*Shake*

Wow.
I experienced my first major earthquake yesterday - pretty intense sh**.
It was huge! A magnitude 6.0 on the Richter scale. Everything was swaying and things toppled over. I was actually at work when it happened, so it was alright since I was with other people. The trains were all stopped for about 4 hours at least, so I popped over to the next city over and had dinner and drinks with friends that were stranded.
There has been a ton of aftershocks today. It feels like it's just been trembling all day. I rented a bunch of "Sex and the City" DVDs from the local video store and I'll just chill at home tonight, I think.
I LOVE my job. I love the loooong holidays I get. I can't believe I get like... a total of 5 months off a year! It's even better than going to school! I get paid for this!
Right... time to conjure up some din-din. Bring on the tremors!~

*I'm down! I'm down!*

The gash looks like a science experiment gone wrong.
It's still bleeding (2 days straight now) and I now have a "cankle". I'm supposed to go to Yokohama tonight, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen because:

1. If I start walking around, the gash'll open up more
2. I have a fugly cankle
3. It fu**in' hurts when anyone even grazes the leg

So yeah... it looks like I'm staying in tonight. I can't get to the video store for a movie, so I'm bloody bored at home now... I can't even get down and check on Lola or change her food dish...
I hate being a gimp... *sob*~

*Battered*

So yeah... I started my career as a university lecturer in a hospital, and I ended it back in the hospital...
The last day of classes was "Yukata" day - Japanese summer kimono. So of course, I wear my new Yukata and I'm all dolled-up and "elegant". In my last class, I think the heat and the lack of blood circulation got to me, and I blacked-out for a second at the top of a flight of stairs. Thank goodness I caught myself somehow mid-way down the flight of stairs, but I sustained pretty disgusting injuries in my left leg. The skin pretty much split open on my shin and right now, it's not a pretty sight.
I'm in quite a bit of pain, and the swelling is ugly. My students were great though, and got my mind off things while the medical staff came to get me.
So yeah... I'm a klutz. What a way to end the semester??~

*T minus 2*

TWO more days!! Only TWO more to go!
Don't get me wrong, I love my job (except uh... certain aspects of it), but my sanity is desperate for a vacation. I long to take a break from all this madness that's called "work". Heehee...
I can't wait to go on holiday. I'm already planning on all the shops to hit while I'm in Hong Kong. Is it bad that Chanel sunglasses is at the top of my shopping list right now? I'm also ordering a pair of my dream shoes from Manolo Blahnik - they're on sale! HALF PRICED!
I'm all shopped-out otherwise. Japan's a dream for shoppers... but the styles are too outrageous for "conservative" me! Besides... their clothes here are tiny! I can only shop at Zara and Gap here! What's the point??
Right... Waiting for Tea to get home. A little worried that she won't get the Ochanomizu transfer from Shinjuku...
Anyhoo... Ta for now!~

*Frenz*

Michael leaves today, but Tea's arriving!
It's so nice to have friends around. It was a real treat seeing Michael here and chatting with him, albeit only over dinner on two nights.
I'm not good around people right now. I'm on the verge of hurling something heavy at someone. I am desperately seeking out from this routine I've been trapped in these past 4 months. I love the work, but (again) I hate the bullsh** I have to put up with. There was only ONE holiday this semester - which didn't help my sanity.
Can't wait to see Tea again. She'll be staying with me for 3 days... but I'll be flying back to HK to see Connie, Mich and Michael (again). Hopefully, Joy can join us there for a weekend (you hear that, girl?)
Funny... I'm not interested in boys right now. Why's that? Am I getting old?? I think I just miss hanging out with... well... someone...~

*Crack-t*

I've cracked. I think I've lost my mind.
I watched "Batman Begins" today, though. Roxanne and I went for "Ladies Night" and we're glad we did... that movie is AWESOME! It was so good! A bit dark, but oh so good.
I've had it with all the politics and sh** that goes on at work. Unfortunately, they've messed with the wrong person. From now on, my research is going to be MY property. I'm not going to affiliate ANY of my research with the university I'm working at. I'll just use my workplace as a lab, but not disclose any information to the institute. It's all so bloody stupid...
Last Saturday night, I was given flowers by a guy... the first time in 4 years. FOUR YEARS! It was such a sweet gesture and such a complete surprise, that I'm still recovering from the shock. Granted... it didn't mean anything - just a thank you gesture... but it was nice getting flowers again. I'd forgotten how nice it was to get flowers (hint, hint).
I'm completely exhausted. 7 days of teaching 'til the hols begin! YAY!~

