Words from an Irishman on his way home...

Monday 5 February 2007

Will I lay down in Leiden?

I went through a weird mini-depression today.
Yesterday was so great, such an inspiring cultural feast. And then today I wake up and I just want to hide under the covers. I slept a healthy eight hours over night. Then slept again for another two hours in the early afternoon. Then slept a couple more hours in the early evening. And not your lovely refreshing cat-nap sleep. Deadening, headachy, waking-up-in-mud exhaustion. It was like having a sick day without being sick.
I'm sure it's just a reaction to waiting for these bloody test results. How can it possibly take the government almost three months to correct and publish our certification exams? I think I've been doing a great job of convincing myself it's all pointless and unimportant during the day. Then night rolls in, and my subconscious takes over, and I fret and fuss the night away. Hence the tiredness.
Anyway, when trying to get out of a depression I think action is key. Some action. Any action. I hate feeling powerless and controlled above all else.
Finding a non-English-speaking job here in Japan WITHOUT my certification is daunting. Plus, I'm still not sure I want to stay in Japan. Events of the year so far have made me think more and more about having family and friends in close proximity. But not too close! I can't turn my independent, gypsy nature around completely.
So I started looking into things I could do whether I pass or fail this month that would bring me closer to home. I started looking into Masters progams in the University of Leiden in the Netherlands.
I've put the idea of going to Germany on hold. I've been told by too many people that Dusseldorf is a bleak place. But I loved Holland whenever I visited and Leiden looks like a really nice town. And the courses are unbelievably cheap - I fear there must be a mistake. Much cheaper than DCU.
Nothing may come of all this but I feel better for having gotten out of bed and faced what was left of the day head on. To summarize, this month I may either be
a) Looking for a new job here in Japan
b) Applying for a Masters in Japanese translation in Dublin
c) Applying for a Masters in Japanese studies in Leiden....
or more probably a combination of all three. Oh dear, I kind of feel like cawling under the covers again. Who would be me, I ask ya?

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