Counting Down & Moving On (almost!)

It is official, the count down has started, for real: I'll be leaving Japan in less than 60 hours and it is time to start packing and stop blogging... Mentally I am trying to get myself into gear for the dmv appointments, tax returns, insurance phone calls, apartment searches and other 'fun activities' that starting next week will take the place of my daily Japanese classes. What an amazingly strange thought at this point!

My plans for the next few weeks are: Sunday June 25th leaving Japan and heading to my temporary home at my sister's house in Orange County, CA (-- while there I'll hopefully get everything taken off of in prep for school starting in August), on July 11th heading to Denmark for some quality time with the extended family (-- this will be the first time since *1997* that I spent over 3 weeks in my country - unbelievable!), August 4th back to the US and August 7th, ta-da!, school starts in Berkeley with "Math & Communications Camp". So yes, there is much more fun to come. I am not sure at this point how much I'll be able to maintain the blog during this time, but I do hope to be able to post an update now and then, so don't forget to check in, ok?!

What will I miss about Japan?

The language classes - adding new little pieces to the puzzle everyday continues to be great fun and it makes me feel "grrr" to have to put the pause on for a while. Luckily my friends at Japanese Pod101 are bound to keep me entertained until I can take back up my studies (hopefully later this year).

The fun people I've met & the "Matsudo J&F Soccer lounge".

THE FOOD, THE FOOD, THE FOOD ($1 kaiten sushi never being out of reach for example)

*Big* city life, little dramas and great discoveries awaiting around every corner

24h 'Kombinis' on every other corner

Trains that go everywhere at any time, 20 times an hour.

Talking toilets (ok, just kidding).

The Love & Hate List (i.e. these things can be annoying, but I know I'll miss the anyway)

Jingles everywhere - the vegetable song in the produce section of my supermarket, the fun little tune announcing the arrival of a train, the fake bird noises indicating (to the blind) the location of the stairwell.

The cheerful army of "Irashaimase!" sayers greeting my upon entrance to any given store, not once, not twice, but up to at least 50 times (and probably longer, but I've always had to leave the store at this point).

Girls in Maid-Costumes, walking with their knees bend inwards, because they think it is cute

What I look forward to giving up...

Overcrowded trains, random people sleeping and snoring happily on my shoulder.

"Mushiatsui" = Hot & humid weather

Japanese style toilets

What I am looking forward to back home...

A few select, good foods: Red wine (ok, technically not food I guess...), Blue Cheese, Chocolate, a nice little steak from El Toro Meats & Danish hot dogs, of course!

Hanging out with the family, first in the OC & since in Denmark

Being re-united with my 2 boxes of shoes (although this will take another little while I fear)


With this, I'll leave you for a little while - Ja Mata & see you later...