogging, oh the blogging! How I've neglected you, sweet prince. I've abused you in your form and wrought horrors unto the internet that it did not deserve.
I am not sorry. I will never be ashamed by anything about this site.
Okay. I should probably be ashamed of that.
How else did I celebrate though.
Well, I overslept and missed class due to the guys across the hall partying until 5 am while I was trying to sleep. If I can get out of failing the class as a result, then that'll rock.
Oh, I went to the beach! That was cool. The beach was artificial though. I could tell by the extra coarse sand and having seen a few beaches in my time. Was there with two parties, exchange and dorm. The exchange part sucked, so I ate some food and ditched them to hang out with the cool kids from my dorm building. We played a bunch of games where we were forced to learn each others names, that involved spitting water at each other, rubbing flour on each others faces, and hitting each other upside the head with rolled up newspapers.
Man, Japan is awesome.
Met some new people there, too, that was neat. Really proved the international mixup there. Made friends with an Indian guy, an Indonesian girl, couple of Chinese and Korean kids. And afterwards a group of us including Sjors (Danish. Dutch? Netherlands.) Marcelo (Uraguay..an?) and George (from Ghana. Fuck trying to figure out ethnic names) all went to a sushi restaurant. These guys specifically mentioned because afterwards all of us went out to see Beppu. (see? That saved time in the long run).
Walking around Beppu was awesome though. Saw a whole bunch of random shops, found an Indian restaurant with Bollywood posters in the window, and we found this really cool bar too. Sat there for a good while and the bartender spoke some pretty good English so the two guys in our party who know virtually no Japanese were set. After we were done there we wound up at another bar, lost two of our party members, and George and I went back to APU, not having more money to spend on alcohols.
Then I watched National Treasure 2 with my Meng man Fanxing (IT'S A PUN ON HIS NAME). Was pretty cool and he had coffee and pringles to spare, so that's always nice. He's really too friendly. Poor guy, I should do something for him. Other than teaching him new English words I mean. That's not as important as cooking pancakes and sharing them or something.
That's about it. And I didn't get back to my dorm til about two ish which is why the blog update is so late. So deal with that.
Oh, and I promised you pictures:
Well, my camera died at the beach.
Haha... yeah, it's true. I got a few pictures from that, but for some reason I can't use the camera when the battery isn't in, and I have to take the battery out to charge it for some inexplicable reason. So I'll post pictures EVENTUALLY, but you'll still miss out on some funny Engrish, a little kid wearing an I <3 Jamaica shirt (seriously...like a 3 year old girl. WTF.) and some pictures of the brothel we encountered. Yeaaaaah Pink Hotel. You have hookers.
Until next time, keep following my adventures, True Believers!
Finally, I can understand politics.
You know it's now been an entire month since I left America to live here in good old Japan? And in the process I've come to realize how many stereotypes are true about the country, and in addition, how many more things are just plain depressing.
But other than that, it's been good times! Goin to classes...eating food...random neighbors. And the blogging, oh the blogging! How I've neglected you, sweet prince. I've abused you in your form and wrought horrors unto the internet that it did not deserve.
I am not sorry. I will never be ashamed by anything about this site.
How else did I celebrate though.
Well, I overslept and missed class due to the guys across the hall partying until 5 am while I was trying to sleep. If I can get out of failing the class as a result, then that'll rock.
Oh, I went to the beach! That was cool. The beach was artificial though. I could tell by the extra coarse sand and having seen a few beaches in my time. Was there with two parties, exchange and dorm. The exchange part sucked, so I ate some food and ditched them to hang out with the cool kids from my dorm building. We played a bunch of games where we were forced to learn each others names, that involved spitting water at each other, rubbing flour on each others faces, and hitting each other upside the head with rolled up newspapers.
Man, Japan is awesome.
Met some new people there, too, that was neat. Really proved the international mixup there. Made friends with an Indian guy, an Indonesian girl, couple of Chinese and Korean kids. And afterwards a group of us including Sjors (Danish. Dutch? Netherlands.) Marcelo (Uraguay..an?) and George (from Ghana. Fuck trying to figure out ethnic names) all went to a sushi restaurant. These guys specifically mentioned because afterwards all of us went out to see Beppu. (see? That saved time in the long run).
Walking around Beppu was awesome though. Saw a whole bunch of random shops, found an Indian restaurant with Bollywood posters in the window, and we found this really cool bar too. Sat there for a good while and the bartender spoke some pretty good English so the two guys in our party who know virtually no Japanese were set. After we were done there we wound up at another bar, lost two of our party members, and George and I went back to APU, not having more money to spend on alcohols.
Then I watched National Treasure 2 with my Meng man Fanxing (IT'S A PUN ON HIS NAME). Was pretty cool and he had coffee and pringles to spare, so that's always nice. He's really too friendly. Poor guy, I should do something for him. Other than teaching him new English words I mean. That's not as important as cooking pancakes and sharing them or something.
That's about it. And I didn't get back to my dorm til about two ish which is why the blog update is so late. So deal with that.
Oh, and I promised you pictures:
Well, my camera died at the beach.
Haha... yeah, it's true. I got a few pictures from that, but for some reason I can't use the camera when the battery isn't in, and I have to take the battery out to charge it for some inexplicable reason. So I'll post pictures EVENTUALLY, but you'll still miss out on some funny Engrish, a little kid wearing an I <3 Jamaica shirt (seriously...like a 3 year old girl. WTF.) and some pictures of the brothel we encountered. Yeaaaaah Pink Hotel. You have hookers.
Until next time, keep following my adventures, True Believers!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Hiatus
James Hiatus.
Okay, I'm back. Sorry for all the rageocity. I'm a recovering rageaholic and I fell off the wagon back there. The systems here are really insane though, but it was further induced by the fact that I was studying for midterms. Mid quarter terms? School is divided into 4 quarters at APU instead of 2 semesters so I get the beauty of two final exam and two midterm sessions for each normal semester. AWESOME.
I have class Saturday as well. Make up for another class that is two periods long for some reason. But then I get to blow off that steam at the beach so...yay? We shall see, and I shall provide pictures of said beach.
Well now that all the explanation is over:
Well crap I don't have anything to put here. I haven't DONE much so... here, lemme upload some pictures for you and just discuss that:
This is the form I was upset about having to fill out. Three times.
And that is the line I had to stand in. Three times.
That help explain why I was pissed? This was all after waking up at quarter to seven to go to a test and then go to this, then go back to class. All without breakfast cause I'm hardcore like that.
That's that though. It's supposed to be a one time thing, so it's in the past, and midterms went well. So stress is gone. Here's some more pictures of things in Japan for you.
Filthy lying Japanese. Do you see a microwave? Cause I don't. The microwave is nonexistant. Unless it's an ethereal microwave in which case I simply cannot see it. Maybe you have to BELIEVE it's there so that you can use it? Either way, setting your food in front of the sign doesn't work either.
You're being forced to look at a picture of a dragonfly because I was ecstatic to get it. There were SEVEN of them flying around, and out of the 32 pictures I snapped this is the only one that had a dragonfly in it. They move fast, and they dont' stop moving for anything. Except for those special occasions where you aren't paying attention and they slam right into your face. And by special I mean it happens A LOT. Also, speaking of insects, one of those giant bees landed on the back of my neck. It sounded like a small toy helicopter was hovering behind me, and I was about half a second from breaking into tears out of sheer terror.
I mean umm....turning around and killing it. By throwing a bear at it.
Yeah, that's manlier.
Glados is watching you.
