Yesterday I was talking with my co-worker/host mom #2 and I asked her if she was planning something for Valentine’s Day. She said no because she has nobody. I teetered my head to the side and asked, “Well, what about your family? Are you not doing anything with them?”
“No. Valentine’s is a lover’s day.”
Somewhere in my head I always understood this but at the same time I also always viewed Valentine’s Day as a day so eat sweets and share it with your loved ones which includes family and friends. It can also be because at home, we also call it, “Dìa de la Amistad,” or “Friendship Day.” After I explained this to my host-mom, she said that only recently have people been giving chocolates to their friends as well. But not her. She does and gives nothing. (Or so she said.) And since we have a playful relationship I said, “So…I won’t give you any cookies.” Her slightly blank/slightly shocked face was the reaction I was hoping for. Immediately after she says, “No. You should make me a big heart. A big heart just for me.” Hahaha. She’s so awesome.
Actually…she was trying to convince me to make a heart-shaped carrot cake (because so far that’s her favorite of my baking goods). But I feel heart-shaped cookies will work better (since this way I can place some on everyone’s desk.)
v(^_^)v
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Trying to update...
Small update from 1/18...
"Hello hello~
Well, it’s quite a while since I’ve written anything and it’s already the new year! Whoa!
I don’t remember what I have and haven’t written about…so I think I’m going to do as I did once before and start from the post recent and move backwards (hopefully re-connecting with where I left off)!
So now I can see my laptop screen again. (Finally!) It’s not because I got it fixed but because I bought a new one. Ugh…so expensive…but so far soooo worth it!
Anyhoo, I’m back in Japan after a 3-week break back at home. Ah, it was so nice to be back in LA, eating my mom’s food, being silly with my family and being able to fully understand everything around (then again…not such a great thing…). And I got to meet up with some buddies! Sadly not all of them…but at least some. ^^ The funny bit how a little more than half of my suit cases were filled with omiyage (souvenirs) on the way home and just about the same spaced was filled with omiyage coming back to Japan. Ahahaha! But so far, everyone has been enjoying (or did enjoy) their gifts. Yay! Yay!
And it was so great to be with my family again. Since my parents and cousin visited me last year, it didn’t feel like it was away from home for so long. But then I noticed that for a while now, I’ve only seen the winter LA. And then once I noticed that I had a lot to be updated on from my family, I fully realized that I have been gone a long time. It was a bit sad but it also makes going home more special. (And there’s that little voice in my head again that sometimes teases me saying, “That’s what it’s going to be like from now on~.”
Hmm… :\
…
I almost can’t believe I’ve already been back in Japan for a week and a half. Not even 24hrs after returning have I been so busy again!!! It feels like I’ve been back for longer! (which now makes me feel better about the fact that I still have my carry on bag in the living room…but then again, it still have things I brought for my students…)
One thing that was a nice surprise was that last week it snowed!!! And not like last year where it’s all pretty as it falls down but full one snow where you could have a decent snowball fight and even make a big snowman! But since it was pretty cold in the morning, I wore my wool stuff to work. Yes it kept me warm, but then I noticed I didn’t consider having a snowball fight with my students! Ah! FAIL. But I enjoyed watching them have a snowball fight. Hehe. I did run around the school taking pictures of the snow. Then I emailed some to my family! That week, they were having rain…but not cold frozen rain like I had.
Another thing that was fun as a play I watched with my students! The funny thing was how surprised the students and teachers were when they saw me. Hahaha. Not many of the teachers knew what day I got back to Japan. But my supervisor did (since I left an itinerary with her) and she called me up Sunday night and invited me to watch this play the next day (Monday the 11th was a national holiday in Japan: coming of age day). So I said I’d go. That morning, I was amazed to see many women wearing kimonos. And even more surprised to see huge crowds of them in the city, Tenjin. Only then did it dawn on me, “Coming of Age Day. Duh.” (It’s like what a quìceñera is to Mexicans and a “sweet 16” is to Americans). Once I found the theatre, I began to look for where the teachers were. As I got closer, I passed 2 teachers and they stopped and said, “Uwa!” hahahaha. They were so surprised. And most of the other teachers did the same once I found them. Hehe. My students seemed really happy to see me (we did the double-handed-super-excited-hand waves to each other ^^).
