Two Years Ago…

Two years ago, I wrote blogs worth reading.

This is what I found out just now as I read through the archives of my first few months of being in Japan.  Things were lovely, and written with both humor and a slightly rose-colored hue!  This was intentional at the time, and yet I’m still jealous when I read back on it.  It’s like when I’ve looked at some of the art I created years ago and think to myself, “How did I DO that?!?”.

I was looking over them again because, while talking to the ALT who will be filling my position at the end of the month, I told him to read the first part of my blog to really get a feel of the place I lived.  I mean, Yoshii-machi is so much more than just an inaka town, but where do you begin?  It’s just as hard of a question to answer as “so, how was Japan?”.

I want to write posts like those again!  But what made them what they were?  Was it the pictures?  The humor?  The stories?  Honestly, I think it’s the lack of weariness that began blanketing everything I wrote about after awhile.  I slowly began to kindof hate my job, and it really affected this.  Perhaps I need to do some practice happy-times blogging.

We’ll see!

I Know You Didn’t Forget, But Still…

My birthday it tomorrow!!!  Yay!

I’m happy, because it flows so much better saying  「私は２８歳です。」  than 「私は２７歳です。」.  I just like the sound of ８歳(hassai).  Do I need a better reason?

Shortly after arriving in Canada, and realizing that I had arrived on the same day as my high school 10-year reunion (and yet still didn’t go), I thought back to where I was ten years ago…and realized that there was no way I would want to go through all of that again.  I mean, good memories, and all, but of the rising-above-hardships type, and…yeah.  “Good riddance!”, I said.  And I realized that I was perfectly happy with the age I am right now.

Though I could do without the signs that my face has been in constant motion for *almost* 28 years!  Gah!

I’m debating on the proper way to celebrate.  So far, I’m leaning towards buying a cheesecake of random flavor and sticking 28 candles in it.   I have plans-ish around 7:30pm that involve meeting up with a friend I haven’t seen since high school and going with him and his “lady love” (as he calls her…how sweet!) to a multicultural festival.  I will not lie and say that I’m not looking forward to the food.  Other than this, however?  Seems I’ll have to buy myself a present or two.  Relatives are out of town, and the only present the dog I’m babysitting would give me, I don’t want (didn’t stop her from giving me an early birthday present today, though…).

So, I need to finish this before it’s ACTUALLY my birthday.  In North America.  If I hadn’t left Japan earlier than expected, it would be my birthday now.  Kindof weird when I think about it.  I know why and all, but still…weird.

Laters.  For now!!!

The Good News

So, perhaps a few people were wondering when I would get around to mentioning the good news part of the “do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first” bit.  Well, honestly, I was also wondering.  See, I was waiting for something official before I told the world.

And that something official finally came (so it seems I gotta actually tell you now)!

I’ve been accepted into the public history graduate program at the University of West Florida.

No, wait.  More feeling.

I’ve been accepted into the public history graduate program at the University of West Florida!!!!ZoMG!!!!!11

Yeah, with emphasis and flair.

In case you don’t even know what public history is, it’s teaching history…to the public!  And I’ll be emphasizing in museum studies.  Hopefully no explanation is needed there.

The only hitch is that I’ll be paying out-of-state tuition, which is a huge, giant ouch in my brain.  The only hope I have is to secure an assistantship that several other students are vying for.  My one benefit is that I’m out-of-state, and my one downfall is that I have to make roughly a 1300 on the GRE before July.  I could cry.  A 1300!  I don’t remember math!  And I’ve been spending the last two years speaking dumbed-down English!

%^*#%$^%@%^*$^

Is this where I ask total strangers for money?  The desire is great, but I shall resist!

(and please appreciate that I now have a new category…”school”!)

Groceries!

Ah Canada! Where everyone is overweight just like me!

I went to the grocery store today to stock up. I made sure to look for things that were unavailable in Japan.

What I bought!

• a large chicken (pot) pie
• skim milk (the proper kind)
• LeSieur canned peas
• canned beef stew
• package of mushroom-flavor instant ramen (for the beef stew of course!…don’t judge me!)
• lemonade
• raisin bran cereal
• French onion dip
• crinkle cut potato chips
• Sensodyne (with FLOURIDE)
• proper-sized toothbrush
• chunky clam chowder
• proper cottage cheese
• granola bars
• Women’s Health magazine (yes, a very odd one out)

Only one of those things is available in an average (Fukuoka) Japanese grocery store or combini. Three others are available if you go to Costco.

note: it seems one item I thought was available in Japanese stores is, in fact, not. So now, it’s 0 Japan, 4 Costco.

