Some updates after being MIA for a while.
FIRST: Nihongo classes are over! Which means free time. Nihongo classes are in the morning, so now that they're finished, I don't have to wake up early anymore. I can sleep at least eight hours a day~ Oh my god, I'm so happy~ *O* Though I still have to do some work for our newspaper. Japanese IV's final project is a newspaper, for which I volunteered to be Chief Editor, thus the "BUSY-編集長中" status in Y!M.
Other classes ended last month, too, but this month I still have a presentation, exams and term papers to finish. Our Directed Independent Study course's deadline's also fast approaching (the end of this month) so I must make some progress on that 30-paged academic essay.>_<;;
SECOND: I'm in for two more trips before I go home. First is the Mt. Fuji Climb with the other AIKOM students, a sort of post-graduation trip to see the sunrise on the summit of Mt. Fuji. Second is the Kyushu trip with Viet Thi, and we plan to go to Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Nagasaki and Fukuoka in ten days.
THIRD: I'm finally going home in September. I've booked my flight on the 20th. So yeah, I can see my friends again! (^.^)/~ Terry, Mikai and Alex are, of course, going to meet me at the airport, and we will go and have lunch together or something.:D
There's so much I want to blog about, but I don't know where to start. So much have happened during the past months: Singapore and Malaysia trip, Kii Hantou trip, and then stories about AIKOM students, about my workplace, my colleagues and students in Gaba. I know I can't blog about all these due to the lack of time, but I know that if there are people who should know what's happening to me, those people would only be Terry and Famusu. I'm happy I still get to talk to Famusu, even if we're miles apart. It's really amazing how we can still talk about trivial things when I'm here, Ali's in Dubai and Mikai and Alex, even if they're in the same country, they don't get to see each other that often.
I do want to apologize to my friends whose birthdays I have neglected, though. I'm sorry if I wasn't able to greet you or post a shoutout for you. I really don't have the time to post anything, even as little as "happy birthday" in my blog. For some reason, I've lost the enthusiasm to blog about anything.^^; Anyway, if you guys want any souvenir or whatever, I'll try my best to get them for you, if that can make up for not being able to greet you.^^;;
Pretty soon I'll be leaving Japan. But I won't say any concluding remarks first, because it's still too early to say goodbye to this country. I still have three months, and in those three months, so many things could happen.o(^.^)o But I am looking forward to coming home!\(^o^)/
At least three killed, 150 injured by 7.2-magnitude jolt in northeast Compiled from Kyodo, AP A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 jolted extensive areas of northeastern Japan on Saturday morning, killing at least three people and injuring more than 150 in Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Akita and Yamagata prefectures.  | Watch your step: A mountain path in Kurihara, Miyagi Prefecture, is shown cut off by a massive landslide caused by Saturday morning's powerful earthquake in the Tohoku region. KYODO PHOTO | In addition, at least 10 people are missing and hundreds of others stranded in rural mountain communities cut off by landslides, authorities said. The 8:43 a.m. quake, which measured upper 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in parts of Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, was followed by a series of smaller aftershocks. The aftershock triggered landslides, scarred hills, tore up roads and destroyed bridges, leaving around 290 residents and tourists stranded in various areas while cutting off power to nearly 30,000 households, the authorities said. ~*~*~
Another big one in a month. Last earthquake was in early May in Tokyo, but I was lucky enough to be in Singapore at that time. Researchers say that a big earthquake happens in Japan every sixty-five years, and that time is just about around this time.
Please let me go back home before that happens.
There is a legend that earthquakes in Japan are caused by a giant catfish moving about below the ground. I dunno where the Japanese got this though.D:
Hello! How is everybody? Sorry for not updating much these days. I was so busy right after I came back from the week-long trip to Singapore. I've uploaded the pictures already, but I didn't have time to just sit in front of the computer and type a loooooong entry about our (mis?)adventures in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. For the meantime, please do take a look at the pictures. You can see that This time, I'm just dropping by to let you know that I will be gone again for about a week.:P Our Exchange Program's going to Kii Peninsula in the Mie Prefecture to visit the Grand Shrine of Ise. After that, we're off to Kumano in the Wakayama Prefecture to again look at some shrines and temples and then we're going to Mt. Koya. Saturday's a free day in Kyoto, but since I've already seen pretty much of the old capital, Viet Thi and I are off to Nara~! She's never been there, and as for me, I'd wanted to go back there because the time I spent there before was too short! So yeah, off to bully play with some deers again! I just love AIKOM Program.<3 Be back in a few days! Take care everyone! (^.^)/~
I'm posting now while I'm waiting for the rice to be cooked because I won't have time to post tomorrow.
Finally, I'm leaving for Singapore tomorrow night. My flight's at 7pm but I'll be leaving Mitaka at 1:30. Bought a ticket for the Odakyu Limousine Bus which goes straight from Kichijoji to Narita Airport. Cost 3,000yen but that okay compared to the number of transfers I need to do if I take the train. Not to mention I'm lugging a stroller half my size + my laptop. 楽だもん。
Why leave at 1:30 when the appointed time for check-in still at 5pm? You see, I have this tendency to get lost easily. Or do something wrong in the process so I have go back to a place or whatever. Either way, I need lots of time to go around Narita Airport. I remember the day of my departure for Japan, the lady at JAL's check-in counter didn't give me an embarkation card so after queueing up for more than ten minutes in the Immigration part, I had to go back and get an embarkation card and fill it out and queue up again.o(>_<)o So yeah, I can't remember who told me this, but I think it's Ali, "you need plenty of time to get lost."
