The newest one!

First and foremost: CONGRATS FEROZ BROTHERS REUNION SHOW!!! I wish I could have been there to watch it. I heard it was an awesome show, despite the rain. All my love to the family! It was good to talk to you, even if just for a minute.

Well, this has been a busy week. Last Monday I went to the beach. The beach was a 2 and a half hour train ride there and a 3 hour train ride back. All in all, it was fun! Tattoos are very taboo in Japan, and we saw so many young people at the beach with them. Many workout facilities and hot springs will not allow you to enter if you have a tattoo. So it was kind of a shock when we saw so many. I got sunburned at the beach...and we played ultimate frisbee! It was a wonderful day. Its been so long since I have been in the ocean, I forgot there was salt in it! I had such a good time there and can't wait to go back to the beach.

This week has proven to keep me busy at work. My lessons are solidifying and I am becoming a better teach with every lesson. My time management is improving. I think my students are enjoying the classes even more. I wish I had more time to work on my Japanese. I will soon.

I have bought 2 Disney movies to help me learn Japanese, Bambi and Cinderella. There is a method in Japan called Ondouku where you listen to a short audio clip first in English, then read the translation, then say the Japanese while the English is playing, and repeat repeat repeat. Finally, you listen to the English one last time and you understand most of it. I am just reversing the process for me. I will use these 2 movies to help me. I hope it helps!

The Uchiwa festival was last week as well and that was a lot of fun. I wore a traditional Japanese Jimbe, which basically looks like PJs to Americans. They are very comfortable though. I loved them. I can't wait to wear them in America. I think everyone will get a kick out of me wearing them as well! The festival had many floats decorated with lanterns and drummers on them. It was amazing to see. Go to www.youtube.com and type in kumagaya uchiwa festival...you will get a glimpse of what I saw during the festival.

I finally found REAL peanut butter! I am going to buy it tomorrow. I can't wait! They have peanut cream here, but its not the same. I really want a PB and J sandwich. I am so excited for it.

As always, hope all is well in America. Miss yall!!!