It's been one week...

I had a very long weekend.

Friday
My first official day of teaching. But I had no classes, so basically I sat around the office reviewing class notes and text books.
After work we all went out for Aussie Mel's send off (she's the one I am replacing). God's Party, the name of the bar were all the gaijin hang out, is your typical bar for Japan, but in the US it'd be a very nice place. It's clean, the music is decent, drinks are about $5 which is a good price over here, and they serve food if you are hungry.
While we were there we met some guys from South America and I got to practice my Spanish (lol!). We left God's and headed to Casablanca for some Salsa! Who ever thought I could be so comforted my dancing the meager Salsa I learned in college. I had to call it a night at 2:30, but a lot of the other girls stayed out until closing time, 5 AM.

Saturday
I woke up around 8:30, but I don't know if that's from jetlag or my usually habit of getting up early after drinking too much. I tried to organize and clean, but I was still missing a lot of tools. Joanne and her boyfriend Nobby (that's his British English nickname) picked me up around 1 and we went shopping. That evening was a big local summer festival, the Uneme festival, so along with buying curtains, cleaning supplies, and a shoe rack, I bought a yukata set.

That evening Matty's girlfriend, Haruka, and her mother helped Jo and I dress because it's way to much to do by yourself, especially if you are a confused gaijin. The festival was sugoi!!
Sugoi = cool!; amazing! sounds like the name Sue and goy (rhyme with boy)

Many people at the festival were dressed up. The girls really tried to out do each other by adding flowers and obi(the big belt) decorations, or doing up their hair. There were games were you could catch fish, I won that one, or pick a mystery prize. If you were hot you could buy flavored ice, or cold beer. If you were hungry you could buy any kind of meat on a stick, or a butter potato, or if you wanted to be safer (like me) you could get yaki soba (fried noodles).

On the main street many different companies had put together dance groups. After the Uneme princess is picked, all groups dance around a set route that circles 3 times. It's a basic dance, but it takes about an hour and a half. Next year I think I will join the city hall group, cuz it would be such an amazing experience.

Everything shut down around 9PM, right after the dancing, and then we all went to God's again, cuz apparently the thing to do in Japan is drink. Work hard, play hard I guess.

Sunday
I didn't do much Sunday, but clean and organize, and my apt. still looks like a disaster zone. I bought the house package from Aussie Mel, which includes furniture and anything I need. But the couch is broken, the futons are mostly old and smelly, and I guess she thought she needed to include all her old extra camera and cell phone boxes and old bank statements and bills.

Monday
My first day of classes! I was nervous, and everyone's speaking ability is pretty low considering most people have been studying for a year already. But classes are more informal than back home at ELS, and for the students it's just like something extra to do. Most students aren't studying hard core like at ELS. Adjusting to that will take time. I prefer having more structure and a direction.


(I'll try to get pics up. Right now there are "errors")