Somewhere between hot and not

So, I flew into Japan last night and am now back at home in Kobe. It's been a while since I was in Japan in the summer, a conscious choice on my part since I'm a wimp when it comes to humidity. I had been hoping that since it's still pretty early in the summer the humidity wouldn't be so bad but that was wishful thinking. It's not as humid as it could be but it's still humid, enough so to make it feel warmer than it actually is. The temperature actually feels like a bizarre halfway point between being lukewarm and hot, if that makes sense. It's not a searing crisp heat but a heat that seems to hang in the air, like the heat of a sauna or, closer yet, the heat you feel when you're soaking just your feet in hot water for an extended period of time.

Anyway, besides the heat, things are chugging along at a rapid pace without time for me to consider jetlag. Since my trip is so short, I'm carrying a very full schedule which is, I think, a good thing since I'll be making the most of my time here. And so I go to start my day full of things to do and people to see.

Catastrophe avoided . . .

But let me tell you, it was a close shave. My roommate didn't return my calls or get my e-mail. I ended going back to my apartment, saving my paper on my flashdrive yet again, and trekking back to school (all in the span of 30 minutes!). The formatting was all wonky so I had to edit before printing but I had the warm printed pages in my hands as I ran up to the faculty mailroom just in time to stop them from locking the door! So, my paper is in my prof's mailbox . . . safe and sound. And so catastrophe was avoided . . .

Oh catastrophe!

Okay, so maybe catastrophe is a little over the top but I feel like I'm pretty close. I'm supposed to be submitting a paper in 45 minutes. I brought it on my flashdrive to school to print it out only to discover that I didn't actually save it to my flashdrive . . . dum dum dum!! I would be panicking if I weren't so disgusted with my own stupidity. Now, I'm trying to get a hold of my roommate so she can e-mail my paper to me from my laptop. These are moments when I really, and I mean REALLY, wish she didn't always ignore her phone. Let's hope I get a hold of her in time!

Oh, the sweet smell of success

Seriously though, if success had a scent what do you think it would smell of? For me, it would smell of warmth, rich spices, a hint of citrus - preferable oranges, and a dash of vanilla.

So, I finished my MA theses defense about 45 minutes ago and am now officially the holder of a MA in Japan Studies. I was so nervous before and during the defense that I'm having a hard time recalling what I was asked and what I said in response. I'm sure once I've settled back down to normal adrenaline levels I'll remember though.

What next, you ask? Well, now I should finish work for my classes that I'm currently taking . . . however, I've fallen slightly behind in that and have doubts of my being able to turn anything in on time. But I'm not going to let that rain on my parade . . . even though it will perpetuate that gnawing nervous sensation in my stomach for a while until I'm actually finished with everything. Perhaps I should find some sustenance to alleviate the stomach nerves temporarily . . . a digestive distraction, if you will.

Nerves

So, tomorrow is a big day for me. I defend my Master's theses (yes, that would be "thesis" x 2) and have my comprehensive oral exam. It's only scheduled to be an hour long and my advisors have both said that I should be fine but I can't help but be nervous. This is the culmination of all my work for the past two years and it boils down to one hour . . . I think a case of the jitters is called for, don't you? We'll see how it goes, I'll keep you posted.