back to the heat...whats up with that?

Well it has been a while since I last updated. I hope you all enjoy looking at my car as much as I enjoy driving it. I will try to catch up to date on everything that has been going down...we'll see how long I can type for.

As far as the title: the weather has been slowly turning to fall. The nights when clear are actually cold. I know I said you cant complain about gas prices, so I should complain about 14 degree nights, but man compared to the summerday heat it seriously feels cold! It is undeniably becoming Fall here...but today the remnance of Typhoon 15 which hit China and Korea (I have no idea what the stupid name is, because they dont name the typhoons...if you hear one refered to with a name, that is the American media or meteorologists doing that) started to pass through. It is now nothing more than a strong low. The way it worked a front passed over and left us with blazing hot and humid air. It felt like early August did! Even the Japanese people were surprised. That being said, I can already feel Fall at night, its just a matter of time till Winter...and snowboarding!

So first things first: purchases. It seems that Japan is one large sponge for money. This doesn't really stem from things being more expensive (which most things are, let me tell ya), but more from just trying to get set up. I have been endlessly missing my longboard. My toe-nails are loving the rest from being brused and falling off every few months, but my brain just wants to carve some asphalt. There are some smoking hills to bomb, and some nice small slopes to cruse on around my house. Moreover, whatever god/deity/higherpower/or nothingness you believe in, bless Japanese perfectionism and care for public space. Major roads are immaculate...no potholes no cracks. Simply beautiful. My small neighbourhood is another story, but since I am downslope from everything in town that will just make for a bumpy ride at the end. I can handle that. All that being said, my longboard is sitting in my Mom's house, and there is no way it will make it here (unless I fork out a wad'o'cash for airmail) before the rain and snow covers the beautiful beautiful asphault. So I purchased another type of longboard. The downside, its almost impossible to 'ollie' this one...the upside, if I wipe out (which we all know seems to happen frequently to me) on this one it will definately hurt a lot less. If you haven't guessed it, I bought a surfboard. I told myself I wouldn't, but with 2 of the other JET's in town now owning surfboards, and making weekend trips to the beach, it was kinda one of those When in Rome moments. The board is not an pro-model or anything like that. Pretty stock surfboard, blue stripe on a white board. The sweetest part (other than surfing on it) is how hot it looks on top of my car. Let it be known, I am the hottest shit in town! (and modest about it too, HA!).

As far as other purchases...I havent really made anyother major ones...but here is a list of some of the things I put off buying so I could get a surfboard:
-a standing lamp (so I dont have to use the bloody flourscent lights that all Japanese homes have)
-a mic and webcam so I can talk to ppl in Vancouver for free with Skype. (so check this, if you want to talk to me for free, get a mic and an instant messaging program)
-indoor shoes for school (they school has a million pairs of slippers that I can borrow, but they give me shin splints)
-an iron (my solution to wrinkly clothes: dont wash them and they arent as wrinkly. HA, just kidding, or am I?!?)
-a better couch or floor chair (the one I have is fine, but it is so low that my knees get killer sore when I stand up. There are floor chairs that are a few inches higher which I think will help.)

BUT, I can now officialy say I am a Snow/skim/longskate/sufboarder. Thats right, I give you all permission to bask in my stunning and official boarder-ness.
(I assume I should prepare for and accept some mocking on for that last sentance [especially if Mel is reading this], but I think this tea I have been downing tonight is having a funny effect on me...I swear its just tea, but I seriously feel...wacked...as if my post isn't showing that)

Second topic: Elementary school. So I visited the second of 3 elementary shcools that I will work at (Kousha JHS is still my base school, but every month I have 2 days at each elementary school). This school was called Nagaoka, and it was stunning. It is extremely new...like months old, kinda like my JHS, but cooler. Why is it so new you ask? (and if you didnt, you should have!) Well let me tell you: The government of Japan is undergoing some ambitious expantion. They are expanding the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Nagano to Niigata, with plans to go all the way up the west coast at some point. What does this mean for Nagaoka school? Well they were unfortunate or fortunate enough to be right in the path of the new line. Their school was leveled, and where it was there is now a large concrete support for the elevated line. This was for the good though because they got a brand new school. It is about 5oo meters from the Shinkasen, but since the line wont be built for another 9 years it isnt so bad (on another note, I have not seen a single worker on the line, and it is build in spuratic sections...very strange). The new school is all wood, and the sweetest part is the outside courtyard. There is a large Koi (carp) pond with a fountian. There are a few fish in there. The pond feeds a stream that runs through the courtyard. Either side of the stream has small bushes that serve as home to about 100+ tree frogs. The coolest thing is that it is all designed for the kids to muck about it. Needless to say, I was right in there, catching frogs, tossing them in the pond, making them race. It was so much fun, and the kids didn't even they were learning things as they played. I wish my elementary school had a pond. Instead we had ditches...still frogs, just not so clean...Richmond, go figure.

The only other thing that strikes me as worth of mention (in regards to Nagaoka) right now, is the poor kid that I indirectly made cry. So I have alreay explained the school lunch thing, but it is taken to a new level at the Elementary schools. I am suppsoed to wait in the teachers room until the kids from the class that I have been assigned to come and humbly and politely request my honoured presance in their class. That sounds arrogant, but unlike my boarder comment, it really isnt. That is the translation of the style of Japanese that they are supposed to ask me in. The other thing is that they have to carry my lunch tray. I would have no problem doing it, but that would show some fault on their part, so I just go along with (as if you cant see where this is going...) So this particular day in question, the 4th graders come and get me from the teachers room. Being the guest at the school, I get a huge bowl of soup and a massive ammount of salad (the 2 dishes that dont come preportioned). I think I had at least 2 regular size portions. The 4th graders on on the 2nd floor of the school...and on the way up the stairs...something goes wrong...the poor kid carrying my tray...trips...full out...face first...and slam! my lunch is now the most recent decoration for the stairs and wall. I just shrugged it off, ask the poor guy if he was ok...he said he was fine, but his shin looked mighty scraped up. I told another kid to get a mop and some towels, while I cleaned up the initial mess, and went back to the teachers room with the ruined lunch. I was given some other teachers lunch, and sent off in a hurry. When I got back to the stairs 3 teachers were on their hands and knees cleaning the floor (seriously, they dont have mops here...I dont get it) and the poor little dude was just bawling. There was a huge crowd, so I told them all to get to class, and sat the poor little dude down. Now my Japanese still sucks, and he didnt know any English. The futility of me trying to comfort him was not lost on me, but what else could I do. It took a good 5 min but he finally calmed down a little. Poor guy went from having the honour to bring me to class and carry my lunch for me, to the shame of spilling it infront of everyone. I wonder, if he had a Tanto (small samurai sword) if he woundnt have drew it and committed Sepuku (hari-kari in damn American Japanese) right there.

So I was going to write about the English Conversational class we teach on Tuesdays, but I am getting tired, and it is getting late. I will save that for another post. Besides, I think another 1600 word post is good...and the trippy tea is starting to wear off...

Hope all is well in BC! Give my best to all who dont read this...and then convince them to do so! Remember, all you trolls (ppl who read but dont post), my shaw email addy is still in action, so feel free to hit me with a private message!

Cheers!