Its New Years Eve!!!! Yippe! Well, today was rather relaxing. BB and I woke up, did a little cleaning around the house, made some phone calls back home, talked with Erica and caught up on the Chicago drama, cooked us some lunch, watched a little soccer and took a nap. I just woke up and showered and now its time to get into my "get cute" ritual before we head out to Ginza for a night out on the town.

BB and I, along with about 6 other folks we know are headed up to Ginza, Tokyo for this New Year's Eve "dress up" party that should be a blast. It costs like 4,500yen to get in but that's about the same price as I'd pay at home to party so...there it is. I don't really like being big party co-ordinator on nights like this when I know its about to be ON (in capital letters on purpose) but folks were looking for something to do and my boy told me about this, so...I think it will be alright. Its every man for themselves. Hopefully no one will have to babysit me and I won't be doing any babysitting. So that's that. I've been using that term a lot lately "that's that", I'll have to keep that on the watch because I'm not such a big fan of that phrase.

Last year this time I was home, actually at Lessie's house getting dressed up to go out with her and some of her friends. We went to this New Year's party at the Sheraton in Durham and all I was thinking about was leaving the club to go be with Ryan. A year later, I sit here at the foot of BB's bed as he sleeps and thoughts of being with Ryan are the farthest things from my mind. Funny how things change.

New Years Resolutions: I haven't really made many. Its also not a good idea to make too many because it will be almost impossible to keep them all. So I'll go with three all starting with the phrase "GET IT TOGETHER".
#1. GET IT TOGETHER financially. In 2004, I will pay all of my loan payments on time if not early. I will also keep a budget of my spending (starting with my first paycheck in Jan), my estimated costs, and my actual amount spent.

#2 GET IT TOGETHER emotionally. In 2004 I will not accept anyone else's personal baggage and continue working on cleaning out my own closet and making myself a emotionally stable, personally whole being. I will make goals for my future relationships, not necessarily strict inflexible ones, but ones that don't leave me hanging on a string and insecure. I will also seriously evaluate the situations I am currently in and commit to sweeping around my own front door.

#3 GET IT TOGETHER spiritually. In 2004 I will read more and mediate more and truly work on making a stronger spiritual connection between myself and God. I will study more to find out what I really stand for and be more grounded in my beliefs.

Three fairly attainable, yet highly common goals I'm sure. I hope next year this time I'll be able to read this blog and confirm that I have achieved all if not most of these goals.

Today I pray: Smiling and being thankful for being able to see the beginning of yet another calendar year. Being able to spend time with people I care about is important to me and I'm thanking you Lord for that as well. You have been better to me than I feel I deserve and I thank you for being great and powerful and for looking out for me. Amen.

Brief Hiatus.

I'm here!!! So, I'm staying with BB for the next two weeks up in Chiba. I'll leave from his place and head off to Singapore and Malaysia after the New Year. We'll spend Christmas and New Year's together. I'm excited. I was worried at first because his sister is getting married in May and she wanted him to come home at the last minute to meet her fiance. He was considering it but really didn't want to go home in addition to the fact that we'd made all these plans including Japanese Language School and a Stevie Wonder Concert 2 days after Christmas. So...yeah. I'm here now.

Its going to be different. We've got a lot of straightening up to do in order for me to have space. His apt is much smaller than mine. I guess its like a typical Japanese spot though. One main room, that triples and quadruples for anything you need to do: bedroom, dressing room, tv room, study hall, closet. Its really an all in one. Then he has a long hallway sort of kitchen, a bathroom (which is really just a toilet with no windows) and a shower room. There is no sink other than the one in the shower room and the kitchen sink. So, after using the bathroom or when brushing your teeth you either have to get your feet wet and go into the shower or use the kitchen sink. Choose your poison. It may just be me, but I have a thing about using kitchen sinks for anything other than washing dishes and kitchen related things.

I shipped my bags from my house to his because I didn't want to worry about lugging them around, but now I have to worry about waiting for them to arrive. The delivery guy said "morning-ish" but its damn near 1pm and they still haven't arrived. Its actually a nice day out, not too cold and I want to get going with my day, but instead I'm stuck here waiting on these freakin' bags! Piss.

Okay, so since this is MY blog I guess I can just go ahead and put this out that there I think a girl I just met and Jody have been initimate. Either they have or one of them/both of them wanted to be. I'm not certain...but its just a feeling I have. I need to keep my eye on the situation.

Today I pray: for wisdom. I feel very close to BB Lord and I don't know where our roads are leading too. I'm so connected to him at times. And others I feel kind of cautious and weary. I guess that's only normal, but Lord please guide my mouth, my words, and my actions. I also pray that all wicked energy that would cause us to fuss or fight be far far away from this apartment. In your name I pray. Amen.

Tonight I went to my JTE's wedding. It was my first time going to a wedding here and Japan and boy was it memorable. First, the way they had theirs, I didn't go to the actual wedding ceremony. I went to the reception. But apparently the reception is bigger than the wedding.

Okay, so I arrive at this big wedding plaza, running late because there was so much traffic on the highway leading up to the place. Instead of it being a church, its just a huge wedding plaza. Very hard to describe. Anyway, i go up to the information desk and ask about for "Harada Chizuko's Wedding" at this point, its 4:54 and the wedding stuff begins at 5. I have to run in my heels and dress behind this bellboy who is running top speed into a totally different building. When I reach, I give the ladies at the door my envelope (you give money to the bride and groom here) sign my name on the register, recieve a seating chart and follow behind the bellboy who has once again taken off running as I hear him say "It starts at 5 right?" As I run through the door of the building of our final destination I see Ms. Harada in her kimono. Breathtaking!!! She looks so beautiful, but I can't pause to stare as the staff is fussing with me to get me into my seat in the dining room before the bride and groom walk in.

So, shortly after I'm seatin and say my hello's to my co-workers and former Vice Principal, the wedding planner (or whoever she was) announced the entrance of the bride and groom. Lots of bowing from the staff, and the couple walks in dressed in what look like VERY expensive kimono. Although it looks very difficult to walk, Harada is doing her best to walk w/all those heavy layers of kimono on and her hair all slicked up with dangly moving things in it. They both looked great though.

There were toasts and stuff like a usual western wedding but then as the meal is being served, the couple goes out again and comes in a few moments later changed into western style clothing. Him in a grey shiny, silky looking suit and her in a really nice white weddingd dress. During this change of clothes, they go around to all of the tables and take pictures with the people at the table. That was kinda nice because people got to take good up close pictures of the couple.

There was a bit of a break between the last change of clothes and this is where my Vice Prinicipal and Principal have had enough to drink so that they can become "themselves" again. I just witness this event a few nights ago at our End of the year Teachers party, and could sense the signs. They were so funny. Coming around pouring me wine and in turn I would go to their tables and pour them beer and wine. Then a random table full of men called me over to their table because they wanted to take a picture with me. The guy sitting next to me was the groom's cousin and he was flirting in his own little was most of the evening. Funny stuff. But I think the best was that the teachers at the table, Principal and VP told me that when I get married to please invite them. They really want to come. And that if I have my wedding in America, we should have the 'second party' in Japan! Hilarious group of folks.

So, then the couple come back in...well, first the groom. This time he has a Santa hat on and strapped to his bag a keg! He's going around pouring beer and such for about 20 minutes and then the bride comes back in wearing this weird Minnie Mouse looking thing. It was strange, but...not my wedding right? It wasn't an ugly dress, just looked liked something...hmmm...well just not something for a wedding is all.

At the end we got a take home copy of the photo taken with the bride and groom at our table, which was nice and a bag full of goodies. Two bottles of wine (small ones) red and white with "Just Married: Yuichi and Chizuko" on them. Then I got two bowls, not mixing bowls but glass like that. Nice ones though. Also some cakes and flowers from the table and a real wreath that was the center piece. The table stuff and flowers they told us to take. I didn't just lift the mess!

I love weddings. They are fun. Everyone seems so happy. The weird thing about all of this is...now I'm going to have to call her ". Sakai" and all I've ever know her as is Ms. Harada. I mean, with my friends who are married, I call them by their first names and always have, but I've always called her Harada. That is going to be very strange. Oh well, I'll get used to it.

Today I pray: that you will bless the union of Chizuko and Yuichi. They have the possibility to bring forth great children and much happiness. Keep them in your care I pray Lord. Amen

Have you ever had someone ask you for advice but then they really don't want advice but keep asking you questions and asking for answers? Gosh that bothers me!

Lately it seems like every time I blog here I its been ages since my last one and I have to explain why its been so long blah blah blah. Well I'm not going into all that. I move on from here.

So, I just joined this group called Friendster and its a beta version so everything is still slow ass hell and I can't get it to work. The girl who invited me swears by it and says it speeds here day along. But I can't get mine to work so I'm about to give up on it. Boo Hooo!!!

On to much better news: I'm going to Singapore and Malaysia. I can't hardly believe it myself but I am. I'll be sunning, travling, and beaching from Jan6- Jan13. You talking about a happy girl...I'm her! I'm going down by myself and traveling up to Kuala Lumpur by train (i think) and meeting up with another girl from here who will start her South East Asian adventure on Christmas Eve. I only wish I had the money to buy a video camera before the trip. But, when you make 4 international trips in a year's time...money tends to run short. Even when you're finding stuff on good deals like I have.

Gosh...its really been 4 trips. New Zealand in March, Korea in September, I just went home for Thanksgiving and Singapore/Malaysia in a few weeks. Talk about blessed. I can't even describe it as anything else than pure blessings. It seems like even when I don't have money, I end up finding it from somewhere to pay a bill or plan a trip ;).

Today I pray: with thankfulness in my heart for being blessed with the opportunity to just be in this country and build myself up. I've been having such a rewarding experience. So Lord, THANKS!

