Chelsea Belleface

I would just like to dedicate this post to my best friend, Chelsea Elizabeth, whom I've known, loved, and appreciated since pre-school. I love this girl so much. She's always been there for me. Even though we've spent years, and been worlds, apart- she has never, ever escaped from my dearest thoughts and prayers. My favorite memories include her. Sometimes while I'm teaching my little ones, it takes me back to the time I was that age and remember pieces of my younger childhood with my dearest friend, Chelly.
I remember the first day I met her and we fought over who's house we wanted to play at; I remember dancing together to the song, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)," by the Proclaimers; I remember her Dad singing to us on that way to the school bus, "We're going to the school...we're gonna have some fun....;" I remember she was the first person I went driving with immediately after I got my drivers' license (we went to Jack-in-the-Crack); we got our tongues pierced together on my 19th Birthday; and of course- I could never forget when we watched, "Thriller," by Michael Jackson over and over again (when we were about 5 years old)- and hide behind the couch because we were so scared, yet we loved it! Anyway, the memories are endless. I just want you to know, Chel, that you are so dearly loved, missed, cherished and admired. Forever my Sister. Thank you for your 22 years of friendship. I am so lucky and fortunate to have you as my best friend. Bless your heart.

Happy Sunday

I just found out last night that my Japanese Sister is engaged! I am so, so happy for her! Too bad that'll be another Wedding I won't be able to attend...
Last night was Commune's 3rd Anniversary party- so all drinks were 300 yen ($3). I saved a lot of yen last night. :-)
Work was great yesterday- I just can't wait to have Saturdays off again. I wonder what that's like?
I can't believe today is the last day of May. Time has never flown by so fast in all of my life; but I'm not complaining. ;-)
Happy Sunday!

Origami

I learned how to make a turtle out of Origami today (probably my first and last time). Little Yu-ho wore the turtle she made in her hair- sooooooooo adorable!
I taught a new class this evening- phew, that was challenging! I wasn't expecting that to be as difficult as it was. You know you're in trouble (as a teacher), when students can't even answer the question, "How are you?" My 3 year old students can answer that question- and more. So I am a little confused as to why 9th graders don't have a clue? Were they sleeping during their English lessons at school?......Apparently so........

I'm looking forward to the weekend- you can find me at the beach.....

I Hate Thursdays, But....

....I love drinking afterwards!!!
Only have to get through two more working days- then I have a very busy weekend ahead of me. So many things on my "to do" list. I bet I can get it all done, though. It's just a matter of motivation- that is the key to success. ;-)
Things have finally started looking up. I am very happy, and very excited, for the near future. I am looking forward to the next chapter in my life. Ready to leave Okinawa- onto bigger and better things! :-)
Much Love,
Sarah lee Marie

I Love Chisa

Chisa

Ok, so there are some students I absolutely adore and will miss forever. To name a few: Chisa, Moe and Aine.
One short conversation with Chisa today went something like this:

Miss Sarah: "Chisa! My Mommy says, 'Hello,' to you."
Chisa: "Hello, Miss Sarah!"
Miss Sarah: "No, no, Chisa- My Mommy says, 'Hello,' to you."
Chisa: "Hello, Miss Sarah!"
Then I gave up....
She is just so freakin' cute. I do love her. And I'll never forget that little girl.

It's Raining

It was a long day today with my private lesson, babysitting duty and regular classes. I hardly had enough time to prep my lessons for the day. In fact, I'm quite worried about getting all of my lessons prepped for the week. But let me tell you this....during babysitting time, Ryosuke just cried for the last 15 minutes and there was nothing I could do to help him. I tried. But he just wanted his Mama. Why am I babysitting here when I should be teaching English lessons? I didn't sign up to babysit. Not here. Not in Japan. Thank you much.
I'm happy to say that I will be returning home before my contract is up! This is very exciting news! I don't know any exact dates yet, but my last scheduled work day is July 25th (if all goes according to plan). So, we shall see....
The brother is officially married (in court on Friday). Just wish he would talk to me about this. That's my only wish...

