Jeannettosaurus in Japan!

Theatre in London Interim Class Begins

2011-01-06T10:00:00.003+09:00

Jeannettosaurus in Japan is now Jeannettosaurus in London!

I'm in London for a month to study theatre with a class. I wasn't planning on keeping a blog while I'm here, but I'm doing so much stuff that I feel the need to write. I've been so busy these past two days that I feel like I haven't had time to rest my body and empty my mind.

So here I go. But I'll be emptying my mind while sacrificing the chance to rest my body because it's already 1am right now and I will be getting up around 8am.

We arrived here yesterday around noon. By 5 o'clock we were so tired that it could've been 3 in the morning. After an amazing Italian dinner (salad: mozzarella cheese, tomato slices, avacodo; main course: thick, flat pasta in a creamy mushroom sauce; dessert: heavy chocolate mousse cake) that took 2 hours to be served and eaten.

I didn't sleep very well last night for a variety of reasons. Light shining in my room. Feeling cold. Pain in my elbow every time I put pressure on it. (I had tripped and fell on the streets of London and ripped my coat at the elbow). Being overly conscious of two other people also sleeping in the room. (It's been a year and a half since I last had a roommate.) Being overly excited for the next day, our first real day of the trip.

Today we had our first class in the morning, and after that I explored Baker Street with a few other people. I found edamame beans in one of the cafes we went into, and I ate them all in one sitting tonight.

After lunch we all had a half-day guided bus tour of London. The city is so pretty, and everything has a story behind it. I found myself wishing I could be able to live in London. (We'll see if I still want to live here after being here four more weeks.)

I was dead tired after that and took a nap, which means I got nothing done that I had been meaning to do. Then it was time for dinner, and after that, we went to our first play of the month: War Horse.

I don't know how to describe how awesome it was. I need to become better at figuring out why I liked each play because otherwise I will be saying the same thing for every play. But War Horse. You should look it up. And see it if you can. It was wonderful.

And that leads me to what I'm doing now. Tomorrow I'm giving a presentation on one of the next plays we're seeing (The Master Builder), and I've just finished preparing for that. I'm finished with what I had to say for now, but my mind is still awake and wanting to do things. What else was on my to-do list?

Time to Say Goodbye

2010-08-18T18:21:00.000+09:00

So, the time has finally come. I'm leaving Japan on Sunday, which is less than four days away as I write this.

I don't really want to leave, but since I have to, I wish I could leave right now. I've just been waiting alone for the departure day to come. I couldn't pack earlier because I still need to use a lot of the stuff I'd pack. And I don't even have the internet to distract me. (I'm posting this later on the school computers.) Over the past three days, I've rewatched an entire season of The Office that I have on my iTunes.

I don't want to leave my boyfriend again.

We spent my freshman year of college together at my university, and then he had to go back to Japan. My sophomore year was horrible. I missed him, and I was frustrated because I didn't know toward what educational or career goals to work, and I inadvertantly started to push away my friends because I was so angry and depressed all the time. I don't want to go back to that year again. I'm scared that when I go back to school next month, sophomore year will happen all over again. I've grown up so incredibly much over this past year in Japan, and now I know what I want to do after I graduate, so I'm hoping I'll be able to make my last year of college great or at least better than sophomore year. But I know it's easy for me to fall into old habits, especially since I'll be at home somewhat.

This year was hard, and, overall, I didn't enjoy it. But I'm glad I did this one-year program, and I don't regret it at all. Like I said, I think I've grown so much as a person. When I look back at myself after I first arrived in Japan, I can't believe how different I am now, in a good way. I think (I hope) I know how to deal with problems better. I can do much more by myself and don't rely on other people to help me as much.

What am I going to miss most about Japan? Subways, trains, and convenience stores. I love the subway and train system here. If I want to go somewhere, I just take a train and I'm there. It's so convenient! My school in the US is in a very small town far away from the city, and I don't have a car at school, so it's impossible to go anywhere or do anything without relying on the buses, which are infrequent and only go a few places. I would be so set if we had a train and subway system!
As for convenience stores, they're stocked with so many good drinks and snacks and cheap meals. I love the food and drinks in Japanese convenience stores! And they're EVERYwhere.

I need to get back to work (packing, cleaning, and the like).

Cold Feet?

2010-07-30T16:18:00.004+09:00

Whether it’s because I’ll be going home soon or because I've truly become comfortable, I feel like now I can survive in Japan on my own. I don’t need my electronic dictionary or other people to help me. I can figure things out on my own; I can speak in Japanese, ask question, and understand the answers I’m given.

Now I don’t want to leave. Well, I want to go back to the U.S., but only as a vacation. I want to see my cats, my grandparents, and my friends and eat all the delicious and cheap food I have been able to eat this past year in Japan. Then I want to come back to Japan.

I’m scared of returning to the U.S. because what if I don’t fit in my old environment anymore? What happens if my friends and I don’t get along as well or if I become uninterested in the things I was doing before I came to Japan?

I'll find out soon enough because I'm going back to the US in about three weeks.

