It's raining...

I didn't particularly want to go out today anyway. Outside is too gloomy... too cold... and I feel too lazy anyway hahaha.

So right now I'm listening to sad gloomy songs whilst cleaning my room... it's about time. My room is a huge mess again... even though I'm in it almost all the time... I don't know how it can get so messy. -_-;

Lately since it's been so quiet in the dorm I've taken to watching comedy shows on TV. It's amazing how much I think I can understand what they are talking about nowadays. Newscasters who speak a hundred miles per minute. Dudes performing comedy acts on screen with heavy Kansai dialects. Whew.

I really feel like I've learnt a lot this year.

January through March passed by rather quickly as I prepared myself to come to Japan. April was a flurry of activity. Placement tests, sightseeing, making new friends, classes. May was about the same. June came our first big exam. July I was back in Brunei... I think. Or was it August? Exams again in September. Moving to Intermediate Japanese and studying furiously through out October and November for the second last major exam that ends in December. Tying up loose ends and figuring out which Universities we want to go to... and then a three-week holiday... whew. Which is where I am now... in the middle of a holiday. It has been... such an amazing year hasn't it.

Not to forget I /am/ still 18 hahaha. Best year so far. Yup yup. Ah, loving live right now.

22nd: Snowed in...

Fun fun funnnn....

I love Aimi!

Her latest testimonial on my Friendster:

Najaaaaaa.... Hi sayang.. Jangan marah me for not contacting you batah ani. I'm trying now, no? Anyhoots, I miss you very much. I miss my baby Naja whose birthday comes a week after mine! She's wonderful because I have to say nice things so that we'd still be friends! *winks* hahaha! Tom called me a few hours ago (yes, we are still having our affair) and he sends his love... Naja... The person who told me that there wouldn't be any love without hate during our daily walk on the MD greens to go to our classes. I remotely remember the subject of love being brought up when we were talking about Alex and him wanting to be reincarnated as a pig so that he could have orgasms that lasts up to 8 hours. I love our random chats.

I'll message you my address once you reply me!
XxX Syg always, Aimi
Ps: I'm randomer than you and you look so cute with the Kimono! Like the cat who ate all the cream! ;P

Of other things

Oh, I've found something to do it seems! Tomorrow I'll be going to Kobe, for the first time and I'll be hanging around with the guys at the Luminarie (sp?). Apparently Kobe's going to go up in lights as it's the anniversary of the Great Earthquake that pretty much totalled Kobe almost a decade ago.

The amazing thing about knitting

The amazing thing about knitting is... it's a straight-forward problem. No matter what happens, no matter what you do, the solution to the problem will always be right there in your hands. Even thought it'd be in impossible pretzels that want to make you pull your hair till you go even worse than just bald (scalp-less even). It also takes so much of your time that any thoughts of boredom simply have no place to settle. You can watch TV and knit. Talk to your friends and knit. Watch TV, talk to your friends and knit ^^

Ah, endless. Even though when exams ended, holidays started, I ultimately found myself basically with nothing to do, well, at least, nothing in particular... until I sat down and started knitting. (Isn't it amazing how one simply does not know what to do with one's self after a bout of exams - when one knew what to do each day (what other than to study? ^^)、even 'fun' is somehow ruled out... as if 'fun' never existed, or that 'fun' was erased from one's dictionary... exams aren't very healthy things... I think hahah ^^;)

Even though the last thing I knitted up ended up like a disaster piece I still feel a sense of contentment that I have spent my time, not sleeping, not lazing around, not mindlessly doing... nothing. ...I seriously need to get out more thought... hahha

Snow again~~ *happy*

Oh, I felt so disappointed this morning when talking to Sylvie- the girl from Romania who'd just moved in around October. She said that it snowed early the morning before and I was still in bed then so I didn't get so see it!!

But! Just a few minutes after she went back to her room it snowed again! Woo, and it was more than how much it had snowed last time too! It's snowing still even now, I mean, half snowing, half raining actually (amazing).

Oh it was so pretty! I went down for some groceries (well actually I went down to buy milk and I ended up buying sweets too -_-;;) and the snow! Yeesh, all over my face, it was just plain ice really, some rather big chunks kept splattering on my coat *brrr*

Anyway, later!

Winter Hols!!

