Dartboard

This is me about to eat basashi (raw horse meat) in Miyazaki-ken over Golden Week. One of the challenges Peter and I accepted. I ate two, count them TWO pieces of raw horse.

Warning: This is possibly the least interesting blog ever. Consider yourself warned.

I can’t believe it’s July already. June sure did fly by. Joelle and Steve will be here in just 18 days, I think. Yeah. I THINK. I don’t know because my sister won’t send me her flight information!! CALLING MY SEESTER!!! Please send me your itinerary so I know when to pick you up! I can’t believe I’ll be climbing Mt. Fuji this month. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for so long!

This week was really exhausting. I’m not sure why—I had basically no classes at the high school because we had mid-term exams Monday through Thursday, but I went back to Wakamatsu Junior High School just for a visit and taught three very genki classes there. Those kids are THE BEST. I hope Catherine loves them as much as I do. I really think that is the perfect school to teach at. I’m glad I can go visit occasionally.

Kondo-sensei, the JTE I worked with there, had her last day on Thursday and soon she’s heading back to Fukuoka. I really want to get together with her again before she leaves. I always think about calling her but I so rarely do… She is so sweet. I wish I could work with her everyday of the week instead of the big, mean Sasaki-sensei. Kondo-sensei is so funny, but always makes me feel like I’M being the funny one. I say anything and she laughs like it’s the best joke she’s ever heard. And the size of an average 7th grader—so adorable!

Anyway, I worked out a lot this week too. Went to three swim lessons. lifted weights twice and karate tonight was REALLY tough. We had some prospective students watching us today so they worked us really hard. I think they also just slack off a lot in the winter because no one wants to practice when it’s freezing in the gym. Today’s practice may have been the hardest ever though. We counted our sandbag kicks and did them in unison—which means we do a lot more of them and don’t get to rest between them like usual. Then we did all the punches and blocks as a group and the teachers came around and made sure we didn’t slack off or get lazy. AND, if that’s not enough, we did moving kicks across the gym over and over again. I think I burned 1000 calories in that class alone. And before that I had already lifted weights for 45 minutes and swam 2,000 meters. No wonder I’m exhausted.

A picture I took on Beppu’s monkey mountain.

Tomorrow I’m headed to Fukue to visit the ALTs there. I’m just needing a weekend away. Monday I’m reading books at Narao elementary school and Wednesday I leave for my business trip in Sasebo and I’ll be gone until Sunday. We’ve got an orientation for the English Summer Camp and then I’m going to visit Scott in Nagasaki and take care of city business that’s been adding up. Maybe I’ll even cut my hair. I’m sick of this long hair on 90 degree days with 90% humidity. I’m not joking. That’s how hot it is. “Sweat Everyday” is my motto, and even though the AC is supposed to be turned on July 1st, we’re saving money by leaving it off on “cool” days like today. Today was cool—maybe only 89 degrees.

Got to watch the hot tennis players on TV now,
Sierra

Noodle Long and Soft

Saturday I went to Hifumidaki, a waterfall in Arikawa, with Masami and her family. It was a great afternoon with her two nieces who I just fell in love with, and after some warming up—they loved me too.

The waterfall is named Hifumidaki, but the kanji is　一ニ三滝　so it looks like it reads 1-2-3 Waterfall. Catching fish in the river, dragonflies in nets and eating yamamomo berries right off the bushes reminded me so much of Oregon, I had to call the place 1-2-3 Oregon.

We ate lunch at a small community temple in Arikawa. I love how this picture turned out—the girls are just a silohouette in front of the torii.

Masami’s little belly! It’s either a girl or a shy little boy inside!!

The girls had soroban practice for an hour (they still learn the abacus here!) and Masami’s husband got off work at 3 p.m. and we all went to the waterfall together. Moe, the youngest, wanted a ride in my “cool car” so I drove them separately.

The girls in front of the waterfall…just a drizzle, but the water was cold and felt so nice.

Me and the girls, catching dragonflies and other bugs.

Now, doesn’t this remind you of Oregon?

Searching for bugs. Masami’s husband, Kazuya helps.

The cold river felt so good to play in on this hot day.

Picking yamamomo berries.

We used to have one of these trees in our front yard in California. The little pink puffs sure bring back memories!

Moe loved my super cool sunglasses. She loved Kuro kuma-kun too.

I also had dinner with the family. This is Masami’s mom who hiked Mt. Fuji about 15 years ago—in two left shoes! She somehow brought two left shoes, but had to hike anyway! I’ll be sure not to do that this summer! I feel like such a huge beast next to Japanese people. Why am I so big???

This is the hiking stick she used for Fuji. I guess you can buy a stick and get stamps burned into it as you reach certain stations/heights. It’s so cool I want to do it too!

Also want to include a picture of my eikaiwa students in Aokata from last week. They consistently bring me dinner—here I have potato salad, watermelon and slow-rise yeast bread (which was the best bread I’ve ever had in Japan, and maybe top 5 in my lifetime). Damn good bread. Thanks Mizorogi-san!

I always have such interesting conversations with this group. I don’t have to plan anything—we can get away with just talking about life. I try to write key words and draw pictures on the board for those few students who can’t always follow the conversation. But always, it’s guaranteed fun!!

Love, Sierra

The rain comes.