日本では最初の週間

          So, this has been my first week in Japan and I have been really busy! With all the work I've done I still have other important stuff today so it's like the work never ends. Just trying to get used to Japan, and the rules is a hassle and then on top of that just trying to understand what everybody is saying is really tough. I also have jet lag and have been waking up at around 5:30~6:00 every day. Sometimes I wish my Japanese was good enough and I had the confidence to just go on my own and do all the stuff I need to do....but maybe I'll do that after I get a bike. In Japan EVERYONE has a bike and I think it's impossible to go anywhere without one. In America, that's one of the differences I think, everyone has a car and walking somewhere can take you at least 30min to an hour. In Japan though, everyone has a bike. The public transportation is very good but in the city I'm in, Mitaka, it's just really convenient to have a bike. Some other differences from the US I've seen are

1) Trash: The Japanese take trash very seriously and there are specific rules to throwing out trash. You have to separate paper, plastic and cardboard, burnable material and such. In America, we recycle but it's not so strict. I'm just used to throwing everything into one bin and throwing it out to get picked up the next day, so I'm still trying to get used to it

2) Bath: In America I don't know anyone that doesn't take a shower. The showers for the most part are combined with the bath but most people just use the shower. As kids, I remember taking baths but not so much anymore. In Japan in the dorm I'm staying in, where you shower is set up like the Korean 찜질방 that I went to last summer. So instead of taking a shower standing up, I do it sitting down and with other people....it might sound weird but once you get used to it, it's not so bad.

3) Rules: In Japan, the first thing I noticed when I got here is how many rules there were. There’s a specific rule for everything and it's really strict. Coming from America, there are rules but there not really strict. You follow them, and there are exceptions, it's just a really laid back country. Going to Japan, I kind of miss this aspect of my country T^T!!! I'm such a laid back person and when I went to Japan it's like "you have to do this, this way no exceptions, follow the rules"

4) Temperature: In Japan right now, I think this is the worst weather I've ever experienced. It's so humid here it feels like I'm in a sauna 24-7. Right now, for the first time in my life I'm praying for it to become winter so I won't have to take a shower 500 hundred times a day because I wake up sticky every morning. In America summers are hot but I think the heat it more intense and not humid...so I guess the sun is stronger there than in Japan, but this tropical climate in Japan makes me feel like I'm in a rain forest or something and the slightest breeze is like a gift from the gods or something LOL

5) The exchange rate: America's economy is in the shit right now. I realized that when I came here. When I first exchanged my money in Japan I got ¥33288 which is around $330 if the exchange rate was even, from $400 that I gave them. I feel like I'm getting ripped off every time I go and exchange my money! I really hope America gets its act together because I'm suffering over here!!!

Well I can say one of the hardest things for me being here this week has been the language. I'm really trying hard to study and learn but every time I do that something new always pops up. However, I think speaking everyday in Japanese even though my structure is wrong is still good practice. Everyone in the dorm says I'm really good at Japanese but I think it's just because I don't have an accent like other 外人's but most of the time I'm struggling to understand what everyone is saying. Today, I went to this church service that was mandatory to attend for new students. When I walked in, they gave us these head sets that was connected to someone that translated the sermon. I was really inspired by this and I think that's what I ultimately want to do when my Japanese gets good enough.

Saving a little to gain a little

OK! So my last post was about how the American higher educational system just makes in nearly impossible to students to get an undergraduate degree...but I forgot that being an almost graduate myself from this system, I've saved a little money in some ways that could probably help future undergraduate students as well. So here's a list of things that could possibly help:

