Happy Sunday!

Stupid hammers. They've been building a house across the parking lot from us for about 2 months. They had stopped though, for about a month and I got my guard down. Recently, they've started back and it's really REALLY annoying. They build all 7 days a week and they always start at 7:00 in the morning. Because of the way the buildings are situated, it creates quite an echo chamber and it sounds like they are hammering right next to your head. It's really a pain in the ass. Even worse, is that it used to be a lot of people working on the house so there was a lot of noise going on. And for some reason, that made it easier to tune out. Now there is just one hammer going at a time so you hear the "BANG BANG BANG BANG PAUSE BANG BANG BANG BANG PAUSE" over and over again for hours. Hmph...

Anyways, I don't think it's going to be too much of the problem because I think the rainy season has started or will start soon. It's rained every day this week. Not all day or anything, but it usually rains for about an hour in the afternoon, if not the whole day. It's keeping things really humid, but it does cool things off in the afternoon.

On Monday, we had a wicked thunder storm. It was so LOUD. The thunder seemed to rattle the entire apartment. One especially loud clap woke me from a deep sleep. Because we are in a valley, the thunder just echos off the mountains and the noise just seems to roll around. I like thunder storms at night because you can just listen but not have to go out and get all grumpy wet or anything.

My co-teacher seems skeptical that the rainy season is starting. I think there is an official day they declare the rainy season open and that's when everyone thinks it starts. It's really kinda dumb. I mean, it's been rainy all week and it doesn't seem likely to change for a bit. To me, that says 'rainy season'. Sometimes, people are a little ridiculous here when it comes to dates. They have unofficial dates that they do things and they never change them no matter the weather. For example, most people are STILL wearing long sleaves and the students are wearing winter uniforms (although without the sweaters). I can't figure it out really. It's so warm now, but the never spoken date to change to summer clothes hasn't happened yet (or maybe it happened on Friday when June started?). I guess it's like the old saying "don't wear white after labor day" that some people take to heart. I always thought that was dumb, too.

Nothing else is going on really. I have four more weeks left at Kisuki and I am definitely excited for that to end. The kids are great, but I just hate working that late at night. I feel like I waste my entire day waiting around to go to work at 4:00. Of course, I don't have the wait to go to work and the smart person would spend her mornings being busy...but...I'm a lazy bum. If I have to go to work at 4:00, then it just makes me completely unmotivated to do anything. It's terrible, but how I am.

In other news, I got a nice letter from Grandma. That really made my day. Both Grandma and Nana have been absolutely wonderful when it comes to sending me cards and letters. It always makes my day to go to my mailbox and see a letter waiting for me. It's just nice. Grandma even included a clipping from the newspaper about Linkin Park's new CD. Very interesting.

I can't wait to come home though. Less than two months. Something like 53 days or so (depends on how you count I guess). I really tried to not count days, but I think I am failing. Oh well. It's just very exciting. 4 more classes left at Kisuki, 4 more tutoring session, not that many more Nishi (especially when they keep being canceled) and so on. Sometimes I think about what less than two months means in weird terms.

For example, Chris and I go to the Italian restaurant about once every 3 weeks (unless I get a hankering). So that means only 2, maybe 3 times left to go to La Piace. We eat ramen once a week, so that's down to only 7 more trips to the ramen restaurant. I buy toilet paper once a month and I just bought some, so only one more time! I go to the Hok about twice a day so that's like 100 more times. Oh. I only have to spend 12 more days having late nights at Kisuki. Only 7 more Thursdays (I hate Thursdays). And so on and so forth. It's amazing how short less than two months can seem if you count the right way! :)

Speaking of happy things and food! Coco Ichi Ban Ya Curry House has REOPENED. Huzzah! (7 more trips to the curry restaurant!) One of my favorite students at Nishi works at the curry house and I finally asked her when it was going to reopen and she cheerfully said it opened last week. Huzzah! Chris and I went on Friday to celebrate. It's very brown. The remodeled the entire place and it's kinda dark and weird. I liked the orange. They also got rid of the Beatles music which is kinda sad. But that's ok, since I probably won't eat in the store many more times, just do take out. Hooray!

Well, that's all the chattiness I have in me I think. I'm going to go watch some tv! Hooray. I hope you all have a wonderful week!