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mugen_edamamehahaha it's been a while hasn't it just.
I'm at the moment worrying over university selection. Getting into uni here for an undergraduate degree, it's an esoteric, mysterious process that involves approx. 700 times more paperwork than necessary. Things need translatin', they need to know how you did in highschool even if you've got an impressive track record of post-highschool but never quite past Uni like I do. The radioactive water spillage in Fukushima is getting worse, and while my first thought is for the poor depleted fish stocks and unsuspecting birds
my second one is that hey maybe this means less foreign students'll come over here and compete with me.
Did you guys here? A tornado ripped through Saitama, I think, which isn't AT ALL far from where my bum is at the moment. My teacher lives in Chiba, and he says the site was was only about thirty minutes from his house. Weather is totally out of whack, though they did say it was a freak tornado. Then again, I've been here a year and a half now, and there was a tornado warning last year too. Weather is amazing, man. Weather and geology, you could barely get more interesting than that.
coughanimalscough
Back to the issue. Currently I'm worried by how few universities I actually want to slash actually can apply for. For one thing, pure Biology isn't a big thing here. It's mostly Biochemistry, or Biotech, or other Bio-mutants. Where's the fun in that?! If I'm not knee deep in muck trying to catch a flying squirrel, I've gone wrong in my life. And for some of the others, the particular university's entrance exams are just.... going to be really hard. I'm loathe to say impossible, 'cos I reckon if you press down on yourself hard enough absolutely anybody could crap out a diamond. But this is my second time in this ridiculous ol' rodeo, and I'd like to think I'm not asking too much to want to have it a little easier and a lot happier.
My conundrum is this.
There's Toho Uni and Tokai Uni. Toho's really known only in Japan, and even then, it's not known that well to the layman, because it's all science, and biological slash medical stuff at that. But according to my teacher, they keep a well-good standard, and their website promised really amazing, really gallant things. Tokai's standards aren't on par, probably, because Tokai's got fingers in EVERYTHING (from maritime civilisation all the way to Finnish). Tokai's got by far and away the more interesting course, and because it's a giant of a university, yeah, they've also got ties with loads of overseas of universities (I'm always itching for foreign exchanging). So do I go for the (likely) better quality Biology degree, or for the degree that states I have to take part in
RELEASING DOLPHINS BRED IN CAPTIVITY TO THE WILD
I think you can tell where my heart's at, yeah, but I do worry about my future. After this, I want to be a researcher, or study s'more, or work for somebody to investigate the state of Life anywhere. You and me, we both know I got non-functioning knees, but you'll literally have to break them before I'll be satisfied with working indoors. Not at this point in my life, even though looking at the fresh-faced kiddies in my class I'm not sure I should be saying "this point in my life" like I'm young or something equally ridiculous.
OH OH
What a stroke of luck. One of my favouriter people from my ver ver brief experience the UK was suddenly online and available for a chat! She's a post-grad student doing biological wonders, and I posed my conundrum. And she said just go for the one that makes me happy.
Granted, this is probably not information that only a biologist could've given to me, but it's nice to hear from someone who's standing where I want to be standing after the thousand or so years it'll take me to graduate.
In other news,
I CAN DO STAIRS NOW. Mostly. Not too many, in moderation. And I can walk like it's no trouble at all, at all. Went home two weeks ago for a week to rustle up the school certificates I'd need for uni applications, got two booster shots in my knees, leaked away s'more of the family's financials. It's not like I'm even slightly bionic, despite the healthy chunk of funds poured into my patella. Then again, though, the absence of pain still takes by surprise with stunning regularity.
I GAINED WEIGHT and I've got skin break-outs and white hair popping out like my head's optimum for growing albino daisies. Considering the stress getting ready to try 'n get into uni in a foreign language, though, honestly, I think I could be doing worse, even if I look haggard-er than a leather coat someone's had for five generations.
