It's been September for one day and already the weather seems to be changing. Woke up this morning to very heavy rain (which I had to go to school in), and I've just (8pm) been to the store and the temperature is actually approaching what could be described as "cool". This is very good news.
Sounds cliché, but I can't believe how quickly this term has gone. Last term seemed to go really slowly (in a good way), but this one still feels to me like it's only just started. However, it turns out that I only have 3 weeks left.
I'm enjoying things in general. It's just kind of hard having to work at the same time as studying, especially when the work in question makes you incredibly nervous. I think I'm finding that sometimes I'm lacking the energy and time to study by myself as much as I'd like. And relaxation is at a bit of a premium. But in a perverse kind of way, I'm kind of enjoying having a lot of challenges.
やっと、ＤＳライトを見つけました！ すごい楽し。 今日、昼休みにクラスの友達といっしょにマリオカートをしました。 もちろん、僕、勝ちました。 ：）
天気はもうすこし涼しくなりそです。 うれしいだね。 できれば、夏はもうすぐおわります．．．
あとしか３週間ぐらいがありませんね．．．早かったですよ．．．今学期の勉強するのは、まだよくない吸収しました（覚えました？）。 新しい言語を覚えるのは長い時間とよく使用がかかると思いました。 国へ帰ったあとで、忘れないために、日本語を話す機運(opportunity)をさがそうとおもっています。
August 31, 2006
A riddle
What's shiny and purple, lives in my pocket and brings me hours of pleasure when I get it out and play with it? That's right, it's my new DS Lite! Yes, I actually managed to find somewhere with one in stock, so I thought I'd treat myself to an early birthday present :) . It's dead sexy and the dictionary software is very nice and should be incredibly useful. It's still not as cool as my Atari Lynx though, obviously.
I find that I keep pondering the aspects of my appearance that make me feel conspicuous here. For example, I get quite embarrased about my left-handedness. I am informed that left-handedness is pretty much forbidden here (and, indeed, in the rest of Asia), and that children who show left-handed tendencies are "corrected" (the verb usually used by people in this context is 直す, meaning to correct/cure) as they grow up. I feel so conspicuous that I might start trying to use chopsticks with my right hand.
I finally got round to opening a bank account here, with the bank down the road from school. They gave me a box of tissues. The mind boggles, quite frankly.
August 26, 2006
The teaching continues afoot. I've also hooked up with a few private students via findateacher.net. Still very nerve-racking, don't think I could do it as a profession. ANOTHER test on Monday as well so I've been feeling a bit stressed out all in all. We've been covering lots of complicated stuff very quickly so...not really sure how well I'll do.
I've been hoping to pre-emptively blow my first wage packet on a Nintendo DS Lite. Sadly though they are immensely popular and thus famously elusive. I primarily want one so I can use it as a denshijisho (electronic dictionary) - there is a tasty dictionary/kanji recognition package available for it, and DS + dictionary software is about the same price as a proper low-mid range electronic dictionary. Plus, this way I could play Mario Kart on the train, gnarly.
However, I can't find the buggers anywhere. Well, not in Okazaki, at least; could probably get one in Nagoya but I'm not headed that way soon.
o(>< )o ｏ( ><)o キャ～、テスト、テスト、いつもテストがある！ 月曜、ふくざつなみんあＩＩ第３６－４０課のテストがありますから、心配している。 だれか、助けて！！ 日本語が上手ようになりたい。。。しかし、時々無理だとおもいます！ それに、まだ仕事をしています。 面白くても、ドキドキしているし、先生の事も知らないし、ストレスになっている。 うわ～、休みがほしい～。。。
このごろ、少しお金をもらいましたから、ニンテンドＤＳライトを買いたいでした。 電子辞書ソフトがあるから、やくにたつだと思います。 しかし、すごく人気があるから、買うのは大変です。 岡崎でさがしても、なにもありません。 それに、インターネットでさがしても、なにもありません。 なぜ？？ マリオカートをしたい！ 大変だ！！
August 21, 2006
Andy-sensei
It's been a busy couple of days...I have started a little weekend job, teaching English at a teeny-tiny little school in Toyohashi, which is about 30 mins down the train line...it's kind of far (usually takes upwards of an hour in total to get there) and very nerve-racking - I have no confidence or experience in the area of teaching, and although the classes only consist of one or two people, it's still difficult if like me you are kinda quiet and scared of people...still, I think it will be good for me...and, much more importantly, it means... $$$MONEY!!!$$$
So on top of a stressful weekend spent worrying about my job I had a test re-sit today...I have ANOTHER test next Monday as well, so I need to spend pretty much all this week revising. Still, I think we've almost finished the different verb forms, so things might become slightly easier...maybe >_<;;
まだ、豊橋の英語先生の仕事をしています。 週末だけするアルバイトです。 僕、アンディー先生になったー ＾＿＾
仕事は難しくても、面白いです。 私は声がちょっと小さいし、自信がないし、仕事するのはすごいドキドキになる。 でも、新しい人に会ったり、経験を積めたりできます、面白いとおもいます。 それに、お金だぞ！！ ¥＿¥
しかし、豊橋は少し遠いです。 家から学校まで１時間ぐらいかかります。 まだ、もっと近い仕事をさがしています。
私の学校のサイトはこちらです。
August 16, 2006
Oh the humidity!
