Hi everyone

Sorry this is late everyone, I don't really have a good reason, but everything is fine. If anyone is ever worried or wants to talk between blogs I'm like, always on skype, so just poke me okay?


So... pictures from Halloween...

Alan and the "Kansai Geishas"

The cutest pajamas ever... I'm gonna buy the brown ones on the right...

These are the people who work in the main office of the CIE... Yeah, I think the yellow ranger is like a dean or something?

.... He had it commin...

This is a Hitler bannana... aka, one BAD bannana... again, a dean... I just want to know how the thought process works where you get from... Halloween Costume = Hitler + Bannana

And these are my two favorite pictures of me!!

So, all in all, Halloween was obviously very fun. I didn't win the contest, I think because the majority of the people who recognized me were Japanese, and they weren't really the ones voting. But, I took like 200 pictures with very excited Japanese people who recognized my costume, so in the end it was all worth it. I made some new friends, and it was just a lot of fun. And no, I didn't ride the bus like that... :D

Tuesday was a Holiday... I was supposed to go out Monday night for an all night birthday party, but it suddenly decided to be Winter. It was like 2C, 22KM winds, and drizzling rain. Needless to say I opted out of the all night party for an hour and a half of Karaoke, that only required a total of 10 minutes outside between busses and buildings.

Everyone at Karaoke was shocked and impressed by my voice and my Japanese songs. My singing in Japanese has even gotten better. I went out with them again the next night. The people I'm going out with now are Margo, Jarred, and Joanna, and more, but those are like the main crew. I still hang out with the sem house girls, but they do a lot of planning and then cancelling so... yeah...

Tuesday Holiday was, overall, good, I didn't do much other than Karaoke, go out for a bit, watch a movie at the Sem house, and try to go buy the pajamas... but the store was closed. I brought Mac and Cheese over to the sem house and Margo and I and Joanna ate it and watched 1971 Godzilla Vs Hedora, classic corny.

I got my midterm standing grade back for my ceramics course. The instructor gave everyone a B- to B+, on account of he said that he hadn't seen major improvement from anyone. I was in the B+ range but it's so frustrating, I think I've improved. I'm hoping maybe he does it so students don't get complacent and slack off. Either way I'm going to go back to working (and failing) at making bigger pieces. I think if I manage that and a few other techniques he'll have to give me the A, becuase that's a BIG improvement over where I was at the beginning.

I tried to reserve a temple at Koyasan to stay with the monks, but the only one I could find that books online is full up. They gave me a number for tourist info, but I think it's in Japanese, and mine is definately not good enough for a phone conversation. If nothing else I'll make a long day trip out of it.

Yesterday I went with Margo to the movie theatres. My Okaasan and Otosan go to the movies once a month on one of my Otosan's days off. We got there and found out that they didn't actually want to see anything, I felt bad for making them drive, but they didn't mind. The movie theatres in Japan are SO much nicer than America, but they're also SO much more expensive. Firstly you walk in and you reserve your seats, your ticket has your seat number on it and everything. Then concessions are the normal things, to crepes and french fries. Margo and I decided to split the fry and drink combo for 500 yen, it was the perfect amount. Then when you get into the theatre you take your seat and there are little hooks on the seat backs in front of you for your bag, every seat is nice and plushy like a recliner. During the movie what I heard was true, everyone is dead silent, no one talks or rustles popcorn bags or has cell phones going off, everyone is quiet.... And what did we go to see? The Nightmare before Christmas, In Japanese, and in 3D, how sick is that!!? The Movie was 1300 yen, but it's the first movie I've been to in two months so it was good. I understood a lot of the movie, but I can't tell if it's because I know the movie so well, or because my Japanese is improving... maybe both? In all it was a fun little girl date. Margo is so much fun, she's from Massachusets, I wish she was closer so we could hang out more.

Classes overall have simply been going, same old same old...

However, a travisty happened today. So, I have a favorite stall/bathroom at Kansai, it's one that's kind of tucked out of the way that's always clean and no one ever goes to. Now, half the toilets in Japan are heated, it's awesome, it's like sitting on the toilet after a big fat man was there for an hour... minus the fat man... Anyways, so I go to the bathroom, like normal, and my toilet warmer was turned down!!! How offensive is that? It's normally cranked all the way up, sitting steamy and ready for a tushie, and it was cold as ice. I was so off-put. I turned the toilet back on and checked back later... this is the second time it's happened... I need to find out who the toilet warmth theif is, because I never see anyone else in that bathroom....

Heewon is going to come over to my homestay tomorrow. She wanted to meet my family. I'm excited for her to. Heewon is a really good friend, if I ever go to Korea I'll definately hit her up. I think Okaasan is cooking something special, which likely translates out to fatty meat.

Speaking of which, curry was dinner tonight, mmmm... But I'm also learning how to politely say "I don't really like this because it's fatty." My Okaasan seems to understand, she's never offended and makes sure I'm full. She normally puts so much on the table I can find another source of protein and be full easily.

Anyways, I should be going to bed, I'm sorry again for slacking on the posts, I'll try to be better. Love you all!