Yesterday, went around Tokyo to buy stuff for friends. I stopped by the post office on the way to the station to send Mothers' Day (May 11) cards. I went to Shinjuku first for Ate Mia's artbook, but unfortunately, Books Kinokuniya ran out of stock. So I just decided to look for Gift Gate to buy Pam's Keroppi something. I wasn't able to find a pencil, but I hope she'll like what I bought for her. Next stop was Ikebukuro, to buy stuff for Ann, Triccie and Ate Mia. I was able to buy a Namame (Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden) stuffed toy!:3 I love that character to bits so I bought it.XD Went back to Mitaka and bought 2000yen worth of chocolates for Terry's aunt and some snacks for our trip. Last on the list was 100yen shop to buy those rough bath towels for my mother.:P 私はけっちで～す。XD
Now I'm supposed to finish packing. And I'm supposed to tidy up my room because people are going to remove the old air-conditioning unit and replace it with a new one.(*u*)/ They're doing the renovation on the 7th so I'm not here. I. NEED. TO. TIDY. UP. MY. MESSY. ROOM. *dies*
So everyone, I'll be gone for a week.( ^o^)/~ Will take lots of pictures in Singapore and Malaysia.:DDD
is you get to watch a shooting for an ongoing drama. I watched Last Friends only yesterday out of exhaustion from studying. I got to see parts of the first episode weeks ago on TV (and commentating and spoiling Ali and Alex at the same time) and when I saw the setting, I just had an inkling of where it might be, but somehow I couldn't put my finger on it.  This was the first scene I saw. I was thinking of Kichijoji but I wasn't sure.  And then this, too. I know there's a Lonlon in Kichijoji but there's one in Mitaka, too.  This should've told me it was Kichijoji, but there were no landmarks I could remember.;A;  If I knew this scene would come a few seconds later, I wouldn't have switched channels. Those kanji characters would've told me everything I needed to know.  But since I stupidly changed channels, when I saw this scene, the place being Inokashira Park was still a hunch. And then I watched the whole three episodes subbed, and whee~ IT IS KICHIJOJI!  North side of Kichijoji. There's the Yuzawaya, and the JR Chuo Line Kichijoji Station.  Kichijoji Station  Most familiar place. Just near the Park Entrance. There's the Odakyu Bus (the one I take from the dormitory most of the time) and Matsuya, where I sometimes buy gyuudon. Yoshinoya's somewhere on the right.  Street to Inokashira Park  And Inokashira Park!  This was the area from the earlier cap. Prolly the place where we ate lunch when the AIKOMsei went to Kichijoji for the first time, and the same place where Viet Thi and I ate lunch (again) when we went cherry blossom viewing.  Keio Inokashira Kouen Station. I've never taken the train from here but it's on the same line as the one I take every single day I commute to school.  This street...  is the street...  I always take when I come from...  99 (Kyukyu) Shop! It was just the right timing when I saw that shooting. Carla and I were talking on the train about Last Friends, when she joked that if there is a shooting, "we might get our chance to be seen on JTV" (verbatim). I never actually imagined that there would be a shooting tonight. I was on my way home and I had to go to 99 Shop to buy eggs, because I was running out of eggs, when I saw this crowd in front of the NiCHE salon. This morning, when I was cycling towards my (illegal) parking space, I made it a point to check which street the parlor was in. It didn't take a lot of time because I'm familiar with the place. I just didn't pay too much attention to the names of the shops there. I guess that's the problem when you're too familiar with the place. You really don't think a lot about the names of the buildings. So yeah, I got a glimpse of Nagasawa Masami (Michiru). I could've stayed longer if my stomach wasn't making the "kyuu~" sound again, telling me to get my ass home and eat dinner. They might be shooting a scene with Nishikido Ryo waiting outside the parlor again, but then again, you really can't stay and watch there because staff people were yelling " TACHITOMARANAIDE KUDASAI! TACHITOMARANAIDE KUDASAI!" Honestly, I hate that line. I always hear it in conventions. TACHITOMARANAIDE KUDASAI!
I wish I could see Ueno Juri, too. I'm totally crushing on Ruka now.<3 Kakkoii~
So yeah, I tried to take a decent picture, but au phone cameras fail miserably.  This is the NiCHE parlor. Sorry for the crappy quality.
It didn't help that I have poor eyesight so I couldn't see much. But anyway, they're shooting in Kichijoji anyway, so there'll be lots of chances to see this... I hope.:P
But I am going to finish this series (this is coming from me, a person who hasn't finished any drama she started watching ages ago) because it's fun to see places you know so well in it. I was able to finish Shikaotoko Aoniyoshi because of Nara, and the deers, of course. But damn, now I know the agony in waiting for the next episode. Alex told me about it when she was watching Shikaotoko, but of course, being the abovementioned type of audience that I was, I didn't really care. But gah! Oh well, at least I can watch it on TV on Thurday.:D
...is what I lack extremely.
Today was the start of my Nihongo tutorial sessions with a volunteer from Mishop. Sure, I'm taking Nihongo classes at school, but I feel they're not enough to really improve my Japanese. I kind of feel sympathy for students of Gaba, since in a class of three (or in my case, ten) you really don't get a lot of chance to speak up. Hence, I signed up for the Nihongo private lessons.
We just talked for one hour and a half, and what my tutor said to me was I should be have more confidence in myself, and I shouldn't be too afraid of making mistakes, because if I always let myself be impeded by such things, I won't be able to communicate.
I remember myself saying the exact same words to my Algerian student, who always thinks that his English is not good, and that he can only talk in English to Japanese people. He thinks that he cannot strike a conversation with native speakers because his English is still elementary.
Self-confidence is something that I've always lacked, in whatever I do. People say I give myself too little credit. As for me, I don't want to be confident because I'm afraid of failure. Failure had, has and will always have a big impact on me. I always give my best in everything I do, but I can't say I am confident of the results. For me, if I don't carry too much confidence, then if I fail, I won't be too disappointed. I hate expecting, because if I expect too much, and things do not go as I please, then there's disappointment, which is an understatement, really. It's more of like, depression.
