Last updated: 7/31/07

7-31-07  Ummm, so I’m meeting my near future with complete excitement one moment and nauseating dread the next.  It’s kind of like sensitive week all over again just without the cramps. Completely out of control.  I just looked at my planner and realized that I’m off in less than 48 hours.  It took my breath away.  I’ve been staring at that page for months now wondering when it will get here and at the same time not really wanting the week to come, and now I’m living in the middle of it!  At least I can say I’m pretty much packed.  I’m just kind of doing some minor last minute stuff and chilling.  On Saturday the Bulgarian and I went to a wine tour in Altus for a last little mini vacation hurrah.  We had lots of fun (mostly because we started drinking wine before the tour even started).  I have pictures up from the weekend and I just have to say who knew Altus, Arkansas could be so fun!  The wine was not that great but for those of you who miss overseas; you should check Whitaker Winery and their restaurant out.  September should be the best time to go they have a huge wine festival then that should be awesome.  Just keep an open mind and drink a lot of wine : )  Ok well, unless I all of a sudden find something very important to say between know and the 3^rd, I guess my next post will be from Japan!       

7-18-07 Currently feeling overwhelmed.

5-4-07 Me

A little fun story that I forgot to post. (Can we call this an amendment??) On our way to Eureka Springs for a Randy Newman Show, my car was squashed between an air plane car and a mini cooper s. There was no question in my mind that it was going to be a great show and a great day after that!

6-16-07 Oh god, she's going to drive... So I just realized that I have a blog and I should probably update a little bit more often then I have been seeing how I’m a horrific call back friend.  Sorry for the lack of writing.  I’ve been mucho busy this and last week.  I had to decide if I am going to buy a car in Japan (trust me the idea of me driving in Japan scares the crap out of me as well) and also decide what to do with the termite issue in my home-to-be.  I’ve decided to buy a car along with all the insurance that I will ever need concerning driving and, after seeing pictures and a video of my apartment yesterday, I’ve also decided to deal with the unwanted roommates for a while.  I’m doing this in favor of the 35,000JPY (Approx >350 usd) per month rent (virtually unheard off in Japan!  Most are 50,000 JPY and up).  Anyway, the place is no 5 star but I believe with a little Tang talent and a few cans of RADE it’s going to be awesome (what can I say I love a challenge)!  The place is a little run down on the outside and I don’t get the awesome beach view or the nice hardwood floors (mmmm termite buffet!) but because it’s older it is a lot bigger than the newer apartments.  This is apparently good seeing how I’m now Hotel de Shu.  (BTW Christmas is already booked so spend some time with your fam. during that time and make plans for spring instead.)  I was afraid that I might fall through the floor during an earthquake because of those little tree eaters but I think they are just in the tatami mats and I only have tatmi mats in one room.  Needless to say I’m not worried about it.  My predecessor has been amazing and reliable.  She’s going to take care of all of this for me so I’m good.

6-3-07 This weekend I ran through a cow pasture chasing after Bento who was chasing after a cow.  I wish I had pictures to show.  My out of body experience tells me it was a hoot of a sight to see.

6-1-07 IT'S JUNE! WHAT HAPPENED TO MAY???

5-22-07 I totaly had something to say but forgot what it was. Sitting here, being a parent, and waiting for Jon's Spring Concert.

5-18-07  Shu the Island Girl.  I’m going to be living in Okinawa Prefecture.  Here is what one of the travel sights say about it:

 “An ancient kingdom of glittering seas, lush green islands, and fields of sugarcane, Okinawa enjoys a measured pace of life that's far removed from any hectic city routine. A sub-tropical climate keeps Okinawa pleasantly warm even when the rest of Japan is shivering, and in the scorching summer months it is a kaleidoscope of brilliant flowers, dazzling white beaches and stunning coral, making the islands perfect for diving, water-skiing, sailing and every other form of ocean recreation. Okinawa also has a proud artistic and musical tradition, and is home to many unusual and beautiful species of flora and fauna….

Okinawa is located south of mainland Japan in the East China Sea. The capital city, Naha, is within a two hour flight to Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, and Manila.” http://www.virtualokinawa.com/

 Country hopping anybody?

 So I’m getting more and more excited as the days go by.  This totally means I get to mark off a few things on my “Life To Do List”: live and work in a foreign country, live on a tropical island, learn how to surf, and probably a few more things that I have forgotten.  At first, I really wanted to be located in Honshu so I was kind of disappointed to find out that I was going to be located on a small island away from mainland Japan.  I was also not very happy that most of the island is US military base cuz that meant it would be really easy to just speak English and not Japanese.  However, I guess it doesn’t matter where I am if I don’t make an effort to only seek out Japanese people and use the language I could be in Kyoto and still not learn anything.  So I’m just going to have to be proactive in learning!  Also, everyone seems to feel a whole lot better about this thing now that they know the military is just a hop skip away.  Apparently I give off the dumb blond vibe.  Really people, do you think I’m capable of doing anything that the US is going to send its troops out for?  I mean my commonsense is questionable but my intuition more than makes up for it…I think…ooo I’ll try my hardest not to end up in a South Korean Jail.  Whoo hooo Okinawa here I come!

5-15-07  I don’t care if it’s Tuesday, pass the Margaritas!

