Percy progresses

I didn't knit on Percy at all yesterday.  I went straight from work (having splurged at e-beads on four shawls worth of beads as I couldn't decide on colour...and I wanted to splurge) to Japanese which was really trying.  I was exhausted from 5 hours of sanding on Wednesday evening and working really hard all day trying to get ready for an audit next week, and had a headached from a too tight ponytail.  We started our lesson with the usual long conversation in English but we did learn some new things.  Which I don't remember right now.  New vocab and a reminder of agemasu あげます　and moraimasu もらいます　which we only learnt last week so are storming forward.  There were no cakes, and no cups of tea so I may have been short tempered.  I admitted I'm not signing up for the summer course but I had assumed it wasn't running anyway. I don't feel motivated at all, which may be because I visited Japan last year and won't go again for another year. Perhaps I'll pick up in the autumn when we will be combining our class with another one.  I have found the size of the class limiting this year.

Today, I worked some extra hours and tidied up a bit, found an order from a week ago that people had been searching for on Tuesday (oops) and even admitted it to a colleague.  I didn't have lunch until after 3pm and since have been knitting and catching up on homeland and big bang theory.  My beads arrived (so fast!) and my heart fell a little when I thought that none of the four colours were suitable but actually I think I'll go with the silver lined purple ones. That leaves me black, blue and pink lined green to keep for myself.  I'm really enjoying Percy and am imagining knitting another one for myself but let's wait and see how this one turns out. 

Percy so far:
The start was a bit fiddly and although I like the result, I wonder if I picked up stitches in an unintended plane as there is a weird line. Maybe I'll pay more attention next time.

I'm using grey unicorn yarn and have 200g to work with.  I worked an extra set of Chart A - 8 repeats instead of 4 - and I think this is key to my increased enthusiasm for Chart B compared to the vomit shawl.  There are more internal repeats along each row of Chart B so I cottoned on to the pattern and it became much easier to work.  This did not happen with the vomit shawl.

I've worked rows 5-31 of Chart B so then I went on to Row 0 and it felt really out of sync.  The stitch count is right though so I'm going to have to trust it and continue.  I don't know if I'll stop at Row 27 (as in the pattern) or add another repeat.  I'm torn between enjoying it and wanting to use the new beads.

This week's classes

On Tuesday, I went to my first ever ballet class.  I had worked through half of a ballet dvd before which was just as well as the teacher assumed some prior knowledge. I worked through the first part of the class feeling pretty smug. It was by the bar (with our backs to the mirror) so I couldn't see what any of us looked like.  I kept up reasonably well until we did one exercise very quickly. My toes are very short and I'm not very coordinated but anyway, it was fine.  Then we did some dancing which I struggled with and after that the real killer was practising leaping.  It threw me straight back to rubbish dance lessons in secondary school crossed with a comment likening me to a hippo one time.  I felt quite upset after the lesson - dumpy and ashamed instead of energised and graceful.  I had a little cry at home and read some knitting patterns to cheer me up which did help.  I was pretty bemused by my negative reaction and gave myself a stern talking to about it being my first lesson, it's good for me, I'll improve etc etc.  So I'll try again next week and see how that feels.

Japanese this week, and last week, was great.  I was thinking of giving up altogether as we'd had some very slow, dull, frustrating lessons, but we're learning new things every week now.  I need to do some homework as some of the vocabulary I'd learned before xmas has slipped out of my brain.  I don't think it will take long to revise it. I'm feeling much more positive about the lessons now, whereas I had been dreading them.  I cleared up a situation with another student too which was difficult but now I can relax a bit more when I'm there.

I've submitted a pattern for consideration for Let's Knit's June issue so I'm hoping it will have a positive reaction.  It was using DyeForYarn Merino/Silk sock yarn and I'm using the leftovers to make my mum a phone cosy.  The pattern is here.

Usual programming resumes

Although it's not good news.  My Japanese classes started again last night and it was our worst turnout ever.  Three out of a possible seven or a more usual five.  It makes a small class even more frustrating.  And you might think that with so few of us, everyone would be paying attention to everything the teacher said or might be keen to contribute more often.  Nope.  I wasn't looking forward to the lesson anyway and I couldn't stop myself being grumpy.  I tried to be patient but I don't think I succeeded.  I don't know if I can keep attending the lessons as it puts me in such a bad mood.  I don't like to let other people down, and having just complained about the poor attendance, I would then be guilty of the same crime. I've already paid for the lessons and I don't like wasting money but I also don't like wasting my time or spending my time winding myself into such a bad mood.

