Blueberries

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

I went blueberry picking

o(^w^)o

Dead of Summer

Friday, July 18, 2008

The cicadas are finally here which marks the beginning of the dead of summer. I rather like it. At least I'm not freezing! And I'm already dreading winter (ToT) it'll be nice to cool off but I just hate winter so much!

Maybe the truth is, I just like walking around nekkid...

So today was my last day of teaching until the beginning of fall. I've been sitting at my desk for more than a week now with nothing to do. I had one class today as a final hurrah and now I get to continue sitting at my desk for another 6 weeks!

But I have boredom fighting plans. Oh yes.

As for Yosakoi, we finally finished learning the entire dance! It took us exactly 7 days. This is not an easy dance! But it's much more fun now that I'm perfecting the moves I already know and not having to learn new things on top of it. Now I have to make hair appointments and figure out how to do my makeup! Ack! I have no idea what I'm doing!!!

And I can't wait to figure it all out o(^w^)o

Strike Three

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Guess who's dating one of my Yosakoi instructors!!! That's right, you guessed it, the cute little girl at my mountain school!!!

Ugh

She's 17, he's 19. No, not such a big difference. But I freaked when I found out one of my high schoolers was dating a college student. And then I freaked out again because that college student was only 19. I've never felt old in my life until I heard that. I'm probably the oldest person on the team!

But still, this high school student isn't just any student. Oh no. I've watched her grow up since she was still a little 1st year. Now, 2 years later, I watched her flirt and date almost every boy in the school (there's only 25ish students now) PLUS some of the boys at my base school. And sometimes she didn't even wait to break up with the last before she started with the next.

Now slut is a strong word to use for this girl but...

This is what I get for living in inaka Kochi. Everybody knows everybody and even more know who I am just because I am the ONE of THREE gaijin women living in this area. Clearly, this instructor brought it up to my student that he saw me because I never brought it up to her that I was on the KUT team. Why would I even come up in conversation?! Did he know that I was her teacher? Or did he just bring it up as a conversation piece. "Btw, there's a gaijin girl on my team. Huh, imagine that!"

In the end, I didn't really want to know that she was dating this guy (needless to say I think he could do better...AND NOT ME if that's what you're thinking!!!) and it's kind of beyond me that not only did she tell me and show me pictures on her phone but tonight he thought it would be neat if he walked over and introduced himself again to remind me that he was dating my student.

I joined yosakoi to make friends. Not to meet my students boyfriends. It's not that I have a problem with hanging out with my students outside of school but 1. that breaks the teacher/student relationship and 2. I don't want to hang out with this student.

*sigh*

Anyway, the dance is much harder than I expected but that just makes it more enjoyable when I finally get a step that I thought I would never understand. 3 hours a day is pretty intense but it's good fun. I'm really enjoying myself!!!

Yosakoi and my poor damaged brain

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Forget making friends. Forget sweating to death in the hot unairconditioned gym. I can't remember one move to the next!!!

I don't know if it's because I haven't used my brain in quite some time but honest to god, I can't remember what comes next in the sequence. So if we're doing things really slowly and I can sloooowly see what's coming next, I can do it pretty well. But as soon as we get a little fast I start messing up and as soon as we get to the actual speed of the song I just stand there drooling on myself saying "daaaaaa"

Tomorrow we have a break so I'm going to use that time to just go over what comes next in the sequence! Good golly we're only a minute into the song and we're not even close to being half way yet (ToT)

BTW, here's the official video for my team from last year.

And this is the song we're using this year. If you think it's a slow song you'd be wrong.

Yosakoi Start!

Monday, July 7, 2008

Today I finally started Yosakoi practice. I decided that I wanted to be more involved in my area and make more Japanese friends so I joined the Kochi University of Technology Yosakoi Team. They happen to be right down the street from me and since it's a technical college, I get the extra added bonus of the 75-80% male population. Score.

