Mid-June!

お母さんは今週の金曜日来るんだよ～
楽しみ～

そうだ、幸いに、中間テストの成績はそんなに悪くなかった。よかった。でもさ、今ままには、最後のグレードはたぶんＢかもしれない。まあ、whatever.

Aoyama Thelma is in my NCT (Nature, Culture, Technology) class, and she presented yesterday with her group on Africa. She's pretty average-looking, petite and tanned with minimal make-up on. If you didn't know who she was, you wouldn't have noticed it was her. But her English is pretty good though.

Speaking of presentations, my group's was quite a disaster due to the time constraints. 20 minutes max, 6 presenters, everyone is vocal and had plenty of things to say. So my part, which was allocated 4 minutes, was only given like, 45 seconds ): and later when we went to ask the professor, all he said was "oh, don't worry about it". hell no, I'm gonna worry about because it's my grade! ):

RAINY SEASON NOW!
and the weather has been cooling down, which is pretty awesome i say, but i don't have proper shoes to dodge the rain. my pretty green flats which i bought with cherie nabe last year...are already destroyed ): RAIN BOOTS!

have been meeting with many new people though, which is really fun.
new friends from other universities and different cultures.
songyan was here, with his friend christy.
it was fun, fun fun!
hope xiuling will come too (;

so a speech about japanese women and fair skin,
two more NCT essays
one more Christianity presentation
two more Christianity essays
many more Japanese quizzes and tests
one more Japanese final exam
one more Christianity final exam
one more final Drama performance
one more Drama review!

cool.

two months in, and it's already June

Hello again!
It has been two months since I last blogged, and it seemed appropriate to jot something down here before abandoning it again for the next two months. Well, in the next two months, I would be in a different country and this blog would be rendered pretty much useless.

So within the two months of the spring semester, I knew I have gotten myself into deep scholastic shit. Little point of elaborating here, since the ones I've told are the ones whom I wanted to know. So thanks, for listening patiently and cheering me up. You're the best.

Individually, my life in DK itself hasn't changed much. I still keep myself to my room alot.　一番好きな場所だから。I avoid the kitchen plainly 'cause of the smell it gets onto my clothes. However, with the new group of students here, it has become more exciting with new friends mad and more gatherings and outings. Of course, that also means spending more money ): Well, in the land of Japan, that can't be helped.

I applied to take the new JLPT N2 in July, which is about a month away, and hopefully I'd be able to pass this time. That means I need to be better prepared. And that means I have to improve my reading and listening. Knowing Chinese is a double-edged sword honestly. I can't remember how many times I've accidentally written a kanji in simplified Chinese, but not knowing how to read but understanding the meaning has helped in understanding certain phrases. Oh yes Japanese 4 has been a pain in the butt. My goal was to achieve an A in this module, but after this morning's disastrous mid-term examination, I'd consider myself lucky to get a B now.

Oh, for those who are unaware, I got myself a new laptop, a brilliant blue Sony Vaio, because my Dell decided to go bust on me on a Sunday afternoon. If only the school computer lab was opposite my home, I wouldn't have decided to get a new one so easily. Alas, having to travel an hour odd to school would be silly, not to mention it's not even a 24-hour lab, it doesn't seem worth the time and effort. Anyway I'm very happy with my new blue cool, albeit everything is in Japanese. Thanks to my brother's spec recommendations as well, if not I wouldn't have known what to ask the staff in the electronics store. Windows 7 looks pretty awesome and I'm loving the download speed in Japan. (:

In case I haven't written this down in the previous entry (I don't proof-read what I write in my blog you see), the subjects I'm taking this semester are,
Japanese 4
Nature, Culture and Technology (Cultural Studies)
Christianity and Japanese Culture (History, although it's really Theology)
Topics in Performing Arts (Creative Writing), my favourite subject just 'cause

By the way, Rui Xi, you're too cute tonight ;)
いつもかわいいと思うけど

じゃ、ピース～！

hey sup.
so after a week of mucking around and a weekend of meet-ups, it was back to more mucking around before more people time tomorrow onwards. psyched.

