Letters

Still typing, I don't get enough computer time.

Foresight

Just a quick bit on what I'll soon be up to.

Getting more friends to do more outside of school.

At the beginning of March I'll be going on a school trip to Kyushu (九州, nine province).

Shortly after I'll move to my next host family in Hakusan (白山, white mountain).

At the end of March I'll be going on a Rotary trip to Osaka and a few other important places.

Right now I'm trying to find more to do, especially on weekends. If any of you have any ideas on what to do on a weekend in Japan (legally, as Mike (not the exchange student) seems bent on getting me deported) please tell.

Disambiguation

I find many statements and questions by the Japanese to be ambiuous, often asking what or why to long complex senarios. That along with me giving more information is the reason for the title.

Well, to start off, I'm going to say that the Japanese seem very child-like in looks, humour and socially. This'll be more important later on.

I live north west of the city, just past the highway in 藤江. I'll be there until shortly into march, then I'll be in the village south of Kanazawa 白山. Also, I appearently have a fourth family.

Next, I want to make clear that the reason I haven't sent any private messages has been because I've been using the blog to send nearly everything publicly(also, I answer almost everything I get directly in the blog). I've even tried writing letters but they all ended up as material fro blogs. Also, I'm surprised it's lasted this long. Brie's blog only get an update once in a blue moon, and most other blogs like this die out after a while. I've almost given up a few times, with little time to write and little in the way of direct reciprication. Well, I'm over half way done my year and I'm still writing, that might be a good sign. So, I've decided to send off a batch of personal email that should hit before the next blog update. If I didn't send one to you, I haven't forgotten, I just don't know what to say (aside from please continue to read my blog).

Next, this hasn't been set yet but I'm hoping to come back on July twenty-fourth with the other exchange students (I'll send flight info to whom it may concern when I get it). Plan whatever you want, if at BP I'll make my specialty pizza but you'll have to book me off work yourself (some of you might think I'm kidding, the rest of you know my dad), I don't care either way. When I get back I'd like to watch the latest seasons of Heroes and House (no hurry, I could do it online) and try out LittleBigPlanet on my PS3, I've also missed most of the music and movies that have come out (though I'll be seeing Twilight here). If you do make any plans, make sure you don't let me re-set up my computer beforehand.

Anyways, About the girlfriend... I have the courage I just need the plan. I want to ask her to a movie but like every Japanese pre-senior student, her schedule is filled with club activity. My biggest deterent for this is the girls asking "is it LOVE?" in a kid-like way. Like I said, the Japanese are very child-like and coming up with a way of saying causal dating in Japanese is hard. On the plus side, she'll soon be a senior in high school.

Now, there was a request on 剣道(kendou, way of the sword (lit. sword path))... (F.Y.I. I'm constantly thinking up material for blogs, so if you ask about something, chances are I already know what to write)

Monday through Saturday (if I didn't have Wednesday and Friday off for Japanese lessons) the kendo club meets to practice or training (the former being a basic, all around workout).

I get dressed and grab my armour and swords shortly before hand. We sit in a row, bow and breifly meditate and do some exercises. Start off with the basic static stretches, then practice swings with the heavy wooden sword, then on to movements with the bamboo 竹刀 (shinai, bamboo sword).

We put on the helmet and gloves and for about an hour practice attacks swing at the head, hands and torso long with foot movements and shouting. Most of these are basic swings while walking forward, but some of them combind moves. A basic one might include hitting the head and dashing past. Than there are two longer ones made of up several of the practice moves. The first where you ram and drive back an opponent before moving back while constantly attacking the head and the other where you charge at an opponent constantly using all the different moves in sequence.

After this, a short break, than on to either more practice moves or battles.

The battles are my new favourite part. They're three minute matches where you trie to get as many hits on your opponent while avoiding being hit, but, because this is kendo, you have to try to look good doing it (form is incredibly important in kendo).

The team members all have different qualities.
-The teacher (先生, sensei) is direct stron and swift. Though he only uses a few words, he can explain things to me quite well.
-Next is Saki (I see little reason for anonimity for people you will likely never know), she's beautiful and is very graceful (as well as fast and strong). She's the leader.
-Considered her equal, Megu is short and overweight but knows how to do everything properly and is very very strong (painfully so).
-Mai might be good, I don't know. She has no force to her blows (no speed or strength) which makes me wonder if I could take her on without armour. She's still probably better than me.
-Kousuke is good, especially considering he's a junior. He's shy around the girls (his seniors). I like him as a friend and also because he too makes mistakes.
-The other two junior guys on the team, Nishida and Matsui (those are last names) recently left for studying. The latter was fast, the former was zealous. They were fun to practice with.