Care to take a guess?

To Reiterate

Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough in the last post.

I’m not leaving at the end of July, as expected.

I’m leaving tomorrow.

Perhaps the next time you’ll hear from me, I’ll be in Canada. Then after that? Who knows!

Tomorrow.

…Tomorrow! Dear God!

The Bad News

On Saturday, I’ll be kissing Japan, and this blasted job, behind.

One of those I will really, really miss. And to the other I will say, “thanks for the memories, though I could have done without all of them!”. Still though, when asked by a friend what I would miss most about Japan, I said, “my kids”. This, of course, is recognized by all other ALTs (”teachers in general”, most likely) as “the kids I teach”. Or “taught”, in my case.

If ever there was a time to sigh, now would be it.

*sigh*

I definitely had my share of troubles, but I don’t want any future ALTs to be horrified upon finding that their predecessor’s website is practically saying, “abandon hope, all ye who enter here”. Nono, nothing like that. It was personal issues that drove me away ( to an extent…). It seems I’m just a bit too ornery for this lifestyle.

I’m not looking forward to leaving. I’ll be saying goodbye to good friends who’ve braved the ALT journey with me through the highs and lows. And there is a veritable plethora of inside jokes that I find terribly humorous now, and every unsuspecting person I meet will be subjected to them for, what, the next ten years? Something close to that.

And of course, there’s my boyfriend. *shock!* Yes, I’ve been dating him for a while, but I’ve always made sure to not bring romantic relationships (as well as politics and religion) into this blog. But I feel it would just be wrong not to mention him in this situation! We are going to be silly and try to keep this going while we’re apart. He’s got at least another year here (he’s also an ALT), but what with my upcoming plans, hopefully everything will conveniently work out anyways.

Oh, this ever-changing life! I wonder what new twists the future holds for me now.

I’m trying to stay positive here!  …nonetheless, it’s kindof failing.

You Choose

So, what do you want to hear first, the good news or the bad news?

Mountain-Fresh But Wrong

I’ve finally come to the full realization that I’ve been washing my clothes with fabric softener for over two months. I had heard stories, but I can’t believe this has happened to me.

I hope everyone can learn from this tale of tragedy. English is good! Cryptic Japanese labeling is bad!!!! Costco is LOVE!

*cry*

Mountainous Boobies…Get It?

Who said gravure models don’t have talent?

My brain kinda fell out of my head when I watched this.

It’s for some kind of a low-level talent show program.  I think the hosts’ brains fell out, too.

It would have been wrong of me not to share this.  People need to know.

Package From Mommy!!

When I came home today for lunch, I saw a package in my mailbox and was all, “ooh! package from mom!!”. The customs sticker said that there was a book and a shirt inside, so I decided that whatever tacky shirt was in there, I would change into it and wear it back to school and just ask for someone to tell me to change into something more professional! And then I’d be all, “Noo!!! Mommy gave it to meeee!!! *crycrycry*”.

I was also hoping the shirt would be bright red. For effect.

But alas, the shirt was tasteful, a muted green with a Japanese chrysanthemum motif, and…sleeveless. One of those characteristics is keeping it snug at home until I return (at which point I will don it for the rest of the day). Yeah, that’s right. It’s the “sleeveless” bit. That’s apparently too ダメfor words at your place of work. Heck, the very idea of wearing only a sleeveless shirt here is whispered only in small circles. Most people, even in the death humid heat of August, are still wearing long sleeves! Crazy people, I say. They say it’s to protect against harmful rays, but what harmful effect are they trying to avoid? I’m sure it would be from the horror of tanning, not skin cancer. I can only assume, because otherwise with such an informed group, you’d also be seeing men carrying parasols and using the sun shields found on (only women’s) bikes to protect hands while they’re exposed. And how many times have I heard young women tell their friends while looking at me, “Her skin is so white! She’s so pretty!”?

Right, moving on.

The book turned out to be a cookbook! Wee~! And not just any cookbook, but one of those fund raiser cookbooks with those recipes. You know what I mean, yeah?

Missouri Soup, Rhonda’s Pasta Salad Addiction, Dad’s Sweet & Sour Meatballs, Shipwreck Casserole, Lemon Squares, No Bake Oatmeal/Fudge Cookies, Peanut Brittle.

You know what I mean?  Very “post-WWII nuclear family” type cookbook.

I will now take this to school and see if any of these recipes can fit into a cooking lesson here.