スペインゴの道

Please Critique! :) Would you let me into your school?

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:38:30 GMT

After earning a B.A. in Foreign Languages, I have come to realize that language is an extremely powerful force in the world. It can establish or demolish bonds between people. A language represents the culture, beliefs, and lifestyle of those who speak it. It is for this reason that I would like to continue my studies, not only learning more about languages themselves, but also about the people that mold and shape the usage of the languages they speak. I am interested in the social aspect of linguistics.

My goal is to earn a PhD in Linguistics. I became fascinated by the structure and use of language when I took a course in Spanish Pronunciation and Phonology. It had never occurred to me that each sound was formed in a specific way in the mouth. That class taught me concepts to explain the languages I studied in ways I had never considered. However, the love of language itself has always been present in my life.

At the age of five my favorite toy was a Spanish-English dictionary my grandmother’s friend gave me. In high school I continued to study Spanish until they ran out of courses and I began to take Latin. I have been on a short term diplomatic study trip to Vienna, Budapest, and Prague, which inspired me to take up a bit of German in college. I enjoy meeting new people and learning about their way of life. I thrive in unfamiliar environments. I spent a semester in Japan to supplement my college minor in Japanese. My appetite for new cultures and languages was thoroughly fed in those five months, but far from satiated. My appreciation for languages and culture grows with every new person I meet and every new word I learn.

I believe God gives everyone different gifts and abilities for a reason. I realized this one night when I was the only person at the scene of an automobile accident who could interpret between the victims and the paramedics. All of the lessons I had taken became extremely useful in an instant. There was finally a reason, a need to fill, that made all of my studies worthwhile. I would like to further develop the talents God has given me in order to make a difference in how people interact and communicate.

After I earn a PhD, I desire to work for the government to promote peaceful and progressive relations between the United States of America and other countries. I would like to work for the Department of State. However, I would appreciate the opportunity to make a difference in a variety of different fields.

It is also my dream to become a professor of languages. The students that I tutored for the TRIO program in college believed that I had the ability to make linguistic concepts simpler and more understandable. I had many students tell me they were too old, had a learning disability, or were otherwise incapable of grasping another language. I encouraged these students because I wholeheartedly believed in them. Their success became my inspiration. These students influenced me to become a teacher when I graduated, and obtaining a PhD will allow me to do so.

As my professors have motivated me, I would like to return the favor to future generations. It is my hope that I can reach the world on a small level by working for the government, and on an exponential level by teaching multiple students to understand other people, languages, and cultures.

Thu, 22 May 2008 11:54:28 GMT

Fun Dates

May 27- Start New Job
May 31- Bridal Shower
June 18th- Move Out/ Move In Day!!!
June 26th- Lingerie Party/ Crystal and Sara come visit me!!!
June 27th- Rehearsal/ Dinner/ Bachelorette Party
June 28th- We're getting married!!!
June 30th- We get to ride in a plane again! :)

I have so much to look forward to!

A place to live...

Wed, 21 May 2008 21:25:32 GMT

Daniel and I just got approved for our apartment! I'm so happy! I can't wait to take myself and most of my belongings over to a place where I can breathe. For like the past three years, Ive woken up every morning and needed a tissue immediately. I developed an allergy to my cat freshman year of college and it hasn't gone away since.

Anyway, we have a place to call our own! I'm stoked. I can't wait to spend the night and wake up next to him. :D I've been wondering where we would put all of our registry stuff. Now I know. And I am sure that Sara and Crystal can stay with me the weekend of the wedding now. Woohoo! :D

Thanks Patricia

Mon, 19 May 2008 20:21:03 GMT

Thanks to my new sister to be... I remembered I actually have a livejournal site. Not that I have a lot of people reading that don't already know everything. Anyway, to catch up:

Daniel and I are engaged!
Wedding is in 40 days
I move out in 30
I got a job today at Target, as long as I passed the drug test... ha!

The job is like 7/hr but thats better than zero even though I know I deserve better. I hope I can either prove that to them or that another... much better... job will sequester me. Haha

I'm happy to be marrying Daniel. Everyone keeps asking me if I'm excited and if I'm nervous... I'm still really just normal me. I guess you could say I'm more content than usual though.

I have really been crying a lot lately during worship songs, Narnia, and preaching. Its like remembering the depth of it all is hitting me so hard. I know Jesus died to save me from my sins. Recently though, I don't know, I'm really touched. We can't think of a song yet to use at the wedding. We know we want to welcome and adore God. We just can't find the right song yet.

I know that was a bunch of rambling and it jumped around a lot. But hey,it is my head you're looking into.

Hmmm...

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 01:36:49 GMT

I made a change to my life today. I'm actually making a lot of changes this week. I wish some other things would change so I could talk with someone about them... hmm. God help me.

The best week of my life so far...

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 00:14:43 GMT

I was counting the days down to Sunday with the assistance of hopeful little text msgs from Daniel reminding me how excited he was too. It finally came and I spent hours in anticipation of getting on the plane. Mom didn't want to let us go through security immediately, so I tried to pass the time taking pictures with Daniel. I also talked with Liu Jia Li at the Assistance Desk. Finally, we got to go through and get on the plane.

