Back on track

I've been really bad about updating lately--ugh.

Boston/NYC was a blast and I spent so many late nights with people that I couldn't really feel my jetlag at all.

I was worried that I would be stopped at the airport in Japan and not allowed into the country but that fear turned out to be unfounded. Instead I was almost not let ON the plane in Boston. Luckily the lady let me go on with a warning "just know that you might not be let into Japan and then you'll have to come back." Great. The only I think I got from the immigration officer herself in Japan was "welcome to Japan!" HAH, take that Delta-lady-behind-the-counter-in-Boston.

This upcoming sunday I'll be going to Osaka & Nara for a week--so excited! I get to stay with T and her family that I've heard so much about. Plus I get to see all of her high school photos of when she had blue hair...

Around the time I get back from Osaka I'll hear back from one of the law schools I've been waiting on. Keep your fingers crossed!

Lots of traveling these upcoming months
Feb: Osaka & Nara with T; M (ex. Innosight co-worker) will be joining us too
March: Korea with R, auditioning to becoming a kpop star
April: Mom & sister are coming & taking Momo back with them ): Momooooo

We interrupt your regular programming...

...for this special announcement. Due to visa issues I have to leave Japan before January 11th. On the bright side today I felt the love of my phenomenal friends. The email that KMS sent out:

What is 10 dollars, if not to help friends
What is 10 dollars, if not used to better ends
- Chinese Proverb

Hi everyone,

Our beloved Kat Tang has come across bad spirits in her time away from home.  Due to this unforseen tragedy, it is imperative that she get out of Japan by January 11th.  In order to drive out the bad spirits, she must partake in the sacred tradition of consuming spirits, preferentially higher than 80 proof, with the loving support of friends.

If we can all find it in our hearts and wallets to donate 10 dollars to her cause, we can fly her to Boston to cleanse her of evil spirits. 

Joining Kat will be dog, Momo, who is fuzzy and looks like a pokemon.

Donations can be paypal'd to xxxx

Thanks and salaam,
KMS

Year End R&R

At the end of 2012 I got a bit of Rest and Relaxation RLi and Random adventures. I've been thinking about how to record everything that's happened these past few weeks--it's amazing how quickly days and events blur together--and I think a day by day recounting will (hopefully) make the most sense. Each day kind of had its own theme so we'll do this sesame street style. Okay, ikuzou!

COLD The day of R's arrival began with waiting in the coldest day in Ishinomaki yet. Luckily, the 30 minute wait melted away when I saw R's smiling face (too cheesy? Ok I'll stop). The rest of the day didn't promise to warm up for us, however, as we spent the morning and part of the afternoon clearing out GMT's recently heater-less base of operations, Hope House. There was a slight deviation as we had a delicious spicy pork nabe (hot pot) for dinner, but the day ended on a cold note for R as he realized what it's like to live in a country without central heating (see, it's worse than being too lazy to turn on the heater in your dorm room).

JOURNEY T so kindly took us around for R's second and final day in Ishinomaki. The plan was to take him first to Onagawa, a site visually indicative of the strength of the disaster; then Minami San Riku, where the fishermen are rebuilding their livelihoods, to grab some fresh seafood for lunch; and then to Tome, the magical land of snowy mountains and Ippo cafe. Of course, like all plans ours soon went by the wayside. Instead, we visited Onagawa, got tour of the mountainside nearby (we got lost) and then went to Tome and ate eel at a scrumptious unagi restaurant with a beautiful view (unfortunately, I almost died on an eel bone--T told me about how last time that happened to her she tweezed it out of her own throat and coughed up blood...that didn't make me feel much better). The afternoon was passed in the most magical places, Cafe Ippo, in the Tome mountains. That evening we had yakiniku with friends and then took an overnight bus to continue our journey--onwards to Tokyo!

To be continued....