MORIentation

Russell, Mark, Damian and I @ the Welcoming Reception to kick of the Morioka Orientation Conference. Free drinks, and free fancy appetizers and hors deuvres!

The general theme of the week was to indulge...which included french fries (wow, what a treat--and I can't believe it's really ME saying that!), real authentic italian pizza, huge japanese style breakfast buffets at our hotel each morning and the most amazing piece of pie/cake/heaven--I have yet to taste in Japan! When in the larger cities, I have found myself craving the most random things...Mr. Donut and Starbucks---things I would never want normally, yknow how outta sight outta mind goes. Well, in Morioka-I was tempted by all sorts of tasty establishments, saying NO was such a challenge. In the end, my tummy won out and my cravings were satisfied!

Karaoke anyone? These are the little "hotel room-like" booths that we rent out, while enjoying 'nomihodai' (aka: all you can drink (and sing) for usually $30). The catch is that you only have 2 hours...!!?? The staff at these places are amazingly efficient-despite enduring bossy foreigners who can't verbalize their appreciation when they are sober, much less 'wankered'....new British slang---that's for you Damian.

Sophia and I sang a terrible remake of Meredith Brooks...which also indicates what my blood alcohol level must have been! 3 Fuzzy Navels, 1 cosmo, 1 screwdriver, 1 icecream/alcohol shake...business as usual?!

Below is a picture of a card that I made. We had a brief origami workshop and folded 3 teeny pieces of paper into a super teeny woman dressed in kimono. An easy "art project" for busy people like me! Hope to make and mail several of these back home. Let me know if you would like me to make one for you!

Temple in Morioka. Day and evening shots. Mark and I ventured over to the park, and made a quick stroll through what was probably the equivalent of a funeral home...OOPS! Actually it was a shrine and we totally disrupted this poor woman who was trying to pray. We couldn't read the signs and, well, are ignorant Americans. Must learn Kanji, must learn Kanji! I hate being illiterate!

Nomihodai @ an Irish Pub!? Only in Japan...all the Corona, Lowenbrau, Honeyweiss and Malibu you can handle! The Guiness (which I might detest more than eating octopus) was almost 10 US dollars! As you can see, these guys are only "getting their money's worth"...!

Derlee and I = always putting Minnesota on the map!

Hai, chizu!