Nihon no Tabemono (Japanese Food)

I was out for dinner tonight for yet another farewell party, when I noticed something exciting... I was enjoying the food!!!! Actually really enjoying it! I was munching away on my shrimp, salmon (raw? smoked? something...), rice & egg dish topped with fish eggs, etc, and wanting to eat more 'cuz it was yummy!! I remember when I ate my first salmon sandwhich, and how much of a struggle it was to get it down, and now I'm enjoying it (mostly)... sweet! (And, of course, eating it all with my flawless (?) chopstick skills!!) Exciting to realise that tastes can change! Next challenge... raw horse meat or seafood that is still alive... ah, ok, maybe not the wiggling stuff! Let's be reasonable!

Rain, rain, come again!

Seems the rainy season is starting a little early this year... it has rained SO much the last week or so! I love it, cuz I love walking home in the rain, and falling asleep to the sound of it. But it does mean 2 problems...
1) it is just about impossible to keep my hair straight and non-frizzy - I look like I've been dragged backwards through a bush - nice and professional, eh?
2) means the summer is probably coming early too, so we're in for a nice long one... doh! Already the humidity is soaring, and that horrible sticky feel hits you the moment you walk outside. (Thanks for the link to Sasebo weather on your blog Kel - I check it sometimes to see if I should walk or bus the next morning!)

As usual here at Nova, there are some staff changes. A couple of unexpected changes resulting in 2 teachers heading home suddenly, combined with another planned leaving, and 1 or 2 planned transfers means the schedule is a bit all over the place, so I'm doing a bit of overtime at the moment. Happy for my budget, as I'm trying to save for Africa! But sad to be losing more friends... you barely make friends here and they have left already!!

Happy Birthday to me!

My birthday started at 11:01 on the 3rd - Martina declared that it was midnight in my country of birth, therefore it was my birthday and time for presents! She gave me an adult colouring book (so I can stop colouring Poo Bear while watching TV!), and some gorgeous (matching!) pink and silver jewelry, which I wore to work on my birthday.

The actual day was fairly low-key but enjoyable... I went to yoga in the morning, of course work all afternoon/evening, then out with my workmates after. (Momentous occasion: I think this is the first year I have ever worked on my birthday!!)

The celebration continued on Saturday night, when I went on Base with some Americans from church, and ate Subway (mmm... yum!) and went bowling. After taking me to the Base convenience store where I could pick up some Hershey's syrup (I love drinking it straight from the bottle!), I stayed the night at Heather L's and watched a very funny dvd.

Sunday... more celebrations...the post office was closed most of this week cuz of Golden Week, but on Sunday I was able to pick up some parcels! I spent the arvo lying on the couch, listening to a new cd, and guzzling yummy-as junk food!

And it continues today... more presents just arrived! Gotta go eat my weet-bix :) and open these new arrivals!! Happy Heather! Thanks for all the birthday joy!

Busy-ness

Wow... done so much since I last blogged, I hardly know where to start!

Easter weekend... not celebrated in Japan, so Friday simply carried on as usual... Japanese class in the morning, working in the afternoon/evening. Saturday, one of the other teachers went home sick, so I worked a full day 10am - 9pm. I was well and truly ready for my 2 days off, but I didn't sit around...

Easter Sunday meant church in the morning (with yet another great sermon), followed by the Nagasaki BioPark, and Korean BBQ for dinner. The BioPark was unreal! Kinda like a zoo, but you could get up really close to some of the animals, feeding them and everything! Fun!


Also got to feed these gorgeous flamingos! And check out this funky capybara! It is a 'large, semiaquatic rodent, often attaining lengths of more than 1.2 meters (4 feet)'. They were quite friendly, wandering around almost just like ugly dogs! I want one!

On Monday I headed to Kumamoto for a day trip with Naomi (an Aussie backpacker). It is a little over 2 1/2 hours each way by bus, so it was a long day out, but a good one. We visited Suizenji Jojuen Park, a gorgeous strolling garden which I think I remember reading, took 3 generations to complete!





We also went out of town a little to check out the stone statues of the 500 disciples of Buddha who attained Nirvana. A few had lost their heads, but it was an impressive sight, regardless.



With so little crime in this country, it tickled my funny to see that a big post cemented into the ground had been chained to a fence... what the??

The following Monday was a busy one too... a day trip to Fukuoka with Heather L, Anne (pastor's wife), and Sharon (Heather's friend). I got to visit Gap and The Hard Rock Cafe for the first time! Hard Rock was very yummy, but the gap was what really excited me... they had jeans that fit!!! Long enough and everything!! I almost bought a pair, but then decided that considering how infrequently I have need of jeans, I probably didn't really need to spend $100 on another pair. (And I just bought a skirt, 3/4 length pants, and 3 tops for that much a few days earlier!)

Of course, we had to stop for Starbucks coffee and enjoy the GORGEOUS weather - it was just perfect! (Already the last couple of days have had a warmer and slightly muggy feel to them... oh dear! I'm walking as much as I can now, before it gets too hot!)

(From left: Sharon, Anne, Heather L)