So in a nut shell, Yosakoi is a traditional dance started around 1954 where teams of no more than 150 people each will get together in the city and dance to their own variation of the Yosakoi song. I found a video of it but it doesn't do it justice. This event can be very overwhelming. In fact, my eikaiwa ladies told me that they would love to see me dance but wouldn't actually come out the event because it made their heart race too much. They'll stick with the live feed on NHK TV.

So here's the vid. I'll keep you guys posted as I progress. I will be practicing every day from now until August 12th, 6-9pm.

Nina Wants...

Nina wants to start spending less time at work starting next week when classes end for the summer and she will be forced to sit at her desk all day for around 60 days.

Nina wants to clean her apartment. She wants to finally pick up the clothes off the floor, categorize them and find some place else for them to go.

Nina wants to heal from the tiny sun burn blotches she got from the beach Olympics. What's up with Japan and not being able to find waterproof sunscreen? Is it too much to ask if she wants it to smell like coconuts?

Nina wants to gain some weight healthily but can't seem to find any (real) cheese or whole wheat bread outside of the Internet. Even half wheat bread would be ok.

Nina wants Yosakoi practice to start. Some exercise would be good for her.

Nina wants to make a plan for her future but keeps procrastinating because it's easier than confronting her fears.

Nina wants to continue working with her third year students who are really showing signs of improvement. It gives her chills to see how much they've learned in such a short time.

Nina wants the heat, or at least the humidity, to die down just a little.

Nina wants to air out her apartment because it smells like fish. That's what she gets for making salmon in the summer. Unfortunately, it's too hot to open the windows for too long.

Nina wants to figure out what those tiny little beetles are doing in her apartment and how to get rid of them. They aren't attracted to light so her strategically placed fly strip doesn't work on them and they're everywhere. But the don't bite....

Nina wants to figure out how to get rid of her strategically placed fly strip. It was only 100yen ($1) and now it is stuck to her kitchen wall permanently. If the strip goes, all the stickum will stay...and then she'll have flies stuck to the wall where the strip once was! That wasn't what she was going for.

Nina wants to make plans to travel to some other Asian countries but is afraid of spending money and precious vacation days.

Nina wants to just be

Moonshine

Thursday, June 19, 2008

It goes to show how much I've been paying attention to the things around me recently. It gets to a point, I'm sure, that everything continues to be new or rather you continue to not understand everything around you so you just start ignoring anything you don't really NEED to know. Granted, back in the states where I have the ability to understand most everything, I still ignore most of it. It's just a normal thing I guess.

But I digress (had I even started making a point?)

I've been reading some pretty good blogs recently and one link led to another and before I knew it, I was here and I started reading about the wonderful world of Umeshu making! Umeshu is pretty much Japanese plums (apricots) that have been thrown into some liquor. Give it about 3 months to a year and you have some super sweet ume liquor!

So I decided to try some myself. (I'm feeling pretty domestic recently)

Day 1

Day 2

It doesn't look so bad! The website said after the second day it would look pretty nasty. Maybe I didn't do it right....

I saw my friends umeshu about a week ago and hers looked pretty nasty. It had probably only been sitting around for a few days too. Hmmm, I'll let you guys know how it turns out in about three months. Just remind me!

Anyway, the point I was trying to make in the beginning was that after reading that blog, I went to the grocery store only to discover the exact ingredients that were posted. I mean, down to a T. (whatever that means) And it occurred to me that there are probably some really AWESOME things in my local grocery store that I just never know anything about. I just...don't understand. *sigh* Nothing new there. But whatever, I have my umeshu and that's all that matters. If it's good enough, I'll figure out a way to ship some home. Here's to shipping Japanese moonshine home to the states!

Now I'm off to bed. It's late, hot and humid. It's the rainy season now and that means water. Everywhere. And it also means restless sticky nights and hot lethargic days. Wee!!!

Watermelon, Beans and Chicken Skin

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Must be some of my favorite things!

