Crazy weekend #4?

Trip Start Jul 26, 2008
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Trip End Aug 06, 2009


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Flag of Japan  , Tohoku,
Sunday, April 19, 2009

I didn't think that I'd have a 4th weekend that wasn't much of a weekend, but today was PTA day and tomorrow is hanami.  I look forward to that because it occurred to me earlier in the week that if I don't "stop and smell the flowers" soon, I'm going to miss the beauty of the sakura around me.  I haven't had a chance to thoroughly enjoy them.  Maybe I'll finally be able to compose the poem that's stuck in mind limbo.  In any case, this is unofficially Crazy Weekend #4 since I didn't actually leave Tome.

I'm still having no luck with the new mandatory text for elementary schoolers.  At least the 5th graders of Faraway Elementary are super enthuastic.  Since their health check was the same time, we didn't have much of a proper class.  However, the boys that got done early bombarded me with questions.  I'm glad.  I need more students like them, especially at lunch time.

I've started practicing taiko again because the ALT shamisen and shakuhachi group will be performing soon.  This time we'll be doing two songs.  Why is it that I always get stuck doing rhythm even though keeping tempo is a weak spot?  I guess it's the default position since I'm not good with woodwinds or stringed instruments.

It was good to get back to karaoke again on Friday.  We went to Kappa Sushi afterwards, and I got introduced to the "Sushi Shinkansen" that delivers your orders.  It's cool.  Sarah's friends joined us, and I had my Japanese skills tested.  I've been slacking off again.

Work today was uneventful.  I spent much of the time daydreaming about Alice Nine.  It's an obsession now.   All I've been doing at home lately is watching videos of them.  There's a lot more I can "study" from than there was for Duel Jewel.  The more I watch, the more I am falling in love with the members.  They can be so silly at times.  An added bonus is that Shou and Nao don't smoke (a rarity among J-rockers).  ^_^  I can't help but think of school whenever they open up their commentary with "Sei no...  Alice nine desu!" ("Ready... we're Alice Nine!) because "Sei no" is what you say to get everybody to repeat in unison.  It's the same every time.  I'm finding that I really like hearing Shou and Tora speak.  Their voices aren't the usual sexy, deep voices that turn me into mush, but they're very distinct and pleasing to the ear.  I don't remember being this excited for a concert before, but maybe that's because I feel a strong connection with them when I read their interviews and song lyrics.  They sound like guys that I would hang out with.  The only other artists I've felt this connected to are Linkin Park and maybe KAT-TUN (it doesn't mean I don't love the others just as much).

Glossary
sakura - cherry blossoms; hanami - cherry blossom viewing party
You can look up shamisen and shakuhachi since "Japanese guitar" and "Japanese flute/recorder" aren't very descriptive
Shinkansen - bullet train
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