I love Japan! I really do.

Whilst cooking dinner, I hear some drums and traditional Japanese music wafting in through the window and decide to investigate (after finishing my meal, of course). Much to my utter delight, just fifty metres away from my doorstep is a festival currently taking place in the local playground.

This being summer, festivals like these are aplenty. Overflowing with an old-world charm that has remained consistent through the passing of the centuries, they are a treat for all the senses. Little children dressed in their brightly-coloured yukata run around with their little toys, some of whom are trying their hand at some game of skill or chance at a random stall. Similarly-attired, the adults amble along at a more subdued pace but still looking every bit a part of the proceedings, sampling the delectable treats from the many yatai that dot the grounds whilst keeping a watchful eye on their younger counterparts. In the middle of the festival grounds, a grand stage has been assembled with dozens of lanterns around which, many of the adults, both young and old, move gracefully in a traditional Japanese dance accompanied by a centuries-old melody.

Yes indeed. This is Japan at its best. Not the electonic mecca of Akihabara with its sterile shops and gaudy neon advertising, not the designer shops of Ginza that cater to the whims of the affluent, nor is it the bevy of women of negotiable affection that seem to be on every street corner in the seedier parts of Tokyo. No, this is a timeless Japan which I will always have a great affection for.

At times like these, I am somewhat glad that I blend easily into the surroundings. Not attracting an unusual amount of attention allows me the simple luxury of observing with a comfortable degree of casualness.

My family arrives tomorrow and I'll be meeting them at Narita Airport. Wonder what they want to do over here. There'll be a huge fireworks festival in Asakusa tomorrow, the biggest in Japan, actually. But it's hellishly crowded. I went to the one last year with Chris and Sarah and the number of people there was insane.

Anyway, I guess I'll find out what I'll be doing tomorrow.

My family is in for a treat when they get here. It's 34 degrees and about 60% humidity. I hear Kyoto is going to be a lot hotter as it's surrounded by mountains.

Now that my holidays have finally begun, I find myself slowly being roasted in my own room. It makes me wish I was back at work where the rooms are bigger, the floor fans are bigger, and they continually ply me with cool, refreshing beverages. Unlike here, where a computer with two monitors keep my room at what feels like a toasty 30 degrees.

Hung out with Jin in Chiba yesterday. The start of the holidays and we were sitting in the park like a couple of old men. I have to admit that it was really relaxing though. Am looking forward to next Tuesday. Eddie is having a BBQ at his place. So many BBQs. Gotta love it. I have this amazing pork marinade recipe which I use with a slab of pork belly and I tell you, it's almost like Char Siew. Gorgeous.
Made one up for Sean's BBQ last Sunday and heard nothing but good things about it. Took a long time to cook but the end result was worth it.

Methinks I'm going to have to acquire a cooler of some sort so I can keep a supply of cold beverages close at hand and maybe even dip my feet in it. It's that hot.

Oh, I now sport a really short haircut. Went to the hairdresser's and whilst I asked 'Take a bit off the top', they apparently heard 'Leave a little on the top'. Oh well ... some people like it and it looks like I won't have to brush my hair for the next two weeks and my next haircut will probably take place at the end of August.

Ugh ... am starting to ramble.

Better go get a cold drink before I get a nosebleed.

The humidity! Ugh ...
The heat! Ugh ...

Silly weather. It's just like being back home. The 30+ degree weather at 70+% humidity is very familiar. However, unlike home, that technological marvel known as the air conditioner is not as ubiquitous as back home. All the schools I work at do not have them in the classrooms or even in the staff rooms. In fact, I think the only air conditioners are located in the headmasters office and sometimes, the administration office. Ugh ... and it doesn't help matters when you're prancing around like a lunatic trying to entertain kids.

On the very plus side, I get to wear a T-shirt and shorts to work which beats the crap out of wearing a suit. Man, do I hate wearing suits even though I look good in one (if I do say so myself).

Finally had a chat with Sneexe on ICQ last night. By some strange coincidence, she came online just before I went to bed and we did some catching up. You decided that the lights were bling, did you not? Very bling ^_^
I'm going to try and sort out the moving gif you wanted and see if I can post it up to show you the blingness.

Hmm ... I still have an hour and a bit to kill before my next class. Have just finished prepping the last lesson of term and decided to do a spot of blogging in the office. Shhh ...
I suppose I could go for my regular cup of Chai and a bit of lunch before heading over to the school.

Oh, just read Pat's blog and for those that don't read his blog, I'm putting up a funny picture that he's put up. Cheers for the link, Pat.

Too cute.

Work ends in four days, barbecue on Sunday followed by a party that same night. w00t! A friend is DJing at a bar in Chiba and we're all going to cheer him on. Man, that is going to be banging. I guess the following week, I'll be hitting the books full on before the fam gets here. Speaking of which, I need to sort some stuff out before their arrival. Hmm ... I wonder if Fluffy is available ... could make for a very interesting summer.

It's the last week and a bit before school lets out for the summer hols. Which means that yours truly is also on holiday from the 17th until the end of August. w00t!
Plus, the fam is coming up for just over two weeks in August for a well-deserved vacation. Should be a laugh, mostly.
Yeah ... about the lack of updates ... well ... no real excuse, really. Just haven't felt like writing.
The school schedules are all fudged up with school trips, end-of-term somthing-or-others, and general non-reschedulable thingies. As such, I find myself at the local Starbucks quite a lot recently with a few hours to spare before the next lesson. Personally, I'd much rather be home but as I live so bleeding far away, it's not worth it to return and then venture forth again. At best, I'd only have an hour. Oh well ... actually, I do wish there was a Coffee Bean here. I find their beverages agree with me more than those from Starbucks. From the looks of things, I'll be at Starbucks again next Monday and Wednesday from about 1030 until 1300. Anyone want to meet up? (^^)
In other news, I just watched Spider-Man 2 and was quite impressed with the amount of special effects used in bringing the legendary wall-crawler to life on the silver screen. On the other hand, it is precisely that amount of CG that almost ruins it for me. There are no clever camera angles to create any illusions that might contribute to the overall feel and, dare I say it, 'realism' of such a cinematic venture. A very good example of what I am talking about has been mentioned somewhere else (and for the life of me, I can't recall where at this point in time). Case in point, LOTR where said clever camera angles were good enough that more than a few people actually believed that Frodo and his Hobbit entourage were actually that little. Instead, Raimi relies on an excessive amount of CG for ... well ... just about every action sequence. That's not to say that it wasn't very well done. Admittedly, it IS very difficult to distinguish what is real and what has been digitally fabricated. The fight scenes are some of the most mesmerizing I have ever scene but knowing that most, if not all of it was artifically created kind of spoiled it for me. Still, all in all a very good movie.