Leaving!

I'm leaving Londrina in a couple of hours, and I'll probably leave Brazil today. Arrival in Japan is scheduled for April 4th. Thus, a new chapter of my life starts. "See you someday" to those who stay in Brazil; "let's meet again" to those in Japan.

I dunno when I'll be able to use a computer again, but I'll try to update this blog ASAP.

Wish me luck!

Agora, a pedidos, uma parte em português (faz algum tempo que não escrevo em português, nao?). Obrigado a todos pelas despedidas (nem que tenha ficado só na intenção) e por todo esse período que curtimos juntos. Vamos manter contato!

The epopoeia of a pre-flight

As I've mentioned before, my scholarship program will pay my ticket only from the nearest international airport from where I live to Japan (and, hopefully, take me from there to the international house where I'll live, since the last airport is not in the city I'll live).

It just happens that the nearest international airport from Londrina is in Curitiba (Afonso Pena) , which is 426 km away. As a sidenote, public transportation in Brazil doesn't work so well like in Japan (don't have parameters to compare it to anywhere else). So, bullet trains to go to Curitiba, for example, are out of question.

A car trip is also out of question. People have lives of their own, and I can't oblige anyone here to drive me there (plus, there'll be the return trip). A bus would take too long (about 6 hours, what is part of the reason to avoid cars too), and I also will have more luggage than an average bus user (which may draw unwanted attention).

So, the obvious choice is by airplane. But then I'd have to buy an extra ticket by myself. To avoid names, "X" will be the company responsible for the domestic flights in Brazil, and "Y" the company responsible for the international flight and domestic flight in Japan.

"X" and "Y" have some kind of agreement, it seems. Passengers flying by "Y" may also but tickets by "X" to fly from Sao Paulo (that's the airport "Y"'s flights land in Brazil) to some other place in Brazil. And you can buy them together through "Y".

Problem 1: Without the international ticket, "X" can't let me board following international luggage limits.

Or should I say, if I but a ticket from "X" separatedly, that happens. Anyway, I'd have to pay for the extra weight then. That's not a good option, so I want to "Y"'s agency to take my ticket and see what I can do.

Problem 2: They couldn't change the route to depart from Londrina instead of Curitiba. That should be done the moment the ticket was bought.

Ok, some flashback: I asked the consulate why the ticket would be from Curitiba instead of Londrina, and the answer was that "from the nearest international airport" stuff, and that's where the problem started. But, I was asked to ask "Y" if they could change that with the tickets on hand. Asking "Y", the answer was "problem 2"...

Anyway, our sponsors won't change the departure place. But I could go straight to Sao Paulo (buying it myself) to avoid a departure fare in Curitiba. But there was another fare coming...

Problem 3: The ticket wasn't completely paid. There was some departure fare of something of the sort (XT, XPTA or whatever... don't understand airfares details).

The solution for that problem is simple: pay. The biggest amount is being paid anyway. But I thought that was the fare only from Curitiba to Sao Paulo (and it scared me... the amount is considerable... about 55,00 USD). It isn't. Fare for Curitiba only is much lower (about 8,00 USD). That big fare is for the international trip, I guess, and it had to be paid anyway. That misunderstanding took a long time to be explained (because they were both "departure fares", and I was told I wouldn't have to pay a "departure fare" if I didn't use the ticket from Curitiba).

Misunderstandings solved, "Y" said they couldn't change the ticket, but I could go to "X" agency and ask for luggage limit like those for international flights. At least now I have the ticket for the international flight, and I could try to link it to the extra domestic flight (or go straight form Londrina to Sao Paulo), applying the higher luggage limit. But in "X"'s agency...

Problem 4: "X" can't link directly domestic flights to international flights, at least in my case. That can only be done by "Y" agencies (because my ticket was bought like a closed packet or something of the sort).

... Infinite loop?! Heh...

So, the only option left is begging mercy to "X"'s manager at the airport and see if the fare for the extra weight can at least be lowered.

An extra problem is that if the flight Londrina-Curitiba gets late, "X" won't take responsability (not without a trial at least) if I lose the Curitiba-Sao Paulo (or worse, Brazil-Japan) flight, because Londrina-Curitiba ticket is not linked to any other flight...

Rant post? Probably... but that's more with the lack of communication here. The rules of the game change out of the blue (previous students departed from the closest airport... international or not), and then starts a ping pong game, where every company tells the other company can do something about it... and in the end no one can (only the sponsors of the scholarship... and the problem started exactly there).

Ok, I shouldn't complain since most of the fares are being paid for me, and the scholarship will be nice... But an early warning would be much appreciated. What if, someday, someone can't afford the extra expenses?

