As they say in America: I'm freezing my nuts off

It is so cold here now at night. During the days it's nice weather, sunny, slight breeze, a light jacket at most is what you need. But at night it's dipping into the low fifties. Now, also keep in mind, that the windows/doors (minus the front door) to the apartment are never shut. And, the coup de etat, there's no heating! Yay! What I was facing when I got here but reverse. I MISS CENTRAL AC/HEAT. I'm not talking a lot here, but keeping it at least in the sixties people! It's getting to the point where I have to lay out my futon, and get under the covers to be comftorable past about 10:30pm, sitting at my desk is just way too chilly.

I really didn't do much today, I'm kind of tired of people flaking out. It's not like I'm asking them to commit a lot of time, or even make a commitment. Our "planning" involves: "Do you want to go shopping?" "Sure" "Okay let's go on Saturday." Then all you have to do is message if you change your mind, it's not a big deal. Tomorrow I'm going to the big mall and visting UniQlo, the Gap of Japan, if someone comes with me or not!

Speaking of tomorrow, I'm going to cook for my family again, I decided to make beef stew, since it's getting colder. And since I'm making it, there isn't going to be a lick of fat on that beef!

Most of today I spent making my costume, part of me feels guilty for wasting an entirely free day in Japan on something like making a costume... but the other part of me really enjoyed it, and found it happy-like and very relaxing. We went to the grandmothers house (like always) for dinner. It was breaded pork cutlets, kind of a classic dish in Japan the way they do it. There was some fat-free pieces, I wondered if my Okasan trimmed a few for me, I snatched them up. We also had clam soup, I've decided, I don't really like clams. Not for my normal reasons though. Something about them seems, odd to me, eating the whole body of something... But they're edible, and protein, so I ate them up. Another thing we had was apparentally another classic dish, but essentially corned beef and cabbage. It was a little different than how gramma makes it, but still good. I mean, there's only so many ways one can wrap meat in cabbage.

After dinner we all relaxed and watched some crazy Japanese TV. I normally don't get half of whats going on, but let me assure everyone, someone spraying milk from their nose is funny in any culture.

Mita the baby is beginning to crawl. It's amazing how much she's changed just in the short time I've known her, babies really do grow fast the first year. Though, I've also decided that baby's, are like puppies. They can't communicate other than basic universial symbols: crying-barking and laughing-tail wagging. They like brightly colored, shiny toys, that squeak. You talk to them like they're retarded and make silly faces. They both need attention and demand it from you in their ways. They don't seem to have much higher thought, and you treat them as slightly less than human. And most significantly, they both soil themselves and will make a mess of it should you not take care of it. Mita is adoreable, I love her, she's fun, and cute, but she's solidified in my mind that babies aren't "people" until a good couple months after they start talking. Before that they're essentally a puppy, we're only more fond of them than a pet because either 1) they are our seed, or should 1 not be the case, 2) we know they will eventually grow out of being the equlivant of an animal. My other discovery, is that I still don't really like the concept children. Mita is fun to play with, but when she starts crying she's handed to mom or dad, I do not have to deal with that. And at the end of the day, she goes away, and I get to play with her again in another small dose the next day. Rent-a-baby is definately the way to go.

One of the things I've been meaning to share with everyone but keep forgetting I was reminded again of tonight. Here in Japan, you can't get your licence until your 18. But I noticed on a lot of cars the same magnets, at first I thought it was maybe some kind of really popular brand symbol so I asked Toko what it was. Apparentally, for the first year you get your licence, you have to put this magnet of a symbol on the front and back of your car. That way everyone knows that you're a student driver. I think it's genius.

I'm pretty comftorable here now, to be honest. I still wish I could communicate better, and sometimes it's really hard for me still. I don't get upset, but it's more... I wish I could better express that there are higher thoughts ticking in my brain, and I wish I could express them. I do my best, and my family helps me, but I obviously can't have an emotionally, spiritually, mentally, or intellectually deep conversation with the speaking level of a six year old. But, I think my family understands, which is good. Toko said to me once that I was very smart, more than a lot of the other students they've had. I don't really know what I did to inspire that, but I'm glad they know that I only sound slow, but that I'm not really.

Overall though, I really love Japan. It's a clean country, everyone recycles and tries to waste as little as possible. There's minimal litter on the ground for big cities, even in Tokyo I saw very little grafitti, here in Hirakata I'm shocked if I see some. There's no drugs, it's not like America where pot is "illegal" people here will really be citizen police and be praised for it. There's really no crime, people leave their doors and windows open while they go out, women walk around alone late at night without trouble, I haven't heard of any serious crime other than a man flashing a group of international students. And if that's the worst I hear this whole semester, that is really not that bad in my book. So as long as you're not stupid here (I mean still be aware) it's hard for trouble to find you it seems. And people are nice to each other really. On the bus everyone readily offers to give up their seat when there aren't any for an older person who's standing. People have come up to me and offered to help when I look lost. Everyone apologizes for the smallest thing in a completely sincere way. I mean, yes, there are jerks in any society, and maybe I'm just lucky. But everyone I've met, and the interactions I've observed, everyone seems to treat each other very well.

Anyways, I could go on awhile, but I'm going to go to bed because I'm sleepy and my sheets have warmed up now. I hope all is well back home, and I hope the people I haven't spoken to in awhile I can speak to soon.