My favourite part of kendo is pulling off the torso attacks because you can dodge while doing so. My least favourite part was when Megu hit me in the head so hard my ears(untouched) rang, twice in a row(and generally any time I face her). Practice is long, but as long as I don't keep track of the time it's fun. Though I have to explain to my teacher that while I like kendo a lot, I'm here to experience Japan in general and not just the monotonous generic student life.

Since I figure I'll be the only one with a sword, I'm not going to buy the expensive armour (though I already own the neat not-a-dress clothes).

That should be all for now.

Testing Fonts

I'm testing Japanese text, if this fails on your computer please say so.
一　二　三、いち　に　さん、イチ　ニ　サン、ｉｃｈｉ　ｎｉ　ｓａｎ，　１　２　３
If this worked the above is "one two three" in kanji, hiragana,
katakana, romaji and numerals, all in Japanese coding.
Also if there's anything you want to ask, comment on or suggest for my
blog or my stay in Japan, go ahead.

Mamma mia! Here we go again.

Today is Valintine's Day, when girls here give guys' chocolates,
except me. Meh, instead I let it slip whom I like and I'll be asking
her out with a little help(honestly, advice?). I have known true
feelings before, and while this isn't that, it's better than nothing.
Sophomors have no time, but soon she'll be a senior, spending her time
studying(bio, kidding, soc). Also, I met up with Rotexs plus one. We
watched [title] and did purikura, the latter to much chagrin, former
to my enjoyement.

Patapon... continued

We saw Niko off at the station, and Brie at a random bus stop. Than
Niku showed me what expensive fashion Japan has. He's well informed
and his Japanese is good(he can read better than Brie). I think he'll
do very well, better than me. Once he got on his bus I started my run
"home" and put in a strong three k. lt felt like it should and I know
what's wrong and why.

P.S. Yes, people have run away when introduced to me, mostly girls,
giggling or say Japanese for "good looking."

Patapon was on top, I didn't bring the case.

Yesterday I met up with the other exchange students, Brie, NM and the
new aussie NK. I'll be using their Japanese names to distinguish them,
Niko and Niku respectively. We played a single game of pool in which
my team lost once by default and the other team lost four times by
default but won in the end(despite often sinking the eight, we kept
playing). We tried J-songs in karaoke (I failed at Ready Steady go but
made it through The Real Folk Blues). Karaoke is always silly fun.

Video, Please Work

...nuff said.

part 3

Reading manga is a matter of reading, trying to understand the
kanji(you learn to like it), looking it all up on the ex-word and
writing useful ones down. It feels like cheating and learning at the
same time(as do most my study habits).
I've been walking and running a LOT, but not the well paced long runs
I should do and my legs have given me hell for it. Still, I'd walk A
Thousand Miles(which I've kept up practicing on piano) if I could have
a ten k race like old times.
Video on the way, file problems.

part 1

I guess I should give you a real update. My current host family is
great, they speak in Japanese, they havem't gotten angry with me
despite a recent incident where I took a different bus than expected(I
had my reasons), and I'm being well fed.
Now I dare to say I can speak Japanese, though not well, I need to
work on a vocabulary(though the ex-word fills in the blanks quite
nicely.
My English is still in excellent condition and though I've likely lost
a few words, my French too seems fine(as far asI know).

part 2

The seniors finish tomorrow, I'm a little sad because while not quite
friends, I relate better to them than the troublesome sophomores. I've
still just the one friend and the kendo team but I'm trying to
solidize more friendships.
I'm finally doing practice matches in kendo, losing badly but enjoying it.
I like this area's rural look, more open and Japanese(whenever I
specify Japanese or an culture, I think of it from its cultral
height(for Japan, Edo), hence my seemingly extreme point of view).

Pleasant Day part two

I had that nice, touristy feeling of being somewhere I don't know,
which went well with my reminiscing and thoughts of home and you (I
had a lot of time... have). Anyway, I met my friend and we waited for
his two late friends and went to "fried meat" (yakiniku). It was fun,
and though I was late getting home, my host parents didn't make a big
fuss about it. Today was mostly a crummy day, a few minor annoyances,
but it got better and I don't feel stressed (though perhaps I should).

Pleasant Day

Yesterday started out well enough. A mistake in setting the alarm
assured I didn't get enough sleep, had breakfast an despite six
kilometres arrived a half hour early for school. It ended early and I
made plans with a friend to meet later for supper. I walked around,
than "home," explained the plan and headed back out. With the extra
hour I looked around in the local shops of this nice sub-urban or
rural area.

Backing up my Statement

Since Mike disagrees to the point of insult:
I said Japan is a USA wannabe, while this is an exaggeration I have
seen more Westerners in ads than real life here, I have seen Ingerish
everywhere, even replacing Japanese, Western style and media are
copied to the point of hyperbole and Kanazawa is supposed to be the
cultral centre of Japan.
That is not to say Japanese culture is dead, just not as strong as it
was. I suggest watching The Last Samurai again.