Just a little something to help Katie keep up with all those who matter to her.
|
|
| We're Not in Japan Anymore... Just a little something to help Katie keep up with all those who matter to her. |
|
|
Thursday, July 14, 2005 hooooooooly cow. I think I fail at the Internet, what do you say? I really don't have any excuses... other than I felt my life was nothing interesting to be read about. Which made me think I was being egotistical to think that ANYONE still might read this. >_> So, maybe I'll just start writing for ME instead... So yeah, I'm married now. And this whole "strimple_sensei" thing is now defunct. ): Or, well, it's 'funct'... it's just not accurate anymore. :P Jeremy and I were married on Thursday, June 9th and had a 'fake' ceremony on the 11th, which was like the big party and things. (: It was really nice. You can see some pictures HERE if you haven't already--or, if you are reading this, which I seriously doubt anyone is. :P So, after December, I coninuted to live in Kansas til about May, when Jeremy graduated with his Masters degree. >so proud!< I was FINALLY able to start substitute teaching then... but I only got about 45 jobs in that span of 5 months... -_- Oh well, it was better than nothing. I met some really great kids, some awesome teachers, saw some cool classes and schools... and hopefully learned me something. :D Thank you, Lawrence Public Schools! Before the school year ended, Jeremy was searching for jobs--mostly in the Michigan/Ohio area... for me. <3 I had said I wanted to go back to the area sometime, not necessarily right away, but there were serveral schools in the area he was interested in. Well, Kalamazoo College offered him a job right after he finished interviewing with them! We were both really excited. I was going back to Kalamazoo--where my Alma Mater is, and the city that sent me to Numazu~ So, then... we moved to Michigan. OOOOOH, whatta trip... 15-ish hours in Jeremy's '92 Ranger, pulling a 6x12 ft trailer PACKED with our stuff... >_< We spent the night half-way somewhere... and pulled into Kalamazoo sometime in the afternoon. We dumped off our stuff in a temporary apartment (ours was still being lived in by the girl who was still doing Jeremy's 'new job') and then headed to Flushing... for three weeks of wedding-planning "FUN". Long story short, the wedding planning stuff happened. :D No hitches, bumps or anything. Things arrived when they should have, looked like we wanted, and cost what we were told. ^_^ Well, 'cept for my mom... who was still sewing buttons on my dress at 2am the night before. >_< But... it looked great. (: Yeah, the wedding was lots of fun--a lot of friends came from far away to be there with us, and we were so grateful! I hope everyone had a good time! So then, we 'honeymooned' in Detroit for a few days--nothing big or special, just a few days to get away. It was kinda nice. (: 'Cept Detriot is COVERED in construction right now. >_< It was a little frustrating, trying to drive around. Ah well. Then we got back to Flushing, relaxed for a few days, and then moved on to Kalamazoo! We had to stay in our temp apartment for a few days, to wait for the staff to clean our real one. Malene came to stay with us during that time! (: She was so sweet... to help us pack up again and move to our new place. <3 She even helped me sort out the new apartment--putting things away with me. ^_^ When stuff was settled, I took her downtown for the afternoon--it was real nice. I showed her our library (she's a librarian!) and we did some shopping. She bought these really neat 'wrap pants'. :D I wonder what her friends think of them...? :o Then, Thrusday night, Becca and Dan came to pick her up--but they stayed for the evening to watch the final Pistons game with us. ^_^ Though they didn't win, I had a nice evening, hanging out with the three of them. <3 Soo... since then... Jeremy's been going to work, and I've been looking for some. :P Teaching jobs are hard to find right now. But I won't give up until the first day of school! ^_^ On July 2nd, Jeremy and I adopted! XD Kitties, that is! We rescued two kittens from the Kalamazoo Animal Rescue. Their names are Colby and Jack. (: They love to play/fight with each other, and are getting good at jumping. >_< style="font-weight: bold;"> We love them very much. ^_^ And, that's about it, really... things haven't been very exciting on my end. Jeremy's been going to work, 8-4 everyday, getting ready for the school year to start--around Sept 13th, I think. Hopefully I'll find a teaching job sometime soon, and we can be a double-income family. :D hahaha posted by Katie Suttles | 7:51 AM Comments-[ comments.] Monday, December 13, 2004 Hi again! I've got my computer back, I'm reinstalling all my old programs, and it's slowly becoming the computer I once had.... (: I hate reinstalling all those programs, and fixing all the settings (fonts, sounds, etc) so your machine is JUST the way you like it.... AGAIN. :P Oh well! I DID discover one really cool thing about my 'new' laptop.... I got a 40 gig hard drive in place of my old, busted 20 gig!! :D I was so excited when I noticed! That's 100% MORE space to fill with JUNK! .... >.