October Already
Today is already Thursday, cant believe its October so soon. This time last year we had just started our final year and moved in to our place off Park St, Bristol going to Iia Mas with 'EhEh'Catherine and 'IDontKnow'Mariani-oh, it was so much fun and I really do miss uni life. 'Naughty'Nicola...'Gansta'Anna....'NeveronTime'Sal....'Spikey'Ed....Kate'Hayhed'.....'Trenchcoat'Phil..'Streetboy'Tom.....All the UWE BA Marketing posse.....what have you been up to??!!!!
Yesterday morning was fantastic-Reena or RINNNNNNA surprised me at 6 am-it was so nice to catch up with her. It's over 11 years ago since she first asked me if she could borrow a pencil in our first class on our first day of secondary school!!
Hopefully next weekend-A Bank Holiday! A group of us will go to Tokyo Disney for my birthday!! Yay! I wsh Aladdin was real....
Thursday, 2 October 2003
Sports Festival at Tsuru High School =FUN
Sports Festival at Tsuru High School =FUN
I wish my school sports Days were LESS BORING, SERIOUS and MUNDANE because at this school they actually make P.E. FUN!!! I wasn't a fan of P.E. at my school-lessons were far too competitive and you never really counted if you weren't in the rara hockey, netball or rugby team. There is more to life you know...like enjoyment !
Crazy Races
OH MY GOSH...We had Sports Day this week.... The crazy races are awesome. Sooo funny!
Race 1- An obstacle course where they:
a) Rub faces in bowl of flour
b) Crawl under a net
c) Blow up a balloon and sit on it so it pops
d) Spin round a baseball bat-to the point of collapse
e) Drink a Yakult
f) Find piece of paper from a tombola and run back
Race 2 - A three-legged Race to a box containing a forfeit...then they run to the microphone in the middle of the field and read it out to the school. The forfeits are to fetch certain objects such as a chair, a person over 100kg...etc...Quite funny!!
Race 3 - A boy wears a padded hat with a balloon attached to it and sits on the shoulders of 2 other lads. About 5 groups line up on the two ends of the field and when the pistol fires they run in and battle it out - whacking each others heads in an almighty attempt to burst the balloon using newspaper truncheons!! You will understand when you see the pictures as to how funny the events are!!
I wish my school sports Days were LESS BORING, SERIOUS and MUNDANE because at this school they actually make P.E. FUN!!! I wasn't a fan of P.E. at my school-lessons were far too competitive and you never really counted if you weren't in the rara hockey, netball or rugby team. There is more to life you know...like enjoyment !
Crazy Races
OH MY GOSH...We had Sports Day this week.... The crazy races are awesome. Sooo funny!
Race 1- An obstacle course where they:
a) Rub faces in bowl of flour
b) Crawl under a net
c) Blow up a balloon and sit on it so it pops
d) Spin round a baseball bat-to the point of collapse
e) Drink a Yakult
f) Find piece of paper from a tombola and run back
Race 2 - A three-legged Race to a box containing a forfeit...then they run to the microphone in the middle of the field and read it out to the school. The forfeits are to fetch certain objects such as a chair, a person over 100kg...etc...Quite funny!!
Race 3 - A boy wears a padded hat with a balloon attached to it and sits on the shoulders of 2 other lads. About 5 groups line up on the two ends of the field and when the pistol fires they run in and battle it out - whacking each others heads in an almighty attempt to burst the balloon using newspaper truncheons!! You will understand when you see the pictures as to how funny the events are!!
Thursday, 25 September 2003
Just Thinking........a rainy afternoon in september...
I have finished for the day and am just thinking....
Everybody here is so cool - some really wicked friends-it's amazing-we are all from different places and backgrounds, yet click really well!!
I hate to admit it but there are some 'maybe not so good' experiences...
The whole lets eat and cook every creature that walks and hide it in anything edible' really is a frustrating issue for me.
But MUM if you are reading this thank you so much for forcing me to take my spices even though I did think it was a ridiculous suggestion back in England! Mums do know best!
And on a positive note...
Other than that, I love it here, the view from my balcony, the people, kids and culture are all so welcoming and already I feel I have picked up some mannerisms to take home with me. The best examples will be the Reflex-Head-Nod and bowing and not being so assertive I.E. adding 'maybe'...'it is better this way'...! So respectful - the Japanese!
I have ticked of quite a few of my 'To Do List' that I had in my head before I came here like visit Kyoto, go Sumo Wrestling, Climb Mount Fuji, but there are many more things to add as I learn from my Japanese friends. One that I didn't anticipate was experience an earthquake...which was absolutely surreal even though it was minor!
Everybody here is so cool - some really wicked friends-it's amazing-we are all from different places and backgrounds, yet click really well!!
I hate to admit it but there are some 'maybe not so good' experiences...
The whole lets eat and cook every creature that walks and hide it in anything edible' really is a frustrating issue for me.