Pre-readaptation

As part of my preparations to go to Japan, my dentist recommended me that I should extract my wisdom teeth (well... the ones I have left. I've extracted the upper ones before going for the first time). They're not aching or disturbing in any way, but he said that their position could generate caries, since it was hard to brush that area.

Ok, I'll concede him that... Besides, stories about odontological treatment in Japan are legendary, so I prefer to do whatever must be done with my teeth in Brazil.

So, today the last one was extracted. Like the other wisdom tooth (extracted last week), no problem at all. No need to cut any bone or anything that turns that kind of operation so feared. In times like those I think I'm really lucky... my sister also extracted one of hers almost the same day, and her recovery took longer than mine.

Even so, I sould rest at least for today. So, what will I do with that time? Pack things? Yeah, I should do that, but not today. Let's check the net for some "Japanese stuff" since I'm about to return anyway...

Eek! It's White Day, so what to say to your gal? (Mark Schreiber to the Japan Times)
(...)
Spa! proceeded to introduce numerous awkward examples of declarations of affection, including a couple of real whoppers.

"Once a freeter (a job-hopping part-time worker) said to me, 'Omae wo shiawase ni dekiru no wa, ore shika nai (Only I can make you happy),' " a 29-year-old housewife recalls. "He wasn't very persuasive."
(...)

Mellowing out, one husband threw his arms around his wife and crooned, "Uchi no inu ni sokkuri (You're a dead ringer for our dog)." Oh, woof.

"Nante suteki na heimen-gao da (That flat face of yours is so nice)," came another back-handed compliment.

One wife, struggling against buildup of cellulite, was aghast when her husband jokingly addressed her as "Seruko (Cellulite girl)."

"My husband's bashful, so if I ask him if he loves me, or if he's happy, he'll only respond 'Ma-ma (Well, I can't complain),' " a 37-year-old woman told the magazine. "These days, that's his favorite way of praising things."

"You're a dead ringer for our dog"!? "That flat face of yours is so nice"!? "Seruko"!? Oh, man...

Gold Poop (Alice Gordenker to the Japan Times)
(...) The product you saw is called Kin no Unko (The Golden Poo), a name that plays on the fact that the Japanese word for poop (unko) starts with the same "oon" sound as a completely unrelated word that means "luck." Japanese enjoy this kind of pun -- traditional storytelling is full of them -- which may help explain why more than 2.5 million of the lucky little loads have sold in the last seven years.

I didn't know that... But the association is still somewhat strange...

Now, talking to Mario and Xant, two that went to Japan last year (and have returned already), they told me about a magician called Cyril, and showed some videos...

WTF!?!? Is the guy human!? Check this for example... and wait for the second part of the magic.

Results and problems coming from that...

Again, it's been a while since my last post. This time I'll have to say that it wasn't due to the lack of things to write about, but rather to the lack of time and/or inspiration to do so.

First, remember when I said that I'd only pass the Japanese Proficiency Test with divine intervention? Well, guess what? The gods aren't with me after all...

Yup, I've failed, but by how much? Let's see:

文字・語彙 (Writing-Vocabulary) : 60/100
聴解 (Listening) : 63/100
読解・文法 (Reading-Grammar) : 83/200

Humm... not bad for someone that almost hadn't studied and returned from Japan almost one year before. The score for the two former parts were about 60%, which I believe would be enough to pass, but reading and grammar part really screwed me... Should I start reading more in Japanese?

Even so, I believe that I have good chances for next year, after staying in Japan again. So, doing that test wasn't a complete waste. It showed that my "natural Japanese" (without studying) outside Japan is almost enough for level 2. (Although I really have to admit that it's not that good and I deserved failing...)

Talking about "staying in Japan again", the date of departure was released. I'm leaving Brazil on April 2nd, arriving in Japan on April 4th. I also met the other students who'll go from Paraná (State)... and after knowing them and reminding of the other students from the same scholarship I met while I was in Japan, I think I'm noticing a pattern. It's a little too soon to write about this, though (especially because I may be wrong).

Ah, and as always, Houston, we've a problem. The plane ticket will be paid only from Curitiba to Japan (going through Sao Paulo, of course). Meaning: I'll have to manage a way to go from Londrina to Curitiba... Anyway, the larger part of the expenses is being paid anyway, so I can't complain.

Looking for a plane ticket, there's another problem: rules for domestic flights will be applied to that extra flight. Biggest problem there is luggage weight. Only up to 26 kg!?!? That's soooo insane... There's NO way I'll be able to carry just that. Then, I'll have to pay for the extra weight... and that's gonna hurt. Damn...

And I'll skip details like letter of attorney and such...

