Okay, So yesterday.

The local elections council threw me a curve yesterday; while there were elections held none were for Mayor. Which is kind of distressing because it means two more weeks of flyers and people coming to my house. The worst though is these vans outfitted with loudspeakers that drive around at odd hours rallying support for their candidate. I don't clearly understand what they are saying due to the very polite non-daily Japanese used compounded by the poor quality speakers ripped off from M.A.S.H. Should be an interesting race (if I cared to pay attention) because from what I know there is no love lost between some of the candidates. However, being Japan, everything stays civil and respectful at all times. Nothing can get out of hand with it being such a small town. Things like that could reverberate for a long time.

Also, school started today for the kids. All the kids seem to have quickly transitioned into their new grades. Luckily, what was going to be a huge grade six class was split at the last second into two smaller classes. Because drugging them is out of the question, spliting the class will make things much more manageable and I think the kids will repond well. It was a smart choice to split the class. It was nice to see the new grade ones, many of which I knew from my oft visits to kindergarten. Everything they do is cute at this stage and it's hard for me to put up a stern face when disciplining them (for juggling knifes, copying something off TV, fire-eating, violating copyrights, demonstrating jump-kicks, etc.).

Oh, and imagine looking out your window and it looking like the a Scotish Isle in early Spring; grey, damp, cold, miserable. Yup, that's spring in Shikaoi. But I must admit, walking around outside it does feel like the trees and grass are waiting for just one sunny day to all turn green.

Oh, and my parents will be entering China this morning via cruise ship. They will need some luck if they want to clear customs quickly.

The good pencil sharper was still missing as I left the office today. I stay hopeful for its quiet return tomorrow. Will update.

While Studying Japanese...

Blast! Someone removed the electric pencil sharpener from the office! Should be I surprised when I was the only person to have ever used it?

Election Day in Japan

Today is Sunday and I am just about to pack it in for the night. Yes today was election day in Japan which I really had nothing to do with but yesterday it was quite funny. I was phone three times while I was in (and I expect again when I was out) by candidate representatives. No idea whom or for what level of government. I haven't checked to see who won but I will ask tomorrow to see who Shikaoi's mayor is tomorrow. It is the only thing that could possibly change overnight. A miserible rainy day today. Tomorrow, the school year starts so I will be busy meeting the new teachers and cheering on my students.

Saturday, Nagasaki and Twitter.

I have received word that my parents are comfortably on-board their cruise ship from Osaka to Hong Kong (where I will meet them 11 days). As they are in Nagasaki this morning it seems very strange that we are in the same country and yet so far. They also mentioned they saw the cherry blossoms down south which I think is rather unfair because we still have some snow on the ground here. I'm going to go for a run outside anyway.

As for the world's twitter-haters who hyprocritically text all the time but distain attaching that functionally to the internet. I enjoy the website's simple idea supported by an even easier interface. I think it enhances much of what I enjoy about the internet so I use it. Mini-blogging is here to stay.

If readers are wondering about my absence. No one reads my blog on Fridays (my time) so I feel less inclined to update. Plus I feel as if today would be better spend working on other projects. Have a good weekend everyone.

News Flash about new building in Shikaoi

So we had a little party last night - very unofficial - for the opening of Shikaoi's new tourist/commerce center. It only opened this week with the start of the Japanese financial year but won't officially open until summer - whenever they finish paving the parking lot. There were only seven people but I was invited because I helped with the mural painted on the upper story. The phrase, "Celebrating Stony Plain and Shikaoi's continuing friendship since 1985." That's mine. It was great fun getting it just right from the Japanese. I was glad to help lest they just run the thing through an internet translator and paint it up there for the rest of eternity.



I probably should have mentioned the party earlier but I go to so many work related dinners that they all start to blend togather after a while. All the people I had dinner with had been to Stony Plain before at one time or another so that was nice. I'm also surprised how raukus Japanese can party even when it ends at 9 o'clock. I am feeling about guility about my diet. Everything but two of the courses were fried. The salad was good. What is the best of a chicken? The skin of course, and that was the part that we had, so one doesn't save any calories there. I also learned for the first time it isn't chicken skin but skin taken from a cute baby chick. After seeing my shock they tried to convince me that the chick survived and was released after this process which was nice of them. Two of the courses were tempura, two others simply pan-fried, the rest were breaded and deep fired. It's interesting to ponder where Japanese food's reputation for being healthy comes from.

I am Tuesday.

So yes. I caught some very strange weather as I was driving to work this morning. The cloud ceiling must of only been around 60-70 metres. Behind those trees normally one can see a very steep hill/mountain, but not today. It has been cloudy and wet since April began in contrast to March, which was sunny.


My desk at work and also my prison until next week when school starts. Yes, boredom is setting in. Note: My desk is too small.

My parents are getting on a cruise ship soon and I will be meeting them in Hong Kong. I wonder if they will be reading this on the ship?

面白い

Well. I've had my interesting spontaneous laugh for the day not to mention my concentration is kind of shot now. We had the fire alarm just go off. False alarm of course. Predictably no one told me what's going on. At work we have a system in the building that's tied directly into the fire station, so they came, saw my friends, asked what's new, they reset the system before leaving. Interestingly, the fire alarm was not pulled by anyone of the hundreds of bored students out of school this week but by a senior on the second floor looking for a light switch. **rabble rabble**

Oops

I'm doing other writing today but I promise to post something super-amazing tomorrow. In the mean time, if you haven't already, watch the video provide below or read Fark.com.

走る

Went for a run before dinner. I probably felt about 85% and did an 85% run. So nothing lost, nothing gained. Between work obligations and badminton I won't have time to run until next weekend so an onsen will be a good way to start off a slow week. **Blair's body cheers!**