Cal Out Of Japan

Part Three! There's not much left to tell about my journey home - a taxi took me to some relatives with whom I spent the night (should you be reading, Mags, Tim and Jack, thanks again!), then next morning a train took me back to family and friends. In spite of all the trouble it caused me I can't deny that all the snow was very pretty. Frankfurt may have looked like a Christmas card with its blanket of snow, but the English countryside (and even cityscapes) made me feel like I was in The Box of Delights (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Box_of_Delights#BBC_television_adaptation).

My time at home so far has been enjoyable, though tiring trying to fit in time to see friends, work, see family, study, play et cetera. Only experienced mild Re-Entry Shock (it turns out I miss being greeted by a cheery "Irasshaimaseeee!" when I enter a shop), but had no trouble getting used to eating while walking, using pounds and being able to get around on foot fairly quickly again. I will admit, though, that speaking English in formal situations and eating Cornish pasties, sandwiches and so on took some getting used to, though the latter has been amply compensated by the high produced by drinking my beloved Relentless. I also attempted to make my own potato croquettes, a very messy but not wholly unsuccessful venture.

A brief respite, then the next big adventure is the Spring term, starting early January and ending late May. I'm feeling good about the next term; hopefully I can take use my experiences from this term and go in feeling a bit more comfortable and less afraid of offending people, getting lost, losing all my money and that sort of thing. I hope to do enough that will make interesting entries, so whether you've been with me from the start or only just dipped in recently, stick with me for more adventures, and whatever you do or don't celebrate at this time of year, I wish you a good time and good health, dear readers!

よく聞け！こうやって並べ!

Welcome to Part Two. I got to the airport again next morning in a free taxi, feeling full of hope. All seemed in order, I was in the queue to board, but mere minutes before I should have got on the flight was cancelled. Enter another queue from Hell. Two staff members attempting to help out a plane's worth or more of people. As aggravating as it was at the time (I waited four and a half hours before seeing someone), looking back it's quite amusing how people start to get chummy after sharing hardships. Also odd that in our age of high-speed information exchange the truth is just as hard to find as ever, and rumour flies perhaps faster than before:
"The plane's still on the runway. Why was it cancelled?"
"I hear they called it off because they thought it might snow in England."
"I 'phoned my friend and he says the sun's shining, and we would have been there by now."
"I hear they ran out of de-icer."
"I hear they're closing the transfer desk in fifteen minutes."

So, a new plan emerged for getting home - a train across the continent. One more queue later, however, I was informed that there were no trains going my way until Tuesday morning. At this point I seriously lost heart for a moment - I think the exact phrase I used to express my discontent was "Triple arse with fuckwit spunkbubbles!" Other people I had seen in the queues had strong shoulders to cry on, or soft lips from which to draw comfort, or just someone to be there for them and let them know they weren't alone. As for me I had no choice but to carry on doing all I could on my own, and hoping that good grace and the prayers of my friends and family might help the process along. At the end of another queue I made plans, and stayed the night at a different hotel, ready to give things another try the next day.

The monotony of my experiences on Monday don't make for particularly interesting reading. First queue - obtained "ground transportation voucher." Second queue - was informed there were no train tickets available for the rest of the week. Third queue - booked on a flight to Birmingham later in the day. I had about enough time to shoot back to the hotel and relax for half an hour or so. As the destined time approached I kept a close eye on the information displayed. Flights to London cancelled. Flights to Manchester cancelled. My flight to Birmingham - not cancelled yet. Looking back I think I must have been hoping for success, but even as I found the appropriate gate and waited there, even when boarding started, even when I was on the plane, I barely dared to dream that it would all come off until we were actually in the air.

After a short flight we touched down on English soil once again. However, it seems even the airport staff didn't expect our flight to make it, for our arrival took them by surprise and we were delayed on the plane for a little while. I was then delayed further in the luggage hall, for I wasn't even sure if my bags had made it here with me or if they were being sent on later. After two or three hours it came out that it was the latter. A little inconvenient, but I was satisfied enough that I was definitely, undeniably physically back in England once more. I was home.

This is not Birmingham Airport at night.

弾け、飛梅！

I've had a right old time getting here, but I am finally back on sweet Albion terra firma. Part One, as the next few paragraphs may be called, was mostly written while in Chubu International Airport, when I was still in a good mood. Stay tuned for Part Two and a shift in temperament!

At some point during Friday night I managed to drift off. I was in the middle of a corking dream about being at a party with friends, when my alarm rudely jerked me awake. Never mind, I thought to myself, the real thing awaits! Seeing as I considered it an hour at which no one should have business being awake, I was startled to find several housemates already downstairs, presumably in the middle of an "all-nighter." Still, it was nice to have someone to say goodbye to. Having double- and triple-checked that I had everything I could need, I trundled out the door, determined that nothing would go wrong with my trip home. I managed to lose my underground ticket between Irinaka and Kanayama (a few days later it turned up wedged between some cards), but a quick excess fare later I was on to the next leg of the journey.

This was my second time riding a Japanese overground train, and my first time buying my own ticket (which I didn't let out of my sight) and getting on without a guide. Perhaps because my schedule had altered since its first draft, I forgot about changing trains until I got to Aoyama station - a pleasant enough place, with a healthy smell of manure and mysterious digeridoo sounds in the crisp morning air, but nonetheless quite out of my way. Got back on the track alright, though, and had a pleasant surprise. On Japanese trains announcements of next stop etc. are made first in Japanese, then again in English, but on the service to the airport the English segment was made in an English (i.e. not American) accent. A refreshing foreshadowing of home!

Arriving at the airport I felt a surge of excitement. I still had plenty of time to spare, and I considered if the two hiccups so far were the worse that happened the situation would be quite satisfactory. When checking in (suitcase 18kg on the dot - not bad as I was only guessing the weight while packing) I was gratified that in spite of my obvious foreignness the lady behind the counter spoke to me in Japanese. I found the airport far more impressive in the bright morning with all its Christmas decorations than when I first arrived, tired and a little bit scared, way back in September. Suddenly I had a craving for coffee! So I found a café, relaxed over a cup and caught up with some writing for a while.

As anyone who has flown before will surely know, there's not that much to tell about the trip into the wild blue yonder. Sitting down for twelve plus hours and trying to keep occupied. All was going swimmingly until we arrived in Frankfurt. All internal flights and lots of international ones cancelled due to snow and such, and one hell of a queue to the transfers desk as everyone tried to work out what to do. Eventually I got booked on a flight to Manchester next morning and put up in an hotel overnight. Not an ideal situation, one admits, but at least it was on the mend... or so I thought.

This is the sky. It's what aeroplanes fly in.

期末

The fated day finally arrived! What can I say? I was up in good time and feeling ready to take on the last exam. This one took more time compared to the others, but I still got it done to my satisfaction. Questions included one section for writing one's opinion on education - specifically, where 'tis nobler in the mind to endure harsh studies in High School, with the promise of a laid back life at University (as in Japan) or the other way around (as in the West). There was also a portion for filling in blanks to demonstrate understanding of various grammar points. I was tempted to write humorous sentences, but in the end stuck with tried and tested examples that I knew would do the job. And with that the Autumn term came to an end.

Of course, there was much to do before the day was out! A few hours to relax, pack, paint my nails and put on my face, then off to the Farewell Party! A great number of people were gathered, for in addition to the usual suspects there were also dormmates, host families and even a few families from home to join in the celebrations. Some were dressed in finery, some bidding emotional farewells, but all in all a fine spirit of jocularity reigned. Food was consumed with great passion and gone before one knew it. I was satisfied enough, though, to have eaten karaage again and to have tried nikuman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikuman) for the first time.

Yet there were still more appointments to keep! Four of our number from Yamazato Koryu Kaikan were leaving us, so we had one last soiree, marred only slightly by most of us still being full from the previous party. It was good fun to be all together one last time, and looking back on what we've done together in these last three plus months really seem to have flown. As a gift everyone received a commemorative photo collage, and everyone wrote a message on each, though I must admit trying to think of something even vaguely thoughtful/insightful for everyone was unexpectedly difficult. Had to be up early to leave next morning, so tried to go to bed at a decent hour, though I doubted I would get much sleep for the excitement.