Yeah, I took like 7 pictures of the security camera with the flash on high to try to piss the people off in the office. Nobody came though. But now you can see how well monitored we are. It's so good that I caught people having sex in the janitor's closet. Granted this was before classes began back about a week before school when nobody was supposed to be in the building... but come on people. At least be QUIET about it.
It's a hallway. I was sitting there. The floor is shiny. That's it. You make it funny.
How do "tings" go? Why they go ting, you silly! Also I wasn't aware one could blush one's teeth. Note: The fact that I turned the headphones into a general akbar-esque alien thing. You'll find I do this with all my notes, essentially.
I swear to God that those are notes. I spent the entire class taking them, and they are very helpful in my studies.
That's all I got. Tomorrow, to the beach!
Okay, I'm back. Sorry for all the rageocity. I'm a recovering rageaholic and I fell off the wagon back there. The systems here are really insane though, but it was further induced by the fact that I was studying for midterms. Mid quarter terms? School is divided into 4 quarters at APU instead of 2 semesters so I get the beauty of two final exam and two midterm sessions for each normal semester. AWESOME.
I have class Saturday as well. Make up for another class that is two periods long for some reason. But then I get to blow off that steam at the beach so...yay? We shall see, and I shall provide pictures of said beach.
Well now that all the explanation is over:
Well crap I don't have anything to put here. I haven't DONE much so... here, lemme upload some pictures for you and just discuss that:
This is the form I was upset about having to fill out. Three times.
And that is the line I had to stand in. Three times.
That help explain why I was pissed? This was all after waking up at quarter to seven to go to a test and then go to this, then go back to class. All without breakfast cause I'm hardcore like that.
That's that though. It's supposed to be a one time thing, so it's in the past, and midterms went well. So stress is gone. Here's some more pictures of things in Japan for you.
Filthy lying Japanese. Do you see a microwave? Cause I don't. The microwave is nonexistant. Unless it's an ethereal microwave in which case I simply cannot see it. Maybe you have to BELIEVE it's there so that you can use it? Either way, setting your food in front of the sign doesn't work either.
You're being forced to look at a picture of a dragonfly because I was ecstatic to get it. There were SEVEN of them flying around, and out of the 32 pictures I snapped this is the only one that had a dragonfly in it. They move fast, and they dont' stop moving for anything. Except for those special occasions where you aren't paying attention and they slam right into your face. And by special I mean it happens A LOT. Also, speaking of insects, one of those giant bees landed on the back of my neck. It sounded like a small toy helicopter was hovering behind me, and I was about half a second from breaking into tears out of sheer terror.
I mean umm....turning around and killing it. By throwing a bear at it.
Yeah, that's manlier.
Yeah, I took like 7 pictures of the security camera with the flash on high to try to piss the people off in the office. Nobody came though. But now you can see how well monitored we are. It's so good that I caught people having sex in the janitor's closet. Granted this was before classes began back about a week before school when nobody was supposed to be in the building... but come on people. At least be QUIET about it.
It's a hallway. I was sitting there. The floor is shiny. That's it. You make it funny.
How do "tings" go? Why they go ting, you silly! Also I wasn't aware one could blush one's teeth. Note: The fact that I turned the headphones into a general akbar-esque alien thing. You'll find I do this with all my notes, essentially.
I swear to God that those are notes. I spent the entire class taking them, and they are very helpful in my studies.
That's all I got. Tomorrow, to the beach!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
I am tired
Considering classes at UB are...what? 40 minutes? 50? Something like that. These 90 minute minimum classes are exhausting. Especially when you have back to back classes. Ack.
So I woke up early and went to class, then to the bank registration orientation.
Where I was subjected again to Japanese beauracracy.
You have to sit there and wait for instructions, then fill everything out, and go to the next station, where they inspect it, and send you to the next station where they inspect it again, and then put the finishing touches on it.
Except I did mine wrong because I followed the instructions that said to use the first page as an example. And my first page had my first name last name order (Japanese is last name first name) so I followed that. Then they said it was wrong. So I had to cross it out and rewrite it like they told me to. But they said that what they told me to do was too messy, so I had to rewrite it all from scratch in a new packet. And then I tried to hand THAT in and they said I had to go back through and write my middle name down this time. GYAH. And then my passport page was copied on the wrong page, even though I'm pretty sure I watched them write down information from the correct copy I gave them (after wandering around campus for 15 minutes looking for a copier) and then just toss it in the garbage. I had my passport ON me. They could have just copied from there >.<
Basically, Japanese beauracratic systems are so far up their own asses they're incapable of functioning outside of routine. I can't wait to get back to America where our processes have a slight amount of wiggle room for accommodating mistakes, instead of just "Do it again. Better this time".
I walked around campus a bit and I've been studying all day because I have midterms tomorrow.
I'm exhausted really. That's all there is to report today. I took some pictures and stuff, and I have funny things to say, but I really just need to study and stop hating Japan enough to concentrate on studying.
I'll make it up to you tomorrow.
So I woke up early and went to class, then to the bank registration orientation.
Where I was subjected again to Japanese beauracracy.
You have to sit there and wait for instructions, then fill everything out, and go to the next station, where they inspect it, and send you to the next station where they inspect it again, and then put the finishing touches on it.
Except I did mine wrong because I followed the instructions that said to use the first page as an example. And my first page had my first name last name order (Japanese is last name first name) so I followed that. Then they said it was wrong. So I had to cross it out and rewrite it like they told me to. But they said that what they told me to do was too messy, so I had to rewrite it all from scratch in a new packet. And then I tried to hand THAT in and they said I had to go back through and write my middle name down this time. GYAH. And then my passport page was copied on the wrong page, even though I'm pretty sure I watched them write down information from the correct copy I gave them (after wandering around campus for 15 minutes looking for a copier) and then just toss it in the garbage. I had my passport ON me. They could have just copied from there >.<
Basically, Japanese beauracratic systems are so far up their own asses they're incapable of functioning outside of routine. I can't wait to get back to America where our processes have a slight amount of wiggle room for accommodating mistakes, instead of just "Do it again. Better this time".
I walked around campus a bit and I've been studying all day because I have midterms tomorrow.
I'm exhausted really. That's all there is to report today. I took some pictures and stuff, and I have funny things to say, but I really just need to study and stop hating Japan enough to concentrate on studying.
I'll make it up to you tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Lazy Day
How is that different from any of the others, right? RIGHT? Haha, I slay me.
Anyways, yeah. Nothing special happened today (other than my care package finally arriving. Hurray, socks and sandals! Not to be mixed). So I won't bore you with my random psychoanalyzations of absolutely nothing, and instead I'll just list a bunch of observances from Japan so far.
Bear with me, I'm sure I'm repeating myself on a few of these.
Vending machines are absolutely everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Inside of the stores in the mall there are vending machines, and in the middle of the woods there is a vending machine. And there are stores that are just ROWS OF VENDING MACHINES.
Malls are set up very oddly. I'm not sure if they're ALL this way, but the two that I've gone to are open air. Meaning each store has its designated section, but there are no entrances or walls or anything. So it's all set up like a flea market, except less random gates and less creepy fat nerds who glare at you for inspecting the merchandise before paying the 34 cents for it (I needed to make sure that shoehorn was clean, dammit!)
Internet sucks on campus. And so do the computers here. I've heard this about some of the other campuses too. Anything you've heard about Japan is a mix of lies. They're technologically superior but apparently EXTREMELY CHEAP and won't spend the extra money to get computers that run, you know, XP. Or an upgraded internet connection. I shouldn't have to struggle to watch youtube depending on what time of the day it is.
Nobody carries swords around here anymore, and very few people have pink, blue, green, or white hair. TV has lied to you. I know, take a breath, it's very shocking.
