EXAMS!

So I'm pretty much smack dab in the middle of 10 exams, 3 reports, and a presentation! (granted all the reports are turned in now!)
and wow... this is like a marathon...
I've learned that I cannot study AT ALL in my room... too much distraction being in the same room as a bed...
I fall asleep so easily within a 10 foot radius of a bed... or a table with a built in heater...

SO I've spent a lot of time studying at Mister Donut... some of you may remember this shop from its pre-1990 existence in the States... where it started and was then bought out by Dunkin Donuts.
in any case... they give free refills on coffee and serve delicious corn soup or onion soup!
AND you get free stuff!

So I wrote that yesterday, then drafted it... I got tired of writing but didn't feel finished.
Today I had my Furukawa exams! I ended up with an 89 on the 2nd 3rd of grammar for the term... I should have gotten higher but I made too many careless misses...
I had a 5 minute "phone conversation" with Furukawa SenseiYuri Chan about cancelling plans to go see a movie on sunday, I had to think fast (like on the phone) so I was like "uh...my mom went to the hospital with a broken foot!" I have no idea why that was the 1st thing that came to mind...
I also had to perform a drama for my seminar. I'm so glad I only have 4 exams left... but I'm bummed that I have to end the semester with Takahashi sensei...

anywhoo... 2 days then I am FREEEEEE! (for 2 months)

SNOOOOOOOW!

It snowed in Kyoto today, and this past week. It reminded me of N. Georgia (more snow than atlanta, but still laughable in comparison to MI.)
I also for the 1st time encountered the YAKIIMO Man!
You know how the favorite summer treat of little children in the US is to hear that little creepy circus jingle come down the street that only means one thing: "ICE CREAM MAN, ICE CREAM MAN!" WELL, here in Japan in winter they have the Sweet potato man!
here's a glimpse of him in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRvoSF2pyt4
I have heard this tune many times, but not until Saturday had I encountered the actual YakiImo man!
Well, Exams are coming up really soon! a week from friday to be exact... and it will be a busy week, 10 exams, 1 presentation, and 3 reports! AHHHHHH!
BUUUT! after that I get a 2 month break til it gets warm again!
I hope to find a cheap ticket to Korea!

Oh and I forgot to mention, I had a day off yesterday, so I went to finally see Wall・E but it was changed into Japanese, and the reason I don't say dubbed is cuz not only did the voices change, but all the written stuff changed to Japanese as well... but as it was a childrens movie, I still understood it!

What that was a break?

so I have a test, report, and presentation tomorrow. What better time to write about my all together too short vacation?

so I got out of classes for vacation on Dec 24th (way too late right?).
That night I had dinner with Clara (pictured below in the red and black), Momo, and others It was quite delicious and westerny!
Christmas night I was supposed to have Chinese food with my chinese friend, but he totally flaked out on me, so I went to Osaka's nearby Sono and had Toriyaki (chicken on a stick(mom you used to buy it alot at Costco)) with Akiko and Yamauchi! It was the 1st time I had Cocoro (chicken heart on a stick) which is surprisingly good... I never fail to be impressed by what the Japanese diet DOESN'T include haha.
Afterwards, we did the Christmas tradition(??!??) of Bowling and Biliards!
I was horrible haha...

on the 27th-29th, I went to Fukui-ken,Fukui-shi to visit Yuka's(who visited atlanta over the summer) family and got to see a cliff where people commit suicide (it's named after a monk who was forced to jump off the cliff), and a dinosaur museum... Dinosaurs in Japan... WHO KNEW?
I went to Osaka on the 29th and met with some friends, as always Osaka was quite fun! We hung around my train station (Osaka Umeda) .
On the 30th, I did a bit of English teaching, then Had dinner with my friend Ken chan, a sophomore who volunteers in my Conversation class.
New years was quite fun, I brought in the New Year with my friends Yasunari and Yuki and (ironically) Toshi (Toshi is one of the readings for the chinese character for year... therefore it was fnny that I was with toshi in the new toshi... ok... I laughed...
Over this past weekend, I visited a friend who worked in a Traditional Japanese hotel in Shiga-ken, and we had some really good sushi!
On Sunday night, I had what's called a 新年会 or new years party, and did a ton of Karaoke...
This week so far I've just been writing a paper, preparing a presentation, correcting a 130 page graduate thesis for a friend, and studying for my test tomorrow.