cities, music, and watery things

Whew! Was all over the place this weekend. Headed to Nagoya Friday night, had some enkai action with Will and Will's student's. Learned about Japanese gold in the Philippines. Saturday got up and went to Osaka. Being in Osaka is like repeatedly chugging cough syrup cocktails sprinkled with crushed red pepper and fish flakes. It's way different than other cities I've been to in Japan, kinda intimidating, but endearing with many fine smells. Had Chinese food and went into a cool record store. Met Will's friends, went to Deerhoof and Afrirampo. Mostly saw the back of people's heads because the stage was ridiculously low, but enjoyed the show overall. There was loud music and dinner roll tossing, how could it not rule? Spent the night, hit up the Osaka Aquarium on Sunday, which is pretty awesome, took the bus home. It was busy, but a fun one. My new pink shoelaces helped.

by the way

I think it was Steve that asked me about the beer vending machines. Here ya go. This one is right outside the Kurobe station so that when you step off the train and see all the snow you can deal with it immediately.

I love these kids

So maybe the President's Day lesson wasn't the most fun, but leave it up to my third years to spice up my grading. This was our last class together. I'm gonna really miss these kids. I hope Old Honest Abe has a sense of humor.

The weather was so nice out today. I've seen the sun almost every day this week. This whole feeling like getting up to face the day and live thing is pretty exciting. I'm really happy because I'm going to Nagoya and then to Osaka this weekend for some music.

I'm doing a fairly dry lesson on President's Day tomorrow. Trying to find ideas on the Internet isn't too fruitful either. Man, if only we could make log cabins out of pretzels and chocolate frosting. If it can't be interesting, it should at least be delicious.

Side note: As it turns out, when Yankee Doodle put a feather in his hat and called it macaroni, he wasn't talking about noodles. He was referring to a fancy Italian clothing style popular in Britain at the time, and by doing so, proclaiming himself proud to be an idiot because England thought American was full of bumpkins...................good thing that was the past and things are completely different now. Look at the cow!

Okay, okay, I know. Just one more. Saw this in the supermarket.

Festin'

Saturday was JET FEST, an international festival in Namerikawa to celebrate countries that aren't Japan and to show just how great we are. There were lots of booths representing everywhere from Ghana to Russia, a fashion show, a gaijin auction, dancing etc. It was a long day, but I think it went well. The kids seemed to have lots of fun. And I got a free box of Cocoa Krispies. The evening entertainment was at Banana's in Uozu with Rob and Mark as the always popular Bento Boys. Let me just say for the record that the two most boring words in the English language are "designated driver". No worries though, I had a really good time. (How could I not, they played the Humpty Hump.)
Today I made French Toast and then screwed around until 3 when I went to Uozu to buy some paint. Lazy Sundays are the best.

Our America booth successfully overtook an entire huge corner which shouldn't surprise anyone.

Whee!

A costume from Yunnan in Southern China. The hat was the best part. It was like a colorful rack of lamb.

Lots of drunk foreigners.

Gettin' down at Bananas. Amy had on the cutest shirt I have ever seen.

Normalcy

After three days of medicine, lying in bed and the Godfather Trilogy, I am back to normal life. My first day back at work was okay-nothing too crazy. The three students of mine who interviewed for the international course at the local High School all got in! I'm really proud of these girls, they worked so hard and they all want to live abroad very badly.
Note: Don't ever eat natto with kindergartners while on medicine that gives a weak stomach. Between the smell and the stringy goo I almost gagged.
Tomorrow's Saturday already? Man, I could deal with some more of these two day work weeks! I've been painting a bit recently, maybe I'll post some pictures. I am currently compiling pictures of famous Americans and making Stovetop for tomorrow's international festival. Nothing says internationalization like those sexy Wright Brothers and rehydrated bread crumbs.

The good, the bad and I'm ugly with the flu

It's official. I won't be in Kurobe next year, I signed the papers Friday. It was tough, every one was sad and like "Oh, what a shame-we were sure you were going to stay!" If there's one thing I hate it's letting people down. I've still got another 6 months though, and I intend to make the most of it.
This weekend provided a snowy bundle of winter fun in Unazuki with Will. We headed up Saturday and stayed at a nice hotel where you wear Japanese robes all day, take lots of baths and they wait on you hand and foot. Ate a bunch, met cool people, hung out and had a great time. There was some neat winter stuff going on around the town, so we caught that also.

Waitin for the train. Will trying to politely comprehend the old man Toyama-ben.

View from the room.

The room.

The room below ours had a garden.

First part of dinner. They brought enough food to feed about 4 Americans or 11 Japanese people.

This is what happens when you eat too much blowfish.

Fireworks!

Ice lanterns.

Breakfast was also delicious and it didn't even have Cap'n Crunch or BooBerry!


Started feeling a little sick over the course of the weekend, but tried to ignore it. Sadly sent Will off into the snow on Sunday evening, and went about my way planning a wicked Valentine's Day lesson for the kiddies. By Monday morning it was as if sulfur was raining in my brains. I called in sick to work-for the first time in my life-and headed to the doctor. I got the flu, so I'm at home watching movies and feeling generally gross. Things are bad-send candy.

Right after the barrage of embarrassing questions and right before the snot test.

Saw a great shamisen concert last night. These two guys, the Yoshida Brothers, played at the local international center. It was pretty awesome, save a Mannheim Steamroller epic rock breakdown near the end which was about as lame as eating finger sandwiches with Julian Schnabel on the set of Basquiat.
It's been a good week overall, had a great day at school today and I'm looking forward to a visit from Sir Will of Greene tomorrow night. C'mon weekend!

This is a shamisen. It has three strings and is played with what looks like an ice scraper.

Not the best photo-but you get the general idea.

I can't get enough of these milk pictures. I think there was a contest to see who could get their picture on the milk carton and these were the runners up. My favorite is the second one.

On my milk

Is "ironic" the word to use for cows themselves being on the sides of milk cartons?

From bored to board

Went snowboarding again today, improved a bit and had a lot of fun-missed out yesterday due to bad roads. The weather here has been horrible, so embracing it is the only way to salvage any semblance of sanity. Took one nasty cartoonish spill, but otherwise did okay! Yoshida Brothers concert on Wednesday!

Lifty lift lift.

This is me right after I nailed my head big time. I called it a day shortly thereafter and ate an onigiri while getting stared at by an entire restaurant full of people.

Unarobe or Kurozuki? Throw beans at them and decide.

Had an enkai last night, ate a lot talked about Kurobe merging with our neighboring town Unazuki and the new English conversation classes next year. The highlight was demonstrating a game for the amusement of the attendees. Way to go foreigners!

This was close to the end. Enkais are great because literally within minutes of cracking open beers and sake, people are absolutely loaded standing way too close to you and saying funny things.
e.g. "What's that in your nose? An earring?" Yeah, and it's been there the last 175 times I talked to ya.

This morning, after drawing flowers for two hours at yochien, I was asked to come to the gym and sit with the kids. The principal came in with a pot of cooked beans and told a story involving ogres. Then the teachers came in dressed as said monsters and acted out a scenario. Then we threw beans out the window and at each other. Then we had to eat a bean for every year we'd been alive.

As it turns out, it's Setsubun-the beginning of Spring on the Japanese lunar calendar. Throwing the soy beans (fukumame) is supposed to keep away evil spirits. Okay! Leave it up to the kids to make it adorable.

Demon Teacher.

Bean toss.

Toss em, kiddies.

This cutie pie already tossed all her beans.