J-Shelf 2: Phantasy Star Online

Phantasy Star Online

So the J-Shelf is out this week taking a look at Phantasy Star Online for the sega dreamcast, as wel as looking back at the entire phantasy star franchise.

In other news... it is October tomorrow! Going to start work on a special Halloween episode of Iwate Swan soon, and I think I have all the October videos planned out. Quite amazing how ahead of schedule I am this time around haha.

In Long Distance Relatinship news, things are going great! 78 days to go! Wow, I don't know about you, but that number is sounding much smaller these days. I will reach (and pass) the half way point of this longest stretch away from my girlfriend next week! Of course, that makes me all smiles. Roll on Dec. 17th!

Ok, new Iwate Swan up hopefully on Friday. Until then, take it easy and we'll see you next time.
rodger

Iwate Swan 8: High School Culture Festival

Hey gang, so this week's Iwate Swan video is now up. It provides the first look at one of the schools I work at during a school festival. It was quite a lot of fun and I loved getting to see the students having such a good time.


(Iwate Swan 8: High School Culture Festival)

Strange how episode 8 of Tokyo Swan was a school festival video as well. Here's that old video from nearly 2 years ago:


(Tokyo Swan 8: Yagami Festival)

Fun to see how things have changed. I still can't get over how young I like in those old Tokyo Swan episodes hah.

Ok, well time to make dinner and then chat with my lady friend on skype which should be very nice. 83 days to go! The number is getting smaller and smaller yet again heh. Have a good one everyone, new iwate swan and j-shelf videos next week! Who knows, maybe I'll make a regular blog post in here too besides just alerting readers of my new videos haha.
rodger

J-Shelf 1: Densha Otoko

(J-Shelf 1: Densha Otoko)

Hey gang, so I started a new video series in the vein of the j-horror reviews but open to movies, music, toys, games, food and basically anything from japan. This first episode is about the Densha Otoko (train man) film. I love the movie, and I really recommend everyone check it out if they haven't already. There's a load of good train man stuff out there, so give it a look!

Truth be told, the inspiration for this video can be related back to my last post. I needed to find ways to keep busy and keep myself happy here while away from my girlfriend, so I figured I love video editing, so adding an extra video a week sounded like a great idea. It really is relaxing for me to edit the videos. Truth be told I enjoy that far more than filming videos haha.

Today has been a great day, work was awesome and I put up an English language bulletin board at work. I got a letter in the mail from Rebecca, and I also received a big box of winter clothes and other goodies from my parents. Nice!

Ok, well hope everyone is doing well! New Iwate Swan should hopefully be out tomorrow. Just waiting on the music now haha. Until then, take it easy and see you next time!
rodger

Long Distance: 8 weeks down.

Hey gang, so today i've gone 8 weeks now since the last time I saw my girlfriend. as many of you know, i've moved out to japan to teach english for a year, and the job has been going great. These first 2 months or so have been good for the most part, but I am worried that I am starting to see potential issues rise up now so I need some massive help and advice before these get too intense.

I video chat with my girlfriend on skype 2 times a day usually, when i wake up at 6:30 am (so it's 5:30 pm the previous day in boston), and at 7:00 pm here (6:00 am in the morning there). I find that when I go a day without talking it gets really difficult and I miss her like crazy. In japan, we have been on a 5 day national holiday, and i went away to visit a friend i had not seen in 14 months. He was a 3 hour train ride away, and we had a blast...but while I was planning to stay 2 nights i got so sad about missing my SO that i cut the visit a little short and left in the afternoon of the second day there so I wouldn't go another night without hearing her voice.

so, i can feel that I am being needy...and that scares me. she is also getting much busier in grad school, and i can see her being more tired and stressed out, as now she is in her 5th week of classes. so i'm trying to take her schedule into account, but i am getting the feeling that she will become too busy for me. While I don't want to detract from her studies or her sleep, I know I get sad when I can not talk with her. This time difference is so difficult, and this distance is so vast, that it really is quite the hurdle.

Trying to stay positive, as I believe being positive is the best course of action I can take, I know that we've already gotten through 8 weeks, and I know that in 85 days now I will see her again (in which we already have our tickets and everything purchased and ready).