I BOUGHT A POKEMON BECAUSE SELF RESTRAINT HAPPENS TO OTHER PEOPLE. Look, how damn darling is she.
I was gonna put my face in, but it's a right hot mess at the moment, so instead just say hello to Sylveon and goodbye to my self-respect.
And this wasn't from Disney Sea, it's from Disneyland, when we got to use the free tickets we won. It was in March, I think. HOW TIMELY AM I.
The joke's on me, because I've got big feet. Oh, wait. MY LIFE IS A JOKE.
In other news, I got to go to Disney Sea when my brother came to visit, and it's a marvelous place. And I've also finally gotten around to really, hideously enjoying karaoke. Turns it out it's got less to do with the karaoke room, and more to do with how much your musical tastes and lack of shame overlap with others. Also, the every marvelous![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ann_fish will be coming to Japan for a volunteering stint several months long, so I really really reckon I'll get to meet her! Y'know, I think my ratio of online friends I've actually gotten! the pleasure! to meet! is pretty damn good for someone not from the states meeting others from the states. Cheers, you beautiful bastards.
God, I've forgotten how downright cathartic verbal vomiting out a diary could be. Could this be the revival of a beautiful habit?!?!?1 Who the hell knows. Look at EF. Revivals are hard to plan!
Hope everyone's doing really well! c:
Edit:
Also holy crap I forgot to mention, that after being put on the waiting list forever, Nagoya turned me down. Justifiably, because I was terrible at the interview. What I find slightly less justifiable was how long it took, for them to say thanks ma'am but no thanks.
I'm at the moment worrying over university selection. Getting into uni here for an undergraduate degree, it's an esoteric, mysterious process that involves approx. 700 times more paperwork than necessary. Things need translatin', they need to know how you did in highschool even if you've got an impressive track record of post-highschool but never quite past Uni like I do. The radioactive water spillage in Fukushima is getting worse, and while my first thought is for the poor depleted fish stocks and unsuspecting birds
my second one is that hey maybe this means less foreign students'll come over here and compete with me.
Did you guys here? A tornado ripped through Saitama, I think, which isn't AT ALL far from where my bum is at the moment. My teacher lives in Chiba, and he says the site was was only about thirty minutes from his house. Weather is totally out of whack, though they did say it was a freak tornado. Then again, I've been here a year and a half now, and there was a tornado warning last year too. Weather is amazing, man. Weather and geology, you could barely get more interesting than that.
coughanimalscough
Back to the issue. Currently I'm worried by how few universities I actually want to slash actually can apply for. For one thing, pure Biology isn't a big thing here. It's mostly Biochemistry, or Biotech, or other Bio-mutants. Where's the fun in that?! If I'm not knee deep in muck trying to catch a flying squirrel, I've gone wrong in my life. And for some of the others, the particular university's entrance exams are just.... going to be really hard. I'm loathe to say impossible, 'cos I reckon if you press down on yourself hard enough absolutely anybody could crap out a diamond. But this is my second time in this ridiculous ol' rodeo, and I'd like to think I'm not asking too much to want to have it a little easier and a lot happier.
My conundrum is this.
There's Toho Uni and Tokai Uni. Toho's really known only in Japan, and even then, it's not known that well to the layman, because it's all science, and biological slash medical stuff at that. But according to my teacher, they keep a well-good standard, and their website promised really amazing, really gallant things. Tokai's standards aren't on par, probably, because Tokai's got fingers in EVERYTHING (from maritime civilisation all the way to Finnish). Tokai's got by far and away the more interesting course, and because it's a giant of a university, yeah, they've also got ties with loads of overseas of universities (I'm always itching for foreign exchanging). So do I go for the (likely) better quality Biology degree, or for the degree that states I have to take part in
RELEASING DOLPHINS BRED IN CAPTIVITY TO THE WILD
I think you can tell where my heart's at, yeah, but I do worry about my future. After this, I want to be a researcher, or study s'more, or work for somebody to investigate the state of Life anywhere. You and me, we both know I got non-functioning knees, but you'll literally have to break them before I'll be satisfied with working indoors. Not at this point in my life, even though looking at the fresh-faced kiddies in my class I'm not sure I should be saying "this point in my life" like I'm young or something equally ridiculous.
