More from Tokyo...

So, I've been back for almost a week... but I figure I should finish my Tokyo adventures before expanding on anything else... so here goes... the abbreviated version...

Saturday: I got up early and went to class... it took me about 45 minutes to get from Kim's house to where I was taking class... it made me feel like I was an actual Tokyo commuter... the only difference?? Since all but one day was a national holiday... the trains weren't crowded. :-)

After class, I met up with Kim and Tatsuya and we headed out to Odaiba on the monorail. Odaiba is a giant, American-style shopping mall. There was EVEN a Cinnabon in the food court. I didn't get one because I had eaten a biggish lunch and wasn't hungry. :-( Next time... We had a great time playing in the Sony Plaza area... they had the best, blow-you-away surround system on display! It was so cool... we hit VenusFront after that... it's designed to feel like Italy, but to me it feels like Caesar's in Las Vegas.

The best thing from Saturday... after dinner we had the most amazing matcha soft serve ice cream! It was GREAT!!

Sunday: By this time I had the commute to class all sorted... even had my headphones and MD player out... like a true Japanese commuter! Our class was starting to move along and we had inside jokes starting and everything...

After class, Kevin and I went to Shkibuya. Basically, neither of us wanted to eat alone and look like the sad cases we actually are. Haha! So, we ended up in this nice-ish Italian place in Shibuya... and we chatted about all sorts of stuff... sports, politics, etc. Was just nice to talk to someone different and interesting.

After that we searched for and ATM (ran out of cash!!), then I headed home and he headed to his hotel.

Then Kim and I spent the evening watching American Wedding and she showed me a DVD a friend of hers (James) had made about leaving Japan. He'd been a JET for one year and had all the same experiences that I've had. I BAWLED!!! Facing leaving Japan has NOT been a happy prospect for me at all... I get choked up for no reason at all... and this DVD brought it all home. (If you're interested, you can find it at www.hindsightproject.com it's the video called "Statement of Agreement") Anyway... wow!

Monday: Class was CRAZY! We had to do all sorts of role-playing practice... and everyone got really into their roles. I got to play the tough Kocho-sensei, Kevin played the evil teacher (and landlord too!), Drew was our dad, Jackie was our mom and Anna was the nice lady at the reception desk at a gym. And the Oscar goes to... Kevin for his portrayal of a VERY strict teacher! hahaha...

After that I went in search of a big koi windsock! For Children's Day in Japan, people put up these HUGE carp windsocks up. And I wanted one... too bad I headed to Harajuku when I was tired-ish and HUNGRY! I couldn't be bothered to look for very long... so I headed back toward Kim's after picking up the nicest umeboshi/wasabi onigiri (haven't managed to find that kind again!). I was on my way there when I realized I could go out to the big shopping center out near Omiya (one stop before)... it has a Lush! So I headed out there... and ended up spending WAY too much! Got some stuff at Lush... but then found the COOLEST hat ever... and found the cute Lego shop... in under an hour... I spent around 6,000yen... I headed back to Kim's after that.
She was on her way out to meet James... and I just sat for a bit and then did some repacking. James and Kim returned. He's the nicest guy... it's amazing how easy conversation is when you've got cool/interesting people to converse with. Our plan was then to wait for Tatsuya and then go for yaki-niku at Gyu-Kaku... I couldn't wait because our local Gyu-Kaku had been closed a while ago.
So, my last night in Tokyo was perfect. Out with friends just having a laugh and some good food! Great time had by all.

Tuesday: Last class. It was hilarious! Had such a good time just joking around and learning of course. After it was all done, I was really glad I'd gone to it. :-) But leaving was bad because I learned that Kevin was headed out to a Mexican place! ARGH!!! I could't go because I had a train to catch. Bah!
The train ride was great... nice and smooth. Then I had an hour wait in Niigata. I was sitting on the platform when I realized that I was being watched. I looked up and there were three high school boys staring at me from the train on the opposite tracks from me. So, I looked up and smiled and waved. They laughed and waved back. Basically we had the grown-up version of peek-a-boo going on for about 45 minutes while I waited for my train and they waited for theirs to depart. We waved, gave thumbs-up, made faces at each other... and then when their train eventually left... I waved as if we were all old friends. Man, I LOVE JAPAN!! ;-)

Ok... so there's the end of my Golden Week adventures... sorry it took so long... yesterday, I lost this post and had to do it over again today... sorry for the delay!

TOKYO!!

Well, I'm in Tokyo... and there's loads to tell... Not sure where to begin... but I'll just go day by day...

Friday morning: I arrived in Shibuya around 6:30am, put my suitcase in a locker, then went looking for the Starbucks (I went out the wrong exit!). While waiting outside the Starbucks I was approached by two random foreign guys... turned out they were Marines. Haha... well, they provided me with far too much entertainment... on everything from the pros and cons of the Japanese dating scene to what not to say if you ever meet someone Russian (ummm... have forgotten already... therefore will never say it!)

After too much laughter, a piece of yummy caramel cake and a macha Frappacino... I headed off to class.

Turns out... there are 5 people in my class, two from Tokyo, one from Tottori-ken, one from Tochigi-ken and me. Three of us are fairly high ability and the two others are well, they need some work (but are coming along). There's Kevin, Drew, Jackie, Anna and I. Anyway...

After class I headed to Kim's out in Warabi and ended up chilling, having a shower, going for hiyashi-chuka and hitting the foreign food store all before going to bed.

For now... I'm tired of typing... so will finish my Tokyo narrative a bit later... :-)

How FAB is today??

I woke up today... and the sun is shining, the sky is blue, and I'm happily sore! What a great way to start the day. :-)

This week has been awesome! I'm at my FAVE junior high. I love Amarume, but I don't have the bond with my students like at Tachikawa. The difference is in the size... I have almost 600 students at Amarume, but only 199 at Tachikawa. So, this week has been like a massive homecoming! And my kids have been awesome.

The new 1st years are SO cute! There are some super tiny kids, but there's also some REALLY tall kids. I'll never be able to explain why I have kids that are nearly 6' tall at 12 and then some who barely hit 4'. Bizarreness, eh?

One short bit about yesterday...
I planned a kendo extravaganza for myself. As I'll be in Tokyo for awhile (starting Thurs.), I wanted to get a good bit of kendo in before I went away. So, I went to club practice after school yesterday. I LOVE going to Tachikawa practice. The kids are helpful, they're encouraging, and they like that I'm there! And yesterday was no different. I had a GREAT time! I got home just past 6... and had just a little over an hour to wait before I went to kendo with Amarume. And that was great too!! I felt like I got a really good workout... and at the end I was BEAT!! Totally and completely. Thus the soreness when I woke up this morning... :-)

YAY!!! Today's going to be GREAT!

It's MONDAY alright...

Have you ever noticed that no matter how well the day starts out... Mondays ALWAYS seem to drag?? This is coming from the person who had a GREAT morning... 2 classes and they both went really well... had a great time with the chiddlies!

But somehow.... the mondays always getcha! I've managed to do a bit of studying... interspersed with several bouts of staring at my keyboard without really knowing what to do with it...

BUT, instead of moaning about Mondays I'm going to talk about my weekend...