*Hanging by my pinky*

Just BARELY hanging in there.
I HAD to leave work early today. I NEVER leave work early. It was only 20 minutes early... but significant.
I love my job. I just can't stand the organization (or lack thereof).
I had an exciting sorta weekend. Nic and I stayed out all night in Tokyo on Saturday night. We stayed in Roppongi 'til 5:45am. I didn't end up getting home 'til 7:00am. I slept 2 hours, then cleaned up my apartment for a barbeque I had at my place.
The guys at Roppongi were HORRID! They think they're all that! It was so sleazy. Now that I've been to Roppongi, I don't have to go again... unless I'm with a big group of people. YUCK!
There was this guy there in a bright yellow polo shirt with a white jacket tied around his waist... and he was trying to dance with us and pick Nic up. Eeeeww! Like he had a chance! Back home, I don't think he'd even get near us... let alone "think" that he had a chance with Nic. Gosh... These guys really think they're invincible here.
I went and got most of my hair chopped off today. It's very liberating. It's about shoulder-length... so not that short, but a lot was lobbed off. I like the stylist that cut my hair. He was really nice and not at all weird like the ones in Hong Kong - who feel like they have to be super social and "hip".
I'm knackered... I think I'm just going to crash now. Zzzzzz....~

*Seule*

My back and neck hurt from grading all the essays in front of me. I think I'm grading the essays in too much detail. It's taking way too long...
Grading a page and a half worth of Japanese freshmen college work is infinitely more difficult than grading 20-page North American freshmen college work. They enjoy using big words that are freshly plucked from their electronic dictionaries that just don't make sense at all... despite my warnings to keep their work simple but correct.
I meant to go shopping for shoes today, but ended up just majorly cleaning my apartment. The weeds in my backyard had grown to about 3 feet tall and was just looking like a mini-jungle. That was only a month's growth! *sigh* That's one of the sucky things about living alone... you have to do EVERYTHING yourself.... but then, I'm also thankful that I don't have to pick up after someone else.
Got loads to look forward to in the coming weeks. Tomoko comes to visit next weekend, Michael comes the week after and then Tea the week after that.... then it's the end of the semester! Woohoo! I get 6 weeks off! Gosh... I love my job for the holidays. My winter break's even longer... I get 2 or 3 weeks off for Christmas, then back for 3 weeks... then the big, long winter break - all of THREE MONTHS! How awesome is this job?
I'm stretched thing during term-time though. The responsibilities that come with a university job are really trying.
Must sleep... then more marking in the morning. I pretty much work 7-days a week... Blah.~

*Movin' Up*

I'm moving up the "costliest cities" list. I've finally reached number one!!
So here's the lastest rankings for the world's costliest cities (courtesy of Mercer Human Resources Consulting, by way of CNN:

1. Tokyo, Japan
2. Osaka, Japan
3. London, England
4. Moscow, Russia
5. Seoul, South Korea
6. Geneva, Switzerland
7. Zurich, Switzerland
8. Copenhagen, Denmark
9. Hong Kong, Hong Kong
10. Oslo, Norway

13. New York, USA

After living in 4 of these cities in the past 6 years, what does this make me???
POOR.~

*BIG one*

I just experienced the biggest earthquake yet, here in Japan.
I think it's about a magnitude 5.6-ish on the Richter scale... which is pretty huge by my standards. It was long too... I think it lasted about a minute.
I didn't crawl under my tables... I just kinda sat at my computer wondering if I SHOULD be crawling under something. By the time I decided to... the shaking stopped.
I'm not very good at this earthquake thing... despite all those earthquake drills at school in Vancouver... I don't panic... but it just takes me too long to decide on whether or not I should crawl under something and what I should crawl under...~

*Random*

Went to a lot of places this weekend...
Friday night was a girls' night in (a.k.a. Weekly Bitch-fest). We went for Chinese food and bitched about the boys over dinner...
Saturday was jam-packed. I went into Tokyo to do some shopping (but of course!). I FINALLY bought myself a camera for Japan. I'm now the proud owner of some teeny-tiny 5.0 mega-pixel camera by Canon. I have no idea what the functions are or whether it's a new model... or any of those other techie things that boys care about... all that matters to me is that it's a nice shiny RED colour! It's pretty and I bought a pretty shiny lime carrier for it. Yay!
I also bought a Yukata - a summer kimono. It's a starter kimono... It was really cheap. It's something for me to practice on before I upgrade to the REAL thing. I attempted to tie the Obi today and did a not-so-sucky job at it... but it's difficult!
After shopping in Akihabara (Camera) and Shinjuku (Kimono and Zara!), I met up with Nic in Ikebukuro to go to some Fireflies festival up in the north of Tokyo-ku. It took us about 40 minutes to get up to wherever it was... We took a very expensive cab ride to the place and saw the line-up wrapped 'round the block with workers and their sign-posts saying it was a 200 minute wait. We just told the cabbie to haul-ass back to the station. TWO HUNDRED MINUTES just to see some insect with a glowing green ass??
We headed back Shibuya for dinner at some Hawaiian restaurant (VERY good garlic fries), then headed to John's (Nic's bro) bar for a pint.
Stayed over at Nic's and fell asleep in my kimono - was woken up this morning by Nic laughing at me for sleeping in my kimono.
So yeah... I had a busy weekend... but it was fun. Nic and I are now planning a 'round-the-world trip for our 2 and a half month winter break. Gee... work can be tough some times...~

