Just felt the need to share a picture of my new drinking glasses. I always thought to myself "wow, that person has lived in Japan waaaaay too long" when I would meet other foreigners with an apartment/car/purse/etc. over-loaded with cute cartoon animals. Fast forward 11 months and I find myself in the 100 yen store overjoyed with my new "kawaiiiiiiiiiiii" purchased glasses. To understand how a completely rational adult could be overcome with joy by the sight of cute cartoon animals on juice glasses (which I plan on going back to buy the complete set), I must first explain the obsession with "kawaii" (cute). Everything here is "kawaii". If there ever were a more overused adjective in the entire Japanese language, nay world, it might very well be "kawaii". My students tell me how "kawaii" I am at least 10 times in each class, I hear it as I walk down the hall between classes, I hear it before school, I hear it walking to school, I hear it after classes have ended, I even hear students shouting it out the 3rd story windows at me as I leave the school. It was only a matter of time until I, too, began to define the things in my life as either "kawaii" or "not kawaii". I have also provided further evidence of the utter decline of my good taste by including a picture of my cell phone (hot pink, Kitty-chan charms) Laugh now, my friends, but guess what you're all getting next Christmas...
