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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!
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.
My friend told me about this website. It's free radio. I'm listening to it now...The Organ. You make stations of artists you like, and they play music based on the sound and genre of that artist.
Kyle, those speakers are so good. I can play my music really loud too becuase the walls are made of concrete so you don't hear your neighbor. It's awesome.
I don't watch TV cause I don't have one in my room, but my friends from class, Lee Jeung, and Boseung, told me about this Japanese TV drama today called, "Attention, Please." It's about a flight attendent who works for JAL, and her co-workers. It was outrageous, man. The most dramatic part of the episode was when the flight was delayed because a door was showing up on the monitor as being open. There was an old guy and some lady complaining, a crying baby, then the main character starting singing "Happy Birthday" to the baby, because it was its birthday, and everyone starts singing, then the "system malfunction" gets fixed by some guy who took charge of the situation for the first time. Come on. I'd rather watch Steve O get bitten all over by a bunch of ants.
So I will begin to introduce my friends here to you. This is Natalie and Linda. We are in Nagano, a few hours away from Tokyo, at my school’s “camp.” It’s the school’s small resort really, there is skiing in the winter, a hot spring, golf, a lake, a gymnasium, and meeting rooms. The whole school was there for three days and two nights. Nathalie (wearing pink) is from Columbia. When I first saw her I thought she couldn’t be older than me, but on the contrary Nathalie is 22. She hates spiders, and likes it when I talk with a Southern accent. Next year she’s studying photography. Linda is my age from the Marshall Islands, but grew up in California and Hawaii. She tells me Marshallese folklore, and traditions. We joke about how small the islands are, and how small Nathalie is. Linda’s leaving though; she’s going back to Hawaii at the end of the month. She’s had the past few months to think about what she wants to do, and I think she’s doing what’s best for her. I’m going to miss her a lot.
general things i missed thus far:
Katherine and Jonah's Wedding Party: my family in the New York setting, the food, the general partying.
Janet's Surprise Birthday Party: my friends, the surprise, the general partying.
The Disassembling of my Bed: Mariko getting grossed out/pissed off about the mess underneath it.
Beginning of Summer Break/End of Classes.
what am I missing? please comment.
Sam, Ian, Billy and Alex's house warming party.
At Meguro Gajoen.
This was a hotel in the 1930's. Its wooden beams and carvings are very beautiful, it reminded me of the movie 'Spirited Away'. They built an addition to it which is now a luxury hotel. The public bathrooms had a stream flowing through it!
If you are traveling to Japan and have deeeep pockets, I recommend it.
Here is a picture of my grandmother (middle), aunt (right), and cousin (far left). We went here for my grandfather's 90th birthday (note: he is 92 years old now). After a tour of the old building, we went to have lunch at one of the hotel's restaurants. Our room was designed to give the feeling that we are outside in the moutains. The ceiling lights were behind a paper canopy, so the light was distributed across the whole ceiling. The floor was raised, and along two sides of the room there was water running over a ledge, and purple irises. Another side of the room had sliding glass and paper doors that faced a small courtyard. The food was amazing.
I saw my cousin Tomoharu Ido for the first time in roughly 9 years. He lives in Hiroshima. I hope to visit him one day.
Today, I fried bananas I had frozen because I didn't want them to go bad, in my new frying pan.
I once had fried bananas at my brother's friend's place in Pennsylvania with ice cream, it was when I first got my cell phone.
ZZ, a woman I used to work for during high school, ate a lot of bananas.
My friend cut them in half, length-wise, and they got a little burnt, and crispy. It was very good, but I don't know when I will make them again.
This is what I ate on one of the first days of April.
It was from the 24 hour Lawson convenient store downstairs, next to the post office. I've only had this once, however, I'm sure they are selling this today.
I paid my water bill and sent a letter there today.
I sent my condolences to Mrs. Garcia in Florida, ZZ's daughter. I received a letter from her today saying that ZZ had passed away on March 1. Earlier this month I sent ZZ a letter in Rye after I had a terrible dream where felt really guilty for not keeping in touch with her.
I've had a lot of dreams since I got to Japan, but now that I think of it, not recently.
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.
