WAHOO First post of JUNE!

First order of business, my original blog, entitled "Original Sin" is now public. Now onto the week.

So this week has been going very well. I am very happy I have stayed happy so long. THINGS ARE LOOKING UP!

The weekend was also enjoyable. Though I didn:t get QUITE as much done as I hopped I was still ridiculously productive I thought. What with an English lesson on Friday, then cleaning and such on Saturday, then Sunday I mostly did the Aikido meeting which was a bit boring, but not wholly un-enjoyable or unproductive (I was able to write the working notes for a scholarship I have due later this week.)And it was fun hanging out with all my new Aikido friends and seeing just how large the club population is for MGU, and let me tell you, its freaking HUGE!

Currently I am sitting in a McDonalds next to Yoyogi station. Just kind of chilling in the smokers section, cause when I walked in it was the only place open. I'm a little light headed from inhaling second hand smoke.

I really need to start exercising more regularly again. I haven't been going at all this past week. Ever since I ran that ridiculously long distance I've become very lazy. I intend to remedy that this evening with a strenuous work out, and hopefully keep up my routine. Also, as any one who has gone to Japan can attest to, the Japanese pastry phenomena might kill me. The fact that I can walk down to the convinie and pick up something gooey with custard and chocolate in the middle for breakfast on the walk to school is a terrible thing. Also it has been one of those weeks where I am either out or about to go some where so having healthy sit down meals has been basically impossible. I am not happy with what I have been eating and I am not sure my body is either. Empty carbs and sugar to keep me moving is not the best. So Eve hopes to be eating better starting next week, or tomorrow (I have corn on the cob for dinner tonight). The nice thing is at least I walk everywhere. So even if I dont exercise I burn off most of the terrible carbs I intake.

I seem to be unable to remember what I did after the Aikido meeting on Sunday. Monday I only had one class. We are doing a project on a sight seeing places or place we want to visit in Japan. I am doing mine on Studio Ghibili, which I am actually going to go and visit on the 15th. I am very excited about going, and I have the tickets already. Sadly you are not allowed to take pictures in the actual Museum, but I will definitely take pictures of the surrounding area. I haven't taken a lot of pictures lately, I have done what so many people do, gotten so used to my environment I don't appreciate it anymore. Its not a good thing to do. So I am very excited about this project and the prospect of going to Ghibili. I want a Totoro Bento Box.

I find my self missing my friends more and more. I wish that I could see them soon. At least I am finally experiencing home sickness. I miss my family too. Especially my mom. I feel like we have bonded a lot in the last few years. Time when I come back from college is very precious to us now. Or at least to me. I miss my dad too. I miss doing fun things with him. I look forward to seeing my parents and friends again. And my pets, I really miss my cats. Especially Dusty, my favorite cat.

I think I have decided that I am going to go back home at the end of this semester. I miss my family and friends too much. The academic work here is also not fulfilling for me. Parts of it are too easy. I am also not doing very well in japanese. Part of me hopes that if I go back to the States I can find a place to learn Japanese outside of WAC that will have the learning environment I need. I dont even think they would let me stay because of my grades in Japanese. So I am thinking going home would be the best thing for me. Hopefully one day I will be able to come back to Japan and see more. I really do love the country.

I saw the MGU English counselor on Wednesday. She is very very nice. I was surprised honestly. I am very picky about my counselors and how they operate, but I liked her. I am going back this coming Wednesday for follow up, but there isn't much to talk about really. This week has gone great thus far, and she really is just more an outside person I can spill my guts to who wont criticize me. Which is usually what a counselor does, but they also sometimes offer suggestions on how to handle a situation. Only problem is that I have handled the situation the way she suggested. I let Joe know what has been going on and I believe he has informed my Japanese teacher, and thats really all I can do with the academic department, besides study my butt off (which I am doing, literally as we speak.) I have been avoiding situations that may hurt me and treating myself very nicely. I have been getting enough sleep. I have been socializing as much as I can. I'm doing fine in all of my other classes and the past issues that caused problems have all but disappeared. So there really isn't much she (or I for that matter) can do. But it was nice to be able to talk to someone about it. The only issue is that with every new Shrink I see I have to re-explain my previous problems, which can take a very long time. Anyways, I look forward to our next session.

