Being Blonde Has Its Perks

Today was a rather long day. Not due to courses, but due to the fact that I was on campus from 9:30am to about 7:20pm. Class went very well today, my second test (grammar) went a little poorer than expected (ie: I didn't know there was an exam and didn't study, because damn I need to buy a monthly planner to help me with homework tracking...) but I am determined. You can't learn if you don't make mistakes :)

After that, it was lunch time and I had more delicious curry because the pasta dish had some sauce that I was sort of afraid of and the special bowl was like katsudon curry and that would just...be weird. So regular curry it was. I ate it largely by myself before I trucking off to the library in search of Japanese grammar books to help me get by.

I also sneaked a peek at the Level 1 JLP book to steal its kanji and the more I look at the ICU Japanese books...the more I'm beginning to think that they think we're all some manner of intelligently impaired maroons. Now, J2 is keeping me challenged, which I like, but when the professor is telling me to not use a particular kanji due to it having not yet been learned in class...? Apparently a couple of my commonly used grammar structures are also not something generally learned until LEVEL 5.

Checked out my books and hiked over to the DMH Lounge to grab a Dr. Pepper and then do some reading before meeting up with Debra at Global House until six o'clock rolled around, which leads to my first meeting of the ICU Festival Committee.

A little background: in November in Japan, schools across the nation put on festivals. Like a big open house kind of thing where the students plan everything, organize entertainment, vendors, seminars, and displays of academia everywhere. The ICU Festival Committee has been doing a massive, massive festival every year and it literally takes over the ENTIRETY of campus, which is saying a lot since the campus is massive for being in Tokyo. Food stands, arts and crafts, you name it, the ICU Festival does it, and everything is student organized. It's a pretty important club too, since the Festival is perhaps one of the biggest shindigs and its members serve as primary community leaders at the school.

Earlier this week I inquired about joining and on Tuesday, I signed up. Today was a bit of an officers meeting/they wanted to get to know me. I can't recall how many jikoushoukai (personal introductions, Japanese style) I made, but by the end of the meeting all I could do was smile, nod, and act like the idiot I am since I am the only non-Japanese to ever be in the club.

Today did, however, mark the first time a group of Japanese people called me "Erykah-chan"... ♥♥♥

Toward the end of the meeting (which, save for some informal introductions of sub-committee heads in pretty good English, was all in Japanese), Yuma (Committee Leader) decided that a welcoming party in my honor was a necessity. So, October 10th, the Japanese are throwing me a party \o/ Go me!

Now to decide to whether or not to go to the Para Para Nomikai next weekend. $30 sounds like a lot for an entry fee to a club...