So the seasons have changed and summer is here. That means watermelon is in season! woo!!

It also means that edamame are in season as well. Edamame are those green beans that you shell and eat with beer. You can buy them frozen year round but I can only assume they're best fresh like everything else.
But today while I was perusing the fresh made food section of my local grocery store I discovered something that clearly, they made with me in mind. They must have been thinking to themselves, "my. I haven't seen Nina in here for a while. You know what she would love? Fried Chicken Skin. Now that will make her day."


And it has :)

KFC

Monday, June 9, 2008

Kochi Football Club
(nothing to do with chicken)

That's right guys, I played soccer and had more fun playing than I did socializing. How backasswards is that?!

Girls team:
1 lose
1 win
2 draws

Race Horses

Sunday, June 1, 2008

So I was watching the third episode of Heroes and just about 4o or so minutes into the program, you hear the end of a cut off conversation. The guy says "...and he says 'holy cow, a talking dog!'"

I don't know why I never looked up that joke online until now, but it turns out, there are a number of different versions but mine seems to be the only one that is quite so long.

One (irritating) variation is:

Two race horses have just been worked out on the practice track, and are being led back into the stable.

After the stable boy leads them into their stalls, the first race horse tells the second, "Hey, did you notice something odd about that guy? I don't know, he just doesn't seem right to me".

The second race horse responds, "No, he's just like all the other stable boys, and the grooms, and the trainers, and the jockeys – just another short, smelly guy with a bad attitude, 'Push, push, push, run harder…We don't care if you break down, just move it, eat this crap, and get back to your stall".

The first race horse says, "Yeah, I know what you mean! This game is just a big rat race, and I'm really tired of it."
A stable dog has been watching the two of them talk, and he can't contain himself.

"Fellas", he says. "I don't believe this! You guys are RACEHORSES. I don't care what they say about lions, YOU GUYS are the kings of the animal world! You get the best digs, you get the best food, you get the best health care, and when you run and win, you get roses and universal adulation. Even when you lose, people still think you're great and give you sugar cubes. And if you have a great career, you get put out to stud, and have an unimaginable blast better than anything Hugh Hefner ever imagined. Even if you're not in demand as a stud, you still get put out to pasture, which is a mighty fine way to spend your life, if you ask me. I mean, you guys just don't appreciate how good you have it!"

To which, the first race horse turns to the second race horse and says, "Would you look at this! A talking dog!"

Just thought ya'll would be interested to know...for any of those who understand what I'm talking about. For those who don't, trust me, you don't want to know so just don't ask.

Eating for a Cause

Monday, May 26, 2008

Parsley really is a funny plant. It was all wilted and kind of limp this afternoon from not being watered for more than three days. I drowned(ed) it right as the sun was setting and now suddenly it's alive and healthy again.

Huh...go figure.

So recently, I've been noticing that I've continued to lose weight. Others have noticed too. I'm again accused of having an eating disorder. Though no one would flat out say it to my face. Instead I catch it through hearsay and Freuden slips.

The truth is though that I haven't been eating very healthily recently. In fact, I haven't been eating much of anything. The end result is that now, I am under 100lbs. And remember those pants I was so happy I could fit into again? Well, they don't fit anymore. They're too big.

But the worst came last Wednesday what I was sitting at my desk really trying hard to work on a 500 word essay for the PA position which I am applying for. I was staring at my computer screen and just wanted to fall asleep. I could barely read what was on the screen. I couldn't think clearly. The mind felt like sludge.

And so I decided I needed some drastic changes. My life has now gone into full on eat mode. No meals will be skipped. High carbs are what's on the menu. I've started (as of Thursday) waking up early before work and riding my bike to help wake myself up enough to not feel sick when I eat breakfast. Because now I'm eating breakfast! Haven't done that since 9th grade.

On top of that, I've joined a soccer team.

What? Nina? Playing sports?

Yeah. It's true. But it's only for 3 weeks. ;)

Still, the exercise gives me an appetite like a horse and I really pack it in after a good 2 hours of sweating it out in the park.

