Tweet Log 20 (April - End!)

Hey guys! So while I was originally trying to make very structured tweets that had some content of their own, I tend to use Twitter a little more "normally" nowadays, and mainly use it to announce updates and voice my thoughts. So I don't see much of a point in keeping track of them anymore (unless someone out there reeeeeally wants to keep this section alive... let me know!)

So here's the last batch of tweets that I've saved. For anything else, just follow me on Twitter!

*~*~*

Busy busy busy! So much to do for Monday @_@ Hopefully things will calm down a little after that..

Monologue contest is up! There are some awesome submissions! Go vote for me!! (Delphine) XD http://bit.ly/eqIX8A

Join in on the Ganbare Japan project!! Hosted by Victor (Gimmeabreakman) http://youtu.be/OipkOO4-Oic

Youtube update: Ganbare Japan Project http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPCvSU-r09E

Another quake? Seriously? I will be on Twitter all day I'm sure

Youtube update: Variety Shows (part 1) http://youtu.be/ZzVZOUHKhOo

QuirkyLife update: Study Abroad and Shoutouts http://youtu.be/BJ1LX1UP2-I

Just had one of the best immersion sessions/conversation practices I think I've EVER had. Soo tired but so worth it.

Plus I ate/made takoyaki for the first time! I'm so happy right now :3

Something I noticed: When you're a guest, don't say 'gochisousama' when you're done eating, but when you're actually leaving the ppl's home?

Anyone else having problems with Youtube? I can't even upload a video right now :(

Thank you sooo much to everyone who voted for me for @JapaneseLevelUp 's monologue contest! Couldn't have done it without you!! <3 :D

Tweet Log 19 (March)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 18.

*~*~*

QuirkyLife update: Cardcaptor Sakura http://youtu.be/PJVbekoCdaA

Man, I'm so used to watching Cardcaptor Sakura whenever I have a small chunk of time haha, now I feel kinda lost XD

QuirkyLife update: Stupid Lighting! http://youtu.be/FL3IOM2LWMo

Blog Post: Tweet Log 16 (December) http://bit.ly/fhMKuR

QuirkyLife update: Arashi CD's and Meetup http://youtu.be/seyZzlWw8lw

Blog Post: Lang-8 http://bit.ly/gj3zYM (Just to repost the video onto my blog ^^)

Soooo much to do >< Video this week will have to be finished tonight and probably uploaded tomorrow ^^

Just noticed I have 50 Youtube subscribers! Woo~ *throws confetti* Thanks for supporting my lil channel guys :D

QuirkyLife update: Adshap8's Japanese Monologue Contest http://youtu.be/U6WL1X8RXHo

Eep, quite the delay this week, but I'm determined to still keep this a weekly thing :) Video uploading now~

Finally have a bit of a breather and am watching Durarara ^^

Youtube update: Top 5 Things to Watch for Japanese Learners http://youtu.be/O2aKCE0OEWE

My prayers and well wishes go out to all those affected by the earthquakes in Japan. Take care, everyone.

For anyone searching for people: http://bit.ly/gtRvtV

QuirkyLife update: Japan Earthquakes - quick message of support <3 http://youtu.be/ZpqMba6ptbM

The emotion is finally hitting me about everything. Can't even imagine how hard it would be for those in Japan. #prayforjapan

Would it be insensitive to post a video like normal that isn't centered around Japan's disasters? Maybe I should wait a couple of days.. :/

Youtube update: Hardships in Japan http://youtu.be/CHOXDq7Asfk I'm annotating links to other jvloggers to gather info together in this one

Youtube update: Exercise while Learning http://youtu.be/WtsHXo8wvhk

QuirkyLife update: Random Sillyness + Silent Hill 4 http://youtu.be/yqAkqYL37jc

QuirkyLife update: So many ways to help Japan! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8ltf3M1B5M

Blog Post: Hardships in Japan http://bit.ly/f2EeiW

School starts again today... wooo

Just spent a whole class period discussing the current situation in Japan. Tough to talk about, but very informative.

Blog Post: Tweet Log 17 (January) http://bit.ly/dN00N4

Youtube update: How to Help Japan http://youtu.be/HqqoH9HZlg4

Youtube update: Paper Crane (鶴の折り紙) Message of Hope http://youtu.be/znhMij4hpTE Double video update today!

I've REALLY fallen in love with Arashi's Lotus :3

Youtube update: Introduction to Arashi (嵐) http://youtu.be/d5Yu1GOXTww

Tweet Log 18 (February)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 17.

*~*~*

Wooo it's snowing in Texas! No one knows how to handle it down here XP

Just got Sims 3 to play in Japanese... and I realize my computer's OS is too outdated... sad face -_-

Blog Post: Heisig's Method in a Nutshell http://bit.ly/eva2n0

Youtube update: Gantz Movie Review (and event report!) http://youtu.be/SAcggwWoTAY

Man can school really get in the way of stuff O.o I should have a blog post up tonight though~

Blog Post: Movie Review for Gantz http://bit.ly/e3rjwD Youtube update: New Facebook page! http://youtu.be/Qdw0PzB6L-Q

Blog Post: Facebook Fanpage http://bit.ly/i3fSUM

Now that I'm starting the job-finding process, I have less and less time to myself ;_;

Still keeping up my blog/vlog ok, but I'm spending less time studying Japanese. I almost speak more than I watch/listen nowadays O.o

Blog post: Tweet Log 15 (November) http://bit.ly/gLPqc1

Youtube update: Using SRS to Learn Japanese http://youtu.be/zqr2aKBtjbU

Sliiightly less busy this week, hope to make a real dent in my SRS reps! (good timing with this week's updates :D)

My lunch today - a sausage and rice dish and vegetable wonton soup :) oishii~~ http://twitpic.com/42zgl2

Just started another Youtube channel as just a personal vlog and non-edited vlog. First vid: http://youtu.be/_aDZxlnj1Hc

QuirkyLife vlog: Japanese Speaking Practice http://youtu.be/5xid7HSCaJM

The weather right now is AMAZING!!

Just met a bunch of Japanese foreign exchange students at Kaiwa. I'm on a Japanese high :D

QuirkyLife update: Global Fair http://youtu.be/Jk7KIv8coF4

Blog post: Using SRS to Learn Japanese http://bit.ly/f7Ao4R

Youtube update: Lang-8 (日本語) http://youtu.be/3zMX0cNxwRo I'm speaking Japanese in this one~

Lang-8 Video! | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/828386 #lang8

Tweet Log 17 (January)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 16.
Go forward to part 18.

*~*~*

明けましておめでとうございます！

Here's a cool, super detailed little model of Osaka-jo http://twitpic.com/3m51c8

Blog Post: CultureQuirk - Looking Back and to the Future! http://bit.ly/fKGlGy

A nice view of Osaka from the top of Osaka-jo. http://twitpic.com/3n9w3g

白いクリスマス | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/753166 #lang8

Another great view from the top of Osaka-jo~ http://twitpic.com/3nk53h

Blog Post: Tweet Log 13 (September) http://bit.ly/h9XY3y

Made pasta carbonara according to @runnyrunny999 's recipe! http://youtu.be/wal-s4FHSJ4 美味しかった!

