Just to prove I can post more than once in a week (ahem... two weeks!!)- read this!!

Ha... I bet you thought I've actually been up to something. Nope. Ok that's not entirely true. The rain finally stopped on Sunday and now the weather is gorgeous (thanks to Mom for leaving town). Yesterday I went out for a run- I am still in awe of how beautiful this area is in spring! The irises are in full bloom in a huge variety of colors (purple, yellow, peach, white, yellow and red, purple and lavender, and on and on). There are loads of other flowers blooming wherever I look, plus the rice fields are picture perfect this month: the rice is only about 6 inches high and the fields are filled with water. This in turn reflects the nearby houses, trees, flowers, and mountains. Double mountains make me feel like I'm flying!! As I run, there are always several obaachans and ojiisans (affectionate general names for the old men and women) in their gardens. Man, do they work hard!

Hm.. what else have I been up to? Well, yesterday the students took mid-terms so not much. Since I haven't had any classes (none yesterday, today I have one, probably none tomorrow) I have used my time for working on my latest Econ. chapter (only one more to go before my final!), re-decorating the all-purpose/English room with posters & other fun stuff, preparing for my adult English class (which I taught last night) and have done a lot of internet surfing. We are on the verge of getting information on our replacements, in fact I already located Danielle's successor hanging out on a popular JET internet forum. I'm mostly really excited to start corresponding with my replacement, but I'm also a bit sad because this emphasizes how very little time I have left in Misato. Which of course, is even more sad considering how BEAUTIFUL it is this month! I'm ready to be leaving my job here at school (most days) but I will really, really miss Nagano.

Good thing I'll only be 3 hours away!!