Tag: english

Piss off

November 16, 2009
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Absolutely unrelated to anything, today a nice guy pissed me off totally. It was a nice day. I watched How i met your mother (season two, episode twenty), slept well, woke up, reviewed today’s kanji, did well on the test (one stupid mistake only), had a good lunch, and exceptionally managed to finish the math problems well before time. Then i decided i need hand cream (fingers very dry), so bought that and a pack of throat candy just in case, in the pharmacy-ish shop, where i went by bike. On the way back, i saw a military helicopter (looked like these), which i couldn’t really understand. Then it disappeared out of sight… And then.

There was a delivery service car on the pavement, two guys just getting out of it. They stepped aside as i neared, i nodded thanks, and then, i just heard one of them saying “邪魔だよ” (roughly “you’re in the way”, not really nice). By the time i realised i what he was saying, i was already past them, and my japanese swearing skills are still not high enough to answer with an appropriate curse quick enough, so i just swore at them in hungarian, quite elaborately, emphasizing mostly on their parents’ ancient occupations. Seriously. Obviously he was thinking i don’t understand what he’s saying, as i’m pretty apparently a foreigner. Asshole.

(And please don’t start telling me all the meanings of the phrase from the “三千年前の中国” (China three thousand years ago), explaining how it’s not that offensive, the way he was saying it in itself would’ve worth a healthy smash in the face.)

But for now, change of subject, working on the pol-eco paper/presentation till drop dead.

Culture shock

November 15, 2009
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It sucks. It’s not normal right, having something like a culture shock after half a year, but well, i can’t really find any better word for this. It’s very annoying. The working methods. At home you had to think, to understand what you were working on, and those who don’t care about social contacts just their precious work are considered low. Nerds. Geeks. Freaks. But here, people who i’ve never seen out of school, although we live in the same dorm for half a year, who’re always either in the classroom studying, or their room studying, those who memorize everything word by word and probably have trouble using it even if just the context is different, but of course for the exam they know all the words, all the stroke orders, all the grammar structures and math formulae by heart, here those people are the first. And what sucks the most, that here this thing works. I think, this is what one can consider a culture shock.

Kaiji (gambling apocalypse)

November 13, 2009
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Last friday (among others) was the day also for a movie, a new japanese movie titled カイジ·人生逆転ゲーム, Kaiji in short (the above “Gambling apocalypse Kaiji” is the “official english title in japan”, no comment). That’s the name of the main character as well, by the way. Also, that main character is played by 藤原竜也 (Fujiwara Tatsuya), the guy who played Shuya in the Battle Royale movie and Light from Death note. No surprise he seemed so familiar… This time he’s playing a supposedly everyday guy, who has a serious problem with gambling. In addition to hoping to win huge piles of money on lottery tickets, he has problems with controlling himself after losing, hitting and kicking cars and stuff. Then once everything turns out bad, and he has to gamble for his life. That’s about the first two minutes of the movie, but the remaining parts are not much different. As usual with any japanese entertainment product, be it anime, manga, book or whatever, the central point in the plot is how Kaiji grows up and matures. For some reason though, he doesn’t really get the message of the first one and half hour of the movie: don’t gamble. Of course there’s also a multi-chillionaire, who apparently has a fetish (japanese tradition) for life-and-death games, and beside him half-mad CO’s and sadist servants. The whole thing is very japanese, but if someone doesn’t have a problem with that, it’s really entertaining.

The lunch

November 8, 2009
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Today after church i went to buy spices and veggies, and ended up cooking something really interesting. There was a banana in my fridge “maturing” for about a month now (totally brown on the outside, but not rotten), and since i don’t really like that state of the fruit i decided to fry it—years ago once i had fried banana in a chinese restaurant back home. On olive oil, with chicken, the banana soon disappeared, turning into sauce. Also played: the juice of a whole lime, loads of ginger, basil, some turmeric and paprika (red and ground), a bit of my beloved pirosarany from home, cabbage, paprika (yellow and fresh) and olives. It ended up really pleasant. What pleasant, great. (And i’m being modest here.) The coffee before lunch finally managed to wake me up somewhat, though i’m still not that fresh and lively. I realised what they were talking about with “coats your tongue”—it really left a nice feeling. I like to drink my orange-grapefruit juice mix after coffee anyways, but this way it’s simply magnificent.

Starbucks Italian blend

November 7, 2009
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Yesterday in Shibuya i wanted to buy (beside a hat) a coffee, a good one, which meant i checked the Starbucks there. Before that, really good review of the Arabian Mocha Sanani, but that costed roughly twice as much as the others, and as explained by the shopkeeper girl, it has all kinds of stuff like cocoa in it–which is probably pleasant when needed, but it sound more like some kind of dessert for me.) The Italian blend surprised me with a really smoky smell when i opened the package, which kind of reminded me of the bad experience with the japanese “black coffee” (not the (really and confirmed by many) potato-tasting one from the vending machine, but a ground one sold in bigger stores), but my worries were wiped (www) as soon as i tasted the brew after breakfast. It’s soft and has a somewhat sweetish after-taste, while keeping that promised smoky flavour as well. It was a really good experience after my ham-and-eggs brunch (breakfast-lunch). I think this coffee will serve well until it runs out in about a month–when i’ll give a try to something completely different.

Although

November 5, 2009
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Although it’s already almost half past eleven, and i’m very sure i won’t be sleeping long at one, i feel somewhat… complete? I did what i planned for today, at least most of it, and that’s a rarity. Not like the braindead feeling i’ll endure tomorrow as well, and i’d have to endure even if i went to bed this very moment. Apparently it doesn’t really matter how much i sleep or how much i don’t. Not the amount, the time to wake up is important, and until that time is before ten, i’m not really awake. If someone’d suggest that maybe then i need ten hours of sleep not just eight, in the best case (usually six-seven), i have to say that i simply can’t afford to spend two more hours in bed. Way too much stuff to do.

