Fun in the (dangerously hot) sun.

Summer is upon us!  Last week we had 72 hours of straight rain but it finally gave way to blinding sunlight and 99 degree heat.  July and August are indoor season in Japan, but I got in couple of good outdoor days in June at least.  I hiked up to Gifu castle which was pretty cool, but we got to the top of the mountain just minutes after the squirrel petting zoo closed.  Shoot.  The employees started chasing the squirrels around with nets just after it closed, so they must herd them inside or something.  Squirrels are actually pretty rare in Japan, so it’s fun to watch Japanese people freak out when one darts towards them.  Also my old friend and colleague Izumi came for a visit (just a month after I met her in Hawaii) and we met up with our old running crew.  We did the 10km route we used to do every Monday night, and we got to see cormorant fishing at the river.  Ukai, as they call it in Japanese, involves letting a cormorant catch a fish out of the river, but with a metal collar one it’s neck, so it can’t swallow the fish.  Then the fish is squeezed out of the bird’s throat and presumably eaten by a human.  It’s a strange custom, but it’s a very popular tourist attraction around here.  People line the river banks at sunset to watch.  Afterword we went out for beers, and I vetoed the fish restaurant. 

Two weeks ago I took the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, which was as hard as I had imagined.  It’s possible that I passed, but I felt like I was answering with about 70 percent confidence on most of the questions.  Not great considering it was a multiple choice exam.  I find out the result in September.  Pass or fail I have a disappointingly long way to go before I’m fluent.

Last week we had a banquet to celebrate the arrival of our newest teacher and the start of another school year (never mind that it started in April).  We rented a private room in an Italian restaurant and had an amazing five+ course meal, including sushi, pizza and snails.  As always there was unlimited alcohol of every sort.  After about an hour of drinking, or new teacher Sam put her parents on video chat from Texas.  Our boss drunkenly remarked to them “I am not stable but the company is stable”. 

So looking forward, tomorrow is my birthday!  And looking backward, we actually had the party last night.  All six of my local coworkers and one Japanese friend came to my new apartment.  My coworker Emily baked cookies and my friend Mai gave me a slightly ridiculous sun hat (see pictures).  Now I have to wear it whenever I see her because she has a matching one.  I bought a Chromecast recently, so I can play any video on internet on my TV.  We spent the night watching SNL videos and complaining about the weather.  I was pretty happy just to be able to enough space to have friends over though.  Well I should get back to cleaning up my place and mentally preparing myself to be 33 years old.  Stay cool friends.