Karaoke Onegaishimaus!!

It's been a fairly big week. This morning is the first chance I have had to actually sit down and post in nearly over a week.

Most people know by now that my mates Brendan and Trevor came up to Kitakami City for the night. Trevor had flown in from Melbourne the previous week, while Brendan currently lives in Nagano. The two arrived after one of my longest day's of work I can remember. A day in which out my six classes that I had taught, a total of six students had turned up. It was a waste of my time and of their times. School on a Sunday... I felt so sorry for the little brats.



So Brendan and Trevor arrived at Kitakami Station, after having spent 4.5 hours on the Shinkasen. I watched the two walk down the the escalators and towards the ticket gates where I was waiting. When Trevor spotted me he grinned and waved. Brendan casually strolled over, said "Hey, how's it going?" with me promptly responding "Alright."



Somehow after having not seen my best friend in the flesh for near on three months I had expected something a bit more exciting... But thems the facts.



The three of us, along with Megan went out to Karaoke. It took us ages to actually get into the place because not one of us fluently understands Japanese. It was interesting, but more so frustrating, but eventually we got it and the conversation between myself and the Karaoke guy ended with me clearly stating "Nihongo wa Muzugashi desu yo" which pretty much means: Japanese is hard!



We spent the rest of the night drinking, chowing down on Ice cream which Brendan just appeared with at random intervals, and singing our little hearts away. At one point during the night it kinda clicked with Brendan and myself that we were both in Japan singing Karaoke together in the same room... Which caused has to fall into a little heap of giggles and laughter. Trevor and I later attempted to sing a really fast Japanese song called Asterix by Orange Range. Let me say this: I'm glad we were drunk because we sounded like idiots.



After Karaoke was finished we stumbled back to my apartment. Trevor fell asleep fairly quickly and Brendan and myself just caught up on what had happened in the past three months. Next day we walked around Kitakami, and Brendan caught the Shinkasen back to Nagano later that afternoon.

On the Tuesday and I took Trevor to a place called Tono Valley. Widely known for its folk talesa and ghost stories. Several places in the Tono Valley are meant to be haunted by spirits, godly deities and other monsters such as Mountain Men who eat children and Kappa. I find it hilarious that Tono use the Kappa, in particular one they have named Kapuru-Chan, as their Mascot. The reason being that the Kappa in legend will attack you, wrestle you to the ground and if you lose will proceed to pull out your intestines throught your anus and eat them in front of you.



And here I thought the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games Mascots were scary...

So we walked about the place, and got on the wrong bus at one point thanks to an old man who was trying to help us... I don't think old people like me very much.

I've got a lot of photos that I took in Tono Valley, but I can't post another set until next month. So be patient until then and I will have a whole lot more photos to show you all.