5 minutes

before the internet time runs out. Have been doing not much. Went to the weekend market yesterday. Was big and lots of stuff. Went to the night market in Silom the night before, thare place had heaps of cool stuff - and the added bonus of being asked if we want go to a sex show or pingpong ball show! Last night we went to the movies, we didn't know what was showing and ended up going to a rather bad movie - so not worth the 250 yen it cost!

Paul has gone to the hairdresser to get himself tidy for course. We have orientation today, and starts tomorrow... arghh hope it's not too painful..!!

One Night (and many more) in Bangkok!

Paul and I have made it to Bangkok. Wednesday was emotional of course, burst into tears at the BOE, which was really embarrassing. Then at the station was fine til the shinkansen was coming and the byes had to start. Once aboard I cried for a bit, but thankfully Paul kept me chatting away about pointless shit and it subsided.

At the airport we had 60 kgs between us - we were allowed 40, so the woman said I could take my suitcase on as hand luggage - don't get why that makes it different..? Leaving Japan was fine cos this guy leaving Oita-ken after 3 years kept talking and talking!! We were so tired but had to talk to him til Korea! Then leaving Korea, and Paul was asleep, I had time to ponder the fact I was leaving, and got sad and emotional again! But not for too long.

Since being here however, it doesn't feel like we've left Japan for good. Today we probably ventured at most 100 metres from the hotel cos we are right in the middle of everything!!! So exciting after coming from the Guch to EVERYTHING!!!

Have to start making myselkf intelligent from tomorrow - especially in the field of English Grammar...good luck to me!

I'm outy

Before I pack up my laptop, thought I'd write one final Asa blog. My supervisor is coming in 15 minutes, then going to the Post Office, the office then the station. I'm going to try remember Abra's words that crying is a sign of weakness... though I'm sure it won't help!

As dead tired cos stayed up cleaning til late after I got home from Nitanda. Then I decided I wasn't tired so I stayed up later. Not helping now, but sure it'll send me to sleep on the plane.

Righto then, it's been a pleasure blogging from Japan. I will keep up the Bangkok edition, and then stories of home! I'll try do exciting things to keep you JETs amused over the long office times!

BYEEEE!!!

Life is crazy these days..!!

Am going to try and keep this as brief as possible, cos have to get some sleep...

Wednesday night had my office farewell party. It was heaps of fun, the old 2nd-in-charge who used to say "Ret's take Runchi" every lunch time I was there came, so that was amusing as always. My supervisor and I taught my last lesson in Japan, which was also hilarious. They had to say "I come from space" in English, and when someone said it correctly, my supervisor said, "Well that's almost right, but the correct answer is a little different" Then, I, being the AET of course, had to say it while hitting my throat so my voice sounded alienish!! Everyone cracked up, and we all laughed! How amusing!!

Thursday, I went to Nagashi Somen with Louise, Masako, Yuka and Megumi. It was lovely, with a refreshingly cool waterfall flowing down from the mountain. After some Puri-kura together it was home to pack and clean for a bit. Josh came down from Nagato way to have a few drinks at the beer garden. After a year we finally got together to hang out!! It was really great, and did make me wish we'd made more of an effort during the year to see each other. We ended up drinking quite a lot, and at about 4.45am decided we really should stop talking and get some sleep! The next day I couldn't quite decide if I was hungover... I packed and sorted most of the day, and came to the conclusion I was! Had 4 more boxes shipped home - total now is 6 boxes, one suitcase. I'll definitely have one more to send too..!

Friday evening, Louise, Jo, Osamu, Jimmy, Paul and I drank and ate at Nitanda. Much fun, and we were privileged to see the final magic trick in Osamu's reportoir (sp!?). After we went back to my place and waited for Jo's mate Sim, and his friend Eri to show up. Once they arrived we went to do some hanabi. After I realised I was going to kill us if I did it, I took a spectator's seat suitably far back! After a while Jimmy and I left so I could sort out my apartment for the guests, and Jimmy could watch! By the time the others came home I was in bed, and I think we were all in bed by 3am.

