As promised: the update!

I noticed this interesting advert outside of HEP5 in Osaka City. It's straight to the point and slightly reminiscent of Big Brother. Or something equally terrifying.

( HEP 5 [1 photograph] )

And to follow that up, friends and I went to the PL Fireworks show, and instead of taking photos of the fireworks, I took a picture of...( this [1 photograph] )

Finally, I bring you pictures of George, who, for the uninformed, was a giant moth that I rescued from drowning. I saw him get hit with water (apparently he was hiding out in some planters) and was flopping around on the ground. I stopped by him, concerned, and he jumped up onto my foot, crawled up my leg, tried to be a perv and go up my skirt, then ended up on my arm somehow. Where he stayed. For an hour and a half.

( So now you get photographs of my darling arm sucker. [7 photographs] )

Today was the last day with burningvigor (keep your eyes open for Nara photos and videos soon), and we ended it by going to xaqpi's and watching Brotherhood of the Wolf while wearing "French" costumes. Or sort of French. Anyway, we dressed up. |D

My outfit was as follows:
( Can you even call this anything? I have no idea [5 photos] )

Went into Osaka today with sankakukoen and rhole and had a BLAST. For some reason, Osakans were really friendly today. We were talked to by hosts (for some weird reason they were hanging out in front of Big Step) and were treated to waves and smiles and people talking about how cute we all were pretty much all day long♥! This is why I love this country. |D

Also, fun bits! Here are some videos we took to show you just how crazy Shinsaibashi/Sankakukoen was today.



And then later on that night?



That's right. A scooter rally.

( And here are some photos of my outfit today [4 photographs] )

That's all! I'll probably be posting more later. burningvigor is coming to see me so we'll be scooting about Nara and Osaka for the next two days. :D

As you can see, I'm doing well. Even if I utterly failed at posting photographs recently. o/

I don't know how many people are actually on this thing anymore, but hey! I'm still alive. I've decided to turn wanderingly into my photography journal, so I hope you like photographs! It'll continue to be a real life journal, too, though - if that's what you're here for.

Updates a bit on my life - I went back to America for awhile! I visited Arizona where my brother lives and spent a lot of time with family, which was awesome.

Now I'm back here and I've been busy, busy, busy! Went to work on Friday after arriving on Thursday. Then I went out and did a LOT of shopping I shouldn't have done probably on Saturday. And today? A choir recital of one of my teachers♥! They did an amazing job and I really need to get more information on a certain Bob Chilcott because he put the Kyrie into a jazz arrangement and made it awesome.

As for today's photos? I'll give you some cherry blossoms and the dessert I had today along with my tea! Who knew that green tea chestnut mousse could be so good?

( 3 medium photographs )

Haven't posted in awhile! It was a three day weekend in Japan thanks to it being Sports Day　体育の日 to commemorate the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. I don't really know why they decided to make that day a national holiday, but I don't mind! Saturday, I just kind of rolled around at home since Friday I couldn't sleep until 5am. TAT

But! After a somewhat rocky start where I mistook the day of a wine tasting I was supposed to go to and missed, the weekend was really good! On Sunday, Yoga and I went out to Expoland in Suita 万博公園 for my first time. It's actually not too far away from! About 50 minutes by bike, so I might go back out there more often. We went to see the Lohas Fair, which is a kind of indies/hippy/natural fair where people make and sell handmade goods and there are international foods and other things. It was really cool! Lots of handmade and antique goods that I wanted to buy, but I ended up restraining myself a lot. XD Some of the things were really expensive, but they were all really cool! Lots of plants and things. XD Very country.

I hope they do it again, because I'd love to goooo. There was also a garage sale going, so I went and bought more cheap stuff there - a knit dress and a scarf for a total of 9$USD. 8D Yoga ended up getting a one-cup espresso machine. I've never seen him so jazzed before. XD

We biked around my town, too, for a bit and I found out that the Baskin Robbins is really close and so is a Gyu-Kaku (a yakiniku, or grilled meat, restaurant). I loooove me some Gyu-Kaku. Tasty, tasty. Also found out that the next station up has a shoe repair store! I might go up there again next weekend to get my two pairs of broken ass shoes repaired. Fun tiiiimes.

And here's a few pictures of the HUGE statue at Expoland. It's supposed to be an abstract of the sun. I think it's like...a mutant bird or something. XD Below the cut are five medium sized pictures.

( The Tower of the Sun (太陽の塔) created by Tarō Okamoto )

Also, went shopping with Kate today. :x Oops, I spent money. 8D OH WELL. Also got some translation/interpreting studying done and got to wander around in coattails and a tophat all day. I loooove me some coattails. I'll post one photo here of my outfit, but the rest are going under the photoshoot filter over at murasaki_kaze. If you're not on the filter, just let me know here or something and I can put you on there.

( 1 photo of me being a silly 1800s era guy )

How do Osakans park their bikes?
( With awesome skills. 2 photos )

So that class on Thursday I last talked about? Yeah, went with music. It worked out well, especially since that class has about 12 lessons with me while other classes only have 8 or 9. Whoops. This trimester's unit is, like last year, on giving and receiving directions and inviting friends out, so hopefully we'll have enough to go on. I can always throw in a "Sickness and Health" lesson since a couple classes keep going "SENSEI. STOMACH. OW. HURT. STOMACHACHE." at me very, very randomly.