Contest Entry

2010-07-29T23:23:00.004+09:00

For the Ruby Oliver books contest:

First kiss, age 18. Happened with first boyfriend after dating for 2 months. Pocahontas soundtrack was playing on my laptop. #RubyOliverBooks

Enter with your awkward or embarrassing, err, "romantic" encounter! :)

経験の報告書／Study Report

2010-07-21T21:14:00.001+09:00

国へ帰る前に一年間の日本にいる経験について短い報告書を書かなくちゃいけませんでした。日本語でも英語でも書いていて、よかったら、見てください。

Before I leave Japan, I've had to write a short report about my experience in Japan the past year. I've written it in both Japanese and English. Take a look if you'd like.

日本にいる一年間、私は大体嬉しくなくて緊張していました。日本人とも他の留学生とも、誰ともといい友達になっていませんでした。どこへ行っても、日本人が私をじろじろ見るので、自分が部外者のように感じられて、どこかおかしいという気分にさせられました。授業の大半は面白くなくて、専門と関連がありませんでした。日本にいる間、何度も人生の一年間を無駄していると思いました。

しかし、一年間日本にいたことを後悔していません。私はもっといい人になれたし、以前とは別人です。一人でアパートに住んだことがあったので、どうやって自活するか、どうやって難しいときを扱うか学びました。また、私のアメリカにいる友達をもっと尊敬します。

自分の成長に加えて二つの目標を達成しました。まず、日本語の能力を高めたかったで、そうできたと思います。まだ日本語の全部をはっきり分かりませんから、日本語の能力が増えることに気づきませんでした。しかし、今、日本に来る前に勉強した内容を見ると、あの頃の日本語がとても簡単に見えて、自分の能力が上がったことに気づかされます。

二つの目標は直接日本を経験することでした。多くの人は本やテレビ、映画などで外国について習います。そして、私は日本について教科書の内容以上のことを習いたかったで、それを達成することができたと思います。しかし、外国を分かるために一年はすごく短い期間です。それで、まだ理解していないことがたくさんあると思います。また、アメリカ人の観点で日本を見ていると分かって、実は日本について自分の目で見て学んだことは真実ではないかもしれません。もっともっと学びたいので、また日本で生活する機会があるといいと思います。

I was generally unhappy and stressed out during my one-year stay in Japan. I didn’t become good friends with anyone, whether they were Japanese or another international student. Japanese strangers stared at me wherever I went, which made me feel like an outsider and made me feel like there was something wrong with me. Most of my classes were uninteresting and weren’t related to my major. A lot of times, I felt like I was wasting a year of my life by staying in Japan.

However, I don’t regret studying in Japan for a year. I’m a much more different and better person than I was before I came here. Now I’ve had the experience of living by myself and relying on myself. I have learned how to deal with unhappy times, and now I appreciate my friends back in the US even more.

In addition to personal growth, I was able to accomplish the two main goals I had when I came to Japan. First, I wanted to strengthen my Japanese language ability, which I have done. I couldn’t feel like my Japanese ability was getting better because there is still so much I don’t understand. However, when I look at the things I was studying before I came to Japan, they seem so easy, and I can realize how much my language skill has grown.

The second goal I had was to experience Japan firsthand. Many people learn about foreign countries only through books, TV, or movies. I wanted to learn more about Japan than the things written in the textbooks I had read, and I feel like I have been able to do that. However, one year is a very short time to study a culture, and I know there are still so many things I haven’t learned about Japan. I also realize that I’m seeing Japan through the eyes of an American with my own biases and that what I think I’ve learned about Japan may actually be untrue. I hope I have the opportunity to live in Japan again so I can keep learning about this country.

I know I'll miss Japan, and I already can't wait to come back, but without a doubt, I need a break from Japan. I leave in exactly one month from tomorrow.

Today is mine and my boyfriend's 2½-year anniversary. :)

皆さん、久しぶりですね。

2010-05-11T12:59:00.007+09:00

ちょっと忙しいし、怠けたし、このブログを無視しちゃいました。

So what have I been up to? Last I wrote, I was on a two-month school break. In my second to last post, I listed a selection of books I wanted to study from during the break. To my surprise, I finished almost all of them. I was planning to write a small review of each of the books, but since I don't think anyone would care, I'll leave it at this: they're all good books (especially 外国人のためのケータイメール＠にっぽん) except for one: にほんごチャレンジ３級[ことばと漢字]. The book isn't as good as it could be. It has a few mistakes that should've been caught before it was published, and the definitions of words could've been better, perhaps more detailed, since the entire book focuses on vocabulary.

Other than that... what did I do? I can't remember much. It feels like so long ago. I went to Hokkaido, which I might've already written about. I went to the YouTube Hanami party in Tokyo, which was very tiring to get to and from but very, very fun. My boyfriend and I did a few things around the city before he moved away for his new job. Now I don't see him very often, and when I do, it's hard on the wallet.

I spent most of Golden Week, which was a few weeks ago, with my boyfriend at his parents house. That was fun. It was nice to be able to spend so much time with my boyfriend and not have to worry about cooking food or doing dishes or cleaning. Plus, it's nice to spend time with Shinichi's parents now that I'm able to use and understand Japanese better. I've improved my Japanese and they've started to speak more clearly (meaning they tone down their dialect), and with those two things, we can communicate. :)

I'm about two months into my last semester in Japan. I'm starting to put on the breaks and getting ready mentally to go back home. Some days I'm excited to go back home, other days I don't want it to happen. As hard as this year has been, next year will be hard too. Reverse culture shock, being away from my boyfriend again for at least nine months, an overly-busy class schedule, figuring out what I'll do after I graduate. Graduate school applications are due in November and December -- AHHH!! I'm stressing myself out -- I should stop.

