When in Rome...

The principle reason I havent posted recently is I was having too much fun with my good friends Gabriel and Sarah, who were visiting from Thailand. The just left Friday night, after a wonderful 12-day stay.



I was unable to get much time off, but we managed to get quite a bit in considering the weather (it snowed everyday but one while they were here) including: snowboarding, a snow festival (and a secret bus), a make-your-own-sushi party (temaki-zushi), a trip to Matsushima (Pine Islands, one of the three most beautiful places in Japan, or so they say), two nights of badminton, a game of Ultimate Frisbee with some of my 9th graders, and many many visits to the onsen.





When I was at work, Gabriel and Sarah seemed quite content to relax at my apartment under the kotatsu--reading, writing, watching DVDs, and mastering Sudoku. It was wonderful for me to come home to friends and a warm apartment everyday, usually with a mug of tea waiting on me. Many of our evenings were filled with cooking delish food, bath houses, and DVDs (along with endless quoting of several, though primarily "Anchorman" which only seemed funnier with each repitition. What can I say, we are still children).

It was great too, to have two new, ever-observing pairs of eyes to point out the Japan uniquities (pretty sure I just made this word up, read "unique things") I have either missed so far and those to which I have become accustomed. The three of us decided that if teaching doesnt work out for me, I could probably start an import/export business. First on the list of things we need in America are kotatsu, heated toilet seats with mechanisms to wash and blowdry your bum, Pocari Sweat, tatami, toilet-tank-tops-with-a-sink-built-in-so-you-can-wash-your-hands-with-the-water-that-refills-the-tank-and-not-be-wasteful (also TTTWASBISYCWYHWTWTRTTANBW), mochi (though maybe this would only sell in Californina?), Yebisu dark beer, and vending machines that sell hot and cold beverages. First on the list to bring in is insulation. Its uncommon enough here that many folks dont even know what it is and I still havent gotten a clear answer for what its called in Japanese.

All that said, teaching is going pretty well, though I am not sure how qualified I am to explain English grammar (more on this in a soon-to-be arriving post).