SURPRISE!!!

Well hello everyone. I told you I had a surprise for you, and hopefully you all enjoy it. It's not terribly long, but each video is about 9 minutes and 8 minutes long respectably. Watch the one on top first, then the one on bottom. I am showing you around my apartment, talking about how awesome Japan is, and basically just kind of talking randomly about things I've been doing. I don't go into a lot of detail, it's mostly a tour and me just being me, but I hope you enjoy it none-the-less.

I got that BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

Dozo Dozo (please), Enjoy!!! I got that BOOM BOOM POW! I'm so 3008, you so 2000 LATE!

So, this post might not be too long, but it's just to let you all know that I'm still doing well. I have been pretty busy these past couple of weeks like I always am what with learning Japanese, playing video games, going to work, sleeping and eating, life can get pretty hectic. Not to mention all the time I spend on the internet as well (oh yeah, and throw watching TV into there too, American AND Japanese). So forgive me for not posting as much, but I'm sure you all understand why.

In the next few days I WANT to have a big surprise for you all on this blog, but I'm not 100% sure it will happen, so keep your fingers crossed and don't get TOO excited (but get excited non the less).

Well first of all I would like to announce that I am officially (because it's been for about a month now that I've been like this) down to around 208 pounds. For those of you who were around me before I left you know that I was at a good 220, and that was AFTER I had lost 10 pounds being around 232 when I graduated from college where just 8 months before that I was about 245, so yes, I have dropped a ton of weight (and oh boy you can tell...well..maybe not with my shirt on ;)

I've tightened up a lot since I've been to Japan. I will accredit that to riding a bike everyday. And when I say everyday I literally mean every day. It's interesting how much more fit you are when virtually everywhere you go you have to ride your bike and it's amazing how much money you save when you don't have to have any type of car maintenance.

Speaking of bikes, I got a new bike. Her name is Molly and she's the best thing that's happened to me in Japan (as far as transportation and bikes go). She's a Mustang. No, I'm not talking about her speed. She's literally a Ford Mustang. "But Jeremy, Ford only makes cars! What are you talking about?" In Japan, Ford also makes bicycles. And Chevy also makes bicycles, I even saw a Lamborghini bicycle and a Cadillac bicycle. Yup, that's just how we do it in Japan.

So, you might be asking why I got a Mustang. Well, it's definitely not because it's a Mustang (because all of you that know me know that I can't wait to get up inside my Camaro named Isabelle whenever I come back to the states). It was because it was the best bike for me. Long story short, I've put too much time and effort into the bike(s) that I've had already (I was able to borrow a friend's bike when my spokes broke on the bike that was given to me) and I needed to buy a bike for myself with bigger tires (Editors note: Please reference the blogpost about my bike and a curb). So I got one that fit with me and it just so happened to be a Mustang. Molly is black and silver and she's awesome and she treats me well. I love her. Anyways.

Quick funny story. My kids have been amazing (well...90% of them have..about 10% of them have been well...let's just say I want to toss them off of some sort of high ledge...with water beneath, don't worry, I don't want to kill them). I had a private one time lesson with one of my former students (because the school year ends in march) and he is about three years old. The lesson went awesome, but the funniest part was when I said "Atsuke, how are you?!" And he kind of stayed quiet for a second...thinking...and then he boldly and confidently stated with his hands in front of him folded very respectfully, "My name is Atsuke!" I couldn't help but laugh. After then end of the lesson I asked him again and he said it again in front of his mother, his mother was all smiles. He's a good kid.

I have found out that my favorite class that I have all week (which I have tomorrow in fact, Fridays) is a class that can be the toughest to control. I have three three year olds. Two of them you are all familiar with; Tomonori and Ayumi (both boys) and one new child, her name is Sora (beautiful name really, because it means Sky). They are all getting SO much better at having fun when we are supposed to have fun and then sitting down and listening when I ask them to sit down and listen. And they get SUPER excited when they speak English. Tomonori is the best one at speaking English, even though he doesn't always want to. Ayumi is kind of in the middle but has a great memory, and Sora just repeats EVERYthing I say, which is really good for her English skills because she's constantly speaking English.

Anyway, that's just a quick update. Some of my family is coming to visit at the end of July, so I'm really excited to show off my Japanese to them and introduce them to all my new friends and co-workers. Until next time! じゃね！！ (See you later!)

-Jeremy aka "I gotta feelin...."

The Yes Man

Hello WORLD!!! Pictures Here

I am finding out, day by day, the benefits of saying "Yes" to things. I'm not talking about an extreme "yes yes yes yes yes" to everything like Jim Carrey so carelessly did (but I do love ReDAH BUULLSSZZZAA!!). I am speaking of when life hands asks you if you want lemonade, and you've never had lemonade before, and lemonade has the chance to be one of the most positive and best experiences you've ever had in your entire life; you know what you say? You say, "Yes Life, I would like some lemonade."

When you make yourself more open you are that much more likely to have unique adventures, experiences, and an overall good time. Ever since I have come to Japan I have been under the montra of saying "yes." Obviously I don't do everything, but as I am getting older (yeah, it's olDER not necessarily OLD, so don't start with me about "Oh Jeremy you arent OLD", but I am getting OLDER, so hush) I realize that life is short and the time I will be in Japan is shorter than my entire life span, so you know...what the heck, let's do it. "It" can mean a number of things. "Hey Jeremy you want to go explore Tottori?"