Anyway, I'm about two months into the semester, and my Japanese language class is about two weeks from being halfway over. We'll be starting a new textbook then. Two textbooks in one semester -- it's hard for me to believe. We go so quickly that I know I'm not remembering everything I should. When I first got to Japan and started Japanese classes, we went through all of Genki II in half a semester. My home university took a year to go through it. But there are still some things in Genki II I don't remember, mainly vocabulary. I'm using smart.fm to help get my vocabulary (and kanji) to where they should be.

But this is all very boring. I'm not sure why I'm writing a blog entry now and about these things.

I've realized my study abroad experience has become exactly the same as my senior year of high school. I transferred to a new school that year, going from a tiny private school to a HUGE public school. I knew nothing about how the school ran. Apparently I had my own email address through the school. No one ever told me. I read the handbook cover to cover a few times, and I knew everything it said, but there was still so many things about the school that everyone else knew.

Also, I knew no one. I had always lived in the city where the public school was, but I had gone to another school thirty minutes away from where I lived. Anyone I knew lived over there. My new school was full of rich and stupid Valley Girl snobs, the kind of people I hate.

On the first day of school, I did make a friend: a loner named Chris who liked anime and other nerdy things. For a while I hung out with him and his friends, but even though they were nice and I liked them, I didn't fit with them, and I started spending less time with them.

After that, I spent all of my time alone. I didn't talk to my classmates, and they didn't talk to me. After school, I would look back over the day and count how many times I talked. Usually it was only a couple a words, at the most a few sentences. I usually only talked to answer the teacher.

I got into the habit of spending my lunch break one of two ways. Sometimes I would sit in my car and listen to the radio while I ate my lunch. Even though it didn't take me long to eat, I would stay there in the car until it was time for class. I usually put the blinds up, both because it's always hot and sunny in California, but also because it made me feel closed-off and safe. I know, I must be a mental case. Anyway, when I didn't do that, I would spend my lunch break in the library doing homework, and then I would eat my lunch (which was usually only a sandwich) later on the drive home.

Anyway, I told you all of that because it's all happening again. I know next to nothing about how the school runs, basically because of the language barrier. I do talk with my classmates a lot more than I did with my high school classmates, but it's still not much. If I have to stay on campus for lunch, I eat a bento quickly where there aren't a lot of people around, and then I hide out in the computer lab until it's time for class. As soon as classes are over, I go home. I don't go to parties or other outings, mainly because I'm not invited but also because I usually don't want to go. I'm alone except for when I spend time with my boyfriend.

It's pretty sad, and it depresses me to know that, even though I'm older now, I'm still reacting to a situation the same way I did three years ago. But I'm okay with all of this. If I really wanted to change the situation, I probably could. The truth is, I don't mind being by myself. It's so much work to hang out with other people, and it usually doesn't feel worth it to me, especially if I don't fit well with the other people.

Well, that's a look into my mind and my experience, I guess. I'm not sure how to wrap up this post, so let's just end it.

Back with Determination

2010-04-06T01:37:00.004+09:00

I've been so unhappy and frustrated lately that I was an email draft away from initiating plans to leave Japan and go back home five months early. Today I watched a YouTube vlog I made nearly a year ago after I had just found out I'd been accepted by a Japanese university to spend a year in Japan. I was so happy and excited, and I don't want to let that girl be disappointed.

Writing Therapy

2010-03-25T20:27:00.006+09:00

Edit: This was at the pinnacle of my anxiety after it had been building up for a week. Since the time I wrote this entry, I slowly got better, and I'm fine now. :P

Long time no see. I feel sick and uneasy right now, so I'm writing a blog entry.

I'm taking an overnight bus to Tokyo tomorrow. I get really anxious in traveling situations even when I'm navigating in English. So, I'm even more anxious than normal right now because I'll be navigating in Japanese. It's my first time going a long distance by myself in Japan. One of the pros and cons to having a Japanese boyfriend, but more on that later.

I'm also nervous for what will be waiting for me in Tokyo. I'm going to the YouTube Hanami gathering. Have I mentioned on this blog how awkward I am? Because I'm really awkward. And shy. I suck at small talk. I suck at any talk. I met a bunch of nice YouTubers in December for the Christmas collaboration video, and I was really shy even though I tried not to be. I think people thought I was either a weirdo, uninterested, or conceited. Of course, I can't know that for sure. It could just be paranoia. I want to meet other YouTubers, but in addition to being fun, it's also a kind of mild torture for me.

Onto another subject. My boyfriend graduated today, and he'll be moving away at the end of the month. I'll skip the mushy "I'll miss him so much" stuff, but now that he'll be gone, I'm realizing how much I depending on him for everything in Japan. Some of my peers tell me, "Aw, you're so lucky you have a boyfriend here," but it's more of a disadvantage. Living here has been hard for me, but it's been a little more comfortable than it's been for my peers. They had to deal with everything on their own. (Well, that's not entirely true. Everyone gets help from their tutors, but a tutor isn't the same as a boyfriend or girlfriend.) I've been pampered a bit, especially because my boyfriend's English is way better than my Japanese, and now that my boyfriend is moving away, I have to learn to figure things out on my own and how to speak Japanese, both of which my peers figured out four or five months ago.

