Wake Up, Look Around, Back to Sleep

I got home from Metro at 2:30 in the morning and crashed, without bothering to turn my alarm off. Needless to say, it promptly buzzed at 7:15am, but I turned around, shut if off, grumbled a bit and went back to sleep.

Two hours later, I was woken by my bed shaking rather violently. I opened my eyes, thought "Hmm, another earthquake, should check out Yahoo!Japan later," fidgeted a bit and went back to sleep.

Earthquake number 4.

Queens of the Dance Hall

As much as drag queens are fun, I hate and envy them.

Why?

They have way better legs, know how to wear high heels and know how to put makeup on better than any other girl.

BOO!

That said and out of my system, Drag Night was AWESOME. I do not know where to begin, so I will begin at the beginning:

Ingram and I went to Colleen's dorm for a house dinner. After, we all met up at my place (I bounced early so I can take a shower) and got ready. We finished up the preparations at Ingram's apartment, since he decided at the last minute that he wasn't going to go all J-girl drag - instead, wear a white shirt with a tie on the top and the skirt/j-socks on the bottom. I got a peek at the socks and holy crap. They were black but somewhat sheer and there was a pattern that made it look like there were ribbons tied around his legs. However, I did see the original outfit, complete with frilly shirt and I was totally aghast, and rendered speechless. The day you see your male friend in drag is a day worth remembering.

Colleen wanted to wear a shirt and tie, and I realized at the last minute that I wanted a tie to go with the whole drag theme, but the only sort of tie that would work with my outfit was the skinny, emo-indie sort of ties. I had a bit of a hipster look going. Colleen pulled off the tie very nicely, paired with the short-shorts and knee high socks with open toed sandals - perfect J-Girl style!

Ingram only let me put a wee bit of purple eyeshadow - WIMP! If you are reading this, I am still very dissappointed in you. I drew some stars on Colleen's face with my eyeliner and put some of the red lipstick that I got. I am not the best at makeup (I would have loved to put on fake eyelashes) but I tried my best.

I had done my make-up at my place: green and purple eyeliner and said red lipstick. To get a sense of my outfit, behold! I really like this picture alot. You can't see it in the photo, but my shoes were the same color, if not brighter than my shirt. As for the lipstick, I piled it on in the spirit of the evening, but I love wearing it everyday, I feel quite glamourous with it. I might get another shade of red when I go back home this summer, but in a more muted red; I took a look at the American Clinique website and saw that the lipstick that I got is 50% cheaper in the States. Bah.

The three of use got there before 11pm; the admission was 2000yen (because of the event, last time I was there it was only 600yen) but we got two tickets for drinks. I had a Skyy Blue, and when Chen came with her boyfriend who was visiting from Malaysia (what a cute couple!), the both of use did a tequila shot - and it was right proper Jose Cuervo which is quite pricey in Japan. I did not get any other drinks so it was actually a pretty good deal.

At first, there was only Colleen, Ingram and I (and Ingram's friend Kit with some Japanese girls) and a bunch of other people sitting around a table and this creepy gaijin guy who kept looking at Colleen and I. Turns out, those people sitting around the table were kids on the Semester at Sea program, and Japan was their last leg. They had barely any money because they didn't know that there were hardly an international ATMs to be had (only at the post office) so they got coolers from the 100yen shop and filled them with drinks. They were rather loud and obnoxious, actually, going up to Japanese people and asking them all these questions. They sure loved Ingram though, when he took off is pants in front of everyone to reveal the skirt for a "sneak preview" of what was to come when the party started.

It was not so crowded and Ingram had some misgivings about his skirt at first (which he was wearing underneath regular clothes) and went to ask if it truly was drag night; it was, but going to start at midnight. Well worth the wait! Alisa and her friends arrived as well, and the place was getting crowded. Then the techno music (which was bad techno music, where was the MADONNA?!?! It was Drag Night!)stopped, and the attention was turned to the stage. The drag queens have arrived. These guys were the first two and my favorites. Most of the performances involved lip-syncing; some was good and some was bad or atrocious. During the other performances, I saw Banana Queen stadning off to the side - handing off my camera to Chen, I went up to him and politely asked if we could take a picture together:
Now this is something I would have never thought of doing.

One of the most unfortunate parts of the evening was that the jeans that I was wearing ripped for the fourth time. They were my Japanese Denim Matchstick jeans from J.Crew and I had gained weight during my first semester here and with the bike riding, the denim faded and got worn out. I got it fixed back home the first time and repaired the second and third ones myself, but the fourth rip was the final straw. Jeans should not get worn out like this within 6 months of purchase. Doesn't help much that they are my favorites, but next time I am going to get skinnys that have a wee bit of stretch (but not too much,then they get all saggy), something like Citizens, or even Levis. I like the color of my skinny jeans as well, but I think I will definitely check out Levis since they have jeans in that particular shade of blue.

She`s A Lady...Oh,Oh,Oh, She`s a Lady...

Lipstick can really do wonders. It is quite a different experience, wearing lipstick, as opposed to chapstick/lip gloss.

Warning - for the male readers out there, mega-girly post to follow, yet it is related to Japn.

I have never really been one to go get make-up from the department stores. First, it is a wee pricey. Second, I do not like to be fawned over, even though the make-up ladies sure as hell know more than me. What I know about make-up can fit onto the head of a pin. I only do basics.

This Friday is `Drag Night` at Metro, the club that is in my neighborhood. I am going with my friend`s for a belated birthday celebration, and apparently, `Drag Night` is not only monumental, buta very big highlight for the club. I went there once before for `80s` night, although it was not until my friends an I clamored for Duran Duran/Madonna/Michael Jackson that the 80s music started. I went for a `prep-school mall rat` look then.

Drag Night, however, calls for more extreme measures. However, I am not going in drag - I think its easier for a guy to go as a girl than vice versa, since girls wear pants on a normal basis. I am eagerly awaiting Ingram`S transformation into J-girl drag; I suggested that instead of a skirt )which would be rather uncomfortable for him to wear the short-shorts and thigh high socks like the Japanese girls do here, sometimes to extreme. Colleen is going the same route; I do not have short shorts to speak for myself, and I don`t fit into the clothes here. However, I repaired my skinny jeans! My `costume` - if one would call it that - consists of said jeans, and hot pink ballet flats. I got a t-shirt from Loft that is like those that come from Urban Outfitters; a wee short and snug but it is a cute shirt. Got some accessories from Claire`s (which I think has more of a loyal follwoing amongst girls in their 20`s as opposed to the States, I remember outgrowing Claire`s when I was finishing high school), and then the make-up.

Like I said, Drag Night is all about being extreme. My t-shirt is a dull sort of hot-pink but quite vibrant and I am pairing it with an electric blue beaded necklace. The make-up that I do have is quite basic and muted since I obviously do not go all out on a daily basis. So, after Loft with Colleen (who got the appropriate J-girl knee high socks - seriously, the subject of socks in Japan totally warrants a separate post) I began to check out the little shops that sold cosmetics. And got sitcker shock. A basic tube of lipstick from Maybelline was 1500yen! I can get said tube for $7 max back home. Plus, they did not have the shade of red that I wanted - 40s style red. I have been wanting red lipstick for awhile, since it is something snazzy, quick and easy to put on and I guess just a little different. I have been trying to change my look and upgrade it a bit; that and I think being in Japan also played a role. Some women really go totally all out to the extreme on a daily basis, but I prefer a tiny punch.

I already knew that I wanted a new eyeliner from M.A.C. - it goes on really well and they have funky colors. I wanted a purple, (going to wear it with green eyeliner that I already have) because I can wear it again regularly. I am the type of person that tries to get as much function out of something, which is why at the end of the day despite my misgivings about department store make-up, I like it better because I can try it on and it`s better quality.

