Hisashiburi Minnasan!

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I know it's been ages since I've written! Months as a matter of fact, there are a lot of updates!

I will have to do separate posts for some of these events but nonetheless, here is the rundown:

December 2007 - winter holiday

I went to INDIA!!! 3 friends, 2 weeks, 4 cities, loads of photos, some of the spiciest food I've ever had, wild animals in the jungle, crazy people, the Taj, Sham, Bunty, roundabouts, autorickshaws, singing Bollywood hits in the car, and sooo much more!

January 2008

We put on a production of Little Shop of Horrors! I revived my role as a doo-wop girl, but this time as Crystal. It was really rough the week before the show, but we managed to pull it off! Lots of people came, especially my co-workers and even a few students. We were even in the newspaper and on the local TV news. Very exciting!

February 2008

Matsue and Yonago trip to see Maddy and Dao! Maddy took me to all the sights near Matsue and then we had dinner at Dao's the next day. This was in general a very sick month for me. I took two sick days off work. One day I had a fever while I was at work and was taken to a nearby clinic by the science teacher. It's pretty customary for the Japanese to go to the clinic for colds, fevers, etc. You can't really get strong medicine here without a prescription it seems. I didn't mind, I got some great cough medicine that I drank straight from the bottle.

March 2008

Aaaaah end of the school year. Very bittersweet time. Graduation! Some tears, lots of singing and bowing. A lot of teachers are moving to different schools. Some of the hardest changes for me will be having new English teachers to work with. Plus I was told today that I have to clean out my desk because a new teacher will be using it and I will be without a desk until mid-April....I don't know how that's gonna work out, but I'm not happy about the news.

I did however just get back from a great weekend in Kyoto. Stephanie and I took pictures dressed up as maiko (geisha in training) and did all sorts of sightseeing. My legs are tired from walking so much.

In other news...

I don't know if I've mentioned it on the blog or to anyone else, but I have decided to stay one more year in Japan. Some mixed feelings there, this year there were a lot of changes with my job and also a lot of my close friends left Tottori last year so it was hard to adjust at first. Things are better now, not perfect and there will be more changes during the new school year, but I'm confident that there are enough people here (and back home!) to support me through it all. My parents are coming to the Philippines in May so I am really looking forward to meeting them there!!! I most likely will not be going back to Minnesota until 2009 some time. My tentative plan is to go home for a few months after my contract is over here in Japan (July 2009) and then hopefully get a job in Korea. We'll see...a lot can happen in a year!

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Photos

The Taj
family portrait in Agra, India
(l-r: Janelle, Dao, Juval, me)

Sign it!
from Little Shop of Horrors production, Warabekan, Tottori-shi

Izumo Taisha in Shimane, Japan
me and Maddy on a cold and windy day!

Graduation
I'll miss my students!

Farewell Parties
I'm going to miss these guys! Both of them are switching schools.

Maiko
Stephanie and I in Kyoto

Comments

[mil reyes]

thanks for the blogs
gee, precious, you're every inch a geisha in the photo you sent. every photo, every sentence in all your blogs speak of how much you enjoy your stay there - despite a few little disappointments, like not having your own desk till april. ha..ha. all the best for the rest of your stay in japan. and good luck with jobhunting in korea. my warmest regards to your parents when you meet them in may.