Okay, so it hasn't been QUITE a month since my last blog. Just shy I'd say, but it has been a crazy crazy 4 or so weeks. Tonight, I'm sitting here by my computer thinking about the brillance of God and how entertained he must be as he watches our lives. The decisions we make, the situations we face, he knows all of that stuff is going to happen before it does and then bam! We fall flat on our faces, we shine like the sun, we sit around and wait for things to happen. Its all amazing.

The weather here in Japan is so nuts. It was gorgeous this morning! Like 65 degrees when I walked out to the car at 8. I think it got up to at least 75 today. Just a nice nice day. I hope the weekend weather will be something like that. We have a National Holiday on Monday so a 3 day weekend is ahead of me. Mine is actually a 5 day weekend because my Midyear conference is tomorrow and Friday.

Whenever I sit and think about the things that my family can't do for me that other families can do for them something comes along to remind me that those things don't even matter. . . I've been looking for a winter coat and some suitable casual shoes for the winter as well. I haven't been proper shoe shopping since last December when I went home and even then I didn't get much. Well I found some stuff and I wanted to send it to my parents house and have them send it here but that's just like sending it home so that it can sit there and wait for me to come get it. I was just thinking about other people in my life who's parents would run out and do it immediately. Mine on the other hand, good folks, just can't depend on them for stuff like that. Well in the midst of all those kinds of thoughts my mom sends me 2 more birthday cards in addition to the 6 million she'd already sent just to let me know how special I am to her! :) Definitely lit up my face and made me put all those thoughts away. I have a great family and no they aren't like everyone else's but that's what makes them mine. For their abilities and their faults, they accept me through the deficiencies and triumphs. I love them.

Today I Pray: and am thankful for blessing me with the family that I have and helping me to appreciate all of them for who they are individually and collectively. I love you for helping me to see the good in what may be looked at as not so good. Thank you Lord! Amen.

Well, its Wednesday night. Tomorrow I leave for BB's afterwork and we head off for Korea Friday afternoon. I'm excited. We were talking about a few places we'd like to go see and some things to do while we are there. It sounds like its going to be a lot of fun. This will be the longest amount of time we've spent together and in a foreign land (not that Japan isn't...but we live here, its a bit different). I'm just about finished packing, just have to make sure I've got all my last minute items and figure out how much money I'm going to take with me.

My best friend and another good friend both had birthday's on Sept 15. I know so many Virgos. Its funny though that not all the Virgos I know ACT like Virgos. G does, but Rikca doesn't. She could very well have been a Libra, but just like her own little girl, she couldn't hold on any longer. She was ready to get out! I can't wait to see my Godbaby. I'll be home for 10 short short days in November so I'm looking forward to that big time.

Tonight I pray: for safe travels and a hedge of protection around my travel partner and myself. I pray that all the spirits of discontent stay waway from us this weekend so that we will be able to enjoy each other's company. I also pray that after this long night awake I don't go to sleep at school when I should be working! G'nite. Amen.

My Neck...My Back...Okay. Not my neck, but my $%#@ back is killing me! I was in the tug o'war contest with my kids yesterday and I think they tried to kill me! I have rope burn on my arm and side. I was trying my best to help them out but I think they gave up or thought we had it easy because when I came the first round we won. The second and third. I had to stop pulling slowly but surely because they were trying to hurt me!!!!

Anyway, I had a good day. It was long as hell but good. We got to school at 7:45am and I didn't leave until 8:30. I came home took a shower and took my behind to bed. I was out by 9:30! Seeing as though the events of yesterday plus being on the phone til all hours of the night w/BB this week have been taxing my sleep as well it was a welcome break.

I'm sitting here, in my livingroom at 12:55pm on a Sunday, with the fan blowing on my freshly washed hair, listening to the Brown Sugar and someone singing Time After Time. I feel so relaxed and peaceful.

I have a private today and then I'm supposed to be meeting ppl in Tokyo. Not really sure I feel up to it. We'll see.

Today I pray: that this pain in my back subsides. I know that you are the healer of all and in your word you say that "By my stripes, you are healed" I know you are one who does what your word says so please take this pain away from my lower back. In your name I pray and count it all done. AMEN.

I was sitting at lunch today next to one of my 2nensei kids who isn't very popular and I started to think to myself. "I really am having some impact on shaping the lives of kids" I mean no where near as much as the Japanese teachers do of course, and I have no problem with that but I think that this is the first time that in my mind I thought about that fact. I was looking at this kid and wondering what he'd be like as a man. I know he takes care of his little brother and sister now because his parents work late at their store and he has a lot of responsibility for someone his age. He's in the best class in the school though. By best I mean most well rounded grade of the 3 that are here. They get along really well and aren't lame like their sempai the 3nensei class. Anyway, just an awaking for me that my actions, my lessons may in some way affect how these kids develop along the way.

I had a birthday!!!! I am now 24! Yeah. I guess when most of the men you date are older, the older I get the happier I am that I don't have to worry about them saying how young I am. But honestly, that doesn't stop anything really. Also when you are 24 you start making a lot of "I'm at a point in my life. . ." Statements. I think I may have said that about 23 as well, but I mean it this time. Maybe 24 is an age of enlightenment much like 13 and 17 were for me. Who knows, but I'm 24 and I love it. Didn't get one present, which I guess may be how it goes down when you get older.

Its 2:52 am and I just got off the phone with BB. He's becoming an everyday thing. Okay, well he's been an everyday thing but tonight we talked for about 3 hours!!! I was supposed to call Erica back but I'm just getting off so of course that didn't happen. We talked a little about our Korea trip planned for next week and decided that I should take the day off on Friday and come up to his place Thursday night. Then we'd have an extra day together. He still has to go to work, at least for a while then we'll go to the airport together and be off. I was having an awful day today (see previous post) but somehow on the way home and getting ready to call him, all of that changed. Talking with him really does put me in a better mood sometimes.

Anyway enough about that. I got a little inspiration for my article on the way home today from my privates, which also contributed to my change in mood. I popped in this old tape Erica's friend Seth made for me just before I left to come to Japan last year. It was like one of the only tapes I listened to for a few months here until I got the CD adapter in my car. On it there is a song by Talib Kwali called "Knowledge of Self" and it talks about uniting the African Diaspora and how strong we could be if we connected. It just gave me hope and a few ideas on what to write about. So, that's what I'm going to build off tomorrow when I go to work. I really REALLY need to finish this tomorrow because it has to be to them on Friday and I still haven't gotten a translation done.

I talked w/my ls A today. She is hilarious!!! She was having an "I need to call E" moment but then realized I was in Japan. I don't understand why my friends think they CAN'T call Japan? But anyway her story was great and talking on IM was great and it just really made me miss her so so much. She is really talking about coming here and that will be a lot of fun too. And now that she is working like a slave for Walgreens and making that big dough she can afford to come. So this isn't about her just talking.

I bought Rikca a phone for her birthday. The last phone she has is also one I bought for her birthday a bunch of years ago, but of course she doesn't change the batteries so the shit doesn't work well. Anyway, this is a good phone and I won it on an E-bay Auction so she should like it. She's moving to NY in December. It will be a big change for her but I think she is ready for something big.

Anyway I'm sleepy. So I'm turning in.

Tonite I pray: with thankfulness in my heart as usual for all the awesome things you do in my life everyday. Thanks for turning a day that seemed so dreary into one that made me smile a lot towards the end. Thank you for BB, Erica, A and Rikca who are all very special people in my life and keep your loving arms around them as you do for me. Thanks Big Man!

My brain is absolutely officially dead. I can't concentrate. I keep trying to write this Article for the Kokusai Forum and I just can't get my brain to think about that. It wants to think about everything else! I want to read my book. ( I just bought a few new ones from Towers Books yesterday). I want to look up art on the internet. (I went to a wonderful exhibit of 7 Mexican Female Surrealist Artists and am highly intrigued in their lives now) I want to go to sleep. (I had a helluva great time this weekend but my daily aging you verile body is tired) I wanna call BB and chat (but phone bills are too fuckin' expensive on Japanese phones). All these things I wanna do but, what am I going to do? Sit at my computer. Keep checkin' my email every fuckin' three minutes and pray that these last 10 mins I have to be here fly by.

I have a private class tonight with this adult class I'm going to be teaching at Mie's but I'm really thinking about asking her if I could stop the class. I really don't have time for it. The money is wonderful and I will probably not quite for that reason. I like having the extra income but I still miss my evenings. Aiight I'm suckin' it up. I'm going and I'm going to talk about my new book in class tonight. Its called "Underground" and is about the Serin Gasing in Tokyo back in 1995 by the religious sect Aum. I'm intrigued in this topic for a bunch of different reasons but one of the main reasons is this cult lived in the village I currently live in back when they were planning the attacks. Just about anyone in Japan knows my village of only 1,600 people and its this book that will explain to me in more depth what the whole case is all about.

At this particular moment: I send up shouts of joy b/c ist 4:30 and I'm getting out of here!

The deal is done! I paid for the tickets and got my confirmation today. Korea is going to be GREAT!!! BB seems excited too. Its going to be an interesting thing for us to be traveling in a place where neither of us speak the native tongue and from what I heard Korea is not a very bilingual friendly country. I'm going to keep looking for hotels and stuff and try to book something there soon.

I was just trying to talk with RR and I felt almost like I couldn't breathe because there is so much I want to say to him that we just don't have time to talk about. I really had to say bye because he was expecting a customer at 11 and I couldn't stand to keep talking about NOTHING while I was waiting to talk with him. I don't want to be interrupted when we speak by a customer another phone ringing NOTHING. I got some shit to say and when its said, I'll feel better.