*Roller-Coaster*

What a Roller-Coaster kinda week I'm having...
I had a horrid Monday and an even worse Wednesday. Both days were so horrible, I cried on both days - both instances due to MEN. Today's was pretty bad... I gave a co-worker a piece of my mind - pretty bluntly too...
I've been particularly homesick this past week. I miss my old life in New York... but mostly, I miss familiarity. I also miss trying on clothes in shops in New York...
BUT, I just got an email that made this week much better. My conference proposal has been accepted!! I'll be presenting my research at Asia TEFL! Yay! It's a HUGE conference too! Imagine that! My first submission gets accepted to a big conference! I'm so excited, I could pee my pants!
Yes, I do recognise that I am still single because I am too independent and too fiesty. It's a huge dilemma for me because I WANT someone, but I also don't want to change who I am. Does anyone out there know a guy who'll put up with someone like me??~

My two favourite guys in Japan at the moment... Jim - who's absolutely perfect and will pose like an Armani model when I ask him to... 

...and Freddy! (One of Chris & Keita's dogs) Isn't Freddy funny-looking? 

*Stretched Thin*

I can't do this for much longer. I need a break - FAST.
I'm all worn out. I've got a pile of fresh essays stacked on my desk and a bunch of peer feedback forms that I have to go through. I'm dying here and I need a break from all this to catch up.
The reality of my job is starting to hit me. I don't know why it took this long to sink in. It's a tough and demanding job. What really angers me is when people say "I'm busy too, but I make time to..." People don't realise that on top of this incredibly demanding job, it's my first "real" job... AND I'm living in a country where I'm still trying to learn the language!
I was in the post office earlier today, and the two young-ish guys who work there were so horribly mean to me. I just started tearing up in front of them. They just kept shouting at me and speaking faster and faster in Japanese. It was such a horrible experience for me, because I'm not used to feeling inadequate and out of control. The old man at the post office came to my rescue after I started crying... He was really nice. I think I'll bake him a cake...
I miss friends too. Jay's just emailed to say that he won't be able to see me as he stops-over Japan on his way back to New York. I can't say that I'm not disappointed. I was looking forward to having a piece of my old life here...
So I guess what I'm feeling now is a mix of homesickness and too much work and feeling lonely. I expect I'll pop out of it soon enough.~

*Trouble*

I know I'm in trouble when...

1. I've downed a pitcher of Screwdriver and chased it with an Avril Lavigne song.
2. Gene and Ben take their shirts off to rap Eminem... then try to get mine off too.
3. It takes me an hour and a half to get home from the train station - normally a 15 minute walk.
4. Kirsten, Nicola, Anneli and I go out together...
5. Karaoke is "San-ji-kai".

Yeah... I've said this every week... I'm going to lay off the drinking...
But I've always ended up drinking more than the previous week. I think I may have developed a drinking problem.
Chris had a fun party tonight. He and Keita have a really rockin' apartment in Tokyo. Gotta get Keita to do my hair soon... it's getting dark again.
Time to crash... Got loads of work to do before the work week starts again on Monday.~

*Mortified*

I flashed my class today. The wind blew my skirt WAY up... They saw everything... butt cheeks and all...
I'm digging a hole and plan on living there for a while...~

*Eureka!*

It's back! It's back!
I thought I'd lost my ability to care about people about 4 years ago. It was a really bad break-up and it took a really really long time to get over THAT one.
Well... I think I've found that fuzzy feeling again. I can't stop smiling. I'm not in a relationship and I don't intend to get into a relationship right now, but it's nice to feel this way again. I just think about this person and I can't stop smiling! The last time this happened, it took me 4 years to recover... I don't think I'm going to do anything about this fuzzy feeling. I'm choosing to just concentrate on my career and my life right now.
So yeah... I hate Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It just swallows me up. I don't even have time to breathe on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It's HORRIBLE!
A bunch of us are planning on doing an all-nighter in Roppongi this Friday. I'm still trying to piece last Friday night together. I can't remember how I got home... and B's been fabricating stories about Friday night... Don't believe him!~

*I'm a Pear!*

Awesome!
Pears Healthier Than Apples
I've never been so happy about my hips before! Yay for hips! Yay for Pears!~

