Thanksgiving night. A night I initially started to spend alone with some fried chicken and a bowl of macaroni...but boy am I glad I didn't. I got an invite to go have dinner with some of my favorite folks here in Yamanashi who I rarely get to hang with so I was really happy! Sue had about 8 of us over to her place. I drove to Fujiyoshida to meet Chris, Sylvia, and Ollie. Then we met, Elise, Rob, Dave and Sue at her house. It was a lot of fun. It was potluck dinner so everyone brought something or made something pretty tasty. Sue made pumpkin squash with cinnamon apples inside. Which was surprisingly good. Chris and Sylvia made perogies w/Japanese sweet potato inside and brought some mashed potatoes with them. Sylvia also made this DELICIOUS apple/cranberry sauce which tasted a lot like apple butter. I brought my special, from the box with a little addition, macaroni and cheese. Elise and Rob made brownies and a big pot of a differnt type of potatoes. We had white rice as well and Dave and Ollie brought drinks.Oh Sue also made a pumpkin pie like filling for a sponge cake which was also surprisingly good. It wasn't until after we'd finished that she told me she added TOFU to the mix, but...it was still really good. We listened to some of Elise and Rob's country music (they're both from the midwest) and I brought my Kenny G Christmas tape.
Sue had Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas CD and hella other great music. We sat, ate, and talked and then made a Thanksgiving toast using this Plum Wine which is strong and sweet. I really should hang with them more often. I borrowed a book from Sue and she made me a tape. I'm glad that Elise, Rob, Sylvia, and Chris are from the States because our friendship doesn't have to end here. Sue is from Canada and hey, now I have a reason to visit!

I was teaching my students today about Thanksgiving and I am really thankful that I didn't have to be alone tonight. God is good.

So its 2:50 in the morning on Thursday (but in my mind its still Wednesday because I have not gone to bed yet) and I'm just getting in from the Earth Wind and Fire concert in Tokyo. Boy did I have a good time. I can't wait to tell my Uncle Derek. He's going to be sooo jealous. I know he has just about every album they every released (i'm talking vinyl here) but I wonder if he's seen them perform live before. At any rate, it was a heck of a trip to Tokyo (during which I finished Harry Potter book 3). The skies were so clear and it nice outside. Once I arrived at Tokyo station I took a cab up the block (not even a full block) to the concert hall with the cabby fussing the whole way about how a probably lost him a decent fair driving not even a kilometer up the block. I told him in the worst Japanese I could muster that I was paying him, I didn't know where the hall was ( I really didn't) and that he would be alright. He was asking why I didn't ask someone on the street for directions. I told him that "over there" wasn't the best of directions, cause that's all I got on the street. He was pissed when I got out but like I said, he'd be alright.

Okay so once I arrive at the concert Hall, there of course is a long line of people waiting to get upstairs. But its 6:45 at this point and the show is supposed to start at 7...to make a long irriating story short, I cut line (I refused to stand in that long ass line and I was by myself), walked past the security and took my seat. The show didn't start until 8. Although, I sat pissed about the show running late (which meant I'd have to take a later train) boy did all those feelings of resentment flood away when they took the stage. I now know that I am the granny that Erica always calls me! Verdine White the bass player was so energetic I felt like he was on a lil' something, Phillip Bailey's voice was out of this WORLD, he is the voice of EWF now. Maurice White, well he was okay but definitely looking old. He wore these really cute white and green ADIDAS with some white silk pants and changed his top all of which were extremely form fitting. Do I dare say it...well, I think the reason he doesn't tour with them as much anymore is because he is just getting to old to keep it up. EWF has been around a longgggg time. And he founded the group so I don't blame him, but its definitely starting to show. Oh then there's lil' Ralph Johnson who I almost wouldn't have known was there except for the fact he kept dancing with the dancing girls on stage. It was fun! OH, I didn't mention that about 30mins in I was taking pictures, with a camera I wasn't supposed to even have and got caught by a security guard. I got a good 3 in before they caught me though. So I hope those turn out pretty good. On they way out I saw something I had to capture on film. There was a group of 3 Japanese guys dressed in 70's clothes. One had an enormous afro wig on and a disco ball necklace. They looked shocked but I asked if I could take their picture. Immediately one guy ushered me in the middle and 2 of them were around me and the third took the photo. Can't wait to see that one either.

