Excursions in Japanese II
I finally had my first Japanese II class today! Why didn't I have it on Tuesday? Because of the ice in the last entry. Then to top it al off, on Wednesday we had three inches of snow. You people in countries that get lots of snow are laughing me. "HA HA HA, YOU PATHETIC SOUTHERNER AND YOUR THREE INCHES OF SNOW. WE GET FIVE FEET OF SNOW AND MUST WALK EVERYWHERE UPHILL WITH NO SHOES!" But we haven't had snow in a long time (thank you, global warming, NOT). WKU is also CRAZY and will only cancel night classes. So no Japanese for me. But uh, I do have some thoughts on the class that would best be put under an LJ cut because it's, uh, sensitive information.
Okay, so Tuesday night I didn't know class was cancelled and show up anyway. While I was waiting this other guy who didn't know shows up and asks me if I'm taking the class. I said yeah. Then he starts spouting off all this stuff about the reasons why people take Japanese--most of which didn't make any sense, and actually, he missed a very crucial reason. And what's so bad about wanting to learn Japanese because you happen to like anime or manga or Japanese culture? I seriously don't think people take Japanese just because they don't want to take Spanish or because they want to get a job, unless that job is in Japan. He completely missed the part where people want to teach English as a Second Language in a foreign country--and I'm sitting there like "Oooookay."
Finally when we found out that classes were cancelled, thanks to Tomasu-san who wandered by in that vague wandering way of his, I started back down the hill to my dorm. Well, the guy asked me if I lived on campus, so I said yeah. He asked me where, and I told him because my dorm is all-girls anyway and you have to sign in visitors. He said it was interesting because he lives in the dorm right next door.
*facepalm*
So tonight I arrived early, and actually Joe-sensei was early. "Kyou wa san juu han shigoto wo owarimasu." "Ah, sou desu ka?" He got off work early. So I sat in my usual seat while people I had never seen before filed into the room. Crystal-san sat in front of me again, and we looked at a booklet for Kansai Gaidai (Joe-sensei: I really encourage you to apply, Laura-san). I realized later that Kansai Gaidai is smack dab in the middle of Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara. If you've seen Shikaotoko Aoniyoshi, you'll know what I'm talking about. Crystal-san said she'd been to Nara, and there are hella shika there. Yay for shika! Anyway, the class filled up with people from last semester and people from last year who didn't get to take Japanese II and some new people who apparently tested into the class because no one knew who the heck they were.
The awesome news! I have found another JE fan in Kentucky! The girl I met last semester who sometimes sat in class sat right across from me, and we talked JE for awhile. She actually said "fangirling." Yes! Whenever I say "fangirling," people are like ".....What?" She's an Arashi fan, and she admits she was Jun-baited through Hanadan. I told her I wasn't Jun-baited, I was Toma-baited, and she said "Well, okay, it's Toma." When she said fangirling, she said that she was fangirling earlier to her guy friend sitting behind her. "Yeah, I don't know anything about this," he said. ^_^ Her favorite Arashi member is Aiba. She remembered I told her I loved NEWS. Hopefully we will have many more JE discussions. I'm gonna bring one of the idol mags I got in Japantown to class next Tuesday and show her.
Okay, so Japanese II--lots of new people. Tomasu-san sits next to me this time. I wanted Jenn-chan to sit behind me, but she chose a back seat again. I don't think I'll have any problems getting along with everyone. I think it's a little intimidating for the new people because so many of us were in class together, and we're used to each other. And there are a lot more people this time around. It's actually a little claustrophobic. We jumped right into new stuff. We're reading folk tales and just started learning the plain forms of -ru verbs that drop the -ru. Everyone got confused on it, but it's not that hard. I think the whole -masu, -masen, and all that is harder. A lot of more syllables to memorize and say.
The spazzy guy sat close to me. He's a little annoying, really. Just because he's had three years of Japanese. When Joe-sensei realized that pretty much everyone was lost in plain forms, he said, "Everyone's lost, aren't they?" and the guy said, "Not me. I understood." Wow, bragging much? I understood it, too, but that's cause I hear it all the times in dramas. I wondered what the endings meant, and now I know they're plain forms. Not everyone is a crazy drama-watcher, so it'll take awhile to get it. Plus, we've got 20-something people in the class. It's harder to work one-on-one with everyone that way.
GReeeeN's new single "Ayumi" has leaked onto the internet. It is not the theme song of VOICE, as I once believed. Ayumi is still a pretty awesome song, though. I love anything with violins. Sadly, the single for "Setsuna" won't be out until March 11. Which is major suckage, because I want the song NOW to do the karaoke. Why does GReeeeN have to be so awesome? You know Setsuna is going to rocket up the Oricon charts once it comes out. Especially with VOICE getting some of the highest ratings of the season. I guess that primetime Monday slot really helps.
Okay, so the 2008 AnAn List for...I guess hottest guys has come out. I have to ask--nothing against Jin or anything. He is really good-looking and all, and okay, he's kind of cool, but he has this really dorky side that's just cracktastic when he shows it--but why is he always voted #1? It's either him or Fukuyama Masaharu. Nothing against him, either, I mean, I really like his music. But does no one ever get hotter to girls? I seriously think Tsumabuki Satoshi and Narimiya Hiroki are hot. And oh man, Hiro is so hot lately.
Okay, I just saw this scan for the first time the other day. I knew the pic of Toma, but I didn't know it was this scan. My first thought was:
Pride and Prejudice starring Toma as Mr. Darcy and Yaracchi as Mr. Bingley!
I can see it, actually, because Yaracchi is so Bingley-like. He's all spacey and naturally klutzy. Toma, of course, can be the brooding Mr. Darcy. And wouldn't they both look good in suits? Of course they would! I forget the scenes in the stage version, but I'm pretty sure Mr. Bingley's ball is in it. Can you imagine the Darcy and Lizzie dance?
So I finally caved and got a paid LJ account. Mainly I wanted to change my layout, but I just can't find a layout I like. Not even one I can tweak. So I'll keep my little fox for now. I like him. He's writer near Mt. Fuji. I just feel like my journal has gotten stale lately. Perhaps it's the lack of news. I want to write, but I have nothing to write about. Updates only come so often. And I admit, lately, my mind has really been on Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac. I'm just super-psyched for this movie, and a I know a lot of us are trying to generate interest so Hans can ask the producers for an American premiere. EVERYONE WRITE A LETTER TO THE PRODUCERS!
Housekeeping:
--Work on getting VOICE out as soon as possible
--Upload more songs to J-drama Song Master Post
--Work on Honey and Clover music video (it's halfway done!)
--You Never Have to Be Alone Part 3...and Part 4...make it less angsty
--4-Tops Pimp Post
Ja ne!