Monday, July 4th: Happy 4th to all you Americans!

So today is my day of rest.  I didn't shower.  I only helped Madelyn teach the Teddy Bear song at the assembly for 15 minutes.
In my aloneness (yes, that really is a word) I realized why being sick here sucks so much and makes me even more homesick.  I need love when I'm sick.  When I'm at home in Wixom, I have my family who loves me and cares for me when I'm sick.  When I'm at home at SAU, I'm surrounded by friends who love me and look out for me because they really care.  Here, I don't feel the love.  Now, don't get me wrong, Madelyn has been GREAT!  Very thoughtful of my chills and the air conditioner and yesterday she bought me a "ramune" or clear soda thing when she went grocery shopping after I went to the doctors.  But as wonderful as she is, I've only really gotten to know her this past 11ish days.  Then there's the ever polite Nishimura family who cared for me and took me to the hospital yesterday and prayed over me and allowed me to have the day off...but they don't really have a choice.  So the moral of the story is: I missed all of my loved ones in the US of A!  Happy 4th to all of you...even though this holiday is my least favorite holiday, I still wish I could be out in CA with the fam watching Uncle Dick's firework show while sitting on the edge of Bellwood lane.  Yes, I'm still homesick.  Not even homesick, more like loved-ones-sick?
Anyways, on a more practical note, this coming Saturday is Madelyn's birthday!  So we're having a party with the Nishimura's on Friday night and on Saturday we're going to Tokyo to celebrate!  Just her, me, and her Japanese friend from SAU.  He lives near Tokyo and is happy to assist us non-Japanese speakers/readers around Tokyo  Without him guiding us it'd be like "touring New York City on crack!" (that's a Madelyn quote from yesterday).  Yup.  So it's something to look forward to :) And I think the next Sunday and Monday is our Kyoto trip (Japan's old capital).  No, mom and dad, I'm not going to the onsen.  Madelyn and I decided we don't need to experience that...ever! :)  I think the weekends are how we're going to make it through the long, confusing, exhausting weeks of teaching who knows what.  It's discouraging that as a future music teacher, I can't come up with lessons using songs!  I tell myself it's because I'm in a strange culture and since I don't know the language I am insecure...even though the songs need to be in English.  Sigh.
Anyways, no picture today since I didn't do much with my life.  I still feel pretty awful.  After school ended around 3, the classroom next door quieted down and I was able to take a nap.  It felt nice but even after waking up, I still feel like my throat is burning and I can't tell if I'm hot or cold.  Please pray for me as I attempt to go back to work tomorrow!!