A dream of apples

Last night, I dreamed that I was given an apple by someone. Twice.
Thinking it must be significant, I decided to look it up.

Apparently, when you're given an apple by someone, it's a symbol of love.
The person who gave me the apple in my dream was randomly this guy from my elementary school who I haven't thought about in ages, but...well...

An ripe apple is also considered a good omen with a promise of financial rewards in the near future! Ohh!

But then, depending on the situation surrounding the apple, it may be a symbol of knowledge and freedom...or a symbol of temptation and passions...The surrounding situation after given the apple is kind of strange and difficult to explain, so I'm not exactly sure which symbol it really is...Most of the interpretations I found talked about an apple on a tree or eating an apple or a rotten apple.

Both times, my apple was ripe and red. And both times it was just given to me by the same person. I didn't eat it.

Mysterious...

Then again, it could just represent my desire to eat an apple, which has gotten harder to do since apple prices have risen really high lately...

Oh, well. That's all I could interpret of my dream of apples.

Japanese spring culture

I almost forgot to post my cherry blossom viewing pictures!

Right now, in Japan, it's supposed to be spring.

I say 'supposed to be' because even though there were a few warm days at first, lately it's been like early winter cold...and it's not fun, especially because it means perfect weather to catch a cold (which I did. However, I am finally better now.)

Anyways, it's really amazing how Japanese people are so sensitive to and enjoy appreciating the changes in weather and seasons. There are special foods and events for each season.

In the spring, Japanese people go cherry blossom viewing ('hanami'). This year, the cherry blossoms bloomed really late in Tokyo. Everything was not completely in bloom until the end of March, beginning of April. But still, I was lucky enough to participate in the famous Japanese tradition with some friends after class on Saturday April 7. We walked to a park near Keio's Mita campus called 'Shiba Koen' (lit. Grass Park).

This was a shrine along the way with its entrance in full bloom.

 This is the entrance to the park. It was packed with people doing cherry blossom viewing!

 Everyone had their own large blue mats to sit on. There were even tents! Apparently, some really dedicated people stalk out a place and stay overnight...Well, it does get unexpectedly crowded, so I don't blame them. My friends and I almost didn't find a spot. 

 A view of Tokyo Tower through the blossoms.

It got really cold as the day progressed, so we all went for tea and coffee afterwards.

Before we left, though, we got a guy to take our picture for us.

This is the group I went with: (left to right) Me, Hyo-Jeong, Hyo-Jeong's friend (I forgot her name...), Saki, In, and Azusa.

 My dorm was also in full bloom!

I took this picture for mother, because it reminded me of our old backyard.

 These are some of my favorite flowers--sakurasou! (primroses) I think their heart-shaped petals are cute...A few of them are growing in my dorm's garden, so I took a picture.

 To the Japanese, cherry blossom viewing isn't limited to the daytime. Nighttime cherry blossoms are also considered very beautiful, and nighttime cherry blossom viewing is as popular as daytime viewing. After my conversation club two Tuesdays ago, we all went to go see the blossoms in Nakameguro.

 Lanters are lit and groups of friends sit around even on the side of the streets drinking, eating, talking, and taking in the view.

Another traditional Japanese custom that pays special attention to the seasons is tea ceremony.

Because I signed up for a Japanese culture class at my school, I'm able to participate in tea ceremony every Saturday for free! Our teacher is so cute and nice and always wears a beautiful kimono to class.

This is the classroom setting. The trays on the left are our tea trays; the objects in the center are the special charcoal used to fuel the fire to heat the tea kettle and a traditional Japanese candle which was made out of plant fibers rather than wax; the screen in the right corner displays the proverb of the day and below that (really tiny) is the daily flower arrangement.

 We learn how to behave at a tea ceremony, how to place our fan, how to fold our napkin, etc. This is the fan and napkin. A fan is just used for decoration and to mark your place in the case that you have to get up during the ceremony. The napkin is used to wipe your utensils as you use them. There's a procedure for everything, which can get confusing sometimes, but at the same time, it's amazingly beautiful and elegant.

The little box on the side is the tea container--the design is for the doll's festival--and we are given a tea scoop (the long wooden stick) and a wooden pick to eat our sweet (the shorter stick).

 This is the sweet of the day, called 'wagashi' (Japanese sweet). Unfortunately, the teacher only said it was perfectly fine to take pictures after I had already cut it...There's always a larger soft sweet served with chopsticks and a harder tiny sweet that you take with your hands. The sweet of the day yesterday was a pink sugar flower topped mocchi cake filled red bean paste and tiny green tea mocchi squares. You eat the sweet first so that your mouth fills with sweetness to prepare it for the bitter tea.

 And the tea is really bitter......Nothing like the matcha lattes at Starbucks haha. I mean, I expected this and I've had matcha tea straight before, but bitter is bitter... I saw that Hyo-Jeong was eating her sweet with her tea rather than simply before it. I realized that was a smart thing to do. I'll do that next time... 

By the way, the cup was decorated with a 'kabuto', a war mask used to celebrate boy's day. I was delighted to see my cup, with its boy's day image, and tea container, with its girl's day image, kind of made a pair!

