The Sake Sumo Sutra

Well I'm back at "work" in quotations because I hardy do anything. I just talk to kids all day. I just having a blast. Last Thursday I signed my papers to recontract for another year. It's just too much fun. Here's why:

Winter is pretty miserable it snow/rains all day everyday. It's just awful. A couple days ago i was walking down the street with my umbrella up and an obasan (old lady) laughed an old lady laugh and said, "ume shiimasen" (It's not raining). I go outside, I put up the umbrella. Reflex. BUT: Yesterday I went snowboarding with friends. It was the first time I'd ever snowboarded and I was pathetic for about 10 minutes. I got it wired almost immediately and by the end of the day I was flying across the mountain with the best of 'em. It's a lot like the easy parts of surfing. I don't think I've ever been that good at anything that fast. I was a great feeling. I can't wait for next weekend 'cause we're going to Nagano (winter Olympics '92?) on a snowboarding trip, should be awesome.

I was tempted to going to the slops again today, but had to get a bunch of odds and ends taken care of. Got a haircut, paid bills, got new tatami mats, and I got a track suit-- which I'm wearing now. For some (Japanese) reason at school I can wear a sport coat and necktie or a track suit. While track suits are totally ridiculous, they're more comfortable than business clothes. When I Rome and all that.

Today was Nabe (winter soup) day in a nearby town. As you can see it's cooked in big pots. It's really good stuff. The directions to get there are pretty funny:

Exit the train station, go straight past the castle. You'll see a blue and red Pachinko parlor that says'"Alpha vs. Pluto" on it. Turn right. go straight til you see a huge Buddha. The pots are in front of it. Lastly, I got home-- full of soup wearing a tracksuit with a bag full of sushi and sake (;;;;;drinking now;;;;;)-- to watch my two favorite shows on TV. The first is sumo which is great, there..'s a Bulgarian that..'s climbing the ranks. Very exciting. Second is a show pronounced /paypah du-rai-ba/ (paper driver) which features Japanese people with drivers licenses but never drive being forced to navigate their boss..'s cars around difficult areas in Tokyo. It..'s AMAZING. Whatta great week I..'m ready for 52 more much love, may yeah I almost forgot (stupid sake) I..'m coming home at the end of July/early August for my friend John Higgins wedding. I..'ll be in California for a couple weeks. WHhoo hhoo

Lastly, I got home-- full of soup wearing a tracksuit with a bag full of sushi and sake (;;;;;drinking now;;;;;)-- to watch my two favorite shows on TV. The first is sumo which is great, there's a Bulgarian that's climbing the ranks. Very exciting. Second is a show pronounced /paypah du-rai-ba/ (paper driver) which features Japanese people with driver's licenses but never drive being forced to navigate their boss's cars around difficult areas in Tokyo. It's AMAZING.

Whatta great week I'm ready for 52 more

much love,

max