But MUM if you are reading this thank you so much for forcing me to take my spices even though I did think it was a ridiculous suggestion back in England! Mums do know best!
And on a positive note...
Other than that, I love it here, the view from my balcony, the people, kids and culture are all so welcoming and already I feel I have picked up some mannerisms to take home with me. The best examples will be the Reflex-Head-Nod and bowing and not being so assertive I.E. adding 'maybe'...'it is better this way'...! So respectful - the Japanese!
I have ticked of quite a few of my 'To Do List' that I had in my head before I came here like visit Kyoto, go Sumo Wrestling, Climb Mount Fuji, but there are many more things to add as I learn from my Japanese friends. One that I didn't anticipate was experience an earthquake...which was absolutely surreal even though it was minor!
Harajuku Shopping Sunday 21st September
The weather has changed dramatically since this weekend and now its only about 17oC or so... and wet - so it is a relief from the heat last week but it will get colder!
Despite the drenching rain we still found a 'splendid' number of funky shops in Harajuku...but I so wasn't prepared for the weather. Things are reminding me of England now!!
Despite the drenching rain we still found a 'splendid' number of funky shops in Harajuku...but I so wasn't prepared for the weather. Things are reminding me of England now!!
Earthquake Sumo! Sat 20th September
This weekend, I went to Tokyo to watch the penultimate game of the latest Sumo Wrestling tournament! Whilst we were there there was an earthquake...a mini tremor!
Reflection
I feel sorry for the wrestlers though, falling all over the place - there's something very melancholic about spending your youth trying to get overweight so you can push someone over...even though there is a huge respect and fame association, what do they do when they retire?
Reflection
I feel sorry for the wrestlers though, falling all over the place - there's something very melancholic about spending your youth trying to get overweight so you can push someone over...even though there is a huge respect and fame association, what do they do when they retire?
Kyoto Temple Hopping 13-15 September
Kyoto was amazing, took only 2 hours on the Shinkansen or Bullet Trains, but definitely worth visiting again. Will tell more later!
Wednesday, 10 September 2003
Monday, 8th September
Well Hola everyone..I hope you're all genki and not as spaced out and achey as I am.
On Fridaynight 5th September, me and about 19 other ALTs gathered around Mt. Fuji and began our long overnight climb. The weather was brilliant - dry and clear. We started around 9pm and stepped carefully up the rocky paths guided by our flashlights. We took oxygen canisters with us but there were no nauseous casualties!
Although we started together, by the end most of us had split in to little groups, climbing in pairs and congregating at the various stations or huts along the top. Luckily, me and a few others enjoyed the rests at these huts and timed our ascent well, as we reached summit at 4am..about 7hrs after starting. Other adventurous lots got to the top by 1.30am but froze cold under Mars [very visible and red here Japan] the Moon, and the millions of stars I have never seen before in my life! Hundreds and thousands shimmering in all sorts of patterns! When we reached the top, we stood around gathered anxiously by the edge of the Mountain brim in wait for Sunrise.
Looking very angry, the sky blazed a bright fiery orange at first, then a cool purple blue and finally a pretty lilac pink! It warmed up quickly as the sky changed colours.
At around about 5.30 am we explored the huge crater where fresh lava is expected to erupt in the next few years, and took lots of photos that you would normally expect to find on postcards.
Then down. How mundane and dirty. Boring zig-zagging down, down, down yet never reaching the bottom. So monotonous. Red sand spraying as we skidded and stumbled along.
By 9.30 we reached Station 5 again where we collapsed and baked in the contrasting heat and longed for showers and sleep.
Now I ache.
On Fridaynight 5th September, me and about 19 other ALTs gathered around Mt. Fuji and began our long overnight climb. The weather was brilliant - dry and clear. We started around 9pm and stepped carefully up the rocky paths guided by our flashlights. We took oxygen canisters with us but there were no nauseous casualties!
Although we started together, by the end most of us had split in to little groups, climbing in pairs and congregating at the various stations or huts along the top. Luckily, me and a few others enjoyed the rests at these huts and timed our ascent well, as we reached summit at 4am..about 7hrs after starting. Other adventurous lots got to the top by 1.30am but froze cold under Mars [very visible and red here Japan] the Moon, and the millions of stars I have never seen before in my life! Hundreds and thousands shimmering in all sorts of patterns! When we reached the top, we stood around gathered anxiously by the edge of the Mountain brim in wait for Sunrise.
Looking very angry, the sky blazed a bright fiery orange at first, then a cool purple blue and finally a pretty lilac pink! It warmed up quickly as the sky changed colours.
At around about 5.30 am we explored the huge crater where fresh lava is expected to erupt in the next few years, and took lots of photos that you would normally expect to find on postcards.
Then down. How mundane and dirty. Boring zig-zagging down, down, down yet never reaching the bottom. So monotonous. Red sand spraying as we skidded and stumbled along.
By 9.30 we reached Station 5 again where we collapsed and baked in the contrasting heat and longed for showers and sleep.
Now I ache.
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