So, after having three 3-hour literature classes in Japan, I think I'm pretty safe in saying that I'm thankful for the classes at SUA. We read interesting books in class or course, but the discussions are a little limited. Partially it could be because there are only three English speakers in the class besides the teacher, but there is also something about the depth of the questions. He always seems to be concerned about how Japan is portrayed and whether it is an actual portrayal or not. Hello, you're American, and no matter how much you pretend to know about Japan, the truth is that you're still a foreigner who has lived here for a few years. Plus, it's Japanese people writing about themselves, so let them be. And we don't need a summary or a warmup, bring on the tough questions. Just different I suppose, but I don't come out of the class with great and grand new ideas like sometimes happens at SUA, even in a regular run-of-the-mill they-made-me-take-it courses.

Anyway, it sure didn't steal that one. HAHAHAHAHA I have fooled the evil computer masters. Now I need to go do some homework or something.

Eep, the thingy stole my entry. I don't like it when it does that, but I don't know how to make it stop.

And that just makes me sad and not want to write anything...........

I have this weird headache thing going on. I get lots of sleep at night because I am SOOOO tired here for some reason, but I still get headaches. I don't know where they come from, unless they come from thinking too hard.

Oh yeah. And somehow, I've become motivated enough to be a good studied. I have been studying sooooo much in the past week. It's pretty cool, even though I don't really feel like I know all that much more, but I might eventually, so I'm gonna try to keep it up.

Monday monday, wish it were Sunday. Took a placement test today. I don't quite understand how it will place us, the questions were pretty easy to guess on. Anyway... why do I have the feeling I'm going to be stuck in a lower class than I should? I guess that would be okay for reviewing things like particles and the like, but I want to learn how to say stuff to. Maybe I'm just being pessimistic today.

Not really comfortable with the host family yet, I hope it will happen though. It's just weird with the host father. I don't know if I should stay out of his way or what. I'm sure part of it is just that it's new and that's normal. Everyone elses host family sounds really cool.

This sure is a loud keyboard.

I am hungry, but the cafeteria was WAY too crowded when we went over there. Gonna try again later.

Good thing I have a pass that will get me from here to home as many times as I want, because there is nothing to do here now, and if I had to pay to go home, I would be pretty angrified I think.

And what is up with SUA registration. I'm going to develop a twitch if I don't get an email soon. You know, it would have been nice if I had been informed that it's postponed in the first place, instead of having to ask about it. Here I was, thinking that I'm going to be stuck in all 100 courses because I'm out of reach, when all along, nothing is going on. Japanese people write in run-on sentences, I may start doing the same thing.

I hate having two blogs!!!

Inner thoughts, inner thoughts. I having problems separating my inner thoughts from the mush in my brain. And I have 15 minutes in which to do it. Yeah right. And email!!

This is where I'm meeting Jason+
5th subway stop: ima de gawa
Exit 1 at the bottom

3 minutes...gotta go eat lunch. I'm hungry. Jason sure doesn't seem like he fits MY definition of a global citizen, for all that he lives in another country and apparently like Japanese stuff. After this trip, I may have to only see him occasionally. Maybe I'll take a class from a different proffessor. A bunch of the other students are pissed off at him, and who knows how the rest of the trip will go. Hopefully, I will stay busy elsewhere in Tokyo. I gotta go, gotta go!!

What is going on here?

I've got a plan, and that makes me feel good. But the plan, well, truth be told, there are four or five plans, can't begin until I'm back at Soka. So I need a plan for Japan. I think it will be a lot easier when I have a purpose in Japan and am not just a lazy bum spending money all over the place.

At least today I held back. There were earrings that I didin't need...and I didn't buy them...and I only sort of regret it now. On the other hand, I got a messengery-bag type deal that I've been wanting for a long time. Now let's just see if it will last longer than a week!!

So far, I have met two students from the fourth class. One is Yoko Shimura, the daughter of the Japanese Willy Wonka. Isn't that wonderful! But she's really nice. She just graduated from a different university, Tamagawa University. Both Conny and I needed to buy shoes for the graduation ceremony, but 1)they were all over $100 dollars, way over, and 2) none of them fit.

