This has been an exciting week. In reverse order: 7) I paid for my plane ticket home at Family Mart. Japanese convenience stores are amazingly resourceful. 6) My parents had some parasitic troubles, and so have been forced to choose the Grand Canyon over the Asia Wilderness, thereby trading a sackload of Communist Propaganda and stunning vistas featuring Kyoto's Fall Foliage (pictured to the right) for a trip to Utah (and maybe even a donkey ride?). But I understand, it's not their fault. It's totally not. And I know they're as disappointed about not coming (probably infinitely moreso) as I am about the fact that they can't come. Shoutout to Mom and Dad, they're the best. 5) I discovered that when Royal Tenenbaum says "Pagoda, where's my Javelina?" he references this animal. I didn't know. Should I have? 4) I finally managed to fill out my resignation paperwork, which gave me a lovely good feeling of closure. 3) I've gone for about two weeks on a budget of less than $5 a day. In Tokyo 'tis a feat worth mentioning. 2) I bruised a large portion of my right forearm and sprained my right ankle within 10 minutes during a glorious run a couple mornings ago. It was a good run, but it wasn't worth my ankle's current fruit-like qualities. 1) After some deep staff-room research our many minds came to the conclusion that we'd rather be a canker than a cyst, in accordance with a slightly unconventional interpretation of the lyrics of El Condor Pasa. Wouldn't you? If you only could?