Kimatsushiken!! FINALS!!!

Well this week went by really fast. Monday, Japanese classes, and I don't think anything particularly happened. Met with my discussion partner for relationships class. Tuesday was Japanese and Relationships class. Volunteer work has been moved to next week. Wednesday, Japanese classes and Communication class where nothing is going on anymore. Thursday Japanese classes and Relationships. Friday was the final day of class... Japanese and Communication. Friday was my Spoken Japanese Oral Final. I prepared fairly well I think... and it went well I think. The time limit was 6-7 minutes and I was done in no more than 5... when I looked at the grading though time wasn't something apart of it so hopefully it's all good. Also, I met up with my speaking partner. We hit up Karaoke, purikura, and took random pics around the station. Today I went to Umeda to do Xmas shopping and picked up 4 gifts.

This week is finals. I have Reading/Writing Japanese Monday, Spoken Japanese Tuesday, and my final paper for Relationships due Thursday. Friday I'm heading out via night bus with a friend to Tokyo where we will tour around to places and hit up... TOKYO DISNEY LAND :D I'm so excited. AND! AND!!!!! According to the weather website I use, there is a SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW!!!! :D!!!! That would be so awesome!

Here are some pictures from this week:



Here is the "hen" (strange) photo taken with my Spoken Japanese class and sensei. I am trying to mock my Reading/Writing Japanese sensei's angry face when she was a child LOL



Me and Joel and my Reading/Writing Japanese sensei!



KGU's hidden garden



My Speaking Partner and I :D

Adventures in Volunteering and Modeling

This week was filled with awesome activities... and some not so awesome activities *cough* tests, quizzes *cough*

Tuesday, I had a test in Spoken Japanese, went to my teaching meeting and received the lesson plan, went to my relationships class, then to Tonoyama Daiichi Elementary school! We taught "I like..."/"I don't like..." using mainly school subjects. Speaking of school subjects, here is a schedule of a class at Tonoyama Daiichi. Subjects include: Reading, Japanese, Social Studies, Calligraphy, Integrated Studies, Math, PE, Music, Math, Science, etc etc



Wednesday, I had permission from my Kawano-sensei to go to an intercultural exchange at a kindergarten rather than going to class. I found asking the teachers and telling me what I am doing and I why I find it important and a great opportunity etc etc works very well. So, I went with a small group to Konoike Kindergarten. Note: This seems a lot like a preschool, meaning kindergarten is in preschools here, and also I'll note here elementary schools are 1st-6th grade.



This is Konoike Kindergarten. Looks like a castle eh? Pretty cool! We played with 5-6 year old kids. When we got there, we went up to the room and the kids were playing just some indoor games (tag, jump rope... wait those don't sound indoor LOL) and I jumped in and introduced myself and played with kids until they left temporarily. Basically here we played head, shoulders, knees, and toes with them and taught them Rock Paper Scissors in English. No matter what language I play this game in, the Japanese kids always win. I'm not sure why they are so good at! Moving on, I had a test that day in Communication. While studying, I was sitting in the lounge by myself when a guy came up to me and started chatting. Then he got to why he wanted to talk... he has a friend at a fashion school who needs someone to model clothes... well been there done that, guess I'll do it again. I gave him my email to pass on.

Thursday I had a quiz in Japanese, started watching a drama called "Kekkon Simulator" (Wedding Simulation) and we did our role plays in relationships. Ours was so-so. The other groups had some great ideas. My group had an idea but when I was trying to work on the script, I was finding it too short, so I started thinking the idea was too simple and slept on it... and wrote up a rough idea and new script which we adopted. This past Monday the group put it together. I guess because it was so hastily put together, it wasn't so good. It worked. At least I'm not the only one who feels the role play didn't act the actions perfectly...

Today, Friday, I woke up early and Skype'd with my family for Thanksgiving! It was nice to see them and talk... even though it was 5:30 am >.< I have decided to buy one of those tiny fleece blankies to wrap up in. Given they are worth the price.

This morning, another quiz in Japanese and continued to watch the drama. I took my work due in Communication to my professor since I was taking another holiday to do an intercultural exchange at an elementary school. Before going, I met up with Takuma and his girlfriend in the lounge near the atrium. We talked for awhile, his girlfriend and I trying to get him to stop smoking. It's a funny conversation. She is very pretty :) I'm going to his house next weekend for a Nabe party. His girlfriend will be there too.

I went to Kasuga Elementary with a decent size group of Japanese and exchange students. It took 4 taxis, free for us, to get to the school.



