talk like a nihonjin
Not much to say about Kamakura, except that the rest of the pictures are up now. You can see them in the photo directory, which has been sorted by date in that link. They're all the pictures from "bride.jpg" onward. Sorry I don't have enough time to set up a proper album for all that.

The best thing about going to college in Japan is that it isn't really much like going to college at all. It seems practically every other day is a holiday. Two weeks ago was a national holiday. Today was one. Next week we have two more days off, and then November 1st and 2nd are holidays as well. Figure in one or two days off every two weeks and it's like one big party. Plus there's the two week Christmas Holiday and the SEVEN week spring break. I ain't complaining.

Since today was a day off, I spent pretty much all of it in my room studying. Sounds like an oxymoron but I'd been putting everything else off all weekend. Sort of. It just feels like I'm always studying anyway. Always studying and still can't speak the language.

My Japanese family keeps reassuring me of one thing though, which is that when I do speak I sound like a Japanese person and not a foreigner. Apparently my pronounciation is superb. And actually, I believe them since I've heard that from several sources already and hear it now when listening to myself in comparison with other classmates who all have weird foreign accents from assorted countries.

I've just never felt that Japanese vowels or speech patterns are difficult. Certainly not in the way grammar, vocabulary and kanji are difficult. In fact, I've never once worried about sounding Japanese. It seems to me that all you have to do is sound like the people around you. My problem is knowing the words.

I bet I can trace my pronounciation to its roots in my obsessive anime watching during middle school. When Lesley and I took a quarter of college Japanese on a whim, I was first told that I "sounded Japanese" by our teacher. She asked if I'd ever taken the language before. At the time, the only things I knew how to say were "KAWAII!!!" and "baka." Even those sent me into fits of giggles.

Then again, that class was taken in the midwest... the land of ultimate asian-exoticism, so it makese sense that she was impressed. I remember in particular these two stupid girls with what was possibly the WORST Japanese pronounciation I have EVER heard come out of a native English-speaker's mouth. "KOW-NeeE-Chiiii-waaaah, wah-ta-chee wah Kimberly DESS." They constantly hassled our teacher about how she put an "u" at the end of "desu" and "masu," when they believed it should be "dess" and "mass." Stupid bimbos. I can't believe I still dislike them so strongly but they really were the type who makes you want to bang your head against a desk until your brain hemmorages.

When I think about it, I guess I do sound Japanese. It's not hard for me to "talk like a Japanese person," even as far as mimicking emotional intonation, speech fillers and sentence patterns. How weird must it be, then, for my host family (and other native speakers) to listen to me "sound Japanese" but drop off in the middle of a fluent-sounding sentence for lack of knowing a simple grammar structure of vocabulary word. Imagine you meet a foreigner with perfect english pronounciation. Given the rarity of the circumstance, would you not assume they were fluent? And what, then, if the proceeded to speak PERFECT English at you for some basic things and then their perfect English frangmented into perfectly pronounced... gibberish. Nouns and verbs and particles everywhere.

So that's me. I wonder if that makes me seem more stupid or less stupid. Maybe I should revert to "Janglish" during my learning stage:

"SuMEEmaSEN! Doh-ZO yoROshiku OH-ne-GAisheemasU!" (spoken like a true cowboy)

Kidding. Anyway, I'm proud of that one good point. It's something many people in my classes seem to lack. But then, I'm stuck in remedial Japanese 101. Or maybe it's not SO remedial... and that's why I spend so long studying. Must solidify the foundations, you know. It really helps.

I think I've decided NOT to continue in my kanji class. Tomorrow is Tuesday, the class is Thursday (complete with test including reading and writing for this week's 20 kanji and the 85 I don't know) and Friday is the last day to drop. Ugh. I really don't think I want to or have time to study for this class each week.

The PROS and CONS are as such:

PROs:
-Would probably learn a LOT of Kanji.
-Like a LOT of Kanji. Seriously. I know jack.
-Might advance in ways I haven't yet imagined including grammar, fluency and vocabulary.
-Would have risen to the challenge and accepted that there may be no other time to accept an opportunity like this.

CONs:
-Am short about 85 of the 350 prerequisite kanji.
-Haven't studied them or this week's 25 Kanji.
-Each week we learn 30 new kanji and have a test on reading AND writing them.
-The kanji are SUPER difficult and IMPRACTICAL (not everyday) Kanji.
-I feel busy enough as is.
-I will definitely recieve either a low C, a D, or a failing grade in the class.
-Yes, I will fail the class. There is no doubt.
-I may be overestimating myself as is.

I feel like either way I'll make the wrong choice. I need to drop by Friday. If I do, I'll have missed the chance to rise to a challenge. If I don't, I'm stuck in the class and may have overestimated myself as far as how much or how quickly I can learn.

Another option to pair with NOT taking the class is to study kanji independently each week. But would I really do it? I could TRY to do it and my Japanese mommy IS an elementary school teacher (she helped me with my homework today, yay!). Right now, it seems as though the CONS outweigh the PROS, especially since I don't think I plan to study my ass off for this week's class. I'm waffling. I don't want to miss my chance.

Dou suru??? What should I do??

And in closing, I would like to just add some personal details that none of you really care to know. As far as treating my undying, treatment-resistant staph infection, I'm currently taking twice daily Rulid of the Rothromycin family paired with what I assume is a steroidal topical ointment that MAY (I dunno) have antibacterial qualities.

And this time, THIS TIME, I am not letting a razor or any other potentially contaminated or contaminatable surface near my body. I wash my shirts after wearing them once. Bras and towels after wearing them twice. I scour myself with antibacterial soup soap twice a day. And, like I said, I'm not shaving. ANYWHERE. (Yes, I'm going Au Naturel for at least two weeks. UGH. The first few days are going to be BOTHERSOME, to say the least, but on the upside at least it saves me some minutes in the shower.)

You know what I fear, though? That with all this repeated failed medication I'm just creating a resistant strain of Staph. On MY BODY!!! AAAAASHGFDJSGFGSHRI!!!!! GIVE ME SOME VANCOMYCIN!!! QUICKLY!!!!! KILL IT KILL IT KILLLLLLL!!! *huff huff huff* Sorry. Anyway, it is a serious concern. Because, you know, I can't model if I'm hairy or bumpy.

And it's gross.

So now you know.

Go feel informed.