On a different sanity note:

I realized last night that I have been incredibly stressed out and it wasn’t because of any one big thing but a bunch of really small things. (Leave it to me to not know something is wrong until the problem is fixed, story of my life.)  Like, my links not working on my site, why I can’t figure out how to change the titles of 4,000+ pictures in iphoto, getting all of the forms I need turned in, mother’s day gifts, graduation gifts, birthday gifts, finishing the Bulgarian’s Christmas present…from last Christmas just a bunch of little thing.  I finally got a few of them accomplished and feel way better.  Hopefully this will keep things from spinning all around me.  I have no idea what I have been doing or need to do or have been up to, but I feel like I have been busier than Santa Clause on Christmas Eve.  However, the problem is, I haven’t done anything!  Too much stuff on my mind!  That’s what it is.  To much stuff jumbled up there and crammed around so tight that I can’t focus on anyone thing.  I wish I had a basin like Dumbledore. (OMG! Word can spell check “Dumbledore”! CRAZYNESS) Then I can just pull out the strands of silvery memory and look at it and maybe then I can do some identifi’n.  No such magical luck, I only have a keyboard and Word.  At least it can spell check popculture :)

5-14-07 IT'S ALMOST TIME!

5-7-07 I know some of my links may not be working for some of you. I'm not quite sure why. The site works correctly when you use explorer but the links don't work on safari and firefox. 5-14-07HEHEHE FIGURED IT OUT...LAYERING PROBLEM.

5-3-07 I am feeling the need right now to go shopping, buy some shoes, and get my hair cut...short...8th grade was a good time, lets go with a bob.

4-24-07  I found out this morning that a friend I went to ASMS with died Saturday in Iraq.  It’s a fact that I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around.  We weren’t best friends but I remember vividly all of the times I did get to spend with him.  Right down to the last quick hello we had when he was visiting Hendrix back in ‘05. He was always fun to be around and he made me laugh so much.  He would let me wear his black leather jacket all the time during happy hour at ASMS because I always forgot it got cold outside of the ASMS walls and was usually shivering as I chatted with friends while waiting for the pizza delivery guy.  He even told me I had sexy toes once.  I never got around to telling Billy Bushnell how much his humor and presence brightened my time at ASMS.  I really wish I did.

4-20-07 I had the most amazing shoegasm last night.  We were walking to our car after drinking with some friends on Dickson and there was a nice little shop, no never mind this place was definitely not just a “little shop” it was a cute little boutique, with my favorite sign hanging on the window, Shoe Sale.  Of course I had to stick my head in and look though I was sure that I wouldn’t be able to afford anything in the boutique (even if it was on sale), let me just say that I love being proven wrong!  $11.96 for the strappidy goodness on the left!  Oh, last night was so amazing.  

4-19-07 I had a little time at work today so I looked through all of the tagged photos of me on facebook.  I really need to work on looking less goofy.

4-18-07 I've been working on the site. See the progress!!! It only took me a month to figure out how to do the slideshow but I got it! Now lets try messages.

4-5-07 Yes, how silly of me. Driving through sleet and snow in April is oh so very normal.

4-3-07 is it just me or does that pink down there look like the color of barf?

4-3-07 Yes, saying, "Mapquest has failed me four times in the last three days" is O.K in an interview. I'm at a daze. Good things are happening to the Shu.  I’m starting to feel like California during the gold rush…sorry too much Amy Tan.  Two weeks ago I found out that my program was looking into changing my job title to Program Coordinator (with that includes a 3% raise and a 6 grand pay increase).  Yesterday, the Associate Dean for Administration calls me into his office with the College’s accountant and Director of Finance and tells me that they would like to recruit me for the accountant position they are creating.  His exact words were, “The position is yours if you want it.”  The Associate Dean said that to little-o-me!  God I was floating on cloud nine all of yesterday and today.  It can’t get any better than that right?  Not in Tangland.  Today at around 4 o’clock I got an e-mail from The Consulate-General of Japan in New Orleans.  JET is offering yours truly a teaching position! 

This has been a very exciting few days but I have to be honest I didn’t go, “WOOOOHOOO OH MY GOD I’M IN!!!” when I got that e-mail.  I was kind of sad.  I know what I am about to say is going to make me sound like a spoiled brat that can’t decide on a damn thing but the honest truth is I was kind of hoping I wouldn’t get JET.  Things are good here, the fam, the relationship, the friends…THE BENTO!  I hate to say it but I started growing roots.  I finally got my shit together people!  Now I’m going to rip all that up and start all over again with no family, no friends, no partner, and no dog by my side, I’m going to be trying to build a life in Japan without being able to speak Japanese.  It’s scary.  I keep on telling myself that it’s better to have opportunities and get to choose than have none, but it isn’t until you get to choose that you realize the more choices you have the more anxiety you get about making the wrong one.     

 Surprisingly enough, for a big decision like this, it only took a 15 min. shower for me to make up my mind.  Carrying out the decision is the hard part, but lets face it I never wanted to be an accountant.  The offer was tempting but it wasn’t because of the job itself, it was simply because of the ego trip.  It’s an amazing feeling to have someone see your potential.  It’s an even more amazing feeling when the big wigs want to promote you from secretary to accountant and you have only been working for them for less than 2 months.  I know the people I would be working with and they are great but really how long would the glory last?  How long would it be before I started feeling like a sellout?  The money is good and the people are wonderful but really how long?  Taking the job offer sets, in my mind, a very clear direction.  I’m not quite ready for that kind of stability yet.  Don’t get me wrong, I like financial security (we all know I have a weakness for shoes and I will drop a lot of green for them) but I want to hold on to the hope that financial security can still be achieved on my terms.  I want to believe that I can be successful by using my talents, and dedication.  I want to achieve greatness by building something from the ground up.  What can I say I’m a sucker for the foreigner’s “American Dream”.    Enough of the ooygoooy feel-good talk.  I leave in 4 months and I am scared out of my mind.