nothing particularly monumental going on of late, spring has swooped in this week, and some of the cherry trees are partially in bloom across the campus. still pretty brown here, though. meeting more people and staying up late talking and making little plans to get a little more exercise: playing basketball with one of the new japanese students, joining the volleyball club to slap a ball around and bruise up my forearms. also joined the volunteer club, which will be going out next sunday to pick up garbage from a local river and then taking a little canoe trip somewheres.
it feels very strange having most of the people i've gotten to know move out to separate buildings on the outside of the campus. they don't really come to the dorm anymore, so i've got to make special plans or chance across them studying in the library or running between classes. all of my established little social circles have to shift.
my classes this semester seem pretty decent so far. i'm taking japanese 204, the next language level with the same sensei i've had the whole time. learning a language is a pain in the arse, people. all sorts of words and whatnot. i've also got a class called "the samurai and the sacred" about samurais and religion and how they are connected. it's taught by a wingnut visiting professor from leeds university in england, a guy who jitters and bobbles around the room and waves his arms around and sometimes acts out the lectures in different voices. then there's japanese history, which is pretty straightforward bare bones college lecture, and a 4 1/2 our class called "religion and bioethics" taught by a former buddhist monk who flies in every week from the university of hiroshima.
had a birthday party last week at the tatami mat house down the road for one of the american guys. there were plates piled with food, a long table stacked with drinks, and some mildly salacious goings on after a few japanese drinking games.
my last semester here. only about 15 more weeks, and i'll have to return to the u.s., where i won't have to struggle to communicate, something i know i will actually miss. makes me feel a little frantic about getting around to everyone i want to spend time with and keeping in touch with people, but i'm also anxious to get on with things back home.
i'm going to run around outside now, before the clouds crowd out the sun again and akita is swallowed up by another 72 hour downpour.
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3 comments:
He FLIES in every week? Bioethics, indeed.
I had to look up bioethics on wikipedia.
Maybe when you get back in town we can start up poetry group again. That should add some difficulty to your communication. ;)
But, you still might say 'hai!' when ordering in a restaurant, even though you meen 'yes' and then the server might look at you funny and you might say 'ah, sumi... sorry, I meant 'yes''.
That might happen.
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