Greatest excuse ever: "I got stuck at the temple...!!" [honest!]

Weekend "away"
Had an extended weekend out of town because of the conference on Monday. Went to see Fahrenheit 911 on Friday which was just shocking, would be hilarious if it wasn't so depressingly relevant. If anyone has any opinions on who to believe about what I'd be pretty interested to hear them. Saturday went to Russian, then drove over to Rokkasho. Took the toll road (like the big real proper highway) from Namioka to Higashi-Aomori for the first time which was just sweet, and cuts in three the time it takes to circumnavigate Aomori on either of the 4s. All for only 400 yen. Was in Rokkasho in under three hours from Hirosaki ready to party on the beach to Alex and the guys' rocking sets. It was pretty awesome, they had all the gear, cute lanterns, and (naturally) a collection of beautiful people to boogie with. It was a tad cold but I guess that's what happens when you hold a beach party in Aomori in October... everyone was getting down in scarves and gloves, which was cool! Had a very spiritual moment dancing on the sand, watching the waves, under a clear starry sky.

Saturday I managed not to oversleep too badly and had a gorgeous sunny drive back to Aomori. Went for a swim at the Aomori Arena which is just the Haagen Dazs of pools - sweet, clean pool with great changing rooms, in a very swish building. Hung about in Aomori before heading up to Kanita for videos and gossip :D . Monday was Culture Day, boy did we get cultural, I was elbow deep in pottery and soap-stone shavings for most of the afternoon, the balloon animals were a clear highlight - I have always wanted to learn how to do that!! The best bit by far though I thought was trying to play the Koto for the first time. I know it sounds really sad but I felt in a small way like I was connecting in a small way with that quintessential "Japaneseness" which, since coming to live here, has been oh-so-illusive. On leaving I felt a pang of regret at not having realised how cool it was earlier and finding someone to teach me, seems a bit late now, and I'm only going to end up wanting to buy one and take it home... moan moan. Still, might not be able to resist checking it out!

Back in town: Have had a really nice couple of days back here, not thrilling, just nice. Was in the office all day yesterday and was all set for a dull day of being ignored but everyone seemed pretty chilled out and some of the guys on my side of the office made a real effort to make conversation, which was really pleasant. This morning I had nursery and totally stressed out the teacher by doing cut-and-stick pumpkins, but it went really ok in the end, and nobody maimed anyone, which was a plus. Then had the office this afternoon. Was there for about 20 minutes before dozing off the first time, tried to revive myself with coffee, water, and unnecessary trips down the corridor, all to no avail - just could not keep my eyes open. My supervisor caught me in the middle of a yawn, and there followed a conversation which went something like this:
Supervisor: I'm so tired...
Me: Hmm, me too.
Supervisor: Is there anything in Fukaura you haven't seen yet?
Me: Not sure [meaning, there has to be something, right?]
Supervisor: Have you been to the temple?
Me: Once, when I first got here, but that was, oooh, two years ago!
Supervisor: What?! Well in that case we should go right away!! It's important for you to know about local culture! [While talking he's already looking up on the network whether there are any office cars free for us to take!!]
Me: Quite.
Supervisor: Let's go then!
Me: Right!
Supervisor (to dept. head): Erm, I'm just off out to, erm, show the gaijin the temple (again) / bunk off for an hour / deprive you of my pleasant snoring face.

So off we went to the temple. It was great, had been renovated since the last time I'd been there, and hey I'd never had the guided tour before. Got a bit waylaid talking to the priest about Sanskrit and a particularly bizarre picture embroidered from human hair, and was subsequently late for my meeting with Jicho who had arranged to come to my house and confirm that, yes, in fact, the door frame of the bathroom has in fact subsided into the foundations, is leaking, and is above all GROSS, so I'll be getting a new one hopefully. I got there and he was having a nap in a police car (clearly he'd had less luck with the office-car lottery than my supervisor!) Of course I have been cleaning furiously the past two days in honour of him coming, and he was here for a whole half a minute, during which I don't think the general mank fully pervaded his consciousness, I'm relieved to say. My house has just been invaded by bugs at the moment, everything seems to breed in the autumn. Had one kamemushi yesterday who just wouldn't get on the chopsticks (am still perfecting the technique of catching them before they realise I'm onto them and release that horrific stink) and he just let it go all over the place. I have never smelt anything like it, it's simply nauseating. And one of them got stuck in my hoover, so whenever I try and clean (which admittedly isn't so often but hey) the hoover also lets off the same stench. Arrrgh.

Just as I was writing this I had a guy, with a towel wrapped around his head, who I've never met before, open the door to my house (fair enough the buzzer doesn't work and anyway it's customary to open the door and shout into people's houses for their attention, but still). Before I could get the Japanese for "Hello, who are you, do I know you, and what are you doing just appearing in my genkan?" out of my mouth he nods at me and says, is that your car over there? -Yes. Did you know the window was open? - well I was just on my way out again. Ahh, I see. Well just thought you should know - Thanks very much! Aren't people in Fukaura friendly? Sweet, if ever so slightly unexpected.

Oh, and just a quick aside for those who doubted my absolute inability to cook: I burned pasta tonight. So yes, it really IS that bad. I simply could not survive without the convini!