A New Sky

(left and middle; Otawara graveyard. Right; Kris at Karaoke!!!)


I just ate two croquettes from the shop opposite where I'm staying in Otawara and they were delicious. Would you like to know how I came to Otowara for me to have eaten the aforementioned delicious croquettes? Yes I imagine you would.

Well to continue from my last post where I was just about to go to Gunma for some more training. The car ride was so boring that I'm worried if I mention it or even think of it then the world will send it to me again like 'The Secret' dictates (I honestly have no idea how 'The Secret' works that was just my understanding? Ellen Degeneres mentions it a bit and she got on the cover of O Magazine with it so it must work). The hotel we stayed in Takasaki city was nice and may I say it was awesome to A) have internet connection and B) Have a BED to sleep in. Breakfast involved croissants (YAY) breadrolls (Carbs YAY) and this spicy, salty, rice ball that made me seriously contemplate my salt intake whilst in Japan. That is to say, everything is very salty so I'll have to reduce salt intake or drink more water.

Anyway the training was identical to the Tochigi training and it even lasted for 4 hours too! But I did get to meet some really cool people so it was well worth it in case I decide to go to Gunma again. Which I probably will as immediately after the training was done we were back off to Ujiie City in Tochigi. Which means the mountains and the scenery I was so excited about were completely missed and was replaced with night scenery (= no scenery). There was a sunset though...

I don't want to bore you with all the details but Joytalk decided to give me a car and send me to live in this enormous house at the back of a general managers house (Honda-san) in Otawara. It's actually quite a large place but I am again back to tatami mats and futons. Not that I have an issue with tatami mats and futons ........ you know I think the biggest issue I have with tatami mats and futons is the pillow component. It's either a rice pillow or this wierd structure-y type pillow. I just want a normal pillow for my soft and delicate head. No it's not bad, I'm just pulling something out of nothing.

I saw my apartment from the outside and it does look as big as people are saying. It is also about a metre away from the Joytalk office in Otawara which probably means that I will be raked in to teach there in my free time. Which is fine as that's moneyyyy for meeee. The previous owner of the place has told me that it's old and pretty much falling to pieces and that I should ask for a cheaper price but I don't mind living in a hole - it will give me something to do.

I also got my car! It's tiny and blue and I love it. I want to name it something kawaii but I can't decide what. I'm thinking it looks like a Ben, but I like karo-chan or Bossa Nova-kun or Tadakichi-san. Thoughts anyone? No? Yes? I also just went for a walk through this awesome graveyard/forest and I had a brief if completely broken conversation with a nice old Japanese lady. I really like Otowara at the moment, it isn't exactly close to anyone or anywhere but it's peaceful. I don't mind driving to Utsunomiya and Tokyo is only about an hour and a half away by Shinkansen (bullet train). I'm sort of blogging everything now as once I start teaching (next week I think) then I imagine I will run out of things to say. But I'll find out soon enough.
Yoshi!





Some pictures of Otowara; http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=239177&id=680155088&l=66da790f1d

Some pictures from Utsunomiya; http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=239168&id=680155088&l=34ae1123f3

(everyone should be able to access them even if you don't have facebook.)