actually watched a japanese drama i had wanted to catch on youtube, and within the last 3 episodes (it was only 10 episodes, mind you), i just started to skip parts and in the finale, i just fastforwarded the thing entirely to see the ending. the casting sucked, especially for the leads. not that the chick isn't pretty, she just looked too old for the guy, especially when she was really 24 and looked 24, while the guy was only 14. yeah well, no chemistry.

witnessed this bunch of japanese students/people (well what the hell, students are people) moving in yesterday. there were these stacks of cardboard boxes on the foyer. not sure what they contained, but i never saw them again. the boxes and people, i mean.

can't wait for school to start, so i can finally do something productive. seriously this spring break is too friggin' long. feels even longer than summer break in melbourne, although the latter is really longer. meh.

on the downside, having 9am classes would mean i'd have to wake by 7 every morning. haven't done that since...never i guess. since in trinity, 9am classes only required a wakeup call at 8, and back in singapore, 6am. so 7am would be a new change. whoopee.

looking at all the junk left around in the room, which will accumulate from more shopping, not sure how i'm gonna pack everything and bring 'em back home. not to mention that 2 hour journey from the dorm to the airport. by myself. on the last day of semester here. on which i hope i don't have any examination. shoot me. don't tell me not to shop. because i already did lol. and will eventually do more.

anyway, the view outside my room window is pretty awesome. the rows of sakuras have blossomed, and plenty of people have walks and picnics during the day. actually, i prefer seeing the red, orange, yellow and brown autumn leaves than the pink mass. makes me think of...strawberry milkshakes and hello kitty. i don't need a sanrioland everywhere i go, but heck, it's seasonal. SEASONAL. you don't get that in singapore. no you don't! not in melbourne either. no you don't!

out of sight, out of mind.
how true indeed, although somehow it can't seem to apply to food.
when it comes to mind, i go to sights.
but anyway, i don't miss what/who i missed half as much now.
wee.

I've been back in crazy-weather Singapore since Saturday night. Seriously, Singapore can start giving Melbourne a run for their money, with the sunny mornings, rainy mid-days etc.

Regardless, the Melbourne trip has been an awesome one, owing to the gorgeous people there. Breakfasts, brunches and dinners, and the long chats, thank you! All pictures can be viewed on Wonderful Woo's facebook album (:

Issues with my degree, you ask? Nope they haven't been solved. Yet. Thank you!

In Singapore.
The days are just going, going, gone.
One night, I dreamt that I was already back in Japan...can't remember the emotions though.

I kind of miss studying in Melbourne though.
It's so odd, not doing anything academic right now. The Aussie people are into their 3rd/7th week, depending on their course, and the Singapore ones are pia-ing their tests, essays and so on. And here I am......

I'm glad though.
Certain things.
.Oh well

Just arrived in Melbourne this morning and boy did it feel like a strange city to me. You know that feeling of happy to be home or happy to be here after being away for so long? It didn't come to me then. I used to feel it the past few years but now, I guess it has kind of fizzled out since I'm not actually studying here for now. Maybe I'd get it back later next semester.

Gah.
Plenty has happened since the day I returned to Singapore, and half of it was spent on being sick and lazing at home on the grounds of being sick. Experienced several nosebleeds, of which the worst happened while I was washing my face. Wtf where does all the friggin' blood come from, seriously. And it just keeps clotting but it won't stop flowing. The clotting was quite gross, but quite interesting to observe the red jelly-like substance. Lol I'm experiencing the Sunako syndrome.

