expat.

every book i teach follows the daily lives of different characters. the sad thing is, i know all of their names and occupations and love affairs...and sometimes, i talk about their lives with my co-worker john. actually, its really sad. 

i'll say something like, "john, oh my god, yoichi and azusa might break up!"

john: "what?"

me: "oh...you know, in the book..."

john: "um, ok?"

me: "oh man, what is wrong with me?!"

then i proceed to run into my classroom and start crying.

ANYWAY, the important thing is, one of the characters in an intermediate class i teach is an expat named Rob. he's originally from San Francisco, but then he moved to France in the 1970s because of the shit goin' down in NAM (he was against the war, and in a protest denounced his American citizenship). everyday, he wears tie-dye clothes (also important to note: i am currently residing in some tie-dye leggings). also, the other day he forgot to water his friend's plants and they all died. even the cactus. 

before i forget.

when you buy tampons in japan, they put them in a brown paper bag and then in a plastic bag so you can't see them...i don't think i've mentioned this before, but i think its important enough to note.

bum.

#1 ladies restroom sign

#2 pachinko parlor ad

#3 really loud fat cat (the kitty was wearing a ribbon that said "best in show", unseen.)

japan is bumming me out a little bit. its probably mostly in my head, but i have weird social anxiety when i'm out and about. i get super weirded out if people talk to me. i think "why are you talking to me?" and that seems like a really weird thing to think. maybe? 

2009 is the year of almost complete sobriety for me. 

like i said before, i think i might go crazy in the next year. 

type O.

i have decided that everyone in tokyo is a stereotype.

did you know that everyone knows their blood type in japan? and that if you don't know your blood type, you're considered (pretty much) totally stupid? i don't know my blood type (that could mean i'm stupid both in japan and the states, or the universe for that matter. but i truly have no idea.), but every japanese person thinks i am type O.

Type O

People with blood type O people are outgoing, energetic and social. They are the most flexible of the blood types. They easily start up projects but often have trouble following through because they give up easily. They are flighty and not too dependable. O types always say what's on their mind. They value the opinion of others and like to be the center of attention. Also, people with O blood are extremely self-confident.

most people in japan are type A.

Type A

People with blood type A have a deep-rooted strength that helps them stay calm in a crisis when everyone else is panicking. However, they tend to avoid confrontation, and feel very uncomfortable around people. A types are shy and sometimes withdrawn. They seek harmony and are very polite, but all the same feel that they never really fit in with others. A types are very responsible. If there is a job to be done, they prefer to take care of it themselves. These people crave success and are perfectionists. They are also very creative, and the most artistic of all the blood types, most likely because of their sensitivity.

coincidence?! IS YOUR MIND BLOWN YET?

maybe they just think all foreigners are type O? 

maybe my students just think i'm a nutjob?

if you see a white girl in tokyo, she's either 1. an English teacher    or     2. a fashion model

FOR REAL!

eye candy.

over the summer, i had a seven course fugu dinner. i ate up 'em blowfish real good. mmmhmm.

the time has come, my friends.

anything that is documented by me is completely a false perception of what is really "happening". 

unknower of the known.

am i crazy? if i ask that question, does that make me any less crazy? do you think i'm crazy? or totally unknowing? or uncool? 

i have no idea how i feel right now. i don't know if i feel okay or sad or anxious or tired or awake or dreaming or nonsensical. 

i didn't know that you people of america were getting $500 when obama is president? that america is going to spend some trillion dollars or something to "rebuild" the economy? are you guys in a great depression or something? WHY DON'T YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT THESE THINGS? 

am i suppose to know? because i read the news, but it all seems the same. everything seems bleek and i'm not sure after a while why i continue to read. so i usually stop. especially about money. money is a hot topic. when did money become so popular to have? do you feel better when you have money? or is it better not to have money and say that you're okay with it because it makes you seem humble? 

this blog is no longer about pretty pictures of japan, it is about the TRUTH. hahahahahaha.

kyoto extras.

Sagano Arashiyama

this bamboo forest was magical. this was towards the end of the day, and the sun was starting to set. probably my favorite part of kyoto.

Ryoan-ji

Kinkaku-ji

day two in kyoto we got an early start and rented bikes. we rode up to Kinkaku-ji. 

Kiyomizu-dera, cont.

Kiyomizu-dera

am i a complete idiot, or is there a way to upload more than five pictures at a time for each post?

anyway, the first day in kyoto we were pretty exhausted...but ended up making it to see Kiyomizu-dera. we took the back way, up this tiny little street that went through a cemetery as the sun was setting. Kiyomizu is on top of a hill overlooking Kyoto, and it was absolutely beautiful. people were lighting lincense and the views were amazing. and because we went up the back entrance, there were barely any people there. 

updates (sort of) !

my last day of work was on christmas day. beginning on december 26th, i had a long 11 day holiday break. my friend, cullen, came to visit me in tokyo.

i've been secluded from america and all that has been familiar and part of my life for the past seven months. i didn't realize how much japan has affected me until cullen was here. its difficult to explain, and i'm not even going to attempt to delve into the particulars. but, it was really refreshing and fun to have a familiar face in japan. 

i am making a lot of changes to my life. i've been pretty disappointed looking back at the past seven months. i mean, i've adjusted to life in tokyo...but, i want to accomplish more and get as much as possible out of my time in japan. i extended my contract until next december. i have eleven more months in japan.

cullen took most of the pictures, and there are a lot of them! i'll put the best ones up for you all to see. overall, the winter holiday break was really fun...although, kyoto was a bit stressful. we missed our bus going there. ha...so i ended up buying extra bullet train tickets. then on the way back, i ended up losing another bullet train ticket and had to replace it. but that was the worst part, everything else was really fun. we rented bikes in kyoto and biked probably over 15 miles around the whole city. i haven't ridden a bike since i moved from portland, so it motivated me to get a bike in tokyo! the first purchase i'm making with my next paycheck is for a bike, and i want to bike to work everyday.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!