Th-th-th-th-th-th-that's all, folks!

You Promised Me Broadway Was Waiting For Me

My last week in Japan before heading back to England for Christmas has begun! No normal lessons this week, only exams - one (Classical Japanese) on Monday afternoon, the other (Japanese) on Friday morning. Obviously, then I launched straight into some revision on Monday morning... or something like it. Having been told what would be covered in the exam, to comb through relevant sections of the textbook seemed a reasonable approach, but not one that could last several hours. When the exam actually arrived I was surprised; I'd been expecting something more... well, something more. It was supposed to last an hour but I managed to finish in a third of this time. I shouldn't complain about lack of challenge, as I'm sure I got a few questions wrong, but that I could complete it to the best of my ability so quickly feels a little bit strange.

So, this left me with three full days to myself. Of course, revision has been top priority, but one needs a spot of variety in life. On Tuesday I made measures against my almost fatal lack of preparation and tendency to get lost, and scouted out the best route to the airport, as well as checking how long each leg of the journey should take. I don't foresee any big problems, but still crossing my fingers. I also went in search of a game not released outside of Japan, finding several game shops not known to me before, but alas, no Project Zero 4. The search must continue in the new year. Determined that sitting in front of a computer need not mean having my browser open to social network/imageboard of choice and tapping F5 in a vegetative state, I also read some of an article and learned a thing or two about the Buddhist concept of mara (delusion). Wednesday was considerably less conductive, Thursday was somewhere in between, and then...

Wild 'Tree ' Appeared!

忘年会

This weekend has been irregular, exciting and enjoyable. I felt quite a bit of relief on Saturday and embraced a few hours of lazy relaxation. But then! Social duties beckoned me outwards for my monthly meet-up with the Matsuos. December's get-together with the adoptive Aunt-and-Uncle was to take the form a New Years Party (or perhaps Year's End Party is more appropriate) at the building in which they live, out in Inazawa. This is not too far from Nagoya, a mere ten minutes by train, of course I did have to get an underground train to Nagoya station, a large and lively place where it's easy to get lost and not find the person you've gone there to meet. After the slight delay this caused, Squadalah! We were off.

A few thoughts first on Japanese flats, or if you prefer, tower blocks, apartment buildings or マンション. It doubtless says something about my as-yet narrow view of the world that I find it difficult to disassociate this kind of accommodation with ideas of a lack of space and temporary lodging while waiting for something better to turn up. Therefore it was refreshing and eye-opening to learn there are places where flats are as spacious and charmingly comfortable as any house, and even with a guest-room twice the size of my room at Yamazato. If ever I should once more find myself living in Japan for any extended period, to shack up in such a place would make me feel that I had "hit the big time."

On to the party itself! Food included sushi, pizza, various arrangements of chicken, onion-ring-like things except with squid instead of onions, and various crisps-and-chocolate style snacks. Also, I ate pig intestine and I liked it. Certainly, there were lots of introductions to be made, can't remember everyone's names. There was one character who kept calling me Charlie, and introduced me as a younger sibling of Takahiro's. He turned out to be rather knowledgeable about England, not that anyone believed what he said without confirmation from me. Another chap was quite up on rock music of the UK, USA and Japan, so we a had quite a bit in common. A few times I was asked what I thought of Japanese girls, whether these questions were posed in a purely curious or somewhat matchmakery way I'm not sure, but answered with a tactful "There's someone I like who's in England."

I stayed overnight, in the aforementioned large guest room, complete with futuristic toilet and tatami-flooring (not in the same room). During the night I had the classic experience of being taller than the average Japanese person and finding the futon a little bit lacking, but I still managed to be comfortable. The next morning I was kindly driven home, though we stopped first at a coffee shop to perk up a bit. I was much impressed by the level of technology in the car - there was a card that fit into a slot somewhere and handled the paying for toll bridges and the like, and a screen that had functions of GPS, radio and TV! So all in all, I was very glad to have seen various aspects of Japan I would not have experienced on my own, and much touched by Chihiro and Takahiro's generous hospitality. And with that, on to Exam Week!

Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May

The title of this entry has some relevance - I recently noticed some momiji leaves that had been so vibrantly red not long ago starting to shrivel up and die. Surely Winter is on the horizon, but Thursday and Friday were sighted off the port side! They were quite eventful this week, so sit down while I tell you a tale. Our traditional Thursday morning lesson speaking with Japanese student concluded in a party-like fashion, with various games, japes and demonstrations of divers talents. The Masters of Ceremony were two chaps from our class, I'll not namedrop just in case, but they are fair overflowing with charisma and style, and were a joy to watch in action. I think I have new ideas for Japanese TV-style games and hosting. People who were only here for one term also made farewell speeches; I'm sure they will be remembered fondly.

Friday morning brought with it the first written examination of the season, which included questions on grammar, reading comprehension, word definitions and speed reading. No problem for the likes of me! I saw it to its satisfactory conclusion quite early, though I was not the first to finish and leave (second, in fact). During my subsequent wonderings I was confronted by a classmate with the invitation "We're all going to karaoke tonight, you should come, too. Or I'll kill ya!" Disturbing, yes, but rather touching in its way. First, though, I was faced with a less agreeable responsibility - the deadline for my Japanese Religions Research Paper was that very day at five of the clock, post meridian. In a flash - more like a crawl, if I'm honest - I finished it, handed it in, so now may it never darken my door again!

End of term celebrations I promised you, dear readers, and now I can deliver! I found the place where we were to meet just about on time, and much to my surprise it was the same karaoke club I went to back at the start of November! We were there at a busy time, of course, so could only afford to stay for a comparatively short time, but I think everyone got a couple of songs in, and a fun atmosphere was surely created. Afterwards a few people toddled off homeward, while others of us continued on to an arcade to do Purikura.

I believe I mentioned these in passing before, they're sort of photo booths where you can go with friends, take some pictures and then change them around a bit - widen up the eyes, change skin tone, add cute pictures and captions, that sort of thing. The name comes from Purinto (Print) and Kurabu (Compare). I never saw the appeal before, but it actually was quite enjoyable! I think it's usual to have up to four people in one machine, but we somehow managed twelve. Achievement!

A fine souvenir of the Autumn term

Fin de Siécle

Here we are at the last Monday of normal lessons for the Autumn Semester. First off was a Listening Test, which was not too hard going; we'd be notified before what sort of content would be involved, so even with minimal revision I was able to do pretty well. That done there seemed nothing left to do but... talk about Karaoke? Apparently this one is quite popular, in a they-were-big-a-few-years-back-now-sorta-cheesy-camp-value sort of way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nFvAq3sp80. The final Tea Ceremony was as good fun as ever, although one fellow who often makes mistakes was incredibly determined to do things right this week. The tension was almost unbearable, but he did well! I shall take away many fun memories of ceremonies in that class.

The final lesson of Classical Japanese was nothing to fax home about, one more grammar point I wasn't too sure about before properly confirmed. On the other hand, some of the things we'd be covering next term were hinted at, and I think I have gained some knowledge of the way both Classical and modern Japanese work, though admittedly not in a way that would come in useful. Most of the evening was occupied with essay writing, although I did have a brief trip out to the shops, for recently I have discovered at what time they start reducing food and am thus become able to pick up some quite cheap sushi!

Tuesday was sadly uneventful. Somehow essay writing didn't quite happen the way it should have. I did get some rather pleasing news, though - since next term I'll move up to the next level of Japanese Class, I was expecting this meant taking IJ600 with the same teachers I met earlier this year (see September entries). But no! All the teachers move up to the next level as well, so I get to stay with the ones I've gotten used to and get on well with. Except for one of them, who is in a delicate state. Writing of essay went more smoothly on Wednesday, and I also had an impromptu interview to apply for some scholarship or other.