The Japanese are very organized. If you ask them a question that pertains to something outside of the schedule that get confused and uneasy. For example, seeing a foreigner around the corner will terrify an old lady into rigomortis. Also, changing your classes seems to absolutely throw the people in the office. That may just be me though.
I know I've said this before but: Japanese people have no sense of pedestrian traffic. This is particularly troublesome on stairwells where you have no idea which side the person is coming from and you turn blindly into a corner and run into them. GYAH. I've determined that people tend to walk on the side of the hall/sidewalk/road/narrow passageway of their eventual destination. As it stands, this is a person to person basis and until I learn to read minds (trying REALLY hard) then this observation won't really help me.
Japanese youth are more in tune with American culture than their own. I mentioned a band that has been around for something like 15 years and the kid had no idea who I was talking about. This is the equivalent to an American college student being absolutely bewildered when you ask them what their favorite Beatles song is. On the other hand, he likes Van Morissey so... good for him.
Japanese people will laugh at anything. If you've never seen any game show clips, look them up on youtube. There are things such as people guessing what type of baby animal is on screen and everybody cracks up when they guess wrong. Other shows will involve people riding around town on bicycles looking for other people wearing animals on their clothes and asking them what kind of animal it is. And then everybody laughs... for some reason. Also, I saw some kids burst out laughing when a guy mimicked swining a baseball bat. Just sayin.
You're never allowed to acknowledge ANYTHING. I keep forgetting this. I need to learn to respond with no instead of yes whenever anybody says thank you for things. I'm so used to saying "Sure [anytime]" in English that it comes naturally for me to acknowledge the situation. Apparently this is very rude in Japanese and I have not been called out on it yet.
Know the basic counters (hitotsu, futatsu, miitsu), the word please (onegaishimasu), the word thank you (arigatou gozaimashita), the word sorry (gomen[nasai]), and the abiliy to point, and you will be able to get to Japan with pretty much no problem.
That's all for now. Take this opportunity to tell me how much you love and miss me and let me know that you're sending me all the tacos.
Yes.
ALL of them.
Anyways, yeah. Nothing special happened today (other than my care package finally arriving. Hurray, socks and sandals! Not to be mixed). So I won't bore you with my random psychoanalyzations of absolutely nothing, and instead I'll just list a bunch of observances from Japan so far.
Bear with me, I'm sure I'm repeating myself on a few of these.
Vending machines are absolutely everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Inside of the stores in the mall there are vending machines, and in the middle of the woods there is a vending machine. And there are stores that are just ROWS OF VENDING MACHINES.
Malls are set up very oddly. I'm not sure if they're ALL this way, but the two that I've gone to are open air. Meaning each store has its designated section, but there are no entrances or walls or anything. So it's all set up like a flea market, except less random gates and less creepy fat nerds who glare at you for inspecting the merchandise before paying the 34 cents for it (I needed to make sure that shoehorn was clean, dammit!)
Internet sucks on campus. And so do the computers here. I've heard this about some of the other campuses too. Anything you've heard about Japan is a mix of lies. They're technologically superior but apparently EXTREMELY CHEAP and won't spend the extra money to get computers that run, you know, XP. Or an upgraded internet connection. I shouldn't have to struggle to watch youtube depending on what time of the day it is.
Nobody carries swords around here anymore, and very few people have pink, blue, green, or white hair. TV has lied to you. I know, take a breath, it's very shocking.
The Japanese are very organized. If you ask them a question that pertains to something outside of the schedule that get confused and uneasy. For example, seeing a foreigner around the corner will terrify an old lady into rigomortis. Also, changing your classes seems to absolutely throw the people in the office. That may just be me though.
I know I've said this before but: Japanese people have no sense of pedestrian traffic. This is particularly troublesome on stairwells where you have no idea which side the person is coming from and you turn blindly into a corner and run into them. GYAH. I've determined that people tend to walk on the side of the hall/sidewalk/road/narrow passageway of their eventual destination. As it stands, this is a person to person basis and until I learn to read minds (trying REALLY hard) then this observation won't really help me.
Japanese youth are more in tune with American culture than their own. I mentioned a band that has been around for something like 15 years and the kid had no idea who I was talking about. This is the equivalent to an American college student being absolutely bewildered when you ask them what their favorite Beatles song is. On the other hand, he likes Van Morissey so... good for him.
Japanese people will laugh at anything. If you've never seen any game show clips, look them up on youtube. There are things such as people guessing what type of baby animal is on screen and everybody cracks up when they guess wrong. Other shows will involve people riding around town on bicycles looking for other people wearing animals on their clothes and asking them what kind of animal it is. And then everybody laughs... for some reason. Also, I saw some kids burst out laughing when a guy mimicked swining a baseball bat. Just sayin.
You're never allowed to acknowledge ANYTHING. I keep forgetting this. I need to learn to respond with no instead of yes whenever anybody says thank you for things. I'm so used to saying "Sure [anytime]" in English that it comes naturally for me to acknowledge the situation. Apparently this is very rude in Japanese and I have not been called out on it yet.
Know the basic counters (hitotsu, futatsu, miitsu), the word please (onegaishimasu), the word thank you (arigatou gozaimashita), the word sorry (gomen[nasai]), and the abiliy to point, and you will be able to get to Japan with pretty much no problem.
That's all for now. Take this opportunity to tell me how much you love and miss me and let me know that you're sending me all the tacos.
Yes.
ALL of them.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
ONSEN! ONSEN! ONSEN!
No, I didn't go.
But I joined the Onsen club by accident. Because it turns out buses are noisy.
When I had spoken to Yuan on the bus I thought he said that he was in a club that goes to famous places around Japan. Apparently they go to famous ONSEN around Japan. For the uninitated, onsen are hot springs. In the sides of volcanoes. That you bathe in. In public.
Naked.
So hey... should be an experience, eh?
Everyone in the club is REALLY nice so I'm going to keep going. They speak Japanese primarily during the meetings, and the speak it at, you know, native fluency. So I follow what I can, and I laugh when they laugh and applaud when they applaud.
And then go back to my room and weep at my incompetence.
Not really, though. Yuan is helping me along in the meetings and he let me know about this "nihongonet" thing that meets on Fridays where foreigners go and practice their Japanese, so I'm gonna go to that. Cause I don't speak Japanese. And I need to apparently. You know, being in Japan and all.
So that went well, and the president of the club is really nice (ah good, I didn't objectify her by blurting out how hot she is. Proud of myself). There was free food so that really adds to the experience, and after the meeting everyone was nice enough to speak half and half to me, so it wasn't so bad. Turns out the pres studied in America for a year (in Fargo apparently. Not sure why they'd subject the poor Japanese students to the place, but hey, whatever).
So that's all that. Classes aside from interpreting are going well, so that's good. And I bought some food that apparently has mayonnaise in it. It was good after you got rid of the mayo. Again... I need to learn to read labels. Cause this said in bright yellow katakana "MAYONNAISE". D'oh.
After classes I went to the bathroom. And I was enlightened, I saw a sign!
Okay, maybe enlightened is less the word I'm looking for. Bewildered? I'm serious, does anyone know what this sign means? It's like.... are there rebels that bring their own toilet paper around in Japan and then tell people about it? Because even if I try to make sense of this, nobody is going to KNOW if you use other toilet paper. Or construction paper, wood chips, copies of seventeen magazine. I really just don't understand Japan.
Oh, sorry. I did that wrong.
Fucking Japan!
Also, my attention span has gotten worse:
It's a bottle birdy! You can see the wings, and the tail, and one of the eyes! And you can't tell from this angle, but the british lady on the front is the beak.
Yeah, I need help.
And I still haven't posted those pictures from the other day! HA! You'll never see them!
