What Isn't (e-mail post)

This time I'll go over some mis- or no longer conceptions of Japan.
First, it's name is Nihon or Nippon meaning something like "raising
sun" or anciently as Yamato, "great peace/harmony."
Western chairs and toilets are par.
My Japanese friends are more embrassed at being naked in the bath house than I.
Name endings aren't as used.
Gifts aren't refused any more than in the West.
Concepts like honour and harmony seldom appear.
Japan is basically a U.S.A. wanna-be despite having once been a near utopia.

Second "Home" (e-mail post)

One family and half the year are over. More than regrets I have hope
for the future here and back home.
I'm with my second host family now. They speak no English, a welcome
challenge. Their house is big for Japan and "my room" is actually two
bedrooms missing a wall in between. While they don't have a computer,
neighbour's wireless has a guest account. Also, this morning, after
waking, it felt like staying at a relative's rather than the cold "not
home."

Another Solar Lap (e-mail post)

For my birthday my host brothers and mothers ordered pizza and some
other foods and got me some junk food, puzzles and a manga(GitS2). And
it was enjoyable. The next day, Brie lured me away from my blog with
real nachos. Also, thank you to everyone who sent cards, email etc and
sorry I don't reply directly but rest assured, if you sent it, I
received it by now.
Friday I gave my host family my thanks and gifts. We chatted, I lost
twice in shogi and hopefully it ended things on a high note.

Turning Point

With President Obama's speech of reform still a fresh memory, I've decided to make this a post of changes, since many have and continue to happen.

First, on this site, I've changed the colours and layout (I don't like those mostly-oranges, and absolute white hurts the eyes). Also, instead of the aliases I used for legality and privacy issues, I'll use names (with permission) and initials (without). (Nun=BriE, photogenic=NM, Aussie=CD) I'll do my best to post on either here or at [link] every wednesday and Friday. Also, Engrish is actually spelled Ingerish.

Next, I've noted a few changes in myself. I'm more social (and human). I keep up better maintenance and hygene. I tire more easily from all the running around I do. I read more and take more picutre. I game less and drink less coke....Coca-Cola.................

So, to summerize what's happen while I've been A.F.K:

I now communicate using mostly Japanese, which is made all the more easy with my new ex-word SP6700*. Kendo is great, I've made friends with the other members but it's tiring, painful and time consuming. Things have gotten better with my host family, though Rotary has agreed to move me along more quickly. I change families Saturday. Weekends are boring with few Japanese friends (who have little time) and with few means of communication. And while on the subject of Japanese friends, my remakes about Rotary were half joking (the other half afraid of their seriousness) and before you type anything: Yes, I know, I'm working on it. There, that should answer most of your nagging comments.

*Electronic dictionary about the size of a two-hundred page novel. It contains a Jap, Eng, kanji, Jap-Eng and Eng-Jap dictionaries along with maps, history (Japanese and world), puzzles, tests, flash cards, katakana dictionary (for words borrowed from other languages, over 22000 and growing, there's even a borrowed word for Japan) et cetera. To its credit it has twelve variations of the most versitile English word.

Also, I'm switching host families tomorrow, Rotary decided to move up the date. Six months is too long no matter how well you get along. I'll have more on them later.

Anyway, I'll post now, though I'm ont done yet.

Late Again

Sorry I haven't posted anything in recent days (though in my Japanese help site I got a list of basic prefixes up), but I'm again avoiding using the computer. Despite four exchange students having laptops and every family I meet offering use of their computers, it's still considered scourge of the West at the Matsumoto's, as far as my using it goes. I almost got into an arguement of how useful it is as a means of communication with my host father, though I stopped talking when he raised his voice loudly (With Skype for telecommunications, instant chat, video conferencing, email with delivery to Japanese cellphones and records of all of it, I think computers are more reliable, whereas he thinks telephones are better because they're more direct. In my home, with me answering the phone and all our tech, my mom will tell you that phones are not reliable.

Speaking of whom, She's currently enjoying a trip to a country south of here where the humans are outnumbered by sheep. Thanks for the letter, which arrived quite early since you're only a sea away, and the pictures and emails are great. I love the shot of the bike on the beach. Pictures with out bikes leaning against something in the scenery seem common in our family. Moving on...

