Random but fun fact: sometimes you get free stuff at the gas station in Japan. Most Japanese gas stations are full service….meaning that they’ll fill your tank, wash your windows, and do anything else you tell them as you stay in the comfort of your car. It’s great! What’s better is that after they fill your tank and you pay, sometimes they’ll give you small gifts. Usually it’s a package of tissues (printed with some company’s advertisements on it), but I’ve also heard of people receiving chocolates or cartons of eggs as well. I love the randomness!!
Before I go on with the story, I need to give a little back story about Japan. It is very common to see people wearing face masks (like what doctors wear into surgery) in Japan. I know that in the States if you see someone wearing a face mask, you automatically think OMG, WHAT’S WRONG WITH HIM/HER??? DOES HE/SHE HAVE SARS? SWINE FLU? FLESH-EATING BACTERIA? AHHHHHHHHH!!!! However, it’s completely normal in Japan…..especially in the winter. People do it when they have a cold, the sniffles, allergies, and even for prevention of getting sick. On Wednesday Ian went to the gas station to fill up and get the oil changed. On his way out, the gas station attendant handed Ian a box of face masks as a gift. This box had about fifty masks in it. Ian was confused about taking the whole thing, so he asked. The gas station attendant confirmed and told Ian yes to take the whole box and said, “pu-rez-sent-toe.” 
Awesome. Now we have an ENTIRE box of face masks, and neither of us wear them. Any ideas about what to do with that many face masks….?
Here’s another random but funny story for you….A couple of my third grade girls in the JHS have an obsession with the boy band One Direction, and I told them that I like One Direction last semester. Since then we have been best buds with all things regarding One Direction. Last Friday they ran up to me after class and said: “Melissa-sensei! Melissa-sensei! You…….watch……Japanese TV…..yes?” I said, “Sometimes. A little.” They said, “Tonight…..One Direction….on….Japanese TV. You watch?” I said yes and thanks for the head’s up, and they squealed like….well like JHS girls. Even though I didn’t watch the show because I went to Devin’s apartment on Friday night, I told then on Monday morning that I did, and together we squealed and professed our love for Harry, Louis, Niall, Zayn, and Liam. 
On Tuesday I went to my nursery schools. At my first nursery school, Jikou, I didn’t have to teach. Instead I watched the kids practice some dance routine. It was pretty good coordination for six-year-olds, and I was impressed. However, it then became AWESOME. They were doing flips and tumbles that would definitely be considered too dangerous for kids in the States to do outside of a professional gym. The finale included the kids in the middle doing handstands….and then walking forward on their hands. 
I was so shocked and impressed beyond belief. IT. WAS. INCREDIBLE.
Yesterday was my elementary day at school. I was playing with some of my 3rd grade girls during break time, and one of the girls told me that I have a big nose. I was confused, and I guess my face showed it. She then told me that ALL Americans have big noses. Ha! Ha! What a strange observation…..
Now that the random stories are out of the way, I have good news to spread. Ian and I booked our flights home! WOO-HOO!!! Last weekend we were casually looking at flights and talking about having a layover in Hawaii long enough that we could enjoy a little bit of the islands. As it turns out, a flight with a layover in Honolulu was the cheapest flight we could find. It might be a bit early in the year to be looking at flights, but the more we looked at Hawaii, the more we WANTED TO GO. 
Plus we booked our flights home this time last year, and prices only went up after that. I showed my supervisor on Monday a flight itinerary with a three day layover in Hawaii and compared it to other airlines, showing her that it was the cheapest. (The Japanese airline that I looked at was darn near $4,000, and the other tickets that I found were $2,600 for A ONE WAY TICKET. ) I waited eagerly for her response, knowing that her decision would make the difference between us going to Hawaii or not. She emailed me back on Tuesday with as answer: YES! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! Ian and I are going to fly from Kagoshima –> Tokyo and have a few days to go climb Mt. Fuji and see Tokyo. Then we’re flying Tokyo –> Seoul, Seoul –> Honolulu and having a three day layover there. We already booked a hotel (for FREE thanks to our Amex points!!!). The good thing about our location is that we’re not too far away from Diamond Head volcanic crater or Pearl Harbor. Amazing!! Those three days aren’t going to be long enough I fear! SOOOOOOO. EXCITED. Then we’re back on a plane from Honolulu –> Las Vegas –> Dallas –> Nashville and will arrive back in good ole Paducah on August 15th. We’ll have one last little adventure home before it’s back to regular life in Kentucky. HURRAY!!!
That’s all for now, people! I’d love to stay and write more….but alas…I actually have to do work now.
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