Day One

We got on the plane and I was so excited, because it was our first time flying together. I was finally comfortable with the passenger sitting next to me. It's not everyday that you have someone sitting by you on a plane that you don't mind leaning up against when you get tired. We took a lot of random pictures and enjoyed the ride. Our pilot got us to Florida 30 minutes early. Strange. Everyone applauded him. When we got off the plane we were surprised that we had all been locked in the airport. A couple jerky frat boys were cursing and one guy with a loud mouth was complaining just to get attention. I didn't mind though. I was with Daniel in another state, free to do whatever we wanted.

When we got the rental car, I was shocked that the priced ended up more than double what I was quoted. I was really trying hard not to let it ruin my night. We got in the car and it was some crazy new technology that mixed Manual with Automatic shifting. After a while we figured it out, but before we could make it to the hotel we payed about 6$ in tolls and got lost inside the Magical World of Disney.

Day Two

I woke up in a king sized bed all by myself. So, I went to see if Daniel was awake yet. He was, barely. We spent the morning cuddling and then went to Universal Studios by around 10. It was pretty cool. The Mummy Ride was exciting and there were some other funny things. We had dinner at the biggest Hard Rock Cafe in the world. We went to check out Island's of Adventure after a few hours in the first park. I was beat though, so we rode The Hulk (awesome!!!) and the Star-bellied Sneetches ride and left. We spent the evening in the hot tubs and pool outside. I talked with some people from Boston. The water was warm and relaxing. It was so nice to enjoy good weather.

Day Three

We drove an hour and a half to a beach right below Daytona. It was pretty nice to see a beach, but the weather was a little cloudy. I fed all of Daniel's raisins to the seagulls and we stood in the waves for a while, until we got too cold. Then we went for a walk in the sand. It was wonderful to just enjoy walking with him. We collected a few seashells to remember the day.

Then... Ba Ba Da Dum!!!! Cirque Du Soleil !!!!!
Mom bought me tickets for my birthday. This was an awe inspiring amazing performance, that I can't quite put into words. It's described as an interaction between reality and the subconscious dream world. They pulled it off too! It was absolutely great!! We enjoyed everything.

Day Four

Daniel and I went back to Universal and Rode the Hulk, Dueling Dragons (favorite!!!) and a bunch of other rides. Dueling Dragons scared me, it was so awesome. The park was great. Islands of Adventure definitely trumps the old park. We tried to eat at this fancy place voted best theme-park restaurant five years in a row. They were closed though. We stood around for a while and there was a talking fountain. It squirted people with water every now and then. It was so funny. Daniel and I were horsing around and it said "What are you doing? Yes you, the girl that just hit her boyfriend in the red shirt there. What did he do? Boyfriend, is your sternum okay?" It was funny. Theres apparently some guy somewhere watching everyone and making fun of them all day long.

Day five

Unfortunately we had to be out of the hotel by 10 and we had to go home at 6. We went back to the park and took pictures of each other and all sorts of things. We also went back to Downtown Disney to buy the Cirque Soundtrack.

And now I'm back home... so boring.

I did have a wonderful week though!

Well... heck. If I'm gonna stay up all night writing it...

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 07:40:13 GMT

I have to write personal reflections on my study for my porfolio. Here goes:

My New Love, Japanese

Carla Thompson

Coming to East Tennessee State University, I had no idea what wonderful adventures God had in store for me. I had already decided to major in Spanish before choosing to attend classes here. On a whim, I elected to take Japanese as well. Spanish had become a little boring after four years of study in high school and several more of self study beforehand. I wanted to taste something new. Not being able to do anything halfheartedly, I chose to minor in Japanese from the start.

This introduced me to many rare and unusual experiences. One of which was a completely new script to learn. I had always been able to decipher most things written with roman characters after staring at it long enough. (Romance languages I could get through their relationships to Latin and Spanish, others through their relationship to English). When I first laid eyes on hiragana, its beauty and intricacy amazed me. I was hooked. Not to mention Kanji, which both challenges and delights me. The logic behind the Japanese writing system seemed to click in my head as well. After taking a class in phonology, it just made sense that the Japanese would have the same symbol for /ka/ and /ga/ with just two tiny marks to note the difference. I was surprised at the organization and elegance of the new language I was learning. This made me excited to continue further than I ever intended.

Another thing which made me continue was the pure challenge behind the language. With four types of writing, varying expressions to denote respect and humility, and differences between male and female, older and younger speech, I feel as though I may never learn enough. I both struggle with and embrace the difficulty. I have always enjoyed pushing myself to do harder things. Japanese definitely offered me a wonderful opportunity.

Although it is a lot of work for her, having Sensei for every class creates a unique relationship between her and the students who choose to go the distance and minor in the language. I must say that she is one of the most interesting and unique teachers I have ever had. She will go out of her way to help a student continue learning. At the same time, she does not allow students to get things the easy way, and she is nice (and often hilarious) when she reminds us, so bluntly, that we have to study in order to learn. We all admire and respect her. Taking the classes over the years with the same group of people causes a strong bond between classmates as well. I consider those with whom I have spent the last four years studying Japanese to be a unique part of my extended family, as a brother or a sister. Of course, I feel this way about a few people from my study abroad experience as well.

