Yeah, I'd say it's been a while since I've decided to post something here. Lots of what I publish online ends up on Facebook or Livejournal, so I've simply just forgotten about this little thing. Of course, I did say this was a blog without a purpose a ways back, and certainly it seems that way. I don't have a seikatsu in Japan right now to talk about, but maybe that changes in the near future.
Previously I mentioned that I would be interviewing with the JET Program. Said interview occured in February, and it did not go well. Over a month went by until early April, when I found out that I had been made an alternate (essentially, waitlisted). In any other year, maybe I could have gotten the job, but with the economy being in such terrible shape there were many more applicants for far fewer positions than usual. The opportunity to be upgraded still exists, but is quite remote.
So, I'm pursuing other avenues to make a return to Japan. I have gotten word back from a couple companies in regards to English-teaching positions, so I'll interview for those (and possibly more may come up), then sit back and see what happens.
The sitting back part is a bit worrisome, but I'll be doing that in Chicago this summer. I hope to find a couple chill part time jobs and be able to crash on some couches. That's so I don't have to pay out of the ass for rent, be able to have a good time, and maybe even save a little cash. Chicago is a great base of operations for a job hunt, and I have enough connections to be able to live cheap until deciding whether to settle down and find more stable and long-term employment. Ideally I get a job in Japan and don't have to execute the latter plan.
I've been accumulating photos for a while now and hope to have those uploaded sometime soon, plus I have my graduation in two weeks followed by a week-long stay in Los Angeles. I'll have lots of goodies up in due time!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
JET sez: u can haz teh interviewz
Sorry, I promise to never to adopt lolcat-speak again.
But today I found out that I was accepted to interview for the JET Program! I'll know exactly when within a week or so, but I do know that the interview will be sometime in February at the Japanese consulate. Oh, and since I'm applying for CIR I'll have to interview in Japanese. Believe me, that's what I'm most nervous about. But, the whole reason I applied for CIR was to be flexible, because often CIR rejects are offered ALT positions, so long as they are enthusiastic when asked if that is a possibility. Still, I won't know until April or thereabouts whether I have a job waiting for me somewhere in Japan or not.
My first couple weeks of school went well, but I've been battling senioritis this week. I plan to get my ass back to class and back to work tomorrow. Both my Japanese courses are chill and going pass/fail with them pretty much means no stress. If I slack a bit it won't kill me. Both my poli sci courses are also chill, but those I do actually have to put forth as much effort as I can. My law class actually turned out to be a Constitutional law class with a heavy focus on civil liberties and the Bill of Rights, and that's just plain awesome. All we really have to do is write up a few case briefs throughout the semester and some other not so tough shit. My poli sci senior seminar juts requires me to write a short midterm paper and a short final paper based upon a group project I'll be doing.
The only major change was with my storytelling class, which I dropped. In its place I picked up an American studies course, entitled Religions in America. This isn't too tough either, only requiring me to lead a discussion session for about 10 minutes or so only a couple times during the semester, visit a religious site on the island, and a few other things.
So, with that out of the way I look more toward the future now. If JET hires me that means I go live with Bryan this summer for a couple months. During that time I'll fine my way back to Chicago, and yeah, probably even South Carolina for a few days (as much as I dislike the place, I can stand a short visit).
If JET doesn't hire me, then I've got some ideas. Staying here is one option, but highly dependent on finding a job well BEFORE I graduate and starting perhaps a week after I do so. Honestly, staying in Honolulu is the least likely thing. More likely is moving out to SoCal to live with Bryan for a while I either make myself comfortable there or seek out employment elsewhere. About as equally likely is finding a job back in Chicago and moving back home. Of course, in either case I hope to get involved in paralegal or otherwise find employment in a law office, which would be an ideal environment for studying for the LSATs and seeing first-hand if law school is what I really want. Seattle might be an option, but my friend who lives there is moving out, so no dice. Minnesota could afford an opportunity if Bryan and Jonathan both decide to go there for their PhD programs...and my Seattle friend is actually moving there as well. I can say for certain that South Carolina is not an option. I'd rather scrub toilets in a McDonalds in Montana than live there.
But today I found out that I was accepted to interview for the JET Program! I'll know exactly when within a week or so, but I do know that the interview will be sometime in February at the Japanese consulate. Oh, and since I'm applying for CIR I'll have to interview in Japanese. Believe me, that's what I'm most nervous about. But, the whole reason I applied for CIR was to be flexible, because often CIR rejects are offered ALT positions, so long as they are enthusiastic when asked if that is a possibility. Still, I won't know until April or thereabouts whether I have a job waiting for me somewhere in Japan or not.