"Yes, Let's do it!'

"Hey Jeremy, you want to go Karaoke with us?" (and I never went Karaokeeing in America)

"Yes, Let's do it!"

"Hey Jeremy, you want to come meet a bunch of people you don't know at a Street Fighter Four tournament?"

"Yes, Let's do it!"

"Hey, Jeremy, you want to go out of town for only a day and a half to a place you've never been?"

"Yes! Let's do it!"

I'm trying to get as much experience as I can. Granted, I haven't said yes to EVERYTHING, but God knows, I've said yes to a lot more than I might have if I was back in the states. Call it having my joy at a level it's never been, call it maturity, wisdom, or a realization of ones location, whatever it is, I'm definitely taking this montra with me for the rest of my life.

So I say all that to say that I said "yes" to a trip this past weekend. I, Rebecca, Todd, and Machiko all went to a place called Matsue. It's about 2.5 hours from Tottori by train and it's another small town, but with a bit more sightseeing and it's more tourist friendly.

From the first hour we were there we had an idea of what we were going to do, but what we planned to do that actual day was spur of the moment. We decided to *drumroll* go to a bird sanctuary. Now, for those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about, a bird sanctuary is basically a zoo, but with only animals who are birds.

People...I saw (cue the Sound of Music) Penguins and peacocks and white flocking geese, Emus and Toucans and Falcons that feast, owls and flowers and bright colored trees, these are a few of my favorite things!

And I saw orange birds, Flamingos, ducks of all kinds, Pelicans, and SO MANY OWLS!!! It was amazing. If you've ever been to a bird sanctuary, you get to buy food for the birds and they come right up on your arm and eat the food. Usually you might think of bright colorful little birds doing this, but no, I had a Toucan. That's right, Toucan Sam was on my arm eating fruit that I had bought for him. It was one of the greatest things ever. Especially when the other Toucan decided he wanted to try to scare Toucan Sam away and he landed on my shoulder. Well neither Sam nor his intimidator left my arm/shoulder and I had two CANS (Two Toucans) on me at once (just a small play on words...laugh people, it's a joke).

Later on, I got to hold an Owl. I got to pet said owl, and the owl was AWESOME! It wasn't anymore than about 8 inches tall, it was one of the coolest things I've ever done, especially since I really really like owls (and a small part due to the fact that I'm on the fourth book of Harry Potter, which I did see the "Hedgwig" owl as well).

After the totally awesome Bird Sanctuary, we went out to eat, went to a movie and went back to our hotel. The next day we went to the Matsue Castle that had been built over 400 years ago and we got to see a mid-level Samurai house that had also been built almost 400 years ago (I think the official year was 398). I bought a Samuri sword (that is only about 7 inches because it is a keychain, because real Samurai swords are illegal in Japan) and was acting like I was a Samurai part of that day. After the Samurai house and the Matsue Castle, we went on a boat ride.

I cannot explain to you all the serenity I felt on that boat ride. You know how everyone wants to go to Venice to experience the boat rides there because that is what Venice is so famous for? Well, I can gaurantee you that in Venice they don't have a Japanese tour guide who sings three songs of Enka for you on a 45 minute boat ride that spans 3.7 kilometers. The weather could NOT have been any better. There was a slight breeze, it was in the 70's and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. The other great part about the boat ride was that at times we went under VERY low bridges. During these times the roof of our boat had to be dropped so low that me, Todd, Machiko, and Rebecca had to either get on our stomachs or backs with the roof of the boat maybe 9 inches in front of our faces, if that much. Now, you might thing this was uncomfortable, but it was only us on what was a decent lenghted boat. In fact, I looked forward to the times we went under the bridge, I really wished that the boat ride had been a couple of hours because I could have fallen asleep, going around the river in Matsue, easily.

We were only in Matsue for 1.5 days, but it felt like at least twice that because we did so much. For those of you that know me, I love to sleep, but as of late, if there is something unique to do in Japan that requires me to get up early, I have found myself not so tired throughout the day and being very glad that I got up rather than stayed in bed. Obviously I wasn't going to stay in bed out of town, but even in town I decided to get up one day when I didn't have to. And boy, was that something else seeing some of my former students (from last calendar year) do ballet.

So the next time someone says, "Hey, you aren't doing anything, and neither am I, let's go check out this thing neither one of us has been too" say "yes" and see what happens.

Disclaimer (read in the voice of Morgan Freeman): Jeremy White is by no means encouraging the use of unprotected sex, alcohol abuse or drug use, the above article is stating decision making as far as outdoor adventures, places to visit, and other things to do that do not include "experimenting" with things that most people know are just stupid to say yes too. Thank you.

-Jeremy aka the yes man

Oh, and I would like to give a shout out to my cousin Morgan who was recently in a play and from what I understand she did an awesome job. Oh, and my sister had an EXCELLENT semester GPA wise this past semester so she deserves a round of applause too. Congrats girls.