New Year, New Life

This weekend has been a perfect example of why it’s been hard for me to blog on a regular basis . . . well, beside the fact that our camera died and I am unsatisfied with the picture and video quality from our little cell phones. :} Terinati works most weekends, so the few hours that we have together are spent making the most of them by sharing our meals and playing games that we can only play together. I had Friday off of work because the office is closed for the New Year Holiday, but I woke up sick and by noon could barely think straight; I ended up sleeping most of the afternoon until Terinati came home from work, and this is a sickness has been flaring up on almost every weekend! Thankfully, I’m off of class for a little while and have some breathing room where I don’t need to do homework on the weekend for a change! But, I’m still putting in a full 8 hours of work on Sunday for overtime in order to not only help the public, but also because we’re pretty much just getting by right now with both of us going to school and both of us trying to work. Case in point, this is my third attempt at getting this blog written. :}

It’s been crazy busy. Since I got my first temporary job back in July, I had to drive to other cities to take advantage of work opportunities, some so far away that I had to stay in hotels and miss Terinati and the kitties for several days. Then, in September, I got a job closer to home but had class and lots of overtime work, and a severe cut in pay ($4.50 less an hour). Sure, I could force myself to blog, but I found there to be little to say other than the same old thing: tons of overtime, tons of school, need to sleep now. :} Crafting of food and other items has also come to a halt because we simply can’t afford most of the ingredients or equipment needed for new recipes.

However, as the New Year has arrived and we celebrated bringing in 2011 this morning, I feel so grateful for so many things that I would be remiss in blogging about them!

First of all, hooray to making it out of the most toxic place I have ever lived. Yes, we met several dear and awesome friends out on the east coast, but . . . nothing in this world could ever make me move back there. Never have I been around so many heartless people in my entire life (the most common complaints co-workers made at work was about other people at work or their own families). I don’t miss it (although we do miss our friends), and I think I can speak for all of us in our home when I say we feel a million times better since the move (the cats are much more peaceful and content than they were). Not only that, but the cost of living is much cheaper out here and we actually managed to find work, which wasn’t happening out there. Hooray! And, of course, we’re closer to family and other friends . . . so the rest of you should move out here and join us. ;)

Speaking of family, I got to spend time with my father and step-mom for the first time in nearly a decade outside of the wedding, which was great! It’s so wonderful to spend time with them and get to reach out to them on the phone because we are in the same time zone again. Hopefully, when we’re back on our feet financially, I will get to spend more time with Terinati’s family, too. Although, we are now living near his brother and his wife, so we do at least get to see them. :)

On that note, my brother also lives nearby and gave us a surprise visit, which was awesome! I felt bad that I had no gifts for him this year, but being able to spend time with him was really and truly special. I’m looking forward to keeping in touch with him and perhaps finally getting to see him perform with his band!

Familial and friendship blessings abound. I am eager to get our financial situation in order so that we can really reconnect with our friends from out here, but I have so much to thank everyone for despite our lack of being able to reach out that it can’t be held within this simple blog; it’d be far too long. Even though it’s sad when friendships don’t work out, I’m glad to have shed the negative people who just wanted to see bad things in me no matter what I did. I wasted so much time trying to prove my devotion to them, and now that they’re gone I feel free to give my love to those who have always been there for me and truly deserve it: the friends who believe in me and understand that I’m not perfect but that I’m trying my best. That’s all we can each do, right? So, thank you to everyone, especially Fritzy, who sent me a book to support my programming creativity even though I haven’t made much of my few skills yet. :} It’s nice to have friends who believe that you’re capable so long as you’re trying, and that kind of support is something that I’ve been missing.

So, going into the New Year, we may be poor, but we’re both working and doing our best. We don’t have a lot, but I feel like we’re blessed beyond reason. So much love fills our happy home that even with the struggles and losses we’ve faced in the past year, it’s impossible to go in to 2011 without a smile on my face. I feel that at my work I’m making a real difference in people’s lives, and my bosses appreciate what I contribute to our team. It may sound cheesy, but the love that is overflowing here . . . Well, sometimes I feel so lucky that I’m worried fate might strike us down for having too much. :o We’ve worked hard for this, though. Hopefully, I’ll be able to write more and share more of the wonderful changes that are going on, but in the meantime, I hope each of you has at least as wonderful of a New Year as we’re having here.

In your face, recession! :D

Translated by Yahoo Babelfish:

この週末はそれがずっとずっとブログに私のために堅い定期的に…よくなぜのか私達のカメラが死に、私が私達の小さい携帯電話からの映像およびビデオ質と不満足であるという事実の側の完全な例である。 :} Terinatiはほとんどの週末、そう殆んどを作っている私達が一緒に使われる私達の食事を共有し、だけ私達が一緒にしてもいいゲームをすることによっ て過す数時間を働かせる。 私はオフィスが新年の休日の間閉鎖しているが、私は病人を目覚め、正午によってやっとまっすぐに考えることができるので仕事の金曜日を過した; 私は午後の睡眠の上でほとんどTerinatiが仕事から家に帰った、これはずっとほとんどあらゆる週末に病気急に燃え上がっているであるまで終わり! 感謝して、私はクラス少しの間、私が変更のための宿題を週末にする必要はない一息入れる間を有する! 公衆、また私達が学校に行っている私達の両方とほとんどちょうど今得ているおよび働くことを試みている私達の両方しか助けないためにしかし、私はまだ時間 外労働のための日曜日に仕事の完全な8時間にので置くが。 、これ典型的な例はこのブログを書かれていて得ることに私の第3試みである。 :}

それはずっと狂気の使用中である。 私が7月に私の最初臨時の仕事を取り戻したので仕事の機会私がホテルにとどまり、Terinatiおよびキティを数日間逃さなければならなかったほど、遠 方を利用するために、私は他の都市に運転しなければならなかった。 それから、9月に、私は家に近い方の仕事を得たが、時間外労働仕事のクラスおよび多く、および厳しい切口の支払(1時間$4.50より少なく)を有した。 本当に、私はブログに自分自身を強制できるが同じ古い事以外言うべき少しであるとそこに見つけた: 時間外労働のトン、学校のトン、今眠る必要性。 :} 食糧および他の項目の制作はまた私達が新しい調理法のために必要とされる原料か装置のほとんどを単にできることができないので停止した。

但し、新年が着いた私達が2011年に今朝持って来ることを祝ったので、私は私がそれらことをについてのbloggingで不注意であることそう多くの事のためにとても感謝している感じ、!

まず、それに最も有毒な場所からにhooray私はすること住んでいたあることが。 はい、私達は東海岸の何人かの親愛なるおよび驚くばかりの友人に会った、…この世界の何もそこに私に移動をすることができなかった。 決してのまわりであっている私の全体の生命に私従って多くの不人情な人々を持ってはいけない(仕事でなされた共通の不平の協力者は仕事に他の人々か彼らの 自身の家族についてあった)。 私はそれを(私達が私達の友人を逃すが)逃さないし、あったより)私達は移動以来百万倍よりよく感じることを私が言うとき私が私達の家の私達皆のために話 してもいいことを考える(猫ははるかに平和、満足である。 ただ、しかし生活費がここに大いにより安いこと私達は実際にそこに起こっていなかった仕事を見つけることをどうにかして。 Hooray! そして、当然、私達は家族および他の友人に近い方に…ある従ってあなたの残りはここに動き、私達を結合するべきである。 ;)

家族について話して、私は大きかった結婚式の外のほぼ十年の私の父そしてステップお母さんとの時間をはじめて使うことを得た、! それは私達が同じ時間帯に再度いるので従ってすばらしいそれらとの時間を使い、電話のそれらに手を差し伸べることを得るためにある。 うまくいけば私達が私達のフィートに財政上もどって来るとき、私は余りにTerinatiの家族とのより多くの時間を使うことを得る。 、私達が彼の兄弟の近くに今および彼の妻、従って住んでいるが私達少なくともそれらを見ることを得なさい。 :)

そのノートで、私の兄弟はまた近くに住み、私達に驚くばかりだった驚きの訪問を与えた、! 私は私に彼のためのギフトが今年なかったが、彼との時間を使えるスペシャル実際にそして偽りなくあったこと悪い状態を感じた。 私は彼との連絡をとり、彼が彼のバンドと行うのを見ることを多分最終的に得ることを楽しみにしている!

家族性および友情の天恵は富む。 私は私達がからの私達の友人とここに実際に再接続してもいいが、私はそれがこの簡単なブログの内で保持することができないこと手を差し伸べられるの私達の 欠乏にもかかわらずに皆に感謝するためにそんなに持っているように順序で私達の財政の状態を得て熱望している; それは遠い余りに長い。 友情が解決しないときそれが悲しいのに、私は私がちょうど私の悪い事を見たいと思った否定的な人々を取除いて嬉しい。 私はそれらに私の献身を証明することを試みる時間をそんなに無駄にし彼らが行って私であるので私の愛を私のために与えそこに常にあった、偽りなく感じる人 に値して自由に: 私を信じ、私は完全ではないが、こと全力を尽くしていることを理解する友人。 それは私達によってそれぞれできるすべて、右であるか。 従って、皆、私が私の少数の技術の多くをまだ作っていないのに私のプログラミングの創造性を支えるために私に本を送った特にFritzyにありがとう。 ずっと私は行方不明であること試みている限り、そして種類のサポートは何かであること可能であることを信じる友人を持っていることは素晴らしい。

従って、新年に入って、貧しい私達はであり全力を働かせ、尽くす。 私達はたくさん持っていないが、私達が理由を越えて賛美されるように私は感じる。 そんなに愛は苦闘とのおよび損失私達が、それである私の表面の微笑なしで2011年に入ってが不可能過去1年間に直面してしまった私達の幸せな家を満た す。 私は私が人々の人生の実質の違いを生じている、私の主任は認める私の仕事で私が私達のチームに貢献するものをそれを感じ。 それは安っぽく、…ここに流出している愛に鳴るかもしれないが。 それで、時々私は幸運な私が心配しているほど運命があまりを持っていることのためにおろすために私達を打つかもしれない感じる。 :o 私達はこれのよう一緒にであるためにしかし懸命に働いた。 うまくいけば、私は私達がここに持っているとあなたのそれぞれに新年の少なくとも同様にすばらしいがあることを多くを書き、続いているが、一方で、私は望むすばらしい変更の多くを共有できる。

あなたの表面では、後退!

