Thanksgiving, Tokyo, Exams & More

I'm really behind on the posts, so I'm going to try to catch you up on the last two weeks.  Here we go:

So first, starting with two weeks ago... I had my last HIA Japanese class for this term on a Friday night. It was a good night,but I thought it was really cute when one of the AFS exchange students asked for my phone number and address to keep in touch (in case we aren't in the next course together).  I'm actually going to miss having classes twice a week during our break!

 After class, I walked to Sannomiya with some people and met Dave, Chris and Emi at Polo Dog for some drinks. 

On Saturday morning, our grueling 8am group gardening at the apartment was rained out (score!), so I got a little extra sleep before meeting the ladies. 

Left: This was a surprise picture of one of my ladies while she was cracking up. I love candid shots and this woman is always smiling or laughing.

Each time we meet, my ladies read a little essay they wrote and sometimes they bring things to accompany their speech. One woman brought her portable Japanese tea ceremony set to show us this time, which I thought was pretty cool and want to show you. The chawan (tea cup/bowl) goes into the little basket, which is attached to the whisk.  I've never seen anything like it:

On Saturday evening, Dave and I were going to go to the Thanksgiving dinner in Himeji, but I couldn't get a reservation (it was capped at 40 and there was already a waiting list), so we had to change plans.  At first I was a little disappointed, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise... because instead of turkey, we went for sushi! (natural progression, I know)

Things always get a little crazy at Kurazushi, one of the conveyer belt sushi chains where everything is about one dollar each, but dinner was delicious and I had a good time. We actually had a coupon so it was only 88 cents a plate, too... I think I ate 10 plates (with two pieces of sushi on each) alone, but we definitely topped 100 plates with our group of six!

Kurazushi is a family place (perfect for kids 'cause they can grab what they like), but the pictures above might give you a better idea of the feel of the place.  The first shot shows the conveyer belt (and a family in the booth on the other side), then there's Katie enjoying her sushi and finally you see me going for a last bit at the end of the meal (while others are starting to feel the pain of eating too much... easy to do when it's sooo good) ;)

Also - as you can maybe tell - Movember was still going in full force that night:

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So I didn't really go anywhere the next day, Sunday, but rather spent most of the day cooking in preparation for the big Thankgiving feast at my friends Bob and Katie's house. I didn't know them as well this time last year, but they apparently cooked everything for a huge crowd, and I think the giant dinner proved to be too much.  So this year was potluck-style! 

The only real rule with the potluck was that you had to bring something from your native culture (since there were a lot of people from all over coming).  I was going to make Mac'n'Cheese, but when I found out Bob was making enough for about 30 people, I settled on tapioca pudding and eggnog.  *The picture above (left) is a Shepards pie is from one of the New Zealand guests*

Just to give you an idea of what the meal was like, here are some more pictures, taken in Bob and Katie's kitchen after everyone had eaten (and maybe already gone in for seconds). It was almost madness with two turkeys and all that food, but - needless to say - I left very full and a very happy camper.  I'm also guessing Bob and Katie still have leftovers...

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Monday (last week) was a normal day back at Harima Minami High School.  I had four classes, but still spent most of the day talking to my coworker, who was studying for his grad school exams:

Then, on Tuesday, I hosted a little dinner party at my place with a few friends.  I tried to remake the "grandpa's favorite eggnog" recipe that I had used for the Thanksgiving potluck the week before:

On Wednesday, exams started at both schools.  While it can be a really busy time, teachers generally love it because the new schedule affords you time for a longer lunch, etc.

On Wednesday, some colleagues and I snuck out to a French restaraunt in Kakogawa to celebrate Yamamoto Sensei, a teacher at a nearby high school, passing the highest level of the domestic English proficiency (STEP) test.  The food was really good - especially the sausage.

  

Then last weekend (Friday), we had our end-of-the-year work party at the Maiko Villa Hotel in Akashi. 

I was asked to do a performance with some other young women on our staff, not realizing it would turn into a Maria Carey solo while they danced. It was fun and turned out well, though:

I also won first prize at Bingo (a stay at the hotel)! 

It's BINGO, yes, but the game can get competitive at my work parties... which sort of made the win even more exciting. 

This picture really sums up the atmosphere at the party well (Mr. Mountaintown, a hilarious English teacher at Takanan, was upset because he was getting a lot of numbers, but no Bingo):

I am going really going to miss these events.

After the party ended, I jaunted to Sannomiya and hopped a night bus, waking up the next morning - Saturday - in sunny Shibuya, Tokyo! 

I was only in Tokyo for two days to take a test, but I got in two nice, longer runs along the Sumidagawa River. Otherwise, it was mostly studying (here's one picture from the cafe I was at, Dean & Deluca):

While in Tokyo, I stayed near the famous Asakusa temple. I didn't have time to do much sightseeing, but I had never been to Asakusa before, so I ran through it on one of my runs and then took this shot with my cell phone as I was leaving for home on Sunday.

And while the bullet train can be really expensive ($130 for a one-way ticket from Osaka to Tokyo !), I am still impressed by the ride every time and love taking it. Here's a shot of me on the way back to Kansai, after the test.

On Monday (this week) I had to administer a few tests in the morning at my regular school (so I was pretty busy with two schools), but we a had a small dinner party at my house in the evening. 

My friend Emerald - an amazing cook - came over, bringing most of the ingredients to make a few curries and deserts with her. We didn't eat until a bit later than expected, but it was good company and Emerald's creations were worth the wait. 

Here's a shot of some of my other neighbors hanging out on my tatami, just talking over wine. It's normal to sit on the floor (often made of bamboo grass, like mine) at parties in Japan:

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I've literally just been correcting pretty much all day (submitting my grades tomorrow), which can be a slow, but steady, process. As you can tell, things have been pretty busy, but they should be laid back this last week and I'm looking forward to my three week trip down under next week.  I haven't really thought about packing yet and need to get a few gifts before then, but I still have a week.  

Anyways, I'll get back to the blog, but that's the update on where I've been.