I would go to sleep like I normally do....
but yesterday, as soon as I got here I forced myself to put on Anki, get on a vocabulary list. make note cards, then study all day. And you know what? I did.
Early early early Monday morning I realized that it was June 4th. I only have less than three months. Then I saw a blog labeled "Fluent in Three Months". Now, even though the chances of that in real life, especially when we're talking about Asian languages here, fluency in three months is a joke. BUT, it is possible to be proficient in everyday conversation. So here's where I'm at.
I have a little less than three months remaining in my summer before my big trip. If I begin to take myself more seriously, I can do this. So I forced myself to do this right yesterday. I learned 50vocab words yesterday, including how to write the characters. Maybe my pronunciation is total crap, but I can master that eventually. I know the tone numbers for the words, so once I can match the tone to the number, it should be simple.
I had a few questions too, mostly about the jyutping and pronunciation for it. I understand that HK natives don't know any jyutping, but it's convenient for me to know because that's how I type Cantonese on the computer. Yes, I found a keyboard input that supports Cantonese. I downloaded it months ago, but it's super convenient to type instead of copy and pasting all the characters. But Antony has been the biggest help. Even more so grateful to know him. He's really too kind. I have questions constantly since I can't find the exact audio for certain words. And it didn't really occur to me to use LINE to get in touch with him. I didn't want to bother him too much either but now I know it's really okay :)
Maybe not many people know what LINE is. It's an app, for Android or iPhone, you know all you smart phone users. I only have my iTouch, but I love my apps ♥
Anyway, it's just like the app Whatsapp, I feel like more people know about that app more than LINE, but LINE is much more popular in Japan (after all, it was made in Japan), while Whatsapp is more like a Chinese/(possibly Europe too) thing. The other problem with Whatsapp is that it is currently not supported with the iTouch which means, if you aren't using a mobile device you can't possibly use Whatsapp. So in the end, LINE is a better solution to my problems of communication through my iTouch. Not to mention, I've met many more people who have LINE, unless they just happen to use both.
But yeah, it have a voice message option on it, so I can record a message and send it to him. I had my questions, and when text wasn't good enough to solve my problem, I sent him me saying it. He returns telling me that I'm completely wrong and he records the correct way and sends it to me. And again, he was really supportive saying again that I can message him whenever I have questions etc. He then sent me a link to some really good vocab sheets. I'm so grateful. He's probably the only person who's really supporting me through all of this, and that's something I needed. All the other people I have met aren't really helpful or talk to me as much as this guy is willing to deal with me.
And it's so unfair. Unfair that we will never get to meet in person unless I can find a way to stay in HK more than 10months. Actually, in order to meet him it'll have to be longer than a year. I think, I really think we could have been really good friends in school. He's the best person I could have ever met during my time there. There's many more students that can be as wonderful as him, but it's finding them that's hard.
He's a good guy.
My dad got upset with me yesterday. As if I haven't already said it more than once, I remind him that I'm up here working three jobs. And he got mad. He's like, "You shouldn't be working so much, you should go out with friends and do something", "Why are you working so much?", "You know you can come home for a weekend", "You sound lonely", etc etc. But he got upset with me that I'm working. I told him, "What do you expect me to do? I don't know anyone up here except for my co-workers so how am I supposed to go out with people? I'm keeping myself busy because I would be bored out of my mind otherwise. And the best way to be busy is to be making money at it too. I have nothing else to do up here but work. And if I go home I'll be bored there and do nothing. I'll be home with the dog all day for three long months because I can't find a job in PA without requiring a ride from someone which is 1) a waste of money on gas for them and 2) inconvenient for them to work around my schedule to get me to work and pick me up. There's nothing to do there or here over the summer other than WORK. And I'm not lonely because I am so busy that by the time I get home I just want my own alone time anyway before I pass out. And I am wayy to busy to deal with people when I get home."
What no one seems to realize either is that, I actually LIKE to work. It keeps me busy and it's probably the only social interaction I'd be getting all summer since you know, I DO live alone. I love my jobs. All of them. And maybe I'm just really lucky, but I also get a long with all of my co-workers. We talk all the time about random stuff, joke around, and recently my one co-worker and I at P.S. have gotten much more closer. It's a shame that I'm leaving in two months. And then, Lin's girlfriend at Yo D-sert, we joke around with each other more than enough. I feel like, 1) I'm doing a really good job there and 2) she likes me so much that she keeps telling him to keep me. And they've been teaching me more Chinese. So I always tell them that I need the washcloth or say other random things that I know in Mandarin to them. But since I was studying Cantonese all day yesterday I couldn't remember the word for "what" in Mandarin, so when they started pointing at me while they were talking in their Chinese, I yelled at them, "乜嘢 (mat ye)" in Canto. I had her repeating it lol.
I love working. I came home last night and Fumi, she's staying with me until Thursday due to her apartment problems, asks me when I get home, "Aren't you tired all the time working so many hours?" I was smiling when I walked though the door. I told her that I actually have a lot of fun at work and I love my co-workers. Either I'm just really lucky to be working with good people, or I just tend to get along with people really easily. She said she wished she had a personality like mine. My personality is nothing that great. I just think what it is is that I'm surrounded by people who are just as friendly as I am and we are super lucky to get along so well. And I love these people so much and I love working so much, that I'll always just go there just to "hang out". This past Sunday, I worked at P.S. for free for 3hours just because I had a little extra time on hand before I had to go to my other job. They appreciated the help, even though it was technically illegal for me to do and if my manager found out we'd (me and the 2 other girls in charge) would get yelled at. Soo, it's kinda a secret right now lol,,, shhh ;)
Then I made this reallyyyyy yummy curry sauce last night for my ramen and veggies. I added Half&Half into the mixture instead of water.
ANDDDDDDDDDDDDD
to top everything off.....
I found out I'm getting a raise! It's been a little over a year since I've been with P.S. and my manager said I'm up for review on a pay raise! It's a shame that I'm leaving soon but for my last month here I'll be getting paid more! AND! I just realized that I probably am getting my $8/hr here on campus! Next week I just need to ask the secretary when I pick up my next paycheck because the other two workers here said that when they asked they were actually getting paid more than what they thought! This is great!
So when you ask me why~ I'm staying here working 24/7 for the summer in Albany, it's because I like doing it and I'm making a shitload of money for HK ;)
This summer is the most productive and I feel so lucky to be surrounded with great people, great jobs, and to be enjoying every bit of it. Today is a celebration, so I'm going to buy a sandwhich at Outtakes for lunch and chocolate milk lol. Yay! Now to go back to studying!! Keep fighting!!
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