blog from Japan 19
Since I am going home in four days, for one month I figured that I ought to blog one more time while I have the free time.
The past week and a half has been ridiculously busy; I had a ten page paper for my anthropology class due last Friday, then Monday I had my Translation of the heart sutra due for Buddhist Traditions as well as my Japanese oral exam. Tuesday was Japanese; kanji, listening and reading. Wednesday was Japanese; grammar and then Thursday was my Literature final (paper) and my Buddhist Traditions oral exam.
Needless to say, once Friday came around I was grateful. Friday all I had to do was go to my housing meeting at 12:30 and that's it. I also made plans with Rick to go shopping but that wasn't as stressful as all the exams and papers.
Our Japanese oral exam was ridiculous and totally embarrassing but it was amusing. Basically, Melissa and I thought up the plot, but she wrote it out in Japanese this time. I'll add the Japanese later when I get the script from her.
It starts with Melissa and I, who are friends going through the ticket takers at the station.
Me: Hey hey, look.
Melissa: What is it?
Me: There's an Arashi concert soon! I wanna go, I wanna go!
Melissa: Ah, I forgot. I got two tickets from the fan club! Are you free next weekend? Let's go together!
Me: I'll definitely go! Sho-kun, wait for me. Soon I will be there!
Melissa: EH? Sho? Nino is cooler!
Me: No, Sho is cooler!
Melissa: Nino!
Me: Sho!
I return home from school and put a book on the table where my sister Bri is painter her nails and chewing gum.
Me: Mom! I got a concert ticket from Melissa!
Bri: Eh!? Jealous *tries to take it from me*
Sana (mom): Oh that's nice... *cooking*
Me: Okay well I am going to go study
Once I leave, Bri takes my book from the table.
I come back to get my book
Me: Eh? Where's my book?
Bri: What('s wrong?)
Me: My book, I left it here did you see it?
Bri: Oh, you mean... this book? *holds up the broken book*
Me: AHHH! Why did you break it??
Bri: Because you don't let me borrow your shoes, you say we're going to do things together and then don't and you take too long in the bathroom!
Me: WHAT ARE YOU...?
Bri: Mom!!
Later, I look at the book before taking up the telephone
Me: Hello, is this Professor Sana's office?
Secretary: Yes
Me: This is the exchange student Korin. Is the professor there?
Secretary: Yes, hold on just a moment.
Professor: Hello, this is Sana.
Me: Professor, this is Korin. About your book, I'm really sorry but it's broken.
Professor: Oh that's all right.
Me: Really it's alright?
Professor: Yes, by next week just bring me 100 dollars for it.
Me: 100 dollars?
Professor: Yes.
Me: ...then, please excuse me. *hangs up* Where am I going to get 100 dollars by next week?
*looks at concert ticket*
That's our lovely story. It was completely embarrassing and I am not a good actor. I hate skits. Actually other than this, I don't really have anything exciting to talk about because I have been studying and that's it. I have been having a great time staying up late and trying to cram for things that I can't retain, let me tell you... -_-
I started packing yesterday and this morning Kazu-san called the people that will ship my luggage to the airport to make an appointment for them to come pick it up. Now that I know how to do this, I can do it myself for me and Katie when we get here in March. Later this evening after karate practice, Jaren and I are going to get tickets for the Narita express train. Since our flights are two hours apart, we're going to the airport together and we're going to try and go early so that we have enough time to get everything done.
Yesterday I went to Asakusa with Rick, Emily, Erika and Melissa to buy presents for people. I still have to get four people things, and I don't think that it's going to happen but I probably won't see them anyway so I am not too worried. I can get them things when I come back. The other thing is, I don't have enough money to buy any more presents actually. I have to pay 40 dollars to get my luggage shipped, and it's about 30 dollars for the train to the airport. That's 70 bucks right there, and I only have 150 left (about.) I also have to pay about 25 for storage services to CIEE so there's 100 down the drain.
Before that, I got my housing assignment. Emily and I are moving to the same dorm that Naoko and Joann live in, so we had the same meeting with Ayako. She talked to us in Japanese the entire time, and I was really excited because I understood everything that she said. She told us that the way to get to the dorm is kind of hard, so we're lucky that Naoko and Joann are going to be there too so they can show us. Also, she told us about the dorm managers, and the cooks (she said that they like to talk to us, so please talk to them.) She explained to us about the showers and bath rules (I don't know for sure but it sounds like there bath is a "public" bath style,) which the bath is closed on Sundays and holidays but the showers are open 24/7. It sounds like it's going to be pretty different from where I live now.
Hm what else...? I think that's pretty much all, I really can't think of anything else interesting. Hehe.
OH, I went to the Studio Ghibli Museum a few weeks ago with Ai-chan, Jaren, Emily, Melissa, Rick and George. It was really neat, and it was only 10 dollars to get in, but you have to buy the tickets in advance. We got to see an animated short which was really cute. It was about sumo wrestling mice and the old people whose house they lived in. The old man went and watched them one night, and they lost. He told his wife and they decided to help them by making them really big, nutritious meals. Then, they won the Sumo match! :)
Oh, and if you need help getting through papers or anything, and don't mind listening to music in another language... this is what got me through the ten page anthropology paper and the Buddhist Traditions translation; TAE YANG!! I am not kidding, I listened to this song, and only this song (probably about 80 times?) and I got through them. :)
Next time I blog I will be in Colorado, or ... maybe the next time I blog I will be back in Japan with Katie. We'll see what happens. :D
The past week and a half has been ridiculously busy; I had a ten page paper for my anthropology class due last Friday, then Monday I had my Translation of the heart sutra due for Buddhist Traditions as well as my Japanese oral exam. Tuesday was Japanese; kanji, listening and reading. Wednesday was Japanese; grammar and then Thursday was my Literature final (paper) and my Buddhist Traditions oral exam.
