This past weekend was a rather uneventful weekend, but productive, to say the least. I spent some quality time with Natalie (but when do I not?) and we did some really good Christmas shopping. Thanksgiving is barely over and we've all but killed our Christmas shopping list. That's probably a record for me because I usually wait till the very, very last minute. Yes, I'm one of those people. But considering that I live in Japan, I don't really have a choice...unless I want to be one of those people that gives his Christmas gifts two weeks late.
Christmas shopping is always one of those things I dread. I always feel like my Christmas gifts are a bit subpar and it's always a pain in the butt to try to decide what to get. There are so many cool things to choose from and then of course you have to set a budget for everything. I wish I didn't have to budget but that's reality right? Plus there are the crowds. Ah, the dreadful crowds! Japan is apparently no different in that department. For a country that is over 90% Buddhist or Shinto, Christmas sure is popular. I suppose it's because gift giving is one of the most intriguing cultural aspects of Japan and also one of the more popular things to do, Christmas or not. I don't really have any idea why Christmas is so popular here (it wasn't too popular in Korea, that's for sure). I can't complain though. It's always nice to feel some Christmas spirit. The only thing that is different (so far) is that I haven't seen any homes with any decorations, big or small. That's definitely one of the cool things about America; the Christmas decorations.
This weekend also happened to be the grand opening of a new mall in Kurashiki. It's the big event of the year so it seemed like all of Japan was stuffed into this tiny little big mall. Definitely like sardines in a can. But either way, it was fun exploring the new mall. There are a lot of cool stores in Japan. Everything is slightly more interesting. Fashion is nicer and every little thing a ma jig is cooler, in my opinion. What's really interesting though is how American the Japanese malls feel. For one, they are filled with American brands like Disney, Toys R us, Nike, etc. And then there's just the feel of the malls. They look like American malls, from the decor to the size of them. I can't put my finger on it actually. They just feel so damn American...except that they are filled with Japanese people and they're just classier in a Japanese sort of way.
So yeah, we explored this new mall, and we were really unproductive for a while. Maybe it's because we were stuck on walking around and exploring the new stores, but it ended up frustrating me because we were neither Christmas shopping nor winter clothing shopping (our second goal). By the end of the day though we had purchased a pretty decent amount of Christmas gifts.
Today was pretty much more of the same. We finished up our Christmas shopping and bought some much needed winter clothing. It's pathetic how badly equipped for winter Texans are. Usually, throwing a jacket over your T-shirt, running to your car, and waiting for your heater to turn on is enough to survive even the most grueling of Texas winters. Not so where we live. It's mostly because our main methods of transportation are our bikes and our feet. So yeah, we spent a small fortune on winter stuff. It was fun though.
I'm also really excited to hear that the NBA lockout has all but officially ended. As a huge Rockets fan, I was really bummed to hear that the season was a hair's length from being cancelled. I need my basketball. Although I probably won't be watching any games this year, I can still watch highlights and read about the games! I'm really excited to see where my team is headed this year. Championship, right?
But yeah, other wise, I've got a long week ahead of me. I'll be looking forward to finishing up the Wire (3 more episodes), taking some fucking names, and kicking some ASS at my school. By that, I mean that I'm going to be an awesome teacher...or am I?
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