Long Teacher Holidays

Hello, everyone!

We've just completed our three week Christmas holiday here in Japan. Thanks to everyone who sent out peanut butter, and teriyaki sauce, and University of Oregon pajama pants.

Jill and I brought in the new year at a closet-sized bar while listening to deafening techno beats. Apparently I felt compelled to put on my jeri-curl wig. It is a strong tradition here to take in the sunrise on New Year's day, however Jill and I took in the sunrise with our eyelids shut, in our beds.

We also were able to travel to the hot tourist destinations of Nara and Kyoto. Jill and I saw many amazing temples, including the prize-winning 2000 ton Bronze and Gold Buddha statue in Nara. In Nara, there are thousands of people friendly deer. The deer is a sacred animal here, so I felt it necessary to take a cheesy posed picture with one old deer who was more than likely immobile and tired of idiots like me.

There were enough Japanese tourists that Jill and I could have walked upon their heads and never slipped through any cracks. Despite the tourists, there were many peaceful moments, and we felt relieved to be out of the city atmosphere.

One sidenote. The man wearing pink, who is posed to kiss me is a heterosexual despite the evidence against. He was told to pose like that by someone for some unknown reason.