I am currently writing a paper on a book called Audrey Hepburn's Neck by Alan Brown. It is interesting, it talks about the obsession the Japanese have for American things. But it is a little odd too. Anyone who is bored might want to pick it up.

I read a really good book called The Strangeness of Beauty. That was incredible. The narrator is trying to write an I-Story and explores a lot of the reasons that people write novels, biographies, diaries. The imagery is also amazing.

Friday I went to see The Ring. It was originally a Japanese movie that Hollywood stole. But in this case I think hollywood did a decent job. I was scared out of my mind. Poor Addi had to sit next to me. I had a death grip on her arm for the whole movie. I watched the original Ring in Japanese, but it wasn't as scary (possibly because I didn't understand most of the Japanese).

Saturday I went to see Harry Potter with some friends (this was the movie weekend). I love love love Harry Potter. But Japanese audiences find different things funny than Americans. So our group would be laughing hysterically (and loudly, we are Americans) and the rest of the audience would be silent. Then the Japanese would start laughing at something random that wasn't funny. It was amusing to listen to the different reactions.

Sunday I went with Addi to her church (a non-denominational church with a Lutheran pastor, that sings out of Baptist hymn books, and has a man in purple tie-dye playing the drums). It was great! We had Thanksgiving dinner and there were American mommies all over the place. It was great to have moms standing around shushing kids and putting dishes out and bustling around the kitchen. It really made me feel like I was in America with kids running around getting into things and moms (in English) stopping them. Some friends and I even got an invitation to an American mommie's house for Thanksgiving night. She said we might just get macaroni and cheese, or grilled cheese sandwiches, but it has been a long time since I had either of those. So that would be almost as good as turkey.

We went to Osu Kannon today on a school field trip. We were supposed to be interviewing people who work there, but it really just turned into a giant shopping spree. Gotta love a class that lets you go shopping as part of the assignment. We ended the class with a trip by the Beer and Taco's restaurant. But then I had to come back to Culture class and that spoiled the day. Boo culture class.

La la la. Today is a good day. I finally finished the JET application and sent it to my mother. I won't hear back from them forever, but it is a relief to get that finished. Today I am going to visit another elementary school with IES. Japanese kids are so cute and funny. Sometimes I wish that my host family had little kids. Tomorrow our Japanese class is going on a field trip to Osu Kannon, a great shopping area where everything is really cheap!

I can't believe that I have so little time left here. Only 32 days. The time just flew by. I must have blinked. I'm slightly torn about that though. I really like it here, I have finally settled in and know what is happening (most of the time). But I do miss my family and friends and America. It will be one of those bitter sweet things, happy yet sad. But I suppose I can come back next year.

This weekend was amazing!

Thursday: Skipped my afternoon classes and took the train to Ise in Mie prefecture with my host mother (it was a 2 hour train ride). We went to the auxiliary shrine of Ise (Shinto religion) called Geku. Then we went and saw a really old merchant district called Kawasaki. We stayed in a beautiful hotel in Toba City that had 30 public baths in the hotel. It was incredible. Shana (their exchange student from last year) met us at the hotel and we had a fabulous time. The hotel had a Jazz show in the bar, and I managed to go to 8 of the 30 Onsens (public baths).

Friday: Took a bath in a giant clam shell, rather amusing. Okasan and I took a cruise around Toba Bay, stopping at Dolphin Island to see a dolphin show and at Pearl Island. We went on an interesting tour of Mikimoto's Pearl Island. I learned about how they cultivate pearls, and the different sizes, shapes, colors, and qualities of pearls. I even saw a bunch of pearl tiaras. It was fabulous. Then we went to the Toba aquarium which was huge and beautiful. They had every animal you could think of. We finally went to our hotel which was in Shima, and had a Spanish Theme. The whole place was done in tile and stucco. It was kindof strange, because I didn't feel like I was in Japan. But I got to sleep in a bed for the first time since August and I ate Spanish food, so I was happy. We also went to another Onsen attached to the hotel.

Saturday: While Okasan went to another shrine, I went to Parque Espana, a Spanished themed amusement park. They had roller coasters, and it was like a mini-Disneyland only instead of Mickey there was a character called Don Quixote. It was actually a lot of fun, but once again slightly ridiculous because we were in Japan. After the amusement park Okasan and I met up and went back to Ise to visit a museum, a random shrine, and Naiku, the other auxiliary shrine to Ise.

