...and another random thing:
While doing some listening comprehensions today in class my teacher was rewinding the CD back to find where we left off last time. Thus came the usual funny sound of voices being rewinded^^ What does my teacher say? "It sounds a bit like chinese, doesn't it?" :D
Chockingly the chinese guys didn't laugh as much as I did! XP
And why I chose Japanese instead of Chinese...
2011-07-01 @ 17:28:04中学校へ戻ろう!!
2011-07-01 @ 16:24:43 This morning I wanted to go and die (preferably in bed) when the alarm rung at 6.30. Reason was I signed up a time ago to visit a japanese school close by today. But daaaamn 6.30 is early when you're used to lesson starting at 13.40...
So anyway, me and some other students from (my) school got picked up by a taxi and transported away to the other one. these "chuugakkusei" we were supposed to meet for the day would be something like 7th grade in Swedish schools I think. A loooot of shit happened during these few hours we spent there, and it would be a whole novel if I shouls write it all out here, but in short it was a really interesting, funny, and throughout dreadful experience. We got seperated into classes two and two, of course except for me who had been assigned to a class by my own. Horrayyy, the paper with that information made me have stomachache in a blink of an eye. One of the students from "my" class led the way to their classroom, and thus the schoolday started. They had prepared different facts about Japan that they presented for me, and that was fun and easy to just sit down and listen to. And then they say that it's my turn to go up and present facts about Sweden.... O_O
Since I didn't have friggin clue that I was supposed to do that for them today, that became a long, tortuous embarrasement. Went like "uuuuuuuh, weeeell... ... ... Sweden is a... nice country I think. We have a lot of festivals, like.. *thinking kräftskiva. what the hell can I call that in japanese* uuuuh... midsummer. Christmas is also a big thing in Sweden" >_< And on like that it went in a couple of minutes until I decided to put an end to my own suffering and shut up. I'm NOT good with improvising presentations in Japanese. NOOOT good. I wish I could have gotten a hint about this before hand so I could have prepared something good for them... I did not help to hear from my friends later that none of them had to do this (=_=)
Later on all the students from the classes gathered in a big hall with us foreign students that had come to visit. 300-400 students about. They demonstrated some traditional japanese games (for example something very close to the swedish "blindbock", except that instead of a tail on a donkey, it was a face on a geisha-like princess..), made us play a chop-stick game, and poured traditional tea that they made me and three other of us foreigners sit down and drink at a prepared table. To sip from a small cup of tea while 300 students stare at you was slightly.. awkward..
Had lunch with them, and that was the end for the day with them. I got a story they had presented earlier as thanks. Pictures they painted themselves and stuff, really cute :3
So much else to tell about today, but I guess this will do for today!
...or actually no, one more thing. A swedish guy from my schools morning classes attended today as well, and as we shared the taxi back I had the chance to witness the poularity of western boys here. Hahaha, I laughed so much I cried almost all the way back to my own scool. XD The girls gathered outside when we got into the taxi and screamed (really screamed) after him "I love you!" "iya da!! Don't leave us!!" "We looove yooou!!!" in a fashion that has to be experienced to be believed. I still laugh just by thinking of it! Retelling just won't do...
So anyway, me and some other students from (my) school got picked up by a taxi and transported away to the other one. these "chuugakkusei" we were supposed to meet for the day would be something like 7th grade in Swedish schools I think. A loooot of shit happened during these few hours we spent there, and it would be a whole novel if I shouls write it all out here, but in short it was a really interesting, funny, and throughout dreadful experience. We got seperated into classes two and two, of course except for me who had been assigned to a class by my own. Horrayyy, the paper with that information made me have stomachache in a blink of an eye. One of the students from "my" class led the way to their classroom, and thus the schoolday started. They had prepared different facts about Japan that they presented for me, and that was fun and easy to just sit down and listen to. And then they say that it's my turn to go up and present facts about Sweden.... O_O
Since I didn't have friggin clue that I was supposed to do that for them today, that became a long, tortuous embarrasement. Went like "uuuuuuuh, weeeell... ... ... Sweden is a... nice country I think. We have a lot of festivals, like.. *thinking kräftskiva. what the hell can I call that in japanese* uuuuh... midsummer. Christmas is also a big thing in Sweden" >_< And on like that it went in a couple of minutes until I decided to put an end to my own suffering and shut up. I'm NOT good with improvising presentations in Japanese. NOOOT good. I wish I could have gotten a hint about this before hand so I could have prepared something good for them... I did not help to hear from my friends later that none of them had to do this (=_=)
Later on all the students from the classes gathered in a big hall with us foreign students that had come to visit. 300-400 students about. They demonstrated some traditional japanese games (for example something very close to the swedish "blindbock", except that instead of a tail on a donkey, it was a face on a geisha-like princess..), made us play a chop-stick game, and poured traditional tea that they made me and three other of us foreigners sit down and drink at a prepared table. To sip from a small cup of tea while 300 students stare at you was slightly.. awkward..
Had lunch with them, and that was the end for the day with them. I got a story they had presented earlier as thanks. Pictures they painted themselves and stuff, really cute :3
So much else to tell about today, but I guess this will do for today!
...or actually no, one more thing. A swedish guy from my schools morning classes attended today as well, and as we shared the taxi back I had the chance to witness the poularity of western boys here. Hahaha, I laughed so much I cried almost all the way back to my own scool. XD The girls gathered outside when we got into the taxi and screamed (really screamed) after him "I love you!" "iya da!! Don't leave us!!" "We looove yooou!!!" in a fashion that has to be experienced to be believed. I still laugh just by thinking of it! Retelling just won't do...
Glad Midsommar!!
2011-06-24 @ 12:25:33The sun is on its way down, and I have finally dragged my lazy ass back here to wish you "Glad Midsommar" while it's still up!! :D
Had the usual day of school, and we got the result back from the "moshi shiken" we did yesterday, not the real test but last year's I think.. Did level 3, and even though it felt far from great while doing it, I managed to hook myself a diploma for being third best in school! :D
Nice to be back home though with the weekend ahead. Will meet up with Saori and Anders and celebrate some late midsummer together either Saturday or Sunday, but for the real evening there's no big plans. Although me and the girls here have bough a huge mountain of cider, snacks and strawberries (we have even bought a big cake!!^^) that we're planning to get fat on later tonight as a celebration :) I really think we bough way ahead of what we can eat and drink though.. I ought to take a picture and show you, but I don't think I dare :S
So here we are, summery dresses and all for the sake of the day! Out on our balcony, pretending that it's not hot as an oven out there.
