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29.6.10

jump start.

I've had a busy few days, and have been thinking that I need to blog, but haven't really felt like I have a lot to say lately. So we'll have another list post.

--Today, I saw some of the strangest stuff I've seen since coming to Japan. Upon leaving campus (seriously, stepping down the staircase off campus onto public sidewalk), I was greeted with people handing out fliers and a large furry mascot like thing that appeared to be in the process of being consumed by a giant blowfish (or fugu, as it is called here). It was bright yellow, and the blow fish on its head was a bright blue. I presume it had something to do with the city, but as I can't read the advertisement, I will remain confused.

--I also saw this oddly painted bus that appeared to be a field trip vehicle for little kids. All the kids inside were wearing straw hats and blue uniforms, and the outside of the bus had this animal scene (I think lions) painted on it. Cutest thing ever? Heck yes.

--Of course, all this happened when I *didn't* have my camera.

--I now know how to work both the trains and the buses and can safely get myself to Kokura and back. It only costs about $6 round trip, and I've been told that the movie theater in Kokura has a women's night on Wednesdays, where tickets are only TEN US dollars instead of EIGHTEEN. YAY. I will definitely be seeing Inception when it comes to Japan - evidently they do English movies with Japanese subtitles. AWESOME.

--I am in desperate need of fair trade coffee. Email me (dianna_anderson at baylor dot edu) if you want my address to send me some FT Certified (unfortunately instant) coffee. There are virtually no good coffee shops here, and I don't feel exactly comfortable buying the coffee stuff at the grocery store (though I have been getting it out of desperation). If I had some coffee I could make at home, it would make a huge difference.

--I now own Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in Japanese. Yes.

--I learned how to cook chicken in a couple of different ways recently. That combined with yakisoba noodles makes for a great evening meal.

--I haven't had many more unusual foods, though I did discover that the McDonald's here has a teriyaki burger, which I may have to try.

--I am planning three trips in the future, which I may have already mentioned: South Korea in September, home to Sioux Falls in December (to meet little Vera, my niece!!!), and Australia/NZ in February for my 25th birthday. I've figured out that I can survive on just about 500USD/month for food/entertainment, leaving my budget wide open for paying back student loans, saving up money, and taking awesome trips. I'm kind of stoked about this.

--In the English Education Center on campus (read: English Lounge), we have a mix CD that plays English songs. It changes once a month, and I've finally made my selections on submissions. The students tend to like pop Top 40 stuff, which I abhor, so I think I found a happy medium. The selections? "Here (In Your Arms)" by hellogoodbye, "Dance Tonight" by Sir Paul McCartney, "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon, "I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" by Black Kids, "Phantom Punch" by Sondre Lerche (he will be making frequent appearances throughout the year), and finally, "Crushcrushcrush" by Paramore.

--Um, what else...I've been watching a lot of Doctor Who in my free time, and highly recommend it. Most of you, my dear readers, are fans of Sci-Fi, and I think you should know this series. I know of some places to stream it online, so if you want, pop me an email or a comment.

I haven't experienced a whole lot of homesickness yet, but I've been having some strange dreams. Oddly enough, one of the things I miss most is my pets - it kind of sucks not having a cute dog cuddling up next to me as I type, or begging for food as I cook. I don't know a whole lot about social code considering other people's pets here, so I've been really careful when I see adorable dogs on the street and only approach them if they approach me. But I saw a cute little doggie that looked a lot like my dear Lizzie this afternoon and it made me really sad. :(

I didn't mean to leave things on a kind of melancholy note. Um. To cheer you up, the trailer for Part 1 of the final Harry Potter movie released today!



YAY!!!!!

20.6.10

in a future age.

When you think of Japan, what do you think of? It's probably a mess of things: anime cartoons with gigantic eyes, robot technology just shorting of a flying car, cherry blossoms, and Godzilla are just a few, am I right? Huge technology, big cities, fast trains, and men in suits.

What you're thinking of is Tokyo, but as friends have commented, thinking of Tokyo when you think of Japan is like thinking of Times Square when you think of the USA. It's such a small, although visible, chunk of the country that seems to serve to give a distorted impression of the country.

