My friends

Since my second arrival in Japan on May 10, 2008. I have enjoyed the company of many friends and acquaintances. However, it will soon mark my two year anniversary of my arrival in Japan and it is time to say good-bye to the life I have become familiar with. Many are probably thinking that I am leaving Japan but that is not what this post is about, in truth I still have one year left until I graduate. However, this year will bring alot of changes to my life which includes losing my best friends here in Japan and moving away from my beloved Takashimadaira district here in Tokyo. Ever since my arrival in 2008, I had planned to live with my long time friend Jennifer who I had meet my previous language school KCP, along with living with Jennifer I also knew another friend of my by the name of Colleen was returning to Japan to work as an English teacher for a couple of years. However, as I had experienced in the past when I had lived in Japan there is always a time to say goodbye to other foreigners living here in Japan. Although Jennifer, Colleen and I still have time remaining until they leave I will try to make the best of it while I still have the time. Above are some pictures I had taken of us over the last year.

My Girl Haruna Ai

Over the last year in Japan the popularity of transsexuals has become popular among the Japanese mainstream audience. However, I am really unsure if this Japan opening to a minority within the Japanese population or if they are just using these transsexual just aiding the Japanese in becoming more of a culture that does not accept people for their diffences. However, at the current moment there are two women or "men" the first is a Aoyama University student by the name of Tsubaki and the second is my personal favorite by the name of Haruna Ai.

I have recently wrote a thesis in my pragmatics class regarding the use of language used among the homosexual community in Japan. Through my studies I have learned many new things about Japanese language yet, I have also learned how Japan treats minorities within its own borders. In a future post I will like to post my essay on Japanese homosexual language and how it affects the way the homosexual community is portrayed in the Japanese media and how it gives the gay community a bad image.

Above a the three books I read in order to conduct my study on this issue

Japanese Juku "cram school"

Over the last year I have been working for a Japanese Juku, also known as a Japanese cram school. For those out there who do not know what a Juku is I will give a brief definition of a Juku. A juku is a place where children from the ages of three to seventeen years attend in order to study subjects such as math, science, history and English outside of school.

You might be asking why do the students need to study outside of their primary school? Well, there is a simple answer to this answer. In Japan unlike the USA or Canada, in order for a child to attend a top grade university, he or she will need to take a entrance exam. A child can only take an entrance exam 2 times during their life, However, many parents make their children take multiple entrance exams. The first time will be when the child is entering primary school, the second being when they are attending middle school and high school and the last will be when they attend University.

The reason why so many children take these exams throughout their life is because if the children enter a top grade elementary school or middle school it will become easier for them to enter a top grade university and if a children enters a top grade university it will make it easier for them to enter big companies.Above are some pics of the Juku I work at that were taken during Halloween last year

Long time no update

I finally figured out the password to my account these last couple of days, thus, I had decided to give a quick update on my situation in Japan.

I am almost done with school, when I am done with this semester I will only have nine credits left until I graduate.... Besides that I haven`t been up to much nowadays I work go to school and hang out with my friends.

I bought a A complete box set!!!!

I bought the new Hamasaki Ayumi CD class today.... I did the drawing but all I got was this stinkin sticker.

Fall Semester and a super late update

Gosh... my first five months of living in Japan went by allot more faster this time around than the last time I lived here. I have already been in Japan for about a half a year and to tell the truth I feel alot more excited about my future than when I lived here last time. Maybe it is the differences between a Japanese language schoool versus a college or maybe it is the difference between living alone versus living with a friend. I don..t know ... but I am trying to enjoy every minute of it before I have to move back to the USA whenever that might be...



As most people know if you look at my emotion icon I always say I am busy or more homework... the reason being this semester I am actually taking 18 credits for the first time in my whole college academic career. I hope I can survive but... I might end up dropping one or two of the classes....

Classes:

Introduction to Anicent China

Introduction to Anicent Japan - Modern Japan

English

Japanese Interpertation

Modern Chinese Politics

Japanese translation



.......................... oh yeah and I work two part time jobs when I have free time

Harold and Kumar

Hey, how is everyone today? I finally bought my plane ticket it looks as if I will go to Japan later than I anticipated. I will arrive in Japan on Saturday the 9th, I had to buy my ticket late because my student wouldn't be processed in time for me to leave on Thursday. Besides this I have been just getting ready. I watched Harold and Kumar 2 yesterday. The movie was soso for me, the movie had too much nudity for me and some of the humor didn't work for me. But my family thought different they really enjoyed the movie.

I wish everyone luck !!!