水曜日 ありました。木曜日あります。
Halloween was so much fun…
Me as Wednesday Addams
Yes I am now one of those tw**s that takes a picture of themselves in the mirror!
Had a listening test today in Japanese. Those of you who are friends with me on Facebook (click here if you want to be) will have noticed already, heh! It went so very well but then I ran out of time! Damnations. I missed about 6 questions (out of 50?) but all of them that I did answer I think I got correct.
I find listening in Japanese so difficult. It’s ok when it’s written down and I can see what the vocab is, but when it is said (in super fast speed) I miss all of the important bits. Tomorrow I have Japanese conversation so I will get to practice some more!
I haven’t done my portfolio work yet and Sensei’s getting a bit miffed at me I think, so I better go and do that hey!
じゃまたね！
Japanese University Choosing time!
So this week we had our first Year Abroad Meeting (waaah!) I am so excited about my year in Japan!
JAPAN… of course!
So we have to do a little research on the universities offered to us and then put down out first 3 choices. HELP ME! These are the choices…
Aichi Shukutoku University, Nagoya
Kansai Gaidai University, Osaka
Kitakyushu University
Kyushu Sangyo University
Meiji Gakuin University, Tokyo
Nagoya University of Foreign Studies
Obirin University, Tokyo
There are 3 others but they are for higher levels and I might as well not bother because my Japanese is CRAP!
So I don’t really want to go to Kansai, there are so many foreigners there that I might as well go to Europe or America instead, I feel that Nagoya may seem the same? I think I’d prefer to go to Tokyo so maybe Meiji or Obirin? Though I’m very drawn to Kyushu too.
I have to have my choices made in 3 weeks I think so I better get crackin’.
In other news, I have a listening test next week (boo) followed by another oral exam (double boo). For my oral exam I have to come up with problems I might face in Japan, then the teacher gives me some sort of answer and we have general chit chat.
Example 日本に行って、風をひいたら、どうしたらいいですか。
After that bit (which should last about 6 minutes??!!) we have a general pow wow about other things which we can’t prepare for, eek!
Pray for me please
じゃまたね！
Back to school part 2
My ass is back into gear! I’ve had a bit of time off but I’m ready to ROLL!!
…maybe not this ready
So I’ll start with how the school year is going. It’s been nearly a month and I’ve learned… nothing! Joke.
Our modules are set out a little differently this year; I no longer have to do Japanese Reading and Writing because I was ahead last year (shwing!) and instead there is an extra module called Japanese Conversation (does what it says on the tin really) as well as the usual grammar lessons. Hopefully by the time I go to Japan next year my language skills will be SUPER AWESOME!
Other than that I am doing a semester of Methodology of Foreign Language Teaching, where we learn about how to teach foreign languages! I’m attending a seminar about the JET programme later today, for those of you who don’t know the JET programme is an exchange and teaching programme between Japan and other countries. It’s quite a big deal and very helpful if you manage to get in, it’s something I might consider when I finish my degree (‘when’ being the key word here!)
We’ve also got quite a few seminars about our year abroad (SO CLOSE NOW!!) which I am super excited about!
And of course I haven’t forgotten about the lovely team at Japan Cinema, occasionally I have to check out the ‘About’ section to make sure Marcello hasn’t gotten rid of me for being such an aweful team member! Now that university is back on my life has more structure and I can write again! And hopefully I will have more readers too!
Mata ne!
Nearly back to school!
Argh! It’s nearly time to go back to university! I am so excited!
I’ve had a really awful month, a lot of bad things have happened so I’m really ready to get back to life. I started by writing another review for Japan Cinema! Can’t wait until it’s up!
I also went for a run today (shock horror!) I couldn’t believed it, there was so much sweat!
And I’ve been learning Japanese too. I’m quite pleased with myself actually, I’ve been doing new vocabulary for September so that I can be a little ahead when I start. Luckily Sensei gave me the whole vocabulary list before I left so I figured I’d be an idiot not to use it!
Before I go back to uni though I have to move house, meh! I hate moving house, but this time at least I’m living with 3 wonderful girls and we have a dog! How exciting is that! I can’t wait to take him for walks (I’m so sad I know!)
