Have you ever heard a deer's mating call?

Well, I have! It's actually quite pathetic and wimpy for such a large, graceful (even when they're rolling off your windshield) animal. Today I went to Nara, a nearby town and the original capital of Japan (apparently Kyoto was 2nd). It was gorgeous and it helped me lay to rest a bit of my jealousy toward Kelly (her pictures are amazing). Kanai san and Fuyuki san took me for a great lunch (okoge) and a tour of all the temples, shrines, and parks. The leaves were amazing - Japanese maples blow New York's out of the water - and the weather was perfect and the crowds were minimal. I even got to feed and pet a few of Nara's famous tame deer.

On Friday and Saturday (that's right, I'm working backwards...try to keep up), OCC held a school festival. The girls competed in a talent show (except here that means the entire class competes in a group, more of that communal culture showing itself) and had carnival booths. I spent a lot of money on junk, but got to hang out with a lot of the girls outside of class, which is always encouraging. I also ate a giant squid tentacle.

On Friday night, I went with the Seike family to their church's performance of Handel's Messiah (in Japanese). It was great, but 3 hours. So, that's a once in a lifetime endeavor.

Thanksgiving was horrible. On top of issues at home, it was lonely and boring.

Wednesday we had a Thanksgiving party for the girls. It was crazy busy, and while only about 20 showed up for dinner - by the end of the event, there were probably 70 girls packed in. It was great to see them getting involved when I know they were incredibly busy preparing for the festival. I like to think that they are more and more interested in English, which makes me feel like my job is not in vain.

Well, that's where I will have to end because I can't remember anything before. You can only pack so much in before the rest starts to leak out. That's why I take so many pictures.