Signing off, until next year...

This week I wrapped up my final classes of the year. Our second semester of school finished yesterday, and I am off tomorrow for three weeks in Vietnam. Will be a welcome, warm vacation (Xmas on the beach!) before the long winter that awaits my return...

Despite my scrooginess, I managed to have a little Xmas spirit this past week. Played Santa Claus at pre-school, kindergarten, baked gingerbread cookies and decorated them at my English conversation class Xmas party, sent more Xmas cards then I ever have before, did several Xmas-themed lessons with students, and even bought and received a few presents. Not so bad at all...

Sunday I had a great day snowboarding with two friends in Iwate Prefecture--I had been itching to go since early November! It snowed all day and we had some decent powder for a couple hours. Was happy to get a day of riding in before taking off for the tropics...

My best to all, have a wonderful holiday and may the New Year greet you with health and happiness!

A Myriad of Days. Really.

Today is my 10,000th day on planet earth.

クリスマス in Japan ?!?!

I haven't met too many Japanese who actually celebrate Christmas, but Japan on the whole certainly appears to have the spirit every year.

In cities, Xmas decorations and lights went up in mid-November and the department stores too have Christmas displays of candy canes, fake snow, and fake trees, walls of Hallmark cards, employees dressed in ridiculous elf costumes, and shopping crowds to rival those in the West (though the noise level is noticeably more quiet). I am not sure if the crowds are actually shopping for Christmas presents, or if they are just spending their end-of-year bonuses (just about every Japanese employee gets a substantial one every December).

Local elementary schools have requested me to be Santa again this year for their kindergarten Christmas parties (this is kinda fun, but mostly silly). Junior High Students have put up decorations on their classroom doors. We even had Christmas music pumping from the lunchroom speakers today as we ate our midday meal of udon (noodles), some kind of octopus dish, and Japanese tuna salad surprise.

Christmas is not my favorite holiday. Not so much Christmas Day, but its buildup. I detest Christmas shopping and crowded shops/streets/parking lots, and I can't say I care for the decorations and bad music either. Santa and his elves too, as fascinating as they were as a kid, now seem silly. Call me a scrooge, I dont care. But, it baffles me that Japan has embraced everything about Christmas I believe to be a hassle, while enjoying none of its specialties (family time, food, and opening/watching kids open presents by the fireplace on Christmas morn.

朝のお風呂

Between shoulder blades
Water falls, frosted windows
At Takinoyu

父たちの星条旗

I watched "Flags of our Fathers" last night with a Japanese friend. The movie was certainly impressive and I found the story quite interesting, being rather ignorant of the battle (and WWII history in general), but I didn't find the script all that well written. The second half of the movie, as they explained the aftermath and the story of the "heroes" lacked something, though I couldn't put my finger on what. The scenes with the present day heroes and the author/son didn't seem to mesh well with the rest of the film. That said, my friend and I left the theatre feeling sombre, and eager to see the Japanese point of view in "Letters from Iwo Jima", which comes here out next week. However, it will be a challenge for me to undersand, as the movie is in Japanese and obviously, wont have subtitles here...