予算書というのは細かい数字の並ぶ膨大な書類で、素人が読んでもわからない。

These ‘budget papers’ are a massive amount of paperwork with line upon line of finely calculated numbers. There’s no way a novice could understand these even if he actually read them.

予算書　budget papers
細かい数字　finely accounted numbers; detailed figures.
素人 novice; beginner

From Nobuo Ikeda’s blog on IT and Economics. His site is a great source of sentences that is definitely worth checking out if you’re into IT or Econ.

明日、合気道の研修会がある。

There will be an Aikido seminar tomorrow.
I’ve got an Aikido seminar tomorrow.
There’s an Aikido seminar tomorrow.

研修会　けんしゅうかい　seminar

So, my chemistry class problem finally settled down after two days of fighting with school administration and department chair.

I am officially registered for Intro Chem II in Spring Semester 2010. =)

Today morning, when I stepped by Professor Curran’s office to pick up my transcripts, I heard he said to Professor Morrison, ” I don’t think she can do well but as long as she thinks so, I can do nothing. You should tell her that it will be really hard”. I was so angry a professor says that. I know I am not good at Chemistry, well, really bad. But I am so willing to work hard. I am not the best student in Chemistry Department for sure, I got that but that doesn’t mean you can stop me from learning and trying. When Professor Morrison signed my override form to register, she said nothing but she believes I will do well and work hard. I was so toughed. I will. I will. Really. This semester is almost over and I will start grabbing times to review my chemistry materials.

Oh, this is the first time I feel so happy that I can take Chemistry. Guess that Dr. Atkinson will laugh at me if she knows. =P

—–

This is the first time I realized how much I want to be a doctor. I did think about giving up but that hurt my heart so bad and I couldn’t stop crying. I wasn’t willing to give up. Although I knew it going to be a long fight, there was a strong feeling in my mind that pushed me forward. I can not really describe that kind of feeling but it is so strong that I felt something is pulling me so badly.

After the trip to UConn Med School and touched that human heart… I can not stop thinking about it. I want to touch again… when I was holding it, I could felt that there is a responsible passed through my hands and to my heart. I can do so much if I truly become a doctor. I want to make people happy. I want to see kids’ smiles.

Not getting into Chemistry class wasn’t the hardest challenge I am going to meet. I can image that there will be more in the future and not alway will work out. But, I want to remember the feeling of I wasn’t willing to give up. I want to remember the feeling I told God that if he is not helping me, I will just work on my own. I am mind against to his will. Maybe God heard my heart…

However, I once again noticed that I am alone on this planet. When I meet any problem, there will be no one help me to solve it. In the future, I have to face so many tests, exams, MCAT, med school interviews all by myself. Moreover, some people might have their family to support them. I’d better remind myself again and again that I do not have family back up. I am all on my own. Whatever I get, I get it but whatever I do not get, no one will care about me as well. Face the reality and grow strong!!

Mia, let’s get back to work. You are not just a good student but is going to be the best one here in Trinity. =)

貴様みたいな奴を俺が生かしておくと思うか？

Do you think I’m going to let a worthless dog like you live?

LIT: Do you think I’m going to let someone like you live?

貴様　　きさま you (reserved especially for mortal enemies)
奴　　　やつ a guy, a person
俺　　　おれ I, me

生かす　(causal form of ‘to live’)
思う　　think

Just because I’ve gotten a few emails about it today.

Today’s entry should not be taken as an indication that the story in this blog is over.  It’s not.

Carry on.

Just for a second, to let you know that Footstone will be playing at Maxwell’s on Saturday, February 6, 2009.

Get your tickets when they go onsale.

To get you pumped, here’s a vid of Footstone playing “Frothy” at a private party out in the middle of nowhere this past September, with a grand total of an hour and a half of rehearsal time. It was their first time together in ten years.

After trying and trying, now I really believe that I can’t write well.
Never feel this frustrated before… never feel that even with trying really hard, I can not fulfill one’s expectation.

I can not write what she wants, even with a lot of efforts, she doesn’t like my writing anyway.

I am so tired.
I finished all her reading assignments, tried so hard to talk about unfamiliar topics in class, put hours and hours into developing a good paper. All I got from her is, not enough, not good, no focus…so on so on.

I want to give up, though I am not that kind of person.
But, I feel so lonely, so helpless.

通信教育を調べています。

I’m looking into some distance programs.

通信教育 distance education; correspondence course
調べる to research, to check out, to look into

眠いときは、コーヒーを飲む。

When I’m tired, I drink coffee.

眠い　ねむい　tired, sleepy
飲む　のむ　drink

時　とき　literally means time, but placed after a sentence, it means “when (whatever the sentence says).” For example:

• 学校に行くとき、　when I go to school…
• ゲームをするとき、　when I play games…
• 雨が降るとき、　when it rains…

when とき is used this way, it should NOT be written in Kanji.

お前はもう死んでいる。

You’re already dead.

This is the famous quote from Kenshiro, the main character in “Fist of the North Star,” says after he completes a secret finishing move and before his enemy explodes from the inside.

「北斗の拳」 Hokuto no Ken

お前 you (unfriendly)
もう already
死んでいる dead

死ぬ die is actually a verb, but written as 死んだ or 死んでいる it acts like the English adjective ‘dead.’

アツアツのおでんを想像するだけで、おなかが鳴りそうです。

LIT: My stomach seems like it will growl just by my imagining some piping hot oden.

