Keychains. Keychains. KEYCHAINS!

So here's what's going on.

Due mainly to issues with the school, I have decided to leave Tohoku High School, and, in effect, JFIE and the exchange program.

Because this is the busy season, tickets don't really become available until early August, which is good. Because it's the school and program I'm leaving, not the people. So this gives me a chance to solidify some of the relationships I've made here.

Like my relationship with Emika, who wants to go to karaoke and have a sleepover.
My relationships with Daizy, Josh, and Pi-chan (who I group together because we kinda just, go together, you know?).
My realationships with Miri (my host sister), Miki, Rina, Yu-chan, and Tomo. Who are amazing, and such great people in general. We did purikura today. Lots. It brought me joy.
My realtionship with my host family, which I think is really good. They have been a wonderful host family to me, and I'm definitely glad that I've met them.

If I haven't talked to you about issues in the program/why I'm leaving, I might tell you, I might not. Don't force it, don't ask me about it if I don't bring it up. Because if you do, I will be more reluctant to tell you than I may already be, and shy away from you that much more. Just a heads up.

So today we went to Sendai Eki and said goodbye to Saki, Yuka, and Ai who are now on their way to America for 10 months (Washington - the state - and California). I gave them my e-mail and promised them that I would try to visit because I'm going to college in California. w007.
Then, Miri, Miki, Rina, Yu-chan, Tomo, and I did purikura. It was fun and adorable because when Miki and I did pukikura together, she wrote on one of them that she'll miss me when she goes to Canada (on the 31st), and to not forget her. (^-^)
Then I spent a few hours trying to find the karaoke place that everyone else was at, only to kick myself when I realized that it was RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME THE WHOLE TIME. XD I am awesome. I'm taking after my mother.

Everyone left, and I searched for keychains that I could buy for my friends. Pretty much, my friends are all getting either a keychain, candy, or manga. Unless there's a special request (Krystal, you WILL get your Hello Kitty candy tin and your Emma manga - Heather, I'm looking for DBSKness, but be patient. People are more into Monkey Majik and Exile here than DBSK). I need to get something dish-wise for the rents, and probably something for the family (grandma, aunts and uncles on each side, brother, cousins...UGH!), or else I will be in very bad position.
I spent about $40 or so on keychains, cause I rock.

Um, what else? Oh! Jason Sensei took the exchange students and Tohei Sensei out for sushi on Thursday! It was AWESOME! Because my host sister doesn't like sushi or sashimi, or really fish in general. So I haven't had much of a chance to get it. *sobs* But I seriously love raw fish. And I will admit it freely.

Um, last day of school before summer break was Friday. Wow. There were so many tears because Josh and David are changing schools (Josh and David are in a different program, btw), I'm leaving, and the exchange students in ni nensei are leaving this and next month. So lots of crying.

I'M ON VACATION!!!! Which means...NO SCHOOL!!!! A chance to de-stress. Which is something that I DEFINITELY need before I go back.

And for the record, I will NOT let this blog rot. I have a feeling that I'm going to be travelling quite a bit in my lifetime (as my goal is to teach English lit in International and American schools around the world), so I will continue to update with my newest adventures in case people want to read about what's going on. And when I get a laptop, daily updates.

Countries I plan on living in at some point:
Japan (done, but I'm coming back)
South Korea
Costa Rica
France
Spain
India
Africa (ok, it's a continent, but I'm not sure what country(ies) I want to live in yet)
Jordan
Israel

Those are the main ones that I want to go to, but I will go to others. *smiles*

MUAHAHAHAHAHA ART-SCHOOL

...wow I haven't updated for quite a while. Hope everyone who's reading this is doing well!

I am exhausted. Today I went out with Ayumi (a student from Miyagi University). She showed me Sendai's Animate (there's Animates all over Japan), which is an anime/manga store of joy. She also showed me other comic shops, we did purikura, ate McDonalds (Mac), and FOUND ART-SCHOOL CDS!!!!!!!! *dies* I have been looking for them since I came to Japan almost four months ago!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE ART-SCHOOL!!!!! Their CD with Swan Song is equivalent to $30, so back at the CD store it remains. But I HAVE THEIR CD WITH MISSING!!!!! MY FAVORITE ART-SCHOOL SONG!!!!!!!!! IT IS MAGIC!!!!!!!
Hopefully this HTML will work, and you'll be able to see the video.



