bored bored bored...

I came to school early today thinking I would do some work before 3rd period class. I did some, and have since been sitting here on the internet. I found out that I don't have 3rd anymore just 4th and 5th. So I wait...!

I have been thinking about my blog lately, it has been getting very tired and boring...I need some inspiration to liven things up a bit I feel. It doesn't help that I do the same as everyone else every weekend, so we all have the same story! Though the various takes on events is amusing!!

So, what have I been up to of late... I had some eikaiwa this week. Seeing as it was ANZAC Day (War Remembrance Day in NZ) on Monday at home, I decided to bake Anzac biscuits, and we read about Anzac Day together. Also there was an article in the Daily Yomiuri about an Aussie chef breaking the world's biggest cookie record, with a 30 metre long Anzac biscuit to coincided with Anzac Day, so we read this too. The last record was set by Christchurch's Cookie Time Factory is 1996, their chocolate chip cookie was 25 metres long. Now, Cookie Time Cookies are the best, they're this big cookie, with big ol' chunks of chocolate in them, and I mean chunks! They are really good frozen, or heated up in the microwave...mmmm!

Anyway I digress, The Anzac biscuits I made, were my first biscuit attempt in Japan, and they were not too bad. My oven is on the downhill slide to oven heaven I think, so the bums were getting burnt, and the tops staying a bit chewy, so in the end I was flipping them half way thru... not quite the conventional biscuit baking process... And of course it was the first time I've ever baked Anzac biscuits for Anzac Day!

Can't wait for Golden Week to get started! Am so looking forward to spending lots of time outside in the sun, hanging out with Abra, having a few drinks occasionally, taking in a bit of culture and generally having a relaxing and nice 10 days off! Its funny that I could easily start counting down til I finish working, but at the same time I don't want to be finished in Japan in 3 months... I think its that start of the new school year feeling of having to meet new students and teachers, and not knowing how the new classes are going to go... Then there is the unknown of what I'll be up to after JET, I have started my plan-making, but nothing too solid. I must do my parachute flower one day...!

Right, I think I have pretty much been kicked off the computer! I've always sat at the computer desk, but it seems that as of April 1st, I am not meant to sit here...

I have 30 mins left before class, so I will talk to myself and you for while... I am at a junior high that i haven't been at since last term. Despite having to get the 7.30 bus, I am having a lovely time. The new 1 nen sei are kids I taught at elementary school, all 18 of them, and one new boy. They are really sweet so thats nice. The 3 nen sei, are also nice. Except for the fact the are 2 guys in the class who know how easy it is to make me smile and/or laugh! I had forgotten this, so I got into class, and this one guy does this look and I crack up! Very professional! Then when I was doing my wee speel about my spring break, he does this super serious look, and again I crack up... I'm going to work on my poker face from now on.

The weekend as everyone has said was drunken and so much fun! Gillian, Paul, Tori, and I had a right ol' trip home from the time we left the karaoke bar. And I do recall how we chatted in the kitchen for a good 30mins after we got home, reconfirming and discussing how the last part of the night had gone! Isn't it great how even though we were all there, we could still have so much to talk about!! Think I am still recovering, cos I am so tired... have even been limiting my Alias and Secret Life watching so I can go to bed early. Must be getting old...!

yay it's the weekend again!

there are a few things I am looking forward to right now... For one, the classes at Omine today were not too bad, heaven forbid! Also, the teacher had to come to Asa for a meeting at 4pm, so offered to give me a ride back, so I'd miss English Club!! Yay, so we raced out of school as soon as class finished and I was home by 4pm!

The weather is nice, admittedly a bit windy, but hopefully tomorrow it'll still be nice for Tori's birthday BBQ. Love a good barbie in the sun, with good people and few drinks!

I am excited about Sunday coming, because for the first time in my Japan history I AM NOT going to miss big rubbish day! When I get back from Guch, I will rid my apaato of every newspaper (and I literally mean every one of them), every box that brought stuff over from NZ, every broken, unwanted piece of homeware that I have stacked up in my genkan since I've been here! No matter how many bike trips it takes, I will not stop until all my big gomi is GONE!!! Oh I really am excited, so nothing better get in my way!

Also exciting is the fact there is only 4 days of school, then 10 days off!! And on Friday Abra is coming!! Yay yay yay, how fun is that going to be! A whole lot let me tell you! Just think, two old mates visiting in only a month! How lucky are we!!?

