III

Marilia from Brasilia. My sempai, who's in her second year studying as a stylist at Bunka Fashion College, dressed her up and took pictures. If the link works, and you have some free time, there are more.

I decided to take the level 2 Japanese Language Proficiency Test, in December. There are 4 levels, level 1 means you are proficient, level 4 means you've put in some effort to learn Japanese. Next week we are taking level 2 practice exams, so we'll if I can get by. I'll take level 1 next year.

My summer break starts next week. I'm going on two homestays. One in Ishikawa, and the other is in Hokkaido. I have to think of things to tell the host family about my country... Paul Bunyan, the Giant Lumberjack, chocolate covered pretzels... what else, what else... I've always avoided doing homestays because I don't like the idea of being in someone else's home, and sleeping in someone else's bed, or showering in someone else's shower. I have to watch myself to make sure I don't interupt their way of living, just like I'm sure the family will be watching me. But I've turned over a new leaf, and signed up for two homestays within the next month. Hopefully, I'll come back and my face will hurt from smiling so much, and not because I had been acting overtly polite the whole time.

There seems to be some hubbub about North Korean missiles in the Sea of Japan... Honestly, I wouldn't have even known if it had flown into my sink.

I got a vonage phoneline here. It's a New York area code, so there are no international rates, only the time difference.

Oh, and Marilia and I will be sharing a room in September!

II

from left to right: Lamai, from Laos, Jasline, from Singapore, Phai, from Thailand. They are going to see the fireworks show in Yokohama.

Last night, Jasline showed us a Singaporean movie, called "I Not Stupid," it has a lot to do with the people and culture. They speak about 4 languages daily, including Singlish, which is a language peculiar to Singapore. There's a video on You-Tube (which she also showed us), it's quite funny. It sounds like nothing I've ever heard before, but it's this dialect of English, in Asia.

I found the Japanese verison of Vice Magazine, Volume 2 Number 10 The Cops Issue. It was at a record store in Shimokitazawa. I remember when I was a kid (which I no longer am since I turned 20) picking up this magazine somewhere on Christopher Street and thinking it was the coolest magazine ever. It has the 'do's and don'ts' section, and the cruel humor and mockery still applies in Japanese.

My aunt was nice enough to lend me one of her bikes. It takes about 15 minutes to ride to Harajuku, or Shibuya. It took me about 30 minutes to ride to Roppongi. It's good excercise, I save money, and I get to see the streets of Tokyo. The wheels are smaller than an average bike which makes it easy to maneuver around small turns, but it doesn't go fast.

It's been so hot here. I've been taking at least two showers every day because of the humidity.