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What are your New Years resolutions?

matsumoto · 5378

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Offline matsumoto

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on: January 03, 2019, 01:21:20 PM
Share them here and cross them off as you go! I'll post mine this afternoon, still deciding on whether or not I want to lose those 5 pounds.  8)

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Offline Kasumi

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Reply #1 on: January 03, 2019, 01:22:46 PM
I have none... I am still thinking about a good resolution for 2019, but am still very indecisive.

While I'm away, read this line again...


Offline nb

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Reply #2 on: January 03, 2019, 01:50:43 PM
nothing.


positively unsure。


Offline matsumoto

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Reply #3 on: January 03, 2019, 04:14:00 PM
A few of mine, in no particular order:

> Meet the X Freaks in person!

> Improve my photography skills (I bought two new lens for my DSLR in December, now I need to be less lazy and use them to take pictures of stuff that isn’t my houseplants).

> Get to advanced (B2 or C1) level in Russian - last year I decided to go from beginners to intermediate and I made it, so… За здоро́вье comrades!

> Get to intermediate level in Japanese - this one’s gonna hurt. But hey, KANPAI motherfuckers!

> My bonsai Bob passed away mysteriously in November. Get a new bonsai. Keep it alive. Don’t call it Bob.
 
> Work out at least once in 2018. I didn’t work out a single time in 2018 or 2017, so if I manage to drag my heavy derrière to the gym at least once in 2019 that can only be an improvement, right?

> Learn how to cook. Don’t burn the kitchen in the process. Living off frozen lasagna is probably not #healthylife goals.

> Try to find a job in Japan that isn’t at a cat or maid café because #career and #adulting and stuff. Actually no, screw that. Find a job at a cat café or a maid café or scraping feet at an onsen or whatever. It can’t be worse than writing press releases about military appliances.

> I’m stressed AF all the time. My coworker who shares an office with me says just looking at me gives him anxiety. You need to chill, matsumoto. Look into some meditation sh*t or something.

> Stop being an office rat. Overtime isn't paid and sitting at my desk at 9pm on a Friday is not gonna get me any further than this. Also, make some more friends outside of work.

> Stay alive. I’m prone to freak accidents. Having my name on Wikipedia’s list of unusual deaths sounds pretty badass, but let’s save that for later.

> Believe in unicorns*


*This includes X Japan's new album.

ETA: fold more origamis!

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Offline Kasumi

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Reply #4 on: January 03, 2019, 09:06:36 PM
Woooow! You have quite an ambitious list there. I like how determined you are.  :D And I really admire your language learning skills. It's a good thing to set goals like this if you're learning something I think.

Okay! I got a goal now too! I wanna practice the piano every day. Even if sometimes just for a few minutes, but I wanna try to practice every day! No excuses.  :D

While I'm away, read this line again...


Offline nb

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Reply #5 on: January 03, 2019, 11:34:19 PM
Ling Ling 40 hours?  :P


positively unsure。


Offline pt_93

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Reply #6 on: January 04, 2019, 02:28:27 AM
Wow matsumoto is very ambitious this year! I hope you can fulfill most of that, especiallt staying alive haha
I had a cactus named cactus but he died, then I got another cactus named cactus, another one called Sue Jr and I forgot the name of the 3rd one. They actually survived for a couple of years but last year I forgot I even had cactus and somehow killed Cactus and Sue Jr. Unknown cactus still alive.

ANYWAY, my resolutions:

- Be consistent at the gym and lose weight. I always workout because I love lifting weight and I'm into powerlifting but now I want to get more fit.

- Go to Japan.

- See a Toshi or X Japan (probably Toshi) concert.

- Improve my japanese and take the N3 test (last month I took N5), since they only do it in December I might just skip to N3.

- Ride my bike to work at least 2 times a week. I do it now sometimes but I'm not consistent.

- Get accepted into the masters program I want. I'm also going to take some courses to prepare and make sure I know all the pre-requisites, it's a tough program.



Offline Kasumi

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Reply #7 on: January 04, 2019, 07:00:14 AM
Ling Ling 40 hours?  :P
Haha.  ;D Yes of course! That's the inspiration behind this.

