i have to admit that its been difficult lately. for every reason, for no reason at all. nothing has happened (but of course, everything is new and different. yet, it isn't. ha!).
so, i will write all my goals down. i will try not to plan too far ahead. i will stay constant in this moment, but will get ready for what is to come.
an example of how dumb i used to be (and continue to become aware of, now) was when i was in paris, france two years ago with my sister, christina. i remember this very clearly. i said, "i want to live in paris. i could live in paris. you don't even need to speak french!"
which may be true, maybe theorhetically.
i could also live in tokyo, japan without speaking or understanding japanese. i've lasted almost two months thus far. however, I REFUSE! so...i am going to get down to business, y'all.
first order of business: learn japanese the cheapest way possible.
next order of business: learn french in the similar style of cheapiness.
so, then maybe i can actually live in paris like for real.
(i'm not planning to move to paris in the near to comprehendible future, but i would like to learn some french. so many french people live in tokyo! its amazing! teach me your language french people! and i will exchange to you english! by the way, this is a very common way to advertise here in tokyo.)
third: graduate school. probably california. probably san francisco. yup.
fourth: india next summer.
fifth: invest in a new camera (soonish. maybe when i actually get a real-looking paycheck. holla.)
and i will conclude with,
taurus: if only things could be perfect and then just stay that way. forever. how boring would that be? as unsettling as it is to have lightning-quick uranus shake up your solar twelfth house of dreams and karma, what looks like ruins at the moment may clear the way for what you really want. the heartfelt sun lights up life at home beginning this tuesday.
23 July 2008
15 July 2008
dime sized bites coverin' my legs, but i don't care!
i spent a good few hours in yoyogi park again, yesterday/last night. afterwards, ran into maya at the harajuku station.
when you run into your friends at random places in tokyo...you know you officially live there. that's pretty rad.
this morning i kept waking up extremely itchy! then i looked at my legs...they are COVERED in dime sized bites from little critters nibbling on them whilst laying around in the grass all day. sweet. i must have delicious blood or something. awesome.
also, barney translated a letter (i believe the sixth or seventh) from my internet provider, KDDI. GUESS WHAT? they are unable to "construct" in my area, or something...i'm not sure what that means, but basically it equals me not having internet for at least another month. sweet.
i'm in tokyo, of course. and should i again refer to my breakdown in starbucks circa one month ago? NO! THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN! but it would be nice to actually talk to some familiar voices and see their smiling faces. at times, i have to admit that i sometimes feel alone in one of the largest cities in the world.
13 July 2008
roppongi, part two.
maya showed me her 'hood in shinjuku. then we embarked on roppongi, again...
whilst enjoying our chicken kababs on the sidewalk around 2am, we met ryu and atsushi. they are best friends (although at first, we believed lovers). ryu loves marilyn manson. atsushi studies economics at university. they got sloshed off of one cocktail at the club they took us to, and they kept telling us to "trust" them. we did.
11 July 2008
like a thick, moist blanket.
oops!
nevermind!
rainy season is totally NOT over. not that i would have noticed. i got buckets of sweat already pouring out of every pore, man.
nevermind!
rainy season is totally NOT over. not that i would have noticed. i got buckets of sweat already pouring out of every pore, man.
embarrass, me?
something that i always found odd: people who try to embarrass me.
its happened a few times since i moved. this country gets embarrassed really easily. guess what? i don't!
so, next time you try to embarrass me. i will just sit in silence and let you comprehend what you just tried to do.
ain't nobody gonna break my stride
ain't nobody gonna hold me down
oh no, i've got to keep on movin'
its happened a few times since i moved. this country gets embarrassed really easily. guess what? i don't!
so, next time you try to embarrass me. i will just sit in silence and let you comprehend what you just tried to do.
ain't nobody gonna break my stride
ain't nobody gonna hold me down
oh no, i've got to keep on movin'
10 July 2008
a goodmorning, and other such novel ideas.