Why don't I just go out with Japanese friends, you ask? Why go all the trouble of signing up for private lessons when you can have "lessons" when you're out talking with friends? That just means you don't know me very well. Going out is not my thing. Sure, I go out sometimes, but that is to take a breather. I don't want to pressure myself thinking about school and serious stuff when I'm with them. Second, they're all busy. They may look oshare and everything, but they are still students of the Tokyo University. They take their studies seriously, and would spend hours in the library studying. They would even sacrifice days that would've been ideal for going out somewhere, just to study. Lastly, students who are always going out are those who love drinking. And most of you know that I DON'T DRINK. So there.
Okay, that would be enough rambling. Right now, all I want to do in my remaining months here in Japan is to improve my conversation skills, and I will just do my best to do just that, without expecting anything. My friends said that I have improved during the past few months, but I don't think it's enough. I have a goal I badly want to reach, and I must do everything I can just to be suitable for that kind of job. Oooh~ Pressure.XD
And so have classes.
Classes for the new semester started yesterday. It wasn't a very good start, since it was raining the whole day. I had to wake up early to finish rewriting my essay for Japanese IV. I started writing it the day before yesterday (yes, I'm still a UP student at heart) and and I finished with 3 pages and half of the 20x20 原稿用紙 (genkouyoushi), that is, 1400 characters on my experiences during the spring vacation. But I'm afraid it's too long again. Last semester, I sort of overdid my presentation for Japanese III, and instead of giving a 15-minute presentation, I ended up giving a 20-30-minute one. My classmates found it interesting, though.^^;
I thought (because the schedule from J3 said so) that we were supposed to have a Kanji review test, too, but it turns out, it's not until next month. Yatta! I wasn't able to study at all so I was worried.^^;;
After our Japanese class, we had to rush to Building 8 for the Summer Semester Orientation. We only had ten minutes in between the J3 class and the orientation so we didn't have enough time for lunch. They gave us the AIKOM Summer Semester booklet, as well as the Todai book and pamphlet for classes, and then Kibata-sensei talked to the ten students taking the Independent Study course, and those include me. They gave us the contact details of our advisers, so that we can talk to them asap about our topics, and then told us about the monthly meetings aka progress report dates.
As soon as the orientation finished, third period started. I went to the second floor (we were on the third) to check the class under Prof. Carter, a visiting professor from Australia. The course was titled Cultures of English-speaking Nations in the AIKOM pamphlet so I was thinking of trying it since it may be related to my degree program, but as it turned out, it was about Multicultural Australia, meaning, the professor will talk about Australia, Australia, Australia, and yes, you guessed it right, Australia. So I decided to go back to the third floor and take the class about Japan's Modernization and its Issues. It's Takada-sensei again, but I guess he's more bearable since I will be learning about Japan, not Australia.;P
Fourth period was literature (again) but this time, our professor's kind of an "otaku." She kept on talking about works that have anything to do with manga, even mentioning Ikebukuro West Gate Park. Well, the course is about contemporary literature, after all, so I guess it can't be helped? But before you go thinking that I will also be jumping on the bandwagon that is IWGP, I am thinking of taking a regular course in English, which is Introduction to Sociolinguistics. This will help me in my undergraduate thesis after all, so I guess I will bid farewell to Otomo-sensei's class. I'm still not sure yet, though, since the course description's written in Japanese, so I will consult with Ellis-sensei first on Monday. It's time to get serious with my studies here. I did come here with the intention of gathering data for my undergrad thesis so I hope I can take at least one subject here in Todai that can help me finish that last requirement. Last semester should be enough goofing around with subjects that aren't related to my major at all.^^;;
By the way, I got all A's in my classes last semester. But take a look at the equivalent. A=100-80. Very motivating, yes? D: Well, at least I didn't get a B. Just imagine how mortifying that would be?XD
I don't really know how to tell you this, but our romance is over. I think I realized it when your dog ran amok at the mental hospital and drive out my father. I'm sure you're cowardly enough to understand that we're cousins. I'm returning your ring to you, but I'll keep my virginity as a memory. You should also know that I always will remember our friendship. Go burn, -Gladys- [ Do it like this ]
Dear (the person who last texted/messaged you),
I don't really know how to tell you this, but ___1___. I think I realized it ___2___ ___3___ and ___4___ ___5___.
I'm sure you're ___6___ enough to understand ___7___.
I'm returning ___8___ to you, but I'll keep ___9___ as a memory.
You should also know that I ___10___ ___11___.
