The parentals have arrived! I got to the airport and waited for them with butterflies in my stomach. I guess I was a little nervous because it had been exactly 4 months since I had last seen them (a record for me) and I really was anticipating their arrival. We reunited, we hugged, we got on the train. Since I have a great sense of direction (not!) , I managed to get us lost on the way from the airport to my apartment. I ended up getting us on a Rapid Express train heading north instead of southwest. Oops, my bad. [View Full Entry]

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I have always been a fan of crazy, busy, action-packed cities. And I have always been a fan of people-watching. Tokyo did not disappoint. It's amazing just how many people walk the streets of Tokyo. And it's amusing to watch those people walk the streets of Tokyo. You get the good-looking, well dressed couples. You get the crazy-looking, stick-out-like-a-sore-thumb, young people. You get the plain-looking, suited-up, briefcase-carrying businessmen. You get the serious-looking students in school uniforms. You get the happy-looking families with babies or young kids [View Full Entry]

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I have been living in Japan for about 2 ½ months now. It doesn’t even feel like it has been that long and I haven’t even gotten homesick yet. Must be because my mom sends me tortillas from overseas. (Thanks, ma!) Or maybe because when I walked into the cell phone store they were playing Marco Antonio Solis. Odd, huh? Anyways, the crazy thing is that the ‘city’ I live in actually reminds me of El Granjenal (Mexico), except with Japanese people and tons of bikes. There are super narrow streets, rice fields, old homes, giant spiders everywhere (I hate [View Full Entry]

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