Apologies served with a review to sweeten you back up!
Well it’s been a while, but hey summer seems to have finally arrived in jolly Old England, a girl’s gotta enjoy it while she can! I also went on holiday and in between I’ve had to show the shoe industry how to make money. Before all of this I wrote a new review and I haven’t even checked that it got put up! Obviously it did, here it is:
Click for Vital Review!
I promise to be back soon! I have to get back onto revising some Japanese!! September is so near now, it’s kinda freaking me out!
The moment we’ve all been waiting for…
… MY INTERVIEW IS UP!!!! Argh, it’s amazing! I’m so happy with it, be happy for me and read read read:
Fullmetal Alchemist interview!
I cannot tell you how happy I feel about it! I want to give many thanks to Marcello and of course John (who gave me the opportunity in the first place) I feel like I’m accepting an award at the Oscars.
So after passing my exams and getting my interview up, I’m a pretty happy woman!
I have to apologise for my lack of posts recently, I try to keep this blog as much Japan-related as possible, which is not so possible when I’m not in university as the only Japanese thing that happens to me is my occasional trip to Noodle Nation (which is Chinese anyway). It’s nice to see people are still reading though, thanks guys.
My wonderful Japanese teacher emailed me after I passed my exams to say well done, it was emotional. I haven’t been doing much (or any) Japanese learning recently, this needs to change! I’ve been working almost every day so it’s hard to get the motivation, but after my holiday (in 2 weeks I go to Amsterdam!!) I’m going too get right back on it!
Thanks for all the congratulations messages from you all 🙂 it was so much appreciated. I haven’t forgotten you.
Fullmetal Excitement
So I have some brilliant news, next Friday I will be interviewing the creators of Fullmetal Alchemist! *scream*
This amazing opportunity has arisen after one of the glorious staff members of Japan cinema (John) unfortunately realised he wasn’t able to make it and so passed it onto me. I am so super excited!!! Thank you John (I don’t actually think he reads my blog? Actually I’ve never read his either… here’s the link, you guys check it out and I’ll catch up later: John H Marshall)
So from the information I have, the interview will be in London with 2 other journalists (I say ‘other’ as if I am actually a journalist!) and it will be around half an hour long with Mr. Kazuya Murata and Mr. Masahiko for the release of FMA 2: The Sacred Star of Milos. I have a bunch of questions already and now I’m just rekindling my love for the series by watching the whole thing again! Why not ey!
So as today is my day off from the shoe-craving public, I am going to lie in bed, watch Fullmetal and write for Japan Cinema and Lingualift. (With plenty of tea!)
Brain-dead bunnies and a happy Pikachu
This is it, the day before my last exam! Been up since 8am, it is now 10.20am and my brain has already shut down.
I’m just doing some reading comprehension (lame!) I think the exam will give me a bunch of Japanese texts with some Japanese questions about said texts which I then have to answer in Japanese? Either way I’m pretty screwed… and scared! So I need to practice my reading skills, which are shocking to say the least:
All the pretty Japanese writing is tainted with my inevitable doom!
The library is dead! It’s hard to believe that this time 2 weeks ago people were actually sleeping in here. Now it’s just me and some other guy exchanging glances of worry.
So once again I need lots of luck, I might even wish myself luck because I’m grasping at straws here!
3 images in one post? Aren’t you lucky!
Exams and Pornostars
IT’S EXAM DAY!!!
This is not an overreaction of my feelings!
I am so scared you cant imagine! BUT to take my mind off these awful events I HAVE A NEW REVIEW! It’s literally been months! So here you go guys enjoy… I’m off to face inevitable doom.
Click for my review of Pornostar for JapanCinema.net
Suicide in Japan
Well, after much demand I’m back for another post! 🙂
And today’s topic is…. Suicide in Japan. Such folly (this is obviously a joke let’s not take my idiotic humour seriosuly for this post guys.)
As per usual this is for research, more specifically for a presentation that I’m doing next week with my new friend (hello!) and some other guy… don’t know his name, I’m a bad person.
