I made it home! I find that I travel on the brink of disaster, but it has worked out every time so far.
Well, um, thanks for reading!! Let's hang out soon.
Tuesday, August 12
Thursday, August 7
It's a ten-minute break on the last day of class! My cheesy speech is written and ready, and my stuff is halfway packed. I really am going to miss everyone here, and I wish I could've gotten to know people better. General but true. There will be people-shaped holes in my life. Are you reading, Yamasa? I miss you alreadyyyy I know some of you read this. Visit me in Virginia.
That said, it's good to be headed home! Okay, back to class. I'll write again when I get back to the States.
Love,
Julie
That said, it's good to be headed home! Okay, back to class. I'll write again when I get back to the States.
Love,
Julie
Monday, August 4
My laptop's power cord melted right through itself for some reason, so I am writing this from a school computer. This means no silly links. Class is in session right now, but I am not there because of this very persistent cough. Plus I need to study vocab and kanji, and they are just practicing casual speech for the rest of the week.
We went to Okazaki's fireworks festival on Friday and Saturday! To be honest, the fireworks were not as good as Toyohashi's. They were bigger, but not as beautiful. But the festival itself was great. On Friday there was a parade, with different groups carrying portable shrines down the streets and dancing and shouting. Yamasa had its own little shrine, plus a much larger pub-on-wheels trailing behind. I ran out to say hi and spotted Christine doing her part and carrying the shrine. Awesome!
On Saturday I used up 13 rolls of film, as planned. I just hope they're not boring pictures of interesting people. Still, I recall a few that looked good in my head, so we'll see... My biggest regret is having no clue about night pictures. I was just going to take pictures until dusk, but then it hit me that in an essay about a fireworks festival, you can't just leave out nighttime. So I have 3 rolls of experimentation with night pictures and no way of knowing if they came out for like a million years.
I have only four days left in Okazaki! Then two more in Tokyo, perusing art museums and crashing at Sato Eri's apartment again, and then home (to the plaaaaace I belooooong)
We went to Okazaki's fireworks festival on Friday and Saturday! To be honest, the fireworks were not as good as Toyohashi's. They were bigger, but not as beautiful. But the festival itself was great. On Friday there was a parade, with different groups carrying portable shrines down the streets and dancing and shouting. Yamasa had its own little shrine, plus a much larger pub-on-wheels trailing behind. I ran out to say hi and spotted Christine doing her part and carrying the shrine. Awesome!
On Saturday I used up 13 rolls of film, as planned. I just hope they're not boring pictures of interesting people. Still, I recall a few that looked good in my head, so we'll see... My biggest regret is having no clue about night pictures. I was just going to take pictures until dusk, but then it hit me that in an essay about a fireworks festival, you can't just leave out nighttime. So I have 3 rolls of experimentation with night pictures and no way of knowing if they came out for like a million years.
I have only four days left in Okazaki! Then two more in Tokyo, perusing art museums and crashing at Sato Eri's apartment again, and then home (to the plaaaaace I belooooong)
Tuesday, July 29
城 - しろ - castle
Leave it to me to catch a terrific fever in 90-degree weather!
Been busy defending my honor against Jeremy's accusations of being a bad student...not so valiantly, though. (Sorry, mom!) I've moved into Honda-sensei's class, and he always knows when I'm zoning out. More about studies on another day.
Two things of note, though. On Sunday, Daryl, me, and Tom visited Okazaki castle. More than anything I liked that part of town: the buildings are a much older, rain-strained and rusty, and the sidewalk is grass-ridden. It made me feel at home! The castle itself was pretty cool, too, except all the interesting history stuff was illegible to us. We wound up constructing stories around the few kanji characters that we did know (stuff like "sea", "to record", and "the second part of family"). Ancient articles are on display inside the castle itself. I love looking at very old things. The best were the fireworks-related artifacts, especially books of local fireworks-techniques and a book listing people who knew their secrets. The top of the castle was very peaceful.
Second thing of note: I've been back to the factory twice, and I think I'm going to abandon that project. There are three general paths I can think of: 1) taking pictures of the people who work there, 2) recording the way the factory functions, or 3) just trying to capture the atmosphere or something. But I wasn't allowed to talk to the workers during their breaks, I can't understand enough Japanese to know much about the factory, and if I wanted to get creative with arty shots, I think I'd need more time and less supervision. Maybe I got some decent ones from these visits, I don't know! Either way, I'm glad I tried because now nothing is scary. Approaching UTS mechanics: piece of cake. Nakane-san the supervisor was super helpful, too! He even took me to the famous Miso factory afterwards, for a tour. It's too bad I could only understand about 20% of what he was saying.
Working on letters. I've sent two and have three more in mind.
Been busy defending my honor against Jeremy's accusations of being a bad student...not so valiantly, though. (Sorry, mom!) I've moved into Honda-sensei's class, and he always knows when I'm zoning out. More about studies on another day.
Two things of note, though. On Sunday, Daryl, me, and Tom visited Okazaki castle. More than anything I liked that part of town: the buildings are a much older, rain-strained and rusty, and the sidewalk is grass-ridden. It made me feel at home! The castle itself was pretty cool, too, except all the interesting history stuff was illegible to us. We wound up constructing stories around the few kanji characters that we did know (stuff like "sea", "to record", and "the second part of family"). Ancient articles are on display inside the castle itself. I love looking at very old things. The best were the fireworks-related artifacts, especially books of local fireworks-techniques and a book listing people who knew their secrets. The top of the castle was very peaceful.
