Birthday Bash

This past weekend I had a really great time hanging out with my friend Victoria from Texas. She`s an ALT over in Joetsu, so it`s not too far to drive and hang out. On Friday the fun started with a niku party behind the JHS cooked by the 8th and 9th grade girls. Then I went home and my neighbor was throwing a party so I joined in and played the fiddle a bit and we all probably had too much beer and sake, but it was all fun. So the next day I woke up and caught a train over to Joetsu to meet Victoria and go to the aquarium. We also looked in a coupla stores while we were at it, then we had dinner at the apartment of a Scottish ALT who has been here for 12 or 13 years and has a really cute 2 year old son who ran around the house naked by the end of the night and showed me every book and picture album in the house. Ya know, 2 year olds are really easy to entertain, cause they`re happy when you make wierd faces and noises.

The next day I decided I hadn`t had enough of Joetsu and went back for some shopping at Jusco and the thrift shop where me and Victoria got some orange clothes to represent at the Albirex game coming up in October. We had to speed a bit to get back a little late for my birthday party at Fukiyama`s house, which was tons of fun and good food, even a pumpkin cheesecake. Then it was late and they`d been giving me beer and since Victoria doesn`t like it she got sake. I must say, I think the Japanese (especially here) are strong drinkers, so Victoria stayed over and we watched FLCL anime and listened to our Japanese rap music cd we bought.

Sooooo, then on Monday, the next day we returned to Joetsu, and we decided we are going to start a band, even though we don`t really play cool band instruments, and I bought a blue elephant electric guitar and amp, and Victoria a keyboard with stand at the thrift shop. And they both work well and were pretty cheap, so it was all good!

Yesterday, Tuesday, I taught at the JHS and Okada-sensei, the music teacher who lived in Germany for 2 years, and knows English, and knows about Dr. Pepper, and Burger King and other wonderful things, well he taught me how to make an F chord and move it up the neck to make a G and then make a C starting at the 3rd fret (which is kinda hard, cause I can`t bar the three strings with one finger like him). Then I went home and decided to make some cookies and had to go to the grocery on my bike for some butter and some chocolate (can`t get toll house here!) and some vanilla flavoring (which is actually sweetened and tastes like cake icing), and made a big batch to bring to work today at the Elementary and some to bring to Okada-sensei later for more lessons.....though I broke a guitar string last night! Hopefully I`ll get some more in Tokyo tomorow. I leave Oshima on the train tonight to take a bus with friends from Joetsu and I have to go pack! I would have done it yesterday, but I had to do laundry first. (And it`s too friggin rainy for my laundry to dry!)

Hmm... I sound busy don`t I ? That`s the way I like it! See you after the weekend!