Dartboard

“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