A NICE DINNER

Being in japan now a little over a year, i guess at times it feels a little lonely. Its not like home where you are used to family and friends. I know i can go over anytime and see my friends or family, but here things are different. Before i could just go up and talk to people, but now its hard just to even talk to anyone. Life is hard sometimes, somethings you take for granted. But i know just like in college when it was first lonely it would get better later on, so i gotta keep on trying hard everyday.

So tonite, after the discovery of soft taco shells i was happy to treat my conversation class to a dinner at my place. I dont have many people visit. Then again there are not many people that i talk to that are older, so i guess at times they are kinda like my family. I guess i made the dinner, to make up for the holiday meals that i missed, or am going to miss over the holidays. Maybe that is why i tried to play christmas music and have christmas lights. I had a good time to just sit down and eat and talk with my new japanese friends.

CHRISTMAS LISTENING

I love the internet, i can get my Christmas songs, oh its wierd how i miss the songs this year, maybe because i wont be going home for the holidays, or maybe its because my kids are playing Christmas songs in class. Anyways hopped on winamp to get some internet radio action. In luck today, found a station from san francisco playing xmas tunes. And the first song was a new one ... labeled ... "holy shit, its christmas" .... must be a new version to go along with "grandma got runned over by a reindeer" .... ah , now there is another new song i am listening too .. i see a southern hit ... called ... "redneck christmas" ........... and r kelly ... "santa hooke me up da shit"

A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

Today i was at elementary school, running around with the kids during lunch recess as usual. Then a 3rd or 4th grade kid that barely comes up to my waist ran up to me and said "penny". Oh i thought, that is nice, they are asking for a penny, but i dont have any coins. So i did my usual i dont have any coins gesture, and said sorry. But then a bunch of his buddies came and started saying penny too, and gesturing to their lower body part. So after a quick thought, it seems like they were not talking about coins, but possibly about their penis. How nice they could try to practice their english with me. Of course my idea was confirmed when they were dancing around and gesturing to their body part and saying the japanese equivalent of penis. Wow, i better watch out, usually its not until the 2nd grade in junior high when they start asking me, but looks like they are starting early.

SOCCER AND SWIMMING

I miss playing sports, i even opted to play sometimes with the swimming team. It is winter, so they dont swim right now, it is too damn cold, so somedays they play softball or soccer. So i have joined them just to kick the ball around or throw it around. Ah feels good to just be out kicking the ball. Plus it is nice to know the coach. Nice guy, science teacher that speaks english.

A NEW MALL

Well my conversation group was telling me about this new mall that opened up in Aboshi, so not too far from Tatsuno, only about a 20-30 min drive. So i had to check it out, so after class me and Oguchi san drove over to the new mall. It was late, about 1030, but the mall was still opened, amazingly. Usually shopping stores in japan close pretty damn early, such as arount 800pm. But it looks like this mall is going to be open til 1100pm. It was a nice 2 story mall, maybe about half the size of Bellevue Square. It came complete with a Jusco, aka supermarket, a Sports Authority (my favorite), a Joshin ... electronic store, yummy food court, and various other stores such as a starbucks, and a bunch of other designer stores such as Tommy Hilfiger and Polo. But it seems like the other most impressive thing of the mall to my Japanese friends was that the entire inside was laid out in carpet. Wow, supposed to make it more beautiful. Anways carpet seemed like carpet to me, but no big deal. I guess one reason would be in japan that most homes dont really have carpet, either tatami mats or hardwood floors, so i guess it would be a little exciting. But i guess the most exciting thing for me was not the carpet but the foreign food store i found there. Oh sometimes it is so hard to find certain things in japan, its just not like home in america where we seem to have everything. So looking around the store i found everything i have been craving for, from cookies, jam, to wine, and then the most important thing i have been looking for in japan over the past year. Yes, it was .................. soft flour tortilla shells .... finally! I can now make Mexican food!!!!!

TOP XMAS SONGS IN JAPAN

Everywhere you go you can the christmas jingles and songs in department stores, grocery stores, etc. Sometimes just the tune is played, but it is nice to hear. Doesnt quite feel like christmas season or anything as there just isnt quite as many xmas trees, or decorations, or snow around to bring that feeling. But it is a nice attempt.

Anyways i thought to myself what songs i would be hearing back home right now, such as silent night, frosty the snowman, rudolph, 12 days of christmas, all i want for xmas, and other songs. So i thought in japan some of those common hits would be popular too, but of course i was wrong. After taking a quick poll from my kids and listening to songs in the stores. There were the common songs such as jingle bells, and we wish you a merry xmas, but it pretty much ended there. Amazingly the #1 christmas song is none of the ones listed above but that 80s hit song by WHAM aka george michael and company, yes, Last Christmas .... yes, it is true that is the number one song known by japanese for xmas ... a popular karoke favorite and store tune .. i would have never guessed !

KAMAE XMAS PARTY

Today was the day for the local community center to have their annual christmas jazz concert party. The center was nicely decorated with christmas decorations. Basically today the elementary school kids and their parents get together at the community center to have a mini, mini flea market, enjoy some food, watch santa claus, jazz musicians, sing songs, etc. Probably around 100 or so people.

Last year i went, and it was pretty fun to hang out with all the little kids. This year i was joined by my fellow JETs, chris, cindy, and ryan the traveler. Chris a month ago mentioned that he played the drums. So suprise today, chris was included in a skit with santa claus and rudolph. Luckily it was an easy part which after many gestures and translations he got the hang of it. The interesting point of the day came when the band asked chris what songs he played on the drums. Being a casual player, chris mentioned he didnt read any music notes and mostly just played rock music. So the band member asked do you know the beattles? Chris replied no. Then again the member asked do you know songs from the beattles or carpenters (japanese favorites). Unfortunately after many dumfound looks by chris, he repeated the same answer, no, mentioning he could improvise and thats about it. So the member turned to his band and said yes, he can play the beattles. .... ha ha ha ... i was laughing inside, but couldnt say anything. Somehow i was not suprised with the end result.

But anyways when the skit was on, chris did a good job in his role and played nicely on the drums. After a couple songs by the band, and singing by the kids, the day was over. It was a good day to enjoy a kamae center xmas party even though it looked like a monsoon outside.

cindy, chris, ryan, me, being good boys and girls this year