JC's "Beard"

For those of you who do not know, I decided before at the beginning of December that I was growing to let my "beard" grow for a month and see what happened. The following are a few pictures of my "beard" after a month of growth. I touched it up a little and shaved a few parts here and there as well as my moustache. The picture to the right is of my good side because on the right side of my face, there was a patch about one inch in diameter in which my hair did not want to grow. I will admit that it is not a pretty sight but I had to try it at least once. I am planning on giving it another go in about six months or so to see what happens. Hopefully it will come in a little fuller.

(The flash hurt so I kept my eyes closed)

(This is a close up. I look like an outdoor's man, at least that's what I told myself.)

So, today is January 10th and I am sure those of you who have kept up with me know that today was supposed to be my first day of work back at the new NOVA. However, I received an email on the 21st of December informing me that they would not be able to re-hire me due to their current financial situation. Merry Christmas Justin! So, now I am back to square one and starting to look for jobs again. I have an interview on Friday for a company called Greyhound Schools. I believe it is a cram school due to the hours. It would be anywhere from six to sixteen hours a week which would surely help the situation. As of right now, there is a 30% chance that Joel is going to stay in Japan. The company offered to help us find jobs (which was a list of websites, several of which I already knew about) or pay for a plane ticket home. Joel went with the later and his scheduled departure date is somewhere around mid-February. So, that is on the back of my mind at the moment. Things are going to get a lot more difficult if he decides to go home but I don't blame him. This has been one of the most difficult experiences I have ever faced in my life and there appears to be no end in site. It would be easy to go home and find a job in the states, doing something; but, I guess I am just stubborn.

For some reason I have lost my lack of motivation. I am not sure if it is because I have nothing to do or nothing to look forward to or what. I stopped doing my push ups and sit ups and can't seem to find the energy to accomplish any of the goals I have set for myself. I would like to start learning Japanese and studying more. I would like to work on some personal projects. I would like to wake up before 8 am but that seems impossible as of late. I always used to be a morning person but for whatever reason, I can't seem to pull myself out of bed any earlier than 9. I think it is because I have nothing to do or at least that is what I tell myself. What is the point of waking up at 7 am if I am just going to lay around and read? So, I am hoping within the next few days I will be able to shift my mindset and find that motivation. Other than that, there is not a whole lot going on at the moment.

Joel and I went over to Hiroko's house on Saturday and she taught us how to make sushi rolls. Once you know the technique it is not very difficult, you just need the right equipment. I believe that I made two rolls which weren't anything to write home about but they weren't that bad. It was fun to hang out with her parents and enjoy a delicious dinner. Every time I go over to her house I always wind up eating way too much food; however, it is so delicious it is hard to say no.

On a completely different note, I went to the bank the other day and attempted to cash a check from my grandma. I walked in and handed the check to the guy I usually see greeting people. I have gone to him a few other times with some questions so he pointed me upstairs after observing the check for a minute or two. I took a number and waited to be called to the desk. The lady did not speak any English. I handed her my check, bank card, and identification and away she went. She brought back a green form which I began to fill out. I saw her pick up the check and she asked something in Japanese. I had no idea what she said but I responded with an "ok" in Japanese. She came back after a few minutes and I caught na na hiyaku yen. She just said 700 yen which is about 7 dollars. So, I figured that was the charge - boy was I wrong! Next, she grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down 5700 (the check after the exchange) minus 5000 which I shortly came to realize was the bank's fee for an international check and the total was - you guessed it - na na hiyaku yen (700 yen). I said no thanks and grabbed the check. So, mom, you will be getting an extra card soon from Japan!!

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying life. Not too much to report on here. It is about 8 pm and I think I am going to go for a run to get some of the stress out of my system. I will let you know how the job interview goes tomorrow as soon as I hear something. Please keep your fingers crossed. Take care and have a wonderful day! Love you all!