"My darling is a foreigner"

Last night I went to the movies with Jeff and Aya to see Sherlock Holmes. As some of you readers back in the States know, I LOVE Sherlock Holmes. I read my first Holmes mystery when I was about 11 and have loved him ever since. So I was super excited to see this movie, especially since I have been waiting since I first saw the posters in the theater back in December.
The movie was great - a modern day take on a classic hero. Of course, some creative liberties were taken to make Sherlock Holmes popular with a modern audience, but I expected that. I thought it was well-made and funny too. So I recommend it.
But the actual topic of this post is something Jeff spotted in the lobby before we went into the movie theater:

That's right. My darling is a foreigner - a new movie coming out soon. I can't really read the Japanese inside this little booklet, but it seems that she is a manga writer who falls in love with an American and the movie follows them through all the ups and downs of their international relationship. But in a cute Japanese-y way.
You can check out the website here and watch the trailer. Even though it's in Japanese, you can get the general idea.

What's been going on...

Sorry for such a big gap between my last post and this one. I didn't think it was humanly possible, but as spring is approaching, I am becoming busier and busier at work. Yikes.
But in my free time I've been enjoying spending time with new and old friends - and students and co-workers, too.
I'm really thankful for the friends that I've made here in Japan. Coming here over a year ago completely alone was really intimidating, but I've met and become friends with many great people, other foreigners and Japanese alike. It's been such a blessing. And I absolutely couldn't ask for better students or co-workers.

Last weekend, Aya hosted a girls night/nabe party at her apartment. Two teachers from a nearby town, Nikki and Asami, joined us. We had kimchi and sukiyaki nabe, my two favorites. We ate, drink, watched a chick flick and cried at the end in true girly fashion. It was great.

And purikura! Some shots of girls from the girls night/nabe party, Nikki and I before going to a little party in Shizuoka with other foreign teachers, me and Aya, and some students, too!

I think I need this to organize my tiny Japanese apartment...

And today's purikura (particularly hilarious):

A day of being a photographer again.

I miss taking photos. I try to take photos regularly here in Japan, but work is so busy and the hours make it difficult to go out and shoot. Even though teaching English is a lot of fun, I miss holding a camera every day.
I also miss the random photo shoots I used to do with my friends in the States. I was always anxious to practice my photography on willing models, and I just happen to have incredibly beautiful friends, so every few weeks or so, I would drag my friends to the studio or outside for some photos. Some of my best shots have come from those shoots and I'm a better photographer because of them.
So, today I convinced my dear friend, the very lovely Aya, to brave the cold and be my model in Mochimune, a beach town two stops away from Fujieda. I'm so thankful she agreed, not only because she's a great person to shoot, but also because I was able to relieve the photography itch I've been feeling lately!

Model and photographer.

Then purikura of course! So both of us could be models.

Gaijin purikura!

I love doing purikura with other foreigners because I think the combination of something so Japanese with people who are definitely not Japanese is hilarious. There are a few foreigners around Fujieda that I've become friends with - it's so nice to meet people from other countries who can completely understand all of the craziness that is living in Japan.
Jeff, a Canadian who also teaches English at a high school, heard about Purikura Month and decided to join in on the fun today:

Awesome.

This week's happenings...

It's been a pretty busy week, with purikura and hanging out with friends. Lots of fun!

On Wednesday, I went to a new izakaya with Aya and Michiko (after purikura, of course).

It was a yakitori izakaya, so there were lots of varieties of meat on a stick.

This menu has more information than you'll ever need to know about what you're eating, like the calorie amount and how long it took to prepare it.

Shiitake mushrooms

Scallops

Sausage - with chicken tail and liver in the background

Pickled eggplant and cucumber

Me with some kind of radioactive-looking drink and chicken heart yakitori

And dessert! Sweet purple potato ice cream with a type of french toast.

Last night, I went to hear a local band of gaijin play with Aya and Yu. The band, Alien, consists of guys from Scotland, Canada, the States and England who all live in the area. They play a lot of 70s classic rock, so I really like going to their gigs.

After a long week of work, it was great to relax with my co-workers and listen to good music!

How I've been practicing my Japanese pronunication lately...

From the beginning:

とても好き、好き

totemo suki, suki

(I really, really like)

踊るの好き、好き

odoru no suki, suki

(I like to dance)

みんなも。。。好き！

minna mo...suki!

(Everyone also likes it!)

After that, I have no idea.

It's been stuck in my head for the past day.

Hilarious.

Purikura Month: Day 2

Aya and I went to purikura again after work today in honor of Purikura Month. Gachapin joined us as a special guest. Now we're watching a chick flick and painting our nails. I love being a girl!