EFL Through Songs

EFL SONGS SITE LINK:

http://www.songsforteaching.com/esleflesol.htm

unfortunately you have to pay for them, but hey, it's an investment and they can probably be played over and over. I'm sure if I dig around later I can find a lot for free as well, not to mention the splendor of YouTube. Too bad google took it over.

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So there are some jobs I can apply for. Depending on what happens with the applications I will graduate either this spring (I'll be eligible to graduate after winter term... if I quit honors college all I have left is 4 credits of Japanese, although there are other classes that I WANT to take... haha I just don't want to take honors college classes) and if neither of the jobs go through, maybe I'll just stay and I think I can finish honors college by the end of fall 2011. One is in Chiba, and one is in Aichi. I would be much more excited to live in Aichi especially since it is a part of Aichi that easily accesses more rural areas... Chiba is just a stone's throw from Tokyo. Haha but if you need to escape real quick it is close to Narita.

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My first acupuncture appointment is today. The acupuncturist said the most noticeable problem from the TCM perspective was a stomach yin deficiency. Besides that, between cleaning my house and going to the izakaya for a second time with friends, my good old friend mono showed up again and all the sinus ickies with it. Luckily I feel much better after sleeping.

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The food at the izakaya was pretty good, they do have good nabe, sukiyaki, and what not. It is a little expensive for the portions but some things are a good deal. It is supposed to be western themed but only looks partially western themed, just the drink names and a little of the decor. They have some growing into their bar that could be done. It'd be nice with some more pictures and knick-knackery on the walls. Nice that they don't have flat-screens all over the place. I suspect that people have forgotten how to talk to each other.

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Today I also applied to volunteer at an elementary school. Hopefully some experience will be coming my way shortly.

Western Izakayas and TRUE VACATION~~

So today I was looking through the local paper and I guess there is an Izakaya Meiji in Eugene. I didn't know about it until today, but my mom came because my follow up appointment for the CYST was today. And the CYST is GONE! So good news all around. My blood pressure was really low though... no wonder my legs fall asleep so easy and when they do it's the whole darn leg and I walk around like a cripple for a few minutes after... dizzy standing... heart beating like crazy. But a lot of relief. I'm going to Izakaya Meiji with the boys tonight. I think I'll take my camera and hopefully the food is pretty good.

It's "Wild-Western" themed with izakaya fare... I'll let you know how good it is, but the bar-goers of Eugene have given it a 4/5 star rating on the scale which is pretty good. The only almost authentic Japanese food I've had in the Eug is the raamen and even most my students don't really like that (Toshi's best thing is the gyoza I think...Toshi's Raamen) You can get much more authentic Korean food in Eugene... no coincidence that most the Korean places are Korean-owned. Just looked at the menu... they have it all! Garatan, karaage, korokke. All the good greasy Japanese stuff. And of course yakitori. Aww good memories. I'll include a picture from a time eating yakitori in Japan with my school friend's family.

Are you sufficently hungry yet?

A Familiar Story

An Anxiety Experience, and What Helps:

http://www.derealization.org/my-experience/derealization-cured-my-story

Great story. Kind of sounds like when I have my descents (well I have had 2 major falls with this anxiety... and a few short-lived minor ones)

Interesting that it came on after this individual was trying psychadelic drugs. I have never done any drugs... I'm such a pansy among my friends... usually the only one drinking water at the college parties...

It's interesting BECAUSE my anxiety started after the Gardasil + Menactra + Hep vaccines. It's as if I received a brain-chemistry altering drug!

And the story is EVEN MORE INTERESTING when the things the individual writes down helped their condition are uncannily the same things that have been helping me, that functional medicine and this whole unsettling but (hopefully) strengthening journey has brought me to. That is, magnesium, l-theanine (which I have been prescribed but seldom need to take, said to help with "brain chatter"... I get that feeling when I am hungry, and it is usually greatly helped by eating something, a little bit of complex carb with protein)... AND, optimistically, acupuncture. I'm getting really excited about doing some acupuncture.

When I was in Japan my host mother did acupuncture on me. She gave that up to pursue allopathic nursing, but it's nice to know that someone in the allopathic realm would have that experience. I know that it might not do anything, but there are so many problems I don't see how at least one might not be helped, especially with how it's effectiveness in treating nausea (from chemotherapy, etc...) and pain (effective nerve blocking) is touted. Very interesting stuff.

And look! Here's my blog offering another testament.

My one other dream? Kicking mono's butt.

Grumpy Takes a Vacation

Grumpy Takes A Vacation:

Not feeling so grumpy today. I contribute that a lot to doing some deep breathing exercises last night... chilling... and eating well today: that is, on time and with the right protein to veg to carb ratio. I definitely start to feel worse if I'm getting hungry. I'd settle for a stomach growl but I really start to get anxious and my mood drops.

At any rate, couldn't make it to my friends going away party tonight ; - ; Max's last final is tomorrow... and he hadn't even finished the take home portion by the time the party started so here I am. She said she'd come visit with another friend of ours this weekend. I'm not sure if it will go through, and I feel really bad about not being able to go. But at least I got to see her a few days ago.

