To Be

the cave

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:58:00 +0000

Note: This post was originally supposed to be posted on my other blog, Sing My Mind. I decided to keep it here, just in case anyone reading this blog is interested.

Thank you satellite radio for introducing me to Mumford and Sons. I don't know much about them, yet, as I just recently exited my cave and came into enlightenment. Okay, so that was a corny statement.

Now, I have an album that I must buy this weekend... Seriously, this song gives me this feeling of nostalgia for reasons incomprehensible to myself. Is it the Irish-sounding vocals/accent (I don't really know if he's Irish, but he sure sounds like it to me)? Is it that awesome melody that I can't get enough of? The folk-rock thing they have going on? Is "folk-rock" hyphenated, because it just seems like it should be!

Whatever it is, it's been on my mind and I love it!

If you can't see the video, you can click here.

My Problem with Skype

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:38:00 +0000

Below is a review I was trying to post, but the website would not let me post it. Perhaps the website was affiliated with Skype, and wouldn’t post it because someone actually said something bad about them. Wouldn't put it past them. So, for future reference, and because I want to share my frustrations with the world, here is what I had to say…

I found Skype to be a very awesome program to use while living abroad. Instead of paying outrageous fees, I could talk to anyone else with Skype installed for free.

At the time, however, most of my family wasn’t using Skype. My husband and I decided to sign up for Skype’s paid service, which would allow us to call landlines for a very cheap price. We were also able to obtain a US phone number, so our family could call us from their phones to our computer. There was also the option of forwarding calls to our cell phones, which seemed like a nice option to have.

Everything was super awesome until my credit card was about to expire. My husband went to update the information for our credit card on Skype. Skype refused to allow us to just update our credit card. They told us we had to close our account and begin a new subscription. This sounded odd, but we trusted Skype at the time and always recommended to everyone, so we did as they said.

After closing our account and starting a new one, Skype informed us that we were now under their new terms and conditions which meant, the price we were originally paying for their services more than doubled.

I wrote to them telling them how upset this made me—that I recommended them to all my friends abroad and all my family at home, and then they did this dirty under-handed thing. Their reply pretty much said, “That’s just the way we’re doing it now,” without even any sort of apology.

Then, I returned back to the States. We kept the paid service up until then in order to keep in contact with family. Being back home with a temporary phone and applying for jobs, we decided to use their call forwarding option where our calls can be forwarded to our cell phone. We tested it (since abroad we tried it and found it to not work), and everything seemed fine.

Later, one prospective employer e-mailed me to say she couldn’t reach me at the number I left. I tested the number again and it worked (and others had called me with it). Later, we found out it only works when you have Skype turned on on your computer (and sometimes, it didn’t even work then). I’m not sure how many calls I missed from prospective jobs because of this.

I guess I should have known better than to rely on their services in the first place…

Lesson—don’t pay Skype anything. They’re unreliable and sneaky…

Update

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 22:08:00 +0000

I've been incredibly busy with job applications and cleaning out things I have in storage. Not to mention, enjoying the local food and theater.

I've also been organizing my digital life--I have so many photos from Korea, and I definitely don't have enough space on Picasa to display everything I want to display. With advice from my techie husband, I hope to have a better system for these things.

In the meantime, browse around old posts and check out the web album link above to see what I've learned while in Japan. :) I already miss the kids.

When I figure out how I'll organize everything, I hope to create a post to share the process with you, in case you're running into these same problems. There's so many great programs out there, so which ever I chose, I'll be sure to share my reasons.

Also, I will create a post on how I found my job in Japan, for those interested in teaching in Asia. It's a great experience--especially for those who long to travel, but have no money (which was my situation).

I hope the adventure isn't over. I will continue to post my travels here as they come along.

Happy trails!

I haven't died...

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Fri, 21 May 2010 16:43:00 +0000

I made it back to America safely, and there's so much to catch up on.

However, I've been down with walking pneumonia. I hate, hate, hate being sick, as I had so many plans with catching up with people, and becoming more involved in the community once I returned--but everything was put to a halt as I've had no energy. I was barely able to drink water, let alone open my computer. So, I was a dehydrated.

