No more Halloween PLEASE!!

I have done so many Halloween lessons recently that I'm sick of it!! But I did have fun. Every Thursday some of my students go to Paul's school for optional English lessons (are mine not good enough?) Paul kindly invited me to his Halloween extravaganza. We carved pumpkins, had a mystery box of eyeballs, guts and brains and then ate so many sweets that I felt sick. It was great!!
At elementary school we made masks, played Halloween games and went trick or treating at the Headteacher's office.







I actually went through my town looking like this. People's reactions were great. I made someone literally jump on the other side of the road to me. haha.

Yanai Halloween 2006

So last year I took the best male halloween costume as Jackie Kennedy. How was I going to top that this year? Well I just couldn't. I had decided not to go for the title this year and let someone else have the chance. So the day of the party I was still without a costume but with some last minute shopping in Tokuyama, some buttons, a straw hat, a tshirt, sticky back plastic and face paint I managed to throw together Luffy from the popular Japanese animation "One Piece".

I WON TWO YEARS RUNNING!!!! WTF? I feel slightly guilty as Saki should have won as Michael Jackson (It was creepingly good). I put my win down to the Japanese vote and Hannah's artwork on Luffy's tongue. The foreigners definitely didn't vote for me as I had to keep explaining who I was all night.

Dear Kat was sorely missed at Gotcha - that place will always remind me of you (and that mash up night we had with Steph and Yakuza)

Costumes worth a mention: Michael Jackson and Bubbles (Saki and Hannah), The Hulk (Eugene), Steve Irwin + Sting Ray (Jeff the Marine), Hard Gay (Stirling), Greek/Roman Goddess (Jess - I forget which one you were) and David Hasslehoff (Paul).

tsunoshima

Mabo, the barman at our local, decided to take us to the island of Tsunoshima on his day off. A movie was filmed here last year and they built the chapel especially for the movie. Now the chapel is public toilets. Dont watch the movie it sucks.

It was a really relaxing day. Jo and I decided to go for a swim but it was bloody freezing!!

Saijo Sake Festival

I have been to (and thrown out of) a few Real Ale festivals in my time. It's guaranteed drunkeness. Would the Japanese version live up to these expectations?

We headed to Saijo in Hiroshima ready to sample the finest sake that Japan has to offer. So here was the deal: 1000 yen (five pounds) entry fee then unlimited sake from 11am to 5pm. You are given a sake cup, then you line up and choose your poison, drink it and then move on to the next line.A recipe for happiness/disaster. We foresaw the likelyhood that there would be projectile vomiting throughout the course of the day so were taking bets on the time when the first person would spew. I chose 3:45. Yours truly was the first to ralph at 3:32. I had the closest time but due to the chance of foul play and intentional spewing the next closest person (Cass) took the money. Bastard.

I haven't been so happy for ages. I was loving japan all over again. That was until it closed and we headed into Hiroshima. Tiredness and drunkeness kicked in and I participated in the worst ever, wrist slittingly bad karaoke session of my life. I was not loving Japan.

Sake doesn't give you that much of a hangover though.

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY
Now if that isn't the face of an alcoholic I don't know what is. (Sorry Satomi)
My Sake cup.6 hours of drinking was obviously too much for the Japanese lightweights. Bless them.
Rick and Brett also fell victim to the Sake. Brett passed out for three hours in a toilet. I think we're going to get on well. Yes Pete, that's Yasue. She seemed to be really genki but I can't remember what we talked about.
Not so HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

Japan has gone too far

Japan is obsessed with everything kawaii (cute). Everything is cute. But this is taking it too far. If I ever get a cute number plate for my car I know it's time to leave.

Camping

AJET organised some camping at Akiyoshidai and invited some of the Nagasaki JETs. A very drunken night - that's all that I can say. Indoor barbecue. mmmmmm. but I missed most of the food becuase I was drinking instead. ooops

This is me drinking red wine out of my inflatable sheeps ass. Classy.
errr.....
Rosie was the leader of all the misbehaving as usual.Jo and Eugene looking very pleased with themselves. You're welcome back to Hagi anytime Eugene!!Beer + Steph's Jungle Juice + Jungle Gym = Dangerous