Upon Wednesday evening there also occurred an event that may remain in my memory some time. I was on my way to the library and happened to glance down the hill on which Nanzan is perched. I saw the town and surrounding mountains in silhouette, looking like they'd been drawn in charcoal. The sun had already sunk beneath the horizon, and the sky was painted spectacular colours, reds and oranges in the west, blues in the east, all merging seamlessly with each other. At that moment I felt somehow that the troubles of life couldn't last for ever. This sentiment is more or less lifted from an episode of Stephen Fry's "The Dongle of Donald Trefusis," but it is quite genuinely how I felt. It gave me hope.

The Word "Whip" Occurs in the Old Testament No Less Than...

Apologies for lack of entries lately, dear readers. It's been a long old troublesome road, but this term is finally drawing to a close and I have a bit of time on my hands to write again. My last proper entry recounted the events of the 31st of November and 1st December, so I'll pick up the story with Thursday the 2nd. This was the day when our class's Project Work reached its final conclusion. Topics presented by this half of the class included the Computer Games, Manga & Anime, Sports, and Purikura (photobooths) of Japan. More well-known subjects than the last time around, but of course the interesting part was finding out what the opinions of Japanese people turned out to be -which sports are most popular, are games thought of as a bad influence and so on.

Later that evening I ate a whole swiss roll for the first time in ages. I also received a message from a classmate, relayed to me through the kind offices of my building's janitor. Not having a 'phone is not really such an obstacle to communication in the modern world. As for the message itself, it was in the nature of suggesting we meet up before class the next morning to rehearse the skit we due to perform as part of our oral examination. Though I abhor getting up early, I am glad that we did, for that extra practice came in handy. Our skit started off as a simple "two friends talking about what they did over the holidays" sort of affair, then toward the end an element of "will they won't they" and gossip was introduced to make it more interesting. We also had a quick-change moment, which went down well with the audience.

Part Two of the spoken assessment (individual this time) was more heavy on the improvisation - there were three scenarios of which we had previously made aware, one was randomly selected, then talk for about five minutes! Quick and painless, and when everyone had done that we relaxed somewhat by watching a TV adaptation of the short novel "Duke." Amusing and touching, to be sure. As for the weekend, I took a trip over to Osu on Saturday, during which I watched a street performer who was a dab hand at manipulation of dice and balloons, and saw a fellow who had a rabbit on a lead.

In general this week I feel like I've been "waking up" a bit. That is to say, from a financial (and to some extent emotional) standpoint coming to Japan is a lot like an endurance test, and my approach to dealing with it has been to try to restrain my passions, but as Christmas and my time at home draws near, I feel like I'm suddenly remembering who I am. Will I try a less suppressive method next term? Who knows. Rather jumping the gun thinking about that, but I hope you enjoyed this account of Thursday through to Sunday!

Workin' on the railroad.

Put it in the Curry

As I write my project work is finally all finished and I've thrown away anything related to it! Much relief. I went in on Tuesday morning feeling a little bit apprehensive, but somehow once we got started my performance-y instincts kicked in and I actually had fun with it. The fact that we were in a lecture-hall-type classroom and I got to speak through a microphone and use a pointy-stick to draw my audience's attention to pie charts probably added to this effect. Hurrah for toys! Apart from the group I was in, which talked about Fashion Sub-Cultures, I also saw presentations about New Year Gifts, Karaoke, Host Clubs, a brand called Comme de Garcons and mobile 'phone novels. Much of this was interesting, well presented and allowed me to gain knowledge on subjects I had little or no idea about before, so it was definitely worth showing up.

I spent most of the rest of the day wallowing in the satisfaction of completion of this worth-10%-of-final-grade-but-takes-over-a-month-to-do-for-some-reason milestone, mainly in my room vegging out while watching morning television on YouTube. Of course, since it was Japanese morning television ("Hello Morning" to be specific) it had all sorts of cute and bizarre humour, and I could vaguely justify it in my mind as being some kind of revision.

"But what about Wednesday, Cal?" I hear you ask. Once released from morning lessons I took it into my head to do something absolutely essential but that I'd been putting off for some time - getting a re-entry visa. To give a bit of background my student visa entitles me to stay in Japan until December 2011, but it gets voided if I leave before then, so I need special permission to come back after going home for Christmas. So far this makes reasonable sense, but unlike most things relating to living in Japan which can be applied for at a local ward office, re-entry visas are available exclusively from the Immigration Bureau, which is located way off the beaten track, almost in the sea, in fact. I suppose I can understand that mentality - immigrants sometimes arrive or depart from the port, so put the place dealing with immigration near there, but I don't see why there can only be one. Furthermore the nearest landmark to navigate my way there was the city's race track, and I can't imagine walking past shambling semi-corpses with that expression on there face of "If I back just one good horse I can get my life back on track" is really going to encourage people to settle here on a more permanent basis.

Now that you're familiar with my thoughts on the Immigration Bureau as a concept, I got there by taking an underground train to an overground train station, where the best thing to do would have been to catch an overground train to another station, then take a train on a different line to a stop not far from my destination. Or so I thought at one time. I could in fact have taken another underground to somewhere almost as close, but in fact I didn't do either of these, but tried to walk there, navigating with a map and the position of the sun. I got lost once or twice but managed to make it there, where the actual process for getting the visa was refreshingly quick, simple and painless. And since I'll never have to go back there I'd call the entire operation an unwarranted success!

In other news the electronic water heating device in our kitchen recently broke, so I have to use an old iron kettle on a hob to make tea now, which is surprisingly pleasantly nostalgic.

Some roadsigns are no help at all

If You Prick Us...

What sort of week is this week to be? As yet insufficient data to theorise, but today was pleasant enough. Lessons started out in the same room we normally have listening exercises and so on in, but the schedule was rather different on this occasion! This week is largely dominated by the end of our Project Work - presentations on Tuesday and Wednesday (first thing Tuesday for me - eep! Though at least I'll not feel awkward trying to following anyone else's), so lots of rehearsing and fine-tuning in between those times. Then an oral exam on Friday. Perhaps I do have enough data to predict what kind of week this will be, after all. In any case, I think it'll turn out alright, though precious little of that is due to any effort on my part.

During my sliver of free time between lessons, I was in the middle of "taking it easy," when I suddenly remembered my report for Tea Ceremony, due in today and barely started! I belted something out and was a tad late to the class, only to discover I'd been misinformed and it was actually due in next week - d'oh! As for the class itself, I knew I had three weeks left until the end of term, but the point was rather driven home to hear this week described as the penultimate lesson. It proceeded smoothly, this week's sweets were shaped and coloured to resemble persimmons, and we had two rounds of tea. The second round was a different kind of tea (sencha) than that we usually drink (maccha), loose-leaf and served in small cups resting in saucers shaped like leaves. In terms of taste it was closer to the varieties of green tea we know in the West. As a keepsake of my enjoyable times in this class, I may say "Osake joudai itashimasu" instead of "kampai" ("Cheers!")  when drinking, but ask me why this is funny the next time you chance to meet me in person.

Classical Japanese wrapped up the day as per usual - this week we studied adjectives. That probably says something about the complexity of the language that there are so many different kinds of verbs it took us almost three months to cover them all. Of course, these lessons too are soon to come to an end, but since I can continue this course (which I can't do for the Tea Ceremony) next year I don't feel quite so nostalgic. In other news the exam timetable has been released - it looks like very easy going, only two exams to deal with this time around, though of course I have essays and the like to hand in as well. So all in all not a bad day; tiring, yes, but in the kind of way that speaks of satisfaction with having got things done.

Have I mentioned this before? Lemon Honey - I was intrigued and knew I must try it! It tastes a bit like marmalade, but lemony. 

When the Band Finished Playing They Held Up the Bar

Well, the week finally drew to a close, and I have had the luxury of these two days to recuperate and take it easy in preparation for similarly hectic weeks from here on. On Saturday I wondered into Sakai, and in the Oasis21 centre observed some event going on which involved lots of dancing - good fun to watch, though my camera seemed to fail at crucial snapping-type moments. There is also a temporary skating rink set up, which again I would describe as pleasant to look at but probably not something I'll be using. After a quick(ish) trip (or two) to the Jump Shop and NHK Character Shop, I was on my way homeward, but accidentally (more denial) ended up going via Osu Kannon. However, through some unknown providence I managed to resist the temptation to buy anything.