But seriously I realized that as long as you do constant practice (even if just a few minutes daily) you make progress. And I've been very inconsistent lately...
« Last Edit: January 04, 2019, 12:22:02 PM by Kasumi »

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Offline nb

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Reply #8 on: January 04, 2019, 08:00:31 AM
EAT
SLEEP
PRACTICE
REPEAT

or say it in musicians terms:



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Offline matsumoto

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Reply #9 on: January 04, 2019, 09:36:22 AM
I had a cactus named cactus but he died, then I got another cactus named cactus, another one called Sue Jr and I forgot the name of the 3rd one. They actually survived for a couple of years but last year I forgot I even had cactus and somehow killed Cactus and Sue Jr. Unknown cactus still alive.

Oh noooooo, we're plant killers, this can't be good for our karma.  :-[
I almost cried when Bob the Bonsai died. He was getting drier and drier but I kept feeding it water and that special green bonsai fluid thingie but he wasn't getting any better so I took him to the bonsai shop. The guy looked at it and declared it dead on the spot. I felt like a disaster human being.

- Improve my japanese and take the N3 test (last month I took N5), since they only do it in December I might just skip to N3.

Kanpaaaaai! Aiming for N3 too by the end of the year. It seemed doable at first but now I'm really struggling to memorise the 50+ new words/week our teacher hands out. She's super fast-paced. How long have you been learning Japanese?

Okay! I got a goal now too! I wanna practice the piano every day. Even if sometimes just for a few minutes, but I wanna try to practice every day! No excuses.  :D

Kasumi, play some X on the piano and post videos!




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Offline Kasumi

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Reply #10 on: January 04, 2019, 12:24:05 PM

Okay! I got a goal now too! I wanna practice the piano every day. Even if sometimes just for a few minutes, but I wanna try to practice every day! No excuses.  :D

Kasumi, play some X on the piano and post videos!
If I play any X songs this year, I will post a video.  :) Promised.

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Offline nb

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Reply #11 on: January 04, 2019, 12:43:15 PM
nd of the year. It seemed doable at first but now I'm really struggling to memorise the 50+ new words/week our teacher hands out. She's super fast-paced. How long have you been learning Japanese?

Okay! I got a goal now too! I wanna practice the piano every day. Even if sometimes just for a few minutes, but I wanna try to practice every day! No excuses.  :D

Kasumi, play some X on the piano and post videos!

You didn't do your homework, do you? Kasumi already posted a video on the forum while she is playing an X song.  :P


positively unsure。


Offline matsumoto

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Reply #12 on: January 04, 2019, 12:54:50 PM
Oooooh? Really? Link plz!

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Offline nb

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Reply #13 on: January 04, 2019, 01:06:06 PM


positively unsure。


Offline pt_93

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Reply #14 on: January 05, 2019, 03:33:14 AM
I had a cactus named cactus but he died, then I got another cactus named cactus, another one called Sue Jr and I forgot the name of the 3rd one. They actually survived for a couple of years but last year I forgot I even had cactus and somehow killed Cactus and Sue Jr. Unknown cactus still alive.

Oh noooooo, we're plant killers, this can't be good for our karma.  :-[
I almost cried when Bob the Bonsai died. He was getting drier and drier but I kept feeding it water and that special green bonsai fluid thingie but he wasn't getting any better so I took him to the bonsai shop. The guy looked at it and declared it dead on the spot. I felt like a disaster human being.

- Improve my japanese and take the N3 test (last month I took N5), since they only do it in December I might just skip to N3.

Kanpaaaaai! Aiming for N3 too by the end of the year. It seemed doable at first but now I'm really struggling to memorise the 50+ new words/week our teacher hands out. She's super fast-paced. How long have you been learning Japanese?


RIP Bob The Bonsai, Cactus The Cactus, Cactus The 2nd, Sue Jr. and X Japan fans' hopes and dreams.

Do you use flashcards? I use the Anki app, it helps me A LOT with memorization. I've taken classes for about 10 months.



Offline Kasumi

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Reply #15 on: January 05, 2019, 11:45:51 AM
As for learning Japanese... I really would like to take lessons as well, but no time right now. I used to learn a bit on my own. Last year I learned a lot with the App "Lingodeer", but it does not have flash cards and you can't really learn to write the Kanji. Sooo... I searched for additional Apps and discovered "Kanji Tree". It actually has a lot to offer. You can practice reading, writing, etc. Take a look for yourself.

While I'm away, read this line again...


