Well I feel this is a note worthy topic to discuss. Since I came here I have improved in some aspects of my daily life.
Sleep schedule: Normally I would rise anywhere from 9am-11am back in the states. Since coming here I usually wake up at 8am regardless and still feel well rested, its kind of weird, but I won't question it since it is kind of nice.
Homework: So far, following my review lessons I tend to come home and eat dinner (that or buy groceries, then eat dinner) and immediately do my homework. While I learned long ago to do my homework right away, I usually would be sketchy about following through on that mindset. What I mean is that I would sometimes do it right away other times I would slack off a little.
Free Time: It may be the lack of fluency in the native language at this time or simply a current mindset, but I find I utilize my free time in a much more efficient manner. I will read manga (which is basically like extra studying as I have mentioned before), exercise, or draw. Not that these are much different from what I would do back home in the states, but for some reason I feel I am getting more done in shorter periods of time or just accomplishing more than normal.
While I have yet to join any school clubs (still researching them, and at this time my review lessons are pretty intense), I am doing basic exercises. Since I have yet to find a local gym or dojo, further still my local bank account is not yet full set up, I have been doing the basics, variations of push ups and sit ups, with minor cardio (high metabolism + too much cardio makes me lose too much body weight).
One other thing I feel is noteworthy is something I am still learning. Shopping here in Japan requires some skill and luck. The supermarkets tend to mark a lot of stuff done every day. Usually these mark downs are one heck of a deal, its a simple task of finding the item you want. I have thus far been shocked at the quality of the products that are marked down, Ive bought salads at 30 yen (roughly $0.50) that looked and tasted better than the stuff at work which was $4. And yes I do eat my salads with chop sticks~
I suppose that is all for today, may post again in a few days after more has happened, Golden Week is right around the corner so stuff should go down then.
Steve~
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Class, Manga, and Times
Okay Monday is rapidly drawing to a close here so I figure I'll cap it off with a blog post.
To start what follows are times (in the States) that it will be good to try and contact me on Skype.
7-10am (this is 9pm-12am for me so I may sound sleepy)
6pm-12am (this is 8am-12pm for me)
Also on Fridays and Saturdays (US time) I am usually around more bearing that those are Saturday and Sunday for me, which extends the available times a little more.
I usually try to get up at around 8am here and when I do I flip open my mac which always has Skype running. In a few days I'll have the ability to do international calls to mobiles and land lines (total of 75min a month), that is if anyone is okay with me calling them. To find me on Skype search: TsukadeHaruo (I think searching Steve Young works too) then add me to you contacts.
Now that the Skype business is taken care of, I'll relay a bit of what I have been up to since arriving. Class so far has been a one on one with one of my teachers, Watanabe-sensei, and has consisted solely of review, this is because the next set of classes don't start for about a week if I recall correctly. We are simply going through a few important chapters of my old textbook to help me remember some of what I have forgotten. Not too bad, except that normally one would take about 2 weeks covering the material in one chapter, however we are doing one chapter for 3 hours each day.
This makes things a little frustrating, but at the same time I have learned all this before and it is simply trying to remember everything. As a side note..... verbs give me headaches.
Something occurred to me the other day that is actually helping to some extent. Manga (Japanese comics) is a great way to study Kanji and slang. What I mean is that as in English we do not speak in proper sentences (I will call and order a pizza vs I'm gunna order a pizza). Textbooks do not teach that, and just as English speakers use slang so do the Japanese. As for Kanji, its just plain hard to remember all the characters. Luckily lots of manga has furigana (not sure of spelling on that) which is the pronunciation of the Kanji in Hiragana.
To sum all that up I bought some comics to help me study, cool huh?
Anyway that is all that I have for now, remember get on Skype and give me a call or leave a message~
Steve Young~
To start what follows are times (in the States) that it will be good to try and contact me on Skype.
