As you probably know my life in Japan is extremely hard. I work long hours for hardly any pay and my nights are filled with endless studying to learn Japanese. And if you believe any of this then you obviously have no idea who I am! So this past Saturday the foreign English speaking community embarked upon the Kawamoto Tubing and Beer Olympics Extravaganza. This was probably the best weekend I have had in Japan. We started the day by meeting at the Kawamoto train station and car-pooling to the chosen spot for getting in the water . We all filled up our intertubes and took off. I would like to give some very necessary advice about tubing. You should not pick an intertube just cause it is cute and shaped like a fish. Second, do the math, if the cute fish you bought does not fit around you waist, kind of a waste. Ok, done with the advice. (I will in no way own up to doing any of that!) The river was quite high so it was fast moving and good fun. I happened to spend my hour and a half floating down the river on my stomach therefore my back and cheeky backside got a little sunburned but it was totally worth it. Then we all retired to some cabins we hired out and barbecued food. Finally the games began! I was hesitant about participating in the beer Olympics. While I am quite obviously an athlete (next time you see me I will flex for you), I didn't know how well I would hold up while drinking alcohol. I decided to compete anyway. (You know, throwing caution to the wind) Turns out there is one girl out there who might have found her true talent in life. Some may sing, some may dance, hell some may even know math, I on the other hand am a master at flippy cup. It was amazing. But alas, not even being a flippy cup master could put the green team in first place, we ended up third. But hats off to my wonderful team! Thanks Nigel, Chrissy, Erica, and Leif!!! It was a great night! And thanks to Koren for posting this wonderful picture I stole!! :-)
As many of you know I am delighted by the tons of Japanese-English that abounds in this country. Apparel company's here have decided that instead of employing competent English speakers to check the cool English words on their shirts that they would instead just type a long string of Japanese into an online converter and print away. I have many of these t-shirts that I wear with pride. But the limit is not clothing. I mean English is sooo cool why not put it on other stuff. So, as I was shopping for my ever hungry feline I came across an interesting bag of cat food. It says, "Cat Smack". I burst into giggles upon seeing it and consequently scared the clerk that was nearby, enforcing the stereotype that foreigners are strange and scary. This might explain why my cat is so crazy. If they are putting smack into all the cat food here it is no wonder I can't keep her from climbing my walls! So here is the picture of Japanese-English that warms my heart so. I hope you enjoy it. As an English teacher my job is never done. :-)
It is summer. The weather is warm. Birds are singing. Flowers are blooming. Summer means alot of good things but one of the bad things are all the creatures, seen and unseen, that are living in my house! This summer saw the return of the killer bees shacking up in my roof. I quickly asked for assistance before it got out of control like last time. The maintance men marched down to my house and checked it out in all their manly expertise. Returning to school, they quickly phoned a 'specialist'. The next day a very small man in a blue work suit showed up to my house. He came with my land lady. He went to my bedroom and climbed in my closet. At the top he removed a panel and climbed right up to the roof. What did he find to his surprise? He found a bee hive the size of a basketball!!! My land lady and him exchanged incomprehensible Japanese about the amazement of it while I cringed smiling half heartedly. I can't believe those things had been so close to where I sleep. It was like a legion of bees! The basketball sized hive was removed and the roof patched. What fun it is to live in nature!!
Many of you might be aware that I got a cat soon after I arrived in Japan from one of my teachers. I was lonely in the beginning and there were some scary, scary bugs in my house. I thought a cat would keep me company as I lived in inaka (rual) japan. Not that I hate having a cat but I have never been a cat person. Therefore I have always jokingly wanted to get rid of her. (But I will never be a cat lady! Thank you very much Suzanne!!). But things have changed recently. It does so happen that I am now in possession of 6 cats. The one I had miraculously multiplied. One day she came home looking fatter than normal and in a few weeks gave birth to five little kittens. Now there are five more accomplices to destroying my house! Whooo! They are terribly cute. I have to find homes for them and the teachers at my school are being lovely about helping, so I have no complaints. Need a kitten anyone!
If you happen to be following international events then you know that all of the world is consumed by the World Cup soccer tournament that is now taking place. I have been following it and making my students research the different countries participating. I have learned alot. So this weekend the English teachers had a 'world cup' tournament of their own. One very ambitious English teacher (Thank you Cleve) organized the Chugoku Cup. On Saturday we all gathered to play soccer. Yours truely could not pass up this opportunity to get in some exercise and hang out with her friends. I played on the girls team. We had three games back to back for two ten minute halves. This is a good amount of time for hard working but terribly out of shape teachers. It was great fun but sadly we didn't win. We ended up taking third, with the winners being a team that ranged in age from elementary school to college. We shouldn't have showed those elementary school students any mercy but I had a hard time getting physical with someone who could run through my legs!! All in all, great game. I can't wait to do it next summer. And before I go........ GO TEAM USA! WE AREN'T OUT OF THE GAMES YET!
So if you are a lucky gal then you remember that every Tuesday at the gas station down the street (where you consequently have a point card) they give you a free plant. I have been that lucky gal on several occassions. Who doesn't want a plant?They are nice loooking, help clean the air, and give you the feeling you are helping the environment (needless to say warm and fuzzy inside). But yesterday was different from all the other days. There happened to be only one plant sitting alone. I took notice and wondered why that plant was being rejected. It looked cool and healthy so I chose that one. I didn't realize what I had stumbled upon until I thought of the plant later that night. Turns out there were these pair of wings hanging out of its leaves. Odd. So onto the internet I flew. Lucky me, I picked a venus fly trap!!! Whoooo! This couldn't be cooler. Though, now I have feed it bugs if I keep it inside but that shouldn't be a problem if you happen to know the bug situation where I live. Now I can keep all those nasty bugs at bay! Coooooooool!!! Will wonders never cease.
Yep, that is right! This one is for you! I have finally gave up and started a blog. I figured since I am starting my second year in Japan it might be easier for my friends and family to follow what I am doing by reading my blog. Though as a disclaimer, I never said I would update it regularly or admit to what iw written within it. But I do hope you find this enteraining and at least something to read when you are bored at work! Enjoy!!
