Hey Everyone, I know I haven’t written once since I’ve been in Japan, and that this is my first entry after 2 months of being here. But to tell you the truth there’s not much to tell, and what there is to tell is just rather depressing, so… here it goes: The main event this summer has been my sad attempt at a love life. I told Sumida-san, this amazing guy who I have been half in love with since last summer, that I liked him, only to get the “I like you as a friend/little sister,” speech. And in [View Full Entry]

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The latest news... So I'm too lazy to look back and see what I wrote last, but I don't believe I mentioned that after finding the sublettor, Courtney, my current roommate, informed me that she was moving out. This, as I am sure you can imagine, increased the stress level considerably, and I was really worried for a bit. But, as it turns out, Courtney has decided to stay till August when I get back, and the sublettor, Sarah, will stay on in the fall--so my sublettor will be my new roomie! Yay!! I'm super excited as she seems very [View Full Entry]

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Updates, updates... So the good news is that I have: 1) A subletter 2) A visa The lease is on the way, and all I have to do is pack and take my exams. Well, almost. So, here's a small problem I have recently discovered. My visa is a 3 month visa, but my flight dates are May 18-August 21. See the problem? So when I spoke to my boss, I discovered that even the 3 day discrepancy could cause me to be barred from re-entry for a number of years if I overstay my visa. Big problem if I [View Full Entry]

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Well with a week to go before exams, the stress is piling up. As the subletter I had lined up pulled out, I am also struggling to find someone new before I leave on the 14th of May to go back to Ohio. I have someone coming over today, so hopefully she works out. The only problem is she has a dog, and Courtney, my roommate, is not too keen on having pets in the house. However, it's either this or not having the rent paid, and I'm thinking it's better to opt for the dog. ..In other news, I've finished [View Full Entry]

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Ok everyone! Well it's getting to be that time again! I received news from Keiko yesterday letting me know that my certificate of eligibility from the immigration office has arrived, so hopefully I will have my visa within a couple weeks! I have also made some headway on finding a sublettor for my apartment, so all that's left is to get through the next few weeks with exams. In about a week and a half I have a mock trial on which my sole grade for the class rests, so wish me luck everyone!! Then I just have 4 more exams [View Full Entry]

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Well I have a little less than 8 weeks until I leave for Japan again, and not much less stressful than last time unfortunately. I am still seeking someone to sublet my place for the summer and apparently the office has yet to locate any short term housing arrangements for Naho and me. This last part I am not as worried about since, they didn't find anything until about 3 weeks before my arrival the last time. However, I am stressed about finding someone to sublet my place. I suppose I still have another 5 weeks, but I really want to [View Full Entry]

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Well seeing as I have begun preparing for my return to Japan this summer, I thought I would start up my journal again. In terms of preparation, I have sent my documents in to Keiko for review and hopefully will have my visa by the beginning of May at the latest. I also managed to find an awesome deal on airfare and got my ticket for $986 roundtrip with only 1 stop, which is awesome. If I were going for a shorter time I could have gotten it cheaper, but if you're staying in a country for more than 6 weeks [View Full Entry]

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Wednesday 8/9/06 Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve updated, but I have been pretty busy and haven’t had much chance to write. Last Tuesday I moved in with a new host family, the Yamashitas, who are extremely kind and wonderful people. The family consists of a mother, Akemi-san, father, Masatoshi-san, and 18 yr. old daughter, Erika-chan. The own some kind of clothing manufacturing company not far from the office. Their home is smaller than the previous two, but still very comfortable, and they have a cat and a dog who are so cute!! My room is on the first [View Full Entry]

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Tuesday 8/1/06 Ok here it is…the Tokyo entry!! *cheers* Well Tokyo was…ok. I mean it was cool, don’t get me wrong, there were some awesome things to see, things you could never find anywhere else in the world, but honestly, I prefer Gifu. I know I know, you can all look at me quizzically now, but in Gifu the air is cleaner, the trains are less crowded, the people are WAY nicer, and stuff is a hell of a lot cheaper. You want sticker shock, go to Tokyo, where you will pay $20 for a burger and fries. No joke. Ok, [View Full Entry]

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Monday 7/31/06 *First let me say, the next two posts won’t have as many pictures as usual…it’s kind of hard, when you’re having fun with your friends, to stop everything and say, “hey, let’s take a pic!” I decided I would rather be in the moment with everyone then stop every few min to take a picture. Hence, the lack of usual photos* And now, on with the post… Another hectic, but exciting weekend here in Japan! This one started off Friday night when I went to play volleyball with a bunch of co-workers. I Shou-chan drove me in her car [View Full Entry]

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