What else can I say? SUMMER VACATION!!! I HAVE ONE MORE WEEK UNTIL THEN!!!! Which is good because at this point, I really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really (I think you get the point) dislike my school. And I have karaoke plans for summer. Awesome. Miri (my host sister was talking about maybe Tokyo Disney?
And my host mom signed me up to sing Joss Stone's "You Had Me" at this massive music fest thing on the 27th. ...holy crap. But I'll do fine. Apparently, I'm really good at singing that song. Joss frickin rocks man.

I am becoming the purikura expert I've always wanted to be. Ayumi says that my decorations are really cute. And she LOVED Eclipse (who didn't? I didn't really like New Moon nearly as much, but that's mainly cause Edward was nai and it reminded me too much of...things...)!!! BREAKING DAWN ON AUGUST SECOND!!!! *foams at mouth* MUST...READ...

Seriously LOVE hanging with Ayumi. It's a really nice break from hanging with Japanese high school girls all the time. Don't get me wrong, they're fun to be with, but it is nice to have someone a bit more mature once in a while.

Tohei Sensei wants me to talk about the differences between American/Canadian schools and Japanese schools (high school) tomorrow to my class because most of the kids are leaving soon on their exchange programs. There's currently 14 in the class (not including me), and when summer break ends, there will be 5.
So, first period should be, interesting to say the least. :) Wish me luck!

I Wish I Could Understand The Art-School Interview on Youtube...*sobs*

Really quickly because it's 11, and I need sleep.

I bought a $30 CD today. But it's A Chorus Line IN JAPANESE!!!! And I've gotten such a good deal on other CDs I bought at Book Off that I deserved to splurge on a CD. So that makes it 5 CDs I've bought here. 3 in English. 1 in Japanese. 1 O-Zone (what language do they speak?) CD. I still can't find Art-School CDs, this has just gotten depressing. I mean, I know they're not popular, but HOW MANY CD STORES DO I HAVE TO LOOK IN BEFORE I FIND THEM???? *sobs* I needz meh Art-School. They're my favorite Japanese band and totally magical. youtube "Art-School sub" and you'll find a bunch. My favorite song is "Missing".
I must stop being a music junkie. I must stop being a music junkie. Why does this phrase look familiar? ^-^

We went to the video store today, and I found the first few episodes of that Mary-Kate and Ashley show in 2001 called "So Little Time" (the one where they live with their mom, they're parents are divorced, and they have the Spanish nanny, Manuelo), in JAPANESE!!! Can't WAIT to watch it!!!! I am completely ashamed of myself for this, but it's ok. Because I'm gonna watch "So Little Time" IN JAPANESE!!!!! XD

Saw Mao's ballet recital, and I have to say it was magical. Mao wore a hot pink and gold costume. I question his sexual orientation. ^-^
Rina, Mai, Ai, Emika, Joanna, Tashibu, Kazu, what's-his-face-whose-name-I-never-remember-but-it's-ok-cause-I-don't-really-hang-out-with-him-anyway-and-now-he-has-a-really-long-English-name, and a few teachers went.
Afterwards, Rina, Mai, Ai, Mao, and I hung out for a bit, and then people went home. Mai and I ended up eating Ramen and doing purikura. *smiles*

Wish I didn't have to go to school tomorrow. *sighs*

I'm a Musical Fangirl. Yes I am.

You guys deserve an update.

I got up this morning wanting to rant about this, but it has nothing to do with Japan. Please bear with my musical theater fangirling. Thank you.
You know how I need to listen to music or have the TV on constantly? Yeah, because I can't stand it being silent, it drives me INSANE! Anyway, looking for Avenue Q stuff to listen to last week on youtube, I came across Avenue Jew (which has unfortunately been taken down), a crossover between Avenue Q and Fiddler on the Roof. XD I figured since a lot of Jews are reading this blog, you guys would appreciate this.
Some of the best (appropriate) quotes include.

