As you might have noticed, the blog's not being updated as frequently now. This is because:
a) I've been quite busy lately with school, kyudo and Rotary
b) My main priority is to spend time with my host family and friends here, and not my computer. :P
c) To be honest, there's not much new going on at the moment.
Still, it's not like I won't keep blogging - don't worry! I think I might have figured out a way to blog from my cellphone too, so I might give that a try one of these days. Shorter posts, but...
I've decided not to take the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) here after all. Francesco and I had originally signed up to take the level 2 test (expecting to fail but wanting to see how much we could do), but because of some misunderstandings and a culture crash that caused a lot of stir, I thought it'd be best to take it once back in Norway instead. "And that's all I have to say about that."
My swimming lessons will be starting this December, which I'm really looking forward to! I'll be swimming again! Yayay~! That'll be the first time in... 3 years, maybe? I've missed swimming.
...but in Norway I just don't have time. So I traveled across the globe instead! :P
Also, I'm making a scrap book in which I paste random stuff that reminds me of my time here. ^^
And to all my family and friends: The reason you haven't recieved any postcards yet is because I've had a hard time finding them. Some of you have got letters - others I'm currently writing. Please be patient! It'll take time. ;) In the mean time, I'm sending you all lots of love! <3>
Dolphin Port at night <3
Mood: ...um... hungry?
Listening to: Fate/Stay Night OST (got to rewatch it someday...)
Eating: not yet *rumble*
Drinking: Fanta Grape(!)
Morning Musume's newest album is out - "Cover You"! I bought it today while shopping (mainly) for some warmer clothes. On Hello!Online it says it'll be out tomorrow... but I have it now! XD I feel so cool: It's the limited first-press edition.
The CD's a tribute album to Yu Aku, famous for writing many popular hit songs in the 1970s and 1980s. One of the songs, "Dou ni mo tomaranai" was supposed to be W's 7th single... but it was cancelled when Kago Ai was caught smoking. I wish I could have heard W's version too, but now I guess that'll never happen. *sigh*
On the other hand, Aibon's back and her DVD, "Kago Channel" will be released soon! And then, in 2009, her mini albums! Can't wait for those! It'll be fun to see how she's developed since W.
And then there's photobooks and DVDs... @_@ Little by little. :)
PS: Oh, and I found "Breaking Dawn", the fourth book in the Twilight series! And Gyakuten Saiban manga! I'm happy~!
Location: Japan
Mood: tired
Listening to: Wild World - Cat Stevens :)
There are things that are annoying me right now, but I won't dwell on that. (Well, there have been small things all along. I've experienced both good and bad things here in Japan up until now - as I came to do, being on an exchange.) It's not all a dance on roses. It's just that I choose to write about all the positive things instead - they outnumber the bad by far, after all. It's more fun to read about, and more fun to think of too. A win - win situation. :)
Today was kyudo training again, and I practiced with my awesome bow of win! Last time I had a tendency to lean my body the same way as I pulled my string, because it's heavy and hard to draw. But today I didn't! The hand holding the bow still won't straighten out as it's supposed to, because the bow is still quite heavy to draw for me, but it's fun and I like the challenges! So I'll keep on doing it until I get it right! And then one day I'll shoot using cute, red arrows! Yay! XD
The guys in my kyudo club are great too. The freshman we teased the first time, Kuramura (who's name I now remember!) is really nice and funny. We practice together out in the cold every day after school, since he lives in the dorm and doesn't have much else to do anyway. And because we want to train (and I'm obsessed about those arrows, haha!).
Also, the singing teacher has arranged for us to meet every thursday during lunch so that she can give me singing lessons since my HR teacher won't help me change my schedule so I can go sing. The singing teacher is great, I love her! She plays the piano and I sing "Tonight" from "West Side Story" with her guiding me. I've told her I love singing and used to do it since I was a little kid. She listened to me sing for a while, and then commented "you always sang in a low voice, didn't you?". Well, yes...