Sunday was much the same kind of affair it always is (though it was only five in the afternoon when I started this entry - who knows if other complications will arise later?) - laundry, food shopping, homework gradually getting done, and this week watching Poirot to help the time pass! Many of my housemates have been on a trip this weekend, so it's been very quiet around the community room and kitchen.

Something that occupied a fair bit of my attention this weekend was Christmas presents. Slowly but surely I'm acquiring items that will hopefully amuse my nearest and dearest and won't be too difficult to get home. Of course, I don't mind parting with money for this purpose, but the fact that I have been spending made me realise that I am only now getting to the end of the hundred-thousand yen I came to this country with - considering all the one-off setting-things-up-type expenses I think that's not a bad amount of time to make that money last.

One troupe of dancers I saw on Saturday. They danced to "Smooth Criminal."

The Warped Wheel

The week just gone from Monday evening 'til Saturday morning has been a tad hard on me. As the end of the term approaches all sorts of deadlines are approaching, and I've had to make a special effort to concentrate. Monday and Tuesday I mainly spent on my Modern Japanese Literature essay, at the expense of the script for my Project Work presentation, which I moved on to on Wednesday, leaving me all but brain-dead up until the end of Friday. After that I've been trying to research for a Japanese Religions essay and sort out a short Tea Ceremony essay as well. Combined with that I had to sort out some misunderstandings about term dates, so all in all I've been holed up in my room, working at one thing at a time at the expense of all others, including blog entries and non-official e-mails. Doesn't make for very interesting reading, so to compensate you for your time, here's a picture of a deer:

And a link to a video that sums up the feel of this week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f0QaJxc91I

Tiny White Spinner

Wiggedy-whack, dear readers. Apologies for the continued lull in entries, but be warned, it'll get worse before it gets better. Monday the Twenty-Second at least, was eventful enough for me to make an entry of, so here goes! The day dawned with usual listening exercises, mostly taken from recent news stories. I often find these hard to follow, since news programmes often use specialist terms, though they become somewhat obvious when one sees how they're spelt (that doesn't happen in English too much, does it? "Oh, arsonist with an 'a'!"). Afterwards we were given an explanation of exams to come, and the reading material we'd be working on for this week - a short story entitled "Duke." It's about a young lady mourning her recently-departed dog, and then spoilers!

Tea ceremony was quite fun and laid-back, as always. At this stage in the term people appear to be quite comfortable with each other, so some may argue that laughing and joking with one's neighbor damages the solemnity of the ceremony, but since it was originally conceived in the spirit of enjoying tea, there's probably a little room for interpretation based on changing times. And we're only practising, after all; I'm sure we should have more self-restraint if we were having tiffin with the Emperor or some such. The pace is increasing now that we are more familiar with procedure, and we had two rounds of sweets this week - one kind had rainbow-like colours all in a lump, the other had texture and colours suggestive of a squashed slug. Tasted alright, but once the similarity had been pointed out to me it became a bit difficult to enjoy.

Classical Japanese was easier going this week - some grammar I vaguely knew about before but having it spelled out in more clear-cut rules helped to remember it better. Little by little we're delving into old texts more and some of the archaic vocabulary is starting to stick. I returned home feeling well with the world, and spent the evening working on an essay... but that's a story for another time.

奈良など/Nara etc.

Just when I thought things were getting boring, I went on an interesting trip to Nara this Saturday! For those  of you who don't  know, Japan's capital city has changed a few times throughout history, but Nara was the first. To use an English comparison you might say Nara is to Kyoto what Winchester is to London, and Kyoto has a similar relationship to Tokyo. We travelled by bus and were up early as the journey took a couple of hours each way, but armed with a volume of Wodehouse stories it passed by pleasantly enough. Scenery wasn't too hot as it took quite a while to get out of the city-like area, but there were a good few roving hills and forests to be seen at times; it reminded me of Devon countryside, but a little bit bigger. I was also able to experience Japanese service stations... rather more clean than their English counterparts, but still with graffiti in the toilets.

First stop on the trip was the 法隆寺(Horyuji), sort of an early seminary for training up monks when Buddhism first came to Japan. If I remember right the original was built sometime around 607, but was destroyed by fire. The second version was erected in 711, and is still standing today, making it one of the oldest wooden structures in Japan, if not the world! I was very impressed that it had lasted so long (though it does get patched up every couple of centuries) and that so many intricate designs could be carved from wood. We were shown around by a volunteer guide, who gave us a bit of history on the place, switching intermittently between Japanese and English, then at the end of the tour he distributed pairs of bamboo chopsticks as souvenirs ... actually, he didn't have enough to go around, so he only gave them to the foreign people, but still, he was a thoroughly decent chap.

法隆寺

Next up was Nara Koen (奈良公園), a large park littered primarily with three things - Buddhist temples, deer and red leaves. The temples and similar structures were all humblingly old; I felt like a time-traveller walking around them. A strong smell of incense also pervaded the surrounding area, giving these places an appropriately calming, "sacred" atmosphere. This was probably the first time I got to see non-rein deer close up, and my goodness there were a lot of them! It's no wonder Nara's mascot (yes, it seems every major city in Japan has a mascot, good for the tourist trade) looks like a Buddhist monk with antlers. It was quite unlike anything I've seen before to see so many wondering about, and for them to be so used to people to allow me a casual stroke or two in passing, though they quickly lost interest when they realised I didn't have any food.

I felt it necessary to mention the leaves because of their colour. This year Japan has had an unusually long summer, so the leaves are only just starting to change colour and fall from the trees. In Japanese the autumnal colours are called Kouyou/紅葉, literally meaning "Crimson Leaves." At one time I thought this description may have been exaggerating a bit, but the leaves of the Japanese Maple/Momiji really turn a colour that is so brilliantly red it sometimes seems unreal. After a couple of hours (or one and a half if we're to split hairs) of wondering around this pleasant environment it was back on the bus for a long ride homeward. So all in all a fun trip, rewarding in terms of knowledge and experience, though quite tiring as well.

Innit lovely?

1ターン1度、相手モンスター1体の攻･守力を半分にする事ができる。

Writing this blog was easier early on in the year when there were so many new experiences to recount. These days there's much that I've gotten used to and wouldn't think of mentioning, plus it's that time of year when the term starts to drag and motivation diminishes a little bit. Although I primarily write so my nearest and dearest back home can keep up with me, I try to write this blog in such a way that people who don't know me can enjoy, and possibly that a publisher with a big cigar could spot and say "Kid, I tink yoo gawt wut it takes ter make it big!" and then fame and fortune. However for the next week or so, being tied up with essays, projects and whatnot, the level of interestingness may fall ever so slightly, but I'll do my best to try to keep my entries fairly fresh.

After my lessons on Tuesday I rode the underground a lot, so much so that it went overground at one point, and explored the outskirts of Nagoya around the area where it starts turning into Seto. This may sound very adventurous and exciting, but at the time I was trying to find the University's inexplicably far away other campus, and for a counselling session at that, I didn't have a lot of fun with the experience. Looking back with a more stable state of mind I can report that the scenery was rather nice, like the kind of town you pass through which makes you think "I wouldn't mind living in a place like this someday," before you realise it's rather far away from anywhere you may wish to go. I also ran into a gang of cats lurking outside a block of flats; they seemed very interested in my presence but didn't have the courage to come and talk to me. Most Japanese cats I've encountered seem to be incredibly given to flight, but perhaps they've been strays and have reason to timid.

As for Wednesday, I spent in a kind of mourning for the Irinaka branch of Book-Off. It may seem strange, but I think it is an awful thing for a book that can still be read to be just thrown away, so for someone like me it wasn't easy to see great boxfuls tumbling into rubbish vans (at least Japan is quite good with the environment, so they'll probably be recycled, small comfort though it is). I found myself walking to the next nearest shop to make sure it was just that branch and not the whole chain that closed. There is one within an hour or so's walking distance, so at least my days of buying cheap manga are not completely over.