> anyway... So, I hope to get some fun stuff on my webpage in the next few days. Classes are over; my final project is turned in for one class, and I have only one final for the second class... which I'm auditing, so I don't even REALLY need to take the exam... (: So I'll have time to play with my website (and make the $10 a month it costs me to keep it up worth paying!). I am hoping that I'll get a few calls to be a substitute teacher these next week, though. But, I'm not too hopeful. NEXT semester is when I really hope to be getting the calls. I can't afford to take classes (T_T) and I REALLY need to earn some money... Good luck to me! posted by Katie Suttles | 3:04 PM Comments-[ comments.] Wednesday, December 01, 2004 Okay, I'm going to try really hard to be better at this. ): My computer STILL isn't back--I was hoping it'd be repaired by Thanksgiving break and I'd be able to start working on my page again. But alas... I must wait and therefore, you all must wait. ): Break was nice, but the trip was not so nice. It took us 8 hours to get to St. Louis, when it should have taken 4. It took us 21 hours to get all the way to Michigan, when we were planning a 13-hour trip. :P Stupid snow. But, it was good to be home, the food was delicious, and I even got to see my little brother, BJ! (: And I got to visit with the Winstons and Leceas, and now I have a bridal party. (: Jeremy's got to get working on his, though... hehehe. We checked out four possible wedding location sites, and got some info... now we are in the procecess of narrowing it down to one. :P It stinks. Each place has it's pluses and minuses, and it's hard to pick... But we're trying. We're planning on making a website about the process, too, so look forward to that! :D The semester is almost over, and so my classes are almost done. ): I've decided not to enroll next semester; it's just too expensive, and we need to save up for the wedding. >sigh< I'm really going to miss taking Japanese classes but... I don't have much of a choice. But, I'll still be on campus, so I hope I take advantage of that. My comic translation 'job' is going well, I think. (: I've been translating a comic called "Kekkaishi" from Japanese for a site --http://snoopycool.com. Check it out if you like! It's been a lot of fun. (: Well, better go... I have a small meeting today! Bye! posted by Katie Suttles | 10:55 AM Comments-[ comments.] Tuesday, August 03, 2004 So this is my first post after getting back to the States. It feels good to be home, even if my mind and body haven't totally adjusted. :P Though I can usually shake that off in a day or so. I'm feeling better already, really. Still hungry at weird times, though. :P Ah well. My flight wasn't bad. Wasn't all that good, either though, but what can you say for a 13 hour cruise through freezing skies? The air was too chilly and aggravated the stuffy nose I had before I left. For some reason we were shown the same movie three times during the flight. (It was half-way decent: "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton" or something like that.) I sat next to a 15 yr old Korean girl who wanted to talk about herself a whole lot in somewhat broken English, when all I wanted to do was zone out and listen to my CD. I started to feel ill towards the end, like I've noticed I normally do on these long flights (this was my sixth time flying between the US and Japan), so I didn't eat breakfast. Anyways. Mom, dad, Becca and Dan were there to meet me. (: It was good to see all of them. I wish Jeremy could have made it, but it would have cost him a lot of time and money, so we decided he might as well just wait til this weekend to come see me. He'll be arriving on Friday and will spend the weekend here... then we need to head to Kansas on Sunday, so he can go back to work. I'm sad I have to leave Michigan so soon... and especically before I even have a chance to see any family in Ohio... but there really isn't anything we can do. Unless I'd want to fly out a week later... and, I just don't want to spend the money on that. So... I'll just have to wait to see everyone down in Ohio. I'm looking forward to life in Kansas with Jeremy, though. For once we'll be living in not only the same building, the same city, but the same STATE as well. It is quite a step in our, what, 5 year relationship? Ha... Becca and Dan have recently moved in together, too. (: Sounds like they have a great apartment and their respective cats are getting along well. (: I hope to go visit them sometime soon. And I hope Jeremy has room for all of MY crap, along with all of his. (: We'll see. Well, I should get back to my week of doing a whole lot of nothing. It's been nice so far... two days of just sitting around. Recuperating from a full year of 'tired'. I