OH OH
What a stroke of luck. One of my favouriter people from my ver ver brief experience the UK was suddenly online and available for a chat! She's a post-grad student doing biological wonders, and I posed my conundrum. And she said just go for the one that makes me happy.
Granted, this is probably not information that only a biologist could've given to me, but it's nice to hear from someone who's standing where I want to be standing after the thousand or so years it'll take me to graduate.
In other news,
I CAN DO STAIRS NOW. Mostly. Not too many, in moderation. And I can walk like it's no trouble at all, at all. Went home two weeks ago for a week to rustle up the school certificates I'd need for uni applications, got two booster shots in my knees, leaked away s'more of the family's financials. It's not like I'm even slightly bionic, despite the healthy chunk of funds poured into my patella. Then again, though, the absence of pain still takes by surprise with stunning regularity.
I GAINED WEIGHT and I've got skin break-outs and white hair popping out like my head's optimum for growing albino daisies. Considering the stress getting ready to try 'n get into uni in a foreign language, though, honestly, I think I could be doing worse, even if I look haggard-er than a leather coat someone's had for five generations.
I BOUGHT A POKEMON BECAUSE SELF RESTRAINT HAPPENS TO OTHER PEOPLE. Look, how damn darling is she.
I was gonna put my face in, but it's a right hot mess at the moment, so instead just say hello to Sylveon and goodbye to my self-respect.
And this wasn't from Disney Sea, it's from Disneyland, when we got to use the free tickets we won. It was in March, I think. HOW TIMELY AM I.
The joke's on me, because I've got big feet. Oh, wait. MY LIFE IS A JOKE.In other news, I got to go to Disney Sea when my brother came to visit, and it's a marvelous place. And I've also finally gotten around to really, hideously enjoying karaoke. Turns it out it's got less to do with the karaoke room, and more to do with how much your musical tastes and lack of shame overlap with others. Also, the every marvelous
ann_fish will be coming to Japan for a volunteering stint several months long, so I really really reckon I'll get to meet her! Y'know, I think my ratio of online friends I've actually gotten! the pleasure! to meet! is pretty damn good for someone not from the states meeting others from the states. Cheers, you beautiful bastards.God, I've forgotten how downright cathartic verbal vomiting out a diary could be. Could this be the revival of a beautiful habit?!?!?1 Who the hell knows. Look at EF. Revivals are hard to plan!
Hope everyone's doing really well! c:
Edit:
Also holy crap I forgot to mention, that after being put on the waiting list forever, Nagoya turned me down. Justifiably, because I was terrible at the interview. What I find slightly less justifiable was how long it took, for them to say thanks ma'am but no thanks.
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(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-03 05:03 pm (UTC)Sorry things aren't going smoothly on the uni front. ; __ ; If you had more info from both unis would it help to decide? Too much trouble to apply to both and then see what happens? :/ Whichever you feel will help you get to the career you want would be the one to go for, but if it's gonna kill you in the process... stick to what will keep you sane.
Nothing too different with me. Lacking sleep (not for trying), more joint pain (which flipping weather still have to thank) and work is WORK.
***** HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGS ****
YOU CAN DO IT!!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-05 01:15 pm (UTC)I hadn't been expecting them to go smoothly, but at the start I really hadn't anticipated as much of an issue with maths as I do, which is severely limiting the universities I've got a hope of entering. And you're saying the same wise things as my mum c: A high-quality place won't mean much if I've killed myself trying.