In my second year I decided that I absolutely wanted to study abroad. I chose to study in Japan instead of Spain, thinking that I had more to learn in Japanese, and wanting to get as far away from Johnson City, TN as I could. I figured the other side of the world would do just fine. I applied to Nanzan Daigaku in Nagoya, Japan as my first choice and sweated out the next year, hoping to get accepted. Getting the letter in the mail confirming that I was admitted was a golden experience. Sensei, my classmates and my friends at Japanese-Table were all very happy for me.

Nanzan was amazing. Japan was amazing! I will never be able to convey how wonderful the whole experience was. The school was so well maintained and helpful to the students. I had four Japanese language teachers: Mutsukawa Sensei, Onishi Sensei, Yokoi Sensei, and Hasebe Sensei. The first three took turns switching between three groups of my classmates over about a three hour period. One would come in and do grammar, another would switch in for reading, and then the third would come in and do speaking. Hasebi Sensei ran LL, the computer lab class with listening and comprehension exercises. These teachers did all they could to teach us a huge amount of material in five months. (ETSU teaches one book, Genki II, over two years of study. Nanzan covered the whole book in just one semester.)

I also chose to take classes in Japanese arts. I gained a huge appreciation for patience through my calligraphy course. One hour with a brush and self made ink, repeating the same character over and over will do that for you. I also took Hanga, which is the art of woodblock printing. I learned not to put my fingers in front of a knife, and yet again: patiently chipping away the wood will give better results than angrily forcing the image out. My third art class was Sumi-E, or black ink painting. The gentleman who taught us was considered some sort of master, and it was obvious to all of us why. He could take a brush and create anything with it, as if it was an extension of his own body and not a man made tool.

I had a course in Elementary Translation as well. Every day we would sit and label parts of sentences, then translate them. The process was like clockwork. We would have to identify what was within the sentence before hacking at it with a dictionary. I learned a deeper understanding of grammar, which is one of my favorite things to study in any language.

The country itself taught me more than any classroom can. I traveled on bike, by car, in an ambulance, by train, subway, boat and airplane. Everywhere I went taught me a little more. Language is learned mostly through practice, as far as I can tell. When you are actually in need, you are more willing to practice. Whether you are asking a kind stranger for directions or in the emergency room and the doctor wants to know if you have insurance: it all impacts your learning in a direct manner.

Japan had a lot of adventures to offer me. The people were astoundingly respectful and very helpful. I can’t count the number of people who lent me a hand in getting around. One lady let me sleep at her apartment when I missed the last train home. Another man carried my suitcases to the subway when the elevator was broken. On two occasions, perfect strangers drove me where I needed to go, after I had gotten myself completely lost.

The land itself changed with every step I took. Tokyo was a bustling city full of people. Fukuoka was a laid back beach with some awesome ferris wheels. Kyoto was full of history and contemplation. Shimonoseki was a quaint town knit together by the fishing industry. Nagoya, my second hometown, felt like a mix between a big city and a small town, though it mostly looked the part of a big city.

As I said earlier, I feel I may never learn enough. I hope I can get a job teaching English in Japan after I graduate. This job should help me pay for living in Nagoya, as I intend to apply there again. I want to return and immerse myself in the language and culture as much as possible. Hopefully one day I will become fluent in the language, and not just fluent for a “gaijin”.

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:47:42 GMT

Today my stomach did a backflip and landed in a contorted painful knot. Not that it isn't talented at doing backflips or anything...

Mitzi came in and said that she couldn't leave me a message. Since Donna and Katie had been complaining about the same thing, I checked my messages. Lo and behold on Jan 28th the TSA Recruitment center had called me and I had absolutely no idea. They left a message for me to call back. Grrr... I called back even though it had been over two weeks at this point. Will they really want me even though this makes me look like a lazy fool? I cannot believe that this happened. I called back and left a message and I'm certain I sounded like a total idiot. I was just so worked up over the pain of missing that call. I want to work for them SO badly. This tears at my heart. I called them five times after leaving the message. They never picked up or called back. I don't know what to do at this point. I just feel stupid.

I stole your quiz Sara~ <3

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:08:13 GMT

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Whats up?

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:13:03 GMT

Im taking Tomoki to the airport today. I'm dreaming about this house that I really really want to buy. I'm wishing that the TSA would finish my background check and say "Hey we want you to work for us!" I'm happy that my pocket is ringing. I am talking with Daniel :D I'm excited about the trip were taking tomorrow.

Just Desire

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:16:57 GMT

I went and got my hair cut today. Finally. I wanted to get it trimmed so it would look decent again. It turned out quite sexy. :D Let's see how I fare tomorrow when I have to fix it myself without all the fancy cremes the lady used. It was sort of an inspiration to kick start what I want to be doing this year. EVERYTHING is going to change this year. I'm graduating in May and by the grace of God I hope I can kekkon suru con alguien before the year is over. I want to be able to take care of myself better. Since I'm about to go and face this world on my own :) So, I'm officially trying to eat better and stick to a workout routine over the next six months. Hopefully my oshiri and estomago will be in better shape. I'd also like to have less headaches. I really hope the TSA gets through with their background check on my sometime soon and will want me for that position at the airport. I really want that job.