But now, thanks to the carbs and the exercise, I suddenly had crap tons of energy! Which means that midnight rolls around and I'm still wide awake! What do I do with this time?! I blog of course :D

Let's hope that I keep this regime up. But most importantly, let's hope I get the weight up too!

Kyushu

Saturday, May 24, 2008

For once I have a single morning free to do as I please and you can thank your lucky stars I'm finally writing about something interesting!

Golden week - a time when there are so many national holidays all at once, the week turns into a golden vacation of one day off after another. I took 3 vacation days and took an 11 day trip! I love it (^^)v

This year I took some friends as we camped all over the beautiful island of Kyushu. We drove my tiny K-car all the way there and back and didn't kill ourselves on the way!

The navigator

The driver

The innocent bystandard

The fake hot springs in Beppu! They're naturally hot but not naturally blue. It cost $4 just to look at this place and we couldn't even go in! Granted, it probably would have naturally burned all of our skin leaving us stripped and tinted blue.

So we decided to get our money's worth in pictures.

Our second night camping! It was a beautiful place to pop tent and the weather was always on our side the entire trip! It rained for only two days both of which we had made no plans to go hiking or site seeing. The first day we stayed inside a museum all day and the second was the last day of our trip which consisted of us driving home! Score :)

Helicopter ride to see the inside of a magnificent LIVE crater in the mountains of Aso.

Said crater. We later hiked up an inactive one which was probably one of the best hikes I've ever been on. And it was amazingly beautiful. Something right out of Lord of the Rings. Pictures could never come close to describing it's beauty.

Kumamoto Castle or something such thing. I can't ever remember names :P But it was a magnificent castle anyway.

Then as we were driving through the mountains, we saw REAL volcanic activity. This was just on the side of the road! We couldn't believe our eyes. It was smoking all over and it smelled like rotten eggs. That's a sure sign that there is a hot spring near by. Directly in front of us is a tiny rest stop that had park benches to relax on (in the middle of nowhere) but it was all roped off. The entire thing was corroded and rotting. Turns out, the hot volcanic spring waters got a little out of control and bubbled over making the entire place unsafe. It was awesome!

Heat rash: 0 Nina: 1

I was driving so much and the sun was so intense at times that I started developing heat rash. I decided to break down and buy these expensive gloves that I see lot's of women wearing here in Japan. They look kinda weird, huh! But I LOVE them! I didn't really want to wear them but I wanted heat rash even less. Once I put them on, I didn't stop wearing them for the rest of the trip. They are so damn cool!!!

One of the many waterfalls on one of the many hikes we went on. Worth every moment of exhaustion :)

We later made it to the southern island of Yakushima. Not too many people make it that far. It was pretty isolated but one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The trees were lush and green.

Something straight out of a movie. Oh wait, what does this sign say? Mononoke no hime no mori? The Princess Mononoke Forest? That's right folks. I was there. And it was awesome.

We later got to soak in this $1 onsen. Natural. Unmanned. Throw your coin in a box and get naked on the beach. Bathe in all the glory of naturally heated water right on the edge of the Pacific Ocean as the sun sets to create the perfect end to the most perfect trip I've taken.

Soul Searching in Tokushima

Monday, May 19, 2008

In the beginning of May I went out on a solitary journey to Tokushima. The only prefecture in Shikoku that I hadn't visited yet. (Iya doesn't count. It's a valley all on it's own)

I went with the purpose of finding myself.

Really?
Yes really.
Did I find me?

Truth be told, I don't think I was really lost in the first place. I just needed the time to get the hell outta dodge! After the Genki performance and the chaos that ensued both during and after was enough to drive me to have a psychotic episode!

The chaos is still around, btw, just in easier to manage bites and now that I've "found myself" it's all the more fun ;)

And by chaos I mean I'm busier than anything! One party after the next until it all comes crashing down in a giant explosion known as the Sayonara party! People are leaving and that means party party party party.

