nagano orientation, and an unexpected trip

As per my previous blog, the next few posts will be updates from a while ago. This particular post is starting from Aug 19 and I will not use かんじ(kanji) in this blog. かんじ(kanji) are Chinese characters. For example, Monday looks like 月曜日 in kanji, but Monday looks like げつようび(getsuyoubi) in hiragana. Until I learn more kanji, I will not use it. If this plan is good, please leave me a comment. If this plan is bad, please leave me a comment. I am hear to serve my readers, because I know there are so demanding.

On Friday morning, I went into school to give my official introduction to the teachers of Seinan. Although I already new all the teachers by this point in time, it was a ceremony that was quite special. It began when I went into こちせんせい(the Principal's) office to wait to enter the main office. As I entered the room, all the teachers were standing at their desks and then the speeches began. きょうとせんせい(Vice Principal) gave the first speech, followed by こちせんせい and then I gave my speech. Although I will not give the full translation, here is what I said in Japanese: "おはよう　ございます。はじめまして。わたし　は　ZACH SUNDSTROM です。わたし　は　AMERIKA の　INDIANA から　きました。はやく　しょくいん　の　なかま　として　かつやく　できると　よいと　おもいます。よろしく　おねがいします。" After this speech, I then left for the train station with my English teacher 臼井せんせい(Usui) for my weekend trip to Nagano.

Now I had to go to Nagano for a couple of reason. In the morning/afternoon, we had the official Nagano Orientation meeting. While being the first time that all new Jets in Nagano were together, as well as quite a few second and third years as well, on the whole the meeting was pointless and very boring. The only highlight was the visit by the governor, たなかさん(Tanaka), who is a very nice man. I don't want to get into Japanese politics, because I don't know a lot, but I do know that　たなかさん(Takana) is a very interested politician not only in Nagano Prefecture, but in all of Japan (I am sure if you google Tanaka, you will find lot of information, like he was a very famous author and left writing to become the youngest governor in Japan). I digress. There was light at the end of the tunnel, though, and that was the party after the meeting.

The えんかい(enkai), or party, took place at the Washington Plaza Hotel which is located downtown. The いざかや(izakaya), or bar, offered something called のみほだい(nomihodi). The concept for のみほだい(nomihodi) revolves around everyone paying a certain amount, usually around 3400 yen, and you can eat and drink as much as you want for two hours. At this place, the food was buffet style, but it was very good food and tasted nothing like an Old Country Buffet or anything like that. Plus, you served yourself your own beer. However, you did so with an automatic machine. First you place your glass under the spot and hit a button. The glass raises and then tilts to a 45 degree angle, the perfect angle for pouring beer. Once the glass is halfway full, the glass moves to a 90 degree angle, which is also the proper method. Just as the beer is an inch and a half from the top of the glass, the beer stops and then a nice head is put in the glass. For me, though, I thing the Japanese like a little too much head in their beer, so I would stop the process early.

Beyond the wonders of the automatic tap system, and there are certainly more I could mention, I also did get to meet a look of other Jets at the party. This was probably the best thing about the entire ながの(Nagano) Orientation . At the party, I did meet the girl who lives and works in はくば(Hakuba). If you remember, I went to はくば(Hakuba) a few years ago to ski with the Indianapolis Ski Club and now I meant someone who lives where I want to go every weekend this winter. Sarah, who also loves the winter, is also a huge skier, so it was great to meet her. I should note that most Jets it seems are snowboarders, which is not bad, but sometimes it is hard for skiers to ski with snowboarders. After the party was over, I went back to Peter's place, with whom I roomed with in Tokyo, and we barely, by 1 min, made the last train. The next part of my busy weekend was a surprise to me, but nonetheless a welcomed and happy time.

As I said earlier, Friday at the party I met Sarah who lives in はくば(Hakuba). Saturday, I got a text message from her asking if I wanted to back to her house with a couple of other Jets. I could not pass up the opportunity. Sarah and her friends picked me up at the station and we drove to はくば(Hakuba). Now, when I was in 日本(Japan) a few years back, when we went to ながの(Nagano), we took the same highway that we took on Saturday. So during the whole ride I remembered a lot of the same scenery. However, once we got to the actual town and were able to see the mountains, I instantly remembered はくば(Hakuba); the only difference was that the scenery was green instead of covered in a blanket of white. That night, we went to dinner at Uncle Stevens, which is said to be the best Mexican place not only in ながの(Nagano), but in all of 日本(Japan) as well. It is also another place that I visited a few years back.

That was my first weekend with a lot of traveling and fun times, but there is certainly more to come. Now it wasn't too bad sitting down and writing all of this, but it did take a little more time than expected. However, I was surprised at all the details that I could remember. Well I don't have access to my computer right now, so I will have to update the pictures later.