Homework for the Overactive Brain

Today's Quote--"Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me..."

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

 

Well, I've got a lot to write today, my normal stuff, what's gone on in the past two weeks (like what happened before and after the nasty cramps which was the entirety of my last report), my Thanksgiving stuff, AND A's barrage of questions. Oy...dousuru deshou? What shall I do? Hmmm...'k, got ideas, got plans, go with it.

Happy Thanksgiving!
No turkey for me this year...:(, making me very homesick. And I have to go to school...had to...am at? Oy. But a party last night and a party tomorrow make everything right. (hee hee! That rhymed!) So, going to do the good old standby...tell the world what I'm thankful for. (did I mention this was going to be a long post?) No turkeys in Japan, but that's OK.

I'm thankful for my family: my parents are healthy, wealthy, and wise...okay, minus the wealthy part...but they are doing well and I get to be with them soon. My extended family is alive and well and as beyond belief as ever. ;) Did I mention I'm thankful I get to see Mom and Pappa soon? ;)
I'm thankful for being Buddhist: I can look at life positively and change what I want to make myself a better person. I'm thankful for the SGI and the network of friends and family it has given me, so that no matter where I go in the world, I have a connection with someone.
I'm thankful for my friends: my High School friends have given me fond memories and a lot of info about living life. My new friends in Japan have given me knowledge of America from other views and have helped me keep my sanity...well, some of it anyway! My odds and ends friends have given me joy and fond memories from all kinds of things. And of course my SUA friends have helped me recognize some of the things I want to change in myself, have helped me change them, and have supported me always...not to mention all the good times we've had (and will have?!).
I'm thankful that I could come to Japan: I have learned a lot about Japan, about America, about War, about Life, about cultures and languages, and about myself.

So, in short, that's my Thanksgiving list that people at home would hear, if I were with them...since I'm not, it will just have to be read. ;) Life is limited; we must not begrudge it...we must live it to the fullest every moment of every day. :)

Ahh, the joys of being the pioneer...you get to answer everyone's questions....well, I asked for it, didn't I?! ;) It's okay, I'll just try to do my best to answer them all...later. ;) First, my past two weeks.

Last week was super busy, had a lot to do every day, and most of it was fun. Of course, not going home Tuesday at all and not seeing my host mother for almost two whole days made it seem longer. Tuesday we had dinner at J's house...and stayed the night...Only in Japan could you stay over at your prof's house on short notice...and he has toothbrushes for everyone...Hmmm...Oh yes, by the way, J is obsessed with dental hygine...he loves to floss...he loves to wear floss. Oy! Anyway...Wednesday went to the elementary school--sooo much fun! The kids were adorable and I felt like a movie star, signing my name all over the place...we played games and had a good time. 9 year olds are too cute! Wednesday ended up eating dinner at J's again, (he bought too much meat!), so got home around 9 PM that night. OY! Thursday...nasty cramps. Went home, got better. Friday, spent a lot of money. ;) Saturday, went to Susukino for a party, half Japanese, half Ryugakusei...lots of fun, a tabi/nomi-hodai. (I'll explain later) Spent more money...went home throughly buzzed. ;) It snowed...no sticking though. White Illumination started Friday in Odori Park so it was really pretty, especially with the snow. (Yeah, more to explain later). Sunday, slept. Monday was the observation for Sunday's National Labor Thanksgiving day (really a Shinto Holiday for the harvest, but must keep religion and gov.t seperate, deshou!). Went to a party at Okaasan's friend's house...good food. They invited their English teachers over, so we had 3 Canadians, a Scot, and an American sitting around talking in English...while the Japanese ladies jabbered in Japanese. OY! The English teachers didn't know as much Japanese as me...and they all have lived here for over a year! Wow. But it was interesting, I could actually hear the differences in our English. Hmmm...Played my flute (Okaasan's friend is also a piano teacher, and has 3 pianos in her house...it's a big house). Tuesday, sloughed through another long day of classes...talked about hot dogs and Thanksgiving...so very homesick. Wednesday, worked out. Today...Answering A's questions...;)

But FIRST...(ooooo, building up the anticipation, now aren't I? *evil grin*).

Nomi/tabi-hodai. Great Japanese invention. Pay for a certain amount of time, (60 or 90 minutes) and you get to eat (tabihodai) or drink (nomihodai) as much as you want. The faster you eat/drink, the more you can get...so Chug, chug, chug, chug...in Japanese...Nonde, nonde, nonde, nonde...ahhh, Jeff and his drinking games...

