Oregon Chips

Sorry for the lack of updates- it has been a crazy week but on the bright side that means expect a lot of blog posts soon (once I find the time- probably Sunday!)  My winter break doesn't start till next Thursday, but I'm so excited for it: got lots of fun things planned.

Anyway, here's an idea of upcoming blog posts I'm going to do, once I'm done editing the photographs:
-Setagaya Matsuri
-The Lockup
-Japanese Shopping and Fashion
-Christmas Party #2  and Christmas cake!

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A guess here's just a few other things I've been up to then:

Classes in Japan end February 5th, and don't start up again till March 28th....which means I have a lot of time during Spring break. SO- my friend and I are planning a trip to go to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam! (we already bought our plane tickets)! I am sooo excited. If anyone has experience with these places I'd love to hear stories/advice! :D

Last night, my friend's and I went and saw 'Norway no Mori' aka Norweigian Wood, based on the book by Haruki Murakami. I've seen three movies now since being in Japan but two of them were English with Japanese subtitles (Harry Potter and Biohazard aka Resident Evil). This one however, being in Japanese, had no subtitles! Besides the fact that I had read the book and had some background of understanding, I felt like I could understand a lot of what they were saying WHICH MAKES ME SO EXCITED! (Uh Mikaela, that movie didn't even have very much dialogue- SHHH) 

It's too bad though because besides the scenery and costumes I really didn't think it was that good of a movie. And by that I mean it trashed the characters I grew to love in Murakami's book (like, why did Midori have to look like a 7 year old? And where were Reiko's wrinkles? She's supposed to be all strong woman and she was a dainty lil' thing in the movie). Of course, whenever book to movie adaptations happen people are bound to be disappointed- the books are usually better. 

I've also received 2 care packages this week. (CHOCK FULL OF CANDY- IMMA GET HUGE). Thanks to Jessica and Maddie, my desk just got a whole lot more interesting. 

From Jess: (by the way- already devoured both of those black and white cookies) 

I got to cut out and put together the pug dolls! 

From my airman in England (that fact explains the sheep) aka Maddie:

You see that thing standing up.UH YEAH THAT'S A MEERKAT IN A ROBE. HE STANDS ALL BY HIMSELF

He's like Hugh Hefner! (Hahaha, why is it wearing a rooooobe? How randommmmmm I loveeee itttt!)

I asked my host mom what she thought I should name him and she said..."uh.....Mikaela!?" I guess her and my host sister agree that it looks like me cause I have big eyes- haha! But what do you guys think is a good name for it? ( Or shall I stick with Heff?) 

Last thing: This morning my host mom was all "are potatoes famous in Oregon?" And I was like "uhhhh....In Idaho they are, but not really....Why?"

Then she pulled out these, which she bought from 7-11

That's right my friends. Oregon Potato Chips. At the bottom I guess it says something along the lines of "made with Oregon Potatoes". 

Wow Japan.