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Moved back to Bloomington yesterday, with the help of my parents and their Honda mini-van. I had that thing and my car both packed. I brought a lot of stuff. Anyways, the apartment (at Woodbridge) is a lot different from what I expected, pretty much all for the best. It’s further north as opposed to right near Marsh (and the train tracks) like I was thinking. No problem there. It’s a lot bigger than I expected. At least it seems like it. Especially after coming from Japan (see my comment from the mall about how stores in America seem huge); I seriously think that my apartment would be about 10 times as big as my dorm room from Japan. Around 700 sq ft total, if you people actually know about how big that is. I sure don’t.

I’m still working on unpacking and setting stuff up. Although when packed into 2 cars, it seemed like I have a huge amount of stuff, when moved into a big apartment it becomes pretty apparent that I’m a big lacking, especially in the furniture department. To remedy this, I got a (double) bed from some guy who was selling it on the OneStart classifieds. Next step is a futon, which I’m getting via the same methods. Hopefully I can get that this weekend and have my living room set up ready to go, at least for the most part. Now I just need some more bookshelves or something.

Things in Bloomington are good. It’s really nice to see people, especially ones that I haven’t seen since last May. I mentioned to my dad on the ride here that it doesn’t seem like I’ve been away for 5 months. I think everything’s starting to blend around in my head. Time’s losing its definition and clarity for me. OK that sounds really weird, I think I’m just retarded.

I’ve gotten e-mails from Sayoko and Mii. I haven’t replied yet, mainly because I’m too lazy to read a long e-mail in Japanese, then even lazier to try and reply in Japanese. I’ll get around to it soon, just because well, I’ve got to. I guess it’s going to be good practice for me to keep my Japanese up. I’m not studying it anymore at school, and if I want to keep this language up I’d better use it some more. I’m still playing around with the idea of heading back this summer, for an internship or something. If I can find some company that will pay for my airfare or housing (or both), then I’m game. Actually, before I left, Shin-san at IES told me about this World’s Fair-type thing they’re having in Aichi-ken this spring/summer. And Nick did some research tonight, and apparently they do indeed pay both airfare and housing. This might be my summer plans right there…

OK time to try and set up some more stuff. My apartment still looks boring and naked. Time for me to ruin it with posters and thumbtacks. Time to make it “Anthony’s new apartment.” Hoo-hah.

Things are pretty non-eventful here. It’s nice to spend time back at home and all, but it’s no Tokyo. Not that I’m experiencing any “culture shock” or related BS. I am, however, a bit jet lagged, meaning that my sleep schedule it really messed up. I guess I do this whenever I’m home on break though anyways, haha. I just sleep at really weird times. I’m going to try to go out with some friends tomorrow night, at the very least for the sole purpose of trying to get back into a “regular” life and schedule here.

Oh, and I just uploaded the last of my Japan pictures. One gallery is for the last few weeks of IES, including the Sayonara party, and the last for the final week I had after classes were over. Enjoy. Japan sure was a lot of fun.

You know, this is probably a bad idea, but I’m doin’ it anyway. Here folks, is the complete list of the IES 2004 Fall nicknames, coined by the A-Team. I’m only including the ones I can rememeber, or that actually lasted more than a day or two (ie, Aniki is not listed for Derek; it didn’t stick) Guys: if I happened to leave one out (esp the Bekkas), feel free to Comment and add it.