*They were ALL THAT*

Ever go through your old pictures and come across that one picture with all the "cute guys"?
Jeez... I had one of those moments today. I accidentally came across a picture with some guys I had a crush on back in high school. Now I'm thinking - What the HELL was I thinking? Boy was my world small then. I thought they were THE shit.
Now comparing how we are in high school (in North America), with these university kids I'm teaching over here in Japan... I'm amazed by the difference. They're such babies here! Not it a bad way, they've just obviously been really sheltered. The really funny thing is when you walk into a university classroom for the first time - the boys are huddled in a corner, and the girls are bunched together on the other side. Try lecturing to a class configuration like that! It's like watching a tennis match from the sidelines... My neck aches and my head spins after every class. I've come up with all sorts of devious ways to mix the boys up with the girls...
So here was my question for my second year students yesterday - When do Japanese boys realise that girls aren't scary? Because it obviously hits them SOME time... they DO get married and have children... but WHEN does this happen? I thought the university days were for "experimenting"??~

*One of those days...*

Ya know it's "one of those days" when you walk into the copy room, straight to the photocopy machine expecting to toast your bagel in it.~

*Babies*

One of the headlines from today's news in Japan:
Birthrate hits record low under 1.29 in 2004
Whoever's doing these studies into the demography and birth-rate in Japan obviously isn't looking or polling in the right places. Ever been to Lalaport or Ikspiari? These places are INFESTED with babies! There are couples who have 3 kids under the age of 6!
Anyhoo... Japan's great. The humidity's climbing, which indicates the beginning of bug season. I'm totally prepared for bug season. I have bug sand, flying-insects spray, crawling-insects spray, electric mozzy repellent, old-school mozzy coils, citronella garden pails, cockroach houses and ant bait. Actually, I think I'm more than prepared for bug season. I have enough bug stuff to wipe out the entire bug population in Chiba.
Have I mentioned that I hate bugs?~

Everyone... Meet Lola! 

*Fried*

I'm beat.
I haven't disappeared... just ultra-busy. Working is tough work! But... considering the fact that I get almost 5 months of vacation time a year, I'm willing to put in the work now and play hard during my breaks.
As many of you know, I'm NOT a morning person. This getting up to be at work by 9am isn't so good. I'm having loads of trouble trying to get into work on time. I've been pretty good... except on garbage days - because I have to get the trash out before 8am. So I get up to take the trash out, then fall asleep again only to oversleep. BUT the latest I've gotten into work is 10 minutes late, so I think I've been doing pretty well...
I've felt tons of tremors here. I think we've had about 3 or 4 big-ish quakes here, but nothing that has toppled things over yet. It's all pretty interesting, this earthquake business. You feel agitated if you haven't felt a tremor in a while, and when it happens... it's like a sigh of relief.
Japan's been fun. I have made some good friends, and we're always doing something crazy. Not as crazy as life in New York, but I think Nic and I get the party going pretty well when we're out together. Karaoke has become a weekly workout. It's pretty tiring! We jump about, and we only sing the fast, rock 'n' roll-y stuff.
I'm working on several research projects now... My main focus is on improving students' learning experience and making it more enjoyable and effective - a bit of a fusion between my psych interests and my linguistic interests. It's funny how things kinda come together in the end.
Right... gotta try and get some work done so that I can go home early today. Oh... did I mention that I have a pet named Lola now? She's the cutest hamster in the world! I'm trying to train her to do tricks... so far, she can only walk into my hands for food. It's a start though!~

*Ticks*

I hate it, but it's funny how you subconsciously pick up little idiosyncrasies from people you spend a lot of time with (in my case - SPENT a lot of time with).
I've been doing something these past 2 weeks that I've only just noticed. It's not something I would normally do, but since I've been wearing jeans everyday - to and from work... I've had the opportunity to put my keys in this really odd place... I usually just throw my keys in my bag, but because everywhere I go here in Japan requires my keys to be accessible... and I've been doing just that... ANYWAYS...
The weather here is really kooky. It was so hot yesterday, a bunch of us had lunch on the lawn out in the sun and I was wearing a sleeveless top. Today, it's freezing and I've got 3 layers on - a tailored long-sleeved shirt, a cashmere sweater and a velvet blazer... with a pashmina around my neck. What's up with Japanese weather?
I watch CNN at work sometimes (THREE Plasma screen TVs in the lounge at work), and when I see Times Square... I get teary eyes. I MISS NEW YORK!
Time to get more work done. I want to get this week planned.~

