Well, I did alot this weekend, so this may be a long post, but since it''s almost the end of the work day here and I'm falling asleep at my desk I need something to do. Let's see, on Friday we all met up in Matsusaka for curry dinner and then drinks at my new favourite bar, Hunky Dory's. It's like a really laid back jazz bar, and they serve Guiness. Can't go wrong with that! And it's within stumbling distance from Doug's house, and therefore very popular among the Matsusaka JETs. We didn't drink much and went home early because we were all tired from a long week of work (and by work I mean doing nothing all day of course), and were prepared to get up early for the long haul to the beach in Shima.
On Saturday I caught a ride with Brian to Shima, and I had a fantastic time at the beach party. We cracked open the beers as soon as we got there, and I quickly discovered the joy of swimming in the ocean with a can of beer (and later a bottle of wine) in hand. The water here is so much warmer than at home, I really spent most of the day in the water. We basically just sat around and chatted, ate and drank, and I made some new friends, including a few other wine drinkers and I believe a wine party is in the making. We all got tired of sitting in the sun by around 5 and drove back to Matsusaka for dinner at an izakaya (japanese bar). I love eating at these because basically everyone orderss a bunch of small dishes and shares, which is a great way to try new things whe you can't read the menu and don't know what to order. Then the bill gets split evenly. No fuss. Around 11pm we drove up to Tsu, about 30 minutes away for a party at another JET, Debbie's, place, where we were greeted with blender drinks:)
On Sunday, I went to a local festival with Brian and his supervisor, and we watched people dancing with dragon heads (it has a name, really, I just forget what it is). We also got to catch goldfish, which I was terrible at ( I caught one very tiny one and another one that jumped out of my bucket!) We ended up giving them all back anyways because they were dying in the plastic bags they gave us. We played a couple more games and I tried Takoyaki (little fried balls of octopus and batter), which were delicious!!
Since I had Monday and Tuesday off, I decided to go shopping in Nagoya on my own. I went early Monday morning and took the Rapid Mie train to Nagoya and the the subway to Sakae, a really nice shoping district. This is definitely the place to go if you're into shopping for designer clothes! Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, there's even a Tiffany's! Fortunately I also found some cheaper shops and managed to buy quite a bit. I even shoped at the GAP which I always avoid at home. My new favourite store though is Zara, which I think we have in Canada, but not Halifax. Kind of like a slightly more expensive Jacob, but with good sales too. They had some really nice winter coats, so I'll definitely be going back before it gets cold. I also found a bookstore that sells english books (I bought 3!) and a Starbucks. It took me awhile to find it, but was I ever glad when I did! I bought espresso beans to use with my new espresso machine, and the barrista spoke really good english so I asked her for recommendations on places to go in Sakae. Already I get excited when I come across someone who speaks English, especially after having to point at pictures in McDonald's to order the egg mcmuffin meal (that's right, mickey d's for breakfast).
Somehow I didn't get lost, even without a map or asking for directions, but I did almost fall flat on my face at one point as I was walking along the sidewalk and suddenly got distracted by one of those underground car parks where machines lift the cars and put them away. I tripped over my own feet, and although I didn't actually fall, I did give a Japanese man on a bike a bit of a fright I think.
There were also two occasions in Nagoya when I realized how foreign I actually am. The first was in a shoe store where I found some shoes that looked like they might fit me and was about to ask for a size when I realized the section I was in was the Queen Sized section, and I got embarrassed and left. The second was after I ordered my Venti Caffe Latte, and while I'm used to walking around with a coffee in Halifax, I have heard that it's rude to drink while you're walking here. However I could only sit in Starbucks for so long, and eventually left with half of my drink remaining. I figured I could sit down once in awhile and take a sip, but I think the very act of carrying a cup of coffee was enough to get me many strange looks. It seems strange to me that walking and drinking can be frowned upon in a place where there are vending machines everywhere on the side of the road!
In the early afternoon I took the train back to Matsusaka to meet Doug. A teacher that he had taught with in the past had invited him over to her place in the mountains to drink and sleep over, and feeling awkward about such an unusual request, Doug invited Ryan, Chito and I along. We went to this teacher's house for dinner and then went to a local festival where I met some teachers and a student from my high school in Taki,and learned the Bon Odori dance, a traditional dance done at festivals at this time of year. Then we went back to the teacher's house (I forget her name) where she invited us to take baths. In Japan, you wash thoroughly outside the bath and then soak in the tub. The bath water is shared. I'm not sure if it's common to be offered a bath in this situation, but in order to prepare myself for onsens and public baths, I figured I may as well. All in all, the night wasn't as weird as Doug warned us it might be. I think he was worried that she was going to get wasted and talk too much, but it was ok. We woke up early and tried to sneak out before she woke up, but her mother caught us and woke her up.
Yesterday wasn't nearly as exciting as the rest of the weekend. I mostly just biked around town, bought groceries, and cooked my first meal. Now I'm back at work, although only for one day. Tonight I'm off to Tsu to stay with Debbie for orientation. Two days of learning how to teach and get by in Japan, complete with an all-you-can-eat (and drink?) party tomorrow night. So many parties, I love it!!
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