Eyeliner was quickly solved - I tried on two shades of a lavender, and chose `Heirloom` which went nice with my eyes (they are a greenish-blue) and while I can pile it on for Drag Night, it is also nice when its just barely there.

I checked out the red tube of lipstick at M.A.C. but passed it on. For kicks, I went to the Chanel counter, since I tried a bunch of reds once at Duty-Free (must, must take advantage of that this summer). Chanel at duty-free isn`t that bad, but at Takashimaya it was quite expensive. Off to Clinique - they have good stuff.

At first, I really couldn`t find the shade of red that I was looking for, then a Clinique lady popped up. I am always too polite, and asked her (in Japanese) if Clinique had a shade of red lipstick like this bottle of nailpolish that was right in front of me (and the perfect sahde of 40s red). She gestured Colleen and I to sit down at the counter, and went off to look. She came back with two lipsticks, and a smock to cover me with that prompted Colleen to say, `You look like you are about to eat a lobster.` The lady streaked the two shades of lipstick across her hand to show me what they looked like and I chose one that was darker. I couldn`t exactly find the words to say `Can I test it out please?` but I got far enough so that the lady could get it.

So now, I am wearing 40`s style red lipstick (Long Last in Rubellite, if anyone was interested). I am test-driving it right now for everyday use - everyday being class, though I wouldn`t wear it every day of the week. It was not as a deep a red as I thought - it is more sheer and light as opposed to the thick matte stuff. Of course for Drag Night I am going to pile it on. I think If I went for a red-red-red it would be too much. Plus, I got to try it before I bought it so its a good investment. A nice pop if you will.

However, lipstick - especially RED lipstick - does make one more aware, and more `ladylike` I think. Best explanation/comparison is that when you get a manicure, your movements with your hands are more `ladylike` I think so that the polish doesn`t chip. Same with lipstick - I am making sure that it doesn`t smear, which means taking more care in my actions and movements. Cool thing about the Clinique lipstick is that it doesn`t appear on the rims of cups and water bottles, and when I kissed my hand while wearing it to test that factor, it barely showed.

Lip gloss can get quite goopy, unless you get the kind that is a little more rigid. But now, I highly recommend Clinique, and now have a thing for lipstick. Especially red lipstick (going back to duty-free to check out the mega retro 40s ones from Chanel).

Drag Night is so totally going to be kicking.

私とジャネさんと先生と

私がどんなに水泳を習っても、
海にちっとも泳げないが、
海に潜れるジャネさんは私のように、
琴を上手に弾けない。

私が弓道を練習しても、
上手にはできないけど、
上手な先生は私のように、
左手で使えないよ。

ジャネさんと先生と、それから私のように、
皆違って、皆いい。

____________________
"Jane, My Teacher and I"

No matter how much I learn,
There is no way that I can swim in the sea.
But Jane, who can dive in the ocean,
Can't play the koto as well as me.

Even though I practice kyu-do (Japanese archery),
I am not good at it.
But my teacher, who is skilled at kyo-do,
Cannot use her left hand like me.

Jane, my teacher and I,
Are all different, but all good.

(Note: had to make this poem based on a famous one for an exercise in Japanese class last week. Sorry for the no translation at the first! The point of the poem is that everyone is good at different things, but that is actually alright. Obviously there is a deeper meaning since the original is quite famous in Japan, but sort of hard to hash out here.)

Random School Bits

Rits is quite different from Kyoto University in more ways than one. I thought I would hash them out here.

The Good Differences:
1) Teachers in the language program are more accesible - that means they are more friendly and more approachable than the ones at Kyodai. I was worried that I would be lost in a tide of grammar and mis-translation for my grad seminar presentation come July, but one of the teachers actually speaks amazing English (went to grad school in Madison, WI), and is a professor in one of the departments - he does the teaching Japanese for fun I think. So I will go to him and ask if we can go over my report/speech when the time comes. I do not think I would have been able to do that without much trepidation at Kyodai because the atmosphere is more welcoming here. You know your teachers are cool when they describe the most of the female Japanese student body as `Barbie Dolls` (and trust me, they are).

2) Japanese kids are friendlier here. Granted, I am the only foriegn student in the Hogakubu and they probably think that it is amazing that a foreign student is not only interested in the koto, but can play it a bit too. I still suck compared to the other people (Hogakubu also has shamisen and shakuhachi) but one kid asked if I wanted to perform a song together for the concert in July, one that is to my ability. At first I thought I wouldn`t be able to do it because I was thinking of joining Kyodai`s yacht club with Colleen but that is way too physically instensive for me. So, I still have my Sundays free and I will perform a song in the concert this July. That means I have to practice my ass off.

Speaking of Hogakubu, I went to practice this Tuesday - it is officially on Tuesdays and Thursdays but I can come whenever I want as well. Maybe next week, when I add the concert song to practice for, I will come on Thursday afternoons before my grad class because I have 6 hour break in between classes; I really don`t want to spend 6 hours in the library though it would be good time to get alot of work done. But I also need to practice.

3) Printing is FREE, easy and there are students doing `work study` as computer lab assistants just like in the States to help out if there is a problem. There are computer labs a plenty - simply put there are more facilities and resources for students, especially international stduents, whereas at Kyodai you had a small computer lab in the library that international students can only use, and the printer did not work most of the time.

The Bad/Annoying/Interesting Ones:
1)One cannot park your bike at will on campus. There are actual bike parking-traffic control people in the mornings and sometimes, the queue of bikes out of the East Gate can stretch out to the main road. Another reason why I won`t ride my bike to Rits: if I have to park my bike all across the other side of campus, I will be late most of the time. There is this phrase in Greek that expresses my feelings about this: `Varieme.` It kinda means `I don`t wanna...I`m lazy...It is too much to bother with.` So yeah, the issue of not only riding my bike all the way but the PARKING makes me recoil further on the notion that I will ride my bike to school.

2) It is a bit lonely here. Most of the foriegn students at Rits are undergrads in the SKP program, and the only other grad student that I know is Ulyana. But, my schedule is so busy that I am sort of ok with it - plus I know the kids from the Hogakubu so all is not lost. Since I am taking Kyodai Japanese classes this semester and I live so close to Kyodai I still see my old friends most of the time.

3) It is far. To think, I go abroad to London to get the `living close to campus` feel - I still walk a half hour or take the bus. I think I am just destined to commute to whatever school I attend to; although in grad school I am going to try my hardest to live as close to school as possible if I live off campus which would be very likely since Mel will come along (unless I get free housing as a gradaute RA and it`s is couples/family housing)

4) It is quite crowded. All the time. Even though KYodai is more vast, I don`t get that claustrophobic feeling. There is a new building going up at Rits, on the site of an old quad area - Ulyana bemoans this fact, saying it was really nice to hang out there this semester. And the roads/walkways aren`t as wide either - combine it with rather tall buildings, and I actually feel like I wam trekking the streets of Manhattan, but not quite - in a bad way. It kinda makes me uneasy.

5) Big campus. I am lucky I haven`t gotten lost at all. There are actual roadsigns.

Now, I am off to tinker with my schedule one more time, print it (for FREE!) and then it`s off to the library (seats may be comfier, but Kyodai`s library is prettier. Still, they got one of the most important things: WINDOWS. Lincoln Center`s library was underground and looked like a factory.)

Reverberations and Deja Vu

It was a Friday afternoon and all was quiet in the tutoring room back in high school. I was a freshman - spring 1999. My social studies teacher had the tv on since no one was coming in, when I got first wind of the Columbine shootings.