No, these aren't resolutions... just desires

And as usual, if you can't read parts of this, its intentional

Best Friend Reunion

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 02:32:35 GMT

Goodness. Pure Goodness.
He showed up tonight after working all day. He brought me potato soup. We sat together on the couch while I ate it. Pretty good, very cheesy. Then there came this surprising whirlwind of just plain having fun and enjoying each other's presence, the likes of which we have not had in a looooooong time. I am so fulfilled and excited right now. It was like there was nothing on his mind but me. Finally. I'm in love! :)

freedom

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:08:38 GMT

Out of schooooooooooool! Yay! I finish this semester with a 4.0 at one college and a 3.501 at ETSU. The .001 is important to me because it means I barely made cum laude status but at least I didn't make the absolute lowest cum laude. Bwahaha.

I don't know what to do now that I have this free time available. I know I need to clean my house, but I really want to just take a breath really quickly before I make myself do anything close to working again. Daniel and I went Christmas shopping last night. It was fun. He said dinner was part one and a half of our anniversary celebration which we didn't get to have since school was so crazy. Funny enough, someone paid for our meals. We don't know who it was. He doesn't know what to do with all this free time either. It's like were going through school withdrawal.

I'm still crossing my fingers that the TSA will finish their background check on me and I can move on. I also sincerely hope that I can balance my desire to celebrate spring break and other things with a new job, if it comes. I'm really excited about the possibility of having such an awesome job. If I get it, I may move out to an apartment. I already looked at some that I really like.

I find myself now dreaming and planning about what to do with my next vacation instead of enjoying this one, mostly because I didn't make any plans for this one and just hoped to survive until it came. I'm excited about next semester. I'll be taking snowboarding and spending a vacation trip with Daniel and three other friends up in the mountains falling on my butt the whole time. I'll also take geology and descriptive linguistics, plus Chinese and strength training. They all represent different goals and interests I guess. Geology is cause I have to, linguistics is an interest. I couldn't take not understanding anything in China the week I was there, and I promised myself I would get in shape. I want some sexy muscles, or at least a flatter stomach. Oh yeah, at the other place I'm taking Intro to Geo Info Systems Technology, Police in America (zzzzzzzzz), and Crime Control Analysis. Yay.

I am getting back more money than usual this semester and find that I can totally spend a little extra on a vacation and still have enough to live off of and buy gas. Since next year is leap year and therefore the only year my favorite holiday ever (Feb 29) comes around, and I've never truly taken a spring break (which comes the day after) to do anything enjoyable for myself, I am excitedly planning to have the best week ever. I'm just hoping everything works out.

I really wish I could go see some of my friends for the break. I miss Jessica, Sara, Crystal, and Kelly. I just don't know how possible it is. I know it's not possible to visit them all. Darn it all, they don't live anywhere near TN. Love ém though! I don't get any of that money I was talking about until January 14. Of course, by then, school will have started.

I cannot make a sound, but I can listen.

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:29:33 GMT

I can't tell up from down, and now I miss them.

Moving on.

The past month has felt a lot like drowning. I cannot filter out all the issues of my life and I keep adding new ones to enjoy the change in temperature. This causes a lot of stress and tears. The tears are mostly the result of all the stress mixed together with hormones and overflowing from a satiated mind.

