Stolen from PostSecret. I love this one. It just seems like something I would do! 

Still fascinating..

Excellent blog that just gets better and better.

PostSecret

Cameron and Kathy 

Thanks for letting me know

So I just found out today, Wednesday, that I have school on Saturday. Of course I am the only person in the entire universe that didn't know this. I sat down with my supervisor at the beginning of the year, with the school calendar, and wrote down all the special days. Somehow this Saturday was missed. So now I have Monday off. What am I going to do on Monday? No one else has Monday off.

What a pain in the ass.

And it's raining and really muggy today (the worst possible hair day), so obviously God is punishing me for something.

In other news...

Extreme Make-Over: Home Edition has got to be the most tear-inducing show on TV these days. Even before the family is introduced (and their horrible life threatening illness explained), I am all misty eyed and reaching for the tissues.

Thanks Kathy for sending me the tapes.

Feeling Generous?

Why not donate some of that hard-earned money to some worthy causes?? Help my friends Sarah and Kirstin make their fundraising goals. It's really easy to donate online (if you have a credit card).

Go here to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society.

And/Or

Go here to donate to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Come on, it will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

Horseshoes up yer arse!!

I'm on top of the world today!! A few weeks ago I found out that I was selected to be a workshop presenter at the recontracting conference in Kobe (AKA free transportation, free hotel, giant piss-up in Kobe). I was pretty stoked.

Then today I found out that I was also selected to be an orientation assistant in Tokyo this summer!!!! Whoooooo whooooo!!

So that means two days in Tokyo in June for a meeting, then 4 days in July. All expenses paid for and I get to help out all the newbies. When I return to Shimane I will be coming with the group A newbies. It will be lots of fun! I can freak them out about life in Shimane!

I wonder who else from my ken is going????

The POWER of the peephole

Among other wonderful things, my new apartment has a peephole.

The value of a peephole in this country cannot be stressed enough.

I've only been in my apartment for about a month now but I have successfully ignored the JW's and the NHK lady (twice)!!

The latest was last night. 9pm on a Monday night! She waited outside the door for a good five minutes. Ringing the bell 4 times!! She knew I was home, all my lights were on. I love this POWER!!!

From the acrobat show in Beijing 

Crowded? In Beijing? On a holiday? Nahhhhh 

The Great Wall 

All of a sudden..

Lately I have been feeling really homesick. Many things have contributed to this feeling. The worst was when I was talking to my sister a few weeks ago. Right in the middle of our conversation she spontaneously burst into tears, saying,

"you're just so far away..."

She stopped crying a minute later but it had a lasting effect on me. I miss her so much and love hearing all about my nephew but after hanging up I just feel so, babyless in the asscrack of Japan.

Then today I received some new pictures of my best friend's baby, who I have yet to meet, and won't meet until he is over a year old. He is a beautiful baby, like a cherub. I would love to be with her now, helping her out with the baby, having fun, gossiping, and hanging out.

But I am here.

For another 15 months.

I've started a countdown. Each month I will change the number until I get to about 4 months, then I will change it to a daily countdown. A little premature??? Yeah, maybe! I'm usually very positive about my life here, just lately, I would love to be home. I've even been looking at teaching jobs that start in Sept. But that really isn't new, I'm always looking for teaching jobs, even though I have one.

It's not like I'm going to do a midnight run. I leave for China in a few days, I'm certain that getting away and doing some serious shopping will cheer me up. And soon it will beach weather, everything looks better when you are sitting in the sand.

A Sad Week...

Horrible news this week about a good friend. She will have to suddenly return home (for good)due to medical problems. I can't imagine how worried she must be and how badly she wants to get home. I feel so powerless, there is nothing I can do to help her.

There will be such a void when she's gone. This area just won't be the same.

Takoyakiiiiiiiiii 

Sweet Ass 

THUD! 

Last day of classes

Fuck those fuckers.

That has been my theme for the past few weeks. Katy is sharing the theme as well.

I'm moving. Thank god, if I continued to bitch and complain for another year and half I would have smacked myself around. I am moving to the teachers apartment building across town. Going from 2 rooms to 1.

Crazy? Chotto...

This Friday I am off to Tokyo with the waterpolo team. I will amaze the boys with my superior coaching skills and we will take home the Junior Olympic Cup!! Well...maybe some of that isn't true.

Sumo last weekend was really great. I mean it. I hate watching almost all sports but watching Sumo (live) is really fun. Those hairy, fat, sweaty asses make it quite the spectator sport.

Cleaning my crappy apato is going to be HELL. That is why I am putting it off until the last minute. Maybe I will put up some pictures of my new place when I get it all set up.

I'm going to CHINA!!!!! Candice and I are going for Golden Week. Good times, good times...

I received two birthday cards yesterday (my gramma still sends me birthday money! My gramma kicks your gramma's asssssss), and then today I received 2 birthday parcels!!!

I have spent most of the day watching TV pilots at channel 101. It is a website that shows really awful, but totally funny, amateur TV pilots. If you have ENDLESS LIFE-DRAINING HOURS to kill you should check it out. I recommend House of Cosbys and The 'Bu.

My new favorite show. 

Sashimi at the enkai. A year and a half ago I would have had to force this stuff into my mouth. Now, I can't get enough. Oiiisshhhiiiiii yo! 

Grad enkai at the good ole' Wacko Hotel 

My English Club (without the 1st year students, don't know where they were).