Saturday, began the weekend farewell-fest with Osamu. Went for sushi in Shimonoseki, then Paul, Louise and I got the bus to Fukuoka. Was hoping to go gift shopping for J-friends, but only ended up getting things for myself! A huge number of 18 people showed up for my and Jo's Last Time in Concert night out in Fukuoka! We had a rowdy butcherish dinner at an izakaya before going to the Happy Cock. Great fun, drinking, dancing, laughing, photo-taking, hot guy-spotting, bicep-grabbing fun (which Laura of course took way too far, and couldn't control herself!!). It was such a nice end to the many Fukuoka nights out Jo and I have had over the past 2 years! We even got to sing and dance to our song again - "One Love"!! People got drunk to varying levels, and filtered off to bed bit by bit. In the end I left a very drunk Paul in the hands of Gillian and Selena (he insisted, despite being sleepy, that he didn't want to leave), and went back to my capsule. After a while I had a call from Paul, with him saying the girls were trying to take him the wrong way, and they weren't taking him back to the hotel! I insisted they were, and hung up. After emailing drunken rambling emails with Josh (surprise turn-up for a while at the Cock bar), it was almost 5am when I got to sleep. Then awake to farewell Laura, back to sleep, then up to get to the 11.20 bus. After farewelling Lee and Chris we headed to Mos Burger. When Paul turned up, looking well battered, he asked when I went home, and why he didn't come!!!??? Got to Shimonoseki, had sushi with Paul, Gillian, Selena, Jenny, Jimmy, Rei, Gerard and his mate, Kana. Last salmon and cheese was BRILLIANT!! Hung out at Jo's for a while before had to have goodbyes with Jo, Gillian and Selena :( Got back to Asa, and had sad goodbyes with Jimmy and Jenny :( Hung out with Gerard, went for Puri-kura with him and Louise, then Gerard and I had dinner at Chinese Pizza place. He had his fix with the chahan that he is fixated with!!? Rei came back to Asa and ate, we hung out again, before they both had to head on there ways :( So now I'm tired, and drained from the goodbyes. I suck at them, and they aren't nice. But of course they aren't really goodbyes... just see ya laters!!

Phew, and that's up to now. 3 more sleeps, and so so so so so much shit to sort out in my apartment!!

Happy Birthday Blog!

Yip, it's been a whole year that I have been bloggin' for! It seems like I've been doing it for ages... To think if it weren't for Abra and her "Abra in Exile" (which incidently could also have been read as "A Brain Exile") and the desire for us all to keep in touch, it would never have started! Who would've thought it'd end up being such a craze in the Guch!?

Had a busy weekend of course. Though Friday night I had a much needed night at home by myself, and watched "Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu". It was very cool. Saturday was Tori's farewell. It was lots of fun, just hanging out at home, then the beer garden (dodgy) and karaoke. Sunday we had sad goodbyes at the station. Yes, I cried. But it's not my fault I don't like seeing people sad and saying goodbye to people!! Glad you got home safely Tori!

Sunday when I got home, I went to a farewell bbq at the Kimura's with Louise and other J-friends, and friends of the Kimura's. It was such a nice night. One of the guys there, I met at the wedding I went to in Nov, 2003. He went to London not long after to study at Vidal Sassoon. He didn't speak English then, and now it's really good. So Louise and I spent most of the night chatting with him and another mate who I have met a few times. This guy is hilarious. Lies about most things, looks like Kim Jong El (or however it's spelt), and generally just talks shit in his limited English. His talk always ends up in the gutter, and you learn things you don't want to know!! It was a great night, and I will miss my Asa friends very much, they've been so good to me over the 2 years.

All my nights are full for the rest of my time here (except for Sunday and Tuesday). Tomorrow is my office party. I went to the office today, and my supervisor and I are doing an English lesson at it! It's going to be so funny! I will tell you all about it tomorrow or Thursday.

I bombed..!!

I tried not to cry at English Club, but I did. I did keep it to an absolute minimum and just let some tears out! But it was justified, cos the students and teacher were so sweet. The two san-nen-sei guys had also written letters to me, which they read out. I will share them with you, I'm sure they wouldn't mind..!

"Dear せりーぬ
When I heard you would leave this school, I was surprised and shocked. The time I talked with you was very fun. For example, we talked about English Club's game, our favorite music and novels, and studies. You also taught me English. When I took part in Speech Contest you looked over my manuscript. I owe my loving English to you. I owe you a lot. Instead of words of cheer. I send you Mr. Children's rylics translated by me.
"Fun is not accompanied by a smile, but a smile is accompanied by fun""

And the other one is:
"To Ceriene (should've taught them how to spell my name!)
Although I would like to talk with you more time, the time has come. Now I try to write this letter without my dictionary. Of course this is not because of neglecting but trying. So, I hope you not mind my losing word skill. I am studying it everyday.

I dreams of working abroad, in my future. That made me study hard. Though I dislike or hate studying, especially English come to me with happy feelings. I think, English is one of the element of my dream. So, I don't feel tired at studying English.