Vitamin D

Today in a nutshell: Gym, Beach, Outlet Mall, Smuggler's.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I finally got my share of Vitamin D. Maybe a little too much- slightly burnt in some spots. Regardless, it was a beautiful day. Now I am exhausted from the sun (the sun makes me so tired). So, I may get to bed at a decent hour. Maybe. Life is still bothersome; trying to deal.

Joshua's Sand Art: Spongebob

The Days Don't Get Better

So I just found out yesterday that I'm gonna have a roommate next month for about a week (she's replacing another teacher in June). I'm so jealous that she's not replacing me. Josh, I envy you! ~ This means, I have some major cleaning to get done. Hope she doesn't mind cockroaches. Cause there's nothing I can do about those sick creatures. She's coming June 19th, which I find extremely ironic; I wish I could leave June 19th (Ryan's getting married June 20th, in case you didn't already know). Only in a perfect world would I be there and this all wouldn't be happening the way that it is.

I gave my 2 months notice, via e-mail, just a couple of hours ago. So I'll let you know how that all turns out. . .

I have 7 mosquito bites on my feet- wtf? They're big, nasty bites. And they itch like there's no tomorrow. Leave me alone, mosquitoes!

Last night at Commune, Stephen and the bartender saved my life. There was a cockroach ready to attack me (thank God I didn't even see it, but they did). It was on the wall, near my head. Had I seen it, I would have screamed like a baby girl and ran clear outta there! But Stephen did a great job keeping my eyeballs away from it's view; and the bartender intercepted, came to the rescue and killed that disgusting, 6-legged monster. Incredible. There are far too many cockroaches and mosquitoes around here. I don't appreciate their presence.

I'm packing up boxes this weekend and mailing them home. I have a lot of stuff, especially shoes. I'm happy it's the weekend. I need to find me some Grey Goose.

Special Thanks

I would like to take a moment to specially thank a few people for listening to me vent, as well as giving me their take on things. So thank you very, very much to Cathy, Hayley, Karly, Lizzy, Tony and my cousin, Chris. You guys are soooooo wonderful! Thanks for being there. BIG hugs and kisses to you! xoxo
So, today was worse than yesterday and probably just as bad tomorrow. T-E-N-S-I-O-N at work. It was so funny today- I could do nothing but laugh. The teachers, including myself, are incredibly irritated with ALL this extra work that continuously keeps getting put onto us. So now, as of today, I'm getting extra babysitting hours, starting next week. Wow- Amazing. I hate my job- officially hate it. On the bright side, I'll be home before I know it! Life is kicking my ass right now. I'm trying as hard as possible to "ride the wave." But I keep faltering. I know I'll catch a good wave soon. And when I do, I'll ride it for a looooooong time......
Goodnight. Vodka and I are closer than ever these days.......