My first couple weeks of school went well, but I've been battling senioritis this week. I plan to get my ass back to class and back to work tomorrow. Both my Japanese courses are chill and going pass/fail with them pretty much means no stress. If I slack a bit it won't kill me. Both my poli sci courses are also chill, but those I do actually have to put forth as much effort as I can. My law class actually turned out to be a Constitutional law class with a heavy focus on civil liberties and the Bill of Rights, and that's just plain awesome. All we really have to do is write up a few case briefs throughout the semester and some other not so tough shit. My poli sci senior seminar juts requires me to write a short midterm paper and a short final paper based upon a group project I'll be doing.
The only major change was with my storytelling class, which I dropped. In its place I picked up an American studies course, entitled Religions in America. This isn't too tough either, only requiring me to lead a discussion session for about 10 minutes or so only a couple times during the semester, visit a religious site on the island, and a few other things.
So, with that out of the way I look more toward the future now. If JET hires me that means I go live with Bryan this summer for a couple months. During that time I'll fine my way back to Chicago, and yeah, probably even South Carolina for a few days (as much as I dislike the place, I can stand a short visit).
If JET doesn't hire me, then I've got some ideas. Staying here is one option, but highly dependent on finding a job well BEFORE I graduate and starting perhaps a week after I do so. Honestly, staying in Honolulu is the least likely thing. More likely is moving out to SoCal to live with Bryan for a while I either make myself comfortable there or seek out employment elsewhere. About as equally likely is finding a job back in Chicago and moving back home. Of course, in either case I hope to get involved in paralegal or otherwise find employment in a law office, which would be an ideal environment for studying for the LSATs and seeing first-hand if law school is what I really want. Seattle might be an option, but my friend who lives there is moving out, so no dice. Minnesota could afford an opportunity if Bryan and Jonathan both decide to go there for their PhD programs...and my Seattle friend is actually moving there as well. I can say for certain that South Carolina is not an option. I'd rather scrub toilets in a McDonalds in Montana than live there.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The final semester is underway!
After two days of class I have attended everything I registered for, and I gotta say this will be a fairly chill semester so long as I keep up with my poli sci readings. I'm doing JPN 415 (Listening) and 425 (Translation) as pass/fail, so no pressure on me there at all. Plus, Ogasawara-sensei is teaching 415 which is awesome.
Both my poli sci courses will require a good deal of reading, and since I'm getting a letter grade for both I gotta not slack off. 375 is a law class focusing on constitutional law, and being my first class related to any kind of law it should be pretty valuable. Lots of reading, but no exams and some seemingly easy papers to write. 406 is my captone course for poli sci and the always awesome Mike Shapiro is teaching it. Basically we're going to look analyze cities via films, crime stories, music, essays, what have you. Easy enough.
The only class I really wish I had thought ahead about is my speech class that I'm using to fulfill my oral communication requirement. The class is storytelling, so I'll have to get up in front of the class and tell various kinds of stories like fables, folktales, biographies, etc. I realized at the last minute I should have probably taken this American studies course that would fulfill the requirement but not require speaking in front of lots of people. Oh well, I'll deal if I'm stuck with it.
Giving more and more thought to what to do after graduation. I'm basically acting as though JET will reject me at some point, which is simply a way to motivate me to find some backup options. One thing I've looked into is paralegal, which might serve as a good way to prepare me for law school. Plus it counts as a "real" job. The only difficulty I see there is having absolutely no experience in the field. We'll see how everything goes.
Both my poli sci courses will require a good deal of reading, and since I'm getting a letter grade for both I gotta not slack off. 375 is a law class focusing on constitutional law, and being my first class related to any kind of law it should be pretty valuable. Lots of reading, but no exams and some seemingly easy papers to write. 406 is my captone course for poli sci and the always awesome Mike Shapiro is teaching it. Basically we're going to look analyze cities via films, crime stories, music, essays, what have you. Easy enough.
The only class I really wish I had thought ahead about is my speech class that I'm using to fulfill my oral communication requirement. The class is storytelling, so I'll have to get up in front of the class and tell various kinds of stories like fables, folktales, biographies, etc. I realized at the last minute I should have probably taken this American studies course that would fulfill the requirement but not require speaking in front of lots of people. Oh well, I'll deal if I'm stuck with it.
