Knitting and Reading......

There are things that I did back home (in New York) that I did pretty constantly. If you know me at all, you'll know that these two things are knitting and reading. What's been bothering me a bit lately is that I haven't done neither in quite some time, or at least not enough to mention. I've been so busy settling in and doing JET related activities (Hiroshima Orientation and Saijou Language Camp, I'm looking at you two!) that by the end of the day, when I actually realize that I haven't knitted or read anything yet during day, I'm generally too tired to try. Don't get me wrong, it's not all work, and even when it is, it's usually fun! But there just hasn't been time to devote to my hobbies is all. I'm still waiting for things to become "regular," to have a schedule I can somewhat rely upon. Watch, I'll be crying for interesting interventions in a month, but for now, I'd really like to feel a bit more of everyday-ness.

My Cell Phone (Keitai)

Anyways, I've realized I haven't posted any pictures yet really (though there are a few videos up on youtube), so here's something I use every day. I present to you..... drumroll...... MY CELLPHONE!!! OK, ok, it's not that interesting, but this week, while I was at the language camp, I found this super cute Spider-man sticker, and I just had to show it off! Now every time I take out my cell, this chibi Spider-man reminds me of someone special, and thus I feel I miss him just a little bit less that moment. 

But yeah, as for the straps, the koala is from Chinatown (in NYC), and the ox is from Hiroshima City (where I went for more orientation), representing my Chinese astrology sign. I used to have Jiji  (from Kiki's Delivery Service) on my cell instead of the ox, but unfortunately I lost it last weekend during a JET birthday get-together (enkai). T_T Sadness, but nothing to be done, I just have to get another...

In other news, I bought three hats this past week.... 3!!!! I don't know where the urge came from.... well, that's not true, I do know... It's the friggin' Sun... It's pretty strong here, and I've been wanting to get a hat since I got here but have not found anything really suitable.... and now I have three... Oh well, at least I think they're cute!

I also seriously need t get some sort of suntan lotion, and soon. I'm only outside for roughly an hour a day, which is usually broken up into 10-15 minute increments, but at least two of those increments happen around noon, so I've been getting pretty tan on my arms and legs, and maybe even my face a bit too. Good thing I had a base tan from Antigua in May, so my skin changes color gradually and it's not overly obvious.

What else, what else.... if you're my Facebook friend (and here I mean actual friend, not "friend" as Facebook uses it), then you probably saw my video of my apartment. If not, here are a couple of pictures:

This is my kitchen/dining area. On the left (which you can't see from this angle) is the main door with a Japanese "entrance" hall, which is at the same level as the area outside the main door, while the rest of the apartment is roughly 30cm elevated. Also on the left, right after the entrance hall is the doorway to the bathroom area.

This is what I see when I walk through my main door. Straight ahead through that sliding door you can see my living room. The bedroom is next to the living room to the right.

Here you can see the doorway to the living room on the left, and the doorway to the bedroom on the right, the way I see them from my kitchen.

A closer look of my living room. I have a TV in the area to the bottom left.

A view of my living room from my bedroom. Behind the bedroom curtains is my terrace.

Yes, I have tatami mats in both my bedroom (shown here) and my living room. And yes, I do sleep on a traditional Japanese futon... no bed here.... though my couch opens up to a bed-like thing.

And this concludes your tour of my apartment here in Fukuyama. I love it, it's nice and comfortable. It's a good size apartment, same type and size that many Japanese families (yes, families) use. (PS: For those of you who understand tatami sizes, both rooms are 6 tatami mats big.)

The final thing I'd like to mention is that I finally, FINALLY, saw Inception in the theaters this past Wednesday. Highlights (including both positive and strange) were:

0) Pre-note: Movie tickets in Japan are suuuper expensive! One regular/no-frill ticket can cost ¥1800-2000! Luckily I went on Ladies' Day, which theaters tend to hold once a week (just like Men's Day and Couples' Day), so it only cost me ¥1000. Also, as a side-note, movies after 8PM tend to be cheaper, since prime time to go to the movies here is from 5-7PM. (I think this last one has to do with making sure to catch the last train so you can get home.)

1) The movie itself was awesome, and I'm really happy that I chose to see it still in the theater. I think the actors did a good job, and I especially like where DiCaprio's career has been taking him these recent years. I liked him as a teenager (who really didn't?), and I like him now, though this time much more because of his acting ability than his dreamy eyes. ^.^

2) There was an AWESOME Harry Potter preview before the movie! I almost fainted.... enough said. ^o^

3) I found my new favorite soda: Fanta Melon!!!! Try it sometime if you can. If it's imported from Japan, it should be awesome and delicious!

4) Strange thing of the day: It's true what I've heard... Japanese people really and honestly don't make a sound during or after a movie (ie during credits). No laughter, no shocked noises, nothing! Lights in the theater don't get turned on until ALL the credits have rolled, and only then did the audience leave. It was kinda scary, the quietness of it all... >.<

5) And last but definitely not least....!!! drum roll, please..... I ordered my ticket, popcorn and drink all in Japanese! やったー！\(^o^)/  Goooo Language Camp!!!

OK, this has become a reeeeally long post so I'll end it now.... In the future I will try to blog more frequently and maybe a bit shorter blogs. Till then...! ^.^