Glad Midsommar på er alla därhemma!! Skänk mig en tanke när ni äter all den goa maten ;P
(...o jag vet att jag ser förjävlig ut på bilden, men eftersom det här inte direkt är någon mångmiljonsblogg så orkar jag inte bry mig för mycket om saken)
An update!!
2011-06-10 @ 14:37:44 So, while waiting for the newest episode of Game of Thrones to load, I figured I'd kill some time and get something done over here! Obviously a lot of stuff have happened since the last time I did a proper update, but nothing you won't surive without knowing I'm sure ;)
The week past by really fast, and it's already Friday again. Bought a few -REAL- books in japanese last weekend and have been busy reading them, so that might be why it feels like I only had time to blink before the week was gone. Really nice to read a real book again though, missed that a lot. And actually not that tough to read one in japanese as I thought it would be. Obviously I didn't understand everything, but enough to enjoy it :)
And we have the rain period over here now by the way. Not so hysterically depressing as everyone told us. A Swedish summer is probably potentially more rainy...
And because I feel sorry for myself -and have nothing better to write- I can tell you that I woke up this morning from a reeeally strange dream involving biting horses, cursed woods, and a big green, slighly scary Totoro. Got up with a big headache, tried to mend it with a quick nescafé-injection (wich didn't work) and went off to school. Began with a new conjugation of verbs, that I to my own dismay didn't understand at all, and back home again after school, still with a headache. Will try to head to bed early tonight, while (probably in vain) praying for some sane dreams...
The week past by really fast, and it's already Friday again. Bought a few -REAL- books in japanese last weekend and have been busy reading them, so that might be why it feels like I only had time to blink before the week was gone. Really nice to read a real book again though, missed that a lot. And actually not that tough to read one in japanese as I thought it would be. Obviously I didn't understand everything, but enough to enjoy it :)
And we have the rain period over here now by the way. Not so hysterically depressing as everyone told us. A Swedish summer is probably potentially more rainy...
And because I feel sorry for myself -and have nothing better to write- I can tell you that I woke up this morning from a reeeally strange dream involving biting horses, cursed woods, and a big green, slighly scary Totoro. Got up with a big headache, tried to mend it with a quick nescafé-injection (wich didn't work) and went off to school. Began with a new conjugation of verbs, that I to my own dismay didn't understand at all, and back home again after school, still with a headache. Will try to head to bed early tonight, while (probably in vain) praying for some sane dreams...
It's aliiiiiiiiveee!!! (..well, almost..)
2011-05-30 @ 13:33:50 alrighty... Have some tests (yet again..) that I will have to shed some blood, sweat and tears over this week, but after that it's my full intention to get this damn thing up and running again. So this is just to say... wait a bit longer..? haha, geez, I even get annoyed by myself >_<
Still Safe in the South!
2011-03-16 @ 07:40:12 Wednesday today, and at least we didn't wake up to the news of any more nuclear reactors exploading... Although there was a fire at Daiichi nuclear plant (reactor 3 I think) this morning japan-time, it seems that it quickly subsided. But white -most likely radio active- smoke has been coming out since then so I'm sure it's not all red roses... And they released some photos of Daiichi's number 3 and 4, and maaaan, it didn't look very good at all!
And a new earthquake in the Chiba-district in Tokyo today as well, think it was 6.0 or there about. Happy happy happy I'm not living in Tokyo...
Anyway, we still remain safe here down in south, and I would say it's quite likely it will continue this way. Even though they have measured 10 times higher radiation values than normal in Tokyo, they still strongly confirm that there's no risk to health at all. And Tokyo in its turn is still a long way away from here. In general, it seems like the rest of the world has a lot more panic about this than Japan itself has.. :/ Now, apparently there's been suspiscions from abroad that the japanese government is witholding information and stuff, but naaah, I don't really see why to be honest. Where's the win in that? I don't think mass panic is bound to happen here anyway, people are obviously sad and in despair, but fully composed. What I don't trust at the moment though, is that friggin TEPCO. Even the prime minister himself gave out for not providing him with information..
Ok, I bet you all know what's going on anyway, so I'll stop here for now. Will go make myself some tea and see if I can find something fun to watch for a change. If anyone is interested in following the news I would recommend NHK's live broadcasting here:
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/index.html
Basically japanese news sent from Japan, but in English.
Oooh, and I read in "aftonbladet" that the earth is now rotating quicker and the days getting shorter because of the earthquake last Friday. Pffft... They really are the comic relief among newspapers... XD
And a new earthquake in the Chiba-district in Tokyo today as well, think it was 6.0 or there about. Happy happy happy I'm not living in Tokyo...
Anyway, we still remain safe here down in south, and I would say it's quite likely it will continue this way. Even though they have measured 10 times higher radiation values than normal in Tokyo, they still strongly confirm that there's no risk to health at all. And Tokyo in its turn is still a long way away from here. In general, it seems like the rest of the world has a lot more panic about this than Japan itself has.. :/ Now, apparently there's been suspiscions from abroad that the japanese government is witholding information and stuff, but naaah, I don't really see why to be honest. Where's the win in that? I don't think mass panic is bound to happen here anyway, people are obviously sad and in despair, but fully composed. What I don't trust at the moment though, is that friggin TEPCO. Even the prime minister himself gave out for not providing him with information..
Ok, I bet you all know what's going on anyway, so I'll stop here for now. Will go make myself some tea and see if I can find something fun to watch for a change. If anyone is interested in following the news I would recommend NHK's live broadcasting here:
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/index.html
Basically japanese news sent from Japan, but in English.
Oooh, and I read in "aftonbladet" that the earth is now rotating quicker and the days getting shorter because of the earthquake last Friday. Pffft... They really are the comic relief among newspapers... XD
One hell of a day
2011-03-11 @ 14:50:22 Hey there!