Is this the courageous Supeingo I'm talking about? Yes.

~~~~~~\(>_<)/~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Somehow that song seems to calm me down though. It's so serene you almost can't tell at first that he's talking about drowning.

It all boils down to: I am afraid to graduate. Yes. I know I am dying to graduate and move on and get out of this construction worker infested campus. Where exactly am I supposed to go though?

I am trying to:

Register for new classes
Keep my scholarships
Get a real job
Get a real job counted as an internship
Keep good credit
Maintain my current job
Do my homework for Dra. P = (@@)
Clean my house
Get enough sleep to live
Wake up on time
Find an alternative to getting a real job
Pay my bills
Be patient with what I wish I had
Have a social life
Help my mom out
Write a BSed 10 pager
Make girl friends
Not forget nihongo
Graduate
Teach 17 kids every week without an assistant
Consider getting an apartment or house
Schedule exams (GRE, LSAT?, TSA)
Take care of my aminals
Support my boyfriend while still not seeing him hardly at all
and numb that section of my heart crying out to head back to watch the sun rise from its true origin.

All I want is to know that I'm doing the right thing. I know what I want. Well, I want two things. I think I'm choosing the best one. I just wish I had more certainty. My professors are all saying I'm headed in the right direction and that I will be off and running with a great career in no time. They say I have a great plan worked out for myself and I should follow it. I just wish I could set it into action and see that it turns out well. I know how to manage myself, but it's a little harder with extra possibilities involved. Kinda like a kid walking into a candy store and being overwhelmed with the colors and smells.It's funny that I'm an organizational tutor and my house and car and backpack are such a wreck. I just want to sit down with some friends and something yummy and chill.

God help me.

... I feel your touch. Will you pull me up again?

dreams, dates, and dancing

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:33:21 GMT

Dreams:
I love how my subconscious loves to haunt me at night. I can go to bed feeling perfectly exhausted from my seemingly endless tasklists and wake up sweating at 2 AM because, in perfect mirror of what happens during the day, nothing works right in my mind at night either. Especially when I go to bed the night before some crazy event. I had dreams all thursday night that things were going wrong with Tiff's wedding. Not that anything went wrong with her, just my responsibilities kept getting screwed up. And a song that I know perfectly well and somehow forgot the words to, I remembered every single word before losing consciousness on Chibi's couch that night... how is that fair? I can't sing it when I'm asleep! I wish I knew exactly what influenced dreams, since I seem to have the most vivid ones of all my friends... or at least the best memory. Im also semi cursed/blessed with recurring dreams, dreams where theres one or multiple inside of another, and of course... lucid dreams. I remember watching an episode of Blue's Clues where Steve was teaching the kids how to lucid dream... I really think thats impossible to instruct.

Dates:
I need more of the romantic kind... or at least want. I am thoroughly excited about tomorrow and just watching a movie with my best friend ever :)
I need less of the calendar kind. Its crazy. I am taking eight legitimate classes and two of the other kind. Academic masochist? Plus, I have to work two jobs at ETSU, attend events and figure out where Im going for the rest of my life. My teacher just asked me when I was free for Spanish Club (which is now mandatory!?) and then, when I said I had no time, proceed in an attempt to convince me that she was busier than I am. I don't think you understand...

Dancing:
Having not really danced since I was in Japan, last week or two was amazing. I don't really remember which night it was that Daniel and I danced, just that it was after Chibi's bridal shower. That was such a special night. We tried to dance outside to some music. Mom didn't know what was going on and interrupted and Daniel didn't feel like doing it anyway, so that was a failed effort. Later on though, everything just clicked. It was perfect.
The Rehearsal Dinner was great. Tanner gave Tiffany a special dance at the beginning and the end. I got to dance with Daniel and had a great time dancing with the bridesmaids when he sat out. They accidentally got a peek at my underwear at one point... none of the guys did though, so it was ok. I had a lot of fun dancing with Angela, and it turns out she had no idea what the song was... so that made it even funnier. I think I just enjoy playing around. I know I enjoy feeling close to Daniel, he makes me feel so special when he looks into my eyes. So they are two different things really. Livin' it up with some friends and lovin' on my koibito.

drop and give me eight

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 01:23:16 GMT

I dropped my German 4000 class today. I emailed the teacher and wanted to talk with her, but we were both too busy. So I emailed her a long explanation, and I hope she doesn't hate me. She really is one of my favorite teachers. I was inspired to attempt a german minor by her. Now I am giving up on it and I feel a bit defeated.  I also know that theres no way I would have made it through that class with anything above a C. I replaced it with Human Relations with Dean Hurley. Another one of my life's heroes I guess you could say. I guess he'll be surprised when I come to class tomorrow.  I'll be dropping the other German 3000 class tonight. I don't enjoy having to leave one class twenty minutes early, speed down the interstate, and make Daniel park my car just to get to a class that I am also not well prepared for. So I will be essentially changing my minor from German to Criminal Justice. After the I graduate that minor will translate into more than 2/3 of an AAS in Criminal Mapping and Analysis, which I can't turn down. Forget my earlier plans to get an MAT. This AAS is more than half finished. Haha!

My last day of work is on Saturday at OD. As long as he actually recieved my resignation letter that is. He hasn't spoken with me at all. I hope he doesn't schedule me. Funny thing is that Tanner just got hired there. Good luck Hon. I feel a little awkward about not having a "steady" job anymore.  I do however still have APS, SSS, and FWS... all jobs that pay more than OD did. I think the fear of not having a job after I graduate is what is getting at me. I'm sure though, that I will be able to find something. Heck, the TSA is hiring at TRI... Id go do it if I wasn't in class.

I do not want to persue becoming a police officer. I want to make that straight. I would do it to get my foot in the door, but I think my foot is pretty flexible in other areas.

