Dust in the Wind, the Karaoke Story

Weather Crummy; Disappointed Females Trek to City

This weekend, due to crummy Tango weather and family duties, Natanya, Kate and I decided to take a literal rain check on our hike. Instead, Natanya and I drove down to Kameoka so we could head into Kyoto and play!

The morning started as crummy as the weather. I thought the elementary school next door told me that I could bring my recyclable cardboard (or cardboard boxes I've had since July 2007...) to the school between 7:30 and 10:30. So I showed up around 10 and one of the teachers/caretakers was there and he said, "Haha, they've gone home already." THANKS. So, stuck with cardboard, I said farewell to Kirby and drove South to Kaya. Natanya had plenty of cardboard waste too, so we placed it surreptitiously in the parking lot of a convenience store. Apologies to the 7-11 employees on Rt. 176.

Once in Kameoka, we snagged a free spot at the station and walked over to Laurel's apartment to meet her new friend, Kuma. I never knew rabbits had so much personality! This little boy or girl (we just don't know how to find out) thumped his feet when vexed, nibbled at our socks, and let us cuddle him as only a kind and thoughtful rabbit might. Meanwhile Margaret was wandering around muttering something about boys and dates... but... bunny... d'awwwwwwww.

Continuing on our day of planned fun-things, we took the train into Nijo to do some quickie purikura at the arcade and to see Star Trek with Greg, Ian, and Masahiro. Hooray for student prices and employees who believe that we are foreign exchange students! I don't think I'll be able to get away with that for too much longer... they might start to wonder once I'm 30.

Star Trek was vastly entertaining and the beers we all got helped our viewing pleasure go to where no man has gone before. Or something witty.

After that, people wanted food so we ate some kaiten sushi nearby, but this sadly cut the night short as people had last trains to worry about. So, all but me, Ian and Natanya went on in search of karaoke and more beer. We met up with Lauren, who changed her mind and went home.

Ian, Natanya and I ended up doing karaoke at two locations due to the waiting list at the first place. We are superstars, no lie. Natanya and Ian sang a 35 minute ballad by Bob Dylan while I weighed the options of eating my pastries now, or later. I chose later, and then tried to sing Kate Bush. Oof.

Somehow we ended up at Radio Clash around 2am and chatted, made paper cranes, and I texted everyone I knew that, simply, "I LOVE YOU." This was well received, and it's all true!

Around 3am, we poured ourselves into Ian's apartment and slept until the voices of children woke us up at 8am.

I have no explanation for this, other than it exists and I saw it.

So! Karaoke, sushi, movie, friends, and bunny all add up to one final note: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Driving home was relaxed this afternoon... Natanya and I listened to podcasts and sipped water and watched the scenery turn from sunny to cloudy to drizzly. We were home! When I got back to my apartment complex, I had to wait a bit longer to get inside because three monkeys were playing in front of my doorstep! Blagh! Deftly (and after 15 minutes) I trundled my car slowly up the path, chasing them back into the jungle. As I carried my groceries inside, they glared at me from trees. Eep.

Yuppie Weekend/Sweeny Todd

On Friday, Leigh and I drove in her car down to the city. The roads are icier these days, so the Japanese people have put in hot water sprays that get rid of the ice on the asphalt. Only thing is, some of them reach your windshield and it's fairly terrifying.

I spent Friday night hanging with Megan and Greg watching The Prestige (which was kindly given to me by Desirae and Andy for my birthday) and eating PIZZA (honest to God pizza).

This is Greg. He always has a good time!

Saturday was going out for burgers at an Americana style burger 'joint' with Greg, John and Megan. It was a LOT of fun hanging out with those guys. And adding a burger joint and a dr. pepper to the mix, it felt like I wasn't in Japan.

Not long after, Megan and I put on some dresses and make up so we could look/feel fancy for the opera that Ian had gotten us tickets to! High heels make me walk... poorly. The opera, as it turned out, was a mix of professional singers and community theatre types. It was interesting, and ridiculous. The Japanese people in the crowd took any excuse to clap to the beat of a song, even if there wasn't really a beat at all. And despite the fact that they generally have no rhythm.