Offline nb

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Reply #16 on: January 08, 2019, 05:32:52 PM
There area few Japanese apps at the f-droid market which are completely free and without adds.

But I think Lingodeer is really not bad and a good starting point.

What do you think?


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Offline nb

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Reply #17 on: January 08, 2019, 05:37:39 PM

> Try to find a job in Japan that isn’t at a cat or maid café because #career and #adulting and stuff. Actually no, screw that. Find a job at a cat café or a maid café or scraping feet at an onsen or whatever. It can’t be worse than writing press releases about military appliances.


Is it rude to say that they are searching for foreigner Hostesses a lot? Even in massage Parlours.
Maybe someday you'll serv Yoshiki  ;D


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Offline pt_93

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Reply #18 on: January 09, 2019, 02:56:26 AM
But I think Lingodeer is really not bad and a good starting point.

Never used it.

I also want to search for a job in Japan but first I want to improve my japanese and finish my masters. I want a job in engineering / data science because I know I'm unable to do anything else, in my sister's words: "You're only smart for engineering. You're stupid for every other areas of life"



Offline matsumoto

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Reply #19 on: January 09, 2019, 09:29:44 AM
Is it rude to say that they are searching for foreigner Hostesses a lot? Even in massage Parlours.
Maybe someday you'll serv Yoshiki  ;D

Hahaha nope, not rude at all. I'm serious when I say I wouldn't mind doing the maid café thing!
As for serving Yoshiki, nah man, you need to be a registered geriatric nurse to serve 50+ year olds, if you know what I mean  ;D

I also want to search for a job in Japan but first I want to improve my japanese and finish my masters. I want a job in engineering / data science because I know I'm unable to do anything else, in my sister's words: "You're only smart for engineering. You're stupid for every other areas of life"

Yey! Maybe one day we'll Toshi concerts together my kween!

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Offline nb

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Reply #20 on: January 09, 2019, 10:16:45 AM
But I think Lingodeer is really not bad and a good starting point.

Never used it.


can you just try it for about 30 minutes? I really want to know what people think about it that are taking real Japanese lessons.

maybe Matsumoto too.

As for books I'm using "Japanese from Zero". it's an English book for schools.


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Offline pt_93

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Reply #21 on: January 09, 2019, 11:11:12 AM
Okay I will give it a try



Offline Kasumi

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Reply #22 on: January 09, 2019, 12:19:33 PM

I also want to search for a job in Japan but first I want to improve my japanese and finish my masters. I want a job in engineering / data science because I know I'm unable to do anything else, in my sister's words: "You're only smart for engineering. You're stupid for every other areas of life"

Yey! Maybe one day we'll Toshi concerts together my kween!
If you both go and live in Japan we expect regular concert reports/reviews from you!  ;D

While I'm away, read this line again...


Offline nb

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Reply #23 on: January 09, 2019, 01:00:03 PM
... and - of course - we are staying at your place very often :P


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Offline hatsor

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Reply #24 on: January 09, 2019, 10:12:16 PM
Since this is the first time I'm posting in the forum, forgive me any mistakes please  ;D I enjoyed reading everyone's resolutions and they are also kindof motivating as well.

So here goes my resolutions for this year, hopefully I'm not too late with this post:

  • - Practice more piano. I've been slacking off for the past year, since, at the beginning of the year, I had to let go of someone toxic who I was attached to so I lost all my motivation to do most things, but it's getting better ;D
  • - Go to the ophthalmologist and get some glasses, I notice that my vision from afar is starting to get worse.
  • - Start dressing in a more 'formal' way, even if just sometimes, and not just use black hoodies with black denim jackets everyday, for most of the year.
  • - Finish my current to read books, which includes War and Peace, LOTR 50th Year Anniversary Edition, Foundation Trilogy, Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, Hyperion, The Slow Regard Of Silent Things, 'Os Maias' and 'O Livro Do Desassossego', along a few others.
  • - Start to post more on the forum
  • - Get a motorcycle license and then work towards car license.
  • - Start to work on myself and try to be overall more happy

That's quite the list, I focused only on the biggest and most important things in my opinion.
I'm quite fascinated that a lot of you are learning new languages and that's awesome, I've thought of trying to learn either German or Norwegian and then work my way to Old Norse but I just don't have the time currently, maybe if I played less games, but that's not gonna happen soon I think  ;D

I know not what tomorrow will bring. - F.P.