the first time someone came to deliver a package to me at my apartment, i was kind of frightened. it was 6am. for some reason i had been awake (sleep deprivation is an all-too-common occurrence for me during transition periods/major life changes/etc.), although was not sure how to comprehend my door bell being rung at that hour with no-one at my front door. i later found out it was the post office delivering a package at the building's front door and i could use my apartment's intercom to let them in.
so, this morning my doorbell rang again...although, at the more appropriate hour of 9am. i was delighted and confused. this time, i was aware of the intercom technology at my discretion. and i used some japanese! indeed! enough to translate "excuse me? yes? i do not understand japanese." and the post office deliver quickly responding "this is the post office delivering your package. please open the door and i will bring it to you."
YES, SIR!
literally ten seconds later, he was at my front door handing over MY BANK CARD!!!!!
i had opened my bank account two days prior, with the notification of my card being delivered in maybe 10 days...aha! lies! also, i received a notification from my phantom internet provider of a change of credit card form. sweet...i will totally send the phantom internet people my shiny new JAPANESE bank account information via snail mail so that they may make more phone requests to SCHEDULE A TIME TO "CONSTRUCT" INTERNET IN MY APARTMENT THANKYOUVERYMUCH!!!!!
other than very polite post office delivery men ringing my doorbell, i am usually pleasantly awoken by either a cat or the garbage truck playing music that sounds like an ice cream truck.
so, this morning my doorbell rang again...although, at the more appropriate hour of 9am. i was delighted and confused. this time, i was aware of the intercom technology at my discretion. and i used some japanese! indeed! enough to translate "excuse me? yes? i do not understand japanese." and the post office deliver quickly responding "this is the post office delivering your package. please open the door and i will bring it to you."
YES, SIR!
literally ten seconds later, he was at my front door handing over MY BANK CARD!!!!!
i had opened my bank account two days prior, with the notification of my card being delivered in maybe 10 days...aha! lies! also, i received a notification from my phantom internet provider of a change of credit card form. sweet...i will totally send the phantom internet people my shiny new JAPANESE bank account information via snail mail so that they may make more phone requests to SCHEDULE A TIME TO "CONSTRUCT" INTERNET IN MY APARTMENT THANKYOUVERYMUCH!!!!!
other than very polite post office delivery men ringing my doorbell, i am usually pleasantly awoken by either a cat or the garbage truck playing music that sounds like an ice cream truck.
07 July 2008
yo!
yoyogi park is by-far my favorite place in tokyo, thus far.
its gorgeous! huge! filled with smiling faces!
after embarking on the way-too-intense 109 bargain sale experience, i headed to harajuku using my student's before mentioned homemade map.
harajuku is rad.
although, i did only witness two separate accounts of the "harajuku girls"...two of them were in matching minnie mouse costumes. the other two were white chicks, in some lolita goth get-up (do they always come in two's? i guess you gotta match your bf's style).
the crowds in harajuku are way worse than shibuya...and it may also be due to the bargain sale madness across the city. it was pretty insane.
so, i walked around harajuku for a good hour. then i got lost somewhere. i think i may have even made it to shinjuku. i have no idea how that happened...i just kept walking.
my day began at 11am, and i returned home around 11pm. straight up walking for tweleve hours!
got some grub, bought a really large can of beer...and headed back to harajuku in search of a park. and then i found THE park. i'm not quite sure how i missed it before getting lost. yoyogi park is right next to the harajuku jr station. anyway, i found it.
everyone in yoyogi was in high spirits...you can't really be unhappy there. because there are drum circles every twenty feet or so, or some girls practicing their sweet juggling moves.
today, i'm meeting barney at yoyogi to play some music. it should be interesting because i think he's bringing his acoustic guitar and an accordion (for me). i'm really stoked! i want to live in yoyogi park, forever.
also...at the end of the evening i met up with maya and we started to plan out our holiday week in august. mt. fuji (for sure) and kyoto/disney sea...no summer music festivals, i decided. i rather explore japan.
its gorgeous! huge! filled with smiling faces!
