i wanted to write last week about how i had heard a cicada for the first time this year, but i had just posted about (uh, whatever i last posted about. check previous post) and didn't want to post twice in one day. but then life has a way of getting away from you and here we are, a week later. harumph. ANYWAY. i heard a cicada last week. first time this season. even though it's rainy season, it really brings home that it's finally summer!

last friday i went to a japanese lesson held here in town. it's free, and was really fun. i was actually surprised, i usually find these things very boring and far beneath my level. but i am joining in an established group (and it feels like they've been doing this for a while so really have their act together) and didn't feel annoyed or shy or anything. yay! i also got a book for studying kanji over the weekend, so here's hoping my japanese will improve!

over the weekend i went to osaka for the AFWJ board meeting. seeing as i'm now a member of the board! LOL i got up bright and early (well, ok, early) on saturday morning in order to catch a train before six in order to get to hakata station before 6:30 which was when my shinkansen was leaving! rachel got on at kokura and we chatted and had breakfast together on the train. then when we got to our destination, we went to starbucks and met up with most of the board there (surprise! lol)

the meeting was very interesting and i learned a lot. dinner afterward was really great but took a very long time! i met a lot of new interesting and fun women in osaka, i am really glad to be a part of the board. i also finally got to meet vicky and heather, who are also on the board!

on sunday i got up bright and early again and went for a walk. ok, ok, i was actually looking for subway sandwich, but it took me an hour to find it! it was only about 20 minutes away but i walked past it (one road over) but if we have another meeting in the same place, now i know where to go! i left osaka rather early and got back to hakata in time for lunch, so i went to mcdonalds, then daiso and then kinokuniya (book store). then i went to tenjin so i could catch a bus home (the bus stops practically in front of our house) but they were delayed by nearly an hour so i had a VERY long wait! i thought i had missed the 2:17 bus and waited for the 3:17, which didn't leave until 4:30!! it was a very long and tiring day.

this week has been rather uneventful. yesterday was very beautiful, so i did BBQ for dinner. that meant cutting the grass and weeds in the back garden, because it is very wild back there!! the kids really love BBQ but they mainly only ate the potato salad i made, leaving more meat and veggies for me!

aaaand, that's about it for now. tomorrow will be another japanese lesson and i am really looking forward to it!