Tonight I pray: that the words of my heart and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight. I have a lot to say to RR and sometimes the thoughts clog my brain and speaking clearly is very difficult. Please, order my words so that they won't be hurtful but hopefully help us bother. Amen.

Kyo wa ii ichinichi deshita! (Today was a good day!) School was cool (as usual). I went to my first Japanese funeral. (that's not the good part). My VP's mom passed away over the weekend and they were very happy to see me come pay my condelences to the family. The only problem was, they are buddist, and I'm not sure how their whole goodbye ceremony thing goes, so I kinda stood in line and watched as the people in front of me did it and then I tried to copy. It was a little nerve racking and I probably screwed it all up, but its over and done with and my VPs family was appreciative that I could come by. After that, I went back to school and finalized my plans for my Korea trip.

BB and I are going together. That should be interesting/fun. We had a good time this weekend. We had a little glitch in the Matrix but it really brought things "back to life, back to reality" as soul 2 soul would say. I really enjoy this guy but I have a lot of other things going on and its almost like having cake and eating it too. It feels so right that its gotta be wrong. Okay I'm done with the cliche's but we came to the agreement that the moment one of us feels like it has to end, then we'll end it and hopefully go on being friends. Its going to be hard when that time comes, but we both agree that it will come sooner or later.

I got an email from DK yesterday saying he was just thinking about me and hoping all was well. He'll be back in Japan the weekend of my birthday. I'll be happy to see him. I have a school festival the day he arrives but maybe one of the next few days during that week we'll be able to get together. His ending of the email was "I miss you. A little bit anyway." So I replied to his email and said the same thing at the end. Men are so funny. I seem to always have men in my life who say exactly what they feel no matter what! The thing is, I give them that same shit they give me RIGHT BACK. I don't think he was trying to give me shit, but I respond in kind (most times). Gosh has it really been only 2 months since we've seen each other last? It seems like so much longer! Oh well. It won't be long now.

I have this article to write for CLAIR that is due Sept 12, NEXT FRIDAY and have I BEGUN it . . .NO!!! I decided I wanted to write about JETs of African Descent or some issue related to JETs_AD but I need to get the ball rolling. My writing style is so awful that I'll need to check, check and re-check it many times before I send it to be translated. Then from there I'll send it in. Wish me luck on this.

Oh, about the very good day..(gosh I do get off track sometimes) well this evening we had football practice. I really wish I could play more but honestly today was great! I learned a stronger way of kicking that hopefully will help along the way. Also running around playing a little, I could definitely see the improvement that my jogs in the park have been helping me make. My endurance is no where near where I want it to be, but I'm not coughing and wheezing after running around for 5 minutes. Its more like 15, which is great!!! The only problem is practice is going to be on Monday's and I have this new private class on Monday. . .darn it. My life consists of Privates, soccer and Japanese Proficiency test (not in that specific order) from now until December. Ganbaro! (I will fight)

Erica lost her cell phone this weekend. She called me about 3 times around 5am Saturday but I was too sleep to go pick up the phone. When I finally got up and checked it, she told me that she'd given it to someone in the club when this Lil John and the Eastside Boys song came on "to the window....to the wall". I guess she called herself tearing the club up and not wanting to break her phone by dropping it but ending up losing it instead. I guess she'll get a new one soon, and she needs to because my bday celebration is Saturday night. And I dont want "PAY PHONE" showing up on my phone all night when we are trying to get shit together.

Tonight I pray: for a restful nights sleep. I'm thankful that I was able to see yet another productive day. I am thankful for the opportunity to go to Korea and being able to spend time with good people. Lord, you're so good to me sometimes I just don't understand why. Thanks for another great blessed day. G-nite! Amen.

Yeah! Its FRIDAY!!!! I have made it in sound mind and body from Monday until now and I still feel pretty darn good. I guess I'm excited about the weekend and getting to hang out with BB again. He told me that we are going to celebrate my birthday this weekend because he won't see me on my actual birthday. We are going to see STOMP in Tokyo. That should be fun, but I'm curious as to what else he has in store. This weekend is also a big Samba festival in Tokyo. Erica and some of my other peeps are going up there to check it out. Chiba Mo is back and I think Erica will be with her most of the weekend. BB told me that there is a "Outback Steakhouse" in Chiba and we're going there for dinner tonight. YEAH!!!

I had the funniest experience yesterday in class. I went to the Elementary School that I like the least but still ended up having a good time. I dislike it because the Vice Principal and Principal are just asses that's it. No more no less. The teachers are cool, the students are fun and seem to like me, its just I don't like dealing with the VP and P. They suck. Anyway the 1st grade teacher Arai Sensei is my favorite! I went by her class and one of my favorite little girls, Hina, was in there CRYING. So I stopped and asked what was up. Arai Sensei said Hina didn't understand the lesson so she started crying. Then Arai sensei busts out laughing saying, "Look at her crying. Hina, you see Eboni? She is watching you cry? Do you like that?" I think she had try to get her to stop and to see how silly it was for her to be crying for nothing. And then I started laughing. I couldn't help it. So then she told Hina to show me her picture she made. I was asking her questions about it and she would spit out syllables between her wails of crying. It was so funny. She was sniffling and trying to catch her breath and would say "my sister" or "my father" or "fireworks" describing her picture. It was great. There are only 3 students in her class including her so the other little boys were trying not to laugh to make her feel bad but we don't want her being a cry baby. She stopped after a while.

The second hilarious thing was in my lesson with the 1st and 2nd grade class (I teach them together) one of the 2nd graders Yuichi had to use the bathroom, #2. We were right in the middle of playing "What time is it Mr. Fox?" when Yuichi tells Arai Sensei that he's got to go do #2. So she makes him come to the front of the room in front of everyone and say, "Eboni, excuse me but I have to use the bathroom, is it okay if I leave to go do #2." He got so embarrased by the end of his little speech I just laughed and said "Go Ahead". Then Arai sensei told me that he always has to do go #2 after lunch or his stomach hurts really bad, but he never takes time to do it during his recess. She's so funny!!! I love her.

Anyway, the weather is great today and I'm feeling good. I just had a great lesson with my 1st graders and hope to have just as good a lesson with the 2nd graders and I'm done for the day. Yatta!

I'm SLEEPY! I should have started getting up early a while back to train myself for this TORTURE! I'm so used to sleeping in.

Today is a pretty busy day for me. I have elementary school lessons in the morning, then the training meeting for the new ALTs at 1:20, then if it isn't raining I'll go for a run, come home shower and then off to my hair appt! Ryuta (my hair dresser) was supposed to do it last week but he had some family issue and wasn't able to so today is now D-day again. I think part of it not happening last week has to do with this law in my life: If I tell a lot of people about something big I expect to happen on a certain day at a certain time, it never does. I'm not sure why it happens like that. Maybe its God telling me I need to keep my business to myself or something, but at any rate that's pretty much the law with me. I didn't tell many people this time. Actually I probably only told three people. So we'll see if something dramatic goes down or not. I'm definitely taking before and after pictures. Pretty much like I did when I get my hair relaxed in Tokyo last October for the first time since I had cut all my hair off. And of course as if my scalp knows what day it is, it wants to act crazy and start itching like there's no tomorrow. Me and this head of mine. I'm glad I'm not a person who is really big into hair. I like for mine to look nice but I don't really fret over it. (did i really just say fret?)

I'm awful at preparation and have gotten used to being able to "wing it" in class and at meetings. Its like I WANT to be prepared, and I have a few ideas on HOW I should be prepared but it doesn't usually work out with me preparing way way in advance. Like for today's workshop...I grabbed a bunch of my materials from school to show them and I've got some ideas written down. But that's about it. I'll do a little more when I get to the elementary school...maybe...I think it will be fine though.

Today I pray: that I still have a head full of hair by the end of the day. It may sound like a silly request but I was told in my prayers that I should name it and claim it. I want to have all the hair on my head and these chemicals will not tear up my skin or my hair. I pray that you work while he is working hard Ryuta to make my beautiful. This is the first time for him too so give him confidence in what he is doing so he won't be nervous and mess anything up. Thank You Lord! Amen.

This Japanese Proficiency Test is going to be the death of me. I went to my japanese lesson last night and was so saddened and determined at the same time. It was like my big wake up call that if I am going to pass this test, its going to take a lot of dedicated studying from now until the time I take the test. i have 3 months and 1 week until the test date: December 7th. After I left my lesson I felt like I needed a little cheering up so I called BB. First I sent him a c-mail seeing if he was busy and letting him know that I needed a little moral support. He's sweet when he wants to be and called me right back. He basically told me what I'd already told myself but I just needed a little attention and to share my emotions. Its really cool having him in my life right now. I'm supposed to be going to visit him this weekend but I've told him that I have to make sure I get some study time in each day I'm there. He's fine with it. He wants me to do well on my test also since I show so much desire for wanting to pass. I just know that last night was my realization that passing this test is going to take some serious work on my part. My Japanese teacher is all gun-ho and has offered to give me extra lessons if I need them and extra help whenever, so that's great.

I've started running. I always used to just take off running or walk running when I wanted to get in some good exercise or felt like I had a lot of energy to spare but I've been the last 3 days in a row and I hope it keeps up. I was actually sad when it started to rain because I was afraid it was going to keep up all day. Right now I'm only running about 20-30 mins with a short break after about 10 mins to get in a good stretch and catch my breath. After that first breath and wind I can go for much longer. Its so funny because I've always been told that I have an athletic looking body and I've always enjoyed sports, I'm just not really good at any one thing. And since I've been pushing myself to get out to the park to run I've been feeling even better. I have a bad knee that really needs to be strengthened so I'm not walking with a cane by age 30! So I've got determination. I just can't sit around and let my youth go to waste, now can I?

