Monday, September 22, 2008

Rain Rain Go Away

Happy Monday!

Today it seems all it has done is rain and rain and rain, and it's making me tired. Plus I don't have school tomorrow and am planned up basically for the next three weeks (I have two weeks break for midterms after this one!) So, in my absense of work, I thought I would tell you about this weekend that was quite the non-adventure :)

Friday night was my welcome enkai put on by the English teachers at my school. We went to a local restaurant despite the incoming typhoon (which people were worried about at the time, but really it was just a lot of rain, no real typhoon from what I experienced). I tried a bunch of Japanese food that was quite interesting including some different types of sashimi (raw fish), yakitori (one of my faves, basically grilled meat kabobs), salad, whole cooked shrimp (yowzers, had to take off the entire head, legs and shell…), and a few other things I can’t remember the names to – pickled Japanese plum wrapped in meat(??? that’s what they told me it was, but it didn’t really taste like it…it was actually good), and a Korean hot pot that included rice and veggies, and it was a nice change because it was spicy! Nothing Japanese has much flavor really…it’s a different non-flavor flavor :) Overall it was a pretty decent time, although I was a little lost most of the time because everyone was speaking in Japanese. They stopped every once in awhile to fill me in!

Saturday and Sunday I spent most of the day just lounging, did a little cleaning, caught up on some tv shows online, and went grocery shopping. I think it was needed to catch up in life because I have been gone so many weekends in a row. It was also pretty cloudy and rainy, so it was nice to just stay in and relax and sleep in!! Tomorrow is a National Holiday, so we don’t have school – I have a hike planned for near Lake Tanukiko, a lake that mirrors Mt. Fuji. Today it’s raining cats and dogs however (one of my students said that to me the other day and it made me laugh), so we’ll have to see how the weather is tomorrow.

I am also trudging forward in Winter Break planning. I am looking at doing a trip to Thailand, but not just to travel. I want to volunteer with a group through the JET program who are going to Baan Unrak, or "House of Joy." It’s a primary school and children's home (orphanage) operated by the Ananda Marga yoga group. It’s located in Sangkhlaburi town, Kanchanaburi province, in western Thailand near the Myanmar border. Things we might do would be putting on a Christmas party, environmental day or town clean-up, English teaching, art classes, playing with the kids, and building or maintenance projects. That’s really the most specific information that I have right now, but I emailed for more and am planning on signing up for the trip. It’s possible I might travel a little after volunteering as well. Looking at all there is to do was making unbelievable excited last night! Can’t wait to update you more on the trip…there is still a possibility lurking around of going to China instead, so we’ll see!

Hope everything at home is going well!! Love you and Miss you all!
Ash

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That sounds like it would be awesome...working with a children's home in Thailand. That's another place I've always wanted to go. Almost did ELTAP there. Definitely keep me updated on that, or keep your blog updated and I'll read about it :)
Jess