No I have not fallen off the face of the Earth and died...

Hello out there!

Yes, it has been a while. I guess it’s good that I’ve been busy, ne?

So…I don’t know what was the last thing I talked about…so…I guess I’ll go from whatever pops into my head first and just keep going from there…

*I have figured out how to use my oven! Woohoo! Of course having a friend to help me push buttons and turn dials with for 10 minutes or more really helped too. But jesh, I have made my first batch of cookies and they came out great. Sure the flavor is a little different than from home but of course it’s not like I’m using the same brands as home. But they’re good and that’s all that matters, right?

*I have taught the students not only about Halloween but about Dia de los Muertos as well! Mahahaha!

*I learned about the history of Halloween and of the origin of the Jack o’ Lantern!!! I think I’ll post a copy of that later…

*My hair is crazy long but somehow I’ve been able to deal with it…

*I think my Japanese is getting better. My hearing has definitely improved and I’m no longer thinking about what I want to say for very long. I still think about it but I don’t spend that much time on it anymore. Kanji wise…still working on it… Studying for the JLPT: meh. Ups and downs. “I get it”s and “I don’t get it”s. :P

*I’m riding my bike better? Well, I think that I’m riding much faster than before and it may all be because I have a helmet. Of course I may look like a dork in the eyes of the Japanese, but dang it I want to live! Prior to the helmet I had 2 near-crash incidents. On was just somehow losing my balance and scrapping the cement-sidewalk-thing and the other was another bike (sharp corners).

*I went to COSTCO! Not everything in there is American but they did have tortillas (sadly, only flour) and mozzarella cheese!!! ^^ And I got some other things too…like chicken breasts…Clorox for colors…etc.

*I found the blankets! So I went through the closet of the spare room, or what someday shall be named “art room,” and found the blankets and kotatsu mat (kotatsu is like a heater table). But there’s a down-side to it…it stinks!!! Damn…it’s like the seasons changed and my predecessor didn’t think it necessary to wash them and just put them away. So…they smell of sweat and…don’t know what it’s called…general BO from lots of use? But yea, I need to wash them. I haven’t gotten around to it just yet because my dinky little washing machine is too small to fit even one! I will have to go to the laundry mat that has huge washers and dryers. Normally I wouldn’t be bothered by this but it’s a laundry where everything is going to be in Japanese. And being that I don’t really have laundry-mat-knowledge…I’m bound to need help in knowing where the soap goes, color bleach, softener, etc…

*I got some new curtains! Current curtains are alright but they’re not “me!” So…I worked with my options in the store and got some pretty cool curtains. Sadly the ones I really really liked and really really wanted did not block out the sun. I wouldn’t normally care too much about it but being that I’m living on the first floor, I’d like one that does block light so that not even my shadow can be visible. I am aware that in Japan the idea of “privacy” doesn’t really exist but who said I was going to follow all of their customs?

*I shall be going to my first J-Rock concert in November!!! xD So excited!!! v(^.^)

*My friends are coming down to visit me in November!!! xD This is sooooooooo exciting. 3 of my college buddies are also on the JET program and one of them (mi vecina!) is doing hardcore Chinese studying in Teipei and they’re all going to be here in Fukuoka in November. ^^ So I will not be feeling all alone during that time. The only I fear is that once they all leave, I’ll feel lonely again… But I’m starting to plan out what to do and work out something of a budget. But with cooking at home sometimes and then staying with me, it’s going to be pretty cheap. Well, aside from their transportation costs.

…that’s all I can think of for now…