Ignorance is Bliss

Here's some pictures from this weekend

Tshirt:

Poker with clown cards:

Whhhattt? A stack of baskets in the middle of the isle??? Only in Japan

Waido Half-Marathon

Half-Marathon (about 13.1 miles)

01/17/2010

Wish me luck, that's all I can say.

I'm doing it for the FREE (or 3000yen entry-fee) T-shirt :)

AND to and say that I walk-jog-ran a half-marathon

In a nutshell

Here's what you've missed:

1) Midyear Conference in Okinawa Shitty

2) First time at Tarama Elementary

3) Bday dinner thing on 11/22

1) Midyear Conference in Okinawa Shitty

---t'was crap and a waste of time, but a good waste of time because I didn't have to go to Kita JHS for a whole two and a half days.

2) First time at Tarama Elementary

--t'was fun and tiring. Elementary kids are too cute and too genki. If I hear "SAMANSA SENSEI!" in that high pitched voices of theirs one more time. . . . nah they're cool.

3) Megan's Bday dinner thing on 11/22

--happy 28th or 29th or something birthday. jeez almost 30!

Box from Helene

Today I got to talk to some good pals from home!

while I was chatting with Edwin, DINGDONG! doorbell rings.

it was a strange man. A strange man with a box in his hand.

it was a box from HELENE!! Thanks Heleeeeen!

She sent me some pictures too, and I posted some of them on my wall

What a good night :)

Tomorrow I leave school right after lunch to head for the airport... Going to OKINAWA CITY on mainland Okinawa for Midyear Conference!

I'll be there from tomorrow until Sunday! A nice little get-a-way :D

I get home at about 11am on Sunday, THEN I have ANOTHER plane to catch at 3pm to go to Tarama! I'll be at Tarama Elementary next week... eeeeeeek elementary! We'll see how it goes...

Rick & Amy's Wedding

Congratulations Rick and Amy!

Beautiful day at the beach.

Excellent brunch at Tokyu Resort.

One of those nights

Aloha Friday

I went to an Otsukare thing tonight with the Jimusho office guys.

I don't know where to start.

I got there, they were sober-ish.

Through out the night they got more and more drunk off of beer and awamori (sake).

They started calling me their "daddy" because there were ALL my dad's age or older.

Tonight happened to be the "IT" place to be for all the principle/v.p. because I swear I saw most of Miyako's principle and v.p.'s tonight. They all came into our private room and did an ootori.

One principle guy was so drunk (or mental) (or deaf), he asked me "what are your hobbies?" then literally 3minutes later, he turned to me and asked "what are your hobbies?" Also for "where are you from?" and "Are you an ALT?" Hahah, oh well.

It was overall a fun time, the office guys are so funny. And they try so hard to speak English to me, it's a nice feeling seeing them make the effort. I think they like me because I'm the only girl they see the entire week. Can you say 'sausage fest'?

Tomorrow is Rick and Amy's wedding!

Tanoshimi!

Would you like that bagged?

This week I am at Hisamatsu.

Observation of the day:

These Nihon-jin ladies bag everything. I mean EVERYTHING.

During lunch one of the ladies busted out a plastic baggie and put her hand in it, then grabbed some rice from her plate and tied it up and said she was going to take it home...

okay I guess it's not THAT weird, but just thought of putting leftovers in a BAG and not a plastic or glass container was... different. They even put leftover soup in the baggies. How does it not spill? One of the many secrets of the Japanese ways that will never be revealed...

I guess it's easier to bag things than to put them in hard containers, especially when the baggies are like 100yen for 100.

No School Tuesday

"Culture Day"

Last night was the bachelorette party, so it was really nice not to have to wake up early and teach today.

This random Tuesday holiday could not have come at a better time! Totally needed this break too.

So today I woke up. Felt great, and forgot that it was TRASH DAY!!! the clock said 1030, and I didn't know if the trash guys came yet.. So I got into gear and put my trash bag in the "OFFICIAL" trash bag that we have to BUY (yes we have to BUY special TRASH bags) and ran down to the street... There were no other trash bags in sight, but I just threw it on the side of the sidewalk anyway...

I went back up to my apartment feeling super guilty... I knew that the trash guys already came, but at the same time I didn't want that stanky trash sitting in my house.

I decided to go running. IT WAS SO COLD!!!! Felt like early fall in Spokane.... Gloomy and cold winds.

On the way home, I was running on the street before my street, and I saw a row of trash bags!! The garbage men (or women..) haven't picked theirs up yet! So I run home, grab my car keys, grab my trashbag that was still on the sidewalk, roll down my window, and drove to the street with the trash bags... and then I threw my trash on the street with the other trash.

RIGHT as I was doing this, three girls come down the street on their bikes... three of my students from Kita JHS...

The end. That was about the only thing that happened today... tomorrow is another day of...... being happy/energetic/excited looking in front of my kids.

I also witnessed a lady step in dooodooo today.

Amy's Bachelorette Party

Congratulations Amy and Rick!

On 11/7 they will be getting married at the Tokyu Resort. Last night was their bachelor/bachelorette parties. This was my first bachelorette party! woohoo.

Us girls had dinner at Moss Wells, then went to Karaoke. At dinner we also played some cute little games.

Bride-to-be in the middle. Janine made a cute little veil for her.

Chiho! Also engaged!

Singing I think Supercali

Tarama

Tarama is a Miyako Island that I go to twice a semester for one week. This past week I taught at the middle school. Next time, I'll be at the elementary school.

Anyway there's a total of 48 students at Tarma JHS. I can't really compare these students to the other JHS students for some reason... I thought they would be sheltered? Not really.

I stayed at a place called Yume Patio. Pretty nice.

Went riding my bike around the island. Stopped to take a picture of some cows when three dogs start barking at me from inside the gate.... so I sloooowwly start peddling away and the dogs followed me through the gate.. then I see the dogs go away, only to see them going AROUND the gate! The gate wasn't even enclosed! By then I'm having a panic attack and slowly turn my bike around as the dogs are coming closer to me. I debated playing dead, but I remembered that's only for bears.

anyway I probably gained 2kilos from this trip, all they do is eat.

Couldn't have been happier to go "home" to MiyakO!

Halloween!

Playground at the elementary school