Sunlight and Stairs Into the Sky

So, this weekend was a lot of spending time with the family. Don’t get me wrong, I got my dose of Japan in too of course.

On Saturday, I started off the afternoon chatting with my parents on their way home from my youngest brother’s football game. Mom likes to Skype with me while they’re in the car. I feel like lately I notice that my Daddy is getting older more often. That can be really scary sometimes and really funny at others; “it’s a complicated emotion.” Whenever they Skype me from Mom’s phone I always hear him in the background “whispering” that she should ask me this or tell me that. I of course respond without the relay. Even AFTER I tell him I can hear him he STILL does it!!! I laughed so hard. The best moment of the night though was when they stopped off at one of my old haunts, IHOP. He promptly flashed the phone toward two rather bewildered waitresses proudly telling them that Skype was so amazing because we were talking while I was in Japan. He gets so excited like a little kid. It’s one of the things I love most about my Dad. He’s got a big kid’s heart. I greeted them and we proceeded to talk while they taunted me with IHOP coffee and breakfast food. Darn them… But it was really great to hear their voices, as it always is.

Late afternoon was dedicated to lesson planning for ichinenseis (sixth graders) and the Japanese drama Rich Man Poor Woman. Really good by the way. I recommend it.

But now we come to an important moment of my day. I went to the post office and got my boxes!!! I love that my Mom and Dad always send my care packages in bright yellow boxes. They really do remind me of personal square suns. Here are a few pictures of what I got from them. THANK YOU!!

SUNSHINE!! This made me so happy to pick up. People must have thought I was cray.

Mom and Dad sent me my warmer clothes that I left behind. I’m really needing them too. Things are really cooling off here.

I also got my lamination machine and dice that I bought from Amazon. Even though I had things set to go to my apartment in Japan they sent the box to my house in Texas. Weird. I would complain but that just seems complicated. Mom and Dad just sent it out for me. Now I have more game options and don’t have to wait till I get to school to laminate stuff!! I tend to be so busy at Takatsu that I rarely really have time for it. Laminating things will give them more longevity. I’ll get to pass these on to my predecessor some day. That will be a nice feeling too.

I have no idea why this lamination machine’s mascot is a cow…a purple cow at that…Look at all my cool dice too!

I went for a walk around 8:30. Yes that’s late, but I really wanted to wear my hoodie I got in Cali when Mom and I visited Granny. It was nice to put it on and smell home. It was that or it smelled like cardboard. Since the latter is less romantic, lets go with home. On my walk I ventured a way I hadn’t been. This would be a better idea during the day time but, eh. I was feeling a little too safe in my hoodie perhaps. Anyway, after a bit I came upon a HUGE set of stairs that looked as if they marched themselves right into the sky disappearing into the darkness of the night. I, of course, decided it would be a brilliant idea to walk up them. My chest was filled with a warring sense of fear and heroism. Walking up such steep stairs made me feel like I had accomplished something awe-inspiring but the walk down and the darkness tinged my success with fear. This tinge of course made the success more invigorating though. I have made a silent promise to return during daylight hours.

On my way home Brandi and I started texting each other. It is one of my favorite things to look down and see that I have a message from her. We decided to Skype when I got home, but on the way I sent her pictures of my little strip of Yachiyo. It was fun to show her my town in the luminescence of street and star light, the moon dark and seemly absent from the sky that night.

We Skyped for FOUR hours!! It was really the best way to head to sleep, with the sound of friends following me into my dreams.