Time to be Random

~I talked to my Mama this morning for an hour and a half. Love her. She's the best.
~I'll skip to tonight's wrap-up...after work, Joshua and I went to Noracro for drinks and decided that I'm going to quit my job together on Saturday (give my 2 months notice). He's gonna write the e-mail and I'm gonna send it. It's either that or I'm just gonna hop on an airplane and return to America without telling anyone (in Japan). I've been so bitter at work this week (for a billion reasons); which, by the way, is very unlike me. I'm just exhausted from all the work I put in, and getting absolutely nothing in return. I'm burning out. Like a candle in the wind (I love that song). My boss doesn't believe in praise; no one says, "Thank you," and my students have dirty mouths. Sometimes I wish I didn't care so much; then life would be easier.

~~~Is Adam not the American Idol winner?~~~I can't wait to eat real food again.~~~ I am dying to take a bath- haven't had one in 9 months. ~~~A clothes dryer would be nice, too.~~~I think I forgot how to drive a car.~~~And I definitely forgot how to speak English in a natural manner.~~~

Is it the Weekend Yet?

I just want this work week to be over. I'm exhausted and emotionally drained. I'm still pretty upset; it's all I can think about...
Yet, my little pre-school angels made me smile early this morning with their hugs, kisses and laughter. They are too adorable. I love them.

Was It a Nightmare? Nope.

...still just as painful today as it was yesterday. Will this pain ever go away?
I know I shouldn't take all of this personally; it's just as hard on others, as it is myself. It's just that I'm 6,000 miles away from my family and I can't talk to them about it. It's really, really difficult and hurts so badly. I'm still trying to come down from the shock of it all. I want to be understanding of the situation, but my feelings overcome logic. These feelings are pretty indescribable. I can't say that I've ever felt this way before. I just wish things were different.

I Don't Know What To Say

This has been a painful day. My heart is broken.
(I wrote a post previously to this with much more raw material. But it was far too depressing, and it revealed too much on a personal level. Few of you had the opportunity to read it. And I apologize. In my eyes, it was inappropriate, therefore, deleted).
They say time heals everything...I wonder how long until this wound is healed...

Rainy Season Begins

It's been raining all day. Humidity: 98% (according to my google homepage). Icky! I hate humidity. And this is just the beginning. It'll only get worse- hotter and stickier- as summer approaches. For the next month, however, it'll rain all day, every day. This is what Okinawa calls, "Rainy Season." Please don't get depressed, please don't get depressed...

Is it August yet?

25th Birthday, Round 2

Last night was my Birthday, Round 2. Ahhhh, it was rough. I think I was so partied out from the night before. We went out for a little bit, but definitely called it an early night. We went to Rehab, Sakura G. and Hernan's cozy 'lil place. I'm getting old. I don't want any more Birthdays.

Today is My HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

"Sweet 16"

Happy Birthday to me! I am so happy. Sad, but happy. I had so much fun last night. I drank and drank and drank until I had to force the alcohol down my throat (too many birthday shots). But all much, much appreciated. ;-)

My Sista and Mama called me this morning and sang to me...I cried. They called me at 9:30am...I went to bed at 6am. It was a good night. I can't believe my Mom called me, "half a century old." I think she's getting old. Quarter of a century, Mom, quarter of a century.

Sooooo....there's another party tonight. I love my Birthday.

One of my favorite quotes of the night: Andre says to me, "This is like an MTV episode."

Warning: Do Not Eat Mentaiko

Today was wonderful. I actually had a decent Friday- good classes, good students. Of course, this is not always the case. Every now and then, God throws me a bone.
Tonight I was dared (by Brian) to eat mentaiko ("spicy cod roe"). Usually, I would never eat anything like that. But I felt pressured with so many others around and Brian egging me on. I wanted to be brave, so I did it. SO DISGUSTING! First and last time doing that...unless you promise me alcohol soon after. And not just any alcoholic beverage- Vodka Base is the name of the game. Anything else just won't cut it.
Tomorrow is Saturday. You all know how I feel about Saturdays: 8 classes, 10 working hours, misbehaved kids all day- enough said.
Looking forward to Saturday night; I'm staying out til 6 in the morning! WOO-WOO!

Thursdays=Headaches

