2 posts from October 2008

October 9

A really quick/random note: How to tell if Japanese high school guys have girlfriends. Look for bracelets. If they have a bracelet, for the most part they have girlfriends. Yeahhhh...

And another thing. There's a time traveler at my school. :D Don't ask. Exchange students get bored at school...

October 10

I caught a cold. Ugh. I feel sooo horrible today. I didn't have a fever in the morning, but I'm pretty sure I do now... And then I got rained on when I was biking home. And it was REALLY cold. My head was hurting REALLY bad this morning so I took some Advil. I also have a runny nose and sore throat. Great, right?

I'm so glad that tomorrow's the weekend... I have nothing to do though...

If my host sister has time, I want to go with her to rent some Kamen Rider stuff. What? I seriously don't have anything to do over the weekends.

On Monday (day off) I'm going to a live of some sort with the other exchange student. I don't know what kind of live it is... but it should be fun. :)

Today was the uniform check. Ugh. They're so weird about everything... one girl was crying and most of the girls were just extremely pissed off about everything. And so they were ranting and such. And it was kind of annoying to have to listen to too... I mean it's like... yeah, the teachers are way strict to the point that it's ridiculous and everything, but that's life. You can't choose your teachers... You can't choose who you work for. So the best thing to do is to learn how to deal with it. So yeah. Both sides were annoying today...

October 19

Quick updates. The live was fun. I didn't know anyone, but everyone was really good.

Yesterday, I went to Yume Town and karaoke with the other exchange student. Today, I went to karaoke again. For five hours. Yeah. My throat hurts SO bad.

BUT IT WAS SOOOO MUCH FUN!!!!!!

We also took purikura two days in a row...

It was so funny today at karaoke though. We were all high tension and everything at weird parts. We're both huuuuuuge AAA fans so we were singing tons of AAA songs, but we couldn't sing like ANY of the rap parts. So we were just stumbling through and laughing and such. And we sang the theme for Dekaranger twice.

It's an amazing song, ok?!

And the background video was video clips from the show. And the show is amazing too. :)

We also got way excited when we were singing Shuuchishin's Shuuchishin. Because that was a video clip one too. We're both Kamiji fans. 

And then... there was Hey! Say! JUMP. They had the PV in the background. She's a Chinen fan. I'm a Ryo-chan fan. So yeah. It was soooo funny. We keep squealing at random parts of the song.

Oh, by the way, flumpool is amazing.

The name of the band itself is just... amazing.

Speaking of amazing names, there's this one guy who's a friend of a friend. His name is Hibiki... but yeah. I thought that was the most amazing name ever.

I still have yet to meet him, since he goes to a different school, but we were talking via email and phone........ 

I also found out that I may be able to use email on my phone. I just have to ask for permission from my parents. So I've been TRYING to call them, but they aren't picking up. So I'm going to try calling again now....

Because I really want to be able to use email on my phone. That'll be sooo much easier to communicate with everyone. 

October 20

So today was the beginning of... midterms or whatever it is. So we got out of school early. At noon. So the other exchange student and I went for lunch... and another round of purikura. Yeah. You get soooooo addicted. It's like... crazy. Just a warning!

October 23

Mm... nothing much to say... the midterms are over, I have a kanji test I'm not taking again tomorrow... and such and such?

The Hexagon album came out and I have to have it.

I'm trying to find something to do this weekend but every single person I ask is basically busy this weekend. I love how I'm actually trying to go out with friends and everything, but this one time that I'm actually asking around, no one can do anything. Amazing, isn't it?

Tomorrow's going to be my last chance to find someone new to hang out with this weekend. Otherwise, I think I'll do something with the other exchange student again. Well, actually, we already have plans, we're just trying to find other people to invite...... But like I said, that's not going so well...

So it kind of sucks. But yeah. We had cheese fondue today. It was ok... I don't like cheese too much so I wasn't like waayyy excited or anything, but it was good.

October 26

Another weekend of.... karaoke. Not even joking. Yesterday, I went with one of my friends from school, and today, I went with the other exchange student, my future host sister, my future host sister's friend, and my friend from school.

It was a lot of fun :D

I really don't want to go back to school tomorrow >__<

And... karaoke is fun. Lots of fun. Of course, we took puri again today.........

And I might be going to Fukuoka next weekend, although I'm not a hundred percent sure. I want to go to this one school's cultural festival, but I don't know if it's the type that just allows just... anyone to go in, you know? It might be like family and friends only or something.

