Thursday, May 9, 2013

Let's be alone together!


Though almost everyday something unexpected happens to me, I still think that everybody have kind of a normal day-to-day routine. Let me show mine..


My day begins when Boyfriend sets off for uni. It wakes me up and in half an hour I'm leaving home too.


When I get my cup of coffee there comes a time for..


Last summer, I was worried that I'll never learn to navigate all the mazes streets of the district where we live and where my school is also located. But eventually, it didn't take long to learn all the routs (not that I hadn't a topographical cretinism). Sometimes, I'd just woken up a little earlier to wander around the neighborhood.

What if I turn the corner? Oh.. oh wow!

There was a stone staircase with a slope
of 70 degrees which led to a shrine.
Prays should look cute.

When I pass different houses, eateries and stores I enjoy to examine the pots with flowers by almost every door. It's one of the charming Japanese features to decorate the entrances with flowers, garden statuary and whatnot.


It was last summer. Now, that my school starts at 1:25 and ends at 5:10, all the daily routine has mixed up. But I still find new places on my way to school from time to time. Few weeks ago, I discovered a cute playground.


A lonely panda-swing stood still under a cherry tree.
...
Aww..


1:00 pm

"Well, are we supposed to be taught Japanese in English?"


"Haha, nope. More likely, you'll be taught Japanese in Japanese."

"Oh."


I don't know how, but they really do that! They try to avoid English words as much they can.

"Our sensei almost crawled on the floor to explain a new word."

"Our teacher rolled herself in a plastic bag to demonstrate us what the verb "to roll" means."

"And our teacher put a brown sock in a bottle to show us how a soy sause looks like."

"... why did she do that?.."


Also, it seems that all the teachers know everything about you. And discuss it with each other. I like it when you are kind-of-important and your teacher won't forget your name by the end of a lesson. It just feels creepy sometimes. They are also really very friendly like no other teachers I've ever met. When you bump into them in the hallway, they start to talk to you right away. Like "Oh, Maki-san how are you how is it going oh it's sunny today isn't it but also windy but pretty hot oh ok goodbye", only in Japanese.

But to tell the truth, I cried in front of  the teachers squeezing Boyfriend's hand not able to utter a sound on my first day. I was stunned. I think, the teacher concluded that I was retarded, so she said that I need to take preparatory classes. However, after a second lesson I got used to the environment and started to speak, so the classes were canceled and we got the money back. 

On the second day of school, it was pouring since the very morning and I had no umbrella with me. So, when I was leaving the school, I came across three teachers at once and they started to jabbering over each other "it's raining it's raining it's wet it'll make you wet let us give you an umbrella". I had to repeat "It's alright, I'm fine." like.. 10 times to assure them that I'm going to buy it in the nearest convenience store. It didn't work. But they lost in thought for a second and I was already outside running away.

My first true Japanese transparent umbrella!

When I bought it, I recalled a bad dream in which I was wandering through streets of Tokyo and couldn't find a single transparent umbrella. My nightmares are pretty scary.

Anyways, it's easier and nicer to sustain a conversation without knowing the language with Japanese people than with anybody else. Usually, I just go with "Oh um un ok yeah un nya" and nod a lot. Though, sometimes there comes an unexpected pause when you understand that you were just asked about something. Oh, that's really confusing.

School trash bins with the instructions in pictures.
Dispose the garbage properly!


I started a long term course this spring so now I study in a big class with 15 other students from all over the world. I was the youngest in my class last summer and I'm still the youngest in my new class. So, when it's time to play a dialogue, sensei usually assigns the roles this way: "A mother a father a mother a father a mother a father.. a child."

All the students in my class are friendly, there are no problems like last year. Last year, I also had a perfect class, but our teacher decided that I should be transferred to a next level class. So, I was transferred. There were Russians. Girls. They were unfriendly. I stayed silent at first, but ended up with tears on my cheeks in a teacher's room asking to transfer me back no matter what.  Ugh.

This time, on the opening ceremony I've already encountered another Russian girls who left a bad feeling, but they were assigned into a parallel class yay.

Now, I study Japanese with students from England, Sweden, Italy, China, Thailand, Korea and also with two friendly Russians.

Though, I'm shy, I'm happy with my class.

As I mentioned before, lessons end at 5:10. After then, I hurry home (or to Harajuku if Boyfriend is waiting for me there). But more likely, he is sleeping at home. But! Some days, I get home before him. So, if I know that he's not at home but should be there soon, I carry a pineapple from a store to make him juice. Then, I wrap myself into a blanket and wait reading the blogs/ checking the news.


We spend our evenings together walking or watching cinema or doing sports; then, go to a restaurant for dinner and return home late in the evening where the fun continues. 

And then comes the dream.