Nah, I'm gonna set up a flickr account for anyone who cares. It'll have a bunch of behind the scenes photos for you to look at.
No, that doesn't mean that I'll be without pants.
But I joined the Onsen club by accident. Because it turns out buses are noisy.
When I had spoken to Yuan on the bus I thought he said that he was in a club that goes to famous places around Japan. Apparently they go to famous ONSEN around Japan. For the uninitated, onsen are hot springs. In the sides of volcanoes. That you bathe in. In public.
Naked.
So hey... should be an experience, eh?
Everyone in the club is REALLY nice so I'm going to keep going. They speak Japanese primarily during the meetings, and the speak it at, you know, native fluency. So I follow what I can, and I laugh when they laugh and applaud when they applaud.
And then go back to my room and weep at my incompetence.
Not really, though. Yuan is helping me along in the meetings and he let me know about this "nihongonet" thing that meets on Fridays where foreigners go and practice their Japanese, so I'm gonna go to that. Cause I don't speak Japanese. And I need to apparently. You know, being in Japan and all.
So that went well, and the president of the club is really nice (ah good, I didn't objectify her by blurting out how hot she is. Proud of myself). There was free food so that really adds to the experience, and after the meeting everyone was nice enough to speak half and half to me, so it wasn't so bad. Turns out the pres studied in America for a year (in Fargo apparently. Not sure why they'd subject the poor Japanese students to the place, but hey, whatever).
So that's all that. Classes aside from interpreting are going well, so that's good. And I bought some food that apparently has mayonnaise in it. It was good after you got rid of the mayo. Again... I need to learn to read labels. Cause this said in bright yellow katakana "MAYONNAISE". D'oh.
After classes I went to the bathroom. And I was enlightened, I saw a sign!
Okay, maybe enlightened is less the word I'm looking for. Bewildered? I'm serious, does anyone know what this sign means? It's like.... are there rebels that bring their own toilet paper around in Japan and then tell people about it? Because even if I try to make sense of this, nobody is going to KNOW if you use other toilet paper. Or construction paper, wood chips, copies of seventeen magazine. I really just don't understand Japan.
Oh, sorry. I did that wrong.
Fucking Japan!
Also, my attention span has gotten worse:
It's a bottle birdy! You can see the wings, and the tail, and one of the eyes! And you can't tell from this angle, but the british lady on the front is the beak.
Yeah, I need help.
And I still haven't posted those pictures from the other day! HA! You'll never see them!
Nah, I'm gonna set up a flickr account for anyone who cares. It'll have a bunch of behind the scenes photos for you to look at.
No, that doesn't mean that I'll be without pants.
Monday, October 13, 2008
I'm still in Japan!
For anyone that was in suspicious. I can be pretty sneaky you know. I tend to get around. But no, I'm still here in Beppu. Talkin poor Japanese and spending too much on sodapop on a daily basis.
I slept in until two in the afternoon. Why? F*** you, that's why. But in all seriousness I didn't get to bed until 6oclock in the morning, considering when me and Fanxing hung out we downed an entire pot of tea. And tea has caffeine in it. And caffeine keeps you awake. AWESOME.
So I went to the Co-op when I woke up and bought what I thought was everything I'd need to make latkes.
HAHAHA no.
Turns out, I barely have any cooking utensils. I still need to find a cutting board and a whisk at the very least, and I forgot to buy salt and hot sauce (hot sauce not necessarily related to the latkes. But we'll see).
Considering I wasn't aware of how important it is to use a grater when...you know, when the recipe calls for it I attempted to chop the potatoes finely (on a plate mind you, because I'm something America likes to call "retarded").
The result was this:
Yeah... that was after about 20 minutes of chopping. there are 4 or 5 potatoes there. I had to PEEL those too before hand. And the peeler chopped one of my nails off, which I wasn't aware that they were CAPABLE of, so for the rest of the time I was terrified of demolishing an artery, which made the entire process slow to a crawl. In fact, it took 3 and a half Vanessa Carlton tracks (shut up) before I was finished.
Not being one to get discouraged, I decided to just turn them into hash browns instead of latkes. At least I had some butter to cook with (anyone who uses cooking oil is a JERK) so it wasn't so bad. I forgot the salt though so they were sort of plain, but they came out tasting good otherwise:
Kind of lackluster, but those were the wacky adventures of cooking with Roshi this time. I'll try to screw more things up next time, cause I know how INSUFFERABLY BORING this session was. I'll start soup on fire or something, it'll be magical.
Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go back to not doing my homework.
I slept in until two in the afternoon. Why? F*** you, that's why. But in all seriousness I didn't get to bed until 6oclock in the morning, considering when me and Fanxing hung out we downed an entire pot of tea. And tea has caffeine in it. And caffeine keeps you awake. AWESOME.
So I went to the Co-op when I woke up and bought what I thought was everything I'd need to make latkes.
HAHAHA no.
Turns out, I barely have any cooking utensils. I still need to find a cutting board and a whisk at the very least, and I forgot to buy salt and hot sauce (hot sauce not necessarily related to the latkes. But we'll see).
Considering I wasn't aware of how important it is to use a grater when...you know, when the recipe calls for it I attempted to chop the potatoes finely (on a plate mind you, because I'm something America likes to call "retarded").
The result was this:
Yeah... that was after about 20 minutes of chopping. there are 4 or 5 potatoes there. I had to PEEL those too before hand. And the peeler chopped one of my nails off, which I wasn't aware that they were CAPABLE of, so for the rest of the time I was terrified of demolishing an artery, which made the entire process slow to a crawl. In fact, it took 3 and a half Vanessa Carlton tracks (shut up) before I was finished.
Not being one to get discouraged, I decided to just turn them into hash browns instead of latkes. At least I had some butter to cook with (anyone who uses cooking oil is a JERK) so it wasn't so bad. I forgot the salt though so they were sort of plain, but they came out tasting good otherwise:
Kind of lackluster, but those were the wacky adventures of cooking with Roshi this time. I'll try to screw more things up next time, cause I know how INSUFFERABLY BORING this session was. I'll start soup on fire or something, it'll be magical.
Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go back to not doing my homework.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Awesome Times
I went down to Beppu again today cause I needed me some shoppin times. So I ran into a kid from the floor who speaks damn good English, and he told me where to go and showed me how to get there. So I wound up at a place called You On town or something akin to that.
First thing I saw was a KFC. Haha...yeah, like I'd eat there. I know their tricks.
After that was a....As seen on TV! store. I'm serious. They had the infomercials playing on tv's behind the products. It was crazy and I was almost tricked into buying a vegetable peeler. Which, granted, I have potatoes, but I'm not paying 14 dollars for something when I already have a knife.
I wound up mostly wandering around and getting a feel for the place. Mostly women's clothing stores, but there was a "Kid's Zone" where they had a sort of teen culture place? I dunno. It was like a mix bitween Spencer's and Toys r Us. REALLY strange. And the Big n Tall store didn't have any slippers, so no luck there. They don't sell anything even close to my size on campus. Internationality my tuckus.
I also wound up in a gashapon and collectibles store. Felt dirty :(. I shouldn't be buying anime stuff while I'm in Japan, I didn't come here for that. Then again, EVERYTHING IS SO MUCH CHEAPER HERE. Maybe, I dunno. Some of the stuff is, but then again some isn't. I should check out some of the older FF7 figures in american stores to see if it's actually cheaper here. Anyone who reads this, if you know offhand if a Master Figures Yuffie Kisaragi is more than 40 bucks in America, lemmme know.
After not buying anything from there, I got lost in the parking garage somehow. Dunno how I wound up there but I bought a drink, drank it, and then bought a little rubber band gun from a gashapon machine. Step one in my war on Japan.
