Miyuki Station Hotel Hamamatsu

... I have not been really 'missing' home, until now. When Kevin left, I felt worse than I did at the airport. It's been all too easy to get sucked up in the culture and play of Japan, where every weekend for the next two months has been painstakingly planned in advance.

Fellow Japaneers would know what I'm talking about: the absolute necessity of having an agenda, or "day-timer", as my father calls them. It's more important for me to have this than my cell phone, because at least my ...

... some information about what I was doing in Japan, and they called me a few days later to confirm a date for them to come into my classroom, record me in action, and interview me afterwords.

They didn't tell me though, that they'd be recording me and interviewing me, as part of a long-story, at the practice run. So when we arrived, I met an excellent speaker of English, who spent the first eight years of his life in America, and who had done interviews with Will Smith. His name ...

... of a pre-typhoon storm were...amazing. I remember having one of those "Oh, I'm in Japan" moments right there.

When I went back last week, I had the same "Oni!" chant coming from some of the more energetic kids (Oni means devil...it's because I get red when I exercise, or do anything, like show up), and the same little buggers poke me in the bug with their 'spirit gun', and the same little guys grin at me as they prepare to lunch an all-out ...

... some nice lady or manservant to come and tell me that it would be best that I didn't come again, but that they were really grateful for me coming, I took my sweet ass time enjoying every nook and crinny in that place. Unfortunately for me, my tolerance for warm saunas and baths is pretty low, so when I started to lobster-up, I took my leave.

The funny thing was, no one approached me. I could have SWORN that the man who walked with his kid, washed up ...

Death to anyone who actually calls this a "sport". Where's the 'sport', or fun, in running long distances, causing pain, exhaustion, thirst, and minimal benefits to ones physical condition? What about one's mental condition?

I remember crossing that finish line, muttering "thanks" in about three languages, I was so delirious. Sure, it was an awesome experience, taking in the beautiful scenery on a perfect Autumn day in ...

... deducted for every ball you put in the wrong basket. The thing is, two teams go at the same time on different poles, and at the end, they count out how many you put in yours, and how many you put in the wrong basket (which is a point for the other team). We were really good at scoring for the other team, and, well, they just sucked at giving us points. We liked to think of ourselves as the best team of Givers.

Of course, no Sports Day is complete without ...

... not for this area). It followed the standard format: festival stands and decorations set up, ranging from drink-tent with soups, to toriniku (fried chicken) and takoyaki (fried octopus balls); early-morning drinking, usually made possible by trips to the liquor store the night before, as well as stocking the temple with its home-brew sake-barrel, music, costumes and festival outfits, and, of course, fireworks.

At this particular festival, the only ritual we saw was the ...

... by cracking out my guitar. Within a minute of me attempting to tune the darn thing (the Classical Ovation was really having a hard time with the steel strings---I just couldn't wait!), my co-worker approached me timidly and requested that I stopped playing, as it was not appropriate for me as a teacher, being paid, to appear like he's on vacation. I agree with this in retrospect, but at the time, I think I was a little disappointed. Does everything have to be according to ...

... UK, and the fact that we queued up for a ridiculous two hours and nearly died of hypothermia seems insignificant...it was worth it! I dread to think what the queues will be like on a weekend though... I was nodding off on the way home while poor Yumi, suffering badly with hayfever and having found herself on two of the scariest rollercoasters in the world, made the long drive back to Hamamatsu. Her mum had made me beans after hearing about my love of beans on toast, and we ...

... me "meat." Ooh, I finally started taking lessons in Japanese. I found some free lessons from the Okazaki International Association (OIA). I went to the lessons for the first time this weekend and was shocked with the amount of ppl that were there - all foreigners learning Japanese as a Second Language. The classes were broken into groups depending on their level and first language. I ended up having my own tutor since I got there late, but there was a HUGE population ...