M I C . . . see you real soon? . . . K E Y
Happy Birthday Mom and Raulito! I wish you the best and wish I could be there.
No more Mickey. He has left us. Last night, Kaz, the ALT who lives in Koyama the town in between Cristina and I, met us in my house. We spoke for a couple of hours and had a great time. However, when she was about to leave I saw Mickey as I do every night out of the corner of my eye and we tracked him down to behind a small bookcase I have. I kept an eye on him while Cristina and Kaz handed me the glue traps so that I could put one on either side. Within seconds the mouse ran and foound itself glued to the trap. They told me to close it after I caught it so I did but the mouse was still alive (we could hear it squeaking). So Cristina hit it (understatment) while we made loud noises so she wouldn't hear the mouse. It gets better because garbage is difficult to understand if you do not know japanese. Apparently there are 5 different classifications of recyclables that go out on certain days. Since I still dont know the system, Kaz volunteered to take it to a convenience store where garbage is only classified into burnables and non-burnables. (We voted burnables.)
Some other interesting happenings yesterday . . . at 10 a.m. I had to introduce myself to town officials in Japanese. It was fun. For lunch I had a Gatorade, a fried sweet potato/pumpkin thingy and some fried dumplings. I know I gorged myself, and the best part is that it was only 3 bucks. I also got the opportunity of sending for my absentee ballot. I urge you all to register to vote at this time if you have not already. I also received my alien registration card which looks just like a driver's license with a goofy picture of me on it. And, I opened up my bank account in the post office. Yes, the post office. I already have the equivalent of 10 cents in it.
As to answer some of Ashley's questions from her comment as I am sure that several of you (if anybody else is reading this) have the same questions. . . . my "fast as an ostrich" comment was alluding to Cristina's ridiculous comment (ostrich is the fastest animal on Eartth). No I did not know how to drive stick shift before Cristina's dad taught me. I have never had a reason to. (So you got me on that, but I know how to drive it now.) As for the car being different . . . it is. Think of a mini coop or a civic hatch back half the size. You drive on the opposite side of the road with the wheel on the opposite side AND everytime I get in the car my knees hit the steering wheel. Add to that the fact that we are driving in the mountains, with ditches that work for gutters so that there are no land slides everytime it rains (the car can get stuck in these, they are deep) and the fact that the roads are narrow with sharp turns. So it is a bit scary at times.
As for not catching the mouse . . . too late. I actually thought the same thing, but I cant think that way anymore. And I pray that there are not any mousey babies around.
I have not seen anybody eat anything crazy but I have seen crazy things at the grocery store. Lots of weird seafood and bags of fish flakes. The raddishes here are huge. I also saw some green bread with some brown stuff on it that I want to try but havenet. Oh actually, the other day with tea I had some omiyage someone brought from Osaka that everyone was skeptical about because it was a sweet made from octopus. I was good though. It looked like a ball of dough. And NO, no one has died from a pucker fish yet as far as I'm aware.
Something neat that I forgot to tell you guys about . . . Yesterday after Cristina went home, Kaz went to go visit the Katos and they called me up. Apparently they had a makeshift party outside their house. They were hosting several people from Kanagawa (near South Tokyo) who were here working in the Space Center. They were cooking outside and made some YakuSoba or SobaYaku, I cant remember. It's grilled noodles with vegetables meat and seafood. In my plate during one of my many servings (IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD), I was served this half of an Octopus (that would be 4 tentacles) which I could not bring myself to eat. Maybe next time.
Well thats it for now. Jane.
No more Mickey. He has left us. Last night, Kaz, the ALT who lives in Koyama the town in between Cristina and I, met us in my house. We spoke for a couple of hours and had a great time. However, when she was about to leave I saw Mickey as I do every night out of the corner of my eye and we tracked him down to behind a small bookcase I have. I kept an eye on him while Cristina and Kaz handed me the glue traps so that I could put one on either side. Within seconds the mouse ran and foound itself glued to the trap. They told me to close it after I caught it so I did but the mouse was still alive (we could hear it squeaking). So Cristina hit it (understatment) while we made loud noises so she wouldn't hear the mouse. It gets better because garbage is difficult to understand if you do not know japanese. Apparently there are 5 different classifications of recyclables that go out on certain days. Since I still dont know the system, Kaz volunteered to take it to a convenience store where garbage is only classified into burnables and non-burnables. (We voted burnables.)
Some other interesting happenings yesterday . . . at 10 a.m. I had to introduce myself to town officials in Japanese. It was fun. For lunch I had a Gatorade, a fried sweet potato/pumpkin thingy and some fried dumplings. I know I gorged myself, and the best part is that it was only 3 bucks. I also got the opportunity of sending for my absentee ballot. I urge you all to register to vote at this time if you have not already. I also received my alien registration card which looks just like a driver's license with a goofy picture of me on it. And, I opened up my bank account in the post office. Yes, the post office. I already have the equivalent of 10 cents in it.
As to answer some of Ashley's questions from her comment as I am sure that several of you (if anybody else is reading this) have the same questions. . . . my "fast as an ostrich" comment was alluding to Cristina's ridiculous comment (ostrich is the fastest animal on Eartth). No I did not know how to drive stick shift before Cristina's dad taught me. I have never had a reason to. (So you got me on that, but I know how to drive it now.) As for the car being different . . . it is. Think of a mini coop or a civic hatch back half the size. You drive on the opposite side of the road with the wheel on the opposite side AND everytime I get in the car my knees hit the steering wheel. Add to that the fact that we are driving in the mountains, with ditches that work for gutters so that there are no land slides everytime it rains (the car can get stuck in these, they are deep) and the fact that the roads are narrow with sharp turns. So it is a bit scary at times.
As for not catching the mouse . . . too late. I actually thought the same thing, but I cant think that way anymore. And I pray that there are not any mousey babies around.
I have not seen anybody eat anything crazy but I have seen crazy things at the grocery store. Lots of weird seafood and bags of fish flakes. The raddishes here are huge. I also saw some green bread with some brown stuff on it that I want to try but havenet. Oh actually, the other day with tea I had some omiyage someone brought from Osaka that everyone was skeptical about because it was a sweet made from octopus. I was good though. It looked like a ball of dough. And NO, no one has died from a pucker fish yet as far as I'm aware.
Something neat that I forgot to tell you guys about . . . Yesterday after Cristina went home, Kaz went to go visit the Katos and they called me up. Apparently they had a makeshift party outside their house. They were hosting several people from Kanagawa (near South Tokyo) who were here working in the Space Center. They were cooking outside and made some YakuSoba or SobaYaku, I cant remember. It's grilled noodles with vegetables meat and seafood. In my plate during one of my many servings (IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD), I was served this half of an Octopus (that would be 4 tentacles) which I could not bring myself to eat. Maybe next time.
Well thats it for now. Jane.
posted by Jesse Montano at
8:38 AM
3 Comments:
poopie, it looks like you signed your blog, jane... like the name. (teehee.) it took me a bit to realize you meant to say bye-bye. love you. clt
By
Anonymous, at 1:48 PM
Thank you Jess! Be careful driving. It sounds very scary. I love you and miss ya lots, xoxoxoxo
By
Anonymous, at 4:23 AM
You are such a fancy man, mr. jesse. I hope that you try some 7/11 ONIGIRI (Sea chicken is the yummiest).... Know that I am riveted by your adventures, am missing you and Cristina fiercely, and think that you are brave and wonderful. (CK)
By
Anonymous, at 5:57 AM
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