Oh I'm so ecstatic! I have 3 weeks off from school (even if I have to compile research on my dissertation) and not only that, I also just came back from 天神橋筋六丁目 where I just got this awesome awesome aWeSoMe thing called 'hot water bottle' *kekekeke* and it's now under my futon, toasting up my bed... ooh ooh I can't wait to go back and slip under the covers ^^

Actually, winter holidays haven't yet actually officially started. It's officially starts next Monday but already I hear there were some students that have flown off to their countries, most will be gone by the end of this week. The entire campus will be as dead as a tomb by Monday hahaha, well, maybe not Monday but Friday next week since the rest of the campus will start their own hols from then ^^

And I myself am wonder what to do... I don't have plans. Well, actually the plan was to hibernate, literally, but then again, I did almost 6 months of hibernation i.e. holidays before I came to Japan... it almost actually made me sick of holidays, but then again since I had TV, playstation, DVDs and 24-hr access internet back home... how could anyone get bored with all that technology around yeah? But now I don't have any of those... oh well I can, I suppose, rent out DVDs from the store, Book Plaza that's just about an hour's walk there and back. But when I really think about it... no easy access TV, no playsation, no internet... it's almost like I've gone back to the stone ages!

Technology is addictive.

And addictions are almost never good things. Oh why oh why.

Maybe this 3 week holidays isn't so good after all. Or maybe I should seriously think about hibernating... at least time will pass easily until my friends come back from their own trips; I'd have more entertainment by then, bothering them... ^^ Too bad humans don't really hibernate. Ah what a pity.

Slow uploading! Oncoming pictures ^^

December 10th, Saturday, and I was bored, a little headache-y after the all-nighter out at karaoke and I also only just finished my breakfast/lunch/dinner, yes I had all three meals in one go since I woke up so late anyway; I decided... hey! Why not take a picture of the mess I made in the kitchen!

The entire kitchen table was filled... with my mess... good thing there was no one else around at that time else I'd have had to clean it all up real quick.


Places behind the stove and the entire bench by the sink -_-;


And the commons... half the table... hahaha


To top off my very boring afternoon I started taking pictures of me! hahaha

If anyone's wondering why I keep saying afternoon and yet the lighting in the pictures look as if they were taken at night... the answer to your question would be that it was already dark by 5/5.30. Seriously ^^

Now for the last half of the pictures: It's kind of obvious I can't put on all of them here but here are some of the ones I chose that didn't turn out blurry or too dark to see. My coat, *kekeke*, USJ presented to you by elmo... if you look close enough you'll see him there. Popeye, Hello Kitty, a lampost *haha* and then the globe that says 'Universal' on it ^^;













That's it for now, toodles.

Awesome weekend!

Ah... my weekend. From the day of my last post, Friday last week, it's been such a whirlwind of events.

Went to my first karaoke night out on Friday night. Was out with the girls on the same floor at the dorm, Hee Jeung, Elien, Aurelie and Anni and believe it or not we started around 9pm and only finished at 5am the next morning when it was so cold and obviously no buses were running so we walked back to the dorm. Whew... that night was so nice... And I really would like to tip my hat off to Anni- thanks to her choosing a song to sing for the next mass-field trip (where they said a representative from each country should sing at least one song... and drat drat drat for me and Anni since we're both rather rare species, I suppose one could say- Aurelie has others from France around now so I suppose that she's pretty safe... I think ^_^) I can now actually participate in it (hahahha- but seriously, I was toying with the idea of not going just because of the singing XP) If anyone's curious the song is Asian Kung-fu Generation's Haruka Kanata which is also known as the anime Naruto's second opening theme - Far Off Distance. Heeheheh... *so relieved that it's something Japanese which I actually know hahaha*

Saturday. Well, needless to say I was rather tired and has a really sore throat, it didn't last long but I simply could not get out of bed until noon. I went down to do grocery shopping and all of a sudden it was already quarter past 3 when I had my breakfast... -_-; I was supposed to be writing up a personal statement but I barely got two lines in when it was already time to watch a movie (It was decided, we have movie night every Saturday night and we always split the cost of renting out the movie). Slept around 11pm.

Sunday. Now, what a fantasticly awesome/weird day. I went to Universal Studios Japan (USJ) with my Host Family... left around 2pm and we were there until around 8.30pm or so. It was so cold... and we all only got to go in one ride due to the fact that there were SO many people and it was an hour's wait before anyone could get in to any ride... -_-; but I went to ET's stand and it was awesome!

Imagine that space simulator from Jerudong Park? It was a little like that only one sits in this tram that's hanging from the ceiling (a little like how the seats are on Boomerang, the roller coaster) and we basically were whirled around on this mini-'adventure' to space inside the building. I have to admit, it was pretty fun. Imagine a ride through some haunted house, instead that there are no ghosts and/or monsters but aliens... Ha.

