I was going to put that photo at the bottom of this update but it’s just so awesome it had to go at the top. Spotted this guy in Akabane station, and my friend Chris managed to get a shot of the t-shirt before he disappeared into the crowd. If this is you, please get in contact and I will buy your t-shirt off you for a fortune.

Anyway, it’s been a while since I updated about Sophia and as things are happening pretty quickly I thought I’d fill you guys in on what I’ve been up to. I might have a Youtube video in me this week although it depends on how much work I have. Anyway, here we go;

I tried ‘Ultimate Frisbee’

I don’t know what’s so ‘ultimate’ about running around in a dusty field after a piece of plastic but this was fun. There was only one guy who could speak English and he was more than happy to switch back to Japanese for the whole training session. To be honest I was utterly terrible at it (I can’t pay attention to the frisbee and mark someone at the same time it is too hard) but it was a fun experience. I’m trying out a few other clubs, but I may well come back to this one.

I might have enrolled in a Japanese speech contest

I got a bit overzealous and promised a friend I’d join their Japanese speech contest, then soon after that I got told I have to do one for my Japanese class too, so that’s two speeches to memorize. Unless I can get out of the optional one, although it might be good for confidence in speaking so I might well stick with it.

I got a bad mark in Japanese class

As I got ‘bumped up’ a class after my placement exam, I am right at the bottom of this class ability wise. I think in terms of speaking and listening I’m probably somewhere near the middle, but my ‘D’ in the first textbook chapter test pretty much confirms that I have some catching up to do. I don’t mind being challenged but I am worried whoever hands out the JASSO scholarships might not be impressed. I’m going to speak with my teacher tomorrow and come to a decision soon. I don’t think I’ll move down, and if I do I’ll have to do a lot more self study, but it’s a possibility.

I was an extra in a film in which I dressed in rubbish bags in an expensive club

Yes, really. 2007-08 volunteer and friend Mike invited me along to be an extra in a film about ‘trash fashion’ which apparently means British men wearing plastic bags drinking champagne in a club. The film is called K*chigai and will be out next year. I’ll do my best to get a copy. As this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever claimed to have done, I’ve actually got proof.

I met someone who might have murdered me but he didn’t, then we had waffles

I need to work on making snappier subtitles. Anyway someone commented on an old blog post here and very graciously agreed to meet up with me and let me waffle on in broken Japanese whilst eating waffles! It was waffletastic.

My iPod calendar wiped itself and now I have no idea of my plans

This is bad. I enter all my plans and schemes (cunning and otherwise) into my iPod and then when it’s time to do said plans my iPod yells at me until I tell it to shut up. But then I forgot to back them up and accidentally wiped it (I know in the title I suggested it was the iPod’s fault but deep in my heart I know I am the culprit) so I will probably annoy a lot of people by missing arrangements! Oh dear!

That’s about it I think!

This update was incredibly a bit odd so I apologize, I just wanted to get something down on electronic computer paper before I forget it. I will say that things are in general getting better – I’m enjoying my classes more, I’m speaking Japanese more, and I’ve mastered the art of entering a coma on the train so I can’t even tell I’m being squished by sleepy businessmen.

So all in all, everything is good. Now that I’m starting to get my workload under control, I am going to do a lot more traveling and so on, so hopefully future updates will include more photos of places I’ve been and less photos of me portraying people below the poverty line in high class establishments.

Possibly Related Content:

1. Advanced Japanese At Sophia University
2. Japan’s Kids Are Doomed
3. Study Year Targets & Goals
4. Volunteering at a Japanese Primary School
5. The Japanese At Sophia University FAQ