Like many of the students at Virginia Tech, I too remembered the eerie feeling that the events of yesterday brought on. This time, I am 6000 miles and another country away. Like most of the kids in my generation I am too connected via the Internet, and checked Facebook myself to see if there was anything written.

Watching my podcasts, I feel like I am home watching the news as it comes through the tv in my living room. It is extremely eerie for me, especially since it is reduced to small articles and minimal coverage this side of the Pacific. It is all relative.

But other than those thoughts, I am utterly speechless. It is all very sad, but I just wanted to write that even outside the US, people are thinking of Virginia Tech.

I Got Plans for Golden Week, Doo-Dah, Doo-Dah...

I got plans for Golden Week, doo-dah, doo-dah...

I got plans for Golden Week, OH DOO-DAH DAY!

Woo-hoo!

Wee!

Awesome!

And to think I was planning to go to Okinawa all by my lonesome.

I just got an email from Mayuko. She is back in Japan for good (we went to Fordham together) and we were talking via AIM about Golden Week and our plans. Golden Week is a large culmination of holidays with two days in between:

April 28: Showa Day (this year observed on April 30)
May 3: Constitution Day
May 4: Greenery Day
May 5: Children's Day

So that means its a three-day weekend, then two days (May 1 and 2) and then a 4-day weekend. Very lucky this year; apparently, the timing sucks for next year in terms of a nice week-long vacation since people mostly take off the two days in between. Seriously, why go to work for two days when you KNOW there is another 4-day break?

Mayuko is AWESOME. She just invited me to go with her family to go to Shirahama in Wakayama, with a famous beach, seafood and has onsen.

SEAFOOD!
BEACH!
HOT SPRINGS!

I am very grateful and really appreciate that Mayuko thought of me. I would not have the opportunity to go to a place like that otherwise, just like how I would not have eaten blowfish otherwise. The only details that I know now is that we are going from May 3-6, but because we are leaving very early in the morning, I will probably stay at Mayuko's place the night before in Osaka on the second.

So excited!

Double Whammy

Today at 12pm, there was an earthquake in Mie Prefecture, which isn't too far from me. I didn't feel it because I wasn't in my apartment - I was out enjoying the sunshine and getting jewelry at the monthly temple fair. I guess I didn't feel it because I was out and moving about; the temple fair was so crowded today because it was a Sunday and it was warm, so there was a double whammy concerning the spike in attendance at the temple fair today.

But the double whammy that made me somewhat nervous was that a few minutes ago, just as I was sitting down to dinner...

shake,
SHAKE...

BOOM.

It was like someone was climbing up a flight of stairs carrying something so heavy that you could feel the vibrations, then that person dropping it so suddenly that you felt those sudden vibrations as well. It was as if it was creeping up on you - in a quick panic, I unplugged the oven, my laptop, put my shoes on and prepared to run out the door with my wallet and my organizer (both has my important stuff in it).

And then, it was over. I still kept my shoes on (and still have them on as I type this, breaking all the rules about taking off your shoes indoors in Japan) and went to the Japanese Meterological Agencys website. It still had the information from the earhtquake this afternoon, but when I refreshed the page: It was registered as a 3 in Shiga Prefecture. Kyoto Prefecture is just to the left of the yellow-shaded Shiga. The earthquake that was in Mie Prefecture was a little farther and thus it was just faded rumblings, but with Shiga right next door, those fading rumblings were quite amplified.

Number of earthquakes felt: 3.

Three Things Meme

Got this off Britt at Tickled Pink:

Three Things That Scare Me:
1) Failing out of a Ph.d program/being totally unsuccessful in my career
2) Stairs
3) Dying too young

Three People Who Make Me Laugh:
1) Robin Williams - always with the "Live on B'way" DVD
2) My Dad - when he tells his stories
3) Mel

Three Things I Hate:
1) Stairs
2) Pedestrians in Kyoto who don't pay attention to my bike bell till the last minute
3) Tourists in NYC who walk too slow
(can I also add Japanese electioneering trucks?)

Three Things On My Desk (Ok there is a bunch of stuff on it so I will lump it in 3 slots):
1) MacBook, who is lovingly named "Ringo" (NOT the Beatle, "Ringo" is "Apple" in Japanese and thus a pun), my pink Nintento DS, and a bunch of research materials.
2) (I consider this as one since they are on one corner of my desk): Kyoto Starbucks mug, piggy bank in the shape of an old-school Japanese postbox, netsuke in the shape of a mermaid and a Darumakuji.
3) (and in the other corner of my desk) small ceramic box from Korea that I use as a jewelry box, on top of a plate that I got as a souveneir from the Miyako Odori

Three Things I’m Doing Right Now:
1) Talking with Mel via Skype
2) Blogging
3) Using my webcam and seeing Mel via Skype

Three Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
1) Publish the first book in English on a definitive history of Kyoto after 1868
2) Have a long and fulfilling marriage
3) Have at least 2, max 3 kids and raise them to the best of my abilities

Three Things I Can Do:
1) Play the koto
2) Weave through pedestrian traffic really quickly, whether it be on foot (in NYC) or on bike (in Kyoto - trust me, this is an art form)
3) Hold my umbrella/send a text message via cell in one hand, while managing the handlebars of my bike (whilst riding it) in the other.

Three Things I Think You Should Listen To:
1) Yourself
2) Parents
3) husband/wife - depending on the situation ;-)

Three Things I’d Like To Learn:
1) Knit
2) Drive
3) Drive stick

Three Favorite Foods:
1) Japanese Kimchi (Korean stuff is too spicy)
2) GREEK FOOD
3) Strawberry chocolate

Three Shows I Watched As A Kid:
1) Whatever was on WPIX/Channel 11 in the afternoons (Family Matters, Fresh Prince, 90210, etc.)
2) Saved by the Bell
3) all the classic Nickelodeon (Britt totally got this one right!)

Three Things I Regret:
1) Being too much of a Type-A/OCD person sometimes
2) Not being as proactive/social as I would like to be
3) Not being able to enjoy my year in London as much as I would have liked to

The Hardest Things to Find are Right Under Your Nose

Japanese Lesson #14: "Rude Japanese Edition"
1) Baka - "stupid, idiot, fool"
2) Kuso - the bad way to say "poop"

Note: depending on context, emphasis and accent, these can mean much much worse things.

On Thursday, I had such a big break in between my two classes that I decided to go to the library. Japanese class finished at 10:30, and my grad seminar didn't start until 4:20. Talk about a long break. I finally got my ID earlier, and headed off to the library to check it out and figure out what to do since I did not bring a book with me to read. I ended up sleeping during most of my break, but I did find a book that I needed in Japanese for my research.

I was using my messenger bag along with my books as a pillow. One thing about Japanese students is that they really zonk out in the library, more than back home, I think. But my messenger bag has just one big pocket and two little pockets on the side, but I never use those, so all of my little stuff (iPod, cell, keys, pens, etc.) always slides about and falls out sometimes. So I just reorganized my crap and went to sleep. The library was cozy and warm, and the seats were mega comfy.

After, I went to class and figured that while my grad class would be hell in some ways, it would be an interesting challenge. After class, I walk down the hill to the bus stop, where I had a sinking feeling that I was missing something. Usually when I have those feelings, its almost true. I go into my back and check for the usual suspects: Nintendo DS, iPod, cell, wallet, chapstick (I don't like the Japanese stuff) - keys. Where are my keys?

WHERE THE HELL ARE MY KEYS?

I dump all my stuff on the ground at the bus stop and I search for my keys. Amongst the kimchi-smell-laden bag (it's gone now thank god, that's my Jack Spade messenger bag!) I see the bright orange interior, but no keys.

OH $%*#&!.

