mild disappointment

I was supposed to get my internet hooked up today, but once again, the internet gods hate me and are making my life miserable. I'm not 100% what the internet guy was trying to tell me, but I'm certain that it was not good news. I think it can be done, but not before next week. He told me to call and set up another appointment for after May 5th.

While I miss talking to my parents and my SBFF, my greatest concern at the moment is that I'm going to miss the Kentucky Derby. For 17 years, the first Saturday of May has been a day of horse-racing devotion for me, the Derby being one of the few races that I still closely monitor. And, of course, Heather and I added new traditions to it, making it even more wonderful than it already is.

I'm not normally one to get all maudlin about skipping/missing/forgetting old traditions, but the Derby has always had a special place in my heart. I'm not even sure when I'm going to be able to find out the results or watch the race online. As yet, I haven't been able to think up a new Japanese-themed Derby Day tradition (having a Skype party with Heather was going to be about it, but that's out too). Eating basashi is the only horse-related thing I can come up with, and that just seems wrong.

Okay, not that I think eating basashi is wrong, because it is delicious and I would gladly eat it again. It just doesn't seem . . . appropriate for the Derby. Basashi being raw horse. Yes, I ate raw horse, and I enjoyed it. Don't be squeamish (you know who you are). The only thing I didn't like about it was the massive amount of garlic dumped on top of it, but that was easily removed and left just a hint of the garlicly flavor. But you see why I wouldn't want to add this to my Derby traditions. I'd be just as happy with a hot brown or a piece of grasshopper pie or even a super-sweet mint julep.

The only plus I see in this situation is that I won't have to get up at 5am to watch the race, and I was plenty willing to do that.

bring on the Golden goodness

Tomorrow begins Golden Week, which is a string of various holidays ranging from Consitution Day to Childrens' Day to a substitute holiday that some people (like GEOS employees) get because extra holidays are cool. I don't understand all of it, the important thing is that I get eight days in a row off, and that makes me happy.

It also makes me have to plan things to entertain myself. I have discovered that I can't sit around at home all day. I'm beginning to believe that this is why I wasn't so happy in the States - I spent a lot of time wanting to escape from my apartment and not being able to. Here, I don't have such worries. Venturing out of the apartment is always worthwhile and never too expensive (unless I choose for it to be expensive, but at least that's my decision). There is no reason for me to be bored, and for this, I am glad. Furthermore, I have eight days to find new ways to entertain myself.

Tomorrow, I absolutely must finish unpacking all of my crap and make some attempt to organize things. I'll probably do that in the evening; I want to go out and do something in the afternoon. Not sure what, probably going to Kashiwa and window-shopping. There's a shopping mall at one of the TX stops that has a Uniqlo, so I'll probably end up there. I can usually find something I want to buy there.

Thursday, I may be stuck in my apartment all day (or most of the day) as I wait for people to show up and get my internet set up. If I can actually get this done, a boring day at home will be worth it.

Friday, I'm going to Narita with Benni-sensei to visit the temple there, as well as a botanical garden. Should be entertaining, as traveling with Benni-sensei always is.

Saturday and Sunday have become a bit more complicated. Benni-sensei and I had planned on going up to Gunma on Saturday to hang out with Hitomi-san, but now Benni-sensei has family plans. Gunma may have to wait until Sunday. BUT one of my gaming buddies invited me to an English-language conference in Harajuku that I really want to go to, so I guess I need to decide what I want to do. If I go to Gunma, I'll probably have to stay in a motel, so I won't get home until Monday. This isn't a bad thing, it's just a little troublesome. I'd like to see Hitomi-san again, but that means spending more money and traveling a lot longer. Still thinking about that.

Also on Sunday is the Kentucky Derby, which I will get up incredibly early to watch if I have my internet running. That may affect my decision on going to the conference.

Monday through Wednesday, I'm still not sure of. I have some things in Tokyo that I want to do (such as go to Meiji Jingu, visit a botanical garden or two on Greenery Day), it's just a matter of figuring out what day I want to do them.

So, it looks like I've got no shortage of plans. I'm looking forward to having the time off to just relax and have some fun. And with any luck, after it's over, I'll have the ability to post my April pictures and adventures!

"there were vikings and boats and some plans for a furniture store"

To make a long and complicated story short, I adore IKEA. It is simply one of the greatest things that has ever existed.

So, I'm not much of a shopper. Unless it's a book store, I'm usually in-and-out when it comes to shopping. I don't linger. Spending two hours in a furniture store is not something I imagine myself doing, and yet, it happened today. I spent two hours in IKEA, and during most of that time, I was barely controlling rapture.

Yesterday, from the train, I noticed that there was an IKEA within easy walking distance of the Shim-Misato station, and I thought, 'I should totally go there sometime.' And then I thought, 'Hey, I need some stuff for my classroom - omg, I'm totally going there tomorrow.' And I did. And I bought some things for my room, but it was mostly stuff I needed: a clock, containers for my props, organizational stuff. I also bought a soft, soft pillow because I hate the two pillows I do have, and I'm hoping this one works better for me.

This does not fully describe how wonderful IKEA is. The showroom is amazing - I've been to furniture showrooms before, but there's something different about IKEA. It's more comfortable. You don't feel so bad throwing yourself into one of the chairs and wiggling around in it to get the feel of it. It's not invasive to go through drawers and cupboards and inspect everything. I've always felt that showrooms are too pristine to touch, to perfect to disturb. It's hard to imagine living in them. IKEA showrooms already feel lived in; it's easy to drift into the idea that this could be home.

It makes me wish my apartment was worth furnishing (it's not, by no means is it worth the time and effort, much less the money), because I would think nothing of going completely IKEA. I don't need anything else, but I'll probably go back every so often just to look around. And I so want to get one of those weird heart pillows with arms. It's so insane that it's awesome.

And thus I have had another super Japanese day. In a Swedish store. Go figure.

picture break!

Just posting quickly to add a new pic to the top of the page. This is Benni-sensei and me in Takasaki. I have many, MANY new pictures to post, but they will have to wait. Until now, I'll post this as a reminder of my favorite, crazy co-worker.

a very fast update

I do not have internet at home yet, which is the biggest and most disturbing news I have right now. I have blogs prepared for all of the awesome and/or irritating things that have happened to me in the past week but no way to post them. The only reason I'm able to post now is because my new manager is away at head office for a meeting, because most of the time, she's sitting here in the office and monopolizing the computer. Which is part of her job, so I understand.

I will try to post again on Saturday morning, because that's about the only time I have the office to myself - I have to come in at ten-flipping-am for a full day of classes. It's so early that nobody else is here yet. I should have time to quickly post any blogs I have prepped. So, check back here on Saturday.

As for how things are going: pretty good. The Moriya school is very nice - very new and very big. My apartment is the complete opposite and is as far from impressive as is possible. The only nice thing I can say about it is that today I found a little grocery near the station, so I will no longer have to survive on combini food. I really wish I lived in Moriya and not Shin-Matsudo, eevn though Shni-Matsudo is more convienent to Tokyo and Kumagaya and possibly even Gunma itself.

But it's not been all bad. My social life remains mostly intact. I went to Kumagaya for gaming, with the added bonus of a brief visit to a sakura festival (which I must blog about, if only because sakura plays sucha large part in Japanese culture). On Monday, I went into Tokyo to meet some people and do more sakura viewing. This was enjoyable, because it mainly involved wondering about and drinking.

And now I must get back to work. Will post more soon, possibly with pictures!