Randomly started to watch Cardcaptor Sakura! So nostalgic...

懐かしいアニメ | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/755961 #lang8

This was my lunch today! I love sushi... http://twitpic.com/3nx6g8

I feel like studying kanji has spoiled me XD I'm so used to making little stories, and I'm not sure how to do that when studying vocab...

Remembering the *kanji* of each vocab is okay, it's just remembering the pronunciation that I'm struggling with...

I'm randomly watching bits of Nodame Cantabile. Forgot how much I love it <3 so impressed with how the actors did all the music stuff O.o

Made a small update to the blog - now you can easily move forwards and backwards through the tweet logs. http://bit.ly/h9XY3y

Blog Post: Motivation Ideas - Song Puzzle http://bit.ly/hBpo5K Learn Japanese *while* motivating yourself to learn Japanese XD

Back in town and started school... Need to get back in the groove, another rough semester ahead!

In other news, I should have my first Youtube vids up starting tomorrow! :D

Just got like eight different Arashi CD's! Soooo happy!! Thank you so much @maru887 for getting them to me :D

First YOUTUBE vid~! Introduction vlog :D http://youtu.be/gGaJ9VwUhOw

Just got back from watching Gantz! Loved it but did NOT love the dubs, can't wait to see it in Japanese!!

Being able to see the live interview with Nino and Kenichi though made me sooo happy~

GANTZ | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/774722 #lang8

Youtube update: Introduction in Japanese! 自己紹介 (日本語) http://youtu.be/wnheqC8HLow

Youtubeの自己紹介！ | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/775623 #lang8

Youtube update: Introduction (French/Francais) http://youtu.be/pp79ci6exZ0 My last intro vid, this time in my native tongue :)

Blog Post: Youtube! http://bit.ly/dU9JZU

Golden crane on the wall. This was taken from the balcony at the top of Osaka-jo~ http://twitpic.com/3svx34

Youtube update: Basics of Reading Japanese http://youtu.be/vFJlYYQVGcA

Wrapping up the Osako-jo pics with a nice picture of the entire castle. http://twitpic.com/3tdnp1

Blog Post: Basics of Reading Japanese http://bit.ly/fXRSed

So I go to practice some vocab on smart.fm... And hear they're closing down... That reeeally sucks :(

Just finished rewatching Zettai Kareshi... I just can't help but tear up at the ending ><

Just filmed my next video - I had to draw some stuff for this one XD wheeee~ Still need to edit, hope to upload it by Monday :)

Will be posting up a new video tomorrow! I would like it to keep it a weekly thing, hopefully wont get too busy to do that *crosses fingers*

Blog Post: Tweet Log 14 (October) http://bit.ly/efhhxb

Youtube update: Heisig's Method for Learning Japanese http://youtu.be/zIvDVpDpaU4 Includes illustrated examples!

Tweet Log 16 (December)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 15.

*~*~*

I now realize how good my jpn friends are at enunciating - I met a girl from Osaka yesterday who spoke to me naturally and I was lost o.o

Blog Post: Motivation ideas - Jigsaw puzzles! http://bit.ly/h0aWFe

A few more days until finals are over, then I do plan to get back in the groove of things :3

Wow, how long has it been since I tweeted? Final exams went fine, but I'm going to Belgium today! Busy busy!

Blog Post: Tweet Log 12 (August) http://bit.ly/i0ZKuk

At the airport! Happy to have a bit of internet ^^ Here's hoping I'll be able to blog from Belgium~ If nothing else, I'll be back on the 1^st

Made it to Belgium! Exhausted and not enjoying the weather, but at least the snow's pretty :)

Ahhh the snow is such a hassle! But I can't wait to put up these pictures of our White Christmas :D

I'm stuffed! Can't wait to put up pictures of Christmas dinner as well... part 2 tomorrow! Happy Holidays~ :D

Yeesh! While I planned to do lots of kanji SRS whlie in Belgium, the little time I have I've been spending on jigsaw puzzles... >.>

BUT at least I can listen to Japanese music while I do puzzles right? Better than nothing :P

A suit of armor in Osaka-jo! Pardon the glare of the flash XD http://twitpic.com/3kjclz

Blog Post: Winter Wonderland~ http://bit.ly/eaMB8S Come see pics of snow and food! Sending this from Belgium :D

Made it back home from Belgium! Just in time for the New Years~ Except it feels like 1AM for me and I have to stay up another 6 hours ;_;

Tweet Log 15 (November)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 14.

*~*~*

Working on an essay for Tanizaki Junichiro's 'Some Prefer Nettles.' Interesting stuff actually :3

Man, I've only been managing 3 blog posts per month this semester. So much schoolwork.. I am trying to stay consistent with that though!

Just spent almost three hours helping translate for this poor older Japanese woman who barely speaks a word of english. Good practice~!

Just started watching Freeter, Ie wo Kau! Also recently started Juui Dolittle. So much to watch XD

Blog Post: Smart.fm Japanese Core 2000 http://bit.ly/bzJdD3 And a discussion of my Japanese study habits!

As I mentioned in my blog, I'm getting back into smart.fm and the change is refreshing. Need to go to bed but I can't stop doing flashcards!

School's getting crazy busy! I'm filming a video for Japanese class tomorrow, though, so that will hopefully be fun ^^;

I'll be seeing Akanishi Jin tomorrow! So excited XD

Just look at that headgear! In Osaka-jo~ http://twitpic.com/37t3bt

I've been doing my epic chores and just leveled-up. I'm a Level 6 Maiden of Juggled Priorities now! #EpicWinApp

Back home for the Thanksgiving break! Been sooo absent when it comes to online stuff lately, plan to change that very soon :)

Blog Post: Tweet Log 11 (July) http://bit.ly/fo1Gbu

More headgear in Osaka-jo. I like the one with the antlers :p http://twitpic.com/3a16bj

So while we don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Belgium, that doesn't stop my remote family from celebrating it in the US :) Happy Thanksgiving!

サンクスギビングとフットボール | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/707070 #lang8

I do believe this last week of classes will be my toughest of the semester. Almost done with a blog post, so I plan to post it tomorrow :)

Blog Post: Drama Review for Tokyo Dogs! http://bit.ly/dPBQDF

Tweet Log 14 (October)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 13.

*~*~*

Blog Post: Epic Journey of Summer 2010! Part 5 (Germany) http://bit.ly/droAOD

Anyone see the movies "Shabake" with Tegoshi Yuuya? I've been watching the second one, "UsoUso." Soooo weird XD

I've been doing my epic chores and just leveled-up. I'm a Level 3 Wench of Undesirable Tasks now! #EpicWinApp

Okay. Probably a stupid question. Anyone know how to find a news article or something IN Japanese?