I turn around and practically run back up the hill. On my way, I call Ingram on my cell phone (man this is going to be one heckuva cell phone bill this month) and since he lives in the same 'hood as I do, I asked him if he could go to my building and see if my landlord was there. I then start retracing my steps.

Little shop of cute stuff on the way to school: no keys.
Building where I had grad seminar: no keys.
Building where I had Japanese class: no keys.
Building where I printed some articles: no keys.

Damn, Rits is a big campus.

I run into Ulyana at this point, who helpfully points out that there is an Information Center where I can leave a note - she did this when she lost her keys (but luckily found them on the sidewalk on the way home). Unfortunately, this wasn't the case anymore.

Go to co-op: no keys.
Go to area outside co-op where I sat: no keys.

I begin to panic at this point. I KNEW that they weren't in the Student Union, where I went to the Classical Music Club (Hogakubu) earlier, because I was 110% sure that I did not even open my bag; I did not have my koto picks or my music book so there was no reason for me to open my bag.

Library. I go to the front desk, who directed me to the media lab, and yes I was there earlier that day; otherwise, I would have forgotten. No keys. No keys at the Lost and Found of the library front desk either.

Ingram calls me back: says that my landlord wasn't there, but he got the cell number and I asked him for the number of the company that runs my building. So I call the cell first, but no answer. Good thing too - I almost forgot that in emergencies I call Space Sapiens (the company that runs my building), not my landlord. It's a funky sort of operation, but it works. I just give the rent to my landlord in person.

So, I say bye to Ulyana and call Space Sapiens. The person on the phone was the same guy who I met during the shower drain fiasco; told him my name, the apartment building name and my apartment number and said I lost my keys. I was told that I could get a new one that same night. For 10,500yen, or 105 dollars. We will meet at 8pm outside my apartment building.

Oh, bloody hell. DAMMIT. BAKA! KUSO!

So I was cursing at myself in English, Greek and Japanese for being stupid enough to not a) separate my bike keys (there are two for a reason) so now my bike was stuck at Kyoto Uni (I ride my bike to the northern end of the main campus and park it there, it's right next to the bus stop) and b) for not even thinking about making a spare copy of my apartment key.

I was also mad at myself because my keychains had some sentimental value: I have a "Mister Softee" keychain (because my dad owns a Mister Softee ice cream truck and thus he is our own "Mister Softee"), a keychain that was handmade in London from a friend, and a Fordham keychain in the shape of a mini pennant with the Ram logo and "Queens" on it (Deena got it for me when I was in London during a Commuter Students Association event where there were keychains for all the regions that the commuters come from).

And I was mad because I had to pay $105 for a damn key. Sad, frustrated, and angry, I blast off a bunch of text messages and head off to the bus again. By the time I got on the bus at 7pm, I realized that it would be pretty late for Skype-ing my parents as our usual custom since my mom leaves for work by 7am-ish, so I resorted to the back-up system: emailing her via cell so that way she knows what is up.

The MINUTE I press the "send" button, I had a lightbulb moment - literally, you know in the cartoons where the lightbulb turns on above the head to indicate an idea? I place my bag in front of me, opened the smaller of the two zippered pockets and put my hand inside.

I pull out my keys. All 5 of them (2 are suitcase lock keys) on all 3 keychains. I call up the guy from Space Sapiens and let him know that I found my keys, and confirmed that I didn't have to get the new key and pay the $105, since I caught him before he left for my building.

And then I started to curse in Greek, English and Japanese again, chiding myself for being so stupid. I had put my keys in that particular pocket because at the library, the smaller things were slipping out and my keys were almost irreplaceable.

Everytime someone in my family loses something, I am the one that usually finds it because I go by the mantra "the hardest things to find are under your nose." And I usually find the thing that is missing within 15 minutes, 20 max. Too bad I couldn't take my own medicine so quickly, since it took about an hour to find it.

Absolut Thessaloniki.

One of my daily reads, appropriately titled Daily Frappe posted an item about an article in the NY Times about how Thessaloniki (or "Salonica") has suddenly become more popular, one reason being that out of its population of 1 million, 95 thousand are students. That's like Kyoto - about 1/10th of the population (also a million) are students, so there is a youthful vibe here as well.

I have been to Thessaloniki twice - once when I was 10, and the other time 17. Obviously when I was older, so was my cousin and she took my sister and I to the cafes, the bouzoukia, etc. etc. Personally, I like Thessaloniki WAY better than Athens. First, because it is (or well, was) a place that not the usual tourist would go to - it is a bit of a trek out of the way to get there. Second, I even got the feeling that it was kicking back in 2002. Third, the view! My cousin lives in Panorama (the "Beverly Hills of Thess/niki) and she has a view of the bay which is mainly centered on Aristotelous Square. The square has a unique shape, as it is not a square, and was the focus of a particular ad from 2006: The awesome thing is that nothing was done to enhance the photo; Aristotelous Square is shaped exactly like that.

"I'll Be There for You..."

The "Friends" theme song is running through my head. I am thinking about how lucky I am to have such good friends here. When I was in England, I felt like I really couldn't relate to anyone and as such, felt very much like the odd one out. Here, I was able to make friends here and relate to them and feel like yes, I do belong here, yes this is going to be a great time, and yes, I will keep in touch with these people even after I leave.

This was further amplified today when Chen, who is now a full fledged master's student, helped me out with library issues. The Ritsumeikan library obviously is at Ritsumeikan and is very far away and I was not really planning to make the trip on the weekends and figured I would study elsewhere like Starbucks on the weekends. She said that she now has her old library card from when she was a research student and her new ID card with the master's designation (which is also a library card). I had asked her if she could check out a book for me beforehand (Rits doesn't have some books I need, and Colleen also helped me out with this) and when she said that she now has two ID cards, I asked her if it was OK if I could use her old one (which actually expires in 2008) and she lent her old library card to me, just asking me to let her know if I am going to borrow books. (I only plan to get books out of Kyodai if they aren't at Rits).

I am very grateful for that, in that I can use the Kyodai library on the weekends and won't really have to schlep about since Rits is pretty far. All I need is a place to sit where it is quiet and nearby. I COULD have moved to that neck fo the woods, but the only thing there is school, and I am 15 minutes away from downtown where I live now. And all my friends are here. Of course, I will make new friends at Rits (and I have made one) but I like my Kyodai friends alot.

Not only will they get me into the library, they helped me out at salsa when I needed it. (^_~)

Adventures in Japanese Medicine

A few weeks ago, I went to the hospital to get something that needed to be checked out checked out. I wanted to wait until after I got the results today to talk about Japanese hospitals since I did not want to jinx anything. To curb suspense: everything is fine and I am relieved.

The reason why I was relieved was because I was on the fence about going to doctor in Japan. I mean, I did go to the school one when I had a cold, but that was a cold and this was something that needed to be checked out.

First, there was the mild language barrier. I say mild because while I can speak Japanese very fairly, it is quite different when you go to the doctor, or talk about business, politics, economics, etc. In Japanese, there are special dictionaries for medical/economic/business terms because unless you are in a specific field in one form or another, you really don't need to know the vocabulary. Same thing goes for any language - do you really need to know what a quark is, unless you are an astrophysicist? I don't even know if I got the term and it's associated specialty right. But that is my point, if a lame one. This was rectified by using a particular online dictionary, the medical guidebook in Japanese that my old Japanese teacher gave to me as a parting gift and some snooping on Google Japan for more specific terms and lets just say I learned some interesting words that are very useful, but I hope to never use again.