I'm embarrassed to still be like a confused baby that needs to be taken care of when I imagine my classmates are at least stronger toddlers. But hakuna matata, I'll survive. All I can do now is make sure I work hard and do my best and maybe not be afraid to ask others for help. I've already been relying on myself a lot more. I've been using Japanese a ton in comparison to what I had been, and even though it's sometimes painfully embarrassing when I make mistakes, I feel so good when I accomplish something in Japanese.

This post is a bit messy, but I should probably go do other things. Like eat. I've only eaten natto, broccoli, and coffee today. Not healthy.

Writing out my worries has made me feel better.

Spring Break Plans: Japanese Review

2010-02-08T21:25:00.009+09:00

So, my first semester in Japan has ended, and I now face a two-month vacation. Fearing that I will spend the next two months how I usually spend my weekends (alone in my apartment doing nothing), I have set a few goals for the vacation time. One of the biggest goals is to finish the following books.

1. Genki II and A Course in Modern Japanese: Volume Two
I've read both of these already (one was my textbook part of this semester), but I want to make sure I learn everything I can from them. There are still a lot of grammar points and kanji I learned once but don't remember now.
Both textbooks teach basically the same things, but since each book explains things differently, it has been helpful to use both of them. This is something I recommend to other learners: learn from more than one creditable source. The more ways you have things explained to you, the better you'll comprehend them and be able to use them.

2. パターン別日本語能力試験３級徹底ドリル３級
This is an all-around prep book for JLPT 3, but I mainly got it because it has a listening section, and I desperately need to improve my listening (and speaking, but that I can't do with a book...).

3. にほんごチャレンジ３級[ことばと漢字]
This is also a book to help study for the JLPT level 3, but the one before looked more like a testing tool, and this one looked more like a teaching tool. I got this one to increase my vocabulary and kanji.

4. 外国人のためのケータイメール＠にっぽん
I found out about this book from the JapanNewbie interview with @sandkatt. It's really, really helpful with colloquial Japanese, and it's written in easy foreigner Japanese, so even I can read it. I think it's a gem. I'm halfway done with it and want to finish it over the break.

5. Catchy Japanese Phrases
A small book of everyday phrases I should probably already know. I just realized it's published by the same company that published Genki. That has no significance, but I wanted more text to take up space with. :)

And the reading begins... now! :)

Japanese is Just a Language

2010-02-06T16:09:00.002+09:00

This week when I was with my tutor, there was a few moments where I stopped and thought, "Did he just speak in Japanese or English?" I couldn't tell because I just understood him. I didn't have to think about it.

I had two more experience of being able to talk to a store clerk swiftly and easily. Those experiences always make my day.

Learning Japanese has been such a different experience than when I was studying Spanish and German that I think I forgot Japanese is just a foreign language. It's just another foreign language. I've studied foreign languages before. I shouldn't make Japanese a bigger deal than it is. Most of the time I'm too scared to speak in Japanese because I know my pronunciation will be bad, but I have to remember the times I spoke Spanish and German without worrying so much about pronunciation. Pronunciation is important, but I shouldn't worry about it enough to keep myself from ever speaking.

I think Japanese language students have it tougher than other language students. It's like there's an elite club of ペラペラ learners that are always judging the beginners. There's pressure to not be ridiculed. Maybe it's just me. Or maybe it's true in some sense because Japan community on YouTube, as far as I know, is the only one of its kind. There may be a community of German or Spanish speakers and learners, but it wouldn't be anywhere as big and influential as the Japan community. I don't think I can explain it any better for the time being. I should think about it more.

Both Extremes in One Day

2010-01-20T00:13:00.003+09:00

I wrote the following during class today:

I'm fed up with my Japanese class. Why am I always the stupid one? No matter how hard I work, I can't do well. I've picked myself up so many times, saying, "Don't give up! Keep working hard! Fight, fight!" but when is it going to pay off? When am I going to improve? I'm tired of failing.

We have to give speeches in my class a lot, and none of mine have gone as well as they should. I hate standing up there, stumbling to answer questions about my speech topic, and then seeing the professor writing comments on the grading sheet. I imagine all the bad points she must write. The professors never show us our grades or any feedback of our speeches, so I don't know what to expect. I torture myself over how bad my grade must be now.

I gave a presentation today explaining a graph. After my speech, the professor asked me questions about my graph and seemed genuinely confused... even though I had just explained it in Japanese in my speech. Two professors looked at the speech over the course of two days before I gave it, and she was even one of the two! She helped me explain the graph!

I won't stop working hard, but my mood is getting worse every time I fail. My spirit breaks a little more. I look forward to the end of the semester. I'll have a two-month break where I'm going to review the hell out of all of our class material so far.

Later that day, I happened to go to a bookstore. I've been looking for the Japanese translation of a Harry Potter book, but the past three bookstores I checked didn't have it. I looked in this bookestore and found nothing. Then I decided I'd finally ask a store clerk for help. I did, and she took me to a hardcover set of all seven books and showed me the book I asked for. She said something like, "But this is a set -- you want an individual book, right?" and I said yes. So, I followed her to another aisle, she opened up a drawer underneath (no wonder I couldn't find it! half of Japanese bookstores' inventory must be in the drawers!) and started looking for it. I saw it immediately and said, without thinking, 「あっ、それですね。」 ("Oh! That's it, isn't it?") And that was that. She showed me the book, asked if it was okay, I said yes, and then I bought it at the counter.

