New Record!

I set a new personal best last night. Didn't get to bed until 330am! And once I got there, math formulas kept flashing in front of my eyes, so I couldn't sleep.

But, it seems the more tired I get, the better my lessons become. My associate stopped and pulled me aside this morning during class. I thought I had done something wrong, but he just had me take a step back and just look at the class...they were all (minus one or two) happily working on in their groups. Maybe the key to success is to be barely sane/ functional.

Riddle

What's tired, yellow with red spots all over...ME! Very, very sleepy. Anytime I sit down after 5pm, there is a high risk I will blackout and fall asleep (once in the middle of taking off my socks). Spots...I was sick the other week, and was taking a medication. Apparently, I'm having a common side effect. My arms and legs are covered with little red spots, they're not itchy, but it definately gave me a bit of a scare on Thursday. Still waiting for them to go away. I would go to the doctor's office but I feel like I can't afford to take any time off right now.
First full lab with the kids tomorrow (today)! Let's see how this goes!

...truck

It feels like I've been hit by a truck...My whole body hurts. I'm guessing it has something to do with practicum, but not exactly sure why it's happening.
School seems to be going well, frantically trying to keep up with lesson planning. A bit of a break tonight because the kids have tests tomorrow. Hardest part so far is the management, trying to maintain that balance between control and not being a dictator. I think in the past 3 days, I have spent more energy on class management that I did in 3 years overseas (not saying they're out of control nuts -as no nuts are allowed in school,*rimshot*-, it's just the way the kids' self management is different). They say kids are the same no matter where they are. Yes they are, but at the same time, no they're not. Well, back to planning.

An Old Friend

I reconnected with an old friend today. I've been dying lately from all the work, and haven't been able to my laundry in a while....so I'm getting to the bottom of the pile clean clothes. This morning, I slid on a pair of old jeans I hadn't worn in over 5 years. It was like finding an old friend, back when jeans were looser and comfy. I have to say, even as I walked out the door, I couldn't help but think I was forgetting something. When I got to school, I remembered why I had stopped wearing these jeans...when I felt a breeze. Thankfully, it was in a discreet location.

Trying a New Strategy

I was studying for my test last night, doing a horrible job. I was falling asleep in my book and I was so tired that it wasn't getting anywhere. So I tried a new strategy. Instead of trying to studying until 2am, I went to bed. We'll see how it goes...

At Least One Weight

Had my micro-lesson today. So much drama leading up to it (actually rushed back to the school last night at like 830pm because I found out we were storing the live specimens incorrectly. But everyone, including the students, seemed to enjoy it. At least that's one huge weight off my shoulders. Unfortunately, I've got these weights lined up till April...

really?

The ban on handheld devices is finally being put into place today. I can't help but think, really? First of all, I think it's long overdue. I don't spend a lot of time on the highway, but there's usually come across at least one cellphone user per trip. You can spot them from their sudden drop in speed accompanied by the ocassional swerving. Now, I'm usually on the highway during weekends, when there's fewer people on the roads. So, I can only imagine (with horror) at the amount of people doing this on a weekday, during rush hour. When you're going over 100km/hr, is this really a wise thing to do? There are enough people with poor driving skills already, do we need to add another challenge on top? If you want to put your life in danger, do it in your own driveway, not when I'm driving behind you. I don't understand why this is such a major news story. For me, it just seems like common sense.

Sunlight!!!

I miss the sun...We're in the period where we have all our tests and assignments before we go into our first teaching block...I feel like I'm spending all my time outside of class in my basement attached to my laptop. I'm surprised it hasn't overheated and burned the place down yet!
Can't wait till next week is over. Not that the work load will lessen, but because it means I can finally crosee my micro-lesson (demonstration class) off my list. My associate teacher (senpai) says that it looks fine, and that I'm just stressed because it's there. I'm just procrastinating for a few minutes before I get back to work...I haven't been able to see grandpa in a while because of the workload, and I've some things that need to be crossed off before I'll allow myself out of the basement tonight!

A Sign From Oprah?

I was watching a msNBC show on "the Oprah Effect" the other night. One of the products mentioned was a line fo cosmetics called "Carol's Daughter". It looked so relaxing (something I am in short supply of right now), that I actually started considering buying some. I figured that the only place in Canada that would have it would be Sephora in Toronto. But, it turns out that the only place (that's listed on the main site anyways) that sells it in Canada is in my town! Perhaps it's a sign from Oprah!

ALL LIES!!!

I've been trying to get my presentation for math ready for Monday. I'm supposed to be teaching multiplication of decimals. While getting ready for this, it turns out that we're no longer teaching students to "count decimal places". This was shocking. It felt like my mathematical exisitance has been nothing but lies! I really didn't know what to do...I went into shock. And it literally took me a day to recover. Still a bit shakey, but I have to calm down in time for the presentation. How am I going to do this?

今年の初雪

Yesterday we had our first snow. While it didn't stay, I couldn't help by smile. I think everytime I see the first snow fall of the season, I will always remember that day. We were in the middle of our morning staff meeting, when from the second floor classrooms, there came a chorus of high pitched shrieks from the girls. The teachers rushed out of the staffroom and ran up the stairs, expecting some sort of emergency. However, they returned shortly after, shaking their heads with grins on their faces. The girls were just excited about seeing that year's first snow fall...

Our own Dolly Parton

The new Michael Jackson single was released this week. I think it's called "This is it". From the clip I heard on the radio, I have to say it reminds me of some of the ballads from the "Dangerous" album (the only Jackson album I remember being released when I was growing up). It really reminded me of "Heal the World" and "Hold Me" (the Free Willy song). For me, that's a good thing.
The other interesting thing they said was that the song was actually written by Paul Anka, and that he would be getting 50% of profits. I couldn't help thinking that he was our Dolly Parton. Let me explain. They're both people who've had their own careers as singers. But, who have probably made more money writing songs (or having their songs covered) by other singers. So for example, Dolly probably made an insane amount of money when Whitney Houston covered "I Will Always Love You", and when "Islands in the Stream" was remixed as "Ghetto Superstar". Paul's most well known song is probably "My Way" from Frank Sinatra. I wonder if he gets a cut every time someone sings it at karaoke!

Small world

Some interesting moments today. First, I was absolutly exhausted, and pretty much passed out at lunch. I guess I keep forgetting that people here aren't used to people sleeping on the ground (althought at my old university's student center, it felt like there were bodies strewn every other step you took). Some of the staff were concerned that there was actually something wrong with me.
Then, in the washroom, where all the quality conversations occur, I bumped into this girl from my drama class. It turns out she's a relative of my senpai, and I was getting some pretty good reviews. That resulted in a smug grin, but also a case of the nerves...am I going to be able to live this down?
Last but not least, in my last class. We were watching a video today on learning disabilities. I couldn't help thinking that I wished I had this information when I was in Japan. There were a few kids that might have benefitted greatly. And then, the workshop on the video brought out "my cow". I used to do a review Jeopardy review with the students, and one category was just optical illusions. The cow was one of my favourites. I had a physical reaction when I saw it!

