Pre-vacation post

Edit: Click HERE to see where I live. The cursor is on me! This feed must from awile ago as there are none of those big dirt spots left and the bridge is much nicer!

Ah, well Farva is gone to his new home for the next two weeks. My supervisor's son is going to take care of him. I miss the little bugger already!
Now I have to force feed myself the leftovers in my fridge!

Today, I made the best teaching tool yet. Tired of straining my voice over loud kids, I put my small staff locker keys in an empty aluminum bottle. And then I shake it. They stop in their tracks like dogs. Awesome, I don't even have to say anything.


I gave my supervisor a Christmas present of Jelly Bellys, blueberry tea, and candy canes for his family. I also wrote a ridiculous card saying things like, "Go to America and we'll eat Mexican food. Let's always be friends!" haha. but in Japanese, that's why it's so absurd.

This past weekend I went to Nagoya and ate at Hard Rock (oh yes finaly a veggie burger!) and added another pin to my large collection (it's a surfboard at that!). I bought an easy Christmas book to read to the kids, a book for myself, and a few things from the international food store, including Hello Kitty tea. It was just sitting at the register and was a complete impulse buy, how could I not?! I also saw my first James Bond movie, the latest one. It actually wasn't crap, and a good overall movie in fact. I did not care for the actress though, she was odd looking and didn't act very well. Anyways...
I also went to a vegetarian Chinese restaurant! I had 'chickn' and cashews, potstickers, ma-po tofu (with 'ground beef'), and snow'fish' and veggies. All was made with TVP. They even served brown rice, you could buy the TVP chunks there (and I did) and the guy was soooo nice. And the complimentary tea was great. My favorite was the fish, it was crunchy and blackened on the outside (looking like fish) and the sauce it was in was real nice to. The chickn was the runner up. I do love me some cashews. I am definitely going back. It is called Chien-Fu, although I also saw it written Chen Fu and Chan Fu.

I've taken a lot of photos, but mostly of food. Here are some recently;

From the Xmas party:


A seductive bird?


Sunset & cold mountains


Looks like a shrine used to be here, but now only the stone structures remain.


A 4th grader drew this for me:

pretty accurate I'd say...


I will have the internet while in Hong Kong... so maybe look for some photos in the next couple of weeks! Wish me a good trip!