Long time no see. (Hisashiburi)

Sorry I've been absent from my blog for a long time now. I've been busy and lazy recently.

First, a recap of the crazy visit I had from Joe and Zev. They arrived on Saturday and I told them to stay at a hotel near the Airport and then head to Tokyo in the morning. I was afraid they would get lost in giant Tokyo Station. Well they didn't listen and went to Tokyo and got lost in Tokyo Station...haha. Luckily they met a guy who spoke English and they found a hotel.

The next day they came to Tottori. I went to the station and met them at the top platform. It must have been truly funny for the Japanese people there to see three big ass Americans jumping up and down pounding there chests, hugging, howling like wolves and screaming "ohhhh what up." They came back to my place and my friend Ai picked us up and we headed to the beach. We had an awesome time at the beach and then went out for some nasty Japanese food.
Monday we rented some bicycles and headed to the sand dunes. We swam in the sea and ran up and down the huge sand dune for like 4 hours. After that we were so exhausted we came back, took a nap and then met Mitsue at the station. She was her usual Genki self and we hung out at Mt. Kyusho with her for about an hour. After that we went to an all you can drink event at the top of this hotel. It was a lot of fun.

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Wednesday, we woke up early and headed to Tokyo. We had a lot of fun on the trains talking, drinking and being foreign. When we got to Kyoto we found our hotel and it was a sweet Japanese style hotel. The room was really big (by japanese standards) and conveniently near the station. We then headed to Kiyomizu Temple, the most famous one in Kyoto, it was really crowded, but it was still fun. It was fun to watch Joe and Zev take in the Japanese culture and history. It is so different from anything in America and I could tell they were in awe. Joe was scared he was going to break something, so he walked around with his arms behind his back. As we walked around, I kept hearing these Japanese girls call us the "cool foreigners." It is always fun to be called cool, haha.
Thursday was my favorite day of the trip. We took a train to Nara, where we met Jeremy and his friend Melissa. I knew that Joe and Zev would like Jeremy because he is just like us, always looking to have a good time and make a good joke. We went to the Todaiji Temple / Big Buddha place in Nara. It was the most magnificent temple I have seen so far in Japan. The Temple is soooo big and it is made entirely of wood. Then once inside you see this giant Buddha statue. It was awesome. To add to all this excitement, there are like 5 thousand deer rooming the streets of Nara. They just chill and when people bring out food they crowd you and don't leave you alone. I bought some deer cookies and the deer would not leave me alone. The rest of the day was spent wandering, playing at an arcade and chillin out at a sweet restaurant. It was my favorite day by far and we were able to convince Jeremy and Melissa to come to Tokyo with us.
Friday and Saturday were kinda blurry. We got to Tokyo and the partying began. We went out to these crazy clubs and didn't get to do as much sightseeing as I wanted, but oh well the clubs were insanely fun. Friday we went to Roppongi and almost lost Joe...This is the foreign area of Tokyo, so there were a bunch of foreign people, didn't really feel like Japan.
Saturday we did some hungover sightseeeing. We went to Harajuku and people watched in this crowded area of Japanese Hipsters. It was ok...Then we went to the Tokyo Metro Government Building which is the tallest one in Tokyo. I wanted them to see the crazy expanse of concrete that is Tokyo from above. They were impressed, but hungover so we stayed for like twenty minutes and then left. It was still fun for them to see the crazy size of Tokyo. That night we went out to Shibuya.....and we didn't leave the club until 5 am.....I won't go into detail, but one of the highlights was the 4 of us starting a giant dance circle and having the entire club watch us as we performed various American dance moves that are foreign to them. Of course they thought we were so cool, because Japanese people love American Culture. I wish I could have gotten that on video...
The next day, Joe left and Zev and I headed back to Tottori. The next four days can be summed up with one word BEACH. Zev and I just went to the beach and chilled. It was really relaxing after being crazy in Tokyo for a couple of days. Zev left on Thursday and it was back to the grind of teaching..
Let me just say that they made me even more homesick. I don't think I have ever had that much fun in my entire life. It was an amazing experience and it will be hard to top. Enjoy the pics. Check out the facebook pics.

Since then, Ive just been working hard, teaching and I have to move apartments because our school is relocating.....sucks. but oh well. I had the best summer of my life so it is a fair trade off. I lived my first summer by the beach and it definitely lived up to the hype. Beach parties, beach bbqs, chillin at the beach reading an awesome book and playing golf by the beach definitely made my summer. Such an awesome summer.