Tevye: "Yes, this is my family. This is mine. This is mine. This is mine. This is...not mine. Who the hell is this kid?"

Brian: "Shalom, you must be new to the neighborhood. I'm Brian, and this is my wife Channukah Eve."
Channukah Eve (Japanese immigrant): "Shalom! I convert for green card."

Brian: "Channukah Eve, do you love me?"
Channukah Eve: "No." *walks away*

Jewish American Princeton: "What do you do with a BA in Yiddish?
Who the hell majors in that?"

I can't remember who said this, but it's magical. And directed to Ben Brantely (Times critic).
"We all eat bagels."
"We all have overbearing mothers."
"And thanks to critics like you, we all feel persecuted."
"So everyone's a little bit Jewish."

XD

And now, back to Japan. Yesterday I went to Sendai City with Leaha, an exchange student from AIIU/JFIE. She lives in Sendai, but is going back to Australia on the 28th (wow! next week!), so we decided to have a shopping fun day in Sendai. I must stop being a music junkie. I must stop being a music junkie. Since I came to Japan, I have bought 4 CDs. None of them in Japanese. wtf? However, I am still DETERMINED to find Art-School CDs and buy ALL of them! Even the ones I have downloaded.....^-^

Leaha says that I am a really good singer and was joking around (kinda, I think?) about me putting out a CD. lol.
Last time I went to karaoke at the sketchy place, I discovered that they have Seasons of Love (Rent), Fame (Fame), America (West Side Story), and You Better Shape Up (Grease) at karaoke. They don't have One (A Chorus Line), which makes me sad, but they have all those others!!! *does happy dance*

Yesterday, Leaha and I were talking about purikura, and the prices. How if you have more people, it's cheaper but you get less pictures. So we decided that people who do purikura by themselves must be the loneliest people ever, with no friends. Which lead me and Leaha to decide to do purikura by ourselves and then trade them. It is magical. So I need to finish my purikura book today. Because I LOVE IT. XD Oh purikura.

And Disney Princesses on Ice IS COMING TO SENDAI!!!!!! I WANT TO GOOOOO!!!! But it's like $60 or something for me. *sobs*

This past week was exam week. I had to take all of them, ugh. I didn't understand them. There were a few classes that made special exams for me. But I don't know. Apparently, I have to get a certain average to stay in the program? I'm not sure about the details, but it would be really bad to get sent back because I didn't understand the exams. But I don't think JFIE would do that, they're a really good program and wouldn't do that to me now. *smiles*

School is not good in general. There's a lot of problems between the exchange students and the teachers, and no art club or class or classroom. I really miss the smell of an art classroom. You guys who love art know what I mean. But Krystal, being awesome, suggested that I ask Rina (the artsy-type student in my class) where I can buy art supplies, because I REALLY want to work on my crafting again. I miss it! ^-^ Thank you Ms. Manzi for getting me OBSESSED with fimo clay!!!!

And to end this entry...CONGRATULATIONS MS. HARVEY ON YOUR PREGNANCY!!! YAYYY!!!!

"I feel the earth move under my feet"

Ok, I`m going to make myself clear about this. I`m sorry if it sounds harsh, but it`s true. I don`t care if there`s another American in Sendai. Yay, someone went to Tohoku High as an exchange student before me. I`m not going to get in contact with you, I am not going to meet up with you or anything. I`m not using this blog to make random connections with people through the internet. That`s sketchy.
I have this blog so that my friends and family back home who don`t have livejournal or facebook can see what`s going on in my life. That is the reason anyone can comment, and that`s the reason anyone can see my blog.
Also, please don`t assume that I`m big into blogspot. Because I`m not. I`m a lj and fb person all the way (livejournal and facebook).

I cannot stop you from reading the blog, but please, I would rather recieve comments from my friends back in America. Thank you.