My point in telling you this completely riveting tale is that I was so thrilled after the experience. I used Japanese swiftly, clearly, and correctly, and it was almost completely natural. I didn't have to think very much about what I wanted to say -- it just came out. So, for a while today, I didn't care how I was doing in my class or if I was behind in knowing what my peers do. I accomplished something, and it was one of the first times I've had that experience. Plus, I now have a totally awesome copy of my favorite Harry Potter book to slowly devour in another language. A wholly good experience.

I've decided I'm no longer going to put myself down when I talk about how much Japanese I know. I've studied three years worth of Japanese in the past two years. I think the reply, "Yes, I study Japanese, but I only know a very little" doesn't fit me anymore. Instead, I'll give a more positive answer while still being honest. I think I deserve to graduate to the next level.

I seem to be waiting for a lot of things lately. The semester to end. My Lawson point card. A certificate that will let me get a work permit. Warm weather. My gas bill. My parents finishing this year's FAFSA forms. Deciding where I'll go during the spring vacation. My boyfriend to finish his master's thesis so we can actually go on dates again.

That last one's kind of sad because my boyfriend's master thesis is due this week... the morning after our two-year anniversary. And even after he turns it in, he has other plans that will keep him too busy for me for four days.

I guess it's not a big deal.

Progress and Celebration

2010-01-06T13:55:00.006+09:00

皆さん、明けましておめでとうございます。

I'm just now noticing how much my Japanese has improved since I've been here. It hasn't felt like a lot because every day I'm exposed to Japanese full-force, nonstop, and I'm always struggling to understand. But the past couple of days I've been going back to listening exercises I did right before I came here, and while I used to think they were too fast and difficult to understand, now they sound overly slow and easy to make out. What an awesome feeling knowing I have made progress in the three or four months I've been here and that I'll keep making progress. I look forward to speaking with my Japanese professor from my home university when I return, even though that won't be for another six months. Holy shit, six more months.... It's both a long time and a short time.

Anyway, this is all I have time to write. The end of the semester sneaked up on me, and I find my to-do list growing longer every day.

Oh, but I will tell you this: I'm participating in a 成人式 (coming of age ceremony) on 成人の日 (Coming of Age Day), which is next Monday! I'm so excited. I have a beautiful furisode to wear, and I'll be going with my boyfriend and some of my friends. How many foreigners can say they participated in 成人の日?? :O

My Christmas in Japan

2009-12-26T00:10:00.008+09:00

So, Christmas in Japan has come and gone.

I spent Christmas Eve with my boyfriend. He's always late whenever we have plans, so I bugged him for days and days not to be late for Christmas Eve. Ten minutes after he was supposed to leave to come to my apartment, he sent me the usual text message saying, "I'm leaving now!" Then a few seconds later, he knocked on my door. He came early! It was one of the best surprises he's done for me.

We made hotel reservations for a trip to Gifu next week, then we picked up our friend chicken and Christmas cake and ate them while we watched Elf. All in all, it was a really great night.

However, even though I'm here with my boyfriend for the holidays, and even though I hate my family most of the time, I think I would have preferred being at home for Christmas this year. This is because Japan doesn't really care about Christmas, at least not in the same way that the US does, and because spending Christmas with my boyfriend actually meant I spent Christmas Day alone. The boss in his laboratory scheduled cleaning on Christmas.... I did nothing all day, except for a short trip out of the apartment when I mailed a 年賀状 (New Year's card) and bought a few groceries.

I normally ride my bicycle whenever I want to go somewhere, but today I decided to walk to the post office because I didn't think the short trip was worth the effort of untangling my bicycle from the others in the parking area. After walking a block, I was reminded of why I ride my bike everywhere. Same reason I don't like riding the subway: getting stared at. Japanese people don't usually stare at me when I ride my bike, and even if they do, they only have a few seconds to look at me before I'm already gone. Aside from the stares, I really enjoyed the walk because I noticed so many new things about everything around, even though I take the same street to and from school every day. It made me wish I walked more places, but I'm already a self-conscious person without being stared as much as I am.

There are a lot of girls in my classes who have boyfriends that they're separated from while they're studying in Japan. When they hear that I have a boyfriend here, they tell me how lucky I am. I think they sometimes say it out of spite and jealousy, and it makes me mad because they shouldn't make me feel guilty. I deserve to have this time with my boyfriend. Out of the two years he and I have been dating, we've only been together for nine months. I'm sorry other girls have to go through similar separation, but this is my and my boyfriend's time to enjoy.

Like I mentioned above, we have plans to go to Gifu in a couple of days. We'll just be there two days, but I'm still really excited. I need to buy some warmer clothes before we go, though.

Andy Williams is the Background Music of My Christmases

2009-12-13T19:22:00.000+09:00

What a productive weekend! Finished my homework, studied Japanese, scrubbed down my entire bathroom, mopped my apartment floor, sewed a couple of things, did laundry and dishes, and still managed to have fun, like watching TV and movies. Tonight might be the first school night in Japan that I get a full eight hours sleep. It's the little things in life, really.

