Fufufufufufuu! |D
Saturday, July 4, 2009
"I'm blue, dabadi dabadai...."
OK, so technically just my clothes are...
On Thursday I had my first kendo training wearing full armor! It felt very strange at first - I could not see to the sides because of my men, moving my head was pretty much impossible and my vision was obstructed by all that...metal! in front of my face. Aaah!
Moving felt different too, and so I guess my newbie skills of doom might have gotten even more newbie. (Haha!) Still, it was a lot of fun - both for me and the people watching the training, seeing me stumbling about clearly unsure of what to do and how to do it. Oh well, if I can spread some joy...
I also got to practice with one of the senseis in a "fight" (meaning pathetically bash his head to the best of my efforts) which was very interesting. Because my face is covered and everything is borrowed, (the name on the front of my tare is very much Japanese) he came up to me, stood about 15 centimetres from me and peered into my men to see my face. (And also, presumably, so that I could hear him over the yelling.) "This is your first time, right?" "Yes."
Sensei: "When you cut, make it more like this:" *BASH*
Helene: "!" *ok, that was really cool hejusthitmeonthehead, hahahaaa!* "Hai!"
During the training he would sometimes use his shinai to lower mine if I held it too high when standing in kamae. Also, he would grab my shinai and pull it past himself, making me shuffle after it as best I could. I'm guessing this was to give me an idea of how to move after doing a men cut (and how fast to move). I really enjoyed it, although I am still very new to it all and don't really know how it all works yet. :P I basically have the word "BEGINNER" written all over me in glaring red neon letters, and my slight fidgeting and lacking technique gives me away no matter how much my face is concealed, lol! Still, my sensei praises me for learning fast and putting a lot of effort into it. I'll do my best, and try to get as good as I can in the amount of time I have left here. (No, Eirik, you may not know how long :P) Cheer me on as I shuffle my way towards greatness, will you? xD
Again, Eirik - when I come home, you. TEACH. ME. MORE. No excuses. ;P
Location: Japan
Mood: ...too hot to think...
Listening to: -
Eating: -
Drinking: -
On Thursday I had my first kendo training wearing full armor! It felt very strange at first - I could not see to the sides because of my men, moving my head was pretty much impossible and my vision was obstructed by all that...metal! in front of my face. Aaah!
Moving felt different too, and so I guess my newbie skills of doom might have gotten even more newbie. (Haha!) Still, it was a lot of fun - both for me and the people watching the training, seeing me stumbling about clearly unsure of what to do and how to do it. Oh well, if I can spread some joy...
I also got to practice with one of the senseis in a "fight" (meaning pathetically bash his head to the best of my efforts) which was very interesting. Because my face is covered and everything is borrowed, (the name on the front of my tare is very much Japanese) he came up to me, stood about 15 centimetres from me and peered into my men to see my face. (And also, presumably, so that I could hear him over the yelling.) "This is your first time, right?" "Yes."
Sensei: "When you cut, make it more like this:" *BASH*
Helene: "!" *ok, that was really cool hejusthitmeonthehead, hahahaaa!* "Hai!"
During the training he would sometimes use his shinai to lower mine if I held it too high when standing in kamae. Also, he would grab my shinai and pull it past himself, making me shuffle after it as best I could. I'm guessing this was to give me an idea of how to move after doing a men cut (and how fast to move). I really enjoyed it, although I am still very new to it all and don't really know how it all works yet. :P I basically have the word "BEGINNER" written all over me in glaring red neon letters, and my slight fidgeting and lacking technique gives me away no matter how much my face is concealed, lol! Still, my sensei praises me for learning fast and putting a lot of effort into it. I'll do my best, and try to get as good as I can in the amount of time I have left here. (No, Eirik, you may not know how long :P) Cheer me on as I shuffle my way towards greatness, will you? xD
Again, Eirik - when I come home, you. TEACH. ME. MORE. No excuses. ;P
Location: Japan
Mood: ...too hot to think...
Listening to: -
Eating: -
Drinking: -
Saturday, June 27, 2009
逆転検事
Eirik: me>you Muahaha!