*Pass!*

My Master's Thesis PASSED!~

*Still in Japan*

I've been having connectivity problems at work... basically... I have no connection with the outside world. I didn't even know the pope had died 'til 2 days after. However, I knew (very quickly) that Britney Spears was "with child".
Saw the Cherry Blossoms last weekend at Ueno Park in Tokyo. K and I indulged and went for incredibly good Kaiten Sushi in Harajuku afterwards... then shopping in Shinjuku for dessert.
The weather's really funky here. It's super warm and nice one day, then down to the single (celsius) digits the next.
I'm cooking loads now that I have my own place. It's a really sweet little apartment - a 15 minute walk to the train station, but it's nice and quiet... with a nice open view and loads of sunshine. Back to the cooking... I'm packing myself Japanese Bento lunches. I'm even cooking Japanese food! I'm eating quite a bit though... I think it's the biking everyday.
I bike to work every day. I'm seeing muscle definition in my thighs that I've never seen before. No, it's not super masculine and big hunky muscles... but it's weird seeing the muscle definition above the knee... something I've never had so much of before.
Grocery shopping in Japan is cool - albeit a bit frustrating since I'm still trying to learn the language. I bought a tray of eggs the other day, and you know eggs are usually one size (extra large, large, medium) ? Well... here, they're assorted! I was putting the eggs away, and in one tray, I had 10 different-sized eggs! It may sound stupid, but it disturbed me for a while.
Work's busy. I have a lot of planning to do, but I'm enjoying it. My students are super fun. My very first lecture was to a Freshman English class... and I think I was just a tad too perky for them. I've learned to tone down on the perkiness, and they seem to be alright with class now. I still speak a little to fast for my second-year students sometimes though.
Gotta get back to doing some work. Hope you're all well out there!~

*Exhausted*

I'm exhausted, and I haven't even started teaching yet...
I'm also all shopped out. I don't want to go shopping again for a looooong time.
I've been busy fixing up my apartment. I've decided to go for this low-japanese-meets-new york effect. Everything in my apartment is low - japanese style. I find that it opens up the space more... not that I have a small apartment.
I've been walking loads these past 2 weeks. I've also been biking everywhere. My legs are now super fit... and I'm mooning all the salarymen when I sit down for a tatami-style japanese meal 'cause my jeans are all falling off me.
I love Japan... but there are things that get to me. I lost my patience for the first time last weekend... and I'm hoping it'll be the last incident. Men are chauvenistic pigs here, and make some really piggish remarks when I go out shopping for things. I'm not going to go into it right now, because I have 7 minutes until ANOTHER meeting I have to run off to, but I'll definitely post one particularly piggy comment later.
That's it for now. I'm still alive.~

* I Heart Makuhari*

I love it here! It's been completely overwhelming so far, but everyone's been so nice here and the people I'm working with are so incredibly nice!
I can't move into my little apartment until Friday, so I'm a little disappointed... but it'll give them time to clean and disinfect the place before I move in.
The food here's pretty cheap. But then, I'm just moving from New York... so everything's cheap to me.
The weather's been crappy so far. It's still kinda chilly, but it's nice weather to walk around and explore the city a bit. It's a really quiet city, but SO CLEAN! There's everything I need and want here, so I don't imagine I'll have many problems here.
My office is all set up now. I'm sharing with two other guys and they're super nice to me. Our office is HUGE and airy with a big window overlooking the little river.
I really love it here. I haven't exactly started my "real" work yet, but we've already been working for the past week here. The resources we have at our disposal are just unbelievable. We can apply for funding for just about any research project we choose to work on.
Must run... I'm starving. I think I'm going to sit in my office and daydream a little for now. For the first time in history, I'm actually done and ahead with my work!~

*The Mooncake Has Landed*

I'm in Japan! I'm in Japan!
No culture shock... but I've been sick as hell this past week in Japan. What started out as a little bit of the flu from last weekend in Hong Kong, turned into full-blown Bronchitis last week. The fever was running so high, it wasn't coming down and I was starting to worry about brain-damage - one of the bad things about having a degree in Psychology is that you worry about things like that.
The university is gorgeous. It's so big and clean, and we have EVERYTHING we need including our own laptops and private office telephone lines. The offices are huge and we share them with 2 other people.
I've found an apartment, and it's so cute! I have my own little (TEENY) garden in the back, and the place gets a lot of sun since it's up on a little hill.
The city is so clean. A Singaporean has remarked that it's even cleaner than Singapore here!
I can't think of anything else to write about right at this moment... I've already kinda started with work... and I have to be back to proctor an exam.
I miss you all! Especially while I was sick... I missed you all even more!
Will post more later.~

*Why?*

I know you're reading this.
Why do you torment me like this? Just when I've put you out of my mind. I hate that you lied to me and I hate that you felt that you couldn't tell me everything.
I'm moving to another country to get away from you. Where else can I go? Why are you doing this to me?~

*T minus 9 hours*

Am so sick. I have a raging fever of 102, and am coughing like crazy. I feel like I just want to crawl into a hole and stay there forever.
I still haven't finished packing. I just realised that I'll NEVER be finished with the packing. How am I supposed to know what I'll need in Japan? I figure if I don't have it, I'll have to do without.
I'm a little nervous about the move to Japan. I'm trying to remember some really important Japanese, like:

• Where's the loo? Is it a squat-style?
• I don't speak Japanese, would you please explain that using body language?