I also bought the We Love Hexagon CD today. I couldn't help it. I mean... Kamiji!!!!!

Oh! I found out my next host sister is  a Johnny's fangirl (like me) and that we have similar tastes in celebrities, and that she's going to a news concert soon. Of course, since I can't go....... she's bringing me back souvenirs :D (I'm way excited for that)

She's also invited me to go to Tenjin with her one day, since there's a Johnny's goods store there or something. So yeah. I think I'll get along with her juuuust fine :)

Homeless Chuugakusei came out yesterday... and I still haven't watched it. Oh. My. God. Haha. Anyways, I'm going to have to watch it sometime soon!!!!

I think the balloon festa starts soon. So I guess I'm going to watch that too.

Tomorrow's the day that I've been here for a full two months. It seems so much longer than that!!!

Mm... what else... IS there anything else? Uhhhhhhhh. No. No, I don't think so.

October 28

It doesn't look like I'm going to be able to go to Fukuoka this weekend, so I'm working on making new plans. Well, at least Saga actually has something going on this weekend... what, with the balloon festa and all.

So I know for sure I'm going to be going to that on one of the days. The other day, I think I'll just go to karaoke again with the other exchange student. What? It's fun going to karaoke with her :D Otherwise, I guess I could go watch Homeless Chuugakusei...

In other news, it's absolutely freezing cold here in Saga. I'm seriously sitting in my room, socks on, pajamas on, long sleeve shirt, a jacket, and I had gloves on earlier... and I'm still freezing cold. >____<

Seriously...........

I have to talk to the ALT teacher when I see her next... there is NO way I'm going to club activities on Halloween. We're supposed to be watching scary movies, and I'm really bad with scary movies, so I want to just let her know that it's really going to be impossible for me to go that day.

Ooh. There's this guy who's in the third year class right next door to mine, and I think he has a really nice smile! Random, I know, but his smile actually totally reminds me of my friend back in America. So everytime I see him, even though I don't really know him and he doesn't know me or whatever, he knows I'm the exchange student so he always takes the time to say hi to me and smiles. So then I'm just like "Hey!" back and everytime I see his smile, I'm thinking, "Oh, I miss my friends......."

Yeah I'm homesick.

It's so funny. When the other exchange student and I talk about people, we tend to come up with nicknames for them, even if we know their names (for the most part). For example, Time Traveler Dude, Bimyou Guy, Pudding Person. Yeah. It's just really funny because then, no one really knows what we're talking about in the first place, because we're speaking in English, but if for some reason their English skills are absolutely amazing and they know what we're talking about, they won't know who. So it's all good :)

I'm listening to LM.C right now..... and I was listening to An Cafe earlier...

I have to stay up until like... midnight or something tonight. Because I have to call my freaking school in America. I kind of reaaaaally don't want to because I need to sleep, but I need questions answered...

Today's Celeb to Binbo Taro, by the way, was amazing. As usual :)

September 24

So I didn't get to watch Wanted the other day... but I did watch that Pako movie... there was this one part where I wasn't sure if I was supposed to laugh or cry. It was REALLY fun but REALLY sad and I really liked it... it's too bad I can't buy it because even if I do, I can't watch it back in the States. Unfortunately. I also didn't go to karaoke (good... my throat kind of hurt...), but I took more purikura with my host sisters.

I've also totally decided I'm watching the Kamen Rider movie. It's going to be hilarious. I'm going with the other exchange student, so it'll be a lot of fun :)

The other movies I'm watching while I'm over here: the Galileo movie, Homeless Chuugakusei, and I'm thinking of that Handsome Suits movie or whatever. But that last one is still a maybe.

I have to present my thing for health class tomorrow.... the homework that my health teacher gave only me. I've decided to do all of it in English, and if the teacher gets mad at me or whatever, I have a few arguments thought out or whatever. I mean seriously. I can't translate it! It's too hard..... so if he asks me why I didn't or whatever, I'll just tell him that. And that these are words I don't understand in English, so how am I supposed to know how to say it in Japanese. And that these hard words are OBVIOUSLY not in my dictionary and is he telling me to buy a new one or something and so on and so on and so on.

Gah! I found out that the other exchange student is joining the swim team so she's not going to be at ESS with me anymore D: I'm going to have no one to talk to!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow, I'm apparently helping out with a different Oral Communication class. Which will be............ fun? Well it's for another first year class, so I'm not sure.......