___12___,
-Your name-
1. What's the color of your shirt?
Blue - Our romance is over
Red - Our affair is over
White - I'll join the monastery
Black - I dislike you
Green - Our horoscope doesn't match
Grey - You're a pervert
Yellow - I'm selling myself
Pink - Your nostrils are insulting
Brown - The mafia wants you
No shirt - You're a loser
Other - I'm in love with your sister
2. Which is your birth month?
January - That night
February - Last year
March - When your dwarf bit me
April - When I tripped on sesame seeds
May - First of May
June - When you put cuffs on me
July - When I threw up
August - When I saw the shrunken head
September - When we skinny dipped
October - When I quoted Santa
November - When your dog ran amok
December - When I changed tennis shoes
3. Which food do you prefer?
Tacos - In your apartment
Pizza - In your camping car
Pasta - Outside of Chicago
Hamburgers - Under the bus
Salad - As you ate enchilada
Chicken - In your closet
Kebab - With Paris Hilton
Fish - In women's clothing
Sandwiches - At the Hare Krishna graduation
Lasagna - At the mental hospital
Hot dog - Under a state of trance
Annat - With George Bush and his wife
4. What's the color of your socks?
Yellow - Hit on
Red - Insulted
Black - Ignored
Blue - Knocked out
Purple - Poured syrup on
White - Carved your initials into
Grey - Pulled the clothes off
Brown - Put leeches on
Orange - Castrated
Pink - Pulled the toupee off
Barefoot - Sat at
Other - Drive out
5. What's the color of your underwear?
Black - My best friend
White - My father
Grey - Bill Clinton
Brown - My fart balloon
Purple - My mustard soufflé
Red - Donald Duck
Blue - My avocado plant
Yellow - My penpal in Ghana
Orange - My Kid Rock-collection
Pink - Manchester United's goalkeeper
None - My John F. Kennedy-statue
Other - The crazy monk
6. What do you prefer to watch on TV?
Scrubs - Man
O.C. - Emotional
One Tree Hill - Open
Heroes -Frostbitten
Lost - High
House -Scarred
Simpsons - Cowardly
The news - Mongolic
Idol - Masochistic
Family Guy - Senile
Top Model - Middle-class
Annat - Ashamed
7. Your mood right now?
Happy - How awful I've felt
Sad - How boring you are
Bored - That Santa doesn't exist
Angry - That your pimples are at the last stage
Depressed - That we're cousins
Excited - That there is no solution to this.
Nervous - The middle-east
Worried - That your Honda sucks
Apathetic - That I did a sex-change
Ashamed - That I'm allergic to your hamster
Cuddly - That I get turned on by garbage men
Overjoyous - That I'm open
Other - That Extreme Home Makeover sucks
8. What's the color of your walls in your bedroom?
White - Your ring
Yellow - Your love letters
Red - Your Darth Vader-poster
Black - Your tame stone
Blue - The couch cushions
Green - The pictures from LA
Orange - Your false teeth
Brown - Your contact book
Grey - Our matching snoopy-bibs
Purple - Your old lottery coupons
Pink - The cut toenails
Other - Your memories from the military service
9. The first letter of your first name?
A/B - Your photo
C/D - The oil stocks
E/F - Your neighbour Martin
G/H - My virginity
I/J - The results of blood-sample
K/L - Your left ear
M/N - Your suicide note
O/P - My common sense
Q/R - Your mom
S/T - Your collection of butterflies
U/V - Your criminal record
W/X - David's tricot outfits
Y/Z - Your grades from college
10. The last letter in your last name?
A/B - Always will remember
C/D - Never will forget
E/F - Always wanted to break
G/H - Never openly mocked
I/J - Always have felt dirty before
K/L - Will tell the authorities about
M/N - Told in my confession today about
O/P - Was interviewed by the Times about
Q/R - Told my psychiatrist about
S/T - Get sick when I think of
U/V - Always will try to forget
W/X - Am better off without
Y/Z - Never liked
11. What do you prefer to drink?
Water- Our friendship
Beer - Senility
Soft drink - A new life as a clone
Soda - The incarnation as an eskimo
Milk - The apartment building
Wine - Cocaine abuse
Cider - A passionate interest for mice
Juice - Oprah Winfrey imitations
Mineral water - Embarrassing rash
Hot chocolate - Eggplant-fetishism
Whisky - To ruin the second world war
Other - To hate the Boston Celtics
12. To which country would you prefer to go on a vacation?
Thailand - Warm regards
USA - Best regards
England - Good luck on your short-term leave from jail
Spain - Go and drown yourself
China - Disgusting regards
Germany - With ease
Japan - Go burn
Greece - Your everlasting enemy
Australia - Greetings to your frog Leonard
Egypt - Fuck off now
France - In pain
Other - Greetings to your freaky family
~*~*~*~
The virginity part made me go LOL.XD
Ganked from Raymund's MultiplyEDIT: Terry's reaction: Nagblangko utak ko dun ah...XD
Created by / Kuya Robert.
Based on this Livejournal post.
Maraming salamat po!♥
These just made me go ROFLing! But I kind of look like My Neighbor Totoro's Mei. Only with braids.;P
Next post's my report on TAF 2008. :D
 | LOL! | Mar 26, '08 9:54 AM
for everyone |
I'm sorry for the spam. I really just had to post this. It was yesterday when I saw the new Canon ads on the train:   
Now, why do I find this amusing?XD Click this and you'll find out why. If not, well, sorry, you're slow.XD
Hello everyone. I'm back to Tokyo from our Kansai trip. Again, thanks so much to Micchan (who's currently on the Seishun 18 Kippu journey to Tokyo from Osaka right now) for letting me stay in her room for four days. <3
I was supposed to go on the 17th but things happened so I had to go on the 18th. Anyway, changes in plans were made by Terry and me, so we've decided to meet in Singapore instead. We'll be staying there from the 4th until the early morning of the 12th. Well, I'll be arriving on the 5th, actually, since my flight's at 7 in the evening, and I'll be arriving in Singapore at 1:45 am. Geh. I'm just glad I have money for this trip, since I'll be getting my first *true* salary on the 25th of April.:D February's BS here in Gaba since I started on the last week and got only 2 lessons: one lesson, one cancelled but paid.