What I'd like to introduce you to is the Japan I am getting acquainted with.

This Japan has mountains covered in dark green forests extending up to meet the sky.

This Japan has old temples made of stone and graveyards that have aging flower on the thin tombstones.

This Japan has no wireless internet.

This Japan has the smell of the ocean when you step out of your apartment.

This Japan air-dried laundry, and barbershops with red and white rotating barber poles.

This Japan has no subway beneath the streets.

This Japan has no Apple stores and one Starbuck's.

This Japan has large orange crabs scuttling in the middle of the street.

This Japan bugs the size of your hand.

This Japan is rural, slightly wild, and beautiful. It has jellyfish stuck in the sand on the beach awaiting the tide coming back in. It has gas stoves and no oven. It has old ladies who will stare at your tattoo and get amazed at the bold American.

But it is also beautiful. As I told a friend the other day, while Shimonoseki is huge, it still feels like a small town. I feel like I am living in Oxford again to some extent - I can and have to walk everywhere, up and down sidewalks and hills, past fields and through tunnels. I shop at the dollar stores, and feel the burn in my arms when I walk the twenty minutes from the grocery store to my house with two plastic bags of foodstuffs. I have the confusion of figuring out the bus system and knowing that I will get lost at some point. But I also have the feeling of safety, of security, of this being my home now.

Japan is not nearly as efficient, technological and "advanced" as most people think that it is. Where I live is much more akin to South Dakota than to NYC - it is a conservative area, very resistant to change, and very family oriented. It has taken the rural and made it a part of the city, something I am well at home with. It has maintained traditions, both good and bad, and its people are friendly and forgiving of errors.

And for the next two years, it is my home. It's hard to believe this is my fourth week here already. I've settled into a routine of teaching, grading and cooking my own food. I'm learning how to get around, and I've made a few friends. My alien registration has come through and I'm officially a foreign resident. I'm planning vacations, setting up student loan repayments and bank accounts, and making a life for myself.

Never in a million years did I picture myself here, but now that I am, it's good to be home.

13.6.10

Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you...

I'm an, uh, an...I'm an Internationalist. There, I said it. Whew. That's a relief.

Wait, no, no, it's not what you think. No, it wasn't anything you did. You were great, fine parents, and I love you deeply. This is just...who I am, who I feel God created me to be.

I have to admit, those missions trips I went on in high school and college...all that getting out into the world and sort of, I guess, experimenting...well, it made me see some things differently. It made me see myself differently. I suppose you could say that it's an urge I've been suppressing for a long time, but when it comes down to it...why fight it anymore? I mean, it's what I love. It's who I love. That's what changed me. I realized that love wasn't just restricted to Americans or British or developed countries. I guess my perspective on Love just...shifted...I hope you can accept that. I love who I love, regardless of where they're from or how much money they have in their pocket or their country's relationship to my country. That's my love, and I hope you can see that.

...

One of the many blogs I follow recently posted this lovely series of clips from Christian Conservative Radio in Minnesota. It contains much of the common anti-homosexual talk so common nowadays, the type of talk that is so unloving that, when I hear it, I tend to just shake my head in sadness and walk away. I still listen, so that I can put things into some context and understand what is being said on the other side (and I'm getting better at listening without getting angry), so I was surprised when the thing that jumped out at me was not their praise of Malawi's imprisonment of a gay couple, nor the discussion of how Muslim nations handle homosexuality. Instead, it was the imprecations against a member of Amnesty International's take on the prevalence of anti-gay laws.

Before they even quoted what she had to say, they commented (with a tone of derision and disgust in their voices), that this was someone from Amnesty International, "so you know already that she's an Internationalist."

Not being a regular listener of the show, the comment intrigued me. "Internationalist" - what does that even mean? From the tone in which it was said, and the offhand way this comment was thrown out, I had to assume that it was something discussed on the show before, and something that was conceivably quite negative.