This week's classes

I went to yoga on Tuesday and enjoyed it.  It seemed slightly easier than last week but I still need to work on my triceps if I don't want to end up nose butting the floor. Japanese last night was a challenge.  I found the room too hot, the other students frustrating and judgemental and generally was in a muff. I rushed my dinner beforehand and was thirsty so maybe it was all just a bad mood.  I've been doing my homework most days and that's really made a difference.  I can tell the time quite well and write hiragana more quickly.  I was annoyed at myself that I still struggle with あります　and where to put に and が so next week I'll make sure I shop less and sit down and eat properly.  I'll revise a few chapters this week, too.

This week's classes

On Monday, I drove to and from work and felt very fat and lazy for it.  I decided to go for a walk around the village and stopped to have a look at the local notice board.  There was an advert for a new yoga class that was starting the next day. I decided to give it a go as my street dance class isn't running this term and I haven't been for a run since the race. I'm told yoga really complements running as it stretches out all the muscles and builds core and upper body strength.  The class was really fun (and turned out to be free for the first go) so I'm going to sign up for a block.  I've been feeling for a long time my arms are puny and my core is pretty puny too.  I managed to participate in the whole class though and didn't collapse under my own body weight in downward facing dog even though we must have formed that position a hundred times.

Last night I went to my second Japanese lesson of the year.  It was very exciting as we started off with talking about food and looking at pictures of food.  These included a speciality of hiroshima, sponge cakes in the shape of maple leaves.  Maple leaves change colour to a beautiful red in Autumn and form the focus of autumn leaf watching in Japan.  Hiroshima and Miyajima are supposed to be particularly good places for koyo watching and now I know how to ask for custard filled sponge instead of the standard red bean paste flavour.  I've eaten red bean paste before and although it wasn't unpleasant enough to stop me from finishing the brioche it was hiding in, it will be nice to have the choice. 

After discussing how dangerous it is to eat rice based sweets, we were introduced to some new verbs.  eating, drinking, watching, listening, working, studying, reading, jogging.  Jogging's a good one - jogingu o shimasu.

あさごはん　を　たべます
eating breakfast

ねます
going to sleep

わたし　は　ごご　じゅじはん　に　ねます
watshi wa gogo juji han ni nemasu
I go to bed at 10.30pm.

Shimasu means to do and can be added to other words:
しごと　を　します
べんきょお　を　します　
working and studying

わたし　は　にほんご　の　べんきょお　を　します
I study Japanese!

There was plenty of vocabulary to learn and I needed to revise times too so plenty of work to be done this week.  I made a homework chart and bought stickers to motivate everyone to study every day.  i felt a bit mean for harassing Helen-san last week so hopefully this made up for it.

Last night's classes

Well it's the weekend, and a bank holiday one at that.  I am feeling really queer and have been for a few days.  I'm not sure if I'm overtired or aneamic or dehydrated or what but I feel really lethargic and queasy.  I'm self medicating with cake which may be counterproductive but it's my mum's homemade cake and she makes really good cakes. 

I woke up yesterday to my alarm like normal and shut my eyes for a moment - then woke up again to find it was 20 minutes later.  I spent the whole day yawning and trying to wake up so I wasn't sure I'd make it all the way through to dancing.  I almost didn't make it to Japanese as my license plate had fallen off the front of my car.  It had been held on with double sided tape which surprised me but apparently this is ok and can be fixed and no extra cost at my MOT appointment.

We had an all time low turnout at Japanese.  Only five people! I had to move seats and work with Dan-san and Helen-san which made me a bit nervous - I've become a terrible creature of habit.  My seat is in the corner with Salah-san and Bob-san or James-san but all three of them were absent.  keseki desu! We didn't work for very long anyway. We had cakes in the break time. I had a mini Colin the Caterpillar cake as I had chosen them especially when I was sent out to the shops. I felt like I'd been thrown out for being disruptive. Possibly, I am disruptive.

We learnt how to say I'm learning Japanese, although predictably I've forgotton! We then learnt more about positioning, saying the sofa is next to the window and so on.  In Japanese, the order of words is often the reverse of English and this was no exception.  Helen-san started saying that the book was on top of the table but Hiromi-sensei corrected her and started saying the table was under the book.  Doh! If you want to say the book is on the table you say
table, on top of, the book is.   This perturbed me greatly. 
taberu no ue ni hon ga arimasu
たべるの　うえに　ほんが　あります

I think to say there is nothing on the table is
taberu no ue ni nani mo arimasen
たべるの　うえに　なにも　ありません