Let's end with something good. A meeting of former, current and to-be exchange students. Nice for a good chat and information exchange. Since I don't remember all the names (yeah, I'm bad for that), I'll omit them all, but there were one former student that went to Okinawa, one going to Okinawa, three Japanese from Okinawa, three that went to Himeji, one going to Himeji and one that lives in Tokyo (during vacation). Thanks to all for the good time! Too bad no one remembered to take a picture...

The end of an era...

Last Saturday was my graduation ceremony. Or, a better definition, a last time to reunite all classmates.


During such event, rivalries and unfriendlyness disappear. It's all a big party... and memories. Those times when we were desperated to finish a report, to study for a test (or prepare other means to accomplish that), the jokes, funny situations... Also an occasion that we've waited for a long time... after much suffering (well... the right people know what I mean).

Some friends there may meet again...

Some only through e-mail and other "non-physical" ways...

And some may never hear about each other again.

But all of them marked each other's lives. For better or worse.

That's it folks. Hope we can meet again someday.

And, of course, I can't forget my "already graduated" friends, with whom I've studied together for four years (some more, some less) before I went to Japan and got separated from them. Specially the SdRA (again, the right people will understand the meaning).

Part of the the SdRA

This chapter of our lives is closed. What's next?

Final confirmation

Now it's definitive. I'm approved as a Monbukagakusho exchange student!! Meaning: from April this year I'll go back to Japan as a researcher, and I intend to go through my MSc. there.

Another meaning: this blog will resume it's original purpose (keep in touch with friends in Brazil... and write some stories about Japan) shortly. But with an addition: some friends that live in Japan and that I won't be able to meet as often as before may do the same (as some have been doing since I returned to Brazil).

Thanks to all who helped, supported or collaborated in any other way for this!

There're also some other things to write about, but they'll have to wait. I want an exclusive post for this one.

Floripa!!!

Finally, after about 2 years, I went to the beach again...

From Jan 2nd to 4th I was in Florianópolis with William. Both of us invited by Juliano and Simone who live there.

The only thing in the way was a 10-hour-long bus journey...

Leaving on Monday night, we arrived on Tuesday morning there. And off we went...

The first day was dedicated to the beaches. Since it was (obviously) impossible to visit them all, our guides recommended some...

Jurerê - basically we played beach volleyball and spent the rest of the time inside the water...

Joaquina - sandboarding!! I thought it'd be easier for me who'd already snowboarded before, but it wasn't. Well, I've never learned how to brake anyway... heheh... That was surely the highlight of the day. Ah... and sliding is very good, but climbing back is tiresome... I missed a ski lift...

Mole - It was close anyway... a choice to end the day.

Second day. At Lagoa da Conceicao. After tiring our legs climbing dunes, time for the arms to get some work. In other words, canoeing. Then, we changed for a paddle boat. That was an interesting one. It had a slope, so we could also play in the water.

After (late) lunch, a little of futsal and, as the weather was a little rainy, we went to a LAN house...

But for dinner... shrimp. And a lot! And relatively unexpensive! Since if I only tell few would believe, I have a picture:



That, plus rice, french fries (also in the picture), salad and mayonnaise... all for R$ 62,50. More a less US$ 30,00...

For the third day, we decided to change the saltwater sea for freshwater pool. So we went to a club and spent the day at the pool and playing sports (some strange, but interesting mix between tennis and volleyball) and truco.

By the end of the third day, it was time to face the long trip again... this time back home. Three days well spent!

And, of course, special thanks to our hosts / drivers / guides: Juliano and Simone!!

Fantastic 4... Reloaded

First of all, happy new year for those who still read this blog! (Anyone...?) May 2007 bring happiness, fulfillments and all those adjectived nouns.

But I'll start the year talking about things of the previous one.

Well, Christmas Eve and Christmas itself were spent with family and relatives. You know, dinner, amigo secreto (or Secret Santa, but with some changes), meeting people you haven't met for a while... Good time indeed, and something that I have to admit I missed when I was in Japan (well... only while I could stop to think about that. I've spent Christmas with other Brazilian exchange students in Nikko, so I also had lots of fun). But I'd bore other people if I started describing the events.

Another interesting thing that happened was that, while sending Christmas messages to friends, one that I've not met for years, Leon, said that he was around. And, for my surprise, the other friend (Fernando) who lives in another town was also nearby.

Some background: during junior high (more a less), I started training judo. And some years (I guess) after, I got along with other three people who also practiced judo at the same dojo and liked video games. So, whenever possivle, the four of us tried to get together at someone's house to play and enjoy. But getting the four together was a rare occasion. There's even one time when finally the four got toghether... and then a blackout happened...

Ok, but after some of the group started getting into university we never managed to join all four again.

