Sparklyladybug.com.au

Ok, so, one of the things that suprised me the most when i got home was how pretty my room was, i had forgotten! It's kinda whimsicalish i think. Anyhow, so here are some pictures of where i live. The mirror, I made it before i went out to japan, some of you may recognize the colours, they kinda match a certain minidisc curtain...it was great fun breaking the glass for the mirror! As for the chair, it is my favourite napping spot in the world, everyone should have one! (as always click on the pictures to make them bigger)

So, taking a train to the airport, kinda sad cause i was all by myself and leaving japan and bored too, needed a project and so, thought i would take a little poll to find out what your fav things about Japan are. Funny, when telling people i was leaving japan, the most common repsonse from other teachers was people telling me that they wish they were leaving too. So, i thought i would leave a reminder of some of the good things about japan so you can all remember why you do stay there! here are answers to the question "What do you like most about Japan?"...(the stuff in brackets are my additions to help clarify but otherwise they are direct answers!)

• karaoke
• matcha freeze
• you can get red bean anything (i'm not sure i personally agree with that one!)
• bags
• dangly bits on keitais (aka cellphones/mobiles)...later updated to "ostentatious percieved style really...phone bits are a subset of this"
• pocky
• my life
• shinks (aka shinkansens/bullet trains)
• mountains
• cheap fags (cigarettes)
• nova usagi (i also might have to disagree with that!)
• japanese castles
• woodblock prints
• the cheesy pasta that used to be in Italian Tomato (a restaurant in Fujinomiya Jusco)
• collection of Engrish t-shirts
• 100 yen shop
• that George Bush isn't president (that was from an American!)
• food
• sushi
• tatami
• food (again)
• change of the seasons

Well, i'm back in Canada now, as you might have figured from the title. I got in this evening...no real problems surprisingly...Air Canada is my new favourite airline, i had so much baggage, 4 carry-ons and 2 large heavyish suitcases and they didn't care! They so get bonus points for that! And, they gave us HagenDaaz ice cream for dessert...how cool are they! However, they have no Tv's of the backs of the seats, so i think they know they have been outdone and are trying to compensate...but it's ok, as it works well when your travelling with lots of stuff!
I haven't had time to go out yet, but it is wierd being in such a big house! I was watching TV sitting on a giant couch and watching a big screen tv, and it was cool but kinda felt a little strange too...quite different from my little apartment with bean bags and watching things on my laptop! Everything is big! Highways, cars, roads, couches, tv's, people! I forgot how big it all is...funny that! I'm sure in a few weeks i will think it's normal again...anyhow, enough babble for now, i'll write more later when i have stuff to say!

Well, i'm at 9 boxes now, and still not done! Although, the end is in sight...my goal, originally was 6 boxes has now been expanded, as i have found more stuff, to, 10...this number may change after i half fill this one...I believe fully in expanding goals as necessary...oh the joys of moving....Guess this really does mean i'm coming home though....The post office closes at 4:30 today, so, whatever I don't pack by then isn't coming. Tomorrow, a courier service is coming to pick up my suitcases and take them to the airport for me...this is the normal thing to do in Japan...And then that is the end of me! I'll be all packed and almost moved, just have to get on a plane after that...crazyish!

One of my friends here made this for me, how fun is that!  

Ok, so, the past two weeks have been good but super sad, as it gets closer and closer to Monday, i have to say more and more good-byes...and it all makes sense really, but that isn't making it any more fun! So, I have started to stop saying good-bye, my latest great trick..."i'm floating around this week, so i'm sure i'll see you again"...it seemed to work really well at the beginning of the week, but now people are starting to catch on...as i was reminded tonight, i only have 4 days left. So, just to inform you all, please don't take it personally, it's not that i don't want to say good-bye, it is just that well saying good-bye all the time is difficult and, it's much easier to figure on paths crossing later on...So, ya, maybe denial does seem to have it's purpose from time to time...

So, about 3 weeks ago i started taking a Japanese pottery class, well, i dont know that it is Japanese persay, but a pottery class none the less. It's been fun so far, but i dont think i'm very good at it! My first lesson i learnt how to kneed the clay...after my sensei (teacher) gave me his dough, i made a couple of mugs. I think he kinda gave up on my kneeding abilities and well, maybe there was good reason for that, while his clay looked like a sculptured organized lump, mine just looked like a big clump! The mugs might be ok actually, we'll see when they come out. The next lesson I made a vase and two teacups. I did a little better with the kneeding this time, i even got looks from my sensei sort of suggesting "there might be hope for you yet!", so i was pretty excited. Communication is quite limited, he has very little English and I have not much more Japanese. My last lesson, I sanded and glazed my mugs, i think the glazing might be my stronger point...we'll see when my mugs come out of the kiln. After that, it was time to work some more on the teacups. While they were on the potters wheel, i had to carve out the bottom into a nice japanese teacup bottom shape, so, sensei showed me how to do the first one, and then i tryed the second. It started out ok...but then all of a sudden it flew off the wheel and broke! So, now it is a sake (pronounced sa-k...it's japanese rice wine) cup (they look like tiny teacups)...but, on a brighter note, i made a pottery class friend cause another lady was glazing, and she wanted to copy me! I used three colours of glaze on my mugs and added stripes and stars...they may not be so japanesey looking, but she thought it was fun and did a similar design! Then, we were talking at the end of class (half broken japanese/half broken english) and she wanted to know when i was coming back! yay for pottery class friends!