New Sentimentality

So, first things first.
I looked all over the place for the right power adapter. I am now satisfied that it does not exist within Japan. I have emails in the inboxes of a few websites selling them. Brah brah brah.
But then I realized today that if I actually did have a working laptop, what good would that do my grades? The answer is: as much good as the hot dog industry does for the average pig's lifespan! So, until I am dead certain that I will be here next semester, I'm not going to pursue the matter any further. Thanks anyway for offering to help.
On a semi-related note, some of these computers have Skype on them, so if any of you want to try to arrange something, all I'd have to do on my end is borrow Karl's microphone and put an OUT OFF ORDAR sign on the right terminal until the agreed-upon time. Just gimmeh some notice.

Postcards are going to be going out over the next week or so. Hopefully it won't take too long to dig up everyone's addresses from old Facebook messages and Livejournal comments. Tom, you've given me your address 'bout fitty-leven times now, so yours should be a snap.

Recently, I've been taking about an hour per week to go to the gym with my friend Dan to inflict massive amounts of physical trauma and pain on myself in an attempt to turn these bony, scarecrowish limbs of mine into something less so. We're now at the point where the workout only results in excruciating torture for 6 or 7 hours the next day. Considering how small a commitment 1 hour per week is, and considering how little exercise I got back in Albany, this is a good thing any way you look at it. Plus, there's all that mumbo jumbo science stuff about how exercise does good things for your brain or something... I don't know, it was in a chain letter that Betty's grandson printed off and brought over to the senior center when we were playing Pinochle.

I just read that last sentence and thought, "oh, I'm gonna go back and change the syntax to make it more concise." But then I realized that the change I was about to make would only work in Japanese. Did I just almost use Japanese rules in English? Yes! Is this a bad thing? ...Not yet! Ha ha ha. It'll be a bad thing if I do it when I get back to America. Along with saying hai at restaurants, and answering people with nn instead of "yeah." And bowing. That's going to get awkward reeaaal fast. I already do it to foreigners here.

Speaking of foreigners, there's a pretty interesting gaijin-on-gaijin dynamic at work here. It seems like we foreign exchange students immediately lump people into one of several groups, and treat them accordingly.
1) Tourists: We see them around Kyoto and Osaka from time to time. We give each other plenty of space. A lot of them are Europeans who give us confused and slightly condescending looks if they hear our American accents. Sucks to be them!
2) Expats: We can tell them from the tourists by their lack of tourist gear and posture, and presence in areas off the beaten touristy path. We give each other plenty of space. I'm jealous.
3) Foreign businessmen: Suits! These guys are a rare sight, since we don't generally hang out in front of international business HQs.
4) Other foreign exchange students! We figure this stuff out on an individual basis. Needless to say, nobody likes the SUPAR WEEABOO FGTS except other SUPAR WEEABOO FGTS. Yeah, we all like the pop culture (perhaps with the exception of the business majors), but when you're treating your Japanese classes like a voice acting workshop...

Eh. Kanji worksheet time!