Week 53: FINALLY a BREAK.

Well, with the parents gone, and summer camp over and school not starting until Thursday, I FINALLY had some time off.  So to warn you, this week is a little boring.

Let's see.  First of all, School started Thursday, but before break started, my liaison teacher at that school said "why are you coming in? It's not like we're doing anything that day."  so I put in a very polite request for that day off.  "If they can think of something to do with me that day, I'll go in, but if I'm just going to sit on my heiny all day, can I have it off?"

And they said yes!  So I got an extra day.

Anyhow, we had been warned that a Typhoon would be coming through Japan, so be prepared.  I got prepared.  Had my supplies.

yuuuummm

But it turned out that we just got the trailing edge of it.  No wind. No lightning and thunder.  Just rain.

Not even a LOT of rain.

there was a little waterfall though.

::sigh:: no typhoons for me.

I guess it's a good thing, because I had to go out in it.  X-rays to check for Tuberculosis were due, so the company arranged some for us.

On the bright side, I got to see the people from camp, and we hung out and talked.

and got food.

And we wandered around a covered market place.  Lots of farmers' stuff and fish and...here's something odd I found.

this is tea.

That is not popcorn in the tea.  No, those are popped RICE.  I did not know you could pop rice!  Learn something new.

Well, after, I went back to my apartment, and most of the rest of the week is a bit of a blur.  I cleaned. I organized. I laid around uselessly. I did laundry.  I went to the grocery store.

wait, is that...WHOLE WHEAT BREAD?!

no. of course not. silly me.

And at one point I made hot fudge.  Thank you Erin! It turned out lovely!

Then on Thursday, the day AFTER the last day of summer, I went back to the beach.

oh what a difference less than a week makes.

It was almost empty.  They were closing/taking down the food booths.

much quieter without these things blaring music.

The weather was much cooler too.  Of course, the clouds are part of that, but still, almost too cool to swim.

I still did of course.  And had a lovely time.

Friday I went back into work, and it was still a half day.  But at least I got to teach!  6th graders.  I made them sing "I'm a little teapot" again.  Better get them used to having no pride quickly. ;D

Saturday (wow, that was a short work week) I did lots of stuff!  I lie, I did almost nothing.  I DID do some adult stuff.

I went to Kyoto, because I heard there was going to be a Noh performance!

I showed up early, and it turns out it was outside!

and the grand majority of the audience was older Japanese.

It started raining a bit, so they let us go closer to the stage, where there was better cover.

and we all sat on the ground.

Of course, this meant my seat was MUCH better.

second row!

And eventually, all the back seats filled up as well.  It was a BIG audience.

Noh is the oldest traditional form of Japanese theater still being performed.  It's a form of Japanese Opera.  The actors have these big outfits and sing behind masks.  I'm not sure how they sang so well with those masks, but it was really nice.  As it is not Western, the singing style was completely different, but still very nice.

Traditionally, a typical Noh performance consists of 5 Noh plays with a humorous interlude.  They shorten them anymore, and I'm pretty sure they only showed us 1 Noh play, as the whole thing was only 1 hour long.

I'd love to show you a clip of the singing, but it was strictly forbidden to use cameras.

shh, don't tell!