Figuring Out My Schedule

I truly can make miracles happen with course registration!!!!!

ahhhh this is wonderful :D and it lifts some of my stress away because the class I somehow got into suits my major perfectly.

I beat the odds last spring when course registration at Korea University was looking quite dismal. There's one class I went to that I thought was perfect and I flipped out about it and really wanted to add it!!!! but it was thought to be impossible. On the first day the professor told us that nobody would be able to add the class. Yet I managed to get in! That was a challenge. I also added another class that was important to me.

I had no problems in the fall because for the first time since starting college, I got into every course I had requested or tried to register for. lucky lucky

This time I was close to giving up. Earlier this week I thought things wouldn't work out. But tada~~~~ I got into a full class!!!! yay!!!!!! :)

anyway I guess I'll explain later I have to go make tarts since we're having a seminar house event.

English in Japan

Hello. Although I don't have a lot of contact with the Japanese students at KGU, I met and chatted with many of them at the beginning of the semester. Japanese students also organize events that exchange students can sign up for, and we do them together (I went to the instant ramen museum and to Iga, for example). There were a few Japanese students in all of my classes (except for the Japanese language classes of course) and the RAs in seminar houses are Japanese. There are a few more Japanese students living in each dorm, aside from the RAs. My roommate is Japanese. I had a Japanese speaking partner and a home visit family. Still, I can't say I've made any long-lasting Japanese friends. I guess that's a shame, but I'll try harder to join a club or a circle next semester.

What I'm getting to is this: I've met many Japanese students here at this foreign language university, and I can only think of two who I thought excelled in English. They had fantastic speaking skills and we could easily communicate in English. That's not to say that everyone else sucks, they don't, but I haven't met many Japanese people here who can communicate comfortably in English. Many people's English seems limited. I suppose that can be good for those of us who are learning Japanese.
I'm not sure how I can say this and convey it clearly... I think many Japanese people's English skills are a bit lacking. Especially compared to the Korean college students I've met. At KU I met dozens of Koreans who could communicate clearly in English. I also met several Korean people who had spent part of their childhoods living abroad, either in the U.S. or elsewhere. Some people didn't have perfect English skills but I thought they had a perfect American English accent. That's not to say that all Koreans are good at English. It's just that I've met numerous Korean people in their 20s who learned English as a second language and are fluent in it. They're not all necessarily perfect but they can certainly get by. Maybe some of the Japanese students I've met are lacking confidence, but almost everyone I met here isn't that good at talking in English. That's not to say that all Japanese people are terrible at English. I've met numerous Japanese people in my life who are perfectly fluent. But when comparing my study abroad in South Korea to the one in Japan, I by far knew more people with higher English skills in S. Korea. This also doesn't mean that everyone in Korea speaks English. I met plenty of Korean people who aren't able to communicate in English.

I didn't create this post to bash people's English skills. I don't mean to hate on anyone. I'm trying to explain one of my observations after studying abroad in two different countries.
I'm bringing this up because I just saw this: Englisch sprechen lernen
According to that article:

• Japan wants it students to speak better English so they're going to change the school system and make classes more intensive
• Japanese students regularly do poorly on the TOEFL (an exam created to measure English language proficiency)
• in 2007, there were TOEFL scores from a total of 161 countries. Japan ranked low, on place 136. Even North Korea had a better ranking, at 111. China placed 99 and South Korea was 72.

This also reminded me of a post one of my Japanese friends made on Facebook last month:

Note: katakana is one of the two Japanese syllabaries which is normally used for foreign words or loan words, which are given Japanese pronunciation. For example, "print club" should be written in katakana because it's not from Japanese, so it's プリントクラブ in katakana, which is romanized as "purinto kurabu". The English word "concert" turns into コンサート, "konsaato". The German word "Arbeit" turns into "arubaito". Katakana takes foreign words and writes them in Japanese.

She was born and raised in Japan, and she says that students who have good speaking skills in English are bullied by other students.

Her comments on the thread:

I think anyone would agree that students who excel shouldn't be bullied. In fact, no one should be bullied by anyone ever.

I think the general English skill level differences between students in South Korea and students in Japan are due to cultural differences. South Korea is known for an intense school system and a culture of studying. Studying is rewarded. High school students, particularly those in their last year, are said to study for 16 hours each day. In a competitive country where there is one ideal, high English test scores can get you ahead. I read in a book that there are middle aged workers who need good English test scores in order to be considered for promotion, despite the job having nothing to do with foreign language or any need for English. There are many international students at my university in the U.S. Out of those, the country that is represented the most is South Korea. After that is China. That's why I often hear Korean spoken on campus.

I don't think it's that good for a foreign language to be forced on people (read The bigger picture).

I don't think that Japan's low English scores is a terrible thing. There are advantages to having a better command of such a global language, but for most people that's not necessary. It would be good for those who want to master English to have resources available to do so.

South Korea

I won't be blogging again until sometime next week or later because I'm leaving Japan to travel to South Korea. The reason I'm taking off for Korea in the middle of the semester like this is to go to a concert in Seoul this weekend!

I really like TVXQ (aka DBSK) and JYJ. I'm a huge fan of Kim Jaejoong and since I'm in Japan now I decided I'll go to Korea for his first concert for his new solo album. I have tickets for both days :)
Jaejoong is a member of JYJ and he released his first solo album (a mini album) in January this year. This month he's released another solo album! It's his first full album.