Today I pray: for endurance. I have a lot on my plate right now with the private English lessons, my Japanese lessons and this proficency test, my desire to keep exercising regularly, and just every day stuff. I pray that you continue to bless me with the strength to handle all that I have going on in my day to day life. Endurance to run the proverbial race. I praise and thank you for all you do in my life everyday! Amen.

okay. i didn't have to cut anyone. somewhere into the morning the water came back on. there is still some part of the school w/o it but the teachers bathroom and teachers room are cool so that's all i worry about. yokkatta!

its so funny walking around down stairs where there aren't many classrooms and going upstairs where you can tell from the smell that hits you as you ascend that kids are around. i mean, maybe some children aren't allowed to wear deodorant until they get into high school or something but their parents need to stop. I know about four kids in each class that need to sit all together and smell each other. then maybe they will learn hygiene a little better. but you know what, they might just think its someone else's odor and not theirs. someone needs to tell them for real. the teachers here do a lot more parenting than we do at home but at least teachers i was taught by wouldn't let me walk around like that. its just foul to everyone around.

all summer (which is a month for us) my school has been under construction. they are doing some things to bring it up to code before changes are made school system wide. today i came into school as usual for the first day of classes and sat down at my desk for the teachers meeting and got a HUGE surprise. the water is off here and has been off since Saturday. so you wonder what's my issue? since we can't use the water, we can't use the toilets either and these crazy mfs done told me that we are going to have to pee in buckets! that shit is wild. I WONT be doing that. I'll take my ass home first...it will be interesting to see how this day turns out. Also its hot as hell so we are going to be drinking water so we don't pass out...*shakin my head* this is going to be funny.

I saw the most BEAUTIFUL thing today....I navy blue billboard with the words "RED LOBSTER" glowing in neon red. Pulling up to the parking lot I felt like I was driving down MLK Blvd in Durham on my way to the Red Lobster there. It looks a lot like that one. Anyway, Charlotte and I met there for dinner tonight. Its only like 30 minutes from my house but its kinda pricey. I mean the wait staff uses the highest level of politeness when they speak and give the real DEEP bow when they leave the table and stuff. Its supposedly a really "Posh" place. Its not a place that you go just to be going, and I don't think it has discount crab leg night or shrimp fest like that do at home. Its very different actually. They don't even have cheese garlic bread! Keysha says that its not even a real Red Lobster w/o cheesy garlic bread. I'd have to agree. I wasn't totally happy with our meal but I did have some interesting shark sticks with batter and sweet and sour sauce. Quite good, but I have to be honest...I was a little worried when we ordered them.

Please tell me WHY I slept on the Justin Timberlake CD. That CD is GREAT! Its my new favorite CD. I know its old as crap to everyone else in the free world but I just got put on. I'm mad at every person who mentioned this CD and never made me go out and get it. *arms folded, lips poked out*

Today was the last day of the Japanese English Teachers workshop. I'm GLAD its over, but I really think that some of the things we talked about stuck with the group. It was good for the new people to interact with Japanese Teachers who they will be working with in the classrooms as well as get a taste of their levels of English, their behavior, the way they lesson plan and such. I also enjoy meeting so many people. I was a group leader for all 4 days of the workshop and that was nice too. I really felt "in my element". I studied communications and people in college so it was strange but I felt like I was actually qualified to be doing this type of work. It only confirms the fact that my college years and degree were not wasted and I am using some of that stuff I learned along the way. Thanks UNC!

I got a phone call from the International Division of CLAIR the other day and one of the PC's called to ask if I would be one of two journalists for this International Bi-monthy Newletter for the December edition. Its 2 pages and can be about anything I'd like to write about. What an honor huh? I was really flattered that they even asked me. Trenya gave me a great idea on what to write about. I'll talk about the JETs of African Descent group. I'm going to start working on it soon since I'd like for a few people to have a look at it before I turn it in to be translated into Japanese. Anyway, I'm looking forward to writing. Its been a while since I wrote anything that would be close to worthy of publication...gambarimasu!

Tonight I pray: thankful for being brought through yet another glorious day. Even when its gloomy outside, I have something to smile about. The blessings just don't end! Thank you Lord for the people who have prayed for me today and for those who have thought of me as a blessing to their lives. Thank you for helping your vision for my life to become a little clearer everyday. I also pray for a restful sleep and that I wake in the morning refreshed and ready to face my last day of summer holiday before school begins again. Thank you for a blessed relaxing summer. Amen.

I've stayed away much too long. I have been having these really sleepless nights lately and its freaking me out. I mean, its not like every day or anything but its at least once or twice a week I'm up until like 3 or 4am, not tired at all and cannot fall alseep. A friend came to say with me this weekend and I tired so hard to be quiet but I'm not so sure how successful that was. I told myself its because I haven't been journaling my thoughts like I should but I believe its much more than that. My mom and I were thinking it may have something to do with my summer lifestyle. Although I have been quite busy, at the end of the day I'm not as physically drained as I am during the school year so I can't fall asleep as easily. That may be it, but if so we'll see soon enough because school begins on Monday for me.

Having said that...this is my last weekend of summer vacation and I need a GETAWAY. I was thinking about going to the G-unit as BB calls it to visit E. She wants to go up to Nikko Castle and waterfall in Tochigi-ken. I might check that out. See if we can hook up with any of the JETS AD in that area. Still undecided, but definitely going somewhere!!!

I hate backtrack blogging so I can't literally catch you all the way up on the events of the last 9 days but there are a few things that are certainly worth mentioning:

My SOCKS came today!!! I asked a friend of mine to send me some socks and Fruit by the Foot fruit snacks and they've arrived!!! YEAH!!! The box went to the BOE and they called me twice on my cell phone to let me know that a box had arrived. That made me totally happy. So here I sit, at 4pm on a Tuesday afternoon in my tshirt and panties and white Hanes socks eating fruit snacks. It truly is the little things!!!

My visit this weekend was totally amazing. I was surprised because I didn't really think that BB and I would have such a good time or enjoy each other so much, but we really did! It rained from when he arrived on Thursday until sometime during the day on Saturday. All of the fun outdoorsy stuff I had planned...cancelled. We had to go into town on Friday to get groceries and my VCR died so I needed to get a new one. That turned out to be a wild goose chase, but finally after spending about 4 hours looking for one, I finally found one. I was amazed at how difficult it is to buy just a VCR nowadays. Most things are sold as a DVD/VCR combo or just DVD. I guess I need to join the 21st Century...but I happen to like VHS. Well, anyway after that we got the groceries, rented some movies, and came back here. We cooked dinner together (mostly him, I just did the salad and took the potato chips out of the grease) and watched TV, listened to music, drank and went to sleep. The next day was pretty much the same type of relaxing stuff, slept late, cooked breakfast, read, watched movies and then went out to the movies and for drinks.

Its funny how you reall don't expect certain folks personalities to mesh well at all but his and mine do. Its good to have someone like him in my life right now that isn't as far away as RR is. What is it w/me and these same letter initialled people? Anyway, it will be interesting to see how things pan out. We won't see each other again for a while and we are sure to be around other people that know us both not just in our own little world like we were this weekend. Either way it works out, he's a cool guy so I hope the friendship remains.

I got a new phone!!! Its real cute. And it has a camera on it although I didn't really want one with a camera. It doesn't really matter because its cute and I love it. Now I am going to try to see how I can get a moblog going as...queen T says.

Today I pray: for a restful nights sleep. Its already been a busy week and whatever it is that is keeping me awake at night, be it that I'm not talking with you enough Lord, or that I need to drink warm milk, help my spirit to be soothed enough to sleep well so that I have energy thru the day. Amen

i got up this morning, hung my white clothes out to dry, took out three SWV CDs and put them in my stereo, set it for random, and took my seat at my computer. i have these strange morning routines, but they can't get started good until the music comes on.

the weather hasn't been bright and shiny but definitely warm the past two days. dark weather makes me sleepy and unmotivated. i remember once in college i told my friend tami that whenever it rains i have the most awful days and i couldn't really figure out why. she was like "oh virgos are just like that". from then on i just expected that when it was rainy on the outside i'd feel rainy inside too. then years later she told me "girl, i just told you that so you'd have an explanation for how you were feeling. i didn't know you were going to take it to heart." (insert Deneice Williams) "silly of me, to think that i could ever" (/Deneice)....trust the word of a friend.

you know, i realized that although i'm a curious lady, i don't ask as many questions as other people do. and I don't live in this world of IF that so many other people do. when you have a conversation and half of it is laced with "What if" questions...i think you may be dealing with someone who isn't ready to deal with day to day. its the what ifers and the day-after-dwellers that i come in contact most but who annoy me most. this may be bad to some people but i live in the day that i'm experiencing mostly and actually a whole lot of forethought is a little troublesome. if you're wondering where all of these random thoughts come from, trust me they do have a source.

i have a friend who i've been talking to on a regular basis for the last week or so and he is planning to visit me this weekend. let's call him B. i think we'll have a good time together but i really need him to lay off the future questions. i don't know what i'm eating for breakfast (its 10:17am) so i sure don't know when i plan to get married or when i'll leave japan or when i'll have another boyfriend. sometimes i think B just asks things to hear himself talk and hear my reaction but he'll learn soon enough. i'm just not a way ahead planner. some folks have their whole lives mapped out something like....
graduate from this university with this GPA, go on to this grad school where i'll meet Mr. Right, we'll go on to date for a year and then he'll pop the question, we'll get married the next year, we'll move in to our house (our wedding present from his parents), then we have to live together for 2 years at least before we can have any kids, but after that "baby r us"!!!

