Oct. 30th (Sat.)

Today I became Ninja again at a party organized by Wharton school. I could wrap my face better than yesterday, but it's still fake. I bought a black laundry bag to cover my face. I didn't know how to wrap!
I met a few American Ninja at the party. We fought with swords!

Oct. 29 (Fri.)

Today my friends and I went shopping for a Halloween costume. I bought a ninja sword. After that we went out for a party. Everyone in a party dressed up and it was interesting to see!

Oct. 28 (Thu.)

Today I did exercise after a salsa lesson. Oh, I love exercise. Most machines show calories I consumed. I love the machine which I can consume a lot in a short time.

Oct. 27 (Wed.)

Today I attended a FREE Spanish conversation class. Well, it's not a normal class. No curriculum, people come when they feel like it. So it's very relaxed. Actually there were only two learners and two instructors today. I would like to improve my Spanish by the day I go to Peru.

# Look at his hairy head! Isn't it cute?

Oct. 26 (Tue.)

My boyfriend and I carved a pumpkin to make a Jack-o'-lantern. It was the first time to carve a pumpkin. It was fun! The Jack-o'-lantern with a candle inside looked gorgeous!

Oct. 25 (Mon.)

Today I went to a bar 2 minutes away from the dorm. There they hold a quiz contest on Mondays and Wednesdays. Participants work in a team and write answer on sheets. There are more than 30 quizes. I found out that many teams were cheating, calling friends, asking to find an answer using internet. So it was like cheating contest. I enjoyed a lot anyway!

Oct. 24 (Sun.)

Today I went to the gym to do exercise for the first time! I go to the gym on Thursdays but only for salsa lessons. Today I went for swimming and working out with machines. I gained 4 kilos in one and half months. I have to lose weight!!! I started checking my weight every day. I'm glad that I enjoyed doing exercise at the gym.

Oct. 23 (Sat.)

Today I went to a forest with my boyfriend by bike. It took more than 1 hour one way, but it was fun, besides it was a good exercise! I really enjoyed changing colors of autum leaves.

Oct. 22 (Fri.)

I watched a movie of Kurosawa, "To Live", "Ikiru" in Japanese. I may have watched some Kurosawa's movies like "Seven Samurai" when I was a kid, but I don't remember anything. I'm sure that I watched this film for the first time. It was GREAT! I became a big fan of him. I'll go to a library to see his other movies!

Oct. 21 (Thu.) What a hassle!

Today I was pretty busy. Not only I had many appointments, but a FD which stores a latest document of my assignment was broken! Although it's my fault that I did not save the data on the computer, yet a FD should not be broken on such an important day! Well, I could not hand in my assignment because I could not open the data of the FD. But it was lucky that a professor gave me a couple of hours after class to send the assignment by E-mail. I had to retype but I could make it in time. What a hassle!

Oct. 20 (Wed.)

Preparation for Wednesday's class is hard but one for Thursday's too. I started studying for tomorrow's assignment in the evening TODAY. There is not a way to complete it! Tomorrow morning I have to work as a volunteer teaching assistant in center city so I can't study tomorrow morning. I don't have time!

Oct. 19 (Tue.)

I was pretty busy with working on an assignment due Wednesday. Well, every course has an assignment every week and it's getting tough and difficult. One of homework due tomorrow is a bookreview. The book is very difficult for me to understand because the author uses many difficult words, refers American culture which I am not familiar with, and does not speak straight. Besides, I don't agree with his idea. I finished the bookreview so I'm going to burn it!

Oct. 18 (Mon.)

I had been flustrated about a discussion of Mondays' class. I had an opinion but I hesitated to speak out because usually only Americans talk and control the discussion. I felt uneasy to speak English in front of native speakers at an academic setting. But last Monday I told my opinion at a discussion, and today I contributed a discussion a lot! Although I still have a lot of problems when I express my opinion, I became not to take it seriously.

Oct. 17 (Sun.)

I borrowed books at a library on campus. What surprised me is that I can keep them until the end of semester, December. It's great! In Japan we have to return books in two weeks or something at a city library and I was always late for return date.

By the way, I couldn't focus today. That's why I didn't study much. My mind was travelling Matsudo, Japan.

It's getting really cold! Don't catch a cold, everyone!

Oct. 16 (Sat.) YOSHIDA BROTHERS

Today my friends and I went to see a performance by YOSHIDA BROTHERS! They are Shamisen musicians and released the second album at the US. They came to a TOWER RECORD at Philly and played 3 songs. (song...?) All of them were pretty good and we were fascinated. We bought his CDs with their autographs.
Some of my friends were interviewd by Japanese TV. This special program for Yoshida Brothers is going to be broadcasted in March. Please check it out!