Gosh... This move isn't difficult, but there are some issues I need to overcome or resolve as I move into this "grown-up" life I've chosen. It'll definitely be nice to be making money again.

Right... My next post'll prolly be from Japan. Kinda exciting, all this... if I really think about it.~

*Oops*

Still haven't packed for Japan... still haven't unpacked from New York either...
I've made plans to come back for the Sevens next year. There are some people I'd love to go to the Sevens with again... so much fun!
Right... gotta pack. Really should unpack first though... Urgh... I really hate this packing-repacking thing. I hate moving. I wish that I could just find a reason to stay in one place for longer and stop running away from everything.~

*Crispy*

I'm fried... totally fried to a crisp.
Rugby today was awesome. The weather was gorgeous, and the matches were exciting.
Canada came second in the bowl category of the Sevens... They played well in the 2 games in the morning, but I thought they could've done better in the Finals.
My arms and my chest are so sun-burnt. I had a maple-leaf painted onto my arm... and now I have a maple-leaf tanned onto my left arm. Kinda cool, but also kinda stupid at the same time. Ya know how people have maple-leaf emblems sewn onto their backpacks when they're overseas? I figure I don't need one in Japan now that I have a maple-leaf tanned onto my arm.
Must tend to my burns now. The burn on my chest is particularly painful and very hot to the touch. No... not the boobs, but the upper-bony part of the chest.
Will have pix up in a bit. Will take a while for me to upload all 160 pictures I've got of the weekend.~

*Woo-wee*

Another exciting day of Rugby...
Canada didn't play well today... VERY disappointed in that, but their game against Portugal was a good one.
I'm so knackered. I have NO idea how I'll be able to start getting up early every day to get to work. I just realised that in a week, I may very well have my own place... Kinda scary.
FOUR days until the big move to Japan. I still haven't packed, but it's easy... I just have to pack all my Penguin things into a bag and I'm set.
I miss New York so much. I can't wait to go back again.
Time for bed now... Will post my 100+ pics from the Sevens tomorrow... hopefully.~

*RUGBY!*

I love rugby. It has to be one of the most exciting sports out there. I had a really fun day at the Sevens today, but was really disappointed with the Canadian team... but then... I guess any team that plays Fiji is destined to lose...
I sat with the other Canadian supporters today. It makes a huge difference to be with other people who are crazy like you. I've found out that Canadians make very rowdy rugby spectators who also have the decency to lose with dignity and class... unlike the English fans...
In this group of Canadians, I met this one person who reminds me of another person I met exactly a year ago... almost to the day. They both share the same first name, they're both Canadian, they both really enjoy taking photos and they both have taught in Korea. I guess it's a pretty common Canadian thing then, this going off to Korea to teach thing... I've done it too.
I'm knackered. Gotta get cleaned up then get some sleep - in preparation for another full and exciting day at the stadium again. Go Canada Go!~

*I Love...*

I love how when it's really quiet at night... I can hear my neighbour upstairs pee.~

*Yawn*

I'm tired, but I've so much to do before I leave that I can't sleep yet...
Rugby long-weekend starts in 7 hours. VERY excited about watching this year, because I actually KNOW people who are playing... VERY cool.
Played my third round of golf this week with Dad. He's got huge competitions coming up, so he made me go with him today for another practice. He played crap today though. He almost killed me several times with his horrible tee shots. I learned to hide behind the trees after the third stray shot missed me by half a foot. We had to reverse-coach today after our round - I had to coach him instead of him coaching me. He definitely improved after we identified the problem... I think my future-career-goal-for-the-week is to be a golf pro...
It was horribly hot and humid today. The bugs and mozzies were out and about. I must've swallowed about a tablespoon-full of bugs today - good protein.
Right. Rugby tomorrow. Will definitely be taking loads of pix. If I have the energy, they'll be up in 24 hour's time in my pix folder.~

Me & Ro @ Wat Arun - BKK 2005 

*Gotta Love*

Gotta love well-meaning people. Check out the prototype for the New York City Rape Map. It only shows Williamsburg (Brooklyn) so far. I can't wait until it expands to Manhattan! I'd feel SO safe then...~

*Balls*

No pun initially intended. Quoted verbatim:
Background information
Early morning, R is frantically packing a small half-set golf bag for a quick game at the 9-hole city course.
Monologue
R: (To self) Shit. Where are all my golf balls. I don't have any in the bag.
R: (Yelling to Dad at the other end of the apartment) Dad! Do you have any balls?
(5 seconds later)
R: (Kicking herself and rolling on the floor laughing. Meanwhile, Dad refuses to answer the question.)

