Let's get the ball rolling...
I know I've said this before but I really should start trying to post with some regularity. I think part of the problem is I don't always have anything particularly interesting to say... and another problem would probably just be laziness XD I have a really hard time making myself stay in touch with people that I don't see often, so posting in a journal online that a few people maybe read now and again tends to fall through the cracks in my daily activities.
In any case, the reason I'm posting right now is because I'm at work and on my lunch break...and really, I don't have anything better to do XD Also, I've just realized that I finished a translation for dbsg comm/DBSKer like a week ago..and completely forgot to ever post it >.< And since it's on my home comp I can't do it now and the one's at work don't support Japanese text, so I can't even look at the lyrics and re-translate. Come to think of it, that would probably be a bad idea as I remember working a bit with the translation to make it flow better ^^ So yes, hopefully I won't have forgotten again by the time I get home and will actually get it posted in about 6 hours or so!
Hmm as for something intresting... well, I'm going to Japan for my fall semester, does that count? hehe Now I'm just waiting to hear about the remaining three scholarships I applied for... the first three were all like 'sorry, no' >.< *crosses fingers for JASSO to give her funds* Well, regardless of whether I get scholarships or not, I will be at Nanzan University in Nagoya from the beginning of September till December 20th, so happy times.... I think. I actually think I'm more freaked out about going this time around than I was when I went over the summer for six weeks in 2006. I think it's because I feel like there's so much more expected of me this time. The six week program was through UNC and went by UNC's curriculum and you had to be taking either 2nd or 3rd year Japanese. I was taking 2nd year, which meant for those six weeks we learned from the Genki II textbook, versus the Genki 1 book we used the first year; not a big deal as the format of the lessons and such was already familiar. Also, I think that since I'd only had a year of the language and I felt comfortable with what I'd learned thus far, I wasn't tooooooo worried about speaking with my host family. Sure, I was nervous and worried, but it turned out it was just me and my hostmom together because her husband worked out of the country and she had no children, so I got to form a good one-on-one relationship with her. Her English wasn't very strong but we'd try to communicate our ideas as best we could and if all else failed, we'd consult her electronic dictionary. I truly had an amazing experience.
But now, I've had the equivalent of 4 or 5 years of Japanese (supposedly; truly, I doubt I'm very much out of 'intermediate' [around 3rd year] level) and I'm going to a Japanese university where no one else I know will be attending and I'm going to have to take a placement test. I'm truly scared that I'll do horribly on it. I'm also more worried about staying with a host family this time around as well. I think it's because the situation last time was unique; it's not often you'll be placed with a Japanese housewife in her 40s with no children or husband around (or at least, I don't think it's likely). I figure this time I'll likely be with a couple and they may or may not have children. I specified on my housing form that I felt more comfortable with kids older than eight years but now I'm sort of like 'what was I thinking??' Because really, younger kids don't expect much. They want someone to play with them, maybe help them a little with reading something; they want to be entertained. Older children however are more likely to want to talk more and, while smaller children are more likely to say things straight to your face as they lack tact, I think older children are more likely to make judgements about you. And that also worries me. I don't feel especially confident in my Japanese abilities as it is. And I'm going to stop now, because there's more... but if I talk about it, I'll probably end up thinking/freaking out about it more. I'm just one big ball of excitement and worry right now *sighs*
Alright, I think now I'm going to do something relaxing for the remaining 15 mins of my lunch time. Maybe play a game of some sort. If anyone reads this, I'm sorry it's so long and pointless XD I tend to be rather wordy ^^;;; Dewa, ja mata! <3
~ Alicia