More ficletty goodness! Read them here and here.
Today I went back in to my classroom with Ricky and finished two of my bulletin boards. The one that's kind of like a store window, facing the hallway, I decorated with pink paper and butterfly border plus two big, bright butterflies. According to Ricky, they look real and since I stuck them there with tacks, he says that only helps achieve the life-like effect that much more. I've got to remember to take some pics with my cell tomorrow, so I can post them here.
The other board's not as exciting, it has a teal background and a teachery border, all books and apples and junk. This one will be my FYI board, where I'll post important announcements and the like.
I'm feeling better about my new room. At first I was eh. I felt like I'd been kicked out of a club or something, after being moved from the main building. But today I got my room keys for the first time plus they moved over almost all of my old furniture so it's starting to feel like home. It helps that it's getting all prettiful, thanks to Ricky's decorating skills with posters and boards. I really have to remember to take pics of the room when it's done.
Well, I'm watching the latest episode of "No Reservations," which takes place in Tokyo. Man, I want to go back. I feel like I didn't fully appreciate my time there. Anthony Bourdain also posted a great blog entry about his experience. You can read that here, along with his other, previous entries about his other travels.
Showing posts with label tokyo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tokyo. Show all posts
Back on (at least for now...)
Yes, kids, the trip is back on. And despite my cynical title for this blog, I don't think there's anyway we can get out of it now, unless we want to incur a steep financial punishment.
Personally, I am beyond thrilled that we're going. I was heartbroken on Friday when Ricky said he wasn't sure if we should go. He brought up some reasons why we maybe should have waited, the biggest and most important reason being the financial dent this trip is going to make on us. But my argument is, sure we can wait until later, but that doesn't guarantee that later will be a good time, either. And if not now, then when?
That has become my mantra of late. I am beginning to live by it.
So yes, while I am a little nervous about the trip, especially when I think about how much time I'll be spending on a plane, I know that the pros definitely outweigh the cons here. I just know that we will be thanking our lucky stars that we were able to go on this trip once we're actually there.
This has been a nice weekend thus far. On Friday, after both of us talked out the reasons why we should/shouldn't go to Japan, we rented the third movie in The Pirates of the Caribbean series and watched it all. All the way until 3 AM (!). It was good, but the bittersweet ending left me depressed. How could they end it that way?! I didn't see that coming. I won't spoil it by describing it here in case someone is reading this who hasn't seen that film. Not like anyone actually reads my blog, but still.
On Saturday, I wrote a new series on ficlets that is a reinvention of one of my favorite Greek myths, that of Persephone. Go here to read it. Then we went out with some friends of ours, Douglas and Joanna, to a bar on the beach called "The Room Bar." It had only beer and wine, unfortunately, no amaretto pour moi, but some very good indie rock music, like Interpol, etc. Back at their house before leaving to the club, some very strong shots were made, including one that looked like Windex and another, even stronger concoction with Tabasco sauce in it. I guess that plus the fact that I'm on medication to regulate my blood pressure left me all messed up, because I almost fainted in the bar. It was a very scary experience -- all of a sudden, there was an intense ringing in my ears and I was starting to feel tingly and numb all over. Plus I started seeing spots. So I grabbed Ricky and insisted he take me outside, where I sat down on the nearby stoop of a boutique and got my breath back. When Doug and Joanna came outside to see what happened to me, Joanna immediately whisked me away to a nearby Pizza joint that was literally a stone's throw away and made me eat pizza. That helped soak up the alcohol in my system and return me to normal.
Despite that scary experience, I really did have fun last night. Douglas and Joanna are good people.
Today I have a lot of grading to do for my two AP English classes. Which I'm not looking forward to doing, but I must do it because grades need to be in by this week before report cards. And oh yeah, right, I leave to Japan on Thursday morning. EEK! It's only now starting to really sink in.
Personally, I am beyond thrilled that we're going. I was heartbroken on Friday when Ricky said he wasn't sure if we should go. He brought up some reasons why we maybe should have waited, the biggest and most important reason being the financial dent this trip is going to make on us. But my argument is, sure we can wait until later, but that doesn't guarantee that later will be a good time, either. And if not now, then when?
That has become my mantra of late. I am beginning to live by it.
So yes, while I am a little nervous about the trip, especially when I think about how much time I'll be spending on a plane, I know that the pros definitely outweigh the cons here. I just know that we will be thanking our lucky stars that we were able to go on this trip once we're actually there.
This has been a nice weekend thus far. On Friday, after both of us talked out the reasons why we should/shouldn't go to Japan, we rented the third movie in The Pirates of the Caribbean series and watched it all. All the way until 3 AM (!). It was good, but the bittersweet ending left me depressed. How could they end it that way?! I didn't see that coming. I won't spoil it by describing it here in case someone is reading this who hasn't seen that film. Not like anyone actually reads my blog, but still.
On Saturday, I wrote a new series on ficlets that is a reinvention of one of my favorite Greek myths, that of Persephone. Go here to read it. Then we went out with some friends of ours, Douglas and Joanna, to a bar on the beach called "The Room Bar." It had only beer and wine, unfortunately, no amaretto pour moi, but some very good indie rock music, like Interpol, etc. Back at their house before leaving to the club, some very strong shots were made, including one that looked like Windex and another, even stronger concoction with Tabasco sauce in it. I guess that plus the fact that I'm on medication to regulate my blood pressure left me all messed up, because I almost fainted in the bar. It was a very scary experience -- all of a sudden, there was an intense ringing in my ears and I was starting to feel tingly and numb all over. Plus I started seeing spots. So I grabbed Ricky and insisted he take me outside, where I sat down on the nearby stoop of a boutique and got my breath back. When Doug and Joanna came outside to see what happened to me, Joanna immediately whisked me away to a nearby Pizza joint that was literally a stone's throw away and made me eat pizza. That helped soak up the alcohol in my system and return me to normal.
