Contract renewal offers will be given in December and we have until February to decide whether to stay for another year starting in July next year. At this point I am really thinking about going home. To me Japan is a fantasy-world where time stays still, but at home everything is changing. I'm getting older I realise, as it's my 25th birthday in a couple of weeks. I always get kind of sad around my birthday in Japan because I want to be with my family and friends back home.

Anyway, I started going to karate club at school again. Today the vice-captain of the team Deguchi taught me a new kata. He is trained in Goju-ryu (a style of karate that originates from Okinawa) and taught me saifa, one of the easiest kata he knows (upon request). It's pretty bad-ass and Goju-ryu is definitely more masculine than the style I learn, which seems a lot more graceful. At first I found it impossible to remember but after asking him to do the steps with me about 8 times (poor kid), I pretty much have them down. Now it's just about making it look good. I'm going to ask my sensei about it tomorrow but he may not know. I was pretty surprised to talk to Deguchi for the first time after the summer break. He's all grown up! Before the break he was just a little kid, although much more mature compared to his other peers but something has definitely changed. I need to practice really hard so I don't get in the way O_O; Man, those kids make me feel like I'm rubbish at karate. Deguchi learned a new kata after being shown just once - that's how fast they are. Or maybe the better you get at karate and the more kata you do, the easier it is to see patterns in the movements and so it becomes easier to remember? I'm hoping that's the case.

In other news... Buzzer Beat ends next week with a 75 minute finale. I'm really sad that it's ending because it's definitely been my favourite series of the season. I thought Koishite Akuma was my favourite, but the last couple of episodes were a little disappointing. Another ALT Emma even sent me an email saying: "I bet they ran out of budget for that last CG scene." during the final episode but I still cried, haha. I am getting really sensitive in my old age.

EDIT @ 12:16AM

Hang on a second I forgot to mention... what is with HSJ getting their own FC? I joined the Johnny's Jnr. FC just so I could ballot for their concerts a little easier but now it's going to cost another 5000 yen a year. Granted, the Jnr FC only costs 2000 yen a year in blank postcards but still... You&J costs 5000 and includes Kanjani, KAT-TUN AND NEWS. OMG. To join HSJ's FC or not to join?!

Is anyone going to the Sydney Film Festival? It's going to be held from 4 - 22 June. I've already bought a FlexiPass 10 - redeemable for any 10 movies. I'm already watching Crows: Episode 0 and Sukiyaki Western Django (both directed by Takashi Miike) with my sister and have bought two tickets to A Gentle Breeze In The Village for my mum, so I still have four tickets. I can't decide what other films to watch, but I might be going with my friends from high school to see a couple of French Films. I like French movies, but I just don't know what's good.

I'm totally stoked about watching Crows on the big screen and I wouldn't have known about it if I wasn't a member of the Oguri Shun LJ community - how sad. I've watched it twice and just love it. I need to make more Crows icons to spread the love. Apparently Oguri Shun is now dating his co-star from Bimbo Danshi, actress/model Yamada Yu. She kind of has masculine facial features.

I called up the JET desk in Sydney and it turns out they received both my Certificate of Health and Criminal History Record Check documents and have forwarded them onto Tokyo. If there's any problem with my dodgy Certificate of Health, the JET desk said they would contact me. The final step is to wait for a Contracting Organisation to offer me a place, which is the case with almost all participants on the shortlist and happens around the end of May, Early June. I've been reading forums about current and former JETs and apparently Hokkaido (my first placement choice) is one of the most popular placement requests, so my chances of getting placed there are slim. But then, after watching an episode of Cartoon KAT-TUN, where Akanishi and Nakamaru were sent to the town of Rikubetsu, the coldest town in Japan as part of a batsu game, I've started to think twice about wanting to go there. I don't know if I'll be able to survive in  -13 degree weather and apparently some of the JETs living in Hokkaido have problems with their pipes freezing.

I had a customer at work today who sounded just like Kermit the Frog. He was asking me about ACT! Licenses and I just couldn't take him seriously. All I could think of was: "Why are there so many... songs about rainbows?"

I'm going to my cousin's book launch tomorrow.  That's right, she wrote a children's book. It's called Byron and the Chairs. I'm very busy and important.