The adventure begins!

This will be a short post, but

I HAVE A NICK AND MIRANDA.

Nick came in last night and Miranda came in this morning, and, to be honest, both of them held up pretty well today, despite the excessive jet lag.* (Well, Miranda's jet lag was worse.  I don't even want to think about how long she was traveling.)

Today we tried to go to the Higashiyama Botanical Gardens, but found out that they are closed until the New Year, and then we went to Shiroyama Hachimangu, Oasis 21,** and Sakae.  Also, I made them try Beard Papa. Which is a cream puff place.  It serves essentially the best cream puffs.  I am a fan, I must say.

It's been exciting translating.  I've managed not to screw up horribly so far, so yay for that?  I keep forgetting that some people don't read as obsessively about Japanese culture as I do, though.  And not everyone knows when you have to take your shoes off.
DEAR WORLD: If there's a step up (inside), take your shoes off.

Also, so far we've managed to find them food without too much horror and suffering.  YAY.

I am TIRED so I am going to finish my yuzu cha*** and then hit the hay.  G'night, everyone!

*Neither of them managed to injure themselves horribly!  Although Nick kept whacking his head on low doorways.

**Nick: WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN

***Yuzu tea.  It is the greatest.  Mary has got me addicted to it, which is too bad, because apparently grocery stores here don't sell it.

Now if the boots fired lasers, that would probably make me more likely to buy them.

Today I finally managed to find myself BOOTS, which was significantly cheaper (and significantly easier) than I thought it would be.  Even better, they don't have a ridiculous four inch heel* and are waterproof.**  They're not technically snow boots, but since the temperature is only supposed to drop below freezing at 2 a.m. or something during the time I'm in Nagano, I think that wearing not-really-snow-boots and wool socks will probably save me from frostbite.
In other news, for some reason the salesman at the shoe store thought that telling me the boots were cute would make me more likely to buy them?  Ahahahahaha.

Also, I was in Sakae trying to do Christmas shopping (I failed, for the most part) and there was a magician/juggler performing in Oasis 21.  He was probably the weirdest magician/juggler I have ever seen, because he did things like solve Rubik's cubes behind his back (so he couldn't see) in 30 seconds and juggle knives while standing on a piece of wood (like a skateboard without the wheels) on top of four blocks on top of another piece of wood on top of a plastic pipe about a foot in diameter on top of a chest.  It was kind of epic.  He also told really bad jokes and chugged bottles of water.  He also has a website.  WHOO.  CULTURAL EXPERIENCES.

Anyway, I'll be in the MOUNTAINS tomorrow and Friday, and then Saturday I am planning on celebrating my ability to drink in the US by doing fieldwork and going to see Tin-Tin***, so, uh, there might not be an update from me until Sunday.  But we'll see.

Also, TWO WEEKS UNTIL NICK AND MIRANDA ARE IN MY CLUTCHES MWAHAHAHAHAHA.  I'm not planning anything evil, I swear.

*Perhaps I am just boring to the extreme, but four inch heels + snow seems like a bad idea to me. Then again, I've seen Anna + high heels + snow.  On the other hand, Anna could probably kill bears with her high heels.  So I think she probably shouldn't be used as a reasonable example.

**Apparently I can stand in water for up to two hours!  YAY!

***Or, in Japanese, Tan-Tan.