Atsuuue!

The sun has come. The last few days, excluding yesterday, were mostly cloudy with a cooling rain in the morning and/or evening. Even yesterday it rained after the sun. But today, All Sun, All the Time.

If you care, you may have noticed that I haven't blogged since my first boring day on Monday. That's because every day since then has been boring. With the exception of yesterday. I ran up to the BOE to try to get some stuff one of the outgoing ALTs left me, but no one was there, so I continued up to my LMS to see what was going on. Only K-sensei the clerk and Kyoto-sensei were in the teachers' room, but I was directed to a house next to the school were A-sensei was cleaning out so she can move into town. I didn't even know she lived there!

After a big, long hug (hooray!!!!) and a long chat I offered my helpful services with souji, so souji we did, and then we packed up and headed down to the river to wade a bit, then sit a bit and chat a lot. What a fabulous time. And the weather down there by the river, at the side of the mountain, was so beautiful as the sky cleared a bit and the evening sun poked through, and the fog sifted between the ridges.... awesome.

Some of the other teachers ended up being at school, and some of the boys - what I presumed to be the baseball team - and they apparently either had already gone or had plans to head to the river for some suiei (swimming), but this was pre-souji, so there was no swimming for me. I had thought to maybe go back today, but I chickened out, did some shopping, studying and running, and may go tomorrow, now that I toughed today out.

I'm also thinking about looking into a bike tomorrow. The running's great and all - and I'm doing much better, even getting used to running in the heat. But say I want to get out there a day after I've run, but my hip is hurting, dou shiou... what to do. Ah, but a bike would be perfect! And I could make short, quick trips without having to get in the car. So tomorrow I think I will scout around for something sturdy yet CHEAP, and I'll be on my way. With a cool helmet, of course. Look out hills, here I come!

One last note - walking back from my run today, I had to pause a moment to look out over the valley and the mountains, with the sun going down behind them, the yellow sky, the haze, the Japanese rooftops, a little bit of a breeze. Five months in and it still takes my breath away. I love being here.