Ok, here`s a quick update.
I just survived my 4th earthquake. Afterwards, I was watching the news, and it showed the city, etc. during the earthquake, and all I could think was "kakkoi (cool!)! I lived through that!" lol.

We did the Haruhi dance yesterday for the retournees in san nensei, it was AWESOME! oh, and the retournee Japanese girls can crank dat solja boi...I think I want them to teach me so I can say I learned solja boi from Japanese schoolgirls...that would be magical.

Anyway, I`m going to eat something before those who raised me call my gorgeous cell phone.

Kettle Corn is Magical

I know what you`re saying. You`re saying, "I know that manga is pretty much life, liberty, and happiness for you, Erica, but did you REALLY have to buy the first 2 Mars, the 1st Peach Girl, and the first volume in a series of manga that you don`t know but appears to be about vampire childrens?" The answer is, of course, yes. Especially when they were only 105 yen each. You`re also saying, "Erica. You said that you would not buy any CDs unless you found Art-School CDs (which are REALLY hard to find, btw - Book Off does not have them *is sad*), so why did you buy the only Blue album that you didn`t have until a few hours ago? Especially considering that most of the songs are on the Best of Blue album you downloaded before you came to Japan." Because I`m a sucker for anything Blue related, and the manga were ONLY 105 YEN EACH!!!!!!!!!
Yes, I know I went to Sendai today to spend a relaxing day of window shopping with only the intention of buying one of the leftover Keith Haring shirts at Uniglo from last season (there are only a few styles left - the one I REALLY wanted was a small, I`m an extra large in Japan - I tried it on for kicks though. I gave it back to the lady saying "gomenasai! America-jin! XL size!" and she just laughed), but ended up buying the shirt, 4 manga, the Blue CD, kettle corn from the food import store (the one that we always get from Whole Foods with the red bag!!!!!! XD), other food items that were eaten throughout the day, etc.

So here`s my shortened version of British Hills. Pretty much, I`m going back in August for a camp there with the same people (minus Leaha, who is going back to Australia on June 29th) for a longer time. It should be freaking awesome. This was kind of a before the really long vacation one, I think? Anyway, there were 7 exchange students from JFIE (all girls) and an all girls Japanese middle school. We were there to encourage the girls to speak English, and to just have a good time during the weekend.
British Hills is a hotel type place where large groups of people can go. It`s themed like England, and there`s lots of people from England who work there. We got to hear the posh accents and the thick accents (I like the thick ones myself). Pretty much, when we weren`t doing activities with the girls (which mainly involved them practicing their English on us, although we DID teach them Duck Duck Goose and Stuck in the Mud - my knees are all bruised from diving on the floor to free people in Stuck in the Mud!!! oh Lyseth...I wish we had time to play Octopus. I wish I was at Project Grad when everyone played Octopus), I was chilling with Leaha and Ellen, both from Australia. Ironically (and awesomely) Ellen was my roommate during orientation, she was my roommate again! (^_^) We bought SO many familiar snacks from Ye Shoppe (including blow pops, toffee, the chocolate that looks like an orange, and Cadbury chocolate) and Leaha ended up bunking on the ground in between Ellen`s and my beds. I don`t know how long we stayed up till, but it was AWESOME.

Just some side notes.
I never truly appreciated the no smoking in restaraunts law that we have in Maine until today. I was in McDonalds eating my ice cream. I was sitting by the wall, the smoking section was on the OTHER side of the upstairs seating area, and I COULD STILL SMELL THE SMOKE. There was actually a cloud that you could see in the smoking section. No joke. So the next time you guys are in a restaraunt in Maine, just remember how AWESOME it is that we don`t allow smoking in them. Seriously.

Today on the bus ride home, Ami chan and her mom came on!!!! In case you don`t know, Ami chan is Miri`s little 2 year old cousin who lives next door. SHE IS THE CUTEST THING IN THE WORLD!!!! I LOVE HER!!!!! She actually ended up staying with us through dinner and is still here. omg, she`s CUTE!!!!!!

I Want to Learn That Koda Kumi Song!!!!

