A month and a half of good excuses!!!!

So, I guess it's been a while since I have posted anything...GOMEN! It has been quite busy over here in the far East the past month and a half. Let me give you a few excuses regarding my posting absence...

1. Family came to Japan!
It was so great to have EVERYONE here, it was almost like being home back in Cali (which by the way I will be on AUGUST 17th!!! For GOOD.) We did a lot of sightseeing (I think Dad got a little overwhelmed with the shrines, castles, and shopping) and in true Oshiro style...EATING!

I don't know why but the song, "I Think I'm Turning Japanese" by The Vapors keeps running through my head.

Now here is a new look for Uncle David! Rock it out!!!

We also got to meet up with Tomi and Sachi (Kelly's great aunts) on our last stop in Tokyo.

After almost a year of planning out this family reunion in the motherland it just came and went in a blink of an eye! But in that blink we all took a bunch of pictures, unfortunately, I was not one of the "we" so I am really looking forward to seeing all the great shots my family took of amazing, beautiful Japan when I finally get home.

2. I broke out in horrible stress hives.
I was a hot mess. And hot only because its nasty summer weather in Kyoto. It was not pretty and so I will go not go forth into explaining the depths of my ugly.

3. I am trying to get things packed up and ready to move back to Cali.
It's not so easy packing things on the back of your bike and getting over to the post office without boxes falling off. These are the times when I actually miss having a car.

4. Figuring out the right words to say on my last days at my schools it a bit more time consuming than I expected.
Well I guess that should have been an obvious DUH for me considering all I can really express is, "I had so much fun!" "I will miss you." "Thank you so much." "I love [insert school name]." But thanks to my friend Ted I have a few new phrases to throw into the mix. I give my final speech to my junior high school on Friday during my "Good-Bye" ceremony in the gym. And I am so ready to stutter in Japanese in front of everyone...YES!

I have already had my last days at my 3 elementary schools, and it was a lot harder to leave my little ones than I expected. And now I am going to overload you with pictures of them (so for those of you who can't stand looking at my cute, cute kids (and if that is you then you have no soul) feel free to scroll on down)

My happy 6th graders Michitaka and Sei-chan.

Yoshiki, my tough (so he thinks) 5th grader.

My little ray of sunshine Hiroshi.


My 3rd grade "Japanese teacher". She came in whenever I was there and taught me "new" vocabulary words. And, we drew pictures together...it was a good time in the staff room.

One of my 5th grade classes at Itahahashi Elementary School.
My beautiful bouquet of flowers from my elementary school. *sniff sniff*

5. I have been really busy on the weekends with dance classes, meeting up with friends, going away to the beach, Sayonara parties...
yea, I have a REAL hard life. I KNOW. (It's going to be kiiiinda hard leaving all this WONDERFUL behind.) Needless to say, it has been a great past few weeks and time is really just flying by. As this is my last week of work I am really looking forward to having time to just enjoy all my beautiful friends that I have made here while taking in as much of Kyoto as I can. I am so grateful to have gotten this opportunity because these past 2 years have really just made life....perfect.

Tottori

Getting ready to spend the day floating in the calm ocean waters. It was such a great way to spend a weekend!

Tedders and me posing before we head out to the "classy" JET Sayonara party for Kyoto City.
A sea of salary men...I think there was a total of 5 girls in the room. Yea...kinda awkward not gonna lie. So this is how Japanese salary men "live it up" on Friday evenings, nice.
Mr. Takemoto, the ALT supervisor. This s the man that takes care of us whenever we have any sort of problem. I don't know what we would do without him!
The real men of Kyoto City.
My beautiful home of 2 years.