I just want to curl up in a ball and read book...

Anyway, I went and saw the very underwhelming Naruto Whirlpools. They were cute but let's thank my luck stars I didn't go there for the soul purpose of seeing them....pun maybe intended. You be the judge.

Basically, my greatest accomplishment for this weekend was that I did everything myself. I booked the hotel myself. I made the plans for myself and I went by myself. And I enjoyed myself. I've truly grown as a person since being here. It only took me a year and a half of living in Japan to finally be OK with doing things alone. For the first time in my life I enjoy my alone time!!!

Back with my soul intact

Thursday, May 15, 2008

There is sooooo very much to write about. There's no way I could even attempt to do it all here. It's just like the combined mess of the dirty dishes in my sink, the winter and summer clothes all over my floor from a poor attempt to switch over and the mess that is currently my car after having taken a 10 day camping trip with it!

I have to write about:
My trip to Tokushima
My trip to Kyushu
The new school year
Tea picking!!!


So let's start with the easiest and most recent (^^)v

TEA PICKING WITH MY STUDENTS FROM THE MOUNTAIN SCHOOL

Yup. That's right. I skipped out on a day of work and went into the mountains of Oodochi to pick some tea! It was surprisingly exhausting.

Half the English club! Let's go boys!

Pictures

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Strawberry picking. $12 for all you can pick and eat. No take out boxes

I was just trying to take a nap! Then Michelle comes by and steals my couch right from under me. I had to retaliate somehow!

Hanami viewing party at my place. But we were too interested in trying to start the grill than enjoy the scenery.

Later that night

International music party. I sang acapella when there were no other acts to be had. Everyone was too drunk, myself included. Which is why I was able to get up there in the first place!

Dancing at the first genki performance weekend.

Again, the first genki performance weekend. That's right. I'm in a towel on stage and then I get to kick ass to the "Wild Wild West" in that same towel. YeeHa!

Goofing around in the only 3 minutes I have to just relax during the whole play. Every other minute, I'm either on stage or waiting for my cue. I'M TIRED!!!

And I still have another weekend to go. Anyone else taking a vacation day Monday? Say "aye".

AYE!!!

How I Spend My Lunch Break

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

It is now the end of the break between school years. AKA, one of the two times out of the year that I sit at my desk with nothing to do for more than a month at a time. It's actually a little hard to say since the days seem to drag on and have kind of molded into one another, but I'm pretty sure this has been going on for a month and a half now. A MONTH AND A HALF!!!!

At first, I was really great about keeping productive. I've actually gotten a lot done! I mean, you all know how much I don't want to be a teacher. But I actually wrote up a whole sylabus and enjoyed it just because it gave me something to do! (Also, I think it'll be a really kick ass class if I can pull it off but that's another story for another time)

But thank god that the time is coming to an end. Hopefully, classes will start just in time for my birthday. I don't know if I should take this as a bad omen or not but....eh

Anyway, one of the great things about not having classes is that I can take a long lunch break. Normally, I'm not allowed to eat off campus. I'm allowed to leave to run errands and to actually go buy my lunch but it's frowned upon if I stay out too long. I can understand this.

But over the school holidays, I can take as long as I like. I got the idea from my fellow teachers! They'd take me out to lunch and the break would last anywhere from an hour to three!

It took me a while, but this time around, I finally learned the joys of going home for lunch. Making my own (cheap) meal and playing around during the daylight hours in my own, relaxed, Flows To The Tune Of Nina, apartment.

But recently, the middle and elementary schools have caught up with the high schools and my fellow ALT friends in the area are also stuck at their desks doing nothing. Complaining that it's going on the second week in a row. Cry me a river!!!

Anyway, it just means that we can go out for lunch together! And since it's spring, we've certainly enjoyed searching around our area for beautiful Hanami viewing spots. Hanami only blooms for two weeks at best, so really, this time shouldn't be squandered behind a computer screen or a book (which I happen to be reading 5 of....out of sheer boredom!)

