Has there ever been for you a guy or girl that somewhere, pushed way back in the swirl of people you've met in your life, that you really wouldn't mind, if it were to happen, just happenchancely bumping into...and, if it were to happen, you wouldn't mind a little something sparking up between the two of you? For most of us single people out there, there is at least one person that fits that description, and usually it's more than one. Unfortunately, my list is getting smaller. They're dropping like flies. As you may have figured out, I'm home for the holidays. Wow, that sounds like an old person with a real job, but it's true. I'm writing this from my parents' computer in my family room...which will no longer be my family room in a few months because we're moving, but right now it is, and I'm typing a blog entry in it. It's been nice to be home, and I've enjoyed spending time with family (especially since my father was in the ER a couple of weeks ago with chest pains and his heart stopped...he's ok, but it's good to spend time with him and my family), and attending various social events to see long-lost friends. Which brings me to the "ideal boy list." It was at the alumni game. Have you ever felt just a little bit of air, involuntarily, of course, kinda sigh out of you when one of those ideal "I wouldn't mind running into you" kinda people (opposite sex, of course), finally does run into you, but before you know it, the words "I'm getting married" slip out of their mouth? It happened, again, tonight. I won't use names to protect the innocent, but it's just kinda depressing. Not that you ever really expected to ever get together with that person, but it's kinda like one of those fairy tale sort of dreams that you always thought would stay alive sorta shrivels up and dies right there. The real world faces you more directly every time, and your very practical, quickly growing up life gradually begins to invade the space that those fun, flitty little dreams used to occupy. I'm told that one day one of those cinderella story dreams will actually happen to me, but I have my doubts. Maybe. Someday.

I bought snow boots yesterday. Real snowboots. The kind you strap on your feet before you go sledding, snowman making, or, in my case, snowball fighting. Yuki gassen they call it, "snow fight." Yesterday was our first doozy of a snow, and it certainly caused mild chaos in the town of Funehiki. In Japan, there are no plows, no snowblowers, and not really even any salt trucks, so everyone, out of necesity, puts snow tires (or, I think, chains) on their vehicles. For me, this meant a ride to school that felt and sounded like it was on a jackhammer rather than a bus. So much for the serene ride through the snow-tipped mountains... But the reason I actually bought the boots stemmed from a little event that occurred during "hiru yasumi" or lunch break. I was dying to go out in the snow, so I went to recruit the most likely candidates, ichi nen sei (AKA first year students, or 7th graders). When I entered the room, however, there was already quite a commotion, and over near the window, where the commotion was centered, it seemed I saw a school uniform-covered leg flailing this way and that. I went over to satisfy my curiousity, and it turned out my eyes had not decieved me. There indeed were, actually TWO legs flailing from the window, held by two merciful friends, with the other half of the student dangling inches from the snow outside. Ornery giggles streamed from the girls, and one of them tried to shut the window on the poor victims's legs. Eventually the limb-gripping friends wore out, however, and instantly the student found himself plopped in a pile of wet snow, without gloves, coat, or even shoes. After a few minutes one of the boys did bring out some shoes for him, but as gracious as he was to fetch the shoes, his laughing was merciless. I never did figure out whether the dangling student originally jumped from the window or was pushed... Watching this event, besides adding a bit of entertainment to my lunch break, gave me an idea. I tried to gather the girls together to go outside, but they would have none of it. "Samui! Samui!" They continually replied (AKA IT'S TOO STINKIN' COLD!) So, I gave up on the girls and tried the boys. They didn't seem to like the idea either, so I went for my last resort. I charged down the hall and grabbed my coat. Still in my dress clothes, I shoved on my gloves, and slipped out of my inside shoes and into my 7-year-old $2 Walmart clogs. Once they saw me outside, all dressed up and looking somewhat snowman-ish, I guess something sparked inside some of the boys, because I saw them jolt from the classroom, and moments later they were outside, preparing for war. We tossed a few snowballs here and there, but ended up in an all-out, forget-about-the-fact-you're-in-dress-clothes snowfight. I think we were playing a game somewhat like capture the flag, but it was more like "demolish the other team's snowpile." I never quite got it, so I just kept pelting kids with snowballs. If they were annoyed, they didn't let on = ). At the end of the hour, we were exhausted, and trudged back up the stairs to the school, a few "stray" snowballs still hitting their marked targets. When I got inside, reality began to set in for me. I took off my clogs at the door, and as I lifted them to put them in my locker, a stream of snow and water flowed down onto the floor. Needless to say, my socks and feet were not too much dryer. And then there was my hair, but that's a different story. This one's about the shoes. I knew it would happen sooner or later, but I never wanted to face the truth. Somewhere in my mind and heart, I knew those clogs, those blessed Walmart clogs, would not last forever. But alas, I think they have reached the end of their days. At least they had a glorious finish. And now, well, now I have new snow boots. I can only hope they'll be as good to me and take me as many places as did the clogs. Thus begins the saga of the Funehiki Park boots....

