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Thursday, October 23, 2003
specifics
i noticed that i don`t write about the specificities of Osaka life... which will probably come back to bite me in the butt after i leave. I joined a `mama-san` volleyball team, basically just for practice. they practice at Joyo JHS which is cool b/c staff is still there sometimes when I go, and I got to meet Mari as a result. I am pretty weak, but it`s so fun to be able to play vball regularly, depending of course on my `iron` will. However, yesterday, the VP came up to me and basically asked me if I would play for the mama san team in a GAME on nov 16. I slightly freaked out, as Japanesely as possible,... `uh me??? uh... I`m really bad you know...` but apparently i am good enough to be a sub! woohooooo! now let`s just get one thing out of the way... mama san vball, or mommy volleyball as someone else put it, is a misnomer. it conjures up visions of giggly housewives patting the ball to and fro.. basically the way My mom plays beach volleyball. these ladies are cute and giggly, but they hit hard and are genki to the max, which means they will do shoulder rolls after getting some tough hits.
I came to a lot of decisions on monday... and i feel good about them. one of the most significant ones is that I`m not going to India, choosing to stay domestic instead. Hopefully I can do like a home-exchange programme with Shiu, and use his place when he uses mine. that would be awesome... snow here i come! But I figure, that way I can spend Christmas and New year`s with family thus alleviating the guilt I had AND I get to make my mom happy by staying in Japan. Christmas is unfortunately/fortunately? going to be one big ol exercise in mass consumerism. sigh, Japan. But two trips in March/April to Hawaii and Mt Fuji and Golden Week in Thailand should be awesome.
I saw Matchstick Men last night with Natalie and some other Fu JETs. It was really good... nic cage and alison loehmann (sp) were really good. yay! i so can`t critique film... or much art for that matter. all critical faculties are essentially based on the aesthetic and visceral. but i was surprised how critically involved i was at the Frida exhibit. Frida and Lola Alvarez Bravo... two awesome artists. like dude, they were way cool. =)
shiawase/ureshii things:
-text essays to my phone
-musings on hermithood... 2 members and counting
-mommy volleyball
-long-d to nishiumi
-saturday am calls from my dad
-pictures
-saying hi to Joyo students
-talking with david&jolean
-church
-good Osaka food
-plain yogurt, fruit granola and cut up banana in a bowl
-finding a seat on the JR
i noticed that i don`t write about the specificities of Osaka life... which will probably come back to bite me in the butt after i leave. I joined a `mama-san` volleyball team, basically just for practice. they practice at Joyo JHS which is cool b/c staff is still there sometimes when I go, and I got to meet Mari as a result. I am pretty weak, but it`s so fun to be able to play vball regularly, depending of course on my `iron` will. However, yesterday, the VP came up to me and basically asked me if I would play for the mama san team in a GAME on nov 16. I slightly freaked out, as Japanesely as possible,... `uh me??? uh... I`m really bad you know...` but apparently i am good enough to be a sub! woohooooo! now let`s just get one thing out of the way... mama san vball, or mommy volleyball as someone else put it, is a misnomer. it conjures up visions of giggly housewives patting the ball to and fro.. basically the way My mom plays beach volleyball. these ladies are cute and giggly, but they hit hard and are genki to the max, which means they will do shoulder rolls after getting some tough hits.
I came to a lot of decisions on monday... and i feel good about them. one of the most significant ones is that I`m not going to India, choosing to stay domestic instead. Hopefully I can do like a home-exchange programme with Shiu, and use his place when he uses mine. that would be awesome... snow here i come! But I figure, that way I can spend Christmas and New year`s with family thus alleviating the guilt I had AND I get to make my mom happy by staying in Japan. Christmas is unfortunately/fortunately? going to be one big ol exercise in mass consumerism. sigh, Japan. But two trips in March/April to Hawaii and Mt Fuji and Golden Week in Thailand should be awesome.
I saw Matchstick Men last night with Natalie and some other Fu JETs. It was really good... nic cage and alison loehmann (sp) were really good. yay! i so can`t critique film... or much art for that matter. all critical faculties are essentially based on the aesthetic and visceral. but i was surprised how critically involved i was at the Frida exhibit. Frida and Lola Alvarez Bravo... two awesome artists. like dude, they were way cool. =)
shiawase/ureshii things:
-text essays to my phone
-musings on hermithood... 2 members and counting
-mommy volleyball
-long-d to nishiumi
-saturday am calls from my dad
-pictures
-saying hi to Joyo students
-talking with david&jolean
-church
-good Osaka food
-plain yogurt, fruit granola and cut up banana in a bowl
-finding a seat on the JR
// posted by naomi @ 12:36 a.m. 
