雨の雫 Rain Drop

This is a simple short and sweet post. Well, maybe.

Quick thanks to the Chouinards for their Letter and especially to Becca for another great masterpiece. Thanks!!!

School is keeping me rightfully busy. I wish I could state a list of intersting things that I have done recently but I can't. It's been school, eat, study, sleep, computer, study and more study.

On the other hand, I was really starting to stress out the beginning of this week. Mostly because it's been raining a lot recently and going places in the rain is annoying. But when you don't have anywhere to go and there is a hot bath waiting for you isn't it great just to go outside and enjoy the rain? I went out barefoot Tuesday this week a little after midnight when it was only lightly raining and didn't come back in until I was thoroughly drenched. It just feels really awesome to have the rain pouring off you as you go through karate routines.

Also, in anticipation of the extended study period I have next week I went out and had some cheap kaiten (revolving) sushi with some friends today on the way home from school. Next week is, after all, Golden week. When I find out what it is a celebration of, I will let you know but for now it seems like Japan's version of Spring break; a week where everyone doesn't have school and people do a lot of traveling. Personally, I will treat it as catch up time for once again jumping in with both feet forward and getting well in over my head. Sometimes I wonder if I just like getting into difficult situations to try and turn them around.

Laters ya'll!

Tempus

Well, My updates here have not been occuring as often as they should. The first week of school has come and gone and again a lot has happened.

最近僕はこのブログをあまり最新のものにしていないですね。　新学期の最初の週間はもう去ってしまいました。

First off, my micro economics class is going to kill me. I can mostly understand the lectures and am going to be recording them with a voice recorder. That way I can listen again later. However, the class has no tests, no attendence record, and no homework. Only a 400+page book and a Final. The final is the only graded thing in the class. Tough. On the other hand that could be my saving grace because when the test comes my Japanese will be better.

最初に僕のミクロ経済の授業は僕を殺されます。　公園が大体分かります。　そして録音機器で録音するので後でもう一回聞きなおします。 しかし授業は試験がないし欠席は禁止じゃないしやっぱり宿題も無いです。　ただ４００枚＋の本と終末試験があります。　最終試験だけは成績と関係があります。大変.　逆に　試験が来るとき僕の日本語はもっとうまくなるからいいことだと思います。

Secondly, interesting things I was told. In class the first week of school I was informed of three things (well, rather the class was). The first two were in a level 5 class and the last was in a level 4 class.

The first is that Japanese think of lines as a sign something is popular. So, without thinking they will line up and buy things they never planned on buying. “It’s like, oh what’s this? A line? (joins the line) . . . (five minutes later) I wonder what this line is for, must be good. (finally gets close) Oh, it’s Ice Cream, and it’s expensive. Oh well, I made it all the way here so I may as well buy it.” Yeah, I think that kind of lining up is really hard to understand.

The second had to deal with culture shock. Same teacher as the previous thing, possibly the same class time. Basically the handout we were given was about culture shock having 5 stages. To sum it up:

1. Honeymoon phase. Everything is new and awesome

2. Who am I really? Doubt sets in questioning of one’s reality

3. Ugh, I hate this place! Confusion turns to ange

4. Aw, it’s not so bad. You begin to form your will and step forward

5. Second home. You may as well be in your native country.

Then the teacher asked us to name what level we think we are. Apparently everyone in level 5 is stage 5 except me. I was stage 1 a week ago, stage 2 Sunday, stage 3 last semester’s final’s week, stage 4 currently, and in Stage 5 when I went back down to Hiroshima over spring break. Basically, my thoughts are about this go up and down near daily. Whenever I am out of the kaikan I am in stage 1 or 3, mainly because I am either observing or being observed. Note to self, do not express opinions differing from the rest of the class in class. I had to try and explain why I don’t believe in Culture Shock. I don’t think it got across. Basically, I can activate a kind of stage 1 just by seeing a new part of Japan. So. . . I don’t think they are concrete.

The third was more of a multiple informing than a single message. We were informed in excess of 7 times about the condition that we as level three students are in. “This class is going to be really difficult for you level 3 people,” “I don’t know, you level three people are going to learn a lot but I don’t know about grades,” and “If you are in level three I can’t gurantee good grades, but good luck” were all said to us. Hmm, so am I supposed to expect to have bad grades just because of my level and not because of my work??