Giving more and more thought to what to do after graduation. I'm basically acting as though JET will reject me at some point, which is simply a way to motivate me to find some backup options. One thing I've looked into is paralegal, which might serve as a good way to prepare me for law school. Plus it counts as a "real" job. The only difficulty I see there is having absolutely no experience in the field. We'll see how everything goes.
Monday, January 5, 2009
あけましておめでとう！
Kinda late, but I haven't gotten back to regular net access until just last night. 2009 is already off to a wonderful start, consider: the Dolphins got crushed yesterday, I got food poisoning from eating a hamburger in Atlanta's airport. Things will surely get better. :/
2008 was one hell of a year though. It had its ups and downs for sure. Let's review it really quick.
Jan-Mar: Bored out of my goddamn mind at my mom's place in SC. Believe me, this more than cemented my desire to never live there for more than a week at a time.
Apr-Jul: JAPAN! Highlight of the year without question. Learned more about myself than I figured I ever would, met a lot of interesting people, but I'm still left with some questions and regrets about my time there.
Aug-Dec: Possibly my most satisfying semester of all here at UH. Was able to get out regularly and hit up the beach as well, but the big story is my academic success. I scored a 3.67 over 18 credits, so big ups to me there. To cap it all off one of my more rewarding trips back home to Chicago, but the whole Christmas deal is starting to wear thin really fast. Turning 25 was nice, but each birthday from here on out is significantly less important, save for those big ones (30, 40, 50, etc).
I didn't make any resolutions last year, because I don't like them. Instead I will list off some things I'd like to do.
1. GRADUATE (please?)
2. Shed off about 30 pounds or so
3. Meet someone (female) who I might be able to fall in love with
4. Get a job of some kind, be that JET or somewhere else
5. Become better at meeting people and making friends
6. Find a hobby that does not involve being a total nerd
7. Continue improving my Japanese, and pass 2-kyuu (assuming I didn't totally luck out and pass it against all odds already)
Onward to a new year!
2008 was one hell of a year though. It had its ups and downs for sure. Let's review it really quick.
Jan-Mar: Bored out of my goddamn mind at my mom's place in SC. Believe me, this more than cemented my desire to never live there for more than a week at a time.
Apr-Jul: JAPAN! Highlight of the year without question. Learned more about myself than I figured I ever would, met a lot of interesting people, but I'm still left with some questions and regrets about my time there.
Aug-Dec: Possibly my most satisfying semester of all here at UH. Was able to get out regularly and hit up the beach as well, but the big story is my academic success. I scored a 3.67 over 18 credits, so big ups to me there. To cap it all off one of my more rewarding trips back home to Chicago, but the whole Christmas deal is starting to wear thin really fast. Turning 25 was nice, but each birthday from here on out is significantly less important, save for those big ones (30, 40, 50, etc).
I didn't make any resolutions last year, because I don't like them. Instead I will list off some things I'd like to do.
1. GRADUATE (please?)
2. Shed off about 30 pounds or so
3. Meet someone (female) who I might be able to fall in love with
4. Get a job of some kind, be that JET or somewhere else
5. Become better at meeting people and making friends
6. Find a hobby that does not involve being a total nerd
7. Continue improving my Japanese, and pass 2-kyuu (assuming I didn't totally luck out and pass it against all odds already)
Onward to a new year!
Friday, November 14, 2008
これ、現在目的がないブログのだ。
The title of this post says "At present this is a blog without purpose."
A fair assessment, as this is supposed to be a blog about life in Japan, and I haven't been living there for quite some time now. All my pictures from Japan have been uploaded and available for perusal for quite some time now, so having no new material makes it hard to post. Of course the subheading of the blog says differently, but honestly school and life in general precludes me from finding the time to devote to this thing.
