A Lot of Things Happened this Week
For the first time in a long time (I'm tempted to say "since Japan" but that would be a lie probably), I've slept in past noon. Considering that my free time has been whittled down to two days and a couple of odd hours I can scrounge up during the week, this displeases me. But at least I get to feel sort of rested.
Lots of birthdays this week. Today's Dad's, yesterday was Matt and KonKon's, etc.
Classes went really well. I'm making friends with some of the first year people, like Adam from Connecticut, and I had a long fun talk with Tiffany and Josh after class on Thursday. Wednesday in Chip's class I actually had something to contribute (multiple times) and in my tutorial with Don we made some big decision about the novel: first, Charlie's going to be white from now on because I realized that the story's not gaining anything from her being black anymore, and all I gain is risks that I'm misrepresenting a racial standpoint; second, Kayako and Mariko's arc is going to be its own book. Just like how I wanted to still write the original satire about the Japanese media and have it stay in-universe, that's how this will be. Charlie's story and Kayako and Mariko's story will be complimentary, sort of like Faulkner novels (but way, way less good).
Both Don and Joan agreed that these are good moves, and the decision allows me to switch gears a little bit on plot and will make it a little less arduous for me to fight. Joan and I also had a long discussion about my progress on finding Japanese jobs. Apparently, she's BFFs with the woman who runs ARC (the Japanese SPCA, who are always asking for money outside Shinjuku Eki's West Exit). Apparently it's Osaka based, and I'm being sent to go meet this woman (who is British and named Liz) over my winter visit. This will be fun! I'll have a railpass and I wanted an excuse to go to Osaka anyway.
Thursday after our meeting and a discussion about how Japanese people have a tendency to fall off the face of the earth, I went to go see Carrie and had a full-on rage fit due to the traffic that made me late for the fifth time in a row. From there I went back to Center City to see Anna, and hang out at her new pad. I really like the apartment, and the room that would've been mine had I accepted her offer to live together has the most bitchin' view of the skyline. I've been invited to stay over anytime I want, and Anna assures me that she and Greg are probably not going anywhere from now on, so if I ever end up moving back to Philly I should hit up her mom (or her!) to find me a place in their area.
Anyway, we ate Thai food like champs and played with her new cat Tomas a.k.a. Tomizio. He's adorable, though not as handsome as Pip, and we stalked some people who knew in college on Facebook and watched some Netflix, etc. It was great to just get out and do something during the week, especially since last weekend all I did was sit at home and do homework (though this week I only have 100 pages to read for Chip's class instead of 500, so that's a big difference).
Gonna get some laundry and homework done today, and then I'm heading down to Newark to hang out at Homegrown with Linh and Rach. I'm looking forward to it, because I heart Newark, but I'm not looking forward to being surrounded by dumb college kids I hated when I was in college (dude bros, I'm looking at you).
Also, I'm ready for the internet to stop pissing me off.
Lots of birthdays this week. Today's Dad's, yesterday was Matt and KonKon's, etc.
Classes went really well. I'm making friends with some of the first year people, like Adam from Connecticut, and I had a long fun talk with Tiffany and Josh after class on Thursday. Wednesday in Chip's class I actually had something to contribute (multiple times) and in my tutorial with Don we made some big decision about the novel: first, Charlie's going to be white from now on because I realized that the story's not gaining anything from her being black anymore, and all I gain is risks that I'm misrepresenting a racial standpoint; second, Kayako and Mariko's arc is going to be its own book. Just like how I wanted to still write the original satire about the Japanese media and have it stay in-universe, that's how this will be. Charlie's story and Kayako and Mariko's story will be complimentary, sort of like Faulkner novels (but way, way less good).
Both Don and Joan agreed that these are good moves, and the decision allows me to switch gears a little bit on plot and will make it a little less arduous for me to fight. Joan and I also had a long discussion about my progress on finding Japanese jobs. Apparently, she's BFFs with the woman who runs ARC (the Japanese SPCA, who are always asking for money outside Shinjuku Eki's West Exit). Apparently it's Osaka based, and I'm being sent to go meet this woman (who is British and named Liz) over my winter visit. This will be fun! I'll have a railpass and I wanted an excuse to go to Osaka anyway.
Thursday after our meeting and a discussion about how Japanese people have a tendency to fall off the face of the earth, I went to go see Carrie and had a full-on rage fit due to the traffic that made me late for the fifth time in a row. From there I went back to Center City to see Anna, and hang out at her new pad. I really like the apartment, and the room that would've been mine had I accepted her offer to live together has the most bitchin' view of the skyline. I've been invited to stay over anytime I want, and Anna assures me that she and Greg are probably not going anywhere from now on, so if I ever end up moving back to Philly I should hit up her mom (or her!) to find me a place in their area.
Anyway, we ate Thai food like champs and played with her new cat Tomas a.k.a. Tomizio. He's adorable, though not as handsome as Pip, and we stalked some people who knew in college on Facebook and watched some Netflix, etc. It was great to just get out and do something during the week, especially since last weekend all I did was sit at home and do homework (though this week I only have 100 pages to read for Chip's class instead of 500, so that's a big difference).
Gonna get some laundry and homework done today, and then I'm heading down to Newark to hang out at Homegrown with Linh and Rach. I'm looking forward to it, because I heart Newark, but I'm not looking forward to being surrounded by dumb college kids I hated when I was in college (dude bros, I'm looking at you).
Also, I'm ready for the internet to stop pissing me off.