after embarking on the way-too-intense 109 bargain sale experience, i headed to harajuku using my student's before mentioned homemade map.
harajuku is rad.
although, i did only witness two separate accounts of the "harajuku girls"...two of them were in matching minnie mouse costumes. the other two were white chicks, in some lolita goth get-up (do they always come in two's? i guess you gotta match your bf's style).
the crowds in harajuku are way worse than shibuya...and it may also be due to the bargain sale madness across the city. it was pretty insane.
so, i walked around harajuku for a good hour. then i got lost somewhere. i think i may have even made it to shinjuku. i have no idea how that happened...i just kept walking.
my day began at 11am, and i returned home around 11pm. straight up walking for tweleve hours!
got some grub, bought a really large can of beer...and headed back to harajuku in search of a park. and then i found THE park. i'm not quite sure how i missed it before getting lost. yoyogi park is right next to the harajuku jr station. anyway, i found it.
everyone in yoyogi was in high spirits...you can't really be unhappy there. because there are drum circles every twenty feet or so, or some girls practicing their sweet juggling moves.
today, i'm meeting barney at yoyogi to play some music. it should be interesting because i think he's bringing his acoustic guitar and an accordion (for me). i'm really stoked! i want to live in yoyogi park, forever.
also...at the end of the evening i met up with maya and we started to plan out our holiday week in august. mt. fuji (for sure) and kyoto/disney sea...no summer music festivals, i decided. i rather explore japan.
06 July 2008
hello kitty's magical kingdom
in my wildest dreams i will take a spaceship to hello kitty's magical kingdom.
there i will meet her and her friends.
until then, i'm going to the largest sanrio store in all of japan.
THIS IS REAL! THERE IS REALLY A SANRIO LAND!
BELIEVE!
there i will meet her and her friends.
until then, i'm going to the largest sanrio store in all of japan.
THIS IS REAL! THERE IS REALLY A SANRIO LAND!
BELIEVE!
proof-read no-more (a.k.a. check yo'self)
as i wrote the title for this post, i literally just noticed the spell check. BUT I DON'T CARE! I AIN'T NO SQUARE! and yes, just to confirm it again, i teach ENGLISH. ha!
additionally, everytime i use a japanese keyboard at the internerd cafe i find a new key to use! holler.
院用rふぁせ、美tちぇs！tランsぁ手 てぃｓ！
意ぉヴぇてぇfれえd厘ks減れ。てぇyあれヴぇryディ氏王s案d背rヴぇとhydら手目。じゃぱ寝せふぉrぃふぇ！
additionally, everytime i use a japanese keyboard at the internerd cafe i find a new key to use! holler.
院用rふぁせ、美tちぇs！tランsぁ手 てぃｓ！
意ぉヴぇてぇfれえd厘ks減れ。てぇyあれヴぇryディ氏王s案d背rヴぇとhydら手目。じゃぱ寝せふぉrぃふぇ！
mickey mouse, robots and maps.
this week, the unit for some lessons is based on writing and reciting a speech the students write before class. some topics included: global issues, what your name means, coincidence, and your favorite restaurant. i thought a "speech" (which was for a beginner level, only about four or five sentences) on a favorite restaurant would be the most boring, mundane class...however, with all my classes the most seemingly boring topic ends up being the best class!
i have to admit, i have devloped a certain fondness for some choice students. but ONLY because they really want to be in class, and everytime i see them they are SO happy to see me and are really excited to have me teach. that's legit, right?
anyway, for the class that had their speech unit on favorite restaurants one of my students wrote about Chef Mickey, a disney themed restaurant at Disney Sea in Tokyo. why was this restaurant his favorite? because you can eat sushi shaped like mickey mouse, meet and take pictures with disney characters, and the atmosphere is perfect for a date with your boyfriend or girlfriend. ha!
i also teach a discussion class for the more advanced students. they are assigned articles out of this book the school created and every week they discuss it. okay, so a lot of the articles are off base...like this week: robots!(?)
