So the second Summer Semester has started.
Yeah ... a new module, some new students (and as an added bonus, a couple of cute ones too!)
And the module isn't bad either.

The flavour of the next 14 weeks is The Sound System of American English. While the Brits, Kiwis, and Aussies might protest, there is a fairly good reason that we're studying the 'American' Sound System. Take into account that about 300 million Americans and Canadians speak GAE (General North American English), coupled with the fact that Shakespeare probably sounded like an American (don't ask me to prove it), and you get the vast majority of the known world speaking American English.
Note: This is all according to the prof so don't shoot the messenger.

The module seems pretty interesting with all of the students beginning their foray into the world of phonetics, phonology, phonemics, and phonics. It all sounds rather flimsy, and you'd be forgiven for thinking that those four terms are synonymous but they are apparently very different. Ask me if you have a burning desire to know.

We will begin to transcribe some sentences into a phonetic alphabet in the near future but for today, we merely looked at how the mouth (and other parts) contribute to the forming of sounds ultimately resulting in language. It was all very amusing watching each other mimicking the prof as he explained voiced or unvoiced Bilabial, Labiodental, Dental, Alveolar and whatnot sounds.

Yeah ... if only someone took a picture. Imaging a class of 20 students led by a demented ringleader making weird faces and simultaneously creating strange sounds. It was an exercise in controlled insanity. I bet there were a bunch of alumni in the next room taking bets to see who would go the longest before realizing.

All good fun though.

Quote of the day:
The lower half of the human body is pretty solid. So is the part above the the torso. But the area in the middle, not counting the spine, is pretty much meat and air.
- Dr. Schaefer

Question of the day:
Define "syllable"

Over lunch with the kids today, I was sitting across from a boy and a girl quite involved in a little bickering. And after one riposte which I didn't particularly catch, the boy retorted with "森に帰れ！" which literally translates as 'Go back to the jungle!'
That was it! I almost choked on my lunch trying not to laugh.

And on a side-note, here are some of the birthday pics Jin took on Saturday.

Tomoko opening her present!

Naomi, Jin and one really handsome devil ^_^

Err ... yeah ... no comment ...

Tokyo Girls

The Birthday Girl! Yay!! ^_^

Caaaaaaaaaaake!!!!!!!

Five Girls ... Five Cans of Lager

Jon, Jin, and Paul

A familiar sight ... Sean passed out on the floor ^^;

Hah! Made you look! ^_^

Just came back from the last class of the semester and I must say, I'm quite pleased with myself. I thought the test was a disaster and it turns out I did quite well. Whee! B+ baby!!! Messed up on a few of the transformations but otherwise I did fine.
On top of that, the prof bought everyone pizza and beer of which I had 4 ... of each ...
What a way to end the module, eh??
Everyone had to do a short presentation on grammar lesson plans but since it was only 10 minutes tops, it wasn't that much of a hassle.

Yeah, the test and the presentation are the excuse du jour for the lack of bloggage recently.

There was also T2's birthday party on Saturday. A whole bunch of people went to Jin's to celebrate T2's 29th in grand fashion. Pot luck so we all had to cook something. I made some kari kapitan which went down really well. Exceptionally well when coupled with some liquid bread. Jin made some salsa and guacamole, Sean brought some pasta salad. Magnifique!

I got T2 a nice top from a shop she pointed out in Shibuya the week before. I have to admit that I was quite apprehensive about buying clothes for her. Heck, I usually have no idea about buying clothes for anyone let alone a girl. My mum and sis can both vouch for this. But since she pointed out the shop, I thought I'd have a look and see if anything caught my eye. Well, I had to resort to chatting up the shop assistants for some advice and after a bit, I also had to call Jin to check T2's taste in colour. I finally decided on a nice beige thing with some brown floral motifs and as luck would have it, Tomoko actually eyed that very top a couple of weeks before. Fortune smiles upon me! ^_^
So everyone celebrated T2's birthday. It was quite a party too. Now I'm betting you're wondering if the title of today's entry is a mere bit of sensationalism. Hah! You'd be wrong. Both T1 and T2 were grabbing my ass all night. And far be it for me to be rude and not return the favour ^_*

What else ...

I seem to have managed to secure a wee bit of cake!
No, that's not a new euphemism for something. I actually had a classmate promise to buy me some cake because I proof read her essay for her. And I didn't make her promise either! She's really quite cute and if I'm lucky, she'll be single. If I'm really lucky, I might be able to wangle a date from this little confectionery excursion. I mentioned a bbq Sean is throwing and she seemed up for it. She's off for a business trip so she might not be able to make it though. Fingers and all other digits crossed.