I like English very very bury much! I also like Ceriene very very struuvery much!!! If I go to Cristcherch, I want to go to your country. And if the place is low price, I want to buy! You looks happy every week...sometimes sleepy. When I see you, I want to talk to you. What I can assure you is that I don't forget you. I miss you Ceriene."

So lovely eh, then the teacher said the loveliest things to me, about me which didn't help the emotions..! They also gave me some nice wee gifts. Oh, it was just all very nice, and made me sad that I am all done there now. I have also found of late that when ever someone says "Ogenki de" to me, I get choked up..! Not good, cos it's been getting said frequently!

I had a thought yesterday (one of many of course). When am I ever going to be able to pay for something for someone, and then have enough money in the bank or wherever to forget that they haven't paid you back!? That's what happened. Amazingly, Paul remembered that he hadn't paid me back the 4 man for our flight. That's like over NZ$500, and I just forgot about it! So never going to happen again. In a few months I'll be saying to friends "You owe me $5" or some lesser or pathetic amount!!

Last night I went out for dinner to the place I went to a couple of months ago. The place where the woman was all excited and kept giving me gifts. She gave me more gifts last night, smaller ones thankful. It was funny again, she'd come in while we were eating this amazingly beautiful Japanese dinner, and kept bring more sashimi, tsukemono, and sushi. She chatter away, then go, then come back..!

Last night however, her husband got in on the act after we were discussing Yamaguchi-ben. He came in and started rambling away in Okayama-ben. Of course I had no idea what he was saying! Then we chatted, and he was crazy and kept telling jokes that I didn't get! I finally got one, when Kyoko said we lived in Asa - "Hirudemo, Yorudemo, Itsudemo Asa!!" (In the daytime, night time, anytime, it's Asa) haha, yeah heard it before! But they cracked up when I laughed cos I finally got a joke. Then we had to go outside to do photos, in every possible 3 person set. It was lovely, they are a lovely couple and I will go back there one day when I visit Japan. They wrote their names and phone number on a set of hens they gave me!

Today I'm at Ube High, last day. They are having a party for me after school at English Club... I am not going to get sad and cry or anything ridiculous - I refuse to!

And finally, this time in two weeks I will be about to board the flight to Thailand. Argh, so much to do, so little time!

Leavers' Weekend

Friday = Went to kencho with fellow Prefectural leavers. Yamane gave us our travel dosh. Very nice amount was received. I have since worked out that it is paying for my trip via Bangkok home, my CELTA course, my accommodation for the month, with some to spare! Nice! After that, Laura, Jenny, Paul, Jamie, Aaron and I met Jo, Yukari, Tom, Neal, and Kat in Tokuyama for Red Lantern Yaki-tori - yum yum! We continued drinking at the new and uber-cool Suzy Wong's. Such a funky wee place, it makes you feel like you aren't even in lil ol' Guch! As Jimmy says, "You can't go Wong!" After that we met up with Keith, visiting for the Leavers' Party, and Jimmy at Shidax. Nomihodai was ordered - the plan originally was "no hodai tonight", but with the night cranking along so well we couldn't not! So 2 and a half hours of drinking and karaoke later, all the favourites sung once or twice, I have to say I got a bit sad watching and listening to everyone sing their favourite songs, knowing there weren't going to be many other karaoke nights together. We finally made it home to bed after 3.30am!

Woken at 8am-ish on Saturday. Slept again til 10.30ish, then the phone rang, and we knew that it was work time. Everyone in varying degrees of tiredness, and hungoverness it wasn't a entirely happy day! But work indeed had to be done, it was like Santa's Workshop - Zen Zens in the making, CD putting togethering, T-Shirt printing - it was all go. We were hoping for a nap, but time went fast, before we knew it it was time to head to Kenko Park for part one of Leavers' Party.

We ate and drunk, chatted and bantered. All jolly good fun. At one stage Laura removed herself from company to concentrate on drinking as it wasn't happening as fast as it should be with talking at the same time! When we tried to see if Neal could fit a glass in his mouth, Jenny freaked out "Oh my God, don't do that, he won't be able to breathe, and it'll create a vacuum, and he'll explode!" She honestly looked like she might have cried with fear! So we thought (Eleanor and I) we should prove that it wouldn't happen by having Neal sit, and Jenny put her fist in his mouth, while Eleanor and I block his facial orifices (nose and ears!)!! Ah the hilarity, well except when Jenny pulled her fist out, and I thought I saw food matter stuck to it and started dry retching!!

On to Suzy Wong's for the Zenny Awards. I came away the proud and surprised winner of "Person most likely to be last to leave the bar"! Very proud moment, thanks for voting for me everyone!

