2009.04.28

I had elementary school. I have an irrational hatred for one of the teachers. But, it was fun.
Got back to my middle school and got to go to the last class. It was funner.

I'm going to be leaving in a few hours to go catch the bus to go to Tokyo to go to Narita to get to Bali. It's exciting, really. And hot. At least in Bali it will be. I've last minute cleaning to do...dishes...For some odd reason, I just really don't like to do them.

Well, talk to you all in about a week or so!!
Cheers!

BAAaaaaaaaaaNNNNNNKKKKKKK!!

Bank needs to seriously back off. If it were fraud, it'd be a fabulous life, but it's not, so it sucks >:-[

2009.04.27

My first island vacation. Awesome.
2 days. I've basically packed and am prepared to go.

2009.04.26

I did a little bit of shopping today. It was a good day all around. Met up with a couple of friends. Got my bus ticket, a couple of shirts which are amazingly too big, a couple of books including one on Indonesian for Bali travels, and a cheap notebook to take with me since it had a rather deep message for a cheap notebook, had some sushi with my friend, then came home, let a friend use my internet, then met up with another one Japanese translations and finally he, another friend, and I had dinner. Some garlic pizza to be precise.
The notebook reads:
Note Book
I've been hurt before
and I'm afraid to speak out
what's on my mind.
I believe you're just like me.
But somehow I know
this time all the magic
will come true.
This time it's real.

Love makes the world go around.
No wonder I'm kinda dizzy!


Rather deep, eh?
Overall, it was a good day. Tomorrow I guess I should start preparing for the bus ride to Tokyo, eh? I'm not sure the trip has hit me yet...but it shouldn't be that hard to prepare for it.

I also think I cut my hair too short, but that is okay. It grows.

2009.04.24

I'm goin' to Bali. That's right. My friend Katherine and I are going to Bali for a romantic get away. It was picked mostly 'cause Italy was too expensive and it's one of the top 5 romantic getaways in Asia (Kyoto, Shanghai, and the Taj Mahal city were on the list too. Option 5 is a secret since only 4 were listed). It should be fun, and sunnily hot. Pictures will surely be coming. Summer clothes...where are you? It's winter-ish time here...

2009.04.22

School today. Did school things. Had a meeting with Elementary school teachers today.

A shirt of mine broke today. I can sow it back together, but it doesn't lessen the fact that it broke while cooking dinn-dinn.

2009.04.21

Y'know, one problem with earthquakes is that even after they are finished you still feel kinda shakey and can't tell if there are smalls ones going on, or if it's just you. Most of the time it's just me.


I got to translate a love letter for one of my students. The letter's in English and I translated it into Japanese. It's actually a little surreal to be doing it. Weird, but I did it. And I did it with only having to look up a few words. Who knew my love letter vocabulary was so good? I certainly didn't.


If you are bored, look up 'muscle men' on google's image search. The really large guys are frightening...and muscley. I need to learn to draw muscley men. All my men are skinny little things. But, that is better then the women that they were.

2009.04.20

I cooked lunch and the sliding glass door fogged over. It feels like winter all over again <3 Not sure if that's a good thing or not, but it really does feel like that and it makes me sort of nostalgic for winter.

Nostalgic is a really weird word to spell. I'm amazed that I spelled it correctly the first time round.

My abs hurt from doing 'the bicycle' and mini-crunches yesterday. I love it. I did a few more today, but I've got to do more. Nothing quite like laying half on the futon half on the floor doing 'the bicycle' and crunches while looking at Male Nude Collection for a good pose on a Monday around noon.

2009.04.19

I realize how pathetically weak I am.
I take that as it comes, and hope that I can get stronger.
I worked yesterday, so I have tomorrow off.
On a sad note, it's the 20th - the gym is closed therefore no Fighting. I've been missing the Thursday classes of it lately. I'm not sure why, but I have. I'd better go this Thursday or else. I'm not sure what the else is, but it's bad. ...I think.

