my moral standing is lying down

This Saturday was a crapload of fun. I'm really glad I got to go to Astroland one last time before they close it down. I had intended to last summer and was very disappointed when I wasn't able to make it. Luckily, I had a second chance to make good.

I looooove spinning and upside-down rides, so the Break Dance and the Top Spin were right up my alley. Though the Top Spin was fucking scary -- being held, parallel to the ground, up in the air, hanging completely out of my seat with only the front braces holding me in, thinking "if this breaks, I. Am. SO. DEAD." It was AWESOME.

The Wonder Wheel was also a great time. I very much enjoyed being in one of the interior cars that slides along a track at two spots during the rotation.

And then there was the Cyclone. I've never been on it before; the last time I was at Astroland I was still afraid of roller coasters. But it was really great and to celebrate I went on it a second time.

It was a small-ish group including me, Judy, AJ, Maryann, Maryann's sister (Tina), Indira, and her guy Ilia.

And the day was complete with a candied apple! Hurrah!

And a ride in the back of a U-haul! ^_~

In other news, it looks like the move will take place in the beginning of July. This summer is so packed full of things that I'm going to be bouncing off the walls. I decided that it would be more productive to transfer my registration for Japanese classes over to the fall session (starting September) so that I would not be even more stressed than I already will be during the packing and moving and hurry-to-finish-cosplay stages.

So, no more classes from next week til September! I feel relieved that I won't have that on my plate as well (because I think I will be overextending myself as it is), but I'm sad to be taking a break. I don't want to lose the practice, but I'm already in dire need of practice and review anyway. Hopefully I will be able to put myself to studying before the fall session starts.

I still have some book reviews and other things to write about, but I suppose I'll get to that later.

I passed the JLPT4 I took back in December!

I did best on the kanji part, which of course was the easiest part, really. Did NOT do so hot on the listening comprehension part, which I knew I'd screwed up on anyway. Which sucks, actually. And then did decently on the reading comprehension/grammar, which I figured would be the case. My average score for the test overall was around 81%. Not bad, but not so good either.

Though now there's only 10 MONTHS to study for the JLPT3 and I have a feeling I'm not going to do anywhere near as well on that one. Especially because it requires more studying and I'm just so darn lazy.

I need to get flash cards from Yoshi. And whatever study materials he may have that might help. Not like he needs the 3kyuu study materials anymore, right? =D Maybe I should rip some of those Koyasu radio drama tracks and put them on my Zen. In order to work on my listening comprehension, of course.

Also, I found $10 on the street while walking to the train to go home tonight! Random and SWEET.

I really enjoy my weird dreams. Good thing, since I have a lot of them. That said, I wonder sometimes what the hell my subconscious is up to. >_<;

In any case, it was quite a novel feeling to take the JLPT today. So reminiscent of SATs and such, which I haven't taken in YEARS. In fact, I haven't taken any tests in years. You'd think I would have been nervous, but I wasn't, actually. Very odd. And it's not that I was all that prepared, 'cause I really could have prepared better for the grammar part of it.

For all that studying I did of kanji, the kanji part of the test was SUPER EASY! Listening comprehension was the most difficult; grammar was okay, but there were some points that I hadn't formally learned so was a bit shaky on; reading comprehension was also super easy. =D Overall, I think I passed, but don't want to get my hopes up.

But studying on Saturday was invigorating and so was taking the test, actually. It's one of the few things I think is lacking from the Japan Society classes -- tests. I never thought I'd say it, but I think they could stand to administer an assessment test at the end of each level, just for one's own knowledge (since no one gets graded on anything anyway).

Tomorrow Japan Society registration is open to non-members and so hopefully Judy will be able to get into that class with me, which will be cool and probably more motivation to study harder. =D

[edit: BTW, yoshiinjapan, I just had to mention that today's gift on facebook is a healing crystal. It's obviously a sign.]

I finished Jim Butcher's Cursor's Fury and, of course, I did like the ending. It was satisfying, though I still say that this particular installment is still more set-up for the next book than anything else. I'm pretty sure book 4 takes place directly after this one, whereas there was quite some time between books 2 and 3. Again, there's some more predictable plot "twists", but they're the ones you're rooting for anyway, so it isn't exactly boring, you know? I guess I have to commend Butcher for being able to make the predictable fun in spite of itself. =D

After Japanese class yesterday I stopped in at Barnes & Noble to pick up the first 2 books in the Codex Alera series, in order to refresh my memory of the story. I meant to finish up book 3 and then start on book 1, but I was apparently insanely tired (possibly because I only had 2.5 hours of sleep on Sunday night?), so I fell asleep before I'd read more than 5 pages.

