hello hello
this is a broke but happy laura speaking.. passing up tonights events to write a little diddy about my time in japan.. well that and because i cant afford to go out tonite.. my wallet allows for either going out tonite or a wine festival tomorrow.. and well.. its WINE festival.. of course it wins out.
Anyways.. its been about a month or so since ive written last and, yes, my life has dramatically changed for the better. I am OFFICIALLY an obachan (aunt- not to be confused with an oBAchan-grandmother). My superduper brother, Aaron, and incredible wife, Lauren, had a baby on the 10th of October. He is a pile of goo.. but a pile of goo that is adorable and perfect and.. so.. almost.. humanlike. and i love him. So congratulations Aaron and Lauren and i will see you soon Grant Edward Tajima.
Fall has begun and with it the truly breathtaking fall foliage. It literally stops me in my tracks sometimes and makes the hour drive to school and back almost pleasurable. The mountains are a million shades of reds and yellows and the skies are a clear blue. as such i am trying to pack in as much outdoor adventuring as i can. hikes here and there and basically any excuse to be outside.
sweeeeeeet foliage.
Halloween brought parties and pumpkins. and CONSTANTLY explaining what a jack-o-lantern is. why we dress up and why are foreigners so excited about this holiday. i must say it slightly detracted from the fun-ness of the holiday. but i did carve pumpkins 5 different times this year.. which was awesome. by the end i was basically a pro. hopefully ill get the pics from people cause they basically belong in a museum.
so scary...
pumpkin carving party!
culture day. the kids took lessons from the elderly in the community on "culture" stuff. like flower arrangement and go. the afternoon was a choir contest. then the teachers (including myself) sang an embarrassing rendition of a japanese song. it was pretty terrible and i mangled the Japanese. but still. what a rock star.
and to top things off are the random days in tokyo. some nights with friends at clubs or climbing on big jungle gyms. and days at the park or the annual Design Fest.
Design Fest... magic bunny!
and thats about it! tomorrow is the annual wine festival where everyone gets a bottle of wine and watches people fall down the hill, and probably do some of the falling as well. lets hope for no broken ankles!!!
miss everyone at home!
Pics of my room