And the word for flower is the same as the word for nose: hana

Well, I was feeling a bit woozy anyway so it didn't go in terribly well but we've got half term next week so there'll be time to revise.  I perked up enough to make it to dancing and I'm really glad I did. Only three of us managed to turn up! Must be something in air tonight.  The routine is really fun - slower than usual so more technical. At first I couldn't remember it at all and the teacher kept asking us to do it without him but after a few more run throughs it all flooded back.  I slept really well last night so I'm glad I went but then today I was back on a woozy/cake cycle.  I don't think the cake is actually helping so I'm making an effort to finish up all of the cake in my flat. You know, for health purposes ;)

This week's Japanese

This week at Japanese, we learnt two new verbs and how to use them: arimasu and imasu.  They are both used for existence but arimasu is for inanimate objects and imasu is for animate stuff like people and dogs.  I'm not sure if it includes plants.  For the last few weeks, we were learning how to use public transport so now once we've arrived we can ask what there is to do there.

I'm going to Nikko tomorrow.
watashi wa ashita Nikko ni  ikimasu.
わたし　は　あした　にっこう　に　いきます

What is there in Nikko?
Nikko ni nani ga arimasu ka
にっこうに　なにが　あります　か

There are large temples and shines.
Okii o-tera ya jinja ga arimasu.
大きいおてらや　じんじゃが　あります

There is a woman at the reception desk.
Uketsuke ni onna no hito ga imasu
うけつけに　おんあのひとが　います

There's quite a bit of new vocab to learn and lots to practise with the different verbs and particles.

Yesterday and buttons

Last night's classes were fun.  In Japanese, we learnt how to take a taxi somewhere, even though we'd been advised that many Tokyo taxi drivers will just get lost.  The set phrases were a little dry so we also learnt how to say put your foot down and follow that car.  Unfortuantely, the phrase for follow that car is a real mouthful and we figured it would have got away by then. I can't really remember them at the moment but I get the feeling we'll be tested on it next week so I'll have to do some homework.

Dance class was also fun.  I have some lovely friends there now and I particularly enjoyed this routine.  We were videoed but it hasn't made its way on to facebook yet.

I managed to sneak in some button shopping at lunchtime.  I didn't have the WIP with me so took a punt on three different styles in the hope that one would work.  I'm not sure that any is particularly better than the other but I really want to finish the button band so I'll use them as a guide and possibly get more later. 

Here is my lovely night before race dinner.  Chicken, spinach, courgette, red onion (it's not real cooking if you haven't fried an onion, unless it's cake) and pasta.  I have very mixed feelings about tomorrow.  Very mixed.  I've decided to add in some motivation and not let myself buy any presents (I'm thinking, Glee music, some yarn, Lego POTC for the Wii...) until after the race. Whether it's congratulations or commiserations, I'll enjoy some retail therapy.  I bought Lego POTC on the DS but left it at work.  STOOOPIIIDDDDD!!!!! I don't even know why I had it delivered to work as it would have fitted through my own postbox.  It's probably just aswell as I should focus on knitting this weekend.  I have so many things I want to finish and start!

conversation in Japanese:
ME: to the library and step on it!
toshoku onegai shimasu. motto hayaku onegai shimasu

としょく　おねがい　します　もっと　はやく　おねがい　します

Last night's classes

Yesterday was super busy Thursday. I got to my Japanese class in good time and found that the cafe would be open on Wednesday (suiyoubi) and Thursday (mokuyoubi) evenings from now on.  My classmate bought me a cupcake (cuppukeiki ?) to celebrate. We continued practising sentences involving going someplace at sometime by somemeans, and then learnt to catch the train (densha).  I have to say, the new sentence construction has stumped me slightly as I feel like I'm saying Tokyo will arrive at 3pm rather than the train will arrive in Tokyo at 3pm. It's going to take some actual practise.

What time is the next train for Nagoya?
つぎ　の　なごや　ゆき　は　なんじ　です　か
tsugi no nagoya yuki wa nan ji desu ka?

At what time does it arrive?
なんじ　に　つきます　か
nan ji ni tsukimasu ka?

Ok, so only two sentences and a couple of phrases to learn really.

After the lesson, I was chatting with another classmate and something they said to me really resonated.  At first I thought I didn't understand what they were feeling, but I realised when I got home it was exactly how I feel about certain parts of my life. 

Dance class was good fun - quite a party atmosphere and great track, Wretch 32 unorthodox. This dance seems to have a particular move that aggravates my shin (whine whine whine about your leg, that's all you do) so I'll try gentle run tomorrow. After work today (worked late again, will be rich soon)  I enjoyed an evening of tv and knitting.  Friday night tv has really picked up now I know Doctor Who is repeated.  It means I can watch at the weekend, read all the discussions on ravelry all week, then watch again and see if I see anything new.