While I was in B&N, I spotted a new Nora Roberts book, called Blood Brothers. She's really getting on the urban fantasy bandwagon. Never let it be said that Nora doesn't know what's good for her career. After years and years of saying how she'd never write a vampire story (because she doesn't see how vampires are sexy or romantic), she went and wrote a vamp-centric trilogy. Hah, never say never. She's always been into Irish legendary; ghosts and the Sidhe, etc., but now she's pulling out her inner Buffy fangirl, no holds barred. I was tempted, but I restrained myself. I'm not in the mood for Nora's take on urban fantasy/romance right now.

Speaking of Japanese class, my last class for this session is on December 5th, so from then I shall have Monday and Wednesday nights free once again... at least, until January 28th, when the next level classes start. For which I signed up yesterday. ^^;

I really have to kick my ass to get studying. Ugh.

I know I had a weird dream about hanging out at Carrie's place. I think it was because I was looking at Judy's photos just before I went to sleep. ^^;

Last night my Japanese class was awesome fun. The teacher is not the type I usually prefer -- I go for the "write things down" approach rather than the "let's practice conversing" one -- but I really like her attitude and her energy and I smiled all through the class. She is very focused on us having the proper rhythm and being able to speak more quickly. I can only be grateful that I've been into Japanese for years and am comfortable and familiar with the rhythm of the language, and able to pronounce respectably well. Otherwise, I know I'd feel stressed and pessimistic about this situation rather than excited and hopeful.

Miyashita-sensei just may be the same teacher that zoiluslucifugus might have had (or at least, she uses a similar method). I think that this class will be somewhat of a challenge for me, in the respect that I will actually have to work at keeping up because we're starting to go over things I'm not already very familiar with, and I should probably practice speaking a lot, to smooth out those speed bumps between my brain and my mouth. I also wonder what those people will do who are in the class and are really obviously just not up to the right level. I emailed Margaret to encourage her to contact the Japan Society to see if she'd be able to get into the class (3 people didn't show up yesterday), but she said they said the classes are closed. So that sucks. =(

We're learning "te" form now and Miyashita-sensei mentioned that little rhyme (that Liz had told me about last year) to help remember how the group I verbs are conjugated. I only remember a part of it, but I'm not sure that it'll help me anyway. I think I just have to get a feeling or understanding for the conventions and go from there.

I was worried because someone told me that they don't start kanji in this level, but I re-checked the website and saw that they do introduce kanji in the level 4 part of the class, so around halfway through, when we start the new text. I'm relieved. But in the meantime I have to brush up on stuff to study for the JLPT4, which I still intend to take. I guess I'm a little nervous about passing, but there really isn't anything to lose besides $40. And pride, of course. ^^;

Aside from my Japanese class, I've been reading Wil Wheaton's Just a Geek. It is really absolutely excellent. There's a lot about Star Trek in it, of course, but it's more about how working on it -- and interacting with the other actors, and the fans' varied reactions to Wesley Crusher -- as a teenager affected him in the long run, more than it is talking about the show or actors themselves.

The Star Trek references are certainly part of the pull, if you were a TNG fan. There are quite a few memories that he recounts of interacting with the other actors, so it's really fun to read and get an idea of what Brent Spiner, Patrick Stewart, and LeVar Burton are like, outside of their alter egos. But most of the stories he relates have to do with his family -- his wife and two stepsons, and his inner struggles.

It's probably the most relatable, non-fiction/book of memoirs that I've ever read. He has a great sense of humor and has learned to be unafraid to really expose some of his innermost fears and worries -- and all in a way that is insightful, and uplifting, and inspiring. And for the record, I really hate using the word "inspiring" because it sounds horribly cliche and so damn fake.

I almost never read anything but genre fiction (and books about grammar, I suppose), but if I could find more non-fiction written like Wheaton writes, I'd totally be willing to read it.

So I told my boss this morning that I'd be leaving, but that I could work until the end of next week. I know that they need the time to try and find someone else since they're kind of shortstaffed. I'm so nice. Unfortunately, this means no days off (other than the weekend) between jobs.

I met Margaret for lunch today and it was really fun chatting with her. I'm amazed at how quickly we've hit it off. I chat with her really easily and comfortably, which is pretty rare for me. I'm always thinking and double-thinking what to say, so I'm always tongue-tied. =/ I think it helps that she's obviously at ease with keeping a conversation going. It's going to be pretty neat working at the same organization with her. We aren't on the same floor, but that's fine. =D

She mentioned joining a soccer team and promised to send me the info. I may just take up that invitation. I haven't played in a really really long time, but it could be great fun. It meets Sundays between September and November. We'll see.

In any case, there are only 4 weeks left til my Japanese lessons begin again, which I'm really looking forward to! I meant to practice kanji a lot more than I have been, but I've been a bit busy and crazy for the past month. I'll have to smack myself upside the head and try to get back to studying that. yoshiinjapan, I have to try and get those flash cards from you!

BTW, Linkin Park picks good music to play for their hostile takeover of K-rock. I'm highly impressed.