Someday I will actually post those other photos I've promised.  Here's one of a shidarezakura (looks like a weeping willow) in the palace gardens in Kyoto.  It just kind of looked like how I feel right now...kind of droopy and needing to be propped up!  The medicine I'm on seems to be helping, but I still should probably avoid operating heavy machinery for a few days. 

I will say one fabulous thing about being in inaka (countryside) Japan is that I never have to wait for a doctor.  Since my school is within walking distance of many "hospitals" (that's what they seem to call doctor's offices), I'm always able to just walk over to one unannounced, and after filling in paperwork (always fun - since I can barely read kanji), I usually go right in.  Unbelievable.  But I'll take it for now :)