I promise not to be so lazy with this blog anymore...haha.

JOE AND ZEV ARE COMING NEXT WEEKEND!!!

I am super pumped to see two of my best friends next weekend. I am hoping to provide them with a trip to remember. Here is an overview of what we are going to do: August 8th, chill out, visit the local temple. August 9th, go to the beach and take in the beautiful ocean view. August 10th, climb Mt. Kyusho and check out the castle ruins of Tottori Castle. August 11th: Take a bullet train to KYOTO!! In Kyoto we are going to visit some of the oldest and most famous shrines and temples in the world. August 12th, we will be going to Nara and going to see the famous 50 foot high Big Buddha that is housed in the largest wooden building in the world. I am especially excited to see this.
August 13th, we are going to TOKYO!! we will go sightseeing and see the major areas. Tokyo Tower and Asakusa. August 14th, we will go to the Harajuku (awesome people watching) and then to Akihabara, the electronic mecca of the world. At night we will go to Shibuya and witness the 2000 people crosswalk. August 15th, we say goodbye to Joe and then Zev and I head back to Tottori for some much needed beach relaxation. So that is the plan, I hope it all goes smoothly.

As for the last two weekends. More of the same fun in the sun. Last weekend I hopped a train to Yonago after work and met up with all the foreigners from that area. It was my friend Chan's birthday beach party. We hung out on the beach and had a good time chatting and enjoying the beautiful view. This was one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen.

The next morning we swam in the ocean for a solid 2 hours. It was so much fun, we just didn't want it to end. The next day was rough however, staying up all night usually does that to you.
On Monday I was lucky enough to get to play some golf. It was my first round in 10 months, but I performed admirably. I had 5 pars and a bunch of bogeys, so I was satisfied. The course was beautiful with amazing ocean views.
This past weekend was also a lot of fun. My colleague Kei Sensei got married and I was invited. I went there with Jeremy who came up from Hiroshima for the event. It was great to see my former partner in crime. He always makes me happy because his energy level is so high and we just joke around the whole time. Anyways it was a nice ceremony and after we went out and sang Karaoke. Japanese people looovvve their Karaoke. These two girls kept calling me Kakkoi which means cool, it was pretty funny.

So I am supppppperrrrr pumped to see my guys Z and Teezy, it is going to be epic. We will take some awesome pictures, so get ready for it!!!!!!

Beach Weekend and Hiking through Rice Fields and Mountains

This weekend was an absolute blast. It started out with a birthday party for my friend Erik out at his house. He lives in the country. It is hilarious. He is the only foreigner for a solid 15 miles. I hopped a train after work and got to his party on top of this hill at about 10pm. We hung out at the top of this hill and played drums and guitar until about 2am. After that we went back to Erik's place and hung out on his roof and looked at stars until the sun came up. Once the sun was up we couldn't help but explore the massive rice fields behind his house. We walked through the fields for about an hour. We came back and I headed home. It was truly great to be surrounded by mountains and these amazing rice fields with people who also appreciated the beauty.
Later in the day after I got some sleep. My coworkers picked Jeannie and I up and we headed to Uradome for a kayak tour of the beautiful ocean side cliffs. We kayaked for about 2 or 3 hours and explored the amazing coast. We kayaked into some caves and I saw many crabs and big fish. Again an amazing time. When I got home I passed out with exhaustion and slept for a solid 12 hours that night.
The next day my friend Ai picked me up and we headed to Uradome beach. We chilled and swam from noon to about 5pm. It was so hot, but the water was perfect. This trip made again realize that I am like a white tiger around here. Everywhere I got, people stop what they are doing and point and say ahh Gaijin (foreigner). It does get annoying, but Ive learned to deal with it. I think it is my blonde hair that gets them, its like they have never seen a white person before, even though they all obsess over western culture, especially movies. You think with all that exposure to the west they would not stop and stare at every foreign person they see. They literally do a full 360 when I walk by, it is kinda funny. Anyways, it was fun to hang out at the beach again, on a nicer day.
After the beach I headed to a local shrine to get some peaceful me time...haha. I hiked up this mountain and got to the shrine and no one was there. It was perfect. The pictures will do this place justice. The best part is that this is right in my backyard.
One more thing, I decided to stay until next July. So sorry to everyone who wanted me to come back, but I need to do this while I have the chance. I love you all and miss you so much!
till next week. JB

Beach Party!

