Hey, Big Spender...

[The ultra modern and wonderful building in which my favourite store, Loft is located]

Sorry about the blogging break. Work has been crazy busy and throw in some study meetings and hours standing in line for my working visa and I've been one tired little foreigner. Weekends have been used to sleep, grocery shop, get a cell phone, shop (for non grocery type neccessities, like a couch) and sleep.

Last weekend one of the Japanese teachers at my school, Miyuki took me to get a cell phone. Thank the lord for her, because there was no way I was understanding the confusing mess of cellphone plans without her. I ended up getting a cute, very girly, BRIGHT PINK phone with a camera and mp3 player. Now I can join the Japanese on the trains, playing games and writing text messages.


Last Sunday Elspeth and I went to the Aeon Mall (not related to the Aeon I work for) that is in my area. I met her at Kanayama station and we hopped on the free shuttle bus to the mall. Now, shopping in Japan is amazing and I feel that it is an important cultural experience (don't say anything, Fil...)(That comment reminded me of the 'sorry if that offends you, Fil' comments from the European Extravaganza blog - if you don't know what I'm talking about click the link on the side and enjoy) . There is nothing more interesting than wandering through the food floor of a department store, or checking out all the wonderful things you can get at the 100yen store. Elspeth and I looked at the many stores...tried to figure out some of the weird Japanese fashions (overalls, suspenders, the lumberjack look, the drab huge clothing look and the supershort shorts with a garter belt look???). We grabbed some delicious lunch at a trendy looking restaurant and chatted about how you can have tempura and udon for the same price as McDonalds. Why would anyone choose McDonalds??

In the mall there is a store that reminds me of Target - part grocery store, part home store, part cheap clothing store. We walked around and looked at some pseudo-couches...now I call them this because they look like couches but don't have legs or arms. I only have a computer/desk chair in my apartment and had been thinking about getting some seating (for when people come over or when I don't want to sit at the desk...). At first I thought I'd jut get individual seats but then I saw a pretty brown pseudo-couch that seats two. Elspeth and I tested them all out (and got many strange looks in the process) and decided that the cute brown one was the most comfortable (we actually sat on it for the length of the Rocky theme song they were playing in the store!). Here's a picture of it - It's kind of like a huge pillow that can fold and adjust to the angle you want. In otherwords it rocks.


We checked out other things (We're going back this Sunday - I'm going to pick up a fan and some groceries - CHEESE!!) and then I went back and bought the couch. The cashiers were confused about how I was going to take it home. They seemed horrified when Elspeth told them I was going to carry it. We crammed it onto the shuttle bus and then I carried it on the subway (talk about strange looks...way more than usual) and up the five flights of stairs at my station. It now sits on the 'unused' side of my room and after a day of lounging and watching Gilmore Girls, I can say it is super comfy.
[This is a Japanese lesson that 10 year old Kyouka taught me - we have a deal that at the end of each lesson, she gets 3 minutes to teach me]

This week is couseling week - most of my classes have been cancelled (so that we have times to cousel) so I've been using this time to plan ahead for next week and help with the cleaning and organizing of the office. Today, Honbucho (the Boss of Headquarters) is coming to look over the school so everyone has been slightly tense and on their best behaviour. Izumi, one of the emergency teachers says that, 'the air changes when he is in the room'. Should be interesting...