Last Day in Japan I'm going to go get a haircut, then see if all my stuff will fit in my bags again. Last night my bag gained .3 kilos and went over the limit.... I hope it dosn't eat anymore!!! I have most things in the cases, and they are stuffed, ready to go. I didn't put some of the things in there that I still need yet. Like rechargers and a pair of clothes. so far it seam that I am in the weight limit window.... but I forgot to leave a pair of socks out... now I have to open that pack again, and that is an aminous task to preform. YOSH! I'm going to get hair cut off my head.
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The boxes from HELL Ok, I knew it was going to cost a lot to get all my [stuff] to America but this was just great...Not. First of all, I had a chart to tell me what things would cost and I got everything loaded and checked the weight... I took the time to look though all my stuff and sort out the stuff I didn't want, mostly school work that I didn't want anymore. and socks.... :D I got everything arranged just right at the moment, my allowance per bag is 32 Kilos per bag on the airplane. One of whitch is at 31.5 Kilos and the other is at 31.7 kilos. I hope that my bags don't eat anything from this time and friday. I have my carry on and it is at 8.5 kilos and is packed... It has a lot of breakables in it that I didn't dare put in my other cases. I hope the guy that opens them 2 suitcases for inspection in America has fun.... I did when it took me 30 minutes to figure out how to zip the thing closed because things were piled so high in there... I took out the paper that I used for padding and used socks to save on weight. A nifty tip for everyone. I had no room for socks anywere else anyways. I have them both shut and I hope that I don't need to open them again for 3 days. I have a box of Kendo Armor(12kilos) from my school that I am bringing home. I have a box of books, school stuff, and CDs and things.(15 kilos) and then I have the Hell Box, It contians my gift for dad and my brother and my shinais. It is 116CM long... the longest box that can go via boat is 100cm... so that extra fee was 6700 yen. about 67$. I'm not sure if it will still go on the boat ir if that one will be going via Air... I filled out an EMS slip that makes it seem like it may go by air. But then agian.... It may just go by boat... And this was just about as scary as it gets.... While typeing the above I looked at the recpits to look up somthing that I was going to type and realized that the street and number(an entire line) of the address was missing from the CC. I had written my name and city, state, zip only! I ran out the door forgeting to lock it and down the steps. I ran back up the steps and locked the door. then I walked very very fast to the post office, about 200 meters up the road from here. The place was locked and shut.... I rapped on the window for a good 30 seconds, or a minute, and started walking around to the back, I could see the lights on thought the top of the window but not in the building itself, the curtians block all the view except the lights. I knew that they were still in there. As I walked around the building a guy was coming out to see who was making the noise. He let me in the back door. I told him about the mistake and he took my to a room with my boxes and let me change everything. SAFE! I hope. that was a really close one, guess what box it was, yes, it was the Hell Box... Back to the last bit of my story now that I am back in the house and rechecked my CC's 39 times or so. The final cost of the shipping for the 3 boxes...28850 yen I better not get fined at the airport for anything, I have done a lot to get in that little window that airlines gives you... Lastly, I had to get money form the ATM, 3 times, to pay for this. At fist I got an extra 10000 Yen to cover, then I needed 3000 yen to cover my miscalculations. Then the Hell box made me go get another 12000 yen... I machine ran out of 10000 bills so it gave me all this money in 1000's; that is 28000 yen in 1000's.... 28 1000's that was fun... *scared voice* I hope it all gets to my house in America I did nothing but pack stuff and burn all my pictures and other documents to a cd. I'm ready for the day after tomarrow. A friend's boyfriend left her last night... She has my cellphone e-mail... I did't get much sleep untill very late last night.... that was interesting though. To bad I'm leaving in only 2 days, she liked me. (^_^)