Speaking of money, I think I spent too much on my Kansai trip, I've got nothing but 300yen left in my wallet. My bank fund's all used up, and hurrah, my next allowance is not until the 15th of April.D: I'm glad I have other baitos to back me up financially, otherwise I'd be a binbou chibi now.o(T-T)o
Nothing much happened in my Kansai trip. I went around Osaka, Nara and Kobe alone during the last two days. But there are interesting stuff that happened to me. The first day I went around alone (21st), my mobile phone died on me, so I couldn't contact Micchan when I arrived at their dormitory. The door was locked, I needed to go to the toilet badly, It was so farkin' cold and windy. I didn't know how to contact her. I could turn on my phone and copy her number during the time it's still on so I thought of calling her. I saw a payphone booth nearby, but yay I only had 50yen coins with me. The payphone only receives 100 and 10 yen coins. I was on the verge of tears, going back and forth the street in front of their building. Fortunately, a guy from the first floor went out of his room to smoke, and he opened the door for me. Whew~
The second day was funny. I went to Nara first and then Kobe. I fell asleep during the train ride from Nara to Osaka, where I should change trains to Kobe. The moment I woke up, the train was about to leave Osaka station. The door was closing when I rushed out; it's a good thing it was just the signal that they're closing the doors, so the doors opened again. Then groggily I ran to the platform where I was supposed to take the train to Kobe. Uguu.
Seishun 18 Kippu is really convenient for students who want to travel around Japan, since for example, the local train ride from Tokyo to Osaka would've cost me 8,000+ yen but since I had the ticket with me, I only spent 2,500. The downside is that you have to take local/rapid trains only, and the trip takes 9hours or more, with more than 5 transfers. I was lucky I had to transfer only 5 times on my way back to Tokyo, so it wasn't that exhausting. The way to Osaka was so tiring. I had to transfer seven times, carry my luggage going up a flight of stairs, and I didn't have a decent sleep because I went straight to karaoke box, where Micchan and Klao were.
Anyway, in the meantime, I'm back here in Tokyo, back to working in Gaba, and trying my best to keep myself alive by doing part-time jobs. Tokyo International Anime Fair's on the weekend, but I won't be spending much on anime goods.
Oh and yeah, sakura are blooming now!o(*o*)o The first time I saw a sakura tree (from the train) I had goosebumps. They're so beautiful. And yay~ We're going hanami on Tuesday! \(^o^)/
Nope, a person didn't commit suicide while I was on the train, which I am hoping to experience at least once here in Japan. Morbid, I know.
Well, my student pass expired yesterday so I won't get a 70yen discount in taking the Keio Inokashira Line from Kichijoji to Shibuya anymore. So I tried going to Ebisu the cheaper way, which is to take the Chuo Line Rapid Service to Shinjuku, then change to Yamanote Line to Ebisu. Wrong move.
JR Yamanote Line + Shinkuju Station + Morning Rush Hour = TERRIBLE
The trains were so crowded you didn't need to hold onto the handrails because you'd be standing straight while being squashed by other passengers.
It took about ten minutes from Shinjuku to Ebisu, and I must say those were the longest ten minutes of my life. Seriously.
I've learned my lesson. I won't be changing trains in Shinjuku anytime soon. That I know for a fact.D:
 Ohisashiburi desu. All I've been doing since the start of March was work in Gaba. I started work last March 1 and since then I've been working from 10am till 5pm. I'd always get up two and a half hours earlier to prepare my lunchbox and commute to the Tachikawa Learning Studio, where I was placed. I had preferred teaching in Kichijoji since it's only a twenty-minute bicycle ride away from my dormitory, but looking at the number of instructors there, I was glad to be placed in Tachikawa. That school's almost as busy as the one in Shinjuku, with at least thirty-five Instructors working everyday. Having thirty-five Instructors in the same Learning Studio's tough, especially if there are Clients who take two or three lessons in a row. We have this chart in the LS where you can see all the lessons booked for the day. In Kichijoji, you have to scroll down the page to see if your Client has another lesson after yours, while in Tachikawa, you only have one page and that's it. Plus, the fewer the Instructors, the more chance you get to teach. Most Instructors teach at night, because there are lots of students at that time. I can't do that so I teach in the morning until late afternoon. I get a fair amount of students, and I try my best to build my Client base from those students who take my class. I taught straight from the 1st of March until the 9th. Weekdays are really quiet, while the weekends are really busy. We have at least five Instructors working during the weekends, and most of them are fully-booked. Gaba's getting a lot of Clients and Instructors now that's Nova's gone bankrupt. I scheduled for B1 Belt Modules tomorrow and the 13th, and the B1 Certification Test on the 14th. I'm doing this because our Senior Instructor Support Leader suggested so, since most of the people in our LS have belted up. There is also the higher pay incentive. You get 1700 instead of the Belt A 1500 for lessons taught during weekends. After the B1 Certification, I'm off to work again on the 15th and the 16th. I won't be here in Tokyo from the 17th to the 23rd since we will be going to Kansai. We'll be staying in Micchan's place in Osaka. But we haven't got an itinerary yet. We can do that when we're there. I've scheduled this week only for this trip, so I have to make the best out of it. I just wish people'd stick to the schedule when one's been agreed on. I've been getting it since winter break and frankly, I'm getting tired of fitting my busy schedule for other people.x_x;; After the Kansai trip, I'll have a one-day break, then I'm off to work again. Hopefully, my lesson slots get filled up, so I don't get that much idle time at work. Although, I'm not complaining much since I get to catch up with manga titles I haven't read for a while.:P After that week, there's the Tokyo International Anime Fair on the 29th and 30th! I've known about this convention for months now, and I've marked it on my planner since then. It's funny how people tell me about it as if I don't know how to search the Internet for anime events.XD Anyway, I've bought my tickets already (yay~) and Micchan and I (and Trish, too I think) are going on both days. I have to remember to save money for this one. There are lots of exhibitors again:  Click image to enlarge  I've got my tickets, yay~TAF's going to be the first convention I'm attending that's got an entrance fee. Jump Festa and Comic Market were free so I didn't need to pay money for admission. This is okay anyway, because I got two eco bags with the TAF logo. I can use that when I'm buying stuff in TAF.:P Anyway, to those who want anything bought there (because there will be lots of original goods, again) I (finally!) have a Paypal account, so you can just transfer funds there. Just make sure to add an additional 200yen for the transfer fee to my Japanese bank account.^^;; In other news, relief goods have arrived! I received yet another package from my mother last Saturday containing: 10 packs of Lucky Me! Pancit Canton, 10 packs of Lucky Me! Beef Noodles, 1 dozen Head and Shoulders Shampoo, 1 dozen Pantene Conditioner, 1 bottle of Hot Oil Cream, 2 packs of Hany and Spicy Dilis (yay!) and read this: 10 packs of sanitary napkins.DDD: I probably won't need to buy napkins for the rest of my stay here in Japan. 3 packs of spicy dilis from FaMusu also arrived yesterday, in a battered long brown envelope:  Notice the note taped at the left? It says something like the package broke (in this case, the scotch tape Mikai used to seal the envelope didn't do its job) on the way to the post office, so they had to repair it (reinforcing it by adding another layer of masking tape). No wonder your letters/packages to Yanagi do not arrive, Mikai. The contents get lost on the way.:D Peace! Thanks for the Valentine's Gift, anyway.<3 That would be all for this update. I can't think of anything else to add anymore. Oh yeah, congratulations to Kate Janagap for becoming the nominee for being next year's AIKOM Prorgram participant! She's going to be my kouhai, haha! Too bad for her, me and my senpai's both small so our winter clothes aren't not going to fit her.^^;; But we've got a lot of appliances here so lucky Keto.:D Ijyou desu!