School is going well, and very little will hold me back from graduating. I can't speak to my grades this semester, but 3 As, 3 Bs seem to be in the cards. My Japanese courseload will be totally finished, and I can enjoy my first and last semester at UH with a single Japanese course in the spring. Speaking of spring, I will only be taking 4 classes, and they will all be either Tues/Thurs classes or online, which leaves me plenty of time to be working part time, but also job hunting as well. Oh, and looking back on my previous post, I did decide to keep political science as a second major. Thinking on it there was no reason not to and it provides an extra selling point I can use
On that front, I've started keeping an eye on Craigslist, and eyeing potential openings with non-profit organizations. Staying in Hawaii to work after graduation is looking quite unlikely at the moment unless I can get a hefty salary or wage, so I'm looking into the Chicago area, but also Seattle as well. Working in Japan is still an option, as I will be sending off my JET application early next week, but I still have to be selected for an interview, interview, and then be accepted. That process takes a while. Jobs outside of English teaching are hard to come by for foreigners in Japan, and there seem to be two ways to go about obtaining them. First, getting your start as an English teacher and building up a network of people who know people who can hook you up with people who are connected to a company that may be able to interview you. Knowing people helps a lot for sure. The other way of course is to work your way in from the outside by working for a foreign firm with ties to or who does business directly in Japan. Honestly, if JET is a no go, then I will be leaning toward the latter. I'm open to suggestions and all job offers though!
The life part of well, life, is going okay. I've actually been able to go to the beach quite a bit this semester, which for the first time really makes me feel like I'm living IN Hawaii. I don't go to the beach for the sun though, I go to swim in the water and bodysurf some waves when the conditions are not life-threatening. As of yet I have not gotten pictures uploaded from these various trips, but I do have some videos I put up on Youtube. I'm not featured in any of these (as I am the cameraman) but I hope to eventually get a friend to film me while I get my ass kicked out there.
Waimea Bay on the North Shore of Oahu. This place is known for monstrous waves as winter swells roll in from the north, and there is a surf competition held here annual but only if the waves are above 25 feet. In this video the waves aren't anywhere near that extreme, but I wouldn't advise weak and/or inexperienced swimmers braving these conditions either.
Sandy Beach on the east side of Oahu. On clear days you can very easily see the island of Molokai to the east. This place is notorious for its literally killer currents and shore break. If you're not careful you can get caught up in the shore break and get mercilessly pounded by waves breaking right on top of you repeatedly. I normally swim out far enough to avoid the break, or if I have to face it I just swim underneath and hope to not get taken by it. Of course these intense conditions make Sandys a haven for bodysurfers, and many of the world's best come here.
A fair assessment, as this is supposed to be a blog about life in Japan, and I haven't been living there for quite some time now. All my pictures from Japan have been uploaded and available for perusal for quite some time now, so having no new material makes it hard to post. Of course the subheading of the blog says differently, but honestly school and life in general precludes me from finding the time to devote to this thing.
School is going well, and very little will hold me back from graduating. I can't speak to my grades this semester, but 3 As, 3 Bs seem to be in the cards. My Japanese courseload will be totally finished, and I can enjoy my first and last semester at UH with a single Japanese course in the spring. Speaking of spring, I will only be taking 4 classes, and they will all be either Tues/Thurs classes or online, which leaves me plenty of time to be working part time, but also job hunting as well. Oh, and looking back on my previous post, I did decide to keep political science as a second major. Thinking on it there was no reason not to and it provides an extra selling point I can use
On that front, I've started keeping an eye on Craigslist, and eyeing potential openings with non-profit organizations. Staying in Hawaii to work after graduation is looking quite unlikely at the moment unless I can get a hefty salary or wage, so I'm looking into the Chicago area, but also Seattle as well. Working in Japan is still an option, as I will be sending off my JET application early next week, but I still have to be selected for an interview, interview, and then be accepted. That process takes a while. Jobs outside of English teaching are hard to come by for foreigners in Japan, and there seem to be two ways to go about obtaining them. First, getting your start as an English teacher and building up a network of people who know people who can hook you up with people who are connected to a company that may be able to interview you. Knowing people helps a lot for sure. The other way of course is to work your way in from the outside by working for a foreign firm with ties to or who does business directly in Japan. Honestly, if JET is a no go, then I will be leaning toward the latter. I'm open to suggestions and all job offers though!
The life part of well, life, is going okay. I've actually been able to go to the beach quite a bit this semester, which for the first time really makes me feel like I'm living IN Hawaii. I don't go to the beach for the sun though, I go to swim in the water and bodysurf some waves when the conditions are not life-threatening. As of yet I have not gotten pictures uploaded from these various trips, but I do have some videos I put up on Youtube. I'm not featured in any of these (as I am the cameraman) but I hope to eventually get a friend to film me while I get my ass kicked out there.