2009.04.12

Today was a nice, nice day. I stayed in for most of it, but that was precisely what I needed, me thinks. I (almost) finished the commission I'm doing currently, I inked a picture, I made some corrections to a pin-up I'm working on (Storm), I cleaned up my room some, I watched 'She Devil' again, and I just relaxed. I also played a video game, and drunk about 10 cups of tea. It was nice. I put away the kotatsu table blanket, and put up one of the comforter-like blankets and the fuzzy blanket today. Somehow that makes the room seem more...springie. My room is not yet clean, but it seems closer.
A friend came over in the evening, and that was nice. We talked for a little while and did some Japanese studying. After that, we went out for ramen and then we both went to our homes. It was really great to talk to him. He somehow always makes me remember that living in the now is best and that no matter how lost I am feeling it's okay. I have a great job that I love and so a little confusion about where I'll be in 10 years is okay.

It was an overall nice day. I enjoyed it. I hope tomorrow is also a nice day.

2009.04.11

Today I went to the ALT art show. It was nice. It was nice to see everyone's stuff. Some of it was very good. I didn't stay there for long - about an hour/hour and a half. After that I bought a white out pen and came home. From there worked on some sketches and ... am now doing this.
The warm weather is turning cold again. I hear that by Golden Week it will be rather warm and spring-like. A couple of more weeks and we'll have beautiful weather. A couple of weeks after that it'll be summer, I'm sure. Go from huddling under three or four blankets trying to regain feeling in limbs that are too cold to deciding if you are really comfortable sleeping naked with all the windows open and no blanket. Hopefully spring will stay around for a good bit.

I read "The Little Prince" again today. Every time I read that book, I get something else out of it. Such a shame I waited so long to read it in the first place. Good book, that is.

2009.04.09

The lofty plans I had for this week have come to nothing. So far, I haven’t gone to any of the other classes I had wanted to. I wanted to go to the Latin Dance one tomorrow, but there’s an enkai so I can’t. Maybe this weekend I’ll go. In fact, I should. I’m planning on it in that way that I can plan on doing things. I’ll go to the gym, perhaps not a class or anything.

For the past day or two I’ve been a little light headed. I wonder why. I’m sure it has to do with sleep – either not enough of too much since I can’t ever seem to get it perfect.

There was the 1 nensei entrance ceremony today. I was introduced - it wasn't so bad. Not that awesome, but not that bad.

2009.04.08

Today was the official start of the semester. Only the new 2, and 3 nensei came today. It's so weird seeing them. They still seem like they used to be. It's hard to see them as the year above what they were, but that is no problem. Not much happened today. A ceremony was just about it. I am now able to eat lunch with the students - assuming it's okay with the teachers that is. I think I'm also able to now come to homeroom with one of the teachers which I've wanted to do for awhile now. Hopefully both things will be as awesome as I hope.

2009.04.06

Fighting killed me.

More later.

Must sleep...

どうしてその心？

もし間違えば、心から「ごめん」と言えば、児童、生徒、子供達が次ぐに許すけど大人だったら、許せない。どうして大人になるとそんなに…ダメになるなの？もちろん子供は子供けど、子供達の心は、そんなに美しい物という訳？何歳で、「大人の心」を持つようになる？どうしていつでも「子供の心」を持つ事できない？「子供の心」は大人の生活にそなにダメで、持てない？私がそうと思わないから、「子供の心」を持つように頑張りたいと思う。それと毎日を大切にしたいと思う。
私にとって、今月のモットーは「毎日を大切に」と言う事で、そのように頑張る〜☆

頑張らなきゃね。皆さん、自分の事に頑張って下さい！！

2009.04.05

Today...not much happened. I don't think I even left my apartment. I had plans to, but I didn't. I did draw one image, color another...and that's about as much 'constructive' things I did. I played some video games, and watched a movie and some episodes of a TV show.

