Well, my friends, this is my last day at the Kencho for a whole week. And let me be the first to say "Ya Hooo!"
Next week we have a seminar which will consist of JETs and JTEs. Those almost look alike, don't they? JET stands for Japanese Exchange Teaching. JTE stands for Japanese Teacher of English. Now you know.
So we have a four day seminar and I can honestly say that I have never looked forward to a seminar so much in my life. After three weeks of sitting here and trying to entertain myself without the luxuries of beer, video games, tv, and/or music, I think I will enjoy having to 'work' for a change.
This seminar is really for the Japanese teachers to practice their English and to perhaps learn a little about team teaching but I'll also take what I can get from it. Last year was the seminar's first year in Yamanashi and I felt kinda lucky in that I got to meet some Japanese teachers (none of them mine) and kind of experience a classroom environment (without students) before I actually had to do it all for real. It was just a good way to meet some people and learn a few language activities and have some fun.
This year Amy and I are leading our room for the four days. Apparently we'll have about 25 people or so, half Japanese teachers, half foreigners. The four day schedule of events has already been put together so we really don't have to plan anything, we just have to make it go. Should be fairly painless.
All the JET ALTs (assistant language teachers) of Yamanashi will be there, or are supposed to be, and there will be roughly the same amount of JTEs. So I imagine the number of participants will be around 200 or so, maybe a little less. At our little meeting for this thing they asked for volunteers to be room leaders. Of course, Amy, the nerd, signed up immediately. I didn't. But then they needed more people so Amy talked me into it. They then take all the group leaders and pair them up. Amy and I got each other because, shall I say, there were certain others that we wished not to be paired up with. I won't mention any names here as there might be a chance in hell one of you knows one of them, though I doubt it. So for four days Amy and I will do a little comedy routine and assign activities to our group. Might not sound like much fun to you, but trust me, if I don't get out of this Kencho soon I might be deported.

The Olympics start today and I hope I get coverage. I don't need to see it all, if that is possible, but I would like to see some of it. I will be rooting for the Japanese baseball team; the USA team did not qualify-ha ha ha. I will also be rooting for Kim Collins in the 100m as I just visited his country and liked it very much. Also saw an interview with him on tv and he seemed like a good guy.
Other than that, I always enjoy the diving events, the swimming events, track and field, and some of the gymnastics.
I also hope the Games are not the scene of some damn attack. They are not about politics, they are about international sporting competition. So here's to a great three weeks of peaceful and friendly sporting.

Amy gets back today. Friday the 13th-heh heh. Her plane should have landed by now. I hope she brought me a gift. But I'm not sure what I'd want from Oklahoma. Though I do know she's bringing me a video game, except that I paid for it so it's not really a gift. Anyway, be nice to have blondie back around as I need someone to pick on. First it was my dog, then my cat, and now I have Amy.

I ran into Mashi the other day. First time in a couple months. He told me that Tokoji is having its Obon festival this weekend. Saturday night at 7pm. I think the Obon festival is about dead ancestors.
Anyway, he mentioned that there would be dancing (and not the freaking with some girl kind), taiko drumming, some games, and beer. When he mentioned the beer I said I'd be there.
I think that this festival is the one I remember from my first time in Japan; we used to call them Bon-Odori. Said in an American accent, though, and the Japanese have no idea what you are talking about. I should know cause I've asked about 'bon-odoris' a few times and each time they look at me like I am speaking babble. I think the confusion happens when I say 'bon' with the o sound of 'on'. It really should sound like the o in 'own'. But even when I try to say it this way they still give me that look that says 'why are you here?'
These fesitivals are fun though. Or I remember them being fun in my younger days. Every neighborhood has one and it's like a big community party. I am sure Tokoji's will be a small affair but the ones I remember from the Navy days seemed big. There were so many in all the surounding communities that my family and/or friends and I used to go to a few every year. Even the base had one.
I rememeber all the ladies in yukatas (summer kimonos) dancing around in a circle that was sometimes up to five people deep (my mother learned how to dance too). And in the middle would be a stage upon which would be a couple of LARGE drums and a couple of guys beating them in a great, trance-inducing rhythm. That was where I first saw taiko (the style of drumming) and have loved it ever since. There would also be booths set up with foods of many types, games of all kinds, and of course, things you could buy.
So I am looking forward to this. Not to mention hanging out with Mashi again.

Ok, not much to say really. I should have more by the end of next week. Until then, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the beer.