Uhhh...'sup, Internet. Long time, no blog. Nearly two years, actually ^w^; It's funny...back in my late high school and college days, I could barely go a day without blogging, even if it were about trivial day-to-day banalities. I definitely think our modern social media has had an impact on my already short attention span, but I also think a part of me has grown out of the joy I used to find in writing down my daily activities. A little sad, but meh, people do grow out of things. C'est la vie.
So what's been up with me over the past year and seven months? Not much, honestly. I'm still in Iruma, still enjoying my time in Japan, LOVING teaching...don't have too many complaints about life right now. Actually though, I've recently come down with the flu, so according to the doctor's orders, I can't go to work for the week. I'm definitely over being cooped up in my house and it's only Tuesday...but at least it's given me an excuse to revive this ol' thang ;P
My three year anniversary in Japan in coming up in March. It's hard to believe I've been here this long already! I can't say that it feels like I just arrived yesterday though...in fact, it almost feels like I've been here longer. While I'm not completely "turned Japanese" (and that will never ever happen...I'll make sure of it, haha), I'm without a doubt in the mastery stage of culture shock. I am still constantly struggling with the Japanese language, but my proficiency is constantly improving. As a matter of fact, I took Level 2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) back in December and got notice a few weeks back that I passed! \(^O^)/ I'm planning to take Level 1 in July, but I gotta work my ass off for that one; apparently even native Japanese have trouble passing it.
This past winter break, I was very lucky and got to go back California for the first time in two years. I had spent Christmas 2012 in Japan, and while I was super fortunate to have had wonderful, amazing friends to celebrate it with, nothing beats being home for the holidays. I honestly had the best trip I could have ever wished for...everything was perfect and it was like a dream come true! It made me feel extremely happy and loved to know that I have warm, welcoming arms waiting for me back at home. At the same time, it was extremely strange experiencing reverse culture shock. America's weird, man o_O;
But that'll all wait for another post. Hopefully. See you soon, but no promises :P
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Monday, June 11, 2012
Solitude
I've touched on this briefly in a few past entries, but I wanted to elaborate on it a bit more in a full entry. I am very lucky in that I already had friends and relatives in Japan to warmly welcome me when I first arrived here. I'm also lucky in that I've been able to make a number of new friends during my past year and three months here. I was super shy all throughout high school, and slightly less so during and after college. My experiences in this country have taught me to go beyond my comfort zone in order to meet new people and cope with loneliness. But above anything else, Japan has taught me the importance of solitude and being able to live by myself.
A friend of mine who lived here for about four years before moving elsewhere told me that he came to Japan in order to learn how to live on his own. Unlike me, he didn't have a strong interest in the Japanese culture or language prior to moving here, and he gave up studying the language quite early on. Yet he was still able to get by in his own way, and I think a big reason is that he succeeded in his goal of learning to live by himself. Last year, when my homesickness was in full bloom, I was not yet used to being physically and mentally on my own. I was afraid of going out by myself just to run necessary errands or do fun things I'd usually enjoy, and being cooped inside my tiny apartment was more unbearable. Even when I hung out with friends, I felt unfocused and detached from them, and I hated myself for feeling so negative and depressed all the time. But some time after summer vacation ended and work started up again, I made a full turnaround. I'm not sure if there was a specific trigger, but I haven't felt afraid of being alone since then. In fact, I enjoy doing a lot of things by myself now, and prior to celebrating my 26th birthday with friends back in April, I went to Tokyo and hung out with myself, haha. I think it's actually quite common for people to do things by themselves rather with friends, so perhaps it's a part of the culture that I've absorbed over time. I wonder if I'll continue living like this whenever I move back to the States...
A friend of mine who lived here for about four years before moving elsewhere told me that he came to Japan in order to learn how to live on his own. Unlike me, he didn't have a strong interest in the Japanese culture or language prior to moving here, and he gave up studying the language quite early on. Yet he was still able to get by in his own way, and I think a big reason is that he succeeded in his goal of learning to live by himself. Last year, when my homesickness was in full bloom, I was not yet used to being physically and mentally on my own. I was afraid of going out by myself just to run necessary errands or do fun things I'd usually enjoy, and being cooped inside my tiny apartment was more unbearable. Even when I hung out with friends, I felt unfocused and detached from them, and I hated myself for feeling so negative and depressed all the time. But some time after summer vacation ended and work started up again, I made a full turnaround. I'm not sure if there was a specific trigger, but I haven't felt afraid of being alone since then. In fact, I enjoy doing a lot of things by myself now, and prior to celebrating my 26th birthday with friends back in April, I went to Tokyo and hung out with myself, haha. I think it's actually quite common for people to do things by themselves rather with friends, so perhaps it's a part of the culture that I've absorbed over time. I wonder if I'll continue living like this whenever I move back to the States...