Despite that scary experience, I really did have fun last night. Douglas and Joanna are good people.
Today I have a lot of grading to do for my two AP English classes. Which I'm not looking forward to doing, but I must do it because grades need to be in by this week before report cards. And oh yeah, right, I leave to Japan on Thursday morning. EEK! It's only now starting to really sink in.
My destination...Tokyo, the City of Lights!
Point of No Return
Labels:
destination,
tokyo,
trip
AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
OK. Sorry. Ahem! Just had to get that out of my system. Now, then, where was I? Oh yes....We're going to Japan!!
The tickets have been bought, the hotel reserved. We leave at 7:05 AM next Thursday from Miami to Atlanta, from Atlanta to Tokyo, our final destination, where we'll be arriving at around 1 in the afternoon. The next day. Japan is something like 14 hours ahead, which is cra-zy.
I am so excited I can't think straight. OK, more on this tomorrow. I need to get some sleep for tomorrow, when I'm doing a marathon of grading to get my gradebook up to date in time before I leave - the quarter ends next week. Insane to think I have only a quarter left with my kids. I've grown so attached to my students this year....
OK. Sorry. Ahem! Just had to get that out of my system. Now, then, where was I? Oh yes....We're going to Japan!!
The tickets have been bought, the hotel reserved. We leave at 7:05 AM next Thursday from Miami to Atlanta, from Atlanta to Tokyo, our final destination, where we'll be arriving at around 1 in the afternoon. The next day. Japan is something like 14 hours ahead, which is cra-zy.
I am so excited I can't think straight. OK, more on this tomorrow. I need to get some sleep for tomorrow, when I'm doing a marathon of grading to get my gradebook up to date in time before I leave - the quarter ends next week. Insane to think I have only a quarter left with my kids. I've grown so attached to my students this year....
To Japan? Or not to Japan?
Call us crazy, but we are currently planning a trip to Japan.
I know...
it's....
CRAZY!
My spring break officially starts March 29th. I will have a week off from work. I may need to take off two days, though, next Thursday and Friday, because Ricky found some cheap plane tickets that leave Thursday morning at 6 AM (!). The tickets are just $810.00, which is a bargain considering how expensive plane tickets are going for places like Paris or London right now. This isn't high season in Japan, and all the travel sites we've been to online recommend going precisely at this time of year.
So what's holding us back? Well... first of all, it's the sheer monumentality (Is that a word? I guess so!) of the voyage. It's so completely different from anything we've ever experienced. We've been to Paris, France and Madrid/Segovia/Barcelona, Spain together, but since we speak Spanish fluently and I'm quasi-fluent in French (at least I was in 2002 when we went), it didn't feel completely foreign to us. In Japan, I'm going to feel like I'm on an alien planet, I just know it. But that's part of what makes it so exciting.
Second of all, it's about a 15 hour flight (ye gods!!!), and that's what has me a teensy bit nervous. I am going to go stir-crazy on that plane. Oh well, I'll just knock myself out with some good old Tylenol PM and sleep as much as I can.
Third of all, and perhaps most important of all, is the dent this trip will make on our bank accounts. Ricky has already offered to help me pay for it, the dear, but still...
So those are all my pros and cons. Can't think of any more now. All I can think of is how the pros are outweighing the cons right about now. My excitement is outweighing everything else, anyways!
I'll keep you posted as to our decision. Ricky's researching hotels right now. If we find a good, well-recommended and moderately priced hotel, we're booking tonight (iiiieeee!!)
I know...
it's....
CRAZY!
My spring break officially starts March 29th. I will have a week off from work. I may need to take off two days, though, next Thursday and Friday, because Ricky found some cheap plane tickets that leave Thursday morning at 6 AM (!). The tickets are just $810.00, which is a bargain considering how expensive plane tickets are going for places like Paris or London right now. This isn't high season in Japan, and all the travel sites we've been to online recommend going precisely at this time of year.
So what's holding us back? Well... first of all, it's the sheer monumentality (Is that a word? I guess so!) of the voyage. It's so completely different from anything we've ever experienced. We've been to Paris, France and Madrid/Segovia/Barcelona, Spain together, but since we speak Spanish fluently and I'm quasi-fluent in French (at least I was in 2002 when we went), it didn't feel completely foreign to us. In Japan, I'm going to feel like I'm on an alien planet, I just know it. But that's part of what makes it so exciting.
Second of all, it's about a 15 hour flight (ye gods!!!), and that's what has me a teensy bit nervous. I am going to go stir-crazy on that plane. Oh well, I'll just knock myself out with some good old Tylenol PM and sleep as much as I can.
Third of all, and perhaps most important of all, is the dent this trip will make on our bank accounts. Ricky has already offered to help me pay for it, the dear, but still...
So those are all my pros and cons. Can't think of any more now. All I can think of is how the pros are outweighing the cons right about now. My excitement is outweighing everything else, anyways!
I'll keep you posted as to our decision. Ricky's researching hotels right now. If we find a good, well-recommended and moderately priced hotel, we're booking tonight (iiiieeee!!)
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