frigid

wow, so its been a while since my last post. its hard to explain the whirlwind of things that have happened since my last post. most recently ive been sick. i think... i think i had allergies that somehow morphed into a flu... ive never really had allergies, nor do i have any idea what i might be allergic to... so theres no way for me to prevent it really. -.-

in my last post i had just gotten back from tokyo i think... since then many things have happened. such as:

my favoritist restaurant closed down. issa, the owner, was having problems with the building owner so he decided to close instead of move... BUMMER! i really want misoya too... i need to make friends with another store owner real soon.

THEN the bar mandy and i liked also closed. apparently the owner filed bankruptcy and committed suicide. wtf...?? it closed down just 2 weeks after my birthday too... geez. perhaps my patronage brings bad karma? o.O i donno... but i was majorly bummed. im back in search of new places to hang out here in nagoya...

earlier in october i headed down to kyoto for a day trip with mandy. we realized that she and i had never actually "vacationed" together. odd isnt it? im with mandy all the time... but being friends with someone and travelling with them are two entirely different stories. hanging in a mutually desirable for a few hours at a time is easy. spending 24 hours in close contact with someone doesnt always work out the same way. im kind of a moody person. i dont really like people after being with them for too long. also, i dont like nature, or all that icky stuff that people tend to enjoy on their vacations... so my needs are often different from most. all i need is good food, good cityscapes and nice weather. i dont want to go hiking or skiing or anything too complicated. just relax and take some pictures.

thankfully mandy already knows this about me, so when we embarked on our tour of kyoto together, we didnt plan to see temples or hike or anything like that. personally, i think if youve seen one temple, youve seen them all. same with castles. after a while they all look the same and i dont care if there are peaches, or sakura... or if theyre gold or silver or neon green for that matter.... mandy and i instead went to a really super large flea market and bought some pretty delicious dried fruit. then we went to visit jennifer in her macha cafe (macha = green tea) and then we had dinner with ariel and nicky and josh.

it was really great actually. i love my friends. i have no greater sense of peace and belonging than when i am with them. this is us at the restaurant near the kamo river. who would have thought we'd all be here 5 years ago? i certainly didnt.

other highlights from october... i got a flat stanley! my old friend from junior high school sent me an email asking if her daughter could send me a letter.... so i said sure. when it got here i was surprised to see what i got!

her name was mya and i had her for about 2 weeks. i took her pretty much everywhere i went....  like this:

 and then before i sent her back home i collected a bunch of random things from japan for her class. i really had a great time with her. 

also in october i went to little world. little world is basically a living city/amusement park where you go and experience living in another country. kind of like a real life small world... hence little world. lol. you can eat foods from different countries, dress up in foreign clothes, watch performances, and shop! 

i chose to do archery at the native american exhibit! ^^

i also made pottery! theres a famous place in tokoname where you can make your own pottery... 

my teacher is making sure my vase is stable. ^^

i made a vase and a cup. i should be able to get it this weekend! weeeee!!!!

one of the highlights for me was of course halloween! i love love love halloween so it was really exciting to make crafts with all the kids. i am also apart of the kindergarden visiting program so i went to quite a few preschools to give special halloween event lessons. ^^

this was right before an event lesson with my friend sean. hes goku from dragonball. ^^

this is me with my regular class at handa, with my friend atsumi. ^^ i love this class. theyre all crazy. as you can see we're all holding black spiders... that was our halloween craft. ^^

so yea, i had two costumes, one for work and one for after work. i went to a place called "red rock." its an australian bar... did you know they dont celebrate halloween in australia??? insanity. but, mandy was a great sport anyway and dressed up. ^^

this is our group. ^^ it was sooo much fun!

so... that brings me to november already. i VOTED! i find voting to be a right of mine that is quite precious.... in a way thats difficult to explain. politics are important to me and i want to see the u.s. do well... the only way that happens is if we make politicians accountable for their actions- which we do by voting. anyway, without going on a political rant, i voted. i voted for obama. there was very little doubt in my mind that he was going to win because if you follow politics at all, the electoral college was almost certainly in his favor.... anyway... it all turned out neatly in the way i had hoped. 

the night of the election we had an obama party. ^^ dubbed "the democratic party." yes, we are all geeks. -.-

so lets see... that was last week. i finally broke down and bought a heater and a humidifier last week because my throat kept bleeding. probably tmi... but it was sooooooooo painful. now my throat is moist and my room is toasty. now if only i could get over this flu.... ugh.... 

sometimes i wonder how i got here. its weird. i always used to say id live in japan... the idea is still slightly surreal. how did it actually happen? i donno. i wonder about my life sometimes. 

sometimes i wish i was- ok very infrequently- but once in a while i wonder what my life would have been like had i settled down and had kids. but i think, i think i am really in tune with myself. i basically know whats good for me and whats not... though the choices are not always easy. 

right now i am feeling my life changing again. this month, on nov. 30th, it will be one year here in japan. it boggles my mind. i still pick up the phone to call my dad, only not is he gone, but ive never called him from this phone. 

soon i will have to make more choices. hopefully they wont be too difficult... but saying goodbye and starting anew is always bittersweet. my goal is by this time next year to be in a place where my life is finally on a steady and forward moving path. it kinda is now... but im changing it. heh. ^^;; but next year....!

on that note, i will be home in *5* weeeeeeeeeks! but who's counting...? ^^ i am soooo freaking excited im gonna wet my pants. ok maybe not... but i might be willing to dish out a few hugs. o.O *gasp* i have a list a mile long for when i get home... i really want to go to le pappillon... i wonder if i can convince jason to take me again... then id really need to get up north... hehe. time time time... never enough time... 

also, might i add WE NEVER HAD FALL! ITS FAWKING COLD ALREADY!!!!!!  I HATE JAPANS WEATHER! *deep breaths*

i guess i should sleep now. thinking about my future is tiring. -.- 

silver is better than gold.

hello again! 

well its been another month since my last post. i dont understand how time can move soooo quickly! its such a strange concept... time. never stopping... never ending- so far. lol. 

ive been in my new apartment for over a month now! to be honest, its great. i really like it here. the staff at the apartment complex are really wonderful. i havent seen any sizable bugs in or near my apartment either- which i am totally fine with. my roommate is also actually really cool. i initially held off making any sort of definitive statement because i am always overly cautious about such things, but have come to the conclusion that i really like her. we get along peacefully and our space is calm. living near nagoya station is really awesome too. having access to a bike- should i ever need one- is great. having a gym in my complex is also pretty awesome. 

