New Year Update
Oh boy, time flies faster as you get older.
I skipped writing on LJ for the whole month of December! I have been busy - I only had one final (Estonian 101), but I also typed up a conference proposal (which, sadly, I have yet to hear back about). The conference is in Pomona so I so would love to go, but it being a dedicated music theory conference, my Hannah Montana paper (which is an interdisciplinary music/politics/cultural studies paper) wasn't quite right for it. So I applied with my Alvin Lucier electronic music paper (yes, I do write on academic music, just once in a blue moon).
Then I flew to Japan. I was there for a little over two weeks, and it was a whirlwind. The day after I returned I had time to adjust, then the following day I went to the eye-doctor for a check up. The day after that I went to the bank, then to Kobe, then in a few days I went to Kishiwada, then to Tokyo to visit my uncle (and stay at my grandparents' old house for probably the last time - now that grandfather has passed away, they are selling the empty house, which makes me sad because so much of my childhood - and even recent - vacation memories are of that house). Upon returning to Osaka, I had to help my parents get the house ready for a visit by my brother, his wife and his three tiny kids, all the while packing for my own trip back. The day before new year's eve they came, and while the kids are cute, they are quite a handful. On new year's day, my whole family visited my grandmother on my father's side (the only grandparent I have left, age 94), and from there I went straight to Osaka Kansai International Airport. Flew back on United, via San Francisco, and arrived on the evening of that same day (a very loooong day, due to the time difference). On Jan 2 I helped FIUTS with international student orientation, slept most of the weekend, and have been busy with my work (GPSS) and school (mostly Estonian, with a bit of music reading here and there - gee, will I ever finish?). On Tuesday I spent the entire evening for my friend's birthday.
That about wraps up my month and a half. How is everyone else?
I skipped writing on LJ for the whole month of December! I have been busy - I only had one final (Estonian 101), but I also typed up a conference proposal (which, sadly, I have yet to hear back about). The conference is in Pomona so I so would love to go, but it being a dedicated music theory conference, my Hannah Montana paper (which is an interdisciplinary music/politics/cultural studies paper) wasn't quite right for it. So I applied with my Alvin Lucier electronic music paper (yes, I do write on academic music, just once in a blue moon).
Then I flew to Japan. I was there for a little over two weeks, and it was a whirlwind. The day after I returned I had time to adjust, then the following day I went to the eye-doctor for a check up. The day after that I went to the bank, then to Kobe, then in a few days I went to Kishiwada, then to Tokyo to visit my uncle (and stay at my grandparents' old house for probably the last time - now that grandfather has passed away, they are selling the empty house, which makes me sad because so much of my childhood - and even recent - vacation memories are of that house). Upon returning to Osaka, I had to help my parents get the house ready for a visit by my brother, his wife and his three tiny kids, all the while packing for my own trip back. The day before new year's eve they came, and while the kids are cute, they are quite a handful. On new year's day, my whole family visited my grandmother on my father's side (the only grandparent I have left, age 94), and from there I went straight to Osaka Kansai International Airport. Flew back on United, via San Francisco, and arrived on the evening of that same day (a very loooong day, due to the time difference). On Jan 2 I helped FIUTS with international student orientation, slept most of the weekend, and have been busy with my work (GPSS) and school (mostly Estonian, with a bit of music reading here and there - gee, will I ever finish?). On Tuesday I spent the entire evening for my friend's birthday.
That about wraps up my month and a half. How is everyone else?