Today is July 1st. Normally, this would not be too memorable of a day; regular school is usually on break, and summer school wont begin until after the 4th of July. However, this year is unlike previous years because of my study abroad here in Hiroshima. This day marks the beginning of the last full month I will have in Japan. I will only have two weeks in August before I return to Hawaii, and begin a new year at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. As much as I want to go back home, I am filled with fear, not quite unlike when I came here. While I know that I will overcome them, the uncertainty of it all worries me.
First of all, my friends in Hawaii have changed. Not that this is bad, or unwanted; indeed, it would be wrong of me to have expected them to have stayed frozen in a year. But that's just it; a year has passed, in which they've done things, experienced things, and may not be like when I left them. While as far as I can tell, they're all still friends, they may have met people whom they have become closer to, while there are others who have left their life. How will I deal with this? I would not like to offend anyone, but what if I ask them about someone or something that brings up unpleasant memories or feelings? I cant be sure exactly of what kind of changes have happened, because I have only kept in contact with them through facebook, but I would be really surprised if everything were as when I left Hawaii.
But what really bothers me is how much I've changed. And I'm not talking about my Japanese ability (which, to be honest, got only marginally better, imho). For one thing, I've developed a relationship with alcohol. I still maintain that I'm not a hardcore partier, who drinks it every night, and gets drunk all the time, but I would be lying if I said that it had never happened, or that I understand the allure. But how this will integrate with my life in Hawaii is something I do not know. I know that I will not be able to drink as often as I do here, because I will be more concentrated on my schoolwork. But also, how will I drink? I am not inclined to go clubbing, but will my friends want to join me at 居酒屋? We wont have a lake to gather around like we do here, so will someone's dorm or common area be acceptable? Who will join me? I'd rather not have hardcore people there, but will my regular friends join me, drinking what they will, while I have my 梅酒?
Another hard change for me will probably be focusing on school work. While I never slacked off as hard as some people, I didnt try as hard as I could have in school. I mean, I passed alright, but not as amazingly as I could have. And things havent gotten better here in Japan. Because I dont understand everything the teacher says, I've let a lot of things slip by, instead of looking them up, or noting them down. And it doesnt help that Japanese standards are a lot lower than American ones, which means I'm getting by on things that would never fly in America. I guess you could say that my academic abilities have degraded somewhat here in Japan. However, when I go back to Hawaii, that must change. I'll be entering my senior year, which means I'll be taking more upper division classes. Those are going to be more challenging than anything I've taken before (hopefully), so it is unlikely that I'll be able to just slide along. And also, because they're upper division, they'll be more important to my majors, Japanese and (soon) political science. So it is imperative that I learn what I need to learn from them. But most importantly, since I want to apply to grad school, I'll need to be in top form. I'll need to maintain a high grade point average, and get good grades. I'll also need to get friendly with teachers so that they can write me really good letters of recommendation, or give me advice about the future (class discussions, grad school, jobs). I've said it often, but I really do need to get rid of my bad study habits and kick it into high gear. Japan has encouraged me to slack off; how quickly can I get rid of that kind of mentality?
When I came to Japan, I was worried about getting along with my fellow 留学生 and making new friends. Unexpectedly, I'm having the same worries about going back to Hawaii. Will I still click with my old friends? Can I get out of my Japanese college student mindset and back into an American one? Unfortunately, I will not find out, until I actually get there.
Showing posts with label fear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fear. Show all posts
Friday, July 1, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
大失敗
"Daishippai" translated means "Big Failure", and that's what today was. Long story short, I missed the whole reason why I came to Osaka. The money for the shinkansen, the hotel room, all of it has come to naught.
失敗第一 First Failure: Golden Week
I knew that Golden Week was serious business for the Japanese, but I made two mistakes. The first is that Japan's population is the tenth largest in the world; even if half of the nation had decided not to travel, there would still be a lot of people milling about. The second thing is that there are two popuation centers in Japan, one of which is the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area (the other being the Tokyo Capital Area). There are simply so many people everywhere you look. They crowd the trains, fill up the sidewalks, and are just unescapable. When I got lost and began to rush, there were times when I simply could not move faster because there was simply no space.
失敗第二 Second Failure: Double Checking
First of all, I should have checked the area surrounding the event location for cd sellers where I could have reserved my cd. There was a Tsutaya a block away, and I should have reserved my cd there. In Saijo, we normally go there for the used products, so I didnt think about it. A quick look at their website would have set me straight. The store I did reserve at, Tower Records, has two stores near each other, and that's what threw me off. When I checked Google Maps, it didnt mention that there were two stores, so when I passed by one yesterday, I assumed that it was the one I wanted. It wasnt, so I wasted time going to that store, and because I didnt plan on going to the other store, I got lost heading there. Furthermore, when trying to head to the event location, I got lost again, so I ended up being an hour and a half late.
失敗第三 Third Failure: Picking this Event
Today's fan meet event for MBLAQ's Japanese debut is one of five events. It is the first, being held on the day their album became available for sale. For these reasons, I shouldnt have picked this event. Tower Records, where I reserved my album, opened at 11:00 AM; the 受付 ended at 11:30 AM. Even if I hadnt gotten lost and all, I would have had only half an hour to go to Tower Records, pick up and buy the cd, and then get to the place. That thirty minutes made little space for error, which (LOL) happened. While Sapporo and Tokyo are far away and would have cost more money (transportation and lodging), Fukuoka is not as far away. And while I would have sacrificed a Monday and/or Tuesday, I wouldnt have been in such a rush. I would have made the ハイタッチ会 and maybe even the 超限定ライブ.