Most of CNY was spent in Kuching, Sarawak after the house has been renovated. Everyone stayed there over the duration except my family. Yeah well. Gone the days of catching grasshoppers, playing uno and chinese checkers. Okay we did play the chinese checkers for quite a few hours, and I won most of the rounds :D

The daily meals were a killer. Delicious of course, but too rich. I remembered not taking a dump over the whole 5 days. On the other hand, my family was laying those brown rocks like no one's business. Unfair ): And my complexion took a downturn from all the alcohol I guzzled )):

On the Monday upon return, I was supposed to meet XQ for lunch but I experienced this terrible giddiness when I woke up. Trippied in the toilet and thought it was just some morning nonsense. No, I just felt horrible when I was in motion so I kept throwing myself on the couch or the bed. It was about 10.30 when I asked my brother whether I should msg XQ to cancel or something and he said no, promise people to go already so go. So I got my ass up to get dressed and tottered down the staircase. Threw myself on the couch to put on my socks but I couldn't do it. My brother had already started up the car so I had no choice but to get out of the door. I was already crying by then because I couldn't think straight or walk straight. I threw (lol like rubbish bag) myself into the front passenger seat, feeling extremely limp. My brother hadn't noticed at all and wanted to confirm the destination. Yeah, the destination changed to the clinic in Potong Pasir instead. The whole time at the clinic, I didn't see a solitary person's face except some blurry forms. I couldn't stop shaking the whole time, as if to shake something out of the head or whatever, and I remember hearing the conversation between my brother and the doctor. So fast forward the doctor just gave me a jab and left me to rot lol nah, to rest. Then my brother sent me home while I slept at home. Oh and my brother had to call XQ for me to cancel. Funnily, he said he was yiching's sister. Lol way to go brother. Sorry XQ ): Oh, and it was also the day my brother was flying back to Shanghai.

The rest of the next two weeks, which were the previous two weeks, were mainly myself being sickish and going out a few times. One of the most memorable ones was marathon kboxing (karaoke-ing) at Cineleisure till 5am. The only good thing was that there were few cars by then so I could anyhow drive. Hoho.

Actually went back to ZHSS a couple of times, the first time to see teachers and the second to see the band. Yeah I'm the sort of senior who never goes away. The one that you can't get rid of. Yeah I'm annoying.

The plane ride kinda sucked. Plane delay from 9 to 10, turbulences, the hot air in the seat and the ugh-ish food. Left the airport at a quarter to nine and found out our current tenant, Eliza, wasn't at home; working this morning. So we had to leave our luggies somewhere somehow and I called Rui Xi who fortunately was at home. In the end, I left the luggies in the basement thinking that I had the storage key with me but nooo, it wasn't and I took a risk by leaving the luggies outside our storage space anyway. Cabbed down to the Alfred Hospital (which my mother claimed Eliza was working at and supposedly near the apartment) and it was pretty damn far. Waited at the lobby for her and it turned out it was the wrong hospital. It was supposed to be the Royal Melbourne Hospital which was opposite Melbourne Uni. Normally I would be pretty damn pissed off with the whole situation and blaming people for it, but I just found myself laughing about it. It was just so funny. LAUGH WITH ME. HA HA HA. So anyway, we took a cab down to RMH and took the keys from Eliza, who is really nice. Went home, took the luggies up and zonked. Wanted to set up the lappie but I couldn't connect the telephone port. Zonked until 3ish, managed to hook up the internet, and went down to Safeway for grocery shopping. Bought dinner from Rice Bar, didn't finish it and fell asleep watching television. Now here, blogging as I'm thinking.

Course Advice appointment tomorrow! Can't wait to deal with all the issues I've been concerned about the past 3 years. Hopefully, HOPEFULLY, I'd be able to overload, take Japanese 4, more level-3 Cultural Studies subjects and graduate by the end of this year.

Thanks for having me today.
Oh, and the horrible hailstorm which hit Melbourne yesterday, it hasn't repeated itself today...yet.

Random house hopping today for the first time in 9 years since my family begun celebrating CNY in Singapore and that was probably the last time as well seeing that we are likely to be resuming the annual return to Kuching starting from next year.

It's Spring break now so that means I'm already into the second half of my exchange. Pretty quick huh. 5 months passing just like that.

