Take yourself back in time

So only two weeks ago I arrived in Japan, and started my training in Okayama.

I saw the Okayama-jo (Castle) and one of the top three parks in Japan. Very nice, Kirei!, even if 30 minutes before we started off back to the Kenshu-center it started to rain.

On Saturday 21, the last day of training, we did our first model lesson with actual live Japanese students, shy little 5 year olds. I went first in my group, and managed to get "W, w" (question was "what's wrong") whispered into my ear once during twenty minute of teeth pulling. However by the end of the morning the kids were sufficiently genki (if not actually speaking much English) and smiling and playing with bubbles.

After an afternoon of chatting about tax, earthquake safety and personal interviews on our progress through the week, we all went out to dinner at a restaraunt called Boon. It served a nice feast of various Japanese dinners, and big steins of beer for us all. However, it did have a Japanese-style toilet, and I really needed to go, so that's one special Japanese experience out of the way.

Then after being escorted back to the training center by our babysitter's/trainers we went out to Big Echo for a night of Box Karaoke. For those of you unfamiliar with Box Karaoke - its karaoke supplied in private rooms/booths, which means you don't get up in front of a roomful strangers and make an ass for yourself, just a handful of people you know. You also get unlimited drinks, and just pay for the time you spend in the room - keep those pitchers coming.

The downside of unlimited drinks the night before, is what feels like an unlimited hangover the next day. My hangovers however tend to be centered on my liver more than headaches, so I'm usually fine after a few sandwhiches. So with some hasty packing, and an extra suitcase, I was placed on a shinkansen bound for Tokyo to meet Manager.

We then caught the Suupaa (Super) Hitachi train to Hitachi andmoved into our new homes. The apartments are more spacious in their living area than I thought. But that space seems to have eaten away my kitchen (a sink and single gas burner attached to the main - only- hallway) and cupboard space.

Its also a lot colder her than I thought. If you check out the weather on the side -Its actuallycolder here in late spring, than it is back home in late autumn, but I keep getting told that it gets hotter in summer. It might even be credible to go swimming.

Wow! I just caught you up a whole week.

PS - did I mention my Japanese really really sucks

*カラオケ*japan*karaoke*life*train*travel*日本*