There is the school. We arrived and the kids were so excited to see us... constantly saying hello... in fact some started yelling "HISASHIBURI" (long time no see) and I was thinking "Hisashiburi???? Have I met you before???" haha. We made name tags and visited two classrooms where students made various booths and taught us about various aspects of Japanese culture such as places, pop culture, sports, etc. Afterward we played dodgeball outside. Not as scary as the dodgeball game from hell that we played at Meirin.



Mai and I sitting at the tiny desks :) Oh elementary school... to be young again!

After volunteering I broke the Amber record from walking to the station from the school. Today I was meeting Junko, the design student, to model clothes in the a photo shoot. I was only a few minutes late thanks to my fast walking. I didn't realize the school was so far away so that messed me up.

The school is in Shinsaibashi and originated in Paris. A very good school, very pretty. The guy who took the photos designed the clothes and the photos are for a competition, if he wins he gets to go to London. A girl did my make up for about 15 minutes before doing my hair. I wore 3 different outfits. Took a lot of photos. Modeling is harder than it seems, but it was enjoyable :) I was paid too, a bit more than I expected... I do not mind them paying for my travel expenses and buying a drink for me... but anymore just makes me feel weird. I understand though from the previous stylist I modeled for in the fashion show that even as students they take their work seriously and it's like a business to them. I hope the guy does good! His clothes were awesome! He is going to mail me pictures as well. I'm excited to see! I kept hearing good compliments during the photo shoot, and I laughed inside when he said "STAY" and took the picture of my pose from every angle.

Tomorrow, I'm going to hang out with Ryota. Looking forward to it :) This week has been pretty good.

Current status: PooPeD!!! as in tired...

Time to layout my schedule for next week to see what to expect! Going back to Tonoyama Daiichi :)

Ooooh poopie...

I dub Thursdays Bento Day.

So I was going to "observe" the new Spoken class today at 11 and I had Reading/Writing at 12 and one afternoon class. So I leave here a little after 10:30 thinking if I'm a little late it's ok(I was trying to be constructive this morning and do laundry... and I forgot to do my homework and was rushing to get that done... and I woke up early and really wanted to go back to sleep...). I got there like 1 minute late. We just did some sentences, speaking with the person next to us... it's so nice. I actually understand what is going on. It's on my level now. Perfect. I left the class saying I loved it. I talked to the sensei after class to schedule make up work that I've missed while sitting in level 4.

After that class I went to Reading/Writing where we had a kanji quiz. This class is nice too... on my level. I love it. I am happy now because I know what I am doing! I'm looking forward to the end of class only because I am hungry and ready for lunch at McDs (I had no bento today) and some soft cream :D

..............I got out of my seat at the end thinking I have to eat fast because I have class at 1... and what time is it now? Well the class started at 12... so it hit me just then that I have 3 classes back to back. So I think to myself it's ok I'm not that hungry I'll go to McDs after class. So I got to my Psych class looking forward to lunch because by the time this 1 hr 20 min class is over I am hungry. This class gets out at 2... and being hungry, I forgot that McDs closes at 2. POOPIE! So for Thursdays, I must bring a bento unless I want to eat at the cafeteria... EWW. Yeah, Thursdays = Bento

So my debate: I can either spend 440 yen round trip bus far to go to Hirakata-shi and go to McDs and study there and find something to do to make the trip worth it besides eating... or I can walk toward the McDs near Midori, go to Midori and price the Denshi Jishos (electronic dictionaries) and I can even stop at the 99 store and get my water bottles. I decide for the walking. If I'm going to eat bad, I should do something healthy. So I walk... it's about a 20-25 minute walk. I wonder if when I get back home I'm going to walk to McDs... I bet the closest one takes that long at the most to walk to. But it's dangerous LOL. I'll revert back to my laziness when I'm in America for sure.

So I go to McDs and eat my 450 yen lunch (Shaka Shaka Chicken, Medium fries, Soft Cream) then head back toward Midori. I was told the sale ended. But maybe for some items it has, but my Denshi Jishos were still on sale :D So I find a good one snap a pic with my camera and leave. I decide against stopping at the 99 store because my case with my school stuff is heavy enough. So I just head back... about another 20 minute walk. These walks are nice when I have someone to talk to or my mp3 player <3

So I'm pretty happy with my classes... and silver week is coming up :D 5 day weekend!

