Hi, back in the Americas. Hurrah!

Whoever either advertently or inadvertently made this past weekend in Chicago super-fun, thanks one million. Amanda & CJ's wedding was awesome, both the expected and unexpected guests were in full form, we tried really really hard to do the Falto Line Dance to no avail (but the rock'n'roll version of Hey Ya was a close second), SColson and I, perhaps moreso I, were totally duped by the CTA, I was the recipient of some fantastically crooning CPop (thanks Jake), and somehow I failed to meet up with Slobs (Lindsay), despite weeks of planning. Awful. Please still be my friend, Slobs. I'll link to some pictures once my computer's disc space stops overflowing.

The past, mmmm, 96 hours have just been a stream of mental/verbal cultural and visual comparisons. Just ask my parents, they had to listen for something like seven hours during yesterday's car ride home from Chicago: "See, in Japan . . .;" "So when I was in Tokyo . . .' " "Wow, I don't remember this being so . . .;" "In Tokyo they let you . . . " etc. It should stop pretty soon, once I cease being suprised by how -- 1) cold 2) big 3) friendly 4) scary 5) spacious 6) big 7) dirty and 8) big -- things are. mamonaku, or momentarily, I will successfully self-assimilate for the good of all those around me. Let's hope.