Managed to drive this morning although it's pretty much within the neighbourhood. My mother was pretty funny with the cars I'm allowed to drive. Anyway it was only a circuit from Regi's to mine to Timo's and back home before heading to Toa Payoh.

Driving's okay as long as you don't run into shitty inconsiderate drivers but hey, that's life huh. Meeting shitty inconsiderate people in general that is.

MEETING WITH WQ AND SY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND NIGHT.
SHIHUA, WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED YOU!
i know you'd not be reading this, but i hope you've progressed past your 94 words.

I NEED TO CHANGE THIS URL.
ARE YOU TWO READING THIS >:(

/edit
changed already :D
and it was a very entertaining day/evening okay. alot of stories hahaha.

I can't sleep.
Typical of a night before I am supposed to fly.
If only I can think happy thoughts. Won't hurt to have fairy dust either.
I do believe in fairies! I do, I do! Lol okay aftermath of watching Peter Pan on youtube.

Packed and re-packed and never realized the bulkiness of the luggie until I have zipped it all up and set it upright. Gonna be a long morning lugging the luggie to the airport. 2 hours. I have 3 hours left to sleep if I want to.

I'm a 4th-year!
I just realized that.

See everyone back in Singapore.

dunno how many hours i've slept
and i still wanna sleep more
revision incomplete
stories, exercises and response papers undone
kanbun not looked at since monday

i keep reminding myself that i'm an exchange student and should be having fun instead of worrying so much about school work
yet, i'm not doing anything constructive

what am i doing to do next sem and next year

being a pile of emo shit now
bai

HAHAHAHA.
and it's Bvlgari

I'm not a morning person.
I've tried, on two separate days in a week, to wake up earlier in the morning to do homework, write essay or whatever, and both occasions, they failed. Miserably.
I can't remember the first one, but the second one just happened yesterday. I tried to start on my anthropology essay on Thursday night but was so friggin' tired because you know, a typical Thursday and the marathon classes killed me so I decided I was gonna wake up at 3am to rush everything out. And yes you guess it, I heard the alarm, turned it off and decided to snooze for another 15 minutes or not. The next thing I knew, sunlight was already streaming in through the curtains and I was like, fuck. Got up to check the clock and it was already 7.15am. Brilliant, because I had a 11am class too, and I hadn't showered the previous night. Yes I know, smelly and unhygyienic, but I was counting on that morning and everything went out of plan. So I quickly sat down without washing up or anything and started typing away. Typed and typed. Planned to shower and get ready for school but thought like, fuck it, I could sacrifice one class to write an essay worth...how much was it worth again? Can't remember but since it was a final research paper, I'm sure it's worth alot. Regardless, I just typed and thought like, I needed 10 pages, double-spaced so that meant I needed only around 5. And fuck it, as usual for the past several years in my scholastic life, I overshot and typed nearly 10 pages without any spacing, including bibliography. I'd never learn, and come to think of it, I'm not sure whether it even answered the topic. I was just happy to finish it. Then went to the school lab (fuck that's why I wished I had a printer here and uni was only 5 minutes away; miss Melbourne in that aspect argh) and edited the essay, printed it out and went for class. Submitted it and didn't want to bother listening in class anymore. Glad the teacher ended early and I was sooo relaxed. For that night.

Doing the Japanese report now. On television and culture in Japan. In Japanese language. Not so bad because I don't have to think too deep about what I'm writing. Intermediate level, I'm sure my teacher(s) don't expect deep or cheem stuff from us. And it's only 2 friggin' pages! Albeit the absence of double-space but c'mon!

