Spring at last, spring at last, thank goodness, it's spring at last...

It's amazing what 5 months of winter without central heating can do to your emotional state.  I have to admit I seriously underestimated winter in Nagano, and as such, was bested.  You win this year, Nagano winter gods... but next year....

So, I've recently emerged from under my kotatsu at least 10 lbs heavier and blinking in the bright, warm air looking around at the newly budding leaves like a baby whose eyes suddenly came into focus.  It's like coming out from under a dark spell, literally shaking the fog out of my eyes, ears, nose... it's like... ok, you get it, I'll spare you any further similes or metaphors.

I hope this ad isn't real.

At any rate, I've suddenly rediscovered my sense of motivation and energy, and forced myself to re-habituate myself to cardio kickboxing and running in an attempt to make my pants fit minus an unattractive camel toe.

Which is a good thing, because along with this sense of energy, is a need to use it.  With all three of my grad classes finishing, I've spent the last two months working on various research papers, all due this week. Our new school schedule actually has us teaching at least three classes every day, and with no lesson plans for this part of the year, I've been scrambling around to write new ones.   A's new job necessitates a second vehicle for us, since he takes the car, so we've decided to buy a small scooter.  In order to do that, you need a real Japanese license.  Our international permit is due to expire in July anyway, but we're especially rushed because living in a town without a train station and few buses makes transportation difficult for me, who's left behind.

Maybe they'd like origami money...
even if it is in  pounds.

And so we've begun the arduous process of obtaining our Japanese license.  If you're unfamiliar with the process, just google getting a Japanese license as an American, and read the stories.  Our biggest challenge is our lousy Japanese, and the bureaucracy we have to navigate in Japanese to even get to the testing stage.  So far, we've sent out requests to two different driving bureaus because our licenses don't have issue dates--a requirement to prove we didn't just get them yesterday.  Printing out a copy of our marriage license as all my previous licenses and passport were under my maiden, rather than married, name. Then, Japanese practice sessions and translations of the process we underwent to get our licenses (some 17 years ago!) so we can try to go to the testing center by ourselves, as we cannot find a bilingual person available to accompany us.  So before we've even failed our first driving test, I already want to cry.  I wish I could just hand over the magic amount of money they require to the driving school, testing agency, and anyone else who wants some yen, and walk away with our license the first day.  Oh dreams....

this is just cute, ok?

But, the yin to the yang is the opportunity to practice with my favorite yoga teacher, Kathryn Budig, this May in our own prefecture.  I am so excited, even typing about it puts an idiotic smile on my face.  Stuck inside most of the winter, lacking energy and motivation, I decided to focus on my yoga practice as my main form of exercise.  Unfocused and lacking any major goals besides surviving winter and Japan, I was able to do arm balances and inversions I'd never even contemplated trying in the U.S., giving me a sense of accomplishment and pride, which I was lacking in my cold, culture-shocked pity party.

This will be Day 2 of the Inversion workshop...

  The website I use, Yogaglo, has a variety of talented and well-known instructors from which I have taken many classes.  But Kathryn's sequencing of poses always leaves me feeling fulfilled and well-rounded, and her sense of humor and positive attitude is a welcome sound in a country where people could sometimes be likened to Vulcans.  Now, the opportunity to practice with her in person will allow me to further refine and adjust my self-practice, assuming I survive the 12 hours of practice in only two days.  Ganbarimashou!