After being turned away, I am a bit proud to admit that I didnt lose my shit in the middle of the street. I did hang out a bit, just to watch what kinds of people would show up. Because there were only three ladies ahead of me at the (wrong) Tower Records and the fact that it was the day the album was released, I was really surprised to see how many people had shown up. There were people all over the street, and it was a very long street. Another thing that surprised me was the age of the people. I'd say the majority of people were in their late teens or twenties, which is pretty normal, I think. But there were a few girls who were definitely in middle school, and accompanied by their mothers. But I was amazed that there were a few older women too. Not grandmas, to be sure, but I'd put their age at late fifties or sixties. Definitely the kind that are known to watch KDramas. However, no matter their age, they all acted the same. The sighing, the laughing, the "Ohmygod they're so amazing!1!11!". Maybe it's just as well that I didnt get in. I would have been so conspicuous and nervous.
I thought about waiting for the whole thing to finish, and then maybe seeing if I could watch them walk out the building. But my legs were tired (I literally ran today), and I was feeling shitty, so I decided to leave. While lost, I had walked by 大丸 Daimaru, which is a department store, as well as the ポケモンセンター Pokemon Center. I headed in that direction. For a bit, I got pulled off track by a game center, and I played some games, but eventually, I made it to the 大丸ビル.
Like I mentioned above, there are so many people here in Osaka, and the area I was walking through is a major shopping and transit center, so it took me a while. To get to the Poke Center, I had to head up to the thirteenth floor, which is no small feat. The elevator would have been packed and stop on every floor, but the escalator was not that much better. It too was full of people, and took forever and a day. But I finally made it to the Poke Center. Predictably, the majority of people there were either children or with children, so it felt a little strange to be by myself and looking at things. Since I dont have any of the Pokemon games with me, I didnt stop to watch people aquire special, new pokemon, and I also ignored the kiddy games where you could win Pokemon prizes. A friend of mine asked me to buy him some things if I happened to stop there, so I started looking for his stuff. I picked out two file folders, which I think he'll use. But also for sale were a multitude of things. There were pencils and pens, scissors and erasers, and bento boxes and much more. There were shirts too, but they looked the size of a child, so I didnt look too hard. There was also candy and other snacks imprinted with Pokemon characters. I did look through the Pokemon Card section, but they were all the new cards, which I have no interest in. After taking about ten minutes to wait through line, I made it out of there.
Tomorrow is Boy's Day, so even though it'll be late, I wanted to buy something for my nephews. I suppose that's one good thing for having three nephews; it's easy to find their Boy's Day gifts. 東急ハンズ Tokyu Hands, a department store I like, took up the three floors beneath the Poke Center, so I checked it out next. Predictably, there were quite an assortment of things on sale. I particularly enjoyed looking through the cookware section. In the housewares section, there was an apron you use when hanging out clothes. I really wanted to buy it, because it looks somewhat useful. It works like a kangaroo pouch: the front part has a pocket in which to place clothes in, to hold while to hang it out. 結局、買わんかったけど。 I'll think about it, and maybe I'll go back for it. But it's doubtful, because I imagine that it'll be very crowded in there. I dont do well with crowds.
簡単というと、今日は大失敗だったのよ。 The whole reason why I decided to come to Osaka during Golden Week was to go to MBLAQ's Japan debut and I completely missed it. Thankfully I didnt start crying in the streets, but I am bummed that せっかく大阪来たのに会えんかったんじゃ。 But there is a small part of me that hopes that this isnt the end. They're going to open their Japanese fan club soon, and I plan on joining it. Secondly, I've bought their last two albums, and isnt that the best thing a fan can do, support the artist? I heard that their album debuted at number two on the Oricon chart, so maybe if their sales are good and fan club support strong, maybe they'll come back to Japan. They already made another fan meet even in Shibuya 突発的に, so it's not impossible. Hey, I can hope, cant I?
In any case, this day is over, and I should start planning what I'm going to do tomorrow. I'm thinking of heading into the Denden Town, which my friend said is kinda like Akiba. If not, I want to go to Kyoto again, for some things I missed the last time. In any case, I must make the next few days worthwhile, if only to offset my failure today. この休みを失敗しないように頑張るよ！！
失敗第一 First Failure: Golden Week
I knew that Golden Week was serious business for the Japanese, but I made two mistakes. The first is that Japan's population is the tenth largest in the world; even if half of the nation had decided not to travel, there would still be a lot of people milling about. The second thing is that there are two popuation centers in Japan, one of which is the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area (the other being the Tokyo Capital Area). There are simply so many people everywhere you look. They crowd the trains, fill up the sidewalks, and are just unescapable. When I got lost and began to rush, there were times when I simply could not move faster because there was simply no space.
失敗第二 Second Failure: Double Checking
First of all, I should have checked the area surrounding the event location for cd sellers where I could have reserved my cd. There was a Tsutaya a block away, and I should have reserved my cd there. In Saijo, we normally go there for the used products, so I didnt think about it. A quick look at their website would have set me straight. The store I did reserve at, Tower Records, has two stores near each other, and that's what threw me off. When I checked Google Maps, it didnt mention that there were two stores, so when I passed by one yesterday, I assumed that it was the one I wanted. It wasnt, so I wasted time going to that store, and because I didnt plan on going to the other store, I got lost heading there. Furthermore, when trying to head to the event location, I got lost again, so I ended up being an hour and a half late.