Almost done with it and submission is on Monday. Have to go to school to print it again. Yay. And revision sheets to do for Monday's class, editing the story for Creative Writing and fortunately or not, I already wrote an answer on the whiteboard on Thursday's kanbun class so that dramatically decreases the chances of having to write it again on Monday. Need to revise all the kanji for Tuesday's examination and then revising grammar and vocabulary for Thursday's examination. I want to get an A for Japanese damnit. The rest, I just wanna pass now. Kanbun the following Monday and the writing folio on Tuesday. Need to churn out a bunch of writing exercises and nonsense fragments, editing of the two other stories and I'd be done for that. Please Bob, don't fail me ):

And it'd time for the HKD trip and then the time for my dorm buddies to return home ):

I'm really glad though. Reflecting on this whole semester being in Japan, I do feel like my mindset has changed alot, and I've learned plenty of new things. I haven't seen my family since September, and I think it has been the longest ever, since my parents have visited Melbourne and my brother was there. Times have changed. My father is busier with work than ever, my brother has already embarked on his work journey and my mother, well, has learned to be more tech-savvy I suppose, which is a good thing in most ways.

Some things are just overrated, and you just need to learn to let go sometimes.

'kay back to finishing my report.
bai.

The last day of the year before winter break and another 3 or so weeks of school before finals and finally back to Singapore for Chinese New Year.

It's so easy to just map out a path but difficult is an understatement to outline the actual carrying out.

So I've decided to stay on in Japan and relieve myself from thinking about the path not taken every night before I sleep. I do think that it caused me to get sick last week meh. I'd just think about the pros and forget the cons, and forget the pros if I return to Melbourne.

Okay I LOVE JAPAN! :D
forget the stress from taking the train
enjoy the journey and the convenience!

forget the shitty classes
enjoy not doing homework/readings and slack!

forget the arghwtfbbqilumcqrip journeys back and forth
enjoy walking and exercising! (and the weather too sheesh)

there are so many things i've done here, and so many i've yet to do
and so little time

so many places to go, so many things to eat, so many attractions to see

and i need to clean my room ):
pronto

another rainy Wednesday

Mid-November is about to approach. And I'd actually have been here for a full two months already. And how could it seem that anything has changed? But everything has.

Going to Mount Takao this weekend hopefully. Not Nikko anymore. 紅葉！

The Japanese love their eggs.
Eggs in bread, eggs in pasta, eggs in dessert, eggs in drinks (lol), eggs in salads, eggs in everything!
I'm not going to complain though, 'cause I love eggs. Less reason to buy eggs to boil or scramble. Reminds me of the big-ass eggs in Aussie ):

Gezzel! I have more pictures of YamaPi but I haven't got around to uploading them yet. He's going to release a new single (or album?) next week right? :D

Speaking of which, someone has taken the key for Bicycle 92 and has yet to return it since last week. Okay this is frustrating everyone in the dorm except for those who own their own bikes because all the other keys for the other bicycles have been taken away by the manager. Can't travel far unless one is willing to walk the distance. I mean, even if you have misplaced the key, or lost the lock or whatever, just own up man. Unless you have lost the bike (I never actually went to check). Get a new lock, it's not expensive. And everything will go back to normal. Sometimes, I get a nagging feeling that the key has always been in my pocket but I have checked all my jeans and jackets and it doesn't exist there. Then again, I don't even remember borrowing 92 before either. I should just get my own damn bicycle lah wtf. But after I leave, what am I gonna do with it? Donate? No way. -selfish-

Travelling.
It's fun, and there are so many places I have yet to visit. March would be a great time 'cause it's the holidays, the weather would definitely be cool and I'd er, be by myself? What a loner.
Sure the train system here is efficient, but train delays are inevitable. And when that happens and you're stranded with no other alternative route, you can be excused from class! I think. Or at least, if the delays last THAT long. But normally, it's a valid excuse if it causes you to be late for class. That hasn't happened to me. Yet. Hopefully. I leave my dorm earlier than most for my 11am class and during the last train delay, I took an hour and a half to get to school. Thought of moving out, but what a hassle.

Let me list some of the pros and cons.