So, after some phone calls, we finally set another reunion... after about five years. Although it was basically a lunch and chat in a mall, it was good to revive old times... especially at the arcade corner.

But, since the blackout episode, we say that when the four get together, something goes wrong. This time could be no different. We asked someone nearby to take a picture of us (hey, that's a memorable occasion!), but it's a little... well...

Year-End Events

Well... this was surely a busy week... But one of the best of this year.


Tuesday night

Time to play futsal! But this time, a friend that comes to Londrina only occasionally was interested in joining. So, I invited him to participate the carnage. Fortunately, I was defending kinda well that day (I play as goalkeeper, just as a reminder)...

He even found some long lost friends there (that friend is from Londrina, but he studies somewhere else)... But, hey! Next time stay longer here, clone! I'll tell if we're going to play again!


Wednesday night

I was invited for another friend's (William) graduation ceremony (and party!). Since it was a high school ceremony and party it wasn't so wild as some may think, but it was very good. An oportunity to see my friend wearing a formal suit (LOL) and meet another friend (Juliano) who was invited as well (and whom I haven't met since I returned from Japan).

And also some memories of my high school times... As I was way shyer back then, guess I enjoyed more that party than my own... Well, at that time I was among friends, and that was all that mattered.

Ah... of course. And be scared with the amount of food that those two friends can eat! They've almost vacuumed the food...

Bed at around 4 a.m.


Thursday

At noon, a lunch at a mall with the two same friends from Wednesday. That was a better chance to chat and stroll around with them (... stroll around remembers me of Jon... I still miss those weekends around Himeji).

Evening. Time for my former Japanese school's year-end party! And at a restaurant that I like, too! Grilled meat, chicken and fish!! Yummy! Some new faces and some old classmates. And what a small world...

About midnight. Marco and me joined William and Juliano to play games at a LAN house. Also, during the previous dinner, I called more friends (Gorda, Ku and Ratu). Not exactly a "full house" (maximum number of players in a game), but a good number nevertheless. So we played DotA until... uhmm, 3:30 a.m.?


Friday

Since Juliano would return (and leave us) at noon, we decided to gather again Friday morning to play some PS2 games and table tennis. And eat cheese bread, of course! (Well, that's kinda traditional when they gather at home...) And, surprise! My mother managed to stuff our two "vacuum cleaners" with food to the point they were (finally) full. That's a first.

Even after noon, it went on (with members leaving when their time was due) until late afternoon. After that, the only thing I remember was waking up at 9 a.m.... Saturday.


Sunday

Lately it's damn hot here. Hot hot hot! So, what about a little water fight to refresh? That was the idea of the parkour group. So, instead of a normal training, we had some balloon (filled with water) throwing... Yay!


Also, I received a violin as a "graduation gift" from my parents. Yipeeee! I still suck at playing it though...

Violin and Japanese Test

This time I'll open with a embedded video. "Kiss me Goodbye" (Angela Aki), Final Fantasy XII theme song. I want to play it! Looks so cool!



I've been thinking about learning a musical instrument for a while. Last week, finally I went one step forward and started taking violin lessons.

Why violin? Well, I can't say there's a true reason. But instruments like guitar, drums or piano never attracted me enough... and dunno why I chose violin... Perhaps because of some presentations I watched... really nice.

Ok, but there's a problem. I have absolutely no notion of music except from listening things I like (also not knowing exactly why) without worring with things like notes. So I'll have to start from the basics... and I mean it.

The class showed me how much I don't know. And that's good. So that means I'm at the second stage of learning ("don't know that you don't know" - "know that you don't know" - "know that you know" - "don't know that you know")... more a less.

First problem, I have no musical accuracy. Can't distinguish any note from any other. I'd realized that already during my audio classes. It's hard to equalize without it... not impossible, though (you just listen to the musician's comments and you're probably safe). But it becomes a bigger problem when the second one showed up. To play the violin, some accuracy with your fingers is needed. More than most guitars, for example. Even my ear could notice that missing the point where your finger should be produces "unpleasant-to-hear" results.

Also, I'm left-handed, but there doesn't seem to exist some sort of "reverse grip" for playing violin (guitars have it... the references to guitar / bass are because my sister plays them, so I know a little about them... not how to play, though)...

Guess there'll be lots of work here...


Changing the subject, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test was held this Sunday. I tried level 2, but couldn't study properly (actually, almost didn't study at all) and my Japanese is pretty rusty (guess I'd have better chances if the test was right after I returned from Japan). What can I say? I couldn't finish the first part (characters and vocabulary) in time and "guessed" a lot at the third (reading and interpretation... BTW, the texts for that part were HUGE, especially comparing to the previous level).

The expected but unusual part was thinking that the second part (listening) was the easiest one. For the previous levels I've taken, listening was always the part that I scored less. This time will probably be the opposite.