Speaking of first year classes... I passed by 6-kumi today and this random guy said hi to me again. And then when I returned his hi, I could hear a "Yossha!" behind me. And I was like "WTF?". That's also apparently the class that I have to help for tomorrow so... it'll be interesting.

I also have to study for the kanji test in two days. My Japanese teacher FINALLY told me that I was going to have to study for it..... today. Yeah. Thanks! I'd probably be able to do it if I had a WEEK. Two days? Yeah right.

Anyways. 2nd host family situation hasn't gotten any better, so that's just added stress. And I have two days (three?) to go before I reach my one month mark. It seems like I've been here soooooooooo much longer than that already...........

September 30

So I'm typing this at school right now...it's been almost a week since I last wrote. I haven't really had anything to say... nothing's changed, I haven't done much, etc. But today, I finally kind of have something that's worth writing about?

Well anyways. There's another typhoon on it's way. But I guess they're not sure if it's going to hit Kyushu or not. It's been raining a lot here in Saga, but that's been about it for now. It's cold... but not windy at all. Oh, and it kind of sucks that I'm still stuck in summer uniform because I haven't quite gotten my hands on the autumn/winter uniform quite yet. I'm supposed to get it by tomorrow for SURE though. And good, because I'm pretty sure I'm going to catch a cold at this rate...

I'm excited for tonight because tonight at 7, there's the Hexagon II SP, and Shuchishin is going to be performing their newest song :D

I wonder if I can sit through 3 hours of a quiz show though.... I never understand what's going on haha.

Anyways. Tomorrow is the beginning of October, which means that I really have to find my next host family soon. I'm really starting to get worried and I'm wondering if I'm not going to be able to find one.

I've been told that guys are all right too (as long as my parents in America say it's ok) and truthfully, I don't care if it's a guy or whatever. I'm just seriously wanting a person to say that they can become my next host family, because I really don't want to end up having to stay at a teacher's house or something like that.

I mean... I have to spend Christmas and New Year's with a TEACHER? ...Yeah. No thanks?

So anyways, I've been going around to a few other classrooms (mostly 1st years) and introducing myself, and then the teacher goes on to explain that I'm looking for my 2nd host family. 

Today's introduction was absolutely hilarious! I went into 1-4 and everything...... and then there's the question time. Of course, everyone's talking a lot during the time that I'm showing pictures, but when it's time for questions, no one talks! I swear... that's really annoying. So I'm trying to be helpful, so I'm like "No seriously though. You guys can ask me anything. In all the other classes, I've been asked if like... I have a boyfriend or what's my type or whether or whatever, so I really don't care..." And then this one guy (that I sorta know) was like, "What's the answer to that?!"

And I'm like "About whether or not I have a boyfriend?" *nods* "I don't have one." "Ohhhhh!"

I swear. The guys over here... Aren't they supposed to be SHY?

And then, there was this other question. This one guy said, "Well, Iinchou had this question... out of all the guys in this class, which one is your type? Face-wise?"

It was soooooooooo funny.

For their sakes, I thought seriously about it too. And I chose the guy who was sitting in seat number 9. And then I explained that I look at eyes and their smile. And then went on to say that I like tall, smart, and funny people. And then when I said, "And then... I'd like them to be older." all the guys were like "Oh....."

................ that was kind of weird, to tell the truth. 

But yeah. It was a kind of fun time... but I don't know if I want any of the girls to be my host family. They either talk too much or not enough and so it was either like... too annoying or too....... or well... not fun enough? Idk. Anyways, out of the few questions that were asked, the guys asked the most.

I may be going in to do a self-intro to 1-3 today as well, but my homeroom teacher (also the English teacher) doesn't know if she can use the communication room anytime else today.

I'm introducing myself to 1-7 on Thursday..........

I'm going to Fukuoka from Friday until Saturday. And Saturday is the Galileo drama SP!!!!! So I really want to watch the movie on Sunday...... but I don't know if I can find anyone to go with me. The other movie I want to watch is Ikigami.

Well I should probably get back to studying for my US subject SAT............... Ugh.

October 2

Ok so I'm in class again... I'm waiting to be able to introduce myself to the class that's sitting in front of me right now. Right now, the ALT teacher's being introduced so I'm currently just waiting and all but whatever............. Anyways. This class is just like all the others. They're kind of quite loud........ And it's awkward because people keep staring at me and yeah.