On a positive note the Drama we are watching in his class is very amusing. It’s called Kurosagi: “In this world, there are three types of swindlers. Those who defraud other peoples money, Shirosagi. Those who deceive others by manipulating their feelings, Akasagi. And then, using the Shirosagi and Akasagi as his only source of food is the ultimate Sagi(swindler) in history. His name is . . . . . . Kurosagi.”

Shiro = White Sagi = swindler/heron aka = red kuro = black

Basically it’s about Kurosagi and how he takes on Shirosagi and Akasagi, but it also has it’s twist because he’s doing it for revenge.

あるドラマ知っているかな？　クロサギというドラマ。　聴解の授業で見ている。　僕としてかっこいいドラマ。　“この世の中には三種類の詐欺師がいる。人を騙して金銭を巻き上げる「シロサギ」、異性をえさとして人の心をもてあそぶ「アカサギ」。そして、シロサギとアカサギだけをえさとする史上最強の詐欺師がいる。詐欺師を騙す詐欺師。その名は、「クロサギ」。”　かっこよくない？　日本人だったらもう知っていると思うけど　サギは二つの意味がある、詐欺と鷺だ。とにかく話はおもしろい。

In other news, I played soccer Sunday, there was a welcome party for the new students in the kaikan last Saturday, and last Friday we had a housewarming party for Marta (poland). Those were my weekend highlights.

Well actually to be more accurate this was last weekend and not the weekend that just began TODAY!! Where has all the time gone??

手遅れの桜の花！ Belated Cherry Blossoms!

Everybody! 皆さん！

To start off school has started and I am as usual keeping busy!
第一学校が始まりました。　僕は常に忙しいです。　

A single Cherry blossom flower on the surface of the moat.
桜　堀の水正面の上に。




Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter have all already passed.
シュロの主日、聖木曜日、聖金曜日、復活祭の祝日も　全部もう去りました。

Palm Sunday had monster sized palm branches!
シュロの主日のヤシのシュロは巨大な奴でした！

As for Easter Vigil, I was surprised. It was really similar to the way we do it in America. Outside bonfire, Candles + a dark church, lot's of readings, and moreover a good and long homily. Sorry no pictures for Easter but "Thanks!" to my family for the letter.
復活祭の夜のミサにはビックリさせた。 アメリカで見た仕方と凄く似ていました。　外の焚き火、ろうそくと電気を消した教会、いっぱいの聖書の予言、その上よくて長い説教でした。　　復活祭の写真がないのは御免なさい。　でもイースターの手紙を送ってくれた家族に「ありがとう！」を伝えたいです。

Sakura! 　A close up!
桜！ 接写です！

Since the new semester has begun, old friends have left the dorms and friends I haven't met yet have come.　So, the dorms are quite lively right now.
新学期が始まったのでいろな友達は寮から出ました。　でもまだ会っていない友達が来ました。　だから今寮は丁度にぎやかです。





News! I bought a copy of the bible in Japanese now that I am confident enough to read it.
Actually it has a lot of Furigana so even if I don't know a word I can easily look it up.
お知れせです。　やっと日本語の聖書を買いました。今の所凄くいい読む練習になってしまいます。　
実はふりがなが付けたので知らない言葉があったら調べやすいです。







This is a full blooming sakura tree by the moat of Sunpu Park.

この写真は駿府公園の堀の上に桜が満開です。

The Entrance Ceremonies for incoming Graduate students and Freshman occurred. I went with my karate group to Granship( a big conference building) and outside it invited students to join our club. The line of people filing in took about an hour. TOO LONG.

入学式が起こりました。 空手道部の人達と一緒に遊学している人達を誘いにグランシップに行きました。 建物に入っている人達の入る時間は一時間ぐらいでした。　長過ぎました。





My pictures of cherry blossoms (sakura!!) were all taken when the Shizuoka Festival was occuring. 　This picture is a good representative of the festival.
僕の桜の写真たちは全部静岡祭りが起こっているときでした。　特にこの写真はその祭りの典型だと思います。







A path made of Sakura.
歩いている道の上に綺麗な桜が咲いています。












Umm、my favorite picture. Sakura above the moat and on the water. Serene.
えっと、僕のいちばん好きな桜の写真です。　堀の上と水の上に。　平静。











To Be Continued. . . .
つづく. . .