Interim Update

Ah, an update!

Yes yes, I'm sorry. When it comes down to it, I guess updating a blog can be a very involving thing to do. It demands sorting, editing, and uploading pictures and a devotion of time...not to mention time!

But, I must remain devoted!

As I have been recently telling some of you, after some uncomfortable feelings about living over here all alone, I'm finding myself opened to a very bright coming year. It all seemed a bit overwhelming at first, but now when I think about it, living here in Japan seems a little mundane...

Mostly, I think, because I'm not here as a tourist, but I'm living and working here so there isn't a lustre and the entertainment of a tourist. However, over the past few days, I have been coming to realize that there is the lustre, it's just spread over a years worth of appreciation and experience.

Work is coming along quite nicely. I am starting to remember my students, and have begun getting to know them as individuals and that is making the job highly enjoyable. I am also enjoying getting to know my co-workers. I hope that we will be able to really do some fun things together. I seem to be falling into the pattern at work naturally. It doesn't seem strange at all to me to be at a 'real person' job. A...career kind of job...It seems just like every job I've always done, just..at a new company. And the very fact that it doesn't seem strange, is the strange part. I always thought that having a full time career job, not being a student, or anything else, would feel strange, but alas...it is not so. And I like it.

Of course I miss being a student. The friends, the four years of experiences, going to class, reading in the campus cafe, staying up too late in the RA office, meetings, overly busy schedules, ski trips, over night paper writing, wing night....those are all things that will live forever in a thick mixture of collegiate life in my memory. I believe the crisp autumn weather will always remind me of the first weeks of the new school year, especially of those particular four that I spent in New York. I'm glad to have graduated, and moved on from school, but there is a sadness in knowing that I can't go back. That time is over now. And what a short, but lovely, time it was.

But in saying goodbye to one stage of my life, I am slowly awakening to a new stage. I have only a year to see as much as I can of Japan. Only a year of weekends and holidays. I must get myself busy!

All in all, I'm feeling pretty comfortable here. For the time being.

It has helped that I've gotten a bit more settled in to my apartment. I finally found suitable curtains and I purchased a small, inexpensive sofa from Ikea as well. It will be delivered on Sunday some time and that is going to be a major part in making my apartment more comfortable. I will have a place to sit to read, compute, watch movies rather than on my bed on the floor. In a couple more weeks, hopefully they will have restocked the rug I want, that will match my curtains quite well, and I can forsee that my apartment will look quite fantastic.

This past weekend I did a little more local exploring, but I hope you'll excuse my not talking about that, or posting those pictures tonight. It is already passed my bed time.

I am putting together an account and photo albums on Flickr so that I can link you to those photos and so you can see more pictures. Since posting photos is a hassle on blogger. That is taking some time however, so please endeavor to be patient for a few more days...

I'll be off now!

Love!