The two hour lunches help to break up the monotony of the day. Plus, I'm looking forward to hosting my own Hanami party. I'll be sure to post pictures!!!

Cookie Dough Party

Thursday, March 27, 2008

11 girls came
10 girls stayed the night
And I couldn't manage a single picture of the actual cookie dough...
It was gone too fast

But we burned off those calories the next day at the genki dance retreat
putt putt putt

Nina is...

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Nina is enjoying her Cesar salad with Cesar dressing, croutons, real bacon bits and delicious tomatoes.

Nina is beginning a book called the Memory Keepers Daughter. She hopes it'll be as interesting as it sounds.

Nina is eating an everything bagel with plain cream cheese now that she has finished her salad. Jealous?

Nina is surprised how long it took to clean just half of her apartment. It's too cold to clean the other half. She's decided to do it in shifts. Day one: heat the living room and kitchen and clean. Day two: heat the bedroom and bathroom and clean. Then vacuum all parts of the house in one sweep before she get's cold again.

Nina is gorging herself on beef jerky (she ate more than half a rope in one sitting...ewwww)

Nina is excited about how many books she got at the book exchange! Still, she wonders how she came back with more than she exchanged.

Nina is freaking out about her cookie dough party this weekend. She didn't think 12 of the 15 people invited would actually come! Now where is she going to put everyone when it's time to sleep? She's thinking of snuggling up with someone in her very own tiny but quite comfortable bed. Good thing it's a girls only night....or is it?

Nina is bored at work because she has no classes until early to mid April. She could be studying her lines for the genki musical but she's too busy reading all these new and interesting books.

Nina is eying that last half of the beef jerky (^_~)v

Is it spring yet?

Monday, March 3, 2008

It's getting warmer!!! I can feel it :)

Whoo, well how things move on! Genki practices have started up again. This is what I've been doing every weekend for the past 3 or so weeks!


I missed saturday of this past week though because I had to attend graduation at Yamada. That's right, the Seniors are gone! For me, this only means that I have a month of sitting at my desk until school starts again in early April :P

A couple of weeks ago I participated in a choir workshop. Like I mentioned before, I want to make the most out of my third year here. It's most likely my last. The workshop was with the Kochi Brighten Mass Gospel Choir.

Now, I know what your thinking...or at least what you should be thinking...Japanese people singing Gospel? Well, they do a very good job. But like with everything that is taken from a foreign culture, they'll change it to fit their own style. So things weren't done exactly as they would have been in America. That was fine. It's what I expected.

The people were extraordinarily friendly and the atmosphere was so uplifting! I loved most every minute of it. They sang all in English but really, it was the energy of the music that moved me the most. I had a great time.

However...

This particular group of gospel singers were a bit on the crazy side. Specifically the director. It was no argument of their talent. It was just the style in which they used that talent.

The main song that we sang was "Let it be" by the Beatles. First, they had to change the song a bit to fit the gospel style. Next, to keep the choir from freaking out about the English, the teacher explained that when Elementary school kids listened to "Let it Be" and were asked what they heard, they said "Heh, leh, bah" So really, "Let it Be" was only "Heh, leh, bah" so don't worry about it. Next, she said that the "Be" in "Let it Be" was too flat and weak of a sound so she really wanted us to pronounce the "Bah" in "Heh, leh, bah" The song really wasn't English when she finished with it.

Next, she said that for "Whisper words of wisdom" she wanted us to spit out the words like they were a ball, throw the up into the air and then catch them again. So we would all puff out our cheeks and really pronounce the W in Whisper then when we'd say only wo- of words, fade out then come in again for the -ds.

WI-sper WOoo...........rdSSS ov wizdum

And that was only the chorus! During the normal versus of the song, when a soloist would sing, the choir would fill in her pauses in singing with dog barks.

