This definitely feels like summer!

The weather has been so-so hot but the humidity has been obscene and it is positively draining. I keep telling myself that it will all be okay in about a month, but right now, I’m melted to my carpet. Whenever I watch the weather reports it seems like Saitama, and particularly my area of Saitama, is the hottest part of Japan! Yuck!

However, seeing as I am deathly terrified of a ridiculous electric bill, I try to keep my air conditioner off. I draw the line at being able to sleep though. During the day I just sweat it out with a fan and drink tons of water (hooray for hydration!).

So last week we had the Saitama Prefectural Orientation, and it was a welcome relief to see all my other friends again (and get to spend a day out of the office to boot!). The first day was kind of dull, but we did get to enjoy a tea ceremony and calligraphy session as part of the cultural workshops.

My mis-spelled name and the properly spelled "Japan"

 Day two was spent at the Saitama Natural Disaster Training Center. It was basically a reproduction of the one I went to in Ikebukuro in 2009, but this one had a typhoon wind simulator. Overall, the company of hanging out with my ridiculous friends made the day.

Scratch that, having my advisor take me and 2 other JETs to her house for homemade Thai curry was the highlight of my week! Not only was the food delicious, the company amazing, but she has cats! Ten of them! YES! So I could get my kitty cat fix =)

Mimi-chan!

 

The rest of the week was spent brainstorming over future lesson plans. Call me lazy, but for the 3 classes I teach at Iwatsuki, I don’t really feel the need to go into full battle mode and try to make plans from September through March without knowing where the students are at…And since most of the teachers are on holiday it seems rather presumptuous to decide “This is what we’re teaching” when I am the lowest person on the school totem pole.

On the other hand, I definitely have my Christmas and Halloween lessons outlined! If I’m able to do it, I plan to dress up for the entire week- I have another school  I will be teaching part time during the week as well, so that should liven things up a bit.

I guess this is more of a generic update that a recap of any one particular adventure. I’ve mostly been hanging out with friends, straightening up my apartment (I swear, I’ll post pictures soon!), eating awesome food and trying to stay cool.

I had 4 days of “Cultural Furlough” off this week, so Wednesday I went to a museum in Ueno and then met up with about 11 other JETs for food and drinks a few stations away. I was also productive and decided to go to the Immigration Office on the rainiest day of the summer thus far to get my re-entry permit. Now I can enter and exit the country as often as I like, but I really did not enjoy the soaked skirt, horizontal wind, and flooded shoes.

Things that make me sad.

 Karaoke was also enjoyed by all. God, Bonnie Tyler makes a great song to karaoke too. But when I’m really feeling into it, I enjoy busting out that classis “Moonlight 伝説“ AKA The Sailor Moon theme. Yes, I have the heart of a child…

Before Rick Astley, but after Bonnie Tyler

Eventually, there will be a sleepover at my place at.　Oh dear, we’re going to have to play tetris to all fit but….Oh well! This is the land of Human Tetris!

But hey, at least I found I can accommodate 4 people for dinner at the Tic Tac Palace!

Scrumptiousness was had!