Christmas Day - a day for walking around a shopping mall and inpromptu クリスマスデート's

Christmas day was spent giving a quick goodbye to Zara, who ran off to work. Then I wandered over to the little train station and was harassed by some crazy lady who kept saying she didn'T speak english and that she could read dreams. I played dumb, "Oh I don't speak Japanese sorryyyyyyy OKBYE" but she kept following me around the platform... and then as I was eating my morning nikuman (bun with meats), she asked if she could have some. I just gave her the whole thing. Finally two train stops later, she left me alone and I switched trains to a much nicer one headed for Hakata.

In Hakata, I hopped on the bullet train that would take me back to Kyoto Station. The rest is a memory only of napping.

In Kyoto, I wandered around the stupid shopping malls in the station, got some coffee, and played my video games until Lauren and Ian met me in the afternoon. Lauren was off to Kobe to catch an overnight bus to Tokyo so it was a quick hello/goodbye/Merry Christmas. Ian and I then grabbed some sub-par soba and oyakodon at a little restaurant in the shopping center for our CHRISTMAS DATE (クリスマスデート), since that is all that people really do on X-mas. Then we geeked out about Zelda video games and I went to catch my trains back to Miyazu so I could go home.

Yuumi was fabulous enough to keep Kirby an extra day, so I didnt have to worry about going by her house until Wednesday. Unfortunately, I spent most of my evening getting on the wrong trains and having to haul ass back to Fukuchiyama to catch the last train back to Miyazu for the night. Phew. If I had missed that train, I would have most definitely spent the night in the train station. Everyone, after all, is on holiday.

Anyway, I did make it home around 11:30 and called my family in the UK. I ranted about my trip and then fell asleep watching Lord of the Rings. It was a good Christmas.

Cake Party!

I went to my shuji class, where I normally talk to my awesome Honjo JHS kids and paint kanji poorly! But today was the cake party!

I hung out with Kamitsuji-sensei (my calligraphy teacher and the mother of one of my students) and we chatted a bit before my kids came in. It was all the 2nd year boys (Takanori, the Yuukis, Mahiro), then Kaai (my wonder girl at English), Hitomi (a little first year girl) and Toshiki (a disgruntled/awesome 1st year boy).

Then there was CAKE! I only managed 1.5 pieces... but Masaru (a short 1st year boy) showed up from nowhere and ate 8 pieces of cake! I couldn't believe how these tiny kids could pack away sugar! Although I suppose 13 year old boys are the same in every country.

I also had good English conversations with Kaai, who is so fabulous at English. Her English is 10 times better than my Japanese... and she has only been leraning for a year and a half and lives in Japan. Way to show me up Kaai, thanks a lot. Kaai says things like "I like Christina Aguilera, but her hair is look crazy! Britney Spears is crazy too, yes?" Hahahahahah.... oh my yes.

I also found out that Kamutsuji-sensei breasted/raised one of my 3rd years (besides her own daughter). It apparently is quite common for Ine/Honjo mothers to up and leave their kids behind. I don't know where they go, but they certianly don't stay. It's pretty sad.

The day was awesome though. I heart Christmas in Japan.