the story of Wesley.

let's start from the beginning of this very complicated story. last Monday, as you know, I celebrated One Direction Day with mostly Justin. Wesley decided to be a party pooper and fall asleep (in my bed, I might add, which I later kicked him out of). He woke up complaining of pain in his legs and stomach, and he didn't have a voice. But we thought it was just a cold and that it would go away. Later that night (while I was staying Up All Night, haha), he was moaning like a dying cow. I knew it was more than a cold, but because we come in a family where we are supposed to "tough everything out", my parents thought he was being overdramatic. turns out they were wrong.

the next day, he had diarrhea and was throwing up. if you know me at all,you know that I have a very weak stomach for puke. can't see it, hear it, watch it, smell it, if you puke, I'll probably run away screaming. (I'm working on that!) so, it was a nightmare. wesley would puke in our one bathroom we have. I would run away to the backyard, freak out, and get eaten by mosquitoes. Justin, the worrier who freaks out about everything, was crying hysterically, afraid that he would get sick as well. We would be stuck in the living room all day with nothing to do because Wesley was using the iPad all day. my parents were all over him and taking care of him and all, but they still believed "it's just a flu."

Wednesday he was getting worse. we found a rash on his legs, and there was something really wrong. I was outside with Justin, and one of our Japanese neighbors (the landlord of our apartment building) asked us how we were doing. I then got the brilliant idea to get Wesley to the doctor! I told her about Wesley and she told me that she knew an English speaking doctor and that she would help my mom set up an appointment. So, Wesley was sent to the doctor, and our amazing neighbor went to Baskin-Robbins and got us ice cream!

Wesley had petechiae on his feet (burst blood vessels underneath the skin), and his urine specimen had protein in it, so he would have to go to the hospital and get blood tests the next day, which he did. We didn't know he'd have to stay there. but Dad texted my mom and said that he would have to stay, and that he needed to go to work, and that Wes needed a parent there at all times, so Mom would have to take care of him while I took care of Justin. I still have no idea what was actually wrong with Wesley. I heard a lot of different things: colitis, E-Coli (that was just weird), some kind of bacterial streptococcal infection, dehydration, and some kind of virus caused by not washing hands/bad swimming pools which includes all symptoms listed above. he was hooked up to an IV to get the nutrients inside him, because he couldn't keep anything down. he also had a really high fever.

Justin and I never had the guts to come and visit him because hospitals scare the crap out of me! but over the course of 5 days, he has been able to eat rice and keep it down, the petechiae went away, and his fever is gone! he was supposed to come home yesterday, but the Japanese are very overprotective in their hospitals, so they wouldn't release him. but he's on his way home today!!! we are so excited and can't wait for him to get back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oh, and a massive thank you to all of you who prayed for us and gave your support! I love you all! :) xx

the wonder of an old picture.

these words are probably coming to your mind as you look at this glorious old picture. awkward. disturbing. losers. bad lighting. Miriam's duck lips. Raquel being so tall that Miriam can't reach any part of her body, so she ends up kissing the ear instead.  BFFUWG (Best Friends Forever Until We're Grannies) night out. Raquel looking normal and not at all creeped out. Miriam looking drunk. Raquel looking pretty as always. Miriam wearing those same earrings she wears in like every single picture. 


Raquel and I took this picture about a week before I left to Japan. and I went a little crazy, as I do everytime I hang out with Raquel. we'd laugh, tell secrets about everything, pig out, talk for hours, have little music sharing sessions (which Raquel is so hipster in that she doesn't want me to steal her favorite song because she liked it before it was cool, which defeats the purpose of music-sharing-sessions, but oh well, it's still fun), fangirl over One Direction, serenade Roger the Pole, listen to my brother's wild stories, watch Justin's performances, and just be all obnoxious. Now, all we do is Facebook, iMessage, and FaceTime and watch Justin do more performances and listen to Wesley talk about his toes. Oh, how I miss this girl! We have made so many memories together. you will always be the Harry to my Louis!

oh, and her birthday is August 4th. So, could you guys all go and follow her blog here, which is private. Raquel, turn your blog unprivate because everyone wants to see your lovely adventures and your gorgeous face! I hope your day is the greatest, and I love you sooooooooooooo much! and sorry for that humiliating picture!

shot me outta the sky.

