Critical Meltdowns of a Neurotic College Student

Several posts have been staring at me for the past few months (i.e. Mass Effect 3 review), but I can't seem to get them anywhere. Instead, I'll be productive by talking about a few things that have been eating at my brain for a long time.

This semester has me focusing extensively on Japan: two history courses, a few mentions in other social science classes, and my attempting to teach myself 日本語 in my free time. So far I'm doing fine and I'm enjoying what I'm learning, and if it weren't for 汉语, I'd be more lost on Kanji than if I started from scratch. That said, having learned jack and shit about Asia as a continent of diverse cultures and countries has set me back tremendously. I'm still ridiculously ignorant about the Asian political scene, thanks in part to my being American and having been drowned in European ideologies and thought. Making any kind of comparison or acknowledging similarities between an Asian country and a Western country sometimes feels like it'll come across as childish at best and offensive at worst. Add the fact the United States downplays any kind of relationships and issues we have had with Japan at any point and time and I feel like I'm staring at a mountain too steep and dangerous to climb.

"But, Fangirl," you'd ask, "what's the big deal? Clearly you're putting more effort into this than some Americans, so why complain?" Well, setting aside the existential angst I'm continuing to suffer thanks to inconsistent and fragmented data on job prospects for college kids in the US, I overthink everything.

October 2011

Yet another make-over!

Since it's getting colder, I've been in a much better mood than during the hot, sticky, humid awfulness called summer. Now I can walk anywhere I want without anyone giving me looks for wearing dark clothes! That happened many times in DC while I had a black top and black cargo pants. More comfy than those flip-flops for sure...

Yesterday I went to the Renaissance Faire in the cloudy, freezing cold. But I loved every minute of it. I always found that time period and theme to be very interesting... especially the music. (Silly simple-minded, Fangirl.) If only I did not forget my stupid camera I would have uploaded them. Though on the bright side, I was not under pressure to capture everything on sight. I could walk around and enjoy the food, costumes, antics, and jousting to my hearts content.

And I bought my first corset! Once I got it on and paid for it (with mom's help), I wore it all day. Surprisingly, I was really warm and comfortable! Too bad it was so pricy that everything I'll get for Christmas will be super cheap... T-T

Everything else in life is just fine and dandy. School has become rather interesting since I seemed to have acquainted my self with a few transfer students. My friend from China returned this year and she's helping a bit with the Mandarin I'm learning via Rosetta Stone. Who'd think "bike" would be such a long and hard thing to say in Chinese?!

Anticipate the usual unusual posting schedule I adapt very often. See you later this month!

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