About Japan:

This is twice now that I've come to Tokyo for vacation. I love this place but I am totally understanding why people go to nice, relaxing places for vacation. There is lots of hustle and bustle--crowded subways, extreme pedestrian traffic, people really really really close to you. But shopping! And food! And Asian Architecture! The Japanese build the best retaining walls EVER. I will enjoy my next week in Hilo. I just want to feed nene geese. That's all.

This will also be the first time that I've seen Brandon (in person) for six weeks! It was really hard for us. I give people in Long Distance Relationships mad serious ridiculously crazy props. Thank goodness it was a one-time thing. Idk if I could go that long a regular basis. I realize that I go on two week work trips 3-4 times a year. That's kind of the same thing, isn't it. *sigh*

Interesting products that I've seen in my six weeks here so far (mostly cosmetics): skincare made of snails, skincare made of horse oil, skincare made of tofu (i want this!), whale katsu burgers, sashimi that moves while you eat it.

About Life:

Dear Kurt, while reading your last post about random thoughts, it made me think of why some girls feel the need to be engaged YESTERDAY (jumped into my head from question about why people push others to find girlfriends/boyfriends). I feel it a little. Part of it is that I feel I'm getting old, Part of it is because a lot of my friends are experiencing it. But at the same time, I really don't think I'm ready. Totally random, not really related but still is kind of?

Dear Kevin, I give you and Jes the mad serious ridiculous crazy props as mentioned above. I also wanted to tell you that I SAW MY ABS CLEARLY AND DEFINED FOR THE FIRST TIME YESTERDAY! And I've seen the new Toyota/Subaru hybrid thingy EVERYWHERE in Japan so far. I could try and rent one. I have an International Driving Permit (do you have one for Australia too?)

So my TDY routine normally goes like this:

- Eat Breakfast/Chat Brandon
- Go to Work. Shop at lunchtime because my lunchbreak is an hour long and I scarf everything down in 10 minutes

Either:
- Go out to dinner with Boss' Family!  Fun.  100Y sushi bars in Japan are AWESOME. 
- Go home, cook dinner, skype with Brandon/Family

And then:
- Watch Youtube/Streaming Movie
- EXERCISE (1 hr!)
- Finish Youtube/Streaming Movie
- Sleep.

I need a hobby.  I actually really do like playing around with my wonderful little m4/3 camera, but that involves photoshop, which I am forced to run on an extremely limited web app which is further limited by my painfully outdated and agonizingly slow netbook.

Solution = Guess I'll buy a new Mac (iMac or Macbook?) in July. 

Oh, I used to knit.  That was fun while it lasted. 

OH and random note to myself: This TDY will be forever burned into my memory as the Nickel Allergy rotation.  As in I discovered how my nickel allergy affects me in two painful and expensive ways.  *sigh*

Nagasaki last weekend!  It was good to be in a "city" again.  It's not really "city city" like the way Tokyo is, but it was something!

- Nagasaki Peace Park/ Atomic Bomb Hypocenter/ Atomic Bomb Museum.  Very deep, heavy, stuff.  It felt a little weird, as an American walking through all of that, surrounded by the Japanese.  Two years ago, I went to this other place, it was a shrine to this group of schoolgirls who committed suicide to prevent American Soldiers from finding them, raping them, and then killing them.  It's like...a cross of awkwardness plus sadness plus...I don't know. 

- Nagasaki is a port city so its influenced heavily by the Dutch and the Chinese.  Went to the house of the Dutch guy who introduced beer to the Japanese (KIRIN!).  Also, went to a famous "Champon" restaurant.  Champon is pretty much Chinese food.  It's got thick, udon-like noodles with veggies, a little pork, and small pieces of octopus in a Chinese-tasting sauce.  It's pretty good! 

In other news,

- After this week, I'm halfway done with my time here.  Not bad!
- I caught the train by myself yesterday.  It's a lot different here then it is in the city.  I had to wait an hour.  Haha.
- Confirmed that I am very allergic to things with nickel in them.  INCLUDING 14K gold.  Sadness.
- I have not weighed myself in a while.  I am doing a new routine, lots of cardio but with resistance training.  I feel slimmer and stronger but I wonder if my numbers are going down?
- Bought a hat.  Japanese girls convinced me to buy some sort of fedora like that because it'll protect my face and now we all match!  *sigh*  I always thought shopping would be tricky with the language barrier but it's been working out just fine, actually.