Friday was great... did a bit of kendo, did a lot of drinking and singing (izakaya and karaoke!!!) and then headed back to Lauren's. The original plan was to be able to get up to watch some morning kendo (there was a big kendo thing going on in Fujishima [Lauren's town] on Saturday...)... but as we didn't get rolling out of our futons until noon... there was barely enough time for breakfast and a shower before going over to Kim and Peter's.

Kim's birthday was yesterday... so as a birthday surprise Peter got Lauren and I to come watch Soren for the night while mom and dad got away. We had a great time with the baby and it sounded like they had a great time just the two of them. :-)

Then yesterday was the Sakura Marason! I did a 5k... which would have gone a bit better if I'd not been out until 4:15 on Friday night/Saturday morning. All in all it went alright and I'm getting geared up for the next one!

And now I've killed more Monday time... just a few minutes before play... erm... cleaning time!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY... part 2!

Yes, in Japan we all get 2 part birthdays because of the time difference. :-) Added perk of being away from friends and family on your birthday... you get TWO!!! So on this, my second birthday, I woke up to emails from a bunch of my friends at home who remembered that today was my birthday!! Thanks guys... I feel loved.

And an added bonus... I've already gotten to go to one class this morning! And it's only the second day of school... I've never gotten into the classroom this fast before. Boo... it would have to start right when I'm about to leave Japan, eh?? Why am I going home again?? Oh, yeah... I have to! ;-)

Anyway... tonight it's girl's night on the town... Lauren, Kirsty, Chisato (cool Japanese friend who's birthday is the 13th), and I are going out for drinks and karaoke. But first Kirsty and I are doing a bit of kendo... we have our priorities!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!

Today's been GREAT!! I was woken up this morning with a phone call... it was Lauren saying, I'm downstairs - let me in!!! She came bearing presents and pancake mix. While I showered she cooked me breakfast! What a great friend. :-)

I've gotten well-wishes from all over... thanks guys, I'm having a GREAT day!!!

One step further...

So, the boredom factor is at a boiling point...

- arrived at school... feeling fairly genki and humming "No More Cry"
- made several of my students say "good morning" instead of "ohayogozaimasu"
- 9.30... was still feeling genki... until I realized that I had HOURS to go before lunch rolled around!
- was saved from boredom for about 30 minutes because I texted with Robbie
- then I decided, I should really study Japanese... so I did, and then I realized why I get frustrated with Kumon worksheets... when am I ever going to need to use the verb "suspicious"?? when!?!?!??
- for the last hour I've been thinking how amusing it would be to non-fatally hurt myself (sprain an ankle maybe...) and have to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance... then at least I wouldn't be bored anymore...
- argh! I am loving Japan right now... but that bit has little to do with work... cuz work is going to suck for AT LEAST one more day!

BORED, BORED, BORED!!!

Yeah, that sums things up today. I'm going out of my head with boredom! First, I worked onmy taxes this morning... then I studied some Japanese... then I ate lunch... now in between those "thens" I checked my email far too many times, read some random, not very interesting celebrity gossip, and generally stared into space for long periods of time.

And I'm sorry to say that my boredom will not be satiated until Thursday because all of my students have tests starting tomorrow and running through Wednesday. Can I shoot myself? PLEASE!!!

On the less bored front, I went and messed around with my kids during lunch break-time... and I got to terrorize some of my new 1st years. They all know the answer to the question "How are you??" but getting them to use it... hahaha! Poor dears, it all must be very overwhelming for them! ;-) Gotta love 'em though.

Am off to try to not be bored... not holding out much hope!

It's A Happy Day!!

Today is the first day of school. We've had the "meet the new teachers" assembly and the "pep talk from kocho and homeroom teacher announcement" assembly. Now the class groups are meeting together...

I was afraid that things would be really bad today. That the kids would not be as cool or chilled-out as my kids that just graduated... SILLY ME!!!

During cleaning time this morning I talked with loads of my kids just chatting... it's amazing what moving up a year will do for 3nensei kids. They're so nice now!?! (A lot of them were little shits last year!) YAY!!! Big relief... though, I'm afraid that leaving in a few months will only be made that much more difficult. Oh, well... I'll cross that bridge later.

BEST Week!!

Ok... so this is a bit delayed, but last week was the BEST week ever!! I got to play with SO many of my former students!! That sounds a bit weird, but really it was play. ;-)

Wed. - Toru and Yuta... we met and did purikura and then a massive karaoke session!! See these two constantly fight about who's the bigger loser when they're around me! They try to put each other down in English. It's HILARIOUS!! That hilarity is compounded by the fact that Toru loves hip-hop... and calls himself... DJ TORU!!! I LOVE this kid!! ;-) Great day. At the end, I was given a pack of 4 MDs... all hip-hop, both Japanese and American. And... DJ Toru?? He can be my DJ anytime!!

Thurs. - I met Mio... she is one of my old eikaiwa kids from a few years ago. She's now in OT school in Yamagata City and was up for part of Spring Break. She's SO much fun. We had a nice chat... we'd not seen each other for about 8 months or more. So, we had loads to catch up on... plus, I know all of her siblings... so we chatted about them a bit as well. Esp. her little brother whom I still teach. He CRACKS me up! Then we went and tok purikura... SO fun!! Just the two of us doing it... was really hilarious... we laughed so much!!
After that I headed to kendo.... 2000 strokes... it was amazing. If you want more details... let me know. All I can say is... kendo is amazingly mental!!

Friday - Low key day... but on my way back from Kirsty's I got a text from one of my old students... and he said "are you free tomorrow? we can meet up!!" Now, this is one of my FAVE students of all time!! He's so cool... isn't a great English student, but just a really great kid. So, I was stoked about that!!

Saturday - Did some gardening... did some running... got a call from Daisuke around 2 saying, club's over... I'll go home and change then we'll come to your house. 3... Daisuke, Hisashi and me head for karaoke!! SO funny!! These boys just crack me up. Daisuke loves this group called "yuzu" and so... ended up being the self-proclaimed "yuzu baka" for the day.
After 4 hours (nearly) of karaoke, I had to take them home because I was meeting Lauren at 8 to see Roman Holiday. I love AUDREY!!! ;-)

Sunday - Saturday afternoon I got a text from my FAVE Ama-chu grad from this year... Kohei. He said, sorry I couldn't meet and do purikura the other day, wanna meet tomorrow. So... Sunday afternoon, I met Kohei in Sakata to do purikura. He's such a cutie!! He was all... this is funny, you're an adult. But I think telling him that I'm really not... and I'm a friend helped a bit. Silly boys! So, we did a bit of purikura... and then I drove him home since he'd just gotten done with hurdle practice. But had a great talk about running and English and stuff on the way back. MAN... I love that kid!!

Last night... Lauren and I did something really stupid! She mentioned that the foreign foods store has Boone's. So, being REALLY smart, we hopped in my car and got 4 bottles of Boone's and headed back to hers. The final conclusion: how did we EVER drink that stuff?? HOW?? The sweetness alone made us feel ill!!!

So... there's the grand update... hope this finds you all well!! :-)

Best compliment EVER!

Last night was the good-bye party for my teachers who are moving schools in April. I found a way that I wouldn't have to drink (I had kendo... no one bothered me about drinking when I said I was going to kendo!!) and so I did my rounds to all the leaving teachers and headed out the door.