Ok, I think that's enough ramble, just to confirm, I'll happy it's the weekend!

I feel like a zombie. I purposely went to bed before 11pm last night, cos every night I distract myself from going to bed on my computer. And I knew I had to get up at 6.30ish for my early train to Ube. Anyway, 6.11am the earthquake wakes me up. Now I don't wake easily to anything, so it had to be of decent size! Since I knew I had to get up soon, I decided to turn on the TV and see what the story was. Amazing that within minutes of it happening they already had the maps and images on TV! By 7.05am, couple of aftershocks later, I was getting tired already... skip forward to the train station and no train. So I wait with every highschool student in Asa it seemed. Two lovely girls from Ube High took me under their wing to tell me updates of when trains were coming, and not coming! So nice of them! So to cut a long story shorter, the train finally came around 8.45am, then we got to Ube, only to have to wait more. That train came at about 10.10am, then I got a bus once at Shinkawa, and arrived at school at about 10.50am!! So after being up for over4 and half hours and commuting for over 3hours, but essentially done nothing, I was so so tired! And still am! Also I missed my first class with one of the new teachers! Oops, I am yet to meet her. Have classes soon.

At Gerard's Birthday Beach BBQ at Abu

Dan couldn't get enough of Jo's silky, sleek, straight locks!

Putting a bit of heart and soul into a Will Young song at Gerard's b'day!

Like father...like daughter...!! Enough with the photos Mum!!

Mum and I at Kinkakuji in the Spring break

Dad and I at Miyajima...this was taken after I demanded a reshoot cos my hair looked even worse not tied up!!

Tori, Jo, Meag, Me and Paul!

The girls in Hiroshima with Meagan! Not quite sure what was going on here...!?

St. Pat's Party "Sensible Drinker"s Paul and I...and Osamu being a smartie pants!

fun weekend in da Guch!

I can tell you all that I went to Shuho on Friday night, and eating okonomiyaki at the crazy place, drinking, talking shit, playing cards, etc. The rest you can find out from Jo's blog! Saturday we played cards out in the sun, and then went up to Gerard's for him b'day bbq. Jo also did a jolly good job about writing about this, so please read hers! I barely have anything to add except that it was such a fun time, the weather was perfect, we all got really drunk, Gerard and I rapped "Ain't No Fun" in memory of last year's bbq when Abra, Mary, him and I rapped so well together to it! Dan and I also discovered on Saturday night, that we have dance chemistry! I heard it was beautiful to see how in sych we were, so Rosie is going to be our manager when we get back to NZ, and we'll somehow take the show on the road..! What was quite funny, was we started drinking at about 3pm, and by 8pm we were getting pretty drunk, and by 10pm we were drunk! It was quite amusing!

Anyway, so today I couldn't be bothered to go home when the day was so beautiful. I wanted to be able to enjoy the northern coastline before heading back to scabby no sea Asa! We decided on a beach bbq at the Abu beach. Paul and I went to the supermarket for our 3rd and 4th times in the two days, and ended up making yummy meat patties and chicken kebabs. Rei, Jimmy and Rei's Dad came and met Artenze, Gerard, Paul and I, and we had a lovely ol' time. I cooked the bbq after Paul's bbq lighting mastery was performed (of course I tried to help...but hindered more!). Paul and Jimmy got great laughs out of me cooking the bbq and kept saying "Put another shrimp on the barbie Sheila!" Well that was Paul...I'm not an Aussie!!! We paddled in the water, it was a big chilly but after a while it wasn't so bad. Oh Paul has fully taken to Osamu's magic trick, and I pity the folk in that car on the way home cos he wouldn't stop with the song...!

So after Jimmy and Paul had a quick dip - all of about 2 minutes, we packed up and left. I ended up going to Hagi with Rei and her Pa, then getting a bus to Ogori and train home! Little expensive, but at least I was home at 8.15pm rather than 9.35!

I have decided I haven't put photos on this blog for ages, so I will do so tomorrow. Somethign to look forward to I'm sure..!

Today's classes in two words....

PULLING TEETH!!!

