This is the second of two back-to-back three day weekends for all us teachers. Last weekend I went to Osaka, you can read all about that little adventure in the previous post. This weekend there was a mass-exodus to Tokyo. I held back, however, because I think it is high time to explore the natural beauty and wonder of Toyama. For instance, I will be exploring the natural beauty and wonder of Toyama Golden Bowl today, when Geoff and I bowl five straight games. When that bowling ball hits those pins, and those pins fall down in a tinkling melody, you bet your ass I'll be thinking, "Isn't Toyama beautiful?" Plus, Tokyo is for suckas. I'm a homebody.


Also, I'm pretty much too busy celebrating my birthday to do anything else. Some of you know me fairly well, and some of you don't, but I tend to drag out my birthdays until they've got nothing left in them. Days and days. I beat people over the head with my birthdays. I'm talking several days of 100 percent Brad, here. I, for one, feel i deserve it. I started getting into my birthday mode when I was in Osaka. I would rationalize things in terms of my birthday. I had internal dialogue that went as follows:

"Brad, do you really need to pay eight dollars for a beer?"

"Of course I do! It's my birthday! Plus, we're in a karaoke joint. I deserve a beer."

"O.k. then, one beer. But do you really need to buy the fried octopus balls too?

"Um, hello? It's my birthday. How could you even ask me that question? I need those octopus balls."

"(sigh) All right then, octopus balls it is."

And so on.


Now, on my actual G0d-given birthday I went out to eat with 15 or so JETs and had a wonderful dinner that was paid for, I would like to thank all of them once again.

Later, I went out with a different crew for my Birthday, again. I had a wonderful dinner that was paid for, I would also like to thank all of them, once again. At the table I had a conversation with Rich, an English fellow, that went something like this:

Rich: So! Happy Birthday!
Me: Well, actually, it was a couple of days ago.
Rich: Oh really?
Me: Yeah, but, you know, it's like a timezone thing, It probably still is my birthday back at home.
Rich: I'm not so sure about that, what is the time difference? 12 hours or something? I think that would still put you a bit late...
Me: Um, I believe it is something like 25.
Rich: 25 hours?
Me: Yeah, Colorado is like that. I don't understand it much myself, but I prefer not to ask questions. So yeah, It's still my birthday! Happy Birthday to me!

Needless to say, I will be further celebrating my birthday today, splurging at the lanes. Strikes and Gutters, baby.


In closing I would like to show you all first hand the kind of difference that I am already making in the lives of Japanese schoolchildren. Take a look at the little girl sitting between Adam and I.
And there you have it.