209 days to go...

Day 137: "Business cards" given to me by the 5th and 6th grade Yamanote students.

Day 138: Yamanote elementary students.

Day 139: You know I can't resist a flower picture.

Day 140 and 141: Lost days.

Day 142: Ladies' Night!!

Day 143: Progress on the balcony garden...

Day 144: Lost...

Day 145: Tress are blooming!

Day 146: Beaded curtain in front of a restaurant.

Day 147: Calligraphy on the high school floor of Yamanote.

Day 148: Game at the arcade where you flip the table over for points.

Day 149: Hokkaido Pride at the Sapporo Dome.

Day 150: Picture of me drawn by a student at Yamanote.

Day 151: batik-style paper art given to me by the elementary students at Yamanote.

Day 152: Gigantic (and colorful!) computer monitor left in our apartment. I don't know what to do with it, so it lives on the balcony for the time being. Notice at the top they tried to spell "Groovy", but forgot an O.

Day 153: Back at Hitsujigaoka. These are some creepy scarecrows the ni nensei students made for their school trip. They're going to give them to some farmers.

Day 154: Tiniest backpack on the cutest old man.

Day 155: Ethan with his friends, Alex and Saimon, after their school musical performance.

Day 156: Cutest baby ever at the Sapporo University International Day

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Yikes, I'm really behind on this photo project. But I'm back and finally up to date with it all, give or take a few days. Here's what's been going on:

• Back at Hitsujigaoka, and the kids seemed to have missed me, seeing how some of them came up and hugged me when they saw me. I swear some of the boys grew in the month I was away.
• Ethan performed in his school's original musical, "Griot". It involved all the elementary through high schoolers, and was the most spectacular school show I've ever seen. Puts me to shame! Can't wait to show some pictures soon!
• We met up with Nathan's Japanese teacher yesterday and went to the Sapporo University International Festival yesterday. Lots of food and music - and it was nice to be on a college campus again. I guess the feel of college is the same wherever you go.
• The days are getting warmer, and I'm happy to report that I can now commute to work without a jacket. Yippee!! I love spring!