This is going to be super quick.

I tried to get Miki, Miri, Tomo, Rina, and Yuu to go to karaoke today, demo (but) Rina and Yuu have club on Saturdays. Miki`s grandmother is visiting today, and Tomo has plans. I think I`ll try for a Sunday.

Tomorrow I`m going with Daizy and Josh to karaoke at Sendai City. Josh knows this place that if you go before 6, it`s unlimited time for 300 yen. And for another 300 yen it`s unlimited drinks. MELON SODA HERE I COME!!!! Ms. Manzi told me before I left America that I have an obsession with repitition, I guess I do. It`s fun.

I`m more into writing than drawing currently. It`s really funny because I`ll be writing in English and Japanese words will come to my head, but I know that if I post my crazy mix of English and Japanese on my lj (livejournal), my friends will be like, wtf mate? (yes, End of Ze World reference)

Am preforming the Haruhi dance with 4 other people (Emika, Mao, and two guys whose names I do not know) when the kids who went to America and Canada for a year come back in June. June will be crazy.
The weekend of the 7th and 8th I`m going to British Hills for a JFIE thing. The weekend of the 20th, we`re having the welcome back party for the kids who went to America and Canada. The weekend of the 26th, I`m going to my friend Mao`s ballet preformance. He went to England to study Ballet for a year, so his English is really good, we speak in like mix of English and Japanese. He`s really cool, and I`m glad that he remembered that I wanted to see the show. I think Tohei Sensei is going too.

Russians. They live in Sendai.

I GOT MY PHONE TODAY!!!!!!

And I have a story to go along with it. A story about how my phone is under the name of a random Russian man named Andre.

So today Daizy and I went to get my phone, and found out that I need to be accompanied by someone over 20 (as you are considered a minor in Japan until you`re 20). We were very distraught and called Oizumi Sensei and Jason Sensei, neither of whom could make it to Sendai City today. After some not as enthusiastic karaoke and Purikura, we got a brilliant idea. Why not ask one of the gaijiin walking around Sendai if they would accompany me to buy my phone?
So we went Gaijin Hunting. It was wonderful. Of course, the time that we chose to go Gaijin Hunting, the Gaijin weren`t around. Ironic, no? Eventually, we saw a very very tall white man walking alone. Daizy told me to go up to him (and you guys know me, I did), and ask him if he would come with us to buy my phone. So I did (Daizy ran away for a bit, until she realized that he didn`t brush me off, and then she came a joined us). Andre listened to my frantic "I need to buy a phone but I`m not old enough please come with me to buy my phone!" story, and was very nice about the whole situation. He not only agreed to come with me to buy my phone, but put the phone under his name (since that`s the only way a minor can get a phone - put it under someone else`s name)!!!!!
So now (I just realized that all my paragraphs in my story begin with the word "so"), I have a totally awesome phone (black with massive amounts of jewels and keychains), under the name of a very tall Russian man who has been living in Japan for 8 years. He only knows English because of his High School, but his English is AMAZING.

My pre-paid plan not only gives me an e-mail but UNLIMITED e-mail for just $3 (300 yen)!!!!!!!!!!! I died. And am going to get off the computer to e-mail Josh about possible karaoke tomorrow. *does happy dance*

Also, CONGRATULATIONS PHS CLASS OF `08!!!!! You got through school! Now all you have to deal with is graduation rehersals!!! XP Have fun with Mr. Johnson freaking like he does every year!!! ^-^
And have fun at Prom for me everyone! I expect massive amounts of pictures on facebook!!!
Also, who posted pictures from Queer Prom? I want to see them!

Puppies. They make me smile.

Sorry I haven`t posted in quite a while. Things have been rather intense (like camping) here. I realized the other day that I haven`t heard any "...that`s what she said" jokes since I`ve been here. *insert sad face here* So I wrote "That`s what she said." on the back chalkboard in class.

Tonight I went to the TIS (Tohoku International School) dance preformance. It was amazing. There were some people who had no business being on stage (although I`m sure they are wonderful people, they just, you know, can`t dance or sing or whatever), but there were really AMAZING people as well! Sakura (a girl from TIS who`s half Japanese half Canadian) will post the preformances on youtube, so I`ll post a link when it becomes available.