Thursday was Thursday. Now I am intoxicated (slightly). I have one person to blame- and he knows who he is. Joshua. I put you on blast! Oopsie.
Thursdays give me headaches. So I should receive an award for surviving. ~~~ Is it the weekend yet???
Do you ever wish you could just talk to your Mom about life? God, I miss her. And I miss every single one of my friends. If you are reading this, I MISS YOU!
XOXO, Sarah lee marie
(Mind you, alcohol is involved during this creative writing process).
I drink too much in Japan.

Busy Wednesday

With 5 observers in my afternoon class today, I was really annoyed because that's a lot of extra little bodies (and brains) to cater to. However, it was what it was. The real pay-off was at the end of class when one observer (Mao, 5 years old), ran and gave me a "run-and-jump" hug. She was adorable. A little spacey, but then again, what little Japanese kids aren't? No, but in all seriousness, that's what I love most- hugs and kisses from my little ones, especially in Japan. The culture is so different from America. Here, parents lack in two major qualities when raising their children: love and discipline. Therefore, kids will either learn to seek love from others, or be completely put off by any kind of affection. In regards to discipline, they don't have any. It drives me crazy. And I feel like I shouldn't have to be the one to discipline them, yet I do. Some days I am so thankful I don't know Japanese; I don't even want to know the things that come out of their little mouths (they can say the most awful things). Then again, there are days I wish I knew; they can also say the most precious things. All in all, there are so many things I'll just never know.

Happy Birthday, Kei! She is 6 years old today. She's an angel, when she's not a brat. Today she was both.

Kei

To Quit Or Not To Quit?

Initially, before the day even began, I thought it was gonna be "one of those days," and it would never, ever end. However, it has ended and it wasn't so bad. I got out of work around 11:15pm, which is much later than I'd care to stick around for. But I did it (only because I had no other choice in the matter). Sure it was long, but somehow manageable.
As many of you already know, I am not a huge fan of my job right now. I thought about quitting today. But I didn't. I just need to grow some balls; then it would be way easier. In the interim, I'll continue taking it a day at a time. If I feel the need to quit and have the courage to do it, I'll do it. Otherwise, I'll stick around for the next 99 days.
Dinner time- I am so hungry. Gotta love eating dinner after midnight. So good for my waistline.
Love You, Friends and Family. I love you very much. xoxo

100 Days!

First of all, thank you, Tony, for the May Playboy issue! Lisa Rinna and I go way back; I used to watch her on Days of Our Lives in the early 90s when I was in grade school. I heart Lisa Rinna. Sure, she has her ridiculous days, but don't we all?
Anywho, I just counted how many days are left until my work contract is up- and it's exactly 100 days away! Yay! But I might quit tomorrow (that's a whole other story)...
I just received a $200 cell phone bill in my mailbox today. Wow, so awesome. That's officially the most expensive cell phone bill ever with my name on it. My Mama would sooo not be happy with me. So let's not tell her. No shopping, no splurging, and no buying things I don't need this month. And I mean nothing. I need to save my yen. I didn't even see that outrageous bill coming. Not at all. It blindsided me. Today, Japan and I are not in a loving relationship. Tomorrow doesn't look any better.
Peace.

There's More Than One Floor?

I was mistaken...there are English books at the new bookstore! I didn't know there were 3 floors; my bad. Thank you, Joshua. However, how is it that all English books are 75% off, but all the American magazine prices are through the roof (with no discount)? In fact, I bought a 500+ page book today for about $3.50, yet Playboy costs a little over $35.00??? Really??? And it was the one with Lisa Rinna on the cover!!! Grrrrr...
....Huge favor....if that magazine is still on display in the States (May issue), and you send it my way...I promise to reward you with whatever you want from Japan! Just let me know if this is a possibility. That would be so greatly appreciated! However, I wouldn't be surprised if it can no longer be found. If not, oh-well. I know, it's a weird request. But that's just me. :)
Much Love.

Saturday Night

Let's see...went out last night... I remember going to Commune, Spin, Soul to Soul and a couple other places that I can't remember the names of. You know what's funny to me? Whenever kissing Japanese girls, they will often say, "Thank you," then kiss you back. This amuses me. I met some adorable girls last night. Danced and drank my Vodka all night. ~ Then on the way home, the cab driver sang to me. Now I am hung-over.