Secondly,the presumed reputation of the Japanese medical system. The down low is their doctors are mostly old, don't update themselves on the latest advancements/developments in the field and that since the medical schools/colleges put so little emphasis on learning, do they REALLY know what they are doing? Latter concern proved by a Japanese kid I know at Kyodai who is studying medicine and says that there is really no pressure and that kids skip class. Also, my friend's friend's mom (Japanese) was diagnosed with breast cancer, and in spite of the fact that there are enough lumps to warrant a masectomy, the doctors brainwashed the poor woman and said it "was just a little cancer, don't need to do anything about it." So my opinion (which obviously held no water, only anxiety and hearsay) of doctors here was a little low.

So with the two factors combined together, I delayed and delayed and got so anxious I decided that I had to go or else I would get no peace.

Everyone - and I mean EVERYONE - gets the National Health Insurance. If you work for a company, then it gives Social Health Insurance, different being that it covers a bit more, I think. It's like England - I had health insurance from the state because of my student visa, so when I had the flu, I was covered. When I first got here, I got the little green card and tada! I am covered. Never really thought about it till this past vacation, when I had too little to do and too much time to think.

When you go to a doctor, you first notice that there is no appointment system. At small clinics and private practices, there is a sign outside indicating the hours of operation. I went to the Japan Baptist Hospital (JBH), and there was a nice PDF file on the internet explaining the hours of the particular specialties in English, and because it can be a concern for many, whether or not the doctor is female. So, two weeks ago, I hopped on my bike, slogged uphill and got to the hospital (more a collection of outpatient clinics with some inpatient stuff) when they opened on the dot at 8:30am.

My first impression was "This is NOT a hospital." It doesn't SMELL like a hospital. It was very nicely and subtley decorated and did not have tacky chairs and such. It was comfy. I didn't feel like the axe of death was going to hang over me. I sound a bit exagerrated but you get the point. It was...comfortable, as much as hospitals can be. Think Seattle Grace on Grey's Anatomy (which is actually an outpatient VA hospital in Cali) but on a smaller scale.

Maybe it was because I was in the outpatient/clinic section, the inpatient section might be different. I went up to the front desk, told the person that I was new and handed over my insurance card. ALWAYS have to carry this with me, or else I have to pay the full fees as opposed to 30% (NHI covers 2/3 of medical costs). The nice thing about this hospital was that it is - to some extent - English friendly. The form that I filled out for new patients was in English, but the medical history form that I filled out when I got to the specific doctor was in Japanese. It was a good thing I brought my Nintendo with me; otherwise I wouldn't have deciphered it.

So when I filled out the English form for the "new patients" (which curiously asked my permanent address back in my "home country") I sat down and waited. They called my name, and this is where it gets interesting: first, I got a little "Japan Baptist Hospital" ID card with my name (in Japanese, which was spelled wrong - I spell my last name with one of the syllables elongated so it sounds more like it does in Greek as opposed to English) and an ID number punched into it.

Second, I got a yellow plastic A4 size folder. Japanese clinics/hospitals (same thing happened to me when I went to the school clinic for my cold/sore throat) use what I like to call a folder system. You go in and register your presence, the receptionist looks up your file on the computer and prints something out; this printout, along with your hospital ID card goes into the yellow folder which is given to you. Then, you go to the doctor you have to go to, and drop it off in a tray at that doctor's reception area. Presumably, they will look up your more detailed medical file which is in the doctor's office. The yellow folder I think is more a person-tally device, which indicates who is here and for what.

Then you wait. Even though I DID have an appointment today (sometimes you can schedule appointments) as opposed to two weeks ago, I still waited an hour for something that took less than two minutes - getting my results. So I waited. As did everyone else. Waiting for doctors is always hell. Especially when you are waiting for test results.

In spite of all the misconceptions I had about Japanese doctors, I actually did not mind going to the doctor. The JBH was established in 1946, but everything was brand new, clean and DID NOT SMELL LIKE HOSPITAL. I strongly emphasize this: when I was in high school, I worked at a hospital for the summer. I was in an annex building and not in the main hospital; but when I was in the main building, it smelled of hospital. My doctor was actually young and female so I was comfortable. And she spoke a little English which surely helped me to clarify that yes, I was fine and my results were negative. When I first went, I brought my American medical files with me (I got my doctor to photocopy a set before I left for Japan, in case I needed it) and she offered to photocopy them so that they were in my Japanese medical file.

After you finish with the doctor, you get the yellow (it could be any color but at JBH it was yellow) folder back and head down to the main reception area again, and give the folder to the cashier. And then you wait AGAIN to get your bill tallied up, since things are done on a points system in terms of determining medical costs. That's as far as I know, intricacies are beyond me. When I first went, I wasn't sure what test to get (the medical form in Japanese asked what was wrong with me so it was a bit vague and I checked off more than one box that were all related) or if the basic one was enough to get the thing I want tested, so I sorta went for the whole sha-bang to cover the bases. Total cost: about $250 or 24,500yen. Why? One particular test isn't covered by NHI so I had to pay the full $200. The doctor was nice enough to warn me abut that before she placed the order for the test on my medical forms, but I said it was ok. So, since NHI covers 2/3 of the bill that $50 was actually $150, so the actual bill would have been about $350. Not bad compared to American doctors but blah. Still, small price to pay for peace of mind. Today, it was only 330yen for me - I had forgotten to bring cash with me so THANK GOD I actually had 330yen in coins.

After you pay, you get your hospital ID back, walk out the door and with a huge sigh of relief and happiness, walk back down the hill that the hospital is on, teetering in your heels and enjoy the rest of the day.

Chills Down My Spine

Wow.

Amazing.

Just...wow.

Today, I went with Ingram to see the Miyako Odori, "Dances of the Old Capital" - it was created in 1872 as a measure to help Kyoto revive its spirits after the Emperor jumped ship and went to Tokyo, along with the official designation of "the capital of Japan."

Of course, it is a lot more complicated than that - I actually did research on the Miyako Odori and the Emperor leaving as a part of my project. That is what made going to the Miyako Odori today so significant: I am actually partaking in something that I read about and wrote about. It was kind of eerie in a way.

Ingram and I got special tickets that were about 4300yen - came with a tea ceremony, a souvenier plate, and seats in the orchestra area. The tea ceremony was kinda hilarious in a way: there were two geisha in the front of the room which had seats for about 80 people and the tea ceremony was done factory-style, en masse. So much for my first tea ceremony. But I had matcha, a sweet and did not have to sit down on the floor so it was all good.

Ingram and I had good seats: 9th row right on the aisle. When the house lights darkened, I did not know what to expect. Then, all of a sudden, the curtains on the sides of the seating area lifted: on one side, you had geisha in full costume playing various drums and flutes, on the other side were a group of black kimono clad women playing shamisen, a kind of traditional Japanese guitar.

Then you heard a chorus of female voices, different from the shamisen women - in front of the musicians were small extensions of the stage; curtains opened, and out came about 20 geisha, 10 on either side. I wasn't expecting it so I sort of jumped in my seat from surprise, but after, hearing the musicians sing and seeing the geisha perform gave me chills down my spine; I have never seen anything like that before, and I have gone to several operas/B'way shows and such (more opera than B'way, I took opera class in high school - learning about it not performing - and my class got tix to the dress rehearsals at the Met every Friday).

Everyone burst into applause and began to murmur amongst themselves, so I guess the producers of the show got the intended effect. There were many solo and ensemble performances, depicting traditional/well known stories. I think one of them was adapted from "The Tale of Genji" because it took place in the Heian period; I could tell which period it was because of the costuming. The songs were like the ones that my koto teacher once demonstrated to me - like Noh songs which have overly exaggerated syllables and the sound comes from the back of the throat. Still, it was spectacular to hear, even though I was only to catch a few words here and there. And, unlike the Noh performance that I went to back in December, I did not fall asleep. How could you fall asleep during this kind of performance? I kept moving my head around and fidgeting in my seat - not because I was uncomfortable (on the contrary!) but because the Japanese man in front of me had a rather large head and blocked my view.

