Part of this Balanced Meal!

Just so my mom won't worry, let me assure you all that I have had several tastier and more nutritious meals than this since arriving in Japan. Tonight, though, I slept in instead of venturing out for supper, so today's last meal of the day came from the hotel vending machines. Witness its majesty.

Well, this is the end of my third full day in Japan, and it was my first free day. Monday was the day I arrived, and as mentioned elsewhere, that day mostly involved various confused errors and then eventual collapse into bed. Tuesday and Wednesday were largely consumed by all day training sessions. I did all kinds of exciting things like signing contracts, learning Japanese educational theory, and practicing for my interview with the Otwara Board of Education. However, the training took place alongside about twenty other new ALTs, so there's no need to fear I was lonely or bored.

Because today was to finally be a day of rest, I determined to sleep in all I wanted. I even stayed up late last night in anticipation of this, not finally closing my eyes until nearly 1:00 AM. Then, of course, just because my body is my greatest enemy, I woke up at 4:44 and could not go back to sleep. I eventually gave in and got up around 5:30. I then spent several productive hours trolling the internet, gettin' my Skype on (with Mom) and making more Skype dates. Around 8:30, I decided to have my daily Denny's breakfast.

The hotel I'm staying in has a Denny's attached to the lobby, and the rooms include a complimentary breakfast past for every morning you stay. At Denny's, the nice ladies show you a poster illustrating the two breakfast choices, western or Japanese. The western option includes your choice of toast (HUGEST toast I've ever seen, btw) or pancakes, scrambled eggs, two sausage links, a strip of bacon, and, of course, salad with Thousand Island dressing. The Japanese breakfast consists of a bowl of rice, another of miso soup, dried seaweed, a fried egg, a strip of bacon, pickles and, of course, natto. I have yet to brave the Japanese breakfast, though I have seen others try. One day, though, before I leave the hotel, I will screw my courage to the sticking point and order it.

Once breakfast was taken care of, I met up with a couple of friends and ventured out into the cold and the wet in order to experience all the joys and beauties Mito has to offer. We visited the train station, several book stores, the electronics store and, through a misunderstanding, a male hair restoration clinic. Lunch was acquired at the tasty Mos Burger. And then, because it was nearly three in the afternoon and I'd been up since before 5 AM, I came back to the hotel and took a nap that lasted until 9:00. Ahhhhhhh.

So let me break down the next week or so for y'all. Saturday I'll meet with the company to receive my rental car (That's right. They're actually gonna let me drive here...). Then, on Monday I'll drive with my city coordinator, Shuji, and the other new Otawara ALT, Jerry, to my new town, meet my new apartment and introduce myself to the Board of Education. Sometime from next Thursday (April 1) onward, I will begin work. ¡Que emocionante!

Well, there it is, folks. Please feel free to ask about anything I neglected to cover! I tried to hit all the high points. Watch for more updates in the future!