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[mamechiku]

A while ago I read that some people like to follow certain little schedules while studying, and somewhere I came across one that a lot of people agreed worked well for them. First you study, without any distractions, for 25 minutes, then take a five minute break, another 25 minutes of studying, five minute break, 25 minutes studying, then a 20 minute break. Repeat. I've been trying this for about two weeks now and it works SUPER well for me? I'm really surprised but I'm getting a lot done so I'm grateful :B The picture I posted isn't recent by the way, it's gonna be a while before my street looks like that again (not a long while though...). I got my second roll of film used with my Konica C35 developed a while ago and this was on it! Sigh I love that camera ♡ Happiest news though... I bought my ticket to Osaka (●♡∀♡) I'm leaving on December 28th and I get back home on January 5th, so almost a whole week in winter Japan ♡ The goal is of course to go to both of KAT-TUN's lives in Kyocera Dome (and I don't see what's gonna stop me :B). I realise that I'm basically paying a lot of money to cry my heart out when my favourite group steps on stage as four instead of five, but hey. Watchudo watchudo. It's already been over a year since I was last in Japan too so that's gonna be nice ♡ (eat aaaaall the onigiri)

[mamechiku]

I just finished watching the last episode of The Office (us version) and I was kept weepy for 50 minutes. Never mind that never expected to shed a tear over Michael Scott gdi. Last week my friend from The Netherlands was here and we went to see Loreen at Gröna Lund (amusement park in Stockholm). They have replaced my favourite ride with The Swings From Hell and I am so unimpressed. Loreen was awesome though.

[mamechiku]

About half a year ago I ordered a digital toy camera (the fuuvi nanoblock camera) from an online shop called fourcornerstore. I bought an analog toy camera from them last year and it reached me in just a few weeks so I had no reason not to buy from them again. There won't be a third time though. Like I said, I ordered it half a year ago and I got it yesterday. I've been mailing them all this time, getting replies with a lot of excuses and, apparently, empty promises. On August 2nd (this was like the 4th or 5th email they sent me) they wrote "I will make sure this goes out today, and I will personally send you the tracking info." On August 12 I still had no tracking information, so I emailed them to ask about it. Still no reply on September 1st, so I wrote a slightly irritated email this time, then again on the 3rd. The next day I finally got this: "This is Nic, the owner of the store. I wanted to personally apologize for the delay in this matter, there was a backorder from the vendor. The replacement item has been shipped with the tracking (...)." Well, if that is true then couldn't your customer service have told me that instead of promising me a new camera and then ignoring my emails? For half a year?? The camera reached me yesterday though so it was a quick delivery. Never mind that I paid for it back in March. IT IS A VERY FUN CAMERA THOUGH IT IS NOT FUUVI'S FAULT THAT FOURCORNERSTORE AREN'T COOL.

[mamechiku]

Tomorrow is the last day of my normal work schedule, so from next week on I'll be working 1-2 days/week (I think I've mentioned this more than once already but it's just such a happy thing, ok). Sure I am a little bit scared, I haven't worked that little in a couple of years and it means much less money and all but it's still good. It's a decision I made myself so I can focus on and finally finish school and then get the beep out of here.

Speaking of, just 204 days left until I go to South Korea! I barely think about it at all right now, probably because it's still pretty far away?

Awwwww yessss, got me one of those ↑ Ordered some really cute cases on ebay and now I just have to wait patiently for them to arrive... Which reminds me that I ordered Jin's and Yamapi's new singles plus EXO's new album from YesAsia a while back but now customs is holding them and I'm going to have to pay to get them. Grrrrr. I just felt like updating. One day I'll have something interesting to say! Hopefully :B ♡

[mamechiku]

I just reeEeEEeaAAAally don't want to study right now but I have to I absolutely have to. I'm just taking a liiiiiittle break. A little one. After the first week in September we're getting new schedules at work and I've asked my boss if she can give me just one to two days a week from then on, and it turns out she could! Sounds nice, I'll be able to make time for happy things but ahahah. No. Study study study. School in Korea has been paid and I've also bought my (unnecessarily expensive) ticket (finnair), so I leave Sweden on March 29th! Counting down the days...

[mamechiku]

Obviously gave up on the 30 days thing I got bored ok. Doesn't matter! It was just to get this blog started anyway. Today I went to Drottningholm in Stockholm to check out the Drottningholm Palace. It was beautiful ♡ Such a shame that you're not allowed to take any photos inside, there were gorgeous statues and impressive paintings and tapestries. Got really lucky with the weather too (though the boat trip back to Stockholm was a bit chilly...). I seriously think I should've been born into a family that lives in a palace/castle. Yeah.

