she makes you wanna know her
So this week just ate me alive and was awful but now I have a little bit of time to talk about stuff. So here. Have me talking.
Japanese really isn't as bad as I make it out to be. I just like to complain. I'm like to compartmentalize my life, and Japanese defies that organizational strategy. There is always something to be doing - homework, studying, quizzes, projects. I can't ever just do it and be done, as I can with my other classes. It also requires a level of thinking that stresses me out. I like to read something and think about big, theoretical frameworks or applications. In that respect I'm very intellectual, but learning Japanese is just hard work, and I've never been good at simply doing work. I want to be thinking about the world while I work, and so Japanese is really not conducive to the kind of brainwork I like doing.
Also I'm horrible at learning languages. I'm great with English because I grew up speaking it and reading it like whoa all the time. I'm always fishing for words in Japanese and it's like my brain just shuts down and I have no thoughts when I have to think in Japanese. I have nothing to say, no stories, no ideas. I just. Shut down.
As a side note, I'm also really bad at remembering people's names. I have to hear them several times in order to get it right.
Tuesday was possibly the best day ever in Japanese pop culture. I came back in from the restroom to a discussion of Spock/Kirk, which is like the fourth time it's been referenced by a professor in the 6 months I've been here. Here are the videos we watched:
Also included in Tuesday's class was this general statement: "I mean, there are all these girls that are fans of those Twilight guys... What are their names? Not the main guy, I don't like him, I like the other guy better. I mean, I can be attracted to men."
Jordan and I are pretty sure no one else caught that.
This conversation may also have taken place:
A: 試験はどうでしたか？ (How was the test?)
B: TERRIBLEでしたか。(Was it terrible?)
A: ... *bursts out laughing*
And finally, Yao made us all look at Rain's biceps.
After class we dithered for a bit, then we all went to Yamazushi for Jen's birthday. There was delicious food, omnomnom. Sadly, now that I know where it is, I must return, for there was unagi and I was happy. Oh so happy. Also homemade castella which also made me happy. Oh so happy.
Yesterday after class at UNC (during which we went to the Ackland to look at art) I was supposed to pick Yao up from her Japanese politics class at around 8:15 in the Bryan Center. When she didn't show up I was kind of worried, but she didn't have her (broken) phone so instead I sat where I said I would and watched Shaman King. She came around 9, and we went to Red Lobster for dinner. Delicious seafood of deliciousness~
Of course, after I dropped Yao off at home I was sick, which was LAME, so I just sort of sulked on my couch watching figure skating/Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert. Watching the Olympics made me very nostalgic for watching Michelle Kwan skate.
So yes. That was pretty much my week. As far as I can think.
Japanese really isn't as bad as I make it out to be. I just like to complain. I'm like to compartmentalize my life, and Japanese defies that organizational strategy. There is always something to be doing - homework, studying, quizzes, projects. I can't ever just do it and be done, as I can with my other classes. It also requires a level of thinking that stresses me out. I like to read something and think about big, theoretical frameworks or applications. In that respect I'm very intellectual, but learning Japanese is just hard work, and I've never been good at simply doing work. I want to be thinking about the world while I work, and so Japanese is really not conducive to the kind of brainwork I like doing.
Also I'm horrible at learning languages. I'm great with English because I grew up speaking it and reading it like whoa all the time. I'm always fishing for words in Japanese and it's like my brain just shuts down and I have no thoughts when I have to think in Japanese. I have nothing to say, no stories, no ideas. I just. Shut down.
As a side note, I'm also really bad at remembering people's names. I have to hear them several times in order to get it right.
Tuesday was possibly the best day ever in Japanese pop culture. I came back in from the restroom to a discussion of Spock/Kirk, which is like the fourth time it's been referenced by a professor in the 6 months I've been here. Here are the videos we watched:
Click to viewAlso included in Tuesday's class was this general statement: "I mean, there are all these girls that are fans of those Twilight guys... What are their names? Not the main guy, I don't like him, I like the other guy better. I mean, I can be attracted to men."
Jordan and I are pretty sure no one else caught that.
This conversation may also have taken place:
A: 試験はどうでしたか？ (How was the test?)
B: TERRIBLEでしたか。(Was it terrible?)
A: ... *bursts out laughing*
And finally, Yao made us all look at Rain's biceps.
After class we dithered for a bit, then we all went to Yamazushi for Jen's birthday. There was delicious food, omnomnom. Sadly, now that I know where it is, I must return, for there was unagi and I was happy. Oh so happy. Also homemade castella which also made me happy. Oh so happy.
Yesterday after class at UNC (during which we went to the Ackland to look at art) I was supposed to pick Yao up from her Japanese politics class at around 8:15 in the Bryan Center. When she didn't show up I was kind of worried, but she didn't have her (broken) phone so instead I sat where I said I would and watched Shaman King. She came around 9, and we went to Red Lobster for dinner. Delicious seafood of deliciousness~
Of course, after I dropped Yao off at home I was sick, which was LAME, so I just sort of sulked on my couch watching figure skating/Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert. Watching the Olympics made me very nostalgic for watching Michelle Kwan skate.
So yes. That was pretty much my week. As far as I can think.