Omoshirogariya

Lately, I've noticed that I've been asked this a lot.

The teacher stands up at the class teaching some grammar and asks, "Didn't you learn this in elementary level?" I shake my head.

My friend turns to me and asks, "A question like that would never turn up on a quiz in elementary level, right?" I dunno.

After all, I've never taken an elementary level Japanese class before.

Today, I was studying with my friends during break, and I was telling everyone how I had private grammar lessons with Watanabe-sensei last semester, since I didn't know elementary level grammar. Well, often, I'd heard it or seen it before, but I'd never been taught how to use it. After all, I've never taken an elementary level course before.

"You've never taken an elementary course before? Then how are you in level 9?!"

I dunno...

"You've never taken an elementary course before? Then how do you know how to write?"

I dunno...

When I think about it, I had never even taken a proper Japanese language lesson until coming to Japan. Then...how'd I get into level 7 and then level 9? How am I able to write? It was a shock to all my friends today, but it's just as much of a mystery to me....

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In my conversation class today, we were talking about special adjectives, and the teacher listed them on the board. She then went around to everyone and asked us which adjective we thought fit ourselves best.

It was my turn.

"Um...hardworker (douryokuka)...?"

"Hardworker? I think you're more of a 'omoshirogariya', Kenia," my teacher said.

Hm? What's that?

I know 'omoshiroi' means funny or interesting or fun, but 'omoshirogariya'?

So, I looked it up when I got home.

Apparently, an 'omoshirogariya' is someone who is easily amused or delighted--at jokes, for example. It can also be someone who takes pleasure in things such as hobbies or studies.

Oh! That's me! So that is my new word now. I've decided.

Hello, I'm Kenia, and I'm a 'omoshirogariya'.

Mokuyoubi (Thursday)

Thursday was an extremely busy day.

I had my level 9 class in the morning and met a new teacher. She's really nice and the class goes pretty slowly. She asked if this pace was okay and everyone agreed that it was. I'm kind of glad to find other people who enjoy learning at a slow pace. I see what my teacher meant by how this class was slow. There are several people from my level 7 class who can't stand going at a slow pace. But I think I have to go at a slow pace, or I can't learn as well.

What I didn't appreciate, however, was that my writing style was criticized. I like to write dramatically and it's usually praised in the US. For the Japanese, though, it's apparently too abrupt and shocking. I started my self introduction with "It all started with Kawasaki-san" but my teacher crossed it out, explaining that I can't just pop a name out right away without knowing who this person is. But I explain who Kawasaki-san is later! That's the whole point! I'm sure that even in Japanese, books start out this way. Perhaps it's just the educational realm that has this problem? Hah...I've found something else I don't like about Japan...

Afterwards, I had lunch with my friends.

At 1, I went to my first Conversation class and the teacher I really liked was like "Hi, Kenia! It's been a while!" It was so nice that she remembered me! I'm really glad that Hinata liked her, too. That class will be with Hinata, Chris, and Kamelija.

Afterwards, I went to this reading class just because Kamelija and Laura wanted to go to it. The two of them didn't like it, but I really really thought it seemed like an interesting class...which is dangerous because I already have 14 credits...this class would bump me up to 15 credits...but it looks so interesting!!!! I think Laura is a bit too proud. When we got out of the class, she complained that the class went too slow and she couldn't believe that the teacher thought that the class didn't know certain vocabulary and such. I agree that it feels kind of offensive when someone thinks you don't understand something that you already know, but you know, if you're too proud and if the teacher takes for granted that you know everything, then there's no point in learning. I don't think you can learn anything that way.

Then, the anime/game class was really interesting. The first half is just animation. Apparently, we get to visit an animation studio!! Sounds so cool...Looking forward to it.

I was so exhausted after everything....If I sign up for that reading class, I'll have class from 9am to 6pm....hmmm....I wonder if that'll be okay.....I do have Friday off. I guess I'll just see how the rest of my classes go.

But, I'm not only tired, I think I'm catching a cold...My throat hurts and I have a bit of a cough....So I thought, Oh no I can't die now!! and am treating myself with my stock of medicines and cough drops. Hopefully I can catch it before it becomes serious and takes over my body... TT_TT

My first day of school Spring 2012

My first day of school and all classes are called off after 3rd period because of a crazy storm...
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-04-03/japan-s-strongest-storm-since-1959-forecast-to-slam-into-tokyo

I got home before any of the rain began to pour, but it's very windy outside right now. In Japan, class gets called off when it rains. Not when it snows.

I at least had my main class this morning, though.

My class consists of 8 people, all guys except me and Hinata. In walks our Tuesday teacher, and me and and Hinata turn to each other in shock: "IT'S A BOY"

His name is Tsugano-sensei and he's my first male Japanese teacher. Being that I think only about 3 teachers out of the Japanese program staff are male, this is a rare opportunity. Being surrounded by males is a little intimidating...Especially since I'm used to the opposite pattern--mostly girls, few guys.

