Mountain retreat, rodeo-style.

Waking up to the smell of woodsmoke in the clear, sharp mountain air against the backdrop of traditional Japanese houses nestled among stunning peaks and lush forests, I felt at peace. It was nice this weekend to get away from the craziness of partying and city life for a bit and it felt good to take some time to revive my spirit and reset my chi (ok, ok, so I don’t really believe in all that karma-Buddhist stuff…but there really is something almost mystical and inspiring about the mountains here). However, though most of my weekend was spent relaxing in a small mountain town, I did end up going to a hip-hop/reggae party on the Saturday night in Saga city (a friend was DJ-ing). I also met some really fun and friendly Jamaican ALTs and got to eat spicy Jamaican stew and learn the basics of `Patwa` (actually a really fascinating language that I would love to learn more of). It was so refreshing to be around people from a culture that likes to laugh and talk about the deeper things in life for a change – a nice break from Japan.

I also got to ride a mechanical rodeo bull this weekend. Hopefully I will be able to post a video of that at some point coz I think it’s hilarious. It’s even more hilarious because like 20 Japanese guys were all watching me do it, seemingly mesmerized, which admittedly made me feel a little self-conscious. I just gotta say though, I love the huge gaming complexes here in Japan. For about $16 you can spend three crazy fun hours in a place with video games, batting cages, indoor sports of all kinds, massage chairs, a roller alley, mechanical bull, etc. I mean these places kick ass in the fun department and cost the same as 5 minutes at the comparatively hole-in-the-ground Saga Playdium. Being a huge nerd, I completely lost track of time in that place – mainly spending it on flight simulators and high-tech fighting games that actually require you to duck, kick and punch for real (as your motions are read by sensors). Needless to say, I had to be dragged away from the place.

Today I finally feel like I am recovered from the past two crazy weeks. This week promises to be a lot slower so hopefully I will finally be able to connect with people from back home with more than just emails. I need to spend the week resting and taking care of my body though because the coming weekend is possibly the craziest party weekend of the year – The Sumo championships in Fukuoka. I didn’t go last year but I hear amazing things. From Nagasaki alone there are about 50 ALTs going and finding a hotel was impossible so I am staying with a few people in a capsule again. I just hope that I will be able to remember enough of the weekend to write about it next Monday….