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Last Day of School Today was my last day of school. I Have a lot of things that I may have to do this week so I thought I would take a week to relax and walk around and stuff. I need to get a ton of stuff in the mail to the USA as well. that means a many people will have to wait for their gifts because I cant get them on the plane. well 2 people at least. My suitcase is 45 kiolos now and I am allowed 32.... a little over weight I would say. This mornign was normal, I woke up eat slpet some more and went to school. I got to school and parked my bike in the, as usual, over-crowded bike parkign lot thing. I got to the calss room and nothing unusual. I was told to go see teh chemistry teachers today during the first class break and I stayed though the boring Math A Class. That trip ot the chemistry teachers offic turned into going to all the teacher offices and saying gooodbye and stuff. That took 2 hours. After that was done I was told to go upstairs to the computer room and somthing about a video. I went up and see people playing with Lego mindstorms.... 3 minutes later a teacher called me over to teach a small group of peopel how to set up an FTP server in Linux. 5 minutes there and I had them set in the right place to get goign as they were following a book, I headed to the PC room. I got interveiwed by a couple 3rd year students on camera for the end of the year project that will come up next febuary. I also seen a friend crying because her boyfriend will probly leave her. Oddly, she told me before any of her other closer friends... I suppose she liked me more than she let on. I knew it but whatever, no time left in Japan for a girlfriend. After that I headed to English already half over and Did my little teachign thing that I do during English, I read things out of a phrase book and alter them and they say it back in Japanese. I have done that for a long time now. Todays class was only half an hour though We had a surprise party for me in the seminar house, that means we had air conditioning for the extended, hour long, lunch time. There was soda and small snack foods and stufff plus most peopel bring their own lunch so that was it. I also got a gift, a book of pictures form the last week of school. It looks really nice but they took a ton of pictures of swimming just in spite of me saying that I REALLY didn't want any pictures of me in a swim suit. After that was programming and we had a accuall programmign exercize that I finished in 20 minutes, surfed the web, read e-mail , helped others the last 40 minutes as usual. Last class was helth and ther was a movie, I got out when it was half over to go talk to the principal with some rotartians. That lasted 10 minutes and I think it went over well. He had important school bisness to attend to so he had to cut out quickly. Although I went to teh class room to grab one of my bussness card because I forgot mine. And he was gone, left for home. I left home with all my school stuff and took a few pictures with my cell phone. No one is alowed to have phones at school, including me, but I didn't see much danger in it being my last 4 minutes at school. I came home, looked at my pictures and feel asleep. now I updat web sites and read my mail agian. THen I will go to sleep. O watched the K-1 today too, K-1 is a fighting championship and there is this american called bubu(bob) sap and he hasn't lost all the time I have been here and he fell today. He was kneed in the balls though. That could have had somthign to do with it. Ouch.
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Good bye Kendo, for now. It turns out taht last saturday wa the last Kendo practice taht I will have in Japan... Because everyone is studing for tests the is no practice this week. They did have a pary for me and they all wrote on a wooden sword and gave it to me as a gift. and we ate food type stuff. ans drak drink type stuff too. I gave everyone a USA flag pin as going away presents. I go tthe kote from the repair store but there is no time to go and pick up that gift today, have to wait untill tomarrow. I found a place that may sell the other gift taht I want to buy too. In an hour is a rotary goodbye party. And then I am basicly free to do as I wish. almost. I have 2 more days of school that I decided to go to. and then I am really free. Oh Time is almost up.......... I found "The Divici Code", I know I murdered that spelling, As an e-book and havn't been able to take my eyes off of it in any free time that I have(like during math and Crazy Japanese) I wore my batteries on my palm al the way down today. I havn't even used my palm scince January accually. Teh occasional Dicionary look up but that is it. I home my boxers are dry now I't almost time to go! It rained REALY hard today.