I still haven't gotten quite used to that and all. I've been studying kind of like non-stop the past few days.... for the SAT subject test in two days. I'm so incredibly nervous for all of this stuff. College applications and SATs and my host family not yet being decided. But this one girl from ESS offered to ask her parents for me. So that would be nice if she could actually host me. And plus she's a nice person so it'd be nice to stay at her house for Christmas and New Year's as well.

I can't really think of anything else that's happened the past few days. I don't really think that anything worth reporting has happened actually...

Oh. Other than the fact that there's another kanji test that's coming up so I have to study for that as well. 

Hm.... so I'm in front of a different class now... 1-7 now. Last period of the day... yes!!!!! I'm so excited... but then I still have club activities to get to and everything like that so I'm not exactly looking forwards to that...

You know, I haven't really been asked the question that I've been waiting for. I keep waiting for someone to ask me whether or not I know any celebrities, since I live in California and all. Anytime I go out of state and I mention that I'm from California, I get asked that question but I still have yet to be asked that question and all.

So I'm kind of surprised that that question hasn't been asked yet. And that I'm just getting questions about my type and whether I have a boyfriend or not and if I speak Kansai-ben or not. 

October 3

So tomorrow is finally the SAT test... I'm not exactly looking forwards to it. I've been studying like crazy for the history subject test, but I don't feel ready for it at all. And then on top of that, I'm also worried about whether or not I'll even be able to get on the train at all today.

I'm leaving school early today by the way... just to make sure I make it on time to the train station... and so that I have extra time in case I need to ask questions. Which I'm sure I will have to ask........

I'm going to have to find somewhere to use the internet, because I'm actually not sure where I'm supposed to be going once I get to the station. 

...

I'm sitting in the library right now and I can see my math teacher just randomly wandering around in the room next door. I'm not exactly sure what room that is... but I also see my history teacher now........

I also see a Japanese version of the Guiness Book of World Records. Wow. Class just started now... I thought it had already started and everything.

But oh well.....

Oh! About my host family situation... so that one girl in ESS still has yet to ask her parents but she said that she'll get back to me with an answer later today. So I'm really extremely happy about that situation. She really is very nice and everything so I'm really hoping that she'll be able to host me. 

I have no idea what to do for the next few class periods. I think I'm just going to stay in here and study. After I'm done studying for the SAT subject tests, I think I'll just study for the Japanese Language Proficiency test or something like that.

And now there's some random teacher and a third year guy walking around and I'm kind of confused as to why he's here. I think he's going to be taking a test or something like that.

Ok. So I'm about to get on the train soon... or... semi-soon. I'm leaving in like 20 minutes. But I'm so nervous!!! I'm like wondering if I'll miss my train or if I'm even at the right place or whatever because I've never gotten on a train by myself. Even before, my advisor actually got on the train with me and asked the conductor person to tell me when to get off hahaha. I felt like a little kid, but whatever.

Anyways. I'm nervous!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I can't read any of the kanji so I have to rely on my listening skills.

And I just realized that it takes like 40 minutes to get there and that I have nothing to do.........

Maybe I should ask the people next to me what the kanji in front of e says. I really can't read it and it's starting to become a problem for me. 

I've been sitting here for abut fifteen minutes and I've been staring at the same exact kanji the entire time and I still can't figure it out!!!!

a;skljdf;alkdjf;a

Oh. But the view from the place that I'm sitting at? Yeah... I'm looking out and I'm like "Yeah. This doesn't look like the countryside."

I mean... there's apartments ALL over the place and stores and just... buildings. Businesses and hotels and apartments and they're all REALLY tall and everything. So I'm kind of just like...... even if they call Saga countryside, it's not the countryside that I imagined it to be.

But yeah it's a lot of fun... looking out though. Because there's this like advertisement TV screen thing for a pachinko place across the way. And even though it keeps playing the same exact thing over and over and over again, it's still fun to look at!

And I just found out today... there's a girl in 1-7 and a girl in 2-5 that are interested in hosting me. Hey! I see a foreigner!!!!! Sorry. 

Anyways. THey're interested in hosting me and that made me wayyyy happy. And relieved that there are some people that can possibly be my next host family. It took away a lot of the stress that I was feeling. And now I can concentrate on college applications and my SATs tomorrow morning.