失敗第三 Third Failure: Picking this Event
Today's fan meet event for MBLAQ's Japanese debut is one of five events. It is the first, being held on the day their album became available for sale. For these reasons, I shouldnt have picked this event. Tower Records, where I reserved my album, opened at 11:00 AM; the 受付 ended at 11:30 AM. Even if I hadnt gotten lost and all, I would have had only half an hour to go to Tower Records, pick up and buy the cd, and then get to the place. That thirty minutes made little space for error, which (LOL) happened. While Sapporo and Tokyo are far away and would have cost more money (transportation and lodging), Fukuoka is not as far away. And while I would have sacrificed a Monday and/or Tuesday, I wouldnt have been in such a rush. I would have made the ハイタッチ会 and maybe even the 超限定ライブ.
After being turned away, I am a bit proud to admit that I didnt lose my shit in the middle of the street. I did hang out a bit, just to watch what kinds of people would show up. Because there were only three ladies ahead of me at the (wrong) Tower Records and the fact that it was the day the album was released, I was really surprised to see how many people had shown up. There were people all over the street, and it was a very long street. Another thing that surprised me was the age of the people. I'd say the majority of people were in their late teens or twenties, which is pretty normal, I think. But there were a few girls who were definitely in middle school, and accompanied by their mothers. But I was amazed that there were a few older women too. Not grandmas, to be sure, but I'd put their age at late fifties or sixties. Definitely the kind that are known to watch KDramas. However, no matter their age, they all acted the same. The sighing, the laughing, the "Ohmygod they're so amazing!1!11!". Maybe it's just as well that I didnt get in. I would have been so conspicuous and nervous.
I thought about waiting for the whole thing to finish, and then maybe seeing if I could watch them walk out the building. But my legs were tired (I literally ran today), and I was feeling shitty, so I decided to leave. While lost, I had walked by 大丸 Daimaru, which is a department store, as well as the ポケモンセンター Pokemon Center. I headed in that direction. For a bit, I got pulled off track by a game center, and I played some games, but eventually, I made it to the 大丸ビル.
Like I mentioned above, there are so many people here in Osaka, and the area I was walking through is a major shopping and transit center, so it took me a while. To get to the Poke Center, I had to head up to the thirteenth floor, which is no small feat. The elevator would have been packed and stop on every floor, but the escalator was not that much better. It too was full of people, and took forever and a day. But I finally made it to the Poke Center. Predictably, the majority of people there were either children or with children, so it felt a little strange to be by myself and looking at things. Since I dont have any of the Pokemon games with me, I didnt stop to watch people aquire special, new pokemon, and I also ignored the kiddy games where you could win Pokemon prizes. A friend of mine asked me to buy him some things if I happened to stop there, so I started looking for his stuff. I picked out two file folders, which I think he'll use. But also for sale were a multitude of things. There were pencils and pens, scissors and erasers, and bento boxes and much more. There were shirts too, but they looked the size of a child, so I didnt look too hard. There was also candy and other snacks imprinted with Pokemon characters. I did look through the Pokemon Card section, but they were all the new cards, which I have no interest in. After taking about ten minutes to wait through line, I made it out of there.
Tomorrow is Boy's Day, so even though it'll be late, I wanted to buy something for my nephews. I suppose that's one good thing for having three nephews; it's easy to find their Boy's Day gifts. 東急ハンズ Tokyu Hands, a department store I like, took up the three floors beneath the Poke Center, so I checked it out next. Predictably, there were quite an assortment of things on sale. I particularly enjoyed looking through the cookware section. In the housewares section, there was an apron you use when hanging out clothes. I really wanted to buy it, because it looks somewhat useful. It works like a kangaroo pouch: the front part has a pocket in which to place clothes in, to hold while to hang it out. 結局、買わんかったけど。 I'll think about it, and maybe I'll go back for it. But it's doubtful, because I imagine that it'll be very crowded in there. I dont do well with crowds.
簡単というと、今日は大失敗だったのよ。 The whole reason why I decided to come to Osaka during Golden Week was to go to MBLAQ's Japan debut and I completely missed it. Thankfully I didnt start crying in the streets, but I am bummed that せっかく大阪来たのに会えんかったんじゃ。 But there is a small part of me that hopes that this isnt the end. They're going to open their Japanese fan club soon, and I plan on joining it. Secondly, I've bought their last two albums, and isnt that the best thing a fan can do, support the artist? I heard that their album debuted at number two on the Oricon chart, so maybe if their sales are good and fan club support strong, maybe they'll come back to Japan. They already made another fan meet even in Shibuya 突発的に, so it's not impossible. Hey, I can hope, cant I?
In any case, this day is over, and I should start planning what I'm going to do tomorrow. I'm thinking of heading into the Denden Town, which my friend said is kinda like Akiba. If not, I want to go to Kyoto again, for some things I missed the last time. In any case, I must make the next few days worthwhile, if only to offset my failure today. この休みを失敗しないように頑張るよ！！
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Vacation Again
So after two weeks of school, I'm going to be back on vacation. While there is school on Monday, that is the last time I'll have class until the following week. You see, it's Golden Week right now, a week in which many Japanese holidays fall. For a full list of holidays, you should check the Wikipedia article on it. A lot of people are going on short trips around Japan, and I so am I.
