There will be no post until after next week! I am in severe study mode right now, on sunday I fly to Tokyo to sit an exam on tuesday and one on friday. I have no idea how well prepaired I am, it is a new subject, a different kind of exam than I am used to and I had to study by myself. Argh! Whatever, all experience is good experience right?

Somebody asked for more pictures, dangerous request from a fellow who just baught himself a new 2 gig SD card...


OK, here we go!

Me being taught to foxtrot by my lovely Cuz who happens to be an amazing dancer! I sucked btw.And they are married! (These pics ain't in any particular order).
The rumbustious Aussies, full of mirth and ..... other stuff.
Ah-hah! My shodou! Here is where I started the lesson. This Character is DO and has an earthy meaning it seems to me.

And here is where I got to! Two hours later! I was pretty pleased with my efforts. I wonder if to the western eye it will seem much different?
Ah, back to the wedding, the couples first dance.
My uncle and the piper. Who knew there was a bag piping society in Albuqerque!
I and my mother, shortly before the wedding ceremony I think.
The beautiful wedded couple and some random in the middle.
The mountains over Telluride glowing pink as the sun sets.

So it appears I have been back in Okinawa for about a week now. Of course it now seems like I never went on my little holiday, brain seamlessly stitching the pre America timeline to the post America timeline. Why is it always like that with holidays? And while in America it did not feel like I had not seen my Mum for almost two years, maybe we expect something to have changed and when there isn't a change our grey matter just assumes it cant really have been that long? It was a fantastic trip, a few days spent before the wedding in Albuqerque which has a cute little old town, all adobe pueblo style buildings and a fairly old church built by the Spanish. We also took the works longest tramway up to the top of the Sandia mountains which look over Albuquerque. Initially I must admit America kind of depressed me. I am not sure why because no-one can claim the buildings and such in Okinawa are anything less than hideous but everything seems very ugly to me. I generally find modern buildings ugly, they are creations determined by economy and function. Gone are the days when near every building was a work of art. We are very lucky in Britain to have beautiful Victorian buildings with carved stone relief work and such like. Although modern buildings are much easier to live in of course. There are many stunning modern buildings but they tend to be the exceptions. I am aware it is my personal taste and probably a fairly european one to find old beautiful but there ya go! So it offended me when I went to a run to find asphalt roads with rough edges (not neatly finished) going to ugly little houses each with two or three huge gleaming and no-doupt polluting motor vehicles parked outside. Anyway. The wedding was perfect, really perfect. It was beautiful and moving and most importantly everyone has a really good time, much helped by a group of rumbustious, gregorian Aussies who has come across for the wedding. If you don't know my dear cousin (Amerikan-jin) has married an Australian chap who is in my humble opinion a fine fellow indeed! But I cannot go into great detail otherwise I will never finish this post and it will be hugely long (I have to leave space for any possible rants).
Directly after the wedding I attended the Aussies last HURRAH on the mean street of Albuqeruque. It was some thing going on, apperently called 'spring crawl', one of the two nights a year Albuqerque is happening. I have never seen so many police at one time! Mounted police too! Entire side-street packed with police vans and cars! What did they think was going to happen? People can't go out and have a good time without a massive police presence? The bouncer of the bar we wound up in cheerfully told us someone has been shot in front of the bar last night.....maybe the police are needed?
After the wedding we drive upto my America family's home in the little (but growing) mountain town of Durango, Colorado. Almost immediately I was reminded of why I do really like America, the nature/wilderness! It is fantastic! As we drove out of the city along the Rio Grande there were beautiful adobe house set amongst elegant riverwood and cottonwood trees with their lively green spring leaves. From there on it got better and better. I love the crazy rock colours and formations that fill New Mexico. As we hit Colorado (I guess we were too busy looking at the scenery to see it coming!) thing immediately got greener and we could see towering snow topped mountains brooding in the distance wreathed in a mantle of raging storm clouds and lighting.
We stayed in Durango for a day or two, it is a lovely town, and although it has grown it maintians it charm. The centre is easily navigated on foot and much to my relief and pleasure they buildings were pleasant on the eye. The town has a very western feel which I like, the two old hotels on Main street (the General Palmer and the Strater) have fantastic Saloon bars. One can also buy John Wayne toilet paper in the gift shops printed with the slogan 'it's rough and it's tough and it doesnt take shit off anyone.' Please excuse me for the language. Durango is at about 6000 feet and early one morning I took it upon myself to go for a run. BAD IDEA. I ran straight up a hill that took about 20 minutes to crest. WORSE IDEA! I managed to run for another ten minutes after the hill before I had to sit down. My lungs were really burning, it was verging in painful. My lungs never approached feeling this bad during a whole marathon at sea level. Altitude training, man that must work!
Then we drove to an even higher town of Telluride which a drop of at John Waynes fav. cafe in the town of Ridgeway and cresting Molas pass (10910 feet). Molas pass is famous as the spot where I succumbed to the lovely, fresh, packable, shiny, white snow and hit my mum with a snowball at a good 15-20 metres distance! And caught it on video ;)). Telluride is also a great little town although quite a bit more up-market that Durango. It was hearted to find that the orgional local community is still going strong and fighting to save their valley floor from being developed by an evil defence company owning San Diegan. The mountains were stunning and the place had a very Alpine feel, really a great place to live. I can't wait to see Austria!
Since I have been back in Okinawa it has mostly been study study. It is cram time now. I did find time to do to a spa kind of place with Kelly. I think you call it a spa at least. It has lots of various types of pools of salt water with various water jets and bubbles going on, pretty fun. I couldn't work out the system in the changing room and didn't bring my towel into the shower room and had to walk back all wet to my locker leaving puddles everywhere but meh, these things happen. On Sunday I and Kelly went to a play put on by Izena people on the mainland. This is the play I mentioned a while back, the one I had to turn down a part in due to nerdy study reasons. I almost regretted it then! The play was marvellous! Very polished and professional looking and in a snazzy new theatre that was only completed this year. They poor souls did three back to back performances on the sunday and every one was packed to the rafters. Admittedly allot of Izenians went (Izena must have been empty) and I am guessing all their relatives who live on the main island went too but still it was a good show. They were selling t-shirts and cds and books on the play, it was quite the commercial operation! They also had a pamphlet showing Izena's various produce and stalls outside selling it. Pretty good marketing operation I thought! Ok I must go study now, boy I can't wait until these exams are over.

PS. I finally made a Shodo class and it was great! I learned most in those 2 hours than I have for weeks from the book I baught. It is not something one can really learn from a book I feel.