The implications behind "Internationalist" being an insult and an imprecation of character strike me as more disheartening and frightening than all the anti-gay talk that surrounds it. To be an Internationalist (and I am having to make an assumption here, but I think it is reasonably supported by tone and context), seems to mean someone who looks beyond the borders of America and works for people regardless of national origin. Judging from the context, I don't doubt it might also mean someone who doesn't see national boundaries at all - one of those silly "We Are the World" types, who believes that America is no more blessed by God than say, India or Iraq or Japan.

That seems to be dangerous thinking for these particular radio hosts - an implication that America is not God's chosen people, that the American way is not the only way, that the principles of our Constitution may not be the end all be all of values, life, and government, is dangerous to their position. If America is not everything they say it is - if America is not chosen and blessed by God and therefore the paragon of liberty, if other nations are just as important - then their hardline stances on many issues need to be rethought and challenged.

It might mean (God forbid!) that America's government and Constitution are just as flawed and problematic as anyone other nation's and therefore some things may have to actually change in order to become better.

It might mean opening their eyes to the idea that, despite being the nation of liberty and freedom, we have created a situation in which our liberty and freedom are costing others their lives. Our desire to "live as we want without intrusion," to "live as God commands" (in their interpretation, not mine), might be taking a toll on the rest of the world. But surely, if we're the best nation on earth and the only one that matters, then those foolish "Internationalists" have to be wrong...right?

This conflation of God and State worries me. And no, I'm not talking about separation of Church and State - that's another matter entirely. I'm talking about seeing the State as God, which seems to be precisely the error that these particular radio talk show hosts are making. Because America is the Christian nation founded on Biblical principles by Christian men (a claim disputed by many a learned historian), then the State is simply another arm of God. This leads to comments like Glenn Beck's inflammatory comments that the Constitution is divinely inspired, this leads to the blindness that seems to occupy both sides of the homosexual marriage issue, leads to the uplifting and praising of rather arbitrary political boundaries that are a post-Enlightenment development.

It seems to be a refusal to see the bigger picture - that America, though young and powerful, is a teenager on the world stage, and frequently acts as such.

Being an Internationalist, then, seems to be the only way to survive. To realize that people are people no matter where they come from is incredibly important. When we complain about Obama bowing to the leader of another nation, we cut ourselves off from the idea of actually understanding another person. When we say that "we don't negotiate with terrorists" and use it as an excuse not to be diplomatic in situations that call for diplomacy, we fail to actually be God's nation in the world, the kind that loves its neighbor and tries to make the decision that would be best for all.

I've been thinking about this sort of thing a lot since coming to Japan. As much as I try not to be the Ugly American, I do have trouble with some things, and am probably unintentionally rude quite often. But, making an effort to learn and grasp Japanese culture also means that I am making an effort to see the Japanese as people, and not just some foreign group. There are numerous things that are immensely confusing in Japanese culture, at least to the American mindset. But, I wouldn't get very far if I just said, "Well that's not how we do it in America," and left it at that.

That might make me an Internationalist. If that's the case, then so be it. I'm fine with a label that means I'm making an effort to make the world a better place, rather than just sitting back and yelling "HELL NO" out of one side of my mouth and saying praises to God out of the other.

So, American Nation, I hope you understand. I hope you can bring yourself to look at America more critically in the future, and maybe get into the 21st century with the rest of us. It's 2010, baby, why are we even having this discussion?!

11.6.10

"Where do you come from?"

"South Dakota."

"Um, where is that?"

I turn to the large world map behind me, find the United States, and point to the middle, up close to Canada.

"Ohhh! Is that city or country?"

"I live in the city, but it's mostly country."

"OH! You are city girl then!"

"Kind of."

I had this conversation at lunch today in the EEC, or English Education Center, on the University's campus. It is a replica of conversations I've had with my students, fellow professors, and other English-speaking Japanese. Explaining where I come from is hard - "South Dakota by way of Texas" doesn't make a lot of sense to the Japanese students at my school. Frequently, they recognize Texas, but then explaining that I'm not actually from Texas, but somewhere else entirely gets a little complicated.

Not a whole lot of people in the United States could find South Dakota on a map, so it's no surprise that I have to keep spelling out S-I-O-U-X and D-A-K-O-T-A for official forms and stuff.

