And Life Continues!

So, it's been awhile since Korea and I now have plenty to write about (and some pictures, of course). And speaking of pictures, I've now added a bunch to my previous post, so go check them out!

The weekend after Seoul was AEON's Halloween party combined with my "Welcome to Fujisawa" party with a bunch of AEON students. We teachers all dressed up as characters from the textbooks to see if the students could identify us, which was pretty fun. Rodney also made a game where students spin a wheel and then need to perform an activity (Trivia challenge, arm-wrestling, etc.) with either me or the other new staff member and then win a prize (stickers with pictures of me on them >_> ). Overall we had a pretty good time at the party, and most of us went out for ramen and some drinks afterwards.

The following day I took a train (about an hour and a half) to Mt. Takao to meet Cheryl and go for a hike. After about a 15 minute walk to the base of the mountain, we started the climb. It wasn't much of a climb (it's pretty commercialized), but there were some steep parts and I think we both had a great time. Cheryl packed a lunch for the two of us which we ate about a third of the way up: onigiri and yakisoba. Then at the top we took some pictures, had a snack, and hung out for a bit. It's said that on a clear enough day you can see Mt. Fuji from there, but I'm not so sure. We did get a good view of Tokyo and Yokohama, but I think there are other mountains in the way of Mt. Fuji so you can't quite see it. On our way down we tried some of the local snacks: roasted sesame dango and blue honeysuckle sorbet. Both delicious. Then when we were about a third of the way down we opted to take the ski lift down. Yes, there's a ski lift and, in fact, a cable car so most people don't even climb Mt. Takao. It was getting a bit late and we thought it would be fun to take the ski lift down. So we did, and it was.

Last weekend was my birthday weekend. Cheryl visited on Friday night and as usual hung out in Fujisawa while I worked on Saturday (she also cleaned around my apartment. Thanks again honey!). Then on Saturday night we went out for ramen with Rodney and then back to his apartment to play Mario Party. I got creamed, but still had a blast. Then on Sunday, Cheryl and I went to Minato Mirai in Yokohama. We didn't spend much time there (more of a scouting mission for an intended future trip) but we did go on a big Ferris wheel. We waited in a special line for the Ferris wheel so we could get in one of the cages with a see-through floor, which was pretty awesome. After that we ate a parfait together and came back to Fujisawa. Cheryl cooked me dinner that night: oyakodon, which was fantastic, and lasted for multiple dinners throughout the week.

Recently, I also went with some of my students on a field trip to Kamakura, giving them a real opportunity to use their English (which we practiced beforehand in class), and giving me the opportunity to do some sightseeing. We went to the Great Buddha, took some pictures, picked up souvenirs, and then headed to lunch. They chose the restaurant and ordered tempura for me. It was pretty good, though next time I may pass on the shirasu tempura (tiny little fish breaded and fried together). It was a pretty cool experience overall.

And that about wraps it up. Soon I'll be starting the application process for graduate school again, and tomorrow I have my first Japanese lesson. It'll feel good to seriously start learning Japanese again, and this is perfect environment for me to do it in. Until next time!

Seen at the base of Mt. Takao. This one's for you, Dad.

The view from the top of Mt. Takao.

Cheryl in our see-through cage on the Ferris wheel!

Yokohama's Landmark Tower as seen from the Ferris wheel

The Great Buddha. Unfortunately all the best pictures of me also had students in them, which I won't post for obvious reasons. So for now you can look at the big guy.