Friday, October 13, 2006
October.
Twenty-ninth post.
Haven't updated this english blog. I might as well. Things have been pretty smooth lately. I mean, I've been busy all five days of the week since I started working at the liquor store and the semester seems to be one decent uphill climb. I've had a few trifles here and there but generally got through them with little frustration. I can say, "thanks God" without having to stop to think about why I'm doing it since it's become a given that he's given me a lot.
My classes at school have been fairly cool. On an interesting note, the Pacific War class kinda scares me a little because it's destined to be a history class but we end up talking about experiences. We talk about facts, figures, and the "why" sometimes, but it's mostly discussion from the teacher's book (a compendium of accounts of experiences in WWII). It's sort of anthropological, and I sometimes can't help thinking that it is. Then we read the other two books -- a Smithsonian guide to WWII in the Far East and John Dower's "War Without Mercy," an actual history text. That's pretty much the only complaint I have besides waking up at 6:30am to make my 8:30 class.
Japanese class is interesting. I think I'm the youngest in each of the two classes I'm taking. Since Fordham didn't have Japanese in my school, I had to take courses at different schools (first it was NYU, and now the Japan Society). I like both of my classes because everyone has the same proficiency despite some having been to Japan extensively. And like the intensive classes at Sophia -- which were sometimes a joke -- remind me of this class: energetic teachers, hardly any English spoken, and hardly any people who are interested in Japan because of the "culture."
I think that's it.
You can leave a comment if you want to.
posted @ 10/13/2006 11:39:00 PM
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Thursday, August 17, 2006
The blues they send to meet me won't defeat meIt won't be long 'till happiness steps up to greet meIt's been a long while since I've updated, and I've been able to relax and think of a lot of things about my year abroad. I received the opportunity to see what it's like on my own, to meet new people, and get a better understanding of reality. It is very hard for me to see where I am in my life, though I seem to have planned my academic life pretty well. The overall question is, "what do I want in my life?" and even though academics will be a huge thing, it's not everything.
I've argued in circles my whole life until Japan, so now that I'm graduating, I'm going to have to be more concentrated this year.
On the surface, some people might have appeared as "assholes" but I'm willing to believe that they were there to teach me different things. Ultimately, I turned out to be the asshole for refusing to accept other people's philosophies, i.e., being stubborn about it.
The "arguing in circles" thing is something I want to rid of, but it'll take a while.
But I would like to have fun at the same time, so I have to be careful of what I say.
Making life serious 24/7 is not what I'm going to do, but everything I say will have to be backed up by something else. It'll be hard, but in the long run, it'll help me.
My fourth and final year as an undergraduate. I can't believe it.
posted @ 8/17/2006 03:13:00 AM
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Saturday, July 15, 2006
Yo, I never give up my passion
Even though I fall down, I put myself right back in
I throw my fist up 'cause anything is possible
(the straightaway)
Approaching the final twenty days of my experience here in Tokyo, I only wonder if I really succeeded in what I wanted to do. Of course, that question is difficult to answer. Undoubtedly, I've screwed up trillions of times, had a handful of triumphs, and I guess I generally feel content. Is something missing? Perhaps. I don't know what it would be, though.
I made friends.
I did fairly well in school.
I did what I love to do and even applied it in a totally different cultural setting.
I got to finally live my life as a "full-fledged" individual.
I made mistakes, got messy.
I'm not perfect, that's obvious. And with the final days at hand, I've got a lot to do. More than schoolwork. More than parties. More than saying those mushy good-byes or "let's meet again someday"s. More than thinking that finding love is important. I've got to step back, enjoy my freedom, and see who I am from the outside.
posted @ 7/15/2006 05:48:00 PM
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