Bear

I've been busy this week running around trying to get all the supplies I needed for a weeks worth of Halloween themed classes. This was the most hectic week as it's my largest school. Next week will cool off and the week at Takae will be an easy, yet enjoyable, relief.

First priority was candy. I took care of that on Sunday, spending less than I thought I would. Second priority was pumpkins. I scrambled for this Monday night as the pumpkin season in Okinawa isn't now and the pumpkins they do have are much smaller compared to the ones I'm used to carving from home. Third priority was things to do in class. This has handled itself pretty well, time being spent mostly with crafts, games, games, and candy.

Amidst this busyness that I'm in, I found time Monday night to get persuaded to join some staff from the Board of Education at the Higashi Village museum. So I followed Kacho-san and Tsubasa-san on the short drive from my apartment to find a small barbecue underway. The meat? Bear. Or kuma. Another first for me and it was really good! I'm sure bear meat has a different flavor than traditional meats, but this was great. It was also explained to me that the right side of the bear is considered better tasting because, and this is pure science I assure you, most bears use their right paws to eat hachimitsu, or honey. Since the honey then runs down the right paw of the bear, the meat is sweeter.

I only planned to stay for an hour, because I had to drive to Nago to pick up some black and orange construction paper for the younger classes' pumpkin crafts. Chinen-sensei did me the favor of making some calls and arranged for a teacher at Higashi to pick the paper up in the morning and have it on my desk first thing. Now that's service! Apparently the store had closed for the night so my drive would have been futile. Instead, I relaxed into the evening, my task taken care of by someone else. Then began the "nomunication."

Nomu is the Japanese verb for "to drink." Tsurumi-san, whether previously or in a most serendipitous realization, mentioned that seeing as my duties for the night were no longer necessary, I could have a drink and begin the "nomunicating" with the rest of the company.

This was hilarious! Everyone started cracking up at mere mention and many small toasts were had to the idea. We settled on a motto for the event, something like: Nomunication is important for your life. Chinen-sensei said I should make this my announcement at each school's weekly Monday meeting - just don't do it in class! I lol'd.

Of course, drinking wouldn't suffice. Tsubasa-san's brother soon arrived bearing a guitar and I was asked to play. Beatles were the main request, and when Chinen-sensei wanted something from Chicago, all I could come up with was Hotel California. Yeah, I'm not a blues musician, never will be. It did the trick, though, and I was soon able to the put the quite mistreated instrument down for an Orion instead.

Revelry complete, and bugs biting at will, we called it a night and crashed in the washitsu at the museum. By poor chance, I fell asleep with my head facing west, a big no-no Chinen-sensei warned me when he woke me up to correct my mistake. So I turned around, settled in my new position, and failed to fall asleep. Chinen-sensei turns into a lumberjack at night and I was unable to win the battle of sleep versus sound. I finally called it at 3:00 am and drove back home to crash for three hours before starting my day.