Another eventful day in Hong Kong for the Mooncake. SEVEN days to go 'til Japan...~

*F1*

Hong Kong taxi drivers secretly believe that they're the next Michael Schumacher.

1. They drive like maniacs - New York Cabbies times 10.
2. They floor the gas pedal to go a distance of 5 meters and then immediately slam on the brakes - during a traffic jam.
3. They take corners just like they do on a circuit - cut out, then veer in.
4. They always try to take the route with the most straights - to increase the occurrences of point 2.

They should make sick bags mandatory in the backs of HK taxis. They have 'em on planes, so why not in taxis?~

*Sore*

My abs are sore from running.
Wait. My ABS? My legs are just a little sore in the hamstrings, but why my abs?
Anyways. My abs are sore.
End of a fascinating day in Hong Kong for me.~

*Amazing Race*

I did something pretty darn crazy today! I did the Hong Kong equivalent of "The Amazing Race"!
I found out 2 days ago that Cathay Pacific was putting up 100 pairs of tickets for the public to win for the Rugby World Cup Sevens that are held in Hong Kong this year. My dad had misread the dates for the Sevens and had thought that we would all be out of the city by that weekend, so he didn't get tickets this year (World Cup Year!). When I found out, I was disappointed but then was ecstatic when I found out that there was a chance to win a pair of tickets to the RWC.
The way to win the tickets was by playing a game that was like "The Amazing Race". Two days before race day, we had to register online in order to receive a text message ON race day that told us where the starting gate was. On race day (today), the text message came in at 7:09am that told the racers where the start point was and that only the first 600 there qualified to race. Of the 600, only the first 100 who made their way through the course, got 3 stamps from the 3 "stops" and got the final clue AFTER getting all 3 stamps, got the tickets. Boy was it MAD!
I was woken up by the beeping of my cellphone from the text message and made it to the start in 40 minutes (HK Coliseum). From there, we registered and were given our clues and started the race at 11am. The 3 checkpoints were:
1. The site of HarbourFest 2003 (Tamar Site)
2. The battleground for RWC Sevens 2005 (HK Stadium)
3. The Central Party Zone (Lan Kwai Fong)
It was so much fun. We were such a crazy pack of people, racing around Hong Kong. In reviewing our day, my new friends and I realised that we could've gotten ourselves killed at MANY points in our mad rush to the finish line. Highlights include:
1. 20 people rushing off a bus onto a heavy-traffic street (Where Happy Valley comes out to Leighton Road by the Football Club) and not caring about the traffic nor the lights.
2. Standing in the middle of a VERY busy intersection, trying to grab whatever cab we could.
3. Running from Cotton Tree Drive along Upper Albert Road and down Glenealy in the rain - the equivalent of running down a double black diamond without skis when the surface is all ice.
4. Trying to find the Peak Tower in the fog, while maintaining a break-neck running speed... and not knowing that there are steps ahead.
Despite all the near-death experiences, I managed to get to the finish line in 41st place! I am now the proud owner of a pair of RWC Sevens tickets and I'm NOT giving them up for anything!
It was so FUN! I'm now addicted to this whole race-scavenger-hunt-thing. I have a new-found respect for the contestants on the show. It's all about luck. I managed to be in the front of the pack because I jumped onto the first bus that got me 'cross the harbour and didn't care where it dropped me off. Had I missed that bus, I think it would've set me back 5 minutes and 5 minutes would've put me out of the running.
I'm definitely going to try and get on the show now. I hope you're ready, Bex!
Today's Lesson
I learned of Hong Kong people's favourite past-times today. While waiting for registration to begin, I was sandwiched for an hour and a half between Mr. Creepy and Mr. Gross. In observing their behaviours (and those like them, around), I have found:
1. Hong Kong men like to give girls a sloooow once-over... BLATANTLY. My response? VERY evil looks at him and giving him the same treatment... with a very disgusted look on my face.
2. REALLY digging deep for the buried treasure - up their noses... and not even caring that people around them are looking - in horror.
Gosh I love Hong Kong sometimes. It's great for people watching. Get me outta here!~

*Window?*

Just a quick thought:
Are dreams really a window to your inner-most desires? If so, I'm in trouble. I had a really nice, but fairly troubling... and maybe disturbing dream about one of my good friends last night. No, it's not a girl friend... but a guy friend I have a fairly decent friendship with. Troubling, because I had always thought this guy was gay... until I was told the contrary recently.
Does this mean I like him? Eeeww... boys have germs...~