Honest to God, I didn't think the new 1st years at today's high school could be worse than last years...but they are! The class was absolutely terrible...so bad. The only concilation was that they were only 40 minutes long and I had 3 instead of 4 because there was a special assembly. We finished school (or I did) at 2.10pm. But of course the damn train didn't come til 3.42pm! Then shitty little "cool" high school kids from the other high school in town, were pushy and rude! I think I'm getting old... I ended up having a smelly school boy squeeze in beside me, and I continued to think about how ugly and irritating the school boys were, and how silly, catty and pathetic the girls were! I also think this years first years at both schools are uglier than last!!!

I've been in a fine mood since getting home though, but I hate that I will have to ensue this every Friday for the rest of the term... Thankfully, I've been to the bottle store, got a bottle of wine and some bevvies for my weekend! First stop Osamu's tonight for Shuho Squared, and Gerard's tomorrow! I can forget all about stupid students!!

Lost

Today I had a new school. Weird eh, as I near the end of 2 years, I have a new school. Stupid cos I'll probably see the students about 3 times and then I'm done...!? Yesterday I had my first day back at Ube High. It was nice, except I arrived before 1st period in case I had to teach then, meaning I had to get the 736am train, to find that I had no classes. But I couldn't leave cos I had to speak with the English club leader to all the new 1st years. So An-chan and I were the first club to speak, rather embarrassing! So I walk up on the wee stage, and these 320 students are in perfect rows, looking glum as all hell! We got thru it without to much trauma, so that was ok. But then I decided to stay and watch a few clubs do their piece. So the Basketball guys get their turn, and they're pretty cool you know. So out behind the side curtain they start whooping and carrying on in that chanty noise teams do coming on to the field or court sometimes! Then they ran in, went into a hundle and did their big team shout or what not! Really funny! But the 1st years, barely budged! The volleyball girls did a funky wee dance - reaction = nothing! The true teller was when two teams threw candy out in the audience. Really quite funny now, cos the dodged it, let the candy hit them, and then let it lay on the floor scattered around them! My God I hope there were a genki few I missed who were sitting near the back!

After that I had English club with the 2nd and 3rd years. They are all so lovely and nice. It's such a joy to sit around chatting with students that enjoy chatting in English, and make an effort to say whatever is on their mind in English. One funny conversation we had was why the sports teams always seem to have girl Managers? I've wondered this a little... The first answer was "because they have to wash the uniforms"! #2 answer was "They have to make the tea and drinks" and #3 was about how they can find a boyfriend or something of the sort! Anyway made me laugh!

So the title of this blog, has nothing to do with what I've just written. I just finished watching episode 20 of Lost. Such a brilliant show. I have to say it could be one of my favourite dramas. Obviously it's in a different category to The OC, but in many ways it surpasses that. And they are the only two dramas I've really had any exposure to in the last two years (except the 6th season of Dawson's Creek, I've nearly seen all episodes - and I'm not ashamed!!). Once I used to love ER, but I haven't seen that for years now. Before I came to Japan my absolute fav was Aussie drama McLeod's Daughters. It was so cool, but with 2 or 3 seasons missed, I'm totally out of the loop on that one! But this Lost, amazing. It's definitely going to be a keeper! Hope they make more seasons...but the sad thing is, I will go back to NZ soon, and have so many other things to actually fill my time with, I might forget to watch it...!

first day at school over. I tried to explain Easter, and ended up doing charade-like clues of Jesus being nailed to the cross on Good Friday, and coming alive again on Easter Sunday to help the students understand more easily! Plenty of strange looks I tell you! Then the teacher translated everything I'd said anyway!

I did some bingo calling too, so that was nice to get me back into the swing of things too! And I also made a classic first day back faux pas (or however you spell that)... a teacher walked along saying she was teaching English 1st and 3rd grade, and I was being all friendly and polite with "nice to meet you"s and "I'm Selene" etc... Only to have her tell me she already knows me from another school! Nice one! Admittedly I haven't been to that school since my first year, but still oops! I usually recognise a teacher when they've changed schools, it often just takes me a while to remember what school it was I knew them from! But this woman, I swear I don't remember at all!

sleep in...

yay today I got to sleep in cos my first class isn't til 4th period, so I have to get to school by 11.40am, nice eh! And a quick shout out, biking has become such a joy since having my ipod!

