Monday, May 30, 2005 09:13 p.m.

So I go to the doctor to see if I tore a ligament or did something horrible with my back since I strained it a few days ago by pulling some weeds. Turns out, nothing is wrong, and I just have to be careful for a few days so I don't overwork the lower back and strain it again. No meds, no Salon-pass sheets.

I'm glad there is nothing wrong with me, but I felt like there should've been something wrong with me because of all the pain (but, of course, having nothing wrong is best).

Sunday, May 29, 2005 08:05 p.m.

I think I have bad luck when thre are parties. I either get a fever (Christmas party last year, Farewell party for school), or have some other injury (lower back injury, Farewell party for friend).

One case, I didn't go; the others, I went, and became more or less cranky and miserable at the end of the party.

Naze?!

Friday, May 27, 2005 09:52 p.m.

『先生、国籍なんですか？』

『アメリカだよ』

『えー。じゃあお父さんとお母さんは？』

『お父さんはアメリカ人、お母さんは日本人。』

『じゃあ先生ってハーフ？』

『日系人だよ。お父さんも日系人なんだよ。アメリカで生まれた日本の血を持ってる人。』

『…よくわかんなーい。』

『人種』と『国籍』って違うものだと思うのが難しいのだろうか。日本には『日本人』しか日本の国籍もらえないしね。

＊＊＊
今日体育館でバドミントンを見学してたら、バスケ部の男の子達三人がステージのところでベタベタしてた。（って言っても抱き合ってるとかじゃなくて）なんか可愛かった。アメリカじゃありえなーい。

Monday, May 23, 2005 09:20 p.m.

Things I need to buy (and bring back) when I go back to California:

Baking Powder (hooray to 99 cent baking powder!)
"Burrito shells" (a.k.a Tortillas...a fellow AET called them burrito shells on accident, but I thought it was quite funny)
Corn meal (300 yen for a 500g pack is ridiculous! It's just corn meal..)
Gummi Bears and Sour Worms (bringing them back on the train from Tokyo wasn't very fun. Bringing them back in a suitcase may not be fun either, but at the suitcase has wheels)
Cous cous (Japan likes to sell cous cous in teeny little packages that don't even make up one serving)
Stickers (for my kids)

..........It's mostly food!

Sunday, May 22, 2005 11:06 p.m.

五月はもうすぐ終わり。早ーい。

五月の終わりには小学校の訪問があり、なんだか今から疲れてます。行けば大丈夫なんだけど、その前が…！

文句言ってる場合じゃないよね。でもABCだけでどうやって４５分うめろって言うんだろう。

Wednesday, May 18, 2005 08:06 p.m.

My science teacher who is in charge of the first years always says outrageous things. During lunch today, he was at it again. One of our girls is a bit on the heavy side, and it's probably due to the fact that she doesn't have access to healthy meals.

She happened to walk in the teacher's room to talk to another teacher and when she left, out came Mr. Science Teacher's comments.

"Oh, she's fat from eating so much junk food!"

Some teachers laughed, but I couldn't believe that he could just say that and not get fired for it.

Tuesday, May 17, 2005 10:47 p.m.

I want to write something, but I have nothing fun to report or insightful to write.

All you get is this today.

Sunday, May 15, 2005 04:30 p.m.

Cornbread is wonderful.

I bought some corn grit (corn meal?) a few weeks back, and I've been making and eating cornbread since. Yummy! I think I like how parts of the corn don't disintegrate in your mouth right away, so you have to keep chewing on it.

I was told chili was to be consumed with cornbread -- but I've never eaten it that way. Chili was eaten with rice, cornbread was eaten with butter and jam in my household.

Even if I know that chili is not ordinarily eaten with rice, I think I will still eat it that way anyway.

Thursday, May 12, 2005 09:10 p.m.

Yesterday, I was told by the girl yesterday who wanted to buy gum with 1 million yen that I looked like some character in the manga Bleach.

I wasn't familiar with the manga, so I told my roommate about it and in 0.1 seconds she whipped out the manga and pointed out the character.

....I think anyone with black hair and that hairstyle looks like Rukia.. :p

Wednesday, May 11, 2005 08:56 p.m.

Today, I asked couple of my students what they would do if they received one million yen.

The most interesting answer so far was, "..Buy as many 10 yen gum as I can."

I wonder if she wanted to spend all her money on the gum, or just a small fraction of it.

Monday, May 9, 2005 06:40 p.m.

先週友達とあった時に、『アニメと女のために日本語を習ってる奴が自分の授業に出てたらつまみ出してやりたい』と言っていた。気持ちは分かるが、一体どういう理由で言語を習えば納得がいくのだろう。

そういう友人はどういう理由で日本語を習ったのか知りたい。（聞くの忘れた）

Monday, May 9, 2005 06:04 p.m.

Today is free ice cream night at the local 31 Flavors. >:D

I am going to try the Cinnamon Roll Swirl flavor that another AET was raving about.

Saturday, May 7, 2005 08:21 p.m.

新しい携帯が欲しい〜。でも単に物欲が桝魔ｵてるだけだと思う。

…どうしよおう！！Vodafoneとauしかプリペイドないみたい。でもドコモの携帯が一番かわいかった。う〜〜ん。もうちょっと悩むか。

Sunday, May 1, 2005 12:19 a.m.

I do not represent the stereotypical "American."
I'm not loud and obnoxious, I'm not friendly to everyone and I'm shy. I have absolutely no knowledge of Hollywood movies and their stars. I don't eat at McDonald's or drink Starbuck's coffee; I prefer to cook my own food and drink tea or water. I speak English, but I look Asian. I have a Japanese last name, I speak Japanese, I eat Japanese food too, but I say I'm American.

Why do you speak Japanese so well? Are your parents Japanese? Yes, my mother is from Nagoya and my father is from California. They search my face for Caucasian blood, and they ask me if I'm "half." No, I'm entirely whole, thank you. Where were you born? Nagoya, Japan. I moved to the states when I was 12. I can see the next question swimming through their minds, but they can't ask it. ......Then, why do you claim you're American?