So far lessons seem to be going well. I need to get to Kawachi's down in Osaka to pick up painting supplies so I can draw a MASSIVE poster for them. |D; Go go, Gadget-Poster Making? Something like that.

I enjoy my work though. Yesterday two girls from Class 1 came by to "himatsubushi" or kill time by chatting me up about what video games I play and what kind of anime and seiyuu I like. Lawl. They tried to convince me to buy Hitsuji Kazoeru or something like that. It's a CD where big name seiyuu (Japanese anime voice actors)...uh, count sheep to help you sleep. I DIED. They were like "NO, SENSEI. YOU HAVE TO BUY THEM. THEY'RE SO POPULAAAAAAR" and then showed me who was on the CDs using their phones. Akira Ishida, Hikaru Midorikawa, Okiayu, like...tons. Ono Daisuke and Fukuyama Jun were on there, too. I died - that's Sebastian and Grell. HAHAHAHAHA I would not want them counting at me. I'd go to bed thinking I was going to be murdered in my sleep.

Then they tried to convince me that playing dating sims was the way to go. Lawl, my students.

Been going every Tuesday to hang out with friends and watch kung fu movies. We watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret of the Ooze last Tuesday. Oh man, that movie and nostalgia. I was laughing so hard the entire time. Then on Wednesday, I went to see Hancock in the theatre. That was a suprisingly good movie. I enjoyed it. :3

Not much else to say other than tomorrow is my school's Bunkasai (Culture Festival; or School Festival) so I'll be going to that. I'll try to take as many pictures as I can to show you all! On Sunday I have a photoshoot with sankakukoen, xaqpi and others. That should be fun. XD Even if I have no idea if I'll fail at it or not. Maybe I'll bring a butler uniform just in case. :| That way, if I look HORRIBLE in gal gear, I can still look good as a ...um, guy? Something like that. Tohoho.

Good Lord, I've been neglecting this journal. The next time I go for like, 3 months without updating? Someone? Spork me. In the eye. And go "Yeah? REMEMBER NOW?" and walk off. Then I can blog about it. Or make it into an episode of CSI.

Which, I found online and it has been eating my soul as I watch it. 8| I CAN'T STOP.

So, updates. I went to Tokyo Orientation, chosen as the Osaka Prefectural ALT leader. It was pretty good actually. I met a lot of fun people and had a blast even if it was a lot of work. I'll probably sign up to do it again next year. |3 One day I woke up at 6AM and I was awake until 7AM the following day. I'm amazed my roommates didn't go "Holy shit, she's dead D8" or something. But no, I was just sleeping on the floor of the Hospitality Centre with a CLOSED sign propped up against me thanks to Edwin and the other TOAs on duty. Love you too, guys.

Also went back for a brief visit to the Motherland, aka the Golden State that is so named because the hills are always brown. |D Oh, California. Never change. It was awesome seeing the family again, even if Dad and I only got one or two days together. It was still worth it. We went out to Monterey together and got a sneak peek at a bunch of classic cars that were in town for the Concourse d'Elegance. I really need to go to that someday. e_e; I love cars. I know jack crap about them, but I loooooooove cars.

Dad went on a trip off to Idaho for a golf tournament, so after that it was just me and Mom and (later) my boyfriend. Good times were had by all, but DAMN can that boy eat. D: We had tacos. A lot of Mexican food. AND MOM'S LASANGNA. Oh God, I was so happy I had it for breakfast the next morning. ;A; Also went to Costco and realized how very Japanese I had become when I went "OH MY GOD, THEY'RE ALL SO FREAKING HUGE." and nearly died at the prices. I took pictures. Like a retard. \o/ Win!

Back in Japan now though and I miss home, but it was cool to see my friends again. Went to sankakukoen's birthday party where we played video games, watched/MST3K'd Labyrynth, and had food and, you know, drinking games. XD With juice and Peach Shnapps and other things. |3 Fun times were had by all. I also found out I can bike home in the pouring rain and that even if my bicycle seat looks soaking wet, it is actually not that wet at all. \o/ No wet butt print for me! Extra win!

Now I'm back at work without a real clue as to what I'm going to do on Thursday's class. I may just make it a music class since the way things go, I'd rather they have one fun class and start next week with everyone else than be one day off from everyone. Who knows if that'll work out or not.

I am apparently a Tokyo Orientation Assistant for Orientation B. You have to love Japanese organization skills though. The original letter went out on May 21st. It was translated into Japanese and sent to our BOEs (or the schools, I can't figure it out) on May 29th. It was passed around for awhile and then reached me today, June 5th. The letter said two things:

A) Please return this paper by June 3rd.

and

B) Please have this faxed to our office by June 5th.

Good going, Japan.

I turned the paper in, so it looks like I'll be going to Tokyo from August 2nd to the 6th, and then possibly helping out with the return trip home for the new Osaka ALTs (maybe?). Wish me luck all.