Meeting new ALTs

Over the last few days I have hung out with a few different ALTs. It's been fun. On Thursday night I hiked up to Yuasa and meet up with 5 other ALTs, 3 of whom I'd never met before. We had a great time at this little tiny restaurant run by this lady. There were some other guys in the place that kept talking to us foreigners and asking us questions, which fine. They even said that another guy looked like Tom Cruise, and this girl looked like Jodie Foster and that I looked like Micheal J. Fox. I have heard that before, even from some Japanese people since I have been here. I didn't drink at all, well a half a class of beer, and just one sip of sake. We were there for about 2 and half hours so I was totally fine to drive afterwards. The trip didn't take as long as I had thought.
Friday went well too, except for one incendent. That is a hurt a little 1st grader while playing on the playground. Another little kid tripped me by accident I end up pushing another kid's face into the ground(which was like a gravel sand mixture). I felt horrible and still bothers me now. He's perfectly fine though, but I worry about those things, about if he is ok and if maybe I traumatized him or anything. Anywho after going to Kawa-Shou for the day and singing '5 Little Monkies Jumping on a Bed' like 10 times that I went with my Board of Education co-workers to a bon-enkai at a little place near-by. They were calling it a BBQ. But it really was just a couple of a gas burners at the table we sat at with which we cooked the raw meat that we were served. It was great food. They had great suaces for the meat and it was oh so yummy. Plus they made sure I had my filling of sake, which is like 3 bottles, plus a lot of beer. Before I knew I was singing Japanese songs in the karaoke section. I am sure I sucked. I remember the food weel. Nice good meat, along with some cow tongue and stomach, which wasn't so bad.
On Saturday I wore off the hangover and just went for a simple drive in the afternoon and watched a few　movies at home. It was a gorgious warm and sunny day. At one point in the day some kids came by house and started calling my name. Maku-san. So I came out and they just wanted say 'hi.' They go to the elemenetry school that I live next to.
On Sunday afternoon I headed of to Ryujin. Ryujin is a well-known village just next to mine, but more to the East. So if you look at the map you can see that it is more in the mountains. It is a bigger viallge too, in size and population. It has this really famous Onsen(hot spring bath-house), which like 1000 years old. It must have been really good a 1000 years ago for people to come all the way into the mountains to go to it. Anywho, I was in Ryujin to visit my neighboring ALT, Aaron, who is from Virgina. We shot the shit and tried to drive up to this scenic road and spot in the Northern part of his village, but the snow was too much and my car was starting to slid everywhere and I didn't feel like putting on my chains jsut yet. Instead we went pack and watched some English programs on his satelitte TV and had a spagetti dinner and then played some gin-rummy. All in all a great afternoon.
Today has been going well too. I visited Kasamatsu shougakou, which is the best place. It is has some great teachers and they are great to talk with. Plus the kids are great and fun. The kyotosensei was playing the accordian after lunch. I freaked the kids out also, by biting into a mikan and eating the outer skin as well. I have a Japanese lesson in Gobo tonight with Tetsuji. He went to Korea last week. He is always going some place.
So, that ends this edition. Thank You.