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Last report - Week Twenty Two (How embarrassing...)
Again with the Penguin, go on...poke it, for old times sake
Japanese Cars, if you haven't read this already you should, very enlightening
Ok, so I've been veeeeery lazy this time. Bumming round school, avoiding work, basically killing time, shooting the breeze and racking up some Zzzs. Not very constructive. And I would like to apologise to my loyal readers (mainly comprised of Mum, Pete, and well, Mum) who have still been asking about me even after so long. I would like to thank Petey in Nagoya for putting the guilt trip to me and getting me off my Fat Ass (because things of these proportions require capital letters) and getting me to the laptop. So! Lets get down to it.
1) My holidays. By Jane C. Furnas.
It started about two and a half months ago actually, hot sultry days, 30 degrees, 80% humidity. For those not in the loop, I come from tropical north queensland, as in above the Tropic Of Capricorn, as in palm trees, bikinis, 35 degree heat and hot beaches. But even that being said, I died this summer. Died, baking in my own juices. I remember trying to convince my classmates at the start of the year (when it was 2 degrees out) that Townsville was a HOT town and that we experienced 36 degree and up days and everyone still went about their daily lives. However, I don't know what it is but somehow, this summer was hotter than I have ever felt and I trully feel sorry for all you exchange students out there that came from Scotland/America/Melbourne. You must have suffered.
So this holidays, I went to the beach. I watched a jellyfish swim past my boobs (then vacated the water at lightning speed, followed closely by Jay leaving Emma in the water going "Where's the jellyfish! Where! Where! Show me!"...damn southerners). I went to Matsuyama for 5 days and stayed with the district governor (who poured me beers and took me to the onsen everyday....great bloke)(I out drank his son and wasn't even tipsy...heehee). I met the new exchange student in Matsuyama. Guy by the name of Thomas, 16, American, Manga fan, likes computers.......Australians will get what I am saying here. I also met the exchange student in Saijo, a Mr Callum from Scotland. Could be Andy's twin in everything but the glasses. Great bloke. I said that if I wore my yukata to the next festival and really tarted it up he has to wear his kilt (which he brought with). Am yet to see that wager filled. And no Petey, dunno if that boys Scot balls. *sigh*
I went to school too. No not Japanese school. Thankfully I got out of having to go for the first and last two weeks of the holidays. Honestly these Japanese are crazy. Four more weeks of extra classes during holiday time. Whats the point then of a 6 week holiday? No, I went to a cool school in Matsuyama run my EPIC (don't ask me what it stands for) and it was great. Had a bit of trouble with Rotary about going. (Something along the lines of We'll pay for the classes and you pay for the transport)(for a free course, nuf said) The classes were great fun. People from all round the place. Lets do a roll call of my class. Two Australians (Emma and I), Serina from New Zealand, two Chinese, a Peruvian, five Americans (one from Hawaii), Callum the Scotsman, two english blokes (Punit and Maruwan....class clowns, totally cracked me up) and a lady from Laos. We learnt lots of interesting and very useful stuff too, things that had been bugging me for weeks that I didn't understand, and also things that when I do use them, will be very beneficial to me. Like how to suck up in Japanese. Yup, we learnt Brown-nosing. And its harder than it looks. I won't go into the details but basically Japanese has a whole set of levels that govern how you talk to people above or below you on the pecking order. Us, being gaijins (foreigners) don't sit all that high but by using carefully chosen treacle-laced-sweet-and-sugary words you can do most anything from ask you boss for a day off to go to you mother's funeral to asking politely if you can use the copy machine. Definately something I might possible sometime in the future may use. Who knows. The point is that I learned to do it.
And that I'm afraid is it. I know! 6 weeks of holidays and I have accomplished almost nothing. But, definately like Japan more when I am not in a school uniform and trudging 30 kilometers everyday to school and back.
2) Ok, rather than me have to explain it all, why don't you just go on to the sports day web page by clicking here.
3) Stuff I plan to do? Lets see, On the 4th and 5th of next month I am going on an over-night camping trip with the grade 5s of Hidaka Junior School, which should be very, genki (happy/perky/high in sugar induced energy). Looks to be good, if we don't get rained out. Then on the 12th to the 15th for School Trip I am going up to Hokkaido in the frozen north near where Gemma is. Its the top-most island of Japan for those that don't know, and its main exports are potatoes and crabs. I shit you not. Well, I am looking forward to seeing snow again. Then on the 16th I am hopeing (finger crossed) that I will be allowed to go to the Saijo festival in Saijo a couple of stops down the train tracks. Its a very big event in Shikoku cos they have these HUGE portable shrines that the carry on their shoulders and bounce around to drum music. Then, cos they always have to take it further, they start to ram eachother in a kind of shrine-battle. Its hectic, its gawdy and its dangerous. Apparently someone dies every year. I am soooo looking forward to it. Then finally on the 22nd to the 24th I am going to Okinawa in the very south of Japan for three days of RnR with the other exchange students on the Island. Dust off your bikinis girls, this is going to be fun! So yeah, thats why I am going to be very busy next month. Keep you informed. Ciao for now, Jane The Japwonder