But now, I'm bouncing back. I've even gone out here and there--I made it to the supermarket long enough to marvel at the fact there was an entire aisle dedicated to cereal. And holy cow! The selection of cream cheese is amazing! God bless America...

Then, I had to nap.

But I'm getting better, I promise. With all the Gatorade I've had these past couple weeks, I can't possibly be dehydrated.

I am looking forward to getting my energy back so I can catch up with friends and family, and get in touch with people who I wanted to keep in touch with in the first place, but thought maybe I wasn't particularly an interesting individual, so was too shy to write such people. But now I figure, what the heck.

I'll be uploading pictures, as I have a ton of them and recapping my trip to Tokyo and Seoul. It was amazing.

'til then, thanks for reading.

Fuji

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 01:10:00 +0000

Posting from phone since can't send pics from computer. We saw Mt. Fuji yesterday. Pic taken with phone. We'll be in Korea this week. Happy Golden Week! PS New trains for Narita Express! Much betterand very pretty!

WTF Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 23:39:00 +0000

So the connection at our hotel in Tokyo is unbearably slow, and as much as I keep trying, I can't get the WTF Friday photo to upload. So, sorry, but there's no WTF Friday, yet. Is it Saturday in America, yet?

Anyhow, I'll periodically try to get the photo uploaded, but so far, it seems a little hopeless.

Sorry about the delay.

NO SMOKING!

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 08:55:00 +0000

Since we've been in Tokyo, I've become increasingly annoyed with the lack of no-smoking space in cafes. To top it off, people tend to smoke where they aren't supposed to...

Sorry this came out so late....

Escorting Service?

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 09:50:00 +0000

I can't believe I forgot WTF Friday again! Instead of waiting for next Friday, I shall post today...technically making it WTF Saturday...but I won't tell anyone if you don't.

I've been so busy...this month we've moved and we're about to move again. Preparing things for new teachers, making travel plans, and getting ready to go back to America has had my head spinning!

Today was my official last day! Yay for me...time to celebrate...then keep moving because it's getting busy.

I'll be going to Tokyo next week and depending on many things, I may or may not be blogging. I hope to blog, since I don't have much time for blogging in Japan because we leave on May 4th!

And now, the moment you've been waiting for...

Dear clerk at the Morioka train station,

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:26:00 +0000

Remember the couple at the station that were trying to buy a Shinkansen ticket for Sendai? Remember the next train left in four minutes, and you kept trying to convince us to take the 11:00 train so we'd have more time? Remember we kept insisting that if you would just give us our tickets, we'd make it, but you kept going on and on about how there was only four minutes left until that train left and we may not make it to the platform in time?

Just in case you know English, just in case you were worried, and just in case you stumbled upon this here blog...

We did make the train. It took a lot of running and quick thinking to find the right one, but we made it. We had an awesome time in Sendai visiting an old friend we met in America. It was fabulous. We ate Thai food, had coffee, and even found some travel backpacks.

So, just to put your mind at ease, we made it and had a wonderful time.

Sorry to worry you,
~K

PS And kind, dear clerk, if you were disappointed that there was no WTF Friday last week, I sincerely apologize. There will be one this week for sure.

Please also note that we are only in Japan for two more weeks. We are officially done with work this Saturday...what comes next? A trip to South Korea. After that? Who knows... So, my dear, clerk friend, rest assured you won't be bothered with these two foreigners for much longer...

The Kancho

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 10:18:00 +0000

This is so perfect for WTF Friday that I can't believe I've never blogged about it before...

So what is kancho? It's a prank performed by school children. You clasp your hands together with the index fingers pointing out and stick them up, um, where the sun don't shine on some unsuspecting victim.

This would definitely be filed under sexual harassment in the U.S., but in Japan, it's just seen as a childish prank. Some people have even speculated that Japan's leniency on the kancho may be why so many women are being groped on crowded trains.

I know many people like to have this vision that Japanese children are strictly disciplined, but they really aren't. Japanese teachers often ignore and even put up with the kancho (and so much more), and pass it all off as, "Kids will be kids." A child could kancho a parent and the parent most likely won't retaliate.