Most of Thursday and Friday are a bit of a blur to me - I think there may have been lots of project work, which I don't want to remember. Also, lots of classes have sort of... finished. By this I mean we've got to the end of the textbook we were using as well as the grammar, reading, vocabulary and kanji exercise packets. Once again I ask myself, was this part of the teachers' plans? Do they even have plans? According to the timetable for the next two weeks we're going to be reading through a short novel and just picking up things based on that. Not a bad way of learning, in my opinion, but it still feels bizarrely laid back to me. The many wonders of living in a different country!

I stretch in the morning, afternoon and evening but am not yet this flexible

There's A Hole In Your Dungarees

Welcome to another entry, my lovelies. A lot to cover, so I'll plod straight on with Monday. The morning Japanese classes included learning a few expressions of the kind that generally don't appear in dictionaries and sound very strange if you try to directly translate them. For example, "気に落とさないでください/ki ni otasanaide kudasai" means "(Please) Relax," but a literal translation would be something like "Please don't lower your spirit." Similarly, in a recent conversation I said "甘いものに目がない/Amai mono ni me ga nai," meaning "I love sweets," but literally "As for sweet things, I have no eyes." We also finished watching Ima Ai Ni Yuku, quite a surprising twist at the end, but I'll not spoil it for anyone who may yet read or watch it. In fact, it may be said that the morning was one of many endings, for we also got to the end of the packet of grammar exercises we've been using since the start of the term. I wonder what we shall do now without it?

I believe I've mentioned Project Work before, one of the four current banes of my life. I had planned to print out the questionnaire I'd be using and start trying to get it answered... managed to carry out the first part of that plan. How glad I was to duck into the sanctuary of the tearoom for some cha. Not much to report about the ceremony today, it was rather laid back and enjoyable, we had the same sweets that we've had once before, but in a different container - a big ceramic pot with a heavy and fragile lid. The teacher also pointed out some things to us we may not have noticed (instances of bad posture etc) and bade us be careful of them... interestingly she didn't say they were against ceremony etiquette, just that they weren't cool.

Classical Japanese suddenly seemed a bit more difficult this week. Perhaps it's because I didn't prepare for the lesson like I usually do because I was busy with the homework set last week. Or maybe it's because we covered stuff that I didn't learn last year at SOAS. Either way, it was certainly a challenging lesson, we looked at some texts which were a bit tricky to understand, not so much because of the grammar but more the amount of mysterious vocabulary and cultural context. All in all a rather tiring day, but here's hoping it will all pay off in the end one way or another.

This fellow has nothing to do with what I did today, but it's a rather nice picture, I think.

But Please Don't Eat That Glass, My Friend

Greetings, dear readers. Sorry for the lapse in entries; it's shaping up to be one of "those" weeks. Or it may have reached the time of year when things seem to be piling up or to have gone on too long. Received one or two pieces of disquieting information during Thursday and Friday, though they may yet prove to cause no lasting trouble. Getting myself out of this funk took a good deal of tea and Sherlock Holmes, but managed it in the end.

By and large life as normal until the weekend rolled around. On Saturday I set out for Osu in order to do some Christmas shopping. On the whole I didn't get as much done as I would have liked, getting struck with the customary wonderlust and finding it difficult to get into the mindset of shopping for other people. I did, however, manage to walk there and back without help from a map and compass for the very first time! A small achievement, and a sign of the times, to be sure.

On Saturday night we had a party to celebrate the Hallowe'en party going well. These students - any excuse! Unlike the Hallowe'en party, though, it was held at our humble Yamazato dorm, and it was a rather quiet affair, not packed to the bilges or anything. The nature of this party was temaki sushi and kani nabe. "Whut?" I hear you ask. Well, temaki is a kind of sushi which you make yourself, putting rice and other ingredients into the nori (seaweed) then haphazardly rolling it into a vaguely conical shape. This was all a bit too delicate work for clumsy ole' me, so I took to just piling up my plate with rice and other ingredients (most of which are still a mystery to me) and eating them as they were. Nabe meanwhile is a kind of stew, and kani means crab. Through this party I was able to discover that I do not like the taste of crab. Overall I'd call the party a success; it was pleasant to hobnob with a few new people and see our front room miraculously transformed into a party space through the simple expedient of arranging the tables differently.

Gaiety

Sunday was back to a business-as-usual-style milling around, going food shopping, getting a start on homework and the like. There was one bit of excitement - I received a package from my family containing some English sweets and chocolate, so was able to go about my business with a little taste of home! Alas, though, this sweet indulgence was not without its bitter aftertaste. Writing from Wednesday I can also report that on this Sunday the Book-Off (cheap secondhand bookshop) down the road from me closed down. :( Had I but known I would gladly have bought up a considerable chunk of their remaining stock!

Montmorency Set Up A Furious Barking

Recently I've been having trouble getting to sleep, and getting more tired during the day. My diet and habits are much the same as ever, so I assume this has something to do with adjusting to the regular Uni week, or with the clocks going back in England. Or maybe it's energy drink withdrawl symptoms finally kicking in.

I was a little apprehensive about the lessons on Tuesday - on the timetable both periods were simply billed "速読＆話そう!" (Speed Reading and Let's Talk!), once again giving me the impression that much of the course is being made up as it goes along. It turned out to be better than expected, though - we'd talk about the subject the Speed Reading entry was concerned with, then read bits and pieces from it, then generally talk about it some more. In the first session we discussed the apparent increase in Japan of 草食系/soushokukei. Directly translated this word means vegetarian or herbivore, but in recent years it's been used to describe people who are not very active or assertive in heterosexual romance. Some interesting discussion, mainly about gender roles and cultural influence. The second session dealt with the typical Japanese system of employment, which appears to be rather strict in comparison to the little I know about the English one.

When visiting my regular bakery for lunch, I was delighted to see the shelves lined with tinsel! Although there are still some days that are quite warm, and the last leaves of Autumn have yet to fall, this surely means I can start looking forward to Christmas!

Wednesday, Wednesday, though... Short lessons, as per usual, and rather easy to deal with in a "speaking-about-stuff-in-the-textbook-and-later-practising-similar-conversations" kind of way. Thereafter I met with a bit of a shock - I have to pay the rent for the five months of the next term by the end of November! This won't quite break my bank, and though it was a nasty surprise it's almost comforting to know that in Japan, same as in England, Universities and the accommodation associated them tend to operate with near complete ignorance and/or indifference to the nature of their students' finances.

Later I went out to dinner with Chihiro and her husband at a nice little Italian restaurant. It was really fun, those two are really thoroughly decent sorts, and we stayed chatting and so on until the restaurant closed, not unlike when I go out for meals with my family in England! Also, had some good fettucini fungi and marvelled at the futuristic toilet - the flush was operated by a control panel mounted on the wall, completely separate from the toilet itself! Of course, I got in a bit late so no chances of fixing the sleeping pattern, but it was worth it!

Japanese Snacks Vol. 9 - Cream Bread: Another staple of my diet out here. A bit like a custard doughnut, but slightly larger and more bun-like. As you may tell from the photo, I buy them reduced whenever I get the chance!

トマト！トーマートー！

Due to popular demand I have added photographs to the blog. Sorry to anyone who will now have to scroll through all the old entries to see if they add to the experience. As I still had problems uploading them, they're taken from Facebook, so will be nothing new to anyone who has been following my escapades in that medium.

Everybody saddle up for a brand new week and a brand new month! Alright, so this is the second week of this month, but I wasn't paying attention during the proper first one. But today was a regular Monday, complete with lack of sleep the night before and feeling unfocused in the morning. However, during a listening practice lesson we covered some rather interesting vocabulary to do with museum/art gallery terms and conditions, opening times etc., so maybe I'll translate some of the signs back in Southampton when I get bored. We also heard a summarising of opinions expressed in a questionnaire about the year so far and what steps were going to be taken, but I forget exactly what they were. Possibly less homework, possibly more.