迷ってる…ホンマに迷ってる。

2009.04.04

So far, today has been pretty good. I still feel bad about not going to the pantomime, but I absolutely refuse to be filmed. I know they are doing great, though!
I mailed off the 3 packages I had to be mailed today. It feels good to finally have done that. After that I did a little bit of shopping. I got some pictures printed off. I'm currently attempting to make a scrapbook like thing to chronicle my stay in this country. So far, it's 10 pages long and not in a time-line order merely 'cause that's how I roll. It's mostly in a time-line like order, but there are some pictures that were added mostly 'cause I had them but not space at the appropriate time. That make sense? Too bad. Bought a couple of other things and had a Txpresso (as they called it). It wasn't really that great, but I'm glad I tried it. Now, I'm back at home and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my day. Maybe some games, some drawing, a little reading. Perhaps some cooking, even.

The Pillow...

was fine. It smelled a little of coffee and whatnot, but generally okay. BUT, I did buy a couple of pillows just in case it wasn't. They are cute as heck. See. One was even on sale.

2009.04.03

A couple of nights ago I had a dream where everything was going my way. Perhaps it wasn’t the best, but at least things were crawling in the right direction. It seems like that was a karmatic warning for me. The director of the pantomime is pissed off at me (which I can accept) and is completely misunderstanding why I did what I did (which saddens me). I feel as if the people would get more enjoyment of doing the play without me and having a DVD be made than if I were to join in the play and there not be one. As one person put it, “Imagine the drunk funs times we’ll have watching it and remembering how dumb we were.” Then, there’s also the parent and friends outside of the Sendai area factor. They’d get to see it. My role really isn’t that important. But, I did tell her (the director) that having the DVD would mean more to everyone than it means for me to be in it. I can see how that could be taken the wrong way. I obviously didn’t take it the wrong way because I understand my feelings. She did because I didn’t do a good job of explaining my feelings. I hope that she will forgive me eventually. AND, I also spilled coffee on my futon, comforter-like thing, pillow, and carpet this morning. The pillow took most of the brunt of the spilled coffee. I think I’m going to have to get a new one. Oh well; time to drown my sorrows in shopping, food, and drinks…maybe. There’s also video games and movies; drawing and writing, exercise too. Y’know, sometimes I think I’d be much better off living on a mountainside with little to no human contact, but for that I’d have to have a way to support myself. All I need to do is become a famous writer or something so I can work at home and never leave it except to occasionally go grocery shopping. Maybe I can get a maid to do that. Sometimes I really do think that would be the best way to go about living. Maybe I could just move to Poland. But if the economies keep going the way they have been, who knows if being an author would be such a prestigious career option as it used to be (assuming you actually sold a decent amount of books that is). Perhaps I’ve just been thinking too much lately. I am currently sitting in a completely empty staff room with only the tea lady who never says a full sentence to me for company. I might just be feeling a little left out. But there is no way I will be able to sit through the staff meeting. Maybe what I need to do is go sit at the Starbucks in the most visible seat and draw nudey pictures…and by that, I mean the 11’ x 14’ pin-ups for March of Dimes that I’m doing.

I tried Cafè Ole with lemon juice, a Cafè Leme if you will, and it’s worse than the Mocha Leme. If you are going to try one yourself, I suggest the Mocha Leme. It’s surprisingly tasty…and curdled.

I looked at a schedule for the gym classes today. I highlighted ones that I might be interested in. There’s quite a few. I’m going to have to look up the teachers of the classes online tonight (http://inspa.jp if anyone wants to check it out) and see how they strike me. I’m already doing the “Fighting” one and have no plans of stopping. It’s a great class – I love it. Some of the classes I highlighted are: Zumba, Flamenco, Belly Dance Beginner (since you gotta pay extra for the higher level), Hot Yoga, Crunch Circuit, Latin Dance, Hula Dance, Aerobics Beginner (since I’ve never done it before), Stretch Circuit, Fighting (with a different teacher), Aerobics Latin 45 (‘cause just listen to the name, man, listen to it), and Rock Dance (since I have no idea what that could be). There a couple that just confused me, so I want to read the description of them and they are “Hot Diet,” and “Diet School.”