My camera died in the middle of the show, since I was snapping right and left (or up and down rather to get people's heads out of the way) and wasn't using my flash - so the photos that I did get were rather blurry. Luckily, I had some spares (2 only, my camera takes 4) and I had my (well, Mel's camera, my sister got chocolate into the memory card section of my own crappy digi cam and Mel's is way better anyways) camera off long enough, so I was able to save some juice for the finale. It was all the better because the house lights were turned on for the finale, and I was able to get a few good shots (with my camera dying in between snaps) of the whole cast of the show.

I was very glad I went; the Miyako Odori is only in April, and I just keep getting subtle reminders such as "events that only take place in April-July" that tell me that the clock is ticking on my stay here. Going to the dances was a nice bookend to my first cherry blossom season; I will now indulge in one of my favorite photos of a particular cherry tree which is at a hole-in-the-wall Shinto shrine near my apartment:

The White Heron

Himeji Castle is known as "The White Heron" for its distinct white walls that anyone can see from far away. "The Last Samurai" was filmed there, as are many samurai movies both past and present that need something to stand for Edo Castle, which doesn't exist anymore.
With Colleen's quick mind in getting the last batch of "Seishun 18" tickets, she, myself and Ingram went to Himeji for 2000yen as opposed to 4420yen last Thursday. The sky was clear and a bit cold; but as you rounded up the castle grounds in the spiral deisgned for defenses it got warmer, probably from exertion. Unlike Osaka Castle, which is a concrete modern reproduction, Himeji Castle is an authentic (restored, but authentic still) castle from the Tokugawa period. That said, when we finally reached the main tower, we had to take our shoes off and climb the 6 flights of old, narrow, death-calling steps (I have said that I have a fear of stairs, more acute in old ones which is ironic because I like old buildings) to the top of the main tower.

Of course, it was the height of cherry blossom season and for a Thursday it was damn crowded. There were recorded announcements in Japanese and English saying that the main tower was very crowded and to please pay attention to the guards. The cherry blossoms were a main draw: cherry blossoms practically have their own religion and cult following in Japan, to the point that you see signs such as these around the castle grounds in cordoned off areas near the picnic-ers:Literal translation of the sign: "The cherry blossoms are tired, let's give them a little rest."

Implied translation of the sign: "Step on the ground near these cherry blossoms, and we will slice out your entrails."

We were on the grounds of a samurai castle, after all.

Silence is Bliss

Some things need to be clarified. I had mentioned that the elections for the House of Councilors are happening this summer, and that the megaphone trucks are blaring up the wazoo.

Well, they weren't blaring for the elections in July. They were blaring for the local elections that were going on everywhere in Japan. And THANK GOD that they were not going crazy for the July elections - I would have no peace. Four more months of overly caffeinated white gloved candidates and their minions yelling into megaphones? I was practically ready to tear my hear out with the past week of "campaigning" that I and everyone else had to hear.

Over the course of the past few days, electioneering (if that is a word) was pushed into overdrive. No matter where you went in Kyoto you would hear some lady's overly-chirpy voice or a man's deep, gruff old-school voice (think old samurai movies) squawking into a megaphone contraption the size of a car's roof that was attached to the top of said car which was very tiny (as is everything else here in Japan) that made it look like Bozo the Clown's vehicle. Don't get me started if two cars from opposing parties or opposing politicians crossed paths; they would stop, and a contest of who could yell out the candidates name plus "yoroshiku onegaishimasu" louder ensued.

In the beginning it was quite funny - one of the quirks of the Japanese election process. I thought it was comical how people conducted themselves with so much gusto and zeal that anyone could see at almost any time of day, and that you didn't have to pay $2000 a plate at a fundraiser to see a candidate, or that you didn't need to fall upon a scheduled meet-and-greet to see said candidate.

But over the past few days, it was getting to the point of noise pollution. The cars would drive through the narrow and twisting streets of quiet neighborhoods, disturbing the peace and waking me up from my afternoon nap; I could hear them CLEARLY in spite of the fact that my apartment is in the back of the building and situated away from the street. If one complained or yells out "urusai" ("Noisy!" - in a bad way) he or she can actually get arrested for election obstruction.

So you can imagine my delight this evening when I realized something: I had not heard or seen any of those stupid cars and their overly-peppy white gloved occupants.

Oh, silence is bliss.

Hristos Anesti!

Kalo Pascha, Happy Easter!

Normally, I go with my family to the local Greek Orthodox church (we have our pick of um, 4 within a 10 block radius) for midnight mass. We stand outside, freeze our butts off when the weather decides to be evil (as it was the case this year for them) and then go over to one of our family friends houses to play the egg game and eat mayiritsa. This year, Greek Orthodox easter falls on the same day as the "Everyone Else Easter," so everyone in the NYC area that celebrates Easter froze their butts together.

When I was in London, I found a Greek Orthodox church - since I was on my own, I didn't go to midnight mass. Instead, I went to the Easter Sunday mass, lit a candle and sat down for a bit.

One would think that living in Japan - especially Kyoto which is not really considered a "major" city for international stuff - I wouldn't be able to celebrate Easter in one form or another. However, the people back in the 19th century had other things in mind - a Russian Orthodox church (pretty much the same thing except for the language and the architecture to a degree) was built in Kyoto and actually considered to be architecturally significant. I found it in a Japanese book about significant architectural sites in Kyoto.

Unfortunately, the church was locked and I couldn't go inside to light a candle. I saw a sign outside and turns out that they had mass the night before from 11:30pm to 3:30am and no mass the following day. Oh well. maybe I will go some other Sunday, if only to belatedly light a candle and check out the inside and see whether or not the service is done in Russian, Japanese or a mix of both. Back home, depending on the priest, everything is either in Greek, or a little English is included for the crucial parts. Kind of helps the Sunday school kids, especially when most of the stuff is in Byzantine Greek.

Afterwards, I was riding my bike along Marutamachi to head back towards the river, thinking that I was going to go chill out at Starbucks. To be quite honest, I am quite tired of Starbucks and there are so many cafes in Kyoto that I want to try, but never really have enough money for it since I can get a helluva lot more coffee (Tall regular in a Venti cup - I figured out how to say that in Japanese) for my money. I think when I want to do my schoolwork I will go there, but for "hanging out" I will go to the actual cafes.

Today was such a nice day, and there is a cafe that has outdoor seating right along the river and on Marutamachi. After perusing the menu, which was in Japanese for a bit, I decided to check it out and see how their coffee was. I ordered a Brunch Set which was a snadhwich and coffee, but I paid a little extra for the strong blend. The sandwhich was a tuna nicoise, and DELICIOUS. It was quite big, and well worth the money, even though I am flat broke. That with the ambiance of sitting outside (62 today, 64 on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday and 68 on Thursday! Woot!) it was a very nice experience. I read my book, brushed off crumbs occasionally and enjoyed the quiet afternoon. Then I went to the Kamo River, read a bit more, then came back, did some grocery shopping and the $1 supermarket (aka "QQ") and then went to the gym, did laundry and cleaned my apartment. All in all, a rather mundane, yet gorgeous day.

Tomorrow is the first day of class. I am kinda excited in a way - tomorrow is also the Miyako Odori.

Oh, For the Love of the Japanese Language!

Disclaimer: You might want to read the entry before this one in order to understand the craziness I am writing of below.

The afternoon was gorgeous, so I went to Heian Jingu (the topic of another post about cherry blossom madness). Afterwards, I had some green tea/vanilla swirl ice cream, and started to head back to my apartment.

