My impediment

Few people know this but I have an impediment. It was a defect from birth but little by little, I am slowly conquering it day by day.

I am a computer illiterate.

But last night, I took a massive step and used skype for the first time. Not only did I use the thing which let's you see what the other person wants to say in like a nanosecond, I also spoke at my computer and heard a voice coming from within. Now, tonight I used MSN for the first time. What with the blog and everything, I have quadrupled the icons on my desktop. (Only had the dustbin before).

I find that I am only chatting with a person called 'borat' on skype and someone with a vietnamese sounding name on msn...

ok, so it's my sister.

Rainy season my arse

It's meant to be rainy season but it's rained like, twice in a month. This means that it's unbearably muggy and sauna-like and I've been using my air-conditioner a lot. Now I've got one of those awful air-con colds where you've spent too much time switching back and forth from hot to cold.

We made shortbread with English club today. Whilst we were waiting for the biscuits to bake, I started to have a coughing fit, one of those which only a glass of water will fix. Unfortunately, I got to the sink with my glass too late and started dry heaving into it instead.

Now, that's what a proper English club should be like, the ALT convulsing in the back, kids sat struck mute with embarassment and the JTE gone to get some green tea for our 'traditional' afternoon tea.

I went to another restaurant today. Gohei near Jolly Pasta on route 9. Big thumbs up.

The final countdown

Right, so I stopped moping about and got my arse in gear. In the middle of packing two boxes which means that there's brown tape, newspapers and scissors all over the shop. Bit abunai as often the scissors are hidden under the newspapers. Well at least it makes packing a bit more exciting.

My end of June resolution is to try a new eaterie in Yuda every week from now on. As I only have 3 weeks left, that only makes three more places. Maybe not quite as prolific as I would have liked, but still better than a month ago.

Tonight I went to Mahoro (or something like that) and it was dead good. The food was new-style Japanese and the restaurant wrapped around a foot onsen. All very chic; and kinda gross in a I-don't-wanna-see-people-washing-their-feet-whilst-I'm-eating kinda way.

I am morose

It's a beautiful, muggy day and I don't have to be at work for another hour even though it's 2 pm and yet, I am sad.

I am sad because I have to leave Japan.
I am sad because after I leave, I won't see all the friends I have made here gathered altogether again any time soon.
I am sad because I have to go home and watch Trisha in my jammies.
I am sad because no-one in Cullompton will understand how my life has been for the past two years.
I am sad because I have no job to go home to.
I am sad because this part of my life is over and it will never happen again.
I am sad because I'll have to travel for 3 hours to get the nearest kaitenzushi and then pay at least £2.50 for 2 pieces.
I am sad because my Japanese will only get worse from now.
I am sad because I am so scared.

Drink = Delicious food and a sleep strike

To all of you who went to the Kylie and Pirates party (not quite the same ring as Kylie and Jason), I hope you had a good time.

I couldn't make it because I had taiko practice which in the end was cancelled. Ann and I decided to have people round for dinner and the plan was for me to go after practice. Thankfully it was, as when Jamie, Eleanor, Neal and Laura came round, I was up to my elbows in negi and uncooked chicken. It was hairy for a minute and we had my hotplate and my nabe pot out at one point, but we got everything done only 1 hour late. Go team slow!

Got everything transported to Ann's who served up her mains at 12am! As she herself concluded, maybe the reason why everyone thinks she's a great cook is because we're always so pissed when it's served up.

10 years ago, on an 18 hour school bus trip to Austria we were subjected to watching all three Star Wars videos back to back. In protest I conducted a 'sleep strike' and slept through all of them. Consequently, I have never seen any Star Wars movies. Jamie has taken it upon himself to enlighten me and today, I watched the first two (chronologically) before the release of the third on the 9th.

And in my humble opinion? I wanna light-sabre! They're bloody cool...oh, and the second one's a pile a shite.

Seeking JTE with GSOH

So starts the teachers' training conference for another year. I kicked it off with a speech on 'Reflections on language learning', indeed as scintillating as it sounds.

I always forget that there are non-J teachers out there. No, I'm not talking about ALTs but actually, JTEs who have a sense of humour and aren't afraid of showing it publicly.

At last year's conference, one JTE (Japanese teacher of English) wrote about the magic box in his kitchen. He'd call out that he was hungry and then food would be prepared. He'd call out that he was thirsty and a drink would be prepared. The magic box was indeed his mother... no smut please...

At this year's conference a JTE talked about her quest for her better half. She'd decided long ago that J-men were too boring and so began her search for a foreign man to marry. It started with a homestay when she was a JHS student (like secondary school). Batsu (no good). She tried again in Korea. She failed. She's now applying to become a student in the US. Good luck to her.

Memory-loss

So, much of Tuesday night is a big blur, but fortunately, I have Christophe to remind of numerous things that happened. The funniest by far was when Ann, Yoskiaki, Yukiko, Yamane-san (my boss), Christophe and I went to karaoke. Yamane was about to start a song when Christophe belted out, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, Yamane in the fucking house' to which Yamane replied, 'Shit, wha'?' Now I don't know which one of those two bad-asses I'd be more scared to meet down a dark alley.

Just watched Totoro and mei-chan is super kawaiiiiiiiii. I want to eat her. Munch munch munch...

Ohayo gozaimasu...but not too loudly

As you can probably imagine, I'm sat here with a Berocca and trying to piece together what future embarassment I subjected myself to last night...

It's always dangerous to write when you're pissed...

ok so I'm going to write from now as if I weren't...

OK so today, I had a massively long (JET) day. I taught four cooking classes and then an English classe which soundns crap on papper but in reality is a pain in the arse. I',m too drunk to convince you. So anyway, then I went to a what you ma call it and go ttoo drunk and somew=how. against my etter judgement, I managed to get everyomne to go to whatyoumaclal it and we sang too mcuh, especially mw as I sang sngs I din''t evenn know. maybe this isn;t that iteresting but it'll be funy b=for me tomorrow ehn I read I wrote now...

Blog is two days old!

Happy birthday, Blog!

Right, I haven't worked out how to reply to comments yet so I'll do it in my blog. Yes, I use billychica for everything because it hurts to think of something else.

The past few days my back's been killing me. Now, I don't know how well you know the J health system but it's dead confusing. (For Jude, there are lots of different places you go depending on what's wrong with you. ) It took my teachers a whole day to work out which particular -ology my pain fell under. If the J folk can't work it, what chance has an illiterate gaijin got?

They started off trying to electrocute me using special pads which made me feel like I'd lost control of my body, then (and you thought the massage chairs in Deodeo were good, Laura-Jane), they put me on a giant massage bed, then I got a massage. Really it was the best 700yen (about 4 quid), I'd ever spent. Honestly, guys, you should invent pain. Next time's only going to be 300 yen apparently. Yay!

popping my blog cherry.

I've popped my blog-cherry but not very well apparently... Somehow, I have 2 blogs...

where's this one going?

Huh?

I don't get it. I hate computers. It wouldn't let me have billychica so I had to choose ten different ones before it gave me sushisuki but now it's billychica again... I don't understand.

This is sad. I keep checking my blog to see if anyone's posted anything but the thing is that I haven't told anyone about it.