Settling In

After three days on the road with as much stuff as we could cram in the car, two cats included, we finally made it to our new home. The 14-hour days of driving were pretty rough, particularly because we didn't sleep as easily as we would have if I hadn't been worrying about how the cats were doing so much. However, the cats did amazingly well for the entire trip, and they accepted the house happily upon arrival. :)

Although Terinati had gone to view the house on my behalf previously, I had not actually seen it until that day. My mouth dropped when we got inside; it was better than I thought it would be! Although it is only a little more space and our furniture does not put it to the best use, the house is beautiful. Possibly the most exciting thing was to finally have our own washer and drier so that we can do laundry whenever we need to, and not whenever there was not someone else using it. Additionally, the windows provide lighting such that we never need to turn on the lights during the day, and the lights with the house are sufficient so that we no longer needed our lamps, which we gave away to family we have out here. The hardest part has been organizing the guest room, which also harbors all of our bookshelves. I am currently in the process of entering all of our books into goodreads.com so that I can see which ones I have read and which ones I haven't.

The cats, on the other hand, had a much easier time settling in with their more practical furniture.

Since moving in, I have done a ton of laundry because although most of our clothes had been packed clean, I am allergic to the dust that comes off of boxes and newspaper, so I have to wash them again before I can wear them. My Psychology of Women course also started a few days after our arrival, and our internet was set up just in time for me to get online and get to work! Otherwise, Terinati and I have had our eyes primarily on finding local jobs and have applied to many. Every day we try to apply for more jobs that appeal to us, but we have to wait to hear back from employers and every day longer it takes gives me more bad dreams about it, even though I feel sure we will be fine. :} I am just eager to have the tangible knowledge of being completely set.

Yesterday, however, we gave ourselves the day off to head to a local farmer's market and pick up some produce so that we could have family over for dinner and share it with them. Since I had rolled a random recipe to make before moving, I felt it was about time to get to it! The recipe was Light Cream of Mushroom Soup by Betty Crocker, and then I also chose to make a dessert: Strawberry Glace Pie, also by Betty Crocker. I was not expecting much from the soup, but it was fantastic! I forgot to take pictures (oops), but it was so good! I have never had mushroom soup so good before, so I will definitely make it again in the future. The pie was also surprisingly easy to make, and I wish I had made two because it was so awesome that I could not believe that I had made it myself.

So, I'm sorry there is not anything too interesting to report. I suspect things will be more interesting when we have more work and, consequently, get out of the house more. Meanwhile, the next random recipe off of my Excel spreadsheet is Cranberry Spinach Salad, a recipe I obtained from a coworker before I moved. It is meant to only be an appetizer, so we'll see about adding something else to mix and such.

Take care!

Yahoo Babelfish Translation to Japanese:

同様に多くの原料が付いている道の3日後で私達が車で詰め込むことができると含まれていた2匹の猫私達は私達の新しい家に最終的にそれを作った。 運転の14時間日は猫がいかにをそんなにしていたか私が心配しなかったら私達が持っている程に特に私達が容易に眠らなかったので、かなり荒かった。 但し、猫は全体の旅行のために非常によくし、到着に家を幸福に受け入れた。 :)

Terinatiが私の為の家を前に見ることを行ったが私は実際にその日までのそれを見なかった。 私の口は私達が中得たときに落ちた; それはそれ考えられたIがあるよりよかった! それがややより多くのスペースだけであり、私達の家具が最もよい使用にそれを置かないが、家は美しい。 おそらく最も刺激的な事は私達が必要とする、ない時はいつでも誰か他の人がそれを使用してなかった時はいつでも最終的に私達が洗濯をしてもいいように私達 の自身の洗濯機およびドライヤーを持つことであり。 さらに、窓は私達がもはや私達が私達はここにいる家族に与えた私達のランプを必要としなかったように私達が決してライトを日中つける必要はない家が付いて いるライトは十分であることそのような物をつけることを提供し。 最も堅い部分はまた私達の本だなすべてを隠すずっと客室を組織している。 私はgoodreads.comに私達の本にすべてを入ることの過程において私が読み、どれないどれが私が見ることができるように現在ある。

猫は、一方で、大いにより容易なひとときを彼らのより実用的な家具によって解決することを過ごした。

移動以来、私は私達の衣服のほとんどがずっと詰められたきれいであるが、私が私がそれらを身に着けてもいい前に箱および新聞の取れる、従って私はそれらを 再度洗浄しなければならない塵にアレルギーであるので洗濯のトンをした。 女性の私の心理学はまた数日私達の到着の後の始められて流れ、私達のインターネットは私に間に合うようにオンラインになり、働くことを得るようにちょうど セットアップされた! さもなければ、Terinatiにおよび私にローカル仕事を見つけることの私達の目が主にあり、多数に適用した。 私が感じるのに、毎日私達は私達に、本当に私達は良いことを私達は雇用者から聞くために待たなければなり、訴えるが毎日のより長い与える私にそれについて のより悪い夢を取るより多くの仕事に適用することを試みる。 :} 私は完全に配置の有形知識を持ってちょうど熱望している。

しかし昨日私達はローカルfarmer'に頭部に私達自身に休日を与えた; sの市場は私達に夕食のために家族がいそしてそれらとそれを共有できるように農産物を取り。 動く前に私が作るために任意調理法を転がしたので私は感じたそれに得る時間についてあったことを! 調理法はベティCrockerによってマッシュルーム・スープの軽いクリーム行い、それから私はまたデザートを作ることを選んだ: ベティCrocker著いちごのGlaceパイ、また。 私はスープからの多くを期待していなかったが、素晴らしかった! 私は映像(oops)を撮ることを忘れていたがそれはとてもよかった! 私は決してマッシュルーム・スープを従っての前によい食べたあらないことは、従って私は完全にそれを将来再度作る。 パイはまた作り意外にも易く私が私はそれを自分自身作ったことを信じることができなかったほどそれが驚くばかりだったので私が2つを作ったことを私は望 む。

従って、私は興味深い何でも報告するには余りにもないことを残念である。 私は私達がより多くの仕事を有し、従って家からもっと出るとき事がより興味深いことを疑う。 その間、Excelの私の展開表の次の任意調理法は私が動いた前にクランベリーのほうれんそうサラダ、私が協力者から得た調理法消えている。 前菜だけであることを意味する従って私達は組合せおよびそのような物へ何か他のものを加えることについて見る。

お元気で!

Packed in a POD

Last week was quite busy, so much that I entirely forgot about my blog. That's okay, because this will be a short one anyhow.

Starting on Monday, I tasked myself with putting the final items into boxes. It's not as easy as it sounds when you want to eat, cook, and be able to enjoy your accessories one more time. Our POD arrived on Tuesday, at which point we had to get it its own parking permit to be in our apartment's lot because there isn't enough space for the cars of the residents. :/ Sorry, fellow residents!

Wednesday, our Packing Party Day, ended up being a total whirlwind of crazy! Terinati and I started moving our boxes into the POD early in the morning and ran some last minute errands early because we knew that our friends would be coming to help in the early afternoon. We felt that we were making good time when Terinati's cell phone suddenly gave out! It would ring, but the screen just showed white haze, and he couldn't answer any of the calls. Not only that, but he couldn't make calls unless he put the phone on speaker and used voice commands. This was a critical crisis because we had a broken windshield and were expecting a call on that phone when the folks were coming to replace it (and they didn't know where the car was), not to mention that Terinati is pretty much our main contact for the move in every way. However, I had an idea! Since I upgraded to a new cell phone earlier in the year but kept my fully-functional, cute LG phone that I so love, Terinati would not need to get a new phone. We just needed to go to our cell phone store and get it set up, because doing it on the phone would probably take much longer than having a professional just do it themselves.

To try and keep a long story short, we got back with the new phone only to discover that my charging cable was dysfunctional and Terinati had to go out and replace it for a dollar. Once that was done, though, everything was fine! One of our friends, Paula, went above and beyond the call of duty to help us move our giant couch down five flights of stairs because it wouldn't fit in the elevator, and then later came her husband, Ryan, and our other friends Sara and Conrad. With all of their help, we managed to pack more efficiently. After hanging out at a little tavern called McGinty's, Terinati and I stayed up until 3am to finish the remainder of the packing so that no matter when the POD people arrived the next day, everything would be ready to go. That morning, we slept on the floor, sore but happy.

Having nearly no things in the apartment and no furniture has been surprisingly relaxing. I could swear that the apartment is quieter, and I never realized what boundaries furniture put between myself and the cats. Now that they can stroll up to my lap at any given moment, they are far happier with our relationship. Tatsu no longer meows up at me as I sit on a chair to do my homework; he simply comes up and nuzzles me whenever he pleases! Consequently, Terinati and I are now considering getting more floor furniture, especially since we had to give away some furniture in the move (two chairs broke before we even started packing). Plus, we love Japanese furniture anyway and it saves so much space . . . so, why not?

Thankfully, though, Paula and Ryan saved us again and let us borrow their air mattress. :) Hooray!