But then, he opened his mouth and started speaking.....and I just about died. Because his voice is just so nice. It reminds me of a voice actor I know...At the beginning of the class, I was so enraptured by his voice that I couldn't concentrate on the lesson, but as time progressed, I was able to calm down and think school haha....

But putting all of that aside, he seems to be a really cool teacher. I especially appreciate the fact that he recognized at the beginning of the class that everyone in the class is intelligent and he treats us all as adults rather than looking down on us and treating us like little kids--as a foreigner, I get that too much here. But I suppose it can't be helped. Most people don't know what it's like to have to communicate in a different language in a different country and a different culture. And thus, I feel that Tuesday classes will be good.

Content-wise, the class is quite unique. We listen to a cd line per line without reading the textbook, but simply by looking at the vocabulary lists as cues. And the cd will say a line or two and the teacher stops the cd and asks, "ok, repeat what the guy in the tape just said; what's the subject, what's the predicate of the sentence?" Especially since my memory is so bad that I can barely repeat what I said myself just a few seconds before, this way of learning is torture. Hopefully with time, I can improve, though. And I can see how this learning method can be effective.

Tomorrow, I have no class, but it's time for crazy prep work for Thursday. Now I know what to expect, so I know a bit better how to prepare. This class isn't as overwhelming as level 7 was grammar and vocabulary wise. I felt we learned super fast in level 7 and I was thrust into a high level all of a sudden from my 1 year of study at UMD. Grammar and vocabulary wise, I've already learned most of it in level 7. I feel like this level 9 class is more focused on the organization of sentences. When you listen to something, think not only of the meaning, but of how the sentence is structured. If you think this way, you'll be able to think this way eventually on your own and reproduce sentences in a properly structured manner. I think that's what this class is trying to teach us.

It's a new style of learning for me and it's not going to be easy, but here I go~☆

My last days of spring vacation

Last week, I went with my friends Kamelija and Nicolas to have sushi. This place is really good and it's right by my dorm even though I never knew about it!

I had been to a rotary bar, but this bar was a bit different. You're given a menu and have to order in a loud voice each sushi you want. You order one or two plates at a time and each plate comes with two pieces of sushi made right in front of you. It's also pretty cheap given the fact that a plate of 14 sushi in Japanese restaurants in the states tend to be about $14+ and I payed about $8-9 for 5 plates, which means 10 peices of sushi.

This is geso, which means baby squid tenticles. yummm 

 

This is shirako, which means cod sperm. not so yum...(Nicolas ordered it, not me. He loves it.)

Kamelija (my Croatian friend who was in my class last semester. she's really sweet), Nicolas (he has like 7 nationalities but he was born in France and goes to school in England so he speaks perfect British English. apparently, his school made a mistake when signing him up for Keio and he has to spend his second semester in Kobe University. he left on Sunday and im really sad i didnt get to say goodbye directly :< he's really such a sweet guy), and Katharina (german).  

I love Kamelija and Nicolas. They're such great people. Nicolas especially made a big impression on me when he told me how he really loves all the art I do and told me about how everyone in my class cherishes the keychains I made them for Christmas. He said, "Kenia, you really don't know how happy your art makes people." That simple comment really made me happy. Nicolas, I hope we can meet again!

 The reason I didn't get to say goodbye to Nicolas was because I went here on Sunday...

 Yes, those are male genetalia on those banners...It was a festival devoted to male genetalia. The last place I would want to go, believe me, but my friends invited me and so I decided to be social and just go for the experience.

How was it? Well, to put it short, it was disturbing, disgusting, and uncomfortable. TONS of foreigners as well. It was only tolerable because I was with friends. Ok, I understand how there may be a historic rationality behind this festival because the phallus represents human fertility and human life. But, really, I believe that in the end it's just a demonstration of human perversion.

There was even a portable shrine with a large metallic phallus. Apparently, a few of the people carrying it were 'new half'. In Japan, there exist the concept of 'halfs', in other words half Japanese, half another country. Although 'new half' may sound like some kind of interesting new concept, it has nothing to do with 'halfs'. 'New halfs' are usually males who have a sex change to look like females. In other words, half female half male. There are quite a few nowadays who have a prominent position in television and the entertainment world. I don't think that these people would be accepted in American society very well at all. Especially, since they would immediately be seen as gay. Not that Japan has tolerance for gay people, quite the contrary. From what I know, Japan refuses to believe that gay people exist. New halfs are on television shows, in advertisements, and in the music industry; 'gay like' behavior on tv etc. is seen as amusing rather than offensive; there are whole sections in the bookstores devoted to boyxboy (called shounen ai or yaoi) novels and manga. But that's just fiction of the literary, artistic, and entertainment worlds. Gay people don't really exist.

After that festival, we went to a larger temple where another festival was being held. Temples are so beautiful. This temple was so huge that it looked like a castle from the outside.

We had lunch here. I had these giant takoyaki! (a special batter that forms a puff around a piece of octopus) Delicious...

We then, walked to the park to take a break and just gorogoro (lay around).

 This is Hinata, Hinata's friend Tamaki who just came this semester and goes to William and Mary, and Makoto. I took stalker pics of them...
Buddies buddies~