Urggg finals.

I'll just look forward to the weekend and hope my two friends make it to visit. Or maybe I'll ask if we should just meet up somewhere... my house is pretty far from where everyone lives.

Finals Week!

Finals Week!

Well, technically my finals week (and my term) has been over since Monday... but Max (my husband) won't be done with his finals until about noon on Friday. That means my "best friend" is busy all week and I have "no one to play with." Haha it's definitely testing me. His brother is visiting. I meant to write a long blog to celebrate making it to December, to be my first December blog, but some other things I wanted to put in my blog beat me to it.

I'm going to take the plunge and try acupuncture. It's supposed to help with anxiety, nausea, and chest pain~~ I figure there's nothing I can loose. My insurance covers some of it... I found an Ac. near my campus so it will be easy to keep with the schedule even if school starts. And if my benefits run out there is a community acupuncture clinic where the fee is based on how much you earn, which for me, is nothing. I like that. I really like naturopathy, but it's much more expensive and so far, alone, has not given me results. There's a free consultation that I'm going to next week, to tell them about what's been going on...

Maxy's brother has been here for more than a week. Unfortunately we haven't really clicked yet... I really want things to go well... this last attack (the anxiety and feeling sick) took a lot of my confidence away and I'm not feeling in the outgoing sort of mood. More like "gosh I just want to recuperate and hope this doesn't happen again." He just doesn't seem that interested in trying anything new. But I suppose he's probably here to see Max more than anything, so it's normal he doesn't seem to care? I gave him a bunch of English study books but he's watching Korean dramas and cooking Korean food all day... and speaking Korean all day (I can't understand a thing of what's going on in my own house... or when I can understand it's like I'm mute because I can't speak Korean (yet?) ) And doing Korean boy things like drinking and smoking (not in the house, of course).

So now I'm feeling homesick in my own house! I don't want to feel this way... and I feel like a lot of it is my fault but I don't really know how to get things in motion. I'm getting pretty hungry... the boys LOVE greasy food... eggs, sausage, strange fried noodle concoctions, and even stews, salads covered in mayonnaise~~~ and FISHY food. If it doesn't smell like a pier it's not worth their attention. I've tried to cook a few times (my best recipes)... chicken marsala, enchiladas, nachos de Malia, vegetables with sweet and sour chicken... and just get slightly disappointed vibes everytime. But I myself get slightly disappointed everytime the food is greasy because I know I am going to feel awful if I eat it. And when you know you're going to feel awful then nothing really tastes good even if it really does (who doesn't LOVE greasy food? I love it, but...) I can't communicate that because 1)I feel rude 2) I feel embarassed

When is it safe for someone to put their foot down?

He did pick out a movie for us to watch together (haha I wouldn't have picked it myself but it was all right~~~) "Enchanted"... I missed that one when it was in the theaters. I think the best recent Disney movie was the Princess and the Frog. And Ratatouille. Haha for some reason I can watch Ratatouille again and again. I guess the food divide is the most exhausting, because every meal requires so much thought "What SHOULD we eat?" "Who should cook?" "Am I going to be able to eat it?" haha and... "Is this going to require a base of fish broth???" He was also a good sport and went to play tennis with me one day... a day with a rare break in the clouds! Rare for Oregon! Speaking of which, today is clear! I'm gonna get my butt down to the mall to get a haircut! (my hair is are falling out like crazy.)

Japan Blogs I Like

So I'm kind of considering starting a Japan Culture, Japanese language blog to stand alone. I've held volunteer Japanese language classes before and it might be a fun tool to have if I do that again, maybe give the students lessons/hw/questions to ponder and cultural factoids to look up. It's tough to say something that hasn't been said before, but I guess the fun thing about blog culture is you see similar subjects in all different lights based on all the blogs out there.

Here are some of my favorite blogs by people living/working in Japan:

The Good:

http://kylemullen.wordpress.com/

Fellow Uni-friend, and his adventures about 40 minutes from Tokyo in Chiba prefecture as a JET ALT

http://www.julieinjapan.com/

A good variety of interesting, optimistic, upbeat blog.

http://anenglishmaninosaka.blogspot.com/2005/03/all-posts.html

Great variety, comedy, fact and FICTION. Good for a laugh.

Middle Ground:

http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/

Critical Eyes:

http://japanlost.blogspot.com/

A Token one on Korea for good Measure:

http://chrisinsouthkorea.blogspot.com/2010/10/dont-blame-foreigners-interesting-look.html

(And most of them more or less have a lot of overlap... such is life)

I'm supposed to be studying for a final tomorrow so I'll leave this at that and come back with more links later.

Soy Milk Recipe: Link

I'd like to write a blog about the debate on soybeans: are they beneficial or harmful to health? (It's quite a debate, and quite confusing to me)

Anyway, there is a link to a recipe for soymilk. With all the ingredients added to commercial soymilk, it's nice to have the option to make it at home.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2019300/make_homemade_soy_milk.html?cat=5