This is so well-known amongst the foreign teacher in Japan, that Tofugu even has an article on How to Defend Your Butt from Japanese Children.

I think I've been kanchoed maybe once and that was during another teacher's class. I tend to have a sense of where each kid is during my own classes. I have caught a great many of kids about to perform it, but spotted them just in time.

Foreign teachers do get it a lot, though, especially since they stand out more. When asked at the Kancho University if they'd been kanchoed, the reply was, "Of course we have. We have been invited to all you can kancho dinners, and were the main course. We have been sentenced to kancho by firing squad."

The Kancho University offers a tutorial on how to kancho, in case you're interested, but they do warn you that you shouldn't kancho someone without "express written consent of your victim."

Oh...and the fun doesn't end with the kancho. There's also the boob grab, the crotch grab, and the butt punch that kids will often pull on you--very often. And the Japanese teachers don't do anything about it.

Kids will be kids.

And now for your enjoyment, Santa is going down...

Where's the Mouse?

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:00:00 +0000

When we went to Tokyo Disney Land, we waited in a very, very long line for the Monsters Inc. ride. It was the first thing we decided to go to.

While waiting, some kids in front of us were getting a bit restless. One of the workers approached them and said that on the picture on the ceiling is a hidden image of Mickey Mouse.

Having overheard this, Chris related the information to me, at which point, I began gazing up at the ceiling looking for the famous Mouse. I kept seeing what I thought could be Mickey Mouse, but was hoping for something much more concrete.

After asking ourselves many times, Could that be it? Chris came to the conclusion that the whole thing was made up in order to entertain kids and we were falling for it.

What do you think? Is there really a Mickey Mouse here?

From Tokyo Disneyland

My Encounter with the NHK Guy

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0000

In Japan, if you own a TV, you have to pay for NHK, regardless if you watch it. It's a channel with all sorts of educational and cultural programs. The idea is based on the idea of BBC--everybody pays for it, so it's not sponsored by a corporation or the government, making it, in theory, an unbiased station. NHK, in reality, is very biased and controlled by the government. Many people refuse to pay for it now because of some scandals in the past (Japanese people refusing to do something they're supposed to is a big deal, which tells you how strongly people are upset by these scandals).

Once, while Chris was working, a guy from NHK showed up at our door. I had been running a fever and was feeling very disoriented. He kept wanting me to sign a contract with them (by law, I have to if I own a TV). I told him I don't watch TV. He was persistent, though. He just wouldn't leave--and half of what he was saying, I couldn't understand. Due to the fever, I was having a very hard time focusing. Also, I had no idea that I was supposed to sign this contract, so I was unsure if this guy was trying to force some sort of scam on me.

I told him to leave the contract, let me ask questions about it, then I would mail it in. He agreed, then still refused to leave until I signed it.

Finally, I called my boss to ask if this was legit. My boss told me, "Don't sign anything!!!" Then, he spoke to the NHK guy himself, telling him I don't own a TV.

After getting off the phone, the NHK guy pointed out that I can receive TV reception through my cell phone. (Upon research later, I found out that they can't make you sign a contract through TV access via mobile phones...)

I told him again, "I don't watch TV."

Then, finally, he left.

Afterwards, in my disoriented state, I hid our TV (which we, honestly, don't watch--it was in the apartment when we moved in, meaning it belongs to the company we work for) in the closet, thinking if this guy came back, I would physically show him that we don't watch TV. Chris later pointed out that I had left the VCR sitting in the living room.

Then, I realized if I had just told the NHK guy I had a fever and possibly influenza, he probably would have been out of there faster than the shinkansen, as Japanese people (being in such a compact country) fear influenza like, um, the plague?. This was also around the time that the swine flu was making big headlines, so I suppose that would have added to his speed and this post could have been much shorter and, perhaps, funnier if I happened to have snapped a picture...

And the TV is still in the closet, along with the VCR.

Bento

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0000

YUM!!!

