I'm at Ube High, and don't really have anything to blog about, but I've finished so thought I should fill some time! I had 2nd period, and even though the teacher wanted to do grammar revision for the exams starting on Monday, I went to the class. It was my last class with them since I only go to 1 nen-sei classes at Ube. I am meant to have a class in 4th period, but the teacher came and said not to come because he need to do grammar. I'm sure I could have been of some help...?

The teacher I teach with in the 2 period class is really lovely. And I think she truly appreciates me coming to her classes. She always says after that the students like me coming, and points out something one of the students has said. Today, she said that when she told the students it was my last lesson with them, a boy who was talking, stopped talking and looked shocked! Its nice to be appreciated. I've become so comfortable and feel so welcome at this school it does make me sad to be leaving. Especially since from August the JET will be based here. I also hate that in April you have to endure that 'first time with the students' feeling again, as you begin new classes, and stop classes that you had enjoyed...

Anyway, I'm rambling, I might think about leaving seeing as I'm not wanted here...!

winter wonderland again...

I woke up this morning and it was cold, and I looked outside to see a good 8cm or so of snow everywhere! Talk about surprised! I knew there was snow expected this weekend, but I thought it was falling and finishing on Sunday. But no, it's still falling outside now. Luckily I was not one of the foolish ones who actually thought winter was on the way out. I knew the fine semi-warm days last week were not to be believed as spring coming just yet...!

So, I am a little tired today after a busy wee weekend. On Friday I went to Shimonoseki to meet with the girls down there, and Sarah, Bren and Christine for pizza. Twas a lovely time. I got home and all I could think about was trying to find an alternative for getting up at 6.15 to get a 7.15am train to Ube, for the UNESCO speech comp, where I would arrive at 7.55, over an hour early..! So finally I was in bed and it dawned on me to check the bus timetable. So I had to get up again and check online. Finally at 2am I could sleep easily knowing I had an extra 30 mins sleep - which I didn't really, since I'd stayed up longer in the end... yeah anyway..!

So Jess and I were the ALT judges at the JHS and HS speech comp. I was quite happy to be invited to judge at this one, as it has a good reputation for good pay and good obento! We were not disappointed! Especially since it finished an hour earlier cos of less participants! But in all honesty, it's a big day. Listening to 34 recitations, and 10 speeches. This comp's favs were "Mother Theresa" and "Echo". Again some of the students I coached were in it, and the "..Little white rabbit...little black rabbit.." girl did really well. I was so nervous for her! Unfortunately if I'd just given her an extra mark she could have got a top 10 certificate..!! It's a big job though eh, very mentally exhausting..!

After that, I got back to Asa and then Jo, Louise and I went to stay in Shuho for the night! Very exciting stuff, esp since it was the first time back since Meag left! The Yamayaki (mountain burning) at Akiyoshidai was meant to be on, but it was postponed and we decided to go anyway, get drunk, and visit the caves. We did both. When we got to Shuho we went an Okoknomiyaki place Osamu wanted to try...scariest okonomiyaki experience I've ever had!! The woman sort of threw everything on the hot plate, then slapped a cow (or pig in Louise's case) on each one, cracked an egg on each and let them cook. When she flipped mine, it was burnt, so she scrapped off the bottom, and applied some more cabbage stuff and tried again!? To finish off she threw a big ol' handful of spring onion on (even Jo managed a few despite saying no!), and she slopped a whole lotta sauce on for us! Very interesting...but ended up being rather yummy!

Back at Osamu's we drank, played cards, listened to music, and yeah got drunk until about 4am! Don't know how it got so late (or early..) but in the morning Selene was not a happy camper..! But I survived and through by the time we went to the caves. They were pretty good. Big, being the biggest in Asia of course they were bigger than the Vietnam ones. But I have to say the Vietnam ones were more beautiful. I don't now it was cos they were lit better, so it kind of glowed or what it was... All the same though, I've finally seen them, and it is pretty amazing that something like that can be created by nature.

After the caves we went to Yamaguchi City for a spot of shopping and wandering around, we ate some lunch/dinner and then us girls got the train home. It was a big day, and when we woke up in Ogori to change trains, we were the only ones left on it, and a station worker was getting on to clean or whatever! Oops! So yeah, good times. This week is going to be busy, and every weekend til Spring is busy too...then the visitors are coming..!! Yay!!

uh-oh...

