I was away this weekend, I apologize. What was I doing?
- Killing spiders. It seems like just about every spider in the freaking country has decided to hang out in front of our apartment building. After getting spider web in my face at the 7-11 and walking up the stairs to the apartment, I decided that death would come in the form of a swinging of a plastic snow shovel. But this provided too many chances for them to scurry away, the little deceptive bastards. So I went to the store looking for spidericide (not insecticide as spiders aren't insects... they're something else). I learned what I already suspected: Japanese people don't see spiders as pests. This is tied to a Buddhist belief, Yoko explained, and because the spiders kill other insects. Screw that, I said, I don't care if they're gods and they kill mosquitoes, any creature dumb enough to crawl down my throat while I'm sleeping, bringing not only its demise, but my constant uneasiness, deserves to die, by any means necessary.
- Kissing ass. I sent emails to a bunch of PhD programs to see if I might be able to get a chance to study with some of the metaphor people I like. I got one email that said, I would like to supervise your PhD, but unfortunately, my school doesn't have a PhD program in Applied Linguistics. I got a second, more encouraging email from the head of the linguistics department at the University of Leeds that basically said, I would like to supervise your PhD, please send me your proposal. This encouraged me greatly, until I realized that although I might be accepted to study at Leeds and Birmingham (these two seem the most likely for now), the chance that I will get money to study there is unlikely. A non-EU citizen, one year: £8,500. This plus living expenses for two and half people would be impossible. So I can get in, I just can't go. Well, for now anyway.
- Watching Sex and the City. Mock me, if you will. It's a great show.
- Eating lunch. Today, Yoko, baby, Uncle Efrain, me, and Mayo hit the all-you-can-eat buffet (pronounced buff-et). I ate a lot and then we walked around for like three hours.
- Cleaning up baby vomit. She threw up so much about an hour ago. Like a litre. She seemed wicked proud of herself, and I was sort of proud too.
Now, back to watching Sex and the City