I promise, the novel is coming, but it's all in my journal, and it's all scratchy and such, so it'll take a while to "translate" if you will. I've started, demo, mo sukoshii ga arimasu (I can't spell Japanese to save my life...). Why can't a day be all good or all bad? This is a question Adriane asked me the other day, and I've been pondering...today was no exception. I had a great day. After being "gently nudged" to spend more time talking with students, I did just that. I joked with them during class, I played basketball with them during lunch (well, after lunch), and I taught the "table tennis" club a new game after school. Unfortunately during lunch break I was wearing two long underwear shirts, a heavy turtle neck sweater, and two layers of pants. Someone told me once that sweat is gross in Japan. I must be considered repulsive at times... Then after school I had a...shoot, I can't remember the name in Japanese, it starts with a "b", but a celebratory party for one of the teachers. (I was also informed when I got there it was doubling as my "welcome party." I arrived in Japan on September 10th....) Anyway, just before I walked out the door, I received a call from our team leader, Kate. She informed me that, unfortunately, the phone bill I received earlier in the week was correct. I expected no such thing, for, on Monday, I was handed a bill that had in big, bold numbers 17,102 yen as the total charge for the month. That roughly translates as about, oh $160 or so. Considering last month's bill was about $50, the call sort of dampened my spirits. That's the light way of saying it. Maybe more literally: I wanted to throw all my glass dishes at the wall. However, I didn't have time, and rushed out the door to my party at Pot Pourri (which they pronounce Poh Toh Poh Deeh). Nothing like three hours of joking in a language other than your own to get your mind off of your troubles. When I got home, though, my thoughts returned to the depressing piece of paper that would suck my overtime pay dry. After much thought and whining we figured out it was probably from my call to Africa last month. Woops. Lesson learned: never assume things. Never assume a country is on the international $.02 a minute plan. Never assume. Money is something trivial to use as an example, but so many other areas of life apply. How many friendships and even relationships between family members have gone sour because of assumptions. I'm reminded of a piece of wisdom we were given at orientation: Learn to cultivate an emptiness in which you seek not to be known, but to know. We need never assume we know. We, and I especially, need to take time to listen. Not doing so could cost more than a mere $100 dollars....

Well, there's actually more, sort of a novel if you will, coming, but alas, I don't have time to write it right now. I would, however, like to share some moments from yesterday. A day in the life of a Japan ALT: I was called "wild" by a 9th grade girl for eating an apple without cutting it up. Tammy and I witnessed a (boys') game in a 9th grade classroom in which the loser was tackled by the other players, pinned down with a chair, and tickled until he couldn't breathe. The best part was that several teachers came in during this fiasco and, besides suggesting that they tone it down a bit, merely laughed and basically encouraged the game to continue. I ate Kraft macaroni and cheese for dinner - a gift from Nate's apartment when he moved to Tokyo. Now, this probably sounds better than it actually was. It expires in 3 weeks....think about it. How old does Kraft macaroni and cheese have to be if it EXPIRES in THREE WEEKS?! Needless to say, it was less than fresh... The best part of the day, though, and many days, are the moments when I realize that I just understood a conversation in Japanese. Granted, they're simple words, and I don't understand every word, but it is the BEST feeling in the world to realize that I didn't have to translate everything in my head. I just got it. It's not too common, but when it happens I feel like I'm on top of the world. Dewa, ima tsukareta. Ja mata ashita. Oyasuminasai (or however you spell that). (If I wrote it correctly: Well, now I'm tired, so I'll connect with you all tomorrow. Good night!)