Friday 19 September 2008
Cogito, ergo sum
僕はあなたがよくケーキを食べると思います
After studying Japanese at a snail’s pace for over a year, I’ve finally figured how to say “I think…”. The above sentence doesn’t translate very well (if it’s even correct) but it kind of means “I think you’re a big fatty who eats cake all the time”. This new addition to my language arsenal may prove valuable in the next few months and makes me wonder if I was even thinking at all last year.
I still don’t have the internet at work and I am scared to ask because it will turn into this massive thing probably. Also, I’m putting it off because it benefits my Japanese study because there is absolutely nothing else to do. My next few weekends are being hijacked by sports days. This means that English class is a casualty to the numerous hours of practice that are required in pursuit of perfection. Actually, my next 6 weekends are pretty much decided without me realising it. I’ve got an English camp in Muroto coming up in which I give up a 3 day weekend to earn about £5 instead of going to a sake festival in Hiroshima. After that I have some fun things because I managed to buy myself a Radiohead and Sigur Ros ticket last night in the convenient store at the normal price. That was an unbelievably hard challenge in which three members of Lawson’s staff also failed miserably in trying to help me. I have a big sumo event coming up in October too and then it should be the weekend of Halloween and a big party in the city. The time is really going a lot faster this year.
What were my other short term goals? Oh yeah, I might go looking for a couch tomorrow but I’m doubting myself over it because I don’t know how to arrange everything. Also, I would rather spend all my money on travel, food and booze. I’ve got about £40 just now but I get paid tomorrow. Good old JET with their vast sums of yen for very little work in a world that is in economic woe. I managed to kill all my ants as well. Although… I did have a bird fly into my apartment yesterday. I wasn’t actually that surprised because two had flown into Noah’s last week.
It was a holiday on Monday so I spent most of the weekend eating and drinking around my half of the prefecture. We had a big karaoke night in Aki on the Friday in which everyone drank too much. I rudely discovered that a sandwich covered in mustard is horrible hangover food. Joey and Naomi (new Irish girl) spent the Saturday night at my house where we drank and chilled with a film. On the Sunday we went up for a tour of Umaji in the mountains. It was raining on the Monday so we chilled in David’s house in Yasuda where we ate pizza and played Monopoly. I totally destroyed the three of them in 20 minutes or something.
It’s strange that I’m writing about playing board games on a rainy day when I still haven’t mentioned my holiday back home. I guess it is easier to write blog entries about the present and future rather than needing to focus on your memory. I’ll write them up eventually but it might break my brain as I’m just getting used to my life here again. Yeah… old Japan ain’t so bad. I’m constantly searching for motivation and a sense of accomplishment here but I can’t deny that I have an excellent gig lined up on paper. Especially now that the world economy is turning to crap and all I have is a history degree. I’ve actually been thinking a lot about what I want to do next year because now is actually a good time to decide if I wanted to apply to anything. I’m not ruling out a third year on JET and will probably think it over for the next few months. I feel a sense of urgency and anxiety to figure out what I want to do in life but then I remember that I’m only 22 and I am in no rush at all. Indeed, if it wasn’t for… what I think is a healthy desire to continue to move on and achieve other goals…then it would make sense to stay here. However, I then remember that I am writing this at my desk near the end of a long day where I have done very little. Still… I managed to buy my tickets. Yatta.
僕は僕が人を食べないと思います ＝ I don’t think I eat people.
僕は僕が魚を聞くないと思います ＝ I don’t think I listen to fish.
僕は僕がすばらしいと思います ＝ I think I’m wonderful.
After studying Japanese at a snail’s pace for over a year, I’ve finally figured how to say “I think…”. The above sentence doesn’t translate very well (if it’s even correct) but it kind of means “I think you’re a big fatty who eats cake all the time”. This new addition to my language arsenal may prove valuable in the next few months and makes me wonder if I was even thinking at all last year.
I still don’t have the internet at work and I am scared to ask because it will turn into this massive thing probably. Also, I’m putting it off because it benefits my Japanese study because there is absolutely nothing else to do. My next few weekends are being hijacked by sports days. This means that English class is a casualty to the numerous hours of practice that are required in pursuit of perfection. Actually, my next 6 weekends are pretty much decided without me realising it. I’ve got an English camp in Muroto coming up in which I give up a 3 day weekend to earn about £5 instead of going to a sake festival in Hiroshima. After that I have some fun things because I managed to buy myself a Radiohead and Sigur Ros ticket last night in the convenient store at the normal price. That was an unbelievably hard challenge in which three members of Lawson’s staff also failed miserably in trying to help me. I have a big sumo event coming up in October too and then it should be the weekend of Halloween and a big party in the city. The time is really going a lot faster this year.
What were my other short term goals? Oh yeah, I might go looking for a couch tomorrow but I’m doubting myself over it because I don’t know how to arrange everything. Also, I would rather spend all my money on travel, food and booze. I’ve got about £40 just now but I get paid tomorrow. Good old JET with their vast sums of yen for very little work in a world that is in economic woe. I managed to kill all my ants as well. Although… I did have a bird fly into my apartment yesterday. I wasn’t actually that surprised because two had flown into Noah’s last week.
It was a holiday on Monday so I spent most of the weekend eating and drinking around my half of the prefecture. We had a big karaoke night in Aki on the Friday in which everyone drank too much. I rudely discovered that a sandwich covered in mustard is horrible hangover food. Joey and Naomi (new Irish girl) spent the Saturday night at my house where we drank and chilled with a film. On the Sunday we went up for a tour of Umaji in the mountains. It was raining on the Monday so we chilled in David’s house in Yasuda where we ate pizza and played Monopoly. I totally destroyed the three of them in 20 minutes or something.
It’s strange that I’m writing about playing board games on a rainy day when I still haven’t mentioned my holiday back home. I guess it is easier to write blog entries about the present and future rather than needing to focus on your memory. I’ll write them up eventually but it might break my brain as I’m just getting used to my life here again. Yeah… old Japan ain’t so bad. I’m constantly searching for motivation and a sense of accomplishment here but I can’t deny that I have an excellent gig lined up on paper. Especially now that the world economy is turning to crap and all I have is a history degree. I’ve actually been thinking a lot about what I want to do next year because now is actually a good time to decide if I wanted to apply to anything. I’m not ruling out a third year on JET and will probably think it over for the next few months. I feel a sense of urgency and anxiety to figure out what I want to do in life but then I remember that I’m only 22 and I am in no rush at all. Indeed, if it wasn’t for… what I think is a healthy desire to continue to move on and achieve other goals…then it would make sense to stay here. However, I then remember that I am writing this at my desk near the end of a long day where I have done very little. Still… I managed to buy my tickets. Yatta.
僕は僕が人を食べないと思います ＝ I don’t think I eat people.
僕は僕が魚を聞くないと思います ＝ I don’t think I listen to fish.
僕は僕がすばらしいと思います ＝ I think I’m wonderful.
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