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about where I come from. If "coming from" some place was as simple as "this is where I spent my childhood," then South Dakota is my answer, no question. I spent the first 22 years of my life there. But if "coming from" means "Where were you directly prior to coming to Japan?" then my answer has to change. Reluctant to claim Texas as my own, the "South Dakota by way of Texas" was born.

But what if "coming from" means where I grew up, where I became the person I am? Then Texas, England and South Dakota all have a claim, and to a lesser extent, India, France, and Italy all do as well. Rarely have I visited another country without it becoming a part of me in some way. Having been here only two weeks, I can already tell that Japan is going to have a great effect in my life - I am living alone for the first time, living in a country that does not speak my native tongue, and basically having to relearn everything I know about feeding myself (I mean, cooking, not the actual eating process itself, though chopsticks are a fun addition to the arsenal of utensils). I will do a lot of growing up here - my teaching philosophy will have to change in many respects, and while I hope to keep the essence of who I am, I think my perspective on many issues will broaden out.

Being from South Dakota means a lot of things. I pronounce "wagon" like "wegon," for a start. But I also tend to view things through a much more practical lens. Being the daughter of a man who grew up in the country, in a family of seven, I tend to see things very practically - if an object doesn't have an immediately obvious purpose, I tend to regard it with skepticism. I have cushions on my couch not to look pretty, but to serve a function. I also know how to drive in snow, with a manual transmission, and know what sort of things to do in severe weather. I also have a healthy respect for nature, knowing that a storm can kill you in seconds, and you shouldn't really muck around with it.

Having lived far away from home though, I also see a lot of beauty in "seizing the moment." Living in England developed a lot of my independence and confidence, teaching me not to see my country as the end-all be-all of nations, teaching me how to make and treasure friends, and teaching me to adventure as long as I am able. England gave me a lot of the life philosophy that landed me in Japan.

In Texas, I came face to face with the concept of poverty. Waco, as the 16th poorest city in the nation, held more encounters with the homeless and the poor than I'd had before, even in England, where there were some beggars I saw every single day. The Christian bubble which Baylor is surprised and disconcerted me, and I grew out of previous prejudices and ideas about the poor. I learned to simplify my life, learning to let go of things I didn't need, and learning how to love those around me even more. That is a large part of who I am now.

India brought me face to face with the other side of the world. I saw beauty, grace, love and God there in some of the worst situations. I learned to see the beauty in another person, even if it was not on the surface obvious. I confronted a lot of different questions about my American lifestyle and how I wish to live.

In two years, when I'm finished with my tenure here at Baiko, how then will I answer this question?

Where do I come from?

Where do you come from?

8.6.10

7.6.10

down the rabbit hole

I apologize in advance that this has nothing to do with a Japan update. It's something that's been on my mind a lot lately, and I wanted to get my thoughts out where my friends could read them. Regular updates will continue later.

Last summer, I went up to Dallas with a friend to see Coldplay live. It was my first time going up to the D/FW area without having the airport as my goal, so naturally, my friend Amber and I took some time and wandered about. We went to the West End of Dallas, and realized we were blocks from JFK's assassination site. Being naturally curious and interested in history, Amber and I walked over to Elm Street and discovered a number of people milling about and taking pictures. Realizing that this had to be the spot, Amber and I walked over to a low wall and looked around.

It was then that a homeless man (I think his name was Steve) came over and stood next to us. Steve pointed out to us the "x" in the middle of the road that signifies the exact spot where JFK got shot, and to the grassy knoll where there was supposedly a second gunman. He knew his history, and his also knew his own spin on it - he proceeded to tell us about how the parade had gotten rerouted the day before, putting the Kennedys in prime position for assassination, and how certain things about the day didn't add up. While he told me a lot of ostensibly true things, these kernels of truth were couched in an immensely complex story about how it was the Russian mob who wanted JFK dead, and that's why Lee Harvey was shot too on his route from the jail to the courthouse. This conspiracy theory stretched far and wide, to the highest levels of government. While Steve didn't provide a plausible reason for the Russian mob wanting JFK dead - something that seems to be lacking in a lot of JFK-centric theories - he was adamant that his version of the truth was the right one.

