Snow is great. Sure, it’s cold and wet, but without snow winter wouldn’t be winter.
The weather is getting a little warmer again, though, so the snow is melting. But, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing some more white pretty soon, maybe next week. The worst of winter is yet to come.
I haven’t had time to build a snowman yet, so I hope I can build one the next time it snows. Make sure you dress warm!
Mika
After a 10 hour flight, I’m back in Japan. The entertainment system on the plane was broken, so I wasn’t able to watch any movies. All I could do was try to sleep and listen to my iPod.
My 10 days in Seattle went by very fast. It was a little too short, I think :(. But I was able to see my family and even visit my dad’s uncle in Vancouver, Canada, so I was glad I made the trip.
And now that I’m back in Japan … I have jet-lag! I wake up at about 4.30am, so by the evening I’m really really tired. I wish I could sleep a little longer. It’ll take another week or so before my body gets used to Japan time.
Mika
I finally arrived in Seattle early yesterday, after a 9 hour flight. The flight was very comfortable … I was sitting in economy class, but someone else also had a ticket for the seat I was in. In the end, they moved me to a seat which was in business class! It was amazing … The food and drinks were great, and I was able to turn the seat into a bed after dinner :)
When I arrived, I was very surprised to find Seattle covered in snow. It usually doesn’t snow in Seattle, but this year, there has been a snow blizzard. It looks like we’ll have a white Christmas this year!
I’ve been running errands for the past two days, getting ready for Christmas. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, so my family will have our Christmas dinner. It’s going to be a lot of fun!
Mika
I’m going home for Christmas this year. I’m leaving from Narita airport on December 22nd. That’s only two weeks away!
I’m excited to go back home, but before I can do that, I need to go shopping. I need to get my parents and brother and sister some Christmas gifts! Easier said than done.
I never know what I should get for my family. Deciding what to buy is always the hardest part of Christmas. I might get some Japanese pottery for my parents, but what my brother and sister would like, I have no idea. Any suggestions? Advice? I will probably shop for gifts this coming weekend, on Saturday.
Mika
Yesterday was the local volleyball tournament. You could play normal volleyball or soft volleyball. I decided to take part in the soft volleyball division with some of my friends.
What can I say – It was a blast! We had not practiced before, so through the day we were slowly learning how to work together as a team and pass the ball. Every once in a while, we made some amazing plays!
But in the end, we lost. In fact, all we did was lose! We didn’t win a single game. We were the worst team at the tournament, but maybe that made it even more fun. Usually I enjoy playing tennis, but it’s refreshing to play other sports every once in a while.
There’s another volleyball tournament in February … maybe we’ll practice for that one :)
Mika
That’s right! On January 20th, 2009, Obama will become the president of the United States of America.
I’ve been listening to the news all day and watching the election map, waiting to see how the election would end. McCain put up a good fight, but just after I finished lunch, he conceded the election to Obama. I was so excited!
It’s been a long campaign, but Obama was able to keep his lead and win the election. It’s one of the most exciting things to happen in America in a long time, and I can’t wait to see how America and the world change once Obama takes office.
Congratulations to everyone out there who supported Obama!
Mika
Happy Halloween!
On October 31st, America and several other countries celebrate this spooky holiday. It’s especially fun for children, who get to dress up in costumes and go “trick-or-treating”. It’s always a race to see who can get the most candy.
Last year, I didn’t have much luck with Halloween. I looked all around for pumpkins, but I didn’t find any – I was a little disappointed :(. But this year, I tried again … and fortune struck! One day when I was driving around Ohasama, I found a small farm with pumpkins! I didn’t have the courage to go alone, so I asked a friend of mine to go with me, and we visited the farm together.
The owner was very nice, and after an hour-long cup of coffee, he gave me two pumpkins! I was so happy!
Finally, yesterday a few of my students and I made the pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. It was a lot of fun! They looked amazing when we lit the candles and turned off the lights. It finally felt like Halloween :)
Have a safe weekend, and try not to meet any ghosts!
Mika
My brother, Marko, had his birthday a few days ago on October 20th. He went out to dinner with my sister and her boyfriend to celebrate at a place called Cafe Juanita. I bet you’ll never guess who was there …
Ichiro!
When they went to the restaurant, Ichiro was having dinner there as well! I wish I could have been along, too :) It would have been rude to interrupt his dinner, though, so no autographs :*(
Halloween is coming up fast, and I’m looking for some pumpkins to carve!
Mika
Mikan English, the newsletter, is finally available at all of my schools! I hope you enjoy it :)
You can find the newsletter here, too, by going to the “Mikan English” link above.
I am already working on the November edition, so if you have any suggestions or comments, let me know!
Mika
My legs are a bit sore this morning. Yesterday, I took part in the Hayachine Road Race at the Hayachine Dam, in Ohasama. Last year, I went as a volunteer, helping with the setup, etc. Afterwards, I decided that I would run in the race this year … but, as luck would have it, I was late registering, so the only event still open was walking :|.
So, yesterday, instead of running, I walked the 10km course as fast as I could. Actually, it was a very nice walk with a lot of great scenery. The course went along many small roads through the rice fields near the dam. Next year, I’ll remember to register for the race earlier :).
Mika
