So I've finally decided to start a blog...

Wow! My first ever blog entry- I'm actually a bit nervous. I'm not sure if anyone will ever actually read this, but if you are, thank you!

I guess I decided to write this for tons of reasons, a big one being because I would like to reconnect with people back home. I want to share with you my daily (ummm... let's go for weekly ;-)) adventures. Not to say my life is so full of adventures, just that I don't think many people can really understand what life is like over here in Japan. After 5 years, I'm over the culture shock and the touristy feelings- Japan is now home (hopefully not forever though), and many things that have become 'normal' for me are probably bewildering to some of you. So when you have time, come visit my blog and learn what my life over here is really like!

Today was a productive day, mentally speaking. After my two classes (busy day! ha) I hung around the computers all day. My current school is so annoying: they have 3 computers hooked up to the Internet for 50 teachers! That's right, FIFTY! (In Japan all the teachers work together in one huge room, 'The Staff Room'- they don't have their own classrooms and thus no privacy or quiet time, EVER!) Of course some teachers bring their own laptops, but many don't, and I'm not about to jostle my raggedy old machine on my 30-min bike rides to school! But today I was able to snatch a computer, ALL DAY! I could see the teachers hanging around me, waiting for the chance for me to go to the printer, or better yet, the bathroom, but I never gave in!

After finding a few ideas on teaching "Where is...?" to my first years, I decided to search grad school programs. I've been thinking about grad school for a long time, but financial issues have kept me from applying. Also for the longest time I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to study- so many things seemed interesting! But recently I came across a program in 'sustainable international development' (SID) and it's perfect! I'm so, so, so happy to have finally found something I love and that really calls to me (if you understand what I'm getting at) It's a program focusing on development economics and policies to help world's disadvantaged now while not threatening their future. I'm sure many of you know that I went on a volunteer trip to India a few years back and since that time I decided that helping people is what I want to do with my life. With this program, I'll finally know how to do just that!

So I've found the program of study, now to find a school. I would like one that has a good and supportive program, but I also have to be able to afford it somehow. Those two requirements, and that fact that SID is still a relatively new discipline, mean that finding a school isn't as easy as I'd hoped. So far Brandeis U, American U, and my Alma Mater George Washington U seem perfect and I may just apply to all three. Of course the money issue comes up, because all these programs are crazy expensive, so I'm going to keep looking. I'm also considering getting my degree abroad, in Australia, here in Japan, or I'm even thinking of India, but only if they have good programs.

To be honest it's really difficult doing all this over here. Basics like taking the GRE become difficult (I have to wait until February to take it), not to mention trying to get letters of recommendation, in English! No one really understands the whole process. But even worse, after being here for over 5 years, I realize that even I may need some work to sell myself. I've become so used to being humble and talking down myself that trying to write a strong letter of intent is a real challenge!! Plus speaking only Japanese and very simple English every single day, has really killed my vocabulary (I'm currently reading the classics in an effort to improve that though...) I've got a lot of work to do before I can get this butt back in school!