Just thinking about that piping-hot oden makes my mouth water.

想像する　そうぞう　imagine
おなかが鳴る　なる　my stomach growls

Inspiration: コブス横町

アメリカに留学したからと言って、上手に英語が喋れるとは限らない。
Just because you went on exchange to America doesn’t mean you can speak English well.

喋る　しゃべる　talk; speak
留学　りゅうがく　study abroad

会社に出勤しているからと言って、真剣に働いているとは限らない。
Just because you are (physically present) at the office doesn’t mean you’re working hard.

会社に出勤する　go to the office; go to work

真剣　しんけん
働く　はたらく
真剣に働く work hard; work earnestly

メールの内容を考えるのに時間がかかるから、返信が遅くなる。
LIT: It takes time to think about the mail content, so the reply becomes slow.
It takes time to decide what to write in a text message, so it takes a while to reply.

内容　ないよう　contents
返信　へんしん　reply; response

時間　じかん　time
時間がかかる　it takes time

Source: コブス横町

日本語の教科書が沢山ある。

I have many Japanese textbooks.
There are many Japanese textbooks.

教科書　きょうかしょ textbook
日本語　にほんご Japanese
日本語の教科書 Japanese textbook(s)

沢山　たくさん Many

http://www.quiz-tree.com/Spanish_Regular_Verbs_main.html

http://grammar.spanish.sbc.edu/

http://tpduggan.tripod.com/ppt/arverbs.ppt

http://www.bowdoin.edu/~eyepes/newgr/present.htm

In the past of month, 3 of my friends’ families broke up. Few minutes ago, I found out another one…

My family is separating as well. Right now, everyone living in the different places, meet once couple monthes. I can never tell if I got used to this or not. After May, I tried to talk with my father, but found myself having a problem with it. It is like there is a sound in my heart against me to do that.

Right now, I think I pretty much over the family crises. Just face, try it, do it, cry for it, then stand up for the future. I always convince myself that let parents to do what they want because even they are parents, they sill have rights to pursue their biggest interests. However, for kids, it is just tremendously hurt.

But, I still don’t know my position of this divorce wave.

I was doing this tag game on facebook earlier today. One picture that I have to tag a person who is “my life saver” and I couldn’t think of anyone. Regarding to family problem, unless someone who willing to spend a lot of time with you, there is no other way to help. I can’t stop but thinking about the guy who killed himself on campus last Thursday. Did he have some problems that he wants people to listen? Did he face some difficulties but people just walked away?

Sadly, in our society, most of people are selfish…. it is just the way it is.

I changed.

I only have about 30 mins to type.

So, I accepted the fact that I will be graduating in 3 years from Trinity. Now, the problem is how am I going to do that. Things always get easier when I started trying to figure out the solution. Although I don’t really enjoy the process, I found new chances every, every day by talking to different departments and people.

I talked to the biology department first, since it is the major I love the most. However, the feeling I got from the chairman is that he doesn’t really welcome me. He keep saying it is gonna be hard without looking into anything. He set up an appointment with me 3 times and wasn’t there in the office. I, then, turned into evornimental science because it is a major that cross both humnities and sciences. The chairman, Professor Guiss, is very, very friendly. We sat down for about 45 mins, try to figure out the best way for me. We even figure out the way to study abroad. However, I will have 2 semesters to take 4 lab courses, which will be totally 24 hours in the class/per week. Both Professor Guiss and I agree that will be really hard. It is doable but IT WILL BE HARD.

So, I talked to couple of my friends…suddendly, Jonathan asked, why can’t you major in Chinese? I was like, oh, right, I can do that. Today, I talked to Professor Lanti, who is  the chairman of Language and Culture Studies, about my situation. She was very kind and said, if I pass the language placement test and get on to higher level Chinese course, then she will grant me the credits from lower level. It is like that if I take Chinese 300, then I will immedietely get credits from Chinese 100 and 200.

To make Chinese major, I have to take 7 courses and have another language as minor. I still don’t know if it is workable. If someone against to my plan, then I will just major in Japanese and minor in Chinese. Either way, I don’t have to take 15 courses to fulfill major requirements. If I can do that, that will make my life much easier. I will have time to focus on my pre-med courses.

I might need a couple weeks to fight for my right and decide right away what do I really want. If I use Languages as my major, I have to get into med school for sure. There won’t be any backup plan for me. If I take environmental science as my major, even I don’t get in med school right away, I still can do couple things I love, like say public health.

I don’t know. I kinda hesitate about using Chinese as major, feel like I am cheating. However, I do love Chinese culture and eager to go to Japan for study abroad.

Does anyone wanna discuss with me?

Okay, I’m going to interrupt the story – again – just to play some music for you.

This is Ralphie’s current band, Stuyvesant.  They played a show at the Trash Bar in Brooklyn on Friday night as part of the CMJ Music Marathon.  Ten years or whatever, running a label, and I couldn’t get a CMJ show for any of our bands.

This is “Victorian Lawns,” from their recent CD Linden Calling. They were great.

Just a quick note.

We have a Facebook page.  You can become a fan by visiting here: http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Dromedary-Records/49187886217?ref=ts

We are also tweeting.  Poorly, but we’re trying.  You can follow us there by visiting http://twitter.com/dromedaryrecs

Joining us at either one (or both) of those locations would be a surefire way of receiving any news or updates that we may want to communicate as we head into winter.  Or any other time, really.