Wonderful Wednesdays (or at least they used to be)

Wednesdays used to be a great day for me here in Japan. When I first met Guy, he told me 1. there were other ALTs in Bando, and 2. they got together a lot on Wednesdays. And that is how it all got started. I met Cotter and Jeff on a Wednesday. We used to go eat ramen or sushi, or I would cook. We would play games or watch movies. It didn't matter what we were doing, as long as we were together it was fun.

I knew Wednesday would never be the same once the guys left, and I was right. No more dinners, no more games or movies, no more anything. I got used to it. Wednesdays became my one night of free time because I started going back to my Japanese class on Tuesdays (which was my old free night). I still missed wonder Wednesdays.

My Wednesdays have changed again, only this time for the worse. When I went to the doctor for my first ibo treatment (which was on a Thursday if you must know ;) ) he informed me that a doctor from the same hospital comes to Bando on Wednesdays and he can give me treatments. It was good news because going to Tsukuba every week wouldn't be easy. And how would I have done it anyway? Take a day off each week just to go to the doctor? I doubt my schools would have liked that. It was just a huge mess in my head, so when the doctor said I can get it done in Bando on Wednesdays I was happy.

My joy soon faded when I realized how painful the treatment is. I have already posted how awful it is a few weeks ago. Let me give you an update. The black and blue on my fingers has faded, but the week after my first treatment I had a fever. Last week was ok because I took some aspirin before I went in, but he used a bigger swab on my foot, so it was in pain for days. This week I didn't get a chance to take aspirin before I went in, so I was forced to take seven...SEVEN that evening before the pain finally dulled..and now I am black and blue again.

I am so disappointed that my wonder Wednesdays have turned into this. I can't even make plans with anyone on Wednesdays because I can't guarantee I won't have a fever, or that I'll be able to walk. Funny how quickly my favorite day of the week has turned into my least favorite.

More good byes a comin'...

Summer break is on the horizon here in Japan, and with that comes another loss. Many of my friends who are in the JET Program are leaving Japan. Some of them I arrived with two years ago, others have been here longer. They are all leaving for various reasons, some want to start their careers, others have been in the JET Program as long as the program allows (five years).

It will be hard for me because my friends are really great people. Of course I am hopeful whoever replaces them will be just as great, but there is something about going through this with the people I came with that is lost upon the newbies. At least I will be here to help them with the transition.

Also, I am just now getting used to the guys being gone, and I will have to go through all of it again. Luckily before they leave we have lots of fun planned. Some of them are even staying with me before they leave. Yay!

So, here's to having a good time. I am thankful I have good friends from all over the world that I can go and visit someday.

Fuji

Today Junpei sent me a photo from the top of Mount Fuji today. How nice!

Safety for YOU!

Last night Cotter, Milada and I went for a walk and and we came across an old condom machine. The photo is kind of bad, but here it is.

The condoms in the machine are not old, and actually they are a bit expensive ($5 to $10). I like running into little things like this in Japan.

Ibo

So, about two years ago I got warts on my fingers. However, I thought they were just dry skin, so for a year I put lotion on them. Then when my brother was here last summer he told me what they were, so I went to the doctor and he gave me some stuff that did nothing. I have spent the past year using over the counter stuff to treat them, but they have only spread (on my feet) or have gotten bigger. So I finally went to another doctor who put nitrogen on it to kill it. I am happy to finally have a treatment that works, however it could take months or even a year for it to work. In the meantime I know whatever treatment that is used in the US probably works faster, but is illegal here in Japan. So I might have to put up with my fingers looking like this for

a year.

Maybe when I go home I will have someone look at them.