Wouldn't it be grand if shit really worked like that? Now that same sweetheart who had it all mapped out...her life probably took turns in it like...
graduated from that university with that GPA, went off to Grad School and met Mr. Right, got knocked up after first semester, he stayed in school, i got an apartment and worked at JC Penny's till the baby came, he hit me with some that ain't my kid shit, i hit him with the courts and child support payments, now i do the best i can by me and my son that look just like his damn daddy....what happened to the life i planned for myself"

I was on the phone with E until like 2 am this morning laughing and joking. That is my girl! We have so much fun together. It is soooo nice to have a friend you can talk seriously with, party with, laugh and joke til 2 o'clock in the morning with. E and I have made such leaps and bounds together as friends in the past year. I hope we continue to grow individually as well as closer as friends.

Today I pray: once again this week with thanksgiving in my heart for allowing me to have such awesome people in my life. When my family wasn't around you provided me with people who took me in as daugther, sister and friend. You have always blessed me with great people from all walks of life and for that I say, thank you! Amen.

"I hope one day I can throw myself into the air and get caught up in the wind as well. " ~B

A friend of mine from college saw my Black Planet page where it talks about my job here in Japan and a few places I've been and he wrote that note to me. My favorite element is "wind". I speak of it a little bit on that page, I guess that's where he got that statement from but there is something about it that made my heart leap. Here I am hoping to get swept up in the wind, when I'm reminded that I'm already caught up! Who knew!

Speaking of Caught Up...I'm almost out of breath right now. Its rare that I browse through BP like I used to, but I decided to check out my friend Jz page and let me just say that LA has been good to HIM! I mean, he has always been fine. Gorgeous face, nice body, great hair....but modeling and acting is being very very kind to my boy. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get to LA sometime soon! (Smile) Its weird thinking that one of my old boo's is about to be somebody big. He told me he's been doing some ads and a little sitcom acting but right when he made his big move to Cali, I made mine out here and haven't been able to see any of his work. I'll have to give him a ring soon and see if he is still extending his invitation for me to head out there for a visit. fingers, toes, eyes, ears crossed!

Things with me and the friend I prayed about the other day are back to normal. We had a talk and I'm not sure how much things will change but things are cool. Its so strange how imbalanced I tend to feel when things are not right around me. *As i reach back and feel Gye Nyame* I remember God has it all in his control.

this is so strange! its like mid-august (ok, not quite) and summer has finally begun. we haven't had weather like this all summer and now that summer should be on its downfall we are getting all these high temps and gorgeous sunny days?!? oh well, that's when i turn and look outside and realize i'm just a squirrel trying to get a nut.

i went walking with keysha yesterday and get the strangest suntan lines i've ever had! i had on this belly shirt and sports bra and my pants hung so that half my tatoo was covered and the other wasn't. it looks so strange! the top of gye nyame is brown, the bottom is yellow. anyway, the walk was right on time because i needed to get some of the physical tension out that has been building up for a while. i dont know how i'm going to feel playing soccer again after being out of it for so long. i found this park that's got two swimming pools one indoor and one outdoor. i left my one piece in NZ when i went so i'm working with a two piece but i hope it will be okay. i really need a new suit but they are impossible to find here with out two cup sizes worth of "filling" and long enough to fit my torso properly. by the time i go home again, no one will be buying suits so hopefully i'll be able to find something...but that's months away.

my aunt IMed me today. i haven't talked to her in months. she gets so worried when she doesn't hear from me but i try to tell her that no news is good news. which with me it is. i'm really bad at getting back to folks sometimes. they also got used to me being the one who sends most of the emails but once my schedule started to fill up i didn't have the email time i used to. i can do better though. i think sometimes only a "hey, how are you? I'm good" works for them. she was telling me about some issues she and my uncle were having. i swear sometimes i really think seriously about marriage and am sooooo glad i didn't get married young like a lot of my friends and family. i need every moment of these years that i've been out here. its perfect for me. i couldn't see it any other way. i mean, i love RR and all but marriage?!? i'm just not in that mindset at all right now and i'm glad that he isn't either. What a RELIEF!

i still haven't had the heart to heart with my girl yet but at least we are speaking again. our schedules haven't permitted us to talk just yet but i'm sure it will happen soon.

Today I pray: and thank God for all the beauty around me. My life is full, my cup is overflowing, and I am blessed. Thank you for showing me the beauty in things that seem unattractive. Thank you for allowing me to be a blessing to others. Amen.

last night was the welcome party for the group B arrivals in yamanashi. we met at the train station and walked over to the restaurant. we did an all you can eat and drink there for 2 and a half hours and then moved the party to a sports cafe up the street. our yamanashi AJET organization (YETI) was the sponsor (though they didn't pay for anything) and since I am a officer for YETI I was the host for this party. out of all of the things i've had to plan thus far and "host" this was the LEAST taxing of them all. everything was wonderful. the amount of people who said they were going to show up did. no one had a problem with pay for the set (4,000yen nomi-hodai/tabe-hodai). someone had a birthday and sarah, a third year, brought him a small tart which we put candles on and sang Happy Birthday. just a great time.

one really peculiar thing was this japanese woman i met who continually spoke to me in FRENCH! her boyfriend is from France and is working as a CIR here so they usually speak French to each other. she can't speak english so I kept trying to tell her that its much better to speak to me in japanese. but she wouldn't!!! until finally i asked her boyfriend why she kept speaking to me in french and she said it was because most foreigners she meets cannot speak Japanese but some know french. we finally got the communication thing down but i just thought it very odd at first.

i had way to much to drink last night for the fact that i still had to drive. i mean, i wasn't incoherent drunk, but i did have to pay more attention than i usually do after a night out and being slightly sleepy. i usually don't drink when i have to drive home but i figured if we started dinner at 7 by 12:30 i'd be okay. i'd only had a few glasses of wine anyway. maybe not enough water. i got here safe though and prayed most of the way here no cops would come by.

i'm supposed to be going to play soccer today with some folks but they want to bbq and stuff after and I have my japanese lesson today. i haven't been in 2 weeks because of the Tokyo Orientation so i need to make my way down to her house. i'd love to go kick around but my studies come first (yeah right! when have i ever said that!!!)

Today I pray: for patience and clarity of thoughts. A friend of mine and I are sort of at odds and we need to get over this hump. I ask for the patience to not become frustrated by things I do not understand and clarity of thoughts so that my words flow freely and are acceptable to her ears. Amen.

reflections of the last year...this week has been so strange for me. exactly a year and one day since i arrived in the village of kamikuishiki i find myself having these deep reflective thoughts of where my life was just a year ago.

i arrived at the international center in kofu, yamanashi on wednesday august 6th. a group full of anxious looking japanese faces greeted us. some with signs welcoming their new person, others only fixed on the bus trying to see if they could spot the foreigner who would be a part of their community for the next year. only this time, no one was there waiting for me to get off the bus. i was the cheerleader..."its going to be fine" "they'll love you" "call me if you need anything". i got off the bus and looked around at all of the nervous faces, not sure if they should bow, shake hands or give out omiyage on the spot. it was so funny. like looking at an out of body experience. the voice in my head quickly reminded me: this was you one year ago.

having decided to come to japan, i felt like more of the underling among my linesisters. three in law school, three pharmacists, two nurses, a dental hygenist, a high school teacher, a few in grad school...and lil ol' E, the one with no real direction but loads of "potential" decides to take herself to Japan to pursue this lifelong dream of visiting the far EAST. who knew that after one year i would have grown so much personally and professionally? who knew that something that seemed like a whim turned out to be the greatest experience and most growing year of my life? who knew that I would be the one giving advice and having people hang on to every word of my experience? who knew that i would still be here working on year #2?

not I said the little yellow girl. not I.

I'm sitting here reading emails and feeling a little sad. Not "boo-hoo" sad, but nostalgic. My back (linesister behind me in line #14) got married this weekend. This is the 4th wedding of someone important to me that happened since I left home in August of last year. Tasha and Prep in September, Kellie and Brandon in June, Gloria and Q in June, and now Deirdre and Duwan in July. There will be at least three more that I know about before 2003 is out: Titia and Rodney in August, Missy and Ellis...not sure when, and Benah and Anthony in November.

I have to continue to remind myself that this is just how life is. You aren't able to drop everything and go to everyone's event all your life. I was good for doing that when I was in college and I was always there for everyone's everything. For these two years, being away is HARD...especially when you miss big things in folks lives.

The little things are also very important. I gave a gift to my good friends brother and his mom told me today that her son hasn't taken the necklace off since he got it. Not to shower, not to change, never. I am glad that my gift means that much to someone.

Aiight, boy have a got a good story to tell...

Last Friday, I went to Yokohama with my friends Keysha and April. Yokohama is near this military base so there are a lot of black dudes there. We wanted to club so we went to this place called Club B. Of course the black guys were all over the Japanese chicks but to be honest no one in there was worth hollerin' at for real anyway

Well I was minding my business, doing a two step dance and stuff, drinking my drink and stuff, and this black dude comes up to me and was like "What you drinking?" I say "Rum and coke" He asks me "You want another one?" I'm like "No, this is my third (it was really my 5th) I'm okay" The dude looks over at me and says "You know, you speak really good English" I'm like "Ya think! I'm American crazy ass!"

Moral of the story: You know its time to take your ass home to the USA when black dudes start thinking you are Japanese!!!

Aiight after that, we were out there dancing and the "Tootsie Roll" came on. We was old skoolin' it and slidin' left and right, then came the "dip baby dip" part. Well, on the first "dip" I was givin' them all I had when...my pants SPLIT! Right down the ass (ok, where the ass should be and I had on a thong!) Yes, I have succeeded in splitting yet another pair of perfectly good pants. I found one of the bouncers (who is a homeboy of mine) and made him walk me out with his coat so no one would see and so that I could get back in w/o paying again. Of course I was the laughing stock of the evening cause he told his boys (the other bouncers) but hey, that's nothing new. I'm always good for a bit of comic relief.