ive been going to the gym semi regularly. i havent been there this week because, well, i am exhausted! last month was obon season with lots and lots of vacation time... then september started off before i knew it... then my birthday (which hasnt been a reason to celebrate in years), and silver week this week. 

september is usually my favorite month... even back home because i love love love fall. all my favorite foods are in season in fall... the weather is nice and the evenings are beautiful. the weather is finally starting to cool down here as well.  the super nasty heat that comes with 80% humidity is slowly fading into cooler, less humid days. i can hardly wait to start baking... but that time is coming soon enough i imagine... i am certainly not going to rush winter... >_< i hate winter.... 

silver week is this week. we have a few holidays... we had one on monday for old people. its called "respect for the aged" day. i love me some old people, so naturally i celebrated it by enjoying my departing youth in tokyo! 

well no, first, on monday i got a text from jennifer asking me what time i got home. she took a 5 hour bus ride to come to nagoya station to meet me for dinner! she took me to dinner at a nice little restaurant near the station and we sat and hung out for about 2 hours and then she took the last shinkansen back to kyoto! now tell me, how is she not the most awesome person ever? seriously i dont even know how i am lucky enough to be friends with her. shes one of the kindest people ive ever met. <3 its so amazing having my best friends here near me. i suffered so much without them!

since my birthday falls during silver week, i took a mini-vacation. my birthday was wednesday and i had a birthday party at my favorite bar. i was pretty relieved that i was able to invite many of my ecc friends without them embarrassing me. the thing is, ive heard so many stories from friends about how the americans got loud and drunk and they all got kicked out of this place or that place. one of my friends told me that on his birthday last year he went to his favorite bar and they kicked them all out and asked them never to come back again... sah. this is what happens when people who are not taught to live like responsible individuals come to japan... they embarrass us as a nation! *grumbles* anyway, that was my fear, but thankfully, the 25 or so people who came were calm, respectable humans and we all enjoyed ourselves peacefully. the bar that we went to was great too. the owner is super cool. they dont speak any english but theyre so friendly and chatty. i really had a great time. 

also, yes about 25 people showed up! to my party! eeek! talk about social overload. i really had a great time though. i also got some really cool presents! i keep forgetting that this is why i like to have birthday parties... presents! i got some very cool things this year too! notable items were: a very pretty hand towel, bubble baths and bath salts, plants for my garden, a book, and a really cool hand made poster of my favorite korean actor. can you hear all my squeals as i opened that?!!? atsumi is such a doll. its one of the cutest things anyone has ever made for me! i am fairly certain i will keep it always. <3

yohsuke came too! talk about shock! ok, well he was only there for about 5 minutes... he came, went to the bathroom, gave me my present and told me i couldnt open it in front of people, then scampered off again. i waited until the party died down before opening it. it's a book called, "いつも一緒にいたいから..." (itsumo issho ni itai kara = i always want to be together because... ). It's about a boy and his bunny and explains how important it is... highlights from the book are:

どんな時にも一番そばにいてほしい人。-at any time you are the person i want the closest.

誰よりも一番大切な人。- you are more important that anyone.

一日一日をどれだけ大切にすごしているだろう... 長い人生からみたら。taking (things) day by day importantly... because i see a long life. 

not gonna lie, its one of the nicest things i've ever gotten from anyone, ever. my love of books runs so deeply that anyone who would know to get me a book is instantly up a point or two in my book! what does it all mean? i donno. yohsuke and i stopped dating a while back... and aside from giving me the book last week, i haven't actually spoken to him since then. my friends seem its some sort of confession but i really have no idea. lol. we decided to be friends... so perhaps this is confirmation that we are super buddys? maybe i am dense? -.- but it is very sweet nonetheless. 

the next day was my birthday and i took the day off work. i spent the day relaxing and running simple errands around town. then i met with mandy for dinner. we had a pretty delicious nabe dinner and then i got on the night bus to tokyo. it was a pretty easy trip. i slept easily on the bus and when i woke up, i was in tokyo! i arrived in shinjuku and made my way over to tokyo station. i walked around for about 2 hours and then cara arrived. 

we had a really good time around the city! we did all the touristy things- since it was her first time in tokyo. i didnt really mind doing it all again either... though i couldve done without the shrines - if youve seen one, youve seen them all! also, harajuku was pretty crazy since it was a holiday weekend. >.<;; we rode a rickshaw... i went on a fairly unsuccessful slurpee hunt- turns out i should have been looking in another part of town, and got to meet my friends waka and jorge! i havent seen waka in almost 4 years! it was sooo great to see her! and she looks amazing! we took purikura, which i am sure you will all be able to see soon- as soon as i upload it, had indian dinner one night and korean food another. tokyo really is a grand place. i went to the ginza hello kitty store- which is supppper huge! AND i got some sees chocolates! nom nom nom. all in all, it was an amazing experience. cara and i are very different travelers but we made it work and i think we both had a good time.

i came back on monday night and started my new regular shift for ecc junior on tuesday. i will be working on tuesdays now from 9-12 and 330-930. its a pretty long day but i am making almost $100 for 3 hours of work... which you really cant beat. this will hopefully allow me to pay off my ticket home soon!

speaking of which- i got my ticket home for christmas! weeeeeeee! i am so excited to see everyone!!! ill be home from dec 23rd until jan 4th. i plan of spending most of my time with my family, especially chibi, cin, and beka, but i am sure i can manage to see a few friends in there too! i am getting more excited as the thought settles in... i am sure ill be giddy once it gets closer!

this weekend i am resuming my japanese lessons too! one of my highest level students offered to teach me japanese. she is a high school teacher and she is studying to be the vice principal of her school. she says she wants to teach me for free... which i know i cannot allow, but hopefully it will be something i can afford to do regularly. i really really really need to study more. i study often, but i need more focus! why am i soooo lazy?!! -.-

tomorrow i am meeting my friend ryusuke. hes visiting from tokyo and i am going to show him around osu- my favorite part of nagoya. he doesnt speak english so he is a bit nervous and of course i am a bit nervous about having to use my really bad japanese for the day... but im sure we will make it work. hehehe. should be able to... lol. 

ok, its time to rest now. i am going to clean my room in the morning, post pictures to facebook and study some japnaese before i meet my new teacher!

lots of great things to look forward to! i am excited and thankful for my life. ^_^ until next time...!!

convivial living.