Before I ran away though, I was given the best compliment EVER!
I was talking to Suzuki-sensei. He's been here since I came to Japan. He's taken care of me and made sure that I've known what's going on with everything in the staff room and all that. Really great guy. This past year I did a team-teaching demonstration class that went really well. Anyway, as I was getting ready to leave the party he says to me, "I've taught with many ALTs over the years. But you have been the best." I was so shocked. That's the nicest compliment that I've ever been given. I almost started crying right then and there!! But I didn't... and I ran off and had a great night at kendo.

I'll always remember that compliment... thank you Suzuki-sensei!

When you have to say goodbye...

Now for another round of goodbyes...

This time it's to teachers. And in my case it's to two teachers who really mean a lot to me and have been really important to me in the last few years. See... Japan has an antiquated system of moving teachers every few years... without warning most of the time. So, this time two teachers have fallen victim to the system. One teacher I knew about (Suzuki sensei, his son is coming to junior high and doesn't want his dad around) and the other came as a complete shock (Musaka-sensei has only been here a year!). Needless to say this is added stress to me and I'd rather NOT have this... but there you go, I'm being selfish again! Oh, well... even the best of us are selfish sometimes.

In other goings on...

The Spring holidays have been going well.　But for the obvious missing ingredient... SPRING!!! We had snow last Friday... so it's not really an exaggeration about spring being a bit delayed.

We had a nice Easter the other day... with baskets and everything. Church, lunch and everything else. Even had a massive J-drama session... ended up running out of my house at 10 to locate the last installment of said drama. After two stops and about an hour of looking, we found our drama!! Yup, we're silly girls. ;-)

Hope all's well. Talk soon!

Hahaha...

Now, for the past week or so... I've been a bit sad about my kids graduating. I snapped out of it a bit on Friday (had a really great I LOVE JAPAN night!), but managed to get back in the funk... well... I think it's over! I had a reassuring experience with some students today...

My house runs along a main road (you'd laugh if you saw the road!) that my kids use when they're going to school. So, it was sunny outside and I hung my head out the window. I was saying hello to a few of my kids... when some 2nensei boys rounded the corner and yelled hello.

Well, I figured that was an invitation to go have a chat... I got my shoes on and walked over to where they were. It was hilarious... they both thought I was an absolute NUTTER because I was in shorts and a t-shirt (had just returned from running)... and they'd just finished with their practice. So, I'm sitting there asking them how they've been when I realize one of the boys has bobby pins in his hair. Yep... I checked a second time... they were bobby pins alright.

So, I took a step closer, pointed and said "doshta no?" which basically means, "what's up with that?" He never did answer... but I had his friend in stitches... he knew, like I did, boys don't wear bobby pins!! Haha...

Then they were off to do MORE training... but that little exchange has given me a bit of faith that the new 3nensei may be cool afterall. :-) Yay for that!

BTW can anyone think of a reason boys would wear bobby pins??

This is my fave pic of the week! Makes me happy... and helps me try to forget that my fave kids are all gone. :-( This is Kohei... again. Look how great he is!  

OUCH!!!

Today I did something very silly... I went skiing without sunscreen. Now this may seem like a harmless activity... but it wasn't. The sun was insanely bright and I didn't have any cover on my face (mom would be yelling at me right now if I were home). SO... I have the worst non-summer snow/sunburn that I've ever had. My EYELIDS are even burnt. Yuck!! I look a sight. I'd take a pic, but then I'd scare everyone. Blah! Am hoping I look a TINY bit better in the morning. Wish me luck!

Anyone have any aloe?? They don't sell it here in spring.

Unexpected

I experienced an unexpected emotional response just now...

I walked over to the 3rd year classrooms where the 2nd years were finishing up the clean-up process before the end of the year (officially today!). All of a sudden I was hit by the sadness of it... even though I know the kids are really all graduated and gone... I half expected to see them goofing around their classrooms again. Yes, it might be weird... but it was really empty and sad going near those classrooms again. Until the classrooms get a massive makeover at the beginning of next term they're going to be a sad reminder of my kids who are gone.

At least I'm on vacation from today.

Too cool for school!! Shohei (left) and Toshinari... Toshinari's going to be an absolute STUNNER when he grows up!  

Here's Mami... she's taught me kendo... she's always genki... and always up for English!! I need more students like her! 

Shuya... what a sweetie!! The only one of my boys to willin take a picture with me. He's such a great kid. 

This is my Kohei... I LOVE this kid! He's going to the Olympics someday... just you watch. ;-)  

Graduation...

Well, my babies graduated... and I only used 2 tissues! (They were quite wet...)

I got up early, got my hair in order and headed to Nami's where her expert mum dressed me in kimono! I love wearing kimono. It makes me feel realy special... kind of like dressing up when I was a kid.

When I got to school... most everyone was arriving... the lady homeroom teachers (bar one...??) were in kimono as well. One had the most amazing dark torquoise kimono on! Wow! I've never seen a kimono that color really amazing.

The ceremony went off without a hitch and I got pictures of all my favourite kids!! (I had to chase one down!!!) But the most exciting (in a bad way) event of the day was an almost fight between one of my graduates and a 2nd year student. I have no idea what happened... but all of a sudden Shuya (who I love!!) had a kid by the collar. It was crazy... I never did get what was wrong... but I did get a picture with him. He's one of the only kids that doesn't mind having his pic taken.

Anyway... will post pics later... going to go drink with the parents now!

Chagrine to admit...

So, back in my Truman runnings days... I hated it when we got honked or whistled at. "How degrading?" was always my comment...

Fastforward to my life in Japan... the life in which men never look at me twice.

So... I was running today. And ended up finding myself running alongside a construction site. And what do I hear, a little beeping sound... didn't notice at first, and certainly didn't think it was directed at me. But I turned my head, and sure enough there were a few construction worker types looking in my direction... one eventually waved and yelled "hi!"

I don't think I can express the delight of being honked at! I grinned the entire way home. Oh man!! I was a big "YOSH" moment... And lots of giddiness to follow. Yeah... so there's the highlight of my day... who'd a thunk it??

The Weekend...

For once, I stuck by my goal of getting some sleep this weekend!! YAY! I only had one late night and 2 early-ish ones. How's that for good?? :-) This statement will probably go in the "you know you're getting older..." category, but man... I really enjoyed not really having any big plans. Just kind of going with the flow. It was really nice... yeah, now I'm officially old.

In FANTASTIC news... the Nanooks (my home hockey team...) swept Bowling Green this weekend (both games 6-3!) and are headed to the Super Six in Detroit!! Yay... at least there'll be some hockey in the Joe this year. :-D Gotta love that it's my 'Nooks too!!

Other weekend goings on... Friday: Lauren and I did a girlie movie night in... perfect!! Saturday: went to lunch with my friend Nami, went to my Japanese lesson, had sushi (yummy!! just simple kaiten though...), went and bought a new keikogi (really nice one for during warmer weather), and rented some Japanese dramas to help with my listening comprehension. Easy-peasy...

All in all... nice and relaxing!

Great KENDO!!

So, I've been a bit apprehensive about kendo in Amarume lately... mostly because I've just been sick of the students. (Not something I say very often...) But last night, I remembered why I LOVE kendo!

I got to kendo, got changed and put on my bogu. My buddy Mayuko showed up (YAY!!) and then Shinko-sensei and her daughter, Mami also walked in. I haven't been able to work with Shinko-sensei in ages, so that was great! Also, Kazuki... who is legendary in Amarume... was there. He makes me nervous... because he's so good and I'm crap. Plus, he's really gorgeous! (eeek...)

