| Japan |
[Mar. 21st, 2008|07:15 pm] |
So....here's all my journal entries that I made while I was in Japan! Enjoy! ----Oh and by the way, I did leave some stuff out as to not upset anyone and I won't name names.
JANUARY 19, 2008
Our flight was cancelled yesterday due to some sort of plane malfunction. We were at the airport for about ten hours which was awful because they couldn't find us a bus back to Carthage. All flights today went well, with the exception of the two girls I was inbetween freaking out about the flight. One girl fainted and was one the floor of the plane for about 15 minuts while the other wouldn't stop freaking out in general. Currently, I am about 2 1/2 hours into the international flight with about 8 hours left to go.
JANUARY 21, 2008
Arrived in Nagoya around 3pm Japan time (about midnight in Chicago on the same day). After going through customs, where they made fun of all of us for being tall, we departed by bus. The air is incredibly clear and everything is so clean. From Nagoya we drove to Osaka to spend the night. It was raining, but not too cold. Although we were exhausted, we went with the group that wanted to see Kabuki. We caught a shorter play about two lovers, though I'm not really sure what it was about. The costumes were very beautiful and everything was clean, simple, and very pretty. Afterwards we took the subway back to the hotel. Everyone here dresses very fashionably and very modern, so I always feel underdressed. The sights we saw in Osaka were very beautiful and very bright; lost of neon. When we got back to the hotel, my roommate and I set out to find dinner. We found a small, what I would guess chain restaurant, which was an experience. We ordered rice with this yummy beef and sauce on top. Afterwards we went to bed.
JANUARY 22, 2008
Today we spent doing a lot of touring. The first thing we did was drive to Nara to see the Todajii temple, which is the largest wooden structure in the world, and the Great Buddhan, which is five stories tall. It was amazing! The temple was inside the Sacred Deer Park. There were a ton of deer hanging around the park. They were much smaller than I expected deer to be. After that temple we drove to Kyoto. There, we went to a Shinto shrine. The shrine was at the top of a very large hill. Along the climb up to the shrine there were many different shops silling souveniers and food. The shrine and gardens were very nice and from the top you could see the entire city of Kyoto. The little Buddha statues all had small red bibs or hats on. My roommate said is was to protect them from the cold and snow. Then there were three small waterfalls that came out of a wall. Each waterfall is said to have healing powers. One was for long life, one was for intellegence, and one was for romance. My roommate and I both went up and bought a small cup, and drank from what we thought was the health waterfall. Afterwards we went to the Golden Pavilion and walked around. We also went to the palace and gardens of the shoguns. There, we had to take our shoes off to go nside. The floor made an interesting squeek, almost like a bedspring. They said it was to protect the palace from intruders. THere was alos a moat around the palace that had the largest coy fish I've ever seen. Then we went to a Kimono fashion show which was a waste of time. We went back to the hotel for awhile and then 16 of us, the translator, and the tour guide took the subway to the center of Osaka, called Umeda. There we went to the 29th floor of a department store and had dinner. The dinner was an Okonomiaki restaurant. Okonomiaki in Osaka (it's different in other cities) is a cabbage mixed with egg and then a choice of a meat (I had beef)that is cooked on a gridle on the table. Then they come over every so often to cook it for you. When it is finished they top it with mayonaise and sweet and sour sauce. It was good at first but halfway through it started not to agree with me. Since it was my roommate's 20th birthday, I bought both er and I beers. The beer here is so good. It's extremely smooth and light. There is very little carbonation. Easily the best beer I've had. Afterwards we all decided to go do Karaoke, since it is so popular in Japan. For 800 yen (about $8), everyone got an hour's worth of karaoke and all you can drink. Everyone got a round of screwdrivers to start with, but then the translator recommented this yummy sake with juice. Mine was green apple. All of us then went back to the hotel to sleep. |
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| So long Beeyatches! |
[Jan. 17th, 2008|07:52 pm] |
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Hey everyone who might read this. I know I never update this thing, but I will be in Japan for the next two weeks and hopefully when I get back I will remember to type in the journal I am keeping of the trip. Sayonara everyone! |
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| Yearly Update |
[Dec. 23rd, 2007|04:14 pm] |
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I'm majoring in Athletic Training (sports medicine for the rest of you who think it means being a personal trainer). I'm happy and I wouldn't change anything. And I successfully made it out of this town to the best of my ability. |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 18th, 2007|12:36 am] |
