Library Crisis over.

I have returned to the library and gotten a new card! I CAN READ. So I'm reading 1984. it took a while to get into, but i'm going to stick it out.

It's parents week again. Gross. I hate parents week more than i hate peas. But less than I hate fish. Day one √ (that's supposed to be a check mark)

I'm going to bed.

HAPPY ELECTION DAY!

I'm not a voter...because I got lazy and didn't register. Yes all you voters can reprimand me if you so desire.

Anyway.
There was a festival in my neighborhood this weekend. It lasted for 3 days. It was great. I will upload a video eventually. But i have to download and maybe figure out how to edit it first. I made this really awesome video by accident. By awesome I mean not awesome. It's half festival half inside of my jumper pocket. WHOOOPS! Go figure. Anyway, Pete and I met this old guy at the festival and he gave Pete free beer and then tried desperately to make his grandaughter speak to us. we communicated for a while in 1/2 broken english and 1/2 broken japanese. And I'm pretty sure he told me that I should have a child...or that I looked like I was going to have a child. Either way i was a bit offened and it was really awkward. So on that note, we left. But I think that Japanese festivals are pretty much the best thing in the world. Aside from the pumpkin pie that i made the other day.

I have this student (good transition there, I know) his name is Shohei. He is eighteen years old and says the funniest things in class. 1st of all, he can't make a complete, correct sentence to save his life. Anyway I would like to tell you some funny things he says.
One time we were talking about how his "stamina" has gone down since he stopped playing baseball....meaning he's gotten lazier. After telling me about his stamina, he said, "I'm fatting now, too. I should diet"
Then today, we were playing "Would You Rather" and he asked me if I'd rather eat a Mexican or a Chinese. but then he caught and corrected himself. We both had a good laugh about that.
Oh such a silly boy.

Tonight I drank a cup of Espresso blend coffee...in like 1 minute... I've been shaky and over caffienated ever since. EEK! Hopefully I will be able to sleep tonight.

I returned my library books that I had had for a year yesterday, so I could check out more. Buuuut... after I returned them, I realized that I had lost my card. Tragedy. Maybe I can get a new one. we'll see.

I'm finished.

I'm really going to miss it here

I'm sad about leaving already.

The other day Pete and I were having our lunch down at the port and this old man walked up to us and introduced himself to us in English. He then began to give us a history about Kure during the war. It was so interesting. He told us about the building of the Yamato and how Kure used to be a secret area and was just a big white spot on the map, and about all the mines that were dropped in the waters and the local people from his island would go out and pick up the parachutes and make clothes out of them. He also shared with us that at the time of the war he was a child and his friend had just gotten into a junior high in Hiroshima but he hadn't gotten in himself, which turned out in his favor. His friend died when the bomb was dropped. He said that he and his wife give a kind of tour around the Kure area to foreigners...I think the ones that come to stay at the Navy base. It was a very interesting lunch, a wonderful meeting. He was a good storyteller. I wish we would have been able to stay longer.

I've decided that possible my very favorite thing about being in Japan is the bell at the temple behind my apartment. It is rung everyday at six o'clock in the evening. It's beautiful. I'm really going to miss it. And the best part about it is its a real bell. So there will be no disappointment like that time I found out those bells in Greenville are just on a cd. I can actually see the person ringing it from my balcony.

I woke up yesterday morning and I was overcome with sadness. It's like it just hit me, in 4 months this will not be my apartment or my futon or my yellow chair, it's all just going to go to someone else. I'm going to be a complete wreck my last week, leaving all of my students. I'm going to miss them so much.

Before I die

I found this website that was full of polaroids with a statement of what the person in the photograph wants to do before he or she dies. Some of them were very simple and some were very inspiring and some maybe a little disturbing. Please see them for yourself.

Anyway, it made me think about what I want to do before I die....and at first I thought, I've really done alot already. I'm very satisfied with my life so far, but then my next immediate thought was "what's next?"

On the website, as you will see, there are a few pictures that that say they could die now and be fulfilled. I found these to be my least favorite. Though they were most likely meant to be show happiness and fulfillment, they made me think of all the dreams and goals these people are not having. And if one does not have dreams, what does one have?