*O Canada*

My Dad's so funny. He came running out of his study last night to ask me to help him download a lot of Michael Bublé's music. He added that one of the main reasons he wanted to listen to his stuff... was that he wanted to support Canadian music.
He's already gone through his Céline Dion phase. I'm glad he's outgrown that... there are only so many times you can hear "My Heart Will Go On" on repeat.
Today was a fun day. I consulted in my first education/psychology case. I'm thinking of maybe going further with my Psych interests instead of continuing in Linguistics. Oh well... I may change my mind AGAIN in a day or so.
I had a lovely dinner with my best friend C tonight. We always have loads to talk about and we can always pick up from where we left off the last. I love having friends that are on the same wave-length.
Hong Kong's humid as heck today. It's supposed to be real foggy tomorrow. I'll be heading out for a round of golf with Dad. I wonder if I'll be able to find my ball through the fog?~

*Frumpy*

I don't mean to sound conceited or full of myself, but I think I have a pretty decent sense of fashion. I know what looks good on me and I wear what makes me comfortable. I like to keep abreast with what's "hot", but I don't usually buy "fad" clothing.
I have no problems with dressing myself when I'm in New York. I usually look fairly presentable there and manage to wear functionable clothes to enable me to get around the city (ok, maybe my shoes don't get me around so well). But Hong Kong is another matter. For some reason, I have a LOT of trouble dressing myself here. Whenever I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror here, I see Frump Girl. On closer inspection in the mirrors, I end up looking worse and worse. The hair never sits right (the humidity makes my hair frizz), and my clothes always seem to be wrong. I can wear the exact same ensemble in New York and manage to look alright, but something in Hong Kong makes me look like Frumpy - the long lost eighth dwarf.~

*O-C-D*

The O-C-D-ness in me is coming out again.
I've been rearranging my clothes here at home. My mum's "hinted" that since I won't be living at home anymore, my things should all be moved to Japan.
Uh... the problem is this... I don't think there's an apartment large enough in Japan that can accomodate all my things...
Anyways, I'm arranging everything in categories - tops, bottoms, sweaters, etc. I've even got an inventory of every single item I own on file and a hard copy is printed out and placed in the drawers with my clothes.
Yeah... I'm re-reading what I just wrote... I need help.
So this is just about how exciting life in Hong Kong is right now. Between running errands for my parents and getting over this cold I've got, there really isn't much for me to do. I'm glad I have a real break before I start work - albeit only for 2 weeks.
T.V. here sucks. Even with cable, it sucks...
14 more days to go...~

*Beginnings*

This is going to be my diary for my next two years in Japan. It's going to be brutally honest... and I'm going to try to make it an unedited version of my experiences. I imagine there are going to be some times when the material's going to be rated "R", but hey... it's me... of course there's going to be "R"-rated material here!
I suppose it's only appropriate to begin my blog with my departure from New York.
So I left the city at 5:30pm to make my 9:30pm flight to Hong Kong. Think that's enough time?? I thought that was loads of time. It ended up taking 2 hours to get to JFK - a trip that usually takes me 30 mins. So I haul my stuff into the check-in hall, to see a HUGE line-up for check-in. As I was stepping in line, an airline staff comes up to me to tell me to go 'round to the first class check-in desk. I go to the First Class check-in desk and the guy at the counter engages me in friendly banter and UPGRADES me to business class and gives me a lounge pass so I could enjoy a massage, snacks, drinks, etc. at the lounge!
So yeah... It definitely pays to be a girl, and it definitely pays to dress nice and flirt a little. Needless to say, my overweight suitcase (only 2 kilos over this time!) had no problems going through baggage check... except when they did the mandatory inspection... when the guy found my "toy"... He went incredibly red and started laughing real hard...
The flight was so long. A word of warning: NEVER take Cathay Pacific from North America to Hong Kong. There were about 15 babies on board that flight, if not more. They were crying non-stop, 2 at a time, at any given time throughout the whole 18 hours we were in the air. All the mothers were mainlanders though... which makes me think that they all flew over to the states just to have their babies there.
The second leg of the flight after the Vancouver stop-over wasn't so bad for me. I knocked back a couple NyQuil caplets and knocked myself out for a good 8 hours and slept through the screaming babies. I love NyQuil. I think I may have found the one thing I can't live without...
So here I am, in sunny Hong Kong. It was actually quite a pleasant experience arriving this early into the city. There was a nice feeling of calm and serenity... like the city just came out of the wash.
I'm now comfortably ensconced in my room at my parents' place. I managed to get in without waking them up. They have no idea I'm back...
So in about 2 weeks, I leave for Japan. I'm not really feeling nervous or excited or anything right now about the move. It'll be a nice change, and I'm glad to be starting something new again. I left New York as an unattached, single girl... and I hope to leave Japan in the same state.
I'd better start unpacking... My hairspray exploded in my suitcase and my room smells like a hair salon now.
I'll keep y'all posted with my adventures. Ta for now!~