IES Students:

Starey; Fat Albert/Jeff Goldblum; Shadow Eyes; Russian; Hermoine/Ugly Shadow Eyes; Otouto; Goose/FOB/Geoffrey/Giraffe/FOBulous; Dark Seth; 3-Seater/San-Seki; NL/Naughty Librarian; Kindergarten Teacher/Ari’s Ex; Fabulous/Hot Pants/Fab; 80’s Business Man; Miss Piggy/Muppet/Fluffy; Hirose’s Daughter; Kaicho/Oyabun; Terminator; Side of Beef/SOB/Gyuukaku; Googgly/Googles; Alb/Albino; Mangina; Molestache; Smithers; Uncle Hokuro/Hokuro Jiisan/Hokuro-kun/Moley; KakkoWarui Ben; Gut; Squirrly Joe; Southern Gentleman/Southern Comfort/SoCo; Smilie-kun; Harry Potter/Dirty Harry; German; Hippy Graham; Dirty Hippy/Hippy Girl; Crazy Ass Bitch; Hobbit; Splinter; Arnold; Potato Boy

(This doesn’t include people who don’t have nicknames, but still suck)

Bekkas:

The 3 Ks; Ostrich; Jafar; Urkel; T-Rex; Froggy; Antonio Banderas; Other Caleb

I’m home now (in St. Louis). Actually, I had written a fairly good post before I left Japan, but for some reason it got erased or something. Nevertheless, I’ll try to remember most of it and assimilate it into this post. Originally I wanted to put some closure to the semester. I’ll do that with this too.

This past fall really has been one of the best semesters ever. If it weren’t for the people and friends I met there, it would have been totally different and definitely not as fun (go A-Team!). It sounds really stupid, but when I first found out I was going to go to Japan for a semester and stuff, one of my main worries was the people I’d be going with. I knew that there would be a lot of social inepts, a lot of huge anime freaks, and a lot of the type of people that I just in general don’t like. Oh, and I was right. However, aside from these, I also found a good group of people who were just as twisted as I am, and thus the A-Team was formed and life was good. We took the place over (both figuratively and symbolically; need I mention the Nagano Bus, meals at the ryokans, and Y’s bar/Sayonara party). Yeah, we were just that awesome.

I definitely want to go back to Japan sometime soon. Maybe after graduating and finding a job that will send me over there. I’m pretty certain that I don’t want to do JET, but something else, peferrably marketing or business would be great. Willing to relocate? Definitely, at least for a few years. Actually, if I can find an internship or some kind of paid thing to go there next May, then I’ll do that also. Seth and Ari will still be there, so it will be fun times. I’m interested to see what kind of people those guys get for the spring IES semester. Most likely, it will be a bunch of scabes and a few good guys.

I’ll be posting the final set(s) of IES Japan pictures within the next day or two. I also have a feeling that more people from IES are probably reading this Blog one way or another. Good or bad, I don’t care. Actually, I’m thinking of posting a full list of nicknames. Maybe just the nicknames, and not the real names. I don’t think I’d get any slack for that, bwahahahaha. Ari, Seth, Bryan, Mikey: what do you think?

I really got used to living in Japan. The whole living part isn’t really as different as you would think. Maybe it’s because my Japanese is semi-usable, but other than that, it’s just like moving to any new city. Sure there are trains rather than cars, stuff is more expensive, food is smaller and tastes strange sometimes, but living is living. That really didn’t strike me as hard or different. I think I’m happy and capable of living in the US or in Japan. They really are about the same to me. Too bad I have friends and all of that in both; I can’t BE in both places, so I might have to spend my life as a traveler. Doesn’t sound bad, if I could make some money.

When I flew back into Dallas this morning before my connecting flight back to St. Louis, it really didn’t seem like it’s been that long since the morning when I took off. Man it really has been a long time though. A lot has happened, a lot has changed. I guess I’m still the exact same as I always have been. Studying abroad is supposed to be a life-changing experience. Yeah I guess kinda. But there’s also supposed to be all that “culture shock” BS that they talk about, and I don’t go through any of that. Probably because I’ve been here and back 5 times. Either way, it’s been a blast.

