Party Hardy!

The Japanese like their get-togethers. And hey! When in Japan, do as the Japanese do, right? :D

Over the weekend I got to hang out with a friend that I met in America. She’s from Ozu, but she visited Hastings last year, so she was the very first person that I met from Hastings. Anywho, we went to Kumamoto City (very close), had dinner, met up with her friends, drank “beeru” ;) and went dancing. It was a very fun evening! I won’t disclose the hours of my absence…we had a lot of fun dancing and lost track of the time! But it was neat to meet some really nice, open-minded folk, and boogie down. :D

Also, I just got back from Enkai number two. This one proves that not all Enkai are alike. ;) The first Enkai I attended was sort of quaint and I felt like I talked personally to everyone. The second Enkai was comparatively raucous. :D Someone offered to teach me some samurai moves, I had a nato eating contest with “Tom”, and most had a “beeru” in hand at all times. And yet, there were some really special moments for me also. To being the party, the director of the Ozu Board of Education gave me a gift (sushi and the infamous nato), and two teachers from my school gave a speech. I almost cried. : ) I think that would’ve freaked them out though, so I did my best and held in the tears. Also, throughout the evening I got to talk with people I really enjoyed. The Ozu Mayor is really a nifty person. I like him. Also, “my father for two days” (host family’s father!) came. It was especially nice of him because he and his family have already done so much for me. Then, I was honored to speak with the Vice-Principal of my school! He is a very cool guy and has a lot of profound ideas about education. I had never had a good conversation with him before, so I really appreciated getting to speak with him. Which brings me to the best point of the evening-oh, I wish I could say their names! I would proclaim them everywhere I went as the nicest, most considerate people I know. Although I shouldn’t disclose their secret identity, I am sending them the best mental juju possible. ;D One of these people organized the party and personally introduced me to the guests. (And he also brought homegrown “lemons” (what I would call limes) for the mojitos!) The second of the two mystery people was by my side the entire evening translating. I can’t even begin to tell you what a nice friend she is to me! I had all of these lovely conversations because she was able to interpret beautifully. It’s all thanks to her that I wasn’t the lonely American in the corner, not talking to anyone because I didn’t know Japanese. Because of these two people (and many others!) It was a lovely evening.

So there you have it! I’m officially a party-er! You never thought it would happen, eh? Now only come visit me in Japan and you’ll see how the Japanese have fun. :D