Waimea Bay on the North Shore of Oahu. This place is known for monstrous waves as winter swells roll in from the north, and there is a surf competition held here annual but only if the waves are above 25 feet. In this video the waves aren't anywhere near that extreme, but I wouldn't advise weak and/or inexperienced swimmers braving these conditions either.
Sandy Beach on the east side of Oahu. On clear days you can very easily see the island of Molokai to the east. This place is notorious for its literally killer currents and shore break. If you're not careful you can get caught up in the shore break and get mercilessly pounded by waves breaking right on top of you repeatedly. I normally swim out far enough to avoid the break, or if I have to face it I just swim underneath and hope to not get taken by it. Of course these intense conditions make Sandys a haven for bodysurfers, and many of the world's best come here.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Wake Me Up When September Ends
I have not totally abandoned this blog, but I will admit that I had forgotten about it! Partly due in part to school, partly due to thinking on the future. The latter is what this entry will actually be covering.
As I've mentioned before, I will be graduating with my BA in Japanese this coming May. All of my Japanese credits will be accumulated by the end of this semester. I'll be attempting to pass level 2 of the Japanese Language Proficency Test this December. Then sometime in the spring I'll be taking the GRE. That much is certain, as everything else is up in the air for now. I still have to decide whether or not I want to double major in political science, and I think my indecisiveness regarding that is characteristic of my life in general. My goal for any kind of graduate study is going to be related to Japanese or linguistics, and so poli sci is really of secondary importance. Even if I wanted to study poli sci in more depth in grad school, having majored in it isn't at all a pre-requisite. A BA in just about anything will gain you access to most liberal arts masters programs. Meaning I'm heavily leaning toward declaring it as a minor, and freeing up 6 credits I can use to take anything I want to in the spring.
That would mean I would have to fill up a whopping 9 credits with courses that won't count toward anything. So, I'll probably be auditing a few Japanese courses, taking some kind of directed reading/research course, or enrolling in a graduate level course or two. Basically, this would give me a chance next semester to get a feel for what graduate-level work is going to be like, and I think that's a lot more valuable than a second undergraduate major.
But, I don't want to rush straight into grad school either, and even if I were to be fully funded, there's still cost of living expenses to deal with, and grad school leaves almost no time for jobs on the side. At the same time I have a desire to return to Japan. So, how does take a year off from school, earn some money, and get a chance to do so in Japan? The easy answer is theJET Program. I've always talked about JET being a kind of last resort for employment if I couldn't find anything better; at the same time though it offers a chance to work at a decent salary for just one year and provide some excellent experience (which my resume honestly is greatly lacking in). Getting accepted to JET would mean I would be living in Japan from early August '09 until late July of '10, which would give me more time to nail down exactly what I want to do for graduate school, do some more thorough research on various programs, and save up some money in the process.
That's the idea at least, JET applications go live tomorrow and the dealine is in November, so this is something I gotta decide on in short order. I'll report back once things are a little less ethereal.
As I've mentioned before, I will be graduating with my BA in Japanese this coming May. All of my Japanese credits will be accumulated by the end of this semester. I'll be attempting to pass level 2 of the Japanese Language Proficency Test this December. Then sometime in the spring I'll be taking the GRE. That much is certain, as everything else is up in the air for now. I still have to decide whether or not I want to double major in political science, and I think my indecisiveness regarding that is characteristic of my life in general. My goal for any kind of graduate study is going to be related to Japanese or linguistics, and so poli sci is really of secondary importance. Even if I wanted to study poli sci in more depth in grad school, having majored in it isn't at all a pre-requisite. A BA in just about anything will gain you access to most liberal arts masters programs. Meaning I'm heavily leaning toward declaring it as a minor, and freeing up 6 credits I can use to take anything I want to in the spring.
That would mean I would have to fill up a whopping 9 credits with courses that won't count toward anything. So, I'll probably be auditing a few Japanese courses, taking some kind of directed reading/research course, or enrolling in a graduate level course or two. Basically, this would give me a chance next semester to get a feel for what graduate-level work is going to be like, and I think that's a lot more valuable than a second undergraduate major.
But, I don't want to rush straight into grad school either, and even if I were to be fully funded, there's still cost of living expenses to deal with, and grad school leaves almost no time for jobs on the side. At the same time I have a desire to return to Japan. So, how does take a year off from school, earn some money, and get a chance to do so in Japan? The easy answer is theJET Program. I've always talked about JET being a kind of last resort for employment if I couldn't find anything better; at the same time though it offers a chance to work at a decent salary for just one year and provide some excellent experience (which my resume honestly is greatly lacking in). Getting accepted to JET would mean I would be living in Japan from early August '09 until late July of '10, which would give me more time to nail down exactly what I want to do for graduate school, do some more thorough research on various programs, and save up some money in the process.