So I'm not crazy!

I remember when I first heard about the arrest of Roman Polanski on the news this week. I was shocked to hear so many people jumping up and defending him, and couldn't quite wrap my head around their reasoning.
Let's see if we can break it down...
- he's been through so much already- fine, yes, he's had a lot of trauma in his life, from surviving the Holocaust and having his wife murdered. But does that give have carte blanche? Can you imagine that being used as a trial defense? If family members of every murder victim went around committing crimes with that as an excuse, would that really fly?

-it was a long time ago- and he was arrested a long time ago, and he ran. He did the crime...

-he's a genius- so? There's no relation here. Does that mean any person who is remotely skilled or talented is above the law? I'm really good at Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings trivia, does that mean I can rob a bank?

Anyways, was really glad to see that some people have taken a step back and start questioning why people are supporting him.

Stumbling towards a memory

A few months ago, I stumbled upon a manga. It wasn't very popular (as far as I know), flashy or inventive. It was more on the reflective side. But, I kept reading it, because one of the characters reminded me of someone I know. Last week, I stumbled on the anime version of that same manga. The feel didn't differ much from the book. I again stayed because of the resemblance to my friend, but then the ending song started playing. The melody was simple and melancholy, with lyrics that I could understand relatively well, even without the translations. And it was those lyrics that stopped me in my tracks...because it was a pretty good reflection of why I kept reading and watching...hmmm...懐かしい、な。。。

Desperate times calls for McGyver!

Well, after a bit of trying to study and do all my homework in bed (not good for the back and neck), I decided it was time to find myself a new place to put down roots (AKA laptop power cords). My old study room had been commandeered so no longer usable. The kitchen was too noisy. The only other place was the basement with the rabbits. Buried somewhere in that no-mans-land was a desk, but to dig it out would have meant a lot of time and energy, both of which were already in short supply. So, I did what any child of the 80's would have done. I pulled a McGyver. I found a spot that looked easy to clear, put down 2 bar stools, piled some old books on. This was topped by my old wardrobe door. Tada! Desk! I thumb tacked a piece of bright fabric on the wall to hide the dark wood panelling, and perched my namahage hanging close by to watch over me in case I started to slack off. It's not exactly an Ikea layout, but at least I have a place to study. And with my kotatsu heater tucked underneath, the basement doesn't feel quite so cold.

When did this happen?

I decided to take a break from studying (before I got to the point where I actually start a bonfire with my books), and watch a little Zettai Kareshi. It's a J-drama (based on a manga, of course)about a girl who reluctantly ends up with a robot boyfriend, but ends up falling in love with him. To make things complicated, at the same time, an actual human takes interest in her. I BAWLED my eyes out (Nightooooo!). Then, as I'm blowing my nose, I couldn't help but wonder...When did I become such a big softie? When did I become a chick flick girl? At least I haven't gotten to the point where I'm actually watching them at the movie theater.
Oh well, maybe the crying will help me sleep tonight. Was tossing and turning all night because I couldn't get lesson plans out of my head!

well, no where to go but up....

First day actually at an elementary school today. The tour was fine. It's an interesting school. There's a specialized athletics programme, and even one specifically for basketball. The floor of the gym was actually done by the guys who did the floors for the a lot of the US college teams. There's also a weight room, and staff that are certified as personal trainers. My first thought, I wish my Omonogawa boys could be here, they would love it. I could just imagine if Nobu and Mr. K were here, they would be in heaven.
The class I watched was a review class, probably so my mentor teacher (MT) could go through stuff with me. It was a bit strange being in class today, different yet oddly familiar. The smartboard was definitely new. And apparently, I write "7" the same way as my MT, where we cross them. So, once the kids started working, I just started to go up and down, the way I normally do. They're doing math, and of course, one kid asks me to help with one of the questions. For the life of me, my brain just couldn't process the the darn thing. And I could tell the kid was not impressed...at least I got the other questions. Not even my first day, and I've already had a brain fart.

Security! Who invited him?

They say some guys can't keep it in their pants. In Kanye West's case, he can't keep it in his head. What is it with this guy that he has to constantly make a fool of himself at award shows? At least the previous times it was just him being a big baby. This time, he actually ruined someone's moment. For those of you who haven't heard (not saying anything, I didn't even know the VMAs were happening till I heard the bru-ha-ha from this), here are the Coles notes. West jumped on stage during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the VMAs for best female video, grabbed the mic and basically said that Beyonce should have won. Class all the way this one. She's what? 17? Her first VMAs. Why don't you ask her out to the prom then stand her up while you're at it. If you're going to crush a young girl, might as well do a thorough job of it.
I also enjoyed the shot of Beyonce as this was happening. If I was her, I would have been praying for one of those disclaimers they always show in TV, "the opinions expressed by the crass man on stage do not necessarily reflect those of the network or celebrity he thinks should have won". I will give her props (this time, I have other issues with Ms. Knowles) for pulling Taylor back on stage when she won herself.
Kanye my boy, you need to learn yourself some manners. Or people might stop asking you to go out and play. Clearly social skills are are something we need to work on here.

What would you do?

I was picking up some groceries the other day in Toronto when an interesting situation arose. Imagine if you would, you are pushing your shopping cart and you accidentally bump into a display of sunglasses, causing about about 10 pairs to fall. What would you do? (I'll give you a second to think)

This happened about 3 meters from where I was checking out. A woman bumped into the sunglasses, and I know she knew what she did. Normally, I would go and help her pick them up, but I had just given my credit card to the clerk so I wasn't comfortable with leaving. Now, what did she do? First, she made a face. You know the face you make when you accidentally do something, that grimace where you move your shoulders up in a cringe. Then, she looked at the sunglasses, looked around and started moving towards them to pick them up. BUT, for some reason she stopped....stepped back towards her cart and started to move away. That's when ANOTHER woman (random shopper) walked pass her and started to pick up the sunglasses. Now, I turned to the clerk and said, "Now, here's an interesting social experiment. What will she do now?" (I had to explain to her in detail a bit later)

Much to my amusement, the first woman, looked at the woman picking up the glasses, considered for a bit (too long, if you ask me) with a "dang it" type of pained look on her face, before finally joining to pick up the mess she had made. I have to say, (especially since I was tired at that point in the day..therefore my temper is on a long leash) if the first woman hadn't returned to clean up, I would have said something to her, as she was making her way towards me during her attempted getaway.

Too bad Jon Quinones wasn't around!

That's my town!!!

It was after lunch today, when dad and I were channel surfing, trying to avoid doing the dishes and mowing the lawn (the lawn was bad...took the rabbit outside, all you could see were his ears). We stopped at a movie, The Good Witch" because we recoginized the familiar face of the lead actress, Catherine Bell, or "the girl from JAG". Much to my shagrin, it also starred Chris Potter, from Kung-Fu: The Legend Continues. I had the biggest crush on him as a kid. *giggle*
It was a cute little addictive movie (even dad got into it), but what really caught my attention were the garbage cans...because they looked oddly familiar. After watching for a few more minutes, I realized that they had filmed the movie in my hometown!! The featured tha main street of town, as well our old town hall. But, I'm pretty sure that her house was a museum in the next city over.

