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)