I kept meaning to write this update sooner and then I forgot about it. Oops!

The 11th was my 23rd birthday, so I spent a fun weekend celebrating with some of my friends! This included food, drinks, and shopping. One of my favorite moments of the weekend happened when I ordered cake at a cafe. The waiters found out that it was my birthday and then this happened. I had told them that my name was "Erin", but to a Japanese person it can be easy to confuse the name with "Ellen". Japanese people tend to have trouble distinguishing between the sound of 'r' and 'l' in English (and it's definitely something that my students have trouble with). This is most likely because the 'r' sound in Japanese is more of a cross between the sound of an 'l' and and  'r'. So, I was mostly amused by the spelling mistake on my cake. It's the thought that counts after all. The cake was also delicious.

I ended the weekend by taking some birthday purikura with my friend Leslie. You can see them and a few other pictures here.

Tomorrow is my last day of work this year. I'll go back to work on January 4th, after the New Years holidays are over. Tomorrow night is my school's bonenkai (end of the year party). We're having a bowling competition and then having the usual drinking party afterwards. On Friday, my friend Kirsten, who teaches English in Shikoku (another of Japan's islands) is coming to stay with me for the holidays. I've got plans to celebrate Christmas with some of my American friends here in Japan. I'll be sure to write about it in my next entry!