Yeah so it's still hot here, suprise suprise...and veeeeery humid. I think I've become a little more accustomed to hot weather since coming here...time was when intense heat for me meant recurrent headaches and constant lethargy...and that side of things hasn't been too bad so far. (Not to get too gross here, but) it's just the constant sweatiness I can't be doing with. Go outside, make the slightest effort towards exertion and...splat! you're drenched in your own juices. Yeah, maybe I should just change the subject.
So the course is...hmm. Recently I've been feeling like I don't know anything and can't learn anything. I have moments of lucidity, but they come and go, and the majority of the time my brain feels as though it is swamped in a quagmire (giggidy!) of half- or non-remembered words and grammar. Also, I think half of the problem is that I don't really know how to study very effectively by myself. And I do still want to learn, but...sometimes I feel the passion that I once had for the subject wane, which is kinda worrying.
So life often feels like a constant stream of uphill struggles right now. No money, no job prospects, no time, no intimacy, constant heat, numerous anxieties, a brain that doesn't want to/is unable to learn things...yeah. Still, gambatte-ne, Andy-san.
Sorry, needed to moan, I think.
お盆休みはほとんどゆっくり休んでいました。 でも、きのう友達と名古屋へいきました。 ブラジリアのレストランで昼ごはんをたべたり、買い物をしたりしました。 それに、先週の金曜日豊橋へ先生仕事を知に行きました。 でも、ちょっとだめだったと思います。 私は先生じゃないと思います。
最近、生活はちょっと大変でした。 時々、勉強することが覚えられないし、授業やテストやしゅくだいでよく間違えるし、学校はよくむずかしくて私はばかみたいな感じがする（？）。 それに、いつも暑いし、お金がないし、さびしし。。。時々あきらめたいだな。 Read more...
August 9, 2006
あ．．．つ．．．い～ ＞＿＜；；；
Okazaki was almost hit by a typhoon yesterday/ today. Apparently there are 3 of them stalking around Japan right now, and the imaginitively-named Typhoon No. 7 (don't ask me what happened to 1 thru 6) swung juuuust past us. Shame really, would've been a bit of excitement. Oh well, at least it gave me a good opportunity to learn the kanji for "typhoon" (台風).
So, instead of wind and rain (which might well have made me homesick, I suppose, being British and all) today we have had intense heat and humidity. Looks like it's gonna be this way (and possibly worse) for at least another month, so spare a thought for poor little me while you sit basking in the coolness of your temperate zones.
Another test tomorrow. Finding it very difficult to remember things sometimes. Especially adverbs, for some reason. Two such that I often get confused are "taitei", which means "usually/in general" (in frequency terms); and "daitai" which means "generally/the outline". Hopefully you can see where I'm having problems. Also, many seem to have several meanings, just to make things more confusing. For instance "zutto" can mean "a lot more than", "for a long time", "direct", and God only knows what else.
Still, bank holidays next Monday and Tuesday, as it's obonyasumi. This is the Buddhist festival of the dead (cheery!) in which one is supposed to return to one's ancestral home, visit the graves of one's relatives, light bonfires to guide the spirits home, and dance a nice bonodori. As for me, I think I'm off to Nagoya instead with some classmates. And no doubt sleeping a lot.