If we could only have this life for one more day, 
if we could only turn back time,
You know I'll be your life, your voice, your reason to be
My love, my heart is breathing for this
Moment in time, I'll find the words to say
Before you leave me today.
-moments by One Direction

2 years ago today, one of the best things ever happened in my life. at the time, I didn't even know that this day would be significant. but today marks the 2 year anniversary of One Direction coming together as a group. and let me just say, I try not to get so obsessed over things like this. but 4 months ago, today, I first heard What Makes You Beautiful and I decided that I really liked that song. then I saw their faces, and, well, it shot me outta the sky. for those of you who didn't know, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson all auditioned for the X-Factor UK as solo artists. they didn't make the "boys" category, so Simon Cowell decided to put the 5 boys together as a group. from then, they have been heading in one direction- to fame, to success, to the top of the charts. Simon picked the right boys. not only do all 5 boys have incredible individual voices, but when they sing together, it shot me outta the sky. and they are all very inspirational and good people. and all 5 of them are extremely good looking. like, seriously! the way that they flip their hair leaves me overwhelmed. if you want to leave because of my annoying fangirling, you can leave now. but as you all know, I can't live without music. I have to listen to it everyday. and I have favorite artists, which change periodically. my favorite songs change every 5 minutes. but for the past 4 months, it's always been something by One Direction. all their songs are catchy, have good messages, and can actually sing. so, to celebrate today, we all watched A Year In The Making, played Phase 10 and listened to the whole Up All Night album on replay, had a little dance party, and kind of reflected on what my life has been like ever since I discovered them. and let me tell you, this has to have been my greatest discovery yet.

and for those of you again who are sick of my fangirling, I also found some other music obsessions. here's a few of my favorite songs that aren't by 1D.

Wings- Little Mix. another British group that came from the X-Factor. I guess I should move to England and watch X-Factor, because that's where all the good artists are coming from! this is a really cute song, and if you enjoy it, look up the acoustic version as well.

Ed Sheeran- also from England! he is just an incredible songwriter with an amazing voice to match. (he actually wrote "Moments" by One Direction.) these 2 songs, Drunk and Lego House are my favorites.

Cher Lloyd- Want U Back. I admit, this song bugged the crap out of me when I first heard it. but then it grew on me, and it's really catchy! she is super pretty, and she's also from England! in fact, she and One Direction were on the same X-Factor season!

We Cry- The Script. I've been a fan of The Script for a long time, but this is my favorite one of theirs, which isn't as popular as their other songs. and no, they are not from England, they are from Ireland!

Your Song- Ellie Goulding. this isn't originally by her (it's by Elton John), but I really like her version. I also like "Lights" by her, which you've probably heard. and yes, she is from England! I don't know what it is with me and British music. but I'm serious. my favorite artists- One Direction, Adele, Coldplay, The Beatles, Queen, Mumford & Sons, all those artists listed above (except for The Script, but they are Irish, and 1/5 of One Direction is Irish, which happens to be Niall Horan, whom also happens to be my favorite along with Liam, and I know I shouldn't pick favorites, but I kinda did, but I still love the other boys as well), are all British! well, I gotta go to bed and fangirl some more. enjoy the tunes.

phineas and ferb

there are 3 kinds of days here in Japan: 1 is really busy, going on adventures, no time for anything. 2 is busy, but laid back throughout the whole day. and 3, which I am experiencing right now, is there's nothing to do here and I'm bored out of my mind. yep. believe it or not, it does happen. and it's a lot worse than you imagine. 1 girl, 2 boys, and 1 adult cooped up in a 1 bedroom apartment, with 1 bathroom, a living room, a teeny kitchen with no food, a computer, and an iPad and my iPod that I won't let anyone touch. no TV. no books. (the kindle doesn't count! there's nothing I want to read on that thing!) no friends for any of us. don't want to learn Japanese. that's pretty much all we got. and a few board games, but my ADD self can't sit still and play board games all day.

and all my brothers do all day is watch Phineas and Ferb on the iPad, which I love. (most of the time. sometimes, I can only watch a few episodes and I'm done.) But I just don't get how they never get bored. they're spending their whole summer building these contraptions, every day it's something different. even Perry the Platypus has a life, stopping Dr. Doofenshmirtz from his evil schemes. I wish that summer was really like that. something new and exciting everyday. which sometimes, it is. it's just these lazy boring days that are bugging me. and another big inconvenience- our TV only has a VCR and Japanese channels. for movies, we have to use our laptop or the iPad. and the worst? I'm missing an entire season of So You Think You Can Dance! i have to watch it every single summer. and I heard there's 2 ballroom girls from Utah, and one is from Provo, and I sort of know her sister. why was it this year that I had to miss it?

well, I figure this is boring you to death. I'll post pictures of my brothers holding chickens and petting goats. (I am a brilliant photographer. Plus I'm chicken and I'm just a bit...uneasy around animals. I can't stand rabbits and hamsters and rodents and things like that. That's one reason why we only have betta fish!)