[mamechiku]

I got stuck in photoshop and now I'm too tired for this. 勘弁して下さい♡

[mamechiku]

aka Sandra has exciting news

Yesterday I applied for a 5 week course in Korean in Seoul next spring! Paid the application fee and got an email from the Swedish company that is handling everything for me, saying payment was ok and that they'd get back to me in a couple of weeks with a reply from the school. Now, you might think that I shouldn't celebrate so soon, but seeing as I'm paying for the course with my own money and, idk, I applied so early (I think their site said it's ok to apply 30 days before the course starts?) I don't see what could possibly go wrong. My Korean, as it is right now, is super limited. I know how to tell someone that I love them or that I am starving (← very similar to Japanese). Some hours ago though I started practising reading and writing in Korean and it's both ridiculously easy and... a bit of a head ache? It's fun. Which is great. I actually learnt all their "letters" now, just missing a couple of rules for how to combine them but that's all. Happiest moment tonight was when I looked at the song I had paused in winamp and realized that I can read 김재중 now. Best progress ♡

[mamechiku]

What happens when I order books online (because cheaper ♡) - a "modern classic" and chick lit. Also ordered The Little Mermaid (yes) but what I bought was apparently a stage play adaptation and not the original story in a thin little book. Looks like I'll have to get a collection of H.C. Andersen stories to get it! Not that I'd mind reading more of them. Today I got extremely distracted by happy travel plans for next year, which resulted in very little studying. Very little. Tomorrow I just work five hours though and after that I have three days off ♡ I plan on locking myself up and getting a lot of writing done in that time!

[mamechiku]

懐郷　// CHEATING (no, I obviously didn't take that picture today cry it's from last October) I missed two days! Why? Sunday was extremely crappy and, just like last time I missed a day, I fell asleep around 8pm (apparently that's something I do every now and then.......) Yesterday was like a continuation of the Sunday crap. Actually the days weren't that bad, but my period is lurking around the corner and I think it was playing some hormonal tricks on me. So, Sunday I slept and yesterday I couldn't find any inspiration at all. Compared to the past two days today was good. Walked home from work, watched latest Teen Wolf episode, edited some photos in photoshop etc. Good things. Didn't get any school work done but it's ok, I'm on schedule and all so it's fine. Going to bed now (it's almost a quarter past 11pm) and hopefully I'll get some reading done before sleep ♡

[mamechiku]

Today work reminded me of how much I look forward to September when I will either be working less or, which I'm not hoping for, not at all. Just need to talk to my boss about this. So many super annoying customers today, ugh ugh so tired of people. The other day I started reading Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant and so far I am really enjoying the language. Some of the lines are the kind that, as the non-native English speaker that I am, I have to read twice to really understand. When I do though it's like they described what would usually take a whole page all on their own. I can only get through about 15 pages each night before my eyes start closing on their own though, so I guess it's going to take a while.

[mamechiku]

Walking through the forest just after it stopped raining is quite something ♡ The smell is amazing, so refreshing. Getting a little bit tired of repeating "I studied" in most posts here, so other than that I finished an anime called 花咲くいろは (hanasaku iroha) which, if you like simple slice of life with pretty art and characters that aren't as mature as a white strawberry (*cough*sukitteiinayo*cough*), was a very nice watch. It's not even 11pm but my eyes are starting to close on their own, and I gotta get up early for work tomorrow. I better go to bed ( －ρ－)

[mamechiku]

Today has been one long and seemingly meaningless day. I've worked and studied but it feels like I did all that yesterday? Like today wasn't really a day. I can't remember waking up. I know an old lady talked to me while I was waiting for the bus but I can't remember what we talked about. This picture has no connection to anything that happened today, but then I don't know what I could've taken a photo of that would have. My bonsai is dirty and I have no idea how to clean a plant that is as fond of dropping its leaves as my fikus is. To be fair I don't know how to clean any plant at all.

[mamechiku]

I missed a day (╥﹏╥) Yesterday I fell asleep around 8pm (I was just gonna rest my eyes for a bit), woke up again around 2am, turned off laptop and went back to sleep. See, yesterday morning I woke up with a head ache which only got worse during the day, and then this morning it was even worse. All the pain killers. (´⌒｀) I did get my hair cut yesterday though, it's more than 20cm shorter! Amazing. Don't think it's been this short since early 2010...?

[mamechiku]

I'm going to get my hair cut tomorrow morning at 9am, and then when I got out of the shower today I had a missed called and a voice mail from my hair dresser. She's called me the day before my appointment before, asking me to come in earlier because you have so much hair, I could need some extra time. I got the earliest time possible this time for that reason specifically. The message she had left this time though was her asking me if I could wash my hair tonight or tomorrow morning before coming. Because I have so much hair. And she doesn't have enough time. How about no. I booked this appointment last week and both the time slots after mine were free then, why didn't she just extend the time it'd take to do my hair? It's not the cheapest place to get your hair cut and the wash + scalp massage is like my favourite part?? She said she was going home for the day anyway so I couldn't call her back. I'll just pretend I missed her message (´^｀) Weather is awfully unpredictable lately.

[mamechiku]

ugh ugh I just wrote 100 kanji flash cards in one sitting my hand hurts so bad and my brain might've melted, not sure. I am too tired. I was even too lazy to take a picture with my camera jcsnd took this with phone and emailed it to myself yeah #dead

[mamechiku]

Today was a study study study day and I got quite a lot done! Reading about Egyptian and Mesopotamian art really is way more interesting than international economics, which is the last thing we covered in my last course. I was obviously drawn to other things once an hour though, and today I got kind of stuck looking up kanji readings. And stroke order. Sigh, kanji ( ｡’‿’｡)♡