Saturday, November 19, 2005
There are many sights in Japan that are unknown to me. Somehow these days, I seem to be making things a ritual: sleeping at a certain time, doing homework and walking to campus, hanging out with the same friends and going to the same restaurant almost every day because the waitress that accomodates us could practically be our mother. Anyway, this tradition is coming to a halt soon when, on Tuesday, I take my midterms, and, on Friday, the new Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is officially released in Japan.
Now, there are complete Harry Potter enthusiasts and there are just original people who simply like Harry Potter, like myself. I've read all the books (each one in like, a few days) and was standing outside in the somewhat bitter weather this summer waiting for the doors of the Union Square Barnes & Noble to open, but that doesn't ultimately make me a "hardcore" Harry Potter fan (I just typoed "Potter" without you suspecting it). Which brings me to my next topic, but let me end when I say, I like the Harry Potter series, but not so much that I eat and sleep with it in my mind every day.
All right, so Japanese shows are those which some Westerners may think as weird. They're right . . . I guess. One of the celebrities who probably has reached the apex of his notoriety would be an unusual character named "Hard Gay." Seriously, that's his name. He dresses up in clothing affiliated with sadism and masochism (hereinafter "S&M") and he really . . . dances . . . all over the place. I don't think there has been a national Japanese channel where he appeared on it. And it seems that nowadays there are characters who have quirks coming up everywhere in this small town. My friends and I don't know what to say about this, we're appalled.
I just downloaded a Skype program that enables my American friends (or anyone American) to call me without paying the ridiculous charges that show up on next month's phone bill. I'm proud of myself for that. Today I went to Akihabara to purchase a nice headset with a microphone and, whaddaya know, it's Skype-approved! I went back home to try it out and it works like a charm! So, call me sometime!
Relationships are essential here in Japan. It seems that the higher ground you go, the bigger the risk in times of a conflict. Don't get it? Let's just say that you gotta be careful with your passions, your ideals, and your feelings, or else something terrible might happen. . . . Why am I saying this? I think I got myself into a heap of so-called trouble and, while I'm trying to prove it, I'm convincing myself that my feelings are more correct than the other persons. The thing is, here, in Japan, people tend to put their true feelings aside and tell things the way they should be rather than what they actually mean to feel. I don't want to mention the person but it's rather shameful that she and I aren't getting along. And I really I want to. I don't understand her situation and she doesn't with mine. So, we're both at a loss and, so far, I'm trying to think of something to rectify the situation.
Or maybe I'm simply at fault. Who knows?
In brighter news, I'm going to watch a hockey game tomorrow. And I'm also going to study for the history and Japanese mid-terms that I was supposed to do this whole day but was bothered by this conflict that was totally inside of my head. Hopefully, I'll get rid of it. I just need to concentrate on what I need to do rather than just keep everything bottled up. I guess this is one of the ways to release that pain and suffering. I guess there had to be a day where I was actually feeling sorry for myself. Ah, well. It'll leave. See y'all later!
posted @ 11/19/2005 06:44:00 PM
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Monday, November 14, 2005
I'm starting a new leaf. My notes and whatnot were scattered all over the place and I thought, "well, it's time to be organized, eh?" so I simply decided to discard the ol' blog and put in er new one. . . . Don't fret; I still have those silly pictures of me in my camera. Also got a few on the facebook, so if you're a facebook denizen, don't be shy and [friend me and] take a look!
It seems that the classes are getting harder, but getting funner (if that's a word). My grades are a little subpar but with a little elbow grease and a lot of praying I should be able to stay in shape with the class. The kanji classes, though, are those in which I excel. I feel a little weird because everyone's a little jealous of me for excelling in that class, but whatcha gonna do about it, huh? The top picture shows my result from the latest test I took; yea, don't hate. It's the second picture, by the way.
So, who's that silly kid with the earphones on his head? That's my homestay brother. He's a young, crazy chap who plays on his town baseball team. He sings really funny but he's got an athletic prowess like MJ (the Jordan) when he was little. I watched him play baseball a few times and he's hell energetic on the field. It only makes me long to play for the school hockey team more. Can't wait, seriously.
I only went to one hockey practice so far and even though the time constraints are really taxing, I'm willing --- with the graces of God --- to get this through. It's a challenge that I'm here without my biological parents, so I'm taking things a step above what I think I could handle to see if I'm ready for the real world. So far, everyone's been supporting me, saying
ganbatte ne (good luck) or, "we're with you all the way, man" and even the people at CIEE (the agency that sponsors me) really want to see me play. When my equipment comes in the mail, I'll be:
- excited because I can really see myself play, and
- anxious because I won't know what lurks around the corner (literally and figuratively)
And props would go to my parents for making the sacrifices for me (for coming here). They've come a long way to place their children in the situations they're in now and I feel that I'm constantly told that I can never thank them enough though they say that my appreciation for them suffices. . . . Today, in anthropology class, I learned the different kinds of transaction in terms of thankfulness, doing favors, and whatnot, and this thing called
on is something that the Japanese take seriously. One of the remarkable points about this term is that when it involves having one on your parents (your parents raise you, so you have the burden of
on), you can't repay in full that "gift" --- so to speak --- because what you give will never transcend what you get. Even if you become a parent yourself, you'll never pay back what your parents gave you. So I feel that it is all true.
So, thanks mom and pop.
In other news, I went to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Roppongi (a tourist trap-y area), a
gaijin (foreigner) supermarket, and this week I'll probably go back to Roppongi again to get another movie ticket for this young Japanese lass I have a crush on (shhhh!) but it's okay since everyone
except her knows that I like her. Accordingly, I beat you to the punch, sucker. Until next time, eh?
posted @ 11/14/2005 09:14:00 PM
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