I saw myself on the terebi last night…

Shiota-cho – Wednesday, July 27
Left Tokyo at 7:00 am and arrived in Saga City 105 minutes later. Walked out of the airport with 30 other Saga JETs into the most humid weather I have yet to experience. Met my supervisor, Nakashima-san, and my Japanese assistant, Akemi-san, who then transported me past a sea of rice paddies to Shiota-town where I was forced to endure 6 gruelling hours of formal introductions before I was finally brought to my house. The house is a massive, Japanese-style, 2-story, 12-room building – and it`s all mine for a measly 25,500\/month! I think it`s haunted…at least that`s what my pet cockroach told me…
Inasa Shrine, Outside Kashima City – Saturday, July 30
Arrived at Inasa Dojo with Mitsutake-san in time for meditation with about 40 children under 12 years of age. Not exactly Camp Woosley back in my days as a girl guide, but close. Had bento lunch with Inasa Sensei who informed me that I would be teaching my first English lesson that very afternoon. Was I prepared you ask? Hells no!
True to form, I flew by the seat of my skirt, teaching them basic introduction skills and the classic children`s tune, Head and Shoulders. After the lesson was adjourned, we set outdoors for 40 minutes of intense meditation in half-lotus pose. Thank Ganesh that my yoga practice has taught my legs to bend in such a fashion! To shake things up a little, the kids had a water balloon fight, followed by a well-deserved nap, then ended the day by cooking some traditional fish and veggies over the campfire
Shiota-cho, Monday, August 1
Apparently the local newspaper and prefectural television crew decided to incorporate my recent antics at the Dojo into their headlines. That`s right pimps and bitches, after only 5 days of living in Shiota, I made it into the newspaper AND the evening news! I`m not entirely surprised considering every time I walk outside I sprout an additional head, thereby causing all who stare in my direction to shriek with terror. Have decided to accept fate as ji-en ba-rji-ron. Sounds nasty, but apparently my name means love and charity…who knew?