Yesterday in the office went surprisingly fast! I was kept busy doing my CELTA test thing. I haven't finished it yet though. There is a lot I don't seem to know about the English language unfortunately! I was writing this mini-essay trying to say that perphaps French people would have fewer difficults learning English than Japanese because of such things as word order... But when I looked up on the trusty internet, I think I may be wrong...I don't know a thing about French you see! So I think I am changing the argument to say German people may have fewer difficulties..!? Anyway hopefully I will get it don't this week and sent away. I also read some of the great book "Paranoia" that Meag left. One of the critics at the front of the book said "last year belonged to Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, this year belongs to Joseph Finder's Paranoia" so I was intrigued. It was really good, exciting, fast-paced. But I think the ending sucked unless I missed something...which I don't think I did... Meag, what did you think?

Right I better go shower and get ready for school. I have to talk about Easter, which I find difficult as Easter is a very complex holiday. How are 2-nen-sei students going to get how Jesus was crucified and then rose from the dead...!? But maybe they will...

I have just had a day of doing absolutely nothing! I woke at 11.30, read some of my book, put a Margerita pizza in the oven and watched a movie. By the end of that it was 2.30pm! I went over to the supermarket to get a few things came back and watched a couple of episodes of "Lost", then at 6.30pm I went down to the Chinese Pizza place to meet Louise for dinner. And that was my day! So incredibly lazy!! I am absolutely loving the 12 episodes of Lost that Paul gave me, I'm already up to episode 10, and Matthew Fox (ex-Party of Five Charlie) is rather hot in it too!

On Friday I did nothing much also, but Jo, Selena, Gillian, Osamu and Tori came for a taco dinner, which was really yummy. We had a few drinks and played some Uno. Very fun, and we confirmed that white wine does make red wine come out of the carpet! Phew! After Tori, Gillian and Selena left, we played some pictionary. Twas very fun! Turns out I'm a good guesser, and really bad drawer under pressure! And also mine and Jo's take on the Civil War is different to Osamu's..! But what would he know about an American war that we don't..!!?

On Saturday the weather was gorgeous, so we decided to go out for a Hanami picnic. Ryuozan Park in Onoda has lots and lots of sakura, and it was so nice seeing so many people out hanami-ing. I LOVE Japanese spring, nothing puts you in a better mood than being able to go out wearing a t-shirt and your jandals, laze around and play in the sun with friends. Especially when you know that in a month or two it's going to be so damn hot and humid!

After a sundae on the way home, and Jo and Osamu went home, I went and got out a couple of movies, and veged for the night! Highly lazy weekend, but so nice before getting back into school this week. Tomorrow I'm in the office, so I'm going to do my CELTA application task (test), so I can get that sent away this week hopefully... I'm actually looking forward to going to the office cos I haven't been there for so very long...but time will tell, I'll probably be bored by 10am!!

home again, alone! Got home this afternoon from Hiroshima. Had a lovely two days there with Mum and Dad. It was nice to be in a city that was familiar to me, and not too too busy. We went to the Peace Park and Muesum on Tuesday. It was beautiful and some sakura was blooming, so lots of people were out in the park playing and picnicking. We went to Molly Malone's for drinks and dinner that night, and as we were leaving the manager asked about us, then introduced us to this Kiwi woman sitting at the bar with her daughter. So we ended up staying another hour or so talking to her, and other gaijin locals who came in!? She was really nice, and her and her husband work for Ford Japan. She said anytime I'm in Hiroshima to call and I can stay! How lovely!

Yesterday we went to Miyajima, another lovely day, although it was overcast the weather was still warm. We wandered around the island and ate lunch, shopped and went to Itsukushima Shrine, unfortunately it is still quite damaged from the typhoon last September. There were photos all around of the shrine during the typhoon, and it got a right ol' battering.

Today we went for brunch before a tearful farewell with Mum and Dad on the Shinkansen platform! Dad was at ease as I had found a route to the hotel out near Kansai that only involved one transfer, and they could use their rail pass for the whole trip! Mum just emailed and said they arrived safe and sound! Wonders never cease!

So, due to a bit of scheming, I have no work tomorrow (well technically my parents are leaving tomorrow...just not from here!). I have decided I am going to have a Spring clean and de-winterfy my apartment. For some reason I am super hot here since I got home, so I will put all my heaters and kotatsu stuff away for the last time..! Right, going to watch dvd with a chu-hai! oyasumi!

The Good and the Bad...

