The Waiting Game...and Random Dreams!

It's amazing what happens to the brain when we are facing a suspenseful moment.  Today the long-awaited (4 months of waiting to be exact...4 months!!) first round offers from VTAC (Victoria Tertiary Admissions Centre) were available online from 7am my time.  Sure, I was dying to know if I got an offer and to which university so I could start planning the next phase of my life, but so far I had been surprisingly calm.  No point getting worked up as it wouldn't make me know any faster!

Calm, that is, until about 6:30am this morning.  Or perhaps a little before.  Because long after 6:30am, I woke up and checked my clock to see how much time had passed.  It was 6:30am.  D'oh!  I'd only dreamt I'd checked the clock before.  Okay, 30 mins to go... I close my eyes....

Next thing I know, I've got a letter in my hands.  I eagerly open it.  It looks like a uni offer!!  I begin reading... "We are pleased to offer a place to study at our university to..."  Wait...that's not my name!  That's someone else's name!  They've put someone else's offer letter in my envelope!  Oh man... does that mean I got an offer then or not?!

At this point I find myself at the house of some friends.  Well, actually, I've never met these people...but they are a couple whose blog I have been reading recently, so I guess I feel like I kind of know them.  And they were hilarious!  They knew I was stressing in trying to find out, so they came up with so many random funny things to keep the mood light and make me laugh.   For example, they were doing the tango around their living room, with very "serious" faces, whilst continuing to converse with me on the subject.  They let me use their computer to try to log onto the website to see if there's any offers there (which is the actual way of checking offers today), but there were more hold-ups - website down...wrong password...logged in, but can't find anything etc.  I remember their teenage daughter comes in and they're like "Not now, Mari-Anna's trying to find out if she got accepted at uni - quick, say something encouraging!"

Throughout this I wake up several times - each time surprised that the above-mentioned events hadn't actually happened, and that it still wasn't even almost 7!  Man, this 30 minutes is taking forEVER!

Enter Matt Damon.  You know, an old friend of mine.  (I think my brain was running out of ideas to stall me.)  "Mari-Anna!  We're working on this new movie!  You've totally gotta be in it."  Um, I dunno Matt, I mean I kinda got some other plans for this year... "Oh come on!  It's gonna be great, how can you turn it down?  Look at this script!"  Well...um...

With all these distractions compounded, things were getting pretty crazy.  I think my brother even came along, and I'm like "Hey...you know Matt...we were just discussing a new movie."  Grin :D

Well, I don't remember much detail after that, but FINALLY it was past 7am - for real - and...I was too nervous to check after all that drama!  What if there's not an offer for me?  What if something went wrong with the application?  What if I get accepted, but not by the university I wanted?  Do I accept their offer, or wait for round 2 (or 3 or 4)?  What if I was offered a different course?

Finally I mustered up the courage to have a look.  I enter my VTAC ID and PIN.  "Your user ID is incorrect."  D'oh!  Try again, this time without the accidental space in the front, which had eliminated the last number.  Success!  I'm in.  Now what?  Um....oh, messages!  Right.  One new message!  Hold breath.  Click.

"Congratulations! The University of Melbourne is pleased to offer you a place in 2014. An email will be sent to you with information about how to enrol." 

I can't believe it!  I got into my preferred university for the exact course I wanted!

Return to calm, feeling as though a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Life is good :)

Keep Calm and Create A Meme

Now applying my skills to the "Keep Calm and..." posters.  This is one of the first that came to mind :)  Featuring Socially Awkward Penguin

Snake Dreams

Okay, here's something really weird...

Last night I dreamt about snakes.  Lots and lots of snakes.  They were kind of ever-present no matter what was happening in the dream - or in other words, no matter where I went, or what other themes took over for a while, it would always end up back at the grassy beach with the snakes.

Upon waking, I thought it would be fun to look up what dream analysts have to say about snakes, even though I'm not usually very convinced by their theories.

It was after this that two weird things happened.

First, I opened up Google and started typing "dreaming..." I hadn't even finished when the autocomplete suggestions popped up, and the very first one said "dreaming of snakes".  Um...yes! Do people not dream about anything else?  Freaky!  

So I click on that and open the first page that grabs my eye.  And then one of the first things I read says: "Snakes or serpents indicate you’re in a period of transition."

Um...yes!  If you consider "transition" to include preparing to move countries, then immediately move to a new, big city to study at University again 9 years after graduating and 7 years in the workforce, that is.

Freeeeaky.  

There are many more interpretations available, but that was one of the first that I read.  Two strange coincidences.

