Yum, fried eyeballs

Last night we had the monthly meeting for the dorm.  It was interesting, because the meeting was run in Japanese, with an English interpreter repeating everything that was being said.  To make a long story short, I am going to be working security for the dorm's Halloween party.  I'm one of the two girls doing it; all the other security people are hulking guys.
...of course, I volunteered for the job BEFORE I found out that the party will have free alcohol.  GREAT.  I'm going to try to get the earliest shift possible and then get out of there before anyone gets completely smashed.
At least I have party security experience.  Plus, I learned how to take down drunk guys at my old dojo...  I just hope I don't have to.  I would really prefer not to be known as that-crazy-American-who-knocked-out-some-drunk-guy.

I finally got my inkan (name stamp) today.  I'll put a picture up later this week.  Anyway, having an inkan meant that I could FINALLY open a bank account and stop having so much cash.  I felt bad at the bank, though, 'cause I managed to make about a thousand mistakes while filling out the application form, and the woman behind the desk kindly fixed all of them for me.  I was going to get a cell phone as well, but it turned out that I needed either my passport and my ARC or my temporary ARC and my insurance card.  So I can get a cell phone at long last on Thursday.

Then I wound up scrubbing the tub (my job for this week) and the sink (not my job), because, seriously, I think there was a civilization growing in the sink.

I brought some Firecracker Chocolate* into my Japanese class today, and it was a huge hit.  You have never seen so many girls thrilled out of their minds by chocolate.  I also learned a new word: pachi pachi, which is the sound of things bursting open (or the sound/feeling of pop rocks popping in your mouth).

For class we were explaining things again.  I had to explain who Snow White was and why her name was Snow White.  One of the other girls had to explain what sunny-side-up eggs were (although, in Japanese they're called "fried eyeballs").  The class was then sidetracked for a few minutes as everyone explained what sunny-side-up eggs were called in their native languages; apparently in Polish they're called "eggs that are made to sit" and in German they're called "mirror eggs"?

And now, a word about Japanese bees.  Bugs are huge in Japan.  Cicadas (being my least favorite bug in the world) are the size of quarters...when they're small.  Moths are the size of obese grasshoppers.  But bees...well, imagine if you took three fat bumblebees and glued them end to end.  Alternatively, Japanese bees are approximately the length of my pinkie finger and the width of my thumb.  I.e. friggin' huge.
Needless to say, I wasn't too thrilled to find one in the hallway this morning.  I stared at it and then edged away as fast as I could.

*Chocolate with pop rocks in it.