Sorry it's been so long....

| View Show | Create Your Own


I've been waiting to post again until I get the pictures from a festival I went to weekend before last....but it seems as though I may not get them for a while. My camera died so I have to wait on Dave to email me his. So, here are a few pictures from when I was home and I'll post the festival ones later.

So, what's been going on since I've been back in Japan...it's been an adjustment returning here. I think I'm starting to get back in the swing of things though. Last weekend I went to Nara (another former capital of Japan) to attend the Fire Mountain Festival. They literally light a mountain on fire in hopes of a good harvest. I went with a group of friends that I haven't seen that much because they don't live in my city. Two of them just got a car however, so they will be able to come to Ise more often, which is great. The next day we went bowling. It was my first time to bowl since being in Japan and I had so much fun!

School is back in session and I remembered how much I love my students. I taught a lesson about my holidays in America and showed a slide show of pictures from when I was home. The kids love getting to see pictures!

Over the next few months I have lots of different things I'm excited about. On February 2nd is the big Valentines Ball. Although I'm not in such a mushy mood this year, I'm still looking forward to getting all dressed up. On February 9th Tommy is coming to visit. I can't wait to finally show Japan to someone from back home. I am planning to take him to Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima, Nagoya (for the Tool Concet, YAH!!), Iga (to the Ninja museum), and around my city. I should have lots of great pictures to post after I travel around with him! The weekend after he leaves, I am going to Gifu and Wakayama with the same group I went bowling with. We are going to Gifu just to play in the snow because my city doesn't get any snow. Wakayama is suppose the be a really traditional city and should be great for sight seeing. We are also planning to take some mountain hiking trips as soon as it gets a little warmer, March maybe. We want to get ready so the we can take a trip to Mt. Fuji to climb it this summer.

The trip I'm most excited about though will be the first week of May. I will be going to the Philippines to build a house for Habitat for Humanity. There are 10 JETs from Mie going and I couldn't happier. This will be such an amazing opportunity. I'll be there for around 10 days, maybe more. The JETs that went last year couldn't stop talking about what a life changing trip it was. When I went to Bolivia I was surrounded by extreme poverty, but I didn't do anything about it. Now I will have the chance to make a difference in one family's life.

I'm sure I'll be writing lots about the Philippines for the next few months! I miss you all.