天気：晴れ
Today was okay; the beginning of a very long week of assessment. And to start things off, a lesson test in Speaking at 9; the last of the lesson tests. I did okay, I think. After that, since I had a two hour break, I decided to go get my cash card problem sorted out. I realised I didn’t have my passbook, so I walked home first. It was a good thing I did, because I had also forgotten to pack my tsume. I took the bus down to the station, and promptly made my way to the bank. The lady I talked with was really helpful, and it ended up being really simple, as soon as I explained my situation to them in Japanese. I just had to fill out a form with my name and address, signature and pin. I retain the pin number, but the card was rendered useless. I thought it was funny that the lady asked my permission before cutting the card with scissors; that’s Japan though. It takes a week for them to process a new card for me, but thankfully I can still withdraw money from my account directly from the bank; and that’s where the passbook came in handy.
It was a little after 11 when I got out, and I was feeling a hungry, so I got some lunch from Makkas, eating it as I walked back to university. It proved to be a messy ordeal, and I got tomato sauce and mayonnaise all over the front of my bag, and badges; whoops. It was very tasty though, so totally worth it. I got back just in time for Reading and Writing, and a kanji quiz; yay… I did fine in that though. After that, my last CEL lesson; wow. We had some more discussion about foreigners in Japan, international marriages in Japan, and issues surrounding naturalisation. We also had the evaluation form to fill out at the end of the class (I’ve already done them for all my other subjects). Overall, it was a pretty interesting class; it’s definitely broadened my knowledge of Japan. During the wait before koto, I managed to interview too more people, a guy from CEL and Amber’s Japanese boyfriend. The later was unexpected and quite spur of the moment, but I’m glad I was able to talk to him.
In koto, I practiced hanagoromo and “Kaze no toorimachi” (from Totoro) for a while, and then got the opportunity to interview Ryoko sempai. We ended up having a very interesting and insightful conversation, which was great for me, and great for her too; she got to practice her English. After koto, I decided to go straight home. I had no beanie, cause I left it somewhere in uni, so my ears got really cold. Luckily, Amber found it and dropped it back to my room. I have a bad habit of leaving things behind, but most things find their way back to me; I guess I’m lucky like that. I had dinner (leftover shepherd’s pie with rice), and then put away my laundry, which I had brought in this morning. Chatted with Amber for a while, then got to sleep.
Showing posts with label tsume. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tsume. Show all posts
Friday, 11 December 2009
Monday, 9 November 2009
Day 71 - 9th of November
9:57pm セミナーハウス
天気：晴れ
Today turned out to be pretty good... I woke up a bit late this morning, so I rushed to get ready. At precisely 9, the van came to pick up the extra parts Dell had sent Diego for his computer. Of course, Diego wasn't in the room at that point, so I took out the boxes for the guy, before rushing out the door. I made it to class just on time, and waited anxiously to start. I'd expected to go first, but in fact, sensei had us draw from cards to designate our turn; I was third. I went okay I guess. Giving a presentation in English is one thing; Japanese is so much more intense for me. Felt good to get it out of the way though. After class, I met up with Jo in Floresta and we quizzed each other for the quiz in Reading and Writing; that helped a lot. CEL was... bleh. We watched a 30 minute video and the narration was absolutely shocking. This guy is an anthropologist, someone who is constantly socialising with people, and he can't read from a script; it almost put me to sleep. Just so you know, it was about a small neighbourhood in Tokyo; what interactions take place, and the changes that have happened.
After class, I finally got some books out of the library to start my research on Murasaki Shikibu for History. I'm going to get a few more tomorrow I think. I had something to eat in the cafeteria, then stuffed around until koto. I realised I'd forgotten my tsume. Actually, I was more worried that I'd somehow dropped them; I thought I'd put them in my bag this morning. So, tsume-less, I helped Charlie with hanagoromo, before the kimono sensei showed up; they were a little late. It must have been after 5, because Niky doesn't get out of class till then, and she showed up right when they arrived. The two women, were so helpful, a praised all our kimonos; Niky's especially. It's a beautiful peach-orange colour. They helped us all dress and I felt a lot better about my kimono. They even had a brown obi for me to borrow, which suits perfectly. The only problem was, when I got it out yesterday to air out a bit, I didn't fold it back up properly, since I was in such a rush in the morning. The kimono, haori, and jubun were all really badly creased; I felt terrible about it. Luckily, one of the sensei will take it home and iron it for me; sooooo grateful.