Well, a great end to a wonderful night. I took the 11:50 train home from Tokyo arriving in Kofu at 2:00am. Drove 30mins up the mountain to my place and am now home at last. My room as finally warmed up with the help of both the kerosene and electric heaters..so I shall now brave the cold kitchen, cross over to the bathroom area, take out my contacts, brush my teeth and dream about "Space Fantasy" "Boogie Wonderland" and how Verdine White should really start thinking of new wardrobe tips! His fashion sense never really.....it never really....came all the way OVER (lol @ Bernie Mack). G'nite kind people.

I've finished the second Harry Potter book! It was like I really couldn't put it down and it reads so fast I was on page 300 before I knew it and with only 40pages left to go, I couldn't put it down for the night. I had to finish it. So I'm enjoying the series but I guess its like the movie Titanic for me. Everyone hyped it up so much that I'm expecting a lot more than there really is. Well at least I can go see the "Chamber of Secrets" movie in peace now that I've finished the book. I told Erica today that I have 7 books here that I want to read before I go home for Christmas and if I keep reading at the pace I'm going now, I think I'll be able to do just that. We'll just have to see. Off to bed now, and I hope that I don't have any Hogwarts dreams! (smile)

On Day 23 my task has been to come up with a Kwanzaa lesson that is easy enough for my students to understand. I have all levels of students. From K-9th grade bear in mind. So I fell like I'm almost working with 10 different lessons. I really want to teach my students this topic though, so I'm going to work really really hard on it. I'm not sure when I'll be able to teach it, but hopefully they will enjoy it.

Today I was also asked to be "Santa Claus" for a Christmas party that the Kindergardeners are having at Shoji Elementary. I think they are putting on a Christmas play and then I am supposed to be Santa and give out the toys. They also want me to sing some Christmas songs but that my dear, might be pushing it. Its 3 working days before I got home for the holidays so I might be in good spirits.

Being in my home all weekend, cooking normal food, watching US movies, and reading English books, I almost forgot where I was. The security of being home was really starting to fool me, but alas I have my Japanese language lesson today..and of course am about to do my homework now with about and hour and thirty minutes before class. Today is Day 24...I have a feeling that this is going to be a long countdown...

I finally finished Harry Potter book 1 today. I want to hurry up and read book 2 before I go home because I want to go to the movies and see that for our family Christmas movie. Every year we go to the theater on Christmas day. I think initially we did it because just to have something to do so we didn't have to sit in the house all day, but now its tradition and I really enjoy it. Now, back to Harry. I liked the book. I think I would have liked it better if I didn't see the movie because there weren't many things in the movie that weren't in the actual book. It makes me think much more of the movie and want to see it again because its rare to find a movie that captures oh so much of the book. So, now on to my next quest...Harry Potter Book 2. The Chamber of Secrets. It sounds a pretty interesting. I mentioned to one of my friends here that I wanted to read the series and she borrowed books 3 and 4 from one of her Japanese friends who has read them all. The Potter series is not one that I would want to hold on to the rest of my life, but it was enjoyable. I'm sure the children like it a little better. Wish me luck with finishing it in the next 24 days.

I know its not the big Turkey day yet, but I decided this weekend was my time to put up my Christmas decorations. I have a tree, some lights, garland, a few wreaths, and a (colored) Santa stocking. Oh, and I can't forget the handmade "Eboni's Home for the Holidays COUNTDOWN" calendar that I made which now hangs beautifully above my small tree. Today begins my official countdown with Day 25. Each night before bed, I'll go in the livingroom (I plan on moving my bed back into the bedroom when its sleepy time...good thing its on rollers) and tear off a numbered paper revealing the new number of days left before my return home. Erica calls it pressed, but I call it excitement and anticipation. Since she isn't going home for the holidays, she has notified me that she will be preparing a "wish list" of things that she wants me to bring back for her. This doesn't sound like a problem but I hope she doesn't get carried away with her requests.

