Green-tea-flavoured chocolate is interesting...

Found an internet cafe yesterday, so managed to get my 'fix'. It was 100 yen per 15 mins and spent over an hour there writing emails and whatnot. The place was nice and quiet (was also a comic library as well, which I think was all covered by the 100 yen per 15 mins) so will probably head down there again at the end of the week if I've not heard anything about my apartment's internet being ready.

I hit a sudden wall in my study today where I just found about 10 new words/phrases/structures in the chapter's opening dialogue. So I think I'll be re-reading all that for a few days until it (hopefully) sinks in. Shouldn't be too hard, just really confusing to suddenly hit something with so much new vocab/phrases. I'll head down to KICC on Wednesday, the 1st.

This whole life that I've built over here just seems so false at times. I mean, how is it possible for me to have moved halfway around the world, be randomly thrown into a world/culture/lifestyle/job I knew little about, and end up in such a faultless set up? I'm cheaply living by myself 15 mins walk from the heart of the city and work, I've met some awesome people, I work with awesome people and I've actively done very little to achieve this.So surreal at times and I wonder if I'm about to wake up.

It's my birthday next week. Surprising, because it's just come out of nowhere.

Harbourland

Went and explored one of the last 'local' places to go today. Took about 40 mins to walk from here. Habourland, surprisingly, overlooks the ocean. It's a group of several large shopping centres and other buildings mainly just focusing on shopping, food and entertainment. I actually have 'Follow Up' training at a Nova branch there next month and so managed to track that down too.

So many shops... everywhere... Shame most of the clothes don't fit me perfectly, but I hate shopping by myself. Especially for clothes.
The weather's been steadily changing over the last few weeks. We've had a few days of rain, but many days (like today) with a bit of sun in the morning that then leads to a cold-ish, sunless, cloudy afternoon.

Didn't remember to look for an internet cafe until I was nearly home. I'll have to ask one of the guys if they know a nearby one, but I know I 'translated' a sign for one recently, but just can't remember where it was.

KICC

How does time pass so quickly?
I've been here over 2 months.
My Club 7 yesterday was nothing to consider worrying about. Sure it needed some preparation but it was easy in execution. I had 6 students for the first half and dropped to 5 for the second half. We played 'Who am I?' and 'Go Fish', among other things. Was a bit of fun, although most of them were over 55 and only one young guy around my age.
Not having the internet isn't so bad... but I would still like to check my mail. (And get the latest Lost episode)Still no idea when I'll be back online, but I'm thinking I'll have to check my email within the next week as I'm expecting something important. So I'll probably have to track down the local internet cafe this weekend.

I've decided to just go with this KICC language exchange (mentioned it a while back, but it's basically a volunteer school that isn't specifically about Japanese language. Also, I've heard a few horror stories about non-teaching teachers). I'll head down sometime this coming week, as last time I went I was told to come back on the 1st of the month (but I never went back as I hadn't been living here longer than a month, which is a requirement).I decided it was better than nothing. I will, however, continue to look for some 'real' lessons to take in addition to this.

Club 7

I've a Club 7 for Voice today.
It goes for two lessons (40 mins each, with my 10 min break inbetween) where it's like a normal Voice class but it's specifically for level 7s (the low, low levels). So it's basically 1hr20 of games.
I've been preparing it slowly over the last few weeks but I'll have no idea how many students there'll be until I walk in the door. So I might have 10... or 1. (or none)

Going Quiet For A While

Just learnt that I'll be losing internet access until cable is installed. I've no idea how long that will take, but shouldn't be too much longer. Maybe another month. Hopefully sooner.

Random People

While returning from the supermarket last Saturday, I (tragically) walked past the 'Crazy Dog Lady', a student. She looked at me and gave a confused "Aaron?", then stood up as I panicked and tried to hurry past. However, she called out a 2nd time (of course, I hadn't seen her...) and I really had to stop in case she decided to follow me all the way home (I was only a few minutes away. I'd nearly made it!).

I was excusing myself that I had to get home with all my groceries when she told me she had a 'present' for me and that I needed to follow her. I wasn't going anywhere with her and politely refused her kind offer of a 'present'. I promptly said my goodbye and hurried off without looking back.

Of all the people I could have run into...

Recounting my story to some workmates, I learnt of a time when she had left a present with the Japanese staff for an instructor (which isn't actually allowed anyway). When the instructor got his present, it had a necktie and a letter in Japanese. After having the letter translated it detailed how much she, the 'Crazy Dog Lady', hated the Japanese Police and wanted to kill them all.

She's insane. I detailed a while back about my first meeting with her in Voice where, to everyone, she went on about her hair salon, her divorce, etc etc...

I think I'll take the long way home from the supermarket more often now.


I went to a business shirt/suit shop on Tuesday that I'd found a few weeks back. Had some really good, cheap shirts for 1000 yen ($10) but I wasn't certain they'd fit me. I asked the shop staff if they thought the size was OK so they measured me up and it turned out the sleeves are a little short (or my arms are a little long). So I'm not sure where I'll be able to buy clothes that fit me...

I really don't like the idea of going out for a night by myself, just don't see the fun in it. However, I'm thinking it's a better idea than staying home all the time. Need to talk to some more random people.