1) Government Aid

If you're like me and you're family places into the middle class, you're doomed to be told that you're family makes too much money to be given a whole lot of financial aid. Sometimes I just want to go up and say to these people "My dad complains when I ask him for $20...how is that considered making too much for aid?" But unfortunately, that's the way it is so...just fill out your FASA form like a good little student and see what you're school offers you. Most of the time, schools offer partial scholarships for good grades so that helps a little but BEFORE you decide to take out any independent loans, wait until you see what federal aid you can get, including federal grants and loans (because these loans often have lower interest rates than private ones..and federal subsidized loans don't have any interest..I think..so take advantage!) If you have a good financial aid adviser at your school, they should tell you how much your family is excepted to contribute to your educational cost.
Now, scholarships other than what your school gives are great but hard to come by...I haven't seen one since I've been in school...but if you can get your hands on one then great! The motto with those types of scholarships are "Fill out a lot and be persistent" so if you have the time, then do it! It can't hurt to do it anyway, plus the questions that they ask really get you thinking why you want to go to school and what you want to do in school, which is good! Because goal oriented people make it further in life (....maybe you've already heard that one before...)

2) Work study.

It's a really good way to earn work experience and also pay for little expenses like...DAILY LIVING. Once you find a way to pay for tuition, room and board and if you are a lousy cook like me, a meal plan....you'll be completely broke (and they say you're family earns too much money..yeah rollin' in the big bucks..) Find a little job on campus that you can work at for maybe 2-3 hours a day. For me, I worked at the library and it was a pretty good setting...plus the little bit of money that you get from these jobs really add up..so think about doing that.

3) Text Books

...now this is a lesson I learned my first year of college...NEVER sell your books back to your school. Unless you want to feel like you've just been raped and slapped in the face. The first time I sold my textbooks back to my school...they gave me $5.25 for all my books, yes you read that right and I paid almost $120-130 for them. Your school will come up with some lame excuse like, these books are out of edition or out of date and can only be bought back at this price and some other bull shit of an excuse...so yeah never do that.
Instead, go online and try to sell your books, you can at least get most of your money back for them. Sites like amazon, textbookx. com are good sites where you can sell your textbooks for decent prices....
Now, for buying textbooks...before you even think about BUYING these things, look to see if you can't borrow them from your school library...that's why it's there, to borrow books! Most students don't take advantage of all the cool things that there libraries can do for them...like if your school library doesn't have that book you need they can go to another library and borrow the book you need for that Philosophy class instead of shelling out $21.50 for it. Take advantage of your library people~(words from a girl that spent 3 years of her life working at Lauinger Library..go hoyas LOL)
Now if the library thing doesn't work out for you and someone else beat you to the book (in that case you can call them an asshole and curse their mothers LOL I'm just joking I've never done that before *shifty eyes*) Then, try and find them online for a relatively cheap price. Sites previously mentioned such as Amazon and TextBookz are pretty good places for finding good deals.
Now if all else fails, going to your school book store should be a LAST and I mean LAST resort. Your school already gets enough money out of you already so don't fuel them even more by going to the book store and spending over $500 dollars on a chemistry book that you could have gotten online for $400 dollars less. It's just a rip off...ok! I just remembered a funny story! When I had just transferred to Georgetown and all the new transfers and new students were taking a tour around DC I was walking with a group of students and this one guy was like "Man, I just dropped $1000 dollars on A textbook at the bookstore" Hearing that I almost tripped and fell. Is this guy FOR REAL! Did he really just come out of his mouth with that....does he know that..that kind of money could sustain me for the whole year...maybe even two and I wouldn't have to beg my dad for $20 just to make it through the week! I just looked at him like he was crazy...because he obviously had to be to spend that kind of money on one book...even Oprah wouldn't spend that much money on one book....

4) Private Loans.

