NOW I'M WAITING, JUST WAITING...

今待ってる、ただ待ってる。。。

January 23 has arrived. That means that my student visa and Sapporo University applications are turned in, waiting to be sent out by international express mail to Japan today!

For the last three weeks, I have been glued to my computer, filling out pages of personal information for the Japanese government to do a background check on me and nitpicking my "Purpose of Study" essay, or running across campus scheduling meetings with loans officers and doctors and my personal banker back home... And now all of my worry fits neatly inside a manila envelope with my name on it.

Now all I can do is wait.

And I'm not exactly someone who likes being idle.

At least I can relax now and see that there's actually a world outside this process.

Life also seems much clearer after watching Ai Otsuka's newest PV, "360°" - but then again, it's hard to be confused when every other line in the lyrics includes either "merry-go-round" in English or a string of きらい's (repetitions of "I hate it")... Just like in "Planetarium," the video's artistic, creepily beautiful qualities can't be denied. There's a definite reason why she's my favorite J-pop artist right now, and it's not just the intricate piano intro.

I'd post a link to the vid, but copyright laws have forced most streaming video sites (YouTube, crunchyroll, veoh, etc.) to take it down. Sad day.