I think I should give up coffee…and cut back on black teas. Not sure how that is going to go especially since I’m in the coffee club at school and whatnot, but we’ll see. It may not go anywhere, and this idea might be spawned from a slight distaste I have hidden within me for coffee from this morning’s incident.

My music might be trying to tell me something. The first song it played: Clay Aiken’s Solitaire. Coincidence, perhaps, but it might be my life councilor.

2009.04.02

I’m planning on quitting the pantomime today. It’s now 11.06 in the morning, and I don’t have access to the Internet here except on a shared computer and I don’t have my flash drive to take the Word file that I typed up my resignation in and take it to the shared computer to send it. So, that is my plan for tonight. Send resignation, and then go to boxercise.
I helped clean today at school. It was entertaining. I dirtied up my shirt, but that ain’t no big thing.
The Mocha Leme actually tasted pretty good. As should be expected with something made from milk, it separated. But, other than that, it was darn good. Chocolate and peppers work better. I wonder what other flavors will work with coffee and lemon. Something not milk based, eh.
All the 4-nen teachers had lunch (which is to say: everyone who isn’t an 1, 2, or 3-nen sei teacher is one…so the heads of the ‘departments,’ the (vice) principal, accountants, cooking staff, and nurses…and me, the foreigner) had lunch together. It was a darn good lunch. There was a little self-intro time in which I made all my hobbies a secret. Luckily they accepted that. I mean, I would have told them if they asked, but I’m bad at all my hobbies so the last thing I need is to have them go on display.
A girl who has spent the last 3 years in Thailand came in today. She’s going to be entering into 2-nen. Her English is darn good from what I’ve heard – I’m not sure if she’s fluent just ‘cause she’s only spoken about 3 sentences, but she seems like it.

I did send in my 'resignation' from the pantomime. Hopefully they'll accept it. If not...then it's really going to suck. A LOT.
Boxercise, or as they say it "Fighting Power," has changed into "Fighting" today. I'm excited to see what the differences are...if any. It should rock!
Later!

Who put THAT in my coffee??

At first the title was 'ho put THAT in my coffee??' since I missed the W. I think it says something about what I'm about to reveal.


I put lemon juice in my coffee. It actually tastes pretty good...assuming you get the right amount of coffee flavor and lemon flavor. Today, I'm going to try it with the Caffè Mocha I bought yesterday. This desire stems back to Farsi class where one student thought 'Mokallæme' meant 'Mocha Leme' which means 'Mocha Lemon' apparently. Since that time, I've had a slightly scary desire to try it. And try it I will.

ps: I ate horse at that nijikai on Friday. I had forgotten about that. It really wasn't that bad.

2009.04.01

First day of April, eh? Where has the time gone?
We met the new teachers today – there’s 11 of them. I saw an old(er) woman yesterday and I remember her because she had a rather strange stomach. It looks as if she’s pregnant – I can hope she’s not at her age. She’s one of the new teachers. She needs to smile, me thinks, and speak up. She has such a soft voice for such a severe face. I said konnichiwa to her when she was emerging from the squatter and she said nothing to me. She’s not an English teacher, so I’m safe…safer. The new English teachers look nice. I’ve met one before when I helped out at a school near here. At least I think I met him. I’m not sure. It was for about a minute a few months ago, so it could very well not be him at all. I hope I can learn to work well with them. I introduced myself to them. The one teacher remembers me, so hopefully I made a good impression at that time.
One of the teachers told me to leave early if I’ve nothing to do. Then the one who sits beside me asked if I had nenkyuu. He said that he didn’t know. Then I started to say that in summer I wanted to go somewhere, but before I could get it all out, he asked if I had a boyfriend. I said no, and he said that I should get one while I’m young. I asked where to find them, and he said here. It somehow ended up with us jokingly setting up a date. I love the people who work here.

2009.03.31

I arrived to school later than I had planned, so I bought chocolates for everyone to share. Luckily they did eat it, so it’s all good. The woman who sits next to me gave me a couple of pieces. I wonder if you’re supposed to eat the candy you bring? It probably doesn’t matter, but I thought about that as she laid two on my desk.