Halloween!

This year I didn't do anything for Halloween. The Monday beforeReiko and I did go to Disneyland to check out the decorations, but the day of I didn't want to do anything. It turned out to be a good idea because on Saturday (the day everyone went out) there was a typhoon! It was wet and windy outside. I did manage to go to Tokyo to my Chinese class, but that is about all I could do.

In Japan people are expected to by omiyage for their coworkers. What is omiyage you ask? Well Wikipedia says, "In Japan, souvenirs are known as meibutsu (products associated with a particular region); and omiyage, candies or other edibles to be shared with co-workers. Omiyage sales are big business at Japanese tourist sites." Now you know.

I have never bought omiyage for my co-workers, mostly because I go to four schools and it is just too many people to buy for. ***I should point out my other friends who sometimes go to more schools than I do, always buy omiyage. Still, my teachers don't expect me to buy it for them and I don't expect to receive some from them, though I often do.*** I didn't bring anything back from my visit to the US because I didn't have room in my luggage, the Halloween candy I brought back weighed four pounds and I had to take it out of my check-in or pay $150 overweight fee! Um...no candy is worth that much!

Enter Costco. We don't have Costco in South Dakota, but Japan does. After I came back from home I went to this magical place and found some bite size Snickers bars on sale! ***It should be noted that Japan does have Snickers bars that can be found in most combinis, supermarkets, and other places where candy is sold.***

So this year for Halloween I made a little sign that said "Happy Halloween" with an arrow pointed down, and put it in the kitchen area of the teachers room. I it was a hit because the candy went fast (I even had to refill the bowl) and someone who was in a festive mood even put two persimmons in front of the bowl in place of pumpkins. I really appreciated the effort!

Good Food!!

There is this restaurant that originated in a town called Sakai that is just the next town over. It is now a chain and it is called Bando. The name has nothing to do with the town I live in. I even think the kanji is different (meaning it would have a different meaning) an Bando is a family name in Japan, so I believe the restaurant is named after a family and the town Bando means slope east. Anyway, it doesn't matter where they got the name, the point is the food, man is it good! The restaurant is famous for udon and soba. I like to get this udon set with a fried pork cutlet, yummy! Don't worry, I never eat the whole thing at once! I usually eat the udon and one piece of pork (and the pickled vegetables) and take the rest home for later!

Lunch

Japan is famous for their bentos (lunch box) but I actually don't eat them too often. My counterparts at elementary and junior high schools do because they must eat lunch with the students. High school is much more relaxed. I often bring my own, or head out for a quick bite. My favorite lunch when I am at my base school is from a place called Sukiya.

Sukiya is a chain restuarant that serves up cheap beef bowl meals. I go there from my base school because it is right outside the gate of my school! In fact, as I type this I am looking at the sign outside the window.

Usually I get just a normal beef bowl with beef sauteed with onions over rice. I get the smallest size because for some reason they do have a lot of calories in them. Then I add on a salad for ￥100 extra. Totally cost for my lunch is about 230 yen, not bad. I usually add a packet or two of pickled ginger for more favor (those are the pink things in the photo).

Today, however I noticed they have a new beef bowl with celery for 330 yen. I am always looking for ways to eat more vegetables, so I tried it. Its really nice! I think I have a new favorite at Sukiya!

I know I know, I need to update more....

I am so bad about updating this blog! I guess I have gotten into kind of a rut with it for many reasons. The main one being, I have been in Japan long enough now, I don't know what will be interesting to anyone at home anymore. I realize that is stupid now because after being at home and talking with people, anything I put on here can be interesting. Ok, I get it. I will try to do more posting, even if it is something small (like what I had for lunch).

Another reason, since I lost my camera (ahem, over a year ago, ahem) I haven't really been into taking photos. I know if I had a nice camera I wouldn't mind so much, actually I think I would become somewhat of a ameuter photographer. My lovely friend Reiko lent me her old point and shoot and I am so grateful for that, but it is still not the best to use and as such I just don't take photos anymore. Photos make the blog interesting, so there you go.

Finally, I don't blog because I hate talking about myself. I have no problem complaining to others about things going on in my life, but actually talking about myself, no. I am someone who really doesn't have any natural or hidden talents, I am not passionate about anything and on many topics I am pretty neutral, so what do I have to say that is important or interesting? Not much! But this is kind of a low self esteem thing that I realize I need to work on. So even if I don't think something is important or interesting, I will still post it anyway. Maybe it would build my confidance?