So it beings...back to school＿|￣|○

Well, it's been a long time, but I'm back in school. It's been about 5 years since I've been a student. The first few days have been difficult, and I'm very tired. I've been living like a vampire for for the past year, so getting up at the crack of dawn hasn't been the easiest thing. And I also need to start packing lunches again. There have been moments where I've wondered if perhaps I should take a nap before attempting to drive home. I'm so tired my face is doing that weird twitching thing. (yes, I know, world's smallest violin)
So far, everyone seems very nice. I'm a little bit worried because it feels like we have a lot to do in a very short amount of time. While we don't have classes everyday, the days with classes are very long. Usually an 8am start and ending after 6pm. There was even a class on children's literature that looked very interesting, but it was an additional 2 hours on the end of a very long day. But, glad to report that it seems to be one of those classes that invigorates you, rather than puts you to sleep.
The best part is the small class sizes. That was one thing I hated about university, you ended up being just a number. Here, they actually call you by your name (cue "Cheers" theme song).

Rogers Cup

Well, Rogers Cup is over, which means I'm home for at least a little bit. It was in interesting experience. Met some pretty interesting people, watched some great tennis up close and my first pair of real tennis shoes (more about that later)!
Just as a quick recap, this was my first year volunteering at Roger's cup. I was a shuttle bus volunteer, which meant I had to give guests certain information as we travelled from the parking lots to the tournament grounds.
First day was pretty nerve racking. First year volunteering and I show up looking for the tent where we were supposed to meet, only to have a forest of tents spring up before my eyes. I wandered about, glad to find I wasn't the only person lost and looking for their comittee heads. Confusion loves comapny! We got ourselves sorted out after a bit, and we all hopped on the bus. I somehow ended up being the last one on, and therefore, the token guinea pig. It had been a while since I had done any public speaking, plus with the script being in a regular point size, bouncing up and down in front of me as the bus travelled down the road, it was a bit of a mess, but everyone else seemed to like it. But, by the 3rd ride, I felt relatively comfortable.
At the end of the day, I decided to watch a little tennis. It was the last match inside the stadium, featuring Ayumi Morita from Japan. At the beginning, I was pretty torn who to cheer for. It was obvious that Morita was hurting but playing hard. But, the other player was Canadian. Then, the man standing next to me, asked me if I was Morita's sister. That helped me make up my mind to join the 3 man Morita cheering squad. I had to cheer for my "sister". It turns out she was suffering from the heat, and even though she forced a 3rd set, she couldn't finish it.　よく頑張った、ありがとう！

On Monday, I learned the meaning of karma. I was finished my shift, and I was just cooling off in the stadium, waiting for the exibition match to start. There was a tap on my shoulder from someone who was looking for the Olympus store (her camera was broken). I decided to walk her there. On my way back, I happened upon a sign that said "Autograph Session: Serena Williams". So, that's how helping someone got me a Serena Williams autograph. That night's exhibition match was pretty amazing. It was between Martina Navratilova, Monica Seles, Serena Williams and Alex Wozniak. The players had mics on, so hearing the banter was hilarious. I couldn't believe how fast Navratilova was. The best 2 moments were when Navratilova sat on her raquet when all the ball were going to Serena. And when Monica squealed and took cover when she saw Serena was about to smash a ball her way.

Saw some serious doubles matches for the first time. I'd always just seen exhibition ones live. I should state that my tennis education is pretty limited and some of it comes from manga. So, imagine my glee when I actually saw players doing Australian and "I" formations! Oh, I'm such a geek! But yikes, doubles can be scary, especially if your at the net. There was one rally in the finals where it one body shot shot after another.

Oh! And last day, while everyone was watching the finals, I snuck out and bought...my first pair of real tennis shoes!!! This might seem like nothing, but it reminds me of Kazu-sensei. He had mocked me mercilessly for wearing my all-terrain runners to play tennis. If only he could see my new shoes! And the best part is, they were on sale! Shoes and a sale, what more could a girl ask for :P

My "baseball" tan

For the past few years, I've never had to set out and work on my summer tan. Aside from the health concerns, it was always taken care of. From June to August, I would always be outside watching my baseball boys play at least one game each. If they won, I got to watch more games. This year, with no baseball, and only stop and go images of Koshien to keep me going, not only did I not get to watch my boys of summer, but I was also rather pale and sickly looking (a year of fluorescent lighting will do that). But, with one game of tennis last week, I am well toasted now, despite my sunscreen. I have to bring my own hat for when I head out to volunteer again Friday (we were supposed to get one apparently). I don't mind the skin too much, because I don't think I'm burnt, but my eyes are still so sore and sensitive to the light... I think I burnt my eyeballs!
Will write more later, but the computer screen is hurting my eyes.

Christmas in July!!

I meant to do this post in July, but I've been a bit busy.

I got the volunteers' uniform for this year's Roger's Cup (a tennis tournament), and was so happy! Everytime I tried it on, I would get this stupid grin on my face. Part of it was, I'm really looking forward to the tournament, and getting the uniform felt like Christmas in July.

But the best part was...I'm such a geek...but our uniforms look a lot like one of the uniforms found in "Prince of Tennis" (compare the pictures!). At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but then I actually went and looked it up.

There are differences, but just the colour scheme! Now, all I need is some sort of crazy special move that will make my tennis balls glow...or at least a decent stroke!

Cake!!!

I never thought that I would ever be grateful to Kathy Lee Gifford...but they weren't making such a big deal about her birthday on TV today, I would have forgotten my mom's birthday! Luckily, there was a cake recipe that I've been meaning to try out, and it was pretty easy...Japanese Cheese Cake. It's a lot lighter, fluffier than regular cheese cake, using only one brick of cream cheese, instead of 3. I think next time I might add some vanilla and tone down the lemon though. I was a bit surprised when the recipe called for corn starch instead of flour. It was pretty good, and I didn't feel bad serving it to mom because there was only about 1/2 cup of sugar for the whole cake. The best part was how the cake managed to stay fluffy. It was my first time having to "fold" while baking. I was so worried that I wouldn't be gently enough and my cake would end up flat and hard, but it stayed very cloud like! However, I did lack things to decorate with, so I just dusted some almond powder on with the help of a doily.