However, she brought up last night that for her M.A. program she wants to take an intensive language lab from june 25- august 13th in which she would not have access to the internet for that entire time. when she told me about the idea, it honestly scared me because i know right now going just a day is hard for me. I told her, and i sincerely ment it, that i support her 100% in what she does and that this would be a great opportunity and really help her when she applies for her ph.d. In many ways, it is similar to the short term/ long term question we had when i came out here to japan. crap in the short term, but will help our future together in the long term.

but, when she brought it up, she could tell something was wrong. i tried explaining to her that i 110% understand and support her, but being honest it scares me and it will be tough. hopefully by then, i will be stronger and the distance will nearly be done. i talked with her a bit just now, and i made sure to bring up all of these issues...as i think we need to be honest with one another. i asked if she thought i was becoming clingy, and she paused and said that she feels there are times when i can be, but it hasn't gotten to a point where it has bothered her. i wish i could have shown her more support for her idea, she said she was upset that when she told me about it i wasn't enthusiastic, but i guess right now it just feels so hard.

when i have work, i feel fulfilled and busy, but when i have free time i don't know what to do. i have met other foreigners here, but they all seem to want to spend money on going out and drinking, and i am trying to save up for life next year with my girlfriend. i just feel so alone right now, and being seperated from my girlfriend, my family, and my friends back home is taking its toll on me. Any advice on what to do? is this a normal phase? will i get stronger? how can i show her that i support her in everything she does, just as she has always shown her support for me? any advice would be great, i really don't want this relationship to be hurt by the distance. the thought of messing this up just tears me up inside, so i really need some help. thanks!

rodger

Iwate Swan 7: Saturday Shopping

Hey gang, so this week's Iwate Swan video is out. It is a shopping video, and I hope you enjoy. This is a longer episode, I don't normally like my videos to get this long, but I thought the content was pretty good and justified the longer length.

Going to Sendai over the break here to visit Tokyo Luke! That should be really fun, I haven't seen him in over a year now. So, that will of course be filmed and I am thinking that video will come out in early October (as the next 2 videos are already filmed).

So now I'm down to 91 days until I go back home for winter break and see my girlfriend. From 141 days to 91... wow that number is just getting smaller and smaller! Actually it was going to be 148 days at first, then it was 143 days for a while, but we got the plane tickets and arranged for me to return earlier than we originally planned... nice haha.

Well, I am just listening to Pet Shop Boys here and enjoying a nice evening in (as usual). Another work week done, and now silver week is upon us. Hope everyone is doing well. More updates to come soon. Probably more musings on how time is passing and how I am doing in my long distance relationship haha. It helps to just release the feelings out into the open. But things are great and we are stronger than ever. Amazing how this experience has colored my life in Japan this time around. More on that in a later blog (and video).
rodger

The world we live in and life in general.

Hey gang, so it's been quite some time since I've updated this again, but as anybody following my exploits on youtube knows I have indeed made it back to japan again. So now I am up north in Iwate-ken and working as an assistant language teacher in three high schools and a board of education. The work has been great thus far, and I am really enjoying myself.

I guess I just needed to write some things that are on my mind however and just air out some emotions floating through my mind. I miss my girlfriend like crazy. I know, I didn't really transition into that thought all that well haha, but that probably better shows the impact of the emotions behind that statement. Being apart from her has been the most difficult thing I've ever gone through, and while I never doubt the strength of our relationship or our feelings for one another, I do get sad about not being able to see her for such a long period of time. Although, now I have my plane ticket to be back in michigan for winter break on Dec. 17th, so as of right now that is 94 days away.

I just can't wait to see her again and be able to hold her and laugh together. It will be so nice to spend time with her family again, and it will be great to have her spend more time with my family as well. Winter break is going to be amazing, and I have been counting down the days since the moment I had to say good bye to her on july 29th. Even thinking about it now tears me up.

But time is going by, and at times it feels like it is going by quickly. I mean already half way through september now, so that is pretty good progress. I can't wait to see her again.

Ok, well this post was rather personal haha. Time to go to bed as I have another day of work tomorrow. Time to wake up one day closer to the most amazing girl in the universe....
rodger