After cleaning the apartment up a bit, we had a good-bye picnic on our bare floor on Saturday afternoon, and then celebrated my dear friend, Kyriel, for her birthday this week. I'm glad that I was here to participate, because of course I am going to miss her a lot, along with other friends I have made since coming here. And then, of course, Sunday was Father's Day. Though it will be late, I am excitedly waiting for gifts to my father and step-mother, who both also had birthdays this month, arrive on Wednesday. :)

Oh, and speaking of gifts, now you can know that I gave my husband a large portrait of us at the wedding for our first anniversary! We're both excited to put it up in our new house once we arrive, because that's just one of things that makes a home truly home.

Anyway, I apologize for a somewhat bland blog. I expect the next week will be far more interesting with the actual move, but for now I must go as we still have several folks to say good-bye to and final journeys to make before we quest across the country. Talk later!

Japanese Translation from Yahoo Babelfish:

先週は私が私のブログについて完全に忘れていたことかなり使用中、そんなにだった。 それはこれが何としても短い1であるので、良い。

月曜日を始めて、私は箱に最終的な項目を入れることとの自分自身に任せた。 それはなくなる前にあなたの付属品をもう一度楽しめる食べ、調理し、たいと思うときそれが鳴る程に容易ではない。 私達のポッドは火曜日に着いた、その時点で私達はそれに私達のapartment'にある自身の駐車割り当てを得なければならなかった; あるので居住者の車のための十分なスペースがないのでsのロット。 :/ 残念な、居住者!

水曜日、狂気の総旋風があることの上で終わる私達のパッキング党日! 私達の友人は昼下がり助けることを来ていたことを私達が知っていたのでTerinatiおよび私はポッドに私達の箱を朝早く動かし始め、あるどたん場の用 事を早く動かした。 私達は私達がよい時間をTerinati'作っていたことに感じた; sの携帯電話は突然与えた! それは鳴るが、スクリーンはちょうど白い霞および彼をの呼出し答えることができなかった示した。 ただ彼がスピーカーに電話を置き、声命令を使用したら、しかし彼が呼出しをすることができなかったこと。 これはTerinatiがほとんどあらゆる方法で移動のための私達の主要な接触であること車がどこにあったか人々がそれ(および彼らを知らなかった)取り 替えることを来ていたときに私達が壊れた風防ガラスを経験した、言及にその電話の呼出しをない期待していたので重大な危機。 但し、私は考えを有した! 私が新しい携帯電話に年の初めに改善してが、私がそう愛する私の十分に機能的で、かわいいLGの電話を保ったから、Terinatiは新しい電話を得る必 要はない! 私達はちょうど専門家を持っていてちょうどそれを自身しなさいより電話のそれをすることがおそらく大いに時間がかかるので私達の携帯電話の店に行き、それ をセットアップされて得る必要があった。

長い物語の不足分を試み、保つために、私達は新しい電話によって私の充満ケーブルが正常に機能しなく、Terinatiが出かけ、ドルのためのそれを取り 替えなければならなかったことだけを発見することを戻った。 それがされたら、すべてがうまくあったけれども! 私達の友人の1つは、ポーラ、義務の呼出しの上でそしてを越えてエレベーターで合わないので私達が5つの一続きの階段の下の私達の巨大なソファを動かすの を助けることを行った。 後で彼女の夫、ライアンおよび私達の他の友人サラおよびコンラッドは来た。 彼らの助けすべてによって、私達はもっと効率的に詰まることをどうにかして。 小さい居酒屋でさよならを言う時を過ごすことの後でそれらおよび他の友人とMcGinty'を呼んだ; ポッドの人々が翌日着いてもいつ、すべてが行って準備ができているのはs、Terinatiおよび私は3amまでパッキングの残りを終えるために起きてい たからである。 その朝に、私達は床、傷幸せで眠った。

、ポーラおよびライアンが私達を再度救い、彼女達のエアマットレスを借りることを許可したけれども、感謝して。 :) Hooray!

ビットの上のアパートをきれいにした後、私達は土曜日の午後の私達の裸の床のさようならピクニックを有し、次に私の親愛なる友人、彼女の誕生日のための Kyrielを、この週祝った。 私は私がここに加わることいたこと私がここに来ること以来作っていた他の友人と共に私が彼女をたくさん逃そうと思っているコースのために嬉しい。 そして次に、当然、日曜日はFather'だった; s日。 それが遅いけれども、私は私の父に興奮してギフトを待っていて、また持たれていた誕生日が両方とも水曜日にこの月、着く義母。:)

ああ、ギフトについて話して、今私が私達の最初記念日のための結婚式で私の夫に私達の大きい肖像画を与えたことを知り! We' 私達の新居にそれを置く両方の興奮するに関してそれが家の家を偽りなく作る事のちょうど1つであるので、私達が着けば。

とにかく、私は幾分柔和なブログを謝る。 私は私達が全国各地から捜す前に私達がまだにさよならを言う何人かの人々および作るべき最終的な旅行を有するので翌週が実際の移動とはるかに興味深いが、 今のところ私が行かなければならないことを期待する。 後で話!

1-year Anniversary!

As the title indicates, today is Terinati’s and my one-year anniversary (we will have been together thirteen years in December, but married one year as of today!). According to Emily Post, first year gifts are supposed to be related to paper, which opens up a large realm of possibilities. Since my husband has not gotten to open his gift yet, you will have to wait until next week to learn what it is! Additionally, we are not celebrating today the way most people do. Since we are moving so soon and today is one of the last days we can see some of our friends, once Terinati is done with work, we will be heading out to play Dungeons and Dragons for the last time this afternoon. However, we are celebrating in our own subtle ways; I have changed my Restaurant in Restaurant City on Facebook to the theme of romance, and we have plans for eating the cake we froze from our wedding day later in the week.

On Monday, Terinati and I watched Gattaca, a film that came out a year after the Human Genome Project started. I’m usually not sure what to make of sci-fi films since they can so easily become dated or are just based on sheer nonsense to begin with just to freak people out, but this one was a pretty good movie in my humble opinion! I won’t spoil anything for those who haven’t seen it, but despite it being a very dated film (now that the Human Genome Project is completed, the reality of this kind of future is far more complex than we can currently reach scientifically, at least so said Professor Pinel in 2009), it has an interesting story . . . except for one part. Don’t read this last bit if you haven’t seen it yet!! SPOILER: Why on earth would a girl sleep with a man she thinks may be a murderer? That just beat the crap out of an officer for no apparent reason? What on earth was she thinking?! Why are women constantly having relationships with men in movies when they should know darn well that it’s a bad idea? That was the only thing that really bothered me about the film.

Moving along to other not-so-important things, I managed to get the Pet Sitter achievement in Island Paradise. I love the cute animations of the animals in that game when I care for them; the artwork is something that keeps me returning to it in Facebook.

On Friday, we took Stardust and Tatsu, our cats, to the vet for their final check-up. Because Stardust does not like the vet, we always put Soft Paws on her before we go in so that she can do a little less damage. In general, despite the vet getting very freaked out, I also try to handle Stardust myself. Even though she looks scary, it has always been my experience that I can manage her better than everyone else in the building. She is my best friend, after all, so I am well aware of her weaknesses, strengths, and how to keep her still. And, unlike the vets, I am not surprised at all by her anger! She does not know that what they are doing are for her own good, just that it stings and she doesn’t know them! Frankly, if I had to be taken away to some strange place where people stuck things up my butt, I would be very upset as well. It seems like this would be something vets would think about, but they don’t.

Anyway, despite being used to the routine, this time Stardust attempted to make a last stand! She had never been so fierce before! She got much bigger than usual, and kept her body curled in such a way that she looked like a miniature Fu Lion! Knowing my dear, crazy, and fierce friend, I knew that if I could just get my hand to the right spot, I could stop her tirade, but Stardust’s display scared the vets so much that they would not have me helping and wrapped her in a towel, which proved to be entirely ineffective. In the end, Stardust and Tatsu both received their vaccinations and came home fine. For some reason, though, when Stardust returns she always blames everything on Tatsu, hissing at him. He tries very sweetly to console her, but is usually unsuccessful.

Oh! More importantly, during our packing, I rediscovered a pair of sunglasses given to me by a previous employer that has a camera in it. I’m hoping to share footage with you some of the time, though it is a bit fuzzy!







Now we are heading into our final days with our things. On Wednesday, we are having a packing party wherein we are going to be loading the majority of our things into a POD, then stay in the apartment for a week longer to finish cleaning up and say our good-byes to our friends before we drive out to the other side of the country. It is a little intimidating, but I have things to distract me, like my class! This week in Children and Violence, we are learning about bullies and their impact in school settings. Last week was dealing with violence in the media, which gave me the rare opportunity to review Sailor Moon! I always think that it is a good week when I get to write an essay that either involves cats or Sailor Moon.

More excitingly, in the mail I received a nomination to join the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. This probably has something to do with my GPA of 3.92! Exciting! Anyway, I have a lot of reading to do and need to get ahead in my homework to prepare for the move. Wish us luck!!

