October 2006

Okay. I am going to put up pictures. Unfortunately due to my complete lack of computer skills this may or may not work, so bear with me here.

So. The first picture of is of me in my school uniform (just incase you couldn:t figure that one out for yourself). Please note that while I am not wearing it in this photo, there is definitely a blazer.

Up next we have a lighthouse. I can:t remember if I:ve mentioned this before and I:m too lazy to check, but if not, I went to a lighthouse and here:s a photo of it.

This is the soccer field where Kara and I play soccer. Although play might be too strong a word. Pretend to play perhaps? Please note that it is a dirt field. Unfortunately due to both Kara and I having contact lenses and the astounding fact that dirt can, and frequently does, become airborne, we can:t see for about half the class. And we really need to see, so when the ball comes near us, we can duck. Or run away. I should probably stop saying we all the time, seeing as Kara is much better and does a lot more than me (read: actually does something) in the game. But whatever.

Next up we have the stairs, which have been previously mentioned on this blog. I:d like you to take a good look at how freakishly steep they are and hopefully stop thinking I:m a majorly uncoordinated moron who can:t even walk down a flight of stairs without sustaining huge quantities of bruising to her butt. See? I may be uncoordinated, but at least I:m not an uncoordinated moron.

Right?

And finally we come to a photograph of the keyboard I am currently typing on. Please note the apostrophe:s position (shift 7) the puny space bar and the ‘change input language’ button situated right next door. I swear, when I get home I am not going to be able to type anymore. Kara has already spent a good half hour trying to locate the @ symbol near the enter key on her Australian laptop, instead of shift 2 or something.

Which is why I:m using : instead of the apostrophe. So if this blog is completely indecipherable, don:t blame me. It was the keyboard. It was all the keyboard.

And here is a pic of Tokyo Tower thrown in for good measure. We went there today, but I can:t be bothered to type about it, so maybe next time. Or maybe not. Whatever.

I:m goin:, I:m goin:, I:m goin:, I:m goin:, I:m gone.

(Yes that was supposed to be an imitation of that lady from The Wedge. Have they cancelled that show yet? Cause it should SO be gone by now.)

Okay, really going this time.

Laura Sinclair Survives Massive Earthquake!

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my God!! I am SO excited.

Saturday morning, 7:30am.

EARTHQUAKE!!!!!!!!!!

So, I was asleep. You know, as all mentally stable (questionable, I know, but bear with me here) are at the crack of dawn on a Saturday. And then I woke up. My bed was shaking.

EVERYTHING was shaking.

And I was freaking out excited.

Although I wasn’t entirely sure at this point if it was actually an earthquake or if it was just my freakish, early morning factor coming into play or if it was actually an earthquake. Cause I couldn’t see very much, cause it was dark and I didn’t have my contacts in, so thanks to my deformed gene pool I couldn’t see anything.

But that didn’t mean I couldn’t hear and feel anything!!

I only got confirmation when I went down to breakfast an hour and a half later and Okaasan’s comes over and she pointed to ‘earthquake’ in Misato’s dictionary. Yay!!!

I’ve just finished an Oral class which involved translating the lyrics of a James Blunt song into Japanese. Which, by the way, is really weird. But anyway.

We got to listen to the song over and over which was fun, but kind of annoying after a while.

Completely random fact’ in the ‘Learning Space’, Sarah, Kara and I are currently in, there are 40 different types of English – Japanese dictionary. More if you count the double ups.

How do I know this you may ask? Well, Sarah (clearly at the height of boredom) has just counted them.

I feel like making a list.

Random List Stuff

1. Rice, rice, rice, rice, rice. ALWAYS rice. Last night we had noodles for dinner and there was a bowl of rice as well. Really, the Japanese should hate rice because they eat it all the time. Okaasan even has it for breakfast. BREAKFAST!!

2. Every Wednesday afternoon, everyone cleans. I am serious. Last week we swept the floor. Although I’m not sure about how much actually gets done, cause most of the time seems to be spent PRETENDING to clean, but not actually doing anything.

