Sunday, December 17, 2006

Crawling to the end of December

It turned out that making paper snowflakes was way too hard, so I have been making cards instead. Making cards is also hard. In the past week I have spent about 14 hours making the cards. That doesn't even include my trips to the store for more materials. I am pretty sure that I bought every solid red 5cm x 5cm piece of origami paper in town, by the way. Despite my busyness, I have still managed to get out and do some very fun things this week.

We begin on Wednesday. Last week I mentioned that I went to the Takasaki illumination with a girl named Yuri, who I have become friends with. You will be seeing a lot more of Yuri on this blog because she is a lot of fun to be around. Anyway, last Wednesday she invited me to go to a classical music concert with her because she had somehow gotten 2 tickets. After a minor complication caused by the fact that my phone service was cut for non-payment of bill (even though I DID pay in), we went to the Gunma music center for a performance of what turned out to be Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
By the way, the Ninth is incredibly popular in Japan. For some reason at the end of the year, every symphony does it. I how no idea why. "Auld Lang Syne" is popular as well. And since "Auld Lang Syne" is supposedly English, as a foreigner you are expected to know how to sing it. Anyway, the symphony was fun.

So, here are the cards that I have been making.
And here is me in the Santa suit that I borrowed from the PTA so that I could hand out my cards.
I couldn't find a bag, so I figured that a briefcase would do the trick.
Dressing up in the Santa suit and going around the school handing out cards makes the kids really happy. And while it is a great experience, I can say with conviction that it is hardly any fun for me. The kids beat me up at school anyway, but when I am in a Santa suit, they become extremely violent. I actually had 3 kids tearing off my costume while another kid tried to take my briefcase, a fifth kid punched me in the stomach repeatedly and a sixth kid slapped me in the crotch. And I was not a big fan of the grasping for the cards the minute I opened the briefcase, or the kids that started tearing up the card right in front of me. But, as not fun as it is to be Santa, the kids had a really good time, and that is what counts. One girl even drew me this...
So, on Saturday night Yuri came over to my place and I cooked what was by far the best nabe I have ever cooked. I think she was impressed.
By the way, visible in this picture is my new portable gas stove, which is awesome! I love it! It cooks so well, and it fits on my Kotatsu perfectly. Plus now I am prepared in the event that the electricity goes out.

S0, next week I'll be in Hawaii. I can't wait to go, and coming back should be fun too.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah. You are almost home. Oh, and the syphomy looks nice too. You look like Santa.

Love
Mom

Anonymous said...

I can't waiiiiitttt. I miss you buddy. It should be exciting to see you again.

Anonymous said...

torenton,torenton,>_<
torentonga sunderu tokorotte Tokyokara tooino?
ima tokyono sinjyukuni irukarasa-
yokattara asoboune!>_<
yukarimo 30nichikuraini nihonni kaettekuruyo!>_<
wa-iwai- ww
dewadewa~ >_<

Trenton said...

今ハワイにいるけど、一月六日に日本へ戻りますよ!群馬はけっこう遠いだと思う。電車で二時間三十分ぐらい…
渋川と言う町に住んでいる。

Anonymous said...

あら=_= 日本語見えるんだ(汗)
電車で2時間半…;;結構遠いねぇ
遊べるかなぁ;;;
私はまだ決めてないけど(汗)
13日くらいに韓国に帰ると思うよぉ
ヒマあったら遊ぼうね>_</