Then I went down to the grocery store and promptly began wandering around like the white guy I am. What is that, fish? I can't cook fish. Can people actually cook fish? I thought it only came in stick form! And what's with all this seaweed everywhere? That bread looks good but it's filled with cream cheese (which, due to my lack of bothering to read crap before I buy it, I didn't find out til my first bite).
I escaped with some apple juice, some butter (which is what I came for dammit), some cornflakes and some microwaveable deals.
Oh. AND MY LIFE.
On the way out I looked at more things I'd buy if I felt like wasting money today, and at at KFC. Dear God is it good here. Absolutely nothing like KFC in America. The chicken is so real and cooked! And the spices are even better. And they have FRENCH FRIES. I want this KFC in America, rather than that crap near NT run by all the stoners that always runs out of chicken. You know, the one with the C health rating? Yeah, that one.
So I ate my churro on the way home (man, I need to stop forgetting to mention when I buy things) and wound up downloading a whole bunch of music when I got looped into the connection. First the Ting Tings cd, then some Flyleaf (I have no idea why I've been into them lately. You tell me), and then some Vanessa Carlton.
ALL of Vanessa Carlton.
For anybody who's not aware, I have some sort of homosexual fantasy about marrying her or something. I'm not sure exactly. I might be in love with her, or I'm in love with her music. What I do know is I pretty much get music induced orgasms when I listen to her and that's probably the sole most disturbing and gay thing you've read all day.
Anyways, I was rocking out to my music when Fanxing bothered me on Facebook and told me to come over for tea.
So I did.
Was pretty good tea from China, and he had PRINGLES. Dear God taste of America. Anyways, he had a bunch of questions about English and how I'm enjoying Japan and if I'd be willing to help him learn English, the answer to all the questions being yes (Especially the ones that needed explanation. DEFINITE yes). So we bonded over some food and family stories, I shared my philosophy on life and friendship (friends are more important to family. You heard it here folks) and we watched an episode of Friends, and I helped him with some of the culture stuff. Though surprisingly he had a book detailing American cultural aspects in Friends. Craziness. Also, an episode of Desperate Housewives. I should totally watch that show. BABES, my friend. BABES.
Anyways, we hung out til almost 4 and he gave me a rice cooker cause he's awesome like that. AWESOME I SAY. So that's why the blog is extra late and I'm double tired, so I'm not putting up the pictures right now. On this crappy campus connection I actually have to upload the pictures one by one to photobucket and link to them on blogger, so it's a lot of extra work. And I gotta resize them and crap. You people don't even know the amount of effort I put into this thing, do you? I slave all day over a hot keyboard, surviving on nothing but moldy water and stagnant bread, uphill both ways through 4 feet of snow.
EVERY.
DING.
DONG.
DAY.
I'll upload the pictures tomorrow or maybe just put them in the next blog.
Dracula do what Dracula wants.
First thing I saw was a KFC. Haha...yeah, like I'd eat there. I know their tricks.
After that was a....As seen on TV! store. I'm serious. They had the infomercials playing on tv's behind the products. It was crazy and I was almost tricked into buying a vegetable peeler. Which, granted, I have potatoes, but I'm not paying 14 dollars for something when I already have a knife.
I wound up mostly wandering around and getting a feel for the place. Mostly women's clothing stores, but there was a "Kid's Zone" where they had a sort of teen culture place? I dunno. It was like a mix bitween Spencer's and Toys r Us. REALLY strange. And the Big n Tall store didn't have any slippers, so no luck there. They don't sell anything even close to my size on campus. Internationality my tuckus.
I also wound up in a gashapon and collectibles store. Felt dirty :(. I shouldn't be buying anime stuff while I'm in Japan, I didn't come here for that. Then again, EVERYTHING IS SO MUCH CHEAPER HERE. Maybe, I dunno. Some of the stuff is, but then again some isn't. I should check out some of the older FF7 figures in american stores to see if it's actually cheaper here. Anyone who reads this, if you know offhand if a Master Figures Yuffie Kisaragi is more than 40 bucks in America, lemmme know.
After not buying anything from there, I got lost in the parking garage somehow. Dunno how I wound up there but I bought a drink, drank it, and then bought a little rubber band gun from a gashapon machine. Step one in my war on Japan.
Then I went down to the grocery store and promptly began wandering around like the white guy I am. What is that, fish? I can't cook fish. Can people actually cook fish? I thought it only came in stick form! And what's with all this seaweed everywhere? That bread looks good but it's filled with cream cheese (which, due to my lack of bothering to read crap before I buy it, I didn't find out til my first bite).
I escaped with some apple juice, some butter (which is what I came for dammit), some cornflakes and some microwaveable deals.
Oh. AND MY LIFE.
On the way out I looked at more things I'd buy if I felt like wasting money today, and at at KFC. Dear God is it good here. Absolutely nothing like KFC in America. The chicken is so real and cooked! And the spices are even better. And they have FRENCH FRIES. I want this KFC in America, rather than that crap near NT run by all the stoners that always runs out of chicken. You know, the one with the C health rating? Yeah, that one.
So I ate my churro on the way home (man, I need to stop forgetting to mention when I buy things) and wound up downloading a whole bunch of music when I got looped into the connection. First the Ting Tings cd, then some Flyleaf (I have no idea why I've been into them lately. You tell me), and then some Vanessa Carlton.
ALL of Vanessa Carlton.
For anybody who's not aware, I have some sort of homosexual fantasy about marrying her or something. I'm not sure exactly. I might be in love with her, or I'm in love with her music. What I do know is I pretty much get music induced orgasms when I listen to her and that's probably the sole most disturbing and gay thing you've read all day.
Anyways, I was rocking out to my music when Fanxing bothered me on Facebook and told me to come over for tea.
So I did.
Was pretty good tea from China, and he had PRINGLES. Dear God taste of America. Anyways, he had a bunch of questions about English and how I'm enjoying Japan and if I'd be willing to help him learn English, the answer to all the questions being yes (Especially the ones that needed explanation. DEFINITE yes). So we bonded over some food and family stories, I shared my philosophy on life and friendship (friends are more important to family. You heard it here folks) and we watched an episode of Friends, and I helped him with some of the culture stuff. Though surprisingly he had a book detailing American cultural aspects in Friends. Craziness. Also, an episode of Desperate Housewives. I should totally watch that show. BABES, my friend. BABES.
Anyways, we hung out til almost 4 and he gave me a rice cooker cause he's awesome like that. AWESOME I SAY. So that's why the blog is extra late and I'm double tired, so I'm not putting up the pictures right now. On this crappy campus connection I actually have to upload the pictures one by one to photobucket and link to them on blogger, so it's a lot of extra work. And I gotta resize them and crap. You people don't even know the amount of effort I put into this thing, do you? I slave all day over a hot keyboard, surviving on nothing but moldy water and stagnant bread, uphill both ways through 4 feet of snow.
EVERY.
DING.
DONG.
DAY.
I'll upload the pictures tomorrow or maybe just put them in the next blog.
Dracula do what Dracula wants.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
I am so good
At updating late.
I like how I made a point to tell people that I'll be updating by noon and I've done that once in the past two weeks. I'm pretty cool like that. You should model your ability to be punctual on me.
But hey, at least I brought pictures this time. Pictures of Japan! Not just of my food. Though there is one of those too.
It was double hot today and I walked down the road to get these pictures for about 20minutes. If you don't appreciate these I might cry. Maybe I'll stop blogging. That in addition to the fact that I've been actually logging off of AIM will make it seem like I just up and died.
Or stopped loving you.