I click on a Japanese headline in the Japan Time Online website, and the article's in english... O.o;

HOLY CRAP, while I didn't bring magazines, I do have my Hana Yori Dango Final booklet with a ton of text! There is hope for this assignment!

A random statue we saw in Osaka. I think it was of a scientist or something.. http://twitpic.com/2v785w

Hmmm... anyone know how to end a news broadcast in Japanese? Like 'that's all the time we have, thank you for watching..."

I can't find a full news broadcast in Japanese anywhere! XD

Hmm.. I had a little more trouble than usual speaking Japanese today. Kept reverting to English.. hope it's just because I'm so tired @_@

The NHK building in Osaka. I was actually super excited when I saw this and had to go inside haha http://twitpic.com/2w1v8u

Blog Post: Review of the Arashi album, Boku no Miteiru Fuukei! http://bit.ly/9kTY73

Starting a series of pics from Osaka castle. Here's a shot of the moat. It was soooo hot outside! http://twitpic.com/2wwhg0

Have a little extra time... Tonight is the Great Mouse Detective in Japanese XD

ちょっと時間があります！ | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/659527 #lang8

I've been doing my epic chores and just leveled-up. I'm a Level 4 Wench of Gainful Employment now! #EpicWinApp

A shot of Osaka-jo from the outside looking in o.- http://twitpic.com/2ylcco

Blog Post: Tweet Log 10 (June) http://bit.ly/abjuPX

A cool little structure next to Osaka-jo. It says... something about education?? Can't read that third kanji XD http://twitpic.com/2z2phj

Crossing the bridge.... about to enter Osaka-jo! http://twitpic.com/2zodhr

Went to karaoke last night for the first time in a while! カラオケ最高〜！

The outer walls of Osaka-jo. Is there usually supposed to be water?... In any case, all of the green was pretty ^^ http://twitpic.com/30jo1r

Blog Post: Cooking Adventures - Katsu! http://bit.ly/9Rlla3

There it is! Osaka castle! So pretty~ ^^ http://twitpic.com/30x3ri

A golden tiger that's in the museum inside of Osaka-jo. http://twitpic.com/317hy6

I've been doing my epic chores and just leveled-up. I'm a Level 5 Maiden of Well Made Plans now! #EpicWinApp

Pretty gold flower design! Inside of Osaka-jo~ http://twitpic.com/31nn8q

Taking some much-needed relaxing time. Every once in a while, I have to tell homework, "you can wait." :P

Tweet Log 13 (September)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 12.

Go forward to part 14.

*~*~*

Blog Post: Tweet Log 9 (April/May) http://bit.ly/cUdsq6

Weeeird cat... thing... We saw this on a sign in a mall. Anyone know what it's for? O.o http://twitpic.com/2kc5ag

A bunch of masks that was for sale in Asakusa XD http://twitpic.com/2kvbim

So I downloaded TweetDeck recently and have been having trouble posting anything in Japanese with it. Anyone know how to fix this?

Arashi's Love Rainbow pv is out! It's not as silly as the title makes it out to be XD But I like the song, and the video's pleasant ^^

Japanese breakfast at Denny's (where they were playing freaking classical music!?) I need to learn to like natto.. http://twitpic.com/2lecvk

Yakiniku! This is from the first time I had a yakiniku dinner with friends and it was so fun and sooo delicious! http://twitpic.com/2lqoyl

I'm not even sure *what* this is... But we had such pretty foods in Japan XD http://twitpic.com/2mai3y

This semester is craaayzaaay... So hard to find any time/energy to do many kanji reps, but I still try to watch fun Japanese material @_@

Harajuku! It was soooo crowded! http://twitpic.com/2mlsba

Mustered the courage to talk to some random Japanese guy! (Granted it was an 'international setting' thing-still!) Helps boost my confidence

More of Harajuku. We didn't see anyone *wearing* really crazy outfits, but we still saw some crazy outfits! http://twitpic.com/2mwr4b

Watching Rookies! MAN does the teacher guy love to yell! haha XD

Last pic I have of Harajuku for now. I believe we actually went inside this store. Everything was just so crowded! http://twitpic.com/2nlze0

Reading my textbook for my Imperial Japan class might cut into my Japanese language reading time, but I'm least I'm still learning a lot :D

A shot of the pond (lake?) at Ueno Zoo. Despite the weather not being great, it was still so pretty~ http://twitpic.com/2nysse

Had over an hour-long conversation that was predominantly in Japanese today. A little braindead, but had a good time with nice people ^^

Mmm, soba. Got this at one of those places where you get a ticket from a vending machine and that's how you order. http://twitpic.com/2ojjsu

I've been doing my epic chores and just leveled-up. I'm a Level 2 Seeker of Employment now! www.EpicWinApp.com

Used my new tamago-yaki pan and onigiri molds today to make my first cutesy bento! I'll have to post a picture later ^o^

My poor blog is being neglected ;_; I don't have the pics for my last summer trip post yet, so I'll put something else in the meantime~

Blog Post: Drama Review of Last Friends http://bit.ly/cLUEJg

After starting it about a year ago, I finally finished Orthros no Inu. Sooo dramatic haha, but I did really like it by the end ^^

This man we met in Japan had hand made this structure that he put on his ceiling. It was really cool~ http://twitpic.com/2qi162

A beach at Shizuoka. This is where we went to the best onsen evaaarrr~ ^^ http://twitpic.com/2s323v

忙しい | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/635911 #lang8

Just got out of lockdown - I was in the building adjacent to where the shooting happened at UT Austin. What a morning...

So I'd totally forgotten about this - FINALLY getting around to posting the first cutesy bento I'd every made ^^ http://twitpic.com/2sy6gd

Tweet Log 12 (August)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 11.
Go forward to part 13.

*~*~*

Had ZERO internet for the past few days, didn't expect that! So much to blog about, such bad connections XD

Blog Post: Epic Journey of Summer 2010! Part 2 (Belgium) http://bit.ly/a2kOwi

In the end, I had to post it without some of the pictures, but I'll fix that when I get back home. At least I'm getting some material out :)

Arashi's new album is out!! I just listened through the entire thing right now ^^;; Sooo happy about it~~~

Also, I'll be heading back to the US tomorrow. I'll have to put the blog posts up when I get back due to the problems with the pictures...

Back in the US! So much to doo~ Need to catch up with blog posts! I'll try to get those out asap :)

First things first, fixed the pics from the last Belgian trip update! http://bit.ly/9M57Zo

Urk. I just updated Anki and my kanji deck just... disappeared. o.o ?!?!?!?

Ok.. I lost the progress I'd made, but I think my deck's ok now.... phew! XD

I've been kind of under the weather, so it's been hard to get anything done... Bear with me >.<

So I've calculated I need to do ~30 new cards a day if I want to finish my goal of getting through Heisig's 1st book before school starts...