So, in coming days, weeks, months I will post more on the blog. I promise! Now to clear the memory card in my card, which has photos in it from June.....!

It's so hard to say good-bye :'(

A few weeks ago I posted that some of my friends were leaving Japan in coming weeks. The time has now pasted and they are all gone :( I know everyone reading this has had people move away, or you yourself have moved away. When I came to Japan I didn't really expect to make such good friends. I don't really remember what I expected. I certainly didn't expect having everyone leave would be so hard on me. It is hard for me to describe what it is like. Friendships in Japan are different than at home. We become close on a level that doesn't happen at home. We become more like family. However, unlike family, we all live so far away from each other, we can't be certain we will ever see each other again. Even if we do, it won't be the same and we won't be all together. Still, I am thankful I met such wonderful people in Japan. I will miss them so much.

Pictured is some people who left. Not everyone is who left is pictured. Next to me is Cat, who went back to the UK. The tall brown haired stud Cat's boyfriend Adam who also went back to the UK. In the front Liyan (the girl with the glasses) went back to Singapore. I will love them forever.

Snake!

I had something funny happen on Tuesday morning. After I moved to my new place my cat Chloe was kind of anxious being in a new territory. She would whine a lot. So I started keeping the sliding back door open a bit in the evenings so she can come and go as she pleases, because she doesn't whine at me when the door is open. Lately I haven't been doing it as much because she seems to have adjusted, so I told myself by winter time, no more open back door.

On Tuesday morning Chloe woke me up at 4am because she wanted out. She likes to follow me everywhere I go and the night before I had gone out for a walk. I didn't want her to come, so I made her stay inside. Because of that she slept a lot and was ready to get up early. I let her out, ate some breakfast and went back to sleep keeping the door open. I didn't want to get up again to let her in, otherwise she whines outside until I let her in. I usually wear earplugs, but I didn't want anything in my ear because I had an ear infection last week.

At about 6:30 I woke up to some noise in my living room (my bed room is just off the living room). Chloe had just gotten some new toys from Emily and I thought she was playing with them. I told her to shut up and tried to go back to sleep. She kept playing though, so I finally turned over and looked into the living. Imagine my surprise when I saw a snake slithering across my living room floor. It was hissing at Chloe and she was playing with it.

The snake was skinny, but long (maybe three feet?). To be honestly with you, I really wanted to just go back to sleep and deal with it later. Then I called my brother on Skype. As I was telling him I started to feel faint. He told me to put the camera on Chloe. I did, but the snake was under a cushion. I wanted to move the cushion to show him the snake, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I really started to feel faint at that point. He told me to go get my other friends in Bando and to close all the doors so the snake doesn't go into another room.

I did what he said and I went to my friend Milada's house. I must have been in shock. When we got back to my place wasn't anywhere to be found and Chloe was relaxing on the floor. I thought Milada and Nick (her boyfriend who is visiting) would think I was crazy. I also realized in my panic I had failed to close the door to my bedroom.

Both of my fears were unjustified because Milada noticed the snake under the kotatsu. It wasn't moving as much as when I left. Chloe was really picking on it. She would swat at it and then roll around with it. She was having so much fun. We managed to get Chloe away and then we threw a plastic bin over the snake. Next, we slid cardboard under it. Then we lifted it up and finally took it outside where we released it. It didn't move much, I think it was dying or in shock.

After Milada and Nick left I managed to go back to sleep for a few hours. Before that, I talked to my brother again. I kind of hung up on him on Skype and he was worried. He called me nine times while this was going on. I didn't even know he had my keitai number! I couldn't answer because my keitai was in the same room as the snake! When he realized the snake was gone and I was ok he started laughing because he said Chloe looked so calm when he saw her, she wasn't afraid of the snake at all and she thought she was doing something good by bringing it in! After that I went to bed again. I kept Chloe outside and the door shut. When I woke up and let her in again she started looking for the snake and whining when she couldn't find it! I thought that was so funny.

So now my door is shut all the time. I don't want this to happen ever again!

When I woke up again I remembered Nick had said something like, yay my first snake, or something. I thought it was odd because he is at least 40 and never had to deal with a snake? Then I remembered he is from Ireland, Ireland doesn't have snakes! They legend goes Saint Patrick drove all of the snakes into the sea, that one of the reasons why he is remembered. Milada (who is from Ireland too) and Nick were much calmer than me. I have seen many snakes, but I guess it is different when they are in your house! I don't know what I would have done without them.

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.