sunday ☆s

☆ friday night i went to a lecture about stocks. in japanese. thankfully it was dumbed down for people who didn't know anything about stocks because even that was a challenge for me in japanese. but i managed. at least now i know what's going on with all that money i invested last month! ha.

☆ yesterday i woke up fairly early but lounged around all morning. i finally got my stuff together and headed for the train station. i left at 1pm. i arrived at the base of mt fuji just before 4pm. i went to an overnight gathering of friends of a friend of mine. we had dinner and then came back to our log cabin and drank and chatted. if you thought younger japanese people believed blatant stereotypes about foreigners, try talking with anyone over 50. it got on my nerves that they kept saying "gaijin this" and "gaijin that." it got old. FAST. this morning, we had to assemble at 7am and all the women in my room woke up at 6am. the lights went on soon after that and they all just started chatting like it was the middle of the afternoon. at 6:20, someone leaned over me and said, "'morning!" and from under the covers, i begrudgingly replied, "good morning." and they said, "you really sleep a long time, don't you?" (i had gone to bed early, at 11pm, because i was tired) and i said, "well, i've been up since 6, so it's not like i'm really sleeping in." and they laughed and said, "oh, well, we have to be out at 7am so you should probably get up." and i'd had enough. still under the covers, i said, "we don't have to be outside until 7am, right? that means we need to leave here at 6:50, right? well, it'll take me TEN minutes to get ready. i'll fold up my futon and everything so don't worry. we've got PLENTY of time." they didn't seem to believe me, but i'll tell you, i was the FIRST one down on the pavement at the morning assembly. suckers. if you couldn't tell, i am NOT a morning person. my daily (and SILENT) hour long commute is my students' saving grace! haha. anyway, it was enjoyable enough (being close to mt fuji and doing "rajio taiso" in the morning facing the mountain was wonderful) but i was ready to come home in the morning.

☆ in the middle of the night i got a text from Yokohama. he's got the 11th and 12th off. i have the 11th off too because it's a national holiday. and i don't have class on thursdays for the next 4 weeks (my 3rd years are in canada) so i'm debating calling in sick. or asking for the day off ahead of time. i replied this morning and am waiting for a reply from him. but, hopefully we can spend the day together on wednesday. (ben harper's on my computer singing, "you put the happi in my ness." yes, things are good.)

☆ i bought tickets to the jason mraz concert in shibuya on the 23rd and 24th. Yokohama said he'd go with me if he has the day off. yeah, i'm a sucker and bought 2 tickets for each day, just in case. i really really really hope he has one of those off.

☆ i picked up my suits on the way home today. i tried on the pants (to double check that the alterations were correct) in the store and they fit great. yay for looking put together. fake it til you make it, girl.

☆ i got home around noon, did two loads of laundry, hung my comforter and blanket out on the balcony, vacuumed my bedroom, and then got in a fight with my vacuum cleaner. i took it apart to clean the vacuum head and it wasn't cooperating during the going back together process. but in the end, i triumphed. and now it sucks. literally. haha.

☆ my thumb is still only partially functioning. it's been over a week now and it's still a bit swollen and slightly purple. it doesn't hurt to touch it anymore, but i can't really push on anything with it just yet. i showed it to the school nurse and one of the gym teachers. they say it's not impossible that i have a hairline fracture. at least i can partially use it, but i'm guessing it's gonna be at least another 2 weeks until it's fully functioning. sigh.

☆ my throat hurts. we left the heater on in the room last night and that's a sure fire way to give yourself a cold. the dry air, the winter season, the flu going around. yeah, just great. every time i get sick, it starts in my throat, so i'm hoping it's gone by morning. fingers crossed.

☆ i'm going to dinner with Newbie here in about 15 minutes. i haven't seen him in awhile and it'll be nice to catch up on things.

☆ and one last one: my parents are coming to visit in april. what started out as them and another couple (friends of the family) has now turned into 3 couples and one woman (who is coming without her husband) making our group a whopping group of 8. yikes. i'm off to the travel agency this week because there's no way i can plan for that many people all on my own. at least not stress-free. i can't wait to show my parents where i work (well, by the time they get here, where i worked) and my apartment, and just my life here in japan. of course we're going to do the obligatory traveling, for the others in the group all of whom have never been to japan, and it'll be a tough schedule and i'll probably get sick of stringing along 7 other people all over the place, but i'm excited.