Bank holiday weekend

I had planned a run this morning but then I thought, why rush around? It's a bank holiday, use it wisely. So I've been reading and playing de blob2 on the ds, and now I'm knitting and watching the mentalist and blogging. Perfect morning. It would be better if I didn't have a massive pile of dirty clothes on my bedroom floor that still haven't yielded my missing running bra.  Later I'm going to my sisters and might swim and watch the losers. I went for a traditional sunday afternoon rummage in blockbusters yesterday, with my younger sister, and we struck preowned dvd gold.  We could have bought about 20 dvds but between us we stuck to a more respectable 7 (with a plan to return later for more) all for £22.  After lovely dinner at my mum's, we went back to my house to watch the switch and catch up on yesterday's so you can't think but you can dance. Busy busy. I even sneaked in a trip to London yesterday morning to see my friend so I guess I should say

きの　わたし　は　ォンドン　に　いきました　
kino, watashi wa london ni ikimashita
でんしゃ　で　いきました　
densha de ikimashita (I went on the train)

I had to stand up the whole way in, so I couldn't knit or play ds and just had to watch someone else reading. I have been knitting on Flossie's cardigan and have separated the sleeves out now. I'm going to work on the body in pattern for a while longer and then switch to stripes. It shouldn't take much longer hooray hooray, so then I'll consider whether I want to write this up in more than one size.

Thanks for the interest in the phone cosy! I've updated the pattern page with some more information.  I hope you like it :)

Another crazy busy day at work

I was so tired from work today I could barely walk home in a straight line. But then, I find it difficult to walk in a straight line at the best of times ;)  So tonight I'm having a Doctor Who and Japanese catchup.  I've got my first Japanese lesson after the Easter break tomorrow and I haven't really done any homework.  I can just about remember how to say I'm going to work on the bus tomorrow:
あした　わたし　わ　しごと　に　バス　で　いきます　
Well just about, anyway.

Last night's classes

Last night's Japanese class was interrupted by a fire alarm.  Interestingly, the building where the class is held has a fire alarm on the outside of the building where members of the public can just walk up and set it off. We all had to wander outside and everyone just chatted in English so we really missed out on some learning time.  I'd actually really like to be able to speak Japanese so it wasn't like being at school and enjoying and unplanned break.   We went over the verbs to come, go and return, they present and past tenses and how to ask some questions too. I realised that I had been writing Japanese gibberish for my infrequent facebook statuses so will try some that makes sense.

On Monday, I went to London.
げつようび　わたし　は　London　に　いきました

Who did you go with?
だれ　と いきました　か

I went with my friend
ともだち　と　いきました

After Japanese, I go to a street dance class.  My mood there really varies.  Last night, I found it really tough.  It was hot and the routine was new and fast and I really struggled to feel positive. I persevered though, as this is why I haven't improved much. I just give up a bit and make smaller movements when I'm tired or grumpy.  Bearing in mind I'm trying to build up fitness, I didn't want to let myself off the hook like that. 

I've had a busy week and haven't had much chance to knit so I'm going to relax for a bit before I take on run #3.

New trick

I celebrated learning the last 8 hiragana symbols last night by learning a new trick.  I can now write hiragana in ひらがな　on the computer. That says hiragana! Hiragana is one of the writing systems used for Japanese. Unfortunately, it is rarely used on its own: it's normally used in conjuction with Katakana カタカナ　another writing system for words of foreign origin.  These two systems are relatively easy to learn.  It's a case of sitting down and memorising roughly 90 symbols and a few details on how to use them.  Things get really interesting when you start learning Kanji 寛治　which is thousands of symbols, and the system used across Japan.  I've been taking it very slowly and have only just learnt the hiragan using Let's Learn Hiragana. This is a lovely workbook which gives thorough detail on how to write the symbols and then plenty of practice for using them. You can't really learn the Japanese language using this book but there is lots of vocabulary included.

The tutorial I used for retraining my laptop was on YesJapan, a very nice website linked to a series of books that I thought I might use but only have the first one.

OK, off I go to tidy up for my sister to come and stay so we can go to our other sister's birthday drinks.  Carnage will ensue.

Treat myself

I'm learning Japanese! I've been wanting to for ages so treated myself to three teach yourself books when I'd (finally) met my deadline (a bit late). I have a writing workbook, a book with CD which is a bit serious and another book which is a combination and not too serious.

Watashi wa watashi no Nihongo no sensei desu. Which should mean I am my Japanese teacher.

Sunset from my window!