Now this is what got me into trouble, but just couldn't be helped T^T After graduation..I'm probably looking at a 60000-70000 dollar debt...yay me! So, if your like me and you have to take out loans to cover the rest of the cost for school, here are some things to keep in mind.
- make sure you verify the interest rate. A low interest rate will save you money because, if your anything like me, you don't have the money to pay for your loans now, so having a low interest rate that won't break you when you get out of school in 4 years is ideal.
- If you have a loving and kick ass dad like mine, you're parents can try and pay off some of the interest that you create while in school. It's good to have family backing because that makes the process a little more maybe comforting. Just the feeling of knowing that you have your parents to lean back on if something goes wrong is a blessing that not many people have, so use it to your advantage!
-go with loans that need to be school verified, because these loans often have lower interest rates and your school will make sure that you only take out the amount that you need and nothing more! This will save you money!
- and lastly, don't be so down on yourself if you have debt after graduation! Most American graduates do and are still paying it off in their 40-50s It's just the way of this crazy ass system and you just like the millions of others have to take out loans to get by and try to make it. Don't feel overwhelmed by the cost either because most educational loan services will work with you to try and pay off your student loans. Also think about consolidation to try and get a lower interest rate and...just relax! You're on the same boat as millions of American graduates for undergraduate and graduate studies.
Well that's all the tips I have for now, and remember getting a higher education is an investment..a costly one but one with lucrative benefits..even though you might not feel that way in the beginning... because I know I don't feel that way now T^T

Links to check out:

 
Search Amazon.com for textbook buyback storeSearch Amazon.com Books for textbook buyback store

This summer

Well, it's almost time for summer school now and...I have mixed feelings about it. A part of me is looking forward to begin classes in America again and start my internship but then a part of me just wants to have fun this summer like I had originally planned. I want to graduate though so this summer school thing can't be helped. I graduate around this time next year and one thing that's been on my mind.... a lot LOL are the loans that I took out to pay for the moment I walk across that stage in May.

Being a student in America, from elementary school to college, I have to say has some advantages but there are a lot of disadvantages as well. From elementary to high school, most children including myself go to public school which is free and funded by the government, as it should be in my opinion. There's no competition to get into the best high school or....even elementary school (yes I've been looking at that one Japanese drama..namae wo nakushita megami...and if what they say in that drama is true..Japan has some serious problems..seriously) because you go to the school that's closest to where you live. Although this poses as a problem because where you live can decide if you get a better education than others, which leads into social class issues and stuff like that but that's how it is for now. However once you get to college, it's totally different. First, you have to have worked your ass of in high school just to get an ounce of hope of getting into a decent school and along with worrying about good SAT scores, which I have mixed feelings about as well it's hard for students to go to college. I mean, I took the SAT's and ok, most of the stuff on there, are things you should have learned in high school to get ready for college. But...I mean some of the questions on that test... are ridiculous. I mean, for the math part, since I've been in college, I have never done any of the questions that have been on that test and for the reading, why do they give kids words that....maybe only linguist majors would know...and then on top of that THE FEE that you have to pay in order to just take the test is ridiculous as well!! $43 to take a test! WHAT! Are you F**in' kidding me! Students already have to look forward to paying thousands of dollars to just get a higher education and you're telling me we all have to pay 43 dollars to get an assessment of ourselves..oh! And wait, this doesn't include the class fees that you potentially have to pay for if your school doesn't provide SAT prep in order to get AT LEAST a decent score on the test...because well, if you're not satisfied, you're going to have to pay that $43 fee again and who knows how many times you're going to have to take it! Where is all this money going! Some people can't go to college because they can't pay the damn fee to take an assessment test...*sigh* but I do see the need for the test to just assess how well a student would do in college, but I don't think college's should put that much weight on these scores because, they are just that...scores,only assessments of POSSIBILITY! If you really want to assess the student look at their grades and how much they are willing to put in the time to make decent grades. Now I know that there are flaws in this as well because according to the school, getting an A can be easier or harder and that's something that should be taken into consideration as well...maybe there needs to be a mix or a balance of the two in order to make a good assessment...I'm not even sure LOL