Now a bit of diary. Today… school was boring, as usual. Or just i was too (o|e)therworldy for it. Lunch was same as always—i think tomorrow i’ll buy a huge pile of spices and veggies whatever the cost, because i’m getting enough of something fried on garlic and/or ginger with cabbage. I plan to go to Shibuya anyway to buy coffee and something to keep my head warm (my old hats are not really fit for this hair). After lunch a somewhat over-usual level movie (half of it to be exact) and a really brain draining japanese history class. After school i bought a Snickers (getting usual, i’ll feel like switching to something else soon, i know) and the book for the history class, since next week it’s already exam. Can’t wait. We’ve to learn two chapters for that, but i read one of them today, and it’s pretty simple. At least, i could read and understand most of it… On the other hand, the son of a bitch pol-eco teacher decided that we need some more work, so we have to write a report and a presentation about the declaration of human rights and our countries’ constitutions. At least i have two weeks for it. Bless him. Change of subject, today beside the history book i did two or three leftover kanji homework (there’s none to learn for tomorrow, i think, lucky). And played guitar, practised for class as well and also started learning Yellow submarine, and did Katyusha. I feel successful. Just it’s already almost midnight…

On weather

November 4, 2009
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It’s really nice nowadays. I’m an autumn kid, so no surprise this season is my favourite, but i’m simply in love with all the falling leaves, the nice faint smell of a fire somewhere, the cold, the wind, the cloudy, rainy weather… Although it became pretty cold really quickly, i wanted a bit more—or maybe just autumn passed too quickly and this is the normal weather for november? I never know, because the good days pass quickly, even if they’re only good in weather.

High heels

November 3, 2009
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It sucks “on high heels” (i don’t know if it’s me who could be said to have coined that phrase, but i’m over- and abusing it—it was me, then i have to give credit to the obvious inspiration, Mötley Crüe‘s Hell on high heels) when i realise my own limitations. The real problem is that they are plenty. First of all is that i’m bound by the seven sins. Wrath, which just flashes for a moment leaving minutes of regret. The be(a)st within? Lust, which i try to censor out of myself using the method of good old Big Brother: consider it a thoughtcrime (sorry, crimethink). Not easy. Greed. Oh yes, my prescious. Close friend to gluttony, i just wonder my hunt for experiences in life categorizes to which one of them. The problem with that hunt is that it lacks a goal. Thus the trophies collected are more or less totally devoid of any value. (Yes, i’m using english i never used before.) Envy. Same as lust, but about a chintillion times more difficult to overcome. Envy those talented. Envy the better. Struggle to be just as good, then everyone please greet sloth, who just stops me, then handing over the baton to wrath, the anger of helplessness. And the rotten pride which makes me think i’m someone, accomplished something ending in placing myself over others.

Change of subject, 42 is not a good meaning of life, the universe and everything, because it doesn’t set a goal. And without goals, it’s very difficult to float in the “right direction”—precisely because there’s no “right direction”.

I’m lovin’ it

October 30, 2009
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First, Snickers. The best ever. Just eating one makes me happy, although it’s addictive. Heavily. It’s filling, great taste, great feel, seriously as if i was in some funny ’90-s telly advert…

Second, Halls. Probably what saves me from catching a cold every two seconds. Sore throat, coughing and runny nose come very easily for me, but this autumn i could still manage to avoid them. Now it’s getting interesting, because as i arrived home in the evening, huge “SWINE FLU IN THE DORM” (or something along these lines) flyers greeted me in the elevator. Hurray. Now the japs will panic at least as much as if it was cholera.

As for now, my life. Probably only because the aforementioned Snickers, but i can’t worry about the exams (the first of which is in two fucking weeks, and i don’t even have the book for that one yet). It’s Rado’s birthday party today, but around half past nine i’m leaving so that i could get to Shinjuku on time—with around twenty minutes of safety surplus. We’re leaving for Osaka sometime after eleven, and i’ll be coming back on sunday, with shinkansen,

Last, but not least, i love Japan Post. I wanted to send a package today, but i had classes till 4:20, and i had to pack it. The only thing i didn’t know is that post offices close at five. I arrived there 5:08. That’s three days’ delay, sorry about it…

A question

October 25, 2009
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Usually i don’t write questions here, because it’s totally and utterly pointless according to my experiences. (Meaning no one takes the trouble to answer.) I have three items on my wishlist (though rather correct to call it a “to-buy list”), and those three items are: a camera, an external hard drive and an electronic guitar. Not now, for sure, since i’m kind of low on funds for the coming week, but sometime in the (possibly near) future.

As for a camera, i’m looking for something that’s suitable for me (of course), meaning it shouldn’t break to tiny pieces if i happen to drop my backpack, it should make nice clean pictures (i’m not saying it should be a professional level monster, but not a compact, at least not a compact of the level of the one i have now…), and if possible the lenses should be changeable (or however you say that in english photoslang). I was thinking of an entry level Canon EOS or some Nikon. No specific idea yet—it’s pretty troubling that the models on international sites and on japanese ones seem to be different.

External HDD is simple. Be cheap, big and of acceptable quality. This latest is the hardest to check, because it’s not easy to find reviews. I was thinking of a HP Mini-PMD (160GB), and a LaCie model, but the LaCie disqualified itself by getting two thousand yen more expensive.

A guitar is of the least priority as of now, because until april i have the classical i borrow from the club, but for after then i want to have something to practice on. I want reasonably good quality for a reasonably good price, so i’m thinking of buying one at home. As for now my two choices were an Epiphone G-310 and a Les Paul Special II.

I’d appreciate suggestions, i’d really do.