So anyway. Yup, it is super warm here. We are currently in spring, coming into summer, and its already quite hot, and very humid, mushii atsuii as they say here (you like that?- I make it sound like I can speak Japanese!! Lol). One of the awesome things is that in one day, you can almost get all four seasons. Today it was nice and sunny in the morning, cloudy mid morn, dark thunder storms midday, and then perfect clear skies in the evening. Love it. Thunder storms = Awesome.
Daily life, very little has changed, except that I've discovered what a bakery is, and now have a seriously delicious lunch everyday for about $7 that leaves me stuffed like a lamb chop until dinner. And speaking of lamb chops, I would kill for a good steak right now, a huge marinated hunk of meat, that I can sink my teeth into a devour like cave man on steroids. Dribbling. Oh yes - thanks to the running, I can officially run as fast as I can when I was 10! I feel somewhat redeemed lol. Bought a bike and am biking about 10km to and from school most days. Bought some steam punk goggles to go with it, which makes me look like a full twit. But awesome fun! Everyone bikes here, real safe and the motorists are good for looking out for you.
I'm still finding myself doing things and realizing things that have me coming away from them thinking to myself "Baka Baka Baka" , which means Stupid (x3) in Japanese (which in a roundabout way is actually encouraging, because it means that I'm beginning to think in Japanese lol). I'm having to be careful to assume nothing, as its easy to form thoughts based of assumptions that are wrong, especially when it comes to cultural differences. And not just the Japanese culture. There are a lot of different cultures studying here, and you can't think ill of somethings that people do based on preconceptions. And in saying that, I refuse to think ill of people regardless. Another very good character changing thing that I hope I can make into a habit. Did a classic thing yesterday when I went to go have lunch, didn't take my wallet with me (who does that?!), and didn't have enough money in my pocket to pay the full meal. Incredibly embarrassing. But begin awesome, they weren't bothered and I ran back to my apartment to get the money for them. I amaze myself sometimes with how daft I am. I'm thinking of starting a list of "Classic Ash Moments".
I've ended up deciding to stay in the apartment I'm in, ultimately because I'm not here for that long and it's super cheap. I've worked out the cleaning times each day, so I'm first to use the bathroom after its cleaned in the morning. The showers are seriously average. There's only 4 of the 7 that work, 1 of the 4 the door doesn't lock, and 2 of the 4 are invaded cockroaches (there's one particularly large one that I've nicknamed Frankie). The bottoms of the showers usually fill up with water when you use them so the showers are often on and off and on etc experiences. I was talking to an american girl here (not in the shower), and she was saying that in summer here, the place gets overtaken by giant flying cockroaches, so it would seem that Frankie and friends aren't that bad after all. Recently they same put some cockroach traps in the showers and I confess my thoughts are split on it. Part me is like "Run Frankie, Run. They're trying to kill you!!". And the other part of me is like (with a deep italian voice) "Die Frankie Die!". I'm still trying to work out if that makes me a bad person or not.
My pre class study spot
Study wise it's going... Well, Interesting. Lol. To be straight, when most classes start, I can't help but feel like I'm Morgan Freeman in the Batman movie at the part where the guy says "Didn't you get the memo?". Quite disconcerting to say the least. It's interesting seeing how different people in the class are doing. It's awesome seeing some people fully flying along, like ants to honey (not that ants fly, but you get the idea). They are not far away from being able to hold some decent conversation in Japanese. Others, myself included, have a bit more of a path to walk before we get there (indeed learning a language is a life path that can always have more to be walked what ever stage you are at with it).
Currently when I speak Japanese, sound like a sick lawn mower running out of petrol. In a way, it feels like my brain is at point where it's saying to me, "Didn't we do well... Buuut I'm full now, and now it's sleep time, read me a bedtime story!", which I do, Whinne the Poo in Japanese!! HA!! You like that Brain!! Owp, hold on, got a blood nose! lol. I have more than once cursed my luck with being blessed with a terrifically terrible memory.
So yea. Getting a lot more difficult retaining vocab and the different sentence structures for different situations. My 30 words a day has gone belly up, and I'm finding it a great effort to get 10 in my head.
Actually, I think that it's the verbs and their quadzillion different forms and exceptions that's doing me in. The other part thats challenging is turning of the english in the head so that you can 'hear' properly. For someone who thinks too much, this is an interest predicament.
We've just started doing Kanji, which is the insane looking Chinese writing, which a reputation for being super difficult. Funnily enough, in true backward Ash fashion, I'm really enjoy it and finding it the one easy thing in Japanese. It's really encouraging when you are out and you see a sign that you've seen a zillion times suddenly be more than some pretty patterns, or tell you that the after sunburn creme you bought, Yea?, its actually a face scrub, of by which stage you have already discovered from using. (I'm not complaining, my poor fellow New Zealanders coming into winter). This all said, ask me again in a couple of weeks, as so far we have learnt only 30 kanji, with a couple thousand to go.
