Everyone predicted that I would fall off the updating wagon soon enough, but I didn't realize it'd be that quickly! Every few days I'd be like "ohgosh gotta post" and then I'd just never get around to it, so now's the time! I will do it! Here's a super boring and rambly rundown of my last few months:
- Late March/early April: Went to my cousin's wedding in Indonesia with my mom, which was a super fun and fulfilling trip. It was really nice to be with my extended family, even though I couldn't navigate the language enough to speak back when spoken to (I'm one of those "understands it but can't produce it" kids), and even though I basically know nothing about them. There was something so comfortable and familiar about those people and that culture, even though I don't actively think about it as being a part of who I am; it was nice to spend a week reminded that I have this whole chunk of people on the other side of the world who care very much about me even if I only talk to them once every ten years or so. I know family is really messed up for a lot of people, so I feel incredibly fortunate and grateful that mine are such a good bunch.
- Early May: Needed a change of scenery, so I made a quick trip to Japan that coincidentally(?!?!) lined up nicely with Golden Week/Johnny's WEST in Yokohama Arena! Fancy that!! XD What an amazingly fun concert that was, even though we were the ~loud Americans~ and Meghan basically had to keep to herself the entire time because I'm pretty sure she was ashamed to be seen with us. :'D That makes my third Johnny's concert (after Arashi and Kanjani8 in November-December), and I feel like I'm ticking them off at a good pace. :3
I also had a tour and pseudo-interview with the company I'll be working for when I move to Japan. I... actually don't think I've talked about it in any detail here, but basically:
1. I helped organize a work trip to Japan in December for university faculty.
2. While there, we were treated to dinner in Nagoya by the president of a company that's friends with the university.
3. My boss knew that I wanted to move to Japan, so he talked me up during dinner, and said company president basically turned to me and told me to work for him and I was like "uh okay?"
4. The company reached out and we've been working on details for a job at that company -- looks like it'll be in the International Operations department.
5. ???
X. Profit with a job in Japan.
It was a pseudo-interview because they knew I was invited by the company president, so they just wanted to get to know me a little more; it was a little awful because I don't interview well in English, much less in Japanese, but they seemed impressed enough. There was one point where
the guy was like: コンピュータとか使えるかね。 Can you use computers?
Me: 使えます！ I can!
Him: そうだね、楽勝でしょ。 Of course, it must an easy win [no problem] for you.
Me: すみません・・・楽勝です！！（ドヤ） I'm sorry... it is!! (smug face)
and I made them laugh and that felt really good. So yeah, that seemed to go okay, and I've recently been able to confirm that moving sometime in September to start in October will work, so the last pieces with the visa and housing just need to get settled and I need to start working the logistics from there.
I'll be bringing my cat, so that adds a layer of logistical complications, but she does love me best, and I do think she'll be happier with me in Japan than without me anywhere else. That's the hope, at least. I've done an intense amount of research on bringing pets overseas (including the whole rabies shot procedures for Japan), so I'm feeling pretty good about being able to make it as smooth as possible. That said, if you have any tips on having pets fly long distances, I'm all ears. :3
But yeah! Japan is a thing in the next few months. My completely transparent #1 reason for the timing is that Bun-chan's stage play goes through September, so if I were to say I'm working my schedule 100% around being able to see it, that would actually not be a lie. Wait for me, Bun-chan!!
- Late June: Some random folks I kind of knew from college got married. William asked me to be in his wedding party as a "groomsperson" (was the title I gave myself), and I was Real Cute, NEGL (I bought a black jacket/vest/skirt to create the femme version of what the guys were wearing, with the tie rented from Men's Wearhouse). It was actually a bit overwhelming how fun the weekend was and I don't think I'd be able to adequately express what it meant to me to be there, but generally, it was one of the best weekends in a very long with a bunch of old friends. (Also got to spend a day with the illustrious Tey, with whom I saw animals and a lack-of-animals and it was just... so fun?? Glad we were able to make it happen. ♥) Goodbyes were a little surreal because I realized it'd probably be the last time I saw many of them for a long time (probably not until the next wedding, or longer); I don't even know if Japan is going to be a permanent home for me or if I'll come back to the US at some point, and that makes this feeling even more intangible/difficult to process, but I'm really glad that I got to spend such a special weekend with so many of the faces I love.
- Lately: Been in my weird anxious phase about my high school trauma (basically watching my friends become better friends with each other and leave me behind) and writing complex (can't read fic because it makes me legitimately sick to my stomach to read good writing, even though plenty of those same people tell me they love my writing). But I want to write more because sometimes I do feel really good about writing, but a lot of it is that I want to prove myself and have people recognize me as ~so good~ or whatever, and that feels kind of weird and rude and unnecessarily competitive to me. Eh, eh, life, adulthood, eh.
Hm, I'll learn how to make these entries interesting someday. XD Um I wanted to end with something about Bun-chan because I love him so much, but I actually have nothing specific to say. Just know that I love him so much.
