2004.11.05

well interesting things happened today...i went to university festival for a little bit, there was music, but i didn't hang around long cuz i wanted to go shopping for my gf's bday present...i think i have some good ideas now...also, the PROOF that i have settled into japanese life will be coming in a picture soon...(hint: has something to do with Subway)

on my way back by bus i saw this dude with the funniest engrish shirt ever...all black gothicishesque shirt (gothicishesque?? ^_^) saying "DESTRUCTION" and all this stuff about evil etc, but the best part was:

"evil comes from the human's bottom" OMGROTFLOL

i just kept laughing on the bus, and this kid sitting next to me was kinda confused why i was laughing, God it was so funny

i think i'll be getting internet at my house real soon...me and my hostmother went to look at technology and internet stuff at a store that just opened up today...

also, after i had stepped out of Disk Union in machida this TOTARRY DRUNK guy just looks at me and goes (HIM in english, ME in japanese!):
him: 'oh...canadian?'
me: 'no, american'
him: 'oh american! i'm studying english right now...i have a friend in canada'
me: 'oh really?'
him: 'God i'm so wasted *makes slurping noises* *waves around a HUGE bottle of alcohol*

him: 'thanks for talking with me
me: 'take care of yourself!'


keep in mind, HE spoke english ^_^ and there was only drunken accent, no drunken japanese accent at all...i was pretty impressed, but wanted to get some subway to eat, so i didn't chat anymore...plus it's not so fun to talk to drunk people i guess ^_^

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2004.11.06

well i've been studying practically all day for my kanji test...well, no i was doing laundry too...i've only been studying kanji 3 or so hours...i think i'm going to do well...2/3 done with my self-chosen assignment of 36 kanji...doesn't really sound like a lot, i know...i actually think i could push one more chapter a week w/o totally ruining my social life -- which i might add is not really much of a social life anyways -- but i'll wait til after this test to see...i don't want to spend more than 15 hours a week studying kanji, but if i can get around 50 kanji a week...well then, i'll get somewhere around HOLY CRAP I JUST COUNTED HOW MANY I"LL KNOW BY APRIL (beginning of spring semester) HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP I"LL KNOW AROUND FIFTEEN-HUNDRED!!! HOLY CRAP!!! wow..i feel really great now...my calculation is actually a little UNDER the correct number cuz my calculation was:

nov,dec,jan,feb,mar = 5 months (underestimated)
4 weeks / month (underestimated)
kanji a week = 50 (a leeeeetle overestimated -- actually 48)

5x4x50 = 1000!!!

how many do i know? well...i actually prolly know 800, but i started at around 500 in the book, so i'll do 1000 more...1500! with a few later on that i know that are way advanced (like the kanji for 'who' -- 'dare' is not even one of the jouyou kanji -- the ~2000 kanji you need to know to be literate) so yeah...WHEE...hopefully i'll be a shoe-in for at LEAST level five...if i know 1500 kanji! that entails knowing minimum 2 words that use each kanji...but i will know much more by then...i hope...cuz if i know that many, i'm going to be reading the newspaper and books quite easily by then...^_^ WOW talk about great! i'm DEFINITELY pushing myself to 4 chapters of kanji a week (12 each chapter)!!!!!!!!

anything to give me more japanese power!!!

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2004.10.07

well now it's sunday, i had a good sleep, and today is a GREAT day!!! perfect weather!!! so my laundry will actually DRY today! (oh yeah, we hang dry everything since my hostmother doesn't have a dryer!!)

i have a flyer for a performance of Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park which is know in japanese as Hadashi de Sanpo (A Barefoot Stroll)...i'm going to assume it wasn't literally translated because to English speakers (americans??) being 'barefoot in the park' evokes strong memories, and perhaps 'hadashi de sanpo' does the same...cuz it's not like 'barefoot in the park' is a phrase simon came up with out of nowhere...

and because i know my gf reads these entries, i'll go ahead and put: "i think i found something nice for her bday...i slept on the idea, and am going to buy it today or monday -- whenever i get to machida' ^_^ hehehe!!!

also i found a cool checkered shirt in machida so i bought it...it was on sale, so i did..plus it's going to get cold and i need more long sleeved shirts...i only really have sweater-type shirts...which get hot when you're inside!!! *whew* talk about lack of forethought about the long-sleeved shirt stuff!

oh yeah, while cleaning up, i came across my post office receipt from mailing my absentee ballot...yea verily do i love mine country...260 yen (2.50 USD approx)

[later in the day]

well some post office guy showed up with a letter for my hostmother, but she wasn't here, so i handled talking to him by myself...it was nice...he needed a stamp from her (hanko) but she's not here, and i'm not related to her...so i was like she'll be back later, etc, and he was like ok, thanks

i feel good about my japanese again ^_^

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2004.11.08

well i have internet access for a coupla minutes, so i'll go ahead and post this...school is back in session tuesday (tomorrow) so i'll resume normalcy i hope...