Thursday, April 19, 2012
New beginnings
It's about damn time I updated this silly thing, isn't it? A lot has happened in the five months since I last posted. I went home for winter break and had a fantastic time seeing my family and friends. I started a list of long-term "goals" (NOT resolutions XP) at the start of the new year and have been making decent progress with it. And I moved from Kumagaya to Iruma about two weeks ago.
I really wanted to stay at my schools in Kumagaya since I felt that I had finally gotten used to everything, but unfortunately something happened with the contracts for the ALTs, so I had the choice of either staying and commuting to a nearby city, or moving altogether. I chose the latter option since a number of my friends decided to move too. It turns out that several teachers that I was relatively close to at the main junior high where I taught were going to be changing schools anyway, and I felt that the new school year wouldn't be the same without them.
Iruma is directly south of Kumagaya and much smaller in size. Since most of my friends from college teach in this city and it's only about 40 minutes to where my relatives live in Tokyo, I figured it would be a much easier adjustment than last year. Also, since I now have a year of teaching experience behind me, I know what to expect and how to go about planning lessons and such. This school year however, instead of going to just one small elementary school once a week, I'm going to three pretty big elementary schools all week long! Upon hearing about my new assignment, I was admittedly nervous. Unlike junior high, elementary school ALTs are generally expected to be the main teachers in the English classes since the Japanese teachers won't necessarily hold English teaching licenses or even speak the language. I was spoiled last year in that the homeroom teachers of both my 5th and 6th grade classes usually took the lead, and the only class I would have to plan and do mostly on my own with the homeroom teacher's assistance was my special ed class. However, teaching that class was what I looked forward to the most during the week. I loved the freedom of choosing what I got to teach, and the kids, even if they couldn't remember everything we would do in class, were absolutely adorable and super eager about my lessons. I have to plan the lessons and lead the classes at two of my schools this year, but so far it's been going well. The kids are bright and attentive, and they seem to like what we've been doing in class. The homeroom teachers have also said that they've been enjoying class, so I guess I'm doing something right! Elementary school does take up a lot of energy though, so I've been taking really long naps almost everyday after returning home, haha. Hopefully I'll get used to this crazy schedule soon.
I do miss Kumagaya, and packing up to move was a bit painful since I knew that I'd be leaving my very first home in Japan. But I do have a good feeling overall about this new start in my life, and have been enjoying life in Iruma a lot so far. And it's really nice knowing that I'm no longer in the hottest city in Japan! We'll see how I feel once summer gets here and the teachers' room isn't constantly air conditioned though ;)
I really wanted to stay at my schools in Kumagaya since I felt that I had finally gotten used to everything, but unfortunately something happened with the contracts for the ALTs, so I had the choice of either staying and commuting to a nearby city, or moving altogether. I chose the latter option since a number of my friends decided to move too. It turns out that several teachers that I was relatively close to at the main junior high where I taught were going to be changing schools anyway, and I felt that the new school year wouldn't be the same without them.
Iruma is directly south of Kumagaya and much smaller in size. Since most of my friends from college teach in this city and it's only about 40 minutes to where my relatives live in Tokyo, I figured it would be a much easier adjustment than last year. Also, since I now have a year of teaching experience behind me, I know what to expect and how to go about planning lessons and such. This school year however, instead of going to just one small elementary school once a week, I'm going to three pretty big elementary schools all week long! Upon hearing about my new assignment, I was admittedly nervous. Unlike junior high, elementary school ALTs are generally expected to be the main teachers in the English classes since the Japanese teachers won't necessarily hold English teaching licenses or even speak the language. I was spoiled last year in that the homeroom teachers of both my 5th and 6th grade classes usually took the lead, and the only class I would have to plan and do mostly on my own with the homeroom teacher's assistance was my special ed class. However, teaching that class was what I looked forward to the most during the week. I loved the freedom of choosing what I got to teach, and the kids, even if they couldn't remember everything we would do in class, were absolutely adorable and super eager about my lessons. I have to plan the lessons and lead the classes at two of my schools this year, but so far it's been going well. The kids are bright and attentive, and they seem to like what we've been doing in class. The homeroom teachers have also said that they've been enjoying class, so I guess I'm doing something right! Elementary school does take up a lot of energy though, so I've been taking really long naps almost everyday after returning home, haha. Hopefully I'll get used to this crazy schedule soon.
