Yes, I am alive. I am, however, currently without internet access at home, which I realize isn't much of an excuse for my lack of blogging, being as there are cheap and plentiful (if smoky) internet cafes throughout Tokyo. My bad.

Anyhoo, in 3 days I will have been in Japan for 6 months. Half of a year. This impressive stat also means that I am now more than halfway my stint in Japan. I can't say I've fallen in love with the place, but I have to admit that there are many things I will miss about this place after I've left. However, I'm not leaving yet, and reaching this milestone has made me think about all things I still want to do while I'm stationed in the Land of the Rising Sun and Hello Kitty.

1. Climb Mt. Fuji. Alright, so I'm probably too much of a wuss to actually climb the thing. However, I definitely have to at least see it so I can say I've been there

2. Stay in a ryokan. Ryokans are traditional Japanese inns, where guests sleep on futons on tatami (straw) mat floors. This last bit isn't so novel since I sleep on a futon on a tatami mat floor every single night in my apartment, but I'd still like to give the ryokan thing a go, apparantly the service is first rate

3. See the Golden Pavillion in Kyoto. This is perhaps the most famous temple/shrine in Japan and if it's half as beautiful as the pictures, it'll be worth seeing. Fortunately, I'm planning a little holiday to Kyoto in the next month or so, so that one should get checked off.

4. Play pachinko. Pachinko is kinda like Japanese pinball and is extremely popular. Pretty much every neighbourhood has a Pachinko parlour, recognizable by its blinking lights and deafening beeps and buzzes coming from the machines.

5. Get off the beaten track. Living in a prefecture with 30 million people has its perks, however I'd definitely like to spend a bit of time somewhere a little sparser. Perhaps Shikoku, the smallest of the four principal islands in Japan, will be a vacation destination in the summer.

6. Improve my Japanese. This has been the area of my greatest laziness while in Japan. Aside from a couple dozen phrases and a vague concept of basic conjugation, I still am clueless when it comes to the language that I hear constantly (Kayo and Miyuki, two of my Japanese co-workers, are speaking it RIGHT NOW beside me and I haven't clue what's going on). I have started studying more at home, partly in an effort to show up Greg, who is relentlessly studious, and partly because I am truly ashamed of my inability to communicate with the people I see everyday.

So that's a short list of the goals for the next 5-ish months. Anyone have any other suggestions? Leave comments!