Last week I had a dream-about My Boss. He mentioned casually in conversation about traffic, that his wife had a baby.
The day after my dream, she really DID have a baby.
Oh NO!Dont get me wrong-his wife WAS pregnant before my dream (my name is not Hermoinie! )

But, the fact that I had this dream, the day before Sarina was born, makes me think
a) I have ESP
b) my sub-conscious is working overtime
c) Im homesick!
d) none of the above...its just PMS!

But...I really would LOVE to see Sarina. And Shorty- my favourite Goodyear Blimp who is going to pop in November!
There are many things...IMPORTANT things in South Africa- that I am missing. Events...in special people's lives...

And yet...Shiogama is my home now.
This is where my heart is. My friends are here, and its where I WANT to be.

I am only a part of things in SA...because people there SHARE it with me. THEY include me and MAKE me a part of their lives.

And...that is possible...irrespective of WHERE I am.
Despite the time & distances- some friendships will thrive. Others...well...I guess they become ghostly memories, in the spirit,heart & mind.

A weekend filled with REAL FRIENDSHIP and LOVE. Intercontinentally...and locally!!

A letter(delivered to me at my desk @ school by the Vice Principal). The last thing in the world I was expecting to fall out was pictures of Simon & I, and a letter -filled with words only "Simon Says"-that made me miss him like crazy!

Emails from Uncle G & Uncle A- both worlds away- starting new lives- but still a part of mine!

NOT one but TWO phone calls from Dana-tjie. In Michigan(USA) to catch up on important things like life, love and everything!
I WILL see that Ice-fishing shack Dana- I SWEAR!

And locally..??
Dinner with Twiddledum- whos counting sleeps(sorry...I started that one- but it works!)
And...Bridget, with a phantom illness that had me worried sick!! I cancelled my plans to go partying...and instead took her soup and fresh bread!! She recovered enough to tease me...I love her lots!!! She is after the the closest thing I have to "family" here!
Had a long chat with Naoko-sama. A friend and somone I KNOW I can turn to- despite the distance that seperates us!

And...I met the ladies in my Book Club on Sunday. they are wonderful, and warm...its like having not one ..BUT 3 "Mothers"... here to talk to!!

Then...I talked to my Mummy...and life could not be better!

And...Love? Well...my feet haven't hit the ground yet!!

OK...so Iv been REALLY REALLY bad with this BLOG thing...BUT Iv had my hands full (in more ways than one!) and I simply havent had the time to pound away at this keyboard!

The last few weeks-in a nutshell:
Terushens visit was GREAT. Gave us plenty of time to bond, get to know each other again, and do some really special things- like "Space Mountain" and "Pooh's Honey Hunt" at Tokyo Disneyland.
(sidenote-I DEFINATELY left my heart at Pooh Corner! It should be illegal for a bear to be so totally cute and cuddly and adorable!)

ANYWAY...Im VERY proud of my Brother. Hes an amazing man. Smart and funny, considerate and sensitive...and totally full of shit!!( Hey he is after all a MAN!!)
BUT...hes the kind of man any woman would be lucky to have love her!
Im very very proud of that...I think Im going to take all the credit for this & say I inspired him to be so amazing. Yeah...that sounds right..."its all because of me!!!"
Love ya Juinor! :)

And what else??? Coming home to Miyagi after Terushen left, was wierd. I didnt seriously missed his company- on everyday things like someone to talk to on the train ride back, or while cooking dinner..!!
Strange...Iv lived alone for the last year, and yet I had trouble adjusting to being alone again!!

Im trying to get to know the new people in my town. They have been here for a almost two months, and I havent REALLY spent any time with them. So I have arranged a several dinners and I want time 1 on 1 with my new neighbours. YES YES...I want to pick in their brains!!!

AND....Im completly totally and utterly smitten. Hes an incredible guy and Im very very very happy.
AND if all this is news to you-it means you have neglected me recently and I suggest you correct that!

Bloody Hell!! What a weekend!!
Saturday was my school's culture festival(Bunkasai). Its kinda like a flea-market/exhibition day organised and run entirely by the students. It was lotsa fun- especially since I brought Terushen to school to witness it first hand.
FIRSTLY most of my students thought he was "MY BOYFRIEND" (any man I am with is automatically assumed to be my boyfriend. I wonder- do I look desperate/lonely/or is it just expected that a woman should have a man in her life at all times??)
So..when I told the kids that T was in fact my brother...there were gasps of surprise. The boys then shook hands, and practiced thier most comfortable english expression"Nice to meet you"
The girls giggled, smiled batted their eyelids and in japanese said things like "Cool" "Hes Cute" One girl even said he looked like a "HOLLYWOOD MOVIE STAR" Yeah....right!!!
The hightlight of the day was DEFINATELY when we were leaving school. A bunch of 4/5 boys surrounded us near the school gate. When they found out he was my brother, they wanted to ask a question. But it required a rugby scrum- to plan HOW to ask the question. When they were FINALLY ready, one boy bravely asks Terushen " DO you like hip-hop music" T replies "Yes" There was a loud cheer from the group of boys!!!
The brave question asker then reached into a bag and presented T with a MD of hip hop music. I could see how important this was to the boy- so I told T to accept it . (this was despite the fact that we DONT own an MD player-the student didnt have to know that!)