If I think I'll pass?

Only with divine intervention.

-------
Added at 11h40min

I forgot to mention that one good thing about the JLPT was that I met a friend that I haven't met for a while. He was trying level 3, so I lent some notes that I used when trying that level.

Well, when I tried level 3 two years ago, and at that time I was under pressure to pass, because it was a condition (kinda informal one, though...) to get my scholarship to Japan. That why I have much info about that level.

But we also used the opportunity to talk about our life in Japan. He also went to Japan for 5 months to work (as a dekassegui). Different experiences, but we both learned something... and want to return someday. Our next idea is wait for our friend that's in Japan now as an exchange student by the same program I went last year (but he's at a different campus) and have that same talk.

Devil Bride and Jackie Street Fighter

Well, as a last attempt to improve a little my Japanese for the Japanese Proficiency Test I decided to watch some J-Drama without subtitles. Not that I have much hope for that test, but at least it's a "fun" way to practice...

Well, last week I talked to Silvia about Japanese series, dramas, etc., and the name "Oniyome Nikki" (鬼嫁日記) appeared. It's a J-Drama that I've mentioned here some time ago and I watched sometimes when I was in Japan. It's funny, but has some serious moments... And it's a little unusual considering what some people think about Japanese society (about women's role in it). I won't enter that discussion... at least not today.

Anyway, as I was watching, my mother's arrived and I decided to show her. She also liked it, but a comment she said just floored me...

"You shouldn't marry an 'oniyome'... you're also too kind..."

........ WTF!?


Changing the subject, what happens when you mix Jackie Chan and Street Fighter?

This... LOL

Murphy Strikes Back

"Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong"
- Murphy's Law

"Anything that can go wrong, will - at the worst possible moment"
- Fingale's Corollary

After another long absence, I'm back again. Well, after finally finishing my dissertation, Tuesday (November 21st) was the day to defend it. I've decided to avoid Power Point, since many times I've seen (or experienced myself) some problems when loading a presentation: figures that don't load, fonts that change style unexpectedly and some other problems that I really didn't want to happen this time.

So, I've prepared a presentation in LaTeX. Since the presentation file would be in .pdf format directly from LaTeX, nothing could go wrong, right?

Wrong.

First, I brought the presentation within a floppy disk (aka diskette) and a USB flash drive. I didn't use CDs because I ran out of them, but the other two would suffice, right?

No.

The computer to be used for the presentation had a Windows 98 as OS (Operating System). That alone discarded the flash drive (Windows 98 doesn't have plug-and-play feature, and install the drive was out of question). But there's still the floppy! It'd save the day...

Nope.

Mysteriously, the floppy couldn't be read. A problem that I also have seen many times before, but didn't take into consideration (actually, I was confident about the flash drive...)... Ok, now there's trouble. No fear yet! A friend that was watching suggested that I use a laptop that she'd brought (wasn't hers actually, but that's out of the subject). Nice! So now things are settled...

Soooo wrong...

Remember when I said that my presentation was in .pdf format? So, although that laptop was prepared for her presentation (she'd presented just before me), it was a Power Point presentation... and there wasn't an Acrobat Reader or anything that could read pdf files installed on that laptop!!

Fortunately, one of the examiners also had a laptop, this one able to run my presentation. The only problem is that I got (more) nervous because of all those problems, so that I made some slips...

Although I think that my presentation wasn't good, guess I redeemed myself answering questions from the examiners (and some from other professors that happened to be watching...). My monograph was accepted.

Whew... So, I'll enjoy it a little. Over and out.

Month's Report

Wow... that was a long absence... Ok, main reason: the deadline for the preliminary version of my monograph is getting closer. I still have to write many parts of it, and am thinking about improving it a little, what would mean more time in the lab. And probably I won't be able to post in a regular basis until mid-november, so be warned.

What happened since my last post? Not so much. And people usually forget things as time goes by, so I remember even less about those things now.

First, there was a Japanese Culture Festival last month (Sep 15th to 17th). But because of the rain I was able to check it only on the last day, when it was crowded (because many others had the same idea). Plus I had a farewell party (a friend who got a job in another town) that day and could arrive at the festival only by the end of the day. Add to that digital cameras suck to take pictures at night and with movement. Why movement? Because the main event was the "Matsuri Dance". Some kind of Bon-odori-like dance, but with "modern" music (for example, "Runner" (Kiroro) and "Rhapsody in Blue" (Da Pump)). I just dunno if that's something that started in Japan (like the Bon odori itself) or if it's something created by the Nikkei community in Brazil...

