It's officially Christmas here.... but I'm waiting on presents!

Oh this is painful.
I'm sitting here, alone in the dark, save for my christmas lights, tree and Samurai the sparrow sleeping in the wall. He didn't come back last night and I was worried he got lost in the hour long blizzard yesterday so I am so thankful he's flapping around tonight. I put two foot warmers on the metal circle, hoping those would warm him up. They don't feel so warm now, and it's only been 3 hours! Oh well, I tried.
Today, I got a peach flavored water out of the vending machine and it yelled "Merry Kuuriiismas!" at me when I put my money in. I thanked it, like a lunatic.
We still have to go to work Tuesday but that's it and then we get a week off. I left the office today feeling very proud:

The gingerbread man, wreath and Patrick Star were all made by me!

The other day me and Jonathan got on the completely wrong bus and wound up in the rural area of Aomori (before the nice bus driver called us a cab back) and it was funny... but I finally get to show you how much snow we have!!!! And this is apparently how I walk! Didn't know he took this until just now -

It comes up to my chest. YEAH. And aren't the mountains just lovely behind me?

And this was the shopping mall, and the lady with the KFC buckets that stood in the snow for like, 30 minutes waiting for the bus!

More update tomorrow, because my parents are on Skype and that makes me feel a little less sad!! :)

Tough day at the office.

I got to go to my grandma's funeral thanks to Skype this morning - it was great.
But I feel so sad that like, no one spoke about her. It may be me, but when I die, I want people talking - even if they are literally convulsing on the ground. So when I told my mom I was sad about that, she asked what I would have said.
Oh, I dunno. Just that I loved her and she was funny and I miss her.
Yep, eloquent.
Anyway, I was thankful to be there, even if the funeral home's internet was pretty BAD. And I would like to say a significant thank you to her, for being the only grandma I had that didn't walk out on my family. I really appreciate someone with the unconditional love like she had, because there are others in the world who are not so nice, and it's a crime someone like her had to leave this world.
Seriously, I just lost my only grandma and it just hit me. And it hurts.

Today was snowy, like it is every day. We officially have snow up to my knees and walking is very dangerous. In fact, they only have a tiny walk-way carved out in the massive sidewalks where one person can walk at a time. So if someone's coming the opposite direction, you either literally crash into them, or side step, which involves someone taking on a large amount of snow in your boot. I did that today for an old man ... not even a 'sumimasen' in reply ... JERK!
I also took a picture of the paper tree in the office with everyone's ornaments. I counted... I made 9. Could not stop. We're so doing this when I come home next year... it's a blast and you get to see how creative and fun people are. (And on the other hand, you get to see how lame and boring other people are, and you totally understand why you simply don't like that person). Amazing that you can gather that from a handmade ornament. Pictures tomorrow!!

This is a ... snow plow?

Pretty sure I have a stomach virus.
But I'm the kind of person who worries that it's something far worse and it won't get better and then I should go see a doctor, which is embarrassing enough, let alone if I don't speak the language and need someone to go WITH ME... that's not gonna happen.
Tonight was the 'welcome' party for Jonathan which is stupid since he's been here for 3 months, and I announced that to the party because I felt a speech from me 'welcoming him' was ridiculous. Anyway it's still snowing and we didn't feel like hanging out afterwards so we literally just walked home -- didn't say goodbye, which looking back may not seem so polite, but at least my boss knows my tummy HURTS.
It's loud. I think between 10:30 and 12:00 am it's street cleaning time. I didn't get a picture of the giant monster that plows the streets (it's truly a cross between a tractor and a semi) but I got a picture of the back-up help...

There is a man in that bulldozer... it's the biggest piece of machinery I've ever seen.... even our bulldozers back home are dwarfs compared to this!! And this is still the baby!!! Tomorrow I HAVE to get a picture of the monster!

Sad news.