We'll see if I can do it, but either way, I'm almost there! :D

Blog Post: Epic Journey of Summer 2010! Part 3 (Holland) http://bit.ly/9gUF9B Lots of pictures in this one ^o^

アムステルダム | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/584068 #lang8

Never made so much food before! off to another avatar party~ XD http://twitpic.com/2dru8n

Blog Post: Tweet Log 8 (March/April) http://bit.ly/cwZn1z

Uploaded a sorta filler-blog since I've been so busy and unable to post new travel stuff! Hope to change that within the next couple days :D

I've been doing pretty well at keeping up my pace of 30 new kanji a day... we'll see if I can keep it up till the finish line though o.o

Just finished lesson 48 in Heisig's. Only six more! :D

I tend to try to sing (or at least lipsync vigorously lol) to Japanese songs I love when I run on the treadmill. Bit more of a workout XD

I tend to try to sing (or at least lipsync vigorously lol) to Japanese songs I love when I run on the treadmill. Bit more of a workout XD

Sorry for the hiatus, folks! I've been moving into a new apartment and school starts in a couple of days, so I've been busy - bear with me!

Blog Post: Epic Journey of Summer 2010! Part 4 (Holland) http://bit.ly/95PxXi

Phew, new blog post, and also plans of starting my daily twitpics again. Slowly getting back into the swing of things!

Reached kanji 2000! Gah, so clooose, hope to get done within the next few days XD

Just finished lesson 56! One more lesson! Maybe I could even finish today! :D

I officially finished Heisig's first book!!!! やった〜〜〜〜〜〜!!!! Partaaaaay ^o^

So I might have reached my kanji goal about... four days late, but honestly I don't mind. I just feel great about finishing the book!

Now I need to actually properly learn everything and keep reviewing. But I won't have any new kanji cards for a while :)

Back to an attempt at daily Japan pics! Here's a pretty doll we saw in a train station. http://twitpic.com/2k3xuh

Urk... been too busy to do anything fun with an Arashi birthday as an excuse... but had some cheese cake today... Happy Birthday Jun! XD

Tweet Log 11 (July)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 10.
Go forward to part 12.

*~*~*

Came back home to this! My mom got me a ton of authentic Japanese manga that her friend was giving away!!! ^0^ http://twitpic.com/21nii2

A natural hotspring! Not very big, but still very warm and was a fun site :D http://twitpic.com/227c2m

Things have been slow since I'm pretty busy - nearing the end of my summer school session and moving out of my apartment this weekend!

I do plan to get a blog out in the next few days though ;D

An artsy glass house in the middle of the mountains. Not many tourists get to see this kind of stuff O.o http://twitpic.com/23h123

Blog Post: Cooking Adventures - Okonomiyaki http://bit.ly/9RK45L

Added a "Tweets" section to my blog - not sure whether to show tweets like that or just put up a "follow me!" button.. http://bit.ly/b65j6u

Another shot of the glass house in the mountains. So mysterious... http://twitpic.com/253e57

I'll be leaving for Belgium on Monday! Busy busy, but I plan to get in a couple of blog entries before then! One of them in a few minutes...

Blog Post: Lang-8 Part 2 http://bit.ly/9KrNpB

So determined to get through RTK by the end of the summer! *SRSing away*

A structure inside some train station that I found kinda interesting XD http://twitpic.com/25zcx2

I've been watching so many Disney movies in Japanese on Youtube lately! :D http://bit.ly/cn590s

At the airport! Heading out to Belgium. Not sure how much I'll be able to tweet but hopefully I will have Internet. Shuppaaaatsu!

Made it to Belgium safely and I sorta have internet! I'll have to see whether I'm able to update the blog...

French keyboards are pretty different from Americans one - I have to get used to them again!

Blog Post: Epic Journey of Summer 2010! Part 1 (Belgium) http://bit.ly/bbZqci

Today, July 21st, is the Belgian Independence Day! Woo~

Finished the entire series of よつばと！I'll definitely be going through it again in the future, such a fun and cute series ^^

ベルギー | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/563700 #lang8

Finding it a lot harder than I thought it would be to do any kind of work over here :/ Having fun with the family, but little time to myself

Also, have a depressing amount of homework to do. Meeting my kanji goal might not happen. I'll do my best though >.<

Working on a new blog, but having an issue with the pictures (curse you bad internet!) This may take a while.. I might post it w/o pics..

Tweet Log 10 (June)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 9.
Go forward to part 11.

*~*~*

Trying out a new app. Cupcake party! Avatar characters Aang and Momo and the kanji for love XD http://twitpic.com/1t2w5w

I need to try revamping a few things in my online activities. I'll try getting back into posting pictures from my Japan trip for one! ^^

We had the pleasure of visiting some beautiful hotsprings in Shizuoka. It was wonderful~ http://twitpic.com/1tf1xu

Blog post: Tweet Log 6 (January/February) http://bit.ly/dbi0cg

River in Tokyo. I had no idea where we were but it was pretty :D http://twitpic.com/1ua6oo

Added a live traffic feed to track where in the world people are visiting my blog from :D http://culturequirk.blogspot.com/

Tokyo Tower! http://twitpic.com/1v6swm

Made some spinach with my katsu today but over-seasoned it. I need to learn to season things better ><

夏の授業 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/517169/夏 の授業

Blog post: My take on learning Kanji http://bit.ly/dk2VR7

勉強と食べ物 | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/520768 #lang8

Otanjoubi omedetou Neener! It's Ninomiya Kazunari's birthday! :D http://twitpic.com/1xpa5e

Beautiful grave... with a creepy baby doll? Oh the interesting things we saw in Japan... http://twitpic.com/1ymk55

Watched episode 8 of Kaibutsu kun. It's actually getting *serious*... Getting intense and interesting!

Also watched episode 9 of Sunao ni Narenakute... Getting worried about how this drama will end overall :/ So good yet so depressing...

I can't remember where this was, but I thought it was a beautiful building :D http://twitpic.com/1yudol

The beach! This is from when we went to Shizuoka. We didn't go in the water though >.> http://twitpic.com/1z3rhy

Just finished second season of Bloody Monday! :D

More of the Shizuoka coast! It was a little rainy, but that actually felt nice in the heat. http://twitpic.com/1zfi11

Blog Post: Tweet Log 7 (February/March) http://bit.ly/ac3vzA

Just finished watching Kaibutsu kun! That show surpassed my expectations, I ended up really loving it~! ^o^

Just got to kanji number 1500! It's slow going, but it's going~ ^^

Watching random clips of My Girl. So friggin cuuuute ^^ http://bit.ly/9yCvKN

Just went on a ~30min run while listening to happy, bouncy 嵐 songs. Most fun I've ever had running and I feel awesome! #immersion

Tweet Log 9 (April/May)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 8.
Go forward to part 10.

*~*~*

I also successfully made croquettes (korokke) last night! Two new recipes in one day~ :D

Blog Post: Another way to view Japanese material http://bit.ly/bXqTpc

Finally watched the Kurosagi movie and thus finished the series!! It took, what, 2-3 years? O.o

Just finished watching Mr. Brain! I'm surprised by how much I liked it XD

Just started watching Sunao ni Narenakute (the drama that's about Twitter..?!) So far, I'm really intrigued! (And yay for Jae Joong <3)

School has definitely been piling up and exams are approaching, so it's been harder for me to be active online. Can't wait for summer!