Since that moment, I've been hearing a lot of conspiracy theories about all sorts of different subjects. When one becomes involved in the social justice movement, one unfortunately encounters a lot of...well, odd...people who have their own pet theories to support, and reasons behind causes. I like to think that I will support a cause that leads to justice happening even if it comes from the mouth of someone spouting conspiracy as the cause for injustice, but lately, my patience has been stretching thin.

Conspiracy theories tend to fail a simple test of reason, and seem to function on a plane all their own - the less facts there are to support it, the more some will willingly believe it. Sure, I'm pretty fine with it if you want to believe that we didn't walk on the moon. I can't prove it to you (though, the Mythbusters made a darn good attempt recently) and it doesn't really strike me as something super important to living one's life. My problem comes in when you begin to base your actions, your way of looking at the world, through a filter of conspiracy.

Conspiracy theories are everywhere, from Illuminati symbolism in Lady Gaga's work, to the Catholic Church wanting to hide a sado-masochistic feminist sexual cult, to fluoride in the public water, to aliens. Each of these theories has their own supporters and some of them are harmless - like walking on the moon - but some have serious consequences if believed without independent research or, well, thought.

For example, there's a popular theory out there dealing with medicine and vaccines. The idea is that vaccines are actually pretty well useless, and some are even harmful, but the government and medical companies make money off of them, so they've hushed up the Truth. Based on one article published in the 1990s and then retracted by not only the scientific journal that published it but by nine of the ten authors who wrote it (the last we will get to later) and discredited by the scientific community at large [and most often by independent researchers who have nothing to gain], many contend that the vaccines - specifically an additive necessary to many vaccines called thimerosal - is linked to the recent uptick in the diagnoses of Autism in young children. As a result, those who support this theory do not vaccinate their children, resulting in 1. the child not being able to attend school because of the lack of vaccination, 2. the child being exposed to and vulnerable to several diseases that would otherwise have been harmless - indeed, without vaccines, a child is much more likely to die young.

Counter-arguments are multifarious and multifaceted. My basic question to answer conspiracy theory is "what's the end goal?" Who has something to gain by imparting an incurable condition on hundreds of children? The answer is usually: pharmaceutical companies who stand to make money off of vaccination, the government, which is in the pocket of Big Pharma, and doctors, who are often persuaded to test new drugs via incentive from the pharmaceutical companies.

I don't deny that there is a connection between pharmaceutical companies and the government. There are numerous Senators who are likely in the pocket of Big Medicine, just as an equal amount are in the pocket of Big Agriculture or Big Business. That is simply how things work in our system, and I agree immensely that this is a broken system - lobbyists and their ilk cause as many problems and road blocks to the way our government runs as the government does to itself through infighting, elections, etc. But, could Big Pharma and Big Government, so nestled in each other's pockets, have such far-reaching forethought as to knowingly put out a theory of vaccination, continue it for years and years, teach it to every biology teacher out there, fabricate studies saying vaccines work, and then quash a lone theory that claims there might be a causal relationship between vaccines and autism?

I honestly don't think our government's that smart. I mean, c'mon, Congressmen aren't even that good at hiding their extra-marital affairs. You think a conspiracy that would have to stretch over literally thousands, if not millions, of people, could be orchestrated by men who frequently can't remember to delete incriminating texts from their phones? And what would be the purpose of the hundreds of millions of vaccines donated to third world causes, Doctors Without Borders, disaster relief and free clinics?

Besides that, there are the mounds of proof against such a relationship between thimerosal and autism: remember that article I mentioned earlier? The one man who still says those results are valid lost his medical license in the United Kingdom after he used his son's birthday party as a medical study, giving the small children a test drug without asking for consent or even informing the parents what he was doing. He has now moved to the USA, and is making money off of selling his anti-vaccine conspiracy. There's also the argument that there really hasn't been an uptick in autism - we're just able to catch cases and symptoms earlier, and more kids are being diagnosed as a result. Because autism appears on a spectrum, we're ending up with diagnoses from mild to severe. Because of advancements in diagnostics, it seems like there are more than predicted in the 1990s, but that's only because the prediction was wrong, not that we have seen any actual increase.