Second thing of note: I've been back to the factory twice, and I think I'm going to abandon that project. There are three general paths I can think of: 1) taking pictures of the people who work there, 2) recording the way the factory functions, or 3) just trying to capture the atmosphere or something. But I wasn't allowed to talk to the workers during their breaks, I can't understand enough Japanese to know much about the factory, and if I wanted to get creative with arty shots, I think I'd need more time and less supervision. Maybe I got some decent ones from these visits, I don't know! Either way, I'm glad I tried because now nothing is scary. Approaching UTS mechanics: piece of cake. Nakane-san the supervisor was super helpful, too! He even took me to the famous Miso factory afterwards, for a tour. It's too bad I could only understand about 20% of what he was saying.
Working on letters. I've sent two and have three more in mind.
Friday, July 25
森閑 - しんかん - silence
Connie just left, and it is silent in my apartment. I forgot how much I hate living alone! I'm going to miss Connie. It will be more relaxing and less emotional but definitely less fun in Okazaki.
These past couple of days, I've started liking Yamasa life a lot more. Can't believe it's taken me this long to feel really comfortable with people; TCKs should assimilate instantly, right? I want to say again how great the teachers are! Tsunoda-sensei is not only funny, but fascinating. She majored in African sociology, it turns out, and has traveled all over. She even organized a small film festival back when she was living in Sendai. She burned Tom eight CDs of Japanese jazz and lent me a magazine about Japanese architecture. I also really like my private teacher, Katou-sensei. I'll find out about her, if I can only stop chattering about myself during our lessons.
Did you know: Nikkou Toushouguu Shrine is built with its supporting pillar upside-down. The idea is that when things reach perfection, they fall apart, but this shrine can remain forever flawed.
These past couple of days, I've started liking Yamasa life a lot more. Can't believe it's taken me this long to feel really comfortable with people; TCKs should assimilate instantly, right? I want to say again how great the teachers are! Tsunoda-sensei is not only funny, but fascinating. She majored in African sociology, it turns out, and has traveled all over. She even organized a small film festival back when she was living in Sendai. She burned Tom eight CDs of Japanese jazz and lent me a magazine about Japanese architecture. I also really like my private teacher, Katou-sensei. I'll find out about her, if I can only stop chattering about myself during our lessons.
Did you know: Nikkou Toushouguu Shrine is built with its supporting pillar upside-down. The idea is that when things reach perfection, they fall apart, but this shrine can remain forever flawed.
Thursday, July 24
壮行会 - そうこうかい - send-off party
If the Yamasa Institute was a country with identity issues, they would stem from the transience of its student body. Every other week on Thursday a load of people give their farewell speeches, and on Friday we get new classmates. It feels like just as I am getting used to people, they leave. (Granted, it takes me a while to get used to people.) On the bright side, having new students livens things up when we are getting sleepy and zoning out in class. And we get to have graduation parties every two weeks!
Last week, my class lost Joe and Evan-san; today it was Yuting-san, Will-san, and Jeff-san. A shame! I was just starting to be friends with Yuting-san, and Will-san did the silliest dialogues in class. Christine is going off on a tour of Japan, and Connie leaves for Tokyo tomorrow! As a result, we've done about eight hours of karaoke in the past two days... My favorite thing to do is get everyone to stand up and sing (shout) Bohemian Rhapsody as our final song. Exhilarating. Another common good-bye activity is going to a local izakaya (bar), reserving a room, and ordering drinks and so. much. food. It is the closest thing I know to having a feast. There are large dishes to share, you eat from your tiny plate, and they just keep trotting out more. Although honestly, going to McDonald's tonight with everyone was way more fun.
Two more weeks to go!
Oh, on Sunday Connie, Daryl, Jeremy, me, and Tom went to this music festival in Nagoya. The first band we saw was a couple of girls who had absolutely nothing going for them but the fact that they were wearing sexy nurse costumes. There were all these sleazy middle-aged guys really into their act. They were followed by three girls, cute to the extreme, looking like dolls in little polka dot dresses. I was despairing a little for the female race until this pop-rock band saved the day with a lead singer who was refreshing in her confidence and normality. The rest involved a lot of jumping and yelling and wound up in a mosh pit. And then high-fives. Yay!
Last week, my class lost Joe and Evan-san; today it was Yuting-san, Will-san, and Jeff-san. A shame! I was just starting to be friends with Yuting-san, and Will-san did the silliest dialogues in class. Christine is going off on a tour of Japan, and Connie leaves for Tokyo tomorrow! As a result, we've done about eight hours of karaoke in the past two days... My favorite thing to do is get everyone to stand up and sing (shout) Bohemian Rhapsody as our final song. Exhilarating. Another common good-bye activity is going to a local izakaya (bar), reserving a room, and ordering drinks and so. much. food. It is the closest thing I know to having a feast. There are large dishes to share, you eat from your tiny plate, and they just keep trotting out more. Although honestly, going to McDonald's tonight with everyone was way more fun.
Two more weeks to go!
Oh, on Sunday Connie, Daryl, Jeremy, me, and Tom went to this music festival in Nagoya. The first band we saw was a couple of girls who had absolutely nothing going for them but the fact that they were wearing sexy nurse costumes. There were all these sleazy middle-aged guys really into their act. They were followed by three girls, cute to the extreme, looking like dolls in little polka dot dresses. I was despairing a little for the female race until this pop-rock band saved the day with a lead singer who was refreshing in her confidence and normality. The rest involved a lot of jumping and yelling and wound up in a mosh pit. And then high-fives. Yay!
Monday, July 21
見通 - みとおし - perspective
Perspective for us linguophiles:
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." - Paul
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." - Paul
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