So this has been one eventful day to say the least... Pretty unreal. Got started with the last day of school before the spring holiday. And with the big speech contest that we all have been sweating over the last few weeks. Something I didn't really look forward to, but yeah, you do what you have to do :P
Cleaned out the classrooms together with everyone else, and then went to the big hall for the anouncement of the winner, and the usual speech from the principal you can't seem to get away from no matter the country... :/
As it happened, I actually won this contest!! Got a bit surprised but of course happy that I could keep the swedish honour up hahah ;)
...So, went home, and left immediately for Daiso to get a few things. Well there my roommates mobile started ringing, putting on her worried dad on the line wondering if we're Ok. We had at that point no idea what was going on, but he explained that there had been an earthquake with following tsunamis here in Japan. With that we went home, and turned on our computers to get us some information. We havent felt anything down here in Fukuoka, although we couldn't get our internet to work for a while, that's all. So everything is safe here, and will probably continue to be so since we're on the west coast and not the east where the earthquake had its epicentrum. Been following everything live since the internet started to work, and will probably not be able to sleep for a while even though I'm tired as if I hadn't sleep for two days. It's pretty intense to know these things are happening close enough. I don't think there's any danger to us at all here, but we still have to be aware of aftershakes. We packed two emergency bags to have in worst case scenario (which you actually always should have prepared when you live in in this country. Had one prepared before, but it went away to make some more space a few months ago...)
but as I said, nothing at all is expected to happen here. Right now I'm just happy our Tokyo trip didn't happen... instead we planned to visit Beppu, a city famous for its many onsen-baths, but now that wont happen either. The city is located where tsunami warnings has been announced, so that is to forget. So this turned out to be a pretty shitty start of the spring holiday.. Just happy nothing happened us here, and really hope everyhting will go as good as it can for those affected, especially those the Sendai area and around. Right now the number is 300 dead, but last time I checked it was 63 so... It's a pretty apocalyptic feeling here now. We went to the grocerystore a while ago to get us some dinner, but all the bento boxes had been sold out, and most bread and stuff alike as well. Probably because people are cautious about using gas right now, in case of anything happening.
Ok, only wanted to let people at home know where safe and unaffected. Will get myself to bed now, and will leave for tomorrow what tomorrow will bring. A small comfort is that Japan is more than well prepared for these kind of events, and will handle this the best way possible. That's what I want to believe anyway! :)
Goodnight, and take care. See ya soon
So this has been one eventful day to say the least... Pretty unreal. Got started with the last day of school before the spring holiday. And with the big speech contest that we all have been sweating over the last few weeks. Something I didn't really look forward to, but yeah, you do what you have to do :P
Cleaned out the classrooms together with everyone else, and then went to the big hall for the anouncement of the winner, and the usual speech from the principal you can't seem to get away from no matter the country... :/
As it happened, I actually won this contest!! Got a bit surprised but of course happy that I could keep the swedish honour up hahah ;)
...So, went home, and left immediately for Daiso to get a few things. Well there my roommates mobile started ringing, putting on her worried dad on the line wondering if we're Ok. We had at that point no idea what was going on, but he explained that there had been an earthquake with following tsunamis here in Japan. With that we went home, and turned on our computers to get us some information. We havent felt anything down here in Fukuoka, although we couldn't get our internet to work for a while, that's all. So everything is safe here, and will probably continue to be so since we're on the west coast and not the east where the earthquake had its epicentrum. Been following everything live since the internet started to work, and will probably not be able to sleep for a while even though I'm tired as if I hadn't sleep for two days. It's pretty intense to know these things are happening close enough. I don't think there's any danger to us at all here, but we still have to be aware of aftershakes. We packed two emergency bags to have in worst case scenario (which you actually always should have prepared when you live in in this country. Had one prepared before, but it went away to make some more space a few months ago...)
but as I said, nothing at all is expected to happen here. Right now I'm just happy our Tokyo trip didn't happen... instead we planned to visit Beppu, a city famous for its many onsen-baths, but now that wont happen either. The city is located where tsunami warnings has been announced, so that is to forget. So this turned out to be a pretty shitty start of the spring holiday.. Just happy nothing happened us here, and really hope everyhting will go as good as it can for those affected, especially those the Sendai area and around. Right now the number is 300 dead, but last time I checked it was 63 so... It's a pretty apocalyptic feeling here now. We went to the grocerystore a while ago to get us some dinner, but all the bento boxes had been sold out, and most bread and stuff alike as well. Probably because people are cautious about using gas right now, in case of anything happening.
Ok, only wanted to let people at home know where safe and unaffected. Will get myself to bed now, and will leave for tomorrow what tomorrow will bring. A small comfort is that Japan is more than well prepared for these kind of events, and will handle this the best way possible. That's what I want to believe anyway! :)
Goodnight, and take care. See ya soon
Setsubun etc
2011-02-11 @ 10:43:09 Yo!
Late with updating here as usual... Friday, and I figured I should get this done =='
Had kanji test this Thursday, but I think it went fine. Could write and read everyone of them, now it's only left to see if it was correct haha.
Looking forward to Friday next week by the way! The school is taking us out to Nagazaki!! Yay!! A three-hours bus ride from here, but I'm really looking forward to it! Not too sure how much we will actually see of it considering we're going 8 am and will be back the same day around 6 pm, but oh well.. Really want to get around this country before I have to leave. Spring holidays is soon here -in late April I think- and me and some friends have been talking about maybe going to Tokyo for a week or two. Will dissapear a hell of a lot of money only for that though, so nothing is decided yet. But for sure I want to go there while I'm here in Japan, but brobably there will only be money for one visit. If I go during summer there's the possibility of climbing mt Fuji, and that's something I really want to do that as well. Will have to do some thinking I guess :/
And here comes a few photos from the Setsubun! The funny thing is that it's also kind of a celebration for spring to come, and actually, since February the 3rd -setsubun- the weather got way better :D And about ten degrees warmer! ^^ Today is kind of gloomy weather though, but at least not as cold as it has been before.
This setsubun thingey was recorded and sent live via a channel (dunno which one), but since it was live I of course couldn't watch it myself on TV ;) Man, that's the fourth time I'm on Japanse TV since I came here four months ago hahaha...
So here I am, beauuuutiful, am I not...? What this god is all about I'm not really sure, but I was told by a random guy standing in the crowd by the temple that my club was something in the lines of an almighty club. I did some research later and found out this guy is some kind of god for agriculture and wealth or something like that. Read here if you wish.. />http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/daikoku.shtml
And just because I want to show you all the clothes underneath the clothes... But it was really fun being dressed up in all these really japanese clothes!! Even though it's a mans clothes... ^^'
A bit from the temple. It's actually really pretty there.
A looot of people came to this mame-maki. We did this every hour, and each time tons of people gathered!! And went kind of crazy when they started throwing out the bags of sweet beans to the people. Means good fortune to catch them, so the otherwise extremely polite and humble japanese showed us they've got some sharp elbows if they want to. Kind of fun to see XD
Late with updating here as usual... Friday, and I figured I should get this done =='
Had kanji test this Thursday, but I think it went fine. Could write and read everyone of them, now it's only left to see if it was correct haha.
