Ah, vacation...sweet vacation

Yeah, I love being on vacation. Life would be best if it were all, or mostly, vacation. Makes me wonder if I ever will leave the teaching profession, unless, of course, it's to retire.

I worked with the kids again yesterday after a week off (which translated into two weeks of no work at all). The kiddies aren't too bad now, and even sometimes enjoyable. Sometimes. I'm probably going to get a new, larger crop in April...not sure if I'll still have any of the students I have now, but probably. The rumor on kids' program front is that elementary schools will bring back Saturday classes (which they've not had for the last five years or so)...which means that after next March, I probably won't have to teach the kids anymore! So sweet. That might mean an extra university class, but I'd rather do that...I've got my fingers crossed.

Continuing with work-related news: I have my schedule for the next academic year. Aside from the given Saturday kids classes, I'm teaching Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Sundays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays off. Gives me a mid-week two-day break, a nice time for short trips when destinations will be less crowded.

Last weekend I went to visit my friend Kurara to take the pre-wedding photos I mentioned in my last post. I got there Friday evening, hung out on Saturday and did a bit of scouting (I got to see where the reception will be, but not the ceremony as there was too much snow that day to get there), and on Sunday we took the pictures. On the day of the wedding, Kurara and Daniel will only wear the wedding clothes they had made special for the day (Indian style clothing), so on this day they got dressed in traditional Japanese kimono.

A note on this: Japanese women can only wear the formal, long-sleeve kimono (furisode) when unmarried, and typically only the a holiday called the Coming of Age Day and weddings. So, wearing it is an important event.

Putting on a kimono, for those who don't know, is a very difficult task. There's a lot that goes into it. A LOT. Kurara's aunt helped her put it on, and the whole thing took about an hour and a half. I don't think you could tie one of those fancy bows with the obi (belt) by yourself... After Kurara was dressed, her aunt helped Daniel put on his kimono and hakama (kind of skirt). At this point, I'd taken about 200 photos.

From there, we went to a friend's house--a mansion by Japanese standards--to take some "traditional" wedding photographs in front of a gold folding screen and posed with two dolls of old people (symbolizing the hope that the newlyweds will reach such an age together). It was a bit of a trick getting the lighting to look ok. Playing with the overhead lights and the shoji doors (made of translucent paper), I finally got some nice light. I took a bunch more photos, including some in front of an ornate doll display set up for hinamatsuri (Girl's Day).

Our next destination was the local Shinto shrine, where we took some candid shots of them walking in, going to the shrine, and walking through a set of torii (red gate-like things). The sadly funny thing about the torii is that as they were donated by a local business, the company's name is plainly written on each post...I didn't notice because I couldn't read it (could've had a prayer on it for all I knew), but Japanese people will read something like "Ueno Construction Company."

The last place we went to was Kurara's church. Her family is Catholic, but as that's not a large faith in Japan, the church is in a small building/house. There is a nice piece of stained glass on the wall above the lectern, however, and that made for a nice background. I took pictures of the couple and the family, then, per her mother's request, they changed into the clothes they'll wear on their wedding day and took some more pictures...these because the ceremony wouldn't be held at the church, as her mother had hoped.

All in all, it was a long day, but fun and I enjoyed it and learned a lot. By the time we all left the church to go home, I'd taken over 500 photos. Kurara and Daniel edited that down to about half, which is still a daunting amount considering the ceremony and reception are still to come.

Spring Vacation has begun!

Where DOES the time go? I had gotten all resolved to write more often, to post even little things, and yet here I am, a month later...

School started back up, and it felt like something of a false start because we had only three weeks of class (and only ONE full week at that) and then we hit vacation as of last week Tuesday, though I was still doing grades and various paperwork last week. This week I'm still going to school for my Japanese lessons and aikido, and to take care of some small things like cleaning and rearranging my office.

The end of the semseter was, after that vacation, expectedly anti-climatic. Things just sort of wrapped up in a sleepy kind of daze. I didn't give any final exams (which is why I'm done already and not still having to administer such an exam). Grades were computed, but I've honestly never been so...intuitive when grading. I usually go right down the line, but academics don't work quite the same way here, so I had to adjust a little to make up for my not having taking a firmer line from the beginning. I've learned my lesson and will crack the whip, hard and loudly, from the first day of the next term.

So what else have I been up to? Not much, but I have an entertaining story or two.

I try to work out at the school gym a few times a week. When I'm done working out, so as to not have to take my workout clothes home after each session, I usually rinse out my clothes in the shower. The most expedient way to do this is to just wear everything into the shower and take it off as I wash each piece. Well, about three weeks ago, on a Saturday after my kids class, as usual, I walked in fully dressed, but only after about 30 seconds when I went to take my shirt off did I notice that I could still hear music: I'd forgotten to take off my iPod Shuffle! DAMMIT! I pulled it out of my pocket, turned it off, towel dried it, and put it away. Afterwards, I set it in my office over the air vent to dry for a few days. When I came back on Monday, I tried it out: It WORKED! Amazing! BUT last week I went to charge it and...no good. It works, but it won't charge. So, I've killed my iPod Shuffle. Can't believe it. Thus, I'm now musicless when working out, which stinks for the running part...I've ordered a new iPod, but I have to wait a bit...so dumb, so dumb...

I know, most of you are thinking: He wears his clothes into the shower? But hey, if you're going to rinse them off, why take them off and carry them there? I just makes it all easier. Unless you forget to take off non-water-resistant electronic items you're wearing.

The only other thing of note happening is that my friend Kurara and her fiance Daniel have asked me to photograph their wedding. I'll be going out to see them this weekend for a few days to take some engagement/pre-wedding photos and to talk more about what they want from their photos. In honor of this special occasion (or as an excuse at least), I've purchased a new camera, one I've been eagerly awaiting for some time and have been eying since it was released last fall. The new Canon 40D. Very nice. I haven't had must opportunity to use it yet, but I will certainly be making use of it this coming weekend!

And that's that. Not much, I know, which I will also use as my excuse for why I don't write more often: Mostly I'm just at home or at work...not all that exciting. This month doesn't promise to be much better. However, next month you can expect a little more, as I'll be going to Tokyo and Seoul, South Korea, and possibly on another, shorter trip locally. Who knows, I may cave in and take a short trip this month, too... :)

Take care! Aloha.