Now it’s time for Christmas with the family, my birthday (turning 21), and a few days hanging out at home before I have to pack up and haul out to IU and my new apartment. I have a feeling that this spring at IU is going to be one of the best semesters ever also. Maybe I’m just getting to the point where I can enjoy life more. OK nevermind, that sounds retarded. I think it’s going to be a good semester just because I’m awesome. Yeah, I think this post turned out better than the original that I wrote and lost. It’s certainly a lot longer. From now on the blog posts will be a bit more mundane, more full of complaints and weird observations, and will probably be less frequent. Oh, and I’ll set the timezone back to Indiana time now…

Just got back from Gyotoku. Took Kanako there for my last Ramen and Gyoza set from Bikkuri. I don’t know what was sadder: saying goodbye to the restaurant or to Kanako. Oh who am I kidding; it was Bikkuri Ramen. I’ll miss their 189 yen ramen or gyoza.

Oh, and in other news, I’m totally boned on this packing. I have about 3 hours until they are going to come and pick up my 2 big suitcases, which means I have to have the majority of my packing done by then. Oh and the post office is closed today since it’s ANOTHER random holiday, so I’ll have to rush tomorrow morning before I leave to go there and ship a box or two back home. There’s no way all of this is going to fit in the suitcases.

Well, I guess I will go ahead and write a post tonight. Woke up around 8 or 9 and started to clean up and pack my entire room. Well I really didn’t get that far. But I did call the ABC moving company, who will be kind enough to move my 2 big suitcases from the dorm to the airport. Since I’m riding the trains from here to there on Friday, there’s no way I could carry that with me. Luckily, I was able to set up a pickup date on Thursday evening, so I have another whole day to procrastinate and pack up. Man it’s gonna cost 4200 yen, but shouganai.

Around noonish, I went to Asakusa to get some lunch with a friend, and also to do some souvenir/gift shopping. It’s totally a tourist trap, but that means they have some good stuff to buy people (really Nihon-poi). The biggest surprise was that while I was walking around the market, I ran into the KFarr and Elida. Yep, of all the millions of people in this country, I randomly ran into them. Wow, sugoi, etc. I guess it’s a touristy kind of place, but still, すごい偶然だな (what a coincidence!).

After that I went to Kaihim Makuhari for possibly the last time. Had coffee with Super Sayokon and Mayo, then went to school to return the hard drive I rented from SALC, and said goodbye to some more people. Stopped by IES, said “later bro” to Shin-san, and I guess that’s that for IES also. Strange strange. Then went to Kappa-Zushi with the Baileys (er, I mean Seth, Mii, and Yuuji) for some awesome and cheap kaiten sushi. I finally know the name of the orange and white one that I like, and it’s toro (fatty) salmon.

After that, went to hang out with Hiroko and Nana like we decided last week at the Sayonara Party. Went to Tsudanuma (for real, not just the code the A-Team used to use to deter the scabies), all the restaurants and izakaya were booked up. I guess it’s the beginning of winter break everywhere here. Anyway, we were able to find a nice Shirokiya chain izakaya, and it was fun. Did purikura (those little sticker pictures). Japanese girls love those things; they’re cool i guess but what am I gonna do with all these? Anyways, we were heading to the station and decided to take some regular pictures before we left. Hiroko and Nana were talking about how it’s tough to find someone to take your picture, since apparently there are a lot of hookers around Tsudanuma station. There was a girl in a hat sitting down on a bench, and Hiroko said something to the effect of “she looks the most not-like-a-hooker/nice.” So, we were going to get ready to ask her to take our picture for us. I was like “hey, she looks like of familiar. She looks like Sayoko.” Haha, funny. But IT WAS! Whoa bikkuri. So yeah, there’s super strange guuzen #2 for the day.

Once again, this entry turned out longer than I expected. Tomorrow’s going to be one last visit to Bikkuri Ramen (most romantic date in Japan), then lots of packing. Most likely, I will have the majority of everything packed up and ready to go by tomorrow afternoon. Then hopefully the evening free to see Kieran, Blanchard, any other people I need to see. It’s still strange, to think I won’t be in Japan this weekend.