Whew! Exams!

Hey all!

People have been asking for a post but it's been exam time, so today's post may be short and sweet and maybe boring because that's what exams are all about!

So my last post was almost two weeks ago, and things haven't been that exciting.  My knee still hasn't gotten better, and I can't do much walking on it without needed to rest and elevate it for an hour or two.  This lead me to skip some classes in the last two weeks, and I feel bad because I had had a perfect record up until then.  It was necessary though, because some days I would wake up, and the last thing I wanted to do was to move my leg.  I talked with my friends about seeing a doctor, but we all kind of figured that nothing was wrong with my knee, and that is most likely just needed some RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).  I've done lots of that though these past three weeks, so I think it's high time I went to the doctor to get it checked out.

My leg has caused me to be much more restless too.  I worked out 4 times a week and ran 4 times a week, but I haven't been able to do anything with my knee like this.  It's so frustrating! I want to be outside! I want to be moving!  It's the most frustrating thing!

Anyways, my exams started this past week.  Monday I had my Reading & Writing Japanese final, and Tuesday I had my Speaking Japanese final.  They were a little hard, but I prepared very well for those ones. Wendnesday I had 3 exams all in one afternoon: Japanese Monsters, International Negotiations, and Japanese Pop Culture.  I didn't bother studying for Monsters, which was all right, there were only 2 question that I would have needed to study for but I don't mind losing a couple marks over those.  International Negotiations I studied some key parts for and those were the only things that happened to be on the test.  I've never lucked out like that!  Oh, I don't think I've mentioned this before, but the whole class got t-shirts saying we were in Negotiations Boot Camp.  And mine was a men's large and it was more like a paper bag dress than a shirt.  But, I took my sewing kit, and what little knowledge of sewing I have and pimped them out:

That's Malaika, from Uganda.  She's wearing boots, I'm wearing socks.  Go figure.  I was actually only wearing those sandals because of all my shoes they have the best support and I thought it would be good for my knees.  Anyways, back to exam talk!

So Monsters and Negotiations were done.  And I was the first one done both exams.  So I made it my mission to be the first one done my Pop Culture final too.  Of the three exams I had that day, Pop Culture was the only one I put a lot of effort into studying (because I didn't take any notes all year.  Oops!)  I'm glad I did.  The test was so easy, but only because I had studied.  One of my friends didn't study and he asked me what I should know.  I told him 5 things, and those 5 things were big parts of the test.  I must have used up all my luck that day on those tests.  Oh, and I was the first one done that exam too.  No big deal, but I'm kind of a big deal. :P

Thursday I went out to get Christmas gifts to send home.  I went shopping in Shinsaibashi with my roommate, Yu, and it wreaked havoc on my knee.  I felt so stupid, the way I was walking.  It probably looked like the grandpa from King of the Hill (he has no knees or something like that).  Anyways, Yu and I went to do some purikura (insane photo booth pictures), and we rented some Santa costumes for 100 yen to take the pictures in:

Afterwards, when we were waiting to change back into our clothes, some high school girl came up from behind me and said "Sumimasen." *Excuse me*  When I turned around, she said "OH! GAIJINDATTA!" *FOREIGNER*  And ran away to her friend saying how she wanted to ask me something but I turned around and I was a Gaijin and she was so surprised that she had to run away.  I know that there are some crazy girls in Japan who dye their hair blonde, but I think even from behind, my body is definitely not Japanese (I have some muscle on my, Japanese girls tend to be super slim), and I'm blonde.  I so curious now as to what she wanted to ask me.  Wherever you are little girly, I can speak Japanese, I understand the things you said!  Yu was losing her shit laughing about it though.

Next, Yu and I went to Sweets Paradise, a dessert buffet restaurant.  There was some regular food like spaghetti, salad, omerice (Omelette+rice=freaking delicious), sandwiches, soup etc.  And then there were about a hundred different cakes and desserts to choose from.  There was a giant white chocolate fondu fountain too!

