Dartboard

I’ve got to get back to Ojika as soon as possible. Unfortunately I already have many upcoming weekends already planned, but as soon as I can get to Ojika—I’m going. I have to find out if this is just a coincidence or the beginning of a trend!

I really should be in the habit of taking my camera when we go out, but I didn't and so I have no pictures to show for the night. Perhaps no pictures is for the best, I'm feeling a bit hesitant writing about meeting men (30-years-old no longer qualifies as "guys" but are officially "men") on my blog while I still have a boyfriend who "reads" it.

I have some pictures from the Halloween Party, however. So, if you’re not sick of seeing Japanese students… here they are!

Lori, Dawn and I were the Three Blind Mice!! Brilliant—if only the students had understood it!

I made the ears, glasses, and tails myself. So clever!

We played lots of games with the girls.

Drinking race without using your hands and eating the umeboshi at the bottom of the cup.

Pass the mikan without using hands.

Most games were of the "No Hands" variety.

Of course you’ve got to do the Mummy Wrap!

Lori as the mummy!

And this girl—bless her heart!—said I look like Madonna! At first I thought she was crazy, but I saw Madonna on TV yesterday and we do have the same hair color (right now) so maybe there’s a valid connection. It’s the first time anyone has compared me to a famous person, so I’m taking it as a compliment—even if the famous person is a couple decades older than I.

Ever heard of melon-flavored kit-kats? They may only be available in Hokkaido. They really do taste like cantaloupe!

I’ve got our school culture festival early tomorrow so I’ve got to get to bed. Just I mention—yes I JUST mentioned, but I’ll mention again—I slept TWELVE hours last night and they were sublime!

Love, Sierra

Since persuading Dawn last weekend about how meeting and dating people on the internet wasn't weird or gross or scary, but becoming more and more normal, I've been reading craigslist.com for Boston, where I intend to move in less than a year. I found the "Best of Craigslist" and read this great post. It's from the Portland craigslist as well.

10 Reasons Why Gay Marriage is Wrong

01) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

02) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

03) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

04) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

05) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

06) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

07) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

08) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

09) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

I believe love makes a marriage.

And some pictures. This from my friend Nina, who just met a great guy from Portland's Craiglist. He's Emre from Turkey and sounds wonderful!!

And since we're on the subject of marriage, I just got some pictures from my friend Jayme's wedding!!

A beautiful bride (and husband Steve).

A good group of friends from college, "The Pioneer Pack" at Jayme's wedding. I'm so sad that I missed another friend's wedding for being out of the United States. My biggest regret from traveling/living abroad the last five years: Missing three of my friends' weddings.

The Pioneer Pack having a progressive dinner in Portland. This is Nina, Amy, Alisa and Erin.

Last picture, my sister and some friends in Portland.

Oh, Portland... I'm getting homesick! It's November and soon it will be December. That means... Thanksgiving and Christmas and all without a family. I'm not going home this year because I need to save money, but I'm a little worried about my emotional state if I don't spend this time of year with family! My plans to go to China fell through, unfortunately, and I don't have a back-up plan. I got really homesick last year at this time, but I figured it was because it was my first year and I was unstable. I don't want to go through THAT again, but maybe I'm just not strong enough to spend holidays without family?!? I felt so re-energized after going home last year... What should I do?!?

I'd like to spend New Years on my island. It's a very special holiday in Japan. I've already got an invitation to spend it with a family here and I'm so tempted to do it. Now I only have to worry about Christmas!

Trying to stay positive (and do some saratonin-breathing as recommended to me by a Japanese friend) but you'll hear from me if I'm feeling down and out this year!

I slept 12 hours last night and it felt so good!

Needing your support and love this month,
Sierra

“What’s Gachapin?” I ask.
“A big monster that Japanese children like.”
“And what exactly are the similarities between Gachapin and me?”
“Well, it’s a really big monster,”

The pause makes me hope there’s something more that reminds them of Gachapin…

“And has stripes, too.”
“Oh! It wears blue and green stripes, too?”
“No—pink and yellow. Here, I’ll show you a picture on the internet.”

They proceed to download load a picture of a huge—we’re talking HUGE—monster, well, technically it’s a “child dinosaur,” that is green with a pink and yellow striped belly. This is Japan’s Barney that they’re comparing me too. Hmm…

See the similarities…?

Hatakeyama’s wife is pregnant! She’s due in April!! I’m so excited for them because they’ve been wanting another child for a long time now. They are hoping they will have been transferred to Nagasaki by then so I may not get to see the baby soon after it’s born, but I can always go visit them in Nagasaki.

This is a picture of Naoko (Hatakeyama’s wife with the rolling pin) and their first daughter, Hinako. The other two are my principal’s wife and my neighbor downstairs. We’re making cookies for all the various Halloween parties I went to.

And while I’m posting old pictures. This is Lori at Satomi’s Juku Halloween party.

Actually, I just have a bunch of old pictures to show you!

This is Mika, Blaine’s daughter in her summer dress. (Yes, I’ve been intending to post that since the summer!)

I thought this was funny. A picture from my mother in Detroit—can you imagine seeing that drive down the road next to you? Americans are silly.

Some pictures from a few festivals/events that were in Narao this October.

These girls were so cute!

Some pictures of my friend Steven and his (equally crazy) brother, Spencer, smoking cigars together. I can’t believe their mother lets them get away with this tom-foolery her house!!

I love the eyeglass, but the beard…?!?

Younger brother Spencer is beginning to look like a blonde Ron Weasley.

My sister and her friend Virginia while hiking.

I don’t have much else to say for the moment. Next weekend I have a business trip to Nagasaki and I’m giving a presentation with Dawn-sensei. My weekend on her island of Ojika was lots and lots of fun, but we didn’t get down to business at all. This presentation is beginning to loom over my head!! I’ve got plenty of ideas, but I’m not organizing them like I should be. Well, there’s no time like the last minute, right? Dawn’s coming over next weekend and we’ll get everything done the day before the conference! No worries!

Take care out there!
Love, Sierra

I love working at the elementary schools. Here’s just a day in the life of me!

I could steal them all!

Lunchtime!

I love it. Hats, masks, jackets, but gloves? No, no! No gloves necessary!

Lining up for lunch!

Here’s my grub!

Me and Miyu—we practice karate together. She loves me. I love her.

This is a kid’s view of me.

I spent about 15 minutes in the pool tickling the boy on the left last week. We were tickling each other, but he wasn’t ticklish so I just had to pretend to be laughing at his tickles. It was adorable. He would latch himself on to my foot and not let go. The only way to get him off me was to put my foot underwater, but he was so good at holding his breath, I couldn’t even drown him to get him to let go!

After a while, it really started tickling and I was afraid I would accidentally kick him or something. Between laughs I had to hold him above my head out of the water and then he would go for my neck! He squirmed and laughed and we played together forever. I could have run off with him right then and there!!

The school’s rabbit and chicken.

Wakamatsu East Elementary School

I play with these kids every week! Am I the luckiest ALT or what?!?

Love, Sierra