It's been ages, apologies ( Read more... )

Well, I made it to Australia! Sorry for the posting lag, but I doubt anyone really cares. I'm not sure why I'm writing this, other than to fill time while I wait for someone to sign on to Skype ( Read more... )

Tomorrow I turn in my modem, so I won't have internet anymore. Maybe I'll update from Australia once I get there ( Read more... )

WOW! Time is doing some sort of twisty, wormhole thing on me. I can't keep it straight. School is zooming by because, as I may have mentioned before, everyone realized that this was my last week and decided to pack my schedule chock-a-block. I made the mistake of playing a song on my guitar for one class, which mushroomed first into playing one or ( Read more... )

Today was Marine Day. That's right, a specific holiday for Japanese people to go to the beach and be silly. And silly it was!! Jess and I ventured to the beach as well because the sun finally came out (it's been about a week) and adventure was in the air! It wasn't too big of an adventure though, just a few failed sandcastle attempts and some ( Read more... )

The day draws nearer and nearer when I will leave Murakami ( Read more... )

Word to the wise: walking from one end of town to the other in nubbly Hello Kitty sandals is not advisable. Nor is eating a giant custard and blueberry crepe right before bed. STILL, that sort of ridiculousness is what makes matsuri so glorious! Of course I can't forget the 5 minute goldfish (not quite as sad as 10 minute turtles, but still...), ( Read more... )

Today I woke up early again and hit one of the local mountains (really local, the ones that I gaze at every day on my way to school). I went with 2 teachers from Sakuragaoka, and it was LOADS of fun! We took a side trail thinking it lead to another peak, then realized that the steady downward direction of the trail would eventually lead us back to ( Read more... )

HAI ( Read more... )

So, I was reading my JET handbook the other day, and it had warnings about reverse-culture shock in it. Since I spent the better part of the first 2 weeks here curled up on the floor wondering what kind of insanity led me to embark on such a ridiculous journey, I figure that my reverse culture-shock might be pretty severe, too ( Read more... )