Back to the point... since I was there, I just had to dance, right? Especially after I've met some friends that were going to dance. So, I can't take pictures and dance at the same time. Sorry folks. But the festival's name is Londrina Matsuri, and some pictures can be seen at their website. Entirely in Portuguese, though. Well, for pics, look for the word "Fotos".

Now for the gastronomic part of the post. There was one thing that I was still missing since I've returned to Brazil. Soup. Weird? Maybe. But the soup from a restaurant here. And since we're supposed to eat (or drink??) that when it's cold... well... winter this year wasn't very cold. But one day, when it finally was cold... Yummy!! Chicken, cheese and can't remember the rest. All inside a big bread... For this one I have a pic to share.

Looking for new activities, I've joined a Parkour group by a friend's invitation. I'm still very bad at it (bruises and aches... not yet. I've been careful about what I try to do... perhaps too careful), but trying to make progress.

Also, I've been taking some audio lessons. You know, learn how you make that strange thing with lots of buttons and switches work properly... But there's a feature that I still have to improve a lot... Listening. I have ptoblems to distinguish when the sound is good or not, when some instruments that play in frequencies close to each other are both audible... Guess I'll have to train my ear.

What better way to do that than learn how to play a musical instrument? I was thinking about learning to play the violin for a while. Maybe I'll give it a shot...

Think that's the gist of what happened while I was away... not so much, wasn't it? Last, the clip below is Weird Al Yankovic's new music video, "White and Nerdy".



Now back to work...

Samba de Gafieira

Last week I was invited by my former dance teacher to perform a number in some presentations. Those were last Saturday.

Before that, before going to Japan, I used to attend ballroom dancing classes. Mostly Brazilian rhythms, but I can dance others like waltz as well... maybe not that well... ah, whatever. And sometimes there were some dance presentations (NOT competitions... I'm not that good)...

But it's been a while since the last time I danced, so it was more than natural to be a little rusty. Fortunately, after some practice we managed to do it. Some mistakes, but the overall was ok I guess...

The rhythm was "Samba de Gafieira". Similar to the "common definition" of samba (sometimes they can be mixed), but danced in pairs (couples). Well, I'm not posting any picture or movie... I have none of that presentation anyway. I'll link some You Tube vids just in case. But these are pros.

One of the presentations was to a group of Okinawan students as part of an exchange program between my university in Brazil and another university in Okinawa (Meio University). Two of them will stay as exchange students (or have been staying as I've heard) until next year. It was fun when we invited them to join the dance. Some learned pretty quickly. And there were their presentations of Okinawan dance (forgot the name now...) and other events.

But, as that was my first time in a while to have a chance to talk to Japanese people (actually living in Japan) in a while, I was planning to practice Japanese with one of the exchange students. As we start to talk, I realized that, although I was trying my best to talk in Japanese (yeah... my Japanese level is worse than before, even though it's not worse as ever), he was always answering in Portuguese.

Simple words, sometimes with gestures, but in Portuguese...

Then I remembered when I was in Japan. That time, I wanted to talk in Japanese as much as possible. But, not rarely, some people insisted on talking to me in English... Maybe because I was a foreigner, maybe because they wanted to practice their English, maybe because they knew/thought that my Japanese level wouldn't do... whatever. But sometimes it was frustrating.

I don't look so much like a foreigner (foreigner-looking people suffer more with this I suppose), and English is not even my first language...

Now I was at the other side of the story... and doing the same things!? Hell, no. This time I give up. They deserve more to practice Portuguese than I to practice Japanese in this kind of situation...

Slashdot, graduation and acceptation

Lately, I've turned into an occasional reader of Slashdot articles. (Let's say that it happened because of an indirect recommendation from a friend.) Although I can't be classified exactly as a techie, many of the articles are interesting... from different points of view (I'll avoid becoming technical here).

One that surely has also figured in many other news sites was about the International Astronomical Union redefining the concept of what's a planet, and the possibility of adding 3 more planets to the Solar System. Ok, ok... it probably won't change most people's lives for the next decades, except for nullifying all of those "set sentences" created in roder to memorize the order of the planets (I don't know any in English, and would appreciate some version, but I still remember one in Portuguese that was shown in the Portuguese dubbed version of "Beakman's World" TV show)... But it's interesting nevertheless.

The second one is about an act "which makes it a criminal act to refuse to decrypt files on a computer". Wonder if that's so inportant... still quoting the article, "the bugaboos of child pornography and terrorism, while unquestionably heinous, are being used to justify a law which does little to protect against either". Or should I believe more in the hypothesis shown in many games/movies/etc that the government is becoming concerned about the information available on the net... Talking about that I've remembered an interesting "faq" about the Metal Gear Solid 2 game available at Gamefaqs. It will make more sense to people familiar with the game and the anime "Ghost in the Shell", but it's probably understandable even without it. In short, it talks a little about how genes and information received may change one's life.

