I’m Slipping…

Yeah, yeah, I realise this is a bit late but it was a pretty busy weekend and I think I may as well focus on that since the week itself wasn’t particularly eventful. Classes happened, I caught up with my marking and that was about it. Indeed, if it weren’t for the weekend not only would this have been up on time but it would have mostly consisted of sentences peppered with the word ‘boring’.

But boring it was not, thanks in large part to Friday evening, whereupon I attended Alex’s birthday party/book club meeting. Normally I miss out on these sort of events because Rui and I live far, far away from the rest of the JETs I know but I decided that since I a) hadn’t seen people in some time; b) wouldn’t get a chance to wish Alex a happy birthday otherwise and c) hadn’t been to a book club meeting in my life there were just too many things aligning there not to go. This turned out tob e an excellent decision. Although I hadn’t read the book everyone was discussing (Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredible Close) it was still a great time. I had a great talk with a number of people and it was really fun listening to people reactions to the book. I’m not sure if there were book clubs at university but I think I would have enjoyed taking part. As it stands I’m now determined to track down the next book, Ryu Murakami’s Coin Locker Babies, so I can be a proper part of the discussion.

I had to get up early on Saturday morning so I left relatively early at 9. What made me get up at an ungodly hour on a Saturday? My school’s baseball team. OK, so it’s not strictly correct to say I ‘had to’ get up – there’s no requirement to go to these things – but I had promised some students I would attend at least one game and while they normally play on Sunday I was informed on Thursday that a ‘revenge match’ was scheduled for Saturday. It was definitely worth attending this one, though, since not only did I watch Ichiko stage a comeback but I saw them win in extra time (I realise baseball doesn’t have extra time but it was whatever you call it when they go beyond the regulation nine innings). It’s still not quite cricket but I can see what gets people excited by it. When we got into the tenth and then the eleventh inning I wanted to look away so badly but found my eyes irresistably drawn to the pitcher’s every move.

On the way home I made the mistake of paying a visit to Yodobashi Camera. I came away having purchased a replacement power adapter for my PSP but frankly I was lucky to get off that lightly. For once Yodobashi had DS Lites in store and if it didn’t take every ounce of my willpower not to run out and buy one right then and there. It’s true that I’ve gotten back into the PSP groove (thank you, 3.30 OE-A firmware) but the call of the DS is still strong. I phoned Sarah looking for moral support and she was absolutely no help whatsoever instead encouraging me to purchase one (she had bought one a week or so earlier and I was hoping she’d tell me it wasn’t worth it).

As if that all wasn’t enough, on Sunday Rui and I went for a picnic with Sally and her boyfriend Ayumi. We went up to the waterfall here in Minoh and although it was a little overcast the air temperature was perfect and lunch was fantastic. Sally has discovered a store selling Australian camembert cheese and although I’m not usually the biggest fan of cheese this was delicious. She thankfully took Rui and I to the store afterwards where we proceeded to stock up. The rest of lunch was excellent and after seeing the Camembert Cheese Store (as I prefer to think of it) we popped back to Sally and Ayumi’s place to have a bit of a chat. (And to read the Good Weekend! The real life Good Weekend! And it was only a week or two old!)

Thankfully this week is the beginning of ‘test season’ so I only have to make it ‘til Friday before classes wrap up. Two more days!