So last weekend I went to Kozomi Beach just outside of Tottori on the Sea of Japan for a crazy beach party. We got there at about 8pm and everyone was already wild and partying on the beach. I was lucky enough to have a tent that Jeremy gave me, so I set up my tent on the beach and had my place of slumber for the night.
The rest of the night is kind of a blur, dancing, swimming, dancing and some morning swimming at 5am. It was quite the night. Needless to say, I was hurting the next day, but it was worth it.
The rest of my time recently has been spent working and hanging out with Mitsue. I also received the great news that JOE AND ZEEEH will be coming to Japan in one month! I am sooo pumped to see them. It is going to be an epic week. Can't wait to show them Tottori, Kyoto and Tokyo.
As for the decision, I decided to extend, but for how long remains. I can extend to July or April. Right now I am leaning towards April. I will let you know when I have a definite decision, but until then just know that I will be here for a little longer than expected.
Here are some pics from the beach party. The first one is of me and my favorite New Zealander Yoshi, taken at 5 am.
Until next week. JB

Great Weekend, still haven't decided what to do yet....

I had a great weekend. Saturday night was a blast as usual. We went out to the local bar and I spoke Japanese the whole night. I also met some guys who play basketball on the weekends, so hopefully I am going to start playing some Bball on Sundays. It is always a nice feeling to have conversations in another language and make friends who don't speak a lick of English except for Micheal Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

Sunday was another fun and interesting day, just check out my facebook pictures and you will see me in a ridiculous duck hat. Me and some of my friends bought some of these hats and wore them around to be funny. The thing is, we didn't get stared at anymore than the usual really. We just scared some younger kids. That was a fun day, we went to the 100YEN shop and bought a bunch of useless stuff and then we went to a fish market and looked at all the crazy fish and crabs. We ate some nasty oysters and then went out for a delicious burger at a place that is American themed. I hate to say it, but it was actually nice to hear Country Music!! I never thought I would say such a thing, but it was true, I felt all nostalgic.

Monday was fun as usual with Mitsue. We went to a castle and a shrine. I really enjoyed the Shrine. It is called Ube Shrine and it has a long history. It is the most famous shrine in Tottori. The tour guide was super nice and he showed Mitsue and I around the whole place. Again it was fun to talk in Japanese all day and to learn more about Tottori's history. The shrine was beautiful and deep in the mountains, twas quite peaceful. I felt like Tom Cruise in the last Samurai.

After that we went to Sakuranbo and I did my volunteer thing with the special needs kids. It was a fun lesson. We talked about what we like. Food, Drinks, Animals, ect. Most of the kids just look at me, but Reo is really smart and we talk in Japanese and I tell him what the words are in English and he repeats. It is a lot of fun to see him and the others every week. The pic below is of the kids. Towa is the little guy in the front, Mana is the girl in the middle, she doesn't talk but she laughs at my jokes. Reo is the guy on the right. We are doing a SpiderMan web pose because he likes those movies. And Ayaka on the far right, very shy. She always says, "Hazukashi" which means embarrassed.

So here I am now, I am going to sit back and think about my important decision.
I can A: return home. B: Extend for like 4-6 months. or C: Extend for a year.......
Right now it is between A and B.....
Tough choice. I'll let you know what I decide soon.

Tough decision ahead....

So I have to decide whether or not I am going to stay in Tottori in like a week. I originally thought I had until mid July to decide, but apparently I must decide by the 30th. I haven't given it much thought and now I have to make an important decision. I like it here, but I don't know if I like it so much that I want to spend another year here. I want to come home because I miss everyone, but I don't know what exactly I would do when I get back. So I have an important decision to make and I want everyone's advice. Post a comment and let me know what you think.

Recently I have been really enjoying my time here. The weather is nice and hot and that means swimming in the ocean, bbqs, and some awesome hiking. I went to Yonago last weekend to meet some friends and watch soccer. It was awesome, we stayed up until 3am watching soccer, then the next day we bbqed all afternoon. The people in Yonago really know how to have a good time. I bought my tickets to the beach party that is on the 4th of July. It is going to be nuts, partying all night on the beach with DJs and fun people.