The problem with conspiracy theories is that humans like stories. We liked complicated explanations because the simplest solution is often the most boring. It's much more fun to say that Lady Gaga is a mind-controlled robot who references this subtly in her work for those "in the know" than, maybe, just maybe, admitting that she's making some sort of artistic statement that only makes sense to her. Or an even simpler explanation: she just wants to make money by being as outrageous as humanly possible - shock value = monetary value in artistry as of late. But that, of course, doesn't make for a good story. It's much more fun to create the idea that there's this whole sector of elite that want to brainwash the public in order to...to...what now?

And here's where I run up against a brick wall with most conspiracy theories. What purpose do they serve? To what end would this conspiracy aim? Take the Russian mob-JFK assassination: What purpose did the Russian mob have in taking out JFK? Can you point me to tangible changes in policy with LBJ as president that would have served to aid the Russian mob? Is there some reason that taking out a well-liked, good liberal president and replacing him with another well-liked liberal president achieved any conspiratorial end? Or the vaccines - it would seem that knowingly causing autism would raise more costs for the government because, now that the kid is in the school system, they end up spending more of that vaccine cash on getting the kid in special education. It costs thousands more - to the taxpayer, to the government and to the pharmaceutical company - to educate a special needs student than it does an average, not handicapped child. The cost-benefit doesn't seem to work out.

Most conspiracy theories, to me, seem purposeless. While it's fun to tell the story, I have to question why in the world the government would benefit from having a dumber public (fluoride in the water) or why a giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is somehow benefiting...well, anyone?

What it comes down to me is paranoia versus hope. With conspiracy theories, what you most often find is a general distrust of authority, to the extent that anyone speaking from an authoritative standpoint on an issue is not to be trusted. What action does this lead to? You don't vaccinate your kid. You don't attend church. You are an independent thinker! Huzzah? So what? You question absolutely everything, to the point where you don't know if you can even trust your own mind because it could be influenced by the entertainment you consume. You go so far down the rabbit hole that you don't know whether or not to trust anyone. You can't enjoy the music you're listening to because of the potential symbolism in it. You can't work at that place because they support mind control. To me, itt seems like a pretty paranoid existence if you take it too far.

To me, the problem is taking oneself out of the system. If the entire world is webbed in conspiracy and mind control and Illuminati and what not, then how in the world do I get out of this? Everything I touch - the couch I sit on, the computer I type on, the grape juice I drink - is tied into conspiracy. I can't even turn on my water faucet for fear of mind control. Who do I trust? No one. Who do I love? No one.

In the end, I can't take that sort of existence. That's where I see conspiracy theory headed - it doesn't teach critical thinking, but rather, paranoid excess of thought and mistrust. Conspiracy theories tend to be more destructive than edifying and less critical thinking than hypocritical "lack of proof proves my point."

Instead, I hope. I choose, instead, to see the better of people. Rather than always looking at the seedy underbelly, mistrusting my superiors or deflecting the blame for a bad occurrence off onto this unnamed conspiratorial force, I instead choose to think that most people are going through this world as I am - bumbling along, hoping to make the right choice, unable to see the future but hoping the decision I make is the right one.

It is much easier to argue for justice and love from a standpoint of hope than paranoia.

It is much easier to create a movement toward justice and hope if you are able to trust that education is the way to open minds to Truth and not a form of indoctrination of evil.

It is much easier to love others if I have the hope of Jesus Christ and the backing of the community of the Church, than if I see the Church as a mass of conspirators.

Basically, I tend to agree with Occam's Razor: the simplest solution is usually the right one.

Why do we have vaccines? Because it is the scientific community's consensus that this is the best way to prevent deadly diseases.

Why was JFK shot? Because Lee Harvey Oswald had some sort of grudge against him.

Why was Lee Harvey shot? Because he shot the President and pissed off a good number of people.

Why does the Catholic church have pagan imagery? Because, at the time it was founded, taking on symbols of the culture it was attempting to evangelize was a good way to get through to people - think St. Patrick and the bringing of the Gospel to Ireland.