Look up

Wow, the skies around here have been pretty exciting. Over the weekend there was a huge lightning storm. I've never seen so much lightning before. The entire sky was endlessly being lit up. And it wasn't just the straight up and down lightnting bolts. (Although, I did get an amazing picture of one bolt...it's on my flickr page, link on right) There were bolts that you couldn't see, but that would light up the sky from within the clouds. One picture I took looked like I took at at noon, it was so bright. But my favourite had to be the bolts that would spread out horizontally and cover the entire sky.
But, there was a freak lightning strike today, which unfortunately struck 3 people at a soccer field. They're in hospital now...
More excitement, tonight was the peak of the Perseid Meteor shower. I only remembered after the peak viewing time, but still managed to see a catch part of the shower. Hopefully next year, I can figure out a way to catch some on film.

So I wasn't imagining things...

I just read an article that made me remember something that happened when I was on a Team Ramen trip to Hong Kong. The series of articles was about the documentary "Flowers & Troops" (花と兵隊) by Yoju Matsubayashi (松林要樹) where he interviews 6 former Japanese soldiers from WWII. In the article, it mentions the attitudes he encountered when travelling in Asia as a Japanese, some of which stemmed from WWII.
We were checking into our hotel in Hong Kong, and I noticed that the hotel owner (who was from China) suddenly decided to change one of our rooms, and was very insistant that our Japanese friend got that room. It soon became evident, at least to me, why the sudden change had occured. While 2 of our rooms were newly renovated, with air conditioning, body spray showers, LCD TVs and magnetic security doors, the last room was far from it. Our friend's room looked like it was could have been in a slum. The matress was on top of a plywood platform, the TV was an old set with dial knobs, a ceiling fan instead of air-con, a bathroom door that hung on by one hinge, a sink (about the same size as those on airplanes) doubled as his shower...with his none exisitant water pressure, and a door knob that you had to jiggle as you turned the key. I think I mentioned to the others that this room change wasn't a mistake...I have to admit, it did make me a bit angry at the time. My friend had nothing to do with what happened. His parents weren't even alive during the war, so how can they treat him like that. But, at that same time, I could understand why it was happening. Old wounds heal slowly, especially when it feels like salt is always being rubbed into them (Yasukuni Shrine visits, the war museum that says it was "liberating its neighbours, denial of certain events/actions...) And it's always these things that make the international news, never the unifying events...
Anyways, I wonder if this film will be shown in Canada. It would be interesting to see some other perspectives on the war, different from the usual right-wing view. I remember looking at some of the history books at the junior high schools and thought how amazingly brief the parts on WWII were, considering how involved Japan was in this world event. Oh, and the WWII comic book was "interesting" as well...more blood and gore than educational. But it is interesting to see that perhaps the next generation (director is relatively young) is going out and learning on its own...instead of shrugging off what they've experienced, and to try to understand why. Perhaps politicians can learn from this...

Pudding!!

Or at least something that looks like it! I was at the supermarket when I found one of my old favourites...プリン！But, it was almost $5 for three cups ( I used to buy the 3 pack for $1 each week). I couldn't bring my self to spend that much money, so I hopped on the internet and looked for a recipe I could try myself. I found one that looked pretty simple. The sauce was just boiled water and sugar till brown. The pudding itself was milk, sugar and eggs. Put into molds and steam. Things didn't go as planned. First the sauce. The recipe said simmer, so I put it on low heat. But, all this did was boil off all the water and it left me with hard, white sugar stuck to the pan. So, I added more water and turned the heat up, which got it to go brown. One crisis averted! Next was the actual pudding. Making it was okay, except it took a lot longer than the 20 minutes the recipe said. I found that the taste was a bit sweeter than what I remembered. And it was really "eggy"...It tasted more like Chinese egg tart filling than Japanese pudding. It was smooth and creamy though. I was also a bit worried about the sauce at first. When I tried the first cup, it was still warm. The pudding part was nice, but the sauce would crystallize when I pulled my spoon out. It was pretty cool actually, as I had been wanting to do these "sugar strings" ever since I saw it on Iron Chef. But, hard strands of sugar are not a very good pudding sauce. Luckily, once it cooled down, the sauce changed, and aside from being too sweet, wasn't half bad.

申し訳ありません (moshiwake arimasen) m(_ _)m

I feel SO BAD right now! When I was teaching, I used a special email account for my students. But, barely anyone sent me anything, so I eventually stopped using it. Plus, most of the students that keep in touch use my personal account. Randomly today, I decided to check my old account, and was so surprised to find like 10 emails waiting for me! One was strange, because that student normally sends to my personal account. I replied to some of the others, and hope that they will get them. Kids in Japan change their mail addresses so often...But I feel awful. I hope they won't think that I'm ignoring them!!!

owie...(いて！）

2 owies today. First, the brakes on my car stopped working! When I was driving to work, I couldn't stop at the first stop sign (I had to slam on my emergency brake to stop) and had to go back home. Luckily, Dad doesn't work too far away. I'm a bit worried about how much money this is going to cost.
2nd, I burned my hand on the glass of the toaster oven. It looks like it might blister up. We put on this Chinese burn ointment, and it seems to be helping. At least it doesn't hurt anymore. Even when I was using the ice pack and running water, the pain would return quickly, but this actually keeps the pain away. I wonder if there will be a blister tomorrow. But, we're all bandaged up to keep the stuff on at night.
I have news about Rogers Cup, but it's hard to type without my left hand...so maybe later.

おめでとう！！

The Taiyu girls' table tennis team is officially the 2nd best team in all of Akita!!! I'm so excited and proud! My little ちびs did great! This means that they will be advancing to the 東北大会 (Tohoku tournament), I'm guessing in early August. I think this is the first time I've seen the whole team advance so far. It might have happened 3 years ago when Megumi (now at Omagari) was on the team, but I didn't really understand what was happening then. Congratulations and good luck girls!!
Side bar, 明桜 will be Akita's representatives at Koshien this year. I pretty surprised when I saw the result. When I first saw the top 4 teams, I thought that 本荘would win again. From what I could make out, it looks like 明桜had a 2nd year ace pitcher. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch some Koshien games on the internet.

中学校全県大会始めます！

Finally, it's started! Don't know why I'm so excited...But here are some results!

Girls table tennis, Taiyu is first in block D, with 3 wins straight.
Track and Field: Omonogawa tied for 4th in boys' high jump and girls 3rd in long jump
Basketball: Omonogawa boys SQEAKED by Odate Ichi 54-52 (wish I could have seen that game!), but then lost their 2nd game to Igawa 52-47. The girls didn't make it this year, but it looks like Hiraka has a strong team again this year.
Judo: Girl's didn't do so well, dropping straight sets, and I guess the boys are tomorrow!

Going, going...gone....

Well, the last Yokote area high school has been eliminated from the baseball tournament. They put up a good fight, even though they were down by a huge margin. They scored a few runs in the 8th and 9th...unfortunately, the other team got 4 runs at the top of the 9th inning... Well, Best 8 is something to be proud of! Anyways, eagerly waiting the results for the junior high school prefectural tournament that takes place this weekend! I'm tempted to send an email to one of the teachers, but I'm afraid he might be busy with the tournament!

Maybe I miss the drive...

