oops!

I slept in this morning. My alarm went off at about 7am, and I do recall pressing the snooze button often. Usually I would jump up after a few times of doing this, but I was dreaming. I don't recall what I was doing in my dream that involved needing to turn off a buzzing thing, but I do know why I kept sleeping and dreaming. I was going out, and couldn't decide what to wear! How pathetic is that! Honestly though, I was having such a mare trying to decide what to wear, and nothing was working right..! So I kept trying to find something, and people were saying we had to go... then I must have woke up for some reason, and it was 8.10am. The bus I had to get to school was at 7.49am! So, it wasn't the usual, "SHIT!!!" and running around like mad, then charging out the door, just gettign to the bus or train on time (it's happened 2 or 3 times). I well and truly missed it!

So I called the office, but my supervisor wasn't there yet. I called her keitai, and told her my predicament. She must have just been getting into town, cos she was there in 5 minutes and took me to school! All ended up rather well, cos there is a bitch of a hill to walk up, and in this heat I end up a sweaty mess before I'm even started the day!

It's the Tuesday night special...

Another damn cockroach! This better not be becoming a Tuesday night feature in my apartment cos I can't take it much longer! I Hate Them So Much!! Tonight's gokiburi showed it's ugly head during eikaiwa - nice time for a cockroach to show up!

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The cockroach just showed up again, and I freaked as I do... This one climbs the walls. I tried to hit it with a newspaper but it got away. So now I am doubly paranoid cos I don't know where it went...
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Just as I was about to get back to my story, the little shithead ran by me! I jumped, and thought it had gone again, but I saw it sitting there like a sitting duck (or cockroach if you will). So I grabbed the newspaper I had at my ready, and bashed it. It ran, but I was right on target this time. I bashed, and I bashed it! And killed the little f#%ker!!! Yeah! That's showing it who's boss!!
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The guys were not phased at all, while I was freaking out! I set up more traps, 3 to be exact! I discovered that I have some wee packets of meat and vege smelly things to entice it in, and some wee stickers that are furry so they can get into the trap easier! Such ingenuity! But as I've said, I went for corporal punishment this time!

Honestly I hate Japanese summer. I made pikelets with the eikaiwa-ers tonight. They were rather flat - flatter than they are when made in NZ. I blame the humidity. I whipped the cream for them - and it WOULD NOT thicken! Have you ever known cream to not whip!? I tell you its this damn weather! Bring on NZ winter I say! Right, I'm going to bed as I can now sleep easier knowing this cockroach is toast!

On other news...

I'm boycotting my Post Office. I went in the other day to post a card to NZ. It was square-shaped. The anal postie, sized it up, ee tou-ed and took it out to show the other guy. Then he came back and said it was too small to post. a letter at its minimum has to be 14cm by 9cm! Oh for Christsake! I'd usually be fine about this, except for the fact that I had received the exact same-sized card from Paul for my birthday from Shuto-cho. So I made no hesitation to tell the man this. I was blunt, cold and as abrasive as I can be in Japanese! He said that "actually" Shuto-cho P.O shouldn't have sent it. I just grunted, and stood there with a pissed off face on me while he processed my other thing. Then he had the audacity to write down the correct measurements on a piece of paper for me to take with me!! I tell you I wasn't happy! I'm actually surprised, being so anal, that they didn't send the card from Paul back to Shuto-cho because it was too small!

Anyway, so yes I am boycotting the Asa P.O. I will send my letters by buying stamps from a machine, or from a P.O agent, or I will post things in other towns. The only time I will go into the post office will be to use the ATM, or when sending boxes to NZ. That will show them!

Life update!

Today the postie is coming to take two boxes and a suitcase, and send them off to NZ. With 5 weeks to go, that's about as organised as I get. You wouldn't be able to tell that anything is gone really...my walls are barer, and I guess some of my shelves are too, but it's obvious I still have a long way to go!

When I went to get my 3nd last pay on Tuesday, my supervisor and I did discuss packing up my place, when my sobetsukai will be (20th July), and sorted when newspaper will stop. We even decided the exact time I will leave Asa! Oh God!

On the Thailand front, I'm pretty organised... Flight there is booked, accommodation is booked, flight home is booked. Just have to pay for all of the above, and the course, read the pre-course stuff and get there I think..!

Since the returners conference I've gone through stages of emotions about leaving/what I'm going to do after Jet/etc etc. Right now, even though there is less than 5 weeks to go, I kind of feel like I've got ages, and all these last parties/visits to schools/times to see people are not really that at all. I'm sure in a few days or so I will be freaking out again...!

