notecards.

august 18th

so heres the deal: notecards are simple, easy and useful. they are everywhere. we use them for notes, for flashcards, for whatever the hell we want. but heres the nub, how do you say notecard in japanese? it's not no-to-ca-ru-do as one would assume. no, it is much more complicated than that. i attempt to describe them and i receive clueless expressions in return. i believe that they do exist in japan and that i am just incapable of finding them. if they don't exist i don't know...it's just too weird to think that they don't have them here. i've seen smaller versions on rings, clearly for learning words/kanji, but that's not what i need. i need those handy dandy 3x5 cards that throughout my school career were within reach whenever i desired them. replacements can be found, but they won't have that easy no cutting, perfect size, strength of our classic american notecards.
yeah i cut my own.

on another topic...

the head of the english department at my school is an interesting fellow. he kinda creeps me out. he is one of those people who insists on getting involved in everything. i have a feeling the status of being my friend--the amazing gaijin from afar--is something he desires. it feels so false and annoying. he was discussing politics and movies and american things like he was trying to show off how up to date he is on the goings on in america. it was rather interesting to hear his attempts at clever conversation, but for the most part it was just sad. i hope that i can unrudely avoid not always asking for his help. this is the kind of 'friend' i was warned against. i don't need people to like me because i'm a foreigner, i need people to be my friend because there's a mutual apprciation of each-other as people. then again i'm not really looking for kick ass friends at work. i just hope i can make some japanese friends that are not from work...