Had a really good weekend! really good

Friday was a going away party for Kato-sensei - the part time teacher at Yaizu Suisan. We went to a hip place in Fujieda - Blue Dog House. Good food, good beer, and good friends. I like the hello and good-bye party tradition. It’s a chace to tell you coworker how much you appreciate them. And, you get to talk more than just business. You learn so many cool things outside of school.

Saturday was a relaxing day - just enyoying the good weather.

Sunday I ran into some students from camp - they were hanging with another ALT who went as well. We did everything - got food at a restaurant, went to the print club, and even sang some karaoke! Really energetic and different - put life into the monotony that is suburban life. Shizuoka (the city) is way good.

There are new photos up from my meeting with Dice and the following (but entirely separate) English camp up at Ikawa (井川).

Seeing Dice was great, and he introduced me to his girlfriend. We went bowling (and sported some snazzy shoes) and ate dinner at an izakaya. We got a chance to catch up, and he tested my Japanese again.

Camp was a whole other world! I loved it, and it was the most exhausting thing ever. The days were about 14 hours long (8am till 10pm), but nothing really felt like work. There were short conversation sessions, and games, and plays, and (average) food. We went for a short hike outside and stayed up playing guitar.

My group of students was very fun. I taught them the Shim Sham, and one the moon walk. I showed them the Lindy Hop (I took video at the Fuji Swing Weekend), and gave them swing jazz CDs. Always the swing missionary!

Came home in the pouring rain, and ‘Norm’ was over replacing my kitchen floor. And by ‘replacing’ I mean ‘adding another layer’. They just added new (and better quality) wood. Tomorrow my toilet floor is being done, and my shower door! If only I had mentioned the door earlier (like when I moved in). Oh well, done is done.

Went to a swing weekend (the back side of Mt. Fuji) over the weekend and made friends with the only follow (indeed dancer) in my prefecture. She lives only 12 minutes away which is fortunate. We talked in Japanese (quite rudimentary) the whole time we were traveling together (1.5 hours each way). That was the first time that I’ve gone dancing since I returned from winter break in early January. Quite dry out here, far away from the Metropolis.

Classes have been out since the 28th of February, and don’t begin until the 7th of April. So I spend my time making music with Aroop - bought some bongos and soon we’ll hit the parks of the larger cities in the area. Nothing like a singing gaijin! Still not off the work hook, tho. Beginning Sunday I’m going to an English camp for 3 days with a private high school.

And Saturday, just before the camp, I’m going to Tokyo to meet up with Dice. He’s coming back for spring break, and it will be nice to hang out with him again.

The school has picked spring break to be ‘this old Japanese house’. Today my kitchen cooktop vent was replaced with a new one. Next week, they’re replacing the floors in the kitchen and the toilet. My house will look strange - half 30 years old and half new. Oh well.

This weekend was dedicated to the film. Lots of struggling, but I now have my digital camcorder transfering its video to my external hard drive (firewire to usb2.0, no less!).

Went bowling with Peter and Nick last night, tho. Cheap and fun. First time with velcro bowling shoes.

During the week? Well, just some Japansese study of couse! I don’t teach till April 7th. I wrote my interview questions and translated them. Asked for corrections, and now it’s time to memorize those! Aroop and I did have our first practice session - we’re planning on playing music in the park when it warms up. I bought some bongos; together with his skilled funk and latin riffs, we’ll have an audience of plebs in no time!

All righty, the computer has been restored to what it used to be, plus it’s better. Debian is much nicer than Mandrake.

Consequently, I added some photos today. Not just one place, but two! You’ll see a few shots from when Jo came out (mainly the Tokyo nutsness views), and you’ll go to the Sapporo Snow Festival (ゆきまつり).