Sapporo Orientation MYC (Mid Year Conference) and others

December 2nd Wednesday

So this is the second time this week that I`ve woken up late for work! I woke up at 8:30am and I was supposed to be at the school by 8:10am! Damn alarm clock had run out of batteries while I was sleeping. So, yes, I was very late. But, luckily, I didn`t have to teach until second period, so the vice principal and the other teachers all said that it was totally fine and not a big deal since I`ve never been late before. Just as long as I don`t do it again. eheh. But I felt terrible because I also needed to leave an hour earlier to catch the train to Asahikawa city to change onto the fast train to Sapporo for the Mid year conference that starts tomorrow. So troublesome. But all the teachers said it was okay for me to do so.

So I got all my stuff ready and went off to the train station. When I got to Asahikawa station and was waiting in line to get on the fast limited express train, I saw a girl who looked very familiar because I`ve seen her several times. I vaguely remembered that it was Mio and so I called her name and she responded. It was such a coincidence that we were on the same train together. She lives and works in Biei which is about an hour south of Asahikawa. I`m an hour north. So we sat together on the train and had a good conversation. Turns out we both have the same interests and all that which is awesome. And then a caucasian guy came over to talk to us and we found out he was one of the ALTs in Nayoro city which is only an hour north of me. And I knew Abby and Giselle were also from there so they were also on the train as well. There were actually a lot of us ALTs on the train all headed over to the hotel for the night since we all live so far away that we didn`t want to have to wake up at the crack of dawn to leave for Sapporo.

Once we all got to Sapporo, we parted ways after we checked into the hotel, and since I didn`t have a room to stay in because my BOE was being cheap and didn`t want to pay for the extra night, I stayed the night with Abby. So then John (the Nayoro ALT) and I went to go meet up with Collin and two other guy ALTs from Hamatonbetsu which is near where Collin is. However, from the first impression I got from them, they seemed like trouble. And that`s kindof how it was that night. They were crazy ass guys and I started feeling alittle uncomfortable with them. Our conversations got pretty perverted and I was like "Whoa!" But I really should be used to dirty conversations since me and a bunch of you guys back home constatnly had really wierd and wrong conversations. But because I`ve been isolated from that and have been constantly in the polite sweet mannered jpanaese peoples` company (well, as sweet mannered as they can be until they drink) it`s been way too long since anything like that has happened. At around 12am I decided that I wanted to head home because it was just too much. I know that John was very unhappy with these guys by the end of the night that`s for sure.

So I spent half the night sleeping on the floor in my friend`s room and then was called back to sleep on the bed, to which I kind of got kicked off a little. lol But it wasn`t bad at all. haha. I really appreciated her letting me sleep there for the night, though. Thank you so much Abby! Luvs!

Nov. 3rd Thursday

So neither Abby nor I woke up until 8am because we didn`t need to be at the meeting until 10:30am. Yeah, being able to wake up that late on a weekday is wonderful. I was able to meet up with Miki and everyone else that morning so I was super excited and happy to see everyone. The conference was okay, I mean the it felt like college lectures all over again for some part of it. But when Chelle did her presentation, that was awesome! And what she said was pretty true. Like how when we phone back home to the states, for some of us who have been so isolated, and tell our family and friends how we`re so excited when we get to eat fried chicken for lunch. lol Thtat was totally me. I get excited when little things like that happen. haha.

So tonight is the MYC ball which is an 80`s prom theme. My homies and I didn`t have 80`s theme dresses or clothes, so we all just kinda stuck with our cocktail dresses. I wore my dress with black "fiberheat" (nice and warm) pantyhose or stockings, and silver heels with my black fur coat. I looked and felt really Japanese. haha. My friends even said the same thing. =P Oh, and I met Davie Bowie. lol

Afterwards we went to TK6 which is the foreigners bar in town to drink and stuff, but I ended up going home early because I was tired and the next day we had to wake up earlier for the conference. But i had a good Long Island Ice Tea before I went home.

Nov. 4th Friday

Last day of conference. At night I went to go see the White Illumination in Odori Park. It`s when they decorate the park with a lot of lights and light statues and stuff. So it was absolutely beautiful! Then they also had the Mulhen festival in the park which is a German Christmas festival. That was cool. I had real sausages and real saurkraut! So damn good. I also had warm cherry beer which was actually very good. I met up with other ALTs there too! And got to take a picture with the German santa! Yay! ^^ Afterwards we were supposed to meet up with Steph to go eat, but it turned out to be pretty late by the time we got back to the hotel and we all wanted to go clubbing too. So we decided to just make a run to the conbini and head over to the girl`s hotel and eat there while everyone was sitll getting ready.