So she came with us to help us find shoes. Turns out, we can fit into the size L shoes, we were just not doing it right before. You need to wear stalkings for it to work. She also showed us a place where all the shoes were on sale for $26. So I got two. Not that I need two pairs, but that's okay, they're cool. One pair is really pointy, which is weird, since I've never had pointy shoes before, but I'll get used to them.

The other girl is Risako Doi, straight from Soka High School. We went to their International Club meeting yesterday and hung out for the day. Did you know Maju was the president of the International Club? I sure didn't, and now I'm going to make fun of her!! Risako lived in the U.S. for four years, so her English is really good. It was weird to speak regular English with Japanese people, and it was still really stunted. Alas, I don't think I'm going to be able to take a Kehlen class next year, at least, not first semester!!

Wrote a really long letter today.

Was annoyed by a bunch of chanters.

Sat in the sun.

Listened to the trees talk.

Watched the birds play.

Found peace in a turbulent seashore.

How do waves work anyway?

Ate too much, and it was good.

Stared off into space while pretending to listen.

Learned a new Japanese phrase.

Became excited about a future class.

Wanted to scream and throw a fit.

Wanted to sleep all day long.

Wanted to escape the craziness.

Wanted to say, "hope to see you soon."

Wanted a culture that I understand.

Wanted to be a people person.

Wanted to forget about tomorrow.

Wanted to express my feelings in song.

Life is not on hold, no matter that this place is not my place. The world keeps spinning, and work progresses even though I'm gone. No one will wait for me, so I should wait for no one.

I have thoughts, many many thoughts.

Spring Break: SUA students in town. Not many, but they are here. We're all attending the SUJ graduation ceremony on Friday, which, of course, the founder will attend. I have to say that, even though everyone keeps congratulating us, I'm beginning to feel a little ambivilant. It's so hyped that I don't even want to participate anymore. I hate the whole invitation thing. I could also feel a little annoyed that we couldn't go to the other ones, but maybe I'm not sure. I know of one person, Japanese member, no connection, as such, to SUA, who attended the Gakuen (high school) graduation and will also be attending the SUA graduation. Now I'm thinking, if there are such limited seats, and everyone wants to go, why does this person get to go to two of them, at least one of which, he has to people in.

Yeah, I'm whiny, but the whole hierarchy thing is the SGI is driving me nuts. If an organization wants everyone to be equal and happy, putting some people above others, and really treating them better, is not the way to go. It's very obvious here that high leaders in the SGI and those connected to them are seen as closer to President Ikeda, and so better than common people. We have been introduced to many leaders, and we are supposed to be ecstatic that we get the opportunity to meet with people we can't communicate with and have nothing to talk about anyway. It's just awkward silence puntuated by stupid and required questions about family members and so forth.

And I'm trying to stay positive and see all the good things, I really am. But I see people learning and passing on the good things without thinking about it. We went to an English gosho lecture, and the dude was saying things that were really unclear and could be taken completely the wrong way, and people were just nodding their headings, like what he was saying was gold. And I was sitting there thinking, "What is this guy talking about." Of course he said some nice things, but he also said things that I absolutely cannot agree with. Can I take the good without the bad? I don't think I can pick apart his lecture and ignore the things I think are wrong. But most other people seemed really happy with what he said.

I don't want to give everyone the benefit of the doubt when they are influencing that many people. The SGI is a very powerful and influential organization within Japan, even in politics. President Ikeda has given a goal of 10 million votes for the Komei Party in the upcoming election. No one I have talked to, even a Komei member, can tell me anything about their platform, except that they are for peace. Great. Not many people seem worried about this. I found ONE. And what if I don't want to vote for them, even if I did know what they were about (and I could vote in Japan)? Would I be kicked out of SGI-land? It's not even a question of whether SGI members will vote Komei. From what I have heard from outside SGI sources about Komei in the past and elsewhere, they run a little to the right. Well, I run pretty far to the left. Everyone wants peace, or at least most don't want to destory the country, and the difference is how they think it should be done. What if I don't think what the Komei wants to do will work?