Japanese Translation from Yahoo Babelfish:

タイトルが示すと同時に、Terinatiおよび私の1年記念日(私達は一緒に12月13年、今日現在に1年!結婚してしまう)は今日ある。 エミリーのポストに従って、可能性の大きい王国を開発する最初年のギフトはペーパーと関連しているために仮定される。 私の夫が彼のギフトをまだ開けることを得なかったのでそれがであるもの学ぶために来週まで待たなければならない! さらに、私達はほとんどの人々が方法を今日祝っていない。 私達がそうすぐに動いて、今日私達が私達の友人の何人か会うことができる最後の日の1才であるのでTerinatiが仕事とされれば最後のための地下牢そ してドラゴンを今日の午後するために、私達は先頭に立つ。 但し、私達は私達の自身の微妙な方法で祝っている; 私はロマンスの主題にFacebookのレストラン都市の私のレストランを変え、私達は私達が私達の婚礼の日から週の後半に凍らせていたケーキを食べるた めの計画を有する。<3パッキングおよびする宿題以外、ずっと週は比較的平穏無事である:>

月曜日で、Terinatiおよび私はGattacaのヒトゲノムプロジェクトが始まった後年出て来たフィルムを見た。 私は通常人々をひどく神経質にしそれらがそう容易に日付がつくようになってもいかったりまたは薄いナンセンスにちょうどから始めるようにちょうど基づいているので確実エスエフ映画の作るべきことこの1だった私の控え目な意見のかなりよい映画ではないが! 私は私達が現在そう言われた教授に科学的に、Pinel 2009年に少なくとも達してもいいよりはるかに複雑ヒトゲノムプロジェクトが完了するのでそれを見なかったが、それにもかかわらず非常に日付がついたフィルムであることに1部を除いて(、この種類の未来の現実である)、それは興味深い物語が…ある人のための何もだめにしない。 それをまだ見なかったらこの最後のビットを読んではいけない!! スポイラー: なぜ彼女あるように殺人者が考える人との女の子の睡眠か。 それは役人からちょうどがらくたを明らかな理由もなく打ったか。 考えている彼女はだった何か。! 女性はなぜ映画で絶えずそれは悪い考えであること繕いをよく知るべきであるとき人との関係を持たれているか。 それは実際にフィルムについての私に迷惑を掛けた唯一の事だった。

他のないそう重要な事に動いて、私は島の楽園のペット付き添いの達成を得ることをどうにかして。 私は私がそれらを気遣うときそのゲームの動物のかわいい生気を愛する; アートワークはFacebookで私をそれに戻らせ続ける何かである。

金曜日で、私達は彼らの最終的な検査のための獣医にStardustおよびTatsuの私達の猫を、取った。 Stardustが獣医を好まないので、私達は彼女に彼女がより少ない損傷をややしてもいいように私達が入る前に柔らかい足を常に置く。 一般に、非常に得ている獣医にもかかわらず、私またStardustを扱うことを試みる自分自身ひどく神経質になった。 彼女が恐く見るのに、それは私が建物の皆より彼女のよい管理してもいいこと私の経験いままで常にだった。 彼女は私の親友である、彼女をまだ保つ方法を結局、そう私は彼女の弱さ、強さよくに、気づき。 そして、獣医とは違って、私は彼女の怒りによって全然驚かない! 彼女はしていることをことを彼女の自身のよいのためであって下さい、刺すそれらを知らないちょうどそれ知らないし、! 人々が私のバットの上の事を付けた奇妙な場所に取り除かれなければならなかったら率直に、私はまた非常に取り乱している。 それはこれのようにである何か診察する約考えるようであるが、それらはようではない。

とにかく、ルーチンへの使用にもかかわらず、今回Stardustは最後の立場を作るように試みた! 彼女はいままで決して前にあまり激しくなかった! 彼女は彼女がFuのミニチュアライオンのように見えたように通常より大いに大きく、カールした彼女の体保たれてなり! 私の親愛なる、狂気、および激しい友人を知っていて、私は彼らに私がおよび完全に非効果的であると証明したタオルの彼女包まれて助けることをないこと右の 点にちょうど私の手を得ることができれば私は彼女の弾劾演説を停止できるがStardustの表示は獣医をそんなにおびえさせたことを知っていた。 ついに、StardustおよびTatsuはワクチン接種を受け取り、家の罰金来た。 どういうわけか、けれども、Stardustが戻るとき彼女は彼で音を立てるTatsuにすべての常に責任にする。 彼は彼女を慰めることを非常に甘く試みるが通常不成功である。

ああ! もっと重大に、私達のパッキングの間に、私はそれでカメラを持っている前の雇用者が私に与えた組のサングラスを再発見した。 私はそれが曖昧なビットであるけれども、時間の一部あなたと長さを共有することを望んでいる!

今度は私達は私達の事の私達の最終的な日に先頭に立っている。 水曜日で、私達は私達が国の反対側に追い払う前に私達がポッドに私達の事の大半に荷を積もうと思っているかパッキング党を有したりそして週のためのアパー トにきれいになることを終わり、私達の友人に私達のよいbyes言うためにより長くとどまる。 それは少し威圧的であるが、私は私のクラスのように私を、混乱させる事を有する! 子供および暴力のこの週、私達は学校の設定のいじめっ子そして彼らの影響について学んでいる。 先週は私に船員の月を見直すまれな機会を与えた媒体の暴力を取扱っていた、! 私は私が猫か船員の月を含むエッセイを書くことを得るのはよい週であると常に考える。 とにかく、私は移動のために準備することをし、私の宿題で前方に得る必要があるべき多くの読書を有する。もっと興奮して、郵便で私は大学学者の国民の社会に加わるために指名を受け取った。 これはおそらく3.92の私のGPAに関与している! 刺激! 私達に運を望みなさい!!

Moving Along

It's been a long time since I've blogged or had anything I felt was blog-worthy, even though there have been a lot of changes between my last post in November and now. A lot of big changes! We're moving from one coast of America to the other!! =^oo^= That's a big deal!

But, I also thought about how there are many blogs on the internet and how when I started mine, it was just a way to keep in touch with people and to share my ideas or special announcements when I felt the need to. However, now that I'm on Facebook and Twitter, that purpose doesn't seem as necessary! So, I left the blogging world for a while.

Then, I watched "Julie & Julia" with Terinati a month or so back, and I was like, "How neat!" I don't really want to make money off of a blog. I mean, sure, it'd be nice . . . but I don't really have that kind of focus. I just thought it was cool that I'm trying to learn so many things. Maybe I could share my process and other people may be inspired or learn something from it. Then again . . . I never even heard of her blog before that movie came out, and I can't imagine how interesting it is to read about someone making food. Perhaps I have a failure of imagination.

And then, I thought about some of my favorite blogs, some of which have seem to have gone silent, and I thought to myself, "These are great blogs! Maybe I can use that kind of idea!" For example, one of my favorite blogs is by a native Japanese guy who writes to practice his English. However, I don't know enough kanji to practice it, let alone know where to get the fonts and such to do it properly. :} Ha ha. :/ Plus, what do people in Japan want to know about?

I don't really know what people are interested in reading. But, I guess I have the hope that if I be myself a little bit and share a bit, maybe someone else can learn from it too or maybe will eventually ask a question that will make it worth the effort of translating. So, the first major difference you'll notice is that there is a Japanese translation below. I didn't translate it, and I apologize right away for any errors! I used Yahoo Babelfish, and I hope that someday I will be able to do this myself. For now, it will have to do.

And, I thought I should try to blog once a week. Maybe it'll encourage me to get more done and to find something interesting in each week. I've tried this before and failed, but I take this as a sign that I'm not putting myself out there enough! So, I must take more risks, and hopefully that will lead to interesting (but not tragic) things.

Finally, there's the move coming up. I'm sure that will bring up some topics of interest. It's going to be a crazy trip. Starting next week, we have to load up a POD. After that, we have a week left in the apartment with no stuff and two cats. :} Following that, we will be traveling 3 days by car with the kitties to our new home. All of this is also during my last week of my "Children and Violence" course as well as the beginning of my course on Women for psychology. Should be interesting.

Anyway, I'm hoping to include more pictures and more adventures, but we'll see how it goes. I can't promise anything because life is crazy and tends to not go as planned. I'm sure you all know what I mean! If nothing else, perhaps my blogs will be more short and sweet. ;)

Wish me luck!



Japanese Translation from Babelfish:

ずっとそれはのそして今私の最後のポスト11月間に多くの変更がずっとあるのに、私が私がブログ価値がある感じた何でもbloggedか、または有したの で長い時間である。 多くの大きい変更! 私達はアメリカの1つの海岸から他に移っている!! =^oo^= それは大事である!

しかし、私はまた私が必要性を感じたときに私が私の物を始めたときにインターネットに多くのブログがいかにある、そしていかにについて、それが人々と連絡 をとり、私の考えか特別な発表を共有するちょうど方法だったか考えた。 但し、のでI' FacebookおよびTwitterのmは必要に応じて、その目的ようではない! 従って、私はblogging世界をしばらく残した。

それから、私は"を見た; ジュリーの& Julia" Terinatiによって月かそう背部、および私のように、"はあった; 端正いかに! " 私は実際にブログのお金をもうけたいと思わない。 私は、本当に、それを素晴らしい…意味する私は実際にその種類の焦点を持っていない。 私はちょうど私が練習のための任意調理法をするそう多くの事を、学ぶことを試みていることそれが涼しかったことを考えた。 多分私は私のプロセスを共有でき、他の人々は促されるか、またはそれからの何かを学ぶかもしれない。 また…。 私は決して映画が出て来た、興味深い食糧を作っている誰かについて読むこといかにであるか想像できないこと彼女のブログを前に聞かなかったし。 多分私は想像の失敗を有する。

そして次に、私はいくつかが無声に行くようである持っている自分自身の"に考えた私の好みのブログのいくつかについて考え、; これらは大きいブログである! 多分私はその種類の考えを使用してもいい! " 例えば、私の好みのブログの1つは彼の英語を練習するために書く原産の日本の人によって行う。 但し、私はそれをは言うまでもなく練習する十分な漢字壷およびそのような物をそれをきちんとするためにどこで得るか知りなさいことを知らない。 :} Ha ha。 :/ プラス、人々は何を日本の約知りたいと思うか。

