Better recognize

(I haven't written about my visit back home over the holidays. I'll write about it soon. It was three weeks filled with family, good friends and food. Nom.)

I'm slipping back into life in Motomiya. My place is in a state of clutter, so I spent the bulk of last weekend trying to get things organized. I even bought a cheap paper shredder to start destroying some of my documents. Nerd alert, I know. Not that I really have anything top secret at home, but I do have notes and other stuff from work. Garbage bags are rather transparent, so I'd rather not have my neighbours all up in my business. Especially since their kids probably go to my schools, ha.

Some bills and upcoming expenses have to be paid up, so I've taken to being a hermit again. It was also sumo weekend, so most people hit up Tokyo to watch the fights and then party at AGEHA. It sounds snobbish... but I've already been there and done that. If I had the extra yennies to spend, I would've been down there in a heartbeat! I was still able to go out a couple times over the weekend. On Friday night, I hopped into my cab and with one of my regular drivers, Smoking-san, who told me about possible sightseeing places my parents would like to visit next month. I ended up taking the train to Koriyama, where I met up with some friends to celebrate E's great news: my Filipina sistah from another mother is getting married in the fall! Like whoa. We indulged in some drinks at one of the Koriyama JETs' fave spots: Georgia.

On the walk to meet my friends in front of the conbini, I was busy texting while crossing the street. I could hear someone hissing: "Gemma... Gemma..." By the time I looked up, I realized it was one of my former students. I didn't want to chase him down, but I thought it was pretty funny that he tried to call me over. He's a second-year student in high school these days; he also works at one of the local gas stations, so I still see him around.

I will miss having kids hiss my name as I stride over to a convenience store for a quick beer with my friends. That's a loaded sentence. But it's one of my "Only in Japan" moments that I want to remember.