Weekend with the fam...

This weekend I confirmed two things that teachers have always told me...

1. Health teachers: Alcohol really DOES lower your inhibitions. I noticed I would get less and less afraid to actually try speaking Japanese as I drank more alcohol...last night was quite an experience.

2. All language teachers: Language is best learned outside of the classroom. As the weekend went on I noticed more and more new vocab and grammar that I was using. Nakajima sensei would be proud. I even used some words I JUST learned for my last vocab quiz! How cool!

This weekend with my extended family was really really fun! I still don't know how I'm related to MOST of the people there...but they were all sooo nice! This weekend was for my mom's cousin, Norio, who died 12 years ago in a car accident. We had a memorial ceremony at his father's home. It was pretty cool. They were all warning me of how long and boring it was going to be, but it ended up being shorter than they let on. It was a cool experience though. Then after that we all left to go viist the grave site. There the kids, and Norio's siblings mostly, washed the grave with water and then we each offered insence to the grave.



After that we all piled in the cars again and headed to the hotel. It was sooo nice! It was along this lake called "Biwako." It was soo scenic. When we got there we rested a bit and then had a huge long dinner. It was seriously huge. We had like 9 courses or something...I stopped counting actually. I tried nearly everything...Mom, you'll be proud. I had a piece of tuna roll at lunch, tuna sashimi at dinner, a bunch of stuff that I had no clue what it could have been, more crab (ugh), and more stuff that I had no clue about. It was all very pretty and fancy, but I just wish I could have enjoyed it more past my eyes. We did have one course of personal yakiniku with our own little fondue-like grills...I say fondue-like because there was just a little candle flame thingy underneath it to cook the meat. Yummy-katta.




Then today we got up, had a wonderful breakfast in the hotel, and then went to an art museum in town. It was pretty cool, but kinda random. I still bought some sweet postcards nonetheless. I think they took us to the museum because this whole weekend was pretty much an excuse for a family reunion. It's pretty cool.




After the museum we went to lunch at another place...really nice. More yakiniku for me! It was already cooked though...but oh so good! We all just sat around and chatted for a while...and looked out the window at the amazing view of Lake Biwa and the mountains behind it. So georgous!



Then we headed back to my great uncle's house where we had started. We chatted a bit more and then it was time to leave. And, as if they hadn't given me enough already this weekend, they gave me an omiage (pretty much a present for coming...normally the person visiting would bring an omiage to the house they are visiting, but I was a stupid America-jin and didn't come prepared this time!) as my aunt and I left. I just opened it and it's a bunch of random, but nicer, snack foods and a box of Peter Rabbit rice/soup bowls. Yeah. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with the bowls, but they're cute! Haha...it doesn't exactly go with my decor at home though...haha.

Now I'm thinking about catching up in my journal journal about this weekend...and maybe start my paper for Buddhism about my experience. My teacher said I could use this weekend as a field-study type of paper instead of taking my second test! How great is that! So yeah...I think I'll get going on that!

Fun weekend!

So this weekend was fun! Really it was Sunday that was fun...Saturday was just productive.
I slept in on Saturday and then got a lot accomplished...mainly I organized my room and did my finances. Whoopie!

Sunday I was supposed to get up early and meet Colin and his family in Kyoto. Well...I overslept. Whoops! So I texted him and told him I'd meet them later for lunch or something maybe. I had told him I could be there around 10:30-11...umm well it turns out I can't tell time. You'd think by the time I turned 21 I'd be able to tell time, at least on digital clocks. Well, I can't. So I actually LEFT around 10:45...I wasn't in Kyoto until around 12ish. I could have gotten there sooner, but I went some weird way to get there. Whatever. I finally got there!!

We met up at Sanjyusangendou temple, but they had already been through. I went there during May term so I didn't go in...I might go back later in the semester though...I especially want to because of my Japanese Buddhism class too. Anyways, we went to some history museum thingy across the street then. I met his parents there and the we headed toward Kiyomizu temple. We went up a side way and walked by this whole VALLEY full, like seriously jam-packed full, of graves. It was sooooo sweet!!