I finally actually watched the last episode of Arashi no Shukudai kun. So sad ;_;

Watched the first episode of Kaibutsu kun and was pleasantly surprised! I thought it was really funny~

May Tweets

Just made pan-fried lemon chicken and Japanese-style stewed eggplants. I can't wait to write about all my cooking adventures! XD

You may have noticed already, but I'll probably be pretty inactive for a little while now - it's crunch time in college world!

Blog Post: Cooking Adventures - Croquettes (korokke)! http://bit.ly/aAed04

Haha, of course the day I say I'm too busy to do anything is the day I put up a new blog. I should go on hiatus more often!

Just finished (re)watching Minami kun no Koibito. Cute show~

College is on break and it gives me a little time to breathe! SRSing it up :D

I went down from a backlog of over 600 to less than 300 in just a couple of days. やった〜！ ^o^

Getting back into learning new kanji. I really want to finish Heisig's first book this summer! Let's see if I can do this! :D

Also working on a new blog post. Expect it later today!

Blog Post: Drama Review of Yukan club! http://bit.ly/bgxxgb

Just finished Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge... what a weird show... XD

My sister's graduating today! Yaaaay! Busy busy~~

Backlog's GONE! Right now I'm at a pace of ten new kanji a day, hope to push that to twenty soon~

Tweet Log 8 (March/April)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 7.
Go forward to part 9.

*~*~*

Blog Post: Lang-8, Looking Back and to the Future! http://bit.ly/8YU4VB

Went to karaoke last night. I suddenly realized I can read Japanese lyrics on the screen with little to no problem - makes me happy :)

Question: If I bought a PS or PS2 game in Japanese, would it still work on my American PS3? Or is it just PS3 games that are compatible? ^-^

もうすぐだよ！ | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/401250 #lang8

Backlog's down to 150! And Spring Break's coming, so I'll have more time to spend on Japanese! :D

Just got back home for spring break, and waiting on my bed was my shipment of manga from Japan - the whole series of 「よつばと」! やった!!!

Yosh! So this spring break I plan to try a bunch of recipes out! I need to learn to cook~ :D Recipe 1: Tamagoyaki!

http://twitpic.com/18cobf - Tamagoyaki was a success! おいしかった！I think I might actually blog about my cooking adventures~~ XD

Blog Post: Cooking Adventures - Tamagoyaki! http://bit.ly/dyeQoU Alright, trying this new food section out :D

Almost done with the second volume of よつばと and it feels amazing to be able to zip through it like that with no problem following. So fun! :D

Finally reached the double digits in my kanji backlog!! So close to the goal and will finally be able to learn new ones in earnest ^o^

Made Yakisoba for the first time last night, and it was pretty tasty if I do say so myself~ XD

I WILL get this backlog down within the next few days >:D Also, finished RTK lesson 32~♪

Finished lesson 33~ I think I'll still keep my kanji to 10 cards a day for a little bit though... School makes things to difficult ><

Spring Break is coming to a close... *sob* But it's been a fairly efficient week, especially when it comes to Japanese and cooking! :D

Blog Post: Drama Review: My Girl http://bit.ly/9yCvKN Such a cute drama ^o^

春休みの料理 | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/421330 #lang8

I'm so sad Arashi no Shukudai kun is over... Although I'm excited for the new Arashi show that's coming up :)

Finished Lesson 35 of RTK :D Might be hard to keep up with it in the next couple of weeks due to midterms, though... がんばります！ ><

I only have one episode left of Bloody Monday (season 1)! Such an intense and exciting show O.o

There! Finished Bloody Monday. Overall I thought it was great, can't wait to write a review... looking forward to watching the second season

April Tweets

Reached Kanj 1300 :) And working on an essay and studying for two midterms next week... Always a balancing act...

Blog Post: Tweet Log 5 http://bit.ly/br9Njh

http://twitpic.com/1ce8y7 - Statue of Confucius (I think?) at the temple in Akihabara

http://twitpic.com/1cmj5c - The beautiful green mountains of Shizuoka~

Definitely a little absent this past weekend and coming week... Probably one of my toughest weeks when it comes to school (until finals) ><

What a crazy week! I'm behind on a lot of stuff, but now I can start getting back into the flow of things :) Expect a new blog pretty soon~

Backlogs grow so damn quickly XD But this is probably the fastest I've been at getting it back down! *chips away* ♪ https://twitter.com/CultureQuirk/status/12111049255

Sea World | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/443434/Sea-World #lang8

Made an improvised attempt at Okonomiyaki! And, surprisingly, it tasted great! ^o^

Tweet Log 7 (February/March)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 6.
Go forward to part 8.

*~*~*

Finally reached lesson 32 of Heisig's book! Little milestones like that feel good :)

http://twitpic.com/129w54 - Pokemon ride! So cute! Just outside of Ueno Zoo.

Just watched an episode of Kurosagi. I really need to finish that series...

Blog post: Drama Review of Nodame Cantabile! http://bit.ly/cF1RnE

Lots of celebrations coming up... Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, Carnival... :D

Blog Post: Tweet Log 3 http://bit.ly/cXj37C :D

http://twitpic.com/138al9 - The Starbucks next to Shibuya crossing (which is effing epic by the way)!

Blog love anyone? :) http://culturequirk.blogspot.com/

http://twitpic.com/13nx32 - A shot of Shinjuku (if I'm not mistaken >.>)

http://twitpic.com/13tpi0 - Tokyo at night. Oh, how I miss that city~

Blog post: Exercising while Studying Japanese! http://bit.ly/9LhhfL

Learn Japanese while you're exercising! http://bit.ly/9LhhfL

http://twitpic.com/14mj3u - A sign in Shinjuku that looks happy to me XD

I'm having a hard time with school this week- hate it when it gets in the way of Japanese, but it only strengthens my desire to get back in.

Case in point: my kanji backlog went from about 200 to 400 over the weekend. Here's hoping I can keep it under control between exams! XP

I realize more and more... I'd really like to do vlogs. But do I have the time and the courage? Time will tell :)

Rare occurrence! It's snowing! I live in Texas, so it's always bizarre and exciting when this happens.

Finding a moment to kanji it up! And treasuring it ^-^

Blog Post: Tweet Log 4 (December/January) http://bit.ly/d4b9H4

If anyone has received an inappropriate message from me, I deeply apologize as I've somehow been hacked and have no idea how to stop it.

Ok, so getting hacked is kinda scary, but I hope it's sorted out now... Thanks for the support, everyone!

As a general warning for everyone, I think I figured out how I got hacked. I got a DM from someone with a message that said...

"haha, is this you?" with a link. When I clicked on the link, it was a Twitter page (or at least looked like one) and I had to log in....

I was never able to get to the page, so I just gave up, confused, but that must be how the spammer got my password (I later saw that...

the original person who sent it to me had been spammed herself). So protect your password! Hopefully everything's back to normal now :)

I'd like to get back into writing Japanese entries on Lang-8. Such a great tool! http://lang-8.com/

Finally reached the 100s in my kanji backlog! Waaah... もうちょっと...