That's the idea at least, JET applications go live tomorrow and the dealine is in November, so this is something I gotta decide on in short order. I'll report back once things are a little less ethereal.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Pictures!
If you haven't been checking my photo album out, I added a ton of new pictures a few days ago. Just look up above and click on 'My Photos' and they will open up in a new window. I even added some non-Japan ones, just scroll further down to find some older photos I've had sitting around on my hard drive. They've been rather unappreciated by anyone but me, so please take a gander.
With basically every last photo I took from Japan up now, I'll eventually go back through and explain my experiences relating to some of them. The Kansai and Fuji trips definitely deserve some elaboration. Any new photos being added will be from Hawaii and the rest of the good 'ole US of A, so the book is definitely closed on Japan there.
I've wasted little time trying to get back into a groove here, wearing the rubber slippers full-time again, riding my bicycle for transportation, swimming, and so forth. Sunburns are common too, and my shoulders got fried up after going to Hanauma Bay this past weekend, which is strange because my sunscreen kept the rest of my skin from being baked. Got to see a couple sea turtles though, which was surprising given the sad state the coral reef there is in.
The only thing really missing right now is the grind of school. I both relish it and at the same time will hate it approximately one day after it starts again. This semester is gearing up to be my busiest yet, even if you count out preparation for grad school and other activities (volunteering, part-time job, drinking beer and eating pizza). My schedule is in a bit of a flux right now, due to a recent realization that I need to become semi-proficient in a second East Asian language. This would be quite beneficial moving onward to masters (and perhaps even doctoral) studies. I decided Chinese would be the way to go, but since Chinese 101 is only offered in the fall it means I'd have to juggle some things around. It's all good, and having a year of Chinese under my belt before graduating means less time I have to spend taking it later on. Anyway, my new tentative schedule is as follows:
Japanese 407, Japanese 420, Japanese 451, Japanese 452, Chinese 101, Political Science 337
The spring would look something like this:
East Asian Languages and Literature 271, Chinese 102, Political Science 3XX, Political Science 40X
I'll know for sure what it will be in a couple weeks.
With basically every last photo I took from Japan up now, I'll eventually go back through and explain my experiences relating to some of them. The Kansai and Fuji trips definitely deserve some elaboration. Any new photos being added will be from Hawaii and the rest of the good 'ole US of A, so the book is definitely closed on Japan there.
I've wasted little time trying to get back into a groove here, wearing the rubber slippers full-time again, riding my bicycle for transportation, swimming, and so forth. Sunburns are common too, and my shoulders got fried up after going to Hanauma Bay this past weekend, which is strange because my sunscreen kept the rest of my skin from being baked. Got to see a couple sea turtles though, which was surprising given the sad state the coral reef there is in.
The only thing really missing right now is the grind of school. I both relish it and at the same time will hate it approximately one day after it starts again. This semester is gearing up to be my busiest yet, even if you count out preparation for grad school and other activities (volunteering, part-time job, drinking beer and eating pizza). My schedule is in a bit of a flux right now, due to a recent realization that I need to become semi-proficient in a second East Asian language. This would be quite beneficial moving onward to masters (and perhaps even doctoral) studies. I decided Chinese would be the way to go, but since Chinese 101 is only offered in the fall it means I'd have to juggle some things around. It's all good, and having a year of Chinese under my belt before graduating means less time I have to spend taking it later on. Anyway, my new tentative schedule is as follows:
Japanese 407, Japanese 420, Japanese 451, Japanese 452, Chinese 101, Political Science 337
The spring would look something like this:
East Asian Languages and Literature 271, Chinese 102, Political Science 3XX, Political Science 40X
I'll know for sure what it will be in a couple weeks.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Owari
I arrived back in Honolulu at 8am yesterday, and had forgotten just how clean and fresh the air is here. Anyway, I'm slowly getting used to the fact that I'm back on American soil and that I can use English freely once more. Something feels a bit "off" for lack of a better way to describe; a part of me feels like I'm still in Japan and there's a bit of cognitive dissonance to be dealt with. If I were staying anywhere but Waikiki this wouldn't be a problem, but there's enough Japanese tourists here to make me want to blurt out stuff in that language.
