THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT THAILAND BUT THE PICTURES ADMITTEDLY ARE!
Playing mit baby elephanten.
Big tree in Tomb Raider temple
Kelly inside Angkor Wat

Lalala so what is up?! I have meant to write a post for a while but never seem to have time. The big news is that I am leaving Japan this year! It came as a little shock, having been told (informally) I had got the transfer to the main-island (my condition on staying). So as a result Kelly had already signed her recontracting papers for another year when I was told the transfer process had fallen at the last hurdle (the part which has supposedly been a mere formality). After a moments pause to collect my thoughts I began to come to the realisation this was probably for the best. Anyway Kelly changed her recontracting answer to no, and so we are leaving together, and that is all that really matters. Also it is probably time to leave, I have achieved all I can on Izena, I came up with some more things I would have like to have done on the main island but they were never long held and cherished goals of mine. Also for the best part of this second year I have not been planning on recontracting, it was just the easy option. Also having had no special interest in Japan or Japanese (and still not being amoured with it all except the food) it might look bad on the CV. BUT NO! No easy option for me, I must venture forth and face the unknown with my meagre funds. And hopefully have a wizzo time too! So far the plans are travel then volunteer then..............grad school. Goodness there were a few things I wanted to say, oh yes I had a good moment at the elementary school. I have these special needs kids who join my 6th grade class. I have struggled to integrate them. Outside the class room they are umungst the friendliest kids and one in particular always tries to speak to me. However in the class they are a bit unresponsive, I think because of being in a different group (class) and being Japanese they are all about the group right, they probably also feel dumb compared to the other kids. Anyway I was playing a review game, making giant faces on the board and I get one of the special needs kids, so I choose an easy flashcard and pop it up so he sees it first, he gets it and there is a surprised murmur around the class. When he came up again I repeated the same trick and he got it again and the whole class erupted into cheers for him. Quite a moment. Anyway. Also I almost got sucked into acting in a Japanese play. Well my neighbour recruited me and I attended one rehearsal where I played 'man 4' and had one line. However with marathon training (2ish hours a night including shower etc.) and having to study for the distance course I am enrolled in I have no time. I need to devote more time to study I have already fallen behind my own schedule! Drat! Mmmm what else...oh I have been randomly dropped what I am doing and thinking recently. Not even sure what I am thinking about. While working out (outside) I randomly stopped and stared at the moon for almost an hour. I had thoughts on nature and love in case you were wondering. I thought that there is so much inherent beauty in the world why do we try so hard to create our own, why not appreciate nature? And even more tragically by our actions we are destroying natures beauty. I wished humans would just bugger off and leave the world alone! Humans I think are incomplete on their own and try to fill this void with anything and everything. When all you need is love (SHUTUP!) and once you have love you can calmly appreciate nature. I admit this is a similar sentiment expressed by Serganov through his character Pavol in 'on the eve'. However it is different when one reads something and realises it for oneself. Also later after reading a book on the Crimean war (composed of accounts and recollection of the soldiers who served) I pondered the love of ones country. First the book made me wonder if I hated or loved Britain. Then I realised how foolish it was to love a country, one should love a woman (or man - despite our increased hairyness and smellyness) or even a puppy, something that can love you back. But not a country which can never love you back and all to often proves a harsh mistress, generously spending the blood of her subjects in her own interest. Anyway sorry, enough of that nonsense. Back to work!
Craig

I had a break from the 'routine' yesterday. My neighbour came around and told me about a music event happening in the hotel near my house. I wasn't sure if I was going to go (I may have been watching a movie at the time) but my neighbours wife emailed me telling me to come quickly so I came. It was quite good, a chap from mainland Japan (a tokyoite) played the pan pipes and a sort of bamboo recorder. I gather he had spent some time in Bolivia. He was corpulent and amusing and got suitable engrossed/animated by the music he was playing. There were also coffee and cakes supplied, how civilised ;). Mostly teachers came, and with other civilised members of Izenean society (dentists wife etc.) sat near the musician. Other Izeneans of a more countrified nature sat at the far end of the long room and proceeded to talk in above acceptable levels and most horridly laugh mid-performance at private jokes! When they decided to clap to the music (without the musicians accent) the upper table resisted their oafish attempt to make amends (they tend to clap to sanshin music -and talk loudly during it- at their own social gatherings) and they were cowed into silence by our disapproving countenance. Jolly good evening and I even managed a good conversation with the chap afterwards, he is very well travelled. E's even gone and went to Zimbabwe (country of me birth don'tchaknow)! Mainland Japanese are so much easier to talk to, being that they speak the language I am trying to learn, Japanese. Izenians speak something else. Even okinawa honto (main island okinawa) people can't understand them when they are drinking etc. Okinawa honto people are also easy to talk to. It is nice sometimes to make use of the Japanese I have learned.