The play was performed by high school students from Okinawa!!! I never would have guessed they were high school students (well, until I saw them up close and noticed how young they really were). (Okinawa is the southern-most island in all of Japan. It’s kinda like the Hawai’i of Japan).
Those I guess are the main things to update ya’ll on…not sure how much further back I should go…"
"Hello hello~
Well, it’s quite a while since I’ve written anything and it’s already the new year! Whoa!
I don’t remember what I have and haven’t written about…so I think I’m going to do as I did once before and start from the post recent and move backwards (hopefully re-connecting with where I left off)!
So now I can see my laptop screen again. (Finally!) It’s not because I got it fixed but because I bought a new one. Ugh…so expensive…but so far soooo worth it!
Anyhoo, I’m back in Japan after a 3-week break back at home. Ah, it was so nice to be back in LA, eating my mom’s food, being silly with my family and being able to fully understand everything around (then again…not such a great thing…). And I got to meet up with some buddies! Sadly not all of them…but at least some. ^^ The funny bit how a little more than half of my suit cases were filled with omiyage (souvenirs) on the way home and just about the same spaced was filled with omiyage coming back to Japan. Ahahaha! But so far, everyone has been enjoying (or did enjoy) their gifts. Yay! Yay!
And it was so great to be with my family again. Since my parents and cousin visited me last year, it didn’t feel like it was away from home for so long. But then I noticed that for a while now, I’ve only seen the winter LA. And then once I noticed that I had a lot to be updated on from my family, I fully realized that I have been gone a long time. It was a bit sad but it also makes going home more special. (And there’s that little voice in my head again that sometimes teases me saying, “That’s what it’s going to be like from now on~.”
Hmm… :\
…
I almost can’t believe I’ve already been back in Japan for a week and a half. Not even 24hrs after returning have I been so busy again!!! It feels like I’ve been back for longer! (which now makes me feel better about the fact that I still have my carry on bag in the living room…but then again, it still have things I brought for my students…)
One thing that was a nice surprise was that last week it snowed!!! And not like last year where it’s all pretty as it falls down but full one snow where you could have a decent snowball fight and even make a big snowman! But since it was pretty cold in the morning, I wore my wool stuff to work. Yes it kept me warm, but then I noticed I didn’t consider having a snowball fight with my students! Ah! FAIL. But I enjoyed watching them have a snowball fight. Hehe. I did run around the school taking pictures of the snow. Then I emailed some to my family! That week, they were having rain…but not cold frozen rain like I had.
Another thing that was fun as a play I watched with my students! The funny thing was how surprised the students and teachers were when they saw me. Hahaha. Not many of the teachers knew what day I got back to Japan. But my supervisor did (since I left an itinerary with her) and she called me up Sunday night and invited me to watch this play the next day (Monday the 11th was a national holiday in Japan: coming of age day). So I said I’d go. That morning, I was amazed to see many women wearing kimonos. And even more surprised to see huge crowds of them in the city, Tenjin. Only then did it dawn on me, “Coming of Age Day. Duh.” (It’s like what a quìceñera is to Mexicans and a “sweet 16” is to Americans). Once I found the theatre, I began to look for where the teachers were. As I got closer, I passed 2 teachers and they stopped and said, “Uwa!” hahahaha. They were so surprised. And most of the other teachers did the same once I found them. Hehe. My students seemed really happy to see me (we did the double-handed-super-excited-hand waves to each other ^^).
The play was performed by high school students from Okinawa!!! I never would have guessed they were high school students (well, until I saw them up close and noticed how young they really were). (Okinawa is the southern-most island in all of Japan. It’s kinda like the Hawai’i of Japan).
Those I guess are the main things to update ya’ll on…not sure how much further back I should go…"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
