(no longer) LOST IN JAPAN

Nothing to say...

I was told that I have update my blog... Unfortunately I don't really have much to say. I'm back in Kashiba after being away from my regular desk for a week. Elementary school was great, as usual. I had 2 demonstration classes. One on Friday with the 2nd graders and one on Monday with the 4th graders. The demonstration classes went well and many of teachers afterwards commented on how powerful a teacher I was... How well I motivated the students... I think that maybe they were just being nice but I know that I always feel like I did a good job after my elementary classes. I don't feel that way after I teach a high school class... well maybe after Oji on most days but certainly not after Kashiba.

Saturday was more fun times with kids. It was the Tenri Christmas Concert that they have every year. I missed it last year because I was at an awesome taiko concert in the BFE Mie but this year I went to sing my little heart out. Good times were had by all and I get to be on TV again. I think I've been on TV more times in the last few months than I will ever be in my life. That's always fun... although nothing will ever beat my appearance on Entertainment Tonight.^^
After the Tenri Concert, AJET had their Holiday Party. It went off without a hitch. I was quite pleased. It seemed like everyone was having fun and therefore I was having fun. AND there was enough money to pay for it in the end, which is always a bonus. *Gives self tap on shoulder for putting it all together. I ROCK! And so do you Aaron for helping me make the reservation because I have no faith in my Japanese abilities. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera though so I have no pictures of the happy moment...

I was in Oji yesterday. There was a fire drill... meaning that we had to stand outside for 45 minutes while the firemen showed the students how to work a fire extinguisher. At the Kashiba fire drill, the used empty extinguishers... at Oji they had real ones with a real fire. Real fire, real firemen (even the firemen in Japan are hot BTW...). It was way more intersting than the fire drills we have back home. And that was my excitement for the day... I told you I have nothing to say.

I have no classes from now until mid-January, so at school I'm basically just biding my time. So at school yesterday and today, I spent the day researching stuff to do in Okinawa. I also spent a long time emaling my travel agent because I needed to book flights to and from all the main islands (since there is not enough to do on Okinawa-Honto to fill up 13 days... the beach would have been nice but it won't be warm enough for the beach). So I had a ton of things I wanted to do in my head but obviously my head needs to be checked.
I had originally planned on learning how to scuba dive.... until I discovered that it costs $800 to get my basic certification... so scratch that. Then I wanted to go hiking in Iriomote-jima (a jungle island in the south of the archipelago) until I found out that there were leeches and poisonous snakes involved... so scratch that. Then, I read somewhere that you could go whale-watching but that's only in February and March so we can't do that either. So what are we going to do? That's a good question... I do know that I'll be driving, which worries me but I'm sure I'll be fine. At least I have the car, flights and ferries booked but I still have yet to make the hotel reservations... EEK! I'll do that tomorrow.

posted by Samantha @ 12:48 AM