NEW JOB RESULTS!!

So finally I am employed for sure and I have a new apartment address. I move in my stuff on Thursday probably. I'm working for Joetsu City...the same board of education I've been working for but I can't work at the same schools due to prior arrangements so I have to move to a different apartment. The good news is that I'll have more to do and be able to go places by bike more in the city. Comparitibly, Joetsu is like Greenville, SC. Plus I'm always a 30 min train ride from my old place and visiting friends here (though so many of them actually live in Joetsu, but just work in Oshima!) I haven't been told what schools I'll have yet but I hope to find out today.

So I've been cleaning and packing and all that racket and today I move the last things out of the apato. It's been fun finding things "when did I get this? " .....I found my sandals I lost a few days ago on the sidewalk halfway to school this morning (maybe they flew off my car? otherwise a students took a walk in them and left them by the river? Okashiraaaa...)

I still have to get the car shakken on Wednesday /Thursday then I'll go to Fuji Rock, an awesome 3 day concert/campout with bands like Cake, Beck, Foo Fighters, Fat Boy Slim, John Butler Trio and lots of other awesomeness. Check the link above for the lineup. Gonna get a new keitai (cell phone) tomorow prob'ly, should be fun to get signed up!

A bunch of us went to Matsudai and Matsunoyama last night with Masa Oda and it was way cool. The first place in Matsunoyama had all these records you could choose what to play...3 turntables, lots of artwork and just an interesting collection of things. We ate cold soba and even had soba icecream with vanilla and a chilled plum and blackberry sauce. After that we moved on to Matsudai to a little place where we jammed out....I played some fiddle and banjo, Masa Oda played some guitar and this really interesting pot that you put your hand over a hole to make a sound much like an Indian tabla drum. Alexi played the bangos? and some other cool rythm instruments..I forgot the names, Chuck did some Pikaia kinda stuff on the guitar with them and it was pretty cool. Then the lady of the house pulled out her Okinawan style shamisen and showed us how to play it...I was dying to play it all night until the end I finally got to......now I've got to get one! It's a Japanese banjo with 3 strings! I was starting to figure out Shima Uta (Island song) before we left. And Vami came who lives in Matsudai and it was really cool to see her, hisashiburi desu ne!