Nonsensical Nothingness

So here she is, the newest addition. Allez

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Karaoke, nuff said.

Vavy Darling, who is playing bartender.

The paparazzi

Getting down with karaoke.

Patrick and Amy

My supervisor who has helped me so much this year.

Friday's night sayanara party. I had to sit at the front of the room, next to the VP, and give a speech. Pressure!

Mid-week beer garden going well.

Adam getting the birds eye view of the dance floor.

Alex, Betsy and Jess. This picture was taken after a very serious discussion that needed to be documented.

da party and the grill.

Here is the AJET sayonara party. These are the old AJET committee leaders. Up to their old shenanigans.

In Naoshima, Adam and I have found some back trails and are exploring the island. We thought we would need all day to explore, but the 3 kilometer island was easily covered in 20 minutes.

the most intresting bathroom I've ever used.

humm... This was the lunch of the day. Ham, raisen bread, mustard and chips.

On of the best museums that I've been to in Japan.

A restaurant with atmosphere! wahoo! all you can eat Italian food. soooo good. all for $25.

The mickey-d's in kyoto. They're lovin' facing the wall?

Loven it!

I had to plead with these girls, but they allowed me just one picture.

night party in kyoto

entry way in kyoto

Here we have the generations of Japan. First is the older traditional geisha; the performer, the professional flirter. Paid to entertain. Behind her is a woman on a bike. Women in today�s society are breaking through their repression and fighting for their equality. However, they still have a long, long way to go. And behind them both the omnipresent vending machines. Vending machines could be likened to a god. They are everywhere in Japan, they can deliver anything you want, all you have to do is pay the price. Convenience is at your service. From soft drinks, beer, fags, t-shirts, used high school girl�s panties� by god - vending machines must be god. Either that or one really smart businessman.

a famous bridge and river was in some movie.... dont remember the name.

LOok! I see her in the taxi, and wow - what a crowd she has. Just to see her. I wouldn't mind this job. You are the life of the party. everyone wants to be around you! People wait hours to take pictures of you... this girl is under 21 because she is wearing the white face makeup.

Here is really nice wood that he being covered up by bamboo. The bamboo is here to divert dogs from peeing on the really nice wood. Also the lanter is a symbol of the street we are on, another famous street where geshas hang out and play!

Here is one of the famous streets that the gesha work on. In the corner of the screen you see a red shrine gate. They put that there so that the owner of dogs don't let their dogs pee on the side of the building, b/c you wouldn't let you dog pee on anything that's holy would you?

Kyoto subway. The lady behind them has blue hair. It didn't come out as well as i wanted it to, but she does. It's a fad here. The older women are into dieing their hair purple, blue, pink, white with strips of black. It's shocking to say the least.

Look, I see nihonjin!

On the way to school in the morning

Burried alive! WDF!?

So big news in Tamano. Here's the link http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060628a3.html

Yes, here in my sleepy little town two men were buried alive because of an argument over a girl. Shock and horror. All of this was less than 5 miles from my house. I run in the park adjacent to the industrial waste disposal site where they were buried.

(Yes, did you catch that -- the park adjacent to the industrial waste disposal site)

Vavy Darling works at the school where the boy graduated from that admitted to the murders. She also said the incident was sparked by the victims threaten that they had connections to the Mafia and that they were going to beat and burry the alleged murder!

So which is the correct conclusion?

a) Poker bluff called and one party went all in. Wonder what he's pay out will be?

b) Who could blame them? If our governments can react violently to threats, so can we: Shoot first, less you be shot!

c) Take heed the advice of Dr. Seuss "You ought to be thankful a whole heaping lot for the people and places you're lucky your not!"

d) I have become a nerd/teacher, because I'm making multiple choice questions for conclusions for my blog entrees. humm...

Vote now and I promise you your vote won't matter at all! However, the time you spend on this website will be documented for statistical purposes, which will be used later to develop marketing strategies to convince you that you really need to buy that trendy coat that Willie Nelson is so stylishly flaunting.

On Monday and Thursday I visit Yogo Gakko, my special needs school. Thursday I hung out with Naoshi-kun, a 17 year old D.S. boy. We practiced English, had a BBQ and enjoyed "Nagashi Somen!" Thin cold noodles are placed in a long thick bamboo and the noodles flow down the bamboo like a slide. You have to pluck the noodles at the end and then dip them in tsuyu (sauce) to get your dinner! It's hard! The following pictures are the preparation and attempted catching of the slippery noodles.

This practice is popular with restaurants and children in the summer months. Some of the restaurants even put the somen in a real stream. I preferred the real bamboo.

cleaning the bamboo

Naoshi-kun and me trying not to burn the meat.

This is Hamada sensei and Naoshi-kun eating some of the BBQ.

The somen is dropped at the top of the bamboo and it runs down the bamboo with the water and you try to pick up the noodles with forks and chopsticks. It's really fun and really hard! All of these kids are in my English classes.