I'm sorry for the lack of posts lately, I managed to spill water on my computer about a month ago, so I have been without a fully functioning computer at home.
Some updates:
We had a full-fledged American Thanksgiving with turkey and all the sides, thanks to two Omura ALTs who whipped it up. It was pretty dang good.
Winter is here. Today it's a high of 16 C, so 61 F, but nights get below 10 C. You're probably thinking 'oh not bad.' But you're also probably taking advantage of your insulated houses (and schools) with central heating. I'm not going to complain too much now, because really, it's not so bad yet. I have my wall-unit air conditioner/heater, a space heater and of course my beloved kotasu. A kotatsu is a coffee-table size table with a heater mounted underneath. You put a special-blanket under the tabletop to keep the heat in and warm your toes and legs in the cozy heat for hours on end. It's pretty wonderful.
I attended a Japanese wedding reception (the actual ceremony is usually reserved for family and close friends). A quick run-down of Japanese weddings: everyone dresses up in pretty formal wear, the bride changes dresses many times, some guests often give pre-planned performances while the bride changes, the guests give gifts of money (only in an odd number of crisp bills for good luck) in a special envelope (the current normal amount is about $300) instead of giving house appliances etc., the bride and groom walk around and light the candle at every table, and you get a gift bag of household goods (I got two ramen bowls) and a variety of foods or sweets. The gift alone is worth a lot, not to mention the great food you eat.
I think that's all I have for now. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