the article was all over the place, defining robots as toasters to internet search engines to solar powered robot bugs. last week, the article was on music and it was super boring (side note: no one in japan knows acid mothers temple, the bordeoms, or afriampo). surprise! this week's discussion was REALLY interesting!
students defined robots, in the saturday afternoon class, as cute (toasters were machines, and heat seeking missles were NOT robots because they were evil, and robots are NEVER evil!). also, many students believe that robots will evolve into creatures that have feelings and will be more intelligent than humans.
finally, during my incredibly hectic saturday (i teach seven classes back to back) one of my students gave me the cutest gift ever! i teach her every week, sometimes twice, for private lessons. she is so nice! she also is obsessed with london and has been there eight times...she was even stopped on her last time there in the airport in customs because she goes there so often.
during our last private lesson, we discussed shopping and sightseeing in tokyo. i told her i wanted to visit harajuku during my weekend and she explained how to walk there from shibuya. well, on saturday she stopped by my classroom inbetween classes to give me a homemade map she drew. it is so cute! its a work of art! its incredibly detailed (everything hand drawn) with the different streets and shops i should visit, not to mentioned she decorated it with pictures and stickers of london.
teaching is so fun!
i have to admit, i have devloped a certain fondness for some choice students. but ONLY because they really want to be in class, and everytime i see them they are SO happy to see me and are really excited to have me teach. that's legit, right?
anyway, for the class that had their speech unit on favorite restaurants one of my students wrote about Chef Mickey, a disney themed restaurant at Disney Sea in Tokyo. why was this restaurant his favorite? because you can eat sushi shaped like mickey mouse, meet and take pictures with disney characters, and the atmosphere is perfect for a date with your boyfriend or girlfriend. ha!
i also teach a discussion class for the more advanced students. they are assigned articles out of this book the school created and every week they discuss it. okay, so a lot of the articles are off base...like this week: robots!(?)
the article was all over the place, defining robots as toasters to internet search engines to solar powered robot bugs. last week, the article was on music and it was super boring (side note: no one in japan knows acid mothers temple, the bordeoms, or afriampo). surprise! this week's discussion was REALLY interesting!
students defined robots, in the saturday afternoon class, as cute (toasters were machines, and heat seeking missles were NOT robots because they were evil, and robots are NEVER evil!). also, many students believe that robots will evolve into creatures that have feelings and will be more intelligent than humans.
finally, during my incredibly hectic saturday (i teach seven classes back to back) one of my students gave me the cutest gift ever! i teach her every week, sometimes twice, for private lessons. she is so nice! she also is obsessed with london and has been there eight times...she was even stopped on her last time there in the airport in customs because she goes there so often.
during our last private lesson, we discussed shopping and sightseeing in tokyo. i told her i wanted to visit harajuku during my weekend and she explained how to walk there from shibuya. well, on saturday she stopped by my classroom inbetween classes to give me a homemade map she drew. it is so cute! its a work of art! its incredibly detailed (everything hand drawn) with the different streets and shops i should visit, not to mentioned she decorated it with pictures and stickers of london.
teaching is so fun!
03 July 2008
teeth to bite you with.
this blog is so boring.
also, students love to ask me personal questions, like:
"why did you want to live in japan?"
"how do you like japan?"
"why are your teeth so white?"
i have this reoccurring dream. last night was the third time this dream happened. in the dream, i lose a tooth. its always a different tooth. and im all casual about it, like "yea...lets just super glue it back on. no biggie." weird.
also, i might have a japanese language partner. her name is ryo. she takes pictures.
zotphoto.com
also, students love to ask me personal questions, like:
"why did you want to live in japan?"
"how do you like japan?"
"why are your teeth so white?"
i have this reoccurring dream. last night was the third time this dream happened. in the dream, i lose a tooth. its always a different tooth. and im all casual about it, like "yea...lets just super glue it back on. no biggie." weird.
also, i might have a japanese language partner. her name is ryo. she takes pictures.
zotphoto.com
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