I do miss Kumagaya, and packing up to move was a bit painful since I knew that I'd be leaving my very first home in Japan. But I do have a good feeling overall about this new start in my life, and have been enjoying life in Iruma a lot so far. And it's really nice knowing that I'm no longer in the hottest city in Japan! We'll see how I feel once summer gets here and the teachers' room isn't constantly air conditioned though ;)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Feelin' Fine
December's quite literally around the corner, and my nine months here will be on the 12th. I'm happy to say that my homesickness has drastically improved since my last two emo-stricken entries, but admittedly a part of it might be because I bought my plane ticket home for winter break. I'll be back in California for only about a week and a half (12/23 to 1/4), and although I know for sure I'll be jet lagged, there are so many faces I want to see and so much different food I want to eat that I probably won't be sleeping much.
That aside, I think I've finally gotten used to my life here, which I'd like to believe is the big reason why I feel significantly better than I did before. I'm still constantly struggling with the language, but outside of that, I feel like I've finally found my niche. I know what's expected of me at work and I get along with my coworkers. Some of my students have been driving me a bit crazy since I first started this job, but I've come to terms with the fact that it's something I can't really change. Other students I love to death, and their cheerfulness really rubs off on me. I've made friends in my area and have recently been making a bigger attempt to be actively social. But at the same time, I've learned to cope with living alone and now enjoy spending time by myself. I've also mastered the previously formidable squat toilet and actually prefer it to a Western toilet on occasion ;P
I'm still looking forward to Christmas in the Bay though :)
That aside, I think I've finally gotten used to my life here, which I'd like to believe is the big reason why I feel significantly better than I did before. I'm still constantly struggling with the language, but outside of that, I feel like I've finally found my niche. I know what's expected of me at work and I get along with my coworkers. Some of my students have been driving me a bit crazy since I first started this job, but I've come to terms with the fact that it's something I can't really change. Other students I love to death, and their cheerfulness really rubs off on me. I've made friends in my area and have recently been making a bigger attempt to be actively social. But at the same time, I've learned to cope with living alone and now enjoy spending time by myself. I've also mastered the previously formidable squat toilet and actually prefer it to a Western toilet on occasion ;P
I'm still looking forward to Christmas in the Bay though :)
Saturday, August 27, 2011
まだ残ってる
Summer break is nearly over, but I'm still homesick, although it's definitely less intense than it was before. I've figured out that a big part of my feeling this way has to do with the fact that I'm living alone alone for the first time ever. I always had roommates in college. Even though it was just the three of us back at our little house in California (four, if you count the cat ;P), I was never really by myself. And my best friend lived a five-minute drive away from me. I feel very thankful and blessed to have made friends and gotten close to my relatives out here, but there's a sense of familiarity and the known that I've been really missing lately.
I had wanted to write a post about this for a while now and was inspired by my friend Manami to do it today. When I applied for the JET Program for the first time, one of the questions that I was asked during the interview was, "How will you react if a Japanese person comes up to you and assumes or insists that you're Japanese?" I can't remember my answer, but this situation happens all the damn time to the point of it pissing me off a bit. I know I have an American accent/incorrect intonations/say the wrong word when I speak Japanese. I also know that I don't look 100% Japanese. But people still assume, even after talking to me, that I'm freakin' Japanese just because I have an Asian face! A lot of the time I actually have to explicitly say that they need to speak slower since I'm a foreigner, but the reaction I get after that is usually, "Oh, really? But your face looks Japanese and you speak so well!" むかつく。And even after explaining my situation, my ethnic background, et cetera, some people still insist that I'm lying!
