Whew and Woohoo!

Well, I know it has been so long (again) since I posted, but that’s how it goes.
I have been busy at school (going to elementary schools a couple of times a week) and also on the weekends. Going to elementary schools seriously cuts into my computer time as a lot of time I write these posts I am at school (like now). I don’t really have access or feel as free to use computers while I am there, so can’t get much done. Not that I am complaining, I am usually able to go home a little early. It has made my time at school rather high paced though.
Weekends have been busy because of the school activities-both Hiroki’s and my school. He had his undokai or Sports Day. This was his third one. He is getting to be an expert . This year was his first time running alone, though. He didn’t have to run far, but I don’ think he knew what was going on as he looked at the man who set off the starter pistol and ended up coming in last of his little group. He looked like he was having a great time-smiling all the way. Then he did a dance to a song called Banana Heaven, and then we had our little event together. I think I was more nervous than he was as I was worried that I wouldn’t really know what to do (although he had been telling me all along-I just wasn’t sure what it all meant.) The next day we went to Tokyo to meet a couple of my friends.
Then the following week was my school’s Bunkasai or I don’t know, it translates to Culture Day but it’s more of an Open House or Display Day type of thing. (What do we call that?) The display day was Saturday and the Sports Day was Sunday. It rained most of the day on Sunday but everyone thought that the rain was going to let up so we just kept on. Both of them were great to watch but I just can’t imagine it happening in Canada. The main event of the display day is the chorus contest; all of the homerooms compete against each other to give their best performance of a song that they (the homerooms) chose together. One person in each homeroom plays the piano and another person conducts the students. I think it wouldn’t work in Canada because I can’t see all of the kids listening to that one student who is conducting. All of the students pay close attention to their conductors and it just seems so amazing to me. Maybe I am just too cynical? I had to go to an elementary school on Monday (all of the teachers at my school were off) but Tuesday was a day off for me (and everyone else-I get another make up day off). Tuesday I went to a hot spring to meet someone I have ‘met’ on the computer but this was our first time meeting irl. It was funny because she said the same thing that I had been thinking-it was kind of odd to introduce ourselves to each other and then go into the locker room and get undressed to go into the spa. ‘Hi, how are you? Oh so that’s what you look like naked….’
Anyway.
Then this last weekend was a long weekend (yay!) and on Saturday I didn’t really have any plans, so I went to the new Uniqlo store that opened near my house. (Hence the woohoo in my title) There is really nothing around where I live, no place to buy clothes or even drugstore type of stuff. But finally, Uniqlo opened and I cycled there (it’s pretty close) so it was great! I like their clothes because a)I can fit into them b)they aren’t too fugly and c) I can fit into them! Plus they tend to be on the cheap side-bonus!
Yesterday, the 3 of us (DH, DS, and me) went to couple of different places. In the morning we went to an ice cream making factory. I was surprised when we first went there because they said we had to be out of there within 40 minutes. I couldn’t understand. Then when I got to the place where there were 4 or 5 different freezers full of ice cream that we could eat for free, I got it-that’s why we had to leave. The ice cream was all free (but only so-so). Then we went to a whisky making factory and took a tour. We saw lots of different things and there were lots of explanations that I didn’t really get (not listening carefully enough/too many new words?) At the end of the tour we went to a room and had free drinks (whisky, orange juice, water and green tea- all made by the same company) and snacks while they explained very thoroughly why we might want to buy each product. It was all interesting, anyway.
Gotta go (time for class!)