 

My plate!  Pretty much the only way I can eat strawberries 

in Japan is if it comes on a cake.

Yu's plate!  With a giant green tea cake!

Yummy!

Oishii! *Yummy!*

It's really such a ridiculous place.  I mean, buffets are bad enough as it is, but a buffet full of desserts? That's just asking for obesity.  It was so good though, they did not go cheap on those cakes.  Top quality delights is what they had.  I can't go back again with Yu though, she told me it was her own policy that she always takes a new friend there every time.  I'll just bully my way and make sure she brings me back soon!

Thursday night, I had one last round of Yakiniku and Karaoke with the boys.  Our friend, Robert, was going to Indonesia and then home to Holland.  It was pretty emotional, and I don't think he knows it, but I was fighting back a lot of tears when saying goodbye to him.  It's just so strange; you go from seeing somebody everyday, and then all of a sudden their gone and you don't have a clue if you're going to see them again.  I told my friends that were leaving that it may take about 10 years, but I do plan on seeing everybody again.  I made lots of awesome memories with these people and they've made a huge impact on my life.  My friend Daisaku from Mexico is leaving soon, so I have to make sure I get my heartfelt goodbye to him soon too!

My Korean friend, Deuck Jo is in my bed right now reminiscing about his semester here, and how Tom, Robert and I were good workout buddies, and he was really glad to make friends with us. I'm really glad I made friends with him too, and all the other people.  

Guys, it's been a great semester.  Most of you I will be seeing next semester, but for those of you who only stayed in Japan for one semester, it's been fun.

Sayonara friends, we will meet again.

Peace and Love,

Sad Kelly

I'm a Whiney B!tch

Hello Again!
It's been awhile, and hopefully today's post will be entertaining for you, but for me, it's just going to be a little bit of a vent time.

So last weekend, I biked to school, and then went out for supper after class with some of my roommates.  I left my bike at the school and went to pick it up the next afternoon.  My bike was nowhere to be found.  SOMEBODY STOLE DESTINY!  I wasn't that distraught about it however (I was later, after other events occurred that I will get around to telling you about).  I was more or less like "it's out of my hands, not much I can do now." Two of my friends also had their bikes stolen in the past 2 weeks.  Wtf?  Someone has it out for the Gaijins (foreigners) I think, but it's pissing me off.  Poor Destiny is all alone with nobody to tell her how wicked cool she is.  I went to the people at school who are in charge of the international students and asked them if I could view the footage from last weekend to see if we could find out who stole the bikes.  The following conversation ensued:

CIE worker : I'm sorry, we can't let students view the footage.  Only someone with authority can look at it.

Me:  Okay, can we get someone who has the authority to look at it?

CIE: No, we can't do that.

Me:  Then why did you install cameras if you can't review the footage?

Honestly, what is the point?  If we can view the footage we can find out who did it and if it was the same person who took mine and my friends' bikes.  So stupid.  I had to go to the police station to report it and it was really cool.  My roommate Yu went with me to act as a translator, and everything went pretty smoothly.  They had to use my fingerprints as a signature on the pages (strange huh?), but the detective thought I was silly, because I would make stupid noises every time I stamped my finger.  And when he asked me how old I was I accidentally said 11 instead of 21.  He gave me a silly look and Yu called me a liar.  My bad!  Anyways, after all the paper work was done, he told me that I was a pretty girl and that I should be very careful when I am out for strangers and gropers on the train.  I then really super politely asked him to please find my bike and he thought that was really cute.  Yu and I went out for some Starbucks lunch.

Coffee!

The police kept calling though to double check the bike registration number, and it turns out I had the wrong one.  My friend Tom and I had bought our bikes together and somehow during the paperwork process our numbers go switched up.  So I had to go back to the police station on Friday, but it was a really quick visit; in and out.  So now I have to sit and wait patiently to see if any news turns up. One of my other roommates, Misty, is only here for one semester, and she said that if I didn't hear anything by the end of next week, we can switch the ownership of her bike over to me.  Thanks Misty! You're a sweetheart!