私は実際にどんな人々が読書に興味があるか知っていない。 しかし、私は私がI自分自身が少しあり、ビットを共有すれば、多分誰か他の人はそれから余りに学ぶことができたりまたは多分結局翻訳の努力の価値を持って それを作る質問をするという希望を有することを推測する。 従って、あなたが気づく最初の主な違いは次日本翻訳があることである。 私はそれを翻訳しなかったし、あらゆる間違いをすぐに謝る! 私はYahoo Babelfishを使用し、いつの日か私がこれをされる自分自身ことを望む。 とりあえず、それはしなければならない。

そして、私は私がブログに週に一度試みるべきであることを考えた。 多分それは私を毎週よりされて得、何かを興味深い見つけるように励ます。 私はこれをの前に試み、が失敗した、私が自分自身を十分にそこに消していないという印としてこれを取る! 従って、私はより多くの危険を取らなければなりうまく行けばそれは興味深く(悲劇的ではない)事をもたらす。

最後に、移動上がることがある。 私は興味のあるトピックを持ち出すことを確かめる。 それは狂気旅行であることを行っている。 来週始まって、私達はポッドに荷を積まなければならない。 その後で、私達は原料および2匹の猫無しでアパートに残っている週を過す。 :} それに続いて、私達は私達の新しい家にキティが付いている車で3日旅する。 これすべては私の"の私の先週の間にまたある; 子供およびViolence" 心理学のための女性の私のコースの始めと同様、コース。 興味深いべきである。

とにかく、私はより多くの映像およびより多くの冒険を含むことを望んでいるがそれがいかに行くか私達は見る。 私は生命が狂気、計画通りに行きがちであるので何でも約束できない。 私は私が意味するものをすべて知っていることをことを確かめる! 何も、多分私のブログはより簡潔である。 ;)

私に運を望みなさい!

"I'm A Horrible Person"

Just Google it: "I'm a Horrible Person." You'll find so many sites, as I did this morning, where ordinary people admit to their guilt and regrets that they may not be able to express online, from feeling bad about how they've treated other people to make themselves feel better, all the way to unintentional harms done to oneself or others. I had wondered if I was the only one who questioned the accuracy of her own moral compass from time to time, but now find it worth writing because my inner doubt stems from something very different than what I've seen so far. I have good self-control for accomplishing my goals, which is why I've stopped worrying about my list and will remove my widget when I'm ready. In fact, it hasn't really been a problem as much as my real problem: learning to walk away from a goal, which is why it is so important for me to let that list go.

I used to feel that the world was incredibly unfair (in some ways, it probably is, but I'm not really sure how to measure that accurately), that I'd been given a bad hand, and when people hurt me and I got upset, they just didn't get it. All of that is true to a point . . . but, I also never knew when to let go and give up before I got too hurt, and if I only had . . . how much hurt and anger and darkness could have been avoided? How much lighter would my soul be now?

It's been a problem throughout my life that I think stems from the lack of control I had growing up to make my own choices. Some of the time that was just parents doing parenting, but other times it was just plain abusive. All I wanted in my life was to feel loved and to be free to make my own choices. That sounds simple, but it really isn't.

In a way, it became a desire to control the situation too much, even though I never thought of it like that. My intentions were always good, like, "If I stay by her side, she'll see that I'm her good friend someday," or, "I don't have to put up with these people breaking the law right in front of me; someone should stand up to them!" And finally, "The ethics in this workplace are such a mess! And people are doing horrible things. I should try to fight it!" The only ones I did right was, "This is a horrible place for me to live, so I'm going to get out of here," and "Wow, this professor is doing crazy stuff; I'm out of here!" The lesson that I didn't really learn was that I needed to run away, to let it go.

I didn't want to allow people to hurt me anymore, or to chase me away, though, so I was really stupid and bullheaded about it. What a waste of my life, though! I would have been happier if I had left! Stupid pride! Time and time again, trying to "hold on" and "stick through it" really weren't the best options for me. Okay, I grew up looking to big heroes, so I had this notion that I could help, that I could change things. Reality check: I can't change people! I knew that in my head, but thought if I gave it my all, I could still plant the seed of change perhaps. I thought if I did all the right things and worked hard, then I could set a good example, make a difference, show people that there's another way.

So, why does that make me a horrible person? Well, if you hang on to something, and hang on to it, and hang on to it, eventually you get really worn from hanging on. There starts to be strain, but it's so gradual and because you've never truly let go, you don't even notice what's happening to you. That's what happened to me at my last job. There was one day when I couldn't take, in my heart, how I was being treated anymore. I came in early, left late, and even came in on the weekends (without pay). I worked overtime and got no lunch at the time. Yet, my boss was purposefully sabotaging my work because, as she said back then, "I thought she didn't care enough." I wanted to quit so bad, but convinced myself that I had to stay, that I had no choice, because I was scared of losing the financial stability. And, when I went to HR, they sort of fixed it . . . but, this is where the corruption seeped in. I knew I couldn't trust my boss again. I would always be waiting for the other shoe to drop. How could I know she wasn't lying? I was going to be paranoid until my last day, and my reason for staying ultimately became not the finances, but trying to prove that I could survive her, that I could survive everyone else's drama, and basically fight back. :( That is so the wrong reason to stay someplace!

Over the years, I didn't even notice how angry I was becoming. I didn't even really know when I threatened to quit some months back. At that point, they knew I wasn't happy, obviously, and even after the problems were fixed, I think my performance was colored by the intense dissatisfaction of them knowing that I had even considered leaving. I knew my time was ticking down, but still tried to convince myself that I could hang on, that I would be okay . . . but in the end, it was horrible for me, and I lost my job on the 3rd. I don't regret being asked to leave because I was clearly unhappy (though, I am pretty shocked to find out what my current boss thought of me, because she never gave me any warning whatsoever . . . I've been concerned for a while that she lies or exaggerates things, though, so I should have known better; so much for trying to see the best in people, eh?), but I regret that I didn't quit sooner. I regret that I allowed myself to get so wrapped up in trying to fix something that clearly can't be fixed. Whenever I made suggestions, my words got twisted, so it truly was pointless. And, I regret that I spent so much time upset and unhappy when it could have been changed. I mean, now I have phone call after phone call of people who want to hire me, so clearly finances wouldn't have been a problem. And all of this corrupted me, left me angry, made it horrible for me at work and at home . . . I became a very, very ugly person!

I've never liked letting go. When I was little, I knew many people who died, most of them without me having a chance to say good-bye to them. There was even one very important person that I wish I could reconnect with, but probably will never be able to. When you're forced to let things go, to give up, it makes you that much more determined to never let go . . . Like I said, I just wanted to be loved (and to share my love). All good intentions, but not all good actions and results unfortunately. I've been gradually learning , but this was like the biggest bonk on the head ever, like, "STOP IT AND LEARN TO LET THINGS GO!" So, now I have. To the point where I've even asked Terinati to promise that if he sees me getting really upset about something, he'll let me know that he sees it and ask me to let it go. I never want to say to myself again, "If I'd just quit back then," or "If I'd just let her leave me behind," or "If I'd just cried, felt hurt for a while, and then moved on . . ." I've been so scared of taking that risk, that I would regret not holding on, that I'd be giving up when I shouldn't be, that I'd be a failure . . . But after seeing the damage it can do to my personality . . . Holy crap! I don't want to be a horrible person!

So, I apologize to anyone I let down or hurt along the way. It was never my intention. And to all those people who also posted their confessions online, thank you for letting me know I'm not completely alone in my remorse. I knew that I wasn't, but it's another thing to see the words written down. At any rate, now I have a new path open in front of me, and I'm excited (and scared) to go down it. However, this is the best opportunity I could ask for, and I think Fate is smiling at me and just trying to lead me (albeit a bit forcefully) in the right direction because I was too much of a coward to do it myself. From now on, I'm going to take more risks and be willing to let more things go. All holding on will do is hurt me, and make me hurt others. I have to believe that I can overcome that. So, a cheer to all of us who are making an effort to not be the horrible people we fear are inside each of us.

Carrier of Happiness

So, a few quick updates first. I am tracking my goals, but it is a lot of trouble right now to post on the blog about them. I have not given up, though! There's just too much drama right now.

And, drama and justice are kind of what I feel like talking about. I often don't like talking about these things and try to keep my woes to myself because I feel like it is a horrible burden to lay on others. It is bad enough that Terinati often has to hear me out, very affectionately I may add, but I also generally don't like spreading negativity. It doesn't do anyone any good. There are only two reasons I talk about problems: 1.) to sort it out for myself so that I can come to terms with whatever the resolution will be, and 2.) to attempt resolution.

To me, a resolution should involve justice. It seems that many people have different ideas about what that is, and it's kind of scary to look at, especially when you're studying creepy behavior patterns in social psychology at the same time. To me, it's being fair and reasonable. You can't have a true resolution without it. If you solve a problem based on someone else's lies, it's bound to fall apart eventually, and if you solve a problem by not communicating, then assumptions are going to be made that are hurtful (intrapersonal conflict is the source of most problems, I think).

But what about the people working against justice? I'm not about to say how much I hate you or what horrible people you are, but . . . what I do feel is that I don't understand you. Why is it better to continue a fight, just because you've lost? Why is it better to fight at all? Why are there some of you who don't want to work things out? Why on earth would you not want to resolve things? Why be hurtful?

Actually, I know a lot of the reasons. I've been reading about them for months now in my classes. But, it's still hard for me to accept because I can't be that way, even with years of experience witnessing it firsthand. It occurred to me a few days ago that this has been a constant in my life, to be attacked in one way or another by someone, or a few people at once from different sides. Sometimes it's not an attack, but abandonment for reasons beyond understanding, but that can hurt just as badly. The only thing that has changed is me realizing that I didn't do anything to deserve it after all, nothing I do to change will change how the other parties feel about me because they've made up their minds and are ignoring the facts on top of refusing to communicate to find a solution, and that all I can do is be assertive when I need to be. I'm doing the best I can in life, and that's all I can do. (Do other people go through this? I haven't really met anyone who has, or has been open enough to talk about it.)

