These are Christmas Cake making Junior High girls. They are absolutely mad for sugar. There was a lot of ear piercing squealing going on. And whipped cream ended up in some odd places...
12/21/04
Smooth Operating
This scene is taking place during an Eighties Dance Party at the Aussie bar, a bar in Okayama city run by an Australian ex-pat. My Hutchinson Goodwill 'Back to the Future' t-shirt came in really handy. I'm dancing to the smooth sound of Sade with Chris, a delightful man-boy from England who can wear rainbows and purple like nobody's business...
Coors
This photo was also taken at the International Food festival in November. I made banana bread and wore a Coors t-shirt, how much more American do you want? Here I'm taking a break from the cricket game going on, (my first cricket experience) wearing Mac-khun's, the little guy hovering behind me, hat.
Haruka-chan
Haruka on the left, is one of my most favoritest little ones. This day she spear headed an all on attack on me. I had about eight 4 and 5 year olds dog piled on top of me at one point and the teacher actually "in charge" of the class was now where to be found. I ended up flinging most of them aside and successfully chased them into the Kindergarten principal's office, a kindly older guy that really loves golf.
Bowling Guy
Let's Bowling. This bowling alley in Okayama City offers the highest entertainment value because all the employees must wear vinyl bowling pin hats on their heads, except this guy, who donned the whole pin suit. The non-bowling accessary clad gal next to him is Amy, from New Castle. It was her birthday organizing efforts that got everyone down to the alley.
Staff Room
This is the view from my desk at the Junior High. On the left is Nurse Harada, who speaks little English, but offers up the best snacks throughout the day. And on the right is Yamaki Sensei, the office lady who is the only other person who works at the school, besides me, that actually lives in the town of Bisei.
12/16/04
Seated Upright with Securely Fastened Belts
My first blog entry is coming rather late, considering my actual entry into Japan happened four months ago. Better late than never...
12/15/04
Banana Keki
This was my contribution to the Ibara International Food Festival, an event in a nearby city offering the cuisines of 8 odd countries. Being Mid-western I made banana bread, which to do the lack of loaf pans became banana muffins, and then due to the Japanese confusion that the product looked nothing like bread then became Banana Cake or in Japanese Banana Keki (pronounced kay-key).
Awfully Australian
Depsite the looks of this photo, Jez and Philip really don't sucumb to the typical Australian stereotypes. Granted Jez does like to shorten words, like say, Carolyn to Caz or afternoon to avro, and Philip gets his 'reckon-ing' in here and there, but I've never seen either one actually consume Vegemite or speak wistfully of the pet kangaroo left behind...
Ahhh Aki
This is Philip and I having a "moment" on a perfect autumn (aki) day, at the Ibara International Food Festival.
Junior High Sports Day
These are my Junior High students boldly marching forth into their impending Sports Day. For Americans you participated in something called Super Kids Day in elementary school, Sports Day is the same concept but more serious and Japanese, with really cheesey music.
Bisei Lights
This is Bisei, the little mountain top town I live in. There are about 6,000 people here. Bisei mean 'beautiful star' and it's claims to fame are clear night skys for star viewing and milk, delicious whole milk, delivered forth from mysterious (fushigi) cows I have never seen...
Finding Favorites
Next to me in the lime green is Jez, across from him in the plaid number is Philip, and in front is the scarf swathed Claire. I like these people. A lot.
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