Midterms, Enkais, Goodbyes and Another Outing
This week has gone by pretty quickly. We've had midterms, but I've been busy catching up wtih Advertising stuff, sorting out travel photos, getting back to people, catching up on my news, etc.
Ladies Lunch
Yesterday was the Ladies Lunch at school. For some reason I was feeling really dizzy all morning and almost skipped it to go home early, but I ended up staying and was glad I did. Between me telling stories and people asking me questions, I swear I talked more than anyone else there (and I wasn't even that hyper due to the headache), but it seemed like everyone understood the broken Japanese and I learned a bit about some of my coworkers. I really like all the women in the English department right now, too, and the new younger women (my age) are fun.
The girl that just moved into my apartment complex was actually telling tales of our bathtub situation, much to the astonishment of the other luncheon attendees. When I told them I didn't even have a shower until last year (and still have the furnace) they were pretty shocked. Good to know that isn't normal in Japan... or wait... maybe that is not good to know considering I'm still living in the bathroom stone age. I don't want to cough up the money to pay key money (a rather large - $2 or 3,000 "gift" to a new landlord) or pay for new tatami in my place if I move now...so C'leste vie, I guess. It was also sort of cute to hear some of the teachers talking about individual kids who accidentally called them "mother" and things like that.
The Bridesmaid's New Clothes
I went for a long bike ride to Akashi last night (a little less than an hour each way). The whole path was along the water - very soothing. The purpose of the trip was to get a dress tailored, but also to take advantage of the weather along the way. I left a little later than planned (got stuck working on something at school), but I made it just before the tailor closed. It was this adorable old lady who was rather bemused by my tailoring requests (I am gonna guess she doesn't get many pear-shape figured girls in her shop...) and who I was even able to bargain with. The price she quoted me for the tailoring job was already a bit cheaper than it should be, but I got her to knock off another 20% witha smile and a little broken Japanese. She assured me about 3 times I was getting a really good deal, but I think we both had fun with the bargaining (it's like a game) and I think I'm getting my dress tailored at a really good place for a lot less than it would cost me in the states.
When I got back last night, I met some friends for din at Tenshin (the place with the old ladies) and then hit up the local supermarket with them afterwards. It was nice to stay in the neighborhood and I had fun hanging out with some people I haven't spent time with for a while. The night before, I went for a run, relaxed for a while and then met up with another friend to just hang out and chat in a park we used to go to after Japanese class. It's been a long time since I had been there, which is funny to say about something that I have done in Japan. I guess I have been here a while.
Tonight is another department party and tomorrow is another going-away party for a friend who is leaving Japan. This is the first one of my closer friends to leave and it's pretty sad, but you have to expect as much as an expat. On Sunday, i might be going to Amanohashidate (literally "the bridge to heaven"), a sandbar in Kyoto-Prefecture that is supposed to look like it's going into heaven when you turn your back to it, look through your legs and see it with the clouds reflecting on the water on either side. I would say the whole thing sounds kind of funny, but the place is one of the "three most famous sites" in Japan... so you have to go, right?! I think it would be nice to rent bikes and have a picnic (especially since there's not much else to do once you've hiked up and bent over). Fingers crossed that the weather forecasts really are going to be nice!
I should go if I want to run (trying to get back into it... but it's going very slowly!). I probably won't be able to blog again before next week, but hope all of you are well and safe! Cheers :)
Ladies Lunch
Yesterday was the Ladies Lunch at school. For some reason I was feeling really dizzy all morning and almost skipped it to go home early, but I ended up staying and was glad I did. Between me telling stories and people asking me questions, I swear I talked more than anyone else there (and I wasn't even that hyper due to the headache), but it seemed like everyone understood the broken Japanese and I learned a bit about some of my coworkers. I really like all the women in the English department right now, too, and the new younger women (my age) are fun.
The girl that just moved into my apartment complex was actually telling tales of our bathtub situation, much to the astonishment of the other luncheon attendees. When I told them I didn't even have a shower until last year (and still have the furnace) they were pretty shocked. Good to know that isn't normal in Japan... or wait... maybe that is not good to know considering I'm still living in the bathroom stone age. I don't want to cough up the money to pay key money (a rather large - $2 or 3,000 "gift" to a new landlord) or pay for new tatami in my place if I move now...so C'leste vie, I guess. It was also sort of cute to hear some of the teachers talking about individual kids who accidentally called them "mother" and things like that.
The Bridesmaid's New Clothes
I went for a long bike ride to Akashi last night (a little less than an hour each way). The whole path was along the water - very soothing. The purpose of the trip was to get a dress tailored, but also to take advantage of the weather along the way. I left a little later than planned (got stuck working on something at school), but I made it just before the tailor closed. It was this adorable old lady who was rather bemused by my tailoring requests (I am gonna guess she doesn't get many pear-shape figured girls in her shop...) and who I was even able to bargain with. The price she quoted me for the tailoring job was already a bit cheaper than it should be, but I got her to knock off another 20% witha smile and a little broken Japanese. She assured me about 3 times I was getting a really good deal, but I think we both had fun with the bargaining (it's like a game) and I think I'm getting my dress tailored at a really good place for a lot less than it would cost me in the states.
When I got back last night, I met some friends for din at Tenshin (the place with the old ladies) and then hit up the local supermarket with them afterwards. It was nice to stay in the neighborhood and I had fun hanging out with some people I haven't spent time with for a while. The night before, I went for a run, relaxed for a while and then met up with another friend to just hang out and chat in a park we used to go to after Japanese class. It's been a long time since I had been there, which is funny to say about something that I have done in Japan. I guess I have been here a while.
Tonight is another department party and tomorrow is another going-away party for a friend who is leaving Japan. This is the first one of my closer friends to leave and it's pretty sad, but you have to expect as much as an expat. On Sunday, i might be going to Amanohashidate (literally "the bridge to heaven"), a sandbar in Kyoto-Prefecture that is supposed to look like it's going into heaven when you turn your back to it, look through your legs and see it with the clouds reflecting on the water on either side. I would say the whole thing sounds kind of funny, but the place is one of the "three most famous sites" in Japan... so you have to go, right?! I think it would be nice to rent bikes and have a picnic (especially since there's not much else to do once you've hiked up and bent over). Fingers crossed that the weather forecasts really are going to be nice!
I should go if I want to run (trying to get back into it... but it's going very slowly!). I probably won't be able to blog again before next week, but hope all of you are well and safe! Cheers :)
posted by Brenda Ann Elizabeth McKinney @ 8:02 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home