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!