Yes. the toilets are animated.
I was tired. I meant automated, sorry! xD
(just click!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YEEGfPh2bM
Day one, second half.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MigMZkOw9nY
Day 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMz3QEyp-fU
Day 4 !!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPjx38qPtmk
So thats all the videos I've made! I'm not sure if I'm going to keep doing videos or type things out yet, but anyways, Check my facebook for photos! <3 Chelsea Marie McElligatt for those of you who don't have me added.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The Metamorphism
I thought that perhaps I should have one blog thing up before I leave for Toyama so that this doesn't sit here empty and unsued.
9 Days
Yeah, that's all I have left here in the states, and to tell you the truth the sun can't go across the sky fast enough. Oddly, I'm not nervous. Not even a little bit. I'm just super excited.
I've been waiting for this opportunity since 9th grade when I learned about rotary foreign exchange program. I was hooked the first meeting I went to. It sounded so cool and all; learning a new language and culture and making foreign friends. I wasn't even daunted by the 'whole year' factor. I even religiously attended all the information meetings even though I knew I wasn't going that year. I wanted to show my parents that I wanted this, like I really really wanted this, and honestly - I thought I'd never be allowed to go. "A year is a long time." - "I don't think you're responsible enough for this, Chelsea" and you know what. I a year is a long time and no, I wasn't responsible enough. And when I found out in September that rotary had put an age cap on how old you can be when you go away, I was completely devastated. "I'd have to go this year. I can't do that! It’s my senior year. I was expecting to go next year! How am I going to convince my parents?!"
Ah, my parents. That was going to be the hurtle to overcome. They knew I wanted to go, yeah, we had been saving here and there too - but this was a year ahead of schedule and I had no idea how to convince them.
You want to know something funny? I don't even know how I did it. I just went to the next meeting after a brief talk. I almost think that they knew that they weren’t going to be able to stop me. I wanted this more than a little girl wants a pony for Christmas! Trust me, that’s saying something cause I was once that little hopeful little girl.
The applications were not as painless as I thought they would be. You had 2 pages to answer a ton of questions about yourself. I wrote five pages... and had to condense it by a lot. That essay was so hard to write. I was that eager to impress, I wanted this trip to happen so badly that I had never been more proud of my knowledge on Microsoft word in changing font size and text and manipulating the borders of the page so that I could fit more in that what was really allowed on a page. But hey, they did say "2 pages."
Then the interviews arrived. Oh yes, we all loved those interviews. I had the rotex room first. Something that’s hard to explain to non-rotary applicants, but I will say their goal is to make you angry, frustrated and possibly cry. I was shaking before I entered the room. I had heard the rumors about this room - and I'm proud to say that for some merciful act of god, I thought the room was a breeze.
I was still nervous though, I had never shaken so hard in my life. I remember clearly that there was a room with just me and a student who had gone before and that it was a very relax simple question room. She told me I didn't have to be nervous, and I figured that out pretty quickly in there. But calming down was not something my body wanted to do. I was so afraid that she would think I had a medical problem; I kept having little convulsions and spazzes every few seconds. I felt so stupid, talking to her as calmly as I could and then having my shoulder randomly freak out. ... I'm glad she didn't comment on it, just kept reassuring me that I didn't need to be nervous in this room. But I guess that means she noticed huh. Darn...
And that was that. The dreaded interviews were finally over and all I could do was hope and wait and hope some more that whoever was up in the deep blue beyond would be kind enough to let me pass.
Thinking back on this, want to know something else that’s funny? Well of course you do. Don't lie.
I wanted to go to Japan since I got into High school. Yeah, weird huh? I can't explain why I was so strongly pulled to the country, I just... was. The language fascinated me for some reason. By the time I was in 11 grade, my iPod had been consumed by Japanese rock music. Jrock it was called and I had more Japanese songs on my iPod than I did English. I still do. 300 to 100 I'd say. My favorite band is the GazettE. They dress in what is called Visual Key, and yeah, it’s really weird. But I've grown to love it to death, so I don't really care that mother thinks it's weird. I got more songs on my iPod after I discovered other bands like the GazettE. An upbeat band called Alice Nine and another called LM.C. Oh! and Gackt! He's so popular over there that he has been in a ton of commercials and --- Oh dear... I'm getting off topic. Sorry haha I just get excited when someone will listen to me rant on about this. It’s not every day you find someone interested in it.
