Thankful

Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S, so it's inspired an entry. Not much of an entry to be honest, but an entry nevertheless.

In Japan, I'm currently thankful for...
...crazy, mad, original students who make me laugh. Like the 3rd year girl who asked me to marry her and told me she was pregnant. She then told me she was going to lay an egg... I squatted in front of her to demonstrate laying an egg and we all fell about laughing. Today a third year boy told me his pants were dirty, with a straight face. As I tried to explain that in England 'pants' means underwear and motioned to mine he said "no pants?" Randomly in another class today we were discussing S&M (yes, exactly what you think!). The students asked which one I was- I responded with my most innocent looking face, to which a girl said I was probably an S!



....Royal Milk Tea- Hot, sweet tea with just the right amount of milk in a can- what more could you ask for?



...Uniqlo. Didn't go near the shop in the U.K., now a considerable chunk of my wardrobe comes from there. It's one of the few shops in Japan I've found so far that stocks clothing a non-Japanese woman who is fond of her food can wear- at least on my top half- and it's cheap too. All hail Uniqlo!

...good people. I'm missing everyone I love back home and it's hard to make really good friends in new places, but every so often you make one- or two and they are a gift in themselves.



...beautiful scenery. It's cold outside, but I can still be found clutching my camera, trying to capture how beautiful Japan is on film.

....let's not forget plastic food! Many a decision on where to eat has been based on the plastic food displays outside of restaurants.



...the almighty internet- especially Youtube, TV Links-like websites and
lastfm

I'm also currently addicted to stick on heating pads, my baby heater, my fleece lap blanket and cinnamon tea. Notice the warmth giving properties all these items share?
It's cold, and set to get a hell of a lot colder, and as technologically advanced as Japan is, it hasn't seen fit to install central heating in its schools....

Today also starts my month countdown till I return to the U.K. for Xmas, and I can't wait. I plan to blog at least once a week during this countdown, but I wouldn't hold your breath over that... ;)

To close- my fave Foo Fighters song from the current album- no video to go with it, but enjoy.

The Great Outdoors

If you know me, you'll know it's a rare event for me to call anything outdoors 'great'.
I'm an indoors girl through and through. The so called great outdoors generally just doesn't work for me. It's either too hot, too cold, too sandy, too muddy, too wet, too dirty, too filled with bugs for my liking- and don't get me started on my issues with sitting on grass!

That said- I do appreciate a good view (whilst trying to ignore the fact that my trainers are getting covered in mud)- and last weekend I got to experience the Japanese Autumnal pastime of leaf viewing. Yes- they take time out to admire the change in season and the gorgeous colours the leaves change to before Winter kicks in and they all die. (Not looking forward to Winter at all...)

My neighbours took me away overnight to a place called Tottori. We stayed in a lush hotel and the next morning we went to the Tottori sand dunes. We're talking points where you are surrounded by sand as far as the eye can see. I had been before at the height of summer and yelped in pure pain as stupidly hot sand filled my shoes and burnt my feet; so this time it was nice to trek the huge hills of sand and pretend I was a wandering nomad in the desert...



We also went to Mount Daisen which is the highest peak in the Chugoku region (the south western end of Japan's main island) and apparently has been chosen as one of the best one hundred mountains in Japan,(that's a lot of mountains!)and to Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park.



Anyway- less entry, on with more scenery...







And finally, meet Halcali :)