At the same time, I do admittedly enjoy blending in. I don't stick out as much as other gaijin. It's probably good practice for my studying of the language, and it's incredibly interesting to observe this strange country as an outsider while appearing to be an insider. But sometimes I wish I could look more hapa. I had thought that I appear less Japanese when I wear my contacts instead of my glasses (a lot of my foreign friends have told me this) but several recent events have proved this theory completely wrong, haha.
I'm still enjoying my time out here (I'll post a more positive entry about my adventures at some point, I swear!), and I know that whenever I move back to the US, I'll miss Japan like crazy. But for now, letting this all out for everyone to see is very cathartic and has eased those remaining feelings of homesickness a bit :)
I had wanted to write a post about this for a while now and was inspired by my friend Manami to do it today. When I applied for the JET Program for the first time, one of the questions that I was asked during the interview was, "How will you react if a Japanese person comes up to you and assumes or insists that you're Japanese?" I can't remember my answer, but this situation happens all the damn time to the point of it pissing me off a bit. I know I have an American accent/incorrect intonations/say the wrong word when I speak Japanese. I also know that I don't look 100% Japanese. But people still assume, even after talking to me, that I'm freakin' Japanese just because I have an Asian face! A lot of the time I actually have to explicitly say that they need to speak slower since I'm a foreigner, but the reaction I get after that is usually, "Oh, really? But your face looks Japanese and you speak so well!" むかつく。And even after explaining my situation, my ethnic background, et cetera, some people still insist that I'm lying!
At the same time, I do admittedly enjoy blending in. I don't stick out as much as other gaijin. It's probably good practice for my studying of the language, and it's incredibly interesting to observe this strange country as an outsider while appearing to be an insider. But sometimes I wish I could look more hapa. I had thought that I appear less Japanese when I wear my contacts instead of my glasses (a lot of my foreign friends have told me this) but several recent events have proved this theory completely wrong, haha.
I'm still enjoying my time out here (I'll post a more positive entry about my adventures at some point, I swear!), and I know that whenever I move back to the US, I'll miss Japan like crazy. But for now, letting this all out for everyone to see is very cathartic and has eased those remaining feelings of homesickness a bit :)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Shocking
It has been ages since I last wrote in this thing. I've been pretty busy with work, but on top of that, I've been dealing with a lot of personal issues lately, thanks to culture shock. I had anticipated encountering it before coming here and I feel like I've been dealing with it relatively well, but it's still a persistent problem that's been taking a bit of a toll on my mental well-being.
Admittedly, I've been feeling pretty homesick lately. I have officially been in Japan for four months as of yesterday, and this is the longest (not to mention farthest) I have ever been away from home. My college was about a two hour drive from my hometown, so back when I was still a student, I'd go home quite often. Since I obviously can't do that now, thanks to the Internet, it's been really easy to keep in touch with my loved ones back in the States. Talking to them through email, Skype, and Facebook has been extremely helpful in easing my feelings of homesickness.
But to be honest, my biggest issue has actually been a language-related one. I studied Japanese in college in order to earn an East Asian Studies minor, but I unfortunately didn't get the chance to study abroad. I also didn't make any native-speaking friends until the end of my senior year, which is when my speaking ability noticeably improved. And then after finally graduating, I pretty much stopped studying. I've been hard on myself for not keeping up with my studies post-graduation especially now that I'm finally in Japan, but I'm trying to make up for that by practicing the language every chance I get.
However, I actually feel like my Japanese is even worse than it was when I first got here! It could be that I was so enamored by everything around me (honeymoon phase!) that I didn't realize all the mistakes I was making when using Japanese, but it could also be that the stress of my particular situation is frying my brain. Mixing both English and Japanese at work is definitely a challenge, and even my English has been coming out incorrectly from time to time, haha.
Summer vacation is just around the corner, so I'll have lots of time to properly relax and spend time with my friends and relatives out here. I know that things will get better soon....I just have to keep my head up and keep moving forward. I've fallen down numerous times before and survived, so what's a few more trips?
Admittedly, I've been feeling pretty homesick lately. I have officially been in Japan for four months as of yesterday, and this is the longest (not to mention farthest) I have ever been away from home. My college was about a two hour drive from my hometown, so back when I was still a student, I'd go home quite often. Since I obviously can't do that now, thanks to the Internet, it's been really easy to keep in touch with my loved ones back in the States. Talking to them through email, Skype, and Facebook has been extremely helpful in easing my feelings of homesickness.