So, I got warmed up... was feeling, if not quite perfectly on, pretty good. Got to go through the works with Mayuko (tired), then Shinko-sensei (very tired)... then I was sitting there trying to decide who to go up against next, when Kazuki walked over and motioned to follow him. EEEEEK!!

Aside, now Kazuki is about 6'1". I haven't practiced with anyone that tall before... that made me nervous... and then, just the fact that it was him made me nervous.

So... I did men-uchi (smacked him on the middle of his head) once... he gave me a bit of advice (found a way that actually strengthens my left hand-hold on my shinai)... then I had another go. And another... and then he gave me the most useful advice yet... he said, "when you hit men-uchi you want to pretend like you're splitting my head in half, cutting it from the top to the chin..." And that illustration just made things click. I had an ah-ha moment!! Yay!!

So... what next?? Lots and lots and lots of practice!!! Because I finally have some things sorted in my head! Yay.

Sorry if this is awfully boring... but you know what? Last night was great... totally exciting and exhilirating!! Lately I've had a bit of apathy toward my kendo practice... but last night just made it all new and exciting again. :-)

Good Morning, Miss Price...

Yes, I've been watching too much Mansfield Park as of late...

I was just thinking of ways to try to fill my time... I have 3 classes today, but not until later. I have to plan one of those classes... and am really leaning toward doing the Hokey-Pokey. How could that go wrong?? :-)

But despite the weather... and despite the fact I'm tired... I'm starting to perk up! I get to teach a bit today!! Wheee!! I have Spring Vacation stuff to plan... I have kendo to go to tonight! How could it go wrong?? It couldn't!!

Wow! I've not been this optimistic in a really long time. Now, the key is to keep this optimistic as I wait for my life to fall into place. Here's to having a go at that... :-) Yes, my friends... the glass is once again half FULL!!

One of these days...

I'm going to get some sleep!! I promise. I keep saying this... and yet somehow every weekend I end up having at least one late night... and then my sleeping schedule is all screwed up still!! If all else fails, I can catch up when we go on holiday from school in a few weeks. Let's just hope I can make it that long. :-)

The weekend was great... watched some good TV, went ice skating, did a bit of karaoke... was stupid enough to see a scary movie against my better judgement! In no way will I ever be a scary movie fan. Nope, I've just decided that. It's just kind of one of those things that I can live without. Yep.

Yesterday I ran in shorts for the first time since I was in New Zealand (during summer remember...). It was great! I even got a bit of sun on my face too!! :-) Wahoo... bring on the sakura!! I'm ready for the snowiness to go away... I mean it this time.

This week's going to be excruciating!! Tomorrow won't be too bad, but Wed and Thurs I have one class each day, first period, and then I get to sit the rest of the day... I will go insane!! I'm predicting that right now... either that or I'll be climbing the walls. Either prospect isn't really that great... wish me (and my sanity) luck!! ;-)

When?

For weeks people have been saying that spring is right around the corner... but I'd like to know how far away that corner is!? I've already spent a fortune on kerosene this year (prices went up yet again!) and there's still snow falling from the sky! How can this be?? I want it to be over...

Today's been a great day... though I'm going to cry... next week, when I was supposed to have classes with my third years, I don't get to have any because they have to prepare for the high school tests. Grrrrrrrr... bloody let the kids get an education if they want one and stop putting so much pressure on them. At least that's what I say!! Not like anyone listens to what I say though...

I'll be happy when the day's over... I'm tired of being at my desk with nothing to do. It's almost as tiring as DOING something. Ha! Sounds like I have the life?? Wrong... there's something particularly aggravating about being hired to do a job and then not being fully utilized in doing it. The life of luxury it's not.

Anyway... there's my thoughts for the day! I took some really great pics of my elementary kids. And since I love them SO much... I'm going to have to post them later on. :-)

An introduction in Ketchup, Mayonnaise and Wasabi!!

ARGH!!!

About 2 weeks ago I asked my Mum a favor. I asked her if she could get me some posters for the Advanced English classroom. I sent her an email list and also talked to her on the phone about it... she said she'd be willing to help me. I asked for posters of movie stars, sports stars, music groups, maybe some hockey posters from UAF, and maybe a picture of the northern lights. I was really excited... this is going to be SO cool... so I thought.

Fast-forward to yesterday.

The posters had come in. I went after school to pick them up. Ran home to open the package... finally got it open... and out slid 3 posters. (I wanted somewhere around 9-10 posters.) Two posters of grizzly bears and one of the northern lights. That's it. The last thing I asked for... I got. And that was all.

Now, I'm not sure what to do. Take the really crap posters (they're pretty, but at 14 who wants to look at posters of bears??) for what I need. I'm at a complete loss...

Anyway... I suppose this teaches me... never expect that parents listen when you talk to them. Because likely as not... they're busy doing something else at the same time and are ignoring what you're saying. And they're just nodding and saying "uh huh, uh huh" over and over again.

You know it's cold when...

Yesterday afternoon I realized it was cold when I had my heaters on for over an hour and the temperature had not budged from it's 10 degree (C) mark... and the only way I could keep warm was by turning my electric blanket on and crawling into bed. At which point I fell asleep... only to be awakened by the fact that my nose was about to detach from my face because it was frozen!! ;-) Or something like that...

This morning wasn't much better... but we have high hopes for some warmth today. Unfortunately it seems as though mother nature has no intention of throwing any warm weather our way in the near future (read: in the next 5 minutes). My only hope?? Lots of tea and lots of sitting under my kotatsu.

Stay warm out there folks.... :^)

To Lauren... our favorite person was walking slowly past me as I wrote this blog... I'm sure the next thing I get reprimanded for is misuse of the computer!! Just watch...

Life's small pleasures

So after a very mediocre week, kendo tonight had been cancelled and my plans for coffee with my friend Nami also fell through, I met Lauren at Jusco for dinner. We had a nice dinner of curry katsu om-rice and then headed for coffee afterwards.

As we sat talking and looking at pictures of Lauren's kids... I looked over to my left and my favorite little boy, Yusuke, and his family were walking past. I gasped when I saw him, I was so surprised. I got up said hello and gave his older brother a high-5! I really wanted to give him a hug... but that might have scared his parents. I was SO chuffed!! He's such a cutie. Not 5 minutes later... one of his classmates, Yoshimitsu, and his family were riding up the escalator. How strangely coincidental that two of my favorite first graders were in Jusco at the same time as me? I waved at them and got huge smiles in return. Teaching here does have its rewards.

Then... to walk off our meal and coffee, Lauren and I went to Uniqlo. I found the PERFECT track suit! It's green... and great!

So... though tonight was entirely low-key... I managed to have a great night... because life has its own little unplanned pleasures to throw our way! :-)

Bored no longer....

Now, just when I thought that my boredom was going to last until the end of the day... one of my fave 3-nensei students walked into the staff room... Toru LOVES hip-hop music. Knows all the artists from the states, Jay-z, Eminem, Dr. Dre, etc. We talk about music all the time... Well, he just informed me that this weekend... Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent, and he are doing a concert in Texas! Then asked how to spell "finest" because he's always telling me he's the "world's finest" rapper! Heehee... I can't get enough of this kid. Hilarious!

