shopping surge

Whoa. Got swamped by a massive urge to shop. Online shopping is way too fun.

Current shopping cart:
Pantene Pro-V Conditioner, Smooth & Sleek
Sleek.look by Matrix Smoothing System Conditioner
Banana Boat Faces Plus Sunblock, SPF 23
Banana Boat Faces Plus Sunblock Stick, SPF 30

I don't really need both things of sunblock, but one will be good for daily use and the other will be good when I go to the beach. Yes, I haven't run out of sunblock yet but... Normal brands of sunblock in Japan are at least twice as expensive as in the U.S.

On the to-buy list:
Franco Sarto Bocca shoes
Jamelia CD
Kelis CD

Japan and English teachers

An amusing thread about Japanese visa requirements for English teachers.

trips

So, it's basically a pain to travel.

If I want to take a trip out of the country, I need to spend half a day getting a re-entry permit and transferring my visa from my current passport to my next one. I really should do it anyway, in case I need to travel for an emergency.

If I want to visit China, I have to take 2 mornings and get a visa, once I've bought a plane ticket. I also need a letter from a Chinese tour agency. I'm not sure what to do if I'm not going on a tour.

stomach

After I have a big meal, I'm usually starving in the morning. I think my stomach is very quick to expand.

Japanese post: new vocab

有給休暇（ゆうきゅうきゅうか）paid vacation

studying

I am currently reluctantly studying Japanese. I'd have rather gone to dinner and movie with some friends, but I thought I'd be meeting up with another friend who's visiting this weekend, who ended up cancelling.

So instead I am studying Japanese and listening to this DJ Tiesto cd I got from George. Thanks George! I didn't notice until now that Sinead O'Connor makes an appearance on it. I like her song quite a lot. I've always liked her quite a bit. Ooh, she has a really interesting new cd coming out. 17 of her best collaborations. I love Peter Gabriel's "Blood of Eden."

Yukie NASU

那州雪絵 is one of my favorite manga artists. Primarily because of "Here is Greenwood," of which I am still looking for the wide version of the books. Apparently she has still been publishing 1 or 2 books a year, so I plan on checking them out. I'm glad! I hate it when one of my favorite artists fades into obscurity.

On a side note, another cafe that I like in Shimokitazawa has closed. Bummer!