Yo~ mina-san~ Genki genki?
I haven't updated my blog for quite a long time, I just realized that. Last post was for Klaine, but well, that was because she really deserved a post of her own.:P
Well, a lot has happened since our short trip to Sapporo for the Yuki Matsuri, and what can I say? TSUKARETA!!!:P It's supposed to be the spring break, but hell, I don't want to get stuck in my room staring at Oto's screen 24/7. That's like having no life.D: Anyway, enough rambling. So yeah, the AIKOM students went to Hakone for an overnight trip. Impressions? I wanna go back. It's a great place. There are lots of ryokans + onsens. You can stare in awe at Mt. Fuji's beauty. If I hadn't been afraid of heights, I would've pressed my face on the glass of the cablecar. Unfortunately, I was frozen in my seat (beside my equally frightened tutor) so I only had some pictures of it. But really, a perfectly cone-shaped snow-covered mountain is a rare sight. Probably the reason why Fuji-san has more pictures than me in my Hakone photo album.
Next, skiing. Well, duh, I've never skied before.^^;; I was only able to go forward after two days. The first day, I really enjoyed skiing, and rode the lift a second time. But I still wasn't able to control my speed then, so I fell over twice. No, rolled's more like it.^^;;
What am I busy with now? Work. I started teaching in Gaba last Tuesday, but my real first working day was Wednesday, when I had to give one lesson. All I did during the previous day were trainings with experienced Instructors. The first Instructors I met were a bit uptight in their work actually, so I was a bit pressured. But no worries now. After teaching six lessons (40 minutes per lesson) in one day, four of which I did consecutively, with just a 5-minute break in between, I think I can handle the work. Met some great people there, too, who make Gaba a bearable place so I guess I'm okay. Not to mention, they're going from 1400 per lesson to 1500 starting April 1. And that's without Belting up (or leveling up). I'm scheduled for two B2 (one level up the lowest one) certification sessions next week, and after a few weeks, I'll be getting 1700 per lesson given during weekends, and 1500 on non-peak times. *kaching kaching*
Of course, I'm still doing my other part-time jobs. There's the everyday online lesson with the Algerian diplomat, then the occasional lessons with the guy living near my dorm, and the weekly conversations with another salaryman. It's really amazing how I'm able to fit all these into my schedule.D: I'm amazed, myself. I never realized I can juggle so much work at the same time. Good thing I have my stress reliever every night.^^
Speaking of her, Terry's *going* to come here on April. But she hasn't really filed an application for the visa yet and all that shit but she *is* going here.XD So yay for two weeks! And it just so happens that one of those two weeks'll be Golden Week, so more time to go around Tokyo. We're planning on going to Hakone, actually.:3 Wah~ I can't wait.X3 Cheers to a person who knows what she wants and does everything to get what she wants. Well, I'm to blame, too... partly.^^;
I'm tired.D: So much for this update. Until next time~
PS You probably think I have lots of money now, but not really. It's not like I'm going to spend the money I earn for myself only. I have better plans for the money I earn, thanks.:P
I have never seen so much snow in one day. Of course, I am talking about Sapporo, where snow is powdery, unlike Tokyo's snow, which is wet, dirty and icky.  It was just Miggy and me who went to Sapporo. The original plan was going to Yuki Matsuri during the weekend (Feb 8-10) but it was fully-booked so we had to move the sked to 5-7. Karen had work; Trish was going to the L'arc concert on the 6th; Kat didn't have enough money; Razel, I think because Karen's not going. So yeah, just me and Miggy left.^^;; Much love to Nagi and her friend Nacchan for doing us the favor of doing the talking with the travel agency and all that shit.XD Our flight was in the afternoon of the 5th, aboard the ANA Pokemon Jet (B747-400). We went WTH when we saw it at Gate 53.XD To make the flight more interesting, we had free Pokemon Jet postcards as souvenirs. Of course, we also stashed the Pokemon cup from the flight.X3 We arrived in Shin Chitose Airport at around 14:30, and took the train that'd take us to Sapporo Station and then changed to the Subway Namboku Line to Nakajima Kouen where Hotel Sunlight Sapporo, our hotel's located. Checked in, dumped our bags in our respective rooms, and immediately headed to Susukino where the Ice Festival was being held.  Odori 1chome: Bonolon: Legend of the Magical Forest
1chome's where Sapporo's TV Tower is so I forced Miggy to accompany me in going to the Observatory Deck. I had this "carpe diem" mentality because who knows when or if I'll be able to go to Sapporo again.^^;; So yeah, for the famous panoramic shot of Odori Park during Yuki Matsuri:  Odori Park Illumination More Sapporo TV Tower pictures hereWe went back to Tokyo on the 7th. I really hate flying, especially now after experiencing the flight back to Tokyo.o(>_<)o I hate domestic flights. It's like being in a train.o(T-T)o I really got dizzy when the plane was landing on Haneda.@_@ Oh and yeah, we were on a plain B747. No Pokemon Jet, boo.