Sometimes referred to in English as "boxed lunches," the bento has been a part of the Japanese lifestyle since, well, forever. It's the traditional Japanese lunch packed in a box--but don't think of these as the bagged lunches you remember using as a kid--if they were, I wouldn't be blogging about them.

As can be seen by this article in the New York Times, Bentos are catching on in the United States, too. The two biggest reasons for them catching on are people trying to eat healthier and people trying to lose weight. Choosing the right Bento size and being able to correctly portion your meals helps to accomplish these goals.

A big problem with American meals is that they're centered around the protein. When we think of what to prepare for a meal, we first think, "beef, fish, pork, or chicken?" and then we work our way from there (unless, of course, you are vegetarian...which is why there are many vegetarians jumping on the Bento craze, as well.).

Convenient Store Bento

A correctly portioned meal, however, should be centered around the grains. In Japan, this is usually rice. This is easily done with a Bento where an entire compartment is dedicated to the rice.

The other compartment in a Bento box is for the vegetables and protein--half is for protein, and half is for vegetables (at least, the letters sent home from the public schools I work at, stated this is how you should pack your children's bentos).

What's more, the Bento is usually made visually appealing--this means a variety of color, which means, a variety of vegetables. A healthy meal shouldn't have just one type of vegetable--it's important to have balance. So, you work with small portions of a variety of vegetables and pickles.

All packed up!

To make all this health food appetizing for children, the food is often made to look like cute characters. Mothers will go the distance to make a child's bento as cute as possible--the Japanese bento has been considered by many as a type of food art. Some people even claim it's an outlet and a stress relief to come home at night and prepare a bento for their child's lunch the next day.

This is why I find bentos so fascinating and fun--they're delicious, they offer a variety (instead of the same old PB&J), and they're nutritious.

Very simple.

You don't need a Japanese style box to start making your own bentos at home. You can use containers you already have in your kitchen. If you're interested in starting your own, or just curious, I recommend this site to get started:

Just Bento

This site is in English and has many delicious recipes you can use for meals--even if you don't plan on putting them into a bento. It's aimed at people in western cultures making bento boxes, so you should find most of the ingredients readily available.

The pictures in this post are of my own bentos. I don't dedicate a lot of time to preparing a bento (I want to sleep as much as possible in the morning...), so mine aren't so pretty. Check out the Just Bento site to get a glimpse of some really cool looking bentos. You'll be amazed at how beautiful a packed a lunch can be.

Hotness

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:01:00 +0000

While in Okinawa, we ate at an Indian restaurant and saw this sign. Chris thought it was funny and wanted a picture. Now I share that picture with you:

Garbage Day

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:07:00 +0000

There's nothing secretive about Japan--all your garbage is in clear, plastic bags. You are not allowed to use other bags--you can only use the bags designated by your city. And they are clear. And people will see what you are throwing away. And these people are watching to make sure you don't throw the wrong thing away.

It is required that you separate your garbage here. There's burnable, non-burnable, and recyclables. Each one is in a different bag and each one is brought out on a different day. You don't buy trash cans and place them outside for collecting. There is a designated area you must carry your trash to (in its clear, plastic bag). If you bring the wrong trash out on the wrong day, you will be told so. If you throw the wrong thing away with the wrong trash, there is a chance your trash will be brought back to you for you to properly sort out.

And you can't bring your trash out early. Everybody worries about the crows tearing up the garbage, so you are only allowed to bring your trash out on certain days in between certain times.

Garbage is strict here.

Did I mention the bags are clear?

Beat that Fish!

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0000

I just thought this was funny. Don't ask me why...

Mother of the Class

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0000

I had a kindergarten visit a few weeks ago, which is always a lot of fun. This time, the school did a tea ceremony and they were teaching the kids the proper way of sitting, receiving the tea, or being the one to give the tea, etc. It's actually a very detailed process, which I found very interesting...but that's not the topic of this post, so let's get to it.

As the first group of kids were seating themselves at the tatami mats, the line found itself bunched up at the beginning, with a lot of empty space at the end. The teachers were busy, so they didn't really notice this potential problem. One of the kindergarten kids, however, did. The little girl was waiting her turn when she noticed the problem. Instead of screaming across the gym (isn't that what kindergarten kids do?), she calmly walked to the young boy at the end and politely told him he should move down. Then, she proceeded to direct the rest of the line, until the space was more sorted out. The other kids followed her direction as if she had been a teacher or parent.

