Thoughts on a Wednesday

1) Jet lag sucks the fun out of life.

2) Jet lag makes focusing and coherent thought nigh impossible.

3) Being at home for Christmas made me realize again that I miss being close to family. Also, my cousin is pregnant, and it's frigging exciting. Now I just need to finish that Pirates and Ninjas epic lullaby for the little blastocyst's future naptimes.

4) I forgot to buy Nestle Quik at home. There is nothing like it in Japan, and now I am sad.

5) I went to a second-hand store today and bought two lamps and four mugs for 3200 yen. I am currently spray-painting one lamp white. The other is a gaudy thing from Loft that matches my chandelier. I had said that the kitchen would be the gaudy room, but I don't really need a lamp in the kitchen. Gaudy is spreading from my kitchen outwards, and soon Basically, I love second-hand stores.

6) Randoseru are sturdy leather backpacks that are made to last a child for his or her entire elementary school career. In my city only children in private schools use these expensive bags. They cost parents about $300 a pop, though synthetic materials reduce the price slightly. There is a six year warranty, so the waterproof bags are worth their cost. Used, they cost between 1000 and 5000 yen ($10 to $50). Red for girls, black for boys, as nature intended. I'd buy one and carry it around myself, but that would be like strapping a diaper to the outside of my pants. Everyone knows that children are the only ones who carry randoseru. So, I'll have to wait on my personal Sturdiest Bag Ever for when I've returned to the Western Hemisphere. Out of curiosity I looked on Ebay to see what foreigners would pay, and found that all the randoseru on the site were new. The least expensive retails for $185, the most expensive for $849. Maybe I should offer used ones for sale on Ebay, just because people need these things. They're so sturdy!

7) My fingers are cold. Hey, Gillian, guess why.

8) I read articles on Associated Content for the first time today. Why don't I also write an uninformed opinion piece about working in Japan/how everyone really feels about black men with white women (why is it never the other way around on that site?)/my feelings about any other inane topic? I think I've found a new hobby.

9) I like Burn Notice.

10) My lymph nodes hurt. I hope that doesn't mean anything.