But to be honest, my biggest issue has actually been a language-related one. I studied Japanese in college in order to earn an East Asian Studies minor, but I unfortunately didn't get the chance to study abroad. I also didn't make any native-speaking friends until the end of my senior year, which is when my speaking ability noticeably improved. And then after finally graduating, I pretty much stopped studying. I've been hard on myself for not keeping up with my studies post-graduation especially now that I'm finally in Japan, but I'm trying to make up for that by practicing the language every chance I get.
However, I actually feel like my Japanese is even worse than it was when I first got here! It could be that I was so enamored by everything around me (honeymoon phase!) that I didn't realize all the mistakes I was making when using Japanese, but it could also be that the stress of my particular situation is frying my brain. Mixing both English and Japanese at work is definitely a challenge, and even my English has been coming out incorrectly from time to time, haha.
Summer vacation is just around the corner, so I'll have lots of time to properly relax and spend time with my friends and relatives out here. I know that things will get better soon....I just have to keep my head up and keep moving forward. I've fallen down numerous times before and survived, so what's a few more trips?
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
A Christmas Cake Birthday
My 25th birthday was on April 28, which fell on a Thursday this year. I had to go to work, but the following day was Emperor Showa's birthday, which is a holiday that marks the start of Golden Week in Japan. So I got the day after my birthday off, and that meant that I got to party hearty on the actual day I was born!
I was lucky enough to make some friends in Kumagaya just after moving here, so I celebrated with them. First, we went to eat dinner at a kaiten-zushi place in the area. I had gone to a similar place with my family in Tokyo, but the restaurant we went to in Kumagaya had Shinkansen sushi in addition to the expected conveyor belt. You can special order certain items on the menu and it'll be delivered to your table fresh on a mini bullet train! I also tried some interesting sushi I hadn't ever seen or tasted before :9 After dinner, we went to a karaoke box near the train station for all night karaoke. If you pay around US$30, you can get all-you-can-drink alcohol and sing karaoke until 5:00 AM. What a sweet deal! I think I ended up falling asleep before 5:00, but karaoke takes a lot out of you, especially with a bit of alcohol in your system. I still had an amazing time, and I can't thank my new friends enough for being with me on my Christmas cake birthday.
What the heck IS a Christmas cake birthday anyway? In Japan, it's tradition to eat something called a Christmas cake (it's basically a strawberry sponge cake) on Christmas Eve. According to Wikipedia, "A single woman over the age of 25 may be referred to in Japan as a [Christmas cake] based on the belief that, like a Christmas cake which becomes nearly worthless after Dec. 25, she is "shomikigen-gire" or past the "sell-by date." Apparently, because I'm 25 now, no man will ever want me ever again because I'm expired! I highly doubt this is actually the case, especially since the times are always a-changin', but if I'm wrong, then I guess I can't really get into the dating scene out here, haha :X
I wasn't done partying yet on Friday! Two of my good friends here in Japan have birthdays on April 30, so we decided to have a triple birthday party with our mutual friends on Showa Day. We met up at Tokorozawa in southern Saitama for more karaoke (yay!) and then dinner and drinks at an izakaya. A friend of ours surprised us all by getting a beautiful birthday cake with all three of our names on it, and at the end of dinner, everyone sang to us before we blew out the candles. After the delicious dinner and cake, we decided to go for drinks in a nearby park. It's legal to have open containers in public out here (there are even vending machines that sell beer!), so we took full advantage of that! The weather wasn't too warm or too cold, so it was really a nice evening to be hanging around outside. We called it a night at about 10:00 in order for all of us to catch our last trains home. It was a night to remember, and I'm so lucky to have such awesome friends out here!
I still had a little bit more partying to do on Saturday! Since one of my friends' real birthday was on the 30th (the other already had plans), we decided to do one last get together with a few folks in Ikebukuro (Tokyo). Some people were a bit hungover from the night before, and because ramen is a wonderful hangover food, we first met up for some delicious Ramen Jiro. Ramen Jiro is a tonkotsu (pork broth) ramen chain store with some of the most amazing soup I've ever tasted! It was also the first ramen I ever tried in Japan, and now I'm hooked! I'm dreaming of the day when I can actually finish a whole bowl down to the last drop. After Jiro, we went to an arcade for a while to play some video games and darts. I tried my hand at a UFO catcher but had no luck, as always. We later headed to a Mexican restaurant for some cocktails, and then ended the night with a round of bowling! I was never a fan of or any good at bowling, but I wanted to experience it in Japan. It was basically the same as in the US, except the alley was probably more sanitary overall. And there were a LOT of good bowlers in there! I think our little group felt a bit intimidated, but it was still a lot of fun. We parted ways shortly after bowling, and immediately after coming home to Kumagaya, I fell asleep.