I really am not able to get the idea of becoming a journeyman out of my head. Jeremy mentioned it the night he talked about his years in Indonesia. He said I could go be a missionary in Japan for two years and that the group would pay my way. What on earth is there that is more important that I could use my ability to speak Japanese for? Being there made me so concerned for all of the people. I loved the church that adopted me in the last month or so that I lived there. I was considering going back to improve my language skills, what better way, and what better reason, is there than that?

I'll wait and see what happens. My dream is still to get a PhD in Linguistics from Georgetown, work for the Dept of State, then at the CIA and then teach at a university. But what does God want from me? He's obviously provided this Criminal Justice thing in the middle of everything. I didn't see that coming at all, but I followed it. I want to know what to follow next.

Good Better Best

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:59:28 GMT

Oh wow! Things are so much better now than they were before. I'm tellin ya. Now that school's started and I have classes, ryugakusei, and old nihongo classmates to occupy my time, life is back in gear. I got to see a lot of people I've missed and it feel's like part of the life that I had in Japan has returned to me in a smaller dose. I get to speak in Japanese again. I get to talk with friends, go to parties and just enjoy stuff.

Hooray! Yesterday Daniel and I up and went to carowinds for fun. It was a long drive and I had a lot of homework to do as a consequence, but it was totally worth it to just enjoy the day being with him and riding coasters. Also, since we were out of state it felt more like we could be a couple and do couple things.  ne? We walked around with our arms around each other and held hands on the rides and it was just great!

A few days before that I got to go to Japanese table and then after helping one of the new students find a refrigerator, to a party at Mike's. I missed those! That was the absolute best game of Apples to Apples I have ever played.  It was nice to be normal again. I don't think there was a person in the room (out of the starting crowd) who hadn't lived in Japan.

I have nine classes and its getting to be a little much. I turned my resignation letter into OD the other day. I feel really good knowing I only have to work for them two more days. I may drop my German class. I don't know yet though. I think I am in over my head. At least I'm enjoying it though!

I wish I could have said so much...

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 02:41:27 GMT

I get silent when I'm hurt, concerned, or when I just don't know what to say. Obviously that seems natural. I think before I let words come flying out of my mouth although they are running around and crashing into each other in my brain. So after a few hours of sorting here's the reply I did not give to the person who will prolly never read this anyway. Just in case there's anyone else who has any questions, here's your answer.

I love Daniel with all of my heart. There is nothing that will change that. Although we are not married and there is a possibility we may not get married, I am committed to him. My love, encouragement and obedience are his until the day that I die, whether I marry him before I die or not. (Seeing as how I've already been hit by two cars this year and lived, I'm guessing God still wants me to stick around on the Earth for a little while). So, yes, I do know that I am his. I have known since that night in Roan Mountain when I begged God to prove it to me, and He did. I would not have waited over two years to kiss him and then allowed myself to make such a serious commitment, if I had any doubt my kiss would not be his forever. I have had plenty of good and long-lasting opportunities to make a decision to leave him and I have not. We have broken up, and God allowed us to come back together (for which I am very thankful). I have lived on the other side of the Earth from him and loved him the entire time. If I did not want to dedicate the rest of my life to serving God through serving him, I would have stayed in Japan. November makes four years we've been together, and I am not the kind of person to commit to something that long if I am not wholeheartedly going to see it through.

traffic

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 19:48:04 GMT

I was sitting at the St. of Franklin four way with W Market and looking at the cars, lights, and mountains in front of me. I wasnt there though. I was walking down the hill from Yagoto Nisseki to the four way where there would be a tune to assure me it was safe to cross over to Docomo and turn towards my favorite Lawsons and the wedding gown display that would welcome me every week. I was there in my head, why couldn't the rest of me be there too? The truth is... it can. United.com just sent me an email declaring that they've lowered their ticket prices to the one place I really want to be in the world to 3 and 400 dollars. I haven't gotten a job yet and I have a few hundred left to play with this summer. Why not? *

I think that's half the reason that I can't seem to clean up the mess that enveloped the room when my suitcases exploded. I keep thinking I can go back soon. I want to. I feel like I'm visiting home. I know that doesn't make much sense to any of you who haven't had this experience. I'm sorry. I love all of you and my desire to be back in Japan should not offend you. It is not an intended insult, as if you or anyone else in Johnson City is not "good enough" for me. You are, or I wouldn't have thought twice about staying there and not returning home at all.

I lived in Nagoya. I LIVED there. I didn't visit or pass through it. I lived there and a huge part of me came alive there. That part of me that many things here at "home" seem to be trying to supress. If I'm happy, I should be allowed to be happy. In fact I suggest everyone should go find something that makes them happy. Go get some icecream (may I suggest "popping shower" from Baskin Robbins if you can find it) and watch a baseball game. Cheer as loudly as you want to and lick the tasty mess off of your elbows when your favorite flavor starts to melt. Because honestly, why should it matter what other people think?

When the light turned green and I had to come back from the Lawson's counter (right before buying some Protein Gel) so that I could continue my drive in safety, The Dance by Garth Brooks came over the radio. Now, Im not a lovesick fool who's lost his girl. I was, however, touched by the message behind the song, which never changes and can adapt to any situation. No matter how much it hurts when it's over, it was still worth it to have "the dance".

* I do actually have a reason for not going back, and it's a darn good one too. Otherwise, I'd be writing you all a message saying, "see you in a few weeks, I'm gone".

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 01:19:53 GMT