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Got my groove on. No, accually I didn't, but what ever. I went out and did stuff with 2 girls in the class above me. They are senriorsbut really we are the same age. Did the usually stuff that girls like to do with forigners... Take pictures in picture booths at game centers. I payed for more than my share and they bought me dounuts behind my back and snuck them in my bag.... I wouldn't let them buy them and they put a couple donuts in my bag while I went to the bathroom. I went in teh bathroom and I seen a 3 or 4 year old girl standing there. I go back out and check to make sure I'm in the right room. I was in the right place. The fact there were uninals along the wal didn't tell me aythign I had to go out and read the sign on the door. She asked me where papa was after I walked back in. I just assume her dad is using the toilet stall and seid "I don't know but, just wait a second." I finished what I came to do and went to leave and nocticed there was noone in the the bathroom but me and that girl.. He "papa" wasn't in here. But she was gone too, and I washed my hands and shrugged it off. I also had my last Aikido lesson today. I don't think I will be able to make it on Saturday so I seid goodbye. There is too much goign on tomarrow. WAY to much. Let me count the things.
5 and 6 are in the same time slot, I can only do one or the other, SO I may have to go and pick up(and pay for) America mom's gift from Japan on the next day.... I need ot add cut my nails in there too somewhere. jya..... mata ne.
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A small speech Today I wake up and remember, "oh yea, I have a speech today infornt of the school." SO I do to school and realize what i wrote for a speech it 3 sentances long. At that point I go to the English Office for some Japanese help. I spent all day working on it and it was fine by the end of the day. I got up and read my spech flawlessly infront of 1300 people. NO problem it was 15 minutes long and I demonstrated how to fold an American Flag properly. After the speech The school ggave me a thing of flowers and someone read a small thing to me in English. Very good English I would have to say but taht may be slightly bais. I in return gave Kumako an American Flag( that I Had just folded as part of a presentation.) I learned a bunch of Japanese for this speech today as well and that was fun. I will use the same speech on Thursday at Rotaray. I am thinking of reading it to my American Rotary club too, I love this speech, I can't beleive how much better it was fromteh speech i gave only 2 monthes ago in Japanese at a conferance here. From the begining of my year, it is infinitly better. ahhh 10 days left in Japan.... It is way to soon I think. Maybe it is Just right? I can't tell right now. I have one speech at Rotarty this Thursday and then I have 2 more tings to do. Buy the last few people some gifts. 3 people I think, I know I will forget someone..... then Lastly I need ot make sure my badsare under the weight limit. And send the stuff hoMe via Ship that won't fit in the bags.
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Getting my groove on. I tried, it didn't work. (today) I also used up all my bus card and that makes me sad. I don't know why. I also didn't get anymore gifts today for anyone in the USA. I seen the coolest PDA computer thing today! It is only 2000$ too, I think I left a pudle of drool on the floor infront of the display. it was running Win XP Home and it waas about the size of 2 normal PDAs but a screen worthy of mention. It did everything! Oh, and Best Denki put their Wi-Fi network back up, now I can surf the net from teh lapdop displays and PDAs.... fun stuff! no reall purpose though, My home connection is much faster. I did eat chinese food for dinner. Nothing much accomplished today.
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Photoblogginｇ is back I got the whole I can't post pictures with hellos thing figured out. It apparently stoped working becasue I had a Blog with a title in another launge and that isn't somthign hello liked.... I t just takes me 4 minutes more to post pictures now.. But I can and will keep it up untill all 500 are up! I wa late for aikido today and made it form here to the dojo{Place to practice fighting] in 14 minutes.... That is fast.... it usually takes 20 minutes to get there. now I need sleep. THere was a big ol' American there and after he got the point of what to do he almost broke my neck. It cracked about 3 times after going down once.... also managed to hurt my leg somehow too... It waws his 2nd time and he will be here for only a little while, he leaves next wensday.