Religion and politics shouldn't mix. And no religion should tell you who to vote for. And there shouldn't be political commercials at meetings. But here it happens. And I don't have enough Japanese, and no one has enough English, for me to complain adequetely or to explain myself. They don't seem to get it when I try. There is no criticising of the SGI at all here, that I can see or understand.

So, yesterday we did the whole crazy meeting thing again. One at 10 am and one at 8 pm. The 10 am one was okay, same old same old. But the one at 8 pm was to watch the video of the recent Headquaters Meeting. In Japanese of course. So why was I there? I don't know. I thought that Tariq Hassan (SGI-USA Vice-mens and SUA Board Member) was going to speak, but he didn't. So there was exactly nothing that I understood. And I was fuming. Going to the meeting I was pretty hyper and singing songs and stuff, but once the meeting started, I got really unhappy. I figure, it didn't hurt anything, but my legs really started hurting, and I remembered Cassie's knee problems, and I got a little mad. Grrrr Nothing out of it, and killing my hips and knees doing it. lovely.

But between the meetings, we went out with Maju's mom and a friend of hers. The friend was really really nice and gave us, of course, some home-made notebooks and bags. She didn't speak any English, but we didn't let that stop us. Her daughter lives in Miami, and she showed us pictures from their last trip. Then we started talking about how humid Japan is in the summer and she said that her daughter won't come back to Japan because of that. The only bad part was when I completely forgot the name for humidity. We acted it out and understood what we were talking about and Conny knew it in German, but I couldn't for the life of me remember in English. Yeah, talk about good impressions on new acquaintences. So she was nice, and I really like Maju's mom, and we're all going to the Onsen on the 17th. Hehe. We'll see how I do.

So other than that, I'm surviving. Mostly. Today we slept until the afternoon and went for a short walk. Nice easy day. Called Grace yesterday, she's back in Japan, along with her mom. We're getting together tomorrow, don't know to do what though.

Ahh, just wrote for an hour at least. Short.

Getting smothered.
Shutting down.
What to do??
Having much fun outside the house, no fun inside.
Want to go to Sapporo.
Need homework, some purpose to my life.
Don't like being used as a shakubuku tool.
Don't always need translation.
Perfectly happy to stare off into space.
Poor doggy!!
I like central heating.

Time for me to complain...tune out if you don't care:

Alex Okuda is trying to make me pay $113 dollars for my plane ticket. He says I was over my limit of $1200. I sent him back an email saying, "uhhh, maybe the limit is $1365." He replied, but I haven't read it yet. After I finish complaining, I'll read it, I just have a bad feeling about the email. Sammi, Ally, wanna back me up on the $1365? I remember because I was like, "cool, 365 days in a year." You don't mistake things like that. Or at least, I don't.

Next. They say I am overdue for my phone bill. Did Jessica know she had a phone bill? When I went to pay my last two or three in December, no one mentioned it. Was it for December? How was I supposed to know that? So many kinks to work out!! I went on to the class sign-up login thing, but that was a little impossible. If that thing is to be believed, I owe about $9000, due in January. Huh, that number makes no sense. It's not how much I pay the school, it's not half of what I pay the school. It's a nonsense number. Anyway, how do I pay a bill from Japan? I didn't bring any checks with me.

One more. I got an email from Cindy Cohen yesterday demanding that I come pick up my financial aid application and mail it directly to the Department of Education by 5:00 that day. I didn't check my mail yesterday. I got another mail today like I was ignoring the other email or something. So now...who knows. I left it signed with my father before I left. I can't do it online without him, he can't send it in without me. Anyone see a problem here?

