Sago Terminal Hotel Hamamatsu

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

... pay more than I should. I tried several types of bandages, but none really felt like they were sticking. After a long day, which included a run, some exercise, work, and not having enough sleep the night before, I decided to just give it a go.<br><br>When I arrived, I already had my bandage on underneath. It needed to cover an area roughly the size of one pectoral (or boob). It wasn't very busy (it doesn't get busy except for when it's senior's discount-day ...

... by foot. Now, whether or not it was a sport, or whether they claimed bragging rights is a different matter (I'm no historian), but I have to admit that I'm ready for the next one.<br><br><br>But really....doing what I did again today, and then twice that, is something I should at least train for this time. My time was 1 hour and forty minutes. Two 60 and 64 year old men beat my time by about 20 minutes. Now there's motivation.<br>

... various Vodka-like drinks down my throat (beware of Shochu), sake, and lots of beer. I was holding my own, and then when things got dark, we pulled inside for some much needed Karaoke.<br><br>There's nothing like drinking and then wailing your heart out on a song-machine in a private room amongst friends. The Japanese are very obliging, no matter your level of skill, in Karaoke. They just want you to have fun. So out comes the drinks, and the various snack ...

I finally understand where the expression "like rabbits" comes from.<br><br>Now before any of you 'jump the gun' on where I'm going with this, I just wanted to clarify that it doesn't involve me and animals, although I do feel pretty bad with the way I left them.<br><br>Just another day at Tomiyama, playing Kinball with some of the locals in the area (since they talked me ...

... everything they could in their power to determine whose girlfriend Yoshimi was, and whether she was Japanese or not. We kept playing her as the Chinese-American.<br><br>We had no idea what was coming when a little 8 or 9 year-old girl came tugging at our sleeves that we had to see something. Running up the hill came about twenty or so totally inebriated young fellows, huffing and puffing a chant to give them the final energy required to carry their shrine (and their yellow-topped ...

... to my two fellow English ALTs (Alternate Language Teachers), D.H (short for Daniel Harrison) and Derek. These cats help me stay alive out here, and I sort of just flocked to them for the majority of the day, taking the opportunity to enjoy it with them.<br><br>From short relay to long relay, from high jump to long jump, from 100-meter dash to 400-meter dash, there was something for everyone here. Along with a delicious lunch, I got to finish 'work' early that evening, and ...

... the sun too long that day. There was no panic, but there was a lot of concern, and she was quickly brought back to consciousness and taken care of.<br>The whole thing was sort of ceremonial, where the principals had all the students form neat lines in front of our field, and addressed the families and the students and thanked them for coming and working hard. This sort of address happens all the time, for the Japanese are meticulously attentive to formality, something that has its ...

So after meeting Andrew in Toyohashi with Julie, I knew I had to see them play. Not only are they very talented musicians, but they were also very entertaining. It was also a goodbye party to a few of the local JETs who were leaving to get married or leaving to avoid it, not sure which was which. Either way, I met Brad and Brian that night, and another gentleman who I can't remember, who played like it was their ...

... as she drove me away from the station, it felt like we were on our way to the kiwifruit packhouse again! Thankfully that wasn`t the case, and we were going to the altogether less-tedious surroundings of Kakegawa to see a castle, something that I`d not seen in Japan so far. Surrounding the castle were a variety of museums, and barely any tourists at all, so Yumi and I had a gentle stroll around them all, with my newly appointed tour guide helping with explanations ...