Wow.

As the title says, Wow. It has been a long time since I last updated this blog. I don't really have much to say though. I am actually pulling blanks. I guess if you would like to know anything just leave a comment and I will try to respond. I will also try to look at this blog everyday even if I don't post something.

So I guess that all I can do for now is put up a song.

This song is called Life is Like a Boat. It is by the artist Rei Fu.

Bad News and Good News

Hello everyone,

I have some Bad News and Good News. I think that it is best to get the bad news over with and then I will go into the good news.

Bad News:

I will most likely not be able to go on the year long trip. I was unable to finish some of the forms that needed to be completed and the deadline is this coming Tuesday. I also was not able to get an interview scheduled, however I was able to get in contact with my local representative.

Good News:

I might be able to try for a different program through AFS. I won't be as long but I would still get to go. Also, because I would be going on a shorter trip, it would cost less (cheap is good right?). On a semi-related note (I probably should not say this), our laptop is fixed. That means that I can post some comments or little lessons in Japanese characters, the ひらがな (Hiragana) and the カタカナ(Katakana). I will also be posting the music as well.

Here is the lesson that I will be giving today.

I will be going over the grammer points of this (something that is within your reach), that ( something that is near to you), and that (like a building down the street from you).

Here is a scenario for "this":

"this" is これ (kore)

(dish in front of you) Is this meat? これはにくですか？(kore wa niku desu ka?)

Now for "that" (something that is by you):

"that" is それ (sore)

(Shoes near your friend) Are those your shoes? それはあなたはくつですか？ (sore wa anata wa kutsu desu ka)

Now for a different "that":

This "that" is あれ (are pronounced as ah-ray)

(pointing at a far off building) That is a library. あれはとしょかんです。 (are wa toshokan desu)

How was that for a lesson?

Now for the music that I will be putting up:

This song is from an Anime that I really enjoy called Le Portrait de Petit Cossette. It is the ending song. The singer is まりないのうえ (Marina Inoue) and the song is called ほせき (Hoseki or Jewel). I am currently having problems with my iTunes right now so I am unsure if she is there or not.

Wow...

Like the title says...Wow..



It has been a long time since I posted last. As I thought school would be the big reason for such a delayed post. That and I work on the weekends.



OK, What to talk about first...Well, why don't I talk about school and what I am doing there to get ready for the trip. The most exciting news, in my opinion, is the option of using the program Rosetta Stone. Our school has something going on with them (I don't quite know that something is though) which allows the students at the school use use the program online. I don't fully know the details but I know that student will get credit for it (I won't because I am taking Spanish, but at least I will still be able to use the program).



I have also been talking with some of my friends who went abroad last year ( The countries were Germany and Hungary) and one other student who I believe went to the Czech Republic. They have been very helpful in explaining what the experience would be like (in general terms, they were in Europe).



I also have a friend who goes to my school who has a parent who has been to Japan numerous times for work and because of that my friend has been learning the language since the age of five. On Tuesday during study hall my friend started to speak to me only in Japanese. I was unable to translate it to English in my mind. However, I correctly responded in English to nearly everything that was said. I have a theory as to why this might be ( I don't even know if this theory could even happen so just bear with me). I am used to hearing the language in music and on the Anime I watch, so I think that my mind is subconsciously translating it and storing for later use or until I "learn" it through my summer lessons, classes (which I currently am not in), Rosetta Stone, and the other various method I am employing to learn the language ( I told you that it was an odd theory).



I don't know else there is to say about school or what I am doing (I stayed after school today so I am pulling blanks in the "things to say" category) but if you want to know something that I might not have mentioned in this or any other post, please let me know. You can leave a comment and I can talk to you there or you can e-mail me at fuzzemdemon@yahoo.com .



I don't even have a language lesson to give you all today (I guess that I am just really unprepared tonight).



I would like to know if you all would like me to keep putting music up or not. I think that it would be interesting to know that. Also if I do continue the music, if there is anyone you might like to hear more of let me know. I can find a place for you to buy their work.

Goodnight for now

P.S. I am sorry for the ridiculously long wait for this post. I will try to post more often if I can get to it.

Language Lesson Update and Cost Break Down

Tadaima, I'm home (or at least back to the blog),

I have to apologize again it seems. I am sorry that I am late again. Work has been miserable lately (no lobsters to catch) so when I get home the only ambition I have is to make dinner and go to sleep. I am also going to apologize in advance for more later posts. School starts on the 3rd so that will only leave me drained as well.

Lesson Updates are what I will cover first.

