Snowy Day Thoughts

Yesterday, I was just minding my own business, studying, when a guy from my Medical Imaging class started talking to me. After a few minutes of homework related questions, he said, point-blank, "Are you Mormon". To which I responded yes, followed by him asserting that he was also Mormon and he had figured I was because 1) I had a wedding ring and I was a young woman, 2) I always wore modest clothes (this baffled me as it has been winter/fall for a while here and as far as I can tell, cold-weather clothes are always modest), and 3) I just kind of had that look about me (ha - me! the girl who is quiet and rarely ever talks to anyone in this class and just tries to pay attention during class). So, it turns out he is a Masters student about to graduate with a wife and a baby who is in the Ann Arbor 2nd ward. He asked me wheat I was doing. Of course, I have no clue, so I said I wasn't sure ... masters or PhD. I said I would take qualifying exams and see from there. And he asked about my husband, etc. When he found out that a) I might just end up getting a Masters and 2) we would be here a long time because of Katsu's schooling, he said there are lots of places to work here - he recommended a place that he was going to work out ... for one of the auto companies, or he said I could be a nanny - his wife was one and made almost $25 an hour. This is perhaps what I found funniest(?) of all. I am sure he was just being well-meaning, but I found it hilarious. What if I suggested that after receiving his Master's degree, instead of that well-paying job in AZ that he was going to take, he be a nanny! Ha ha ha. What a conundrum, but perhaps expresses the feelings I feel quite nicely. I really fell stuck between a few different worlds here. On one hand ... I am a Mormon, I do wnat to have children, and ideally I want to stay home with them. On the other hand, I am in a masters/doctoral program in electrical engineering at a top university with a full fellowship and am doing well. And these two seem often contradictory at times, especially now when I know people who are in both places - Mormon and in engineering graduate school, albeit they are all men. I think they see me as a sort of misfit. Not quite sure how I belong - but then, again, am I really sure of this either. Anyways, I should go study for my quiz that is in half an hour.

Bye!

Thanksgiving Was a Success!

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving. We got up early and put the turkey in around 8:00. I was kind of worried how it would turn out, but five hours later it was perfectly done! It tested just like Mom's even though we cooked it a totally different way. Everything else was fabulous too. There was a total of 8 people there - two couples from church (one with their baby and dog) and a friend of mine from school and one of Katsu's coworkers. THe food was fabulous and tons of it! We had so much fine. We're so grateful that we have so many great friends after being here only a short amount of time.

Happy THanksgiving everyone!

Some Pictures of our Trip to Detroit

http://amandatsu.dell.shutterfly.com/

Christmas

Okay, so yeah, it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but it feels like Christmas this year. Maybe I am just feeling like I missed Christmas last year (Christmas in Japan is just not the same as it is in the states ... I missed having a stocking) so I am trying to over-compensate this year, but we are all excited about Christmas.

We have never had a Christmas tree before - well, unless you count those little tiny ones that are like 1 foot tall. So, this weekend we went out and bought a Christmas tree, ornaments (big red and small green and silver balls), that silvery stuff that you wrap around the tree, lights, and a gold star to put on top. It was so much fun. Yes, it's fake - we've always had a fake tree in both my and Katsu's family, so we are content with it. So, it was so much fun to put it up together. And it really feels like home to turn off all the lights except for the Christmas tree lights and watch them twinkle away. And of course, you can't forget the Christmas music - I found Detroit's only 24 hr a day Christmas music station. So, we are already getting all the Christmas music stuck in our heads.

On another note, the 18 lb. turkey is defrosting in the refrigerator, ready to be stuffed with our new stuffing recipe - sausage, apricots, and pecans ... yumm. I just love the holidays.

Promise to post some pictures soon.

Thank Heavens it's Almost Thanksgiving

Soo ... instead of doing something productive like studying or homework, here we go with updating the blog.

Life is going well. This November has been the prettiest November that I have ever seen. Warm, bright, perfect weather ... until yesterday where we had torrential rains and I got completely soaked through on my 20 minute walk home. But really, in all truth, it has been a beautiful month. Thouroughly enjoyed by all ... well, at least Katsu and I.

We are quite excited for Thanksgiving. We are having two other couples over. It should be an adventure because we haven't cooked a turkey before, but I figure it can't be that bad. And if it is ... oh, well. We can eat other food. Maybe I'll even cook a pie - I really want to do a cherry but we'll see how much time we have. It will be so nice to just relax ... and relax ... and relax for a few days!

Life is busy for me and mostly for Katsu too. He was very busy at work and such and research, but thankfully, his lab has submitted their grant and so life is much slower and easier there. It has been a much-needed break for Katsu. One of his classes will be finished before Thanksgiving and so he will really only have one more and his work till Christmas. I am pretty busy in school. It seems like I never get a break ... there's always something else to do. I have a probability exam this Friday and also my MRI project (which isn't going so hot) is due next Tuesday. Hopefully, I can get them both done with flying colors!

We are very excited for christmas. Both for the break of school and to see the family. I would like to buy some Christmas decorations, too, since we don't have very many. I am busy working on Katsu's stocking that I am cross-stitiching. Hopefully it will get done by then ... I will have to work hard on that over Thanksgiving.

Well, that's it for us!