Wow, so its been almost a month since my last post. I didnt intentionally take so long to post again but since I've been on Obon Vacation for the last 2 weeks, I didn't want to spend precious freedom blog writing. hehe.  its pretty freaking cool to have two weeks off during the summer... i havent had this since i was in school... and its FANTASTIC! lol. AND I GOT PAID! im amazed at how many people had this time off...

So I figure this will be a long-ish blog.  Please sit down, have a cup of coffee ready (possibly tea) and buckle down for the large (albeit super interesting) reading you are about to do!

Just before my vacation started, my friend Emmanuelle visited Japan! I haven't seen Emmanuelle since about 2009, so it was such an awesome reunion! We met at Kyoto station, in Kyoto, and spent the day wandering around the city.  The day was super hot, so we went to a random hotel for a while and sat and talked for hours until the sunlight relaxed a bit.  I love talking to smart people about smart things.... Talking to Emmanuelle reminds me of all the things I love about studying English literature and living in France.

Highlights from our day in Kyoto:

Emmanuelle's first Purikura

I found these little guys hanging out in front of a restaurant in kyoto... sooo cute!

these mocchi were to die for. you picked the flavoring of the mochi and then the filling you wanted. mine was a cinnamon pink outside with a berry filling and emm had something with peach. fantastic!

the view from where we ate dinner was beautiful!

special veggie dinner. 1 of 6 courses.

We asked the people at the restaurant if we could sit outside on the balcony and they said we would have to eat the set menu.  I usually cant eat the set menu because I am vegetarian and they almost never have a veggie option, but the people at this chinese restaurant offered to make me the same set menu vegetarian! ZOMG! it was soooooo good!!! ^_^

It was a really fantastic day.  We rode the shinkansen a bit of the way back together and then parted ways. It was such a wonderful feeling.  For someone like me, who puts so much meaning into friendships, this kind of thing is really important.  She is about to embark on some amazing adventures of her own and I am so excited for her.  I am constantly in awe of the people I know... !

So its summer here.  That means many different things to many different people but here in Japan, fireworks are abundant.  Almost every city has a festival with a fireworks display.  They are big and beautiful (only time youll hear me say that out loud. hehee)... but since it rains so often during summer, both festivals that I wanted to go to got rained on. T_T One major difference here too is that fireworks are sold just about everywhere. You can buy them in department stores, in convenience stores and malls. It's very strange to be in a place where there is so much faith in people to be responsible... 

One of the other really crazy things that happens here is the invasion of bugs. not little tiny bugs, but biiiig, large, gigantic, bugs. roaches that are about 3 inches long with wings that allow them to fly like a small bird. >_<;; The other invasive bug is the cicada.  They are noisy little creatures. Walking down any street at any time of day in Japan, you can hear them. The noise is almost deafening. I took some audio with my phone but realized that I can't upload just sound, so I found a good example of them on YouTube for you all to watch/listen to. This is pretty normal too. You don't even have to be in nature. Just walking down the street. THEYRE EVERYWHERE! Thankfully they usually keep themselves out of plain view of people, though as summer subsides, I am starting to notice their dead bodies littering the streets.  

noisy noisy noisy. >_<;;;

One thing I didnt see at all was the olympics.  Not that I didnt want to... but my natural aversion to TV and my general laziness prevented me from ever putting in any sort of effort to watch it.  That being said, it was a huge deal here in Japan.  Every time Japan won a gold medal, I would hear about it from at least 10 different people that day.  Anytime the US would play Japan in an event, I would hear about the result.  I was amused. I vaguely wish I had watched it a bit more but knowing that we crushed China in the medal count makes me pretty happy. ^^;;

One of the first things I did over my summer break was visit Ise Shrine. You might remember that I visited this shrine earlier in the year but it rained so hard that I decided not to go to the actual shrine part. This time I met my student Hiroshi and he insisted that I go all the way into the shrine, so we did. I made the trek like so many others before me. It's probably the most famous shrine in all of Japan. It was a pretty hot day too! Also the cicadas were super noisy.... 

the main gates leading to ise.

my student says that now that ive been to ise and prayed at the ise shrine, i am basically japanese. i said my prayers, then made the way back down the mountain. it was interesting... though i must admit, i dont feel any different... maybe im turning japanese but only on the inside. ^^ this is one of those things that people in ancient times used to do once in a lifetime.... 

one of the really weird things about ise shrine was the lack of omikuji. when they said they didnt have any, i was a bit shocked.... but i guess ise doesnt want to be liable for handing out fortunes??? 

picture of women tying their omikuji.

the next thing we did that day was visit Pearl Island. it was a super awesome experience. i am not sure exactly how i feel about the culturing of pearls, but i learned a lot. 

women divers traditionally dive to find the clams

pearls!

i got a little doll made from pearls. ^^

on the way back, we stopped for a rest. let me tell you, the rest stops in japan are VERY DIFFERENT from the rest stops in the US... these rest stops had heated toilet seats for one. they also had about 15 different vending machines selling everything from the newspaper to fresh sandwiches. they also had soft serve ice cream. also, THEYRE SOOOO CLEAN! 

this was the view from the rest stop area where we were. are you jealous yet?? 

all in all, it was a beautiful day.  

the next day i went with my friend cara to look at the orchids. i went with mandy to the same place over christmas and theyd turned the orchid center into a winter wonderland. this time the theme was orchids from around the world. they were really pretty. 

im not sure where these are from. o.O

almost every day of vacation i did something amusing. one major event was my move to a new apartment. its quite a huge change for me but like most changes, its not necessarily bad. the good things about this place are: i have much more space than i did before. i have a japanese style bathroom which means i have a very large bathtub/shower area. traditionally people first washed themselves off and then soaked in the bathtub. and the toilet was in a separate room. 

this a sample of a japanese style bathroom. (not mine)

i have pictures of mine but i havent uploaded them yet. lol. that will probably happen at some point this weekend.... but i think you get the idea. large bathtub with a shower head off to the side so you can wash before entering the bath. it makes showering/taking a bath so enjoyable! wherever i settle, i really must have one of these!

my kitchen is also bigger. and i have a balcony. i also get heaps of sunlight! i can have plants finally! the apartment is run by a family and we have excellent customer service. i have a gym, a small library, access to bikes, data center and all my utilities are fixed! my rent is about $200 cheaper per month as well. sounds pretty sweet right? 