So, the first tea ceremony lesson for what feels like rolled around. Today something was subtly different about the tea room - usually the hot water is stored in the corner, within an urn which looks antiquated at first glance, until one notices it's keeping itself warm electronically. Today, though, a part of the tatami flooring had been removed to reveal a small alcove (traditionally containing hot coals, I believe, but obviously in this case they'd be unnecessary) into which the urn was placed. I think the purpose of this is that it allows the heat to circulate around the room a bit better at colder times of year. When the urn is in this position procedure for mixing tea is different, but not too significantly.

In Classical Japanese we covered two kinds of verbs we'd not yet studied, but that I vaguely knew about from the SOAS course. Of course, it would have helped if last year they had told us that one of those varieties only includes one, fairly obscure verb, and so you can pretty much get by without memorising it. I spent most of the rest of the afternoon photo-ing up the blog, then there was a house meeting, in which I felt quite irritable for no apparent reason. In fact, today I was plunged into a foul mood without warning several times... perhaps it's just the time of the month when I feel particularly homesick and impatient to get everything done. Ah well, this too will pass.

This snapshot of my shelves and their contents seems to me to sum up my life at present.

A Return to Sub-Normality

Well, as the title suggests it was back to Uni for me on Thursday, and at present I'm easing back into a regular routine again. I write this entry on a lazy Saturday afternoon, and I get the feeling that rather than exploring I'll probably spend most of today and tomorrow preparing my homework for the week to come, not because I have an inordinate amount, but because I'm still adjusting. On the Thursday itself, though, we had a visit from a guest speaker, a prominent personage in the world of drama and script writing. He was cleped 栗木英章(Hideaki Kuriki) - when written vertically his name is symmetrical! He told us a thing or two about the different kinds of Japanese drama, and of the kinds of works he has written and/or performed in. Glad to have had such an opportunity.

After lessons ended on Thursday I had the kind of day that usually accompanies the approach of a deadline - I attempt to finish the work but find it difficult to think. I go somewhere else to work, but eventually hit a mental block there as well. I try to take a break to refresh my mind but the guilt at not working ruins my mood. I feel irritated with myself for not being able to focus, eat a load of junk food and would probably be rather unpleasant company if I didn't isolate myself. Then eventually the work is finished, but due to staying up late to get it done I'm still not 100% the next morning. In my case the situation contained added insult when I went down to breakfast to find that some of my housemates had been studying the entire night without sleep, yet they were still inexplicably bright and perky. Well, everyone does things their own way, I suppose.

On Friday morning was held a giving of speeches, the second spoken assessment of this year. I think I managed to stumble through saying mine alright - my chosen topic was gay marriage, I suppose having an interest in the subject helps to be able to speak somewhat naturally about it. Instead of the usual Japanese Religions lesson, the class met up at a local temple and wandered around for an hour or so. I'd been around that temple once before, but visiting as a kind of school trip meant I gained a few bits and pieces of insight that had eluded me before. Our teacher also treated us to a drink at the café and regaled us with a few amusing stories of when he had been studying. A pleasant way to round off the "week," and filled me with hope of success to come...

Always believe in your soul

Sweet Release

Rejoice, for Cal is not dead, nor yet have my interesting experiences in Japan ceased. I've just had a rather odd, strained week or so. Having a half-term holiday start on Friday and end the next Wednesday is bound to play havoc with the rhythms I'd become accustomed to, and I had a fair bit of schoolwork to keep me busy. My week off went something like this:

Friday - A trip to Osu (window shopping and thinking about X-mas presents), researching for Modern Japanese Literature essay.
Saturday - Scheduled trip to Nanzan's Seto Campus cancelled, another day of study
Sunday - Some time relaxing, more study.
Monday - Failed attempt to find Nagoya University's library and see if I could use it, more study
Tuesday - Lunch and karaoke with doormmates
Wednesday - Realisation that I'd neglected my Japanese Religions reflection paper, frantic attempt to get it done.

It all passed by in the blink of an eye. Though early on I felt I was making progress with the MJL essay, there were inevitably some admin issues to work out. For those of you who are not familiar with the School of Oriental and African Studies, it is for the most part a groovy place offering an atmosphere of acceptance, good teaching and courses that not many Universities would offer. But if you need to contact the school to work out a problem with your course, then may the gods have mercy on your soul! A substantial amount of my time this past week was spent e-mailing back and forth between the Registry, my tutor for MJL and the Faculty Office, just to attempt to confirm that I'd be re-taking the course and sending my coursework via e-mail! And even now it's not fully sorted, for according to the Registry I'm only resubmitting one out of the two assignments, and the Faculty Office haven't said a word to me since July! A lot of trouble for a half unit.

A glance at my summary will surely lead to the conclusion that Tuesday was the most interesting day of the holiday, but there are a few other points that deserve a bit of attention. Osu continues to surprise and delight me, on this occasion I saw a cat casually sitting on the counter in one shop, and tried my first bar of Japanese chocolate. I also found a shop called "Gamers," which had such a goggling array of merchandise I just drifted through it in a daze, attempting to convert the data into information. But it smelled like heaven. That is the thought that flashed into my mind as I entered. A sort of aroma of the kind of plastic in which that new books, dvds, cds and the like are wrapped. As for Saturday's trip, the cancellation of an appointment due to a typhoon is an experience in itself, though the typhoon itself seemed to miss where I am by miles and not cause much trouble at all.

I have rambled a bit; on to Tuesday! The original plan had been to go to a place called "Sweets Paradise," where they do an all-you-can-eat offer which includes a few savoury options and something in the neighborhood of fifty varieties of desserts. However, for some reason or other we ended up going to a different restaurant, not as exciting, but still all-you-can-eat and cheaper than S.P. would have been, so no complaints from me. Lots of gyoza, noodles, takoyaki, potato croquettes and tofu ice cream on offer; I ate until it hurt! Thence we wandered in search of a karaoke establishment, and happened upon a cheap one (student discount and all!) - 450 yen per person and we could stay until eight in the evening, if we were so inclined.

So, thoughts on karaoke. In the land of its creation it is quite different from the spectacle we may know in the western world, where such things as alcohol and "The X-Factor" lead people to overestimate their singing prowess and "treat" a crowded bar to their unique "interpretation" of their favourite songs. Instead, your group gets a private room (from which you can order food and drink if you are inclined), so you won't disturb any other guests. Certainly, within that room you can still end up murdering songs and embarrassing yourself, but you are among friends all doing the same, and I found that trying to get my timing right quite distracted me from how bad my singing must have been. Interestingly, at the end of each song the number of calories you had supposedly burned was displayed. So I counted it as exercise, and as revision, since we sang quite a few Japanese songs. If only we had such places in England.

Japanese Snacks Vol. 8 - Chocolate: This particular brand and variety tastes a bit like Cadbury Wildlife bars, but with a luxuries undertone (undertaste?) akin to Milk Tray.

Miscellany IV

Here we are again, dear readers, though not a great amount of experiences to recount this time. I've a few more tests, written ones which I seemed to finish rather early (though I gave them my best effort), giving me an unfamiliar 45 minutes or so to play around with in between lessons. With those out of the way the half-term holiday started, so I've no Uni until Thursday 4th. I doubt I'll get up to anything amazingly interesting; more likely to use it to catch up on work (two essays to write and a speech to memorise - ulp!). I was going to go on a field trip to one of the University's more far-off campuses, but it got cancelled due to the approach of Typhoon Chaba! So here are some thoughts about this-and-that which may amuse or interest.