As you probably know, I studied abroad at Korea University in Seoul last semester. I know my way around Seoul and I'm thrilled to return to Korea. I never thought I'd be back so soon. I almost can't believe it. I think it will feel a bit weird at first... I'm looking forward to the concert and to visiting my favorite places in Seoul and I'm glad I can see some friends again :)

I'm so happy to be able to go to Jaejoong's concert!!!!!!! I can't believe it T_____T I really like Jaejoong ^__^

(★^O^★)

o(^▽^)o

Extension

Last week I submitted an extension application instead of a termination application.

Originally, I was going to spend one semester here in Japan at KGU. My plans have changed. I'm going to spend next year's spring semester here as well.

Instead of returning to the U.S. towards the end of December, I will go around the end of May.

Like I said, my intention was not to study abroad in Japan for a year. After high school, I knew I wanted to study abroad and I knew I wanted to go to South Korea. I decided to do one semester in Korea and one semester in Japan. I wanted to spend time living in these countries.

First of all, I'd like to add that this does not mean that I like my study abroad in Japan more than the one in Korea. They're both different and I love both of them for different reasons. I'm happy I could study abroad in Seoul and I'm happy to be in Japan.

While I was in Korea I had my doubts about leaving and going on to study abroad in Japan. It would have been nice to stay in Korea. But I stuck to my original plan and I'm so glad I did. I came to Japan. Going ahead and extending now is easier because I already have my study abroad in Korea behind me. If I had extended while in Korea, I would not have studied abroad in Japan. It doesn't matter if I extend now that I'm in Japan because after this I was simply going to go back to the U.S. You see what I mean?

I like studying abroad.

I want to stay here. I have friends, I like this program, and I'm comfortable here. Not to mention that the semester is flying by. I'm more than happy to double my time here.

I don't know what I'm going on about anymore...

Anyway, the point is, I'm staying in Japan for two semesters.

I should point out that I don't plan on staying in the seminar house during winter break (December 21 to January 25 mark the move out and move in dates). If you'd like to send me mail, please try to do it on time so that it arrives before December 21. Otherwise I assume the university will hang onto any mail for me until I return at the end of January.

First Week of Classes - Again

...not for me.
But on September 11, the semester for the normal students at Kansai Gaidai started. It was noticeable. People were everywhere. The convenience store was crowded. The area between McDonald's and a cafeteria on campus was packed. I could hardly find a space for my bike in the parking lot. But yesterday and today, at least from when I was on campus, it was seemingly less crowded.
I'm going to look into student activities soon. I won't join a club, but I'd like to join a circle (which is like a club but less intense).

Unlike last week, it hasn't been raining everyday. Instead, the heat has become more unbearable. It's hot and humid. I've decided that the heat in Korea and Japan is by far my least favorite weather. (I would say summer, but Korea was already terribly hot in April this year)
It's inconvenient, it makes me feel greasy, and for once in my life my shirt is stained with sweat just by walking down the street in the shade.

I have some more pictures

cute ^_^

pictures from a convenience store

the bike parking lot I use on campus (since the Japanese semester started)

more pictures of my bike!

The only way I lock my bike in order to secure it is by using this ring on the back wheel. The black thing on the wheel is there to keep my umbrella from getting stuck in the wheel.

another way in which bicycles are like vehicles: you need a key to ride it

I got my parking stickers so my bike won't be towed

some of my school supplies

saw this in the CIE

I haven't had to spend any money on books!! Teachers give us reading packets for free.

I'm taking two gender studies classes. This was my homework on girl studies last week

gummies :)

pictures from the restroom in one of the new buildings on campus

these things are almost always on the wall in public restrooms. You push a button so that it makes noise and no one will here you in the stall. Sometimes there's a sensor so it turns on automatically.

Personally, I think this is too much and I find it unnecessary.

I hear these being used all the time. Some Japanese people say that only older people tend to use them, but my experience from being in restrooms full of college students has indicated otherwise.

I also saw these in South Korea sometimes, but I never noticed them being used.

Many toilets in Japan have whole control panels

Japan also has traditional toilets, which are in the ground for squatting. Even the new buildings have a couple among all the Western toilets.

In my experience, traditional toilets are more common in Japan than in South Korea.

There will be no class on Monday because of Respect for the Aged Day. The following Monday is Autumnal Equinox Day, which means that I have two three-day weekends in a row!

On Wednesday I met with my speaking partner and her friend for lunch.

Yesterday, I went to my home visit family's house for dinner. They're very nice! I was also pleased because I can't cook at all.

On both occasions we only spoke in Japanese.

I've been in at least four Japanese homes now. You can easily tell that Japan is a densely populated country. Houses tend to be narrow and tall. There's often only a foot of space between them. Also, stairs are rather steep. At the house yesterday, I couldn't even fit my entire foot on a step.

My plans for this weekend are to go to Osaka and Nara. We'll see.

Restaurants: Sushi and Ramen

I went to a sushi restaurant again. I didn't get good pictures from afar, but here are these

If you don't see what you want to eat pass by, you can order it on the menu on the TV screen at your table and it will arrive on this train

It's a fun way to eat.

I also went to this ramen restaurant recently.

You pick your food and pay here on this machine to receive meal tickets

This restaurant is designed differently because it's designed for eating alone. Everyone has their own private cubicle area to eat in

There were seats for six people in our room in the restaurant. It was a small, closed-off space

The walls dividing people on the sides can be folded back

You don't even see the people who serve you your food. It's rather impersonal. You just notice their hands and hear their voices now and then. I guess it could be considered a bit creepy. It's kind of weird I suppose, but I also find it interesting

I've never been to a restaurant like this before and I find it unique.

I'd also like to point out that most restaurants in Japan are not set up like this.

It also strikes me as the complete opposite of Korean dining, where the whole table often shares food and eats from the same big bowl or dish. It's much more communal than anything I grew up with.