So we're going to Kyoto. At first Otousan and Okaasan were freaking out because...well they freak out whenever we try to do anything on our own. And of course they know someone's daughter who is a travel agent. And it was too expensive. But then, Okaasan's penchant for telling everyone everything paid off. One woman, very nice, good cheesecake, cute kids, can NEVER remember her name, has a friend in Kyoto who would of course love to host SUA students anytime. Her daughter is in high school and wants to go to SUA and so would love the chance to talk to real live SUA students. Oh yeah, and Kacchan's dad is one of her teachers. So all we have to do is pay the bullet train cost (not insignificant) and a small amount of money to the friend, and we're all set. It's a little scary though...SGI connections all over the country. You need something, and we know someone who can help you and maybe get you a good deal. Truly. So far we've got: cell phones, travel agent, kimonos, English speakers, shop owners, and school teachers, to name a few.

I feel like a teenager all over again ('cause THAT was a long time ago=P). I'm rebelling against everything and everyone. Though I'm not doing as bad as Conny. For once, I am not the one with the worst attitude. It's weird. But at least I have someone to talk to about my craziness. I would HATE it if she was all happy and lalala about everything here.

But we are being well taken care of. In fact, that's our complaint. Funny, ain't it?

Went to a teachers meeting today and gave a little speach. We talked about the qualities that some of our SUA professors have that make them wonderful. All non-SGI members, and we told them that. We said how you don't have to be an SGI member to care about students. And a lot of them were nodding. It was cool, I think they agreed. The first time anyone here has admitted that something non-SGI about SUA is okay or even good. I was happy. I felt like I did when I was younger and had gone to a really good meeting. I was bouncing off the walls. We were trying to decide what flowers we are. But there was major language barrier, English, German, and Japanese. Hmm, maybe it's just been a while since I've been to a good meeting. And it's funny, because I couldn't understand what they were saying through the whole thing. I was still happy when I left, not angry or bored.

I got my family profile today for Sapporo! Not much on it, but at least I have names and an address. No kids, well, two older than me, but no little kids. Somehow they put down what the older kids like, even though they live somewhere else. The mom teaches flower arrangement. It might be a little anal, but I'm gonna try and try it anyway.

Decided today...gonna buy the hardcase! Hehe, excited now. Now I can go crazy at Shibuya next week!!

Taking flowers to Mrs. Ikeda tomorrow. We're taking flowers from the Women's Division of Kanagawa. And we're taking letters. My letter says...nothing. I don't really have anything to say to her, I don't know very much about her as a person. It's a little odd...

Okay people, this is how it's working. I've got two blogs going. This one, and one for people who only care about my doings and not my inner thoughts (or people I don't especially want reading my inner thoughts). The long long narratives have been at the request of the other folk. I've been posting them on both sites, with maybe a little extra here sometimes. But I'm tired of that. Lately, I have been too tired to do the inner thought bit. So, if you want to read long narrative, go to http://greenorangegeek.blogspot.com. If not, stay tuned to this channel.

Okay, now channeling inner thoughts...

I am a trained monkey. We went to big SGI place today and they made us say our little practiced speaches. Then Okaasan told the people about Conny's dream to build Soka University of Europe. Oh, didn't know that's what she was going to do? Neither did she. When we walked into the back area, the people all clapped for us. It's insanity, and they just perpetuate it by spreading what great and wonderful people we are. Argh, it makes me insane. I am somewhat safe because I have been adimant about NOT having plans. But recently I have become the genius child because I started SUA at 17 and could do part of gongyo at about 5. So she tells everyone we meet this, and we can't refute it, because none of them speak English, and it would be WAY weird to contradict her in the middle of her session.

It's impossible to be angry with the people we meet, because seem soooo sincere about hoping and thinking that we will change the world. Of course, some of them just think about us as things to show off, but many are truly interested in us as people and want to discuss actually how we are going to change the world and all that. But I can be angry at the people who are spreading and encouraging this kind of behavior. I go back and forth between thinking that Okaasan just wants to be the bringer of all this good news and thinking that maybe she is just trying to give people hope. But then, what happens when Conny doesn't open SU-Europe? She KNOWS. We had a long and difficult conversation about what our dreams are. I'm thinking that SGI-Japan is a little messed up. Oh, and try convicing them that SUA doesn't exist as a conduit to help people work for the advancement of the SGI alone. I think they understand that not all the students are SGI, but I don't think they understand that we are going to go on and work for organizations other than the SGI.