I was so tired out in the end I slept in the car and didn't even realise it when they'd finally brought me back to my dorm... *embarassing* But the twin girls were also sleeping with me... well, literally all over me, I had one leaning to my side and the other one sprawled all over my lap... I didn't mind so much, they were cute haha.

I did take pictures I swear! It's just I didn't have time to resize them... or rather it slipped out of my mind today so I'll just leave it at that and I'll post them up when I can... hopefully tomorrow ^_^

Of Dissertations and Decisions

I'm too young to start writing one!! is what I really want to say right now, but I don't think I can accomplish that without sounding too much like a brat *heee*. In anycase... Fact is: I need to write one in order to graduate. Another fact: the deadline is on February the 24th so I actually do have about 2 months... and a half(?) to write it.

But there is also the the fact that: I haven't written a report in so long... in fact, when was the last time... oh. GP classes in MD... there were reports then, and presentations that were done too. Hey, I do have some experience with this! *happy now* But then again... T_T why... I guess in this way it is a good thing that I have 3 weeks before classes begin again.

Oh, I made my final decision today on my want-to-go-to-University list. I put Kobe first, Tsukuba, Hiroshima, Kochi, Utsunomiya and Chiba at my 6th. I'd had my heart set on Hiroshima for several weeks actually but then I realised that I probably read or interpreted something wrong since the International Relations course in Hiroshima is more into Law and Sociology, and I want to go more into Culture and Communications so... I just busted it down to third instead. Third and still on the list because I still want to go there. ^^ Anyway, I won't know which University I'll be headed to until late January so since now I've given in my list (i.e. I can't change it anymore), there's nothing I can do but sit tight and wait ^^.

End of Exams!

Oh I'm so happy that they're over! I'm so happy that after the last paper I had this morning, I went right back to my room and went straight to sleep ^^ ...for two hours before lunch then I had classes in the afternoon =_= but it's over! It's over *dances*

...But then again I find myself looking at web pages that offer help to people who are clueless about writing dissertations... and also about presenting them. What have I gotten myself into? hahaha~

雪！Snow!

No, unfortunately I did not think to be taking any pictures but it snowed! Yesterday! Not half an hour after my last post. At around 3 pm I remember. A friend called me up and tried to tell me that it was snowing (which I could not hear properly since there were apparently several people around her shouting and screaming - I was wondering what kind of party she was in at that point haha) and I ran out after grabbing my coat and forgetting my gloves and my hat.

Oh it was pretty ^^ It wasn't much and it only snowed like... less than 15 minutes I'm quite sure. There were people walking around giggling and such. One guy was walking around in his slippers jumping up and down while 'walking' with one of my classmates. I don't know how he stood it. It felt like the time I just plunged my hand down a bucket of ice to pick up a well-chilled tin of 7up only to be holding something metallic and therefore still just as icy. I.e. It was probably just as cold as the freezer haha

It was fun yesterday... and after my speech exam today, which by the way was alright, I went down to Onohara which is about a 40min to an hour's leisurely walk from school for lunch and to let all that post-speech stress out and I had steam coming out from my mouth every time I talked or breathed- hahahaha, I have to admit, cold as it was today, it was fun ^^ To top it all off, halfway to the restaurant we saw this car whose top was probably about an inch or so covered in snow! Wherever that car came from... ^^; I hope it snows enough around Osaka to pile up instead of to melt immediately even before touching the ground ;;

One last exam and then I'll be -almost- home free ^^

Layout changes

I'm going to have to change the layout of the blog a few times this week as it would seem that I can't get it the page to come up on the browsers here and neither can a friend of mine in Kyoto... or at least someone else has told me that she'd had had to change the codes for something in order for it to come up. But anyway, hope you bear with me for a bit *sorry*

In anycase there was the Kanji exam this morning, and I have to say, it wasn't bad at all- I know I tried my best and I know I'll pass but I don't know how much I'll get though ^_^ I'm actually doubting that I'd reach even 90 but that's still cool *shmile*. So tomorrow there's only Listening, Speech and Grammar left (though saying it like that makes it look like easy peasy but it's not... so much really ^^; The area covered by Grammar is so huge... It's almost like a year's worth of work... technically the entire Intermediate-Level Japanese Textbook haha

It's cold today... Even more so yesterday, in actuality, since it was raining... I thought I was freezing, but it would appear it could get much worse. Last night I'd discovered the auto-timer for my AC/heater so now I set it to turn off at around midnight and turn back on about half an hour before I wake up *to prevent from over heating as the blanket/futon is so think one can get over heated at night. But besides this new discovery, is also another new one. I can't wear my windbreaker anymore. Nope. Too cold for that already... actually I have been weaker that coat on for a week or two now but I took off the second lining for that. I think... I might just have to put that lining back on ^^ It really is cold.

