Summer and I made plans last week to see a movie on Saturday. I get off work at 3pm and I usually make it back to my apartment around 4pm. We thought there would be a later movie, but they only had three showings and the last one was around 4pm, so we missed it. Instead I stayed home, cooked dinner, and cleaned the apartment. Remind me to tell you a funny story about my cats… Anyways, we rescheduled until Sunday. We were going to go to the only showing of the movie, but it was sold out. In the last 3 months or so, that happened at least half of the time we tried to go to the movies. Stupid movies. Stupid us. You can reserve tickets online up to one hour in advance, but since we have point cards for the theater, we don’t like to buy the tickets online because we don’t get points. So we always show up and get turned away because the movie is sold out. Grr. Oh! But I am excited because District 9 is coming to Japanese theaters this year and I’ll be able to see it. My sister told me it’s awesome sci-fi and you know I love that.
So, funny story about the cats… Last weekend I went to a different supermarket than usual and I had to buy cat food but they didn’t have the kitties’ usual food. Instead, I bought a different kind that they have eaten before. I started feeding them the different food on Monday. On Tuesday I came home from work to find little brown blobs on the floor in the hall. I couldn’t quite figure out what they were, because it didn’t look like Darcy’s usual vomit. It wasn’t until I entered the cat’s room that I realized it was shit. There were three brown puddles on the floor and a few in the litter box and the tiny drops in the hallway and living room. Obviously, the different food did not agree with their digestion. In the 4 days until I could go to the supermarket that I know has their usual food (I tried two others in the intervening time), I went through almost three rolls of paper towels cleaning up their poo. It appeared to be so bad that they didn’t always make it to the litter boxes in time, which explains the little blobs and puddles, but I felt so bad for my kitties. I will never feed them that food again. EVER.
Enough of that shit (literally), I’m going to go to a concert on Thursday. It is a national holiday and my old Nova students that are in a band will be performing their own songs for the first time! They were strictly a cover band before, but now they will be playing original songs written by their lead guitarist. And, I’ll be able to buy a CD! I’m so excited. The band is named Godfakers, so if you ever hear about them in the future, I taught two of them English!
How did I miss it? Well, it’s a shame that the groundhog saw his shadow. But then, my mom has been enjoying some fine snow this past weekend, so I can’t say i’m surprised. It seems to have snowed in Nagoya today, but not in my area. Today is Setsubun in Japan. It’s a holiday where the kids throw dried soybeans out the doors of their houses to scare the bad spirits away for another year. It’s also traditional to eat an entire sushi roll (uncut mind you) in silence while facing a pre-designated direction. This year is south south-west. Unfortunately I was unable to get my hands on a sushi roll in the conveni and it doesn’t matter anyways because I have no idea which direction is south south-west. I’ve been busy for a few weeks getting the final essays written and recommendations submitted for two of the three grad schools I’m applying for. Now, I have one more school to send an application to and then I have to worry about financial aid if I am accepted. I am applying for a masters degree in library and information science because I want to be a librarian. It may not be particularly romantic or exciting to you, but it is what I want to do. I have been in Japan for 3 years already trying to make this decision and now that I have made it, I’m looking forward to the future. I really hope I am accepted to one of these three grad schools. I don’t know what I’ll do if I’m not. Probably end up living in Japan as an English teacher until I die of old age or am set upon by an army of school children astonished to see a foreigner playing video games in the subway.
I will say one thing that’s great about winter. I’m always drawn to the real long and difficult classics during the season and I’m currently reading some Charles Dickens after reading a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. I had never read any of her works before and I enjoyed Wives and Daughters very much. The next book on my list is Daniel Deronda by George Eliot. I am sorry to say I don’t think I’ve ever read anything by George Eliot before and I will be glad to change that. Here I am talking about books when I should be going to sleep. It’s nearly 1:30am in Nagoya and tomorrow is a work day. Sweet dreams or good day to you all!
I really like bad vampire movies.
While I was home over the winter holidays, I picked up a bag of Cherry Cordial Hershey Kisses and I must say that they are fantastic. I am not letting myself eat more than two a day because I want my bag to last forever.
Today’s flavor of Pringles: beef kebab
Today’s flavor of Pringles: mayo cheese potato
I have touched back down in Japan. Tadaima.
Merry Christmas! In the last 2 days, I’ve arrived in NC and I’ve eaten waffles. The world is as it should be.
Headed to the airport. Gonna miss my kitties.