I have had two lessons since the last post. The first one was just to check up one what I was assigned in the previous lesson. It also was to start me on basic sentence structure. I am able to make basic sentences now (though they are a little choppy and I don't know to many words). The two basic structures are set up like this:

#1 Topic Time Place Object Verb

#2 Topic Frequency Time Goal Verb

So the sentence "I read books in the library" follows structure #1. Translated it becomes:

Watashi wa toshokan ni hon wo yomi masu

The sentence "I speak Japanese everyday at college" (which I do not) follows structure #2. When translated it becomes:

Mainichi gakou ni nihongo wo hanashi masu

Does everyone understand what I am trying to say? (I am having problems seeing comments for some reason. If you want to comment on the blog that is ok I can read them but it takes longer to find them. You can also email me at: fuzzemdemon@yahoo.com. )

Ok on to the next thing, the cost break down.

I was asked in one of my comments to put up a cost break down

AFS Trip: $10,500

Final Application Form: $900

Flight from New York or Boston (depends on where AFS needs me to leave from): Unknown

AFS recommended spending money per month: $100-$300

In all I will need roughly $15,000 to make this trip a reality (though the $10,500 is the top priority). I have received $3,000 provided that I can get the rest of the money needed for the trip. I have also made $141 in a bake sale on the second of August. So if I take the $3,141 that I know I have (well only $141 that I know I have but it can't hurt to think that I have the $3,000) and subtract it from the $10,500 for the trip, it comes out to be $7,359 that I need to get. If I go higher and subtract it from the $15,000 for everything I need, I will then only need to get $11,859 (which is a scarier number in my opinion).

I know I said that I would end every post with a word or phrase of the day but I think that the sentence structure piece should be enough (but if you really want more you can always email me).

I had to remove the video for this post because Youtube removed it from their site.

Konbanwa, Good evening.

Sorry it has been so long between posts but all the preparation for this trip is time consuming. OK, here is what I have done since the last post. The first thing that happened was the meeting that I had set up. I was talking to someone on the island about a fund that the island has set up to help the island community or people in need on the island. I do have to admit that I was a little intimidated to go to the meeting. It is not that the person that was conducting is a harsh or mean person, it was the fact that it was the first time I had ever been interviewed about something that I really have a strong desire to achieve. I did, however leave the meeting with a good feeling. I think that I might have received help from them.


After that things were a little quiet with the fund raising aspect of it. I still am taking lessons. The latest lesson was August 15th and I have begun one of the harder aspects of learning a language, verbs and how to conjugate them correctly. I have to be ready for my next lesson on the 20th. I have a total of 47 different things that I have to try to learn by then (well I don't have to learn all of them according to my teacher. She says I have to learn as many as I can before then. I said I have to learn them all.). Those 47 things are a combination of helpful phrases, words and the start of the verb conjugations.

I am still in contact with AFS and I have started on the final application. I am going to have a meeting with an AFS representative soon so I can ask any questions I have and so they can ask their required questions. The final application is a long one. I have to get consent form my doctor ( I just have to get any required vaccinations and pass a physical examination. The doctor also has to full out a brief medical history). I have to introduce myself to my host family in a letter that has to be at least two pages long. It also requires a lot of other things I just can't think of what they are right now.

To learn Japanese on my own outside of the lessons I have been listening more intently to my Japanese music ( of the 1020 songs on my Ipod a good 95% of them are Japanese) to try to understand what I am listening to (currently, I really enjoy the musician Kanon Wakeshima. Here is a video of one of her songs, just ignore the speech bubbles that come up:



If you really like it you can find her on Itunes). I am also watching anime, Japanese animation (which I have been doing since I was a baby) in Japanese and without subtitles.

I am going to add a new part to my blog. I will be teaching everyone a phrase or word in Japanese at the end of every post. This post has the phrase "Where is the bathroom?" It is the most important phrase to know in my opinion. Here it is:

Otearai wa doko desu ka?

I hope to update my computer so I can write with the Japanese characters, that way you really will get a look at what I am learning.

Well I have to leave you all for now, I have work in the morning,

Oyasuminasai, Good Night (I guess you got a couple of bonus phrases now that I look at this.)

First Post.....Finally

Here are a few things I have done so far and what is upcoming. Already I have established contacts in my school, got my passport, filled out my pre-application, had a bake sale (I raised $141), set up a meeting for a possible scholarship, researched the costs of plane tickets to the gateway portal (a fancy name for where I leave to Japan from), currently researching visas, set up an email tree for donations, created this blog, found a tutor to help me study the language, made sure I am in contact with AFS through email and looking into other scholarship resources.

Whew.

I hope that anyone who reads this who has done AFS before or who has any suggestions on things will post on here or email me directly. I could use all the information I can get. For example, how do I go about getting a visa? Do I need one? If I do, what kind do I need? Obviously, I am learning a lot through this process.

This is my first post and there will be more to come. I hope I can keep everyone interested.

Please comment. Comments keep me motivated!