All right, another problem.  I participated in a race last Sunday, the 1st Osaka Sweets Marathon.  I was in the running group that was only doing 10km, but it wasn't easy!  It was getting so cold at night the last few weeks before the run, so I didn't practice much.  My friend Steph and I kept pace throughout the whole thing together and we didn't have to stop once.  And I came in 107 and she came in 108 place out of 600 people! Way to go us!

Crossing the finish line!  Woot woot!

Once we finished, there was a table of chocolates and sweets waiting and a man handing out ice cream to the runners who were finishing up.  It was great, but all I wanted was water, and I couldn't find it at all!  Such a silly race, it was a lot of fun though, and I had a blast with the running club!

I'm paying the price for that run now though.  One I woke up on Monday, my body was aching all over (well mostly my legs), I couldn't get out of bed to go to class.  I though taking one day off would be fine.  I also had this cream that was good for sore muscles, so I made my roommate watch as I put some on my bed.  "Kelly! You're so silly!" Yu said.  I know!  The next day my muscles felt better, but my knees were killing me.  And since I don't have to bike, I have to walk all over the place.  It's a real pain.  I've had to skip class a few times this week because it was too painful to walk.  I think they will get better if I can give them time to just rest, but exams are coming up, and I really can't afford to do that.  Last night I went to a club too, which probably wasn't the best idea, but I figured that it was one of the last time I could go before exams, so I might as well.  It hurt at first, but after I started dancing, the heat felt really good on my knees.  Today though, I'm definitely paying the price.  I can't walk one step without cringing.  Maybe on Monday I will make a stop at the infirmary at school and maybe they can fix me up!

The club was a hot mess too.  I had an awesome time, but I don't know how I drank too much but I did.  I spent about 2 hours over the porcelain throne, puking and sleeping, and then another hour recovering from that.  But once they played a Ke$ha song, I was ready to go! Full recovery made!  Me and my friends were the only Gaijins there, and we felt pretty special about that.  All the Japanese people thought we were so silly/cool, and the boys I was with liked the girls dressed up as sexy little santas.  There was one girl there who really pissed me off though.  She is a gaijin, and she has a boyfriend at Kansai Gaidai, but she was making out with guys all over the place last night (who weren't her boyfriend).  I really hate people who cheat.  It's so selfish and callous.  If you're going to be in a relationship then be committed, if not, dump the person to spare them the humiliation of being cheated on.  I can't look at her the same way now, she lost a lot of respect for that.  I also don't believe in the "but she was drunk" ordeal.  Drinking just takes down the walls that sobriety holds up; in other words, alcohol can reveal your true feelings and thoughts.  That's my opinion anyways.  Don't get me wrong! I still had a lot of fun last night!

Some other things that have bothered me: price of fruit in Japan.  I just want some fruit.  I don't want to die of scurvy, and rice has hardly any nutritional value.

People who interrupt presentations.  If someone's giving a presentation, hold off your questions/comments until the end.  This stupid girl in one of my classes keeps interrupting just to put in a stupid comment/hear herself talk.  Shut up, nobody wants to hear what you have to say.  She also said that where she comes from (Czech Republic), students don't raise their hands unless they have something smart to say.  Oh, really? Had me fooled.

People who copy me:  I'm a tad flattered, but it really just annoys me.  We got these free t-shirts in one of my classes that are huge (awesome, but huge).  So I took mine and made it smaller and then cut up the sleeves and neck and made it look really hot.  Now one of my roommates is doing that too.  I don't know why it bothers me so much, but get your own style please.

That's about it.  My boys should be back with my hangover McD's soon, so I'll hobble over to their room to have a nice dinner with them.

Hopefully the next post won't be so whiny, but I just needed a good vent!

Peace and Love
The Cripple