Ah! Wonderful weather today. And the birds sound much better when you've gotten some sleep before they start singing.
It's been a mildly strange morning. First I managed to get up, well rested, at eight, which in itself is remarkable considering I haven't gotten out of bed before noon the last few days.
So I got up, got my towel and shampoo, and headed for the shower. Damn, somebody else is showering. There are two showers, but since this is the fifth floor the water flow is reduced to a trickle when both are used at once. Back to my room to eat breakfast in the hope that the shower will be free afterwards... No it isn't. Same towel hanging there still. Oh, whatever. Get in, start washing my hair. I can tell from the water flow when somebody on another floor turns on the shower, it takes for ever to get the shampoo out of my hair... just a moment! That's not the sound of somebody showering! That's most definitely the sound of cloth being washed, beat against the floor and then wrung out as a matter of fact. Apparently the guy on the other side of this curtain is doing laundry. This would amuse me greatly, if it wasn't for the fact that he's using the water that I need to get the damn conditioner out of m hair (a downside of having long hair). Grumbling I finally finnish my shower and get dressed.
Check mail, turn computer off, transfer AirH card to pda and pda to pocket. Time to go.
Have no problem picking up my grades this time, they seem pretty good. Five As and a B, though I don't know the Japanese university system well enough to tell what this really means.
What I do know is that As in two Japanese courses means I don't have to take the placement test to get to level two. So I go to register:
-Watermelon, watermelon kakimashita ka? the lady is waving the the registration form at me.
No, I've forgotten to fill it in. Do that. (the following is my interpretation of what was being said, based in equal parts on my knowledge of japanese, theirs of english and context)
-First time taking japanese here? -No.
-Then go to desk number three.
nr 3:
-Taking the test?
-No, just going on to the next level.
-Then you need to take the test.
-But I already have two As.
nr 3 consults older lady to her left:
-You need to take the test.
I turn to older lady:
-Even though I have two As?
-Yes.
So I go and get my test number and hand in the form to nr 1 instead. Nr 1 hands it to nr 2 who puts it in a pile.
Into the room. Say hi to Monica, Haesung, Nick, Andy, Joey...
Have them explain to me that I don't need to take the test and get the paper that says so from Andy.
Back out, now properly armed.
To older lady:
-Excuse me again, but this paper says that with two As I shouldn't have to take the test unless I want to skip a level.
Shows her the paper and my grades.
-But you have an A in k1 and g2, do you want to stay in level 2?
-What? I haven't taken japanese 2.
I look at my grades and see that indeed it says g2.
-But I haven't taken this, there's a mistake.
-So you want to be in level two?
-Yes!
Older lady turns to nr 3 and explains this. nr 3 asks me for my registration form. I explain that nr 2 already has it. nr 3 gets the stack from nr 2 and I help her find my form. She cuts off the lower right corner, puts a roman 2 on it and hands it to me.
-Thank you.
Mission accomplished!
So now I'm sitting out here in the sun blogging on my pda. I should probably try to find my lab, but by now I may as well wait for people to finnish the test so I don't have to get lunch alone.