Curly In Japan

Final Call

2010-08-07T15:02:00.000+09:00

I always prefer to write in Courier New. I think it has to do with the fact that I like history, that old feel, that vintage, rustic feeling that typewriters emulate when print first became attainable for all. I love the look of old newspapers, I love how simple, yet distinct this font is. Beginning this “final words” bit talking about font is a bit odd, I’ll grant you that, especially since you

Vietnam Pictures

2010-05-10T18:13:00.000+09:00

I will write a detailed report in the coming days, but for now here are some pictures. Album

A Procrastination Meme

2010-03-19T10:47:00.000+09:00

Listening to… Frank Sinatra and Adam Lambert, the most unlikely pair ever Reading… History in Practice by Ludmilla Jordanova and my own creations Watching… Merlin and any movie I so desire Buying… nothing... but thinking of buying a new camera, mine is horribly outdated and dying a painful and shameful death. Wanting… to go to Thailand, but I don't think it's going to happen, that and the

Pure Joy in Acceptance

2010-03-15T12:28:00.000+09:00

The entrance exam results were posted just 23 minutes ago, and already a few hundred eager fourteen-year-olds have screamed, shouted, cried, jumped, and sobbed their way about Yaizu Chuo's campus. For 240 of them, their dream has come true getting into this school, for 100 of them, the dismal reality of private school and non-funded schooling is in their future. I have seen both of these

Nothing Special

2010-03-09T09:45:00.001+09:00

It's rainy and cold and generally boring as HELL. The last exams of the school year are today and as such, there will be even less to do than usual around here starting tomorrow. Fail. In the meantime, I started a more academic/thoughtful/slightly more intelligent blog, if that interests you at all. Please follow and comment and all that jazz. Bespectacled Curls I'm also on Twitter now (

Tentative March 20th Train Plan

2010-02-26T14:47:00.001+09:00

5:15 - Nishi Yaizu 6:07/6:35 - Hamamatsu 7:09/7:19 - Toyohashi 9:16/9:20 - Maibara 10:13/10:15 - Kyoto 10:43/10:45 - Osaka 11:46/12:06 - Himeji 12:24/12:25 - Aioi (Hyogo) 1:37/1:54 - Okayama 3:14 - Onomichi Dinner in Senkoji park (千光寺公園), scenic walk through the Old Temple Loop (古寺めぐり) for Cherry Blossoms. Grab some "chider" at Chai Salon Dragon. 7:28 - Onomichi 8:54 - Hiroshima Get to hostel.

Bicycles and Me are not meant to Be

2010-02-25T10:56:00.000+09:00

When I was ten-years-old, my sister, a friend, and I decided to play follow the leader on our bicycles. It was less than epic, mainly just riding around our cul-de-sack, maybe doing a few wibbly-wobblies or something, but it was hardly an adventure. It was good fun, that was, until I decided to show them all up and do a full 360 degree flip on my bicycle. This would have been amazing, had I not

On Travel

2010-02-23T10:23:00.001+09:00

Oh it's been awhile. I still need to write up my China adventure, so that will come eventually. Today I just wanted to muse about the difficulties of attempting to travel, haha. A long long time ago I decided I wanted to go to Thailand. Plans were being made, and then suddenly they weren't, and as such I scrambled to find tickets when, much to my dismay (but overall not my surprise) I was struck

Revelations

2010-02-02T13:25:00.001+09:00

No, I have no excuse for not updating, but I do have some interesting musings. A lot has happened, but you will have to survive without an explanation. Mom & Briana came to Japan and it as amazing. I still think about it all the time and I wish the were still here. However, instead you have this in which I realize some things. I've been thinking a lot lately. A lot of emo-ing, a lot of crying in

The fascinating world that is Japan

2009-11-10T09:03:00.000+09:00

Yesterday I wandered around Shizuoka City for no reason other than to explore and perhaps just do a bit of "me" time. I carried around a little notebook and would randomly start writing on a bench or in a cafe (I went to two Starbucks for the lone reason I didn't know when I'd see one again, haha). So here is what I wrote... I'm sitting on a bench in front of a French jewelry shop drinking a

My Apartment

2009-11-08T15:46:00.001+09:00

A long overdue tour of my apartment, here now for your enjoyment.