I remember back home... when one lives on the 2nd floor (1st floor for Brunei) and wants to go down to grab something from the fridge in the middle of the night one always has to put something warm over and socks... well, socks would always be a necessity when one tries to walk in the cold over marble floors but moi? does not do that therefore I would always end up freezing anyway. Even if the kitchen's barely 30 seconds dash away and that I'd be only getting the water. At least the kitchen can get warm enough some nights so one does not end up freezing in the kitchen at all. But here? Here I can't, can't, get out of my room to walk outside without socks without immediately freezing. Yep, it's too cold for bare feet now. I'd been able to escape my room with just a light jacket but not anymore I think... The hallway is cold, the kitchen even colder and the coldest place of all? The laundry room. *shivers* Just thinking of it is enough to send shivers down my spine. Anyway, even as I say it as if it's the worst thing that's ever happened, ever, truthfully, I'm still quite comfortable with it all.

Oh, and to top off today's post, I'd like to mention that I will be writing my thesis/dissertation starting January and the theme (unfortunately I can't say that I freely chose it since I freely chose it amongst four already chosen themes and the other themes were either stuff I did not understand or they were already taken *there was a person-to-theme limit per class*) is... レジ袋有料化 which kind of means... something along the lines of 'the movement towards paying fo shopping bags at the store...' or something like that haha- I know, that did sound funny ^^ Basically they're all thinking about having to start to pay for those plastic bags you get at (just about any) store which one usually gets for free and that's the theme.

How am I going to do this? (T_T)

Luckily I remember Ms Jules from Social Science Dept. at MD mentioning this once... oh I really wish I could talk to her right now to see what she thinks of this. I mean... what? Do we have this kind of movement going on in Brunei? I remember vaguely when I was 13 hearing my science teacher saying that they were going to introduce paper bag systems instead of the plastic since it's more environmentally friendly, but what about this problem about paying for them in itself? Is it good or bad? Is it necessary or completely ridiculous? Is there a country or any place in this world which asks its customers to pay to bag up their bought goods? I mean, it's the same when you're ordering stuff online right? Only that one buys, and then pays for the packaging and delivery together. When one does it by going to the shop by one's self, does one have to pay for the 'packaging' too? How about the taxes, where does it all come in here? How about raising the price of the products in over to cover the cost of the plastic bags instead of paying for them one by one... okay, I'm on a questioning roll here but I think I've forgotten to mention the one thing that I actually really want to know the most:

How does one write a dissertation?

I mean, is it like a report? ... It has to be and if it really is then maybe I can weasel my way out of this all by simply writing it down like an argumentative-type essay... =_= I'm probably going to have to do some real research for this aren't I?

Hello December

I just got back from watching Harry Potter! Not going to spoil anything so I'll leave it at that ^^ I decided to go walk to Carrefour this morning and watch the movie at the cinema there and I almost... very almost bought a ticket to watch HP dubbed in Japanese ^^; so lucky I caught the English version instead. What happened was that I didn't really understand these funny looking kanji below the title of the movie and very curiously asked the cashier(?) what it meant. Phew... that really saved me ^^

In any case, it was cold today, I mean... so suddenly cold. I remember around noon I was so close to the Carrefour building already and the sun was so warm then, I thought 'Oh, it feels a little like late Spring' and then when I was making my way back it was cold. It wasn't downright freezing or anything but the change in temperature shocked me... a lot ^^; It's... I think Winter now. At least, I know the cycle goes 'December-January-February' is Winter so... and I'm surprised. It's not particularly as cold as I thought it would have been ^^ But then again... it is supposed to be getting colder. *laughs*

January and February are back too

I had my Politics/Economics paper just now! I'm so happy, I promised myself to study very very well for that paper so I can go to watch Harry Potter tomorrow and I.can't.wait! ^^ I feel I did... relatively well on that paper, and the only other papers left to do before the exam ends are all Japanese language: reading comprehension, listening, speech, grammar and kanji (though not in that order)

Well, anyway... I'm going to savor watching a movie tomorrow and then go back to the books for another few days and then... freedom! 3 weeks of me, my blanket and the AC.

日本事情 Japanese Cultural Background

The test... was odd. Who would have thought that I would ever end up... writing a mini-essay about: the difference between Ultraman and Kamen Rider. Or even about: What are the differences between bakemono *equivalent=boogeyman?* and ghosts. Or about the definition of bakemono? There was even the last mini-essay about why a paticular TV show had continued for over 30 years est. where in the correct answer would have been to quote a professor from Tsukuba University.