Looking forward to Friday next week by the way! The school is taking us out to Nagazaki!! Yay!! A three-hours bus ride from here, but I'm really looking forward to it! Not too sure how much we will actually see of it considering we're going 8 am and will be back the same day around 6 pm, but oh well.. Really want to get around this country before I have to leave. Spring holidays is soon here -in late April I think- and me and some friends have been talking about maybe going to Tokyo for a week or two. Will dissapear a hell of a lot of money only for that though, so nothing is decided yet. But for sure I want to go there while I'm here in Japan, but brobably there will only be money for one visit. If I go during summer there's the possibility of climbing mt Fuji, and that's something I really want to do that as well. Will have to do some thinking I guess :/
And here comes a few photos from the Setsubun! The funny thing is that it's also kind of a celebration for spring to come, and actually, since February the 3rd -setsubun- the weather got way better :D And about ten degrees warmer! ^^ Today is kind of gloomy weather though, but at least not as cold as it has been before.
This setsubun thingey was recorded and sent live via a channel (dunno which one), but since it was live I of course couldn't watch it myself on TV ;) Man, that's the fourth time I'm on Japanse TV since I came here four months ago hahaha...
So here I am, beauuuutiful, am I not...? What this god is all about I'm not really sure, but I was told by a random guy standing in the crowd by the temple that my club was something in the lines of an almighty club. I did some research later and found out this guy is some kind of god for agriculture and wealth or something like that. Read here if you wish.. />http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/daikoku.shtml
And just because I want to show you all the clothes underneath the clothes... But it was really fun being dressed up in all these really japanese clothes!! Even though it's a mans clothes... ^^'
A bit from the temple. It's actually really pretty there.
A looot of people came to this mame-maki. We did this every hour, and each time tons of people gathered!! And went kind of crazy when they started throwing out the bags of sweet beans to the people. Means good fortune to catch them, so the otherwise extremely polite and humble japanese showed us they've got some sharp elbows if they want to. Kind of fun to see XD
=)
2011-02-02 @ 11:50:36 To go through the events quickly: the pronaunciation test went crap. The big test went crap. The reason for the first one was that I was stuck with a big cold, and my throat just didn't wanna co-operate. The reason for the other one? Who knows...
That aside it's time for Setsubun tomorrow! :) Hope it will be as much fun as last time! Will bring the camera with me so I'll have something to show on the blog later on. And even though I won't be able to see it for myself, I'll be on the telly tomorrow as well!! :O It's that talkshow-thingey we did.. On fbs at 4, but yeah... will be working, hopefully some nice person will be able to record it (if that's a good thing..?).
Nothin fun to tell really.. Straightened my hair today due to curiosity. Looked pretty silly, but now I know I wont try that for a while again hahaha :D So yeah, no big things has happened :P
See Ya! Hopefully a slightly more sophisticated text will enter here next time...
That aside it's time for Setsubun tomorrow! :) Hope it will be as much fun as last time! Will bring the camera with me so I'll have something to show on the blog later on. And even though I won't be able to see it for myself, I'll be on the telly tomorrow as well!! :O It's that talkshow-thingey we did.. On fbs at 4, but yeah... will be working, hopefully some nice person will be able to record it (if that's a good thing..?).
Nothin fun to tell really.. Straightened my hair today due to curiosity. Looked pretty silly, but now I know I wont try that for a while again hahaha :D So yeah, no big things has happened :P
See Ya! Hopefully a slightly more sophisticated text will enter here next time...
25/1 Do Not Taunt the Old Ways...
2011-01-25 @ 14:43:05 Hiya!
Tuesday night at the moment, and munching on some chocolate snacks while writing this, as a comfort for the huge pile of homework today presented me with.. Went to pay the water and gas bill after school, but since then I've been sitting (ok, almost..) nonstop with it, and I've still got five stencils to go plus todays kanji. Yadayooooo....
Anyway, enough with the complaining! Last Friday was kind of crazy and strange, but a lot of fun!! Like I wrote before we were (a group of fresh baked gaijins) out to tour the town with mame-maki. Google it if you want the whole explanation, but in short it's a cermony where you try to get the evil spirits out, and the good spirits in for the coming year. A very very old tradition apparently. We all dressed up as different gods (chinese gods actually, hmm...), plus two dressing up as devils. And then we arrived at different places, lined up, and then the traditional shouting "oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi" starts, where the two devils run in and get sweet beans thrown at them by the people watching :) The run out of the house as a sign of the evil spirits getting, well... out. "Oni wa soto" directly translate "evil is out" and "fuku wa uchi" translates "good luck/fortune is in the house". But since "fuku" also means "clothes" so me with my bad humour giggled a lot at it in the beginning. It's written differently, but it was still fun^^ Anyway, when the devils has run out of sight, a girl with a geisha mask walks in to represent the good fortune entering.
My God was apparently called "Daikoku", which would mean great land or something? Had a shitugly mask that turned me in to a smiling fat man. A slightly retarded smiling fat man. All the masks were done in kind of old japanese style, which I find, uumm... not very attractive...
Nontheless, we toured around the shopping malls -were we once made some poor baby cry out of fear-, the mayor and gouvenour (I probably spelled that wrong though..) and some other fancy-looking places. Got really nice expensive-looking food for free, snacks with tea twice, and still got paid 10000 yen for a days work. Not too ba at all!! :D
Ended up on three tv-channels that evening, hahaha. Our school recorded one of them, so if I feel brave I might put it up here on the blog. Not sure how to do that thought, so we'll see!
A kind of fun thing is that there's a few details about this celebration. You're for example supposed to eat as many beans as your age, plus one for the coming year to not fall ill or get sick. Alas, I recieved a whole bag of them, and ate them all. Because, really, who am I to believe in old fairytales? Anyway, guess who's gotten sick now... I'm not sure if I should laugh or not :/
On Thursday we have a pronounciation test, not too afraid of that. Of some really really strange reason swedish and japanese is kind of similar in the ways of pronounce things. Not sure how to explain it, but that's the way it is. So I hope that won't be too much of a struggle, and after that we have yet another test. But one thing at a time, for now I'm going back to the homework for a little while before going to bed. Didn't catch too much sleep last night (damn clogged noses!!!) so hopefully I won't stay up for much longer. Will have to save the rest of the stuff for tomorrow morning instead, yays! Nity niiite~
Tuesday night at the moment, and munching on some chocolate snacks while writing this, as a comfort for the huge pile of homework today presented me with.. Went to pay the water and gas bill after school, but since then I've been sitting (ok, almost..) nonstop with it, and I've still got five stencils to go plus todays kanji. Yadayooooo....
Anyway, enough with the complaining! Last Friday was kind of crazy and strange, but a lot of fun!! Like I wrote before we were (a group of fresh baked gaijins) out to tour the town with mame-maki. Google it if you want the whole explanation, but in short it's a cermony where you try to get the evil spirits out, and the good spirits in for the coming year. A very very old tradition apparently. We all dressed up as different gods (chinese gods actually, hmm...), plus two dressing up as devils. And then we arrived at different places, lined up, and then the traditional shouting "oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi" starts, where the two devils run in and get sweet beans thrown at them by the people watching :) The run out of the house as a sign of the evil spirits getting, well... out. "Oni wa soto" directly translate "evil is out" and "fuku wa uchi" translates "good luck/fortune is in the house". But since "fuku" also means "clothes" so me with my bad humour giggled a lot at it in the beginning. It's written differently, but it was still fun^^ Anyway, when the devils has run out of sight, a girl with a geisha mask walks in to represent the good fortune entering.