Offline pt_93

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Reply #25 on: January 10, 2019, 02:41:31 AM
I didn’t know you played piano! Yes, that is quite a list. I can relate on the dressing part, since a couple of years ago I started to put more variety in my clothes lol Good luck with your goals! I’m curious, is there any reason why you want to learn norwegian?

P.S: nb, I finally have some time tonight which I was going to use to read but I’ll review LingoDeer for you instead.

EDIT: I’m done but I will write about it tomorrow
« Last Edit: January 10, 2019, 03:15:38 AM by pt_93 »



Offline matsumoto

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Reply #26 on: January 10, 2019, 09:05:52 PM
You've got some great ones there, Hatsor!

  • - Finish my current to read books, which includes War and Peace, LOTR 50th Year Anniversary Edition, Foundation Trilogy, Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, Hyperion, The Slow Regard Of Silent Things, 'Os Maias' and 'O Livro Do Desassossego', along a few others.

I read the ones in bold. The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy is one of my favourite books ever. You'll roll on the floor laughing reading that one, it's super funny! I had to read Os Maias when I was in high school in Portugal and didn't like it. I find Eça de Queiroz kind of overrated. Fernando Pessoa (and his alter-egos) are amazing though.

  • - Get a motorcycle license and then work towards car license.

YEY! Join the Moto (Guzzi) club!

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Offline hatsor

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Reply #27 on: January 10, 2019, 09:24:37 PM
Quote
I didn’t know you played piano! Yes, that is quite a list. I can relate on the dressing part, since a couple of years ago I started to put more variety in my clothes lol Good luck with your goals! I’m curious, is there any reason why you want to learn norwegian?


I do, but I'm still not that good at it, it's hard to find a teacher with my current schedule unfortunately  :-\ The greatest luck with your goals as well! Relating the Norwegian bit, it's just a place that fascinates me a lot, specially the history that it has behind it. I'm a sucker for history and mythology  :D Granted that there's lots of other places like that that I find interesting, but Norway is probably one that I have a higher chance of visiting. Japan for example, with my current income would be really difficult to visit, even though it's the place that at the moment I would like to visit the most. Scandinavia on the other hand is a bit more manageable.


I read the ones in bold. The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy is one of my favourite books ever. You'll roll on the floor laughing reading that one, it's super funny! I had to read Os Maias when I was in high school in Portugal and didn't like it. I find Eça de Queiroz kind of overrated. Fernando Pessoa (and his alter-egos) are amazing though.

  • - Get a motorcycle license and then work towards car license.

YEY! Join the Moto (Guzzi) club!

That's awesome, I've heard so good about Hitchiker's, and hearing one more positive opinion on the book makes me really wanna read it next, specially because everyone says it's so hilarious  :D Indeed Fernando Pessoa was a genius in my opinon, I really enjoy his works. If I may ask, what did you think about War and Peace? It's a big book and not many people have gone through reading it so props to you! I hope I can manage it

You're a biker? That's awesome! I'm still not sure on which motorcycle I'm gonna get but I have some ideas  :D


I know not what tomorrow will bring. - F.P.


Offline pt_93

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Reply #28 on: January 13, 2019, 12:38:18 AM
ahh I see. I'm also very interested in mythology, I hope you can start your norwegian venture soon!

Okay, now about LingoDeer, finally. I tried all the free lessons I could and the thing is, *I* am not very good with these apps, I feel for an absolute beginner is better than nothing but I wouldn't be able to learn this way but this is just my perspective. I feel like it's too unstructured and I think you should have a little more structure when you're learning something like japanese, for example, I noticed in the first lesson they'd throw in kanjis before you even had the chance to study kanji and I think stuff like that can throw people off. Besides you have to pay to get most of it. Then again, maybe I'm just biased  :-X

Anyway, I think a better alternative is to use other resources online, which are free. Anki, or your prefered flashcard app, is a good way to learn kanji and some vocabulary, there're already some very good anki packs online. Also books and other things you can use. I will leave a few links here with a HUGE amount of resources

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B8ypQq1OGxKEUUxYbFZsLVFHX2M
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1amr94hPx3H5R5_34lZq4A_zMLATmyVPC
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GqfUoK9A3lIqmoh4jp1e8zMTxSPSeqTp8IiJyxcM_zs/edit#gid=0