All of my money. D:

Today... I spent a lot of money.  >.<  It goes so easily.  I paid for my apartment through May (about $2,600) and dropped a bunch on my student loans ($1200) because I had my tax-refund come through, so I just put some extra on those.  That's a lot of money to spend in one day!  And that doesn't count my meals!  D:


Breakfast was lackluster again.  I just had bread and potato salad again.  They had soup, but there were large chunks of bacon in it (even though they called it 'vegetable soup') and the rice was chicken-and-ketchup rice, so that was a no-go too.  :<  I noticed that there were a lot fewer options than yesterday, so perhaps they spice it up for the weekend crowd and tone it down for the weekday losers.  


In training, we worked on making lesson plans, which is one of the things I fear most, and they said I was making it overly complicated in my mind and that really I should just relax and have fun with it... but I have a tendency to make things more difficult than they are, and this was no exception.  I got a good review of it, though.  I guess these things come with time and experience.  


During lunch, we went to exchange money at the bank.  I took the remainder of my travelers checks and changed them.  I supposed the rate could have been worse.  It was about 82 yen to a dollar.  :I  In all, I lost a couple hundred bucks in the change.  //orz  


For lunch, I went to a family restaurant with a couple of the girls who had been at the bank.  In Japan, things like Denny's are called a 'family restaurant.'  I had a nice pasta with garlic and pepperochini sauce for only about 300 yen.  


After lunch, there was more group work.  Then the exciting part of the day was getting our housing paperwork.  We don't directly sign a lease - the apartments are leased to the company, and we are listed as the resident.  So I was signing a contract with the company, essentially. I was hoping that utilities were included in the rent, but they aren't.  D:  I'm sad about that.  I have no idea what utilities cost.  o.o  I'll just have to be careful.


After paying for my start-up rent through May, I went back to the hotel to check on Nicola who was one of many sitting out for the day due to illness.  We decided to go for dinner and someone mentioned kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi) so we asked at the hotel desk if there was one nearby.  Alas, when we found the one he told us about, it was just a regular sushi place.  The man at the 'Travel Hamamatsu!' place said there wasn't anything like that nearby.  We were quite sad, but had him recommend a soba place instead.  I forgot to take a picture of my dinner tonight, even though I had my camera.  I'm sorry.  :<   I was really hungry, so I had two helpings.  I felt fat, but happy, and it was still less than 700 yen.  GOOD.


Nicola, Josh, Steven, and I wandered Big Camera (and electronics/everything store) for a bit, then Steven went with some others, and Nicola, Josh, and I went to ZaZa City to go to Animate (to show Nicola where it was) and the 100-yen store.  I'd like to tell everyone I'm being SUCH A GOOD GIRL and restraining myself in Animate, but I'm really not.  There's not much I want in this one.  I'll probably keep up on Cosmode, but that's about it.  I hope the one in Nagoya has the BASARA shirts I'm looking for.  D:


I did take advantage of the 100-yen store to get some of the things we were told we'd need for school: an extra set of chopsticks and a box for them, corrective fluid (like White Out), and extra black and red pens.  I bought a chalkboard and chalk to practice my boardwork, a kanji practice book (intended for children, but I see no reason why I can't use it!), and some Hello Kitty face masks because so many people are sick and they're not exactly telling us to wear them, but hinting it's a good idea, so I got a pack in case they decide we all need to wear them.


I've discovered that when places are closing for the day, they play 'Auld Lang Syne' as a cue for people to leave.  We were in the 100-yen shop close to 8pm (closing time) and they started playing it.  We made a dash for the grocery store next door (it's all in a shopping center like a mall) so I could get some face wash, and they were making an announcement that basically said 'finish up and get out.'  I was going to play the 'I DON'T SPEAK JAPANESE' card, but then the announcement had an English version too.  BUMMER.  I located some facewash asap and left.


We had a nice stroll back, and here I am.  It's only 9:40pm, but I'm tired!  I've been tired every night since I got here.  I don't even feel like the days (at least these past few) have been particularly mentally taxing.  I wonder if I'm just not sleeping well enough, but I don't feel groggy in the mornings, just really tired at night.


Oh yeah!  I had an e-mail from my local helper person today!!  My company hires a local person who speaks English to be my man-on-the-ground so to speak, who helps us with our daily needs and figuring out the town and Japanese things.  My IC's name is Kuniko-san!  Apparently, I'm moving into my apartment on the 30th, because she said that's the day she'll be helping me move in.  Nice to know.  That will also be the day I register at City Hall, get my alien registration card, and can get a cell phone!  I'm looking forward to that!


I'll try to have pictures tomorrow.