As with anything, you just have to keep working at it. Its a very healthy thing for me to go through, and im greatly appreciating the character building that its is doing in me. I figure that the more I learn the better, and I'm going to make sure that I learn every little bit i can, its a beautiful language. And you have to relax at it - study hard, but don't 'try' too hard. So trucking on.
Events wise, it's been an awesome few weeks (do I sound repetitive?). There's always something happening, and it hard to know which ones to write about.
As some would remember on facebook, a few weeks ago i went to see a saxophonist friend (Kenta) i made few weeks before, busk by Kamigawa River in central Kyoto. A totally amazing night that I will hold dear for life. The weather was thunder and lighting but no rain. Night time by the river, with all the lights and nightlife out. It was the perfect back drop to awesome beautiful melancholic sax jazz. He finish up on Amazing Grace, which I had secretly hoped he would play. Then it rained, and it was awesome biking home in it.
A couple of weeks ago, we all went to a BBQ by river in west Kyoto (I think). Spent the entire day in the sun with about 50 others, Japanese students and fellow Gaishins. Got thoroughly roasted despite putting on SPF 60 three times during the day (actually the areas I didn't put any on didnt get burnt, not sure if I should pay attention to this detail...). Once again, a perfect display of Japanese hospitality. They cooked us all sorts of awesome meat dishes, that thinking about it is making me hungry as I write this. We were well looked after with drinks and all provided. On Facebook there are photos which are worth looking at, including a few which I beg you not to ask me to explain lol. One of the swede guys, Karl, suggested skipping stones in the river, which was possible the best idea of the day, better than me suggesting to put on sunscreen it would turn out. A bunch of us applied ourselves to the stone skipping, with a few others who were keen enough to learn. I have a short video of some of the Japanese guys doing an impromptu dance which I'm going to try load onto Facebook and will try link it here. Seriously awesome fun xD. Afterward, some of us decided to over do it by going to karaoke and table tennis. Was awesome, though most of us were well pooped by that stage. Was definitely worth while though, as the conversations, and getting to know some people better can never be underrated. I'm surrounded by great people who I'm very sadly going to have to leave soon, though I'm not crossing that bridge until it comes under my feet. And who knows, I might come back to kyoto for
Last Sunday, we had drinks by the Kamigawa River (the River that runs down central Kyoto) which again, another awesome night. You are allowed to drink in public here, and the nightlife by the river is super duperly rad.
There have been more events with the same people, karaoke, dinners etc, that is resulting in real friendships are being made, and hopefully there will be many more events to come (a horde of us are descending on Osaka, going to a temple tomorrow, etc). After visiting the zoo here, I've decide that they need to make a zoo where you can hug the animals. Imagine what it would be like! "Look at the Tiger!! So Cute!! I can give him a hug!?! Really?!! Yay!!!". Then he eats you.
I need to make sure I write this more regularly are I feel that I'm missing out sharing some awesome things.
I heard back from the volunteer organization earlier this week. I am going to be working in Ishinomaki City, just north of Sendai for August. I'm not sure exactly what work I will be doing, but the impression I got is that it'll be more community, people orientated work. I hope that I'll be able to really help in some way. I don't want to be a 'spectator' there, and to just get in the way. But it does sound like good things are being done up there, and I look forward to helping anyway I can. Again, it's going to be sad leaving Kyoto and the friends that I've made here. It's challenging not to get disillusioned about it, as it feels like 'Hey! Great to meet you. My name is... Oh! Sorry Got to go! Bye!'. I did think about not doing the volunteer work for staying in Kyoto as I do want to stay with the people here. I'm really gutted that I'm going, but in the end the decision came down to a sense of purpose. As much as I do want to stay, the work up in Sendai is going to really help people in great need, and it's important that I go and do what little I can. Its hard to explain, but there is little doubt in me what I should do. The difference between what I want to do and have to do is quite clear. Interestingly, I feel no burden from it, but that doesn't take away the disappointment of leaving soon. But enough of the Sally sob story!! Life here is great, and I'm making sure that I make the most of it. Also, on the bright side, because I not doing the volunteer work until August, it means that I can stay with friends studying until August. 5 extra weeks!! Wheel barrows of fun to be had. Also because I'm staying longer -I'm going to be climbing Mt Fuji at the end of July! It's going to be unreal!!
After the volunteer work, I'm going to play it by ear for the
last month, most likely travel around (I'm really hoping to go up to Hokkaido, as well as Kobe and Hiroshima, and Okinawa, and ow ow So many places xD. ). Before leaving Japan, I'll definitely come back to Kyoto to say good bye to the Kyotonites. They will all be on Summer break at that point, and I'm hoping that we can all go traveling somewhere, as the experiences pyou have are always more special when they are shared.
Thats pretty much it. Thank you for reading. I hope that my english still makes sense. And I hope that you are all well and warm(hehe) down there. Talk soon!
Kiwo Tsukete!!
Ash!
Location:Kyoto