I mentioned a while back that I started getting into a new Korean band, MBLAQ. On May 4th, their Japanese debut album is going to be on sale, and they'll be promoting it with a set of live appearances. Their first one, on the fourth, is going to be in Osaka. I wanted to buy their album, and because of Golden Week, I had the time. Furthermore, Osaka is not as far from Hiroshima as Tokyo or Sapporo is, so it seemed like a good idea to go. I managed to find a really cheap hotel room, which is going to offset some of the cost of transportation, seeing as I have to take the bullet train to get there on time. It's been a long time since I've been to Osaka, so I'm really excited to go! I leave Hiroshima on Tuesday afternoon, and leave Osaka on Saturday. Technically, Friday will be a regular day, but because I have no class that day, I decided to take it easy and stay there a little longer. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do in Osaka, though. I'm looking up places to go, and things to see, but I havent really compiled a list or something. I asked a friend of mine, who studied in Kobe, which is real close, what he thinks I should do, so I have a vague idea. And also, I know someone who is currently in Osaka right now, but I havent spoken to her in years. Perhaps I should contact her.
I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but I do have my reservations about going. For one thing, getting to the place where the live is going to be is a bit problematic. I made it so that my hotel room is close to the store where I have to buy my cd (which has my ticket), which is close to the club where they will be performing at. However, I havent walked around Osaka before; the streets are completely foreign to me. I have looked at it on Google Maps (both the regular maps and Street View), but my time limit is very short. Tower Records, where I have my CD on reserve, opens at 11:00 AM. The 受付 for the event starts at 9:00 and runs to 11:30 AM. Of course, I'm not going to get to Tower Record at eleven - I'm going to get there a bit early, in the even that I can get in there faster. But still. I cant help but wonder if the staff thought about time and all that. But in any case, I will have to move my ass as fast as I can in a city I dont even know. Assuming I get to the club on time, I have a feeling that not only will I be the only American, but I will probably be the only boy there too. Most idol groups have girl fans, and MBLAQ is no different. I have a feeling I will be judged hardcore by people there. And finally, the actual live performance is not open to everyone who will be there. I didnt realise it until today, but there's going to be some kind of raffle or lottery to determine who will get to see it. And even assuming I get in, it's planned to only be half an hour long. To be quite honest, if I had known all of this three weeks ago, I would have just given up and decided not to go. But I've got all the tickets paid, and reservations put in, so I suppose I have no choice but to go. I need to keep a positive attitude that everything will work out, and that I'll have fun and be happy. C'mon good, positive karma!
I get in on Tuesday, and MBLAQ will take up my Wednesday. I dont leave until Saturday morning. This means I have to plan for Thursday and Friday. While I am taking suggestions and thinking about it, I have yet to make concrete plans for those two days. According to Wikipedia, there's a Poke Center near the Osaka Station, so I want to go there. And I am thinking of going to Kyoto again, if only to shop at some stores I really liked there. My friend has suggested Denden Town, which is like Akihabara. And like I said, it wouldnt be a bad idea to see my friend I havent talked to in ages. I still have time to plan (and I should probably start packing...), so I guess I can wait a bit. While definitely worried about all the bad things that can happen, I am trying to look forward to my Osaka vacation. It'll be the last time for me to relax before I get stuck with school, school, and more school.
I mentioned a while back that I started getting into a new Korean band, MBLAQ. On May 4th, their Japanese debut album is going to be on sale, and they'll be promoting it with a set of live appearances. Their first one, on the fourth, is going to be in Osaka. I wanted to buy their album, and because of Golden Week, I had the time. Furthermore, Osaka is not as far from Hiroshima as Tokyo or Sapporo is, so it seemed like a good idea to go. I managed to find a really cheap hotel room, which is going to offset some of the cost of transportation, seeing as I have to take the bullet train to get there on time. It's been a long time since I've been to Osaka, so I'm really excited to go! I leave Hiroshima on Tuesday afternoon, and leave Osaka on Saturday. Technically, Friday will be a regular day, but because I have no class that day, I decided to take it easy and stay there a little longer. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do in Osaka, though. I'm looking up places to go, and things to see, but I havent really compiled a list or something. I asked a friend of mine, who studied in Kobe, which is real close, what he thinks I should do, so I have a vague idea. And also, I know someone who is currently in Osaka right now, but I havent spoken to her in years. Perhaps I should contact her.
I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but I do have my reservations about going. For one thing, getting to the place where the live is going to be is a bit problematic. I made it so that my hotel room is close to the store where I have to buy my cd (which has my ticket), which is close to the club where they will be performing at. However, I havent walked around Osaka before; the streets are completely foreign to me. I have looked at it on Google Maps (both the regular maps and Street View), but my time limit is very short. Tower Records, where I have my CD on reserve, opens at 11:00 AM. The 受付 for the event starts at 9:00 and runs to 11:30 AM. Of course, I'm not going to get to Tower Record at eleven - I'm going to get there a bit early, in the even that I can get in there faster. But still. I cant help but wonder if the staff thought about time and all that. But in any case, I will have to move my ass as fast as I can in a city I dont even know. Assuming I get to the club on time, I have a feeling that not only will I be the only American, but I will probably be the only boy there too. Most idol groups have girl fans, and MBLAQ is no different. I have a feeling I will be judged hardcore by people there. And finally, the actual live performance is not open to everyone who will be there. I didnt realise it until today, but there's going to be some kind of raffle or lottery to determine who will get to see it. And even assuming I get in, it's planned to only be half an hour long. To be quite honest, if I had known all of this three weeks ago, I would have just given up and decided not to go. But I've got all the tickets paid, and reservations put in, so I suppose I have no choice but to go. I need to keep a positive attitude that everything will work out, and that I'll have fun and be happy. C'mon good, positive karma!