Just watched Saigo no Yakusoku and was extremely surprised by how legitimately great it was! Yaaaay Arashi~

March Tweets

Bringing back lang-8 into my life! Gotta do my best with this thing! :D

おひさしぶり〜 | Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/21498/journals/391208 #lang8

Tweet Log 6 (January/February)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 5.
Go forward to part 7.

*~*~*

Manga Nostalgia: Angel Sanctuary. Beautiful art, but one of the most bizarre/disturbing series I've ever read. Still... it was interesting..

http://twitpic.com/1025e0 - A beautiful structure we saw in Ueno Zoo.

Blog Post: Some of my tips on managing life! May it help you with school and your Japanese studies :) http://bit.ly/cOcWbW http://twitter.com/CultureQuirk/status/8300624338

Manga Nostalgia: Hikaru no Go. An interesting story revolving around the traditional Japanese boardgame Go, with some great art to boot.

Added another tip thanks to @Carisell to my Life Management Post http://bit.ly/cOcWbW :)

Looking for an inexpensive way to get hardcopies of manga! どうしよう〜 Any suggestions? http://twitter.com/CultureQuirk/status/8344406710

http://twitpic.com/105uwx - This monkey at Ueno Zoo was chilling in this position forever, it was hilarious! http://twitter.com/CultureQuirk/status/8350964806

Finally watched the first episode of Bloody Monday. It's intense! I'm totally hooked.

Manga Nostalgia: Wish. A short and cute story from Clamp. Not my favorite manga series by them, but still a nice read. http://twitter.com/CultureQuirk/status/8428448438

http://twitpic.com/10k0wi - Llamaaa! At Ueno zoo~

February Tweets

Manga Nostalgia: Fairy Cube. Again, Kaori Yuki and her bizarre plots. This one was shorter and less disturbing, though, and was very pretty~ http://twitter.com/CultureQuirk/status/8513905496

Blog Post: Tweet Log #2 :D http://bit.ly/aOl7Y1

http://twitpic.com/10t4vd - The beautiful pond area at Ueno zoo (or is it technically part of Ueno park?)

Watching Kurosawa's "No Regrets for Our Youth" in class. Interesting.

Manga Nostalgia: Skip Beat. I got sucked into this series immediately! It was so original and funny - everything about it entertained me.

Researching study abroad options in Japan. Exciting stuff~ :D

http://twitpic.com/1179qi - More at Ueno zoo. So adorable! I think it's a loris?..

Manga Nostalgia: Chrono Crusade. Hadn’t read much of it, and while the plot did have promise, lost track of it.. maybe I'll pick it up again

http://twitpic.com/11c8cy - Yay recycling! Bottles... cans... pets?!

Just got to kanji 1179 in Heisig's Remember the Kanji. @_@; Still have quite a backlog so the going's slow, but it's going! :D

Blog post: Variety shows! Learn Japanese by watching these hilarious, fun shows~ http://bit.ly/9A5vLb

Just reached 100 followers on Twitter! I'm so happy, thank you everyone!! :D

http://twitpic.com/11i8km - Kuma-san chillin' out at Ueno zoo~

Writing to do lists in Japanese... anyone know how to say "To Do"? XD Write now the label's "すること"...

Manga Nostalgia: La Corda D’Oro. I’ve really fallen in love with this series – love the classical music theme, the art, and the characters.

http://twitpic.com/11raey - Polar bear!! Still at Ueno Zoo ^-^

http://twitpic.com/11xp95 - Poop falls over you?

Kanji backlog down to the 200s @_@ but I'm almost done with the 31st lesson of the book :D

Learn Japanese by watching these hilarious, fun variety shows~ http://bit.ly/9A5vLb

Commented on Empty Compliments and the Language Learner / Foreign Language Mastery http://tinyurl.com/ykwt75b

Tweet Log 5 (January)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 4.
Go forward to part 6.

*~*~*

My review of the drama Hana Yori Dango - http://culturequirk.blogspot.com/2010/01/drama-review-hana-yori-dango.html

http://twitpic.com/xp4lm - Ah, the streets of Tokyo~

Manga Nostalgia: .hack//sign Legend of the Twilight. Never played the games, but liked the anime ok; the manga was cute but nothing special.

Blog post: Summer Belgian Food Log. Ever curious about types of Belgian food? http://bit.ly/5suzHe

http://twitpic.com/xspn4 - The Sega building in Akihabara

Manga Nostalgia: Absolute Boyfriend. I loved the drama, and really enjoyed the manga too, although the end of it sort of fell flat for me.

Today I'll be celebrating Aiba Masaki's (belated) birthday with some friends! Haha it's a really dorky excuse to have fun XD

Blog Post: Intro to the group and members of Arashi! (嵐）http://culturequirk.blogspot.com/2010/01/arashi.html

http://twitpic.com/y8qmx - Gotta catch 'em all! In Akihabara.

http://twitpic.com/yctnf - Life-size statue of Evangelion character Rei in Akihabara.

Manga Nostalgia: Kingdom Hearts. Loved the games, but the manga... not so much. The story was way too rushed and I didn't care for the art.

Arashi! Arashi! For dream~ http://bit.ly/8sTm31

http://twitpic.com/yiqfr - Sony Aquarium - a really cool spot we checked out in Ginza.

Blog Post: Thoughts on some of the food I had in Japan! :D http://bit.ly/8WQPm5

Moved back to the apartment and school starts today! Busy busy~

Here's hoping I'll still be able to maintain my blog and Twitter account and whatnot! I'm optimistic about it thus far :)

It gets difficult to balance school with studying Japanese. Trying to create some of my own tips to follow~

Blog Post: Tweet log just in case you missed any or are interested in reading through them in mini-blog form http://bit.ly/880Q2q

Come join me! I'm taking: Learn to Read Japanese Manga with Rainbowhill and Natsuk... on eduFire http://tinyurl.com/ybb8e6b

http://twitpic.com/z2jzm - The awesome red gates of Asakusa.

Manga Nostalgia: Imadoki. A very short and sweet school story. It was so simple and cute; I enjoyed it quite a bit.

http://twitpic.com/z9h2m - Another shot of Asakusa~

http://twitpic.com/zea02 - This is where we offered our coins at the Asakusa temple~

Manga Nostalgia: Onegai Sensei – A short manga series about a student who discovers his teacher is an alien. Very odd, but amusing too.

Blog Post: Drama Review of Ryuusei no Kizuna! http://bit.ly/4pcWTc

http://twitpic.com/zkxqz - A shot of the bathroom from our hotel room in Tokyo - it was so tiny! XD

Have you heard about the drama Ryuusei no Kizuna? Read my review~ http://bit.ly/4pcWTc http://twitter.com/CultureQuirk/status/8169009916

Manga Nostalgia: Alice 19th – One of my favorite fantasy manga. The art is great, and I thought it was one of Yuu Watase’s best stories.