• Nagoyan Culture - On Thursday we had a relaxed end-of-term lesson about various aspects of local culture. One good question that came up was why the mascot for the Japanese baseball team The Dragons is not a dragon. Apparently, it has to do with the team name being an English word pronounced the Japanese way - Do-ra-go-n-su. Take the first two syllables and you get "Dora," meaning koala in Japanese, which the powers that be evidently decided would make a more cute mascot. We also touched briefly on the dialect spoken in this locale, very interesting and a little bizarre how much regional variation can occur within the same language.
• Public Toilets - I was wandering around the shopping arcade at Osu on Friday, and found myself trying to find a toilet. I paused for thought when I noticed a sign saying (in English and Japanese) "Please feel free to use the toilets." There are many comforts of my homeland that I miss very much, but public toilets is something I will miss about Japan when I leave and return to London, where using a toilet without paying seems tantamount to high treason. Japanese toilets also tend to be reasonably clean and well-maintained - I don't think I've yet found one where the taps didn't work.
• Dates - When writing the date in Japan, as in America, the month comes first, therefore the English 30th October becomes October 30th. I'm not sure why and how this trans-Atlantic differentiation came about, but there is a reasonable explanation to be had in the case of Japan. In Japanese culture and language larger or more impressive things always come first, e.g. Japanese names are written with the family (i.e. group) name first, then the given (i.e. individual) name. I only noticed recently, though, that in keeping with this the year is written first, so - 2010/10/30. It makes sense, of course, but it still looks a little odd to me and takes me a moment to work out which date is being expressed.
• Microwaves - Someone recently asked me how dorm life was treating me, and I told him that it took some getting used to cooking without an oven. The chap then replied that he had the impression that the English tend to use microwave ovens more than the Japanese. This set me to thinking, and while watching a video online detailing a recipe for pumpkin cake it dawned on me that the main difference is perhaps not the frequency of use but the attitude toward it. I'm not sure about the rest of you, dear readers, but I've always thought of the microwave as something to use when the gas/electric oven would require too much time, or for cooking ready meals. In contrast, in Japan the microwave seems a tool with its own merits to use in cooking. Plus, I always thought it you put cling-film in a microwave it would melt and poison your food - not so! Was I misinformed or is Japanese film specially made to be more resistant?

Sometimes I like to wander to lonely spots to help me think.

Ask Not for Whom the Bell Tolls

I'd say the long Summer has finally come to an end - on Monday it was dark by five o'clock, on Tuesday evening it actually got chilly, and when I woke up on Wednesday morning the house was the coldest it's been since I arrived (possibly due to the windows being wide open - denial much?). As unpleasant as it may be to bid goodbye to the easy comfort of Summer, I think Winter has its charms, too. After Christmas and New Year it all feels a bit dreary and drawn out, I agree, but when it first starts getting cold, it makes me think of romance. Wrapping up in big coats and cute scarves, meeting up with someone you like and pretending it's just the cold making the blood run to your face, eventually getting inside to where it's warm and cosy... I love the idea of all that (not that I've ever actually had any Winter romances >.<).

The main order of this week has been Mid-Term (Half-term? Should I translate directly and risk sounding American or use an English equivalent that isn't widely used?) examinations. How's that, nearly half way through this first semester (term?) already, spooky, eh? Anyhow, I reckon I'm doing alright, got a few results back already - 28/30 for the Listening and 27/30 for the Speaking; considering I generally think of those two as my weakest points I'm quite pleased with that.

In the midst of acclimatising on Wednesday I also dropped in on a welcome party held by the English Speaking Society (no cold is bitter enough to stand between me and free karaage!). Conversations I had with people there alternated between them practising their English and me practising my Japanese. I actually got involved in some lengthy talks, meaning I didn't stuff my face as much as I would have liked to, but I still reckon I ate my fill. Among the delicacies on offer were variations on swiss roll, butter biscuits, potato wedges and what appeared to be fried potato skewers (not a great description, I'll try to make them sometime to better illustrate). The latter two items were so drenched in grease and salt I felt for a brief moment like my tastebuds had been transported back to a chip shop in England. There was also origami, calligraphy and kendama (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendama) in a "We're the English Speaking Society, but here's some Japanese culture!" sort of spirit.

Been an enjoyable day, and tomorrow I get my last exam out of the way and have a few days of free relaxation to look forward to. As I write I am sitting at my desk wrapped up in a warm blanket. It's not really all that cold, but it adds to the Wintery atmosphere I'm trying to embrace.

Rules are rules.

Mooncoin Jig

At first I was planning to begin this entry with something like "For once, not much to report about Monday." But after examining my memories and thoughts a bit more carefully I think I can make a decent report after all. One more slice of Ima Ai ni Yuku in the morning; it's a sweet and amusing film (I'd recommend it if anyone can find it), and it feels good that I can understand a good deal of it.

Next up was Tea, the ceremony was much the same as usual, but we also got a bit of history on how it became popular. Back in the day (pre-Edo period, when Japan was in the process of being unified) there was a great teacher of the Way of taking tea called Rikyu, who taught it to Oda Nobunaga (one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan). Nobunaga proceeded to build a magnificent golden tea room, then considered he had surpassed his teacher, and told Rikyu to go kill himself. What a prick. But before he shuffled off this mortal coil Rikyu was able to pass on his knowledge to other people, who in turn passed it on through the ages all the way to now, when I'm learning it. There was also a cookery book detailing how to make the kind of sweets eaten during the ceremony - that's something to hunt down a copy of before I leave!

Classic Japanese started off with a written test. I think it went quite well, but while filling it in I remembered the breakdown of assessment for this course - End of Term Exam, Mid-Term Exam, Mini-Tests, Homework and Attendance all worth 20% of the final mark each. The fact that just showing up to lessons carried as much weight as the test gave me rather a strange feeling. This week the teacher hadn't brought along any music, but asked us if we knew any songs that used older versions of our languages. I was tempted to give a rendition of "Twa Corbies" but was a little shy of doing so, given the content (for those of you who don't know it, this is a song about two ravens discussing a dead knight they intend to eat).

In the evening I managed to start work on my Modern Japanese Literature essay, and did so in the Community Room, so I managed to be a bit social as well. One more miscellaneous scrap of information before I sign off - I probably mentioned a while back that I acquired a money bank in the shape of a frog wearing a crown. I recently granted it the name Kaerō-chan, from running "kaeru" (frog) and "ō," (king) together, but "kaerō" is also homophonous with "let's go home," for one day I shall take him home with me. It's a simple name, but it pleases me. ^^

カエローちゃん

Better Hurry Up, Just Got Two Days!

And another weekend speeds by on the island of Yamato. On Saturday I went to Sakae (the shopping-type area) as I'd heard there was some manner of multi-cultural celebration going on there. Although I reached Sakae alright, I got a little bit lost looking for the event, but in the process unravelled a couple of mysteries. For instance, there is an area called Central Park, so-called, I believe, as it has been designed to resemble the central park of Los Angeles, Nagoya's sister city. While wondering around it I passed by a pretty young lady (presumably famous) who was attending a photoshoot. I was at odds whether sticking around to watch it from a safe distance would result in "Egad, you're just what we need to make this shoot brilliant! *fame and fortune*" or "Who's that weirdo lurking in the bushes? *shame and ruin*", so in the end I erred on the side of caution and carried on my journey.

A boulevard of dreams

Mystery No. 2 - Oasis 21! This is the name of a large mall in the Sakae area, apparently fairly well-known and distinctive. That said I had a had time finding it, due to an optical illusion in the photographs I'd seen of its exterior, and that it shared the site of the bus station, and there were only signposts indicating the latter. I had seen a few stalls in Central Park, and though there was an interesting demonstration of Thai carving (a woman etching beautiful and intricate designs on a watermelon) I couldn't help feeling a little underwhelmed. However, when I finally discovered Oasis 21's true location I also happened upon the event proper, complete with more stalls and a large stage.

As for the event itself, I think it had something to do with COP and sustainability, but a lot of the language went over my head. There was an international aspect to it as well, though - various cultural dances and the like, including Flamenco and Capoeira, which was fun to watch. The main reason I didn't look at it all in more detail though, is that I got distracted by a nearby collection of shops. "But Cal, how can you get distracted by shops that are a permanent fixture when there's a temporary event going on?" I hear you ask. Well, let me tell you that these were no ordinary shops; I'm not talking about the likes of Primark, HMV or Woolworths, I'm talking about Jump Shop, NHK Character Shop and Pokémon Centre!

