Sorry 'bout the break...!

OK... have finally updated! Was having some problems getting the pictures to upload but think it is sorted now, apologies if the order is screwed up. Things have been kind of mad recently, went straight from a weekend of Bunkasai into Halloween, Kanji Kentei, and now cramming for the Noryoku Shiken, so busy busy busy. Last week in particular was just mad, have been dealing with some stuff, but thing's are kinda cool now. In fact not sure exactly what I'm going to do with myself once the test is over and term starts winding down... go on holiday I guess! Any ideas?

Had a couple of trips up to the beach at Dekishima (Kizukuri/Shariki) recently - once with Takumi back in October and then again the weekend before last night in a fit of hansei after the big night out in Gosh. This pic is from November 7. It's amazing the beauty of the places right under your nose, especially here in Aomori... 

29 November 

The snow is getting nearer... Took this picture back on November 29, to show the snow working its way down the mountain. We had snow here this morning but it didn't stick, won't be long now though. Am excited about my last Japanese winter but in no hurry to rush into the world of slippery roads, dark afternoons and digging myself out of my house every morning...!  

Some weird Elvis looky-likey contemplates the fish-flavoured mandarins... "Though you might be laughing now, sucker..."  

Yami Nabe - not to be in anyway confused with Yummy - Nabe is a pot, or the stew you make in the pot, and Yami means dark, so literally "dark stew", "stew in the dark", "mystery stew" - etc etc. Being Halloween, felt this was appropriate; what you're *supposed* to do is have the nabe in the dark and then everyone sticks in one mystery ingredient, so no-one knows what's in it, but in the end we just wacked the stuff in the pot, not too much secrecy. It was all going good until whichever inspired person it was added the tangerines... after that it was just gross. Teeth-itchingly tongue-pullingly-gross. Fish-flavoured mandarins man. Yuk.  

Happy halloween!! 

Halloween party

November 29 was the Kitakane Eikaiwa Halloween party. This was a first for me, have done Christmas and birthdays but the Halloween-costume-mystery-nabe party was a new addition to the exciting calendar of international events in my village. We spent ages decorating the house with bin bags, made a giant spider, loads of food, and everyone came in costume which was pretty fab - featuring Momotaro, Tom and Jerry, Elvis and his native American wench, some beach bum, Mr U.K., a family of bunnies and one of the guys from the office even dressed up as our boss. And as I'd done pumpkin carving at school festival which left me with a load of scary pumpkins to decorate the path outside - talk about killing two internationalised birds with one giant orange stone. Made a pretty gross dinner (see below!), had apple bobbing in a paddling-pool, and much wine did floweth... Was internationalization ever so much fun?!