Weather

Still above zero!!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Natsue-san, my manager, was saying today how I always seem so happy at work. Of course I am happy! Here's why:

• it's above zero degrees
• I get to practice my Japanese
• I see mountains every day
• I can bike to the ocean in just two hours from my house (in fact I am planning to go this Sunday if it's not raining or too windy)
• I get to eat as much tonkatsu and korokke as I want (haha, ok, I can eat that in Toronto too, but still)
• I get to see plum trees in bloom in JANUARY
• I can go to J-Rock concerts (IF I had money, haha)
• I get to meet really interesting people (although that is true for anywhere on Earth, really)
• I get to practice kendo in such a wonderful dojo
• I get to bike every day
• I get to have the best coffee in the world every Thursday morning (the landlord of our office building owns a small coffee shop and his coffee really is the best I've tried)
• I finally get to take piano lessons after so many years of wanting to
• I teach for a living, full-time
• I have really cute students, who are so smart, they make me really happy
• and, well, I am in Japan... I've wanted to come here for so long, and I am finally here.

Sure, things could be better, and I am working on making things better, but really, I am happy to be here. Before coming here I didn't really know what I wanted to do later in life, but I would really like to stay here, I think. I don't know if it's possible, logistically, since it's hard to get a job in university here, and it's also hard to keep a job as a foreign lecturer, but I am going to do everything I can to stay here. Unless, of course, my plans change after grad school—who knows, right? But for now though, I know where I want to be, so I am going to give it my all. ^ ^

Wish me luck with my research/studying for now :D.