My God was apparently called "Daikoku", which would mean great land or something? Had a shitugly mask that turned me in to a smiling fat man. A slightly retarded smiling fat man. All the masks were done in kind of old japanese style, which I find, uumm... not very attractive...
Nontheless, we toured around the shopping malls -were we once made some poor baby cry out of fear-, the mayor and gouvenour (I probably spelled that wrong though..) and some other fancy-looking places. Got really nice expensive-looking food for free, snacks with tea twice, and still got paid 10000 yen for a days work. Not too ba at all!! :D
Ended up on three tv-channels that evening, hahaha. Our school recorded one of them, so if I feel brave I might put it up here on the blog. Not sure how to do that thought, so we'll see!
A kind of fun thing is that there's a few details about this celebration. You're for example supposed to eat as many beans as your age, plus one for the coming year to not fall ill or get sick. Alas, I recieved a whole bag of them, and ate them all. Because, really, who am I to believe in old fairytales? Anyway, guess who's gotten sick now... I'm not sure if I should laugh or not :/
On Thursday we have a pronounciation test, not too afraid of that. Of some really really strange reason swedish and japanese is kind of similar in the ways of pronounce things. Not sure how to explain it, but that's the way it is. So I hope that won't be too much of a struggle, and after that we have yet another test. But one thing at a time, for now I'm going back to the homework for a little while before going to bed. Didn't catch too much sleep last night (damn clogged noses!!!) so hopefully I won't stay up for much longer. Will have to save the rest of the stuff for tomorrow morning instead, yays! Nity niiite~
19/1 Talkshow and mame-maki
2011-01-19 @ 15:13:03 So... another day soon to its end... I can't believe the time is passing by this fast!! Did I tell you about the interview last Friday by the way? Can't remember if I did, and I'm too lazy to scroll down and check haha.. We (aka the Swedish people at the school; me and the three girls I'm living with plus another guy) found out last Wednesday that a TV crew would meet up with us after school coming Friday, and interview us about, err... "Glimmis" wchich will say reflexes... Explained to them that "Glimmis" was only the name of a company, and they seemed quite surprised :)
Anyway, the whole thing went -kind of- fine. I messed up at a few places getting myself into too difficult sentences, but I guess it could have been a lot lot worse after all. But later I found out that the interview was actually for some fancy (or whatever) talkshow, and not for the crappy local news that I though.. A bit strange, but since I don't own a TV -and don't even know the name of said talkshow- I guess I'll never find out just how much of fools we made ourselves ou there. I should probably be glad for that?
As for the reason for the whole interview is that these "glimmis" reflexes has gotten quite popular here in Japan as a cute decoration to have on your bag, mobile, or wherever you may seem fit. So the ones available here are all in cute shapes and colours of course. Tried to explain to them that we use them first and mostly for traffic safetey, but I'm not sure they actually believed me... >_<
Today was nothing exciting, school as usual, with the change of me sniffing and sneezing in the background. Think the cold has gotten to me after all :( Did some groceryshopping, and went home to make some dinner. Fish, for the first time since I came here, if sushi doesn't count that is ;) Should have gone to 7eleven to bay the bills today, but we forgot the bill itself so that will have to wait until tomorrow. It's very handy paying bills here though, it's just to walk down to closest convinient store and hand in the bill along with the money, you get a stamp, and then it's done. Maybe it had been handier via internet, but since my account is swedish -and I'm not sure my japanese account even has an internet connection- it wouldn't work anyway.
This Friday will be interesting I think. I will participate in something called "mame-maki", which is some kind of new years tradition. I thought it was a small thing from the beginning, but after the info meeting this Sunday I got to understand that it was slightly different.. It's a friggin HUGE event!! We will do this for two days, and basically tour the town around. Visit the mayor and all the big shopping malls and God knows where, and on the 3rd we will finish it all off outside a big really pretty buddhist tempel, also where the meeting was held. Really really beautful place, situated in the middle of it all close to the Hakata station.
I'm still not totally sure exactly what we're supposed to do, but the main core is to get the evil spirits out, and bring the good ones in for the new year. We will all dress up as a god, and play its part. Seems really funny!! Of some odd reason they want only foreigners to do this, hmm...
Ok, I'll leave it at this, until next! Cheers
Anyway, the whole thing went -kind of- fine. I messed up at a few places getting myself into too difficult sentences, but I guess it could have been a lot lot worse after all. But later I found out that the interview was actually for some fancy (or whatever) talkshow, and not for the crappy local news that I though.. A bit strange, but since I don't own a TV -and don't even know the name of said talkshow- I guess I'll never find out just how much of fools we made ourselves ou there. I should probably be glad for that?
As for the reason for the whole interview is that these "glimmis" reflexes has gotten quite popular here in Japan as a cute decoration to have on your bag, mobile, or wherever you may seem fit. So the ones available here are all in cute shapes and colours of course. Tried to explain to them that we use them first and mostly for traffic safetey, but I'm not sure they actually believed me... >_<
Today was nothing exciting, school as usual, with the change of me sniffing and sneezing in the background. Think the cold has gotten to me after all :( Did some groceryshopping, and went home to make some dinner. Fish, for the first time since I came here, if sushi doesn't count that is ;) Should have gone to 7eleven to bay the bills today, but we forgot the bill itself so that will have to wait until tomorrow. It's very handy paying bills here though, it's just to walk down to closest convinient store and hand in the bill along with the money, you get a stamp, and then it's done. Maybe it had been handier via internet, but since my account is swedish -and I'm not sure my japanese account even has an internet connection- it wouldn't work anyway.
This Friday will be interesting I think. I will participate in something called "mame-maki", which is some kind of new years tradition. I thought it was a small thing from the beginning, but after the info meeting this Sunday I got to understand that it was slightly different.. It's a friggin HUGE event!! We will do this for two days, and basically tour the town around. Visit the mayor and all the big shopping malls and God knows where, and on the 3rd we will finish it all off outside a big really pretty buddhist tempel, also where the meeting was held. Really really beautful place, situated in the middle of it all close to the Hakata station.
I'm still not totally sure exactly what we're supposed to do, but the main core is to get the evil spirits out, and bring the good ones in for the new year. We will all dress up as a god, and play its part. Seems really funny!! Of some odd reason they want only foreigners to do this, hmm...
