nonstopcrazybusychaos

You probably all think im bored to tears as I have been responding to your emails within hours and updating my website like crazy...and you are right! The office scene has never appealed to me, fortunately today is the LAST day of it! Perfect timing, as symptoms of carpal tunnel are starting to flare up!
I haven't much else to do in these weeks leading up to the beginning of school. So
it kinda worked out well spending the first week in Tokyo (taking the Shinkansen up to Morioka--pictured at left), second week doing a homestay, the third checking out Taneichi, the fourth week traipsing through Hokkaido and now the fifth week in Morioka. It is exciting to stay so busy, but travel time is slow (can't afford the Shinkansen every time!) and big cities are expensive. The hustle bustle is awesome in small doses, but for the most part I just want to settle into my new community! The community here is ready and willing to reach out---everywhere I go they inquire about the next time we can get together-offering to make dinner or show me new sights, teach me about their cultural traditions etc. The attention is constant and almost always positive and sincere. I really can't describe how genuinely interested this community is in learning about American culture and ideals--and it goes both ways!
Aside from all of the travels, it has been work as usual. "Work" is a gross exaggeration. I call it "compute lab time". Because I am a Municipal JET (hired by a town board of education, instead of the prefecture) I have to sit in this airconditoningless office/computer lab, pounding my head against my computer and its lovely Japanese Operating System, listening to Japanese-jarble for hours on end by my coworkers....all the while being teased by the great views of the ocean from my desk. Sure miss the outdoors-the weather here has been amazing! Hot, sunny, humid and wait...guess that isn't amazing to all of us thick-skinned Minnesotans is it? So work is done around 4:30 and by 6:00 it is nearly dark! Crazy! That sun wakes me up around 4:30 every AM and its dark before I know it!

August 30th is the first day back for the younger kids and my FIRST day with them! I have appreciated the extended summer vacation, but am in need of some structure and routine in my life! One of which--the routine part--will probably never happen. Things are so spontaneous and sporadic...I never know who is dropping by, where I am heading to or what the day will hold. Everything is an adventure!

In a couple of days we are leaving for a conference in the Iwate capital city: Morioka. It is a 5-day "business trip" in which we receive language instruction, tips for survival in a teeny town and several late-nite tours of various *establishments* in downtown Morioka. I believe the evening's events include karaoke (a staple in Japanese culture), a water park (with wave pool, spa and hot springs), a Japanese nightclub (or close alternative) and eating lots and lots of international foods that we can't get here! Should be a good time hanging out with the other rookie JETs in Iwate! Plus we are being paid to go AND have all expenses paid during our stay...man, all of that stuff I heard about the JET program taking care of its employees and such really was true! I will return August 26 and post my new adventures and experiences at that time!