Escaping Days

The days seem to be running away! It's already nearly the end of October!
I'm getting more confident with using Japanese spontaniously now :3
I've made a few new Japanese friends this weekend too!

I had so much kanji homework to do this week, but I finally finished it!

Actually come to think of it, kanji class seems to be the only class where we get regular homework.
Although, we get "influenza homework" incase the uni closes.

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This week during our Friday culture class we had the opportunity to try Shodo.
I found it quite difficult to get the strokes exactly right.
I did "geijutsu"as my kanji, I think I might have been watching to much Naruto lately...thanks Deidara!

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Today, I went into Kawagoe to buy some shorts for Tennis class and Tennis club from the sports shop.

However I got slightly sidetracked by the festival that was on,
So many food stands! I wish I could've afforded and had the stomach space to try a bit of everything! XD

I got some nice shots from the festival for my gallery.
So I'll upload them when I feel motivated :P

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I think this next week is going to go fast as well. `

I have tennis class tomorrow morning, which is always fun.
Advanced kanji in the afternoon (where all that homework came from @_@ )
And volunteering class (which is actually listening to various volunteering companies talk about their business and we have to write a small commentary and the end) after kanji class.

We are probably doing biwa again on Tuesday's culture experience class, although I think it's high time we did something new.
Japanese special expressions class in the afternoon - it's quite challenging, but always easy to understand since the teacher is great at explaining things and she's so funny!

Wednesday brings "Practial Use of Japanese" class. We started watching a film about sumo last week and we're going to finish it this week.
After that I have German - I'm ahead the class in the German textbook.
So I have no need to rush my work in that class.

Friday is a very easy day with basic kanji class
and then cultural experience class (this week will be Origami).
Not sure I'm looking forward to the origami - I've tried it before with instructions from a library book and I was terrible at it!

Typhoon and Cosplay plans

The weather here has been pants recently. Humid yet raining.

On Tuesday they announced on the news that a typhoon was coming and showed the path they predict it was going to take.

Of course as the typhoon made it's journey these predictions changed.

Even though the typhoon has already passed our area, uni classes are cancelled for today.

The sun is now shining hot, like it's pretending the bad weather never happened lol!

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My cosplay arrived today! It came so fast, it took only 3 days!
When I was in the UK it took a whole month, coming from the same company!

It seems like we are going to be having a halloween party at the Ryuugakusei Kaikan, since many are planning their outifts.
So, it gives me a good excuse to cosplay :D

Also, there is going to be two manga/anime conventions in December in Tokyo that I don't want to miss!

Little Random Update

As you can see my list of places to visit keeps growing XD

I've visited some of them already, but I'm sure I will go back again.

I want to visit Kasukabe as it was the setting for one of my favourite (and apparently very popular here!) anime called Lucky Star.

Also Washinomiya shrine that the girls from Lucky Star visited is on my list.
Apparently many fans of the series visit the shrine XD
It's good business for them I guess!

As I'm typing this I'm watching a program that is showing all of the stops on the Yamanote line and what you can find in each of these areas - so I'm watching out for interesting things to go and see ^__^

Tokyo Game Show

Today, I went to Tokyo Game Show - supposedly the biggest video game convention :3

It was quite an expensive do with it costing 2500yen to get there, 1,200yen entrance fee, 500yen on food and then I spent nearly 7,000yen on merchendise (a Tokyo Game Show t-shirt and a K-ON hoodie).

It was a good day out though :3

I won't post all my photos -in the cosplay sections, they requested that we get the cosplayers permission to post the shots on personal websites.

They were quite strict with photographing in most areas, but it was difficult to stop the millions of people that must've passed through the venue from taking some photos.

Akihabara

Well I finally made it - the otaku went to otaku land XD

I'll say it's probably not the place to take children - certainly a lot of not very well hidden hentai sections within shops.

I saw a maid cafe and also lots of maids advertising their shops, handing out leaflets in the street.

In all the shops there are signs everywhere indicating that photography is prohibited, so I had to take photos from the outside of buildings.

I didn't have much time to see all of it, but I raced up and down Chuo Doori and still managed to buy some nice little bits and pieces...

1. Kuroshitsuji stickers
2. Tezuka Prince of Tennis phone charm
3. Twilight (with English & Japanese audio options and English & Japanese subtitle options)
4. A Lucky Star Tsukasa figure (from a 200yen vending machine)
5. A K-ON Ui badge (also from a vending machine)


I'll definitely be going back to check for new merchendise throughout the year :3

I'll upload photos as soon as I can ^_^

Tokyo Trip #1 - Ikebukuro & Pokemon Center

Hi!

Today I suppose has been the most eventful since we chose our classes.

I've been down with a sinus headache for a few days, so didn't do too much.
Although, some painkiller called Mogifen with like 3 anti-inflammatories in it, seems to be dampening down the pain, although it's making breathing a bit of a chore.

I got adventurous - charged up my PASMO and headed towards Tokyo.

I took the Tobu Tojou line from Kita Sakado to Ikebukuro and hung around there for a while to try and find CLOSET CHILD (a lolita clothing and BJD clothing shop) and MANDARAKE (a manga and cosplay shop).

Luckily as I was heading towards the train station there was some parade/fair on.
So I took some photos as the parade passed through.
I wish I knew what it was for though ^^;

After that, I got on the JR Yamanote line and went in search of the Pokemon Center in Hamamatsuchou.
Luckily it was well signposted from the Hamamatsuchou station and it was only opposite and slightly to the right of the station XD

I loved it there, even though it was packed! I'll definitely be going back, since it's so easy to find!!!

I managed to download some Pokemon event mystery gift for a special Pikachu field in the Heart Gold/Soul Silver walker while I was there.

There were lots of Pokemon Halloween merchandise, and there will be more in October!

See my gallery for new photos from Ikebukuro and the Pokemon Center <3

I feel rather ill now after adventuring, I hope I haven't made myself worse :/

Placement Test & Choosing Classes

Monday

Well, the placement test wasn't the monster I expected.
There was one test for general grammar and one for comprehension.

However I was so hungry, headachy and tired by the time we got to the comprehension paper, I kind of skim read for the bits I needed so I could answer the questions quickly.

After the test I went to my flat to freshen up, dump my stuff and chill for a bit.

Then I went to Higashimatsuyama and made some Purikura and got ice cream with a friend. I love the Purikura, I wanna make lots while I'm here <3

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Tuesday

Well, today we got separated into our levels.

There are 4 levels - level 1 is for beginners and level 4 is for students who are capable enough to take other classes with the native Japanese students.

So how is it I ended up in level 4??? Especially when I didn't put all my effort into the test.

I'm going to give the level 4 classes a go, but I fear it may be too high a level for me.
I will most likely end up going into level 3, so I don't have a mental breakdown XD

I have to choose which classes I want to take before tomorrow morning.
So far, I have chosen: Japanese language, Japanese culture, 2 kanji classes (level 3 and level 4) and German.
I need to choose 2 more now :3

korekara ganbarimasu yo!