the down side is that i live in what they call the "gaijin ghetto". basically its where all the foreigners live. gaijin (slang) meaning foreigner. foreigners are loud and obnoxious. so far it hasnt been too bad. i dont seem to live too close to where the noisy people are. ive also been keeping the exact location of my apartment a secret because i dont want any visitors. ^_^ 

freebell also has a roach problem. in all honesty though, japan has a roach problem. its not like in the states where basically the poor people have roaches. pretty much everyone here has them... though i was lucky in my old building. i never saw one bug. here i know they exist and live... and i am cautiously waiting to find one and then be faced with the dilemma of killing it or trying to capture it and take it outside... though i am pretty sure it will be the former and not that later and that makes me a bit sad. T_T

i also have a roommate. her name is susie. shes a bit older than me and has been living in japan for a year now. she used to work for aeon but now works for a smaller eikaiwa (english school) around here. she doesnt speak any japanese but seems to be getting along here just fine. shes also traveled to many places all over the world... in fact, shes going to turkey next month.  shes a religious person, christian, and not nearly as type a as me. all of these are potential pros and cons in my life but im looking at the glass as half full for now. she seems like a really nice person and for me, that weighs huge on whether or not i can deal with someone.  im sure ill update this more as i get to know her better, but thats all i really know right now. i am cautiously optimistic.  

pics to follow in the next update. ^^

august 6th was the day of the first atomic bombing in hiroshima. now i know as americans, we all learn about wwii and the japanese, etc., but its a totally different experience being here and seeing how it has affected the people as a whole. as an outsider i can understand why so many countries are angry with japan for not showing enough remorse (remorse in the way we think is necessary) but being here and experiencing the culture from within (and feeling the japanese way of showing remorse), i must say its very different than you would think. first of all, at least one of my students brings up wwii once a week. they talk about how japan was/is affected by the war and how theyve changed as a whole. its something that deeply affects a lot of people here. i dont think i heard about it nearly as much while living in america... and maybe its because its a war we won... but ive had many students ask questions like, "whats the difference between nationalism and patriotism?" and other questions that would be difficult to answer even in english.  many of my students talk about the dangers of getting too absorbed in an idea or ideology. its something i think about a lot more now that im here.

being here on august 6th was hard for me. i obviously dont like war. i know the justifications we had for dropping the bomb and i realize that many people in america still think it was the right thing to do... but i also understand that many mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, children... pets... loved ones who had nothing to do with the war, were murdered by the bomb. when looking a friend in the eye, its hard for me to tell them that i feel justified...

many japanese people are against nuclear energy. personally i dont have a problem with it but i also think that in a place like japan where we have so many earthquakes and potential natural disasters, perhaps its not the best place to build a plant with energy we cant control easily. donno. lots of heavy stuff around these thoughts... 

i dont think ive mentioned this but did you know japan is about 73% mountainous? well its true. the total land size is about 11% smaller than the state of CA. That means that almost 100% of the people live on less than 30% of the land. i asked my student if people took to living in the mountains, like people do in CA, and he said no. he said that would be silly because living in mountains is dangerous. lol. of course i laughed and then wondered why so many people insist on doing it in CA. >_<;;

^ obligatory picture of mt fuji ^

the last part of my vacation was highlighted with my trip to osaka. zomg i love osaka. its such a fantastic city. the people are so nice and lively... the city is so warm and more international feeling than nagoya... *swoons* the first day i was there, i met my friend maiko! we shopped a bit in namba and then ate dinner at a famous negiyaki restaurant! it was soooo good! 

maiko is on the left! circa 2009.

maiko and beka thanksgiving 2009!

obligatory purikura 2012

purikura 2

in front of a famous restaurant 2012.

negiyaki. 

negi means onion. it looks like a pancake... its made with a batter made of eggs and onion, etc. you can choose different filling like fish, cheese, kim chi... i had kim chi. ^^

it was sooo nice seeing maiko. it was just like meeting emmanuelle. shes doing wonderfully. she has a job where they pay her to travel around the world checking out hotels and tours that her company provides.... shes traveled everywhere! i am soooo jealous! but i am so very proud of her too. 

while we were in namba, we stopped in and met our old friend junko. she works at a place near where we were and even though she was working until 11:30 pm, she came out to see me. <3 junko is easily one of the coolest people i know... aaaaah!!! sooo happy! it was soooo nice seeing everyone again... i feel soooo loved. <3 i can hardly wait to visit them again.... this time it wont be 3 or 4 years.... 

the next day, i met my friends atsumi and yasuha from ecc.  they are both staff. atsumi works at handa, and yasuha works at toyota, but they are both from osaka. we met about 11am and went to tsuruhashi, which is where korea town is located in osaka. ZOMGIWASSOHAPPY!!! i had amazing food! ok, i guess if you know me at all, i am always eating amazing food, but we had soooo many korean dishes.... the bim bim bap was sooooo freaking delicious... and then we had korean shaved ice and these pancake thingys with syrup inside... *swoons* happiness was all i had that day!

we also made our way around korea town and around all the different shops they had.... we mustve spent about 9 hours on one street alone... o.O i couldnt resist the urge to go into every single shop and see if they had my favorite korean actor Kim Hyun-Joong! and of course he was everywhereeeeee!!!!! eeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! 

everything about this guy melts my tiny little heart. lol. so naturally i bought a plethora of stuff... let me show you: 

meet the love of my life. 

korean shaved ice! freaking fantastic! 

a plethora of k-pop/drama idols!

every type of kim chi you could want! and i did! i bought almost 3 lbs for under $5! ...ive been eating it for every meal for almost a week and im not anywhere near tired of eating it! ^^!!!

my loot. look at all my pretty pretty boys. (i am not lying when i say my bedroom looks like a 12 year old girls room....)

and yes... i even bought socks. i wore them today. no shame whatsoever. 

