It’s funny how it goes sometimes. Basically since I got to Japan, my girlfriend and I have been doing stuff non-stop every time we meet. Not always useful, must-do stuff, but also things like going to the movies, or sightseeing Kyoto (which has a lot to offer in the sightseeing department, especially temples) or, at that, sightseeing other parts of Japan. We’ve always felt that since we can’t meet that often — I have studies, she has work — we should treasure the time that we can meet.
We’ve had this mindset since I got here, and then we both realized that we need to take time to “nothing” as well. It’s important, that elusive “nothing”, but you easily forget it’s there.
Yesterday me and my girlfriend basically met up around lunch time and then hung at my place the whole day, with no plans or deadlines or things to do other than making dinner, which was fun — I had found a recipe for making potato au gratin in the microwave oven which we tried out together (I have no real oven) and it worked out extremely well. I was skeptical but yes, it did turn out into a gooey mess of goodness (which we’ve come up with improvements for, for the next time we crave that sort of thing). We hung out and had no plans, and it was precisely the thing we both needed. Relaxing and not having to hurry was something that we’ve seen way too little of recently in our relationship.
The deliciousness of our potatoes aside, from here on we’ll be sure to take that elusive “nothing” into account. An obvious thing I suppose, but easily forgotten perhaps.
Good post, and so true. I am a definite believer that one of the biggest parts of what makes two people work together as a couple is being able to spend time doing absolutely nothing together, and still enjoying it, being comfortable in the “nothingness” and not getting bored.
I’ve had a couple of (short) relationships where we *only* worked as a couple when we were busy doing things. As soon as we stopped and tried to do nothing we got fidgety and bored and just struggled. Needless to say that’s one of the reasons why they were short-lived
On a side note, I haven’t caught up with you much recently. And I haven’t been doing my iKnow. Needless to say I’m still dying for my school to finish (just less than 8 weeks until graduation!) so I can have more time for my own studies. I hope your studies are still going strong!
Hehe, I’d be lying if I said things are progressing smoothly. I’ve been neglecting my studies quite a bit since the JLPT, not doing homework properly, and such. For various reasons — like the fact I’ve picked programming up again, which is something I have hiatused (is that even a word?) from for nearly two years, so I’m having a lot of fun with that, and I’ve been doing stuff aside from schoolwork a little more than before.
In fact I wrote a schedule for what I should do before I “move on to other stuff” every day (except for Tuesdays, when I don’t get home until ~10 pm due to work), and in return, once I’ve done the stuff on the list, I will not even glance at homework afterwards, except when we have biggish tests and similar.
Glad I’m not the only one neglecting studies since the JLPT then!
As I’ve said before though, I think perhaps once you get to a certain level in a language and are able to progress by your own studies alone, there is a good chance of becoming disillusioned with going to school every day and then *having* to do homework you don’t want to do.
Anyway at the moment we are all having to write a speech for the yearly speech contest next month. I hate speeches and presentations and that whole ‘in front of everybody’ thing, so I’m dreading it. I’ve at least chosen a subject I like (和食) so hopefully I can remember it a bit easier.
Do you have any sort of speech contest at your school?
Oh, gosh… you know, I am sitting here working on that speech contest homework myself, as we speak. They say schools are roughly the same throughout Japan and they seem to be right. I suppose every school out there is prepping their students for the speech contest — it’s good advertisement for the schools, I suppose?
Anyway, yeah, I’m working on it *as we speak* — writing about 少子化. It’s fun, actually, but yeah, I don’t think I want to enter that contest — luckily only one from each class will ultimately go.
Perhaps its time to quit programming for the while? I know how obsessed you can become with it.
Ps. my server is down, this is due to me renovating the “klädkammare” where it is stationed and my apartment looks like fallujah at the moment.
I think I’ll be fine — after all I’m dumping buckets of cash into this education. I’m not about to let myself fail.
Failure is _ALWAYS_ an option.
Doing nothing is the best activity! Usually what me and my girfriend does every weekend. Drinking tea and hanging out at home and considering doing some cleaning but of some reason it always seems too troublesome. The best thing about doing nothing is that it gets boring after a while which often leads to sex
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And I figured it was only at my school where everybody’s motivation has dropped heavily after the JLPT! I’m getting kind of tired of hearing everyone in my class complaining on how boring school is though. Don’t understand why people spend lots of money on an education that they don’t seem to be interested in? I’m trying my best to keep my motivation up at least. Keeping myself busy with planning for moving back to Sweden, doing japanese-english translations baito etc as well. Oh and they’re making us do speeches as well. Usually just short 3 minutes speeches which we’ll have to prepare from one day to the next. Also planning to start studying Swedish in february for the ‘högskoleprovet’ which is just a few days after I get back to Sweden..
Hello~
I like doing nothing as well. Sometimes, planning is too tedious and I find that on-the-spot outings work the best. Of course, planning is sometimes necessary, and it’s for the better at times xP. Enjoying each others company & presence is the best.
Yummy potatoes!
I hope you are well.
I’m good!
Still waiting for the results for the JLPT though. I’m honestly clueless as to how it went. Hopefully it went better than the speech contest my school had this friday. *shudders* That was pure failure right there.