01/04/05 - 02/04/05

  
My Head Hurts
I have no idea how much I drank last night...or was it this morning?
All I know is:  my supervisor is a BAD INFLUENCE!  (are you reading this Keisuke?)
Who knew Bear's Bar had a closing time?!  That's right folks, we were actually kicked out...sometime between 5 and 6am, I think.  Tom and I finally peddled home, reaching our humble abode sometime around 7am.  Tom had to teach at 11am - still drunk....
 
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Nagano and...MONKEYS!
I've been trying to see some wild monkeys in Japan since I arrived, and I've finally done it.  It was well worth the wait.  And the 7 hour drive!  This was a really incredible trip, and I feel so lucky that Tom and I were able to watch the macaques at such close quarters.  

We also visited Zenkoji temple, which was really interesting.  We stayed in the 100 year old youth hostel associated with the temple.  I wouldn't recommend it: it was very expensive for what we got.  (Especially considering the lack of heat, despite the snow outside.)  The rest of the trip was truly fabulous, though!
 
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Back to work...
The first day of the first term of the new school year...which is also the first day of my last term.  Feeling a bit sentimental...but that doesn't make the farewell ceremony, the welcome ceremony, or all the meetings any more bearable.  Did get a lovely bento for lunch, though. 
 
Farewell Enkai
We've bid a fond farewell to our Kocho-sensei and three other teachers.  Never really spoke to the other teachers, but will  definitely miss the kocho.  He was one cool dude.
 
The enkai itself was great fun (I made damn sure I got my money's worth...all 10,000 yen of it!).  Seriously, though, it was a good night and I ended up talking to loads of people I hadn't spoken to in a while :)
 
On to Bear's 
Of course!

Met up with Mary and her parents, and a few other JETs, before Keisuke and his lovely lady came to join us...  another late drunken night.  
 
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Opening Ceremony
(Like we didn't have enough ceremonies yesterday).
  
This ceremony was very interesting and enjoyable.
 
Yeah.  Right.
 
Loads of bowing, a few speeches...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
 
Hanami, take 1
I gate-crashed a Hanami party with Mary and her parents :)    It was a bit windy, but a lot of fun.  (Especially enjoyed the ma-cha and Japanese ame)
        

      
Hanami...gaijin style (which is pretty much the same as Japanese style)
The sakura (cherry blossom) is out, and looking beautiful...so a few of us trundled down to the Asuwa river, and started drinking and taking photos of the blossoms.  Any rumours that we are becoming Japanized are totally unfounded.  Ahem.  We stayed until sunset, but Tom and I went back again later on for some festival food...mmmm!  
 
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Fukui Festival (and a gate-crashed hanami party)  
Rain was forecast, but luckily held off until the late evening...which meant we could revel in the joys of the parade in Fukui, amidst the cherry blossoms, in glorious sunshine!
  
The parade over, we trundled down (with the masses) to sit, sipping Asahi beer and Chu-hi under the sakura trees on the bank of the Asuwa river.  Mary, Flick, Tom and I plonked ourselves down on the only free plot we could find - next to a Japanese hanami party (which was well underway).  Before we knew what was happening, we'd been invited to join the party, plied with more alcohol, and were busily practicing our Japanese...
  
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Hanami Enkai with work 
A bit of a weird enkai, this.  It was held at Atarashiya up Asuwa Mountain (which is looking gorgeous with all the cherry blossoms in full flower), but there was a bit of an odd atmosphere all evening - with some people leaving before the banzai (this just never happens...).  Maybe it was because I wasn't drinking, but I seem to remember this enkai was also a bit odd last year.  Don't get me wrong, it was still fun, but wasn't one of the better dos.  
           

      
Picnic by the Asuwa River 
Making the most of Tom's 3 hour lunch break, and the fabulous weather, we took a picnic down to the Asuwa and people-watched.  
  
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Ko-pu Fesutibaru 2005 
A festival run co-operatively by competing supermarkets.  Aimed predominantly at kids.  With an English corner run by the EEC.  
 
Confused?
 
I was.

Tom and Helen weren't so happy - being required to work on a precious Sunday (incidentally, the only day Tom and I have off together, and the only time we really see each other.  Ok, so we live together, but our hours aren't very compatible...winge winge winge).  Anyway, yes...so... Coping with crazy kids, and putting on two "English Performances"...well, it's tiring work...
  
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National Holiday: Midori no hi
Tom and I spent most of the day packing stuff up, throwing stuff out, and generally making more of a mess around the apartment.  Had a lovely dinner at Saizeriya, though, then met up with Flick, Lewis, Mitch, Tilly and Laura at Bear's (where else?!)
           

      
Mini travels in Golden Week 
Most of Golden Week this year is to be taken up with planning and sorting.  However, we decided we needed a break, so Tom and I made our way down to Obama (in the south of Fukui) and beyond... to see (amongst many other things), a very...um...interesting view...
 
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