There Was No Thief

I should be sleeping right now, but I was struck with the urge to write.

Tsuyu (梅雨), or Rainy Season, is starting in Kyoto. It's been raining almost non-stop for the last week and there's only more on the horizon. It wouldn't be bad if it wasn't muggy on top of rainy. The humidity is killer. I'm in for a loooong summer.

School is moving along. Classes are usual.

I registered for Fall 10 at UCR. I'm really liking my schedule. I only have classes on Tuesday and Thursday and they don't start till almost 1pm! Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I can split up my hours with Mary. It's looking like a good quarter. Hopefully my classes aren't too killer. I'm taking one upper division Japanese culture class, one lower division Japanese culture class, and two education classes that count for elective credits in my Linguistics major.

I've been really homesick lately. I'm not sure I've really stopped missing home throughout this whole year. Of course I've had tons of fun, but I miss the people back home.

I suppose I'm just doing my best to do everyone proud.

Taiko is going well! I'm learning some pieces to perform at 新人公演 (shinjinkouen).　新人公演 is a debut performance for the newbies they have every year. I'm excited. I'm practicing my butt off to make sure I'm ready.

I have my 5本 fue ordered. It should be here in a week or so. Until I get mine, すみ lent me his 5本 to practice with. Very kind of him. I'm also going to order a new pair of ちゃっぱ for 川柳! I'm suuuper excited about that. They're all mine until I go home to practice with. I'm going to learn how to play them from ドン and then rock John's Second Song like none other. WOO!

There's a number of big things planned for the next few months:

-My 21st B-day is next Wednesday. Not much to say on this one. I got my package from home. It's the only present I'm getting this year and that's fine. It was too wonderful. I opened the box and just started crying. My parents sent me 3 cards. One was from my dad. It was a Barbie Princess 3D card. You know those little plastic 3D cards that if you scratch them they make this funny sound? I used to love them as a kid--called them "scratchies." Apparently my dad just couldn't resist. I mean how much more prefect could it get-- Barbie, scratchies AND princess? Well, because he liked that card, my mom had to do one of her own too. Thought a serious one was necessary. But then they didn't want it to seem like they were divided, so they did a card together, too. They make me laugh.

-Next weekend I go to Yosano in the Kyoto countryside to learn to plant rice. I get to spend a night with a host family, too!

-The first weekend in June is a beach weekend trip with Taiko. We get this place on the beach and run and play taiko and hang out for a weekend. I can't wait for that. The pictures from previous years are really beautiful.

-In July I'll be going to see Spitz in concert in Kyoto. Yup. That's right. SPITZ. I can't believe it either. I'll be doing this one 一人暮らし (hitorigurashi; all by myself), but that's okay. It's close by, so I don't have to go searching for it in some completely foreign city,

We should really start getting on the Fuji trip. We haven't planned anything. Between the tons of taiko and school, I've been kinda unmotivated on the travel front. Gotta get that 川柳 flag up the peak though!

At any rate, I miss you all and August is coming soon! Just another 2 months and change. It's all downhill from here, baby!

Love until later,

Caitlin D.