I'm bored...

Yeah, so I've had my one class today. And I've studied some Japanese... and now I'm bored. Maybe I've got some ADD tendencies, but man I just don't feel like sitting here anymore... but have no choice until I leave here for my Japanese lesson.

Ok, just found something to do while being bored... look up "bored at work"! Heehee... yeah, I'm bored.

Long week...

Not in terms of what I've been up to. In that respect it's been a spectacularly average week, but man, am I dragging! I can't stop yawning and I just want to stay in bed ALL day. Is this normal?? Don't know, but it sure feels weird because I'm not normally like this.

At least it's Thursday, right? Just two days until the weekend (I have to get through today first!). And then, I hope to relax a bit and do some snowboarding too. Should be good. Let's hope it's relaxing. I need it!

Yusuke. I LOVE this kid! He's coming home with me in August, I swear. How could you not love him??  

Makiko!! What a ham!?! A cutie nonetheless... she once told me that English was easy... and then told me how to say "apple." Gotta love that. ;-) 

The 6th year toughs... they crack me up! 

Two first years... also... cutie-pa-tooties!! 

My 2nd grade boys!! How sweet are they??  

Miho and I... she's one tall 12 year old! 

Here's one of my 6th year classes... it was my last day teaching them (as elementary school kids anyway...)!! :-( Sad, next time I see them, they'll be in uniform! 

I've given some of the kids in this class nicknames... the kid on the left - he's Ichiro! :-) 

GONE!!!

Yup... after a really LONG time... the cat has left me. boo-hoo.... Hahaha... I did something smart... maybe... I let it starve (or get to the VERY hungry stage), then when I went away for the weekend I left my garage door open just a tiny bit. And now?? I don't have a cat living in my garage. Now, it may not be the work of a master... but the cat's gone! :-D

The saga's over...

BEST WEEKEND EVER!!!

You think I've said this before... you think that really, it has to be a severe exaggeration. NOPE! This is completely true and completely un-exaggerated. I've just had the best weekend ever. Now for the details...

Friday, I had to go down early to take the GRE. Now, you're probably thinking... that sounds like a great start to a weekend... but you know what? I rocked that test! Increased my score on both verbal and math... so I was dancing as I walked out of the test center. :-)

That night, Lauren, Kirsty and I met up with my roommate from Tokyo orientation when I first came to Japan on JET. It was really good! She's a great girl and she's just gotten engaged to her Japanese boyfriend... which is so cool since they're such a good couple! We went to a nice place that was kind of izakaya and kind of a yaki-tori-ya all rolled into one. And being starving (I hadn't had anything to eat since 11.30 that morning and the girls were also starved from their train rides), we ordered a LOT of food! And what more do you want than a nice, big dessert course after you've had a huge dinner!?! Well, we did... especially since there was a TGI Friday's (they have awesome cocktails afterall...) on the 2nd floor of the same building. So, we headed there for drinks and dessert, I treated myself to a HUGE mudslide and dessert because of my GRE success!!

Just before we left, we started Lauren's birthday off right... we had the wait-staff sing happy birthday and embarrass her!! Heehee... they took a picture and everything. It was really funny!! And a great start to what would be the best Saturday on record!

Saturday morning we got to an early start and headed for Starbucks and Ueno park. (The Starbucks wa in Ueno station... perfect!) We went to the Tokyo National Museum and the Metropolitan Art Gallery. The special exhibit at the National museum was The Dancing Satyr... which will be on exhibition in Aichi-ken for the World Expo starting in March. Then we moved on to the other exhibits in the museum... there were some beautiful kimono on display as well as authentic samurai armor... some really exquisite painted screens... and loads of amazing china as well. After that we moved on to the Met... where there was a Mucha special exhibit. I didn't think I'd seen any of his stuff... but I have. It's very art nouveau, but really nice. The only problem was the number of people and an overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia that I was feeling at the time.

Then it was time for the main event: KABUKI!!! It's funny... in Japan there are many things you hear about that are really amazing. But when you go to the particular festival, have the particular dish, etc... you are disappointed. The only thing that has definitely NOT been true for was the Sapporo Snow Festival I went to last year. And now, kabuki. There's no good way to describe kabuki. It's a traditional form of theater that developed during the Edo period. It's highly stylized theater where the actors are all men, the costumes are all elaborate and the stories are all well-known. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Even if I hadn't known what was going on (we got the English headsets), the colors and acting would have been enough. All I can say, is if you ever get to come to Japan... go to kabuki. It's worth every penny!

After we stopped gushing about kabuki (which took over an hour... ;-), we headed out for dinner and karaoke. Where we ate cheaply priced food, had some cheapish drinks, and sang to our heart's content! It was GREAT!! After that, we headed to Shibuya... in search of clubs and dancing. First we looked for a club that came recommended by a friend... and we couldn't find it. Then we tried to find the old stand-by, Bar Isn't it?, with no luck there. We were starting to get really cold... when we happened on a club... passed it a few times (passed the guy trying to lure us in as well) and finally decided the music that we could hear was acceptable to our ears. And if all else failed (and it sucked) we could go somewhere else. But luckily, it didn't suck. Far from it actually... it was AWESOME! The DJs were good (though I could have done without the techno entirely!) and the club was hopping. Cool Japanese people (some could actually dance...) and cool foreigners as well. It was a great night... ;-) So great in fact that we didn't leave until around 4.30... and didn't get to sleep until 5.30. Eeeeek!! But man, it was worth it.

Sunday... we slept, showered and were out on the streets before lunch. We stashed our stuff in lockers at the station we'd have to leave from that night, and headed out. We took a few pictures of the Imperial Palace grounds... then headed for coffee (by this time we'd already run across a closed Starbucks and a Dean & Deluca that wouldn't serve us unless we bought lunch!!) at Starbucks (Lauren badly needed her caffeine fix!) and then on to shopping in Shibuya. :-) And by the end... we'd found a great bookshop, good sports stores (was in need of some sports clothing... bought a cute running hat and some other essentials), and eventually ended up in purikura. ;-) Yay!!

So that was the weekend... I'm completely wrecked, but it was worth every second and every penny!

WISH ME LUCK!!!

Well, today's the day... I take the GRE today starting at 2. Whee... I didn't really get to study last night with packing and sorting all the stuff I needed out. I figure cramming isn't necessarily a good use of my time. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself... because I can't go back now. :-)

Heading out on the 7am train to Tokyo. I'll let you know how it goes....

Hokey Pokey time!!

That describes yesterday for me! At a loss for what I wanted to do in class on Tuesday, I had a brainstorm that I should teach parts of the body... since all the kids already know Head-Shoulders... I really wanted to do a new song. And thus, I chose the Hokey Pokey!

Like all good teachers... I waited until the last minute to download and burn a copy of the hokey pokey off the internet... (wait, real teachers plan ahead you say!?) etc.

I had 2 third year classes to teach. The first class... was genki enough. They were pretty good fun, but a bit shy. I was a little worried about the second class... silly me!

I wish I had pictures... the second class was great! They were superstar Hokey-pokey-ers by the end!! Man, I wish I'd had a camera... so wish I'd had a camera!! Maybe I'll do an encore with them tomorrow... just so I can get pictures.

