I bought my train ticket to Narita airport yesterday, and tonight I will start to pack. Holy crap.

I thought of Old Town in Chicago, and got excited about walking around there. Not sure why, I never spent much time there. It's strange coming from Tokyo to Chicago. I used to think Chicago was a big city. And Tokyo trains run on time. But the burritos and pizza are in Chicago.

Today is my last Kanji test, I think I might blow it. This term went a little quick for me.

I mean the change in my change basket. Aside from that, everything else is changing tremendously. But that's not what I wanted to talk about.

Before I came to Japan, I took 6 coffee cans full of change to the Coinstar at the local supermarket, and ended up with about $250.00. I, like many other men (I hear), accumulate loose change. At stores, I try and fumble in my pockets to give the cashier the extra .02, but there is something embarrassing to me about digging around my pants while I am being watched, so I usually give up after about three seconds.

Ranalli's - Thin crust pepperoni, well done.

The Brauhaus - Saurbraten

Indian Garden - everything

Moody's - Cheeseburger

Then Chinatown and Koreatown and Mexican and Little Vietnam. Maybe a Greek salad at this place I know. More later.

Well, I didn't go to Kamakura last weekend, I ended up having a lovely day with my girlfriend shopping. We bought stuff for Skype and a few presents for friends and family back in the States.  Time spent with her is better than time spent alone, I think. As we were testing Skype, she said that she thinks she will be okay if we can communicate like this. It was good to hear.

Tomorrow, I am going to try to go to my favorite place around Tokyo, Kamakura. If you are ever in Tokyo, I insist you go visit, especially if you won't be going to Kyoto or any of the older-style cities. There are temples everywhere, and it's kind of a sacred spot for me.

I was planning on doing it alone, but I have gotten tired of being such a dramatic, solitary person. Maybe I'll invite a friend. Since I was a kid, I always preferred to do things by myself, and lately I have grown to like others' company.

...in all countdowns. 6 days of school. 2 weeks in Japan (14 days). 3 tests. 3 days of work.

I have all my shippable belongings almost ready to go. My 2 guitars, some clothes, etc. I think I'll be able to make it to Chicago with only a duffle bag, computer bag, and a carry-on. Tomorrow, I will take the boxes to be shipped.

As usual, I feel like my Japanese is about to turn a corner. I guess it's a circular path though. It's always turning a slow curve. But things are getting easier to express, and Japanese people tend to understand me more.

I am substitute teaching 4 more shifts, this week and next. I still have a hard time remembering which class is which. I can't imagine that I will ever be a real teacher, since I have trouble remembering 4 student's names, let alone 25 or 30.

Today I have a class that I taught last week for the first time. The one boy in the class is kind of a smart-ass, until he discovered that I speak Japanese. I have to be careful not to let him know that if he speaks at native speed/vernacular, I probably won't understand him.

I awoke last night and had to close the patio door, as it was cool and rainy, just like it's supposed to be for the next few days. It's not yet autumn here, the leaves haven't really turned colors yet. In Japanese, autumn leaves are called "紅葉", kouyou; lit. "red leaves". There are many fall-related words in Japanese, such as:

秋気-shouki-the fall air

小夜時雨-sayoushigure-a light shower on a late fall night.

秋風 -akikaze-fall breeze.

秋日和-akibiyori-clear fall day

Autumn is my favorite season. I haven't lived anywhere that I didn't like it's autumn.

So I sorted some more clothes, threw out some trash. More preparations to leave. I found a coffee shop to study at, only about 600 feet from my uncle's apartment. They have oolong, sencha tea and coffee, which is about 73% of my diet.

I am having these minor panic attacks. I impatiently wait for this date, at the same time I covet every minute here with my girlfriend, my classmates, my friends.

I am off now to google "miso ramen chicago".