happy new year folks. i've finally managed to break the seal on this old blog, which had been growing decidedly "stale" and was in dire need of an update. i can't write much now because i'm finishing up an incredible miyazaki movie (ラピッタ or Laputia in america- the well crafted japanese equivalent of early disney), and in 40 minutes mr. obama-san gets inaugurated as president, so alex and i are staying up until at least 3am to see it live via internet. these strange new feelings (patriotism? political optimism?) are very new and confusing for us, and may take some time to adjust to. this is obviously a very exciting time for my generation, centered around a rare feeling of mutual accomplishment maybe comparable to kennedy's election for some of you out there. the very different impression on my coworkers of Obama compared to Bush (and by extension their general opinion of our country) is enough to give this salty old economics major / politics minor a warm and fuzzy feeling for the future.
in other news, i just made the decision to stay here another year, signed the contract and presented it to my beaming supervisor with an appropriate well-rehearsed statement in formal japanese. the plan at the moment is to spend the next year and a half engaged in intensive japanese language study (along with other meaningful efforts like effective lesson plan development, disciplined karate training and extensive sake sampling), apply to some grad schools in the arena of international business next fall, and see what opens up from there. a gaping chasm into the earth's unforgiving core? perhaps. but hopefully job opportunities working with development economics instead.
more to come later! namely kyoto and the fox shrine of a thousand gates, osaka's bridge-shaking new years celebration, kobe and the heartbreaking bear phone saga, fukuoka and the new year's karate ceremony, futile efforts to integrate myself more into japanese society, what i've been up to these past few months, that kind of thing. it'll all be in there.
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i am holding you to that "more to come later!" business. yeah, i'm pessimistic. i said it. but, having said that, i am a pretty gigantic fan of that bear phone series of photos. that was great. you should probably be on skype more too. these are my words to you.
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