Ok, I'll leave it at this, until next! Cheers
m(-_-)m
2011-01-09 @ 13:54:09 Yep, I suck. Big time. I knooow...
However I DO have some excuses :S A lot has happened (but then I should have a lot to write about then, hmm...), a new year arrived and everything! So a belated happy new year everyone! :)
As for myself I was working my ass off both christmas eve and new years eve (and overtime as well!!!>_<), and as for new years celebration I fell asleep on my bed after work and woke up ten past midnight D: It didn't seem like I missed something though, no fireworks at all, nothing. Guess they only do it in certain places then..
And so the winter holidays went by fast, and I'm now a skilled sushimaker!! Or I wish at least... But the work was fun, and the old ladies we worked with (that btw I think reached me to my knees. Tops.) were super cute and fed us sushi as soon as the boss weren't around haha. The not so fun parts of the job was that we had to stand in a friggin freezer while doing it!! That's what it felt like anyway, and of course, even after coming home I could feel the distant smell of raw fish coming from an unknown source. Probably myself though...
School has been on again since Thursday. Yay for being back and the temporary job being done and over with!! As a welcoming gift, my class had a big test the following Friday. So there again went the spare-time. But I think I did OK though, I'm more worried over the big kanji-test this coming week. Always a bit concerned about how to get a couple of hundred chinese characters (and of course, their various readings and combinations. Horray) into my head and make them stay there. Oh well, I have something to occupy myself with ;)
Today me and the other swedish girls had been invited out by one of the teachers at the school to come with him to learn some japanese culture, hahaha. It took us two hours by car to reach our destination, which was actually twice as long as it was supposed to.. We apparantly totally got lost on our way, and everyone we asked for directions was like " Huh? No idea, never heard about it". But a few other laughable situations later (including our teacher asking us if we also are growing a rice fields with our families in Sweden) we got there! Out in the coutryside in a small little house, a lot of people had gathered for some new year tradition. It started out -or ratherly they finished off with, since we were so late- with mochi-making! Mochi is a kind of bun made of rice, with a concistence similiar to any kind of stickey dough. It was made in a rather peculiar way of pounding the dough with biiiig wooden clubs, and then, well, ready to eat XD
I actually had heard about these before, and was a bit apprahensive to eat. This is because the ones you make in the new years tradition are so stickey, that they actually are able to get stuck in your throat and choke you to death. Apparently this happens to a few people every year...
It was a lot of chewing to do before you had finished a little piece, but actually it wasn't that bad. But for the following four hours we just sat eating and eating, and I don't think I want to see a mochi again for a while. We ate mochi with soy sauce and daigon, mocci with some strange powder on (this one was a big eeeew. Tasted like bbq spice and sugar), and mochi with sweet bean paste. And before we could leave we got served curry the sri lankan way (have anyone heard me say I'm not too fond of curry..?) and when I tried to eat I think I was starting to see a white light coming for me. Maaaaaan, how can they eat that spicy food?????? My tongue hurt, the back of my throat hurt like a bitch, and after five chews tops my stomach began to hurt. Kind of like 'oooooh, I didn't know you could get gastric ulcers this fast??'. I stopped after those five chews and I'm still -a good few hours later- feeling kind of sick. I don't think I'm too good with curry, neither the one at home or the real deal...
Tomorrow will be interesting as well. Me and two friends will leave for a big cermony thingey held for all those who just have or will soon turn twenty. It will only be for like an hours time at noon, but it supposed to be really fancy dress wice, and they actually wanted us to wear kimonos. But as it is, I probably would look veeeeery awkward in a kimono, plus it would cost me 10 000 yen to rent one for a day. And after that comes the hairdressing and make up that has to go with it, so noo.. I will grab the most dress-up thingey I have in my wardrobe, and they will have to deal with that! Hope it should be OK anyway. And I hope I will be home early after that, because I really REALLY need to start study for the kanji-test.
And I know I have hundreds of mails I need to answer, and hundreds of other things I need to do (like cleaning my room. Ew) and I will try to get the most iportant things done tomorrow after I've gotten back. It's been very busy around here lately, but I'll try to get back to you all as soon as possible. Bad conscience is a great companion of mine right now, trust me!! That's why I even managed to get an update to the blog....
Hugs, hugs, HUGS to you all <3
However I DO have some excuses :S A lot has happened (but then I should have a lot to write about then, hmm...), a new year arrived and everything! So a belated happy new year everyone! :)
As for myself I was working my ass off both christmas eve and new years eve (and overtime as well!!!>_<), and as for new years celebration I fell asleep on my bed after work and woke up ten past midnight D: It didn't seem like I missed something though, no fireworks at all, nothing. Guess they only do it in certain places then..
And so the winter holidays went by fast, and I'm now a skilled sushimaker!! Or I wish at least... But the work was fun, and the old ladies we worked with (that btw I think reached me to my knees. Tops.) were super cute and fed us sushi as soon as the boss weren't around haha. The not so fun parts of the job was that we had to stand in a friggin freezer while doing it!! That's what it felt like anyway, and of course, even after coming home I could feel the distant smell of raw fish coming from an unknown source. Probably myself though...
School has been on again since Thursday. Yay for being back and the temporary job being done and over with!! As a welcoming gift, my class had a big test the following Friday. So there again went the spare-time. But I think I did OK though, I'm more worried over the big kanji-test this coming week. Always a bit concerned about how to get a couple of hundred chinese characters (and of course, their various readings and combinations. Horray) into my head and make them stay there. Oh well, I have something to occupy myself with ;)
Today me and the other swedish girls had been invited out by one of the teachers at the school to come with him to learn some japanese culture, hahaha. It took us two hours by car to reach our destination, which was actually twice as long as it was supposed to.. We apparantly totally got lost on our way, and everyone we asked for directions was like " Huh? No idea, never heard about it". But a few other laughable situations later (including our teacher asking us if we also are growing a rice fields with our families in Sweden) we got there! Out in the coutryside in a small little house, a lot of people had gathered for some new year tradition. It started out -or ratherly they finished off with, since we were so late- with mochi-making! Mochi is a kind of bun made of rice, with a concistence similiar to any kind of stickey dough. It was made in a rather peculiar way of pounding the dough with biiiig wooden clubs, and then, well, ready to eat XD
I actually had heard about these before, and was a bit apprahensive to eat. This is because the ones you make in the new years tradition are so stickey, that they actually are able to get stuck in your throat and choke you to death. Apparently this happens to a few people every year...