I enjoyed hanging out with Keysha and April but they are best friends and sometimes its weird hanging out with two people who know each other so well because you feel like you are on the outside. Which that didn't really bother me much because I like to be able to move freely about the club and a train of three gets to be a bit much after a while. I miss my girls. . .

I feel a spell of homesickness coming on.

This weekend was a lot of fun!!! Erica's birthday was Saturday (June 12th) and she finally reached the ripe old age of 23! She insisited on telling me all day long that we were finally the same age...failing to recognize that it will only be that way for 2 short months..and regardless I'm still the older sister. That's what I've come to consider her as. We're great friends and talk just about every day and we argue like siblings as well. Although we've never come out and said, "You're my sister" we definitely act the part. Sometimes words are just not necessary, ya know.

Anyway, so I went up to Tokyo to hang out with her. We had dinner at Sizzler in Harajuku with Saitama Chris and Chiba Monique. That's the way I've come to name people because you meet so many people with the same name that you can't distingush in simple conversation. Anyway dinner was GREAT. I had cocktail shrimp for starters a nice herb chicken breast with white wine for the entree. Best meal I've had out in a while. After that we went to Shibuya and met up with some folks. We went to this place called Club Vuenos (where my wallet was stolen back in May) and the cover was like 3000yen to get in. Couldn't see it! I don't even like that place. I suggested we go to Roppongi because there are a lot of clubs there and a lot of them don't have a cover. That way if we don't like the vibe we have the option of going elsewhere. People finally agreed to this and we went by cab to the Roppongi area.

I ran into a few of my homeboys on the street out there and they were going to this place called A Life. I had been there before with Dwayne and Ray (two of my boys) during Dwayne's last night out. Anyway, we tried to go there but Saitama Chris had on shorts and sandals so they wouldn't let him in. We think it had something to do with the "Gaijin" factor. . .but nonetheless we didn't bother with it, we just took ourselves to another place.

The main thing I DON'T like about Roppongi is the Africans there. They try to MAKE you do some shit. Its really annoying. Like, we'd be walking down the street and all of a sudden you have 5 of them in your face trying to influence you to come to their club and they have drink coupons for you and so on. Well, they convinced one of the people that was with us to try this place called "The Limit" we were walking towards the club and Erica and I stopped to talk. I guess we weren't moving fast enough for them so this one dude started tapping Erica on her back kinda hard and talking fast at her. Of course there was an exchange of word followed by Erica imitating him with the same type of slapping on the back. It was funny. So we spent our night at "The Limit" and this other bar called "Midas". Midas was definitely the better of the two. Nice atmosphere and the drinks were on point! I ended up running in to Ray there with his friend that Erica and I so kindly nicknamed "Chi-town". He was funny! He and Erica were "Steppin' in the name of Love" it was funny.

We left Midas as the sun was bright and shining about 7am. Half of our original crew: Monique, Ameenah, Morrall, Saitama Chris, Shaun, Erica and I was then dwindled down to 3. Me, Monique and Erica. We took it down the street to this club called "Nature". Yes, we went to another club at 7am! Stayed there til about 11 and keep the partying going! It was awesome.
I got home about 2:30 in the afternoon on Sunday and was BEAT!!!! But, I still had a Private English Lesson (that I teach) and my Japanese class to go to. So, I went home showered, washed my hair and fell asleep (by accident). I was 30 mins late to my 4pm lesson because of my little nap but they understood. After my lessons, my Japanese teacher invited me to stay for dinner and being the person I am...I accepted of course! Had a good dinner and left about 9:30. What a day. Didn't lay down to sleep until about 11pm. And today as I type my body is TIRED and my kidneys even hurt! Can you believe that. I need to ease up fa sho.

Its been so long since I blogged they've changed the format on me! But as I sit here and type I think about how I've missed chronicling my life (oh i really messed THAT spelling up!). I've definitely got to get back to this. Right now I'm in the midst of typing up minutes from our Yamanashi English Teachers International Council meeting. Yup, couldn't take the pressure of not being involved in at least ONE time consuming organization out here! So here I am, but I will get right back. I've got so much to tell you about International-E...

The war has begun a baby has been born and the world goes on. I walked into the teachers room mid class time because I had forgotten a paper at my desk and to my sugooooi surprise on the TV I was watching the bombing before my eyes. You know I like having access to be able to see what's going on but I sure don't want to watch the blow by blow of this war.

On a lighter note, or what should be a lighter note. I went to the graduation ceremony at one of the elementary schools that I teach at. Unfortunately they were all at the same time so I wasn't able to attend all of them. Graduation in Japan is one of the most SERIOUS occasions I've ever seen! I wonder sometimes if these folks enjoy anything without being so serious about it. It was so funny to watch the students 11 and 12 years old being straight faced not talking or laughing for about an hour and 40 mins.

Now that the war has actually broken out, my mom and granma are scared a little about my trip. I will heed everyones advice and be as careful as I can be.

Into the world is born a bouncing baby girl Micah Inez Felipe. She arrived early Tuesday morning March 18th, 12:30am to be exact. She weighs 5lbs and 13oz. Welcome Baby Micah! Auntie loves you!

A few quick things cause I' m at work and of course forgot my battery pack for my computer and the battery died this morning! TAIHEN!!!!

I'm worried about G because his inbox is full. The only times its ever full is if he is away on a deployment or at sometype of military training. Usually he emails me and lets me know when he is leaving or that he is gone but this time nothing so I'm a little worried. Especially with this morning's announcement by President Bush who intends to free the entire free world (pun intended) in the next 48 hours or so. G if you are out there, give a sista a holla.

I had lunch with my 8th graders yesterday and we were talking about harvest fruits. I was asking about the different seasons and what types of fruits and vegetables you get from each. I know, I know, not the most interesting conversation for lunch but we do the best we can. . .well anyway, there was one produce that I couldn't understand. So after lunch one of my favorite students Moe (pronounced Mo-eh) came up to me with the word "chestnut" written on her hand. Naruhodo -ne? Okay, so the funny thing is I ate at the same table today and Moe's hand STILL had the word on it!!! It was funny but she is a good girl so I didn't want to embarass her but if it had been one of the boys they would have been DONE!

Only a few more days until my New Zealand trip!!! I went and borrowed a back pack yesterday and I'm going to finish up some washing tonight so everything will be dry and ready to go Thursday night. Keysha is off Friday and she lives hella close to the bus station so I'm going to stay at her place. We are going to TRY to braid my hair. Wish us luck. Anyway bell just rang. Ja Ne!

In today's post I take a moment to pause and reflect on the short time that I knew a wonderful person.

When I went down to Camp Zama for the Delta Peppermint Ball about a month ago I met some wonderful sorors including one woman named Jacqueline Williams. We affectionately referred to her as Ms. Jackie. Ms Jackie was probably one of the oldest women in the chapter but just as lively and fun as the younger sorors. She made jokes with us and about us! We (Erica, Ameenah, Ms. Jackie and I) sat and watched Apollo after the Ball that night and overall had a good time. Tank (the singer) was on that night and we laughed as she looked at him and told us how FIONE he was and that he had a nice body! She reminded me so much of my aunts and older relatives with the old skool flava and modern slang. Erica and I had already invited ourselves up to celebrate Mother's Day with her. We were going to cook for her and everything. . .I am talking in the past tense because Ms. Jackie died in her sleep last night. She was in a hotel room on Camp Zama's base with one of her chapter sorors. They were spending the night there because there was a Delta Academy Cotillion last night that she was MCing. The Delta Academy girls were putting it on and had worked really hard and raised money for it. I didn't go because I wanted to save my money for NZ trip at the end of this week and now I'm sad in a way that I wasn't able to be around Ms. Jackie in her last few hours. Its so funny how life changes on us so quickly. She had just emailed me Friday telling me that she was going to get my girl scout cookies off to me that she had bought. She told me she had just been a little busy but was going to get aroundtuit soon. She said "Hold your horses lil sistah!" Boy I'm going to miss that lady.


My prayer for Ms. Jackie: Lord you have helped me in many ways in the last nine months. One of the greatest gifts you have bestowed upon me is the opportunity to meet many different types of people and some of them have been people I'll never forget. About a month ago you brought a cheery woman in a bright red suit with a cream dress blouse who I knew upon seeing her was a Delta. She approached our table in the food court area of the PX who came in talking about wanting a "chicken and a biscuit". It was my pleasure to get it for her and anything else she needed cause she looked like she had already had quite along day. Once we checked into our hotel that night I even drove her car to the hall where the Ball was held because she wanted us to have her car so we could have a ride over there and she had to be there before us. Lord, there was a smile on her face everytime we saw her! I saw the beauty that only you can instill in someone's life radiating all over Ms. Jackie's person. I am saddened by her passing but I know that your arm swept her up where she belongs. It was her time to go and only you knew that and your reasons for bringing her home. Be with her family and give them strength to realize that we all belong to you and that no one is on earth any shorter or longer than you plan for them to be. Bless the lives that Ms. Jackie touched with her kind heart and warm smile. Give us comfort as we are reminded that you are the ruler of all and determine the length of our lives not we ourselves. Thank you again Lord for allowing me to even know Ms. Jackie for the brief time that I did and may we who love, cared, and were touched by her always think of Ms. Jacqueline Williams with a smile on our faces. In your name Lord, I pray all these things and I give you honor and praise for who you are, who you have been to me and mine, and will continue to be as long as my days on this earth are intended to be. Amen.

Less than a week to go and I'll be on a plane to Korea and transfer there to a flight bound for New Zealand! I am really excited. Slightly nervous, but exicted more than anything else. I have to go pick up a bag from Dave tomorrow which I'll probably have packed by Wednesday. I'm making lists and keep crossing off things because I know I'm taking too much but once the bag gets here the lists will probably go to the trash anyway. I've been trying to wash clothes and stuff but the weather is rainy this weekend and there's of course no sun at all which is really the only thing that keeps it fairly warm around these mountainous areas. I think if it doesn't clear up I'm going to try to make a few makeshift clothes lines in the house. I still have no idea how to do that so lets just hope a little sun shines this way.

