Did you know that gekkos squeak? They do. There was one poor little baby guy next to the mailboxes inside my apartment building (or mansion, as they are euphimistically called in Japan) so I caught him and he squeak-squeak-squeaked as I carried him outside. Poor little booger. I mention this because I seem to be spending a lot more of my free time admiring and interacting with insects and animals than I do with people lately. One of my students has a pet shrimp named ebi-chan, and it sounds like a marvelously good idea.

Maybe I need to get out more.

Work has been great, although with the kids I am down to only two junior classes a week (my favorites) no senior classes (my second-favorites) and a whole load of kinder classes (my least favorites). The kinders are prone to pulling my hair out of a curious desire to know how foriengers react to pain. They also pee themselves, smash into each other while doing the hokey-pokey, cry, and pick their noses and then pet my hair. One little dude this week made it his mission to run his hand as far up my skirt as he could whenever I was trying to run crowd control on the other six kids. Wheeeee.

The weather has cooled considerably, enough that I can have the expensive air-conditioner off at night, and my deck-door open. I get to listen to the night-sounds of the bowling alley across the street and the screechy teenage boys singing as they walk home. Also-- is it my luck? Or is it a meaningful sign? I haven't lived anywhere in Japan that hasn't had construction going on nearby. There is another family 'mansion' being built right next door to my building, so I usually wake up at about 5am to the sounds of the trucks and cranes and hammers. Thankfully the noisy cicadas have decreased massively in number. However, they drop out of the sky to die on their backs... most of them die on my deck, I think. This grosses me out, as I am quite fond of live insects, but get really grossed out by dead ones. And these cicadas-- yuck! They look like giant brown houseflies. They're about 3.5 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. The live ones also like to land on my laundry as it is drying on the deck and leave a big poo on my whites. They haven't endeared themselves to me at all.

I can't wait to get to Sendai. I'll fly to Tokyo on the 13th and spend two days with the Miyamotos in Tsukuba, and then go on to Sendai on the 15th with my buddy Ume. We'll stay with her parents and have a reunion with the students that came to Canada in 1994. Hard to believe it's been 12 years since I've seen these people... my Japanese 'boyfriend' (former serious penpal) has since married and had a child. Another favorite of mine, Hiro, has become a well-known artist in Japan. Ume and I are going to go to his house and see his artwork. Perhaps I can do a little networking? Then Ume and her Mom and Dad and I are going to stay at a Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) and enjoy an onsen. Mostly I'm looking forward to the opportunity to gain a little perspective; my contract evaluation is coming up alarmingly fast and I'll have to make decisions about whether I want to spend another year in Tokushima or...? I have many options. It's just a matter of taking the time to listen to my instincts and evaluate both my common and uncommon senses.

I've been spending a lot of time at Bubu's shop-- for you readers of Archie Comics, you'll know what I mean when I say that Bubu's is quite shockingly similar to Pop Tate's Chocklit Shoppe. Bubu is Pop, Miho is Betty, Kayo is Veronica, Takashige is Reggie, Yasu is Jughead. I guess that means that I am Archie! Bubu's family has been more than generous and kind to me. This Thursday he's planned yet another barbecue at his place for me and some of my Nova friends, as well as the Chocklit Shoppe crew. I can't wait-- so far, there isn't much (in my estimation) that can beat the taste of yaki nikku. As is the custom in Japan, I'll have to be sure to get some omiyage (gifts) for my friends and co-workers when I'm in Sendai. I asked Bubu and Haruko what they wanted and they both immediately pointed to their lolled-out tongues; apparently Sendai cow-tongue is a famous delicacy. Hard to believe, but I could be shelling out as much as 5000 yen for a couple of pounds of taste buds... I have no idea what makes Sendai tongue so special, but I guess I'll be finding out soon enough!

Here are my new Japanese words for this week:

motainai- what a waste! or it's too good for (that/him)
nan demo ii - anything is ok
itsu demo ii - anytime is ok
doko demo ii - anywhere is ok
joozu ja arimasen - I am not skilled
kimochii warui - bad feeling
kimochii - good feeling