Today was a Bento Day

So I woke up this morning determined to talk to my sensei about moving down to Japanese 3. I've already decided I want to move down. I haven't finished Genki II so it only seems like a good idea. So after breakfast I get ready and go thinking she might be there early (like by 10:30) since class starts at 11 but she's not. So I wait til she gets there which is like 10 minutes before class starts so I don't have long to talk to her. I tell her I want to move down, explain the situation, and she tells me I should observe the class because it may be too easy. It's not too easy, I know this already. I try to explain it and she tells me she will handle it this afternoon.

So I go to the computer lab. Why should I go to the class if I'm leaving? I sit down there buying time until my new Reading/Writing class starts. I actually didn't want to go because I didn't even have my materials but I went anyways. There's a quiz tomorrow. Good thing I've only studied this lesson's kanji. But i need to review.

After the class I met with Shohei. Well, while waiting for him I bought a soft cream (MMMM) from Makudo (McDs). So Shohei met me with my soft cream melting all over me and I'm trying to eat it as fast as possible. He was nice enough to give me some tissues. We met with his friend and ate lunch. WITH MY BENTO! Yes, I made a bento... in fact a JAPANESE BENTO! I put my leftovers from last night in there and took it to school and heated it up and actually ate lunch today without spending money on nasty food! YAY! I think I can keep this up... make a big dinner and save the leftovers for lunch somedays. Can't do it everyday. I'm going to attempt to plan what dinners I make during the week (not like daily just what I will cook during the week). It'll make budgeting and grocery shopping easier.

After my afternoon class, I got a note in my box from Abo-sensei about me moving down... she still wants me to observe (GRR). So I sat with Joel and his Japanese friends. Thought I'd be sociable. Shohei was coming to meet me too. At one point one of the Japanese guys asked me if I'd see Ponyo... I didn't hear him correctly the first time he asked... if you think you will know what I thought he asked. I was just like "WHAT?" like why would he ask me that... then Joel told me he said Ponyo HAHA.

I still laugh thinking about how many people I know in the US were wanting to see it in theaters... and here I can buy the DVD HAHA.

POLAR BEAR!!!!.........wait~

So it is Tuesday... and I haven't updated since Saturday.

Sunday, I didn't do much. Ash and I went walking around the other side of town stopping at Midori, and various other stores and lunch before heading back for study time. I feel like I didn't study that much. I had the review/replacement test for Reading/Writing Monday. I'm not sure how good/bad I did but as of today I had not heard anything. So I went to see my professor today and asked to be put into Level 3 for Reading/Writing which he has agreed to and would notify me by tomorrow morning about what section. SO NO CLASS AT 9 AM FOR ME TOMORROW :D WOOT WOOT! I think I can get through 4. I'm going to get into a routine for studying which will include studying the rest of Genki II grammar that I have not gotten to. That I can handle to tolerate Spoken 4. But I cannot, CANNOT, learn the kanji I have skipped that fast to stay in R/W 4. It's not going to work. So level 3 starts at Genki II L17 and carries through to the end which is perfect. I'm honestly still considering going to Spoken 3 though... but I don't think I'll benefit from it as much as Spoken 4. I was to talk to both my sensei at UWF and my sensei here... unfortunately if I want to speak to my sensei at KGU, I have to do it Japanese, or at least I'm expected to and I don't feel like it LOL

Anyways, Monday was just Japanese classes and then Ash and I went to Hirakata to get her alien registration done and 2 hours of karaoke and a little bit of shopping where I have held myself back from buying Beni's new CD until next month. I'm going to have a good collection by the time I get home. I cooked YAKITORI for dinner: chicken, onions, and carrots with rice. Tonight I'm doing it again except with gyuniku instead and adding potatoes... so yakiniku :D




Today was Spoken Jap and Cross Cultural Relationships. I love that class. It's awesome. I met with Takuma for a bit before going with Diego into town to help buy a shinkansen ticket to Tokyo. He's going during Silver Week... which is our long weekend coming up. I was going but all my friends are busy there so... changed my mind. And I cannot budget myself LOL. Heading back, I saw this dog... that I coulda swore was a polar bear... but hello, there are no polar bears in Japan, not walking on the roads anyhow... or on a leash... it was a big huge fluffy white dog. The owner musta heard my exclamations about it and he stopped around the corner and I got to pet the dog and even asked if I could take a picture and he let me!



Kumajyanaiyo~ Not a bear...

AND I COOKED AGAIN :D

Today was a pretty busy day. I'm glad the weekend is here...

