The Wait Is Over

As you can probably imagine, many things have happened since my last post. After I returned to Tsukuba following Jody's death I just really wasn't in the mood to blog or do much of anything other than study (and watch my US TV shows!) to be quite honest, but I have slowly been coming around. I even went to Karaoke this past Friday! Very different from my days as a JET where we would go in large groups and easily spend a good $75 each on drinks, food and Karaoke just because we had the money...

I am a student now and believe me, I know my financial constraints but Karaoke absolutely sober is just not fun! So I indulged in a few glasses of Plum wine, which definitely helped loosen up my vocal chords, while my fellow broke student friends drank unlimited glasses of coke and ate ice cream. To each their own. I sang a few favs "Barbie Girl by Aqua", "Macarena", "You oughta know by Alanis Morissette", "Turn your lights down low" (that one was for JB), and my new all time favorite "My Life by Bon Jovi".
I still don't think I've really found my niche yet here in Tsukuba, but that will come with time.

As for what I've been up to since I got back...

Well first, a friend of a friend, Mr. Van Hunt was performing in Tokyo at the Cotton Club. My angel got me tickets so I took a friend to the show. It was excellent (as his shows always are) and my table was the rowdiest (which it usually is). Here are a few pics.















I went to Tokyo for Halloween and hung out with CJ, Cool Keith (not the rapper) and Samurai Diva Romy (and her cutie pie daugher Moon). Halloween in Roppongi was sick as I assumed it would be. I got to see a lot of old friends and met a few new. Saturday I went to watch a Tokyo Apache basketball game. Japan has a new pro league only 3 years old and the Tokyo team is coached by none other than the father of Mr. Kobe Bryant himself, Jellybean Bryant. The game was cool and Tokyo won!

Since then I've been in Tsukuba studying hard with 2.5 weeks left of the intensive Japanese language course. Each night I have between 3 and 5 hours of homework. Never any less than 3hours and I haven't even started the MBA course yet. YIKES! But Alas, that is what I am here for right? To study.

I finally looked at the school year schedule (for the first time yesterday) and realized I have a few breaks coming up. This school is on a trimester system and we have a one week break 11/22-30 and then Winter Holiday 12/26-1/5 and another 3/7-3/31. We have nearly the entire month of March off! We will see how it all shapes up, maybe I can find a 3 week long gig here that can help suppliment the coming months?

Well kanji test at 10am, so I must be going, but you won't have to wait that long again. I feel my voice coming back and boy do I have lots to say.