My best friend is about to finally drop that load she's been carrying around for the last 8 months! The baby isn't due until April 4th but she has already begun dialating and has contractions about 15 mins apart. I talked to her on the phone last night before I went to bed for about 40 mins and she had 3 contractions during that time! My friend Vanessa who has two kids told me that she'll be having that baby real soon now. Probably this weekend or early next week. Today was her last day at work (Friday for the US folks) for a while. I think she wants to take off two months before putting Micah in day care. She's breastfeeding so its going to be difficult but my girl is finally growing up THANK GOD! I'm glad that being a mommy has help changed her life in such a positive way.

My mom told me today that my niece is in the eccelerated readers program at school! I always love to hear that! With the girls (my lil sister and niece) I never really bought them toys. Always either books or clothes. I guess I really wanted them to appreciate the things that are important in life: being smart and looking smart (as the Brits say) ! Ha Ha Ha! But it really does make me feel good to know they enjoy reading. There are so many other things the can and are interested in but balance is SOOO important! If they learn that early they've won more than half the battle. My mom also said my other niece was I haven't had a chance to see yet is cockeyed! I think maybe its just a weak eye. That sometimes happens with babies. Maybe it will straighten out maybe not but I'm sure she's a beautiful little girl anyway. I think my Granma has some pictures of her. Hopefully I can get her to send me a couple.

Sanae wants me to come watch Sex and the City that she got on DVD at Cacy's place with her today. Kimi will come too. Sana is excited because she'd never heard of it before and now she's hooked! Kimi has only heard about it from Sana so it will be an enjoyable afternoon I'm sure! Its funny because Erica has known about the show since it came out in the US but her first time watching it was here in Japan. She was so excited that she got on some website and found the series sets so she can have them! But its worth i think. Because by the time you rent them all, you would have watched enough and paid enough to equal what a set costs. And since she is going home to "The Chi" next week she doesn't have to pay for shipping!! It will be a fun afternoon. Uh Oh, looks like the rain has stopped, its getting kinda bright outside so I'm going to get busy and do some more cleaning before our afternoon movie session begins.

TTFN!

What a wonderful place Kyoto is! Hazel and I took the bus down there Thursday night. It was a really comfortable bus. They had slippers to put on and a blanket to cover you up while you slept. The bus left Kofu at 10ish and got to Kyoto around 6am ish Friday morning. It was too early to even get a cup of coffee or a piece of fruit so we just went to the bathroom washed up and walked around the train/bus station checkin' it out. It was a pretty big station too and around 7 we finally were able to go to the information desk, get a map and try to find our way around and map out our plan for the day. We bought these 2 day bus/subway passes for about 2,000 yen which turned out to be really good investments because the buses go all over the city and come quite often.

Day one we went to Ginkaku-ji (the silver temple), Eikan-do, and Nanzen-ji. We went to lunch at this wonderful little restaurant that was recommended to us by Lonely Planet Japan called Hinode. They saw our Lonely Planet book on the table and got excited. The owner was so nice! We asked him for directions on how to get to our hostel and he didn't know so he took our book and called the place to get the directions. Then he proceeded to draw us out a map from the restaurant to the place which he said would take about 20mins walking. After we left the restaurant and had probably walked for about 5-7 mins, the owner pulls up next to us and offers to drive us to the hostel!!! It was such a nice thing to do. Just when some Japanese folks piss ya off, you find folks like the man from Hinode (who's name we never even got) who do such benevolent things. The place we stayed was kinda shaky. It was a dorming house for foreigners. Some long stay as well as short stay. It was fine because we only had to stay there one night but longer would have been a problem. It was an 8 mat tatami room with a small balcony and a kitchenette, if you can call it that. I refer to it as the dungeon and am glad we only had to stay there one night!!! After we found the place we unloaded a few souveniors we bought and set back out to the rainy streets of Eastern Kyoto. We headed back up towards Maruyama Park where there was supposed to be a festival of lights and some stage performances. We were most excited about seeing the Geisha women dance. Its funny because I never knew how important Geisha were to Japanese society. They are actually like the highest level of feminity that a women can be. They are very well trained in Japanese art of tea ceremony, dance, ikebana (flower arranging) and many others. The women who train to be Geisha area called Maiko. I think I was told some begin as Maiko at the young age of 15! Anyway it was really nice and so cool to actually get to see them dance and sing. The kimono they wore were beautiful!! And their make up was flawless. After that we walked around and took pictures of the scenery and the way they had lit everything up. It was a great atmosphere. Nice date spot too! Then we left to go find a onsen type bath. The only thing is the water wasn't hot spring mineral water. It was just regular water. We did that and then set out to find dinner and go back to our hotel. The dinner thing was hard because it was late when we got done bathing. It was about 10ish when we got back down to Gion, which is the hot spot night area. The other thing is Hazel is a vegetarian which in Japan is hard in the first place and especially if you are just eating out and don't really know where to go. We finally found this one Asian restaurant that I throughly enjoyed but Hazel ended up not being able to eat much. She's very accomodating so it wasn't bad and she would never complain but we had to eat soon because I was turning into the mean hungry E which isn't a pleasant person so she didn't mind eating there. What a whirlwind first day and the second proved to be just as busy.

We got up pretty early and planned out our next day turned in the keys and set off into Kyoto. Today we planned to hit a few spots we'd missed the day before and a bunch of new stuff. We took a bus down to the Station so we could put our heavy stuff in a locker and set out for the temples. We grabbed a bite to eat at the station which ended up being much more suitable for Hazel. Then we took the subway up to Nijo Castle. This was probably my favorite next to the Park. It was so tight!! It was the home of the famous shogun Tokugawa. Inside the castle there are "nightengale floors". This means that whenever walk the floor boards have a distinct squeaking sound. The floors were contructed for that purpose that wherever you walked squeaks to protect him from intruders and so he always knew when someone was coming. Since the builiding is so old they don't allow photos to be taken inside but I'm trying to hold on to the mental images as much as I can. We saw the room where he held his cabinet meetings and they had these doors that were roped with this bright orange cord. Wherever this cord was on a door there was a bodyguard behind it to protect the shogun in an emergency. I think there were some peep holes in the door too, but we couldn't get up close enough to see it. This castle is surrounded by a moat which is the first time I've actually seen something like that NOT on TV. There were beautiful Japanese style gardens that I did get a few pictures of. It was just really nice and peaceful. I enjoyed it throughly.

Next we went to a dragon processional at Kiyomizu Shrine. No one told us about the 15 min uphill climb to the temple, but the walk and fatigue was WELL worth it. We walked around once we got to the top and I spotted a group of Japanese folks standing around so naturally we went up there. I told Hazel that anytime you see Japanese folks in a group just waiting...you go then! Because it is usually something worth waiting for. Shortly there after, piles of people just seemed to come out of NO WHERE pushing and shoving to get to the front. We held down the front line though and Hazel got some really good movies with her digital camera. Mine takes the movies but there isn't any sound so its no good to take movies of that kind of thing. It was awesome though. First 8 buglers came down dressed in this heavy green and orange gear. The buglers were playing conk shells (not sure about the spelling) but when you blow in them an amazing sound some out. Next the soliders came down, then the priestesses and the high priest and finally the dragon! It was carried by about 10 -12 men and they really moved it like it was a dragon body! I was so impressed. They came down and the priestesses put something over the crowd out of their bowls using a wand of some sort and then the whole processional went down that hill we'd just come up! It was sooo cool! After they left some of the people standing around followed them down. We took another hill cause we didn't want to be in the traffic. We came across this shop where this 80 year old woman had made these gorgeous little paper Japanese women folded into bookmarks. They were only like $3 a piece so we both bought a few. After that we went to this place called Sanjusan gendo. It was a temple that had 33 something or others but I'm not sure what. It also had 1000 budda statues with over 10,000 arms. They say that all the faces of these statues are different and one looks like you. You just have to figure out which one it is. We got there when it was almost closig time so we didn't get to see much. We left there and went back up to the park and saw a wonderful taiko drum performance. After that we went to another bathhouse. This one was much better than the first but harder to find. Both of us were craving to go back to Hinode where we had lunch the first day but couldn't justify going all the way back up there until that is we found a subway near the bathhouse! So we took a subway and then a short bus to the place and guess what!!! They were closed! I couldn't believe it. We had wasted so much time getting there too that we didn't have time to get to a nice restaurant before time to catch the bus home. So, we just caught a cab back down to the station picked up our packages from the lockers, went to McDonalds for some fries and an apple pie and then to this quick beef bowl shop. I think Hazel got rice and a tofu soup. We rushed back across the street in time to catch the night bus back home to Kofu

Admist the heat and slight snoring I had a pretty enjoyable and restful ride home and a great weekend. I'm looking forward to New Zealand even more now because I know that Hazel and I can and enjoy traveling together so that's a relief. I'm pretty much down for whatever and so is she so it wasn't stressful at all. It was cool. I'm glad we got a chance to go together!!!

I received on of the best presents I've ever gotten today! My 9th graders are graduating next week and they usually give all the teachers a gift. Our gift this year was a board with a picture of the class in the middle and around it a "thank you" message from each one of the students. It was sooo sweet! It was funny because it was in 1/2 English and 1/2 Japanese but I loved it just the same. Some of the kids have pretty bad handwriting so I couldn't really figure out what they were saying but I'm going to take it to my Japanese lesson on Sunday and let her look at it for me.