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i think that i've been numbing myself to what happened before i left for so long, that tonight it just felt good to be alive again. |
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| a better appreciation |
[Feb. 14th, 2007|10:16 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | block in the wall | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  content | ] |
| [ | music |
| | john (i'm a god) mayer | ] |
Jumping off balconies into 12 feet of water, running around naked, hot tubs, and good friends make me remember why I love being alive. I'm suddenly getting this better appreciation for the opportunities that life offers once I step outside of my block built into a wall. |
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| i really should update more. |
[Feb. 11th, 2007|08:17 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | dorm bed | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  bored | ] |
| [ | music |
| | the grammys | ] |
I've decided that I'm going to try and update this more regularly because I check it everyday, so I'm assuming other people do the same. It's always upseting to check something that never updates. It's probably that part of me that's always been incredibly nosy, always wanting to be a part of others lives.
I think that this cold weather is starting to lift. It's been in the single digits for so long with the wind chill putting the temperature into the negatives. The lake doesn't help. Feeling your contacts freeze to your eyeballs isn't exactly the best feeling. The salt everywhere is a little unpleasant too. Everyone walks around with crusty white jean bottoms. Ew.
I'm rushing this month. I'm actually a little excited about it. It was never really something that I thought I would do, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it. I'm still not sure which sorority I'm going for, but I think I want it to be one of the national ones instead of the local ones. I have no idea when I'm going to have time to rush, especially with water polo practices starting tomorrow and me working in the alumni office more, but it'll work out I'm sure.
Water polo starts tomorrow. We've had open practices already and I really like it. It's so different from swimming. I don't think anything has hurt me more than leaving swimming behind. It will always be a piece of me that I will miss. It's not like I don't swim anymore, because I do, but just knowing I'll never be in the athletic shape for competitive swimming that I was in high school is disappointing. I've thought about doing it next year, but I know that it's just such a big commitment. September to late February is such a long season.
Speaking of swimming, I'm so incredibly ready for summer. I miss working at the pool so much. Even though the pay isn't the greatest, it's such a fun job and I really miss the people. Spending the summer in a swimsuit is the best way to do it.
They were out of skim milk at the food court today. I had to get whole. Sickening.
Right now I'm starting to think about where I'd like to study abroad my junior year, since with my major (art history), it's almost required. The countries I've been considering are England, South Africa, Italy, and Germany. My mom wants me to go to England. South Africa sounds appealing too. Next January I'm going to Japan, so it could turn into an option as well. It's hard because deciding on a country is almost like deciding what kind of art concentration I want to master in. I feel like I'm way too young to be making these kinds of decisions. |
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| being home |
[Feb. 5th, 2007|02:08 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | my house | ] |
| [ | music |
| | food network in the backround. | ] |
Being at home makes me realize how much I really really hate school. It's not that I don't like the people or the experiences that I'm having. I think I'm just truly burnt out on school. I'm sick of learning pointless things (like math, or theory) that I'm not going to remember or apply to my life in the slightest. A huge part of me is just ready to get married, have children, have a job, and settle down. I hate having to drag myself through four more years before I can do anything. I think my junior year I'm going to study abroad for a year. I need the change and the challenge. High school never really challenged me and I hate feeling like I'm just on this continuous waiting period for the next phase of my life to happen. |
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| (no subject) |
[Dec. 1st, 2006|03:34 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Office Sounds ala Carthage | ] |
Top Five Reasons I like Snow
5. It usually means I don't have to drive anywhere that day and that the whole day may be spent lounging.
4. Two words. Video Games
3. Sledding
2. A good reason to throw something hard at my brother
1. Hot Chocolate |
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 11th, 2006|01:05 am] |
I'm feeling a little motiviated to write again. Perhaps it will help save my typing skills.