I get in on Tuesday, and MBLAQ will take up my Wednesday. I dont leave until Saturday morning. This means I have to plan for Thursday and Friday. While I am taking suggestions and thinking about it, I have yet to make concrete plans for those two days. According to Wikipedia, there's a Poke Center near the Osaka Station, so I want to go there. And I am thinking of going to Kyoto again, if only to shop at some stores I really liked there. My friend has suggested Denden Town, which is like Akihabara. And like I said, it wouldnt be a bad idea to see my friend I havent talked to in ages. I still have time to plan (and I should probably start packing...), so I guess I can wait a bit. While definitely worried about all the bad things that can happen, I am trying to look forward to my Osaka vacation. It'll be the last time for me to relax before I get stuck with school, school, and more school.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Round Two!
Today, I finished the second week of school for the Spring Term here at Hiroshima University. Although break was a fun time, being put back to work hasnt been a completely bad experience. It's good to have structure in life. However, I already know which classes I'm going to get burned from, even though we've only had two days of instruction. I can only hope that my enjoyable classes stay that way, and keep me from going crazy.
現代史, or "Contemporary History" is on Tuesday afternoons, and is a rather terrible way to end the day. I saw it in the syllabus database, but I decided to take it only after I learned that one of my Japanese friends was going to take it. Its content is basically post-war German history; not exactly my cup of tea, but hardly offensive. However, after the first class, I began to have doubts about it, mostly because the teacher rambles on and on and on. It's worse than most teachers because I dont think he realises how boring he is. I would drop it, but stupid me didnt believe my friend when he said he was thinking of dropping the class. After I got the professor's signature and turned in my registration form, I learned that my friend had indeed dropped the class. This past week's lesson wasnt better than the first. We discussed the German constitution, and I have no idea what was going on because the constitution is written (well, translated) into very formal (read: Verbose) Japanese. Even if I had been able to read the fifty million kanji that were on the screen, I still wouldnt have been able to understand the slides, because I have rarely seen (if ever) any of the grammar structures. For the moment, I havent withdrawn from the class because I havent actually registered for it, but because the grade for the course is completely dependent on the final, there is a chance I could pass it. However, the textbook is written in Formal Japanese, which means I get stuck every other character. Since I can withdraw at any time, I suppose there is no rush to drop it, but I am seriously worried about that class.
The other class that worries me is my 古典中世文学演習 class, which is on classical Japanese literature. To get credits at UHM, I need to take two classes here to equal on UHM class, so I decided on this one. I learned of this class from my literature professor from last semester, but the reason I really need to pass this class is because it'll give me credit for EALL 371 (Traditional Japanese Literature), and possibly JPN 466 (Readings in Classical Japanese). The other Japanese literature class that was recommended to me would only have gotten me EALL 271 (Traditional Japanese Literature in Translation), but I'd rather take that class at UHM next semester, as it will get me a writing intensive credit (which I really need). But from the first class, I had a bad feeling. For one thing, the professor speaks really fast, in my opinion, so I can barely process what he says, much less understand. The course content doesnt help either. We're reading a text called 八重葎 Yaemugura, and I've only been able to find snippets about it on the internet. But that's not the problematic part. We have to translate the original text from 変体仮名 to 現代仮名遣い, and then into Modern Japanese. What is 変体仮名 you may ask. It is an older form of ひらがな, and is less standardized and more calligraphic. In other words, it's like reading cursive, from back in the day, when people would write everything in size eight font, with E's after the TH, and having more OU's than you need. And to top it all off, the professor isnt exactly happy to have a foreign student in his class. When I asked him to sign my registration paper, I asked him straight up, Is it okay for me to take this class? He never answered my question. He didnt say, "This will be a wonderful class for you!", or "It's going to be difficult, but try your best!", or even "No, this is too hard for you". Thankfully, I have a few friends here who can help me translate, but I'm not really sure what section I've been assigned to translate, or who is in my group. Of all my classes, this is the one that I'm very sure I will screw up in, and everyone in the class will think I'm such a dunce.
Having said all of that, there are a few classes that I am excited to take. With the exception of Level 4 Japanese (it's going to be the same as last semester -_-;), My Level 5 Japanese class, Japanese poetry class, Politics and Foreign Relations of Japan class, and Cross Cultural Studies on Education class all look to be very fun and interesting, as well as useful.