3. SMAP is a really popular band here, despite popular opinion in the Music In My Life unit we did for Japanese in Australia. My host mum loves them, they were performing on TV last week and she was fully doing the dance along with them.

Also, one of the guys seems to be in a lot of soup ads.

4. I can’t think of anything else. I’m not really very good at remembering stuff am I???

I’ll try and add some pictures next post, but at the moment I’m on the wrong computer to do it.

Sayonara

Laura

Hello

Not much has been going on over here. Same old, same old. Except of course that in Japan same old, same old is a lot more interesting than it is in Australia. :o)

So. Weve just come off the school holidays. They’re majorly short, only 6 days. Which sounds especially bad when you compare it to the two weeks my (Aussie) schools just had. Which admittedly I wasnt able to partake in, but whatever.

I have now officially seen my first movie in a Japanese cinema. It was ‘The Lake House’ and thankfully in English, with Japanese subtitles. Hallelujah. LOL.

The cinema was really different than the ones in Australia .

The screen was heaps smaller and there weren’t nearly as many chairs in the cinema. And the drinks were actually pretty cheap.

I had a melon softdrink, which is the single greatest soft drink on the face of the planet. Except perhaps Sarsaparilla, but only when its made with the syrup.

And we did those really cool little Japanese photo thingys, pikura maybe? That was really scary the first time, cause the coloured backdrop came down and hit me on the noggin and it was all really fast. They look really cool though.

Except for one, where I’m pulling the most awful face out and looking like a total spaz, even though I really didnt mean to. But of course they HAD to print that one. But whatever.

Okay, should be going now.

Sayonara!

Laura

Hello friends

I am in Japan. JAPAN!!! This is so cool. I’ve been here just under two weeks and oh my god it is so awesome. The school is amazing, its so big and modern and just generally cool.

Leaves ours in the dust. I’d post some pictures, but I don’t know how to get them off the camera.

I’m having so much fun. I catch the train to school. Seriously. Its only one stop, but… A TRAIN! And the house is so little and compact. The stairs are so steep, its scary. And yeah, going fast, with socks on. Not such a crash hot idea.

Trust me on this one. I grazed both elbows and have a bruised bum.

What else has been going on??

I’m having the greatest time ever. And, I don’t actually miss the school holidays, cause we have them over here…soon. Not entirely sure when, but you know, whatever. We are going to the movies on the holidays. This will be interesting.

I feel a list coming on…

Questions That, After 13 Days in Japan, I Feel Compelled to Ask.

1. What on earth are you supposed to do in the bathroom? Seriously.

They need a step- by- step guide on the wall or something. I have NO IDEA. (Please note, I am actually clean, I’m just not sure if I’m doing it the conventional way.)

2. Why does everyone keep looking at me funny, saying ‘herro’ and then cacking themselves laughing when I say ‘hello’ back. Is it just the Australian thing, or do I have something on my face?

3. Why do I have such an unhealthy fascination with vending machines?

And just some other random things…

They have a tiny little table. Seriously tiny.

And you sit on the floor on a tatami mat to eat and watch TV and everything. The first night was really bad, cause Im not used to sitting on the floor for long periods of time and my entire leg went to sleep.

I was sitting there trying to wiggle my toes and nothing happened. I couldn’t move my foot either. Thankfully I could bend my leg though. I think its getting better though.

• I can play volleyball. With a soft ball only though.
• The uniform is the coolest thing ever. I’m talking knee skirt, long socks, blazer, tie, long shirt. The materials really heavy though, cause it gets so cold here.
• The sock thing is really confusing though. I keep having to look down to see what’s on my legs. And it only took me three goes to tie my tie this morning. I feel so proud.
• This school is almost creepily technologically advanced.’

This computer I’m on at the moment is modern!! Everyone gets their own laptop from the school and all the English lessons are conducted in Language Labs, which is basically a computer room, with a certain program and headphones.

And don’t get me started on the vending machines.

Espeically the icecream one. Yummmmmmm.

One thing I’m struggling with though is the lack of morning tea. I am so hungry by the time we get to lunch I could eat a horse. Figuratively of course. That was spelt so bad, but whatever, you’ll get over it.

Ja mata!! (See you later)