ERIK IN JAPAN - MEMOIRS OF A GRINGO: July 2006

Luau in Yokohama, hula party yea!

Tonight Lopaka and I randomly decided that we will drive to Yokohama. There is a Hawaiian festival there. And seeing as to how Lopaka is Hawaiian, and how I've been there once and got a tan, we decided to make the trip. It'll be one of those 'leave at midnight, get there at 4 A.M.' random road trips that I won't be able to do for much longer. Getting old, and all.

So I'll be gone for the weekend. Not much else new to report. Signed my contract for my 3rd year. I've suddenly become one of 'those' JETs.

To keep you entertained in the meantime, here are some random pics from Aubrey's trip.

all in one day, we went up to akiyamago, onsened, and went to the local festival in my area that was in honor of my favorite shrine. all in all a crazy day.

this is how high the snow was this winter in akiyamago

random pics from last few months

Jizo statues

in Kamakura

Sushi that, biznatch

"Matsushima, ahhh, Matsushima, Matsushima, Matsushima! " - Yes, it's Basho's most brain-farty haiku

random pics from last few months

thousands of origami cranes for good health and wishes and other swirly stuff

Ely and I with Take and his brother, mother and father up in Miyagi

speak, monkey

Me and Dad at hanami (cherry blossoms)

supergalactic Thursday

No classes today!

err, I guess I haven't really written a whole lot lately about what I've been up to for the last couple months, so how about a random mention of anything mildly interesting...

I think I mentioned Ely's trip was fun, but I'll reitterate that it was awesome and we did a million cool things.

Haven't mentioned Anna's trip yet...

Anna's trip was rad, because we went and did a million other cool things in Tokyo like checking out huge tapeworms at the parasite museum, went to a pro Japanese baseball game, and ran away from a drunk guy who was trying to lick my face. Then we came up to Tokamachi where we went up to the mountains and checked out some local stuff, and watched some soccer. Fun trip!

Recently the heat and humidity of rainy season has been off the charts. It's so humid, when you tear a piece of paper, it just sort of falls apart. I strip down and take a cold shower after work. My hair is attempting to be curly. I'm probably gaining weight just by absorbing moisture via osmosis. I opened a can of potato chips and they quickly turned to mush. I feel like I'm breathing mud.

Last weekend was awesome, saw Lopaka run a marathon (nice work), swam in the ocean, ate 2 cheeseburgers (rarity), went to a ninja fun house, and went to the movies. Last night I payed $15 to sit for a beer.

I'm having lotsa fun with my students and I've started doing pen pal stuff with some of them, which is forcing me to write some in Japanese. I did calligraphy for the first time yesterday and I was terrible at it.

I went to Niigata City with Yuko and family, and went to a good fish market where I bartered over guts and tentacles.

Russell was really ill but he's pulled through. Go tough guy.

I think Aubrey's coming to visit in a couple weeks!

More random pics soon...