People may remember that after I posted a review on Suicide Club for JapanCinema.net I recieved a rather informative comment about suicide being a serious problem in Japan (If you don’t know what I’m on about then you obviously didn’t read my review, get a grip and read it now… Suicide Club Review)
OH MY GOD my new review is up… sorry, getting sidetracked, I’ll get back to that..
So yeah, suicide… as in all countries reasons such as depression and unemployement are main factors, but Japan also has the whole issue of social pressures; school grades, doing well in a business etc. AND THEN there’s stuff like ‘double-suicides’ (forbidden lovers and all that) and honourable suicide within war, covering pretty much all reasons why anyone would want to kill themselves, ever. A quick Googling bring up ‘suicide apartments’, the ‘suicide forest’ (Aoikigahara – the world’s second most popular suicide location. If you must know number 1 is the Golden Gate Bridge, there was a documentary made about that, I saw it and it freaked the crap outta me, you actually saw people die… I’m getting sidetracked again.) There was also apparently a rise in suicides int he area after the Fukushima disaster. So it’s all quite intense and rather disturbing from what I can see.
I haven’t looked that much into it yet and our presentation is next week so any help would be nice 🙂
NOW my new review, also rather apt if you ask me, READ:
Monday Blues
Aw man, I’ve just bought a muffin with fruit in it! That’s not cool! It cost me like £2! Still gonna eat it, obviously.
Just finished my review for Japan Cinema… though I’ve left half of it at home so I can’t even send it off, frustrating! The rest of today will be spent learning Japanese? I’m in the middle of doing some sort of oral test which I haven’t actually started yet, it includes putting on an awful headset and recording yourself reciting a poem for a member of my class to then listen to and JUDGE! These are things that I do not like. (I’ve gotten muffin all into the gaps on this keyboard… I guess that’s why we’re not allowed to eat in the library!)
Possibly gonna do some work on this Gender essay? I have 2 essential books from the library for a limited time only so I might as well make the most of it!
I hate Mondays.
There’s an app for that
Second post of the day? Whoa there!
Recently (well, today) I was told that you couldn’t view my blog from an iPhone? Well fear not people! WordPress hasn’t been left behind in the massive technological industrialisation of the 21st Century, low and behold (is that the phrase?) a WordPress app:
Get it, find me, calm down knowing that you can still read my wise words from anywhere in the world.
Fashion, art and a near-mental-breakdown
Right well I seem to have returned from the portal of stress! In the past 2 week I’ve had THREE exam a presentation, 2 mini tests and I’ve been to work for 6 days. AND THEN my laptop broke so I couldn’t do any of the above with ease, but I made it out alive!!! I can hardly believe myself!
And yeah, so what I haven’t actually painted anything as the above implies I HAVE written another article for Lingualift about a painter… pretty much the same thing right? Japanese painter Nakanishi Natsuyuki. It’s pretty bad ass so go have a look pretty please:
I’m working on another one about Yayoi Kusama, you may have heard of her as she is AWESOME! Crazy, but awesome. She’s doind a fashion collaboration with Louis Vuitton, but I won’t say too mucha bout it as I do want you to read my post when it’s done don’t I?!
Kanji writing practice is on the cards today, I’m a week behind (oh no!) so these are last weeks which I need to learn how to write from memory:
走 送 待 貸 多 単 短 暖 遅 長 痛 低 利 親 足 男 弟 頭 彼 母 妹 友 知 着 通 働 動 読 買 売 泊 発 疲 飛 払 聞 閉 変 返 勉 歩 忘 遊 落 理 料 練 連 話 加
BLEURGH!!!!
So I gotta go and pick up my laptop from the repairers and then we can expect a lot more posts! Hazzah!!!!
Cure to flying time?
It’s been a while! I’ve had so much work to do you wouldn’t believe! And as we all know, time flies… 
I had my oral exam yesterday (describing that photograph that I showed you..? Remember?) which, needless to say went pretty horrific! I had prepared and gotten myself an AWESONE little speech together and then as soon as I got the computer room to record it, everything went away! Hopefully I will have still passed because what I did manage to say was pretty good! Then today, another exam! This time a writing test, eek! I had to talk about food from Japan and England WITHOUT A DICTIONARY! Who do these people think I am???