STAY
(Pros)
1. Can leave everything as it is
2. Can go travelling without worrying where to go back to (lol)
3. No need to clean toilet/shower (yes they are separate) and buy toilet paper
4. Got people around

(Cons)
1. Very far, too far from campus
2. Don't like to share toilet/shower
3. Don't want to go all the way down and up for kitchen
4. Got people around

MOVE
(Pros)
1. Nearer to campus
2. Can have own privacy
3. Can invite friends over to stay
4. Less people around

(Cons)
1. Have to move everything
2. Have to change addresses for bank, cell phone, school etc.
3. Have to pay more bills
4. Less people around

There you have it.
And most of the time it always depends on my mood.
On certain mornings when I have to wake up earlier to go to school to print homework or revise, I grumble at the fact that I have to travel so far.
Then later I consider, and realize moving is gonna be a pain 'cause of the moving (I have more shit than since I first arrived) and all the address changing is gonna be a bigger hassle. I want to have a good Spring break too.
And after all, it's only gonna be four months (at that time).
Now it's still November. Or should I say, already November.
Gosh I am such a confused person.

Can't wait for the next break! Even one day would be great.

I was reading a fellow exchange Sophian's blog when I remembered I had one too. I just blogged the weekend before the Disney weekend, and that was last weekend. So I haven't blogged for nearly 2 weeks already. Cheers.

Those who have been following my photo updates on facebook wouldn't have to read all these to find out what I've been up to. But then again, there are certain things which can't be portrayed through pictures.

Like waking up at 6 for two consecutive mornings and sacrificing lunch breaks to start and finish two separate essays. The Disney weekend seriously burned all of us, considering it took us at least an hour to travel to the train station, and another hour back. The Disney resort one I mean. Of course it was my own fault that I didn't bother to get them done beforehand, and I already knew that weekend wouldn't involve any work done.

The same situation next week.
Supposedly a trip to Nikko next weekend, and I have mid-terms the following week. 3 in fact; one Kanbun and two Japanese. To go, or not to go?

Already going for some soccer tournament this Saturday. Asian Cup finals or something, between Korea and Saudi Arabia. None of the other girls were interested though ):

And we bought tickets to see Joe Hisaishi's concert next January! (: my friends all said his name in Chinese though, so I didn't have any idea who he was until Yifen told me he composed for the animated films.

Sometimes, I think I regret taking this subject combination. Maybe I should have taken Intensive Japanese and all I would need to focus on was Japanese and Japanese alone. After all, that was what I mainly came here for, right?

Kanbun is a pain in the ass.
My teacher is nice, but I can't really follow the class. She talks to the whiteboard and only the first row can hear (the serious students go so early and 'chop' the first row so I can't sit there). When I ask questions, I have no fooking clue what she tries to tell me. Zero. Zilch. I stayed for 15 minutes after class once to tell her that I can't catch up in class. All she told me was to practise. That's helpful. Really. And she says 'Yes I know what you're talking about." No you don't. And the students sitting the last two rows cannot shut the fuck up. There are probably about 6-7 exchange students in the class of roughly 30, and I have the noobest level of Japanese. The Caucasian guy sitting in front of me used to ask Stanley how to say shut up in Chinese. Because the Japanese students would understand it in English. Then again, they might, in Chinese too. Whatever.

So all I can do now is to do what I can do myself. And get this class over and done with. Spending nearly 6000yen on those dictionaries was pointless. I cross out each day on the schedule when the class ends. Looking forward to more crosses.

Creative Writing is fine. But the lame thing is that I could (or actually did) do that sort of subject back in Melbourne, so why bother doing it here? But what's done is done. Another subject to get through, done and over with.

Anthropology is quite fun. Readings. Only the exchange students pretty much contributed to the discussions. Next presentation coming up soon.

Japanese. Nothing much to say. Last subject to complete my Diploma in Modern Languages. So I better do well in this. 90 is considered an A, and I don't know how they are taking down our marks.

Can't skip class here unlike in Melbourne.

That's pretty much it I guess.

Sure that Singapore prides itself on being a fast-paced society; constantly on the move with minimal time to rest or think unless you are able to think while moving and/or regard rest as motion.