It was a lot of chewing to do before you had finished a little piece, but actually it wasn't that bad. But for the following four hours we just sat eating and eating, and I don't think I want to see a mochi again for a while. We ate mochi with soy sauce and daigon, mocci with some strange powder on (this one was a big eeeew. Tasted like bbq spice and sugar), and mochi with sweet bean paste. And before we could leave we got served curry the sri lankan way (have anyone heard me say I'm not too fond of curry..?) and when I tried to eat I think I was starting to see a white light coming for me. Maaaaaan, how can they eat that spicy food?????? My tongue hurt, the back of my throat hurt like a bitch, and after five chews tops my stomach began to hurt. Kind of like 'oooooh, I didn't know you could get gastric ulcers this fast??'. I stopped after those five chews and I'm still -a good few hours later- feeling kind of sick. I don't think I'm too good with curry, neither the one at home or the real deal...
Tomorrow will be interesting as well. Me and two friends will leave for a big cermony thingey held for all those who just have or will soon turn twenty. It will only be for like an hours time at noon, but it supposed to be really fancy dress wice, and they actually wanted us to wear kimonos. But as it is, I probably would look veeeeery awkward in a kimono, plus it would cost me 10 000 yen to rent one for a day. And after that comes the hairdressing and make up that has to go with it, so noo.. I will grab the most dress-up thingey I have in my wardrobe, and they will have to deal with that! Hope it should be OK anyway. And I hope I will be home early after that, because I really REALLY need to start study for the kanji-test.
And I know I have hundreds of mails I need to answer, and hundreds of other things I need to do (like cleaning my room. Ew) and I will try to get the most iportant things done tomorrow after I've gotten back. It's been very busy around here lately, but I'll try to get back to you all as soon as possible. Bad conscience is a great companion of mine right now, trust me!! That's why I even managed to get an update to the blog....
Hugs, hugs, HUGS to you all <3
20/12
2010-12-20 @ 15:06:44 Hi again. I really need to update here more often, don't I..? ...oh, well, today (of some reason, it's the first time since ever) we didn't get any homework for tomorrow, so I've been doing pretty much nothing since I came home ;) Ate a very spontanious dinner of only rice, since we've forgotten to take out stuff from the freezer. Again. So shame on us, thank god the rice here is so tasty as it is!!
Visited the place we're gonna work at during the holidays (a food mall called "Hallo Days", whatever that is..) today, still not completely sure why... Sat down and talked with the staff for a while, showed them our "gaikokujintoroku" -something to show that we are accepted foreigners haha- which we alredy did last time, and wrote down name and adress for them, which we also did last time. But I could once again use my "inkan" though!! Inkan is a name-stamp they use here instead of a signature. You actually have to have it when buying a phone or signing any kind of contract, hence why I had to get one in the first place. Feels kind of cool to use, but unfortunately, my name is to long to fit into the stamp. So when my friends got their names in katakana to stamp down, I got my initials instead in romaji. So I'm currently signing my stuff with "BH". Highly uncool...
Two days left of school before the winter holidays will start, will be niiiice.. Starting to feel not so nice that I will work five of those days, but I hope it will be fun as well.
Hmm, ok, can't think of much more to say. Gotten a slight crush on Matsushita Yuya just because he's so damn friggin cuuuute so I'm on a fine way to listen all of his songs to death. Aaalmost getting bad teeth from all that sugar, but yeah, he's too cute to resist :3
And I've seen about the most horrid tv-series ever. I watched the first three episodes just for a gag, but really, that as far as it goes. It wasn't even that funny. Basically about a japanese girl substituting as a japanese teacher for crazy foreigners, including a ninjacrazed swedish girl. Yay. Perfectly portraits the way you don't want to be viewed as a foreigner, but probably is sometimes. Watch, and you don't know if you should cry or laugh. =_=
http://www.dramacrazy.net/japanese-drama/nihonjin-no-shiranai-nihongo-episode-1/
Visited the place we're gonna work at during the holidays (a food mall called "Hallo Days", whatever that is..) today, still not completely sure why... Sat down and talked with the staff for a while, showed them our "gaikokujintoroku" -something to show that we are accepted foreigners haha- which we alredy did last time, and wrote down name and adress for them, which we also did last time. But I could once again use my "inkan" though!! Inkan is a name-stamp they use here instead of a signature. You actually have to have it when buying a phone or signing any kind of contract, hence why I had to get one in the first place. Feels kind of cool to use, but unfortunately, my name is to long to fit into the stamp. So when my friends got their names in katakana to stamp down, I got my initials instead in romaji. So I'm currently signing my stuff with "BH". Highly uncool...
Two days left of school before the winter holidays will start, will be niiiice.. Starting to feel not so nice that I will work five of those days, but I hope it will be fun as well.
Hmm, ok, can't think of much more to say. Gotten a slight crush on Matsushita Yuya just because he's so damn friggin cuuuute so I'm on a fine way to listen all of his songs to death. Aaalmost getting bad teeth from all that sugar, but yeah, he's too cute to resist :3
And I've seen about the most horrid tv-series ever. I watched the first three episodes just for a gag, but really, that as far as it goes. It wasn't even that funny. Basically about a japanese girl substituting as a japanese teacher for crazy foreigners, including a ninjacrazed swedish girl. Yay. Perfectly portraits the way you don't want to be viewed as a foreigner, but probably is sometimes. Watch, and you don't know if you should cry or laugh. =_=
http://www.dramacrazy.net/japanese-drama/nihonjin-no-shiranai-nihongo-episode-1/
12/12 :D
2010-12-12 @ 06:55:01 Happy 2nd Advent everyone!! :) Just realized that it was today! Little bit of a tough time to get some christmas feeling here, even though we're working on it! Bought a shitload of christmas decorations, including a plastic christmas tree haha (or hang, on, I already wrote that last weekend right..? ups.)
The weekend has been pretty fun; last Friday all us swedes we're invited to a house of a friend of mine, together with some of her japanese friends. A bit awkward at times when the cultural differences wanted to make themselves seen, but still mostly a lot of fun! And I completely fell in love with a typical japanese thingey called kotatsu. I sooo want one!! It's one of those japanese tables that are pretty close to the ground since you sit directly on the floor without any chairs, but with a thick blanket hanging down from the sides from underneath the table. Some kind of electric device is connected so that that it get's all warm and cozy underneath the table. Awesome, I tell you. The only problem was that you got all sleepy in like 2 seconds haha. The houses themselves are pretty cold, so I guess getting some cozy warmth makes you fall like a log ;)
after dinner Kanami (the proud owner of the kotatsu and the huse) came in with a birthday-cake and started to sing happy birthday, and hahahahaha -i can't stop laughing at this- I happily sung along and glanced around to see who's birthday it was. Until they sung my name..... hahaha, I had NO idea they even knew my birthday is next week XD Really really cute of them considering I haven't known Kanami for very long, and her friends an even shorter time. They had my name engraved on the cake and everything!! And I got the funniest thing as well! A "magic music bear" dun, dun, duuun.. The cutest little teddy with headphones, that when connected to a computer or mp3 dance along to the music and works as a speaker. Looks a bit retarded after a while since it's doing the same dancemoves over and over again, but it's still the cutest!!!!