Then we got to Kiyomizu. Just as lovely as ever. I love that temple so much. So beautiful and peaceful. And I actually noticed different things now because of my Buddhism class...how cool. We took pics and walked through.




I was suppposed to be in touch with Leah while I was there so she could meet up with us at the Kyoto craft center, but it didn't work out. But, surprise! My brother texted me and was like "Are you still in Kyoto because I'm here." So I kinda discribed where I was and he miraculously found me! It was so funny! So I left Colin for a bit and went to dinner with my brother. We went to a ramen place across town a bit. It was AMAZING. Plus I hadn't eaten yet that day...so it was even better. It seems like Adam and I like to make it a tradition to eat at a noodle place everytime we randomly meet in Japan. When I hung out with him during May term in Tokyo we went to eat udon. Yay! Anyways...that was very tasty and fun to see him. Then he wanted to go solo so he could go shopping and then go meet his friend later.

So I texted Colin to find out where he was...he was at the craft center so I went back there. I met up with them and bought some cute sparkly pink envelopes and some postcards that are just cute things that I don't want to send...I want to keep them and look at them. They're soo cute!

Today was like normal...I had class..unfortunately it was at 9:00am!! Ughh...but it was ok. My roommate's really sick. I'm pretty sure she's been sleeping this entire day and all weekend! :(

The weather was soooo beautiful today so when we got home from school Leah and I played outside. I rode her bike around and I'm really really wanting one for myself now!! We went to the bike shop to look around. I intentionally didn't bring any money though. I test rode one of them and I really really liked it...eek!! I think it might have just been the weather today though. Because I would not like to ride with coldness in my face. So....maybe when it gets warmer for good?? Eek! I dunno what to do!! But riding her bike was super fun!




That's all for now!

Feb. 14, 2007

Well...I've got a bit of time before Alex is done with class. I figured I'd wait around for her so that we can go to the grocery store together and get special treats for Valentine's day. I love Valentine's day even though I've never exactly had a special Valentine's day. But we all know how much I love love...plus it's my dad and brother's day!! (Incase you didn't know, both of their first names are really Valentine...and then they go by their middle names. So yay for Valentine's day!!) Valentine's day is kinda cool here anyways because really it's the day that only girls give chocolate to boys. And then on White day the boys give chocolate to the girls. I think they're supposed to give white chocolate (gross) but that's still fun I suppose! It's exactly a month later...March 14th. Mark your calendars!!!

Anyways, now that I have some time, I'll update about my weekend! Ok, well on Saturday I got up early and headed to Osaka aquarium with a bunch of friends from my dorm. It was soooooo cool!! A little expensive, but oh so worth it!! They had little sea otters and big sea otters, and dolphins and penguins and lots of fish of course...and a whale shark that they're so proud of...and the coolest part was the jelly fish!!




Sooo after that we went and got some lunch and then went shopping a bit. Also a group of us took some purikura...I'll try to get those up too...but those are the little photo sticker things that are oh so popular in Japan. I love them!! After that we rode on the ferris wheel...it was waaaay taller than the one in Kobe. It was really fun! But the view was definitely better in Kobe (of course!!).



After that stuff we headed back to the really big, shopping-y, crazy busy area of Osaka. We were meeting up with some other people for dinner. We went shopping a bit and then took pictures in front of the famous Namba crab and drummer man guy. Haha...you'll just have to see the pics to understand that...unless you're Ann. :) Yay! Then we all went to dinner at another yakiniku place. It was freaking amazing!! And, yes I'm going to say it, it was better than in Kobe...and cheaper! It wasn't Kobe beef...but it was just really really good that night. The view was way better in Kobe though (of course!!). Haha! And I had my first Asahi in Japan...my Japanese blood turned me all red though of course.

Then the next day I kinda got to sleep in a bit...but I had to get ready and find my way to Umeda where I was meeting my brother to go visit my Japanese aunts. Umeda is a big station so we decided to meet infront of this huge building out front. Well, despite the fact that we both got there early and were waiting, the building was a little too big because we were both waiting at different enterances...oops! We finally found each other 20 mins later and headed to my aunt's house. Adam and I talked a bit about Japan and classes and stuff, but yeah. Then we arrived in Kawanishi, near their house and they picked us up out infront of the station.