And yet, that kind of justice is unsatisfying. The hero in these stories (not just me; I've watched others suffer too) is often quiet when first attacked because they want to give a chance, or see that there is the potential for this person to not be the villain they seem to be. "Don't jump to conclusions, even when all of the facts line up!"

I actually had this problem with a video game I played with my friend Athena, once. Colonel's Bequest. Spoiler warning, in case you want to find this old game and play it 'cause you haven't already (and I think you should! Loved it!)!! Anyway, your best friend is Lillian, and the only reason you get tied up in the mess is because of her. Throughout the game, I thought of her like I would my real life best friend, someone I wanted to protect and felt sorry for . . . when suddenly Athena turns to me and says, "I think she's the killer." I was like, "What? No, that can't be. They're best friends!" Athena kind of went quiet, and I knew she was thinking, "Um, hello?" but she's nice and didn't tell me how dumb I was to my face because we're friends. I mean, people had been talking about Lillian being crazy, the shadow outline even looks like her outline (amongst other clues, like the pink feathers), and now she's sitting in a playhouse with a chalkboard that has a count that matches the number of people who died . . . Yep, totally innocent! :} Keep in mind, I was much younger then, and still very naive about many people! Sure enough, Lillian had been killing off everyone, up to the end when she was killed herself. I wasn't upset that Athena was right, but I still didn't want it to be true. I think all good people are that way sometimes (not to say Athena isn't a good person; she is, most definitely, but she was seeing the facts more clearly than me that day!), but I'm that way all of the time, so I hate seeking justice because then I have to see and often times portray someone in a bad light.

Meanwhile, the villains in these tales tend to see perceived slights that never happen, and because this is the case there is little one can do to fight it; these nonexistant problems don't stop them from making the biggest deal out of nothing at all. How do you fight an imaginary monster that's attacking you? It certainly doesn't give you much to say about it. Imagine being summoned to your HR office and being accused of something that never even occurred to you could be done. The shock is genuine, but, for someone like me who is frequently speechless in front of people who aren't my friends (or online), it looks like the shock and guilt of someone who's been found out.

Thankfully, I've gone beyond this and manage to have a few words, even if they are stupid ones. :} I'm sure I'm not the only person who's been there, though I think most people handle it more gracefully than myself. But, as I walk out the door, or my boss walks away from me, or I finish reading the e-mail, or get off the phone . . . whatever the case may be, I'm left thinking, Why didn't this person just talk to me? This could have been worked out. I'm a sap; I want to get along with everyone. You know that cute little girl who even prison inmates want to be friends with in old 50's shows? A little carrier of joy and happiness, the one who the lion won't even eat because she's so precious? I think somewhere deep down, I want that to be me. :}

Unfortunately, it can't be worked out in those situations, and that will never be me because it doesn't matter what I see, but what others do. Some people won't let go until someone falls in the process. It's really tragic, but that's the way these stories go, isn't it? Either the hero has to win or they have to lose, and the villain will either be left still thinking they were treated unfairly or they'll feel luxurious and cocky in their victory. Where is the justice in either of those?

I don't think there is any. For the person who takes joy in taking someone else go down, I'll admit I'm repulsed by that. I've never felt that way. Thought someone probably deserved something, sure, but never felt happy about it. Even when the hero wins, it's bitter-sweet because something is lost at the same time; good heroes know this.

I don't think justice can exist. The very notion of it defies itself, at least in my imagination. Revenge seems very real, but I'm not partial to that, either. :} Justice through punishment is just another way of commiting revenge and making it sound pretty. Depending on your culture and such, maybe that's the right way for you. For me, I still dream of living in a happy neighborhood with a bunch of kind people, friends included, where we stand up for each other and help each other when needed and make each other smile every day. I fantasize about being able to talk to people as frankly as I do my husband and my best friend, without fear. If there's a problem, we can talk it out. I've been called an idealist, told that I'm naive, but what's so bad about that? Maybe my world wouldn't create justice for those who commit crimes and go out of their way to hurt others . . . but it would be happier, just the same. It's what many people hint at wanting. Things wouldn't have to be perfect; life is more interesting with obstacles to overcome, things to challenge us. But being hurt and hurting other people? That I can do without.

So, to the people who are waging war on me (and others like me), who I know don't even know me well enough to know that this blog exists . . . I refuse to play your game with you, as I have always. Sling your mud, hate and talk about me behind my back all you please, and for a change I'll see you for how you really are. But, I still don't want to be anything like you. I'll stand up for myself, but I'm not going to fight back like that. And, I feel sad and sorry for you for not seeing that it's wrong to hurt people, to take away their sunshine; cruel words can be just as bad as physical abuse, and having experienced both for decades at a time, I can honestly say that the words are worse. Life is too short for unhappiness, especially to be the one causing it.

Humility to a Fault

I learned something really huge visiting a foreign country. When you can't always communicate your needs to others, you find yourself very much "on your own," and in that circumstance I think humans grow best. That's why moving out from the family is such a big deal for everyone I grew up with. It's huge! You learn so much! I often ponder why on earth my parents didn't just tell me how hard it is. Did they think I wouldn't get it? I would have gone a lot easier on them! :}

I gained confidence. When you have to do everything for yourself, when you can't get any reflective feedback from anyone, you have to trust yourself. Well, I guess you don't have to, but the other option is too dismal for me to even consider. I learned long ago that if I sit afraid and waited, no one would save me. I'm the kind of princess who rescues herself; too impatient for princes. My prince may be too impatient for that kind of princess, too. ;)

When I came back, I was afraid of losing this great sense of self. I had always been afraid in the past of not being humble. Humility is one of those values that I learned about early in life, and while I had been pretty confident growing up about certain things, I was a pretty weak, scared individual deep inside. It's easy to doubt oneself, isn't it? I kept thinking, "If I'm doing the right things, then why does bad stuff keep happening to me?" Some of it was my fault (not letting go of friends who were horrible to me while ignoring the ones who needed me more; sorry about that! I was young and stupid!), and some of it was beyond my control. My negotiation and conflict course helped me to see that, and it was like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I can't blame myself for everything that goes wrong, and I am doing my best. But, I didn't know that for so long.

I was so afraid of being full of pride and becoming arrogant that the need to be humble became a sickening low self-esteem problem. I couldn't let myself feel good because if I did, I was being too arrogant. "No one is that good," I'd tell myself, or I'd explain that the situation made me great, not me myself. There is a fine line between humility and self-depreciation, and I didn't get that. Now I do.

And, thank goodness, too! I'm just getting into my second week of class and I dropped one of them yesterday. The me from a year ago would have been too scared to. I would have told myself that the professor must be right, because he's the professor. I would have taken the fact that he wasn't listening to me (or anyone else in the class) and made it out to be somehow my own fault. Even though there was tons of evidence that, despite great credentials and knowledge, he was a bad teacher, I would have talked myself out of standing up for myself. Finally, I would have told myself that no one would believe it was that bad, that they would tell me I'm being immature and complaining, that this is accepted behavior for a professional.

The me that just got back from Japan has realized her own self-worth. Not only did I stand up for myself in the class and to the Dean, but I posted in the discussion boards and stood up for the rest of the students, too. It was strangely fulfilling, to acknowledge that I'm smart (not a genius, but I know when I've done the work I was told to do and you change the rules halfway through the assignment; you can't make me believe that I'm ignorant after I read and reread the boards three or four times!), that my money toward the class has meaning to me, and that we all deserve better.

I didn't even realize how stressed out with the class I was until today. The immense relief of knowing that I wouldn't have to try and convince some guy out there that I was someone worthy is incredible. I had been so irritable, so unhappy! I feel glad for the students that I helped, and I feel sorry for the students who haven't realized that they deserve better. Sure, the teacher could have been worse, but that doesn't mean that we should deal with a mostly-bad situation anyway. And, the humility is still there. I admit that I don't know why he did what he did, what the circumstances were, and I even feel a little sorry for him. Perhaps he had been given the wrong impression about the course and how it was supposed to go. I really don't know. Feeling that little tinge of guilt/sorrow for him, even knowing that I did the right thing, is what reminds me that I haven't crossed the line into being arrogant. I know that I and my classmates were being hurt (all you had to do was read their many posts), so unfortunately his pride was his undoing.

I have to wonder . . . how many people suffer because of this? How many people have been abused and are afraid to stand up for themselves, not only because they think they may have done something to deserve it (the myth that there is a right answer to everything, so you must have just missed the que or done something wrong), but because they refuse to allow themselves to believe that they are good enough to get out of it? It's frightening! I want to run out into the street and shout, "Stop it! You don't have to put up with bad treatment!" . . . But, even when you try to support some people escaping bad treatment, you can't save them. In the end, we all have to save ourselves at least a little bit; no one else can save a person completely.

It also makes me think about rules in employment that make it difficult to fire someone when they're doing a horrible job and tormenting people while they're at it. Perhaps it isn't as bad as it seems and it's just that I've seen far too many HR departments who are scared of pulling the trigger too soon. Don't get me wrong; everyone deserves a fair chance. It's just . . . well, doesn't it seem like the good guys always give the bad guys way too many second chances to redeem themselves? Despite the prolonged torture and distrust it breeds?

Anyway, the last thing this made me think of is that illusion that I had when I was really young, one that seems common amongst many of my friends. I had this impression that the Adults knew everything. I thought, Someday, I'll be one of them, and I'll know everything, too! And then, as you get older, you start wondering what it will feel like to be "grown up," even though in a rebellious age, you may second-guess everything that they tell you. Those are just the bad Adults, right? ;) And yet, despite going through that, I still felt insecure around the Adults when I started working at every job that I've had. It didn't matter how I dazzled people with my computer know-how or the way I'd create new, innovative ways to solve problems; I felt insecure around them. It was as if I was waiting for someone to announce that I was one of them, an Adult. I think we're all waiting for that at some point in our lives, to be treated like an Adult so that we know that we are one.

