A little thought...

I rarely use myspace these days. But today was just one of those days, like checking the contents of that container in your fridge thats been sitting there for years. Or actually more like looking through an old album. As i checked my inbox, i realized that the tabs went up to #116. There were THOUSANDS of old messages i hadn't read since 2005. Long story short, of the messages I scrolled through, some from old friends or people I've lost touch with, It brought me back. I don't know why I never got around to deleting my account, but some old memories still sit in that box. Some good, some bad and others legendary.

I know my time so far in Oita has been a blast. No really, amazing! But behind the scenes I have to remember the bigger things which go on unnoticed. The reason why I came to Japan in the first place wasn't about partying, acquiring skills to get a good job, or to run from that past. No, it was to find myself. The kind of personal growth that helps you to be the best version of yourself albeit for your own sake, your future soul mate or whatever you can imagine.

A part of me got just a little bit gloomy remembering some of the old heartbreaks, trials, tribulations. But I also remembered the times I persevered. All truth be told, i've had a few moments of ups and downs here. Yet, I hear that voice that reminds me not to waste this God given opportunity. No matter what you've had in the past if it didn't work out, you always have something better to look forward to.

Had certain things I wanted in the past actually worked out, I can't even imagine where I would be. I know I'd rather be where I am now. So take a good look at your past, but not too hard. Learn from what you've experienced and leave behind whatever holds you back. Don't look back, don't hold back.

Maybe thats what all those nightmares about waking up in California have been about?

Mac & Cheese

For those of you planning to go to Japan in the future, you should know that there is a mac & cheese shortage. Actually, they simply don't carry it, at least not anywhere i've been. So unless you plan on bringing a suitcase full of boxes or having your friends mail some to you, don't plan on eating it for a while...

But fear not!! I have successfully recreated mac & cheese with a few simple ingredients i was able to find:

Powdered Cheese (the same as parmesan but finely ground)

Lowfat Milk

Penne Pasta

Spreadable Butter

Yup, thats all you really need!

True, its not quite the same, but throw a little bacon and a few herbs and you'll be good to go! It's the next best thing if you don't plan on receiving any packages soon.

Fun Times in Hita!

Our first field trip in the Discover Oita class was to Hita!

Heres the video!

Yay for school field trips!

So I just woke up after a short 3 hour nap. Sometimes you just gotta take care of yourself after a long day. Today we went to Hita area. Our most important stop was the Kyushu Sapporo Beer Factory! Yes, it was a school sponsored field trip with free beer on tap!! Ahh!, pictures cannot do justice to one of the best field trips of my life, but for now a few will do. I will be posting a much more informative video later. Peace!

Fun Times in Oita!

Hey everyone, i finally got some of the videos and pictures of fun times we've had together and compiled them in to a sort of video/slideshow. Thanks to everyone made this possible and I look forward to more fun with all of you soon! Please Enjoy!

Ok, so i added a slightly better quality version on my youtube account in case this was too small.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Banjo270E

Beppu

After a long, fun but exhausting weekend Japan still spoils us with holidays. "Culture Day" meant classes were not in session. Today, in order to relax a little and celebrate culture day, Zach and I decided to try out Takegawara Onsen in Beppu. Just a few exits away, it was an inexpensive train ride to the next city over. After rinsing in cold water I decided to get into the hotspring as fast as I could... Bad Idea!! It was hotter than any spa ive ever been in back home. As hot as it was, it was a great experience. Rinsing in buckets of warm water after such heat felt good. After leaving the place I felt more relaxed than I had been since I got here.

After the onsen, we walked around Beppu for a few hours finding more onsen for future visits and seeing some of the many cool buildings and attractions that you can find in Beppu. Next time I have to go see the monkeys that you can only find in this city.

Of course, right here we had an Engrish moment. "Let's build a beautiful town. It makes bloom a flower to Beppu and needs."

This was cute. A dog riding a bike carrying a plant!

This shirt made my day! Haha, I found it in a Japanese thrift store and couldn't help but want to share this.

Long Weekend!!

This past Friday school classes were cancelled by Oita-U for what reason? Matsuri!!!

A three day school festival that is. To take part in it, we Americans decided to sell three things we thought may be unique to the American culture but simple and tasty enough for the everyone else to enjoy. We sold hot dogs, grilled cheese and of course PB&J sandwiches! Day one, Friday was fairly interesting with several booths selling popular food known to be from the Oita region. The main attraction *caugh* er event actuall was the Mr.レーヂィーコンテスト。(Mr. Ladycontest) Yes, thats right, it was something you would only find here in Japan. A bunch of guys on stage dressed up as girls preforming dance like girls in some sort of Jpop music video. A part of me was kinda freaked out, but entertained by the whole thing.

The next night, Saturday was a different story. For most of us ryugakusei, October 31 meant something else. Halloween Party! We went to a venue downtown that might as well have had every foreigner in Oita perfecture. The music was live and loud, the room was crowded, and it was all you can drink. The party was crazy, American style! It was cool to, meeting people in person whos blogs I had followed just a month before. Kinda like "I know you... but not really."

This was probably one of the most interesting Halloween parties ive ever been to. Theres nothing like getting together with so many people from different places all knowing you have the same challenges being in Japan. As fun as it was, we still had to get up and be at school by 8:30 am the next day to introduce the world (Oita Daigaku) to American food.

The majority of the day was bad weather. Rainy and windy, it was probably the worst conditions for the one day we had to work a booth. And of course I had a hole in both of my shoes which got soaked like never before. Soaked shoes and socks are not cool. It was a crazy day but we got through it and got the opportunity to see people try PB&J and grilled cheese sandwiches for the first time. Their experiences were definitely worth it. After breaking even with what we spent to buy the stuff, we started cooking some food for ourselves and in the midst of it all, we created a new monster. Viola, the grilled PB&J sandwich!! Which basically got everyone in the booths next to us coming over to try a bite.

After three days of events, and a fourth ending in kickboxing practice, im ready to enjoy tomorrows "Culture Day." For the first time ever I will go to an onsen! (hot spring)

ps. no matsuri can be complete without some sort of sumo wrestling!!