July 31, 2007

エンジンぬいぐるみ!?

http://rocket-craft.com/

Homepage of a website that makes anatomically-accurate cuddly-toy cars, ostensibly for display purposes. OK then.

ロケットクラフトはクルマやオートバイのエンジンなど、普通では売っていない「ぬいぐるみ」を製造販売しています。お店のディスプレイやお部屋のインテリアにおひとついかがですか?

Some of their stuff is actually very cute:
http://rocket-craft.com/works_train01.html
http://rocket-craft.com/works_bus01.html

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July 30, 2007

ピックルです!

This is too cute: http://www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/2003/205.shtml (download the mp3)

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July 22, 2007

More guff

2 posts within the same week! Gadzooks!

Sorry about the last post, I didn't mean to sound overly miserable, or ungrateful as to my current situation (I am anything but). Strange thing is, I've felt a lot better since writing it. Just a lot more content within myself. I think I might be manic depressive :(

But anyway, I've had an enjoyable weekend...went out on Thursday and then I Friday myself and a friend sat outside the school bar all afternoon and much of the evening, drinking beer (my friend, being Dutch, has clued me into the proper pronunciation of "Hoegaarden" BTW), accosting teachers and acquaintances as they went past, forcing them to sit and chat with us. To their credit, we were unable to persuade any of the teachers (who were still on the clock at that time) into drinking with us. Saturday and today have been spent indoors (mostly because of the heat), watching movies and more Mystery Science Theater, doing nothing in particular (minimal studying, hehe), and finishing off my rirekisho (Japanese-language resume (sorry don't know how to do the accented characters on this Jap keyboard)).

As you can see from this example, the Japanese resume is a totally different beast to its Western counterpart. It's completely standardized; you buy the form from a convenience store, fill it out by hand with your personal details, work and educational history, and a little about your interests and why you're applying for the job, and send it off. Apparently it has to be filled out by hand so that the employer can garner some kind of idea of your personality through handwriting tests. This does not work in one's favor if one happens to a) be foreign and b) have worse handwriting than a doctor with Parkinson's, both of which apply to me. Still, hey ho.

Also, due to my being outside for most of Friday, I am currently pockmarked by mosquito bites. The mosquitoes here also seem to be a totally different beast to their Western counterpart, and I find they are a lot nastier. I wouldn't be at all surprised if I found out that the Japanese used their mosquitoes to torture POWs during WWII. The bites kind of leave you with this absolutely horrible itching/burning sensation for like 3-4 days. Plus they kind of make the skin around the bite go all kinda puffy and icky. Maybe that's just my gaijin reaction. I was wearing sandals and my feet seem to have well and truly gotten it the worst (Don't click here!)

Anyway, I think I've been writing this as a means of putting off doing homework, so better get back to it.

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July 18, 2007

Summer

Summer is upon us once again. As I may have intimated before, it's not exactly my favorite season, especially here in humidity land. I must give thanks daily to the gods of air-conditioning and just ride it out I guess.

So term started again last week...last one (I'm fairly certain this time!). I think it would be feasible for me to continue for one more term after this (i.e. until December), but...to be honest I really don't think I want to. My mood changes often, but in general I feel as though I have well and truly had it with intensive Japanese study, at least for the time being. I often feel like I'm not learning anything anymore...so much so in fact that I feel like my Japanese level is actually regressing. So doing another term honestly feels like it would be a waste of money.

This feeling of regression seems, in fact, to be in conjunction with what feels like a drop in my general level of intelligence, Japanese-related or not. It's hard to explain, but most of time recently, my brain just kinda feels like it can't be bothered with anything, like it's gone into hibernation for the summer and has left me with a skeleton staff of mental faculties. Generally a kind of feeling of confusion and forgetfulness.

So yeah, kind of coasting right now really. Change of scene would be good, and I feel that if I could get school out of the way and go somewhere completely different for a month or so and rest that I could kick the feeling of mental lethargy and get my mind back, but I'm kind of trapped here until September. Still no definite plans as to what I'm gonna do after...one company in Tokyo has shown some interest in me, and I will be in discussion with them early next month.

Sorry for writing another miserable entry, but I think it helps to alleviate. Things aren't as bad as I make them out to be, I'm sure... ^_^

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