Coming up to the UH campus yesterday I ran into a former Japanese teacher and I just let it fly. Save for a small discussion about housing for the upcoming semester (which was admittedly in English), everything else was in Japanese. I hope I can continue to speak Japanese and will be taking steps to ensure that I can, but I'm afraid that my ability will deteriorate even a little bit, since I'm surrounded by English again. Even if I take steps like downloading and watching Japanese TV shows and anime on a more regular basis, I'll still be missing the everyday things: hearing random conversations, reading signs and posters, and other things that simply can't be replicated.
All this proves is that when it comes to learning a foreign language, experience in the mother country is worth its weight in gold. There is a bit of an anti-corollary to this however. A native speaker isolated from his native language community invariably suffers. Words and expressions that one would rarely use even in their native country tend to become harder to recall. I wouldn't say that one "forgets" their native language, and in my case I had plenty of other foreign students with which to converse in English, but there are plenty of expats who move to Japan for years at a time and really isolate themselves from English-speaking communities. If you end up using Japanese for most things, and don't expose your ears and eyes to spoken and written English, you can and will "forget" words. The grammar itself is practically fused into your brain and can't be forgotten, but recalling some words becomes a bigger challenge the longer you isolate yourself. Even if you manage to keep using your native language, there's a problem in being isolated from new words and expressions as well. Upon returning you may find yourself puzzled at small, but subtle changes in the language; others may look at you funny as you say something that's just slightly outdated. But, this is all second-hand knowledge; I only stayed in Japan for four months.
Anyway, I've prattled on for long enough. With all this free time I'll eventually get around to posting pictures I've neglected, and relaying the experiences that go with them. I will attempt to keep a noted focus on Japan with this blog, but the overall theme here will likely change into "general life blog" or something along those lines.
Coming up to the UH campus yesterday I ran into a former Japanese teacher and I just let it fly. Save for a small discussion about housing for the upcoming semester (which was admittedly in English), everything else was in Japanese. I hope I can continue to speak Japanese and will be taking steps to ensure that I can, but I'm afraid that my ability will deteriorate even a little bit, since I'm surrounded by English again. Even if I take steps like downloading and watching Japanese TV shows and anime on a more regular basis, I'll still be missing the everyday things: hearing random conversations, reading signs and posters, and other things that simply can't be replicated.
All this proves is that when it comes to learning a foreign language, experience in the mother country is worth its weight in gold. There is a bit of an anti-corollary to this however. A native speaker isolated from his native language community invariably suffers. Words and expressions that one would rarely use even in their native country tend to become harder to recall. I wouldn't say that one "forgets" their native language, and in my case I had plenty of other foreign students with which to converse in English, but there are plenty of expats who move to Japan for years at a time and really isolate themselves from English-speaking communities. If you end up using Japanese for most things, and don't expose your ears and eyes to spoken and written English, you can and will "forget" words. The grammar itself is practically fused into your brain and can't be forgotten, but recalling some words becomes a bigger challenge the longer you isolate yourself. Even if you manage to keep using your native language, there's a problem in being isolated from new words and expressions as well. Upon returning you may find yourself puzzled at small, but subtle changes in the language; others may look at you funny as you say something that's just slightly outdated. But, this is all second-hand knowledge; I only stayed in Japan for four months.
Anyway, I've prattled on for long enough. With all this free time I'll eventually get around to posting pictures I've neglected, and relaying the experiences that go with them. I will attempt to keep a noted focus on Japan with this blog, but the overall theme here will likely change into "general life blog" or something along those lines.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
9 hours to go!
Climing Mt. Fuji is easily the greatest physical and mental challenge I've ever faced. There will be more to come about that later, but I've simply run out of time here. My flight back to Honolulu departs in about 9 hours. I'm scrambling to leave this apartment as spotless as I found it, before heading out and running some final (non-critical) errands. I plan on being at Narita 3-4 hours before my departure, and from there it's approximately 7 hours to fly back to Honolulu.
The whole time-travel aspect of this is kinda funny. As I post this it's 9:51am on August 1. I will be taking off from Narita at around 7:30pm. When I land in Honolulu, it will be about 8:00am there on August 1. The International Date Line is tricky like that, and as such this will be the longest Friday I will likely ever experience.
I've also gone and switched my computer's GMT offset to -10, so it's back on Hawaii time, thus all future posts (including this one probably) will be BEHIND (in all likelihood) the time zone you're reading from.