So now we're pretty much set. Sean managed to get a new kimono set for $200; a little much. It does look good though, maybe a little plain; both the kimono and haori are grey. Charlie's not participating in the festival; he'll be in Tokyo. Maarika is borrowing a kimono, and I don't know about Brittney; I think she left part-way through for some reason. The sensei are even making 草履 (zori - flat scandals) for us. We're allowed to just wear regular white socks underneath; finding 足袋 (tabi - the traditional socks) in our sizes would be impossible. We packed up soon after the sensei left, and I made my way home worrying about my tsume. It was all good though; they were waiting for me in my desk. I had dinner; defrosted stew, which still tasted really good. It's shopping day tomorrow, so hopefully I can get some good deals. Deigo's got to chose his classes for next semester at his university. The problem is, classes don't open until 10am, so he has to wait up till 1 this morning to get in fast! I'm going to go have a Milo now, and then probably get some sleep.
天気：晴れ
Today turned out to be pretty good... I woke up a bit late this morning, so I rushed to get ready. At precisely 9, the van came to pick up the extra parts Dell had sent Diego for his computer. Of course, Diego wasn't in the room at that point, so I took out the boxes for the guy, before rushing out the door. I made it to class just on time, and waited anxiously to start. I'd expected to go first, but in fact, sensei had us draw from cards to designate our turn; I was third. I went okay I guess. Giving a presentation in English is one thing; Japanese is so much more intense for me. Felt good to get it out of the way though. After class, I met up with Jo in Floresta and we quizzed each other for the quiz in Reading and Writing; that helped a lot. CEL was... bleh. We watched a 30 minute video and the narration was absolutely shocking. This guy is an anthropologist, someone who is constantly socialising with people, and he can't read from a script; it almost put me to sleep. Just so you know, it was about a small neighbourhood in Tokyo; what interactions take place, and the changes that have happened.
After class, I finally got some books out of the library to start my research on Murasaki Shikibu for History. I'm going to get a few more tomorrow I think. I had something to eat in the cafeteria, then stuffed around until koto. I realised I'd forgotten my tsume. Actually, I was more worried that I'd somehow dropped them; I thought I'd put them in my bag this morning. So, tsume-less, I helped Charlie with hanagoromo, before the kimono sensei showed up; they were a little late. It must have been after 5, because Niky doesn't get out of class till then, and she showed up right when they arrived. The two women, were so helpful, a praised all our kimonos; Niky's especially. It's a beautiful peach-orange colour. They helped us all dress and I felt a lot better about my kimono. They even had a brown obi for me to borrow, which suits perfectly. The only problem was, when I got it out yesterday to air out a bit, I didn't fold it back up properly, since I was in such a rush in the morning. The kimono, haori, and jubun were all really badly creased; I felt terrible about it. Luckily, one of the sensei will take it home and iron it for me; sooooo grateful.
So now we're pretty much set. Sean managed to get a new kimono set for $200; a little much. It does look good though, maybe a little plain; both the kimono and haori are grey. Charlie's not participating in the festival; he'll be in Tokyo. Maarika is borrowing a kimono, and I don't know about Brittney; I think she left part-way through for some reason. The sensei are even making 草履 (zori - flat scandals) for us. We're allowed to just wear regular white socks underneath; finding 足袋 (tabi - the traditional socks) in our sizes would be impossible. We packed up soon after the sensei left, and I made my way home worrying about my tsume. It was all good though; they were waiting for me in my desk. I had dinner; defrosted stew, which still tasted really good. It's shopping day tomorrow, so hopefully I can get some good deals. Deigo's got to chose his classes for next semester at his university. The problem is, classes don't open until 10am, so he has to wait up till 1 this morning to get in fast! I'm going to go have a Milo now, and then probably get some sleep.