We went to my Aunt Takako's house...I've never been to her house, only my other aunt, Kimiko's. It was nice...seemed smaller, but maybe because I was only in one room the whole time. Takako's husband was there too...he's really cool. Anyways, we hung out for a bit and Adam rocked it out with all his fluentness...and I sat there embarassed by the fact that I knew about 70% of what they were talking about but I was too scared/embarassed to talk. Anyways. That wasn't the worst part of the evening...

We ate crab...and lots of it. Here's the problem with that. I don't like crab. But I couldn't tell them that. So I had to stuff my face with it. It was bad enough having to cut the little legs off of the poor thing, but to have to take a big bite of the meat just killed me. Let's just say I drank a lot of beer that night because with every bite I took I'd just swallow it down with a swig of beer...like taking a pill. It was sick and I, of course, turned bright red...my favorite thing ever. This is why I don't drink often.



Oh and I forgot to mention, their neighbors came over and brought a lovely dish. I would compare it to stuffing from Thanksgiving, except for the fact that it has little shrimp guys and tako (octopus) pieces in it...umm yeah. I was gulping that down too...I didn't finish it though...I just couldn't. Biting shrimp freak me out.

After the crab and shrimp fiasco we had a second course of Nabe (which is like shabu shabu for those of you that know and for those of you that don't know...it's where there's a big pot of boiling water on the table over a burner and normally there's some seaweed in the water to flavor it...then veggies and tofu and meat (pork in this case) are cooked in it...then you just take what you want and dip it in this really good sauce and eat!). It was soo much better...but my stomach was kinda gross from the crab and the beer.

Finally dessert came around...oranges. I was all over the oranges!!! And by then I was luckily only drinking tea...so I turned more normal colored again. Blahh. Then the neighbors left and Adam and I (umm mostly Adam I suppose) chatted with my aunts and uncle and then they gave us lots of presents. Not really. It was mostly just food since we both have to cook for ourselves. I got mochi (rice cake things that are not what you are thinking...not the stupid popcorn things from America...they're actually made out of rice and you grill them and they get all poofy and gooey...yumm), okaki (which are crunchy rice cracker things, flavored with soy sauce, and wrapped in seaweed), sheets of seaweed, and green tea! It was like Christmas! Yay! Then they invited Adam and me to this Buddhist ceremony thing that is like an tradtional anniversary ceremony for someone that has died in the family. I think I'll go...it's not this weekend but next weekend. We get to stay in a nice hotel and then go to the ceremony which should be really interesting...and then eat a lot. Umm but I'm a little worried that it's going to be all fishy things and I'll starve. Maybe I'll sneak some snacks...hehe....





Then we left. When I got home I stuffed my face with buttered toast and apple yogurt (which is my new favorite food here...it's AMAZING!) and a little bit of rice, and water. I needed it. My stomach felt much better after that.

The next morning (Monday) I had to get up at 5:50 to shower and get ready and leave on time to be at my home visit family's house by 10. Yes, they live that far away. Plus I left early so I had time to get lost...luckily. I had to transfer at 2 different stations and I only got lost once...I was pretty lost though. I asked like 4 people how to get to where I was headed (Higashi-Kishiwada) and finally someone was able to help me out. Their town only has a little, little train station, so it was kind of difficult to find a train that was actually stopping there. But then I did and it all worked out!

My visit family is SO NICE!! It's a girl that's my age, a 16-year-old daughter, and a mom and dad. The mom and dad spoke bits of English to me too...they're so cute! The 16-year-old seemed a little nervous to speak in English or Japanese to me. But I still had so much fun with them! First thing we did was go to the grocery store so the mom could get food for lunch and dinner. Then I went to their house. They have a cute dog, that didn't like me at first, named Irina. Later we became friends when I fed her little hot dogs and told her to "osuwari" (sit). It's sooo cool speaking Japanese to a dog and having it actually understand!!!! Ahh! It's the coolest thing ever!



