*Photograph taken at the stop light..I might possibly have been slightly in motion at the time the photo was taken. He's been doing it for many, many years....and I don't think he's
going to be stopping anytime soon!!
The Colonel? Yeah...he's a pretty popular "man" over here!!
*The Kuroiwa's first Christmas card....
.....something that one of the little girls I teach made for me. I love it!!!
A small package from home that is just chock full of many things I love....
~~Thanks, Mom~~
Oh. My. Goodness gracious great balls of fire!!!
Japan is a country that is famous for its everyday use of the surgical mask. At any given time on any given day you will find someone wearing one. Whether they have a cold or allergies, those around them can only guess as to why they are wearing the mask. The mask is to help protect others from any germs that you might be tossing about...or to protect yourself from catching anything flying around in the air.
(FYI....the other day I read where teachers were now expected to teach their student the correct way to sneeze and/or cough---by turning one's head or by covering one's mouth with arm, hand or even better, a tissue or handkerchief. As a westerner, my first response to that was "Du-uh!")
These days, thanks to the swine flu, it is more often than not, you see people wearing these masks. Last week at the boys' school, there was a culture festival and a memo was sent home the day before, reminding everyone to wear their masks to the festival...we all had them on. Only those students about to perform were allowed to take theirs off.
At the stores, you can find a bevy of masks to choose from: adult or child sizes, cotton or other materials, with germ-fighting medicine or not, generic shape or face forming shape, you can choose men's or women's....the list is endless
Some even have pictures on them....personally, the Hello Kitty ones are my favorite (but they really don't come in adult sizes. Damn.)
The other day, I was at one of my friend's restaurant and she was in the back sewing masks for her grandchildren. I commented that they were really cute and was she going to make them in adult sizes? *hint hint* She had some very cute ones with Hello Kitty material on one side....yeah, I wanted one of those. The ones that the majority of adults wear are plain white...actually, kind of boring.
A few days later, I went back for lunch and the owner handed me a small package....a present from his wife, he said. "How did she know I would be in?" The look on his face upon hearing that question was funny....his own thoughts of "Du-uh!" were quite evident. (Yeah, yeah, yeah, I go there pretty often!)
It is time, once again, to start making plans for the holiday party season. No, not Thanksgiving...the next one....Christmas. Because bonenkai ...or "end of the year--forget all the bad stuff from the past year" parties are extremely popular here in Japan, it is even more difficult to get a place than any other time of the year. Last year, for those of you who remember, I had a party to celebrate 5 years of teaching classes during this busy holiday time. My idea was to have the party as a "thank you" to my students who had stuck by and supported me for the last 5 years. It was in gratitude to them, that I went all out and planned such a party .....incredible food, lots of beer and wine, games and donated prizes from other students and a couple places in town, presents and finally door prizes for one lucky person at each table. As 67 of my students came and thoroughly enjoyed themselves, my thinking was that every 2 years or so, I might do this.
Fast forward almost one year...it may be only the middle of November, but, according to the bonenkai schedule makers, it is time to start planning. Already though, there have been inquiries as to the possibility of doing a party again. At first, I balked at the idea....it really took a lot of time and energy to get everything and everyone to fall into place.
Last week, students from 4 different classes asked about the bonenkai schedule with the idea of getting their own class bonenkai planned and on the calendar. I came home one night and started thinking....I have, on average, 15 classes a week...two of those classes are with kids...everyone else, are wanting the traditional end-of-the-year party. These parties are not small events....all are at least 2 hours with food and drink (lots and lots of drink). Thirteen classes means thirteen parties. Thirteen nights of staying out late...eating too much and drinking, probably, more than likely too much...thirteen times. And all of these parties would be held from Dec. 7 to the 20th (or so)...and NOT on Friday or Saturday nights (usually).
Are you beginning to understand where I am going with this??
After looking at my own personal schedule and thinking about it for, oh I don't know, maybe 5 seconds, I decided that I will, once again, be having a Christmas/End-of-the-Year bonenkai for my students.
The date: December 18.
I called and reserved a room at the same place as last year....a hotel that specializes in really nice wedding receptions and other big parties.
There will be a bingo game with prizes....there will be some singing...there will be wonderful food...everyone dressed up in nice clothes...and there might possibly even be some dancing.
But...for certain, there will be a crazed foreign woman throughout this whole process (until Dec. 18, at least) wondering why the hell she's doing this again and muttering "someone shoot me if I mention this again next year", running around making sure that everyone has the best time.
Seriously....someone thump me on the head (lightly please, I'm kind of a wuss!)....or remind me every so often that I'm doing this for some of the best people in the world that I know (other than my family and some very good friends)...for some people without whom my life would be much poorer (in terms of money AND emotional feelings).
~~sigh~~
...and fill it with some of this.....
...and then....then, I might be energized to do something.Some days, when I come home and check the mail box, I'm lucky to find a flier for a local pizza delivery service or a postcard telling me of the weekly specials at a particular shop...or woohoo!!...my credit card bill. Every other week or so, I get a packet from my mom filled with newspapers, clippings, maybe some smooshed chocolate, and sometimes even cosmetic samples....which I appreciate oh so very much, but still....like the credit card bills and fliers, I know that it will be there.
So, last week, when I came home to find a box....a pretty good sized box (which, I have to admit, has already been re-used and is on its way BACK to the States to someone else!) sitting on the kitchen table (it wouldn't fit in the mailbox!!)....I was verily excited!!
A few months ago, one of my very good blogging friends--who I've never actually met, by the way--and who used to live in Japan--mentioned that there were some things that she really missed from this place I call 'home' and being the nice person I am (uh-huh...I am so), I put together a care package for her (and her dog) and sent it on its way.
And now....Janet returned the niceness and sent some "stuff from home" that she thought I would like. It was almost like Christmas.....lots of tissue paper hiding some incredibly wonderful things. The excitement was almost overwhelming!!!
She had included some things that I had mentioned I liked (granola bars..which have been rationed like you wouldn't believe!!)....some wicked smelling scents from a place I plan on ordering from soon (seriously...wicked...one of my students said I smelled "mysterious"!!), there were some magnets from the East Coast--one with beach sandals....but....there was one thing that really, brought tears to my eyes.
...two Cd's...a hat....a couple of key chains....and....do you see that really white piece of paper sitting on top of the hat??? 
Nah....she's not like that. Isn't she pretty??
I've named her Dulcie J.....
her name means "sweet". I think it's the perfect name for her.
1. place mats I made a few months ago
2. basil in our garden
3. bento and thermos for Koji
4. cucumbers from our neighbor yesterday
5. one of my favorite key chains
6. a quilted bag made by someone's grandma
7. Issei...this summer at the fair in Colorado
8. a flamingo decoration I saw and wished I had bought this summer
9. a rooftop summer beer garden here in Nagasaki