One year ago I would never ever have been able to imagine that I would be doing such a thing as what I had done... early this afternoon. That was the strangest exam I've done so far in my life ^^ But if you're one of the people laughing in disbelief, I'm wishing that you could have seen the people in the exam room, bent low over their paper trying to answer the above stated questions. It really was very... strange ^^;

November has been restored

Just did it. I don't know how but it took an hour and a half to do it. Much longer than I expected, but then again I had been rearranging my pictures in my Photobucket account to make the arrangements looks neater.

In any case, enjoy reading about November! I'll go and repair the previous months slowly... so bear with me. Those pictures will be back up in no time.

Next stop: January!!

My first post all over again

I did something very very silly. I accidentally deleted ALL, I repeat, ALL of the content of this blog. And now... I have to start all over again. Pain. Oh the Pain T_T　I guess that's what I get from being too adventurous on the computer.

I'll start refilling all the posts from November, this month, and then I'll go and rewind and restart from January. Lucky I still have most of the contents in my inbox. Very lucky. And I might just have a copy of the old html codes on my computer. Even more lucky. ^^

But it still hurts. How in the world did I do it?　Oh, and that means, no tag-board for now, no links, no pictures much for the time being. Sorry guys. It's ta-ta for the weekend and then I'll be back to try and repair it all some more starting Monday. Later.

First day... Nov/Dec Exams

Besides the fact that I finally only got myself to sleep around 1 (after constantly tossing and turning around because of the coldness near my window and how hot I was feeling *caught a fever*) and woke up on my own around 5.30? Today's paper was alright ^_^ It was essay-writing and... well I suppose that it was alright.

Pictures!!







The above were taken on campus, below are random pictures of the scenery when I went out for a (loooong) walk yesterday.











Woo... trees on fay-ah! (translt: fire) ^_^ Anyways, my awesome awesome awesome coat, now hanging in my room exactly as how you see it in this picture:



It goes down to my knees. I like my new coat *hearts*

Besides my new coat, my holidays start in 3 weeks!! woooo I can't wait *dances*

There were some mixed weather reports from the teacher and the other students yesterday but they all said that it was max16 yesterday. Low, however, according to the teacher, was 3 and the report I saw said 7. Either ways, the low is pretty low isn't it? -_-; Average actual temperature though, was around 10.

Anyway, I think I'm slowly getting used to everything. It's cold, no joke, but I'm used to it now, I suppose one could say. To my joy, just the other day I got these awesome warm indoor socks that just rock! I only just took out the pair of boots I brought back from Brunei and they were deliciously warm in class. That monster of a jacket I mentioned just before? 10 minutes outside and it's still so warm and toasty in it, provided one wears gloves. The wind whips up a powerful punch. I remember saying that it felt like the time I just dumped an ice cube on my tongue and it got stuck and I couldn't push it out of my mouth. Heheee... but really, that kinda hurt. Kinda.

But the best of all the new things I've just discovered? The conditioners in the classes at CJLC have been set to warm heh heh heh... Moreover I'm now bestfriends with my quilt heh heh heh... What's better than ice-cold lemonade after excercise? Milk tea a.k.a. teh tarik, after a cold walk out in this weather. Heh heh heh Yummm ^_^

Most important accessory I never go out without nowadays? My long long long warm warm warm scarf. I'll post a picture up in a few days.

Now, besides that, to answer the question of how it is exactly that I am doing, which would seem to be a rather popular question nowadays, here in Japan or in Brunei. I'm fine, really. Though I feel a little stressed out because of this whole exam business, it'll be over in 3 weeks and then I'll be class-free and homework-ridden for another three weeks ^_^ But when I'm class-free homework-ridden I'll still have my room XD and I might end up buying a bigger container for hot water, or my own water heater even, and then I'm seriously thinking of starting knitting, I'll have my bestfriend a.k.a. blanket (actually I have 3 blankets so I'll have 3 of my bestfriends surrounding me all the time when it hits Winter, whilst I think my actual bestfriend, Yani, now in York might be going through the same thing I will in a month or so), my socks XD and all the books I bought and still haven't managed to finish reading... actually I think I'll be fine. ^_^ I love milk tea ^_^

Brrr

I went out grocery shopping with Anni and there was this one moment where she practically took what I wanted to say and said it herself. "Brrr" Yes. It's is getting cold. I can't even wash my hands out anymore without running straight back into my room to warm them up if the heater is on. Luckily though, I'd just realised I have 5 jackets... well, two sports jackets, two windbreakers and one very thick monster of a jacket that I could drown in that I bought in Brunei. Correction, that Daddy bought for me in Brunei. It looks to be averaging at max14 and low9 nowadays. It's so cold sometimes I fear what could happen to me in class. As I sit so near the window.....