School is alright. I'm a semester away from finishing my minor (music). Who's up for adding a second minor? Me! I'm thinking about trying to do art history as my second minor. I love all of it so I might as well fill the holes in my schedule with fluff that I can turn into something, especially when all the Gen Eds are full (grrr.).
I don't know why I haven't felt completely happy here yet. I feel like I'm missing out on some crucial college component that everyone else is experiencing and I'm not. I think I'm doing all the things that a college kid is supposed to do, but I still feel like I'm missing out. I guess it's because I felt like I had missed out on so much in high school.
My private instructor plays for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I try to tell myself that I really need to practice more but I'm always so tired. I never feel like I've gotten enough sleep. My life feels like it's on fast forward. The same thing everyday...wake, get ready, class, lunch, class, do homework, class, band, dinner, homework, bed, repeat.
I'm looking foward to seeing my family at Thanksgiving. I'm not really one to hate Galesburg like other people do. Though it doesn't offer anything to me anymore, it really was an OK place to grow up.
There is a part of me that really wishes I could just fast forward through college and just get to my life; a job, a husband, a house, a family. I'd really like to be a mom someday.
I never feel like I have enough when other people have so much, but then I think, God, that sounds so fucking selfish, look at everything you do have, but then I just feel more unhappy.
Water is the only thing that makes me happy still. Swimming is so complex and difficult to explain. Its rhythm soothes.
I've started playing water polo here and I'm going to be on the varsity team come January. Right now it's more of an intermural team, though we don't really play actual games so much as scrimage and practice skills. It has thrown me for a loop because swimming is so much different, so much more personal. In water polo you have to have physical contact and it's so different for me; the touching. |
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| college |
[Oct. 18th, 2006|08:53 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | room | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  bitchy | ] |
hello everyone. i don't know who still reads this. i'm at school and i've become completely settled. i've changed roommates. i live with my best friend jes now. things have gotten a lot better. i really feel so much more at home now. it's been a little cold here, but that's alright. it's more the rain that bothers me. it rains all the time. the lake is gorgeous when it rains. the horizon and the lake meet and when you look out it looks like you're viewing at the end of the earth. it's so peaceful.
my classes are going well. i'll probably switch my major to music business.
love to all, allison |
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| (no subject) |
[Sep. 28th, 2006|03:45 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | dorm bed | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  happy | ] |
| [ | music |
| | White Houses, Vanessa Carlton | ] |
"In my heart is the 5 of us, in white houses" |
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| College |
[Sep. 7th, 2006|09:55 pm] |
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I love it here and I never want to leave. |
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| (no subject) |
[Aug. 29th, 2006|03:47 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | my basemet | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | annoyed | ] |
| [ | music |
| | sufjan stevens | ] |
i am so bored. everyone is gone or in classes at sandburg. i'm all packed and daytime televison fucking blows. i literaly wandered around the house today just looking around thinking of crap to do. i think it did this for like 20 minutes. my life is pathetic right now. i leave on saturday and it can't get here soon enough. i'll probably go to the girls swim meet tonight, though going back to the high school feels so awkward. i'm sick of everyone asking me when i leave and then having to explain to them why i'm not at school yet. then i have to give the lecture about the school and my studies. yawn. i bothers me more when i retell someone when they've already heard. or when family asks. yuck. lately, in the past five days or so, i've been getting these headaches that just ache all day. i only get relief when i sleep because medicine doesn't seem to be helping. i hope they go away when school starts. that's all for now. |
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| (no subject) |
[Aug. 9th, 2006|09:27 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | annoyed | ] |
I want to LEAVE! |
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| (no subject) |
[Jul. 24th, 2006|08:57 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | bitchy | ] |
| [ | music |
| | five for fighting | ] |
so i haven't updated in awhile.
