recently...

another exciting weekend comes to a close...
friday night we hit nakamachi, the bar and restaurant strip a block from my apartment, with anna [the younger sister of a good friend from back home] and her friend who had been in kyoto studying. we started at funae, a lively bar with great food and the infamous nomihodai [all-you-can-drink].

then it was on to our favorite karaoke joint, PTA.

it was packed. turns out it was a japanese friend's birthday party.

i really only know this fella from around town but he's super nice; one of the first people we met after arriving in japan. he even came, along with the owner of PTA, to visit me while i was in the hospital.

saturday afternoon i threw together a picnic of guacamole, cheese and crackers and snacks and the girls headed to takada park for a little relaxing and reading. the park is about a 10 minute walk from my place and is a beautiful spot this time of year. there is a castle in the center surrounded by a pond covered with lotus flowers. the weekends find lots of families, lovers and fishermen making the rounds.
that evening we were at it again...started off at a swanky coffee shop, then to the cheap draft beer spot, next was the place with great pizza and darts, and late night was the one local dance club which was pleasantly busy.
before...

after...

a successful evening.
my car's being repossessed!
not because i didn't pay the bill... sunday afternoon a few of the jet participants in town met with a representative of the company from which we rent cars. they are going out of business and can no longer lease us vehicles. initially they had given us a 2 week notice that we had to turn in our wheels, but they reconsidered and we can now use them until july 31. if lining a car up the first time is any indication, finding a new ride is going to be a mess of stress. the breaking of a contract is very un-japanese-y and was quite a surprise to us and our japanese friends. afterwards, to unwind, we headed back to takada park with our books, basket of food and blankets.

so here it is, sunday night in japan. i just finished a great dinner of fresh spinach and tomatoes sauteed with olive oil and pork tenderloin. [a new grocery store opened down the street this weekend. you know how much i love to shop for food... it's the first time i've seen a tenderloin in the grocery store. they're coming around.] i'm really feeling comfortable here now. i've been realizing what a great crowd of friends i've made. i figure the jet program did a good job of weeding out the losers before shipping us over here. now it's a concentrated group of interesting, ambitious, outgoing people, all traits i appreciate in others. i'm also doing well integrating myself into daily life here. the hospital is no longer an insurmountable obstacle. i can leave the house without my dictionary. i can ask questions in important situations. i am not, however, complacent here. there is still much studying to be done, many places to see, so many people to meet. in my mind, i view complaceny as hesitation. it's a signal that it's time to shake things up, to reconsider your goals and aims. it's not a positive because it's like a rut you're stuck in. that's why i'm still enjoying life here; it's challenging.