This week has been pretty much full of farewell parties and seeing people off from the bus that takes them to the airport, so there hasn't been too much room for photos of scenery and the like.
Sorry about that.
BUT.
I'm going camping tomorrow morning, so I should have plenty of pictures from then .
But I have some money ideas, so look forward to that.
Thursday was not much besides a farewell party, in which we all got together one last time before people started leaving on Friday and over the weekend. It was potluck-style, and I made some bacon and spinach pasta with an alfredo sauce to go with it. I made a lot, so I was glad when I realised there was next to none of it left by the time all was said and done.
Oh, and Thursday before the party, a friend took me to a person who he has been teaching English to over the past semester, and since he's left, he passed the job over to me. It pays really well, and it's only once a week--I'll be able to buy groceries and do general living, besides things like travel off of it. In a few weeks, before school starts but after the initial onset of summer has passed, I'll see about finding a couple more pupils to teach. I'll need to, if I want to be able to do much this summer. At the moment, the exchange rate between the dollar and yen is pretty close to awful, so I need all the help I can get.
Money coming straight from Japanese people is the best idea I have, and if I can tutor just a couple more people, I won't need to resort to my bank account so often.
Well that was depressing for me to think about.
Let's look at a lovely moon to lighten up our spirits a bit, shall we?
Friday was devoted to visiting with all of my closest exchange student friends before one of my best friends from the group left on Saturday afternoon. We went to the arcades, ate together, and just generally hung out. I also met a few new Japanese people, and that was really nice. Met a new friend who is a fellow artist, so we have enjoyed looking at each others' artwork and conversation. It's been nice.
Saturday was hanging out last minute with one of my best exchange friends before he left for Narita that afternoon. My other best friend here and I helped him get his things weighed and checked over, and we visited with him until his bus came to carry him off. He's back home safely now, but I must say, I'm a little lonely.
What's that you say?
"Stop being sad and show us another sunset"?
Well, here you go.
Sunday was helping a friend pack and watching part of the Avengers online together before he had to leave on Monday.
I also got a lot of free stuff from him and some of the other people. Two small bookshelves, new pots, pans, foods, spices, sauces. That part has been really nice, but saying good-bye, even though it may be temporary and we still have the internet to keep in touch, has been quite painful. Since everyone's left on Monday, except for a few exchange friends and my native friends [although they're all off on vacations or whatever at the moment], I've a little bit lonely, to be honest.
SUNSET. LOOK AT IT.
I'll be okay, though, I'm sure of that much. It's just going to be a bit difficult until I can hang around my native Japanese friends a bit more and talk to the friends who have gone back home. Funny to think, though, that if I were only staying for the semester, still, I'd be leaving in just two days. I'm happy that I'm not, but I wonder how difficult that will make things when the 6th of February comes along.
Okay. Sorry. That's the last time I'm upsetting myself, I promise.
So this week, I haven't been doing too much--filling out some forms that needed to be taken care of, watching movies on the computer, and finally tidying up my room. I start my once-a-week job on August 22nd, and I'm looking really forward to it. Moreover, one of my closest friends back home is moving to Japan on the 23rd, so he and I are going to cut up like crazy until February. I know we'll keep in touch, though, so I'm not too sad about having to go home in this case. Well, yet.
AAHHH.
Sorry, guys. Last time, I promise.
In other news, there have been lots of fantastic sunsets lately, don't you think?
I've got to pack up my clothes tonight for tomorrow night's camping trip. I'm really excited! We're leaving in the morning, to somewhere that I forgot, and just. Two straight days of primarily speaking in Japanese and just having a good time in general. It's going to be great. I'll have to make sure I water my plants really well before I leave, though, and I'm also plant-sitting for a friend of mine, so I'll have to make sure his plants are taken care of, too. He's going to be gone for three weeks, so since he remembered that I also had plants of my own, he asked if I would be willing to watch his, too. Of course I was. I love plants.
I'll take plenty of pictures while camping tomorrow, promise.
All right, on to my few money-saving tips that I've thought of.
Make local friends--Not only for their general help and things, but they also show you how to eat locally, which also generally implies eating cheaply.
Eat locally!
Last Wednesday, I had a party with a few friends.
We ate this:
Filling and roast beef side.
Riceballs!
I'm not a very picky eater, so of course, I thought it was all delicious. You want to know what I'm eating tonight?
More riceballs. They're quick, convenient, and easy. Over the next couple of days? I'm going to be eating tofu dishes, no matter how little I like tofu [I can eat it, but I've never bought it of my own accord before. I don't care for it too much, but it's really cheap and I don't hate it. Besides, it's really healthy, right?].
The point of this is learn to eat locally--watch how and what they eat, and what comes into season when. It's cheaper that way, and even if you are a picky eater, be willing to try new things--you'll be sure to find something you like if you keep trying, and it's much cheaper than sticking with the foods that you know from your home country.
Also, if there's a certain vegetable you like that comes in seasons, buy as many of them as you can while they're in season, cut them up, and freeze them for when they're not so cheap and available. I've been stocking up on bell peppers--I put them in everything, and at the moment, they're only 89 yen for a pack of five small ones, which is really good for vegetables in Japan.
I hadn't realised this before spinach got expensive. Oh well. Anyway, I'm stockpiling on my bell peppers--they're fabulous in soup.
Japanese traditional sweets, like the ones I've been showing you, are often an acquired taste--sweet bean paste, for example, is often something that many Americans don't like. At first, I can't say I felt one way or the other about it, but now I love it. And things with sweet bean paste in them are often cheaper than things like western style pastries, for example.
So there you have it. Sorry this entry is a bit short compared to my usual ones--I've still got a couple of things that I need to see about doing before tomorrow [like packing, haaaa. Whoops.], so I'll let you guys go.
Have a fabulous week, and I'll be back with more stuff next Wednesday!
Take care,
-RD
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