I'll post about Nara later, but right now, I just need to get this off my chest, and I figure maybe it'll be relevant to other people.
I didn't think I was, but maybe I actually am going through the whole process they outlined in the handbook--excitement and stuff at first, and then culture shock as the newness wears off. That is, irritation at not being able to communicate, usual habits not being appropriate anymore, and all that other stuff that I've just forgotten. Well, basically resulting in getting a bit depressed. Right now, I think it's that combined with a couple other things, maybe.
So tonight I was invited to join my host parents in a Buddhist ceremony for their deceased parents, which was very interesting. A Buddhist monk came in and sat in front of the altar in their Japanese room and did some chants. We had to sit on those little pillows on our feet, and I couldn't even feel my feet after about 5-10 minutes. My host mom thankfully saved me and said I could sit kind of sideways. I dunno how else to describe that. Well, but afterwards my dad and the monk/priest were talking and he tried talking to me, but I couldn't understand much, even simple things I should've known, but he said things a bit differently than I know. I'm not sure if it's because of the Kansai accent, or if it's just a different way to say it, or if he spoke too quickly or because I'm so tired recently, or any combination, but I couldn't understand much. So that got me even more depressed, because I know I don't know much yet and this week I feel like my brain has been trying to reject Japanese or something, so it all just made me feel worse.
Now, I've read a lot of stuff before coming here, and I realize--mostly--what's happening, but realizing it and making it stop or go away are two entirely different matters. Just because I realize it doesn't make it any easier to get rid of the problem. Well, but tomorrow I'm going out with a friend or maybe more to just hang out and stuff, so maybe that'll help lift my spirits a bit. It'd also probably help if I started getting better grades on my tests and stuff than just B's. The classes are more difficult here, and not just because we go through one lesson in four days. Therefore, I really need to start studying a lot more. Anyway, what I was trying to say is that in everything I've read, people always say that of course you're still going to have a bad day or a bad week here and there, but still. It's one thing to realize it and a completely other thing to be able to get over it.
Well, anyway, I'm going to go do just that--study. Well, maybe shower and then study.
I didn't think I was, but maybe I actually am going through the whole process they outlined in the handbook--excitement and stuff at first, and then culture shock as the newness wears off. That is, irritation at not being able to communicate, usual habits not being appropriate anymore, and all that other stuff that I've just forgotten. Well, basically resulting in getting a bit depressed. Right now, I think it's that combined with a couple other things, maybe.
So tonight I was invited to join my host parents in a Buddhist ceremony for their deceased parents, which was very interesting. A Buddhist monk came in and sat in front of the altar in their Japanese room and did some chants. We had to sit on those little pillows on our feet, and I couldn't even feel my feet after about 5-10 minutes. My host mom thankfully saved me and said I could sit kind of sideways. I dunno how else to describe that. Well, but afterwards my dad and the monk/priest were talking and he tried talking to me, but I couldn't understand much, even simple things I should've known, but he said things a bit differently than I know. I'm not sure if it's because of the Kansai accent, or if it's just a different way to say it, or if he spoke too quickly or because I'm so tired recently, or any combination, but I couldn't understand much. So that got me even more depressed, because I know I don't know much yet and this week I feel like my brain has been trying to reject Japanese or something, so it all just made me feel worse.
Now, I've read a lot of stuff before coming here, and I realize--mostly--what's happening, but realizing it and making it stop or go away are two entirely different matters. Just because I realize it doesn't make it any easier to get rid of the problem. Well, but tomorrow I'm going out with a friend or maybe more to just hang out and stuff, so maybe that'll help lift my spirits a bit. It'd also probably help if I started getting better grades on my tests and stuff than just B's. The classes are more difficult here, and not just because we go through one lesson in four days. Therefore, I really need to start studying a lot more. Anyway, what I was trying to say is that in everything I've read, people always say that of course you're still going to have a bad day or a bad week here and there, but still. It's one thing to realize it and a completely other thing to be able to get over it.
Well, anyway, I'm going to go do just that--study. Well, maybe shower and then study.