Lunch was fried rice and it was absolutely AMAZING! I've been craving some good fried rice since I've gotten here and that definitely hit the spot. Then we hung out a bit and chatted with the family. Then all the girls and I went out shopping. We went to this mall (with a grocery store on the first floor of course), but all I bought was a nail file and some polish at the 100yen shop before we even got to the mall.

After shopping we were all so tired...I seriously had to fight to stay awake on the car ride back home. I thought it'd be rude to fall asleep though. Back at home though I woke up because Shizuka (my hostsister I guess you could call her) and I played Mario Kart and I rocked! It was awesome. And then we played Mario Party 3...I sucked because it was all in Japanese so I never understood the games...and I've never played that version...only the later ones that I have at home. It was still really fun though.

Then we all helped to cook dinner. We had okonomiyaki and yakisoba...omg...it was so freaking good!!! I love homemade okonomiyaki so much because you can decide what you want and don't want on it...and how much. So I didn't have to have any grossy fishy flakes on it! They were very careful not to give me anything fishy or seafoody...they kept asking. Of course I say it like "Oh....umm...well I'll try it." And then they get the hint. Haha...indirectness is the Japanese way. It was easier to tell them I don't like seafood than my aunts because I just met them too. My aunts had to have known from before or else from my grandma, but I guess they don't consider crab to be seafood. Kinda like on My Big Fat Greek Wedding when the boyfriend is going over to the Aunt's house and he tells her that he doesn't eat meat...and so she says "You don't eat no meat?!?!....That's ok...I make lamb!" Oh man...crazy aunts.





Anyways, cooking with them was so fun! And then I kampai'd (kampai = cheers) with my host dad. I just had one grape chu-hi and, guess what! I got red! Wooo. I'm so awesome. Then I just chugged a bunch of water and I was better. It's so crazy because I don't even have to drink that much and I turn more red than someone that is 100% Japanese. Ughh...and the only reason why it bothers me so much is because I look like crap. Haha...it makes me look like I just ran 10 miles or something. But I don't get hot. Well, my face is hot, but the rest of me is freezing and I shiver like crazy. It's just a messed up situation....moving on....



After dinner we ate cheesecake. They were CRAZY about it...saying it was SOOOO GOOD!!! And I of course said it was too, but omg, it's so gross compared to anything from America...New York cheesecake is number one. Woo...sounds so good right now.

While we ate dessert we watched this quiz TV game show. It was pretty fun...at least the parts I understood. After a bit though I had to get going. They looked up an easier route to get home (so nice of them!) and then the mom and Shizuka drove me to the station. While Shizuka and I waited for my train we discussed our different words we say for "It's cold out!" I was saying "Burr" and she told me something (other than samui) but I forget it now. I even repeated it like 400 times to try to remember...didn't work.

Anyways, they were sooo nice! I can't wait to go back! Host mom wants to sing The Carpenters with me at karaoke and Shizuka LOVES the Backstreet Boys...so of course I'll be all over that! Plus they want to take me to a movie in their town. They really like American movies so they go to the theater often. I'm excited! The only problem is that I don't have a lot of free weekends...and I really do need a weekend to hang out with them since they live so far.

So! I hope you all enjoyed this nice loooong entry. I hope you all read it. Sorry about all my tangents...I tend to do that.

Food, Japanese, and a surprise phone call!!

So I sometimes like to check out Knowhope so I can stay in touch and informed about Hope happenings...well today let me just tell you that I would absolutely LOVE to be eating tacos to support CASA!! Omg. I want a good taco so badly! AND! I would GLADLY order pizza from Papa John's today and tell them "It's for the kids!" so they'd donate 20% to Dance Marathon! OMG. I want good pizza sooo bad! Not to say that Papa John's is at all good when compared to other pizza places (ahem...pizza hut rules), but I'll settle for some Papa John's right now over tuna and mayo pizza. That is definitely for sure! But despite all of this, I'll be eating some homemade yakisoba for dinner (still amazingly delicious) and possibly drinking some tea before bed. I need to buy tea though. Gotta remember.

