because it's high time for another post

I realized today that for all the pictures I post, I keep this little blog of mine relatively impersonal...much of my personality flatlines between the pictures and the emotionally exhausted state I find myself in 90% of the time (100% of my blogging time is during that 90%). I try to strike this cool balance and ending up dilluted (and inarticulate?). Who knows.
Which brings me to another point -- audience. I know my father reads this blog, and therefore, it must remain family-rated (not that I have many overthetop escapades or thoughts to share.) But that's it: I can't strike out of the roles I have set for myself in different relationships in this forum. Or maybe I can.
Rambling yet?
Yes.
Here, in an effort to show some blogular personality, are some things:

I can belch on command (a talent that's currently being exploited to teach English to Japanese youngsters)
I adore living near the ocean, but am (and always have been) afraid of swimming out very far/drowning in the ocean.
The last book I read was The Devil Wears Prada. I liked it.
I am always quiet around my extended family because I never know what to say: but when I'm with other people (that I'm not afraid of) I'm rather chatty.
I brace for impact when people read my poetry.
I am calling in sick tomorrow to go to Yamaguchi-ken with my roommate. I feel slightly guilty.
I generally go too far to save relationships. Maybe I'm manipulated easily. I have still lost too many people. This terrifies me.
I play my music so loud that I know my neighbors can hear it but are too polite to say anything about it.
I like Hello Kitty and Cinnamoroll. (Fatal attraction to cuteness).
I miss my dog, Skipper.

That should do it for today.

Okayama, Okayama desu

Yay! More pictures.


And here's an especially fetching on of yours truly dressed in a kimono --
don't be fooled, though, the obi is velcro, and the hair is not mine.

Here's one of the three most beautiful parks in Japan, located just across a bridge from Okayama Castle or Crow Castle, as pictured above.



Yay for going places.

Have a happy week, y'alls.

Crayon sensei

As new teachers come and old teachers go, the teaching schedules change, and as luck would have it, this was my last week teaching some great kids in Kokubunji, Takamatsu and Yashima. The first picture is of Cindy, a shy 8-year-old who loves to draw and wears hot pink tennis shoes. Seeing her come out of her shell (slowly, slowly) has been amazing. Me and my teenagers at Kokubunji -- Saffarine, Sasha and Shelby. I will really miss hearing about their lives and teasing them about the boys at school. More of my kids -- they each have chosen an 'American' name to go by in class. From left to right we have Tracy, Margaret, Chelsea, Jennifer, Natalie and Fred.
More little darlings. The boy on the right, Tiger, is a real character I am going to miss. A lot of the kids have a little bit of a hard time with my name --I pretty much answer to anything from "Question" to "Crayon" and anything inbetween. In fact, one day when I asked them what my name was, as is my tradition, I held up a crayon and then pointed to myself and said, "Noooo. I'm not a crayon. My name is Kristen!" Doomed. They now call me Crayon sensei.
Christina
Matthew

Aren't they great? My heart is all gooey for them.

Okinawa honto

Okinawa was incredible -- it was truly a fulfilling experience for me to visit Ryukyu and get a taste for the islander culture they have. Heiwa dori is a market street just off the main drag in Naha -- where I stayed and spend the bulk of my time. It started as a black market during WWII, and has since flourished into a fun asian market.

Here we have the royal Ryukyuan residences. Sorry, I couldn't resist the aliteration. Did I spell that right? I've been out of the country too long. This gate is considered by some to be the symbol of Okinawa -- it's on the Yen equivalent of a $20 bill, which makes it ex-tra cool.
he he he. 1 rootbeer float please. (words I thought I'd never say in Japan.)
This is the street marker for the intersection of two Kuwae streets in Okinawa at Camp Kadena.
I was pretty amazed that I found it. And here are some pics of Kadena:


This is the corner of peace in southern Okinawa where the battle of Okinawa, called the 'typhoon of steel' took place. The memorial here list everyone who died, including civilians and foreign military (in addition to the Japanese and native Okinawans)

and the coast.