That reminds me, I need to pack some soccer clothes for Sunday too. I'm leaving to go to Kyoto tonight for the next two days with Hazel. We were supposed to stay until Sunday night and take the bus back in time to be at school on Monday but our bus reservation got mixed up and we will come back Saturday night instead and arrive back in Kofu on Sunday morning around 6am. I think I'll just take Hazel home and stay in Kofu at Keysha's and take a nap. If I feel like it, we have soccer practice at 1. Then I have my private and Japanese lesson beginning at 4. I'm not sure how busy we'll be in Kyoto and haven't decided if I'll be too tired to do anything Sunday but as of now everything is still on. I hope that Keysha can do something to this bush that I'm pretending to call hair. I haven't had a perm since December when Lessie did it. It was about mid-December too and only the second perm I've gotten since I cut all my hair off. This stuff is very unruly!

Last week I made an appointment at this salon but when we were hanging up I quickly asked their prices. They said $70 for the perm. Not too bad, but then he mentioned that if I didn't have my OWN PERM it would be $25 more dollars! He was kidding right? Nope! He said we sell them here for about $25. Just plain old box perm for $25...I couldn't do that. I couldn't spend $100 on a hairdo that I might hate when I walked out. So I'm waiting on the sorors to get me a hair appointment at one of the military bases. The only reason I didn' t do that in the first place was I wanted to do it on my own. If I go to the base someone has to go with me and sign me in etc. But its cheaper and with this NZ trip comin' up in less than a month...a sista is on a budget!

Well lemme shower and stuff so I can go pick up my travelin' buddy and hit the road from Kyoto. Don't worry Diary-san I'll take plenty of pictures!

Tonight I finally got a chance to watch the tape that E sent me. Her folks taped some videos, the whitney and bobby interview, more videos, the billboard music awards and still more videos. Well, I'm up to the Billboard Awards now. I'm excited cause Cedric the Entertainer was the host and that is for real my MAN! He's a funny dude yo. He can wear just about ANY hat he puts on! I know its sad cause I'm finally watching the awards almost a year after they came out but its still new to me. That's one of the things I don't like is missing out on new TV. I mean I left right at the beginning of Cedric's new show. I got to see two episodes while I was home for Christmas and it made me sad to know I was going to miss out on his debut program. Oh well. Its not a life or death thing...I'll just be unfashionably out of date with current comedy when I get back. Probably revert to tellin' knock-knock jokes...Woe is me...

Sunday's are always some of my favorite days. I usually do laundry between naps (ha ha ha) and its funny how I actually enjoying hanging out clothes. The after that, I look over my japanese lesson from the previous week, that I should have been looking at during the week and then look briefly over what I'll cover with Yumie and Shozo. Today was no exception. The weather was chilly in the shade but the sun made it great for hanging/drying clothes. I get such cabin fever and I really want to open my doors and windows as the sun looks soooo inviting, but its only a trap. As soon as I step outside I realize that the wind is very strong and the sun is only playing tricks with my emotions. I can't wait for the weather to finally break and become warm. One of the teachers I work with told me that it won't happen until APRIL! Can you believe that! APRIL! I sure can't. Its seems like the entire time I've been in Japan its been freezin! I can't take it. I'm a moderate to hot weather babe. This cold spell is freezin' all my mojo out!! (I can't even take myself seriously as I write that)

This morning the first call I recieved for the day was from Miho, one of my 7th graders. We studied English phone ettiquite last week and I told them that they could call me to practice. My team teacher told them if they did call me they'd get 10 points added to their grade!! All of them sounded excited by it but Miho was my first call. She's given them until March 4 to complete the assignment. It was of course a very short conversation. "Hello this is Miho" "Oh, Hi Miho" "Can I speak to...(dead silence)" "This is Eboni, how are you Miho" "I'm fine thank you" "Well, Miho, thanks for calling. (silence) Talk to you later." "Okay bye" It of course doesn't seem like much but I'm proud of her on a few levels. #1 for actually having enough balls to call. #2 being the first one in the class to call. She isn't even one of the better students at English. Its not like they get held back or anything if they don't have high grades. Everyone goes on the next level anyway. I'm just happy she called.

The second call I recieved was from my Japanese teacher who told me that if I didn't have anything to do today she wanted to invite me over for dinner. Her husband would be cooking all chicken dishes and wanted me to join them. I always enjoy their company and her husband is a GREAT cook, so I never turn down an opportunity to hang out and socialize with them. So after my lesson with Shimura-san, I went to spend an hour and a half studying Japanese and then the evening eating and talking with the Muramatsu family. Dinner was of course delicious. Mr. Muramatsu made a chinese chicken strip salad with a homemade ginger and onion dressing which was WONDERFUL! He also made an appetizer of eggplant and red bell peppers with a light sesame oil and soy sauce. The two main entrees were Chicken Gyoza Nabe (which is like a soup with chicken pastry and cabbage) and Chinese Spaghetti with chicken and bell pepper mixed in. It was so delicious! I love eating with them because they are so fun. Tonight we had conversations about when to use " " in speaking with your hands. I tryed to tell my teacher that you only make quotes with your hand twice when you say something and trying to help her understand situations in which you use them. She kept doing it over and over again. I have to practice it in conversation with her so she'll understand how to use it. It was a sight too hard to explain. We also had a discussion about Christianity and its many different beliefs and dominations. I told them about how I was raised African Methodist but have attended Missionary Baptist churches since I began college. Its really difficult to explain religion to people who don't really believe but its good for me because it helps me to affirm what I believe and explain exactly what it is I believe in. I know there was a time in my life where I couldn't have done that. It also helps me see how far I've come spiritually. I also brought the new Alicia Keys CD with me that I got at Towers Records. Its called "Remixed and Unplugged in A Minor". In some of the unplugged songs she is just playing the piano. My teacher is also a piano instructor so I wanted her to listen to how Alicia incorporates many different piano styles into her music. She enjoyed it I think. We ended the night with a brief discussion of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima and I told her how much I really want to visit the museums there sometime soon.

I really want to learn more about world history and specifically how it relates to US relations with other places. I really wasted my time in my World History lessons in High School. Although I made "A's" it was mostly shortterm memorization and that does me absolutely no good at the point I'm at today. I've got a lot to learn here! Japanese! World History! How to be a better teacher! How to be a better person! What I like! What I don't like! What's important and indespensible! What's not important and expendible! and the list goes on. I'm glad I decided to stay another year because I could definitely use the personal growth. I feel so good about life and about myself but of course there is always more to learn.

"I never felt sooo....goood" as Ms. Keys and Mr. McKnight would say.

today and bad international news
4 dead in shooting at Alabama job ageny
Huntsville, Ala (AP)--A man looking fo work opened fire at a temporary employment agency during an arguement over a compact disc player, killing four fellow job-seekers and wounding a fifth, police said. The gunman surrendered later Tuesday after a standoff at his apartment, where police tracked him down using the address he put on his job applications. Authorities turned off the building's electricity while the temperature was near freezing. Police said the man shot at officers early in the standoff.

DUHHHHHHHH!!!!!

War...what is it good for...
This week, I'm on a war movie marathon. At Tsutaya its 180yen rental day for ladies on Monday so I get to get cheap movies. I rented, Pearl Harbor, Band of Brothers, Black Hawk Down, and Behind Enemy Lines. I watched Pearl Harbor last night and Black Hawk Down the night before. I wanted to understand more about the war phenomenon and these movies both have a true story behind them and although of course movie is not as good as books or primary sources it has still lead me to write everyone I knew who has served in the armed forces and tell them how much I love an appreciate them for what they do.

Everyone is really quick to criticize war and members of the armed forces, but I guess I never really sat down to seriously think about the things they do and what their jobs actually are until I started to date G. Two of my uncles were in the armed forces. One in the army the other in the airforce but even then I didn't do a lot of thinking about it. G, his job and his co-workers were visable to me on a regular basis and it made me come to grips with a lot of stereo types that I had about these men because of TV or whatever. They were men and some still boys who had volunteered to defend their country. Although some may never see wartime or combat (which I hope my loved ones don't) they train every day for the worst while hoping for the best. The man in Pearl Harbor said, "Nothing is more passionate than the heart of a volunteer." To the men and women in my life and everywhere who have volunteered (and those who wish they hadn't sometimes) you are truly some of the best people I know. Thank you for watchin' my back.
Holla BACK!!! I got ya back!

Bye Bye Geneva.

Tonight I went out with Aki for the last time in Japan. Aki, Keysha, Chris J and I went to an onsen (hot spring spa) at this fruit park up near Yamanashi city which is really really nice. It was extremely cold tonight which is all the more better for going to the onsen. I'm not usually a big fan of the public bath thing like so many people seem to be but I've been having some dry skin problems and my Japanese teacher told me that the hot spring water is really good for my skin every now and then. It acutally felt really good. First you go into this room with a bunch of showers and you scrub really hard. Once you feel good and clean, you go outside to the pools of water. The first one we got in was really hot. It was so hot that I got a little light headed at first but when I started to get used to it, it felt a lot better. Just sitting around talking to Aki and Keysha was cool. When that pool got too hot, we went down to the warm pool. It had big rocks in it so you could lay on the rocks when if you get hot. I felt like I was in the movie "Mermaid" laying on the rocks with my feet in the water.

I'm kinda sad Aki is leaving. I don't feel like I got a chance to really know her like I could have if she would be able to stay around longer. She's been here for a year studying Japanese and its finally time to go home. I think that she got a little sad during the second half of her stay here because she got engaged and of course wanted to be with her fiance. The wedding will be some time later this year I think. Too bad I won't be able to make it. Anyway Aki is cool peeps and she's my birthday sister (we were born on the same day) so as long as I remember my 23 birthday party I'll remember Aki.

Bon Voyage. Safiri Salama. Sayonara.