The weeks are going by way too fast. I feel like I've been her forever but then it's still ONLY 16 months left here. It's too soon. I'm thinking once the new year starts everything will slow down a little. I think the thought of knowing I'll be here for a solid year from start to finish will be more comforting.

Tears

I made a student cry this week.

It was a low level class with 3 students. One of them, which I didn't know til later, was actually having their 2nd ever class outside of 'Kids'. She would have been around 12-14 y/o.
Throughout the whole lesson she would never give a response to a group directed question. The only times I could get anything from her was when I set a task and paired everyone up, and she did OK but relied on the book a lot. During the 'Application', where they put to use the new language/vocab without the use of the book, she struggled but we got there in the end.
The other two students were quite confident and very enthusiastic, which was another reason why I cannot devote my attention solely on one student.

On the way to my next class, as I passed the front desk, I saw that student in tears with one of the Japanese staff. She wasn't even sobbing, but fully crying.

Looking back on it, I couldn't have actually done any better in that lesson. I couldn't give too much focus to her while I had two other students to teach but then I also didn't want to give her too much to do when she was clearly much happier to sit back and listen. She just didn't have the confidence. I was afraid someone would end up having a 'talk' to me about it, but, when I asked about it later, it hadn't reflected on me as a teacher at all.
I'm wondering if I'll get her again anytime soon...

It's just one of those things you have to take in stride.

The Little Things in Life

Been thinking about all the little things...

I got my electronic dictionary fixed (that I'd bought last year in Akihabara but it's screen had been broken by someone at Uni a few weeks after we got back to Aus). It cost be 10,000 yen to get 'repaired' (about $AU100, I'd bought it new for about $250) but they actually sent me back a brand new one (exactly the same model) instead of the repaired one, which was a bonus. I tried to claim it on the 12 month warranty but a sharp punch/kick to a screen leaves a fairly distinct impression on what had happened. So it wasn't covered. Either way, I've finally got my dictionary back. Much thanks went to Yuki for helping sort that out over the last few weeks.

There're always bands playing in the concrete park out the front of work, which, to me, is the middle of Kobe and is our one place to meet up (besides the Midnight). The quality of the bands is pretty good and there's a lot of variety. Usually at least one band is there, set up and playing by 3pm. Since work is right there (looking down on the park from the 4th floor) it's heard throughout many of our lessons. I'm surprised at something like this as I can't imagine the City of Melbourne providing the amps etc for aspiring bands to play in the city on a daily/nightly basis, and not just that some people would complain of the noise.

Went to Macca's a few weeks ago and went for a sausage and egg muffin set. It's come with a coffee so asked to get a shake instead but it wasn't going to happen. I could only have a coffee. Back home, you can ask for whatever you want to be changed and it'll happen for a price. Not here.

We had a new Japanese staff start a few weeks back but he's just been transferred to Osaka (and they gave him one day notice before his last day at Sannomiya). Seems to be a country where 'business needs' reigns supreme.

My mobile's annoying me at the moment since it refuses to send or call someone, but then is fine sending to everyone else. Was this guy I met who reckons he can set me up with a good school to study at. Feel bad that I missed his first call (cause I'd picked up that shift on Saturday) and couldn't reply but then he called again around 2am but it'd hung up by the time I was awake and had answered. Will take a trip down to the Vodafone shop tomorrow and work out what's going on with not letting me reply (it's a public holiday today, I'm working though).

Need to also get down to the city office soon to re-register myself as living now here. Shame, cause I've already used all my good passport photos... Hopefully they can use the one on my current card.

I met my neighbour the other night. Is a German chick who'd been back home for a while. Seems she has an unsecured wireless connection, which she has kindly offered to share with me until I get cable installed...

Anyways, time to think about lunch...


{Added 2 new photos of my apartment}

Random Bursts of Thought

I'm still looking for a place to restart my study.

I spent a long time at the pub the other night chatting to Yuki, one of our Japanese staff at work, about Japanese and with bursts of actually speaking Japanese. Fun stuff, but hard too since I learnt so many new vocab and it wasn't possible to remember them all. Duncan, myself and a few others were there and it seems she's one of the more sociable Japanese staff (moreso because the others all have families/kids).

I was referred to the local YMCA from someone but, after some research, have decided their prices are too steep ($150ish for sign up, then $600+, or something, for a few months of actual lessons). So the search continues.


Lost season 3 started this week!! Waiting for the episode to finish downloading (yes, I'm still leeching net and didn't intend to download any big files while doing so, but this is Lost)
...


It's been fairly wet the last few days. Hasn't truly rained much, just a constant drizzle throughout the week that hasn't let the sun break through.
I'm still missing my ironing board but have substituted it for a towel on the floor since I got here.

Most days before work I've spent studying my Japanese text book from last year. I've refused to move on from a chapter until I've understood and remembered every structure and verb/noun/adjective within it. It's been pretty easy til now and I've hit some stuff that's slowed me down. Just doesn't want to click back into place too easily, but I'll manage.

I've done a shift swap this week for Saturday for someone, which gives me some extra cash (since I'm swapping with someone who's fulltime).

Kinda just random notes from my week today, which is why it's been nearly a week since I last posted. Might add something later if I think of something good.

I'm hungry. Might have to pay a visit to the 100 yen shop tomorrow. (Best place for junk food ever)