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Published: October 26th 2008
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Boxheads
Well, not from the skit or anything. But this is what I was wearing all through my Japanese skit while dressed in a professional business suit. I love you, Sora ;P A random memory, but it came to me as I was packing my suitcase this morning and looked up to see a caricature of J-rocker I drew about two years ago. For our Japanese classes in university in the first through third year we were required to do skits at the end of each semester to illustrate our grasp of the Japanese language. And for me I always ended up doing the most random and insane things: first semester I was helping my friend who was hungover after drinking too much beer for lunch, second semester Sora and I did a skit on her stealing my J-rock pants, and fourth semester I played the role of a homeless person trying to sell a book with only one poem in it for roughly 100,000 yen. But third semester Sora and I dressed up and made these masks that “looked” like anime versions of the band Pierrot. I was Kirito and she was Aiji respectively; in the skit Kirito decided he wanted to become the band L’arc~en~Ciel and was trying to convince Aiji to wear a yellow boxhead with him. The skit was filled with excessive use of the word “kakkoi!” and “mecha
Wedding Crashers
When Amel came to visit me we went to a park near the train station, and out of nowhere this wedding group came up and started taking pictures.. with us in the background. sugoi!”, and Sora couldn’t look at me without laughing because I was sitting in a chair with a box on my head trying to act calm and collected.
These past two weeks have been a roller coaster ride but in the end things are working out for the best. Everything has seemed to work itself out at least; I'm still not sure where I stand with regards to my father at the moment, but I know that things will work out in that situation as well, for better or for worst. I do regret that I haven’t been as social or connected as I would like to be either, but between getting ready for the trip and working full-time.. most days I come home, sit down, have the idea that I’ll call someone over skype and end up falling asleep instead. By the time I wake up it’s either too late for them or for myself, and I get determined that the next day will be different! And it ends up being a vicious cycle that I am soon ending. Three days left of work and on Thursday I’ll be going home: it’s strange to think that America, the
Chinablock
Washington D.C.'s Chinatown.. is less than spectacular. It has a Chinese pharmacy, some restaurants, and Chinese on the signs. That's.. about it. place I live and have always lived, isn’t really home for me. I’ve definitely learned that the adage “Home is where the heart is” is a true statement beyond what you can recognize until you have a life changing experience. My heart is definitely not here, though; and I’m glad that in four days time I’ll finally be back where I belong.
But the process for getting ready for the trip has been ridiculous! I thankfully already had my passport from when I went to Japan or it would have taken at least two months to have that reissued and updated. I went to the bank the other day to make sure I can use my ATM card while I’m there.. and it definitely felt like an interrogation to make sure I was who I said to be. There were some questions I expected: “What’s your name?”, “What’s your home address?”, “What are the last four digits of your social security number?”. I thought that it would stop there—but oh no, I was very mistaken. “At what location, what date, and what year did you open your account?”. “Well.. my Grandparents opened it for me when I was three
Japan?
I saw this and immediately thought, "oh, great! It's Sumitomo Mitsui, I can get my refund now!". years old, so I can’t be sure..”. “Okay, then what was the monetary value of deposited money for the month of September?”. “Wait—what? I think.. Near 800 dollars?”. “Okay, what was the address used to open your account originally?”. “…I can tell you the address that it’s listed at now? Again, my grandparents opened it for me, I can’t be sure—Wait! They lived in Beulaville! Does that help?”. After about fifteen minutes of question ping pong and getting the specifics of where in Sweden I would be going I was free to leave. It’s funny because the bank I used when I went to Japan didn’t ask me any of this. I went in, told them I was going abroad, and they said “Oh, have fun!” and that was that. :P So maybe just because of where I’m located now the extra security has been added.
And then we have the presidential election. Normally I’m not very into politics and the like, and if I am I know my party isn’t going to win since it isn’t the predominant of the two American campaigns. But I did want to vote with this election, and since it will be happening
while I am away I thought it best to get an absentee ballot. What was required for this was three things: proof of residency, a signed letter requesting the ballot, and a stamp for the envelope. I sent it through the mail at least three weeks ago.. The outlook isn’t very promising that I’ll get it before I leave, though. I have to say it will be interesting to see who wins and the overall reaction while I’m not in America.
My mother also offered to buy me a cellphone I can use while I’m abroad, and I agreed only because I want to assure her the Apocalypse will not come because I am going to Sweden. And what does China wanting one world government have to do with the Apocalypse anyways? Though I think I might have persuaded her to just let me get a prepaid Skype phone when I arrive so that way she’s not having to pay charges and neither am I. Especially seeing as I know that she will probably call every moment of the day to make sure the Apocalypse really hasn’t come, and I want to spend time with my brothers! All in
all her reaction to everything will be.. interesting to say the very least.
It hasn’t actually set in yet that I’m going, though! It feels like when I went to Japan, and it took me to when I was picking up Sombat from NC State to realize “Wow, I’m going to Japan today. This is awesome!”. But I am extremely excited and ready to be there with my family; my suitcase has been packed since last weekend, and every chance I get I kyoudai smash the people at work with pictures. Really? I can’t wait to be there! It’s been far too long since I went home.
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Felix
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YEA THE REFUND, i totally forgot about that. WHERE IN THE WORLD IS MY REFUND?!?!??!?