...yes. my life is fantastic. i am so happy i made the decision to come here. i am so very happy here. now i am back in nagoya... boring ol nagoya. its nice that it feels like home, but i am also realizing how much less of a city this is... i miss big shiny lights and having places to go... i am not really a night life kinda person, but i really miss having the option. i also miss having the ability to be in an international city... i also know that i dont have the ability to grow in this city... but my decision has been made. i will spend 2 years in japan (though perhaps not in nagoya). after that, who knows. 

current goals are only in place to keep me moving forward. 

and that concludes another riveting blog....! does your butt hurt from sitting so long? perhaps you should take this time to stop staring at the computer for a while.... lol. o.O 

thanks for reading....!!!

two years later.... the anniversary of my fathers death.

my dad was an alcoholic. (doesnt that sound like the beginning of an AA meeting?)

i dont say that to be mean, or to dredge up the past or for any other reason than to begin this post with a truth that had such a large impact on my life.

today is the night before the two year anniversary of my dads death.  this night is unique for me because i was in japan 2 years ago when it happened.

it was about this time that i was getting ready for bed.  it was a tuesday night. we had one week left of classes in tokyo and finals were to be held that thursday and friday. i had papers due. my roommate kathy had just gone to bed.

this night two years ago i remember thinking how very lucky i was. i couldnt believe i had finally made it to berkeley.  not only had i finally made it to berkeley, but i was finally going to graduate from berkeley.  the classes i was taking in japan were my very last classes.  mostly electives but necessary for graduation nonetheless.  as i lay in bed thinking, i felt a very strong sense of calm and peace in my mind and in my heart. even now the memory of the feeling of the memory is strong.  that sleep that night was a good sleep.  i would be a long time before i would have a sleep like that again.

of course i awoke to a phone call from bobby early the next morning.  bobby was calling me to tell me that i needed to contact my sister immediately because something had happened. just like bobby, he wouldnt tell me what happened... just that i needed to call cin. after that, time kind of stops.

i remember hastily writing emails to professors telling them i was leaving the program... asking bobby to get me on the next plane back to the u.s.a., and leaving frantic goodbye notes to friends, since i had already started collecting end of the semester gifts for them...

next thing i remember, i was back on a plane heading home. the plane ride (all 13+ hours of it) was a blur... coming home, organizing the funeral... all a blur.  i remember speaking at my dads funeral. i have vague memories of what i said and who was there...

i specifically remember jennifer coming to see me and bringing me flowers just before she hopped on a plane to taiwan- still one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me.  i have no idea how james knew how to find me, but he was there too. it seems whenever i am in trouble, james knows where to find me and how to help. i also remember my step sister christi coming. she didnt know my father, but she came for us anyway.

we had the funeral on a monday because my dad didnt want a big fuss.  he used to say that he wanted his funeral to be invitation only... and before coming to japan, my dad told me that since i was the oldest and he was not married, it was up to me to handle his funeral. we went through pages and pages of questions that the hospital wanted us to fill out. when we got to organ donation he said that no one would want his organs. when i told him they could be used for research and could possibly help others with liver disease, he was really happy that he would potentially be of some use.

my dad was odd. he was often too smart for his own good. he was always in his own head thinking. thats good and bad right? i know at least that i am often times my own best friend but when thoughts head south, im also my own worst enemy. such a cliche, but i think its more true for some people than we really know. extroverted people often turn to their friends and introverted people often turn to his/her own thoughts...

my dads life wasnt easy though. he suffered a lot growing up a poor intelligent minority. he told me in school when he was sent to the gifted class, his teacher tried to send him to the esl room instead. it must have been very tough. also dealing with his own abusive, alcoholic father must have been really difficult for him as a young boy.

so i dont blame my dad for the way he was. i loved him in spite of all his quirks and flaws. deep down he always had a good heart and he loved his girls. i think the difference between seeing an alcoholic from afar and seeing one up close, is the pain you get to experience. not only your own pain but the pain they suffer. its a type of suffering that i would never wish on anyone. to watch it... that alone is painful enough. i can only imagine living it. in spite of that though, i never once doubted his love for my sister and i, and my niece was the newest girl to steal his heart.

when i think about my dad now though, i think about all the silly things he did. all his zany ideas. he liked to give nicknames to people. pretty much everyone he was close to had a special nickname. it was usually not a real word and was very personal to the person he shared it with. i have one, my sister has one... maria... lol. it was like a club that we got to belong to.

i remember making working LED lights on a bread board when i was little. doing science experiments, having sea monkeys, building a go-cart, making a wooden dollhouse... playing nintendo, scrabble, and the dreaded chess. aside from the alcoholism (which was often times all consuming), he could be a lot of fun.

now that he's gone, i try to remember the good because i think thats what most important. that two years has gone by and i still occasionally pick up my phone to call him is a good reminder of just how important he was to me and my life. in the last ten years that he was sober, i finally had a real father. he became someone i could call when i was upset and having a bad day at work, after an argument with a friend (or boyfriend), or if i had a really great day and wanted to share it with someone. he would tell me to be more patient. to cut people more slack. to chill out. he would also tell me the things little girls need to hear from their fathers, like that i was a good girl, that i was smart, that i was beautiful, and that he loved me. every night before bed he would say, "daddy loves you. go to college." even after cin and i had graduated, he continued to say it. these are special things i will always have.

that two years have passed and i find myself back in japan to finish what i started, makes me happy. healing, moving forward, doing things... its important for me. i always want to work towards being someone better. maybe not in all things at once, but little by little.

personally this week has been really difficult for me. i havent been sleeping well, and i am pretty sure ive been kinda cranky- so i apologize to whoever i mightve offended. ^_^ this evening was a quite one. i ate some sushi, took a nice long bath, listened to some classical music, painted my nails... watched some korean dramas and tried to find a good center for myself. i miss my dad terribly but i think he would be happy to know that my sister and i are both finding good places for ourselves.

japan != america

hello. welcome to the latest edition of my random ramblings.

recently its been hot here.  about 100 degrees F, but with humidity never less than 70%. Its often on the verge of raining here, though I must admit, its still not as bad as it was a few years ago when I was here. lol. Its supposed to get hotter still. sah. though, what i havent been able to understand is why people complain about the heat so much now... i mean, if its still gonna get hotter... shouldnt we be happy with the near 100 degree weather? A couple of days before it rains, it gets super humid and hot... then the rain comes and its humid and rainy and then the next day its about 10 degrees cooler with less humidity. but again, it takes a while for it to get to that point. lol. its quite the process... though, the more i think about it, the more i realize that if anything makes me leave japan, it will be the weather.

customer service in japan is generally a few points higher than anywhere else i have ever been. when i forgot to pay my internet bill, they shut off my service. when i called after hours, they told me the service center was closed, but the guy on the phone turned my service back on as a courtesy. i didnt even promise to pay it... just good faith. also, the other day i asked a parking attendant if she could give me directions to the restaurant i was trying to find and she left her post and took me on a 10 min walk to find my spot- because she said it was confusing. lol. those are just two examples too... ive had many more.