My bike had other ideas, though. Before I realized it, I was passing by the intersection of Marutamachi-Higashioji and heading to the Kamo River, making a left and going down to Sanjo.

My destinations were Ogawa and Meidi-ya. I had spoken of Ogawa Coffee before: they make REALLY REALLY good coffee and their coffee beans are better than Starbucks. I got some of the strong blend coffee for my new (free!) French Press as I had run out of the blah stuff I got from Starbucks. I swear, I plan to come home with a kilo of that coffee - the Ogawa Strong Blend that is.

Meidi-ya is a foriegn import food store. Some of the stuff if priced ok and the other stuff (meat, bread, veggies) are atrociously priced. They have good whole wheat crackers, Canada Dry Ginger Ale and the Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies. However, those cookies are my downfall (when I had my craving for pizza, I proceeded to eat a half a bag of them orange flavored ones) I don't get those.

I parked my bike at Starbucks, and spoke to Mame-chan (he is a bird at the bean/cracker store next to Starbucks, speaks Japanese and English with a Japanese accent). My phone began to dance - it is VERY rude in Japan to have it on the ring in public places. Consequently, I always miss my calls and get to my messages way later. But I am getting better at noticing the vibrations.

It was Ristumeikan (:::cue the collective sighs, seriously I have so many issues in terms of them driving me up the amn wall because there is NO INFRASTRUCTURE to deal with students like me:::).

Get a load of THIS! I either did poorly enough deliberately, or I did well enough to not be in the two higher levels, but I am not in Lower Intermediate (probably Intermediate I at Kyodai which is what I did last semester, since both Kyodai and Rits have three levels of intermediate, then one of Advanced) - I am in regular Intermediate!

But blah, what about the Kyodai classes that I happily signed up for and was going to take the placement test next Friday?

Well, I did something rather stupid - I tried to tell the person (same one that called me about the placement test earlier this week) that well, I can also take classes at Kyodai, can I take the placement test and then decide? Bad move on me; I KNEW that in American standards I was pushing the envelope. In terms of Japanese standards, I pretty much did something very taboo.

In essence, I had to decide that-very-minute for either Rits or Kyodai. I was kinda flustered, so I said I will call her in 10 minuted. I then calld Colleen who said, "Well, you can always drop the Kyodai classes."So I called back the lady and said that I will take the Ritsumeikan classes. The wheels were rolling in my head at that point, further confirmed by my Rits schedule right in front of me:

If I place in Intermediate II in the Kyodai placement test...
and if there are no conflicts in terms of the classes to choose from at Kyodai, since I can choose as opposed to a set schedule at Rits...
since no one will REALLY know except for me and a few of my friends...
why not take Japanese at both schools for this semester?

I am nuts. This is how determined I am to get at much in before this coming fall at least because I am not sure if I can continue at Rits - maybe I can into Upper Intermediate since I will be at the school already and be registered before the other kids come in. And for sure I can't take classes at Kyodai this fall - only for one more semester. I took a look at the Rits and Kyodai schedules - it would only be an extra two or three classes in the afternoons of Monday, Friday and MAYBE Wednesday, since that is Listening and I didn't like my Listening class last semester. Rits language classes all end by 12:10, with Thursday ending at 10:30. Kyodai classes don't have that much homework anyways - that was one of my complaints, but for now that might be a blessing in disguise. Plus, language classes at Kyodai don't start till the 16th.

But this is contingent on me being in Intermediate II. If not, then I might consider re-doing some Intermediate I classes, depending on conflicts (I really liked my Intermediate I reading teacher, and that class doesn't conflict on Fridays).

And I still have time to a) go to the gym, b) participate in the Classical Music Club (that will be the ONLY one) and c) take those two classes with regular Japanese students.

Even better news: I had tickets for the Miyako Odori with Ingram this Monday and we have to be there at 2:30. I was worried that I would miss class the first day because the Rits classes would be in the afternoon, but everything works out.

This is going to be ONE hell of a semester.

Maybe I should go to Kitano Tenmangu Shrine - Kitano Tenmangu is the patron saint of students, and I am going to need all the help I can get.

The Start of the Semester is Always Crazy

This morning I went to Ritsumeikan to take my placement test. When I arrived, I got the most "interesting" piece of information:

Even if I place into either of the two highest levels, I can't take the class because it is full since I am not an SKP student.

Bah is all I have to say to that. I deliberately tried to do a little bad so I can at least get into the Intermediate course, and we shall see what happens.

After the test, I decided to go to the Department of Letters to let them know that "Yes, I am here, can I have my ID please?" I had a photo with me already for the ID so I didn't waste time with that; the secretary was a bit confused, but another man looked in a file and said my name (with the accent but said it nonetheless) and I confirmed it. So I filled out a little form and will get my ID next Friday. I then asked about the course catalog - she only gave me the grad student catalog (I wonder if my ID will say "Grad Student" as opposed to "Research Student"? The benefits in Japan go with the actual college and grad students, research students get jack.). It took me a while to figure that out because one of the classes that my sensei advised in me taking was an undergrad; when I went back to the office to ask for it, the secretary kinda looked at me funny and I had to explain that "Yes, I understand that I am a daigaku-in-sei, but my advisor recommended one of the undergraduate courses to me." So she told me where to go, I got my course catalogs for both, and then I will register on Tuesday, after emailing my sensei tomorrow (yah it's a Saturday but I am procrastinating and I have his personal email address). I have to register at the International Students office, not at the Graduate School of Letters - I think. Different people tell me different things. I have the Miyako Odori (geisha dances) on Monday and one of the classes that my sensei recommended is on Monday, but I don't want to take that class, unless he mentions that I really should take it, since I did send him that email (in English, but we always communicate in English, and for the start of the semester, I will do that for now).

I was walking to the East Gate exit after the craziness of the Dept. of Letters office - I get really hot and sweaty when I ride my bike to Ritsumeikan so I am going to take the bus from now on - and I saw a girl setting up two kotos, and a sign saying 邦楽部(hogakubu) which is Japanese for "Classical Music Club." It is the start of the new school year and everyone is clamoring for everyone else to join their clubs. I was on the fence for joining a club or not because I was worried if it would conflict with the time; after speaking with the girl and playing for her the opening bars of "Sakura, Sakura" I told her that I had to leave, but I gave her my name and email, and she told me when and where the club meets. It sort of conflicts with the graduate seminar that my sensei is teaching on Thursdays but she told me that it's ok, just come when you can.

So that is really cool - I *think* I just joined a club and the girl was really nice too! She was surprised/happy to see that I could play the beginning of "Sakura, Sakura" from memory.

So to continue the saga of me and Japanese language classes: Colleen had said that I can try to continue to take classes at Kyodai but I wasn't so sure, when I got back to Kyodai for lunch with Colleen, I met up with some other Monbusho friends and they told me that yeah I can still take them. So - turns out I can take the classes at Kyodai, and I think that is what I am going to do; I don;t have to commute to Ritsumeikan everyday (instead, it would be twice a week, and the days I have class are even the days that the club meets so I save bus money and everything coincides nicely) and the classes are more to my level and more intensive I think, even though they aren't that great. It's better than nothing and it's close by to me so I don't have to go cuckoo, really. So, even if I place into the Intermediate, I am going to see where I place with the Kyodai classes, and if I get into Intermediate II, then I will take the Kyodai classes. So I am definitely going to review some of my Japanese stuff this week.

I asked the language director about all this, and she said I can take it for one more semester, even though I am a Ritsumeikan student. One of my friends said that that's ok because in my final semester, I want to focus a lot on my research. And...

next fall, it is 90% sure that I am going to be the TA for Prof. S's class on Kyoto's history at the KCJS program!