After lunch I then played with the 1st graders... only problem?? The little girls all wanted to touch me (hold my hand, yank on the back of my sweatshirt, etc) and all I wanted to do was say "stop it!!" Finally I found one of my fave kids and ran around hiding behind him (he's only a few inches smaller than me)... the girls thought I was joking. Shhhh... don't tell.... they were driving me batty!!

Have a great day!!

Weekend Update and the Daily Show...

This weekend was a really good one... as 3-day weekends tend to be. :-) It was a nice girlie affair... had coffee, lunch, shopping and movies on Friday. The weather was too scary for boarding (really windy!). Saturday, weather be damned, Kirsty, Lauren and I were going boarding...

Saturday ended up being nicer than Friday. We put in a good few hours or boarding... it was great. I'm finally getting it! After threatening to quit altogether, Lauren's infinite patience won the day... and I ended up having a pretty good day. Had some really evil falls, but all in all I will conquer this front edge! I will.

Sunday... it was time for some serious exercise. SO... Lauren and I had lunch... and then hit the pool for a nice long swim. I love this swimming business... it's really fun to FINALLY know what I'm doing. Well, almost know what I'm doing. Being knackered I came home and zonked out in no time last night.

Today... Valentine's day!!

I hate this holiday, but you know what?? The kids were all so preoccupied with tests (they start tomorrow...) that no one even really mentioned the fact that it was V-day. Since I HATE this holiday... it was perfect for me.

I taught 4th years today. The first class... I could have smacked them ALL!!! Oh man... and I don't think I've felt quite that frustrated with Japanese kids before. I was really skeptical going in to the second class... they saved the day. They managed to really give the whole lesson a go... no pouting or sitting around not really doing anything. They were all into it!! Man, I love it when classes make my day. I really do!

Then I popped my head into the 1st years... more of my faves... Good day all around!

Went for a run... ended up biking... heading to the chiro tomorrow for the ol' knee. I've gotta get training for road races in the spring. :-)

There's the update... :-)

It's FRIDAY!

Well, not really, but it is our "Friday" in Japan. Tomorrow is Foundation Day (I think that has something to do with the Constitution here... but ya never know!?!) and therefore everyone gets a day off. SINCE it's snowing like mad all of a sudden skiing or boarding might be on the agenda for tomorrow. Although, a nice onsen and a book might also be equally as tempting. Oh, the choices!? ;-)

Today I'm going to teach 5th years. Now, I've not ever taught these kids before... but last week after having lunch with the 6th years I was stopped by a group of these kids. One decided that I should call him mayonnaise and another told me I should call her ketchup. Needless to say... I'm looking forward to class today!!

Hope your day is going as well as mine! :-D

A Really Great Day...

Today I was at Tachi-chu. I generally like the school, but recently the principal (kocho-sensei) has been making my life a bit difficult... despite that I had a great day!

I had one 2nd year class... basically we played games the whole time. The teacher's not got any command of his class... and so whenever I come we play games. Funny thing... the kids listen to me better than they do the teacher... the only use they have for him is as a translator. Anyway... we just got to playing games and having an overall great time... making teams is the best idea ever. Some of the games we'd tried before... without much luck... but as soon as we assigned points... we had their attention!!

After that major success, I headed over to teach elementary school... 3rd years. Oh man!! These kids are SUCH good fun. Both classes are wicked and they're super genki about English. The best was AFTER lunch... we played cops and robbers!! I haven't nearly made myself sick during recess since I was in Elementary school. But today... yup, I had a stomach cramp that was KILLING me by the time the bell rang. Heehee... gotta love that. I'll be playing again tomorrow as well... :-) I love the chiddlies!

The fun doesn't end... I went to the gym. Had a nice little run... did some speed work, just a little to try out the knee (which is good, until I'm trying to sit seiza... then it kills!!). As I was finishing up... one of my kids realized I was in there (he sprained his ankle so had to bike)... we had a chat about training and why he wasn't with everyone else. Then went on our way. Well, this kid (Toshiki) is quite a good student... and he came over afterwards and started asking about music and stuff. (He noticed I had my MD player...) It was so out of the blue... while he's a great student, he's also really shy. I was SO chuffed!!

So, even though today was really normal... it was really nice. I like Japan a lot... again. I think this love-hate thing with Japan goes in cycles... today's a love day!!

Ohisashiburi!!!

Or... long time no see...

Yeah, so since I had a bit of a computer problem last week (on top of the cat problem!!!)... I'm just now getting to update my blog. Heehee... gomen ne...

Well, last week was pretty good. I still really HATE (which is maybe strong, but I REALLY don't like...) the principal (kocho-sensei) at one of my school's. He's decided to be an absolute arse-hole as far as I'm concerned. Basically, he's old school... everything is really traditional and Japanese. And therefore, I have to do my best impression of being a Japanese teacher... which I don't appreciate because I'm NOT!!!! He's new this year and is basically a pain in my bum. 'Nuf said.

The cat. Is still here. I've decided that getting rid of the cat is a two person job. Why?? Because this silly bugger has decided to hide in the ceiling storage space in my garage. And THAT means I can't really see him/her/it to get rid of the bugger. Grrrrr... anyone want to volunteer for cat removal duty?? I'd REALLY appreciate it! :-D

Anyway... the end of the week consisted of a great Friday afternoon skiing with little kids at my friend Kirsty's elementary school... and onsening (hot springs) yesterday (the weather was SO crap!)... swimming this afternoon and the dinner at Hayashi-sensei's. Yummy tempura, shumai (chinese meat dumpling thingys), and rice. Yum!!! So... now I'm going to study some GRE algebra and head to bed.

Have a GREAT week!! :-)

Tales of the TRULY Bizarre!

Now, tell me if you've heard this one already... seriously....

Tonight, I come home. Having fallen in all the snow (separate story entirely) and smashed my knee (ouch!), I decided to check my email and ice my knee. Suddenly the curtain near my computer table moved. Thinking that it was the wind (my house is anything BUT airtight!), I moved aside the curtain... and it was SO not the wind. What it was was a CAT!!! Yup, there was a cat sat on my windowsill. A big grey fluffy one. How did it get there you ask??

Well, two weekends ago Lauren and I went up to our friend Kirsty's. Lauren shifted cars around so that her car could be in the protection of my garage. Not warm, but not snowy either. In that time, the cat must have gotten into the garage... Last week I saw paw prints on the windscreen of my car, but the last time I saw anything like that was last Thursday. So, I figured the cat must have gotten out and is happily at home.

Apparently not...

Now, if I'm telling you the same story you heard from a friend last week... let me know! If not... please tell me, on a scale from 1 to 100... how BIZARRE is this story?? Holy cow!! I didn't know things like this happened - to anyone... EVER!!

Wish me luck, I have NO idea what I'll be doing with this cat... or how to get rid of the thing.

Next blog: the conclusion to this interesting conundrum!! ;-) I hope...

Weekend fun!

This weekend has been SO busy!! But a great weekend all the same.

From Friday night I lived at Lauren's... we had some serious baking to do. :-) This weekend was the shower that we decided to throw for our friend Kim who's due on Feb. 19th. So, we had baby shower stuff to plan. :-)

Friday after kendo, I went to Lauren's and we baked. She'd already been baking for awhile... so I felt a bit bad. We were up until 2, baking and watching movies. End of day.