Cuuuuute :3
And there's a pun hidden in here as well! I get called "Bea" most of the times here as well, and when the japanese say it, which has the same sound as when the japanese say the english word "bear", hence why I got a bear from starters :D
Sunday afternoon now, later tonight we've been invited over to a nepalese girls house for dinner. She's in the same school as us, although senpai, so I hope I won't make a big fool out of myself with my poor language skills in comparison ;) Otherwise I'm just worried about the food... she said she would make nepalese food wich I once tasted before from other nepalese friends. And that was not even possible to eat. I think it's safe to say that I've never tasted anything as spice in my whole life *shudders*. Spicy can be nice, but I want to survive as well...
Coming weeks tuesday will be free (yaaay) so I will go out with my classmates on monday night after school. The occasion is my birtday and Yo Tei's -chinese classmate- birthday next week, so we'll go karaoke the whole night!! It's veeery japanese, and veeeery popular, so it will be fun to try that out! It's very cheap as well, so that's nice.
Until next time then! Hugs
The weekend has been pretty fun; last Friday all us swedes we're invited to a house of a friend of mine, together with some of her japanese friends. A bit awkward at times when the cultural differences wanted to make themselves seen, but still mostly a lot of fun! And I completely fell in love with a typical japanese thingey called kotatsu. I sooo want one!! It's one of those japanese tables that are pretty close to the ground since you sit directly on the floor without any chairs, but with a thick blanket hanging down from the sides from underneath the table. Some kind of electric device is connected so that that it get's all warm and cozy underneath the table. Awesome, I tell you. The only problem was that you got all sleepy in like 2 seconds haha. The houses themselves are pretty cold, so I guess getting some cozy warmth makes you fall like a log ;)
after dinner Kanami (the proud owner of the kotatsu and the huse) came in with a birthday-cake and started to sing happy birthday, and hahahahaha -i can't stop laughing at this- I happily sung along and glanced around to see who's birthday it was. Until they sung my name..... hahaha, I had NO idea they even knew my birthday is next week XD Really really cute of them considering I haven't known Kanami for very long, and her friends an even shorter time. They had my name engraved on the cake and everything!! And I got the funniest thing as well! A "magic music bear" dun, dun, duuun.. The cutest little teddy with headphones, that when connected to a computer or mp3 dance along to the music and works as a speaker. Looks a bit retarded after a while since it's doing the same dancemoves over and over again, but it's still the cutest!!!!
Cuuuuute :3
And there's a pun hidden in here as well! I get called "Bea" most of the times here as well, and when the japanese say it, which has the same sound as when the japanese say the english word "bear", hence why I got a bear from starters :D
Sunday afternoon now, later tonight we've been invited over to a nepalese girls house for dinner. She's in the same school as us, although senpai, so I hope I won't make a big fool out of myself with my poor language skills in comparison ;) Otherwise I'm just worried about the food... she said she would make nepalese food wich I once tasted before from other nepalese friends. And that was not even possible to eat. I think it's safe to say that I've never tasted anything as spice in my whole life *shudders*. Spicy can be nice, but I want to survive as well...
Coming weeks tuesday will be free (yaaay) so I will go out with my classmates on monday night after school. The occasion is my birtday and Yo Tei's -chinese classmate- birthday next week, so we'll go karaoke the whole night!! It's veeery japanese, and veeeery popular, so it will be fun to try that out! It's very cheap as well, so that's nice.
Until next time then! Hugs
4/12
2010-12-04 @ 08:48:15 Yay! Saturday afternoon, and finally a bit of time to spare^^ Both tests are done, and in the end I found both of them actually quite simple, so yay again! Have gotten the first one back already, and the result.. a bit meeh to be honest: 86/100... And a lot of really stupid mistakes as usual :/ Almost looking forward to the next test so I can try better XD
The very feared kanji test went fine as well, could read and write them all, but I will have to wait and see if I got them correct as well, haha.
Setting the test aside, my blog is no longer lying! Now it really IS a shoebox here in Fukuoka to live in!! The reason is that all of us swedish girls moved in together (4 of us) where before it was only me and Emma. Half the rent, horray!!! :D It was actually this type of room I (and all the other swedish girls) signed up for, but they still put us in separate rooms with -of course- double rent. I get the feeling the staff at the school think we are rich kids that have an endless amount of money sometimes.. Maybe because all the other students will go on studing at universities here, get a job here and all that jazz since that's profitable for them. And we, well, because we want to :)
Have gotten a job by the way! For five days only, but it will be some money. Got it through the school, and will be something like spending 7 h per day (during the christmas holiday, and bohoo, during the swedish christmas eve...) cutting fish and sorting sushi in a supermarket :S But it's a good thing, more money to save so I might be able to see a bit of the country here in the future :) So much to see!!
And today we bought some christmas decorations! And I tried to make some kind of advent candleholder hahaha. we bought a cute little basket that we filled with plastic (somewhat ugly but what to do) pines, some red ribbons, and four tea candles. As it is now it looks very pretty, but probably not safe to lit...
The very feared kanji test went fine as well, could read and write them all, but I will have to wait and see if I got them correct as well, haha.
Setting the test aside, my blog is no longer lying! Now it really IS a shoebox here in Fukuoka to live in!! The reason is that all of us swedish girls moved in together (4 of us) where before it was only me and Emma. Half the rent, horray!!! :D It was actually this type of room I (and all the other swedish girls) signed up for, but they still put us in separate rooms with -of course- double rent. I get the feeling the staff at the school think we are rich kids that have an endless amount of money sometimes.. Maybe because all the other students will go on studing at universities here, get a job here and all that jazz since that's profitable for them. And we, well, because we want to :)
Have gotten a job by the way! For five days only, but it will be some money. Got it through the school, and will be something like spending 7 h per day (during the christmas holiday, and bohoo, during the swedish christmas eve...) cutting fish and sorting sushi in a supermarket :S But it's a good thing, more money to save so I might be able to see a bit of the country here in the future :) So much to see!!
And today we bought some christmas decorations! And I tried to make some kind of advent candleholder hahaha. we bought a cute little basket that we filled with plastic (somewhat ugly but what to do) pines, some red ribbons, and four tea candles. As it is now it looks very pretty, but probably not safe to lit...