Alas, my OBs are wrapping up their regional (Tohoku) tournaments.
Looks like Omagari girls' (with a few Taiyu girls) lost one and won one (Not sure how the tournament structure is). And Noshiro's basketball team (with some of my Omonogawa boys) is doing well, winning 115-68 over Yamagata. I always watch this team with special interest. One of the players wrote on his English assignment that he would join this team, even though its basketball program is tough and the school is like a 3 hour drive. He made it though, so now I'm waiting to see if the last part of his dream will come true...Ganbatte Ito-kun. If they win their next match, it's off to 全国！
Some of my other boys at Seriyo made it as well, but they got knocked out yesterday.
One boy's handball team took 2nd. And of course there's volleyball. Omonogawa lost yesterday but Yokote won. I think they're still in round robin though.

北海道の思い出す

I'm reading an old manga series right now, called Hana Kimi. It's pretty funny, but the last chapter took me down memory lane. The characters go on a school trip to Hokkaido, and man the memories of my trips there with my students came flooding back. The places we visited, the food we ate, the pictures we took...even the hotels! It didn't help that I found an old video of my baseball boys last night too. I wonder if everyone is okay...that reminds me. I should check how Seriyo and Yokote did in the baseball tournament!

Jack...Superstar!!!

I got a very interesting email yesterday from my Youtube account. Someone was helping promote the RSPCA Australia's new fundraising campagin...sort of an American Idol for animals. They had seen Jack's video on YouTube and wanted to get permission to use it to help promote the campaign. I turned to Audrey (my other rabbit), who was next to me, and told him about the email. He stopped his foot and gave me a hard shove with his nose...a little jealous? (He has great comic timing)
I was a little bit worried though, because the contact information didn't seem to match the RSPCA's. So, I googled the address. Turns out, it was for an advertising company, who represents the RSPCA and IKEA! Animal charity and IKEA...how can I refuse? I just have to find Jack's video file to send. Oh, and I promised Audrey I'd mention him as well :P

Too cute..

And no, I'm not talking about my rabbits. I got an email over the weekend from one of my old students. She is one of the cutest things in Japan. Apparently, she has a boyfriend now, and emailed me about it *touched*. I was so happy when I read her email. I had no doubt that she would get one, because she is so cute. But, I'm also a little worried, we are dealing with a teen aged boy here. The other part, she wanted me to visit her at work...As much as I miss the ebi-burger, I don't know if I can pull that off...

最後の夏/残念無念また来年！

I was wondering when 全県大会 was, and maybe to see how my old students did. I couldn't find the dates (maybe it's too early), but I did see the news stories about the high school baseball tournaments. I was a bit sad to see that Yokote Jonan lost their first game and was eliminated from the tournament. I couldn't help but smile as my memories of my baseball boys came flooding back. Especially the ones who had gone to Jonan, so that they could start their own baseball club (Jonan was an all girls school until 2 years ago). I used to watch them training until they couldn't see the ball anymore from my tennis court, and wondered which shadow was one of my old students.

Then I saw that Seriyo had won and Yokote had a bye into the next round. Which made me start wondering about another group of boys. For at least 2 of them, this would be their last summer tournament before they graduate from high school...One of them was an amazing player in JHS, and got into that school because of his baseball (he was pretty smart too). 大丈夫、かな。。。
And I guess I miss watching their games...

Definitely bought this somewhere...

I went to add an emoticon onto an email I was sending my friend, and noticed that gmail had added new emoticon tabs...they definitely bought them from a Japanese company. They had yukatas, oden, ramen, school symbols, kakigori, onigiri, the poo pile, tempura and acutal Japanese! I used to love using these on my cell phone, and missed them (along with many other things). So glad I can use them again! うれしいわ！

バンビーノ２ できました！

Ever since I started watching Bambino, I've been hungry for Italian food.
I finally remembered to buy some olive oil after work and made some pasta for lunch. I don't get to cook or eat Italian much because mom hates it. But every episode of this show is filled with delicious looking food and I couldn't resist the urge any longer! Also, this marked 2 firsts for me. I can't eat spicy food, but I decided to use a dried chili pepper in this. Also, this is my first pasta without using tomato sauce. It turned out pretty good, expect for the garlic being a little bit over cooked. I just need a name for my culinary masterpiece...diced onions and tomatoes, peas, mushrooms and shrimps.

Good Bye Michael

I wanted to wait until after the memorial to write this post, just to see how the observe how the world would choose to remember Michael Jackson. I've been glad to see that people have chosen to remember the music and joy that he brought, instead of the sadness and trials he had to endure. I didn't really consider myself a huge Jackson fan, and was surprised to find that he did indeed have an impact on my life, and that I do feel sadness at his passing. Growing up, the first Jackson album I remember, and bought, was Dangerous. But of course, even before that, as now, his music was always omnipresent. I believe that everyone is a Jackson fan, though they might not know it. As the news of his death spread, and the music channels dedicated themselves to his videos, I was rediscovered how much I had loved that album, and how those songs had been the soundtrack to an important part of my life. It reminded me of friends, and emotions that I had lost to time.
I was also very happy with the service today (minus Al Sharpton). Initially, when I heard that it would be at the Staples Center, I was worried that it was turning into a spectacle. But, it was beautiful. I was especially moved by Brooke Shields' words, they felt as if they were coming from a true friend. And I was so relieved to see what happened at the end of the memorial. When his daughter started to speak, I could see the family cocoon around her as she started to cry. Then to see Janet pull her in and hold her tight...I felt a sense of relief in knowing that the kids would not be lost in the shuffle and madness, that the family would be there.
Thanks for the magic.

Bambino バンビーノ

There was a show on TV that I had wanted to watch, but I had class at the same time. Finally gettting the chance to watch "Bambino" now. While the show isn't going to win Emmys, I have to say there are moments that really went beyond the regular, usually silly TV moments for me. LOL...I came for the food (show about Italian restaurant), and stayed for the heart. Like when the main character, Ban, feels homesick after going home, or when Eri breaks up with him (let's leave this one at that), and my favourite, when Ban gets told off that it's not love when you're pushing your feelings on to someone else...I thought this would be another silly, light hearted show. It is, but still...it hits home unexpectedly
On top of that, I'm always hungry after each episode.
P.S. Gokusen movie coming soon!!! Just caught a special preview on TV

Boring, but pretty...

I was watching a little TV at lunch time today and came across the Tour de France coverage (only because it was on after the Wimbleton story). I'm not a cycling fan by any means. For me, it's not a very interesting sport to watch. I've even gone to a road race, and for those 15 seconds when the riders race by, great...then there's the feeling of "now what...". Anyways, I digress. What caught my attention was the amazingly beautiful wide shot of the lead pack riding down a country road while a herd of white horses, complete with flowing manes and tails, galloped along side them in the field next to the road. Wow, that's a desktop picture!
Then, there was an another cool moment. Apparently, I had just missed a collision. One cyclist was now trying to catch up to the pack, but as he's doing this, he's riding next to a car with 2 people hanging out the windows, giving him medical treatment as he's riding ( and littering medical supply wrappings...). Oh, and the whole pack slowing down so riders could catch up. Holy sportsmanship, Batman...

ooooooOOOOO....