Christmas is coming! I'm starting to miss certain aspects of being home for Christmas, or having Christmas in the US in general, but I'd still much rather be here in Japan. I have a small plastic tree that my boyfriend and I decorated with red and silver ornaments. There are four presents under the tree right now, all for my boyfriend from me. Lucky guy. :P

He and I are trying to make plans for a short trip to Gifu after Christmas and before New Years. I want to see some snow and have a short vacation with him. We're also planning on going to Hokkaido mid-February to celebrate our two-year anniversary, but we'll see what happens. He's been so busy that we haven't been able to make any reservations yet. (God knows I can't make any by myself -- I can't speak enough Japanese, which is frustrating.) So, everywhere may be all booked up before we get a chance to make a reservation. Oh well, things will work out for the best.

I'll be spending New Years with my boyfriend and his parents. When my boyfriend told me we'd be making mochi, I pictured some big, traditional family effort and got excited, but then he told me we'll just be using a machine to make the mochi. Not as exciting.

I'm bringing up my New Years plans, though, to talk about spending time with his parents, who don't speak any English. When I saw them three months ago, they expected me to understand Japanese more than I did, and the more they tried to get me to say something, the further I retreated into my shell. I could understand almost nothing that they said, not only because I was still a beginner, but also because they're rural people that speak in Nagoya-ben and very colloquially and lazily. It was so frustrating to be expected to understand the mush that was coming out of their mouths. What's worse, I felt like they were making fun of me every time I couldn't understand them. My boyfriend says they weren't, but I don't trust him. He's Japanese; he has to be polite. Anyway, I didn't mean for that to turn into the rant that it did. I planned to say that I'm going to work extra hard these next three weeks so I can have a better chance of understanding them. I think my Japanese has improved a lot already since I've been here, but I really want to impress them ~~even if they don't deserve it~~. (That's the bitterness talking.)

My hands are so cold. I'm making an effort to not turn on my heater unless I need to. This past month, I've been turning on the heater instead of adding more layers, but I just got the electricity bill, and it's more than I care to pay.

I'll leave it at that for now. I'm going to drink something warm and read a book until it's time to sleep. Good night!

Discovered on YouTube, The Wrong Kind

2009-12-05T16:49:00.000+09:00

My boyfriend gave me a small poinsettia plant a couple of weeks ago. My family always had fake poinsettias because we had cats and poinsettias are poisonous to cats. So, I don't know how to take care of the flowers, and now they're dying. :\

I really miss my kitchen at my parents' house. Not only is it big, it's fully stocked with any kind of appliance or cooking utensil you might need, and no matter what I felt like cooking, they'd already have most of the ingredients.

I'm having problems again with my boyfriend and friends. Sometimes this exchange student experience is more sad and lonely than high school was, and high school was a nightmare, the most horrible phase of my life.

Four (that I know about) international students in my program have found my YouTube channel. I've had to defend myself ever since they found it. And now I feel like I wouldn't be able to make a video the same way again. I think I will act differently, and I don't want that to happen. If some random person on the internet sees your videos and judges you, it's not a big deal -- it's just one person out of 6½ billion. It's different with someone you know outside of YouTube. I still haven't come up with a good way of explaining my feelings, so the other international students still don't understand, but anyone else who has had their channels discovered by people they know in real life will know what I'm feeling. Can anyone explain it better?

Maybe YouTube is a way I can express more of my honne (true self), whereas, in front of people, I most likely have some form of tatemae (mask) present to follow giri (social obligations) and keep peace somewhat. I don't know.

This is what I'm wondering: where are all the cool, supportive YT people in real life? The fiveawesomegirls channel, for example, has a group of awesome, supportive, loving followers. Where are these people in real life? How come I've yet to meet anyone in real life who like vlogging or watches vloggers or is at least accepting about vlogging? It's not that much of a strange, new, foreign thing. It's been around for years. Why is it still considered so weird IRL?

formspring.me

2009-12-05T13:58:00.001+09:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/jeannettosaurus

Regret Was Bound to Happen

2009-12-05T00:53:00.001+09:00

My classmates have ruined it for me. I don't want to make YouTube videos or write in a public blog anymore. I'm close to deleting my YT account, but I know I'd regret it later. Fuck you guys.

Part of the Ride

2009-11-07T14:11:00.000+09:00

Sometimes I take a step outside of my mind and I look at what's happening, and it's strange to think that I'm here in Japan doing what I'm doing. Last night I was in a university dormitory lobby, drinking with dozens of people from all over the world. I played Never Have I Ever with two Austrians, two Germans, one Swede, three Japanese, one Australian, and one other American at four in the morning. Not to be too philosophical, but what an experience.... I imagine what I'd be doing if I had stayed at my home university this year, and what I'm doing right now is just crazy.

I'm having problems dealing with loneliness. I was going through relationship problems with my boyfriend last week, and while I was emotionally numb, I feel like my closest friend here moved on to other friends. She now hangs out a lot with another one of my friends, and I don't seem them much anymore. Now that I'm back to my old self, I feel abandoned. It's difficult.

Richard Gere, My Professor

2009-10-19T13:44:00.000+09:00

There's a professor here who looks like a younger Richard Gere. No one else sees it, but they have the same hair color, face shape, and body stature. I've decided to call him ギア先生 (Gere-sensei).

I Love Nagoya Port

2009-10-18T18:42:00.000+09:00

I had a really nice, relaxing Saturday. I woke up around 9 or 10 to an invitation via text message to have an apartment-cooked meal with my friends. My boyfriend and I had planned to spend the day together, so when he came over, we both went to the lunch. It was really nice to spend time with both my friends and my boyfriend. And the food was nice.

