Rad Plaid

I love love love this plaid coat! Got it at Dillard's about a year ago hot off the clearance rack. What's that? Me? Shopping from the clearance rack? Shocking, I know.  The boots are from my mom for Christmas. I love them! I've been craving some high black boots for a while, but they can be so pricey. The broach is my latest favorite accessory, purchased (on sale) at San-A in Miyako. I love the blend of traditional and modern in it-- it's very similar to flower ornaments that geisha apprentices put in their hair, but the colors and the rhinestones and pearls are completely modern. I've never worn a broach before, but I just had to have this one. Here I am showing it off in Ginza!

It feels so posh to say "Here I am in Ginza!" but the truth is that I can't even afford to walk into most of the stores there XD  Still, it's fun to pretend. Also, it's nice to show that I don't spend my entire life in the backwoods of South Carolina, haha!

Classes begin next week. I only have one class that I actually have to attend (Second Language Acquisition), and then one independent study (Advanced Topics in Japanese Sociolinguistics), and tutoring my students for credit. This should give me plenty of time to catch up on my hours for my research assistantship. I can't wait to get back into it. Part of what I do is scour letters written during the Civil War, from soldiers missing their families or in desperate need of help because they are deserters. It's fascinating stuff, but admittedly very difficult to read at times. Some of the words they use are also very interesting, and many are terms that were very relevant to the culture at the time, but that hardly anyone today would understand. Luckily my professor seems to know absolutely everything about everything, so he can answer my questions.

I've also been working on figuring out my program of study. I haven't been freaking out about it, only thinking about it. Progress!  I think I've come to a conclusion that will work best for me at this point in my life, and still leave plenty of academic doors open. I'll share more on this once it's finalized.