half-nakedness!

Hi y'all!

As many of y'all know, this past week or so has been really hard for me. Culture shock has set in in a major way and I am not at all digging living out in the middle of nowhere, aka rice fields. (I think part of the kanji for the name of my city actually means rice field). Anyway, I am doing a little bit better now, mainly because I was able to actually leave Minokamo and go down to Kyoto for the weekend. I just got back this morning on the train and had to run home, take a shower, and then go straight to the station to go to work, which is where I am now.

Kyoto was pretty cool even though it rained the entire weekend. Between the near constant rain or the ridiculously high heat and humidity, the weather here is down right miserable. Coming from the desert, being in the rain every day is a huge change to say the least.
In Kyoto, we watched the Gion festival, which I eventually found out consists of hundreds of half-naked Japanese men screaming and carrying floats parade-style down the streets.

Basically, my asian fantasy come true. Only in my fantasy, they are carrying me. haha

Anyway, I am at work now, but I dont have another class for another 3 hours and I am way too tired to focus on lesson planning or anything productive. Talk to y'all later.