February 3, 2009

Monday February 3, 2009 10:13pm-

Hello Friends-

I have been battling a cold for the last week or so. Although Japan is a typically clean city, I do work with a lot of children and many of them are nose pickers. I usually try to keep some hand sanitizer handy, but usually leave it at home. Since I am not really taking any medicine, I am just trying to stay mentally healthy which seems to be working out just fine. Before I left I started doing daily mental focus drills and meditation techniques. I started this routine due to my difficulties in filtering out distractions when necessary. However, this has yielded so many positive results. For 30 min a day, I will sit and focus on one specific sound. I don't stop my thoughts and worries, but rather just let them float away at their own accord. The idea is to allow the brain to not be distracted by any thoughts or worries that will occur and to maintain focus on that specific sound. This allows me to be always be in control of any thoughts or problems that occur and not the other way around, which often happened for me. I can continue to be the anchor. The amazing thing is that since I've started these "exercises" I have not had any of the headaches and stomach pains that used to occur so frequently. Throughout the last month I have only had one headache and that was only because I was came down with a cold.

I do apologize for not posting pictures up yet, but they will be here shortly (in some form). I have to admit that I do not really like taking pictures in new places, or at least I have a difficult time taking them. When I am experiencing someplace new for the first time, it feels unnatural for me to interrupt the experience and pull out a camera and snap a photo. To be honest, I just don't think about it at the time. Some people are able to balance that out, but I have a difficult time doing so. It kind of ruins the experience for me. However, now that I have been here for awhile I can start to move past that and start to try and capture something for everyone to see back home. I know many of you have been patiently awaiting some sort of vision of where I am. I have some ideas of what I want you all to see. Hope everyone is doing well back home. I've heard that you all might be in the midst of a nasty snowstorm. I feel for you and am relieved that I am not there! Beyond that, I do miss everyone back home. I have an idea of who is reading this, but am obviously not aware of everyone. That being said if you are reading this, than I am sure you are someone that I miss and am thinking about.
-ian