Then final stop was Tiki-Ta for the party! It was very fun, lots of dancing and general craziness! I decided to stop drinking when began to get headachy and tired. Stuck to the water like a sensible drinker does. Honestly though, if I hadn't have gotten that damn award, I would've been home in bed by 12!! But I stuck it out, and was part of the last crowd to leave at 3am-ish! Couldn't let myself and everyone down on award night after all!

- Photos to follow -

Follow Your Dreams...

At school today the 2-nen-sei students wrote their "essays" about what they want to be. This is one guys:

I want to be a revolutionist.
I want to play a revolution.
I like Lenin.
This is Lenin quote:
It is true that liberty is precious - so precious that it must be rationed.

Hmmmm!!! I was well surprised! I had to help him with the word revolutionist, but he already had the other parts, so I looked it up in the dictionary to confirm that it is in fact a revolutionist that he wants to become. That he even knew that quote and wrote it out with correct spelling and everything baffles me. Then I heard him telling his friend that he doesn't understand what the quote means! Cracked me up!!

Suck it in Selene!

Have reached new lows...

Today I went for my final haircut at the salon in Kokura that I have been going to for the past 2 years. The cut appears to be fine, the highlights didn't take to my hair as well as I would have liked. But I did have a brilliant head massage, a lovely scented hand massage, and talked to 2 of the woman trainer/staff people lots, and had interesting conversation with my hair guy - Ikenaga-san! I tried to ask him if anything has ever gone really wrong while cuttign someone hair. But I didn't say it right, so he told me indepth about the troublesome things about cutting hair! I understood not much of it!! But flicky ends are tricky!

Anyway, once he'd successfully fluffed up my hair in the fashion he seems to like, I paid and said my farewells. He said "Ogenki de" and I said that I was sorry if things were a bit taihen at times! Thanked him and walked away. As I walked towards the esculator, I started to get choked up, and tears started coming to my eyes!! I was honestly going to go to the bathroom and have a cry, but then I thought, "Selene, stop being pathetic - it's the hairdressers!" So I sucked it up and carried on! Oh My God though, how stupid is that, getting emotional at the hairdressers!! Ah the things to come...

Had great sushi with Jo afterwards though!

Things are getting crazy...!!

I'm tired today. Last night I was tired but I couldn't sleep, not because of worrying this time, but just general thinking! It was 3am before I finally went to sleep, kicking myself cos I knew I had to get up at 7.15am! Anyway, I'm done here at 12.20, then I'm going to Kokura for my last hair cut with my hairdresser, and the lovely head massaging staff there! Yay!

The weekend was super fun! Friday night saw Louise and I re-done our Police man outfits! Man, they are cool! Jess was salaryman/police, Erin made a rather realistic boy, and Nate and Osamu were women, and off we went to the Philipino Transvestite bar Tonga in Ube! So fun! We saw a scary/amusing/strange cabaret show upon arrival, then there was karaoke. We did party songs with a couple of the girls. Such hits as Love Shack, YMCA, Bye Bye Bye! We were of fire! And of course the girls couldn't get enough of Osamu and Nate - I think they'd say they got too much!!

Saturday was Yukata party. Great fun, good to see everyone cos it seemed like ages since I'd seen some peops! We ate, drank and generally all had a merry time in our Yukata and Jimbei! At the izakaya, we drank and Laura, Kat, Seth, Jenny, and others... (weren't there others...!?) played a few drinking games, joined by some J-guys on occasion! Then to karaoke (of course with puri-kura first!), Tori, Laura, John, Bruce, Lee, Paul and I headed for a room and sang our little hearts out. People didn't appreciate my Whitney unfortunately, but they just don't know a good song when they hear it!!

Sunday it was still pissing down torrentially, so we made a Hokka Tei dash, ate, then went to Hofy for 'War of the Worlds'. Cool movie, had me jumping, and arm spasms in my usual manner when I watch a movie with scary surprises! We got out, and thankfully the trains that had be cancelled all day, were starting so I was home by 6pm not like poor ol' Paul..!

On other news, I am starting to find it near impossible to fit people in to hang out with and catch up with.. ! It's a bit worrying cos I don't want to miss out seeing anyone. Having the weekends full is also difficult, cos J-friends keep asking to meet on them, and its not going to happen! This Thursday one friend is even going to come after work, stay, then go to work from my place on Friday just so we can catch up!! Desperate times a-coming!!

I have 3 last days at schools this week. Yesterday the annoying teacher said goodbye and all the best and all that, and I actually felt a bit (just a little bit mind!) choked up! Plenty more ahead though..! Great...!