 dead moose from some science museum

2 months.

today marks the 2 month anniversiary of being in Tokyo. I can't believe it myself. 2 months ago, I got dragged out of bed and ate my last piece of apple strudel toast from Costco (first thing I'm eatin when I come back!) 2 months ago, I packed my suitcase and my backpack with what would be my life for the next 4 months. 2 months ago, I hopped in the car (I promised my parents I wouldn't cry if they would let me bring Up All Night by One Direction in the car, which worked), and drove to the Salt Lake airport. 2 months ago, I boarded that airplane, saying goodbye to everything I knew. That plane landed in a foreign place, and I stepped off, hopelessly confused. Stepped onto the train, and later the subway, again, hopelessly confused. Got lost in the station. Climbed the stairs of death. Dragged my luggage up the hill of death to our teeny apartment that is my temporary home.

through all the culture shock, the homesickness, the tears, the change, the struggles, the lack of independence, the moments when you just want to scream and give up and go back on that airplane, the loneliness, to think that I've survived all this is a miracle. and I'm still struggling. but so much has changed. I've grown closer to my brothers. I've tried new foods. I ate an entire meal with chopsticks! (I'd rather use spoons.) I've learned how to count and ask where the bathroom is and get on the subway and go to the store and........basically, to adapt. there's only 2 more months to go, and I know I'll be able to manage. so.....................yeah.

It's scary to say I've changed. I hate change, and I'm not known for coping well with it. I also hate changing myself. I don't like being told what to do, how to act, how to dress, and most of all, who to be. I'm Miriam Castle. I don't care what anyone thinks or what they say. I've always just lived my own life, carefree, the way that I want. but here in Japan, I have so many restrictions because I'm still not familiar with the language. and my dad has been telling me not to "live life for the moment, because everything else is uncertain." (favorite Louis Tomlinson quote in the world. I live by it) and not to burst out into random singing and not to live out loud. well, that makes me a freaking nobody. he wants me to go along with the Japanese way of living, quiet, under the radar, blending in, not being noticed, and being polite. well, I'm sorry, but I don't live like that. it's, well, boring. but I've toned myself down a bit, just so I don't scare away the Japanese people. so don't worry. I'm not going to come back and lose myself! but yeah. I've changed. just a little

"Changing is for weirdos."
-Niall Horan

When someone says you've changed, it simply means you've stopped living life their way.
-random pinterest quote

"Who could say that I have changed for the better, because I knew you, I have been changed for good."
For Good from Wicked.

I honestly don't know which change quote suits me at the moment. probably Niall's. it's weird, how there's so many different aspects of change. well, I am hungry. and there's no food in the house. and it's raining. have a legit day.

Iszy

today, I just barely found out some sad news. Iszy, one of my best friends in the universe, had to get her thyroid removed because of thyroid cancer. the cancer is gone now, but it would be nice if you would keep her in her prayers for a good recovery! She also has hypothyroidsm as well. so, please, please please, please, pretty please pray for her! She is in my ward back in Provo, and it's always a party at YW with her! she never ceases to make me laugh, and is like my older sister. I love our funny emails, our "romantic stories", random "bursting into song" moments, walking home from church, game sessions at my house, and stealing all the desserts at mutual :) she just got released from the hospital, and is on the road to recovery. (I sound like a doctor.) So, hurry up and get better! I love you, and miss you!
(I would've posted a picture, but the only pictures of us are from girls camp from a few years ago, and I look really gross, and I don't think Iszy would've wanted that really gross picture of us half-asleep posted up on here. So, I'm saving you all.)

now that the bad news is out, here's some more bad news! Utah is covered in fires, and Tokyo is covered in rain. so, pray, pray, pray that this rain will leave Tokyo and travel to Utah! Provo isn't in a danger zone, but really, anything can happen. and more weather complaints- although it rains like crazy here, it is super humid, and I am always sweating! sweating in the rain is one of the most disgusting feelings ever.

also: contact info! if you don't think this blog is giving you enough info about my adventures, you can always check my Facebook, which is the best way to contact me. my phone doesn't have international coverage, so I left it at home. so, if you text me, you won't get a reply for at least 2 more months! but other ways:
email: miriamcastle32@gmail.com (I only respond to this email, my other email does not work anymore)
Instagram: miriamcastle32
Skype: I don't even know how to work it yet.
Twitter: I only use it to stalk celebrities, and I never even get on. So it doesn't even matter. so pretend I don't have one.
address: P Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney

the 4th and Mozzo Liams

it's already July. this is just getting crazy. i just absolutely don't believe any of this. oh, and we missed one of my favorite days of the year: the 4th of July. back in Provo, the 4th was possibly the biggest event of the year, and it was definitely my favorite tradition. this year, we had to miss the Provo Freedom Festival! (obviously.) what we would do (not always on the same day, but you get the idea), was:

• always wear a new red, white, and blue outfit each year!
• wake up super early to see the balloons. even though I hate waking up, this is always one of my favorite parts of the day. especially the Coca Cola balloon
• go watch Mom in the Freedom Run. I am not a very fast runner, but I have been getting better, so I wanted to actually race this summer. oh well. there's always next year!
• hopefully go back to sleep for a little bit!
• watch the parade! this is one of the best parts of the Provo Freedom Festival. it was so fun seeing all the floats and walking around the cute, little historic area of Provo by Center Street and BYU.
• go mountain biking as a family, or just bike on the Bridal Veil Falls trail. we have been doing this as long as I can remember living in Provo, even before I even knew how to ride a bike!
• go swimming with our Wendelboe cousins
• help Mom make dinner to bring to our ward party, the Culdesac of Fire! this has to be my favorite part of the whole day (besides watching the fireworks). we live in the perfect part of town to light off fireworks! not by the river, not too close to the hill, and our house is in a nice little culdesac where there are absolutely no cars. so, in our Bishop's driveway, hamburgers and hot dogs and sometimes chicken are being grilled, and everyone brings an item- salad, watermelon, or dessert. after we eat, we all light off fireworks in the culdesac and just have fun, until it's time for my personal favorite.
• FIREWORKS!!! not only is our culdesac the perfect place to light fireworks, it's the perfect place to see the fireworks from the Stadium of Fire as well! we have only actually gone to the Stadium of Fire once to see Carrie Underwood, and it was a blast! but we like our little ward party so much that we probably won't go again.....unless they can get One Direction! (probably never gonna happen.)

this year was different. way different. when you're not even in America, it's pretty much impossible to celebrate the birthday of your country! and I left most of my red shirts at home, sadly. but I threw something together, ate a bowl of Lucky Charms (without milk and with a fork, I might add), grabbed my bag, and we were on our way to our next "adventure stop", Nikko! Dad's chemistry research buddies and grad students organized this trip for them to get out and:

• go down an elevator to see a waterfall. yes, this is Japan, where hiking is not popular at all! this is one of the things I like the most. not having to hike! and my toes are still blistered. what the crap did I do to them?
• see 2 wild monkeys while on the bus! (no, they were not my brothers.)
• check into this really cheap motel that is designed for college student drinking parties. holy crap, this place was........different than the hot springs resort we stayed at in Uzawa, and the fancy hotel we stayed at in Kyoto! we had 2 rooms, but we had to sleep on futons and tatami mats, the bathrooms weren't clean at all, and in every corner, there were spider webs. even though this place had hot springs, I took a long shower as soon as we returned to Tokyo!
• visit a Mozzo Liam shrine (I admit, I am really good at spelling, and I can usually figure out how to spell strange words, but seriously, I cannot figure this one out! So, it sounds like that), which let me just say.........I love Mozzo Liams! even though they are the kind of shrines with graves in them, there's a lot of fancy decorations and flowers. this particular shrine (I forgot the name) was where those "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" monkeys originated. and sorry, we didn't get good pictures!
• get ice cream and see statues wearing red bibs (I believe they are called Gizo statues)
• eat a wonderful dinner of fish. they didn't provide forks and spoons, but I was smart and brought my own! sadly, this dinner didn't really agree with my stomach. well, it was fish. no surprise there.
• visit the hot springs, go to bed, eat fish for breakfast (not too different from the dinner), see a famous bridge, and check out of our nasty place!
• go to a Ninja Theme park! this was SO FREAKING LEGIT!!! we saw a dancing ninja show, a puppet show, Samurai torchure chambers, and we threw darts at a sugarcane board! I won a dagger, Justin (who got a perfect score) won a glowing, talking sword, and Wesley just won 2 ninja stars.
• got back on the bus and went back to Tokyo!!!

 hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.

let me just say, although I love Japan, America is my home, and I love it dearly! after taking American Studies (advanced English/history class, which I actually loved, most of the time), I only further appreciate the freedom that we have: freedom of speech, religion, expression, everything. it is also a very beautiful, diverse place, and I can't wait to get home!

oh, and a funny story........
{overheard at the dinner table}
Dad: so, when we go to Nikko, we will see a Mozzo Liam, and-
Me: I just love Mozzo Liams! Wait............ can you explain to me what a Mozzo Liam is again?
Dad: you just said you love them!
Me: Yes, I know.......oh, that's what they are. oh yes. Mozzo Liams. I love those!