Saturday, we got up at around 9 to go snowboarding with our good friend Kirsty. WoW!!! We had such a great day. The weather was PERFECT. Lauren was able to begin mastering the use of her front edge, and Kirsty discovered something rather startling: my board was put together backwards. Therefore explaining some of the reason why I haven't had much luck with the whole front edge. Before next weekend I'm going to get that sorted out!!

After finishing that up, Lauren and I returned to baking... we produced some AMAZING cookies and a scrummy cake.

Today... well... today we awoke to horrendous weather. Strong winds, lots of snow. It was just really bad!!! In fact so bad that my car (I hadn't driven it in 2 days) didn't want to start. I eventually got it started (I reckon the gas lines were dry...) and headed home for a massive blitz on my house.

I'm happy to report that our baby shower went fantastic. Kim and Peter got some lovely things for the baby... and we played some fun and silly party games. I was astonished that we had as many people as we did... with the weather like it was. Oh, well... just goes to show that people will come out for friends. :-)

Hope your weekend's been great!!

The beginning of the day... before we decided it was too hot for our hats and fleece!! :-) And before I fell and bruised myself! ;-) 

Break time... I gave in to my stomach... and chose the ever-lovely katsu-don for lunch. Not healthy, but oh-so yummy!!  

Live action!! I look like I know what I'm doing... heehee... what you don't see is 5 seconds later... me on my bum! 

Kirsty and Alisha... we can't resist the peace sign... can't... resist... 

See!?! I can even STAND on a snowboard... ;-) 

FINALLY FRIDAY!!!

So... I finally made it. It's Friday!! I don't know why, but this week has seemed SO long. I'm tired. I need sleep. I need a break. I need a holiday. Heehee... I sound like a big wuss, eh?? Holidays actually ruin real life. You do know that don't you?? Ruin! Because all I can think is... man, I wish I were in New Zealand at Urban Jungle having a mocha bowl, oggling the hot Maori behind the counter, and gorging myself on potato wedges. Argh!! And I'm not...

Have a great day! Hope it's your FRIDAY!!!

Bizarre-ness...

So... today I was really excited to get to teach 1st years in elementary school. I love those kids! They give me loads of energy and are just SO much fun to teach. They seem to catch on to everything REALLY quick.

Today... first class... it was like pulling teeth to even get them to understand which direction to pass the "hot potato" (it's actually an elephant)... let alone getting the stuff we'd practiced right. I just thought... Geesh! If this is how the whole morning's going to go... I want to cash in my chips and go home.

Luck, however was on my side. The second class was brilliant. The kids were all really excited. Listened better. Caught on quicker. Everything went so much smoother. They knew what to say when we were playing hot potato... it was AWESOME!!!! I was still shocked afterwards though. Shocked at the differences between the two classes. I guess you just never know when the class is going to be off... let's hope that's all it was!

Best Purchase EVER!!!

I forgot to put the COOLEST thing I got in Sendai yesterday. I was walking past this socks shop... this was when I was starving and hadn't had any food yet... and something caught my eye. SUPERMAN SOCKS!!! I HAD to get some... because afterall, he's my idol!! I LOVE Superman... now if you're Jason reading this... stop laughing! ;-) I can't help it... maybe it does mean that I'll never find the perfect guy... but I'll always have the man of STEEL!! ;-) Or at least I'll have socks. :-D

Weekends...

This weekend started beautifully on Friday. Lauren and I headed up to our friend Kirsty's. We talked into the wee hours of the morning, catching up about all sorts of holiday goings on and just having a regular catch-up. It was great! Our original intention was to get up the next morning and go boarding. Ummmm... that didn't quite happen, but that's alright.

Then off to Sendai. We went for dinner at a LOVELY Indian restaurant. We've been twice and it's been amazing BOTH times. We will be fathful patrons of this restaurant until we are shipped away in August. Heehee... amazing food. Leaves the lips a tad bit tingly and everything. :-)

Now, the fun really began when we met up with our friend Rafael. We went to nomihodai (all you can drink) for two hours and then went dancing. Now... the drinking got insane right near the end of the two hours... we were interrupted by a Japanese university student... now, this student was particularly special because he had no shirt on AND had been written on by all of his friends. Now, it was quite the spectacle... amusing (especially when you've had a few drinks) and a bit sad. The thing was... this guy was such a sweet kid... and his friends weren't particularly malicious. I talked with him afterwards and he said his English was very bad (every Japanese person I've ever met says that!) and he wanted to practice.

Anyway... then the real fun began. We took our fairly drunk (or in the early stages of drunkenness...) selves to Bar Isn't it? Where Lauren and I were excited to find that the Hip-Hop was still playing... so we jumped right out onto the dance floor! Now things got very interesting (as nights out tend to...) and at the end of the evening we left in a hurry. The night was a success for everyone involved... I think, anyway.

Today was great as well. Instead of being aimless shoppers, Lauren and I decided what we wanted and went about getting it. Basically, we wanted herbal tea (it's COLD here in winter!! you go through it like mad!), a visit to the cute Japanese goods shop, a stop at the Nike store (no sports bras, but a really cool runing jacket that I couldn't justify getting!), and then out to The Mall. The Mall has lots of very nice stores... Lauren and I could have pillaged the NEXT out there. I tried on the most amazing looking pinstripe suit jacket. It was GREAT! But I couldn't afford it at the time... so it hangs away there... all lonely because it really wanted to come home with me. I did get a great sweater and other jacket (casual) for cheap though. Yay for the bargain hunter in me!

We both needed new running shoes, so we headed to the sports store as our last stop. Oh man!!! It was MECCA!!! There were so many different types of shoes... a HUGE selection of road flats... and generally good shoes. The problem was sizing and finding the perfect shoe. SO... I decided to give Mizuno's a try. I found some nice ones that feel nice and light. Wish me luck!! I can't wait to run in them tomorrow. :-)

There was the weekend... terribly exciting I know... ask specific questions... it was an INTERESTING weekend... but I don't feel like posting all the details.... ;-)

Body surfing for beginners...

So... after I finished a long day of teaching at elementary school, I kept good on my promise to visit the kindergarten nextdoor. So, the kids were so excited to see me that within 5 minutes I was being mobbed by 4 and 5 year olds. Which is fine, in fact all of them wanted to hug and talk to me at the same time. Quite a sight actually... the thing that occurred to me first off was "this is a perfect crowd for body surfing." Now that sounds weird, but they were packed in so closely that I wouldn't have touched the ground...

I must say, that if you ever need a pick-me-up (and I'd already had a GREAT day!!)... go to kindergarten (this might only apply if you're in Japan). The kids will make you feel like a movie star. I know I've been spouting the virtues of kids this week... but I'm just constantly amazed at how amazing they are.

Anyway, I have to get my beauty sleep... I'm knackered and I have a seminar to get ready for in the morning. Wheee... wish me luck! ;-)

OUCH!!!

You know those really nice carrier mugs... the ones that you buy from Starbucks?? They're supposed to keep your drink nice and hot while you drink it. I know this. And I also know how hot tea is when it's first poured into one of these mugs. But this morning... I didn't wait long enough before taking a drink of my lovely tea (Mandarin Orange Celestial Seasonings *sigh*)... and I SCORCHED my mouth. Oh, yeah! I thought I was going to have blisters on the back of my throat... yup. It really hurt!! And what's worse... I didn't have anything cold handy to drink right after. I think that Garret had the right idea... just wait until the drink is nearly cold. No scorched tongues then, eh?

