Home, in a sense.

Let me begin by apologizing for the quality of this blog going to shit. I have no idea why I don't update often and why when I do update the writing is horrible and boring. Hopefully it will fix itself soon. Anyway...

I've been busy ever since getting back to Japan. To start with, the plane ride back confirmed that Japanese airlines beat American airlines in every sense except for price (when you actually look at what you're paying for, even that is arguable however). The service, food, people, amenities, and SEATS themselves are better designed and executed. On the American Airlines flight (featuring a possibly gay steward who spoke horrendous Japanese and a bunch of fat lady stewardesses who spoke no Japanese) I watched "Warai no Daigaku" starring SMAP's Inagaki Goro, which unexpectedly turned out to be a movie about World War II era free-speech in the midst of Japanese-Government censors. What was touching about the movie was not the cinematography (there were only about four sets used) or the acting (it was fairly mediocre), but rather the fact that it subtly portrayed individual rebellion directly in the face of the government during the war.

When I got to Narita, I got to skip a ridiculously long line at customs because I'm a resident alien. Instead of waiting 45 minutes, I passed right through. Then, since I flew business, my baggage also flew "premium" so my bags were literally among the first five bags to arrive at the claim. I was out in no time. I lugged my heavyshit back to Tokyo, slept at the Shimizu's a night and then headed to Kobe for what amounted to one of the most expensive 3 day periods of my life. It went as follows: arrive in Kobe and eat, drink, and karaoke with Fulbrighters before sleeping at Jonathan's house; wake up and eat expensive cut of Kobe beef for lunch; board train for Kyoto and view half-opened sakura at kiyomizudera before getting on the shinkansen with John Kim again for Nagoya; de-train long enough to meet up with Anna and her fiance and to eat Miso-katsu IN the station before getting on the train again to head back to Tokyo; sleep overnight at the Shimizu's while John Kim wanders the streets (his choice); wake up and go to Ueno Park with John to view the Sakura, which are now in full bloom; board the Shinkansen for Sendai; arrive, go to apartment to rest, eat gyuutan for dinner; sleep; send John Kim back to tomakomai by ferry. Finally rest.

So I dropped ridiculous amounts of cash since getting back to Sendai; oh well, i'll be working soon so i guess it's okay. Yesterday evening I intended to tape all of the mechaike special, but my tape turned out to be 30 minutes too short. I couldn't watch the whole thing because I went out with Taiga. Today I hung out with Takako, Mayumi, Hina, and Masayuki (drinking on a Sunday night! The night before Spring semester starts no less) and I saw Takako's pictures from Australia. Looks to me like she made some kind of boyfriend while there since she had these pictures in her camera of them only wearing towels and making out. I kind of feel like she wanted me to see those pictures for some reason. Maybe to show me she had lots of foreign-style fun while away?

I have two months to complete everything I came to Japan this year to complete and I have very little confidence that I will be able to do that. Here's to hoping I find away. Cheers.