Greetings from Japan

[spry]

Hello! I am new to dreamwidth and looking for friends. Pretty obvious, I suppose, since I am posting here.

Here's a bit about me:

I am 27 years old. I live in Japan long term but I am not Japanese. I am a preschool teacher and absolutely love my job. In public I am quite extroverted but it's kind of out of necessity-- I can't properly do my job if I'm not outgoing, after all. Like many people online, I am naturally shy. I will not let that get in the way of posting and commenting here, though.

I have been online since I was 12, but grew up playing computer games and such. I never had a gameboy or any other game system like that-- commodore 64 was where it was at back in the old days at my house. I still love computers, but I sometimes feel like technology is starting to pass me by. I am a bit of an old lady at times.

Likes, Loves, and etc.: 

I love clothes. I love to eat food. My biggest hobby right now is cross stitch. I am constantly making something, especially if I have time to sit down and watch TV or a movie. I am super clumsy and have absolutely no coordination at all. I tend to blame this on being left handed, but I guess that's just an excuse. Nevertheless, I love sports. I especially love football/soccer/whatever you want to call it in your respective country. My favorite team, the team that made me fall back in love with the sport, is the Japanese NT. Every single player is awesome. I also support St.Pauli in the Bundesliga.

I listen to a lot of music, but sometimes get made fun of for listening to music that is too "edgy" for my personality. (I don't even know...)

I draw a lot. I don't consider myself to be very good at it, but I have fun nonetheless. I also used to write a lot, but I am having self-confidence issues with this right now, and it's been 4 years since I've written anything for real.

I love mysteries. My life role model is probably Jane Marple. I also love urban legends and the supernatural, but I don't really believe in them for real. Mostly. I love the 1990s. Don't ask me why, but lately I have been watching only dramas from the 1990s and I am obsessed. Mom jeans. Life before cell phones. Mm. Amazing!

Things I don't really like:

I don't really like anime. No, that's not true. I sometimes read comics or what have you, but in general I don't really care about comic books or anime TV shows. I get serious second-hand embarrassment when I see other foreigners in Japan that are here only because they love anime or manga. I'm sorry if this makes me a bitch.  I also don't really like to cook, though I wish I did. Other than that, there's not a lot that I don't like. I'm pretty easy going in general.

In conclusion: 

I don't mind if you don't share all the same interests as me, as long as you don't mind that I might ramble on about things that you have no idea about. I love reading people's posts when they are genuinely excited about something that they love, and I am quite open to learning about new things. There are some times that I may not be able to comment right away, but in general I am pretty good with keeping up with people's posts.


To Japanese speakers: たまに日本語で書き込むかもしれないので、日本語、または日本に興味持っている方もどうぞ！宜しくお願いします！

Comments

[burning_bright]

Hi! I've studied Japanese at uni... Is this enough to become friends? Have a look at my journal and see if I'm not too boring. ;-)

[spry]

Your posts look interesting. I love posts with pretty pictures. ;-D Thank you! I'll add you!

[daydream]

I'll add you :).

[spry]

Thank you!! :-D I'll add you too!

[shroomko]

ＯＰさんは日本語ぺらぺらですか？私は日本語能力試験の自習中です！まだ苦手ですが、、、日本語での書き込みを読んでみたいだと思います～

I'm probably more of the dorky type -- into comics and games and the like, and then I like to cook. :P However I think I'd be definitely be interested in your writings, like about your job. I did a tiny bit of student teaching back in school, first and second graders, and I have infinite respect for educators of kids that young!

Anyhow, I think I'll add you! こちらこそよろしくお願いします！

[spry]

「ぺらぺら」っていう言葉は私にとって難しいかも。その質問に答えるのに自信がかなりいるんじゃない？私の日本語は完璧ではないけど、日常生活にいっぱい使っているのでいつもなんとかしている（汗。

日本語能力試験の何級を目指しているの？すごい！私も受けたいと思うけど、勉強する時間はめったにない！大学生の時に２級を受けて、ギリギリ合格だったんだけど、もう一回受けたら絶対に落ちちゃう！

っていうか、普通にため口になっちゃった。それで大丈夫かしら？

I am also dorky! (Seriously dorky.) I actually really like games, though I don't have anything now except a DSi. I play a lot of old games over and over using DOSBox. (...) I love to be around people who love to cook. I really, really wish that I loved to cook, too.

Thank you for adding me!

[shroomko]

はいはい、ため口はいいよ！

多分、spryさんは思うよりうまいかも。２級が降格なんて、本当にすごいよ～！実は、今私はフリーターなので、勉強できる時間が多い。１２月にＮ２に取りたいだけど、半年の予習さえと、できるかどうか分からない。

さっきの書いたことは間違いだらけかも！とにかく、毎日の勉強冒険についてよくＤＷで書き込んだりするｗｗｗ

It's cool you're a gamer! Actually, for a while the only thing I had was my DS (but it recently broke... :S). And then, retro gaming is always great! <3 And I can totally understand the cooking thing! I hated it as well until I kinda made myself like it back in school! XD

Thanks for adding me as well~

[spry]

私こそは間違いばっかりだから、お互いで緊張しないで、思う通りに書けばいいと思う！だって、日本語使えば使うほど上手くなってくるんじゃない？っていうのは私の考え方だけかもしれないけど（苦笑。

２級を受けるのに、何が一番勉強しなきゃいけなかったっていうのは、以外と文法だったかも。漢字を暗記するればなんとかなるし、聞き取りは遅いから全然難しくないし・・・。文法の点数はめっちゃくちゃ低かったよ、私（汗。　どうやって勉強しているの？なんか、Ｓｈｒｏｏｍさんの話を聞くと私ももう一回勉強やり出したい（゜Ａ゜）；；　ファイト！

