One thing I've noticed since returning to the West and life in these United States, is how important TV shows are in daily life and conversation. Having watched Japanese TV for 3 years and understanding about 1/3 of it I really appreciate the absence of TV as the center of my life. Unfortunately, I have been sucked right back into this phenomena. Is it any wonder Americans are obese?
As I stated previously, I quite smoking and now I sit around and eat chocolate or gum. I am seriously addicted to spearmint flavored gum and do have my brand favorites. But I do miss my Japanese chocolate. I find myself wishing for things I had while living there. I miss the convenience of the trains... the pubs that open at 5pm and stay open until 5am... the shared bottles of beer, consumed out of little child-sized glasses which don't even exist in the US I don't think... I miss Sashimi especially BINTORO... I miss yakitori and yakiniku... I miss omrice... I miss the temples and the beauty of the springtime.... i miss the annoying announcements on the train... i miss being delayed because someone decided to jump and that in turn stopped all the train service in the local area (as sad as it is to say this!)... I miss the scenery... I miss my friends... I miss the routine and the freedom... I miss the weather...
I never knew I had it so good until I came back here and have become dependent on my car. Eating fast food and finding it next to impossible to order a small sized anything (they just don't supply that size at said fast food places).
I miss life in the East and am feeling nostalgic for things which are difficult to find here in MN. Getting good sashimi in a midwestern state is next to impossible. But it can be done, if I am will to travel. But I enjoy living in the countryside too much to venture downtown...In that respect I do NOT miss Japan. I don't miss the crowds even when you are in the "countryside"...
The joys of reacclimating to my native culture...

Here is my dilemma...the love of my life is at the South Pole, helping build the polar station. He's been there since October and won't be home until October. So I promised him I'd quit smoking cuz his 'rents don't or won't approve. Well on my 29th birthday I had my last cigarette and how I miss it. But, I do feel much better.

See I think I am going through a minor pre-midlife crisis. Trying to get all my ducks in a row so I can step into that next chapter which will be coming in 11 months. Then to add to the stress, I am working on my Masters in TESL and getting my K-12 license at the same time. Add a half TA position and working 12-24 hours overnight everyweek and I am running on fumes. Fortunately that last bit will be changing in a couple of weeks. More time to myself and my studies. I just don't know how to do it all without snapping... Any ideas?

I want to get married, have a great job (or at least a job I like and enjoy going to) get my Master's, have a couple of babies and/or adopt a couple and live the fairy tale knowing full well that it doesn't exist except in my imagination.

I want my honey home with me, but that won't be happening now...he is ice bound until October when flights resume. And the satellite burnt out, so phoning isn't an option now and emailing will be S-L-O-W. Hopefully it will continue to work, cuz if it doesn't I don't know what I will do.

I miss having my friends around. I miss E, she's in Korea now. And I miss Japan. Living there for 3 years is hard to get out of your system. I miss it, but not enough to move back. I miss my friends there. I miss the freedom I had. I miss Emma and Mikiko and Caro and Nick and Peter and even Simon.

Must go and drink my beer before it freezes...

I've decided to begin an online, open forum type dialogue which may or may not be viewed by people I know. I just need to know my thoughts on this perverse age are being read, somewhere.
I work insane overnight hours and am currently going on 20 hours without sleeping. That is so I can go to sleep tonight in order to get up tomorrow morning and work at my other "job" teaching English and then working on my masters.
The purpose of this, is to vent and talk through ideas in a manner which can be accessed easily by me.
So if you have stumbled across this, I am sorry it may not make a lot of sense to someone from Planet Earth. However if you have visited other realms especially in the East then this may interest you.
I spent three years in Japan and am going through different stages of reverse culture shock. The main one is dealing with my family again. Here I am almost 30 and living at home again, being treated like a child...how annoying.
This is going to be my forum for venting these pent up frustrations that I can't or don't want to let others know.
Until my next great thought....