I guess this is kind of an experiment- less frequent updates, but longer and about more topics. Let's see how it works out.
PERMANENT RESIDENT
I'm starting to feel like I've been in Japan for a very long time, maybe too long. For example, I was watching an American movie on TV, and during a car scene, I was like, "They're driving on the wrong side of the road!" Yesterday, I went to the grocery store and thought how weird it must be to get a whole loaf of bread instead of only six slices (for basically the same price). But the thing that got me the most was looking at some recent pictures of my sister taken for her engagement- she looks completely different from what I remembered! A very strange feeling. I was like, "Is that my sister"? I guess it has been about 7 months now since I have been to the States. It seems like it has gone by so quickly, but still that's a good amount of time no matter how you look at it.
DINGS AND SCRAPES
I don't know what it is recently, but I've sure been injuring myself quite a lot recently. I mean, just being clumsy as all get-out. For example, when I was playing soccer, I was running, tripped myself up, and fell flat of my face (no really, my forehead was all scratched and bloody from hitting the ground). I accidentally sliced my finger a little bit with an opened car top. Then, last week, but put the palm of my hand right into a thumbtack that had been left on a table in the English room. I've been having some rough digestive issues as well. I just don't know what's gotten into me. Just don't expect to save the world or anything, because I will probably slip on a banana peel, and then we're all doomed.
SWEET LORD
If old Japanese video games don't interest you, then you might want to skip this next part. There's a game store in Oita that I've seen for awhile, but never took the time to check out. It's called Game Museum, and if you know I like collecting old video games, well that sounds like it might be right up my alley. I was out and about Sunday in Oita, and on my way back I finally decided to stop in. Man, I'm glad I did. This place was loaded with rare and sought after collectbales. Sure they had your standard craploads of new and used PS2 and PS1 games, but beyond that they had shelves full of special edition releases, one of the better Xbox sections I've seen, tons of Famicom and Super Famicom stuff too. The other retro stuff was great too- Everything from Mega Drive to PC-FX. The PC Engine CD stuff was especially impressive.
And the consoles they had there were amazing. Turbo Duo R? Check. Sega Wondermega? Check. Supergrafx? Check. LaserActive with PC Engine and Mega Drive modules? Check. There was even some really neat stuff, like a PC Engine LT, on display (but not for sale- I guess it really is a museum, after all). So, upon seeing all this, I was happier than a bug in a rug. But since I was low on cash at the time, I had to watch my purchases closely.
LEX LUGER U.
Recently, a study was done that showed today's college students are more narcissistic than ever before. I can't say that comes as a huge surprise to me after 4 years of college. Just read these quotes.
"The study asserts that narcissists "are more likely to have romantic relationships that are short-lived, at risk for infidelity, lack emotional warmth, and to exhibit game-playing, dishonesty, and over-controlling and violent behaviors."
Twenge, the author of "Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled — and More Miserable Than Ever Before," said narcissists tend to lack empathy, react aggressively to criticism and favor self-promotion over helping others."
Sound like anyone you know?
AND FINALLY
Just Because.