A Big Catch-Up!

I apologise for the delay! I had been busy helping with my co-worker's wedding, then I've been having some technical difficulties.

News: As for the 'Adventure' that Toshi and I will be embarking on, it looks probable that Toshi will be starting late next month, and that I shall follow early October. I'm trying not to stress out (and failing..)

Camping May 30th 2012
I appreciate you've probably had enough of seeing my camping photos, so I'll just put up two. We left straight after our work finished (we both happened to finish at 6) and hurried to a place called Kawai (no, not kawaii , meaning cute!). This campsite was amazing- no ants or insects to speak of at all! And a lovely, clear stream flowed nearby. Definitely want to go again!

Charlie's Wedding June 2nd 2012

Charlie and his wife Rimi chose to hold a Western-style (as do approx. 90% of couples in Japan) in their favourite Italian restaurant. As couples in Japan legally marry at the local City Office (the same as in France and some other countries), the couples are free to hold any kind of ceremony or party afterwards and officials do not participate. The vows and exchanging of the rings were led by Charlie's old friend, Walter. I was given the honourable task of being receptionist and greeting the guests, as well as organising the party games for the after-party.

 Reception-ing and posing with the bouqet!

 The lovely couple, and hosting the 'Shoe Game' at the after-party

• Feel free to watch the video below of the popular Wedding party game called  'The Shoe Game' hosted by myself in Japanese.

Hadn't realised my Japanese had such a Welsh accent!



Venus Transit June 5th
Clouds, clouds, and more clouds ;( Oh well, only another 105 years to wait..
Disney Sea June 10th

Since Jen's departure from Japan, it had been a long time since I'd been to Disneyland or Sea, but I finally managed to coerce convince Toshi into going with me! For someone who loves Disney movies and songs, he had been a bit grumpy, but I think in retrospect he isn't such a fan of rollercoasters..
Anyway, we had a good time =D

No, not Mexico, the Indiana Jones ride!

A Planetarium (yay!) and a bunch of Japanese girls wearing their school uniform who all looked exactly alike (..;)

Typhoon #4 June 19th

Not a happy, drenched bunny with a destroyed umbrella (>.<;) But at least the rain was warm!

Golden Week 2012

Golden Week is the holiday in Japan at the end of every April, like Easter break I guess.
This Golden Week was busy! First I went camping in Shizuoka 200km south-west of Tokyo, and then on a family trip with Toshi's Osakan family to Wakayama, the 'Hawaii of Japan'.

Camping

Driving 200km along the highway/motorway for the first time (left) and carp banners for Children's Day (right)

 Can you see Mt Fuji faintly towering over us?

Video: I catch a very easy Sakuradai fish!

Two sakuradai fish and tempura for lunch

Two lovely-looking fish that Toshi caught (*^^*)

Campfire's burning..

The campsite

Osaka/Wakayama

 Why wasn't our plane the Pokemon one!!?? (;_;)

 Feeling motherly with Satomi-chan and singing English songs to her ♪

 At a Yakiniku restaurant, grilled meat (especially beef).

This is the most delicious beef I've ever had! But one plate of cost about £10! Luckily I wasn't paying ;P

 

 Speaking of meat, I saw whale meat for the first time at a Wakayama fish market.
And no, I certainly did'n't buy any. The price of the smallest cut you can see here is about £10.

 Beautiful Shirahama beach!

 

 We visited a cave that was the location of a secret pirate hideout several hundred years ago!

 At Senjō-jiki, a very windy rocky point and Engetsu-tō, a natural sandstone arch

 Snorkeling!

 All-you-can-eat buffet back at the hotel after my no less than third hot spring bath in three days!

Remember, Remember..

..Wow! Where did November go!?

November 5th is Fireworks Day in the UK, so while doing some night time fishing, Toshi and I played with some sparklers:
１１月５日はイギリスの花火の日。釣りしながら、花火をやりました!

 <-- Before and after! -->

We made tempura, which is deep-fried battered fish (^-^)/

A GIANT pear from one of my students! (Yes, that is a pear and not an apple.)

Toshi will enter a half-marathon in Tokyo on Dec 15th, so I've been accompanying his training (on my bicycle of course!). 15.6km each way 4 times has really bulked up my leg muscles!
トシくんのマラソントレーニングに自転車でついていった。

 頑張って！

A trip to see the Autum leaves last week ^^

I now babysit a friend's baby once a week, and he's so cute! (*^^*)

And finally, I got a Japanese Driver's Licence! Woohoo!

Fishing!! 釣り！

I've now been fishing four times now; it seems to be becoming something of a hobby!

1. Fishing in Kurihara before camping in July

I don't know what I'm doing with this..

2. Fishing near Musashiitsukaichi (武蔵五日市) after camping in July

Still don't know what I'm doing.. so I'll just pose and look cool

3. Fishing in Oome (青梅) in August
We found a nice river that was close to a station so we could travel by train this time.
This time we tried bait fishing, which is much easier for beginners. But I didn't like skwering the poor worm-thing to the hook and freaked out a bit, so I got Toshi to help me out.
I didn't catch anything, but I did get some good nibbles.

 The fishing professional that is Toshi caught just one fish, proving it wasn't such a good 'spot'!

The fishing wasn't going very well, so we gave up and had a bit of fun!!

4. Fishing at Enoshima Island (江ノ島） in September
I got to try sea-fishing for the first time! We tried bait fishing again, and though a typhoon was causing some high waves..

 I finally caught my first fish!!!!!!

 A blowfish-
if The Simpsons ever taught me anything-- blowfish are not to be eaten!!!

 

 Before and after ^^
Grilled fish, sashimi (by my own personal sushi master) and not forgetting, wasabiiiiii!!!