It's Starting to Get to Me

This weather is so horrible. It just rains and rains and rains. I haven't seen the sun in almost two weeks. I miss the sunshine. I need the beach or something. To sit outside with the sand between my toes and the smell of the ocean. I love how at the bottom right of the screen it says Complain to Google. I feel like that's what I'm kind of doing right now. However, I'll say what I feel and then that's it. I won't dwell on it for too long. I need to find/make my own sunshine. Ice cream is good and all, but I need more substance. I have been reading, which has helped me a lot. I'm watching tv, which okay as well. I think I need to do exercise. People who exercise are rarely ever upset that they went to the gym. I just need someone to keep me accountable and say did you do some exercise today? or hey let's do some yoga or something. I need to start creating healthy habits for myself or else my time here won't be as enjoyable. I don't want to always wish to be home or somewhere else, because the fact is that this is kind of home. I live here, pay bills, cook and clean. This place is mine and if I can't make this place feel like home, nowhere will. I think that's it for now. ttfn.

Last Day of June

It is the last day of June and  I'm absolutely exhausted. There are 29 more days left until the end of classes. I have 21 teaching days, but I'm probably won't be teaching much that last week so lets say 18 teaching days left. I'm ready to be on vacation, but I know that as soon I get on vacation I will be wanting to come back to work. That is the cycle. Anyway, I shall try to enjoy this time I have here. I am only a first year teacher for one year, next year I am expected to actually know things. At first I was concerned about having to teach the same students for a whole year, but I am glad to be able to teach them again. I hope this summer I can plan more for them so that they can see progress in themselves. Other than that, I'm trying to study and learn more Japanese. I'm trying to take care of this hair of mine. And I'm also trying to learn how to cook. This is one busy year for me. Luckily I don't have to do them all at once. I really miss my friends and can't wait to see them when I get back home. I guess that's it for now. ttfn.

From Japan

Howdy y'all. I believe this is my first post from Japan. I have been here the last three months. I have survived five earthquakes, food poisoning and an allergy attack. It has been very fun and interesting. I'm used to things being a little different, but I wasn't prepared for the food. Let's start from the beginning. My plane ride went well. It was fourteen hours. I landed, got an ID and found the bus that would take me to the hotel. Once I arrived, I went to sleep. The rooms in Japan are just that, rooms, not like in America. My room was just big enough to fit me. I stayed in the hotel for seven days and then stayed with a co-worker for three days before my apartment was ready for me. I moved in on March 20th. Orientation started the 23rd. Classes started April 8th. I am in love with my students. I have one special group of freshmen who I constantly miss and talk about. They are my babies. Just recently we went to have ramen together, before that we had something I had never had before, monjya, okonomiyaki and yaki udon. It was all very delicious. Paying bills have been very simple, I get the bill and take it to the convenient store and pay it. I sleep on the floor on a futon, which is what they do here. We recycle here and can only put the garbage out on certain days. Oh and the sucky thing is that homes here don't come with an oven. I'll have to buy one and it would only be the size of a large microwave. So I'm trying to learn how to cook. If you have any ideas, let me know. That's it for now. Ttyl