Anyway, I spent 20,000 I think just for this trip, but that's because I bought stuffed toys for souvenirs.:3 If Nagi splurged on chocolates, I splurged on stuffed toys, the Snow Festival mascot and TV Tousan, Sapporo TV Tower's mascot.:P And FAMUSU, I also bought you guys something-like-snow-but-not-really-snow souvenir.:D
I'm really glad I didn't miss one of Japan's most famous festivals. Thanks again, Nagi!|(^.^)/
 The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince CaspianTaken from the Official Snow Festival Website
We'll be seeing this and thirteen more snow sculptures later! I'm so excited to see the real thing!!! YUKI MATSURI, MATTEIMASHITA* (I've been waiting)!!! * Kabuki high.:P We watched Kabuki yesterday and avid fans from the audience were shouting again and again. "Matteimashita" is shouted when a particular scene a participant in the audience has been waiting for is starting. Back to Yuki Matsuri, Nagi says it's negative up there. Woohoo~ x__x;; Good luck saten, Miggy.
Which means that I only have 8 months left in Japan. Have I gotten better in Japanese? Most Japanese friends said I did. As for my opinion, I think I became better, being able to talk in Japanese straight (though still not spontaneously), than the me who had forgotten all her Japanese and could not talk at all four months ago. とにかく、日本語がペラペラになるように、頑張ります！
Last week's schedule had been very hectic. I had to write report papers for the Relay Lectures and History of Science and Technology classes, do presentations in Japanese Literature and Nihongo, and write the proposal for the Directed Independent Study course for Summer Semester. I was supposed to give a presentation in the Lit class earlier, but I couldn't finish the book I chose, so I just asked Ellis-sensei for a shorter and much easier story. That was okay, since she warned me about the complexity of the book I chose anyway. For the presentation in Nihongo, I did my best. I even think I overdid it a little. I think my presentation was 20 minutes long, but I realized that only after watching the video of the presentations. The proposal for the Independent Study was easy for me, since I'll try working on the same topic as my thesis. Having a Todai professor whose specialty is language change will be a big help for my thesis come November when I have to continue writing it.
So yeah, I was so busy I didn't even had the chance to blog about my first snow in Tokyo so I'll just put up the links to the pictures and video here.
Sorry for being such a dork. It was my first time to see snow after all.:P Anyway, Miggy and I will be going to Yuki Matsuri on the 5th so we'll be seeing large snow sculptures there.(*o*)/ Nagi will be going with her friends, but we're going to meet in Sapporo.:D I'm getting excited, after seeing the snow sculptures they're going to have (and a biiiiiig snow slide and snow maze, too!!!) I'll try my best to record videos of the festival, using my DVD camcorder. But I still have to buy blank DVD-RWs for it, and one blank 8cm DVD-RW costs 1000yen.
We still have to pass two term papers, one for the Japan's External Relations class and the other for the Lit class. But I think those'll be easy since for the JER class, we only need to pass a 500-800-word essay and in Lit class, a 2000-word essay, which is what I consider a normal term paper in UP. But for the time being, since I have a loooooong break (Spring-Summer semester will start on April) I plan to travel a lot.:D After Yuki Matsuri, we have the overnight trip to an onsen in Hakone, then two days after, Viet Thi and I are off to Nagano Prefecture to ski~!(^.^)/ There is also the plan to go to Kansai region with Karen and the others, since we were invited by Micchan, who's studying in Osaka GaiDai.:3
Of course, I'm still doing part-time jobs. I've been able to save quite a lot, but I had to spend 10,000 for the Ski Tour.>_<;; I'll definitely return that to my savings when I get my allowance on the 15th. My student who lives near my dorm also contacted me again, after having a hectic week at work. I have online conversations with the Algerian guy almost every night, and meet once a week for the payment. The third one is an employee in an insurance company, a Todai alumnus, who wants to improve his conversation skills. We also talk online, and he'll be depositing his payment to my bank account every month.
I don't know what else to write here. I just want everyone to know that I'm going fine and still alive! But I lost weight, actually. In three months, I lost 3 pounds.D: I guess not eating fastfood for a change helps.^^;;
SHOUTOUTS
FAMUSU, I miss you, too!T--T The past month made me realize how much I miss you guys, and how lucky I am to have such bitchy, vulgar, but true people as my bestest friends.o(>_<;)o
and Caro and Angela-chan! Sorry for not sending your djs yet.o(>_<)o I'll try going to the post office once I find boxes to put your djs in.^^;;
Hehehe~ Whee~ I'm so happy right now~!
I have three baitos now, but if you consider one baito as one type of job, then I only have one baito, that is, teaching English.^^;;
The first one's really teaching English, because we have a book that we follow every lesson, and the student's a Japanese salaryman. We have one one-hour lesson during weekdays, and one two-hour lesson during weekends. The lessons' schedule depends on our schedule, and we talk about the next lesson's date after each lesson.
