posting continues...

And it continues... I can't keep track of it any more

We had the end-of-the-year office party last night. Awesome. Karaoke, sake-bombs, onsen (温泉), late-night drunken ramen (ラーメン) and gyoza (ギョーザ). Though the tour went on during Saturday also, I came home early with three other teachers and we hit a blizzard on the way home! In Kyushu of all places! So much snow. It continued to snow while I called a Jr. High teacher to inquire about the annual school marathon... it was still on. So, slightly hungover and tired and cold I biked in the snow 30 minutes to school... on my day off. I said hello to a lot of students who were a helluva lot colder than I was. And then... I got the bright idea to run with them! They were almost done with the 20-person relay (each person ran 2km) so I thought i would go for it too. Idiot!

I stripped off a couple of layers and went at it. Quickly I realized that it was fucking nuts to have a marathon in these conditions. I seconded myself by adding that everyone had problems because they decided to go through with this... and as I was running along, losing feeling in my hands and face, while snow caked itself to my fleece, I realized that I was the one with the most serious problems! I was torturing myself... and you know what? It was fucking awesome.

When I came back around to the school, an announcement was made over the loudspeaker that I was on the final approach... and dozens of students stuck out their hands for the high fives as I passed. And they cheered me on. When I rounded the final corner, the biggest troublemaker in the school grabbed my hand and helped pull me to the finish line. What a gentleman! I decided to dive to the ground on the finish line and I got muddy in the process. Again, totally worth it. I can't wait to see the pictures. Teachers smiled and helped me along too and it was a great fun. On my list of things to do when hungover, I never though that run 2km in the snow would top it!

I learned last March, at the other junior high, that I should go my own pace. So, I was jogging a bit slower and it was for the better. I still felt like hell for about 20 minutes in the teachers room while everyone was congratulating me for running. While doing this, they offered me countless bowls of soupy goodness (Butajiru)... but there was no way I was going to stomach any of it. One teacher gave me an orange and that was perfect. I wished everyone I saw a happy new year because I won't see them for another 5 weeks. And it was a great morning...

Tonight was another end-of-the-year party... but it actually was the beginning-of-the-season party... for the Kurume Champion Ski Club (クルメチャンピョンスキークラーブ). After all, we got snow now, baby! While greeting familiar faces from last year, eventually it got passed to me that there IS an entry fee to the club. I hesitated at first, thinking that maybe I could just ignore it.... but I remembered the great times last year and felt rather privileged to pay the fee... after all, we rode together all last season! And it is a good group of which to be a member. So, I paid it. Minutes later I was forced to stand up in a room of 20 Japanese folks and make an impromptu speech about... well, the team. So, I did... in Japanese... (with the help of Naoko.) Furthermore, we had a laugh afterwards- two years ago I couldn't tell you Japanese from Swahili and just then I made a speech (albeit short) in Japanese, about the team, my experience last year and the that I was looking forward to this year. Fuck. Wow. I blacked out during the speech but apparently it turned out fine because I got a loud ovation afterwards!

Anyways, I am the first foreigner who has joined the team... so the roster will forever have some katakana (カタカナ) characters (reading: デービッド　ストリッチ) or perhaps my eventual Kanji (漢字) name. I figure that I should stick with the katakana though... after all, I am not Japanese.

Now-- to sleep and then that silly Japanese test tomorrow. I hope I pass but in actuality I haven't studied efficiently for the test. I passed it AT the minimum during my first (and only) practice attempt (three months ago). And I will do my best tomorrow. I feel confident that I know enough to pass... but if I don't pass, then I had better work harder next year... if only I could find a couple of number 2 pencils...