Postcount, INCREMENT!!!!!!!!!!

J93 Tuesday July 24th

Back to work after zombie weekend. Counting the minutes until I could get back to the book. After an enjoyable day of work, I dashed home, buying dinner from Lawsons, and savoring the last quarter of Harry Potter book 7. Delicious. I finished it that night.

J94 Wednesday July 25th

Busy busy busy! 6 classes! Doom! One of my students bought me a compass....for absolutely no reason at all. It's on my keyring now :)

J95 Thursday July 26th

Light day! Only 3 classes....very very odd. Pokemon: Diamond continues to be awesome. I've finally begun to burn the incense I bought two weeks ago. Delicious smoke fills my apartment.

J96 Friday July 27th

Birthday eve! Another light day, with only 4 classes. Attend K's birthday celebration at Second Earth. Came for the shakes (vanilla!) but stayed for the soccer. The Japan/Saudi Arabia match was on a big projected screen, and most of the Gang were there, enjoying the show. Or not, I should say. It wasn't a very exciting game; both sides were not very aggressive. Came home after the game. Realized with glacial swiftness that I need to clean up my apartment something awful.

J97 Saturday July 28th

Happy birthday to me! 25 years and some 14 hours after the stroke of midnight on July 28th, 1982, my mother succeeded in expelling me from her womb. Thanks, Mom! You rock!

In other news, I got a bit of a birthday present this day, 'cause one of my students canceled. My private lesson, one where I just talk with my student for an hour, was canceled. I only had 6 classes on Saturday as a result, which was blessed. Did a really good interview, too, and landed a big contract for a new student.

After work, I attended G-Bros. The birthday tradition at the Bros is to have a champaign bottle opened so that your backside is struck by the cork. I participated with a grin, as I have so often. It wasn't that bad, to be honest; it's a ritual and I got delicious champaign for free out of the deal, so I'm not one to complain. After drinks, karaoke was had. We went to the place near(ish) my apartment. We sang for a few hours, belting out everything from Chumbawumba to Scottish bands I'd never heard of.

When I got home, I found a slip in my mail box saying a package had arrived for me. It was my birthday package from Dad and E.J. I planned to pick it up the next day.

J98 Sunday July 29th

Super-lazy day! Slept in nice and late. Found an interesting group-work project on one of the message boards I frequent and got into a chat room discussion with the organizers. I wound up making the world map for the game, and the project's still going strong. Don't want to jinx it, though :)

Dad's package arrived! I was going to go to the post office to pick it up, but they sent it to my place after all. Inside was a variety of stuff; toothpaste and deodorant (both of which I was dangerously low on) and a TON of crafting supplies. Beads, line, leather thongs, waxed line. Glass, wood, bone. Large pieces of leather, cured but uncut. A wonderful card, very much sent from my father. But two things truly stood out in my mind. A package of paintbrushes, which echoed unbelievably with an urge to paint that has been growing for weeks. And a small ziplock baggie of Perdido Bay seashells, driftwood, and sand.

I held this last item for a long time, thinking of the distances these items had traveled. My brother and father had picked these elements from the Florida sand themselves. The sand from the other side of the planet was in my hands. I was, literally, holding a piece of home in my hands. It was a very...intense...moment. In a good way :)

Around 6 or so I headed down to the station. The Gang was assembling to check out a fireworks festival in Hitachi Port, a small town a few stops south of Hitachi proper. I met up with Toni and the new Amity teacher, Erin. Erin had literally gotten to Hitachi two hours prior. We caught the train, all the while educating our newest companion with all the vital knowledge we had accumulated over our time here. We being Toni and I; everyone else got rides with Dan, who has recently acquired a car and the license to drive it.

We took a city bus to the fireworks festival after getting off the train. We were let off near the waterfront, passing by a neat concrete canal. We began the festival perched atop a small hill, but found a large, sandy expanse of waterfront (possibly dockside) land which offered a better view of the display. As soon as we arrived the show began, and we were delighted by an hour or so of fireworks display. It was gorgeous. The explosives were bright and colorful, mostly red, blue, and green. They were also super-close. You could feel the firework's burst as you watched.

The whole time, a powerful wind was blowing. The sandy seaside became windswept, and I worried for my eyes and my camera; the grit and sand blown by the wind stung my exposed skin like nettles. I weathered the winds, luckily.

Once the show was over, my camera taking minute after minute of silent video, we tried to scope out the festival itself. Alas, crowds were immense, and a storm was on the rise. We three made our way back to the bus stop, pausing to admire some greasers as they line danced in the gathering rain. In the harsh, too-white glare of an industrial day lamp. It was poetic.

We made it to the bus stop just before the vehicle left, but were subject to the longest bus ride in history. Nations rose and fell as we inched our way to the train station. Poor Erin was exhausted, slumping into a half sleep while Toni and I geeked out. She is a black belt in Shotokan, and we delighted in martial arts discussion (amongst other topics. many, other topics)

When we got back to Hitachi, after a short but nice train ride, Erin decided to head for home. We brought her there, to make sure she made it, and then Toni and I went out for dinner at her favorite ramen place. It's on Heiwa street, just after G-Bros. Miso ramen. Simple, but delicious.

I got home and had a quiet evening, relaxing after the day's excitement. Grabbed a nice shower, and resolved to clean the place the next day.

J99 Monday July 30th
The next day.

Worked more on the online project in the morning. Toni mentioned going to the movies the previous day, and I agreed happily. A thunderstorm sprung up, but nothing would get in my way of getting out of town. I vacuumed during the morning and brought in the laundry before the storm soaked my clothes again. Toni and I met up at 2, but had to wait for the next southbound local train, which departed at 2:45. We talked shop most of the trip, which was nice. Also movies. And books.

We got to the theater a little later than we'd like. We were planning on seeing Ratatoulie, but the showing was Japanese-dubbed. We settled on Harry Potter, which Toni had seen, but wanted to see again, and I had yet to see. I bought a hot dog and a coke from the concession, an indulgence to be sure.

I really liked the movie. Very well done, very cinematic. It feels much more like a movie, rather a series of scenes from the books put to film. Daniel Radcliffe stole the show; his acting was so very well nuanced. He's growing up to be quite the talented actor.

Our trip back was about movie music, always a fun topic. We both grabbed a quick snack from Lawsons upon returning to Hitachi, and then went our separate ways at Ito Yokado. I was in search of paints and paper for my brushes. I found both watercolor and acrylic paints, and some nice A3 sized paper. I also bought a big sketch book, lacking anything that can be utilized for such a purpose. Art supplies are very easily found in Ito Yokado, which I marvel at.

I walked for home through the light drizzle, a paltry misting compared to the downpour of the afternoon's thunderstorm. I picked up a few groceries at Food Shop, coming home to my messy apartment. I had bought, along with my paints, a toilet brush. Let it be known that I am an honest man, but also a single one. My apartment is (and at that time still was) fit for human habitation, but not a very pleasant kind. I put away my groceries and set to work.

I cleaned the toilet and my shower. Combined with the day's earlier vacuuming, my apartment looks like a million freaking bucks.

The rest of the evening has been spent relaxing, cooking, making, and eating rice balls, and writing this entry. I realize these are massive posts, but I needed to get them down before I forgot them. I will post more often. Realize that change is difficult for me (says the guy who moved to Japan) but that it will happen. One need only look at my daily exercise regime to see such. Watch out, America. I'm coming back fit!