Post-surgery recovery is all okay? And yeah, sudden heavy rainstorms here, my knee keeps swelling all of a sudden. Take care, okay! And I hope you can get a cooler job and can come visit in Japan \o/
HUGS BACK INTENSELY the best part of lj is you guys man <33333
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-05 05:58 pm (UTC)http://www.fanfiction.net/u/822962/tysunkete
KXL/LXK of course :)
And if just want some hot bods to watch, watch Free!
My work been more variable this year, no solid FT.
If you're lucky and you get that degree you want, you'll land a "job" where you WON'T notice the hours pass by :) (which no, is not where I'm at but it suffices as can't get away from need for money and be able to accommodate health situation).
Post surgery ... incisions still marking the spots but I can do all my exercises again. I have to see gyno once a year to check on things (but can't just make an appointment, need referral from family doctor 6 months ahead of time and family doctor won't do them over the phone). Damn weight not co-operating though (gone up instead of same or down). Sleep still not getting much (ARRRRRGH) and damn weather is definitely getting to me. Most of my joints ache and most of the day.
Calculus killed me at uni. When go from always A in math in high school to a very definite F it's a bit of a shock. ^^ Why engineering had to give up on.
Hope your knees stay strong!
And may whichever university give you the green light get you to that goal you deserve to achieve!!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-08 09:01 am (UTC)Watched the first couple of episodes of Free! a month or two ago. It looked a little promising!
Oh, babe, I hope for nothing more. I don't think I could work in an office without going totally shitting mental. (Really really hoping that your health improves to a point where you've got a sound body and leftover cash and you can treat yourself to something fun and great yeah!)
Health care appears to be complicated in all countries, but at least I think Canada's is highly affordable!? And I know what you mean. I must've put on close to ten kilos, post surgery, when now's when I need to be as light as I possibly can. Above all else, hope you get to sleeping properly babe!
IKR. I was fine with A-level maths, was fine with uni-level bio-statistics, then I come here to highschool Japanese maths and I can't make shitting head or tales of it. I want to be an astronomer and same, my crappiness at physics and maths meant I couldn't go for it.
Same to your joints and reproductive gear!
Give it a few months. Maybe you'll see pictures of me in a wetsuit with a shark in my arms, then you know I'm doing well.
Maybe I'll see pictures of you up a mountain somewhere, and I'll know you're doing well back.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-08 04:49 pm (UTC)Give it a few months. Maybe you'll see pictures of me in a wetsuit with a shark in my arms, then you know I'm doing well.
LOOK FORWARD TO THAT Or at least a "YATTA!" to preclude much cheering from getting into uni :)
Oh yes, very lucky to be in Canada given our medical care system (cf to USA oO).
I won't be CLIMBING any mountains (even after whnever I get knee surgery replacement) but I've yet to get to the local mountains (or Whistler, 122km north) and I should at least for the view and for winter to actually see some SNOW ^^
Free! easy on brain, easy on eyes and the slash (and 18000+ pixiv fanart) writes itself (ff.net or A03).
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-08 04:53 pm (UTC)Have at this, maybe it'll help.
It's 2 AM and I just finished my work, so I'm hurrying to bed! Take care of yourself, feel better please!!! and I'll do a proper reply in the morning babe <3
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-08 11:50 pm (UTC)I don't have an A03 account.
Err, the spacing between paragraphs got bigger as the story went on.
"tosses her clothes in the dishwasher" Did you really mean dishwasher??
A little too rambling for my headache to handle dear, gomen. L&K don't come off too likeable in some spots.
Lavi's toothy smile is visible, even in the low light. "If I could put you t'bed, baby, th'sky's th'limit for me, isn't it?" ^_____^
Thanks!!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-09 04:01 am (UTC)of course i meant dishwasher. because it's kandaaaa~
also according to ff.net the first thing i've written in 2013. NO WONDER SO MUCH MISERY.
rubs your forehead gently
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-09 04:12 am (UTC)You got a story written so doing way better than me ^^ And writing helped YOU so all's good. :)
Most of my headaches are in the back of the head on either side (behind the ears) rather than across the forehead... WHY I've got it would be nice to know. Ngh.