The second one's just being an Algerian's conversation partner. I talk to him in English and point out the mistakes he make. On weekdays, we'll talk for an hour via Yahoo! Messenger, and on weekends, we'll meet to talk again (and to get my money, of course.XD)
The third, well, I've been hired by Gaba.(^0^)/ This is the most assuring baito I have, since I will be working under a 6-month contract, which means I have extra money until August.:D
I have another student, one who got my contact details from My-sensei.com. No, this is not the person before who stood me and Klao up. But he/she hasn't been contacting me, so I'm still waiting.^^;;
I'm not worried about having a hectic schedule at all, because my two students are really kind, and they allow me to not work during field trips or other AIKOM-related events. The work schedule in Gaba is customizable, so you can teach during the days you want to give a lesson.:) If my schedule does become hectic, that's a problem on my part. That means I've been neglecting my AIKOM assignments and need to procrastinate to be able to pass them on time.^^;;
My bicycle is my life right now. If it breaks, I wouldn't be able to do my part-time jobs.o(>.<)o Go Bike-chan! ILU!!!
I don't make New Year's resolutions. I know that I won't be able to follow them anyway.
We were made to think of one word which will be our shinnen no ketsui or New Year's Resolutions, and write them down (using Japanese calligraphy, of course). One word to guide me during 2008:
にん たい忍耐
(Perseverance, Endurance, Patience, Tolerance)
That's it. I don't need to write long lines of "I want to do this" or "I want to do that" or "I need to be more like this." Just one word is enough. Because listening to a person who blabbers on and on about his or her plans to change his/herself can be so tiring. And this is the result of our shodou session last January 7th:  AIKOM生たちの新年の決意 Top (left to right):
? - 愛 （あい） ・ Love
? - 夢 （ゆめ） ・ Dream
Shu - 私のすべての夢が叶えますように ・ May all my dreams be fulfilled
Helene - 天国 （てんごく） ・ Heaven, Paradise
? - 新年。。。 華留良。。。楽。。。（しんねん。。。 カ・リュウ・よい。。。ラク。。） ・ New Year... Rich・Stay・Good... Ease
Viet Thi - 忍 （にん） ・ Endurance
Wan - 道 （みち） ・ Road、Way
Lam - 真 （しん） ・ Truth
Chiara - 頑張る （がんばる） ・ Do one’s best
mine - 忍耐 （にんたい） ・ Perseverance
? - 書き初めはみんなと一緒うれしいな
Michelle - 努力 （どりょく） ・ Effort
Bernard - 崇弾 （スウ・ダイ） ・ Worship/Play
2nd row (left to right):
Clara - 青空 （あおぞろ） ・ Blue Sky
Nguyen - 心r （こころ） ・ Mind
Ben - 茶 （ちゃ） ・ Tea
? - 元気 （げんき） ・ Vigor
Zeno - 夢 （ゆめ） ・ Dream
Andrew - 春 （はる） ・ Spring
Bottom (left to right):
? - ?
Max - 無し （なし） ・ None
? - 気 （き） ・ Disposition
Chinese people wrote their names in Kanji so I can't read them.>_<;; I was fascinated when I saw these in the AIKOM office that I had to take a picture and make a special entry for it. It was the first time all AIKOM students who are taking Japanese classes were in one special class so it's really memorable for me.
In other news... We are going to YUKI MATSURI!!!
From February 5-7. YATTA~!!!\\(^0^)//
Random Thing #1: There are only three weeks left till the end of fall-winter semester. After January, we have a two-month break (Feb-Mar) and go back to school for the spring-summer semester on April.:3 Three weeks left and I still have to do these things: - 2nd long test and presentation on Japanese III
- Test on Japanese History
- 3 report papers and 1 term paper on Japan External Relations
- 3 report papers on Relay Lectures
- Presentation and term paper on Japanese Literature
- 3 report papers and 1 term paper on History of Science and Technology of Japan
I regularly pass report papers on the Relay Lectures and History of Science and Technology classes so I don't have to worry about those. I just have to read the assigned readings and write a 300-500-word essay. What I'm worried about is the External Relations class because I have not passed anything from the start of semester until now.x__x;; Oh well.:P Random Thing #2: I wasn't selected in the Ski Tour organized by Todai, but I applied for MISHOP's Ski Tour, which costs exactly the same as Todai's. This tour's capacity's 50 people, compared to Todai's 30, so I think I have a bigger chance of being able to join this one. Also, when I called MISHOP this morning to confirm whether they've received my e-mail or not, the guy on the phone said that I might be able to come (maybe, there aren't many people who applied for the tour). So this means, SNOW!XD Random Thing #3: AIKOM's organizing an overnight trip to Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture on Feb 20th-21st. This means onsen, Lake Ashi and Mt. Fuji!\(^-^)/ We'll be staying in this ryokan where there is onsen.:D Yay~ Random Thing #4: Today, I was able to talk to Ayumi-san, the Japanese student to came to UP last year as an exchange student. Mhel-senpai wanted us three to meet before I left for Japan, but she wasn't able to contact Ayumi-san so I couldn't meet her. It was fun talking with her (her English is really good), especially when I asked her about cockroaches and Ma'am Cory of OIL. She's working part-time as a call center agent now, but I hope she can get to join our field trips.:) Random Thing #5: Tomorrow I have an interview in Gaba. This will be my second interview. Wah. Wish me luck.o(>_<;;)o Random Thing #6: I received another package from Mama today. And finally!  I got my DVD Camcorder!
Aside from that, I got my one-month supply of shampoo and conditioner, because Japan's cheap shampoo made my scalp itch.x__x;; And two more bars of papaya soap (last batch was 5) What the hell am I going to do with six bars of papaya soap?? Somebody stop my mother from sending me more papaya soap, please!XO I still have to name my new DVD camcorder, whee~ Random Thing #7: I must remind myself to start writing the Comiket reports (and perhaps Jump Festa reports, too) for Ozine and Cosplay.ph whenever I have time.
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