Some good news! Orie Umemura (fondly known as Ume or "Plum" in English) is coming to stay with me one weekend in March! I first met Ume when she came to stay with my family in Kaleden in 1994 as part of an exchange. I'm so glad that we've kept in touch over all these years-- having a Japanese friend is a serious status symbol for foriegners here (at least it seemes that way to me) since it's so difficult to find someone who wants to be your friend-- and you're not allowed to hang out with your students. One instructor told me that one of his students said she saw him when he was on vacation in another city. Instructor: "Oh? You saw me? Why didn't you say hello?" Student: "I was hiding." Instructor: "Really! Where were you hiding?" Student: "Behind a big garbage can." Obviously it's made very clear to our students when they sign up that friendships are not allowed. Too bad!

One other piece of fun news-- I'm going to an Onsen (hot spring)!! Monday after work Norm from Big Brothers and his girlfriend Waka are coming to pick me up for an evening soak at some hotspring... I'm so excited! Part of the invite has to do with the fact that Waka is 'big' for a Japanese girl-- meaning she's taller and bustier than most. So she loves going to Onsens with foriengers because it means that people stare less at her. What the heck-- I'm beginning to get used to being stared at. I hadn't really noticed it before, because all the staring is very under-cover and polite as possible. But now that I've sharpened up my peripheral vision, I've realized that I really am an object of some interest! And it gives me some degree of power... all I need to do is say "Konichiwa!" to a young Japanese man and he is reduced to fits of girlish giggles. How cute!