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It's already tomorrow in Japan, but I am on 100% Midwestern Uh-murr-ican time right now, and there are still about 50 minutes to go 'til Christmas day. Most of you probably already know I'm back in the States for the holidays, since the majority of people who read this blog are probably immediate family, or those whom I consider family by now.
Anywho, making a quick post, in the dark, waiting for my parents to zonk ou-- I mean, Santa to come to our house. So Happy Christmas, Merry Yule, Festive Saturnalia, and a belated happy birthday to Emperor Akihito, who turned 75 on Tuesday. 
An early X-mas present from one of my first-year students. Drawn on the back of a half-finished listening exam :b
Today I left Tomo in the shower room with all his toys and effects to try and get him used to being alone in there. I'd done the same thing Saturday night while I went grocery shopping, and he didn't seem to mind all that much past the initial protests at losing his main source of warmth and cuddles.
I took a walk north up the Ise road (the road that goes to
. . . surprise . . . Ise) to visit Masako-san, from the Tuesday night English class. She wasn't home, but her husband said he would tell her I stopped by. On the way home I took a different route along narrower roads that branch off haphazardly west of the Ise road, around houses and garden plots. It's a very lovely little neighborhood, running up to the street that connects to my apartment building's long and lonesome driveway. As I don't really have a neighborhood per se, I think I'll take some pictures over there later.
Anyway, back at home I was about to start dinner when someone knocked on the door. It was Masako, who had just gone home, heard the news from her husband, and felt so bad about missing my visit that she drove back to my apartment to bring me sweeties - mini croissants, a jelly donut, and what appears to be some kind of large, puffy, nut-filled bun. I introduced her to Tomo, told her the story of how I got him as best I could in Japanese and some English, and she then told me that she knows the lady who wanted him.
Turns out they are very good friends. Masako called her up right on the spot, and I'm pretty sure she pulled a classic Japanese move and subtly guilted her into agreeing to take Tomo that very instant. I heard her saying in Japanese that the kitten looks very small and pathetic (pathetic is actually not a good translation of "kawaiso," but there is no one English word for the mixture of adorable and pitiable that this phrase implies), and that he will be alone in the apartment while I work during the week. In Japanese, insinuation and inferred context, not actual words, make up the main content of speech. So if one reads between the lines, that was a pretty strong admonition.
At any rate, once Tomo's new mum saw him, she was overjoyed to take in such a little cutie (n___n) All things considered this weekend has worked out spectacularly well. I can now go to work tomorrow without anxiety over my little buddy, and after he gets used to his new home I can visit whenever I have time - it's a good hike into town from my place, but so is the grocery store, so I should be able to walk it easily.
One last picture to try and better illustrate just how wee-tiny and precious he is:
An early X-mas present from one of my first-year students. Drawn on the back of a half-finished listening exam :b