However, we accidentally walked into the love hotel that`s right next door because we thought that that was the hotel they were staying at. We went inside and knew it was not a normal hotel as the hallway and entryway had no one there and allt here was was an elevator and a wall with pictures of available rooms. HAH! That was my first timein one and i was excited because they always have like the coolest rooms ever! Seriously, they were swanky! So I called the girls and was like "dude, are you guys staying in a love hotel?" And they said that it was called the Business Inn hotel, which is very different from the one we were in. lol =P We found it right next door and it looked completely different. haha. Anyways we went to the girl`s room and they looked damn hot! Well, everyone just looked good that night. It`s been awhile since we`ve all dressed up to go dancin. I wore my one piece long sleeve semi-dress top that bared a shoulder with leggings and my stylish brown legboots. Lol I was thinking of heels, but then decided against it. haha.

So we walked all the way to the club and when we got there we found out they were playing hip hop and reggae!!! YESSSHHHH!!! I love it. We also had met up with Jonathon and his wife. So all the cool kids were there. All the guys were dressed up in button up shirts and nice pants. But the Japanese guys at the club were all just wearing sweatshirts and jeans and caps. lol Steph couldn`t get over that fact because back at home, the guys would totally be kicked out. lol =P I do like it when guys dress up nicer for clubbin. But it was pretty funny. The guys just wear their street clothes in. haha. The music was pretty good and we spotted these 3 girls who were damn good at dancing and figured that by the way they danced, they cannot possibly be from Japan. So i asked one girl with short hair and she said they were from Tokyo but originally came from New York. So that`s why! I fell in love with her. Seriously, she was so hot when she danced. Man. X3

At 5am our feet were dying and getting tired so we decided to go home. I crashed at Collin`s that night because I had no other place to stay. So thanks muchos Collin! Appreciation!

Next day, woke up at 10 checked out at 11 and decided to go eat at an awesome Indian restraunt with Nan and curry and then went shopping for a little bit. Then headed back home. Everyone was ready to pass out we were so freakin tired. lol

Nov. 6th Sunday

Stayed at home, found out my pipes froze and tried to unfreeze them. The temp in my apt was 1 degrees celsius. Wooo. lol So I ordered some delicious potato and cod roe pizza (which is seriously damn good) and stayed at home planning games and lesson plans for my elementary school kids. Fun day. lol Well actually it really was because I was able to talk with my love, Linda. I lurv you massly Lindas!

Nov. 7th Monday

I stocked myself up on coffee galore because I was still feeling the effects of the lack of sleep the entire time I was at the conference. Seriously, each night I only had at most 4 hours of sleep. And i always start my mondays with my super energetic little nursery babies which require all of your energy. Like crazy. Then after was the elementary 6th grade which also required a shit load of my energy. I seriuosly go crazy when I`m in school with the kids. I try to match with their energy and level of excitement so by the end of the day I`m ready to pass out. Waaaaa....But it`s always alot of funwith them. At the elementary today all my kids told me "Theresa-sensei daisuki!!!" which means I love you Ms. Theresa!! and gave me big hugs WAAHHH!! To which I responded back with equally large huggage. When the teachers told them that I will still be in the elementary when they go there, they were all like "yatta!" ^_^ woo children. And then at the elementary school, because I was super genki and super outgoing with the kids today, the kids fed off my energy and were excited for class. They loved me and loved talking to me. Yay!! Seriuosly, I had so many kids tell me they loved me today. I feel so special.

Nov. 8th Tuesday

Today was my BOE`s bounenkai which means end of the year party where they can forget all their troubles this year and look forward to the next year. It wasn`t terrible, but it wasn`t awesome. I just liked the sukiyaki they had. That was super good. I won bingo and got soba making basket things......And then went back home and had a good talk time with Su (my supervisor which I totally love and adore cuz she`s so awesome). We had a pretty hilarious conversation. XD Anyways,

Otsukare-sama for reading all. And be prepared for 300 or so pics to be up by this weekend. For sure! Love you all. I think I need to hold back on the coffee drinking. But without it, I`m unable to give enough energy to the kids in my elementary. soooo tired.....