a history of me

First off, let me just say how exciting things have been here at the blog lately. I've been getting lots of feedback which is a real thrill. Most days I don't expect anyone but Hyde or my sister to read this thing but now it seems like there's an actual following! Maybe a declaration of love just gets everyone worked up and eager to comment?

Speaking of love, I'm leaving shortly for Westchester so we can leave for this wedding early tomorrow. So I won't post again until Sunday, perhaps even Monday.

In the meantime, I've received some disappointing news. Kansai Gaidai has informed me that they were unable to find me a host family for the Fall semester. Apparently there was a unexpected shortage of available hosts, allowing placement for only 80% of those who applied. This means I'll have to stay in a dormitory, probably with a native English-speaking roommate. It also means I have to prepare my own meals. Basically, my expectations have just been dashed to pieces.

Of course, there is room for optimism. The University told me they will continue to search for hosts, even during the semester, so I could find myself getting placed at a later date. Staying in the dorm might also mean a shorter commute; I've been told some homestay students might be staying more than an hour and a half away from campus. And preparing my own meals might make it easier to watch my weight. Quick, what's the Japanese word for "oatmeal?" Probably just ôtomîru.

The biggest reason not to be pissed is that my expectations are rarely an accurate forecast of future events in the first place. I had specific ideas about my first trip to Japan four years ago which absolutely did not come to fruition, but the time I spent there was an incredibly satisfying, life-perspective changing and highly emotionally rewarding event. This trip may not go down as I thought but it could easily turn out to be a pleasant surprise instead of an unpleasant circumstance.

And what of Hyde, you ask? We has lunch this afternoon. Her Internet connection is down so she was working on her laptop in a nearby diner, "borrowing" some free wireless service. It was quite pleasant; we both had salad since we're both concerned about our weight. I told her about the homestay thing and she cheered me up with a story of her trip to Russia. She ended up with English-speaking roomies but it didn't take away from the immersive Russian experience. Interestingly enough, she's going away for the weekend herself and then next week she's going to a friend's wedding. It's funny how similar our summers have been.

We made no mention of our conversation on Wednesday which I feel is a good thing. She mentioned it on her blog (which is good because I'd rather she acknowledge it than not) but I'm glad we didn't talk about it because I don't want our friendship to turn into some kind of debate about my feelings for her. She knows and I'm happy this way. I was starting to feel anxious about telling her and it was making me nervous around her (note the "something else on my mind" comment last week). Now that it's out there I can relax.

Well, I gotta go. I haven't even packed yet. Catch you next week, I'll be sure to share any pictures I can find. Feit...out!