AND next week I have another exam on Japanese History! I seriously don’t know how I haven’t pulled my hair out! I don’t think I can cope much more! In between all of this I haven’t managed to write any more posts for Lingualift.com, but somehow pulled another film review out of thin air….
READ READ READ.
So I’ve gotta go and revise now! But I will be back soon!
Remembering my natsuyasumi when all I have now is work!
It’s a wonderful day! I’ve had another post put up for Lingualift! Yesh! It’s about the Japanese conceptual artist On Kawara. He’s pretty awesome and a bit obsessed with the concept of time and existence, it’s deep stuff! Check it out yo!
I’m currently working on another little art-related article for the wonderful people of Lingualift BUT I mustn’t neglect Japancinema.net so tonight I’m gonna watch another explicit movie and see what everyone has to say about it!
Until all of that however I have a lot of uni work to do (it never ends!) Today I’m focusing on 2 (TWO!) presentations that I have next week! One is a Japanese speaking test, I’ve gotta describe a photo, I’ve decided to use one of me and my friends on holiday in Italy… I’ll show you it:
Ahhh, my beautiful long hair *sniff*
I figure that there’s quite a lot to talk about in this picture so it should make for a good presentation.
My next presentation is about… Hmmm… I don’t actually know! That doesn’t help… Let me see…
The history of Japan – The Twenty-one Demands (don’t know what that is?) The Peace Preservation Law (again, what?) and The March First Movement! So all in all, I’m pretty screwed for that! Sounds as boring as it gets doesn’t it really? Any takers?
Beautiful Obento and the role of the Japanese woman
Done absolutely loads of work today! Mostly reading on the gender roles of women in Japan. There was one part in particular about Bento boxes and how the more pleasing to the eye they are, the better mother you are? If you gave your child a tuna sandwich and a packet of crisp the school would probably drag your sorry backside into school for a meeting about the child’s welfare. So let’s have a look at some beautiful Obento…
How good do they look? They look like they would take about 14 hours to make, how do these women have time for housework? Unfortunately, my western indoctrination doesn’t really allow me to see the nice point of view in women’s subordination. I mean, I totally agree that different sexes are good at different things (women nurture and men go to war!) We have different roles and although I’m all for equal rights and what not, sometimes we have to just sit down and think about what our gender says about us, our instincts as men or women and what we know about each sex. HOWEVER I would like to stress that although I think different sexes suit different roles, I DON’T think that one role is more important than the other!!! The world needs men to go out and fight, hunt and build for our survival, but it needs women to raise future fighters/hunters/builders and to look after her husband and their home so that he has anything to even fight/hunt/build for, without the emotional, nurturing and logical support that a woman provides, men wouldn’t be able to do all of those manly tasks that they are so proud of… and vice versa.
Eat that men of the world.
Not a happy Naruto today
I’ve been in the most awful mood for the past 2 days, I’m feeling a bit down.
Yesterday was just awful, I had work all day, got home and then had to do loads of reading (which I didn’t finish) and then revise for this silly Japanese test I had this morning. Consequently, I revised the wrong thing and had to guess most of the answers. Needles to say it didn’t go very well. FML. Then in class we learned the simplest crap that I’m sure we’ve already covered, namely ‘koto ga’, ‘dekiru/wakiru’ too easy (I’m on the uni computers, they don’t write in Japanese.) So although I’m finding the lessons so easy, my tests don’t reflect that because I’m an IDIOT!
Now I should be reading about the Meji Restoration but I think my brain has stopped working and nothing is going in anymore 😦 I need help and nice words to make me feel better about myself because I currently feel like s**t.
And then when I finish uni (in three frickin’ hours) I have to go home and do more reading because I have to go back to work tomorrow and as such will have no time.
I hate life today.
To my lovely readers…
So, my addition to the Japan Blog List this morning made my day by getting me a few hits! Thank you JBL! And thank you to you also for reading my blog.. I know it’s still a bit dull, but it will be improved I promise.
I don’t really have any time right now to write (I NEED to do some shopping… I can’t carry on living on 10 pence noodles) but I will be back later, I’m going to attempt to write a post in Japanese! So anyone that reads Japanese can correct me!
じゃまたね！
A Hundred Views of Edo
From Oxford to Japan 