Not that I'm particularly adverse to snakes (as my brother can attest, with a rather amusing story from our school days).  In the dream I wasn't seized with fear, or screaming or running away.  I was cautious, but still went about my business.  Actually near the start, when I first saw all the snakes, someone was helping me try to get rid of them and showed me that when she put a box down a snake crawled up into it and then coiled up and bound itself into a neat little bundle.  So I tried it, and sure enough, another snake did the same thing.  Perhaps that means some things in my transition will just "fall into place"?  I think it was after seeing the snakes cooperate that I stopped worrying so much about there being snakes everywhere, and just decided to leave them as is.   

Anyway, there you have it.  That should fill your weirdness quota for today!

Me and my olive python friend in Darwin

今日のオーストラリアの有名なイベント Today's Famous Australian Event

昨日はクリスマスでしたね。良い時間を過ごせましたか？オーストラリアでクリスマスの次の日は「Boxing Day」と呼ばれています。この日には有名なイベントが行われます。そのイベントとは「シッドニーからホバートまでのヨットレース」です。有名なシッド二ーから私の出身のホバートまで航海することです。

この競走は６３０海里くらい(１０００キロ以上）の長距離です。とても難しい競走だそうです。今までの記録は１日１８時２３分１２秒間です。でも、２日間ぐらいかかる事も普通です。

今日午後１時から、９４船が競争します。今日の天気からすると海が荒れだそうなので、皆さんお気をつけてください。はい、スタート！

Yesterday was Christmas.  Did you have a nice time?  In Australia the day after Christmas is called "Boxing Day".  On this day, a famous event is held.  It's the "Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race".

The race is a long distance of about 630 nautical miles (more than 1000km).  It's said to be a very difficult race.  The current record for fastest time is 1 day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds.  But about 2 days' time is also common.

From 1pm today, 94 yachts will compete.  The seas are apparently rough due to today's weather, so please take care everyone.  Ready, set, go!

年賀状 New Year's Cards

「年賀状」という日本の習慣は学生の時に日本語の授業ではじめて聞きました。皆はお正月までに年賀状を出すのに、全部お正月に届けられますね。いつも「楽しそう！」と思っていました。西洋にはこの習慣がないと思います。その代わりにクリスマスカードを送ります。１２月のクリスマス日の前、皆友達や家族にクリスマスカードを出して、いつも通りに届けられます。カードの切手は手紙のよりもっと安いので、封筒の外に「card only」（カードだけ）と書きます。クリスマスの日は休日なので、郵便物をもらいません。

日本に住んで２年が経つのに、年賀状をもらったことがありません。友達にこんなお願いがあります。「今度のお正月に私に年賀状を送ってもらえますか？私は送るつもりの人にクリスマスカードを送りますよ！さあ、いかがですか？」このお願いの聞き方は当ってますか？もっといい聞き方は何でしょうか？

もらった例の聞き方：
「今度のお正月に私に年賀状を送ってもらえますか？送ってくれる人には、クリスマスカードを送りますよ！さあ、いかがですか？」
「私一度年賀状を受け取ってみたいの。クリスマスカードを送るから、その代わりに私に年賀状を送ってくれない？」
「私は日本の文化である年賀状をもらったことがないので、今度のお正月に年賀状を送っていただけませんか？そして私はあなたに自国の文化であるクリスマスカードを送りたいと思います。どうですか？」
「私に年賀状を送ってくれませんか？私は代わりにクリスマスカードを送ります！」

I first heard of the Japanese custom of "nengajyo" (New Year's cards) in Japanese class when I was a student.  Everyone sends the New Year's cards before the New Year, but the are all received on New Year's Day, right?  I always thought "That sounds fun!"  I don't think this custom exists in the West.  Instead, we send Christmas cards.  In December before Christmas day, we send Christmas cards to friends and family, and they are delivered like usual.  The stamp for cards is cheaper than for letters, so we write "card only" on the outside of the envelope.  Christmas Day is a public holiday, so we don't receive any mail this day.  

Although this is my second year in Japan, I have never received a New Year's card.  I have a request to my friends:  "This year, can I receive a New Year's card?  I will send a Christmas card to those planning to send it to me!  So how about it?"  Is this the right way of asking?  What would be a better way to ask?

Figured Out Life?

And another one from my own daily thought processes.  I'm on a roll!

You can actually send this "someecards" ones as an e-card to your friends, by clicking here.

An Elephant Never Forgets

Here is my latest meme creation, based on a random thought I had the other day.  Pretty good, if I may say so myself ;)

Feel free to pin it and spread the love :)

Or you can even send it as an e-card if you so desire, by clicking this link.

