weekend escapades

last weekend there were actually events to speak of going on in lil' ole joetsu.
friday i went snowboarding with my school. the day included a much needed lesson. i was assigned to the intermediate group since it was my 4th trip. [our instructor was super cute. we were on the lift together when i asked where he worked, to which he replied minamishiro koko, which is my school. i was super embarrassed. although apparently he stays on the 3rd floor with the coaches and a few of the other teachers, who i attempted to prod for info about him, didn’t know him either.] of course, this group was all the too-cool boys which turned out to not be a bad thing. one of the popular but bratty boys was a first timer but refused to be relegated to the beginner group because it was all girls and he was too embarrassed. so our instructor had to spend the entire morning holding his hand basically. at home, we would simply have told the boy to go with the appropriate group, he would not have the option to stay with his friends, thus ruining 7 other people's lessons, but the japanese have no discipline. i'm reading a book about the difference in thought processes between asians and westerners. it asserts that the perceived and actual pressure to follow the rules and conform comes from different places in different societies. some places, the authority figures apply the most pressure whereas in japan, the role of keeping people in line falls to the peers. this is evidenced in the classroom, in the tattle-telling and prevalent gossip and in a recent news story i saw where the police in japan were caught on video actually running away from a criminal wielding a stick. about 30 minutes into the non-lesson, most of the group was plopped down in a snow bank chatting, throwing snowballs, waiting. they decided to screw it and just board some. there are 2 brothers, one of whom i teach, that i chat with often. they are half filipino so their mother has taught them a little english in addition to tagalog and japanese. days before they had offered to teach me, so i decided to take them up on it. it was awesome. they were patient, stopping to tell me and mime what i’d done wrong each time i spilled face-first or veered off into a waist deep snow bank. they lollygagged around while i baby-stepped down the mountain and, with their fab help, i finally got it. lightbulb! before, i could only manage go straight and turn left which made it difficult. now i am carving ‘s’ shapes down the mountain, even on the steep parts which is a huge accomplishment. i was so excited i kept hopping back on the lift for another run. at one point, i realized the mountain seemed empty. when i skidded into the landing i saw the cute instructor, waiting in plain clothes. everyone had already cleaned up, boarded the bus and headed back to school. 4 of the male gym teachers were waiting for me with silly smiles. there was even a cookie on my pile of stuff to show they weren’t upset. i was so embarrassed but i did get to ride back with the hot instructor.
friday night was an open mic show, to which a surprising number of performers showed up. a japanese jazz songstress, a few foreigner bands [not THE foreigner band...no 'cold as ice'], some japanese bands and a university student we know played the shamisen, a traditional japanese instrument that has a whiney, pluckey voice.

saturday, a few friends came into town so we did an all-you-can-drink dinner extravaganza at the local lively bar food kinda restaurant.
the obligatory bathroom shot...

then we headed to a tsunami benefit party at the town’s only dance club. mostly foreigners, some japanese, decent music. i found out the older man always hanging out there [possibly the owner] is a decent couple’s dancer. he showed marked maturity over the other japanese men who liz and i tend to scare.

i could make a hilarious montage from ‘freaked out japanese man’ pictures.
COUNTDOWN: 16 days until papua new guinea!
if anyone's at a computer, with a little time on their hands, you all should feel free to keep me amused by sending email to my keitai [cellphone]. the address is sugarspicenails@docomo.ne.jp
awesome.