In the past month, I've:

Taken the Korean Assessment test and placed at past the 2nd year level. However, I think I need a far more thorough grounding in basic/intermediate Korean, and am not ready to place into "Social Science Literature in Korean" like my slip of paper says. Also, there's no 3rd year Korean offered this fall, only 2nd year. Will discuss with Korean professor.

Gone to Sasquatch! Music Festival at the Gorge and saw Devotchka, Animal Collective, and The Decemberists. My sister and I camped out on the slope for the first two, but we went down into the crowd in front of the stage for The Decemberists. They performed all the songs from their latest album, The Hazards of Love. It's a concept album, so they couldn't well interrupt the story by playing other songs--at first I wished they'd play more variety, but as it continued I was more than happy with their decision. The crowd went wild for Won't Want for Love, The Rake's Song, and the Queen's songs. It was awesome.

Here are a couple of my favorite songs from Hazards. (Although since it's a story, you should really start at the beginning! Look up "The Decemberists" and "Prelude.")

Won't Want for Love - [link]
The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid - (Foiled by mojibake. Look it up.)
Annan Water (SPOILERS!) - [link]

Gone to Spokane to celebrate my grandma's birthday. I saw my oldest cousin's 2-year-old daughter, Daphne, who is SO CUTE! She sat on my lap, and I talked to her in Japanese. I also saw my aunt's 20-year-old cat, Flutterbug. I have memories of this cat from since I could barely remember things. I love this cat. Anyway, it was a good trip, since I enjoy seeing my relatives, although it was kind of hard on my dad.

Read China Mieville's book, The City and The City. In retrospect, I definitely wouldn't have bought it in hardcover. (I never buy hardcovers unless it's a new release by one of maybe two or three authors.) It has a unique premise--two cities that exist as one, but separately from one another, meaning that if you're in one, you have to ignore the citizens, cars, and businesses of the other, and you can't enter buildings that exist only in the other city. It certainly wasn't bad, didn't find it rich and exciting like his Bas-Lag books, particularly Perdido Street Station and The Scar. I think it's great for an author to write a variety of novels, so as not to fall into a rut or rely too heavily on a single popular universe, but I'm going to eagerly await the next Bas-Lag novel now. _{I know you said at a reading that you wouldn't, but please please please write a novel about the probability-powered aliens that crash-landed on your fantasy world and conquered it for centuries at some point in the past. Or the story behind the atomic-bomb-like weapon that New Crobuzon used in a war. Your hints are killing me.} So personally I'd still recommend the above-mentioned Bas-Lag novels and the "I can't believe Mieville wrote something safe for children" YA novel Un Lun Dun.

I have a sort of asexual-crush on China Mieville. I think it's his writing. (But tell me he's not hot. [link] *_*)

Responded to a posting and gotten some translation work. Initially the agency said the project might last for a month, but the current file batch is all due on Wednesday. So I might have work until all of this Wed., or I could be occupied for most of the month if the client sends more files. At any rate, I'm overjoyed to have some work to do! (I've been SO BUSY the past three days.) Even if it ends quickly, I can look for more jobs as a freelance translator. I may also put in a couple applications at local stores for cashier-type jobs. I seriously want a job--I would even consider picking cherries or something.

Been volunteering at the art gallery where my mom's an active member. They sorely lack staffing volunteers, and I had nothing to do, so I was more than happy to help out. The members have been pretty grateful, and I enjoy talking with the artists and other people who stop by. When things get boring, I either study Korean, read a book, or (last Friday) work on a rough translation for the project.

Gone to see the new Star Trek movie, as recommended by friends and my brother. I've never really watched any Star Trek--being a hardcore Star Wars geek in middle school, I was on the other side of the fence--but I am a fan of sci-fi in general, so I sat there thinking TEE HEE, HYPERSPACE and other such thoughts. It was a good movie. It modernized the series while keeping an atmosphere, in the costume and ship design, of decades before. Now I like Spock.

Also, the history of slash.

...

So things have been pretty good, despite...well, when I drafted this journal in my head a week ago, I would have said "nothing much going on," but after the past few days, I'll say "insecurities about the future and depressing circumstances at home."

I'm still missing my Japanese and ALT friends. Also, most of my friends are in Seattle or other cities (or Europe--if ~completeaccident is reading this, I think you can guess who I'm talking about XD), so it's kind of lonely here. I might be visiting my best friend this weekend, though!

I took a break from my work to write this, so I'll be getting back to that now. See you guys!