Oh yes, and did I mention that I'm being slightly smothered by all the attention? I love it when Conny and I are out and exploring, but when we are with Okaasan and Otousan, they keep trying to lead us places. I want to look and go for myself. Okaasan kept taking my arm today, and I really did not want it taken! And you walk into a room after having ben absent from the group for three seconds and they ask you if you are all right. I know some of it is Japanese culture, but I think a little bit could be SGI culture.

The woman we met at the culture center today is a bug leader in Kanagawa. They said that she is so busy that she never had time to get married, even though she wanted to. All I could think about was how that is so wrong. I don't think that people should put so much of their lives into something that they can't even have a life of their own. If they want to that is. If someone is perfectly happy without a family or a life of some kind, whatever, but if a person wants a family, they should have a family. What is the point of an organization that celebrates everyday life when the people working for it can't even have one of their own?

Yeah...done, inner thoughts for the day.

Today we went to the Tama Doubutsuen. The ZOO! Once we figured out how to get there...the evilness of changing trains across train companies...it was pretty cool. It only cost 600 yen to get in, less than $6.00 U.S. Though it did cost about $10.00 U.S. to get there...but that is beside the point. This zoo is apparently known for housing its animals in natural environments. Many of the animals looking pretty content, but there were a few that we unhappy to be the center of attention.

The first thing we saw was a Tapir. Yeah, what?? They were actually pretty cute!! They have the body of a pig kind of, and a nose between an elephant and a pig. Maybe closer to an anteater. One of them was just wandering around, he had a lumbering gait that endeared him to me. He may have been a little bored, because he kept bugging the one that was trying to sleep. And he wouldn't hold still so I could get a nice picture. We'll see how the roll develops.

Then we saw this really cute and friendly Wild Pig. Boy was he hairy!! He kind of followed us along the fence as we read his information and tried to stick his snout through the wire at us. Yuck, but cute. He was like a dog wanting attention. There weren't many people there, so we were the only ones looking at him at the time. I didn't see any female wild pigs, and I can imagine it gets pretty lonely all by yourself. His pen was all full of mud, and so was his fur. I guess that's what he likes.

Then there were some PereDavid's Deer. Don't ask me what kind that is, but they were big and had fuzzy antlers. They were also really bored and unhappy. The male, I think...he was separated from the rest, was just lying on the ground with his back to us. He barely had any room, and those guys are used to the forests and lots of space...I'm assuming. The others were just standing around. They didn't look happy at all.

Next we saw Snow Leopards. In one inclosure, there were two adults. One was sitting high on a rock and staring at something. Don't know what, but when we walked by later, he was still in the exact same position. The other one was laying in a rut and licking at the ground...who knows. They have the furriest, puffiest tails I have ever seen. They actually got even more puffy at the end. They were probably as big around as a two-liter bottle of pop!! The one licking the ground stopped and when to play with a wooden post. He was just a big kitty-cat at this time. And he knew exaclty where to keep his head so we couldn't take too many pictures. In another area there was a mom and two babies. Maybe teenagers. The little ones attacked the mom, and she just licked them. Then one made the mistake of lying on his back while the other was sitting on a rock. Showing your belly is the universal sign for "Attack me!!" They were already so so fluffly! I bet they don't have to worry about staying warm.

Then the best exhibit in the place: Red or Lesser Pandas. They are SOOOOO cute. They look like a red colored raccon with the face of a panda bear. They have little ears and hands they can use to manipulate the branches. They eat like pandas, all slow and very concentrated. But then they would wander about like a bear, just plodding about. And they also climbed the rocks and trees. One was high in a tree and hanging upside-down and generally hanging-out. They also slithered like otters when it came to small spaces between braches. I just wanted to take one home and poke its belly. They were also really fluffly!!

They had a Tiger, some Gray Wolves, and an Asian Elephant that were all really unhappy to be there. The Tiger wouldn't stop pacing and scratched a couple times at the door to the inclosure. That's all the Wolves did. They didn't even bother to look at the spectators, they were intent on getting through that door. But the scariest was the poor Elephant. His pen was all make of concrete, nothing nature like in the others' cages, and he was standing there swaying. It looked like he was dancing, but I really don't think that's natural for an elephant. Maybe he used to perform in a circus or something, but it kind of freaked me out. If he was a human, I would have said that he was dancing to the music in his head...but...

