Business As Usual

(When you refuse to settle for warm or fairly hot pizza...there's WILLY HOT DELIVERY PIZZA. They gurantee it'll be willy, willy hot. Not really...we just made that up, but it's funny, yeah?)

Not much new going on here...we still don't have the Internet in our apartment, and apparently won't until September 12th. We're really trying to hang in there, but...it's tough some times. In better news, someone is coming to take a look at our shower tomorrow night. It's still doing the freezing cold/burning hot thing, with no comfortable temperature for more than 15 seconds at a time. So, it'll be nice if they can fix that. Every morning (especially this morning), I wake up hoping beyond all hope that I can take a nice, relaxing shower...and every morning I'm disappointed. Hopefully that'll all be over soon.

For the past few days, we've had our prefectural orientation for the newbies. It was alright...we didn't learn much, but we got to meet a lot of other JETs and hang out with some new people. That's kind of what this program is coming down to lately...meeting lots of new people. Over the course of the orientation, I met new people from the States, Canada, France, and Ireland. I met the Irish guy in the bathroom of a beer garden...go figure.

Tori and I have also taken the bikes out for a few spins. I feel like we're really starting to get to know the area better. I'm even getting to know the buses! I hopped on one this morning (on time) and it was the right one and everything. I would love to say it was on purpose, but I have a strange feeling it was pure luck.

I was supposed to have my first two lessons today, but one of the classes was cancelled because the teacher went out of town on business...and we decided to put off the other one because the teacher and I still hadn't discussed lesson plans before class. I really did try...I swear...sometimes I feel like a fly on the wall, though.


(One of 14 of my depictions of Life in Oregon...meant for use in my "self introduction." A self introduction in Japan, by the way, should not include anything about yourself other than a.your name and b. your hometown. There's something they don't teach you in college.)

Other than that, not much goin' on at all. I should have a few classes tomorrow, a few more on Friday, and then on Saturday we're having a sports festival with a few of the other schools. No students, just a bunch of teachers are getting together to duke it out on the fields I guess. All I have to say is this better be fun...I'm missing a Star Trek party in Ajimu (which promises to be pretty bitchin'). Tori's playing on her school's volleyball team, and I'm on our softball team. "Softball you say? I didn't know you played softball!" Actually, I don't...I mean, I have, but I don't. It'd better be slow-pitch, though. Otherwise I'm dead. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Even if it's not, though, I'm sure everyone will get a good laugh at me...I'll get a good laugh at me...we'll all get a good laugh...and then we'll all be friends!

In other news, we bought a few more movies last week. We got two American movies (There's Something About Mary and Home Alone) and a Japanese flick called "Minna no Ie" or "All About Our House." We haven't watched Home Alone yet, but Something About Mary was just as funny as I remembered. Minna no Ie was really good, actually...Tori highly recommended it to me and I'd highly recommend it to anyone else. Especially to you, Dad...it's one of those movies I could see you watching...chuckling quietly to yourself and crying a little...you know exactly what I'm talking about. :)

Anyway...I'd better wrap this up before we lose our connection...it's lasted way too long now and I can't see it lasting much longer. Hope things are going well in the Motherland.

Peace, Love, and Peanutbutter

Oh, wait! That ridiculous ending just reminded me...I bought my first few Japanese T-shirts. The first came from a store called "Big American Shop" and it's really exciting. I'll put a picture up, 'cause words can't describe how cool it is. Please don't adjust your screens...the shirt is supposed to be pink...very pink.



The other is a little more generic, but still...kind of a stretch from my normal style.



Okay, I'm really out this time. Good night!!