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Hmm, this should be an interesting one, but not quite as long as the last couple.

Here goes: 

This week was kinda boring for the most part. Tuesday, we had a field trip to a 
Pure Land Buddhism-sect temple just outside of Nagoya. It was fun, because it really
answered a few of the questions that Alex and I have been discussing about Buddhism,
especially the Pure Land sect. Essentially, it answered them by giving us absolutely
no answers at all. Thus is the nature of Buddhism. 

Lately, Alex has been reading a book of quotes about Joshuu, a Zen Buddhist master
from a long time ago. It all comes down to one thing: this guy is nuts. For example:

One time, a man asked Joshuu, 'What is my true nature?' Joshuu replied, 'What are
you talking about?!'

Another time, Joshuu walked up to a monk who was deep in meditation. He asked him,
'What have you learned so far?' The monk simply held up a fist. Joshuu replied, 'You
have learned nothing.' The next day, the same monk was meditating again, and Joshuu
asked him the same question. The monk responded with the same fist. This time, Joshuu
replied, 'You have learned much.' 

After he finishes it, he will lend it to me.

We now have two weeks to write a paper on our response to the trip to the temple,
five pages in length.

Just before the temple visit, I was kinda stressed. In fact, I nearly had a nervous
breakdown. I was exhausted, sick, stressed about my class situation, and to make it
all worse, I really don't know what's up with my host mother. So I am getting so 
frustrated with stuff, I am ready to just collapse. The trip to the temple helped 
calm me down.

Wednesday, I decided that I would go to the Center for Japanese Studies(CJS) and 
ask them if I could switch host families. They asked my reasons, and I gave them.
They agreed that I should move, so they told me that they would start looking, but
that I could expect about a week to two weeks before they found a family for me.

After that, I went to lunch, and then played basketball with Paul and Kris Zemlyak.
We were just shooting around, when the entire Nanzan Girls' Handball team approaches
us and asks if we would like to play basketball with them, but use a handball instead..

Hmm, basketball with a coupla guys, or basketball with ten girls.. do I need to stop
and consider this question at all? So we play, and I get a great workout.

So Thursday, before my morning classes are over, I get a note to come see them after
class. (Nanzan is reminiscient of High School, we have all decided. I am just waiting
to get detention.) I go to see them, expecting a problem. Instead, they tell me that
they have already found a new host family, and I can move in next week! My new host
family consists of a father, who is a professor at a women's college in Nagoya, a
host mother, a sister who lives in Tokyo, and a brother who is on business in the
States. They enjoy hiking, travelling, museums, and tea ceremonies. And they are
a little bit closer to the school than I am right now! How cool is that?!

So I will call them on Sunday, since they are out of town until Saturday. They also
promised that I would have no problem getting meals every night, and on a more
regular time. And no smoking in the house(YES YES YES! Can you tell I don't smoke? ;)

After school on Thursday, I am feeling sick, and tired, etc. but I promised to go
work out with Alex, so I go with him. I didn't lift a whole lot because I wasn't
feeling so great, but I got some sets in. Then I went home.

I got home around 6pm, and was stressing about how to tell my host mother that I
was moving out in just a few days. Well, I didn't have to tell her. She didn't come
home until 10:30pm-ish, when I was already in bed falling asleep. Right away, she
comes upstairs, turns on my light, and wakes me up to yell at me for turning the
answering machine off. I didn't know that by listening to the messages, that it would
turn it off. 

And I didn't get any dinner. 

I can't wait to move.

Tonight, we are having a party at a bar for one of the teachers. It is the only male
teacher in J4, and possibly the only one in CJS. He is going to Thailand to teach
Japanese, and today was his last day. Everyone likes him, and he will be missed.

Saturday, I am going to Nagoya Port with a few friends to check out the aquarium,
and see the sights. I want to be away from my house as much as possible the next few
days. Sunday, we hope to play some football in a dirt field. That will be a lot of
fun. And I could use the exercise!

Well, kids.. It's been crazy. I must go now, though. I will update again next week.
Be sure to tune in, same Bat Time, same Bat Place. Peace and prayers.

Chas

P.S.- New address, etc. Will be posted next week, when I figure out how to read
Japanese. By the way, if anyone can tell me where the title of this update comes
from, you get a brownie.                               A pretend one, at least.

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