October 31, 2008

Throwing together an impromptu authentic Halloween experience in Japan

Something simply amazing happened and it made me REALLY happy and more energetic.
So, I got home from work just now and I was about to go into my apartment when I noticed off the balcony a bunch of kids in costumes TRICK OR TREATING with their mothers. I didn't expect to see that in this country at all! I was sooo excited about this, that I literally yelled down to them to come up to my apartment and that I would get some candy together for them.
So while they were making their way up to the 3rd floor where I live, I grabbed the bags of taffy and candy corn that my mom sent me for my birthday and began putting some in plastic ziplock bags.
Then I gave the kids candy (after getting them to try to say "trick or treat" in English) and then gushed in a crazy happy version of my broken Japanese to the mothers about how happy I was to see them.
It was simply the greatest thing that's ever happened to me.

October 30, 2008

22

I am 22 years old now.

And I am really REALLY tired. I got a cold yesterday, but it didn`t stop me from going to my own shared birthday party.

I had matcha cake for my birthday. Yay!

Sooooooo tired.

Happy Halloween!

Oh, and why hasn`t anyone answered my question about why I end blogs with things like "/blog"? I haven`t even gotten a no yet. :S

Oh, and when is Daylight Savings time? Japan doesn`t practice that (yay!), but it will be good to know when California is 17 hours behind rather than 16.

(I am posting this and maybe I`ll edit it later.)

October 22, 2008

Busy times

I am looking at some busy times ahead.

This weekend (25th and 26th) is the big festival here in Ijuin. It`s going to be hard for me to miss because, well, the tents are set up right across the street from my apartment building.

Also I have my adult conversation class on the 25th as well.

The 27th and the 28th should be ordinary days.

But then the chaos really begins on the 29th---

From the 29th to the 30th, I have a mid-year seminar to go to in Kagoshima city. The night of the 29th there will be a reception to the seminar as well.

And then on the night of the 30th, I have my birthday party that I am sharing with Ken`s son. :D

On the 31st, I will -probably- be going to a Halloween party in Kagoshima city.

November 1st is (hopefully) going to be a much needed break day. That`s also a Saturday- so yay! No work either on that day!

The 2nd is a birthday party for another ALT, then the 3rd is the biggest festival in Kagoshima and I will be dancing (or attempting to, anyway) in the parade with other ALTs.

Of course, the 3rd is a Monday (a holiday), so the following day I proceed on with my regular school week.

Should be fun. But I am dreading the exhaustion that is bound to come with it.

October 21, 2008

Allergies

I guess my allergies are acting up these days.

I just looked out the window and almost thought I saw yellow flowers. But then I realized it was just the way the light was hitting some trees.

Then I looked again at a bush a little less faraway. Yes, there are indeed yellow flowers on there. Could it be the dreaded acacia blooming early in this part of the world? A quick google search didn`t include the possibility, but it didn`t prove it either. If there are some blooming acacia trees around here, it would certainly explain some things.

My eyes still aren`t completely better from having worn my contacts on Sunday. Probably, if I had known that allergies were going to attack, I would`ve not tried to wear the contacts at all.

Oh well, it was a good contacts day while it lasted.

I bought eye drops here in Japan for the first time a few days ago. They sting a little, but I kind of like them anyway because my eyes usually feel really great after the stinging wears off.

Anyway, I`d better head off to school. I am co-teaching a conversation class at one of my middle schools- whatever that means. ;)

October 19, 2008

Naturally

I wore my contacts yesterday to the festival where I sang 世界に一つだけの花 (The Only Flower in the World) with other people in JET.

My eyes stayed in pretty good shape all day and I had a really great time.

Definitely an improvement from last time I tried to wear contacts.

I was also psyched that I finally was able to go to the beach yesterday, too.

But, of course, my eyes still are very red and dry today. *sigh*

There are some funny noises going on right now. I am not sure what they are, but I`ve heard them here before. They kind of remind me of old Godzilla movie sound effects. (haha)

October 15, 2008

I want to remember

One year ago now, I was starting my JET application.

Wow. What a year.