The Random Life of Living in Japan

2009-11-07T12:43:00.001+09:00

Blueberry-sensei just came by my desk and played "It's a Small World" on a bright red ukelele.Yes, I believe this event merited its own entry.

Epic fail at the updatingness

2009-11-04T22:17:00.001+09:00

Holy crap I'm horrible. This has taken forever, and I have no excuse other than I'm a lazy bum. Errrgh, instead of flooding you with needless information I'll try and make this a concise and entertaining summary of the past two weeks. -- Mikkabi Camp -- I got the chance to run around with 9-year-olds for two days for some extra cash and a free night's stay at a gorgeous ryokan. Not a bad deal

Hmmm

2009-10-16T15:56:00.001+09:00

There's about a million things I could write here about. Like how I spent four hours butt naked in front of of a bunch of strangers, or how I participated in a nine-person slumber party, or how I was called cute by two Japanese men who tried to guess my age at a bar... well that summarizes the past few days anywho. I've done nothing at school. I've planned, printed, and potty mouthed my way

Yaizu

2009-10-14T15:46:00.001+09:00

I owe a lot of posts here, but instead let me placate you with pictures from my new home, Yaizu City.http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024302&id=67100995&l=dd9627735d I'll put up proper pictures of my neighborhood and such very soon.

Typhoon #18

2009-10-08T09:01:00.000+09:00

That is the official Japanese name of Super Typhoon Melor that decided to smack into Japan last night. Shizuoka generally escaped unscathed. We're extremely windy even now, and a tree was done on my street, but we don't have the horrendous flooding others parts of Japan have. I've come to the conclusion that the stupid earthquake has cause a knee-jerk reaction of immobilizing fear whenever I

かんそう

2009-10-07T10:48:00.001+09:00

It's raining.And it will continue to rain. The sky is sort of this bland light gray that is neither dark nor sunny. If I didn't know better, I would say it looked as if it were about to snow. The rain is dripping down, landing on the back of your neck as it finally falls from the tip of your umbrella, causing you to shiver and try and move more underneath your already too-small coverage. The

Let Me X-Ray Your Face... wait what?

2009-10-01T19:17:00.000+09:00

I spent nine days roaming around Kyoto, Nara, and Shikoku... and while I will regale you with those tales of mischief, murder, and matcha at a later date, allow me to update you on my recent battle with the plague. No sooner had I arrived on Shikoku to visit the darling and ever lovely Chen did I come down with a rare cough of doom and despair that left me unable to breath or function properly (

Revelations and むし

2009-09-16T12:56:00.001+09:00

It's really funny how you realize things when you come to another country that you shouldn't really realize in that specific country. Allow me to explain. Since coming to Japan I've realized I want to actually learn more French and German, but also that I want to learn Hungarian. French and German will at least benefit me in grad school and so on, but Hungarian? No, not really... but its a cool

The Great Flying Gaijin

2009-09-14T11:13:00.001+09:00

This weekend I went to Lagunasia in Gamagori, Aichi-ken... the neighboring prefecture to Shizuoka. Granted it wasn't the warmest day, but it was a lot of ridiculous fun. Sally, Sarah, and I tore that place up... especially the wave pool and crazy ass slide of death. This slide, dear jesus, every time I went down it I thought I was going to die, no lie. It was one of those "this is frekaing

Enkai

2009-09-10T21:41:00.000+09:00

enkai = welcome/leaving/celebratory party usually involving namihode (all you can drink) and some sort of amusing event. And the above definition is true, never mind that I wrote that definition. Suck it. Forgive me, I am writing this after drinking 7 drinks... not entirely sure what... I like 4 ume-shous, 1 lime... thing... 2 apricot liquer things... I don't know. But I have warned you and