I originally intended to go to Shibuya tonight after class ended. Alien Project is visiting to release his new album and he's dropping by a record store in Shibuya to spin a few tracks. But I just got home (2200), I've just had a lot of pizza and beer, and I have to wake up at 0645 tomorrow so I've decided to be a good boy (relatively) and stay home. See, mum and dad? I is a good boy.

Ooh ... I got some pictures from the night's festivities! They had ordered a gargantuan amount of pizza and there was an absolutely gorgeous one with loads of jalapenos. I was hanging out by those all night. Spicy goodness!

Koji, me and Doc Schaefer

Yukiko, me and Eric
Notice how red she is ... and only after ONE beer ... she's a funny one ^_^
Pity she's married :p

I've just watched Batman Begins and it ... is ... one ... bad-ass film.

More style than you can shake a stick at.

The ninja training is completely hardcore and Liam Neeson's monologue is utterly Jedi.
And whilst countless others have said this, I'll say it here again ... Christian Bale is the best Batman ever. The BEST, I say. He makes the previous incarnations of the Dark Knight seem like rejects from the Village People decked out in rubber nipple suits.

Some of the one-liners are magical; Bane's 'spelunking' quip, Neeson's monologue is so Jedi it's unbelievable.
Some of the shots are enrapturing; the fabrication of the suit, cave and car.

I read how they specially made a new material for the cape, in-house, using 10,000 volts to electrostatically bond micro-particles to a parachute-like fabric with glue that hasn't quite cured to give it a velvety finish completely unlike any of the previous pansy-ass shiny rubber capes and giving it the added benefit of billowing in the wind like a complete dream.

Some people don't like the batmobile but personally, I love it. It's chunky, yes, unreasonably so, but it conveys an image of unbridled power waiting to run over any poor shmuck in its path.
And the throttling, oh knights of columbus, the throttling ...
Aeric likes. Oh yes, Aeric likes indeedy.
Oh, and two words ... 'roof' ... 'jumping' ...

Batman isn't all poncing around with his neon trinkets in this one. He's Giger's Alien ... in your face, hiding in ALL the shadows and all about the unforgiving shock factor. Dangling a potential informant 17 stories up, repeatedly making him wet himself and vanishing once he's done. This Batman chews you up, spits you out and then feeds you to the dogs. I love it!

And bugger me if Bale doesn't play the part of the billionaire playboy to a T. Buying the hotel when they tell him he can't do something. That's just insanely cocky and yet ... *ahh* ...

Using a sonic emitter to summon bats as his backup. Throwing the emitter down a central stairwell and jumping in after it completely surrounded by the bats. That shot just MADE the entire film from a stylistic point of view.

Cop1: He's in a vehicle!
Cop2: Make of car?
Cop1: It's a black ... tank ...

Now, whilst the first typhoon HAS officially appeared and the weather forecast HAS predicted a stupid amount of water, it would seem that Ma Nature has seen it fit to spare me, or at least the Greater Tokyo area, of being excessively damp. Only the edge of the typhoon scraped the mainland and as such, what was expected to be a five-day water fest has turned into a one-day pizzle.

Study-wise, the first module of my course is almost finished. I have a test on the 20th and two assignments due on the 22nd. My poor brain. I can almost hear it complaining ... 'My master mistreats me! I want a new master!'

The first assignment, which I think I've mentioned before, is the scary-sounding five-book review. It's not that taxing when you realize that we have to produce an article 5-8 pages long and as such, one review can only be about one and a half pages long.

Being an open-ended assignment (one previous student wrote a 'Dear mum' type letter and another wrote a play(!)), I have elected to choose a satirical approach. I blame it on the professor as he said 'One way to think about this assignment: You are sent to a desert island. Choose five grammar books to review and ultimately choose one to take with you'.

That said, I present you with the introduction:

This brief collection of reviews sets out to highlight the benefits and drawbacks of five grammar books to be used for educating the savages of a deserted island in the grammatically correct, if ethically questionable, usage of the English language.

Based on the above statement, I can safely conclude that the biggest, heaviest, most spear-repellent book would be the best choice to begin this task. However, should one of the savages develop the basics of literacy, above that of the primates he cohabits said island with, then one of the other books may be slightly more appropriate.

And now, the first paragraph of my review for the Longman Grammar of Written and Spoken English:

This volume incorporates the collective efforts of the five authors to produce a gargantuan tome of spear-stopping supremacy. The authors, having not intended it for this purpose, actually spent an inordinate amount of time attempting a detailed description of all the syntactic phenomena of English.

