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Fun 'n' stuff

These last few days before I depart the land of the rising sun are proving to be tightly packed with various excitements. On Friday Colin Powell came to speak at my school. Yes, that's right. I secured a very diffult to get ticket. Did I go? No. I made a VERY bad choice and missed the big speech in order to fully experience the dissapointment of missed expectations. (Yes, there is a story there. No, I won't tell it here.)

I recovered Saturday by spending my time playing with the ever-so-charming Kiomye. In the evening, we collected Abby and went to a great conveyor-belt sushi place. Kio was in great behavior and gobbled up the raw fish placed before her. We indulged our shopping habits at the hyaku yen store, then ended the evening eating ice cream from Baskin Robbins and watching Kiomye cast spells on passerby's with her new magic heart wand.

On Sunday, I met up with Toshiya (The extremely talented mandolin player of Parrish). We had lunch and he gave me some of the band's CDs. They had done a special printing for me that featured my name on the disk cover. They all also signed the inside. VERY sweet. (Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Parrish!!!) After lunch, we strolled over to Tower and I got an old Doc Watson CD for Toshiya that is full of songs my mother used to play on her guitar when we went camping. It was a very enjoyable afternoon. Toshiya is good company.

Later I met up with my friend Yoshi (who is Japanese, but speaks excellent English with a VERY strong Australian accent which totally messes with my head). We rode the trains to Suma Beach in Kobe to the live music show on the sand. Once the vicious sun sank below the mountains and the breeze blew in from the harbor, the evening felt perfect. The first band was a cover band that played Red Hot Chilli Peppers very poorly and failed at creating audience response. Luckily, they were followed by some excellent Flaminco dancers and a Samba band. We drank corona and danced in the sand. I came home exhausted and happy.

Today is the last offical day of the school term. There was a ceremony this morning. There will be a meeting this afternoon and , of course, another meeting this evening. Then I am DONE until September. YEA!!! I love teaching. It's fabulous.

posted by Scribbler @ Monday, July 18, 2005