Starting over with everything..

I lived and worked in Japan for a long time and have come back in a time of economic and ever present family drama to try and gain a foothold in my so-called home country. Armed with nothing but dog fur, a crappy car, a laptop that hates me, I try to see how far I can get.

Sunday, February 27, 2005

What's up my people?

I know I have not been in contact for a while, but I swear I have been pretty busy. Still, no excuse. I will try harder. The Japanese school year is winding down and I'm doing preparations for the new year and new students. I'm hoping for a renewed sense of purpose and hopefully talking sense into a few teachers I work with by asking them to try NEW ideas so the kids are more motivated and interested. FAT CHANCE! But I'm hopeful anyways. What's new with me? We'll besides work, I have just had a visit from Kammi and we had a blast, but it was very tiring as we were on the go the whole time. We went to Kyoto and Hiroshima, so there are some pics from that. Sorry I still have to take pictures the ghetto way, with my web cam, I have other things I need besides a camera. I'm anti-digital! Why, I don't know, but I am. Besides I need a new mattress first, I can't sleep well on the one I have. Anyways, I love you guys, I miss you and for those that haven't e-mailed me in a while, well you should when you have time. Adios amigos!

Pagoda at Shinnyo-do, Kyoto and the moon.
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Pagoda at Shinnyo-do, Kyoto at dusk.
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Japanese fashions at the airport. Check out the mini-skirt!
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Kammi and me at the Fukuoka Airport.
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Kammi and one of the many vending machines in Japan.
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Atomic Dome- Hiroshima.
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Hiroshima A-dome (Genbakudomu).
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Hiroshima Peace Park's children memorial.
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Kinkakuji temple and Kammi.
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Kinkakuji temple.
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Lantern in front of Shinnyo-do.
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Trees in front of Chion-in shrine. They were pretty cool-looking.
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Trees, trees, trees.
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The statue at the temple next to Kodaiji Shrine.
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Can't remember the temple's name, but this temple commemorates everyone- Japanese or foreign- who died on Japanese soil during the WWII. This picture doesn't do this temple justice.
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Kodaiji Shrine.
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Mini-bamboo forest at Kodaiji Shrine.
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Kyomizudera Temple.
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Kammi and me at Kyomizudera. I'm not in a whole lot of pictures cause we thought Kammi's film might be shot, but once in a while I'm in them.
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Japanese person dressed as a maiko in front of Kyomizudera.
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Kammi at Heian Jingu.
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Heian Jingu Shrine.
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Kammi looking at trees at Heian Jingu Shrine's Garden.
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Kammi in front of a really big Japanese building that we couldn't find the name for. People were playing taiko drums and chanting inside but we didn't go in. Oooo, mysterious...
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Kammi in her Snoopy jammies. Sexy or what?!?
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Me, Chris and Carmen.... oh so cute.
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OH MY GOD! Something caused them to have fish face! Maybe that explains why they flopped all over like fish later? Hmmm...
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Chris and Carmen sitting in a tree... I mean, lying on the tatami... uh..
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Cool looking orange thingies at the Mitsuse farmer's market.
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Tofu making place in Mitsuse, a really quaint little town. This is the tofu making machine/steamer thing. Lemme tell you fresh tofu is the bomb-diggity!
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The girl I see all the time, but can't remember her name and Naoko (yellow). The fire hypnotized 'em.
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People at the Utoku Inari shrine praying.
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Me and my bonfire. Zang.
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Big FIRE! Why I have no idea, but there is a big let's burn stuff festival in front of one of the local big shrines. But damn, I forgot to bring trash to burn!
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Takeo Junior High boys, aren't they cute! Not when they are in class they aren't. But the one in the middle is one of my best students.
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And boom!
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Still pushing...
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Some of my Takeo Junior High students. They were dressed-up to do a dance.
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One of the main events of the festival. The students line up back to back and try to push each other out of the circle. It's hilarious.
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Takeo school district festival. These are some of my students from Mifunegaoka Elementary.
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