Sakurai Sho's birthday today! ^o^ Happy Birthday Sho~

http://twitpic.com/zumzw - The infamous fancy toilets! Although the features on this one from our hotel room didn't work XP

Tweet Log 4 (December/January)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 3.
Go forward to part 5.

*~*~*

I wish I had a way to play more video games *in* Japanese. They're sorta hard to come by....

Manga Nostalgia: DNAngel. I was a huge fan of this back in the day... Pretty manga with a crazy fantasy plot and plenty of action.

I actually have one of the Pokemon games on my computer in Japanese, and it's all in hiragana so it's pretty easy stuff!

Happy New Year to those living in Japan!

Doing lots of grocery shopping for New Year's dinner!

I'll always remember 2009 as the year I finally went to Japan.... :)

Happy New Year to those living in Europe - calling my family in Belgium right now! :D

I plan to start up my little blog with the new year! Hope it will interest people, please check it out~ :D

January Tweets

Happy New Year from Houston, Texas!! Hope everyone has an awesome night!

So I've officially set up my blog! Check it out :D http://culturequirk.blogspot.com/

Along with the blog, check out my new Google profile http://www.google.com/profiles/culturequirk

Manga Nostalgia: Death Note. This remains one of my favorite manga series of all time. Both the art and the plotline is really brilliant.

Blog post: My thoughts on some really awesome jblogs I read! Check it out~ http://culturequirk.blogspot.com/2010/01/blogs.html

With all the online resources available, I wouldn't recommend buying supplies to learn Japanese, but I do own a couple of things myself...

Several years ago I got a CD-rom called "Talk Now!" I just learned little things like numbers and whatnot with it, but I did like it.

Another tool I got was a Berlitz audio track and workbook (Japanese in 30 Days). It wasn't terrible, but I wouldn't really recommend it.

I really want to get into making bento, but I'm not a very experienced cook or anything and am not sure where to start... hmmm...

If you haven't already, check out this list of awesome blogs I follow :) http://bit.ly/6FRsPU

At a book store looking at manga :) It's been forever, it's all in English though...

Blog post: A list of awesome learning methods if you're studying Japanese! So many great websites to check out~ http://bit.ly/8zHZ8Q

Manga Nostalgia: Fruits Basket. Very cute (sometimes too cute), but I really enjoyed the plot/art, and I actually really liked the anime.

Finally cooked tofu for the first time! And it's delicious :)

My list of awesome resources to learn Japanese, or just about anything else! http://bit.ly/8zHZ8Q

Manga Nostalgia: Ceres. Very dark, violent, and depressing, but still very much shoujo. I like Yuu Watase's art, and I liked this series :)

http://twitpic.com/xdhvh - Adorable bento that @CarisEll made for us yesterday! And it was delicious~!

Blog Post: Hana Yori Dango drama review! http://culturequirk.blogspot.com/2010/01/drama-review-hana-yori-dango.html

Manga Nostalgia: Ultra Maniac. The cutest little high school story with a touch of fantasy. I loved this series, both plot and art!

http://twitpic.com/xj88r - My attempt at a tofu recipe from the Just Bento website. May not look like much, but it tasted great!

I'm liking this whole twitpic thing... I think I'll be putting up daily pictures from my trip to Japan. Might interest some people :D

Manga Nostalgia: Wolf's Rain. I liked the anime better than the two-book manga series, but I loved the art and the whole 'wolf' thing :D

Tweet Log 3 (December)

Continuing my story through tweets... start at the beginning here.

Go back to part 2.
Go forward to part 4.

*~*~*

Today, just trying out a tiiiny bit of Mexican culture with food. Got some fresh tortillas and ready to make some fajitas. Deliciosa!

Finishing up a batch of homemade chocolate truffles. These are always such a hit during the holidays. Belgian chocolate is so amazing :)

Manga Nostalgia: Inu Yasha. The series ended up way too long and I never finished, but the premise really was great. Good times...

I love seeing all the gifts under the tree. Gets me in the Christmas-y mood! Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season :)

For many countries in Europe St. Nicolas day is celebrated on the 6th. We haven't celebrated it in a long time, but it's nostalgic.

Manga Nostalgia: Card Captor Sakura. I love Clamp! And this one is just a classic! I don't care if it's for a younger audience - soo cute ^^

I love seeing all the Christmas lights outside my window. While I wouldn't spend thousands of dollars on it I think it's a lovely tradition~

We have a box of fruits de mer! They're sea creature-shaped chocolates that are a very classic treat from the Belgian coast.

I've been in the mood for making onigiri lately. Should I put salmon or tuna in them? Methinks I'm buying both! :D

Manga Nostalgia: Fushigi Yuugi. Very cheesy shoujo series, but it sort of became a classic. Not my favorite, but still enjoyed it!

I finished watching My Girl! I may have shed a tear... It was such a cute series overall!

I've got such a huge backlog of kanji to review! Slowly whittling away at it...

Lately I've been trying to work on some entries ahead of time for when I start up my blog~

Manga Nostalgia: Rurouni Kenshin. Loved it, and now that I know more about Japanese history it's really interesting to read through it again.

If there are any topics that might interest you for me to write about in my upcoming blog, I'm always happy to get input! ^^

Hmm is a restaurant/movie theater an American thing? I can't remember going to these in any other countries...

Just finished watching G no Arashi! ちょっと長かったけど超面白かったなぁ〜 I'm pretty sad it's over XD

Family from Canada coming in today! I only went there when I was a baby, so I'd love to go back and travel there one day.

Manga Nostalgia: Chobits. The content and story may have been a bit risqué, but I still enjoyed it, and I really loved the art.

It's already the 25th for those living in Japan! Merry Christmas to you guys~! :D

Lots of preparations for dinner tonight! We usually celebrate Christmas on the 24th, but lately we've started opening presents on the 25th.

Christmas Dinner menu: lots of amuse-bouches, smoked salmon, croquettes au fromage, and buche de Noel. Sooo excited.

We're opening presents in the morning this time, which is a little more American. It's rather exciting :)

メリークリスマス！Joyeux Noel! Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas! Hope you had a great one!

The holidays have been so busy... I just hope to get through my backlog of kanji cards before heading back to school!

The holidays have been so busy... I just hope to get through my backlog of kanji cards before heading back to school!

Getting caught up on my variety shows! First up, Tensai! Shimura Doubutsuen. It's all about animals and is so fun and adorable~

Another show I watch - VS Arashi. It's a fun, sporty type of gameshow. Virtually all the variety shows I watch are Arashi shows...

Another show I watch - Himitsu no Arashi chan. Tons of little corners full of competition and discussion featuring Arashi and special guests.

The last show I keep up with is Arashi no Shukudai kun. They talk a lot, so it's good for Japanese practice, and it's really entertaining~

Tweet Log 2 (December)

Continuing my story through tweets...

Go back to part one.
Go forward to part three.

*~*~*

I'm also a huge fan of Miyavi. Love his style, he's brilliant on guitar, and I had sooo much fun when I saw him live in concert.