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Day 44 - 13th of October
10:28pm セミナーハウス
天気：曇り
Woke up late, had breakfast (pancakes again - naughty), and did a bit of grocery shopping. I'm going to make a stew tomorrow with potatoes, and carrots, and mushrooms, and peas, and beef; hopefully it turns out okay. I'll probably be able to get a few meals out of it. Nothing particularly unusual happened today. I went to uni at 12, had classes and went to koto practice. We got our tsume today, and I bought a little pouch to put them in. Every one's getting really good at playing Sakura sakura, and we continue to watch in awe when the Japanese girls play; they are so good.
I wonder how long it will take for me to get to their level; too long. But still, it is a great experience, it's helping me with my research project, and I'm making new friends. We're going to be having a barbeque on the 24th at Yamada Lake; can't wait. After koto, went home, and cooked some rice, and ate leftovers from last night with it. I've got an in-class essay tomorrow. I have to write about my lifestyle. I feel pretty good about it, since we can take in dictionaries and other vocab lists we like. Then in speaking we'll be talking with Japanese students; I think we're getting graded on it; I'm a little bit more worried about this. Oh well, just see how it goes...
天気：曇り
Woke up late, had breakfast (pancakes again - naughty), and did a bit of grocery shopping. I'm going to make a stew tomorrow with potatoes, and carrots, and mushrooms, and peas, and beef; hopefully it turns out okay. I'll probably be able to get a few meals out of it. Nothing particularly unusual happened today. I went to uni at 12, had classes and went to koto practice. We got our tsume today, and I bought a little pouch to put them in. Every one's getting really good at playing Sakura sakura, and we continue to watch in awe when the Japanese girls play; they are so good.
I wonder how long it will take for me to get to their level; too long. But still, it is a great experience, it's helping me with my research project, and I'm making new friends. We're going to be having a barbeque on the 24th at Yamada Lake; can't wait. After koto, went home, and cooked some rice, and ate leftovers from last night with it. I've got an in-class essay tomorrow. I have to write about my lifestyle. I feel pretty good about it, since we can take in dictionaries and other vocab lists we like. Then in speaking we'll be talking with Japanese students; I think we're getting graded on it; I'm a little bit more worried about this. Oh well, just see how it goes...
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Day 38 - 6th of October
10:40 セミナーハウス
天気：雨天
I've been checking my pocket all day just to make sure that my phone's is still there, reassuring myself that I actually have it back. I think I'm going to be paranoid about it for a while now; I guess it's a good thing. Getting it back went off without a hitch... After a bit of searching, Jo(anna) and I finally found the police station in Hirakata. We waked there after getting our alien registration cards, which also went very smoothly; got in there and they gave it straight to us. The police station was actually quite large; a few stories tall. All I had to do though was tell the lady at the information desk that I'd lost my phone, and she past me onto another guy. I waited a little while then... I saw my phone in his hand!!! It was a miracle I just had to sign a form and then it was returned to me. Sooo happy; I'm charging it now.
So yeah, after that we went to a stationary store, then walked back to uni, but not before stopping at "Floresta", a nearby donut shop. We studied a bit, then got to class. We've had a student-teacher come into our class for the past couple of weeks. She's been mainly observing, and marking our quizzes. She got to take the class for a little while last week; I think she did really well considering. She was being filmed too! After class we went to get lunch in the cafeteria. The food is so good and so cheap. I ended up getting an ice cream too. I was amazing; tasted like tiramisu. They have so many flavours of soft serve ice cream here in Japan and you find it everywhere, it's crazy.
Jo and I had history, and then we parted ways. I went to get out the money I needed to pay for my koto picks, on my new bank card. Yay, I have lots of money now!!! Of course, I'm going to be very responsible with it, xD. So I went to koto, and again we cleaned the floors before sensei arrived. Today, we got to be instructed by the sensei in groups. I was in the first group, and a little nervous admittedly. She is really awesome though; so patient and really good at explaining. She speaks entirely in Japanese, but even though I may not understand everything she says, she is very good at conveying information through her actions. I did understand some of what she said though, which definitely helped.