Today I am doing my self-introduction! Yay! Everytime I am going to do it recently I get really pissed off thinking why the fuck! But once I've got to class, the kids end up being really cool and I'm happy to be doing it. Today I spoke for are 15 minutes, then they just kept asking questions for the next 30 mins! Best question of the day was 'Are you married to one of the All Blacks?'...one could only wish!! Oh and another goody was 'What's your job?' - obviously that student is as confused about my role as I am sometimes!!

get ya Pirate name here me maties!!

if you're going to be a pirate on Saturday at Angela's party, you should find out your pirate name!!
Yes I do have too much time on my hands!

I am:
Mad Anne Rackham
Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

you can get your pirate name at: http://www.fidius.org/quiz/pirate/

EEWWWWWWWWW!!

I was writing a blog today that I had to put on hold for class, now I have something much more important to say, so I will post the other later.

I came home from Louise's tonight to a COCKROACH!!!!! EEWWW EEWWW EEWWW! I freaked out obviously, and scared the little f#*ker, so it dashed away, then I was trying to close doors to lock it in, and it dashed into my room!! MY ROOM where I sleep on the floor!! ARGH! So then I dashed around trying to get traps set up, and was shaking in a panic to get them down. I set one, but I think in the meantime it skittered away into the kitchen again... so I was preparing another trap, and I saw the little shithead in the middle of my kitchen. In a moment of panicked-cockroach-fearing angst, I threw the trap at it, I guess hoping it would be curious to go inside and get stuck to the floor. But no, it ran!

Needless to say the dirty, little critter is still at large, and I'm freaking out that it is in my bedroom, or for that matter just the fact it's in my house still!! Eww eww eww, how can I go to sleep with that here?

I took the rubbish out (it happens to be rubbish day), I saw that its a full moon. I blame that! Also today just along from the bus stop near the school I was at, there was this Huge Motherf#%ker of a frog! Honestly, I shit you not, it was bigger than my hand, like honestly, no exaggeration! It was also dead, so it was there when I came back to the bus stop later, obviously more cooked in the days heat than before. It was the freakiest, more unnatural thing I've ever seen - I think that was also because of the full moon. I hate Japan sometimes...!

P.S. excuse my language in this entry, but I really don't like cockroaches, or any yucky critters and bugs.

ETA: I checked the trap before going to bed at midnight, and the little sucker was in there! I was able to sleep soundly knowing I wasn't going to get crawled on by a gokiburi!

eww its hot!

might as well start this post moaning about the heat. Its so icky and hot! On one hand I'm happy there has been little rain, but its so hot. I thought I was used to it, cos I can't remember it feeling this bad last year, but its so icky! I can't be bothered doing anything, and I get home from biking anywhere to only feel icky again! argh!

Anyway, with that out of the way, I had a lovely weekend. Watched "Motorcycle Diaries" on Friday night with Louise, it was a really good movie. Saturday I went for lunch with two teacher/office staff friends, that was also lovely. After that, I bused down to Fukuoka for Gillian's birthday. Had a fun night out at the Happy Cock, though I have decided I don't like that there is only one Cock now. Cos if you want a change of scenery you have to pay money to get into another bar. Least before with two Cocks, you could flit between both of them with the same party pass...! Hahaha that whole bit sounds funny! Anyway, yeah good night, dancing, drinking - everyone was well behaved even!

On Sunday, I came back to Asa and Louise and I went to visit the new baby, with Asa friends. Hina-chan is so so cute! I can't believe how much she has changed in the last 3 weeks! Its sad that I'll only get to see her until she is about 2 months old. After coming back home I watched Alias...6 episodes in fact. That is so bad, but that show is so good I couldn't help myself!

Today I did self introductions. I tried to ask the teacher if on my last two days of that school, if I could not teach 1 nen sei, since I barely know them anyway, but she said it has to be even... In the end though, the two classes were really genki and nice, so I wouldn't mind seeing them again.

Right, I have to try clean this hovel of an apartment. It's such a mess! I am in a few minds of thought. 1. It's too hot to clean so I don't 2. I am trying to get sorted and pack, so why bother putting stuff away! and 3. Its gross, cockroaches might come (not that I leave food or dishes around), and eikaiwa people can't see this mess..! So I go with 3, and I have to clean!

Approaching our first Palace on "being Cultural day" We arrived in Seoul City quite late on Thursday night. It was 12am by the time we found the Guest House. Not quite what we were expecting, and it has to be said they have a GREAT webpage designer! But it was fine - very basic, cheap with a shit shower, but manageable for 4 nights! It was straight to bed though to prepare for the next day of culture!! 

