I feel the earth... move... under my feet

I realize it's been quite a while since my last post, so I just wanted to give a little update & let you all know that I am still alive and well. I survived the typhoon mentioned in my last post (it actually just turned out to be a lot of wind, and not so much rain, by the time it hit where I am.) The Japanese always seem to make the typhoons into a bigger deal than they actually are, but it's probably better than the alternative... Yesterday morning at 7:03, though, there was a little earthquake (5.2 on the Richter, but the epicenter was pretty far away from here) that I felt while eating my breakfast. I will probably never get used to that sensation, no matter how long I live here. I've probably felt close to ten different earthquakes in the 2 years and 2 months that I've lived in Japan, but only one was somewhat serious (and the funny thing is that I was visiting Korea from Japan at the time, and that earthquake was actually in Japan!) so it has kind of become a natural part of daily life here, as well, I guess....
The rock star days are long over along with the fun of the festival (although I DO have a new nickname from the students, "Kim Jovi") and it's back to the grind of teaching and little sleep. I haven't been feeling so well for the past week, which is one reason I haven't posted. I've been really tired and have had a sore throat and swollen glands on & off for the past six weeks. I went to the doctor but he said it was just a cold so he gave me some powder-version antibiotics that just irritate my throat more when going down (give me a caplet anytime!) and I'm still not well. I'm almost certain that what I have is more than a cold so I might have to visit an ENT. In Japan, most people just go to specialists instead of general family doctors- without being referred. (Which may be kind of a waste of time if you pick the wrong specialist!)
Weather-wise, it has been cool here in the mornings, which I love. It actually feels like fall when I ride my bike to school at 8:00. I love that crispness in the air... But then, about an hour later, that crispness turns to sweat as the humidity returns, and by lunchtime, the air-conditioners are on again. Blech. I am still in summer-wardrobe mode, which means a short sleeve shirt and a skirt and no socks or nylons.
As far as school, it's almost exam time again (when aren't these students taking exams?! The difference from American schools is that there are no random "tests" or "quizzes" for each individual class. There are only exams that everyone takes at the same time.) Anyway, I am busy writing questions and recording the listening part for the Oral Communications Mid-Term.
In class, though, we have been talking about one of my favorite subjects (Shopping!) and we started out with a group interview about shopping habits (favorite store, how often you shop, etc.) One of the questions was, "Are you an impulsive shopper?" "Yes, I am!"
Tomorrow I have a "bowling party" with teachers from my second school, since teachers from my main school never do anything fun outside work. Bowling in Japan is always interesting and believe it or not, the shoes are just as ugly here. (You'd think the Japanese would be more fashionable... but maybe it's to keep the American spirit of the game!) The Japanese spin on bowling shoes, though, is is that you can actually rent them out of a vending machine here....