How Japan has changed me so far

Got lousy sleep last night! It didn't help that Jared (my 7-year-old son), who has to meet with the other neighborkids for rajio taiso (radio exercise) at 6:30 every morning during his summer vacation, woke me up this morning when he was getting prepared to leave. What is the purpose of these exercises, anyway? It certainly isn't to get in shape! Have any of you ever seen them? They're like physical therapy for geriatric patients! I know, I know--the real purpose is to demonstrate the importance of exercise, discipline and togetherness. I'm just complaining because I got woken up early...

Christopher from Mito-cho and members of his BOE were passing through my town. I am good friends with his office lady, so she gave a ring and we all went for lunch together. It is always fun to spend time with 1st-year JETs. They have so much energy and find everything so interesting. Oh, to be a newbie! Of course, I wouldn't really want to do my 1st year over again (I was so confused!), but it is fun to reminisce and see things anew again through the eyes of others.

Lunch with Christopher got me to thinking about how I've changed since I came. I have come up with the following incomplete list:

• I know longer feel obliged to accept all the flyers and advertisements people hand out.
• I bow when I talk on the phone.
• I have ALMOST broken my habit of saying, "Bless you" when I hear someone sneeze.
• I have stopped claiming to speak Japanese.
• Although I still avoid the sun considerably less than the average Japanese woman my age, my annual ray intake for the past 2 years is only slightly more than that of a vampire. (If I had boobs, I might be mistaken for Elvira at this point!)

It's a short list, but I'm short on time. Feel free to comment on things I should have included here...Au revoir!