(^∇^o)(o^∇^)
I can't read all the kanjis, but so far I'm doing well enough to understand what's going on and I'm getting by. I'm even managing the "logic system". (=^∇^=)V Whee〜
I can feel my cool points gathering up.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
All work and no play makes Helene quite happy anyway ♪
...then again, some of you might argue that today's been the exact opposite - all play and no work. (^_^i)
Today my class had two lessons taken to get information about uni and so on, meaning i did 日本舞踊, Japanese dance, with the first year students in stead of classical Japanese. So listen to today's schedule of my dreams:
1st: Aerobics
2nd: Japanese dance (first years)
3rd: Japanese dance (second years)
4th: Japanese dance (third years)
〈 lunch 〉
5th: Judo
6th: Judo
After school: sit and watch the dance club/read Vikram Seth's "A Suitable Boy" until 5 o'clock, walk for about 20〜25 min. to the dojo, 6:00PM〜8:00 : Kendo!
I've done close to nothing but move the entire day and I'm in bliss! (*゜∇゜)ノ Japan is so much FUN! And my friends here are great too. :D Today is one of those days where I feel I could stay here until they graduate in April and be perfectly happy. (But I'd miss my family and friends in Norway, though.；) )
I also got to borrow kendo gear, so now I'm training in a hakama, and I look ferociously cool. XD
...And I danced "Sakura Sakura" in front of the first years today because Satsumi-sensei asked me to. That's +10 cool points for me. At least. ：P
Friday, June 19, 2009
Status report
As I said in my previous post, I've started training kendo. 。o@(^-^)@o。 I came once on Thursday last week with my Rotary councelor to observe the training and try a little bit, trained on Friday (after calling my swimming to say something came up) and I've trained from Tuesday to Thursday (today) this week. (Tomorrow is swimming.)
My foot. My left FOOT. In two days I've managed to get more blisters under the sole of my foot then I think I've ever had in my life. I've got two rather big ones (or it might be five melted together?) that's causing me some trouble. I finally get my kendo-boyfriend's complaints. ：P On Tsuru's advice I've been poking holes in them with needles to prevent them from getting any worse, and the rest I'm taking care of with sport's tape and bandaids. Now if only my skin could get hard fast...At least this is proof that I'm "ganbatte"ing! Haha!
It's a lot of fun, though! Today I started bashing people on the head with my shinai (also known as practicing the men cut) or alternately hitting a shinai being held up by a partner. There's lots to think about, and I'm still trying to get my head (and body...) around it all with varying success. Lol.
I got to know a new girl at training today too - her name is Satoko, and she's a 3rd year student at Ijuin high school. She's really nice, and I like her a lot. She and her father even gave me a lift home after training, so we talked almost non-stop all the way. (I seem to have a habit of talking a lot no matter what the language... ・・(^_^i)・・ lol.)
Anyway: kendo is great!Eirik - you and I've got a job to do.(^。^)‐☆
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Long time no see!
I've been busy as usual, but I figured I'd finally take some time to write a bit about what I've been up to. So!
At some point in time, the date of which I can no longer remember, I went with my family to see 蛍 (hotaru) - fireflies! We stood waiting for a long time with a bunch of people until it finally got dark enough and they started to fly about, flashing their bums. (Hahaa! I'm so funny I kill myself... ehm.) It was really quite magical, and the first time I've seen real, live fireflies. The air was filled with the sound of frogs croaking, and it all created a very nice mood. I took some pictures, but they don't show very well... it looks like this:
"Look, a speck of light!" (Click for full size to see the speck.)
...and this little guy, a story I know and love (and again, mom, made me think so much of you:)
As I last update, I can say that I have - finally! - started kendo! (I asked my counselor 3 months ago...) I'm training at a place taught by a guy working in the police, and it's full of children from 7 years of age and up - the oldest are junior high school-students. Of course they nearly all own me skill-wise, but that's OK. I'm currently learning how to do the steps (or as I like to refer to it, "slip-skipping") and how to hold the shinai, as well as the proper way to hit a straight "men" hit. Hurrah!
(Now wish me luck so I don't get hit by the other people's shinai as I'm skipping along the wall by myself...)
Location: Japan!