I always find it amazing how the older children are expected to be role models for the younger children--no matter how young you are, or how much older you are than the other person, you're expected to be a good role model and teach the young. In the public schools, older grades teach the younger grades how to do their cleaning duties, what to do at lunch, how to be polite to the teacher, etc.

And in every class, there always seems to be a young girl who assumes a motherly role to the other students. This student usually tries to calm down another student who is upset, tells the class to listen to the teacher when they get too loud, and overall, takes on the unassigned responsibility of caring for the students. There seems to be one in each class in every grade. They're usually a great help to the teacher, and also they struggle to keep up the balance in the classroom.

Although there are sometimes students in American classrooms who try to balance things out, I've never seen it done to this extent in America. I think it's because America is a lot more about the individual, whereas Japan emphasizes the importance of the group. Everyone in the group has a responsibility which helps the entire group to move forward together. When working effectively, it really is a beautiful thing to see.

Hungry?

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0000

I took this picture at a station in Osaka. Somebody told me they found it cute. Anybody else find it disturbing?

More on the Japanese Education System

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0000

That was one cold February! Road conditions can be hard to deal with at times--but rest assured, there would be absolutely no snow days in Japan! No matter how icy those roads get, school must go on...hopefully you changed your tires, because it can be hard to keep the road clear of snow when there's really no place to shove the snow to.

Since it's March and I haven't done a post on education in like, forever, I thought I'd update on what has been happening at the public junior high schools.

At the moment, schools are preparing for the closing ceremony (like a graduation ceremony). March is the end of the school year in Japan. School will start back up again in April. Third year junior highers (9th graders by US terms), are getting ready for high school. There will hardly be any students repeating a grade or class because in Japanese society, it is very important that the individual moves along with the group. Everyone in the group grows up together.

However, many will go different ways. Japanese students don't go to the high school according to the school district they live in. Rather, students decide which high schools they'd like to attend, then they try to test into those schools--sort of like college. Everyone gets to go to a public high school. However, if you want to go to a really good public high school, you must do well on your high school entrance exam.

There's also the option for private high schools, but as in the US, they are much more expensive. All public schools are the same price. However, I have heard rumors that with the recent power shift in the Japanese government, next year, public schools might be "free" (paid through taxes, I'm assuming).

This way of doing things has its ups and downs, as always. The up side is that if your child is really smart, you can place them in a school that will challenge them--and their risk of being placed with students who only distract the class with obnoxious behavior go down. This can open up doors to your child's future--a better school could mean better preparation for the college entrance exam (which is a lot harder to get into than in the US).

The down side--junior high schools are constantly preparing students for their high school exams. As I've mentioned in a previous post, elementary schools are famous for teaching kids with a hands-on-type education--and it is brilliant. Then, in junior high school, everything is about the tests. Students' interests go down because they are bogged down with tests, and English definitely is bogged down with heavy grammar material rather than communication.

So that's what's been going on with the end of the year. There are many third year students that I will miss. I know many will go on to do great things. I'm feeling all sentimental now...

This is your train...

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:00:00 +0000

While waiting for a train at Tokyo Station, we mysteriously found ourselves waiting for a train that wasn't arriving...and trains that were arriving weren't on the schedule.

Then, all of a sudden, the board announced this train:

From Random Winter 2010

So if you're a Dead Head, I guess this train is for you...

Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:22:00 +0000

As I mentioned last year, Valentine's Day is a little different in Japan. Here, the girls confess their love for the guys by giving them chocolate. Yes, you heard right--the girls give the boys chocolate.

On White Day (one month after Valentine's Day), the boys respond to the girls' confessions with some sort of gift. So, Japan gets two romantic holidays. Traditionally, I think the gift is supposed to be white, hence the name.

Anyhow, I wanted to share with you the cards I made for my awesome students. I love them so much I spent much of my Monday night making these...and I value my off time a lot. hehe...