Anyways, pictures:
The first leg of the journey! Notice the empty streets. Notice the empty NARROW streets. The main thing I've noticed is that there is no passing lane and barely any driving room in Japan. The buses are riding uphill on these mountainous areas with about two inches of clearance from the side. It's insane.
Karasu. BOID. It's a crow, yeah. And it's huge. Like up to my knee. I tried toget a picture of it before it took off into the air but I scared it (funny how that works) and that was the best shot I could get.
More shots of the road. Note how the sidewalk to nowhere is actually wider than the driving area itself. I guess it's cause more people walk than drive in Japan, but honestly, if you're willing to walk to Beppu knowing what's in store for you then we'll probably never see you again.
That's all some scenery for you. The mountains, the trees, the city, and that watery lookin stuff is the bay. I'm not sure if it has a name, but for now we'll call it the Bay of Water. I'm being forced on a team building exercise to hang out there on the 18th. At least there will be free food.
Speaking of food:
Turns out to get the best results shooting spiders I have to set my camera to "cuisine" mode. Huh. That's odd, JAPAN.
But really, speaking of food:
Mmm. More ramen. They call it ラーメン here by the way (it's pronounced ramen, but pretentiously). It was pretty damned good. The stock they used for this was chickeny, so I enjoyed that 100 times more than the chinese soup stock in the other one. The egg was a sonuvabitch to get a hold of using chopsticks. IT's all slippery and covered in soup (duh). That..blackish...greenish stuff on the bottom right I think was called mammen. I'm assuming they are fish flakes, but they taste like absolutely nothing. Not like how tofu tastes like nothing and then tastes like what you cook it in. These retain their nothing flavor and add nothing but miserable neutrality to the dish. Why they are used is beyond me, but if I can get the soup without them it'll be like godsend for me.
That's all the pictures I took. Well, all the ones that turned out right. I had this awesome shot of some trees that was REALLY blurry, and I took a picture of a car but apparently my thumb was over the lens somehow and it came out all black. Oh well. The cars here are boxy and they have so much wind resistance due to lacking aerodynamics that you feel them push by you when they pass.
Holy poop, Batman what a long post. I guess it's a good thing I don't really have anything left to say. You can leave now, just be sure to close the door, it gets drafty. I think I'll keep rambling for another minute or so though.
My Japanese classes are weird. It's a mix of stuff I already know with stuff I don't already know. It's supposed to be the hard level which apparently means nobody speaks in English and the teachers don't teach you anything. Cause they're essentially telling us what page we're using and then tell us to work in pairs and sit back in the chair and laugh at us.
They're nice enough though (I just edited the "But" out of the beginning of the sentence. It's a horrible habit of mine and I apologize to all the English majors that read my blog. I also end a lot of sentences with prepositions. But hey, screw off.) The language stuff isn't that hard and I know about 80% of the Kanji we're using. It's a nice recap with some new grammar points, essentially. Picture knowing all the vocab already, and just being taught how to use it more efficiently. That's basically what the class is,for me at least.
I hate the heat and I always have. Due to the fact that it was so hot out, I was miserable from noon-onwards today. And I even obliged to wear shorts out! Ridiculous! After classes I went to the cafeteria and then remembered that the Pacific Cafe sells ice cream. So I was miserable and sweaty and gross but the magical elixir (in this case NOT mead) lifted me into a mood, reaffirming my stance on ice cream solving everything (wars people, think of the possibilities! Nobody in the Middle East hates us, it's just REALLY HOT there.)
I'm out of things to drink aside from the vile tap water, so I'm going to the vending machine. Which means I should probably stop rambling and hit the submit button. Thank you for anyone who read this far for some reason. Seriously, there's something wrong with you.
Here's a present(you wish you were this cool when you were 4).
That's all for now.
I like how I made a point to tell people that I'll be updating by noon and I've done that once in the past two weeks. I'm pretty cool like that. You should model your ability to be punctual on me.
But hey, at least I brought pictures this time. Pictures of Japan! Not just of my food. Though there is one of those too.
It was double hot today and I walked down the road to get these pictures for about 20minutes. If you don't appreciate these I might cry. Maybe I'll stop blogging. That in addition to the fact that I've been actually logging off of AIM will make it seem like I just up and died.
Or stopped loving you.
Anyways, pictures:
The first leg of the journey! Notice the empty streets. Notice the empty NARROW streets. The main thing I've noticed is that there is no passing lane and barely any driving room in Japan. The buses are riding uphill on these mountainous areas with about two inches of clearance from the side. It's insane.
Karasu. BOID. It's a crow, yeah. And it's huge. Like up to my knee. I tried toget a picture of it before it took off into the air but I scared it (funny how that works) and that was the best shot I could get.
More shots of the road. Note how the sidewalk to nowhere is actually wider than the driving area itself. I guess it's cause more people walk than drive in Japan, but honestly, if you're willing to walk to Beppu knowing what's in store for you then we'll probably never see you again.
That's all some scenery for you. The mountains, the trees, the city, and that watery lookin stuff is the bay. I'm not sure if it has a name, but for now we'll call it the Bay of Water. I'm being forced on a team building exercise to hang out there on the 18th. At least there will be free food.
Speaking of food:
Turns out to get the best results shooting spiders I have to set my camera to "cuisine" mode. Huh. That's odd, JAPAN.
But really, speaking of food:
Mmm. More ramen. They call it ラーメン here by the way (it's pronounced ramen, but pretentiously). It was pretty damned good. The stock they used for this was chickeny, so I enjoyed that 100 times more than the chinese soup stock in the other one. The egg was a sonuvabitch to get a hold of using chopsticks. IT's all slippery and covered in soup (duh). That..blackish...greenish stuff on the bottom right I think was called mammen. I'm assuming they are fish flakes, but they taste like absolutely nothing. Not like how tofu tastes like nothing and then tastes like what you cook it in. These retain their nothing flavor and add nothing but miserable neutrality to the dish. Why they are used is beyond me, but if I can get the soup without them it'll be like godsend for me.
That's all the pictures I took. Well, all the ones that turned out right. I had this awesome shot of some trees that was REALLY blurry, and I took a picture of a car but apparently my thumb was over the lens somehow and it came out all black. Oh well. The cars here are boxy and they have so much wind resistance due to lacking aerodynamics that you feel them push by you when they pass.
Holy poop, Batman what a long post. I guess it's a good thing I don't really have anything left to say. You can leave now, just be sure to close the door, it gets drafty. I think I'll keep rambling for another minute or so though.
My Japanese classes are weird. It's a mix of stuff I already know with stuff I don't already know. It's supposed to be the hard level which apparently means nobody speaks in English and the teachers don't teach you anything. Cause they're essentially telling us what page we're using and then tell us to work in pairs and sit back in the chair and laugh at us.
They're nice enough though (I just edited the "But" out of the beginning of the sentence. It's a horrible habit of mine and I apologize to all the English majors that read my blog. I also end a lot of sentences with prepositions. But hey, screw off.) The language stuff isn't that hard and I know about 80% of the Kanji we're using. It's a nice recap with some new grammar points, essentially. Picture knowing all the vocab already, and just being taught how to use it more efficiently. That's basically what the class is,for me at least.
I hate the heat and I always have. Due to the fact that it was so hot out, I was miserable from noon-onwards today. And I even obliged to wear shorts out! Ridiculous! After classes I went to the cafeteria and then remembered that the Pacific Cafe sells ice cream. So I was miserable and sweaty and gross but the magical elixir (in this case NOT mead) lifted me into a mood, reaffirming my stance on ice cream solving everything (wars people, think of the possibilities! Nobody in the Middle East hates us, it's just REALLY HOT there.)