P.S. There is currently a cockroach living in my kitchen drawer. It's very alive and may come after me. I'm going to buy a cockroach bomb today.

Wow- I'm in Shock

I'm in shock. Speechless. Won't sleep tonight. But I'll drink a lot this weekend.
I don't know what else to say. There are no words...
ps. There is no need to worry- everything is ok.

New Addition

As of today, a new part-time employee has been added to our staff. He's a Japanese college student, can speak a fair amount of English, but I don't see the point? Hmmm...I hope I'm not getting replaced...or do I?

Ok...when I was growing up, I would never think twice about talking back to any of my teachers, or worse, hitting them. So why on earth to these kids think that's ok? They can be so disrespectful, it's irritating. I'm losing my patience. 15 weeks (less than 4 months, friends)...Eyes on the Prize!

Sending you hugs and kisses from this foreign land.

***Sarah Marie***

Sayonara Golden Week

It's official. Golden Week is over. I go back to work tomorrow. Blah. The good news is is that it's only a 3-day work week. Then it's the weekend again- so, yay! I think I can handle that. Maybe. Just maybe.
~I received 1,000 yen coupon today from San-A. I never thought I'd see the day! Hahaha! Oh, San-A. Thanks for the extra $10, after the $1,000 Robin and I put into you! Hahahaha!
~Jacob's Creek is delicious (thank you, Joshua).
~I went to bed at 4am last night. It may look that way again tonight. As long as I'm running by 10am, everything will be ok. Does this post make any sense to anyone else other than me? If not, I apologize. It'll be better tomorrow, when there's little to no alcohol in my system.
My absolute favorite song right now is: Flashdance...What A Feeling.
O DO RI MA SHO

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Snack Bar now has a whole new meaning. Never will those two words mean the same thing they once did when I lived in the States. In fact, if you ever mention Snack Bar to me again, I will have to think about what it is you mean. Kind of like ping-pong (thanks to Thailand).

~~Happy Cinco de Mayo! Or if you're in Japan, Happy Children's Day! I don't really know what that means. But all the Japanese Holidays make themselves known to me via cell phone.

Tomorrow is my last day of vacation from work. Golden Week has ended and this makes me sad. I think I forgot how to do my job...

W.I.P.

...Works in Progress...

Re-occurring Dream

So, I keep having these re-occurring dreams of returning to the States without fulfilling my one-year contract in Okinawa. I've had this dream now countless times. It's one of the most uncomfortable ways to sleep during the night because I end up leaving Japan without telling anyone with so much unfinished business (such as leaving money here in my bank account, still having phone and Internet service, etc). The dreams feel so, incredibly real, it's scary. I wouldn't be surprised if I have this dream again tonight or many nights thereafter.

On another note, I do love the new location of my bed. The sun shines so brightly, directly into my face at 7am every morning. I'll close the curtains tonight.

Less is More

I'm afraid I have to cut myself off for the next 6 days. No more shopping, drinking or doing anything else that involves spending money. Why? Because I have no more. ~C'mon Pay Day!~

Happy Birthday, Matt!

Yay! Today is Brother Matty's Birthday. I love you, Matthew. Happy Birthday to you!

So, last night Stevo and I went out to Commune, American Idol, and Ole. I drank quite a bit. But, miraculously, no hang-over this morning! Amazing. God does love me.

My absolute favorite drink of all time- hands down- is the Grasshopper (had it for the first time last night). Has anyone else had this drink? It tastes exactly like a Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie. ~Orgasmic.~ I'm in love.

Happy May Day!

Today= Gym, Relaxation, Cooking, Painting, Reading, Laundry, Dancing, Nip/Tuck, Sex & the City, Vodka (new concoction: Georgia and Vodka- so good), San-A and Oroku Jusco.

I was the only one at the gym this morning with an i-Pod. Am I that out-of-date? Just because the machines have TVs and video games on them doesn't mean I appreciate the entertainment value as much as (perhaps) I should. Why does everything around here have to be Japanese? Sometimes I really do live in my own little world.

I received another book in the mail today...the 2nd book I've received in less than two weeks. Now I have 102 books to read...

Happy May Day! May is my favorite month of the whole year! I am happy.

Thank you for reading.