Well after you have to battle with this and you get into school, your like “finally! I did it! I paid my $43+ and I worked my ass off and I did it!” Your happy as hell...until you receive a $50,000 bill in the mail saying pay this by this date..or you can't go to school..it kind of brings the high down into a slight depression. So you do all that work to get in, just to rack up a nice big debt that you have to pay when you get out! Oh, the glorious life of a college student. Don't get me wrong there are scholarships and financial aid that the school gives to you and that really helps but....most of the time it only covers half, or maybe not even half of every thing that you have to pay for...when I graduate, I'm probably going to be looking at a 60,000~70,000 dollar debt that I have to pay. Now for me specifically I transferred schools so that set me back a year and it was costly but I felt that at the school I was at...would I really like being a French major? I asked myself this and I really wouldn't have enjoyed it. I would have paid all this money only for something that....I would wake up every morning and hate! Why would I do that to myself LOL So yeah I transferred and I would probably say it was one of the best things that I've done for myself...LOL although my wallet would probably say otherwise. But that's one of the problems I think we have to fix in America! students graduating from pretty decent schools that are just undergraduate universities with 100,000 dollar debts is not cool!

But anyway, sorry for the rant LOL I usually don't complain this much LOL but since I'm graduating soon...this type of stuff has been on my mind. I try not to let it get to me that much though, and look at the positive side of things. I mean like I'm blessed enough to have my dad here that has been paying what he can and after I graduate will probably take on half of the debts that me AND my sisters have made T^T I love you daddy! and then after graduation, there's a whole new chapter of my life that's ready to be written BY ME LOL..that's exciting, but sometimes it does scare me...but when does life not scare people a little you know. Just thinking about it, I have a pretty good life and I'm really blessed.

２Years now~~~

OK! So I'm back from study abroad if you've been following my blog in Japan, and today is the 2 year anniversary since I cut off all my hair and went natural! Today I decided to flat iron it and see how long it is and......it was painful as HELL!!! Trying to straighten natural black hair is so painful T^T I was crying the whole time, but I just took the pain because I wanted to see how long it was....if I had a tooth nozzle for my blow dyer and my maxi-glide flat iron, it probably wouldn't have hurt so much...but anyway, I'm pretty surprised at how long my hair is! It's much longer than I had expected, and that means I'm taking good care of my hair and doing what I need to make it grow! At first I had doubts but now I know I'm actually doing the right thing! By this time next year, I think my hair should be all the way down my back! I'm so excited about it!

Hey

Hey guys, sorry!!! I started a new blog since I'm in Japan studying abroad for a year. If you want to check it out, go here: shishijinsei.posterous.com/

Okay, it's been officially one year

The picture on the right is when I first cut my hair and the picture on the left is a year later

Well, it's officially been a year since I went natural and looking at the pictures I took when I first got my hair cut, I think I've come a long way but still have a long ways to go....I'm trying to grow m hair past mt shoulders and if it grows more than that then ..the more the better. I know I talked about my hair a lot but I feel that going natural has been the biggest decision I've made in my life LOL!!! I know that is a big statement to make so...maybe I should say ONE of the biggest. Right now, when stretched, my hair comes to my jaw/chin bone and in the back goes to around nape of my neck.

It's been almost a year

Well, It's been almost a year since I went natural with my hair and this year as been a real experience for me. At times I have felt regretful for cutting off all my hair and starting over from scratch and there were some days when I felt that I was ugly because of the way my hair was compared to the other people around me. Other days I felt regretful that I didn't go natural sooner because then maybe I would have longer natural hair than I do now. Right now, my hair reaches around the nape of my neck. I've come to realize that the most important thing that you need when having and trying to grow black hair is time and patients. It's a very slow process but the results are worth it. There's this one girl in my Chinese and Japanese literature class that has this beautiful long natural hair and every time I see her I just feel a little jealous but she is like an idol to me and what I wish my hair will become. Going through this process, I have actually felt that I've become more independent and free. Before, I use to have to rely on perms every two weeks and I couldn't get it wet and there were just so many rules. After going natural, I feel like I am free from hair constraints so to speak, but at a price. I always feel self conscience when I walk around with hair in my natural state and when I went to Korea, I felt so uncomfortable partly because of how my hair was so different. However, going through this experience, I feel that I have become healthier and a more happier person overall. There are times that I feel crappy because of my hair but I don't think I will ever go back to getting perms and I think that I am now in the process of accepting a new me.