Sumimasen…(Sorry)

Blog activity has been light lately, as you no doubt notice thanks to the lack of posts on here, particularly those with pretty pictures.  That probably won’t change in the immediate future, because midterms are next week already.  My exam for Japanese is over three (!) days, with two speaking components and a writing component.  After that, the midterm paper for my Japanese Culture and Art class is due next Friday, October 19.  If I haven’t exploded by then, the floodgates will open wide and there will probably be a massive post the size of the first ever on the blog, so get ready.  There will be plenty of pretty pictures, I promise.  I’m still planning on going to the Nagoya Matsuri (Festival) this Saturday, which should be MASSIVE.  I’ve got to work something in to keep my head clear, and that sounds like a good way to break from studying.  I just won’t be able to guarantee that I have time to update the blog in the middle of all the midterm craziness.  I hope you all have the site bookmarked and don’t forget about me in the meantime!  If you’d like an e-mail reminder as to when the new entry is up, just drop me a line here or via e-mail and I’ll be more than happy to let you know when I’m back up and running.

Mata, ne!

Jeff

The Origami Anniversary

Follow the logic: a one month anniversary is paper in the States (as determined by my family and I), so the Japanese version is a cute little paper crane, right? Makes sense to me.

Let’s see; Dickinson’s money has arrived, which means that I won’t go broke in the immediate future! Hooray! I also used a little bit of it to take care of some nagging issues that have prevented me from keeping in touch with people…but more on that later.

This last week went pretty well. I’m settling into IJ 400 and my quiz scores have finally evened out, although the grammar quizzes still stump me at times. Japanese Foreign Policy remains fascinating and Japanese Culture and Art I is giving me new insight into the Japanese way of life and why certain things are the way they are. For instance, the long roofs of old-style Japanese houses and temples allowed the inhabitants to leave doors open even when it rained, which allowed them to feel closer to nature. Given that most Tanka poems from long ago are written about nature and beautiful moments in nature, this was quite important. It’s also a pretty darn good idea. Score one for 24/7 fresh air! Also, I have now completed all the forms that the Center for Japanese Studies needs to make sure I won’t be deported, etc. Things are finally calming down, which is good. Having time to breathe is nice.