Last night was so exciting for me because my parents went back to visit my old school -
And I woke up when they Skyped me and asked what happened, and they didn't take that into account... first words were 'grandma passed away.'
Not a good way to start a day. I just feel like I've been punched in the gut... was able to miss my first two classes today but went in this evening and taught the other three. I managed to go back to sleep for a bit earlier today, and then got incredibly sick. And of course, had to go to work a half hour after that. The JHS girls were so nice - I didn't tell them - but they all bought me Christmas gifts (which was junk and candy, they know me well).
I find it odd, you know, I've been wanting to see a winter storm for so long now, and have been wanting it to snow a LOT and today was the day it did. It hasn't stopped yet, but that was actually nice to walk to and from work in. Kind of hoping my grandma can see me (only when appropriate!! Have you ever thought of that - and then had a sudden fear that they watch you while you're on the toilet? No?? That's just a Melissa fear?!) and since my grandma has never really gone on a vacation, I think Japan would be a great first stop for her.
There haven't been many tears. Just this horrible pain in my stomach.

PS - got a nice Christmas card from my Angie... made me smile today and I needed it!!

"Excellence can be found, even under a rock"

Today was normal, but tonight was so fun, and funny.
So first with my little girls class, we decorated butter cookies - 'cause sugar cookies just aren't around - with icing and sprinkles, did a small Christmas word search and made ornaments to tape up on the big tree in the office (made by yours truly... beep beep, that's just me tootin' my own horn). Even bought 8 dollar imported candy canes for the kids. Anyway, I had already made one ornament but it was kind of lame and adult-ish, so with the girls, I really ramped it up....

Didn't even know I was so talented, did you?
And then in my adult class we also made ornaments (and they really loved Patureekuu). We also worked in the text and I was teaching them what usual, always, hardly ever, sometimes, etc mean. So we were making up sentences; like I would say, 'I always wear clothes.'
So, one of the girls said, 'I always put in my eyes every morning'
I died. She was trying to say contact lens'.

Ugly, rainy day

This happened about a week ago but I forgot to share, and it's too cute not to.
I was biking to work in between snow-covered days, when the light turned green for my side to go. I looked and across the street was a pigeon. Poor little thing just didn't want to fly, so it walked from one side to the other. The cars had the light, but they literally stopped for the little pigeon to walk on by. Not only did it successfully make it, but it walked in a straight line, directly on the cross walk. OMG it was just too precious!! I congratulated it on my way by.
Other than that, there really isn't any news. Oh! Except at my business class, one of my students told me he and another person in the company are going to the US in a month to discuss issues with products in L.A. So I was trying to tell him what to eat, and what to see (what I remembered from 10 YEARS AGO... HOLY COW) and then he told me he miiight have to travel to a company located in Mentor, OHIO. And I slapped the table and yelled that he HAD TO GO! He'll find out more in the next few weeks, and I promised to do research and list off things to see and eat while he's in the US. Soooo lucky!!!! Kind of proud... and hoping he can handle all the English he's about to experience.
That's all I got for now. Our office Year End party is this Saturday but I don't think many students are coming - and I don't care. I just want the FOOD.

A face to the name.

Want to see the inside of my apartment - somewhat decked out in the Japanese Christmas hoopla?
Well, this is it. Probably the ONLY time you will see me willingly on camera. Enjoy it people.

PS - yep, those were underwear you possibly saw in the video. OOPS!!
PPS - don't you dare re-watch it for the underwear cameo.

Total lunar eclipse you CAN'T see back home!!