Ummmm.....


JUNO IS COMING TO JAPAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*dies* I don`t know if it will be dubbed or subbed, but I am seeing it a bazillion times. I freaking love Juno.

Daizy, Josh, and I found out that we can watch movies in the TIS library. We watched Animaniacs and George of the Jungle before we went to Izumi (where the show was - school got out at noon today), and have decided that instead of joining a club, we should make a "watch random movies in the TIS library" club. They have lots of Disney movies in Japanese...they even have THE PRINCE OF EGYPT IN JAPANESE!!!!!! It is total win.

I FOUND THE PEKO CHAN CANDY!!!!!!! So, those of you who know, I went to Japan for 3 weeks summer 2006, and became OBSESSED with this candy from Fujiya that I COULD NOT find until last night!!!! *does happy dance*

Also, vanilla ice cream with red bean paste in the middle surrounding mochi is my new favorite ice cream. Only 90 yen at Yaofuji.

Daizy, Josh, and I are getting my phone tomorrow! I`m bringing my passport, and if they ask for my address, we`re going to say that I still live with the Kimijiri`s. It`s so much easier to deal with. Yay! My phone! It will be pretty and shiny and all mine! We will fill it with Purikura! XD

rantrantrant MUSICALS magical Japanese girls

Quickly about my cell phone.

So I found out on Sunday when I went to buy my cell phone with Daizy and Josh that I need to go to Sendai City Hall (completely out of the way and lots of money) to get a stamp of my new address on the back of my Alien Registration Card in order to buy my cell phone. *sighs* Great. Daizy and I are planning on doing that on Saturday.
My phone will look exactly like David`s. The main company that does Pre-Paid phone service is Softbank (although I`d love an AU phone - they don`t do Pre-Paid, though and plans are 2 year agreements), and they only have 2 models for Pre-Paid phones. One that`s butt ugly, and David`s phone. ^-^ Daizy and I are going to put lots of fun things on it. Like sparkly things and Purikura. It will be awesome. And it has a SIM card so I can use my phone out of Japan. XD

Now the concert.
The Live would have been more awesome had people actually been dancing. Like they were just standing there while the music was playing. Josh, Daizy, and I were like, "wtf? DANCE!" So we were the dancing Gaijin. It was awesome.
The music itself FREAKING ROCKED!!!!!! XD Seriously, I want to buy like ALL the CDs THE BANDS ARE SO GOOD!!!!!! The live lasted from 5 - 10 or so. It was good funfun. But I think I`ll only go again one or two more times. Because the non-dancing really brought the Live down, but I want to buy CDs. ^-^

My host family doesn`t know the movie Mulan. Which is very sad. I will introduce it to them (I KNOW I saw it at the video store).

Oh, tomorrow I`m wearing my Spelling Bee shirt under my uniform, as tomorrow is the Second Annual Wear Your Broadway Musical Shirt Day!!! Very few people in Japan understand my love of musicals. Mainly it`s the adults who understand. Like Oizumi Sensei and the Music teacher (tomorrow I`ll post a rant about the schedule and how I can`t take Music or Home Ec. *pouts*). But....

YUU CHAN KNOWS RENT!!!!!!!!!

I died. With joy. She doesn`t really know the plot or anything since she hasn`t seen it, but she knows the name at least, and that makes me SUPER happy!!!!! Seriously. How do these people find me? Someone who knows Rent (Yuu), a male ballerina (Mao), and a girl who does traditional Japanese archery who also draws manga really well (Rina), IN THE SAME CLASS AS ME IN JAPAN???? XD Life is happy.

Also, the girl who sits next to me in Bio, I think her name is Yuuka. She is too cute for her own good. Why are all the Japanese girls who are nerdy with glasses SO FREAKING ADORABLE??? They are all too cute for their own good. It`s rather magical (yes, Dasha, I am starting to use your terms. AHH!!). XD