7:51 PM

This week

Nothing particularly noteworthy happened this week, but I thought I'd do a blog post anyway (this will happen from time to time).

Class
So last week was our first test (on an entire textbook!) and, having finished that, we've moved on to the second text that IUC uses, called 待遇表現, or in English "Formal Expressions for Japanese Interaction." It covers all sorts of polite forms, as well as real-life situations that we're likely to encounter--everything from how to call Information, to how to tactfully refuse a request from a superior without pissing them off or offending them. All in all, it's basically a two-week crash course in the Japanese group sensibility.

Kyudo
Practice has been kind of 少ない these past couple weeks, with the result that I only got to go once last week, and twice this week. But to make up for it, the second time (Saturday) was the club's 月例会 monthly practice tournament, which is always lots of fun (and they give out prizes! not that I've gotten any yet...). I got to go to the one last month, too, and put forth a pretty decent showing. Yesterday, however, was another story, and I went 0-for-10. Oh well. I do partially blame it on the fact that since Wednesday, I've been using a different bow. Since I don't have my own, I've been using the club's bows, and up til now I was using an 11-kilo bow--as of Wed however, Matsuzawa-sensei decided (for a variety of reasons) to switch me to a 12.5-kilo one, which is definitely taking some getting used to. I was *super* sore on Wed after practice :-/ But whatever, I guess it's a learning experience, でしょう。

Etc.
Not a whole lot going on that front this weekend, it was pretty quiet. There was a plan to go see some art exhibition in Roppongi on Sat (which I wouldn't have been able to go to anyway, cause of kyudo), but apparently that got scrapped at the last minute, due to lack of participation. On Friday, after class, I did go out to dinner with some people (Jason, Connor, Andy, and the two Amys). Incidentally, we went to TGI Friday's (yes, they have those in Japan--as well as Denny's and 7-11...neither of which are nearly as sketchy as their US counterparts--but then, Japan's like that).
Anyway, after a good old-fashioned American dinner (and one enormous margarita), we all made the trek over to Connor's house for a movie party, which really ended up being quite a party. I swear, like half of IUC was there. Normally we wouldn't be able to pull off something like that, but Connor happens to be living in an actual house, that he's renting from some professor and sharing with 3 other IUC-ers. It's REALLY nice, and I am quite jealous. So we packed close to 25 people into the living room (cause, since it's a house, they *have* a living room), and settled in to watch "Paprika," one of Satoshi Kon's (Tokyo Godfathers, &c) more recent movies. It's about this girl, Paprika, who can travel into people's dreams, sort of for psychoanalytic purposes--an amazing movie, and a real head-tripper. I also had the music stuck in my head for the rest of the night (in the good way--it's the same person who did the music for Paranoia Agent, if that rings any bells).


And lastly...only one more week until 秋休み~ Fall Break~!!!!!!!!

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