In September 2003, not long after I arrived in Japan, I met the office lady at one of my elementary schools. She's lovely, with children about the same age as my bros and me, and into eikaiwa. So that month we went out for lunch in Ube, with a friend of her's. The friend was much younger, I think in her 20's, and friendly, chirpy thing. After lunch we all exchanged details as you do in Japan! I have continued to see the OL obviously at school, and we have met a few times also.

So...skip forward to January 2005, I get a phone call one night when Louise was here. It is this quiet woman, and turns out to be the OL's friend from 2003!? Very strange, as she says that she just wanted to say 'hi', etc. While giving weird, "what the f*&k?" looks to Louise, I asked her the typical, "how have you been?" She went on to say that she wasn't so good, as she had not been well, and not worked for months now, etc. She definitely didn't sound like the woman I first met. So after a bit of very awkward chat, I excused myself.

Now, skip forward to Thursday night, last week, 11.15pm...the phone rings, and it is her!? Now I grew up learning that you shouldn't call someone after 9-10pm, and if my friends tried to call me after that time, Mum wouldn't happy! I wasn't in bed (though I did tell the woman that I had been in bed watching TV!), but still 11.15pm!!? I asked how she was, and she said, "I am a little depressed." What do you say to that!!? So, I said, "oh, that's not good, why is that?" But she couldn't explain it in English (her English is not great). She went to say that she just wanted to hear my voice. I thanked her for that, and we continued a stilted conversation. It is really difficult (for me at least), to make conversation with a Japanese person I barely know, who isn'r happy, and hasn't been doing anything lately, nor do they have plans in the future.... That sounds rather harsh, but I am fully mystified by the whole situation!

Anyway, just wanted to share my story. I think I will hear from her again, as she wants to chat. Maybe it will even make her happier...

Three Day Weekend yay!!

Friday was Foundation Day, I don't actually know the particulars of it, but a extra days holiday is just fine! I was a little concerned that a Friday holiday wouldn't make the weekend seem much longer, but I was mistaken and it's just kept going..!

On Friday, the big event was a party at Tiki-ta in Tokuyama. I love Tiki-ta parties, and I always seem to get really drunk and feel like absolute shit the next day. This time was no different, except I didn't feel so arsy the next day! On Friday, Osamu and I headed off on the train, and met Jimmy at his place. After some dinner, and a few drinks, all in the party mood, we headed to Tiki-ta. It was a fun ol' night, lots of people - JETs, Japanese and even quite a few non-JET gaijin! Bag bar, and top ups of Vodka and this great shit that is like Red Bull that Paul has come by in one particular vending machine, were all flowing!

At about 3.30am the party was over, and Paul - the non-singing Karaoke attender, was trying to get everyone to go to karaoke, of course I was in, but after much hanging around, the plan was aborted and it was home to 7-11 and Jimmy's. After some tom-foolery, it ended up that Jenny and I were sharing 1 1/2 futons in Jimmy's room (not enough room for them fully!), then it became Jenny, Osamu and I, and eventually it became Jenny, Osamu, Jimmy, Rei and I...? I guess we went to sleep (I think), but some time later Rei decided to get back on the bed, with Jimmy well passed out, I decided to join her. So Rei, who decided she can't sleep after 2am, starts talking...the more she yarns, the more I'm awake. Hence it got to 7am and we were still chatting. Then we went to sleep. At 10.30 I was waken to Rei trying to find her contacts!!? Damn that girl. So we were awake again and trying to work out if Jenny had left, or if she was somehow buried in the blankets between the guys..! It was discovered though that she had left.

Eventually we were all awake, and Rei, Jimmy, Osamu, Neal, Sarah, Bren and Christine and I met Amy and Ann for sushi. After 2 and 1/2 hours there, Osamu and I decided to head for home. So so tired! Tomoko came and met us for dinner, then Osamu went home, we rented a chick flick, which I kept falling asleep through! Then I think I was asleep by 11.30pm! Lame excuse for a Saturday night! But thank God that was only Saturday night, and I have a whole day (well a third of a day) and night before school tomorrow! Yay!

I failed...

Yip, I got the Proficiency test results in the paper yesterday, and it wasn't good! I have not had even a sense of disappointment, because I knew that I would fail. Well, actually my listening section results were worse than I expected, but other than that it was no surprise, sadly! There were three sections, and of them I got over 50% in two (you needed 60% to pass the exam). I even got over 60% in one of the sections - just! But the bad section was very bad, hence I failed...miserably.

