Diving, Hiking, Dejima, Dining

I can't blog at work, so my blog is sad and lonely. Not that I'd have the time even if I could. I am so busy at work. I work from 8:30 AM to about 7 PM. It has been heavenly to be on vacation, as the title suggests :)

Birthday Presents

I had the best birthday in Japan so far! I had three get-togethers, and another is in two days! Plus i spent the 17th with Shinpei doing fun stuff. He spoiled me rotten for a couple of days. I got lots of nice stuff, too. It was the most loved I've felt so far here.

Oh, Sweet Saturday

I am having such a nice day. Shinpei went to work, and I stayed home. I read half of The Golden Compass, which I got off Amazon last week, checked my email and read about the political unrest in the Middle East and the situation in general in China off of cfr.org , the Council on Foreign Relations. It was very enlightening, and both things that I read were very well written and organized, so now at least I have an inkling of what is going on. Other than Wikipedia, most of the internet is a series of pieces of information - nothing is usually a consolidation of information, so I have to go tripping around the internet on expeditions for information.
I also opened the back window so that Ebi can look out from his kitty bed at the canal, and cleaned up a bit. I had a hot dog for lunch, my favorite!
I am looking forward to spring. I can feel myself waking up with the weather. The plums have begun to bloom.

Spring is in the air... but not yet anywhere else.

"a scent, such as never clings, to ought save happy, living things..." (from Rennaisance by Millay)

I popped my nose near the screen this morning, and a lovely smell was wafting around, a smell of things quietly awakening, not yet stirring, but considering, in their earthly beds, what it would be like to grow, and stretch graceful branches toward the endless blue above, arch delicate leaves to touch the canal, whisper to the neighborly birds so still and intent before flight. The plants are breathing, their sweet scent tells us that spring is near.

I wore my new sweater to school today. The students exclaimed when they saw it, it is a very festive striped sweater, red, green, yellow brown and white. I like to wear bright colors, to remind the students that there is a bright and happy world outside, and inside their hearts. The always appreciate it when I wear bright colors. I think that it helps them feel more excited about school, too. Colors have been proven to have emotional effects. If I wear bright colors, I hope that it will help them to associate English with fun and excitement, and help them to focus more in class.

My new teapot

Dinner with Taeko

Yesterday, Shinpei and I had dinner with my friend Taeko. She is the same age as my mother, and her daughter is married to a Canadian man, and lives in Canada.

We had a delicious dinner with her and her friend. I am so happy to live close to other people now. We have lived here three months and I have met with people numerous times, as well as having all sorts of clases and arts, cultural resources, internet, supermarkets and thrift shops at a bike ride's distance. It is so nice hereeeeee!!!!

Times are not the same as 30 years ago...

And as such, I have to do some research!

I think this must happen to a lot of foreign English teachers who have never taught in their own country... everybody asks what school is like there.
So one automatically answers, to their own experience, what it was like...
20 or 30 years ago!
The thought started creeping up on me a while ago, and so yesterday I did some research online, and lo-and-behold, school lunch is not the same! There are apparently even organic school lunch programs being promoted by the federal gov't! That is soooo different from the high carb and fat cafeteria food they served when I was in elementary school. If there are any moms out there, won't you please comment as to your own knowledge regarding school and/or lunches in the US?