in sad news, my favorite restaurant here in nagoya is closed. i hope its going to reopen again soon (thats what ive heard) but it will be at least a couple of months. where am i going to go for my meals now? issa really should have thought about me before closing his restaurant. hrm... i wonder if i can get him to cook for me? hehe.

hair is always done up in crazy ways here. its a shame that the women are ugly.  seriously. there's this legend, i guess, that the warlords used to take all the pretty girls from nagoya and send them to live in the capital, so nagoya doesnt have any pretty girls anymore.  poor nagoya. its true.  all the good looking people you see are always from osaka, kyoto or tokyo. lol.  but i digress... hair like the styles you see in magazines are often out and about on any given afternoon. there are always tons of hair accessory places in every shopping area and ive found quite a few things... though like most things japan likes, they tend to go slightly overboard, hair is no exception. i was at an arcade last night and i swear the guys hair was about 7 inches high! lol.

also, id like to talk about myself here for a minute. you know why? cause im a champ. last night i was playing jubeat at the arcade, one of my favorite games where you tap the color of the block thats lit... when a roach came flying past my head! PAST MY HEAD AND ONTO MY GAME! not directly on the keys i was using... but on my machine nonetheless. a BIG ONE! WITH WINGS!!! EEEEWWWW!!! enough to scare the bejesus out of me anyway. but did i stop playing? HELLZ NO! i was in the middle of a 120 hit winning streak - my new personal best- and i could not be bothered, so i continued to my 150+ hit winning score and finished the game. i have no idea what happened to the roach, but i left in a scamper.

like i mentioned that roach was huge. ive started noticing them out and about. they are a sizable force here in japan. really disturbing. i hate roaches. *shivers* also mosquitos. there are tons. thankfully mosquitos dont actually like me, so i think ive had maybe 1 or 2 bites since they started coming around. 

because the weather is so hot and humid, the bugs really are coming out in full force, but aside from that, ive never had to deal with things not drying due to humidity. like clothes. if you dont dry your clothes completely, they dont dry. they just stay wet and get moldy and ruined. T_T i am taking extra care to dry things and let everything air out as much as possible. mold really is no joke here.

the other day i was walking home and i was in sakae- the nicest city part of the city, and as i was crossing the street, it hit me that i was miles and miles away from home. this is something that i am aware of, but at that moment, it hit me. not in a bad way. more like, i had forgotten that i wasnt in america. this feels like home now. it was a strange realization. comforting, but also kind of surprising.

work has been going well.  now that all my observations are over with, i can relax a bit more. my students are falling into their routines quite nicely and i have a nice following of regular students. today i got to help with the counseling of 2 of my students. one is a surgeon and the other is a nurse. they want to eventually work abroad- in san francisco hopefully- in the next few years, so theyve been studying hard. they started a year ago in one of the lower levels, but now they are very close to moving to the highest level we offer. they told me they take my lessons because i speak quickly. lol. but, since they have recently been to the states, they realize that is what normal people speak like, so they appreciate it. but going into these classes with them, i knew they had these plans... so i figured it was best to start preparing them for native speech... im glad they appreciate it too! ^_^

its interesting to see all the subtleties in japan. everyone is forced to fit into a tiny little box and from within that box they must find a way to be slightly unique. for example, students who are graduating go to job fairs beginning in their 3rd year to look for a job. they must all wear black suits, white shirts, and have their hair tied back. you then basically have 3-4 minutes with different companies to sell yourself. can you even imagine? thats one of the reasons self introductions are so rehearsed here (and probably why it was also beaten into us). thats not a lot of time to leave an impression.

i was thinking earlier about california. i miss many things about california but one of the things i dont miss is the traffic. then i was thinking, california should do what japan does. allow the roads to be privatized. then the private company can charge a toll for driving on the highway/freeway and pay the city a fee for using the land. that would save california a ton of money in infrastructure costs. it would also give people incentive to take public transportation. yes, this is what i think about in my spare time guys. i am really exciting, i know. lol.

that brings me back to the topic of staying or leaving japan.  see above video. of course i like it here, but i dont actually have a reason to stay here either. i have pretty much made the decision to stay in japan for at least another year. two years looks really good on a resume and with that experience i can go almost anywhere else i want to go in the world and teach. that being said, i am at a loss for what happens after that. i know i am a weenie when it comes to bad weather though, so if anything, ill likely leave japan for better climate. france does actually look quite appealing to me. the main reason is the sunlight in paris. its daytime until almost 10pm there. i love that. here the sun rises at 4am but sets before 7. france weather is also a bit milder, though it does get a lot colder in winter. but overall, the yearly forecast in france is nicer than anywhere in japan really. lol. donno. 

could be anywhere. my world is wide open. if i meet a super fantastical someone, i guess i could stay here. i have no timeline. no destination. im just moving forward.

speaking of which, i am single again. dating yohsuke is a comedy of errors really. we sat down and had a nice talk the other day, but we are friends. now that i am officially single, i am getting awkwardly set up by friends... i say awkwardly because i usually have no clue that its happening. -.-

i also completed my training with the junior devision. i should be starting work sometime soon! AND i finally found a new place to go. i am going to what they call the "gaijin ghetto" because its where all the foreigners live... but i dont have to pay a deposit, or key money and all the utilities are included in my rent. i will also have sunlight- so i can have plants! ill also have hardwood floors, a nice new bathroom, and a roommate about my age. you can check it out here: freebell.

obon is coming up in 2 weeks! its a 2 week holiday... which is going to be fairly rad. hopefully ill be able to go to tokyo to see emmanuelle. possibly nara with mandy. ise and the islands with hiroshi and cara... lots and lots to see and do. i am looking forward to the rest too, and of course packing. i should be moving at the end of august.... beware of updates and craptons of pictures!

tootles

typhoon tuesday!