Why does Lady Gaga have references to the all-seeing eye? Because these are potent artistic and literary symbols that afford an artistic expression, NOT literal expressions of mind-control (just think, if she was a mind-controlled robot, would she be able to give us little hints toward it?...I doubt it)...

So while it may be fun to go down the rabbit hole occasionally, and while it is usually good to take information with a grain of salt and do one's own fact-checking, we also need to be careful not to misread the text and remember the nature of the characters we're dealing with. Conspiracy may make for a good convoluted story, but in the end, it's usually the Butler who did it, with a simple smoking gun.

____

For more information on why, specifically, The Da Vinci Code is complete bull (from someone who has both read the book [twice] and studied the issue), leave a comment, or shoot me a message elsewhere. I'd be happy to give you some info.

5.6.10

konnichiwa!

If anyone had a time lapse camera trained at my desk in my living room, they would think I am a raging alcoholic. Every night, I have three or four wine glasses filled near to the brim with dark purple liquid.

But fear not! I am just a Baptist, drinking grape juice out of what happens to be the largest glass in my house - a large round wine glass.

I am still adjusting to this whole "having an entire apartment to myself" thing. In some respects, it still feels a bit like I'm just living in someone else's house for a little while before I get moved to a more permanent location, like in witness protection or something. On the other hand, I have decorated a bunch and have adjusted to sleeping in a bed that is just ever so slightly too small for my tall frame.

It's been a busy first week in Shimonoseki. I started teaching right from the get go on Tuesday, and have been enjoying my classes. The lower level English Oral Communication courses can be frustrating at times, especially as I have no way of talking to the students in any language but the one they are in that class to learn. I'm sure it will get more comfortable eventually, but for the time being, it's a bit frustrating. However, my writing class, composed of top level English students, is a breath of fresh air - the students can express themselves decently well and the language barrier is more of a low wall than an insurmountable fortress.

I've gotten to speak with my parents a couple of times, which is nice, and I'm slowly developing the ability to stay up past 10, which means I'm overcoming the jet-lag.

Sorry this is kind of a scatter-brained post, but I figured I should get something up so that you know I'm not dead.

Other adventures I've been having:

-I used the onsen for the first time yesterday. Discovered it doesn't drain into a pipe, but onto the floor of my bathroom (which has a drain). Unfortunately, said drain must be a bit clogged as it...well, took FOREVER to drain so I had to watch it carefully to make sure it didn't flood the whole room.

-I had fugu today. Yep, that's right: blowfish or pufferfish, depending on what you want to call it. It was deep-fried in some sort of batter, and was actually really, really delicious. Squid was also available at this lunch, but I didn't want to go too far into the exotic realm. ;)

-Today is my last day without a couch. My lovely neighbor, Linda, offered to buy me some furniture as a housewarming present. We found a nice, white leather with red trim, 50s Art Deco style couch for a pretty reasonable price, with free delivery. So tomorrow between 2 and 4, I will have a couch! (Which also means I now have a place for people to crash when they come to visit! Hint hint.)

-Linda and I also took the ferry across the strait to Mojiko today, and explored the town a bit. Shimonoseki, for those who don't know, sits on a strait between Japan's main Island and it's southernmost [large] island. Mojiko is a port town across the strait from Shimonoseki, and it takes 5 minutes by ferry to get there. They have stores that sell American goods, and a 31-foot tower where you can see for miles (see above). There's also a house there where Einstein stayed for a little while when he was in Japan in 1922.

-I am slowly conquering the grocery store - thus the presence of grape juice in my fridge. I have discovered (I think) a way to make Yakisoba noodles at home, so I've been having those a lot. I also discovered that peanut butter is very expensive here, so I need to be careful how much I eat at once (a fact I forget when it comes to the actual making of a sandwich). Bread here is about twice as thick as that in the states, which makes for interesting eating.

I'm settling in nicely and enjoying my time here. Next week, I'll be getting up at 3AM my time to hopefully watch England trounce the US, so if you're watching that game, you're watching it with me. And here's a parting gift, a video of my walk to work: