News

Do you want to hear news, or just random thoughts? I don't really want this to turn into an online diary, but on the other hand, it might not hurt to have some day to day snippets, so that you don't erroneously think that Japan is 100% weird and random! Let me know what you think!
Well, a bit of news won't hurt...

Eg last Saturday I spent the day with an Aussie family who I know from an English speaking church. (I went away on holiday with them for a few days last summer, but haven't seen them much since.) But I stayed over at theirs, where they have an amazing view over the city. He works at the uni & their apartment is on the 7th floor of a building on the top of a hill, so they have a great lookout point over skyscrapers, river and trees.
In the day time we went to the site of Sendai castle, where there's reportedly amazing sakura (cherry blossoms). Well, there aren't any there, although there are loads in Bennyland, the local amusement park... think the pink trees really add to the surrealness there- must try and go there next year around this time! We saw the statue of Date Masamune [see above], another one of which is in the station. Both feature a banana on his head (the latter statue is known as the "banana man" in some circles- much to the bafflement of others!).
Then after lunch & an afternoon nap, we went to a park so their 2 year old son could play. And saw loads of 'fubuki'. This is basically 'snow' caused by falling cherry blossom petals. It's really nice and pretty when they fall on you & it turns the ground pink! Shame it has to leave the trees, but it's v nice nonetheless.
Then in the evening I went back and did some taiko drumming. I had a surprise, because my group had merged with another local one, so it was a big get together. The teacher gave me a copy of the music, and about 2 and a half hours later, I was vaguely beginning to realise what was going on with that. At least I was given a (relatively) easy part, and could just copy what the people next to me were doing.
Golden Week starts tomorrow -whoo. Tomorrow, I'm going to go and watch another friend do taiko drumming in a festival. Then we're gonna go to the seaside for a v short "Bible camp" which I'm looking forward to. Should be nice to recharge batteries. Then we're going to see some sakura and taste some Aomori apples on Fri, do bits n pieces at the weekend, then back to work on Monday. Ages ago I was hoping to get away somewhere, so am so pleased to have plans lined up. Just not sure how much relaxing/ lying in it will allow for though!