So I really need to update about the holidays and maybe a quick run-through of my winter break. I'm moving into homestay today and am freaking out just a bit. I'm so nervous about whether or not it will work out and if it wouldn't have just been easier to stay in the dorms. I think it has something to do with the fact that I am somewhat dissapointed with my family placement. Its amazing how you try not to have expectations but you end up having them anyway. So I'm gonna try and blog about the holidays a bit to try and relax myself.

So as it turned out I was incredibly busy after Elizabeth moved out, with all the last minute practices we had before the shamisen concert. But it went okay, I looked great in my kimono and we even played alright. There was the one exception of when I dropped my music on a page turn, which was a small disaster but we managed to get it together again after the next koto solo. Eventually I'll have a video of that performance to post. After that Tomosuke and I went and found something for dinner and made an early night of it. I had sooo much to do the next day. I decided that it was best to carry only one package at a time to the post office because they were so heavy. So I went and mailed the lighter box first, I'll get to what made that such a huge mistake later. And then from there I proceeded straight on the train station to go into Osaka and get my reentry permit. The immigration bureau is pretty damn far and it took longer than I expected. I got back to the dorm with like zero time to clean before my inspection and the other box STILL not sent. Somehow I manage to clean the room in time, although I managed to have one of my plates be missing beyond finding and had to pay for it. And so then I grabbed the other box and my Tsubasa concert ticket and ran off again. But as it happened I was one minute late and the post office was closed. So I ditched the box in a coin locker at the station thinking I'd send it the next day. Finding the concert venue and getting there on time was relatively uneventful and although my seat was, lets face it less than spectacular, I had really enthusiatic Japanese fans next to me and all in all we had a good time. But I did loose my really awesome hat. So I went home and had someone let me in because I had already surrundered the keys.

The next morning it occured to me that I really should have called a taxi to take me to the station, but I managed with my one very large suticase and backpak. I got some help getting on the bus from a little old lady. This same lady conveyed to me as she was helping me out of the bus again that it was a holiday when I asked where the nearest post office was. I had completely forgotten the emperors birthday. This meant that the box that was still locked in the coin locker was unsendable till the next day. However, I had to get from Osaka to Tokyo that day. I had no choice but to take it with me. So what was quite possibly one of the worst days I have ever had began. I tried to balance the box on top of my suitcase while rolling it, this was the only way I could have managed, but that made the suitcase almost unbearably heavy, not to mention almost impossible to get up and down stairs. It also kept falling OFF the suitcase to my extreme frustration. As I was switching trains to get my my transfer on the Keihan line, I had still not quite got the knack of getting the suitcase on and off trains. As I struggled with the bag, my shoe gets caught in the gap between the platform and the train and falls off down onto the tracks. So there I was with this impossibly heavy burden in the train station and no shoe. I had to call for a station attendent to come and fish it out for me after the train had left. However I got to the Shinkansen without anything too horrible happening after that. But since it was a holiday, no ATMs, and I had long since established that I could not use my credit card for this purpose. Luckily, I had just barely enough (turns out our wussy student discount of 2,000 yen was what ended up allowing me to eat that day). So the Shinkansen wasn't so bad, a long stretch without having the haul nearly 100 pounds worth of stuff. However once I got to Tokyo I had two train transfers and a 15 minute walk to Scribe's apartment from the train station. Turns out thats more like 45 minute with the load I was dealing with. I got lucky that day, almost all the time someone would stop and help me while I was struggling up and down stairs. But that final walk to her apartment was hell, simply put. Tired, frustrated and muttering crazily to myself. I finally made it, found Scribe's key and let myself in. I had been going to explore Tokyo that day, but instead I did not stir from my spot at her kotatsu (a wonderful under table heating device for those who don't know its magic) except to get some delicious Indian food for dinner, until she got home from work. I also bought a pastry for us to share. And once she got home we had a great time catching up and laughing.

Well thats all of for now, its a long post and I've gotta get checked out of the dorm I suppose. Everyone wish me luck, and keep your fingers crossed that all my nerves and fears about the homestay turn out to be for naught. Because its really intimidating. I've never done anything like that before.