After lunch, my boyfriend and I went to Nagoya Port just to hang out. When we got there, it was too close to closing time to go to the aquarium, so we just walked around outside, looked at the sea, and saw the different statues and things scattered around the area. We also went to the souvenir shop, where I spent quite a bit of time looking at all the adorable stuffed animals. XP I got a small, round, adorable penguin and an equally adorable penguin cell phone charm for a friend that still didn't have any cell phone charms. There is an adorable beluga whale stuffed animal for ￥1,000 that I'll go back and get some day soon. (Did I say "adorable" enough? Adorable.)

I love Nagoya Port. It was overcast yesterday, so there weren't a lot of people, and it was so relaxing. I want to go back soon. I hope the next time can be as relaxing.

Before we knew it, it was dinner time. I was craving a bacon cheeseburger, so we went to a restaurant one station over from my apartment, and I ate the most amazing burger. The menu was basically all American dishes like tacos and chili fries, so I can imagine I'll be going there often to get a bit of comfort food. I'm so glad I was able to have a bacon cheeseburger. I also had a bottle of Coke. I felt revived. I've been starting to exit the "honeymoon phase" of living in Japan and going into the "I'm not happy here" phase, but being able to retreat into my comfort zone a bit has refreshed my spirit. I'm ready to do my best.

Tomorrow's Monday, which means my Japanese classes finally start. I'm so psyched. Bring it on!

Nice Life, Bad Day

2009-10-15T16:12:00.001+09:00

Since the last time I wrote, I have done three of the four things I said I hadn't done in the last post: gotten trash cans, gotten a rice cooker, and gone to karaoke!

The trash cans and rice cooker are godsent -- I never thought about how nice it is to have trash cans for my trash bags, and having a rice cooker means I can make complete meals on my own instead of spending a lot on restaurant meals or pre-cooked rice at the grocery store.

Karaoke was a lot of fun. I went with five other international students that live in the apartment building. We all had average singing voices, lucky for me, except for one Korean guy who blew the rest of us away. But even with my average singing, I still impressed a few people by singing "Linda Linda" by the Blue Hearts for the first song. ;)

I've had a bad day today. I want to talk about it, but it's mostly too personal. Let's just say a bunch of normal problems all happened within one day. I'm having some emotional issues with my boyfriend, a couple of my friends, and some other smaller things that, on any other day, wouldn't be as big of a deal. Let me also say that "Adam's Song" by Blink-182 is not a good song to listen to when you're having a bad day. Having it on repeat is also a bad idea.

Japanese classes finally start on Monday. Bring them on! My Japanese has actually gotten worse since I've been in Japan. I think the only new Japanese I've gained since I've been here is 「着て見てもいいですか？」 I've designated that the most useful Japanese phrase I've learned so far. I have a second and third most useful phrase, but, of course, I can't remember them now I want to write them down.

The typhoon wasn't really a big deal, by the way. It was really windy starting at two or three in the morning. When I woke up at 10am, it was a beautiful day. It was probably the most beautiful day I've ever experienced in Japan so far.

My friends and I thought the typhoon was going to be really bad, so we stayed up together until maybe 4am, watching Disney's Mulan and the first few episodes of Scrubs. I stayed up later than 4am, though, which was unfortunate because the wind got the worst at 5am, and I get really scared and shaky with strong wind. I talked with my boyfriend and friends via text message for a while and eventually fell asleep around 6am.

The best thing that came from the night of the typhoon is that one of my friends, a guy from Germany, is now hooked on Scrubs, and so a few of us sometimes stay up late to watch a few episodes. x)

In other news, I can't figure out how to record videos on my laptop that DON'T have unsynchronized video and sound. UGH.

The First Weeks

2009-10-06T10:34:00.000+09:00

I've been in Japan now for nearly three weeks now, and I haven't written a blog. Well, I wrote a blog a couple of weeks ago, but I decided I wouldn't bore you guys with the small details of my first week here. Really, they would bore you.

So, instead of making a long blog catching you up with my life so far, I'd thought I'd utilize one of my favorite scheduling/organizing methods and make a list of things I have and haven't done.

What I have done:

bought a bike
bought an electronic dictionary
registered as an alien resident
organized my trash to comply with Nagoya's high standards
visited the local super at least twice a day since I've moved in
sipped mango juice out of a juice box while soaking my feet in 45 degree C water
caught a cockroach in a cockroach trap made to look like a house
become awesome at at using chopsticks
become awesome at navigating the train and subway systems
eaten four types of fish all in one meal (even though I hate fish)
taught a German international student how to do the moonwalk in the middle of an electronics store
regularly rode my bike to and from campus, a 15 to 20 ride and includes one hill
seen a parade celebrating the four founders of Japan
been asked twice to exchange information with English-speaking Japanese people who want to make foreigner friends...

Things I haven't done:

gotten trash cans
gotten internet in my apartment
gotten a rice cooker
gone to karaoke

I can't think of other things right now, but there is more, of course.

Classes haven't officially started yet. I mean, they've started, but we haven't registered.... Classes are in a shopping period until Wednesday, and Japanese language classes don't start until the week after next. I'm tired of being in this limbo where I either have too much to do or nothing to do. Today I have no classes, nothing to do all day. I've already done the homework for the classes I've already attended. Imagine that.