How long before you learn if got into any of the universities??
Still Sunday here. Going to watch couple episodes of anime. Hope your Monday is off to a good start!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-09 04:15 am (UTC)idk compounding misery with misery makes me more miserable in many ways autumn's worse than winter for me. I LIKE MAKING MYSELF AND PEOPLE HAPPY WITH MY WRITING instead of this misery thing arrrgh.
I saw a post somewhere, it says dunk your feet and hands in warm water and put a cold pack on the back of your neck. it's supposed to help blood circulation and ease the pain?
some will be as soon as december/january, but the one my body yearns for won't be until march ;-;
it's not. i got 3 hours of sleep for reasons i don't even slightly know, and i'm nauseuous and exhausted and trying to cram for an exam coming up. In an hour. HAHA.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-09 05:08 am (UTC)I've never done it, years since heard about it. Salmon in foil, steam cycle or something... here's one result off Google (Bob Blumer is a Canadian with show on Food Network CA)
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/cooking/bob-blumers-dishwasher-salmon-recipe-00000000022899/index.html
Just Autumn itself = misery? :[ Weather not any cooler, heck even hotter supposed to be this week (ARRRGH) so doesn't feel like Autumn at all yet here. Days a bit shorter finally.
Ouch, ways off to find out, especially the one you really want. Some extra praying can get in. ONce application in nothing can do to improve your chances??
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-10 04:14 pm (UTC)(Bob Blumer is p well-known in Malaysia 'cos of the food network channel!) Oh, man, I'll give it a shot if I ever get a dishwsher.
Yeah. Grandmum died, cat died, got diagnosed with the bone problem, got expelled, all in autumn. It's just compounded misery, more or less. It's starting to get into that gorgeous weather of clear skies and pleasant coolness though.
Aside from pray? lmao no, babe. Which is why for now I'm doing what I can to bump up the hell outta the exams coming up in November. If I can get the marks I want, my chances improve dramatically c:
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-11 04:41 am (UTC)Bob's hit quite a few wacky themed restaurants in Japan on World's Weirdest Restaurant show ^^ I didn't know the Food Network aired outside North American (FN is Canadian rather than US version here).
Glad the exam went ok (hopefully better than ok).
Glad someone can sleep better (not me).
Average high temp supposed ot be 19C but we're hitting 30C this week. YADDA!!!
Definitely enough events compounded over time to make Autumn a melancholy time for you ; ___ ;
November for finals? Ouch. I thought early Dec was bad enough when I was in uni.
If doing some extra praying then might as well enjoy and hit some shrines ;)
Dead from work...
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-11 12:56 pm (UTC)i don't know who's version we got, but there's a huge number of canadian chef shows (mark mcewaaan). same with tlc, if i remember right. it's been a while since i got to watch tele XD
Everything considered, I did only get one question wrong.
(You need your sleep yo!)
It's been almost uncomfortably cool in the mornings now. 30C is a bit hot, even by my tropical standards XD
Yeah, it's quite a miserable thing ;-; At least with winter, you got spring and sun to look forward to, but in Autumn, you're at the point where you're all... this can only get worse from now on.
Mmm, November for the foreign students exam, and the university's private exams are in January ish >w<
I think I'm going to hit up the zoo. Been getting ridiculously upset so easily lately.
>A< you can't leisurely recover if work's gonna keep up being impossible
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-11 04:22 pm (UTC)Only one wrong? Fabu!
Sounds like you're getting the Canadian FN ^^ Only seen Mark hosting Top Chef Canada past couple years, his other shows haven't had new seasons for awhile now (boo).
Shorter days, rain, cooler I do look forward to (I'd say snow but generally have to hit the mountains in winter to find it) though.