My Level Five class is the 分析 class, or Analytics. Its goal is to better our writing, by comparing natural Japanese with the Japanese of people who are learning it. Although we do have to write an essay every week, the essays are hardly long (half a page typed), and (so far) the topics are really basic (eg 自己紹介 Self introduction). I think this class will be the most important of all my Japanese classes here, if only because it will encourage me to practice the grammar and vocabulary I am learning, as well as make me think like 日本人. Although I doubt I will ever become native level fluent, I think this'll help me get as close to that as I can. The teacher of the class is a bit spacey, and I dont always understand him, but the gist of the class is fascinating. Even though I may write or speak in Japanese, sentence formation is always in English. That is, I determine what I want to say in English, translate it to Japanese, and then display it (in the form of conversation or writing). However, this means there are transcription errors, because some English forms cant exist in Japanese, or vice versa. By looking at sentence formation from a Japanese perspective, perhaps my Japanese (or way of thinking) can become more "natural".
The Politics class I'm taking looks interesting, although because of the literature class just before it, I've always been in a foul mood (really need to work on that). The two professors that teach it have such bubbly personalities, and seem to have a relationship akin to Lucy and Ethel (DONT JUDGE), I feel bad that I dont enjoy their class more. Ostensibly, the course is to teach us how the Japanese government works, and how it interacts with other countries on the international level. Seeing as I would like to work on that international level (although probably on the American side [sorry Japan]), taking this class was a given from the start. Like I said, I have yet to go to the class happy, so I cant really say much about how I think it'll be going. We are given the chance to do a presentation on a topic related to Japanese poltics or foreign relations, and to be quite honest, I'm happy for that. In my application to the program here, I said that one of the things I'd like to accomplish is telling people about the Japanese in Hawaii. For better or worse, the Japanese in Japan have forgotten their brethren in Hawaii, despite the strong ties that once existed (and actually, still do). I have to tell the profs when I would like to present, but I already know my topic. (I imagine if the lit class didnt bring me down so much, I'd be much more excited for this class. Fuck Japanese lit.)
My Japanese poetry class is taught by the teacher I had last semester in Japanese literature. He's such a funny teacher, and even though I'm not going to get credit for it, I decided to take his class anyway. The poems were written by various poets during the Taisho and Early Showa period, and so feature some archaic Japanese. But it's mostly in the form of ゐ, which is modern い, or maybe some 旧字体 kanji. But nothing diffuclt (LIKE SOME OTHER LIT CLASSES). Although I dont understand the explanations completely, the short ones are sufficiently simple enough for me to not only understand them, but also enjoy them. Finally, the other plus of this course is that I actually know people in it! One of the Chinese girls I knew from last semester's class is back again, with a friend of hers, and I also convinced one of the American girls to take it with me. Two of the Korean girls are taking it too, so we finally have a noticable group of HUSAs to combat those hostile Japanese kids. (<----That may be the paranoia talking, I dont know.)
To be completely honest, I signed up for the education class for one reason: I WANT FIELD TRIPS. I had heard through the grapevine that the education class offeres field trips to local schools, and I knew that I wanted this class. But the professor that teaches is it so friendly, and it actually does sound somewhat interesting. Last class we discussed what culture is, and it was insightful, inasmuch as it confirmed what I have been notice: Culture is a fluid property, and can be used to group people together, as well as drive them apart. Although I planned for this class for silly reasons, I am glad I'm taking it. If only I was going to get credit for it...
Today is Thursday, so I had my Level 4, Japanese lit, Politics, and Level 5 classes today. While three out of the four were good classes, Japanese lit brought me down a lot, and I'm still bitter about my 現代史 class on Tuesday. And on top of that, I've had some personal issues that I need to deal with. Despite all that, I need to focus on the good things that are happening. This semester, I have Wednesday and Friday off, so I'm hoping that I will use the extra time for good use; namely, working hard for the difficult classes I have. And more long term, I need to realize that I need to push myself to become the best that I can be. This semester will be difficult, and there is a really good chance I will fail some classes (sorry Grandma, I'm not my sister). But you know what? Even if there is shame from an F on my report card, I need to try my best to make that a high F. British Ben ended his last blog post with "頑張っている". That is a mindset I should adopt. 頑張って、わたし！
現代史, or "Contemporary History" is on Tuesday afternoons, and is a rather terrible way to end the day. I saw it in the syllabus database, but I decided to take it only after I learned that one of my Japanese friends was going to take it. Its content is basically post-war German history; not exactly my cup of tea, but hardly offensive. However, after the first class, I began to have doubts about it, mostly because the teacher rambles on and on and on. It's worse than most teachers because I dont think he realises how boring he is. I would drop it, but stupid me didnt believe my friend when he said he was thinking of dropping the class. After I got the professor's signature and turned in my registration form, I learned that my friend had indeed dropped the class. This past week's lesson wasnt better than the first. We discussed the German constitution, and I have no idea what was going on because the constitution is written (well, translated) into very formal (read: Verbose) Japanese. Even if I had been able to read the fifty million kanji that were on the screen, I still wouldnt have been able to understand the slides, because I have rarely seen (if ever) any of the grammar structures. For the moment, I havent withdrawn from the class because I havent actually registered for it, but because the grade for the course is completely dependent on the final, there is a chance I could pass it. However, the textbook is written in Formal Japanese, which means I get stuck every other character. Since I can withdraw at any time, I suppose there is no rush to drop it, but I am seriously worried about that class.
