08/15/2005: "Find that which matters and never let go."

Not sure why, but the Japanese news is getting hardcore and depressing today. First we had a story on a murder (I think it was a triple homocide, the person using a knife. I wouldn't know much, as it was all in Japanese) and now they're talking about September 11th and playing audio clips from radio calls from rescue workers (which I can understand). Even though I'm mostly detached from that situation, and it was nearly 4 years ago, it's still troubling seeing the people's shellshocked eyes as the jackal news reporters are struggling to get a comment from someone, or hear the panic in the voices of the rescue workers as the building comes down right around them, some trapped in the rubble.

I've been busy here in Tokyo, running someplace nearly every day. It's been nice, to be honest. We travelled 29 hours by train, I went 20 hours without eating and 48 with only 3 hours of sleep.. so, yeah.. travelling sucks. However, once I arrived in Tokyo (aside from nearly passing out in the train station due to the stresses on my body), I've had a really good time. Friday I went with Hitomi to Shinjuku-gyoen (a large park) and walked around the city, Saturday I met with with another penpal of mine, Mika (I really should call her by her nickname), and we went to Ueno zoo (I've been there 3 times so far, for those who lost count) and dinner at First Kitchen. We were out for about 9 hours, 2 at the zoo and the rest was spent talking. This talking was done completely in Japanese, though. My Japanese is really not all that good, but I can apparently hold out for a long while with it (even if my head winds up hurting afterwards).. that's good, I guess. Yesterday, I went to Hitomi's house and met her mother and sister (along with getting to see her room and home). Her family is incredibly nice. Really great people. We had lunch, looked through photos for a while (Hitomi used to have the cutest hairstyle when she was in junior highschool), went to a sushi place for dinner and talked for awhile, and then went home. A shame it was so short (about 7 hours, so really, quite awhile). Maybe I can stop by again the next time I'm in the country.

Today, I'm going to Yokohama to meet one of my students from back in Kushiro (she's on summer vacation and happens to be pretty close at the same time I'm in Tokyo. We were going to go someplace in Kushiro, but the schedules never worked out). Not sure what we're doing toda, but it'll be entirely in Japanese. As I'm sure I've mentioned many, many times, my heart seizes up with nervousness whenever I look to having to speak Japanese for a whole day. I've done it before but.. well, it's quite difficult. I guess it's only fair. But, I think it'll be a good time, even if it'll be a struggle to figure out how to get across what I want sometimes.

Tomorrow! Meeting with another penpal in the afternoon in Harajuku, plus in the evening I want to go out to Akihabara and blow the money I have left, probably on an electronic dictionary. The electronic ones have upwards of three times the words my paper one does (it has about 50,000 in total. The ones I'm looking at have about 154,000+), plus it's much more compact. In the morning I'm going to go out to breakfast with a girl who's staying at the hostel here. She's really nice and fun to talk to, and I think she wants to talk, but unfortunately I've been out nearly everyday. Bah.

I need to get running to go get dressed (still in my night clothes.. not like anyone really needed to know) and then head to Yokohama. I'll probably be about half an hour early, but I'd rather that than late.

I'll probably be home the next time I write..

[Edit]

Added a comic someone so kindly drew for me a few days ago. How terribly sweet of them! Anyway, the link is provided below.

alexia_jasoncomic


Jason