Ahem. I had my doubts about if I would get in or not. And as the date grew closer to when we would be getting my letters, something change. I knew it. I knew that I was going away. And not only did I know that, but I knew I was going to go to Japan. My first choice on my list of five countries. (I can say that I would have been majorly disappointed if I didn't get Japan. But I would have still gone I think. Just wouldn't be as excited. (( Sorry Rotary, I know that this is supposed to be an ' you're going to go somewhere, you just don't know where, and that’s the point.' )) )
Not many people get there first choice. The thing with rotary is that you can put all the countries you want to to down on that paper, but they place you with where they think you'll have the best experience. The whole country thing is just to get us hyped up I think, more taken into consideration last than anything.
During a day at school, Seth (a senior) - sadly one of the boys who didn't get in - saw me in the hall and yelled to me saying that our little group had gotten letters in the mail. They had their parent’s call them, and they had found out if they had gotten in or not and where. Typical of where I live, my mail didn't get to my house till five pm. Lets just say the day was long and that my mail box was the receiving end of a steak out.
And when that letter came. God. I knew it. I knew I had gotten in. My grandfather in the car ride home kept saying that I may not get in I may not get in. (Can you believe he KNEW that I was accepted and going to Japan and was still telling me that?!) I told him I did. Over and over and over again I did. And when I opened that letter, when I saw the bolded letters that spelled out Japan I freaked out. JAPAN! I was going! I made it and I was going and all my effort and the interviews and all the waiting was over and oh. My. God.
The first thing I did was call my best friend Emily. (I'll miss you dearly Reirei!) And then my aunt and then went down the line till I was naming off distant family members that I could call just because I could and that I WAS GOING.
--------------
Things took awhile to calm down after that. I told everyone proudly in the hall ways that I was going. My teachers and anyone who would listen. (Haha and a few months later on I'd roll my eyes when Grandma would excitedly tell the dressing room lady that I was going to Japan and that’s why I was shopping here today. Ironic, no? Apparently I wasn't the only one proud of myself.)
Oh man - These past few months took forever to pass. But I had the monthly rotary meetings to keep me going.
This is where the unconfident, pretending to be outgoing, irresponsible girl turned around and opened her eyes and blossomed into something she never thought she would be. I'm responsible enough to go away on my own for a year and represent my country. I am responsible enough to take care of myself and go travel 25 hours to Japan. I think back on pre-interview days and remember a fellow student commenting on how "These interviews are going to be hard for you since they only except outgoing students for Asian countries. Especially Japan..." because I was just so...shy. That’s when I made sure at my interviews to be very outgoing and confident, even though I was neither. (That’s not cheating....right...?) Hahaha so that’s how badly I wanted to go to Japan! I was willing to... stretch the truth of my personality a bit.
Funny, I guess I really was outgoing and confident deep down under because that’s how I am now. Ready to tackle the language barrier and look like an idiot trying to pronounce 'where is the toilet' and I'm telling you, The girl back in her first year of 11 grade would have searched for 20 minutes to find that bathroom instead of asking it in Japanese. I may have thought I was pretending at my interview, but I wasn't. It was there, all of it was there - it just needed some prodding at to come out of its shell. It just needed some rotary games and confidence building activities and language activities and rotary friends and screwing up but laughing at it with everyone else and BAM there it was. Happy, outgoing, confident and ready to tackle anything. It was there all along, and I doubt that without rotary and everything I learned and did and took part in, I wouldn't be who I am right now. I wish every kid in the world could do what I am doing. Given the chance to pull out their personality that’s hiding behind the wall of 'wanting to be accepted' and 'what’s expected' and 'someone else will do it.' and other things that hinder us from discovering who we really are. I love who I am and I have no ' lets sit back and watch and see what happens cause someone else will play leader' because I want to be that leader! I can do that now. I can do anything. And 'I’m more proud of myself that even my parents can be.
So current day now I guess. I've been sick for the past week. Horrible cold. It’s the worst I've had in a while. I hope to god that I am okay by the time I leave. I've been taking everything under the sun to help speed this up. It's viral though so I just have to wait for it to take its course.
I order yen today. Every single bank around here has stopped providing yen travelers checks so I had I have to take yen on me. I opened up my checking account for my debt card. Stocked up on all of the wonderful vitamins and medications I need to bring with me and I got one of those gorgeous books from Mr. McCarthy’s photo place of the Finger Lakes for my Rotary Club. (Toyama South District 2610) And it weighs a lot, but will fit into my carry on nicely so it's not too much of a problem.
