Break a freakin' rule already!

Today I'm blogging with a bit of a chip on my shoulder. Now before I get into explaining why, I'm going to admit that I had a part, actually a large part in what I'm about to complain about, but I'm still pissed and here's why.

In addition to the 5 core classes I'm taking in the MBA curriculum, I intended to take 2 Japanese language classes through the International Center, one Speaking class and one Kanji class. In addition to having different start/finish dates from my grad school courses, the classes at the IC also have a different set of enrollment procedures. To enroll in the Japanese classes, there is a set 5-days block where students register to say they are interested in taking classes. This isn't signing up for classes, this is just going and entering your name in the computer and for all intents and purposes expressing interest. Next you have to attend a 30-minute orientation at which if you are not present, you will not be able to register for classes. This orientation is set and they make it very clear their are no exceptions. If you cannot attend, you will not be able to study at the IC during that term. At the orientation, students receive a registration form which must be completed, signed by the students advisor, and returned to the office within a week. Got all that?

Okay, so I went to the pre-orientation sign up. No problem. I attended the orientation as well, got my form, gave the form to my advisor and received the form back Wednesday afternoon during my last class of the day (3:15-6pm). The registration from was due in the office by 5pm Thursday. Yesterday (Thursday) after class I came home and started unpacking my bookbag and realized that I forgot to turn my registration form in to the office!! Thursday is my longest day of classes and somehow didn't make a note to myself that I needed to return this form and well...I forgot. I know then that I'm going to have to do some serious begging, persuading because these folks don't take kindly to breaking the rules.

Today, after my gift from God Microeconomics class (I'm trying to be optimistic here) I went to the International Center office and was told that they could not accept my form. She said a student came in 15 minutes after 5pm yesterday and the Department head turned them away. And here's where I vent.


Really I don't understand why they can't bend the rules when it's for a good cause. Don't these folks understand that I'm begging to study Japanese, because I NEED TO STUDY JAPANESE IF I'M GOING TO GRADUATE FROM THIS MBA PROGRAM. I'm not doing it for their amusement! I've been here for 6 months and my grades in the Japanese language program have been spectaular. My attendance has been pretty darn good too. I may have missed 1 day of classes in 6 months which happened to be Christmas Eve (well, that is after I missed the first two weeks of school when Jody passed). Even when I did miss the first 2 weeks of the 6 week intensive language program, I came back BUST MY BEHIND and got straight A's in 5 classes. SEE!

So here's what I've decided to do: Go to class anyway and keep going until the teachers put me out. And then once they put me out, they'll have to kick me out again because I'm going to keep going. I don't care if I don't get grades on my record for the International Center. I need these classes so that I continue to increase my Japanese speaking and reading ability. It's the only way I'm going to be able to graduate from this program, and I'm not exaggerating. All of my class lectures, with the exception of Organizational Behavior, are given in Japanese and continuing my language study is fundamental to my success.

I messed up. I missed the deadline. It's my fault. Punish me some other way, but don't restrict me from studying just for the sake of rules. I understand the rules are in places to keep things in order. Japanese folks STRIVE or rules and orderliness as to I (somtimes) but exceptions to rules exist for a reason. Break a dang rule already people!

Lucky Me!

I lucked up on this very cool concert today after my last class. I was going to get my bike so I could head home when I heard music playing and saw a crowd in the Cafe so I went up for a closer look. It turns out that one of the most popular and, in my opinion, most talent clubs on campus, The Shamisen club.

I just so happened to have my fabulous new camera with me as well and got a few good videos of the performance. Check it out!

Just in case anyone is interested here's a little wiki info about the shamisen. This next video is a little bit longer but features music you probably have heard before, 2 shamisen solos, a drum solo and some "entertaining" dancing/clapping at the end. Enjoy!

G5 in the House!

Today I had my first group presentation of my MBA program. For our leadership class our assignment was to decide as a group what we thought were the qualities a leader should possess are and present them to the rest of the class. Initially it didn't seem like it should be a very difficult thing to do but when you factor in the group dynamics it was quite challenging. Being 7 people from 5 very different countries (China, Japan, Canada, Mozambique, America) I thought it would be a good idea to called our group G5, you know like Group of 5? Since we have all these other summits and things like G20 and G8, I thought G5 would fit right in! Well, our group's diversity proved too be both a strength and a weakness. One of the Chinese women in the group speaks only Japanese and Chinese. One of the guys in the group speaks mainly English and his native tongue is Portuguese. The remaining folks speak a mixture of English and Japanese but because there was no one language that all 7 of us spoke, there were at least two languages being spoken at all times! Needless to say, we put in a good bit of work to come to some common ground.



We didn't know this going into the assignment but our teacher made us rank the presentations based on three things: #1. content, #2. presentation and #3. group cohesiveness and out of the 7 groups in the class, G5 was ranked the highest!

I definitely felt good to start the term off with respect from our professor and our classmates. Now if we can just keep this momentum going....

Stop walking up in my room, Dang!

So, the good news first. I MOVED! If you remember, when I first moved to Tsukuba I was living in this jail cell. It is/was all that you see here. A room with a sink. (Sink not pictured here) Yes, it was as narrow as it looks.



Now, I'm feeling like the Weezy Jefferson! I have my own private shower and toilet, my room is a bit bigger and I even have a tiny balcony! I'm very happy with my new space although it is still pretty small, but the accommodations are 100% better than the last place. So anyway, here is my new crib spot.

Ok, so lemme tell you about how twice in two days random folks have just walked up in my room!

The first time it happened, it was my first night here after moving in and I was putting away my things when my door flings open. I look up and there's some Japanese chick standing there holding the door open, looking in my room. So I'm looking back at her and then as I start to walk toward the door she slams the door without saying anything. Of course I'm curious and a little pissed by this so I continue toward the door and go out into the hall. Keep in mind during the whole interaction she has not said a word. I open the door and she's still standing in the hallway looking bewildered so I'm like "Yes?" She says she was looking for a friend and opened the wrong door by accident.

Ya' know, I'm reasonable...that type of stuff happens. But you open my door, stand there looking silly and then don't say ANYTHING at all? Not sorry, or excuse me or anything? So I say, "I understand, next time don't just walk in without saying anything or knowing where you're going" and I went back into my room.

The next morning, I had just come back from the kitchen making breakfast and put down my food when I hear two raps and the door opens! I'm like damn, its 9am. I could still be in bed or naked or both! This time, its a delivery person with a package for me. Apparently this is very common in Japan. If they knock and no one answers right away, they will try the door. This happened to me before when I lived out in the country but I thought it was just because I knew everyone who lived in the town and the mailman knew me. Well I have learned that they do it in the city too!

I'm just saying Mr. Delivery man...I'll do my best to keep my door locked but on the off chance it isn't locked and you walk up in here on something...well that's your own fault.