most likely, i will assume the character of a stereotypical american tourist, . . . lost, picture happy, sweaty, fumbling with my phrasebook.

i’ve been meaning to write some snippets here and there, but haven’t quite gotten to it.

we’ve finished open classes at school, and the week after next week, we’ll be on summer break.

it’s getting hot. i still remember what august was like last year, so i know we haven’t hit our peak heat yet, and i’m not looking forward to it. currently it’s raining cats and dogs, so the temperature has dropped for the weekend.

i’m spending this weekend cleaning up my apartment and doing some prep packing. this time next week, i’ll be arriving in japan. camille and i have been researching, booking, and talking to people about decent places to visit. several people have stated that of all the traveling they’ve done, japan was the hottest place they’ve been. . . and according to wikipedia. . . we will be there on the hottest (average) week of the year.

is it possible for sweat glands to be overworked?

of course we’re trying to pepper our days with interior (hopefully air-conditioned) places to visit.

i’m pretty sure we’ll be overwhelmed with the things to see and do, but i like a lot of the things we’ve tagged so far. -sadly, it’s not sumo season!

it’s late. . . but i’ve popped in a few japanese audiobooks as well. (i can almost count to ten!) the japanese language really makes me appreciate the korean language more. the korean alphabet is so much easier, so much more manageable. I don’t think i’ll even attempt acquainting myself with japanese characters.

something that is both fun and frustrating. . . as i was trying to learn bits of korean and trying to come up with words that were anything but english. . . my french often popped out. . . and now, trying to recall simple japanese phrases (and not use english) both french and korean are popping out.



i will be traveling sans computer- so i might only get a chance to twitter or facebook arrivals and departures.

errrr, no easy internet access, so if i wanna look up that cool thing in kyoto. . . i’ll have to rely on my tour book. . . or anything i’ve written out, or printed up previously. . . which is really putting my prep skills to the test.

though i see this as a personal challenge. . . i’m also considering it as measure for how much i need an ipad. yes, internet access makes me lazy when it comes to preparedness. (why bother to look up movies/ directions/ hours of operation/ prices/ restrictions before i leave? google can provide once i’m already en-route.) do i want an ipad? yes. do i need an ipad? hmmmmm. . . i’ll get back to you.



it’s all daunting. . . kind of. and like most daunting tasks, i will start with something small and over-work it. . .then move on. (like cleaning my room as a kid. i would start by polishing my jewelry.- not that i had a lot of really nice fancy jewelry. . . but it kept me in percolating mode until i figured out how to proceed through the whole room) so i think i’ll spend the next hour or so figuring out a really cool way to fold and store a map. . .then i’ll try to find the perfect shampoo and conditioner bottles. . . . then, perhaps, i’ll clean the apartment and consider travel wardrobe.

- i have put a time limit on it. swon will be visiting in the afternoon. . . so i need to press through and have the apartment ready for visitors by then.