Holiday Fun

Okay, so it has been a while since I've posted something.  Really, you shouldn't be all that surprised.  I'm the worst for keeping in contact with people and interneting isn't really my thing.  But, I started this and I'm not much for quitting something.  Plus, I have something to say and show you all.

Everyone is curious about Christmas in Japan; what do they do, how do they celebrate it?  I tell ya, Christmas in Japan is rather a non-event.  Most Japanese people do not get Christmas off, December 23rd is the National Holiday.  I've learned that most Japanese people do not even get National Holidays off.  What does happen on Christmas is shopping!  Lots and lots of shopping!  Christmas in Japan is like Boxing Day in Canada.  Everything goes on sale and the shopping is crazy!  I went out for turkey dinner with a bunch of other teachers, and as par for course, I was late.  Really late.  I thought we were meeting at 6pm and was already running behind, but it turns out we were to meet at 5:30pm, so you can just imagine how late I was.  I was busy taking pictures of myself getting ready to go out (no, I did not go out with my hair like this, it was prep to give some shape to my hair.)

Anyway, I wasn't prepared for the amount of people that were out.  At home, if you have to leave the house on Christmas day, you run into very few people.  Mostly last minute gravy runs and the like.  I thought, "Okay, I'm late.  But at least it isn't far from the subway to the pub, I can just boot it."  Well, Shinsaibashi is one of the big covered outdoor shopping streets in Osaka.  There was NO WAY, I could leg it.  It was really hard just walking it and staying headed in the right direction.  It was also very hard not to get distracted.  I've been wanting a new pair of boots, and we walked past many a shoe store that had amazing sales on gorgeous boots.  But I was already really late, and just couldn't justify stopping to buy boots.



  I eventually got to my destination and everybody was already on their 2-4 beer.  But we sat down, and exchanged gifts and ate great food.  Peter is a good cook.  There was turkey, veg, roast potato and sweet potato.  And gravy!  It was a bit runny, but still good.  There was even dessert, which for me was a lone two-bite brownie, because I cannot have ice cream or whipping cream.  But it was just enough to finish off the meal.

Later in the evening the pub began to get more and more crowded.  There was a band playing, not an Irish band, and not Christmas music, but they were good.  People danced, drank and were merry.  This is a picture of me with two of the girls I met during training.  Daisy is in the middle and she was sort of a surprise guest.  She lives in Nagoya, but is dating one of the teachers from Tokai North, which is close to Osaka.  And Danielle is on the end, and she works in the Himeji area.  We see each other often, as it is only 2 hrs to Fukuchiyama, where she lives.  It is nice to have someone close by.
 
I am going to Kyoto tomorrow, to meet up with other friends.  And I will be back in Osaka for New Year's Eve.  I will be celebrating with a different teacher and hopefully some of the same people from our Christmas night out.  I included a short video, such fun we had, well at least Konrad had fun.  Nah, we all had fun.  If you listen carefully, you will hear Peter giving his commentary on Konrad's dancing, in his sexy Irish accent.