i just really want to leave for school. summer is getting really old. all i do is work and i hardly ever hang out with anyone. plus my parents are seperating after 21 years so i just can't stand being at the house anymore. dad moved out and is staying with a friend and my mom freaks out for the stupidest stuff now. like saturday i came home two hours early for work because of the rain and i told her i was going to go get myself some taco bell for dinner because there really wasn't any food in the house i wanted. she freaked out and kept apologizing that she hadn't cooked anything and how she failed us. WTF!!!! i just wanted some fucking taco bell! ok, i understand she's in emotional distress, but after awhile i just wish she would deal with it in private. it's driving me nuts.
i got my class schedule. i feel like my minor is taking over my major. five music classes and only one english class, which i can probably drop because of my AP scores.
i'm still deciding if i want to go on vacation to the dells with my "family" tomorrow. i've been working at a waterpark all summer so i'm not exactly thrilled. plus, i definately have reasons to want to stay home. a major one. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jul. 3rd, 2006|10:15 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  touched | ] |
Youre listening to close
With a knife in your back
Youre on the attack
Did I hurt you that bad?
Youre sweating me girl
And its not even subtle
Oh I am in trouble
What to do now in my world
And oh my dear Allison
Youre running in platform shoes
And you love me when I wore my
Evening blues
And its love dear Allison
Youre kissing with such great ease
And my lips arent hard to please
Hey now Allison you are the one
Who makes boys hold their breath
As you walk on
Hey now Allison you are the one
Who changed my life before it had begun
So by the phone is where Ill wait
Waiting for callswaiting for anything
Youre hypnotizing me
With those eyes and that smile
I think ill be here
I think ill be here for a while
Goodnight dear Allison
Dont try to make me cry
Just let me walk away and heal in time
Goodbye dear Allison
Well meet again someday
And well be happier this way
All my life Ive run away from you
You are the one |
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| My Frustrations with a captial "F" |
[Jun. 18th, 2006|10:17 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | frustrated | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Where Soul Meets Body, Death Cab | ] |
Frustration #1: It's offical. My life sucks. I am going to be the last one to leave for college. I move in on September 2nd. I'm going to be all alone for three weeks. Except for my Knox and Sandburg peeps of course, but obviously they will be too busy starting classes to hang out with moi.
Frustration #2: If anyone saw the painting that I recently finished after hours of toil, you will have noticed that it is a nude. My parents did not take this fact very well. My dad thought that I had looked up porn as a reference. I had actually used my own body as a model. I set the camera and snapped it.
Frustration #3: I work forty hours a week. The pay is nice so I can't complain about it and I generally like working. I just don't get to see my friends anymore. I have no social life.
Frustration #4: No one calls to hang out with me in the first place so this nullifies frustration number three.
Frustration #5: I am now a poor college student and I can't pay for my gas. I was almost in heaven when a check from uncle arrived later than everything else.
Frustration #6: My mother is now making me pay for my cell phone on top of my already mounting financial burdens. I still need to go buy towels and bed sheets.
Welcome to the real world, Allison. This is your life. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 11th, 2006|04:36 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  crazy | ] |
I'm getting super bad about updating this thing, but I kinda figure that my life will kick more into high gear in September and I'll have plenty to write about then.
I've been working...a lot. The only day I have off is Tuesday. I'm teaching aquafit, teaching swimming lessons with KCAP, and lifeguarding the usual.
I'm also getting prepared for my college swim season by going to open swim and weights every morning at 6 am.
Yes, I've been really tired.
For those of you who haven't seen it, I highly recommend seeing Over the Hedge. It's pimp.
I got the info about my roomate this week. Her name is Nina and she's from Burlington, Wisconsin and that's all I really know about her. I talked to her mom last night on the phone and she seemed nice.
Hasta everyone, until next time. |
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