This dawned on me because a former roommate of Danny`s has been messaging me on facebook asking questions about applying for JET. It got me thinking about the initial application deadline and I realized all of the sudden that it WAS around this time last year.

Time has been kind of funny to me ever since I moved here, actually.

I just finished reading a reply on that thread when suddenly the day that I found out that I had gotten into JET popped into my head.

I looked at my blog to see what I wrote about it and it wasn`t an awful lot.

At the time, I was a little thrown off by the wording "short list" and the anxiety that I might lose somehow from the past months hadn`t yet worn off. I wasn`t up for a victory blog right then.

So, because I want this to be here for me to read sometime, I`ll write about it here.

It was April. In a very JET-like fashion, I was told that I would hear from JET in "early April." The very day it became April, I spent most of my free time in front of my computer refreshing my email. Of course, I was completely aware that Gmail refreshes itself, but I wanted to know the outcome as soon as physically possible. So, the 4th of April rolled in and I was in the kitchen at WLC watching my email like a hawk, when, all of the sudden, it came!

I almost didn`t believe my eyes. But there it was. I opened the email feeling certain that the internet at the school would crash randomly right then, but instead it went smoothly. I read the first lines of the email a few times before registering that "short list" meant "yes, you`re in" provided that I turn in all of the appropriate paperwork.

I immediately called Ann knowing that she would want to know the outcome of her application, left her a voicemail, then a text message.

Then I called just about everyone I could think of!

I paced around the kitchen, my mind in a complete daze as I talked to everyone. Then I wandered around restlessly until I went to class (early).

Meg was there, but unlike most days, Ann wasn`t with her. The minute Ann walked in, I said "Check your email!" I remember she was visibly shaking as she logged in and I could relate to the feeling completely. She got in, too!

It feels kind of silly to replay this now since that was a little over 6 months ago (it feels like longer...), but I know that I`ll enjoy reading this again 2 years from now or so.

/pointless blog

(btw, does anyone actually -know- why I often end blogs with "/blog" or am I the only nerd who comes across the blog... ever?)

I don`t get it

One of my elementary schools only has me coming in for one class and lunch today. I`ve only been to that school once before and that was also only for one class and lunch.

Before my one class was with 5th graders and this time the class is with 1st graders. And, strangely enough, from the looks of the schedule the content of the 1st graders` lesson is the exact same as the content from the 5th graders class.

This school is my absolute farthest. Why can`t they give me two or three or four classes in a day instead of several occasions of one class a day? *gigantic shrug*

Isn`t it weird how you can tell whether I am blogging from work or from my apartment by how weird my apostrophes look? See? ` ` ` Work apostrophes! (haha)

My stomach is doing funny things these days.

I glanced at the horoscope

"You may be less willing today to seek common ground with a friend or partner, even if that would ultimately make your life simpler. Paradoxically, you might believe that the other person is being difficult when in reality you are the one who is more stubborn. Keep reminding yourself that the outcome of any disagreement is less important than you currently think. The health of the relationship ultimately matters more."

These things aren`t supposed to be so right on with what I should be hearing.

Yes, I am extremely stubborn.

Ick.

Sorry.

October 09, 2008

Bethany saved the day, but mostly just my inability to keep a topic

So, it`s October 10 and I have yet to post here on this blog.

I`ve been distracted by work and other things on the internet lately.

Schools have been requiring me to stay longer and I`ve been enjoying that because, well, it`s a lot more fun to be at the schools than bored out of my mind in the office.

On the home front, well, it all started when Bethany helped me figure out slidereel.com.

Basically, I`ve been watching an average of 4 The Office (US) episodes a day. Now I am a little over halfway through season 3.

I`m actually blogging from the Board of Education office right now. Geeze, now this Japanese keyboard is starting to feel difficult because I`ve been using my American keyboard on my laptop just as much if not even more.

Anyway, Bethany also found Across the Universe on that sidereel as well, so I finally got to see that movie. (yaaaay!)

I had more to blog about, but I can`t remember at the moment.

I guess that just means I have to blog again soon. ;)