February 17

It was a pretty futsuu day for the most part. I got up (but didn’t want to because it was so cold outside of bed), ate breakfast, and caught my train to class. I ended up thinking it was another 9:20 day, so I went to my Japanese class early, only to find that I had about 45 extra minutes, so I went back to the CJS office to see if I could figure out what I had received in the mail (over the last month). I showed my mail to a lady at CJS and she tried to explain it to me. One envelope was a book for recording my pension since I’m twenty, and by law, people of the age of twenty in Japan must fill out pension information. It was explained to me that through some kind of Alliance between the US and Japan, I was not exempted from this law, but that I would have to apply for a postponement of payment for my pension so that I wouldn’t have to pay while in Japan. Afterward (after returning to the US) I could apply for a cancellation. Japan is so backward sometimes. I don’t think the cancellation is possible without engagement, even though I am a foreign citizen.

I also asked about the payment for my health insurance. The letter I received in the mail is of course, in one of the Japanese emperor's notation in terms of date (Sometimes, Japan does not use the Julian calendar to denote the date, instead they count from the years of a specific emperor's ruling period) and otherwise, the letter was confusing (The lady I spoke to said i was even confusing to Japanese people).

In the end, the lady asked to keep my paperwork for a week while she consulted with my host mother and the ward office to figure out what I needed to do (and, as she said, to figure out the English to explain it to me in). She was very helpful. I’m a bit bothered though, because my American friend (who is 21) said she didn’t have to deal with this pension crap, that her health insurance bill would be sent to her months later, and that there is probably something wrong.

Oh well. We had our second quiz of three this week in Japanese. Afterward, we had three hours of class and I headed off to Valor for lunch. I bought another yakisoba sandwich (they cook the yakisoba in the middle of the bread), a cream puff, and a flaky apple pastery with half of an apple baked into it.

Afterward, I had hanga class (which was not stressful, as usual) and then I headed home. I decided that today would be the day I took my Toyota (with no cars, but cute felt animals on it) calendar home so that it would not take up all the space in my locker any more. Unfortunately, today was also the day there would be a big gust of wind, my hand would be numb from the cold, and I would drop my calendar. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it didn’t go flying into a divided highway where it was run over (ironically) by quite a few Hondas. I was pretty angry about it since I had taken such good care of it thus far and I started getting angry about being in Japan while I did so.

I was angry because I feel isolated, as there are no Japanese students around right now and we don’t take classes with them anyway. I was angry because I have a hard time understanding Japanese when I hear it, and also that I don’t know enough kanji to read most of the things around me. I was angry that I can’t be online so often, where I can e-mail my American friends and my few Japanese friends, (rather than spending about $3 per minute on the phone) write my blog, find sheet music, and read the news. I really wanted to be home in the US where I could relax, not feel guilty for not being out with my Nanzan friends (who don’t seem interested in much but getting smashed or impersonating anime) or doing homework all the time, be warm (central heating makes you happy), and not be so tired.

Today is MartiGras. I’ve been thinking (as of today) about what I could give up. I could give up the internet (except e-mail), but I feel like it would be wrong to cut my contacts. I could give up sweets, but I want to try new things when I see them (maybe I’ll give up sweets that I’ve had before). I might give up listening to music (which I do sometimes when I write or do homework, though I haven’t touched my iPod since I got off my flight). I can’t give up TV because it’s always on in the house, but it wouldn’t be that much to give up anyway because every time a drama comes on, okaasan switches the TV to another news channel. Otherwise, there isn’t much to give up; I go to school, come home and do homework, eat dinner, use the internet, and go to bed.

I guess I’m just having a bad day.

When I got home, I didn’t do much before taking a hirune. I slept until dinner and when I came to the table, okaasan was worried because she thought I didn’t like the gyouza (Chinese dumplings) she had made. I told her that I I had taken a nap and had become very tired. She was worried that something was wrong at school or home, but I assured her there wasn’t. I don’t understand this though, I get a solid 8 hours, but I’m still tired. Like I said, okaasan made delicious gyouza for dinner with rice (:D) and miso (that had salmon and potatoes in it among other things). For dessert, we had strawberries and otousan’s valentine’s chocolate. I especially like the godiva orange rind in dark chocolate (surprisingly). During dessert, we watched the news since Hillary Clinton is in town. Apparently, we want to ally with Japan against North Korea (which has been abducting Japanese people). Okaasan said I have a long way to go to be sixty like Hillary and to take lots of vitamins so I can get there. Hillary clinton got to meet the empress. I want to do that....