Jo and Laura posing at the biggest Palace we went to - the name may be something like Chungbokgung Palace... It was pretty cool. I loved the colours and the painting of the arches and eaves. Pity it was raining the whole time we were palace-ing. 

After palace-ing, and wandering, having non-Japanese yaki niku for lunch, we went to Outback Steakhouse for over 4 hours from 5pm. We read magazines, drank a lot of beer, and eventually ate...look at Jo's happy happy Jacket Potato-loving face!! 

In Insadong, we wandered down a street with lots of traditional Korean goods, paint brushes and arty things. We met up with my friend, Naomi from Uni which was cool. Laura was groped just as we met Naomi, but as you can see she recovered from the trauma! 

After going for drinks and dinner at Gecko's Garden, we went to Polly's Kettle which was up Hooker's Hill!? The shady underbelly of Seoul! It was a fun place, really cheap, sweet drinks, music, and very young looking US Army guys. After that we went to Gecko's Terrace for some expensive drinks. There were lots of Army guys there too, but as soon as 1am clicked over, they were off home to bed before the Military Police were on their arses!  

Laura and I decided to play pool against some local gaijin. Then we decided to make her the most important player on the waiting list board...then we decided to take a photo op with the trophy that was in the bar! Ahh, such funny people we are when we're drunk!! 

Laura being "interested" in the taxi driver! Yeah, whatever! She wanted him!! 

This is the dog that I befriended at the conbini! It was so so cute, and we hung out for a while choosing my chocolate bar. We decided to get a toblerone I think! Honestly, it was so cute! I was sad to have to give it back to the shop man, but I think he thought I was going to take it! 

the story behind the bridge 

The Bridge of Freedom 

Laura, Jo and Austin the guide heading to the 3rd tunnel place. We walked down over 300 metres, then walked along the 3rd tunnel that the South Koreans found, until the safety gate (I think about 200metres long). We were 75 metres underground. The tunnel was tall enough that I only had to bend a little, and it was cold and wet - definitely not as scary as Vietnam's little tunnels! No photos were allowed 

No photos were allowed to be taken in front of this line. It was so hazy there was no point taking a photo from behind the line either! We needed the binoculars to see the North Korean flag on their side and the South Korean one on their side.

First stop in Hiroshima for my birthday celebrations - Beer Garden!! Yay!!

You know the birthday has been a success when friends do an impromptu dress up!

The chicks and the swan...!

busy busy busy!

Such a long and busy day! Before I knew it it was 10.30pm, and was still making a worksheet and stuff for lessons tomorrow where the lesson plan said, "make a speech about New Zealand"...ah thanks! So I am going to talk about schools, then they have to do translate some vocab to English, and find those words in a word find. How fun! Thought I was finished, went to bed and watched an Alias. Finished that, only to remember I hadn't check train times for tomorrow or found out some English grammar thing for a teacher I promised. I've just done that and found out exactly why you have to say "the game ended just now" and not "the game has ended just now"! I know it can't be this, but the teacher wanted to know why, and of course I couldn't tell her a reason! I have since looked it up and found out why!

So I decided to quickly blog before going to bed for real! Tomorrow night Jo, Laura and I are jetting off to Seoul for the weekend! I'm really looking forward to it, and I can't even hint at what we are doing cos until Monday we still didn't even know where we were staying! But that at least is sorted! The best I can give you is there will be eating, drinking, shopping, walking, looking! You will all be informed on Monday! Have a good weekend!

The OC

First I was Luke...but now I'm:

You scored as Jimmy. You are somewhat of an endearing clown. You are likeable but not well respected because you sacrifice internal skill development (personal competence) in being too externally preoccupied and people pleasing. You will go farther by pursuing and developing internal interests than being preoccupied with keeping people happy. What OC character are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Weekend and freakin' out again!

Had a great weekend, starting on Friday night, I went and saw Yuka, and the new baby - Hina-chan at the Womans' Clinic. So tiny, and cute! She also has so so much silky hair!

On Saturday, I got the train up to Hagi for the BBQ. Crap weather had us back at Rosie and Dan's which I think turned out better anyway! Nice to have the comforts of a house (i.e. toilet, kitchen..) while being able to sit, play and have general banter outside! Lots of drinking, eating, chatting and catching up with people. On Sunday, Paul and I were meant to go to Tsuwano, but after checking the train times from Gerard's it seemed that we'd get there at about the time we thought we'd like to leave at! So plan aborted, we went to a potter's place to buy some Hagi-yaki. The guy had shitloads of awesome bits and pieces. A lot was is his trademark "Seigan (his name) Blue. We ended up buying lots, so went away happy!