Supeingo is home. Just so everybody knows. I feel way too many things about that statement. I love being with my family and friends in the place Ive grown up. I miss my Rainbow family, Nanzan friends and the place where I discovered myself.

Im looking at a year more of school. I could shorten it to a semester but I dont want to, I dont think. I am looking for a place to live during the school year. Checking out Buc Ridge, which I can afford, but is rather expensive. The only thing I am truly concerned about is the roommate issue. Who am I gonna be paired with? I mean its a big deal if I have to live with someone for that long and we dont end up matching well. Of course I do have support in the thought that I managed to live with all of the Rainbow inhabitants. Three girls who are absolutely nothing like myself, more than just not like me, diametrically opposed to many things I am and believe. Those girls became my best friends, support, and family in Japan. As much as there were differences and problems, there were moments that made them like sisters to me. No roommate could ever top them. Ive had so many good roommates. Tiffany was the best ever. She supported me and even let me cry with her when Daniel and I werent doing so well. I took her to the hospital at 4 am when she had a kidney stone... or several. Of course we also had good times... staying up talking late at night and she even introduced me to Letterman Cosby and Obrien.

Theres a bond I guess that comes with every roommate. Im just a little apprehensive about the possibility of a fifth one.

After thinking a lot. Im considering going to an allergist and getting some kinda shot to just kill my allergies. I get along great with my mom and have such a wonderful set up here. Im just wondering if Daniel will ever be able to come over again. He's allergic too :(

Tanjoubi :D

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 10:01:56 GMT

Yay! Im 21. I don't feel much different, or older. No big deal though. It was actually one of the best days ever. My church friends gave me a card, a calendar and a bilingual New Testament. Ayumi had already taken me to get my hair dyed so I was pretty much thrilled with life in general. The night before I had Ayumi and her friend Yukiko come over for Fettucine Alfredo. Yes, I am becoming a wonderful cook. They brought cookies. Tateishi-San also showed up at the gate a few minutes late bearing Jasmine flowers. I loved them. I didn't think she was coming so it was a nice surprise to see her. We had some fun and chatted for a while until everyone had to go home. It was delightful. For Breakfast on my birthday I indulged in the beautiful cake I had whipped up previously. White with colored sprinkles. Yumm! Jessica met me at school with choco melon pan as big as my head. Also in the bag from the bakery were curry pan and some cheese fondue pan. I had the cheese one for lunch with pineapple after getting my reentry permit from immigration. Which means I got my Chinese Visa that morning btw. I'm going to China! Teresa was right when she told me the visa was beautiful. It has the great wall on it. I came home looking forward to a yummy dinner. When I got in Kelly met me at the door with a big grin saying "Im so happy! For you!" Then she handed me a big bunch of red roses that had arrived before I got home. Daniel sent me roses! Oh my goodness what a wonderful surprise! Basking in their scent I ate my birthday dinner which was steak with lemon garlic shrimp skewers, cinnamon apples, and cheesy mashed potatoes. Yeah, remember that comment about me becoming an excellent cook? Topped off with birthday cake which is more than half gone by now cause everyone likes it so much. All in all Im glad I was born.

...and it took 4 and a half hours!

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 13:53:47 GMT

Today I finally accomplished a 10 year long dream. Ever since I was about eleven I have wanted to dye the tips of my hair blue. As a child when I asked my mother for permission to do this she said "well, just make sure you pray about it." My father was bewildered and my step mother made fun of me. I love my mom. I prayed about it and found that I really wasn't getting any negative feedback from God on it. However, I looked in the mirror one day and realized I really liked the way my hair looked. So I waited... and then waited some more. Eventually ten years passed and I randomly spoke about it with Ayumi over some sushi who offered to take me to get it done with a 20% discount card she had. We worked out different days and finally settled on today at 300pm. I met her and we walked to EMA salon. Where I was greeted by a stylish guy who had a white shirt with a pink strip across it. Spiked hair, he was cool. When he asked what color I wanted he was thrown off when I pointed at my jacket and said I wanted it that color blue. He handed me off to a nice lady named Yuko and another guy came by to ask what I wanted to drink. Free unlimited refill on coke was a wonderful addition to this salon thing. Goodness, it certainly helped the time pass by better. Yuko bleached my hair once... twice... three times! It took so much. She washed it after the second time. Bleached it. Washed it again. Then dyed it blue. She let me sit for a while to soak it up. Then she came back and washed it one more time. This time... she gave me a massage. Head and shoulders... no joke. I loved it. I had a headache from all the bleach but it pretty much went away after the massage. Then she dried it and brushed it straight. Oh my goodness it was beautiful! Yay! Ureshii!!! I wish I had dyed it a bit further up, but no problems. Its so pretty. I love it. They're telling me it will last two weeks and I can get it redyed within those two weeks if I need to for free. I may take them up on it just to get another week out of it. Yays! Ayumi liked it and the original pink shirt guy did too. Both Yuko and he walked Ayumi and I out the door and bowed. They are so kind here. I really think American salons should consider giving free cokes and massages with hair cuts.

baseball and academic restriction

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 09:26:21 GMT

This past wednesday I went to my first baseball game in Japan. Chunichi Dragons (rule) v Hanshin Tigers (suck). It was quite amazing. I've never (almost never?) had so much fun at a sporting event in my life. The crowd was so engaged and supportive. People were nuts! There was a different cheer for every teammate. I tried to pick up on some of them, but even after obtaining a sheet of all the lyrics from a nice couple, I could only pick up on half of one... "HoMuRan HoMuRan TaI Ron!". Tyrone is the black player for the Chunichi dragons. He picks his bat up over his head and the Tigers just start to cry when they see all those muscles. Anyway, I persuaded some guards to let me down into the expensive area with all the ruckus and had a grand old time. Then I went back up to my seats and re-joined Pad in a wonderful bout of name-calling, cheering and yelling. The Japanese people around us were laughing hysterically at how much we were into the game. They gave him a pat on the back after it was over. Unfortunately we lost 9-1. But we still won Tues and Fri games so that makes it just a lucky shot for the tigers. Seriously, tigers are orange and black... yellow and black stripes belong on bumblebees. : P