So it's ALMOST official. I met my Japanese level 3 sensei today. She's soo cute! She's this little old lady, Koyama sensei. The only thing is that she wants me to go to 4th level AGAIN tomorrow (I can never get away!) and then go to the level three class after that and THEN decide if I still want to move down. She gave me the schedule of stuff we're doing and I asked what I should do to prepare for tomorrow. She said to try and memorize all the transitive and intransitive stuff since they went over that today in class. Then she listed some of them and I was like, "Huh?" I totally forget all of that. Crap. Well, it's the right class for me I think! Right now all I remember is some causative, passive, and causative-passive stuff because we just reviewed it for our level 4 review test. All that will be at the end of the semester though, so I'll forget it before then.

So now I'm just sitting around and waiting for my next class to begin at 4:00. It's my Japanese Buddhism class that I decided to add instead of Youth in Japan. Youth in Japan seemed like it would be a pretty good class, but the teacher is so dry and boring that I just would not be able to hear, let alone retain, anything he says because I'll be sleeping. My Buddhism class is fabulous though. Yay!

So good news, kids! My mom is MOST DEFINITELY sending me the Superbowl on video!! Along with all the commercials!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm soooo pumped!!! I'll have to throw a belated Superbowl party (but I'll have to be sure to call it "American Football" or else my friends from futbol countries might get mad and not come...)!

lalala....ok, well I think that's all I can squeeze out for right now. Not a lot of new things to report except for my Japanese class and oh! I'm going to visit my great aunts this weekend at one of their homes. And then the next day (Monday) is a holiday and I'm going to visit my home visit family since we don't have school. I get to meet their dog Irina and I'm sooo excited! Doggy!

So the other day, much to my surprise...pleasant surprise that is...I got a phone call from my good friend COLIN! :) He's spending this school year at Meiji Gakuin in Tokyo. It was so nice to chat with a friend from school actually voice to voice. :) He's the greatest. Shout out to Colin! (If you actually read this far that is...)

Total change of subject:
I've been having weird dreams lately. A few of them have involved different types of terrorist attacks when I'm working at certain places (like the white house or this department store thing)...and other ones are pleasant but I'm not sure where they're coming from. That's all about that I think.

K, that's all for now really. Byee!

Picture requests???

Here's an assortment of pictures, but if you want to see more of some place or something, let me know and I'll post them too. Also, make sure you read my last post because you might miss it thinking that this is the only thing I posted! I think these are all out of order, but you'll get the idea at least. :) Enjoy!
















Yay! GO COLTS STILL!!

AHHHHHHHHHH COLTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Umm so can I just yell and scream something really quick?

THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I'm excited. Even from here in Japan...where I didn't even get to watch them. I watched the scores online this morning and got phone call updates from my mom...but other than that I was stuck with stupid online scores. Even with that though I was cheering and stuff...all by myself in my room! Then I had to go to class so I didn't even get to see the 4th quarter!! And I couldn't even find out if we pulled it off until 2:30 after class (or around 12:30pm in Indiana!!)!!!!! Ahhh!!! I'm so excited! I want to go celebrate with people, but the Americans I know here don't care that much and the rest of the international students hate that we stole the word for their soccer so they don't want anything to do with "American football." Haha...and not so haha. I'm just so excited! I really really really hope someone I know taped it though...and hangs onto it so I can see it when I get home from Japan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Or else if someone wants to mail me a copy that would be the best 1/2 birthday present of my life!!!!!!!!!!!! :) Not that I've ever actually gotten a 1/2 birthday present, but still!!!!!

Ok, in other news....today was just an overall GREAT DAY! I had my (almost) last Japanese class today!! I went and talked to her this afternoon about moving down still. She said that my review test was around a 94-95%, but I explained to her that it wasn't a total review for me though because I actually studied like crazy for it where everyone else in the class didn't study at all because it was a true review for them. She said that she didn't think I needed to move down, but I told her that I really want to learn the level 3 stuff so I'll actually be able to utilize it...instead of just learning it to forget it after the test. She said that if I really want to be in level 3 she can't make me stay in level 4....and she understood my reasoning (pretty much)...so I'm moving to level 3!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!! And THE COLTS WON THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yayayayayayyyayyayayayyy!