The other class that worries me is my 古典中世文学演習 class, which is on classical Japanese literature. To get credits at UHM, I need to take two classes here to equal on UHM class, so I decided on this one. I learned of this class from my literature professor from last semester, but the reason I really need to pass this class is because it'll give me credit for EALL 371 (Traditional Japanese Literature), and possibly JPN 466 (Readings in Classical Japanese). The other Japanese literature class that was recommended to me would only have gotten me EALL 271 (Traditional Japanese Literature in Translation), but I'd rather take that class at UHM next semester, as it will get me a writing intensive credit (which I really need). But from the first class, I had a bad feeling. For one thing, the professor speaks really fast, in my opinion, so I can barely process what he says, much less understand. The course content doesnt help either. We're reading a text called 八重葎 Yaemugura, and I've only been able to find snippets about it on the internet. But that's not the problematic part. We have to translate the original text from 変体仮名 to 現代仮名遣い, and then into Modern Japanese. What is 変体仮名 you may ask. It is an older form of ひらがな, and is less standardized and more calligraphic. In other words, it's like reading cursive, from back in the day, when people would write everything in size eight font, with E's after the TH, and having more OU's than you need. And to top it all off, the professor isnt exactly happy to have a foreign student in his class. When I asked him to sign my registration paper, I asked him straight up, Is it okay for me to take this class? He never answered my question. He didnt say, "This will be a wonderful class for you!", or "It's going to be difficult, but try your best!", or even "No, this is too hard for you". Thankfully, I have a few friends here who can help me translate, but I'm not really sure what section I've been assigned to translate, or who is in my group. Of all my classes, this is the one that I'm very sure I will screw up in, and everyone in the class will think I'm such a dunce.
Having said all of that, there are a few classes that I am excited to take. With the exception of Level 4 Japanese (it's going to be the same as last semester -_-;), My Level 5 Japanese class, Japanese poetry class, Politics and Foreign Relations of Japan class, and Cross Cultural Studies on Education class all look to be very fun and interesting, as well as useful.
My Level Five class is the 分析 class, or Analytics. Its goal is to better our writing, by comparing natural Japanese with the Japanese of people who are learning it. Although we do have to write an essay every week, the essays are hardly long (half a page typed), and (so far) the topics are really basic (eg 自己紹介 Self introduction). I think this class will be the most important of all my Japanese classes here, if only because it will encourage me to practice the grammar and vocabulary I am learning, as well as make me think like 日本人. Although I doubt I will ever become native level fluent, I think this'll help me get as close to that as I can. The teacher of the class is a bit spacey, and I dont always understand him, but the gist of the class is fascinating. Even though I may write or speak in Japanese, sentence formation is always in English. That is, I determine what I want to say in English, translate it to Japanese, and then display it (in the form of conversation or writing). However, this means there are transcription errors, because some English forms cant exist in Japanese, or vice versa. By looking at sentence formation from a Japanese perspective, perhaps my Japanese (or way of thinking) can become more "natural".
The Politics class I'm taking looks interesting, although because of the literature class just before it, I've always been in a foul mood (really need to work on that). The two professors that teach it have such bubbly personalities, and seem to have a relationship akin to Lucy and Ethel (DONT JUDGE), I feel bad that I dont enjoy their class more. Ostensibly, the course is to teach us how the Japanese government works, and how it interacts with other countries on the international level. Seeing as I would like to work on that international level (although probably on the American side [sorry Japan]), taking this class was a given from the start. Like I said, I have yet to go to the class happy, so I cant really say much about how I think it'll be going. We are given the chance to do a presentation on a topic related to Japanese poltics or foreign relations, and to be quite honest, I'm happy for that. In my application to the program here, I said that one of the things I'd like to accomplish is telling people about the Japanese in Hawaii. For better or worse, the Japanese in Japan have forgotten their brethren in Hawaii, despite the strong ties that once existed (and actually, still do). I have to tell the profs when I would like to present, but I already know my topic. (I imagine if the lit class didnt bring me down so much, I'd be much more excited for this class. Fuck Japanese lit.)
My Japanese poetry class is taught by the teacher I had last semester in Japanese literature. He's such a funny teacher, and even though I'm not going to get credit for it, I decided to take his class anyway. The poems were written by various poets during the Taisho and Early Showa period, and so feature some archaic Japanese. But it's mostly in the form of ゐ, which is modern い, or maybe some 旧字体 kanji. But nothing diffuclt (LIKE SOME OTHER LIT CLASSES). Although I dont understand the explanations completely, the short ones are sufficiently simple enough for me to not only understand them, but also enjoy them. Finally, the other plus of this course is that I actually know people in it! One of the Chinese girls I knew from last semester's class is back again, with a friend of hers, and I also convinced one of the American girls to take it with me. Two of the Korean girls are taking it too, so we finally have a noticable group of HUSAs to combat those hostile Japanese kids. (<----That may be the paranoia talking, I dont know.)
To be completely honest, I signed up for the education class for one reason: I WANT FIELD TRIPS. I had heard through the grapevine that the education class offeres field trips to local schools, and I knew that I wanted this class. But the professor that teaches is it so friendly, and it actually does sound somewhat interesting. Last class we discussed what culture is, and it was insightful, inasmuch as it confirmed what I have been notice: Culture is a fluid property, and can be used to group people together, as well as drive them apart. Although I planned for this class for silly reasons, I am glad I'm taking it. If only I was going to get credit for it...
