So, first I would like to thank everybody who wrote me such sweet messages. You all help so, so much. Mary and Em, I'm going to keep those emails coming. The 2 of you are so dear to me. Jenn from my guestbook - it's wonderful to feel such compassion and kindness from someone who knows me only from my ramblings. Thank you for continuing to read even though I'm not so much fun these days. And my family - you're, you're...there are no words. I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have all your love. Only 2 more weeks and I'll get to give you all such huge hugs!
Let's see - what have I been up to. Monday night was karate class which I'm still recovering from. I got to pummel a punching bag for a bit but hurt my foot when I was kicking it. You should see these Karate dudes in class - they just take turns standing opposite each other and punching all over their torso. Chest, abdomen, abdomen, side - and then the other takes a turn. They're not punching lightly and there's no hesitation. It's crazy to watch. I, ahem, like it.
Tuesday night was Japanese class - always very fun. Our class is mostly ALT's and we're an unruly bunch. Too much laughing and not enough learning, but I don't give a damn about that. It makes me happy. After class, a bunch of us went out for some food at Deluxe and continued to be a bit unruly. Hopefully we didn't threaten the great relationship Jesse and I've been maintaining with the proprietor. He's a super sweet guy who likes to bring us free dessert and you can imagine how I feel about that.
Last night we went out to dinner with Akiko, an English teacher I work with when I visit a different high school. Everytime I've visited (maybe 5 times) we've had a fantastic time talking. She's probably the only teacher I've met under 35 and she's quiet and kind. When I visited last week we set a date to go out to dinner and it was very nice. Jesse and I sort-of quizzed her about some of the oddities we've discovered in the High School system here. I think she was nervous because she feels her English is not very good, but, at the end, it had been a lovely dinner.
Tonight we have nothing to do (which is good) and I think I'll make sembe jiru (rice cake soup) for dinner. Jesse and I are starting to freak out about getting x-mas shopping done so maybe we'll go shopping.
Tomorrow night we have our "Eigo no Dojo" english conversation group (always fun, usually interesting) and it usually goes quite late. Tomorrow's subject is something along the lines of, "Should Japan change it's policy about teaching history to include incidents which do not paint it well." Cause I guess students are not taught anything about what Japan may have done wrong. See? Interesting.
Then it's the weekend!