I didn't have class til 12 so I got to laze around the room all by my lonesome. I ate my leftover mac and cheeze (tasted good actually... I usually don't like leftover mac and cheeze). I think around 10:45ish I headed to school that way I would sit and study. Today was the Japanese replacement test to make sure we were put in the right levels... sometimes I joke they are moving back to Japanese 1. But yeah, if anything Japanese 3... but I dunno. I think I did pretty good on the translating but not good at listening. I'm just bad at listening to those CDs or anything. It's one thing talking to a friend... but those CD... I've been through this before.

Anyways afterward I sat around with Vince and his friends, eventually getting tempted by McDs and going to get some (despite eating already). So I get some, eat, hang around using my computer. I didn't take my little brief case today... carried my books and took my laptop instead since I had a long day on campus. At 2:30 I had my Communications class. I think I will learn to like it. It will be important none the less.

After class and getting a copy of the reading because I was too lazy to buy the reading packet and now they are out, I went to the lounge and sat around with Jess and Diego before trying to find the clubs I want to join. Both the circle (that is just a fun circle) and karate club supposedly had meetings today but I never found them. Maybe they haven't started up yet. I sent an email to both parties. So I sat around until 6 pm when the Osaka trip meeting was. nothing much said just basically what we were doing.

Afterward, Ash and I went grocery shopping. By golly, I'm gonna cook something! SO bought meat, veggies, rice, and........yaeh that was about it. And cooking stuff (flour). AND I found precooked hamburger steak... just zap it in the microwave and it was done. So upon returning, I decided to make a hamburger steak (came in packs of four) and some mashed potatoes... I've never made mashed potatoes before but I've seen my mommy do it (before she began cheating and started buy bags of precut potatoes :p ) and it doesn't look that hard. Given, I did email her for directions.



TADA! Does that not look OISHII (delicious)? Shoulda done some sort of veggie. Oh well. Once I get cooking well, I'm going to plan my weekly dinners so I don't have to go out so much. That can also help me plan what to make so there can be left overs to make a bento if I need to the next day.

So I can currently cook:
1- Mac and Cheese (until I run out)
2- Hamburger steak
3- Mashed Potatoes
4- Tonkatsu

I want to learn to cook:
1- Yakiniku (cook chicken and beef)
2- Gyudon
3- sukiyaki
4- karaage
5- anything else good

Anyways Ash and I went down for kitchen duty and there was no one in there. So I start thinking we are off the hook when in the stairwell we see Aki and ask her and she says there is a party a lot of people went to (I'm not a big party-er) and if we want to clean it can only be the 3 of us so we did. I don't want to live in a pig sty, I don't mind cleaning.

Would you like GRAVITY with your rice? YES PLEASE!

So today was MY first day of classes since I had no reason to go to my class the other day. Technically I'm still in it. I haven't gotten my copy of the drop/add form saying I'm officially out and in my other class. I had Spoken Japanese 4 this morning. Just basic orientation, 50 minute class, what we will be covering. We only speak Japanese in the class. The teacher only speaks Japanese in class. Luckily I understand it. My problem is that I have trouble retaining what I hear in Japanese compared to me hearing it in English (I can recall it better)... but then again maybe I was just tired so I had trouble paying attention HAHA. I think I'm ok in this level but we'll see. We have a quiz Thursday and the review test on Friday... which if we make a low score on we may be asked to move down. I think I'll be ok though. Except for vocabulary, the 10 minute reading homework was understandable to me.

The second class of the day was Cross-Cultural Relationships. This class will be fun. The teacher is an actual clinical psychologist. But he seems like he is a good teacher. I think this will be a good class for me.

After classes I went to the LL (Language Lab for those who forgot) to listen to my reading and I ended up just email the files to myself to listen at the dorm (note to self, get my jump drive!). After sitting in there for 15 minutes I proceeded, I think the long way, to the 99 store (called kyukyu store) where everything is 104 yen with tax (so like a dollar store). They have my big water bottles I keep in the fridge for 104 yen (compared to 178 yen at family mart LOL). I also picked up some more food and snacks.

While walking to the bus stop (the bag was heavy so I thought that was plenty excuse to ride the bus back) I realized my foot was sore. I know I have like blisters from friction walking in my brown flats so I thought it was those... I look down and I have like this blister, liquid filled, bulging on the side of my foot. Looks like a second ankle bone! And it hurts. So I decide I'll return to the dorm and pop it. I'm not sure if this was a good idea... but it was painful and scary looking so I thought... why not?

