More on January's goals

If you can't tell from the last post, which included lots of efficient bike riding and the mention of a bike I purchased, I got a new bike!!  It was 6500 yen brand new from Trial (a sort of 24 hour Japanese Walmart).  It doesn't have gears but it runs great and I no longer have to worry about flat tires, being passed by pedestrians, or excessive burning in my thighs.  Now my thighs only burn when I am really trying to catch that yellow light, etc.  The old bike is still parked outside Adam's place where I left it 3 weeks ago.  I don't think that Adam is very happy about this and I guess I should look into doing something with it (like burning it!) soon.

Other points of interest, I met with Hiroshi last weekend and we had a good chat.  We have some very similar interests and he showed me a health food store and leant me a few books as well.  These days I am getting busier with my study and exercise goals but we will probably meet again sometime soon.

and the joys of the internet--what did they ever do without it?

I still have no idea about the Martial Arts weekend workshop thing, so I think it is a dead issue.

As for my goals, they are going very well; much better than I thought possible at even my most optimistic times.  I have sort of given up on the cutting back the internet goal but that is mostly because I am now using it to accomplish other goals and because I find the distraction helps with my depression.  ha ha.

I have joined a free website called Spark People where you can track how many calories you eat and how many you burn.  I have worked out a precise formula for the balance I need to maintain in order to lose 17 pounds in three months.  So far I am doing much better than that formula and so will hopefully be able to reach this goal.  As a result of this new approach to fitness, I have been eating way less than I used to but choosing foods that don't have empty calories so that I am always full.  I used to eat twice as much food and still be hungry.  I figure this will help me with my financial goals as well.

I am also using the internet to study kanji and do lots of Japanese quizzes, etc.  I have decided that I want to write the 3rd level Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) in December of 2007.  The test is only offered once a year.  The 1st level is the highest and 4th is the lowest.  The 3rd level test requires knowledge of 1500 words and 300 kanji.  It is estimated that one can be prepared to write it after 150 hours of study.  I have 10 months to prepare.

As for my money goal, I have run out of money this month but mostly because of some poor decisions I made in the days when I wasn't feeling so great about life in general.  Believe it or not, spending does not make you feel better.  I am determined not to go too much over my budget.  I have withdrawn an extra 2000 yen ($20) to get me through the last week and a half and hope that I won't have to spend more than 1000.  I have about 3 kg of white rice and 1 of brown as well as some lentils, potatoes, onions, carrots, and five blocks of tofu.  I think I can make this stretch one more week.  I think I will make my February budget even a bit stricter.  If I can come this close even with the many poor purchases I made, I know I can do better next month.  (The February budget is actually the budget for my February pay cheque which I don't get until Feb 9 so February's budget begins at around 1pm February 9).

This week at work has been pretty easy.  All the kids classes had their final exams so we didn't have to do regular lesson plans, just one on one interviews, listening test script reading, and comment writing.  The week went really quickly so hopefully my March holidays will be here before you know it.

Speaking of which, that is another thing I have been using the internet for: planning our big trip to Hiroshima, etc.  My parents are coming to Japan on March 21 and I have managed to wrangle a whole 9 days off.  We are heading straight to Hiroshima and then heading back up as far as Kyoto.  From there I will have to jet home but my parents may decide to linger a bit.  I am pretty sure that after the fun of actually travelling again (instead of this sedentary in a different city business) I will not want to come back to Kofu!!

One more thing I'm doing online these days:  I have signed up for Skype!  It is great!  I kept thinking that voice conversations on MSN were just as good but I can call phones in Canada for 2.3 cents a minute (as opposed to the $10 for 14 minutes calling card I got at Christmas).  I was able to call my grandmother the other day from the comfort of my own home (not the 7/11 phone booth in the freezing cold at midnight, also like at Christmas).  I haven't talked to anyone computer to computer yet but if you have skype my skype name is (surprise surprise) KelseyApple and anyone can feel free to give me a shout!!

Ok I really must go now.  This entry wasn't nearly as interesting as I thought it was going to be.  Sorry...