There was a lecture this past Wednesday at the J-Pod where KCJS usually has their lectures; I go because they are interesting, its close by and something to do. While I was there, I met Prof. B. from Berkeley; I had read her book for my research (and had to do a book review on it for my "East Asian Cities" class) and frankly, it was like meeting a celebrity, especially since I didn't go to the big-time schools with the well-known Japanese history profs that wrote millions of books and are cited all the time. I know I am a geek.

After the lecture, I approached Prof. S. because I had just received the academic calendar from Rits and I wanted to let him know that I will be back home during the first half of (the Japanese) summer vacation and wanted to find out if there was anything that needed to be done beforehand. For awhile, I kinda felt that he probably thought I was some annoying pest trying to break into the ivory tower, but his face really lit up when I mentioned it to him and even motioned to Prof B. "Did you meet Maria? She is going to be my T.A. next fall...". Prof. B. did acknowledge that she had met me - she recruited Colleen and I to help set up the chairs for the lecture in the J-Pod and I sat next to her during the lecture and spoke shortly about my research and what I am doing here and what I plan to do after my scholarship.

Ok, so maybe I am not (that much of) a pest. But I kinda wanted to remind him that I was still interested in helping with the course(was I right in doing that?) and since I wasn't sure if there were any other lectures after this weeks, I didn't really want to approach the subject via email. The course would also be good for me since I can get some ideas/feedback, and in the course of preparing for the classes, I do some research/thinking/writing at the same time.

Calendar of Surprises

In addition to my Japanese class woes/delights, I got a pleasant surprise when I finally got a hold of the Ritsumeikan academic calendar.

Everything for the spring semester ends July 31, so that means I won't be back home until August 2. I have to sign in for my stipend at the beginning of the month, so even if my finals (dunno even if I will have any, since I am just an auditor and whatnot) end in the middle of July, I have to stay till at least August 2 so that I can sign in, and then I have to be back by September 5 (even though vacation is till the 26) so that I can sign by the September deadline of the 6th and get my stipend. And there is also the question of whether or not I will be a T.A. for Prof S.'s Kyoto history class - the KCJS program runs on the American school schedule, not Japan's.

But it gets even better. One can imagine my delight to see when the second semester ends for both grad and undergrad: January 31, 2008. I can't leave Japan until at least March 25, 2008.

I have two months to do ANYTHING I WANT.

I am TOTALLY going to the Sapporo Snow Festival next year. What better way to experience Hokkaido than to freeze your bum off in the place that it known for its damn cold winters (and Japanese girls still wearing high heels and miniskirts)?

It pays...

...to be the gaijin-pain-in-the-ass. Especially when you are the "new research student."

Ritsumeikan just called. I had a five-minute phone conversation in Japanese with a really nice lady (I understood about 70% of it) about me and Japanese language classes. After some questions on whether or not I want credit (I don't- figured it would make it easier for them on their part and for me if I can't go to one of the classes if there is a scheduling conflict) which classes do I want to take (just the grammar/reading/writing one, not that and listening/speaking together) and what my other class schedule would be like (one class on Tuesday at 2:20, and my sensei's grad seminar on Thursdays @ 4:20, but I told her that besides the graduate seminar, nothing is totally decided yet).

So, the really nice lady jabbered on and I was trying to pick up what she was saying, and then I asked her (in a "can I just confirm what you said to make sure I understand tone") about a placement test. Is it true? Some of the teachers (my own advisor included) were talking behind the scenes it seems about me and Japanese classes?

I HAVE A PLACEMENT TEST THIS FRIDAY!

Who woulda thought that I would be so happy to hear about a placement test.

Surrounded by Ostriches

I HATE the Japanese bureaucracy. ANY form of it. If it's an office in Japan I am biased against it. Period.

According to one of the International Student directors at Ritsumeikan, it is a "little difficult" for me to take Japanese classes.

WHO IS TO SAY THAT IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME to take Japanese classes, when I WANT to take them?

I saw red when he told me that. I kept my composure, and told him that I understand that it is difficult and it would be a challenge, but I don't mind a challenge. Furthermore, I would be taking only two regular classes that meet once a week and I DO NOT MIND that the Japanese classes meet 5 times a week - all the better, really!

I know why there is such a problem. I am asking for something that is outside of the box - the Japanese language classes are part of a particular program, and all I am asking is to just sit in, partake in the lessons and do the homework. BUT - because I am not officially in the program, I cannot cross-register. Colleen has the same problem over at Kyodai when it deals with something outside of her department. If it is outside the collective umbrella of a particular place, or disrupts the "wa" of the place that you are in already, it seems that Japanese people just push you off to the next person, or act like ostriches and stick their heads in the sand..."La, la, la, chotto matte, muzukashii kedo..."

I

DO

NOT

CARE

if it is "a little difficult." Bring it on! I need a challenge. I even told the director that other Monbusho students at Rits have told me that they took courses with the SKP program - that got his attention. I also told him that it is necessary for my research that I continue Japanese classes. So, I gave him the information on the classes that I took to the best of my memory - main one being the basic textbook that I used last semester, that I passed JLPT level 3 and I want to take JLPT level 2 this winter.

I literally had road rage (damn pedestrians!) while riding my bike back over to my neck of the woods.

So tonight/tomorrow I am going to write off an email to my sensei asking about ID and all, where do I go and that I would like to take his seminar (saw the syllabus, good chance and a challenge for me to try to do my research really in Japanese since I have to write a paper) and ask how do I register. Also in the email, I am going to let him know of my problem, and ask if he has any suggestions on what should I do.

I am just very afraid that my Japanese won't get any better than it is now, and then when I take my language tests at the start of my Ph.d prog I will do poorly (AND I have to take another language!), then I won't be able to pass my languge exams to get me to the ABD stage, then I will fail out of the program, waste 4-5 years of my life and then start from scratch again. And then what?

It is a serious, mega fear of mine - failing at what I am trying to accomplish right now. I am a serious mild Type-A with a dash of OCD sort of person (think Cristina from Grey's Anatomy but not bitchy and cold like her) when it comes to school and work - I have worked so hard with so little and pretty much been the scrappy one with the language so it's been a bit more difficult and now with the mild stress of applying to grad school which leads me to try and rethink my project, I just feel that it's all crap and for naught.

One ironic upside is that if I can't take Japanese classes, then I guess I have every motivation to work even harder in my regular classes (of which I will take 3 instead of 2) and get some Kanji workbooks/JLPT level 2 workbooks and those grammar dictionaries from the Japan Times because I know I need to focus on reading, grammar/vocab and kanji - the speaking and the listening can come by when I am in class and meet Japanese kids; my new friend from Rits, Ulyana says that she learned more in her regular classes than her actual Japanese classes (she even said the SKP classes weren't that great, but I need some structure).

Maybe the no Japanese classes would be a good thing since I can focus on what I really want to do in terms of the language, don't have to waste my time and have more time with the actual regular classes, and then get more practical application, which is what I also want and need more than a boring grammar lesson. I think I am just afraid to step out of that "Japanese language class" bubble.

Blogging helps me think. I see more pink now, not red.

Public Service Announcement

Given that this spring marks the start of the big to-do with grad school and research, I decided to dedicate a separate blog about it, so that way I have a place to expound upon and practice "word vomit" so that way I have a place to write other than Microsoft Word, which can get boring. I got the idea of some of the grad-school/Ph.D bloggers, who also have separate blogs with to-do lists and such.

So, I am here to announce my other blog, "in the middle of the academy" - which will also probably be the place where I will continue my blog life after Japan, since grad school will be a big part of my life after March 2008. Not yet sure, but for now I will have this one for the "Life in Japan" and the other one will be the "research/applying to grad school" place.

If anyone is interested, by all means check it out. But it would probably be boring.