Also, the lovely Hada-sensei informs me that she can't access this site right now...anyone else having problems?
昨日、岡崎に台風が危うく振っていました。 台風７号でした。 台風１－６について、どこへ行った？？ 分からない。
キャ～、最近、いつも暑いだぞ！！ イギリス人では、暑すぎると思います。 イギリスに、夏は大体１ヶ月ぐらいかなり暑いです。 それに、日光になかなかやけどをしています。 だから、日中、出かければ、少し痛くなります。 大変だね。
明日はそらにもう一つの(yet another)テストがあります。 最近、勉強することが覚えられないと思います。 言葉や形やルールなどすごく多いだから、難しくて大変だよ。 それに、副詞もよく間違っています。 例えば、私では「たいてい」と「だいたい」が特に難しい。 意味と読む方はちょっと同じですから。
じゃ、来週はお盆休みです。 よかった．．．休みが入用だな．．．
友達と名古屋へ遊びに行こうと思っています。 Read more...
August 6, 2006
岡崎花火大会 / Okazaki Fireworks Festival
Yesterday was an obscenely hot Saturday and also Okazaki's fireworks festival. As one of the few things Okazaki is known for is it's fireworks industry, this festival is a big deal and is attended by hundreds of thousands of people.
So it was very crowded, and very hot, but I enjoyed it. The fireworks were pretty amazing. I went with a large group of fellow students and we grabbed a place by the river, but myself and a couple others moved after some people who had resevered the space beforehand turned up. So, I wound up watching most of the action from the bridge (where you weren't techincally allowed to stand and watch, but many people did, despite the repeated entreaties from the police to keep moving).
I managed to shoot some dodgy video from our temporary position on the bridge, and I've uploaded it to YouTube, watch it here. My camera sucks and there are people in the way, but it gives you some idea I suppose. Also, in the background you can hear the PA system (which periodically played music, adverts and announcements) playing none other than everyone's favorite 1980s German disco muppets, Dschinghis Khan!!! (who were also responsible for cult camp euro-disco classic, Moskau). Rock and Roll!!
昨日、岡崎花火大会へ行きました。 楽しかったですけど、 天気も暑いし、 人もすごく多いし、 ちょっと苦しかった。 でも、 ゆかた着ってきれいな女の人も多いから、 よかったです。花火はとても印象的だったと思います。 岡崎の花火は有名ので、 やっぱりすごいでした。 たくさん見た人はよく「すご～い！」と言っていました。
大部花火がはしからみました。 短いビデオを撮りました。 私のビデオはＹＯＵＴＵＢＥで見えます、 こちら。 ですけど、 ちょっと悪い。。。 Read more...
August 3, 2006
まんが： 服も脱がずにコーヒーができるかー！！
しかし、 最近の私の一番面白い漫画は「セクシーコマンドー外伝：すごいよ！！マサルさん」だ (英語で)。 ずっと前、マサルさんのアニメを見ました、 だから、 日本へくる時、 漫画を読みたかった。 とても面白くてたのしい漫画と思くても、 すごくおかしです。 意味がぜんぜんありませんから、 ぎ言だ。 物語はナンセンスだけど、 キャラや言葉は滑稽です。
YOUTUBEで見えます。
日本語
Just a quick note: this blog was originally intended as a means of keeping the folks back home up to date on what I was up to, but as it is now being read by various Japanese speakers (friends, teachers at my school, etc.), plus because it's good practice, I will occasionally attempt to write entries in Japanese. If you don't have Japanese fonts installed on your computer, these entries will probably show up as a bunch of question marks or something.
Ja!
今から、時々ブロッグに日本語で書くつもりです！ きっと、まだ上手じゃないから、よくまちがっています。。。だから、日本語話す人、私に正してあげてくださいませんか。
じゃねー♩
August 2, 2006
バルコニー
Just wanted to say: haha, I have a balcony and you don't (probably). Pwned!
Not to gloat but I sit out here and study most nights and it's jolly clement - except, that is, for the a**holes who keep tooling up and down my road on ridiculously loud motorbikes. I convinced this town has a roaming gang of biker yakuza or something; bikes are everywhere, and it seems to be a case of the louder the better. And now I've said that they're probably gonna track me down and cut my fingers off or something.