秋 Autumn

Yesterday I foolishly mentioned "The coldest has yet to come" or something like that. It's rather cold today, this morning I checked the weather predictions and it was a max of 14. What a hoot! It wasn't at all that this morning (though I have to admit at 6 am I was already wearing a rather warm jacket, 5 mins out of my room and I was suddenly cold again). And now, it's just getting colder and colder. It's almost scary how.

Max.14 and Low.9 was predicted for tomorrow. It's almost frightening how weather changes can be. It's also funny how, I got used to the temperature when it started hitting below 25. Then when it went around 20 and slightly below it was okay. Right now there's this sudden drop in temperature and I feel as if I really have to adjust quickly to it again. Here's to hoping that I actually do!! ^_^

今日寒かった！国の平均温度と比べると全然違うわ！国よりサムッッ！！

Not as cold as I thought it was

In fact, it was colder. ^_^ Today's weather was predicted to be max of 18 low of 12. Yesterday I went out to walk. I left intending to go grab some dinner at the supermarket, and it ended up a very pleasant hour's worth of excercise. The temperature... was like, say, stand in front of the air conditioner that's set to 21 or 22 for a couple of minutes. That's the kind of feeling I got the entire time walking. But I was all warm and toasty in my windbreaker (yes, it was surprisingly warm. I was wearing a sleeveless under it and the net that was the inside of the jacket kept me very comfortably warm) so at the end I felt satisfactorily excercised. If there is such a word.

Today, however, was just a little bit colder. I left the dorm feeling, alright I suppose. Halfway towards the school I realised- It was cold. Or maybe it was those hats and scarves the others whom I was walking past or who had walked past me, were wearing. Either way, today is the coldest it's been since Spring ended. I can actually compare it to the day I arrived in Japan- it's only a little warmer than that. But then, at max 18 and low of 12? - The coldest is yet to come. I want a thermometer ^_^;

Yummm

Yesterday was like one long walk out at the beach. Max 22, low of 12 (though I'm pretty sure these predictions are way off the real mark. It had to be at least 24 in the morning, oh it was so nice. It was warm and windy, it wasn't so cloudy nor so clear. It was one of the nicest physically-speaking days I've encountered thus far. The night wasn't so bad too. I went out for a walk, snug and warm in my windbreaker ^_^

Today was predicted to be a max of 18 and low of 10. This morning it felt not 18 at all under the sun but I'd discovered in class, under the shade it was very cold. Nyah~~

And people are commenting so much on my 'new hairstyle' nowadays- woop, sorry for the sudden change of topic however. In any case- It's amazing what blow-drying your hair in the morning can do haha~ Elien even thought it changed colour. But I'm happy the girls at the dorm are so attentive *heee* It looks almost straight, really, my hair. I'm so vainnnn~~~ A friend of mine is laughing at her corner in this room right now, telling us that it was a friend's weblog... for a second I thought it was mine *blushes* I almost thought I'd put down something embarassing...

Which, come to think of it, I must, at one point, have. Scary... I think I might just start re-editing the previous posts even if to correct spelling mistakes which I know occur a -lot-.

It was a nice day today... I'd just handed in the paper that just about officializes (if there is such a word) my major... I had been thinking a lot about it but I came back to my original so... eheh. Anyways, later for now!! Two weeks and a bit more till examinations start.. *_*

Small talk

Heeee the wonders of photoshop....



No, I don't have that kind of bright pink lipstick. I was just bored hahahah ^_^

In any case, I'm dead tired nowadays meeting deadline after deadline for homework and also tests. @.@ Need a break. 3 weeks of recuperating in the dead of Winter starting late December sounds alright to me. Though I just can't help but just wish that it would be tomorrow.

When I'm trying to get my mind off studying, i.e. on a break, I start doing weird stuff like taking my picture in my room, painting my lips pink like above and then posting it online. Seemed pretty pointless, no? I merely wanted to state the fact that I am bored. And I think I've found a way to deal with it!!

Photoshop! Hahahahahah -kidding.