Tonight went from bad to ugly.
Found out from my boss/secretary that I have to travel to Sendai in a month for training... training in a job of which I will have under 3 months left at that point. (Sendai, if you remember, was definitely somewhat damaged by the tsunami) I am interested to see the city, mainly for the damage. Even if it's cleaned up.... I'm sure it's still obvious. But training is on my weekend, both days, and the b/s (ohhh, no - that's her new abbreviation; get over it!) is saying we won't be able to use those weekend days another time.
And then, I talked to a friend back home and for a while I've wanted to meet up with him when I come back 'cause I've definitely missed him and found out he's gonna become a dad. I don't know, I was just kind of holding out hope maybe we could go on a few dates... NOT NOW! So that REALLY just got to me.
After some bath time and rest time, someone on facebook alerted me to the outside. And I went out and it made me forget my problems - that is, until I came in from the freezing cold and sat down to write this:

It's not God, but it's pretty and I'll take it on a depressing evening like this! And sadly, the pictures can't do the moon justice. Not sure when I've seen a total lunar eclipse in the past - so a lucky sight!

HATE crying before bed!

No pictures tonight but I'm thinking I'll be uploading a few tomorrow.
Aomori's landscape has been undergoing a change recently. Due to the impending snowy winter, they build these giant wooden teepee's around bushes and trees. Usually it's in the shape of a teepee with the wood completely surrounding the top of the plant, but sometimes it's a flat roof. It apparently snows THAT MUCH, that the people said they must do this every year on the plants they want to 'save.' Whenever this snow starts, it must be spectacular!
Today was a long day at work and I was getting the shakes after my 3 hour marathon business class - maaaybe the 2 cans of coffee? (BOSS!) - so I ran to a little cafe where I got a killer breakfast sandwich back in the summer. Turns out you can only get that killer sandwich DURING BREAKFAST, but I ordered (off an English menu! So polite these people!) a ham and salami sandwich.. omg it was fantastic. It wasn't as filling, large, sodium packed or chewy as Panera Bread but it's for sure the closest thing to it in Japan. And my M size sandwich was only 390 yen. Which is cheaper than Panara. Or maybe the same price. Either way, I'm totally going there tomorrow.... and the next day! And the next day...?
It's possible that one of my students bought me a soccer jersey while he was in Nagoya last weekend. I wrote him explicit instructions, if he found it. I'm gonna pay him back, so I'm kind of freaking out.... kind of want to go into tomorrow in the mindset of negativity. Just so I don't get my heart broken. If he DID buy me one... there's ANOTHER picture that will be posted tomorrow :)
This evening at work, one of my mom's OLLLD christmas songs came on the radio, about this guy running into his ex at a store and they get drunk and then she leaves and the snow turns into rain.... anyway I almost started crying. I HATE that song, hated whenever my mom played it, but I remember one time sitting in front of old Kroger waiting for her and the song came on over the tape. Now it just makes me tear up. I really hope someone cries for me being gone from Christmas this year, 'cause I really don't want to be the only one super sad. You know what I want for Christmas? A heartfelt letter that could be 3 lines long just saying you will think of me and will feel sorry for me because - yes, I want your pity this holiday season!
PS - please pray for my grandma. She's not feeling so hot.

I live.

It's been a WHILE. Sorry, I kept thinking the past few days that I needed to update, but just became too lazy.
Thanksgiving dinner was a success. Everything tasted fine, even if I freaked at the chicken not cooking fast enough. Literally, there was nothing else special about that 'holiday'. We played some PS3 and watched some episodes of a funny show called Shin Chan. And Jonathan got a little tipsy, while I simply sat and continued to beat him up in FIFA.
Everything else has been pretty well normal. It has snowed, and some has stuck, but it always ends up melting. Tonight we got about an inch, and then it all immediately froze to the ground. Biking home was dangerous, but I did it... because I told my boss if I fell on the way home and broke my leg, I wanted the day off. (I told her that only 'cause she said I would be fine) UNFORTUNATELY, everything was fine.
I'm excited for this weekend -- I'm going Christmas shopping. Have to find things for my parents, more things for my dog and a few things for my friends here. Any ideas from anyone?
Sorry, Japan's been boring. I'll try to find a few pictures (if I've even taken any recently) and try to upload some. Promise I'll write more -- just hadn't heard from anyone lately and I'm pretty sure my parents haven't read this in like, 2 months.