What you can learn from the kids...

Today I went to kindergarten. In short, I got to play with 36 four year old children. Now, the fact that these kids have more energy in their pinky finger than I have in my entire body... makes for a long morning (was only there from 9:30-1:00).

You know one thing I noticed though... how easily kids show affection. They're willing to jump up on you and give you a hug when you've walked in the door... they want to talk to you... tickle you...be in contact with you from the moment that you walk through the door. It takes months and sometimes years to form those kind of connections when you're an adult. Where is it written that when you grow up you have to forget all of the great social skills that kids have?

I haven't felt so uplifted in such a long time. Boy, am I glad that I teach junior high, elementary school and even on occasion, kindergarten... I might be wrong, but I don't think the high school ALTs get to have all the fun that I had today. Oh, and if a little kid called Tatsuya goes MIA any time soon... you know where he is! I fell in love with him today... and I think he was at least kind of smitten with me. Or at least I hope he was. ;-)

I'm no good at that...

Now all of you know... I don't take too well to doing things I'm not good at. In fact I avoid all things that I'm bad at... sports in particular. So, things like softball, tennis, volleyball, golf... and even basketball... I generally avoid... like the PLAGUE!

Ladies and gentlemen... I'm proud to announce I played basketball today! Of my own free will (more astonishing still!). Every year at this time of year there's a mini-tournament at the special high school in Tsuruoka. The people playing include kids from the local orphanage, students and alumni... oh, an ALTs as well. I decided to play basketball instead of snowboarding. Which, considering the amount of joy I get from boarding (lots) as compared to the joy I get from basketball (not much), is saying a lot.

I'm pleased to report that I had a pretty good time. I just ran around a lot and caught and passed. Shooting being my main weak-point, I left that to others. However, I was warming-up beforehand (read: pissing about) and I made 6 baskets! Count them 1-2-3-4-5-6!! I NEVER make that many baskets, ever!! Needless to say I was really chuffed with myself. :-)

The rest of the day I cleaned my house and ran. The new Ibex sports gear my parents sent me for Christmas ROCKS!!! I had the shirt and a jacket on... and was perfectly warm on top. The tights are amazing... and I haven't tried out the vest yet, but I'm sure it'a AWESOME!! THANKS MUM AND DAD!!!! :-)

There's a bit of a get together at my house tonight... I think it's going to be fairly low-key... I'd actually rather snuggle up with a cup of tea and a movie, but whatever... I've been really anti-social since coming back from NZ, so tonight should be good...

What to do when you feel particularly stupid...

I think I need help answering that one... I just went through a bunch of arithmetic problems on a GRE prep site. Hmmmm... I thought arithmetic was that stuff we did back in grade school... and once upon a time I was quite good at that. Something has happened between 6th grade and now... I've become a math DUMMY! I feel really stupid when I can't read the problems correctly (yup, I mixed up some of the letters... oh, and even managed to miss that one of the Ys was actually an exponent!). ARGH!! Woe is me... I feel like a big idiot.

And the thing is, I don't see it getting all that much better. In fact, once I move on to the subjects I'm supposed to be good at (reading, writing, words...), I'll be more depressed. I've been in Japan so long that the finely tuned vocabulary that I once possessed (well, finely tuned for an undergrad anyway...) has gone missing. Yes, working in Japan has robbed me of my ability to speak English. You think I'm joking... haha! My Japanese has gotten ever so much better... but my English, wow... that's something to be concerned about. When tired, I have a hard time piecing together coherent sentences... let alone completely analogies for a standardized graduate entrance exam!! Eeeeeek! Anyway... thought I'd have a mini-moan about all that.

In good news... I filled out and submitted my online application for the University of Hawaii... I have to send out a few more requests for random documents... transcripts, etc. I have to read through my writing samples... I've finished my Personal Statement though. My best friend, Melissa (the toughest editor ever), has approved it... so it must be decent enough.

Anyway... I leave you with this rambling blog... hope all's well... I'm going to bed! (Does it mean I'm sad if my bed time's earlier than 10??)

Comedy of errors...

You think I'm joking... the first day back at school was a bit odd... first off, I must have written my schedule down before all the editings were done... I went to the WRONG school this morning. Luckily both schools had testing (how mean is that... first day after break!?!), so I didn't miss much either way. With the conference at school next week, having nothing to do gave me LOADS of time to work out what we should do for out demonstration lesson next Friday. Whee...

And then there's the application process... I got loads done on that today as well. I'm making a checklist tomorrow to make sure I get everything done in time (yeah, maybe that makes me a big GEEK... I DON'T CARE!!). I'm starting to stress a bit... I have no fall-back plan. If this doesn't work out... I have no idea what I'm going to do. BUT I'm going to ACE everything... no worries, right!?

Tomorrow... I'll be going to the RIGHT school... and I'll be teaching up a storm and studying Japanese again. I thought that three weeks off in New Zealand would prepare me to come bacck and kick some butt at Japanese when I came back. So far... the butt-kicking mentality hasn't kicked in yet. BAH!! Help!! Does anyone know any inspirational secrets?? Heehee... I'll get on it, I promise. :-)

Anyway... I'm off to bed... at the very adult hour of 10:30... none of this 9:30 business for awhile... ;-)

I'm BACK!!!

So, I made it back to Japan in one piece... heehee... I think there was little doubt that I would, but whatever. ;-) It's amazing how unprepared I was for all this snow!! There is a TON! Nothing compared to what they have at home... but when I left Japan it hadn't snowed yet. SO... it seems like a ton for me.

I've spent the last day or so just getting myself sorted out... cleaning, laundry, etc. Staying warm has been a big one... man, it's going to be a LONG winter! Oh, well... enough moaning.

I start back at school again today... I'm looking forward to it because the next two weeks will probably find me REALLY busy. My school's hosting a seminar on the 21st... and I get to demonstrate team-teaching and organize the lunch for everyone. Wheeee!! Sounds like a blast, eh? It'll be a nice change to be busy at Ama-chu... as I'm NEVER busy there.

Anyway... will probably have more to say after school... :-)

HELLO!!!!

Greetings from Kiwi-land... I'm reaching the end of my trip... I still love New Zealand. I'll DEFINITELY be back... it's hard to described how much I needed this holiday. The longer I'm here, the more I know that's true.

Sometimes Japan is just too much. Too difficult, too over-the-top, too difficult, too mundane, too exciting, too aggrivating, and the list goes on. The highs and lows in Japan make life exciting, but also make it too much to bear at times. Being here has made me realize just how important the holidays are... getting away and recharging is just as important for getting through life as the work and the play on normal days and normal weekends.

All that may sound REALLY obvious, but sometimes it's one of those GREAT holidays to bring things all into perspective.

As I finish out my last few days here I'll be... eating as much great food as possible, seeing a few films that won't be out in Japan for awhile, and just living in a society that's both my own and not. (Not sure that makes any sense whatsoever...) This vacation has made me see the importance of finding my own place... a place that really feels like home. Yes, I live in Japan... in many ways Japan is my home... but until everything fits together... living, working, loving, laughing... all that fits into my life... it's not quite complete.

So... this is a deep blog for not having written in awhile... hope that's ok. I'll be back to normal perky Alisha in short order... ;-)