I have all the clothes I need to bring; we got those sometime in July. Currently we are just finishing up little things that I need to get done. I'm so anxious I just want tomorrow to be the 20th! I know it will come soon enough though. So for now I just count down the days and prepare myself the best I can.
9 Days
Yeah, that's all I have left here in the states, and to tell you the truth the sun can't go across the sky fast enough. Oddly, I'm not nervous. Not even a little bit. I'm just super excited.
I've been waiting for this opportunity since 9th grade when I learned about rotary foreign exchange program. I was hooked the first meeting I went to. It sounded so cool and all; learning a new language and culture and making foreign friends. I wasn't even daunted by the 'whole year' factor. I even religiously attended all the information meetings even though I knew I wasn't going that year. I wanted to show my parents that I wanted this, like I really really wanted this, and honestly - I thought I'd never be allowed to go. "A year is a long time." - "I don't think you're responsible enough for this, Chelsea" and you know what. I a year is a long time and no, I wasn't responsible enough. And when I found out in September that rotary had put an age cap on how old you can be when you go away, I was completely devastated. "I'd have to go this year. I can't do that! It’s my senior year. I was expecting to go next year! How am I going to convince my parents?!"
Ah, my parents. That was going to be the hurtle to overcome. They knew I wanted to go, yeah, we had been saving here and there too - but this was a year ahead of schedule and I had no idea how to convince them.
You want to know something funny? I don't even know how I did it. I just went to the next meeting after a brief talk. I almost think that they knew that they weren’t going to be able to stop me. I wanted this more than a little girl wants a pony for Christmas! Trust me, that’s saying something cause I was once that little hopeful little girl.
The applications were not as painless as I thought they would be. You had 2 pages to answer a ton of questions about yourself. I wrote five pages... and had to condense it by a lot. That essay was so hard to write. I was that eager to impress, I wanted this trip to happen so badly that I had never been more proud of my knowledge on Microsoft word in changing font size and text and manipulating the borders of the page so that I could fit more in that what was really allowed on a page. But hey, they did say "2 pages."
Then the interviews arrived. Oh yes, we all loved those interviews. I had the rotex room first. Something that’s hard to explain to non-rotary applicants, but I will say their goal is to make you angry, frustrated and possibly cry. I was shaking before I entered the room. I had heard the rumors about this room - and I'm proud to say that for some merciful act of god, I thought the room was a breeze.
I was still nervous though, I had never shaken so hard in my life. I remember clearly that there was a room with just me and a student who had gone before and that it was a very relax simple question room. She told me I didn't have to be nervous, and I figured that out pretty quickly in there. But calming down was not something my body wanted to do. I was so afraid that she would think I had a medical problem; I kept having little convulsions and spazzes every few seconds. I felt so stupid, talking to her as calmly as I could and then having my shoulder randomly freak out. ... I'm glad she didn't comment on it, just kept reassuring me that I didn't need to be nervous in this room. But I guess that means she noticed huh. Darn...
And that was that. The dreaded interviews were finally over and all I could do was hope and wait and hope some more that whoever was up in the deep blue beyond would be kind enough to let me pass.
Thinking back on this, want to know something else that’s funny? Well of course you do. Don't lie.
I wanted to go to Japan since I got into High school. Yeah, weird huh? I can't explain why I was so strongly pulled to the country, I just... was. The language fascinated me for some reason. By the time I was in 11 grade, my iPod had been consumed by Japanese rock music. Jrock it was called and I had more Japanese songs on my iPod than I did English. I still do. 300 to 100 I'd say. My favorite band is the GazettE. They dress in what is called Visual Key, and yeah, it’s really weird. But I've grown to love it to death, so I don't really care that mother thinks it's weird. I got more songs on my iPod after I discovered other bands like the GazettE. An upbeat band called Alice Nine and another called LM.C. Oh! and Gackt! He's so popular over there that he has been in a ton of commercials and --- Oh dear... I'm getting off topic. Sorry haha I just get excited when someone will listen to me rant on about this. It’s not every day you find someone interested in it.