today was a really icky day. the rain came down in a slightly heavier than a drizzle sized pebble all day long. it was just humid enough to feel sticky and annoy my hair. oh summer. how i dread you... but its here... theres nowhere to hide. sah. thankfully japan, i enjoy you... its funny how when i was studying japanese at cal we always talked about the weather, and being from california, it seemed kinda strange to always tell my professors "what nice weather we're having," since weather in california is usually nice. being here however, watching the weather change so frequently, i see what all the fuss is about. -.-

smoking is a thing here. i feel like i stepped back in time 30 years to when california still had smoking in restaurants. there are lots of cafes where the smoking section is actually larger than the nonsmoking section. though admittedly smokers here are more polite than say las vegas, i still feel the idea is backwards. smoking is in the past. its not cool, its unhealthy, and it makes your teeth bad. >_<" also, i enjoy dessert and the places that have the best dessert tend to be in bars... and i always come home smelling like a pack of cigarettes exploded from inside my body. the smell comes from my pores, my hair... i wake with a sore throat. ugh. almost not worth the ice cream. almost. but ice cream IS magical, so if enough time passes, i always find myself willing to make the sacrifice for my favorite tasty treat.

speaking of eating, ive lost more weight. today i put on a pair of jeans that i couldnt zip up before coming here, could fit into during spring, and now ive got easily over an inch of room. to my own credit, i do walk A LOT. i also am REALLY active in my classes. i set my temperature at 68 degrees and my kids are always sweating.

last week was review week for most of my classes and i had them doing mini relays and a few of them actually just collapsed and gave up. mwuahaha. lol. but my school director complimented me the other day on the level of english my kids were speaking. they know all the english theyre supposed to know plus a lot of incidental language that i speak in class.  for example, all my kids can properly ask me to use the restroom. they call all tell me if theyre too hot, too cold, etc., in english. none of that is actually in any of our books or in the lesson but its stuff i think they need to know. they also know all of the random commands i have for them like "GO WASH YOUR HANDS." children are filthy creatures. i say that often. these seem like small things but trying to teach someone something based on almost no knowledge of the language you speak is often a small feat. i have 15 kids classes, which like i said is really high but it doesnt actually phase me as much as i thought it would. aside from the fact that theyre filthy, they arent bad.

actually, this week i am interviewing for ECC Junior. its a subsidiary of ECC and sends people to the local schools to teach younger kids. They also work with the ECC Junior teachers, who are usually Japanese, to assist them in their English brush-ups. It's extra money which I need and doesn't require too much of a commitment. 10-15 hours a week maybe? no bad.

speaking of part time jobs... ive been seriously thinking about acting again. i really miss being on stage, rehearsals, etc. i have some friends here who do acting and modeling on the side, so i asked them for their help in getting information. my friend gave me a lot of information and her agents contact info. so last friday i went in to meet with the agent. she was really friendly and recorded my voice in english and japanese. she asked me to work on projecting my voice more - which i used to do but brought it down when i started studying japanese. anyway i told her i would and i am every day. she actually called me about a job next week but i have to work. T_T she knows my hours though and she said shed call me if she could find anything for me during my available times. she seemed really positive. i guess we shall see! lol.

lately ive been noticing that i analyze my speech a lot. im not sure if this is a recent thing or something ive always done but for some reason i am noticing it a lot more now. i bet it has something to do with work. -.- i hope my english isnt getting japanified! my english was already quirky enough...

something ive been thinking a lot about lately is what is going to happen next. im so indecisive as to what direction im supposed to go. i guess i am going to have to play it by ear to see where life will take me but there is so much i want to do with my life. current list of possibilities are:

* stay in japan a while longer (in nagoya)
* get  a phd in japan (in kyoto)
* move to tokyo
* move to france and teach there
* phd in england or scotland
* teach in korea (and study korean)
* teach in taiwan (and learn chinese)
* move back to the u.s. and get a phd there

i am really up in the air about all these things. jennifer says after shes done here shes going to do a working holiday in korea for a year... it would be great to go there and see where my grandpa was... learn korean... korean guys are soooo cuuuuuuteeeee!

also, ive thought about going to taiwan ever since i went there... it never seemed a possibility but now that im here nothing is impossible is it? i could see myself being very comfortable in taiwan. they are vaguely close to the japanese culture wise.. which is comfortable for me.

i know if i spent a year in france i could be fluent. french is super easy for me to pick up. i had a really high a in my 10 unit class and i dont think i spent more than an hour of time studying total the entire time i was there. this would help with my overall goal of getting my phd in medieval literature since most of the manuscripts i read have english, french and latin writing in them...

i donno. so much to think about! what am i going to do with my life?! what am i supposed to do with my life? ive never spent so much time thinking about it really. ive always gone with the path that life has taken me but recently ive been feeling a sense of urgency. im not sure why.

my sister graduated from GRAD SCHOOL last week!!!!!!!!! GO CINDY!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOO! <3 i am so very proud of my sister. she just amazes me with how she can choose to do something and make it happen. shes my baby sister and shes quite the capable adult now but since i played such a big role in raising her, the pride i feel seems like that of a parent and not just a sibling. i am in awe. im pretty sure that might have something to do with why i am feeling the fire to do something in my life too. i keep thinking to myself WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE VALERIE?!?!?!?!?! -.- grad school? someday. soon.

as my 7 month mark approaches and the half way mark of my current term in japan approaches, i am feeling settled here. life is nice. ive made some solid friendships. also though, many of my friends are leaving now to head back to their respective countries. its sad to see so many people leave, but most of the people here are not planning to make careers out of their time in japan. that being said, I FINALLY GOT AN OVEN!!!!!! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! AAAAAAAND A RICE COOKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *DANCES* im bought a small oven from a friend who is moving. as well as a lamp, rice cooker, and some extension cords. -.- and i got them all at garage sale prices! i feel so lucky! T_T you dont know how much life sucks without an oven! and while i cant really enjoy it very much now that summer is here... i am going to be doing all the baking as soon as fall hits! yay me!

so yes, my life revolves around food. every saturday night mandy and i find time to have dinner. we travel all over the city eating at different restaurants and trying new things. we have had some of the best conversations over dinner and had some pretty amazing food. its also a nice chance to catch up and/or vent about life. really though neither of us really has much to vent about. we both seem to be really enjoying our time in japan in our own way. we are similar yet quite different in a way that makes us compatible as friends. talking to mandy helps keep me grounded while i am here. its great.

lately work has finally settled down. the kids are in a routine. i can anticipate the bad ones and usually head them off before they cause any trouble. i also realize how much i tend to form bonds with people. i worry about my kids. i dont like to see them get picked on at school and i want to guard them. one of my students had her last day this week. shes 5 but her family has to move to osaka. her father beats her mother and her mom is pregnant and is having complications from it all. the child is one of the sweetest, most caring children i have in all of my classes combined. that anyone would harm her makes me feel so much pain for her. also, its not secret that i also shared similar experiences growing up, so it makes the situation more intimate for me. i am glad she is moving though. it means her mom is taking a step in the right direction for the children, which is difficult but very brave. my understanding is that domestic violence happens more frequently that we know about here, just like in the states. sah. such a terrible thing to experience... especially as a child. but again, thankfully her mother is strong enough to make this step...

