Well done America.
Here's to a better and brighter future!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/election_rdp

as i was walking to my car earlier tonight, i saw a middle-aged man in his car at the gym parking lot... feverishly tweezing away at his eyebrows.
now, i don't think i should've even looked twice.  i should actually be used to it by now, but it's just so strange to me.  still.

culture differences are funny sometimes.

i post this for all of us who need inspiration:

"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely."     -Auguste Rodin

i know many who are suffering through a seemingly endless cycle of boredom and uselessness, so for those of you that can completely relate to this quote, let's make use of our time here, there, wherever and grow from it.

wherever you are, try to learn how to live, love, learn, and appreciate what's around you.

japan loves seasonal themes, and so do i.  
for both junior high and elementary school on thursday and friday, we got 月見 (moon watching) jelly in our school lunch.  on thursday, i thought it was cute that they had a round yellow circle resembling the full moon in the middle of our jelly.  on friday, however, i got lucky and got the jelly with a rabbit etched in it!!!

the japanese (like the Chinese) believe that there is a rabbit in the moon. 

in accordance with the japanese folktale, the rabbit is pounding rice cakes.
so freaking cute.

this morning, i got a package while i was sleeping. 
i was too sleepy to open it, so i just kinda left it on the floor. 
when i was fully awake, i finally opened the package.
it was from my parents.
when i opened it, i almost cried when i saw that they had sent me a mini moon cake (my favorite, i love miniature sized things) and a carpenter's CD (i had told my mom earlier that we were listening to a carpenter's song in my 3rd grade classes and it reminded me of her).

i'd been wanting a moon cake in honor of the chinese moon cake festival (which is tomorrow), but was told that you can't buy it here in gunma.
i was so pleasantly surprised and happy to see that they had thought of sending it without me mentioning anything.
 i was not forgotten.

i love my parents.  <3

"do you miss having a boyfriend?"

"no"

"really?"

"yeah.  but u know what i do miss?
i miss good friends.
i miss good friends way more than a boyfriend. 
... the kind that no matter what-
even when they have a bf or a gf, they'll be there for you. 
the ones that you feel so close to that u know u can count on for anything- whenever, wherever."

i miss those kind of friends, and i miss hanging out with them.
come to think of it, i miss laughing with those friends  for hours on end about nothing at all.
or even just being with them in complete silence, and still feeling completely comfortable.

the movie... is FINALLY in japan!!!
(2 months later, sigh)
and i'm going to watch it this Saturday!!! i'm so excited.   omg...

gonna watch the movie, and then get me some basil gnocchi.
oh man, so excited.

sad and lonely again, but this time for a different and better reason... and even the thought of SATC manages to cheer me up once again.

i'm really looking forward to this saturday morning and afternoon.
just wish i could watch it with my momma, haha.

was in the middle of grading vocab tests, and i swear some of my kids are writing in russian or german.

"differns"
"diffkars"

and by far my favorite:  "bellybu" as a translation for 信じる (to believe).

god, my kids kill me. hahahahahaha.

"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf."   -Unknown

true that.
haha, or as poni would say, "oh true!"

had dinner @ yamato's for mel's last night in japan (for a while at least...)

sad...
bye bye, mel-chan.

another big sayonara tonight/tomorrow.  this one's gonna hurt.  i can feel it.