A Simple Update

So it's Thursday and I am currently at my base school in my hometown. Thursdays are usually very free, and today there is no exception. I have no classes today. I also have no classes tomorrow at my visit school, they are having a mock examination. And Monday is a national holiday for something. So effectively, I have a 5 day weekend. I'm thinking of doing a bit of sightseeing this weekend. Maybe i will head down to Nara and see the deer and the giant Buddha statue. Who knows if I will have the energy for that. I find myself completely drained by 5pm, and because it is getting colder i find it getting more difficult to get out of bed. Coffee is a lifesaver, but I don't want to end up with ulcers so I have been limiting myself to a cup or two per day. I enjoy tea, but it is more difficult to find flavored tea in Japan than i thought. Green tea is very good, but sometimes a hot apple or peach tea is refreshing. Such is life, I suppose.

I found an interesting bar called McLoughlin's. I went there one night last week to see what it was all about. Although it was quite expensive, around $25 for dinner and a beer, I was surprized with how much I enjoyed experiencing a new place by myself. Usually, I hate eating in restaurants and bars alone, but that has become a growing necessity because i can no longer survive on Convenient store food and take-out bento. Cooking has been quite fun, but my kitchen is so small that making pasta and a pasta sauce is so troublesome. The growing pile of dishes and recycling are mounting worries in my nightly life, but my laziness surmounts my OCD compulsion for cleanliness. The fleating nature of the clean home makes me dread the inevitable moment when footprints can be seen in the centimeter thick dust on the hardwood floor, the ocean of dishes overflows the sink, and the laundry pile grows skyward topling over occasionally to envelope more valuable real estate. I find myself in bed by 8pm, not only because I'm inexplicably exhausted but also because my sorry excuse for furniture consists of a folding lawn chair with a cupholder and small table 12 inches from the ground, barely big enough for my laptop. My apartment still does not feel like home. My room is decorated like my predecessor left it, with all of the items my predecessor left me. The walls are blank and the floor space is hogged by stuff i dont use or need. Maybe it's time for a bit of fall cleaning and decorating. I dont think i'll make it through the winter without a bit of homeliness in my home.

I've been neglecting my Japanese study. Up until a few weeks ago, I was on a firm Japanese study plan i developed for myself. Since then, I havent even tried to get back on track. Now i have more studying to do since i started a self-study Japanese program through JET. The whole thing is a bit stressful. Procrastination and laziness have taken over. The weeks fly by and i find myself asking where the hell the week went. I'm 25% of the way through my first year in Japan and i feel as if i havent done anything yet. I'm a bit disappointed in myself. I need to sit down and make some goals.

Here are some of the good things that I have been doing lately. This is mostly for my own reflection, so if you dont read this i will understand.
-biweekly Kobudo practice: memorized the first kata for Bo, Nunchuck, and Sai.
-bimonthly DnD with other English speakers: I find myself looking forward to this everyweek.
-daily excersize of some sort: whether it be walking to school or kobudo.
-daily reading: I have read 4 large books in the Wheel of Time series since i arrived and i have many more on my reading list.
-made new friends
-travelled to Hiroshima and Kanazawa
-remained in contact over the internet and on skype with family and friends back home
-managed to avoid my usual "change of the seasons" sickness.
-have remained creative and energetic in my classes
-have made actual connections with some students who want to practice english.
-have doubled the size of my ESS club at my visit school.

To Do List:
-remain focused and energetic in my work
-continue practicing kobudo
-make an effort to go out more, whether by myself or with others
-meet some japanese people and practice speaking japanese
-get back into my study pattern

tomorrow is Halloween, hopefully the hours i spent working on my costume will pay off.