They had a Koala house, but all the Koalas were sleeping...noctural I guess? There were some cute Wallabys and a huge Wombat. I thought wombats were small like the Wallabys, but this one was as big as a medium-sized dog, though lower to the ground. Way bigger than a bread box. They also had Laughing Ko-ca-something birds that were kind of cute.

Then we went to find the African animals. They were on the map, but there was construction (and I think the map was a little wonky) so it was hard to find. On the way we passed a mega-load of Storks and a bunch of Hawks and Eagles that showed off their impressive wingspans. Wouldn't want to make one of those upset with me!! We finally found the African section and the Chimpanzee habitat. Their playground looked like the playground at any elementary school, with lots of things to hang from. Not exactly natural, but I'm sure they didn't mind.

But they didn't stay long...ran off to the back or somewhere. About this time, we started wondering when the park closed. We got a late start, so it was already after 4:00. And yup, that's when the park closed... So we didn't get to see the Lions, or the African Elephant, or the other fun things. We did find the Giraffe house on the way out, though why they are kept in a rather smallish building is beyond me. But they were cute, they kept crossing over other peoples necks to get at the food. It looked like a complicated knot, but they were very serene about it all. So we left, and that was that. Have to go again to see all that we missed, I suppose.

Today we went to actual Tokyo to go to the Imperial Palace. It was a little nerve racking at first because we had to switch trains at the Kawasaki Station. There were two lines that we could take. One would stop at every station (maybe 15 or 20?) and would take forever and a day to get there. The other train had two options. One would stop at some stations, but not as many as the other line, and the other would go straight to Tokyo but would cost extra money. So we were trying to catch the fastest train that wouldn't cost us extra money. When we got to the platform for what we hoped was the right train, there are all sorts of signs for the "green car." No one mentioned anything about a green car. I'm suspicious that it's the expensive one...because it was different than what I had seen before. So a train comes, and there are green squares all over it, but the sign says it's a regular train. So we get on. Then it gets going really fast, faster than any of the other trains we have been on, and doesn't stop for a long time. And I'm beginning to think that maybe we did get on the one that takes extra money, but how the heck did they let us on without paying? Are they going to stop us and yell at us in this other language when we get to Tokyo? Long story short: we were on the right train, I was stressing about nothing.

So we finally make it to the Palace, and the gate is closed. There are about five guards stationed outside the gate and some others inside a booth. Well how about that. The guards let in some people, but they look like they are too well-dressed to be tourists. We don't trust our language ability enough to ask what is going on or understand the answer. So we walk a bit and see another gate. There are more tourist-looking people at this one, but they're just standing in front of the gate. So we take a few pictures of the roof of the house that we can see over the fence and we leave. As we are leaving, a large group of tourists come, "Boy are they going to be disappointed."

As we head back to the station, we hear a megaphone. Can't understand what it's saying, it's in Japanese, but we decide to follow it anyway. All around us are business people in business suits entering and exiting the banks and insurance companies surrounding us, and all ignoring this Voice. A couple blocks away we see a guy standing on a make-shift platform with a megaphone. Everyone is ignoring him.

We find a gigantic underground mall attached to Tokyo Station. Well, who knows if it's gigantic, but for a mall attached to a subway, it sure is. Wander, wander, wander. Conny wants a white jacket. Too small, bad collar...WAY too expensive. Why oh why am I in a first-world country?? But luggage is cheap. Pretty colors, hardcases, a hundred and some odd bucks. Jessica may acquire a new suitcase on her stay here. Saw one with Mickey Mouse on it.

Leave to go home just about rush hour. Why is being smushed between many people you probably couldn't hold a conversation with to save your life so funny? The way everyone just takes a breathe and squishes together is truly hilarious. There are three people inside your personal bubble, you are probably in three other peoples' personal bubbles, and everyone tries to be polite and not notice how uncomfortable the situation is. No one complains when the train goes around a corner and the domino affect topples everyone and their sister because no one can reach a handhold, even if there were enough for everyone. So we do the horribly inappropriate, we laugh every time we fall into another person, squeak when we are pushed against a wall.

