To Do: Months of October 2007 to March 2008

I make weekly to-do lists. I like to know at least the things that should be accomplished during the week; it is somewhat obsessive-compulsive and Type-A anal-retentive, but it makes me feel better. It sorta harks back to the homework pads that I used to have in grade school.

A few posts ago, I made a list of things to do. To make sure that I actually do them, I decided I should give an update. So here is update 1:

1) Antiques Grand Fair - check, with two kimono and a vintage Christian Dior silk scarf for my sister
2) Interesting field trips for my class that I am the CA for - check in progress, semester ain't over yet (so far: two museums, one shrine festival and a visit to a Buddhist graveyard at a temple this week)
3) Maybe a trip to Okinawa/Hokkaido with some of my students/classmates? - no check, 90% chance going somewhere over Christmas so this is off the list
4) Japanese language classes start up next week at Kyodai - check, I get the placement test results tomorrow
5) Need to blog on the Kyoto Botanical Garden - check
6) Fall Light-Ups at the Temples (and a VERY delayed post on last March's Spring Light-Up for context, and another delayed post on Shirahama) - Shirahama, still working on that. The Fall-Light ups: those start in November. I plan ahead in advance.
7) I need to go to Osaka to get Kate Spade refills for my organizer (yeah yeah, I know I can get a cheaper refill but KS is so pretty! And I am a stationary whore). And I want to go to the Umeda Sky Building. - check on October 27, though I am thinking of getting a Japanese diary thing for this year to save some money since KS stuff is expensive. I saw a pretty KS-ish one at Loft for 1800yen and it is both monthly and weekly. Plus, I won't have to carry my big gold organizer anymore - I get these phases where I don't want to use it, and now is the time, methinks for something new. As for Umeda, maybe next time - might go to Suntory Museum instead with my friend Emi.
8) Random free festivals at Shinto Shrines - check, going to Nonomiya Jinja in Arashiyama's bamboo grove this Sunday
9) Momiji Madness Month (aka people go gaga for fall leaves in November)- it's just starting to get chillier now!
10) More flea markets- most likely in December, as I am broke, going to Osaka next week and I have the flea market that Emi is running at her school's festival on November 3.
11) TRY to see Kabuki in December-working on that, but I have the rest of my life to see kabuki, really
12) Check out a Sake Museum possibly- probably in November
13) Get my bum over to Kobe for the Illuminarie in December and eat Kobe beef!!!- this is in December
14) I get to play teacher November 22, when I give a lecture to my students/classmates on expositions in the Meiji period- starting to get a bit nervous about this...though I am probably overreacting
15) Oh yeah...grad apps.- London advisor (L.a.)knocked off 4 from my list, but I put one back for my own sanity since it's a safety and now I have 7 as opposed to 10. I apologized to (L.a.) saying that my personal statement wasn't done yet and yes, I am guilty of procrastinating and he just turns to me and says "Calm down, you will do fine, you have done well, its only October."

That doesn't mean that my somewhat frayed nerves are not un-frayed. No matter how many people tell me that I did good, I still feel like the black sheep (since I didn't do the traditional East Asia Studies major and study Japanese like everyone else) and inadequate, but that's the topic for another day.

Nonetheless, still many things to look forward too. At last count, I have 1,113 photos of Japan alone in my iPhoto. And more this Wednesday (Buddhist graveyard/temple) and Sunday (Nonomiya Jinja and the bamboo grove).