Not a Good Start

Today started out badly. I forgot I had two appointments at the Career Office this morning, although no great disaster came out of my missing them. I have a lot of people I have to call about various things. I hate talking on the phone, for some reason. Probably because I've found face-to-face interaction difficult enough for most of my life and not being able to see people when I'm talking to them doesn't help. Although I communicate fine in writing, as many of you know.

On the good side, I have an idea for an original story and I've started writing it. I can submit it to the campus literary magazine. It's very different from my last story, and is only a little funny (not very funny, like "Without Santa").

Must go to class now. Tune in next time, whenever that is.

At least one good thing...

I read my friend Martine a bedtime story - Eloise, my favorite bedtime book as a child.  I also ordered a Bryn Mawr class ring and called all those people I had to call, but otherwise I don't think I got much done today.

The letters of reference for my JET application are pretty much in the bag.  I called someone who had participated in the program before (my grandfather referred me to her) and brought up my parents' concerns that there would be no English speakers around for me to socialize with.  She said that, as long as I don't go somewhere really out of the way (like Hokkaido, or certain parts of Kyushu), there would be native English speakers around.  There might be other JET people at the school were I am assigned.  At least there will be some within easy distance on weekends.  I should just choose a place based on other reasons.

On my application I have put down Kyoto Prefecture (with a specific request for Kyoto City, if possible - being near the old capital would be enough for me) and Nara.  Nara was the capital before Kyoto (Heian-kyo, in antiquity) and is full of shrines, temples, gardens and other neat things.  Both places trade more on history, culture and tourism than industry.  That's just what I want.

My friend Marjorie, who is now living and teaching English in Shanghai, said I should visit her over Spring Break.  I said thanks but that probably wouldn't happen because my parents wouldn't like it.  Sure enough, Mom said I shouldn't go then, just before Benji's Bar Mitzvah, and it would be expensive.  I should either visit her from Japan or, if I don't end up in Japan, I should at least visit her after I graduate.

In other news, I have had two dreams on basically the same topic, if you will, for the past two nights.  I am not going to say what this topic is unless my dreams turn out to be prophetic, which may happen (it has happened before).  More likely they're just my id playing around with me.  I wonder if I'll have the same dream tonight.