Japanese classes are getting more and more interesting-- mainly because conversations we read deal a lot more with Japanese culture. this week's conversations talk about unequal gender treatment in Japan; how many women get stuck in OL-type (office lady) clerical jobs... how it's very common for husbands to not come home for dinner after work... how male students get more opportunities to voice their own opinions.... Senseis remind us that our textbook was written in 1994 and so things are probably different today but it appears that Japan is still pretty patriachal... the OL issue reminds me of all the Jap dramas... Aki in Pride was an OL; i remb the funny GA 2 show about gung-ho office ladies... i really want to see for myself what it's really like!

sent off my Japanese homestay application yesterday.... i really hope i get it! then i'll be able to judge for myself. but Shibahara sensei also says that homestay families are usually more progressive (having received many foreigners in their homes) and so they are prob diff from the more conservative ppl in the countryside... hmm. sigh. the horrible weather makes me want to stay under my comforter all day... but Japanese is enjoyable enough to make me get out of bed. i wished i could spend more time on it though =(