Current mood:	bored
Current music:	1/6000000000 (feat. C&K)--九州男

Yam Evolution
From the Wikipedia entry regarding the city in Japan I will live in, for the next four months starting March 4th:

"Kawagoe is famous for its sweet potatoes, and on the local "Candy Street" one can find such treats as sweet potato chips, sweet potato ice cream, sweet potato coffee, and even sweet potato beer, brewed at the local Coedo Brewery."

It would be naive of me to suggest that I have a choice in the maitenance of my dietary intake here. Given the fanatic persuasion with which the Japanese impose even the most toxic food upon foreign visitors, it seems all too likely that I am doomed to an entirely new state of despair--a pitiful condition soon to be defined as yammage. In face of this terrifying fate, I am making no defense for myself. I bid farewell to all my companions who have supported me throughout my journey in life, and even to my mortal enemies who have provided motivation and amusement. The Steven Andrew Hausdorfer once known to you is dying, and will soon be reincarnated in the form of a giant Lovecraftian blob of starch.

Silly, I know! But there's actually a small nugget of interesting truth in the garbage I just typed out. Y'see, learning Japanese is a much bigger animal than simply being able to express yourself in another language, and knowing all that annoying kanji, grammar, syntax, vocab, etc. It means that you really need to learn to subdue everything you know about expressing yourself in your own language, because simply translating what you want to say to someone all the time amounts to flat-out failure. You're forced to use what you've learned and your judgment of the situation to find the best possible thing to say, the phrase that will best keep the flow of culture and conversation going. It's a very forced, contrived, and deliberate process. Among learners of Japanese, that's something just about everyone agress upon. It frustrates me to no end, but it's also something that makes me enjoy learning it! And believe it or not, it actually goes beyond me being a masochist. Having that kind of obstacle forces you pay more attention to what you're saying, what's being said--it gets you more involved in the experience and makes the language something bigger than a tool. If you do it just right, it's immensely satisfying, and makes for great friends. Plus, breaking the rules every now and then can be refreshing. And that's why I'm resigned to accepting the potato-dominated lifestyle that lies ahead of me. I get to wear an artificial smile and accept what I don't want to. I am Yamasaurus Rex, I am the soul-drinking Yam Ram God, and I consume all.

That probably seems stupid, boring, and not much worth mentioning. It probably isn't, but you must understand, I'm a bit bored here. I'm kinda dissapointed with myself. I thought I'd spend most of my uber long break studying, seeing all the people I need to see, and doing all the things I should do before leaving for a while. With a whole month left though, it's not a big deal I suppose. I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping as much good stuff as possible happens to me before I go. I want to head off knowing things went right. If not...eh, I'll just get drunk on the flight.