IT'S MARCH~!!!

Can you believe it? It's freakin' MARCH~!!!

I know spring's coming because I've been sneezing ALL DAMN DAY...they started cutting down the plants in the river near school, so all the pollen's airborne. I hate allergies.

Anyway, I got back from taiko practice like an hour and a half ago or so~!!! Yeah, I'm back in taiko. It's been like almost over 4 months since my last practice. I started going to this awesome, energetic taiko group in Uji last week. I think the people in it are cool - a good mix of old and young people/men and women. Haven't had taiko blisters in a LONG time. Bittersweet nostalgia. I think I'm going to like this group~!!! Wish me luck. I need to buy my bachi soon.

Good news at my JHS. I coached 3 girls (2 Freshman and an 8th grader) who had a major English interview in Kyoto city. I was nervous because 2 of the girls were really shy and seemed to not believe in themselves enough to pass. That dissipated when I found out all 3 girls passed~!!! AWESOME~!!! I coached 3 boys and 1 girl last year for the same test. All 4 of those kids passed, too. I'm so proud of all of them.

On a general note, I think I've been going through so many changes. There were times where I would be SO down that I didn't even want to wake up. Other times, I would wake up laughing because I would be in such a good mood (sounds like I'm going crazy, yeah?).

Seriously, living outside of your daily norm changes you. Unlike my old self, I'm accepting the changes rather than fighting them. My eyes open more and more everyday. And now that it's still kind of the beginning of the new Lenten Season, I'll be expecting many more changes along my journey.

One thing I know is, I'll be more diligent when it comes to my blog. Updating events in a 4 month period bites.

Until the next blog~!!!

The Black ゴキブリ & My Pain

NOTE: There are no pics for this short blog - I apologize.

You know what a ゴキブリ (gokiburi) is? It's a cockroach. Ok, we've all seen these nasty, hemimetabolous insects before. But the ones in Japan give me an even more unpleasant feeling up my spinal column.

Story time...

So I came home one day, ready to cook something for dinner when I noticed something moving above me. This enormous ゴキブリ was scurrying about my ceiling. I quickly grabbed a can of cockroach spray (with a picture of a male chicken on the bottle - a picture that may lead one to suspect that it's Poultrycide, you know, for all those pesky chickens that raid your kitchen at night) and gassed the pest. After hitting the ground with a crunchy-like sound, it started running and trying to fly. I contained it in a paper cup, punctured a hole at the top, and continued to gas it. It took a whole night for it to die (I was still able to hear it scratching away at the cup walls while I was sleeping).

Don't know how it got in cuz my apartment's clean and virtualy oxygen-proof. Maybe it's kharma for making fun of my friend Kyle earlier in the work year. I would always say to him that there was a giant beetle kickin' it behind him on the wall while he was on the computer chatting with me. Ok, Kyle, I'm sorry. Happy now~!!?

Now, it's Tuesday night. Yesterday was a holiday. I spent my whole, glorious weekend indoors because I fell ill. A cold, allergies, I don't know, but all I know is, I can't breathe, my throat's sore, my eyes hurt, and my nose is stuffed up. This is my pain. I just want to be back to normal. Stupid wind and weather...

...more soon~!!!