Today is Thursday, so I had my Level 4, Japanese lit, Politics, and Level 5 classes today. While three out of the four were good classes, Japanese lit brought me down a lot, and I'm still bitter about my 現代史 class on Tuesday. And on top of that, I've had some personal issues that I need to deal with. Despite all that, I need to focus on the good things that are happening. This semester, I have Wednesday and Friday off, so I'm hoping that I will use the extra time for good use; namely, working hard for the difficult classes I have. And more long term, I need to realize that I need to push myself to become the best that I can be. This semester will be difficult, and there is a really good chance I will fail some classes (sorry Grandma, I'm not my sister). But you know what? Even if there is shame from an F on my report card, I need to try my best to make that a high F. British Ben ended his last blog post with "頑張っている". That is a mindset I should adopt. 頑張って、わたし！
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
日本髪
While here in Japan, my hair has not stopped growing. Normally, I usually get my hair cut every three months, because that's when I go back to Hilo and my usual barber (my father). But it is far to expensive to go to back to Hilo, so my hair hasnt been cut at all. My last haircut was sometime in September; it is now March. Quite possibly, this is the longest my hair has ever been. The most obvious place to see how much my hair has grown is my bangs. Normally, they're somewhere up by my eyebrows; right now, they brush the upper part of my mouth. Many people have already commented that I really need a haircut. I couldnt agree more. In windy weather, my vision is obscured by a mass of black, and it takes about two hours for my hair to dry completely (no, I dont have a hair dryer). I dont even know why I bother trying to arrange my hair these days, because it is simply shapeless and gross. However, the reason why I havent cut my hair yet is because I havent picked a hairstyle yet.
Because my father cuts my hair, I've never gotten a real "hairstyle". It's only been trimmed to stay short. Unlike guys here in Japan (and some people on the mainland), I've never colored it, had it permed, or used any type of product to style it in the mornings. Since this the first time I've been in Japan for a whole year, and thinking that I should make it somewhat memorable, I've decided that I want to get an "Asian hairstyle". I asked my good friend Google for help, and I found a website with all sorts of different hairstyles, for both men and women. After looking at about three hundred and sixty images, I found two hairstyles I really like. I know I cant rock the crazy Asian hairstyle, the one with daily straightening and liberal amounts of wax, so I stuck to very simple styles.
There are images from different angles here and here respectively.
As to where I'm going to get it done, and the cost, I have absolutely no idea. For whatever reason, there is no shortage of hair salons near the university. There's a simple barber across the street from the univeristy, the one with the sexy stylists by 味しん (I dont think so, but the girls do), and one near 7-11. But the one that I have a small inkling of desire to go to is Defrag, which is on the way to the supermarket. It's a new establishment, that only opened up sometime this month, and I imagine because it's new, it is always very empty (though I suppose it could also be simply because it has so much competition). I feel sorry for the owner (whoever that is), and thus feel like I should give them my business. However, because it's new, I cant ask around to see if there is a better shop. They may charge too much, or maybe they will make a mistake. Then again, I suppose taking a risk is the whole point of this excercise.
Since my Japanese isnt precise enough to describe what kind of hairstyle I want, after I choose a hairstyle, I'm going to print up the page with all the information on it. The multiple pictures can probably describe the hairstyle better than I ever could, and there are short notes on the left side of the page about the style. To cover my bases, I'm hoping I can get/drag a Japanese person with me, so that I wont look like a complete idiot, and I imagine some of the remaining Americans will tag along to offer moral support. I could act like a crazy person and just go by myself, but I have no 根性 (cojones), so that's highly unlikely. If you have any advice or opinions on this whole thing, I'd appreciate it so much.
Because my father cuts my hair, I've never gotten a real "hairstyle". It's only been trimmed to stay short. Unlike guys here in Japan (and some people on the mainland), I've never colored it, had it permed, or used any type of product to style it in the mornings. Since this the first time I've been in Japan for a whole year, and thinking that I should make it somewhat memorable, I've decided that I want to get an "Asian hairstyle". I asked my good friend Google for help, and I found a website with all sorts of different hairstyles, for both men and women. After looking at about three hundred and sixty images, I found two hairstyles I really like. I know I cant rock the crazy Asian hairstyle, the one with daily straightening and liberal amounts of wax, so I stuck to very simple styles.
As to where I'm going to get it done, and the cost, I have absolutely no idea. For whatever reason, there is no shortage of hair salons near the university. There's a simple barber across the street from the univeristy, the one with the sexy stylists by 味しん (I dont think so, but the girls do), and one near 7-11. But the one that I have a small inkling of desire to go to is Defrag, which is on the way to the supermarket. It's a new establishment, that only opened up sometime this month, and I imagine because it's new, it is always very empty (though I suppose it could also be simply because it has so much competition). I feel sorry for the owner (whoever that is), and thus feel like I should give them my business. However, because it's new, I cant ask around to see if there is a better shop. They may charge too much, or maybe they will make a mistake. Then again, I suppose taking a risk is the whole point of this excercise.
Since my Japanese isnt precise enough to describe what kind of hairstyle I want, after I choose a hairstyle, I'm going to print up the page with all the information on it. The multiple pictures can probably describe the hairstyle better than I ever could, and there are short notes on the left side of the page about the style. To cover my bases, I'm hoping I can get/drag a Japanese person with me, so that I wont look like a complete idiot, and I imagine some of the remaining Americans will tag along to offer moral support. I could act like a crazy person and just go by myself, but I have no 根性 (cojones), so that's highly unlikely. If you have any advice or opinions on this whole thing, I'd appreciate it so much.
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