We drove to Nagano (five hours from Echizen-shi) for the weekend – I took my half-day Friday off (something called ‘nenkyo‘ that totals 12 days a year). Nagano is a popular skiing area because of the snowfall the prefecture gets. I tried snowboarding, which is the sport of falling down and getting up until both feet are no longer locked onto a board.
“An you believe de brute ask me how often I does wash my weave?!”
Then we (H. [Finland], T. [Ireland], S. [America] and I [Barbarian – that’s the the Irish’s joke]) went to Jigokudani or Hell’s Valley’s monkey park, famous for its snow monkeys. Accustomed to the tourists, they ignore them. One showed me his incisors twice, though. They sit in the natural hot springs (like the Japanese).
I’m not excited about travel within Japan. It’s all shrines and immaculate gardens and bowing. Friends are leaving this year, and I want to spend as much time with them as I can. They want to see as many shrines, immaculate gardens and bowing as they can, though.
Their replacements show up in August. I hope they won’t all be silly and full of youthful exuberance. Many Caribbean ALTs live a twenty-minute train ride away, in Fukui city, and most of them are staying, however. Maybe I’ll be home more, saving money. I could limit travel to the winter break to escape this miserable cold.
For Mark’s visit we’ll go to Hiroshima, Kyoto and Tokyo, after a weekend in Osaka where he arrives. It’s the city I love best for its super-friendly-when-drunk people. I’ll start the night out alone and end it with an entourage of drunkards. Plus, it’s only a three-hour train ride away. Once you’ve been to these spots, you’ve got Japan covered, especially Kyoto with its geishas. Been busy booking places to stay.
Our accommodations in Kyoto – Kinkaku-ji – Temple of the Golden Pavillion (this is a joke)
I read your e-mail upon returning from Nagano, broken to bits, on Sunday. Sorry to hear about auntie having to start chemo again. Reading that drained my remaining energy. Life is what it is at any given moment, including cruel. What to do but hope?
Caribbean folksong skirts
Thanks for the stuff. It hasn’t arrived yet, but I dribbling, thinking about them tamarind balls. I’m sure the outfits are fine (they were more than fine, above). The Caribbean crew jaws going drop when these Japanese girls come out singing John Belly Mama followed by a dramatisation of Murder in de Market!
Nothing much else going on. I’m conducting interview tests this week at school, exams are at month end, and next month, there’s a break. It too cold to face class at the primary school. The energy required to survive the children! On treadmills, they could power the city. Did I tell you that playing a game to teach them colours, I’d call out a colour and they’d run touch it? They climbed me like a tree when I said, “BLACK!”…TO TOUCH MY HAIR! Dem ain’ got black hair too?!
I guess it’s a good change in routine from the high school students who are mostly dead inside. My primary school visits are every Wednesday from 2:55 to 3:40 and it’s a ten minute walk from my main school. 2:30 now… lemme prepare to head out. Talk to you soon.
Much love,
Martin
P.S. Did I tell you I have a new Japanese teacher who speaks no English? It’s great! I’m surprised how much I understand and expect my speaking skills to improve dramatically this year.
P.P.S. Wuh Rosemary Alleyne doing in Japan? Follow this link and see (after the page opens, scroll down and press play).
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