I think Xanga might have been putting satanic advertising on my blog just to get me to switch to premium. Just my thoughts, but you never know…
Month: February 2009
-
I’m feeling much better. No fever, headache or chills. Now, I just have a cough, congestion and a semi-runny nose. Anywho, thanks for your prayers everyone. 🙂
PS. I just heard something really funny on my podcast today for Ask the Professor. I love this radio show, it is hilarious and educational. Here’s what they said:
(I forget the names of the profs who actually said it except for Kathy Bush, so, I’m just going to make some up.)
Andy: Hey guys, not to change the subject, but today’s Samuel Becket’s birthday!
Everybody: Hurray! Happy Birthday Samuel!
Andy: Well, it doesn’t do any good, he’s dead.
Frank: How old would he be today?
Andy: Um, 89.
Kathy: That’s wonderful!
Andy: But, he’s not.
Everyone: (different mutterings on Samuel Becket and his age.)
Kathy: Haha…But, he’s not.. Haha.
——————–
Yeah, so, I’m not sure if anyone else finds this funny or not, but I thought it was hilarious. Actually, not that I have it written down, it doesn’t look funny at all…just morbid. Hmm….nevermind. It’s still funny.
-
Bowling and Aftermath
So, some girlfriends and I went to go bowling yesterday after church. We were going to go to the one near my home, since I knew it was pretty inexpensive and…near my home. 🙂 So, we went only to discover that it is closed until the 28th! That came as a big shock, and as we were simultaneously mourning over our loss of being able to bowl there and trying to decide what to do next, two men came out of the building and gave us a bunch of small pieces of paper…probably 15 of them, or more. They told us to definitely come back on the 28th, and we thanked them and started walking, amazed to find that we were holding coupons for a free game! Lucky!
We decided that we really wanted to go bowling, so we hopped on the train and went to Moji to try our luck at the Joy Plaza down there. We got there and everything was opened (phew!). While walking past the windows, we saw an immense number of purikura booths (elaborate photo booths where you can make outlandish and outrageous embellishments on the pictures once you have taken them…a must for any traveler to Japan). One had English written all over it and while most of it was pretty normal, “Be the best” or some such like that…one said, “You will be inferior to no one!” That clinched it, we had to go in.
Once in we bowled and enjoyed the wonder of bowling with only girls. None of us really cared about our scores, and we spent the whole time yay-ing and aw-ing whenever someone had a good throw or failed miserably. We even cheered when we tied with each other…and took massive amounts of pictures. After two games, we were wiped and went to pay and leave. Upon leaving, we were given free game passes as well! Such a lucky day!
We were hungry, so went to the nearby Korean section of Shimonoseki and ate at Yasumori, one of my regular joints. I know one of the chefs there, and now, I don’t even have to ask for him, the staff let him know when I come in. Hah. He came out to say hi and treated us to a bowl of kimchi! (That’s three!).
Everything was hunky-dory until I woke up this morning to stiff shoulders, congestion, chills, headache and a fever. Not only this, but our building is under construction and, I believe, the men were drilling into the concrete below me. This was not acceptable for the condition I was in, but it ended around 12pm and I was able to sleep off and on throughout the day. I am still not well enough for tomorrow, but feeling a little (very little) better. I’d appreciate your prayers. ‘Tis all! Thanks!
-
Guess What I Did!
On Wednesday, Japan celebrated a holiday. What that holiday was, I still don’t know. Usually when I ask a Japanese person what a particular holiday is for, I get a blank look as they search the vault of their brain and fail to come up with the correct answer…they just know it’s a day off!
So, anyway, I was going to go to Ube to visit a friend on said unknown holiday, but said friend advised me to come at a later date…preferably not this holiday. So, I agreed and Johnna and I went instead to a new (to us) restaurant, Jolly Pasta, and then to the, wait for it, *dun dun dun* onsen!
What is this onsen, you ask? (Wow, it’s windy outside!) An onsen is the Japanese word for a hot spring, or public bath. Yes, a public bath. No, not coed, praise the Lord. I have been in Japan for 10 months now and this was my first time to go. It was awkward with all the awkwardness of getting naked in front of people you don’t know (which only happens when I go to the doctor or when I was under the age of 2…maybe 3). But I did it!
What I thought would be one of the worst experiences for my self-esteem (have you seen Japanese women?! They are thinner than toothpicks!) actually was really beneficial for it. Why? Because, even though they definitely have a smaller stature than even me, they have just as many curves, turns, and creases as I do (or think I do). It was nice to see…no, I did not spend much time looking…that would be vulgar.
It was nice. It was not a natural hot spring, and most of it was inside the building, but on one whole wall were windows looking over to the ocean. One bath was actually outside, so the hot, hot water with the cold, cold air hitting your face, was pretty nice. The only downside was that ships would pass by through the Strait…and even though they were at least a mile or two miles away from us, I would instinctively raise my towel over my body to protect myself, just in case those slimy sailors had binoculars…you.never.know. It made me feel better.
Anywho, all in all, a very interesting experience. I made the mistake of telling one of my ladies’ classes about it and that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Now they are determined to take me again before I leave. Such is life in the big city, or the little country, or the land of the rising sun. That sounds more like it! More to come soon. 🙂
Xapa to the World 