I think I am getting my act together. Of course, life is like a roller coaster so I know as soon as I hit the top of the hill I am going to have to come back down. And, to use another cliche, the grass is always greener on the other side. Unless you're in a boat. Think about that for a minute.
Today went fairly well for a Tuesday with no apple muffins. (If you don't understand this inside joke and want to, message me on facebook and I will give you the full story.) I went to my Indian dance class where we learned another group's dance, a more intricate folk dance, and more Indian-esque poses to add to the Indian dance we are already learning. Also, I got to see Yoonkyung wear one of these:
The teacher brought in two sari that she owned and had Yoonkyung and another student put them on to show us what they looked like. I think we will all get to wear them eventually, so that is pretty exciting. It's the closest thing to a dress I have ever seen Yoonkyung in so I was intrigued. The only bad part of class was the beginning when Ena came in crying. Even though I didn't know what to say to her in Japanese, I got to give her a big hug and tried my best to make her laugh the rest of the time. She told me after class that she has a big problem in her life, but she didn't go into details. I hope she will be all right!
After class I ate lunch with Bea and a few people from E.S.S. They're all so sweet! I ran out immediately afterwards though so I could turn in my application for a bike and return the key to the one I had borrowed. I should know by Thursday if I get a bike for the rest of the semester so pray that I get one! It would be really convenient. Once I did that, I sat in Yoonkyung's office for a bit to study (Japanese, of course). I feel like the only thing I have done in my free time lately is study-- or go to the gym, but hey, that's a good thing, right?
I eventually left to go to class. Beginner's Japanese was fun because we talked about sports and got to make sentences using some basic grammar that I actually understood. (Whoohoo!) Also, I made the decision to stop taking Business Japanese because it is definitely too difficult for me. The class uses "keigo", the ultra polite form of Japanese. In my opinion, if I can't understand basic grammar I don't think learning keigo is going to do me much good, so I explained to my sensei my predicament and she agreed that I was probably making the right decision. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest!
From there I returned to my room to make dinner and take a nap. I haven't been able to sleep well lately. In fact, I think I dread going to sleep so I stay up as late as possible. It takes me hours to go to bed here. I think this is partly because my mind continues to go a mile a minute even after I close my eyes. I find myself thinking about countless topics-- mainly worries and concerns that I have-- so I can't rest. Even when I laid down for my nap, I mostly just thought about things for an hour and a half. It was about that time that my alarm went off.
I met Yoonkyung around 8 PM so she could help me with my Japanese homework. I officially hate Japanese particles. On one hand, I can see why they would be useful in a language, but on the other hand, they are a pain in the butt to understand. (Putting it nicely.) Stupid "は" and "が"! After Yoonkyung had helped me with that, she showed me the textbook she has been studying in preparation for the TOEIC test. It made my homework look like elementary school work. I don't think people give much thought to how difficult English really is to learn!
When the two of us finally tired of studying, we ventured out into Nara in search of coffee. However, since everything in Nara seems to close early (seriously, nothing was open at 10 PM), we settled for an hour of karaoke with complimentary beverages. I think it was the first time Yoonkyung and I had done karaoke with just the two of us. It was a lot of fun because I got to sing more and we could be completely silly without caring who was watching. Definitely made me feel good. Singing is a cathartic release for me.
It is already past midnight, and yet again, I do not want to sleep, but I probably should since I need to take out the garbage in the morning (help me God) and then I am meeting Bea and Yoonkyung so we can hit up the gym. I'm determined to keep things on the upside for as long as possible.
"Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby!"
Today went fairly well for a Tuesday with no apple muffins. (If you don't understand this inside joke and want to, message me on facebook and I will give you the full story.) I went to my Indian dance class where we learned another group's dance, a more intricate folk dance, and more Indian-esque poses to add to the Indian dance we are already learning. Also, I got to see Yoonkyung wear one of these:
 |
| It's called a "sari" |
After class I ate lunch with Bea and a few people from E.S.S. They're all so sweet! I ran out immediately afterwards though so I could turn in my application for a bike and return the key to the one I had borrowed. I should know by Thursday if I get a bike for the rest of the semester so pray that I get one! It would be really convenient. Once I did that, I sat in Yoonkyung's office for a bit to study (Japanese, of course). I feel like the only thing I have done in my free time lately is study-- or go to the gym, but hey, that's a good thing, right?
I eventually left to go to class. Beginner's Japanese was fun because we talked about sports and got to make sentences using some basic grammar that I actually understood. (Whoohoo!) Also, I made the decision to stop taking Business Japanese because it is definitely too difficult for me. The class uses "keigo", the ultra polite form of Japanese. In my opinion, if I can't understand basic grammar I don't think learning keigo is going to do me much good, so I explained to my sensei my predicament and she agreed that I was probably making the right decision. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest!
From there I returned to my room to make dinner and take a nap. I haven't been able to sleep well lately. In fact, I think I dread going to sleep so I stay up as late as possible. It takes me hours to go to bed here. I think this is partly because my mind continues to go a mile a minute even after I close my eyes. I find myself thinking about countless topics-- mainly worries and concerns that I have-- so I can't rest. Even when I laid down for my nap, I mostly just thought about things for an hour and a half. It was about that time that my alarm went off.
I met Yoonkyung around 8 PM so she could help me with my Japanese homework. I officially hate Japanese particles. On one hand, I can see why they would be useful in a language, but on the other hand, they are a pain in the butt to understand. (Putting it nicely.) Stupid "は" and "が"! After Yoonkyung had helped me with that, she showed me the textbook she has been studying in preparation for the TOEIC test. It made my homework look like elementary school work. I don't think people give much thought to how difficult English really is to learn!
When the two of us finally tired of studying, we ventured out into Nara in search of coffee. However, since everything in Nara seems to close early (seriously, nothing was open at 10 PM), we settled for an hour of karaoke with complimentary beverages. I think it was the first time Yoonkyung and I had done karaoke with just the two of us. It was a lot of fun because I got to sing more and we could be completely silly without caring who was watching. Definitely made me feel good. Singing is a cathartic release for me.
It is already past midnight, and yet again, I do not want to sleep, but I probably should since I need to take out the garbage in the morning (help me God) and then I am meeting Bea and Yoonkyung so we can hit up the gym. I'm determined to keep things on the upside for as long as possible.
"Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby!"
Singing releases endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don't kill their husbands.
ReplyDeleteYou were a brave soul for even trying "keigo" and for that I am proud of you.
(I don't think I've ever commented on one of these blog posts before. LOL)
ReplyDeleteOh, man, I wore a sari when I part of the musical "The King and I" in high school. All the cast wore them, and we had an Indian woman come in and show us how to properly fold them. It was so much fun. I miss those days, and those costumes, haha.