Another article is about talent and effort. Personally, I think that both can make a difference, although success isn't determined by only them. Talent is nothing if you don't direct it. For example, sometimes some "whiz kids" are shown on TV that have excellent memorization capacities. It's something amazing, but I expect that parents and people around them will direct better the kids gifts. Usually I hear they saying capitals of many (almost unknown) countries, their currency and so forth... Interesting, but I wonder if it wouldn't be better used in language learning, for example. Well, I may be wrong since I've no knowledge about it. On the other hand, effort without talent makes things harder. But still not impossible. A Rurouni Kenshin quote may show that... Going to Kyoto, Sano meets Anji who shows the technique "Futae no Kiwami". As Sano wants to learn that technique, even risking his own life, Anji gives him one week to become able to destroy a rock using the technique, or else he would kill him. As Anji realises that Sano managed to learn the technique, follows the dialogue (note: free translation):

Anji: "... What a great talent..."
Sano:"Hey! I almost died in the process, you know? Talent!? Don't you dare to give all the credits to that."

Last one is about the video-game console war. Who will prevail: X-Box 360, Wii or PS3? I might be overestimating, but I believe that Microsoft's X-Box 360 has no hope of winning anywhere else outside the US... Nintendo has been showing an interest about new forms of gameplay. Its last consoles (Nintendo DS and Wii) have innovative features related to "player interface". I really like the Wii controller, and I'm waiting to try some games with it. Sony, on the other hand, places its bets in a multi-function device (since PS2, going through PSP to the PS3, the consoles can do many things, like play PS1 games, DVD player feature, internet access...) and hardware capacity (this time... it was interesting how the PS1 overcame other "better" consoles). My bets were on the PS3, but I'm seriously reconsidering shifting to Wii... Perhaps Sony's hope is the same of the PS1 age, when the amount of games was a decisive factor for its success...

Whew... for those brave enough to read to this point, a little of what's happening lately...

Last week there was my sister's graduation ceremony. So, she's got a Pharmacy (is that it?!) degree... Man, I'm getting old. But I went only to the ceremony... I guess there was a party, but as they have two graduations (well, I don't get it either...), the first one is a simple one... and as my sister gave up on going and I wasn't so excited myself about it...

But it's interesting when you talk to colleagues and notice that they already have a plan for their lives... some of my classmates are employed/being employed/working as part of a... Junior Company (not sure of the translation)...

Finally, this one is a little old, but I've received the acceptance letter from a Japanese University. Next step is being approved by the Japanese Ministry of Education... And finishing my monography here!!!

So, back to work!

Japanese Japanese... Brazilian Japanese...

It's been a while. No, I'm not dead. No, I haven't given up writing. Just a mix of laziness and lack of things to write about.

The cold is gone, finally. I really stayed at home during most part of recovery... Just can't imagine playing futsal or other usual activities coughing every 5 seconds. The problem is even staying at home the virus will still be spread... among my family. My sisters and mother've got a cold too. Although mine was worse, this time there're 3 people sick. My mother seems to be the most "unlucky". Hers is quite strong too...

And winter vacation is over. But I have no class in this semester... Only a monography (a.k.a. TCC) and... uhh... I'm not really sure of the word in English. I'm supposed to have some kind of experience as a "trainee engineer". I'm looking for the English word for "estágio", but there's some difference between "estagiário" and "trainee" in Brazil that I can't explain correctly. Anyway, no success so far looking for a company to do that. And those two things are more than enough to keep me busy during most of the period...

I've got a reading recommendation from a friend. So, although vacation is over, I'll try to read that "Steppenwolf" book. And also the Japanese book that I recieved before returning to Brazil. About the latter book, I've tried sometimes, but I guess I'm forgetting Japanese little by little. It's harder to read every time I try it. それでも、まだ諦めない！

Silly news that probably won't make any sense to those who read my blog. A new Pump it Up arcade has arrived. One of the most recent versions: Zero. For a long time "Pumpers" have complained about the versions and the pads of the arcades here. this time, one game center finally changed its version and fixed the pads. From now on, the new point for Pump it Up is "Royal Plaza Shopping".

Nothing like a birthday to meet relatives you haven't seen for ages, right? Well, during an uncle's (I wonder... I am really not sure of relations with that side of the family...) birthday. And, naturally, because I've returned from Japan people make comments and try to talk in Japanese to me, especially the elders. So far, I haven't disappointed them (my Japanese is getting worse, but still bearable), but one thing is interesting.