I saw 007 with the other gaijin a few nights ago. It has a lot of well done action but I miss the old Bond (the gentleman, the gadgets, etc). Afterwards we had fun in the arcade. This was in Toyama, a prefecture away and we had to take an hour-long train there, talking all the way.

Things with the host family are okay now (though I'm avoiding the computer as much as possible to help keep it that way). I still wish they weren't so against me on a cellphone and exword .The cellphone because Japan is a country with near perfect connection and fewer computers, hence cellphones reign as the high (dual meaning) of technology here. The exword so that I don't need to carry around two heavy books (kanji and dictionary, which I find too heavy but too necessary) and so that I'll have a means of understanding what I haven't learned when I return.

Next I'l breifly mention that I've come to realize that there are two ways of translating, and an interesting difference between the two. The first is actual translation where words and phrases are explained to the other party. I, and many other fans of other languages, prefer this to: Interpertation, often called translation, though it is slightly different. Interpertation is changing the text, context, and sometimes even meaning of what is presented to something easily understood by the other party. Most official translators (especially for movies) use the latter, while most fans prefer the former. Personally, as a linguist, I prefer the former, but I think a universal language would be best.

My schedule now consists mostly of school (running from class to class, maybe doing a lesson , trying to socialize), followed by kendo (two and a half hours of attacking, yelling and injuries), to "home," (a meal, wishing I could be more direct about what I want to do (most of it being against rules or laws), to sleep (not enough) and on weekends, going around searching for something to do (long, often slow but more so lonely days).

Sorry I don't have picutres, this computer doesn't have a driver for my camera, I'll get more out later. For now, bye.

What I Miss

Today I was thinking how much a year changes things, comparing the grads here with the sophomors and juniors. I realized that a year of change will be what I'll be coming back to. That got me thinking of a place I now call home and a few things I'll miss there (I'd be homesick whether I think about it or not):
I miss the mastermind who can always find a way to make something happen.
I miss running beside a girl with pink shoes (speaking of which, I need to get back to doing long distance).
I miss making a multicourse meal, turning my room into a theatre and watching pirated shows.
I miss taking over dish (and all my other jobs).
Driving home from work.
Running and biking as far as I can just to prove it can be done.
Nachoes.
Listening to my mom's plans for the day (and replying "I don't know to" to phone calls).
Racing to the phone.
Playing video games and zoning out 'til morning.
Wishing my friends did more than Halo.
Being free to do whatever I want.

Notes by E-Mail

Just a few notes.
I avoid names for privacy, if you want your name used, just say.
Aside from minor injuries and screw ups, kendo is fine.
I know Western RI clubs are leanient on dating.
I say I update Wed&Fri but most posts are done in advance.

My host father for six months is part of this club's exchange counsel
and the family I've made many mistakes with(and he misunderstand me a
lot).
My counselor uses the district counselor as an interperater.
No one knows about my next host family.

Living on a Prayer

Being here has really made me appreciate time. I've waited for seconds to pass by, wished I had something to say in that minute, mourned every fruitless hour and hoped for something to do for the day. That's not to say that I'm not trying, but with my social skills not up to par and not enough communication with others, it's hard.

It doesn't help that my host family of five months (and one more to go) show little more than dissapointement. It's hard to remember them having ever been happy for me, but easy to remember their critizism. I know they mean well, but the stress only turn awkward to difficult.

At school the teachers are overestimating me, I'm going to have to loose a few battles to win the war. An example is a twelve page report on what I want to do on the school trip to Kyushu. Also, with the initial hype gone, finding friends is harder... actually that's a lie, finding them had always been difficult, just now it's me doing most of the effort. It's lonely now, but it will lead, hopefully, to better and stronger friendships. (I wonder if I could get a gir-, oh, right, Rotary.)

I'm feeling a little homesick, but that's my lonliness speaking. I have no wishes of turning back, only of return successfully. I thank you all for all for your support. I'll keep going. I'm not dead yet.

I forget to mention...

I think I forgot to mention my short trip to Kyoto. It was December twenty-first, I went with the marathon relay team. Not much happened. I got to see the beginning and ending of a race our team pretty much lost (I don't really care) and afterwards we spent about three hours walking around a temple area. I tried some Kyoto food, walked around and watched anime with a new friend on the way back (just fansubbed Samurai Champloo on PSP, I want to find a good new series to watch). Here are some pictures.

