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June 25, 2004
Only A Few More Days...
...of boredom until my summer job at Creek Run Day Camp begins. I'm still dying of boredom. Le sigh... If you're reading this, post a comment, cause that'll give me something to read as I... rot here in this chair.
On the plus side, I actually finished my Japan Photo Album. So... look at that too.
Gods, when will this boredom end?! @_@
No, it's not really that bad... I just miss Frances (she's still in Japan) and Summer is the least motivating time of year for me. I can't wait for August.
Posted by dminky at 09:06 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
June 14, 2004
I Am *SO* Bored!
Wanna know what I'm doing now that I'm not in Japan?
That's what I'm doing... Somebody save me please. I'm dying here!
Posted by dminky at 11:35 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
June 13, 2004
Natsuyasumi
That's Japanese for Summer Vacation. It just goes to show that I'm still thinking in Japanese... it was more of a culture shock coming back to NJ than it was going to Japan. Mainly because I was so busy and had so much fun while over there, and here it's just depressing and tsumaranai Collingswood. Summer Camp starts in 2 weeks, so at least by then I will be too busy to notice how bored I am, and then summer will be over before I know it. Until then, however, I just get to miss Japan and the people I met over there.
I've been working on a little photo album/webpage this past week. It's not done yet, since I've been getting back into lazy mode again (at least when I'm not spending hours writing email in Japanese), but the pictures are up, so feel free to view it in progress.
Posted by dminky at 04:24 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
June 08, 2004
Japan Sketchbook
I have to admit I don't take too many photos. I'm really bad with remembering to bring my camera along with me, and when I do, I hardly ever take photos of people, just scenery. Don't ask me why... just one of my stupid tendencies. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the photos that I took... and if you want to see more then visit Leo's photo page or Joy's photo page. They've got a lot more than I do, including the places that I forgot to bring my camera.
I did however, manage to bring my sketchbook to as many places as I could, and when I didn't have it with me at the time, I sketched from photos and from memory at night after doing my homework. I worked quite a bit on the sketchbook after coming home as well.
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Posted by dminky at 09:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 07, 2004
Tadaima!
So I've finally returned to New Jersey from Japan to face the grim reality that the rest of my natsuyasumi is going to be boring and disappointing compared to the insane business and fun I had in Kanazawa. My flights were long and really boring... they sat me between a really fat guy and the air conditioner, so one half of me was freezing cold and numb while the other half was pressed underneath of a hot sweaty man who needed to take half of my chair in addition to his own. I tried speaking Japanese to some Japanese people, but they just spoke to me in English so it wasn't very fun...
I spent the weekend in Tokyo with friends, and it was a great end to the most fun month of my life. It was a long time since I laughed like I did in Tokyo, and I've never laughed that hard so many times in my life. We had a really great group of people studying together in Japan.
Now that I am back, I'm going to try to finish up my sketchbook and scan it, then upload the scans and the photos of my trip. I'll post a link as soon as it is underway, as well as posting a link to Leo's site again once he's all finished. Since I wasn't able to update this blog last month, you'll see that I just now posted my emails that I sent out, so go on and read them if you want.
Oh and I wanted to say thanks to Bronwen, the first person I talked to after I got home. Our conversation went something like this:
Matt: Hey!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bronwen: Hey Matt, when are you going to Japan?
Matt: .......
Posted by dminky at 02:03 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Plane Ride Home
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Posted by dminky at 12:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 04, 2004
Tokyo
On my final weekend, six of us went to Tokyo for two nights. Again, I forgot to take my camera out during the day, but I did get two photos of some of us in the Sakura Hotel in Jimbocho wearing our hotel yukata.
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Posted by dminky at 11:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Saying Goodbye
We had to rush out to catch our train to Tokyo, so I didn't get a chance to say long goodbyes to all of my teachers... :(
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At least I got to say goodbye to my host parents at the Kanazawa train station. Still, it was a very sad moment.
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Posted by dminky at 01:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Goodbye Speech
At the end of each month, the Eurocentres students leaving the school must give a goodbye speech. Here is the speech I wrote (kana-only, as that's how I wrote it to present).
いかげつ は はやく すぎました。 わたし は もう ろくがつ が しんじられません。 ながい あいだ みんなーさん を しっている と おもいます。 いがけつ で わたしたち わ たくさん けいけん しました： にんじゃーでら で にんじゃ と たたかったり、 にほん の はま の ごみ わ かんこく から くる と ならったり しました。 わたし わ ヨーロセンター の みんなーさんに かんしゃ したい です、 とく に とり クラッス： ジャクーさん の かぶき、 ジョイーさん の かいもの、 レスリーさん の たくさん こいびと、 シモンーさん の ”Ｔｗｏ Ｓｈｏｔｓ，” フランシスーさん の さる の かお。 どうも ありがとう ございます。 わたし わ ヨーロセンター の スタッフ に かんしゃ したい です、 とく に わたし の さんにん すばらしくて きれいな せんせい： さくらいーせんせい と むらかみーせんせい と なかたーせんせい。 あなたたちわ たくさんへんあ しつもんに がまん しました。 べんりな ことば ”べたべた する” と ”あるちゅ” を ならいました。 どうも ありがとう ございます。 さいご に、 あいざわーさん に かんしゃ したい です。 あなた わ まいにち ばかな がいこくじん に がまんしました。 どうも ありがとう ございます。
Posted by dminky at 12:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 03, 2004
Beautiful Sunset
On my second to last day of class, going home from a high school basketball game, as I left the train station, I saw this absolutely gorgeous sunset:
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Interestingly enough, Frances was walking home in Uchinada, and took photos of the same sunset from her neighborhood!
Posted by dminky at 09:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Japan Email #5
This is the fifth and final email I sent to America while in Japan:
More Photos:
Famille and Biz Cafe
Kanazawa Castle
Cooking Class
Konnichiwa,
Tomorrow is my last day at Eurocenters. :'( I wish I could stay longer. About half of the people here have extended their stays for another month, so I will miss them a lot. We've all become really great friends. I'm dating a girl here actually (a student, not a native) and we really go together well. It's a crazy coincidence that in one month in Japan I meet a really great girl from Vancouver and we get along so well. We're going to try to work out some way to see eachother over the summer somehow.
I'm not sure what has happened since I last wrote an email; it's hard to keep track of time when I'm this busy. We saw a huge martial arts gym and a basketball game this week. I have to write a goodbye speech for tomorrow in Japanese. It actually wasn't as hard as I thought, though I had to limit the things I am saying. We actually completed an entire textbook this month. I want to buy the next level textbook so I can continue learning this summer. Everyone here really loves my sketches, even though I haven't done too many.
I'm very sad to be leaving. This was so much fun. I hope I can come back here after college, because this was such an incredible experience.
Posted by dminky at 02:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack