Well, I got my JET application away. It's cutting it fine because I posted it on Monday, it takes 'about a week' to get to NZ and applications close on the 30th. So if it takes any longer than a week, I'm quite likely screwed. Which would be gutting because I've spent a lot of money getting this application together, paying for academic records, certificates of graduation and a whopping $50 just to get an NZ JP to do a signed photocopy of my passport! Also I've had a number of people running round trying to get my stuff together in time - big ups to Holly, Rod @ Waikato and David @ Massey. But in the end everything only came together on Saturday - when the post office is closed - so Monday was it. If there is a God, can you please remember that I always go to Camp Quality and help out the kiddies, so I deserve to have my letter turn up on time...
Other than that, on Saturday we went to Taishaku Gorge with Jeff's workmates and another local Japanese woman, to go leaf viewing. We were a bit late - most of the leaves have fallen already - but it was a beautiful sunny day and it was great to socialise with some Japanese!! After we had gone for a wander in the sunshine and had a look at the caves where early Japanese lived 10,000 years ago, we went back to Nishikawa-san's place (also known as J-mom). Since her own daughters moved out - one to Osaka and one to Paris, then London - Nishikawa has been on a mission to adopt as many internationals as she can. She likes to have them over for a feed and beer in her kitchen. We christened her kitchen the Nishikawa International Centre. I promised that when both Kate and my parents visit, we would bring them round so she can feed them and chat to them. It was altogether a lovely evening, except for my sore tummy from eating WAY too much!!
Monday was a day of work and yesterday was a holiday. Jeff and I went to Fukuyama to a) look for second-hand snowboards and b) buy Vegemite. I have been craving Indian since we got here, as Japanese food has no spice (if you want a laugh, ask a Japanese person if they like spicy food and watch their facial expression!). In the three days between Jeff leaving NZ and me following I had two excellent Indian meals, so to hit Japan and have no spiciness at all was hard going. So yesterday Jeff remembered we were passing not too far from a good Indian restaurant, so he took me as a treat (mainly a treat because we had almost no cash left and ATMs aren't open on the weekend! Japan is an entirely cash society so our cards wouldn't get us anywhere). I had a yummy yummy chicken and vegetable curry with the largest garlic naan in the whole wide world. They have a spice scale and, knowing how Japanese don't like spice, Jeff and I went for 8. The woman was a little concerned after that it might have been too spicey, but it was BEAUTIFUL. So good... For hours later I didn't eat or drink anything, just savouring the spicy tingle in my mouth. Such a wonderful feeling...
Then, as if that wasn't enough good food for a day, we went to dinner with the group of adults Jeff helps out with English. They were having dinner at the Yamamoto's place (the husband is a Hiroshima bomb survivor!). We were running seven minutes late (anyone who knows me will be impressed I was only that late!) when I receieved a phone call from Yamamoto-san asking where we were, because they were waiting for us! Yikes!! When we turned up they were all sitting round the dinner table, ready to eat skiyaki - a dish that involves chucking in all kinds of meat, tofu, mushrooms and greens while you eat, so you have a continual supply of freshly cooked foods, done in some special skiyaki sauce. Very nutritious and very very tasty!! So, once again, we ate WAY too much. My poor little car struggled to get us home over the hills! I swear we must have been 10kg heavier than on the way in!
Ok, all this talking about food is making me feel hungry (even though I should probably have a three day famine after the amount I ate yesterday!), so I'm off to make lunch.
Hope you are all doing well. This weekend Jeff and I are going to Osaka with my work for a conferencey thing (I don't really know, I just heard 'free trip to Osaka'), so I'll be away from the net for another full week. Apologies for the infrequency of these updates... Btw, check Jeff's facebook page for a video of our house. Pretty cute, huh??
Miss you guys, take care!!
Charly
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