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.