White Illumination. Sapporo, well, Hokkaido in general, gets a lot of snow. Lots of snow...tunnels of snow, even. (except this year, where I brought the damn sun with me, so there's no snow. GRRR!). So, of course, there are lots of events in Hokkaido during the winter. Sapporo is famous for the Yuki-matsuri (snow festival), but that's in February...Now, we have White Illumination where Odori park and part of Susukino is covered in christmas lights...mainly white and blue. Very very very pretty...especially when the snow actually starts to stick around for a bit. Yep. Nifty.

Okay, A. You've been kept waiting long enough...I'll do half of your questions now, half later, so that this post doesn't become the world's longest. ;) And because I'm sitting in a very full computer lab with students waiting to actually do work on these computers. ;) First off...stuff when I first got here.
Airports. Airports in general are evil. Don't let them send you through Haneda (also in Tokyo)--ask for Osaka (Kansai International) airport first. It'll cost you more, but you won't have to deal with a shuttle bus between Haneda and Narita...a $30 shuttle bus, I may add. Grrr. Customs sucks...but since you don't speak Japanese perfectly, just kind of shake your head, and if you get a trainee like I did, he'll be too freaked out that he has to speak to a foriegner that you'll just kind of get waved through. Waiting in line to get to customs...you know, the passport check thingy, is a pain and will probably take you at least 45 minutes. Finding where customs is in the first place is a little hard...but follow the big crowd, and you may get there. Maybe...Narita is confusing. Once you get out of customs, you've got to make your way to the domestic flights to get to Sapporo...J doesn't have to worry about that if she's going in February, but otherwise, the rest of ya'll will. You've got to catch a bus. Yes, with all of your luggage. It's not hard to find, and it takes about oh, 5 or 10 min, and it's free, but lugging the bags...yeah, pain!

How many people in the program? Well, this time there were 7 people in BCA, which was a lot, J said. I think your group will only have 5 or 6...you three, E, and 2 from Messhia College...oy, it'll be interesting to say the least! Total, in the school, there are 14 foriegn students....right now. The BCA 7, 3 from Beuna Vista College in Iowa, 1 from England, 2 from Korea, and 1 from China. Next term will probably be about the same...in fact, of the 3 BV students, 2 are trying to stay...one is named Allison too...it'll be interesting, like I said. But, anyway, there aren't a lot of foriegners around...even though all of the Japanese here keep telling me that there are sooooo many foriegners in Sapporo....okay, sure, granted there are probably over 200 hanging out in the city...out of how many thousands? Oy...Japanese perception.

How easy is it to make friends? Not. 1. You don't think your Japanese is good enough, so you're shy. 2. They don't think their English is good enough, so they're shy. 3. They're shy. But, yes, it is possible to make friends, and you will definately make some, but they may be plants from J. ;) It takes a while to warm up to new people, and I'm just feeling close to my Japanese friends...and I'm leaving in about 3 1/2 weeks. OY!

Homework? Well, I would tell you, but Alex O. may find out. Hmmmm....So, the next time you talk to him, tell him to stop harassing J and no, my host family doesn't stay at home all day just waiting to get a call from him! AGH! OY that man .... Okay, off the rant. Reality? Not too bad. Think back to that block where all we had was Japanese...and take off one day...and a quarter of the homework. Yes, you will have plenty of time to do other things, like make friends, join a club, party, read, sit at home and stare at the incomprehensible news and/or game shows...I usually have about 1 hour a night, sometimes less, sometimes more...but rarely ever more than 2 hours...unless like tonight I have a paper to write! Oy. I'll let you know more about J's classes in a more confidential setting. ;)

Gifts...Gift giving is a major thing in Japan, as most of you know. I brought quite a bit of stuff from my homestate, but I haven't given it all out yet. Usually you give your gifts when you first meet someone or soon after...like the ones for your hostfamily...you unpack, give 'em. But I am lazy and always forget...so sometimes it's later, and I'm planning on giving away the rest before I leave. Postcards are great...;) And no, ageru, morau, kureru, itadaku, kudasau never get easier. Luckily most Japanese people mix them up too. ;)

And with that, I need to go write that speech! So...other questions will have to wait...and I know A, you've been emailing J like the madwoman you are. ;) Keep at it. If he doesn't answer, I'll try to. Or I'll bug him in person for you. Happy Thanksgiving all...and I'll see you on the flip side!

GL 9:59 PM