I have been having a good time at work, I am really connecting with some of more shy students. I have this one student, her name is Mayo, not like mayonaisse, but like MA YO. We still call her Mayonaisse though. Anyways we were playing a guessing game with famous people. She had Michael Jackson, and I knew it after like three questions, so I asked her, "Is he black or white?" Her answer exactly, "He used to be black, but he became white." I started laughing and pretty soon the whole class erupted in laughter. It was a good moment for one of my shyer classes.

So it has pretty been the same ol same ol around here, hiking, chillin, speaking Japanese on Saturday nights.

I have a tough decision ahead, but I am confident I'll make the correct choice.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Sorry for the Absence..I didn't have internet for 2 weeks!

So it is funny that this day and age one cannot live without Internet. I don't know how we used to live. I couldn't check sports scores, facebook or call anybody using Skype. Anyways, I am back, and I have some fun stories and good news.

So first, I have a new Foreign Coworker, she is from Toronto and her name is Jeannie. She is really cool and she is interested in the outdoors as much as I am. The first weekend she was here, we climbed the local mountain together. It is more fun to share nature with someone who gets excited about the ocean and mountains like me.
This past weekend, we woke up on Sunday, and we went to the local store so I could buy a bike. I gave her my old bike because it was really small and my knees kept hitting the handle bars. So I bought this sweet new ride that is much bigger and it has gears, so I can cruise super fast! After we got my new bike, we headed for the sand dunes. I also realized that after biking around for 4 months I am in excellent cycling shape. Jeannie could not keep up, so I had to bike at about 2/10s the pace. We got to the trail and hiked to the sand dunes, the non tourist area. The sand was so warm and nice and the ocean view was spectacular as usual. We chilled for a bit then jumped into the ocean and swam for about 30 minutes. I forgot how much I love swimming in the ocean, the waves were pretty big and the temperature was nice. The view was also breath taking, you have the dunes, the mountains, and the ocean, the trifecta! Overall a great weekend of chillin, swimming, and cycling.

For the past month I have been volunteering at the Sakura Day Care Center for special needs kids. It is a lot of fun, only two of the kids attempt to speak any English, so I speak in Japanese most of the time. It is still fun because they are all super excited to see me each week and when I leave they all gather around the door and say, "bai-bai" for like 5 minutes. The kids are great, they all seem really happy and enjoy life. This one girl named Mana, has never said one word to me, but she always smiles and laughs when I make jokes in Japanese or if I make my father's patented water drop noise with my mouth. It is a nice change from the structure arena of teaching that I do every day, I can relax and not worry about anything.

At school I have had less classes lately, so it has been nice to be able to think about my classes. My manager thinks I am god right now because I got the school a new student by speaking Japanese on the phone to a prospective student. It was weird being placed into that situation where I had to be on top of my Japanese game on a seconds notice. My students are all pretty good, I have a new class on Wednesday full of hell raisers, but other than that, I have a good time teaching because I have some really smart students.
Masayoshi, is awesome, he is the kid I have been calling Yoshi in my previous posts. His full name is Masayoshi. He is so smart and witty. The other day I asked what does he always do? His answer (with a smirk on his face) "I ALWAYS breath air!" So smart and so funny every week. He comes up with the funniest little comments and questions, for example, we read about a woman named Virginia, he looks at me and asks, "John Sensei, are you a Virgin?" I just look at him and laugh, he begs for me to tell him, but all I say is that I am waiting till marriage. The kid is too funny.

Mikiko is another smart student, she is Masayoshi's older cousin. She is 17 and is close to being fluent. We don't even use the textbook half the time, we just sit and chat. She wants to be a doctor like her father, but she wants to work in Africa and help children dying of AIDS. After getting to know her, she will definitely succeed. She is one of the smartest and most interesting students/people I have ever met. She is the captain of the Kendo team and gets straight A's. Another great student.

I have a student who is 8 years old named Koki. I call him Koki Cola and everyone laughs, including him. He is so bright and fun, every class he comes with a new word that he learned and he uses it in a sentence. I asked him, How are you? Koki responds with, "I am doing well, although I jammed my finger playing baseball." I mean the kid is 8 years old! It is kids like this that keep me sane at work.

Teaching little kids is not really teaching, it is more like baby sitting, that is why when my older students come, ages 8-18 I get really excited because I actually teach.

So other than that, I have been doing the usual, work, teach, eat, sleep, climb a mountain, take a train there, go to Mitsue's for a Japanese lesson, and then volunteer at Sakura. So now that I have internet once again I will post once a week.
Miss you all and send me a facebook message or something!