Another awesome jrock band is Bump of Chicken. I hear they're huuuge in Japan, and I love what I've heard of them.

My favorite band for the past five years or so has been the jpop group Arashi. Not just their music either, although I enjoy that too. ^^

Something really dumb and dorky I do is celebrate Arashi members' birthdays. Really it's just an excuse to bake and have fun :P

Arashi no Shukudai kun, Himitsu no Arashi chan, VS Arashi, Mago Mago Arashi, CxDxG no Arashi - I've been learning Japanese from these shows.

The Arashi boys are all surprisingly good actors, that's how I got into them. A new drama starring all five of them is coming out soon yay!

Arashi's music makes me happy... They're so catchy and the lyrics are so cute :) Listening to them always puts me in a better mood~

I love kanji, I think it's so beautiful... I just wish it wasn't so tough to learn.

I'm using Heisig's Remembering the Kanji book to learn kanji, and I definitely recommend it!

A good way to learn kanji (or almost anything actually) is an SRS system. I'm using Anki, but there are a lot of good ones out there!

I'm determined to learn 3000 kanji by, say, next summer. I'll definitely try to make a dent in that this winter break!

I follow a lot of great channels on YouTube... Throughout today I'd like to give shoutouts to some of them :D

One of the first vlogs I've ever followed was @tofugu's - if you haven't checked it out yet, go to http://www.youtube.com/user/tofugu

If you're interested in the JET program or living in Japan, check out @JapanJET's channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/myargonauts

Another awesome vlog I follow is @hikosaemon's at http://www.youtube.com/user/Hikosaemon Check it out!

If you're learning Japanese, find some fun, quick lessons at @gimmeabreakman's channel http://www.youtube.com/user/Gimmeaflakeman

Going off from yesterday, another great vlog I follow on YouTube is @hirokochannel's at http://www.youtube.com/user/HIROKOCHANNEL

Another awesome channel to check out is @gakuranman's vlog at http://www.youtube.com/user/thegakuranman

Here's a vlogger who's not only adorable but is a great musician: go see @katmcdowell's channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/katmcd0well

Here's a really awesome vlog I follow from a guy living in rural Japan - @christownsend's channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/Japantics

If you know any great jvloggers or if you have a vlog yourself, I'm always willing to check stuff out, so let me know!

I'm getting acupuncture done today! It's always a great experience for me, I highly recommend it.

I'm back home in Houston and am finally done with school so I can focus on my Japanese studies and relaxing! :)

It's always funny for me to come back to my room at my parent's house. I still have an Inu Yasha scroll on my wall. So old!

I wish I had more Japanese decorations in my old room, makes me miss my place in Austin. Instead I have a bunch of cute animals~

Don't really read manga anymore, but I have a huge collection from high school days. I enjoy reading over them when I come home! to be cont~

One of the reasons I love coming home is the food. I love my mom's cooking! And it's the only way I get Belgian food :P

I want to learn how to cook lots of new recipes this winter break! Belgian recipes of course, but I'd like to try my hand at Asian foods too

Manga Nostalgia: Marmalade Boy. First manga I EVER read! Cute art, cute story, good memories :)

Today I had "cassoulet" - a French dish with a tomato sauce, onions, beans and a few different kinds of sausage. It was so good!

Tweet Log (December)

I'm sure most people don't read all of my Tweets as I post them to Twitter, and as Twitter is essentially micro-blogging, I thought posting them as blog entries might interest some people - in case you missed anything and are curious ;) So expect chunks of about thirty tweets or so every once in a while as some extra content!

Go forward to part 2.

*~*~*

Welcome to CultureQuirk, everyone! While my focus is Japanese language and culture, I’ll be sharing tidbits about many other countries too~

I’m from Belgium. It’s a tiny European country between France and the Netherlands. Famous for beer and waffles!

Did you know there are two main languages in Belgium? French and Flemish (like Dutch). I speak French, but I love both sides of my country!~

I took five years of Spanish in high school. I don’t get much practice and have been losing it, so feel free to send me messages in Spanish!

I’ve been to Mexico before, and the place I’ve been to several times is Cozumel. Very touristy but so fun and beautiful.

I’ve been studying Japanese for over three years now. I can help anyone with the basics and I’d love help to further my learning. Yoroshiku~

私はまだ苦手ですけど、日本語の勉強が大好きです。がんばります！よろしくおねがいします〜

I have traveled to Japan before and had an amazing time. Can't wait to study there in the future.

I love how clean Japan is. Not a piece of trash on the ground. And every time I saw a trash can, there would be recycling bins too.

From my experience, the Japanese people are so friendly and helpful. I really had a great time on my trip there.

I love Japanese food. I mostly ate cheaper things when I was there – udon, curry rice, soba. So good!

Ever heard of korokke? It's the Japanese version of the French fried dish croquettes. One of my favorite foods, I love all kinds!

Japanese snacks are very different from most American snacks...

Most people know about things like Pocky, but what about mochi, taiyaki, onigiri? If you have the opportunity, try new things!

If you go to Japan, something to check out is the conveyor belt sushi places. Not always the best sushi ever, but it's just fun to check out.

I used to watch more anime than I do now - while I still enjoy anime, I much prefer watching jdramas and reality shows.

For learning Japanese, I feel like variety shows is one of the best sources because it's real, almost completely unscripted Japanese speech.

After reality shows, I feel jdramas are great because it's still fairly natural speech despite the script.

Anime is at the bottom for me when it comes to learning Japanese due to speech being dramatic and a little inaccurate, but it's still fun!

If you want to watch Japanese TV live try KeyholeTV http://xorsyst.com/japan/watch-japanese-tv-online/

Jdramas I'm currently watching: My Girl, Tokyo Dogs, Orthros no Inu, Kurosagi, and Ikebukuro West Gate Park. LOVING the first two.

A few of my favorite dramas ever: Maou, Hana Kimi, The Quiz Show Golden, Gokusen, Brother Beat, and the classic Hana Yori Dango :)

I'd like to start making drama reviews, and I'm always looking for new ones to watch. Suggestions are always appreciated! ;)

I'd like to watch other kind of dramas later (Korean, Taiwanese, etc) but right now I'm really focusing on learning Japanese and jdramas.

I just wish I had more time to watch dramas! Entertaining shows with good looking actors while improving my Japanese? Yes, please~

Plans for the upcoming winter break: Kanji SRS. Drama/variety show watching. Learn some new recipes. And hopefully launch my blog :)

Even though I'm minoring in Japanese, I would much rather learn it on my own than take classes.. Glad I'm done with them for the semester :)

I listen to so much Japanese music - lots of jrock and even more jpop. I usually like happy stuff, but I can enjoy sad or angry stuff too :P

I do enjoy visual kei - I've seen Dir en Grey live and they're amazing! In fact, most Japanese concerts I've seen live have been visual kei.

I was never really into Malice Mizer, but I do love Gackt. He's not just a pretty (plastic...) face; I really love his voice and music.