Needless to say, once Friday came around I was grateful. Friday all I had to do was go to my housing meeting at 12:30 and that's it. I also made plans with Rick to go shopping but that wasn't as stressful as all the exams and papers.
Our Japanese oral exam was ridiculous and totally embarrassing but it was amusing. Basically, Melissa and I thought up the plot, but she wrote it out in Japanese this time. I'll add the Japanese later when I get the script from her.
It starts with Melissa and I, who are friends going through the ticket takers at the station.
Me: Hey hey, look.
Melissa: What is it?
Me: There's an Arashi concert soon! I wanna go, I wanna go!
Melissa: Ah, I forgot. I got two tickets from the fan club! Are you free next weekend? Let's go together!
Me: I'll definitely go! Sho-kun, wait for me. Soon I will be there!
Melissa: EH? Sho? Nino is cooler!
Me: No, Sho is cooler!
Melissa: Nino!
Me: Sho!
I return home from school and put a book on the table where my sister Bri is painter her nails and chewing gum.
Me: Mom! I got a concert ticket from Melissa!
Bri: Eh!? Jealous *tries to take it from me*
Sana (mom): Oh that's nice... *cooking*
Me: Okay well I am going to go study
Once I leave, Bri takes my book from the table.
I come back to get my book
Me: Eh? Where's my book?
Bri: What('s wrong?)
Me: My book, I left it here did you see it?
Bri: Oh, you mean... this book? *holds up the broken book*
Me: AHHH! Why did you break it??
Bri: Because you don't let me borrow your shoes, you say we're going to do things together and then don't and you take too long in the bathroom!
Me: WHAT ARE YOU...?
Bri: Mom!!
Later, I look at the book before taking up the telephone
Me: Hello, is this Professor Sana's office?
Secretary: Yes
Me: This is the exchange student Korin. Is the professor there?
Secretary: Yes, hold on just a moment.
Professor: Hello, this is Sana.
Me: Professor, this is Korin. About your book, I'm really sorry but it's broken.
Professor: Oh that's all right.
Me: Really it's alright?
Professor: Yes, by next week just bring me 100 dollars for it.
Me: 100 dollars?
Professor: Yes.
Me: ...then, please excuse me. *hangs up* Where am I going to get 100 dollars by next week?
*looks at concert ticket*
That's our lovely story. It was completely embarrassing and I am not a good actor. I hate skits. Actually other than this, I don't really have anything exciting to talk about because I have been studying and that's it. I have been having a great time staying up late and trying to cram for things that I can't retain, let me tell you... -_-
I started packing yesterday and this morning Kazu-san called the people that will ship my luggage to the airport to make an appointment for them to come pick it up. Now that I know how to do this, I can do it myself for me and Katie when we get here in March. Later this evening after karate practice, Jaren and I are going to get tickets for the Narita express train. Since our flights are two hours apart, we're going to the airport together and we're going to try and go early so that we have enough time to get everything done.
Yesterday I went to Asakusa with Rick, Emily, Erika and Melissa to buy presents for people. I still have to get four people things, and I don't think that it's going to happen but I probably won't see them anyway so I am not too worried. I can get them things when I come back. The other thing is, I don't have enough money to buy any more presents actually. I have to pay 40 dollars to get my luggage shipped, and it's about 30 dollars for the train to the airport. That's 70 bucks right there, and I only have 150 left (about.) I also have to pay about 25 for storage services to CIEE so there's 100 down the drain.
Before that, I got my housing assignment. Emily and I are moving to the same dorm that Naoko and Joann live in, so we had the same meeting with Ayako. She talked to us in Japanese the entire time, and I was really excited because I understood everything that she said. She told us that the way to get to the dorm is kind of hard, so we're lucky that Naoko and Joann are going to be there too so they can show us. Also, she told us about the dorm managers, and the cooks (she said that they like to talk to us, so please talk to them.) She explained to us about the showers and bath rules (I don't know for sure but it sounds like there bath is a "public" bath style,) which the bath is closed on Sundays and holidays but the showers are open 24/7. It sounds like it's going to be pretty different from where I live now.
Hm what else...? I think that's pretty much all, I really can't think of anything else interesting. Hehe.
OH, I went to the Studio Ghibli Museum a few weeks ago with Ai-chan, Jaren, Emily, Melissa, Rick and George. It was really neat, and it was only 10 dollars to get in, but you have to buy the tickets in advance. We got to see an animated short which was really cute. It was about sumo wrestling mice and the old people whose house they lived in. The old man went and watched them one night, and they lost. He told his wife and they decided to help them by making them really big, nutritious meals. Then, they won the Sumo match! :)
Oh, and if you need help getting through papers or anything, and don't mind listening to music in another language... this is what got me through the ten page anthropology paper and the Buddhist Traditions translation; TAE YANG!! I am not kidding, I listened to this song, and only this song (probably about 80 times?) and I got through them. :)
Click to viewNext time I blog I will be in Colorado, or ... maybe the next time I blog I will be back in Japan with Katie. We'll see what happens. :D