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RYE meeting Well, over the weekend ther was the last Exchange student meeting. 2 people have already gone back leaving 4 of us here. me and teh french girl leave on the same day but differant Airports and one american is here to the 7th of July. I seen them for the last time I suppose. We also took a Japanese test. WeE had to write a thing on our stay in Japan in Japanese. and that was it. They saied (without reading them) they all looked good. Then we ate a couple cookies and left. I seen troy after that, 2 friends had things come up and ditched at the last minute, I don't care, I wantted to see that movie, so I did. I liked it for the most part. And I even remember some of the mythology that explaines the story stuff.. like all the powers that certian people had and who people were and what their death causes down the road. Fun stuff. Now I need to write a speech for my school and a letter to a friend. One in Japanese one in English, not to hard, I'll post later... Well If blogger dosn't break.... I can't photoblog right now, it is broke, and that makes me mad....
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Gmail anyone? I have 3 invites for gmail. If you want a nice spam free[for a little while at least] 1000 MB e-mail account for free e-mail me. My mail is easy to remember, my first name(dereck) followed by @gmail.com . Hurry I only have 3 and Gmail Swap is looking like it might be fun. :) If you want to trade I need a nice big FTP server account to put stuff on.
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Gift buying Well, I have to admit i only have 25 Days left in Japan before going to America. That means I have to buy gifts. I thought leaving a month of time would be lot of good ol fun, but no... I should have started a month ago and left 2 monthes fo rbad things that always happen. I7m cutting it close but I have a frend of a freind that owns a store that was able to rush an order for me. Mom's gift is done, Little brother is done, Dad is done, One Grama is done. I'm half way on one friend... the million other people that are left I'm not sure what to get. I sent home Japanese Tea fo rchirstmas so I can't do that again.... I'm beat for ideas. I'll think of something ang then forget and end up buying somthign in the Tokyo Airport knowing me.. TAhts all fo r today, and I still havn't yet missed a day posting pictures! Keep checking that site every day!
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Fishing! Yesterday some of the Kumamoto Heisei Rotary[My host club] went up to a mountian when no one else goes and cut the meter high grass. With a real Japanese sicle! that was fun, I cleard you lots fo grass with that thing. after we finished we headed to a hotel/Onsen thing. I soaked in an outdoor onsen full of old wrinkly people. I had a conversation with a rotarian or two as well. This was a real Onsen with volcanicly headed water taht was all white and sulfer-y. Is smelled horable. But then I took a shower in clean watter and soaked in a normal Onsen type thing. All of the rotary people stayed at the hotel for the next day. Today there were 3 groups of people, On group when golfing. one group woke up at 4 AM and went fishing. the other group, me and the club presedent, woke up at 8am and went fishing in other pladces were we didn't have to walk 3 hours to get to the river. The first two rivers had no fish. It must be their vacation day being that it is sunday. we go up a mountain and there was fish up there. lots of fish. NO there wasn't.... I cought 2 fish and one was about 4 inches the other was about 9. I didn't cast the one theat got teh 9 inch one. I just pulled in the line and got a bit on and stuff. Finally the fish came in and got tangled in a tree, I havn't a clue how that happened. After getting fairly far down teh river we decided to take a "shortcut" and went up a hill to get to a road insead of climing back down the river... It was a 70 degree slope going up with wet mushy, slipery dirt. The fishign pole was a colaplable type so I used the handle of that as a pick to help me clime that 300 feet of slop. it was interesting and kinda scary. I think it may have been a little more than 300 feet. It was defently 100 meters from the river.Great short cut though, It was easier than trying the river. After that was doen and my shoes were all mudy and brown form the mud on the hill we went up and saw an old stone arch bridge and ate some chicken before going home. I'm tired and my fingers won't move.. Typing is hard. I'll see you all on the flip side. I did post pictures for today though. I havn't forgotten yet. Jyaa ne.
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Mifune I'm going to a mountian called mifune. I will be helping a rotary project and doing somthing or another, I'm not sure. Then we go fishing for trout. see you on the flip side. There are 10 pictures posted on the picture blog because of me not being here tonight to post them. Jyaa ne
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