This morning a got a message from a JET friend that lives down in Southern Yamanashi. She called and wanted to know if I wanted to go to this Mexican restaurant that everyone RAVES about in Fujinomiya, which is about a 30 min drive from my school. I'm always up for Native English speaking company so of course I say yes. I actually know a girl I met at DC orientation who lives up there and I'd been meaning to get up with her since we live so close but the opportunity never presented itself...until today. So, after work I come home to get the directions to the place and start off to Fujinomiya. The JETs from Yamanashi are supposed to meet me at this restaurant at 7pm. So I told my friend Ash that live in Fujinomiya, that I'd meet her earlier to catch up and talk before the other folks arrived. I got there about 6pm. At 6pm I get a call from the Yama JETs saying they didn't leave home unti 6pm and it would be 7:15 or so before they got there. I said that's cool. Well just hang around until you get here. So my friend took my to her apt and showed me around. She has quite a nice place and very nice decorating taste. I was very impressed. She also told me that she usually has a Japanese student she teaches on Monday nights and wanted to know if she could come to dinner with us. I said that would be good. I was also thinking it would be really good practice for her student. So, I'm waiting for the Yama JETs to call me back around 7pm when they should be fairly close to our meeting spot. When they call back, they said it would be another 30 mins or so before they arrived.

Now, keep in mind my day. Got up at 7:15 to get ready for work. Left home at 8pm. Sat at my desk and at the computer from 8:30am-4:30pm because there was no English lesson today and the English teacher was on holiday. Left work after having done absolutely nothing for 8 hours and drove 20 mins in the opposite direction of Fujinomiya to get the directions for the place. Left home about 5pm and arrived at 6pm. Sat around with Ash for an hour and of course by this time I'm hungry. So when they called that last time, I just told them I was going to eat with Ash and her student and then I was going home. You also have to keep in mind there are about 6 of them riding up together and I am by myself. Also bear in mind that a party of 8 will take much longer to serve than a party of 3 and if I would have waited and ate with them, I would have been pissy so I'm glad that I just ate and when home. Their being late could not be placed on any one in particular, but me driving home on a full stomach at 10pm or later is really not what I had in mind when we were supposed to be sitting down to eat at 7pm originally.

We ended up eating at Gusto's which was very very good and our waiter was practicing the bit of English that he knew. Ash's student was able to practice and get in some practice talking to me so that was good for her too. I got home at a decent hour. I'm going to read a little bit of Harry and take my self to sleep.

Tomorrow I start bringing my own lunch to school and I forgot to make it tonight so I'll get up earlier tomorrow. *Yeah Right*

Good day today. I got up about 7:45 to a sky of pouring rain thinking that soccer practice would be cancelled, but boy was I wrong. I told the team co-ordinator Laura that I wasn't going to play but I did want to go down there to get our kit sorted out and find out what team I would be on and all that stuff. It was raining much to hard for me to risk catching a cold to suit them. But I'm excited!!! We have a good team and the shorts and socks like really good together. Now we only have to find the shirts.

I came home and started reading the first Harry Potter book. I fell asleep after page 10, I hope that's not a sign of how the rest of the reading is going to go. I saw the movie so I know the plot line already although I know the book will be much more specific...we'll see.

Tonight I went to Maman Pumpkin's which is a excellent Indian restaurant with Hazel, Terry, and Chris. It was Hazel's birthday and that's her favorite place to eat. Its very good, but very spicy so I always have to get something off the baby menu so my mouth doesn't burn up! We had a great dinner and finished it up with Indian cha, which is a spicy sort of tea. Its really good too. After dinner, we went to the Sports Cafe for drinks (I had soda) and playing pool. I suck at pool but I'm getting better each time. I guess that's the only way you really learn.