I realized two things:

1.) Adults are not as smart as I thought. :} In fact, some of them are more immature than any of the children I grew up with! On a daily basis, I look at some of the people I work with or see in the news and go, "OMG, I don't get it! Why are you behaving that way?!" They're inefficient, lazy, and purposefully go out of their way to not learn anything. That's not to say that I don't know any other smart people, because I know plenty of folks who know things that I just can't get, but no one "Adult" knows it all. They're just like children, only bigger! I'll be learning until the day I die!! :} AHHH!

2.) No one is going to crown you an Adult and give you all the rights and priveledges that they seem to have. You have to take it, and then people think, "Oh, (your name here) is an Adult!" That's truly how it works! Everyone I know, myself included, who has waited for the go-ahead to take the reigns will not have it given to them. The fact that you're hesitating is a sign to the other Adults that you're not ready to be one of them. It's entirely foolish, anyway. All you're taking is confidence in your own knowledge and experiences, faith in yourself. The title of being an Adult only comes with priveledges because some Adults actually think that they are better than children. FOOLS! :} In all of our different stages, we have valuable aspects to ourselves!

So, I've taken my title. I still think of myself as young and enjoy it, but to those who think they can trample all over me, I have my Adult badge on, and it scares more people than you'd think! I guess I'm talking about cheesy, self-empowerment here, but I think it's important that someone says it this way. Someone else may have already said it before and I just didn't get the memo, but this is huge to me. I think this is something my brother tried to teach me a long time ago, but it didn't sink in as well as I'd thought it had: Whatever it is that you're waiting to be, all you have to do is be it. Believe it, and do it.

Final Days in Japan

To see related photos, please go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/dreamsenshi/sets/72157619803282297/

The below was written from Canada while we were laid over yesterday.

Our final days in Japan were hard for me. Despite initially feeling anxious and concerned about how I would do in Japan at the beginning of the trip, by the end I was feeling very comfortable in Japan. And, even with reminding myself of the things our countries have in common and what's missing from Japan, I found it difficult to start our trip back.

Our hostess in Miyajima was very sweet, even when she had to prepare breakfast for us extremely early in the morning so that we could leave for Tokyo as soon as possible. She took a picture of us to remember us by; I think I will send her a post card once we return to the states to thank her for her hospitality. I don't think I've ever slept as well as I did on her futons, and it was fun to practice my Japanese with her.

As we rode the first train back to Hiroshima, I started to cry. I didn't mean to, and I knew it wouldn't help anything, but I definitely don't feel done with Japan yet. In fact, being there only inspired me more. And, from a honeymoon perspective, Terinati and I are even closer than before. We learned a lot about each other and I think we trust each other even more than we did before. We worked well as a team, getting each other around and listening to each other's needs. It started out rough, but only got better and better as things went along.

I pondered a lot of things on the trip back, like how I want to study even more Japanese when I return, the things I would miss, and all that we went through. By then, we had 302 photos to upload to Flickr and 2 small videos, along with many other souvenirs and inexpressible memories.

So, in that line of thought, some things I learned while I was in Japan!

New favorite foods: cinnamon and red bean ice cream, okonomiyaki, English-style in the pretty little teacups, tempura momiji, and many eggplant dishes, including spaghetti with eggplant and bacon.

Insightful thoughts: When I couldn't understand what people thought of us for sure, it became easier to be myself, and I was happier. I know I shouldn't care what other people think, but now I feel even less scared of the consequences. They maybe bad sometimes, but I do my best and I have someone who supports me. I am coming back to America looking at it and its people in an entirely different way. I think it's healthier.

Cleanliness: America is really gross. We could learn a lot from the Japanese. However, I'm glad to have the resources available to me to wash my hands again after using the restroom. :}

Green Tea and Kit Kats: If you love Green Tea, you can find anything Green Tea flavored in Japan, from ice cream to chocolates, even Kit Kats. In fact, Kit Kats come in a bizarre variety of flavors in Japan, including Soy Sauce, Apple Vinegar, Caramel, Vanilla Lemon, and Green Tea. Those are just the ones that I saw, and I suspect there are more. I didn't care for apple vinegar, but caramel and vanilla lemon were alright. I have a green tea variety in my bag to try later. But, again, if you love Green Tea, I don't think there's a tasty treat you can't find in Japan that comes in Green Tea flavor. It must be quite popular!

Video Games and Cutesy Things: Video games are, at least environmentally speaking, much like being in Japan, especially the RPGs. The music in the inns, particularly the old Final Fantasy stuff by Nobuo Uematsu, is just like what they play when they prepare breakfast in the morning, be it Japanese or English-style meals. Video games seem to come to life in Japan, with its incredible style, people, and atmosphere. Also, everywhere you go, you can find somewhere cute, even in places that seem extremely serious. I think this makes Japan a more happy place. Perhaps the U.S. could use more cuteness! Speaking of, why have I never seen Yoshikitty in America and just Hello Kitty?! Yoshi Kitty is so much COOLER! :}

Japanese Hotels: They provide you with just about everything. In every hotel, we were given toothbrushes and toothpaste, fresh every day. However, I found that I preferred my own toothpaste after a while because the hotel toothpastes just didn't cut it. There was also always towels, body soap, and shampoo. However, conditioner was sometimes combined with shampoo, and girls with hair like mine will need to bring their own conditioner. Also, every hotel we stayed at provided either a bathrobe or a yukata (the modern style, not the ones that take forever to put on), so there's a lot you can leave out of your luggage; traveling in Japan is convenient because the hotels are excellent in this way and a lot of traveling signs are printed in English.

There's so much more, but I've been awake for about 22 hours now (trying to kill jet lag before I get back to the states; we're laid over in Canada without internet as I write this up) and I just can't think of it all.

Anyway, when we got back to Tokyo after traveling nearly all day, it was raining pretty hard. It matched my mood, but was okay because I wanted to blog and upload photos from the previous days anyway. It was sad, though, having our final meals. The regular bed that night was not as comfy as the futon, and the cake just seemed bittersweet when I thought of returning to our apartment and our previous lives.

We made the most of the Shinjuku district, where we stayed our final night in Japan, even though it was pretty rowdy and relatively filthy compared to everywhere else we'd been in Japan thus far. We saw obvious hookers, love hotels, and other stuff inappropriate for minors very much in plain sight. I was kind of like, “Whoah!” but . . . it's not like everyone doesn't know that someone uses those services, so it wasn't really a big deal. It was just weird to see it. The night life in Shinjuku was mostly in rowdy, loud gaming centers that often were full of smokers. We did go in to one to use the restroom and saw the most AMAZING game player just doing his thing, blowing the game away . . . It was like guitar hero for your hands, but there were so many more buttons and the speed at which he played, perfectly, blew my mind. I wanted to give him applause, but really Terinati and I felt embarrassed for gawking when he had finished. His girlfriend seemed pretty proud, though!

One thing that saddened me was seeing homeless people in the street. They were just sleeping there, a few of them inside cardboard boxes, and some of them only with something to lay on to separate them from the street . . . and everyone just walked around them like they weren't there. 100% of the homeless people we saw there didn't even have a shirt to wear, and were older men. My heart felt for them, but at the same time I reminded myself that perhaps they had put themselves in that situation. Still, to pretend they weren't there was impossible for me. It was just too sad to see someone cramming themselves desperately into a large bundle of cardboard boxes to go to sleep at night. The stray cats there weren't pretty either; I'm guessing food on the street is slim pickings when it's a clean place like Japan.

We finally found a Mos Burgers, but it was pretty much the same as the Lotteria restaurant we'd found in Hiroshima. Still, I was pleased we had found one in Tokyo, just so that we could say that we had been there. :)

After stuffing ourselves, we went to bed. It was hard for me at first, because the night life went on long after we returned. It was also strange because we didn't find out until that night that all the news showing pictures of Michael Jackson were talking about the fact that he had died! Whoah! Had he been sick for a while? What happened? We still don't really know, as we probably won't be in the loop until we're home again, and it's just weird. I mean, I was only a kid when he was really big and the 3-D feature of Michael Jackson appeared in Disneyland in Los Angeles. He's not that old, is he? I guess, “was” he is more appropriate, but it still seems hard to believe. Weird!

For our trip back to the airport, we had reserved seats on a bus “limousine”. It was big for Japanese buses, but pretty average size for our buses in the states. It was a nice trip, and I spent so much time just admiring how beautiful the trees are, so green and lush, much like the rice fields we passed so often. It's like magic, how beautiful and vibrant they are; I've never seen anything that kind of lively green in America.

But then, it was over. We were in the airport terminal, spending the last of our yen on some Maneki Neko chop stick holders and music I heard playing and candies, and the rest we have now exchanged back to dollars. We really have to thank those who paid to dance with us at the wedding; your money paid for our meals and other expenses while in Japan that weren't initially covered. We wouldn't have had such a relaxing time if it weren't for you! We had been planning on having to really scrimp the whole time, but because of our loved friends and family, we were able to have a real honeymoon. Thank you so much!

I know I'm only in Canada and there is still some traveling left to go, but I guess I feel that things are now over. Terinati is falling asleep at the table we're sitting at, and the line is getting long in the cafe where we sit, so I should finish here and make some space for other people. Only two more hours until we're on the next plane headed to America. I miss Japan, but Terinati has promised me that we will return there someday. I'm holding him to it! In the meantime, it's back to my ordinary life. I hope my blog has helped other potential travelers headed in that direction! . . . * sigh * I hate endings, but without them there are no new beginnings.