slept until three p.m. the other day--I could hardly believe it. I never sleep that much. Guess it just shows you how much 'tired' has built up over this last year. Oh, but my neck is still killing me. posted by Katie Suttles | 1:20 PM Comments-[ comments.] Thursday, July 22, 2004 Another Friday... But this one is my last day at Ashitaka. My last day working at a Japanese school in Numazu. Yesterday I taught my last two classes--I have a very vague idea of what today's schedule is like. :P I found out yesterday there is no school lunch served today--but, at least one day ahead of time isn't too late, huh? Since it is the last day before summer vacation (which should last about a month, I think...) there is going to be an assembly in the afternoon. I'll probably be making a small speech then... ugh. That will surely be one nice thing about leaving Numazu--I absoluely hate making speeches like this. Especially to an audience that is probably picking up about 50% of what I'm saying (if I'm lucky...). I'm tired of being someone special here, someone who 'deserves' or is expected to make speeches like this. Though... it's hard to belive this is the last time... So this means I have about one more week here. I've started packing. One box is probably on a boat somewhere over the Pacific, slowly making it's way towards Kansas. I have two more sitting here in my apartment (I gave up trying to mail them all out quickly, so they would arrive soon after *I* did, in Kansas...)--one box has about 25 pounds of books in it (12kg) and the other is slowly filling with clothes I hardly wore, movie books and posters, tiny junk I really won't need for a while, and winter socks. :P I've pulled my suitcases down, and started to fill them with the clothes I DO wear, photos and papers I'll probably be asked to show soon after I get home, and books I want to keep on me. I'm gradually 'emptying' small places in my apartment of my things--the closet is done, and most of my little desk, and there are only about 10 shirts haning up in my dresser now... I have a few things planned for next week, but not too much. Maybe I can get my site updated a little bit after all. Thanks for checking in. (: posted by Katie Suttles | 4:23 PM Comments-[ comments.] Thursday, July 15, 2004 It's Friday... My last day this week, my second-to-last week of school. Again, I just can't believe it's going so fast. It's gotten really hot, too. Not that I wasn't familiar with a "Japanese summer" before I arrived, thanks to my time in Hikone in 2002. But... well, seriously, I think my eyelids were sweating the other day. Of course, I had just trekked up the hill to school for 15 minutes in about 86 degree weather. (86 at 7:30 in the morning??) I suppose that's enough to make anywhere on your body start perspirating. School has been nice this week, but still rather slow. I've been reading "Harry Potter" 5, to get a second reading under my belt. After school this week, 4 out of 5 days, I've had dinner parties to attend. Last night was my dinner with all the teachers I've worked with (well... all the ones who could show up...) and I had a nice time. Got and gave lots of addresses, and I gave them all the remaining stickers I had, as well as some of my English newspapers. I hope they find lots of uses for them. And I hope the kids enjoy the stickers--I asked the teachers to tell them they were a little present from me. (: This weekend is looking to be just as busy as my after-school week. I'm leaving soon, and have lots to do, so naturally everyone needs a bit of what little time I have left. (: I won't complain too much (unless it means I'll have to pack my suitcases as I ride the bullet train to the airport!) because I'm really going to miss all these people... when I can't see them anymore... But, what I was getting at, is there will probably be very little updating on my site, before I leave Japan. ): I'm sorry... I have a few more pictures from Becca's visit, and some from school I'd like to share. But maybe before August is over, when I'll have time to relax, I'll be able to get some stuff up to show you all. I plan on keeping the site for a little while--everyone seems to have enjoyed it so. (: But I find it really surprising that so many people find my life so interesting. :P Take care. (: posted by Katie Suttles | 4:19 PM Comments-[ comments.] Friday, July 09, 2004 Howdy. I only have two weeks of school left here... No matter how many times I think about it, it doesn't sink in too much. Things are getting packed and mailed here, farewell parties have started... but still. Just seems weird to think that two Mondays from now, I won't be waking up at 5:15 to catch my bus to Ashitaka... That I won't be performing silly student-written skits in front of the classes anymore... Strange. So, yes, I had my first Farewell Party, Monday night, at a really nice hotel. It was for the N.I.C.E. group (Numazu Association for International Cultural Exchange or something along