I just ate my last Japanese school lunch for a while.

Bring me Thai food or bring me death.

wooo

Though I should be getting ready for my trip, I decided to squeeze in a ski day at Nozawa Onsen with Lopaka, Katsu and Patrick.

It was the perfect day to be there because there were pre-season prices, no crowds, and 3 feet of fresh powder.

We only got 7 or 8 runs in though just because it was a slow moving day...lots of waiting for powderbound snowboarders, gondola-riding and a long lunch...but Patrick and I were able to jump into my favorite pockets of untouched tree skiing.

I had the best first run of the season of my life...my first 5 turns included more than a few blinding face shots of powder.

I love that area and that little town. We opted for an onsen in Nakasato instead of the boiling hot water in Nozawa, and it was perfect. Went home, ate 7-11 oden and slept like a drugged baby.

NOW to get through two busy days of work, private lessons and trying to pack for Thailand and find a way to Tokyo. I will be going from skiing in blinding blizzards to tropical beach and directly back to winter wonderland and more skiing. I will be very confused. What the hell do I pack for this place?

Oh, Christmas Beach

I am finally near the end of the most insane 3 weeks of work since I've been here...and along the way I've been able to sort out my Christmas and enjoy the record December snowfall.

About the snow...It's snowed over 4 feet in 3 days. Even though it makes driving so far to my schools difficult, it is really fun when I go straight up into the mountains to the isolated elementaries, getting first tracks and making a snowplow out of my car on roads that aren't even roads anymore, dodging small avalanches and sliding into snow banks for fun. The maddening thing is that it all has fallen during the week, making skiing in it impossible...so I will try to get out this weekend!

I'm going to the beaches of Thailand for Christmas, 12/21 - 12/31 and then back to see a Japanese New Year. I'm still kind of in shock...this will be my first Christmas away from home and family, and I'm going to an Asian tropical paradise (my apologies to my family and friends, especially Ely and my brother and mom). But I'll be with a few friends and will be meeting some of the other JETs on Phi Phi island and then maybe heading to Koh Lanta island since my mom liked it there so much. And of course there will be a couple nights in Bangkok...

One thing that's been on my mind is the fact that we will be on the beaches that were slammed in last year's tsunami. We will be on Phi Phi on December 26th, the one year anniversary. I believe there will be a memorial ceremony that we may attend.

Someone told me they wouldn't feel right being on those very beaches for the anniversary...which is understandable, especially because friends were affected by it. But I feel like if anything, these hard hit areas need people to come and just BE there, to keep their economy supported with our tourist revenue (many of the areas are struggling as tourist numbers have dropped of course). I donated to the Red Cross last year but sometimes you can't really trust your money with relief organizations...I feel like actually being there and putting money into the hands of the locals may have a more direct impact.

And of course just to stand there a year later and look out at the sea and just show heart and support, that's the least I can do.

Poem

Tokamachi snow is in full effect.

It snowed more than 2 feet today.

It took 45 minutes to get to work.

It's really beautiful and makes me happy.

I want to go skiing.

I'm too busy. I have 6 schools this week. I have no free time.

I want to quit my job and play in the snow.

Que Vivan los Chimayosos!

I was put off a little yesterday because I've been so busy, and I was called last minute to do an English presentation on my Wednesday afternoon, which is usually my only free time for the week...I had planned on using it to sort a Christmas plane ticket. But instead I went to the Tokamachi Community Center to meet a group of Seniors who occasionally get together to work on their English. For all the grumbling I did about it ahead of time, it turned out to be a really good thing to do and I definitely made their day...I really enjoyed it.

The thing I really liked about it is I got a chance to blab on about New Mexico for 90 minutes to an interested audience. Because of the way the curriculum is and the textbook-centric way my schools are, I never really get a chance to speak much about the culture and life of where I come from. But today I dug out some old New Mexico realia that I had forgotten about, like New Mexico magazines, books of arts and crafts, etc. and I explained every bit of detail about my beloved home state that not many people in Japan will ever know about. For example, I explained to them how adobe architecture works, how a yucca is different from a cactus, what a kachina doll is, the difference between red and green chile, the Tewa translation of Chimayo, why we burn (and then swear at) big angry puppets, and why we airbrush Jesus Christ on our lowriders.

It was nice to open their eyes to how diverse some areas of America are...that not everyone in America is white or black, but the majority of the people I know back home are either Hispanic or Native American and I grew up as the minority. The three cultures living together is such a contrast to the one-ness that is Japan.

So overall it was great. We finished by having some snacks around the table and just having the same general conversation as usual about what food I like/hate, how the earthquake was, etc., but it was a nice break from the daily grind of "How are you?...no, no, not Hawaii...how are YOU? YOU!!!" Junior High English class.

dumpalicious

After studying for 5 minutes by the kerosene heater, i was quickly launched into a 3 hour, oxygen deprived drooly coma for the whole of my Friday night. Upon awakening, I looked outside to see the first perfect, beautiful Snow Country snowfall of the year. It is worthy of my annual First Snow Beer and I will be cracking that open any second now.

It's amazing how a dreary, thundery rainy day can be quickly transformed into a total butterflies-in-your-stomach, smile-inducing wonderland. Rain is such a dorky loser...snow is far more popular, and better looking too. Rain sucks, snow rules. Snow gives rain a big wedgie. Snow tapes a 'kick me' note on rain's back. Snow gets all the ladies. Everyone ignores rain's phone calls.

Leaving for Matsumoto in Nagano tomorrow for the test with Martin, Debs and Kate from Niigata-shi. For the amount I've been stressing about it lately, I wish I had studied more. Once it's off my shoulders, then I can put my mind on more important things, like what I'm gonna do for Christmas, and the ski season.

Mickey...hitting the bottle?

OK geez people I'll put up Disneyland pics! Here's one to start.



By the way, Mickey was totally better looking in person. But he was kind of a jerk. Not only did he refuse to speak English with me, but he tried to kiss Yuko.