As we were all dressed up, we decided to grab some posh food at a restaurant I have forgotten the name of! We ordered lots of delicious dishes and alcohol (for me: espresso drinks as I was battling jet-lag). Twice it was mentioned that we were having a yuppie's night out. Posh food, posh clothes and the fact that we're all way too young to be taking ourselves seriously doing either.

Sunday Megan and I got together with Amy at her apartment downstairs (we were soon joined by Ian and Lauren). Amy fixed us up a 'southern breakfast' with walnut/banana/chocolate chip pancakes, sausages, (Megan made eggs), and tea! It was immensely delicious. We then wandered out to the city of Kyoto to see Sweeny Todd in an actual movie theatre. Japanese movies theatres are very fancy and I was pleased with the over all experience! Movie was good, too!

Then it was a long series of train rides back to Tango. However, fortunately for me, there was no snow to come home to. And there hasn't really been any snow all week!

Recitations and Hos = my weekend

What did I even do this weekend? For starters, I went to Miyazu on Saturday for the Recitation Contest of Junior High School Students. I hopped a bus at 0730 with Tsuji-sensei and the Honjo kids (Kohei and Kaai) and we then swooped down to Ine JHS to pick up Aimi-sensei, Chisato, Takashi, Misa and Ikumi. We arrived at Miyazu High School really early and I hung around my kids trying to make them feel less nervous. I don’t think it worked too well. My kids are used to an environment of very few students. The biggest school in the area is 58 kids, and Honjo is only 32 kids. Being around more people than even populate their schools was rather unnerving for them.

Soon other AETs had arrived as well! Simon, Brynmore, Jannie and Eric, and Liz as well (cheering on our students and probably having little better to do!) We began the contest and all of the students, in my opinion, did really well! There were only two cases of forgotten speeches, and in those cases the students didn’t panic, but they stopped, remembered, and carried on. I have to admit that I was nervous for all of my students! Knowing how hard they had been practicing since early October, I feared that they might make a mistake. However, my kids all did really well! The best I’ve seen them do! They all got great comments from the judges, and Ikumi and Misa took home 2nd place for the first years, and Kaai took home first place for the second year students! I was so proud of them! We talked and ate packed lunches on the way back home from Miyazu. Kaai especially was beaming with her victory (although it was misspelled) and Tsuji-sensei and I recited all of the dialogues on the ride home. We weren’t too shabby!

I spent the rest of the day napping and playing with Kirby. In the evening I joined up with the AETs from the contest as well as Jun, Lyle, Leigh and Nori (Leigh’s friend from Kyoto) at an Izakaya somewhere near Nodagawa (at least after getting lost for forty minutes, I think that’s where it ended up being). Spent the evening picking at the food and enjoying my friends increasing drunkenness! I however, being a driver, stuck to cola. It was good times. I then helped ferry people to a nearby small bar/café where I eventually said goodnight to everyone and left for home. I slept forever as soon as I arrived back at my house.

The mornings are getting colder, which means it’s getting more and more impossible to wake up! Luckily I discovered one more box of winter clothing in my closet! I now am armed with flannel winter pajamas and sweatpants. At least most of my body will stay warm during the winter months.

Other than that, Leigh and Liz came for dinner on Sunday evening. We had some curry that Leigh brought from home, played with Kirby for a little while, and I helped Leigh remember how to knit while Liz played on the internet (as she is lacking it at home due to some bad luck with her laptop). We then watched the majority of The Last Unicorn, which as we all know is a high quality movie… at least a high quality movie circa 1982. Or a poor quality movie from 1982, you decide. They soon went home to sleep and I curled up under my kotatsu, knitted, and watched Hustle and Flow, which is basically a retelling of the Last Unicorn but with more black people, pimps, ho’s, violence, and rap. I mean they both have songs.

Anyway this week’s adventures will be from my team teaching conference in Kyoto, which I am prepared for mentally and physically after weeks of training. Training to sit and be bored out of my SKULL.