Sunday: Visited Higashiyama Koen to view the changing leaves. It was incredible. Growing up in Reno where we don't have a lot of trees I was not prepared for the way the leaves change. I want to take all the trees home with me. Instead I took a lot of pictures. I learned that there is a cherry blossom that blooms in the fall, and that autumn is called the "bamboo's spring" because that is when bamboo turns green. Rebekah and I found a cute little American style coffee shop that is open until 2am. They actually made good coffee too (which is unusual in this country).

Yesterday I almost achieved enlightenment. Well, not quite. Our class visited an elementary school (that's not where one should try to reach enlightenment). The kids were an absolute riot. We talked with a 4th grade class, and they were out of control. Anyone who says that all Japanese kids are quiet and well-behaved should come to Japan and sit in on a class.

After the school, we went to a Zen Monastery. It was incredible. They taught us how to meditate: proper posture, proper breathing, proper thoughts. Then we got to eat dinner with them, and the head nun gave us a lecture. She (Shundo Aoyama) is apparently really famous in Japan, and was very interesting to talk to.

". . . by the modern Zen Master Rosen Takashina: "If it sloshes, there isn't enough." What wit lies behind that remark. A gourd filled to the brim with wine makes no sounds when shaken. If there is only a little wine left in the bottom of a gourd, it sloshese. People are like gourds. Human beings who are truly self-aware remain calm and unruffled no matter what happens. When people rush around busily, complaining and making excuses, they prove their lack of wisdom."-- by Shundo Aoyama

They do have heaters in this country! I was beginning to wonder... Thursday I am going to Ise Jingu with my host mother. It is the shrine of the goddess Amaterasu. When I was trying to say "Amaterasu" the other day I kept saying "Amederasu" which means something like "candy falling out of your mouth" My family thought that was hilarious. At least they weren't offended.

Cory Farley: "There's something about the way the militarys being used now, though, that cheapens it. There's no clear danger from Iraq. No evidence has shown that our deadly enemy Saddam Hussein is more to blame for terrorism than, say, our good friends the Saudis. The pro-war faction, the president and secretary of defense and the rest, talk in generalities about threats, but show nothing.
Most despicably, they go to military bases, whip the troops to a cheering frenzy, then point to that as support: Our young men and woman are eager to bring the terrorists to justice. When you see those clips, remember that the troops doing the cheering are boys, a year or two out of high school. If they weren't cheering for that, they'd be cheering a football team. Our military, every military, depends on the gullibility of the young. That's not always a bad thing �Esomeone has to be there, and an Army of 40-somethings would want to know why, and why so early, and whether this was the best use of their skills. In the absence of evidence, though, using the eagerness of the young to convince a lukewarm public to send those same young people to die for oil, die for pride, die for presidential revenge, is a cheap trick. Not surprising, but no less cheap for that." (Reno Gazette Journal, 11/8/02)

Only in Japan:
-Will an 80 year-old woman profusely apologize for sitting next to you on the subway.
-Will you watch a movie in an unheated kitchen wearing a hat and gloves.
-Will you see dirty words on t-shirts every day, and be the only one who knows the true meaning
-Will you sit in a restaurant for hours after eating trying to figure out how to ask for the bill
-Do 14 year-olds dress more outrageously than 20 year-olds (the school girls have the shortest skirts ever).

I went to the Symphony last night. My host mother forgot to tell me about it though, so I ended up wearing jeans and tennis shoes. Slightly embarrassing, but being a gaijin (foreigner) I can get away with almost anything. The symphony was great though, they had a fabulous conductor who was so energetic that he looked like he was always about to fly off the stand. He was throwing his arms every which way. It was really fun!

One slight complaint- the Japanese don't believe in heating. They have every other technology under the sun, but they don't believe in heating. They don't heat the classrooms, they don't heat the houses. Even worse, they leave all the windows open. It is freezing, you can see you breath, and the windows are open. I want to yell at them all "We aren't living in a barn, shut the windows!" That means I really am turning into my parents. My personal mission in Japan is to close every single window!

If you are planning on coming to Japan...

http://www.unforgettablelanguages.com/learn-japan-sample.html

I met a priest named Mr. Fidget
Upon a mountain tall.
Under the shade of a maple tree
We talked, yet not at all.

He scratched his round, shaven head,
And rubbed his monstrous belly
From which roared a laugh so large
It filled the whole damn valley.

Philosophizing on Buddhist thought
In languages unknown
I scarecely understood a word, yet
The priest was never thrown.

He shook, itched, and shifted so
Meditation seemd unreal
And yet I learned from that priest
Of enlightenmental zeal.

The Nanzan Matsuri (School Festival) is so much fun. I am helping the swimming team make okonomiyaki, which is hard to describe, but delicious. All of the clubs are selling food, and there is a concert stage across from us. It is great! But very very very cold.