I think the director was trying to get the group to say "whoosh" like air. She wanted us to puff out our cheeks like we had done with "Whisper words of wisdom". But instead of WHOoosh, it came out more like WHOooffff.

Really, you'd have to see it and hear it to understand exactly how creepy it was to watch and then sing this way. A friend who went with me agreed that it was like something you'd see in a crazy horror movie. It left us feeling quite disturbed.

I'm debating if I want to join them and practice songs like this on a regular basis...I'm thinking not. But if I can't find a better group, well, they're always better than nothing!!!

Lastly, this past Saturday, after graduation, I went to see a performance that Erinn was in. Erinn is the type of girl that no one knows because she's always practicing dance. Dance is her life. If she's not in school, she's dancing. So it was exciting to see her actually perform!

Mostly, in Kochi, she does contemporary dance. This particular performance was held in a furniture store. Only about 5o people were allowed in and they stood around while the dancers danced among them. It was a really powerful experience. I loved it!

I can't really explain the concept. Most people didn't understand it. The only thing I know for sure is that the dancers were supposed to be mannequins. The doors opened at 7:30 but the show didn't start until 8. While we were waiting around, the dancers were actually all on the floor already, sitting in various positions, and not blinking! It was very surreal. They were all truly talented.



Again, it's one of those things you have to see to really grasp. There's just no way to put it into words.

Lastly, this week I'll be hosting a cookie dough party at my apartment! My apartment is a nice size but there have been about 10 people to confirm that they'll be coming and most likely staying the night...I have no idea where I'll be putting everyone! Ack!!! But it'll sure be fun no matter what ;)

I have a cold and I feel feverish

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

A direct quote from the interview test I will be administering next week. My students will be given a card with pictures on it that they need to remember. They have to understand the difference between "I have" and "I feel". They can't very well walk around saying "I have feverish" now can they?

Thing is though, I can't study with them this week because I have a cold and I feel feverish. Seriously.

Monday was a holiday so I woke up really early and went about 2 hours up a mountain, waited an additional 45 minutes to find parking on said mountain, waited around in the cold for another 2 hours for the show to start only to then leave as the show was just beginning because my cold was no longer bearable. It was one of the worst days ever. I had a fever of 39 Celsius. That's pretty bad.

I had a horrible headache, a worse backache, my nose was a little runny but mostly I felt like I was going to faint. When I went to the emergency room, the doctor stuck a cotton swab up my nose which hurt WAY more than I thought it should and told me that the test came back negative for the flu but that the test was only 90% accurate. So chances are good that I don't have it but right now, I feel pretty miserable.

I stayed home Tuesday and checked my temperature all day long. I was back to normal but still felt super dizzy. Today I thought it'd be alright to go into work. I checked my temperature there as well and it was fine. But I still went home. I now have a cough and a horrible runny nose! This is the worst!!!

And I just got over TWO COLDS not THREE WEEKS ago!!!! I must be allergic to Japan. Or my students have been giving me one cold after another. Or I'm not getting enough vitamins. Or it's all of the above.

I dragged myself to the grocery store to stock up which actually was a lot harder than it sounds. I bought myself lot's of veggies and juices. I'm taking the rest of the week off. I have Genki practice this weekend as well as a choir workshop that is sure to be the highlight of my life! I don't want to miss it because I was careless!!!!

Look at what I've been reduced to!!!! Water, mango juice, mikan, carrots with peanut butter and internet tv on my comfy couch with a cute pink blank that doubles as a shall and a heater with a humidifier. Man, it looks like I know what I'm doing...but it's all a lie. I didn't even remember that peanut butter could go on carrots!!! (I had to look it up on the internet. I thought I had made it up from a false memory!)

Eating food means that I don't cough or blow my nose nearly as much. And my nose could use the break!!! Sucks that I have to chew with my mouth open though....I feel like a cow. A sexy cow. With the flu.

In other news, it snowed heavily today in Yamada. Woot



The end