Apologies all around. I've had a busy and generally internet-free week. Mia left today and since I arrived on Wednesday, we've been having very condensed social time. Lots of food and fun.

The first two days I was here, we didn't do anything in particular. I did a lot of sleeping and we mostly stayed at home to eat. On Friday, it was Kikko's birthday, so we went out for yakiniku. The restaurant was empty, probably because of the weather. It's hot and humid and generally gross and sticky, but getting better as autumn creeps up. On Saturday, we spent a day with the family and had a very nice evening with our friends Tomoco and Justin. On Sunday, Mia and I went to Shinjuku for shopping and browsing at book, electronics and other assorted stores.

On Monday, I headed back to school early for bus monitor training. We did nothing which worth mentioning... except learning how to use the EpiPen, which is a pre-measured dosage of medication for people with food allergies. In such a situation, we would be allowed to take said contraption and jab it into someone's leg. Hurrah!

Tuesday and Wednesday were all fleeting reprises of summer vacation. On Tuesday, Mia accompanied me to an excellent exhibit called Pixar: 20 Years of Animation. I got a catalogue. I really enjoyed the exhibit. Made me consider illustration even more seriously and perhaps aiming for a job at Pixar sometime in the future. Oh, goals. Wednesdays are Ladies's Day in Tokyo, which means that movies are 1000 yen (about $10) for all females, so on Wednesday, Mia and I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean. It was campy, absurd, and thoroughly enjoyable. Especially the sea people. And the currently unresolved plot holes. Can't wait to see how close my predictions are in a year's time.

Thursday and Friday were orientation days for middle and elementary school students. We only had to stay in the morning and had our first taste of senior spoilage: Senior Breakfast. Three cheers for free stuff! Tomorrow, I have to go in all day (Ugh) to learn CPR and other medical/emergency things.

So I should probably go to sleep. So many things to do before school starts...