I could ramble on about these shops for ages, but I'll try to be brief. The best way I can describe them is that they combine the hard-to-find (outside of Japan) merchandise of eBay with the all-in-one-place-ness of Forbidden Planet, but with the complete respectability of any high street store. Another fine location for Christmas pressies!

Sunday was not too eventful, spent most of it tidying my room and studying. Though I did try a curry doughnut, a bizarre combination at first glance but actually works quite well!

The Morning of the Lakenham Races Dawned Bright and Juicy.

Blog entries are becoming a little bit erratic at the moment, which reflects the state of things going on pretty well. One never knows if there's going to be lots going on or if a period of prolonged inertia is going to set in. There is a fair bit to write about, though, so let's dive right in! Order of the day Thursday was Project Work a-go-go! I'd been dreading it, needing to come up with a topic and commit to it on the spot, but I was worried for nothing. We decided on an interesting topic to research (Japanese fashion sub-cultures), and as it was during the lesson in which we speak with Japanese students we were able to get some feedback on the spot as well. However, before the day was done the teachers sprang one more assignment on us. This time it's just a speech, and individually worked on, so altogether likely to be less taxing, but the first draft needs to be in Monday, then we recite it Thursday - eek!

The main topic of Friday's Japanese Religions lecture was Zen, the quest for encountering the inherent enlightenment in sentient beings through meditation. This was introduced to Japan by a monk called Eisai, who also introduced tea! We tried to meditate for three minutes, but it was quite difficult to empty the mind. At some point we were also posed the classic problem "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" and that trying to find an answer (Bart Simpson-style or otherwise) because it was in the form of a question reflects thinking within a certain framework (which Zen seeks to free one from). It reminded me of this exchange:

SOAS Student: Well, at SOAS we think outside the box.
Imperial Student: At least at Imperial we know where the box is.

Finally, the moment I had been waiting for for some time arrived - The Hallowe'en Party! It took place at the other dorm building, as it's bigger and altogether what you'd expect of a University residence, whereas the one I live in more closely resembles a large old house. I'd gone along to help out with decorating and such the night before, and had concerns that it might look too cute and not Hallowe'en-y enough. But with the main lights off a suitably spooky atmosphere was created. Drinks were included in the entry fee, which I didn't have to pay because of participating in the preparation - exellenté! I was surprised at how many people fit into the room (and corridor) used for the party, though it didn't leave a lot of space for dancing. There were also many interesting costumes, which reminds me of this exchange (PG):

American Student: I had to explain to some of my Japanese classmates that in America we celebrate Hallowe'en mainly to give women a reason to dress like sluts.
Me: Really? In England we don't need a reason.

So what was I wearing, you ask? My skinny jeans, blue starry dress over black shirt with flowers, telescope necklace, black eyeliner, eyeshadow and lipstick, and tricorner hat over blue-black starry headscarf. I'd have liked to make a special effort, but did my best with what I had to hand. It seemed rather popular, too - I hardly took any photographs myself, but was asked to pose in a great many! All in all a very enjoyable evening, and over all too soon.

It takes all sorts...

Defer, Defer to the Lord High Executioner

Recently I received a packet of teabags from my dear family - drinking a cup o' Earl Grey while watching Sherlock Holmes was a sublime comfort to me! Hear my Albion Heart purr.

Well well, there goes Wednesday! The morning was marked with short classes, fairly unremarkable, though my nails (painted in rainbow colours at the moment) are proving popular, particularly with one teacher who says she wants to take a picture of them, though every time I see her she seems to not have her 'phone on her. Around lunch time I was enlisted into helping handing out leaflets advertising the Hallowe'en party. Since many people already had them (teams have been distributing them since Monday) not many got handed out and we were finished fairly sharpish. But it was fun to hang around with my doommates for a while, and I must say there's a certain quality in the air lately that smells like Samhain.

In the evening I was treated to dinner with two ladies by the names of Chihiro and Hiroko, with whom I have a mutual acquaintance back in England. I'd been mailing back and forth to Chihiro for some time, but we finally managed to find a convenient date to meet up in person. I was rather nervous and quiet at first, as I always am meeting new people, and of course doing this speaking in a foreign tongue added to the difficulty. They were very kind-hearted and patient, though, and in the end we managed some good conversations. We went to an Oden restaurant (http://tinyurl.com/yawgl57), which itself was interesting - taking off shoes at the entrance, sitting at a low table, drinking beer from a very sturdy frosted glass with a handle. And people smoking inside! It all gave me a "Yep, I really am in Japan" kind of feeling.

I tried many new foods, though I can't readily recall their names. Lots of it was unexpectedly spicy, and there were some tastes that I have trouble describing as they were so very unlike anything I had experienced before. Perhaps the most interesting dish was お茶漬け(ocha zuké), which was, as far as I could tell, onigiri (for me, rice and salmon) in a cup of tea. Consider my mind blown - it was not only like nothing I'd ever experienced before, it was something that I never even imagined could exist! All in all an enriching and enjoyable evening.

Incidentally, dear readers, have you ever asked or been asked the question "Are You Gay?" It's always struck me as an awkward question to answer. For example, I think a lot of people consider bi-sexuality as being "half-gay" or "half-straight" rather than a separate orientation to itself, so if I respond to that question with the technically correct reply "No," would it then imply that I'm straight, thus giving the wrong impression about me? Should one simply answer the question that has been asked or elaborate with more information, or would the "tacking on" of a non homo/hetero sexuality to this yes/no question add to the idea that they somehow carry less value? This sort of thing preys on my mind sometimes. Food for thought!

A shrine

よー、先生! 元気カイ?

Picking up from where I left off on Monday, Tuesday turned out to be busy after all. First order of the day was an oral assessment in two parts, beginning with a two-person "skit," which we'd written and rehearsed beforehand. Mine involved a student asking a teacher for advice on various matters (the opening line is reproduced as this entry's title, and roughly translates to "Yo, teach! Whassup?"). I forgot one line but otherwise I think it went well, and the sits performed by the rest of the class were also entertaining. For the second part (one-on-one with a teacher) we'd also been allowed some preparation - three scenarios were made known to us, then one was randomly selected and we had to improvise a conversation. Perhaps if I had considered ways to work in more advanced grammar points this test may have gone better, but I was surprised at how (comparatively) confident and smooth my speaking was. Besides, it only took five minutes, so nothing really worth worrying about.

When I returned home I was pleasantly surprised to find an e-mail from one of my teachers at SOAS. Finally I was able to confirm my re-taking of Modern Japanese Literature, at least in some shape or form. Still chasing up the Faculty Office to confirm, but I'm sure they're very busy just now. In any case, I was able to talk about my ideas for my first essay this year, got the title approved and a few tips for suggested reading. I went to the library to pick up a few books, though I'm not sure how easy it will be to get ahold of some of the others. It felt really good, though; everyday Uni life in Japan being as laid-back as it is, sometimes it feels like taking time out rather than appreciable progress toward my final goal. Or perhaps my resolve and passion are stronger because I failed MJL before? Let's hope I don't have to fail first before I can properly apply myself to it!

I made the journey to the Ward Office in order to pay for Health Insurance - there was the option to pay one month at a time, but instead I payed for several, so I won't have to worry about it again until April. Farewell, my last 10,000 yen note. The procedure was unfamiliar to me and I had to ask about it, but in the end I was rather relived that it went so smoothly. I stopped by the bank on the way back, thinking to check my balance... but I wasn't quite able to make out what did what on the machine (touchscreen, incidentally), though I later looked up a video of how to operate one, so next time I get a chance I'll try again.

One final note - I realised recently that Tea Ceremony mentality has found its way into the way I take luncheon. While I may buy my food in a frenzy of desire, when I get back to my room I carefully consider what to eat in which order to properly compliment the various tastes, and take my time to consider the individual merits of each item. Perhaps I did this before in England, but I like to think I savour food more since coming to Japan. Will this insight come in handy in future? Who knows. Watch this space!

Japanese Snacks Vol. 7 - Chigiri Pan Milk: Dripping with honey (or something similar), dusted with sugar, sublimely sweet, especially when bits and pieces caramelise on the bottom.