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On Sat, a 3rd year student left school after 2nd period. He said was going to the nurse's room, but left school instead. He intended to kill himself. I don't think that anyone new this at the time, but, about half of the 3rd grade and the teachers went looking for this student. He was finally found about 3:00. He's been at school, and nothing out of the ordinary has happened. There was a big festival in Maebashi over the weekend. I didn't go to it because I was really tired, but I wish I had. Apparently there was a big float for the Yakuza (gangsters). My friend was lucky enough for them to take off their shirts for her, so she could photograph their tattoos (a tell-tale sign of a yakuza). Just as the festivities were ending, about 200 bozozoku (pre-yakuza) came roaring down the main drag on their incredibly loud motorcycles. There were other things to see at the fest, but these were the highlights, at least from my perspective. Apparently there was also a festival in Ota that same day. I hadn't hear anything about it. It was a daimyo parade. Every 5 years, people dress up as samurai and walk down the streets of Ota. It must have been a really big deal, because a route that normally takes me 10 minutes by bike took me 30 minutes in my car. Unreal!!! One would think that for a fest that big, someone in Ota would have told me about it. Did you hear that Japan just had its first legal sex change operation? It was big news. A woman had the first operation to change herself into a man. There was a lot of controversy over this. Is it ethical? etc. But, one of the ongoing arguments is over whether or not this "man" will be able to change his legal documents from female to male. This person will have a lot of trouble in the future is he is not allowed to change them. Did I tell you I went to Nagano-ken? I drove some people from Ota to Matsumoto city. We saw the city's castle, then drove up to Hotaka to see a wasabi farm and a "view" from a mountain top. Everything was really cool, though we never did see the view. But on the mountain there was a really cool path, aligned with small stone tablets and Buddha statues. It was like something out of the X-Files. There were small pools of water, surrounded by a circle of stone tablets. It was surreal. Highly recommend it if you're ever in the area. Met a Tibetan man at the train station. (It's been a long time since I've met anyone.) He seemed nice enough. Sat next to me on a bench. Kept clearing his throat to get my attention. Finally approached me and asked me where I was from, why I was here, etc. Then he left me alone. Didn't even ask if I was married! I'm sure there are many other things I am neglecting to mention, but I cannot recall them at this time, and my computer battery is low. I'll try to write soon. Though, since I am taking a language test in Dec that I am NOT ready for, I can't promise you much. Valerie Straayer |