What is this, amateur hour?!

And you thought the WWE was bad!! I can't stop watching this because of the level of care these guys take with each other. It's so entertaining that I took a video for you all to see Japanese wrestling (yes this is me on Youtube and yes, I never upload videos). It's like watching the old science fiction movies - when everything is supposed to be all serious, but since you possess greater intelligence than a three year old, you're laughing instead.

Skippy peanut butter STINKS!!!

Today I brought in Jif peanut butter for my class of  'older' ladies. (Aka - they're my mom's/dad's age) Japan's peanut butter is REALLY sugary, and I don't plan on ever trying it because:
A. Other Americans who have tried it said it's horrendous.
B. That'd just be a waste of money!
Although they do sell Skippy here - but let's all be honest here... that's the poor man's peanut butter. AHHA! I kid, I kid. But I don't know many people who eat Skippy. Anyway, I let the ladies try Jif on saltine crackers and we all know how peanut butter can quiet a room down with its stickiness. Once they regained the ability to speak they said it was good. I asked if it was better than Skippy. The verdict?
Yes.
OH YEAH BABY!! I think they were more impressed that this was air mailed from the USA to Japan. That's the stuff I've been living on for a month and a half and when I told them this, one of the ladies said I might get gout. I laughed. That was really sweet, but I haven't heard of anyone getting that from peanut butter. Plus, gout only affects old people, right? Let's just pretend it does, even if it doesn't. I'm not giving up my survival food.
Would you like to know why I have YET to post a video? Because I sound like a man. Perhaps in real life my voice is as low as it is on video and if that's the case, I apologize profusely. I hate my voice so much that I refuse to post it on-line. Maybe one day, if I lose my voice, I'll post a video. I promise :)

Where's your card?!

The card wall-of-fame is growing! Can you spot your card? And if you can't, then you haven't sent one (or I forgot to bring it) and that's a darn shame.

I'm also starting a picture wall! But think long and hard before you send a picture... it better be cute/funny... and you better be a friend/family. Actually, sending pictures of things around Cincinnati, like scenery (like, I'm talking a BACKYARD PICTURE because all I see is concrete) would be a cool idea.

Hooray for finding English friends!!

Had a really great night last night with an American and a Brit. Well, and of course Japanese. But talking to native English speakers is a really nice change. I mentioned to them about me missing my stupid LAMP and the way it lit the room and they said they actually understood. They told me lamps aren't around in Japan, that everyone's all over overhead lighting (which to me, is stupid. If there's an earthquake, you better not be under a HANGING LIGHT... DUH!) and all lighting is pretty much fluorescent.
We talked about how Japanese TV is just insanely bright compared to American and British TV. There's too many colors. And how everyone pretty much yells in every TV program. See, it's things like these that are refreshing to talk about. Don't get me wrong, I love my Japanese friends. But occasionally it gets tiring having to explain a random phrase or word.
So today was a super nice day outside, I wore shorts and a t-shirt... and went shopping for things I should have bought immediately. Like, measuring cups. But it was hard to find anything with our American measurements. I mean, rulers? Forget about it. I need to ask my mom to ship a stupid RULER.
Wanna see what I made in Japan, with the help of Yuuri?

I took it home with me... I was so proud... but I needed a LOT of help from her! Origami is TOUGH!!!

Gonna buy a helmet ASAP!

I'm almost finished with putting everything in my apartment together!! Tonight after work, my friend Ayako came over and she helped hang the curtain rod for my all important black-out curtains. Actually, she pretty much did it all... I just stood there and held it up for support. Tee hee... so to repay her, we had a glass of apple cider I bought, and watched a little bit of live American TV. She said she really misses America... I DO TOOOOO.
Nearly CRASHED my bike on the way to work today! Sometimes I have to ride in the street, because my bike isn't a mountain bike and nothing's really smooth in Japan... therefore the road is the best bet. Welp, a car was coming and being a LOSER, I swerved to the side a little too fast in a bit of a panic-mode and kind of went out of control - running into the curb. That's one of those moments where you sit there and go "whoooaaaa!" out loud ...
and then you realize there's an old lady walking on the other side of the street who you KNOW is bashing this stupid foreigner who absolutely doesn't know how to ride a bike in her head. NOT MY FAULT 'O BAACHAN' (grandma)! I feel like I'm in the E.T. movie - with a little basket in the front... and sometimes I have my hood up, 'cause it's cold... I really should have practiced at home before coming here!!

Feelin' better.

I feel better today. Last night I couldn't sleep and I suddenly found this image in my head (when I closed my eyes) of my bedroom. I was sitting on my bed, and looking over to the right, I could see my lamp... which has a yellowish glow (aka, it's not fluorescent). I started crying hysterically because I MISS that lamp. I miss the light it cast in my bedroom. Oh gosh there's so many things I miss from that one image, which is absolutely ridiculous.
You'd think I'd cry for my mom. Or dad. Or DOG, OH GOSH MY DOG!! But no, it's lots of tears for a LAMP. A LAMP THAT'S AT LEAST 20 YEARS OLD. When I get back home, I will sit on my bed and look over at that lamp and cry tears of joy. But I mean, I'll joyfully cry for my parents and dog first. Obviously!!
One of the big reasons I came to Japan was SOCCER. I am nuts about their soccer and tonight was the very first national Japan game I got to watch on TV. I felt I needed to eat a bowl of Special K cereal since I was normally up at 5 am back home, huddled in front of my small computer screen, screaming bad words into a pillow when the connection would freeze up -- didn't want to wake up my mom and dad. Sometimes Dad came into my room... pretty mad, too. Now I can watch the glory in HD.... on a TV.... eating DINNER.... screaming like a nutcase and wouldn't you know it, they ended up tying.
Step it up, Japan. I didn't come all this way for you people to succeed in mediocrity.
Even better, I get to watch commercials! I REALLY DO enjoy these babies... case in point:

I'll never eat food the same way again. At least I can laugh every day at silly things like this.

Sad.

I wanna go home.