I’m finally back in action! Happy New Year everyone!

Around this time of year, everyone seems to be out making new year’s resolutions and such: “I won’t drink for a month, I promise to lose weight, I won’t eat ramen everyday this week,….” I personally don’t really understand new year’s resolutions. Sure, the new year brings about thoughts of motivation, but isn’t it more likely to happen if you just remain consistent in your efforts? Give it a shot. I know some of you may have already broken those promises to yourself even though we are only 7 days into the new year. Doesn’t mean you have to stop trying! The new year may start on one day, but your efforts to restart can happen at any moment.

Usually I myself don’t have a resolution to follow. This year however, at the start of January 1st I realized I do have one thing I wish to change. So with the start of the new year in mind, I will make a better effort to contact all my friends. For all of you who read this, thank you very much and I hope we can all keep in better touch this coming year! May the best luck be with you all.

It’s been a while since I wrote here. Mostly because end of term is coming in Japan. These past couple of days it’s snowed. Today, it snowed. Tomorrow more snow. In fact, the next 3 days are supposed to snow. Sounds like a lot right? I wish. This is the first time I’ve ever seen sun flaking (no that doesn’t exist). I swear, I was looking out the window today and in the distance I saw the mountains. Five minutes later I couldn’t see anything past 1 mile out. The sun was shining all around the school, and yet there was a mad blizzard no more than 1 mile away. It’s torture, all I want is some good snow. Which brings me to another thing, for all those people complaining about snow I have one word for you “Move.”

How nice to see you today! I know you won’t be here for long, but your 2 hours are great. I guess till next Thursday. Have a great one.

Finally a day with some blue sky and sun. Guess it won’t last long,… there it goes! More rain,… weather is quite awful here but I hear it’s only Shimane with this special weather. Must be lucky lucky for me.

Here’s to DiSano. To that entire week of singing on the bus on the way to soccer camp.

I have to say out of all the countries I’ve been to thus far, I find women to have an exceedingly profound visibility within the Japanese workforce. Now, just to clarify, I am referring to the everyday job. The higher paid positions I wouldn’t have a clue only because it’s not as if I work for a Japanese corporation. It does surprise me however to see women: driving delivery trucks, pumping gas, driving a taxi, and many others. Gender for these jobs seems to be of no consequence unlike in other countries. Speaking on this, even some leisure activities have lost the gender stereotype such as riding a motorcycle. Yes, now I know women ride motorcycles in the US, but I don’t think to the same extent as here! To be honest, I have probably witnessed more women riding motorcycles here than men. And I’m not talking a Suzuki or any other Japanese brand, but most often it’s a Harley Davidson. Of course, those who drive motorcycles here are of a younger age and typically I get the feeling it’s a fashion statement made amongst those individuals. It’s comforting in a way to see the mold broken.

Now mom always told me never look up when a bird flies overhead. She also said if you did, it could get you in the mouth. Well, today I did the exact opposite, I looked. Sure enough, I got the chance to see a crow missile with a perfect arch in my direct path of walking. So…. I stopped, and guess what,… it landed harmlessy inches from my feet. Had I been walking it would have been a direct hit on the head. If you don’t look ahead of where you walk, how can you know to prevent it?

“Wow that’s really unique Faye. Is that a mugshot or your version of Picasso?”