Okaasan tried to convince me that I shouldn't take a bath, or ofuro, because I'm sick. These people. A Japanese ofuro is different than an American bath. It's deep so that a person can sink in up to their chin, indeed, they can't not. It's temperature controlled to be 42 degrees Celsius always. When not in use, a cover is placed over the top to conserve as much energy as possible, a whole family will use the same tub full of water. As such, you clean yourself off as much as possible before going in. As whole family's worth of sloughed off skin...eeewwww. But it's worth it, kind of. When I get in the tub, my whole body tingles in a way that is not always so pleasant. I think it comes from my surface being warmer than the inside. Normally, body temperature is 37 celsius, that's 5 degrees warmer than normal. So it's a case of what's just underneath my skin shivering at the temperature difference, while my skin is very happy indeed. Once I'm used it, I'm still not used to it. It's just too hot. But I don't want to get out. No matter that I can feel myself overheating after sitting for two minutes, I don't want to go out into the cold again. But after awhile, I must. And it feels good to be in the cool air.. And still, a hour after getting out, I feel warm. The air around me cannot touch the inner core of warmth that the ofuro gave me.

Does anyone else feel like something they are anticipating is going to be so exciting and different and have sparkles just hanging in the air announcing that THIS is what you have been waiting for for so long? I do. Especially birthdays and trips. I gave up on birthdays a long time ago. Waking up to a day just like any other is just a mite dissappointing when it's supposed to be the greatest day of the year.

And Japan is pretty cool...But there are no sparkles in the air. I could have gotten on a plane and flown around in circles for 10 hours while they moved in a bunch of Japanese people. I am not endlessly happy and healthy. The walls of this house are made of the same thing as everywhere else. I wake up in the morning and stare at the curtains, willing them to be made of sugar or be slightly glowing. But they're not, they're just mustard colored. And I still have trouble getting to sleep some nights, just like home. You'd think that on a magic trip, sleep would be easy, once you finally got to bed. My host people annoy me sometimes, which also shouldn't happen in a perfect world.

However, the food is very very good, pretty much all the time. Sometimes it's not even so different, but it is made by different people, which makes it infinitely different. It's fun to see things whose uses remain anonymous behind the language barrier.

I was watching tv today, because I am confined to the house for the afternoon, and the people on were insane. And I think I saw snipets of at least three different shows. It might have been for kids, which would explain parts of the weirdness. And the whole not understanding what they were saying I suppose.

This evening, we're going to a memorial service. I'm a little scared about the memorial service, we are just going for 30 minutes or so. I'm not quite sure why we're going. I hope it's not just so that we can observe a Japanese memorial. The lady who died was the grandmother of the man who is trying to help us get cell phones. He was here on the night she dies, but I think she finally did die after he left. I hope so, it would suck to know that you're grandmother died while you were trying to help a couple of picky foreigners get impossible cell phone plans. (Hey, one word they actually use Japanese for, keitai denwa, amazing!) Then after the service, we're going to a sushi bar...talk about killing the mood? And then we'll go see some other girls and plan a trip to Shibuya for tomorrow.

I have decided that my cold will be over by tomorrow. And it had better. I'm really tired of them trying to force feed me medicine and telling me that if I take a shower, I will get worse. And then hitting me, while I'm sick!! I won't complain too much it they pat backsreally hard while I'm healthy, but I really don't like it when I'm sick. And bowing really aggrivates a headache... We were talking about body temperature, I really don't remember why, and they think that 98.6 (37.5) is abnormally high. They say it should be around 35. Now, am I insane? Conny agrees with me, and it's more than one person here who has commented (Okaasan seems to tell everyone EVERYTHING about us). How is this possible? It's shouldn't be possible. I am really confused. But how could some people have a way lower regular temperature. And it doesn't seem likely that that many people are just mistaken.. yes, oh confusion.