Well we had a lovely party on Friday night. I co-organized a fund raiser for a charity called Tempus International. They raise money to give scholarships to children in Nepal. We had a pub quiz and an open jam. It was all good fun. It was held at a bar in Matsumoto called Sink or Swim. I went for a walk with two friends to a near by temple and it was wonderful. Maybe because I was vaguely drunk I don't know but I felt so peaceful there. We sat there for an hour or so on the steps of this temple by a river and just chilled and talked. Things are frequently juxtaposed in a strange way in Japan. This temple was in the heart of the city and the gates were open. We sat on the steps and looked out on the a busy city. It was surreal. My life does feel quite surreal here though. It started to rain so we headed back after hitting a combini (convenience store). We rejoined the party where my neighbour Tom was chatting up some lovely Japanese sisters. They apparently don't live too far from us so I imagine we will see them around. Tom is the master of the chat up. I love to see it in progress, it makes me laugh. He's got this English gentleman thing down to a fine science. I think that the Japanese people frequently have no clue what he is saying though. I can relate to that sometimes. I have sat through my fair share of explanations of how to play cricket and rugby. He is a good neighbour though. I was gross and sick last week and he took care of me and did my dishes. Actually I was just pretending to be sick so he would do the dishes. Just kidding. I like this picture on your right because it looks like we are backup singers for this guy. I knit the scarf that Gisela is wearing too.
I have decided to re-contract. I might as well say it now. I am going to be in the country for a little longer than I first said I would be. I think as long as my group of friends stays on, I will be here another year. I feel like I can't leave after only a year. Time moves so fast for me that I feel like its slipping away from me. I need more time to take it all in. I know I am still in the honeymoon stage of Japan but I feel like it has everything to offer me and all I have to do is go out and soak it up. I miss you all back home, don't get me wrong. I want to hear from you all and I would love to be in the same room with you again instead of MSN but I have to do this to its full potential. It is changing me to be here and I know that sounds strange. All I can think is that I am young and I need to see this world all I can. I don't feel like my career is on hold although it is. I am certainly not building any seniority in an Ontario school board like I was in such a panic about at one time. It will be there when I come back. I am teaching here and I like my job. I am lucky in so many ways in how I have been set up compared with a lot of other people in my company. It would be like looking a gift horse in the mouth.
I was thinking I would come home for a week in August. I would come home with Mom after she came to visit me. Maybe ten days, I don’t know. The only thing that I worry about is how much things will have changed while I was away. My life is carrying on and I know that everyone else’s life is too. Please keep in touch with me. I want to hear about your lives even in the mundane details. I have tried to email people instead of just doing this blog and I will continue to do so. Have a great week and I will blog again soon.