Oh, news flash, I know its been a while since I've written on a regular bases so let me update you. My brother, Jon is getting married! Can you believe that! I know, he's still only 21, he'll be 22 on Dec 23, the day before his wedding. Yes, he is getting married on Christmas Eve. Mom and I had a conversation about the fact that I will probably be the Old Maid in the family (she didn't say that, actually she insists I won't) and how it feels as if this is the first wedding of all my siblings. Of the five of us, my older sister is already married but she ran off and did it like someone was going to stop her (go figure) so I didn't even know she was married until a few weeks later. At any rate, Jon's wedding is the first actually wedding of all of my mom's kids. Its really interesting to think of "fat boy" (what i called him all through is wonder years, even though he is about 6'7" now and no where near fat) is about to have a home and a wife. I commend Jennifer for sticking in there with him and I wish them the best of luck. I've missed so much of his life because we are so different and since I was 16 never really lived under the same roof for more thant 3 months, 4 at most. I told mom that I was trying to think of something Japanese-ish to bring back with me but I keep thinking of him as a child and that he'd tear it up. I have to put those thoughts out of my head because in a month he will be someone's husband. Wow, that's hard to believe.

The good thing is that all of my mom's family will be in NC for the holidays. My grandma (mom's mom) and all her children (mom and her siblings). Uncle Tom (the baby of the fam) and his wife Angelica will be there from Texas. Aunt Connie her husband Chuck and Connie's youngest boy Adam will be there. Connie's oldest boy Gerald and his fiance Jean will be there. Connie's oldest child and daughter Kathy will be there with her husband and 2 kids. And of course my mom and all my siblings should be around...I think my oldest brother Chris is coming up from Florida with his girlfriend and their new baby (who I don't know, I actually don't even know the mother or the babies name.

As I sit here and trace my family tree, I realize that a lot of interracial marriages/relationships are here. It seems to have been that way for a long time. Out of the 5 siblings my mom has, she is the only one who married a Black person. And of the 5 siblings I have, Robyn better NOT be dating, I'm the only one who dates Black people...well Caroll does too, but she dates just about whatever race. That's interesting. Not good or bad, just interesting. I'd never looked at it like that before. Its also cool that my grandmother isn't like most of the women I know from around her way in the south. Thinking that white people are trouble and that we shouldn't date outside our race. She's always been very welcoming to all of the people that her children and grandchildren have dated. That's what love is really all about.

Good ol' Vanceboro, North Carolina. God Bless you all.

You know you ghetto: when you move your bed into your livingroom because your bedroom is cold and doesn't have a tv.

You know you ghetto:when you drink red wine with fried chicken and don't see anything wrong with it until you friends point it out to you.

You know you ghetto:when put a pot of water on your kerosene heater to put some moisture in the air instead of investing in a room humidifier.

You know you ghetto: when you use a brown marker color in the face of the white Santa Claus on the Christmas stocking left by your predecesor because you don't think Santa is really white.

You know you ghetto: when you spend 3 hours on a Saturday afternoon trying to decipher 3 sentances of Japanese kanji so you can download Earth Wind and Fire's "Fantasy" "Boogie Wonderland" and "Let's Groove Tonight" as cellphone ringers!

You know you ghetto: when the only time you take out your kitchen garbage is when it starts to smell.

I hate to admit it, but I my dear, am GHETTO.

I bought my ticket home for Christmas today! It cost me a pretty penny but its worth it! I can't wait to see everyone. Its going to be weird doing that traveling by myself, but I'm excited!!! I've been trying to buy some Japanese traditional things to give folks but of course they are expensive. I have a Godchild to think about now, which won't be born until April, but still I gotta start getting her stuff...(okay I'm overly excited about the baby, sue me!)