So, with that, I say a final sayonara (at least, for now), to Japan. I miss you!! :( . . . Sayonara.

Day 12 - Miyajima and New Foods

To see related photos, please go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/dreamsenshi/sets/72157619803282297/

Saturday, June 27^th, 2009. 7:28pm Japan Time.

This morning, it was so difficult to wake up. The futon, so cushy, so seductive, keeping me in bed until I knew if I waited any longer I would miss breakfast. It's a fasting day, but my days in Japan are growing fewer and fewer, so I want to experience more and more.

Today, we got up and had an excellent English breakfast on the first floor of our inn. Yum! The only thing I didn't partake of was the coffee, though I had my first taste ever. It's disgusting. :} I find it baffling that two of the biggest industries for drinks (so big that they are international), are for things that taste horrible (beer and coffee, though soda is understandable despite having obvious nutrient issues). Ah well! I guess it's just not for me. :}

So, we set out to explore Miyajima, which is awake very early in the morning. First, we returned to all of the closed shops and explored. Unfortunately for me, Miyajima is full of delicious foods. I had a taste of various things, but did my best not to partake too much (I don't want to make myself sick! . . . or fat :p ). Terinati really wanted some maple leaf shaped baked goods with filling (I think they're called momiji, but I could be wrong because I keep forgetting :} ). He tried some with red bean inside and with chocolate filling, and we ended up buying a box with chocolate filling. I'm sure they will be tastier than the sesame ice cream I tried yesterday (it's not horrible like it sounds, though!). Then, we found a most popular item, deep fried momiji! People lined up, had to take numbers! Terinati only purchased one, and I took one bite and regretted very much that it was fasting day. If it wasn't, I would have eaten five of them. :} In the end, I'm glad I tried it, though!

After touring around and buying a few souvenirs, including a miniature Otorii, we headed up to the cable car. The ride up was pretty cool, and despite the warnings of monkeys, we saw none, which is okay. :) But then we say the “hike” up to the topmost point, which has a lot of rewarding goods and such, but realized right away that this was an even worse hike than the last one we attempted. Neither of us even saw a path, so we decided to save our very sore feet (today, Terinati had started to really hurt, so it's a true testament to how much traveling by foot we've been doing; he's got the buffest legs I've ever seen!) and head back down. We saw the 5-story pagoda and the adjacent shrines.

Miyajima is so beautiful, so peaceful, and so wonderful. But, without the hike . . . we'd been just about everywhere there is to go! :} So, we hopped on the train and headed back to Hiroshima after checking our schedule for tomorrow and seeing what we would need to leave and such.

Back in Hiroshima, Terinati had a mission to find the okonomiyaki at Okonomiyaki Mura. We went back to the shopping areas, and I was happy to spot it for Terinati. We headed up the stairs to the third floor and sat down in a nearly empty restaurant at a table with a cooking surface; we were going to get one of those treats where the chefs cook right in front of us. Terinati only ordered one okonomiyaki, but because we were both there, they assumed we were going to split it and served it in half to both of us. =^><^= D'oh! But, I'm glad in the end, because despite its appearance, it is SOOOOO good! You must have okonomiyaki, and don't get it cold, in wrap, or anywhere where it is not cooked fresh and handed to you FRESH. There are many different kinds, so if you're not sure, like we were, just ask for the most basic kind. OMG, why aren't these in the US? Where is the Okonomiyaki and cinnamon/red bean ice cream?!

After that, we wandered around a bit more and discovered the Japanese version of Cold Stone: Marvelous Cream. To my sorrow, the banana tiramisu that they advertised on the English menu was no longer available, but I had to try something anyway, so I had a delicious strawberry-banana thing in a waffle cup. Now, feeling somewhat fat, I still admit that it was quite satisfying. :}

For a change of pace, and to make our 2-day Miyajima passes count, we decided to take the cable car back to Miyajima guchi instead of the JR Train. We figured it'd be less crowded, but we figured wrong. Once we were on it, and at each stop the cars only got more and more crammed full, it occurred to me that this result should have been obvious since the cable car would cost less to ride than the train, so the people who are trying to save money would all be on it. Furthermore, the car we had to take was the only one that went to several places, so most people wouldn't want to wait for another one. Still, it was a good experience, if a bit tiring from all of the standing. :)

By the time we got back, it was after 6pm, and everything in Japan seems to close up between 3pm and 6pm. Only a few places are open later, unless you're in Tokyo where there seems to be a little more of a night life. Actually, there are a lot of night owls in Kyoto, but many stores still close earlier in the day. Now, as I sit at our low table, Terinati has the broadway version of Lion King showing on TV . . . only it's in Japanese. :} It's kind of cool, though, because obviously we know the story already. Tomorrow, we are promised to have internet again, so hopefully I will finally be able to upload all of the photos and blogs! Not that anyone will probably want to read all of this in one go. :} But, maybe it will help someone else going to Japan. =^--^=

I wish we didn't have to leave, though I do miss Stardust and Tatsu terribly. Well, talk tomorrow!

Day 11 - Hiroshima and Miyajima

To see related photos, please go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/dreamsenshi/sets/72157619803282297/

Friday, June 26th, 2009. 9:43pm Japan Time.

Today, we packed our things and said good-bye to Kyoto. I had to keep reminding myself of how different it would be if I could understand what everyone is saying all of the time, and if I had a job and was coming home to school work like I soon will be. Even doing so, I couldn't help enjoying the fresh air as I showered with the window slightly open and thinking that I feel more like myself here than I do in America. Still, I would miss my friends if I stayed in Japan. I hope they're missing me, too!

We took the Japan Rail to Hiroshima today, and I feel lucky that we once again had brilliant sunshine to greet us there. Since it is their rainy reason, it seems that we have been really fortunate with outrunning the rain. :) At first, I was really excited to get to Hiroshima and see the history there, but as I saw our first memorial, the only standing remains of a building from the first a-bomb dropped in history, it quickly became very solemn. Even after talking to Terinati about it and understanding why it happened, and seeing how the local people here were clearly beyond hating America, if they ever did, I still felt the sorrow from that building, pain never to be forgotten. I'm glad that they decided to preserve it, because otherwise there would be nothing left to demonstrate the true horror of the a-bomb. Everything has been rebuilt, the park with all of its peace memorials is beautiful, so it would be easy to take it lightly without seeing it for yourself. Not even the mound where they buried the ashes of those who were killed that day bring it home as well as that structure did.

I tried hard not to cry, but then we saw a memorial for a girl who had leukemia from the radiation of the a-bomb, I lost it. She had been trying to create 1000 origami cranes before she died, because it is said that if you do so, you can have a wish granted. I think she only made it to 644 before she died, and then her loyal classmates took up the job of finishing the rest on her behalf. :( That sort of stuff always makes me cry. It's a reminder of how good the human spirit can be, even in the face of disaster. It only got harder from there, and I was glad to be wearing sunglasses.

But, Hiroshima isn't all about that, either. After visiting there and seeing the castle, we went through the many streets to shop. We were excited to find a gamers store that had many familiar favorites (the Zombies games, card games, D&D, Shadowrun, etc.), but not L5R. I was sad about that. :} After walking them for hours trying to find a place called Moss Burgers mentioned by Inside Japan Tours (they supposedly make Japanese-style burgers, and we were looking for the experience, but IJT said they were scattered around and we'd see one...), but we didn't see a single one, so we settled for a place called Straight Burgers. I have no idea what that means, but other than weird soda flavors and a different kind of taste to the meat, my meal tasted pretty typical of those kinds of things. Terinati's burger, however, had some weird sauce and a cooked egg in it. Like, the whole egg, not mashed up or anything. It was interesting at least.

Also, while having to use the restroom out in Hiroshima, I couldn't help but think that ever since that bathroom in Tokyo where there was no soap and no drier, most public bathrooms have been the same. And then it hit me! The Japanese don't wash their hands after going to the bathroom like we do! It's just like they don't say anything after someone sneezes! So, they probably have sinks for convenience, but not out of necessity like in America. What does it mean that a country so concerned with preventing illness that there hasn't been a single city I've been to yet without people wearing doctor's masks, doesn't wash its hands after using the restroom, something Americans think is a necessity to preventing the spread of disease? This begs the question . . . have any studies been done proving that it actually helps? I want to look into it more now, but it will have to wait until I have internet again . . . and free time.

So! After that, we headed back to the train station to take the train to Miyajima-guchi, where we took a ferry to our current location, Miyajima! The ferry ride was so beautiful! The water was sparkling as the sun was setting, and I took many pictures to try and capture the moment. Just into the island and off of the ferry was our stop, the Yamaichi Inn! Our hostess, who is also a lover of cats, speaks pretty good English and is very sweet and friendly. She prepared dinner for us, our only guests for tonight, and then we went out walking by the beach. We were very much not alone, as there were school children out, even at 8:30pm, led by whoever leads them (I would guess it's their teachers) to look at the torii gate in the water and such. There were also tour groups still running that late, even though almost all of the stores had closed by then! Nevertheless, it was a magical stroll, if only a little startling the first time we ran into a deer looking at us through the darkness. :}

Going back to the inn, it's quite amazing. This is the biggest space we've had yet, up on the third floor with two entrances, both a restroom and a restroom with a shower, a separate room for relaxing and drinking tea or watching TV, and then a separate bedroom. The space makes it feel luxurious, especially with all of the beautiful decorations and historical figures about. The inn looks equipped to handle very important business meetings, and it's literally right at the ferry, so it's great!

The only thing it needs? Internet. I'm really surprised how little internet availability there is if you want to utilize your own computer/laptop. But, there are only a few days left here (SADNESS!) before we head back to Tokyo and then home, so we'll see how it goes. For now, I'm exhausted and need some rest. Talk later!