japanese mash

Hello! I'm originally from Cardiff in Wales but am currently living in Hagi-shi, Japan. I'm an Assistant Language Teacher on the Jet programme and have set up this blog to act as a diary of my time here and also to let friends know what I'm up to (I hate group emails as much as the next person!). Enjoy..... or be bored.

Monday, August 28, 2006

New Piercing!

There was once a time in Uni when my friends and I would wake up hungover/still drunk and march up to the closest tattoo/piercing parlor for a new random piercing. Before coming to Japan, all of my piercings came out one way or another - probably a good thing as I thought I needed to look respectful. My friends have continued the tradition back in blighty (my favourite being the bit of skin between your thumb and index finger - Dicks, Conk, the rails are nowhere to be seen). Now that I've realised that it's impossible for me to be anywhere close to respectful I decided to get a new one!

I've just realised how ugly ears are - or is it just mine?

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Its all a blur

Here we go.....

The last few weeks have been mental!! I don't know what I can say about them really. Somewhere in there was two weeks of solid drinking and I think I am on the verge of checking myself into the Priory along with Pete Doherty

After Fuji we welcomed Jo (a Hagi newbie) at the Hagi festival.I remember arriving during the festival last year and it was just too much to take in. Jo did well! She managed to make it out to Karaoke afterwards (that's what I like to see!) And no I was not walking the streets with a can of Asahi Super Dry in my hands whilst talking to students. They did however tell me to use a condom if I took Becky home that night. They might be dirty but at least they're careful!

Then onto Tokyo where I was working as a TOA (Tokyo Orientation Assistant) for the next batch of newbies. I had one day to spare so I met up with Christine, Louise, Kat and Sarah for one last night of misbehaving before they left Japan. It resulted in piercings, seeing boundaries and eating them, very bad karaoke, something very shocking in a very posh bar, and then wandering the streets at 2 in the morning singing "You were always on my mind". Great Night!! Next day onto Narita airport to wait for the newbies who were arriving the next day. We were told that there were no bars in the area so we couldn't go out even if we tried. We tried and we succeeded! Managed to find "The Barge Inn" and got heavily smashed on beer, vodka, redbull and tequila. Don't remember the whole night. The next thing I know, I'm wandering lost in the streets of Narita at 5 in the morning. No idea how I got there, why I was on my own and how to get back to the Hotel. Then slept late and almost missed my bus for Airport duties the next day. I soon got a reputation. (Oh you're the Welsh one!) (^_^)

Anyway, managed to make it through the whole orientation: gave a presentation, met the newbies, took the newbies on a night out (and despite being tired they were really good fun!), tried to sound like I knew what I was doing on information desks and tried to look happy rather than hungover throughout the four days. It was great fun!
Then back to Yamaguchi for the prefectural orientation and another welcome party. Not quite as crazy as last years but still a lot of drunkeness!
Then back to Hagi for another welcome party (for Jo Flic and Simon) I dont actually remeber what happened after this one but I'm sure it was drunken.
I had promised to see Megan and Dave in Shikoku but by this point I just couldn't do it. I needed to rest. But then I remembered that I had promised the use of my appartment to 10 people whilst I was meant to away. I did manage to rest in the days on the beach but the nights....well they were a different story. I did hold myself back somewhat due to fatigue but still enjoyed watching 8 heavily tattooed bikers pass out across the bar after drinking competitions with the foreigners.
Then Pauline, Paul and I Kidknapped Starsky (another newbie) for the weekend and took him to Fukuoka. If he wsn't such a nice guy I would hate him. His Japanese is as good as mine and he's only been here 3 weeks! Bastard. There we met up with Kaoru and Mayumi at a Thai restaurant, then Karaoke and then the Happy Cock. Slept 3 hours in the car and then we headed for the island of Nokoshima for the Isla de Salsa Festival. Salsa, Sun, Sea Sunburn and Sewage. Perfect!
That's about it. Glad to be back at school to be honest. I need some sort of routine to give my life some meaning. Sorry for the lack of pictures but I broke my camera at some point in Tokyo and can't remember how.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Fuji: Been there, Done that, Dan bought the Tshirt

After a brief stop over in Nagoya (Don't know why, just fancied a bit of Nags action), Dan and I headed for the Fifth Station on Mount Fuji. We were soon joined by Dave, Megan, Matt, Crystal and their friends Kim, Torry, Josh and Scrumplet. Totally unprepared (no torches, not enough warm clothes, wearing trainers) we started our ascent in cover of darkness.
Fuji isn't quite the romantic climb that you would imagine: vending machines and tacky souvenir shops managed to make it all the way up. We were also being chased by a bus tour of elderly luminous green monsters waving light sabers. Despite this, it was a great experience and watching the sunrise on from the top of Mount Fuji with such good company will undoubtedly be one of my lasting memories from Japan.
おつかれさまでした