Debt is not a good thing, but day after day I am slowing coming out of it. I stayed up until 12:42am to call one of the credit card companies I owe to find out the best news I've heard in a while. The are going to reduce the over $1000 I owe them to $421.06!!! You can't beat that! I'm so siked. And the best thing is that I can finally answer their offer with a YES! Oh wow, I can't say how many times how blessed I really am.

In the last week 3 people have told me they are coming out here to visit but I still am waiting to see them make reservations. I really do want to see folks and I hope they can come but for now its only wishful thinking. My friend E (I know, people call me it and its wierd to call someone else that--i digress) is having "Japanese Indirectness Issues". This is what I am going to call it from now on...JI squared. She teaches an adult conversation class which she wasn't told about before she started but never complained about teaching. Well after 4 weeks of the class one of the students brings a textbook and after class a group of people swarm around him and start talking about how the last years ALT used a book. So she's like, what's the big deal. And they are all talking in Japanese to each and all huddled up. One comes out of the group and says "Johanna used a book. Maybe E can use a book" She looked at them at this point like they'd lost their minds. Before she even started the class she asked them WHAT they wanted her to do. They said only talk to them about American and about current events. ONLY talking. No workbook or anything else. Then, and here is the kicker for E, she said they asked her to buy the book. Oh, do you know the look on her face at that point. She was heated. She said that she might end up quitting the class because she can't understand why such a big deal has to be made about nothing. And it took a group meeting for them to say, Johanna used the book could you teach us some vocabulary. Needless to say she is pissed. This is not uncommon among JETs so now I have coined a new term JI squared. Use it wisely.

GREAT news! I'm on the Yamanashi JET women's football (soccer) team!!! Yeah. We have our next (first for me) practice September 28th. I'm excited. I get to go to Nagano and I'll be playing soccer for the World Cup. Its the JET Association World Cup, but its the world cup all the same right? I'm so out of shape, I need to get my behind to a gym quick or I might kill myself out there. I know if my students can wear me down in one lap a bunch of grown (somewhat beastly) women can whip my butt.