A little happiness: I got new running shorts yesterday! To fend off that weird tan I've developed while wearing running pants where my shins/calves are super tan but my thighs are super white. I actually think my thighs are incredibly gross, but it's not my problem how other people feel about seeing them. :D More exercise means they'll be less gross someday anyway, so~
- Late March/early April: Went to my cousin's wedding in Indonesia with my mom, which was a super fun and fulfilling trip. It was really nice to be with my extended family, even though I couldn't navigate the language enough to speak back when spoken to (I'm one of those "understands it but can't produce it" kids), and even though I basically know nothing about them. There was something so comfortable and familiar about those people and that culture, even though I don't actively think about it as being a part of who I am; it was nice to spend a week reminded that I have this whole chunk of people on the other side of the world who care very much about me even if I only talk to them once every ten years or so. I know family is really messed up for a lot of people, so I feel incredibly fortunate and grateful that mine are such a good bunch.
- Early May: Needed a change of scenery, so I made a quick trip to Japan that coincidentally(?!?!) lined up nicely with Golden Week/Johnny's WEST in Yokohama Arena! Fancy that!! XD What an amazingly fun concert that was, even though we were the ~loud Americans~ and Meghan basically had to keep to herself the entire time because I'm pretty sure she was ashamed to be seen with us. :'D That makes my third Johnny's concert (after Arashi and Kanjani8 in November-December), and I feel like I'm ticking them off at a good pace. :3
I also had a tour and pseudo-interview with the company I'll be working for when I move to Japan. I... actually don't think I've talked about it in any detail here, but basically:
1. I helped organize a work trip to Japan in December for university faculty.
2. While there, we were treated to dinner in Nagoya by the president of a company that's friends with the university.
3. My boss knew that I wanted to move to Japan, so he talked me up during dinner, and said company president basically turned to me and told me to work for him and I was like "uh okay?"
4. The company reached out and we've been working on details for a job at that company -- looks like it'll be in the International Operations department.
5. ???
X. Profit with a job in Japan.
It was a pseudo-interview because they knew I was invited by the company president, so they just wanted to get to know me a little more; it was a little awful because I don't interview well in English, much less in Japanese, but they seemed impressed enough. There was one point where
the guy was like: コンピュータとか使えるかね。 Can you use computers?
Me: 使えます！ I can!
Him: そうだね、楽勝でしょ。 Of course, it must an easy win [no problem] for you.
Me: すみません・・・楽勝です！！（ドヤ） I'm sorry... it is!! (smug face)
and I made them laugh and that felt really good. So yeah, that seemed to go okay, and I've recently been able to confirm that moving sometime in September to start in October will work, so the last pieces with the visa and housing just need to get settled and I need to start working the logistics from there.
I'll be bringing my cat, so that adds a layer of logistical complications, but she does love me best, and I do think she'll be happier with me in Japan than without me anywhere else. That's the hope, at least. I've done an intense amount of research on bringing pets overseas (including the whole rabies shot procedures for Japan), so I'm feeling pretty good about being able to make it as smooth as possible. That said, if you have any tips on having pets fly long distances, I'm all ears. :3
But yeah! Japan is a thing in the next few months. My completely transparent #1 reason for the timing is that Bun-chan's stage play goes through September, so if I were to say I'm working my schedule 100% around being able to see it, that would actually not be a lie. Wait for me, Bun-chan!!
- Late June: Some random folks I kind of knew from college got married. William asked me to be in his wedding party as a "groomsperson" (was the title I gave myself), and I was Real Cute, NEGL (I bought a black jacket/vest/skirt to create the femme version of what the guys were wearing, with the tie rented from Men's Wearhouse). It was actually a bit overwhelming how fun the weekend was and I don't think I'd be able to adequately express what it meant to me to be there, but generally, it was one of the best weekends in a very long with a bunch of old friends. (Also got to spend a day with the illustrious Tey, with whom I saw animals and a lack-of-animals and it was just... so fun?? Glad we were able to make it happen. ♥) Goodbyes were a little surreal because I realized it'd probably be the last time I saw many of them for a long time (probably not until the next wedding, or longer); I don't even know if Japan is going to be a permanent home for me or if I'll come back to the US at some point, and that makes this feeling even more intangible/difficult to process, but I'm really glad that I got to spend such a special weekend with so many of the faces I love.
- Lately: Been in my weird anxious phase about my high school trauma (basically watching my friends become better friends with each other and leave me behind) and writing complex (can't read fic because it makes me legitimately sick to my stomach to read good writing, even though plenty of those same people tell me they love my writing). But I want to write more because sometimes I do feel really good about writing, but a lot of it is that I want to prove myself and have people recognize me as ~so good~ or whatever, and that feels kind of weird and rude and unnecessarily competitive to me. Eh, eh, life, adulthood, eh.
Hm, I'll learn how to make these entries interesting someday. XD Um I wanted to end with something about Bun-chan because I love him so much, but I actually have nothing specific to say. Just know that I love him so much.
A little happiness: I got new running shorts yesterday! To fend off that weird tan I've developed while wearing running pants where my shins/calves are super tan but my thighs are super white. I actually think my thighs are incredibly gross, but it's not my problem how other people feel about seeing them. :D More exercise means they'll be less gross someday anyway, so~
