My friend Sunny from australia is visiting me right now. She came to the teachers welcome ceremony on tuesday and the party afterwards and all the teachers loved her. We have also done some snorkling (you get used to the cold pretty quick) and saw some fun fish and wierd things. She also accompanied me on a run (riding a bike) and snapped this pic of me getting mobbed by shogakksei while getting a drink. More soon!

So today I got to take part in a Okinawan Oban ceremony. I and all the other teachers went to king Shoens (famous ryukan king from Izena) and there joined all the other prominent members of team Izena for the ceremony. I as I reached the top of the steps leading to the tomb/shrine I noticed on the left people sitting on tatami type matting and people standing on the right, a member of the BOE motioned me to the left so I joined the sitting people. I think this was something of an honour as all the other teachers stood to the right, and among the other seated people was the mayor if Izena and descendant of king Shoen. It is also possible I misread her direction and just waltzed in all gung hoe like. I was dressed in bright red running trousers and a blue t-shirt while everyone else was in a black suit, c'est la vie. I did sit seiza (legs under you while sitting on feet) for the whole thing though, causing some small pain and stood and bowed and sat and bowed (repeated several times) when everyone else did. Afterwards we all ate typical Japanese food; omochi, some seaweed I don't know, tofu and other things I don't know, all washed down with ocha of course. It was all very nice and I got to meet some of the new shogakko teachers (elementary school), one of which speaks good English, subarashi ne!
In other news I now have my own little garden. I bought some seeds a while back and planned to plant them in the garden of my own house, but then I decided it might be better to do it at the school. They grow allot of plants and have all the bits and bobs one needs. So I asked and they said how many? and I said oh just one! So now I have a smallish raised bed to play with. Today I weeded and dug half of it and planted; tomatoes, carrots and some flowers (Cosmos Versailes).

Kelly visited my island this weekend and I certainly had a rip roaring good time! I think she enjoyed herself too! Definitely took my mind of the impending departure of my Izenian friends. On Saturday we went out to collect shellfish (at low tide on the exposed coral rock) with Teru and Yoshiaki-san and I saw my first Octopus being caught. I helped a little but who am I kidding, it was Teru who did all the work. The little eight armed beastie as very tenacious and took a lot of getting out of the little hole he had wedged himself in. But we finally succeeded and it would later prove a tasty addition to our barbeque later that night. There were also a lot of shakugau about (a kind of clam) and we collected quite a few. I am proud to have found the largest one by some measure but then proceeded to gash my finger while getting it out, woops. I had planned some sea kayaking but the weather took a turn for the worse on Sunday and that plan had to be abandoned. I am still determined to kayak out to the uninhabited island which lies perhaps a few Kilometres North West of Izena Beach. It will just take the right combination of time, weather and company. The islanders thought I was crazy when I mentioned it a while back.