I used to sit in the back of the car singing to myself the songs I wanted to hear (before I had an mp3-player, you know) and hear the music inside my head. Still, I'd stop if mom turned her head to hear. Yeah, I was shy. So I loved it if the radio was on and someone was talking, because then I could sing without being heard by anyone but myself. Still, I'd get really annoyed if there was music on, because then the melody would get mixed up with mine and I couldn't sing. XD
It's gotten better, but I'm still a bit shy singing in front of people. So I was taken aback when my teacher suggested singing a Norwegian song in front of everyone (meaning the school) on some occasion. "If you have a voice like that, I think you can do it." I'm very happy to hear that, but I kind of want to do this just for fun while I'm here. I won't say it for certain - heck, maybe I'll end up doing it, you never know - but I know I'd be so nervous that I'd be in pain for weeks. Haha! :P I think it'd be better if I could sing with someone. ("Oh, Shu~n!" XD) Anyway - I love singing, and it's great that I'll be able to get some lessons, just like I've always wanted. (Yes, really. I just never had time! 24 hours and 7 days is not enough.) So to my wonderful singing teacher: Thank you!
...and now I'll go to bed! :)
Location: Japan, baby!
Mood: Tired, slightly annoyed (but a bit too tired now to be really angry.)
Listening to: I noen timer - Odd Børretzen
Eating: Ochazuke (rice with green tea poured over it. Yum!)
Drinking: Green tea. Shiawase da na~
A short note of joy:
Today I started practicing with a yumi (bow)! It is a lot harder than I'd expected, even though I knew it would be tough. Drawing the bow is a lot harder, and it's heavier. Plus that my bow is really tall - over 2 meters tall! - so I need some practice to be able to hold it up straight without wavering. And that's before I start to draw it. Phew! Still, I've learned to put on my glove, my...um... "breast protection piece of leather"?...and I'm happy!
Also, I don't have to buy my own arrows. Some that were bought by a student who quit before using them fit me perfectly. They're shiny and red and really short and cute!
In (even shorter) short:
Me <3's kyudo.
Location: Japan!
Mood: Happy and tired
Practicing: Kyudo!
I've officially become a member of the kyudo club!
(Kyudo is traditional Japanese archery, used by the samurai.)
Today I basically had a private lesson with Yumiba-sensei (23). ("Yumi" as in "bow", haha!) He showed me how to place my feet, hold the bow and how to draw (and release) the bow. (Although I'm currently using a rubber band fastened to something that looks like a plastic handle. I probably will be for the next month or two.)
Let me tell you - it's a lot harder than it looks! As is the case with most things, actually. I believe that you should never say that something's easy until you've tried it! It's just that skilled people can make it look that way. ;)
I think it's very fun - lots of challenges! Keep your arms up, shoulders down, align your hands, don't use too much strength, relax... I think hitting the target is the last thing you bother with! XD Or, if you manage a perfect shot, you'll hit it. So you aim for the perfect shot. Although me and ol' rubby will be friends fore some time before I go anywhere near a target! :P Still, Yumiba-sensei said that I was the first newcomer he'd seen that had the arm holding the bow aligned that well with the body when "shooting". I was happy to hear that! ^^ He also gave me his number and mail, so that I can contact him whenever I want to practice. He said he'd come over whenever he could. "And besides, if I have too much free time I'll get fat!" XD
Another guy from the kyudo club (a first-year who's name I can't remember yet) came to practice later. By then Yumiba-sensei and I were sitting down taking a break. He showed me a purikura picture of him and his girlfriend, so I told him about my boyfriend in Norway. I told him that he'd turn 20 this year, but think he must have misheard me, or I might have messed up. He smiled and looked like he was about to laugh. Then the conversation went about as follows:
Yumiba: Ano...Heren?
Me: Yes?
Yumiba: Heren?
Me: ...yes? (o_o;;)
Yumiba: Heren, that's the same age as me! O__o
Me: Oh! Ah, no, no, he turns 20!
Yumiba: Ah, 20! I thought you said 23... *phew*
He looked relieved to know that I did not date a guy 5 years my senior. XD Still it was quite fun, because our age difference is the same as between him and his girlfriend. And so the conversation went on, much to the dismay of the nexly arrived first-year, since the obvious question had to be asked: "so, do you have a person you like?" "Eh.. no." This, of course, was subject to much lament on our behalf. Yumiba-sensei was kind enough to explain: "There's a lot of cute girls around, but he sais he doesn't have interest in any of them! What shall we do with him? He's a nice kid, but there's no one who's fallen for him yet..." So we conjured up various ways in which to help him, including praying at temples, have him watch romatic TV-shows and painting hearts on the targets. (Amor, you know.)
Yumiba: So have you ever recieved any chocolates for Valentine's Day?
