Halloween Weekend

This weekend I went to Yonago for an awesome Halloween party. After work, I hopped a train home as usual to Yonago. This time however I didn't have to train it alone. My friend Erik and I boarded the train in our regular clothes, but we changed into our costumes on the ride over. It is funny because even though I was wearing skin tight pink pants, cowboy boots, and a baby blue hat I didn't really feel like I was getting stared at any more than usual.
We arrived at the club and they had some awesome bands playing great oldies like YMCA. It was fun to get a little taste of home. The party was pretty great. I met some new people and had a blast.
The next morning was tough, I totally forgot that I promised my friend that I would go and play golf at like 9am. Therefore when I woke up, I was totally surprised and stumbled to the golf course in some scrub clothes. The funny thing is, I ended up playing really well as I pared the first 5 holes.....Golf is a funny game, sometimes it is like I am a pro, while other days I double bogey every hole. I ended up at 8 over par for the day. The course was really beautiful and the golf carts were amazing because they were remote operated and they ran along a path. I have never seen that before, so I took a video of it and put it on facebook if you want to see it. The course was up in the mountains again with breathtaking views. It was a foggy day, so it made the course even more beautiful I think.

That was my weekend. Nothing too spectacular, but it was one of the best I have had in some time. It is funny, every time I start to get sick of this place, I have an amazing weekend that makes me want to stay here a little longer. July is the perfect time to come home. Not too long, not too short.
Enjoy the pics

Just Been Chilling Lately

Sorry for slacking off lately with this blog, but I have not been doing anything too exciting. I've just been teaching and exploring my new neighborhood. I moved into a new apartment because our school moved to a new location. I don't really like the new neighborhood, but it is closer to the Ocean, so I can just hop on my bike and be at the beach in like 10 minutes. I have really been enjoying that lately. Even though I can't go swimming, I still enjoy reading on the beach and listening to the waves crash into the rocks. It is definitely relaxing, growing up in the MPLS you don't get that experience. Therefore, every weekend for the past month or so I have been hopping on my bicycle and then I just ride until I find a new ocean spot where I can just relax and read. I know this sounds extremely boring, but for me it is like a new hobby. I don't really have access to any sports right now, so this is the next best thing. I believe that I have been doing this recently because of the book I am currently reading. This book is called, "The Wind Up Bird Chronicle" by Haruki Murakami. It is quite difficult to read, but it really makes you think about life and all the things that make it great. In the book he describes how people don't take the time to appreciate nature. I think that is the reason I have been biking to the ocean to read this book. It is really a wonderful feeling to be laying on the beach with the sun, wind, and ocean consuming your every move. Anyways.....enough with the weird thoughts that I have been exploring recently..I have also been having a lot of fun going out on weekends with my friends. I primarily hang out with these 3 guys and a girl. One guy is from Wisconsin, so naturally we get along well. The other is from Boston, so again we get along well. It is funny how much I love Americans and America now...haha. The other guy is from New Zealand and he plays a mean guitar. The girl is from Ireland, so again naturally we get along well. We also hang out with these people from Yonago. They are really fun too. The problem with going out in Japan though is that we go out until 4am. 3am is an early night and 5 am is not crazy at all. I think that is another reason why I head to the beach to relax, some nights are so long I need to realllly relax.

School has been okay recently. I have kind of fallen into Robot mode at work though. Ever since Jeremy left, I don't have that person around who I can be really stupid with and make American jokes with. So I have been doing the robot a lot lately, but my students are all still cool except for one class.
One student has really been warming up to me recently. Her name is Nagisa and I have been her teacher for 6 months now. When she first started she would whisper and never look at me or try and express herself. Now she comes into class with a big smile and speaks loudly and clearly for me. She also knows that I can speak Japanese so if she doesn't understand something, she asks me in Japanese and I just nod or give her the correct Japanese word she is looking for. I was the first foreigner that she had ever been in close contact with, so that is why she was scared at first, but now her mother says she is always excited to come to English class with me. It feels good to get to a student like that.
Other than that, I have been trying to plan my next vacation, which starts on Christmas. I really want to go to Guam or Bali, but my friend is sounding like he might back out, so we shall see. I'll keep you all posted.
Until next time....Love you all.
John Kelly Kennedy Budge (Japanese people say my full name is awesome).

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.