The Magic Kingdom...

...it's not quite the same when you're not a kid. There's something about the crowds and long lines that's just not so appealing anymore. It's strange how different things can be from what you remember. Next time I'm gonna try going to Disney Sea. It's supposed to be more adult-oriented--they serve alcohol there :) hehehe...

The happiest place on earth... 

C'est l'halloween! Hey!

Helped out at a kid's halloween party today. The kids were sooooo cute. It was a good change from teaching senior high kids. I've updated my photos page, so you can take a look at www.photos.yahoo.com/thelilone17. There's pictures from Nikko, my birthday, and the halloween party (in case you can't tell, I'm supposed to be a bat).

Halloweeeen 

Onsen...

So I finally went to my first onsen (hotspring) tonight. It took me three months to gather up the courage to bathe naked in steaming hot water with a bunch of old Japanese women. But surprisingly, it wasn't so bad. It was actually really relaxing. I can't wait to try the outdoor onsens during the winter...

Surpriiiise!!!

I was thrown my first official surprise party :) We went for karoake, had some drinks and fried food, and sung till our lungs hurt--everything from Bette Midler to old school Green Day. I think tonight was the first time I realized that I'm actually having a pretty good time out here. It's far from home and things don't make sense 95% of the time, but it's nice to know that there are others around me who are in the same boat and know exactly what I'm going through. I guess sometimes all you need is a little karoake to put things in the right perspective...

Oh, and they even acknowledged my birthday at school! Two of my students came up to me and said in their best English: "Abi-san, we hear it is your birthday--is it true?" When I said yes, one of the girls pulled out a whole bunch of candy from her pocket and gave it to me. I also got presents from two of the teachers: a Japanese cook book and a picture frame. So overall, it's been a pretty happy 23rd birthday...

Of course I have to look like crap in the one group picture we took... 

Waterfall near Nikko (I can't remember names)... 

Lake near Nikko... 

Beware of killer monkeys (though they may be cute)! 

Daytrip...

One of the Japanese teachers at my school took me to Nikko today, which is a small tourist area about two hours away. The drive up there was beautiful. We were going through winding roads, surrounded by mountains and forests on both sides. A lot of the landscape actually reminded me of Canada, which made me a little homesick. We saw a bunch of lakes, waterfalls, and visited a few shrines. The area is famous for evil monkeys that try to steal food from humans, but sadly I didn't see any :(

So I've been in Japan almost three months now. Things are starting to fall into routine. Time is passing by quickly, and I think I can say that I've adjusted to my life here. I still have many moments of homesickness and frustration (especially when I accidentally press a button on my Japanese remote control and zap away my cable), but I'm getting used to it. 3 down, 9 more to go...

Bamboo Forest, Kyoto 

Update...

Just a few highlights from the past two weeks:

1) Reunited with Adamski for 10 days. It was sooooooo good to be together again. As soon as we saw each other it was like we had never been apart. Had a bunch of crazy adventures--saw a rhino take a giant wiz, had some crazy allergic reactions, walked through a bamboo forest, etc. Time passed by way too quickly. . .

2) Booked my ticket home for Christmas!! I'll be back in Vancouver from Dec. 22 to Jan. 6. I can't wait. . .

3) Went to my first "enkai", a.k.a. "drinking party with my coworkers". Getting wasted after work is pretty much engrained in Japanese culture. I went out with the teachers from my delinquent high school. They kept making me try different types of sake. I guess they thought I deserved a drink for having to deal with those kids. . .

4) Hooked on 24!! That show is sooooooo good. I've watched the first 13 episodes of the first season. I've basically been trapped inside my apartment for the past 3 days. Must know what happens next. . .

5) And now for the biggest news: I'm gonna be an AUNT! AHHHHHHH!! The baby is due in April, which means I won't be home :( It really sucks sometimes being so far from family. At least I'll be home again in about 3 months. . .

. . .so that's my life in a nutshell over the past two weeks. Next week's agenda: more episodes of 24!!!