I don't know if my Christmas cake self can handle this much partying next year, so I'm very glad that I had such a lengthy and wonderful celebration for my 25th year on this earth. I can't say it enough: thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes, and thank you to everyone who celebrated with me!
I was lucky enough to make some friends in Kumagaya just after moving here, so I celebrated with them. First, we went to eat dinner at a kaiten-zushi place in the area. I had gone to a similar place with my family in Tokyo, but the restaurant we went to in Kumagaya had Shinkansen sushi in addition to the expected conveyor belt. You can special order certain items on the menu and it'll be delivered to your table fresh on a mini bullet train! I also tried some interesting sushi I hadn't ever seen or tasted before :9 After dinner, we went to a karaoke box near the train station for all night karaoke. If you pay around US$30, you can get all-you-can-drink alcohol and sing karaoke until 5:00 AM. What a sweet deal! I think I ended up falling asleep before 5:00, but karaoke takes a lot out of you, especially with a bit of alcohol in your system. I still had an amazing time, and I can't thank my new friends enough for being with me on my Christmas cake birthday.
What the heck IS a Christmas cake birthday anyway? In Japan, it's tradition to eat something called a Christmas cake (it's basically a strawberry sponge cake) on Christmas Eve. According to Wikipedia, "A single woman over the age of 25 may be referred to in Japan as a [Christmas cake] based on the belief that, like a Christmas cake which becomes nearly worthless after Dec. 25, she is "shomikigen-gire" or past the "sell-by date." Apparently, because I'm 25 now, no man will ever want me ever again because I'm expired! I highly doubt this is actually the case, especially since the times are always a-changin', but if I'm wrong, then I guess I can't really get into the dating scene out here, haha :X
I wasn't done partying yet on Friday! Two of my good friends here in Japan have birthdays on April 30, so we decided to have a triple birthday party with our mutual friends on Showa Day. We met up at Tokorozawa in southern Saitama for more karaoke (yay!) and then dinner and drinks at an izakaya. A friend of ours surprised us all by getting a beautiful birthday cake with all three of our names on it, and at the end of dinner, everyone sang to us before we blew out the candles. After the delicious dinner and cake, we decided to go for drinks in a nearby park. It's legal to have open containers in public out here (there are even vending machines that sell beer!), so we took full advantage of that! The weather wasn't too warm or too cold, so it was really a nice evening to be hanging around outside. We called it a night at about 10:00 in order for all of us to catch our last trains home. It was a night to remember, and I'm so lucky to have such awesome friends out here!
I still had a little bit more partying to do on Saturday! Since one of my friends' real birthday was on the 30th (the other already had plans), we decided to do one last get together with a few folks in Ikebukuro (Tokyo). Some people were a bit hungover from the night before, and because ramen is a wonderful hangover food, we first met up for some delicious Ramen Jiro. Ramen Jiro is a tonkotsu (pork broth) ramen chain store with some of the most amazing soup I've ever tasted! It was also the first ramen I ever tried in Japan, and now I'm hooked! I'm dreaming of the day when I can actually finish a whole bowl down to the last drop. After Jiro, we went to an arcade for a while to play some video games and darts. I tried my hand at a UFO catcher but had no luck, as always. We later headed to a Mexican restaurant for some cocktails, and then ended the night with a round of bowling! I was never a fan of or any good at bowling, but I wanted to experience it in Japan. It was basically the same as in the US, except the alley was probably more sanitary overall. And there were a LOT of good bowlers in there! I think our little group felt a bit intimidated, but it was still a lot of fun. We parted ways shortly after bowling, and immediately after coming home to Kumagaya, I fell asleep.
I don't know if my Christmas cake self can handle this much partying next year, so I'm very glad that I had such a lengthy and wonderful celebration for my 25th year on this earth. I can't say it enough: thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes, and thank you to everyone who celebrated with me!
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