It's going to be a busy visit home, but I'm looking forward to every moment of it. Yokatta Ne!

I'm sitting in my livingroom watching ABC Monday night football (a day late) and what do I hear when they break for commercial? "Its gettin' hot in here" by Nelly Wow, ain't the world changin'?

I talked to Trenya the other day, and we were talking about the idiom "The more things change, the more things stay the same" ain't that the truth! What made me think of that you ask? I'm watching Dre Bly on TV...this guy I went to school with for 2 years, who tried to holla at my linesisters, get down with da frat...and he is playing ball on Nat'l TV (or should I say International) married with a wife and child....but he's the same old nigga to me.

Well, I did it. I went to Tokyo this past weekend and got a perm! When I was in Yokohama last weekend, I met this girl named Tracey who lives on base down there. She recommended someone to me (Black chick) but she was book for the next 2 weekends, and you know me...when I decide that its time to do something, I need to do it right then or shortly thereafter. So, I called Tracey back and she gave me the info of this place in Tokyo that I should go. The owner is a guy named Mayo who is from NY but got family in Tarboro and Rocky Mt. (small freakin' world) He actually told me that he has a cousin named William Mayo that plays ball for UNC but I don't know that cat.

So I set up an appt for Saturday. I braided my hair up in cornrows after I made the appt so I didn't have to go around looking like a wild child for the rest of the week. It was cute too if I say so myself...anyway, I digress, as usual. So, when I get to this place its pretty nice, all the stylists except one are Japanese but have been to Atlanta and New York for training on how to do black hair and have a fair amount of black customers. The black girl who was in the shop was from St. Louis or something and kept acting like she wasn't happy to see me in there. I was kinda upset with her b/c you know me, its so rare I see black folks so I'm trying to be friendly and she is givin' me the cold shoulder so I was finally like "forget that hoe" and stopped talking to her...So I took out my braids and had them take a pic of my hair before they started the perm. The girl doing my hair was this Japanese girl named China (Chee-nah) and this guy helped her comb my hair (yes it took two of them to do it) and perm. My scalp is sooo sensitive so I'm glad they decided to do the tag team to get it in and out faster. After they did the perm they did this real nice washing job and then gave me a conditioner. She wrapped my head in plastic wrap and put me under this rotating heat lamp. It felt really really good. Then she washed my face with this hot towel and gave me a massage! It was THE BEST!!! Then she washed everything out and cut and blow dried my hair. I don't know if you've seen the new Mandi Moore hair cut, but its kinda like that. Its a few different lengths and I can wear it flipped or bob/wrapped. I have it flipped now. I am taking school pictures Tomorrow so I'll have some pictures of it to send soon. I can't wait to get my film developed so I can have some before and after photos!

So that's that. I couldn't deal with the natural any longer. The winter was getting much to cold to be washing as much as I was and it was a big hassle to try to braid or twist twice a week. That just takes up so much time. I'm very happy with my hair, I just hope I can keep it healthy and make it grow. I'm going to keep regular appts w/China. Probably once a month (that's regular for me!) to keep it cut and get that great wash and massage. It cost me $100 to get a perm wash and cut so I'm certainly looking for someone else that won't charge so much, but I'd rather have someone that knows what they are doing and pay $100 than pay $50 and come back to the states balding and pissed off!!!

Okay, so last weekend I went to Yokohama where there is Navy base. I went to a bunch of different places with 3 friends of mine and we had a ball. At night, we hung out at two different clubs. Here everything stays open until 5am because that's when the trains start running again and YES we stayed out that late, even though we were taking cabs not the train. Anyway, I met some cool black females and a whole bunch of black men. I met about 4 that I actually took their numbers and contacted once I got back home. One guy kinda stood out from the rest and was a little more pro-active about calling me and wanted me to come back down so I could hang out with him. He was nice enough (and I haven't had a date in months ) so I decided I would. And what a learning experience it was. His name is Karl.