Mood: - blank -
Listening to: The Call - Regina Spektor
Eating: Lemon biscuits! Yum
Drinking: -
At some point in time, the date of which I can no longer remember, I went with my family to see 蛍 (hotaru) - fireflies! We stood waiting for a long time with a bunch of people until it finally got dark enough and they started to fly about, flashing their bums. (Hahaa! I'm so funny I kill myself... ehm.) It was really quite magical, and the first time I've seen real, live fireflies. The air was filled with the sound of frogs croaking, and it all created a very nice mood. I took some pictures, but they don't show very well... it looks like this:
"Look, a speck of light!" (Click for full size to see the speck.)We also went to the Chiran peace museum for kamikaze pilots - very touching and sad. No matter what you think of their acts, I think you have to admire these people for their bravery. Not to mention how they were willing to die for what they cared about and loved - their country and their families. There were so many artifacts there - pictures of those who went out (some as young as me or even just 17), things they carried, letters they wrote, clothes they wore and remains of their planes. My host-grandfather read some of the letters to me - "Big brother has gone to become friends with the stars. I'll watch over you and see you grow up from there. Be a good girl and take care of mom and dad." He also told me that he had seen people sitting on board trucks, being driven to their planes for take-off. "They weren't smiling then." He also said that he and his friends had been asked why they weren't going: "Anyone willing to come, raise your hand!" "I didn't." I had no idea he'd experienced that...
Also, I saw the last remaining plane of the ones they used in their missions. The pilot flying it crashed it into a huge American bomber (and I think that plane went down), but by some miracle only the wing of his plane got torn off, so he somehow managed to get back home. By the time he got back, the war had ended and there was no need to go back out. The Americans later spared his plane in acknowledgment of his bravery. There were actually two who survived and came back - one died some years ago, but the other one is (if memory serves) still alive today.
Grandfather and his friend from Osaka in front of a model of the planes used.
Outside a restaurant by the museum. ...I like my green tea.
...but it's too heavy to hold alone!
Also, I saw the last remaining plane of the ones they used in their missions. The pilot flying it crashed it into a huge American bomber (and I think that plane went down), but by some miracle only the wing of his plane got torn off, so he somehow managed to get back home. By the time he got back, the war had ended and there was no need to go back out. The Americans later spared his plane in acknowledgment of his bravery. There were actually two who survived and came back - one died some years ago, but the other one is (if memory serves) still alive today.
Grandfather and his friend from Osaka in front of a model of the planes used.
Outside a restaurant by the museum. ...I like my green tea.
...but it's too heavy to hold alone!The school excursion was a lot of fun! We went to a big park with some other kids from the same year, and to start it all off we competed in several different games -Tsuru forced down bread (the kind you use with hot dogs) in a eating-competition, and I threw a Frisbee off into nowhere in a "through and have your partner catch a Frisbee"-contest.Yeeeehaw ! After that we ran to the park's playground where we spent ages jumping around on a four-man teeter-totter while screaming and laughing hysterically.
"I'm gonna fall off! I'm gonna fall off! No, aaaaaaugh!"
"It's too high! Too hi- ...did you see the JUMP I just did?!"
...Never mind the people staring at us wondering what on earth we were doing. :P
Afterward we played in the river, me and Tsuru wading around, later being joined by the others and ultimately joining in on a water-fight and drenching Tsuru so we (or rather, Tsuru...) got yelled at by Matsuo-sensei (AKA. Matti). "TSURU!" (laughing) "What are you doing?! Look at you! I told you not to get all wet, did I not?" (takes out her camera) "...say cheese!"
The Rotary trip was great too. Nagasaki was wonderful and extremely sad - we went to the peace museum of the atomic bombing. Seeing everything from a student's lunch box with completely carbonized rice to a projected shadow of a man, a glass with the bones of a hand stuck in it, a helmet with remains of a mans skull, pictures, videos... writings... It was tough. Very tough.
We also went to the Dutch slopes, where we looked around and I had an ice-cream with rose-taste. Yum! :) The night in Nagasaki was spent with purikura and lots of chocolate at the hotel.