That night we found ended up on TV. Yes TV- on a live show, which featured SMAP (a hugely famous boy band here!) Of course we had NO IDEA who they were or what they looked like- we were just there to be part of the TV audience during a live show.
The security should have warned me that Kimura and Shingo (the SMAP guys) were famous...but it didnt really click until hordes of screaming girls took pictures of our bus as we drove out of the TV Studio!
I was standing a few meters away from one of the most famous good looking men in Japan, and I was not impressed! HE didnt "hit the spot"! His hair was not natural- it was coloured red, and so full of hair sprays/gel or whatever that it looked hard and quite AWFUL!
Im DEFINATELY an old fashioned girl. Im happy with a man with clean hair, soft and silky hair that I can run my fingers through.
Im NOT interested in pretty boys who only exisit under a TON of Beauty products!

Sunday....was...Sunday. Quite romantic actually...!
It was a grey, rainy day, but we went to a beautiful waterfall not far from Sendai. It was actually very pretty:walking to the waterfall, between huge ghostly trees draped in mist, under our umbrellas.
During a leisurely lunch - I realised that I am an INCREDIBLY lucky woman. I was at a table with the most important people in my life-NOW. (NOTE: Important people in my life...who are IN JAPAN-peopl This does NOt refer to peopl off this island!!)
ANYWAY...they were ALL there- at the same time, laughing and chatting with each other. And they were all there because of me, and my love for each of them!!

Anyway...the rest of Sunday...was...Unforgettable.
Japan's third most beautiful place (with its beautiful red bridge) will never be the same. And while Im still trying to understand what happened, and its totally confusing, I know that I have someone I CAN share it with.

Monday...was a visit to Yamadera with Jemma and T. It was fun, but Iv been there before, and was often distracted by "Butterflies"
Terushen's opinion: " cool" surprise!! surprise!! I have now accepted that conversation with him is largely in monosyllables!!
If you want more info...ask him yourself...and GOOD LUCK on that one!!!

T's adventures in Miyagi continue. Yesterday he went to Sendai (the closest city) with my neighbour Dave. I THINK he had a good time. With T its hard to tell. Conversation with him is often like pulling teeth without anesthetic!
Last night we went to a local traditional Japanese style pub. Again, Im not 100% sure what his impression was- cause IM NOT PSYCHIC!!
Today(Thursday) is a special friend's birthday. I tried to spoil him- but it was ruined by Japanese efficiency. His present got to him ONE DAY EARLY!! And I only mailed it at about 5pm on Tuesday!!Only in Japan!!!
I never thought I would find an opportunity to appreciate the bungling and total incompetence that exisits back home!

Watch this space- theres a possibility that two South Africans in Miyagi will wander onto a TV Show soon...

Terushen (T) is still on SA time. He slept until 2pm yesterday & when I got home from school at about 4pm he was on the couch- watching a movie. LAZY PIG!!
I dragged him (despite his protests) for a walk to my local supermarket.
Walking along the street I asked him if he could identify what kinda business' we were looking at. The only thing he recognised was a PETROL STATION!
At the supermarket I told him I'd buy him anything he wanted if he was able to identify it. Poor kid- they only thing he was able to identify in a HUGE supermarket was: KELLOGS FROSTIES and sanitary towels (he wasnted interesting in either item-THANK GOD!)

Since his arrival T has met FOUR of my friends. He has said about 10 words to them in total! Ok maybe thats an exageration- but he BARELY speaks!!! I know! I know! He is a man of few words- BUT here being sociable is ESSENTIAL for survival. I meet people with different lives, from different parts of the world & with different experiences ON A DAILY BASIS.
Talking to them (in English or if they are REALLY unlucky- in my bad Japanese) is necessary and often quite a lot of FUN!

I know T is curious about these people- cause he asks ME about them...LATER!!!
Why doesnt he just ASK THEM...when he CAN????
And..its not like theres a language barrier. They all speak perfect english (well...sorta. Im not sure if Dave's New York lingo qualifies as English!)

T talked to two of my girlfriends on the telephone & ...OH MY GOD!! MY BROTHER is a SMOOTH OPERATOR!!! He was oozing charm...with the Babes only...of course!!!
BUT: the funniest thing. I was told last night that Terushen's voice is SEXY. My brother??? SEXY??? Thats a laugh!!!
Mayby thats why hes the silent type? so when he does finally talk- people are so surprised/confused/dazed...they start imagining things???
MMM...smooth!! Very smooth!!

Re:women...he hasnt had much opportunity yet (hes been asleep remember). But his reactions to the length of school girls skirts has seriously impressed me.
Despite his not being a chatterbox...he is an intelligent, sensitive man, and Im SO INCREDIBLY PROUD to be his sister....!!

SUPER SUNDAY
I had the most amazing sunday. A movie that never happened, a BEATLES song that did. "II KANJI DESHITA!"
Then the cherry on top was Terushen's arrival last night. It was SO Great to recognise his familiar walk in the crowd in the airport! His first impression of Japan: "The women are HOT" His first meal in: ramen (noodles). The poor lad couldn't eat with chopsticks! The restaurant doesnt cater for this kinda situation ( hey -I live in a small town in the back waters of Japan!) So they found him a BABY FORK! it was quite funny to watch!!

ILLITERACY
At dinner he couldn't read the menu- he pointed at pictures!
In my apartment- the poor boy opened the fridge and asked:"SO...which is the water??"
He took a shower and couldn't differenciate which was shampoo and which was conditioner- so he mixed the two and called it a "2in1"
He couldnt operate my microwave...
Welcome to MY WORLD Terushen!!!
I LOVE having him here!! The next three weeks are going to be SUCH FUN!!!