ive been talking with many of my students about japanese families. my friend told me she believes about 30% of marriages are arranged marriages. that number is kind of shocking to me actually but she met her husband via an arranged marriage. my impression is that husbands and wives live separately. husbands often travel for work and leave their wives home to care for children. ive heard on more than one occasion of husbands and wives living in different cities all together. the reason being that its hard for children to change schools since they have to take placement tests to get into junior highs and high schools here. also many japanese companies move their employees around every 3-5 years, so men often have no choice in moving.  that puts a big strain on the marital relationship. also though, it seems like many people get married because its whats expected. people arent marrying for love - at least not the older people ive met. they marry because they must have children to succeed the family. my perception might be slightly skewed since i work for an expensive english school and wealthier people have fewer options as to whom they get to marry... but it is the stereotype many people have expressed to me. though obviously there are exceptions.

shelby came to visit me last weekend! it was great seeing her! i hadnt seen her since 2009 i think. its amazing how quickly time flies. shes just about to leave japan and head back to california to finish up her graduate degree and i am really glad i got a chance to see her. the best part about having so many friends in the japanese department is that theyre all here with me. its like japan is a big college and i get to bump into people on occasion. a lot of my heart is here in japan.

also, this year marks the 5th anniversary of my grannys passing. i cant believe shes been gone that long already. my grandma was such a remarkable person. the stories she had were priceless. whenever we had time to talk i would ask her to tell me stories about her childhood, her family, her friends... she was the youngest child and had all brothers. she started picking cotton when she was 3 and was born at the tail end of the great depression. her brothers were in wwii, once of them landed on the beach on dday and one of them fought in japan. she didnt wear jewelry or fancy clothes. her favorite color was green. she loved chili and spicy foods, perhaps even more than i do. if i listen closely, i can still hear her voice. when she died i thought that i couldnt even imagine a world without her. 5 years later i still cant believe its true. but grandma had no fear of death. she didnt worry about it and she didnt ever think we should make a fuss about it. she was remarkably brave and strong. she was everything i hope to be in life. i miss you granny.

i hold very tightly to many of the things my granny taught me. one of them was not to fear death. granted my granny was a lot more religious than i am, but i dont fear death. i dont even think about it actually. well no, i think about death a lot because i am kinda morbid (i.e. i like to read obituaries), but i dont *fear* death. i dont think about what happens after you die or anything like that. but, i must admit, i want to have a grand funeral. ^_^ i want a funeral like my grannys. lots of singing and people who will lie and say how absolutely wonderful i was... and lots of sobbing. like this ---> T_T but for details on that, you can ask bobby. he's the official event planner of my funeral.

since we're on the death topic, this weekend was fathers day. this will be my second without my dad. next month will be the 2 year anniversary of his passing as well. how quickly time passes. it passes without regard to feelings or want... just keeps going. but tomorrow i will celebrate fathers day. i will celebrate it for my grandfather and for my step dad chris, both of whom have helped me through many troubled times. i am lucky to have so many wonderful men in my life. many people only have one father but ive had many. for this i am thankful. i am sure my dad would be pleased that i am paying my respects to the people who have helped me in my life. still, its tough.

in lighter/happier news, my good friend emm is coming to japan next month! yay! she'll be here for training for 3 weeks! i am super excited to see her and also ill have a chance to go to tokyo! weee!!! i can hardly wait! i dont think ive seen her since 2008! ack! i dont even care what we do as long as we get to catch up... its gonna be great!

also, with any luck, cindy le will be visiting me at the end of her term in korea, which will also be at the end of next month. i cant believe shes been here in asia for almost 6 months already. cool. but also crazy how quickly time flies. i always say that but its never any less strange.

lately yohsuke has been sick. he had the flu and a cold back to back. poor guy. things have been hard lately because he lives with his family in another city thats not easy for me to get to... and he works a lot, and with him being sick, the last couple of months have been hard. i dont blame him... just, its rough.

last friday i got a new movie rental membership and rented a couple of japanese movies with no subtitles. in some parts i caught upwards of 75% and in other parts about 50% but it really depends on who is speaking... girls are easy to understand and they have easy speech to follow but guys seem to speak an entirely different japanese sometimes. although i am not a huge fan of the romantic comedy, they are the easiest for me to watch.

something that proved to be quite shocking to me was the lack of ovens in japan. THEY DONT HAVE OVENS!!!!! *gasp!* yea, like none. you can buy a small oven that is about the size of a large microwave but they dont come standard. thats why when i found out my friends were getting rid of theirs (since theyre leaving to teach in korea), i jumped on it! theyre so expensive here! about half the cost of an american sized oven for about 1/4 the capacity!

the last thing i got was a brita water filter. it was something ive wanted since i got here but have been too cheap to buy. admittedly, it was only about 30$ but that still seems like too much for water! but i did it and now i am drinking water like nobody's business.

last week i went to a school party. i like the school that held the party but i am always taken aback by foreigners. like, how do they have no tact? how can they be so self involved and have no regard for the culture or the place they are living? ugh. i was embarrassed to be there. one of the students told me, "they are very american arent they?" its sad that that's a phrase people use here... but its true. so i keep my distance. i dont need problems in my peaceful existence in japan...

finally, ive been watching a whole lotta k-dramas. ive always liked them more than anything else but stopped watching them when i got to cal. lately though ive picked up the habit again and its brought me endless amounts of joy in the last couple of weeks. i love so many things about them... but mostly i like how relationships seem to work in korea. its my perfect balance of love and distance... no overcrowding and not over the top, but not cold and distant either.

this is my favorite actor: kim hyun joong *swoons*

finally, if you follow the facebook updates, today we are experiencing typhoon tuesday. <---check out our weather map! i think two typhoons are supposed to hit tonight so classes were cancelled! yay!!!! i came home at 2 and had a nice dinner, a long bath, and did some of my chores for the week. tonight im going to start a new drama and then hopefully get a good night's sleep. its my first typhoon! i hope the power doesnt go out... then id have to eat all my ice cream in one sitting! itll be tough, but it must be done!

hope you are all enjoying whatever life has to offer you. til next time....