Planning ahead is, of course, of stupendous importance.
Going for a Halloween party on the 31st and have a test on the 2nd of November?
Study and revise all your work before getting swallowed in alcohol, candy and screams.
Want to return to your home country four months later but you only have a single entry permit?
Apply for a re-entry permit. Pronto. Even it's four months ahead, because you'd never know how long these administration people can take, not to mention all the additional holidays, public or not, there actually are.
Already gotten a 2-day pass to Disneyland and Disneysea this coming weekend and have an essay due the following Tuesday?
Write your damn essay by this Friday, even if your damn presentation of which your essay is based on is this Friday as well.

Yes only 2 of the 3 apply really.

Oh, finances.
and language barriers.

All part of a lifelong journey, learning and giving at the same time.

i really want to cut my hair into a stylish short style...but at the same time i want to keep it long and longer...
dilemma.
and no, don't suggest a wig.

WEEKEND.
週末だ！

今日、寮の友達一緒に池袋のなんのアイスクリーム場所へ行く。もうそろそろ準備しなきゃ。

More assignments, homework, readings and revision to do this weekend ):
I should have just done the Intensive track, even if it means having to wake up at 6 every morning.
Oh well, too late now. Maybe I can do it next semester.

Okay, I don't know what to talk about now.
Later~

Two weeks into school and I'm already itching for the holidays to start.
Can't wait for the short festival break at the end of the month.
The Mr. and Ms. Sophia pageants and performance by Beni Arashiro!

Talked to my father this afternoon. Apparently he had worked in Japan before (not sure whether it was before or after I was born) at Suwa in Nagano. I wiki-ed it and it is supposed to be famous for its ryokans! I WANT TO GO TO NAGANO! RYOKANS. ONSENS?! SNOWBOARDING!!

Quite a funny experience after lunch too. We had already collected our alien registration cards then. Went to Belc supermarket and before she realized that the key was missing, Tina locked her bicycle. So when we went back, we walked with our bicycles while Joseph carried the locked one back to our dorm. Respect.

Writing the surrealist story.
Regret that I left it to the eleventh hour?
You bet.

I printed the stories yesterday morning at the computer lab and only started reading them on the train back to the dorm. It works, seriously, and time passes alot faster as well. Gonna do that more often from now on.

Honestly, part of me is still adjusting to the fact that the whole being is in Japan. It's not really regarding the issue of being homesick, or culture shock or even life shock. It's just that there are certain things here which strongly remind me of how it is back in Singapore and/or Melbourne. Like during meals, the PCDs would talk non-stop and stay at our table for hours. Or that certain random high-rise buildings would resemble the HDB buildings in Singapore. Things like that. And I certainly miss Melbourne Uni's campus alot.

I bought two dictionaries for about 6000yen at Kinokuniya, and I have no idea how to use them.

I do not belong to Shibuya.
I stick out like a sore thumb.
But Kaikai! I wish you were here!
We would practically visit every single store on every single floor at every single building on every single street!
The irony in the first and fourth statement.
I would still go anyway.



YamaPi at Shibuya is calling to you!
"Kaikai-chan! Hayaku kite ne! Matteru kara."
Actually that sounds more like something a girl would say.

Wo zai deng ni!

It feels like a weekend now that school for today has been cancelled due to Typhoon No. 18.
Must be that they don't want me to go to school with a bad leg and wants me to rest at home (: not that I can go anywhere anyway since the train services have been suspended. So I can't buy my books meh.

I normally use my iPhone as my alarm clock and it ran out of juice last night, which I hadn't realized. It didn't go off but I was already awake at 7ish so I just listened to the crazy winds outside and people chattering outside about whether they should go for their 9am class. I got my lazy ass out, washed up and wanted to shower when I heard Tina's voice (she has a 9am class) and she and Sven told me that the Keihin-Tohoku line has been suspended. So basically no one from DK House could go for class since we have to take that line to school. Cool.