I'm out of things to drink aside from the vile tap water, so I'm going to the vending machine. Which means I should probably stop rambling and hit the submit button. Thank you for anyone who read this far for some reason. Seriously, there's something wrong with you.
Here's a present(you wish you were this cool when you were 4).
That's all for now.
Friday, October 10, 2008
IT'S HOT AGAIN
Gyack. The temperature spiked 4 degrees (They measure in celsius here, so that's something like a 40 degree spike fahrenheit. You should probably check my math though.). And they refuse to turn on our air conditioning because we'll waste electricity with it. Isn't Japan supposed to be some sort of crazy hi-tech super center? I thought everything her was run by invisible solar panels! Or nukes, like the vending machines are.
I think being left to my own devices has amplified my self-diagnosed OCD, as the entire time I was in classes today I kept wondering to myself if I left the window open and if I locked the door properly. Every three minutes or so this nagged at my mind and coupled with my lack of a lunch break on mondays and thursdays drove me to a mild insanity.
I forgot to fold the toilet paper into a triangle, didn't I?
I finally know enough people on campus that I run into people walking around. That's always pleasant. I'm still at the disadvantage of not having befriended the entire group of other exchange students due to my arriving late, but I think I'm freinds with the cool ones at least. Yeah, that's right. Suck it people I don't know.
For a university that sets itself up to the ideal of internationality, they sure don't propose a whole lot of..international accomodations. Any of my classes are taught principally on the concept that Japanese students will be taking them and tend to exclude the English students. What does this mean for someone like me? It means that myself, Ryan and Yusuke (I'm including him because he probably speaks better English than I do and he's helping me with my Japanese. Rock on) are sitting there in interpreting class listening to a dialogue in English that we entirely understand and then having to translate it into Japanese (Although my line was good evening. Rawk.)
This had a thought struck me. You always struggle in your foreign language classes to get them to repeat the same line over and over on the listening tests cause you JUST CAN'T GET IT. It never dawned on me that they do this in other classrooms around the world and that we seem JUST AS DUMB WHEN WE DO IT. Although Yusuke admitted that he took a class on how to teach Japanese so it's a lot harder language than he originally thought. So hey, I guess as long as you don't do it in your Spanish classes....
Boku no pakeeji ga arimasen. So I should probably call the post office tomorrow and get my crap from them. Or whatever. I'll make Anh do it. That's what RA's are for.
Also hopefully I'll finally get to go shopping. I'm going to try very hard to find some hamburger meat (ground beef?) to make tacos. If this fails I'm taking a ferry down to okinawa where they have 'merican foods for the military base.
You never know how much you love something until it's gone.
[This is a lie. I have always effing loved tacos.]
Intravaneously
I think being left to my own devices has amplified my self-diagnosed OCD, as the entire time I was in classes today I kept wondering to myself if I left the window open and if I locked the door properly. Every three minutes or so this nagged at my mind and coupled with my lack of a lunch break on mondays and thursdays drove me to a mild insanity.
I finally know enough people on campus that I run into people walking around. That's always pleasant. I'm still at the disadvantage of not having befriended the entire group of other exchange students due to my arriving late, but I think I'm freinds with the cool ones at least. Yeah, that's right. Suck it people I don't know.
For a university that sets itself up to the ideal of internationality, they sure don't propose a whole lot of..international accomodations. Any of my classes are taught principally on the concept that Japanese students will be taking them and tend to exclude the English students. What does this mean for someone like me? It means that myself, Ryan and Yusuke (I'm including him because he probably speaks better English than I do and he's helping me with my Japanese. Rock on) are sitting there in interpreting class listening to a dialogue in English that we entirely understand and then having to translate it into Japanese (Although my line was good evening. Rawk.)
This had a thought struck me. You always struggle in your foreign language classes to get them to repeat the same line over and over on the listening tests cause you JUST CAN'T GET IT. It never dawned on me that they do this in other classrooms around the world and that we seem JUST AS DUMB WHEN WE DO IT. Although Yusuke admitted that he took a class on how to teach Japanese so it's a lot harder language than he originally thought. So hey, I guess as long as you don't do it in your Spanish classes....
Boku no pakeeji ga arimasen. So I should probably call the post office tomorrow and get my crap from them. Or whatever. I'll make Anh do it. That's what RA's are for.
Also hopefully I'll finally get to go shopping. I'm going to try very hard to find some hamburger meat (ground beef?) to make tacos. If this fails I'm taking a ferry down to okinawa where they have 'merican foods for the military base.
You never know how much you love something until it's gone.
[This is a lie. I have always effing loved tacos.]
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Oof
Ack. First of all: I feel like apologizing for yesterday's post. It came off preachy but I was just in that mood. But I try to avoid that (on this blog at least. My Myspace blog is just random thoughts of mine rambling out but ignore that) because I tend to dislike blogs for that sort of reason. This blog is to let my friends know about Japan and to inform them that I am still alive. I hate the general concept of blogs because it gives most people an outlet for them to think highly of themselves and try to prove it to the world. This isn't true for all blogs (Like my friend Dave's blog where he reviews movies) but most blogs tend to just be people bitching about their day to day lives of mundanity in a way that attempts to make you pity them and elevate their egos as if they deserve something more than the niche they've created for themselves. [Just an FYI this is NOT a personal attack on anyone specific, so don't think I'm irritated at anyone. Go click on random blogs. It's like 95% people bitching about each other]. I try to prevent as much personal bitching as I can, but I'm not really... doing...much right now so I don't have filler content. I'll try to put up more funny videos and pictures and stuff and give more amusing situations. I am blogging to amuse and inform, not to preach or for pity. So I'll try to keep up with that ideal. As it stands, it's also difficult to find a middle ground where I can talk about my day to day life and people don't think I'm just whining about stuff. So I may have just been talking out my ass for a good paragraph here unless you're okay with me chronicling the bad events without whining about them. Let' give that a test.
Now for your regularly scheduled blog.
So apparently you can get Vitamin C poisoning/overdose. And it's pretty freakin nasty.
Remember that C.C. Lemon stuff I posted about?
Yeah, apparently it has something like twice the daily amount of recommended Vitamin C. And for someone who prides himself on eating as unhealthy as possible (As far as I'm concerned, anything green is bad for you) it takes less Vitamin C for me to OD on it. And therefore I ended up overdosing on Vitamin C because I love the CC lemon stuff (well... past tense now. Preeeetty sure I'm done with it after this.)
Considering I was up writhing in nauseatingly horrible pain (See: DO NOT CONSUME TOO MUCH VITAMIN C. I AM WARNING YOU) as a result I didn't get to sleep until about 6:30am when I had to be awake to get ready for a class no later than 7:30. But hey, if you wanna go to class in that condition be my guest. I took my get out of class free card and then proceeded to sleep off the rest of the sickness.
And my socks never arrived today. Durned post office. I waited for you...for a thousand summers. Waiting delayed me long enough in getting food that I went at the same time the staff did apparently, and I ran into Sarah from the Outreach Office who asked me why I kept coming panicky into the office. And it turns out I was right to panic because they didn't do anything they said they would. It's fixed now though, so I'm glad that she's awesome. If I had golden star stickers I'd give her like, three for all the help she's given me.
No food pictures today, and I was going to go out and get those nature pictures I keep talking about but some friends on AIM needed help so...by the time they went to bed it was dark out. And I get scared in Japan at night with the giant bees and the humongous crows and the evil demon monster things lurking around.
You don't know it's not real.
Yeah, not risking that for you jerks. Plus my camera doesn't have night vision anyways, so the best you'd get is the tops of the trees about 12 feet away.
Tomorrow is the beginning of the 10:30am-7:30pm nontstop school schedule. I have prepared crackers and water for the duration of the schedule. I need sustenance or else I shall perish.