So I arrived at the train station where he lives after being in Tokyo most of the day. I got my hair done (that's a letter for another email! but don't worry it looks great!) and met him down there at about 9pm. I had an overnight bag b/c I was going to stay with another friend of mine's family (from Yamanashi) that night. Do you know this negro didn't even offer to take my bag from me? I carried it all the way across the train station to the opposite side and he never mentioned it. First sign that this isn't going to be a good story...okay well I should mention that I met him in the club at night after about 5 or 6 drinks so I should have known better than to trust "drinking eyes" but nonetheless, the girls I was with agreed that he looked good and I now realize that they must have been drunk as hell too because this man can certainly be classified as "ablockaway" cause he looks good from a block away, but up
close hmmmm...another story. He's not UGLY or ! anything but he's one of those guys that looks okay from a certain angle so you find your self trying to be on his "good side" at all times...well anyway, let me give you the description: He's about 7'0'' and not really muscular but not fat at all and not skinny. He seems to be a good weight for his size and if he put some muscle his body would be much much better. He is 28 and from Macon, GA. He's been in the Navy for 8 years and in Japan for 5. He doesn't speak that much Japanese but he does speak some. "Never been to college but uh, got crazy knowledge" and loves music about as much as I do.

So after we leave the station we drive around a little he showed me some really nice places right, we were seaside and it was chill. Oo-ops, I forgot to describe the car. Don't really remember the type but it wasn't bad looking from the outside, but on the inside, it was quite a mess. I was like "Nigga, you knew you was having company. You could've cleaned this mess up!" He laughed and I did too, but you know I was serious as an aka. (lol, sorry Rikca had to throw that in) So we go to this little American restaurant for drinks and appetizer kinds of things cause I already ate dinner. The place was nice convo was okay, but you know I had to pay for my own food...i had a $4 plate of fries and a pepsi! He didn't even offer, at least offer and I'll tell you "Nah, I got it" but this nigga didn't even offer. Okay, so we're already at 3 strikes (the bag, the car, and now the paying thing) and the date should be over right...but not yet. We try to go bowling, but they don't! have any shoes big enough for him so he gets pissy with the lady at the desk mumbling something about a conspiracy and we walk away. Did I forget to mention its his b-day and he's a Scorpio...? Okay, so next we go to a little convience store to pick up some snacks b/c he doesn't have any at home. He doesn't really eat candy or stuff like that, so he says. So we go and he's like "Get what you want." I do, and I PAY for it! Niggas!!!

Okay so the we go back to his house because he had bootleg versions of Barber Shop and Brown Sugar. Both I was excited about watching! So I watched (oh i mean we) Barbershop first...LOVE IT!!! and ate some snacks, this nigga is all in my food, so I was like "Nah nigga, you ain't put in on this" (yes i did say it just like that and as ghetto as I could, but laughing a lil) I gave him one piece of my kit kat and then I told him to look in his fridge and eat some of that stuff from over there. Anyway, the rest of the night was cool. We wat! ched some music videos that he had downloaded from the internet and put on to disks. I got to see the Erykah Badu "Love of my life" video and LL's new love song and the Cam'ron "We can get high tonight" and one more I can't remember the name. Then we watched "Brown Sugar" and I cried at the end, and he called me a punk, which I guess I am. By this time its like 4am so I just spend the night there and sleep on his bed and he slept in the living room. I woke him up about 10:30 and was like, "I'm hungry". So he fixed breakfast: scrambled eggs, bagels & cream cheese, turkey bacon (yes they have t-bacon on base) and the orange juice (I BOUGHT)! After that I showered and got dressed and sat out on his balcony reading some magazines he had until he got ready to go. He made me a really good CD of a lot of new hip hop (Erykah Badu's "Love of my life" and some classics Common's "I used to love her". He has a lot of stuff like that on his computer.