7-10am (this is 9pm-12am for me so I may sound sleepy)
6pm-12am (this is 8am-12pm for me)
Also on Fridays and Saturdays (US time) I am usually around more bearing that those are Saturday and Sunday for me, which extends the available times a little more.
I usually try to get up at around 8am here and when I do I flip open my mac which always has Skype running. In a few days I'll have the ability to do international calls to mobiles and land lines (total of 75min a month), that is if anyone is okay with me calling them. To find me on Skype search: TsukadeHaruo (I think searching Steve Young works too) then add me to you contacts.
Now that the Skype business is taken care of, I'll relay a bit of what I have been up to since arriving. Class so far has been a one on one with one of my teachers, Watanabe-sensei, and has consisted solely of review, this is because the next set of classes don't start for about a week if I recall correctly. We are simply going through a few important chapters of my old textbook to help me remember some of what I have forgotten. Not too bad, except that normally one would take about 2 weeks covering the material in one chapter, however we are doing one chapter for 3 hours each day.
This makes things a little frustrating, but at the same time I have learned all this before and it is simply trying to remember everything. As a side note..... verbs give me headaches.
Something occurred to me the other day that is actually helping to some extent. Manga (Japanese comics) is a great way to study Kanji and slang. What I mean is that as in English we do not speak in proper sentences (I will call and order a pizza vs I'm gunna order a pizza). Textbooks do not teach that, and just as English speakers use slang so do the Japanese. As for Kanji, its just plain hard to remember all the characters. Luckily lots of manga has furigana (not sure of spelling on that) which is the pronunciation of the Kanji in Hiragana.
To sum all that up I bought some comics to help me study, cool huh?
Anyway that is all that I have for now, remember get on Skype and give me a call or leave a message~
Steve Young~
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Arrival
Well I finally have arrived in Sapporo Japan. After what was a hectic and crazy month of march I am here. The earth quake, the tsunami, and the nuclear power situation had all put things on hold. Still it feels a little unreal to be actually be here.
After getting settled in a little a few of my new friends took me around to the local places that I would need to visit in order to function normally. Things like a bank, cell phone shop, grocery store, and the like. Convenience stores are abundant here, there are probably about 6 within a block or two of my apartment. In Japan convenience stores are more like miniature grocery stores, however they are a little bit more expensive and are limited on what they carry.
I have since taken my placement exam, which reminded me of how much I have forgotten since I took my last Japanese Language class. Even though I have taken it I still won't know what classes I am taking until the coming Monday.
As for the city of Sapporo it is very nice, people are polite, the air is clean, and it is not to cold compared to Nebraska in the winter. There is more rain compared to back home, however at the same time it is also considerably dry.
To close I'll post my apartment adress:
Steve Young
Sunshine-Nishioka 110
3-jo 8-chome Nishioika, Toyohira-ku
Sapporo 062-0033 JAPAN
I always have skype on and am usually up around 8am (that's 6pm Central Time), unless I was up late studying.
Until next time,
Steve~
After getting settled in a little a few of my new friends took me around to the local places that I would need to visit in order to function normally. Things like a bank, cell phone shop, grocery store, and the like. Convenience stores are abundant here, there are probably about 6 within a block or two of my apartment. In Japan convenience stores are more like miniature grocery stores, however they are a little bit more expensive and are limited on what they carry.
I have since taken my placement exam, which reminded me of how much I have forgotten since I took my last Japanese Language class. Even though I have taken it I still won't know what classes I am taking until the coming Monday.
As for the city of Sapporo it is very nice, people are polite, the air is clean, and it is not to cold compared to Nebraska in the winter. There is more rain compared to back home, however at the same time it is also considerably dry.
To close I'll post my apartment adress:
Steve Young
Sunshine-Nishioka 110
3-jo 8-chome Nishioika, Toyohira-ku
Sapporo 062-0033 JAPAN
I always have skype on and am usually up around 8am (that's 6pm Central Time), unless I was up late studying.
Until next time,
Steve~
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