?: Well, from my grandmother and stuff...
Yumiba: *turns to me* What shall we do with him? *turns back* You like chocolates, don't you?
?: ...yeah, I guess...
Yumiba: *turns back to me again* A girl's sweet love, and sweet chocolate... that's the best!
Me: Yes! A girl's sweet love, chocolate and don't forget a warm heart!
Yumiba: ...Right? Oh, what shall we do with him? Heren, give him a friend chocolate (obligation chocolate) for Valentine's Day, will you?
The rest of the time was spent whispering and giggling with Yumiba-sensei teasing (in a friendly manner) the poor kyudo guy, who'd turn around now and then asking "what?" to which Yumiba-sensei would reply "Ah, nandemonai. Kochi no hanashi da." ("Oh, nothing. Just talking between the two of us." Lit. "here's conversation" ...I find this hard to translate well -.-;) Then we'd laugh till my stomach hurt and sensei'd be massaging his cheek. XD
After kyudo practice I walked back to the train station with sensei, and we talked some more before I got on the train home. Lots of fun! Tomorrow's bunkasai, culture festival, at school!Location: Japan!
Mood: Elevated XD
Practicing: Kyudo!
PS: I can't seem to write a short blog post about anything, ever. -.-; Though I know many of you don't mind. (Dolle, Molle... I'm looking at you!) If you do - you're free to skip it. ;P
On September 26th ~ 29th I went on a school excursion to Kyoto, Kobe and Osaka. It was great! I've never been to Japan before, so Kagoshima has up until now been the only "Japan" I've known. Also, ever since I became interested in Japan (and read Memoirs of a Geisha...) I've wanted to go to Kyoto - Japan's culture capital!
In Kyoto we stayed at a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. Here we were served lovely Japanese food in our room every morning and every evening. Kyoto was a fantastic site to see - although we went through it in typical Japanese-style speed. Our schedule was extremely tight! I now understand why Japanese tourists take so many pictures. I think it helps them remember where they were, what they saw and in a way spend more time at the sightseeing spots. For example, Francesco and I were rushed from a temple - where we spent 20 minutes because we actually looked at all the beautiful statues and read about them - so that we could sit in the bus and wait for 10 minutes... before being driven to a street where we spent four four! hours shopping! I could have screamed.
Roommates in Kyoto
Still, it was amazing to actually be in Kyoto and see so many temples and old historical buildings in the middle of a modern Japanese city. I even went to Gion, the most well-known geisha district in Japan, for about 10 minutes. Yeah! I did manage to see to geishas, though. I even ran after them and snapped two pictures! Go me. We also saw the Rokuon-ji (kinkaku-ji) temple. That was incredible! There was no sunshine that day, but it didn't matter. Wow!
The golden pavillion
Geishas in Gion!
In Kobe we went to a beautiful flower garden. Francesco and I got seperated from the group when we litterally took the time to smell the flowers. This lead to some panic on our teachers side, because we ended up ten minutes late... In the mean time, Francesco and I had met with some girls from an all-girl high school in Osaka, took pictures with them and walked down to the rope way station (we were transported up there by rope way) where our names got called over the PA system.
With school girls from Osaka
Universial Studios - duh.
Oh, and the teacher (whom I just refer to as Onibaba, demon woman,) caught my friends and me staying up in our room watching Spider Man 3 when we should have been sleeping. We all hurried under our covers, and I hid my mp3 player and lens stuff under the covers with me. When she came in I made gave her my best "sleepy voice" act, looking at her with small, "oh-so-sleepy" eyes. Great success! ...Although trouble arose when she drew away my covers and I rolled around trying to shove my hidden things under my pillow... ahem. I'm almost certain she saw or heard something, but she didn't say anything except for the toothpaste I didn't manage to save. We apologized (OK, one of my roommates did) and got a retort along the lines of "that's just words!" before she marched out. This was followed by silent snickering when she'd gone and whispers of "onibaba~!". I was just dissapointed we weren't made to sit in seiza as the rumors had it we would be... That would have been an even better story to tell! XD
Otoosan's reply when I told him this story?
"Well that's what school trips are supposed to be like, isn't it?"
...I love my host family!
Location: Japan
Mood: Sleepy
Listening to: Snow Patrol - You Could Be Happy
Watching: Gunslinger Girl (anime) OK, so I just finished watching it...
Dolphin Port at night <3