What gaming system do you use now? I was thinking about getting a PS3 but I am also worried that if I do, it will consume all my time. Hahaha...;;;

[shroomko]

そうですよ！私あんまり日本語を使わないのに,よくなるために練習は必要って分かってる。けれど、もういつも日本語を書いたり話したりするのはイヤな感じしてる。（;-_-　でもspryさんと遠慮なく練習したいと思う！

先月「Remembering the Kanji」っていう方法を完全しちゃった。知ってる？それも、毎日flashcards使って、漢字と単語を暗記してみる。または、字幕なしテレビ番組や映画など見たり、日本語podcastsを聞いたり。漢字を分かったら、単語をの習うのはやさしくなる？そして文法はやさしくなる、、、今私そう思ってる。最近は単語習得を集中。私も弱点は文法と思うから、２級の文法レベルはチョウ安心してる！でも、あんまり難しくなったら、、、

ハハァ、spryさんはもう一回勉強し始めたら、お互いに晩張りましょう☆

Since I moved back home after school my little brothers have like... all the consoles that aren't the X-box. I occasionally play the PS3 or the Wii, but try to avoid RPGs and adventures because I know they'll eat all my time then. XD

[spry]

You don't need to know Japanese at all. Don't worry! ;-D
I'd love to be friends! Thank you!

[areno]

You seem interesting. Add? I'm studying Japanese at uni and went there earlier this year (pre-tsunami) but I don't post much in Japanese due to being lazy :P However, I'd like to read whatever ramblings you post.

[spry]

I'd love to be friends. It's so funny-- online it seems like so many people study Japanese. It makes me happy somehow. I don't know, back when I first started studying it seemed like there weren't so many people interested in the Japanese language. :-) Anyway!

Thank you!

[areno]

That's the same feeling when I went from high school to uni; went from a class of three to a class of seventy-two.

[mirach]

I enjoyed reading your public entry on your journal. You seem like an interesting person. :)
I'm studying Japanese on my own, I love drawing, and I'm a huge gamer, lol. I also like learning about new things from people.

Would you be interested in adding? :)

[spry]

Wow, thank you for reading my entry. :-) It was kind of mental diarrhea, but I guess that's kind of how I roll.

I would love to be friends! I was looking at your icons and having a smile. Can't wait to read what kind of things you like and to see your drawings. :-D

[mirach]

You're welcome! :) I like to find out about people as much as I can before adding them so that I can get some sort of idea on what they're like.
Haha, I'm the same way most of the time in my entries.

Yay! And that makes me really happy to hear, actually (I thought I was the only person who liked my icons, lol)! I'm also looking forward to reading about things you are into as well!

[kehleyr]

I would love to get to know you better :-D... adding :-D!

[spry]

Thank you! You seem pretty awesome! :-) Added!

[chaymberlaine]

Hi! You sound interesting - mind if I add you?

[spry]

Add away! :-) Looking forward to reading your posts! :-)

[mewithme]

'90's telly huh? I gotta agree - it's absolutely fantastic and you sound rather interesting. Add?

[spry]

YAY A fellow fan of the 90s. ;-D
ADD!

(Lovely icon there...<3)

[etienne]

I'm new to DW too (well, I've had an account for ages but have only recently started journaling here). You sound interesting - friends? :)

I'm 28, live in London but originally Finnish. I work in mental health. I love crafty stuff too; I mostly make cards and other paper craft and altered art pieces.

[spry]

Oh no! I am so sorry! I didn't see this response for some reason until now. I would love to be friends if you would still like to!

[nikku]

始めまして！ニコです。１９９７年に６ヶ月京都に住んでいて、留学生でした。それから、東京で３ヶ月でインターンシップをしました。アニメや漫画も好きけど、日本語が下手けど、どうぞよろしく！

I definitely need more Japan-interested people on my list, though I'll probably get all nostalgic should I read about something in your journal that I miss about my short stay over there. And I love Agatha Christie & Miss Marple, what little I have read of it (I have a constantly growing pile of unread books I live with...)

[spry]

返事が遅くなりました！すみませんm(_ _)m

趣味が全部合わなくても、フレンドにしてくれててありがとう（＾∇＾）日本語上手いっすね！なんのインターンシップだったかしら？気になります。

Thank you so much for adding me! Miss Marple is amazing! Do you read a lot?

[nikku]

僕の返事も遅くになって、すみません！先週すごく急がしかったです。

なんのインターンシップだったかしら？気になります。

３ヶ月に東京のドイツ観光局で働きました。（大学で東アジア研究を勉強します。インターンシップは義務的です。）

I used to read a lot, but then came university and I now I've got a huge pile of unread books and even longer amazon shopping lists. Fortunately, we always had some Agatha Christie novels in German translation at home, the rest I'm gonna buy one by one in english once I've finished my graduation thesis.^^ I also plan to catch up with Japanese detective novels some time.

[deathgaze]

Hello, I'm new to DW too. I studied abroad in Japan when I was in college. I miss it and regret not going back every day. I love reading the journals of people over there now, so I can live through them haha.

I don't like anime either, so you're not alone :) May I add you?

[spry]

Would love to be friends!
Where in Japan did you do your study abroad? Now I'm curious! :-)

[deathgaze]

I did a summer study in Sendai in 2005, and a year at Obirin University in Tokyo in 2006-2007. I lived with host families both times and I miss them and Japan so much.