Checked the website for news.
1st and 2nd periods cancelled.
After 10am, 3rd and 4th were cancelled as well.
So no school today!

I hadn't gotten my books and dictionaries for my 3rd and 4th period classes, sooo it's kind of a relief. But I wonder how they're gonna make up for the unexpected cancellation due to weather conditions now; please don't cancel the school holiday ):

Gives me an opportunity to clean up and tidy my room now.
And er, study more Japanese; dunno what are the chances that the sensei will give us tomorrow's as well as today's quizzes at tomorrow's class.

Although it's still early to say this,
I shall sign up for earlier classes for my final semester back in Melbourne.
Feels good to sleep earlier and wake up earlier for school.
Then again, it's 'cause I have to ):
Miss a class here and you're basically screwed; and one has to wake up at 8 for an 11am class (can't imagine 9am classes).
But in Melbourne, no problem since I live less than 5 minutes away from campus so yes.
I know I should have realized long ago that the whole 'sleep-early-wake-up-early' thing is healthy and all, but hey, better now than never. Not to mention I can't really buy souvlaki for supper and shit around here...

DIGRESSING.

Re-enrolment is commencing at the end of the month, so I'd better get my subjects right. Gonna overload with 5 subjects in order to be able to graduate at the end of next year. 5 3rd-year Cultural Studies subjects hopefully. All essays and no examinations. Wow. Then I'd have a month to rot before graduation. I'm planning ahead!

Too many things to do now.
Shall not brood.
Shall not regret.
Shall not 'emo'.

cheers.

Human solitude.
What a way to experience it out of class today.
Not the usual verbal garbage with famous quotes of short stories woven out of loneliness and hiding in corners.

Why must it rain.
The pitter-patter woke me up, to think that it was the air-conditioner leaking.
Uncomfortable sleeps.
Unwarranted nightmares of cars, pesky kids and a torn family.

Too much self-sympathy there,
Oozing like thick yellow pus from a festering wound.
Needs to go out,
But I'm afraid,
Afraid of the rain.
Too afraid.
Of lack of empathy and care.

Lol.
Can my readers (if there're any left) holler at me once in a while to let me know that I'm not writing all this in vain?

So anyway,
Headed to and fro from school on my own today.
Literary Genres and Contemporary Literature are axed.
My short-listed subjects are Japanese 3, Creative Writing (yeah wtf but the teacher is interesting and I like to write random things so why not), Introduction to Kanbun (looks cool and fun) and Approaches to Japanese Society (just 'cause it's really my thing; Japanese, culture, report writing, field work, research). I sent all my emails out to the respective department exchange advisors so hopefully all the credit can be transferred to my degree and diploma.

Classes were more enjoyable today.
Met a new friend at Jap; name's Ayu (I think that's how it's spelt), a graduate student at Sophia. I just went to talk to her after class 'cause she said she studied and worked at Singapore heh. She's an awesome young woman, very friendly and approachable. And when she asked "where do you live in Singapore?", I really wanted to say 'uh Singapore?' but wtf of course she knows where Serangoon Gardens is. Double heh.
The new guy sitting beside him asked me whether I was from Australia 'cause he said I have an Australian accent. LOL, first time I hear that sort of thing. And Ayu said she initially thought I was brought up in the West too until I just used all my lahs and lehs and lohs. Yay to Singlish.

Approaches to Japanese Society was insane. The classroom was small so half the class had to stand outside and when Ryu (lol his name is Ryan but Yifen and I call him Ryu 'cause his Chinese name has a 'long2' in it) and I arrived, there was no space left outside the front and back doors. More than half of the 'outside' people left though, and hopefully less people will enrol in this class 'cause I really want to get a seat inside pleaseee.

And wtf, I couldn't get 3 separate bikes to work 'cause of the wheels or the brakes. Shit lah.

Tsukiji Market and some museum event for exchange students tomorrow.
Gotta bank in, get my e-dictionary and do my damn laundry.

Sian leh. Ask me something to write about please ):