Anyway, I'll check in again once I get back to UH and its freezing cold library. This is Mike, signing off from Japan.
The whole time-travel aspect of this is kinda funny. As I post this it's 9:51am on August 1. I will be taking off from Narita at around 7:30pm. When I land in Honolulu, it will be about 8:00am there on August 1. The International Date Line is tricky like that, and as such this will be the longest Friday I will likely ever experience.
I've also gone and switched my computer's GMT offset to -10, so it's back on Hawaii time, thus all future posts (including this one probably) will be BEHIND (in all likelihood) the time zone you're reading from.
Anyway, I'll check in again once I get back to UH and its freezing cold library. This is Mike, signing off from Japan.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
72 hours to go!
First of all, my trip to western Japan was quite awesome. In a span of 36 hours I left from Paul's place in Gifu, visited Todai-ji in Nara, Himeji Castle in Himeji, had okonomiyaki in Osaka, and visited five separate spots in Kyoto, before stopping off in Nagoya to await the trains that would return me to Tokyo. There are over 200 pictures, so I assure you I'll get around to posting them.
I have many other pictures from the past few months I haven't yet even touched. They're all sitting in random folders on my desktop, cluttering things. So, in the interest of cleaning things up a bit, I'll move to getting those uploaded and posted once I get back to Hawaii.
The last major event is my climb of Mt. Fuji. Tomorrow morning my group and I will be on our way out. In preparation I have packed accordingly. First, make no mistake, Mt. Fuji is a honest-to-god mountain, the highest peak in all of Japan. I will be packing a sweater and a jacket to help keep warm up there, since our assault on the summit will be at nighttime. Temperatures below freezing do not faze me whatsoever, but normally one has time to acclimate. Instead, I'll be going from 95 degree heat and humidity to under 30 degrees in a matter of hours, not to mention the change in altitude from sea level to 12,000 feet. Food and water, although available even at the summit, is hideously expensive. So, I will be lugging a 2 liter bottle of water with me (which will at least get lighter as I go up), as well as some Calorie Mates for some highly portable nutrition. Of course I'm still lacking a couple things. When we arrive at the trailhead I'm going to be purchasing a pair of gloves and a hiking pole as well. Maybe a poncho as well, even though my outer jacket will be waterproof.
The day after I return from Fuji is the day of my departure. Everything for that has been taken care of. All my heavy luggage is packed and already being delivered to Narita Airport. I've already test-packed everything and I'm good to go. The only thing I may do is make a quick stop to a bookstore in Shinjuju (which is on the way to begin with) to get a couple books that I can use to study for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. Beyond that it seems time is running out very quickly. Following my trip to Fuji I plan to make one final update here, so I'm not signing off from Japan just yet here.
I have many other pictures from the past few months I haven't yet even touched. They're all sitting in random folders on my desktop, cluttering things. So, in the interest of cleaning things up a bit, I'll move to getting those uploaded and posted once I get back to Hawaii.
The last major event is my climb of Mt. Fuji. Tomorrow morning my group and I will be on our way out. In preparation I have packed accordingly. First, make no mistake, Mt. Fuji is a honest-to-god mountain, the highest peak in all of Japan. I will be packing a sweater and a jacket to help keep warm up there, since our assault on the summit will be at nighttime. Temperatures below freezing do not faze me whatsoever, but normally one has time to acclimate. Instead, I'll be going from 95 degree heat and humidity to under 30 degrees in a matter of hours, not to mention the change in altitude from sea level to 12,000 feet. Food and water, although available even at the summit, is hideously expensive. So, I will be lugging a 2 liter bottle of water with me (which will at least get lighter as I go up), as well as some Calorie Mates for some highly portable nutrition. Of course I'm still lacking a couple things. When we arrive at the trailhead I'm going to be purchasing a pair of gloves and a hiking pole as well. Maybe a poncho as well, even though my outer jacket will be waterproof.
The day after I return from Fuji is the day of my departure. Everything for that has been taken care of. All my heavy luggage is packed and already being delivered to Narita Airport. I've already test-packed everything and I'm good to go. The only thing I may do is make a quick stop to a bookstore in Shinjuju (which is on the way to begin with) to get a couple books that I can use to study for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. Beyond that it seems time is running out very quickly. Following my trip to Fuji I plan to make one final update here, so I'm not signing off from Japan just yet here.
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