Think about what you're tryin' to do to me~

Woooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think I've ever felt prouder of the people of my native country! Well done, you guys!!!! I'll never doubt you again. D'aww... come here, I feel prepared to hug you.

I am in the ruralest of rural Japan, far away from polls and TV and people down the street (who speak English). I got all my updates from people text messaging me from the US (oh... technology)... but I thought that my circumstances made these fairly historical moments more interesting, so here goes.

I found out that Obama had all the electoral votes he needed as I was eating omuraisu (omelet stuffed with rice and vegetables and smothered in ketchup... Japanese cuisine!) and I shouted "WOO!!!" in front of my eating coworkers. Then I explained to them the "woo-worthy" circumstances and they agreed that Obama was good. Mostly b/c his name translates so perfectly into Japanese!

To my greater shock, Virginia went democrat??? Oh my GOD! I was blown away! I had expected exactly the opposite! Well done to every Virginian who voted at the polls or through absentee. I am thankful to you, and unfortunately cannot claim the same victory since I registered to vote in New York state and my vote has never mattered! hehe. Anyway it must feel good that your vote DID matter. REALLY did. yaaaay!!!

The sky seemed bluer today as I joined the students and teachers to take the flowers out of the flower beds along the road and fertilize them to keep the soil fresh through the winter (it's coming!) we found many interesting bugs, mushrooms and a large frog.

After school (still in a VERY good mood) I went to calligraphy class and made a half assed attempt at doing a large paper thingie for my parents for x-mas. Afterwards I hopped in my car and began the 15 minute car ride through the dark deserted roads home. During this drive, a song came on the radio: "Think" by Aretha Franklin. Boogy-ing down the dark road, Aretha belted out her chorus,

"Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! Freeeedoooom --oooOoohh FREEDOOOOM!"

and I just BURST into tears. I don't think I had allowed myself to feel the extent of my relief and happiness. I rolled down the windows, turned up the radio and screamed "WOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOO!!!!!" to all the trees and empty fields that would listen.

This is big! This is one of those big moments that you gotta reach out and hug because you're only alive for so many big GOOD moments in history and the high only lasts for so long!

This is big for our country, big for our health care system (I hope), for our economy, for our children, for our grandparents, for civil rights, for equality, for international relations (lord knows we need them to be better), for war, for peace, for boys and girls and men and women and this is big for me.

So go do yourself a favour (oh hell, favor) and scream "woohoo!" into an empty field.

Hell. yeah.

Rachel

Weekend with my Japanese Homies

When asked what my weekend plans were, I replied, "I am eating. With Japanese girls."

Essentially that was precisely what I did this past Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, I braved my slight cold (read: I had no ability to breathe) to meet Yumi and Scott and the Honeycomb coffee shop. This is a coffee shop with cute cakes, derricious coffee beverages, and some attractive waitresses! If only I swung that way. But I'm not into waitresses.

Yumi, I should add, wanted to go back there about five times during the day. I blame LIZ for this, as she introduced me to it awhile back and I have been addicted ever since. The addiction has now been passed on.

After coffee, the three of us went to meet Miss Yuuki Shibayama for some Sushi Ro------- in Oyima. The sushi was good, but my sickness prevented me from eating a disgusting amount, as I usually do. Alas.

We ditched Scott afterwards and Yuuki drove us to a Jersey Cow dairy farm in Kumihama! They had baby cows in one pen and HUUUUUGE Jersey dairy cows in the barn. They were HUGE! I don't know why they seemed so big... either Jersey Cows are humongous or I haven't ever actually seen a cow before and I forgot. Anyway, the point is we tried salt ice cream and it was gross. So we revived our taste buds by eating blueberry yogurt ice cream was what soooo good.

After a quick glimpse of the Kumihama vegetable market and a very detailed discussion on sweet potatoes, we went back to the Mineyama area, stalked Liz from place to place, and bought me a shiny maroon bicycle! It's being delivered on Monday after school (in theory). Hooray transportation that isn't my car! Not that I have anywhere in biking distance I can go to, but damnit it's the principle of the thing.

After wandering around Mine and looking at ugly ugly shoes, we went to Seiryuu (a Japanese tavern by the train station). Yumi and Yuuki's stomachs were bottomless pits. I was thoroughly showed up by their crazy hunger.

The next day was meant to be taking Kirby-kun to the vet. However, the friendly vet said that he didn't actually know anything about ferrets and recommended a farther away different ferret-affiliated veterinarian. We did not go all the way to Fukuichiyama, however. Instead, we dropped Kirby off in Ine and drove even FARTHER and close to (in?) Fukui Prefecture. The goal, you see, was a road trip to Obama. Obama, through the ridiculousness of the Japanese kanji system, means "small beach". The name could easily be pronounced "kohama", but fortunately for my obsession with novelty, it is pronounced like our dreamy possibly presidential candidate. You know, the black one.

Obama has two mermaid statues, a public restroom, and a train station. We found no statues of Barak Obama, no ridiculous Obama-shaped cakes, and no shirts with Engrish pronouncing undying fidelity to the strange, American politician. It was sad. We DID however, find an excellent onsen! Yumi and I got nekkid and enjoyed the seaweed, vitamin, and freakishly hot baths in the onsen, drank lots of water, and hopped back in the car!

I should add that on the way to Obama (small beach), we passed Nagahama (long beach), Takahama (high beach), and Oohama (big beach).

We met Marina and Scotty at Karachi (the Indian/Pakistani curry shop in Maizuru). Quick fact about Maizuru, it means, "dancing stork". YAY! 舞鶴. Curry, as always, was magnificent.

Then it was moooore driving! Dropped Yumi off, went home, and realized that my glasses are still so broken and I have to wear contacts until I figure out how to procure more eye wear. Crap.