The Big Question

Today is the last day of Movember, so here's the big question:


Have you had your annual health-check?


If not, then be a man and make an appointment now!  We're all behind you!  

If there's no health problems in the end, what was there to lose?  But if something is picked up in the health-check, you've got everything to gain.

So do it!  Dress up that mo and go!

モーベンバー Movember

今日が最後の日だけど、「モーベンバー」という言葉を聞いたことがあるか？十年前オーストラリアで始まった習慣けど、このごろたくさんのほかの国でも祝うようになってきた。オーストラリアで口髭は「モー」という。英語の「moustache」を短く言っているからです。「モー」と「ノーベンバー」（１１月）という言葉を組み合わせると「モーベンバー」になったんだ。

モーベンバーは男の人が１１月の間に口髭を生やすことだ。たぶん、「なぜ？」と聞きたいだろう。資金調達しながら、楽しむためだ。そして、癌を探し当てる
ための検診することを高めるためのことだ。例えば、前立腺癌や精巣腫瘍などだ。そして精神衛生ものためだ。西洋人の中に男の人の方は医者に行くことが嫌いだそうだ。だから、何か病気があったとしても、見つけるのが遅れてしもう。それを未然に防ぐようにモーベンバーは「健康診査した方がいい」というメッセージを男性に伝えている。

Today is the last day, but have you ever heard of "Movember"? It started in Australia 10 years ago, but these days it is celebrated in many other countries. In Australia a moustache is called a "mo". It's a shortening of the English word "moustache". "Movember" came from combining the words "mo" and "November". 

Movember is when men grow a moustache during November. You probably want to ask "Why?". The reason is to have fun whilst fundraising. Also, it's to increase the instance of men getting cancer health checks. For example, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and also for mental health. It is said that in western society, men don't like to go to the doctor. So if they have any illness it is discovered very late. In order to prevent that, the message of Movember to men is "You'd better get a health-check done".

Movember - Changing The Face of Men's Health

In 2003 in the city of Melbourne, Australia, two blokes had an idea.  For the whole month of November, they would bring back an outdated fashion statement: the moustache - also known in Australia as the "mo".  They decided to get as many of their mates on board, and chose to raise the awareness of prostate cancer and men's health in the process.  About 30 of their friends took up the challenge.

Now, ten years later, Movember has become an international sensation, with about 1.1 million Mo Bros registered around the world in 2012.  And this year the number is sure to grow as fast as the facial hair.

The main areas of focus for awareness are:  Men's Health, Prostate Cancer, Testicular Cancer, and Mental Health.  

But Movember is not just for the men - any women wishing to support the cause can become a Mo Sista and get involved in a number of ways, without growing a moustache. (I can hear the sighs of relief from here!).

I've decided for the first time ever to become a Mo Sista this year.  I've just registered and am now deciding how I will get involved.  You can check out my Mo Space here:

http://ex.movember.com/mospace/7801513 

Of course I will happily accept donations for the Movember cause, but I think my main focus this year will be awareness, especially here in Japan.  I think it would be great for Japan to be involved, so I plan to spread the word.  Although it may be a little difficult, culturally.  

You see, back when I was having my initial training as an ALT, our company told us that according to Japanese culture, it's inappropriate for a guy to grow facial hair on the job.  One guy in our group, who had a well established goatee thing happening (sorry, I'm yet to expand my "Mocabulary"), looked a little concerned and asked "You're saying I have to shave this off?"  "Oh no," the reply came, "having facial hair is fine.  It's growing facial hair that's the problem.  So if any of you men decide you want facial hair, you'd better grow it during the holidays."  If this is true, Movember may not take off quickly here.  

But, if it's for a good cause, I believe that allowances could be made.  After all, the Japanese are always up for a little bit of novelty and fun. I think everyone just needs to know about it first.  All they'll need is a cute cartoon mascot with a catchy name, and it'll be game on! 

Now, BLOKES!  What do you do if you want to be a Mo Bro? Here are a few simple guidelines:

1.  Register yourself or your team on the Movember website.

2.  Start on 1st November clean shaven (if you're a little late, it's okay).
3. Grow a moustache for the entire month of November (no beards or goatees - remember you're supposed to draw some attention ;). 

4. Talk to your friends, colleagues or puzzled bystanders about your mo! 

5. Collect donations.

If you can't grow a mo for whatever reason, or the woman in your life won't let you (the above video portrays a possible reason), there are still a lot of ways you can get involved, including raising awareness or donating to the cause.

So what are you waiting for men?  Grow That Mo!