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Classes have been great and I’ve decided to no longer escape the tough classes but meet them head on even though it’ll cost me my life (grades). I’ve attended all the first days of my courses and they seem pretty promising. The first class was obviously my Japanese Language class and this time, the professor is a Japanese lady named Tachibana Yuka. I for one am intimidated by her because she handles the class like this, “I want you to answer my question in Japanese, 5 seconds! No take longer than 5 seconds!”

She’s amazing though when I get to talk to her personally. Nonetheless, I am still scared of her a little because she makes me focus too hard and I feel like I blow brain cells and kill ‘em instantly when I am in her class. Plus, when I answer fast I have no chance to scan my answer and I feel that I may say something wrong and it’ll be funny yet embarrassing.

Next is my Japanese Literature class in which is taught by an American professor who teaches English Literature in Kumamoto University. He is teaching this course for free and he’s quite hilarious. That is a heavy reading class and one of the three classes that I have that induces ample reading materials. Now you know what I mean when I say I will most likely die.

The next day I dived into my Interpersonal Communication class under Prof. Christina Yoshimura (Married to a half Japanese descent). Her class is fun but she only lectures two of the three in a week. The third part is taught by a Teaching Assistant (TA) and he is someone I know because we took a class together last semester! How interesting! One day you’re classmates, the next you’re teacher student.

On the same day, I had a Communication and Conflict which was taught by a professor whose class I’ve dropped once last semester. Hisham and I took that class but I dropped it. He asked Hisham, “Where is Ken?” “He’s afraid of you and dropped the class,” was what he answered the professor (or at least that’s what he told me jokingly). I felt a little weird but it was just me being overly…something (I have no idea what it was) and that feeling disappeared soon. It was nothing. This class is somewhat of a reading and analysis class too so it adds to my reading load.

I’ve also managed to squeeze my way into the Practical Issues with Organizational Communication class (another heavy reading based class) which I’ve realized after reading the 7 readings that were assigned for the first day that it should be called… ‘Consultation and the Ethics Involved’. So now I have TWO heavy reading classes.

There is one more class that I’ve yet to attend. That’s my Intercultural Communication due to the holiday on Monday. That might be another reading comprehensive class…

On top of that, I’ve also been looking into volunteering to help puff up my resume. Also, I am currently looking at my internship options that I can do over summer. Surprisingly, I’ve found one that I’m VERY interested in doing but there are some technicalities in which I’ll explain and my options so far.

Firstly, my Japanese professor (Sensei Yuka Tachibana) announced in class that there are three types of internships offered. One is to teach elementary children in a rather secluded town near Sendai English over summer. Everything paid for and we get paid 600 dollars disguised as “scholarships”. I am REALLY interested in this but there seems to be a few things that bothered me and when I confronted my professor, she promised to discuss with the board of education to see what they think. My worries are mainly, one: visa issues and two: I am considered as a non English native speaker so I wonder if they’ll accept me.

There were two more internships but I don’t think at my current Japanese proficiency that I could take those jobs though one seems REALLY good. If I somehow manage to get the first intern, I might be eligible. This internship that I am speaking of is to work in a Japanese Anime, Gaming and Media Arts production company for I think a year. My professor said that it is possible and chances of me getting it is higher if I improve my speaking ability because I have a major in Communications and can work for their PR or Comm. department.

The third which I couldn’t do is to spend a year as an exchange student there. Need I say more?

My Seattle Trip

For New Year, I took up an offer to go to Seattle by Burhan and Faye. We stayed at their (Hisham and Burhan) aunt's place. Somehow, the trip has both its ups and downs which made it memorable. This trip however was not really one that caters for sightseeing. It was more for recharging ourselves with out favourite food we love so much but can never get here in Missoula.

Here are the pictures with some commentaries (in chronological order according to the days the events took place):



This is my most favourite picture of the lot. Why? One reason. CHAR SIEW BAO! Second/third day we were there, Burhan and Hisham's aunty belanja-ed us dim sum. It was refreshing because this dim sum is not those you get in Malaysia. It is more Hong Kong style and I love it to bits! It's been more than half a year since I've had any and this trip was just fantastic!



Then of course we visited Jimmy Hendricks! Who would've thought he would be buried in Seattle? However, I was a little disappointed because we couldn't make it to Bruce Lee's grave because he is also buried in Seattle next to his son. Sad...




These three pictures are of Seattle downtown from afar. It is a port/harbour city after all.

Being a port/harbour city, you'd think that their water would be dirty? Trust me...The picture here as you can see the water is SO clear you can see through it and down at the pebbles... It's like one of those Malaysian seas/islands where they try so hard to preserve, here it's so normal!




The above two apartments (yes, apartments, not condominiums) are situated in the expensive side of Seattle (a little island) facing the magnificent view I've taken of Seattle above! Someday I wish I can live in something like this! Just Breathtaking.

Now, we are here at Athenian Cafe where actor Tom Hanks and the director of 'Sleepless in Seattle' once sat down while discussing the movie!


This is the view out of the window of Athenian Cafe. Pretty isn't it? It always rains here in Seattle...



Pike Street Market place. This is a tourist attracting market with various things to buy. You'd be surprised but they have very...VERY good food here as well as other knick knacks.

Of course when at Pike St., you mustn't forget to visit the FIRST ever Starbucks to open in the States. Starbucks started out in Seattle, in this very store as it expanded all over the States and now the world. In US, you measure the size of a town or city by how many Starbucks stores they have.



Alas, our trip home came to a halt because of bad weather and we were forced to stay an extra 2 days in Seattle. Our pockets were running dry and so were our clothes supply. On Sunday, we headed back but it was still bad because this is what it looked like on the road. You think snow is pretty? Yes indeed but it also kills. Accidents along the way, visibilty close to only 5 meters due to thick fog and you can never see where a car comes from. It was scary. We made it back in one piece though.