The "ninja village" was a tourist spot called Yumedori where you could see built models of old Japanese houses and get training as a ninja, take pictures of yourself wearing kimono and so forth. A lot of fun, though! Especially the house where you had to find the exit, and the guide-ninja decided we might need some help, so he came in after us, thereby scaring Jessa half to death and giving Francesco and me a good laugh - that scream was memorable! XD
In Kumamoto we went to Kumamotojyo, a castle first built in 1469 and the site of the Satsuma rebellion. (That's Kagoshima and the samurai, folks!) Seeing the exhibition of things from the rebellion there and being in the castle was amazing! :)
I've also been to a fairytale museum with my family, and it was a lot of fun -
look, mom, I even found Oz!
"I'm gonna fall off! I'm gonna fall off! No, aaaaaaugh!"
"It's too high! Too hi- ...did you see the JUMP I just did?!"
...Never mind the people staring at us wondering what on earth we were doing. :P
Afterward we played in the river, me and Tsuru wading around, later being joined by the others and ultimately joining in on a water-fight and drenching Tsuru so we (or rather, Tsuru...) got yelled at by Matsuo-sensei (AKA. Matti). "TSURU!" (laughing) "What are you doing?! Look at you! I told you not to get all wet, did I not?" (takes out her camera) "...say cheese!"
The Rotary trip was great too. Nagasaki was wonderful and extremely sad - we went to the peace museum of the atomic bombing. Seeing everything from a student's lunch box with completely carbonized rice to a projected shadow of a man, a glass with the bones of a hand stuck in it, a helmet with remains of a mans skull, pictures, videos... writings... It was tough. Very tough.
We also went to the Dutch slopes, where we looked around and I had an ice-cream with rose-taste. Yum! :) The night in Nagasaki was spent with purikura and lots of chocolate at the hotel.
The "ninja village" was a tourist spot called Yumedori where you could see built models of old Japanese houses and get training as a ninja, take pictures of yourself wearing kimono and so forth. A lot of fun, though! Especially the house where you had to find the exit, and the guide-ninja decided we might need some help, so he came in after us, thereby scaring Jessa half to death and giving Francesco and me a good laugh - that scream was memorable! XD
In Kumamoto we went to Kumamotojyo, a castle first built in 1469 and the site of the Satsuma rebellion. (That's Kagoshima and the samurai, folks!) Seeing the exhibition of things from the rebellion there and being in the castle was amazing! :)
I've also been to a fairytale museum with my family, and it was a lot of fun -
look, mom, I even found Oz!
...but I forgot my green glasses.
...and this little guy, a story I know and love (and again, mom, made me think so much of you:)
As I last update, I can say that I have - finally! - started kendo! (I asked my counselor 3 months ago...) I'm training at a place taught by a guy working in the police, and it's full of children from 7 years of age and up - the oldest are junior high school-students. Of course they nearly all own me skill-wise, but that's OK. I'm currently learning how to do the steps (or as I like to refer to it, "slip-skipping") and how to hold the shinai, as well as the proper way to hit a straight "men" hit. Hurrah!
(Now wish me luck so I don't get hit by the other people's shinai as I'm skipping along the wall by myself...)
Location: Japan!
Mood: - blank -
Listening to: The Call - Regina Spektor
Eating: Lemon biscuits! Yum
Drinking: -
Monday, May 25, 2009
To be elaborated...
* 17th of May post updated! *
This is partly for myself to remember what I must blog about and partly to let you all know some things I've not yet been able to write a novel about:
- I've seen fireflies! Live fireflies! In the wild!
- I've been to the Chiran peace museum for kamikaze pilots, which was a sad, touching and memorable visit. I also got to see the only remaining kamikaze-plane in Japan.
- Ensoukai! AKA. School excursion. Involves friends (especially Tsuru), a river, "splish-splash!" and lots of candy and laughter. Good times.
Update (4th of June):
- Rotary trip: Nagasaki, Ninja village, Kumamoto.
Location: Japan!
This is partly for myself to remember what I must blog about and partly to let you all know some things I've not yet been able to write a novel about:
- I've seen fireflies! Live fireflies! In the wild!
- I've been to the Chiran peace museum for kamikaze pilots, which was a sad, touching and memorable visit. I also got to see the only remaining kamikaze-plane in Japan.
- Ensoukai! AKA. School excursion. Involves friends (especially Tsuru), a river, "splish-splash!" and lots of candy and laughter. Good times.
Update (4th of June):
- Rotary trip: Nagasaki, Ninja village, Kumamoto.
Location: Japan!
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