Today I went to the orientation meeting for the new Rogers Cup volunteers. Wow, I can't wait. I was a bit worried, but it looks like they have a really good programme, with about 80% of volunteers returning every year. It was a bit strange during the tour of the grounds, thinking, WOW...Nadal and Federer played on this court last year...I just watched that guy win Wimbleton this morning...It's the girls playing in Toronto this year. They let us in on a few of the players who have committed to the event this year and it looks like it will be a great tournament and I can already see myself spending way too much money at the booths! I don't know how much tennis I'll actually be able to watch, but I'm looking forward to being around tennis again!

So it begins...

Well, I thought I would have a little more time before this started, as some of my older cousins haven't gotten married yet, but it looks like I'm starting to run out of time. And according to my mother, time is running out before I start having disfigured children. She is desperatly trying to get me to meet this guy. But I think I'm still a bit wary of men in general at this point. It is amusing to watch my mom swing between her classic urge to keep me locked in the house, and her urge to get me married off/start having kids...*sigh* ったく。。。

The Next Susan Boyle

It was my first time watching "America's Got Talent" tonight. And I was both sad and amazed. The last contestant tonight was a man named Kevin Skinner, a chicken catcher dressed in a poncho and dirty baseball cap. The camera panned the audience to show the sniggering faces. I was immediately caught up by how much this resembled another sniggering crowd in the U.K. that was soon brought to its feet. Kevin said he would be singing Garth Brooks and as soon as I heard the first bars of his guitar, I felt a shiver go down my spine. His rendition of "If Tomorrow Never Comes" was so simple and beautiful. It was the second time I've every been brought to tears by a song. I wish him luck in the contest, and hopefully people will listen before they snigger.

Medic...

In the midst of my messed-up-renovation-angst, I completely forgot! On Saturday, I competed in my friend's charity version of the "Amazing Race". I hurt...I pulled muscles I didn't know I had. The last time I felt like this was when I accidently joined a mini-marathon. It was fun, despite the outcome (dead last...*sigh*it was for a good cause). Saw parts of Toronto I'd never seen before, and surprised myself with how much I actually remembered from the guide books. I would like to point out that we were first for a little while, but ended up falling behind because we were over thinking the clues and not going with out gut reactions (conclusion based on post-race analysis).

Not blind yet...

Tonight, went back to my grandpa's old place to pick up some things. We've been busy lately cleaning the place so they could renovate (it was pretty old...). Not happy. I know that when it comes to renovations, I can be picky. But, this isn't me being picky. If you paid to get new floors, you probably want it done properly. The people who put down the laminate flooring in the living room damaged the new tiles (which were fine last week) in the foyer. One tile's grout is not grout, but some sort of shiny adhesive (carpenter's glue?). While another tile is actually broken (broken into 3 separate pieces), and stuck back in place with the same shiny glue. After looking around a bit more, we found paint on doorknobs, chipped baseboards, unevenly coloured grout, poorly cut tiles and grout lines near walls that were about half an inch wide (someone didn't remove the baseboards before tiling)...I could let the other stuff slide. But the broken tile as soon as you walk in is a bit much...You'd have to be blind not to see it, what were they thinking?!?!...They are sooooo going to get a piece of my mind....\(#`0')/ー!^&*@#

Can I go for lunch now? and social networking

These past few months have been crazy. I always think that it will be okay once I cross this next thing off my to do list, but something always pops up to replace it. But, I guess it's better than doing nothing. I do have to find some time to do some laundry though, either that or go shopping for some clean clothes :P
I don't usually watch Conan O'brian, (as Dad says, he tries too hard, it's uncomfortable to watch) but I had to stop and watch when he brought back an old favourite "in the year 2000". (now 3000). He said that the social networking sites YouTube, Twitter and Facebook would merge to form the new site "You-Twit-Face". *teehee* Can you tell I'm not on these sites. Stand up to peer pressure!

運命

Maybe you've heard about the woman who was supposed to be on the Air France flight. She missed the flight, only to die a traffic accident shortly afterwards. And then, there's what happened to my friend. It made me wonder, if it was fate, destiny...
If such a thing exisits, at this point, I have to declare that the fates are cruel. To show people a glimps of happiness, offer a sigh of relief, only to turn on them completely, as if to show you what you can't have. 運命、お前ら酷いな。。。

the strangest yet...

Last night I dreamed that I had become a member of the 桜蘭高校ホスト部...

medic...

Oh, I hurt. This past week has been loooooong. Work was, let's not go there. My cousin and I have been on a marathon packing, moving spree. We had to move everything out of our grandparents' place. Nothing like moving furniture into an elevator at 230am. But in an odd way, it was nice. We don't get to spend a lot of time together. But, it was pretty hard too, donating your grandparents' stuff. Plus, I'm running late with the stuff for JET...10 pages down, 84 more to go....plus my own 1 hour presentation.

And the nocturnal reverie theme continued...woke up feeling warm, happy and sad.

again...

The dreams continue. Last night, it was of the most amazing kaiten sushi bar. It was very modern and clean with "channels" made of light coloured wood where the chefs could slid you your order. Or you could pick off the belt and the plates would slide down the channels.
I guess this one is not only a nod to missing Japan, but also missing otoro...

a dream is...

Man, things have been busy lately. It feels like the list of errands keeps growing, and things that I thought were taken care of have come back with a vengence. Past few days, I've been really tired. Maybe my body trying to hide from everything! It's almost time for the new JETs to be leaving, and we're busy getting ready for that. There booklets and presentations that I thought had been taken care of, (no email replies) that I'll have to work back into my schedule. But, it'll be fun.
The other odd thing is the dreams. I guess I've been pretty Japan-home-sick lately. I dreamed about some of my old basketball kids (natsukashi~~), and sure enough, it is almost time for the big city wide tournaments soon. Maybe I'm just worried about the tournament. And just yesterday, I dreamt I went shopping for melon bread (the green ones from Aeon with the cream filling....tabetai....), ran into my little neighbour and we ended up buying the strangest cakes instead. I suppose he would have been knocking on my door around this time looking for kakigori....

self control

I am trying very hard right now not to send a certain email (don't want to bother them in case they're having sleepless nights and stepping over visiting grandparents). Whenever I get the chance to get at my emails, I've been eagerly hoping to see one email announcing the arrival of a special little bundle. He was a bit overdue, but if hasn't come out yet, he's just being rude at this point :P
I hope everything is okay....Hope they're just busy with getting to know someone new....

心臓止まった。。。

全く！昨日ラジオ聞ったの時、心臓止まった．また北朝鮮の事。何だあれ！ちゃんと自分の市民の人生たすけてはもといいじゃないか？何でお金は全て戦争の物で？全く意味分からない！

Yankumi...ka....

