Jam (and jelly) packed week

I know it's been a little while, but these last couple of weeks have just been so jam packed that I have not had the energy to actually sit down and write about them. I woke up a little earlier than usual though, so I'll do my best to fit everything in before I have to go to work.

So last Saturday our new teacher arrived from England. He seems like a really nice guy and he appears to be very excited about working with us at Takashimadaira. He arrived at our school the same day that there was going to be a huge fireworks exhibition so I invited him and the sub-teacher helping him with the transition to come watch them with my students, Jenn, and me. None of my students actually showed up so it was just the four of us. We climbed to the roof of our school and had an AMAZING view. The fireworks did not start until about 7 pm, but there had been hundreds of people milling around the streets in Yukata (traditional Japanese robes, sort of like lighter, cheaper versions of kimono) since about 4 pm, so we knew that the riverside where they were actually being held would be packed. The fireworks were spectacular and there were ones I'd never seen before, including a few in the shape of Hello Kitty's head... the whole stereotype about the Japanese obsession with Hello Kitty is not too far from the truth. The show lasted for two hours, when it was over we tried to find an izakaya to get some drinks at but they were all packed and you couldn't get in anywhere without a reservation. It was so extremely strange having so many people in my neighborhood since usually it's so quiet and empty! We ended up getting some food and drinks at Sukiya, a chain beef bowl place down the street from where I live. Afterwards the guys took the train back home and Jenn stayed over at my apartment where we stayed up late and watched Terms of Endearment like the true girls that we are.

We slept in the next day and then got some sushi for lunch. I went to the welcome / farewell party for my co-workers after that and it was a lot of fun. A bunch of of students came to the party and some of us went out for karaoke afterwards. We had a choice of two karaoke places in the area and we ended up at the one that I hadn't been to before. Really though, most karaoke places look pretty much the same on the inside. We ended the night with my amazing choice... Living on a Prayer - Bon Jovi, best group karaoke song ever, it's true.

Not so much during the work week of course, but I did go out to my kaiten sushi (revolving sushi) place with all my co-workers for the first time! I was very excited to bring them there and they all seemed to enjoy it. It was the first time I ever sat in the booth section at the back of the restaurant since I'd never gone there with so many people.

On Saturday I went to what I thought was going to be a party with Jenn and some other people, but there were actually only 4 other people there, one of whom I really don't care for so much. I was exhausted because I'd gone out with a friend the night before and ended up missing my last train, so I'd gotten very little sleep as a result. I was very relieved, therefore, when we called it an early night and Jenn and I went back to her place to crash. We got up the next morning and went to Enoshima for my now ex-co-worker's Sayonara Beach Party! It was a little bit cloudy and not too hot, so in my opinion good beach weather, nevertheless I still got a bit sunburned even while wearing sun block. I also was stung by three jelly fish! I'd never been stung by a jelly fish before in my life, so I guess they wanted to get their revenge. They were impossible to see in the murky water and they hurt a lot! I had a huge red welt on my back and two smaller ones on my arm and leg, all of which are still visible on my body two days later! Despite the jellies, I still had a fun time and we went out for Italian food afterwards so it was a nice ending to the day.

Yesterday I went indoor rock climbing with my friend Eimilly and her friend. It was a lot of fun and I definitely want to go again at some point. Granted, my arms feel sort of like they're going to fall off today, but I've been stretching them and that's helped. Well, time for work now, hopefully it will be another fun week!