Well... lets just say it became even more painful to walk afterward. So I try some first aid, use some neosporin, put on a hello kitty bandaid, and put some gauze on it too... THEN SHOHEI CALLS! Hey I haven't seen him since I got here... he's at KGU so I decide to meet him and go out to eat dinner. So I limp to the bus stop... the next bus isn't for 10 minutes. I could walk to KGU in that time. So i do... limp... and I dunno if the hello kitty bandaids suck, or if bandaids don't belong on that part of the foot... or maybe my first aid skills... or maybe it was the the heat and humidity... but both the gauze and bandaid were falling off (hence my limping). So, he better consider himself special... I went all the way back up there for him.

So we meet up, I try going to CIE for another bandaid but they said the clinic has them and so Shohei and I went there and it was closed... BUT I REMEMBERED! I put two bandaids in my purse that day I wore the shoes. So I pile those on so I have 3 bandaids... that eventually fall off. Shohei and I take the bus Hirakata where our first stop is the pharmacy to get better bandaids... which we get, bigger and stickier. So this one is working ^.^ Then we go off to eat. That boy can eat let me tell ya! He ate part of my meal and his meal and got two extra helpings of rice.

SO SPEAKING OF RICE! On his second bowl of rice, he poured an egg in with it. He asked me what we do in America because we don't put egg in our rice... I tell him we usually put gravy on our rice. Gravy? What's that in Japanese? Well my pocket dictionary was no help for that... was not help for a lot. So I ask him if he knows what gravy is... he thinks I said gravity! So I'm like "well yeah we have gravity on our rice too! it would be hard to eat if it was floating!" So that is our joke... rice with gravity. We seem to have a lot in common. I'm going to meet up with him and his friends next week. Tanoshimini~~~

BIKKURISHITA~

So a quick brief on KGU's Japanese classes... Level 1 covers Genki I, Lessons 1-9, Level 2 covers Genki I and II, Lessons 10-17... basically the classes go pretty fast here. Level 3 finishes up Genki II. My goal this summer was to study Genki II on my own and get into level 4. Well, I never finished it because Sophia's Japanese class was too intense. I got half way though on my own. So I figured I'd get into Level 3 which seems to be equivalent to Japanese 4 at my home institution. So, pretty cool, I will skip Japanese 3. I've only taken up to 2, then a semester this summer and last summer in Japan, then just speaking to people... my knowledge is all over the place.

Anyways... I was on the phone with my dad getting ready to head out to school to check my level then head to Hirakata, when I thought I saw a flicker of light out the window (I have the corner room so not only do I have a balcony but a window :D ). I thought it was lighting but figured it was my imagination or a car or something. I got off the phone with my dad soon after and I was getting my stuff together when I heard it... BOOOOOOM *thunder rumble*. Well... I have to meet Takuma... so I remember Yuki's advice: (when you do not/cannot drive) when you hear a storm coming, leave early so you don't have to walk in the rain. I mean I have to go, I want to go, and I hate to walk in the rain... so I just hurry. Honestly, I never SEE the lightning again but I heard some rumbles of thunder.

Anyhow, I make it to school, the darkness kinda creeped me out so I asked Jun to call me so I could talk to him. So for the last bit of walk I was able to talk to him. I go look on the bulletin board for the classes... and I don't see anything new... so i turn to walk away and I see them next to the board. I look... Level 4 Spoken and Level 4 Reading/Writing. I don't know how... I really don't. I musta done really good on all the parts of the test I took HAHA. I'm not sure if I will stay in Level 4 though, I never finished Genki II. We'll just see.

So basically my schedule looks like this:

Monday:
10:00 - 10:50 > Spoken Japanese 4
12:00 - 12:50 > Reading/Writing Japanese 4
2:30 - 3:50 > Labor, Culture and Human Resource Management in Japan

Tuesday:
10:00 - 10:50 > Spoken Japanese 4
1:00 - 2:20 > The Mystery of Cross-Cultural Relationships: Social and Psychological Influences

Wednesday:
9:00 - 9:50 > Reading/Writing Japanese 4
11:00 - 11:50 > Spoken Japanese 4

Thursday:
10:00 - 10:50 > Spoken Japanese 4
12:00 - 12:50 > Reading/Writing Japanese 4
1:00 - 2:20 > The Mystery of Cross-Cultural Relationships: Social and Psychological Influences
2:30 - 3:50 > Labor, Cultural and Human Resource Management in Japan

Friday:
12:00 - 12:50 > Spoken Japanese 4

Yeah, schedules here are pretty wacky. We can't have the class at the same time everyday. I love Wednedays (all Japanese) and Fridays (1 class)... not so happy about Thursday >.< All 4 classes.......... GRRRR. Anyways, I think I mentioned before... non-language classes start Monday (so just my Labor class) and Japanese starts Tuesday. This should be interesting.