How they mix Japanese and Portuguese words naturally, like if they're speaking Japanese. One explanation is that Portuguese words took place over many "new words" (usually in katakana) like table, computer... But even for words not so new, sometimes the changing is natural, to the point they don't understand if you say the word in Japanese (well... the way I've heard in Japan). That may be an example of how languages envolve, and may envolve in different ways.

Even so, I can't put a Portuguese word in the middle of a Japanese sentence. I stop the sentence, but don't use the Portuguese equivalent. But it's not uncommon for me to say a Japanese word in the middle of a Portuguese sentence. Why, I wonder...

Vacation... but there's a problem...

Winter vacation. But it's unusually warm (maybe even hot), even for Brazilian winter. As it hasn't been raining lately (what's also kinda unusual), perfect weather for vacation, right? Well, yes, it is. With so many things to do and the weather helping...

Why did I catch a cold!?!?!?

And a very strong one, with fever, feeling lazy and all that. And in that pace, vacation will be over before I'm healed... Ok that I haven't halped much. Even in this condition I still have played futsal, gone out with friends and all that... I have to enjoy a little after all. But I wonder if that's not delaying my recovery and spreading the virus...

Anyway, I can't keep doing that. Guess I'll have to play dead for a while... Damn.

Bookworm

Finally, winter vacation. The result of the last tests were published, and thankfully I was approved without the final exams (one should get an average of 70 points in exams or 50 points after the final exam to be approved. But that one is more difficult than regular exams... and it has a weight equal to all the other exams together.).

So, it's time to decide what to do during winter vacation. Not much, since it's not that long and my research starts in the next semester. For now, just resuming the ordinary "go with friends to..." that I skipped for the last weeks because of all the exams, reports and presentations. Like going to the arcades and play futsal.

But I usually read at least one book during every summer or winter vacation. This time I still couldn't find one. I've been searching for Asimov's Foundation Series, but the complete collection is nowhere to be found. Other books that I'd like to read, like Rainbow Six, I can't find also... Well, I have one book in queue. A Japanese book that I was presented with (thanks again Kyoko!). I'll use the time to read it, but I'd need some other book as my Japanese reading is way too slow.

So, I'm open to reading suggestions...

Katamari Soul

One day, when I was in Japan, one guy of the same lab as me was showing a video he'd found on the internet. It was about a video-game. I couldn't find out the title at that time, but it surely was interesting. You are a tiny little... thing? Anyway, a tiny little thing that pushes around some kind of ball that is highly adhesive, capable of grabbing anything smaller than itself. That ball is called katamari (in Japanese it means something like lump, chunk or block). Grabbing objects, the ball gets bigger and can capture bigger objects.

Simple gameplay, a storyboard that is not amazing, but with some interesting lines. A game that can make one play for hours... and it's funny! That's "We ♥ Katamari" ("みんな大好き塊魂"). A completely nonsense game, one of the kind "turn your brain off and relax".

The most interesting thing so far? A stage where the katamari gets so big, that it grabs mountains, ground (yes... you've read that right), going through buildings, monuments (like the Eiffel Tower, White House and Osaka Castle), Godzilla, clouds, satellites and UFOs. Let's take over the world!!!

Well, I found that game this week at a game corner here and bought it because I remembered the video I saw in Japan. But the fun will have to wait until exams are over...

Result and World Cup

Ok! Breaking news first. I was approved in the interview. That means the selection in Brazil is over, now it's up to us to contact a Japanese university and a Professor. If everything goes right, I'll probably be back in Japan next year then!

I just don't know... I was pretty bad during the interview, saying some things I shouldn't and forgetting some I should say. Besides, my research involves many subjects I haven't studied during the Engineering course. I studied a little by myself, but even so, my knowledge about those is far from ideal... There were also qualified people with good study plans, so I thought I wouldn't be chosen because of the average level... Guess I guessed wrong in the end...

Now the omnipresent topic: World Cup. It's been pretty nice until now, with good games and balanced matchs (usually...). Germany showing it will be all out at home, Trinidad with guts getting a tie against Sweden with one man less, the "Death Group" matches (Argentina vs. Ivory Coast and Servia vs. Holland), Italy's "Azurra", Czech goals agains US, Spain unexpected great victory...

I wasn't expecting Japan's defeat against Australia, though. I watched the first half and it seemed that Japan would be able to hold Aussie's attacks. During the second half I had a class, and what was my surprise to hear that Japan lost the game... at the last minutes.

About Brazil's game, it was a nice game with an amazing goal. Since Croatia isn't a weak team (as, theorically, any team in the World Cup), at least Brazil won. Will have to do better, though. Let's say that as a team, Croatia was better. Brazilian players ability was the point that helped the victory this time. But the defenders were better than the forwards in general.

Next game is against Australia. Let's see what happens...