Ahem. I had my doubts about if I would get in or not. And as the date grew closer to when we would be getting my letters, something change. I knew it. I knew that I was going away. And not only did I know that, but I knew I was going to go to Japan. My first choice on my list of five countries. (I can say that I would have been majorly disappointed if I didn't get Japan. But I would have still gone I think. Just wouldn't be as excited. (( Sorry Rotary, I know that this is supposed to be an ' you're going to go somewhere, you just don't know where, and that’s the point.' )) )
Not many people get there first choice. The thing with rotary is that you can put all the countries you want to to down on that paper, but they place you with where they think you'll have the best experience. The whole country thing is just to get us hyped up I think, more taken into consideration last than anything.
During a day at school, Seth (a senior) - sadly one of the boys who didn't get in - saw me in the hall and yelled to me saying that our little group had gotten letters in the mail. They had their parent’s call them, and they had found out if they had gotten in or not and where. Typical of where I live, my mail didn't get to my house till five pm. Lets just say the day was long and that my mail box was the receiving end of a steak out.
And when that letter came. God. I knew it. I knew I had gotten in. My grandfather in the car ride home kept saying that I may not get in I may not get in. (Can you believe he KNEW that I was accepted and going to Japan and was still telling me that?!) I told him I did. Over and over and over again I did. And when I opened that letter, when I saw the bolded letters that spelled out Japan I freaked out. JAPAN! I was going! I made it and I was going and all my effort and the interviews and all the waiting was over and oh. My. God.
The first thing I did was call my best friend Emily. (I'll miss you dearly Reirei!) And then my aunt and then went down the line till I was naming off distant family members that I could call just because I could and that I WAS GOING.
--------------
Things took awhile to calm down after that. I told everyone proudly in the hall ways that I was going. My teachers and anyone who would listen. (Haha and a few months later on I'd roll my eyes when Grandma would excitedly tell the dressing room lady that I was going to Japan and that’s why I was shopping here today. Ironic, no? Apparently I wasn't the only one proud of myself.)
Oh man - These past few months took forever to pass. But I had the monthly rotary meetings to keep me going.
This is where the unconfident, pretending to be outgoing, irresponsible girl turned around and opened her eyes and blossomed into something she never thought she would be. I'm responsible enough to go away on my own for a year and represent my country. I am responsible enough to take care of myself and go travel 25 hours to Japan. I think back on pre-interview days and remember a fellow student commenting on how "These interviews are going to be hard for you since they only except outgoing students for Asian countries. Especially Japan..." because I was just so...shy. That’s when I made sure at my interviews to be very outgoing and confident, even though I was neither. (That’s not cheating....right...?) Hahaha so that’s how badly I wanted to go to Japan! I was willing to... stretch the truth of my personality a bit.
Funny, I guess I really was outgoing and confident deep down under because that’s how I am now. Ready to tackle the language barrier and look like an idiot trying to pronounce 'where is the toilet' and I'm telling you, The girl back in her first year of 11 grade would have searched for 20 minutes to find that bathroom instead of asking it in Japanese. I may have thought I was pretending at my interview, but I wasn't. It was there, all of it was there - it just needed some prodding at to come out of its shell. It just needed some rotary games and confidence building activities and language activities and rotary friends and screwing up but laughing at it with everyone else and BAM there it was. Happy, outgoing, confident and ready to tackle anything. It was there all along, and I doubt that without rotary and everything I learned and did and took part in, I wouldn't be who I am right now. I wish every kid in the world could do what I am doing. Given the chance to pull out their personality that’s hiding behind the wall of 'wanting to be accepted' and 'what’s expected' and 'someone else will do it.' and other things that hinder us from discovering who we really are. I love who I am and I have no ' lets sit back and watch and see what happens cause someone else will play leader' because I want to be that leader! I can do that now. I can do anything. And 'I’m more proud of myself that even my parents can be.
So current day now I guess. I've been sick for the past week. Horrible cold. It’s the worst I've had in a while. I hope to god that I am okay by the time I leave. I've been taking everything under the sun to help speed this up. It's viral though so I just have to wait for it to take its course.
I order yen today. Every single bank around here has stopped providing yen travelers checks so I had I have to take yen on me. I opened up my checking account for my debt card. Stocked up on all of the wonderful vitamins and medications I need to bring with me and I got one of those gorgeous books from Mr. McCarthy’s photo place of the Finger Lakes for my Rotary Club. (Toyama South District 2610) And it weighs a lot, but will fit into my carry on nicely so it's not too much of a problem.
I have all the clothes I need to bring; we got those sometime in July. Currently we are just finishing up little things that I need to get done. I'm so anxious I just want tomorrow to be the 20th! I know it will come soon enough though. So for now I just count down the days and prepare myself the best I can.
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