The Plan

So, as it sits now, Japan and my future in it sits in limbo. With the Nuclear Power Plant (原子力発電所） melting down, radiation is a huge fear amongst the people. More so, the shortage of food and water makes life that much more troublesome.

Luckily, I live in a dorm where breakfast and dinner are provided. That takes a huge burden off our shoulders; for lunch, however, we are on our own. That's fine most of the time, but with the power conservation a lot of businesses have been closed -- from our local Wal-mart (called Seiyu here) to our McDonald's. Today they were open, thankfully. It seems most establishments are choosing to be open every-other day. Japan is amazing in its uniting around power conservation -- perhaps only in Japan.

Several of my Uni friends have decided to leave, which leaves me in a precarious spot. Do I leave or Do I go? (Isn't that a song? haha)

If I leave, I guarantee my safety from radiation, tsunamis, and further earthquakes. But, I will sacrifice a semester of my college career -- then I'll graduate in December of 2012 (My 111th Birthday!) More so, I'll be in danger of forfeiting my financial aid -- most of which went to lodging and my recent Grand Adventure around Western Honshu -- and am not able to pay it back. Lastly, if I leave, I can't come back (not soon anyway). Some fellow Koganei lads have left to return before school starts in April -- I simply lack the funds to do that.

Now, if I stay I will continue my studies on time, get better in Japanese (next semester I am joining the intensive class), and make more Japanese friends. However, I allow myself the danger of radiation, tsunamis, and further earthquakes. Since the major earthquake, we've had several aftershocks -- some of which strong enough to wake EVEN ME up. Radiation isn't a huge problem right now, the cloud is staying to the north and blowing northward. The tsunami, unless we're talking Deep Impact, won't get me. Earthquakes... yeah, those get me all the time. Also, in staying, I get to partake in the food shortage and rolling blackouts -- but, I have food at the dorm provided by Sophia University.

It's a precarious situation, indeed. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter. Leave a comment and tell me what you think. I'm making my decision at the end of this week on whether I stay or not. Keep in mind, I really want to stay; but, I'm wondering, is the writing on the wall?


Till next time, Wizards(?)!

My first Test...

Today was my first test in Japanese class. A unit test on some chapter in these god awful books. I must say the review in this unit was stellar -- I can now give and receive to my seniors!

"I gave Sensei my homework!"

「私は先生に宿題をさし上げました！」

Cynicism aside, I do actually enjoy the review. Sometimes it's quite mundane, but I think it will be good for my overall studies and communication. My weakest point in Japanese is vocabulary. I just don't know a lot of words -- useful words anyway. So, the vocabulary is very helpful. I learn new words everyday, now. With daily interactions and things of the nature, I get new words and phrases and try to use them once I learn them. An example of this is "Non-smoking section" -- 禁煙席 -- when I went on one of my many excursions to my favorite Italian restaurant "Saizuriya." I arrived in Saizuriya and was greeted by the hostess and she asked something I had never heard before, I asked for her to repeat it and she said "Kienseki-desu?" and I looked at her like I was a baby giraffe figuring out how long it takes a sip of water to reach my stomach. She polietly said, hiding her disdain I'm sure, "Non-smoking?" I nodded and she showed me to a seat. There are many things in this world I abhor, one is old people on the train, but two is me looking stupid. Well, more stupid than usual. While enjoying the only place in civilization that beleives in refills, I looked up on my trusty iPhone app "Kotoba!" this "Kienseki." To my disbelief, it was there -- clear as day. "Non-smoking section" = "Kinenseki"... Amazing. Now, I just get stumped on every other word she says. But, damn it, now I won't choke on cigarette smoke.

The academics at Sophia are quite interesting. They require us to read an awful lot. I'm not sure I like that. I read in Community College, I want to sit around and theorize and philosophize[sic] and stuff. I guess I'll just have to wait till Graduate school -- unless I go to UofChicago where apparently you actually do work... I don't mind studying, but reading an egregious amount on the Introduction to Sociology? Come on, I already passed a class called that! Oh, Gender Stratification through Sociology, passed a class called that too. Eastern Religions, yup. Post-war Japan, okay you got me there. Let's read cool things, that's all I'm saying.

Seriously, though, I enjoy the classes. They're (mostly) engaging and quite interesting in their respective topics. I guess I should tell you what I am taking...

• Japanese 2
• Religion, Modernity, and Postcolonialism
• Religion, Culture, and Society
• Post-war Japan: Society

I am a Relgious Studies major hidden in a International Studies Major's body. Or, at the very least, a Sociologist in the closet. Haha... I enjoy the classes I am taking -- long story short.

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My dorm processes a colorful crew. I enjoy the company of our crew very much! We went out for Nomihodai again this weekend, however, there were these annoying drinking games that made it quite difficult to actually enjoy your drink. Now, true GAMES are all well and good. But, RULES are fucking retarded. One RULE was "You aren't allowed to point or say the word 'Drink.'" The pointing thing was fine, I generally don't point at people anyway. The word "Drink", however, is intrinsic to drinking. One must inevitably say "drink" when you are consuming liquid. That RULE is all well and good, too. Only caught me once with it. The next rule bothered the living fuck out of me. It was, "There's a little man living in your beer. Every time you take a drink, you must remove the man, consume your beverage whilst holding the man, and then placing him back into your beverage." What the crap. That's was soooooo annoying. I only got caught the first time, because I had no idea what was going on, but that turned me off immediately to the little man living in my drink. That little man can go off himself on the Chuo Train line with the 1000 other people. Next time we Nomihodai, I will not participate in the little man shenanigans claiming he died by instantaneous Jeet Kune Do explosion and anyone who questions me will be next. Fuck you, little man. Get out of my beer. Haha... The simple things in life.

Today's a national holiday, so the trains were quite clear. I managed to get on a Super Rapid Train that skipped all stops that are tiny on my way home today. I got off at Mitaka to switch back to the regular Rapid, so i could actually get home. Well, I'm going to do some homework and laundry.

-Gregor