japan – The Half Ginger

My Side of the World – Sannohe, Aomori

September 23, 2019September 23, 2019 R. Hamilton

It’s been a strange six weeks since I hung up living in America and moved halfway across the world. I’ve tried to settle into a routine that doesn’t consist of classes and cramming papers into the wee-hours of mornings when I consider running into traffic a realistic solution to my procrastination, only to close my eyes for a second and lose a few desperate hours that I’ll never get back. I knew that this wasn’t going to be easy, I knew that going in and I still know that now. It hasn’t been easy. I’ve picked up some friends while I’ve been here and it definitely helps but not being able to handle basic daily tasks without my phone is bothersome. I try my best still and I hope my efforts show.

I hope to do a housing tour soon, but that’s still up in the air as I’m waiting to get certain things replaced and fixed before I allow anyone to really see it. So you’ll have to take my word that I live in a 2 bedroom, 2 story apartment with a garden. It’s nothing to look at from the outside, in fact it looks like it could be abandoned and boy do I hope the apartment next door is actually empty. I’ve found that here, I’m constantly doing something and finding time to sit and write is hard. My battery is constantly drained and recharging fully feels like wasted time. But the important thing is that I feel okay, for the most part. It’s not something I’ve been able to say in a while. I’ve only cried two or three times since I’ve been here and that was when everything just felt super overwhelming. So I’m getting better. I live in a beautiful place, it is honestly beautiful. It is as though here, if there can be a tree, there is a tree.

The view from my second story office window is populated by rolling hills drenched with greenery, the tops of traditional houses, constant wisps of mist and clouds, and solar panels. There is a house there as well, but I’m not sure anyone lives there. The tin on the roof sings me the songs of it’s people in the dead of night when it’s windy and the broken washing machine stares at me when I hang my laundry out to dry. The only light I ever see is my own being reflected back.

It’s eerie at night, especially as I can hear my neighbors cough in the house across the street from my living room. Insulation is poor here, but it’s lucky I’m from the state I am or I wouldn’t have the knowledge I do when it comes to winter. I have a couple of posts planned out already, I’ve tried to go adventuring as much as possible and I hope to get those sorted. One of my new friends has been careful to photograph our activities together and she’s been gracious to allow me to use her photos until the time that I can secure my own camera. I’m not the best but she thinks I don’t do half bad. I’ve done three or four short adventures and soon I hope to be able to also start doing videos again. I think almost a year since the two week hell of video editing is enough to get me moving again. I want to show my tiny town to the world.

Oh, and before I go, Hello to anyone currently looking at this blog trying to figure out how to structure posts for WRIT371. I also had no idea, but GOOD LUCK!

Life, Picture Post

Oh Man I Am The Worst Blogger

July 24, 2017August 29, 2018 R. Hamilton

Hey Everyone! So, I haven’t posted since my birthday, which is a little sad because I’ve done a lot with every intention of posting what was happening. I posted a short fiction piece but that is about it.

First off to get this out of the way, I’ve changed majors again. I know, I know! I said I was going to keep with engineering, but as it turns out you can’t just wish yourself good at maths and have that be your one plan. So, I’m changing to English (for the 3rd or 4th time). But with that, it means that I’m not going to be in school for 7 more years, I’ve got a year and a half or so and I’ll be graduated. So that’s super fun. I’ve made a few contacts in my field too, so that’s also good for once I’m done. I know I’m not the best writer on the planet, but hey, it’s what I love to do. So I’m going to do it. It opens up positions in Japan as well, which is nice. I don’t need a teaching certificate, just a degree. I’m excited about that.

Speeeeaking of Japan, that is where I spent my spring break this year. Could barely afford it, but I made it work. The ticket and hotel was less than 1000$ so guess who doubled down with their tax refund and took a trip? I did. I will save that for another post though, because I took pictures and videos. For those of you that went along the journey (via Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter) I want to thank you all for your support and love while I traveled. Without a lot of you in my life, I wouldn’t have bit the bullet and done it, so thank you.

The SO and I finally took a trip together too, out of the country. We just went up to Calgary for a comedy show (We haven’t missed a John Mulaney tour since we got together) and crossed the border together. I think it was the first time he’s ever been to Canada, so that was a fun milestone. We got into a huge fight on the way home, but obviously we worked through it. Our hotel was so nice and we had a lovely sushi dinner that I will also be posting about in another post.

I don’t have a few fun posts planned for the coming months (granted I remember) and a few adventures planned elsewhere. I’m working on a few creative projects with a few friends, my Twitch channel should be going live soon, and hopefully I get my Youtube channel off the ground (this century). But school comes first. And then when I’m done I get to start paying off all those loans that I love so much.

I’m still here lovelies, and will eventually get back to this blog regularly.

Life, Picture Post

A New Phish, Downsizing, and Figuring Out Life

September 1, 2015August 29, 2018 R. Hamilton

So, it’s been a while… and in the past I have said that a lot.

I love that thing. But, life hasn’t done much, and that probably had to do with the fact that I haven’t told it to do anything. Applied to college at MSU, going for Engineering and computer science (double major) with a minor in Japan Studies. I’ve been working much harder on my Japanese than I have been over the past 10 years. I have several conversational partners and I use an app when I don’t speak with them. I also broke down and bought Rosetta stone, which I have found out really helps with my pronunciation. One of my partners said that the phrases I’ve learned through that program are wonderful. I’ve got an American friend over there too. She is from Texas and she helps me figure out A LOT (see above). She understands how my American brain processes learning and knows how hard it is to learn that language. But I’ve learned a ton of stuff from her and from my partners.

So, I have a new fish. He is a betta and his name is Phish.Griff (fish-point-grif).

His name is Griff, because he is red. If I have to explain it anymore, you don’t get the joke. I also added a ‘f’ to his name because I like to misspell things. So yea, he’s hanging out with me right now. He is super shy, but he is bubble nesting so that is a good sign. He is sitting on my side table in the sun so that we can hang out while I’m on the computer.

I’ve downsized over the past month, and I don’t just mean that I’ve lost weight (and I have). I had my appendix removed two weeks ago. So that has been fun. Took us a month to get there, and it took three doctors visits to get someone to understand that I wasn’t faking the pain in my side. Thankfully there was nothing wrong with my appendix, but for now the pain has subsided and hopefully it doesn’t come back. If it does we will handle it then.

I have a few plans laid out for my life, because anyone that knows me, knows that I must be prepared for everything and if I’m not I panic. First plan: I got back to school next fall, study in Japan my junior year, graduate, and then move to Japan to work for an engineering company (not to bad, a little bit of a reach.) Second Plan: Move to Poland. That’s right readers, I’ve applied for work in POLAND. THE COUNTRY! Still waiting to hear from the company, but I am definitely looking forward to working there. It’s such a once in a lifetime opportunity. If I don’t go to school then plan three is that I move back to Portland and just do my own thing there. I miss that city so much and I feel like I fit in the best there. Maybe it’s Powell’s Books that I miss so much, or the locally brewed ciders… or just the fact that I didn’t ever feel the need to be embarrassed about myself because it’s Portland and no one cares.

So that’s how life has been. Still crafting and writing. Now that I own the domain again hopefully I’ll update more often, but hey, who knows.

Later, Peeps!