Weekend of the Mukade

If anyone knows what this is, please tell me! They're everywhere, and there's even a small orchard of them around the way.

Sorry for the delay in posting, what to tell, what to tell????

Friday
First day at my new JHS, but I haven't thought of a name for it yet. I was thinking about TMS for Tiny Mountain School, since there are only 18 students spread over 3 grades and it's in the mountains, but then it's related to my LMS. I didn't spend that much time there yet, so I'll have to feel it out to find a name. In the meantime, it's WAY the hell out there, about 45 minutes away, up and down winding mountain roads, a couple hairpin turns, etc. etc. Of course the drive is beautiful and I'm sure the kids will be great.

Jim, I now appreciate your coming down for kaitenzushi even more!

The kids only had a half day with an Opening Ceremony in the morning and some homeroom meetings. I left after lunch to go to my new ELE (working on a name...), where I had probably the best welcome from the faculty yet. Most of the teachers as they came into the faculty room came up to personally introduce themselves and find out a bit about me. Cool! And this isn't a small school - there are about 400-500 students there.

This new school is about a 3-minute drive from my house, down a street I've never explored before, and it looked so cool I decided to take a run out that way in the evening, after my "pre-dinner". It was a pretty hilly run, so I was challenged, but before I knew it, I'd run the 20 minutes I was after. I enjoyed the beautiful green of the rice fields, and the red sun setting behind the mountains. Yokatta

Saturday
After a pancake breakfast:


I decided to take the A1 out for a spin along a new route. It was lovely and delicious (name that song - give up?) and I took a ton of pictures (see flickr... soon).



I tooled around a bit, and on my way up an unfamiliar street I heard my name called. It turned out to be the head teacher at my LMS, who invited me into his house where I enjoyed some refreshing beverage, looked at his father's pictures from the trip to China he'd just returned from, and enjoyed lunch with the entire family - somen, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Very cool!

Lunch had me gassed up enough to take another mini-trip down by the river where I run, to take some pictures of the rice being harvested. See flickr for more. Again, soon....



After getting back and settled, plans were made with I-kun to hook up for some izakaya-ing, and Good Times were had by all.

Sunday
We were back at soccer on Sunday, after a summer break due to everyone's travels and the OPPRESSIVE HEAT and HUMIDITY of July/August in Japan. I was a little off my game and quit early, but I made up for it today 2 or 3 goals scored during hiruyasumi at my new elementary school. I'm awesome.

And that's the groove that's in the heart, peeps. Tomorrow I'm at my LMS for the first time since July (well, for scholastic purposes), and I'm so excited! I missed the babies so much!

On that note, peace and love to all.

Ah, and the title would refer the the mukade the length of my hand that I was unable to completely kill out in the garden. I hacked and hacked with a trowel, but it would not move on to greener pastures. The head was pretty done, but the back end just kept going. I guess time and the ants finally finished him off. Eventually. I kind of felt bad...