Happy day!

Ok, I think I'm gonna go take a nap....maybe....

HAPPY COLTS DAY!

KOBE!

So today I went to Kobe with Alex and our new friend Sara. It was really fun! It has been and will always be my favorite city. I love love love it there. So beautiful and peaceful and georgous....well that's the same as beautiful, but yeah. I love it! We kinda went shopping a bit...I bought a new scarf (and yes I know I have like a million scarves, but this one is this really pretty green and a cute design...maybe I'll put a pic up?) and some little cell phone charm-hangy things for my keitai (cell phone). I got a Kobe hello kitty one and a Totoro one. :) My 2 faves. For lunch we went to Chinatown and wandered. We finally settled on a place that was just inside the gates. It was soo good...I got karaage (which are just little fried chicken pieces really) and nikuman (which is like this doughy dumpling with meat and maybe some onions or something inside). It was soooooo freaking good! Omg. Then for dinner, yayayayay, we went and had yakiniku (which literally is "fried meat" but really is just where they bring you out raw meat and you grill it on a grill in the middle of your table) with KOBE BEEF!!!!!! Yummmmm. It was a little pricey so we didn't eat too much...but it was amazing. We actually went to the same place I went with the May Term group back in the day...:) Yay! After dinner we rode the ferris wheel (duh, who could pass that up???) and then got some purikura taken (those little pictures you take in the photo boothes...but they're super intense in Japan where you can go and decorate each photo when you're done and they're just so cute!). Then after visiting the Miyazaki store (where I got my totoro thingy) we found our way to the train station to head home. :) Overall it was a fabulous day!

And I've got some great news! My mom sent me my camera cable (as well as some Valentine's candy...how sweet!) so I'll be getting some pictures up here very very soon! Obviously almost all of them will be on facebook, but I'll put some select ones on here for all of you that aren't my friend on facebook (which you all should be by now...unless I don't know you and you're from a random state that keeps checking my xanga...or google or yahoo...or now msn.com apparently...).

Yay! Now I'm super dead tired and need to get to sleep. Luckily I don't have to wake up at any specific time tomorrow!!! Whoopie!!!!!!!!!!!! So good night!

Hi

(This is from earlier today...)

I just had my Japanese review test. It was ok. I actually finished before a lot of people in my class, but eh, I dunno. We had a listening comprehension part (gross) and then a short response part and then we had to write an essay. I actually found the essay to be the easiest part...but that's probably because I'm so used to them at Hope and because you don't have specific guidelines about what grammer to use and junk. I was much much more natural writing than I ever am speaking. Boo. But it's probably because I don't write in a very complicated manner. Oh well. We'll see what happens.

So this morning around 7:30am my roommate and I were both suddenly woken up by our telephone ringing so freaking loudly! It turns out it was my mom calling. Hi mom. It was nice talking to her, but I was so tired and I felt bad because I couldn't leave my room with the phone so my roommate had to hear it all too. I tried to be quiet, but then my mom couldn't hear me...but yeah. It was nice. :)

In my social experience psych class we were talking about culture shock...and I've decided that that is/was what I've been going through. A bunch of the "symptoms" fit the way I've been feeling lately...pretty interesting. The good thing is that it'll probably go away soon enough. I'm hoping Kobe will help some. :) Yay!

(This is from now)

P.S. I got a cell phone finally today!!!!! Here's a pic of me with it and Alex!...



Yay! I'm in love with it too! Isn't it just so ME!!!!! The girl at the store was like "We only have red left, is that ok?" I said it was fine, and she came out with this!! How perfect!! Yayayayayayayyy! And just so you know all incoming calls are FREE!!!! :) I need to double check about international calls, but I'm pretty sure it's true for that too...soooooo nice! Yay! So once I confirm that I'll give you my number, mom and dad. :)

Ok, now I need to get to bed because I have an early wake up call so I can leave for Kobe around 8! Yay! Finally a day trip to Kobe! So excited...hopefully it doesn't snow or rain or anything.

K byeee