It made me think about my goals and dreams and what I can do to start working on them. At the present moment I can't think of much other than going back to Guatemala. I've wanted to go back since I went the first time. The steps that I have taken so far are looking into different opportunities in Guatemala. I found one working at a guesthouse that is partnered with an orphanage and also I looked into Helps International, the group we worked with when we built stoves. They have an education program, so I sent an email inquiry to them about possible opportunities they have opening up. I hope to hear good news from them.

I should start studying Spanish again in preparation.

I felt that I couldn't sleep until I wrote this down. I need it out there. I like to speak my goals, it helps me make progress.

This is so cheesy, but yeah, I'm going there:
I'd love to hear about your goals and dreams that you will accomplish before you die. Please tell me if you feel so inclined.

Love, molly

Atleast we don't have night feeders coming after us every night...

So I'm watching Deep Blue for the second time this week. I've decided that I absolutely love documentaries and Jellyfish. I think that jellyfish are hands down the most beautiful sea creatures. Seriously. They are so interesting looking. I'm sure I wouldn't like them so much if I had been stung by one.
I apologize for the picture quality. There was a bit of a reflection from the glass of the aquarium.

Polar bears are pretty awesome too, but I haven't seen any of those, so I don't have any pictures for you.

Last night, Lewis was rolling around in his hamster ball, and it came apart and fell down...it scared the crap out of him. The look on his face was like "OH GOD, what just happened? Do I move....maybe I just stand really still" it was funny. Then I rescued him and everything was better.

This is the last week of my absurdly hectic schedule. We move to our new school soon. Which is awesome...but I also get to work on my precious day off from 8-4 moving all of our crap to Youme town. I'll be quite tired though. The night before is my friend going away party.

This whale just made me want to watch Free Willy. Aw, I haven't seen that in ages.

Ok, I will leave you with this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ND9A-icfpo

Isn't her dancing just amazing.

Bike situation update

came home with new bike it's silver.  I even bought a good lock...it's orange and has 3 keys. THREE

I've already lost one key.....

It's been an hour and a half.....

 

I'll keep you updated. 

A few things

I officially have the worst luck with bicycles.  A few days ago, I decided to go to the beach. So I rode my bike to the station and I LOCKED IT. I never, ever, ever, ever, lock my bike (it's only been stolen once, but it was returned to the place from which it was stolen), but I did this time.  Turns out I lose my key on the train, so now my bike is locked and stuck at the station. crap.  So I spend a few days pondering how I'm going to solve this problem.  Finally, today I remember that Yuka has a dad.  A dad that probably has tools. Tools that she could probably borrow.  So I email her and of course she's willing to assist me with the cutting of the bike chain.  I go back to the station to check on biky...he's not there.  So I go to the place that they put bikes that have been parked illegally (because my bike hasn't moved in a few days) I didn't see it there either. I'm going to check again in the morning to make sure I didn't just miss it because it was dark.  BUT, it's entirely possible that someone has stolen my bike the one time that I choose to lock it.  How ridiculous is that.  But if i don't see it in the morning, I'm just buying a new bike and taking all measures necessary to keep it from getting stolen. 

I'm watching the olympic closing ceremonies right now, and I'm a bit perplexed by the red tower with dancing people on it. All of the voice over things are in Japanese, so I don't know what it is supposed to be....if anything.  And hey, isn't David Beckham playing for an American soccer team now, or is he back in England? 

The tower has gotten more interesting now. It's kind of awesome. 

So there is a place down the street that smells like bacon grease and cigarette smoke. It reminds me of my grandma's house.  I realized that a while ago...but funnily enough Holden said the same thing when he was here. 

Drummers are so rad.

Lewis tried to escape last night. He almost made it, luckily I heard the cage open and came down and caught him.  poor little booger. 

It's still kind of surreal to me that I have actually seen the Beijing Olympic Stadium in person. I feel bad for not really watching the olympics. But then again, I never saw the American teams, unless they were playing Japan. 

Maybe she's popular in America, but I just heard of her: Ximena Sarinana.  She's a Mexican singer/songwriter. She's cool. Her songs are in spanish... obviously. 

What if I only listened to opera music.  I might try that for a week. See how I feel. What language should I choose.  You guys have to help.  French? Italian? Spanish? Chinese? Russian?

Anyway. I guess that is enough ranting and raving for me right now.   Let me know about the language thing.