I think it left me in the lurch about extending my contract, and my assumption is that at this point I will not be staying here. (My friends in New York can pretty much start rejoicing).
It also means the dirty dishes and laundry pile up far more than they should until a guest comes round and I feel guilty.
Luckily, it didn't prevent me from getting to the post office today and mailing Christmas presents. Which means they will arrive on time. Woo hoo! Now Christmas cards are another matter...
I've started to put up pictures on facebook, which is a step, but I am just really behind on relating my adventures. Which in the immediate, isn't so bad, but I'm sure I'll really regret 10 years down the road. So I've gotta get my butt back in gear!
And I'm also lucky that Evan has been on my case because we have officially booked and reserved (but not paid for) our 4 day trip to Hokkaido and the snow festival in February! WOO HOO! I'm literally so stoked that I will be going on a plane to another ISLAND in Japan, skiing down mountains, and seeing giant sculptures carved out of ice and snow. And drinking Sapporo in Sapporo. Wow. Now I just need to make sure everyone else at my stage gives me those extra days off.
But I have so much to write about...
Summer Party was amazing. Even if I did have to go on vocal rest for 3 days and trust steroids to get through the rest of the week. I've seriously never been that scared for my voice before. I'm still trying to be safe as Christmas continues and my sinuses act up. It just couldn't have happened at a busier time.
But luckily I had a great time with Kathryn, I survived the sick track recording whilst being super sick, and made it through the week. We had an amazing dinner at Fonda, a Mexican restaurant in Harajuku replete with a SICK mariachi band. And I had the best Japanese curry yet.
Returning to Summer Party was like homecoming and deja vu, all at the same time. I couldn't believe my body could jump right back into the choreography and songs, without much effort to remember it from 4 months prior. And it was amazing to reconnect with my Japanese friends, see how much Japanese I have and haven't learned, and remind myself how much joy that experience brought to my life.
And I even got to work with some of the face characters for the first time.
Thanksgiving was interesting. I was MECHA GENKI during my A-shift that day and I loved telling the Japanese all about it. I was even more genki when I got to video chat via webcams and HD TV with my family in Utah the next morning. Even if I did lose all those precious sleep hours. But we have some awesome evidence that has to be seen to be believed.
And I spoke to my grandparents as well. Hearing my grandfather worry about my phone bill (don't worry Gramps -- I have unlimited calling from my computer) and saying "I've never talked to anyone in Japan before" was PRICELESS.
But I think there's a reason we usually eat turkey at someone's home and at about 3 in the afternoon. It REALLY doesn't sit well when it's served at 10:30 PM after a long day's work. Especially when you have to ride the SUPER HOT train home.
Seriously, Japan, it doesn't have to be 90 degrees on the train in winter. Seriously.
And while our dinner was delicious and gourmet, it's just not the same as a piece of meat with some mashed potatoes and tapioca pudding. Not that I'm complaining since trying to cook a Turkey in a Toaster Oven would be heinous.
But that part just didn't really feel like my favorite holiday. And I had to watch the parade days later online and I never saw football. That just didn't seem right.
But I did get my Thanksgiving nap. Several, actually. And for that, I'm super thankful.
And so, I lost a bunch of sleep, but made it all up on my amazing trip to Hiroshima, which will soon make waves here on the pages of sirtophsalot.
But until then, enjoy the pre-Christmas season, and I'll (hopefully) write again tomorrow!