She began by explaining the correct posture while playing the koto, and the correct techniques for strumming with the middle finger, and the thumb. We then went through Sakura sakura, very slowly, pausing periodically so she could point out how to play certain parts, and correcting mistakes. There was a lot to think about. She wrapped up the session with a recap on the major points. As I attempted to get up, I realised I couldn't feel my legs; at all!!! We must have been sitting in seiza for almost 20 minutes, without moving at all. I was the most amazing feeling to be honest. It was as if my legs were no longer connected to my body. I managed to stand, and it was like walking in huge, thick plaster casts. Every one else in the group was affected too. Sensei realised this, and the preceding sessions were noticeably shorter.
My feet are still aching a bit now. It's good for me though, and I know my body will get used to it; it's all part of the discipline found in all aspects of Japanese life. After the Japanese girls practiced, we got our picks fitted for our fingers, and payed for. I'm so happy to have them now; I'm going to find a cool little case to keep them in. We got some chocolate, and then were sent on our way; it was already 8. Got back and made dinner. Well... I had cup noodles. This one was udon with fried tofu. Then I got a massage from Margo; it was excellent. Too bad she didn't do my feet too, lolz. Today was a very good day I think. I'm on a high at the moment and I intend to stay there as long as possible. As I don't have any cereal I'm hopefully going to have pancakes tomorrow for breakfast. That's if Deigo will make them. We shared a packet he bought, so I've bought this one to return the favour. He's really good at making them though, so I want him to do it again :D...
天気：雨天
I've been checking my pocket all day just to make sure that my phone's is still there, reassuring myself that I actually have it back. I think I'm going to be paranoid about it for a while now; I guess it's a good thing. Getting it back went off without a hitch... After a bit of searching, Jo(anna) and I finally found the police station in Hirakata. We waked there after getting our alien registration cards, which also went very smoothly; got in there and they gave it straight to us. The police station was actually quite large; a few stories tall. All I had to do though was tell the lady at the information desk that I'd lost my phone, and she past me onto another guy. I waited a little while then... I saw my phone in his hand!!! It was a miracle I just had to sign a form and then it was returned to me. Sooo happy; I'm charging it now.
So yeah, after that we went to a stationary store, then walked back to uni, but not before stopping at "Floresta", a nearby donut shop. We studied a bit, then got to class. We've had a student-teacher come into our class for the past couple of weeks. She's been mainly observing, and marking our quizzes. She got to take the class for a little while last week; I think she did really well considering. She was being filmed too! After class we went to get lunch in the cafeteria. The food is so good and so cheap. I ended up getting an ice cream too. I was amazing; tasted like tiramisu. They have so many flavours of soft serve ice cream here in Japan and you find it everywhere, it's crazy.
Jo and I had history, and then we parted ways. I went to get out the money I needed to pay for my koto picks, on my new bank card. Yay, I have lots of money now!!! Of course, I'm going to be very responsible with it, xD. So I went to koto, and again we cleaned the floors before sensei arrived. Today, we got to be instructed by the sensei in groups. I was in the first group, and a little nervous admittedly. She is really awesome though; so patient and really good at explaining. She speaks entirely in Japanese, but even though I may not understand everything she says, she is very good at conveying information through her actions. I did understand some of what she said though, which definitely helped.
She began by explaining the correct posture while playing the koto, and the correct techniques for strumming with the middle finger, and the thumb. We then went through Sakura sakura, very slowly, pausing periodically so she could point out how to play certain parts, and correcting mistakes. There was a lot to think about. She wrapped up the session with a recap on the major points. As I attempted to get up, I realised I couldn't feel my legs; at all!!! We must have been sitting in seiza for almost 20 minutes, without moving at all. I was the most amazing feeling to be honest. It was as if my legs were no longer connected to my body. I managed to stand, and it was like walking in huge, thick plaster casts. Every one else in the group was affected too. Sensei realised this, and the preceding sessions were noticeably shorter.
