It's my school! The first thing you see right out of the train station.
A landmark bell tower on campus (the spire with the cross on top from the skyline), from the bottom inside looking up.After we went and checked out the building where orientation would be held, we started search of somewhere to eat lunch. Everything was preeettty pricey because of the area, but then we found a totally awesome place that does the ticket thing like at the train station, and they had a great variety of stuff, AND a water cooler (haha, it's definitely become a selling-point for us). Almost all of us got the katsudon, which is pork cutlet on rice (with a bunch of egg in it!) and it was reeally good! I think if we get sick of the cafeteria, we'll definitely end up at this place again. My favorite part was the secretive little shelf under the counter where you could stash purses and coats and stuff to keep it off the floor XD
We went back to Sophia, meeting some new people along the way, and sat outside the orientation building until it was time for my orientation at 2:00. I was just so relieved to get up there and have my name on the list of students! After everything so far, that was a big moment for me =) We received a lot of information and useful materials which was also a WONDERFUL feeling after being in the dark about so much of this for so long. That feeling reminded me of some Proverbs I had read last night where Solomon talks for a long time about how knowledge is the number one thing you should always pursue, and understanding will set you free, add years to your life, and all sorts of other wonderful things.The actual orientation part just consisted of representatives from the various departments and offices coming to tell us how things work around campus, where and how to get help, and other useful things we needed to know. I was kind of annoyed the whole time because so many of the students were being so loud and rude, and wouldn't get quiet when someone was trying to speak up front. It kind of just felt like high school again. I've only seen that sort of thing happen at UVa a few times, and it's usually only with a teacher that you know the students don't respect to begin with, but you'd think that just being a guest in a foreign country and at a foreign campus would be all it would take to be respectable towards someone speaking to you.
Orientation seemed like it didn't last very long, and when it was done they were just sort of like "Well...that's it!" I knew that the rest of the gang were scheduled to have orientation until 4:30 and then maybe something else after that that I wasn't sure about, so I went down to the place we decided to meet afterwards (well... indoors instead of outdoors, it got so cold!!). I studied some kanji for a while and practiced writing a couple paragraphs to the made-up prompt of "Why do you study Japanese?" since we learned that there will be a composition portion of the placement test tomorrow. For the rest of the time I mostly just watched everyone coming and going. There were so many students and they all seemed like they were busy going to clubs and sports and things. Throughout the day we saw the cheerleading team (the "Lollipoppers" as they call themselves, hahah...), men's volleyball, women's lacrosse, I think I saw women's soccer too, and a lot of other sports groups that didn't have any insignia to say what they were. I also saw a looot of people carrying instruments back and forth, mostly guitars, and at one point a lot of people came through my building carrying string instruments. We also saw a lot of trombones for some reason.
A few hours later, the rest of the group had gotten done with their orientation and we went on our way. They had met a few new people, but I didn't really catch their names or anything about them. After some train station confusion and another mannin densha or two, we made it back to the DK House! Now Jen and Greg are out with Jen's host family from her previous stay in Japan and the rest of us are studying furiously for the placement test tomorrow! I found a really great site for studying my kanji (my very weakest point in Japanese, I believe!) at renshuu.org, and I'm actually feeling quite studious tonight and getting a lot done. I put on some Keane to study to since it really fits the sort of mood I'm in today. It's hard to explain, but Keane lyrics always kind of put it right out there for me.
I'm a little worried about taking the placement tests and dealing with the results. They strongly encourage us to stick with the level that the placement test comes up with, even though we may end up placing lower than we'd hoped since we've had such a long break from studying Japanese. It's in my nature to not deal well with feeling like I'm performing or working at a level lower than my highest potential, but I tend not to do anything proactive to prevent it (in other words, I didn't study a bit over the past three months). I'm feeling surprisingly acceptive of whatever the results are, just because I know that no matter what, in the end, my learning is up to how much I personally choose to study and work and not what level I'm in, and that no matter what, I'm going to get the same amount of credits for my major. Hopefully I can keep that attitude and be constructive instead of feeling down about it and making a bad decision or working myself too hard in a bad way, or just getting depressed and not getting anything done at all (which has been known to happen).
Having said all that, I'd at least like to get what I *know* that I know (all grammar, plus pre 301 kanji, 301 kanji is absolutely hopeless at this point since I didn't really know it when I was in the class) reviewed and in my head again as much as possible before the test. And since we're leaving at 8:30am and it's already almost 10:00pm, I had better get back to work =) Photos of today (I think there's like...2..) to be added later!
"Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or swerve from them.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.
Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.
Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."
Proverbs 4: 5-9
4 comments:
Haha, I like how your favorite part of that restaurant was the secret shelf! But I did like that too... :)
Sooo sorry again we took so freaking long!! But it seems you got in some good alone time studying at least.
Man, yeah, one of the reps who talked to us was like of these about 5 orientation talks I've done today, you are the only ones who applauded before I came up to speak, so that's encouraging. So I was like, man, that's so weird that the other groups aren't...since that's more or less what we do in the U.S. And to sense that he seemed kind of discouraged too... :/
Good luck with the test...I feel the same way. I feel super guilty that I didn't study at all and totally meant to, and to hear about when others have studied...But it's true, it'll still be the same credits, and I think things will just work out how they work out...they may be different than what we want, but...that happens...Good luck with your reviewing too! Better than me just reading blogs... sigh!
Such a wonderful thing to, when your name is supposed to be on a list, actually see it on that list. It's life's small smoothnessess that keep you going, ne?
Keep up the good work, Wilson-san, I enjoy reading all about the sannin! You're all making me hungry for chocobananas...
Hey Natalie! Hope your placement test goes well and puts you where you'll learn the most. I've been reading Proverbs, too! I like all the if-then promises going on, like in the beginning of chapter 2 and in 3:5-6.
ummm I like your blog! and the video made me laugh! bye! :D
ugh, that placement test is plaguing all of us. and when (not if) we go back to that restaurant i'm trying the katusdon this time around; it looked really yummy.
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