So anyway, he got dressed for the day (wearing a beady tan and blue FUBU sweater, some dark jeans named HEDZ UP that you could see his ankles when he sit down, and some beat up white and blue reeboks or something) and we went to this place called Seaside Paradise that he had been telling me about. It's like a really small amusement park with a lot of restaurants, an aquarium and some rides. The cheapness things was really starting to worry me so I really didn't want to fool with him w/riding rides stuff. I wasn't going to pay for some place he wanted to take me...so we had lunch, of course I bought my own and then we walked around. I took some pictures and we talked and then I went to the train station to go home. I was so worried about missing my train that I bought my ticket said bye and dashed off!! I know it was rude and I sent him a message later saying sorry about being so abrubt but I had a long train ride home and didn't want to miss my train.

I know this is long so here is the overall breakdown if you don't read the whole thing: he's a nice guy, someone I can ask to make me CDs, or movies, but has no fashion style and we really don't have that much in common other than being from America. Kinda sad that I sorta wasted a weekend, but the pros: I actually had a "date" in Japan, caught up on a little reading and watching some movies almost everyone I knew from home has seen (even though they were bootlegs) and got a bangin' CD.

Se es la vida

Well, I did it. I went to Tokyo this past weekend and got a perm! When I was in Yokohama last weekend, I met this girl named Tracey who lives on base down there. She recommended someone to me (Black chick) but she was book for the next 2 weekends, and you know me...when I decide that its time to do something, I need to do it right then or shortly thereafter. So, I called Tracey back and she gave me the info of this place in Tokyo that I should go. The owner is a guy named Mayo who is from NY but got family in Tarboro and Rocky Mt. (small freakin' world) He actually told me that he has a cousin named William Mayo that plays ball for UNC but I don't know that cat.

So I set up an appt for Saturday. I braided my hair up in cornrows after I made the appt so I didn't have to go around looking like a wild child for the rest of the week. It was cute too if I say so myself...anyway, I digress, as usual. So, when I get to this place its pretty nice, all the stylists except one are Japanese but have been to Atlanta and New York for training on how to do black hair and have a fair amount of black customers. The black girl who was in the shop was from St. Louis or something and kept acting like she wasn't happy to see me in there. I was kinda upset with her b/c you know me, its so rare I see black folks so I'm trying to be friendly and she is givin' me the cold shoulder so I was finally like "forget that hoe" and stopped talking to her...So I took out my braids and had them take a pic of my hair before they started the perm. The girl doing my hair was this Japanese girl named China (Chee-nah) and this guy helped her comb my hair (yes it took two of them to do it) and perm. My scalp is sooo sensitive so I'm glad they decided to do the tag team to get it in and out faster. After they did the perm they did this real nice washing job and then gave me a conditioner. She wrapped my head in plastic wrap and put me under this rotating heat lamp. It felt really really good. Then she washed my face with this hot towel and gave me a massage! It was THE BEST!!! Then she washed everything out and cut and blow dried my hair. I don't know if you've seen the new Mandi Moore hair cut, but its kinda like that. Its a few different lengths and I can wear it flipped or bob/wrapped. I have it flipped now. I am taking school pictures Tomorrow so I'll have some pictures of it to send soon. I can't wait to get my film developed so I can have some before and after photos!

So that's that. I couldn't deal with the natural any longer. The winter was getting much to cold to be washing as much as I was and it was a big hassle to try to braid or twist twice a week. That just takes up so much time. I'm very happy with my hair, I just hope I can keep it healthy and make it grow. I'm going to keep regular appts w/China. Probably once a month (that's regular for me!) to keep it cut and get that great wash and massage. It cost me $100 to get a perm wash and cut so I'm certainly looking for someone else that won't charge so much, but I'd rather have someone that knows what they are doing and pay $100 than pay $50 and come back to the states balding and pissed off!!!

I have on word YOKOHAMA!!! I went there this weekend and I straight up and down enjoyed myself. Gosh, I found my little spot in Japan. People overrate Tokyo because Yokohama is much much better. Its the same amount of shopping and clubs but its more spread out and has a few less people. I really really enjoyed myself. Kimiko, Sanae, Erica and I went down and stayed at Kimi's brother's apt. We went to two clubs, to a curry museum, did some shopping, and to a wonderful restaurant. I definitely have to go back soon!