This week was another pretty normal week. I am really getting into this routine, so my posts may become shorter and shorter until something exciting happens. Or, I may begin to start discussing other matters outside of my direct day to day life some time soon. However, that day is not today. This week I will try and give a quick summary of the few things that did happen out of the norm then maybe I will find something else to fill up some space and keep you guys busy for a bit longer, so you don’t have to head back to work, or whatever other unexciting things you were doing that made reading this blog post seem like it might be a more entertaining way to spend your time.
First off…. let me look at my calendar… You know it has been an uneventful week when you have to look back to try and remember what you did 6 days ago. Up until this week I have not had so much trouble recalling such things. I don’t know if I should be happy that I am becoming settled in here, or upset that my life is now falling into a bit of a predictable routine. Either way, it is boring for you to read about so hopefully I can find some way to spice it up before this blog’s list of regular visitors plummets to only one.. I know my mom will always be curious, no matter how bored the rest of you get.
Anywayyy, as I scan my calendar I still am unable to remember what happened the four days of my life between May 13, and May 17, 2014. I kind of remember May 17th, since it was a Saturday, and my sister’s graduation was that day (Congrats Morg). We had a welcome party for our new head teacher at the school after work. Hideo has been there for a little over a month now, but I guess there was too much going on to have the party sooner. The party was pretty fun (for a work party) there was free food and beer, and I talked with some of my students whom I had not yet been able to interact with outside of class. It was fun, but I was ready to get home by the end of it… Instead I went out for a beer with one of the other teachers at my school. We went to a place right by the next station. I ended up walking home since the trains had stopped before I left. It was only about a half hour walk, but I ended up running it since I really just wanted to take a shower and pass out.
I went into Osaka for some lunch with a friend the next day, then we went to another friends house for a “family dinner”. Someone made Lasagna and we all sat around eating and hanging out for a while. It was a good day, made even better by great food. When I woke up Monday, I had a small list of errands to run. First I went to this boxing gym I had been scouting out. No one there spoke much English, and my Japanese is still barely above non existent, but the owner and I both had our iPhones out and used Google translate to figure out that I needed to come back next Monday for a free trial session. He also gave me some information on what everything would cost. It is a bit expensive to start out, a membership fee to begin, then I have to pay for a package of training sessions. I am not sure what it includes exactly but they had a lot of equipment in there. I was a bit worried about having to buy all the equipment, but when I expressed this concern to him he said all I really needed to begin was gloves and he had an extra pair I could use. I am pretty excited about starting this though. No one in the gym speaks English, so I will finally have a chance to practice Japanese, and all of the guys in there seemed pretty friendly. They actually came up to me and seemed interested, instead of shying away from me like many people do. Everyone here is really shy, and since I don’t know any Japanese it is very hard to meet people. This boxing gym seems like it might be the perfect remedy for both of these problems. The membership fees are a little expensive, but if I can practice Japanese and make some new friends while I am learning a new sport, then I think it will be well worth it.
After I went to the gym I headed over to the shopping mall. I wanted to check out this UNIQLO place everyone is always saying has good clothes for cheap. I have been in need of a few things, and I just wanted to kill some time so I went. I got a few shirts and some shorts, it was a pretty cool place, and thankfully it wasn’t totally overrun with Japanese type fashions (people here wear some weird stuff). After the getting some clothes, I went to check out a huge food mart that was also in the mall. They had a lot of awesome looking stuff. Obviously, tons of fish. There were also two pretty nice bakeries, and a bunch of other little places selling desserts, and alcohol, and everything else. Some things were cheaper than my local grocery store so I will probably go back there from time to time.
That night I went back into Osaka to get some dinner with another friend. We went to a Turkish restaurant. This place was amazing! I have never eaten at a Turkish place before. I will be going back there. The food in Osaka is so good! not only the Japanese food, but I have been to French, Italian, Chinese, and now Turkish restaurants and they were all great. I think the Turkish was my favorite so far though.
I got home late last night, after wandering around the city for a few minutes after dinner. I read some more Game of Thrones then passed out. Today was the beginning to what seems to be shaping up to be just another normal week. It started to rain around 6, and I didn’t carry an umbrella with me on my way in this morning since it was so sunny, so I got soaked on the walk home. It was refreshing (not really sarcastic), but I did leave my laundry out to dry a.k.a. get soaked, so I guess that will have to hang for another day. I dont have any plans for next weekend except for boxing on Monday and hopefully nailing down an itinerary for this trip in August (probably to Malaysia). I have to work a half day this Sunday, but it wont be too bad. Especially since I treated myself this weekend.
Anyway, I hope you have a good week doing whatever you are doing in your life. I am looking forward to the next few weeks here. I am not really sure why but something is making me feel optimistic. Maybe it is this crazy sugar high I am on right now after devouring the last of my Easter candy while I have been writing this. Man I really have been treating myself a lot lately… every time I have typed “treat myself” I have laughed. I keep thinking of this clip from ‘Parks and Rec.’
PS. Pat, Grams, and Granddad, I have worn a suit or jacket/pants to work everyday so far, but starting next week Japan goes to ‘cool biz’ until the end of September. That means no more jacket and no more tie!! I can’t wait.