On an upbeat note:
I am officially on academic restriction. More specifically "unsatisfactory academic progress probation". Normally people should be upset about this but, this is what ETSU does to any student who goes abroad because they don't want to make up a "study abroad" category. Basically, until my transcript comes in proving that I am actually taking classes over here they won't do much of anything. Its cool though, because it means I can get an incomplete in German without losing any scholarships, which is exactly what I needed.

I love you all, next update should be about China, unless something cooler comes along around 300pm tomorrow : D

Recent Wanderings

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 08:12:24 GMT

I haven:t updated in a seriously long while so I will start with what has happened over the past few weeks and end with all the mischief I will be getting into over the next few.

Pardon* The computer I:m using is a Japanese one and I don:t feel like searching around for all the right punctuation keys, so some of it will be off.

Spring Break was really awesome. I went home for a week on a 960 dollar plane ticket made all my connections and even weaseled my way into a better seat on the intl flight. Daniel and I were so happy to see each other at the airport where he picked me up and the rest of the week was filled with Family Friends and Fragocity. I loved seeing all of you and am happy I decided to come home. TN is beautiful.

Coming back from Spring Break I had the strangest feeling that I actually belonged in Japan. This time I knew where I was going, who I:d be coming home to and what I:d be doing the next day. It was wonderful. Even the Kanji that intimidated me to tears when I arrived at the airport the first day here seemed to welcome me back saying "we missed torturing you, welcome home".   It was the beginning of what is now a deep love of this country.

The Sakura began to bloom and everything in the world felt right. I swear these trees are the most beautiful things in the world. I want a thousand of them in my backyard. Or at least 300. <I:ll be impressed if you know what Im talking about. It was a week long pink miracle. Even now as they are starting to lose their petals and become green, the pavement is a soft pink polka dotted pathway which makes me smile wherever I walk.

The week the sakura bloomed I finally met some Christians. They welcomed me into their church with open arms and I cried a little when I sang How Great is Our God with them in Japanese. Turns out the music pastor really likes all of the Passion composers. I:m right where I belong. Christians make up less than one percent of the population here so it really is amazing that I found them.

I have made new friends and gotten to know my host family better. I have wondered around the beautiful streets for hours. I have overcomed any shyness I ever had about speaking the language. All of this has contributed to me finally loving this country. Its a shame that it took three months and that I will be leaving soon, however I do sincerely love it now.

This week while going through the calendar a friend pointed out that my last class is monday the 8th and from that time until the 14th I have a week long break I had no idea existed. Awesome! Where will I go? I7m considering Kyushu where I can be buried in lava sand, traverse a few volcanoes and swim at the beach. Jessica wanted to go to Disneyland but after finding out it is just a small scale Florida version and hearing me say the word "beach", I think she may want to go with me instead.

Speaking of travel... the week before that is Golden Week. Its pretty much a week long holiday where every single Japanese citizen is off work and everything is extremely expensive. I am subsequently out of school as well : ) I flirted with the idea of going to China and seeing the Great Wall. Ive always wanted to see it and I may never have the chance again, who knows? I really wasnt sure though. I mentioned it to Thomas when we were all in Osaka to see Himeiji and Bunraku. He got a sparkle in his eye and considered going with me himself. (He decided later that it was cheaper to visit a girl he knows in Hokkaido). While he was in the middle of debating however, I bought my ticket. 24800 yen and I:ve got a seat/floor to Qingdao from Shimonoseki. Not bad. I leave the 28th by Ferry and arrive the 29th where I sill stay in Qingdao overnight and catch a train (fingers crossed) to Beijing. I have all my hotels booked and The Great Wall is the highest of my priorities. I did want to see the Terra Cotta wariors but they are forever far away because China is gigantic. I will be able to cross the Wall off my list of things I want to see before I die.   The only thing I couldn:t book online was the train tickets I will need. You can pray that I will get them, if you like. Yue-san, my Chinese classmate, is trying to help me learn some Chinese before I go. He:s adorable. A little shy but very helpful. We bought the same shirt at Jusco without knowing it. Mines red and it says "bland new", no joke.

After China, Kyushu, and after Kyushu of course I am determined as anything to climb Mount Fuji. I will not let anything hold me back. I cannot wait to go up. I will be taking the Yoshida trail which has the only open rest station at the time I will be climbing. (Technically Mt Fuji is closed at the moment) Its so close to open season though, that its much less dangerous than the real winter time. Ive read at least twenty sources on where, when and what to do. I will check out Loft for some climing/hiking gear and some good shoes. I hope some of the stations that burn stamps into your walking stick are open, cause I didn:t force my way through TSA Security checks with my hiking parter for nothing. Also if the post office at the very top is open I may send some postcards. Cool! I plan to watch the sunrise from the top. Yay!

That:s all for now. I am going to have sushi for dinner at a KaitenZushi place. I call it a Sushi-Go-Round. The sushi is on a little conveyor belt that goes in a circle by your table. You just pick up a plate of whatever you want when you see it come by. Japan is so cool.

~Hajimete points for Supeingo~

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 09:14:14 GMT

This weekend I :
#1 Ate raw sushi
#2 Stayed up all night partying
#3 Learned the difference between "chips" and "crisps
#4 Went to a real dance club
#5 Heard a techno remix of Walkin' in Memphis
#6 Face hooked a guy to get him off my roommate
#7 Lost my voice from singing

(for the first time)