First Classes

2009-09-09T14:46:00.001+09:00

Overall they went very well. I technically still have two left to do, but the grand majority are over. I can already tell the level differences between the classes, but that's okay... at least i know how to adapt lessons now and when I can speak faster and when I really need to slow down. Overall the kids seemed really interested in my presentation and what I had to say. I got over any stage

The Kokeshi Chronicles

2009-09-03T10:34:00.000+09:00

After Mt. Fuji I bought a "creative" kokeshi doll (description). I liked it because it was both cute and creepy, and I wanted to get myself a nice souvenir. I always get myself something at important or major places I've been. I find nothing wrong in treating myself a little bit, and it was only like $15. However I may now be regretting this decision... you see... I think my kokeshi is evil. Yes

Introduction Speech

2009-09-01T15:43:00.001+09:00

I felt the need to update this real quick with the results of my intro speech. See, I had to give a little speech in front of 900+ students and teachers. If that wasn't terrifying enough I was initially told it had to be in Japanese... though then a few days ago I was told it could be in English. So what did I do? I split it. Japanese, English, Japanese, English, Japanese, English, Japanese...

Mt. Fuji

2009-09-01T10:55:00.000+09:00

I have since calmed down a bit since the initial excursion, so I'm not quite as vehemently angry at that sadistic bastard of a mountain, though I am not going to forgive it any time soon for what it did to my body. Haha. Like, I'm not a nature person; anyone who knows me knows this. I like looking at nature, I do not particularly enjoy being in it. However, once I learned I was going to Shizuoka

Before Fuji- English Camp

2009-08-31T13:01:00.000+09:00

(this is being sent from the paaaaaaaaaaassst... okay not really, this was the entry I couldn't post because the internet died. Fuji coming up, no worries... yes... I did survive.) I have so much to cover, so I am going to do this is the shortest way possible! (yeah right...) Alright soooo... jesus... there were two major "trips" I went on after the earthquake (since that seems to be where I

Skip!

2009-08-28T16:59:00.000+09:00

I had an entry all written out, and then the internet at the school died. So I am here at Skip! Internet and Manga Cafe, and it`s rather cool! I think it is only ￥420 an hour and I get free drinks (like water and soda, not drinks...). It`s not a bad deal and I think I may come here more often now that I have a nifty member card. That was fun getting. I know most of the typical form vocab, but

In the interim

2009-08-18T13:07:00.001+09:00

Well, I was all ready to write a detailed report of the week's past festivities including orientation and the welcome party in Shizuoka, but you'll have to forgive me. I've been put into an odd sort of mood that isn't all that pleasant... and I only have three hours left to do some things before I am gone for another five days at an English Camp in Shizuoka City. Orientation was fun as was the

Earthquake

2009-08-11T14:09:00.002+09:00

A large and powerful earthquake hit my prefecture today around 5:00AM after enduring a typhoon from China and Taiwan. Its epicenter was in the Suruga Bay where my city is situated, and was only 30miles from Yaizu. The earthquake hit its strongest on the coastline where Yaizu, Omaezaki, and other cities and tows are, and the Izu Penninsula. It there spread over the prefecture and traveled into

Pictures of Tokyo and Yaizu

2009-08-04T13:10:00.001+09:00

My main album in on facebook, but if you're not on facebook, you can still see the pictures through this public link, so take a look! I don't have the resources to edit pictures here at school, but once I have internet at my home I will be able to actually incorporate images into blog posts. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2022697&id=67100995&l=bab19ef65e

In which Kristina gets lost for 6 hours and defeats a spider

2009-08-03T10:48:00.001+09:00

So this weekend I decided I wanted to explore Yaizu, which is all good and well and needed to be done. I decided I'd finally get on that damn bicycle after 12 years of not riding one, however, I ran into a snag. I couldn't get the kick stand up. This really makes no sense as it seems like it would be a very simple process, however I am special. I kicked it, I pushed it, I laid the bike down and

Greetings from Yaizu!

2009-07-31T15:12:00.001+09:00