I feel like I have been doing very good in classes this week. Except that I almost slept through my Japanese class on Friday. I don't think my alarm went off, which probably meant I set it wrong, but I didn't mean too. Meaghan called to ask if I was coming and I thought it was my alarm going off, till I saw the little phone icon. At that point I was going to be pissed at who ever was calling me so early that my alarm hadn't gone off. Then I looked at the time and was like "oh shi-" I was about an hour late, and I ran all the way to the school and caught express trains, so it could have been worse. I just dont seem to have any luck with that class.

Yesterday I went to Roppongie finally. That place is the most ridiculous place I have ever been to. It is so futuristic, and artistic, I feel like I stepped off the train into the year 2200. I got there early and just kinda walked around for a while. Maggie and I met up and went to see Star Trek, which was awesome. I think they really did it justice. And the actors played the personalities of their characters very very well. They also showed some amazing shots of the shinny new Enterprise. I really really liked it. It was very well done in my opinion and I would like to see it again. Surprisingly the Roppongie Toho Theater isn't that expensive. Especially if your a college student from outside of Japan. I got a Gaijin discount and a Gaukukse discount. Which was great. Its about 10$ for a ticket, and then you can get a nice amount of popcorn for only $3. SO really it isn't that bad. I kind of feel like going back there on Wednesday or some time in the next week and seeing Angles and Demons (which I also haven't seen yet but want to), so thats a general plan. I also want to get some more sight seeing in. There is an awesome view of Tokyo Tower from Roppongie Hills. Also they have a big Modern Art Museum in one of the buildings that I want to go check out. Not to mention a Cold Stone Creamery, I want my ice cream.

Most of my time is now devoted to working. I'm seeing at least one person a day, it's kind of ridiculous. I'm not sure if its a good thing, but it is keeping me active, starting to help my Japanese, and giving me enough income some I'm not just sitting in the dorm being emo. Sadly I haven't been going to Aikido much. Either school work or work have been getting in the way this past week. I was working on a scholarship paper this past week and finally got it done and turned in. But I'm not sure if it is that good, I will be surprised if I get anything for it but you never know.

I did get into this Bus Tour that ISP has set up where we are going to the Japanese country and going cherry picking, having a BBQ and going to an Onsen. I haven't been to an Onsen yet so I am very excited about it. It will be a very fun thing to do, and I was lucky to get in. A lot of people signed up and they only had a few spots so they did a draw and I am very happy to have been chosen. I am really really looking forward to going to it, though the whole communal bathing thing kinda freaks me out, but when in Rome... or Tokyo...

I am also going to Noh, officially, next Saturday. I am very excited about that too, even though it is supposed to be very very boring. I suppose I can doodle or do some home work or something if I get really painfully bored. But I don't think I will, it will be interesting to see the predecessor of Kabuki.

I'm seeing my Advisor on Monday. He is in Japan and is going to talk to all of us WAC-ers. He also wants to talk to me personally about me wanting to stay another semester (even though I have pretty much decided against it) cause I mentioned that I was considering it. I just hope he doesn't criticize me for my slightly hypocritical behavior, I don't think he will though, but he probably will advise against me staying. I am a little nervous about the meeting though. He is taking all us WAC-ers out to dinner later in the evening though. So I am very excited about that. I haven't really gotten a chance to eat good, traditional Japanese fare. So I am sure this will be a lot of fun. And I look forward to having someone to talk IS talk with.

I can't really think of anything else to write right now. So I am probably going to finish up a bit of my home work, go back to the dorm, change, rest a bit, and then exercise. I want to do a lot of core work, and probably run a lot. I like my exercise, and I have been feeling kind of tired today, so I am sure I will feel better when I am done working out some. I don't have enough time to go to aikido today, and not really sure I feel like making the commute to the school. But I really want to return to my normal practice schedule next week.

I will tell you how things next week go.
Wish me luck.
Boldly going where no Eve has gone before!
~Eve