Friday I'm going down to Beppu again, so expect pictures.
Enjoy this three-toed sloth crossing the road.
Now for your regularly scheduled blog.
So apparently you can get Vitamin C poisoning/overdose. And it's pretty freakin nasty.
Remember that C.C. Lemon stuff I posted about?
Yeah, apparently it has something like twice the daily amount of recommended Vitamin C. And for someone who prides himself on eating as unhealthy as possible (As far as I'm concerned, anything green is bad for you) it takes less Vitamin C for me to OD on it. And therefore I ended up overdosing on Vitamin C because I love the CC lemon stuff (well... past tense now. Preeeetty sure I'm done with it after this.)
Considering I was up writhing in nauseatingly horrible pain (See: DO NOT CONSUME TOO MUCH VITAMIN C. I AM WARNING YOU) as a result I didn't get to sleep until about 6:30am when I had to be awake to get ready for a class no later than 7:30. But hey, if you wanna go to class in that condition be my guest. I took my get out of class free card and then proceeded to sleep off the rest of the sickness.
And my socks never arrived today. Durned post office. I waited for you...for a thousand summers. Waiting delayed me long enough in getting food that I went at the same time the staff did apparently, and I ran into Sarah from the Outreach Office who asked me why I kept coming panicky into the office. And it turns out I was right to panic because they didn't do anything they said they would. It's fixed now though, so I'm glad that she's awesome. If I had golden star stickers I'd give her like, three for all the help she's given me.
No food pictures today, and I was going to go out and get those nature pictures I keep talking about but some friends on AIM needed help so...by the time they went to bed it was dark out. And I get scared in Japan at night with the giant bees and the humongous crows and the evil demon monster things lurking around.
Yeah, not risking that for you jerks. Plus my camera doesn't have night vision anyways, so the best you'd get is the tops of the trees about 12 feet away.
Tomorrow is the beginning of the 10:30am-7:30pm nontstop school schedule. I have prepared crackers and water for the duration of the schedule. I need sustenance or else I shall perish.
Friday I'm going down to Beppu again, so expect pictures.
Enjoy this three-toed sloth crossing the road.
Blegh blaugh blogh
Classes are blegh. Japanese ones despite being the hardest at the level is still easy and 90% review. And I dropped my other morning class, so the earliest I have to wake up (aside from Wednesday) is like... 9. Which is practically a god send. Everybody knows that I don't believe in hours before 8 in the morning. It's part of my religion.
Not much happened aside from class today other than my freaking out that they probably didn't register correctly, and them reassuring me that "No, we totally did it" without showing any actual proof. That's TOTALLY comforting.
If they forget to do it or something I'll just pull an American and yell at them until it gets done.
Or they evict me. Like this eviction notice sitting next to me! Yaaay! It's in case I don't pay them the dorm fees like I told them I was going to pay sometime this week.... thanks for the reminder, jerks.
I got ramen today too! SOOOO good! Real ramen is entirely different from instant ramen. Like..... the only way that they resemble each other is that both are hot and have noodles in them. But the noodles are even different. It's craziness! Wait, I got a picture, that'll help:
A dish fit for a king...a RAMEN king! I slay me.
Man, it was so good. And probably the sole most expensive thing in the cafeteria. But it's so filling you don't need to buy any side dishes or rice with it, so it comes down to about the same anyways.
You probably all hate me because of this delicious food that I keep talking about. I bet you're so hungry looking at that.
So here's a picture of a dirty toilet:
Public restrooms in Japan are like the ones in America: Dirty, but in this case more high tech.
That's a bidet. You can tell because of all the fancy gadgety things on the side and the fact that the seat is heated. Also, there is a button on there with a picture of a dude's butt and some water shooting up it. I'm serious. At least you know what's coming if you press it, and if you don't that's your own fault, or your parents for dropping you on your head.
Not bad enough?
Bon apetite!
Delicious free apple juice! This is all sorts of inviting and explains the importance of private bathrooms in our own dorms, even if they come with sinks attached to the toilets (and lack aforementioned free apple juice).
A package arrived without me today and as a result they left a letter laughing at me for not being around instead of the package. So instead of going food shopping like I was planning on tomorrow I am stuck sitting in my dorm waiting for Mr Postman to arrive with my box of socks and murder weapons (collection. I COLLECT murder weapons that murderers have used to murder people. It's artistic).
After that I'll leave you with some Roshi wisdom to prove I'm not entirely insane, or in fact so phenomenally insane that I've come out on the other side as super wise (I share a birthday with Confucious you know. Look it up. September 28.):
People in misery and in glory yearn for solitude.
Both sides of the coin why should others see me?
Either in their glory or in their shame.
But that without perspective has no existence.
As the day needs the night to have meaning, so do we need others in our lives to give meaning to that.
You can boast about how righteous you are. How powerful you are.
But with nothing to compare it to, you are not good.
You can be afraid of the world. You can claim to be wicked and disgusting.
But with nobody to judge you, you are not evil.
Keep friends in your life for these reasons.
Because without witness you have no meaning.
Now let us counteract that melodrama with a cute picture:
Ducky goes "quack quack."
Not much happened aside from class today other than my freaking out that they probably didn't register correctly, and them reassuring me that "No, we totally did it" without showing any actual proof. That's TOTALLY comforting.
If they forget to do it or something I'll just pull an American and yell at them until it gets done.
Or they evict me. Like this eviction notice sitting next to me! Yaaay! It's in case I don't pay them the dorm fees like I told them I was going to pay sometime this week.... thanks for the reminder, jerks.
I got ramen today too! SOOOO good! Real ramen is entirely different from instant ramen. Like..... the only way that they resemble each other is that both are hot and have noodles in them. But the noodles are even different. It's craziness! Wait, I got a picture, that'll help:
Man, it was so good. And probably the sole most expensive thing in the cafeteria. But it's so filling you don't need to buy any side dishes or rice with it, so it comes down to about the same anyways.
You probably all hate me because of this delicious food that I keep talking about. I bet you're so hungry looking at that.
So here's a picture of a dirty toilet:
That's a bidet. You can tell because of all the fancy gadgety things on the side and the fact that the seat is heated. Also, there is a button on there with a picture of a dude's butt and some water shooting up it. I'm serious. At least you know what's coming if you press it, and if you don't that's your own fault, or your parents for dropping you on your head.
Not bad enough?
Delicious free apple juice! This is all sorts of inviting and explains the importance of private bathrooms in our own dorms, even if they come with sinks attached to the toilets (and lack aforementioned free apple juice).
A package arrived without me today and as a result they left a letter laughing at me for not being around instead of the package. So instead of going food shopping like I was planning on tomorrow I am stuck sitting in my dorm waiting for Mr Postman to arrive with my box of socks and murder weapons (collection. I COLLECT murder weapons that murderers have used to murder people. It's artistic).
After that I'll leave you with some Roshi wisdom to prove I'm not entirely insane, or in fact so phenomenally insane that I've come out on the other side as super wise (I share a birthday with Confucious you know. Look it up. September 28.):
People in misery and in glory yearn for solitude.
Both sides of the coin why should others see me?
Either in their glory or in their shame.
But that without perspective has no existence.
As the day needs the night to have meaning, so do we need others in our lives to give meaning to that.
You can boast about how righteous you are. How powerful you are.
But with nothing to compare it to, you are not good.
You can be afraid of the world. You can claim to be wicked and disgusting.
But with nobody to judge you, you are not evil.
Keep friends in your life for these reasons.
Because without witness you have no meaning.
Now let us counteract that melodrama with a cute picture:
Ducky goes "quack quack."
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