Kyoto Schedule

My Kyoto trip is this weekend, so I wanted to go over what'll happen blog-wise.

I leave on Friday and return Monday (and this is Japan time, so those days come sooner). Since I'm staying in a hostel, I won't be bringing my laptop because I can't exactly leave it in the room safely. But the hostel has computer internet service, so time-permitting I will try to post some descriptions of what I've been up to. I won't be able to upload pictures, though, so after I return I'll make more posts and just photo-dump.

Also, if you look at my link list on the top right, you'll see a link to Jamie's blog. She's my travel/exploring/adventure! partner for the weekend and might make some cool posts too.

It's going to rain Saturday, but otherwise the weather forecast for the trip is great: sunny skies and temperatures that peak into the sixties. (Have I mentioned how freezing it's been here lately?)

Onward to the weekend!

So I lied

I don't have anything special for you today. I was going to go to a Kagura festival yesterday, but it rained, so I didn't.

Sad.

But I think there might be another festival this weekend, so hopefully I'll get to go to that.

And in more exciting news, a friend and I are going to Kyoto later this month! I haven't really done any serious sight-seeing since getting here, so I'm really looking forward to it. Kyoto is a huge city with lots of history, and touring it should be a lot fun.

I can't wait.

I'm still here

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I've just been busy with day-to-day life. Today was the first day back at ikebana, though, so I had to post a picture of my latest creation.


I'm glad classes are back on, because my apartment just feels gloomy without flowers on top of the TV. Today was another day of freestyle, but next week I get to try my hand at one of the formal Japanese styles (I forgot what it's name was, though Sensei told me before I left). I'm definitely looking forward to it, even though it'll have lots of rules and restrictions.

Also, I promise a significant update this Sunday or Monday. I won't say what I'm doing, since that would ruin the surprise, but if all goes well (and my batteries don't die on me again) I should have a bunch of great pictures to post.

Until then~

Gomen!

Sorry for the lack of updates. I just got internet installed in my apartment today, and the office has a firewall that blocks blogspot. I don't even know where to start now. So much has happened since my last post.

School doesn't start until September, so I haven't actually started teaching yet. I spend my time in the Board of Education Office, and everybody there is really, really nice. I've been taken to a baseball game (The Softbank Hawks are now my team) and a trip up into the mountains by them, and of course my welcome party. My supervisor is great and helps me out with day to day things like when something comes in the mail and I can't tell if it's a bill or not. And while I've only briefly met the teachers I'll be working with, they seem nice too.

My apartment is very nice. I've got a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and two rooms with tatami floors, one a bedroom, and the other a spare room where I hang my laundry to dry. (No dryers here.) I'll take some pictures of the place and post it here in the next few days.

I wish I had some pictures to post now...but I don't. But I'm going to a fireworks festival on Saturday, so I'll have to remember my camera. (I forgot it when I went to my first festival.)

So that's all for now. I'm alive and well--and promise to post more interesting things soon.

Watch This Space

Okay, friends and family, you're in the right place. This is the URL you want to bookmark, because come August, this is where I'm going to record my adventures in Japan. I'm going to post pictures, tell stories, and just generally make it easy for everyone to keep up with my exploits on the other side of the planet. So watch this space, because the plane leaves August 1st.