A very bad cold indeed, the mystery of Thanksgiving and getting back in the saddle...

Well, I know I have not been very productive with my blog lately, so here is an extended update of whats been happening...

Firstly, I apologise if you found my last post a little depressing. It was the way I was feeling and I thought I needed to be honest about the way I felt. But, I am not one to dwell in the past, so I try to move forwards like the steady increase of time and age.

I have had a shit cold all week. Its now all flemy and is in my throat causing me to cough constantly. It's a pain in the arse, but it hasn't stopped me doing too much, and I've avoided the dreaded Man Flu. I have had to take tissues and water into the lessons though, much to the amusement of my students...

Tonight, Jen and Suzette had a Thanksgiving party at their place. Everyone went, except me and Evan. We stuffed ourselves on Pasta and Pizza with one of our Japanese friends, Takuya. To be honest I just don't get the idea and importance of Thanksgiving. Yes, we are Americans, so lets celebrate killing the indigenous people of our fair green country...

And who needs two massive Turkey Dinners a month apart...ONLY IN AMERICA!!!

As for me, I am doing (cold apart) okay. Not willing to sit around brooding for another 12 months waiting for an attractive lass to fall into my lap, I took the proverbial bull by the horns and asked a Japanese female acquantence of Evan's out on a date (well for dinner). Those of you who follow my blog will remember the time I thought I was being set up by Evan, well it was one of these girls (the better looking one in my opinion). Noriko. We met in Hiroshima last Thursday, went for dinner, got on really well and I'm meeting her next Wednesday, most likely to watch Harry Potter 4.

At least I'm not sitting on my arse moping!!!

J x

Ladies and Gentlemen we may be experiencing some turbulence.

Shit.

What a week.

A week that I wished would never happen again.

Wishful thinking eh ?

Around the 3rd of 4th it was bliss. The first peak of my relationship with Suzette had been reached. S-E-X. If you need me to spell it out. It seemed at the time not only a key point of our time together, but also an extremely positive one.

How wrong was I ?

How quickly gold can turn out to be gold covered crap.

The problem was this peak had a sheer vertical drop off the other side.

ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Last Sunday, she decided that she didn't want to get emotionally attached with anyone. Sadly it took me to make her realise that. I hadn't put any pressure on her, but tried to let the relationship develop naturally. It just happened she wasnt willing to jump off the mountainside with me. She'd rather go back to her cave, where her Catholic guilt could consume her. I want to help her and at the time tried to reason that a relationship with me, a leap of faith might be the best way to tell those demons to fuck off.

But she's very stubborn.

So I am single again. Sailing the seas looking for a new port.

I don't hate her, because I find it really difficult to hate people. We had dinner the other night and coffee on Friday. It's cool that we can still be friends, but I need to confront her about what happened between us, because I feel more distant now from the shellshock of last week.

Romance is like a plane trip...

Ladies and Gentlemen we are experiencing Turbulence...

Justin x

My Week

Well I'm on my weekend again, and I've had a good week. I only worked Saturday, Sunday, Monday and half a day on Tuesday, with many free lessons thrown in. My students have all been good, and the lessons have progressed well. Although I have my 6 month observational on Saturday...

Diamond City

On Friday, myself and Suzette went to Hiroshima. More exactly, the stop before Hiroshima, where there is a shopping mall-cum-cinema complex, known as Diamond City. I had managed to get the day off by swapping a shift with Jason, and I was looking forward to spending a day in Suzette's company.

The Mall itself was massive. 3 stories of shops and food courts and a cinema situated on the 4th floor. Suzette did a little shopping, I bought myself a new jumper, and we had delicious Okonomiyaki for lunch. We also went and watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I hope to post a review (maybe tomorrow).

It was a great day, and spending time with Suzette (I mean, me and her doing something together) was really cool.



Yaki Niku

Today was Evan's 27th birthday, so this evening myself, Evan and his girlfriend Kaori, went out for Yaki Niku. This is originally Korean cuisine, but has been adapted by the Japanese and is really delicious. Basically, you cook your own food, barbeque style, at your table, and this ranges from meats to vegetables. It was pretty nice and very filling. Although you had to keep an eye on your food to stop it from burning!

Where does the time go ?

I arrived in Japan around the first of June.

It's now the second of November.

June. July. August. September. October.

5 months, in which my life has changed in so many ways. The different culture, language and people. Experiences I couldn't have dreamed of. Some of the best food on the planet (and no, its not all fish). Karaoke. Having stitches in my face. Making some great friends. Learning from my students in a way, so rich and fufilling, it is strange that I am the teacher. Having an all-nighter in Hiroshima. Sake festival. Kyoto. Suzette x. Having a great flatmate (Evan!!!).

I could go on, but I don't want to bore you. Life here is good, no, great. It will be sad when the time comes to leave, but when it happens I know that Japan has grabbed a piece of my heart like no place on earth. Maybe my life will lead me to other corners of this world, I just don't know.

But a part of me will always lie in a place I thought I hated.

My hometown.

I guess, the old proverb, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true. It's not that I am homesick, or that I wish to live in Weston, but (as when I lived in London), I miss certain things about that parochial little town.

But I wouldn't swap where I am now, both physically and emotionally, for all the tea in China.

I hope that those of you who read my blog (and a BIG THANKS to all who do), have found the entries from June, interesting, exciting, funny, tragic, touching or whatever emotion that they resonate with, and that you will continue to read The Great Japanese Adventure.

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVAN!!!!! (2nd of November)

I thought everything in Japan was tiny ????