As I was going to my car after leaving the cafe' I saw a girl Nilta that I'd met when I was with Sanae last week. I was waving at her and she didn't recognize me, but the other two looked so happy to see me that I got out of the car and started talking with them and exchanging information almost immediately. The two other people ended up being Aru (Brazilian guy who speaks English just like I do) and Keysha (a Black girl from Pennsylvania). It was about midnight when I got back to my car where they were walking past, and I stayed out there and talked to them until about 1:50am! Nilta actually left about 10 minutes after I met them but Aru, Keysha, and I just stayed on the street and talked and talked. I was quite fun! We have made a date for them to come up to my place and have a sleep over, cook dinner and watch movies. I'm excited about all this, but it won't be for another week or so before they come up. We wanted to do it on a long weekend when we didn't have to go to work on Monday and I think the next one is October 14th. I really hope we keep in touch. Keysha has natural hair too and its much longer than mine so I'm sure I can help her out with braids and stuff...for a minimal cost that is. Aru has many people in his family that used relaxers and knows how to put one in so if I break down and have to get one, at least I know someone who is near me that can put it in!

This has been a pretty good day. I have my Japanese lesson tomorrow at 4:30 and still have yet to write the 1/2 page journal that Natusko asked me to write. I did work on the other homework she gave me though. I will get up semi-early tomorrow and work on it. I do want to be a dedicated student. Off to sleepy land. :)

I can begin to explain how small this world really is. My linesister's fiance's linebrother is here in Japan! He went to school with my best friend, knows her and all I know so many of his frat, but never met him! He's in the JET program too, about 2 prefectures over from me. Its still kinda far, but just a call away. Even funnier, we talked yesterday for the first time and found out that he is going to be in the JET soccer tournament in Nagano next weekend! Its so cool to meet people you can talk to about stuff you are both familiar with and a Black person at that, so I'm looking forward to meeting him.

Speaking of soccer, our practice this morning was postponed until 10AM because of the rain. I told the co-ordinator that I wasn't going to practice with them in the rain because I don't want to mess around and catch a cold. Its so easy to happen, so I'd rather be safe than sorry. I could have stayed to watch but I just left and went home. Well, I started to go home but then, I saw this huge SHOE mart. I told myself I wasn't going to, but I broke down and bought a pair of cleats. They're cute and were semi inexpensive. I feel like I need to find another use for these bad boys like join a soccer league or something. I have shorts and socks from the boys that played last year. We are using the kits they wore last year. I only have to find a shirt now. Most of us are in the same boat though because she wants us to wear blue polo style shirts, but they are no where to be found. I did find tons of blue t-shirts but not what Laura wants us to have. We still have until Saturday so I hope it will all work out.

We have 14 women from our prefecture playing so they want us to make two teams. We have the "Yama Mama's" and the "Mama Yama's". Its quite difficult to say three times fast! But anyway, I'm on the Yama Mama team. It should be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to the weekend away and getting to visit Nagano.

Mt. Fuji had its first snow of the year last night. Today on my way to school the mountain was visable from lake Shoji and of course I had to stop to see and take pictures. It was absolutely gorgeous. If only I had a digital camera to capture the moment immediately. This morning I braided my hair and of course another uproar in the teachers room when I arrived. I think that everyday the look to see what I'm wearing and how my hair is going to look. Today I wore a brown skirt, cream button down and had a sweater tied semi-J Crew style around my shoulders. Its so funny because its rare that I get attention at all unless it has something to do with my clothes or my hair. Its okay though and eventually they will get used to it.

I cleared my vacation days with my Prinicipal, Vice Principal, and the folks at the BOE. I'm going to Gunma to visit Erica for sure this time!!! Its still two weeks before, but I'm excited. They told me I should drive because it takes 5 hours on the train and only 3.5 at most if I drive. So what I need to do is make about 3 hours worth of good driving music and GO. So, that's the plan. Erica just got a car yesterday and that's great news because she will know some more places to go as opposed to before when she was on her bike. I'm excited about my second trip out of Yamanashi. The first is coming up fast too--the soccer tournament in Nagano.

Saturday we have practice and its actually supposed to rain, but I hope it doesn't.

Honestly, I don't care what anyone says...I can put some fire to a piece of chicken I swear! Dang, I have to complement myself. If I can't cook a thing else, Chicken...I can cook! Along with the help of some Japanese poultry seasoning of course. Tonight I made some of the best mini drumsticks I've ever tasted. Yumm!