weekEND!

I just returned to my bedroom. I went to the library for 1.30h to study (read) with a chinese friend, came back and then got out again to a コンビニ with another chinese friend. (both N1s and completely fluent, one of them worked for 3 years in China for a japanese company)
I have a cup of milk on my left side, and I'm going to continue writing (started before going to the library).

Despite the fact that they chinese, I want to make it clear, that japanese is the only language we are using. 残念なことに、even though I keep doing my chinese reps, I can't focus. Still, I often hear my chinese classmates speaking in chinese among themselves, so I can actually get some daily listening practice.

And...

WEEKEND! Yay. I never thought I would ever say this. but, finally, weekend! Still not safe though, loads of homework to do, but I came here for reason, and it wasn't to play around (well, that one too).  
And I thought I'd never be this relieved for having 2 days without classes. It's like, classes aren't hard, but somehow I get really tired at the end of the day.

I went for the first time to the university library two days ago. Was there for around 3 hours doing homework and reading (I can focus).
Actually, studying in the library is a bit of a hard work because somehow I get really sleepy when I'm there, maybe the thing doesn't have that many oxygen, dunno.
I'm always sleepy to be honest. And I freakin' don't know why. I've been waking up sooner than usual (my usual is 6.30), true, but still...

BUT ANYWAY. As I said on twitter some days ago, I started reading a book called 「語学で身をつける」. Basically:

- how one can use its language skills to work
- how to improve skills
- how people learn differently and on how they should change their goals according to their job/occupation/age/etc
-language acquisition methods (just finished reading this - it actually divides the process in 5 stages)
- on what one can to do improve certain skills (作文力、翻訳など）

Well, it's interesting. I'm just not sure how this reading books thing really works because:

I read, I understand (of course there are times I can't really grasp the whole thing - those times when I start あくびing mostly), but does that mean I learned what I read? I mean, does the brain absorb the information and put it to use?
I've probably read more online/through books in japanese that in portuguese. And if I have not, than I will soon, because there's a lot of things I want to read while I'm here, and they're not written in portuguese nor english...

Now to change the subject for a bit... Instead of the now boring 食堂 I went to a restaurant near the university and ate 親子丼.

Okay, now continuing with the reading subject...

Besides 日本経済・経営 my favorite classes so far are 文章力 (learning how to write texts in appropriate japanese is going to be honestly useful in the future, not only that, the practice I have from reading japanese online is also a big plus because I'm pretty familiar with the partterns) and 読解. In the reading class we are reading japanese literature and, holy crap,the thing is seriously deep, to the point that my jaws are aching from my 我慢. It's like, all the things I've lived and seen are all comprised in that tiny bit of text. I could give examples, but I will abstain from doing that because the past 2/3 days were a bit of a pain thanks to that. And I'm sure the next time I read this, some years from now, that I'll still remember the kind (and I will keep all study materials, of course).

And then I've been communicating with friends in Portugal, China and Scotland, we all apart, but we all feel the same. And of course, there also other people I miss so much. This is kind of sad and beautiful at the same time. Again, I'll abstain from writing otherwise I'll end up in tears. Again.

Don't get me wrong, I like being here. Just like a friend of mine who's studying in Scotland said, "some people are just unique".

What's actually pressuring me is the fact that I'm apart from people I like, the fact that I want to read some books, want to take the N1 (and still couldn't find the damn mock tests!), the JBT and still have to brainstorm on the master course (this one is particularly hard, because I hate wasting time, and to take a master course here I'd have to wait 1.5 years since I'm not on time to enter the next semester and I'm not really sure on the scholarship thing, it's pretty hard to get one from what I heard) and on the subjects and 内容 I'll have to chose for the reports, and want to start practicing translation too, and want to visit several places.

So, hurrah! Weekend.