But not to worry, I'm upbeat, moving on, thinking forward to the next one! I'm going to find a class or tutor when I get back to NZ and do it again in December this year. Over the years I have come to realise that I am not a linguist, in the sense that I learn languages easily. God, if I was I'd be so bloody pera-pera at Japanese, especially after studying for the amount of years I have! However, I enjoy it, so I get by with what I know. I'm know I have picked up more since living in Japan. I know I could do so much more to better my Japanese, so maybe I will. Nothing like a failed exam result to motivate you! Just like the pending exam motivated my last year...even if it was about 6 weeks before test time, and the motivation went steadily downhill..! It is my New Years Resolution to actively improve my Japanese. Being only the start of February, it practically is still the New Year, so it counts. I'm not sure when I will actively start, but definitely soon-ish!

Quiet Weekend

On Friday night Louise, Osamu and I went to Shimonoseki to meet the Shimo Crew for bowling. I played like arse, and surprisingly Louise played good!! But in the 3rd and final game, I came thru and had my best game, getting 119! Very exciting!

On Saturday I did house cleaning all day, well at least from when I finally got up! Tomoko, Heather and Louise came over for tea later and I made quiche. It was so yummy, in fact I think it might be my new dinner party contribution! Louise and I watched "Taking Lives" with Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke before bed. It was an awesome psychological suspense thriller...very captivating, and made me scream!

So today, we got up at about 12.30, made some breakfast and then lay around again watching "Calendar Girls" - a lovely movie - until we finally decided we really had to get up and go something! So I took Louise for a walk through the wee park thing behind my house, where there is a shrine at the top of the hill, and a lake. On the way home we decided to stop at the cake shop we've never been to. Now I've never known how to describe Asa to people, but the Asa Shiken Gashi Cake Shop have said it all, and it's printed on all their boxes! Let me share it with you:

You get off at the station, standing in the warm sunlight. It is full of friendly smiles and lush greenery. The wind born in the heart-warming mountains travels the fields, along the crystal clear river, slips through the town, and to the brilliant sea. The beauty of nature is glorious. And the harmony between nature and the lives of the people is comfortable. This is Asa. We love this land, and want to live with it. These are our thoughts and feelings as we continue to make our fine cakes.

Isn't that beautiful! Exactly how I feel, and I'm sure anyone who has been to Asa feels the same, right!? I also bet it makes everyone who hasn't been to Asa and spent time here, want to come on down, eh! Well, you are all quite welcome. Please come and feel the comfortable harmony that is ASA!!

I scare myself...

I just went to the supermarket in my fleece pants. I fear I am one step away from buying a housewife apron and going to the supermarket in that...too scary to imagine!

Snow and Ice...

So the snow has come. Really freakin' cold too! Though I don't think there has been as much snow as there was last year when it snowed.

This morning I didn't want to bike, cos I am scared I will slip on ice, so I walked. I skid a little when I walk anyway, but at least I know the fall won't be as shocking as on my bike! Anyway, I decided to wear my sturdier shoes. They are CAT shoes. I have only worn them on one other 4 day occasion when I went to Tokyo last New Years. They killed my feet with blisters within the first few hours!! I thought that they'd be fine, but no, they once again killed my feet! So the walk to the station ended up being bad, and then walk from the bus stop in Ube to my school, was near agony! It took about 1 and a half hours to get to school this morning, since trains were late, and buses caught in heavy traffic.

Thankfully I only had two classes - 2nd and 3rd, so I managed to head home early. That was pretty bad too. Snowing constantly, and my poor feet killing me!! But now I am tucked up in my kotatsu, cosy and am going to vege for the rest of the night!! Yay!! I might watch a DVD.

Am trying to think what to do for the weekend too... Am thinking that staying in is a jam-plan, maybe dinner, drinks, music, movie..? I have been invited to some Noh Drama thing in Ube. I have to decide tonight if I am going. The thing is, it is on Saturday night, which in theory is fine cos I don't have plans. But I went with the same woman last year to a drama thing that ended up being excruciatingly boring, and we were packed into a wee hall (if you can call it that), sitting on the floor for nearly 2 hours!! Not one of my finest experiences of J-culture! Hmm, I shall have to give it all some thought...