I plan to have more free time...maybe

Friday, August 29, 2008

I'm sure everyone's tired about hearing how I can't do anything because I'm always so busy. Sorry I couldn't answer your email until now. Sorry I didn't answer your call. Sorry I've been busy...

Well not anymore!!! I'm staying home! Cooking, cleaning, gardening and feeling sorry for myself that all my friends have left after their second year on JET (TuT)

Well, kinda anyway.

Point 1. I have a garden now!
Check out those yummy herbs. Basil, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. "Remember meeeee to one who lives ther-rrr, she once was a true love of mine".

And for $7 from a place called "Loft" (not found in Kochi prefecture :P) I got a cute little bean plant that has the word smile on one side and a smiley face on the other! It's only about a week and a half old though and it's already starting to die. I figured that was because it was sitting inside the egg that it hatched from (seriously) so I transferred it to a pot that my predecessor (from 2 years ago) left me. She didn't necessarily leave me just a pot. There was a plant in it at one time...and it's dead carcass was still there until I moved it just about an hour ago, BUT now it's finally been put to use and I suppose I can call myself a gardener now. We'll see if these plants fare any better than my fish :'( RIP

Next, from a leaving JET *sobs* I bought a microwave/oven/toaster all in one machine. Tiny by oven standards but massive by toaster standards so I guess it evens out ;) hahaha.

But I've gone on a cooking spree! Even for things I need neither a microwave, oven OR toaster for! Like Hummus. Another leaving set *sobs more* left me his dried chick peas so the first thing I did was make myself some hummus. But I underestimated how far those chick peas would go and now I have three frozen bowls of the stuff and one in my fridge for eating.


Next I made oatmeal cookies. I don't even LIKE oatmeal cookies. And oatmeal is hard to find around here!!! But I decided I wanted to try something new because I wanted to give a gift to one of my favorite JTEs. Today was her last day at school. She's due to have a baby in a couple of months so she'll be gone for a year on maternity leave *sobs*

Do we see a theme here??!?! It's a wonder I haven't curled up in a ball under my desk.

And the last thing I made was focaccia bread. I'd have taken a picture of it but I ate it too quickly. This is all that remains.

NEXT

From the same JET who sold me his oven, I also got this super sweet big screen TV, Satellite and Satellite box. Took me a while to figure out how it works but I finally figured it out and as soon I call the company and get a contract with them, I will be the proud viewer of magical TV. Oh how I have missed you Discovery Channel (;u;)


Problem is, I have a cord that goes from the satellite to the TV. Who knew it needed to do that?! I mean, I thought it was a freakin satellite! Can't it just connect to the TV via wireless connection? Not so. Instead, ya see that pipe off to the right side of the picture? Yeah, that goes to my AC unit in the wall. I have to take the AC wall box off my wall, slide the cord through there and then out to the satellite. Either that, or my window stays open a crack for the rest of it's life letting not only the heat and cold in but the bugs as well. No thank you.

Finally, things I forgot to take pictures of:
1. I got a new camera - Canon IXY, pink
2. I installed a new faucet into my sink. The old one had a plastic bit at the end of the faucet which broke from old age, like plastic things have a tendency of doing (idiot idea!). Thus, water was squirting all over my wall, all over my clothes and needless to say, doing the dishes was EVEN MORE of a pain in the ass than it was before. But, I went over the hardware store looking for super strength glue when I found a new faucet instead. It was only $14! Here I thought I'd have to pay over $100 to install an entirely new unit. Score Nina! I went home, unscrewed the old and one screwed in the new one. Took me like 3 minutes and only because I was sure that there was something more difficult involved. I kept double checking myself. It was that easy? Yes. I'm done already? Yes. Now do the smelly dishes. OK!

3. I'm thinking of picking up Aikido. I don't really care about the fighting style but I thought it would be a good way to make some Japanese friends. Plus, it'll be good exercise :)

Other than that, I'm becoming more and more antisocial and loving it. Staying home is great!

Yosakoi Day 2 (and then some)

Monday, August 25, 2008

Yosakoi was hot!!! Both literally and figuratively. It feels like a million years ago so I'm really trying hard to remember the highlights.

We took a bus from the university into the city and danced at various locations. We would usually stand around for about an hour or so waiting in line until we finally reached the beginning point of the dance. Then we'd dance down the street for about 20 minutes then run to our next location to stand in line again.

In the picture above you can see two red straps. Those are two different medals that I won on the first day and this picture was taken on the second day. Not too long later, I ended up getting my third. A few people didn't get any medals. A lot of people got one and a bunch got two. I got three. Go me!!!

(And that's not including the medal I got for the local Tosayamada Festival that we danced at the week before!)

(right to left in order of importance: Yosakoi Day 1, first dance location. Tosayamada Festival, Harimayabashi Yosakoi Day 2, Sunday Market street Yosakoi Day 1.)

The last two are the most important medals because they were really big deal locations. They were both televised! It's really too bad. I've been on TV so much. So many people took pictures right in my face making me mess up and everything! But I don't have any of those to show you guys.


We were usually late for each location to dance in (which was to be expected) and not many of my friends were able to see me! And I still haven't heard from my team about the official DVD and accompanying pictures. I'll be sure to post the video when I get it.

~~~~~~~~~~

I had plans for friends to visit the night after Yosakoi but they came in a day early. So in the middle of dancing Yosakoi, I was having friends moving into my apartment where they stayed for about a week.

We drove together to Hiroshima where we saw the amazing Miyajima Fireworks Festival. They were the most amazing fireworks I've ever seen.

After that, we came home, relaxed for a day then went back north to camp and go white water rafting!


I was in the front at first which was fine but they moved me to the back which has a lot more bounce. I almost fell out a number of times and about half way through the trip I thought I lost a tooth...


But no worries! I'm fine!

In between all of this time, I made a movie about the East Side of Kochi for all the new JETs and said goodbye to the ones who have left. I'm sad to see them go. Very sad. But I keep myself busy to keep from thinking of it. (TuT)v

I'll upload the video if I find the time...

Yosakoi Day 1

Monday, August 11, 2008

I think the flower medal is the best you can get in the Kochi Yosakoi....and I got it :) My third medal in all, will tell more when I have time!!!

I love Chives

Saturday, August 2, 2008

So remember those little beetles that I couldn't figure out where they were coming from? I said that I kind of didn't mind them so much because they didn't bite anyway...welp, I found them!

I was searching frantically looking for something to eat for breakfast because I'm about to go and dance Yosakoi at the Tosayamada Masturi (festival) which is not the official Yosakoi Matsuri. It's just a local one, but a big deal none the less.

So I found this bottle of chives way in the back and thought, YEAH!!! I'll put chives on my mediocre tomato and cheese bagel! It'll be great. But when I pulled out the container I found ALL of my chives had been eaten by said beetles that were now lazily lounging in their own byproduct. It was hilarious. My poor chives!!!

And ironically enough, it wasn't because I had done something blatently stupid like leaving food out on the counter and the windows open. *sigh* can't win em all!

 
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