-I'm acting strange, I know. I need to get out more, really. If I weren't living on this... high altitude. Yeah, maybe it's the mountain that's making me go this way. Anyway, for those who haven't seen me in ages but did manage to catch me in the previous post (as sipit as my eyes were):



My hair has grown so long. I hope it grows longer, 'cos I think I'll need it in Winter (hahhaha- what kind of logic is that?? XD haha) and then I'm just blubbering about little things right now, ignore me if you think it best. There hasn't been anything particularly special happening around, so I didn't have anything in particular to post up about. Then again guilt started knawing at me, who knows how many of you dear readers are out there whom I have not had the chance to make contact with. I wish I could get internet in my room.

I can't wait to move out next year. I've decided that I won't immediately go for an apartment but try for the dorm if I can. *cheaper, more money-saving plus I'll have more time to scope up on where the good apartments are near my next University. Then again there's also the fact that I think I've accumulated so many books within these 7 months and clothes, jackets, electronics etc that I might not be able to carry them all to my next Uni if for some unknown reason it would be in Hokkaido or Okinawa, both the furthest reaches from where I am but that are still considered Japan. Anyway, I'm really blubbering now about little things now haha. I'll leave now for a cup of tea and my lovely lovely persimmons. If you remember my obsession with strawberries in Spring. I'm all over the persimmons this Autumn just about the same way. Persimmons... in Japanese it's called kaki. hahha footsies~

SELAMAT HARI RAYA

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri kepada ahli-ahli keluarga yang tersayang, saudara-mara dan kawan-kawan dimana saja beradanya walau tetap sentiasa dirindui. Harap ampun dan maaf di atas segala kesalahan saya zahir & batin.

To all muslim friends reading but don't understand what I just wrote- Eid Mubarak Minal Aidzin wal Faidzin (I hope I wrote that correctly). So it appears that today is Hari Raya for those in Brunei Darussalam! It was already here yesterday- now I can resume my normal eating/sleeping schedule with ease and hope to attain the best of health before the examination comes.

Wishing everyone a happy happy celebration today- I hope those at home *ehek-adikberadiktersayang-ehek* will be cooperating well i.e without much hassle, with each other. I know I promised to call today, I just dropped a SHORT phone call and (it was funny really, it was Aira again who picked up) can't again tonight since I'd unwittingly forgotten that I'd already made plans, but I will definitely at least TRY to again this weekend but I can't promise anything because my schedule is ...aha-ahahaha -_-; unwittingly almost fully booked.

Anyway, yesterday was a national holiday (such a nice coincidence) and got to rest a bit before my host family called me up and we went to this amusement park where they were showcasing these wax figures dressed in chrysanthemums (yes, you read right, if you can't believe it, please do re-read the sentence again at your leisure) and apparently they'd been doing this for about 94 years and this is the last year that they'll be doing it since there are no apprentices and the people who have thus far been doing it are... unable to do it anymore for another year. Anyway, it was so fortunate for me that they took me there, a real once-in-a-lifetime experience. The exhibition was really fantastic thought it ws unfortunate that I didn't take that many pictures, only by phone so... one day I'll try posting one up through there.

Today I was also still very lucky since there's a big welcome party for the new people and people from my course could join too so I decided to dress up and go there ^_^ big surprise to everyone. I looooved their reactions. Why?Because of this:



This morning's party with Maryam (from Iran) and please, I know my eyes there are very sipit and you can barely see me there so don't. Hahahah. (Basically I'll telling you guys this because I got to have my own version of a celebration here ^_^).Haha- anyways. Cheers everyone! Have a blast!

My life for the moment

I've just received information on my host family... Haha... they sound like a nice bunch ^_^ Their family name is Chimori and they live, like, 3 houses down from the side gate of this University... maybe 7 minutes down from my dormitory. Very very close... hahha

The parents are both doctors around Mum's age and they have 3 children... 5 year old twin girls and a 2 year old boy. Oh dear... I'm going to have to start learning how to babysit -_-; I'm really awkward around kids... *sighs* hahha... oh well. Anyway... They should be nice. This is going to be so fun XD

Oh, and I don't think I've posted this up before but my contact information is:

(+81) 080-5357-2405 [mobile phone]
(+81) 072-749-2924-2201 [room phone]

kiiroyuri@ezweb.ne.jp [mobile phone - text only please]
kiiroyuri@yahoo.com

Room 2201
Dormitory for Foreign Students Building 2
Osaka University of Foreign Studies
8-1-1 Aomatani-Higashi, Mino-shi,
Osaka 562-8558 Japan.

