Addicted to Traveling: Non stop

(African proverb: When the lion gets up in the morning, he knows he must outrun the gazelle otherwise he will starve to death. When the gazelle gets up in the morning, he knows he must outrun the lion otherwise he will be killed. It doesn't matter if you are a lion or a gazelle; when you get up in the morning you'd better start running.)

(Getting up is at 5:45 or shortly thereafter... a couple of sunrise shots from my window and a morning walk)

(Afternoon over the rice fields)

I feel like My "Cousin" Vinny (misspelled of course). He has been living the JET July. I finally caught up to him... basically it is an excuse to explain the lack of blogging. It consists of "being" a lot. Being in many places, all the time, smiling, actively involved, speaking Japanese, etc. Some are obligatory and some are self-imposed torture... but they all end up being fine... fun and/or tame. A brief run-down...

(mountain ajisai [山のあじさい] in bloom)

*J-2 soccer game... yeah Sagantosu (who won.... a first for me in all of the live matches I've seen.

(Flowin' right along in July)

*Lots of All Blacks games... shame they lost to South Africa a couple weeks ago, but they'll bounce back against those Wallabees.

(Mischief on a Friday night)

(Neighborly door decorating)

*Three weeks of BBQs... first for July 4th. Then at Keya Beach. And then a random Saturday in my apartment. July 4th was great neighborly fun... including a fireworks explosion outside someone's window. Keya Beach was awesome. We had a blast and enjoyed the fine Japanese summer... a bit humid now, but perfect right by the beach... BOY! The other one happened two days ago. For reasons unsaid, the host of the party started drinking wine at 9am and was sloshed by noon... when his neighbors heard him rambling in his apartment. They came up to find him in an inebriated state and for one reason or another, decided to follow suit. With the contents (tenants) of the apartment building under the influence, another BBQ was planned and executed... hosted in the apartment without air conditioning! The party died down in time to go to going away party in a neighboring city... karaoke continued and so did the IV filled with booze. Late night Mos Burger... two evenings in a row~!

(Makin' some meat)

(Road trip to the waterfalls/ ajisai and Keya Beach!)

(you would jump too!)

(a convenient store, say Johnathan and Kendra)

(Murray, Taihei, Praju and Hannah)

(true to form, even in Japan)

(Keya crew. unpictured are Wendy and Kezo who met us there!) [Pictured (L to R): Taihei, Megumi, Hitomi, Hannah, Johnathan, Kendra, 俺 , Praju and Murray)

*Invited to a teacher's house yesterday. It was amazing to hang out with him out of the school setting, to listen to the best of what the 70's put together, to hang out with a 10yr old and 4yr old outside of the classroom, to eat his wife's amazing AMAZING cooking, to be outside on the deck of a house in the suburbs... loving life.

*Going to the best tofu restaurant in Kurume for a work party, i don't even like tofu- it upsets my stomach... NOT this place! It was tasty and went down with no troubles at all.

(near-naked men, running past us at light speed)

*Enjoying a party for junior high teachers... avoided torrential downpours due to lucky timing on my 20min bike commute. Just arrived slightly damp. Good times and decent food.

(Hakata's "Yamakasa" matsuri... now is the beginning of Japanese festival season)

*the 21-hour day on Tuesday: waking up at 2am, catching the special 3am train, arriving in the city at 4, walking cross town and enjoying a beverage on the way at 4:30, watching the parade of loin-clothed men carrying tremendous floats through narrow streets- otherwise known as Yamakasa matsuri- at 5, throwing bucketloads of water on said men, walking back across town at 6am, catching the 6:40 train back to my city, biking home and in the shower at 7:40, breakfasted clothed and out the door at 8:10am... two classes metamorphosed into four and lesson planning for the next day, a quick dinner and then back to the train station to get to Japanese class. When my head hit the pillow at 11pm after a modest dinner, I felt that I had had a full and complete day. Back to business on Wednesday too!

(throwing water to wish the runners good health)

(沢子 and デイビット are up to no good at 4:45am, fill those buckets up with water)

(I was the only one to bring a camera to the festival)

(man thongs... love it so early in the morning)

* Unbelievable madness... lots of fun. To date, I am still healthy (well, not sick) despite lack of sleep, consumption of potentially-alcohol-containing beverages. Typhoon season has begun, but the first one hit Taiwan and then died out on mainland China before sweeping up towards us. A reminder that it is that time of the year. I love the heat and this humidity isn't killing me yet... but those typhoons are some serious business... best to be safe and modest than to risk traveling far away when the public transportation shuts down...

*Oh, and the best thing... cause of many of the aboveforementioned (you try using that word naturally in a sentence!) parties... The Japanese school year has just finished its first term (started in April)... but for us assistant language teachers.... it has been an entire year! Congrats folks, we made it through. I am stoked for having made it this far. for gaining valuable know-how in the classroom... just for surviving, at times... One year in the same job, one year in the same living quarters, one year in a foreign country, one year away from my family and friends back home. I have some good friends here too, but one year away from the feeling of attachment to people and things back home. Lately I have been fiending for them, but, like all things, it soon will pass... and I soon will pass back through customs to enjoy a couple of weeks in beautiful California.

*I would like this opportunity to reiterate that I am an idiot- I did not go to my brother's graduation. In hindsight, i wish I could take it back and I wish I bought a plane ticket home. Life is too short to not enjoy these amazing occasions. I am very very sorry and it will not happen again. I don't need to be around comfortable and familiar settings everyday, but I must be present in times of important gatherings. Jake, you are the man and Cal Poly is blessed that you chose to study there.