In my nightmares, I see the prof saying 'So you think you're a comedian, do you?'
Doh!

Ooh ... I've noticed some new readers visiting! Welcome, welcome!
A few hits from Singapore, the Phillipines, and the Netherlands! And someone's accessing my blog using a Pocket PC! Whee ...

Waaaaaait ... people are finding my page by googling 'Rumah Tumpangan', 'Glowstring Basics', 'Ebonics 101', 'Roppongi Hills Mascots' ... eh??

And it looks like they prefer Yahoo (52%), then Google (43%), followed by MSN (5%) as their search engines.

The first sign was the mighty angry-looking sky over the Tokyo skyline.
I hadn't seen clouds looking that sinister in a long time. And in continuation of my amazing streak of luck recently, I had to go in the general direction of said clouds to go home.

The rain ...

The rain ...

who knew rain could sting that much.

But the true feather in my cap had to be huge, rather inconveniently located hill that stood in my way. Ah mou ... the slope had to be 15 degrees in places.

The seminar, was quite beyond a lot of my classmates and I and we elected to take our leave after the 3-hour 'try-before-you-buy' period. And even though if was difficult, the material was fascinating in places. The guest lecturer seemed to have left her presentation in a rather disorganized state. That is to say, it was a task in itself to try and discern the focus at times. She did speak well though, all things considered.

I have three (now slightly damp) books which I borrowed from the library today with the intention of completing my assignment. Four grammar books is a lot of paper to be carting on your back even without the need to be cycling up and down steep slopes in the driving rain.

I really have arse luck.
Twice in two days I've gotten soaked on the way back from uni.
And TWICE, the weather report said it wouldn't rain at those times.
Poo ...

But in a strange twist of fate, I got a number. From one of the 'cute girls study group'. My visit to the library has somewhat depleted it of some of the choice books on the list for the assignment and as such, my services as 'reference material provider' may be required in the near future (^_^)v
Perhaps I have better luck in uni than in clubs. Hmm ...

Gah ... I have to hit the books.
After that, I may actually be persuaded to open them and read a few pages.

My loyal followers are ever increasing!
At one school, I have an adjutant who announces my arrival to the class and I am then greeted with much applause.
At another, another heralds my arrival and bowed at the entrance. This is full-on knees-on-the-floor-head-touching-the-floor type of bowing bowing.
One of the kids had a fever today and was contemplating going home but he decided to push on once he knew there would be English class.
I am lord of all I survey!

The course is going well ... or at least as well as can be expected. Despite being severely pressed for time, I have taken the liberty of forming a study group which, by complete coincidence, comprises the cutest girls in the class. There are some guys too ... well, one other guy. I let him join 'cos he's funny (but I'm better-looking) :p Despite what may have been initially implied, this study group is mutually beneficial for all in attendance, if you can believe that. The Japanese students sometimes get stuck with inferred meanings and sub-contexts in certain grammatical patterns and as a native speaker, I enlighten them with my superior knowledge .... meaning, I lie like stink. Wahahaha! ph34r!
And what do I get out of this? Well, speakers of English as a second language typically have a much deeper understanding of the technicalities of the language and as such, I learn more about the theory and terminology.
That and there's the eye-candy factor ^^
One of them is a really snappy dresser. Too bad she's married though. But like Karen says, hey, if she dresses like that, you can't blame me if I check her out, right? Right?

I suspect the course is taking its toll. I've been feeling tired at work this week, which I rarely do. Good thing I'm usually together enough to be able to wing it.

Hmm ... what else ... sel's missing from the ether. Apparently her computer is bust. Maybe the OS fell into the sea along with her MS Paint. Maybe gremlins are responsible for this mishap.

Urgh ... I just remembered I have a seminar tomorrow too. And Sunday. Six hours apiece. It's not mandatory but since the assignment can also be handed in for the New Grammars module, I get double credit for one assignment. Sounds like a twisted supermarket deal. Most of my classmates are checking out the first three hours since they're free. Will see how it goes.

Oh! Sel! They're here! I don't know how you did it, but they're here! The sand is here! Scores of the buggers! AND THEY FLY!!! I can't cycle around with my mouth open for fear of swallowing them, and it has happened. I don't even dare breath in too forcefully lest they ... yuck ... I don't even want to think about it. Against a dark background, I can see them floating gently in the wind. They're only visible if they're almost directly in front of you since they disappear in peripheral vision. They seem to be in highest concentration around foliage and true to form, there's a large shrubbery just outside my apartment right next to where I park my bike.