I'm busy quite a lot of the time and if even someone calls on my mobile phone... apparently you can leave a message if I don't pick up. So please do... call me... write me... please? Hahhaha

Anyway, my schedule is like... (I start from 9.10 each day)

Monday- I'm free all afternoon, from lunch time, but I have tuition starting 6.15pm
Tuesday- classes until 4.20pm
Wednesday- classes until 4.20pm
Thursday- classes until 6.00pm
Friday- classes until 4.20pm
Saturday- Kyudo from 9.45 to 4pm (although it can end at 1 or 2pm)

Very packed schedule isn't it? -_-; Oh well... what to do. This is it for the rest of the term I guess. But sometimes it's kind of fun to always have something to do each day. Else I'd probably end up going downtown wandering around or what not.

Oh yeah... the weather is getting warmer and I'm starting to appreciate the cold winds more and more heehee ^_^ I just learnt that- was is June or July? Well, anyway, there's one entire 'season' when it'd just rain and rain and rain everyday... hahah, we'll see. I wonder how it'd be like since I'm on a mountain. Mountain... *sighs* Thinking that I'm living on a mountain right now feels really funny really. Haha.

I'm going to watch Kingdom of Heaven tomorrow night... heeeee

That means I have to go now and start finishing my Thursday homework... oh and I have another test tomorrow... and yeah since my class finished another chapter today I'll probably have another test on Friday... Saturday I have to meet my host family, Sunday there's some Kyudo activity...

Good thing I went for groceries much earlier on already. It's getting to be an extremely packed week... hahha. Oh well.

First complete week of class

I haven't much time right now but I just wanted to write something y'know. I luv everyone for having taken time to comment. LUV U ALL ^_^ Azi- the people on my floor are only from Cambodia, Finland, France, Indonesia, Iran, Korea and Bulgaria. Billy... give me until next year to find that guy hahah- because for now it's all international students that I'm studying with, once I move to the next University it'd be a Japanese majority... heehee XD BangPing good luck for exams!! ShamNe.O I'm going to link you- that alright? XD How's UK doing? FAE nanti klo inda busy I want to taaaalk k? XD Anyway--- hearts to everyone XD

Anyway, it's the first actual week when classes have been held in full... I think (you know, without public holidays and such to break up the week) and I feel that it's actually quite hectic and I don't really have that much free time at all... so we'll see how this works out as time goes along.

Yesterday I had my second math class and it was... unspeakable. Instruction was completely in Japanese... well maybe not completely... there was some "Are you ok?"s and "Do you all understand?"s in between the instructions... but honestly... it was... unspeakable. LoL But then towards the second half of the instruction I actually finally could start recognising some of the kanji and the terms he was using and connect it with the numbers, letters and mathematical symbols the teachers were writing on the board. I guess if I just push on a little more I can understand more... Slowly... slowly.... I guess it's just like climbing up the slopes to the University. At first it was so hard, and now... well I really don't feel the slopes much anymore. I still do get tired, but less. Hahaha-- anyway, time's up... more later on... by my phone... hahhahaha I love my phone.

Pictures!! Lalala~

LoL finally I get to post up some more pictures~~ I'll start with my visit to Kyoto:

Well, the story of that day is that... I went with Aurelie and we both wanted to go see some of the old temples and towers and such but then the problem was- she had a book of all the nice places to visit but we didn't have a proper map to get to that place!! Hahah~ so what we did for most of the day was look for the tourist board which was about a 45 minute walk away from downtown- where we arrived, that was in Kawaramachi-eki, and we went to two tourist offices and got these really good maps...

But then anyways, we only got to see one temple... can you see it in this picture? ^_^


Pretty pretty temple... hahahah




This is the view from the Rajomon-somethingsomething LoL I forgot the rest of the name- it was some sort of huge temple-park next to the Toji-tera. Toji-tera is in the background.


Cute cat... it was sleeping, but then just when I took it's picture, it woke up... ^_^;




This particular picture I like very much hahahha XD






That's all from Kyoto-- LoL to be honest, most of the temples are starting to all look the same to me by now hahahha~ silly really, but they're all rather pretty all the same.

Next are pictures from Nara~~ XD








Many many deer at that place~








There are deer in this picture... How many can you count? ^_^


This is Toudaiji-tera, the temple that houses the largest image of Buddha in the world.


The picture is pretty dark because of the lighting... The lighting was... basically there was no lighting haha~ Only the light from the big doors


This is the group I went with - two of my dorm mates which I'm sure if you've been keeping track of me you'd be very well aware of... hahah Anni and Aurelie. Then there's Eric from Canada who's wearing red, Radu, the guy next to him is from Romania, Diana from Bulgaria and the last guy on the right is Yoshiro- good friend and basically he was acting as our tour guide that day. Hee~~ The one behind the camera is Lili from Bulgaria- I didn't manage to get a picture of her -_-; oh well...


Well... until next time... ^_^ ja ne~~