I was going through some old papers yesterday, and found a note to myself. Some of my students had said that I was like "Yankumi". I didn't know what they were talking about, so I wrote it down so I could google it later. Turns out, Yankumi is from the manga/TV show "Gokusen". It's the nickname the students give to their teacher, who also happens to be the heir of a yakuza family....I guess it's a good thing that they think I'm a yakuza princess...I guess :D Miss those kids...

waiting...

going crazying...anxiously waiting for a baby...and it's not even mine....
Hope this doesn't mean the kid is going to be late for everything he does!

Time after time...

Of all the songs in the world...Last night, I was re-reading some "Nana". Specifically, the ones about Takumi and Reira when they were children. In the manga, Reira sings Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time". Before then, I had only heard it on the radio with all the drums. But when I was reading it, for the first time, I heard it as a beautiful a capella by the ocean. And what should happen tonight? I turn on "American Idol", and there is Cyndi Lauper singing "Time After Time"...Of all the songs...

Road Rage

Yesterday there was a large group of protesters on one of the major downtown highways. They wanted the government to intervene in the Sri Lankan conflict, and were refusing to move until someone from the Prime Minister's Office spoke with them. While their concerns are legitimate, I wondered if this is the best way to gain support. People are already pretty stressed when driving in downtown traffic...while blocking a main artery would gain attention, it might lose them support. And, it was dangerous (especially for the children).
But then, they got their wish. Not by the PM's office, but by the opposition. Great for the Tamils, but I worry that it's setting a dangerous precedent...every time a group is trying to gain attention for their cause, they'll camp out and block traffic.

No Julia Child...

Well, for mother's day this year, I decided to try making a red velvet cake. I had a red velvet cupcake in NYC at the Magnolia Bakery, and have been thinking about it ever since. I made some test cupcakes on Wednesday, which were okay. The best part was the home made frosting (First flour based frosting...)! I think the cupcakes were a lot better than the cake I made on Sunday.

Also, on Saturday, I went dancing with my parents. One of their friends from swimming thought they would enjoy it. It was...interesting. A mix of line dancing and ballroom. I guess I'm used to having a partner lead, and not having to remember a set routine. Like many line dances, the moves themselves were easy enough, getting them in the right order was another (most of the people there were old members and already had the routines down). I'll give it another chance before I decide. At least it was fun to watch my parents "dance"! And at the end of class, I was dancing with the teacher as he demonstrated the waltz. Demonstration dance moves I remember how to do!

Just a little break

Decided to take a little break today, so my cousin and I went to treat ourselves to a movie. We both wanted to watch X-Men Origins:Wolverine . Looks like I'll be buying that when it comes out on DVD! There was some serious eye candy （≧∇≦）ぶぁっはっはっ！！, but also enough action for those who are not interested in drooling over men and a decent story! The only think missing was a little bit more back story...why was Sabretooth so angry? What are the backstories on the other weapon-X soldiers (or do I need to read the comics?)? Anyways, it was nice to get out for a while.

Pressure points

I had two very unexpected little moments today. 1) My rabbit Audrey stepped on my belly button today and surprised me. I didn't know that the belly button was a lethal presure point. Apparently, he's a kung-fu master or something. 2) One of my old students sent me an email. She was worried about the H1N1 flu virus (formerly known as the swine flu), and wanted to check I was okay! I was so happy! I worry so much about those kids, and I can't even describe the feeling to know that some of them still think about me. ♪~♪ d(⌒o⌒)b♪~♪ﾗﾝﾗﾝ

The swine flu cometh

We had our first swine flu phone call at the clinic today!! Happily, it was determined to be a false alarm...which is probably why I'm so happy. I'm hoping that all the calls end up like that. A little bit concerned about travellers who still insist on travelling to Mexico despite the dangers. It feels a little selfish. They're more concerned about their money and vacation, than they are about their health and the health of those around them. *sigh*

I've been a little tired lately. I actually didn't hear my alarm clock this morning, woke up 15 minutes before I had to leave for work...I think I just want to get this final exam over with. Not being able to contact the teacher ("correspondence" course) has been scaring me, because I need to submit my marks to the university soon. Plus, constantly having the threat of an exam over you is not fun. I look forward to not having to carry study notes with me everywhere!

裸になって、何が悪い？(What's wrong with being naked?)

Poor boney SMAP (AKA Kusanagi-kun)....I have to admit, my first reaction was "WHAT? Naked!??!" But, the more I think about it, I can't help but feel sorry for him. Being the "good boy" in the group, everyone expects him to be perfect. And yes, getting naked in a park, was not the best idea, but does he deserve all this? How many people, inclduing celebrities, do much worse and they don't get nearly the amount of attention he's getting. He got drunk and made a fool of himself. That's it. He didn't hurt anyone, there was no malicious intent. Leave the poor guy alone. He's more than learned his lesson.

Allergy gone?

I love eating these small little freshwater crabs. But, a few years ago, I started having allergic reactions to them. Of course, this didn't stop me from eating them. I would just take Benedryl before I ate them...and tried to finish my dinner before the medicine made me too sleepy. There was also the problem that these crabs were even better with a little beer...but the of course beer and Benedryl don't mix... But I had some crabs last night, without the medication, and NO REACTION!!! YEA!!!! Small victories...
Today conquering seafood allergies, tomorrow...world peace! (What can I say, I'm an idealist)

Girl power!

I just got my National Geographic email, and found the ultimate girl power article. There is an leaf-cutter ant species in South America that is entirely female (or at least no one has found a male). Perhaps they got lost and refused to ask for directions back to the nest!
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/04/090417-female-ants-picture.html?source=email_inside_20090424&email=inside

Wednesday brunch

Why didn't I think of this sooner? On Wednesdays, I start work at 12pm, which creates a problem of - When do I eat lunch? I usually have breakfast, and then lunch around 1230-1pm. So, I used to bring a lunch to work. But, there have been days where it has been very busy, and I don't have time to eat lunch at work.
So, today, I started Wednesday brunches. It seems to work. But, it was hard to tell, because one of my friends at work bought everyone pizza today!

桜 season

I was a bit sad that my hanami would be only in Ikea lamp format...but then I opened my email today. I got 3 emails from Japan today, all with pictures of cherry blossoms! I'm not sure if that makes me happy or sad!
I'm a little worried right now. I wanted to join a dragon boat team, but they practice in Toronto at 630pm. With work and traffic, I don't know if I get to practice on time...sigh...

Go Fiat!

I know that the auto industry is very important to the economy, especially in this area, but I couldn't help but get more and more frustrated as the situation with the failing companies continues. Then, the numbers came out on what the salaries and benefits were. Then I got angry and disappointed. Isn't it a bit selfish, and unrealistic to expect $70-50 from a failing company. Even more so, when taxpayer dollars are keeping that company afloat? Why should, a student who works part time, have to support some one's $70/hr salary through my taxes...oh, and there's the $40/hr for the worker who has no shifts but can't be fired. They expect everyone to make sacrifices for them without willing to give anything up themselves? They make more in one month than my entire family combined. I would understand those wages if the company was doing well. Then it would be more than fair for the auto companies to share the wealth. But now, it just feels like greed. So when Fiat announced that they would pull out of the deal unless labour costs were reduced, part of me couldn't help but feel a bit apathetic. Welcome to the real world, where you can't get blood from a stone.