My feet are still aching a bit now. It's good for me though, and I know my body will get used to it; it's all part of the discipline found in all aspects of Japanese life. After the Japanese girls practiced, we got our picks fitted for our fingers, and payed for. I'm so happy to have them now; I'm going to find a cool little case to keep them in. We got some chocolate, and then were sent on our way; it was already 8. Got back and made dinner. Well... I had cup noodles. This one was udon with fried tofu. Then I got a massage from Margo; it was excellent. Too bad she didn't do my feet too, lolz. Today was a very good day I think. I'm on a high at the moment and I intend to stay there as long as possible. As I don't have any cereal I'm hopefully going to have pancakes tomorrow for breakfast. That's if Deigo will make them. We shared a packet he bought, so I've bought this one to return the favour. He's really good at making them though, so I want him to do it again :D...
Monday, 28 September 2009
Day 30 - 28th of September
11:10pm セミナーハウス
天気：雨天
Today was actually quite cool for a change. It's supposed to rain for the rest of the week. We got our bank cards today, so come October 6th, I'll be able to access my JASSO scholarship money. After my culture and everyday life in Japan class finished at 2:20, I had some time to kill before koto club at 4:30. I bought my third notebook, some food, and went to the library for the first time; it's pretty big. I found this really great book on Kansai dialect, and am slowly making my way through it.
I made my way over to the room early; I guess I was anxious. I was surprised by the number of international students thinking about joining. By the end of it, the guys outnumbered the girls, 5 to 4!!! There were also 6 Japanese girls, already part of the club. We had some forms to fill out, and I have to submit my form, along with photo, and 2000円 to them tomorrow. Practice is only from 4:30 to 7:30, Monday and Tuesday so that's not so bad. We are playing sakura as a group for the international festival. I watched to Japanese girls practice for a while, as there weren't enough 爪 (tsume - picks) for everyone to practice; they were amazing. They split into pairs, one playing the melody, and the other harmony/counter melody. There was a lot of call and response. It was surprised that could keep their own time, when three or four different songs were being practiced at once.
Tomorrow I'm going to the post office, police station, and bus depot. I've got my map quiz for history at 2:30. I'm feeling pretty confident. Margo quizzed Joanna and I tonight; we raced to see who could point to the location first. It's only 10 locations out of 66 that we have to identify; I'll be fine. Amazingly, I don't have homework for Japanese. I'm glad to be doing koto, and I've made a start on my project. I'm splitting it into three parts: the history and evolution of the koto; the music of the koto and; the koto in modern Japan. I want to develop some sort of hypothesis, but I'm not sure how to phrase it just yet. Well, here's hoping I can find my phone tomorrow!
天気：雨天
Today was actually quite cool for a change. It's supposed to rain for the rest of the week. We got our bank cards today, so come October 6th, I'll be able to access my JASSO scholarship money. After my culture and everyday life in Japan class finished at 2:20, I had some time to kill before koto club at 4:30. I bought my third notebook, some food, and went to the library for the first time; it's pretty big. I found this really great book on Kansai dialect, and am slowly making my way through it.
I made my way over to the room early; I guess I was anxious. I was surprised by the number of international students thinking about joining. By the end of it, the guys outnumbered the girls, 5 to 4!!! There were also 6 Japanese girls, already part of the club. We had some forms to fill out, and I have to submit my form, along with photo, and 2000円 to them tomorrow. Practice is only from 4:30 to 7:30, Monday and Tuesday so that's not so bad. We are playing sakura as a group for the international festival. I watched to Japanese girls practice for a while, as there weren't enough 爪 (tsume - picks) for everyone to practice; they were amazing. They split into pairs, one playing the melody, and the other harmony/counter melody. There was a lot of call and response. It was surprised that could keep their own time, when three or four different songs were being practiced at once.
Tomorrow I'm going to the post office, police station, and bus depot. I've got my map quiz for history at 2:30. I'm feeling pretty confident. Margo quizzed Joanna and I tonight; we raced to see who could point to the location first. It's only 10 locations out of 66 that we have to identify; I'll be fine. Amazingly, I don't have homework for Japanese. I'm glad to be doing koto, and I've made a start on my project. I'm splitting it into three parts: the history and evolution of the koto; the music of the koto and; the koto in modern Japan. I want to develop some sort of hypothesis, but I'm not sure how to phrase it just yet. Well, here's hoping I can find my phone tomorrow!
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