those lines). So people from the Sister City Committe came, as well as students from my Guide class and the girl who was the exchange student this past year, Keiko. I think she really enjoyed her stay, and seems to be torn on whether or not she's happy to be back. I kind of understand. I also met the boy who will go to Kalamazoo this coming school year. He was incredibly polite and quiet. (: But he asked Keiko several questions, and I breifly spoke to him. I'm sure he's really excited about it--just very nervous right now. I wish I could have spoken to him more--and I'm sure he wishes the same. I discovered that he really likes English, and wants to be an English teacher in Japan someday. Keiko might want to attend MSU sometime in the future. (: During dinner, we had a bit of a celebrity encounter. Did you hear about the two Japanese men who were killed in Iraq? I believe they were driving somewhere and their car was ambushed and they were shot to death. They weren't soldiers, but were trying to help a young Iraqi boy who's eye had been injured during an explosion. After the two men died, efforts to make their dream of bringing this boy to Japan to have surgery to repair his eye come true. The boy was sent to a hospital in Numazu, where one of the men was from, I think. The surgery happened several days ago, and went well. I thought the boy had gone home... but I was wrong. He came walking into our small banquet room that night. He must have been staying in the hotel, after his surgery was successful. And, judging by the way he acted that night, I think he often tours the hotel, shaking hands and stuff, soaking up this attention. So, that was kinda cool. After dinner was over, we headed to the elevator and guess what? Ran into the kid again. This time, he was making us hold out our hands, like he was gonna high five us or something... but instead, he would spread his hands wide, and SMACK them both against your hand. He did it to me three times.... it sucked. When we piled in the elevator, he got a look at my face, pointed at me and said, "America?" And I nodded and told him, "yes." Then he said, "Thank you very much." ^_^ So, that was kinda neat, too. This week has been pretty average. I've only had about three classes a day, so I find myself quite bored the rest of the time. A few days after seeing "Harry Potter" 3, I got the itch to read the third book again, so I checked for it at the library. They only had 4, so I got it instead. I read it in a week, having so much free time at work. (I have Japanese comics I could read, too... but somehow that seems just a little TOO unprofessional, I guess...) So last week I took back 4, and asked if they had 5. They did! I was kinda surprised, but really happy. HOWEVER... it was out at the moment. But the lady told me that it was due back the next day, and I could reserve it. Well, HECK yes. Though... that was last weekend.... STILL the jerk hasn't brought it back. I didn't get another book cuz I figured I'd have my hands on five soon enough. So.... this week has been EXTRA boring, when I haven't had class, I guess. You can only study so many kanji a week, you know... before your head explodes. It's true. I heard it on TV. So tomorrow, before Japanese class, I'll ask about book 5. If the jerk still hasn't brought it back, I might offer to call for them. I'm guessing they might not be calling him because he can't speak Japanese. We'll see. Maybe I'll have to resort to a different book. ): Tonight I'm going to a little party with the Ashitaka teachers. I guess next week begins this Nation-wide sports competion narrowing-down process... or something. First there are like, city competions... then prefecture (states, in a way)... then regions... and eventually the best teams in Japan will compete. Dunno how far away that is, though. We had something like a pep rally today (which was just about god-awful... to sit in a gym full of 420 students and about 20 teachers in 86 degree weather...) and it was fun to see the kids in all their different sport uniforms. They showed us their pre-game cheers and gave messages to their classmates and coaches. ^_^ Interesting stuff. So there's a small party for the teachers to kick it off, I guess. Drinking and karaoke, I'm guessing. I'll be leaving a little early though, cuz Kazuyo and I will go see "Lost in Translation." ^_^ It's finally been released here, and I'm excited to see it. That, and it's fun spending time with Kazuyo. (: Ahh... let's see. What else? Not much really, I guess. There seems to be so many things I have to do to get ready to go... and I don't feel like doing any of them. I should check my phone book to see if there's someone I can hire to do all this packing and mailing crap. Maybe I'll just buy myself a plane and learn to fly it before I have to go--that'll probably save me a ton on shipping fees. :P posted by Katie Suttles | 3:50 AM Comments-[ comments.] |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