Just got home from farewell sushi and drinks for Jocelyn. It was a nice night chatting and catching up about holidays with the girsl. I can't believe she's leaving us, but she'll be back to visit soon! See ya soon Jocelyn, nights out will not be the same without you!

On other news, Mum, Dad and I are heading to Hiroshima tomorrow for two nights. It's been so nice staying at home. We haven't done much, just taken the chance to chill out, watch dvds, wander around Asa... We went to Shimonoseki for sushi, and today to Yamaguchi for a wander in the sun to the 5-storey pagoda, and shopping. We had a joint party with Louise and her family and Japanese friends on Saturday night, which was fun. It's been nice just to show my parents my home, and let them meet people who are always looking out for me. Oh also today we called into the education office. I don't know if my old supervisor mentioned that I would be bringing them in before he left...cos they all seemed a bit surprised to see us! But it was lovely, they really are a nice bunch of people! So we had tea with the head boss, and I met the new staff. My new supervisor, Furuya-sensei seems really enthusiastic to be my supervisor too, so that's lovely too!

My other exciting news is about my ipod. I LOVE IT!! Osamu once said about his, "It has revolutionised my life." A fairly mighty call I probably thought! But oh my God, it so is AMAZING! It's the coolest little thing that has ever been invented! At this stage I have 624 songs on it, and sometimes I listen to a random wee mix, sometimes I decided I want to listen to a particular album, so I do! I listen to it on the train, in the bus, walking in the street, sitting in the sun...anywhere, anytime! Okay, I'm starting to sound kooky, so I'll stop! But, really it's cool!

I'm home again!

yay, I was so pleased to get home today. Mum, Dad and I arrived in the metropolis that is Asa at about 4pm. We got home, I plugged in my *new* I-pod mini 6GB in blue, to charge and Mum and I went to the supermarket. I decided Dad should stay home, as not to cause too much of a sensation too soon! I have a fear that we are going to be pointed at, stared at, and generally freak out the locals in the next few days! But as it happened Marukyu was pretty quiet, and Mum and I were left to shop in peace!

So the past week has been fun. Fair to say we are a bit templed out, but Nara's offerings were beautiful. We went to Horyuji, some of the oldest temple buildings in the world, and the first in Japan to have World Heritage status. Was a really impressive and beautiful place. Then we went to Todaiji, the big ol' Buddha in Nara Park. Was also very cool, and the park was lovely with all the deer wandering around. We stayed at the family of one of my parent's homestay Japanese student's. It was nice to be guided around in someone's car without having to navigate buses and trains all day.

I was aware in NZ and throughout my life of my Mum's difficulties to pronounce words...not just foreign words either, English is a big challenge also! But this past week has seen my patience stretched as she murders words of every language she is faced with! Ok, at least Japanese and English! It is a bit anal of me to get shitty at her for mispronouncing Japanese when she doesn't know that the syllables are all CV, etc... (so she has been pronouncing Ube, as to rhyme with 'lube'!!), but she adds sounds that aren't even there! Ahhh, fun times! Then there are the random questions about things in whichever city we were in...why am I meant to know, "what that building is", "what that factory is for", etc etc!!?

Anyway, it's all been fun and games, and we have the rest of this week in Asa and 2 nights in Hiroshima before they head off. I'm looking forward to showing them around home too. I've noticed over the past week with just my parents that this is like a warm up for when I'm back in NZ with no JET friends around... and I have to say, I've missed everyone this week! I haven't been online either, so I have missed being able to even just see who is online, who's updated their blog, etc! Is this what my life has come to...so sad!!!

On another note, I had an email when I got home today from my supervisor...him and 6 others have changed job! I can't believe so many have left! And I'm particularly gutted that Mr Usuki the vice-boss has left. Every lunchtime when I'm there he says, "Ret's take runchi!" So full of enthusiasm, that I never have the heart to say, it's "Let's have lunch!" He always says "Good morning" Goodbye, and any other recollection of English he has had since learning it in Junior High! At enkais he gets really drunk, and is hilarious in the games, and karaoke, usually ending up rolling on the floor! It sucks that I never get to be around before they leave (last year I was either away or not invited to go and say bye!). There are only 4 new people at the office, so the office has gone from 16 people to 13 people too. My supervisor has gone to Gillian's school, and Gillian I said in my email to him that you are very nice!

Anyway, enough ramble, got to go hang washing!