You're kidding me right?

The other day, we went to my great-grandmother's memorial at the cemetery for "ching ming". It's an annual event where people of Chinese background go to their ancestor's grave site to clean the area and give offerings. But, I was shocked when I overheard the conversation of another Chinese family. The son, who was probably around 18, asked his father if it was a special day because there were so many Chinese families there that day. The father replied, "it's Chinese Easter". I have to be honest, as a "banana", I don't know too much about ching ming. But to say Chinese Easter?!?! If I had been drinking something at the time, I would have sprayed it out. I didn't know that the Chinese had a messiah that died and rose from the dead too! Did someone forget to mention that Jesus was yellow? Honestly, if you don't know, say you don't know. Don't go and make up your own holiday, confuse your child, and cause further degradation to your child's cultural understanding!

Kimatta...

Well, I've decided (after one more sleepless night), and sent in my forms to Brock. From everything I've heard, all the schools are very good. I think it came down to logistics (i.e. paying rent), which narrowed it down to 2. Afterwards, the unstable campus environment (they just finished a long, nasty strike, and their education students last year are in a bit of a pinch apparently) at York sealed the deal. With the non-refundable cheque in the mail, I hope I've made the right choice.

Hanami, decisions and menus

My friend recently sent me a picture of when she went to hanami in Japan. So jealous. The only hanami I have is courtesy of Ikea! Not exactly the same, but, it's the best I can do for now.

Well, I'm working on the last bit of that independent study course. Thankfully, this final unit is a bit less crazy with the questions. No 50 marks for one answer! But, now I find myself in a bit of a dilemma. I need to decide which school to go to. I'm down to 4 choices, but no time to research and conflicting opinions from different people. I've gone from not knowing if anyone would accept me, to not knowing which school to accept...My life would have been a lot easier if they had narrowed down my choices for me :P I know, I need to stop complaining about a good situation.

And as dad is making lunch, I come across a news story on how they're passing a bill to make calorie counts mandatory on menus. I guess I hadn't even thought about it. One of my favourite places in Japan, Gusto (and other chain places), always had nutritional info in the menus. And, I've used that info more than once when stuck between 2 choices. It'll be nice when that happens here too. Oh, I miss my drink bar! *cough* can't wait till I feel 100% again...can't believe I'm still coughing :(

Back on track, sorta

Well, things are getting back on track, as the title would imply. I've cleared myself a little niche to study in. So, it's easier to get into a groove.
Finally getting a chance to answer the letters and emails that my old students have sent me.
And I'm hoping to get the chance to figure out which school to go to. When I applied, I wasn't too sure if I would be accepted, and now I have to consider which school I want to go to. Part of me would like to go away, have my own space again. It's odd, but I think I actually have more time when I don't have people looking after me. For example, meals are quick, easy and healthy. Food prep to washing dishes in about 30 minutes. Tonight, we didn't get to dinner till after 930pm...
But, I don't think I should decide schools based on that...
Grandpa is doing better. The cuts are still bleeding, but the swelling has gone down a lot, so that's a sigh of relief.
I think I would be much more excited if instead of the snow, I was looking at sakura blossoms instead!

Hello, my name is...and I'm a shopaholic

Well, when I went shopping the other day for a new purse and jacket, there was this dress that I loved. However, the store didn't have it in my size. I went to another mall today, and oy...I got the dress, and a few...other...things....It took me a while the find the store I was looking for, and I ran into a few other stores (and pieces) before I finally got to my final destination. In my defense. Pretty much everything was on sale (including a jacket). I'm blessed with a natural sense of frugality. At R.W. &Co., there was a bonanza at the sales rack. We're talking pieces that are normally arouund $60 reduced to under $10!!
Bad news, still no purse...and I'm thinking about another jacket now...
Good news, still made it back home to spend a good chunk of time on homework
REALLY GOOD NEWS, I got quite a few acceptance letters from universities when I got home

Retail therapy

Well, the other day I finished unit 3 of the course I'm taking. I'm a little worried about how well I did though, because near the end, I was just wanted to finish. So, now I'm on the last and final unit. The homestretch!

Went on a bit of a shopping spree afterwards, as a bit of a motivational trip. I was looking for a new jacket and purse, because my old ones had definately seen better days. I got everything else, except for the jacket and purse. But, I it was actually pretty good. Everything I bought at Old Navy was on clearance. And the Smart Set stuff was on sale AND I got $20 gift certificates for every $40 I spent. Plus, I needed some stuff for work.

Oh, and Jack has graduated from just peaking around the corner to following me around upstairs. He's actually gotten the hang of the stairs, well, except for that one little stumble! Too cute.

Oldest trick in the book

Oh, it's hard to do homework when you've forgotten how! I've been stuck for the past few days on the same question on this assignment. Hung up on the sheer volume of material I have to look up, the amount I have to write and running around the internet like a headless chicken because I got intimidated by the 85 marks the first 2 questions were worth. I finally remembered the old exam writting rule...go to the next question. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders!

Jack goes upstairs

My darling Jack (he's a rabbit) did something so sweet today. He usually likes to stay in the kitchen, close to the food. This morning, I guess I caught him off guard when I went upstairs. Next thing I know, I hear the sound of his little paws trying to make his way up the slippery wooden steps. I look behind me and he pokes his head in, just to check where I'm at. I guess all my travelling has him a bit paranoid, poor little guy.

And thank goodness for that little smile he brought, cause this assignment is driving me up the wall....

First Rant: Invisible Walls

I wasn't going to say anything till I got more work done, but the stream of coughing has prompted me back.
I've recently returned from a trip to Japan, and I'm currently suffering from second-hand smoke. It boggles my mind when I think of the lack of awareness or indifference to the effects of second hand smoke. I can partially understand in adult establishments like bars (although I knew if the same establishment were here, I would choose not to go), but in family restaurants...the use of the invisible wall to separate smoking and non-smoking sections...not cool, and hazardous to your health (as my literally aching lungs can atest to).

So it begins...again

Hello world,
due to technical difficulties with my previous blog, I've decided to migrate here to Blogger.
I'm currently using the additional hours of productivity my jetlag has given me to start this much delayed project...hey, lemons and lemonade, right?
I'm also using the time to try and finish this textbook unit, but the I'm getting a bit tired of it. The text is fine, but the homework part is something else...just time consuming. Well, no choice but to keep plugging on, with nothing but bog that is late-night television to keep me company. Thank goodness Craig Ferguson has a lovely, spicy accent :P (name dropping already!)
Hang in there until I get some more time to really work on this.
Lots to write, but later!