Turning Japanese

Late May finds Diana in a bit of a different state of mind; my time here is approaching its end with increasing speed, it seems. And of course just now I'm starting to dig in my heels and wish time would slow down so I could be sure to enjoy the remaining weeks to the fullest. For all my bitching and itching to get outta here, I'm definitely coming to realize how much I appreciate the friends I've made here, foreign and Chinese, and how really unique the whole experience has been. I suppose it's one of life's dirtier tricks that you don't usually experience such sentiments while in the thick of things. Plays just like a Joni Mitchell song. Shoulda seen it coming.

Anyway, I took my May vacation to Tokyo and spent the week with Mom. We had a lot of fun enjoying the various nice things Tokyo has to offer - sumo, museums, food, etc. I got to meet some more of her colorful expat friends too. They'll make this summer more interesting for sure. See, while in Japan, I took the opportunity to interview for a job I'd applied for with an American school in Tokyo, and wouldn'tcha know, I got it. So I'll be spending the summer as an English teacher for the American School in Japan's summer day camp, and I have to say, I'm pretty jazzed. It'll give me 2 full months in Tokyo - enough time for me to get a flavor for what it's like to live there, but not so much (hopefully) that Mom and Dad feel like I'm a permanent growth in their guest room. So, Japanese 3rd-graders, beware - Diana Sensei is coming to town. Better behave, or I know of a certain Inner Mongolian boarding school where I could send you to get some good healthy Gobi grit pounded into ya.

Speaking of which, I guess I can't rightly call this the Inner Mongolian China Brog for much longer. I'll have to rename it with something equally as witty and clever, yet Japanese...like "Tokyo Talk". Yeah, that's a keeper. In any case, I'll have a lot more time to ponder it once I've left Northeast Hope International School. My remaining time has dwindled to a mere 4 weeks, in which this coming week we'll have monthly exams, following which I'll take one last trip, this time to Xian for a week. Then I've got 2 weeks to give finals, pack my crap up and haul ass to Japan.

And I can hear you all the way from here - you want to know what happens after I'm done in Tokyo. I have an answer to that, and it's a punch in the face, because I wish I knew, but I don't. I'll have a real answer eventually, and I can promise you'll be the first to know, because if you're reading this at all you clearly have nothing better to do than follow my not-really-that-interesting-even-though-I-make-it-seem-so life. I'm about to book myself a ticket back to NYC for late August. The suggestion box is open.