Trying to sleep, not staying up all night or anything (although could easier reading fics and watching anime) just not happening. Steady sleep that is. And know we need to dream but do I have to remember it / be active in it all the time? Because I'm never having FUN in them.
Zoo trip sounds good! Did you try watching Polar Bear Cafe? Sakurai is the polar bear ^^ Very relaxing and amusing show.( finished in Spring).
Back to work...
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-15 04:33 am (UTC)Typhoon hit Japan, and it'll be a wet mess today and tomorrow. My plans to go out all got cancelled, boo. >A<
But active dreams are the most fun! Lately I've been reading a whole load of old RK fics. A lot of them are so good and so sad idek what to do. Sleeping better?
Given the typhoon, I might not get to go tomorrow /)A(\ And no. I'll check it out if it's any good C:
FAITO.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-15 05:31 am (UTC)But nothing GOOD ever happens in my dreams. Wake up from them angry or frustrated or upset.
Sleeping better, nope.
Didn't get as hot as predicted today so that was a plus ^^
Nasty weather! :( Few spots in North America are suffering from BAD rain and/or tornadoes). :[ Well if penned in instead of able to do your plans, PBCafe should warm you up :)
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-08 11:22 pm (UTC)In more pain this weekend including a headache since yesterday afternoon and really not sure why. *splat*
Give it a few months. Maybe you'll see pictures of me in a wetsuit with a shark in my arms, then you know I'm doing well.
LOOK FORWARD TO THAT Or at least a "YATTA!" to preclude much cheering from getting into uni :)
Oh yes, very lucky to be in Canada given our medical care system (cf to USA oO).
I won't be CLIMBING any mountains (even after whnever I get knee surgery replacement) but I've yet to get to the local mountains (or Whistler, 122km north) and I should at least for the view and for winter to actually see some SNOW ^^
Free! easy on brain, easy on eyes and the slash (and 18000+ pixiv fanart) writes itself (ff.net or A03).
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-04 07:28 pm (UTC)I'm not sure about how the impact of degree requirements and overall academic culture over there work, but for getting into labs and going out to do research and stuff, in my experience (in the US, for the moment) at lot of times the actual degree and which university you came from is not that important as long as you have a good track record for being motivated and able to learn, since most people have to learn lots of new things when joining a lab/research group/track regardless, because it all gets very specific to the point that no class will ever cover it enough for you to be able to hit the ground running. As long as you aren't already dead set on working for a person or institution in the future that has a reputation for political hiring nepotism, there shouldn't be a huge problem with which degree you end up with because the degree itself is just supposed to show that you can learn and get things done. Also, I don't know if there's anything for ecology/environmental protection/natural resources type programs in Japan? For my previous institution, it seemed that the biomed/biochem/bio-etc. type things ended up more in the biological sciences programs while the type of biology that's probably closer to what I think you're looking for ended up in the zoology/ecology type departments, even with all the overlap between fields.
Urg, I'm rambling and still a bit brain fried. Take care, and I'll try to write up something better/more on topic/actually useful later ^^;;
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-05 01:21 pm (UTC);-; thanks for taking the time for such a RIDICULOUSLY HELPFUL response. I don't have my heart set on any particular sort of research, I just want something that leans more towards macrobiology and ecology, so's I can spend most of my time working outdoors very vigorously. And I've never studied in the US, yet, so it was on my list for places to check out for post-grad, especially since many Japanese universities have ties with American counterparts. At the moment the courses I'm going for do lean towards zoology/ecology, because biochem doesn't appeal to me in the slightest, so I'm really really pleased to hear that that would set me up for doing the sort of research I actually want to. When it comes to animals and the Earth, I don't think I'll ever stop being motivated, though if they take the ability to do maths into account they might find me lacking. Otherwise, I reckon I'm kinda personable?! What was your previous institution and what's your current one, if you don't mind me asking?
Babe, I'm yet to get a response from you that's not been bone-shatteringly helpful!