Here's something: a typhoon should be here this weekend. Awesome. My boyfriend's coming over to my apartment tonight to make sure the sliding glass doors will hold up if the storm comes here, and we're also going to buy food and water and flash lights.

I don't mean to sound apathetic or upset. It's just that the weather's been cloudy and crappy lately. I love being here. Even with the culture shock starting to develop, I'm glad I'm here.

Douche-Bag Blog

2009-10-05T14:53:00.000+09:00

This is why I didn't really want to keep a blog while I was here in Japan. One of the fellow international students here from the US is a complete DOUCHE BAG, and he keeps a blog. I FEAR for the kind of arrogant and judgmental shit he writes on it. Jesus Christ.

One Week to Go!

2009-09-10T16:08:00.000+09:00

I received more information about my upcoming year in Japan! Yayyy! I emailed the university and (politely) reminded them that I leave in a week, and they sent me all the information I'd been waiting for. :)

I've been assigned a studio apartment in a building about three kilometers away from campus. I have some issues with the distance (I'm used to living right on campus), but, to be honest, living in a cramped Japanese apartment is a dream I've developed over the past year, and I'm so glad I'll be able to experience it. I'm even looking forward to commuting on a bike... once I get over initial fears of 1) navigating a bike on streets (cars are big and metal and scary!), and 2) navigating a bike on the left side of streets ("OMG, all my knowledge of how to legally move on a street is now backwards!") I also have the option of taking the 地下鉄 (ちかてつ, subway) to school, but right now I'm partial to investing in a 自転車 (じてんしゃ, bicycle). It seems like the price of a bike and occasional maintenance would be a lot less than a year's worth of daily subway tickets.

I want to say more about the apartment, but I'm sure it's just a standard apartment, haha. I can't stop myself from saying this, though: I'll have a TV! I grew up having a TV in my bedroom, but I lost that luxury once I got to college. So, after two years of missing all my favorite shows (except one: LOST), I'm excited to once again have my own TV, even if all but a few of the shows will be in a language I don't understand well. :P

My level of Japanese comprehension is low, but I've made sure to review Japanese this summer. I've actually been studying a lot, so please forgive me while I toot my own horn for a little bit. I've been reviewing vocabulary, grammar, and kanji every day. Unfortunately, my speaking and reading (outloud) abilities have gone downhill, but now I know all but six of the vocabulary words in Genki 1. I know that's nothing to people who have studied Japanese longer, but I've been worried about not testing into the level of Japanese I should be in. Someone who studied abroad last year told me he tested into a class way lower than his actual level. (But I don't know how much he reviewed the summer before he went and if that could have affected his results.)

Speaking of studying Japanese, here's a website recommendation: readthekanji.com. I love the site. It's such a great way to learn and review kanji. They're broken up into the JLPT levels, and it's great motivation to look at your stats and see the number of kanji you know grow. Okay, I'm sure I sounded really nerdy just now....

The Prologue: Twelve Days

2009-09-05T16:41:00.000+09:00

I'm sitting here in my parents' house, my home when college isn't in session, and it's twelve days until I leave for Japan. I've been counting down the days since I got home, and my departure has slowly gone from being about sixty-seven days away to twelve. Twelve is a lot smaller than sixty-seven, but the days are still crawling by....

From September 2009 until July 2010, I'll be studying at a university in Nagoya. Even though the school year will end in July, right now my plan is to stay in Japan and work until the end of August so I can get a flight straight to my college at the start of my home university's school year. That way I can save maybe $200-400, by not flying back home for a month and then flying back to college. (Hey, I'm a poor college student. Saving even $200 helps.)

Lately my nights have gone like this. I reread the following portion of an email for maybe the fiftieth time:

Details of your accommodation, including your room
number, will be notified by the beginning of
September.

I look at the calendar to verify that it is the beginning of September, and then I spend the rest of the night refresh my email inbox every half hour or so. (I should also mention there's not a lot do where my parents live.)

I don't know if I'll keep this blog going during my time in Japan. I used to be the kind of person that would spend hours and hours on LiveJournal, typing out entries about the insignificance details of my life. I've slowly been steering away from writing about my life over the past couple of years. That includes my personal journal, too -- I stopped writing in it a little over a year ago. I became embarrassed to write down my feelings, because then I could go back and read how I used to think and see how wrong I was. But this past year didn't go too well (when considering my emotional well-being), and so I thought I'd better start writing again this year, especially since I'll be in a foreign country for so long.

I was also hesitant to even attempt to keep a blog about my trip because I don't want to be another story where the gaijin who knows a smidge of Japanese goes to study in or travel around Japan, says, "Wow, it's so different here," and then goes back home. There are already so many blogs like that out there right now (no offense to them), and I don't think I could bring anything new to the table. Also, my year in Japan isn't just a study abroad experience. This is also my chance to spend time with my long-distance boyfriend. We're planning out our post-grad future together, and right now that future includes living in Japan. So, living in Japan for a year is testing my ability to live in Japan long-term, in a way. It's a chance for me to prepare for my future, I guess. I don't know if what I'll have to say are things people will want to read about. I don't feel comfortable writing about my relationship with my boyfriend, and without that, my blog will probably be white noise against other blogs.

Well, we'll see what happens. :)