I'll post again when I'm feeling better.

Another Ramble... I Guess

I don't have anything else to do, so...

The Austrialians are leaving in a few days and everyone is trying to find a way to meet at least once more, hell, I'd get up a five on a school morning just to see them off if I could. I've gotten to know one of them very well, he gave me advice, support, things to do and much more, I owe him. I hope to see you again someday. 't's been fun. As to the other Australian, I didn't get to know him very well, but it's been good knowing him too (I don't think he reads this).

On that note, I'd also like to say a futur welcome to the next set of Aussies coming here. I'd like to meet you soon, but I think I'll give you guys a few weeks to get settled in first. If you need any help with anything at all, just ask and I'll do whatever I can to help. I can't tell you much about what you expect as I've only been in one host family (I'll be switching two weeks after you arrive), but having know as many exchange students as I have, I know you'll be fine.

Now, as for me...

I'm still alive, as usual. I've been running quite fast around Kanazawa and now I know it takes half an hour to run "home" from the station. I don't even bother wth the map anymore, I know the streets I use and even the ones I don't know I can navigate.

I've quit using my PSP for internet because it seems to annoy people, and so, being without any other means of communication, I'm asking for computer time now. My host father (I'm sorry, I can't just say oto-san (father) or home or any familiar words, I just can't, there's a mindblock there now) seems a little reluctant at times, but if they don't want me to have a cellphone so and calling people isn't as good for informing oneself as it seems (especially when it's a teenager at at least one end) so there isn't much else I can do. I'm cutting back as much as I can on surfing, I'm only breifly looking through gaming, anime and webcomics sites, as opposed to the hours I'd spend back home. I try to check my messages twice a day, in the early afternoon and in the evening. Anything like Skype or messenger would have to be planned in advance.

I'm not back in school yet, but in Kendo I'm now wearing most of the armour (Yamauchi is the team manager, she stands by wearing the gym uniform and helps out). I'm not up to par in skill yet, but I'm not in Japan to become the best kendo fighter. I'm thinking about bringing some of the equipement back and I've decided that I probably won't need the armour when I'm the only one with a sword.

Also, to take up a few Canadians on their advice, I'm going to befriend the class clown. He's the most Western kid in class and he's one of the better English speakers. I'll also see about offering to help classmates learn English (prounciation and slang mostly), I'll see if I can make them sound American (continentally).

Also, will I can't say I feel at ease in my host family, we've at least tried to make things more enjoyable. The main problem was that they always wanted me to act and make the first move while they also seemed to frown on everyting I did. Oh well, what can you do (shigata ga nai)?

I'm trying to find more friends here, a Japanese girlfriend would be best (which I haven't said up 'til now because of Rotary, but seriously, I'm not going for a long time relationship here, I just want someone to be with). The Australians suggest making friends outside of school, I'm not sure how, but I'll try. The main problem is that most Japanese students, controlled by the school (honestly, according to school rules they must wear their uniforms at school, related events, they are not allowed to have jobs, they must study, and their university entrance exam will determine the rest of their lives, and appearently homeroom teachers keep well informed on their students), are always practicing something.

I've also been asked for advice, so here's what I noticed about what I packed. I only brought a week's worth of clothing and that has worked out fine for me. I have something which can pass as formal to wear with my blazer for Rotary and my school uniform doubles as a suit (because that's wha it is, you'll get one too). I'm sure you're bringing pictures of everything back home and a camera for everything here. I brought my PSP, but I don't use it very much. If you have something like an iPod, go ahead, you'll probably also get a cellphone here with email internet and a camera (but bring your own anyways as that won't come 'til later, as for a laptop, ask the girl formerly refered to by me as the nun, she had one for a while (when you read this please leave a comment for him). Japan is probably colder than your used to, a jacket would be nice. A phrasebook or dictionary is helpful, but we have enough reading material for you here (English novels and Japanese manga). I don't know what to say about money, you'll spent here, I don't know how much but you will. Gifts for host families etc, space for what you'll bring back. Other than that, I can't thnik of it now. Everyone feel free to leave tips in comments.

Anyways, I think that's enough for now.