Which I'm TOTALLY not ready for!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I need pencils, I just realized. Haha.

I wonder if I can ask my advisor for pencils...... probably not...........

October 5

Mm... so yesterday, I came home to Saga just... tired. In the morning, my advisor's husband was able to take me to the school and all. And then I got out and had to walk. To Fukuoka Tower... which is only about 15 minutes away, so it wasn't too bad. Then I wandered around for about an hour... I had lunch by the beach as well... and then I had to get on a 50 minute bus ride to the apartment complex that my advisor lives at. Since it was my first time on a bus, I felt stupid having to ask the lady next to me what I was supposed to do when I got off.

And of course, I was afraid I'd miss something so I turned my iPod off so that I could hear everything going on around me.

From the bus stop, I walked for about 10 minutes to get there... and then when I actually got inside... there were, of course, the kids.

I love her kids. They're really funny and sweet and cute. But when you've been up early and you had to take a test the first thing in the morning and you're extremely tired because you've been traveling nonstop for the past hour or so... yeah. They just sound noisy and annoying.

But we watched Ratatouille in Japanese. In their home theater on their floor... it was really cool. And then I showed pictures to her friend/kids and we went to go to Hakata Station so I could go home.

Since my friend who's stationed in Fukuoka was with us, I wanted to have dinner with her and we got okays from our host families. It took us a while to find some place to eat, so again, that meant walking. And to get to Hakata Station in the first place, we had to take two different buses.

And then there's that 40 minute train ride home. And I had to stay awake because I KNOW I would totally sleep through my stop.

When I got home, there was a 20 minute ride home and then I had to take a bath... and then I went up to my room to lay down and watch TV (Galileo SP). 

And then today, I got up and found it was raining (again) and I was totally bummed out because I had plans with the other exchange student today.

I ended up walking since I didn't want to take my bike because then I would get wet... since it's illegal for you to ride a bike with your umbrella open and I just didn't want to even RISK getting caught.

Of course, I could've played the "Oh I'm sorry... I didn't know... I'm American" thing.

But anyways. The place we were planning on meeting at is half an hour away from my house.... which isn't bad......

Anyways. I got there, we ate lunch, and then went to go watch a movie. The newest Kamen Rider movie, to be exact. :D (What? It has Sato Takeru in it!)

I've decided I'm watching the Kamen Rider series when I can... maybe I can rent DVDs or something while I'm over here. It's not like I have anything to do over the weekend.......

But yeah. I really liked it!

But yeah..... I bought a few things--including a cake!--and then I walked back home.

So I'm a bit tired today as well........ I should probably get ready for school tomorrow but I just don't feel like it....

My next kanji test is in five days so I should probably study for that as well but I don't feel like that either. And I should cut my bangs at least a little because the uniform check is on the same day, although I technically don't have to go to it. (But none of the teachers have told me that yet... the other exchange student did so I should probably go to the first one.)

I took more purikura today by the way (obviously, we had to :D).

October 6

Mm... today was pretty boring. I talked a little bit to my history teacher... he asked me if my second host family has been decided yet. Which is has been. And then he was asking me questions about my laptop. Which I answered.

And then I'm now at the McDonalds nearby my house... and I'm having a McFlurry.

Mm... what else happened today... well I was just talking a lot with the other exchange student. I had my calligraphy class again and it was hell. Once again. It's really hard doing it as a lefty!

Uhhhhhhh. I had my other class with the 2nd years today as well (business english) but I just basically sat there and did nothing but occasionally help. I feel bad now though because the teacher was really running all around and helping all these people and I was just sitting there writing stuff on my laptop.

Otherwise, I was just kind of sitting there and barely paying attention. Like always.

Oh wait. 1st years got yelled at again today. My legs still hurt from being forced to sit seiza style.It was really extremely horrible. And the teacher was standing right in front of me and I was like "ugh".

I really don't understand why I have to be there.... lucky other exchange student... got to leave when the third years did.

Oh. The other teachers are SO dumb though! I mean seriously they're telling the girls to stop ironing their hair or blow-drying their hair as well because it's going to turn their hair brown and all. And I thought that was SO dumb! I mean seriously? It's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my entire life.

I was seriously about to start cracking up right then and there because it was just so ridiculous. I think I was actually kind of smiling a bit, but I was trying to not because, like I mentioned before, the teachers were standing right in front of me.

i don't think that would have been the best sort of impression to give these people...