From Random Winter 2010

And now, for those of you who didn't get Chris' twitter updates, I was given a totally romantic gift for Valentine's Day...Disneyland! Well, I wasn't given Disneyland, but I was taken there. I had never been to Disneyland, so this was totally exciting for me...plus, we were in Tokyo! Can't get more exciting than a city like Tokyo!

Thanks to the awesomeness of Picasa, I already have some pictures uploaded. Enjoy!

Tokyo Disneyland

Movie Genres

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:11:00 +0000

In honor of me figuring out how to get Picasa working correctly on my computer (still frustrated I can't import pictures from others drives on my computer other than the main drive, btw), this week's WTF Friday shall feature a picture we took in Okinawa. In one of our hotel rooms, we turned the TV on, and found three movie "genres" to choose from:

From Okinawa

I hope you find this as funny as we did, because I sure had a good laugh about it.

In other news, after much frustration at the computer, I finally got the Okinawa pictures uploaded. I seriously didn't think I'd make the goal of having them online this week. I was ready to give up and put it off until next week. So, yay for newly uploaded pictures! Unfortunately, I spent all that time tagging photos only to have the tags not be there when I uploaded them.

Anyhow, here's a link to the Okinawa web album. See how pretty it is!

Okinawa

Ring that Bell!

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:59:00 +0000

There is a bell at Princess Margaret Hospital with a tradition behind it: when a patient completes their last treatment of chemotherapy, they ring that bell.

When Barry (An Explorer's View of Life) informed those of us who follow his incredible blog that he will be ringing that bell, many of us responded that we would be listening for it. I told Barry I'd be listening all the way from Japan.

Concerned that I may not be able to hear the bell from across the ocean, Barry invited everyone to make some noise on February 18 so that the sound may be heard all around the world.

I'd like to invite my family (and whoever else may be reading this) to join in on February 18th. Ring a bell, make some noise, and/or do a dance for Barry and "for everyone who has ever struggled against the odds and won."

Join in on the celebration:

http://anexplorers.blogspot.com/2010/02/bell-and-you.html

And I'm Back

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:16:00 +0000

Long time, no write. Things were pretty stressful there for a while, so I began completely neglecting the blog. Sorry about that. I'll try to get things back up and rolling here.

First of all, we had a nice stay in Okinawa in December. Okinawa has a different feel from the rest of Japan. Everything seems a lot more relaxed and slow. We encountered a lot of rain, but it was nice to be able to go outside without wearing four different layers.

Speaking of the coldness of Iwate, I woke up this morning and walked into the kitchen to see my breath floating around. I went into the bathroom and the mirror was all fogged up. I went into the shower and the water on the floor and ceiling were frozen. There was ice all over my shower and bathtub! To top things off, the water wouldn't turn on. I couldn't get the knob to turn.

I bet this happens every morning, as our neighbor seems to experience this often, but we really don't notice because Chris and I both take our showers at night usually. I take a bath to get warm for the night, since we don't have central heating. Brrr...it is cold!!!

Lately, the snow has been piling up. I hate driving in this type of weather, but there are no such things as Snow Days in Japan. At least, not in this area. If it means leaving half an hour earlier for work, then you better get up early.

So that's my small update for now. I've been tagging the pictures I took in Okinawa. I hope I can upload some this week, but can't really guarantee it. I'm still trying to organize them all. I've been putting this off for a while.

Now I'm off to cook dinner, hopefully get rid of this horrible headache (which the computer screen is not helping at all), and to try to convince Chris to drink some of this milk a Japanese teacher keeps insisting I take home with me. How much milk can two people drink...especially when one seems to have developed an intolerance to milk? Let's see if it gets finished before the expiration date...

Lacking in blogging time...

noreply@blogger.com (Two Flights Down) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:47:00 +0000

Sorry for the lack of blog posts. In case you haven't heard it's National Novel Writing Month. Although I'm not currently working on a novel, I have been working on a short story, and my goal is to finish it by the end of this month.

In order to catch up in where I want to be in the story, I will not be making any Japan posts this week. Sorry.

I'll be back blogging next week, though.

Ja ne!