We met Tori and Rick in Hagi and went for okonomiyaki before going home. I don't think the okonomiyaki place had ever had so many foreigners thru in one day, with Jamie, John, Tom and Bruce there before us, then as we finished Lauren, Ellen and Dan arrived! After lunch, we waited around for buses and trains to go home. Hagi lovely place - shit to get to and from with public transport!

So, to follow the same lines as Tori's blog (isn't funny that you can have similar thoughts about a blog at the same time!), I have started having my bedtime anxieties again! Last night I turned the light out at 11.30pm, then started thinking about packing and luggage! I already have a suitcase to send, and 2 boxes packed, so I really don't wait to have to send too much more. But I started thinking about how there are still shoes, and clothes that won't be going to Thailand, stuff lying around the apartment still...! I thought about what I would have to take to Thailand, and if it will be overweight. Whether I will be able to carry it all...a pack, a rolly travel bag/suitcasey thing, my laptop, and books for the course...! So then I got up. It must have been about 12.30am. I sat in the kitchen, and started writing a list of things that had to go, and how it had to be sorted- home/Bangkok/throwout! Then I started going through my shoes, and sorted them into those groups! In the end I went back to bed at 1.45am, and went straight to sleep! I tell you, I'll do my head in soon!

I also had my last day at one of my schools yesterday. It was weird, cos I still have about 5-6 weeks of school, but I've finished there. It wasn't so different to usual. I hung out with some 3 nen sei boys at lunchtime while they tried to talk about random shit!? Oh a 2 nen sei guy showed us his breakdancing - very very cool! He could do a back flip, and that spinning on his side/back/shoulders for ages! The class also gave me wee message cards which was lovely!

This week...

I really have to go to bed, but thought I'd write a quick update of the week. I'm so tired, because I haven't caught up on my all-nighter on Sunday, and keep having long days and late nights!

On Tuesday I had 1st and 6th periods. The worst possible scheduling of classes! After work I went to Shimonoseki for sushi with Jo. I went to Uniqlo first and got a zipped hoodie for 190yen!! Such a steal! As I went for the bus to Karato, I was accosted by Mormons! The only reason I slowed and said hi was cos I thought the blonde guy might have been Jo's 'acquaintance from the week before! Should've noticed the bike helmet sooner! So much like Jo's experience the next day, he proceeded to ask about my religion, and what I knew about the Book of Mormon! I said I was Anglican but not church going...he asked what Anglican is all about. I had to tell him, that I really didn't know cos as I said, I'm not church going! At the end, he asked what my name was, so I told him, and he said "I'm Elder Turnbull". I don't know why I did it, but I replied, "well, nice to meet you Turnbull!" Felt like a right dick then, but I knew his name isn't Elder, so what else was I to call him!! Anyway, got to sushi and the salmon cheese was so so good we had to have 3 plates each! AND it got better with every plate! Great night for sushi!

Wednesday, birthday day. Birthdays in Japan are weird. The day feels like any other day unless people at work know it's your birthday! I left the house at 7.15am, the lovely teacher knew it was my birthday and said happy birthday, which was nice. Had three lessons, then English Club. The teacher had a meeting but said to wait for her and we'd go back to Onoda together. English club were preparing for culture festival, so it was incredibly boring. Then the captain stayed and kept talking. I was getting annoyed cos I had plans to meet Louise and Mrs K for dinner at Nitanda. It annoyed me that the teacher hadn't even considered that on my birthday I might have plans, and leaving school at 7.10pm would be a bitch!! So I got back to Asa at 7.45pm, irritated cos I knew people would have called me and I wasn't home to talk, tired and went straight to dinner. That was lovely though, we ate lots! Oh and found out Asa friend Yuka had gone into labour, so my ongoing joke of the baby being born late, on my birthday was potential going to happen..! She had 4 hours to get Hina-chan out!! I got home to 6 messages, though three were from Jem and Tans! They crack me up! My brother also left a message,and he cracked me up just cos he sounded weird and serious..!?

Today I went to elementary school and did cooking with 3rd and 4th graders, played games, did some gardening and had a minging lunch! Was a really nice day, and sat with a wee guy Sean at lunch. His dad is Israeli, and he speaks English and Japanese. So we chatted away! Such a cute wee lad! Went up to Nagato after school with Kyoko (the teacher I was at school with), for a pretty uneventful look around (Nagato really is quite boring!). Then to Mine for dinner. Got a message at dinner from Yuka to say Hina-chan was born at 11.38pm last night!!! Yay she really did come on my birthday!! One week late! I'm so excited about it! Am going to visit tomorrow night after work! That kid is going to be one cool kid for sharing a birthday with me!!

Now I really must go to bed! So much for a quick, short catch up! Like that would ever happen in one of my blogs!!